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COMBINE LITERARY SENSITIVITY WITH ANALYTICAL THOROUGHNESS

or

3 + 1 + 1 + 1 = (Who + When + Where) [> often Why] + What content + So What!

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In order to make full use of written (primary and secondary) texts, various aspects can be considered.

[1] AUTHORSHIP (= Who)

If we know the author, then certain things can be looked out for, with a view to possible subsequent comment by you. This can involve their:

• Biographical details
• Religious/philosophical/ideological standpoints
• Authorship of other works
• Position in society (politically and socially, i.e. 'influence')

[2] CONTEXT (= When & Where)

Sometimes (e.g early primary sources) we do not know the actual author, so that matters of 'context' become even more important. The text does not arise in a vacuum. Often the 'time period' setting within which it arose often can be valuable, and sometime crucial, for shedding light on the text. In particular you should look out for its wider:

• Historical context
• Cultural/social/political/religious context

Here you could be on the lookout for the implications of what some literary/social scientists call 'discourse theory', i.e. that literature reflects wider/underlying social structures, with particular messages being embedded (hence a discourse) in literature. In a word 'context'.

NOTE: The Who + When + Where of a text can often shed light on WHY the text was written, for 'what' purposes, for 'whose' individual or group purposes, etc.

[3] CONTENT (= What)

Here we move into what is actually being expressed within the text, which can then serve as the base for looking outwards from it, e.g. bringing in:

• Language style
• Central point/s
• Comparison with other texts on that topic

Here you could be on the look out for what some historians like Arthur Marwick call unwitting, as well as witting (deliberate) testimony. Such 'unwitting' testimony can often be as, or even more, revealing than the more obvious 'witting' testimony.

[4] SIGNIFICANCE (= So what !)

Finally we can try to stand back from the text and put it into an overall perspective, e.g. what use has it for us, what value does it have for its:

• Illustrative character, reflecting the wider context/period
• Affective character, i.e. influence on wider context/period
• Corroborating or challenging established academic views
• Impact on yourself

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