How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay
Critical thinking skills are essential for your educational courses and your professional journey. One way of developing these skills is by writing a critical analysis essay. The critical analysis essay allows you to examine and appraise a text, artwork, or subject to gain deeper understanding and a unique viewpoint of the work. However, writing this type of essay can be challenging without proper guidance. This article guides your writing process by defining a critical analysis essay, the steps to write it, and the structure to follow.
Defining A Critical Analysis Essay
Before we get to discuss what a critical analysis essay entails, it is important to understand what we mean by critical analysis. So, what is critical analysis?
Critical analysis denotes a detailed evaluation of another person’s ideas or work. Therefore, writing critical analysis essays requires critical reading, thinking, and writing to analyze the arguments of the specific type of literature you are analyzing. For instance, critical analysis allows you to examine different elements of literature, such as characters, plot, and themes, to understand them better.
In some cases, you may also be required to write a critical analysis of a scientific article. Unlike analyzing literature, evaluating an article requires an examination of the methodology, results, and conclusions. You will also determine its significance and impact in the specific field. Thus, a critical analysis essay is an example of subjective writing because it expresses your viewpoint about the work you are examining. A quality critical analysis will appraise the concepts in a specific work in impartially by discussing the positive and negative elements.
Given all the above, you should always approach your topic with an open mind to evaluate the work deeply. An example of a critical analysis essay topic is gender roles in the ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ film. In this essay, you could discuss how the film portrays gender roles positively and negatively to evaluate how they contribute to the overall message.
How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay
Writing a critical analysis essay follows similar plans to other academic essays. Like other essays, a critical analysis will require you to provide textual evidence, such as direct quotations, to illustrate and support your arguments. A critical analysis example involves an examination of the text thoroughly to develop a deeper understanding. The following are the steps to write a critical analysis essay:
Step 1: Select your topic depending on the type of work you are critically analyzing, such as a book, article, film, or artwork. The selected topic should be easy to analyze and interesting to you and your readers.
Step 2: After topic selection, the next step involves critical reading.
The table 1 below includes tips to guide you on how to read critically in the preparation phase;
| Tip | Importance |
| Read actively | Engaging actively with the text will help you identify the evidence necessary to support your arguments. It allows you to determine the context, understand language use, and consider the author’s credibility. |
| Determine the writer’s main argument. | Understanding the central point will help you build your arguments |
| Assess the evidence used in the article | Determine whether the evidence used is reliable or relevant in supporting the author’s main argument. |
| Identify the writer’s attitude and style | These elements will affect how you interpret the text and consequently analyze it. |
| Consider alternative viewpoints | Other standpoints may influence how you analyze and understand the text. It also determines whether you accept or reject the author’s argument. |
Table 1: Tips for Reading Critically
Step 3: Write a structured introduction that provides background information about the topic to orient the reader. Remember to include a thesis statement to articulate your main argument. A thesis statement is the foundation of your essay and should clearly state your interpretation of the literature. See our article on how to write a thesis statement for further guidance.
Step 4: Write body paragraphs to support your thesis statement. Every paragraph should discuss a specific aspect of your essay that relates to your thesis. Remember that your analysis should be critical rather than descriptive. The following is a critical analysis essay that statement focuses on Louise Glück’s poem
“The Wild Iris;” “The poem emphasizes the power of silence as a form of resistance and self-preservation because the iris was “unable to speak” choosing to observe over empty conversations.” (Glück, 1992, line 12-13). This example demonstrates a critical analysis that includes an argument and evidence from the selected work.
Table 2 below highlights several tips to develop your body paragraphs in a critical analysis essay.
| Key Areas in Developing Body Paragraphs for Your Critical Analysis Essay |
| · Use textual evidence, such as quotes, to support your claims
· Analyze the work’s strengths and weaknesses · When analyzing a scientific paper, consider the author’s methodology, results and evidence · Acknowledge and address any opposing viewpoints · Use transitional words and phrases · Utilize a consistent formatting and referencing style throughout your paper. · Use academic and formal language · Avoid colloquial language, contractions, and slang. |
Table 2: Tips for Writing a Critical Analysis Essay Body Paragraphs
Step 5: The last step is to summarize your analysis that recaps your main argument. You should not introduce new evidence at this point; but remind your reader of the most essential points.
You can also read How To Write An Opinion Essay which is one of the essays your lecturer will ask you to.
Basic Structure for a Critical Analysis Essay
Critical analysis essays follow the basic structure of other academic writings. The following is the basic structure you can follow to complete your critical analysis essay;
1.Introduction
Briefly introduce the work you are analyzing and provide the required background information. State your main argument to give the reader an overview of your main points.
2.Body Paragraphs
Analyze the Work
Provide a summary of the key themes and concepts presented in the text. Extract evidence from the text to back your analysis. Ensure that all the points relate to your thesis statement.
Evaluate the Work
Assess the author’s ideas and evidence to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their work with evidence from the text.
3.Conclusion
Summarize the key arguments of your investigation and recap the assessment without introducing new information.
You can also read A Guide to Harvard Formatting and Style. This is a guide you should familiarize yourself with since you will come across it in your studies.
Conclusion
Understanding how to write a critical analysis essay equips you with the necessary skills to dive deeper into any subject matter. This article highlights the steps and basic structure for writing a critical analysis to help you analyze and evaluate complex ideas to form informed interpretations. The critical analysis essay’s subjectivity allows you to actively engage with the materials and present your unique viewpoints on the subject matter. Do you feel overwhelmed with writing your critical analysis essay? Our expert writers at Skilled Tutorials are ready to assist, all at a reasonable cost. We do have also experts in nursing assignment help in our midsts you can check us out.
Reference
Glück, L. (1992). The Wild Iris. Hello Poetry. https://hellopoetry.com/poem/20581/the-wild-iris/