Argumentation

Minimum Length: 1,200 words

Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt

Choose a subject that you can both evaluate and make a confident judgment about. Write an essay evaluating this subject. State your judgment clearly and back it up with reasons and support. Describe the subject for readers unfamiliar with it, and give them a context for understanding it. Your purpose is to convince readers that your judgment is informed and based on generally accepted standards for this kind of subject.

Topic ideas:

– A film or group of films by a single director or actor

– A hit song or music CDopy

– A live or videotaped concert or theatrical performance

– A magazine or newspaper

– A book

– A club or organized activity

– A contemporary political movement

– A proposed or existing law

– A noteworthy person

– An artist, a writer or his or her works

– A website

– A particular product or brand

– An article or an essay

important things:

1) make sure you have a good thesis statement and 2) paragraph around points and ideas that support your thesis and prove your thesis is true 3) try to focus on reasons that these things are good examples of their genre. Avoid using personal feelings, emotions, and tastes to make that judgment. Remember focus on the things you can PROVE with examples from the works themselves. I can say The Star Wars Trilogy is the most amazing series ever because I just love it and have fond memories of watching it as a kid and dressed up like a Star Wars character for Halloween….BUT THAT IS NOT ANALYSIS that PROVES THAT IT’S A GOOD FILM SERIES. I need to support my position that it is a great epic set of films with REASONS that can be SHOWN by pointing to the SPECIFICS in the film (like the script or the acting or the special effects or the cultural obsession with it).

Tips on Writing Analysis Essays:

-Remember that you aren’t just considering WHAT the music/article/book/film says but HOW it says it. HOW does it communicate its message? WHY does it work so well? Or not work so well? When you are in the role of EVALUATER you must consider whether the choices made by the creator actually work or don’t.

-Decide what CRITERIA you are using to base your evaluation upon. If you are looking a film you might examine special effect, narrative structure, acting, camera angles, etc. If you are analyzing music, you’ll look for the things that make music successful or a bomb. If it’s some other text, you decide what standard do we use to decide what makes a great article/website/artist/artwork/etc. And then argue how the work you chose meets that standard. Think of the group of criteria you are using as a LENS. You are using this lens to look at the text and determine whether it IS good at what it is supposed to do AND whether it reaches its audience.

-Remember that you’ll also need a thesis statement that articulates your evaluation (your argument or analysis) in a nutshell. Keep in mind that you want your THESIS to articulate your evaluation. Basically your thesis needs to explain the REASONS that this particular thing you are analyzing is a success or failure based on the STANDARDS that you’ve chosen to judge it by.

-Remember to provide EVIDENCE to support your evaluation. This is where the analysis comes in. Point out the specific ways that work is meeting those standards or criteria you’ve chosen to use as a measuring stick.

Possible Outline for the Paper:

v Intro with strong analytical thesis

v Paragraph explaining how the work you’ve chosen to analyze meets criteria #1

Ø Specific things about the work that show that it does meet that standard

Ø Explaining how this standard is a good basis to help form a judgment

v Paragraph explaining how the work you’ve chosen to analyze meets criteria #2

Ø Specific things about the work that show that it does meet that standard

Ø Explaining how this standard is a good basis to help form a judgment

v Paragraph explaining how the work you’ve chosen to analyze meets criteria #3

Ø Specific things about the work that show that it does meet that standard

Ø Explaining how this standard is a good basis to help form a judgment

v Paragraph explaining how the work you’ve chosen to analyze meets criteria #4 (if you have 4 or more)

Example:

The film Life is Beautiful is an excellent example of how simple stories beautifully told don’t need a bunch of special effects to make a powerful and Oscar worthy film.

v I’d then write a paper with three body paragraphs focusing on each of these reasons that this film is done well. One would cover the simplicity of the narrative, another would discuss the beauty of the films language and character development, and the last would cover how special effects don’t always need to be present to create a powerful story.

Another Example:

The music of the Beatles is unrivaled in music name recognition and had a historic global impact both in terms of the way that it shaped popular culture, set a standard for the music industry, gave rise to a teen subculture, and transcended generations drawing fans long after the band’s time.

v This paper would go on to explain those different points and support them with specific examples.