Critical Analysis Essay Writing

We read various articles, some of which we either agree with or disagree with. We take very divergent positions from the authors of the articles or the books we read. When we go as far as criticizing or offering our own opinion in as far as the article is concerned, then we are simply engaging in an act of critically analyzing the essay.

How to write a critical analysis essay can only be a task worth your time when you are fully equipped with the right information and materials in addition to your knowledge in terms of step by step application of the required techniques.

What then is a Critical Analysis Essay?

Paying attention to the details and explaining one’s understanding of the information is part and parcel of critical analysis. In its definition, it is actually the act of evaluating the contestations or the arguments advanced critically. It is a cognitive process that immerses one’s mind into the content not only to understand it but also to establish gaps and areas that need further input.

The process of evaluation can be on political issues, books, articles, musical contents, and even performances. The purpose of engaging the gear of critical thinking is to help the reader even better in terms of understanding their environment and the issues that affect their lives. What is a critical analysis essay is both a question and a statement that triggers a thought in our mind on how to evaluate issues and effectively conceptualize an output of the process itself.

Furthermore, how to write a critical analysis essay step by step requires a subjective way of observing plus evaluating situations. It is opinionated and more reactionary.

Critical analysis essay examples are the works done by critics who eke a living out of the craft by lending their personal opinion on matters or on other’s works. These individuals are explorative and inventive in every reading aspect. They will put their best foot forward and establish where there are errors, gaps or omissions by other people whether they are musicians, poets, essayist and so forth.

Remember, it is not only an act of putting your eyes to the task but engaging your mind. The implication of this is that how to write a critical analysis essay requires one to read critically. This means that the reader must carefully and intensely try to identify the thesis by the author. Secondly, the act requires that the reader translate what he or she has read into writing. Of course, the act of writing must also be critically done and at the same time, he or she must undertake through the act of penning an initiative to convince the world to understand his or her topic of discussion.

Critical Analysis Essay Topics

In today’s world, there are a lot of controversial events and issues that can inform a great topic for critical analysis. They can vary from politics to religion, sports to culture and so on. However, there are considerations that must be made before settling on the topic.

Considerable Factors to Critical Analysis Essay Topics

• The flexibility of the topic in terms of fitting the bill of critical analysis. The writer may, in this case, choose topics are on the public domain or topics that have generated public interest.

• Topics that are viral or are trending will be great given that there is a lot in terms of opinions given in as far as such topics are concerned in addition to varying arguments in favor or against the topic. The importance of such topics is that they help the writer to develop their own thinking as they try to find their own space in the midst of bloated feedbacks.

• Narrow and realistic. Some topics will give a writer a hard time given that they are all about everything and anything. A good topic, in this case, must be narrow and specific as much as possible to help the writer focus. Broad topics are time wasting and expensive to handle given that they may require more resources.

• Engage the instructor. If you are a college student, it is imperative to engage the services of the tutors. They are better placed to give advice in as far as the topic choice is concerned. Ask the professor his or her opinion on the topic you have chosen.

• Interest and past reading experience. The articles and books you read in the past can be great sources of generating a topic. If one had an interest in fairytale books, it could be the perfect source of inspiration for writing a critical analysis essay.

The Following are the Topics for Critical Analysis Essay

• Doping and how it had had an impact on athletics. This topic has been on the public radar quite for some time with both the sportsman and sports organizations facing penalties. This topic is good for consideration because it has sufficient information that can be critically analyzed.

• The input of sports on learning institutions. You can choose to critically analyze how sports affect learners in universities and colleges. Does for example basketball add value to student’s economic affairs or not? Does it harness unity or does it take away valuable learning time?

• Campaign failures in drug and substance abuse. Given that the world is struggling with curbing the menace of drug and substance abuse, this topic is critical given that the writer’s work is to establish the gaps in the previous methods applied and how the campaigns have not been effective.

• The use of Women for media advertisements. This is a very controversial topic that has generated a lot of debate across the media and in social media. Whereas some view it as an economic venture for women, others are of the view that the advertisements portray women in a bad light. A writer can establish their opinion on the issue and convince the world to look or understand it differently.

• Media influence on the youth. This can be about a famous film or movie shown on televisions or series that are watched by a lot of young people. The writer, in this case, can explain to the readers how such films have had an impact on the behavior of the youth and the long term impact with the continued viewing of such movies.

• Analyzing the animal farm by George Orwell – trying to evaluate how the book relates to people’s lives or the distinction that exists in people’s lives as brought out by the book.

How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay Step by Step

Having established the topics, the process of writing now begins.

Reading Critically

Just as earlier indicated, reading is very critical to a great critical analysis essay structure and the assay itself. The purpose is to be able to establish the claim as brought forth by the writer. This is only achievable through reading critically. The foundation to good writing is hinged on the availability of resources and sources and for that reason reading to understand various viewpoints is the key to coming up with even better arguments. Without reading, it is almost difficult to establish the gaps, to identify the biases as projected by the authors and to identify rhetoric by the authors. Seeking clarification when reading and getting to understand the meaning of any jargon used is an important step in this process.

This process also requires the writer to consider:

• The targeted readers by the author: when reading, check out critically the people who the message was intended to because when critically analyzing the work, you will be able to see if it appealed to the right audience or not.

• The act and skill of persuasion: the use of persuasive language and techniques is critical in getting the attention of the readers. Writers employ their unique techniques to reach out to the readers and ensure that they are convinced about the work of an author.

• The critical analysis essay outline: while reading, it is imperative to consider the structure of the article and how everything is arranged. Good arrangements are not only eye-catching but also have an appeal. The structure extends to the sentences used, the punctuations and the placement of catchy words in the whole text.

• Checking on the transitional worlds and how they link the arguments is also the key to starting the essay. It is imperative while reading to check into how the author has joined various ideas and how they flow. Mostly, transitional words are very important in ushering the readers to the subsequent step or idea.

Notably, the role of appreciating in addition to understanding the idea of the authors to persuade and win over the trust of the readers is the task to be established by you. Doing so means as the reader, you are in a position to write a critical analysis essay.

Carrying out a Critical Analysis

The role of the writer, in this case, is not to negatively criticize the author and try to bring down his personality by discrediting his or her work but to give an in-depth understanding in a positive way. This step entails unveiling to the readers the areas that were not well addressed in addition to bringing forth new information that is critical in making the work understandable and even better.

Summarizing the Content Read

Making a summary of the information gained and the contestations intended is vital. The critical analysis essay outline is also part of a summary of the major points that inform the final essay. The best way to go about this part is to begin by providing a summary of the foundation responsible for the information read. Importantly such a summary should be free of any personal bias.

Thesis Statement for Critical Analysis Essay

This is the mini position in terms of your understanding of the text. A thesis statement, in this case, presents the readers with an opportunity to understand the writer’s position and what he or she wants the readers to get.

Creating an Outline

A critical analysis essay outline is another piece of work that is critical. This is a good step that will guide the work and will keep the writing more focused. The outline is a basic structure that has various sections guiding the final essay.

The key components of the outline include:

• Introduction

• The body

• The conclusion

Critical Analysis Essay Example: The Outline

Background of the Study

This basically provided the prevailing context that informed the study; it is meant to shed more light on the readers about the prevailing circumstances that influenced the critical analysis. Among its key components include:

The Information

• The title of the study

• About the author

• The date and place of publication

• The statement highlighting the subject of discussion and the purpose for which the article is meant to achieve

• The claim or the thesis statement

Conclusion of the Sources

The evaluation and the interpretation of the sources: Essentially this is the critical analysis done whereby the organization of the sources is discussed, the rhetoric and the style are discussed, the effectiveness and the impact of the message is discussed, the treatment of the information and its appeal to the targeted audience. Then the summary should restate the thesis statement and remind the readers of the purpose of the paper.

The Following is a Critical Analysis Essay Example

Pedagogy of the oppressed by Paulo Freire is a book that best addresses the plight of the marginalized and the oppressed in our society. The truth is that there is a glaring gap between the haves and the have nots to a point that the have nots have been rendered as slaves serving the masters who are their oppressors. Even though Freire advocates for system or a praxis whereby the oppressors work together with the oppressed to create a good working system whereby neither of them exists, the reality is that it is so difficult to arrive at a system that produces absolute equality.

Conclusion

We have learned how to write a critical analysis essay and provided an example to an introduction which essentially should be helpful for critical thinkers.