Additional Resources: Suggested Readings
Resources for American Civic Values in a Global Age
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889), by Mark Twain. Hank
Morgan, a workingman from 19th-century Hartford, Connecticut,
finds himself transported to the sixth-century world of King Arthur
and the Round Table. The novel traces its hero's attempts to modernize
King Arthur's court and the inevitable clashes between "new world"
America and "old world" England.
Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), by Alan Paton. Written
just before South Africa instituted its system of apartheid, this
novel follows the story of two fathers, one a black preacher,
and the other a wealthy white landowner, who are drawn into the
murder of white social reformer Arthur Jarvis. The novel makes
frequent allusions to Abraham Lincoln, who is idolized by the
slain Jarvis, and the emancipation of slaves in the United States.
The
Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).
Thought-provoking science-fiction film about a visitor from outer
space who comes to Washington, DC, bringing a pointed message
of peace to the world. On the National
Film Registry.
A Farewell to Arms (1929), by Ernest Hemingway. Set during
World War I, the novel is the story of Lieutenant Frederic Henry,
a young American ambulance driver serving in the Italian Army.
A classic exploration of an American expatriate caught up in the
first of Europe's great conflicts of the twentieth century.
The Great Dictator (1940). Charlie Chaplin's classic film
satire of Adolph Hitler's Nazi Germany. A Jewish barber recovers
from amnesia to discover that Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomania,
is persecuting all the Jews in his country.
Gulliver's Travels (1726), by Jonathan Swift. In this
classic satire, Swift explores the values of 18th-century
England through Lemuel Gulliver's encounters with the peoples
of four imaginary countries. The satire demonstrates how one's
own culture can be evaluated, critiqued, and at times distorted
through the perspective of others.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). A dramatization of the trial
of German Ministry of Justice officials for war crimes, Judgment
at Nuremberg takes up questions of the involvement and responsibility
of men who followed and enforced laws that were patently unjust.
A Midnight Clear (1992). A war drama set during World
War II that depicts the encounter between an American intelligence
unit and a group of German soldiers who send signals that they
wish to surrender.
Multinational
Survey of Opinion Leaders on War on Terrorism
Part of the Global Attitudes Project, conducted by the Pew Research
Center with the International Herald Tribune.
A Passage to India (1924), by E. M. Forster. This British
novel, which has been adapted as a feature-length film, looks
at the clash of cultures in British India in the early 20th century
through a misunderstanding that erupts into a criminal trial.
The novel offers an excellent basis for discussions of the possibilities
and perils of cross-cultural exchange.
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Note: The views expressed here have not been approved by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, and accordingly, should not be construed as representing the policy of the American Bar Association.
