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I've been told throughout my life that I should become a writer, only no one ever tells me what to write. 

"Something fictional," they say. And as my mind wanders over its boundless land of fictional ideas, I realize that I could never call myself a writer if I lived on that land. I could not be a writer because I would simply be a glorified liar. And what are glorified liars to literature? Some would say they are the very foundations. But then... is a literature class entirely comprised of paying homage to glorified liars, Larissa? Of course not. That is a foolish question, but a valid one at that. Literature classes focus entirely on the culture behind the lies. If you'll think back to the last time you analyzed a book or specific author, you'll realize that an analysis is never complete without a look into the author's past. 

It is well known that Oscar Wilde wrote satirical plays. However slightly less well known is the fact that Wilde was an Irish playwrite and the Irish culture is very much centered around satire and witty humor. This fact greatly influenced his writing technique and topic ideas.

Most people don't consider the Holy Bible to be fictional, however this topic is always being debated among scholars. While looking through rose-coloured glasses, this literary work was written by God himself (whoever you think that is) and is known to be a detailed description of the beginning of the life itself. Ironically, life was created by a "living God," however if we look into the background of the people who were actually responsible for writing these books, we can clearly see the influence of prior writers. In Peter's Romans, we see clear evidence of his reading Plato's Symposium throughout the book. 

Maybe you're thinking "what does this have to do with anything?" and it might not have anything to do with anything. However, my thinking is should all fictional novels be considered a part of the literary canon? or should select novels with relevant historical background be included in the literary canon only?

My thinking tends to sway towards the latter of these options, however I have been proven wrong once or twice in my life. 

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And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.