Analytical Essay Topics & Ideas | 100+ Examples for Students

You might not realize it, but people use analytical skills in their daily lives to assess various 

situations. Suppose you notice a burning smell in your house. What’s the first step you would take in this situation?

Within a few seconds, you would pinpoint the locations of all electrical appliances. Since the chances of the source being the kitchen are high, you’d naturally check that location first. If the source is an electrical appliance, you would use a fire extinguisher instead of water to put out the flame.

Notice how you had to apply analytical and critical thinking skills to figure out a solution and prevent a disaster.

Similar skills are required in analytical writing. If you need direct assistance with any academic paper, explore our general Essay Help services.

Defining the Term: What is an Analytical Essay?

Now, before moving on to the nitty-gritty, let’s answer the fundamental question: What is an analysis essay? For comprehensive assistance with all types of academic papers, you can explore the full range of our services.

To put it simply,

An analytical essay is a type of academic paper where the writer dissects a particular subject, concept, or idea by dividing it into smaller parts and provides an interpretation of the meaning of each as a whole or individually. The writer aims to offer insight into things to analyze.

The primary aim of this kind of writing is to enhance the reader’s understanding of that issue.

This type of assignment assesses a student’s ability to form reasonable conclusions from the given premise using logic and reasoning.

For example, if you were asked to critically analyze Keats’ The Poetry of Earth, you must break down every line to –

• Explore the themes of mortality, nature, and the passage of time
• Analyse Keats’ use of evocative language
• Explain how Keats has used personification and metaphors

If you’re a literature major, you’ll be writing several literary analysis assignments until you graduate. For specialized help with other kinds of analysis, we offer services for writing a Response Essay, which is another type of analytical writing you might encounter..

What Are the Types of Analytical Essays?

Analysis assignments come in various forms. But the ones you’re most likely to encounter in academia include the following:

Literary Analysis

In a literary analysis assignment, you have to study a piece of literature in great detail. This often involves working with thematic topics and ideas for an analysis paper. This includes:

• Exploring various themes
• Interpreting different situations
• Analyzing character behavior

Here are some literary analysis examples to provide you with a better understanding of what you can expect:

• Analyze the theme of conflicting maternal emotions in the poem Morning Song.
• Explore the role of the three witches in bringing about Macbeth’s downfall.
• Philosophy majors often apply these skills to texts exploring ethics and existence—get specialized Philosophy assignment help for deeper insights.

Poetry Analysis

For poetry analysis, the analytical writer must explore the different components of the poem, such as its –

• Structure
• Rhyme scheme
• Historical relevance
• Contextual significance

Some poetry analysis examples include:

• Analyze the common writing techniques employed by Sylvia Plath.
• What peculiarities can you identify in The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire?

For a complete resource, see our in-depth article on, Poetry Analysis Essay writing.

Critical Analysis

In critical analysis writing, you have to identify the principal argument that the author has made by conducting an in-depth scrutiny of the text. This is often the focus of critical thinking essay topics and critical analysis prompts. Once you complete this initial assessment, you can –

• Agree with the author’s views
• Disagree with the author’s reasoning
• Collect evidence to support your stance

For a complete resource, visit our page on critical analysis essay writing.

Here are two examples to get you started:

• Analyze how xenophobia affects the lives of immigrants.
• Do violent video games have any impact on the mental health of young children?

Character Analysis

A character analysis paper involves an in-depth exploration of the fictional and non-fictional characters in a piece of visual or written media. In such documents, you should include the following details about the character:

• Physical attributes
• Role in the story
• Relationships with other characters
• Personality traits
• Memorable actions

For a complete breakdown of this process, explore our dedicated article on Character Analysis Essay writing.

Let’s check some character analysis examples:

• Analyze why Atticus Finch from How to Kill a Mockingbird is considered a ‘static character’.
• Analyze the character of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

Rhetorical Analysis

A rhetorical analysis writing task involves analyzing the writer’s rhetoric or how they have used words to influence their audience. Such academic papers –

• Rely on factual explanations
• Analyze the convincing techniques used
• Explore the writer’s stance

Learn more in our detailed resource on Rhetorical Analysis Essays.

Some examples of rhetorical analysis papers are:

• Analyze the rhetorical devices used by Malala Yousafzai in her Nobel Peace Prize speech
• Explore Shakespeare’s use of rhetoric in his tragedies

Now, whenever you encounter any topic for this kind of writing, you can easily identify which type of academic assignment you’ll have to write. This will help you focus on the individual characteristics of the task and write a well-informed piece.

Full Analytical Essay Example (A Model Analysis Paper)

For users searching specifically for a complete analytical essay example, having a model to follow is critical. Below is a full example of a literary analysis essay, but you can find more examples of various academic works in our Free Samples section for further reference, demonstrating how to write an effective analysis paper

Example Analytical Essay Title

A strong analytical essay title is specific, engaging, and hints at the argument. For more ideas, see our list of analysis title examples.

The Echo of Oppression: Analyzing the Symbolism of Blindness and Sight in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

The Full Essay Model

The Dos and Don’ts of Analytical Writing

Are you wondering how to ace your next analysis paper? Don’t worry! Writing an analytical assignment is no rocket science.

Just keep these crucial dos and don’ts in mind, and you’ll be able to avoid most issues.

120 Intriguing Analytical Essay Topics for a Better Grade

Your choice of an analytical essay topic plays a crucial role in determining whether you’ll be able to write an A+ paper or not. So, skip the hassle of researching unique analytical topics. Take your pick from these 120 carefully-crafted analytical ideas.

A. Analytical Essay Topics on Education

1. Should students be forced to participate in extracurricular activities?
2. Importance of the co-existence of Arts and Humanities along with STEM
3. Can online education completely replace traditional learning facilities?
4. Analyse the factors responsible for the lack of access to education in third-world countries.
5. What role do teachers play in providing a safe environment for their students?
6. Importance of spreading cultural sensitivity amongst students
7. Why do students opt for higher education in the USA despite it being too expensive?
8. Has the advancement of technology ruined students’ reading habits?
9. Discuss whether yearly standardized tests are enough to gauge a student’s intelligence.
10. Modern educational institutes should focus on becoming more accessible for disabled children – explain.
11. Why do students procrastinate on their assignments?
12. Analyse why teaching is considered a highly respectable profession, yet teachers aren’t paid well.

B. Analytical Essay Topics for College & University Students

1. Analyse how small businesses have started to gain global recognition thanks to technological advancements
2. How potent are the aftereffects of the British colonization of Africa and India?
3. Discuss how the internet has boosted the spread of pop culture in 2023 compared to the 1990s.
4. Analyse the role of one great leader who has shaped modern history
5. What role does the PR play in making the most of negative publicity?
6. Analyse the importance of introducing gender-neutral terms in schools.
7. Discuss the pros and cons of college students leaving their homes for university.
8. Explain the relationship between fast-food chains and rising obesity in children and young adults.
9. Analyse how online shows portray racism and discrimination.
10. Top qualities of an ideal leader: how does this ideal vary from reality?
11. Why are students considered the most crucial vehicle to bring about positive changes to society?
12. Analyse the marketing trends that have emerged post COVID-19

C. Easy Analytical Essay Topics for High School Students

1. Why do most children fear going to the doctor?
2. Analyse the challenges faced by immigrant students in adjusting to a new environment.
3. What role do social workers play in improving public health in communities with low income?
4. Will stricter gun control reduce the violence rates in the USA?
5. Is pretty privilege a legitimate privilege? Explore in the context of the movie Legally Blonde.
6. Explore how laws have denied basic human rights to LGBTQIA+ people throughout the years.
7. Analyse the role of pollution in dismantling the ecosystem.
8. Can technological advancements lead to rising unemployment cases?
9. Is luck essential to succeed in life?
10. What factors lead to addiction in young adults?
11. Explain how a positive student-teacher relationship can improve classroom dynamics.
12. How do video games, movies, and online series influence human psychology?

D. Critical Analysis Essay Topics

1. Analyse post-World War II economic development in Russia
2. Women had a significant role during the Second World War – Explain.
3. Is achieving victory in the world war a valid reason to send barely legal adults off to war with no training?
4. Explore how America became a global power after victory in the Second World War.
5. How had World War II left its impact on Asian Americans?
6. Analyse the political propaganda thriving in Germany during World War II
7. German descendants of Nazis should atone for their ancestor’s actions – Agree or disagree?
8. Explore the horrors of war as expressed by the artists and poets of the 20th century.
9. Discuss the deadly consequences of the twin atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
10. What is World War II considered the end of the Modern period?
11. Analyse the struggles of decolonization in Asia after the Second World War.
12. Explore how art has immortalized the madness of World War II.

E. Analytical Report Topics & Analysis Paper Topics

1. Analyse the pay difference between different genders in global corporations (suitable for a formal report topic).
2. Discuss the role of television and social media in propagating age-old discrimination
3. Women in higher positions showing anger are more likely to be ridiculed and termed ‘hysterical’ than men in a similar position – Why?
4. What are the major challenges non-binary people face in their daily lives?
5. Explore the hypocrisy of educational institutions propagating gender discrimination while teaching about gender equality.
6. Should the government take measures to make it safer for women to travel alone till late hours?
7. How has the concept of feminism been misappropriated to promote gender discrimination?
8. Girls are more emotionally mature than boys – Analyse the truth behind this claim.
9. Are women given the same importance in politics as their male counterparts?
10. Does the patriarchal setting in families encourage unconscious gender discrimination?
11. Analyse the gender stereotypes in STEM fields.
12. Is lack of education solely responsible for gender discrimination in society?

F. General Analysis Topics and Ideas

1. What role do global corporations play in giving rise to global warming?
2. Analyse the impact of global warming on everyday life.
3. Climate abnormalities across the world and their relationship with global warming
4. Why has modern science not been able to tackle global warming yet?
5. What political factors prevent governments worldwide from addressing the growing concerns related to global warming?
6. Can full-scale recycling have any effects on reducing global warming?
7. What are the best measures to reduce carbon footprint?
8. Analyse what steps common people can take in their daily lives to reduce global warming.
9. Are human beings solely responsible for the rise in global warming?
10. Analyse the most effective ways to stop global warming from destroying the earth.
11. Explore the contributions of $\text{CO}_2$ emissions to global warming.
12. Analyse why global warming is also known as Nature’s Pressure Cooker.

G. Complex Analytical Essay Topics

1. Analyse the reasons why people are more attracted to well-written villains than heroes.
2. Why does the veil of anonymity encourage people to indulge in cyberbullying?
3. What are the long-term effects of childhood obesity?
4. Analyse what factors prevent children suffering from PTSD from opening up to others.
5. What psychological damages do children who grow up in abusive homes suffer?
6. Are tests the best option to gauge a student’s understanding of a particular topic?
7. Why are bilingual individuals more open to learning foreign languages than monolingual people?
8. Analyse how technology has impacted modern living to the point where it seems impossible to live without it.
9. Why are parrots able to mimic human voices?
10. What impact did the invention of gunpowder have on shaping modern history?
11. Are there any medical benefits to adopting a vegan lifestyle?
12. How does a healthy family promote all-around development in children?

H. Analytical Essay Topics on Culture

1. What factors are responsible for propagating cultural stereotypes?
2. Analyse the role of social media in promoting cultural diversity.
3. Discuss the portrayal of cultural minorities in popular media.
4. Analyse the origins of racism in the USA.
5. How do modern workplaces promote cultural diversity?
6. Analyse the effects of World War II on the culture in Islamic countries.
7. How has the hip-hop culture influenced music worldwide?
8. Explore culture and heritage in South African literature.
9. Analyse the immigrant struggle of adjusting to a new culture.
10. Discuss the importance of religion on culture.
11. How have technological advancements impacted Asian culture?
12. Analyse how immigration has impacted American culture.

I. Literary Analytical Essay Topics

1. “Common people are the ones who suffer the real consequences of war” – Explain in connection to the drama Mother Courage and Her Children.
2. Discuss how Shakespeare weaves the plots of his comedies.
3. Analyse the portrayal of Victorian women in Jane Austen’s works.
4. Explore the politics of war in Faulkner’s A Fable.
5. How has Herman Melville explored the deceptiveness of fate in Moby Dick?
6. How does Shakespeare explore the concept of mortality in Hamlet?
7. Analyse how Harper Lee has explored the theme of racism in How to Kill a Mockingbird.
8. How does Georg Orwell portray society in 1984?
9. Explore the symbolism in Beowulf.
10. Analyse the theme of sin and innocence in Milton’s Paradise Lost.
11. How does Shakespeare incorporate the supernatural in his plays?
12. Explore the gothic themes in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

J. Analytical Essay Topics about Social Media

1. Analyse how corporations use social media as a marketing tool to reach a global audience.
2. Discuss the relationship between social media and decreased attention span.
3. Explore the importance of social media as a tool for political change.
4. How does social media addiction affect the mental health of college students?
5. Analyse whether social media has desensitized people to the misfortunes of others.
6. How does anonymity encourage people to indulge in hate culture on social media platforms?
7. Analyse the role of social media in promoting narcissism in young adults.
8. How do terrorist organizations use social media to radicalize impressionable minds?
9. How do small businesses improve brand image and reputation using social media?
10. Discuss how the US government uses social media to monitor people’s movements.
11. Social media and justice – discuss incidents where social media has been detrimental to catching criminals.
12. How does social media affect people’s moral values?

Analytical Essay Topics: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which would be the best topic for an analytical essay?

Analytical essay topics that include the following characteristics are considered the best choice:

• Provide opportunities for in-depth research
• Relevant to contemporary issues
• Neither too broad nor too narrow
• Provides a unique perspective

What is a written analysis?

A written analysis dissects the vital components of a topic, an idea, or a subject and provides an objective interpretation of each part individually or as a whole. There are various kinds of written analysis, of which the most important ones are rhetorical, causal, and process analysis.

What is an analytical research paper?

An analytical research paper is a piece of academic writing that focuses on critically analyzing a particular topic using various perspectives. These papers are generally objective and use factual evidence to support a particular stance.

• Crafting an Exceptional Analytical Essay: The Steps
  For a detailed step-by-step process, see our article, How to Write an Analytical Essay.
  • Choose a topic that you’re personally interested in.
  • Ensure that the topic has enough reliable research materials.
  • Explore various perspectives instead of focusing on one side of the argument.
  • Create an outline to avoid going off-topic.
• Structuring Your Analytical Research Paper
  • Choose a unique analytical research topic.
  • Conduct in-depth research on the topic.
  • Note down the details you’d like to explore in your paper.
  • Create an outline to maintain a logical flow.
  • Write a relevant thesis statement.
  • Construct the outline for your research paper.
  • Work on the first draft.
  • Edit and proofread your paper before submission.

What is an analysis essay?

An analysis essay is a type of academic paper where the writer dissects a particular subject, concept or idea by dividing it into smaller parts and provides an interpretation of the meaning of each as a whole or individually.

What is an analytical summary?

An analytical summary explores the main themes and concepts of a particular topic. It is brief and includes the following details: the author’s primary statement, the reasons used to support the statement, and the paper’s structure.

Which words best describe an analytical essay?

The best words to describe an analytical essay are: Relevant, Contextual, Precise, Objective, Inquisitive, Methodical, Logical, Authentic, Interpretative, Orderly.

What is the format for an analytical essay?

The analytical essay follows the general essay format, which includes the following:

• Introduction – Includes background information, hook, and a thesis statement
• Body – Explains the key points of the analysis
• Conclusion – Summarises the main points, allows the writer to include their concluding thoughts
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Analytical Writing
  When writing an analytical essay, avoid the following mistakes:
  • Choosing a subject you’re not interested in
  • Writing on a topic without adequate research materials
  • Overloading your essay with technical jargon
  • Using data from unreliable sources
  • Plagiarising content from other writers (Use a plagiarism checker tool)
  • Including biased observations

Need Help with Referencing? Make sure your paper is properly cited using our Citation Generator tool.