In her commentary on "The Oxford Book of American Short Stories," Joyce Carol Oates highlights the irony of how the vast and varied American literary landscape is often inadequately represented in anthologies and educational materials. She points out that while the modern world thrives on mass production and an abundance of consumer goods, the depth of American literature is frequently overshadowed or simplified in textbooks.

This misrepresentation, according to Oates, reflects a larger issue where the richness of cultural expression is diminished. The divergence between the reality of American literature and its portrayal in educational resources symbolizes a disconnect, which ultimately undermines the complexities and nuances of the literary imagination in the United States.