How to write a critical analysis essay

When writing a critical analysis essay, you are expected to take a subject and make a critical assessment of it.

This subject can be a historical event, an artistic work such as a book, movie, song, social problem, or even a political issue.

Why do we write critical analysis essays?

The main reason why we write these types of essays is to examine different points of view on a controversial subject.

Before starting with critical analysis

  • Don't confuse a critical analysis essay with a report. Reports also deal with books, movies, and articles. Critical analysis essays includes an insightful assessment of an issue.
  • Don't be informal. You need to pay attention to your tone throughout your essay and keep it formal and academic. Don't use daily expressions and colloquial speech.
  • Don't forget referencing external info. If you make use of external information, reference it properly (in APA, MLA, etc.).

Let’s continue with the other steps of the writing process.

Choose a subject and research

If your subject is pre-assigned by your teacher or instructor, you can pass this step. If not, there are a few tips you should consider when choosing your topic.

  • Make sure that your subject is suitable for critical analysis. If the subject does not make or evoke any debatable claims, you cannot analyze it critically.​
  • As you need to examine different opinions on your subject, choose a widely discussed topic. This will make your essay writing more manageable.​

Keeping these tips in mind, choose yourself a subject that you are interested in.

For this guide, let’s choose the subject “Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ as a work of women’s liberation.” (sample essay)

For example, suppose you are analyzing a book. You need to read scholarly articles in addition to the actual book. While reading, your main aim is to detect the author’s thesis statement.

There are three main points to consider when you are reading the text.

  • What is the author’s intended audience?

The tone and language can be a clue for you. For example, if the author uses advanced vocabulary and technical theories, the text is intended for knowledgeable audiences.

  • What methods of persuasion does the author use?

By reading into the persuasion methods such as language and rhetoric, you can understand the messages the author intends to give in the text.

  • How is the text structured & how does the author support their arguments?

By examining the text’s structure, you can recognize the main points the author wants to emphasize.

Build your thesis statement

After the reading part is done, start writing your essay. If possible, give yourself some time to reflect upon your readings.

Your thesis statement should summarize the claim you want to make in your essay, and it should indicate a particular idea. Avoid using words and phrases that predicate uncertainty, such as arguably, possibly, or conceivably.

Critical analysis essasy thesis statement example

Introduction

....(introduction starts)
....(introduction continues)
....(introduction continues)
Kate Chopin’s 1894 short story ‘The Story of an Hour’ is an excellent example of a women’s liberation story which expresses the oppression women face in a male-dominated society magnificently Thesis statement, which is usually the last sentence of your introduction

Now we know how to write a great thesis statement, let’s see how to create an outline.

Create an outline

As with all essays, once you build your thesis statement, creating an outline will help you organize your thoughts and be coherent in your writing process.

Unless specified otherwise, your essay should follow the traditional essay structure. This means it should have an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

essay outline infographic (740 × 540 px) 3

Write an introduction

The introduction paragraph is one of the most critical parts of your essay as it sets the structure for the rest of your paper.

You can see the example introduction and then see a checklist below.

“The Story of an Hour” is a short story by Kate Chopin published on April 19, 1894. Opening sentence: Define and introduce the work or subject to the readers. In the story, Chopin recounts the one-hour relief a woman feels when she learns that her husband is dead. Through this work, Chopin portrays the oppression women feel under the marriage institution. Explanation: Give the overall idea of the work or issue at hand. Therefore, this short story is an excellent example of a women’s liberation story which expresses the oppression women face in a male-dominated society magnificently. Thesis statement: Present the main point of your critical analysis essay.

Introduction checklist

  • If your subject is a literary work, have you stated the title of the work, the author, and the publication date?
  • If your subject is a cultural phenomenon, have you identified the occurrence accurately?
  • Have you stated the main ideas of your subject and identified the author’s thesis?
  • Have you asserted your own thesis statement and opinion on the subject?
If you can check all these points, then congrats. You’ve got yourself a well-written introduction paragraph.

Write the summary paragraphs

To make a critical analysis of a subject, you first need to summarize it effectively. Especially if your subject is a literary work or a movie. Therefore, making a summary of the work in your first supporting paragraph would be a smart choice.

Below, you’ll see an example of a summary paragraph for critical analysis. Carefully examine it and then have a look at the checklist. 

In “The Story of an Hour,” the protagonist Louise Mallard hears the news of her husband passing away in a railroad accident. Instead of feeling sorrow, she feels a sense of relief that is evident from her actions during the one hour in which she thinks he is dead. However, after one hour, when she sees her husband back home, her feelings turn to sorrow. After all, her husband was not dead. Detail of the work: Summarize the events in the work. There is a reversed structure of feeling in the protagonist’s psychological state. During the hour in which her husband is thought to be dead, the setting is cheerful, while the setting afterward is mournful. Interpretation: Evaluate the work and interpret its structure, story etc.

Checklist for the summary paragraphs

  • Have you outlined the subject’s ideas involving the questions such as “who, what, where, when, why, and how”?
  • If necessary, have you examined the composition, approach, and perspective of the subject?
Make sure your summary paragraphs are in line with the both points. If so, we can get to the analysis paragraphs.

Write the analysis paragraphs

This section is also essential for your academic essay as this part is where you present your analysis. In these paragraphs, there are several factors you should be looking out for.

First, analyze the given example below. 

Kate Chopin does a great job portraying the oppression the domestic life and the marriage institution have on women. Opinion: Start the analysis by presenting your personal view of the work. In a particularly short word count, she successfully makes the reader feel many different feelings, making us understand how a woman who is stuck in the domestic sphere feels. During the part where Louise Mallard opens her windows and looks at the birds and the beautiful weather we can clearly see how she has embraced a new perspective in life even in a relatively short amount of time. Explanation: Refer to the original text in order to explain the work in detail. Make sure to remind the reader about certain events in the work.

Checklist for analysis paragraphs

  • Have you stated what you liked and disliked about the work/event?
  • Have you explained your ideas with references to particular parts of the work?
  • Have you reviewed if the author/creator has done a good job in expressing their main point?

Check your analysis paragraph based on these questions.

Write a conclusion

You are almost finished.

Now that you have expressed your opinions in several well-written paragraphs, it’s time to compose your final thoughts in your conclusion paragraph.

First, analyze the example of a conclusion paragraph below. 

After all, we can clearly see that Kate Chopin has shown her remarkable writing skills in this story. Without making any direct comments about the state of women during her era, she paints a picture of domestic life in her readers’ minds and inevitably raises some questions. Restatement: Make sure to present your thesis statement once more in the conclusion. Even in a short story of this sort, she successfully makes people realize the hardships women have to face in their daily lives. Anyone who wants to read an impactful critical work on the domestic sphere women is stuck in should read this short story. Because Kate Chopin has done a fantastic job in transmitting her thoughts into fiction with this remarkable work. Concluding sentence: Include your own thoughts on the issue or work in the concludin sentence. Make sure to state the impacts of your subject.

Checklist for conclusion paragraph

  • Have you come back to your thesis statement and reaffirmed it with your newly expressed claims?
  • Have you stated your final opinion about the subject with precise commentary?
Now that you have finished your essay, give yourself a couple of days to let the thoughts rest in your head. Then, come back to the essay and make the necessary changes after proofreading.

Key takeaways

  • A critical analysis essay involves critically examining and evaluating a piece of literature, artwork, or any other subject to provide an informed and objective analysis.
  • When writing a critical analysis essay, it's crucial to carefully analyze the subject, considering its themes, structure, style, and underlying messages.
  • Develop a strong thesis statement that presents your main argument or evaluation of the subject and guides the analysis throughout the essay.
  • Support your analysis with evidence from the subject itself, as well as external sources such as scholarly articles or expert opinions, to strengthen your argument.
  • Conclude the essay by summarizing your main findings, reiterating your thesis, and offering a thoughtful evaluation of the subject's significance or impact.
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Ibrahim Akturk
Content editor at Tamara Research. Translation major, huge coffee and baking nerd. Addicted to good music and great articles.

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