The Writing Process: Writing a Critique
What is a literature critique? To critique a piece of writing is to do the following:
- Describe- Give the reader a sense of the writer's overall purpose and intent
- Analyze- Examine how the structure and language of the texts conveys/ shares its meaning.
- Interpret- State the significance or importance of each part of the text.
- Assess- Make a statement/ judgment of the work or value to a community or you as whole.
FORMATTING A CRITIQUE
Here are two structures for critiques, one for nonfiction and one for fiction/literature.
The Critique Format for Nonfiction
Introduction
• name of author and work
• general overview of subject and summary of author's argument
• focusing (or thesis) sentence indicating how you will divide the whole work for
discussion or the particular elements you will discuss
Body
• objective description of a major point in the work
• detailed analysis of how the work conveys an idea or concept
• interpretation of the concept
• repetition of description, analysis, interpretation if more than one major concept is
covered
Conclusion
• overall interpretation
• relationship of particular interpretations to subject as a whole
• critical assessment of the value, worth, or meaning of the work, both negative and
positive