Thematic Context Questions

Question 1

Narrative Perspective

Answer 1

What is the narrative perspective?

Question 2

Power

Answer 2

Who has the power in the text? What makes them powerful? Are they older? Wealthier? Socially Superior?

Question 3

Class

Answer 3

What can you work out about the social class of the characters? Are they rich or poor? Do they work for a living?

Question 4

Origins

Answer 4

Where do the characters or their families come from? Have they arrived in the US via immigration? Are they people of colour?

Question 5

Setting

Answer 5

Are we in an urban setting or a more quiet, rural setting? What conclusions can you draw from the setting?

Question 6

Rural setting

Answer 6

If set in a more rural setting, what is the relationship between the characters and the land?

Question 7

American Dream

Answer 7

How does the passage engage with the concept of the American Dream?

Question 8

Gender

Answer 8

What do you notice about the gender dynamics present? Does the author’s perspective shed new light on this?

Question 9

Time

Answer 9

Where within the time period is this set? e.g. is it the late 1800s, early 1900s, late 1930s? Do you have a sense of a thriving economy or of deprivation?
What implications might this have on the themes of the passage?

Question 10

Religion

Answer 10

Does the passage engage with religious faith at all? If so, how does this affect the passage?