ESSAY #5: CRITICISM AND ANALYSIS
The first step toward seeing one’s object as it really is, is to know one’s own impression
as it really is, to discriminate it, to realize its distinguishing features. (Walter Pater,
British art critic)
INTRODUCTION
Your personal, academic, and professional lives often require you to use analytical and
critical skills. As art critic Walter Pater believes, when you see an object as it really is,
know your impressions, discriminate, and realize distinguishing features, you engage in
the act of critical analysis. Whether responding to an editorial in a newspaper you read at
home, critiquing a book in a history class, or analyzing a problem at work and critiquing
possible solutions, you use skills of criticism and analysis.
“To analyze” means to break down into parts. “To criticize” means to evaluate, review,
or determine the worth or value of something. The critical analysis therefore, breaks
down a subject into parts (or “distinguishing features”) and comments on the
effectiveness of those parts. It can reveal how and how well an author accomplishes his or
her purposes. And because you are supporting your critical/analytical assertion with your
reasoning and evidence, the critical analysis is an argumentative essay.
You probably find yourselves reading critical analysis essays on a variety of subjects.
Reviews of movies, books, dramatic productions, restaurants, compact disks, concerts,
and websites are examples of analytical criticisms we encounter in daily reading. These
reviews are written by professional reviewers who offer “expert” or “informed” critiques
in newspapers, magazines, and websites.
In your English classes, you are likely to analyze and critique a book (or maybe just a
chapter), short story, novel, poem, drama, or essay. You might find yourself commenting
on the effectiveness of a writer’s purpose, content, organization, or style (specific matters
concerning sentence structure, diction, and tone). Rather than offer an objective report on
the subject (as in a book report), you offer personal review backed with specific examples
(from your primary source) to illustrate your critical commentary. You offer informed
opinion. Your opinion is what counts!
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Write a 750 word (but not more than three full pages) critical analysis essay in which
your purposes are to analyze and criticize an essay assigned to you in class. Your critical
analysis should be an original interaction between you and the essay you are critiquing.
Your audience is our English 1301 class—a group of supportive writers and readers.
Assume we are interested in your opinions and want to gain valuable insights on an essay
in our text. Include your informed opinions about the essay backed up with evidence.
Select a tone appropriate for your review: it could be one of enthusiasm, concern, anger,
humor, or biting sarcasm.
Jeff Lindemann, English 1301 with The Writer’s Presence
You can use a variety of strategies (methods of development) to develop your critique.
To prove your critical commentary, offer evidence and proof from the primary source—
the essay you are critiquing. You might consider the argumentative strategies of reasons,
concessions, and refutations. No doubt, exemplification will be one of your strategies.
As you study an essay for critique, (probably an argumentative/persuasive essay),
consider analyzing the following parts or features:
1. argumentative assertion, position, claim, or stance
2. line of reasoning: reasons, concessions, and refutations, common ground,
background, narration, definition, syllogism
3. quality of evidence: amount, credibility, accuracy, adequacy, relevancy, bias
4. use of examples
5. cause/effect relationships
6. errors in reasoning: fallacies
7. use of rhetorical devices for persuasive effect: sentence structure, diction
(including figurative language and allusions), tone
8. appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos
Use at least six direct quotes (partial sentence, full sentence, or blocked long quote) for
your evidence. Document with MLA in-text citation and a work cited entry for the
essay you are critiquing. Place this single entry on the third page if there is room or on a
separate page if your critical analysis essay is a full three pages long.
Your critical/analytical thesis will (1) reveal what part or parts you are critiquing and
(2) suggest your criticism of that part or parts. Your criticism will be favorable or
unfavorable. You might also favorably critique one feature of an author’s argumentative
essay and respond unfavorably on another feature.
LANGUAGE OF CRITIQUE
Once you have selected the parts or features to analyze, critique them by using the
language of critique: judiciously selected diction that reveals your critical opinions,
insights, commentary, and evaluation. The language you select will reveal your favorable
or unfavorable criticism.
Avoid vague words like “cool,” “nice,” “awesome,” “fantastic,” “magnificent,” “stupid,”
“wimpy,” and “boring.”
Prefer more precise diction such as “coherent,” “compelling,” “effective,” “precise,”
“vigorous,” “fluent,” “stilted,” “fallacious,” and “awkward.”
MANUSCRIPT MECHANICS
Please type your essay in Times New Roman.12, a very readable font and print size.
Include course information (your name, first name first; your instructor’s name; the
course; and the date) all four lines double-spaced.
Jeff Lindemann, English 1301 with The Writer’s Presence
Create a header in the upper right hand corner with your last name and the page number.
Do not place a comma after your name.
Bold and center your title.
Place your single Work Cited entry on the third page if there is room or on a separate
page if your essay is a full three pages long. Bold and center the words Work Cited.
Jeff Lindemann, English 1301 with The Writer’s Presence