To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individual s take on the subject matter. Critical readers thus recognize not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter. They recognize the various ways in which each and every text is the unique creation of a unique author. A non-critical reader might read a history book to learn the facts of the situation or to discover an accepted interpretation of those events. A critical reader might read the same work to appreciate how a particular perspective on the events and a particular selection of facts can lead to particular understanding.
Critical reading goes two steps further.
Having recognized what a text says , it reflects on what the text does by making such remarks. Finally, critical readers then infer what the text, as a whole, means , based on the earlier analysis. What a text does description What a text means interpretation . Critical reading is not simply close and careful reading. To read critically, one must actively recognize and analyze evidence upon the page.