{"id":4070,"date":"2025-11-28T09:27:58","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/how-to-write-an-analysis\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T09:27:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:27:58","slug":"how-to-write-an-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/how-to-write-an-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write an Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alright, let\u2019s talk about writing an analysis. Because honestly? The first time I tried to write one in community college, it was a dumpster fire. I turned in a 10-page paper analyzing The Great Gatsby<\/em> that my professor described as \u201ca plot summary with existential dread\u201d (her words, not mine). Turns out, analyzing something isn\u2019t just listing what happened or slapping on opinions like ketchup on fries. Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned since then \u2014 through red-penned essays, panicked all-nighters, and finally figuring out how to make analysis click.<\/p>\n

\n

The \u201cAha\u201d Moment That Changed Everything<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For years, I thought analysis meant proving I was \u201csmart.\u201d So I\u2019d cram in fancy words like hegemony<\/em> and dichotomy<\/em> while nervously Googling \u201cwhat does juxtaposition mean?\u201d (Spoiler: I used it wrong anyway). Then, during a late-night coffee crash at a 24-hour Starbucks, my friend Rachel \u2014 who\u2019d been an TA for freshman comp \u2014 dropped this gem: \u201cAnalysis is just answering \u2018Why does this matter?\u2019 until your brain hurts.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

That flipped the script. Instead of performing intellectual gymnastics, I started treating analysis like solving a mystery. Why did F. Scott Gatsby throw those parties? Not just \u201cto impress Daisy\u201d \u2014 but what did that say<\/em> about loneliness in the American Dream? (And why do I still cry when I hear Lana Del Rey\u2019s Young and Beautiful<\/em>?)<\/p>\n

\n

3 Practical Tips That Actually Work<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s the stuff I wish someone had told me over a stack of pancakes at Denny\u2019s instead of in a stuffy lecture hall:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Color-Code Your Draft Like a Kindergarten Art Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Highlight facts\/evidence in yellow.<\/li>\n
    • Use pink for your interpretations (Why<\/em> does this quote matter?).<\/li>\n
    • Blue for connections to bigger themes (hello, capitalism\/identity\/climate grief).
      \nIf your page looks like a neon rainbow, you\u2019re doing it right. If it\u2019s all yellow? You\u2019re just summarizing (cough<\/em> freshman-year me cough<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      Steal the \u201cSo What?\u201d Test from Therapy<\/strong>
      \nAfter every claim, literally ask out loud: \u201cSO WHAT?\u201d If your answer is \u201cUhh\u2026 because it\u2019s important?\u201d dig deeper. My go-to script:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • This shows ___, which matters because ___.<\/em><\/li>\n
      • At first glance ___, but really it\u2019s about ___.<\/em>
        \n(Pro tip: Works on college essays and<\/em> explaining to your uncle why you majored in philosophy.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        Reverse Outline Like You\u2019re IKEA Instructions<\/strong>
        \nWrite your analysis first, then<\/em> make an outline of what you actually said. It\u2019s like GPS rerouting: if your points meander more than a toddler chasing squirrels, you\u2019ll spot detours fast. I once realized my \u201canalysis\u201d of Macbeth<\/em> spent 3 paragraphs talking about Scottish weather \u2014 riveting, but not exactly thesis material.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \n

        The Thing Nobody Admits About Analysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        You\u2019ll feel stupid sometimes. And that\u2019s okay. I\u2019ve stared at a single sentence for 20 minutes, doubting every comma. You\u2019re not \u201cfailing\u201d \u2014 you\u2019re thinking<\/em>. The best analyses often start messy. My breakthrough on a climate change essay came while rage-cleaning my kitchen at 1 AM, muttering about polar bears. (Turns out, linking emotional framing in documentaries to donor behavior was my golden ticket.)<\/p>\n

        \n

        Your Homework (But Chill, It\u2019s Fun)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        Grab a snack (Trader Joe\u2019s chili-lime cashews, anyone?) and pick something low-stakes to analyze. A TikTok trend. A Succession<\/em> episode. Your group chat\u2019s emoji usage. Practice the \u201cSo What?\u201d drill until it feels less like homework and more like gossiping with your brain.<\/p>\n

        Oh, and if you get stuck? Talk it out \u2014 to your dog, your shower wall, or a patient barista. Saying ideas aloud forces clarity. (My golden retriever has heard more hot takes on Barbie<\/em> symbolism than any living creature should.)<\/p>\n

        \n

        At the end of the day, analysis is just organized curiosity. It\u2019s asking \u201cWait, but why?\u201d like a toddler, but with better snacks. You\u2019ve got this. And if your first draft sucks? Welcome to the club. My goat-scholar phase is a story for another time\u2026<\/p>\n

        (Coffee refill count while writing this: 3. Regrets: Zero.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Alright, let\u2019s talk about writing an analysis. Because honestly? The first time I tried to write one in community college, it was a dumpster fire. I turned in a 10-page paper analyzing The Great Gatsby that my professor described as \u201ca plot summary with existential dread\u201d (her words, not mine). Turns out, analyzing something isn\u2019t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4070\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}