HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• The historical times (intellectual atmosphere, culture, religion, discoveries, historical events, wars...) shape the author’s view/stories.

• The work reflects the period it represents and the period in which it was written.

• Literary trends influence the form, content, and message of the work.

• The historical context (both the work’s and your own) are used to interpret the work.

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

• The work reflects people acting in social groups or as members of social institutions?

• The work reflects social attitudes and tendencies of a social group/culture

• The piece speaks out against or points out a particular societal ill or issue

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

• The work reflect the author’s personal psychology.

• The work reveals divided selves struggling against each other (id , ego, & superego).  

• The characters’ actions , emotions, desires, childhood/past and dreams reveal their psychological or personality types.

• Different psychological schools can be used to respond to the characters