Empirical research into reading theory suggests people begin a reading transaction with an affective response and then primarily rely on memory. They may elect to use imagination as an option to influence the process, but when the affective response is overwhelming, the imagination lies dormant while memory dominates the transaction. A research project juxtaposed the transactions of two students who were overwhelmed by Yukio Mishima's film, "The Rite of Love and Death." One student imaginatively placed herself into a schema as a means of locating meaning, while the other student relied on known narrative constructs. Both students evaluated their transactions and considered them essential parts of meaning. Affective starting points appear to promote analysis and understanding of cultural and historical influences in reading and writing tasks, and in such a function support a contextual basis for making meaning. (Author/SG)