Why do people read? Why are stories that were written years, even centuries, ago still read today? Because they’re written about people. Be it a novel, a short story, a poem or a play, we can relate to them. Sometimes it may seem like the subject of the text is not people, but behind the immediate subject people can be found. If, for example, you read a text about nature, it is likely that the true subject is how humans are destroying it or how they are made to look small and unimportant by nature.

One of the ways that texts explore ideas is to throw opposing themes together, in order to highlight the contrast between different characters. To see this, look at how they are described and see if their words match their actions. Think about whether the reader is supposed to be sympathetic to the character (are they likable?) or unsympathetic (not likeable).

One of the key things to remember is to listen to the dialogue of the characters. Look at what they say and see how different characters reveal themselves through their speech – each character will have their own idiolect that is unique to them.