How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay

A critical analysis essay is one that focuses on a work produced by another author or artist, such as a book, an article, or a movie. It critiques the work in a manner that is guided by the thesis. In general, the subject of the analysis in such essays is the message contained in the text and/or its style. Sometimes, the analysis can also be directed at the text’s plot or a specific character.

Critical analysis essays help readers understand the work they focus on. They also demonstrate the writer’s grasp of it. Before they can be written, the writer should read, watch, or otherwise consume the work of focus carefully and critically. If needed, this can be done multiple times as it is imperative for the writer to have an in-depth comprehension of what they are writing about.

Parts of a Critical Analysis Essay

Like all essays, critical analysis essays are also divided into three distinct parts. The content each part conveys is as follows.

1. Introduction

The essay begins with an introduction to the piece of work it is going to critically analyze. Information pertinent to the analysis is provided. This can include a summary of the work, its context, themes, message, and/or details about the author/artist.

A hook is often incorporated into the first sentence to capture and hold the reader’s attention. Typically, the paragraph is finished with the thesis statement.

Thesis statement: This is the guiding star of the whole essay and determines everything that will be included in it. It should be arrived at before the essay writing process begins, after several examinations of the text to be analyzed. The thesis could be based on the writer’s personal opinion of the text too. It should, however, be substantiated through the analysis that follows.

2. Body

The body of the essay is divided into multiple paragraphs , each one analyzing a sub topic derived from the thesis. All paragraphs should be organized in a logical manner to flow from topic to topic. And using the right transition words or phrases ensures a smooth shift between paragraphs.

The number of paragraphs in the body of the essay is variable, depending on the sub topics being discussed. If required, the first body paragraph can be a summary of the focus text. While a summary is generally a needed element in critical analyses, it can sometimes be skipped, especially if the work being analyzed is a well-known one. Summaries are usually included in the introduction; when they are not, they can form a part of the body of the essay.

Each paragraph ought to begin with a topic sentence that states the topic it will discuss. However, if the paragraph is the summary of the text being analyzed, it does not need a topic sentence.

3. Conclusion

The final section of the essay concludes it by summing up the analysis. The thesis is also reiterated here with an added comment. No new points should be introduced in the essay’s conclusion.

Outline for Critical Analysis Essays

• Introduction:

• • The work being critically analyzed is identified and contextualized.
  • If a very brief summary serves the purpose, it can be included here.
  • The thesis statement marks the focus and nature of the analysis being conducted in the essay.
  • Body:
  • • If a more detailed summary is needed, it should be placed here rather than in the introduction. The summary then forms the first body paragraph.
    • The rest of the body too is divided into multiple paragraphs.
    • The topic sentence of each paragraph succinctly states the topic or point of analysis it will focus on.
    • The rest of the paragraph then discusses and explores the topic while also providing evidence, which serves to support the paragraph’s individual focus, and through it, the thesis. Very often, the evidence is in the form of quotations from the text itself.
    • Conclusion:
    • • The results of the analysis are summarized.
      • Their implications on the thesis are stated.
      • A comment can be included.

      Example of a Critical Analysis Essay

      The following is an example of a critical analysis essay looking at Arthur Miller’s most renowned play, Death of a Salesman.

      The writer begins with an eye-catching question that works as a hook while effectively setting up the essay’s premise. They then proceed to provide the background leading up to the thesis statement.

      “How can two people watch or read the same story and yet, interpret it completely differently? Does it have to do with the author’s intentions, or with the viewers’ own backgrounds and ideologies? Whatever the case may be, viewing one piece of work can lead to a wide array of opinions and critiques. It is through the diversity of such lenses that Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller has become one of the most well-known plays in modern history.”

      Here, the writer has chosen to locate their thesis in the middle of the introductory paragraph rather than at the end as is common with most essays.

      “There are many different ways in which a play can be criticized. However, criticisms from Marxist and reader-response approaches will be utilized to further dissect Death of a Salesman.”

      Further information leading from the thesis statement is then given.

      “Marxist criticism sees work as a struggle between different socioeconomic classes; what better way to see Miller’s play than for what it is at face value, the struggle of a middle-class man trying to achieve the American dream. On the other hand, a reader-response criticism comes from either an objective or subjective view; in this case, Death of a Salesman will be viewed with a subjective lens based on Willy’s deteriorating mental health.”

      Given that the text being analyzed is a widely known classic, the writer has chosen not to include a summary, assuming that most readers will already be familiar with it. This choice could also work to push those who haven’t read the original text to do so if they’ve been made curious enough by the essay.

      The topic sentence of the first body paragraph states the first point to be discussed.

      “Through a Marxist’s eyes, Death of a Salesman represents the struggle of middle-class families in a capitalistic world.”

      The aspects of the play that lend themselves to Marxist analysis are then enumerated.

      “From an early age, kids are taught to do well in school, be involved with sports and activities, and to go on to college; all in the hopes of achieving the American Dream. This dream of obtaining success through hard work leads many into the rat race of life. Early on, Willy encourages Biff to do well in sports and be popular in order to succeed; however, Willy’s inability to realize his own status and abilities leads him to instill the wrong work ethics in his sons. In his flashbacks of interactions with his sons, Biff and Happy, Willy tells them to be well-liked over well-educated, and to find jobs that pay nicely, not jobs that they will enjoy doing. When Biff steals a football from school, Willy rationalizes it by saying it is ok because he is popular. When Bernard gets on Biff for not studying with him, Willy reiterates that education is secondary to being popular in order to be successful in life. This illusion of popularity and success that Willy is fixated on leads him to believe the American Dream comes by way of having a lot of money, something he feels his brother and his father have achieved. Social and economic forces have a stronghold on Willy as he continues to defend the capitalistic economy that surrounds him. When he is offered a job by Charley, Willy scoffs at the idea and is insulted by it, too proud and lost in the rat race to accept outside help.”

      The topic sentence of the third paragraph states another point of analysis for the essay.

      “As a reader-response critique based on a subjective view of mental health disorders, Death of a Salesman is about a man becoming senile and exhibiting signs of dementia.”

      More examples from the play are cited to corroborate this declaration.

      “Willy is a typical middle-class salesman chasing the American Dream. His marriage, lifestyle, and family all resemble the lives of many in America, yet he is delusional. He fails to see the loving wife and sons that need him most as he falls in and out of hallucinations and mood swings. He experiences mood swings early on in the play when he is talking about Biff’s lack of success. He starts off by telling Linda, “The trouble is he’s lazy, goddammit!”, followed by, “Biff is a lazy bum!”. Then, realizing that Biff was home, he says, “There’s one thing about Biff-he’s not lazy.” Signs of dementia also are shown when Willy is seen talking to himself in the kitchen. As Biff and Happy are talking in their bedroom upstairs, Willy is talking and laughing to himself in the kitchen. After talking to himself, he starts to hallucinate about a time in the past. The hallucinations Willy has throughout the play question his mental health. His reliving of the past and oppression of certain memories are also reflective of dementia or Alzheimer’s. His suicide is justified yet again with the hallucination of a conversation with Ben.”

      The final paragraph restates the thesis with the detail accrued from the analysis that supports it.

      “There are many different ways in which a piece of work can be critiqued and analyzed. Whether through Marxist, reader-response, or any other type of criticism, there is no doubt they all bring something new and different to the piece of work. At face value, Death of a Salesman is about a man and his family chasing the American Dream. Marxists see the capitalistic and socio-economic forces tying down Willy and keeping him from achieving his goals. The unrealistic social standards thrust upon him lead him to suicide in order to finally realize a false sense of reality. From a reader-response standpoint, Willy is slowly falling apart and experiencing mental health issues such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Thoughts and attempts of suicide often lead back to mental health issues that need to be addressed professionally. The anxieties and stresses of life can sometimes weigh down individuals so much that they feel death is the only way out. Had Willy or his family members recognized his mental health disorders, they might have been able to save him.”

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