Analytical essays allow you to share your interpretation of a subject with your readers. Your analysis will reflect not only your analytical question and interpretive framework but also what other writers involved in the conversation about your subject have written and the types of analyses they’ve conducted. It will also reflect the demands of your writing assignment. To get started on your analytical essay, review your assignment and spend some time thinking about your writing situation: your purposes for writing; your readers’ needs, interests, knowledge, and background; potential sources of evidence; and the contexts that might affect your analysis. Then start generating ideas about the kinds of questions you could ask, find a conversation worth joining, and learn more about it.