Explain how the author/creator/producer makes the argument you identify in your thesis, and you should use evidence from the work to prove your point.

ESSAY 3: ANALYSIS ESSAY

Purpose:

The purpose of this essay is to get students to critically think about some work of art (e.g. a television program, a film, an album, a novel, a poem, a sculpture, etcetera) instead of merely summarizing or describing it. Frequently, the most effective arguments are those told in narrative, through art, or in music. This assignment asks students to choose a work of art and explore its argument.

Your thesis should identify the work’s argument—instead of just a summarizing that work.

“The character of Hamlet is consumed by his need to exact revenge” is just a summary and a bad thesis.

“William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet argues that revenge is a fundamentally corruptive pursuit” is an example of an analysis and a good thesis. The first example is bad because it’s just what happens in the play. The second example is good because it articulates the implied argument of the work as a whole.

Your main points should explain how the author/creator/producer makes the argument you identify in your thesis, and you should use evidence from the work to prove your point.

Here’s an example of an analysis essay: