My argument could not be more effectively summed up than in the words of Northrop Frye: It is obvious that Canadian literature, whatever its inherent merits, is an indispensable aid to the knowledge of Canada. It records what the Canadian imagination has reacted to, and it tells us things about this environment that nothing else will tell us."…

The important aspect of a thematic approach is that it can link the literature with the society that produced it. It can help to foster a sense of place in students. It helps to isolate the basic myths which underlie the Canadian response to life. (Author)