Furthermore, a central theme should be identified from the events in order to help the reader understand the points that the author is trying to make. In reading nonfiction, the reader requires imagination in order to connect the events and themes of the story to his or her own life for the purpose of personal enjoyment and growth. The reader should be able to identify the various themes and symbols that the author has chosen to include in the story, and to interpret these in order to understand the central points of the author's writing. The symbols in the works discussed for example relate directly to...

The reader gains the most from stories that they are able to clearly interpret and understand. In order to read and write nonfiction with such appeal, imagination is required, as both involve an act of creation.
Sources

Hughes, Langston. "Salvation." In Literature for Composition, 8th edition by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto & William E. Cain, pp. 310-311

Lam, Andrew. "Who will light the incense when Mother's gone?" In Literature for Composition, 8th edition by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto & William E. Cain, pp. 1,036-1,037