The Dew Breaker
~Edwidge Danticat

Historical/Biographical Criticism

Obviously, one way to think about, and analyze literature is to consider the people who wrote the text - specifically the life and times of the author. Writers live and write in particular places and in particular times and therefore the meaning of a text is enhanced by biographical and historical research. This research enriches our understanding of a work by examining the "conditions" of its production.

 

This approach/theory to analyzing literature is aptly called "historical criticism." This sounds pretty simple: just find out information about the author, and the historical facts of the time and place in which the book is set and see how this research illuminates your understanding. For example, if you were reading a novel set in the Vietnam War, wouldn't you like to know what the author's position was on the war? Wouldn't it also be helpful to know a little bit of the history of the Vietnam War - especially places and people that are mentioned in the book? Also, wouldn't it be helpful to know something about other novels written about this war? And other literary works about other wars?

 

Of course we can't know everything, and sometimes it is difficult to know what it is we don't know. But the discovery of a new historical or biographical fact may substantially alter our perception.

 

But (and this is a big "but") there is one small problem with all this. In order to accept the validity of historical facts - you must assume that all "facts" are stable and they all tell us exactly what happened. Well, as you have already discovered from your time with Ms. Whiting - this isn't always the case. To be effective Historical Literary Critics, you must look for multiple perspectives of the same event and also look for ideology -- or ideologies -- at work in a particular time and place to fully understand a text. This means that you must be willing to research other texts (poetry, fiction, art) from that time and place to really understand the real history.

 

So, what does this have to do with you? Well, you will be reading The Dew Breaker through the lens of Historical and Biographical Criticism. This will also be an opportunity for you to develop your research skills which includes the forming and reforming of questions and the ability to change your perspective based on the information that you find.

 

Group Leaders

You will need to devise a way to keep your group on task and a way to keep this "research organized". Also you will have to come up with a way for your group members to share their findings and provide opportunities form group members to discuss what they have found and how what they have found affects their understanding of the text.

 

Group Members

You will have to take notes as you read. These notes should include questions that you have, opportunities to "research," and noting how the research and the discussions have effected your interpretation of the text. Ultimately you are noting the "conclusions" that you are coming to. And, it goes without saying, KEEP UP.

 

Obviously this book builds on the ideas, themes, and topics the we have been working with this year: truth, beliefs, responsibility, perspectives, being pushed to extremes, nation building, etc. So look for these ideas in the text.

 

To Get You Started:

Find out what you can about:

See where this research takes you. Remember, Collabites are NEVER satisfied with the easy answer. Answers to questions lead to deeper questions, and deeper understandings.