Literary Canon Essay

What Should be a Literary Canon Can you think of a literary work that pops right into your head when someone mentions its name? Well I can and I think they all meet the criteria of a literary canon and should be named as one. A literary canon is a classification of the most representative or central works in a period or genre. There are many famous literary canons that were good enough to be classified as a literary canon. A couple of them are: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Odyssey, A Tale of Two Cities, The Great Gatsby, ect. The literary works I think should be literary canons consist of Dr. Suess books, The Breakfast Club, and The Wizard of Oz. Dr. Suess books are very well known throughout the United States and meet the criteria of a literary

The Breakfast Club is a classic movie that meets all the criteria of a literary canon. This movie presents characters, plots, and ideas in surprising and unexpected ways, because when we meet the characters they all seem different and as if they do not belong together. Yet, as we get further into the movie we see what they all have in common, and that is they are all stereotyped, bullied and the stigma of mental illness. They add on to the ongoing public discourse about the American Experience as a realistic representation of teenage life and what it’s like to grow into adulthood. This movie avoids canned characters and predictable plots, by showing us that each character is just like a teenager in the real world and it presents an unpredictable plot all throughout the movie. The Breakfast Club is not the movie I think should be a literary canon, The Wizard of Oz should be

The Wizard of Oz adds on to the ongoing public discourse about the American Experience, by expressing the fears of all the characters in the story, which is self-doubt versus self-confidence. It also illuminates the inner lives, as well as the external struggles of Americans, by showing them that even if you struggle with confidence you can push yourself to get over your fears, because as Americans we struggle with that. It also creates depth by employing irony and symbolism all throughout the movie, such as Dorothy’s red shoes, they symbolize the little guy's ability to triumph over powerful forces. This movie also presents subject matter in an original way by relating its story to the downfall of populism during the 1890’s. The Wizard of Oz, like the other three candidates, should be considered a literary