Athol Fugard's play Master Harold . . . and the Boys (1983) examines the extremes of racial tension in South Africa. Written by a South-African playwright, it is a story that addresses the human capacity for hate and fear in a drama that is emotionally wrenching.

Nobel Prize-winning author Nadine Gordimer's July's People (1981) tells the story of a liberal white family in South Africa who are rescued by July, their servant, and taken to his village. The story reveals the profound differences and similarities between July's people and the white family.

The Scarlet Letter (1850) is Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel of guilt, repentance, and vengeance. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, an unmarried woman whose baby is fathered by the town's young minister.

Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) is the story of Zulu priest Stephen Kumalo, who travels to hostile Johannesburg, where his...