American History

American History

Reading a text can be confusing for many people, but they continue to read.   By simply reading do we become better readers and interpreters?   Readers often develop in the classroom, but history has shown that what our students read is changing. As teachers we need to understand the central concepts, methods of inquiry, and structures of the discipline in order to create a learning experience that is meaningful to all students.
The term canon is filled with controversy but is too widely applied to be ignored. Today "canon" refers to what are considered the most important works in a national literature or period; authors widely read and studied, such as Shakespeare and Melville, are accepted as "canonical," while authors not consistent with the same degree of respect find themselves outside the canon. Some aspects of the canon should be remembered; for example, there is no sharp line of separation between the ins and the outs.   According to a survey used in Richard Beach and James Marshall’s Teaching Literature in The Secondary School, the literature taught today remains remarkably similar to that taught twenty-five years ago (154).  
Many literary theorists have shaped the question that some texts have come to be considered “literary” while others have not.   Many have begun efforts to expand the literary canon to include works by women and minorities who have long been excluded from vital literary study.   The debate arises on whether the canon should remain permanent and limited, offering a controlled reference point for students from diverse backgrounds.   On the other hand,   is it more suitable to broaden the canon to provide a wealthier sample from the variety of different literary and cultural traditions that make up the American population?  
How, if the canon is so narrow, will young women and students from minority cultures develop a sense of their own place within our culture?   Today's students learn to live in a world that changes, and unfortunately...