Inherit the Wind is a play based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, in which teacher John Scopes, represented by the character of Bertram Cates, was sued by the state of Tennessee for teaching evolution. Much of the action occurs in the courtroom, with Matthew Harrison Brady prosecuting Cates, and Henry Drummond defending him. The two lawyers' ongoing pleas to the jury and arguments for their case explore a person's right to think freely and an individual's struggle against accepted societal norms.
My Last Duchess is a poem narrated by a duke, who at first seems to be simply describing a portrait of his late wife and reminiscing about when it was painted. As the poem progresses, however, it is revealed that the duke was jealous of his young wife's flirtatious attitude (which may or may not have been real), and feels that she did not appreciate him enough. Major themes in this poem are female sexuality, control, and objectification.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a simple, naturalistic poem in which the speaker literally stops in the woods on a snowy night. The woods are tempting to him; he describes their beauty and their solitude, but notes that he still has a long way to go before he sleeps. The poet contemplates the allure of the peaceful darkness of death, but ultimately rejects it for the time being. This poem's themes include isolation, nature, and mortality.
The Chocolate War is the story of Jerry Renault, a stoic loner, and Archie Costello, a scheming and cold-hearted teenager. Both are students at a prestigious Catholic high school ruled by a secret society of pranksters. They become embroiled in a feud when Archie uses Jerry in a prank involving the school's yearly chocolate fundraising drive. The novel proceeds to explore cliques, high school cruelty, and the fallibility of adult educators.