An analytical essay is not a summary of what you read but instead analyzing the
An analytical essay is not a summary of what you read but instead analyzing the author’s main point (s) and arguments. There are no right or wrong answers in analytical writing but always support your arguments/viewpoints with facts.
Below is a guideline on how an analytical essay should be organized. This is what I expect to see in your introduction, in your body, and in your conclusion:
Introduction:
Title of the Article (in Italic) and name of the author.
What was the author trying to say – In full context.
State your arguments) (Do you agree/disagree? Why? Why not? etc.)
Body:
Elaborate
Expand on your arguments)
If you are going to debate your claim how would you defend it.
Support your viewpoints with facts.
Use information from the article or any other reliable source to support your claims)
*Do not select a quote and try to comment on that quote – That is not analytical.
Conclusion:
An overview of what you have written.
Restate and summarize your main points As you are reading the article take notes. After reading the article: Identify the author’s main argument in full context. And answer these questions: Do you agree or disagree with the author’s main argument? Why or why not?
Please submit a 3-5 page analytical review on the article
The finished review must be in typewritten form, double spaced, typed size 12 pt. and Times New Roman font. Bold lettering is not acceptable. Cover page is required
The ownership of African American slaves by Blacks was surely one of the most peculiar features of the peculiar institution. Yet, in the antebellum South free black people did indeed own enslaved black people. Most historians have emphasized benevolence as the motivation for slaveholding by blacks, but others have emphasized exploitation. This article contributes to that debate using a quantitative approach, drawing upon census data in order to investigate the extent to which the pattern of slaveholding by blacks was or was not similar to that of slaveholding by whites.