contexts of literary works
DESCRIPTION
This PPT covers the different contexts of literature that will be analyzed and discussed throughout the course of the school year.TRANSCRIPT
The Main Contexts
of a Literary Work
Essential Question
• How can knowledge of the various contexts of a literary work enhance our understanding and appreciation of the text?
Literary Contexts
• To understand and appreciate a literary selection, a reader must understand the significant contexts in which it was written.
Biographical Context
• What biographical facts has the author used in the text?
• What insights do readers acquire about the author’s life by reading the text?
Historical Context
• What specific historical events were happening when the work was being composed?
• What historical events does this work deal with?
• In what ways did history influence the writer’s outlook?
Geographical Context
• Is this author a regionalist writer?• How does dialect influence
the text?
Political Context
• What political events are significant to the text?
• What political events were occurring at the time the work was written?
• What political beliefs does the author seem to have?
Philosophical/Religious Context
• Are any religions or philosophies mentioned specifically in the text?
• What religious/ethical/philosophical beliefs does the author seem to favor?
• What behavior do the characters display that the author wants us to think is “right”?
• What behavior is “wrong”? How can one tell?
Sociological Context
• What sort of society does the writer describe?
• What does the writer seem to like/dislike about this society?
• What changes do you think the writer would like to make in the society? Evidence?
• What sorts of pressures does the society put on its members? How do members respond?
Psychological Context
• What theories of human behavior does the writer seem to believe?
• What theories of human behavior does the writer seem to reject?
• How do people’s minds work in the text?
• In what ways does the structure & organization of the story indicate the writer’s beliefs about the workings of the mind.
Literary Contexts at Work