g a speech against the injustices of the new South. He embraced wholeheartedly the most controversial subject of his era in the and encountered resistance against his attempts to attain a greater respect for his race as humans. Frederick Douglass’s fight for civil rights does not affect his bid for the American canon. It merely serves as a backdrop to display the events affecting his writing. Inclusion in the canon relies—or, should rely— solely on the literary merit, not on the political or historical weight of the author. A recent revision of the American canon received much criticism from traditionalists. The basis of their argument alleges “that the project [to revise the American canon] takes an affirmative action approach to literature” (Gordon). They complain the new editors include authors because of their race, not the quality of their work. To traditionalists, the past masters represent the necessary reading for college students. The present canon includes such authors as Shakespeare, Homer, Machiavelli, and Dante. While “these works possess a timeless greatness that transcends issues of race, color, or gender” (Reno), the current canon consists mainly of white, European males. In fresh look at American authors, a team of professors revised the canon to include more Americans they believe deserve credit. The traditionalists decry this act as political correctness, while the editors defend the quality of their work. The canon still contains many of the past masters, but also outlines the works of more women, blacks, Latinos, and native Americans. A literature professor at Trinity college, and part of the team which selected the works, said, “…If conservative critics would get away from their ideological preconceptions and just read the texts, they would be persuaded that the Heath selections are worthy” (Gordon). However, the argument still rages over whether the Ameri...
