In this epistolary novel, the speaker “Little Dog” addresses his mother who cannot read. The letters narrate the complicated story of the speaker’s family history. They are not limited to Little Dog’s life, but instead include themes such as the lasting impact of war and struggles of immigration. Whereas the text’s level of difficulty is […]
17-year-old Lily Hu wasn’t planning on falling in love. 1954’s San Francisco isn’t a safe place for two young women in love, and the Red Scare makes society’s prejudice against Chinese Americans more prevalent than ever. As the daughter of a Chinese-American immigrant, Lily worries for her father, the threat of deportation constantly looming over […]
Robots is an animated science fiction comedy about material values, consumerism, and perseverance. Young robot Rodney Copperbotton follows his dream to become an inventor and leaves his home for the big city to meet his idol Bigweld whose company hires inventors and provides robots with spare parts. Upon arriving, however, Rodney learns that Bigweld has […]
In his autobiography, Edward Snowden describes his life: his first encounters with technology and the following enthusiasm he developed for coding and the internet. He talks about his career and the process up to his groundbreaking revelations in 2013 about the spying activities and large-scale data collection, especially of the NSA. The book gives valuable […]
The musical drama West Side Story is the recent film adaptation of the stage musical by the same name. Set in 1957, the film tells the story of territorial and personal conflict between two gangs in Manhattan’s West Side. Prior to a planned ‘rumble’ between the Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks, Tony and Maria meet […]
Cadence Sinclair lives a life of luxury. Every summer is spent on a private island, called Beechwood Island, with her family and best friends. Her family comes from old money, Cadence being the eldest grandchild. Everything in their life is cushy and perfect, or so they pretend. The reality is that Cadence has had debilitating […]
Based on a short story, this award-winning comedy tells the story of an unusual friendship. Victor and Thomas both live in the Coeur D’Alene Reservation in Idaho and have known each other their whole lives. Thomas was saved from a burning house by Victor’s father, Arnold, as a baby. Victor on the other hand mainly […]
This movie adaptation of the musical “Hair” focuses on the American 1960s counterculture movement. The story follows Claude, a Vietnam War draftee, and his encounters with a group of hippies. They introduce him to their lifestyle of drugs and peace rallies, but Claude struggles with his political views that don’t align with his new friends’. […]
Set in mid-19th-century New York City, this musical navigates themes like the American Dream, class relations and othering. After being fired from his job, Phineas is desperate for a new occupation to support his family. But it’s not just about the money; he craves to change the world with his knack for magic and entertainment. […]
Made up of two acts, the musical Hamilton narrates the life of Alexander Hamilton. Set in 1776 during the American Revolution, the plot follows Hamilton working as George Washington’s assistant as well as his courtship of Eliza Schuyler. After the war he goes on to become the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United […]
The cartoon “The First Illegal Immigrants” by Andy Singer, published in 2013, critically investigates the occupation of America, the forced displacement of native Americans and the exaggerated border controls of the US homeland security. Based on the scenery, three members of the first nations interrogate a family of settlers, arriving from England, asking: “No Greencards? […]
American Pictures is a collection of approximately 22,000 photos revealing racism, segregation, social hierarchies and white supremacy. The powerful pictures of Danish photographer Jacob Holdt were not taken with an artistic intention but rather to capture the hardship and brutal reality of America in the 1970s. Holdt’s work portraits life in ghettos ranging from poverty, homelessness […]
The cartoon “American Dream Helper” by Steve Greenberg, published in the Marin Independent Journal in November 2001, critically investigates a contemporary version of the American Dream and outlines that the pursuit of happiness can only be achieved in reality, if one just adds enough money. Based on the scenery, a woman longing for a life of material […]
This Irish novel is about social difficulties in mid 20th century Ireland, emigration, and cultural identity. The book follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who is not cannot find work. Thus, she decides to immigrate to the United States as she, too, heard of the American Dream. After some initial difficulties, she falls in […]
Based on a true story, this novel is set in a 1960s reform school in Florida. 16-year-old Elwood Curtis has always admired Dr. Martin Luther King and plans on enrolling in a local black college. However, an accident leads to Elwood being sent to the “Nickel Academy”, where he meets his fellow inmate Turner. At […]
Based on the musical of the same name, this film is set in 1933 New York City, in the midst of the Great Depression. 11-year-old orphan Annie has always dreamed of being part of a family. Living in an orphanage and being abused by her caretaker, Annie’s life is far from glamorous. Her whole life […]
This dystopian comedy movie explores the power of media, commercialism and simulated reality. Truman has the all-American life: A loving wife, kids, a house complete with a picket fence… Then he starts noticing the occasional oddity. Whether it be his wife sounding like an infomercial or the people around him doing everything in their power […]
This beautifully illustrated picture book of Langston Hughes’s “Dream Variations” (a poem published in 1926) explores the speaker’s vision of a society without racism, discrimination, segregation, and racial prejudice. Dancing through the ‘white day‘, representing dominant white society, and ‘flinging his arms widely‘ the speaker, a young African-American boy dreaming of equality, freedom and ease, […]