The Literary Canon

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The literary canon is a traditional core of literature made up of works deemed valuable, universal and timeless and therefore worthy of academic study. The study of canonical texts has remained unchanged for decades and has delivered results in student’s ability to discern the English language. Consequently, the question is raised; Why would we change something if it delivers positive results? It is imperative that classical literature is continued to be studied in schools as it exposes students to complex human dilemmas, contains compelling disconcerting characters and, explores universal themes that combine different periods and cultures, unlike contemporary texts. As such the implementation of modern texts into the curriculum uncalled for …show more content…
Characters in canonical literature are compelling and disconcerting as the motivations, actions and beliefs are mirrored by people in society. The similarity between characters in canonical literature and the real world provide students with insight in dealing with various people throughout their lives. For example, frustrating characters such as Tom Buchanan build tolerance in the reader in dealing with similar people. Due to the complexity of characters in canonical texts the actions and motivations of the protagonist and antagonist are believable in contrary to modern texts. Antagonist in modern texts are frequently displayed as one dimensional, who are bad simply because they’re bad, whereas in canonical texts the ‘villain’ is given a back story and motivations for their actions. This is particularly evident in the character of Bob Ewell in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ who went after the Finch children, at the end of the novel, due to his contempt for Atticus due to his defense of Tom Robinson. Furthermore, the protagonist in many modern texts are shown to be the perfect ‘hero’ however, in the real-world people have flaws which is necessity for students to understand. This is particularly evident in the character of ‘Jay Gatsby’ who despite been the protagonist, has obvious flaws which is made apparent through his illegal dealing of alcohol to make his fortune. The flaws …show more content…
Global emotions such as hate, and resentment are particularly apparent in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, thorough the mistreatment and judgement of the African American population. Racial prejudice is observed in ‘To a Kill a Mockingbird’ through the unjust trial of Tom Robinson who was convicted despite the plethora of evidence supporting his innocence. This is an indication of racial issues occurring in the early 1900’s, it also provides insight into how our society has advanced to become more racially accepting. In addition to racial issues, gender issues are also apparent in classic texts such as ‘The Great Gatsby’. In ‘The Great Gatsby’ Tom Buchanan is shown to inconsiderate to women by treating them as objects, which is an indication of the unjust treatment of many women in 1950’s America, whilst also demonstrating the significant steps society has taken to eliminate gender prejudice. Canonical texts provide insight into gender and racial issues occurring in the past making the reader appreciative of the improvement of these issues in society. Therefore, it is imperative that classic texts are studied as they present equality issues from our history making students appreciative of the improvement of
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