Investigate the period of England's occupation and colonization of India. When did it commence? What was its duration? In what ways was England's culture impacted by the knowledge and artifacts brought back from India to the British Isles?

Explore the Industrial Revolution and identify where Jacobs' work fits within this historical context. How did the Industrial Revolution transform life in England? In the United States? What influence did it have on families similar to the Whites in Jacobs's narrative?

Who were the writers and artists contemporary with Jacobs? Did they share similar concerns? Did other authors of his era utilize the same literary techniques that Jacobs frequently used? Were painters and sculptors influenced by the same cultural constraints and assumptions, and how did this shape their creations?