| This thesis explores the debate over the literary canon as it pertains to the field of English Studies, and posits that the outcomes of the debate have made indelible---and yet often unnoticed---marks on the education of English Studies students. The attitudes of early scholars towards literature are examined first. These scholars wrote before the establishment of formal literature departments, and some of their positions vis-a-vis the Great Books were instrumental to the later formation of the field of literary studies. The development of English Studies and the emergence of the idea of a literary canon largely coincide; their rich interplay is examined next. Many scholars argued against the canon in the second half of the twentieth century. Their impact on English departments, and the various curricular choices that continue to be made by English departments in our supposedly "post-canon" world are the subjects of the final section, which also includes recommendations for institutional reform. |
