The Role of the Literary Canon in the Teaching of Literature This book investigates the role of the idea of the literary canon in the teaching of literature, especially in colleges and secondary schools in the United States. Before the term “canon” was widely used in literary studies, which occurred in the second half of 20th century when the canon was first seriously viewed as politically and culturally problem- atic, the idea that some literary texts were more worthy of being studied than others existed since the beginning of the discipline of the teaching of literature in the 1800s. The concept of the canon, however, extends as far back as to Ancient Greece and its meaning has evolved over time. Thus, this book charts the changing meaning of the idea of the literary canon, examining its influence specifically in the teaching of literature from the beginning of the field to the 21st century. To explain how the literary canon and the teaching of literature have changed over time and continue to change, this book constructs a theory of canon formation based on the ideas of Michel Foucault and the assemblage theory of Manuel DeLanda, illustrating that the literary canon, while frequently contested, is integral to the teaching of literature yet changes as the teaching of literature changes. Robert J. Aston is a literary theorist, author, and educator. He received his PhD from Columbia University. His research focuses on canon the- ory, literary knowledge, the teaching of literature, and the philosophy of literature. Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Literature 115 Mythopoeic Narrative in the Legend of Zelda Edited by Anthony G. Cirilla and Vincent E. Rone 116 D. H. Lawrence and Psychoanalysis John Turner 117 The Anthropocenic Turn The Interplay between Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Responses to a New Age Edited by Gabriele Dürbeck and Philip Hüpkes 118 Beards and Masculinity in American Literature Peter Ferry 119 Kashmiri Life Narratives Human Rights, Pleasure and the Local Cosmopolitan Rakhshan Rizwan 120 Migrant and Tourist Encounters The Ethics of Im/mobility in 21st Century Dominican and Cuban Cultures Andrea Morris 121 Painting Words Aesthetics and the Relationship between Image and Text Beatriz González-Moreno and Fernando González-Moreno 122 The Role of the Literary Canon in the Teaching of Literature Robert J. Aston For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com The Role of the Literary Canon in the Teaching of Literature Robert J. Aston First published 2020 by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Taylor & Francis The right of Robert J. Aston to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this title has been requested ISBN: 978-0-367-43262-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-00217-8 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by codeMantra For My Troubadour Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group http://taylorandfrancis.com Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Locating the Literary Canon 1 1 Suspending the Given 13 2 The Canon, Its Gatekeepers, and the Teaching of Literature 42 3 Power Relations, the Canon, and Resistance 75 4 Assemblages: Lines of Stability and Change in the Canon 99 5 Incompleteness and the Canon in the Teaching of Literature 133 Bibliography 143 Index 153 Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group http://taylorandfrancis.com Acknowledgments This book began in its first form as my doctoral dissertation at C olumbia University. And so I am immensely grateful to Ruth Vinz, my doctoral advisor, for her wisdom, encouragement, and hours of feedback as I undertook to investigate the idea of the literary canon in the teaching of literature. To Sheridan Blau for engaging me in stimulating conver- sations on the canon and for suggesting that I revise and publish my dissertation as a book. To Randi Dickson, Ernest Morrell, and Megan Laverty. The discussions I have had with them have shaped and changed my ideas on the literary canon and the teaching of literature, spurring me to continue my research as I prepared this book. And I especially wish to thank Lilly Aston—my partner in all things—for listening openly to my ideas as they went from incipient musings to multiple drafts and then to this current text. Robert J. Aston