Critical Analysis

Learning Objectives

  • Describe techniques for critical analysis

In many college courses, you’ll be asked to go beyond summarizing or explaining a work and instead critically analyze its deeper meaning. Let’s take a look at what critical analysis means.

Key Takeaway: Critical analysis

Critical analysis is a deeper way of examining a text, film, or other artifact to understand its meaning, structure, and impact. If you’ve ever written an essay about a poem, a short story, a movie, or even an advertisement, you’ve likely engaged in some form of critical analysis.

At its core, critical analysis involves breaking down a work into its key parts and interpreting how those parts contribute to its overall message or effect. This process, often called a reading or critique, requires more than just summarizing the content—it involves looking at how different elements, such as language, imagery, structure, or themes, work together to create meaning.

Instead of simply stating whether you liked or disliked a work, critical analysis focuses on asking why and how—why does the author or creator make certain choices? How do those choices shape the audience’s understanding? This approach allows you to engage with a text thoughtfully and develop a well-supported interpretation.

For this section, we’ll use an analysis of ads for our examples. However, you can apply critical analysis to any artifact.

Example: critical analysis of an AD

Take a look at the old cigarette ad below. How would you start to analyze it?

Lucky Strike cigarette ad featuring a picture of a doctor holding a pack of cigarettes. It reads, "20,679 physicians say 'Luckies are less irritating.' 'It's toasted.' Your throat protection against irritation against cough".

Figure 1. What are some important components of a critical analysis? Use them to analyze this cigarette ad.

There are three possible structures you might use for a critical analysis paper.

Description followed by analysis Thematic Part by Part
Introduction with thesis addressing composer’s choices and motivations (how and why)Description of artifact

Analysis of artifact

Conclusion examining larger significance (so what)

 Introduction with summary description and thesis (how and why)Identify a theme or pattern

Provide examples

(Continue this as needed)

Conclude with larger significance (so what)

 Introduction with summary description and thesis (how and why)

Analyze the first section of the artifact

Analyze the next section of the artifact

(Continue this as needed)

Conclude with larger significance (so what)

Analytical paragraphs generally follow the claim, evidence, explanation model. A writer establishes a claim, then supports that claim with evidence, and then explains how the evidence supports the claim. In a critical analysis, the details of the artifact serve as the evidence supporting the claim.

explore the hotspots

In this example, explore the hotspots to learn about how the writer of this analysis of the Lucky Strike ad uses a claim, evidence, and support of evidence in a paragraph.

Try It

So what does a typical critical analysis assignment look like? Consider the example, below:

For this essay, you will identify and work with an advertisement. The ad you choose may be print or online, but it must be static (i.e., no television or radio commercials). Your purpose is to analyze how and why the ad goes about reaching an audience and to construct and support an original thesis that guides your essay. You should be moving your thinking beyond the obvious, not necessarily to conclusions no one else has ever considered, but at least to conclusions that many people do not consider upon first glance of the ad. Your final product should include brief summary of the ad you have chosen, an analysis of how the ad works to appeal to an audience, and then any conclusions you reach about the advertising strategies, including context.

Answer the following questions to help you develop a plan for responding to this critical analysis assignment.

 

GLOSSARY

critical analysis: a type of analysis that requires breaking down a work into its key parts and interpreting how those parts contribute to its overall message, meaning, or effect