Hidden Messages In Famous Books We Have All Read

1. Harry Potter

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When we read a book there is a lot more meaning beneath the text on the page. What we read is the literal message, yet even Harry Potter is full of hidden messages. Essentially it's the battle between good and evil. But there is much more about the complexities of the human character and how things aren't as simple as being 'good' or 'evil'. There are also sub meanings such as prejudice which is highlighted through the idea of 'pure blood' in the book.

2. The Hobbit

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The Hobbit raises many serious hidden messages behind the story about how seeking power can corrupt your mind and greed can take over if you don't actively work against it and find the courage from within. It's also about the power of friendship and overcoming bad together by uniting. The characters go through a very transformative journey in The Hobbit.

3. Pride and Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice was one of Jane Austen's most well-loved and famous novels. She was renowned for her commentary on social norms and for her satire regarding the expectations of women, as well as class norms. She highlights the issues between being a woman and navigating the expectations of a male-dominated society in the 1800s and it serves as an important hidden message!

4. Moby-Dick

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Moby Dick by Herman Melville was written in 1851. The novel contains hidden messages surrounding themes of obsession and fate. It also developed into the complex relationship between humans and nature. Some people also believe that the hidden message is to highlight humans' emotions and the complex struggles when a problem haunts them and follows them wherever they go.

5. The Great Gatsby

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The hidden message in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was to critique the decadence of the Jazz Age era and to highlight the emptiness and meaninglessness of opulence and extravagance. And it also brings to light the façade of the American dream and how prejudice can get in the way. And that with money, happiness can still not be guaranteed.

6. To Kill a Mockingbird

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The Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee is a famous classic novel that addresses very serious messages regarding racial injustice in America during the 1930s through the eyes of the loveable protagonist Scout. It emphasized the need for everybody to apply empathy and understanding to situations. And it highlights the effects of prejudice and racism and how damaging and destructive they are.

7. Wuthering Heights

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Wuthering Heights was a novel written by the iconic Emily Bronte in 1847. The complex narrative explores hidden messages of the impact of social class, wealth, and societal expectations interfering with relationships and love, and the treatment of people. There are also hidden messages surrounding obsession and destructive love, as is epitomized by Heathcliff and Cathy's love.

8. The Catcher in the Rye

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J.D. Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye in 1951 and it became one of the best-loved works in literature. The hidden messages revolve around childhood and innocence and the harsh realities that adulthood brings. It also highlights the struggle to find authenticity and meaning in what the main character Holden Caulfield deems a very insincere and hypocritical world.

9. 1984

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1984 is full of hidden meanings and this novel by George Orwell in particular has some of the most discussed meanings in literature. The novel raises the hidden messages of the dangers of oppressive regimes and how surveillance can lead to thought control and totalitarianism. It's a hidden warning about abusing power and how we need to be careful in the future to retain our freedoms.

10. Animal Farm

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Animal Farm is also written by George Orwell, it is a novella published in 1945 and the story revolves around the vents leading up to the Russian Revolution. The use of satire and animals is a huge allegory and hidden message for the revolution and what happens when people come together to fight for a cause. It highlights the power of the people, despite the seeming power of the crown.

11. Brave New World

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Brave New World is a dystopian novel that was written in 1932 by Aldous Huxley. The hidden message is a warning about the ideals of a perfect world. But, within this apparent utopia, there is a complete lack of meaning and a horrible emptiness. The reality of the world is that it revolves around consumerism and a lack of emotion. Humans are artificially made and it's a clear commentary on the prospects of our future.

12. The Book Thief

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In 2005 Markus Zusak released The Book Thief will create a huge impression. The hidden message highlights the devastating effects of war, and that war affects even the most innocent which is highlighted by Rudy's death. It also shows the power of words and meaningful human connections which create strength and power even in the least likely of circumstances.

13. The Secret Garden

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The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a classic children's novel. The story has a hidden message which is the power of hope and belief. In this case, their hope and positivity lead to amazing discoveries. It also discusses the power of nature and how the relationship between nature and people is so powerful that it has the ability to restore and transform!

14. Fahrenheit 451

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Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel that was first published in 1953 by Ray Bradbury. The hidden message is important in the novel as it explores the themes of censorship, and how people's minds can be controlled. It also highlights a very relevant topic of the increasing powers of technology, and how it can lead to an unintelligent world which can be very dangerous.

15. Dracula

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Dracula is one of the most famous novels in history and one of the most adapted novels of all time, with numerous TV series and movies based on Bram Stoker's novel. The hidden message can be the suspicion around the supernatural world which has a powerful effect on people. It also raises the hidden issues of sexuality and the prejudices and fears that all stem from a fear of the unknown.

16. The Chronicles of Narnia

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The Chronicles of Narnia remains one of the most well-known and best-loved series of novels of all time. It is often seen as a hidden message of Christianity due to the faith of the author C.S Lewis. The themes of the novel reflect on biblical themes to do with sin, forgiveness, redemption, and sacrifice. For example, the moment Aslan rises from the stone table after being killed.

17. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll in 1865 and it has become one of the best-known stories of all time. The hidden message of self-discovery highlights how important imagination is within the innocent minds of children. It also highlights the authority figures as tyrannical, for example, the Queen of Hearts who is portrayed as absurdly controlling.

18. One Hundred Years of Solitude

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One Hundred Years of Solitude is a novel written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and it was published in 1967. There are some very subtle hidden messages that are buried underneath the main plot of the woman. For example, the novel comments on the social affairs of Latin America and the political and social struggles. The role of women is also highlighted n terms of the challenges they face.

19. The Metamorphis

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The Metamorphosis is a novella that was published first in 1915, by Franz Kafka and it became one of his greatest-known works. The story follows Gregor Samsa a salesman who wakes up transformed into a huge insect. The story raises issues of alienation and isolation as he feels completely separated from both his family and the world which he feels is absurdly mundane.

20. Slaughterhouse-Five

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Slaughterhouse-Five is a novel written by Kurt Vonnegut. The novel is satirical and its message is anti-war. It was published in 1969. A soldier named Billy experiences a distorted perception of time and he experiences moments from his life and the war. The hidden message critiques war and its glorification and instead emphasizes the horrors of it.

21. The Scarlett Letter

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The Scarlett Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. The novel explores a Puritanical society that is set in Boston. The people are judged by high moral standards and publicly humiliated for punishments, as Hester Prynne was forced to wear a Scarlet A to publicly declare himself as an adulterer. It shows the consequences of judgment on people.

22. The Picture of Dorian Gray

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Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture Of Dorian Grey was published in 1890. The story follows Dorian Grey, a young and handsome man who has a portrait painted. The hidden message discusses hedonism and vanity and as Dorian becomes more involved in a life of immorality and hedonism and more preoccupied with his appearance, his picture starts to decay, reflecting the decaying of his soul.

23. The Handmaid's Tale

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The Handmaids Tale is a dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood and published in 1985. The hidden message looks at a repressive world and how far totalitarianism can be taken when the whole world and human actions are controlled. The society is controlled by a religious group, women are completely subjected and do not even have the right to reproduce as they wish.

24. Beloved

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Beloved by Tony Morrison is an impactful story set during the aftermath of slavery in the US. The story follows an African American woman named Sethe who escaped from slavery. The message shows the devastating impact of slavery. Sethe had fallen pregnant and killed her baby to avoid her being taken and forced into slavery. She is haunted by the memory of her 'beloved'.

25. The Grapes of Wrath

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John Steinbeck's' revered novel The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939. In the story, the Joad family is a poor farming family who was forced to leave during the Great Depression to search for a better life. The hidden messages look at the effects that economic situations can have on families, but also the power that the people and the workers have if they come together to take a stand against unfair pay and conditions.

26. Catch-22

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Joseph Heller's Catch-22 is a novel that follows a soldier named Captain John Yossarin. The message ridicules war and the absurdity and cruelty of it. In Catch-22 if a soldier wants to declare insanity he must request it. But, if he asks not to be a part of the dangerous missions in the book he is demonstrating his sanity. And so there is no way to do it. The phrase has become synonymous with an endless cycle, a no-win situation.

27. The Little Prince

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The Little Prince is a children's classic that was published by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in 1943. The prince travels from planet to planet meeting new people and learning lessons. The hidden message highlights the importance of children and their open minds, whereas it reflects on the shortcomings of the adult world and how wrapped up in trivial matters it becomes.

28. Heart of Darkness

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The Heart of Darkness is a novella by Joseph Conrad. Charles Marlow a British Seaman in the novel sets on a journey up the Congo River and meets an ivory trader Kurtz. The messages of the novel revolve around colonialism and the darkness of humanity. Ignorance and greed are two traits that are explored as huge human flaws and the novel picks up on the complex nature of power dynamics between people.

29. The Tale of Two Cities

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The Tale of Two Cities is written by Charles Dickens. It is set in London and Paris during the French Revolution. It follows numerous characters and their perspectives during a turbulent time. The hidden messages in the novel are similar to the themes Dickens usually portrays, high-lining the inequalities and oppression faced by the poor and the cruelty of the ruling class.

30. The Hunger Games

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The Hunger Games became a hugely popular book and film adaptation. The dystopian plot shows the consequences and potential that the future of a controlling government has to split people up and oppress them. It also shows that there is only strength when people are united, and only then can you act as a force for change in order to fight for equality and justice.