“Compare and Contrast”
This classic writing prompt can be quite challenging because it sounds almost as if you are being asked to compile a list of similarities and differences. While a list might be of use in the planning stage, this prompt asks you to use what you discover to arrive at a conclusion about the two works under discussion.
Example: “Compare and contrast the two endings for Dickens’ Great Expectations paying special attention to the situation of Stella at the close of the novel.”
Strategy:
The Structure of Compare/Contrast Essays
Writing Compare/Contrast Introductions Sample Introductions Sample Introduction with funnel organizer
Developing a topic/thesis/outline
Sample Paragraphs (Some good and some mediocre here)
Sample Essay (I think this is a mediocre essay. It explores the use of the pronoun "I" in each, but where the essay might articulate a strong thesis about how the use of the pronoun underscores a sense of Black identity suggested by the poems, it fails to develop such and ambitious/focused thesis.)