DISCUSSION

LESSON 14: HISTORICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM

Try to ponder on this quotation by renowned American writer, Virginia Woolf. What do
you think does she mean?

“Every secret of a writer’s soul,

every experience of his life, every
quality of his mind, is written large
in his works.”
— Virginia Woolf

WHAT IS “HISTORICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM”?

Historical-Biographical Criticism
 works by looking into a literary work’s background: cultural and social contexts, as well as
the authors biography (the fact-based knowledge of his life which accompanies him).
 “sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author’s life and times
or the life and times of the characters in the work” (Guerin, Labor, Morgan, Reesman, and
Willingham)

WHEN APPLYING HISTORICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM, ONE MIGHT

CONSIDER:
 The social structure of the time period during which the author lived
 Events that took place during the author's life, and also during the time period
 The author's attitude towards society or events taking place

1|Page
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE AUTHOR THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED:
 Personality of the author (traits, attitude, etc.)
 Life Events
 Political and/or Religious Views
 Economic Status
 Educational Background
 Family

HISTORICAL ASPECTS DURING THE AUTHOR’S TIME THAT SHOULD BE

CONSIDERED:
 The economic and political events
 The ideas and moral standards circulating at that time
 Cultural Milieu (social and cultural aspects of life)

After knowing the background of the author, one should determine how the author used these facts
in his/her literary work.

EXAMPLE OF HISTORICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH BEING APPLIED TO A

TEXT:

 Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal.

 We can easily regard Jose Rizal as an advocate of political reform during the Spanish Period
in the Philippines.

 His best satirical novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo reflected the inequities of
the Catholic church (which were then ruled by some unscrupulous friars) and also the rules of
the government.

 Many of the characters both in Noli and El Fili symbolically represent the state of the Filipino
society under the Spanish regime

o Crisostomo Ibarra – Small group of Filipinos who had a chance to study abroad and
dreamt of improving the country
o Padre Damaso – Wicked but ironically respected priests
o Capitan Tiago – Rich Filipinos who became allies of Spanish officials and friars just
to preserve their wealth
o Sisa and her sons – Filipino families who were oppressed by the Spanish authorities

IS HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM APPLICABLE TO ALL LITERARY

TEXTS?
2|Page
  The historical-biographical approach works better for some authors than others. If very little
is known about the author of a text, then it would be hard to write a good criticism.

REINFORCER
Identify the aspects that should be analyzed in using the Historical-Biographical
Approach. Put a check (√) on the space provided before each number.

___ 1. Economic Status

___ 2. Life Events
___ 3. Moral Standards
___ 4. Neighbors
___ 5. Family
___ 6. Health
___ 7. Religious Views
___ 8. Dreams & Ambitions
___ 9. Pets
___ 10. Cultural Milieu

3|Page
 CHALLENGER
Let’s go back to Viginia Woolf’s quote. Relate the quotation with your understanding of
the lesson. Explain your answer in 10 sentences or more.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________.

EVALUATION

Apply the Historical-Biographical Approach to the excerpt of a book entitled “The Diary of a
Young Girl” by Anne Frank. How was the author’s life and time reflected on her literary
work? Please cite your references and do not plagiarize.
Rubric for Literary Criticism
Criteria 5 4 3 2
Content The essay is interesting The essay is interesting At least 70% of the At least 60% of the
and well-thought out. and well-thought out. At paragraphs are strongly paragraphs are strongly
Each paragraph is least 80% of the supported with details supported with details
strongly supported with paragraphs are strongly and examples from the and examples from the
details and examples supported with details book excerpt. book excerpt.
from the book excerpt. and examples from the
book excerpt.

Focus All aspects of the One aspect may be Two aspects may be Three aspects may be
approach are strongly missing or unclear; or all missing or unclear; or missing or unclear; or
and clearly evident in elements are present but all elements are present most elements are
the composition. two are weak and/or but three may be weak present but four or
unclear. and/or unclear. more may be weak.

Organization The essay is logically The essay is logically The essay is logically The essay is somewhat
organized: intro., body, organized and at least organized and at least logically organized
and conclusion. The 80% of it flows smoothly 70% of it flows and/or at least 60% of
essay flows smoothly due to the writer's use of smoothly due to the it flows smoothly due
due to the writer's use transitions. writer's use of to the writer's use of
of transitions. transitions. transitions.

4|Page
Vocabulary and Vocabulary is Vocabulary is interesting Vocabulary is precise. Vocabulary is
Grammar sophisticated and and precise. Has no more Has no more than three pedestrian. Has no
precise. Essay has no than two significant significant grammar or more than four
significant grammatical grammar or word choice word choice errors. significant grammar or
or word choice errors errors. word choice errors.
that impede
understanding.

EXCERPT FROM ANNE FRANK’S DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL

July 8th 1942: “At three o’clock (Hello had left but was supposed to come back later), the
doorbell rang. I didn’t hear it, since I was out on the balcony, lazily reading in the sun. A
little while later Margot appeared in the kitchen doorway looking very agitated. “Father
has received a call-up notice from the SS,” she whispered. “Mother has gone to see Mr. van
Daan” (Mr. van Daan is Father’s business partner and a good friend.) I was stunned. A
call-up: everyone knows what that means. Visions of concentration camps and lonely cells
raced through my head. How could we let Father go to such a fate? “Of course he’s not
going,” declared Margot as we waited for Mother in the living room. “Mother’s gone to
Mr. van Daan to ask whether we can move to our hiding place tomorrow. The van Daans
are going with us. There will be seven of us altogether.” Silence. We couldn’t speak. The
thought of Father off visiting someone in the Jewish Hospital and completely unaware of
what was happening, the long wait for Mother, the heat, the suspense – all this reduced us
to silence.
 
July 9th 1942: “Here’s a description of the building… A wooden staircase leads from the
downstairs hallway to the third floor. At the top of the stairs is a landing, with doors on
either side. The door on the left takes you up to the spice storage area, attic and loft in the
front part of the house. A typically Dutch, very steep, ankle-twisting flight of stairs also
runs from the front part of the house to another door opening onto the street. The door to
the right of the landing leads to the Secret Annex at the back of the house. No one would
ever suspect there were so many rooms behind that plain grey door. There’s just one small
step in front of the door, and then you’re inside. Straight ahead of you is a steep flight of
stairs. To the left is a narrow hallway opening onto a room that serves as the Frank
family’s living room and bedroom. Next door is a smaller room, the bedroom and study of
the two young ladies of the family. To the right of the stairs is a windowless washroom
with a sink. The door in the corner leads to the toilet and another one to Margot’s and my
room… Now I’ve introduced you to the whole of our lovely Annex!”
 
August 21st 1942: “Now our Secret Annex has truly become secret. Because so many
houses are being searched for hidden bicycles, Mr. Kugler thought it would be better to
have a bookcase built in front of the entrance to our hiding place. It swings out on its
hinges and opens like a door. Mr. Voskuijl did the carpentry work. (Mr. Voskuijl has been
told that the seven of us are in hiding, and he’s been most helpful.) Now whenever we
want to go downstairs we have to duck and then jump. After the first three days we were
all walking around with bumps on our foreheads from banging our heads against the low
doorway. Then Peter cushioned it by nailing a towel stuffed with wood shavings to the
doorframe. Let’s see if it helps!”
 
October 9th 1942: “Today I have nothing but dismal and depressing news to report.
Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The
Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to
Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they’re sending all the Jews. Miep told us

5|Page
about someone who’d managed to escape from there. It must be terrible in Westerbork.
The people get almost nothing to eat, much less to drink, as water is available only one
hour a day, and there’s only one toilet and sink for several thousand people. Men and
women sleep in the same room, and women and children often have their heads shaved.
Escape is almost impossible; many people look Jewish, and they’re branded by their shorn
heads. If it’s that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized
places where the Germans are sending them? We assume that most of them are being
murdered. The English radio says they’re being gassed. Perhaps that’s the quickest way to
die. I feel terrible. Miep’s accounts of these horrors are so heartrending… Fine specimens
of humanity, those Germans, and to think I’m actually one of them! No, that’s not true,
Hitler took away our nationality long ago. And besides, there are no greater enemies on
earth than the Germans and Jews.”
 
October 20th 1942: “My hands still shaking, though it’s been two hours since we had
the scare… The office staff stupidly forgot to warn us that the carpenter, or whatever he’s
called, was coming to fill the extinguishers… After working for about fifteen minutes, he
laid his hammer and some other tools on our bookcase (or so we thought!) and banged on
our door. We turned white with fear. Had he heard something after all and did he now
want to check out this mysterious looking bookcase? It seemed so, since he kept knocking,
pulling, pushing and jerking on it. I was so scared I nearly fainted at the thought of this
total stranger managing to discover our wonderful hiding place…”
 
November 19th 1942: “Mr. Dussel has told us much about the outside world we’ve
missed for so long. He had sad news. Countless friends and acquaintances have been
taken off to a dreadful fate. Night after night, green and grey military vehicles cruise the
streets. They knock on every door, asking whether any Jews live there. If so, the whole
family is immediately taken away. If not, they proceed to the next house. It’s impossible to
escape their clutches unless you go into hiding. They often go around with lists, knocking
only on those doors where they know there’s a big haul to be made. They frequently offer a
bounty, so much per head. It’s like the slave hunts of the olden days… I feel wicked
sleeping in a warm bed, while somewhere out there my dearest friends are dropping from
exhaustion or being knocked to the ground. I get frightened myself when I think of close
friends who are now at the mercy of the cruellest monsters ever to stalk the earth. And all
because they’re Jews.”
 
May 18th 1943: “All college students are being asked to sign an official statement to the
effect that they ‘sympathize with the Germans and approve of the New Order.” Eighty
percent have decided to obey the dictates of their conscience, but the penalty will be
severe. Any student refusing to sign will be sent to a German labour camp.”
 
March 29th 1944: “Mr. Bolkestein, the Cabinet Minister, speaking on the Dutch
broadcast from London, said that after the war a collection would be made of diaries and
letters dealing with the war. Of course, everyone pounced on my diary.”
 
February 3rd 1944: “I’ve reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die.
The world will keep on turning without me, and I can’t do anything to change events
anyway. I’ll just let matters take their course and concentrate on studying and hope that
everything will be all right in the end.”
 
July 15th 1944: “It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos,
suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the
approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And
yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better,
that this cruelty too will end, that peace and tranquillity will return once more. In the

6|Page
 meantime, I must hold on to my ideals. Perhaps the day will come when I’ll be able to
realize them.”

REFERENCES

 https://www.miamiartscharter.net/ourpages/auto/2015/8/23/47442232/Critical%20Approaches
%20to%20Literature.pdf
 https://sites.google.com/site/estesinversos/Home/uesc---universidade-estadual-de-santa-
cruz/anglophone-literature/critical-approaches-to-literature
 https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/160194/2/chapter%202.pdf
 https://alphahistory.com/holocaust/anne-frank-diary-1942-44/

7|Page