The three tomes you noted as liberal-psychotic were part of high school English curriculum in the 80s. Says a lot, doesn’t it?
I had to suffer through it, and with hindsight I realize the teachers thought it was great, for whatever reason! Those books have no business in a school, IMO! We also did read Orwell, Huxley, etc...great stuff...but I am convinced that those crap books were just a money making scheme between the publishers and the school unions. Seriously...The Good Earth? I had to endure that crap for a whole semester. This dumb teacher woman I had actually thought that has some redeeming value.
Part of my HS curriculum and I graduated in 78 -- from Catholic school.
Had to read in the late 60’s too