Why is it important to discuss the author of a book and the background of the author to students?

Answer 1

It's important to know the author's background to understand his/her perspective. This point of view influences what the author writes and the message to be conveyed to the reader.

Could Huckleberry Finn have been written by anyone without a background on the Mississippi River?

Look at Charles Dickens' childhood to understand many of his novels.

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/dickensbio1.html