Topic 2: Theory 

#1 Why is it important to research the context?

It is important to research the context to help you understand the WHY – Why did the composer write about the topic? Why did the composer choose to represent the topic in this way? What was the composer’s purpose?

#2 What is context?

• Customs, beliefs, values
• Consider context of composer and context of the world space – There may be jargon or assumptions that you won’t understand until you learn about the world space.

#3 How should I research Context?

1.   Personal – events happening in the composer’s and character’s personal life

2.   Social – characteristic of society where the characters live and also which the author’s text was produced (e.g. gender divide, class boundaries might leads to writing about social inclusion and strength of women)

3.   Cultural 

4.   Historical/Political/Religious – Was the text written after war? Or during political instability? Was there a reliance on god or science?

5. Literary movements – composers may choose to incorporate elements in their composition e.g. romanticism

#4 How does context influence the Composer? What does Authorial Intent mean?

Why do you write outside of school? Blog? story? Diary? Facebook or Instagram post? You would realise quickly that you write with a purpose which is often influenced by what’s happening around you.

Similarly, composers are influenced by what’s happening around them.

In other words, context shapes the decisions of a composer and shapes their purpose. Composers can choose to present a critical view of a situation, praise it, or even ignore it. Therefore, to understand the text completely you should get into a habit of researching into the context of the text as you will gain some interesting insights.

#5 How does context influence the Responder?

Context of the assumed responder of the time (and also the contemporary audience)

Readers construct meaning from the text. This means that depending on the context of the response, the text will be received differently. Literature has been read across many years and stories have been told from generation to generation. Every time, the way the text was interpreted varied because interpretation is dependent on our values and assumptions.

#6 Why is it important to have a strong understanding of the context? How will it help you for the assessment?

The context often influences the authorial intent/motivations of the composer. Why did the composer write this?

For example:

o   Literature has a function of reflecting or shaping society

o   Promoting aesthetic and moral values

o   Critiquing or valuing the context

o   Entertainment

Perspectives emerge from particular contexts and can become paradigms, influencing the ways we see the world. Our interpretation of the world is filtered through our own context.