This document provides guidance on analyzing how literature reflects the historical period in which it was written. It includes questions about how characters and themes in a novel symbolize the era and how the work deals with issues like the American Dream. Examples are given of how John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath reflected the Great Depression and how Black Like Me dealt with 1950s Civil Rights struggles. Formatting options are outlined for comparing the historical background to elements in the literature.