Historical Narrative Comparative Essay

The Assignment O Write an essay of 5 or more paragraphs comparing and contrasting 2 of the historical narratives you read.

Format O Handwritten blue or black ink or typed O One side of paper O 1” margins O Double spaced O Name, period, date, and title on 1 st page O Neat corrections O 3 rd person

Form O Essay O 5 or more paragraphs O No research O Intro, body, & conclusion

Introduction O Grabs audience’s attention O Clear thesis statement O Identifies the works by title (correct punct.) O Identifies the authors O Identifies the genre O Succinctly states the meaning of each of the works

Thesis Statement O 1 Sentence that clearly expresses the main idea of the paper O Example: _____ and ____ are similar/dissimilar works because _______.

Example Thesis O William Bradford’s historical chronicle Of Plymouth Plantation and Olaudah Equiano’s slave narrative The Interesting Narrative of the Life Of Olaudah Equiano are similarly important historical documents.

A Thesis for a Comparative Essay O In a comparative essay, you will be required to formulate a thesis that encompasses two or more features that you will be comparing and analyzing. Therefore, you will be writing a thesis that looks at multiple perspectives, not necessarily leaning one way or the other, but bringing out a central comparative idea between or among the things, issues, authors, etc., that you deem worthy as the focus of your essay.

Example of a Comparative Thesis O In Kate Chopin's book The Awakening and Charlotte Perkins Gillman's novella The Yellow Wallpaper, the female protagonists veer from the collective mainstream of a patriarchal society because of their pronounced feelings of alienation, frustration, and emotional and creative repression within this social structure, marked by the subordination of women.

Try something like this Although _______________________ and ________________ both written within 100 years of each other, their differences can mainly be contributed to _____________________. Although ____________________and _______________________were both written within 100 years of each other, their similarities can mainly be contributed to _____________________.

Try this O Although ___________________and _______________________ both express the hardships people endured in the early years of the American Colonies, readers are more likely to be sympathetic toward _____________’s narrative than ___________’s historical chronicle.

Body O Explains and develops the thesis O Provides supporting examples from the work to back up the main point of the paragraph O Uses 2 or more carefully selected quotes to help explain or give examples to points made in the paragraphs. O See “Compare/Contrast Essay Help Sheet”

Whole-to-Whole Organization I. Introduction II. 1 st piece information III. 1 st piece additional information IV. 2 nd piece information V. 2 nd piece additional information VI. Conclusion

Similarities-to-Differences Organization I. Introduction II. Piece 1 & 2 similarities III. Piece 1 & 2 similarities IV. Piece 1 & 2 differences V. Conclusion

Point-by-Point Organization I. Introduction II. Main point 1 about both pieces III. Main point 2 about both pieces IV. Main point 3 about both pieces V. Conclusion

Conclusion O Restates the thesis O Leaves the reader with a question, quotation, fresh insight, or memorable impression

To Turn in O Historical Narratives Notes pages 10 pts O Comparison Essay Planning pages 10 pts O 1 st draft 10 pts O Final draft 70 pts 100 points total