Kate Chopin’s groundbreaking novel of early feminism set against the evocative backdrop of turn-of-the-century New Orleans
Edna Pontellier is trapped. By her marriage, by her responsibilities to two young sons, by the expectations of Creole society. When she falls in love with the charming and flirtatious Robert Lebrun during a summer on the Louisiana coast, Edna awakens to a new sense of herself, and to the possibility of true independence....

Presents an annotated text of the saga of the hero Beowulf, slayer of the monster Grendel, and includes backgrounds and sources, as well as critical commentary.

"Wuthering Heights, the only novel by Emily Bronte, traces the passionate relationship of Catherine and Heathcliff. Their affair ripples across the moors as it determines the fate of two generations of lovers. The "Background and Contexts" section includes selections of Bronte's diary entries, devoirs, and poetry. Readers will also find a selection of letters from Charlotte Bronte, as well as reviews of the 1847 and 1850 editions of Wuthering Heights....

One of the most widely-read and respected books in all American literature, Moby Dick is the saga of Captain Ahab and his unrelenting pursuit of Moby Dick, the great white whale who maimed him during their last encounter. A novel blending high-seas romantic adventure, symbolic allegory, and the conflicting ideals of heroic determination and undying hatred, Moby Dick is also revered for its historical accounts of the whaling industry of the 1800's....