Read the piece of literature. Take notes. Pay attention to recurring elements, such as repetitive phrases, symbols, metaphors, etc. For instance, if a white dove appears throughout the text, jot that down in a notebook or underline passages. Also take note of the context in which the dove appears.
Look over your notes or underlined passages. What stands out the most? Check off certain elements that have been highlighted the most. What are these elements? Determine how these elements work within the entire context of the piece. For instance, how does the white dove relate to the character or the plot?
Look at the characters. What type of characters are they? What do they want? Love? Money? Power? Why do the characters want what they want? For instance, the girl who wants money might have grown up poor. Or the character who wants power might be an egomaniac. Determine what the author’s intent is in creating such characters and what she wants to say about them through the context of the piece.
Look at the plot. What obstacles do the characters encounter in the plot? For instance, if the main character is a poor young man who wants to buy a gift for his girlfriend, how does he go about getting it? What obstacles he faces are due to his flaws? What are the obstacles that are beyond his control? Societal? Generational? Political? How does the character confront these obstacles?
Determine how all these elements work in the piece. What is the author’s intent? For instance, in the story of the young kid who wants to buy his girlfriend a gift, the author might be writing about how consumerism has defined every element of human life. Or, the author also might be making a statement about crime and poverty.