Are you struggling with an analytical essay? While your instructor may give you the outline for your essay, you probably don’t have a topic for your paper. Most professors do not assign analytical essay topics to their students.
Choosing a topic is a daunting task for students, which results in students choosing too broad or too narrow topics. Here is everything you need to know about choosing a topic for your analytical essay. If at the end of this article you still need help with your essay, you can buy an essay online.
What Are Analytical Essays?
An analytical essay is an essay that offers substantive analysis on a particular topic. Analytical essay topics vary depending on your course.
For example, an analysis paper can be written on politics, art, scientific research, and historical events, to mention the least.
Analytical essays are a common academic assignment. Its main aim is to help the student get analytical skills and to help them grow as writers. They boost a student’s writing skills and broaden their understanding of a particular topic.
How to Choose the Best Topic
Choosing a topic for your essay is the first step before beginning the writing process. The topic you choose influences the context and quality of your work.
Therefore, you need to choose analytical essay topics carefully. So, how do you choose the best topic?
- Choose a topic within your discipline– what you can write on as a History student is different from a topic you can write on as an Art student.
- Keep the main reason for writing in mind– what do you want your essay to be about?
- Define your objectives before settling for a topic– what do you intend to communicate through your essay?
- Always go for a topic that you find interesting– a topic that interests you will be engaging and fun to write on.
- Analyze the topic before you start researching or writing – do not begin writing about it immediately. Instead, analyze it to see if it is viable.
- Ensure that the topic is neither too broad nor too narrow– a general topic can easily cause you to lose focus on the central aspect of the essay, while a narrow one could leave you with vague ideas to share in your writing.
- Make sure there is sufficient reference material to work with on the topic you choose– find out if there is enough information on the topic you can write about.
- Choose a topic that clearly states your theme– you already have a central theme that you intend to write on, does your topic state your main point?
Strategies on How to Write an Analytical Essay
As a common academic assignment, your analytical essay will contribute to your overall final grade. A well-written academic paper should be well organized and offer a clear stand.
It should be well supported by both primary and secondary sources. Here are some strategies you can use to write an analytical essay;
Choose a stand
Find a central point on which you will focus your essay on. Your stand will be your thesis statement, which will act as the anchor for your entire paper.
Write a strong introductory paragraph
Craft an introductory paragraph that captures your reader’s interest and engages them. You can start with a hook which can be a rhetorical question, statistics, or facts.
Then, provide the reader with a global context on your topic and outline some of the things your essay will cover. An introduction should always conclude with a thesis statement, which is the main focus of your paper.
Organize the body
Your body section can provide background information, dig into details, give similar or contrasting points to your thesis statement. Organize your body into sections that explain different ideas.
The structure of your essay is as essential as the topic. Therefore, take time to plan what to include in each paragraph.
Write clear topic sentences
Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence. The topic sentence should introduce the paragraph and relay the main idea the paragraph will be discussing. If possible, tie your thesis statement to the topic sentence.
Remember to provide evidence
You took a stand which you declared in your thesis statement. So, the body of your essay should have analysis and substance.
You need to convince the reader to share your stand, and to do this, you need substantial evidence to back your claim.
Add in contrasting opinions
You are probably looking to focus on similar opinions that support your thesis. However, you can build a stronger argument if you add in some contrasting views.
While you may disagree with a different perspective, you can dedicate a paragraph to articulate that stand. Then refute the argument with reasoning and evidence, which will strengthen your thesis.
Conclude
Summarize your analysis in your conclusion. Recap the argument and bow your entire argument by restating your most important words. You can finish with a question that will linger in the mind of your reader.
Hacks and Tricks to Brainstorm Topic for an Analytical Essay Fast
Here is how to brainstorm for a topic for your analytical essay;
- Take a few minutes to relax
- Set an end goal for your brainstorming session, in this case, developing potential analytical essay topics.
- Write down any topic that comes to mind
- From the list above, narrow down to topics that interest you
- Identify your paper’s primary goal- what do you want the reader to gain from reading your essay?
- Choose a topic that aligns with your objective
Analytical Essay Topics on Literature
Doing analysis is a common practice for literature students. If you want to do this successfully, you need to consider several aspects of the book from character analysis to literary devices used by the book. Here are a few ideas.
- The effect of the author’s background on his/ her own Art
- Analyse the main character of the story
- Analyse the efficiency of foreshadowing in the book
- Mention the message conveyed in the story
- Analyse the mood and the tone of the story
- Mention the writer’s main idea
- Analyse the evidence presented in this book
- Do research on the significant value of the story
- Discuss the setting, the background and their support to the storyline
- Analyze the historical context of a work
- Discuss the key events from the book
- Mention the main literary devices used by the author
Analytical Essay Topics on History
Historical analysis is where one does the examination of evidence to come up with a clear understanding of the past or past events. It is particularly applied to evidence contained in documents, although it can be applied to all artefacts.
- What are the causes of Africa colonization
- Discuss the turning points of the 20th century of the USA
- What are the causes of the black plague of the middle east
- Why the great Britan system adopt a parliamentary system
- Describe the India caste system
- Discuss the phases of WWII
- What are the causes of the french revolution
- Mention some of the things that led Hitler to rise to power
- What are the effects of the gun powder evolution
- Discuss the constant conflicts between France and Britain
- Why do English words are origin of French of words
- Mention the reasons why Chinese are still interested in Religion after years atheist communism
- Why is the American educational system different from the European that is used by most of the world countries
- Mention the significance of studying history
- Why did Japan attack the US at Pearl Harbor? What made the US drop the atomic bomb
Analytical Essay Topics On Youths
Writing on matters concerning the youth is always interesting as there are real life scenarios to relate to. Topics on the youth include explaining the reasons for their behavior and trying to understand more about them. There are so many topics you can write on about the youth such as;
- Discuss the motivation and reason for a college dropout
- The reasons why teenagers are rebellious
- The Influence of mass media on youths
- Discuss the rights of a teenager in a school context
- Why do teenage girls idolize male celebrities
- What are the effects of social media on youths
- The problem of drug and alcohol addiction among teenagers
- Why do firstborns tend to be achievers
- Evaluate your high school experience
- Why do some teenagers get involved in risky behaviours
- Discuss why parents are reluctant to give freedom to teenagers when they need it
- Discuss how parents should deal with rude children
- What is the influence of video games on youth
- Explore the conflict between parents and youths
- Do TV ratings matter among young people
- What are the reasons for cyberbullying
- Discuss why the youths are motivated to studying
- The effects of parenting on youths behaviour
Analysis Essay Topics on Health
Writing an analytical essay on health, the topic can be geared to analysing health practices, health care reforms, certain medical conditions and the concept of wellness. Health encompasses different concepts such as mental and physical health. Depending on what health-related course you are taking, you will find a helpful topic here;
- What are the Pro’s and Con’s of a health insurance
- Discuss the impacts of a therapy
- Discuss the Pro’s and Con’s of adopting universal price control on medicine
- What are the effects of family stability on the children
- The Influence of music on health
- Analyse the relationship between the medical personnel and the stakeholders
- The Efficiency of health coverage
Analysis Topic On Nature and Animals
If you are an environmental student, then you might need to write about nature and animals at some point during your course. A successful topic on nature and animals should focus on the beautiful natural environment surrounding us and how animals help us balance the ecosystem.Some topics include;
- Discuss the significance of microbes to human beings
- Discuss practical ways everyone can make a positive environmental impact
- Mention how poaching can be stopped
- What are the Pro’s and Con’s of Animal Testing
- Why insects are the more success animals on earth
- Investigate the atmospheric discharges of local manufacturers
- Describe the allergy of nature
- Therapeutic effects of nature
- Why insects are attracted to lights
- Why are some animals becoming endangered
- Mention the solutions for cleaning waste from the ocean
- Butterflies being attracted to fire
- Why are dogs so loyal?
- Why is larger size an advantage for animals in colder climates
- What are the effects of speeding the extinction of species
- Why do cats love boxes
- Do plants have consciousness
- Discuss why animals are afraid of human beings
- Analyze the ecological impact of households
- Why do bees and ants have colonies
- Discuss the disadvantages of using an alternative source of energy
Analysis Essay Topics On Crime
As a social student, you might need to write about crime and the effects of crime. When writing an analytical essay on crime, you need to find a cause-effect connection that can help you understand the problem, and suggest new ways of dealing with it. Below are some topic suggestions;
- Discuss the ways to bring back ex-convicts into the society
- Write about a biased attitude towards gang members
- How to tackle gang behaviour
- Consider the fine line between security and privacy infringement
- What are the causes of the increased level of securities in a different part of the countries
- Discuss the reasons why young people join gangs
- Analyse the truth about criminal gangs
- What is the effectiveness of harsh penalties against white-collar crimes
- Discuss the preventive measures to stop murders and act
- The effects of family structure on criminal activities
- The role of mass media in crime development
- Evaluate the rise in police brutality and its causes
- Review and make a forecast of crimes over the past decade
Analysis Topics On Personality
We all make personality judgments about people. As a psychology student, a major part of your course is learning to understand ourselves and others based on personal characteristics. Here are some topics on personality;
- Analyse the strategies for nurturing healthy habits
- Analyse of tendency of young people for substance abuse
- Discuss the role of teachers in the formation of a child’s personality
- Analyse the component that makes up the willpower
- What is the cause of gambling addiction
- Why are people less or more addicted to peer pressure
- Discuss the characteristics of a genius
- What is the influence of personality on a family
- Analyse the influence of psychological trauma on children’s behaviour
- Analyse the reason for personality disorders
- Evaluate the accuracy of personality tests
- Are personality and upbringing related
- Discuss the differences between identical twins
Analysis Topics on Society
We are all members of a society. A society is something that lives within us, something that we can feel but not touch. As a Social Sciences student, you might need to explain more about society through writing an analytical essay. Here are some essay topics on society;
- How to find a balance between the career and family in dual-career families
- Discuss the Pro’s and Con’s of changing gender roles
- How does single parenting affect the psychological well being of children in the modern world society
- What are the main distinctive features in communication between different gender roles
- Is doping a serious issue in sports
- Does the size of a body affect a person’s quality of life?
- Discuss the reasons behind the popularity of street art and graffiti
- What are the Pros and cons of video games for children?
- How can we avoid the issue of inequality?
- Is any form of addiction a disease or a personal choice
Conclusion
With our comprehensive guide above, choosing analytical essay topics for your assignments will be a breeze. Remember, the topic is an essential part of your paper. It determines what your essay is about. Therefore it should be a topic that interests you and one which clearly states your thesis.