Final answer:
The first step in close reading a chapter in a literary work is to identify a tension or ambiguity in the text and focus on a theme or meaning that resides in the work.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step you should take when doing a close reading of a chapter in a literary work is to identify a tension or ambiguity in the text, also known as the "problem" that needs to be solved through close reading.
For example, you can focus on a theme or meaning that resides in the work and analyze how the literary work achieves or sustains this meaning through its artistic "principle of composition." This involves examining elements such as subject, form, word choice (diction), and theme.
After identifying the tension or ambiguity in the text, you can start collecting evidence and looking for patterns or interruptions of patterns to understand how these elements contribute to or complicate larger issues such as theme, setting, and characterization.