In the life of every student, sooner or later, there comes that fantastic day when the professor gives your unusual assessment.
For most students, biography analysis becomes such an assignment, and many have no idea how to approach this task.
Biography analysis is tricky because it requires a deep understanding of the concept of biographical analysis and advanced academic research skills.
However, do not rush to despair! Anyone can write a biographical analysis and submit it on time if they know all the nuances of the assignment and start working in advance.
Read our complete guide to learn all the secrets and rules of writing a high-quality biography analysis.
If the deadline is already close, and you are not entirely confident in your abilities, consider turning to the experts from EssayShark.
Seasoned writers will complete your assignment efficiently and on time and provide you with all the necessary comments to understand the issue and better cope with the task yourself.
What Is a Biography Analysis?
Biography analysis is a type of assignment where you are asked to study and analyze the life of a famous person.
Depending on your essay’s context, your analysis’s focus could be a historical figure, a legendary musician or actor, a contemporary politician, or a nation leader.
In the case of biography analysis, choosing a focus is equivalent to choosing a topic, and selecting a person who interests you is better.
During biography analysis, you will be asked to analyze a person’s life path, highlight the most significant decisions and actions in his biography, and examine the prerequisites and consequences of these actions in social and historical contexts.
Biography analysis will help sharpen your research skills and expand your historical horizons with new, little-known facts.
1 – Research Your Subject
The primary basis of any solid academic assignment is advanced research. If you structure your research process correctly, you can collect all the necessary information, make a list of references, and even begin to draw up a detailed outline for your paper.
While encyclopedias are great for getting the big picture, you will need more specifics to write a solid paper. Verify the author’s qualifications before selecting any articles or books.
The subject’s writings, such as diaries, letters, essays, or novels, should also be gathered as primary sources. Another way to find out how others felt about your figure was to read newspaper stories about them.
In addition, remember that we live in the twenty-first century, and today, you have such an excellent source of information as the Internet. But the Internet should be used with caution.
Always start by searching for credible sources, check the credibility of each source of information, and don’t forget to use Google Scholar.
Google Scholar is a unique tool designed to search for reliable academic details, and all sites in the registry of this service can be considered scientific sources.
2 – Pick Your Focus
Most likely, as part of a biography analysis, you will be asked to consider several years or a specific historical event in the context of a certain person’s life. You will most likely be asked to select an event yourself, which is called focus in biography analysis terminology.
You have already conducted research and know quite a lot about the general milestones in the selected person’s life. Re-read your notes and pick a few of the most important events.
Choose from them those that are most interesting to you personally. Once you’ve narrowed the list down to one or two items, try exploring the issue from the perspective of the ambiguity of the event.
It is better to choose a controversial focus to get a high score, an event on which the scientific and historical community does not yet have a clear opinion.
This will make it easier to select exciting points for your analysis. You can raise and consider opposing points of view, giving your commentary on each thesis. This way, you can add more depth to your work, which will impress your professor.
Assuming you are not covering this person’s whole life, pick one part of their life to concentrate on. An author’s formative years may have impacted their work, while the impact of a president’s character on his foreign policy may be the subject of an analysis.
3 – Craft a Thesis
The best analyses are always structured around one or more central points. Your thesis is the main idea you outline in the introduction, and support it with concrete facts in the main sections of your paper.
If you decide to consider a controversial situation in your life, your final thesis should remain highly transparent and clear. Your professor must see that you have a specific and clear opinion on the analyzed issue.
This emphasis should form the basis of your assertion. A strong thesis statement explains to the reader why the subject is important.
4 – Start with a Strong Introduction
Any college paper begins with an introduction, and the opening is one of the most significant parts. In the introduction, you establish the reader’s first opinion about your analysis, so it is critical to interest the reader in the topic and establish a central thesis.
Many students underestimate the importance of a quality introduction because they are unfamiliar with the standard revision process.
Try for a moment to imagine yourself in the professor’s place: most likely, your analysis is not the first paper to be checked in the evening; most likely, the professor is already tired and begins to read with a slight feeling of boredom.
Your professor’s mind may be filled with thoughts of relaxation, dinner, or an evening walk, and your paper is an obstacle.
Your task in the introduction is to interest the reader from the first lines so that your text drives all other thoughts out of the professor’s head and makes them think about the problem you are considering in your analysis.
Choosing an exciting and atypical topic can provide tangible help here. If the question you are addressing in your analysis is new to the professor, your paper will likely receive more attention.
One good technique to start your paper is with a meaningful story or quote that supports your argument.
5 – Write Body Parts
The next step is the central part of your analysis, which can be broken down into several sections. Here, adhering to a clear structure following the chosen academic format is crucial.
Each section of your article should be logically separate and contain a central idea. For example, you can devote a distinct area to each key event in the life of the object of analysis or break one or more critical events into several logical sections.
If you consider opposing points of view on a question, then it makes sense to group arguments into paragraphs according to their meaning.
6 – Think about a Solid Conclusion
The conclusion in your analysis is even more important than the introduction because it is here that the reader’s final impression of your paper is formed.
It would be wise to remember the need to reinstate the primary thesis so the reader can think about it again, considering all the new facts.
Always end your paper on a solid note, leaving the reader with the impression that you are confident in your opinion and have provided all the necessary references to support it.
It will be best if the reader thinks about your analysis for some time and perhaps even enters into an internal debate with himself. Then, you can be sure that your paper made an impression and even count on the highest grade for your analysis.
7 – Remember to Revise and Edit Your Paper
And finally, most importantly, always remember proofreading and editing! Every seasoned academic writer knows how vital proofing is; even the best writers catch the most common mistakes at the last stage. You will have to re-read your paper several times during the editing process, and we suggest the following algorithm.
- Re-read the paper immediately after writing. Try to read slowly and carefully, not allowing yourself to skip individual phrases and words. Listen to your gut instinct, and change words and individual sentences if necessary. Double-check all your links and references again.
- Take a break and rest. You will need several hours, during which it is best to rest, engage in physical activity, or have dinner. A few days’ break would be optimal, but college deadlines don’t always allow students that luxury.
- After a pause, re-read your analysis several more times, at least once out loud. Reading aloud lets you hear how specific phrases sound from the outside and helps you focus your attention.
- Choose one or more advanced writing tools, such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor, and carefully analyze all the recommendations. These services will not only point out any missed errors but also offer several options for correcting unsuccessful designs.
- Finally, have a beta reader read your analysis. Ideally, your beta reader should be a professional writer or editor, but a friend or family member will do.
A multi-level audit will allow you to polish your paper perfectly and help secure your chances of obtaining the highest grade. Start working early and remember that with due diligence, writing a high-quality biography analysis is not at all problematic.