LITARY,BIOGRAPHICAL,

LINGUISTIC AND
SOCIOCULTURAL
CONTEXT OF LITERARY
TEXT
Presented by: ABEGAEL AND JASMINE PRIMA
 Literary context refers to descriptions of events, people and
background information in Literature that gives the reader a clearer
understanding of what is happening.

Literary context works to provide the reader with information about

certain events and experiences in a piece of literature that would
otherwise not be obvious. It helps to develop a deeper connection
between the literary text and the reader, as they are more aware of the
intentions of the author and/or the characters. Without an understanding
of the context, the meaning of the piece would be unclear and the reader
may not be certain of its overall message.
 TYPES OF CONTEXT

1 BIOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT

SOCIOCULTURAL
2 CONTEXT

3 LINGUISTIC
 BIOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
-requires the readers to analyze the life and experience
of the author to understand the literary text. It is
essential for readers to understand the author’s
background. Understanding the author’s life can help
you understand his or her work,thoroughly. This can
happen by reading the author’s biography or
autobiography
Here are biographical strategies that you may use;
• Research on what the author believes in and also what he or she does not.
• Analyze how the author’s belief system is reflected in his or her work.
• Look at the author’s other works and analyze if there is a pattern with
regard to the theme that is indicative of his or her life and beliefs.

Here are some reasons to read literature through Biographical context

(Gioia and kennedy 2007):
• Understand the author’s life can help you understand his or her
work thoroughly.
• Reading the author’s biography or autobiography helps you see
how much experiences shape his or her work directly or
indirectly.
Example:
ABNKKBSNPLAko
by Bob Ong
ABNKKBSNPLAKo is an autobiography detailing author Bob Ong's school days, from his
experiences on his first day of primary school to his disastrous university experience and
culminating with his entry into the education sector himself, as a teacher. The book is written in
Tagalog, the language of the Philippine Islands. The autobiography's long title is meant to be
read phonetically, as "Aba,nakakabasa na pala ako?!" which when translated to English means,
"Wow, I can actually read now?!" Bob Ong is Filipino, but the name is a pseudonym and his true
identity is unconfirmed, though several contemporary Filipino authors have been proposed.
 Example 2
From Jeanette Winterson's memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be
Normal? (2011):

"I was born in Manchester in 1959. It was a good place to

be born... Manchester was the world's first industrial city; its
looms and mills transforming itself and the fortunes of Britain.
Manchester had canals, easy access to the great port of
Liverpool, and railways that carried thinkers and doers up
and down to London. Its influence affected the whole world."
- Why Be Happy When You Could Be
Normal? 2011

What can the biographical context tell us here?

• The time period in which the author was born
• Where the author was born
• What the author's birthplace was like
• The influence the author's birthplace had on other
areas in the country and the world
• Gives a positive overview of Manchester in that
particular time frame
 SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT
Requires the reader to analyze the social, economic,political,and
cultural standpoint of the literary text. It is also important to note the
year of period a literary text was written for readers can be able to
identify the historical or significant events that took place in that year
which add to the readers understanding of the text.
In reading using sociocultural context,you will examine the
factors that affect the writing of the literary text and how the work was
received by the readers during the time it is written.
 Here are some guide questions that you may answer when you are reading
literature through the sociocultural context;

• What is the relationship between the characters or speakers in the text and the
society?
• How does this story reflect the nation?What does this say about the country
and its inhabitants?
•

Here are some reasons to read literature through the sociocultural context(Gioia and
kennedy 2007):

• Reading using the sociocultural context helps you understand the

social,economic,political,and cultural forces affecting the work that you are
reading .
• Analyzing the sociocultural context of the text makes you examine the role of
the audience (readers)in shaping literature.
Example:
ABNKKBSNPLAko
by Bob Ong
ABNKKBSNPLAko depicts the Filipino culture and,
although in a humorous way, reveals the social realities and
issues that remain present up until now namely education,
economy, corruption up until personal struggles. The author
also leaves audiences with advice regarding life and school
in general.
 LINGUISTIC CONTEXT
Linguistic context is a discourse that surrounds a language unit
and help to determine its interpretation.

Requires the readers to analyse the language,form and

structure of the text.
Reading through a linguistic context focuses on the language
used in the literary work and how it is used to convey meaning.
The following are some strategies you may use to read in the a text
through the linguistic context:

• Analyze the diction or choice of words in the text.

• Examine the text use of sentences,clause,phrases,lines cuts,etc.
• Observe the use of figurative language.
• Analyze the mood and tone of the text.
• Observe the text’s overall structure.
• Analyze the constant of the text.
 Example :
The Tell-tale Heart
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without
hearing him lie down,I resolved to open a little--a very,very
little crevice in the lantern.So I opened it --you cannot
imagine how stealthily, stealthily--until,at length a simple
dim ray, like the thread of the spider,shot from out the
crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.
 What did you observed in this passage?

How did the author evoke the feelings of horror?

 Typhoons (An Excerpt)
Rio Alma
(translated by Marne Kilates)

The typhoons‘ episodes of terror are yearly:

Berserk wind and shattered glass
Streaming from the mouths of a thousand serpents,
Smoke of dark crystal billowing
From beyond the ancient shoulders of the bristling land.
The heavens crawl with crackling electricity
And the verdicts of thunder are without forgiveness or pity.
There were nights
When we were children watching
And listening for the keening
And whiplash of wet, demented monsters:
Turning wildly, they tore every roof,
They toppled and smashed every wall and post;
The drains and canals choked,
The distressed bamboo begged for mercy.
We shut our eyes
At the final rumbling rape
Of our prostrate crops, the helpless land.
Tightly we shut our eyes,
Tightly, ever tightly…
Only to wonder in the morning
What power of sun expunged
And expelled these armies of the night
Here are some guide question:
• What is the event that the author was talking about in his
poem?
• Where do you think did the story happen?ex.City or rural
area,etc.
• What are the words that caught your attention?why?
• Can this story happen in real life?Why do you think so?
• In what way the incident in the poem similar or differ from
your own experience?