传统上，我们的文学课程是围绕国家文学而发展的（英国
Our literature courses have traditionally developed around national literatures (British, Canadian, and American) with a general focus on genre and on chronological periods. Occasionally, some courses (such as women's literature or special themes) may cross traditional boundaries of genre or geography. This Guide presents course offerings according to the following categories, which correspond roughly to the Department's Area Committees. Canadian literature provides a unique and exciting guide to our culture and its development. Reading the early exploration narratives, or the poetry of the Nineteenth Century, we see the Canadian nation discovering itself historically, and beginning to move away from the cultural influence of England to develop its own literary forms. In the early Twentieth Century, we see the flowering of Canadian traditions in fiction, poetry, and drama, while more recently, we see Canadian writers like Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje assuming their place on the world stage. In recent years, Canadian literature has been widely recognized as featuring some of the most inventive and challenging authors in the English language, as well as standing at the forefront of developments in post-Modernist, post-Colonialist, feminist, and experimental writing.