Critical Analysis Paper

What is it?

Analysis attempts to find the truth.

The process of analysis is to divide a problem into its various parts, then carefully examine these parts so their natures, functions, and interrelationships may be more easily understood.

What is the point of critical analysis?

The point of analysis is to uncover the rich complexity of a work, as well as its basic affirmation of life.  Yet the ultimate goal is to raise the work in its critical esteem.  This task is accomplished by pointing out the author’s insights into problems of life, along with describing various aspects of his/her skill.  Literary analysis aims at the appreciation of literary excellence.

Therefore it is important for you to keep the literary analysis in perspective. Analyzing a work is a means toward appreciation and evaluation, not an end in itself.  It is an honest attempt by you, the reader, to discover the truth about a work and base your appreciation on your own thought and discovery, not on a vaguely aesthetic reaction.

What areas of the work can I analyze?

Literary analysis is a way of getting at the heart of the work.  To this end, there are four broad areas that can be explored: (1) meaning, (2) structure, (3) style, and (4) background and influences. There is usually overlapping among these; for example, in writing about point of view, you would emphasize its impact on both meaning and style. In discussing background and influences, you might emphasize how things seemingly extraneous to the work enable a fuller comprehension of meaning, structure and style.  It is always wise to emphasize that your particular topic has a relation to the entire work.  In this way you are really demonstrating that relationship of literary analysis to literary appreciation, which is the goal implied in all intelligent discourse about literature and all the themes about literature.