Reading Comprehension - Literary Text
What literary text asks you to do
Literary text tells a story or shares a feeling. To read it well, track characters (what they want and how they change), setting, plot (conflict, rising action, climax, resolution), and theme (the lesson about life). Notice point of view-first person ("I") or third person ("he/she/they")-and how the narrator's knowledge limits what you learn.
Concepts to master
- Character traits: infer traits from actions, dialogue, and others' reactions, not from labels.
- Conflict: person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. self, person vs. society.
- Theme vs. topic: the topic might be friendship; the theme is a full sentence, like friendship requires honesty.
- Figurative language: similes, metaphors, and personification create mood and reveal character.
- Mood and tone: mood is how the reader feels; tone is the author's attitude.
Traps to watch for
- Choosing a theme that is a single word rather than a complete idea.
- Confusing a character's emotion in one scene with the character's overall trait.
- Assuming the narrator knows everything when the story is first person.
- Picking a plot summary when the question asks for theme or lesson.
Rule of thumb
For theme questions, ask: What did the main character learn, and how did the story show it? Then write the answer as a complete sentence and match it to a choice.
Worked example: Maya practices for the spelling bee but hides her practice from her friends so they won't tease her. On the day of the bee, she misspells a word she knew. The theme is not spelling bees are hard-it is hiding who you are can hold you back.