What is compare and contrast in literature

When studying a particular subject, students are often asked to write essays that compare and contrast various aspects of that area of study. It is common to be assigned to write essays in all areas of study, not just when taking a composition course.

For example, in a social studies course, a class is working on a unit about the places where people live: rural, urban, and suburban. The instructor assigns everyone a compare and contrast essay on life in a city compared to life on a farm. The instructions are such that the essay must both compare, provide similarities, and contrast, provide differences, for living in both types of areas. How would a student get started? How would this essay be structured? A strong, well-written, and organized compare and contrast essay will show the instructor that the writer understands the differences between life in the city and life on the farm.

Definition

Compare and contrast essays are multi-paragraph compositions that explain ways in which two (or occasionally more) subjects are similar and different. In these essays, compare means describing similarities between the subjects. The essay on farmlife versus city would provide at least one paragraph on how people's lives in the city are like the lives of the people that live on a farm. Basically, the comparison tells what they have in common.

When a writer contrasts two things, he or she explains ways in which they are different. After completing a unit of study on where people live, students should be able to provide several details about how life on a farm can be vastly different from life in a city.

Again, compare and contrast essays can cover almost any topic and may pop up in a variety of subject areas. In order to make decisions about what to include, writers need to keep one thing in mind: relevance. Relevance helps determine which characteristics are worth comparing and contrasting. Your thesis will help you determine the relevance, or irrelevance, of facts. That means writers need a strong thesis statement.

This is a sentence that lets the reader know the topic and the argument the writer is making. Something like: While city life and farm life have few similarities, city life provides the hustle and bustle of many people, distinct noises, and social opportunities that are different from that of farm life. If this is the writer's thesis statement, then the essay should focus on details that are relevant to the hustle and bustle of city life, noises, and social activities available in the city versus on a farm. The thesis statement will help keep the writing focused on just a few ideas that are based on the overall topic.

How to Get Started

The topic for a compare and contrast essay will likely be determined by the subject or course that a student is enrolled. Topic choices for a compare and contrast essay are vast. In a literature course, topic ideas may include writing about two novels, comparing a novel to the movie version of that same novel, or comparing and contrasting characters, settings, or themes within a novel or from two different novels. In a science course, topics could be based on comparing and contrasting two species of plants or animals, or comparing one theory in a given subject area to another theory. Within a history course, an instructor could assign an essay that compares two historical figures, two time periods, two wars, or even two types of government. The choices for writing or assigning a compare and contrast essay are almost endless.

Once the topic or the essay is assigned or chosen, brainstorm the qualities of each subject, then move on to some prewriting. Prewriting allows the writer to get ideas and details down on paper before writing paragraphs. A Venn diagram can be used to sort the information. A Venn diagram is an organizational tool formed by two overlapping circles that compare two subjects. Each circle represents one subject. Characteristics unique to each subject are written in the non-overlapping parts of the circle, while any similar characteristics are listed in the overlapping part.

For the social studies essay, start filling the Venn diagram in with what was learned about farm life and city life. What is true about just farm life? Maybe that list includes items like working with farm animals, working with farm machinery, being outdoors, self-sufficiency, fewer neighbors, etc. Then, a list would be made of what is true about just city life. The third list and overlapping part of the diagram would be what is true of both ways of living: noisy at times, many different odors, many physical activities, etc.

Once your Venn diagram is full, you can start to decide on your thesis statement. Examine your Venn diagram and ask, ''What does this information tell me?'' Develop a statement that tells the readers what this essay is going to focus on. What is the main point about similarities and differences between city life and farm life that the writer is trying to make?

The next step is to start writing. Introduce the thesis and main points in the first paragraph, then use the body of the essay to go into detail about each point. It can be effective to use very specific examples, questions, and citations to make a point.

If you have a compare/contrast essay assignment, choose a topic that interests you or one you've wanted to learn more about. For example, if you're thinking of taking classes online, you might be interested in how online classes compare to campus-based classes.

Begin the process with some brainstorming. Try free-writing or creating lists, one for similarities and another for differences. If you're thinking about online classes vs. campus-based classes, what do you know about both of them already? What are the facts about each of them? Do a little research for answers. For example, consider the costs. Will you save money by learning online? What about the non-monetary costs? Will online learning challenge you in ways you appreciate, or not?

Thesis Statement and Body Paragraphs

After you've completed the brainstorming process, you should have enough information about your topic to create a thesis statement. Decide if you want the essay to have a persuasive element. If you decide that one thing is better than the other, then make it clear in your thesis that you've fully considered both, and that you think one is better. Or, if you feel that both things are equally valuable, you can state in your thesis that both have a lot to offer.

For your body paragraphs, there are two approaches to effectively develop your compare/contrast elements.

Point by Point

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A compare and contrast essay is an essay that examines the characteristics of two or more topics. The purpose of the essay is to highlight interesting or important similarities and differences between these topics. A compare and contrast essay may have an unbiased (‘fair’) point of view, or may seek to convince the audience to agree with one side or another.

A compare and contrast essay will choose several points that can connect to both topics. These points are then used to show how the topics are similar or different.

II. Examples of compare and contrast essays

Compare and contrast essays are often phrased as [topic 1] v. [topic 2]. The ‘v.’ between the topics is an abbreviation of the word versus, which means ‘against’. In other words, a compare and contrast essay takes topic 1 and puts it up against topic 2.

III. Types of compare and contrast essays with topics

The types of compare and contrast essay depends on the writer’s purpose. The writer typically has one of two goals:

• To differentiate between similar topics.
• To show that one thing is better than another.

a. Compare and contrast to differentiate between similar topics

The purpose of this type of essay is to help the reader gain a better understanding of two or more similar topics.  It describes the differences so that the reader can tell them apart.

Example 1

American English v. British English

Many English speakers assume that the language is identical everywhere in the world. This essay would point out differences in vocabulary (flashlight v. torch), spelling (color v. colour), and pronunciation. The reader would gain a better understanding of both American and British English. An ambitious writer might even want to compare Australian English along with the other two!

Example 2

Crocodiles v. Alligators

These two large reptiles are often confused. This essay would compare and contrast physical characteristics, behavior, and habitats of these animals to help the audience be able to tell them apart.

Example 3

Brand A v. Brand B

A common compare and contrast essay will show the similarities and differences between similar products made by different companies. This type of essay is very useful to people who are looking to buy something. For instance, an essay could compare and contrast three brands of basketball sneakers so that athletes could buy the one best suited for them.

b. Compare and contrast to show that one thing is better than another

The purpose of this type of compare and contrast essay is to show the reader the reasons or traits that make one thing better than another.

Example 1

Renewable Energy v. Fossil fuels

A person who wanted to argue that our country should use more renewable energy sources, like the sunlight or wind, could use this type of compare and contrast essay. The writer could focus on points such as the positive environmental impact, extra availability, and lower cost of renewable energy to convince the audience of their argument.

Example 2

Dogs v. Cats

A dog lover could use this type of essay to convince their parents to buy a dog instead of a cat. The writer could choose to compare and contrast the animals’ intelligence, ability to protect, and friendliness.

Example 3

Android v. iPhone

If you want to convince your friends that your choice of smartphone is the right one, you would use this type of compare and contrast essay. You might consider points such as: cost, available apps, ease in updating, and style choices.

IV. Parts of a compare and contrast essay

a. Thesis

Your thesis is your statement about the purpose of your essay. It also gives your audience an idea of the type of essay (see part III) they will be reading.

b. The points you will use to compare and contrast the topics

These points need to be identified so that the reader knows what you will be using to compare and contrast the topics. For example, in part III, Android v. iPhone, the points are: cost, available apps, ease in updating, and style choices.

c. Description of similarities

For each point, show the similarities between the topics.

d. Descriptions of differences

Show how each topic is different for the points you have chosen.

V. How to Write a compare and contrast essay

1. Choose two or more similar topics
2. Do any necessary research
3. Choose the points of comparison that best fit the purpose of the essay
4. List the similarities and differences
5. Organize your information- You may choose to organize your information in a few different ways:

• Similarities and then differences – Include all of the ways that the topics are similar. Once you have covered all of the similarities between the topics, then move on to all of the differences.
• Point by point – Compare and contrast both topics on one point, and then move on to the next point. Continue until you have covered all of the points.
• All about one topic, and then all about the other – Start with one topic and describe how it fits each of the points you choose. Once one topic is covered completely, do the same with the next topic.

1. Write your paragraphs, using the organization style you chose above.
2. Conclude by highlighting the findings that support your argument or purpose for writing the piece. Again, look back at part III to decide what information you want to highlight in order to achieve your goal.