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Writers’ and Readers’ Traditions

This concluding chapter reflects on the various ways in which authors have used their reading of previous writers. The examples discussed in the previous chapters show both that great original work often involves heavy reliance on previous authors and traditions and that this reliance has different aspects and forms. From here, the chapter turns to two issues: canon and nationalism. It considers what this study of literary traditions has suggested about what students should be expected to read as part of their literary education. The chapter suggests the use of the distinction between readers' and writers' traditions, which has emerged from these studies to address the question of the literary canon. It also considers how we define the literary traditions which writers can benefit from studying, and what would be a good canon of reading for someone who wants to write.