Comparison & Contrast
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Transcript of Comparison & Contrast
COMPARISON & CONTRASTThe Riverside Reader
When you come in… Grab a book! Read: “Two Views of the River” by Mark Twain
pp.159-162 Consider:
What does Twain accomplish by dividing the two views of the river than alternating them beneath several headings?
Which attitude – poetic or pragmatic – does Twain anticipate his readers have toward the river? Explain your answer.
Where does Twain use transition phrases and sentences to match up the parts of his comparison?
Mark Twain’s “Two Views of the River.” Create a chart that demonstrates at
least five differences in the apprentice’sapprentice’s and the pilot’spilot’s views of the river.
Apprentice PilotEx. The river itself
“the grace, the beauty, the poetry”
“[I] looked upon it without rapture.”
1.2.3.4.5.
Comparison & Contrast Background
Compare = look for similarities
Contrast = look for differences
Purpose Analyze similarities & differences in a systematic,
useful way that brings out significant differences Strict comparison
Compare only things that are truly alike (actors with actors, musicians with musicians, but not actors with musicians)
Make a judgment, and finally a choice Fanciful comparison
Set up an imaginative, illuminating comparison between two things that don’t seem at all alike
Helps clarify a complex idea
Fanciful Comparison – Pitfalls Constructing an entire essay using a
fanciful comparison can quickly breakdown.
Use this method most effectively as a device for enlivening your writing and highlighting dramatic similarities. Probably won’t be using to make judgments
or recommend choices Capture readers’ attention and show new
connections
Audience Think about what your readers already know
and what they’re going to expect A lot about both (two popular TV shows)
Spend a little time pointing out similarities and concentrate on making the comparison
Very little about either (Buddhism & Shintoism) Define each, using concepts audience is familiar
with, then point out important contrasts A lot about one and a little about the other
(football & rugby) Use the known to explain the unknown
Keep the essay balanced (not 90% on Buddhism and 10% on Shintoism)
Strategies Divided, or subject-by-subject, pattern
Present all info on one topic before you bring in info on the other topic
Benefits: lets you present each part of essay as a satisfying whole; especially good in short essays
Drawbacks: sometimes writers slip into writing what seems like two separate essays; in long essays, writers may have trouble organizing material clearly enough to keep readers on track
Alternating, or point-by-point, pattern Work your way through the comparison point by point,
giving information first on one aspect of the topic, then on the other
Benefits: shows subjects side by side, emphasizing the points you’re comparing; good for longer essays to show many complex points to help readers see how those points match up
Drawback: if used on a simple topic in a short essay, it will sound choppy and disconnected, like a list
Strategies (cont’d) COMBINE strategies to make the best of
both worlds. Guidelines:
Balance parts Include reminders Supply reasons
Points to Remember1. Decide whether you want the pattern of
your comparison to focus on complete units (divided) or specific features (alternating).
2. Consider the possibility of combining the two patterns.
3. Determine which subject should be placed in the first position and why.
4. Arrange the points of your comparison in a logical, balanced, and dramatic sequence.
5. Make sure you introduce and clarify the reasons for making your comparison.
Homework… Read Deborah Tannen’s Rapport-Talk
and Report-Talk pp.174-187 Answer the questions that follow (also
available on next slide).
Read Deborah Tannen’s “Rapport-Talk and Report-Talk”
Purpose1. What does Tannen want to demonstrate about the
relationship between communication failure and conversational style?
2. How do size (the number of people) and status (those people claiming authority) contribute to Tannen’s comparison of rapport-talk and report-talk?
Audience1. What assumptions does Tannen make about the probable
gender of most of her readers?2. How does Tannen assume her audience can benefit from her
analysis?Strategies1. How does Tannen use advice columns, movies, and cartoons
to illustrate the problems of domestic communication?2. How does Tannen use her own experience as a lecturer to
compare the way men and women talk in public?