Comparison/contrast
defined and used
Analogy – a
special form of comparison that “explains one thing by comparing it to a second”
(371); note example, top of pg. 372
Recognizing C/C
assignments – please note that a number of words or phrases could suggest a
comparison/contrast assignment,
including the word evaluate (373)
**!!** Establish a
Basis for Comparison! **!!**
- · two things must have enough in common to justify the comparison
- · a comparison MUST lead beyond the obvious – note the example between bees and humans, pgs. 373-374
Selecting Points for
Discussion in the Essay
Select subjects with commonalities then the points that will
be discussed
Treat similar elements for each subject discussed – refer to
the example, page 374
You might also compare and contrast two characters often
seen in each other’s company and serve as character foils. For example:
HUCK FINN TOM
SAWYER
Realist – lives adventures Romantic
– makes up adventures
Has his own moral code Lives
by morality set by society
Cannot be satisfied returning
home Happy
to return to his Aunt Polly
Developing a Thesis for C/C – 375
The thesis statement should identify
the subjects to be compared and contrasted AND the points that will be covered.
A thesis statement for a comparison/contrast
essay may be much longer than
one for a narrative, description or exemplification essay. Here is a thesis for
a comparison of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer:
Mark Twain’s masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, presents
two of the most famous characters in American literature, Huck Finn and Tom
Sawyer. Tom is a mischievous boy who invents
adventures, adheres to a morality based on the rules of his hometown, and is,
at the close of day, relieved to be back home with Aunt Polly. Huck, the son of
an abusive, alcoholic father, runs headlong into real escapades from which he
must escape; along the way, Huck develops his own set of values and discovers being
“civilized” is not worth the sacrifice of personal freedom.
Note that the body
paragraphs would discuss each point in detail with examples from the novel to
illustrate each point.
Structuring a
Comparison/Contrast Essay – page 375
For your C/C essay,
plan to use subject-by-subject comparison- 375-376
Read carefully the student essay on pages 379-383 for an
excellent example of a subject to subject C/C
If time allows, we will discuss the two images on pages
391-392 and the questions that follow
DO read the essays indicated on your syllabus
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