It is known as a literary canon to the set of classic works that are part of high culture. These works, either because of their formal characteristics, their originality or their quality, have managed to transcend times and borders, becoming universal and always valid.
The criterion for choosing the works of the literary canon should be aesthetic excellence, but this concept is very subjective because what a person can consider attractive another person may find boring. On the other hand, those who limit themselves to consume the books established in the list of the canon lose the opportunity to know an endless number of works that could please them more, and even contribute more to them intellectually and emotionally.
It is true that it is important for students to know classical works of literature such as the odyssey, the divine comedy or more recent works as a hundred years of solitude, however, it is necessary not to marginalize other literary works equally good and profitable for students only because they are not on the list of the literary canon.
The current society has evolved, we no longer have the same thought that we had at the time when the classic works were written. A clear example of this is the role played by women in today's society, the importance of women was a taboo subject and little mentioned in many of the works that are in the list of the literary canon by which many schools are governed, and this can lead to students not exploring and understanding this important topic.
In conclusion, the literary canon is a list of classical works because of their importance at the time they were written and therefore it is important that students know them, because through these works they can understand the behavior and thought that people had in other times. However, it is equally important that students read recent works of current interest that allow them to compare current society with the old one, and the evolution that has occurred in the literature.
The Western literary canon is the body of works of art (literature, music, philosophy, etc.) that are considered to be classics. These books are valued for being influential to culture, civilization and development throughout history.
The canon is subject to ample debate. I believe that considering certain books as canon can have a negative influence in the artistic world. First, it causes people to only focus on particular works of art, even in cases where other books might be of equal quality or influence. Second, canons should change with time. For example, in the past, it was virtually impossible to be part of the canon if you were a woman or a minority. Although this is changing nowadays, glorifying the canon does not help. Finally, artistic canons can sometimes give too much importance to works of the past and neglect significant contributions of the present.
