Consider the author(s) choice of words.
— What are the points being made, and what is the overall message?
— What is behind the points and behind the message?
— What is in the mind of the writer of the piece? To know this, you must suspend,
for a time, your reactions to the author(s). You must attempt to walk in their shoes, to
perceive the world and the people around them as they would perceive—in other
words, you must be able to develop empathy. From where come their motivations,
their behaviors, their actions?
— What underlying assumptions are made by the author(s)?
— What is the author(s) underlying philosophical/political perspective?
— Pull out each point, analyze it from various perspectives, determine how each point
fits with other points being presented, put the individual points back together into the
whole, determine whether the points are consistent or contradictory, unified or
disjointed, etc.
— What are the possible repercussions of the author(s)’s arguments?
— What was left out or questions you have that were not answered? Ask “critical
questions”!
— Are there any points with which you take issue or with which you disagree? Why?
Fully