Question

What does the process of close reading help a reader do?

Answer 1

Answer:

Analyze and critique the story.

Explanation:

A story can be read in many different ways. A superficial reading is often the first necessary step when approaching a text for the first time. A superficial reading allows us to become familiar with the story in a quick way. However, this is not enough if we want to understand the story deeply. For this, we need a close reading. A close reading allows us to understand the story better, as well as analyze and critique it, all of which are important steps of the literary analysis.

Answer 2

In a way all of the given.  It gives you a greater understanding of the ending of the story, and helps you to perhaps think about it more deeply.  As you close read it, you have to actually understand the story as more than just words on paper, or a screen.  It also helps you to understand the story all and all, and to gain a deeper understandment of the literary meanings of the story in general, as well as gaining a surface and in depth meaning of the story and more.  There isn't just one answer better than another, because they are all qualities that close reading will give you for that story.