The three genres of literature
Prose is written in ordinary sentence and paragraph form -- novels and short stories are the main prose forms studied. Drama is written to be performed, structured through dialogue and stage directions, organized into acts and scenes. Poetry uses condensed, often rhythmic or rhymed language, structured into lines and stanzas, to convey meaning and feeling efficiently.
Functions of literature
Literature can entertain (tell an engaging story), educate (teach a lesson or convey knowledge), and reflect or critique society (holding up real social issues, values, or events for examination through a fictional lens). A single work often does more than one of these at once -- a highly entertaining story can still carry a serious social message.
Context and its importance
A text's historical, social, or cultural context often shapes its meaning significantly. Understanding when and where a work was written (or set) -- what social norms, conflicts, or events were happening -- helps explain characters' choices and a work's underlying themes, which might otherwise seem puzzling to a modern reader unfamiliar with that background.
Example 1: A novel written during a period of colonial rule portrays a native character who is torn between traditional customs and newly introduced foreign values. Why is understanding the historical context important here?
Understanding the colonial-era setting explains why this internal conflict exists in the first place -- the pressure to abandon or blend traditional practices with imposed foreign systems was a real, common experience during colonial rule, and this context helps a reader see the character's struggle as representative of a broader social tension, not just a personal quirk.