Totem Poles in Historical Context

When practising critical reading, it is crucial to be aware of the context of the text.

Before reading a text, ask :

• What do you want to gain from reading this topic?
• What are your existing beliefs?
• What do you think you know ...

For older books, try to understand the historical context. For books written in an unfamiliar country, try to understand the cultural context. 

Some helpful questions to ask include:

• Why did the author write this? 
• What is their background?
• What else have they wri...

We cannot fully appreciate or understand a work of literature without context.

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" cannot be fully understood if the reader is unaware of the Romantic movement in the early 19th century. The lives of Europeans were transformed by the technolo...