Get to know the text inside and out by reading and rereading it. If you have been asked to write about a visual text like a film or piece of art, watch the film multiple times or view the painting from various angles and distances.
What is the text about? What are the main ideas? What is puzzling about the text? What is the purpose of this text? Does the text accomplish its purpose? If not, why not? Is so, how so?[3] X Research source Don’t: summarize the plot — you should already be familiar with it. Do: jot down thoughts that may guide your paper: Does he mean __? Does this connect to __?
Your solution to the problem should help you to develop a focus for your essay, but keep in mind that you do not need to have a solid argument about your text at this point. As you continue to think about the text, you will move closer to a focus and a thesis for your critical analysis essay. Don’t: read the author’s mind: Mary Shelley intended Frankenstein’s monster to be more likable because. . . Do: phrase it as your own interpretation: Frankenstein’s monster is more sympathetic than his creator, leading the reader to question who the true monster really is.
Books, articles from scholarly journals, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and trustworthy websites are some sources that you might consider using. Use your library’s databases rather than a general internet search. University libraries subscribe to many databases. These databases provide you with free access to articles and other resources that you cannot usually gain access to by using a search engine.
The author and his or her credentials. Choose sources that include an author’s name and that provide credentials for that author. The credentials should indicate something about why this person is qualified to speak as an authority on the subject. For example, an article about a medical condition will be more trustworthy if the author is a medical doctor. If you find a source where no author is listed or the author does not have any credentials, then this source may not be trustworthy. [5] X Research source Citations. Think about whether or not this author has adequately researched the topic. Check the author’s bibliography or works cited page. If the author has provided few or no sources, then this source may not be trustworthy. [6] X Research source Bias. Think about whether or not this author has presented an objective, well-reasoned account of the topic. How often does the tone indicate a strong preference for one side of the argument? How often does the argument dismiss or disregard the opposition’s concerns or valid arguments? If these are regular occurrences in the source, then it may not be a good choice. [7] X Research source (Note, however, that literary criticism often presents a very strong preference for one reading; this is not usually considered “bias” because the field of literary study is inherently subjective. ) Don’t: dismiss an author for favoring one point of view. Do: engage critically with their argument and make use of well-supported claims. Publication date. Think about whether or not this source presents the most up to date information on the subject. Noting the publication date is especially important for scientific subjects, since new technologies and techniques have made some earlier findings irrelevant. [8] X Research source Information provided in the source. If you are still questioning the trustworthiness of this source, cross check some of the information provided against a trustworthy source. If the information that this author presents contradicts one of your trustworthy sources, then it might not be a good source to use in your paper. [9] X Research source
Clearly indicate when you have quoted a source word for word by putting it into quotation marks and including information about the source such as the author’s name, article or book title, and page number. Don’t: highlight a phrase just because it sounds significant or meaningful. Do: highlight phrases that support or undermine your arguments.
Make sure your thesis provides enough detail. In other words, avoid simply saying that something is “good” or “effective” and say what specifically makes it “good” or “effective. “[12] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source Place your thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph unless your instructor tells you to place it elsewhere. The end of the first paragraph is the traditional place to provide your thesis in an academic essay. For example, here is a multi-sentence thesis statement about the effectiveness and purpose of the movie Mad Max: Fury Road: “Many action films follow the same traditional pattern: a male action hero (usually white and attractive) follows his gut and barks orders at others, who must follow him or die. Mad Max: Fury Road is effective because it turns this pattern on its head. Instead of following the expected progression, the movie offers an action movie with multiple heroes, many of whom are women, thereby effectively challenging patriarchal standards in the Hollywood summer blockbuster. " Don’t: include obvious facts (Mad Max was directed by George Miller) or subjective opinions (Mad Max is the greatest movie of 2015). [13] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source Do: present an argument that you can back up with evidence.
You may want to use a formal outline structure that uses Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, and letters. Or, you may want to use an informal “mind-map” type of outline, which allows you to gather your ideas before you have a complete idea of how they progress.
Other good techniques to open an essay include using a specific, evocative detail that links to your larger idea, asking a question that your essay will answer, or providing a compelling statistic.
If you are writing about a book, provide the name of the work, the author, and a brief summary of the plot. If you are writing about a film, provide a brief synopsis. If you are writing about a painting or other still image, provide a brief description for your readers. Keep in mind that your background information in the first paragraph should lead up to your thesis statement. Explain everything the reader needs to know to understand what your topic is about, then narrow it down until you reach the topic itself.
Provide a claim at the beginning of the paragraph. Support your claim with at least one example from your primary source(s). Support your claim with at least one example from your secondary sources.
Summarize and review your main ideas about the text. Explain how the topic affects the reader. Explain how your narrow topic applies to a broader theme or observation. Call the reader to action or further exploration on the topic. Present new questions that your essay introduced. Don’t: repeat the same points you made earlier in the essay. Do: refer back to earlier points and connect them into a single argument.
It is important to begin writing a paper far enough ahead of time to allow yourself a few days or even a week to revise before it is due. If you do not allow yourself this extra time, you will be more prone to making simple mistakes and your grade may suffer as a result. [16] X Research source
What is your main point? How might you clarify your main point? Who is your audience? Have you considered their needs and expectations? What is your purpose? Have you accomplished your purpose with this paper? How effective is your evidence? How might your strengthen your evidence? Does every part of your paper relate back to your thesis? How might you enhance these connections? Is anything confusing about your language or organization? How might your clarify your language or organization? Have you made any errors with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? How can you correct these errors? What might someone who disagrees with you say about your paper? How can you address these opposing arguments in your paper?[17] X Research source
If you are submitting your paper online or through email, check with your teacher or professor to find out what format s/he prefers. If you have used any textual formatting in your paper, you may wish to save it as a PDF file to preserve your formatting.
