contextual analysis example essay pdf

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Creating A Strong Contextual Analysis Essay In 5 Easy Steps

The contextual analysis essay is a kind of work that disintegrates a piece of writing into small parts, analyzing each one separately. This allows us to point out the true intentions of the author, and analyze the whole context. Almost anything can be a subject of such an analysis – a book, a play, a magazine article, etc., but how to write such an essay? It would be quite an easy task, if you are a pro, but what about the newbies?

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• Write the introduction.

The introduction is based upon what happens in the piece you are analyzing. It will make people understand that you’ve found its context. You can complete your analysis by including some other pieces, if they fit into the same concept. Keep in mind, that context is a framework, which defines all the specific parts of the piece you analyze. So be careful while taking something out of the context, as you can be easily misunderstood.

• Describe the body of the piece.

After moving on to the body of the piece you are writing about, describe the style, it’s written in, the theme, etc. Describe characters of the piece if there are any, or a problem postulated in it. Also, there is no harm in additional research to see what other people think of this. Maybe you can include some citations in your article (which is beneficial). Try using trustworthy sources, or get advice from someone with experience.

• Move on to the theme.

What is the main theme of the piece you are analyzing? Express your opinion on how the author influenced you through his creation, and what you think is the main response he originally intended to create. An important part is pointing out whether there is a specific statement in the context of the piece.

• Move on to style.

Describe the style of the piece by pointing out some important elements. Does the author use first-person interaction? Describe whether it is a plain narrative, or if it is dialogue based. Describe the imagery and artistic methods that the author used, and the effect he is trying to achieve.

• Write a conclusion.

The conclusion is the part where you express your opinion on whether the author achieved his goal. Try pointing out whether the piece has a dramatic impact, and whether it fully expresses the depth and the value of the topic discussed. For a literature piece, for example, there can be some discussion about the cultural value of the piece and its impact on the creativity of future authors.

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Contextual Analysis: Definition & Goals + Contextual Analysis in History

• 📍 What is Contextual Analysis?
• 🚧 How to Conduct Contextual Analysis?

📜 Contextual Analysis in History

🏺 example of contextual analysis in history, 🎭 contextual analysis: art, 🖼️ contextual analysis example, 📍 contextual analysis explained.

In this part, we will define the concept and its main goals.

Contextual Analysis Definition

A contextual analysis is used to evaluate an item in historical and cultural contexts. It studies the issues from political, economic, and philosophical angles.

Let’s choose a famous painting by Vincent van Gogh “Cafe Terrace at Night.” You should start by mentioning that the artist lived in Arles in the second half of the XIX century and that he represented the post-Impressionism art movement. This elementary background information explains the many features of the painting.

Goals of Contextual Analysis

• Explaining complex works of art.
• Bringing attention to the creator and their identity.
• Discussing a particular subject to uncover its value.
• Analyzing historical events from a new perspective.
• Boosting critical thinking.

Context Analysis VS. Contextual Analysis

Students often confuse contextual analysis with context analysis.

Context analysis is a method for studying the environment of an object. Usually, business students use context analysis to examine a company on the macro level. Context analysis focuses mainly on the external factors in this case.

On the opposite, contextual analysis connects the historical and social setting with the object and its peculiarities.

🚧 Conducting a Contextual Analysis in 4 Steps

Writing a contextual analysis might seem challenging, but in reality, it takes several steps. We’ve prepared a guide on how to develop excellent contextual analysis and what to include in it.

Step 1. Learn About the Author

Information about the author might give you many insights and show the object from a new perspective. Learning a creator’s biography is also crucial. It can help you understand some details that you could have missed.

When writing a contextual analysis, answer these questions about the author:

• When and where was the person born?
• What was their life like? Did they have special education or training?
• What were their values and beliefs?
• Who or what inspired the creator?
• What were their impressions of the work they created?

Step 2. Discover the Historical Background

Historical context is as important as the information about the author. Historical events , religion, and philosophy have always inspired writers, painters, and movie directors. The work’s historical setting hints at the creator’s original intentions.

Consider these questions when exploring the historical background:

• What was the political situation when the object was created?
• What were the key historical events at that time?
• What was the economic situation in those years in that country?
• Was religion important to the people of that time?
• Which art forms were popular at that time?

Step 3. Detect the Style

A style is a tool for broadcasting a personal vision. There are unique features in any art, literature, music, or cinematography style, including form and colors. A combination of shapes, colors, and other details reflects a philosophy, which helps understand art better.

What you should consider when analyzing a style:

• What are the striking features of the form, colors, and composition?
• How does this style differ from other artworks of that time?
• Does this style involve any cultural or religious symbolism?
• Does this style belong to any art movement?
• What other artists created in the same manner?

Step 4. Explore the Audience’s Reaction

Audiences’ reactions will help you understand the impact of the object. Research if an artwork has any awards or has taken part in exhibitions. Remember to check official reviews and the impressions of ordinary people.

To help you investigate an audience’s reaction, answer these questions:

• Was the artwork famous when it was created?
• What was the first public impression when it appeared? Did it change?
• What characteristics do critics highlight?
• Does the object have any rewards or prizes?
• Were any other artworks inspired by the one you analyzed?

History is full of bright events which inspire authors of paintings, books, and movies. Analyzing the context in the field of history is crucial for expanding your thinking. It is a great tool allowing us to learn the lessons of the past.

Contextual analysis in history includes:

Contextual Analysis in History: Essay Topics

Looking for ideas for your contextual analysis in history? Check out our list of possible essay topics:

• The Salem Witch Trials: Their context and impact on Massachusetts .
• Martin Luther King’s participation in the civil rights movement .
• The imagery of Native Americans: Historical perspective .
• Employment discrimination and Civil Rights Act of 1964 .
• The US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Jefferson’s Letter .
• The American Revolution as the historical context for the Declaration of Independence .
• Researching the historical context of Malcolm X’s life .
• The Emancipation Proclamation: Historical context analysis .
• Elie Wiesel’s identity and faith in Auschwitz .
• “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” by M. Wollstonecraft: Contextual analysis .
• Jim Crow laws: Origins and end .
• “A Ghetto Takes Shape: Black Cleveland” by Kusmer: Contextual analysis .
• The Treaty of Versailles in World War II history .
• “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King: Historical context analysis .
• 1944 Education Act: Figures, context, ideology .
• “First to Fight” by Marine General Victor Krulak: Contextual analysis .
• Cecil Rhodes’ “Confession of Faith” contextual analysis .
• Contextual analysis of the primary sources: The American Dream .
• “The German Ideology” by Karl Marx and materialism: Contextual analysis .
• Civil War history: A Year in the South by Ash .

In the past, the witches were believed to be women who formed a contract with the Devil in exchange for magical power to conduct evil deeds. Witch imagery has evolved across the years, from evil wart-nosed women huddling over a cauldron of boiling liquid to hag-faced, cackling figures flying across the skies on brooms. But the reality of witchcraft has been much darker. Witches were often persecuted and killed since their practices were seen as evil and dangerous.

Historical portrayals of women as witches are heavily formed in Mediaeval theological views that considered women as morally weak, submissive to men, and more vulnerable to the Devil's temptations. As a result, women were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to torture, execution, and imprisonment.

The first witch trials happened in medieval Europe in the 15th century, driven by religious belief and political opportunism. These trials, which were frequently based on inadequate proof or personal conflict, had resulted in the torture, killing, and incarceration of countless victims. Witch trials peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in Germany, Switzerland, and France. During this time, from 50,000 to 100,000 people were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to horrible punishments.

The last reported execution for witchcraft happened in Switzerland in 1782. However, witch hunts continued in isolated parts of Europe and Asia into the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Due to scientific rationalism and growing skepticism of superstitious beliefs, the governments began abolishing witch trials and protecting accused witches' rights.

Even though the witch trials were primarily over, the negative stereotypes surrounding witches continued to spread, influencing their portrayal in literature, art, and popular culture. It was not until the 20th and 21st centuries that there was a growing movement to reclaim and redefine the witch archetype, moving away from the harmful stereotypes and embracing the power, creativity, and independence associated with witchcraft.

All artworks exist in a context or multiple. The background details of these contexts help us understand what a work of art meant when it was created. A successful contextual analysis of artwork includes this information about:

• The creator.
• The time when it was made.
• Its cultural contribution.

Here are step-by-step instructions on conducting a contextual analysis of art objects.

• Choose an art object you want to analyze. If it is not stated in the assignment, choose the one that will inspire you through the whole process of writing.
• Explore the critical information about the author. It can be a person or a group of artists.
• Analyze the historical and cultural background. Consider the key events that took part at that time. Study their causes and effects.
• Move on to the purpose of the art object and its significance. Think about the original meaning the artist wanted to convey.
• Describe the style features of a work of art you have chosen. Pay attention to forms, colors, and composition. Highlight what makes this style stand out.
• Look for the visual metaphors and symbols the object has. Think of the original meaning the creator tried to convey.
• Explore the audience and share your observations. Define people’s reactions and opinions and how they changed.

Contextual Analysis in Art: Essay Topics

Do you need some inspiration for writing your contextual analysis in art? We’ve compiled a list of essay topics to help you with your paper:

• Contextual analysis of Kal Cartoon by Kallaugher .
• Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun : Contextual analysis .
• Contextual analysis of the painting “Prometheus Bound” by Paul Ruben .
• Identity formation in “Persepolis” by Satrapi .
• Contextual analysis of Sgt. Peppers in The Space Between the Notes by Whiteley .
• The painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer .
• Contextual analysis of different works by Edgar Allan Poe .
• Things Fall Apart : Contextual analysis of the novel by Chinua Achebe .
• Contextual analysis of “Paradise Lost” by John Milton .
• “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin: Contextual analysis .
• Contextual analysis of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs .
• “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain: Injustice of slavery and racism .
• “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath: Contextual analysis .
• “Othello” by William Shakespeare: Racism problem .
• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: Contextual analysis .
• Contextual analysis of “The Tale of Kieu” by Nguyen Du .
• “Last Night I Dreamed of Peace” by Dang Thuy Tram .
• Marriage in The Awakening novel by Kate Chopin .
• Racism in “A Different Mirror” by R. Takaki .
• Contextual analysis of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker .

Vincent Van Gogh – Self Portrait, 1889.

Van Gogh was a well-known post-Impressionist painter. He was born in 1853 in the Netherlands and grew up in a pastor's family. Van Gogh decided to become an artist only at 27. He moved to Paris to go for his dreams. There, he met other famous artists and started drawing.

His contemporaries described Vincent as a complex and stubborn person. His main goal was to experience life in all possible ways. Van Gogh got inspired by observing people and nature. He spent the majority of his time in the province. The painter enjoyed the sunlight and warm climate there. Van Gogh didn't have academic education in art. Yet he was very demanding of himself and his paintings.

Van Gogh was a part of the post-Impressionist art movement. It was known back then as the philosophy of "modern life." The movement was popular in Europe at the time. Various exhibitions presented and promoted it. Van Gogh supported public ideas about the freedom of expression and emotions.

Van Gogh painted the last self-portrait only months before his death. The chaotic ornament of the background refers to his stay at the mental hospital. The colors of his face are yellowish, contrasting with the blue background. Face features are in shadow. It creates an impression of illness and unhappiness.

🔗 Useful Links

• Contextual Analysis | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Historical and Cultural Context | Arts and Humanities | Valencia College
• 16 Examples of Context Analysis – Simplicable
• Contextual Analysis – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
• Textual v. Contextual Analysis

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2 Visual and Contextual Analysis

J. Keri Cronin and Hannah Dobbie

The study of visual culture relies on two key skill sets: visual analysis and contextual analysis.

Visual Analysis

Visual Analysis is just a fancy way of saying “give a detailed description of the image.” It is easy to assume that visual analysis is easy or that it isn’t necessary because anyone can just look at the image and see the same thing you see. But is it really that simple?

As individual viewers we all bring our own background, perspective, education, and ideas to the viewing of an image. What you notice right away in an image may not be the same thing your classmate (or your grandmother or your neighbour) notices. And this is perfectly fine!

What do you see when you look at the images below?

In all three cases we have pictures of cows, but there are some important similarities and differences. What do you think is important to note about these images?

Reflection Exercise

Take a 5-10 minutes to jot down a detailed description (visual analysis) for each of the images above.

• What do you notice?
• What do you see?
• What part of the image is your eye drawn to first?
• How are these images similar? How are they different?

Contextual Analysis

Contextual analysis is another very important skill for studying images. This is a fancy way of saying “we need more information about this picture.” You will often have to do external research to build and support your contextual analysis. There is an old saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but we need to think carefully and critically about this. A picture can not tell us everything we might want to know about it! Sometimes it is very important to dig deeper through research to learn more about an image in order to understand how it participates in the meaning making process.

Here is a list of some questions that are useful for guiding contextual analysis. This is not an exhaustive list and not all questions will apply in all cases:

•   Who made this image? Why?
•   Where was the image made? (In a different part of the world? In a laboratory? On the beach?)
•   Who was the intended audience for this image?
•   Where was the image meant to be viewed? (A textbook? A gallery? As part of a movie set? In a family photo album?)
•   When was this image made? How do you know?
•   What kinds of technologies were used to make this image? What kinds of limitations were there on this technology at this time?
•   Is there text in the image? If so, how does it shape our understanding of what we are looking at? What about the image caption? How does it shape our understanding of what we are looking at?

Sometimes you can get clues from the image that can help you answer these kinds of questions, but often you will have to branch out and turn to books, articles, websites, documentary films, and other resources to help build and develop your contextual analysis.

In our examples above the captions give us quite a bit of information. We learn, for instance, who made the pictures (and, in one case, we learn that this information isn’t known). We learn when the images were made and the type of pictures they are–although we may need to look up what an etching , stereograph , or an albumen print is. The titles are fairly descriptive in that they provide us some basic information about what we are looking at.

Reflection Exercise – Part II

The visual analysis we just did combined with the information provided in the image captions gives us a place to start with our investigation into these images. But are many things that we still don’t know about these pictures.

What other things might we want to know if we were going to write about these pictures? Take a few moments and jot down a list of questions you have about these images.

As we generate questions based on these images and then start to do the research to find out the answers to those questions we are starting to build our contextual analysis. Through research we would learn, for instance, that the firm of Underwood & Underwood was a leading manufacturer of stereograph cards in the 19th century and that stereograph cards had a massive public and commercial appeal . The two images, when viewed through a special device known as a stereoscope , merge together to form an image that looks 3-D. Imagine how exciting this would be for viewers in an age before television, movies, and video games. Some have even described this as an early form of virtual reality !

Further research will show us that Edward H. Hacker was a printmaker in Britain in the 19th century and that he was best known for creating engravings of animal pictures. In an era when it wasn’t easy to reproduce paintings, this allowed multiple copies of an image to be shared and circulated. In our example, above he is reproducing a painting by William Henry Davis , an artist who specialised in portraits of livestock.

Today it might seem odd to us that people would want pictures painted of their cows and we might even wonder why someone would hire a printmaker to make reproductions of these images. Why would people want images of their cows? And further, why does the cow in the first picture above look so strange? She is so enormous that her little tiny, skinny legs couldn’t possibly support her body. What is going on here? Did Davis now know how to paint cows?

In fact, Davis was a well-respected artist. The answer to this question can be discovered through a bit of research (more contextual analysis). As we dig into this investigation, we would soon learn that this type of picture was part of a larger 19th trend for creating images of livestock that exaggerated their features as a way to advertise certain breeds and breeders . In other words, the farmers that were commissioning these images were using these pictures to try and prove that their animals were better than the animals owned by competing farmers. These pictures can not be separated out from the economics of 18th and 19th century British farming practices.

In 2018 the Museum of English Rural Life posted a photograph of a very large ram with the words “look at this absolute unit.” This Twitter post went viral and brought a lot of attention to the history behind these kinds of images. Having a picture like this circulate on social media brought a new layer of meaning to the photograph . It didn’t replace the original context, but it added to the discussions about it.

When an image is taken out of its original context new meanings can be generated. Take, for example, a controversial advertising campaign launched in the spring of 2023 by the Italian government . It features the very recognizable central figure from Sandro Botticelli’s 15th century painting known as “ Birth of Venus .” But in this campaign she is out and about enjoying the tourist sites in Italy, playing the role of Instagram influencer. This campaign provoked a strong reaction and many people criticised what they saw as trivialising and making a mockery of a beloved work of art. The associations people have with this painting–that it is a “masterpiece” to be admired and venerated–have fueled this criticism. If the central figure in these advertisements was not a recognizable figure it is unlikely that there would have been any controversy at all. By taking this figure out of context and putting her in AI generated scenes of Italian tourism, some feel it changes the meaning of the original picture. Love it or hate it, the one thing everyone agrees on is that this campaign has generated much discussion!

Visual and Contextual Analysis Exercise

Find a picture that you think expresses something about who you are. It can be from your childhood, a photograph of your dorm room, or a picture of the aunt who taught you how to read. Perhaps it is a picture of you cheering on your favourite sports team or of a special dinner shared with close friends. It doesn’t matter what the subject is as long as it is an example of a picture that you think says something about you.

Step 1 (Visual Analysis): Write a description of this picture. Try to stick to only description in this step, really look at the picture carefully and consider things like:

• What medium is it (e.g.: is it a photograph, a painting, etc.)?
• What colours are used?
• How is it composed? How big is it?
• Are there people in the image?
• Is the image dark or light?
• What is in the background?
• Is there anything blurry or unclear?

*Note: This is not an exhaustive list of questions. Rather, they are given as examples to help you think about what kinds of things to focus on.

Step 2 (Contextual Analysis): Imagine you are going to show this picture to a complete stranger, someone who doesn’t know you at all. Make a list of everything you think that person needs to know about the picture in order to learn a bit about you? What information might help that person understand why this picture is meaningful for you? For example, was this photograph taken on your birthday? Is it a picture of your first pet? Is the person who is blurry in the background your best friend who moved away when you were 11? Then think about why these things are important to you. In other words, what do you know about this picture that wouldn’t be obvious to someone else?

If I were doing this exercise with this photograph, in step #1 I would focus on things like the colour of the child’s clothing, the size of the dog, and the way the adult, child, and dog are posed, including that the man has one hand on the child, one hand on the dog. I would talk about it being a photograph and how the faded tones suggest that this is an old photograph. I would note that the photograph was taken outside and that these three are standing on what appears to be pavement but that there are trees in the background. There is also what appears to be a wooden sign in the background but it is too blurry to read. I would also point out that the shadows on the ground indicate that it was a sunny day, but the type of clothing the two human figures are wearing suggests that it was also a cold day.

If I were to continue on and complete step #2 I would list that this was a photograph taken in the mid-1970s by my mother and that it is a picture of me (Keri) and my uncle with a dog we happened to meet in the parking lot of Mount Robson Park while our family was moving from British Columbia to Alberta. This was not our dog. We had never met him before nor did we ever see him again. But he was friendly, and I was absolutely enthralled by how fluffy he was. My uncle took me over to introduce me to the dog, staying close to make sure the dog didn’t hurt me.

This picture holds meaning for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it is an early example of my love of animals. Secondly, Mount Robson Park is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and was often a destination for family vacations. These trips shaped my interest in nature and outdoor activities in spaces like Provincial and National Parks. This led to me deciding to write my MA thesis on the visual culture of these kinds of places, a document that was eventually turned into a book . And lastly, this picture has taken on a new layer of importance for me lately as my uncle pictured here recently died of cancer. Even though it isn’t a great picture in terms of technical quality, it is a picture that I have framed in my house because it holds a lot of meaning for me.

By doing this exercise you are slowing down the process of meaning making and thinking about how the visual elements of the image relate to the larger context that helps to shape why this picture holds meaning for you. You can see how the two types of analysis–visual and contextual–work together. You need both halves of this equation. By slowing down and doing some deep noticing in our visual analysis, we can notice things that become significant when we switch over to contextual analysis. And our contextual analysis can provide us a starting place for further research if needed.

With this exercise you were working with an image that you are already very familiar with. But this same process can get repeated with any image. When you are working with an image that isn’t from your own personal life, there will likely be more steps needed to arrive at a contextual analysis–research, further reading, etc.–but the process itself remains the foundation for critical thinking about images.

Look Closely: A Critical Introduction to Visual Culture Copyright © 2023 by J. Keri Cronin and Hannah Dobbie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Contextual analysis: A research methodology and research approach

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• Textual Analysis | Guide, 3 Approaches & Examples

Textual Analysis | Guide, 3 Approaches & Examples

Published on November 8, 2019 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 22, 2023.

Textual analysis is a broad term for various research methods used to describe, interpret and understand texts. All kinds of information can be gleaned from a text – from its literal meaning to the subtext, symbolism, assumptions, and values it reveals.

The methods used to conduct textual analysis depend on the field and the aims of the research. It often aims to connect the text to a broader social, political, cultural, or artistic context. Relatedly, it’s good to be careful of confirmation bias when conducting these sorts of analyses, grounding your observations in clear and plausible ways.

Table of contents

What is a text, textual analysis in cultural and media studies, textual analysis in the social sciences, textual analysis in literary studies, other interesting articles.

The term “text” is broader than it seems. A text can be a piece of writing, such as a book, an email, or a transcribed conversation. But in this context, a text can also be any object whose meaning and significance you want to interpret in depth: a film, an image, an artifact, even a place.

The methods you use to analyze a text will vary according to the type of object and the purpose of your analysis:

• Analysis of a short story might focus on the imagery, narrative perspective and structure of the text.
• To analyze a film, not only the dialogue but also the cinematography and use of sound could be relevant to the analysis.
• A building might be analyzed in terms of its architectural features and how it is navigated by visitors.
• You could analyze the rules of a game and what kind of behaviour they are designed to encourage in players.

While textual analysis is most commonly applied to written language, bear in mind how broad the term “text” is and how varied the methods involved can be.

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In the fields of cultural studies and media studies, textual analysis is a key component of research. Researchers in these fields take media and cultural objects – for example, music videos, social media content, billboard advertising – and treat them as texts to be analyzed.

Usually working within a particular theoretical framework (for example, using postcolonial theory, media theory, or semiotics), researchers seek to connect elements of their texts with issues in contemporary politics and culture. They might analyze many different aspects of the text:

• Word choice
• Design elements
• Location of the text
• Target audience
• Relationship with other texts

Textual analysis in this context is usually creative and qualitative in its approach. Researchers seek to illuminate something about the underlying politics or social context of the cultural object they’re investigating.

In the social sciences, textual analysis is often applied to texts such as interview transcripts and surveys , as well as to various types of media. Social scientists use textual data to draw empirical conclusions about social relations.

Textual analysis in the social sciences sometimes takes a more quantitative approach , where the features of texts are measured numerically. For example, a researcher might investigate how often certain words are repeated in social media posts, or which colors appear most prominently in advertisements for products targeted at different demographics.

Some common methods of analyzing texts in the social sciences include content analysis , thematic analysis , and discourse analysis .

Textual analysis is the most important method in literary studies. Almost all work in this field involves in-depth analysis of texts – in this context, usually novels, poems, stories or plays.

Because it deals with literary writing, this type of textual analysis places greater emphasis on the deliberately constructed elements of a text: for example, rhyme and meter in a poem, or narrative perspective in a novel. Researchers aim to understand and explain how these elements contribute to the text’s meaning.

However, literary analysis doesn’t just involve discovering the author’s intended meaning. It often also explores potentially unintended connections between different texts, asks what a text reveals about the context in which it was written, or seeks to analyze a classic text in a new and unexpected way.

Some well-known examples of literary analysis show the variety of approaches that can be taken:

• Eve Kosofky Sedgwick’s book Between Men analyzes Victorian literature in light of more contemporary perspectives on gender and sexuality.
• Roland Barthes’ S/Z provides an in-depth structural analysis of a short story by Balzac.
• Harold Bloom’s The Anxiety of Influence applies his own “influence theory” to an analysis of various classic poets.

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• Normal distribution
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• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
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• Stratified sampling
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• Cohort study
• Peer review
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• Implicit bias
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• Conformity bias
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• Essay on Social Issues

Contextual Analysis Thesis Sample

Type of paper: Thesis

Topic: Social Issues , Home , Violence , Crime , Risk , Life , Family , Women

Words: 1000

Published: 01/31/2020

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Monson discussed the fear of leaving the home when he wrote that “Do not go outside, on dates, or to the store, alone.” He discussed this phobia because he felt that a person is safer inside his or her house. But I think that it’s impossible to not leave the house. Everyone must leave home for some reason everyday and that main reason is to make a living for adults and to obtain an education for children and youth. The author wants to show that nobody should leave home because it’s a scary world outside and life is better lived inside the safety and comfort of one’s abode. This concept has truth to it but people shouldn’t live in fear because they will never enjoy the fullness of life if they do. Life is about taking risks and every day we wake up and step outside the door, we face a number of risks. I agree with the author to a degree but I cannot complete concur with his notion on not leaving home because it’s simply not realistic. Maximum security assurance within the home will create a safe haven for the person who takes measures to remain safe within the house according to Monson. He recommends that one should “Install alarm systems on every window, every doorway in your house.” In this way the home will be fully secure for the person who is afraid of leaving the home. It will become a safe haven, which is what Monson was trying to demonstrate. I think that alarm systems can help prevent the burglary and theft but it is not 100 percent guaranteed to do so. People who have alarm systems in their houses still encounter robberies and, in some cases, may face abuse or murder. We can take measures to protect our homes, families and worldly valuables but we still live in a world where crime runs wild and life is fragile. Slender, single teenage women are prime targets of sexual violence because the media portrays this notion rampantly in its crime-based TV dramas and in daily news reports of victimized young women. Thus Monson illustrated this in the text: “You are single, seventeen, and thin. You are a thing made for television, for the nights of drama crime.” He revealed the real danger that female adolescents face in this world. Date rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence are some common examples proving the vulnerability of female youth. They are not totally safe in a male-dominated society where crime continues to spiral out of control according to histrionic media coverage. Viewed as the weaker gender, they lay prey to the predatory forces of greed, gratification, and godlessness from their male counterparts, which Monson indicated. Therefore, I deem it imperative for women to avoid all avenues that would cause them endangerment by any means necessary. Weapon ownership is another means to maintain one’s safety. Monson advised that we “Do carry mace, or pepper spray, or a bowie knife. Do carry guns if you can get them. A crossbow. A blowgun.” The more people are physically equipped to protect themselves, the better off they will be inside and outside the home. Perhaps Monson supported the purchase and sale of guns and he opposed rigid gun control laws, a hot topic in Congress at the moment. It’s definitely a controversial issue but will it really solve problems of crime and violence in society if we ban all guns? What if the issue is deeper than that? I can see the point Monson is trying to make but do we really end violence by using violence or more politely worded ‘self-defense’? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. endorsed the nonviolent resistance movement and his plan worked to end American segregation during the Civil Rights Movement. In summary, I cannot embrace the author’s directive to acquire weaponry. Monson wrote about the avoidance of deep sleep: “Do not sleep deeply.” People must not involve themselves in plethoric sleep because they need to remain alert at all times inside the home. Otherwise their lives could be at stake if they slept abundantly and peacefully. Heaven forbid, a robbery takes place inside the home, someone who sleeps too heavily would be easily victimized and very life could be jeopardized as opposed to someone, a lighter sleeper, who would perceive the danger at hand. Generally speaking, we are more vulnerable to peril when we are asleep. But deep sleepers are at an even greater risk as Monson wanted to indicate. I certainly support his argument. It is essential that we watch over ourselves because we are the only ones who can ensure our own physical security. No one can optimally rest if they want to remain in a condition of attentive prowess. Sleep at your own risk. Finally, I believe that confronting the reality of death is the last thing that Monson wanted to discuss. He used metaphor in the statement, “Still you will be killed. You’re born for it. Your life is a tree meant to be torn apart by weather and electricity.” When it’s all said and done, all the effort put into staying alive seemed to fail because our fate is already determined. Nobody cannot escape the predestination of death, the knowledge that everyone will cease to exist in human form someday. Life is lived everyday in preparation for death and in expectation of it at some point upon which she has no prior knowledge or control of. Life is but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow as the Holy Bible so eloquently proves. In short, I totally harmonize my views with the author’s sentiments on death and the brevity of life yet in a positive way in which humanity will learn to live the best life possible.

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Education Resources for Teachers

of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students

Contextual Analysis

• Upper elementary and above
• Vocabulary development
• Use context clues
• Monitor reading comprehension
• Apply repair strategies
• Make inferences
• Apply metacognitive skills

Strategy steps:

• They will learn how to recognize clues to help add meanings to words they don’t understand in the text.
• The clues will help them comprehend.
• Teacher reads aloud/signs a sentences containing an unfamiliar word. (Example: Wilma had dieted for the last two weeks. She stepped on the scale and was disappointed. She had not lost any weight. )
• Teacher tells class: “I’m not sure what the word dieted means. I’ll reread the sentences and see if I can find any clues. It says that Wilma was disappointed because she had not lost any weight. That tells me that she wanted to lose weight. I think dieted means that you don’t eat very much–and you don’t eat fatty foods–so you can lose weight and become thin.”
• Tell the students that as you read on in the text, you usually find out if you are right. If not, rethink the information and possibly try another repair strategy.
• Model two or three more examples.
• Provide guided practice to students as they work with two or three more examples. (Teacher and students work together to locate clue words/phrases in the sentences that will provide clues to the meanings of unfamiliar words.)
• Students can work individually or in pairs.
• They read a passage and write the clue words and approximate meanings for unfamiliar words.
• The unfamiliar words can be words the teacher has highlighted or words they find as they read.
• Students share their work with the class.
• Students work individually or in pairs to determine the meaning of the new word.
• Students write the clue words and what they think the new vocabulary word means.
• Students share their work, discuss their ideas, reach a consensus on what the clues are and what the new vocabulary word means.

• Study Guides
• Homework Questions

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