https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/opinion/sunday/deaths-despair-poverty.html
Analysis is a way of looking under the surface of a text to see how it is put together. The purpose of analyzing a text is to better understand the author’s intention, the text’s purpose, and the techniques the author(s) use to convey those intentions and purpose. Often, the ultimate goal of analyzing a text is to support your own evaluation of it. In order to evaluate a text effectively, you need to understand how it is put together.

The term “text” can refer to any type of communication–fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, movies, songs, television shows, advertisements, messages on social media, and so on. In this course, however, we will analyze written, non-fiction texts because that is one of the most common types of assignments found in other college classes.

We will focus on how to integrate quotes, paraphrases, and summaries into your own writing, how to effectively connect in-text citations with entries on your Works Cited page, and how to build a correct Works Cited page.

Assignment
Read “Who Killed the Knapp Family?” by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and answer the question raised in the title. Who (or what) do Kristof and WuDunn think killed the Knapp family? Why do they think so? Review their article carefully and describe the causes of the tragedy they describe. Do you think the causes they describe are plausible and supported with adequate evidence?

Guidelines
Before starting this assignment, be sure to read Chapter 11, “Analyzing Texts,” paying careful attention to the following sections:

Chapter Introduction, 98
Key Features / Analyzing Texts, 114
A summary or description of the text
Attention to the context
A clear interpretation or judgment
Reasonable support for your conclusions
Coming Up with a Thesis, 125
Ways of Organizing a Textual Analysis, 125-126
Also be sure to review Chapter 37, “Analyzing Causes and Effects,” especially the following sections:

Determining Plausible Causes and Effects (392-393)
Arguing for Causes and Effects, 393-394
Suggested Organization
An introduction that includes
a lead (one or two sentences) that identify the authors and the title and provides a synopsis,
a summary of the overall article,
a thesis statement that names the topic and states your argument.
Example: In this article Kristof and WuDunn argue that the causes of the opioid crisis are _______ , _______ , and ________. (You may list each of the topics in your body paragraphs, but you don’t have to.)
Example: According to Kristof and WuDunn, ________ killed the Knapp family.
Two or three body paragraphs that focus on what Kristof and WuDunn identify as the causes of the problems, and that contain
a topic sentence that names one of the causes,
at least one quote from the essay that supports your claim or develops your argument,
a discussion of what the authors say about that cause, and
analysis of the support Kristof and WuDunn provide. 
A conclusion that
restates your thesis (using different words),
evaluates the arguments Kristof and WuDunn make (do you think they are valid? reasonable? compelling? well-supported?)
expresses your own thoughts and opinions (your response) on the article.
Requirements
Length: 400 – 600 words (approximately 2 pages, double-spaced)
At least two direct quotes from the article, one of which is a long (block) style quote.
Format: MLA (see MLA Format Guidelines)
A Works Cited page (use sample #32 on page 146, of Easy Writer for the format)