In the Beginning: Introduction

Section Objectives Icon Unit Objectives

After you have completed this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Analyze literature for purpose, audience, perspective, and tone.
  2. Apply comprehension strategies to the analysis of main idea, theme, and/or details.
  3. Identify the key questions historic criticism seeks to answer.
  4. Identify themes, values, and ideas that reflect the historical period in which a literary text was written.
  5. Analyze the literature from a historical period for ideas, themes, and values which reflect the period.
  6. Compare and contrast works from major historical periods that cut across cultures and genres.
  7. Compare the language patterns, diction, and idioms used in historic and contemporary literary texts.
  8. Define the elements of drama.
  9. Identify the elements of drama in plays.
  10. Apply comprehension strategies to the analysis of main idea, theme, and/or details.
  11. Analyze how the elements of drama contribute to the theme or message of plays.
  12. Describe the characteristics of the sub-genres of satire, allegory and parody.