Critical Analysis
demonstrate the student’s critical thinking about and thoughtful interpretation of a specific, important issue or problem in or of the assigned reading(s) by analyzing, interpreting, and arguing the significance (what’s at stake?) and the meaningfulness (why does it matter? what difference does it make?) of a specific line, passage, scene or feature of the assigned reading(s) over which the CA is assigned. Thus, the student should: 1. read closely and carefully, focusing intensely on (a) specific section(s) or passage(s); 2. identify, clarify, and frame some issue or question of importance; 3. develop an interpretive line of thinking about the issue or question; 4. argue this by interpreting direct quotations (!) as evidence; 5. all toward advancing a thesis or thesis-like persuasive demonstration of how a critical and thoughtful person should objectively understand properly the reading. In brief, narrow your focus, think deeply, and concentrate on clarifying substance and meaning about the issues explored by the source. The student’s argumentation may (should) involve speculating about meaning and authorial intent, but this must be grounded in thoughtfully weighing and interpreting direct source evidence to show the student’s critical thinking! Therefore, the student should not: 1. expound plot summary; 2. report dramatic action or “facts”; 3. editorialize, generalize, or muse about various casual observations regarding these or the characterization of characters; 4. conduct outside research (especially non-scholarly!).
