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WRT 102 - East (Salvo) Writing II: Historical Perspectives (Context)

Literary Criticism, Memoir, text in context

Historical Context for Your Short Story

Select a time and place or event with which to base your story. Research the background material for your story.  Be sure:

  • The story is told well and is historically accurate.  
  • Characters are realistically portrayed.
  • The setting is authentic.
  • Historical facts are skillfully woven into the text.

Questoins That Need to Answered for Proper Context

Questions to Think About...

Historical Event

  • What exactly happened?
  • Description of the location
  • Why, when, and where did it happen?
  • What were the surroundings like? urban / rural?
  • What did the scene of the event look like?
  • What details about the event are known?

Year

  • What year was it?
  • What was happening locally?
  • What was happening nationally?
  • What was happening globally?

Economics

  • What was it like to be a wealthy person?
  • What was it like to be poor?
  • What kinds of jobs or occupations did people have?

Daily Life and Culture

  • How did people dress?  What were the clothing styles?
  • Language/words How did they speak to each other? Slang terms?
  • What were the fads?
  • What did people eat?
  • How were they entertained?
  • What were the social events?
  • What were their traditions?

Values

  • What did people of that time and culture believe in?
  • What were they concerned about?
  • What were their religious practices?

Language in a Short Story

An example of language in a short story      

Sentence

Definition

Possible Setting

We listened to the wireless for news about our troops in France.
Wireless is radio in British English 
World War II, London
We have wi-fi and will catch up with friends on face-book. 
"Wi-Fi" is used in general English as a synonym for WLAN (wireless local area network)
Present time, USA