A Few Words on the US Literary Canon

Abstract

A Few Words on the US Literary Canon Duane Niatum (bio) The term “literary canon” refers to a body of books, narratives and other texts considered the most important and influential writings of a particular place during a particular time period. The most important point of this discussion of the US Literary Canon is that any literary canon excludes works no matter how inclusive or selective the canon makers are. The ever-growing body of works by minority writers in general, and American Indian writers in particular, will be discussed in light of this characteristic. Through our education system, writes Jordan Bates, “when one is asked to read any novel, essay, poem or another sort of text, it is because a teacher or some other entity [or organization] decided that particular text should be canonized. Canons, then, are understood as value-determining [or value-defining] lists that are ingrained in our education system.” However, the political process of deciding whether a particular text is included or excluded from a given canon has long been controversial and debated by schools of all academic levels and disciplines. “According to the scholar Paul Lauter,” says Gregory Rutledge, “who historicized the American canon, the first American Literature classes began in the mid-to-late 1890s, during the same period the first American literature textbooks started.” “The upper Midwest was at the forefront of this development,” he continues, “probably because the East Coast schools were captivated by ‘tradition,’ which adhered to British, Old World poetics.” Midwest schools were not as dominated by adherence to British literature and were more free to discuss American writing. The American canon was taking shape in the upper Midwest as teachers and professors chose texts to assign and discuss. As these works were shared, the American Literary Canon began to take form. Accordsing to Stephen Behrendt, many of the educators who contributed to early canonization efforts were teachers and clergymen. Northern Midwest protestant clergymen were no doubt particularly influential. Comments Behrendt, [C]lergymen selecting texts that agreed with their morality is an early instance of selective canonization and suggests the way in which canons come to represent the ideology of those who select them. Apart from religious beliefs, other important factors characterized the demographic of the early dictators of the canon. Behrendt continues, “The Western Literary Canon has historically been dictated by economically secure, traditionally educated, socially privileged white men.” “Plus,” says Behrendt, “literacy was historically the province of the privileged and so, the uneducated or minimally educated — which included some women but most working-class citizens of both sexes, as well as children — were automatically excluded.” “We see the remnant of this class-based exclusionary thinking in today’s society in its disdain of ‘popular’ art like Harry Potter,” concludes Behrendt. This collection of commonly used writings was first referred to as a “canon” in the 1920s. It changed very little until the 1960s came along. As women and minorities were more widely accepted in universities, they challenged the narrow focus in the reading assignments and curricula and clamored to read and discuss works that reflected their own experiences and family histories. Behrendt points out canons by nature are exclusive. They are about closed communities — who is excluded is as important as who is included. A major problem with canons is they tend to allow others to choose what to read and discuss, causing people to sacrifice their ability to be free-thinking beings. It gives “away our liberty and independence of mind and action to the judgment of others,” says Behrendt. “Go a little further down that road and you meet Big Brother,” he continues. “[T]otalitarianism,” claims Behrendt, “is convincing people they don’t need to think for themselves, that the authorities — the Establishment — will take care of all that for them.” This battle for the mind is won by empowering readers to think critically. Canons can steal our power. Giving the power back to people in judging the truth of things, and “speaking truth to power” is the road for us to take now. A point to keep in mind regarding the fiction and poetry from American Indian authors is the interior landscape of the psyche...