Free Writing ————HIstorical Literature

I like to read historical novel because they help me learn more about history and the background behind the period during which the novels are set. Foe example, reading Golding's Lord of the Flies gave me some insight into the Cold War and the thinking behind the novel. Historical novels are written during a certain time period and writers have a certain mind set. Golding's book was written after the Second World War when the threat of a Third World War was real. Therefore the setting helps me understand what was happening during the time the book was written. Therefore, in addition to learning about Golding's theme of the inherent evil of man, I also learnt about the threat that the Cold War posed to people. I also read Pearl Buck's The Good Earth which is set in China after the turn of the last century. The book helped me learn about the poverty and desperation during that period of Chinese history. I can relate the poverty in China to the rush of Chinese people to immigrate to Western countries to escape poverty; some came to Canada to build the railroad. Reading about my own culture also enables me to understand the Chinese thirst for land and the desperation to accumulate wealth so that one's future is secure. Moreover, I also learnt about the powerlessness of Chinese women who lived a hundred years ago. The protagonist O Lan helped her husband to become wealthy but she remained powerless in her own house. Reading historical novels not only help me learn more about history, I also learn about the mind set of people who lived during the time the novels are set and how the society of that time operated.