A critique is an analysis of and a commentary on another piece of writing. It generally focuses on technique as well as on content. A critical response essay (or interpretive essay or review) has two missions: to summarize a source’s main idea (briefly) and to respond to the source’s main ideas with reactions based on your synthesis. This critical response also incorporates counterpoint, or a counterargument. As a critic you are taking a skeptical or even opposing position – does the essay convince you? I. Summarizing The first step to writing is to read actively and thoughtfully, seeking answers to the following questions as you go:  What are the main points, ideas, or arguments of the work (book, article, play essay, etc.)?  How is the work organized?  What evidence/support does the author give?  What is the primary purpose of the work? II. Analyzing (interpretation and evaluation) To help you generate content for your analysis, consider the following questions:  Does the work achieve its purpose? Fully or only partially?  Was the purpose worthwhile to begin with? Or was it too limited, trivial, broad, theoretical, etc.?  Is any of the evidence weak or insufficient? In what way? Conversely, is the evidence/support particularly effective or strong?  Can I supply further explanation to clarify or support any of the main points, ideas, and arguments?  Are there sections you don’t understand? Why?  Was there any area where the author offered too much or too little information?  Is the organization of the work an important factor? Does its organization help me understand it, hinder my understanding, or neither?  Is anything about the language or style noteworthy? III. Counterargument Consider the above questions in those two sections as a foundation to argue your point (and please don’t assume that there is no other position – that is a narrow ideological view). Your goal in the final section is to take the two previous sections (summary/synthesis, and analysis/evaluation/interpretation) as an opportunity to posit (make, state, etc.) an argument or position that undermines, problematizes, debunks or otherwise causes a problem for the argument you are assessing. This sort of analysis that resists glazing over potential problems in favor of a complimentary review provides an opportunity (a vital one) to strengthen the original argument, amend it, or otherwise take into consideration something that was omitted or misstated. Organization The length or your essay and whether you respond to a single passage or to an entire work will vary with the assignment. Regardless of length and breadth, all critical responses include the following basic elements:  Introduction:  Body: o Summary o Transition o Analysis: Evaluate the evidence: sufficient (enough evidence, examples), representative (large enough pool/sample), relevant (accurate correlations), accurate, claims fairly qualified o Transition o Response: base ...

1. A critique is an analysis of and a commentary on another piece
of writing. It generally focuses on technique as well as on
content. A critical response essay (or interpretive essay or
review) has two missions: to summarize a source’s main idea
(briefly) and to respond to the source’s main ideas with
reactions based on your synthesis. This critical response also
incorporates counterpoint, or a counterargument. As a critic you
are taking a skeptical or even opposing position – does the
essay convince you?
I. Summarizing
The first step to writing is to read actively and thoughtfully,
seeking answers to the following questions as you go:
(book, article, play essay, etc.)?
ed?
II. Analyzing (interpretation and evaluation)
To help you generate content for your analysis, consider the
following questions:
urpose? Fully or only partially?
limited, trivial, broad, theoretical, etc.?
Conversely, is the evidence/support particularly effective or
strong?
the main points, ideas, and arguments?
little information?

2. organization of the work an important factor? Does its
organization help me understand it, hinder my understanding, or
neither?
III. Counterargument
Consider the above questions in those two sections as a
foundation to argue your point (and please don’t assume that
there is no other position – that is a narrow ideological view).
Your goal in the final section is to take the two previous
sections (summary/synthesis, and
analysis/evaluation/interpretation) as an opportunity to posit
(make, state, etc.) an argument or position that undermines,
problematizes, debunks or otherwise causes a problem for the
argument you are assessing. This sort of analysis that resists
glazing over potential problems in favor of a complimentary
review provides an opportunity (a vital one) to strengthen the
original argument, amend it, or otherwise take into
consideration something that was omitted or misstated.
Organization
The length or your essay and whether you respond to a single
passage or to an entire work will vary with the assignment.
Regardless of length and breadth, all critical responses include
the following basic elements:
o Summary
o Transition
o Analysis: Evaluate the evidence: sufficient (enough evidence,
examples), representative (large enough pool/sample), relevant
(accurate correlations), accurate, claims fairly qualified
o Transition
o Response: base reaction on your own experience, prior
knowledge, and opinions (?)
o Counterargument

3. There is flexibility in how you arrange things (as we’ve
discussed during this semester) but the parts should be there,
and in a way that a reader can distinguish your purpose in each
section/paragraph. You don’t have to use a hamburger 5-
paragraph/5-section model, but the things you are trying to
accomplish should not be a mystery for the reader to unpack.
Argument 2
The fear of being a parent is inevitable. Everyone
experiences this fear in some capacity whether or not they are
planning on having a child, or are even capable of it. Every
couple experiencing their first pregnancy is thrown into the new
role of ‘parent’. This can be extremely difficult, scary, and
especially vulnerable. Most parents go through the same kind of
fears and struggles. I believe that if we as a society were to put
more resources into classes and promoting education for new
parents as well as parents in general, then individuals would be
significantly more comfortable and prepared for something as
scary and important as parenting. Opening classes would be
beneficial because it helps long term child and parent
relationships, it would help both men and women learn how to
move through pregnancy during/before/after, and parenting
classes could help prepare us for the hard things our children
will go through.
Opening up classes for parenting will help all parents have
a much better relationship with their child. (Beth Mary Mann;
Peggy T. Pearl; Pamela D. 2004) A study was conducted to see
if educating parents actually had an impact on the parent’s
relationship with their child. They wanted to see if parenting
classes had a positive effect, negative effect, or no effect at all.
In the study, the testers had parents of all ages come and be
educated in basic parenting skills and other things that could
help raise their child better. Over time, the testers began to
notice that children of the parents were beginning to have

4. positive differences in their behavior. The parents and
children’s relationship had been improving because the parents
weren’t as stressed due to the parenting classes. One of the key
factors with the classes is that they will be a huge stress
reliever. Teaching parents how to parent will make them in a
better mood and more patient and knowledgeable when it comes
to taking care of their child. These classes can help every parent
have an understanding on how to parent effectively without
always being stressed on if they’re doing the right thing. If the
parents aren’t stressed, then their relationship is automatically
going to be improved. Each couple will be working together in
learning how to raise their child. Another big factor that will
help parent and child relationships improve is educating the
parents on pediatric and psychological care. (Roberta Mcabee.
1977) This is something you should be thinking about during
your entire pregnancy. Many people don’t know a lot about how
to find a good doctor, what signs to look for if your baby is
sick, what your insurance can cover with medical expenses...etc.
If you don’t have good insurance and your child gets really ill,
there is a good chance you are either going to struggle
financially or your child is going to struggle a lot physically.
Educating parents on finances and just how to find good
insurances and good doctors can help them so much financially
in the long run. It could even help save a child’s life. Many
parents also don’t know a lot about child psychology and how
the brain works. Child psychology isn’t ever the first thing I
think of when I think of what to educate parents on to help
better raise their children. However, thinking about it now
teaching parents about child psychology and how their babies
brain works could be one of the most beneficial things to do.
Opening opportunities to help parents learn about child
psychology will greatly increase the parent's knowledge in
knowing how to treat their child. If someone can understand
how a child thinks and what stage of brain development their
brain is in, parents can have a much better scientific
understanding and be more successful in raising them. If we

5. opened classes for individuals to teach them these kinds of
fundamentals on parenting, it could really help both them and
their child.
Opening classes on parenting could help both men and
women move through all stages of pregnancy more smoothly;
Before, during, and after. Dealing with your first pregnancy is
always terrifying to new parents. In fact, every child you have
might be nerve wracking. You don’t only have during pregnancy
to think about, but also before and after. There could always be
so many things that could happen with the pregnancy. You have
to keep everyones physical and mental/emotional health in
mind. (The parents and the baby.) Educating parents about how
to cope with all of the physical and emotional symptoms, and
how to move through each stage of pregnancy could immensely
help the parent’s health and journey through the pregnancy. Not
everyone always thinks about the negative effects after
pregnancy is over.One of the big things that happens with
pregnancy that everyone needs to be aware of is postpartum
depression. Many women suffer from postpartum depression
(depression after pregnancy), and all women should have a
professional educator present to help them learn, understand,
and make it through postpartum depression. (Sharron Leung;
David G. Arthur; Ian Martinson. August 2005) Having a
professional educator to come visit parenting classes and
educate women, and even men, who are close to giving birth
could have a huge positive impact in the woman’s life. Many
women experience the depression and they aren’t quite sure
where it comes from and how to handle it. Having someone
there to professionally educate you on why your brain and body
change after pregnancy, and how to cope with it could improve
women’s lives. After improving the mother’s life, the baby’s
life is then improved and then the father (or other spouse) and
so on. Education has a positive effect on many people. Another
thing to think about when funding more parenting classes are
men and women in prison who are pregnant or dealing with
pregnancy. If anyone needs parenting classes, it’s going to be

6. them. Everyone already feels upset and distant in prison. Many
people aren’t close to their child because both the child and the
parent aren’t sure how to successfully interact with each other.
Opening up education classes about parenting in prisons will
greatly increase the chance of an individual having a positive
relationship with their child. (Joy Jarvis; Sally Graham; Penny
Hamilton; Dena Tyler. 03 2004). Imagine if we could take every
mom and dad in prison who is struggling. If we could just
provide knowledge and support, their lives will be positively
changed. Parents are everywhere and regardless of where they
come from, everyone should have the right to access this kind
of education.
We should open up parenting classes because parents will
never be prepared what our children go through. Whether it be a
scrape on the knee, a concussion, or cancer. No one knows
exactly how to cope with traumatic and sudden events. We need
to open up education classes for parents that educate them about
how to prepare for these kind of events. One example of a
subject we need to educate parents about is youth suicide. (S
Maine; R. Shute; G. Martin. 2001. ) Suicide is always a touchy
subject and not everyone directly experiences a suicide, but
everyone will have to at least hear about it. In my life, I have
gone through 3 people relatively close to me commit suicide, as
well as dealing with my own depression. I can say that from my
personal experience that I wish my parents knew more on what
to do in those kinds of situations. I was very alone and didn’t
really have anyone to talk to. I really believe that if we have
this subject implemented into parenting classes, then it would
greatly help the child and the parent for the future. Teaching
parents about youth suicide will help them know what to say to
their own children and what to do if/when it comes up. It could
also help take preventative measures. Children will always be
less likely to commit suicide if they have a good relationship
with their parents/family. Educating parents on how to develop
a good relationship with their child could prevent something
fatal. Also, educating parents about how to cope if your own

7. child commits suicide. Suicide effects everyone so deeply. I
myself struggled to cope when I was the friend of who
committed suicide. Parents whose children who commit suicide
need so much more help. I saw in my own experience that the
women of deceased daughters got together to talk about it and
help each other cope through what they both dealt with. The two
mothers became friends and helped each other know how to
cope. If we created an opportunity for mothers and fathers to
come together and learn and be educated then they can also
become each other's support. . Another event that could happen
is chronic illness. Educational support classes on how to cope
with a chronic illness would be greatly beneficial to both the
child and the parent. (Debra A. Major. February 2003) Any
illness is hard to go through, especially if it’s chronic. All of
these experiences can be so traumatic and hard. Providing a
family with a class on how to better cope with these things
could be helpful. As I said before, doing classes like these can
create a sort of support group for these parents as they learn
how to move through what they’re experiencing. These classes
can only have positive effects.
Parenting classes would have so many benefits for so many
people. Parents come from everywhere, all races, all ages, all
places, all kinds of people. There are so many people we can
help educate if we raised awareness and put efforts into an
education system. Parenting classes would be so beneficial
because it helps with child and parent growth, it would help
couples go through all stages of pregnancy, and classes could
help prepare parents for traumatic events their child may go
through. If we spent more money on educating people on how to
raise a child and what you can do to help raise them
successfully, then there would be so many more successful
children in the world. It would lead to better chances in college,
a happier home life, and even just understanding how to develop
good relationships with people. This kind of education will help
everyone, not just the parents. Parenting is one thing that
school never prepared you for, so why don’t we add in some

8. new education?
Annotated Bibliography
1) Beth Lockhart. 1982. “When couples adopt they too need
parenting classes.” The American Journal of Maternal/Child
Nursing. Vol 7(2), pp116-118.
2) Roberta Mcabee. 1977. “Rural parenting classes:
Beginning to meet the need.” The American Journal of
Maternal/Child Nursing. Vol 2(5), pp316-319
3) Jocelyn M. Pollock. 14 March 2003. “Parenting in
Women’s Prisons”. Women and Criminal Justice. Vol 7, pp131-
154
4) Sharron Leung; David G. Arthur; Ian Martinson. August
2005. “Stress in women with postpartum despression: a
phenomenological study. Journal of Advanced Nursing,
Vol.51(4), pp.353-360.
5) Beth Mary Mann; Peggy T. Pearl; Pamela D. 2004.
“Effects of parent education on knowledge and attitudes.”
Journal of adolescence. Vol 39(154), pp 355-360.
6) Janis M. Cambell. 01 December 1992. “Parenting classes:
Focus on discipline.” Journal of Community Health Nursing.
Vol 9(4), pp197-208.
7) Joy Jarvis; Sally Graham; Penny Hamilton; Dena Tyler. 03
2004. “The Role of Parenting Classes for Young Fathers in
Prison: A Case Study.” Probation Journal. Vol51(1), pp.21-33
8) S Maine; R. Shute; G. Martin. 2001. “Educating parents
about youth suicide: knowledge, response to suicidal
statements, attitudes, and intention to help. Suicide&life-
threatening behavior. Vol.31(3), pp. 320-32
9) Debra A. Major. February 2003. “Utilizing role theory to
help employed parents cope with children’s chronic illness.”
Health education research. Vol.18(1), 99.45-57.
10) Estelle Weinstein; Efrem Rosen. 1994. “Decreasing sex
bias through education for parenthood or prevention of
adolescent pregnancy: a developmental model with integrative

9. strategies. Adolescence, Fall. Vol. 29(115), p.723(10)