Before reading or analyzing a written piece of literary work, it is vital to have the background knowledge or the context in mind as it would give a fair idea about the historical setting in which the text is set in and the reasons behind certain actions by different characters throughout the course of the story. Literature is termed as the mirror of the society, thus, it always reflects the society and the happenings of the time it is written in. For example, if we are reading the "Hard Times" of Charles Dickens, we need to have a fair idea about the industrial revolution and its setting as then only we would be able to get the essence of the novel and purpose of writing it. Contextual knowledge would not only help to understand and analyze the text better but also to relate it to the present time and form a perception before applying it to any particular literary theory.
