Frankenstein/Heart of Darkness Comparison/Contrast Essay
Write a well-developed 4-6 paragraph comparison/contrast essay in MLA format with a works cited page on the
following topic. Begin by brainstorming the two sides or using a Venn diagram or other graphic organizer. Some
guidelines are explained below; you should study the various approaches to comparison on the back as well.
A Comparison/Contrast Essay:
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Explores the similarities and differences between two items
Reveals unexpected relationships between two items
Can be written to: inform, persuade, entertain, or evaluate
Uses specific examples to show similarities and differences
Is organized clearly
Uses transitions to clarify similarities and differences
The Introduction should:
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Express what is more important, the similarities or differences
Suggest a generalization made about two items
Draw a conclusion or relate a discovery from the comparison of the two items
Organization:
Choose a pattern to organize your essay. The two major patterns for organizing a comparison/contrast essay are:
Subject by Subject (Whole-to-Whole). Write first about one of your subjects, covering it completely, and then you write
about the other, covering it completely. Each subject is addressed in a separate paragraph. The points of comparison or
contrast should be the same for each subject and should be presented in the same order.
Point by Point. Each point is addressed in a separate paragraph. Discuss both of your subjects together for each point of
comparison and contrast. Maintain consistency by discussing the same subject first for each point.
Prompt:
1.
Read and review the documents on Setting introduced at the beginning of this unit. Consider the definition of
Setting we discussed: “The natural, manufactured, and cultural environment in which characters live and move,
including all their possessions, homes, ways of life, and assumptions. It is the physical and social context in which
the action of a story occurs. The major elements of setting are the time, place, and the social environment that frames
the characters. Setting can be used to evoke a mood or atmosphere that will prepare the reader for what is to come.”
The setting, and more specifically, the landscape and environment play major roles in both novels. What role does
the setting play in affecting and changing characters in the novels, dictating the events in the plot, and/or developing
themes? In addition, examine how literary devices such as imagery, mood, tone, and diction help to create the
setting. What is the message the authors are expressing through this?
Quotes/MLA Format/Sources
A works cited list must accompany your paper, listing all sources cited in your essay. You are also encouraged to cite in your
paper any of the critical articles we read in class, as these essays offer excellent insight into and analysis of many of the
issues we will be writing about, but be sure to use correct MLA format. In general, a work formatted for reading on an
electronic device like Kindle, Nook, and iPad is covered by 5.7.18. Begin the entry in the works-cited list like the entry for a
comparable printed work and end it with a designation of the medium of publication. The medium is the type of electronic
file, such as Kindle file, Nook file, EPUB file, or PDF file. If you cannot identify the file type, use Digital file. For example:
Rowley, Hazel. Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage. New York: Farrar, 2010. Kindle file.
Essays on Heart of Darkness: Ar mstrong, Paul B. Heart of Dar kness Joseph Conrad . Fourth
Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. Print.
Essays on Frankenstein:
Nardo, Don. Readings on Frankenstein. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Print.
***Read the pdf on Cross Referencing articles in a compilation found on the kirstenenglish.com page.
“Compare and Contrast” (from the OWL at Purdue)
This classic writing prompt can be quite challenging because it sounds almost as if you are being asked to compile a list of
similarities and differences. While a list might be of use in the planning stage, this prompt is asks you to use what you
discover to arrive at a conclusion about the two works under discussion.
Example: “Compare and contrast the two endings for Dickens’ Great Expectations paying special attention to the situation of
Stella at the close of the novel.” Strategy:
1. Find three or four elements from the texts upon which to base your comparison.
2. Examine possible connections and determine a thesis.
3. Base your outline around the elements you’ve chosen, remembering to give equal coverage to each side.
“Discuss the theme of x as it appears in works a, b, and c.”
This is an extended or re-named compare and contrast prompt. In this situation, you are given a general theme, such as “loss
of innocence” or “self-revelation.” Your job is to use the instances of that theme to arrive at some general conclusions
regarding how the theme works in the text you are analyzing.
Example: “Discuss the ways in which Shakespeare talks about the passing of time in three of the sonnets we read for class.”
Strategy:
1. Re-read carefully the selected works looking specifically for the theme or motif in question. Then research the ways
in which other critics have examined this theme.
2. Determine your argument. Will you make a claim for similarity (“A, b, and c use x in much the same way.”),
difference (“A, b, and c, when dealing with x, take highly individual approaches.”), or superiority (“While a and b
deal with x, c clearly demonstrates a richer, more nuanced treatment.”)?
3. Organize your paper around the works, making each point deal thoroughly with a discrete work. Remember that
connections are of the utmost importance for this paper, so pay close attention to your transitions.
“What is the role of women/the role of class/the role of the Other as presented in this work?”
All three examples above serve as first steps to the larger world of literary theory and criticism. Writing prompts like this ask
you to examine a work from a particular perspective. You may not be comfortable with this new perspective. Chances are
that since your instructor has given you such an assignment, the issues in question will be at least partially covered in class.
Example: “Discuss the ways in which the outsider or Other is dealt with in James Joyce’s story “The Dead.” Strategy:
1. Categorize the persons or characters in the piece. What are they in the most general, stereotypical way? Male or
female? Lower or upper class? Natives or foreigners? Strangers or friends?
2. Examine the ways in which the characters you’ve categorized fit or don’t fit into the boxes you’ve assigned them. Do
they support or undermine the categories, and what do others (including the author) say about them and their place in
the world?
3. Write your paper as if you were giving a new definition (or an amended definition)of the category in question using
the text as your guide. Your main points should highlight the ways in which the text uses or discards the accepted
categories.
“Critic A has famously said “B” about this work. In light of our study of the piece in question, would you
agree or disagree, why or why not?”
This sort of question is often asked as an in-class essay, but can appear as a prompt for larger papers. The goal of a
question like this is to give you the opportunity to deal with the critical voices of others in your own writings.
Example: “C.S. Lewis has said that Chaucer is “our foremost poet of joy” in the English language, and in this field he
“has few equals and no masters.” Discuss how this applies to the ending of “The Knight’s Tale” from The
Canterbury Tales.” Strategy:
1. Read and re-read the quote from the prompt several times. Ask yourself what seems to be the quote’s central claim.
2. Apply that claim to the relevant passage or work. In a way, you are being asked not to examine the literature so much
as the claim about the literature. Does it hold up to scrutiny in light of the actual text?
3. Your instructor would be equally pleased whether you agree or disagree with the critic’s views as long as you do so
in a scholarly fashion. Structure your paper around the claims made by the quote and use lines from the text to
support your own reaction.