Cloutier eloquently demonstrates the conventions of the archive through Wright’s discourse, ” I would hurl words into the darkness and wait for an echo”– this idea demonstrates how African American writers are marginalized and oppressed in darkness, later for their writings to be rediscovered and reinvented. Furthermore, if we deconstruct the concept or the idea of shadow books we are able to observe the amalgamation of works and writings that are composed by African Americans; together, forming a vast collection of invisible books. Intrinsically, the archive transforms and exegetes a different meaning than what we had originally thought– in this instance, the archive is not a static neutral place in which works can be found but one that is shaped by racism and exclusion; therefore, demonstrating that the archive has become a tool for political persecution.

Cloutier also exhibits the lifecycle of literature under Schellenberg framework, “enduring contributions to modern records management is the lifecycle concept, which appears early in the manual”. This lifecycle expands the realm of how literature is created and used, only to be discarded or disposed when not needed. However, because disposing of literature is part of the life cycle it demonstrates that Black archives are being marginalized, or in other words, history is being erased. Rather than putting an end to part of the archive we should not discard it but reinterpret African American literature– in this way, the shadow of the archive takes a different meaning and interpretation. The archive is not being discarded but works as an act of defiance that refuses to adhere to the traditional standards of the lifecycle of literature. It takes on a different meaning than the one we are accustomed to.

Finally, the archive works in a continuum. What this suggests is that when Black literature is rediscovered or reinterpreted it allows for new generations of literary scholars to disseminate and engage with literature in different manners– to engage with the world differently. Preserving material allows it to be in the archive which consequently allows scholars to redefine the present.