The argument analysis combines a summary of the text's major claims and reasons with an assessment of the essential elements of the argument. While the summary component is objective, the analysis component is critical; that is, the analysis raises questions about the quality of the argument -- about the logic of reasoning, the adequacy of the evidence, the soundness of the definitions, the appropriateness of the analogies, the acceptability of underlying assumptions, and so on. An analysis is itself an argument, in that it is developed from the student's own thesis and supported by reasons and evidence.
The argument
analysis usually opens by introducing the title and author of the text
to be analyzed, and then quickly and objectively summarizing the key points.
The opening paragraph is usually concluded by the student's thesis about
the quality of the essay or one of its components.
Paragraphs in the body
of the argument analysis discuss key aspects of the essay (reasons, logic,
evidence, facts, definitions, analogies, assumptions, values, etc)
and demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of these aspects.
The argument analysis concludes with a discussion of the significance of the student's thesis. The conclusion is not simply a restatement of the thesis; rather, the conclusion presents an opportunity to discuss the significance, ramifications, consequences, and implications of the student's thesis. For instance, the thesis of an argument analysis might look like the following example: Although Smith's argument about the rise in teenage pregnancies is scrupulously supported with accurate, detailed, and recent statistics, his preaching abstinence as the cure for all social evils is hopelessly naive. After reading about the especially good facets of Smith's argument and after reading about the flaw of depending solely on abstinence, your reader needs to be able to put all this information in perspective. The conclusion provides an opportunity to guide your reader's understanding of and reaction to your thesis. The conclusion to the above thesis should probably indicate whether the emphasis on abstinence seriously weakened the essay or whether it was merely a minor lapse. The conclusion is a good time to suggest the consequences or implications of the thesis: what's at stake in your thesis?
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