LIT 211 Questions of Canon
In this course, students will investigate and interrogate the process of literary canon formation. How is the canon defined and delineated, and how does it evolve over time? What factors-such as sexism, racism, heterosexism, and ethnocentrism-work toward inclusion and exclusion? And is there an alternative to canonicity itself? Topics for consideration may include the concept of cultural capital, the role of the academy, the literary marketplace, the contested distinction between literary and genre fiction, and the subversive rewriting of canonical texts by marginalized writers. In addition to both traditionally canonical and non-canonical literary texts, students will read historical and critical texts to contextualize the broad shifts in the canon.
Prerequisite
None; Recommended:
LIT 101