Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition

In  composition,  analysis  is a form of  expository writing  in which the writer separates a subject into its elements or parts. When applied to a literary work (such as a poem, short story, or essay), analysis involves a careful examination and evaluation of details in the text, such as in a  critical essay.  Maybe youll discuss theme, symbolism, effectiveness of the work as a whole, or character development. Youll use a formal writing style and a third-person point of view to present your argument. As the writer, you will come up with a topic to analyze the work of literature around  and then find supporting evidence in the story and research in journal articles, for example, to make the case behind your argument. For example, maybe you want to discuss the theme of freedom vs. civilization in Huckleberry Finn,  analyze the effectiveness of satirist Jonathan Swifts criticisms of government at the time, or criticize Ernest Hemmingways lack of depth in  his female characters. Youll formulate your thesis statement (what you want to prove), start gathering your evidence and research, and then begin weaving together your argument. Introduction The introduction may well be the last piece you write in your analytical essay, as its your hook for the readers; its what will grab their attention. It might be a quote, an anecdote, or a question.  Until youve gotten your research well in hand and the essay well formulated, you probably wont be able to find your hook. But dont worry about writing this at the start. Save that for a bit, until your drafting really gets rolling. Thesis Statement The thesis statement, which is what youre setting out to prove, will be the first thing that you write, as it will be what youll need to find support for in the text and in research materials. Youll likely start with a broad idea of what youd like to investigate and then narrow that down,  focusing it,  as you start your preliminary research, writing down your ideas and making your outline of how you want to present your points and evidence. Itll appear in the introduction after the hook. Supporting Examples Without examples from the text, your argument has no support, so your evidence from the work of literature youre studying is critical to your whole analytical paper. Keep lists of page numbers that you might want to cite, or use highlighters, color-coded sticky notes—whatever method will enable you to find your evidence quickly when it comes time in the essay to quote and cite it. You may not use everything that you find in support, and thats OK. Using a few perfectly illustrative examples is more efficient than dumping in a load of tenuous ones. Keep two phrases in mind when preparing an analysis: Show me and So what? That is, show me (or point out) what you think are the significant details in the text (or speech or movie—or whatever it is youre analyzing), and then, regarding each of those points, answer the question, So what? What is the significance of each?What effect does that detail create (or attempt to create)?How does it shape (or attempt to shape) the readers response?How does it work in concert with other details to create effects and shape the readers response? The So what? question will help you to pick the best examples. Sources Youll likely need to have a works cited, bibliography, or references page at the end of your essay, with citations following an existing style guide, such as MLA, American Psychological Association (APA), or the Chicago Manual of Style. Generally, theyll be alphabetical by the source authors last name and include the title of the work, publication information, and page numbers. How to punctuate and format the citations will be spelled out in the particular guide youre to follow as a part of the assignment. Keeping good track of your sources while youre researching will save you time and frustration when putting this page (as well as your citations in the paper) together. When Writing In writing an analytical essay, your paragraphs will each have a main topic that supports your thesis. If a blank page intimidates you, then start with an outline, make notes on what examples and supporting research will go in each paragraph and then build the paragraphs following your outline. You can start by writing one line for each paragraph and then going back and filling in more information, the examples and research, or you can start with the first main paragraph and complete one after the other start to finish, including the research and quotes as you draft. Either way, youre probably going to reread the whole thing several times, flesh things out where the argument is incomplete or weak, and fiddle with sentences here and there as you revise.   When you think youre complete with the draft, read it out loud. That will find dropped words, awkward phrasing, and sentences that are too long or repetitive. Then, finally, proofread. Computer spellcheckers work well, but they wont necessarily pick up where you accidentally typed bet for be, for instance. Youll want all of your paragraphs to support your thesis statement. Watch where you get off topic, and cut those sentences. Save them for a different paper or essay if you dont want to delete them entirely. Keep your draft on the topic you stated at the outset, though. Conclusion If directed in your assignment, your analytical essay may have a concluding paragraph that summarizes your thesis and main points. Your introductory hook could make another appearance in the conclusion, maybe even with a twist, to bring the article back full circle.