Setting Things Side by Side

Should we pass laws to legalize marijuana or block it? Should you go to school full-time or part-time? How is the work of Picasso like or unlike that of Matisse? How do the Republican and the Democratic platforms stack up against each other?

You can show why you prefer one thing to another, one course of action to another, one idea to another. If you’re trying to support a choice in an argument, a careful and detailed comparison and contrast may be extremely convincing. You can’t usually separate these 2 methods because no 2 subjects are entirely alike nor entirely unlike.

1) The purpose of showing each of 2 subjects distinctly by considering BOTH, side to side. While writing with this purpose, the writer doesn’t necessarily find one of the subjects better than the other. 2) The purpose of choosing between 2 things. To evaluate subjects, a writer shows how one is better than the other on the basis of some standard. Macs or PCs? To answer the question, the writer has to consider the features of both subjects (both positive & negative), then choose the subject whose positive features more clearly predominate.

When you find yourself considering 2 subjects side by side, or preferring one subject over another, you have already started comparing/contrasting. You have to be sure, though, that your 2 subjects have something significant in common. Comparison usually works best with 2 of a kind. What about when it seems like your 2 subjects aren’t alike at all?

Analogy “They crowded very close about him, with their hands always on him in a careful, caressing grip, all the while feeling him to make sure he was still there. It was like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water.” George Orwell A Hanging Make sure you have a valid reason for bringing your 2 subjects together. The similarities must be significant.

Ok, identifying the shared and dissimilar features of your subjects will get you started, but you also have to limit it. For example, how would you be able to compare and contrast the Russian way of life with the American way of life in 500 words? There’s no way you could include all the important similarities and differences. In this case, it would be better to select something more “narrow” for comparison, such as how day-care centers in Russia and the US are both like and unlike each other.

The basis for comparison will go hand in hand with the thesis of your essay The claim you have to make about the similarities & dissimilarities of 2 things, or about 1 thing’s superiority over another. “Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people.” – Suzanne Britt, “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” Britt not only identified her subjects, but also previews the purpose of the comparison (evaluation)

You need to organize your thoughts! Best way to plan is by making an outline – there are 2 different organizations to choose from. Let’s say you want to show the differences between vacationing in the mountains and vacationing at the beach. Your purpose is to explain the distinctive characteristics of the two locations.

Set forth all your facts about the mountains, then do the same for the beach. Next, sum up their similarities and differences. In your conclusion, state what you think you have shown. 1. Mountain Climate Type of activies Location 2. Beach Climate Type of activies Location 3. Summary 4. Conclusion

The subject-by-subject outline is great for a paper of few paragraphs, but for a longer one it’s not so practical. How can you remember all the details about the mountains while reading about the beach?

In this, you compare and contrast as you go. You consider 1 point at a time, taking up your 2 subjects alternately. In this way, you continually bring the subjects together, perhaps in every paragraph. 1. First difference between mountains and beaches is climate 1. Mountains 2. Beaches 2. Second difference between mountains and beaches are types of activities 1. Mountains 2. Beaches 3. Third difference between mountains and beaches is the location 1. Mountains 2. Beaches 4. Summary 5. Conclusion

Whichever way you choose to group your points, they have to balance. Don’t discuss 1 subject and not the other. If you don’t have anything to say about 1 point, then omit it all together. Be flexible. While you’re writing your essay, don’t keep the rigidity of the outline – the outline is just a tool for organization. You don’t have to go in order. Yes, you must mention the same features of both subjects, but there’s no specific rule in HOW to mention them.

Since you may have several points of comparison and alternating subjects, you can make it easier for your readers to follow along by using transitions: Finding resemblances between subjects: also, like, likewise, similarly Findng differences: but, however, in contrast, instead, unlike, whereas, yet Moving on to a new point: in addition, also, furthermore, moreover

“Traditional public schools depend for financing, of course, on tax receipts and on other public money like bonds, and as a result they generally open enrollment to all students without regard to background, skills, or special needs. Magnet schools are similarly funded by public money. But they often require prospective students to pass a test or other hurdle for admission. In addition, whereas traditional public schools usually offer a general curriculum, magnet schools often focus on a specialized program emphasizing an area of knowledge or competence, such as science and technology or performing arts.

Purpose: What is the aim of your comparison? To explain 2 subjects or to evaluate them? Will the purpose be clear to readers from the start? Subjects: Are they enough alike, sharing enough features, to make comparison worthwhile? Thesis: Does it establish a limited basis for comparison so that you have room & time to cover all relevant similarities/differences? Organization: Does your arrangement of material do justice to your subjects and help readers follow the comparison? Balance & flexibility: Have you covered the same features of both subjects? Have you avoided boring rigidity? Coherence: Have you used transitions and repetition/restatement to clarify which subjects and which points you are discussing?