Analytical Essay: Dissection of Student’s Feared Topic

Analytical essay is not just a nightmare for college students, it also gives them a headache when they are making one. Every student finds these essays cumbersome and excessively demanding due to the nature of complexities involved in them. That’s the prime reason these students fail in their term papers, coursework projects, etc.

We almost had you! Right? In the presence of our esteemed professional writers, there’s nothing to worry about! We will make your day by offering you all the information you need to become successful in your academic career. If you’re struggling to get to grips with such assignments, this blog post is for you. Today, we will discuss everything from writing an analytical essay to outlining its various parts.

Additionally, we will provide you with an ideal essay example that’ll do more than just providing you knowledge. So, take out your notepads / tablets / computers and start scribbling right away. Let’s get ready because we are deep diving into this topic right now!

Table of Contents

How to Write an Analytical Essay?

Writing an analytical essay is not as difficult as doing a thorough analysis yourself. Since a critical analysis essay is all about analyzing a topic / subject/ personality/ character / book / or any literary write-up or idea, we have to do two types of analysis in it. The first one is looking at it through a microscopic view and secondly is by the author’s point of view or eyes.

Analytic essay is your golden opportunity to demonstrate your skills to provide a critical point of view about a topic and enlighten your audience. Let’s just start learning how to write one when you’re clueless and need immediate help.

Read the Prompt Thoroughly

The first thing a student must do is thoroughly study the essay prompt if given by your professor. Typically, an analytic essay is given by your professor or college board to evaluate a candidate’s abilities of examining a phenomena. On the other hand, if you have been given a free choice of picking any topic of your liking then you must do so, as you’re told.

Your essay prompt provides you directions and rest is on you to figure out the purpose of the assignment. The first thing a student must do is to read the prompt a minimum of three times. Read it and understand what are the requirements you must follow and in case you need further guidelines or space in exploring the topic further.

It’s alright if you feel confused at first or even at second attempt, because college assignments are not meant to be a piece of cake. For the same reason, it’s recommended to read three times and understand the context from your teacher’s point of view. After you do it a couple of times, you’ll know what to do and how to do it.

Pick a Topic

The second and one of the essential steps of writing an analytic essay is choosing a topic. Your topic is the direction you will choose to achieve your objectives. For example, if you’re a psychology student then you can choose a subject such as what is an existential crisis and how to overcome it. For students of applied and clinical psychology this topic is relevant and allows them to present their analysis.

Similarly, medical science students can choose a topic for a cause and effect essay and enlighten their audience on the extent of a disease, etc. When choosing a topic do remember to avoid certain steps that will cause nothing but trouble:

Choosing a topic out of discipline / scope /
Topic that requires resources other than your institution provided you
Subject that requires prior authorization or approval
A topic that’s based on opinions rather than facts
Challenging previous studies without proof / evidence(s)
Going beyond the depths of your skills and abilities
Easy topic that lacks your audience’s interest or surface-level information

When a subject for your analytic essay, it’s important to avoid aforementioned mistakes that are common in academic writing.

Start Researching on it

After going through the topic’s selection process, it’s time to start researching about it. In today’s digital age, you can speed up the process by finding relevant information on the internet as well. There are two types of research involved in this process: one deals with empirical or statistical data, and the other is non-empirical.

To start a statistical or quantitative research method, you first need to gather evidence that demonstrates results in numbers. Most of the science, medical, psychology, economics and marketing subjects require quantitative methods to follow in the assignment making process.

On the contrary, literature, sociology, history and anthropy requires only the use of qualitative research techniques. Regardless of the requirement of the research method, your evidence must be solid and should stand firm with time. To have a credible research readily available at your side, here are the things that you should follow:

Start your research from prominent scholarly journals, books, newspapers, etc
After collecting the evidence from them, use secondary sources such as books, articles written on the primary sources of research and experiments, etc
The last step is gathering the evidence on the opinions from the readers who get to read the book and understand the context as well.

By doing the steps above mentioned, you’ll be able to gather three types of research and it will help you create your narrative on the topic.

Formulate an Outline Deduce from the Research

The next essential component of writing an analytic essay is making an outline from the arguments you deduce from your research. Making an outline is a technical part and one must consider how many arguments they should add in the body section that respond to queries appropriately. A general outline of analytical essay consist of three sections or parts known as:

Introduction (starting paragraph)
Body paragraph (middle section)
A conclusion part (last paragraph)

Irrespective of the word count or requirements of the essay, it must consist of these parts. These parts of outline help your readers navigate to the exact section they want to read. For example, if your audience wants to read about the facts or evidence you’ve collected they can easily move to body paragraphs.

The last part of an outline is a conclusion. It circles around restating your thesis statement and provides a closure or end for your audience. An author provides a summary of all the main findings in this section, and gives their concluding remarks. Upon making an exclusive and wonderful conclusion, you can leave a lingering impression on your audience.

Write your First Draft

Here comes the composing part where you must write all the worlds and thoughts you gathered on the topic. As we discussed before you need to compartmentalize all of your arguments into an outline and then add them in the relevant sections. Your first draft must have these following details in the essay such as:

Introduction

An introduction is the first paragraph of the essay. It consists of three parts such as a hook sentence, background information and a thesis statement. All of these parts collectively form the outer shell of the intro section. Let’s discuss the role of each part in detail here.

A hook statement is the first line of the essay that serves as the eye grabbing or attention grabber sentence. It can be a famous quote, a historical fact or an eye opening result. You can write it in one or maximum two lines with word count ranging from 8 to 20.

The second part is background information that informs the audience about the origins of the topic or subject in question. This way you provide your audience with information that plays a pivotal role in their understanding and evokes an emotional response in them.

And finally, we have the life line of the essay and yes that’s a “Thesis Statement”. It’s the crux of the entire effort and educates the audience why they should accept the author’s opinion. Typically, you can formulate the thesis sentence after you gather all the evidence and read all the books and supporting evidence.

Body Paragraph(s)

A body paragraph section is the middle part of the essay and is by far the lengthiest one. It consists of the author’s opinion, corroborating evidence and adding anti-thesis and its answers in the rebuttal.

The body paragraph must start with a topic sentence that provides a short summary of the entire paragraph’s discussion. After that, you must add your arguments on the topic and let the conversation flow logically. A golden rule of thumb says you must add one argument and then its supporting evidence. This way, each of your arguments is backed by evidence and informs the audience appropriately.

Lastly, you can add transition words to crossover from one topic or point of discussion to the next one. It helps connect two different or opposing ideas and makes a bridge between them.

Conclusion

This is where you end your discussion and assure your readers that there’s nothing more that should be added in the context and they have to accept the author’s take on the topic. When you write this section, divide your attention into three sections.

When you start writing a conclusion, start from presenting the summary of the entire discussion you’ve started and is about to end. Secondly, reiterate the thesis sentence to provide emphasis on your research and its crux.

Thirdly, you must present your final remarks that closes the door for further discussion on the topic for now. Your conclusion remarks must be strong and persuasive enough to demonstrate your command on the topic.

Finally, the conclusion must show its significance to future generations and usefulness in the field of your studies.

Revise the Essay

After writing all the parts of the essay such as introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion, it’s time to revise your write-up. A revision is the best way where structural issues can be diagnosed and rectified timely.

Revision is a technique that not only helps you in seeing the issues but it also educates students on common slip-ups in their writing.

Proofread and Edit the Analytical Essay

The last part of writing an essay is doing a thorough proofreading for rectifying typos. Any grammatical issues can be solved at this stage. Students can use many tools for such work and improve their vocabulary and grammar issues. Lastly, in the light of the highlighted changes, edit your draft and make appropriate changes. Read the essay again and seek professional help if you think of having less skills and time required for this task. Submit the essay to your professor after completing it.

By following these guidelines students can compose breathtaking analytical essays for their college assignments. Our expert’s guide provides a step by step process that helps in understanding the actions students must take without deviating from the requirements.

Defining What is an Analytical Essay?

An analytic essay is a college assignment typically assigned to higher education students who are seeking master’s or PhD level degrees. By its definition an analytical essay allows students to choose a topic and discuss it with critical analysis under a microscope.

For instance, students can choose a topic such as dictatorship and then they must do thorough research on this subject. On the other hand, students also need to educate their audience about what are the benefits and disadvantages of this ideology, etc. Origins, current state and future iterations also needed to be mentioned in this write-up.

In short, the further you dig, the better it will get for your audience. Additionally, your analysis must be objective, adding a subjective tone may cost you top grades. Although, a small space is given for a subjective opinion but exaggeration is strictly prohibited for doing so.

This definition will help students get to grips with this academic writing style that focuses on the examination of an idea or topic with a critical eye.

Creating an Analytical Essay Outline Template

It becomes a handful for students to create an outline for an analytical essay and make it work. Don’t worry, here we will be discussing all about it and make you a pro in no time. Let’s look at the following parts of the analytical essay outline.

Start Making a Good Introduction

The initial step for a student is to craft an engaging introduction for their essay, a crucial component of an analytical essay’s structure. As it’s the first element that your reader or professor encounters, adhering to the guidelines we’ve outlined here is critical.

Begin with a captivating hook sentence that will pique your audience’s interest. Ensure your hook is compelling enough to entice your readers to peruse the entire essay. Following this, provide some background information on the topic to enlighten your readers. Finally, incorporate a thesis statement to exhibit your mastery of the subject.

This way, you will quickly complete the first part of the structure, which will inspire your peers as well. Here is an example of introduction template for better understanding of the practical work:

“Religious fascism is today’s biggest dilemma and causes mass influx of cruelty and terror in the world. Since the inception of religion and its cult following, people who are followers of any theology interjected and forcefully stomp their superiority on others. Supposedly the pious leadership of the catholic church and other organized religion took control of the state and held captive basic civil rights and freedom of speech. Salem trials of 1692 is a best example of injustice in persecution of women harassed, tortured and killed under the name of religion.

Step by step abolition of churches and religious authority over the state results in greater peace, one that was never predicted has been achieved. For longer peace and prosperity, it’s essential for state institutions to completely suppress religion and make them limited to the compounds of the church, temple etc should be the top priority of any country or a free state.”

Students we have presented you with the best version of an introduction part of an critical analysis essay. You can take an example from it and make one for your college assignment.

Make Body Paragraphs

The main body of an essay’s blueprint is the most pivotal component. It encompasses the writer’s investigation, contrasting viewpoints, and corroborating proof. Learners should initiate their main body sections with a concise introductory sentence that encapsulates the paragraph’s content.

The subsequent step involves presenting your arguments on the subject, supplemented by substantiating evidence that aligns with your position. If the subject’s investigation is extensive and the proof exceeds a couple of points, you may consider incorporating a second and third paragraph.

Following the enumeration of corroborating evidence, it’s advisable to introduce counter arguments or dissenting opinions. These opposing views originate from individuals who disagree with your position. Their inclusion offers a balanced outlook that underscores your reliability and objectivity regarding the topic.

The final task is to incorporate transitional phrases to facilitate movement from one paragraph to another. These transitions also maintain coherence when shifting from one section to another or transitioning to an entirely different subject.

Let’s have a look at body paragraph’s template:

“Just like crimes, organized religion spreads its tentacles into the society and makes it hollow with fake preaching and surface-level understanding. All the elected popes run secretive societies where they allow for persecution,torture and brainwashing techniques to their followers and non-followers.

Dan Brown’s book Da Vinci Code clearly provides historic evidence of catholic church’s involvement in Salem Witch Trial and killings of Protestant and Eastern Orthodox church followers. Knights Templars were the biggest army at the church’s disposal and they killed thousands on the behest of the Pope of Rome. Religious extremism exists in many forms today and 9/11 attacks on twin towers is an example of one where islamic terrorists killed more than 3000 people in New Work City according to the US Department of Defense website. So we can safely establish that religious extremism in any form should be disbanded by all possible means.

End the Debate in Conclusion Paragraph

The concluding section of the analytical essay blueprint is the finale. The initial step you should undertake is to reaffirm your thesis statement, underscoring its significance and applicability. Following this, encapsulate the primary points of the essay along with a final remark. The closing comments bring the discussion to a halt, leaving no room for further debates or disagreements. Lastly, highlight the value of your work and its potential contribution to future scholarly research.

The conclusion you provide must be good and composed keeping in view the future challenges. This way you will be able to forecast five to ten years in future and provide your perspective to your readers. Let’s look at a conclusion example:

“We have established that organized religion and its extremist wing have created havoc in our society. There are no instances where religion played a good role in society. From creation of killing squads like Knights Templar to public prosecution of Salem Witches, history has witnessed brutality all over the world. It’s essential for political parties to part ways from such criminal actions and arrest supporters as well.

For creating greater harmony and love between different cultures and societies, it’s essential to devoid these actions or steps from religion and promote non-religious discussions and trade of ideas than selling beliefs and hatred”

Students we have presented a completed outline template for your understanding. You can take inspiration or follow it and compose marvelous essays for your assignments.

Analytical Essay Introduction

The opening paragraph of an analytical essay introduction serves as the initial segment of the task. Its main objective is to convey information to the readers utilizing a variety of methods. The first line you pen down will serve as your captivating sentence, designed to elicit an emotional reaction from the readers.

A writer possesses the liberty to sway their reader’s perception by employing a captivating sentence that personally engages them. This strategy allows you to persuade them to pursue your scholarly paper from beginning to end.

The subsequent section involves incorporating background data into the context. This portion underscores the significance of the issue addressed in the final paper. It also acquaints the audience with the historical background of the topic and underscores the urgency of its resolution.

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement

The third stage commences with the creation of a succinct analytical essay thesis statement that encapsulates the research question and topic. Once you’ve amassed your research materials and evidence, crafting your thesis sentence becomes a straightforward task. However, without comprehensive and relevant information, the formulation of this critical statement is unattainable. For a college term paper research statement, it’s imperative to keep it brief yet packed with insightful details.

A hypothesis statement, positioned at the conclusion of the introductory paragraph, enlightens readers about your method of arriving at the results. It serves as the cornerstone of your entire discussion and the arguments put forth in support or opposition of the subject.

To articulate your central idea of analytical essay thesis statement, adhere to the steps outlined below:

Ensure it’s incisive and compelling
It should be pertinent to the overall topic and its context
Strive for utmost precision
It should encapsulate the topic, research question, and research answer in a single sentence.
Once you’ve drafted your thesis sentence, polish it further before proceeding to the outline section.

Analytical Essay Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an analytical essay serve as the core of the outline, where students are required to incorporate their comprehensive research. This section includes a review of literature, discussion, methodologies, and more. It’s a critical juncture for students where they need to demonstrate their proficiency and abilities to convince their readers.

Initiate the body paragraph with a sentence that encapsulates the topic, providing your audience with a glimpse of what’s to be discussed in this section. Following this, you can delve into the key points and substantiate your arguments with solid evidence.

In the body section, you can also explore the literature review and pinpoint the gaps in the existing material. This approach allows you to swiftly identify areas requiring enhancement and propose solutions to address them.

Incorporating counterarguments in your research paper is also advisable. This step enables you to present your responses or counterarguments, showcasing your impartiality and competence as a writer, which can help persuade your readers. After embedding all the persuasive elements and proofs in the body paragraph, you can then transition to crafting a conclusion.

Steps for How to Write an Analytical Essay

The steps to process analysis essays are given below that will surely help students from all disciplines and knowledge. Let’s look at them one by one:

Step 1: Choose Topic for Process Analysis Essays

Even if you’re a skilled writer with aspirations of turning professional, there are still many steps to take. One of the first steps in writing an analytical essay is choosing a topic. Your topic serves as a compass, guiding your research and ensuring you stay on track.

There are several strategies students can use to choose a topic effectively. If you’re unsure about what to choose, consider reviewing previously published work for inspiration. This can be a quick way to find a solution.

Alternatively, you could seek guidance from your professor or student counselor. They are well-equipped to provide valuable advice that can greatly benefit your essay.

Lastly, you could choose a topic based on your personal interest and its breadth. This allows you to stay engaged and delve deeper into the subject and its various subtopics.

Step 2: Conduct Research

The second phase involves conducting an exhaustive investigation on the subject matter. The depth of your research will directly influence the novelty of the information you present to your readers. A robust research foundation is crucial for ensuring your essay unfolds as intended.

During the research and evidence collection process, students should steer clear of common pitfalls that could compromise their work and its credibility. These errors are not confined to any particular field and include:

Conducting inadequate research or providing insufficient justification for research points
Relying on sources with questionable credibility
Using outdated or invalidated analyses that have been superseded by newer methodologies
Including content that is not relevant to the specific scenario discussed in the topic
Citing research sources without obtaining the author’s consent.

Step 3. Create Ideas in your Mind

Upon conducting thorough research, begin by creating a mind map of your arguments. Consider various strategies that could effectively convince your audience to favor your viewpoint over existing ones. Incorporate ideas that align with the evidence you’ve gathered. Once your mind map is fully developed, you’re prepared to move on to the subsequent step.

Step 4. Start with Intro Section

Begin the drafting process by crafting an engaging opening paragraph. Draw in your audience with a compelling first sentence, often referred to as a hook. This should be concise and designed to pique their curiosity about the topic. Follow this with some contextual information about the subject to give your readers a solid foundation. At this point, your readers should have a good understanding of the topic. Conclude with a thesis statement that offers your unique viewpoint on the subject.

Step 5. Add Research to the Body Paragraph

Now, incorporate the research or evidence you’ve gathered and refined for your audience. The best practice is to follow each of your statements with its corresponding evidence. This approach allows for a swift presentation of your narrative and its supporting evidence, preventing any confusion for the audience.

After you’ve presented your evidence, which could be a quote, an interview, or a journal reference, introduce contrasting viewpoints to demonstrate your neutrality on the subject. Include a counter-argument that addresses these opposing views. At this point, you’ve reached the crucial phase of your essay writing process.

Step 6. Write a Conclusion

The conclusion serves as the juncture where the key points of the assignment are recapped. It weaves together various thoughts and offers a final viewpoint on the subject matter. The conclusion underscores the thesis statement and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Step 7. Reference or Bibliography

It’s imperative to recognize the resources utilized in your work. The section for references or bibliography enumerates all the books, articles, websites, or other materials you consulted during your research. This part not only enhances the trustworthiness of your assignment but also safeguards against any plagiarism allegations. By grasping these elements of coursework structure, you can efficiently arrange your assignments and articulate your thoughts in a logical manner. Therefore, when you undertake such tasks next time, ensure to include these vital aspects and observe your grades escalate.

These steps will help you write process analysis essays with comfort and compliance.

Analytical Essay Topics

Analytical essay topics pertain to a specific category of essays that necessitate comprehensive scrutiny. The author meticulously inspects the topic, deconstructs it into its fundamental elements, and delivers a critique or evaluation. These topics can span a wide array of fields such as literature, films, art pieces, societal matters, scientific phenomena, and more.

For example, in the realm of literature, an analytical essay topic could be “Examine the motif of deceit in Shakespeare’s Hamlet”. In this scenario, the author would dissect the play, furnish evidence of deceit, and interpret its influence on the storyline and characters.

When it comes to societal matters, a topic like “Examine the origins and repercussions of income disparity in metropolitan regions” would necessitate an in-depth exploration of socio-economic elements contributing to income inequality and its aftermath.

In the field of science, a topic could be “Examine the repercussions of climate change on polar ice caps”. This would entail an exhaustive analysis of climate data and interpretation of its impact on polar regions.

Bear in mind that the objective is not merely to recapitulate the topic but to delve into it, comprehend its subtleties, and deliver an educated evaluation. It’s about probing beneath the surface to understand the intricacies of the subject matter.

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Analytical Essay Examples

Many students wonder how to find the analytical essay examples but today their luck is about to change for good! We will share the types and examples of analytical essays here to end the confusion for students. These examples are mentioned below:

Poetry Analysis Essay

Poetry analysis essays allow a writer or a student to examine or present their critical analysis on a piece of poem, book’s paragraph or stanzas, etc. Typically, these assignments are common for English literature students. They are difficult and make students dig more into the historical value of the poem and its effects on the readers.

Process Analysis Essay

Process analysis essays explain how a process in a system works such as “how the car engine works”, etc. Students need to explain everything in a step by step approach and educate their audience how a process is completed.

Character Analysis Essay

A character analysis essay allows writers to explain or provide an analysis about a character. This character can be a historical figure, such as a politician, actor, philosopher, writer, etc. Students must choose a character that played a significant role in history or in the present and explain the intimate details about them.

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Analytical Essay Conclusion

“The final part of your analytical essay is the conclusion, where you summarize your narration and connect it to your main point. To write a good conclusion, you should follow these steps:

Show how the thesis and the story are related.
Remind the reader of the key events that shaped the story.
Explain the main message that your narration conveys.
Emphasize the importance of the climax and its effects on the story.
End with a statement or a question that makes the reader think.
Do not introduce new information.
Reinforce a takeaway message.

Wrap-Up

Understanding the nuances of an analytical essay necessitates a tactical plan. The steps outlined in this guide are organized and straightforward, ensuring that you can craft an exceptional illustrative essay by adhering to them.

If you encounter difficulties while composing an analytical essay, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Expert assignment writing services are available to provide guidance and support.

With the right assistance, you can create compelling work that includes powerful arguments and reliable evidence.