Two of the trickiest areas for literature students to master are using critics and using context. It is easy to see why. Knowing which critics to study and how to cite their opinions is not obvious, and even when you have some relevant views from some quoteworthy experts, it is all too easy to hide behind their opinions, rather than use them to develop your own. Context is also potentially problematic, and examiners sometimes report that it functions as a double-edged sword. Highly effective when wielded with confidence, it is capable of harming the work of a student who lacks the right training and practice.
This article considers some ways to use critics and contexts in three different situations: when writing non-exam assessments, when responding to set texts and, finally, during unseen exams.
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