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Determine the writer’s purpose and audience.

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In speculating about causes, writers exercise their imagination along with their logical thinking skills, but they also want to influence the way their readers think. As you read these texts, ask yourself the following questions about the writer’s purpose and audience:

What seems to be the writer’s main purpose—for example, to engage readers in thinking about the subject in creative new ways; to convince readers to contemplate causes that have not been considered or taken seriously before; or to persuade readers that certain causes are more likely than others to play a significant role in bringing about the effect?
What does the writer assume about the audience—for example, that readers will already know a lot about the subject or will need to be informed about it; that readers’ curiosity will need to be piqued; that readers will be familiar with the usual suspects and perhaps have their preferred causes; or that readers will be curious and open to new ideas?