The story of "Theft" written by Katherine Anne Porter is set in New York in the 1920s. This nameless female protagonist discovers that her bag, made of golden cloth, is missing. As she reflects, the woman in her 20s realizes she had the bag with her when she returned home from a party the night before. As he collects his thoughts, a glimpse of his life is told in a little story. He has 3 separate current "companions", who he each meets one after the other on his way home. All these three men take something from her mentally: happiness, love and hope. A historical point of view influences how you read the text. Societal trends and opinions influence what is written and how it can be read. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay A historical critic might ask “what historical knowledge adds depth to reading the work?” ”, “What historical research is necessary to understand this text? ”, and “what insights does the literary work offer us in history? ”.When reflecting on the economic and cultural condition of the protagonist, historical knowledge is useful. The 1920s are also known as the Roaring 20s. In this era, the pattern of women's employment was beginning to change. The vast majority of women worked as housewives. However, a large increase of 25% of women transitioned to workplace work as a result of the hard work undertaken during World War I, due to the absence of men. Within the text, the reader learns that the protagonist has taken on the role of writing reviews for acts, and in addition to writing many small acts, sells for profit. During the 1920s, writing and theatrical activity were controlled exclusively by men. As stated in the text, the protagonist sells a deed to Bill's character, Bill refuses to pay the protagonist, "'It's no time to talk about it,' he said, 'but I was hoping you'd have that fifty dollars by now that you promised me for my scene in the third act. Even if it doesn't work. You should have paid me for the job anyway.'” (Porter 185). “Bill said, 'Do me a favor, will you?' , you know the situation I'm in.'” (Porter 186), Bill had previously given the protagonist a little tour of the expensive new items he had purchased for the wealth of his house. In this situation Bill has money, let him admit it or not. There was no sympathy for the unpaid protagonist, this was the lifestyle of the generation Most men did not agree with the presence of women in the workplace Having done research before reading this story, the reader can fully understand the protagonist. Being a minority included in the work environment, the protagonist must feel, to some extent, alienated. Within the story, the reader discovers that the protagonist lacks the feeling of being loved, of feeling happy, and of having hope. Considering all the circumstances that put pressure on the protagonist, she must be a strong and independent woman. Within the text, the protagonist stops at Bill's house to collect an annuity, "'You're perfectly soaked,' said Bill" (Porter 185). At this moment Bill notices the protagonist's state; soaking wet. Bill does not offer the women a set of dry clothes, or even a towel to dry themselves off with. During this era, women were not important enough to even have their name printed on a passport. Many women are seen by most men to do nothing but housework, so Bill must not have.