A contemporary analysis consists in applying current ideas and standards, whether they be political, societal, or technological etc. and comparing them to what appears in a literary work from another era. The key question would be: what are the differences between you reading it now, and how someone read it when it was published?

Sometimes this is difficult as the work is so radically different to current times, but it helps to see how humanity has evolved, and then in other aspects, remains quite the same.

You can take one aspect, for example “tradition,” and then compare it through 2 or 3 works within the same time period. This way you can see which traditions are mentioned by all writers, giving them more weight; how different social classes have different ones; and how these compare to existing ones today. Or, you can select literature from different time periods to see how the same tradition(s) have evolved or even disappeared over time, comparing them to what they look like in current times or what they have been replaced with.

For example, people used to sit together after dinner and tell stories. This is no longer something done today, as family time and discussion has been replaced with technology. So not only is there a change in the way we spend our time, but also a loss of information from the untold stories.

Alternatively, you can pick one work and do a general analysis of various elements and how they differ from today’s ways, or focus on one aspect comparing to only one literary work.

Areas to bear in mind could be:

• The presence and role of religion.
• Laws: what they allowed people to do and how they could limit them.
• Politics.
• Punishments by law enforcement.
• The economy.
• Wars and political disputes.
• Education: the right to it; quality of it.
• Science: the view on it, was it acceptable or sacrilegious?; The advancements reached; who was studying it?
• Health: healthcare and doctors; medical advancements; medicines.
• Society: class differences; opportunities to grow (economically / class status); issues presented: alcoholism, marriage, abuse, loss of faith in God and humanity.
• Gender issues: men and women’s roles in society; gender inequalities; transgender issues.
• Marriage: the concept of marriage; rights in a marriage (rape, abuse, economical); gay marriage; the previous necessity of marriage, and how now you can be self-reliant; what was considered the normal age to get married?; prospects; availability of divorce; women’s rights after divorce.
• Household: partner or child abuse and consequences; the role of each adult.
• Children: the number of them in the average family; their role in the family; the age at which people had them; today many people choose not to have children.
• Animals: animal cruelty; animal rights.
• Migration: why does someone find themselves away from their native land?
• The topic of love: who can marry for love? Can you afford to wait for love?
• The concept of “beauty” and how it is presented.
• Everydayness: work; chores; timetable; meals cooked and eaten.
• Opportunity: jobs; travel; knowledge and education.