The main idea of a text is like a house in that it provides a central point that the rest of the text revolves around, just as the architecture of a house provides the structure on which the rest of the house is built. The supporting details are like the people who live there because they are the elements that give life to the main idea, just as the people residing in a house bring it to life by living and interacting within it. Without supporting details, the main idea is just an empty shell, and without people, a house is just an empty shell.
