Prospect of Global Canon: A Study on Canon Formation, Aesthetics and Globalisation

In the past, the idea of a literary canon made it possible to evaluate and assess works using particular aesthetic criteria. In the wake of globalization, canon formation of literature faces a “de-aestheticizing regime” i.e. aesthetic merits no longer qualify a literary work’s inclusion in canon (Apter 1). A new aesthetics, which takes a far broader view of literature's appeals and evaluations than its aesthetic qualities, has superseded the criteria of evaluating a literary work based on its beauty and pleasure. My research intends to discuss how the idea of canon formation is evolving in a globalized society, the risks that literature faces from the de-aestheticizing grip of globalization, and the possibility of creating a global canon in light of these shifting notions of aesthetics.