Depending upon where you find this academic writing textbook, it may carry the title A Guide to Perspective Analysis or Exploring Perspectives: A Concise Guide to Analysis. Either way, this work by Randall Fallows endeavors to teach students how to write better analytical essays. Fallows has been teaching courses in writing at several California Universities since 1982. His text is written in a light-hearted and humorous tone – makes sense as he participates in both standup and improvisational comedy at several clubs in Los Angeles. Dr. Fallows is a lecturer and writing two coordinator for the Department of Writing Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles.
This textbook takes what I and the author see as a refreshing approach to the subject of analysis. Instead of students having to follow the “right” interpretations of what they read as presented by their instructor, they are given the tools to come to their own and unique conclusions. Fallows set out to give students a “better understanding of how to discover, develop, and revise an analytical essay.” His goal is to get students to move beyond writing simple summaries of what they read but instead share original analysis of what they have studied.
Don’t get snookered into paying a subscription fee to read this one. It was originally released in 2011 under a Creative Commons license and can be found freely in numerous places online. I’ve linked to what appears to be the most complete version. The textbook was written without a table of contents or index and very few hyperlinks. One educator suggested that students could be assigned the task of creating their own index as part of their study of analysis.
Table of Contents for A Guide to Perspective Analysis
- About the Author
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: Analysis for Multiple Perspectives
- The Nature of Analysis
- Chapter 2: Setting the Stage for Writing
- Considering your own subjectivity
- Consulting Other Sources
- An Overview of the Writing Process
- Chapter 3: Developing Assertions: From a Close Reading of Examples
- A Close Reading of the Details
- From Interpretations to Assertions
- Chapter 4: Explanations and Significance: Developing Your Analysis
- Explaining Your Perspective
- Considering the Broader Significance
- Chapter 5: The Analytical Essay: Expressing Your Points of View
- Focusing, Developing, and Synthesizing
- Creating an Effective Style
- Appendix: Frequently Asked Questions About Analysis
View this Free Online Material at the source:
A Guide to Perspective Analysis
