Ernest Buckler's the Mountain and the valley and Sinclair Ross's As For Me and My House : Two Cases of Canadian canon making

Abstract

This is an examination of the critical reception and canonical status of Ernest Buckler’s The Mountain and the Valley and Sinclair Ross’s As For Me and My House. While both novels have been regarded as important works of Canadian literature, As For Me and My House is currently regarded as a canonical novel and The Mountain and the Valley is not. This study examines the notion of the Canadian canon and its relation to Buckler’s and Ross’s novels to show how the specific case of Ross and Buckler illustrates the process of Canadian canon formation. Through a review of the critical work produced on each novel, an understanding of trends in Canadian critical practice and theory, and the application of canon theory, this thesis examines the reasons for the differences in the reception and status of the two works. This thesis argues that the interplay between critical trends, academic interests, and literary value ultimately determines the canonical status of a text.