To assist young Americans to handle conflicting values, a plan was devised whereby, through a study of the shorter works of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, 192 college sophomores from two black Southern colleges examined major controversial issues, made choices, and were provided with vicarious experience through which they could gain an understanding of their cultural heritage. A flexible unit, extending over a period of 8 weeks of intensive and extensive reading, encouraged these students to perceive literature as an art illuminating human experience. Students (1) read a number of the two authors' works, classifying themes and analyzing their theories and philosophies, (2) perused critical appraisals of the two men to discover their styles and techniques, and read the biographies written by their two brothers to identify literary influences, (3) listened to recordings, made field trips, constructed on-site models of the locale in selected stories, and compiled extensive bibliographies, and (4) noted contrasting and parallel theories regarding such themes as war, violence, morality, love, and death. During the course of the study, the students seemed to acquire an appreciation of literature as well as develop more liberal attitudes and objectivity toward prejudice resulting from geographical location. (Author/DD)