Richard P. Wasowski

Notes and commentary on David Guterson's best-selling novel, now a popular movie, enhance understanding of this World War II-era saga. A murder trial forces the residents of an island in the Pacific Northwest to revisit the time in our history when both the Japanese and Japanese-Americans were discriminated against. Through many layers of memory, love, kinship, and national pride, the fabric of this tale is woven.

On one level, The Jungle is a gritty investigation into the meatpacking industry. On another, it is a serious book of the times, challenging the policies and beliefs of our political organizations at the beginning of the century. This is one of the first American social protest novels. This concise supplement to Sinclair's The Jungle helps students understand the overall structure of the novel, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author. ... more info>>

Charlotte Bronte wrote in the preface to her sister Emily's novel that the book was hewn in a wild workshop, with simple tools, out of homely materials. Indeed. What was wrought, however, is "almost beautiful ... with its blooming bells and balmy fragrance, [growing] faithfully close to the giant's foot." This is a towering story of the brooding love of Heathcliff for Cathy, a woman he cannot have, and the revenge he takes on the families who stand in his way.