Use these strategies as you read essays
Identify the Author's Purpose As you read an essay, think about writer's purpose, or reason for writing. Understanding the writer's purpose will help you interpret the essay and effectiveness.
Identify the Author's Thesis As you read, look for the author's main idea, or thesis-the essential point of the essay.
Then, notice the ways in which the writer develops and supports this central idea.
Analyze the writer's Tone Listen to the writer's tone. Is the writer being serious or playful, gentle or bitter, sympathetic or hostile? Often, "hearing" the tone of an essay is a key to understanding its meaning.