1. Writing the Comparative Essay
Women’s rights

2. Opening paragraph General statement about women’s rights in the 1700’s
Reference to the texts and authors you plan to compare
Points that you are going to compare
The point you wish to make

3. Points of comparison Similarities of ideas Differences of ideas
What does Chudleigh’s poem express that the essays do not?
What doe the essays express that the poem does not?
What of the three is most relevant to today’s society?
What is irrelevant to today’s society?

4. Possible Points to Compare
Attitude of men towards women?
Attitude towards marriage?
Justification of types of education (to develop character? To be better wives?)
Use of analogy? (flower, diamond, Eastern Prince)
Use of satire, humor?
Comparing audience and tone? (Wollstonecraft, men and women, persuasive tone; Defoe, men; condescending tone; Chudleigh, women, bitter tone

5. Organize ideas by similarities and differences
Analyze to compare points of
Theme
Context
Historical and modern relevance
Language
Audience
Tone

6. Organization of the Comparative Essay
Block Comparison
Analyze by sections: First, compare the similarities and then the differences in different paragraphs
Point comparisons: Analyze by making a point about one and then contrasting it with a contrasting point.

7. Block
Defoe’s audience consists of men as he appeals to them to accept the fact that women have greater “capacities” for learning and their “senses are quicker” (675). He acknowledges that men often feel threatened by a woman who is educated, but the reminds them that they have superior strength.
While Wollstonecraft also acknowledges that men have superior strength, she does not use this to make men feel less threatened; rather, she uses this argument to encourage women to be more “masculine” in how they use knowledge (673).

8. Point by point
Defoe’s audience consists of men as he appeals to them to accept the fact that women have greater “capacities” for learning and their “senses are quicker” (675), and while Wollstonecraft also acknowledges that men have superior strength, she does not use this to make men feel less threatened; rather, she uses this argument to encourage women to be more “masculine” in how they use knowledge (673).

9. Peer Review Read the essay and do not mark
Reread the opening paragraph: Include opening, titles (essays in italics, poem in quotes), point the authors make and thesis.
The thesis should be the last sentence in the opening paragraph and states the point that the student is going to make.
The body of the paper is organized by block or point by point
The supporting evidence is cited correctly
Read for composition skills and mark sentence structure, usage, grammar, and mechanics.