Comparative Essays

Bell Work Do you have experience writing comparative essays? If so, what have you found to be the most challenging? Confusing? What process (steps) did you follow when writing a comparative essay?How do you feel about writing essays?

Comparative AnalysisThroughout your academic career, you'll be asked to write papers in which you compare and contrast two things: two texts, two theories, two historical figures, two scientific processes, and so on

Topics

1. Examine how man’s sinful nature is depicted in both texts.2. Examine Shakespeare and Golding’s use of light and dark imagery. 3. Examine the use of Biblical allusions and imagery.4. Examine how the corrupting power of ambition affects characters.

Where do you Start?Faced with a daunting list of seemingly unrelated similarities and differences, you may feel confused about how to construct a paper The thesis of such a paper is usually an assertion that A and B are very similar yet not so similar after all. To write a good compare-and-contrast paper, you must take the similarities and differences you've observed and make them cohere into a meaningful argument

Brainstorming Do not begin writing until you have completed this step! The more effort you put into brainstorming, the easier it is to write your essay!Venn Diagram, ConceptMap/Web, List, etc.

Brainstorming

Writing a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement in an essay of literary analysis functions as follows:

It narrows your topic to a central idea—all topic sentences and body paragraphs will develop and support this ideaIt asserts something specific and significant about the topic, conveying your expert opinionIt may preview how your ideas will be arranged within your essayIt is logical, precise, and reasonable

Writing a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is located at the end of the introductory paragraph in a typical literary analysis essayThe thesis is a “roadmap” for the ideas presented in the essay; it informs the reader what will be analyzed in the essay and in what orderThe thesis statement presents ideas in logical, clear, and specific language; it avoids vague or abstract language, poor diction, and slang.