Chapter 7:

Writing a
Critique
Critique
A critique is a genre of academic writing that
briefly summarizes and critically evaluates a work
or concept. Critiques can be used to carefully
analyze a variety of works such as:
 Creative works – novels, exhibits, film, images,
poetry
 Research – monographs, journal articles,
systematic reviews, theories
 Media – news reports, feature articles
Critique

Like an essay, a critique uses a formal,

academic writing style and has a clear
structure, that is, an introduction, body and
conclusion.
Why do we write critiques?

Writing a critique on a work helps us to

develop:
 A knowledge of the work’s subject area
or related works.
 An understanding of the work’s purpose,
intended audience, development of
argument, structure of evidence or
creative style.
 A recognition of the strengths and
weaknesses of the work.
How to write a critique

Before you start writing, it is important to

have a thorough understanding of the work
that will be critiqued.
 Study the work under discussion.
 Make notes on key parts of the work.
 Develop an understanding of the main
argument or purpose being expressed in
the work.
 Consider how the work relates to a
broader issue or context.
Parts of a Critique

Introduction
Typically, the introduction is short
(less than 10% of the word length) and
you should:
 Name the work being reviewed as
well as the date it was created and
the name of the author/creator.
 Describe the main argument or
purpose of the work.
Parts of a Critique

Introduction
 Briefly summarize the main points
and objectively describe how the
creator portrays these by using
techniques, styles, media,
characters or symbols. This
summary should not be the focus of
the critique and is usually shorter
than the critical evaluation.
Parts of a Critique
Critical Evaluation
This section should give a systematic and
detailed assessment of the different elements of the
work, evaluating how well the creator was able to
achieve the purpose through these.
A critical evaluation does not simply highlight
negative impressions. It should deconstruct the
work and identify both strengths and weaknesses. It
should examine the work and evaluate its success,
in light of its purpose.
Parts of a Critique
Critical Evaluation
 
Examples of key critical questions that could help your assessment
include:
 Who is the creator? Is the work presented objectively or
subjectively?
 What are the aims of the work? Were the aims achieved?
 What techniques, styles, media were used in the work? Are they
effective in portraying the purpose?
 What assumptions underlie the work? Do they affect its validity?
 What types of evidence or persuasion are used? Has evidence been
interpreted fairly?
 How is the work structured? Does it favor a particular
interpretation or point of view? Is it effective?
 Does the work enhance understanding of key ideas or theories?
Does the work engage (or fail to engage) with key concepts or
other works in its discipline?
Parts of a Critique
Critical Evaluation

To support the evaluation,

 Provide evidence such as a quote or example,
 Cite evidence from related sources.
 Explain how this evidence supports your
evaluation of the work.
Parts of a Critique
Conclusion
This is usually a very brief paragraph, which
includes:
 A statement indicating the overall
evaluation of the work
 A summary of the key reasons, identified
during the critical evaluation, why this
evaluation was formed.
 In some circumstances, recommendations
for improvement on the work may be
appropriate.
Parts of a Critique

Reference list
Include all resources cited in your
critique. Check with your
lecturer/tutor for which referencing
style to use.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Formalist criticism is placed at

the center because it deals primarily
with the text and not with any of the
outside considerations such as author,
the real world, audience, or other
literature. Meaning, formalists argue,
is inherent in the text. Because
meaning is determinant, all other
considerations are irrelevant.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Deconstructionist criticism also

subject texts to careful, formal
analysis; however, they reach an
opposite conclusion: there is no
meaning in language. They believe
that a piece of writing does not have
one meaning and the meaning itself is
dependent on the reader.
 
Approaches in Writing Critique

Historical criticism relies heavily

on the author and his world. In the
historical view, it is important to
understand the author and his world in
order to understand his intent and to
make sense of his work. In this view, the
work is informed by the author’s beliefs,
prejudices, time, and history, and to
fully understand the work, we must
understand the author and his age.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Inter-textual criticism is
concerned with comparing the work
in question to other literature, to get
a broader picture. One may compare a
piece of work to another of the same
author, same literary movement or
same historical background.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Reader-response criticism is
concerned with how the work is
viewed by the audience. In this
approach, the reader creates
meaning, not the author or the work.
Once the work is published, the author
is no longer relevant.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Mimetic criticism seeks to see

how well a work accords with the real
world. How does a piece of literature
accurately portrays the truth is the
main contention of this literary
approach.
Approaches in Writing Critique
Psychological criticism attempts to
explain the behavioral underpinnings of the
characters within the selection, analyzing
the actions and thoughts committed fall under
any of the identifiable neuroses, whether a
psychological disorder is evident among them.
Aside from the characters, the author and
even the reader may be criticized as why
they exhibit certain behavior during the
actual writing and reading experience.
Approaches in Writing Critique
Archetypal criticism assumes that
there is a collection of symbols, images,
characters, and motifs (i.e. archetypes)
that evokes basically the same response in
all people which seem to bind all people
regardless of culture and race worldwide.
This can also be labelled as Mythological
and Symbolic criticisms. Their critics
identify these archetypal patterns and
discuss how they function in the works.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Marxist criticism concerns with the

analysis of the clash of opposing social
classes in society, namely; the ruling class
(bourgeoisie) and the working class
(proletariat) as it shaped the events that
transpired in the story.
Approaches in Writing Critique

Feminist criticism concerns with the

woman’s role in society as portrayed
through texts. It typically analyzes the
plight of woman as depicted in the story.
Generally, it criticizes the notion of woman
as a construct through literature.
THANK YOU.