Comparison and Contrast: Showing Similarities and Differences

READING ACTIVELY AND THINKING CRITICALLY

Reading a comparison and contrast essay is somewhat different from reading other types of essays. First, the essay contains two or more subjects instead of just one. Second, the subjects are being compared, contrasted, or both, so you must follow the author’s points of comparison between or among them. (For more on reading actively, see Chapter 3; for more on thinking critically, see Chapter 4.)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR, HIGHLIGHT, AND ANNOTATE

Use these guidelines to read comparison-and-contrast essays actively. (For more on previewing, see Chapter 3.)

Preview. As you preview the essay, determine whether it uses a point-by-point or subject-by-subject organization. Knowing the method of organization will help you move through the essay more easily.
Understand the main point. Read the essay once to get an overall sense of how it develops. As you read, identify and highlight the thesis statement if it is stated explicitly. What does it tell you about the essay’s purpose and main point? If the thesis statement is implied, write it in your own words.
Identify the basis of comparison and main points of comparison. Indicate the basis of comparison in the margin or in your journal. Highlight the main points of comparison, and underline the details that support the comparison. Review the essay by drawing a graphic organizer (see Figures 16.1 and 16.2). Doing so will help you learn and recall the key points of the essay.
Think about the meaning. Reread the essay once again, this time concentrating on its meaning by answering the following questions:
- What is the writer’s purpose in writing this essay? For what audience is it intended? What techniques does the writer use to achieve his or her purpose with this audience?
- How well do the details support the main points of comparison or contrast? Does the comparison or contrast change your perspective on the subjects of the comparison or contrast? Would more or different supporting details have made the comparison or contrast more convincing?
Consider your reactions. Consider how the essay relates to your own experience. For example, while reading “Amusing Ourselves to Depth” you might think about your own response to the news — why you prefer The Daily Show or The Colbert Report to your hometown newspaper.

ANALYZING COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Comparison and contrast essays can be quite straightforward when the writer’s purpose is only to inform. However, when the writer’s purpose is also to persuade, you need to ask critical questions. (For more on bias, see Chapter 4.)

Does the author treat each subject fairly and equally? If the author seems to favor or give special consideration to one of the subjects (or if one subject seems not to be treated fairly, fully, or adequately), the author might be biased — that is, introducing his or her own values or attitudes into the comparison. The lack of balance may not be intentional, and a biased piece of writing is not necessarily unreliable, but you should be aware that the author may not have presented other points of view. In “Dearly Disconnected,” for example, Ian Frazier devotes more coverage to pay phones than to cell phones. He appears to be nostalgic about pay phones but somewhat annoyed by cell phones.

How does the organization affect meaning? In thinking about the question of fairness, notice whether and how the author uses a point-by-point or subject-by-subject organization. These two forms of organization provide different emphases.

Point by point tends to maintain a steady balance, keeping the reader focused on both subjects simultaneously. But starting with one topic may suggest the writer’s preference.
Subject by subject tends to allow in-depth consideration of each subject separately. But a writer may present one subject more favorably than the other by presenting that subject and all its characteristics first, thereby shaping the reader’s attitude toward it in a positive way before the reader encounters the second subject. Alternatively, a writer may present all the faults of the less favored subject first, leaving the reader with a final impression of the more favored subject.

As you consider the method of organization, ask yourself how the essay would be different if the writer had used the other method or reversed the order of the two subjects. For example, if Ian Frazier had used a point-by-point rather than subject-by-subject organization in “Dearly Disconnected,” he would have found it more difficult to include his personal reflections on the meaning of the pay phone in his life.

Are important points of comparison omitted? As you evaluate a comparison or contrast essay, consider the other comparisons or contrasts that the author could have made. Ask yourself how these omissions shape the reader’s impressions of the essay. In “Amusing Ourselves to Depth,” for example, Greg Beato could have discussed the type of audience that would be drawn to each type of publication, but he did not.