The historical context surrounding a literary work or creation can have several layers you might explore. For example, consider the following:
- What was happening in the world at the time the work was created?
- What was happening in the world during the time in which the work takes place?
- What impact do certain cultural references or histories of particular words and their use have?
- What is the history of the genre and how does the work fit (or not fit) within that history?
- What was the process of publication and distribution at the time that might affect the audience and influence of the work?
- How has the reader response to the work changed over time?
- What is the history about how the particular subject matter was treated by other texts or works?
Remember, there are often innumerable and overlapping contexts to any given work that can help shape the different meanings that arise. Make sure to careful consider what contexts impact your interpretation of the text.
