how to write a written analysis paper

How to Write an Analytical Essay: Your 2023 Guide + Tips and Examples

Defining What Is an Analytical Essay

If scrutinizing different tasks and constantly thinking out of the box are something you enjoy doing, then the analytical essay writing might be a fun assignment for you! With careful, in-depth analysis and the use of proper literary devices, you may discover a whole new set of perspectives and enrich your understanding of your chosen topic.

To be able to uncover the hidden pieces of literature and captivate your reader, first, you must understand what is an analytical essay and what it tries to accomplish. In a nutshell, analytical essays use textual evidence to support the author's claims and main points by utilizing logic and facts rather than relying on sentimental appeals and personal narratives.

Unlike writing a persuasive essay, where you only need to prove one side of the argument, writing an analytical essay requires understanding and presenting all sides of an argument. At the end, you should discuss whether you agree or disagree with the analysis you have done.

Creating an Analytical Essay Outline Template

Now that you better understand the definition analytical essay, it's time to master the process of composing a top-notch paper. In order to streamline the writing process, you should put your thoughts into perspective and structure your arguments in a clear format. For this, you need to employ an analytical essay outline that will serve as a roadmap from the beginning to crafting a compelling concluding paragraph. So, let's break down the essential steps required for a proper analytical essay outline template to ensure you leave a lasting impact on your audience.

‍Introduction‍

• Background information
• Thesis statement

Body paragraph 1‍

• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence
• Transition to the body paragraph to‍

Body paragraph 2‍

• Transition to body paragraph 3

Body paragraph 3

• Transition to conclusion
• Summary of major points
• Restate the thesis
• Key takeaways

Analytical Essay Introduction

The process of creating an introduction for an analytical paper is the same as for any other sort of essay. So, if you wondered how to start an analytical essay, remember that as the introduction is the first thing a reader reads, it's critical to grab their attention and ensure that they are aware of the topic of the paper. A strong beginning gives background information, outlines the paper's purpose clearly, and makes a few references to the assertions you will make.

The opening sentence needs to have a hook. In other words, it must draw the reader in and persuade them to continue reading the essay. A hook may be anything fascinating and related to your topics, such as an intriguing fact, a funny story, or a provocative inquiry.

Afterward, establish your thesis, which should be a brief and unambiguous summary of the stance you will take in your essay.

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement

So, how to write a thesis for an analytical essay? Your thesis statement should be clear enough to steer the flow of your essay and should highlight the primary subject you will be examining, along with the supporting details or logic you'll use to back it up. A strong analytical thesis should be precise and straightforward. Therefore, it should present a claim rather than merely summarizing the subject or material under consideration. A compelling analytical thesis statement would be something like: 'Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' addresses the issue of loss and the mental torment it causes, eventually indicating that the only way to find peace is through tolerance.' This thesis statement states the fundamental point regarding the material and the strategies the essay will use to defend that claim.

The last step effectively flows from your introduction into the first body paragraph, which should expound on the first idea you will be addressing. By adhering to these analytical essay format rules, you may create an effective and convincing opening that serves as the foundation for an analytical essay that is well-structured and appealing.

Analytical Essay Body Paragraphs

An analytical essay generally exceeds the traditional five-paragraph structure since additional body paragraphs may be required to adequately defend the thesis statement. The evidence and arguments in these body paragraphs support the thesis statement and are the essay's main body.

• Topic sentence that clearly states the direction of analysis for the paragraph
• The main piece of evidence for your claim
• Supporting information
• Transition to the next paragraph

The first sentence of your body paragraph should give the reader an idea of the specific issue that the paragraph will talk about. For example, if the essay is about the gamification of education, the topic sentence for the first body paragraph can be 'Educational video games are being used in many third world countries to help children who cannot access standard schooling systems.' Using this topic sentence, you may clarify the subject of the paragraph and offer supporting evidence.

A good topic sentence helps the reader keep track of and structures the flow of your analysis paper. Imagine having a conversation with a friend about a topic. The main pieces of support you make for your claim are topic sentences. 

The rest of the body paragraph includes factual information proving your topic sentence's validity. Each body paragraph should talk about only one issue, so make sure that the evidence you provide is related only to the specific claim you are making in that paragraph. It can be tempting to provide as much evidence as possible. Still, analytical papers that are too dense with information can be hard to read and understand, so only mention the most important facts and figures. 

The main phrase should be briefly restated at the end of each body paragraph, highlighting how the arguments you've made support it. This is an excellent technique to move into the following body paragraph, which includes a new piece of evidence and analysis from a different point of view. A one-sentence summary or another kind of transition statement helps the essay flow better and builds a more convincing overall argument.

Analytical Essay Conclusion

An analytical paper's conclusion paragraph frequently follows a predetermined format, restating the thesis statement and summarizing the key concepts covered in the body paragraphs. The conclusion of the essay may also include a remark or comment on the significance of the analysis in order to leave the reader with a lasting impression of its major point.

• Reiterate the thesis
• Recite the key details
• Give supporting documentation
• Suggest recommendations for further research

If someone can understand the purpose of your paper just by reading the conclusion, then you have written a good conclusion paragraph. By restating your thesis at the beginning, you reminded the reader of the main purpose of your essay. Going through three body paragraphs is important so the reader can connect the evidence presented and the thesis statement. 

Follow this up with a brief summary of the main claims and analysis in each body paragraph. Since you have already presented evidence backing up the claims, rephrase the main topic sentences and put together a convincing argument for your points. Make sure you don't include new evidence or points of analysis in the conclusion because this might confuse the reader. The conclusion paragraph only recaps and summarizes information. If you have a new point of analysis, then add a new body paragraph. 

Finally, end the conclusion paragraph with some of your own thoughts. Explain why the topic is important, why your perspective adds new information, how your analysis compares to experts in the field, etc. 

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Steps For How to Write an Analytical Essay

After uncovering the structure of an analytical essay, there are a few more things you can do to make the process of writing an analytical essay easier before you actually start writing it. The writing process will be made simpler, and the essay will have a better overall flow and structure the more preparation you do in advance. Before you begin writing, you should take the following steps from our write my essay for me experts:

Brainstorm Some Ideas

A good analytical essay writer spends some time brainstorming and making a mental map of thoughts associated with their subject before deciding on a theme. This might assist you in coming up with original and intriguing approaches to your study. You may, for instance, come up with a list of several ideas or motifs that emerge in the book and assess their relevance if you are writing an analytical essay on literature.

Use Visual Aids

Our expert research paper writer suggests communicating your research clearly and engagingly by using graphs and charts to help you arrange your insights. For instance, you could make a chart that contradicts two hypotheses or a diagram that illustrates the relationships between various protagonists in a play.

Use Contrasting Opinions

Including opposing viewpoints in your analytical paper may seem unproductive, yet doing so is a terrific approach to developing a strong case for your position. Find the strongest opposing viewpoint and create a body paragraph that uses evidence to demonstrate why it is incorrect. Because it demonstrates that you have thought about alternative opinions, and by weakening the stronger one, it strengthens your case.

Use Primary Sources

When writing an analytical essay, utilizing primary materials like interviews, presentations, and original documents can provide an exceptional outlook on your chosen subject matter. By integrating primary sources into your analysis, you can construct a more intricate and exclusive perspective. For instance, if you are composing an analytical essay about a historical event, delving into letters or memoirs penned by individuals who lived during that time can assist you in gaining a deeper understanding of their viewpoints and experiences.

Use Multimedia Elements

Using multimedia in your analytical essay, such as photographs, films, or audio recordings, may increase reader interest and make the analysis more vivid and engaging. For instance, you might include photographs of the artwork in your essay to graphically explain and demonstrate your observation if you were writing an analytical essay on a masterpiece. This strategy may not only assist in concept clarification but also provide additional life and intrigue to your writing.

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Analytical Essay Topics

As mentioned above, finding the right topic is vitally important when it comes to answering the question of how to write an analytical essay. Which is why we devoted this section to providing you with good options. Remember that a good topic:

• Is something you generally find interesting
• Should attract a reader's attention
• It should not be too broad
• Needs enough quality research to present evidence
• Asks a question that is important

Finding a good topic for an analytical research paper isn't easy, but make sure you spend enough time pinpointing something that fulfills the criteria. The choice between finding writing enjoyable and receiving a good grade or finding it tedious and receiving a poor grade depends on the topic.

So, here is a list of good analytical essay topics from our dissertation services to get you started.

Analytical Essay Topics about Psychology

Here are some topics on psychology essay writing:

• What qualifies as a mental disorder?
• Why do more young people feel lonely?
• What is the effect of lockdowns on mental health?
• Is happiness an illusion?
• What are effective methods of coping with depression?

Analytical Essay Topics about Pop Culture

• Why DOTA is the perfect game
• What is the impact of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
• An analysis of the history of Science Fiction
• Why blank is the best music genre
• The rise and fall of Kanye West

Analytical Essay Topics about Art and History

• How does World War II still affect us?
• An analysis of postmodern art.
• Are all artists geniuses?
• What is the influence of the Renaissance?
• What are the lessons learned from war?

Analytical Essay Examples

I assume you are going to use the examples that are already on the website

Despite the difference in doctrines, the Jews, Christians, and Muslims have in one way or another related in accordance to their faith and beliefs. The three monotheistic religions are known for their high regard for their disparities despite the similarities they manifest. It is not only a matter that concerns the religions themselves, but also the society given the world is slowly changing and more people have begun to question the existence of each religion in essence. While, the similarities may be just but subtle, the extent of reach is relatively wide, and for that cause the standing of these religion need some inspection. Noteworthy, there are common features in the religions such as the tenacious adherence by certain groups, which may also pose the question regarding not only lack of choice but also the need to be considered one.

A major consequence of war is in its ability to demolish traditional values and introducing drastic changes the perceptions of the world among those who experience the horror and devastation that define war. For military personnel, assuming a normal life after war is a form of torture because for such an individual visualizing the society from an optimistic perspective is relatively difficult considering that it always in the brink of war which threatens the peace that may be prevailing. Hemmingway uses this story to reminisce about his life after participating in the First World War. It was from his experience in the war as a driver for the Italian Army that he developed depression and he experienced multiple injuries.

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Final Concluding Thoughts

By using the advice and illustrations provided by us, you may improve your analytical writing abilities and produce essays that fascinate and interest your audience. You can master analytical writing with dedication and practice, enabling you to confidently take on any topic.

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How to Write an Analytical Essay

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References Approved

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 81% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 3,967,218 times.

Writing an analytical essay can seem daunting, especially if you've never done it before. Don't worry! Take a deep breath, buy yourself a caffeinated beverage, and follow these steps to create a well-crafted analytical essay.

Prewriting for Your Essay

• For example, "Stanley Kubrick's The Shining uses a repeating motif of Native American culture and art to comment on America's history of colonizing Native Americans' lands" is an analytical thesis. It is analyzing a particular text and setting forth an argument about it in the form of a thesis statement.

• If you're writing an analytical essay about a work of fiction, you could focus your argument on what motivates a specific character or group of characters. Or, you could argue why a certain line or paragraph is central to the work as a whole. For example: Explore the concept of vengeance in the epic poem Beowulf .
• If you're writing about a historical event, try focusing on the forces that contributed to what happened.
• If you're writing about scientific research or findings, follow the scientific method to analyze your results.

• Look for repeated imagery, metaphors, phrases, or ideas. Things that repeat are often important. See if you can decipher why these things are so crucial. Do they repeat in the same way each time, or differently?
• How does the text work? If you're writing a rhetorical analysis, for example, you might analyze how the author uses logical appeals to support her argument and decide whether you think the argument is effective. If you're analyzing a creative work, consider things like imagery, visuals in a film, etc. If you're analyzing research, you may want to consider the methods and results and analyze whether the experiment is a good design.
• A mind map can be helpful to some people. Start with your central topic, and arrange smaller ideas around it in bubbles. Connect the bubbles to identify patterns and how things are related.
• Good brainstorming can be all over the place. In fact, that can be a good way to start off! Don't discount any ideas just yet. Write down any element or fact that you think of as you examine your topic.

• This is an analytical thesis because it examines a text and makes a particular claim.
• The claim is "arguable," meaning it's not a statement of pure fact that nobody could contest. An analytical essay takes a side and makes an argument.
• Make sure your thesis is narrow enough to fit the scope of your assignment. "Revenge in Beowulf could be a PhD dissertation, it's so broad. It's probably much too big for a student essay. However, arguing that one character's revenge is more honorable than another's is manageable within a shorter student essay. [3] X Research source
• Unless instructed to write one, avoid the "three-prong" thesis that presents three points to be discussed later. These thesis statements usually limit your analysis too much and give your argument a formulaic feel. It's okay to state generally what your argument will be.

• Example of supporting evidence : To support a claim that the dragon’s vengeance was more righteous than Grendel's mother's, look at the passages in the poem that discuss the events leading up to each monster’s attack, the attacks themselves, as well as the reactions to those attacks. Don't: ignore or twist evidence to fit your thesis. Do: adjust your thesis to a more nuanced position as you learn more about the topic.

• If you're not quite sure how all your evidence fits together, don't worry! Making an outline can help you figure out how your argument should progress.
• You can also make a more informal outline that groups your ideas together in large groups. From there, you can decide what to talk about where.
• Your essay will be as long as it needs to be to adequately discuss your topic. A common mistake students make is to choose a large topic and then allow only 3 body paragraphs to discuss it. This makes essays feel shallow or rushed. Don't be afraid to spend enough time discussing each detail!

Writing Your Essay

• Example introduction : Revenge was a legally recognized right in ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The many revenges in the epic poem Beowulf show that retribution was an essential part of the Anglo-Saxon age. However, not all revenges are created alike. The poet's portrayal of these revenges suggests that the dragon was more honorable in his act of revenge than Grendel's mother.
• This introduction gives your readers information they should know to understand your argument, and then presents an argument about the complexity of a general topic (revenge) in the poem. This type of argument can be interesting because it suggests that the reader needs to think about the text very carefully and not take it at face value. Don't: include filler and fluff sentences beginning with "In modern society" or "Throughout time." Do: briefly mention the title, author, and publication date of the text you're analyzing.

• Example topic sentence : The key to differentiating between the two attacks is the notion of excessive retribution.
• Example analysis : Grendel's mother does not simply want vengeance, as per the Medieval concept of ‘an eye for an eye.’ Instead, she wants to take a life for a life while also throwing Hrothgar’s kingdom into chaos.
• Example evidence : Instead of simply killing Aeschere, and thus enacting just revenge, she “quickly [snatches] up” that nobleman and, with him “tight in her clutches,” she leaves for the fen (1294). She does this to lure Beowulf away from Heorot so she can kill him as well.
• The formula "CEE" may help you remember: Claim-Evidence-Explanation. Whenever you present a claim, make sure you present evidence to support that claim and explain how the evidence relates to your claim.

• Example of a quote : Instead of simply killing Aeschere, and thus enacting just revenge, she “quickly [snatches] up” that nobleman and, with him “tight in her clutches,” she leaves for the fen (1294).
• Example of a paraphrased sentence : The female Grendel enters Heorot, snatches up one of the men sleeping inside it, and runs away to the fen (1294).

• Example conclusion : The concept of an ‘eye for an eye’ was very present in the early Medieval world. However, by comparing the attacks of both Grendel's mother and the dragon, the medieval world’s perception of righteous vengeance versus unjust revenge is made clear. While the dragon acts out in the only way he knows how, Grendel's mother attacks with evil intent.
• Example conclusion with a ‘bigger world connection’: The concept of an ‘eye for an eye’ was very present in the early Medieval world. However, by comparing the attacks of both Grendel's mother and the dragon, the medieval world’s perception of righteous vengeance versus unjust revenge is made clear. While the dragon acts out in the only way he knows how, Grendel's mother attacks with evil intent. As we saw from the study of other characters, these portrayals may tie into an early Medieval perception that women had greater potential for evil.

Finalizing Your Essay

• Make sure to also format your essay correctly. For example, using a 12-pt standard font (like Arial or Times New Roman) and 1" margins is standard.

• If you are analyzing a film, look up the list of characters online. Check two or three sources to make sure that you have the correct spelling.

Analytical Essay Writing Help

Community Q&A

• Ask yourself "What am I trying to prove?" The answer should be in your thesis. If not, go back and fix it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you are writing a formal analysis or critique, then avoid using colloquial writing . Though informal language may bring some color to a paper, you do not want to risk weakening your argument by influencing it with verbal slang. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid being too vague. Vagueness leaves room for misinterpretation and in a coherent, analytical essay, leaving room for misinterpretation decreases the effectiveness of your argument. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.stetson.edu/other/writing-center/media/Handout%20-%20Analytical%20Essay.pdf
• ↑ https://www.bucks.edu/media/bcccmedialibrary/pdf/HOWTOWRITEALITERARYANALYSISESSAY_10.15.07_001.pdf
• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/rsrchppr.html
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-can-i-create-stronger-analysis-.html
• ↑ https://academics.umw.edu/writing-fredericksburg/files/2011/09/Basic-Outlines.pdf
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-incorporate-quotes-.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading

About This Article

To write an analytical essay, first write an introduction that gives your reader background information and introduces your thesis. Then, write body paragraphs in support of your thesis that include a topic sentence, an analysis of some part of the text, and evidence from the text that supports your analysis. You can use direct quotes from the text that support your point of view or paraphrase if you’re trying to summarize information. Finally, complete your essay with a conclusion that reiterates your thesis and your primary support for it. To learn from our English reviewer how to come up with your thesis statement and find evidence that supports it, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 5 steps to write a great analytical essay.

General Education

Do you need to write an analytical essay for school? What sets this kind of essay apart from other types, and what must you include when you write your own analytical essay? In this guide, we break down the process of writing an analytical essay by explaining the key factors your essay needs to have, providing you with an outline to help you structure your essay, and analyzing a complete analytical essay example so you can see what a finished essay looks like.

What Is an Analytical Essay?

Before you begin writing an analytical essay, you must know what this type of essay is and what it includes. Analytical essays analyze something, often (but not always) a piece of writing or a film.

An analytical essay is more than just a synopsis of the issue though; in this type of essay you need to go beyond surface-level analysis and look at what the key arguments/points of this issue are and why. If you’re writing an analytical essay about a piece of writing, you’ll look into how the text was written and why the author chose to write it that way. Instead of summarizing, an analytical essay typically takes a narrower focus and looks at areas such as major themes in the work, how the author constructed and supported their argument, how the essay used  literary devices to enhance its messages, etc.

While you certainly want people to agree with what you’ve written, unlike with persuasive and argumentative essays, your main purpose when writing an analytical essay isn’t to try to convert readers to your side of the issue. Therefore, you won’t be using strong persuasive language like you would in those essay types. Rather, your goal is to have enough analysis and examples that the strength of your argument is clear to readers.

Besides typical essay components like an introduction and conclusion, a good analytical essay will include:

• A thesis that states your main argument
• Analysis that relates back to your thesis and supports it
• Examples to support your analysis and allow a more in-depth look at the issue

In the rest of this article, we’ll explain how to include each of these in your analytical essay.

How to Structure Your Analytical Essay

Analytical essays are structured similarly to many other essays you’ve written, with an introduction (including a thesis), several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Below is an outline you can follow when structuring your essay, and in the next section we go into more detail on how to write an analytical essay.

Introduction

Your introduction will begin with some sort of attention-grabbing sentence to get your audience interested, then you’ll give a few sentences setting up the topic so that readers have some context, and you’ll end with your thesis statement. Your introduction will include:

• Brief background information explaining the issue/text
• Your thesis

Body Paragraphs

Your analytical essay will typically have three or four body paragraphs, each covering a different point of analysis. Begin each body paragraph with a sentence that sets up the main point you’ll be discussing. Then you’ll give some analysis on that point, backing it up with evidence to support your claim. Continue analyzing and giving evidence for your analysis until you’re out of strong points for the topic. At the end of each body paragraph, you may choose to have a transition sentence that sets up what the next paragraph will be about, but this isn’t required. Body paragraphs will include:

• Introductory sentence explaining what you’ll cover in the paragraph (sort of like a mini-thesis)
• Analysis point
• Evidence (either passages from the text or data/facts) that supports the analysis
• (Repeat analysis and evidence until you run out of examples)

You won’t be making any new points in your conclusion; at this point you’re just reiterating key points you’ve already made and wrapping things up. Begin by rephrasing your thesis and summarizing the main points you made in the essay. Someone who reads just your conclusion should be able to come away with a basic idea of what your essay was about and how it was structured. After this, you may choose to make some final concluding thoughts, potentially by connecting your essay topic to larger issues to show why it’s important. A conclusion will include:

• Paraphrase of thesis
• Summary of key points of analysis
• Final concluding thought(s)

5 Steps for Writing an Analytical Essay

Follow these five tips to break down writing an analytical essay into manageable steps. By the end, you’ll have a fully-crafted analytical essay with both in-depth analysis and enough evidence to support your argument. All of these steps use the completed analytical essay in the next section as an example.

#1: Pick a Topic

You may have already had a topic assigned to you, and if that’s the case, you can skip this step. However, if you haven’t, or if the topic you’ve been assigned is broad enough that you still need to narrow it down, then you’ll need to decide on a topic for yourself. Choosing the right topic can mean the difference between an analytical essay that’s easy to research (and gets you a good grade) and one that takes hours just to find a few decent points to analyze

Before you decide on an analytical essay topic, do a bit of research to make sure you have enough examples to support your analysis. If you choose a topic that’s too narrow, you’ll struggle to find enough to write about.

For example, say your teacher assigns you to write an analytical essay about the theme in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath of exposing injustices against migrants. For it to be an analytical essay, you can’t just recount the injustices characters in the book faced; that’s only a summary and doesn’t include analysis. You need to choose a topic that allows you to analyze the theme. One of the best ways to explore a theme is to analyze how the author made his/her argument. One example here is that Steinbeck used literary devices in the intercalary chapters (short chapters that didn’t relate to the plot or contain the main characters of the book) to show what life was like for migrants as a whole during the Dust Bowl.

You could write about how Steinbeck used literary devices throughout the whole book, but, in the essay below, I chose to just focus on the intercalary chapters since they gave me enough examples. Having a narrower focus will nearly always result in a tighter and more convincing essay (and can make compiling examples less overwhelming).

#2: Write a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the most important sentence of your essay; a reader should be able to read just your thesis and understand what the entire essay is about and what you’ll be analyzing. When you begin writing, remember that each sentence in your analytical essay should relate back to your thesis

In the analytical essay example below, the thesis is the final sentence of the first paragraph (the traditional spot for it). The thesis is: “In The Grapes of Wrath’s intercalary chapters, John Steinbeck employs a variety of literary devices and stylistic choices to better expose the injustices committed against migrants in the 1930s.” So what will this essay analyze? How Steinbeck used literary devices in the intercalary chapters to show how rough migrants could have it. Crystal clear.

#3: Do Research to Find Your Main Points

This is where you determine the bulk of your analysis--the information that makes your essay an analytical essay. My preferred method is to list every idea that I can think of, then research each of those and use the three or four strongest ones for your essay. Weaker points may be those that don’t relate back to the thesis, that you don’t have much analysis to discuss, or that you can’t find good examples for. A good rule of thumb is to have one body paragraph per main point

This essay has four main points, each of which analyzes a different literary device Steinbeck uses to better illustrate how difficult life was for migrants during the Dust Bowl. The four literary devices and their impact on the book are:

• Lack of individual names in intercalary chapters to illustrate the scope of the problem
• Parallels to the Bible to induce sympathy for the migrants
• Non-showy, often grammatically-incorrect language so the migrants are more realistic and relatable to readers
• Nature-related metaphors to affect the mood of the writing and reflect the plight of the migrants

#4: Find Excerpts or Evidence to Support Your Analysis

Now that you have your main points, you need to back them up. If you’re writing a paper about a text or film, use passages/clips from it as your main source of evidence. If you’re writing about something else, your evidence can come from a variety of sources, such as surveys, experiments, quotes from knowledgeable sources etc. Any evidence that would work for a regular research paper works here.

In this example, I quoted multiple passages from The Grapes of Wrath  in each paragraph to support my argument. You should be able to back up every claim you make with evidence in order to have a strong essay.

#5: Put It All Together

Now it's time to begin writing your essay, if you haven’t already. Create an introductory paragraph that ends with the thesis, make a body paragraph for each of your main points, including both analysis and evidence to back up your claims, and wrap it all up with a conclusion that recaps your thesis and main points and potentially explains the big picture importance of the topic.

Analytical Essay Example + Analysis

So that you can see for yourself what a completed analytical essay looks like, here’s an essay I wrote back in my high school days. It’s followed by analysis of how I structured my essay, what its strengths are, and how it could be improved.

One way Steinbeck illustrates the connections all migrant people possessed and the struggles they faced is by refraining from using specific titles and names in his intercalary chapters. While The Grapes of Wrath focuses on the Joad family, the intercalary chapters show that all migrants share the same struggles and triumphs as the Joads. No individual names are used in these chapters; instead the people are referred to as part of a group. Steinbeck writes, “Frantic men pounded on the doors of the doctors; and the doctors were busy.  And sad men left word at country stores for the coroner to send a car,” (555). By using generic terms, Steinbeck shows how the migrants are all linked because they have gone through the same experiences. The grievances committed against one family were committed against thousands of other families; the abuse extends far beyond what the Joads experienced. The Grapes of Wrath frequently refers to the importance of coming together; how, when people connect with others their power and influence multiplies immensely. Throughout the novel, the goal of the migrants, the key to their triumph, has been to unite. While their plans are repeatedly frustrated by the government and police, Steinbeck’s intercalary chapters provide a way for the migrants to relate to one another because they have encountered the same experiences. Hundreds of thousands of migrants fled to the promised land of California, but Steinbeck was aware that numbers alone were impersonal and lacked the passion he desired to spread. Steinbeck created the intercalary chapters to show the massive numbers of people suffering, and he created the Joad family to evoke compassion from readers.  Because readers come to sympathize with the Joads, they become more sensitive to the struggles of migrants in general. However, John Steinbeck frequently made clear that the Joads were not an isolated incident; they were not unique. Their struggles and triumphs were part of something greater. Refraining from specific names in his intercalary chapters allows Steinbeck to show the vastness of the atrocities committed against migrants.

Steinbeck also creates significant parallels to the Bible in his intercalary chapters in order to enhance his writing and characters. By using simple sentences and stylized writing, Steinbeck evokes Biblical passages. The migrants despair, “No work till spring. No work,” (556).  Short, direct sentences help to better convey the desperateness of the migrants’ situation. Throughout his novel, John Steinbeck makes connections to the Bible through his characters and storyline. Jim Casy’s allusions to Christ and the cycle of drought and flooding are clear biblical references.  By choosing to relate The Grapes of Wrath to the Bible, Steinbeck’s characters become greater than themselves. Starving migrants become more than destitute vagrants; they are now the chosen people escaping to the promised land. When a forgotten man dies alone and unnoticed, it becomes a tragedy. Steinbeck writes, “If [the migrants] were shot at, they did not run, but splashed sullenly away; and if they were hit, they sank tiredly in the mud,” (556). Injustices committed against the migrants become greater because they are seen as children of God through Steinbeck’s choice of language. Referencing the Bible strengthens Steinbeck’s novel and purpose: to create understanding for the dispossessed.  It is easy for people to feel disdain for shabby vagabonds, but connecting them to such a fundamental aspect of Christianity induces sympathy from readers who might have otherwise disregarded the migrants as so many other people did.

The simple, uneducated dialogue Steinbeck employs also helps to create a more honest and meaningful representation of the migrants, and it makes the migrants more relatable to readers. Steinbeck chooses to accurately represent the language of the migrants in order to more clearly illustrate their lives and make them seem more like real paper than just characters in a book. The migrants lament, “They ain’t gonna be no kinda work for three months,” (555). There are multiple grammatical errors in that single sentence, but it vividly conveys the despair the migrants felt better than a technically perfect sentence would. The Grapes of Wrath is intended to show the severe difficulties facing the migrants so Steinbeck employs a clear, pragmatic style of writing.  Steinbeck shows the harsh, truthful realities of the migrants’ lives and he would be hypocritical if he chose to give the migrants a more refined voice and not portray them with all their shortcomings. The depiction of the migrants as imperfect through their language also makes them easier to relate to. Steinbeck’s primary audience was the middle class, the less affluent of society. Repeatedly in The Grapes of Wrath , the wealthy make it obvious that they scorn the plight of the migrants. The wealthy, not bad luck or natural disasters, were the prominent cause of the suffering of migrant families such as the Joads. Thus, Steinbeck turns to the less prosperous for support in his novel. When referring to the superior living conditions barnyard animals have, the migrants remark, “Them’s horses-we’re men,” (556).  The perfect simplicity of this quote expresses the absurdness of the migrants’ situation better than any flowery expression could.

In The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck uses metaphors, particularly about nature, in order to illustrate the mood and the overall plight of migrants. Throughout most of the book, the land is described as dusty, barren, and dead. Towards the end, however; floods come and the landscape begins to change. At the end of chapter twenty-nine, Steinbeck describes a hill after the floods saying, “Tiny points of grass came through the earth, and in a few days the hills were pale green with the beginning year,” (556). This description offers a stark contrast from the earlier passages which were filled with despair and destruction. Steinbeck’s tone from the beginning of the chapter changes drastically. Early in the chapter, Steinbeck had used heavy imagery in order to convey the destruction caused by the rain, “The streams and the little rivers edged up to the bank sides and worked at willows and tree roots, bent the willows deep in the current, cut out the roots of cottonwoods and brought down the trees,” (553). However, at the end of the chapter the rain has caused new life to grow in California. The new grass becomes a metaphor representing hope. When the migrants are at a loss over how they will survive the winter, the grass offers reassurance. The story of the migrants in the intercalary chapters parallels that of the Joads. At the end of the novel, the family is breaking apart and has been forced to flee their home. However, both the book and final intercalary chapter end on a hopeful note after so much suffering has occurred. The grass metaphor strengthens Steinbeck’s message because it offers a tangible example of hope. Through his language Steinbeck’s themes become apparent at the end of the novel. Steinbeck affirms that persistence, even when problems appear insurmountable, leads to success. These metaphors help to strengthen Steinbeck’s themes in The Grapes of Wrath because they provide a more memorable way to recall important messages.

John Steinbeck’s language choices help to intensify his writing in his intercalary chapters and allow him to more clearly show how difficult life for migrants could be. Refraining from using specific names and terms allows Steinbeck to show that many thousands of migrants suffered through the same wrongs. Imitating the style of the Bible strengthens Steinbeck’s characters and connects them to the Bible, perhaps the most famous book in history. When Steinbeck writes in the imperfect dialogue of the migrants, he creates a more accurate portrayal and makes the migrants easier to relate to for a less affluent audience. Metaphors, particularly relating to nature, strengthen the themes in The Grapes of Wrath by enhancing the mood Steinbeck wants readers to feel at different points in the book. Overall, the intercalary chapters that Steinbeck includes improve his novel by making it more memorable and reinforcing the themes Steinbeck embraces throughout the novel. Exemplary stylistic devices further persuade readers of John Steinbeck’s personal beliefs. Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath to bring to light cruelties against migrants, and by using literary devices effectively, he continuously reminds readers of his purpose. Steinbeck’s impressive language choices in his intercalary chapters advance the entire novel and help to create a classic work of literature that people still are able to relate to today. 

This essay sticks pretty closely to the standard analytical essay outline. It starts with an introduction, where I chose to use a quote to start off the essay. (This became my favorite way to start essays in high school because, if I wasn’t sure what to say, I could outsource the work and find a quote that related to what I’d be writing about.) The quote in this essay doesn’t relate to the themes I’m discussing quite as much as it could, but it’s still a slightly different way to start an essay and can intrigue readers. I then give a bit of background on The Grapes of Wrath and its themes before ending the intro paragraph with my thesis: that Steinbeck used literary devices in intercalary chapters to show how rough migrants had it.

Each of my four body paragraphs is formatted in roughly the same way: an intro sentence that explains what I’ll be discussing, analysis of that main point, and at least two quotes from the book as evidence.

My conclusion restates my thesis, summarizes each of four points I discussed in my body paragraphs, and ends the essay by briefly discussing how Steinbeck’s writing helped introduce a world of readers to the injustices migrants experienced during the dust bowl.

What does this analytical essay example do well? For starters, it contains everything that a strong analytical essay should, and it makes that easy to find. The thesis clearly lays out what the essay will be about, the first sentence of each of the body paragraph introduces the topic it’ll cover, and the conclusion neatly recaps all the main points. Within each of the body paragraphs, there’s analysis along with multiple excerpts from the book in order to add legitimacy to my points.

Additionally, the essay does a good job of taking an in-depth look at the issue introduced in the thesis. Four ways Steinbeck used literary devices are discussed, and for each of the examples are given and analysis is provided so readers can understand why Steinbeck included those devices and how they helped shaped how readers viewed migrants and their plight.

Where could this essay be improved? I believe the weakest body paragraph is the third one, the one that discusses how Steinbeck used plain, grammatically incorrect language to both accurately depict the migrants and make them more relatable to readers. The paragraph tries to touch on both of those reasons and ends up being somewhat unfocused as a result. It would have been better for it to focus on just one of those reasons (likely how it made the migrants more relatable) in order to be clearer and more effective. It’s a good example of how adding more ideas to an essay often doesn’t make it better if they don’t work with the rest of what you’re writing. This essay also could explain the excerpts that are included more and how they relate to the points being made. Sometimes they’re just dropped in the essay with the expectation that the readers will make the connection between the example and the analysis. This is perhaps especially true in the second body paragraph, the one that discusses similarities to Biblical passages. Additional analysis of the quotes would have strengthened it.

Summary: How to Write an Analytical Essay

What is an analytical essay? A critical analytical essay analyzes a topic, often a text or film. The analysis paper uses evidence to support the argument, such as excerpts from the piece of writing. All analytical papers include a thesis, analysis of the topic, and evidence to support that analysis.

When developing an analytical essay outline and writing your essay, follow these five steps:

Reading analytical essay examples can also give you a better sense of how to structure your essay and what to include in it.

What's Next?

Learning about different writing styles in school?  There are four main writing styles, and it's important to understand each of them. Learn about them in our guide to writing styles , complete with examples.

Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?   Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. 

Literary devices can both be used to enhance your writing and communication. Check out this list of 31 literary devices to learn more !

Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!

Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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How to Write an Analysis Essay: Examples + Writing Guide

An analysis / analytical essay is a standard assignment in college or university. You might be asked to conduct an in-depth analysis of a research paper, a report, a movie, a company, a book, or an event. In this article, you’ll find out how to write an analysis paper introduction, thesis, main body, and conclusion, and analytical essay example.

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So, what is an analytical essay? This type of assignment implies that you set up an argument and analyze it using a range of claims. The claims should be supported by appropriate empirical evidence. Note that you need to explore both the positive and negative sides of the issue fully.

Analytical skills are the key to getting through your academic career. Moreover, they can be useful in many real-life situations. Keep reading this article by Custom-writing experts to learn how to write an analysis!

❓ What Is an Analytical Essay?

• 🤔 Getting Started

📑 Analytical Essay Outline

• 📔 Choosing a Title
• 💁 Writing an Introduction
• 🏋 Writing a Body
• 🏁 Writing a Conclusion

🔗 References

Before you learn how to start an analysis essay, you should understand some fundamentals of writing this type of paper. It implies that you analyze an argument using a range of claims supported by facts . It is essential to understand that in your analysis essay, you’ll need to explore the negative sides of the issue and the positive ones. That’s what distinguishes an analytical essay from, say, a persuasive one.

These are the steps to write an academic paper :

• Review the literature . Before starting any paper, you should familiarize yourself with what has already been written in the field. And the analytical essay is no exception. The easiest way is to search on the web for the information.
• Brainstorm ideas. After you’ve done your search, it is time for a brainstorm! Make a list of topics for your analysis essay, and then choose the best one. Generate your thesis statement in the same way.
• Prepare an outline . Now, when you’ve decided on the topic and the thesis statement of your analytical essay, think of its structure. Below you will find more detailed information on how your paper should be structured.
• Write the first draft. You’ve done a lot of work by now. Congratulations! Your next goal is to write the first version of your analysis essay, using all the notes that you have. Remember, you don’t need to make it perfect!
• Polish your draft. Now take your time to polish and edit your draft to transform it into the paper’s final version.

You are usually assigned to analyze an article, a book, a movie, or an event. If you need to write your analytical essay on a book or an article, you’ll have to analyze the style of the text, its main points, and the author’s purported goals.

🤔 Analytical Essay: Getting Started

The key to writing an analysis paper is to choose an argument that you will defend throughout it. For example: maybe you are writing a critical analysis paper on George Orwell’s Animal Farm The first and imperative task is to think about your thesis statement. In the case of Animal Farm , the argument could be:

In Orwell’s Animal Farm , rhetoric and language prove to be more effective ways to keep social control than physical power.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives a great explanation of the thesis statement , how to create one, and what its function is.

But that’s not all. Once you have your thesis statement, you need to break down how you will approach your analysis essay to prove your thesis. To do this, follow these steps:

• Define the main goal(s) of your analysis . Remember that it is impossible to address each and every aspect in a single paper. Know your goal and focus on it.
• Conduct research , both online and offline, to clarify the issue contained within your thesis statement.
• Identify the main parts of the issue by looking at each part separately to see how it works.
• Try to clearly understand how each part works.
• Identify the links between the various aspects of the topic .
• By using the information you found, try to solve your main problem .

At this point, you should have a clear understanding of both the topic and your thesis statement. You should also have a clear direction for your analysis paper firmly planted in your mind and recorded in writing.

This will give you what you need to produce the paper’s outline.

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An outline is the starting point for your work. A typical analytical essay features the usual essay structure. A 500-word essay should consist of a one-paragraph introduction, a three-paragraph body, and a one-paragraph conclusion. Find below a great analytical essay outline sample. Feel free to use it as an example when doing your own work!

Analysis Essay: Introduction

• Start with a startling statement or provocative question.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal”. Animal Farm abounds in ironic and provocative phrases to start an analytical essay.

• Introduce the work and its author.
• Give background information that would help the reader understand your opinion.
• Formulate a thesis statement informing the reader about the purpose of the essay. Essay format does not presuppose telling everything possible on the given topic. Thus, a thesis statement tells what you are going to say, implying what you will not discuss, establishing the limits.

In Animal Farm, Orwell uses different irony types to ridicule totalitarianism to manifest its inability to make every member of society equal and happy.

Analysis Essay: Body

The analytical essay structure requires 2-3 developmental paragraphs, each dedicated to one separate idea confirming your thesis statement. The following template should be used for each of the body paragraphs.

• Start with a topic sentence that supports an aspect of your thesis.

Dramatic irony is used in Animal Farm to point out society’s ignorance.

• Continue with textual evidence (paraphrase, summary, direct quotations, specific details). Use several examples that substantiate the topic sentence.

Animals are unaware of the fact that Boxer was never sent to the hospital. He was sent to the slaughterhouse. However, the reader and writer understand that this is a lie.

• Conclude with an explanation.

By allowing the readers to learn some essential facts before the characters, dramatic irony creates suspense and shows how easy it is to persuade and manipulate the public.

Analysis Essay Conclusion

The next four points will give you a short instruction on how to conclude an analytical essay.

• Never use new information or topics here.
• Restate your thesis in a different formulation.
• Summarize the body paragraphs.
• Comment on the analyzed text from a new perspective.

📔 Choosing a Title for Your Analysis Essay

Choosing a title seems like not a significant step, but it is actually very important. The title of your critical analysis paper should:

• Entice and engage the reader
• Be unique and capture the readers’ attention
• Provide an adequate explanation of the content of the essay in just a few carefully chosen words

In the Animal Farm example, your title could be:

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“How Do the Pigs Manage to Keep Social Control on Animal Farm?”

Analysis Essay Topics

• Analyze the media content.
• Analyze the specifics and history of hip-hop culture.
• Sociological issues in the film Interstellar .
• Discuss the techniques M. Atwood uses to describe social issues in her novel The Handmaid’s Tale .
• Compare and analyze the paintings of Van Gogh and George Seurat.
• Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat .
• Examine the juvenile crime rates.
• Describe the influence of different parenting styles on children’s mind.
• Analyze the concept of the Ship of Theseus .
• Compare and analyze the various views on intelligence .
• Analysis of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman .
• Discuss the techniques used by W. Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream .
• Analyze the biography of Frederic Chopin .
• Manifestation of the Chicano culture in the artwork An Ofrenda for Dolores del Rio .
• Similarities and differences of Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Spanish Empires .
• Describe the problem of stalking and its impact on human mental health.
• Examine the future of fashion .
• Analyze the topicality of the article Effectiveness of Hand Hygiene Interventions in Reducing Illness Absence .
• Discuss Thomas Paine’s impact on the success of American revolution.
• Meaningful messages in Recitatif by Toni Morrison .
• Explore the techniques used by directors in the film Killing Kennedy .
• Compare the leadership styles of Tang Empress Wu Zetian and the Pharaoh Cleopatra .
• Evaluate the credibility of Kristof’s arguments in his article Remote Learning Is Often an Oxymoron .
• Analyze genetically modified food .
• Examine the influence of Europeans on Indian tribes in The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson .
• Describe the rhetoric techniques used in The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde .
• The importance of fighting against violence in communities in the documentary film The Interrupters .
• Analyze indoor and outdoor pollution .
• Analyze the issue of overprotective parenthood .
• Explore the connection between eating habits and advertisement.
• Discuss the urgence of global warming issue .
• Influence of sleep on people’s body and mental health.
• Analyze the relationship between Christianity and sports .
• Discuss the concept of leadership and its significance for company efficiency.
• Analyze the key lessons of the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki .
• Examine the specifics of nursing ethic .
• The theme of emotional sufferings in the short story A Rose for Emily .
• Analysis of bias in books for children .
• Analyze the rhetoric of the article Public Monuments .
• Describe the main messages in Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea .
• Explore the problem of structural racism in healthcare .
• The reasons of tango dance popularity.
• The shortcomings of the American educational system in Waiting for Superman.
• Analyze and compare Erin’s Law and Megan’s Law .
• Analyze the James Madison’s essay Federalist 10 .
• Examine symbols in the movie The Joker .
• Compare the thematic connection and stylistic devices in the poems The Road Not Taken and Find Your Way .
• Describe and analyze the life of Eddie Bernice Johnson .
• Explore the social classes in America .
• Crucial strengths and weaknesses of the main translation theories .

💁 Writing Your Analytical Essay Introduction

You must understand how to compose an introduction to an analysis paper. The University of Wollongong describes the introduction as a “map” of any writing. When writing the introduction, follow these steps:

• Provide a lead-in for the reader by offering a general introduction to the topic of the paper.
• Include your thesis statement , which shifts the reader from the generalized introduction to the specific topic and its related issues to your unique take on the essay topic.
• Present a general outline of the analysis paper.

Watch this great video for further instructions on how to write an introduction to an analysis essay.

Example of an Analytical Essay Introduction

“Four legs good, two legs bad” is one of the many postulates invented by George Orwell for his characters in Animal Farm to vest them with socialist ideology and control over the animal population. The social revolution on Manor Farm was built on language instruments, first for the collective success of the animals, and later for the power consolidation by the pigs. The novel was written in 1945 when the transition from limitless freedoms of socialist countries transformed into dictatorship. Through his animal protagonists, the author analyzes the reasons for peoples’ belief in the totalitarian regime. In Orwell’s Animal Farm , rhetoric and language prove to be more effective ways to keep social control than physical power.

🏋 Writing Your Analytical Essay Body

The body of the paper may be compared to its heart. This is the part where you show off your talent for analysis by providing convincing, well-researched, and well-thought-out arguments to support your thesis statement. You have already gathered the information, and now all you may start crafting your paper.

To make the body of an analytical essay, keep the following in mind:

• Discuss one argument per paragraph , although each argument can relate to multiple issues
• Strike a balance between writing in an unbiased tone, while expressing your personal opinion
• Be reasonable when making judgments regarding any of the problems you discuss
• Remember to include the opposing point of view to create a balanced perspective

The bottom line is: you want to offer opposing views, but you must pose your arguments so they will counter those opposing views and prove your point of view. Follow these steps when constructing each body paragraph:

• Choose the main sentence. The main or topic sentence will be the first line in your essay. The topic sentence is responsible for presenting the argument you will discuss in the paragraph and demonstrate how this argument relates to the thesis statement.
• Provide the context for the topic sentence , whether it relates to a quote, a specific incident in society, or something else. Offer evidence on who, what, where, when, why, and how.
• Give your analysis of the argument and how it adequately proves your thesis.
• Write a closing sentence that sums up the paragraph and provides a transition to the following paragraph.

Example of an Analytical Essay Body

Literacy can grant power, provided that there are animals who cannot read or write. In the beginning, the animals’ literacy and intellect are relatively the same. Old Major is the cleverest pig; he is the kind old philosopher, like Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin. During his retirement, he develops a theory that all humans are the root of evil. His speech was the foundation for the pigs’ assumption of power. They refined his ideas into a new ideology and called it Animalism. They also learned how to read. It allowed the pigs to declare themselves the “mind workers.” Therefore, the pigs’ literacy assured the illiterate animals in their objective superiority.

Meanwhile, as the pigs were the intellectual elite, they were not supposed to work, which raised their social status by itself. Snowball tried to promote education among all the animals, but most of them failed to master the alphabet. This is a metaphor for the general public being predominantly ignorant and easy to manipulate. At the same time, Boxer and other animals that spend most of the day in hard work merely have no time to develop their intellect. Thus, the pigs’ intention to build a school for pig children was highly efficient. Unequal access to education and unequal ability to express one’s thoughts in perspective reinforce the social divide, making the pigs smarter and more powerful and undermining other animals’ self-esteem.

At this point, the pigs resort to propaganda and rhetoric. Squealer uses his oratorical gift to refine the pigs’ message to the other animals. Upon Napoleon’s order, he breaks the Seven Commandments of farm governance. At night, he climbs the ladder to change them, and once even falls from the ladder trying to change the commandment on alcohol. The “proletarian” animals soon forget what the Seven Commandments were like in the first place and are unsure if they have ever been altered. Further on, Minimus writes a poem praising Napoleon. Finally, Squealer replaces the Commandments with a single assertion: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Language is no longer used to convince. It is used to control and manipulate.

🏁 Writing Your Analytical Essay Conclusion

The conclusion is short and sweet. It summarizes everything you just wrote in the essay and wraps it up with a beautiful shiny bow. Follow these steps to write a convincing conclusion:

• Repeat the thesis statement and summarize your argument. Even when using the best summary generator for the task, reread it to make sure all the crucial points are included.
• Take your argument beyond what is simply stated in your paper. You want to show how it is essential in terms of the bigger picture. Also, you may dwell on the influence on citizens of the country.

Example of an Analytical Essay Conclusion

Because of everything mentioned above, it becomes clear that language and rhetoric can rise to power, establish authority, and manipulate ordinary people. Animal Farm is the simplified version of a communist society. It shows how wise philosophers’ good intentions can be used by mean leaders to gain unopposed power and unconditional trust. Unfortunately, this can lead to the death of many innocent animals, i.e., people, as totalitarianism has nothing to do with people’s rule. Therefore, language and oratory are potent tools that can keep people oppressed and weak, deprive them of any chance for improvement and growth, and make them think that there is no other possible existence.

Now you are ready to write an analysis essay! See, it’s easier than you thought.

Of course, it’s always helpful to see other analysis essay examples. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock provides some great examples of an analytical paper .

✏️ Analysis Essay FAQ

A great analytical paper should be well-structured, cohesive, and logically consistent. Each part of the essay should be in its place, creating a smooth and easy-to-read text. Most importantly, the statements should be objective and backed by arguments and examples.

It is a paper devoted to analyzing a certain topic or subject. An analysis essay is all about reviewing certain details of the subject and interpreting them. For example, such an analysis for a poem includes a description of artistic means that helped the poet convey the idea.

Writing an analytical essay on a book/movie/poem start with an outline. Point out what catches the eye when reviewing the subject. See how these details can be interpreted. Make sure that you refer to the main idea/message. Add an appropriate introduction and a logical conclusion.

Being more analytical in writing can be essential for a student. This is a skill that can be self-taught: try to start noticing subtle details and describe them. As you write, interpret the facts and strive to draw conclusions. Try to be as objective as possible.

• Elements of Analysis
• How Can I Create Stronger Analysis?
• How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay: Bucks.edu
• Essay Structure | – Harvard College Writing Center
• Analytical Writing: Looking Closely (Colostate.edu)
• Analytical Thesis Statements – University of Arizona
• Writing an analytic essay – UTSC – University of Toronto
• Organizing Your Analysis // Purdue Writing Lab
• How to Write an Analytical Essay: 15 Steps (with Pictures)
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This resource helps me a lot. Thanks! You guys have great information. Do you think I can use these steps when taking a test? Could it be known as plagiarized if I just copy and paste the information?

Glad to help, Hazel! You can use it in your test but you should cite it accordingly

Thanks, very good information.

Thank you for your attention, Jaweria🙂!

Thanks for learning how to critique research papers in a proper way! This is what I need to cope with this task successfully! Thanks!

How much is an essay, and is there a chance it can be plagiarized?

You have to remember that the price for our services depends on a lot of factors. You can find the detailed price quote here: https://custom-writing.org/prices (the page will be opened in a new window). You can check out the prices depending on the subjects and deadlines that you choose. No – it can’t be plagiarized: the papers are written from scratch according to your instructions. We also stress the importance of the fact that you CAN’T, under any circumstances, use our final product as your own work – the papers, which we provide, are to be used for research purposes only!

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How to Write an Analytical Essay

If you are still sitting with a blank piece of paper because you don’t know how to write an analytical paper, there is no reason to fall into despair. When the paper is due the next couple of days, you need to stop procrastinating! With our simple step-by-step guide and sample paragraph you will easily write your own analytical essay. PayForWriting takes the stress out of college essay writing – simply request “ write my college essay “, and we’ll take care of the rest with unmatched quality and support. So, let’s start!

What Is an Analytical Essay?

An analytical essay is a written work that evaluates or criticizes a book, a piece of music, a movie, or art. Usually students are asked to discuss the style, theme, and value of the work of art. The analytical essay is written to express thoughts and views on a particular issue in a compelling and persuasive manner. Analytical writing requires students to use critical thinking during the reading or viewing, and to deliver conclusions from it.

Analytical thinking is a person’s ability to use logic in analyzing information and making decisions. A person with good analytical skills is able to collect facts, analyze them, and build a chain of facts which would lead to correct conclusions (to the most probable results). From a practical point of view, analytical thinking is:

• The breakdown of information into separate components.
• A comprehensive analysis of these components, as well as initial information in general.
• The restoration of missing information through logical inferences.

This kind of paper shouldn’t be compared to a simple summary of text, but a more serious and thought-out work. For example, if your aim is to analyze the book, but you write only the description of the main characters, it doesn’t count. In your analytical essay you need not only present the short overview of the story, but also see deeper into the context of the text.

Steps to Writing an Analytical Essay

This paragraph is aimed to ease your writing process – you just need to complete steps one by one until you reach the finish. Surely you can skip some steps or make it in your own way, as we are here only to give you some recommendations and helpful tips.

Planning an Analytical Essay

Step 1. Plan your time. Many students frequently skip this step and write their essays just in a couple of hours before the deadline. For analytical essays students are asked to read a book or article and analyze it. If it is a book which is 400 pages or a scientific article which needs time to find definitions to certain words, you won’t be able to read it and make a complex analysis in one day. It is true you can write an analytical essay in a rush, but will it be good? If you want to write an A+ analytical essay, you should plan to write it ahead.

Step 2. Read the assignment. Don’t rush to write as soon as you read the assignment. Read your assignment attentively and multiple times through. It happens that a missed word can lead to a badly written essay, and you should spend more time to rewrite it. How long should your paper be? Do you need more research about the topic? Does your tutor ask for a particular format? Are you sure that your essay should be about a movie/novel/etc.?

Step 3. Decide on the topic. If your tutor hasn’t assigned you a particular book or historical event, you need to choose it on your own. For books it its advisable to pick a topic related to a hero’s actions or relationships, the motif of the story, or particular symbols. For a historical event, you can describe the crucial moments, premises of a particular event, or the influence of this event on further history. For academic articles analyze the scientific method or the outcomes of several investigations or experiments. Here is a list of analytical essay topics we offer you to use.

Step 4. Read the work. Read it carefully and attentively to get a clear understanding about the topic. This is one of the most important steps, as all your writing depends on how clearly you have understood the work that should be analyzed.

• Do some actions in the story have certain meanings?
• Does the story have a significant subtext?
• What phrases are the core of the story?
• What metaphors has the author used?
• What images appear multiple times?
• What is the target audience?

Make notes on the margins or in your notebook. This will help you find answers to questions or clarify points about the piece. Make sure that you have understood the meaning of words and phrases.

When you need to analyze text, no matter if it is fiction or non-fiction, you need to know how to make notes to better your writing and use your intellectual abilities more efficiently. Usually students are advised to use one of these note-taking strategies: pattern notes, which are used for evaluation, and linear notes, for analysis or structure. There is no need to use only one strategy, as you can combine them if you want to dig deeper into the topic. With these methods you will be able to see the problem more clearly and in proper detail.

Step 5. Find supporting material. An analytical essay requires from the writer to add supporting evidence or material for every paragraph. All materials that can accompany your analysis will be helpful: critical articles, movies related to the topic, and reviews.

For example, if you are analyzing a book, you can add the following evidence: quotations from the text, examples between text, and analysis of literary critics. For social studies and history you are welcome to add proofs like examples from primary sources, interpretations from academics, and examples of previous events based on prior examples. For science, use others’ experimental results and your own.

Step 6. Create an outline. The plan is not a necessary element of an analytical essay, but it will make the writing process easier. The phrases that you have underlined in your book, questions that you have written in the margins, and phrases that you have included in your outline are the basis of your future essay. Before proceeding directly to writing, try to organize your thoughts and pick details that will support your ideas. Then arrange you materials: what will come first, second, third. The best order is when the reader can easily follow your thoughts and understand the idea effortlessly.

Note. Don’t delete ideas that don’t fit the topic; save them just in case.

A general analytical essay outline looks like this:

1. Introduction 2. Body consisting of three (or more) paragraphs

• topic sentence, analysis, evidence

3. Conclusion.

A classical essay usually consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion. The following steps are only some of the ways you can organize your writing. If you have an idea for writing one of the body paragraphs, start with it. Also, writing an introduction at the end of the process is also a normal practice. If your paragraphs are structured as a classical essay, you are doing well. At Payforwriting, you can pay for essay and expect outstanding results.

Writing an Analytical Essay

Step 1. Writing a title. Create an interesting title that will reflect not only the topic of the work, but also the main point of your essay. Don’t forget to consider the audience that will be reading your essay. But don’t limit yourself only with the professor’s image. Imagine that you are writing the essay for classmates. Your role is to explain the work and how certain points relate to the thesis statement.

Step 2. Writing an introduction. The analytical essay introduction should make the topic clear to the reader, and hook them with an interesting fact and provoke interest. Here you need to state the thesis statement, subject matter, the purpose of your essay, and a brief description of the content. It’s important to state the main information about the work you are going to analyze in the subsequent paragraph: author, title, and a short overview in several sentences.

For example, if your topic is about “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keys, the introduction can look like this:

Flowers for Algernon is attributed to a science fiction drama. However, the element of fiction is small and subordinate, and the dramatic component is in the foreground. At first glance the novel is quite simple in understanding, and we see only a sad story. But in fact, the novel is full of philosophical ideas. Thirty-three year old Charlie Gordon is mentally retarded. At the same time, he has work, friends, and an irresistible desire to learn. He agrees to take part in a dangerous scientific experiment in the hope of becoming clever. This fantastic story has an amazing psychological force and makes you think about universal moral issues: do we have the right to conduct experiments on each other, what results can this lead to, and what price are we willing to pay for becoming “the smartest”?

Step 3. Writing a thesis. The content of the analytical essay will largely depend on what is chosen as a main idea or point (also called thesis). For example, if you need to analyze a book, you can consider artistic techniques the author uses or evaluate the problems raised in the story. For this reason, it is very important to accurately determine what exactly you are going to discuss in the essay.

For example, the theme of space and time in the early prose of James Joyce’s “Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man” is too broad and cannot be covered in the typical analytical essay word count. In this instance, you can use this thesis: “James Joyce sees the woman in three aspirations: purity, sex, and salvation.”

Step 4. Writing the main body . In the main part, you first need to present the strongest thesis, then analyze and argue your statement. You shouldn’t be tempted to summarize the book, as the primary goal of your essay is not to analyze it. Turn on your imagination, as these paragraphs will be the core of your essay. If you have passed all steps from the planning section, you have already created an outline for your essay, so you can let it be the skeleton of your essay body. Every paragraph should have the same structure to make your text easy to read and understand.

It is necessary to focus on these points in each paragraph of the body:

• The topic sentence. Open every body paragraph with a topic sentence that will briefly state what this paragraph will discuss. For example, the topic sentence to “Flowers for Algernon” may sound like this: “As intelligence grows, Charlie becomes more and more alienated from people. He is constantly told that during his mental retardation he was good-natured, smiling, and had many friends. But he perfectly understands what the price of this ‘friendship’ was.”
• Take a side. You will want to pick a side in your argument. For example: “What is the price of such friends? It consists of the fact that Charlie attracted people only because he was an eternal whipping boy and was an easy target for constant jeers. In fact, this ‘friendship’ is all the same alienation, only not realized by a mentally retarded person.”
• Add evidence. Pick a piece of text that reinforce your thoughts. For example, to make evidence to the theme of Algernon’s loneliness you can use this quote: “Once again now I have the feeling of shame burning inside me. This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved… They’ve driven me out of the factory. Now I’m more alone than ever before…”
• Tie everything up. You should describe how evidence is connected with your point of view. In fact, Charlie wanted more to be loved than to become intelligent, as to give feelings to others and to receive the same feelings in return is life. He was deprived from this in both cases: being mentally retarded, and being a genius.

At the end of each paragraph don’t forget to include transitional sentences to connect paragraphs and make your text flow. As a result, moving from one statement to another, you will gradually reveal the theme of your essay. But do not forget that the body paragraphs should not repeat each other in meaning and should disclose your main statement.

If you are analyzing a literary work, indicate the importance of the author’s work. A good idea is to add important details from the author’s biography and interesting moments of his or her life.

Step 5. Writing a conclusion. Often, writing a conclusion is considered the most difficult issue, requiring concentration of thought and attention. The conclusion is closely intertwined with the main part and the introduction, and doesn’t separate from them in style and content. The transition to it is a harmonious continuation of the work, reflecting its result in a brief form.

So, how can you write a conclusion for an analytical essay? For this type of essay you need to persuade your audience in the results of your analysis. The ending of your essay should leave a sense of completeness and full disclosure of the topic. Start with restating the thesis statement and summarizing the main points from the body paragraphs considering our previous advice.

For example, the conclusion to an analysis of “Flowers for Algernon” may look like this: “In conclusion, it can be said that this novel shows the rise and fall of the human spirit, and makes us think about how intellectual level transforms a person and radically changes relationships with people.”

This is only the beginning of a conclusion, written to give you an idea of how a conclusion can look. At the end, you can use the author’s quote to reinforce the main idea of your essay.

Finishing an Analytical Essay

Step 1. Make sure that the text does not have grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. These errors can also be checked by using standard checking programs. Correct all points. If necessary, just make the changes. Try to achieve the integrity and harmony of the general narrative.

Step 2. Set the paper aside for a couple of hours or days depending on the deadline. Check the paper according to the points from this list:

• Are you sure that you have accurately responded to the specific instructions?
• Have you covered the topic in your work?
• Does your text stick to the central idea (thesis statement)?
• Make sure that you haven’t used slang and “I” statements.
• Does every part contribute to a better understanding of the topic?
• Make sure that evidence and quotations are in the right place and in appropriate format.
• Ensure that all information is properly referenced.
• Use appropriate transition words between ideas and phrases.
• Check your paper for plagiarism in the program that is approved by your college.
• Don’t forget that you can always ask your friends and tutors for help or advice.

Analytical Essay Sample

One of our writers has completed this analytical essay example to show you how a good essay should look. Don’t copy this paper, as it will not serve that purpose to you. Pay attention to these files with the example of an analytical essay and note how paragraphs are structured and how the author presents a particular point of view.

Click the images to see their full size.

Tips for Analytical Essay Writing

• An essay with an outline is likely to be more coherent and clear than one without an outline. When you have a plan at hand you will speed up your writing process.
• Think outside the box. Five-paragraph essays may seem a cliché for your tutor, and if you want a high grade, think about a different organizing formula.
• Use your natural voice and try not to be pretentious. Don’t show your knowledge of SAT vocabulary; that won’t impress your reader.
• An analytical essay is more formal than informal, but you need to keep the balance between them – imagine that you are trying to explain complex things to your friends.
• Always leave time to reread your finished text. Set your paper aside for a couple of hours and read it with fresh eyes. It is possible that you have missed some mistakes even after several proofreading sessions.
• Keep only those sentences that add meaning to your text. Avoid adding sentences that don’t make sense only for the word count. An analytical essay should be aimed to be informative and concise.
• Using quotes is a great decision for your analytical essay. But you don’t need to put them everywhere. It is advisable to use them as evidence in paragraphs to support your ideas and thoughts. Sometimes you can use it in the introduction or conclusion, but only in case it really corresponds to the text.
• If you don’t know how to start writing the thesis statement, ask yourself a question: “What am I going to analyze?” Start by answering this question for your thesis statement.
• In each body paragraph try to see the issue from various points – in such a way you can find out new moments and evidence that should be considered.

Dear readers, we hope this information will be helpful when you will be writing your analytical essay. It is not a secret that success in academic writing goes only with constant practice.

Analytical skills are usually necessary in situations where a person is inclined to a scientific or writing activity, advocacy or medicine, or investigations or research, because the results of the activities will be used by other people, and these results must be flawless and unmistakable. By writing an analytical essay on your own, you will make a great step in developing your analytical skills. Don’t skip this chance. Live long and prosper!

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