A chapter called “The Guest” seems straightforward until you discover that several people could fit the description. A title can direct attention without settling its own meaning immediately.
Keep the first expectation brief
Before reading, jot down one sentence about what the heading suggests. Do not build an elaborate prediction. The point is to preserve your starting assumption so that it does not disappear once the chapter makes another possibility obvious.
Return with two candidates
Afterward, identify two details that could connect to the title. Perhaps the guest is a visitor, an unwelcome memory or a person who feels temporary in their own home. These are possibilities to test against the text, not meanings to announce merely because they sound interesting.
Ask which interpretation explains more of the chapter with fewer unsupported assumptions. It is also fine to leave the heading unresolved and revisit it later. In a discussion, present the original expectation alongside the detail that changed it. That gives other readers a route through your thinking and makes disagreement about a small title surprisingly productive.
