The Canon and Racial Inequality
- the canon wars were essentially a series of debates among scholars regarding higher level education syllabi in a more culturally diverse society
- with an increase in women and cultural minorities among higher education, scholars debated how the syllabus should reflect that, veering away from relying on the previously used, white male heavy syllabus
- some argued the debate should focus more on the university as an institution rather than just the syllabi of the individual courses
- scholarly neglect – inability to see postwar American literature racial inequality
- how is it decided what is picked to be taught and what isnt?
- weird rise and fall of novelists being taught – black novelists peaked in the 80’s just to fall again in the 90’s, why?
Real Life
- Wallace’s grandparents didn’t seem to approve of his sexuality, reminding him of AIDS and that it was a sin worthy of an eternity in hell
- the boy across the street repeatedly assaulted Wallace
- his mother, after finding out about the man living with them assaulting Wallace (different than the boy across the street), beat him for it – saying everything but that she was sorry
- Miller starts telling Wallace of his “damage”, much as he had asked of Wallace previously
- Miller beat someone from his home town growing up because he was jealous at the opportunities he had and the way he would brag about them. Miller didn’t feel he had a chance or a place anywhere and was insecure in the way this kid did. Miller lost his temper and beat him up – his heart stopped three times in the ambulance. Miller almost killed him, or, technically, he did kill him.. a couple times.
- they all meet up for brunch – Cole and Vincent seem to have made up but Vincent isn’t ready to forgive Wallace yet
