Compared by some to the aftermath of 9/11, the reaction of Trump's win over Hilary left a dark cloud of gloom over my mostly liberal campus, causing some to cry, others to give free hugs, all left in a void of shock and uncertainty. For liberals, coming to terms with grief and fear in response to the disappointing outcome can be tough, even with assurances of hope and community solidarity. If riots aren't your thing, and books are, I have compiled a list of depressing but effectual pieces literature by American authors for you to digest. The fictional fates of most characters in these novels will likely make you feel better about our reality, and even if they don't, you will be better for the beautiful, gut-wrenching words read.
1. Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.
Arguably one of the most impacting endings of any book, also adapted into a film by Darren Aronofsky, the main character's lives spiral downwards in parallel fashion, destroyed by poverty and addiction, desperate for meaningful lives as artists, but starved by society and their own hedonistic inclinations.
2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Disillusioned and left wanting, Jay Gatsby is victim to the harsh reality of rejection and his glamour is exposed as a facade, materialism a fleeting desire that will never be reconciled.
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Perhaps the most emotional reaction I have ever had to a novel, the last image of this marathon will leave one with a gaping mouth and full heart, gulping for air clean of the Dustbowl hardship exposed.
4. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Exploring the limitations of women in the urban setting of Chicago in the early 1900's, Dreiser exposes the lack of substance in a life of social climbing. Carrie latches onto males as her only way of gaining power, but ultimately ends up disappointed and alone. This novel will also show how far we have come in gender equality, yet resonates with how far we have yet to still go.
5. The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Published in 1952, this novel focuses on an African American man whose color renders him invisible. The text explores themes of black nationalism, individuality, and personal identity, all obviously relevant now, within the vicious circle of race relations in the U.S.
6. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
Following two drug and alcohol fueled reporters across the barren West, chaos ensues on every page, causing the reader to be particularly fond of the blanket of sanity they are wrapped in, or desirous of outside-of-society adventure.
7. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Instead of picking a bar fight with a guy wearing a red shirt, go through the psychological brain-bending and soap-making of the battle within oneself that is Fight Club.
8. How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis
Photojournalism from the 1880's, immigrant hardship is documented and while the immigrants of the 1880's had different difficulties from the refugees and immigrants finding refuge and opportunity in the United States, the oppression of minorities has always been around, has been overcome and can yet be overcome.
9. Beloved by Toni Morrison
Set in the aftermath of the Civil War, Morrison tells the tale of an escaped slave, who must sacrifice her own child to save her from a fate worse than death. While equality is not yet achieved in our present democracy, humanity has made bounds in civil rights and no leader is responsible for the corruption of the mind, we alone can stand moral ground and continue on the benevolent and respectful path.
10. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.
Set in Brooklyn, divided into six parts, Selby again exposes the injustice within the lives of young adults in New York, in Brooklyn, exploring the violence and cruelty associated with homosexual, 'John' culture.
11. Howl by Allen Ginsberg
While an epic poem rather than a novel, Howl is a cry out against the rising materialism and capitalism of the after WWII America, the East Coast particularly. Ginsberg advocates for the rights of the different, the homosexual, disadvantages, and disillusioned. Against the fire of Moloch, the god of human-sacrifice, symbol of the oppression of capitalism, society, to Ginsberg, is condemned.
We must therefore revolt, embrace the absurd and rise.
