Depending on your topic, your essay may require documentation (inline notes, Works Cited, etc.). If so, use MLA format as described in Ch 20 of your text.
What Is an Analytical Essay?
One of the most common college assignments, an analytical essay asks you to carefully analyze a specific topic. The topic can range from current events, movies, books, news stories, a period In history, or anything that requires further understanding. Analytical essays prove a point using claims backed by evidence. Be aware that an analytical essay does not necessarily have be about a controversial topic. It might just be an explanation: how the lungs work, for example.
Analytical Essay Outline
The first thing to consider is the analytical essay format. The analytical essay for this class is 500 words, which means that it can follow the classic five paragraphs format of essays with an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. If you need to write a longer or more detailed analysis, you can expand on the number of body paragraphs. Developing an outline is useful to plan the essay and get an overview of the structure. Many people skip making an outline but it is worth it because the time you spend planning will help guide your research and make writing the actual essay take less time. Let’s have a look at a typical analytical essay outline.
• Introduction
• Hook
• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Body paragraph 1
• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence
• Transition to body paragraph to
• Body paragraph 2
• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence
• Transition to body paragraph 3
• Body paragraph 3
• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence
• Transition to conclusion
• Conclusion
• Summary of major points
• Restate the thesis
• Key takeaways
Analytical Essay Introduction
Writing an introduction for analytical papers is no different than writing an introduction for any other type of essay. The introduction is the first thing somebody reads so it’s important to both engage the reader as well as make sure they understand what the paper is going to be about. A good introduction provides background information, clearly states what the goal of the paper is, and hints at the claims you are going to make.
The very first sentence should be a hook. This means that it should capture the reader’s attention and compel them to read the rest of the essay. A hook can be a curious fact, a joke, an engaging question, essentially anything that’s connected to your topic and also interesting.
Next, you need to give background information about the topic you are analyzing. If it is a piece of work done by somebody else like a book or a movie then this is where you give the title, year of release, name of the director/author, etc. If it is an academic subject or an abstract concept then this is where you give some brief background so that the audience gets an understanding of the topic.
Next, you need to clearly state your thesis. A thesis statement is essentially the main purpose of your essay. It is one or two sentences that clearly identify the issue you are going to analyze, hints at the claim you are trying to make, and states your opinion if you have one.
Thesis Statement
Coming up with a good thesis statement is one of the biggest challenges of any type of essay writing. A thesis statement clearly states the purpose of your essay in one or two sentences. A good thesis statement gives the reader an understanding of what the
essay is about. For analytical essays, a thesis statement presents specifically what you analyzed and the conclusion you drew.
Each body paragraph should present evidence that backs up the claims you make in your thesis statement, so coming up with a clear and specific thesis is vitally important when writing an analytical essay. A thesis statement that is too broad can be difficult to prove in an analytical essay which is why it needs to be specific. Let’s take a look at the following thesis statements:
• Climate change is one of the biggest problems in the world right now.
• Video games are going to be more important in the future.
• Reality television is bad for teenagers.
The topics being analyzed are interesting but the thesis statements are too broad to be covered in just one essay. Exactly how the topics will be analyzed are not mentioned, leaving the reader with no idea how you are going to approach the issue. The following are better versions of these thesis statements.
• Youth activism is one of the driving forces in the climate change debate and is affecting policy changes in governments.
• The gamification of education is making video games essential to the future of humanity.
• False versions of reality expressed in reality television shows are negatively impacting teenagers’ self-esteem.
These thesis statements analyze the main topics of climate change, video games, and reality television, but they focus on specific elements and include an opinion. This gives the paper direction and informs the reader exactly what the paper will be about. They further clearly identify the way the topic will be analyzed and can help you present specific evidence in the body paragraphs.
Analytical Essay Body
In a five paragraph structure, there are three body paragraphs, but in an analytical essay, you might have more. The body paragraphs contain the meat of your essay, the evidence that supports your thesis statement. Each body paragraph should discuss a particular claim or piece of evidence and follows a specific format.
• 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”. This topic sentence clearly explains what the paragraph will be about and allows you to provide factual 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 that proves the validity of your topic sentence. 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, but analytical papers that are too dense with information can be hard to read and understand, so only mention the most important facts and figures.
End each body paragraph with a brief restatement of the topic sentence, emphasizing how the evidence you’ve presented backs up the claim. This is a great way of transitioning to the next body paragraph that contains a different 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
The conclusion of an analysis essay restates all the main points in a concise way. This is not the place to add new information or provide new points of analysis, rather it is a summary of the essay presented in a way to make the main purpose clear. In general, this is the format of a conclusion paragraph for an analysis paper.
• Restate the thesis
• Summarize the main topic sentences
• Provide key pieces of evidence
• Author’s thoughts on possible further analysis
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. After going
through three body paragraphs this is important so that the reader makes connections between 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.
Steps For How to Write an Analytical Essay
Before you actually start writing an analytical essay there are several steps you can take to make the process easier. The more preparation work you do beforehand, the easier the writing will go and the essay will have better flow and structure overall. These are the steps you should take before you even start writing.
• Brainstorm different topic ideas
• Research a few topics you like
• Choose a topic you like that has enough information to back up your claims
• Come up with a thesis statement to help direct your research
• Make an outline
Choose a Topic
The good thing about analytical essay topics is that anything can be analyzed so anything can be a topic. The bad news is that with so many options it can be challenging to find one actually worth analyzing. First things first, if your teacher has assigned a list of topics to choose from, go over the list and pick out the ones you find interesting. If your teacher has assigned a list of options then It is your job to explore one of the topics in a unique and interesting way. If you can choose any topic you want, go over a list of potential topics and conduct brief research to narrow them down to just two or three. The topic you choose should be based on a few things:
• If you are genuinely interested in the topic it will make the research and writing more fun
• The topic should have enough research for you to back your claims
• The topic should not be too broad so that you cannot fully explore it in one essay
• Try and find a unique way of approaching the topic
Congratulations, you have just finished the first step of how to write an analytical essay!
Steps To Choosing An Analytical Essay Topic
Write an Analytical Thesis Statement
Now that you have a topic in mind and have done adequate research your next challenge when writing an analytical essay is to come up with a thesis statement. A thesis statement is one or two sentences towards the end of an introductory paragraph that clearly states the purpose of the essay. A thesis statement directs the entire essay and tells the reader what to expect. Why write a thesis statement so early? Because coming up with a thesis statement early will help direct your research. Not only does this save time, but it also helps structure the essay and arguments in your mind as you discover new information.
A good thesis statement clearly states the specific topic you are going to talk about, what exactly you are going to analyze, and includes your opinion. For example, the thesis statement “The gamification of education is making video games essential to the future of humanity”, clearly tells the audience the essay will be about video games and their impact on education.
Organize the Body of Your Essay
Body paragraphs are the place in an analysis paper where you provide evidence to show the reader that your findings are valid. Each body paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence that describes what is going to be discussed in that paragraph. Each body paragraph should only talk about one specific point of analysis or evidence. Each body paragraph should highlight a piece of evidence that backs up your original thesis. Organize your body paragraphs in a way that builds an argument from various viewpoints while ensuring that there is good flow and each individual argument is easy to understand.
Do research
Now that you have a thesis statement and understand the overall structure of the body paragraphs it is time to actually find the information you need to back up your analysis. Research your topic thoroughly while focusing on information related to your thesis. Make a list of information that backs up your claim and check if the sources are reliable or not. Choose three or four of the most relevant pieces of information that back up your claim and conduct further research on that information in particular. Fill in relevant information into your outline and record where you found the information. Doing research when writing an analytical essay doesn’t have to take a long time or be boring, it can be fun if you enjoy the topic and conduct well-directed research.
Use Evidence Effectively
For an analytical essay to be convincing it needs facts, but presenting the facts in a robotic way isn’t persuasive or engaging. Use the evidence and information you find in your research but craft a story around it. You can state a statistic like “30% of children in third world countries use education applications or say “30% of children in developing countries without access to formal education now use education applications to get high school degrees and pull their families out of poverty”.
Write an Effective Summary
A conclusion paragraph is essentially a summary of all the main points of the essay. A well-written conclusion recaps the most important elements of the essay in just a few sentences. You can do this by restating the thesis to remind the readers about the purpose of the essay, and then restating the topic sentences from each body paragraph to summarize the strongest pieces of evidence backing up your claim. Finally, in a sentence or two explain why the topic is important and how your analysis is unique.
Just a few more things and you will know how to write an analysis essay!
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 have this section devoted entirely to it. Remember that a good topic:
• Is something you generally find interesting
• Should attract a reader’s attention
• 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 paper isn’t easy, but make sure you spend enough time pinpointing something that fulfills the criteria. A good topic is the difference between enjoying the writing process and getting a good grade, or finding it a chore and getting a bad grade.
Here is a list of good analytical essay topics to get you started.
Topics About Psychology
•
• • •
What qualifies as a mental disorder?
Why do more young people feel lonely?
What is the effect of lockdowns on mental health? What are effective methods of coping with depression?
Topics About Pop Culture
• An analysis of the history of Science Fiction.
• Why blank is the best music genre.
• The rise and fall of Kanye West.
• What is the impact of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Topics About Art And History
• How does World War II still affect us?
• An analysis of postmodern art.
• What is the influence of the Renaissance?
• What are the lessons learned from war?
More Topics
• Why do people have phobias?
• How to get rid of gambling addiction.
• Love is a chemical reaction.
• Why do people see nightmares?
• Why do we yawn and sneeze?
• Why do many people lie?
• Why do we feel angry?
• Why do teens more often have acne?
• Causes of suicide among young girls.
• Why do people become alcoholics?
• Why do animals have tails?
• Why do pets help older people live happier and longer?
• Why animals are afraid of people?
• Why do birds fly southwards?
• Why do ants live in colonies?
• Why do insects go fly to the light?
• Why do some living creatures inhabit in very deep water?
• Why is our planet protected from the radiation of the sun?
• Various forms of addiction.
• The importance of art education.
• Analyze the basic idea of a particular book.
• Should citizens and immigrants have equal rights?
• The impact of social networks on youth.
• What makes people rob?
• How to protect your family from viruses?
• Does higher education guarantee a better and more successful life? Definition-Type Analytical Essays.
• What is classical music?
• Explain the concept of friendship.
• What is the Pythagorean Theorem?
• Define bravery.
• Define Gothic Romanticism.
• What is a cold war?
• Define the concept of grief.
• What is maturity?
• What is climate change?
• Define the concept of race as a social construct.
• What is math?
• What is a millennial?
• Define the concept of privilege.
• What is a literary theme?
• What is a political party?
• Define the concept of sportsmanship.
• What is an amphibian?
• What is chemistry?
• What was the Spanish Inquisition?
• Explain the concept of dreaming.
• What is a tomato?
• What is physical fitness?
Analytical Essay Example
Why People Get Plastic Surgery
It is not a secret that the world today is obsessed with appearances. Visual attractiveness is one of the key factors when people make choices in favor of certain objects, goods, services, and even people. Products are being sold in thoroughly- designed and appealing packages; commercials exploit a variety of sensually- pleasing imagery; Hollywood actors and TV celebrities strive to be good-looking and attractive—the examples illustrating this statement are many. So, it is not surprising that, considering this tendency, some people may feel the need to fit into the prevailing standards of beauty. Fortunately for them, modern medicine can offer a way to alter and/or enhance their appearances: plastic surgery, although being considered a controversial option by many people, is an industry popular all over the world.
The Internet is full of photographs of bad examples of plastic surgery. Everyone probably remembers the history of Michael Jackson’s nose transformations, or saw photos of Jocelyn Wildenstein. Despite the possible risks, tens of thousands of people still experiment with their facial features and body proportions, spending
thousands of dollars on implants, lifts, and other cosmetic procedures. Trends and fashion cannot fully explain the motives behind undergoing plastic surgery, so let us take a closer look at what lies beneath the desire to change one’s appearance.
It is a common stereotype that plastic surgery is mostly for women. This is not necessarily true: there are many men who also undergo plastic surgery, and multiple times. One of the possible reasons for this is the fear of aging. A person, especially if he or she can boast of charm and beauty in youth, may feel the urge to save this appearance. In a society where the first impression is always important, changes in how a person looks may affect his or her career and social relationships This is especially true for people whose appearance is important for their profession: TV hosts, actors, pop musicians, models, and so on. Among the celebrities known to have had undergone plastic surgery procedures are Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Linda Evangelista, Courtney Love, and other people whose names you got used to see in the media (Harper’s Bazaar). As for men, the list includes Mickey Rourke, Steven Tyler, Tom Cruise, Christian Bale, and many other names; some information about male celebrities undergoing plastic surgeries is mostly rumors, but the facts are still enough to say: aging men do plastic surgery as well.
Along with aging and trying to keep up with professional requirements, there is a less common yet more morbid reason why people decide to change the way they look. In psychology, there is a well-known condition called dysmorphophobia, or body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. It is characterized by being constantly preoccupied and obsessed over one’s physical appearance. Usually, a person with BDD finds a real or an imagined flaw in his or her appearance, and start perceiving themselves as ugly or worthless because of it. The level of frustration and psychological tension can grow so high that a person with BDD will try to avoid social contact. Dysmorphophobia is one of the common reasons why people choose to undergo plastic surgery procedures, but unless the true reason—the disorder—is not eliminated, a person with BDD will never feel satisfied with how they look
At the same time, there are more realistic and practical reasons for doing cosmetic surgery. If a person has suffered from an accident that changes his or her appearance drastically, it is natural that he or she wants to fix it. Or, some birth defects are known to cause serious emotional or even physical discomfort to people who have them. For example, cleft lips or skeletal deformities can bring nothing but handicaps, so the sooner they are removed, the better. In addition, it is important to notice that the outcomes of some medical surgeries such as mastectomy can be extremely traumatizing (in this particular case, a woman has one or both of her breasts removed). In this case, plastic reconstructive surgery is advisable—not from a medical point of view, but in order to alleviate psychological trauma and stress, and to return a woman to the way she used to look before.
So, as we can see, the reasons to undergo plastic surgery are many. Some of them are subjective, such as the fear of aging or obsessions, and others include professional requirements, recovering from medical procedures or accidents. It is
difficult to say whether some of these reasons are more significant than others, and in each particular case a person thinking about the surgery should contemplate all possible pros and cons of such a decision, weighing their possible gains and losses.
