How to write an analytical essay
Begin with an introduction in which you present the text that you are going to analyze and its
overall theme. A simple way is to name its author and title and then add a thematic statement
such as this, "Miguel Syjuco's short story ’Be Here Now’ from 2010 is about a photo journalist
who is trying to find his feet in a relationship after having been abroad". And why not pose an
interesting question that relates to the text? Then you may give a more focused thesis
statement, which is a couple of sentences that describe your particular take on the text,
explaining in what direction your will essay go. End your introduction by presenting your essay
further, i.e. by naming the specific focal points that you are going to investigate.
Beginning with a topic sentence that presents the first focal point, your first paragraph could
be about one of the aspects asked for in the assignment. That might be the setting, the way the
writer creates suspense, or the composition of the text. Remember to PEE, i.e. make a Point
about the text, present an Example from the text that substantiates that point (remember to
reference the quote like this: (ll. 23-24)), and explain further why that quote is appropriate and
how it fits into your analysis (or thesis statement). End the paragraph with a statement that
leads into the next paragraph and the next focal point.
Now you deal with the next mandatory focal point (if one exists), and you must again, as always,
remember to begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that makes it clear to the reader what
the paragraph is going to be about. Again, you must provide textual evidence (a reference to the
text) to substantiate your point. Moreover, you may choose to analyze a couple more quotes
from the text in this same paragraph if the focal point is particularly important or one that has
many examples in the text.
One such focal point could be symbolism. As my old English teacher used to say, a symbol a
day keeps the teacher hap-pay. When you deal with symbols, it is important that you not only
point out the symbols and explain their meaning but also move up the taxonomical stairs and
interpret the use of symbols. Consult your favorite analytical model (e.g. the CAIP), so you
can see what it takes to analyze and interpret symbols, respectively.
It would be fitting to add one or two of your own focal points in addition to the ones that the
assignment asks for specifically. If you write about a fictional text, it is usually relevant to deal
with the title. What is its significance, and how does it relate to the story? Composition is
often relevant too since short stories tend to follow a Hollywood Model in having a prelude, a
conflict, a point of no return, a climax and a fade-out. Finally, there is sometimes a message in a
fictional text. Make sure you write about that too.
If you write about a non-fiction text, you should use an appropriate model of analysis, e.g.
Cicero’s pentagram. There is always a speaker in such a text, always a typical language in use
and always, ALWAYS an intention behind the text. What does the writer want? What
result/reaction is he/she going for? Make sure you deal with these two things as a minimum
and don’t forget to look for modes of appeal or use of rhetorical devices if it is relevant.
Your final paragraph should be a conclusion to your essay. What are your most important
findings in the paragraphs above? Did you find an answer to the question(s) posed in the
introduction? Can you conclude on your thesis statement? Be sure to touch upon the subjects
that you raised in the introduction. In this way, there will be a nice connecting thread in your
essay.
As always, do your best,
Kind regards
Michael