Authors Purpose

Establishing the authors purpose for writing a particular text is often the key to
understanding the texts significance. In order to understand the meaning behind a
text the reader must pay close attention to several elements.
Questions about the author
!. "hat is the background and context of the authors life#
$. %id this particular author experience any milestone events#
&. Is there a hidden or manifest agenda#
Questions about the text
!. "hat is the tone and voice of the piece of writing#
$. Is there a reoccurring lesson#
&. 'ow is the main conflict resolved#
Questioning the Author
%irections (ill out the graphic organi)er and analy)e the factors that might have
influenced the author.
Author being analy)ed *********************************
+ackground Information
"hat is the authors lifestyle
like# "hat are some of his or
her influences#
,ilestone Events
"ere there any ma-or events
that may have greatly influenced
this author#
Possible Agenda
%oes the author have anything to
gain or anything to lose#
Analy)ing the .ext
%irections /hoose three 0uotes from the text and use textual analysis to make
inferences about the message that the author is communicating.
Quote
/hoose a 0uote from the text and
write it in this column.
.one1 2oice1 %iction
"hat is the tone of this 0uote#
Is there anything particular
about the word choice#
Is there a particular mood that is
being established#
Analysis
"hy do you think the author
includes this 0uote in the text#
Is there anything particularly
telling about the way that this
0uote is written# Is this a
reoccurring theme#
3ow that you have analy)ed the author and the text1 what do you think is the authors
purpose#