Overview: Compare & Contrast Essay

Overview: Compare & Contrast Essay

Compare & Contast Essay

Essay Assessment: Comparing and Contrasting Themes, Characters, and Plot Development

Prompt: In both The Most Dangerous Game and The Cask of Amontillado, the authors explore dark themes involving human nature, revenge, and survival. For your end-of-unit essay, write a multi-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting how these two stories handle the following aspects:

1. Theme: Both stories deal with complex themes of power, control, and morality. How does each story address the concept of hunting or trapping another person, and what commentary do the authors make about the nature of humanity through this?
2. Character Development: Analyze the main characters in both stories—General Zaroff and Montresor. How are these characters similar and different in their methods of achieving their goals? What motivates each of them, and how do they justify their actions?
3. Plot and Suspense: Compare the ways in which Connell and Poe build suspense and tension in their narratives. How does the setting contribute to the mood of the story? How does each story use unexpected twists or ironic elements to engage the reader?

MLA General Guidelines

Font and Text:

• Use a readable font, typically 12-point Times New Roman.
• Double-space the entire document.
• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.
• Indent the first line of each paragraph by one-half inch (use the "Tab" key).

Margins:

• Set one-inch margins on all sides of the document. These are preset in Word/Google

First Page:

• Upper left hand corner of paper:
• Student Name
• Teacher Name
• Course Name
• Date
• Paper Title: Centered on the page. Do not underline, add quotes or use italics for the title.

Additional MLA Info: Purdue OWL

MLA Sample Page

How to Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay is a sentence or two that clearly identifies the similarities and differences between two or more subjects and establishes the purpose of the essay. It serves as the guiding point for your comparison and provides a roadmap for your readers by stating what aspects will be compared and contrasted.

A thesis statement is one of the most important sentences in an essay. A thesis statement is a statement of opinion or position on the topic of the essay

To qualify as a thesis statement, it must:

• state your opinion or position
• mention the topic of the essay
• clearly convey the point you want to make in your entire paper

Remember that for a Compare/Contrast paper, you are either explaining the similarities or the differences, or both. In your essay you will identify both.

Your compare/contrast thesis statement must

• state whether you are comparing, contrasting, or both
• give a sneak peek into the points you are going to make in your paper.

Sample: Thesis Statement

Here’s a sample thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay focusing on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Bells and Annabel Lee:

Thesis Statement: "While both The Bells and Annabel Lee explore themes of love and loss, The Bells uses its rhythmic structure to develop a sense of escalating suspense and inevitability as the plot moves toward death, whereas Annabel Lee builds a timeless narrative of unwavering love, using the narrator's character development to convey an eternal connection that transcends death."

In this thesis:

• The subjects (The Bells and Annabel Lee) are clearly identified.
• The comparison is based on how each poem handles theme (love and loss), character development (escalating suspense in The Bells versus eternal devotion in Annabel Lee), and plot progression (The Bells focuses on the passage toward death, while Annabel Lee centers on timeless love).
• It sets up the essay’s direction by noting how suspense is created in The Bells, while Annabel Lee focuses on the emotional journey of the narrator.

Compare & Contrast Outline with Examples

• Explore the similarities, differences, or both of a subject or subjects
• Give examples, explanations, statistics, quotes, evidence, or arguments to support these similarities or differences

To set up a five-paragraph Compare or Contrast Essay, use the following outline:

Introduction Paragraph:

I. Introduction

• Hook: Start with a general statement that introduces the themes of the two works. This could be a broad observation about love, loss, or suspense in literature.
• Background Information: Briefly introduce the two works you are comparing (e.g., The Bells and Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe) and mention their overall themes.
• Thesis Statement: Present a concise thesis that identifies the subjects (both works) and outlines the key points of comparison (theme, character development, plot/suspense).

Compare & Contrast Outline with Examples

Body Paragraph 1:

II. Body Paragraph 1 – Theme

• Topic Sentence: Discuss how the theme of love and loss is explored in both The Bells and Annabel Lee.
• Comparison 1: Explain how The Bells presents love and loss as fleeting and tied to the inevitable passage of time and death.
• Comparison 2: Contrast this with how Annabel Lee presents love as eternal, even in the face of loss and death.
• Supporting Evidence: Use textual evidence from both works to support your points, such as key lines or stanzas that illustrate each poem’s treatment of love and loss.
• Analysis: Analyze the significance of these different thematic approaches and how they contribute to each poem’s overall impact.

Compare & Contrast Outline with Examples

Body Paragraph 2:

III. Body Paragraph 2 – Character Development

• Topic Sentence: Compare how character development unfolds in each poem.
• Comparison 1: In The Bells, the characters (represented through the different types of bells) are secondary to the escalating emotions and atmosphere, showing a broader view of humanity's response to death.
• Comparison 2: In Annabel Lee, the narrator's character is central to the poem, showing deep emotional development as he expresses his unyielding love for Annabel Lee.
• Supporting Evidence: Provide specific examples of character development in both poems.
• Analysis: Discuss how these differences in character focus contribute to each poem’s tone and message.

Compare & Contrast Outline with Examples

Body Paragraph 3:

IV. Body Paragraph 3 – Plot and Suspense

• Topic Sentence: Analyze how each poem builds suspense and develops its plot.
• Comparison 1: In The Bells, the suspense builds through the progression of the bell sounds, from joyful to alarming, creating a sense of impending doom.
• Comparison 2: Annabel Lee develops a more straightforward plot about a love that transcends death, with less focus on suspense and more on emotional depth.
• Supporting Evidence: Use examples from both works that illustrate how plot and suspense are constructed.
• Analysis: Explain the impact of suspense and plot structure on the reader’s experience of each poem.

Compare & Contrast Outline with Examples

Conclusion:

V. Conclusion

• Restate Thesis: Rephrase your thesis to summarize the key points you have discussed.
• Summarize Main Points: Briefly review the main comparisons you’ve made about theme, character development, and plot/suspense.
• Closing Thought: End with a final reflection on the significance of comparing these two works. Highlight why understanding these differences enhances the reader’s appreciation of Edgar Allan Poe’s exploration of love, loss, and human experience.

Excerpt from The Most Dangerous Game: “Off there to the right—somewhere—is a large island,” said Whitney. “It’s rather a mystery—” “What island is it?” Rainsford asked. “The old charts call it ‘Ship-Trap Island,’” Whitney replied. “A suggestive name, isn’t it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don’t know why. Some superstition—” Make predictions based on the excerpt and their prior knowledge:

• What do you think might happen on Ship-Trap Island?

• Why do you think the island is feared by sailors?