english-10-historical-criticism quarter 4

Literary Approaches

1. HISTORICAL APPROACH To literary English 10

2. What is historical APPROACH? The historical approach involves understanding the events and experiences surrounding the composition of the work, especially the life of the author, and using the findings to interpret that work of literature. Involves the understanding of the historical and cultural conditions that influence the production of the literary work Sees literature as both a reflection and a product of the times and circumstances in which a text is written

3. Goal of historical criticism To discover the text’s primitive or original meaning in its original historical context and its literal sense Seeks to establish a reconstruction of the historical situation of the author and recipients of the text

4. How to use historical criticism Examine the text’s historical origins, such as the time, the place in which the text was written and its sources Examine the events, dates, persons, places, things, and customs that are mentioned or implied in the text.

5. Things to remember in historical approach This approach focuses on the connection of work to the period in which it was written. Historians attempts to connect the historical background of the work to specific aspects of the work. A key goal for historical critics is to understand the effect of a literary work upon its original readers.

6. Example: the lion king The ceremony in the movie accurately represents the tribal ritual of the people of Zimbabwe. The lion king shows the hopeful nature of the 1990’s when the economy was booming.

7. Thank you!