How to Write an Interpretive Analysis

An interpretive analysis is just that: a document that takes apart and explains what another author wrote. To interpret something is to put it in words that the reader can better understand. To analyze is to examine the parts of a work with the goal of determining the nature of the whole. Interpretive analysis can help discover deeper meanings within a written or artistic work. Follow these steps to write an interpretive analysis.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. List the name of the document and author of the work you have analyzed.
2. Summarize the author's main points and ideas.
3. State your own opinion on the author's thesis or main point.
4. Note arguments in favor of the meaning you have derived from the text.
5. Note other and opposing arguments concerning the meaning of the work.
6. Support your ideas with paraphrases and quotations from the original text.
7. Write a conclusion that restates your thesis in different words and relates the significance of the work to general human experience.
8. Cite sources you used to help reach the conclusions in your interpretive analysis. Use the formatting style required by your institution.

Tips & Warnings

• Use third person and present tense when writing an interpretive analysis.
• Keep summaries short, and don't use too many direct quotes.
• Don't mistake the viewpoints of fictional characters as the author's views.
• Don't plagiarize the author. Write an interpretive analysis using your own words.

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