Your subject. Once you know your topic, you can start collecting data and evidence to discuss it. If your analytical essay is about a creative work, you may want to spend time revising or evaluating that work, such as by watching a film closely or studying the details of a painting. Critical Essay Examples. Jack and Gill: A Mock Review by Joseph Dennie. The Fragile Fantasy of Miss Brill A critical essay on Katherine Mansfield's short story Miss Brill and Poor, Pitiful Miss Brill at Macbeth's Door by Thomas De Quincey. A Rhetorical Analysis of Africa by Claude McKay In this type of article, you must be fully engaged in the reading process. Do some critical reading. The first step in a critical analysis essay is to read the author's work. Always have original sources for your analysis. The situation is more complicated with voluminous works such as theses.