Part 3: Literature Texts and Contexts

To Kill a Mockingbird

Meaning in a text is shaped by culture and by the contexts of the circumstances of its production. It is also shaped by what the reader brings to it. Literary texts are not created in a vacuum but are influenced by social context, cultural heritage and historical change. Through the close reading of literary texts, students are able to consider the relationship between literature and issues at large, such as gender, power and identity. Students should be encouraged to consider how texts build upon and transform the inherited literary and cultural traditions.

Learning outcomes for this part of the course:

1. Consider the changing historical, cultural and social contexts in which particular texts are written and received
2. Understand the attitudes and values expressed by literary texts and their impact on readers.

Move on to Race Class and Gender