Have you ever read an article and thought to yourself: “I disagree with this writer; I think they are biased”? Perhaps you’ve even gone as far as offering your own opinion in the comments section. If you’ve done this, good job! You have performed a critical analysis; you’ve analyzed the author’s work and offered your own opinion in response.

Writing a critical analysis requires lots of essential reading, as authors always use rhetorical techniques to gain your trust. In this article from our essay writing service, we will define critical analysis, list some topics and provide a critical analysis essay example to give you a better idea of your expected result. We will also present a robust step-by-step process of how to write a critical analysis.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Is a Crytical Analysis?
• Video Guide on Writing
• 25 Critical Analysis Essay Topics
• Writing Process
• Creating a Critical Analysis Essay Outline
• Techniques Used in Literary Critiques
• Top Tips to Save Your Time
• Example
• Writer’s Assistance

What Is a Critical Analysis Essay?

A critical analysis essay requires its writers to write a critical evaluation of an argument. Topics can range from analyzing a modern or historical event, film, book, types of music, and complicated social and political issues. It is a form of evaluation and observation with subjective elements. Critical analysis helps one to better understand a subject and it allows one to examine different controversial points of view.

The main purpose of a critical analysis essay is to tell a reader about a subject, and to explain its purpose and meaning. You will also need to present your personal point of view and critically analyze the subject.

Since critical analysis is very subjective, it is important to avoid some common mistakes. First and foremost, keep your tone formal and academic. Stay away from familiarities and slang. Second, critical analysis is mainly your own opinion on a matter that can be supported by the work of others. Do not base your entire essay on works of other scholars. If you do use supporting evidence from other sources, make sure that you reference it to avoid plagiarism. Next, make sure you focus on the analysis of the subject, rather than on the description of it. In critical analysis essays the point of interest is your opinion about the matter, not the matter itself. Lastly, make sure you follow a good structure and make sure that you have enough sufficient evidence. Double-check the logical sequence of your arguments to ensure that you present them to your reader correctly.

It is very easy to confuse a descriptive essay with a critical analysis essay. A descriptive essay simply states what the subject is, or when and how an event happened. On the other hand, a critical analysis essay explains the significance of that subject and your personal viewpoint on the matter. It digs deep into a subject and shows the complexity of it. Instead of simply describing, a critical analysis essay evaluates the issue in different contexts and points of view. Reasoning and argument are the best approaches to differentiate a critical analysis essay from a descriptive one.

How to Write a Critical Analysis — The Video Guide

Let’s take a look at some common critical analysis essay topics to give you an idea of just how broad this essay format is.

 Critical Analysis Essay Topics

Living in an era of social and political unrest certainly has its benefits. Students often pick controversial statements, articles, or events, because they lend themselves easily to critical analysis. Finding a topic for critical essay in this day and age shouldn’t be hard.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding on a topic:

• Make sure the topic lends itself easily to critical analysis. Famous literature and controversial articles would be excellent choices.
• Find a topic which is widely discussed. Different opinions can help you think outside the box and create a strong argument.
• Try to keep it narrow. Some topics can be complicated, and it may take books to explore them fully.
• Talk to your professors for ideas. They will happily point you in the right direction.

If you read books, consider taking the work of your favorite author. Famous books like Alice in Wonderland have been analyzed and interpreted in many different ways; there should be plenty of source material you could use for reference.

Here are some of the critical analysis essay topics you can use:

Culture Critical Thinking Topics

• Pick a sport that famously had a drug abuse history. Summarize and assess the situation and how it affected the competition.
• College football plays a vital role in American Universities. How does it change the community, the spirit, and the economics of the college?
• Gain a deeper understanding of homelessness in your city. Why is it a problem and which resources can the city use to help?
• Anti-drug campaigns often cause more problems than solutions. Take a look at a similar campaign and analyze its effectiveness.
• Take a look at how women are portrayed in a particular medium today. For example the medium of Cinema. Has sexism that polluted 50’s Hollywood been wholly removed from movies?

Mass Media Topics

• Take a film. What is the message, and how does the director convey it?
• Analyze a graphic novel. What is the message/passage, and how does it push the possibilities of the visual novel medium?
• Observe the remake of a classic motion picture. What has changed?
• Examine the influence of a popular TV series on youth.
• Take Facebook. What was the initial idea? Has it grown consistently with the internet and how people use it?

Critical Evaluation Topics on History

• Compare Ancient Greece to today. Are the practices, teachings, and rituals of the Ancient Greeks still relevant?
• Colonization of America was a brutal time in history. Looking back at it, could we have done it without killing the indigenous people of America?
• Ancient Egypt. Tackle the controversies surrounding the pyramids of Giza. Was it slaves or aliens who built them?
• World War II. Some say that it was a necessary tragedy that shaped the modern world. Present and analyze this controversial opinion.
• Ancient Rome borrowed heavily from Ancient Greek and Egyptian culture and art. However, when Mussolini came around, he wanted to preserve the classic Italian aesthetic of Ancient Rome. Analyze the irony of the ultra-right Fascist movement in light of these facts.

Culture Critical Thinking Topics in Literature

• Analyze Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and its impact on racism in America.
• Take a dystopian novel like 1984 or Brave New World and compare it to society today.
• J.R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is a profoundly subversive series in its genre. How does Martin achieve this, in comparison to Lord of the Rings?
• Analyze Orwell’s Animal Farm and compare it to the real history of the Soviet Union.
• Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is purposely wrongly named as the actual protagonist is Brutus. Analyze how this relates to the plot and theme of the play.

Culture Critical Thinking Topics in Sports

• Money ruined sports. Analyze the argument to establish whether it’s true or false.
• Analyze the effect of betting on the sporting community.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is known to be a bit of an actor on the field. Analyze the validity of this claim.
• Should cybersports be considered sports?
• Some say that FIFA releases the same game every year, exploiting the sports gaming community. Challenge the validity of this claim.

We hope that you have found an interesting topic you could use for reference. Let’s get right into the writing process.

How to Write a Critical Analysis

First of all, read all the sources you will use to support your opinions carefully. Most likely, you already have a solid opinion on the matter of your critical analysis essay, however, look at the problem from multiple perspectives to be more objective and open-minded. When reading other people’s works on the subject, identify their thesis and carefully include it as supporting evidence for your main argument.

Presenting other people’s opinions shows you as a considerate writer. Carefully think about your response and reaction to the subject matter of your essay. Make sure your opinions are not offensive to anyone who might read your essay and make sure that you take the different backgrounds and experiences people might have into consideration.

Next, draft your essay. Start by including an overview of your subject and its key points, and draw your reader toward your thesis statement. Each of your body paragraphs has to have a new point for your analysis. The point of each paragraph has to be fair; avoid extreme bias and any irregular needs to prove your arguments effectively.