structure

Traditional Compare/contrast structures Intro w/ claim Acknowledgement of differences Similarities Conclusion Intro w/ claim Acknowledgement of Similarities Differences Conclusion Suitable for this COMPARISON ESSAY assignment Mostly alike Mostly different

Straight Comparison structure Intro w/ claim Similarity (thematic) Conclusion ALSO Suitable for this COMPARISON ESSAY assignment

Compare-contrast ¶ org Work 1 and 2 do ____. Work 1 does x. Work 2 does x. transition Work 1 does y. Work 2 does y. transition Work 1 does z. Work 2 does z. Work 1 and 2 do ____. Work 1 does x………… , y ………………………………, z. Transition Work 2 does x…… , y ………………………………, z. MOST PRACTICAL for this essay Point-by-point Block

TASK Look at your claim– ID your THEME STATEMENT and DEVICE(S) Consider your STRUCTURE How many paragraphs? Compose TOPIC STATEMENTS for your paragraphs Check Does it match your claim? Is it MORE SPECIFIC? Do your EXAMPLES support it? If not, FIND OTHERS!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? PURPOSE: Guides essay INCLUDES: CLAIM THEME TOPIC PURPOSE: Guides essay INCLUDES: Title(s) and author(s) What (theme statement) How (device) PURPOSE: Guides ¶ INCLUDES: What this ¶ Will argue (piece of theme statement) How (specific device exs) PURPOSE: Guides argument INCLUDES: 2-3 thematic ideas Complex connection (cause and effect) Theme statement Device statement Effect Cause

claim I: In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Lucille Clifton’s poem, “Hips,” they show how people can only assert their true selves once they overcome oppression through the women’s physical totems.

TOPIC 1 Topic 1: Speaker and Janie use their totems to give them freedom Topic Sentence 1 Janie and the speaker of the poem both find themselves freed from the oppressive forces in their lives by their physical totems.

TOPIC 2 Topic 2 Speaker and Janie assert true identity because of their physical attributes Topic Sentence 2 Once their bodies free Janie and the speaker, they use these same physical attributes to assert their true identities as strong, beautiful women.

TASK Look at your claim– ID your THEME STATEMENT and DEVICE(S) Consider your STRUCTURE How many paragraphs? Compose TOPIC STATEMENTS for your paragraphs Check Does it match your claim? Is it MORE SPECIFIC? Do your EXAMPLES support it? If not, FIND OTHERS!