THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS GUIDELINES
The purpose for writing a critique is to evaluate somebody’s work (a book, an essay, a
movie, a painting…) in order to increase the reader’s understanding of it. A critical analysis
is subjective writing because it expresses the writer’s opinion or evaluation of a text.
Analysis means to break down and study the parts. Writing a critical paper requires two
steps: critical reading and critical writing.
Critical reading:
1. Identify the author’s thesis and purpose
2. Analyze the structure of the passage by identifying all main ideas
3. Consult a dictionary or encyclopedia to understand material that is unfamiliar to
you
4. Make an outline of the work or write a description of it
5. Write a summary of the work
6. Determine the purpose which could be
? To inform with factual material
? To persuade with appeal to reason or emotions
? To entertain (to affect people’s emotions)
7. Evaluate the means by which the author has accomplished his purpose
o If the purpose is to inform, has the material been presented clearly, accurately,
with order and coherence?
o If the purpose is to persuade, look for evidence, logical reasoning, contrary
evidence
o If the purpose was to entertain, determine how emotions are affected: does it
make you laugh, cry, angry? Why did it affect you?
Consider the following questions: How is the material organized? Who is the intended
audience? What are the writer’s assumptions about the audience? What kind of language
and imagery does the author use?
SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR CRITICAL ESSAY
After the passage under analysis has been carefully studied, the critique can be drafted
using this sample outline.
o I. Background information to help your readers understand the nature of the wor
A. Information about the work
1. Title
2. Author
3. Publication information
4. Statement of topic and purpose
B. Thesis statement indicating writer’s main reaction to the work
o II. Summary or description of the work
o III. Interpretation and/or evaluation
1. Discussion of the work’s organization
2. Discussion of the work’s style
3. Discussion of the work’s effectiveness
4. Discussion of the topic’s treatmen