1. Comparison-Contrast Essay
ENC 1102
Instructor Alling

2. Your immediate goal (Roberts 1412)
Two works, side by side
Similarities & Differences?

3. You learn (1412) To use description To make connections
To recognize distinctions
To use active, creative thinking
To better understand literary works by seeing what a work is and what it is not

4. Example “Parable of the Prodigal Son” Death of a Salesman
Father-son relationship
Brotherhood
Finding one’s purpose
By conclusion:
Father incoherent, dies
Brotherhood weakened
Older brother finds purpose
“Parable of the Prodigal Son”
Father joyful, lives
Brotherhood strained
Older brother resents purpose

5. Your essay needs purpose (1413)
Illuminate both works equally?
Highlight one work, with support from the other?
Claim one work is superior to the other?
Other?

6. Your essay needs structure
DON’T make all of your points about work #1, then about work #2
DON’T use the tennis-ball method
“. . . a better method is to treat the major aspects of your main idea and to refer to the two works as they support your arguments” (1414).
*READ pp aloud

7. Example Main idea in topic sentence #1
Details & Parenthetical Citations
Comparison/contrast of works supports main idea
Main idea in
topic sentence #1
Both works examine painful aspects of living with an immature younger brother.
Brotherhood weakens in DOAS
Likely that brothers will become estranged (Miller 1321, line 830)
Seems Happy will never change
(Miller 1326, lines 25-28)
Brotherhood is strained in “Prodigal Son”
Possible that brothers could reconcile
(St. Luke 340, lines 28 & 31-32)
Prodigal Son has changed
(St. Luke 340, lines 17-19)

8. Sample essay
Read Illustrative Student Essay (Two Works) on pp
Read Commentary on the Essay on p. 1421

9. Work Cited
Roberts, Edgar V. “Chapter 25. Comparison-Contrast and Extended Comparison-Contrast: Learning by Seeing Literary Works Together.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Fourth Compact Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, Print.