Critical Analysis Essay (1302)
Write a critical analysis on the selection below. For this assignment you will need to
paraphrase, summarize, and quote from our textbook, Current Issues and Enduring Questions.
Review proper MLA parenthetical documentation examples online. For example, lines quoted
from page 801 should be cited as (801) if the author’s name (Brady) has been already
mentioned.
.
Brady, Judy. “I Want a Wife,” pp.801-803.
Make sure to read the essay more than once, noting its thesis, audience, purpose,
structure, and style. Remember to make comments on these elements rather than simply
repeating what the author is saying.
You are allowed to bring handouts, dictionaries, and thesaurus. A few hints about
critical analysis:
Main Idea: If there is a thesis sentence, quote it; if not, write a sentence which
expresses, as clearly as possible, the central idea of the essay. Often you can come up with this
statement by thinking about what the writer’s topic is, and then what he or she is claiming
about the topic. The main idea is always expressed in a complete sentence.
Purpose: Tell why the author is writing the essay: explain what he or she is trying to
accomplish. (Remember that purpose is closely tied to audience.)
Organization and Development method (Strategy): An author’s work may have been
organized mainly according to one of the common patterns of arranging thoughts and details.
These include chronological, spatial, and least to most important details. Also, you need to give
clear comments on the exposition mode (the mold an author selects to pour his/her details in),
such as narration and description, classification, comparison and contrast, definition, process,
or cause and effect, used either as the dominant development method or in combination. Do
make sure to give examples for the patterns you recognize. Statements such as “The author has
done a beautiful job of organizing his ideas” mean very little if not backed up by specifics.
Audience: Identify the specific groups the author is addressing. Use clues such as tone
and language levels to document your statements about the targeted audience. Remember that
authors usually give an indication in the first paragraph. (You may of course have to make
inferences.) Whatever audience you choose, explain the reasons for your choice.
Style and tone: Discuss sentence structure (long, short, simple, complex, compoundcomplex, etc.), word choice (you may have discussed this briefly in audience), presence or
absence, language level: formal, informal, slang, abstract, concrete, etc.
Evaluation: Express your reaction to this work- what you like about it, what you don't
like about it --with a reasonable amount of justification and reasoning.
Rev. 6/29/2016