Overview
Textual Analysis Paper
Assignment: For this short essay (3 double-spaced pages- cover and References pages are not included), you will provide an original textual analysis of a media text of your choosing. For example, if you choose to do an ideological analysis of a video game or a TV show, you will provide a critical analysis of one or two ideological assumptions within the game or show; if you choose to do an aesthetic analysis of a film, you will provide a critical analysis of a one aspect of the film (such as lighting, color, costume, camera framing, etc.); if you choose to do a semiotic analysis of a TikTok genre, you will provide a critical analysis of what the clothing/imagery/colors/etc. suggest. You have many options for this paper. Goals: To perform an analysis using close reading strategies; to practice applying your critical analysis skills to a media text; to demonstrate close engagement with course themes and key terms by synthesizing course theorists and applying them to your paper. Because this is a short paper, your analysis should be in depth, clear, and concise. Step one: Choose one specific media text—it could be a website, app, TV show, film, news story, YouTube video, etc.—and analyze it closely using textual analysis methods. Keep your focus very narrow: your essay should employ the method of close reading—that is, the analysis of specific language, images, and other representational choices—with the goal of explicating their larger meaning and/or significance. If you choose a serialized text like a television show, focus on a close reading of one or two episodes. Step two: Identify which form of textual analysis you are employing (ideological analysis, semiotic analysis) and apply that to your text. Note: these methods often blur, so it’s okay if you are using a semiotic approach to identify particular ideologies in your text (e.g., you analyze what is signified by a TV character’s clothing to explore how class is presented in the show). Requirements: • Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1-inch margins • 2-3 double-spaced pages • NO PDFs. You MUST submit as a Word document • A clear thesis statement that makes an argument about your media text • An engagement with at least one course reading Elements of a strong essay: Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes something to the reader’s understanding of the central idea.
Introduction:The introduction to your analysis essay should try to (briefly!) capture your reader’s interest. Tobring immediate focus to your subject, you may want to use a quotation, a provocative question,a brief anecdote, a startling statement, or a combination of these. You may also want to includebackground information relevant to your thesis and that would help the reader understand theposition you are taking.Thesis statement:The thesis statement tells your reader what to expect: it is a restricted, precisely wordeddeclarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay, i.e., the point you are trying to make. Itis also contestable, meaning that it is something that could be debated. Typically, the thesisstatement falls at the end of your introductory paragraph.Ensure that your thesis statement does not fall into one of the following traps:• Lacks a claim or position (“This paper will examine the pros and cons of...”)• Is obviously true or is a statement of fact (“Exercise is good for you”)• Restates conventional wisdom or clichés (“Love conquers all”)• Offers personal conviction as the basis for the claim (“Shopping malls are wonderfulplaces”)• Makes an overly broad claim (“Individualism is good”)Here are thesis statement examples that would work for a short analysis essay:• The film _____ demonstrates how the director uses ____ technique to show ______.(aesthetic analysis)• The signs in the television show ______ represent stereotypical notions of femininebeauty. (representation/semiotic/ideological analysis)• The language used in the news article ____ depicts Black athletes with ____ words and____ athletes with words, showing racial bias by _____. (discourse analysis)Include one paragraph that briefly summarizes the text (brief overview, then key details of plotor image content, especially those pertinent to your analysis).Analysis:Much of the paper should be devoted to a clearly organized, thoughtful analysis of the text.Your analysis might, but does not have to incorporate such terms or ideas as:• Ideology, hegemony (How does the text center or privilege certain views of the world?How does the text maintain the “white” or “American” or “middle class” center—orchallenge that center?)• Stereotypes, archetypes: Does the text portray one or more “archetypes” of some group?• Semiotics (a method that allows close examination of particular ideologies within a textas you see how the sign systems are related to one another)
Conclusion: Your analysis should have a concluding paragraph that gives your essay a sense of completeness and lets your readers know that they have come to the end of your paper. Your concluding paragraph might restate the thesis in different words, summarize the main points you have made, or make a relevant comment about the work you are analyzing, but from a different perspective. Do not introduce a new topic in your conclusion. Evaluation: Your essays will be evaluated on: • The balance of depth and breadth: If the text is simpler (e.g., a magazine ad), you might identify and discuss several ideologies. If it is more complex, your entire paper might focus on analyzing a particular ideology (e.g., class ideologies in Parasite). • The depth of thought and analysis. Work on moving beyond the things that are apparent to most viewers (e.g., “This beer ad with the Swedish ski team is using sex appeal to sell beer.”). Try to give the reader the “aha” experience by looking deeper into the text. • The evidence used to support claims. Thus, if you claim that Parasite portrays class antagonisms, provide examples from the text to illustrate your point.