new self-thought terms: literary rejection as part of western literary hegemony

By Ouyang Yu

 

Literary rejection acts as a fundamental mechanism in maintaining Western literary hegemony by defining, preserving, and policing the boundaries of the "canon." By controlling which narratives, styles, and authors are considered "universal" or "classic," Western-centric institutions (publishing, academia, critics) systematically exclude or marginalize non-Western, female, and minority voices, labeling them as regional, political, or subpar

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Mechanisms of Hegemonic Rejection
  • The Myth of Universality: Western hegemony often rests on the claim that its literature embodies universal human values. Works that do not adhere to European, Enlightenment-based aesthetics are rejected as "too specialized" or "parochial".
  • Marginalization of Non-Western Authors: Writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Lu Xun, or Zora Neale Hurston have historically been neglected, not for lack of literary merit, but because their works did not fit the established, often Eurocentric, canon.
  • Structural Barriers in Publishing and Academia: The "canon" is often maintained by universities and publishers who hold the power to decide which books are taught, translated, or promoted, thus reinforcing a "white, male, English-speaker" narrative.
  • Rejection as Political Control: As seen in arguments by Harold Bloom and others, the dismissal of feminist or African American literature is sometimes framed as "preserving standards," but this acts as a defense of a specific, power-laden cultural inheritance.
Rejection as "Cultural Imperialism"
  • Language and Translation: Hegemony often involves the privileging of English or other Western languages, treating works from the periphery as "translated" or "local," which limits their circulation and recognition.
  • The "Core" vs. "Periphery" Structure: Literature from colonized or non-Western nations is often judged on its relationship to Western models rather than its own cultural merits.
  • The "Canon" as a Tool of Power: The canon acts as a "convenient fiction" that validates a hierarchical view of culture, allowing those in power to designate what qualifies as "great" literature.
Responses to Hegemonic Rejection
  • Decolonizing the Canon: Critics and scholars argue for restructuring curricula to include diverse, global voices, challenging the assumption that Western culture is superior.
  • Postcolonial Resistance: Many writers reject the Western-centric canon by centering their own cultural realities and resisting the "imperialist" view, such as Chinua Achebe’s critique of Conrad.
  • Alternative Canons: The development of new, inclusive canons attempts to counter the limitations of the traditional Western canon.
Despite challenges, the Western literary canon remains a powerful, often enduring, force in literature, with rejection serving as a tool to protect its cultural, political, and aesthetic dominance.

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