Fairly simple are such things as discussing the reasons for beginning or ending a story as it's done or discussing the purpose of a certain character. Readers who use this form of response might be interested in psychological factors and want to consider the mental health of a character. For example, scholars writing about Huckleberry Finn discuss the effects of his lack of a family as a key for understanding the character. Basically the reader here is using psychology to try to determine why characters act or think the way they do. Some authorities believe that, much like animals are born with imprinted instincts, humans unconsciously respond to certain themes, objects, colors, or events.
Scholars look for such things in the work, such as images of darkness, death and rebirth, or water.
Some have noted that this is similar to baptism. Some claim that a person's social and economic status or background determines the way they think and behave, rather than the reverse. Interested persons might look at a text to determine what is being said about the effect of society and economics upon events and characters. One reader might respond positively to a character while other readers might hate him. It can be fruitful to discuss why this happens.