There are many times when I hear other student complain about writing a comparative essay. It’s true that they are somewhat harder than a classic one subject essay, which is why I made this guide. Here is how I learned (and prefer) to write comparative essays, particularly in English but it can easily be adapted to other subjects!
So lets go step by step through the essay:
>> TITLE
so this is a pretty important part of your essay and you will 100% be judged on it.
bad title = teacher isn’t excited to read
Your title should state the texts you’re talking about (whether it be the characters or authors) and the topic you are exploring.
I like to use the “quote” : statement of essay / subject of essay
Example: “These violent delights have violent ends” : Temptation and Revenge in Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Austen’s Persuasion.
YEah its long. but long titles aren’t necessarily bad.
Or follow the title format your teacher provides!
>> INTRODUCTION
no generalizations. you should be talking about your subject (i.e. books) from beginning to end. talking about the world and then narrowing to a thesis is a) very difficult and b) tells the reader that if you’re generalizing in your intro, you’ll probably be generalizing in the rest of your essay.
no “this essay will” statements. Just get into it. Stating what your essay will be doing is redundant and takes up precious words.
identify your subject in the first sentence. Don’t make the intro a long mystery to the subject. Stay to the point. Your subject shouldn’t be too far from your thesis.
set up your thesis. In one or two sentences, set the table for the meal! For comparison essays, I usually devote one sentence to each subject and explain how the topic (1st sentence) is related.
thesis statement. You have the table ready, and now its time to serve the meal. Your thesis statement should be what you argue. In some cases, teachers ask for your three justifications but some don’t. Make sure to check with your professor on what sort of thesis statement they prefer!
>> BODY
the ~fun~ part.
Generally, you should avoid re-stating comments made in class. You want your ideas to be original, to show the teacher you’ve truly understood and analyzed the texts.
integrate quotes plentifully and only what is necessary. The general rule I use is no quote over 6 words! Quoting one word is fine but that word should support your arguments. For example, its okay to say: Anne was “resentful” (Citation) and “genuinely disliked” Eric (Citation). It supports your statement and gives the citation right away.
That being said, combine quotes and ideas. Especially when the word count is small, its important to compress things into precise, and concise sentences. Try to explain, What and how in one sentence.
have a dense analysis. have nothing unnecessary. Every. Word. Counts.
****Don’t address the texts separately! Many have been taught to devote one paragraph to one text, another paragraph to the other text. DO NOT DO THIS! Address both. For example: Anne was “resentful” towards Eric when he cheated on her, just as Taylor was “angry” to the extent of “seeking revenge” upon Nate. Combine both as much as you can.***
do not take a bias. Address both texts evenly.
never mention the reader or the readers actions. you don’t control how the reader responds.
avoid summary-style writing. the teacher / grader knows the text, so you don’t have to summarize the plot.
make sure your arguments relate back to the thesis ALWAYS.
>> CONCLUSION
wow you did it and now you gotta wrap it up.
unset the table.
state how your arguments make your thesis correct.
ideally, you should dedicate one sentence to each paragraph and capture the essence of your arguments. So if you have 4 different body paragraphs, you should have 4 sentences.
the final sentence is a restatement of your thesis.
but don’t introduce anything new. you end with explaining how the two texts and the arguments associated with your thesis are important. and then you re-state your thesis.
my other tips / masterposts
stay humble study hard <3
