Insider Vs. Outsider

The debate about insider vs. outsider in our readings today presented many different, compelling views about multicultural literature. One that I found particularly important was the definition of multicultural literature presented in Cai. "Instead of embracing the literature of any culture, a definition of multicultural literature should there-fore draw a demarcation line between the literature of the dominant mainstream culture and that of marginalized cultures" (83). I think this is a valid point in that in order to challenge what has been "the canon" (Shannon), it first needs to be recognized that other groups have been marginalized because of this powerful group. The goal of multicultural literature is ultimately to reform. The social order should be reordered so that each group has more power and more voice, which results in the majority losing long-held privileges. This may not be comfortable for many people to talk about, and it may also be difficult to relate to for certain people. While this debate is not an easy nor a clear debate, it is necessary to address.