For this essay, you will address one of the readings (from this module) from a historical point of view and make a connection to our present world. Remember, “New historicists attempt to define a period in all of its dimensions, including political, economic, social, and aesthetic concerns” (Meyer 656). For our purposes, you can research one of these dimensions to help you further your analysis of a text’s themes.
For example, if we were to write an essay on “Sonny’s Blues”, we would identify the “African American experience in the military.” We would use this historical note to help us understand why both of the characters (Sonny and his brother) decide to join the military. Perhaps it will lead us to a new discovery of the text. From this historical approach, we can offer a new reading of the text.