American literature Quote by Paula Gunn Allen
“English is, from my point of view as an Americanist, an ethnicity. And English literature should be studied in Comparative Literature. And American literature should be a discipline, certainly growing from England and France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, and the Native traditions, particularly because those helped form the American canon. Those are our backgrounds. And then we'd be doing it the way it ought to be done. And someday I hope that it will be.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Role of English and American Literature in Comparative Studies, 1990s
English is framed as an ethnicity, urging comparative study of English and American literature across global influences to shape the canon.
In simple terms: English as ethnicity; comparative study needed.
Key Takeaway
Study literature comparatively across cultures.
Themes
literature
comparative studies
culture
identity
canon formation
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
academic
critical
When to use this quote
- university curricula
- research projects
- literary criticism
- teaching methods
Key Concepts
ethnicity
interdisciplinary analysis
colonial influence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing language as ethnicity affect literary analysis?
- What benefits arise from comparative approaches?
A Different Perspective
May overlook individual authorial intent by focusing on broad ethnic categories.
