This thematic introduction to literature is distinguished by its inclusion of both traditional and contemporary writers, writers from the British and American tradition, ethnic writers from the United States, and writers from other cultures.

The text's pedagogy asks students to observe, reflect on, and comment upon the social, political, and cultural aspects of the literature being examined. The literature itself is organized thematically Within each unit, stories, poems, and plays are arranged in clusters to provoke personal, analytical, and critical responses.