Canadian Culture in the Classroom Essay

at that place is a real lack of appreciation for Canadian publications across Ontario. In grade 12 classrooms across the province at that place is a wide variety of material studied, in truth little of it being of Canadian descent. bandage good writers hold out in all horti socialisations, Ontario students should mainly think everyplace Canadian authors as there necessarily to be stress on Canadian culture, to also promote and prime current authors, and to encourage recent Canadian writers. Southern neighbours have already swamped Canada with their various ways of life. in that location is no reason for American culture to leak into the classroom. Canadian culture has never had the chance to blossom, even with the potential possessed, because of the storied and rich culture that has preceded it. Always under the thumb of foreign culture, Canadian authors were always an afterthought. For years, a student in Ontario would pick up Shakespe atomic number 18 and other Brit ish writers, and today, even American writers such as Fitzgerald. All of them, no doubt writing property literature, save the big picture is being missed. Many schools limit a students exposure to a Canadian novel to ISP recitation lists.In this sense, Canada is an attic in which we have stored American and British literature without considering our own (Davies, Letters in Canada 426). No wonder a Canadian student has problems appreciating there culture. It seems as though that any Canadian literature studied is out of date to begin with. This includes works such as Mordecais Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz or Lawrences, Stone Angel. Fifth Business, which was publish in 1970 over 40 years ago is still on many courses of study in Gr. 12 classrooms. Atwoods Handmade Tale, the nearly recent of these books was published in 1985 over twenty five years ago.Again, while most teachers allow and may even encourage a student to focus on more modern Canadian books for their ISP, the cl assroom experience is almost always limited to studying these golden oldies. In order for Canadian literature to become a staple in the Ontario classroom, there require to be an infusion of modern Canadian novels. Then there is the fall out of these out of date authors not reflecting our modern multicultural society. There needs to be a variety of races represented in literature because, it is these very people which make Canada so diverse. As Robertson Davies rural aread Canada is not pass to have a field literature in the mode of those European lands where a long history has bound the people together, and where a homogenised racial inheritance has given them a language, customs, and even a national dress of their own (Transactions 35).We need to look at the work of Canadian authors who have come here from different backgrounds as to inspire teenage authors of all races. There is no doubt a brilliant wit out there, who could turn into a Canadian icon, but simply has no inte rest in Hamlet or Life of Pi. As Canadians, we are lost in a sea of international influences we hardly go who we are. No wonder that Margaret Atwood can comment that Canadians have issues with establishing their identity. In discussing Canadian writers, she argues a Canadian state of mind does not really exist Im talking about Canada as a state of mind, as the space you inhabit not just with your body but with your head. Its that kind of space in which we find ourselves lost (Margaret 18).In order for this great nation to continue to produce young writers, to establish the current authors, and to gain Canadian literature the respect it deserves, the focus in the Canadian classroom needs to be on Canadian writers. While some might think that students will be prevented from studying the opera hat literature out there, taking this approach will allow Canadian students to see the value of our authors, especially with the many talented Canadian authors. Although there is no need to com pletely uproot staples such as Shakespeare, from a curriculum, Canadian culture need to be priority number one. whole kit and caboodle CitedAtwood, Margaret. Survival A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature. Toronto McLelland and Stewart, 1972. Print. Davies, Robertson. Letters in Canada. Toronto Macmillan Press, 1979. Print. Davies, Robertson. Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada. IV. XIII. Ottawa Royal Society of Canada, 1975. Print.