Literary Comparison Paper Assignment:
Write a paper (1250 to 1750 words) that compares and analyzes the use of a single element in two different texts.
Compare how the literary element functions or is illustrated in two assigned texts (1. LENSES: Perspectives on Literature. Edited by Beth Miller and Wesley Sexton, Fourth Edition. 2.FAHRENHEIT 451. By RAY BRADBURY with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman). The key is to focus on something that two texts have in common and then to compare and contrast how the two literary works tackle that similarity, but “it’s not enough simply to compare two works and discuss how they are alike and different; instead, your essay should discuss why those similarities and differences matter” (Miller and Sexton 107). Your thesis statement will make a claim about how/why these similarities and differences matter. Answer the question, so what?
Examples
• If you were examining symbolism, you might compare the road in O’Brien’s “Speaking of Courage” and “The Worn Path” in Eudora Welty’s short story or the sea in Arnold’s “Dover Beach” and Marquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World.”
• You might consider a theme evident in two texts. Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hurston’s “Sweat” make statements about marital power. Montag in Fahrenheit 451 and the villagers of Marquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” could be used to illustrate a theme of transformation.
• Another option might be to compare and contrast characters from different texts. Bambara’s “Gorilla, My Love” and Kingston’s “No Name Woman” are each narrated from the perspective of a younger member of a family group who reacts to their elders. Mayherne in Christie’s “Witness for the Prosecution” and Sherlock Holmes in Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” are both trying to find the truth.
Guidelines:
Begin by asking yourself which texts interest you; think about what they have in common. List literary elements for comparison and contrast, noting where in the stories you see evidence for your discussion.
Review the “Writing Essays for College Literature Classes” by LENSES: Perspectives on Literature, edited by Beth Miller and Wesley Sexton (Section in our textbook, pp. 97-110)
For a more engaging analysis, consider comparing and contrasting an element in narratives in two different genres.
Do not conduct research for this assignment; rely on the assigned literary texts and the textbook. If you do incorporate secondary sources (to provide cultural or historical context, for example), you must cite your sources; failure to do so constitutes plagiarism.
General requirements
• A thesis statement that clearly identifies your argument and indicates organization of the paper to follow
• General coherence and organization
• Sufficient textual evidence (quotations, paraphrasing) from the literary texts to support your claim, clearly connected to your argument
• 1250-1750 words
• MLA format for paper and Works Cited page (include the textbook and literary texts)
• Grammar and mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, spelling)
Process:
• First draft of at least 500 words (if you’d prefer to create a substantial outline of your paper).
• Second draft of about 1000 words.
• Final draft of 1250-1750 words in MLA format.
