critical of essays

How to Write a Critical Essay

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Olivia Valdes was the Associate Editorial Director for ThoughtCo. She worked with Dotdash Meredith from 2017 to 2021.

• B.A., American Studies, Yale University

A critical essay is a form of academic writing that analyzes, interprets, and/or evaluates a text. In a critical essay, an author makes a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a text, then supports that claim with evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.

In casual conversation, we often associate the word "critical" with a negative perspective. However, in the context of a critical essay, the word "critical" simply means discerning and analytical. Critical essays analyze and evaluate the meaning and significance of a text, rather than making a judgment about its content or quality.

What Makes an Essay "Critical"? 

Imagine you've just watched the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." If you were chatting with friends in the movie theater lobby, you might say something like, "Charlie was so lucky to find a Golden Ticket. That ticket changed his life." A friend might reply, "Yeah, but Willy Wonka shouldn't have let those raucous kids into his chocolate factory in the first place. They caused a big mess."

These comments make for an enjoyable conversation, but they do not belong in a critical essay. Why? Because they respond to (and pass judgment on) the raw content of the movie, rather than analyzing its themes or how the director conveyed those themes.

On the other hand, a critical essay about "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" might take the following topic as its thesis: "In 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,' director Mel Stuart intertwines money and morality through his depiction of children: the angelic appearance of Charlie Bucket, a good-hearted boy of modest means, is sharply contrasted against the physically grotesque portrayal of the wealthy, and thus immoral, children."

This thesis includes a claim about the themes of the film, what the director seems to be saying about those themes, and what techniques the director employs in order to communicate his message. In addition, this thesis is both supportable  and  disputable using evidence from the film itself, which means it's a strong central argument for a critical essay .

Characteristics of a Critical Essay

Critical essays are written across many academic disciplines and can have wide-ranging textual subjects: films, novels, poetry, video games, visual art, and more. However, despite their diverse subject matter, all critical essays share the following characteristics.

• Central claim . All critical essays contain a central claim about the text. This argument is typically expressed at the beginning of the essay in a thesis statement , then supported with evidence in each body paragraph. Some critical essays bolster their argument even further by including potential counterarguments, then using evidence to dispute them.
• Evidence . The central claim of a critical essay must be supported by evidence. In many critical essays, most of the evidence comes in the form of textual support: particular details from the text (dialogue, descriptions, word choice, structure, imagery, et cetera) that bolster the argument. Critical essays may also include evidence from secondary sources, often scholarly works that support or strengthen the main argument.
• Conclusion . After making a claim and supporting it with evidence, critical essays offer a succinct conclusion. The conclusion summarizes the trajectory of the essay's argument and emphasizes the essays' most important insights.

Tips for Writing a Critical Essay

Writing a critical essay requires rigorous analysis and a meticulous argument-building process. If you're struggling with a critical essay assignment, these tips will help you get started.

• Practice active reading strategies . These strategies for staying focused and retaining information will help you identify specific details in the text that will serve as evidence for your main argument. Active reading is an essential skill, especially if you're writing a critical essay for a literature class.
• Read example essays . If you're unfamiliar with critical essays as a form, writing one is going to be extremely challenging. Before you dive into the writing process, read a variety of published critical essays, paying careful attention to their structure and writing style. (As always, remember that paraphrasing an author's ideas without proper attribution is a form of plagiarism .)
• Resist the urge to summarize . Critical essays should consist of your own analysis and interpretation of a text, not a summary of the text in general. If you find yourself writing lengthy plot or character descriptions, pause and consider whether these summaries are in the service of your main argument or whether they are simply taking up space.
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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.

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How to write a critical essay

Part of English Critical essay writing

• It is important to plan your critical essay before you start writing.
• An essay has a clear structure with an introduction, paragraphs with evidence and a conclusion.
• Evidence , in the form of quotations and examples is the foundation of an effective essay and provides proof for your points.

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Learn how to plan, structure and use evidence in your essays

It is important to plan before you start writing an essay.

The essay question or title should provide a clear focus for your plan. Exploring this will help you make decisions about what points are relevant to the essay. What are you being asked to consider?

Organise your thoughts. Researching, mind mapping and making notes will help sort and prioritise your ideas. If you are writing a critical essay, planning will help you decide which parts of the text to focus on and what points to make.

How to use the passive voice to sound more objective

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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!

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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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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 1,162,759 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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Academic writing: a practical guide

Criticality in academic writing.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
• Structure & cohesion
• Working with evidence
• Referencing
• Assessment & feedback
• Dissertations
• Reflective writing
• Examination writing
• Academic posters
• Feedback on Structure and Organisation
• Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
• Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
• Feedback on Referencing and Research
• Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Being critical is at the heart of academic writing, but what is it and how can you incorporate it into your work?

What is criticality?

What is critical thinking.

Have you ever received feedback in a piece of work saying 'be more critical' or 'not enough critical analysis' but found yourself scratching your head, wondering what that means? Dive into this bitesize workshop to discover what it is and how to do it:

Critical Thinking: What it is and how to do it (bitesize workshop)[YouTube]

University-level work requires both descriptive and critical elements. But what's the difference?

Descriptive

Being descriptive shows what you know about a topic and provides the evidence to support your arguments. It uses simpler processes like  remembering , understanding and applying . You might summarise previous research, explain concepts or describe processes.

Being critical pulls evidence together to build your arguments; what does it all mean together? It uses more complex processes: analysing ,  evaluating and creating . You might make comparisons, consider reasons and implications, justify choices or consider strengths and weaknesses.

Bloom's Taxonomy  is a useful tool to consider descriptive and critical processes:

Bloom's Taxonomy [YouTube]  |  Bloom's Taxonomy [Google Doc]

Find out more about critical thinking:

What is critical writing?

Academic writing requires criticality; it's not enough to just describe or summarise evidence, you also need to analyse and evaluate information and use it to build your own arguments. This is where you show your own thoughts based on the evidence available, so critical writing is really important for higher grades.

Explore the key features of critical writing and see it in practice in some examples:

Introduction to critical writing [Google Slides]

While we need criticality in our writing, it's definitely possible to go further than needed. We’re aiming for that Goldilocks ‘just right’ point between not critical enough and too critical. Find out more:

Critical reading

Criticality isn't just for writing, it is also important to read critically. Reading critically helps you:

• evaluative whether sources are suitable for your assignments.
• know what you're looking for when reading.
• find the information you need quickly.

Critical reading [Interactive tutorial]  |  Critical reading [Google Doc]

Find out more on our dedicated guides:

Using evidence critically

Academic writing integrates evidence from sources to create your own critical arguments.

We're not looking for a list of summaries of individual sources; ideally, the important evidence should be integrated into a cohesive whole.  What does the evidence mean altogether?  Of course, a critical argument also needs some critical analysis of this evidence.  What does it all mean in terms of your argument?

Find out more about using evidence to build critical arguments in our guide to working with evidence:

Critical language

Critical writing is going to require critical language. Different terms will give different nuance to your argument. Others will just keep things interesting! In the document below we go through some examples to help you out:

Assignment titles: critical or descriptive?

Assignment titles contain various words that show where you need to be descriptive and where you need to be critical. Explore some of the most common instructional words: 

Descriptive instructional words

define : give the precise meaning

examine : look at carefully; consider different aspects

explain : clearly describe how a process works, why a decision was made, or give other information needed to understand the topic

illustrate : explain and describe using examples

outline : give an overview of the key information, leaving out minor details

Critical instructional words

analyse : break down the information into parts, consider how parts work together

discuss : explain a topic, make comparisons, consider strengths & weaknesses, give reasons, consider implications

evaluate : assess something's worth, value or suitability for a purpose - this often leads to making a choice afterwards

justify : show the reasoning behind a choice, argument or standpoint

synthesise : bring together evidence and information to create a cohesive whole, integrate ideas or issues

CC BY-NC-SA Learnhigher

More guidance on breaking down assignment titles:

• << Previous: Structure & cohesion
• Next: Working with evidence >>
• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 4:02 PM
• URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

Library Guides

Critical thinking and writing: critical writing.

• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Critical Reading
• Critical Writing
• Presenting your Sources

Common feedback from lecturers is that students' writing is too descriptive, not showing enough criticality: "too descriptive", "not supported by enough evidence", "unbalanced", "not enough critical analysis". This guide provides the foundations of critical writing along with some useful techniques to assist you in strengthening this skill. 

Key features of critical writing

Key features in critical writing include:

• Presenting strong supporting evidence and a clear argument that leads to a reasonable conclusion. 
• Presenting a balanced argument that indicates an unbiased view by evaluating both the evidence that supports your argument as well as the counter-arguments that may show an alternative perspective on the subject.
• Refusing to simply accept and agree with other writers - you should show criticality towards other's works and evaluate their arguments, questioning if their supporting evidence holds up, if they show any biases, whether they have considered alternative perspectives, and how their arguments fit into the wider dialogue/debate taking place in their field. 
• Recognizing the limitations of your evidence, argument and conclusion and therefore indicating where further research is needed.

Structuring Your Writing to Express Criticality

In order to be considered critical, academic writing must go beyond being merely descriptive. Whilst you may have some descriptive writing in your assignments to clarify terms or provide background information, it is important for the majority of your assignment to provide analysis and evaluation. 

Description :

Define clearly what you are talking about, introduce a topic.

Analysis literally means to break down an issue into small components to better understand the structure of the problem. However, there is much more to analysis: you may at times need to examine and explain how parts fit into a whole; give reasons; compare and contrast different elements; show your understanding of relationships. Analysis is to much extent context and subject specific.

Here are some possible analytical questions:

• What are the constituent elements of something?
• How do the elements interact?
• What can be grouped together? What does grouping reveal?
• How does this compare and contrast with something else?
• What are the causes (factors) of something?
• What are the implications of something?
• How is this influenced by different external areas, such as the economy, society etc (e.g. SWOT, PESTEL analysis)?
• Does it happen all the time? When? Where?
• What other factors play a role? What is absent/missing?
• What other perspectives should we consider?
• What if? What are the alternatives?
• With analysis you challenge the “received knowledge” and your own your assumptions.

Analysis is different within different disciplines:

• Data analysis (filter, cluster…)
• Compound analysis (chemistry)
• Financial statements analysis
• Market analysis (SWOT analysis)
• Program analysis (computer science) - the process of automatically analysing the behaviour of computer programs
• Policy Analysis (public policy) – The use of statistical data to predict the effects of policy decisions made by governments and agencies
• Content analysis (linguistics, literature)
• Psychoanalysis – study of the unconscious mind.

Evaluation : 

• Identify strengths and weaknesses. 
• Assess the evidence, methodology, argument etc. presented in a source. 
• Judge the success or failure of something, its implications and/or value.
• Draw conclusions from your material, make judgments about it, and relate it to the question asked. 
• Express "mini-arguments" on the issues your raise and analyse throughout your work. (See box Your Argument.)
• Express an overarching argument on the topic of your research. (See Your Argument .)

Tip: Try to include a bit of description, analysis and evaluation in every paragraph. Writing strong paragraphs can help, as it reminds you to conclude each paragraph drawing a conclusion. However, you may also intersperse the analysis with evaluation, within the development of the paragraph. 

Your Argument

What is an argument?

Essentially, the aim of an essay (and other forms of academic writing, including dissertations) is to present and defend, with reasons and evidence, an argument relating to a given topic. In the academic context argument means something specific. It is the main claim/view/position/conclusion on a matter, which can be the  answer to the essay (or research) question . The development of an argument is closely related to criticality , as in your academic writing you are not supposed to merely describe things; you also need to analyse and draw conclusions.

Tips on devising an argument

• Try to think of a clear statement. It may be as simple as trying to prove that a statement in the essay title is right or wrong. 
• Identify rigorous evidence and logical reasons to back up your argument. 
• Consider different perspectives and viewpoints, but show why your argument prevails. 
• Structure your writing in light of your argument: the argument will shape the whole text, which will present a logical and well-structured account of background information, evidence, reasons and discussion to support your argument.
• Link and signpost to your argument throughout your work. 

Argument or arguments?

Both! Ideally, in your essay you will have an overarching argument (claim) and several mini-arguments, which make points and take positions on the issues you discuss within the paragraphs. 

• ACADEMIC ARGUMENTATION This help-sheet highlights the differences between everyday and academic argumentation
• Argument A useful guide developed by The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Useful resources

Learning Development, University of Plymouth (2010). Critical Thinking. University of Plymouth . Available from  https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/1/1710/Critical_Thinking.pdf  [Accessed 16 January 2020].

Student Learning Development, University of Leicester (no date). Questions to ask about your level of critical writing. University of Leicester . Available from  https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/questions-to-ask/questions-to-ask-about-your-level-of-critical-writing  [Accessed 16 January 2020].

Workshop recording

• Critical thinking and writing online workshop Recording of a 45-minute online workshop on critical thinking and writing, delivered by one of our Learning Advisers, Dr Laura Niada.

Workshop Slides

• Critical Thinking and Writing
• << Previous: Critical Reading
• Next: Presenting your Sources >>
• Last Updated: May 5, 2023 10:54 AM
• URL: https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/critical-thinking-and-writing

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Academic Writing: Critical Thinking & Writing

• Academic Writing
• Planning your writing
• Structuring your assignment
• Critical Thinking & Writing
• Building an argument
• Reflective Writing
• Summarising, paraphrasing and quoting

Critical Thinking

One of the most important features of studying at university is the expectation that you will engage in thinking critically about your subject area. 

Critical thinking involves asking meaningful questions concerning the information, ideas, beliefs, and arguments that you will encounter. It requires you to approach your studies with a curious, open mind, discard preconceptions, and interrogate received knowledge and established practices.

Critical thinking is key to successfully expressing your individuality as an independent learner and thinker in an academic context. It is also a valuable life skill. 

Critical thinking enables you to:

• Evaluate information, its validity and significance in a particular context.
• Analyse and interpret evidence and data in response to a line of enquiry.
• Weigh-up alternative explanations and arguments.
• Develop your own evidence-based and well-reasoned arguments.
• Develop well-informed viewpoints.
• Formulate your own independent, justifiable ideas.
• Actively engage with the wider scholarship of your academic community.

Writing Critically

Being able to demonstrate and communicate critical thinking in your written assignments through critical writing is key to achieving academic success. 

Critical writing can be distinguished from descriptive writing which is concerned with conveying information rather than interrogating information. Understanding the difference between these two styles of academic writing and when to use them is important.

The balance between descriptive writing and critical writing will vary depending on the nature of the assignment and the level of your studies. Some level of descriptive writing is generally necessary to support critical writing. More sophisticated criticality is generally required at higher levels of study with less descriptive content. You will continue to develop your critical writing skills as you progress through your course.

Descriptive Writing and Critical Writing

• Descriptive Writing
• Critical Writing
• Examples of Critical Writing

Descriptive writing demonstrates the knowledge you have of a subject, and your knowledge of what other people say about that subject.  Descriptive writing often responds to questions framed as ‘what’ , ‘where’ , ‘who’ and ‘when’ .

Descriptive writing might include the following:

• Description of what something is or what it is about (an account, facts, observable features, details): a topic, problem, situation, or context of the subject under discussion.
• Description of where it takes place (setting and context), who is involved and when it occurs. 
• Re-statement or summary of what others say about the topic.
• Background facts and information for a discussion.

Description usually comes before critical content so that the reader can understand the topic you are critically engaging with.

Critical writing requires you to apply interpretation, analysis, and evaluation to the descriptions you have provided. Critical writing often responds to questions framed as ‘how’ or ‘why’ . Often, critical writing will require you to build an argument which is supported by evidence. 

Some indicators of critical writing are:

• Investigation of positive and negative perspectives on ideas
• Supporting ideas and arguments with evidence, which might include authoritative sources, data, statistics, research, theories, and quotations
• Balanced, unbiased appraisal of arguments and counterarguments/alternative viewpoints
• Honest recognition of the limitations of an argument and supporting evidence
• Plausible, rational, convincing, and well-reasoned conclusions 

Critical writing might include the following:

• Applying an idea or theory to different situations or relate theory to practice. Does the idea work/not work in practice? Is there a factor that makes it work/not work? For example: 'Smith's (2008) theory on teamwork is effective in the workplace because it allows a diverse group of people with different skills to work effectively'.
• Justifying why a process or policy exists. For example: 'It was necessary for the nurse to check the patient's handover notes because...'
• Proposing an alternative approach to view and act on situations. For example: 'By adopting a Freirian approach, we could view the student as a collaborator in our teaching and learning'. Or: 'If we had followed the NMC guidelines we could have made the patient feel calm and relaxed during the consultation'.
• Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of an idea/theory/policy. Why does this idea/theory/policy work? Or why does this idea not work? For example: 'Although Smith's (2008) theory on teamwork is useful for large teams, there are challenges in applying this theory to teams who work remotely'. 
• Discussion of how the idea links to other ideas in the field (synthesis). For example: 'the user experience of parks can be greatly enhanced by examining Donnelly's (2009) customer service model used in retail’.
• Discussion of how the idea compares and contrasts with other ideas/theories. For example: ‘The approach advocated by the NMC differs in comparison because of factor A and factor C’.
• Discussion of the ‘’up-to-datedness” and relevance of an idea/theory/policy (its currency). For example: 'although this approach was successful in supporting the local community, Smith's model does not accommodate the needs of a modern global economy'. 
• Evaluating an idea/theory/policy by providing evidence-informed judgment. For example: 'Therefore, May's delivery model should be discontinued as it has created significant issues for both customers and staff (Ransom, 2018)'.
• Creating new perspectives or arguments based on knowledge. For example: 'to create strong and efficient buildings, we will look to the designs provided by nature. The designs of the Sydney Opera House are based on the segments of an orange (Cook, 2019)'. 

Further Reading

• << Previous: Structuring your assignment
• Next: Building an argument >>
• Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 3:27 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uos.ac.uk/academic-writing

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Critical writing: What is critical writing?

• Managing your reading
• Source reliability
• Critical reading
• Descriptive vs critical
• Deciding your position
• The overall argument
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“If we are uncritical we shall always find what we want: we shall look for, and find confirmations” Karl Popper, cited in:  Critical Thinking  (Tom Chatfield)

Critical writing needs critical thinking. While most of this guide focuses on critical writing, it is first important to consider what we mean by criticality at university. This is because critical writing is primarily a process of evidencing and articulating your critical thinking. As such, it is really important to get the 'thinking bit' of your studies right! If you are able to demonstrate criticality in your thinking, it will make critical writing easier. 

Williams’ (2009:viii) introduces criticality at university as:

“being thoughtful, asking questions, not taking things you read (or hear) at face value. It means finding information and understanding different approaches and using them in your writing.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking requires you to carefully evaluate not just sources of information, but also the ideas within them and the arguments they develop. This is an essential part of being a student at university. You cannot simply believe everything you read or are told. For some people, this can feel uncomfortable as this requires you to critique published authors and notable academics. While this may feel inappropriate, it is one of the foundations of academic debate. Indeed, for any given topic or issue, there are many equally valid academic positions. To be effective in your critical thinking, you need to use both scepticism and objectivity :

Scepticism requires you to bring doubt and a questioning attitude to your academic work. In essence, you must ensure you do not automatically accept everything you hear, read or see as true (Chatfield, 2018). This requires you to  question everything you hear, read or see . This is the first step towards developing a critical approach.

Objectivity

Objectivity requires you to approach your work with a more neutral perspective . While it is not possible to take yourself out of your work, when you are engaging in critical thinking you need to acknowledge anything that influences your perspective. This is very important as without this level of self-awareness you can focus more on your opinion than developing a reasoned argument. 

Remember, you CAN criticise the experts - the University of Sussex make this point well here: Critical Thinking: Criticising the experts .

A short introduction to critical writing

Making your thinking more critical with questions

This page has so far demonstrated the importance of asking questions in all of your academic work and learning. Questions are the root of criticality. Questions engage you in active thought, requiring you to process what you are hearing, reading, seeing or experiencing against what you already know. All questions, however, are not as equally probing. Questions like 'what', 'when' and 'who' tend to be more descriptive in contrast to  questions like 'how' or 'so what' which are much more critical .

When engaging in critical thinking, you need to use a range of questions to fully consider the topic or issue you are trying to understand. Descriptive questions are great for developing your initial understanding, but you also need to consider more analytical and evaluatory questions to fully engage in critical thinking . The diagram below introduces some of the core critical questions: 

Based on: University of Plymouth

Critical questions when reading

Most of your critical thinking should be directed towards your reading of the literature. This is because the literature forms the basis of all academic writing, serving as the evidence for whatever point(s) you are trying to make. Our  Reading at University SkillsGuide  contains some useful sections which apply criticality to determining source reliability and identifying an argument. Direct links to these can be found below:

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Critical Essay

Critical Essay - An Ultimate Guide For Students

Published on: Jan 6, 2023

Last updated on: May 26, 2023

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A critical essay is a type of essay writing assignment that expects you to examine another person’s work, critically analyze it, and present your own idea.

In order to come up with effective critical writing, you must have knowledge of source material and the basic principles of writing this type of essay.

In this article, we will discuss what is a critical essay in detail and how to write one for an A+ grade.

Follow the guide and understand the key information for writing an impressive critical analysis essay.

Critical Essay Definition

A critical essay is a form of academic writing in which a writer evaluates and analyzes a text. It can be a book, article, or movie, etc.

In this type of writing, the main objective is not to convince your audience but to create an informative analysis.

You have to come up with your interpretation and prove with facts or evidence from other sources of work.

Teachers assign this type of assignment to challenge the critical analyzing ability of students. They want to get a well-written paper with clear arguments and reliable references to support the claim.

Characteristics of a Critical Essay

All critical essays, despite the subject matter, share the following characteristics.

• Critical essays contain a central point that is usually expressed at the start of the essay.
• It includes facts and evidential information to support your thesis statement.
• All critical essays offer a brief and concise conclusion. It summarizes the main argument and emphasizes the most important points of the essay.

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How to Write a Critical Essay?

Here is a step-by-step guide that you need to go through for writing an excellent critical analysis essay.

Find and Examine a Source

Find the information you need to include in your essay to support the central claim. Books, journals, articles, encyclopedias, and news are the most common sources of information that you can use.

Start critical reading and gather the relevant information and refer to it when writing your essay.

Make Notes of Your Thoughts and Ideas

Now identify the main problem to be discussed in your essay. After the central claim, find the evidence for demonstrating that claim.

Brainstorm ideas and think about how it can relate to what you are analyzing. Think about the associated ideas and write it all on paper and figure out which ideas need further research.

Compose a Thesis Statement

All critical essays must have a one-sentence thesis statement at the end of the introductory paragraph.

The thesis statement should be composed based on the information that you gather from different sources.

When composing a thesis statement, answer the question, ‘What point are you trying to prove?’. If you are still not sure, read some interesting  thesis statement examples  and know-how to come up with a strong point.

Create an Outline

Don’t think about writing an essay without creating its outline first. An outline will help you save your time and organize your ideas more effectively. Here you need to structure all the points so the writing process is easier for you.

Write Your Essay

Once you are done with the outline, start the writing process. Begin your essay with an interesting introduction that ends with the central claim of your essay. After that, analyze and evaluate it with facts and evidence in the body paragraphs. And end it with the key points of the claim in conclusion.

Edit and Proofread

After writing your essay, leave it for a few days if the deadline is not soon. Then review your essay to find and correct mistakes. You may do it yourself or ask your friend or family member to do it for you.

Make the changes until you feel like the essay is perfect and without any mistakes. You can also hire an  essay writer  for professional editing and proofreading services.

Create captivating essays effortlessly!

Critical Essay Outline

The critical analysis essay outline also follows a 5 paragraph structure format. It includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Introduction

The introduction of the essay should describe the topic and provide some background information of the work in a few sentences. It should end with a strong  thesis statement  that will help the reader determine what the essay is focusing on.

Body Paragraphs

In this section, you need to cover all the ideas that have been outlined. Answer the question that you have mentioned in the introduction. Explain the significance of the work with facts, examples, and quotes. Keep in mind that your main aim is to analyze and inform your readers so pay attention to how the original work is presented.

Wrap up your essay by restating the main point of view of your essay. Summarize the main argument and emphasize the key points of the essay.

Critical Essay Format

Here is the most commonly used format that you can use for creating a detailed  critical essay outline  and organize your ideas.

1. Introduction

• Introduce the topic
• Provide some background information
• Thesis statement

2. Body Paragraphs

• A summary of the whole work
• Cover your ideas and answer the main question
• Analyze and evaluate

3. Conclusion

• Restate the thesis statement
• Summarize the key pieces of evidence
• The work’s overall importance

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Critical Essay Topics

Here are some interesting  critical essay topics  for college students. Feel free to choose any topic and start the research process.

• The impact of violent video games on young children
• What are the negative effects of modern technology?
• Pros and cons of standardized tests
• Analyze the three types of decision making
• What is the impact of human-nature relationships on health?
• Analyze the economic development of the UK since 1950
• Critically examine the novel ‘Jane Eyre’.
• How are humans related to nature?
• What is the role of modern art in our society?
• What is the ideology of feminism?
• The most important elements in Chinese religious culture
• The future of the oil industry

Critical Essay Examples

Before you start writing your essay, get inspired with some interesting critical analysis essay examples.

Critical Essay About the Leadership of Duterte PDF

The Great Gatsby Critical Essay Example PDF

Critical Essay on my Papa’s Waltz PDF

Critical Essay of Aristotle on Tragedy PDF

These examples will definitely help you learn how to write a good critical essay no matter if you are a beginner writer.

You may also see our  free essays  and understand the basic principles of writing academic essays.

Critical Essay Writing Tips

Below are some expert tips to remember when writing a critical essay.

• In critical essays, your personal opinion plays an important role but avoid writing it if you don't have enough evidence to support it.
• Critically analyzing a piece of work does not mean you need to bring out the negative aspects of it. You are evaluating another person’s work, you need to be informative and that means the claims you made need to be backed up by credible evidence.
• Your critical essay should inform your audience of something new. Whether it is a new idea or new lesson or a new perspective.
• Do you know what type of language should be used in a critical analysis essay? Your tone and language in a critical analysis essay should be objective throughout. Although you can use a humorous tone if you are not writing on a serious topic.

Critical essay writing is not an easy task especially if you are writing about a topic which you don’t know anything about.

The task becomes even more difficult if you do not have enough time to research and the deadline is approaching soon. You can handle this by delegating your task to professional essay writers at  FreeEssayWriter.net .

All you have to do is place your  order  with your initial requirements and get your critical essay done on time.

John K. (Research)

John K. is a professional writer and author with many publications to his name. He has a Ph.D. in the field of management sciences, making him an expert on the subject matter. John is highly sought after for his insights and knowledge, and he regularly delivers keynote speeches and conducts workshops on various topics related to writing and publishing. He is also a regular contributor to various online publications.

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Critical Essay Outline - Easy Guide for Students

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What Is a Critical Analysis Essay: Definition

Have you ever had to read a book or watch a movie for school and then write an essay about it? Well, a critical analysis essay is a type of essay where you do just that! So, when wondering what is a critical analysis essay, know that it's a fancy way of saying that you're going to take a closer look at something and analyze it.

So, let's say you're assigned to read a novel for your literature class. A critical analysis essay would require you to examine the characters, plot, themes, and writing style of the book. You would need to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses and provide your own thoughts and opinions on the text.

Similarly, if you're tasked with writing a critical analysis essay on a scientific article, you would need to analyze the methodology, results, and conclusions presented in the article and evaluate its significance and potential impact on the field.

The key to a successful critical analysis essay is to approach the subject matter with an open mind and a willingness to engage with it on a deeper level. By doing so, you can gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the subject matter and develop your own informed opinions and perspectives. Considering this, we bet you want to learn how to write critical analysis essay easily and efficiently, so keep on reading to find out more!

Meanwhile, if you'd rather have your own sample critical analysis essay crafted by professionals from our custom writings , contact us to buy essays online .

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Critical Analysis Essay Topics by Category

If you're looking for an interesting and thought-provoking topic for your critical analysis essay, you've come to the right place! Critical analysis essays can cover many subjects and topics, with endless possibilities. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of critical analysis essay topics by category. We've got you covered whether you're interested in literature, science, social issues, or something else. So, grab a notebook and pen, and get ready to dive deep into your chosen topic. In the following sections, we will provide you with various good critical analysis paper topics to choose from, each with its unique angle and approach.

Critical Analysis Essay Topics on Mass Media

From television and radio to social media and advertising, mass media is everywhere, shaping our perceptions of the world around us. As a result, it's no surprise that critical analysis essays on mass media are a popular choice for students and scholars alike. To help you get started, here are ten critical essay example topics on mass media:

• The Influence of Viral Memes on Pop Culture: An In-Depth Analysis.
• The Portrayal of Mental Health in Television: Examining Stigmatization and Advocacy.
• The Power of Satirical News Shows: Analyzing the Impact of Political Commentary.
• Mass Media and Consumer Behavior: Investigating Advertising and Persuasion Techniques.
• The Ethics of Deepfake Technology: Implications for Trust and Authenticity in Media.
• Media Framing and Public Perception: A Critical Analysis of News Coverage.
• The Role of Social Media in Shaping Political Discourse and Activism.
• Fake News in the Digital Age: Identifying Disinformation and Its Effects.
• The Representation of Gender and Diversity in Hollywood Films: A Critical Examination.
• Media Ownership and Its Impact on Journalism and News Reporting: A Comprehensive Study.

Critical Analysis Essay Topics on Sports

Sports are a ubiquitous aspect of our culture, and they have the power to unite and inspire people from all walks of life. Whether you're an athlete, a fan, or just someone who appreciates the beauty of competition, there's no denying the significance of sports in our society. If you're looking for an engaging and thought-provoking topic for your critical analysis essay, sports offer a wealth of possibilities:

• The Role of Sports in Diplomacy: Examining International Relations Through Athletic Events.
• Sports and Identity: How Athletic Success Shapes National and Cultural Pride.
• The Business of Sports: Analyzing the Economics and Commercialization of Athletics.
• Athlete Activism: Exploring the Impact of Athletes' Social and Political Engagement.
• Sports Fandom and Online Communities: The Impact of Social Media on Fan Engagement.
• The Representation of Athletes in the Media: Gender, Race, and Stereotypes.
• The Psychology of Sports: Exploring Mental Toughness, Motivation, and Peak Performance.
• The Evolution of Sports Equipment and Technology: From Innovation to Regulation.
• The Legacy of Sports Legends: Analyzing Their Impact Beyond Athletic Achievement.
• Sports and Social Change: How Athletic Movements Shape Societal Attitudes and Policies.

Critical Analysis Essay Topics on Literature and Arts

Literature and arts can inspire, challenge, and transform our perceptions of the world around us. From classic novels to contemporary art, the realm of literature and arts offers many possibilities for critical analysis essays. Here are ten original critic essay example topics on literature and arts:

• The Use of Symbolism in Contemporary Poetry: Analyzing Hidden Meanings and Significance.
• The Intersection of Art and Identity: How Self-Expression Shapes Artists' Works.
• The Role of Nonlinear Narrative in Postmodern Novels: Techniques and Interpretation.
• The Influence of Jazz on African American Literature: A Comparative Study.
• The Complexity of Visual Storytelling: Graphic Novels and Their Narrative Power.
• The Art of Literary Translation: Challenges, Impact, and Interpretation.
• The Evolution of Music Videos: From Promotional Tools to a Unique Art Form.
• The Literary Techniques of Magical Realism: Exploring Reality and Fantasy.
• The Impact of Visual Arts in Advertising: Analyzing the Connection Between Art and Commerce.
• Art in Times of Crisis: How Artists Respond to Societal and Political Challenges.

Critical Analysis Essay Topics on Culture

Culture is a dynamic and multifaceted aspect of our society, encompassing everything from language and religion to art and music. As a result, there are countless possibilities for critical analysis essays on culture. Whether you're interested in exploring the complexities of globalization or delving into the nuances of cultural identity, there's a wealth of topics to choose from:

• The Influence of K-Pop on Global Youth Culture: A Comparative Study.
• Cultural Significance of Street Art in Urban Spaces: Beyond Vandalism.
• The Role of Mythology in Shaping Indigenous Cultures and Belief Systems.
• Nollywood: Analyzing the Cultural Impact of Nigerian Cinema on the African Diaspora.
• The Language of Hip-Hop Lyrics: A Semiotic Analysis of Cultural Expression.
• Digital Nomads and Cultural Adaptation: Examining the Subculture of Remote Work.
• The Cultural Significance of Tattooing Among Indigenous Tribes in Oceania.
• The Art of Culinary Fusion: Analyzing Cross-Cultural Food Trends and Innovation.
• The Impact of Cultural Festivals on Local Identity and Economy.
• The Influence of Internet Memes on Language and Cultural Evolution.

How to Write a Critical Analysis: Easy Steps

When wondering how to write a critical analysis essay, remember that it can be a challenging but rewarding process. Crafting a critical analysis example requires a careful and thoughtful examination of a text or artwork to assess its strengths and weaknesses and broader implications. The key to success is to approach the task in a systematic and organized manner, breaking it down into two distinct steps: critical reading and critical writing. Here are some tips for each step of the process to help you write a critical essay.

Step 1: Critical Reading

Here are some tips for critical reading that can help you with your critical analysis paper:

• Read actively : Don't just read the text passively, but actively engage with it by highlighting or underlining important points, taking notes, and asking questions.
• Identify the author's main argument: Figure out what the author is trying to say and what evidence they use to support their argument.
• Evaluate the evidence: Determine whether the evidence is reliable, relevant, and sufficient to support the author's argument.
• Analyze the author's tone and style: Consider the author's tone and style and how it affects the reader's interpretation of the text.
• Identify assumptions: Identify any underlying assumptions the author makes and consider whether they are valid or questionable.
• Consider alternative perspectives: Consider alternative perspectives or interpretations of the text and consider how they might affect the author's argument.
• Assess the author's credibility : Evaluate the author's credibility by considering their expertise, biases, and motivations.
• Consider the context: Consider the historical, social, cultural, and political context in which the text was written and how it affects its meaning.
• Pay attention to language: Pay attention to the author's language, including metaphors, symbolism, and other literary devices.
• Synthesize your analysis: Use your analysis of the text to develop a well-supported argument in your critical analysis essay.

Step 2: Critical Analysis Writing

Here are some tips for critical analysis writing, with examples:

• Start with a strong thesis statement: A strong critical analysis thesis is the foundation of any critical analysis essay. It should clearly state your argument or interpretation of the text. You can also consult us on how to write a thesis statement . Meanwhile, here is a clear example:
• Weak thesis statement: 'The author of this article is wrong.'
• Strong thesis statement: 'In this article, the author's argument fails to consider the socio-economic factors that contributed to the issue, rendering their analysis incomplete.'
• Use evidence to support your argument: Use evidence from the text to support your thesis statement, and make sure to explain how the evidence supports your argument. For example:
• Weak argument: 'The author of this article is biased.'
• Strong argument: 'The author's use of emotional language and selective evidence suggests a bias towards one particular viewpoint, as they fail to consider counterarguments and present a balanced analysis.'
• Analyze the evidence : Analyze the evidence you use by considering its relevance, reliability, and sufficiency. For example:
• Weak analysis: 'The author mentions statistics in their argument.'
• Strong analysis: 'The author uses statistics to support their argument, but it is important to note that these statistics are outdated and do not take into account recent developments in the field.'
• Use quotes and paraphrases effectively: Use quotes and paraphrases to support your argument and properly cite your sources. For example:
• Weak use of quotes: 'The author said, 'This is important.'
• Strong use of quotes: 'As the author points out, 'This issue is of utmost importance in shaping our understanding of the problem' (p. 25).'
• Use clear and concise language: Use clear and concise language to make your argument easy to understand, and avoid jargon or overly complicated language. For example:
• Weak language: 'The author's rhetorical devices obfuscate the issue.'
• Strong language: 'The author's use of rhetorical devices such as metaphor and hyperbole obscures the key issues at play.'
• Address counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments to your argument and explain why your interpretation is more convincing. For example:
• Weak argument: 'The author is wrong because they did not consider X.'
• Strong argument: 'While the author's analysis is thorough, it overlooks the role of X in shaping the issue. However, by considering this factor, a more nuanced understanding of the problem emerges.'
• Consider the audience: Consider your audience during your writing process. Your language and tone should be appropriate for your audience and should reflect the level of knowledge they have about the topic. For example:
• Weak language: 'As any knowledgeable reader can see, the author's argument is flawed.'
• Strong language: 'Through a critical analysis of the author's argument, it becomes clear that there are gaps in their analysis that require further consideration.'

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Creating a Detailed Critical Analysis Essay Outline

Creating a detailed outline is essential when writing a critical analysis essay. It helps you organize your thoughts and arguments, ensuring your essay flows logically and coherently. Here is a detailed critical analysis outline from our dissertation writers :

I. Introduction

A. Background information about the text and its author

B. Brief summary of the text

C. Thesis statement that clearly states your argument

II. Analysis of the Text

A. Overview of the text's main themes and ideas

B. Examination of the author's writing style and techniques

C. Analysis of the text's structure and organization

III. Evaluation of the Text

A. Evaluation of the author's argument and evidence

B. Analysis of the author's use of language and rhetorical strategies

C. Assessment of the text's effectiveness and relevance to the topic

IV. Discussion of the Context

A. Exploration of the historical, cultural, and social context of the text

B. Examination of the text's influence on its audience and society

C. Analysis of the text's significance and relevance to the present day

V. Counter Arguments and Responses

A. Identification of potential counterarguments to your argument

B. Refutation of counterarguments and defense of your position

C. Acknowledgement of the limitations and weaknesses of your argument

VI. Conclusion

A. Recap of your argument and main points

B. Evaluation of the text's significance and relevance

C. Final thoughts and recommendations for further research or analysis.

This outline can be adjusted to fit the specific requirements of your essay. Still, it should give you a solid foundation for creating a detailed and well-organized critical analysis essay.

Useful Techniques Used in Literary Criticism

There are several techniques used in literary criticism to analyze and evaluate a work of literature. Here are some of the most common techniques:

• Close reading: This technique involves carefully analyzing a text to identify its literary devices, themes, and meanings.
• Historical and cultural context: This technique involves examining the historical and cultural context of a work of literature to understand the social, political, and cultural influences that shaped it.
• Structural analysis: This technique involves analyzing the structure of a text, including its plot, characters, and narrative techniques, to identify patterns and themes.
• Formalism: This technique focuses on the literary elements of a text, such as its language, imagery, and symbolism, to analyze its meaning and significance.
• Psychological analysis: This technique examines the psychological and emotional aspects of a text, including the motivations and desires of its characters, to understand the deeper meanings and themes.
• Feminist and gender analysis: This technique focuses on the representation of gender and sexuality in a text, including how gender roles and stereotypes are reinforced or challenged.
• Marxist and social analysis: This technique examines the social and economic structures portrayed in a text, including issues of class, power, and inequality.

By using these and other techniques, literary critics can offer insightful and nuanced analyses of works of literature, helping readers to understand and appreciate the complexity and richness of the texts.

Sample Critical Analysis Essay

Now that you know how to write a critical analysis, take a look at the critical analysis essay sample provided by our research paper writers and better understand this kind of paper!

Final Words

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What Type Of Language Should Be Used In A Critical Analysis Essay?

How to write a critical analysis essay, what is a critical analysis essay, related articles.

Critical Essay

A critical essay, subjectively speaking, is one of the most fun and easy essays to make because it gives you the chance to express your most honest opinions regarding a literary piece, a work of art, a film, or a piece of music. Critical essays have a high consideration for the perspective of its audience. It revolves around the importance of analysis and interpretation of the subject at hand by placing it on a much broader context.

Critical essay is a form of academic writing. It includes an argumentative thesis that summarizes the author’s main point. It would also contain textual evidences that can support the interpretation and serve as supporting information to give credibility to the assumptions. You may also see essay writing examples.

The main objective of a critical essay is to analyze, interpret, and evaluate a subject. It starts by the author expressing his claims and validating them by providing citations from primary and secondary sources.

Although the word  critical  or  criticize  denotes a negative action, criticizing an object or a text for a critical essay only means that you are taking the topic limb by limb to be able to study its many unique aspects which can only lead to thorough understanding. You may also like short essay examples & samples.

Critical essay can also open novel ways on how to approach the topic which can lead to further appreciation of it. It doesn’t seek to judge the content or the quality of the topic under study, but it assesses it instead to give way to interpreting its meaning and grasping its significance. You may also check out concept essay examples.

Critical Reflective Essay Template

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Critical Essay on Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”

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Poetry Analysis Essay Template

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Sample Body Paragraph of a Critical Essay

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Characteristics of a Critical Essay

Students are made to write critical essays on a variety of topics. These may include poetry, novels, films, paintings, even video games, newspaper or magazine articles, and speeches. But regardless of the subject it handles, a critical essay shares the same characteristics.

1. A critical essay has a central claim.

A claim or an assumption is the very reason why a critical essay is born—because the author of the essay has a point he wants to make. The essay would begin with a thesis statement, which would contain the writer’s claim, and the rest of the essay’s body would be created to support and prove that general statement . Authors can also choose to present possible counterarguments in their essays and present more evidences to kill these oppositions and strengthen the point they are trying to prove to be true.

2. A critical essay has evidences, and primary and secondary sources.

This characteristic is the dominant aspect of an essay. The author would need as much evidence as he can gather to strengthen his chances of proving his claim. He can quote lines from the text he is writing about; he can specify the themes used; he can discuss imagism and metaphors used; he can objectify the structure and the dialogues; he can even use the choice of words used to back his claim. You may also see student essay examples & samples.

Critical essays may also cite outside sources if it can help him support his assumption. These citations may come from books, articles, essays, and other scholarly texts.

3. A critical essay has a conclusion.

In writing a critical essay, the author has two goals: to make a claim and to arrive at a conclusion. Making a claim would start the simple essay  and a conclusion would mean that that claim has been proven. A conclusion can be two paragraphs at the most. The first of which can serve as an introduction before the final close if the author wants to discuss a few things before finishing off.

The second paragraph, often the only one in most critical essays, summarizes the discussions made in the body and highlights the most important insights.

Writing a Critical Analysis Guidelines

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Rubric for Writing a Critical Essay

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Sample Critical Essay

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Critical Essay on Tess of the d’Urbervilles

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Steps in Writing a Critical Essay

1. read and study the topic of your essay..

If you were asked to write a critical essay about  The Canterbury Tales , make sure that you are familiar with the material. It would be helpful if you have read the piece (preferably the translated version) and thoroughly understood what it was about.

A careful study of the characters and the themes while reading would also be helpful to help you understand the book better. Take notes as you go along so that you won’t have to waste time skimming the pages if you’ve forgotten a character’s name or what happened in a specific scene. You may also see essay writing examples & samples.

2. Conduct further research.

This step is important because it will help you find secondary sources that can serve as your evidence. Your research may also help you locate articles and effective essays written about your topic which can give you new insights about the material. It is also vital that you check the credibility of your sources. Make sure that the information it contains is correct, and that the author has, at least, an academic background that makes him eligible to be a source for an academic paper.

3. Create a thesis statement.

Once you have read the material and conducted additional research about it, what is it about the material that you want your essay to focus on? Perhaps you want to write about “The Miller”, or The Narrator . A critical essay would be easier and more enjoyable if you write about a character, an idea, or a concept you are most intrigued about. You may also like self-introduction essay examples & samples.

Your thesis statement should be able to effectively summarize the claim you are trying to make. It can either be one or two sentences long. Be specific in writing your thesis statement. It should not include vague descriptions such as “It was good” or “I liked it.” You should specify exactly which parts and why. The reader of your critical essay should understand exactly where you are coming from by simply reading your thesis statement .

4. Draft your ideas.

By this time, you should have enough information to work with since you have already read the material and conducted research about it. Before writing your critical essay, or any essay at all, create a rough outline of the details you think can prove your claim.

Is there a certain line in the text that you can use as your evidence? Or have you discovered another published academic writer that has the same opinions about the material as you? These information can serve as your claim’s support, so it is important that you arrange them in a way that they can compliment and continue each other’s message at the same time. You may also like analytical essay examples.

5. Begin your essay with an interesting line.

The beginning of your paper is your only chance to create a first impression and to grab the attention of your audiences. It should be engaging enough that your readers wouldn’t want to stop reading until they finished listening to what you have to say. Don’t start with clichés that have long ago lost their luster. Begin with an anecdote perhaps, or a particularly emotional line from the material you are writing about. You may also check out personal essay examples.

6. Give your readers enough context about the material.

In writing an effective critical essay, you need to assume that your readers know nothing or, at least, close to nothing about the material. So you should establish enough context for them to start with. After you have introduced your thesis statement, discuss a little about the material you are criticizing. Include only the pivotal details. Otherwise, your critical essay will look more like a general summary than anything else.

7. Incorporate your evidences and supporting arguments into the body of your essay.

Once you have introduced your readers to your thesis statement and given them a short review of the material, it is now your chance to prove your point. Lay down your evidences as organized as you can, and expound on them. Searching for evidences that can support your claim and assimilating them into your essay’s body is easy. But actually convincing people of their truth? There lies the challenge. You might be interested in high school essay examples.

The key to making your evidences and arguments believable and persuasive is to combine logic and emotion at the same time.

Your evidences should be as tangible as possible. They should be seen and read by your audience themselves, otherwise, they may not believe it. You can persuade your audience by presenting data and statistics and analogies. But they will be moved by you if you incorporate sentiments into your arguments. You may also see literary essay examples.

Create vivid scenarios and descriptive sentences, and let your reader’s feelings convince him of the truth in your words.

8. Let your conclusion be unforgettable.

Once you have finished your paper’s body, all you are left to do is to finish it up with a conclusion. Give a short summary of the important things you have discussed. You may also choose to explain the relevance of your claim to your reader, or present new questions that your reader can ruminate on. You may also like informative essay examples.

Let your conclusion ring in the minds of your audience by presenting it in a way that they will not forget. This is how you will know that your paper actually accomplished something.

Critical Essay Example

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Critical Essay Citation Format

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Tips in Writing Your First Critical Essay

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Important Tips to Remember When Writing a Critical Essay

1. Although your opinions and feelings about your topic is a big factor to be considered, you should avoid expressing it if you do not have any evidence to support it. A critical essay is meant to be informative, which means that all claims should be backed up by a credible evidence and not simply stated because it strikes the author’s fancy. You may also see academic essay examples .

2. Criticizing a piece of work does not mean that you are personally attacking its creator. It is only that you are being evaluative toward his work, and this may not always produce opinions that are flattering, but at least they are products of a careful study and not just subjectivity. You may also like sample essay outlines .

3. Your critical essay should teach your audience something new. Whether it is a new perspective, or a fresh idea, or a life lesson, they should have something useful to take from your paper.

4. Your tone in writing your critical essay should be objective and serious. Although you can use a lighter, more humorous tone, this may not always be acceptable for certain topics. You may also check out scholarship essay examples.

5. Be specific about the points you are making. This can make supporting it easier. If you give vague claims, you can also only provide vague evidences, and this will not make a well-structured and effective critical essay.

6. Quote and cite lines from the text itself. This is often the easiest and strongest support you can have for your arguments. For example, you are trying to make a point about a character’s main flaw. You can quote a scene or a line from the text to prove it. You might be interested in travel essay examples.

7. Focus on a particular aspect of the subject, like its theme or its plot, instead of looking at it as a whole. This can make criticizing it difficult since there are many angles you should consider. Emphasize only one or two main points so you can focus on it. You may also see descriptive essay examples.

Writing a critical essay gives us the chance to look at things from a different point of view. Often, we get caught up in looking at things through everybody’s eyes. Critical essays are a fresh break from that. It helps us realize that there truly is more than meets the eye, and we can only discover that if we do more than look.

Critical Essay Generator

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Prepare a critical essay on the moral implications of artificial intelligence.

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33 Critical Analysis Examples

Critical analysis refers to the ability to examine something in detail in preparation to make an evaluation or judgment.

It will involve exploring underlying assumptions, theories, arguments, evidence, logic, biases, contextual factors, and so forth, that could help shed more light on the topic.

In essay writing, a critical analysis essay will involve using a range of analytical skills to explore a topic, such as:

• Evaluating sources
• Exploring strengths and weaknesses
• Exploring pros and cons
• Questioning and challenging ideas
• Comparing and contrasting ideas

If you’re writing an essay, you could also watch my guide on how to write a critical analysis essay below, and don’t forget to grab your worksheets and critical analysis essay plan to save yourself a ton of time:

Grab your Critical Analysis Worksheets and Essay Plan Here

Critical Analysis Examples

1. exploring strengths and weaknesses.

Perhaps the first and most straightforward method of critical analysis is to create a simple strengths-vs-weaknesses comparison.

Most things have both strengths and weaknesses – you could even do this for yourself! What are your strengths? Maybe you’re kind or good at sports or good with children. What are your weaknesses? Maybe you struggle with essay writing or concentration.

If you can analyze your own strengths and weaknesses, then you understand the concept. What might be the strengths and weaknesses of the idea you’re hoping to critically analyze?

Strengths and weaknesses could include:

• Does it seem highly ethical (strength) or could it be more ethical (weakness)?
• Is it clearly explained (strength) or complex and lacking logical structure (weakness)?
• Does it seem balanced (strength) or biased (weakness)?

You may consider using a SWOT analysis for this step. I’ve provided a SWOT analysis guide here .

2. Evaluating Sources

Evaluation of sources refers to looking at whether a source is reliable or unreliable.

This is a fundamental media literacy skill .

Steps involved in evaluating sources include asking questions like:

• Who is the author and are they trustworthy?
• Is this written by an expert?
• Is this sufficiently reviewed by an expert?
• Is this published in a trustworthy publication?
• Are the arguments sound or common sense?

For more on this topic, I’d recommend my detailed guide on digital literacy .

3. Identifying Similarities

Identifying similarities encompasses the act of drawing parallels between elements, concepts, or issues.

In critical analysis, it’s common to compare a given article, idea, or theory to another one. In this way, you can identify areas in which they are alike.

Determining similarities can be a challenge, but it’s an intellectual exercise that fosters a greater understanding of the aspects you’re studying. This step often calls for a careful reading and note-taking to highlight matching information, points of view, arguments or even suggested solutions.

Similarities might be found in:

• The key themes or topics discussed
• The theories or principles used
• The demographic the work is written for or about
• The solutions or recommendations proposed

Remember, the intention of identifying similarities is not to prove one right or wrong. Rather, it sets the foundation for understanding the larger context of your analysis, anchoring your arguments in a broader spectrum of ideas.

Your critical analysis strengthens when you can see the patterns and connections across different works or topics. It fosters a more comprehensive, insightful perspective. And importantly, it is a stepping stone in your analysis journey towards evaluating differences, which is equally imperative and insightful in any analysis.

4. Identifying Differences

Identifying differences involves pinpointing the unique aspects, viewpoints or solutions introduced by the text you’re analyzing. How does it stand out as different from other texts?

To do this, you’ll need to compare this text to another text.

Differences can be revealed in:

• The potential applications of each idea
• The time, context, or place in which the elements were conceived or implemented
• The available evidence each element uses to support its ideas
• The perspectives of authors
• The conclusions reached

Identifying differences helps to reveal the multiplicity of perspectives and approaches on a given topic. Doing so provides a more in-depth, nuanced understanding of the field or issue you’re exploring.

This deeper understanding can greatly enhance your overall critique of the text you’re looking at. As such, learning to identify both similarities and differences is an essential skill for effective critical analysis.

My favorite tool for identifying similarities and differences is a Venn Diagram:

To use a venn diagram, title each circle for two different texts. Then, place similarities in the overlapping area of the circles, while unique characteristics (differences) of each text in the non-overlapping parts.

6. Identifying Oversights

Identifying oversights entails pointing out what the author missed, overlooked, or neglected in their work.

Almost every written work, no matter the expertise or meticulousness of the author, contains oversights. These omissions can be absent-minded mistakes or gaps in the argument, stemming from a lack of knowledge, foresight, or attentiveness.

Such gaps can be found in:

• Missed opportunities to counter or address opposing views
• Failure to consider certain relevant aspects or perspectives
• Incomplete or insufficient data that leaves the argument weak
• Failing to address potential criticism or counter-arguments

By shining a light on these weaknesses, you increase the depth and breadth of your critical analysis. It helps you to estimate the full worth of the text, understand its limitations, and contextualize it within the broader landscape of related work. Ultimately, noticing these oversights helps to make your analysis more balanced and considerate of the full complexity of the topic at hand.

You may notice here that identifying oversights requires you to already have a broad understanding and knowledge of the topic in the first place – so, study up!

7. Fact Checking

Fact-checking refers to the process of meticulously verifying the truth and accuracy of the data, statements, or claims put forward in a text.

Fact-checking serves as the bulwark against misinformation, bias, and unsubstantiated claims. It demands thorough research, resourcefulness, and a keen eye for detail.

Fact-checking goes beyond surface-level assertions:

• Examining the validity of the data given
• Cross-referencing information with other reliable sources
• Scrutinizing references, citations, and sources utilized in the article
• Distinguishing between opinion and objectively verifiable truths
• Checking for outdated, biased, or unbalanced information

If you identify factual errors, it’s vital to highlight them when critically analyzing the text. But remember, you could also (after careful scrutiny) also highlight that the text appears to be factually correct – that, too, is critical analysis.

8. Exploring Counterexamples

Exploring counterexamples involves searching and presenting instances or cases which contradict the arguments or conclusions presented in a text.

Counterexamples are an effective way to challenge the generalizations, assumptions or conclusions made in an article or theory. They can reveal weaknesses or oversights in the logic or validity of the author’s perspective.

Considerations in counterexample analysis are:

• Identifying generalizations made in the text
• Seeking examples in academic literature or real-world instances that contradict these generalizations
• Assessing the impact of these counterexamples on the validity of the text’s argument or conclusion

Exploring counterexamples enriches your critical analysis by injecting an extra layer of scrutiny, and even doubt, in the text.

By presenting counterexamples, you not only test the resilience and validity of the text but also open up new avenues of discussion and investigation that can further your understanding of the topic.

See Also: Counterargument Examples

9. Assessing Methodologies

Assessing methodologies entails examining the techniques, tools, or procedures employed by the author to collect, analyze and present their information.

The accuracy and validity of a text’s conclusions often depend on the credibility and appropriateness of the methodologies used.

Aspects to inspect include:

• The appropriateness of the research method for the research question
• The adequacy of the sample size
• The validity and reliability of data collection instruments
• The application of statistical tests and evaluations
• The implementation of controls to prevent bias or mitigate its impact

One strategy you could implement here is to consider a range of other methodologies the author could have used. If the author conducted interviews, consider questioning why they didn’t use broad surveys that could have presented more quantitative findings. If they only interviewed people with one perspective, consider questioning why they didn’t interview a wider variety of people, etc.

See Also: A List of Research Methodologies

10. Exploring Alternative Explanations

Exploring alternative explanations refers to the practice of proposing differing or opposing ideas to those put forward in the text.

An underlying assumption in any analysis is that there may be multiple valid perspectives on a single topic. The text you’re analyzing might provide one perspective, but your job is to bring into the light other reasonable explanations or interpretations.

Cultivating alternative explanations often involves:

• Formulating hypotheses or theories that differ from those presented in the text
• Referring to other established ideas or models that offer a differing viewpoint
• Suggesting a new or unique angle to interpret the data or phenomenon discussed in the text

Searching for alternative explanations challenges the authority of a singular narrative or perspective, fostering an environment ripe for intellectual discourse and critical thinking . It nudges you to examine the topic from multiple angles, enhancing your understanding and appreciation of the complexity inherent in the field.

A Full List of Critical Analysis Skills

• Exploring Strengths and Weaknesses
• Evaluating Sources
• Identifying Similarities
• Identifying Differences
• Identifying Biases
• Hypothesis Testing
• Fact-Checking
• Exploring Counterexamples
• Assessing Methodologies
• Exploring Alternative Explanations
• Pointing Out Contradictions
• Challenging the Significance
• Cause-And-Effect Analysis
• Assessing Generalizability
• Highlighting Inconsistencies
• Reductio ad Absurdum
• Comparing to Expert Testimony
• Comparing to Precedent
• Reframing the Argument
• Pointing Out Fallacies
• Questioning the Ethics
• Clarifying Definitions
• Challenging Assumptions
• Exposing Oversimplifications
• Highlighting Missing Information
• Demonstrating Irrelevance
• Assessing Effectiveness
• Assessing Trustworthiness
• Recognizing Patterns
• Differentiating Facts from Opinions
• Analyzing Perspectives
• Prioritization
• Making Predictions
• Conducting a SWOT Analysis
• PESTLE Analysis
• Asking the Five Whys
• Correlating Data Points
• Finding Anomalies Or Outliers
• Comparing to Expert Literature
• Drawing Inferences
• Assessing Validity & Reliability

Analysis and Bloom’s Taxonomy

Benjamin Bloom placed analysis as the third-highest form of thinking on his ladder of cognitive skills called Bloom’s Taxonomy .

This taxonomy starts with the lowest levels of thinking – remembering and understanding. The further we go up the ladder, the more we reach higher-order thinking skills that demonstrate depth of understanding and knowledge, as outlined below:

Here’s a full outline of the taxonomy in a table format:

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is IQ? (Intelligence Quotient)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University

2 thoughts on “33 Critical Analysis Examples”

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! – I cannot even being to explain how hard it has been to find a simple but in-depth understanding of what ‘Critical Analysis’ is. I have looked at over 10 different pages and went down so many rabbit holes but this is brilliant! I only skimmed through the article but it was already promising, I then went back and read it more in-depth, it just all clicked into place. So thank you again!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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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Founded in 1951, by F. W. Bateson, Essays in Criticism soon achieved world-wide circulation, and is today regarded as one of Britain's most distinguished journals of literary criticism …

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The f.w. bateson memorial lecture 2019.

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Academic Literacy Is More Than Language, It's About Critical Thinking and Analysis - Universities Should Do More to Teach These Skills [analysis]

M aking the adjustment from school to university is no easy task. For instance, there's a big difference between writing a high school essay and crafting an academic paper which meets university standards.

In the decades since formal apartheid ended, South Africa's universities have become increasingly accessible to students from different socioeconomic, schooling and linguistic backgrounds. But many of these students do not have the language or literacy skills to succeed at university level.

When I talk about "language", I don't mean that their level of fluency in English is the problem. In my long experience as a researcher and practitioner in the field of academic literacy, I have seen time and again that not only non-native English speakers struggle to transition from school to university. Many students, no matter what language they speak, lack the skills of critical thinking, analysis and logical reasoning.

Academic literacy is a mode of reasoning that aims to develop university students into deep thinkers, critical readers and writers. Many universities in South Africa offer academic literacy programmes to support struggling undergraduates. On paper, these programmes are an opportunity for students to read and analyse different academic texts. Ideally they should provide students with the academic tools to cope in an ever-changing university landscape and the broader South African economy.

But, as my research and that of other academic literacy practitioners shows , many South African universities' academic literacy programmes are still promoting what researchers in this field call a " deficit model ". Here, lecturers assume that academic literacy is about teaching generic skills that can be transferred across disciplines. These skills include note-taking, structuring an academic essay and constructing sentences and paragraphs. There's also a big focus on the rules of English grammar.

While these are all useful skills, academic literacy is about so much more.

This approach does not equip students with skills that can transform their minds : critical and logical reasoning, argumentation, conceptual and analytical thinking, and problem solving.

Without these skills, undergraduate students come to believe, for instance, that disciplinary knowledge is factual and truthful and cannot be challenged. They don't learn how to critically assess and even challenge knowledge. Or they only see certain forms of knowledge as valid and scientific. In addition, they believe that some (mainly African) languages can never be used for research, teaching and learning. Pragmatically, they also don't develop the confidence to notice their own errors, attempt to address them or seek help.

I would like to share some suggestions on how to produce university graduates who can think critically.

The deficit model

Why does the deficit model still prevail in South African universities? Research ( including mine ) offers some clues.

First, academic literacy still suffers from confusion around the definition. Not everyone in higher education agrees on what it is. So, disciplinary experts and some academic literacy practitioners misrepresent it as English language support. They assume that reading and writing in English with grammatical correctness is more important than critical thinking and argumentation.

They assume that a semester or year-long academic literacy course can "fix" students who lack these basic English skills. This approach tends to target and stigmatise people whose home language isn't English, most often Black South Africans, Afrikaans speakers and students from other parts of Africa.

Another issue is that some academic literacy lecturers are not familiar with or are unconcerned about new research. They don't follow national or global scholarly debates about the discipline. That means their teaching isn't grounded in research or in new theoretical shifts.

Moreover, academic literacy practitioners and disciplinary experts do not always work together to develop the courses. This entrenches misleading views about the field, and it means academic literacy lecturers are not always aware of what's expected in different disciplines.

Doing things differently

These problems can be overcome.

Academic literacy programmes at South African universities should focus on providing students with empowering academic literacy skills that can transform their minds.

The starting point is to understand that academic literacy is a cognitive process. It helps students to think, read and write critically.

For this to happen, disciplinary boundaries and hierarchies must be disrupted. Academic literacy programmes should be designed collaboratively with disciplinary experts . This will guarantee contextual relevance. Academic literacy departments or units need to be staffed by academics who keep abreast of new research in the field. They should be familiar especially with research that focuses on the South African context.

Pineteh Angu , Associate professor, University of Pretoria

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Israel’s Closures of 2 Gaza Border Crossings Prompt Alarm Over Humanitarian Aid

International agencies and officials said Israel’s moves could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

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By Cassandra Vinograd

• May 7, 2024

With its seizure of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, Israel has now closed two key crossings for aid into Gaza, drawing sharp warnings from international agencies and officials who said the moves could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Since the start of the war, Israel had limited aid entering the Gaza Strip to the two tightly controlled border crossings : Kerem Shalom and Rafah, which both access the enclave’s south.

But Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing after a Hamas attack on Sunday killed four soldiers in the area, then mounted an incursion on Tuesday that closed the Rafah crossing along the border with Egypt.

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian office, said in a news briefing that Israel had “choked off” the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza. If fuel is not able to enter the enclave for some time, he added, “it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave.”

The main United Nations agency that helps Palestinians in Gaza said Tuesday that the “catastrophic hunger faced by people especially in northern Gaza will get much worse” if aid shipments through the Rafah border crossing were interrupted.

Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the Rafah operation “in the strongest terms,” saying on Tuesday afternoon that Israeli control over the crossing jeopardized humanitarian aid deliveries as well as the ability of Gazans to leave the strip for medical treatment .

“This dangerous escalation threatens the lives of more than a million Palestinians who depend primarily on this crossing, as it is the main lifeline of the Gaza Strip,” it said in a statement.

Israel opened the crossing at Kerem Shalom on its border with Gaza in December after pressure from the United States to speed up the flow of humanitarian aid. However, Israeli protesters have regularly gathered at the crossing, trying to block aid convoys from entering the enclave in hope of raising the pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.

Under pressure from the Biden administration after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers , Israel said last month that it would reopen the Erez border crossing into northern Gaza and that shipments bound for the enclave would be accepted at the Israeli port of Ashdod. On May 1, when the Erez crossing first opened, Israel said 30 aid trucks passed through.

Figures from the United Nations show that on Sunday, the most recent day for which data is available, 128 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing and none entered through Rafah. With the closures of those two crossings, it was not immediately clear how much aid was getting through to Gaza through the other avenues on Tuesday. COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing aid deliveries into Gaza, said on Tuesday that 60 trucks had passed through the Erez crossing.

Israel imposes stringent checks on incoming aid to keep out anything that might help Hamas, which it has pledged to eliminate. Since the start of the war, most of the aid for Gaza has moved through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Aid groups and foreign diplomats have said the inspections create bottlenecks , and have accused Israel of arbitrarily turning away aid and systematically limiting deliveries. Israel has denied those assertions, blaming the shortages on logistical failures by aid groups, and has recently increased the number of trucks entering the strip.

Nick Cumming-Bruce , Vivian Yee and Matthew Mpoke Bigg contributed reporting.

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

President Biden warned that the United States would withhold certain weapons  if Israel launches a long-threatened assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

As fears grow that an incursion by Israeli ground forces could lead to a full-scale invasion of Rafah, tens of thousands  of people have fled the city .

The U.N. has warned that Israel’s incursion into Rafah and closure of border crossings is a major setback for aid operations in Gaza .

Netanyahu's Concerns: Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, under pressure from all sides, is trying to reassure his many domestic, military and diplomatic critics. Here’s a look at what he is confronting .

Al Jazeera Shutdown: The influential Arab news network says it will continue reporting from Gaza and the West Bank, but its departure from Israel marks a new low in its long-strained history with the country .

Hobbling Education for Years: Most of Gaza’s schools, including all 12 of its universities, have severe damage that makes them unusable , which could harm an entire generation of students, the U.N. and others say.

Nonviolent Resistance in the West Bank: Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist who has been arrested and beaten for simple acts of defiance, is aiming to emulate Gandhi  at a time when violence is inescapable.

Critical Role is expanding its nerd empire. One longtime partner is about to be left in the dust.

• Critical Role is taking another step toward reigning supreme over nerd world for years to come.
• They built a 1.3 million-strong following on Twitch. Now, they're launching their own subscription service.
• It's a daring gambit for one of Twitch's top earners — and potentially a huge loss for the platform.

In the not-too-distant future, we may look back on this day as the beginning of the end for Twitch — because it sure looks like Critical Role, one of the juggernaut streamers on the platform, won't need it for much longer.

For the uninitiated, Critical Role is a company co-founded and run by a crew of eight self-professed nerdy voice actors who built a geek empire off playing "Dungeons & Dragons" on Twitch.

They've been streaming on the platform for more than nine years now and have a 1.3-million-strong fanbase on the site .

Now, Critical Role is striking out on its own with the launch of Beacon, an in-house membership service.

Beacon essentially gives people what they get with a Twitch subscription — instant access to VODs of their livestreams, but with some additional perks.

The $5.99-a-month Beacon membership comes with exclusive access to additional Critical Role programs. Also on offer is the inside track to a private Discord server, discounts on the team's merch store, and early pre-sale dibs on tickets to their live events.

Viewers of the show on Twitch and YouTube can still watch the show for free, according to its regular release schedule.

Related stories

It remains to be seen how much of its subscriber base Critical Role will be able to draw away from Twitch, which does give Amazon Prime users a free subscription to one channel.

Critical Role also made bank on Twitch , where it still has a massive viewer base . Going it alone is, by all estimates, a daring gambit.

That said, it would be unwise to bet against a crew that ran an $11.3 million fundraising run that smashed Kickstarter records, launched games that should make Hasbro nervous and sold out an arena in London.

Marisha Ray, Critical Role cast member and the company's creative director, was candid in a YouTube video announcing the service's launch about why the crew was making this move.

Speaking to fans, she called it "the most direct way that you can support us and everything we do" while not having "a portion of your hard-earned subscription dollars going to a massive third-party corporation."

"Over the years, it has become a huge priority for us to bring more and more of our business in-house. And it's no secret that video platforms have — let's just say they've been through their ups and downs," Ray said.

"It's not uncommon for our content to get demonetized because we all have the vocabulary of teenage sailors," she added. "Or on the extreme other end of the spectrum, we'll sometimes have ads run in front of our content that don't really vibe with our beliefs. That's not cool."

Critical Role CEO Travis Willingham added that with "every windfall," the team continues to "purposefully reinvest" in their company to make more content.

"The TL;DR is we kind of want to provide the best experience to you, our community," said Matthew Mercer, Critical Role's longtime game master and the company's chief creative officer. "It was through your support that we were even allowed to go independent in the first place."

And as if that wasn't enough Critical Role news for one day — fans can also join what's expected to be a mad scrum for tickets to their upcoming live show. Pre-sales for Beacon members go live on May 20, with general sales a day later, on May 21.

The long-awaited third season for the cast's Amazon-funded animation series, 'The Legend of Vox Machina," also drops in the fall of 2024.

Representatives for Twitch did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Watch: Why MassMutual is all in on the Boston Red Sox, according to CMO Jennifer Halloran

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• Americans Remain Critical of China

Many see China as increasingly influential and consider limiting its power a top priority

Table of contents.

• Unfavorable views of China prevail
• China’s role in the world
• China’s territorial disputes
• Americans lack confidence in Xi Jinping
• Americans increasingly see China as an enemy
• Limiting China’s power and influence
• China’s economic influence on the U.S.
• Acknowledgments
• The American Trends Panel survey methodology

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans’ opinions of China, its role in the world and its impact on the U.S. economy. For this analysis, we surveyed 3,600 U.S. adults from April 1 to April 7, 2024. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology .

For the fifth year in a row, about eight-in-ten Americans report an unfavorable view of China, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Today, 81% of U.S. adults see the country unfavorably, including 43% who hold a very unfavorable opinion. Chinese President Xi Jinping receives similarly negative ratings.

Still, many Americans agree that China’s influence in the world has been getting stronger in recent years (71%). This sense is accompanied by concern about how China interacts with other nations: 61% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about China’s territorial disputes with neighboring countries. (For more U.S. views of China’s role in the world, go to Chapter 1 .)

When it comes to China’s relationship with the United States, few see China as a partner (6%) and most Americans instead label it a competitor (50%) or an enemy (42%) of the U.S. They are likewise critical of China’s impact on the U.S. economy, describing its influence as large and negative. Roughly half of Americans think limiting China’s power and influence should be a top U.S. foreign policy priority, and another 42% think this should be given some priority. (For more assessments of China’s relationship with the U.S., go to Chapter 2 .)

According to the Center survey, which was conducted April 1-7, 2024, among 3,600 U.S. adults, Republicans are more wary of China than Democrats are.

Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are about twice as likely as Democrats and Democratic leaners to hold a very unfavorable view of China and to consider China an enemy of the U.S. They are also more likely to say that China has recently become more influential.

Republicans also have wider ideological differences within their party, and conservative Republicans stand out on many measures :

• Conservative Republicans are 25 percentage points more likely than moderate and liberal Republicans to express a very unfavorable view of China (68% vs. 43%). There is no difference between liberal Democrats and moderate and conservative Democrats on this question.
• Conservative Republicans are also 31 points more likely than moderate and liberal Republicans to see China as an enemy of the U.S. No ideological difference is present among Democrats.
• While 83% of conservative Republicans say China’s influence in the world has been getting stronger in recent years, 68% of moderate and liberal Republicans say the same. The latter is similar to the shares of moderate and conservative Democrats (67%) and liberal Democrats (69%) who hold this view.

Older Americans are generally more critical of China. A 61% majority of adults ages 65 and older have a very unfavorable view of China, compared with 27% of adults under 30. Adults ages 65 and older are also more than twice as likely as those ages 18 to 29 to see China as an enemy of the U.S. For their part, younger adults are more likely than older ones to label China as a competitor and as a partner.

Older Americans also perceive more growth in China’s international influence. Roughly three-quarters of adults ages 65 and older say China’s influence has been getting stronger in recent years, while about two-thirds of adults under 30 say the same.

Americans with a sour view of the U.S. economy have more critical opinions of China. Those who say the current U.S. economic situation is bad are more likely to hold an unfavorable opinion of China and to say China has a great deal or fair amount of negative influence on the U.S. economy. They are also more likely to see China as an enemy when compared with those who see the economy positively.

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