What is the first question a reader should ask when trying to identify the themes of a novel?

Well a theme is the central message and lesson, so the way I learned is to come up with possible morals of the novel, then find evidence for each one, see which one is best supported, and use that one. If you think that will take too long, just find possible morals, then keep ruling them out until the one that makes the most sense is left, then find evidence for only that one.

Hope I helped you.

By by showing how hard it was for the sisters to feign grief