Writing Against "the Canon": Writing as Resistance to Representational Group Identity

For too long the term ‘the canon’ has been used to denote a static system of literary judgements that puts the power of canonical choices outside of the control of the everyday reader. A text can be added to the canonisation process, but that doesn’t mean that it will necessarily become part of canonical reading because canons depend on social validation. The call for marginalised representation in canonisation at first looks like a call for more identity groups but instead should be about developing multifaceted individual characters whose development is linked to the story they were created for. The identity group ‘marginalised’ carries with it negative subtexts that undermine the diversity sought under that group heading. It also obligates writing and writers in that group to be chosen for culturally representational features that limits the group’s ability to diversify. Writing will continue to expand and challenge recognised canonical forms, one of which includes the current canonical trend of dividing literature into representational group identity.