define critical essay with examples

Critical Essay

Definition of critical essay, evolution of the critical essay, examples of critical essay in literature, example #1: jack and gill: a mock criticism (by joseph dennie).

“The personages being now seen, their situation is next to be discovered. Of this we are immediately informed in the subsequent line, when we are told, Jack and Gill Went up a hill. Here the imagery is distinct, yet the description concise. We instantly figure to ourselves the two persons traveling up an ascent, which we may accommodate to our own ideas of declivity, barrenness, rockiness, sandiness, etc. all which, as they exercise the imagination, are beauties of a high order. The reader will pardon my presumption, if I here attempt to broach a new principle which no critic, with whom I am acquainted, has ever mentioned. It is this, that poetic beauties may be divided into negative and positive, the former consisting of mere absence of fault, the latter in the presence of excellence; the first of an inferior order, but requiring considerable critical acumen to discover them, the latter of a higher rank, but obvious to the meanest capacity.”

Example #2: On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth (by Thomas De Quincey)

“But to return from this digression , my understanding could furnish no reason why the knocking at the gate in Macbeth should produce any effect, direct or reflected. In fact, my understanding said positively that it could not produce any effect. But I knew better; I felt that it did; and I waited and clung to the problem until further knowledge should enable me to solve it. At length, in 1812, Mr. Williams made his debut on the stage of Ratcliffe Highway, and executed those unparalleled murders which have procured for him such a brilliant and undying reputation. On which murders, by the way, I must observe, that in one respect they have had an ill effect, by making the connoisseur in murder very fastidious in his taste, and dissatisfied by anything that has been since done in that line.”

Example #3: A Sample Critical Essay on Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (by Richard Nordquist)

“To keep Jake Barnes drunk, fed, clean, mobile, and distracted in The Sun Also Rises , Ernest Hemingway employs a large retinue of minor functionaries: maids, cab drivers, bartenders, porters, tailors, bootblacks, barbers, policemen, and one village idiot. But of all the retainers seen working quietly in the background of the novel , the most familiar figure by far is the waiter. In cafés from Paris to Madrid, from one sunrise to the next, over two dozen waiters deliver drinks and relay messages to Barnes and his compatriots. As frequently in attendance and as indistinguishable from one another as they are, these various waiters seem to merge into a single emblematic figure as the novel progresses. A detached observer of human vanity, this figure does more than serve food and drink: he serves to illuminate the character of Jake Barnes.”

Functions of a Critical Essay

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Critical Essay: The Complete Guide. Essay Topics, Examples and Outlines

Whether you specialize in literature or just write an essay for a class, knowing how to write a critical essay will give you an advantage throughout your studies at a university and in your professional career. Writing critical essays allows you to develop critical thinking skills, including attentive reading, technical analysis, academic writing skills, searching for reference books, and editing. Mastering these skills will help you conduct a scientific conversation and allow you to communicate and think more productively.

What is a Critical Essay?

A critical essay is an analysis of any piece of text. It can be a book, a movie, an article or even a painting. The main point of this type of an essay is to interpret text or position it in a wider context. For instance, if you write a critical analysis of a book, you may analyze the tone of its text and find out how it influences the overall meaning of the book. If you analyze a movie, you might concentrate on a symbol that you see over and over again. Nevertheless, you have to include an argumentative thesis about the text and have a lot of evidence sources, obviously textual, to support your statements.

How to write a Critical Essay? Step-by-Step Guide

• Find out the topic as early as possible to plan your research.
• Find the information you need in a wide variety of sources, including journal articles, books, encyclopedias, and news. Gather more information than you plan to actually refer to when writing a paper, but do not collect too much, it can distract you from the main thing, and you will eventually include it in your essay simply because you found it. Do not use Wikipedia and do not copy other people’s comments; no matter from which website you take them, plagiarism will be discovered.
• Look through your sources to separate interesting information from irrelevant material. Interesting research can be found in books, literary guides, in published critical articles on your particular topic. And vice versa, do not investigate things that do not relate to your topic, what I mean is, do not engage in the study of witches, if the topic of your paper is a monarchy.
• Carefully reread the relevant materials and evaluate them critically. Highlight, underline or otherwise mark the necessary information in your personal articles and books. Use colored stickers to draw your attention to important details in library books. Make a brief summary of each source after reading it. Pay attention to important details and highlight the main point of view for further use.
• Formulate the thesis by reviewing your notes and research. You can write a more general thesis or ask an important question that your paper will answer.
• Write a preliminary introduction, knowing that you can edit or even rewrite it later.
• Develop an approximate plan based on your notes and studies.

Identify two or three main sections of the body of your essay. These sections should consist of your most important arguments. Use your notes and research to fill these sections with details. You can copy and paste the most important details or arguments into your plan.

• Identify the relationships between sections of your essay and briefly describe them on the margins of your plan.
• Use this connection to write an approximate conclusion.
• Set your paper aside for a few days before rereading the draft.
• Leave enough time to make a thorough review of all material that will clarify any illogical reasonings or arguments.
• Complete your essay by carefully checking the final version of the printed version. Use your imagination and make the introduction interesting for readers. Write a clear thesis statement and use up-to-date sources, with a lot of useful information.

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Critical Essay Outline

Writing a good critical essay requires a deep analysis of a given topic, and the ability to form clear arguments in order to draw meaningful conclusions. It is important to be aware of the various elements that must be taken into consideration when ordering an essay in order to produce a well-structured, balanced and compelling piece of work. Doing so will help you understand the material better, think more critically, and come up with a more insightful analysis of the topic. Additionally, it will also help you to identify any gaps in the existing literature that can be addressed in your own research.

As with any other essay, the critical analysis consists of the introduction, body, and conclusion. The outline that you will see below is just a sample for you to understand what it can look like. Once you are comfortable, you are free to change it, add more details or arrange it differently to make it more effective. If you are really unsure what your essay is supposed to look like, you can also contact your teacher.

INTRODUCTION

The introduction has three main functions. First of all, you have to introduce the reader to the topic of your paper, what are you going to analyze here but briefly? Then, describe how are you going to address the topic of your paper. And finally, grab the reader’s attention, make them want to stay here, and read the rest of your paper.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

This is going to be the largest part of your essay. Here you have to write about something you said you are going to write about in the intro. In other words, support your thesis statement. You have to make a General Statement, then add some quotes to expand it or prove it. After that you have to explain how the quote relates to the thesis, here you have to ask yourself “so how does it relate to my thesis”. And do not forget about Transitions which are connecting paragraphs.

To write a paper in a relevant way, students need to add new information to their research and assess the significance of each argument. Critical essays are meant to be insightful and thought-provoking, so they should provide enough evidence and analysis to support the argument and connect it to the thesis statement. Moreover, students should pay attention to the structure of the essay and make sure they write a paper that is logically organized and easy to understand.

In other words, the conclusion is restating of your thesis. If you have written a strong and clear introduction, the conclusion will not be a problem at all.

So, you have to Restate your Thesis. But do not just repeat what you said before, put it differently. Basically, you said that you are about to prove to us something and now you have to show us that you did. And make a good ending. Make it memorable. Your reader has to have a feeling that the point has been proven.

Introduction

• Attention-catcher
• Briefly say what you are going to talk about
• Thesis statement

Body paragraphs

• Topic Sentence (piece of evidence that supports your opinion)
• Supporting Evidence and Details
• Concluding Sentence/Transition
• Restate the thesis statement in different words
• Summarize the main key pieces of evidence
• Final closing sentence

Critical Essay Topics

Good critical essay topics.

• Describe the way irony was used in your favorite classical book
• Feminist ideologies in a piece of literature
• Analyse how the background of the author affects his writing.
• Describe the secondary characters in your favorite book
• What makes a good and captivating drama series?
• Choose a movie/series that recently won a best picture award
• Provide one alternative to anti-poverty programs today and discuss
• What are the problems of eating healthy? Discuss
• What are the economic benefits of recycling? Discuss what makes it effective in your context
• Discuss how historical figures is portrayed in movies

Critical Essay Tips

• Try to start in advance, if possible. You will write a better essay and will not experience stress if you start writing earlier than the last night.
• Finish the draft a few days earlier to leave time for checking it.
• Ask a friend or a family member to check and comment on your essay. Professional writers write a few drafts of their work, and you, most likely, will have to do the same.
• Work according to your own needs. For example, some people need a plan, while others believe that a formal plan kills inspiration. Find out what is best for you, and act accordingly.
• Write in your own style. It is better to correctly use words that you know, than abuse words that you do not know, in an attempt to sound smarter.
• Make sure that the quotes are given as accurately as possible, including inverted commas, statistics, and theoretical concepts. If in doubt, it’s better to be wrong in quoting than to be accused of not being able to conduct your research, which can lead to accusations of plagiarism.
• Essays written at the last minute, suffer from a lack of logic and poor grammar. Remember that your teacher has read hundreds, if not thousands of student papers, and can easily understand that you wrote an essay at the last minute.

I know that you might still be lost in all these long explanations but bear with me. Here are some useful links you might like to review at Edusson :

• Essay Topic Generator. Do not know how to name your essay? Then this link is just for you. Everything is simple, enter the keywords for your essay and select the category and you’ve got yourself a great title.
• Essay Examples . I know that sometimes you just can’t start writing until you see how it is all supposed to look like. So, here you go – essay examples. Be sure not to rewrite the content, though.
• Essay Checker . One of the most important parts of writing an essay is checking it once it’s done. You might write a great essay in terms of content, but if you have grammar mistakes or your answers are not relating to the questions, say goodbye to your good grade.
• Essay Editing Service . Just to make sure you have not missed anything, use this service. Let a professional do their work.

Writing a good definition essay can be a challenging task. Students often need to pay for papers to be written for such assignments, and it is not always easy to find a reliable source for them. Fortunately, Edusson can provide quality papers and ensure that students get the best results. By using this custom essay writing service, students can be sure that their papers will meet the requirements of their professor and be of the highest quality.

So, that is it. I hope your skills will get even better now. Good luck!

Related posts:

• Narrative Essay: Useful Guidelines for Writing
• Research Paper Writing Help Guide
• How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Effective Tips
• How to Structure and Write an Effective Critique Paper

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How to Write a Critical Essay

Last Updated: April 8, 2023 Fact Checked

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 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,164,846 times.

The goal of a critical essay is to analyze a book, film, article, painting, or event and support your argument with relevant details. When writing a paper like this, you will have to come up with an interpretation of your own and then use facts or evidence from the work or other sources to prove that your interpretation is acceptable. A critical essay on a book, for example, might focus on the tone and how that influences the meaning of the book overall and would use quotations from the book to support the thesis. This type of paper requires careful planning and writing, but is often a creative way to engage with a subject that you are interested in and can be very rewarding!

Preparing to Write a Critical Essay

• Get to know the text inside and out by reading and rereading it. If you have been asked to write about a visual text like a film or piece of art, watch the film multiple times or view the painting from various angles and distances.

• What is the text about?
• What are the main ideas?
• What is puzzling about the text?
• What is the purpose of this text?
• Does the text accomplish its purpose? If not, why not? Is so, how so? [3] X Research source Don't: summarize the plot — you should already be familiar with it. Do: jot down thoughts that may guide your paper: Does he mean __? Does this connect to __?

• Your solution to the problem should help you to develop a focus for your essay, but keep in mind that you do not need to have a solid argument about your text at this point. As you continue to think about the text, you will move closer to a focus and a thesis for your critical analysis essay. Don't: read the author's mind: Mary Shelley intended Frankenstein's monster to be more likable because... Do: phrase it as your own interpretation: Frankenstein's monster is more sympathetic than his creator, leading the reader to question who the true monster really is.

Conducting Research

• Books, articles from scholarly journals, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and trustworthy websites are some sources that you might consider using.
• Use your library’s databases rather than a general internet search. University libraries subscribe to many databases. These databases provide you with free access to articles and other resources that you cannot usually gain access to by using a search engine.

• The author and his or her credentials. Choose sources that include an author’s name and that provide credentials for that author. The credentials should indicate something about why this person is qualified to speak as an authority on the subject. For example, an article about a medical condition will be more trustworthy if the author is a medical doctor. If you find a source where no author is listed or the author does not have any credentials, then this source may not be trustworthy. [5] X Research source
• Citations. Think about whether or not this author has adequately researched the topic. Check the author’s bibliography or works cited page. If the author has provided few or no sources, then this source may not be trustworthy. [6] X Research source
• Bias. Think about whether or not this author has presented an objective, well-reasoned account of the topic. How often does the tone indicate a strong preference for one side of the argument? How often does the argument dismiss or disregard the opposition’s concerns or valid arguments? If these are regular occurrences in the source, then it may not be a good choice. [7] X Research source (Note, however, that literary criticism often presents a very strong preference for one reading; this is not usually considered "bias" because the field of literary study is inherently subjective.) Don't: dismiss an author for favoring one point of view. Do: engage critically with their argument and make use of well-supported claims.
• Publication date. Think about whether or not this source presents the most up to date information on the subject. Noting the publication date is especially important for scientific subjects, since new technologies and techniques have made some earlier findings irrelevant. [8] X Research source
• Information provided in the source. If you are still questioning the trustworthiness of this source, cross check some of the information provided against a trustworthy source. If the information that this author presents contradicts one of your trustworthy sources, then it might not be a good source to use in your paper. [9] X Research source

• Clearly indicate when you have quoted a source word for word by putting it into quotation marks and including information about the source such as the author’s name, article or book title, and page number. Don't: highlight a phrase just because it sounds significant or meaningful. Do: highlight phrases that support or undermine your arguments.

Writing Your Essay

• Make sure your thesis provides enough detail. In other words, avoid simply saying that something is "good" or "effective" and say what specifically makes it "good" or "effective." [12] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
• Place your thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph unless your instructor tells you to place it elsewhere. The end of the first paragraph is the traditional place to provide your thesis in an academic essay.
• For example, here is a multi-sentence thesis statement about the effectiveness and purpose of the movie Mad Max: Fury Road : "Many action films follow the same traditional pattern: a male action hero (usually white and attractive) follows his gut and barks orders at others, who must follow him or die. Mad Max: Fury Road is effective because it turns this pattern on its head. Instead of following the expected progression, the movie offers an action movie with multiple heroes, many of whom are women, thereby effectively challenging patriarchal standards in the Hollywood summer blockbuster." Don't: include obvious facts ( Mad Max was directed by George Miller ) or subjective opinions ( Mad Max is the greatest movie of 2015 ). [13] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source Do: present an argument that you can back up with evidence.

• You may want to use a formal outline structure that uses Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, and letters. Or, you may want to use an informal "mind-map" type of outline, which allows you to gather your ideas before you have a complete idea of how they progress.

• Other good techniques to open an essay include using a specific, evocative detail that links to your larger idea, asking a question that your essay will answer, or providing a compelling statistic.

• If you are writing about a book, provide the name of the work, the author, and a brief summary of the plot.
• If you are writing about a film, provide a brief synopsis.
• If you are writing about a painting or other still image, provide a brief description for your readers.
• Keep in mind that your background information in the first paragraph should lead up to your thesis statement. Explain everything the reader needs to know to understand what your topic is about, then narrow it down until you reach the topic itself.

• Provide a claim at the beginning of the paragraph.
• Support your claim with at least one example from your primary source(s).
• Support your claim with at least one example from your secondary sources.

• Summarize and review your main ideas about the text.
• Explain how the topic affects the reader.
• Explain how your narrow topic applies to a broader theme or observation.
• Call the reader to action or further exploration on the topic.
• Present new questions that your essay introduced. Don't: repeat the same points you made earlier in the essay. Do: refer back to earlier points and connect them into a single argument.

Revising Your Essay

• It is important to begin writing a paper far enough ahead of time to allow yourself a few days or even a week to revise before it is due. If you do not allow yourself this extra time, you will be more prone to making simple mistakes and your grade may suffer as a result. [16] X Research source

• What is your main point? How might you clarify your main point?
• Who is your audience? Have you considered their needs and expectations?
• What is your purpose? Have you accomplished your purpose with this paper?
• How effective is your evidence? How might your strengthen your evidence?
• Does every part of your paper relate back to your thesis? How might you enhance these connections?
• Is anything confusing about your language or organization? How might your clarify your language or organization?
• Have you made any errors with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? How can you correct these errors?
• What might someone who disagrees with you say about your paper? How can you address these opposing arguments in your paper? [17] X Research source

• If you are submitting your paper online or through email, check with your teacher or professor to find out what format s/he prefers. If you have used any textual formatting in your paper, you may wish to save it as a PDF file to preserve your formatting.

Sample Essays

Community Q&A

• Ask a friend, family member or other acquaintance to proofread and make constructive comments on your paper. Professional writers go through several drafts of their work and you should expect to do the same. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 0
• It is often easier to write a rough introduction and proceed with the rest of the paper before returning to revise the introduction. If you're feeling lost on how to introduce your paper, write a placeholder introduction. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 1
• Write in your own voice. It is better to correctly use the words you know than to misuse the words you do not know in an attempt to sound scholarly. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1

• Make sure to cite all of your research including quotations, statistics and theoretical concepts as accurately as possible. When in doubt, err on the side of citing more rather than less, since failing to cite your research can result in a charge of plagiarism. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2
• Papers written at the last minute suffer from logic gaps and poor grammar. Remember that your teacher has read hundreds, if not thousands of student papers, and as such, can tell when you've written a paper at the last minute. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://uwc.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/UWC_handouts_readingessayprompts.pdf
• ↑ http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3/?id=122
• ↑ http://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/elejeune/critique.htm
• ↑ https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/faq/reliable
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/03/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/673/1/
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/researchpaper/researchpaper.aspx?id=4294967433
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/58/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/05/

About This Article

To write a critical essay, develop a thesis that expresses your essay's main focus and states an arguable claim. Next, write an introduction that gives a basic overview of your paper and introduces your thesis. Then, create paragraphs that discuss your specific ideas, focusing on one main idea per paragraph. Be sure to start each paragraph with a claim and use examples from primary and secondary sources to support that claim. Finally, create a conclusion that summarizes your main points. For tips on outlining and revising your paper, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 3 min read

Critical analysis essays can be a daunting form of academic writing, but crafting a good critical analysis paper can be straightforward if you have the right approach.

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Critical Essay Writing

Critical Essay - A Step by Step Guide & Examples

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A Comprehensive List of 260+ Inspiring Critical Essay Topics

Critical Essay Outline - Writing Guide With Examples

Many students find it tough to write a good critical essay because it's different from other essays. Understanding the deeper meanings in literature and creating a strong essay can be tricky.

This confusion makes it hard for students to analyze and explain literary works effectively. They struggle to create essays that show a strong understanding of the topic.

But don't worry! This guide will help. It gives step-by-step instructions, examples, and tips to make writing a great critical essay easier. By learning the key parts and looking at examples, students can master the skill of writing these essays.

• 1. Critical Essay Definition
• 2. Techniques in Literary Critical Essays
• 3. How to Write a Critical Essay?
• 4. Critical Essay Examples
• 5. Critical Essay Topics
• 6. Tips For Writing a Critical Essay

Critical Essay Definition

A critical is a form of analytical essay that analyzes, evaluates, and interprets a piece of literature, movie, book, play, etc. 

The writer signifies the meaning of the text by claiming the themes. The claims are then supported by facts using primary and secondary sources of information.

What Makes An Essay Critical?

People often confuse this type of essay with an argumentative essay. It is because they both deal with claims and provide evidence on the subject matter. 

An argumentative essay uses evidence to persuade the reader. On the other hand, a critical analysis essay discusses the themes, analyzes, and interprets them for its audience. 

Here are the key characteristics of a critical essay:

• Looking Beyond the Surface: In a critical essay, it's not just about summarizing. It goes deeper, looking into the hidden meanings and themes of the text.
• Sharing Opinions with Evidence: It's not only about what you think. You need to back up your ideas with proof from the text or other sources.
• Examining from Different Angles: A critical essay doesn't just focus on one side. It looks at different viewpoints and examines things from various perspectives.
• Finding Strengths and Weaknesses: It's about discussing what's good and what's not so good in the text or artwork. This helps in forming a balanced opinion.
• Staying Objective: Instead of being emotional, it stays fair and objective, using facts and examples to support arguments.
• Creating a Strong Argument: A critical essay builds a strong argument by analyzing the content and forming a clear opinion that's well-supported.
• Analyzing the 'Why' and 'How': It's not just about what happens in the text but why it happens and how it influences the overall meaning.

Techniques in Literary Critical Essays

Analyzing literature involves a set of techniques that form the backbone of literary criticism. Let's delve into these techniques, providing a comprehensive understanding before exploring illustrative examples:

Formalism in literary criticism directs attention to the inherent structure, style, and linguistic elements within a text. It is concerned with the way a work is crafted, examining how literary devices contribute to its overall impact.

Example: In Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights," a formalist analysis might emphasize the novel's intricate narrative structure and the use of Gothic elements.

Psychoanalytic Criticism

Psychoanalytic Criticism delves into the psychological motivations and subconscious elements of characters and authors. It often draws on psychoanalytic theories, such as those developed by Sigmund Freud, to explore the deeper layers of the human psyche reflected in literature.

Example: In "Orlando," Virginia Woolf employs psychoanalytic elements to symbolically explore identity and gender fluidity. The protagonist's centuries-spanning transformation reflects Woolf's subconscious struggles, using fantasy as a lens to navigate psychological complexities.

Feminist Criticism

Feminist Criticism evaluates how gender roles, stereotypes, and power dynamics are portrayed in literature. It seeks to uncover and challenge representations that may perpetuate gender inequalities or reinforce stereotypes.

Example: Applying feminist criticism to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" involves scrutinizing the representation of women's mental health and societal expectations.

Marxist Criticism

Marxist Criticism focuses on economic and social aspects, exploring how literature reflects and critiques class structures. It examines how power dynamics, societal hierarchies, and economic systems are portrayed in literary works.

Example: Analyzing George Orwell's "Animal Farm" through a Marxist lens involves examining its allegorical representation of societal class struggles.

Cultural Criticism

Cultural Criticism considers the cultural context and societal influences shaping the creation and reception of literature. It examines how cultural norms, values, and historical contexts impact the meaning and interpretation of a work.

Example: Cultural criticism of Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" may delve into the impact of colonialism on African identity.

Postcolonial Criticism

Postcolonial Criticism examines the representation of colonial and postcolonial experiences in literature. It explores how authors engage with and respond to the legacy of colonialism, addressing issues of identity, cultural hybridity, and power.

Example: A postcolonial analysis of Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" may explore themes of identity and cultural hybridity.

Understanding these techniques provides a comprehensive toolkit for navigating the diverse landscape of literary criticism.

How to Write a Critical Essay?

Crafting a critical essay involves a step-by-step process that every student can follow to create a compelling piece of analysis.

Step 1: Explore the Subject in Depth

Start by diving into the primary subject of the work. When critically reading the original text, focus on identifying key elements:

• Main themes: Discover the central ideas explored in the work.
• Different features: Examine the distinctive components and specific details in the story.
• Style: Observe the techniques and writing style  used to persuade the audience.
• Strengths and weaknesses: Evaluate notable aspects and potential shortcomings.

Step 2: Conduct Research

To support your insights, conduct thorough research using credible sources. 

Take detailed notes as you read, highlighting key points and interesting quotes. Also make sure you’re paying attention to the specific points that directly support and strengthen your analysis of the work. 

Step 3: Create an Outline

After you have gathered the sources and information, organize what you have in an outline. This will serve as a roadmap for your writing process, ensuring a structured essay.

Here is a standard critical essay outline:

Make sure to structure and organize your critical essay with this in-depth guide on creating a critical essay outline !

Step 4: Develop Your Thesis Statement

Create a strong thesis statement encapsulating your stance on the subject. This statement will guide the content in the body sections.

A good thesis keeps your essay clear and organized, making sure all your points fit together. To make a strong thesis, first, be clear about what main idea you want to talk about. Avoid being vague and clearly state your key arguments and analysis. 

Here's what a typical thesis statement for a critical essay looks like:

"In [Title/Author/Work], [Your Main Claim] because [Brief Overview of Reasons/Key Points] . Through a focused analysis of [Specific Aspects or Elements] , this essay aims to [Purpose of the Critical Examination] ."

Step 5: Decide on Supporting Material

While reading the text, select compelling pieces of evidence that strongly support your thesis statement. Ask yourself:

• Which information is recognized by authorities in the subject?
• Which information is supported by other authors?
• Which information best defines and supports the thesis statement?

Step 6: Include an Opposing Argument

Present an opposing argument that challenges your thesis statement. This step requires you critically read your own analysis and find counterarguments so you can refute them.

This not only makes your discussion richer but also makes your own argument stronger by addressing different opinions. 

Step 7:  Critical Essay Introduction

Begin your critical essay with an introduction that clearly suggests the reader what they should expect from the rest of the essay. Here are the essential elements of an introduction paragraph:

• Hook: Start with a compelling opening line that captivates your reader's interest.
• Background Information: Provide essential context to ensure your readers grasp the subject matter. Add brief context of the story that contributes to a better understanding.
• Thesis Statement: Conclude with a clear thesis statement, summarizing the core argument of your critical essay. This serves as a roadmap, guiding the reader through the main focus of your analysis.

Step 8: Critical Essay Body Paragraphs

The body presents arguments and supporting evidence. Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence, addressing a specific idea. Use transitional words to guide the reader seamlessly through your analysis.

Here’s the standard format for a critical essay body paragraph:

• Topic Sentence: Introduces the central idea of the paragraph, acting as a roadmap for the reader.
• Analysis: Objectively examines data, facts, theories, and approaches used in the work.
• Evaluation: Assesses the work based on earlier claims and evidence, establishing logical consistency.
• Relate Back to Topic Sentence: Reinforces how the analyzed details connect to the main idea introduced at the beginning of the paragraph.
• Transition: Creates a seamless transition from one body paragraph to the next.

Step 9: Critical Essay Conclusion

Summarize your key points in the conclusion. Reiterate the validity of your thesis statement, the main point of your essay. 

Finally, offer an objective analysis in your conclusion. Look at the broader picture and discuss the larger implications or significance of your critique. Consider how your analysis fits into the larger context and what it contributes to the understanding of the subject.

Step 10: Proofread and Edit

Allocate time for meticulous revision. Scrutinize your essay for errors. Rectify all mistakes to ensure a polished academic piece.

Following these steps will empower you to dissect a work critically and present your insights persuasively.

Critical Essay Examples

Writing a critical essay about any theme requires you take on different approaches. Here are some examples of critical essays about literary works and movies exploring different themes:

Critical Essay About A Movie

Equality By Maya Angelou Critical Essay

Higher English Critical Essay

Analysis Critical Essay Example

Critical Essay on Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Critical Essay On Tess Of The d'Urbervilles

Critical Essay Topics

A strong critical essay topic is both interesting and relevant, encouraging in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.

A good critical essay topic tackles current issues, questions established ideas, and has enough existing literature for thorough research. Here are some critical analysis topic:

• The Representation of Diversity in Modern Literature
• Impact of Social Media on Character Relationships in Novels
• Challenging Stereotypes: Gender Portrayal in Contemporary Fiction
• Exploring Economic Disparities in Urban Novels
• Postcolonial Themes in Global Literature
• Mental Health Narratives: Realism vs. Romanticism
• Ecocriticism: Nature's Role in Classic Literature
• Unveiling Power Struggles in Family Dynamics in Literary Works
• Satire and Political Commentary in Modern Fiction
• Quest for Identity: Coming-of-Age Novels in the 21st Century

Need more topic ideas? Check out these interesting and unique critical essay topics and get inspired!

Tips For Writing a Critical Essay

Become a skilled critical essay writer by following these practical tips:

• Dig deep into your topic. Understand themes, characters, and literary elements thoroughly.
• Think about different opinions to make your argument stronger and show you understand the whole picture.
• Get information from reliable places like books, academic journals, and experts to make your essay more trustworthy.
• Make a straightforward and strong statement that sums up your main point.
• Support your ideas with solid proof from the text or other sources. Use quotes, examples, and references wisely.
• Keep a neutral and academic tone. Avoid sharing too many personal opinions and focus on analyzing the facts.
• Arrange your essay logically with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Make sure your ideas flow well.
• Go beyond just summarizing. Think deeply about the strengths, weaknesses, and overall impact of the work.
• Read through your essay multiple times to fix mistakes and make sure it's clear. A well-edited essay shows you care about the details.

You can use these tips to make your critical essays more insightful and well-written. Now that you have this helpful guide, you can start working on your critical essay. 

If it seems too much, no worries. Our essay writing website is here to help. 

Our experienced writers can handle critical essays on any topic, making it easier for you. Just reach out, and we've got your back throughout your essay journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many paragraphs is a critical essay.

Keep in mind that every sentence should communicate the point. Every paragraph must support your thesis statement either by offering a claim or presenting an argument, and these are followed up with evidence for success! Most critical essays will have three to six paragraphs unless otherwise specified on examinations so make sure you follow them closely if applicable.

Can critical essays be in the first person?

The critical essay is an informative and persuasive work that stresses the importance of your argument. You need to support any claims or observations with evidence, so in order for it to be most effective, you should avoid using first-person pronouns like I/me when writing this type of paper.

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• A Research Guide
• Writing Guide
• Essay Writing

How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay

• What is a critical essay
• Critical essay structure
• How to start a critical essay

Types of critical essays

Step-by-step critical essay writing guide.

• Critical essay formatting tips
• Critical essay examples

What is a critical essay?

• To offer an objective vision of the original author.
• To provide a complete analysis of the consistency offered by the original author.
• To thoroughly evaluate original work and discuss the capability to maintain and support primary arguments and concepts.
• To critically analyze in an essay by presenting strengths and weaknesses discovered in an article, a movie, or an academic journal entry.
• To criticize the original author’s work by providing actual examples and explanations.

Critical essay structure and outline rules

How to start a critical essay?

• Take notes about information related to the author and include it in your introduction paragraph.
• Determine the author’s opinion and take on the subject by analyzing available data.
• Seek out examples of evidence as to whether the author proves why it is the right way of thinking.
• Create a strong thesis statement representing 50% of the author’s opinion and 50% of your vision.
• Determine both the strong and weak sides of the author’s style, grammar, accuracy, and structure. Use evaluation and analysis.
• Sociological critique.
• Sociocultural analysis.
• Reader-response criticism.
• Gender-based critical writing.
• Mythological critique.
• Biographical writing.
• History writing analysis.
• Psychoanalytical criticism.
• Formalist criticism and analysis.

Step 1: Know what is expected!

Step 2: take your time to analyze the source material, step 3: taking notes technique, step 4: primary challenges and working in patterns, step 5: author’s solutions, step 6: editing and proofreading, important critical essay formatting tips.

• Keep up with the specified writing style for your citations and the written content.
• Provide basic biography information about the author.
• Include only 1-3 citations per page.
• Provide information in “introduction – quote – analysis” template format.
• Your tone must be formal and analytical unless specified otherwise.
• The bias matters must be clarified with your academic advisor before writing.
• When seeking out the weak points for your critical analysis essay, explain why you think so with a piece of evidence that may include the author’s limitation or evidence taken from an external source.

Helpful critical essay examples

• Critical Reading and Analysis by the University of Queensland. 
• Critical Analysis Template by Thompson Rivers University. 
• Critical Essay Examples by EduBirdie (Our academic writing partner). 
• Critical Essay Samples by Students by James Cook University. 

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Writing a Critical Analysis

What is in this guide, definitions, putting it together, tips and examples of critques.

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This guide is meant to help you understand the basics of writing a critical analysis. A critical analysis is an argument about a particular piece of media. There are typically two parts: (1) identify and explain the argument the author is making, and (2), provide your own argument about that argument. Your instructor may have very specific requirements on how you are to write your critical analysis, so make sure you read your assignment carefully.

Critical Analysis

A deep approach to your understanding of a piece of media by relating new knowledge to what you already know.

Part 1: Introduction

• Identify the work being criticized.
• Present thesis - argument about the work.
• Preview your argument - what are the steps you will take to prove your argument.

Part 2: Summarize

• Provide a short summary of the work.
• Present only what is needed to know to understand your argument.

Part 3: Your Argument

• This is the bulk of your paper.
• Provide "sub-arguments" to prove your main argument.
• Use scholarly articles to back up your argument(s).

Part 4: Conclusion

• Reflect on  how  you have proven your argument.
• Point out the  importance  of your argument.
• Comment on the potential for further research or analysis.
• Cornell University Library Tips for writing a critical appraisal and analysis of a scholarly article.
• Queen's University Library How to Critique an Article (Psychology)
• University of Illinois, Springfield An example of a summary and an evaluation of a research article. This extended example shows the different ways a student can critique and write about an article
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• Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024 11:04 AM
• URL: https://libguides.pittcc.edu/critical_analysis

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Critical writing Analyse and evaluate information to develop an argument

In academic writing you will develop an argument or point of view. This will be supported by concrete evidence, in other words reasons, examples, and information from sources. The writing you produce in this way will need to be 'critical writing'. This section looks at critical writing in detail, first by giving a definition of critical writing and considering how to write critically , then by contrasting critical writing with descriptive writing , with some examples . There is also a discussion of how critical writing relates to Bloom's taxonomy of thinking skills , as well as a checklist to help you check critical writing in your own work.

What is critical writing?

Critical writing is writing which analyses and evaluates information, usually from multiple sources, in order to develop an argument. A mistake many beginning writers make is to assume that everything they read is true and that they should agree with it, since it has been published in an academic text or journal. Being part of the academic community, however, means that you should be critical of (i.e. question) what you read, looking for reasons why it should be accepted or rejected, for example by comparing it with what other writers say about the topic, or evaluating the research methods to see if they are adequate or whether they could be improved.

How to write critically

In order to write critically, you need to use a range of sources to develop your argument. You cannot rely solely on your own ideas; you need to understand what others have written about the same topic. Additionally, it is not enough to use just a single source to support your argument, for example a source which agrees with your own view, since this could lead to a biased argument. You need to consider all sides of the issue.

Further, in developing your argument, you need to analyse and evaluate the information from other sources. You cannot just string quotes together (A says this, B says that, C says something else), without looking more deeply at the information and building on it to support your own argument. This means you need to break down the information from other sources to determine how the parts relate to one another or to an overall structure or purpose [ analysing ], and then make judgements about it, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and possibly 'grey areas' in between, which are neither strengths nor weaknesses [ evaluating ]. Critical reading skills will help you with this, as you consider whether the source is reliable, relevant, up-to-date, and accurate. For example, you might examine the research methods used in an experiment [ analysing ] in order to assess why they were chosen or to determine whether they were appropriate [ evaluating ], or you might deconstruct (break down) a writer's line of reasoning [ analysing ] to see if it is valid or whether there are any gaps [ evaluating ].

As a result of analysis and evaluation, you will be able to give reasons why the conclusions of different writers should be accepted or treated with caution . This will help you to build a clear line of reasoning which will lead up to your own conclusions, and you will be writing critically.

What is descriptive writing?

Critical writing is often contrasted with descriptive writing . Descriptive writing simply describes what something is like. Although you need a critical voice, description is still necessary in your writing, for example to:

• give the background of your research;
• state the theory;
• explain the methods of your experiment;
• give the biography of an important person;
• provide facts and figures about a particular issue;
• outline the history of an event.

You should, however, keep the amount of description to a minimum. Most assignments will have a strict word limit, and you should aim to maximise the amount of critical writing, while minimising the number of words used for description. If your tutors often write comments such as 'Too descriptive' or 'Too much theory' or 'More analysis needed', you know you need to adjust the balance.

Examples of descriptive vs. critical writing

The following table gives some examples to show the difference between descriptive and critical writing. The verbs in bold are key verbs according to Bloom's taxonomy , considered next.

Relationship to Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy was developed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist working at the University of Chicago. It classifies the thinking behaviours that are believed to be important in the processes of learning. It was developed in three domains, with the cognitive domain, i.e. the knowledge based domain, consisting of six levels. The taxonomy was revised in 2001 by Anderson and Krathwohl, to reflect more recent understanding of educational processes. Their revised taxonomy also consists of six levels, arranged in order from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills, namely: remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating, and creating.

Bloom's revised taxonomy is relevant since analysing and evaluating , which form the basis of critical writing, are two of the higher order thinking skills in the taxonomy. Descriptive writing, by contrast, is the product of remembering and understanding , the two lowest order thinking skills. The fact that critical writing uses higher order thinking skills is one of the main reasons this kind of writing is expected at university.

The table below gives more details about each of the levels, including a description and some keys verbs associated with each level. Although the verbs are intended for the design of learning outcomes, they are nonetheless representative of the kind of work involved at each level, and are therefore relevant to academic writing.

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Below is a checklist for critical writing. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

Academic Phrasebank , The University of Manchester (2020) Being Critical . Available at: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/being-critical/ (Accessed: 11 September, 2020).

Churches, A. (n.d.) Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy . Available at: https://edorigami.edublogs.org/blooms-digital-taxonomy/ (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).

Colorado College (n.d.) Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy . Available at: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/assessment/how-to-assess-learning/learning-outcomes/blooms-revised-taxonomy.html (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).

Cottrell, S. (2013) The Study Skills Handbook (4th ed.) . Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan

Shabatura, J. (2013) Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives . Available at: https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/ (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).

Sheffield Halam University (2020) Critical Writing . Available at: https://libguides.shu.ac.uk/criticalwriting (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).

Teesside University (2020). Critical Writing: Help . Available at: https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/critical_writing (Accessed: 11 September, 2020).

University of Hull (2020) Critical writing: Descriptive vs critical . Available at: https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/criticalwriting/descriptive-critical (Accessed: 11 September, 2020).

University of Leicester (2009) What is critical writing . Available at: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/critical-writing (Access date: 8/12/14).

Wilson, L.O. (2020) Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised . Available at: https://thesecondprinciple.com/essential-teaching-skills/blooms-taxonomy-revised/ (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).

Yale University (2017) Bloom’s Taxonomy . Available at: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/BloomsTaxonomy (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).

Next section

Find out about research skills in the next section.

• Research skills

Previous section

Go back to the previous section about writing objectively .

• Objectivity

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 06 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

How to Write a Critical Essay

Video lesson on how to write a critical essay.

After watching our informative video on YouTube, you will feel more confident about critical essay writing. Learn more about the critical essay outline, format, and how to follow the core academic standards. You will also find a list of great topics for your critical essay in our video lesson.

If you decide that you need more information about essays, you can consider reading the book “Essay Becomes Easy. Part II” that you can find on Amazon. In the book, you will find detailed guides on writing for seven different types of essays with two samples of each kind of paper, valuable checklists, secrets and tips, and much more.

What is a critical essay

What do you think about when you hear the phrase “critical essay?” Most students associate the concept of a critical essay with the negative opinion about the creator and their creation, but that is only half-true. The critical analysis definition may be formulated as an academic paper designed to understand a certain written work. To speak as a professional essay writer , the adjective “critical” should be replaced by the term “evaluative” and be perceived both in a positive and negative meaning.

Essays of such types are usually subjective considering the text that usually stands behind them to provide personal opinions. Of course, this means a backed-up opinion, and not just saying you didn’t like the book.

Critical essay structure

You will notice that the structure for a critical essay is slightly different from a traditional 5-paragraph essay structure. Still, you should follow the three part structure, which includes the introduction with the thesis statement, the body and the conclusion.

Let’s take a closer look at the details of writing of each part.

Background information. This is the obligatory part when you state the purpose of your work mentioning in the topic and sometimes why you decided to choose this topic. Information about the work. The main feature of a critical essay is the absence of intrigue. In other words, from the very beginning you must indicate basic information about the subject of your critical evaluation, such as the title, author, publication information, statement of topic and purpose.

Summary. This part marks the beginning of the main body of the essay. If you want to draw parallels with the more tradition perception of essay structure. The summary is the fundamental part of the critical analysis. This part proves that you have completed at least part of a task – you have read, or seen or listened to the subject. Furthermore, it proves that you considered and analyzed the received information.

Interpretation. Finally the part for the sake of which everything was started. Your personal subject interpretation and honest opinions, whether they are negative or positive. Possible themes that may be addressed are the organization of the work, style of the work, the meaning pledged in work, and the methods and effectiveness of appealing to a particular audience.

Conclusion. Summarize all of your ideas. However, check if this part matches the introduction regarding ideas and arguments, as well as the general tone of the essay.

Stages of writing a critical essay

We have around eight stages of writing a critical essay. Here we go.

• The choice. Think about the text, article, film, piece of musical play you want to analyze from a critical point. Be sure that you are totally informed about it before you start writing. It means that you should be familiar with the original, not just some reviews or critical essays written by others.
• Critical reading. Pay attention that in this case the reading is used in a much wider context determined by the object of analysis.
• Annotation. Note moments that cause you to be concerned or to take a critical look and include some questions that arise in a process of reading.
• Preparation of future references. Search some relevant incredible materials to make your arguments sound more convincing.
• The body writing. Start with the main and the most responsible part. Do no forget that each paragraph must correspond with one single point, for or against the thesis.
• Summarizing. As you can see the stranger elements have not concluded in the previous step. But it is true, before writing the introduction, it is better to create a concluding part that sums up all the points and the argument.
• The actual beginning. The introduction is written last to to make sure that it will respond to all of what you have said throughout the text.
• Proofreading. The final step – reading, correction, edition, checking one more time, checking one more time again and your critical essay is done!

Critical essay topics

Now to give you a couple of ideas, we have prepared a list of good topics to choose while writing a critical essay.

• A place of women in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literature
• The concepts of families in Ancient Greek literature
• The innocence and the evil in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
• The role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman
• “True love” in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
• The “real monster” of Mary W. Shelley’s Frankenstein
• The hidden meaning in the paintings of René Magritte
• Pop-up ads in web advertising
• Suicide in the works of Émile Durkheim
• Mass media liberal bias
• Eyewitness memory to recall a crime is infallible
• Economic development since 1950
• Lost Generation: cause and benefits
• United Nations and the environment
• Criticizing Donald Trump’s inauguration speech

Mistakes to avoid while writing a critical essay

The biggest mistake with which even the most experienced writers are faced is the fear of a blank list. You do not know what to write first and make a big mistake — you stop trying to write. Remember, it does not matter where you start: most importantly, do not stop writing and do not worry about style and spelling.

• Do not use a strong language or repetition, it will be enough to support the claims with evidence without excessive emotions.
• Do not appeal to the current fashion in the thoughts. Note that an effective critical essay should address the reader’s sentiments and logical thoughts.
• Avoid making points that do not reveal your opinion fully: however, remember that even such statements should be argumentative enough.
• Do not use informal language while writing academic papers. In spite of the fact that a critical essay is a subjective type of paper, the style of language should be argumentative enough to defend the position.
• Do not omit the direct quotes from the original text and relevant papers. The main mistake that accompanies this one is the use of unreliable and sources that do not meet the criteria to be up-to-date.
• Do not use too many negative sentences. You should remember that a critical essay does not equate to a negatively colored essay — it can be positive as any other type of essay writing.
• Do not replace the thesis and arguments with facts, data, and other sources of evidence. Avoid a weak thesis statement that only states the broad opinion. For example, the sentence “The Great Gatsby is a great example of American literature” is weak, while “The Great Gatsby captures the essence of America’s Jazz Age in its decadence, materialism and ultimately, its tragic emptiness” emphasizes the main idea of the future paper and is specific enough. Using new material in the conclusion is one more mistake that writers should try to avoid.

Now that you have acquainted with the definition of the critical essay, it’s structure, tips of writing and what mistakes to avoid, you can check out your essay once again to be sure that it will be the best it can be and deserves an excellent grade.

Critical essay writing checklist

Here is a critical essay writing checklist.

– Is there an introduction with an attention gatherer that grabs the interest of the audience? Is the thesis statement clearly stated and described as well? – Ask whether the main points reflected by the topic sentences are supported with concrete and detailed examples. Do the main points relate to the thesis directly? – Are topic sentences clear and do all of them relate to the thesis? Do the rest parts of the body paragraphs support each of the topic sentences? Is there enough evidence, which means that there is no need for additional examples or details? – Think whether the examples you have used were the best. What are the weaknesses of your examples? Are there any ambiguities? – What are the strengths and weaknesses of your arguments? Were the arguments clear? – Is there logic in the presentation of ideas through the whole paper? Check whether transitions are used appropriately, vary with structure, and are not limited to their usage only in the topic sentence. – Check the balance between descriptive and critical elements of writing. Do not forget that a critical essay is not a retelling of a book, so ask yourself whether this essay is your analysis, your interpretation, and your presentation of the ability to think critically. – Does the conclusion make sense? Does the conclusion have a distinct ending rather than simply an abrupt stop? – Is your critical essay free from wordiness, clichés, and gender or race biased language? Does the text contain an appropriate vocabulary, and use active over passive voice?

Read this great critical essay sample and see the core aspects

After reading the article above, we hope that you already have a vision of the main peculiarities of critical essays. In addition, we recommend you go through this critical essay example, and also check this perfect critical essay sample.

Critical Essay – The Innocence and the Evil in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

When it comes to the moral character of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird , the focus is on the question of whether or not people are fundamentally good or wicked. By dramatizing Scout and Jem’s transition from a perspective of childhood innocence, in which they assume that people are good because they have never seen evil, to a more adult perspective, in which they have confronted evil and must incorporate it into their understanding of the world, the novel approaches this question. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, two innocent characters, are devastated because they are unprepared for the evil that they face because of their lack of knowledge of prejudice, intolerance, and ignorance (Lee). This is one of the book’s most prominent subthemes. Even Jem is a victim of his own awareness of the evils of racism during the trial. Jem’s confidence in justice and humanity has been severely wounded, and he sinks into despair. Scout, on the other hand, is able to preserve her basic faith in human nature in the face of Tom’s conviction (Lee).

Scout loses her innocence to varying degrees as she learns from the grownups in her life. As she looks up to her father, Atticus Finch, the most, she picks up many life lessons from him. She also learns a lot from her instructor, Miss Caroline, early on in the story about how the adult world operates (Lee). Scout learns a lot from Boo Radley in the story, and he plays a big part in that.

The mockingbird becomes a symbol of innocence in this narrative of innocent victims of wickedness. Therefore, it is wrong to murder a mockingbird. It is common knowledge that several characters in the novel may be recognized as mockingbirds, innocents who have been harmed or destroyed by evil. According to Mr. Underwood, once Tom Robinson is shot, he compares his death to “the mindless murder of songbirds,” and towards the end of the book Scout believes that injuring Boo Radley is like “shootin’ a mockingbird” (Lee). In addition to this, Miss Maudie informs Scout that “Mockingbirds don’t do anything except singing their hearts out for us,” as she puts it (Lee). Killing a mockingbird is thus a sin. They are particularly susceptible in the prejudiced society of Maycomb, which frequently treats the pure innocence of infancy severely because Jem and Scout have the last name Finch.

It is a good indicator of how far they have progressed from childlike innocence to mature morality. Until the end of the novel, Boo is nothing more than a source of childish superstition. They begin to see him as a real person when he leaves them gifts and fixes Jem’s clothes. The fact that he becomes totally human to Scout at the conclusion of the book shows how much she has grown as a person as sympathetic and understanding (Lee). It is difficult for Atticus to convey to his children that the world is not always fair, but he does his best. Atticus teaches Scout and Jem to treat all people with respect, even though most of the town harbors racist views toward African Americans (Lee). Boo is one of the book’s most significant mockingbirds; he is also a representation of the goodness that dwells inside individuals. Despite his past trauma, Boo’s interactions with the youngsters are governed by the sincerity of his heart (Lee). Boo shows to be the ultimate emblem of good by protecting Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell.

It is difficult for Atticus to convey to his children that the world is not always fair, but he does his best. Atticus teaches Scout and Jem to treat all people with respect, despite the prejudiced sentiments of the rest of the town.

Works Cited

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner , 1982. Print.

You often ask us these questions about a critical essay

1. what is a critical essay format.

If you are assigned to write a critical essay, you must follow a particular way of arranging the text. Usually, you must create a paper following one of the three academic formatting styles: APA. MLA, and Chicago/Turabian. Each format has its unique aspects in arranging sources, citations, fonts, paragraphs, and more.

2. How many paragraphs are in a critical essay?

A standard essay of any type must contain at least five paragraphs. Assuming that one of them will be an introduction and the other one will be a conclusion, there are at least three paragraphs left for the body. The optimal number of sections for a critical essay is five to eight.

3. What is the difference between an essay and a critical essay?

Each type of essay has its peculiarities, so each essay is different and cannot be written without considering its core aspects. For a critical essay, exposing strengths and weaknesses of the subject are essential.

4. What skills do you need to write a critical essay?

Among the core skills required to write compelling critical essays are sourcing skills and time-managing skills. A student should know how to present his or her thoughts and arguments. Moreover, formatting and referencing skills are necessary.

Need assistance with a critical essay?

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Critical Essay

Definition of critical essay.

Contrary to the literal name of “critical,” this type of essay is not only an interpretation, but also an evaluation of a literary piece. It is written for a specific audience , who are academically mature enough to understand the points raised in such essays. A literary essay could revolve around major motifs, themes, literary devices and terms, directions, meanings, and above all – structure of a literary piece.

Evolution of the Critical Essay

Critical essays in English started with Samuel Johnson. He kept the critical essays limited to his personal opinion, comprising praise, admiration, and censure of the merits and demerits of literary pieces discussed in them. It was, however, Matthew Arnold, who laid down the canons of literary critical essays. He claimed that critical essays should be interpretative, and that there should not be any bias or sympathy in criticism.

Examples of Critical Essay in Literature

Example #1: jack and gill: a mock criticism (by joseph dennie).

“The personages being now seen, their situation is next to be discovered. Of this we are immediately informed in the subsequent line, when we are told, Jack and Gill Went up a hill. Here the imagery is distinct, yet the description concise. We instantly figure to ourselves the two persons traveling up an ascent, which we may accommodate to our own ideas of declivity, barrenness, rockiness, sandiness, etc. all which, as they exercise the imagination, are beauties of a high order. The reader will pardon my presumption, if I here attempt to broach a new principle which no critic, with whom I am acquainted, has ever mentioned. It is this, that poetic beauties may be divided into negative and positive, the former consisting of mere absence of fault, the latter in the presence of excellence; the first of an inferior order, but requiring considerable critical acumen to discover them, the latter of a higher rank, but obvious to the meanest capacity.”

This is an excerpt from the critical essay of Joseph Dennie. It is an interpretative type of essay in which Dennie has interpreted the structure and content of Jack and Jill.

Example #2: On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth (by Thomas De Quincey)

“But to return from this digression , my understanding could furnish no reason why the knocking at the gate in Macbeth should produce any effect, direct or reflected. In fact, my understanding said positively that it could not produce any effect. But I knew better; I felt that it did; and I waited and clung to the problem until further knowledge should enable me to solve it. At length, in 1812, Mr. Williams made his debut on the stage of Ratcliffe Highway, and executed those unparalleled murders which have procured for him such a brilliant and undying reputation. On which murders, by the way, I must observe, that in one respect they have had an ill effect, by making the connoisseur in murder very fastidious in his taste, and dissatisfied by anything that has been since done in that line.”

This is an excerpt from Thomas De Quincey about his criticism of Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare. This essay sheds light on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and their thinking. This is an interpretative type of essay .

Example #3: A Sample Critical Essay on Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (by Richard Nordquist)

“To keep Jake Barnes drunk, fed, clean, mobile, and distracted in The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway employs a large retinue of minor functionaries: maids, cab drivers, bartenders, porters, tailors, bootblacks, barbers, policemen, and one village idiot. But of all the retainers seen working quietly in the background of the novel, the most familiar figure by far is the waiter. In cafés from Paris to Madrid, from one sunrise to the next, over two dozen waiters deliver drinks and relay messages to Barnes and his compatriots. As frequently in attendance and as indistinguishable from one another as they are, these various waiters seem to merge into a single emblematic figure as the novel progresses. A detached observer of human vanity, this figure does more than serve food and drink: he serves to illuminate the character of Jake Barnes.”

This is an excerpt from an essay written about Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises . This paragraph mentions all the characters of the novel in an interpretative way. It also highlights the major motif of the essay .

Functions of a Critical Essay

A critical essay intends to convey specific meanings of a literary text to specific audiences. These specific audiences are knowledgeable people. They not only learn the merits and demerits of the literary texts, but also learn different shades and nuances of meanings. The major function of a literary essay is to convince people to read a literary text for reasons described.

Critical Analysis in Composition

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , critical analysis is a careful examination and evaluation of a text , image, or other work or performance.

Performing a critical analysis does not necessarily involve finding fault with a work. On the contrary, a thoughtful critical analysis may help us understand the interaction of the particular elements that contribute to a work's power and effectiveness. For this reason, critical analysis is a central component of academic training; the skill of critical analysis is most often thought of in the context of analyzing a work of art or literature, but the same techniques are useful to build an understanding of texts and resources in any discipline.

In this context, the word "critical" carries a different connotation than in vernacular, everyday speech. "Critical" here does not simply mean pointing out a work's flaws or arguing why it is objectionable by some standard. Instead, it points towards a close reading of that work to gather meaning, as well as to evaluate its merits. The evaluation is not the sole point of critical analysis, which is where it differs from the colloquial meaning of "criticize."

Examples of Critical Essays

• "Jack and Gill: A Mock Criticism" by Joseph Dennie
• "Miss Brill's Fragile Fantasy": A Critical Essay About Katherine Mansfield's Short Story "Miss Brill" and "Poor, Pitiful Miss Brill"
• "On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth " by Thomas De Quincey
• A Rhetorical Analysis of Claude McKay's "Africa"
• A Rhetorical Analysis of E B. White's Essay "The Ring of Time"
• A Rhetorical Analysis of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
• "Saloonio: A Study in Shakespearean Criticism" by Stephen Leacock
• Writing About Fiction: A Critical Essay on Hemingway's Novel The Sun Also Rises

Quotes About Critical Analysis

• " [C]ritical analysis involves breaking down an idea or a statement, such as a claim , and subjecting it to critical thinking in order to test its validity." (Eric Henderson, The Active Reader: Strategies for Academic Reading and Writing . Oxford University Press, 2007)​
• "To write an effective critical analysis, you need to understand the difference between analysis and summary . . . . [A] critical analysis looks beyond the surface of a text—it does far more than summarize a work. A critical analysis isn't simply dashing off a few words about the work in general." ( Why Write?: A Guide to BYU Honors Intensive Writing . Brigham Young University, 2006)
• "Although the main purpose of a critical analysis is not to persuade , you do have the responsibility of organizing a discussion that convinces readers that your analysis is astute." (Robert Frew et al., Survival: A Sequential Program for College Writing . Peek, 1985)

Critical Thinking and Research

"[I]n response to the challenge that a lack of time precludes good, critical analysis , we say that good, critical analysis saves time. How? By helping you be more efficient in terms of the information you gather. Starting from the premise that no practitioner can claim to collect all the available information, there must always be a degree of selection that takes place. By thinking analytically from the outset, you will be in a better position to 'know' which information to collect, which information is likely to be more or less significant and to be clearer about what questions you are seeking to answer." (David Wilkins and Godfred Boahen, Critical Analysis Skills For Social Workers . McGraw-Hill, 2013)

How to Read Text Critically

 "Being critical in academic enquiry means: - adopting an attitude of skepticism or reasoned doubt towards your own and others' knowledge in the field of enquiry . . . - habitually questioning the quality of your own and others' specific claims to knowledge about the field and the means by which these claims were generated; - scrutinizing claims to see how far they are convincing . . .; - respecting others as people at all times. Challenging others' work is acceptable, but challenging their worth as people is not; - being open-minded , willing to be convinced if scrutiny removes your doubts, or to remain unconvinced if it does not; - being constructive by putting your attitude of skepticism and your open-mindedness to work in attempting to achieve a worthwhile goal." (Mike Wallace and Louise Poulson, "Becoming a Critical Consumer of the Literature." Learning to Read Critically in Teaching and Learning , ed. by Louise Poulson and Mike Wallace. SAGE, 2004)

Critically Analyzing Persuasive Ads

"[I]n my first-year composition class, I teach a four-week advertisement analysis project as a way to not only heighten students' awareness of the advertisements they encounter and create on a daily basis but also to encourage students to actively engage in a discussion about critical analysis by examining rhetorical appeals in persuasive contexts. In other words, I ask students to pay closer attention to a part of the pop culture in which they live. " . . . Taken as a whole, my ad analysis project calls for several writing opportunities in which students write essays , responses, reflections, and peer assessments . In the four weeks, we spend a great deal of time discussing the images and texts that make up advertisements, and through writing about them, students are able to heighten their awareness of the cultural 'norms' and stereotypes which are represented and reproduced in this type of communication ." (Allison Smith, Trixie Smith, and Rebecca Bobbitt, Teaching in the Pop Culture Zone: Using Popular Culture in the Composition Classroom . Wadsworth Cengage, 2009)

Critically Analyzing Video Games

 "When dealing with a game's significance, one could analyze the themes of the game be they social, cultural, or even political messages. Most current reviews seem to focus on a game's success: why it is successful, how successful it will be, etc. Although this is an important aspect of what defines the game, it is not critical analysis . Furthermore, the reviewer should dedicate some to time to speaking about what the game has to contribute to its genre (Is it doing something new? Does it present the player with unusual choices? Can it set a new standard for what games of this type should include?)." (Mark Mullen, "On Second Thought . . ." Rhetoric/Composition/Play Through Video Games: Reshaping Theory and Practice , ed. by Richard Colby, Matthew S.S. Johnson, and Rebekah Shultz Colby. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

Critical Thinking and Visuals

 "The current critical turn in rhetoric and composition studies underscores the role of the visual, especially the image artifact, in agency. For instance, in Just Advocacy? a collection of essays focusing on the representation of women and children in international advocacy efforts, coeditors Wendy S. Hesford and Wendy Kozol open their introduction with a critical analysis of a documentary based on a picture: the photograph of an unknown Afghan girl taken by Steve McCurry and gracing the cover of National Geographic in 1985. Through an examination of the ideology of the photo's appeal as well as the 'politics of pity' circulating through the documentary, Hesford and Kozol emphasize the power of individual images to shape perceptions, beliefs, actions, and agency." (Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Vision, Rhetoric, and Social Action in the Composition Classroom . Southern Illinois University Press, 2010)

Related Concepts

• Analysis  and  Critical Essay
• Book Report
• Close Reading
• Critical Thinking
• Discourse Analysis
• Evaluation Essay
• Explication
• Problem-Solution
• Rhetorical Analysis
• Definition and Examples of Explication (Analysis)
• Critical Thinking in Reading and Composition
• Rhetorical Analysis Definition and Examples
• The Meaning of Innuendo
• Late Closure (Sentence Processing)
• Historic vs. Historical: How to Choose the Right Word
• Quotes About Close Reading
• Stipulative Definitions in English
• nationality word
• agrammatism
• Understanding the Use of Language Through Discourse Analysis
• What Is an Existential Sentence in English Grammar?
• dramatism (rhetoric and composition)
• Archaism (Words and Syntax)
• What Does It Mean to Make a Claim During an Argument?
• Epiphany Meaning and Examples

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• What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples

Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .

To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .

Critical thinking skills help you to:

• Identify credible sources
• Evaluate and respond to arguments
• Assess alternative viewpoints
• Test hypotheses against relevant criteria

Table of contents

Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.

Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.

Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.

In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:

• Is free from research bias
• Provides evidence to support its research findings
• Considers alternative viewpoints

Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.

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Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.

Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.

Academic examples

However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.

You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.

Nonacademic examples

However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.

You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.

There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.

However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

When encountering information, ask:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field?
• What do they say? Is their argument clear? Can you summarize it?
• When did they say this? Is the source current?
• Where is the information published? Is it an academic article? Is it peer-reviewed ?
• Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it rely on opinion, speculation, or appeals to emotion ? Do they address alternative arguments?

Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:

• Am I only considering evidence that supports my preconceptions?
• Is my argument expressed clearly and backed up with credible sources?
• Would I be convinced by this argument coming from someone else?

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Paraphrasing

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Critical thinking skills include the ability to:

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test  and follow these guidelines:

• The information should be up to date and current.
• The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
• The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
• For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.

Being information literate means that you:

• Know how to find credible sources
• Use relevant sources to inform your research
• Understand what constitutes plagiarism
• Know how to cite your sources correctly

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.

Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.

On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.

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How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide

A critical analysis essay is an academic paper that requires a thorough examination of theoretical concepts and ideas. It includes a comparison of facts, differentiation between evidence and argument, and identification of biases.

Crafting a good paper can be a daunting experience, but it will be much easier if you have the right approach. In this guide by our custom writing team, you will find:

• Different types of critical analysis;
• Best ways to structure your essay;
• Two excellent critical analysis essay examples.
• 📝 Critical Analysis Definition
• ✍️ Writing Guide
• ✅ Critical Analysis Types
• 📑 Examples & Tips

📝 What Is a Critical Analysis?

Criticism is the process of appraising things such as works of art and literature. It comes from the word meaning “able to make judgments”. A critical analysis essay is often referred to as a critical thinking essay, critical response paper, critical evaluation essay, and summary and response essay.

When we hear the word “criticism,” we often associate it with negative judgments. However, to criticize doesn’t necessarily mean to find faults. Even though criticism involves active disagreement, it strives to understand the meaning further and evaluate its efficiency. We call it constructive criticism .

In other words, critical analysis is an evaluation of a piece of work that promotes its better understanding . Have a look at this comparison and see what critical analysis is and what it isn’t:

Aside from art and literature, critical analysis is often used in theoretical research, nursing, and social work. In any of these areas, you have an opportunity to exercise your critical faculties.

Analysis in Writing: Definition & Examples

Analysis is a step you take before writing any paper. It’s aimed at evaluating and interpreting the sources. To do it, you break them down and study them in detail. You can learn more from this article on critical analysis by Southeastern Louisiana University .

In the following table, we’ve compiled several forms of analysis in writing and illustrated each type with a topic example:

What Is the Difference between Summary and Analysis?

Students often confuse analysis with summary and get a lower grade as a result. Here is how two notions differ. A summary is a brief restatement of the text’s main points that involves paraphrasing. An analysis is a detailed examination of the evidence that uncovers something new.

Check out this comparison to understand the difference better:

✍️ How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay

Now, we will show you the steps to writing a critical analysis with examples to guide you through this process. Keep in mind that the purpose of your critical analysis paper is to help readers understand a subject to a full extent.

Critical analysis consists of two stages: critical reading and critical writing. Read on to learn more about them.

Critical Reading Examples & Definition

Critical reading a technique that involves discovering and evaluating the text’s meaning and incorporating it into what you already know. It’s the first stage of critical analysis.

According to Cleveland State University, critical reading occurs after you’ve skimmed the research material and decided where to focus your efforts. While you are reading, use the following techniques to stay on track:

• Determine the central claim and identify how it is argued;
• Look for the large patterns that give purpose, order, and meaning to arguments;
• Contextualize the text within an original historical, political, or religious context;
• Distinguish the kinds of reasoning and methodology the text employs;
• Examine the evidence;
• Recognize manipulations.

When it comes to recognizing manipulations, authors use three persuasive appeals to convince their readers of something: ethos , pathos , and logos .

Now, let’s apply the critical reading techniques to an actual text:

The death estimates during the US invasions of Tokyo were exaggerated by a factor of ten to twenty. The wartime casualty estimates were based on inaccurate assumptions. The data was not updated to exclude the civilians’ deaths and justify the strategic decision to drop off an atomic bomb.

• What is the text saying?  US bombs killed up to two million people.
• What is the text doing?  The death estimates were exaggerated to downplay the casualties and emphasize the importance of dropping the atomic bomb.

When you are able to recognize these persuasive modes in your reading, you can master them in writing.

What Is Critical Writing: Definition & Techniques

Critical writing is a process of commenting on another piece of work using several writing strategies. It is the second stage of critical analysis.

Want to know how to write critically? Have a look at the following tips:

• Take a critical stance: recognize that every text comes from a perspective and is subject to interpretation.
• Pay close attention: look not only for the facts but also for explanations.
• Think big picture : put your sources in context with the time it was written.
• Bring yourself in: consider the connections between several texts and add your own perspective.

When it comes to the critical writing, certain strategies can be beneficial. Yet, others are better to avoid. We’ve compiled the most important dos and don’ts in the table below:

Want to learn more? Check out our article on critical writing .

Critical Analysis Essay Topics: How to Choose

Now that you’ve learned about critical analysis, there is a big question to answer: how do you choose the topic for your essay? It might require using a specific strategy to make the right choice.

Many students find it helpful to have a list of critical thinking questions to answer while brainstorming. We’ve prepared them for you:

• Theme : How well does the author approach the central theme? Are the arguments strong enough?
• Organization : Is this piece of work well-structured and easy to follow?
• Audience : Who is the audience? Are there any manipulations the author is using to persuade the reader?
• Tone : Is there a specific tone used by the author throughout their work? How does it affect the reader?
• Bias and informational gaps : Does the author look at their work from several angles? Are there any contradicting arguments or missing information?
• Word choice : Does the author invent new words? Is the vocabulary serious or silly, casual or technical? How does it affect the overall writing?
• Logos : Does the author use logic to prove their point?
• Ethos : Does the author have any proof of their credibility? Do they claim to be an expert? In what ways is the reader’s trust gained?
• Pathos : Does the author use emotion to connect with the reader? Does the writing appeal to common beliefs and values?

Answering these questions will help you with deciding on critical thinking essay topics. If you want some additional inspiration, feel free to use our topic generator .

Critical Analysis Template

After carefully analyzing all of your sources, you can start writing your first draft using our critical analysis template. Use this outline to structure your essay and to ensure your arguments are related to your thesis.

How to Start a Critical Analysis Essay

To create an outstanding opening paragraph, you may want to start it with a hook. It can be a quote from your source or a rhetorical question. Be sure to make it catchy so that it will grab your reader’s attention.

After you’re done with the hook, write the following:

• the work’s title and some background information,
• an outline of the main ideas from your sources,
• your thesis statement.

Here are two introduction examples for your inspiration:

What happens when there is a considerable wage gap between the upper and middle classes? The unsurprising reality forces poor people to use credit cards to pay off their debt. Credit card industries collect interest from those who can’t pay off their debt right away.

A romantic novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is about overcoming social stereotypes in the name of love. Its main character, Elizabeth Bennet, has to fight against her discrimination against wealthy men like Mr. Darcy to find love and be happy.

Critical Analysis Essay: Thesis

A thesis statement is what you are aiming to prove. Ideally, it should be the first thing you write because every other part of your critical analysis paper will be connected to it.

To create a strong thesis statement, you want to start with a broader idea of what you would like to critique. Then, you narrow it down. Choose a debatable thesis so you can back it up with evidence from your sources and anchor your entire paper around it.

The examples below will help you write your essay’s thesis:

People in positions of power are less likely to recognize the social injustice than marginalized groups of the civilian population.

In a 1989 American superhero film Batman, Tim Burton subverts the concept of heroism by refraining Batman from murder and making him morally ambiguous.

Critical Analysis Essays: Summary and Response

The body paragraphs of a critical essay consist of your source’s summary and a response with arguments.

A summary should present specific facts from your source to help your reader understand your arguments better. You can use these sentence starters to structure a summary:

• The book is about…
• The theme of the article is…
• The author argues that…
• The author concludes…
• The main character is…
• The main points are…

The main plot of Elizabeth Bennet’s plan to save her family from poverty intersects with stereotypes that romantic love and marriage don’t go together. She does not accept a marriage proposal from Mr. Darcy because she does not want to be walking proof that women marry for money. The rejected proposal leads Darcy to open up and change Elizabeth’s perception of him.

A response should present your main arguments that support your thesis statement. Each argument is a sub-thesis that connects to your central thesis. It’s crucial to discuss each point in detail and prove it with strong evidence.

Your arguments should be:

• clear, informative, and persuasive;
• well-researched and backed up with solid evidence;
• connected to your thesis.

At first, Elizabeth Bennet sees Mr. Darcy only as a powerful man with wealth and high social status. For her, he represents a marriage of convenience that she is so desperately trying to fight against. After Mr. Darcy attempts to separate Jane and Bingley, Elizabeth gets proof for her ideas about powerful men who do everything in their power to destroy a loving relationship for a better financial suit.

Critical Essay Outline: Conclusion

The final stage of essay writing is to ensure you have proven your arguments. The goal of your conclusion is to remind the reader of your thesis and the essay’s main points. You may also want to leave them with some final statements for consideration.

Keep in mind that the concluding paragraph is not a place to introduce new evidence. Instead, you can do the following:

• Restate your thesis;
• Summarize your main ideas;
• Talk about the work’s overall performance or outcome;
• Identify potential opportunities for further research or investigation.

Elizabeth Bennet struggles with the societal association of marriage with financial stability. Eventually, she marries a rich man, Mr. Darcy, but she marries him for love rather than his money and social status. Her pride and prejudice towards him were destroyed by his acts of kindness and true love. Their relationship had a rough start, but both of them could get their happy ending by breaking out of old beliefs and habits.

✅ Types of Critical Analysis

Choosing the correct type of analysis will help you stay on track with your research objectives. It will give you the anchor to develop your essay around in a systematic manner.

Critical analysis can be categorized into 4 main types:

• Literary analysis gives a critical evaluation of a literary text.
• Article analysis reflects upon arguments presented in an article.
• Media analysis essay interprets messages conveyed through visual media, music, or radio.
• Cultural analysis interprets cultural phenomena and practices.

Literary Analysis: Definition & Characteristics

Literary analysis is an argument that expresses one’s critical evaluation of a poem, novel, short story, or play. A critique of literature has the same characteristics as other types of critical essays. The difference is the kind of information you can include in this type of essay.

Here’s how to analyze literature:

You will find more interesting info in our article on literary analysis essays .

How to Write an Analysis of an Article

Critical analysis of an article aims to analyze the writing strategies and techniques an author uses to develop their argument. The process is a little different than persuading the reader to accept a particular point of view. Here is a sample outline:

Critical Film Analysis: Types & How to Write

Film analysis goes beyond the plot structure and includes composition elements such as camera work, lighting, costume choices, etc. After watching the film at least twice, you can select what type of film analysis you will be performing. Check out the types and see what they’re about:

• Semiotic analysis involves interpretation of signs and symbols within a film.
• Narrative analysis examines the story the film seeks to tell.
• Historical analysis is an examination of a film’s relationship to a cultural or historical context.
• Mise-en-scène analysis is an analysis of compositional elements used in a scene or a single shot.

Once you’ve chosen a topic, use this outline to guide you through the writing process:

You can learn more from our article on film analysis .

How to Write a Cultural Analysis Essay

Critical analysis essay refers to your comment upon one specific cultural aspect that works or doesn’t work in a society. After you’ve chosen a topic for your cultural analysis paper, you can start drafting your outline. Here is how the structure of this kind of paper differs from others:

Critical Analysis Essay Topics

• Critical analysis of qualitative research article.
• Rhetorical analysis of articles on qualitative studies in healthcare.
• American Exodus by James N. Gregory: Rhetorical Analysis. 
• Critical analysis of religion and faith .
• Analyze the sonnet My Mistress’ Eyes by W. Shakespeare .
• Critical essay on issues of cognitive neuroscience.
• A Doll House as an example of feminist literature: rhetorical analysis.
• Conduct a comparative critical analysis of Judaism and Christianity.
• Rhetorical analysis of an Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf .  
• Semantic meaning of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath .
• Critical evaluation of Seligman articles.
• Analyze psychological literature based on A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by E. Hemingway.
• Rhetorical analysis of literary devices and expressive means in A Good Man Is Hard to Find .
• Analyze the characteristic features of drama using the example of Death of a Salesman .
• Critical analysis of the most popular business strategies .
• Discuss the problem of childhood obesity in Active Living by Van Kann.
• Analyze IT strategies and planning.  
• Critical analysis of a controversial art using the example of Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
• Emotional impact of comedy films.
• Rhetorical analysis of Sophocles’ Antigone as an example of Greek drama.
• Influence of Socrate’s philosophy on the ancient Greek playwrights.  
• Critical analysis of Sophocles’ plays.
• Different sets of values in Everyday Use by A. Walker .
• Analysis of corporate crimes using the example of Lehman Brothers’ scandal.
• Critical analysis of a scientific article based on Nursing Pain Management .
• Different interpretations of A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor.
• Critical analysis of Longinus’ idea of sublime .
• The importance of a teacher’s role in Freedom Writers .
• Critical analysis of the efficiency of CBT.
• Rhetorical analysis of an article on a proactive care program.
• The concept of emotional intelligence: critical analysis.  
• Evaluate implementation of Windsome’s risk management strategy to enhance the company’s response to stress.
• The importance of symbolism in Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s .  
• Critical analysis of Thomas Paine’s pamphlets.
• Rhetorical techniques used in Hamlet by W. Shakespeare .
• In-depth analysis of the modern world’s social issues in The Handmaid’s Tale .
• Social messages in Robinson’s and Kincaid’s stories.  
• Analysis of rhetorical strategies used in Dwellings by Linda Hogan.
• Critical analysis of issues elucidated in A Loss for Words by J. Thurman.  
• Discuss the problems of alienation and perception in The Things They Carried .

📑 Critical Analysis Essay Examples & Bonus Tips

The following writing tips will help you understand how to apply your critical thinking skills in practice and write an excellent critical essay on your own.

Critical Essay Format & Free Samples

Looking for some tips on how to format your paper? This section reflects the latest guidelines for citing your sources with the latest APA 7th and MLA 9th publication manuals.

Before you dive into writing your critical analysis paper, get inspired with some compelling essay examples. The first is a film analysis example. You can download the PDF file below:

The Birds  by Alfred Hitchcock is a thriller that derives its suspense from the violence which stands on the borderline with divine retribution. The birds of the film are the symbol of the said violence and primary actors that contribute to the semiotic revelations of the film.

The following critical analysis essay is concerned with a literary work. You can download it below:

Feminism has been influential in various aspects of society for many decades. With the beginning of women’s emancipation, humanity has progressed not only in political and social life but also in science, culture, and literary studies. A feminist standpoint in literature research points to the limited portrayal of the characters in literary works, which showed the world mainly from a patriarchal perspective.

Here’s the list of critical analysis essay examples. You can check them out to get a better understanding of critical analysis and to gain some inspiration.

• Managing Business Risks: A Critical Analysis
• Nursing Skills for Palliative Care: A Critical Analysis
• Critical Analysis of Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research
• Nighthawks by Edward Hopper: Critical Analysis
• Roosevelt and Obama: Critical Analysis of Two Speeches
• “The Love of My Life” by T. C. Boyle Critical Analysis
• Nursing Education-Practice Gap: Critical Analysis
• Affordable Care Act: A Critical Analysis
• Mother Tongue by Amy Tan: Critical Analysis

Bonus Tips: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information. It is about careful reasoning directed to a goal. The main components of this process include observing, wondering, imagining, experimenting, judging, and deciding.

This type of thinking is instrumental in conducting a critical analysis. To succeed at it, you need to be attentive, confident, and open-minded. Below are some questions that you can ask yourself while thinking critically:

• Why are you being told this?
• What are you not being told?
• Who is telling you this?
• How reliable is this information?
• Are there any manipulations involved?
• How else can you analyze the same material?

Critical thinking is a skill that develops with time and effort. However, you may encounter barriers that can prevent you from making accurate judgments. The following tips will help you overcome them:

• Step back from your personal feelings and biases
• Look for different ways to examine the data
• Check your sources for reliability
• Do your best to detect manipulations in arguments
• Always conceptualize what you are reading
• Challenge your worldview

Want to learn more? Feel free to check out our article on critical thinking essays .

Now you know everything necessary to write a perfect critical analysis essay. Feel free to share this article or leave a comment!

Further reading

• How to Write a Critique Paper: Tips + Critique Essay Examples
• How to Write an Art Critique: Examples & Strategies
• How to Write an Analysis Essay: Examples + Writing Guide
• How to Write a Book Review: Format, Outline, & Example
• How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Outline, Steps, & Examples

❓ Critical Analysis Essay FAQs

When analyzing any literary text, it is essential to evaluate the work and use the theme to support your opinion. The response’s goal is to show the reader what the selection of the source and the theme means to you personally.

The purpose of a response to a literature essay is to inform your reader about something interesting and insightful you found in a literary work. It may focus on the characters, plot, or theme of the story.

In a critical essay, choose the formal language and avoid using “I” statements. Focus on the piece you are analyzing, its strengths, and weaknesses. Using the first-person singular will take away the reader’s attention from your argument to you.

A critical source is a source that interprets, analyzes, critiques, and adds to the discussion of the primary source. It is then integrated into critical writing. The best critical sources can be found through library catalogs and scholarly databases.

🔍 References

• Critical Analysis: University of Wollongong
• Some Suggestions on Critically Evaluating Your Reading in History: Carleton College
• Criticism and Critical Analysis: Kansas State University
• Resources for Writers: Analytical Writing: Drew University
• Critical Thinking and Writing: University of Kent
• Writing Critical Essays about Literature: Gallaudet University
• Film Analysis: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Cultural Critique: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Writing a Critical or Rhetorical Analysis: Bellevue College
• Writing Critical Analysis Papers: University of Washington
• Critical Analysis Template: Thompson Rivers University
• Writing Effective Summary and Response Essays: Colorado State University
• Rhetorical/Critical Analysis: Houston Community College
• Writing Critical Reviews: Queen’s University
• General APA Guidelines: Purdue University
• Using MLA Format: MLA.org
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Critical Essay

Essay guide

Essay examples.

People love criticizing everything: from fresh vegetables and new emojis to literature and banking reforms. However, when talking about a critical essay, it is not necessarily a negative opinion regarding something. The author of such an essay analyzes, evaluates, or attempts to interpret a specific subject. Making a claim, an author offers some supporting ideas to prove it.

If the task of writing a critical-type personal statement has you feeling overwhelmed, especially given its importance in academic and professional settings, you may find the specialized services of StudyMoose to be invaluable.

A critical essay presupposes the use of critical thinking. However, you should also be aware that writing a critical essay also requires vital reading and writing skills. You must learn how to analyze what you read or see and interpret its creator’s purpose and intent. Notably, a critical essay excludes your feelings and must demonstrate your reasoning and supporting facts.

The aim of a critical essay

You may have noticed that nearly every job description includes critical thinking as one of the desired skills. People must be able to prove their position using a crucial vision and argument. Critical essays can be reasonable means to improve that skill to perfection. Besides, it is an excellent assignment to train your interpretation abilities.

For instance, if you take a classical movie, you can interpret it in the context of the time when it was shot. You can go further and analyze it in the context of politics or contemporary art. It is up for you to decide. And it is similar when it comes to critical essays. This is a thought-provoking train-up.

Here are some crucial writing goals you need to follow when working on your assignment:

• Suggesting an objective point of the original author of a piece of art you are analyzing.
• Providing a complete and uncut analysis of the work under consideration.
• Making a thorough examination and analysis of the work and demonstrating your ability to support the original author’s concept and claim.
• Defining the strong and weak sides of a journal or article entry.
• Critical evaluation of the work created by a writer or artist.

Critical Essay Examples

Critical reflection.

Critical Analysis Of ‘I Have A Dream’

Critical Reflection Essay

Writing a critical essay step by step

You should not bother if you have not written this type of written task yet. A critical essay is not that complicated if you know what to do and how to handle it the best. The main point here is to comprehend the instructions clearly and the expected result.

Some tips before you plunge into writing a critical essay

• Before you learn about critical writing’s structural peculiarities, you should also be aware of some features that can make your life easier. The following recommendations will make the writing process smooth.
• You must practice and master the active reading technique. Many students struggle with staying focused all the time as they read a text. A method referred to as active reading will help concentrate and notice all crucial details for a critical essay.
• Understand what a teacher expects of you. Before you start writing, read the instructions and make sure you understand everything in it. If something is unclear, it would be better to clarify every detail before carrying out your task. Asking for help and clarification is normal and even obligatory; your tutor would gladly assist.
• Study the source material. Whether you are to analyze the entire work or an excerpt, you must have a strong understanding of it. A critical paper requires you to know the details, especially when you need to analyze the original source in the context of other works. Besides, you can find the required quotation faster if you know the text well. Also, consider reading the original material twice or more, as there is a possibility you can miss out on something vital.
• Define the most apparent problematic issues as you are reading or reviewing the material. In most cases, the material for a critical essay has got something on the surface — the problems or challenges that seem primary for the author. It is better to note every problematic aspect that seems to be the most prominent in the source. Later on, the remaining patterns will emerge as well.
• Make notes. Making notes can be very helpful: the more remarks you have, the better. You will see that the notes after the first reading may differ from the ones you take after the second or third-time reading. You will then use some of these for your essay. Simultaneously, do not go over the top — make your remarks concise and to the point. Later, you will need to find the solutions to these problems.
• Reading essay samples is a good idea. Some may consider that practice to be a cheating technique; however, if you stick to this point of view you can call any artist a cheater as well. Sample essays can be inspiring for you. However, it is not the most important thing. The point is that by reading several critical works, you can see what vocabulary, grammatical structures, and tone correspond to this essay type.
• You are not here to summarize the source. Often, students cannot summarize an original author’s words instead of presenting their vision and critical view. It is a harsh mistake that can result in a poor grade.

Outline for your critical essay

Some people prefer to create a rough draft as they are reading the original source. Yet, it might be somewhat distracting. Perhaps, it is a suitable option for those who have some experience in writing this type of essay. The optimal variant is to sketch something after the second reading of the text; however, it is up for you to decide.

The critical essay outline’s structure is the same as that of any other essay: introduction, central part, and conclusion. Your body part presupposes some subheadings in it. You will likely realize what subheadings should be in your work during the active reading. Refer to your notes as you create the paper’s plan — these will help you create a solid body of the essay. Be ready to rewrite the outline several times.

Think about Statement

Arguable thesis means that it can be argued. It must either state or refute an argument about your topic.   To be debateable, a thesis must have some possibility of being true.   However, the thesis should not be universally accepted as true. Instead, it should be something that people can disagree with.   A thesis can be both an observation or an opinion.

observation + opinion (the "why") = thesis

Seeing if your thesis creates a powerful antithesis is an excellent approach to determine how strong it is.

Common thesis pitfalls:

• A thesis in the form of a fragment.
• A thesis that is overly broad.
• A thesis that is phrased as a question. (The thesis is usually derived from the solution to the question.)
• Extraneous information is included in a thesis.
• A thesis that begins with the words "I believe" or "In my opinion."

The structure of your critical essay

As you may understand, your critical essay must include an introductory part with an effective thesis statement, the main body with all the necessary ’stuffing,’ and conclusion — the only summarizing part of your work. These three sections comprise complete and meaningful critical writing.

The introductory part. The introduction is the most complicated part for many students. It is the very beginning of your essay, and you still struggle with the desire to quit and hang out with friends instead of writing the task. Some people also start writing an article from the body part and go back to the introduction after completing their work’s significant bulk. But you still need a thesis.

The thesis statement is you pole-star. You must understand that this closing sentence of the introductory paragraph is a measure of your successful completion of the assignment. If you have a correct and catchy thesis — the entire essay will be excellent; if not — perhaps, you do not even need to continue writing the essay. It is a joke, of course; the point is that having a grasping thesis is a must.

Consider following these rules:

• Do not use cliches
• The thesis should be in the first introductory paragraph; it can be either the last sentence or among the first few sentences — it all depends on the paragraph’s length. Note that the preceding sentences introduce an issue to a reader, while the following sentences explain the thesis.
• Do not use metaphoric words, be concise and transparent.
• Speak about the vital purpose and do not mention any side or minor arguments.

The body part. It is the essence of your work. You must keep it to the point and always refer to the thesis statement without scattering your readers’ attention. It is an excellent practice to always check up with the thesis if you are unsure whether you write something worthy. If the paragraph supports your key idea — you are doing it right.

Every claim you make should not only correspond to the thesis but also offer some backup. Your evidence should come from credible sources; make sure to use examples and quotes if needed. Note that your work should consist of not less than three paragraphs in the body paragraph.

The conclusion. Your final point of destination is the conclusion. It is, perhaps, the easiest part of any essay, as you need to restate the thesis from the introduction and mention the claims you used for your main body. At the same time, you may want to impel a reader to further thinking and searching for the solutions independently. All in all, a strong statement that underpins your central point is a perfect way to finish the critical essay.

List of Critical Essay Topics

• Investigation of a toy industry examination
• What are the issues of practicing good eating habits?
• The discoverers of America.
• The biggest social problem of recent times
• Why do companies spend millions of dollars on advertising their products?
• Health effects of video gaming
• Drug abuse among teenagers
• Should there be stricter prohibition and law for cyber anonymity and identity theft?
• Provide one alternative to anti-poverty programs today and discuss
• The impact of a positive teacher relationship
• Effectiveness of America’s economic system
• Securities exchange and how it influences your day by day life
• Solar Power
• Fossil Fuels
• The First Amendment
• Gun Control
• Fashion and Identity
• Women in Stem
• The Electoral College
• Internships in College
• Working in College
• The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
• The Impact of Social Media on Education
• The Impact of a Positive Teacher Relationship
• Technology in Cars
• Negative Effects of Modern Technology
• The Future of Apple
• The Accuracy of Psychological Testing
• Why are stories important for children?
• What is the ideology of feminism in a piece of literature?

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We’re reviewing our resources this spring (May-August 2024). We will do our best to minimize disruption, but you might notice changes over the next few months as we correct errors & delete redundant resources. 

Critical Reflection

A Critical Reflection (also called a reflective essay) is a process of identifying, questioning, and assessing our deeply-held assumptions – about our knowledge, the way we perceive events and issues, our beliefs, feelings, and actions. When you reflect critically, you use course material (lectures, readings, discussions, etc.) to examine our biases, compare theories with current actions, search for causes and triggers, and identify problems at their core.   Critical reflection is   not   a reading assignment, a summary of an activity, or an emotional outlet.   Rather,   the goal is   to change your thinking about a subject, and thus change your behaviour.

Tip: Critical reflections are common in coursework across all disciplines, but they can take very different forms. Your instructor may ask you to develop a formal essay, produce weekly blog entries, or provide short paragraph answers to a set of questions. Read the assignment guidelines before you begin.

How to Critically Reflect

Writing a critical reflection happens in two phases.

• Analyze:   In the first phase, analyze the issue and your role by asking critical questions. Use free writing as a way to develop good ideas. Don’t worry about organized paragraphs or good grammar at this stage.
• Articulate:   In the second phase, use your analysis to develop a clear argument about what you learned. Organize your ideas so they are clear for your reader.

First phase: Analyze

A popular method for analyzing is the three stage model: What? So What? Now what?

In the  What?  stage, describe the issue, including your role, observations, and reactions. The   what?   stage helps you make initial observations about what you feel and think. At this point, there’s no need to look at your course notes or readings.

Use the questions below to guide your writing during this stage.

• What happened?
• What did you do?
• What did you expect?
• What was different?
• What was your reaction?
• What did you learn?

In the second  So What?   stage, try to understand on a deeper level why the issue is significant or relevant. Use information from your first stage, your course materials (readings, lectures, discussions) -- as well as previous experience and knowledge to help you think through the issue from a variety of perspectives.

Tip:  Since you’ll be using more course resources in this step, review your readings and course notes before you begin writing.

Below are three perspectives you can consider:

• Academic perspective: How did the experience enhance your understanding of a concept/theory/skill? Did the experience confirm your understanding or challenge it? Did you identify strengths or gaps in your knowledge?
• Personal perspective:   Why does the experience matter? What are the consequences? Were your previous expectations/assumptions confirmed or refuted? What surprised you and why?
• Systems perspective:   What were the sources of power and who benefited/who was harmed? What changes would you suggest? How does this experience help you understand the organization or system?

In the third   Now what?   stage, explore how the experience will shape your future thinking and behaviour.

Use the following questions to guide your thinking and writing:

• What are you going to do as a result of your experiences?
• What will you do differently?
• How will you apply what you learned?

Second phase: Articulate

After completing the analysis stage, you probably have a lot of writing, but it is not yet organized into a coherent story. You need to build an organized and clear argument about what you learned and how you changed. To do so,   develop a thesis statement , make an   outline ,   write , and   revise.

Develop a thesis statement

Develop a clear argument to help your reader understand what you learned. This argument should pull together different themes from your analysis into a main idea. You can see an example of a thesis statement in the sample reflection essay at the end of this resource.

Tip: For more help on developing thesis statements, see our   Thesis statements  resource

Make an outline

Once you have a clear thesis statement for your essay, build an outline. Below is a straightforward method to organize your essay.

• Background/Context of reflection
• Thesis statement
• Introduce theme A
• Writer's past position/thinking
• Moment of learning/change
• Writer's current/new position
• Introduce theme B
• Introduce theme C
• Summarize learning
• Discuss significance of learning for self and others
• Discuss future actions/behaviour

Write and revise

Time to get writing! Work from your outline and give yourself enough time for a first draft and revisions.

Even though you are writing about your personal experience and learning, your audience may still be an academic one. Consult the assignment guidelines or ask your instructor to find out whether your writing should be formal or informal.

Sample Critical Reflection

Below are sample annotated paragraphs from one student’s critical reflection for a course on society and privilege.

Introduction

Background/context of reflection : I became aware of privileged positions in society only in recent years. I was lucky enough, privileged enough, to be ignorant of such phenomena, but for some, privilege is a daily lesson of how they do not fit into mainstream culture. In the past, I defined oppression as only that which is obvious and intentional. I never realized the part I played. However, during a class field study to investigate privileged positions in everyday environments, I learned otherwise.   Thesis:   Without meaning to, I caused harm by participating in a system where I gained from others’ subtle oppression. In one of these spaces, the local mall, everything from advertisements to food to products, to the locations of doorways, bathrooms and other public necessities, made clear my privilege as a white, heterosexual male.

Body paragraph

Topic sentence : Peggy McIntosh describes privilege as an invisible knapsack of tools and advantages. This description crystalized for me when I shopped for a greeting card at the stationary store. There, as a white, heterosexual male, I felt comfortable and empowered to roam about the store as I pleased. I freely asked the clerk about a mother’s day card.   Writer’s past position:   Previously, I never considered that a store did anything but sell products. However, when I asked the sales clerk for same sex greeting cards, she paused for a few seconds and gave me a look that made me feel instantly uncomfortable. Some customers stopped to look at me. I felt a heat move over my face. I felt, for a moment, wrong for being in that store.  I quickly clarified that I was only doing a report for school, implying that I was not in fact homosexual.   Writer’s current position:   The clerk’s demeanor changed. I was free to check, she said.  It was the only time during the field study that I had felt the need to explain what I was doing to anyone. I could get out of the situation with a simple clarification. But what if I really was a member of the homosexual community? The looks and the silence taught me that I should be feared.  I realized that, along with its products, the store was selling an image of normal. But my “normality” was another person’s “abnormality.”  After I walked out of the store I felt guilty for having denied being homosexual.

Summary of learning:   At the mall I realized how much we indirectly shame nonprivileged groups, even in seemingly welcoming spaces. That shame is supported every time I or any other privileged individual fails to question our advantage. And it leads to a different kind of shame carried by privileged individuals, too.   Value for self and others:   All of this, as Brown (2003) documents, is exacerbated by silence. Thus, the next step for me is to not only question privilege internally, but to publicly question covert bias and oppression. If I do, I may very well be shamed for speaking out. But my actions might just encourage other people to speak up as well.

Sample paragraphs adapted from James C. Olsen's Teaching Portfolio from Georgetown University .

What is Critical Incident Management? Definition and Classification

Imagine this: Your company’s entire network goes down, halting operations across the globe. Panic sets in as every minute of downtime means lost revenue and frustrated customers. What do you do? This scenario is a classic example of why Critical Incident Management (CIM) is vital. It's about having the right processes, people, and tools in place to manage high-impact events effectively and minimize damage.

In this article, we’ll explore what CIM is, how it differs from regular Incident Management , and why classifying incidents by severity is crucial. We’ll also cover best practices and the tools you can use to keep your business running smoothly even in the face of disaster.

What is Critical Incident Management (CIM)?

Critical Incident Management (CIM) is a specialized area within IT Service Management (ITSM) focused on identifying, managing, and resolving high-severity incidents that can significantly impact an organization's operations. These incidents are often time-sensitive and require immediate action to prevent substantial business disruption.

In essence, CIM ensures that when something goes seriously wrong—whether it’s a system outage, a security breach, or any other major event—there’s a structured process in place to manage the situation effectively and ensure business continuity . This not only helps in restoring normal operations as quickly as possible but also minimizes potential losses.

Understanding Critical Incident Management

Within the ITSM world, Critical Incident Management plays a crucial role in maintaining business continuity. While regular Incident Management deals with day-to-day issues, CIM focuses on events that pose a significant risk to the business. These incidents are usually rare but have the potential to cause widespread disruption if not managed properly. A recent example of a critical incident is the CrowdStrike outage . CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity company, experienced a significant service disruption that impacted its customers' ability to access vital security tools.

Given the nature of CrowdStrike's services, which are critical for detecting and responding to cyber attacks , the outage had severe implications for organizations relying on these tools to protect their IT infrastructure .

The incident required immediate attention from CrowdStrike's incident response teams to restore service and ensure that customers' security was not compromised during the downtime. This situation highlights the importance of having robust Critical Incident Management processes in place to handle such high-stakes scenarios.

CIM involves a coordinated effort between different teams, including IT, security, and operations, to quickly assess the situation, prioritize actions, and implement solutions. The goal is to restore services as fast as possible while minimizing the impact on the organization and its stakeholders.

8 Crowdstrike IT Outage Stats To understand How it Affected the World

Incidents classification.

Effective incident classification is at the heart of successful Critical Incident Management. By categorizing incidents based on severity, organizations can prioritize responses and allocate resources more effectively. Severity levels help in determining the urgency of the incident and the scale of the response required.

Severity 1 (Critical):

Definition: Incidents that cause complete outage or failure of critical systems or services, impacting all users or a significant portion of the business.

Actions: Immediate escalation to the highest level of IT and business management . Continuous communication with stakeholders and rapid response teams to resolve the issue.

Severity 2 (High):

Definition: Incidents that significantly degrade performance or availability of essential services, affecting a large group of users.

Actions: Prioritized for rapid resolution. Involvement of senior IT Management and focused communication to affected users.

Severity 3 (Moderate):

Definition: Incidents causing partial service disruptions or performance issues, affecting multiple users but not critical systems.

Actions: Handled with standard Incident Management processes but with increased monitoring and regular updates to stakeholders.

Severity 4 (Low):

Definition: Incidents causing minor service disruptions or issues, with limited impact on business operations.

Actions: Managed through standard processes with regular updates. Resolution may be deferred if higher-severity incidents occur.

Severity 5 (Informational):

Definition: Incidents with no immediate impact on services but require attention to prevent future issues.

Actions: Logged for future reference or preventive action. No immediate response required.

The 5 Incident Severity Levels – And a Free Matrix

Difference between critical incident management and incident management.

While both Critical Incident Management and Incident Management aim to restore normal operations, they differ significantly in scope and urgency. Incident Management deals with a broad range of issues, from minor glitches to major outages. It focuses on resolving these issues as quickly as possible to minimize disruptions.

On the other hand, Critical Incident Management zeroes in on high-impact incidents that pose a significant threat to the organization. These incidents require a more intense, coordinated response, often involving multiple teams and high-level management. CIM processes are typically more stringent and involve quicker escalation protocols to ensure that critical incidents are resolved swiftly.

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Critical incident management best practices.

To manage critical incidents effectively, organizations need to follow certain best practices. Here are five key practices to ensure a robust CIM process:

1. Establish a dedicated incident response team

Having a specialized incident response team is fundamental to the success of Critical Incident Management. This team should comprise members from various departments, including IT, security, operations, and even legal or public relations, depending on the nature of potential incidents.

The team must be well-trained, with a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities during a critical incident. Regular employee training programs and simulations can help reinforce these roles, ensuring that team members are prepared to act swiftly and decisively when an incident occurs.

Moreover, the incident response team should have a clear command structure, with designated leaders who can make critical decisions quickly. These leaders must be empowered to act without bureaucratic delays, which can be fatal during a high-severity incident.

The team should also be equipped with the necessary tools (ideally in the form of Incident Management software ) and resources to perform their duties effectively. By having a dedicated and well-prepared team, organizations can significantly reduce the response time and the overall impact of critical incidents.

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2. implement clear escalation protocols.

Clear escalation protocols are crucial in ensuring that critical incidents are handled with the urgency and attention they require. These protocols should outline the steps to be taken when an incident reaches a certain severity level, including who should be notified, how the incident should be communicated, and what immediate actions need to be taken.

Escalation protocols help prevent confusion and ensure that the right people are involved at the right time, minimizing delays in the response process.

In addition to having these protocols in place, it's essential to regularly review and update them to reflect changes in the organization’s structure, technology, or external environment. This ensures that the protocols remain relevant and effective. Organizations should also conduct regular training on these protocols, so all employees understand when and how to escalate an issue. Properly implemented escalation protocols can make the difference between a minor disruption and a full-blown crisis.

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3. conduct regular incident drills.

Incident drills are a critical component of an effective Critical Incident Management strategy . These drills simulate real-life critical incidents, allowing the response team to practice and refine their actions in a controlled environment. By conducting regular drills, organizations can identify weaknesses in their incident management processes, such as gaps in communication, slow response times, or unclear roles. These drills provide invaluable insights that can be used to strengthen the organization’s overall readiness for actual incidents.

Moreover, incident drills help build muscle memory for the response team, ensuring that they can act quickly and effectively when a real incident occurs. It also familiarizes them with the tools and systems they will use during a critical incident, reducing the likelihood of errors. For maximum effectiveness, drills should be varied in scope and complexity, covering different types of incidents and scenarios. This ensures that the team is prepared for a wide range of potential threats and can respond effectively under any circumstances.

4. Utilize automated monitoring tools

Automated monitoring tools play a vital role in the early detection and management of critical incidents. These tools continuously monitor systems and networks for signs of trouble, such as performance degradation, unusual traffic patterns, or security breaches. When an issue is detected, the tool can automatically escalate the incident, triggering the appropriate response protocols. T

his level of automation helps to reduce the time between the detection and response phases, which is critical in managing high-severity incidents.

Additionally, automated tools can be configured to perform predefined actions in response to specific triggers. For example, if a critical server goes down, the tool can automatically initiate a failover to a backup server while simultaneously notifying the incident response team.

This reduces the potential for human error and ensures that the initial response is both immediate and effective. In a world where seconds can make a significant difference, the use of automated monitoring tools is essential for maintaining business continuity during critical incidents.

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5. maintain transparent communication.

Transparent communication is essential during a critical incident, both within the organization and with external stakeholders. Internally, clear and timely communication ensures that all team members are aware of the current situation, what steps are being taken, and what their specific roles are. This helps to prevent confusion and duplication of efforts, enabling a more coordinated and effective response. It’s also important that communication channels are open and accessible, allowing team members to share updates and collaborate in real-time.

Externally, maintaining transparency with customers, partners, and the public is equally important. This can involve issuing timely updates about the incident, its impact, and the steps being taken to resolve it. Transparent communication helps to manage expectations and maintain trust, even in challenging situations. Organizations should have predefined communication plans that outline how and when to communicate with external parties during a critical incident. By being open and honest, organizations can mitigate the reputational damage that often accompanies high-severity incidents.

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The role of communication in critical incident management.

Effective communication is crucial during a critical incident. Without clear and timely communication, even the best-prepared response teams can struggle to manage the situation. This section can discuss the importance of communication at various stages of Incident Management—from initial detection to resolution—and how to ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed.

1. Internal communication channels

It’s essential to have dedicated internal communication channels that are accessible to all team members involved in incident management. Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams can be invaluable for real-time updates and collaboration during an incident.

2. External communication strategies

Keeping customers, partners, and other external stakeholders informed during a critical incident is equally important. This section can cover best practices for managing public relations and customer communications to maintain trust and transparency.

Lessons learned: How to improve after a critical incident

Every critical incident presents an opportunity to learn and improve. This section can explore the importance of conducting post-incident reviews to analyze what went well and what didn’t. It can also provide guidelines on how to document these lessons and implement changes to improve future incident responses.

1. Conducting a post-incident review

A post-incident review should be thorough and objective. It should involve all stakeholders and focus on identifying both strengths and areas for improvement in the incident management process.

2. Implementing changes based on lessons learned

Once lessons have been identified, it’s crucial to act on them. This section can discuss how to implement process improvements, update documentation, and train teams to ensure better preparedness for future incidents.

Critical Incident Management systems and tools

Managing critical incidents effectively requires the right tools. Here are three essential Incident Management tools for CIM :

1. InvGate Service Desk

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2. PagerDuty

PagerDuty is a popular Incident Management tool that provides real-time incident response capabilities. It allows teams to manage and resolve incidents quickly through automated alerting, escalation, and collaboration features.

Splunk is a robust tool for monitoring and analyzing machine data, helping teams detect and respond to critical incidents. Its powerful analytics capabilities enable proactive incident management by identifying potential issues before they escalate.

Critical Incident Management is a vital component of any ITSM strategy . By understanding the differences between CIM and regular Incident Management, organizations can better prepare for high-impact events that have the potential to disrupt operations significantly. Effective incident classification, along with best practices and the right tools, can make all the difference in minimizing the impact of critical incidents.

By following the guidelines and practices outlined in this article, your organization can ensure that it’s well-equipped to handle any critical incident that comes its way.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what is the primary goal of critical incident management.

The primary goal of CIM is to restore normal operations as quickly as possible during a high-impact event while minimizing the disruption to business functions.

2. How does CIM differ from regular Incident Management?

CIM focuses specifically on high-severity incidents that pose a significant threat to the organization, requiring a more intense and coordinated response compared to regular Incident Management.

3. What are the common tools used in Critical Incident Management?

Common tools for CIM include InvGate Service Desk, PagerDuty, and Splunk, each offering features that support rapid incident detection, response, and resolution.

4. Why is incident classification important in CIM?

Incident classification helps prioritize responses based on the severity of the incident, ensuring that the most critical issues are addressed first, reducing potential damage.

5. How can organizations prepare for critical incidents?

Organizations can prepare by establishing a dedicated incident response team, conducting regular drills, implementing clear escalation protocols, and utilizing automated monitoring tools.

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