To figure out how TEXT STRUCTURE
authors achieve What did it highlight? How did the
their purpose, Example: A problem/solution structure author convince
think about: can highlight the author’s ideas. me to agree
with her?
TONE
How did it affect the way you connected
with the message?
Example: An outraged tone might make
people want to take action.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
How did the appeals, language, or
graphics contribute to the message?
Example: Appeals to emotion might
make an audience agree with the author.
An author’s purpose is a reason for
writing a text. Authors usually write
for one or more of these purposes:
to inform
to entertain
to persuade
to express ideas or feelings
Figuring out an author’s purpose is
an important step in analyzing and
evaluating a text.
For example, you might find logical
errors in an essay, but if the author’s
main purpose is to entertain, this
weakness might not be important.
Some genres clearly indicate the author’s
purpose. A news article is written to inform,
while an editorial seeks to persuade readers to
accept an opinion. But you may need to find clues
to help figure out why an author wrote a piece.
As you read, consider how the purpose may be
reflected in the structure of the text, in the
author’s tone, or in any literary or rhetorical
devices that the author uses.
Characters are developed
directly
(what the author
tells you about them)
... and indirectly
What do (what you
What does other characters can guess from the details).
the say about this
character character?
think, How do they
say, and do? act around
him or her?
The way an author creates and develops characters’
personalities is known as characterization. Authors
develop complex, believable characters through
direct commentary about a character, including
discussion of the character’s personality
description of a character’s physical appearance
a character’s own thoughts, speech, and actions
(including their responses to plot events and other
characters)
the thoughts, speech, and actions of other characters
Characters can be developed using direct and
indirect characterization:
With direct characterization, the narrator
explicitly states what a character is like, telling
the reader directly about the character’s
personality or appearance.
With indirect characterization, readers figure
out what a character is like based on clues the
author provides in details and dialogue.
When you read a narrative, think
about how the author provides the
reader with information about the
characters.
What do you learn through direct
comments? What information must
you infer from details and dialogue?
TOPICS THEMES To analyze a story’s
are one- or are theme ask:
two- word statements •How do the characters
descriptions about life change? What do they learn?
•How do the main struggles
resolve? What message does
that suggest?
•What effect does the setting
have on the outcome? Is it part
of the larger meaning?
Thereare
There are
Superheroes! hidden
hiddenstrengths
strengths
ininallallofofus.
us.
A theme is different than a topic, which is a
word or phrase that describes what a text is
about. For instance, the topic of a story might
be sports. Yet, a theme of that story could be
described as Star players don’t win
competitions—teams do. Often, stories and
other works of literature have more than one
theme. Different readers can take away
different messages from the same story.
• Love conquers all.
• Nothing good ever comes from being
greedy.
• Going through hard times makes people
even stronger.
These statements are themes, and
messages about life or human nature
that writers communicate to readers.
In some fables, themes are
directly stated at the end. For
most stories, though, readers
have to infer the themes using
clues in the text and what they
know from experience.
