English 2F - Children's Literature

Module 5:
Intro to Literary Theory - Historical and Biographical Theory and Traditional Fiction

The formalist approach is but one among many that a reader can use to interpret a text. Click the link at right for a brief overview of the approaches.

Critical Approaches to Literature

As we read Treasure Island , we'll use the biographical/historical approach, which demands that we consider the author's life, and the times in which he lived, in our interpretation.

Things to consider:

The author's sex/gender, race, social class, ethnicity, family background, political and religious beliefs, biographical events, and anything else in the author's life that might have influenced the writing of the text.


We must also consider the historical context of the text: the social and political culture that created the author that created the work   What society did/does the author live in?  What is the intellectual and political climate of that society? What are the major historic events of the time, and how did those events influence the author? 

Check out the resources below on Robert Louis Stevenson.  Consider the facts of his life, and the times in which he lived, and consider how they may have influenced the writing of the book.
jolly roger

Resources on Robert Louis Stevenson and Treasure Island
Treasure Island, Wikipedia
Robert Louis Stevenson - Life and Works Outline
"The Double Life of Robert Louis Stevenson" by Margaret Livesy
"Robert Louis Stevenson" by Bradford Torrey