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Analysis. A way of understanding…of making meaning for clarity and significance in order to develop an idea. That meaning is then communicated to readers via writing.
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Analysis • A way of understanding…of making meaning for clarity and significance in order to develop an idea. • That meaning is then communicated to readers via writing. • Analytical writing should allow the reader to have an experience similar to that of the writer, therefore the writer is charged with shaping the mind of the reader through his/her analysis.
Analysis • The separation of the whole into its parts; an object into its constituents. • Discovering and outlining the parts of a text and noticing their relationships allows the reader to see more clearly
Analysis: The stages • Mentally disassemble an idea, come to some understanding about the parts • Determine their relationship to one another • Develop awareness of how the parts fit back into the whole • Communicate a deeper understanding of the whole
Analysis • The analysis usually reveals an idea that is elusive and complex, one that emerges only after careful study • The thesis you are looking for as a writer may not emerge immediately. Your understanding and depth may require a more focused study before you develop a sound idea or understanding.
Analysis • Facts alone offer very little in the way of knowing. • The writer must interpret the facts and translate them to tell the reader what the facts mean.
Three Stages of Analysis • Collect facts • Interpret facts • Records the facts
Collecting Facts Consider: • The parts • Kinds and quality of evidence • Transitions from part to part • Explicit and implicit connections • Characteristics of a piece • Details presented
Interpretation • Determine what the facts mean and how they work together to create meaning.
Record the Results • Goal: others understand the subject under consideration and they understand how the writer can account for that interpretation. • Bring together the evidence from the collection phase, the interpretation and the reasoning behind the interpretation, and his/her own reflective thoughts about the evidence and the interpretation.
Textual Subjects for Consideration • Essay • Book • Song lyrics • Poem • Short story
Breaking down of Subject • Rhetorical analysis is critical: what is the purpose? Who is the audience? What form is going to best communicate to this audience? • What are you looking for? • How can you break the text down to examine that?
Example • Analysis of a song lyric: • Musician perspective: structure, range of the lead singer’s voice, musical arrangements available for her band’s use. • Essayist perspective: Words of the lyrics, message of the lyrics, dictions and tone, critical ties to his/her developing essay
Objectivity • Your analysis should be as free of bias as possible and open to various ways of seeing (although this is nearly impossible, as we are human and try to make meaning whenever we can). • The conclusions you come to usually tie back to your persona, experiences, attitudes, etc.
Objectivity • You choose a topic that you wish to better understand so you can help others better understand it • Every good idea is subject to further analysis. • Truth may never come, and if it does it is a result of consensus, compilation of vast perspectives and constantly evolving analysis.
Objectivity • Your goal is to provide the most comprehensive, reasonable analysis that you can provide based on your analytical process. • This DOES NOT mean that what you convey is TRUTH…it means that what you convey should be fair and rooted in sound logic and evidence, not on irrationality or personal bias.
Four Analytical Guidelines • Read 2 ways at once: to understand your source text (your subject) and to determine its organizational patterns (how it works). Consider how meaning an organization work together. • Figure out what each part says and what it contributes to the whole
Analytical Guidelines (cont’d) • Convey what you have learned to the reader, citing evidence from the subject and explaining to your readers what you want them to know • Become self-reflective as you read your own drafts: analyze them just as you have the text you are analyzing. Think of your readers as you reflect on your drafts. Keep in mind that your reader may not be familiar with your subject of analysis.
