An analytical essay is a type of essay that involves looking at a subject of interest and explaining what it is saying. It is not a summary, but rather a piece of writing that provides substantive analysis of a topic. Analytical essays usually concentrate on how the piece was written, such as how certain themes present themselves in a story. The purpose of an analytical essay is to present some type of argument or claim about what you are analyzing. A strong thesis statement in an analysis paper should be answering a HOW or WHY question. Analytical essays are structured like most other essays, with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. They are often used with art and literature to break down works’ creative themes and explore their deeper meanings and symbolism. Analytical essays are objective in nature, so the author should stick solely to facts and logic and keep personal feelings to a minimum.