Compare/Contrast Papers
Goal: To explore the similarities and differences between two texts.
To begin
Think about the arguments and evidence presented in each text. Try to identify each author's thesis
statement.
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement of a comparison/contrast paper should contain an idea or claim that unites a
discussion of the texts. The thesis statement should also include the argument that will be advanced in
support of the claim that is being made.
Methods of Organization
Organization is critical to a Compare/Contrast paper. Because you will most likely be discussing a variety
of evidence, you will have to be certain that your logic can be understood by the reader. Working from an
outline might simplify your task and enable you to evaluate your own reasoning.
1st Method:
I. Introduction
A. Briefly introduce the significance of subjext
matter
B. Thesis Statement
First supporting point
Second supporting point
Third supporting point
II. First work
A. Summary of work
Relationship of work to first point
Relationship of work to second point
Relationship of work to third point
III. Second work
(same structure)
IV. Third work
(same structure)
V. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Summarize how you proved your argument
2nd Method:
I. Introduction
A. Briefly introduce significance of subject
matter
B. Thesis statement
II. Brief explanation of Work 1
III. Brief explanation of Work 2
IV. First comparative point
A. Relation of point to 1st work
B. Relation of point to 2nd work
V. Second comparative point (same)
VI. Third comparative point (same)
VII. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Summarize how your proved your argument
Let's look at a working example of the 2nd method, which is more commonly used.
2nd method: Compare and contrast the Fascist regime created by Hitler and the Totalitarian
system under Stalin, paying particular attention to their methods of creating and manipulating
nationalism.
I. Introduction
First work -- Hitler used parades, convention meetings and visual propaganda to unite a group of
followers and create feelings of nationalism.
Second work -- Stalin also used visual propaganda to unite a group of followers; however, he also
resorted to methods of mass terror, through purges and gulag camps, to create a feeling of Soviet
nationalism.
Thesis statement -- In this paper I will argue that through the use of "brotherhood," charisma,
education and propaganda, Hitler created stronger feelings of nationalism and loyalty among his followers
than did Stalin, who relied far too much upon mass terror.
II. Explain the Hitler regime, specifically the key characteristics that define it as a Fascist political
system.
III. Explain the Stalin regime, specifically the key characteristics that define it as a Totalitarian political
system.
IV. First comparative point -- How each leader made use of the concept of "brotherhood"
Relation of point to first work
Relation of point to second work
Use specific examples from the readings and texts to support your argument
V. Second comparative point -- Charismatic qualities of each leader (same structure)
VI. Third comparative point -- Use of education and propaganda (same structure)
VII. Conclusion
Restate thesis
Brief summary of how you proved your argument
Retrieved from: http://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/compare.html
Discovering similarities and differences
Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make
a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you're considering. In the central area where they
overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesn't overlap; in those areas, you can list
the traits that make the things different. Here's a very simple example, using two pizza places:
To make a chart, figure out what criteria you want to focus on in comparing the items. Along the left side of the page, list each of
the criteria. Across the top, list the names of the items. You should then have a box per item for each criterion; you can fill the
boxes in and then survey what you've discovered. Here's an example, this time using three pizza places:
Pepper's
Amante
Papa John's
Location
Price
Delivery
Ingredients
Service
As you generate points of comparison, consider the purpose and content of the assignment and the focus of the class. What do you
think the professor wants you to learn by doing this comparison/contrast? How does it fit with what you have been studying so far
and with the other assignments in the course? Are there any clues about what to focus on in the assignment itself?
Here are some general questions about different types of things you might have to compare. These are by no means complete or
definitive lists; they're just here to give you some ideas—you can generate your own questions for these and other types of
comparison. You may want to begin by using the questions reporters traditionally ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
If you're talking about objects, you might also consider general properties like size, shape, color, sound, weight, taste, texture,
smell, number, duration, and location.
Two historical periods or events
When did they occur—do you know the date(s) and duration? What happened or changed during each? Why are they significant?
What kinds of work did people do? What kinds of relationships did they have? What did they value? What kinds of governments
were there? Who were important people involved? What caused events in these periods, and what consequences did they have later
on?
Two ideas or theories
What are they about? Did they originate at some particular time? Who created them? Who uses or defends them? What is the
central focus, claim, or goal of each? What conclusions do they offer? How are they applied to situations/people/things/etc.?
Which seems more plausible to you, and why? How broad is their scope? What kind of evidence is usually offered for them?
Two pieces of writing or art
What are their titles? What do they describe or depict? What is their tone or mood? What is their form? Who created them? When
were they created? Why do you think they were created as they were? What themes do they address? Do you think one is of higher
quality or greater merit than the other(s)—and if so, why? For writing: what plot, characterization, setting, theme, tone, and type of
narration are used?
Two people
Where are they from? How old are they? What is the gender, race, class, etc. of each? What, if anything, are they known for? Do
they have any relationship to each other? What are they like? What did/do they do? What do they believe? Why are they
interesting? What stands out most about each of them?
Deciding what to focus on
By now you have probably generated a huge list of similarities and differences—congratulations! Next you must decide which of
them are interesting, important, and relevant enough to be included in your paper. Ask yourself these questions:
•
What's relevant to the assignment?
•
What's relevant to the course?
•
What's interesting and informative?
•
What matters to the argument you are going to make?
•
What's basic or central (and needs to be mentioned even if obvious)?
•
Overall, what's more important—the similarities or the differences?
Suppose that you are writing a paper comparing two novels. For most literature classes, the fact that they both use Calson type (a
kind of typeface, like the fonts you may use in your writing) is not going to be relevant, nor is the fact that one of them has a few
illustrations and the other has none; literature classes are more likely to focus on subjects like characterization, plot, setting, the
writer's style and intentions, language, central themes, and so forth. However, if you were writing a paper for a class on typesetting
or on how illustrations are used to enhance novels, the typeface and presence or absence of illustrations might be absolutely critical
to include in your final paper.
Sometimes a particular point of comparison or contrast might be relevant but not terribly revealing or interesting. For example, if
you are writing a paper about Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" and Coleridge's "Frost at Midnight," pointing out that they both have
nature as a central theme is relevant (comparisons of poetry often talk about themes) but not terribly interesting; your class has
probably already had many discussions about the Romantic poets' fondness for nature. Talking about the different ways nature is
depicted or the different aspects of nature that are emphasized might be more interesting and show a more sophisticated
understanding of the poems.
Your thesis
The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a
road map so she/he doesn't get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague
reports of your general topic (for example, "This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places," or "Pepper's and Amante are
similar in some ways and different in others," or "Pepper's and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major
difference") with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, "Pepper's and Amante have similar prices and
ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart."
Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make
the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looking for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is
"So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper's and Amante are different in this way?" One might also wonder why the writer
chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John's, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the
context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here's a revision of the thesis
mentioned earlier:
Pepper's and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the
national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper's makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of
local culture.
You may find our handout constructing thesis statements useful at this stage.
Organizing your paper
There are many different ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay. Here are two:
Subject-by-subject:
Begin by saying everything you have to say about the first subject you are discussing, then move on and make all the points you
want to make about the second subject (and after that, the third, and so on, if you're comparing/contrasting more than two things).
If the paper is short, you might be able to fit all of your points about each item into a single paragraph, but it's more likely that
you'd have several paragraphs per item. Using our pizza place comparison/contrast as an example, after the introduction, you might
have a paragraph about the ingredients available at Pepper's, a paragraph about its location, and a paragraph about its ambience.
Then you'd have three similar paragraphs about Amante, followed by your conclusion.
The danger of this subject-by-subject organization is that your paper will simply be a list of points: a certain number of points (in
my example, three) about one subject, then a certain number of points about another. This is usually not what college instructors
are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing
the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those
similarities or differences matter. Thus, if you use the subject-by-subject form, you will probably want to have a very strong,
analytical thesis and at least one body paragraph that ties all of your different points together.
A subject-by-subject structure can be a logical choice if you are writing what is sometimes called a "lens" comparison, in which
you use one subject or item (which isn't really your main topic) to better understand another item (which is). For example, you
might be asked to compare a poem you've already covered thoroughly in class with one you are reading on your own. It might
make sense to give a brief summary of your main ideas about the first poem (this would be your first subject, the "lens"), and then
spend most of your paper discussing how those points are similar to or different from your ideas about the second.
Point-by-point:
Rather than addressing things one subject at a time, you may wish to talk about one point of comparison at a time. There are two
main ways this might play out, depending on how much you have to say about each of the things you are comparing. If you have
just a little, you might, in a single paragraph, discuss how a certain point of comparison/contrast relates to all the items you are
discussing. For example, I might describe, in one paragraph, what the prices are like at both Pepper's and Amante; in the next
paragraph, I might compare the ingredients available; in a third, I might contrast the atmospheres of the two restaurants.
If I had a bit more to say about the items I was comparing/contrasting, I might devote a whole paragraph to how each point relates
to each item. For example, I might have a whole paragraph about the clientele at Pepper's, followed by a whole paragraph about the
clientele at Amante; then I would move on and do two more paragraphs discussing my next point of comparison/contrast—like the
ingredients available at each restaurant.
There are no hard and fast rules about organizing a comparison/contrast paper, of course. Just be sure that your reader can easily
tell what's going on! Be aware, too, of the placement of your different points. If you are writing a comparison/contrast in service of
an argument, keep in mind that the last point you make is the one you are leaving your reader with. For example, if I am trying to
argue that Amante is better than Pepper's, I should end with a contrast that leaves Amante sounding good, rather than with a point
of comparison that I have to admit makes Pepper's look better. If you've decided that the differences between the items you're
comparing/contrasting are most important, you'll want to end with the differences—and vice versa, if the similarities seem most
important to you.
Our handout on organization can help you write good topic sentences and transitions and make sure that you have a good overall
structure in place for your paper.
Cue words and other tips
To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you'll want to be sure that your transitions and topic
sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of the points you'll be making and the
organization you'll be using, but you can help her/him out with some extra cues. The following words may be helpful to you in
signaling your intentions:
like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with,
on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite,
while, on the one hand … on the other hand.
For example, you might have a topic sentence like one of these:
•
Compared to Pepper's, Amante is quiet.
•
Like Amante, Pepper's offers fresh garlic as a topping.
•
Despite their different locations (downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro), Pepper's and Amante are both fairly easy to get
to.
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