The following is a short set of questions to ask while reading a text that will provide a foundation to good critical reading.
What is the point of the essay?
The author is trying to tell us something in particular. Generally, this can be reduced to one or two sentences. It is NOT just a bunch of facts (these are much less important and are handled later), nor is the title always the main point.
What is the argument?
The author is not just telling us something for our edification. All essays are part of a broader argument. How does the one you are reading articulate with that argument: is it a debate about a theoretical perspective?; is it a supplementation of pertinent facts?; is it a criticism of another’s work?; etc.
How is the
What is the point of the essay?
The author is trying to tell us something in particular. Generally, this can be reduced to one or two sentences. It is NOT just a bunch of facts (these are much less important and are handled later), nor is the title always the main point.
What is the argument?
The author is not just telling us something for our edification. All essays are part of a broader argument. How does the one you are reading articulate with that argument: is it a debate about a theoretical perspective?; is it a supplementation of pertinent facts?; is it a criticism of another’s work?; etc.
How is the