Substantiating
your argument through reference to contextual information
The starting
point for writing an essay is your own reading of the
text(s) you have been studying. However, at degree level
you are encouraged to think about how a particular text
might relate to other texts within the same historical
period or literary genre, and also to think about how a
text is shaped by and carries the traces of the
particular social/historical conditions in which it was
produced (and in which it has been interpreted).
The importance of using appropriate
contextual information in your essay’s analysis is something which many
students find daunting. They think it means that they have got to be an expert
on the history of a particular period in order to be able to comment knowledgeably
on the text. While an understanding of the social/cultural conditions of a
particular point in history can be very important and useful when it comes
to analysing a text, this is not the only meaning of 'contextual information'.
Material about literary form (e.g. genre) is as significant. For example,
if you were writing about the sonnet, your discussion of the text(s) might
make mention of some of the characteristic features of the sonnet (it has
14 lines, is divided into octet and sestet, etc.). By doing this you would
be drawing on contextual information. So do not be intimidated by this requirement.
It is possibly something that you do anyway, without realising it.
While it can be very useful and
productive to make reference to historical contextual information when writing
about a text, you need to be careful as to how far you try to 'explain' features
of texts through reference to history, since cause and effect are not straightforward.
(This is particularly true when you are considering biographical information
about the author. The known 'facts' of an author’s life do not necessarily
serve to explain why they wrote what they did.) Your level of knowledge about
the particular historical period in question is also very important in determining
how successful your use of historical contextual information is.
How extensively contextual information
is used within your essay will depend on the particular question you are answering.
For example, if you are being asked to think about a particular literary genre,
it is probably quite important to include at least some reference to that
genre’s associated characteristics. It may also depend to some extent
on the tutor setting the questions and/or marking the work. Certain tutors
will encourage their students to engage with historical contextual material,
while others prefer the student to concentrate first and foremostly on the
primary text, referring to the historical context as and when appropriate.
The nature of the text will also be of importance. For example, if it appears
to be offering some kind of commentary on events or aspects of society at
the time of its writing, it would be advisable to show that you have some
awareness of that context.
The most important thing to remember
when drawing on contextual information in your essay is to use it appropriately.
In other words, it should be relevant to the issue being discussed and contribute
to the development of your essay’s argument (rather than just showing
that you have done some background reading).
