comparative literature essay example

Free Comparative Literature Essay Examples & Topics

Comparative literature explores the relationship between works of fiction of different cultures and times. Its purpose is to establish the connection between specific genres, styles, and literary devices and the historical period. At the same time, it provides an insight into the meaning hidden between the lines of a given text.

What is a literary comparison essay? This academic paper requires a specific methodology but follows the typical rules. A student is expected to perform comparative textual analysis of a short story, novel, or any other piece of narrative writing. However, it is vital to remember that only the pieces with something in common are comparable.

This is where all the challenges start. Without an in-depth literature review, it is not always clear which works can and should be compared. Which aspects should be considered, and which could be left out? The structure of a comparative essay is another stumbling rock.

For this reason, our team has prepared a brief guide. Here, you will learn how to write a successful comparative literature essay and, more importantly, what to write in it. And that is not all! Underneath the article, we have prepared some comparative literary analysis essay examples written by students like you.

How to Write a Comparative Essay

Comparative literary analysis requires you to know how to correlate two different things in general. So let us start from the basics. This section explains how to write a comparative paper.

A good comparison essay structure relies on two techniques:

Alternating or point-by-point method.

Using this technique, you dedicate two paragraphs for each new comparison aspect, one for each subject. It is the best way to establish similar and different features in the two novels. Such comparative analysis works best for research, providing a detailed and well-structured text.

1st Body Paragraph: Social problems in Steinback’s works.

2nd Body Paragraph: Social problems in Hemingway’s works.

3rd Body Paragraph: Psychological problems in Steinback’s works.

4th Body Paragraph: Psychological problems in Hemingway’s works.

5th Body Paragraph: Interpersonal problems in Steinback’s works.

Block or subject-by-subject method .

This approach means that you divide your essay in two. The first part discusses one text or author, and the second part analyzes the other. The challenge here is to avoid writing two disconnected papers under one title.

For this purpose, constantly refer the second part to the first one to show the differences and similarities. You should use the technique if you have more than two comparison subjects (add another paragraph for each next one). It also works well when there is little in common between the subjects.

1-3 Body Paragraphs: Description of rural labor in Steinback’s works.

4-6 Body Paragraphs: Description of rural labor in Hemingway’s works.

You will formulate a thesis and distribute the arguments and supporting evidence depending on the chosen structure. You can consult the possible options in our comparative literature essay examples.

How to Conduct Literary Comparison: Essay Tips

Let us move to the main point of this article: the comparison of literature. In this section, we will discuss how to write an ideal essay in this format.

We suggest you stick to the following action plan:

Choose literary works to compare. They should have some features in common. For example, the protagonist faces the same type of conflict, or the setting is the same. You should know the works well enough to find the necessary passages. Check the comparative literature examples below if you struggle with the step.
Select the topic, thinking of similarities. The broader the matter, the more challenging the writing. A comparative study of the protagonists in two books is harder than analyzing the same theme that appears in them. Characters may have little in common, making the analysis more complicated.
Find both differences and similarities. Once you’ve formulated the topic , make a list of features to compare. If the subjects are too different, choose the block method of contrasting them. Otherwise, the alternating technique will do.
Formulate a thesis statement that has a comparative nature. It should convey the gist of the essay’s argument. Highlight the relationship between the books. Do they contradict, supplement, develop, or correct each other? You can start the thesis statement with “whereas.” For example, “Whereas Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice are full of pride, this trait leads them to different troubles.”
Outline and list key elements. Select three to six comparable aspects depending on your essay’s expected length. Then, plan in what order you’ll present them and according to which technique.
Link elements and write. Distribute the features among the comparative paragraphs. If you wish to prove that the books are more different than alike, start with the most diverging factors and move to the most similar ones.

That’s it! Thank you for reading this article. For more examples of comparative literature essays, check the links below.

744 Best Essay Examples on Comparative Literature

Hamlet, laertes, fortinbras: revenge for the deaths of their fathers, “the lady with the pet dog”: oates & chekhov [analysis], imagery and theme in william blake’s poems, blindness in oedipus rex & hamlet.

Words: 2788

Gilgamesh and Odysseus: A Comparison

Words: 1373

The Aspects of Human Nature That George Orwell Criticizes in His Work 1984 Compared to Today’s World

Words: 1098

Compare and Contrast “To His Coy Mistress” & “To the Virgins”

Words: 2413

Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” and Swift’s “Gulliver” Comparative Analysis

Feminist perspective: “my last duchess”, “to his coy mistress”, and “the secretary chant”.

Words: 1321

Dante and Chaucer: The Divine Comedy and The Canterbury Tales Comparison

Compare and contrast wordsworth and keats.

Words: 2298

Comparison of Douglass and Jacobs Narratives

Words: 1486

The Absurd Hero as an Interesting Type of Hero in Literature and Movies

Words: 1248

William Shakespeare “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Words: 1773

“Annabel Lee” and “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Atwood’s “dancing girls” and achebe’s “the madman”.

Words: 2787

Comparison of Ideas Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ and Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’

Words: 1502

Macbeth & Frankenstein: Compare & Contrast

Words: 2483

The Great Gatsby and Winter Dreams by Scott Fitzgerald

Words: 1695

William Blake’ Poems Comparison: “The Lamb” and “The Tyger”

Joy harjo’s “she had some horses” analytical essay.

Words: 1215

Peter Singer and Onara O’Neill: Comparative Position

Words: 1114

The Play “Trifles” and the Short Story “A Jury of Her Peers” by Glaspell

A rose for emily: faulkner’s short story vs. chubbuck’s film.

Words: 1103

The Concept of True Love

Words: 1369

Racism in the “Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka

Words: 1401

Power and Corruption in Shakespeare’s Plays

Words: 2918

“Appointment With Love” and “The Gift of the Magi” Comparison

Words: 1529

Characterization’s Importance in Literature

Words: 1135

Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Literature Comparison

Words: 2254

Nascent Colonialism in Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver

Words: 2993

Women in “The Lady with the Dog” by Chekhov and “The Dead” by Joyce

Words: 1153

Comparison of “Hamlet”, “King Lear” and “Othello” by Shakespeare

Words: 1687

Comparison of Shakespeare’s and Donne’s Works

Words: 1113

“A Doll’s House” and “Death of a Salesman” Comparison

Words: 1414

Lamb to the Slaughter: Movie vs. Book

Words: 1384

Confessional Poetry

Words: 1137

The Mother Image in a Poem, a Song, and an Article

Words: 1494

Sex and Sexuality in “Dracula” and “The Bloody Chamber”

Words: 2053

“The Hobbit”: Book vs. Movie

Words: 2495

Comparison of the Opening Scene of Macbeth by Orson Welles and The Tragedy of Macbeth by Roman Polanski

Tim burton interpretation of “alice in wonderland”.

Words: 3660

Robert Frost and Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison

“the fall of the house of usher” & “the cask of amontillado”: summaries, settings, and main themes.

Words: 1258

Ken Liu’s “Good Hunting” and The Perfect Match

British literature: beowulf vs. macbeth.

Words: 1155

Rama and Odysseus as Eastern and Western Heroes

Words: 1191

Animals as Symbols of the Human Behaviour

Words: 2856

“Hills Like White Elephants”: Argument Comparison

Role of fate and divine intervention in oedipus and the odyssey.

Words: 1163

Comparative Literature for Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Words: 2289

Comparing Robert Frost’s Poems: The Road Not Taken and A Question

Roman & greek mythology in pop culture: examples, referenses, & allusions, “the bacchae” by euripides, and “the secret history” by donna tartt.

Words: 1920

Salih’s “Season of Migration to the North” and “Othello” by Shakespeare

Words: 2783

Father-Son Relationships in “My Oedipus Complex” and “Powder”

Words: 1875

Nothing Gold Can Stay vs. Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Words: 2314

Little Things are Big by Jesus Colon and Thank You M’am by Langston Hughes Analysis + Summary

Comparing and contrasting “the tyger” by william blake with “traveling through the dark” by william stafford, the road as the cave: concept in literature.

Words: 2450

John Donne’s and Edmund Spenser’s Works Comparison

Words: 1250

Similarities and differences of The Book of Dede korkut and Layla and majnun

Words: 1499

Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson Comparison of Famous Puritan Writers – Compare and Contrast Essay

Words: 1890

Literature Comparison: A Raisin in the Sun and A Dream Deferred

The death of ivan ilych and the metamorphosis.

Words: 3084

William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor: Comparison

Words: 2094

“Unguarded Gates” by Thomas Aldrich and “Courting a Monk” by Katherine Min Comparing

Concept of science fiction genre in books “dark they were, and golden-eyed” by ray bradbury, and “nightfall” by isaac asimov.

Words: 1086

‘Sex without love’ by Sharron Olds and ‘She being Brand’ by E.E Cummings

Love for nature: a symptom of a lovesick heart.

Words: 1010

Comparison Between the Book “Oedipus – The King” and the Movie “Omen”

“raisin in the sun” and “harlem”, a critical comparison of two readings.

Words: 1182

A High-Toned Old Christian Women by Wallace Stevens

Symbols in marlowe’s “faustus” and milton’s “paradise lost”, oedipus: three-way compare and contrast, “and the soul shall dance” by wakako yamauchi and “silent dancing” by judith ortiz cofer: significance of dancing as theme, “dancing girls” and “madman” by margaret atwood and chinua achebe.

Words: 2433

Hawthorne’s Concept of Evil in “Rappaccini’s Daughter” and “The Scarlet Letter”

Words: 2692

Hamlet and King Oedipus Literature Comparison

Symbolism in “the birthmark” & “the minister’s black veil”, appearance vs. reality in shakespeare’s “hamlet” and sophocles’ “oedipus rex”.

Words: 1831

“The Holy Man of Mount Koya” and “The Narrow Road to Oku”: Comparison of Emotions in Journey Narratives

Contact and comparison of types of conflicts in white’s charlotte’s web and munsch’s the paper bag princess.

Words: 1125

Comic Heroines in “As You Like It” and Twelfth Night

Words: 1673

Apartheid Imagery in “A Walk in the Night” and “A Dry White Season”

Words: 1101

Compare and Contrast Lena Younger and Walter Lee Younger

Homage to my hips, comparison of g. orwell’s “1984”, r. bradbury’s “fahrenheit 451” and a. huxley’s “brave new world”.

Words: 1716

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “My Last Duchess” by Browning

Words: 1387

Setting in Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” and Updike’s “A&P”

Exile of gilgamesh and shakespeare’s prospero, family conflict in unigwe’s, kwa’s, gebbie’s stories, actions’ effects in “doctor faustus” by christopher marlowe, gregor’s relationship with his father in “the matamorphosis”.

Words: 1983

Chekhov’s vs. Oats’ “The Lady with the Pet Dog”

Symbolism in “everyday use” by walker and “worn path” by welty, novels by conrad and forster comparison.

Words: 1479

Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneas Comparison

Words: 1623

“True Grit”: Book and Films Comparison

Hawthorne’s “rappacini’s daughter” and “the birthmark”: comparison, isaac asimov’s “robot dreams” and alex proyas’ “i, robot”.

Words: 1359

John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and Christopher Marlow’s “Dr. Faustus”: Comparative Analysis

Words: 2567

Cameron’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and Plato’s “Symposium”: Comparison

Words: 1142

Macbeth and Hamlet Characters Comparison

Words: 1791

Identity in Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Alvi’s “An Unknown Girl”

“dumpster diving” and “the glass castle”: a brief comparison, coming-of-age fiction: “the bell jar” by sylvia plath.

Words: 1418

Hindu Creation Myth

A modern cinderella and other stories.

Words: 2970

Miller’s Death of a Salesman vs. Wilson’s Fences

Relationship between parents and children, “the epic of gilgamesh” and “the bhagavad gita” comparison, naturalism and realism of mark twain and jack london, satan’s comparison in dante and milton’s poems.

Words: 2684

Homer’s The Iliad and John Milton’s Lost Paradise

Words: 1907

Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”

Words: 1873

Existentialism in “Nausea” and “The Stranger”

Words: 1392

The Drover’s Wife by Murray Bail and Henry Lawson Comparison

The jungle and fast food nation.

Words: 1493

Comparative Essay

How to Write a Comparative Essay – A Complete Guide

10 min read

What is a Comparative Essay?

A comparative essay is a type of essay in which an essay writer compares at least two or more items. The author compares two subjects with the same relation in terms of similarities and differences depending on the assignment.

The main purpose of the comparative essay is to:

Highlight the similarities and differences in a systematic manner.
Provide great clarity of the subject to the readers.
Analyze two things and describe their advantages and drawbacks.

A comparative essay is also known as compare and contrast essay or a comparison essay. It analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both. The Venn diagram is the best tool for writing a paper about the comparison between two subjects.

Moreover, a comparative analysis essay discusses the similarities and differences of themes, items, events, views, places, concepts, etc. For example, you can compare two different novels (e.g., The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Red Badge of Courage).

However, a comparative essay is not limited to specific topics. It covers almost every topic or subject with some relation.

Comparative Essay Structure

A good comparative essay is based on how well you structure your essay. It helps the reader to understand your essay better.

The structure is more important than what you write. This is because it is necessary to organize your essay so that the reader can easily go through the comparisons made in an essay.

The following are the two main methods in which you can organize your comparative essay.

Point-by-Point Method

The point-by-point or alternating method provides a detailed overview of the items that you are comparing. In this method, organize items in terms of similarities and differences.

This method makes the writing phase easy for the writer to handle two completely different essay subjects. It is highly recommended where some depth and detail are required.

Below given is the structure of the point-by-point method.

Block Method

The block method is the easiest as compared to the point-by-point method. In this method, you divide the information in terms of parameters. It means that the first paragraph compares the first subject and all their items, then the second one compares the second, and so on.

However, make sure that you write the subject in the same order. This method is best for lengthy essays and complicated subjects.

Here is the structure of the block method.

Therefore, keep these methods in mind and choose the one according to the chosen subject.

Mixed Paragraphs Method

In this method, one paragraph explains one aspect of the subject. As a writer, you will handle one point at a time and one by one. This method is quite beneficial as it allows you to give equal weightage to each subject and help the readers identify the point of comparison easily.

How to Start a Comparative Essay?

Here, we have gathered some steps that you should follow to start a well-written comparative essay.

Choose a Topic

The foremost step in writing a comparative essay is to choose a suitable topic.

Choose a topic or theme that is interesting to write about and appeals to the reader.

An interesting essay topic motivates the reader to know about the subject. Also, try to avoid complicated topics for your comparative essay.

Develop a List of Similarities and Differences

Create a list of similarities and differences between two subjects that you want to include in the essay. Moreover, this list helps you decide the basis of your comparison by constructing your initial plan.

Evaluate the list and establish your argument and thesis statement .

Establish the Basis for Comparison

The basis for comparison is the ground for you to compare the subjects. In most cases, it is assigned to you, so check your assignment or prompt.

Furthermore, the main goal of the comparison essay is to inform the reader of something interesting. It means that your subject must be unique to make your argument interesting.

Do the Research

In this step, you have to gather information for your subject. If your comparative essay is about social issues, historical events, or science-related topics, you must do in-depth research.

However, make sure that you gather data from credible sources and cite them properly in the essay.

Create an Outline

An essay outline serves as a roadmap for your essay, organizing key elements into a structured format.

With your topic, list of comparisons, basis for comparison, and research in hand, the next step is to create a comprehensive outline.

Here is a standard comparative essay outline:

How to Write a Comparative Essay?

Now that you have the basic information organized in an outline, you can get started on the writing process.

Here are the essential parts of a comparative essay:

Comparative Essay Introduction

Start off by grabbing your reader's attention in the introduction . Use something catchy, like a quote, question, or interesting fact about your subjects.

Then, give a quick background so your reader knows what's going on.

The most important part is your thesis statement, where you state the main argument , the basis for comparison, and why the comparison is significant.

This is what a typical thesis statement for a comparative essay looks like:

Comparative Essay Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are where you really get into the details of your subjects. Each paragraph should focus on one thing you're comparing.

Start by talking about the first point of comparison. Then, go on to the next points. Make sure to talk about two to three differences to give a good picture.

After that, switch gears and talk about the things they have in common. Just like you discussed three differences, try to cover three similarities.

This way, your essay stays balanced and fair. This approach helps your reader understand both the ways your subjects are different and the ways they are similar. Keep it simple and clear for a strong essay.

Comparative Essay Conclusion

In your conclusion , bring together the key insights from your analysis to create a strong and impactful closing.

Consider the broader context or implications of the subjects' differences and similarities. What do these insights reveal about the broader themes or ideas you're exploring?

Discuss the broader implications of these findings and restate your thesis. Avoid introducing new information and end with a thought-provoking statement that leaves a lasting impression.

Below is the detailed comparative essay template format for you to understand better.

Comparative Essay Format

Comparative Essay Examples

Have a look at these comparative essay examples pdf to get an idea of the perfect essay.

Comparative Essay on Summer and Winter

Comparative Essay on Books vs. Movies

Comparative Essay Sample

Comparative Essay Thesis Example

Comparative Essay on Football vs Cricket

Comparative Essay on Pet and Wild Animals

Comparative Essay Topics

Comparative essay topics are not very difficult or complex. Check this list of essay topics and pick the one that you want to write about.

How do education and employment compare?
Living in a big city or staying in a village.
The school principal or college dean.
New Year vs. Christmas celebration.
Dried Fruit vs. Fresh. Which is better?
Similarities between philosophy and religion.
British colonization and Spanish colonization.
Nuclear power for peace or war?
Bacteria or viruses.
Fast food vs. homemade food.

Tips for Writing A Good Comparative Essay

Writing a compelling comparative essay requires thoughtful consideration and strategic planning. Here are some valuable tips to enhance the quality of your comparative essay:

Clearly define what you're comparing, like themes or characters.
Plan your essay structure using methods like point-by-point or block paragraphs.
Craft an introduction that introduces subjects and states your purpose.
Ensure an equal discussion of both similarities and differences.
Use linking words for seamless transitions between paragraphs.
Gather credible information for depth and authenticity.
Use clear and simple language, avoiding unnecessary jargon.
Dedicate each paragraph to a specific point of comparison.
Summarize key points, restate the thesis, and emphasize significance.
Thoroughly check for clarity, coherence, and correct any errors.

Transition Words For Comparative Essays

Transition words are crucial for guiding your reader through the comparative analysis. They help establish connections between ideas and ensure a smooth flow in your essay.

Here are some transition words and phrases to improve the flow of your comparative essay:

Transition Words for Similarities

Correspondingly
In the same vein
In like manner
In a similar fashion
In tandem with

Transition Words for Differences

On the contrary
In contrast
Nevertheless
In spite of
Notwithstanding
On the flip side
In contradistinction

Check out this blog listing more transition words that you can use to enhance your essay’s coherence!

In conclusion, now that you have the important steps and helpful tips to write a good comparative essay, you can start working on your own essay.

However, if you find it tough to begin, you can always hire our professional essay writing service .

Our skilled writers can handle any type of essay or assignment you need. So, don't wait—place your order now and make your academic journey easier!

Frequently Asked Question

How long is a comparative essay.

A comparative essay is 4-5 pages long, but it depends on your chosen idea and topic.

How do you end a comparative essay?

Here are some tips that will help you to end the comparative essay.

Restate the thesis statement
Wrap up the entire essay
Highlight the main points

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The Comparative Essay

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What is a comparative essay?

A comparative essay asks that you compare at least two (possibly more) items. These items will differ depending on the assignment. You might be asked to compare

positions on an issue (e.g., responses to midwifery in Canada and the United States)
theories (e.g., capitalism and communism)
figures (e.g., GDP in the United States and Britain)
texts (e.g., Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth )
events (e.g., the Great Depression and the global financial crisis of 2008–9)

Although the assignment may say “compare,” the assumption is that you will consider both the similarities and differences; in other words, you will compare and contrast.

Make sure you know the basis for comparison

The assignment sheet may say exactly what you need to compare, or it may ask you to come up with a basis for comparison yourself.

Provided by the essay question: The essay question may ask that you consider the figure of the gentleman in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall . The basis for comparison will be the figure of the gentleman.
Developed by you: The question may simply ask that you compare the two novels. If so, you will need to develop a basis for comparison, that is, a theme, concern, or device common to both works from which you can draw similarities and differences.

Develop a list of similarities and differences

Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them.

For example, you might decide that in Great Expectations , being a true gentleman is not a matter of manners or position but morality, whereas in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall , being a true gentleman is not about luxury and self-indulgence but hard work and productivity.

The list you have generated is not yet your outline for the essay, but it should provide you with enough similarities and differences to construct an initial plan.

Develop a thesis based on the relative weight of similarities and differences

Once you have listed similarities and differences, decide whether the similarities on the whole outweigh the differences or vice versa. Create a thesis statement that reflects their relative weights. A more complex thesis will usually include both similarities and differences. Here are examples of the two main cases:

While Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life” and Mistry’s “Of White Hairs and Cricket” both follow the conventions of the coming-of-age narrative, Callaghan’s story adheres more closely to these conventions by allowing its central protagonist to mature. In Mistry’s story, by contrast, no real growth occurs.

Although Darwin and Lamarck came to different conclusions about whether acquired traits can be inherited, they shared the key distinction of recognizing that species evolve over time.

Come up with a structure for your essay

Note that the French and Russian revolutions (A and B) may be dissimilar rather than similar in the way they affected innovation in any of the three areas of technology, military strategy, and administration. To use the alternating method, you just need to have something noteworthy to say about both A and B in each area. Finally, you may certainly include more than three pairs of alternating points: allow the subject matter to determine the number of points you choose to develop in the body of your essay.

When do I use the block method? The block method is particularly useful in the following cases:

You are unable to find points about A and B that are closely related to each other.
Your ideas about B build upon or extend your ideas about A.
You are comparing three or more subjects as opposed to the traditional two.

Instructor Resources

Comparative essay.

Compare two or more literary works that we have studied in this class. Your comparative essay should not only compare but also contrast the literary texts, addressing the similarities and differences found within the texts.

Step 1: Identify the Basis for Comparison

Identify the basis of comparison. In other words, what aspect of the literature will you compare? (Theme, tone, point of view, setting, language, etc.)

Step 2: Create a List of Similarities and Differences

Carefully examine the literary texts for similarities and difference using the criteria you identified in step 1.

Step 3: Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the author’s educated opinion that can be defended. For a comparative essay, your thesis statement should assert why the similarities and differences between the literary works matter.

Step 4: Create a Structure

Before drafting, create an outline. Your introduction should draw the reader in and provide the thesis statement. The supporting paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence that supports your thesis statement; each topic sentence should then be supported with textual evidence. The conclusion should summarize the essay and prompt the reader to continue thinking about the topic.

Word Count: approximately 1500 words

Outside Sources needed: none (but use plenty of textual evidence)

Comparative Essay. License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

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How to Write Comparative Essays in Literature

College & Higher Education

Thesis statements vs. main ideas, teacher tips: how to write thesis statements for high school papers, the types of outlining for writing research papers.

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A comparative essay is a writing task that requires you to compare two or more items. You may be asked to compare two or more literary works, theories, arguments or historical events. In literature, a comparative essay typically asks you to write an essay comparing two works by the same writer. For example, you may be asked to write a comparative essay comparing two plays written by William Shakespeare.

Although an essay may simply state to compare two literary texts, the assumption is that you should contrast the texts as well. In other words, your comparative essay should not only compare but also contrast the literary texts, it should address the similarities and differences found within the texts.

Identify the Basis for Comparison

In writing your comparative essay, you should first identify the basis for the comparison. The basis of comparison allows you to look for the similarities and differences between the two texts. You might be provided with an essay question or you might have to come up with your own topic. In either case you need to begin by identifying the basis for your comparison. For example, an essay question might ask you to compare the representation of women in Jane Austen's “Sense and Sensibility” and in Ernest Hemingway's “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” In this example, the basis for comparison is the representation of women. If the directions only ask you to compare two literary works then you will need to develop your own basis for comparison. For example, a basis for comparison may be representations of women or minorities or theme, mood, tension or any other literary element that is appears in both texts.

Develop a List of Similarities and Differences

After you identify your basis for comparison, you should examine the literary texts for similarities and differences. The similarity and differences should focus on the basis of comparison. For example, you might conclude that in “Sense and Sensibility” women appear strong willed and confident, while in “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” women appear weak willed and two-dimensional. You will use these observations, along with your list of similarities and differences, to construct your thesis statement and an outline for your comparative essay.

Develop a Thesis Statement and Structure

Once you have compiled a list of similarities and differences and decided what you want to focus on, you should then develop your thesis statement. A thesis statement is the essay’s main argument, and it should reflect the relative significance of each similarity and difference. A good thesis statement will typically include both similarities and differences and take a certain position about which is more important. The structure of your comparative paper should consist of an introductory paragraph, with a thesis statement at the end, a number of supporting paragraphs and a conclusion. The purpose of the supporting paragraphs is to support your thesis statement. You may group them as you say fit. For instance, you might discuss one literary work at a time or focus first on the similarities between the works and then on the differences. Always end your essay with a concluding paragraph that summarizes the information in the essay.

University of Toronto: The Comparative Essay; Vikki Visvis and Jerry Plotnick

Kate Prudchenko has been a writer and editor for five years, publishing peer-reviewed articles, essays, and book chapters in a variety of publications including Immersive Environments: Future Trends in Education and Contemporary Literary Review India. She has a BA and MS in Mathematics, MA in English/Writing, and is completing a PhD in Education.

What Are the Main Points Used to Write a Comparison Essay?

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The Department of Comparative Literature

What is Comparative Literature?

Still from “Manto” (dir. Nadita Das, 2017). Faculty expert, Aamir Mufti

SECTION ONE: A BASIC INTRODUCTION

First of all, Hi !

Let’s handle a couple of basic questions to get you started:

So What Exactly Is Comparative Literature?

Comparative Literature (often abbreviated as “Comp Lit”) might be called World or Global Literature––but there are important differences. The terms “world” and “global” here imply similarities, perhaps even some universal sameness. Literature, however, is diverse. It changes:

Across space (various places, languages, cultures, etc.)
Across time (since culture itself evolves from generation to generation)
And across media (there’s a difference between stories told in a book, on a stage, as TV shows, in film, through memes, jokes, in fashion, advertising, politics, or the legal system… and so forth).

They all overlap––but they diverge, too. They’re both similar and diverse. This means that Comp Lit involves the comparison of literature with storytelling in history, philosophy, politics, science, and other fields. It’s the broadest interpretation of storytelling you can imagine. It’s literature in a world of endless difference.

But What Can I Do with Comparative Literature?

Comp Lit will give you the skills you need in a wide range of careers.

First of all, let’s back up a little––and consider a quick list of literary shapes or forms. In a typical bookstore you might encounter the following: autobiography; biography; epics; fables; fantasy, folk tales; historical fiction; legends; myths; news stories/non-fiction; novels; parables; plays; short stories, etc. That’s already long enough––but what if you multiply that by all the people, times, and places of human history? Way too much for one person!

Comp Lit, therefore, allows you to choose the times and places that interest you most.

Benefit #1: Freedom. And choice, too.
Benefit #2: Learn a new language––or improve one that you already know! So before we even get to any “real-world” uses of Comp Lit, we’ll train you to operate in another language, culture, or continent. No matter what you study. Comp Lit is way more than an English degree. It opens up two careers, two marketplaces, and two cultures––if not more.
Benefit #3: We will teach you to write very well indeed. And speak real good, too. Why is this important? Because whatever you believe or hold dear, language remains the basic tool of persuasion. It helps people understand why your views will be relevant both today and tomorrow. Language, used well, makes others believe what you do. It gives you influence in the world.

Consider how many places––every day––you encounter storytelling as a form of persuasion:

Your own life! Your hopes and dreams. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Social media (with newsfeeds in chronological order)
Advertising (promising an improved life)
Music (either the structure of a song or an album, playlist, mixtape, live set…)
Politics (also with big promises. It criticizes the past and hopes to shape the future)
Religion (with tales of redemption or growing wisdom over time)
Business (every corporation needs a storyline to justify its past and future)
Startup Culture (every pitch is a story––about something that’ll hopefully come true)
Medicine (each doctor’s visit is a narrative, outlining an improved tomorrow)
Technology (grounded in the belief that society will improve––in the near future)
And any job interview! Each interview is a chance to explain how your past (your CV/education, etc) is linked both to the present moment and the future. You’re promising a story that has yet to unfold.

You will do better in all the listed careers, especially on a global stage. In Comp Lit we examine the role of those narratives in life––across time and space.

Stories, after all, are the main tool we use to make sense of life. So, at the very least, we’ll make you wiser and a genuine citizen of the world––by comparing your culture with others. There’s a whole world of difference out there. UCLA is the perfect place to explore.

And now for a more complex version…

SECTION TWO. A MORE DETAILED INTRODUCTION

Standing at the forefront of innovative work in literary, theoretical, and cultural studies, UCLA’s Comparative Literature program is one of the most exciting fields in the humanities. As a discipline it requires exceptional linguistic ability, theoretical knowledge, and high intellectual caliber. UCLA’s program offers students the opportunity to work with faculty members in any of the University’s language and literature departments as well as with a diverse Comparative Literature Department faculty.

Both interdisciplinary and multilingual, the Comparative Literature Department is committed to continuing its pioneering work in defining literary paradigms and fostering new directions for exploration in literary studies, including areas such as:

The relationship between translation and transnationalism
Literary theory and emerging media
The future of national literatures in an era of globalization
Gender and sexuality studies
East-West cultural encounters
Human rights and global censorship
Postcolonial and diaspora studies
Experimental approaches to literature and culture

Focusing first and foremost on those literary elements that preoccupy literary studies in general, such as genre, period, theme, language, and theory, Comparative Literature also extends its range to questions that concern other disciplines such as:

Anthropology
Art history
Film and media studies
Gender studies

Courses are designed to provide students with both a historical and theoretical understanding of literary and cultural forms, themes, and movements. Given its focus on interdisciplinary research and pedagogy, Comparative Literature is the natural site around which to organize modern language and literary studies.

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Comparative Analysis

What It Is and Why It's Useful

Comparative analysis asks writers to make an argument about the relationship between two or more texts. Beyond that, there's a lot of variation, but three overarching kinds of comparative analysis stand out:

Coordinate (A ↔ B): In this kind of analysis, two (or more) texts are being read against each other in terms of a shared element, e.g., a memoir and a novel, both by Jesmyn Ward; two sets of data for the same experiment; a few op-ed responses to the same event; two YA books written in Chicago in the 2000s; a film adaption of a play; etc.
Subordinate (A → B) or (B → A ): Using a theoretical text (as a "lens") to explain a case study or work of art (e.g., how Anthony Jack's The Privileged Poor can help explain divergent experiences among students at elite four-year private colleges who are coming from similar socio-economic backgrounds) or using a work of art or case study (i.e., as a "test" of) a theory's usefulness or limitations (e.g., using coverage of recent incidents of gun violence or legislation un the U.S. to confirm or question the currency of Carol Anderson's The Second ).
Hybrid [A → (B ↔ C)] or [(B ↔ C) → A] , i.e., using coordinate and subordinate analysis together. For example, using Jack to compare or contrast the experiences of students at elite four-year institutions with students at state universities and/or community colleges; or looking at gun culture in other countries and/or other timeframes to contextualize or generalize Anderson's main points about the role of the Second Amendment in U.S. history.

"In the wild," these three kinds of comparative analysis represent increasingly complex—and scholarly—modes of comparison. Students can of course compare two poems in terms of imagery or two data sets in terms of methods, but in each case the analysis will eventually be richer if the students have had a chance to encounter other people's ideas about how imagery or methods work. At that point, we're getting into a hybrid kind of reading (or even into research essays), especially if we start introducing different approaches to imagery or methods that are themselves being compared along with a couple (or few) poems or data sets.

Why It's Useful

In the context of a particular course, each kind of comparative analysis has its place and can be a useful step up from single-source analysis. Intellectually, comparative analysis helps overcome the "n of 1" problem that can face single-source analysis. That is, a writer drawing broad conclusions about the influence of the Iranian New Wave based on one film is relying entirely—and almost certainly too much—on that film to support those findings. In the context of even just one more film, though, the analysis is suddenly more likely to arrive at one of the best features of any comparative approach: both films will be more richly experienced than they would have been in isolation, and the themes or questions in terms of which they're being explored (here the general question of the influence of the Iranian New Wave) will arrive at conclusions that are less at-risk of oversimplification.

For scholars working in comparative fields or through comparative approaches, these features of comparative analysis animate their work. To borrow from a stock example in Western epistemology, our concept of "green" isn't based on a single encounter with something we intuit or are told is "green." Not at all. Our concept of "green" is derived from a complex set of experiences of what others say is green or what's labeled green or what seems to be something that's neither blue nor yellow but kind of both, etc. Comparative analysis essays offer us the chance to engage with that process—even if only enough to help us see where a more in-depth exploration with a higher and/or more diverse "n" might lead—and in that sense, from the standpoint of the subject matter students are exploring through writing as well the complexity of the genre of writing they're using to explore it—comparative analysis forms a bridge of sorts between single-source analysis and research essays.

Typical learning objectives for single-sources essays: formulate analytical questions and an arguable thesis, establish stakes of an argument, summarize sources accurately, choose evidence effectively, analyze evidence effectively, define key terms, organize argument logically, acknowledge and respond to counterargument, cite sources properly, and present ideas in clear prose.

Common types of comparative analysis essays and related types: two works in the same genre, two works from the same period (but in different places or in different cultures), a work adapted into a different genre or medium, two theories treating the same topic; a theory and a case study or other object, etc.

How to Teach It: Framing + Practice

Framing multi-source writing assignments (comparative analysis, research essays, multi-modal projects) is likely to overlap a great deal with "Why It's Useful" (see above), because the range of reasons why we might use these kinds of writing in academic or non-academic settings is itself the reason why they so often appear later in courses. In many courses, they're the best vehicles for exploring the complex questions that arise once we've been introduced to the course's main themes, core content, leading protagonists, and central debates.

For comparative analysis in particular, it's helpful to frame assignment's process and how it will help students successfully navigate the challenges and pitfalls presented by the genre. Ideally, this will mean students have time to identify what each text seems to be doing, take note of apparent points of connection between different texts, and start to imagine how those points of connection (or the absence thereof)

complicates or upends their own expectations or assumptions about the texts
complicates or refutes the expectations or assumptions about the texts presented by a scholar
confirms and/or nuances expectations and assumptions they themselves hold or scholars have presented
presents entirely unforeseen ways of understanding the texts

—and all with implications for the texts themselves or for the axes along which the comparative analysis took place. If students know that this is where their ideas will be heading, they'll be ready to develop those ideas and engage with the challenges that comparative analysis presents in terms of structure (See "Tips" and "Common Pitfalls" below for more on these elements of framing).

Like single-source analyses, comparative essays have several moving parts, and giving students practice here means adapting the sample sequence laid out at the " Formative Writing Assignments " page. Three areas that have already been mentioned above are worth noting:

Gathering evidence : Depending on what your assignment is asking students to compare (or in terms of what), students will benefit greatly from structured opportunities to create inventories or data sets of the motifs, examples, trajectories, etc., shared (or not shared) by the texts they'll be comparing. See the sample exercises below for a basic example of what this might look like.
Why it Matters: Moving beyond "x is like y but also different" or even "x is more like y than we might think at first" is what moves an essay from being "compare/contrast" to being a comparative analysis . It's also a move that can be hard to make and that will often evolve over the course of an assignment. A great way to get feedback from students about where they're at on this front? Ask them to start considering early on why their argument "matters" to different kinds of imagined audiences (while they're just gathering evidence) and again as they develop their thesis and again as they're drafting their essays. ( Cover letters , for example, are a great place to ask writers to imagine how a reader might be affected by reading an their argument.)
Structure: Having two texts on stage at the same time can suddenly feel a lot more complicated for any writer who's used to having just one at a time. Giving students a sense of what the most common patterns (AAA / BBB, ABABAB, etc.) are likely to be can help them imagine, even if provisionally, how their argument might unfold over a series of pages. See "Tips" and "Common Pitfalls" below for more information on this front.

Sample Exercises and Links to Other Resources

Common Pitfalls
Advice on Timing
Try to keep students from thinking of a proposed thesis as a commitment. Instead, help them see it as more of a hypothesis that has emerged out of readings and discussion and analytical questions and that they'll now test through an experiment, namely, writing their essay. When students see writing as part of the process of inquiry—rather than just the result—and when that process is committed to acknowledging and adapting itself to evidence, it makes writing assignments more scientific, more ethical, and more authentic.
Have students create an inventory of touch points between the two texts early in the process.
Ask students to make the case—early on and at points throughout the process—for the significance of the claim they're making about the relationship between the texts they're comparing.
For coordinate kinds of comparative analysis, a common pitfall is tied to thesis and evidence. Basically, it's a thesis that tells the reader that there are "similarities and differences" between two texts, without telling the reader why it matters that these two texts have or don't have these particular features in common. This kind of thesis is stuck at the level of description or positivism, and it's not uncommon when a writer is grappling with the complexity that can in fact accompany the "taking inventory" stage of comparative analysis. The solution is to make the "taking inventory" stage part of the process of the assignment. When this stage comes before students have formulated a thesis, that formulation is then able to emerge out of a comparative data set, rather than the data set emerging in terms of their thesis (which can lead to confirmation bias, or frequency illusion, or—just for the sake of streamlining the process of gathering evidence—cherry picking).
For subordinate kinds of comparative analysis , a common pitfall is tied to how much weight is given to each source. Having students apply a theory (in a "lens" essay) or weigh the pros and cons of a theory against case studies (in a "test a theory") essay can be a great way to help them explore the assumptions, implications, and real-world usefulness of theoretical approaches. The pitfall of these approaches is that they can quickly lead to the same biases we saw here above. Making sure that students know they should engage with counterevidence and counterargument, and that "lens" / "test a theory" approaches often balance each other out in any real-world application of theory is a good way to get out in front of this pitfall.
For any kind of comparative analysis, a common pitfall is structure. Every comparative analysis asks writers to move back and forth between texts, and that can pose a number of challenges, including: what pattern the back and forth should follow and how to use transitions and other signposting to make sure readers can follow the overarching argument as the back and forth is taking place. Here's some advice from an experienced writing instructor to students about how to think about these considerations:

a quick note on STRUCTURE

Most of us have encountered the question of whether to adopt what we might term the “A→A→A→B→B→B” structure or the “A→B→A→B→A→B” structure. Do we make all of our points about text A before moving on to text B? Or do we go back and forth between A and B as the essay proceeds? As always, the answers to our questions about structure depend on our goals in the essay as a whole. In a “similarities in spite of differences” essay, for instance, readers will need to encounter the differences between A and B before we offer them the similarities (A d →B d →A s →B s ). If, rather than subordinating differences to similarities you are subordinating text A to text B (using A as a point of comparison that reveals B’s originality, say), you may be well served by the “A→A→A→B→B→B” structure.

Ultimately, you need to ask yourself how many “A→B” moves you have in you. Is each one identical? If so, you may wish to make the transition from A to B only once (“A→A→A→B→B→B”), because if each “A→B” move is identical, the “A→B→A→B→A→B” structure will appear to involve nothing more than directionless oscillation and repetition. If each is increasingly complex, however—if each AB pair yields a new and progressively more complex idea about your subject—you may be well served by the “A→B→A→B→A→B” structure, because in this case it will be visible to readers as a progressively developing argument.

As we discussed in "Advice on Timing" at the page on single-source analysis, that timeline itself roughly follows the "Sample Sequence of Formative Assignments for a 'Typical' Essay" outlined under " Formative Writing Assignments, " and it spans about 5–6 steps or 2–4 weeks.

Comparative analysis assignments have a lot of the same DNA as single-source essays, but they potentially bring more reading into play and ask students to engage in more complicated acts of analysis and synthesis during the drafting stages. With that in mind, closer to 4 weeks is probably a good baseline for many single-source analysis assignments. For sections that meet once per week, the timeline will either probably need to expand—ideally—a little past the 4-week side of things, or some of the steps will need to be combined or done asynchronously.

What It Can Build Up To

Comparative analyses can build up to other kinds of writing in a number of ways. For example:

They can build toward other kinds of comparative analysis, e.g., student can be asked to choose an additional source to complicate their conclusions from a previous analysis, or they can be asked to revisit an analysis using a different axis of comparison, such as race instead of class. (These approaches are akin to moving from a coordinate or subordinate analysis to more of a hybrid approach.)
They can scaffold up to research essays, which in many instances are an extension of a "hybrid comparative analysis."
Like single-source analysis, in a course where students will take a "deep dive" into a source or topic for their capstone, they can allow students to "try on" a theoretical approach or genre or time period to see if it's indeed something they want to research more fully.
DIY Guides for Analytical Writing Assignments

For Teaching Fellows & Teaching Assistants

Types of Assignments
Unpacking the Elements of Writing Prompts
Formative Writing Assignments
Single-Source Analysis
Research Essays
Multi-Modal or Creative Projects
Giving Feedback to Students

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Academic Writing

How to Write a Comparative Essay

Last Updated: May 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,682,841 times.

Perhaps you have been assigned a comparative essay in class, or need to write a comprehensive comparative report for work. In order to write a stellar comparative essay, you have to start off by picking two subjects that have enough similarities and differences to be compared in a meaningful way, such as two sports teams or two systems of government. Once you have that, then you have to find at least two or three points of comparison and use research, facts, and well-organized paragraphs to impress and captivate your readers. Writing the comparative essay is an important skill that you will use many times throughout your scholastic career.

Comparative Essay Outline and Example

How to Develop the Essay Content

Step 1 Analyze the question or essay prompt carefully.

Many comparative essay assignments will signal their purpose by using words such as "compare," "contrast," "similarities," and "differences" in the language of the prompt.
Also see whether there are any limits placed on your topic.

Step 2 Understand the type of comparison essay you are being asked to write.

The assignment will generally ask guiding questions if you are expected to incorporate comparison as part of a larger assignment. For example: "Choose a particular idea or theme, such as love, beauty, death, or time, and consider how two different Renaissance poets approach this idea." This sentence asks you to compare two poets, but it also asks how the poets approach the point of comparison. In other words, you will need to make an evaluative or analytical argument about those approaches.
If you're unclear on what the essay prompt is asking you to do, talk with your instructor. It's much better to clarify questions up front than discover you've written the entire essay incorrectly.

Step 3 List similarities and differences between the items you are comparing.

The best place to start is to write a list of things that the items you are comparing have in common as well as differences between them. [3] X Research source

Step 4 Evaluate your list to find your argument.

You may want to develop a system such as highlighting different types of similarities in different colors, or use different colours if you are using an electronic device.
For example, if you are comparing two novels, you may want to highlight similarities in characters in pink, settings in blue, and themes or messages in green.

Step 5 Establish the basis for your comparison.

The basis for your comparison may be assigned to you. Be sure to check your assignment or prompt.
A basis for comparison may have to do with a theme, characteristics, or details about two different things. [7] X Research source
A basis for comparison may also be known as the “grounds” for comparison or a frame of reference.
Keep in mind that comparing 2 things that are too similar makes it hard to write an effective paper. The goal of a comparison paper is to draw interesting parallels and help the reader realize something interesting about our world. This means your subjects must be different enough to make your argument interesting.

Step 6 Research your subjects of comparison.

Research may not be required or appropriate for your particular assignment. If your comparative essay is not meant to include research, you should avoid including it.
A comparative essay about historical events, social issues, or science-related topics are more likely to require research, while a comparison of two works of literature are less likely to require research.
Be sure to cite any research data properly according to the discipline in which you are writing (eg, MLA, APA, or Chicago format).

Your thesis needs to make a claim about your subjects that you will then defend in your essay. It's good for this claim to be a bit controversial or up for interpretation, as this allows you to build a good argument.

How to Organize the Content

Use a traditional outline form if you would like to, but even a simple list of bulleted points in the order that you plan to present them would help.
You can also write down your main points on sticky notes (or type them, print them, and then cut them out) so that you can arrange and rearrange them before deciding on a final order.

The advantages of this structure are that it continually keeps the comparison in the mind of the reader and forces you, the writer, to pay equal attention to each side of the argument.
This method is especially recommended for lengthy essays or complicated subjects where both the writer and reader can easily become lost. For Example: Paragraph 1: Engine power of vehicle X / Engine power of vehicle Y Paragraph 2: Stylishness of vehicle X / Stylishness of vehicle Y Paragraph 3: Safety rating of vehicle X / Safety rating of vehicle Y

Step 3 Alternate the subjects in each paragraph.

The advantages of this structure are that it allows you to discuss points in greater detail and makes it less jarring to tackle two topics that radically different.
This method is especially recommended for essays where some depth and detail are required. For example: Paragraph 1: Engine power of vehicle X Paragraph 2: Engine power of vehicle Y Paragraph 3: Stylishness of vehicle X Paragraph 4: Stylishness of vehicle Y Paragraph 5: Safety rating of vehicle X Paragraph 6: Safety rating of vehicle Y

Step 4 Cover one subject at a time thoroughly.

This method is by far the most dangerous, as your comparison can become both one-sided and difficult for the reader to follow.
This method is only recommended for short essays with simplistic subjects that the reader can easily remember as (s)he goes along. For example: Paragraph 1: Engine power of vehicle X Paragraph 2: Stylishness of vehicle X Paragraph 3: Safety rating of vehicle X Paragraph 4: Engine power of vehicle Y Paragraph 5: Stylishness of vehicle Y Paragraph 6: Safety rating of vehicle Y

How to Write the Essay

Body paragraphs first . Work through all that information you've been compiling and see what kind of story it tells you. Only when you've worked with your data will you know what the larger point of the paper is.
Conclusion second . Now that you've done all the heavy lifting, the point of your essay should be fresh in your mind. Strike while the iron’s hot. Start your conclusion with a restatement of your thesis.
Intro last . Open your introduction with a "hook" to grab the reader's attention. Since you've already written your essay, choose a hook that reflects what you will talk about, whether it's a quote, statistic, factoid, rhetorical question, or anecdote. Then, write 1-2 sentences about your topic, narrowing down to your thesis statement, which completes your introduction.

Organize your paragraphs using one of the approaches listed in the "Organizing the Content" part below. Once you have defined your points of comparison, choose the structure for the body paragraphs (where your comparisons go) that makes the most sense for your data. To work out all the organizational kinks, it’s recommended that you write an outline as a placeholder.
Be very careful not to address different aspects of each subject. Comparing the color of one thing to the size of another does nothing to help the reader understand how they stack up. [15] X Research source

Be aware that your various comparisons won’t necessarily lend themselves to an obvious conclusion, especially because people value things differently. If necessary, make the parameters of your argument more specific. (Ex. “Though X is more stylish and powerful, Y’s top safety ratings make it a more appropriate family vehicle .”)
When you have two radically different topics, it sometimes helps to point out one similarity they have before concluding. (i.e. "Although X and Y don't seem to have anything in common, in actuality, they both ....”)

Even the best writers know editing is important to produce a good piece. Your essay will not be your best effort unless you revise it.
If possible, find a friend to look over the essay, as he or she may find problems that you missed.
It sometimes helps to increase or decrease the font size while editing to change the visual layout of the paper. Looking at the same thing for too long makes your brain fill in what it expects instead of what it sees, leaving you more likely to overlook errors.

Expert Q&A

The title and introduction really catch the reader's attention and make them read the essay. Make sure you know how to write a catchy essay title . Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
Quotes should be used sparingly and must thoroughly complement the point they are being used to exemplify/justify. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2
The key principle to remember in a comparative paragraph or essay is that you must clarify precisely what you are comparing and keep that comparison alive throughout the essay. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2

Avoid vague language such as "people," "stuff," "things," etc. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Avoid, at all costs, the conclusion that the two subjects are "similar, yet different." This commonly found conclusion weakens any comparative essay, because it essentially says nothing about the comparison. Most things are "similar, yet different" in some way. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Some believe that an "unbalanced" comparison - that is, when the essay focuses predominantly on one of the two issues, and gives less importance to the other - is weaker, and that writers should strive for 50/50 treatment of the texts or issues being examined. Others, however, value emphasis in the essay that reflects the particular demands of the essay's purpose or thesis. One text may simply provide context, or historical/artistic/political reference for the main text, and therefore need not occupy half of the essay's discussion or analysis. A "weak" essay in this context would strive to treat unequal texts equally, rather than strive to appropriately apportion space to the relevant text. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
Beware of the "Frying Pan Conclusion" in which you simply recount everything that was said in the main body of the essay. While your conclusion should include a simple summary of your argument, it should also emphatically state the point in a new and convincing way, one which the reader will remember clearly. If you can see a way forward from a problem or dilemma, include that as well. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/comparing-and-contrasting/
↑ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/comparative-essay
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/comparing-and-contrasting/
↑ http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/how-write-comparative-analysis
↑ https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/style_purpose_strategy/compare_contrast.html
↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/10-7-comparison-and-contrast/
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/steps_for_revising.html
How to Structure Paragraphs in an Essay

About This Article

To write a comparative essay, start by writing an introduction that introduces the 2 subjects you'll be comparing. You should also include your thesis statement in the introduction, which should state what you've concluded based on your comparisons. Next, write the body of your essay so that each paragraph focuses on one point of comparison between your subjects. Finally, write a conclusion that summarizes your main points and draws a larger conclusion about the two things you compared. To learn how to do research for your essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Comparative literature is a field that deals with study of literature from groups of people with different language or culture. The group of people studied can be from different nations, or they can share the same language but be located at different nations. These studies encompass an understanding and comparison of the literature between respective groups across time durations, their various arts such as music, paintings, dances, films, their philosophy and psychology, as well as their cultural backgrounds. However, comparison can be said to be the dominant activity that is carried out in comparative literature studies. There are numerous explanations as to why comparison is done during comparative studies. To start with, the comparison brings to light most of the things that may have been omitted or obscured in the national literature. The traditional literature studies did not take into place the comparison of different groups according to their varying cultural backgrounds. Instead, the study was used as a reflection of the state of the nation. Therefore, comparative studies brings another perspective and unmasks various aspects that may not have been covered in the traditional national literature, and through comparison, literary works that are not related in any way may reveal significant similarities and differences. Secondly, evolution and dissemination of literary varieties and editions can be easily traced across time periods and space. This is revealed through the powerful tool of comparison during the literal comparative studies. The relationship between literature and the groupâs history, its politics, and various philosophies are brought out through comparison and contrast. This type of contrast helps to explain how the literature has developed over time and the different aspects that may have influenced its spread or hindered its growth across various languages. In addition, through comparison, the cultural factors that may influence the spread of literature in one language or group of people can be brought out clearly. The link between literature and cultural forms that may include visual arts, films, and drama is expounded. Translations of literary works have a unique history and sometimes politics associated with them. Some of the literary works from one language or group of people never get translated to be shared to the rest of the world. This can only be accomplished through comparative literature studies where qualitative comparison is carried out. Other literary works from certain authors are complicated and their complexity can only be well understood when they are compared with other literary works. When these minor works of literature from the various groups are compared during comparative studies, a broader perspective of literature is realized. In his work Metaphor and Materiality, Peter Smith was able to show how contradictions about the function of science in literature infuses the literary works. Smith provides amazing insights into the whole idea of making scientific concepts to be themes in literature . In order to understand the drifts and movements in different national cultures, comparison has to be done between various national cultures represented by groups of people in the countries of study. It is through such contrast that the perspective of the studied national cultures is broadened and people are able understand it beyond the narrow margins of national boundaries. In addition, through the comparison of these national cultures, the relationship between literature and different circles of human activities can be defined in a better way. In The Anatomy of Laughter, the authors describe laughter as being cognitive, dialectal, or appealing function . In conclusion, comparative literature studies involve comparisons between literature and the cultural factors, politics, philosophy, and cultural arts of the groups being studied. Through comparison, trends in literature across time and space and drifts in national cultures can be better understood and explained.

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How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

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Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

Who is telling the story?
How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

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Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

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Comparing “The Egg” by Weir and “Other People” by Gaiman In Neil Gaiman’s short story Other People, a person finds himself in Hell, and his greatest torture is to relive his life through the eyes of those he hurt.
“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu vs. “Othello” by Shakespeare “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu is an example of a Non-Western work of literature that qualifies as classics. “Othello” by William Shakespeare is an example of Western classics.
Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison In her “Homage to my hips” and “Won’t you celebrate with me,” Clifton proclaims her ideas of African American women’s beauty and freedom.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest: Being “Civilized” or “Uncivilized” The Epic of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s The Tempest demonstrate that the application of labels is relative, implies adverse outcomes, and is used to critique the colonial process.
Main Historical Themes in the Contemporary Literature This paper focuses on three writings from Worlds of Fiction, namely, I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen, The Guest by Albert Camus, and Bernard Malamud’s The Jewbird.
Recognition in Sophocles’ ”Oedipus Rex” and Homer’s ”The Odyssey” The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the scenes of recognition in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” and Homer’s “The Odyssey.”
Cisneros’ “Mericans” and Okita’s “In Response to Executive Order 9066” Stories The paper compares the stories “Mericans” by Sandra Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Dwight Okita.
Psychoanalytic Reading of Hoffmann’s and Kafka’s Works In this paper, we will aim at exploring the motifs of “uncannyness”, contained in Hoffmann’s “The Sandman” and in Franz Kafka’s stories “The Metamorphosis” and “The Judgment”.
Mustafa Sa’eed from Season of Migration to the North Compared to Shakespeare’s Caliban & Othello Mustafa Sa’eed is uniquely similar to Caliban from William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in his resistance to invading cultures of colonialism through the context of sexual revenge.
“The Excursion” and “A Defence of Poetry” Comparison The Excursion, a poem by William Wordsworth, and A Defence of Poetry, an essay by Percy Bysshe Shelley, are among the most prominent examples of Romantic literature in England, displaying all of the elements by which the period may be characterised.
A Modest Proposal by J. Swift and Candide by F. M. Arouet Literature Analysis According to Jonathan Swift and Marie Arouet, women are nothing more than sexual tools that men use, not only to satisfy their sexual desires but also for pleasure.
Literature Comparison of The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use The issue of loneliness and the slow descent into madness discussed in the two famous novels, The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use. These two novels share a number of common and different elements.
Poems Comparison and Contrast: “Divorce” and “The Sick Rose” This essay focuses on comparing and contrasting imagery and figures of speech used in two poems; Collins’ “Divorce” and Blake’s “The Sick Rose”, and their implication in poetry.
Sedaris’ “Us and Them” and “Who Is Malala?” by Yousafzai Both written pieces represent memoirs, which implies that those stories happened in real life, and it raises more exceptional emotions within the readers.
Societal Monsters in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” A special consideration requires different interpretations of social fear in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Chinua Achebe’s literary masterpiece Things Fall Apart.
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique The stories of both have been repeated countless times and used in cultural references and in making big budget movies which speaks of their pervasive affect.
“The Boat” by Alistair MacLeod and “The Loons” by Margaret Laurence The first short story that we are going to discuss is called “The Boat”, it was written by a prominent Canadian fiction writer Alistair MacLeod.
Poems Comparison: The Necklace and I Stand Here Ironing This paper compares and contrasts Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, to analyzes the way the authors examined the subject of poverty.
“The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and “The Good Samaritan” by Luke In this paper two stories will be analyzed: the short story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and the passage from Luke, which presents the parable of the Good Samaritan.
“Company Commander” by Charles MacDonald and “Frontsoldaten” by Stephen Fritz: Books Comparison “Company Commander” by MacDonald highlights the U.S. Army Captain’s experiences. “Frontsoldaten” by Fritz describes the experiences of German soldiers on the battlefield.
Comparing Two Kinds and Everyday Use The topic of cultural conflict is the main similarity of Two Kinds and Everyday Use. They explain two ways that can affect people, making them to oppose families and society.
“Some Are Born to Sweet Delight” by Gordimer and “When the Towers Fell” by Kinnell The story “Some are born to sweet delight” by Nadine Gordimer and the poem “When the towers fell” by Galway Kinnell penetrate the readers with their gravity and feeling of death.
The Curse vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast “Antigone” by Sophocles is a story about family relations, reason, and passion. The story “The Curse” by Andre Dubus discloses the idea of responsibility for one’s honor.
Killings for Love in Shakespeare’s and Garcia’s Works In both Shakespeare’s Othello and Garcia’s Chronicles of a Death Foretold, the themes of love, passion, and death are connected. Do the killings in the novels occur for love?
W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey’ Works Comparison “The Souls of Black Folk” by W E B Dubois and “Africa for the African” by Marcus Garvey are regarded masterpieces and they are studied to get an understanding of positions of these authors.
Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Way of the World Literature Compare This paper disscusses the success of the tragic comedy genre in such plays as Tartuffe by Moliere, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and The Way of the World by William Congreve.
“Joy” by Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Gay: Comparative Analysis The goal of this paper is to analyze the genres of works “Joy” by Zadie Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Roxane Gay, compare them and describe their literary features.
Soto’s “Broken Chains” and “Fish Creeks” by Tan As for the story Fish Creeks, the Chinese girl is in pain due to cultural differences with her beloved person who is an American.
Compare and Contrast “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Raven” Compared to Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” more images of violence and blood are depicted in his poem “The Raven.”
Resilience in Hill’s The Illegal, D’Angelo’s The Step Not Taken, The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up Common themes connect many works of art and literature. This is true for “The Illegal” by L. Hill, “The Step Not Taken” by P. D’Angelo, and “Get Up Stand Up” by The Wailers.
“To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell and “The Flea” by Donne “To His Coy Mistress” is a well-known poem by Andrew Marvell, in which the speaker addresses his lover, who is reluctant to be intimate with him.
Richard Wright’ and Langston Hughes Literature Comparison Richard Wright and Langston Hughes are the writers that were very concerned about the racial issues in the society of the United States of America.
Grendel and Medea Literary Characters’ Comparison Grendel and Medea are different characters who appeared from the pen of different authors. They are united by one detail — the monster’s nature.
Woolf’s “Orlando” & Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” Novels The topic of clothes and costumes in the novels “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf and “Moll Flanders” by Daniel Defoe was discussed in this paper.
The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun” This essay will consider “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun” and the literary elements used for plot and character development and symbolism in these works.
Twain’s and Hemingway’s Short Stories Comparison Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” and Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” are centered around dialogue and contain realism and minimalism elements.
“Mother Tongue” by Tan and “Learning to Read and Write” by Douglass Mother Tongue and Learning to Read and Write are truly persuasive and engaging examples of the literacy narrative genre.
Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tan’s “Two Kinds” Both stories have similarities by way of the characters not being natives of the place where the story is plotted.
“The Accident, Say Yes” & “The Things They Carried”: Comparison The paper reviews three short stories: Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, Gao Xingjian’s “The Accident”, and Tobias Wolff’s “Say Yes”.
Barker’s Regeneration & Plath’s The Bell Jar: Compare & Contrast Essay This paper compares the ways in which Pat Barker in "Regeneration" and Sylvia Plath in "The Bell Jar" explore and present the causes and experience of breakdown and madness.
Little Red Riding Hood by Dahl and Perrault Little Red Cap is a folk text initially written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. This work compares different versions of LRRH, including Roald Dahl and Charles Perrault’s authors.
Rules of the Game and Two Kinds: Books Comparison Amy Tan used two books, “The Rules of the Game” and “Two Kids” to address parenting roles in different scenarios. In “The Rules of the Game”, she exposes a mother’s supportive attitude.
Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison This paper aims to compare the poems Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Virginia Scott’s Snow and discuss rhetorical and literary devices used by the authors.
Iliad and Odyssey: Hector and Menelaus Comparison The Iliad and the Odyssey have great significance due to the lyrical content they encompass. It is vital to consider two characters in these readings – Hector and Menelaus.
“Blackberries” by Ellen Hunnicutt and “Blackberries” by Leslie Norris – Comparison The Hunnicutt’s story does not end with a radical change, whereas the story by Norris shows that the boy has matured significantly during the quarrel between his parents.
“Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes The play “Raisin in the sun” by Lorrain Hansberry and the poem “I’m Still Here” by Langston Hughes directly refers to the conflict of racial prejudices and hardships.
A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis This paper provides a comparative analysis of a poem, Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and a song, Bob Dylan’s song “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.
Rushdie’s “Midnight Children” and Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore’ There are three critical themes explored in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight Children and Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. The three themes are myth, fate and prophecy.
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel G. Marquez & “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner This discussion gives a detailed comparison of how the authors of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “A Rose for Emily” depict villages and towns.
Poems Comparison and Analysis The poems are connected based on the content because both Poem 1 and Poem 2 are discussing children who were having fun until one of them is hurt.
The Idea of Friendship in Literary Works The story “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” comically describes the friendship between old friends. At the same time, “Funes the Memorious”, does not show friendly relations.
“Essentials of Young Adult Literature” and “Entering the World of Children’s Literature” Both books are dedicated to the most efficient methods of structuring reading classes, choosing literature by topics and genres, and designing the reading course the way you want.
A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay It is hard to find a good man. Two stories A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O`Connor and The story of an hour by Kate Chopin center around this issue.
“I Gave You All I Had” and “In Difficult Times” In their works “I Gave You All I Had” and “In difficult times,” Zoe Valdes and Heberto Padilla show how people can be asked to sacrifice their lives for the sake of others.
Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Literary Styles Comparison One of the differences between Whitman and Dickinson was the thematic elements that they utilized. This embodied a greater difference between the two authors which will be discussed in this paper.
Fate vs. Free Will in “The Odyssey” and “Oedipus the King” This essay compares the ways the two authors use in “The Odyssey” and “Oedipus the King” to portray the power of fate over free will despite human and divine intervention.
Comparing “To Winter” by Claude McKay and “After the Winter Rain” by Ina Coolbrith “To Winter” and “After the Winter Rain” are visibly structured in different ways, and both authors opt for using various stylistic devices in their pieces.
The Importance of Setting for Interpretation of Stories Discussion of the importance of setting for interpretation of stories on the examples of “Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman and “The Fall of The House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.
Family in Bambara’s ”Raymond’s Run” & So’s ”Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts” The paper compares the influence of the troubled family member on the rest of the family in the short stories “Raymond’s Run” by Bambara and “Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts” by So.
Comparing the Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials The essay will compare the archetype of Satan and evil in Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia and Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia
Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” & “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Perkins-Gillman The stories “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wall-Paper” have similar and different features, which are manifested through the authors’ use of the elements of gothic literature.
Human Nature in “The Scarlet Letter” and “Moby-Dick” The “Scarlet Letter” and “Moby Dick” are rich in themes concerning human nature, their contents are very appealing considering its similarity during that period and now.
Matriarchs in Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate” and Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” Matriarchs represent the core of the family and the main driven force that helps their families to survive and fight with life and fate.
Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, and “A&P” by John Updike are both short stories that explore the subject of rebellion.
True Freedom Theme in American Short Stories “The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe, “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed” by Bradbury, and “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin are analyzed through an understanding of true freedom.
Odysseus and Maximus: Heroes Comparison Based on the portrayal of Maximus from “Gladiator” and the representation of Odysseus in a book with the same title, this paper argues that both characters had more similarities than differences.
Animals in “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and “Gulliver’s Travels” This paper compares animal species in Miguel de Cervantes’ “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels: Part IV. A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”.
Dilemmas in Hamlet and The Fall of the House of Usher This paper will explore the character of Hamlet and compare Hamlet’s dilemma to the predicament of the unknown narrator of “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
Human Animal in “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Life is a Dream” This paper reviews the concept of the human animal in Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels: A voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms” and de la Barca’s “Life is a Dream”.
Literature Comparison: “Lust” and “Sex Without Love” The poem ‘Sex without Love’ by Sharon Olds and the short story ‘Lust’ by Susan Minot focuses on sex, a topic that has for a long time been considered sensitive and controversial in many societies.
The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey show that humans’ actions can lead to their sufferings. The works of Homer and Virgil refer to death of warriors and innocent individuals.
Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World Using the arguments of Orwell and Huxley, in 1984 and Brave New World, this paper argues that free information flow could decrease the gap between the rich and the poor.
“All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline”: Desire to Return to the Past This essay compares the “All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline” protagonists’ relations to their current, past, and possible future settings and the feelings they associate with them.
Native American Poems’ Comparative Analysis This paper presents a comparative analysis of three poems. They are “Absence” and “To the Pine Tree” by Schoolcraft, and “The Indian Corn Planter” by Johnson.
“Great Falls” by Ford vs. “Cathedral” by Carver This essay will compare and contrast the use of point of view in the short stories “Great Falls” by Richard Ford and “Cathedral” by Ray Carver.
Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories The antagonist-protagonist opposition is one of the possible driving forces of the central conflict of literature work.
Cortazar’s “The Devil’s Drool” vs. Marquez’s “Big Mama’s Funeral” This paper analyzes two works of literature: Julio Cortazar’s novel “The Devil’s Drool” and Gabriel Márquez’s “Big Mama’s Funeral.”
Theme in Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” This comparative drama essay discusses similar themes of Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”– gender differences and the role of women in those times.
Literature. Fate and Fallibility in Human Society Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” and “Human” by Rang’n’Bone Man reveal how to be a human in society.
The Theme of Transitioning into Adulthood in “Spirited Away” by Hayao Miyazaki and “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind Spirited away by Hayao Miyazaki and Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind are works of art that are unique and original and convey the path of teenagers on their way to adulthood.
Greasy Lake, Lord of the Flies, and The Lottery: Compare & Contrast Human savagery is equally as much a weapon of mass destruction as anthrax, a nuclear weapon. Since the dawn of time, human nature has exuded a persistent vein of unwarranted violence and cruelty.
The Lottery & The Rocking Horse Winner Compare & Contrast Essay Two authors, Shirley Jackson and David Herbert Lawrence in their short stories The Lottery and The Rocking Horse Winner explore the theme of the dangers of blindly following traditional or cultural norms.
Development of the Setting in Shirley’s “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by Lawrence: From Claustrophobic to Chaotic In “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner,” the changes in the setting are defined not by the physical alterations in the environment but by the prism through which they are viewed.
Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” It is possible to compare literary elements in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” when determining similarities and differences in these works.
Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell Two versions of LRRH, including the original, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and the retelling by Perrault, focus on similar themes, however, authors’ approaches differ.
Masculinity in James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway’ Stories This paper looks at the theme of masculinity as portrayed by both male and female characters in four stories by Joyce and Hemingway. The short stories focus on the inner development of characters.
Journey in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “Alchemist” The journeys of the protagonists of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alchemist are imbued with a strong symbolic significance of personal transformation and self-realization.
Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’s Essay Comparison While Thoreau uses the image of the entire population of animals to represent the overall human behavior, Woolf uses a single animal and dissects its behavior.
Literature Comparison: Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan Both Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan have reputations for stealing the show; neither character is the protagonist, but they are sophisticated and dynamic characters.
The Story of an Hour and Hills Like White Elephants Literature Comparison This paper is aimed at discussing two short stories, namely The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. They throw light on the experiences of women.
Comparison: “The Battle of the Ants” by H. D. Thoreau and “The Death of the Moth” by V. Woolf The idea of viewing the reality from the perspective of an insect is not new. Of all specimens of this kind of fiction, this paper campares Thoreau’s “The Battle of the Ants” and Woolf’s “The Death of the Moth”.
Eliot’s and Ferlinghetti’s Poems Comparison Both authors, Eliot and Ferlinghetti, tried to convey the complex inner experiences of the characters through the modernist structure.
Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis and the Bible: Comparative Analysis Although “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, the “Eridu Genesis”, and the Bible are culturally ions from each other, they share numerous thematic elements.
Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour” The paper comparisons “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Story of an Hour” connecting the readers and the characters through well-structured examples relating to the plight of women.
Parallels Between “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies” In “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies,” the parallel between the story of Shahrazad and King Shahrayar and the Merchant and the Demon seems to be direct.
View on Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” and Atwood’s “Happy Endings” In the story, “Barbie-Q,” Cisneros tries to explain how the American society views women to be materialistic and perfect whereby, in reality, they have their flaws.
Comparing and Contrasting “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooke and “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen In the Poem “The Mother,” the writer Gwendolyn Brooke speaks out on the highly debatable topic of abortion. The second poem, “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen, portrays different kinds of pain.
Oedipus Rex and Hamlet: Compare and Contrast Oedipus Rex and Hamlet, both show outstanding resilience in their desire to help others and disclose the truth that is hidden.
“Walking Home in the Dark” and “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Poetry About Nature
Washburn’s “What the Ocean Eats” and Stevenson’s “The High Road”
Frankenstein vs. Paradise Lost
Duty and Conscience Relations Review
Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”
“The Necklace” vs. “Paste”: Character Comparison
“The Gilded Six-Bits” by Hurston and “Babylon Revisited” by Fitzgerald
Heroes and Cowards in “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman”
Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus
Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay
Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”
Comparison: “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “Jury of Her Peers”
Samuel Daniel and Richard Lovelace’ Poems Comparison
“Divine Comedy” and “Confessions”
The Comparison of Melvin Tolson “An Ex-Judge at the Bar” and Gwendolyn Brooks “The Mother”
“Beowulf” and “The Lord of the Rings” Literary Comparison
“Barbie Doll” by Piercy and “Girl” by Kincaid
Carver’s “Neighbors” and Diaz’s “The Money” Stories
“Underground Railroad” by Whitehead vs. “Sticks” by Saunders
Tecumseh’s Historical Speech and Sherman Alexie’s Poems: Comparative Analysis
The Setting Role in American Short Stories
Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” Comparison
“The Fall of the House of Usher” and “To Build a Fire” Comparison
Hayden’s and Roethke’s Poems Comparison
“The Lottery” by Jackson vs. “Antigone” by Sophocles
The Brutal Reality of War in Poems and Art
“The Lottery” by Jackson, and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence
The Novels by Ignacio Aldecoa Analysis
“What You Pawn I Will Redeem” and “War Dances” by Sherman Alexie
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
Protagonists in Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”
Money Theme in Moliere’s Tartuffe and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
Otherness in “The Color of Water” and “Country Lovers”
Othello Versus Shakuntala: Ultimate Lessons
Important Life Lessons to Learn from John Updike and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Shakespeare’s Othello’s and O. J. Simpson’s Tragedies
“Love in the Time of Cholera” vs “Theme of the Traitor and the Hero”: Context and Symbolism
Love and Loneliness in the Works of R. Carver and B. A. Mason
Stevie Smith’s and Karl Shapiro’s Poems Comparison
“The Purloined Letter” by E. A. Poe and “Bartleby the Scrivener” by H. Melville
Coelho’s Alchemist and Homer’s Odyssey: Theme Comparison
Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen
“The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories” by Mark Twain: The Novel Comparison
Compromised Rulers in Literary Works
Civil War Poetry by Whitman, Melville and Dickinson
“The Bait” by John Donne and “My Picture, Left in Scotland” by Ben Jonson Comparison
Comparison: “Strong Men” by Sterling Brown and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay
A. Munro’s and Z. Smith’s Short Stories Comparison
Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” Comparison
Family Theme in Kafka’s and Oates’ Literary Works
Comparing Lies in War Literature
Baldwain’s “Sonny’s Blues” vs. Saunders’ “Sticks”
Plots of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Symbolism in Literature: “The Raven”, “Young Goodman Brown”
Womanhood in Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” vs. Kincaid’s “Girl”
“The Epic of Gilgamesh” and Biblical Parables
Poems Themes Comparison
“Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison
Comparison and Contrast Between Sappho’s Poem and Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
“A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”: Similarities and Differences
Normal in Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Saunders’ Sticks
Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”: Short Stories Comparison
“Burning Chrome” and “Blade Runner” Comparison
Rhetoric in Moore’s “Idiot Nation” and Gatto’s “Against School”
Victorian Literature: Conan Doyle and Robert Browning
Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism
The Stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Harrison Bergeron” and Flannery O’Connor “Good Country People”
Gilgamesh and Odysseus: The Semblance
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles
Auden, Barrett Browning and Shakespeare: Poems Comparison
Analysis of Hispanic American Literature
Finding Strength While Searching for the Truth: Hamlet and Oedipus
Human Destiny in the Works of Shakespeare and Nino Ricci
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” vs. “Sonny’s Blues”
“A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C. Perkin
“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony
Women From an Age Bygone: A. Wingfield and E. Grierson
Characters’ Evolution in The House on Mango Street and Bullet in the Brain
“Eye of the Night” and “The Lie”: Comparison
The Phenomenon of Money in “Tartuffe” by Moliere and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
How People Change in “Mother Tongue” and “A Death in Texas”
“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce
Elements of Gothic Tradition in the American Literature
American and Asian American Literature Debate
Ambrose Bierce and Henry James Works Comparison
Freedom and Enslavement in Literature
“The Secret Life of Bees” by Kidd and the “Feast of Love” by Baxter
Novels by A. Bierce and H. James Comparison
“Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
“Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden R., “Miss Brill” by Mansfield C. and “Trifles” by Glaspell S.
“Ordinary People” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”: Book Report
The Theme of Race Discrimination in Works of Richard Rodriguez
Tillie Olsen’s and Tracey Baran’s Novels Review
“Travels With Herodotus” and “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There”
Michael Cohen’s and Walker Percy’s Works Compared
Peoples’ Characters and Hopes in Literature: Comparison of Description
A.E. Housman and John Updike’s Unlucky Athletes
Protagonist Roles by Mark Twain, J. Austin and C. Potok
How Decisions Can Make or Break an Individual: Literary Analysis
Faulkner’s “Barns Burning” and Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” Comparison Essay
Effectiveness Techniques in Short Stories Analysis
Chopin and Shields Literary Works Compared
Hwang’s “Trying to Find Chinatown” and Packer’s “Brownies”
In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay
J. Mirikitani’s “Suicide Note” and R. Burns’ “My Love If Like a Red, Red Rose”: Comparison
Character Comparison: “Odyssey”, “Scarlett Latter,” “Troy,” “Hamlet”
Religion in “Ceremony,” “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” and “Desert Solitaire”
“I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison
Tabooed Actions and Social Sanctions in “Oedipus Tyrannus” by Sophocles and Shaffer’s “Equus”
The Use of Disguise in “The Odyssey” and “The Metamorphoses”
Dreams in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible
Message in Shakespeare’s, Albom’s and King’s Works
Sacrifice in Malamud’s, Jacob’s, Alvarez’s Works
Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” and Ellison’s “Battle Royale”
Perrault’s and Brothers Grimm’s “Little Red Hood”
Themes in Poems by Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas
“Play Matters” by Sicart and “Game Design Workshop” by Fullerton
Narration and Gender: Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, Burney’s Evelina, Winterson’s Sexing the Cherry
Ambrose Bierce and Tom Whitecloud’ Short Stories
The Personal Journey: “The Wiz” and “The Alchemist”
Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkiens’ Smeagol
Yusef Komunyakaa’s and Sylvia Plath’s Poems Comparison
Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried
Juxtaposing of the Stories “The Awakening” and “Summer”
Alger’s “Ragged Dick” and Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper”
The Ideas of Life in Henry Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’ Works
“Tartuffe” and “Candide or the Optimism” Comparison
Certeau’s and Schwartz’s Works: Genre Comparison
“The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Laugh of the Medusa”
Crowd Pressure in Hughes’s Salvation and Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant
Marriage in Bradstreet’s, Dooley’s, Larkin’s Works
Dave Eggers and Clive Lewis’ Works Comparison
Farce’ Elements and Aspects in Plays
“Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison
“Come Alive” and “Shitty First Drafts” Comparative Literature
Comparison: ‘Kite Runner,’ ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ and ‘The Road Not Taken’
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and Hills Like White Elephants
Women in Society of Three Plays Literature Analysis
“Big Black Good Man” and “Battle Royal”
“Lieutenant Nun” and “Sundiata”
Metamorphosis and The Necklace

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These essay examples and topics on Comparative Literature were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on December 27, 2023 .

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4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay

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The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. Comparison and contrast is simply telling how two things are alike or different. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both. The thesis should focus on comparing, contrasting, or both.

Key Elements of the Compare and Contrast:

A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both.
The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both, and it should state what is to be learned from doing so.
Organize by the subjects themselves, one then the other.
Organize by individual points, in which you discuss each subject in relation to each point.
Use phrases of comparison or phrases of contrast to signal to readers how exactly the two subjects are being analyzed.

Objectives: By the end of this unit, you will be able to

Identify compare & contrast relationships in model essays
Construct clearly formulated thesis statements that show compare & contrast relationships
Use pre-writing techniques to brainstorm and organize ideas showing a comparison and/or contrast
Construct an outline for a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay
Write a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay
Use a variety of vocabulary and language structures that express compare & contrast essay relationships

Example Thesis: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny.

Graphic Showing Organization for Comparison Contrast Essay

Sample Paragraph:

Organic grown tomatoes purchased at the farmers’ market are very different from tomatoes that are grown conventionally. To begin with, although tomatoes from both sources will mostly be red, the tomatoes at the farmers’ market are a brighter red than those at a grocery store. That doesn’t mean they are shinier—in fact, grocery store tomatoes are often shinier since they have been waxed. You are likely to see great size variation in tomatoes at the farmers’ market, with tomatoes ranging from only a couple of inches across to eight inches across. By contrast, the tomatoes in a grocery store will be fairly uniform in size. All the visual differences are interesting, but the most important difference is the taste. The farmers’ market tomatoes will be bursting with flavor from ripening on the vine in their own time. However, the grocery store tomatoes are often close to being flavorless. In conclusion, the differences in organic and conventionally grown tomatoes are obvious in color, size and taste.

Comparative Literature

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Harvard’s Department of Comparative Literature is one of the most dynamic and diverse in the country. Its impressive faculty has included such scholars as Harry Levine, Claudio Guillén, and Barbara Johnson. You will study literatures from a wide range of historical periods and cultures while learning to conduct cutting-edge research through an exhilarating scope of methods and approaches.

Your dissertation research is well supported by Harvard’s unparalleled library system, the largest university collection in the world, comprising 70 libraries with combined holdings of over 16 million items.

Recent student dissertations include “Imagined Mothers: The Construction of Italy, Ancient Greece, and Anglo-American Hegemony,” “The Untimely Avant-Garde: Literature, Politics and Transculturation in the Sinosphere (1909-2020),” and “Artificial Humanities: A Literary Perspective on Creating and Enhancing Humans from Pygmalion to Cyborgs.”

In addition to securing faculty positions at academic institutions such as Princeton University, Emory University, and Tufts University, graduates have gone on to careers in contiguous fields including the visual arts, music, anthropology, philosophy, and medicine. Others have chosen alternative careers in film production, administration, journalism, and law.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Comparative Literature and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Comparative Literature .

Writing Sample

The writing sample is supposed to demonstrate your ability to engage in literary criticism and/or theory. It can be a paper written for a course or a section of a senior thesis or essay. It is usually between 10 and 20 pages. Do not send longer papers with instructions to read an excerpt; you should edit the sample so that it is not more than 20 pages. Writing samples should be in English, although candidates are permitted to submit an additional writing sample written in a different language.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should give the admissions committee a clear sense of your individual interests and strengths. Applicants are not required to indicate a precise field of specialization, but it is helpful to tell us about your aspirations and how the Department of Comparative Literature might help in attaining these goals. The statement of purpose should be one to four pages in length.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Not Accepted

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Comparative Literature

See list of Comparative Literature faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)

A compare and contrast essay selects two or more items that are critically analyzed to demonstrate their differences and similarities. Here is a template for you that provides the general structure:

A range of example essays is presented below.

Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

#1 jean piaget vs lev vygotsky essay.

1480 Words | 5 Pages | 10 References

(Level: University Undergraduate)

Thesis Statement: “This essay will critically examine and compare the developmental theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, focusing on their differing views on cognitive development in children and their influence on educational psychology, through an exploration of key concepts such as the role of culture and environment, scaffolding, equilibration, and their overall implications for educational practices..”

#2 Democracy vs Authoritarianism Essay

Thesis Statement: “The thesis of this analysis is that, despite the efficiency and control offered by authoritarian regimes, democratic systems, with their emphasis on individual freedoms, participatory governance, and social welfare, present a more balanced and ethically sound approach to governance, better aligned with the ideals of a just and progressive society.”

#3 Apples vs Oranges Essay

1190 Words | 5 Pages | 0 References

(Level: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “While apples and oranges are both popular and nutritious fruits, they differ significantly in their taste profiles, nutritional benefits, cultural symbolism, and culinary applications.”

#4 Nature vs Nurture Essay

1525 Words | 5 Pages | 11 References

(Level: High School and College)

Thesis Statement: “The purpose of this essay is to examine and elucidate the complex and interconnected roles of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) in shaping human development across various domains such as physical traits, personality, behavior, intelligence, and abilities.”

#5 Dogs vs Cats Essay

1095 Words | 5 Pages | 7 Bibliographic Sources

(Level: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “This essay explores the distinctive characteristics, emotional connections, and lifestyle considerations associated with owning dogs and cats, aiming to illuminate the unique joys and benefits each pet brings to their human companions.”

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

I’ve recorded a full video for you on how to write a compare and contrast essay:

Get the Compare and Contrast Templates with AI Prompts Here

In the video, I outline the steps to writing your essay. Here they are explained below:

1. Essay Planning

First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you’re comparing.

I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:

Grab the Worksheet as Part of the Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack

2. Writing the Essay

Once you’ve completed the worksheet, you’re ready to start writing. Go systematically through each feature you are comparing and discuss the similarities and differences, then make an evaluative statement after showing your depth of knowledge:

Get the Rest of the Premium Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack (With AI Prompts) Here

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement

Compare and contrast thesis statements can either:

Remain neutral in an expository tone.
Prosecute an argument about which of the items you’re comparing is overall best.

To write an argumentative thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay, try this AI Prompts:

💡 AI Prompt to Generate Ideas I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that pass a reasonable judgement.

Ready to Write your Essay?

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Take action! Choose one of the following options to start writing your compare and contrast essay now:

Comparative Analysis Essay

In school, we are asked to write about different forms of essay. It can be descriptive essay , comparative literature essay , experience essay and more. Some essays would allow you to compare and contrast two different things, terms, figures, process and the like. Some things have crucial differences, while others really have something in common. Sometimes, we are faced with surprisingly unrelated similarities and differences which makes it difficult for us to begin with the topic. We may feel confused and often ask ourselves about how do we start constructing a paper. In this article, you will know what a comparative analysis essay is all about and how to write one.

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What is a Comparative Analysis Essay?

A comparative analysis essay is a type of essay that involves comparing and contrasting two things. This is a higher level of analysis in an essay. In this essay, you may be asked to compare or contrast different positions with regards to a particular issue, theories, figures, events or texts in literature. This assumes to consider both the similarities and differences of what you have compared and contrasted.

When comparing and contrasting two things, make sure that you can come up with the basis for comparison. Once you are able to know the basis for comparison, you should be bale to think critically between the things that you are comparing.

How to Conduct a Good Comparative Analysis Essay?

You might have brilliant ideas about your essay , but you lack knowledge about what does comparative mean. The first thing you should do is research about your topic and know about the principle of compare and contrast. Below are some tips on how to conduct a comparative analysis essay.

Identify your basis of comparison

First on the list is to develop a basis for the comparison. It is usually that the question that will provide the basis of comparison, but there are are times that the author has to develop one. For example, a question may ask you to compare between the philosophical principles of Immanuel Kant and John Locke. This already has a very clear objective. You don’t to look for something else.

Plan for the content of your essay

You should be able to identify the features of your essay in which it mainly involves comparing and contrasting. List down the similarities and differences of two different subjects. This will help you develop an initial plan for your comparative essay . After listing, evaluate it and make sure that it is only the main points are considered in your essay.

Come up with a thesis

Every essay needs a good thesis statement that enables the author to easily identify which part he or she currently is during the writing process. Before you finalize your thesis statement, assess if the your list has more similarities than differences. Your thesis statement reflects how the subjects written in your list share more of the similarities than the differences or vice versa.

Develop a structure for your essay

All of the essays have a specific structure to follow. Every comparative essay must be written in an organized way just like any essay should be. In that way, it would be easier to the readers to understand.

What are the methods to be used in making a comparative analysis essay?

You may use either of the three methods: the alternating method, mixed paragraphs method or the block method. The alternating method makes the entire aspect of comparison contained only in one paragraph. The mixed paragraphs method devotes a single paragraph in providing for an explanation about the way subjects are being compared. The block method is the easiest method, yet the dangerous one. This divides the essay into two parts in which the first part is devoted into one subject and the second part is devoted to another subject.

When to use alternating method, mixed paragraphs method and block method?

You are going to use the alternating method when you are going to provide cases where detailed comparison is needed. Use mixed paragraphs method when you have to deal with long comparative analysis essay. Use block method when you are short essays and simple subjects.

Does a comparative analysis still follow the three basic parts of an essay?

Yes. This three basic parts of an essay are referred to as the introduction, body of paragraphs and the conclusion.

A comparative analysis essay has a primary purpose of allowing you to compare two different subjects. It may be people, events, objects, theories, etc. Its main focus is to identify the similarities and differences. Having the skills for essay writing , you are good to go in writing your comparative analysis essay.

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Compare and contrast two different leadership styles in the context of a Comparative Analysis Essay

Analyze the impact of social media vs traditional media in a Comparative Analysis Essay

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Free Comparative Literature Essay Examples & Topics
For more examples of comparative literature essays, check the links below. 744 Best Essay Examples on Comparative Literature Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras: Revenge for the Deaths of Their Fathers . 4.4 . He thinks about the fact that revenge is not a good action to make his soul get to heavens. His is a prince of Norway, but likewise Hamlet did ...
Comparative Essay
Moreover, a comparative analysis essay discusses the similarities and differences of themes, items, events, views, places, concepts, etc. For example, you can compare two different novels (e.g., The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Red Badge of Courage). However, a comparative essay is not limited to specific topics.
Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay
Comparing and contrasting is also used in all kinds of academic contexts where it's not explicitly prompted. For example, a literature review involves comparing and contrasting different studies on your topic, and an argumentative essay may involve weighing up the pros and cons of different arguments. Prevent plagiarism.
Comparative Literature Essay
Use of Comparative Literature. The use of a comparative literature essay for either a job, for education or for a journal is to expound on comparing two or more literary works and give out your explanation for the works you choose to talk about. More often than not, these types of literary essays are translated from different languages to the ...
Comparative Literature Definition, Theory & Examples
An example of a comparative literature study that uses the postcolonial framework is ''The Novel's Lost Illusions: Time, Knowledge, and Narrative in the Provinces, 1800-1933.'' ... Writing Essay ...
8.6: Essay Type- Comparing and Contrasting Literature
Compare and Contrast Essay Basics. The Compare and Contrast Essay is a literary analysis essay, but, instead of examining one work, it examines two or more works. These works must be united by a common theme or thesis statement. For example, while a literary analysis essay might explore the significance of ghosts in William Shakespeare's Hamlet ...
The Comparative Essay
A comparative essay asks that you compare at least two (possibly more) items. These items will differ depending on the assignment. You might be asked to compare. positions on an issue (e.g., responses to midwifery in Canada and the United States) theories (e.g., capitalism and communism) figures (e.g., GDP in the United States and Britain)
Comparative Essay
A thesis statement is the author's educated opinion that can be defended. For a comparative essay, your thesis statement should assert why the similarities and differences between the literary works matter. Step 4: Create a Structure. Before drafting, create an outline. Your introduction should draw the reader in and provide the thesis statement.
How to Write Comparative Essays in Literature
In writing your comparative essay, you should first identify the basis for the comparison. The basis of comparison allows you to look for the similarities and differences between the two texts. You might be provided with an essay question or you might have to come up with your own topic. In either case you need to begin by identifying the basis ...
What is Comparative Literature?
Standing at the forefront of innovative work in literary, theoretical, and cultural studies, UCLA's Comparative Literature program is one of the most exciting fields in the humanities. As a discipline it requires exceptional linguistic ability, theoretical knowledge, and high intellectual caliber. UCLA's program offers students the ...
Comparative Analysis
As we discussed in "Advice on Timing" at the page on single-source analysis, that timeline itself roughly follows the "Sample Sequence of Formative Assignments for a 'Typical' Essay" outlined under "Formative Writing Assignments," and it spans about 5-6 steps or 2-4 weeks.Comparative analysis assignments have a lot of the same DNA as single-source essays, but they potentially bring more ...
How to Write a Comparative Essay (with Pictures)
1. Analyze the question or essay prompt carefully. You may have a great idea for a paper in your head, but if it doesn't perfectly match the prompt, you may not create the product your instructor has asked for. Look over the prompt (and rubric, if you have one) carefully and underline key phrases.
Comparative literature (field of study)
This page of the essay has 617 words. Download the full version above. Comparative literature is a field that deals with study of literature from groups of people with different language or culture. The group of people studied can be from different nations, or they can share the same language but be located at different nations.
How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay
Table of contents. Step 1: Reading the text and identifying literary devices. Step 2: Coming up with a thesis. Step 3: Writing a title and introduction. Step 4: Writing the body of the essay. Step 5: Writing a conclusion. Other interesting articles.
Comparative literature
Comparative literature studies is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression ... Scholarship in comparative literature includes, for example, studying literacy and social status in the Americas, medieval epic and romance, the links of literature to ... Essays in Other Literatures. (Guernica Editions, 2003 ...
Comparative Literature Essay Examples
Comparative Literature Essays. Coming of Age in "Araby" and "A&P": The Role of Imagery in the Transition From Innocence To Experience. The short stories "Araby" by James Joyce and "A&P" by John Updike extensively examine maturing and adulthood. The psychological and emotional changes that the characters experience during this ...
302 Comparative Literature Essay Topics
Absurdity in "The Metamorphosis" and "The Stranger". "Rose for Emily" and "Barn Burning" Comparison. Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison. The Theme of Duality in Literature. We will write a custom essay on your topic tailored to your instructions! 308 experts online. Let us help you.
4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay
4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay. The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. Comparison and contrast is simply telling how two things are alike or different. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to ...
Comparative Essay
A comparative essay, also known as comparison essay or compare and contrast essay, is the type of essay that specifically analyzes two subject matters. There are a lot of academic fields where writing a comparative essay can be beneficial to students and their educational undertaking. Download Comparative Essay Bundle.
Comparative Literature
The writing sample is supposed to demonstrate your ability to engage in literary criticism and/or theory. It can be a paper written for a course or a section of a senior thesis or essay. It is usually between 10 and 20 pages.
Comparative Literature Essay Examples
Browse essays about Comparative Literature and find inspiration. Learn by example and become a better writer with Kibin's suite of essay help services. > Comparative Literature Essay Examples. 1,435 total results ... Comparative Literature Essay Examples. 1,435 total results. staff pick. graded.
5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)
Here they are explained below: 1. Essay Planning. First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you're comparing. I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:
Comparative Analysis Essay
What is a Comparative Analysis Essay? A comparative analysis essay is a type of essay that involves comparing and contrasting two things. This is a higher level of analysis in an essay. In this essay, you may be asked to compare or contrast different positions with regards to a particular issue, theories, figures, events or texts in literature.