The Nature of Comparison

1. The Nature of Comparison Notes for the compare/contrast literary essay

2. Why do this at all? Compare/Contrast essays encourage you to: • make connections between texts or ideas • engage in critical thinking • go beyond simple description or summary to generate interesting and thought-provoking analysis When you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of • the items you are comparing • their relationship to each other • what is most important about them and WHY that information is important for others to know

3. Comparison is a basic procedure of explanation and analysis. • A comparison presents two or more objects and describes and analyzes their similarities and differences. • Comparison usually makes us see the items under discussion more clearly and in a new light. • When writing a literary comparison, you will answer the question SO WHAT?

4. In other words… • You will not only explain the similarities and differences between the two works (or plots or characters or other elements of fiction you have chosen to discuss) but also explain the significance of your comparison. • A comparison intends to inform readers of something they haven't thought of before.

5. Therefore, for a comparison to be illuminating, the things compared must either: • Appear different but have significant similarities • Star Wars and Return of the Jedi • Joe Lamb (the Joel Courtney character) in Super 8 and Elliott in E.T. • Appear similar but have significant differences • Original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation • American Idol and The Voice

6. You must have a purpose for your comparison. In other words, the reader of the comparison should not have to ask SO WHAT? at the end of your essay.

7. Grounds for Comparison • A comparison is controlled by the ground of the comparison; i.e. the basis for comparing the items. • The basis, or ground, must be significant; it must fulfill a purpose. • In a comparison of two literary works, some common grounds of comparison are • plot • character background • character actions • character motivations • setting • theme

8. Organization of comparison • There are two primary patterns of organization used in comparison essays • Block method • Alternating method

9. Block Method • Also called Summary approach; also called One Side at a Time • Focus is on items being compared. • The writer presents one work, describes all of its relevant grounds and attributes, and then does the same with the second item, using the same grounds for comparison. • Points of comparison are discussed in terms of the works being compared

10. Block Method (con’t) • Advantage = guarantees that each object will have a unified discussion. • Disadvantage = points of comparison, because so widely separated in the essay, may be less clear to the reader. Works best when: • two objects compared are relatively simple • points of comparison are general and few in number • amount of information presented is not great

11. Alternating Method • Also called element by element or point by point. • Focus is on the grounds and attributes of comparison • Works being compared are discussed in terms of the grounds and attributes of comparison

12. Alternating Method (con’t) • Advantage = easy to grasp specific points of comparison • Disadvantage = might be harder to pull together details and form a distinct impression of what each object is like

13. Thesis Statement • Remember that comparison and contrast is an organizational and analytical structure that supports your ideas but you still need a thesis. • Thesis statement 1. Names the items to be compared 2. Indicates the purpose of the comparison  3. Names the grounds for comparison

14. Examples of Thesis Statements

15. Sample Thesis and Outline with Explanations • Thesis: In the general outlines of its plot, in the characterization of the protagonist, and in the development of the alien creatures, George R.R. Martin's award-winning short story“Sandkings”can be read as an ironic tribute to Theodore Sturgeon's classic short story “Microcosmic God.” • dark orange for the grounds for comparison • Bright blue for the purpose of the comparison • dark blue for the works being compared

16. Other Thesis Notes • Author/Title of each work are mentioned. • Notice that the thesis provides the content for my 3 body paragraphs. My body paragraphs should be organized in the same order that I present these ideas in the thesis. • I punctuated each story correctly by enclosing the title in quotation marks (If I had been writing about a novel, I would have italicized the title).

17. Organization of Body Paragraphs • See sample outline • Decide: • Are the works different but have significant similarities? • Are the works similar but have significant differences? • You’ll need to select one of these organizational structures for your paper. • Block method • Alternating method

18. Conclusion Your conclusion should: • tie together both sides of the comparison and contrast • restate the major impression left by the discussion • convince the reader that you have fulfilled your purpose • let the reader know you have finished your essay