The Literature Network - Canonical texts and context: the example of Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street."

Canonical texts and context: the example of Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street."

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From: College Literature
Date: 19930601
Author:Post-Lauria, Sheila

An essay on canonical texts and context is presented. A new method in teaching literature which involves analytical methods with a historical and cultural contextualization, is proposed. This is a departure from the usual manner of teaching the 'classics' and is suggested as a useful tool to increase student appreciation of these works. As an example, 'Bartleby, the Scrivener' is analyzed in this manner.

Recent interest in expanding the canon has resulted in recovering "other" writers who often differ significantly from "classic" authors in terms of race, class, ethnicity, and gender.(1) ...

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