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Context

In Unit 1, you learned about context.  Context is essentially any factor that impacts how we view a text, a situation, or a person.

Examine cartoonist John Atkinson’s image on this page.  (Click on the image to enlarge it.)  Notice that the way you interpret each character in his cartoon depends upon the context in which the character is placed.  For example, a regular guy who spouts opinions at others online could be interpreted as a normal blogger, but someone spouting the same opinions aloud on a city bus would likely be interpreted as a “weirdo.”  Context, makes all the difference.

Remember that context is made up of factors such as

• who was involved (details about the character)
• what was happening before or after the story (or a particular scene) occurred
• where it happened
• when it happened  
• why it happened

Here is another example of the importance of context.  Take a moment to view the movie trailer for the film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.  This is the third film in a trilogy (a series of three films).  Have you seen the first two films in the trilogy?  If so, you will recognize the characters, and you will understand the importance of the ring.  You will have some background understanding about the reasons behind the battle these characters are fighting.

If you have not seen the earlier films in the trilogy, the trailer makes less sense.  While you may have a vague sense of the main characters and the seriousness of the battle underway, you lack the context to understand what they are fighting about, who is fighting whom, where and when the events are happening, and why the shiny gold ring is so important.

Context helps the audience put events into perspective.