Writing a Critique Essay Example for Free

Writing a Critique Essay ‘To critique’ in the academic world means ‘to look into a certain work and state the strengths and weaknesses and then provide suggestions on improving the work in a manner that is constructive’ (Critiquing Tips, n.d.). Methods in Effectively Critiquing a Work Effectively critiquing a work entails the following: First of all, it is very important to be very honest (Critiquing Tips, n.d.). Second is to look for something optimistic or encouraging to speak about (Critiquing Tips, n.d.). Third is to speak about the weaknesses but at the same time â€Å"providing suggestions on how it may be developed and improved† (Critiquing Tips, n.d.). Last but not least, it is essential do be diplomatic no matter what weaknesses are to be stated and keep in mind that the goal of critiquing is to â€Å"provide assistance to the author of the work† and not attack or insult the individual (Critiquing Tips, n.d.). Aspects to Look for in Critiquing It is essential to look into the references utilized by the author, check for validity and reliability (Chesapeake College, n.d.). Scrutinize how the ideas were supported, check if the stated ideas are facts, or simply opinions to verify if there was no bias and both sides (or opposing perspectives) were evenly taken into consideration (Chesapeake College, n.d.). Also, the â€Å"appropriateness of the vocabulary and logic of the argument should be looked into as well† (Chesapeake College, n.d.). Noting the Findings/ Writing and Presenting the Critique The findings may be noted by: 1) â€Å"introducing the work including the author, title, as well as, the references and their dates of publication†; 2) â€Å"providing a one- to two- sentence summary†; and 3) â€Å"producing a thesis statement† (UHWO Writing Center, n.d.). It is also highly recommended to state â€Å"three to five points to support the thesis statement† (Chesapeake College, n.d.).

Barbie - A Complex American Icon Essay examples -- American Culture E

As a young girl, I was not very interested in playing with baby dolls. I preferred playing with my many stuffed animals or the only doll I did like—Barbie. With my animals, usually I was rescuing them from some horrible disaster such as a flood or a forest fire. I was their heroic savior and benevolent protector. But with Barbie this was decidedly not the case. Sometimes my Barbie did normal Barbie things, such as get dressed up for an exciting date with Ken or go shopping with her little sister, Skipper. More often, however, I subjected Barbie to strange, sadistic acts of my imagination. Frequently Barbie, in her pink dune buggy, would have tragic head-on collisions with my brother’s dump truck, or the brakes would suddenly go out on her pink Barbie scooter, sending her careening off a steep mountain cliff. Barbie also had the unfortunate tendency to be sucked from her Barbie plane by her lovely long blonde hair while flying at 30,000 feet. Since in every other way I w as a normal child, psychoanalysts might interpret my play patterns with Barbie as childlike manifestation of women’s frustrations at the disparate images popular culture presents for women. Most women I know also experience this love/hate feeling towards Barbie and the mixed messages she represents, especially when their daughters start begging for Barbies of their own. While mothers do not want to encourage the unrealistic beauty expectations that Barbie represents, they also fondly remember Barbie as their own favorite toy. These many women, and their daughters, have made Barbie the most successful toy for girls since 1959, despite Barbie’s many contradictions. Barbie embodies American popular culture’s attempt to respond to women’s changing roles in the era since... ... â€Å"Barbie is a Million-Dollar Doll,† The Saturday Evening Post, December 12, 1964, 72. 23 Douglas, 24. 24 â€Å"All’s Swell at Mattel,† Time, October 26, 1962, 90. 25 â€Å"It’s not the Doll it’s the Clothes,† Business Week, December 16, 1961, 48. 26 Cleo Shupp, â€Å"Little Girls are too Sexy too Soon,† Saturday Evening Post, June 29, 1963, 12. 27 Zinsser, 73. 28 â€Å"The Barbie-Doll Set,† Nation, April 27, 1964, 407. 29 Donovan Bess, â€Å"The Menace of the Barbie Dolls,† Ramparts, January 25, 1969, 25. 30 quoted in Bess, 26. 31 Letty Pogrebin, â€Å"Toys: Bad News/Good News,† Ms., December 1975, 60. 32 Douglas, 27. 33 Douglas, 25. 34 â€Å"Zeitgeist Barbie,† Harper’s Magazine, August 1990, 20. 35 Helen Cordes, â€Å"What a Doll!,† Utne Reader, March/April 1992, 46. 36 taken from December 2004 Toys R Us, Wal Mart, Target, and K-Mart advertisements.

Dad By Elaine Feinstein

The poem that I'll be analyzing in this commentary is called ‘Dad' by Elaine Feinstein. This poem is an emotional and lyrical poem in which the author is reflecting and recalling upon the memories of her deceased father. The main tones that are portrayed in this poem are sorrow, lovingness and mournfulness, and one way in which this is portrayed is through the methodology in which the poem is read, which is in a slow rhythmic speech and enjambment since it is a free verse poem. The author’s intentions behind this poem are clear. She is simply portraying her loving feelings for her father and the grief that she undergoes through his decease.She shows her intentions through the loving lines and sentimental memories, for example in lines 1-3 â€Å"Those black fat raisins you like to press into my palm from your soft heavy hands† the author recalls such simple yet meaningful memories with great detail which shows that she valued the memories dearly. Signs of grief are shown from when the she moans about her father, such as in lines 12-14 when she says, â€Å"Beached: cold, white-faced, shivering. What happened, old bull, my loyal hoarse-voiced warrior? †; In these lines, Elaine uses diction to prove a stronger point .As well as that, Elaine uses lots of imagery throughout this poem, such as in that last quote and in lines 4-6 â€Å"I see you staggering back up the path with sacks of potatoes from some local farm, fresh eggs, flowers. †; This quote however also shows how dearly she loved her father. Imagery is an effective poetic device for this poem since it generates/creates an emotional connection for the audience/reader making her message clearer. As well as imagery, the author uses many different poetic devices, for example in lines 13-14 when she says â€Å"Beached: cold, white-faced, shivering.What happened, old bull, my loyal hoarse-voiced warrior? † she is using a metaphor and comparing her father to a bull, which is a courageous and strong animal. With this metaphor, Elaine is portraying how dearly she loved her father and how he was a â€Å"bull† in her eyes. As well as that in lines 5-6 when Elaine says â€Å"Farm, fresh eggs, flowers† the author uses alliteration to evokes emotion and the pleasing tone of alliteration then catches the reader’s attention before telling the audience about her father’s death â€Å"Every day I grieve† at the end of line 6.

Seriously Scary Halloween Plays