comparative literature essay questions

Free Comparative Literature Essay Examples & Topics

Comparative literature explores the relationship between works of fiction of different cultures and times. Its purpose is to establish the connection between specific genres, styles, and literary devices and the historical period. At the same time, it provides an insight into the meaning hidden between the lines of a given text.

What is a literary comparison essay? This academic paper requires a specific methodology but follows the typical rules. A student is expected to perform comparative textual analysis of a short story, novel, or any other piece of narrative writing. However, it is vital to remember that only the pieces with something in common are comparable.

This is where all the challenges start. Without an in-depth literature review, it is not always clear which works can and should be compared. Which aspects should be considered, and which could be left out? The structure of a comparative essay is another stumbling rock.

For this reason, our team has prepared a brief guide. Here, you will learn how to write a successful comparative literature essay and, more importantly, what to write in it. And that is not all! Underneath the article, we have prepared some comparative literary analysis essay examples written by students like you.

How to Write a Comparative Essay

Comparative literary analysis requires you to know how to correlate two different things in general. So let us start from the basics. This section explains how to write a comparative paper.

A good comparison essay structure relies on two techniques:

• Alternating or point-by-point method.

Using this technique, you dedicate two paragraphs for each new comparison aspect, one for each subject. It is the best way to establish similar and different features in the two novels. Such comparative analysis works best for research, providing a detailed and well-structured text.

1st Body Paragraph: Social problems in Steinback’s works.

2nd Body Paragraph: Social problems in Hemingway’s works.

3rd Body Paragraph: Psychological problems in Steinback’s works.

4th Body Paragraph: Psychological problems in Hemingway’s works.

5th Body Paragraph: Interpersonal problems in Steinback’s works.

• Block or subject-by-subject method .

This approach means that you divide your essay in two. The first part discusses one text or author, and the second part analyzes the other. The challenge here is to avoid writing two disconnected papers under one title.

For this purpose, constantly refer the second part to the first one to show the differences and similarities. You should use the technique if you have more than two comparison subjects (add another paragraph for each next one). It also works well when there is little in common between the subjects.

1-3 Body Paragraphs: Description of rural labor in Steinback’s works.

4-6 Body Paragraphs: Description of rural labor in Hemingway’s works.

You will formulate a thesis and distribute the arguments and supporting evidence depending on the chosen structure. You can consult the possible options in our comparative literature essay examples.

How to Conduct Literary Comparison: Essay Tips

Let us move to the main point of this article: the comparison of literature. In this section, we will discuss how to write an ideal essay in this format.

We suggest you stick to the following action plan:

• Choose literary works to compare. They should have some features in common. For example, the protagonist faces the same type of conflict, or the setting is the same. You should know the works well enough to find the necessary passages. Check the comparative literature examples below if you struggle with the step.
• Select the topic, thinking of similarities. The broader the matter, the more challenging the writing. A comparative study of the protagonists in two books is harder than analyzing the same theme that appears in them. Characters may have little in common, making the analysis more complicated.
• Find both differences and similarities. Once you’ve formulated the topic , make a list of features to compare. If the subjects are too different, choose the block method of contrasting them. Otherwise, the alternating technique will do.
• Formulate a thesis statement that has a comparative nature. It should convey the gist of the essay’s argument. Highlight the relationship between the books. Do they contradict, supplement, develop, or correct each other? You can start the thesis statement with “whereas.” For example, “Whereas Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice are full of pride, this trait leads them to different troubles.”
• Outline and list key elements. Select three to six comparable aspects depending on your essay’s expected length. Then, plan in what order you’ll present them and according to which technique.
• Link elements and write. Distribute the features among the comparative paragraphs. If you wish to prove that the books are more different than alike, start with the most diverging factors and move to the most similar ones.

That’s it! Thank you for reading this article. For more examples of comparative literature essays, check the links below.

745 Best Essay Examples on Comparative Literature

Hamlet, laertes, fortinbras: revenge for the deaths of their fathers, blindness in oedipus rex & hamlet.

• Words: 2788

Imagery and Theme in William Blake’s Poems

Gilgamesh and odysseus: a comparison.

• Words: 1373

Feminist Perspective: “My Last Duchess”, “To His Coy Mistress”, and “The Secretary Chant”

• Words: 1321

The Aspects of Human Nature That George Orwell Criticizes in His Work 1984 Compared to Today’s World

• Words: 1098

“The Lady with the Pet Dog”: Oates & Chekhov [Analysis]

Compare and contrast “to his coy mistress” & “to the virgins”.

• Words: 2413

Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” and Swift’s “Gulliver” Comparative Analysis

Compare and contrast wordsworth and keats.

• Words: 2298

Dante and Chaucer: The Divine Comedy and The Canterbury Tales Comparison

Comparison of douglass and jacobs narratives.

• Words: 1486

“Annabel Lee” and “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

William shakespeare “romeo and juliet” and “a midsummer night’s dream”.

• Words: 1773

The Absurd Hero as an Interesting Type of Hero in Literature and Movies

• Words: 1248

Comparison of Shakespeare’s and Donne’s Works

• Words: 1113

William Blake’ Poems Comparison: “The Lamb” and “The Tyger”

Comparison of ideas thomas more’s ‘utopia’ and machiavelli’s ‘the prince’.

• Words: 1502

Macbeth & Frankenstein: Compare & Contrast

• Words: 2483

The Great Gatsby and Winter Dreams by Scott Fitzgerald

• Words: 1695

Joy Harjo’s “She Had Some Horses” Analytical Essay

• Words: 1215

Atwood’s “Dancing Girls” and Achebe’s “The Madman”

• Words: 2787

A Rose for Emily: Faulkner’s Short Story vs. Chubbuck’s Film

• Words: 1103

The Play “Trifles” and the Short Story “A Jury of Her Peers” by Glaspell

Peter singer and onara o’neill: comparative position.

• Words: 1114

“The Hobbit”: Book vs. Movie

• Words: 2495

Power and Corruption in Shakespeare’s Plays

• Words: 2918

Characterization’s Importance in Literature

• Words: 1135

Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Literature Comparison

• Words: 2254

“Appointment With Love” and “The Gift of the Magi” Comparison

• Words: 1529

Racism in the “Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka

• Words: 1401

Comparing Robert Frost’s Poems: The Road Not Taken and A Question

Comparison of “hamlet”, “king lear” and “othello” by shakespeare.

• Words: 1687

Lamb to the Slaughter: Movie vs. Book

• Words: 1384

Women in “The Lady with the Dog” by Chekhov and “The Dead” by Joyce

• Words: 1153

Literature Comparison: A Raisin in the Sun and A Dream Deferred

Different cultures in tito’s good buy and in the land of free.

• Words: 1370

Sex and Sexuality in “Dracula” and “The Bloody Chamber”

• Words: 2053

Apartheid Imagery in “A Walk in the Night” and “A Dry White Season”

• Words: 1101

The Concept of True Love

• Words: 1369

“A Doll’s House” and “Death of a Salesman” Comparison

• Words: 1414

Compare and Contrast Lena Younger and Walter Lee Younger

The death of ivan ilych and the metamorphosis.

• Words: 3084

“Stardust” by Gaiman and “The Dispossessed” by Le Guin

• Words: 3031

Wiesel’s Night and Solzhenitsyn’s A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Concentration Camps Comparison

• Words: 1394

“Raisin in the Sun” and “Harlem”

Tim burton interpretation of “alice in wonderland”.

• Words: 3660

Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” & “Things Fall Apart” by Achebe: Comparison

• Words: 1183

Animals as Symbols of the Human Behaviour

• Words: 2856

Comparison: The Algonquin Cinderella (America) Vs Tam and Cam (Vietnam)

• Words: 1472

Salih’s “Season of Migration to the North” and “Othello” by Shakespeare

• Words: 2783

Rama and Odysseus as Eastern and Western Heroes

• Words: 1191

Robert Frost and Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison

Confessional poetry.

• Words: 1137

Nascent Colonialism in Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver

• Words: 2993

Comparing and contrasting “The Tyger” by William Blake with “Traveling through the Dark” by William Stafford

The mother image in a poem, a song, and an article.

• Words: 1494

A Critical Comparison of Two Readings

• Words: 1182

Role of Fate and Divine Intervention in Oedipus and The Odyssey

• Words: 1163

“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

British literature: beowulf vs. macbeth.

• Words: 1155

William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor: Comparison

• Words: 2094

Novels by Conrad and Forster Comparison

• Words: 1479

Ken Liu’s “Good Hunting” and The Perfect Match

“the fall of the house of usher” & “the cask of amontillado”: summaries, settings, and main themes.

• Words: 1258

“Hills Like White Elephants”: Argument Comparison

John donne’s and edmund spenser’s works comparison.

• Words: 1250

Roman & Greek Mythology in Pop Culture: Examples, Referenses, & Allusions

Father-son relationships in “my oedipus complex” and “powder”.

• Words: 1875

Nothing Gold Can Stay vs. Because I Could Not Stop for Death

• Words: 2314

Comparative Literature for Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning

• Words: 2289

Comic Heroines in “As You Like It” and Twelfth Night

• Words: 1673

Comparison: Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire

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• Words: 2433

“The Holy Man of Mount Koya” and “The Narrow Road to Oku”: Comparison of Emotions in Journey Narratives

Comparing two poems: essay example.

• Words: 1124

Comparison of G. Orwell’s “1984”, R. Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” and A. Huxley’s “Brave New World”

• Words: 1716

Symbols in Marlowe’s “Faustus” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost”

Main themes in “othello” and “chronicle of a death foretold”, similarities and differences of the book of dede korkut and layla and majnun.

• Words: 1499

‘Sex without love’ by Sharron Olds and ‘She being Brand’ by E.E Cummings

Contact and comparison of types of conflicts in white’s charlotte’s web and munsch’s the paper bag princess.

• Words: 1125

“The Bacchae” by Euripides, and “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt

• Words: 1920

The Road as the Cave: Concept in Literature

• Words: 2450

Hawthorne’s Concept of Evil in “Rappaccini’s Daughter” and “The Scarlet Letter”

• Words: 2692

Hamlet and King Oedipus Literature Comparison

Symbolism in “the birthmark” & “the minister’s black veil”, homage to my hips, “and the soul shall dance” by wakako yamauchi and “silent dancing” by judith ortiz cofer: significance of dancing as theme, ”othello” and ”chronicle of a death foretold”: a difference between love and passion, love for nature: a symptom of a lovesick heart.

• Words: 1010

Appearance vs. Reality in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”

• Words: 1831

Concept of Science Fiction Genre in Books “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury, and “Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov

• Words: 1086

Comparative study of three children literature books

• Words: 2733

Actions’ Effects in “Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe

Hawthorne’s “rappacini’s daughter” and “the birthmark”: comparison, relationship between parents and children, “the yellow wallpaper” by gilman and “my last duchess” by browning.

• Words: 1387

Chekhov’s vs. Oats’ “The Lady with the Pet Dog”

Cat’s cradle by kurt vonnegut.

• Words: 2060

Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” and Rhys’ “Wide Sargasso Sea”

• Words: 1545

A High-Toned Old Christian Women by Wallace Stevens

The fairy tales “beauty and the beast”, “the frog king”, and “the pig king”.

• Words: 2062

Identity in Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Alvi’s “An Unknown Girl”

Oedipus: three-way compare and contrast, poe’s “the fall of the house of usher” and “the black cat”, incomplete families: “the drover’s wife,” “the chosen vessel,” and “good country people”.

• Words: 2033

Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneas Comparison

• Words: 1623

“True Grit”: Book and Films Comparison

Deceiving appearances in “hamlet” and “the lion king”, setting in steinbeck’s “the chrysanthemums” and updike’s “a&p”, isaac asimov’s “robot dreams” and alex proyas’ “i, robot”.

• Words: 1359

Symbolism in “Everyday Use” by Walker and “Worn Path” by Welty

John milton’s “paradise lost” and christopher marlow’s “dr. faustus”: comparative analysis.

• Words: 2567

Exile of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s Prospero

Macbeth and hamlet characters comparison.

• Words: 1791

The Drover’s Wife by Murray Bail and Henry Lawson Comparison

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The ultimate topic list: 81 comparative essay topics.

December 27, 2018

During your career as a student, you will no doubt encounter the comparative essay – if you haven’t encountered it already. It is also known as the compare and contrast essay. This is a pretty complex writing assignment, we agree. However, we can assure you that you can surely write it. Furthermore, we are certain that you will manage to get a top grade. All you need to do is learn how to write comparative essay and then find some exceptional, original comparative essay topics. In this blog post, we will focus on helping you find the best comparative essay topics possible with minimal effort. In fact, we will provide 81 topics for you to choose from. Of course, you can change these best topics 2018 as you like. And yes, the topics are free for you to use as you desire. We are here to help college students with their assignments, and our professional writers are more than happy to provide you with the tips and topics you need to succeed.

What Is a Comparative Essay?

Before we start, let’s talk a bit about the comparative essay. We noticed that many students are having a hard time understanding what this assignment is and what it implies.

Basically, a comparative essay requires you to compare two subjects. Of course, these subjects must have at least some similarities. In your essay, you will compare the subjects – which can be anything you can think of – and note the similarities and the differences. It may sound easy, but be aware that everything you write needs to be properly researched and referenced. Remember, this paper must be written following all relevant academic writing standards.

If you are not familiar with academic writing, we suggest you start learning about it. Another option is to get some help online from an academic writer who has extensive experience with this kind of assignment (and with original comparative essay topics).

Why Comparative Essay Topics Are So Important

Most often, college students who know how to write an academic paper will start writing about the easiest topic they can come across. This is not the way to do it though! You need very interesting comparative essay topics if want a top grade on your paper. Why? Because professors pay a lot of attention to the topic you choose to write about. Think of it this way: your teacher has read hundreds of papers, all of them written on the same couple of topics. It tends to get boring. When you come up with some original, intriguing comparative essay topics, you instantly get bonus points. When you pique the interest of your professor, you can be sure that your paper will stand out from the rest in your class. This is why comparative essay topics are so important.

Ultimate List of 81 Comparative Essay Topics

Beginner’s topics.

• Comparing apples and pears
• Feeling sad versus feeling lonely comparison
• A comparison between hiking and surfing
• Comparing coffee and tea (with effects)
• Driving the car or taking the bus: which is better?
• Stay in a village or move to a big city?
• Humans and orangutans: similarities

General Interest Topics

• The differences between high school and college
• The PhD versus the Master’s degree
• Are education and employment so different after all?
• The major similarities between US and UK English
• Comparing Donald Trump to Barrack Obama
• Are argumentative and persuasive essays the same thing?
• Major differences between the Catholic and the Orthodox churches.
• The differences between legal cannabis use in two states of your choosing.

History Topics

• Comparing the Baroque Epoch to the Renaissance Epoch
• Are there any similarities between the Soviet government and the American government?
• Was King Louis the XIV better than King Henry the VIII?
• Differences between the North and the South ideologies during the Civil War.
• What changed from World War I to World War II (why casualties were far higher in WWII)?
• Comparing Stalin’s regime to Hitler’s regime.
• How similar were Washington’s ideas to Lincoln’s ideas?
• Comparing the United States to the European Union in terms of prosperity.

Political Topics

• Comparing the attributes of the UK Prime Minister to the US President
• Were Fascism and Nazism the same? If not, why?
• Similarities between Barrack Obama and George W. Bush
• President Trump’s border protection measures compared to Obama’s measures
• All political parties are the same in many aspects. Why?
• Compare the situation in Ukraine to the Syrian war.
• The differences between civil union and marriage in the United States
• Comparing the 1950s political regime to Trumps’ administration

Opposite Subjects

• The major differences between male humans and female humans
• Compare eBooks to printed books and find out which is better
• A quick comparison between the Moon and the Sun
• Coke versus Pepsi: which one is better?
• Attending university or getting hired: which is better?
• Comparing red and green: any similarities?
• What are the major similarities between asylums and jails?
• A comparison between Star Trek and Star Wars: Why they are different in all aspects

Social Media Topics

• Facebook and Twitter – Which one to choose?
• Facebook image posting or video posting?
• Comparing Facebook in the US with Facebook in Russia
• Facebook or Myspace when it comes to opportunities to interact with other users
• Social media marketing versus traditional marketing
• Online dating or real-life dating: which is better and why?
• Selling products on Facebook compared to selling products on eBay
• Facebook or Instagram – which is more damaging to college students?
• Comparing emails to traditional mailing: the similarities
• Which is more engaging, video games or smartphone games?
• Searching for jobs traditionally versus searching for jobs online
• Comparing Booking.com to AirBnb: major differences
• Comparing Kaspersky Labs antivirus to BitDefender antivirus
• Wide screen monitors versus ultra-wide monitors for productivity
• AMD or Intel processor? Why?
• Virtual Reality versus real life: similarities
• Comparing Alphabet to Microsoft in terms of product innovation

Philosophy Topics

• Comparing the philosophical views about life and death
• The difference between physical needs and mental needs of human beings
• Choosing a fantasy world over the real world: why?
• Hamlet and Macbeth: comparing the main ideas
• Are historians and philosophers similar? If not, why?
• What makes good good and evil bad?
• Humans are as wild as wild animals in some cases: comparing the two

Literature Topics

• Comparing the Indo-European languages to the Sino-Tibetan languages
• Comparing a drama to a comedy: major differences
• Non-fiction versus fiction literature
• What do you prefer, prose or poetry? Why?
• Comparing Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter (the books, not the movies)
• Comparing Shakespeare’s Othello to his Hamlet
• Comparing a British author to an American Author: Similarities and Differences
• Comparing the Greek Mythology to the Roman Mythology
• Comparing your two most bellowed authors. Any similarities between writing styles?

Most Popular Compare Topics

• Which is more difficult, driving a car or a bicycle?
• Which one do you like most, comic books or novels? Why?
• Comparing the Japanese vision of beauty to the American vision of beauty
• Things that Julius Caesar and Macbeth have in common
• Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump. Any striking similarities?
• Comparing textbooks to tablets for use in schools in the United States
• Which is better, communism or capitalism? Explain why.
• Comparing paid OS (Windows) to free OS (Linux).
• The major differences between South Korea and North Korea

How to Write Comparative Essay: Tips and Tricks

Now that you understand why you need new essay topics and have selected a topic from the comprehensive list above, it’s time for some comparative essay tips. The first tip is to start early – as early as possible. Make sure you have plenty of time to finish your work and then proofread it at least twice (this is the second tip). Make effective use of an outline, which must be created before you start writing the sections. Speaking of sections, make sure you familiarize yourself with the five paragraph essay structure. It’s simple to use, and you don’t even need to know how to write comparative essay to use it. Of course, another tip would be to find the most interesting comparative essay topics. However, make sure that you know at least something about the topic, otherwise it can be pretty difficult to write a paper about it. These tips will surely help you write the best comparative essay in your class. And remember, our best topics 2020 are free to use. Good luck!

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Comparative Literature Essay

When you hear the words comparative and literature in one sentence, what do you mostly think about? Do words comparing two or more literary works come to mind? What about if you add the word essay to the mix? Do you think it means comparing two or more literary works from different points of views and writing it down in the form of an essay and stating your opinion about it? If you ask yourself these types of questions and want to know the answers, why don’t you check this one out?

3+ Comparative Literature Essay Examples

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2. Sample Comparative Literature Essay

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4. Printable Comparative Literature Essay

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The Definition for Comparative

Defining the term comparative, this means to compare two or more things with each other. Compare, to consider the difference, to connect two things to each other.

The Description for Comparative Literature

This essay gives the writer the task to compare two or more literary works from the same writer. To compare the arguments, theories, events and the plot from different people’s points of view. Typically a comparative literary essay asks you to write and compare different literary genres and add your opinion about it. Of course this takes extensive research on the part of the writer as well.

Use of Comparative Literature

The use of a comparative literature essay for either a job, for education or for a journal is to expound on comparing two or more literary works and give out your explanation for the works you choose to talk about. More often than not, these types of literary essays are translated from different languages to the language you speak. It is also quite difficult to compare two literary works being criticized by different writers. This uses more analytical techniques than most essays.

Tips to Write a Good Comparative Literature Essay

As this is a type of essay that deals with comparing more than two literary genres and stories together, it may come off as difficult. But that issue has a solution as well. Here are some tips to help you write out a good comparative literature essay either for your class, a journal or for your job. This type of essay can also be helpful in practicing your comparing skills.

• Choose two topics: As this is to compare two or more literary pieces, choose the topic. Also choose two different people who are talking about the topic you choose.
• Do Research: Continuing from the first tip, do your research on each of the writer’s point of view . What do they think about the topic they wrote about? Who are you going to agree and disagree on? Your research will also help you make your own choice and write about it.
• Weigh each compared text as equal as possible: You may choose a side when writing this but also as you are comparing, weigh each subtopic you found in your research as equal as possible. Give a few opinions here and there but stick to the researched facts as well as focusing on the similarities of the two articles and their differences.  
• Watch out for grammatical errors, misspelled words and incorrect punctuations: Just like any other essay you write, watch your spelling and grammar. Put the correct punctuations in the right place.
• Revision is key: Once you are done, revise anything that needs to be revised. Check everything if you have the right information in place.

How many topics do I need to compare?

Choose one literary writing. Do some research on what other writers say about the literary writing you chose and compare what they have written.

How many paragraphs do I need to write this type of essay?

3 full paragraphs. The first would be your introduction to the topic you are going to be comparing to, the second which is the body consists of weighing each of the text, comparing and contrast. The last paragraph is your conclusion.

Should I cite some of the research that I did on my essay?

Whether you are using the quotation of the writers you searched for, always cite where you seen it, and the date. This is to avoid plagiarism.

How many words does this essay take?

60,000 and 75,000 if you are making more than one essay.

This type of essay can be tricky compared to the rest of the essays. But with extensive research and practice, you are sure to write and compare the same way as most professionals are able to do. Good Luck!

Comparative Literature Essay Generator

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Explore the theme of love in literature across two different cultures in a Comparative Literature Essay

Analyze how two authors from different periods address social injustice in a Comparative Literature Essay

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The Comparative Essay

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What is a comparative essay?

A comparative essay asks that you compare at least two (possibly more) items. These items will differ depending on the assignment. You might be asked to compare

• positions on an issue (e.g., responses to midwifery in Canada and the United States)
• theories (e.g., capitalism and communism)
• figures (e.g., GDP in the United States and Britain)
• texts (e.g., Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth )
• events (e.g., the Great Depression and the global financial crisis of 2008–9)

Although the assignment may say “compare,” the assumption is that you will consider both the similarities and differences; in other words, you will compare and contrast.

Make sure you know the basis for comparison

The assignment sheet may say exactly what you need to compare, or it may ask you to come up with a basis for comparison yourself.

• Provided by the essay question: The essay question may ask that you consider the figure of the gentleman in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall . The basis for comparison will be the figure of the gentleman.
• Developed by you: The question may simply ask that you compare the two novels. If so, you will need to develop a basis for comparison, that is, a theme, concern, or device common to both works from which you can draw similarities and differences.

Develop a list of similarities and differences

Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them.

For example, you might decide that in Great Expectations , being a true gentleman is not a matter of manners or position but morality, whereas in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall , being a true gentleman is not about luxury and self-indulgence but hard work and productivity.

The list you have generated is not yet your outline for the essay, but it should provide you with enough similarities and differences to construct an initial plan.

Develop a thesis based on the relative weight of similarities and differences

Once you have listed similarities and differences, decide whether the similarities on the whole outweigh the differences or vice versa. Create a thesis statement that reflects their relative weights. A more complex thesis will usually include both similarities and differences. Here are examples of the two main cases:

While Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life” and Mistry’s “Of White Hairs and Cricket” both follow the conventions of the coming-of-age narrative, Callaghan’s story adheres more closely to these conventions by allowing its central protagonist to mature. In Mistry’s story, by contrast, no real growth occurs.

Although Darwin and Lamarck came to different conclusions about whether acquired traits can be inherited, they shared the key distinction of recognizing that species evolve over time.

Come up with a structure for your essay

Note that the French and Russian revolutions (A and B) may be dissimilar rather than similar in the way they affected innovation in any of the three areas of technology, military strategy, and administration. To use the alternating method, you just need to have something noteworthy to say about both A and B in each area. Finally, you may certainly include more than three pairs of alternating points: allow the subject matter to determine the number of points you choose to develop in the body of your essay.

When do I use the block method? The block method is particularly useful in the following cases:

• You are unable to find points about A and B that are closely related to each other.
• Your ideas about B build upon or extend your ideas about A.
• You are comparing three or more subjects as opposed to the traditional two.

302 Comparative Literature Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on comparative literature, ✍️ comparative literature essay topics for college, 📌 easy comparative literature essay topics, 👍 good comparative literature research topics & essay examples, 🌶️ hot comparative literature ideas to write about, 💡 simple comparative literature essay ideas, 🎓 most interesting comparative literature research titles.

• “Mericans” by Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Okita
• Comparison S. Glaspell’s Play “Trifles” and “A Jury of Her Peers”
• “My Father Is a Simple Man” by Luis Omar Salinas and “A Red Palm” by Gary Soto: Comparative Analysis
• “Ghosts” vs. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
• Absurdity in “The Metamorphosis” and “The Stranger”
• Gothic Elements in Victorian Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre
• Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison
• Stream of Consciousness in Joseph Conrad and TS Eliot Literature This paper discusses two famous works of literature – James Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and TS Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” – and analyzes their use of stream of consciousness.
• The Theme of Duality in Literature The theme of duality is a common topic for many literary works, including Shelly’s Frankenstein, Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
• Emily Dickinson vs Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison It should be noted that the two poems When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer by Walt Whitman and 324 by Emily Dickinson have both similarities and differences.
• Irony in Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Rose for Emily This essay analyzes the similarities and differences of the functions played by irony in both “A Rose for Emily” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge”.
• Metaphors and Figurative Language in Updike’s “A&P” and Pastan’s “Marks” Figurative language and metaphors are used in short stories and poems to establish mood, enhance daily language, and make the works more expressive and brighter.
• “Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” Comparison William Faulkner is a master mind when it comes to writing short stories. “Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” are two of the most exceptional stories written by him.
• Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost The verses “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare are show poets’ ability to capture the essence of life, depict the inevitability of choice and eternity.
• Resilience in “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare Both Oedipus and Hamlet have difficulties accepting horrible truths about themselves and their families; however, Hamlet seems to be more resilient.
• “Jane Eyre” and “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” Novels Comparison The comparison and contrast opinion of the novels of Charlotte Bronte and Thomas Hardy is made possible by the fact that both authors wrote these books during the same time period.
• Comparison and Contrast of the Poems Written by British Romantic Poets The three poems written in the period between the 1780s and 1810s present the three stages of the development of Romanticism in Britain.
• Perseus and Moses Heroes’ Journey Pattern This paper provides an analysis of two heroic figures from the mythology/religion of two peoples: Perseus of the Ancient Greek mythology, and Moses from the Abrahamic religions.
• Byron, Keats, and Shelley: The Era of Romanticism The three poets and their works need to be studied together to develop a clear and multifaceted experience of the epoch of Romanticism.
• Oedipus Versus Hamlet: Resilience in Characters Resilience as the ability to hold onto one’s beliefs despite the odds that the world may throw at a person is one of the traits that appeal particularly strongly to readers.
• Negritude: Aime Cesaire and Leopold Sedar Senghor Works Comparison This paper focuses on the works of two well-known authors associated with the movement called Negritude, Aimé Cesaire and Leopold Sedar Senghor.
• “Houseboy” by F. Oyono and “Things Fall Apart” by C. Achebe Comparative Analysis The focus of the novels, Houseboy by F. Oyono and Things Fall Apart by C. Achebe is on the early 1900s colonialism, when the majority of European nations set up colonies in Africa.
• Discrimination in White’s “Charlotte’s Web” and Levine’s “Hana’s Suitcase” The theme of discrimination stands out clearly in “Charlotte’s Web” – a classic fictitious children’s novel by E. B. White and “Hana’s Suitcase” – a non-fiction story by Karen Levine.
• Theme of Little Red Riding Hood: Comparing the Versions of Perrault vs Grimm The paper compares two stories of Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and by Charles Perrault analyzing the plot and providing own explanation to the plot concept.
• The Theme of Reflection in the Poems The paper analyses and provides the theme of reflection of the poems, “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” by John Milton and “Sad Steps” by Philip Larkin.
• Hero’s Journey: A Comparison of The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The Odyssey While Gilgamesh spends his time seeking eternal life, Odysseus seems more interested in living the life that he has. Odysseus’ hero journey exemplifies “how one ought to live”.
• The Back of the Bus’ by Mary Mebane and ‘The Sanctuary School’ by Lynda Barry Two works by Mebane and Barry represent the experiences of young girls who have to overcome negative emotions and fears that affect them at the moment and find happiness.
• The Emotional Meaning of Home in Literature Home has an emotional connection to each one of us. For example, Silas the dying old servant in Robert Frost’s “Death of a Hired Man” sees the home as the fortress.
• Comparing Troy Maxson (“Fences”) and Walter Lee Younger (“A Raisin in the Sun”) This paper compares characters from “A raisin in the Sun” and “Fences” – two plays that show African-American families dealing with their daily hardships and tensions.
• Othello and Antigone: Compare & Contrast There can be little doubt as to the fact that Sophocles’ “Antigone” and Shakespeare’s “Othello” are highly emotional dramaturgic pieces.
• Sexual-Orientation Oppression in “Now That I Am Forever with Child” and “Condition XXI” Lorde’s “Now That I Am Forever with Child” and Hemphill’s “Condition XXI” are the examples of the poets’ vision of the specific role of women in the society with references to their gender and sexuality.
• Adelita and Cinderella Characters’ Comparison Cinderella, which is inherent to the English tradition, and Adelita, which belongs to the Mexican tradition, share the same storyline and the overall message and moral.
• King’s “Colour of Walls” and Heker’s “The Stolen Party” The present paper will explore and analyze “Colour of Walls” by Thomas King and “The Stolen Party” by L. Heker.
• The Stories of Mental Illness: “A Rose for Emily” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” The essay examines the differences and similarities in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Poe in terms of literary devices and meanings.
• Margaret Atwood’s and Gloria Steinem’s Views on Pornography Comparison Essays are focused on associating pornography with depicting sexual violence against women or other victims, and the main difference is in discussing the context of pornography.
• Racism in “Being Brought From Africa to America” and “A Letter From Phyllis Wheatley” Both poems “Being Brought From Africa to America” and “A Letter From Phyllis Wheatley” are great reflections on the racism issue, and even now, their demand is not decreasing.
• Romeo and Juliet vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast Antigone is a play where the characters are concerned more for their perceptions of the right and wrong that should prevail in the world around them.
• Love in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” The main characters of both modern and traditional works, “Pride and Prejudice” and “The Great Gatsby,” openly say that a human cannot hide her feelings.
• Stranger in a Strange Land: Gregor Samsa & Meursault This essay depicts the self-tribulations that two men, Gregor Samsa and Meursault, deal with in their separate yet similar lives.
• The Theme of Change in Poetry The aim of the present work is to analyze the realization of the theme of change in the works of imaginative literature that belong to different cultural and historical epochs.
• “The Lottery” by Jackson and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Le Guin Analysis of the stories written by Jackson and Le Guin allows one to plunge into the seemingly perfect worlds, where everyone becomes a victim of artificially created morality, and find many common ideas.
• Contrast Analysis “I, Too” and “I Have a Dream Analysis” Comparing “I, Too” and “I Have a Dream Analysis” shows that both Martin Luther King and Langston Hughes are hoping to stop racial biases and free black folks.
• “The Necklace” and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” “The Necklace” by Maupassant and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence – stories revolve around families of medium-income with women who are deeply dissatisfied with reality.
• Realism, Naturalism and Magical Realism in American Literature This study analyzes magical realism in “The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and her Heartless Grandmother”, “Eva Inside Her Cat”, and “Big Fish”.
• “The Necklace” vs. “Paste”: Character Comparison In these two short stories, Mathilde is portrayed as the pretty and charming wife of Mr. Loisel, a minor clerk in the Ministry of Education.
• Short Stories Analysis: “The Necklace” and “The Last Leaf” This work considered short stories “The Necklace” and “The Last Leaf” and their interesting plot line. Particular attention is directed to the characters, emotions and experiences.
• Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes: Poetry Comparison Comparing the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes reveals similar approaches to sound including specific brevity of statement and a focus on a specific element of the black experience.
• A Modest Proposal by J. Swift and Candide by F. M. Arouet Literature Analysis According to Jonathan Swift and Marie Arouet, women are nothing more than sexual tools that men use, not only to satisfy their sexual desires but also for pleasure.
• Sedaris’ “Us and Them” and “Who Is Malala?” by Yousafzai Both written pieces represent memoirs, which implies that those stories happened in real life, and it raises more exceptional emotions within the readers.
• Comparing “The Egg” by Weir and “Other People” by Gaiman In Neil Gaiman’s short story Other People, a person finds himself in Hell, and his greatest torture is to relive his life through the eyes of those he hurt.
• “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe This paper will focus on the comparison of styles and themes in two of Poe’s short stories: “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat”.
• The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby: Comprare & Contrast ‘The Great Gatsby’ by S.Fitzgerald and ‘The Sun also Rises’ by E.Hemingway touched the themes of human challenges, racism and isolation under the impact of war events.
• A Comparison of “Hamlet” by Shakespeare and “Wuthering Heights” by Bronte Literature has a way of continuing to explore many of the same themes that seem to plague mankind throughout history.
• Injustice in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton’s Paradise Lost The monster created by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein and the character of Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost are obsessed with the idea of injustice and revenge.
• Comparing “The Egg” by Andy Weir and “Other People” by Neil Gaiman The two short stories have several similarities in themes and context. Both center on two characters, one of which is a deceased person, and the other one is a supernatural being.
• Challenging the Rules in “Animal Farm” and “Fahrenheit 451” Orwell’s Animal Farm is a satirical parody of events that took place in the Soviet Union after the 1917 revolution.
• Henry Thoreau’s The Battle of The Ants’ and Virginia Woolf’s The Death of The Moth’ Henry Thoreau’s ‘the battle of the ants’ and Virginia Woolf’s ‘the death of the moth’ are two exceptional essays that depict the life of small creatures.
• Conflicts in “Girl” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” In “Girl” and “Where are you going, where have you been,” there are two protagonists with similar issues and conflicts.
• Mustafa Sa’eed from Season of Migration to the North Compared to Shakespeare’s Caliban & Othello Mustafa Sa’eed is uniquely similar to Caliban from William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in his resistance to invading cultures of colonialism through the context of sexual revenge.
• Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe’s Detective Stories The works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe are separated by nearly half a century, but they are united by the genre.
• “Blackberries” by Ellen Hunnicutt and “Blackberries” by Leslie Norris – Comparison The Hunnicutt’s story does not end with a radical change, whereas the story by Norris shows that the boy has matured significantly during the quarrel between his parents.
• Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Way of the World Literature Compare This paper disscusses the success of the tragic comedy genre in such plays as Tartuffe by Moliere, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and The Way of the World by William Congreve.
• Psychoanalytic Reading of Hoffmann’s and Kafka’s Works In this paper, we will aim at exploring the motifs of “uncannyness”, contained in Hoffmann’s “The Sandman” and in Franz Kafka’s stories “The Metamorphosis” and “The Judgment”.
• Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” vs. Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Comparison The two stories that will be analyzed are “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin.
• Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Literary Styles Comparison One of the differences between Whitman and Dickinson was the thematic elements that they utilized. This embodied a greater difference between the two authors which will be discussed in this paper.
• Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique The stories of both have been repeated countless times and used in cultural references and in making big budget movies which speaks of their pervasive affect.
• Killings for Love in Shakespeare’s and Garcia’s Works In both Shakespeare’s Othello and Garcia’s Chronicles of a Death Foretold, the themes of love, passion, and death are connected. Do the killings in the novels occur for love?
• The Story of an Hour and Hills Like White Elephants Literature Comparison This paper is aimed at discussing two short stories, namely The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. They throw light on the experiences of women.
• Phyllis Wheatley and Philip Freneau: Poems Comparison This paper is about the poems “On being Brought from Africa to America” by Phyllis Wheatley and “On the Emigration to America and Peopling the Western country” by Philip Freneau.
• “Joy” by Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Gay: Comparative Analysis The goal of this paper is to analyze the genres of works “Joy” by Zadie Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Roxane Gay, compare them and describe their literary features.
• “Sunflower Sutra” and “Der Gilgul” Analysis This work focuses on Allen Ginsberg’s “Sunflower Sutra” and Jerome Rothenberg’s “Der Gilgul”, developing the authors’ perspectives on humanity, sorrow, and society’s negative qualities.
• Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories The antagonist-protagonist opposition is one of the possible driving forces of the central conflict of literature work.
• Science Fiction Then and Now This paper compares classic scientific fiction from prominent writers (Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury) and recent science-fiction writers (Tim Maly, Mike Krath, Jack London).
• Civil War Poetry by Whitman, Melville and Dickinson This essay discusses the war poems of Whitman in his Drum-Taps, Melville’s Battle Pieces, and those poems written by Dickinson on the civil war. The paper compares the style of writing.
• Fate vs. Free Will in “The Odyssey” and “Oedipus the King” This essay compares the ways the two authors use in “The Odyssey” and “Oedipus the King” to portray the power of fate over free will despite human and divine intervention.
• Resilience in Hill’s The Illegal, D’Angelo’s The Step Not Taken, The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up Common themes connect many works of art and literature. This is true for “The Illegal” by L. Hill, “The Step Not Taken” by P. D’Angelo, and “Get Up Stand Up” by The Wailers.
• “Mother Tongue” by Tan and “Learning to Read and Write” by Douglass Mother Tongue and Learning to Read and Write are truly persuasive and engaging examples of the literacy narrative genre.
• The Issue of “Othering” in Literature The issue of “othering” is clearly illustrated in Frantz Fanon’s “The Fact of Blackness”, Nina McConigley’s “White Wedding”, and Eula Biss’ “White Debt”.
• Poems Comparison and Contrast: “Divorce” and “The Sick Rose” This essay focuses on comparing and contrasting imagery and figures of speech used in two poems; Collins’ “Divorce” and Blake’s “The Sick Rose”, and their implication in poetry.
• Compare and Contrast “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Raven” Compared to Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” more images of violence and blood are depicted in his poem “The Raven.”
• Iliad and Odyssey: Hector and Menelaus Comparison The Iliad and the Odyssey have great significance due to the lyrical content they encompass. It is vital to consider two characters in these readings – Hector and Menelaus.
• “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu vs. “Othello” by Shakespeare “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu is an example of a Non-Western work of literature that qualifies as classics. “Othello” by William Shakespeare is an example of Western classics.
• “Company Commander” by Charles MacDonald and “Frontsoldaten” by Stephen Fritz: Books Comparison “Company Commander” by MacDonald highlights the U.S. Army Captain’s experiences. “Frontsoldaten” by Fritz describes the experiences of German soldiers on the battlefield.
• Heroine Analysis: Helen and Penelope in “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” The story of Helen and Penelope in both works by Homer display different destinies of two most eminent heroines in terms of their participation in the development of actions shown in both books
• Recognition in Sophocles’ ”Oedipus Rex” and Homer’s ”The Odyssey” The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the scenes of recognition in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” and Homer’s “The Odyssey.”
• Parallels Between “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies” In “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies,” the parallel between the story of Shahrazad and King Shahrayar and the Merchant and the Demon seems to be direct.
• Cisneros’ “Mericans” and Okita’s “In Response to Executive Order 9066” Stories The paper compares the stories “Mericans” by Sandra Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Dwight Okita.
• “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and “The Good Samaritan” by Luke In this paper two stories will be analyzed: the short story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and the passage from Luke, which presents the parable of the Good Samaritan.
• The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest: Being “Civilized” or “Uncivilized” The Epic of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s The Tempest demonstrate that the application of labels is relative, implies adverse outcomes, and is used to critique the colonial process.
• “Some Are Born to Sweet Delight” by Gordimer and “When the Towers Fell” by Kinnell The story “Some are born to sweet delight” by Nadine Gordimer and the poem “When the towers fell” by Galway Kinnell penetrate the readers with their gravity and feeling of death.
• “The Boat” by Alistair MacLeod and “The Loons” by Margaret Laurence The first short story that we are going to discuss is called “The Boat”, it was written by a prominent Canadian fiction writer Alistair MacLeod.
• True Freedom Theme in American Short Stories “The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe, “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed” by Bradbury, and “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin are analyzed through an understanding of true freedom.
• Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison This paper aims to compare the poems Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Virginia Scott’s Snow and discuss rhetorical and literary devices used by the authors.
• Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison In her “Homage to my hips” and “Won’t you celebrate with me,” Clifton proclaims her ideas of African American women’s beauty and freedom.
• The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey show that humans’ actions can lead to their sufferings. The works of Homer and Virgil refer to death of warriors and innocent individuals.
• Literature Comparison of The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use The issue of loneliness and the slow descent into madness discussed in the two famous novels, The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use. These two novels share a number of common and different elements.
• The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun” This essay will consider “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun” and the literary elements used for plot and character development and symbolism in these works.
• Societal Monsters in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” A special consideration requires different interpretations of social fear in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Chinua Achebe’s literary masterpiece Things Fall Apart.
• Main Historical Themes in the Contemporary Literature This paper focuses on three writings from Worlds of Fiction, namely, I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen, The Guest by Albert Camus, and Bernard Malamud’s The Jewbird.
• “The Excursion” and “A Defence of Poetry” Comparison The Excursion, a poem by William Wordsworth, and A Defence of Poetry, an essay by Percy Bysshe Shelley, are among the most prominent examples of Romantic literature in England, displaying all of the elements by which the period may be characterised.
• W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey’ Works Comparison “The Souls of Black Folk” by W E B Dubois and “Africa for the African” by Marcus Garvey are regarded masterpieces and they are studied to get an understanding of positions of these authors.
• Richard Wright’ and Langston Hughes Literature Comparison Richard Wright and Langston Hughes are the writers that were very concerned about the racial issues in the society of the United States of America.
• Comparing “To Winter” by Claude McKay and “After the Winter Rain” by Ina Coolbrith “To Winter” and “After the Winter Rain” are visibly structured in different ways, and both authors opt for using various stylistic devices in their pieces.
• “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “To Build a Fire” Comparison The two short stories, very different in their context and settings, create an unsettling atmosphere in their ways.
• Woolf’s “Orlando” & Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” Novels The topic of clothes and costumes in the novels “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf and “Moll Flanders” by Daniel Defoe was discussed in this paper.
• Soto’s “Broken Chains” and “Fish Creeks” by Tan As for the story Fish Creeks, the Chinese girl is in pain due to cultural differences with her beloved person who is an American.
• Theme in Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” This comparative drama essay discusses similar themes of Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”– gender differences and the role of women in those times.
• Shakespeare’s Othello’s and O. J. Simpson’s Tragedies This article compares and contrasts Shakespeare’s Othello and O.J. Simpson in the context of racism and class inequality.
• The Curse vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast “Antigone” by Sophocles is a story about family relations, reason, and passion. The story “The Curse” by Andre Dubus discloses the idea of responsibility for one’s honor.
• “Essentials of Young Adult Literature” and “Entering the World of Children’s Literature” Both books are dedicated to the most efficient methods of structuring reading classes, choosing literature by topics and genres, and designing the reading course the way you want.
• Poems Comparison: The Necklace and I Stand Here Ironing This paper compares and contrasts Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, to analyzes the way the authors examined the subject of poverty.
• Animals in “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and “Gulliver’s Travels” This paper compares animal species in Miguel de Cervantes’ “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels: Part IV. A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”.
• Little Red Riding Hood by Dahl and Perrault Little Red Cap is a folk text initially written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. This work compares different versions of LRRH, including Roald Dahl and Charles Perrault’s authors.
• Rules of the Game and Two Kinds: Books Comparison Amy Tan used two books, “The Rules of the Game” and “Two Kids” to address parenting roles in different scenarios. In “The Rules of the Game”, she exposes a mother’s supportive attitude.
• Symbolism in Literature: “The Raven”, “Young Goodman Brown” This paper discusses how the authors use symbolism to create a certain subtext for the reader in “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
• Comparing and Contrasting “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooke and “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen In the Poem “The Mother,” the writer Gwendolyn Brooke speaks out on the highly debatable topic of abortion. The second poem, “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen, portrays different kinds of pain.
• Twain’s and Hemingway’s Short Stories Comparison Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” and Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” are centered around dialogue and contain realism and minimalism elements.
• Poems Comparison and Analysis The poems are connected based on the content because both Poem 1 and Poem 2 are discussing children who were having fun until one of them is hurt.
• Barker’s Regeneration & Plath’s The Bell Jar: Compare & Contrast Essay This paper compares the ways in which Pat Barker in "Regeneration" and Sylvia Plath in "The Bell Jar" explore and present the causes and experience of breakdown and madness.
• Development of the Setting in Shirley’s “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by Lawrence: From Claustrophobic to Chaotic In “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner,” the changes in the setting are defined not by the physical alterations in the environment but by the prism through which they are viewed.
• Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, and “A&P” by John Updike are both short stories that explore the subject of rebellion.
• “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Laugh of the Medusa” In light of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the paper explores various key points displayed in the fiction in the light of Hélène Cixousa’s “The Laugh of the Medusa.”
• Grendel and Medea Literary Characters’ Comparison Grendel and Medea are different characters who appeared from the pen of different authors. They are united by one detail — the monster’s nature.
• Tecumseh’s Historical Speech and Sherman Alexie’s Poems: Comparative Analysis While Tecumseh’s historical speech is filled with pride and even cruelty, Alexie’s poems are perceived more difficult and less obvious.
• A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis This paper provides a comparative analysis of a poem, Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and a song, Bob Dylan’s song “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.
• “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel G. Marquez & “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner This discussion gives a detailed comparison of how the authors of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “A Rose for Emily” depict villages and towns.
• “To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell and “The Flea” by Donne “To His Coy Mistress” is a well-known poem by Andrew Marvell, in which the speaker addresses his lover, who is reluctant to be intimate with him.
• Comparing Two Kinds and Everyday Use The topic of cultural conflict is the main similarity of Two Kinds and Everyday Use. They explain two ways that can affect people, making them to oppose families and society.
• Human Nature in “The Scarlet Letter” and “Moby-Dick” The “Scarlet Letter” and “Moby Dick” are rich in themes concerning human nature, their contents are very appealing considering its similarity during that period and now.
• “Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes The play “Raisin in the sun” by Lorrain Hansberry and the poem “I’m Still Here” by Langston Hughes directly refers to the conflict of racial prejudices and hardships.
• “The Accident, Say Yes” & “The Things They Carried”: Comparison The paper reviews three short stories: Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, Gao Xingjian’s “The Accident”, and Tobias Wolff’s “Say Yes”.
• Odysseus and Maximus: Heroes Comparison Based on the portrayal of Maximus from “Gladiator” and the representation of Odysseus in a book with the same title, this paper argues that both characters had more similarities than differences.
• Comparison: “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “Jury of Her Peers” The present paper compares and contrasts the characters of two short stories: “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell and “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl.
• Samuel Daniel and Richard Lovelace’ Poems Comparison The purpose of this paper is to compare ‘Fair is my Love’ by Samuel Daniel and ‘To Althea, from Prison’ by Richard Lovelace, to reflect their contrasts and mood, and to define their meaning and core.
• Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’s Essay Comparison While Thoreau uses the image of the entire population of animals to represent the overall human behavior, Woolf uses a single animal and dissects its behavior.
• “The Bait” by John Donne and “My Picture, Left in Scotland” by Ben Jonson Comparison This paper compares two poems, “The Bait” by John Donne and “My Picture, Left in Scotland” by Ben Jonson, to feel the particular atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th century.
• “Underground Railroad” by Whitehead vs. “Sticks” by Saunders Although “Underground Railroad” by Whitehead and “Sticks” by Saunders are different in plot and character representations, they share themes such as family and heritage.
• Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” Comparison Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” stories follow the themes of relationships and the drawbacks that can come along with them.
• The Importance of Setting for Interpretation of Stories Discussion of the importance of setting for interpretation of stories on the examples of “Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman and “The Fall of The House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.
• Family in Bambara’s ”Raymond’s Run” & So’s ”Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts” The paper compares the influence of the troubled family member on the rest of the family in the short stories “Raymond’s Run” by Bambara and “Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts” by So.
• Comparing the Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials The essay will compare the archetype of Satan and evil in Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia and Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia
• “The Lottery” by Jackson, and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence In two short stories, “The Lottery” by Jackson and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence, the philosophical conflict between luck and its consequences is clearly outlined.
• Rushdie’s “Midnight Children” and Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore’ There are three critical themes explored in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight Children and Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. The three themes are myth, fate and prophecy.
• Gilgamesh and Odysseus: The Semblance It is important to discuss the semblance between the Gilgamesh as an Odysseus to understand why the creation of the Odyssey was directly dependent on the Akkadian epic poem.
• “The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony The essay will discuss the main conflicts of “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” stories, their characterization, and themes.
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• A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay It is hard to find a good man. Two stories A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O`Connor and The story of an hour by Kate Chopin center around this issue.
• Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell Two versions of LRRH, including the original, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and the retelling by Perrault, focus on similar themes, however, authors’ approaches differ.
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• Literature Comparison: “Lust” and “Sex Without Love” The poem ‘Sex without Love’ by Sharon Olds and the short story ‘Lust’ by Susan Minot focuses on sex, a topic that has for a long time been considered sensitive and controversial in many societies.
• Literature Comparison: Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan Both Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan have reputations for stealing the show; neither character is the protagonist, but they are sophisticated and dynamic characters.
• Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World Using the arguments of Orwell and Huxley, in 1984 and Brave New World, this paper argues that free information flow could decrease the gap between the rich and the poor.
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• Metamorphosis and The Necklace In Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa’s deep-seated melancholy was the main reason for his death. In Maupassant’s The Necklace, Mathilde’s depression did not result to death.
• “All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline”: Desire to Return to the Past This essay compares the “All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline” protagonists’ relations to their current, past, and possible future settings and the feelings they associate with them.
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• Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” vs. “Sonny’s Blues”
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• Coelho’s Alchemist and Homer’s Odyssey: Theme Comparison
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• Comparison: “The Battle of the Ants” by H. D. Thoreau and “The Death of the Moth” by V. Woolf
• “Beowulf” and “The Lord of the Rings” Literary Comparison
• Carver’s “Neighbors” and Diaz’s “The Money” Stories
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• Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis and the Bible: Comparative Analysis
• Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”
• The Novels by Ignacio Aldecoa Analysis
• “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” and “War Dances” by Sherman Alexie
• “Walking Home in the Dark” and “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Poetry About Nature
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• Othello Versus Shakuntala: Ultimate Lessons
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• Love and Loneliness in the Works of R. Carver and B. A. Mason
• Duty and Conscience Relations Review
• Greasy Lake, Lord of the Flies, and The Lottery: Compare & Contrast
• Stevie Smith’s and Karl Shapiro’s Poems Comparison
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• “The Purloined Letter” by E. A. Poe and “Bartleby the Scrivener” by H. Melville
• “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Hurston and “Babylon Revisited” by Fitzgerald
• Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus
• Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”
• Compromised Rulers in Literary Works
• Masculinity in James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway’ Stories
• The Comparison of Melvin Tolson “An Ex-Judge at the Bar” and Gwendolyn Brooks “The Mother”
• A. Munro’s and Z. Smith’s Short Stories Comparison
• Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” Comparison
• “Barbie Doll” by Piercy and “Girl” by Kincaid
• Family Theme in Kafka’s and Oates’ Literary Works
• Comparing Lies in War Literature
• Baldwain’s “Sonny’s Blues” vs. Saunders’ “Sticks”
• Plots of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• Womanhood in Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” vs. Kincaid’s “Girl”
• “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and Biblical Parables
• The Setting Role in American Short Stories
• Poems Themes Comparison
• “Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison
• Comparison and Contrast Between Sappho’s Poem and Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
• “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”: Similarities and Differences
• Normal in Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Saunders’ Sticks
• “The Lottery” by Jackson vs. “Antigone” by Sophocles
• Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”: Short Stories Comparison
• “Burning Chrome” and “Blade Runner” Comparison
• The Brutal Reality of War in Poems and Art
• Rhetoric in Moore’s “Idiot Nation” and Gatto’s “Against School”
• Victorian Literature: Conan Doyle and Robert Browning
• Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism
• The Stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Harrison Bergeron” and Flannery O’Connor “Good Country People”
• Oedipus Rex and Hamlet: Compare and Contrast
• Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
• Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles
• Auden, Barrett Browning and Shakespeare: Poems Comparison
• Analysis of Hispanic American Literature
• Finding Strength While Searching for the Truth: Hamlet and Oedipus
• Human Destiny in the Works of Shakespeare and Nino Ricci
• Otherness in “The Color of Water” and “Country Lovers”
• “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C. Perkin
• Women From an Age Bygone: A. Wingfield and E. Grierson
• Characters’ Evolution in The House on Mango Street and Bullet in the Brain
• “Eye of the Night” and “The Lie”: Comparison
• The Phenomenon of Money in “Tartuffe” by Moliere and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
• How People Change in “Mother Tongue” and “A Death in Texas”
• “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce
• Elements of Gothic Tradition in the American Literature
• American and Asian American Literature Debate
• Ambrose Bierce and Henry James Works Comparison
• “Love in the Time of Cholera” vs “Theme of the Traitor and the Hero”: Context and Symbolism
• Freedom and Enslavement in Literature
• “The Secret Life of Bees” by Kidd and the “Feast of Love” by Baxter
• Novels by A. Bierce and H. James Comparison
• “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
• “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden R., “Miss Brill” by Mansfield C. and “Trifles” by Glaspell S.
• “Ordinary People” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”: Book Report
• The Theme of Race Discrimination in Works of Richard Rodriguez
• Tillie Olsen’s and Tracey Baran’s Novels Review
• “Travels With Herodotus” and “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There”
• Michael Cohen’s and Walker Percy’s Works Compared
• Peoples’ Characters and Hopes in Literature: Comparison of Description
• A.E. Housman and John Updike’s Unlucky Athletes
• Protagonist Roles by Mark Twain, J. Austin and C. Potok
• How Decisions Can Make or Break an Individual: Literary Analysis
• Faulkner’s “Barns Burning” and Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” Comparison Essay
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• Hwang’s “Trying to Find Chinatown” and Packer’s “Brownies”
• In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay
• Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen
• Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay
• Character Comparison: “Odyssey”, “Scarlett Latter,” “Troy,” “Hamlet”
• Religion in “Ceremony,” “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” and “Desert Solitaire”
• “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison
• “The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories” by Mark Twain: The Novel Comparison
• Tabooed Actions and Social Sanctions in “Oedipus Tyrannus” by Sophocles and Shaffer’s “Equus”
• Dreams in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible
• Message in Shakespeare’s, Albom’s and King’s Works
• Sacrifice in Malamud’s, Jacob’s, Alvarez’s Works
• Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” and Ellison’s “Battle Royale”
• Perrault’s and Brothers Grimm’s “Little Red Hood”
• Themes in Poems by Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas
• “Play Matters” by Sicart and “Game Design Workshop” by Fullerton
• Narration and Gender: Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, Burney’s Evelina, Winterson’s Sexing the Cherry
• Ambrose Bierce and Tom Whitecloud’ Short Stories
• The Personal Journey: “The Wiz” and “The Alchemist”
• Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkiens’ Smeagol
• Yusef Komunyakaa’s and Sylvia Plath’s Poems Comparison
• Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried
• Juxtaposing of the Stories “The Awakening” and “Summer”
• Alger’s “Ragged Dick” and Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper”
• The Ideas of Life in Henry Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’ Works
• “Tartuffe” and “Candide or the Optimism” Comparison
• Certeau’s and Schwartz’s Works: Genre Comparison
• Crowd Pressure in Hughes’s Salvation and Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant
• Marriage in Bradstreet’s, Dooley’s, Larkin’s Works
• Dave Eggers and Clive Lewis’ Works Comparison
• Farce’ Elements and Aspects in Plays
• “Divine Comedy” and “Confessions”
• “Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison
• “Come Alive” and “Shitty First Drafts” Comparative Literature
• Comparison: ‘Kite Runner,’ ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ and ‘The Road Not Taken’
• An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and Hills Like White Elephants
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• “Lieutenant Nun” and “Sundiata”

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StudyCorgi. (2023, May 18). 302 Comparative Literature Essay Topics. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/comparative-literature-essay-topics/

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StudyCorgi . "302 Comparative Literature Essay Topics." May 18, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/comparative-literature-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2023. "302 Comparative Literature Essay Topics." May 18, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/comparative-literature-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Comparative Literature were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on December 27, 2023 .

Instructor Resources

Comparative essay.

Compare two or more literary works that we have studied in this class. Your comparative essay should not only compare but also contrast the literary texts, addressing the similarities and differences found within the texts.

Step 1: Identify the Basis for Comparison

Identify the basis of comparison. In other words, what aspect of the literature will you compare? (Theme, tone, point of view, setting, language, etc.)

Step 2: Create a List of Similarities and Differences

Carefully examine the literary texts for similarities and difference using the criteria you identified in step 1.

Step 3: Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the author’s educated opinion that can be defended. For a comparative essay, your thesis statement should assert why the similarities and differences between the literary works matter.

Step 4: Create a Structure

Before drafting, create an outline. Your introduction should draw the reader in and provide the thesis statement. The supporting paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence that supports your thesis statement; each topic sentence should then be supported with textual evidence. The conclusion should summarize the essay and prompt the reader to continue thinking about the topic.

Word Count: approximately 1500 words

Outside Sources needed: none (but use plenty of textual evidence)

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Mentor Texts

Writing Comparative Essays: Making Connections to Illuminate Ideas

Breathing new life into a familiar school format, with the help of Times journalism and several winning student essays.

By Katherine Schulten

Our new Mentor Text series spotlights writing from The Times and from our student contests that teenagers can learn from and emulate.

This entry aims to help support those participating in our Third Annual Connections Contest , in which students are invited to take something they are studying in school and show us, via parallels found in a Times article, how it connects to our world today. In other words, we’re asking them to compare ideas in two texts.

For even more on how to help your students make those kinds of connections, please see our related writing unit .

I. Overview

Making connections is a natural part of thinking. We can’t help doing it. If you’re telling a friend about a new song or restaurant or TV show you like, you’ll almost always find yourself saying, “It’s like _________” and referencing something you both know. It’s a simple way of helping your listener get his or her bearings.

Journalists do it too. In fact, it’s one of the main tools of the trade to help explain a new concept or reframe an old one. Here are just a few recent examples:

A science reporter explains the behavior of fossilized marine animals by likening them to humans making conga lines.

A sportswriter describes the current N.B.A. season by framing it in terms of Broadway show tunes.

An Op-Ed contributor compares today’s mainstreaming of contemporary African art to “an urban neighborhood undergoing gentrification.”

Sometimes a journalist will go beyond making a simple analogy and devote a whole piece to an extended comparison between two things. Articles like these are real-world cousins of that classic compare/contrast essay you’ve probably been writing in school since you could first hold a pen.

For example, take a look at how each of the Times articles below focuses on a comparison, weaving back and forth between two things and looking at them from different angles:

Consider a classic sports debate: Jordan vs. James. See how this 2016 piece explores what the two have in common — as well as how they differ.

Or, check out this 2019 piece that argues that “ Friendsgiving Has Become Just as Fraught as Thanksgiving ,” and compares the two to determine which has become “a bigger pain in the wishbone.”

Though written as a list rather than an essay, this fun piece from the Watching section in 2018 contends that “ ‘Die Hard’ Never Died, It Just Turned 30 and Had Cinematic Children ” by comparing the original to heirs like “Speed” and “Home Alone.” Read it to notice how, in just a paragraph per movie, the writer still manages to provide plenty of evidence to make each comparison work.

To find real-world examples that are closer to what you’re asked to do in school, look to Times sections that feature in-depth writing, like the Sunday Review and the Times Magazine . Both often publish pieces that connect some aspect of the past to an event, issue or trend today. For example:

“ What Quakers Can Teach Us About the Politics of Pronouns ” suggests lessons for “today’s egalitarians” by making a link to the 17th-century Quakers, “who also suspected that the rules of grammar stood between them and a society of equals.”

Other recent pieces focus on historical comparisons, including “ Early Motherhood Has Always Been Miserable ,” “ Donald Trump, Meet Your Precursor ” and a satirical video Op-Ed, “ Here’s What Cancel Culture Looked Like in 1283 .”

The 1619 Project , a Times Magazine initiative observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery, is an especially rich example of this kind of connection-making. It reframes American history by “placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are” — and uses that frame to look at issues including today’s prison system, health care, the wealth gap, the sugar industry and traffic jams in Atlanta.

Now, are all of these pieces structured exactly like that essay you have to write for your English class comparing a contemporary work to “Romeo and Juliet?” Does each have a clear thesis statement in the last line of the first paragraph and three body paragraphs that begin with topic sentences?

Of course not. They were written for an entirely different audience and purpose than the essay you might have to write, and most of them resist easy categorization into a specific “text type.”

But these pieces are full of craft lessons that can make your own writing more artful and interesting. And if you are participating in our annual Connections Contest , the essays we feature below will be especially helpful, since they focus on doing just what you’ll be doing — making a comparison between something you’re studying in school and some event, issue, trend, person, problem or concept in the news today.

First you’ll consider one excellent Times essay that does pretty much exactly what we’re asking you to do.

Next, we’ve supplied examples from over a dozen previous student winners to help guide you through the basic elements of any comparative analysis. Whether you’re writing for our contest or not, we hope you’ll find plenty of strategies to borrow.

II. Looking at Structure Over All: One Times Mentor Text

Take a look at the essay the Times book critic Michiko Kakutani wrote in the first weeks of the Trump administration. Just as many of you will do for our contest, she examines how a classic literary work can take on new significance when considered in light of real-world events.

Whether you agree with her analysis or not, notice how “ Why ‘1984’ Is a 2017 Must-Read ” is structured. You might highlight three categories — places where she’s writing chiefly about “1984”; places where she’s writing chiefly about our world today; and places where the two merge.

Here is how her piece, a Critic’s Notebook essay, begins:

The dystopia described in George Orwell’s nearly 70-year-old novel “1984” suddenly feels all too familiar. A world in which Big Brother (or maybe the National Security Agency) is always listening in, and high-tech devices can eavesdrop in people’s homes. (Hey, Alexa, what’s up?) A world of endless war, where fear and hate are drummed up against foreigners, and movies show boatloads of refugees dying at sea. A world in which the government insists that reality is not “something objective, external, existing in its own right” — but rather, “whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth.”

How does the first line set up the comparison?

How does the writer weave back and forth between today’s world and the world of “1984”? For example, what is she doing the two times she uses parentheses?

After you read the full essay, you might then consider:

Over all, what did you notice about the structure of this piece? How does it emphasize the parallels between the world of “1984” and the world of January 2017?

Is it effective? What is this writer’s thesis? Does she make her case, in your opinion? What specific lines, or points of comparison, do that especially well?

What transitional words and phrases does the writer use to move between her two topics? For example, in the second paragraph she writes “It was a phrase chillingly reminiscent …” as a bridge. What other examples can you find?

How does she sometimes merge her two topics — for example in the phrase “make Oceania great again”?

What else do you notice or admire about this review? What lessons might it have for your writing?

III. Elements of Effective Comparative Analyses: Great Examples From Students

Our Connections Contest asks students to find and analyze parallels, just as Ms. Kakutani does in her essay on Orwell — though she had some 1,200 words to build a case and students participating in our contest have only 450.

But if you look at the examples below from our 2017 and 2018 winners, you’ll see that it’s possible to make a rich connection in just a few paragraphs, and you’ll find plenty of specific strategies to borrow in constructing your own.

Here are some tips, with student examples to illustrate each.

1. Make sure you’re focusing on a manageable theme or idea.

One of the first ways to get on the wrong track in writing a comparative essay is to take on something too big for the scope of the assignment. Say, for example, you’re studying the Industrial Revolution and you realize you can compare it to today’s digital revolution in an array of ways, including worker’s rights, the upheaval of traditional industries and the impact on everyday lives. Where do you even begin?

That’s more or less the problem Alex Iyer, a student winner of our 2018 contest, had after reading “The Odyssey” in class, and noticing connections between the tale of that famous wanderer and today’s global refugee crisis. What can you possibly say in 450 words to connect two enormous topics, both of which have been the subject of innumerable scholarly books?

Notice how this student focuses. Instead of starting with a broad thesis like “We can see many parallels between the themes of ‘The Odyssey’ and our world today,” he looks only at how the Greek concept of xenia echoes today — and does so by examining just one article about Uganda. Below are the first two paragraphs, but we suggest you read the entire essay , paying close attention to how he describes both texts solely through this lens.

Try this: Once you choose a manageable focus, make sure all your details and examples support it.

Example: Alex Iyer, Geneva School of Boerne, San Antonio: Homer’s “The Odyssey” and “ As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them ”

In literature, we learned that in Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” Homer uses the tribulations of the hero Odysseus to illustrate the Ancient Grecian custom of xenia. This custom focused on extending hospitality to those who found themselves far from home. As Odysseus navigates the treacherous path back to his own home, he encounters both morally upstanding and malevolent individuals. They range from a charitable princess who offers food and clothing, to an evil Cyclops who attempts to murder the hero and his fellow men. In class, we agreed that Homer employs these contrasting characters to exemplify not only proper, but also poor forms of xenia. For the people of its time, “The Odyssey” cemented the idea that xenia was fundamental for good character, resulting in hospitality becoming ingrained in the fabric of Ancient Grecian society. I saw a parallel to this in a New York Times article called “As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them” published on October 28, 2018. Similar to the prevalent custom of xenia in Ancient Greece, Uganda has made hosting refugees a national policy. The country is now occupied by up to 1.25 million refugees, many of whom are fleeing the violent unrest of South Sudan.

2. Introduce and briefly explain the significance of the connection.

We know it’s tempting to resort to a generic statement like, “In this essay I will compare and contrast _________ and _________ to show that …”

Not only is that deadly dull, but if you are participating in our contest, you also don’t want to waste any of your 450 words on a sentence that doesn’t say much.

Consider, instead, four more powerful ways to introduce the two things you’ll be connecting, and show right away how they work together.

Try this: Pose a question or questions that both texts are asking.

Example: Connor Stevens, Sunset High School, Portland, Ore.: Comparing “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and “ How Egypt Crowdsources Censorship ” ( Read the full student essay .)

How can you control ideas? In today’s world, you scroll through feeds, finding any information available: government trade deals, local restaurants, movies, and TV shows. We are in an age where the power to find any fact, answer or piece of information that floats into question is available anywhere. If this privilege was stripped by a bodying government, how would freedom of information change?

Try this: Make a statement that is true for both, and then explain why briefly.

Example: Jack Magner, Flint Hill School, Oakton, Va.: Comparing biological feedback loops and homeostasis with “ After #MeToo, the Ripple Effect ” ( Read the full student essay .)

All it takes is a single action to spark innumerable reactions. In the case of Jessica Bennett’s “After #MeToo, the Ripple Effect,” it is the publishing of a 2017 article in the Times that launches a revolution, changing the treatment and recognition of women for the better. In the case of AP Biology, it is the connection of a ligand to a receptor protein or a drastic change to an organism’s environment that sends millions of signals that protect the organism from harm.

Try this: Explain how or why you’ll look at a classic work through a new lens.

Example: Zaria Roller, Verona Area High School, Wis.: Comparing “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe and “ The Boys Are Not All Right ” ( Read the full student essay .)

Colonial-age Nigeria and modern day Western society have more in common than one would think. Although the buzz phrase “toxic masculinity” did not exist at the time Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” was written, its protagonist, Okonkwo, might as well be the poster boy for it.

Try this: Trace your thinking about how you came to connect the two things. Please note: For this contest, use of the word “I” is not only permitted but also encouraged if it helps you explore your ideas.

Example: Alexa Bolnick, Indian Hills High School, Franklin Lakes, N.J.: “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “ A Lack of Respect for the Working Class in America Today ” ( Read the full student essay .)

Last year, reading the play “Death of a Salesman,” I couldn’t understand why salesman Willy Loman refused to accept his son’s desire to perform manual labor for a living. If working on a ranch made him happy, then why couldn’t Willy let his son go.

Example: Isabella Picillo, 17, Oceanside High School: “The Scarlet Letter” and “ Judge Partially Lifts Trump Administration Ban on Refugees ” ( Read the full student essay .)

I stumble upon a New York Times article, “Judge Partially Lifts Trump Administration Ban on Refugees,” that makes me wonder if Hawthorne, the literary genius, is wrong.

3. Use transition words and phrases to pivot between the two works.

When you’re discussing two works in the same piece, you’ll find yourself needing to switch gears regularly. How do you do that gracefully?

Try this: Explore a connection by choosing transition words that emphasize commonality.

Here are some sentences, all from our 2018 winners , with examples of those words in bold:

— “ Similar to the prevalent custom of xenia in Ancient Greece, Uganda has made hosting refugees a national policy.” — “John Steinbeck’s classic novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ which chronicles the struggles of the Joad family during the Great Depression, documents a similar reality.” — “Republican anti-Trump attitudes echo those of their nineteenth century counterparts, such as Carl Schulz, who wrote, ‘Our duty to the country … is … paramount to any duty we may owe to the party.’” — “ Paralleling the same theme, the short story ‘Harrison Bergeron’ by Kurt Vonnegut describes a future in which absolute equality has become the obsession of society.” — “This phenomenon mirrors that of negative feedback loops in biology, in which a stimulus triggers a biological response designed to keep a biological system at equilibrium.”

4. Acknowledge important contrasts between the two things you are connecting.

Part of comparing two things is contrasting them — showing where the commonalities end and explaining why the differences are significant.

But your essay shouldn’t just be a list of all the things the two texts have in common vs. all the things they don’t. Instead, you need to use the contrasts to acknowledge obvious differences, but still further your point about how and why the two ideas work together.

For example, the article comparing LeBron James and Michael Jordan makes the crucial distinction that they played in different eras — and thus it’s hard to compare them since we remember Jordan through “rose-colored” memories, while James, playing today, is considered by many “the most scrutinized and criticized American athlete, much of the naysaying unwarranted and aggravated by the polarizing effects of social media” that didn’t exist in Jordan’s heyday.

Keep in mind that since our contest emphasizes connections, not all of our previous winners have done this — but those who did only strengthened their cases.

Try this: Point out that surface differences are less important than the underlying message.

Example: Megan Lee, West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro, N.J.: “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and “ The Curse of Affirmative Action ” ( Read the full student essay .)

Although the “Harrison Bergeron” is a heavily exaggerated piece of fiction writing while “The Curse of Affirmative Action” was written to denounce a real world policy, both allude to the delicacy of equality.

Try this: Use a contrast to illuminate a bigger point — in this case that the ways in which the #MeToo movement is different than a biological feedback loop is also what makes it so “revolutionary.”

Example: Jack Magner, Flint Hill School, Oakton, Va.: Biological feedback loops and homeostasis and “ After #MeToo, the Ripple Effect ” ( Read the full student essay .)

#MeToo and feedback loops are extremely interconnected, but there is one key difference in the #MeToo movement that makes it so dynamic and revolutionary. In biology, feedback responses are developed slowly and organically over millions of years of evolution. Environments select for these responses, and a species’s fitness increases as a result. The #MeToo movement is the exact opposite, attacking the perceived natural order that our environment has selected for at the expense the “fittest” members of society: powerful men. This positive feedback loop does not run in concurrence with the already-established negative feedback loop. It instead serves as its foil, aiming to topple the destructive systems for which hyper-masculine society has selected for over thousands of years.

5. End in a way that sums up and says something new.

We could repeat this piece of advice in every edition of our Mentor Text series regardless of genre: No matter what you’re writing about, don’t waste your conclusion by just lazily restating what you’ve already said.

Instead, keep your readers thinking. Pose a new question, use a fresh quote that sums up your main idea, give some surprising new information, or tell a fitting final story.

In other words, no “In conclusion, I have shown how _________ and _________ have many similarities and many differences.”

Instead you could …

Try this: Draw a final lesson, takeaway or “moral” that the two together express.

Example: Samantha Jones, 16, Concord Carlisle Regional High School: “Walden” and “ Dropping Out of College Into Life ” ( Read the full student essay .)

The moral is clear: there are gaps in our education system, and because of these gaps students aren’t adequately prepared for their own futures. In his book Walden, Thoreau elaborates on the ideas Stauffer touches on in her article. As stated before, he believed learning through experience was exponentially better than a in classroom. When a rigid curriculum with expectations is set in place, students aren’t given the same hands on learning as they would be without one. Just as Stauffer embraced this learning style in the New School, Thoreau did so in Walden Woods …

Example: Robert McCoy, Whippany Park High School, Whippany, N.J.: Gilded Age Mugwumps and “ Republicans for Democrats ” ( Read the full student essay .)

The parallels in the Mugwump and Never Trump movements demonstrate the significance of adhering to a strict moral standard, despite extreme partisan divides …

Try this: Raise a new question or idea suggested by the comparison.

In this essay, Sebastian Zagler compares the ways that both a famous mathematical problem and the issue of climate change will require new innovation and collaboration to solve. But he ends the essay by engaging a new, related question: Why would anyone want to take on such “impossible problems” in the first place?

Example: Sebastian Zagler, John T. Hoggard High School, Wilmington, N.C.: the Collatz, or 3n+1, conjecture, a mathematical problem that has produced no mathematical proof for over 80 years, and “ Stopping Climate Change Is Hopeless. Let’s Do It. ” ( Read the full student essay .)

What draws mankind to these impossible problems, whether it be solving the Collatz conjecture or reversing climate change? Fighting for a common cause brings people together, making them part of something greater. Even fighting a “long defeat” can give one a sense of purpose — a sense of belonging …

Try this: End with an apt quote that applies to both.

Here are Sebastian Zagler’s last two lines:

There is a beauty in fighting a losing battle, as long as a glimmer of hope remains. And as Schendler and Jones write, “If the human species specializes in one thing, it’s taking on the impossible.”

And here are Samantha Jones’s:

For that is all Walden really is; Thoreau learning from nature by immersing himself in it, instead of seeing it on the pages of a book. A quote from Walden most fitting is as follows, “We boast of our system of education, but why stop at schoolmasters and schoolhouses? We are all schoolmasters, and our schoolhouse is the universe”

In both cases, the quotes are inspiring, hopeful and get at truths their essays worked hard to demonstrate.

Additional Resources

In our description of Unit 3 of our writing curriculum you can find much, much more, including related writing prompts and a series of lesson plans that can help teachers teach with our Connections Contest.

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A comparative essay is a writing task that requires you to compare two or more items. You may be asked to compare two or more literary works, theories, arguments or historical events. In literature, a comparative essay typically asks you to write an essay comparing two works by the same writer. For example, you may be asked to write a comparative essay comparing two plays written by William Shakespeare.

Although an essay may simply state to compare two literary texts, the assumption is that you should contrast the texts as well. In other words, your comparative essay should not only compare but also contrast the literary texts, it should address the similarities and differences found within the texts.

Identify the Basis for Comparison

In writing your comparative essay, you should first identify the basis for the comparison. The basis of comparison allows you to look for the similarities and differences between the two texts. You might be provided with an essay question or you might have to come up with your own topic. In either case you need to begin by identifying the basis for your comparison. For example, an essay question might ask you to compare the representation of women in Jane Austen's “Sense and Sensibility” and in Ernest Hemingway's “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” In this example, the basis for comparison is the representation of women. If the directions only ask you to compare two literary works then you will need to develop your own basis for comparison. For example, a basis for comparison may be representations of women or minorities or theme, mood, tension or any other literary element that is appears in both texts.

Develop a List of Similarities and Differences

After you identify your basis for comparison, you should examine the literary texts for similarities and differences. The similarity and differences should focus on the basis of comparison. For example, you might conclude that in “Sense and Sensibility” women appear strong willed and confident, while in “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” women appear weak willed and two-dimensional. You will use these observations, along with your list of similarities and differences, to construct your thesis statement and an outline for your comparative essay.

Develop a Thesis Statement and Structure

Once you have compiled a list of similarities and differences and decided what you want to focus on, you should then develop your thesis statement. A thesis statement is the essay’s main argument, and it should reflect the relative significance of each similarity and difference. A good thesis statement will typically include both similarities and differences and take a certain position about which is more important. The structure of your comparative paper should consist of an introductory paragraph, with a thesis statement at the end, a number of supporting paragraphs and a conclusion. The purpose of the supporting paragraphs is to support your thesis statement. You may group them as you say fit. For instance, you might discuss one literary work at a time or focus first on the similarities between the works and then on the differences. Always end your essay with a concluding paragraph that summarizes the information in the essay.

• University of Toronto: The Comparative Essay; Vikki Visvis and Jerry Plotnick

Kate Prudchenko has been a writer and editor for five years, publishing peer-reviewed articles, essays, and book chapters in a variety of publications including Immersive Environments: Future Trends in Education and Contemporary Literary Review India. She has a BA and MS in Mathematics, MA in English/Writing, and is completing a PhD in Education.

What Are the Main Points Used to Write a Comparison Essay?

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• Comparative Analysis

What It Is and Why It's Useful

Comparative analysis asks writers to make an argument about the relationship between two or more texts. Beyond that, there's a lot of variation, but three overarching kinds of comparative analysis stand out:

• Coordinate (A ↔ B): In this kind of analysis, two (or more) texts are being read against each other in terms of a shared element, e.g., a memoir and a novel, both by Jesmyn Ward; two sets of data for the same experiment; a few op-ed responses to the same event; two YA books written in Chicago in the 2000s; a film adaption of a play; etc. 
• Subordinate (A  → B) or (B → A ): Using a theoretical text (as a "lens") to explain a case study or work of art (e.g., how Anthony Jack's The Privileged Poor can help explain divergent experiences among students at elite four-year private colleges who are coming from similar socio-economic backgrounds) or using a work of art or case study (i.e., as a "test" of) a theory's usefulness or limitations (e.g., using coverage of recent incidents of gun violence or legislation un the U.S. to confirm or question the currency of Carol Anderson's The Second ).
• Hybrid [A  → (B ↔ C)] or [(B ↔ C) → A] , i.e., using coordinate and subordinate analysis together. For example, using Jack to compare or contrast the experiences of students at elite four-year institutions with students at state universities and/or community colleges; or looking at gun culture in other countries and/or other timeframes to contextualize or generalize Anderson's main points about the role of the Second Amendment in U.S. history.

"In the wild," these three kinds of comparative analysis represent increasingly complex—and scholarly—modes of comparison. Students can of course compare two poems in terms of imagery or two data sets in terms of methods, but in each case the analysis will eventually be richer if the students have had a chance to encounter other people's ideas about how imagery or methods work. At that point, we're getting into a hybrid kind of reading (or even into research essays), especially if we start introducing different approaches to imagery or methods that are themselves being compared along with a couple (or few) poems or data sets.

Why It's Useful

In the context of a particular course, each kind of comparative analysis has its place and can be a useful step up from single-source analysis. Intellectually, comparative analysis helps overcome the "n of 1" problem that can face single-source analysis. That is, a writer drawing broad conclusions about the influence of the Iranian New Wave based on one film is relying entirely—and almost certainly too much—on that film to support those findings. In the context of even just one more film, though, the analysis is suddenly more likely to arrive at one of the best features of any comparative approach: both films will be more richly experienced than they would have been in isolation, and the themes or questions in terms of which they're being explored (here the general question of the influence of the Iranian New Wave) will arrive at conclusions that are less at-risk of oversimplification.

For scholars working in comparative fields or through comparative approaches, these features of comparative analysis animate their work. To borrow from a stock example in Western epistemology, our concept of "green" isn't based on a single encounter with something we intuit or are told is "green." Not at all. Our concept of "green" is derived from a complex set of experiences of what others say is green or what's labeled green or what seems to be something that's neither blue nor yellow but kind of both, etc. Comparative analysis essays offer us the chance to engage with that process—even if only enough to help us see where a more in-depth exploration with a higher and/or more diverse "n" might lead—and in that sense, from the standpoint of the subject matter students are exploring through writing as well the complexity of the genre of writing they're using to explore it—comparative analysis forms a bridge of sorts between single-source analysis and research essays.

Typical learning objectives for single-sources essays: formulate analytical questions and an arguable thesis, establish stakes of an argument, summarize sources accurately, choose evidence effectively, analyze evidence effectively, define key terms, organize argument logically, acknowledge and respond to counterargument, cite sources properly, and present ideas in clear prose.

Common types of comparative analysis essays and related types: two works in the same genre, two works from the same period (but in different places or in different cultures), a work adapted into a different genre or medium, two theories treating the same topic; a theory and a case study or other object, etc.

How to Teach It: Framing + Practice

Framing multi-source writing assignments (comparative analysis, research essays, multi-modal projects) is likely to overlap a great deal with "Why It's Useful" (see above), because the range of reasons why we might use these kinds of writing in academic or non-academic settings is itself the reason why they so often appear later in courses. In many courses, they're the best vehicles for exploring the complex questions that arise once we've been introduced to the course's main themes, core content, leading protagonists, and central debates.

For comparative analysis in particular, it's helpful to frame assignment's process and how it will help students successfully navigate the challenges and pitfalls presented by the genre. Ideally, this will mean students have time to identify what each text seems to be doing, take note of apparent points of connection between different texts, and start to imagine how those points of connection (or the absence thereof)

• complicates or upends their own expectations or assumptions about the texts
• complicates or refutes the expectations or assumptions about the texts presented by a scholar
• confirms and/or nuances expectations and assumptions they themselves hold or scholars have presented
• presents entirely unforeseen ways of understanding the texts

—and all with implications for the texts themselves or for the axes along which the comparative analysis took place. If students know that this is where their ideas will be heading, they'll be ready to develop those ideas and engage with the challenges that comparative analysis presents in terms of structure (See "Tips" and "Common Pitfalls" below for more on these elements of framing).

Like single-source analyses, comparative essays have several moving parts, and giving students practice here means adapting the sample sequence laid out at the " Formative Writing Assignments " page. Three areas that have already been mentioned above are worth noting:

• Gathering evidence : Depending on what your assignment is asking students to compare (or in terms of what), students will benefit greatly from structured opportunities to create inventories or data sets of the motifs, examples, trajectories, etc., shared (or not shared) by the texts they'll be comparing. See the sample exercises below for a basic example of what this might look like.
• Why it Matters: Moving beyond "x is like y but also different" or even "x is more like y than we might think at first" is what moves an essay from being "compare/contrast" to being a comparative analysis . It's also a move that can be hard to make and that will often evolve over the course of an assignment. A great way to get feedback from students about where they're at on this front? Ask them to start considering early on why their argument "matters" to different kinds of imagined audiences (while they're just gathering evidence) and again as they develop their thesis and again as they're drafting their essays. ( Cover letters , for example, are a great place to ask writers to imagine how a reader might be affected by reading an their argument.)
• Structure: Having two texts on stage at the same time can suddenly feel a lot more complicated for any writer who's used to having just one at a time. Giving students a sense of what the most common patterns (AAA / BBB, ABABAB, etc.) are likely to be can help them imagine, even if provisionally, how their argument might unfold over a series of pages. See "Tips" and "Common Pitfalls" below for more information on this front.

Sample Exercises and Links to Other Resources

• Common Pitfalls
• Advice on Timing
• Try to keep students from thinking of a proposed thesis as a commitment. Instead, help them see it as more of a hypothesis that has emerged out of readings and discussion and analytical questions and that they'll now test through an experiment, namely, writing their essay. When students see writing as part of the process of inquiry—rather than just the result—and when that process is committed to acknowledging and adapting itself to evidence, it makes writing assignments more scientific, more ethical, and more authentic. 
• Have students create an inventory of touch points between the two texts early in the process.
• Ask students to make the case—early on and at points throughout the process—for the significance of the claim they're making about the relationship between the texts they're comparing.
• For coordinate kinds of comparative analysis, a common pitfall is tied to thesis and evidence. Basically, it's a thesis that tells the reader that there are "similarities and differences" between two texts, without telling the reader why it matters that these two texts have or don't have these particular features in common. This kind of thesis is stuck at the level of description or positivism, and it's not uncommon when a writer is grappling with the complexity that can in fact accompany the "taking inventory" stage of comparative analysis. The solution is to make the "taking inventory" stage part of the process of the assignment. When this stage comes before students have formulated a thesis, that formulation is then able to emerge out of a comparative data set, rather than the data set emerging in terms of their thesis (which can lead to confirmation bias, or frequency illusion, or—just for the sake of streamlining the process of gathering evidence—cherry picking). 
• For subordinate kinds of comparative analysis , a common pitfall is tied to how much weight is given to each source. Having students apply a theory (in a "lens" essay) or weigh the pros and cons of a theory against case studies (in a "test a theory") essay can be a great way to help them explore the assumptions, implications, and real-world usefulness of theoretical approaches. The pitfall of these approaches is that they can quickly lead to the same biases we saw here above. Making sure that students know they should engage with counterevidence and counterargument, and that "lens" / "test a theory" approaches often balance each other out in any real-world application of theory is a good way to get out in front of this pitfall.
• For any kind of comparative analysis, a common pitfall is structure. Every comparative analysis asks writers to move back and forth between texts, and that can pose a number of challenges, including: what pattern the back and forth should follow and how to use transitions and other signposting to make sure readers can follow the overarching argument as the back and forth is taking place. Here's some advice from an experienced writing instructor to students about how to think about these considerations:

a quick note on STRUCTURE

     Most of us have encountered the question of whether to adopt what we might term the “A→A→A→B→B→B” structure or the “A→B→A→B→A→B” structure.  Do we make all of our points about text A before moving on to text B?  Or do we go back and forth between A and B as the essay proceeds?  As always, the answers to our questions about structure depend on our goals in the essay as a whole.  In a “similarities in spite of differences” essay, for instance, readers will need to encounter the differences between A and B before we offer them the similarities (A d →B d →A s →B s ).  If, rather than subordinating differences to similarities you are subordinating text A to text B (using A as a point of comparison that reveals B’s originality, say), you may be well served by the “A→A→A→B→B→B” structure.  

     Ultimately, you need to ask yourself how many “A→B” moves you have in you.  Is each one identical?  If so, you may wish to make the transition from A to B only once (“A→A→A→B→B→B”), because if each “A→B” move is identical, the “A→B→A→B→A→B” structure will appear to involve nothing more than directionless oscillation and repetition.  If each is increasingly complex, however—if each AB pair yields a new and progressively more complex idea about your subject—you may be well served by the “A→B→A→B→A→B” structure, because in this case it will be visible to readers as a progressively developing argument.

As we discussed in "Advice on Timing" at the page on single-source analysis, that timeline itself roughly follows the "Sample Sequence of Formative Assignments for a 'Typical' Essay" outlined under " Formative Writing Assignments, " and it spans about 5–6 steps or 2–4 weeks. 

Comparative analysis assignments have a lot of the same DNA as single-source essays, but they potentially bring more reading into play and ask students to engage in more complicated acts of analysis and synthesis during the drafting stages. With that in mind, closer to 4 weeks is probably a good baseline for many single-source analysis assignments. For sections that meet once per week, the timeline will either probably need to expand—ideally—a little past the 4-week side of things, or some of the steps will need to be combined or done asynchronously.

What It Can Build Up To

Comparative analyses can build up to other kinds of writing in a number of ways. For example:

• They can build toward other kinds of comparative analysis, e.g., student can be asked to choose an additional source to complicate their conclusions from a previous analysis, or they can be asked to revisit an analysis using a different axis of comparison, such as race instead of class. (These approaches are akin to moving from a coordinate or subordinate analysis to more of a hybrid approach.)
• They can scaffold up to research essays, which in many instances are an extension of a "hybrid comparative analysis."
• Like single-source analysis, in a course where students will take a "deep dive" into a source or topic for their capstone, they can allow students to "try on" a theoretical approach or genre or time period to see if it's indeed something they want to research more fully.
• DIY Guides for Analytical Writing Assignments

• Types of Assignments
• Unpacking the Elements of Writing Prompts
• Formative Writing Assignments
• Single-Source Analysis
• Research Essays
• Multi-Modal or Creative Projects
• Giving Feedback to Students

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Comparative essay is a common assignment for school and college students. Many students are not aware of the complexities of crafting a strong comparative essay. 

If you too are struggling with this, don't worry!

In this blog, you will get a complete writing guide for comparative essay writing. From structuring formats to creative topics, this guide has it all.

So, keep reading!

• 1. What is a Comparative Essay?
• 2. Comparative Essay Structure
• 3. How to Start a Comparative Essay?
• 4. How to Write a Comparative Essay?
• 5. Comparative Essay Examples
• 6. Comparative Essay Topics
• 7. Tips for Writing A Good Comparative Essay
• 8. Transition Words For Comparative Essays

What is a Comparative Essay?

A comparative essay is a type of essay in which an essay writer compares at least two or more items. The author compares two subjects with the same relation in terms of similarities and differences depending on the assignment.

The main purpose of the comparative essay is to:

• Highlight the similarities and differences in a systematic manner.
• Provide great clarity of the subject to the readers.
• Analyze two things and describe their advantages and drawbacks.

A comparative essay is also known as compare and contrast essay or a comparison essay. It analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both. The Venn diagram is the best tool for writing a paper about the comparison between two subjects.  

Moreover, a comparative analysis essay discusses the similarities and differences of themes, items, events, views, places, concepts, etc. For example, you can compare two different novels (e.g., The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Red Badge of Courage).

However, a comparative essay is not limited to specific topics. It covers almost every topic or subject with some relation.

Comparative Essay Structure

A good comparative essay is based on how well you structure your essay. It helps the reader to understand your essay better. 

The structure is more important than what you write. This is because it is necessary to organize your essay so that the reader can easily go through the comparisons made in an essay.

The following are the two main methods in which you can organize your comparative essay.

Point-by-Point Method 

The point-by-point or alternating method provides a detailed overview of the items that you are comparing. In this method, organize items in terms of similarities and differences.

This method makes the writing phase easy for the writer to handle two completely different essay subjects. It is highly recommended where some depth and detail are required.

Below given is the structure of the point-by-point method. 

Block Method 

The block method is the easiest as compared to the point-by-point method. In this method, you divide the information in terms of parameters. It means that the first paragraph compares the first subject and all their items, then the second one compares the second, and so on.

However, make sure that you write the subject in the same order. This method is best for lengthy essays and complicated subjects.

Here is the structure of the block method. 

Therefore, keep these methods in mind and choose the one according to the chosen subject.

Mixed Paragraphs Method

In this method, one paragraph explains one aspect of the subject. As a writer, you will handle one point at a time and one by one. This method is quite beneficial as it allows you to give equal weightage to each subject and help the readers identify the point of comparison easily.

How to Start a Comparative Essay?

Here, we have gathered some steps that you should follow to start a well-written comparative essay.  

Choose a Topic

The foremost step in writing a comparative essay is to choose a suitable topic.

Choose a topic or theme that is interesting to write about and appeals to the reader. 

An interesting essay topic motivates the reader to know about the subject. Also, try to avoid complicated topics for your comparative essay. 

Develop a List of Similarities and Differences 

Create a list of similarities and differences between two subjects that you want to include in the essay. Moreover, this list helps you decide the basis of your comparison by constructing your initial plan. 

Evaluate the list and establish your argument and thesis statement .

Establish the Basis for Comparison 

The basis for comparison is the ground for you to compare the subjects. In most cases, it is assigned to you, so check your assignment or prompt.

Furthermore, the main goal of the comparison essay is to inform the reader of something interesting. It means that your subject must be unique to make your argument interesting.  

Do the Research 

In this step, you have to gather information for your subject. If your comparative essay is about social issues, historical events, or science-related topics, you must do in-depth research.    

However, make sure that you gather data from credible sources and cite them properly in the essay.

Create an Outline

An essay outline serves as a roadmap for your essay, organizing key elements into a structured format.

With your topic, list of comparisons, basis for comparison, and research in hand, the next step is to create a comprehensive outline. 

Here is a standard comparative essay outline:

How to Write a Comparative Essay?

Now that you have the basic information organized in an outline, you can get started on the writing process. 

Here are the essential parts of a comparative essay: 

Comparative Essay Introduction 

Start off by grabbing your reader's attention in the introduction . Use something catchy, like a quote, question, or interesting fact about your subjects. 

Then, give a quick background so your reader knows what's going on. 

The most important part is your thesis statement, where you state the main argument , the basis for comparison, and why the comparison is significant.

This is what a typical thesis statement for a comparative essay looks like:

Comparative Essay Body Paragraphs 

The body paragraphs are where you really get into the details of your subjects. Each paragraph should focus on one thing you're comparing.

Start by talking about the first point of comparison. Then, go on to the next points. Make sure to talk about two to three differences to give a good picture.

After that, switch gears and talk about the things they have in common. Just like you discussed three differences, try to cover three similarities. 

This way, your essay stays balanced and fair. This approach helps your reader understand both the ways your subjects are different and the ways they are similar. Keep it simple and clear for a strong essay.

Comparative Essay Conclusion

In your conclusion , bring together the key insights from your analysis to create a strong and impactful closing.

Consider the broader context or implications of the subjects' differences and similarities. What do these insights reveal about the broader themes or ideas you're exploring?

Discuss the broader implications of these findings and restate your thesis. Avoid introducing new information and end with a thought-provoking statement that leaves a lasting impression.

Below is the detailed comparative essay template format for you to understand better.

Comparative Essay Format

Comparative Essay Examples

Have a look at these comparative essay examples pdf to get an idea of the perfect essay.

Comparative Essay on Summer and Winter

Comparative Essay on Books vs. Movies

Comparative Essay Sample

Comparative Essay Thesis Example

Comparative Essay on Football vs Cricket

Comparative Essay on Pet and Wild Animals

Comparative Essay Topics

Comparative essay topics are not very difficult or complex. Check this list of essay topics and pick the one that you want to write about.

• How do education and employment compare?
• Living in a big city or staying in a village.
• The school principal or college dean.
• New Year vs. Christmas celebration.
• Dried Fruit vs. Fresh. Which is better?
• Similarities between philosophy and religion.
• British colonization and Spanish colonization.
• Nuclear power for peace or war?
• Bacteria or viruses.
• Fast food vs. homemade food.

Tips for Writing A Good Comparative Essay

Writing a compelling comparative essay requires thoughtful consideration and strategic planning. Here are some valuable tips to enhance the quality of your comparative essay:

• Clearly define what you're comparing, like themes or characters.
• Plan your essay structure using methods like point-by-point or block paragraphs.
• Craft an introduction that introduces subjects and states your purpose.
• Ensure an equal discussion of both similarities and differences.
• Use linking words for seamless transitions between paragraphs.
• Gather credible information for depth and authenticity.
• Use clear and simple language, avoiding unnecessary jargon.
• Dedicate each paragraph to a specific point of comparison.
• Summarize key points, restate the thesis, and emphasize significance.
• Thoroughly check for clarity, coherence, and correct any errors.

Transition Words For Comparative Essays

Transition words are crucial for guiding your reader through the comparative analysis. They help establish connections between ideas and ensure a smooth flow in your essay. 

Here are some transition words and phrases to improve the flow of your comparative essay:

Transition Words for Similarities

• Correspondingly
• In the same vein
• In like manner
• In a similar fashion
• In tandem with

Transition Words for Differences

• On the contrary
• In contrast
• Nevertheless
• In spite of
• Notwithstanding
• On the flip side
• In contradistinction

Check out this blog listing more transition words that you can use to enhance your essay’s coherence!

In conclusion, now that you have the important steps and helpful tips to write a good comparative essay, you can start working on your own essay. 

However, if you find it tough to begin, you can always hire our college paper writing service .

Our skilled writers can handle any type of essay or assignment you need. So, don't wait—place your order now and make your academic journey easier!

Frequently Asked Question

How long is a comparative essay.

A comparative essay is 4-5 pages long, but it depends on your chosen idea and topic.

How do you end a comparative essay?

Here are some tips that will help you to end the comparative essay.

• Restate the thesis statement
• Wrap up the entire essay
• Highlight the main points

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Compare and contrast essays are taught in school for many reasons. For one thing, they are relatively easy to teach, understand, and format. Students can typically understand the structure with just a short amount of instruction. In addition, these essays allow students develop critical thinking skills to approach a variety of topics.

Brainstorming Tip

One fun way to get students started brainstorming their compare and contrast essays is to create a Venn diagram , where the overlapping sections of the circle contain similarities and the non-overlapping areas contain the differing traits.

Following is a list of 101 topics for compare and contrast essays that you are welcome to use in your classroom. As you look through the list you will see that some items are academic in nature while others are included for interest-building and fun writing activities.

• Apple vs. Microsoft
• Coke vs. Pepsi
• Renaissance Art vs. Baroque Art
• Antebellum Era vs. Reconstruction Era in American History
• Childhood vs. Adulthood
• Star Wars vs. Star Trek
• Biology vs. Chemistry
• Astrology vs. Astronomy
• American Government vs. British Government (or any world government)
• Fruits vs. Vegetables
• Dogs vs. Cats
• Ego vs. Superego
• Christianity vs. Judaism (or any world religion )
• Republican vs. Democrat
• Monarchy vs. Presidency
• US President vs. UK Prime Minister
• Jazz vs. Classical Music
• Red vs. White (or any two colors)
• Soccer vs. Football
• North vs. South Before the Civil War
• New England Colonies vs. Middle Colonies OR vs. Southern Colonies
• Cash vs. Credit Cards
• Sam vs. Frodo Baggins
• Gandalf vs. Dumbledore
• Fred vs. Shaggy
• Rap vs. Pop
• Articles of Confederation vs. U.S. Constitution
• Henry VIII vs. King Louis XIV
• Stocks vs. Bonds
• Monopolies vs. Oligopolies
• Communism vs. Capitalism
• Socialism vs. Capitalism
• Diesel vs. Petroleum
• Nuclear Power vs. Solar Power
• Saltwater Fish vs. Freshwater Fish
• Squids vs. Octopus
• Mammals vs. Reptiles
• Baleen vs. Toothed Whales
• Seals vs. Sea Lions
• Crocodiles vs. Alligators
• Bats vs. Birds
• Oven vs. Microwave
• Greek vs. Roman Mythology
• Chinese vs. Japanese
• Comedy vs. Drama
• Renting vs. Owning
• Mozart vs. Beethoven
• Online vs. Traditional Education
• North vs. South Pole
• Watercolor vs. Oil
• 1984 vs. Fahrenheit 451
• Emily Dickinson vs. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• W.E.B. DuBois vs. Booker T. Washington
• Strawberries vs. Apples
• Airplanes vs. Helicopters
• Hitler vs. Napoleon
• Roman Empire vs. British Empire
• Paper vs. Plastic
• Italy vs. Spain
• Baseball vs. Cricket
• Jefferson vs. Adams
• Thoroughbreds vs. Clydesdales
• Spiders vs. Scorpions
• Northern Hemisphere vs. Southern Hemisphere
• Hobbes vs. Locke
• Friends vs. Family
• Dried Fruit vs. Fresh
• Porcelain vs. Glass
• Modern Dance vs. Ballroom Dancing
• American Idol vs. The Voice
• Reality TV vs. Sitcoms
• Picard vs. Kirk
• Books vs. Movies
• Magazines vs. Comic Books
• Antique vs. New
• Public vs. Private Transportation
• Email vs. Letters
• Facebook vs. Twitter
• Coffee vs. an Energy Drink
• Toads vs. Frogs
• Profit vs. Non-Profit
• Boys vs. Girls
• Birds vs. Dinosaurs
• High School vs. College
• Chamberlain vs. Churchill
• Offense vs. Defense
• Jordan vs. Bryant
• Harry vs. Draco
• Roses vs. Carnations
• Poetry vs. Prose
• Fiction vs. Nonfiction
• Lions vs. Tigers
• Vampires vs. Werewolves
• Lollipops vs. popsicles
• Summer vs. Winter
• Recycling vs. Landfill
• Motorcycle vs. Bicycle
• Halogen vs. Incandescent
• Newton vs. Einstein
• . Go on vacation vs. Staycation
• Rock vs. Scissors
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• Sep 15, 2023

IB Lang Lit SL/HL Paper 2 Comparative Essay: Journey

A critical commentary responding to a IB Lang Lit Paper 2 prompt comparing Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House on their use or presentation of journey/s.

The Question: Journey

Referring to two works you have studied, discuss how the writers portray the significance of a journey..

Some questions will have philosophical quotes to open the question , functioning as a frame for your thinking and interpretation of the literary/dramatic texts you choose to compare. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily), this question does not have such a feature . This means you will need to frame the topic/motif word, "journey", yourself.

Identify specific instances or moments and/or motifs/symbols in the literary texts for a sharper , more targeted comparison .

Ensure that the question/prompt/topic you choose should be quite clearly or easily seen/noticed in the texts of your choice.

Of course, this could be after allowing yourself some time to reframe/slightly re-define the topic . For instance, a journey is an act of travelling , it includes a starting point and a destination , or multiple destinations . It takes you from place/space/state to place/space/state . It involves some forms of movement or even displacement . To do so, agency is often required . You could examine both physical/literal journeys/movements and spiritual/metaphorical ones. So feel free (of course with restraint and discretion), to redefine or reframe the prompt/concept word such that it allows more space and applicability to your texts . However, do exercise discretion when doing so. Ensure that you are not distorting the topic or the prompt into something unrecognisable!

Do be acutely sensitive to the similarities or differences in literary form and structure of the texts you have studied. Even if they are of similar form (prose, drama, poetry), there are often differences or nuances to their styles , and the socio-historical and literary contexts in which the texts have been produced, shaped and situated .

The Essay for IB Lang Lit Paper 2

The characters in Death of a Salesman (henceforth Salesman ) by Arthur Miller and A Doll’s House (henceforth Doll) by Henrik Ibsen undertake various journeys of great significance. On the surface, these journeys symbolise immense promise, fundamentally altering the course of characters’ lives toward fortune and success. However, this potential is deeply deceptive. For both Willy Loman and Nora Helmer, these journeys represent their deepest insecurities and fears as well, embodying their greatest failings in the eyes of society. At the end of the two texts, both characters embark on final journeys to leave their lives behind definitively. While Willy’s last journey into death is a culmination of his empty life of failure and broken dreams, Nora’s departure represents a fresh beginning for her, journeying away from her old life of restriction and dependence toward a new future of freedom.

Both Salesman and Doll have significant journeys at their core, travelling to faraway lands in pursuit of fortune and salvation. In Salesman , Miller employs Willy’s older brother Ben’s journey to Africa, where he made his fortune discovering diamond mines, as a potent symbol of the American Dream. When Ben first appears to Willy, Miller’s stage directions describe him as “a stolid man, in his sixties, with a moustache and an authoritative air”, painting a striking portrait of his confident stature and presence. Indeed, he is “utterly certain of his destiny, and there is an aura of far places about him” – his commanding, well-travelled presence embodies respect, power, and wealth to Willy, wholly encapsulating his ultimate conception of consummate success. Indeed, Ben’s journey into the jungle with its diamonds is a repeated motif throughout Salesman . Existing as a figment of Willy’s imagination, Ben and his journey symbolise the American Dream, feeding into the pipe dream of rags-to-riches success that Willy has chased his whole life. Willy’s belief that, “the jungle is dark but full of diamonds” demonstrates his unwavering faith and hope in an exotic journey to lead him towards the glittering promise of precious diamonds, delivering him the fortune and fulfilment that he desperately desires.

In Ibsen’s work, it is the Helmers’ journey to Italy to cure Torvald’s illness that forms the foundation of their life of bliss and luxury thereafter, serving as a central symbol of Nora’s love and commitment to her role as Torvald’s wife and their happy life together. Nora explains to Mrs Linde, “It was to me that the doctors came and said that [Torvald’s] life was in danger, and that the only thing to save him was to live in the south.” Indeed, the life-threatening stakes of the journey are evident, underscored by the absolute “only” suggesting its sheer importance for Torvald’s survival. As such, she tells Mrs Linde that “I too have something to be proud and glad of. It was I who saved Torvald’s life.” Her repetition of the personal pronoun emphasises her role and agency in saving her husband, evincing the magnitude of her happiness and sense of achievement in her efforts. Indeed, the journey is Nora’s greatest triumph. Just as Ben’s journey is a symbol of the riches and success that Willy dreams of, the Helmers’ journey is likewise a symbol for Nora of their good fortune, single-handedly saving her beloved and ensuring the future of their “beautiful happy home”.

However, these journeys harbour deeper, darker significances as well. These journeys serve as portentous symbols of betrayal and deceit in the texts, burdening the characters with their heavy, leaden weight. In Salesman , while both Willy’s father’s journey to Alaska and Ben’s journey to Africa represent their pursuit of great riches and success, they are also painful symbols of the betrayal and abandonment he suffers. As Willy reminisces, “Dad left when I was such a baby and I never had a chance to talk to him and I still feel– kind of temporary about myself” – the polysyndeton adds a plaintive, child-like quality to his speech, emphasised by his forlorn admission of his feelings of “temporar[iness]”, demonstrating his deep sense of hurt and betrayal from his father’s journey to Alaska. Similarly, Willy “longingly” pleads “Can’t you stay a few days” as Ben moves to leave the scene, desperately trying to get Ben to remain with him. For Willy, these expeditions are traumatic reminders of his father’s and brother’s betrayals of him, leaving him behind to fend for himself in the dust, revealing the dual significance of their journeys.

For Doll , it is Nora’s act of deceit and subterfuge that forms the core of the Helmers’ journey to Italy. Not only was her forgery to borrow the money for the trip a criminal act, but her deception of doing so behind Torvald’s back represents a massive transgression against the societal expectations of female obedience and financial dependence. As such, the significance of her betrayal and deceit lies in her desperate attempts to conceal her disgraceful secret, lest it ruin the Helmers’ happiness and reputation it had brought about. In criticising Krogstad’s own act of forgery, Torvald unknowingly comments on his wife’s own situation, saying, “A fog of lies like that in a household, and it spreads disease and infection to every part of it. Every breath the children take in that kind of house is reeking of evil germs.” Ibsen employs the metaphor of infection to describe perceived moral bankruptcy, proliferating and eating away at all in its vicinity. Powerfully, he even adopts the idea of an all-consuming “fog” that envelopes everyone in its shroud, invasively entering the “breath” of children and thoroughly corrupting them. The Helmers’ journey to Italy is one such act of deceit, suggesting that in Nora’s greatest act of love and salvation lies a symbol of her deepest disgrace and betrayal of society’s conventions and expectations of her.

Damningly, the two playwrights also demonstrate the ultimate hollowness of the fortunes promised by these journeys. In Salesman , Miller deflates the symbol of the American Dream with the sharp pin prick of reality, exposing the beguiling riches and fortune of exotic journeys as empty promises. When Willy asks Linda about the “diamond watch fob” that Ben brought back from Africa for him, Linda reminds him that he “pawned it… for Biff’s radio correspondence course.” The symbolic riches of Ben’s journey to Africa are undermined by the harsh reality of the Lomans’ poverty, exposing the hollowness of the lofty fortune and success that Ben’s journey promised. Moreover, Willy’s own journeys as a salesman are a far cry from the exciting, fortune-filled adventures of Ben’s expedition, with his dull, dreary travels earning him a paltry income that barely supports his family. When Willy initially recounts his business journey to Linda, he proudly declares that he made “five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston”. Yet, these inflated boasts are quickly punctured as Linda works out his actual earnings of a meagre “seven dollars and some pennies”, only worsened by the overwhelming cumulative list of mounting debts in “…nine-sixty for the washing machine… for the vacuum cleaner there’s three and a half due on the fifteenth. Then the roof, you got twenty-one dollars remaining”. Far from the alluring promise of wealth and adventures embodied by the “diamonds” , Willy’s own journeys merely offer the mundane reality of broken household appliances and indigent poverty, exposing the drab truth belying the glittering journey towards the American Dream.

Likewise, Ibsen demonstrates the inherent hollowness of the blissful family life gleaned from the Helmers’ journey. Just as Willy realises that the promise of Ben’s epic journey is a mere pipe dream, it becomes evident that the apparent good fortune of love and happiness brought about by the Helmers’ trip is a lie, with their marriage built primarily on Torvald’s desire for respect, control, and reputation, rather than any genuine feeling. Upon discovering Nora’s secret, Torvald’s reaction is not one of gratitude but instead of deep reproach and fury, exposing his preoccupation with social approval above all else. He tells Nora, “The thing must be hushed up at all costs”, only able to refer to her act of selfless sacrifice obliquely as “the thing”, and even demanding continued secrecy around the truth of their journey to the extent of the absolute in “at all costs”, demonstrating the intensity of his shame and emasculated humiliation. Cruelly, he declares, “All we can do is save the bits and pieces from the wreck, preserve appearances…”. The ideal life of a loving husband and happy family crumbles as Torvald reveals his true colours, callously referring to Nora’s greatest act of love as a disastrous “wreck”, leaving behind the ruined remnants of “bits and pieces” from their former, blissful façade. Instead, he is focused on the maintenance of “appearances”, suggesting his prioritisation of his social image over any true affection or love for Nora. As such, Ibsen demonstrates the superficiality of their love, exposing their joyful domestic life together, made possible by their trip to Italy, to be lacking in true happiness and only possessing frivolous, foolish “merry”.

Ultimately, both plays end with their respective protagonists’ departure from their old lives. For Salesman , Willy takes his car and commits suicide, embarking on a tragic final journey into the “dark jungle” of death. In the Requiem, Linda tells Willy, “I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And there’ll be nobody home”. Despite the fulfilment of one of the Loman’s life goals, the “diamonds” reaped are completely hollow, without any happiness, family, or meaning behind it. We are confronted with the inherent meaninglessness of the various journeys of Willy’s life, as well as the ultimate emptiness of his final journey into death, demonstrating the yawning chasm between reality and the grand symbolism of Ben’s journey and the American Dream. In the closing moments of Salesman , the stage is filled with the enchanting “music of the flute”, alluding to the tantalising journey into the wilderness that eluded Willy all his life. Even in death, he is haunted by the glimmering potential of what could have been, leading away towards riches and success just out of reach.

Conversely, Nora’s flight is much more empowering and hopeful. While Willy’s death is merely the final meaningless journey of a long life of meaningless journeys, Nora’s departure stands in contrast to the Helmers’ trip that catalyses the play. The woman who embarked on that initial journey, naïve and wholly self-effacing in the face of her husband’s needs, is different from the woman who leaves her husband at the end of the play, independent and free from the restrictions of his patronising iron fist of control. The play ends with “the sound of a door shutting”, with its resounding note of finality ringing out across the stage in a decisive end to her old life of dependence and captivity.

While both plays employ journeys as a glimmering symbol of reward, promising great fortune and fulfilment, Miller and Ibsen recognise the deceptive quality of these false promises. In time, these journeys come to harbour darker significances of deceit and betrayal for the characters, with their apparent promises of happiness and riches exposed to be hollow illusions. At the end of each play, both protagonists embark on final journeys to leave their old lives behind. While Willy’s final journey into death encapsulates a lifetime hopelessly spent chasing dreams just out of reach, Ibsen illuminates a brighter, hopeful future for Nora as she begins her new life.

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• Dec 23, 2020
• 18 min read

CSEC English B: A Guide to Writing Poetry Essays

Updated: Jun 1, 2021

If you're reading this, chances are, you've been subjected to the unfortunate torture that is the English B (comparative) poetry essay. That's right- you've been allotted around 30 minutes to write on two of the twenty poems CSEC prescribed for your study over two years. Fun , right?

All jokes aside, we're all going to face a poetry essay at some point or another, whether practice assigned at school or the 'real McCoy' on the exam.

Writing poetry essays can seem daunting though- you're presented with a three part question demanding that you satisfy all necessary requirements to attain your maximum 25 marks. And on top of that, no matter how hard you try to clear your mind, it can be very difficult to arrange your thoughts well enough to put together an essay that can convince your teacher that you deserve at least a passing grade.

Well, worry no more! One of the main reasons we make silly slip-ups in our essays is because we don't necessarily know what it means to write a sufficient essay, and therefore don't have a small plan in our minds to which we can abide calmly during those nerve-wracking minutes. Hopefully after giving this guide a quick read, you'll understand more about how to tackle a question, the parts of an essay, what you want to try to achieve in each of those parts, and making an essay that stands out .

Step 1: The question

Poetry essay questions come in two varieties :

1) One where the poems you are to write on are named, for example:

“The poems ‘A Stone’s Throw’ and ‘The Woman Speaks to the Man Who has Employed her Son’ are about how women are treated.” For EACH poem:

(a) Briefly describe what is taking place.

(b) Discuss the speaker’s attitude to the woman.

(c) Discuss ONE device which is used to effectively convey the treatment of women.

2) One where the poems you are to write on are unnamed, and you are to choose two poems from the syllabus that fit a certain theme provided by the question. For example:

Choose TWO poems which you have studied that focus on a significant experience or event. For EACH poem:

(a) Describe the experience or event.

(b) Discuss the speaker’s attitude to this experience or event.

(c) Discuss ONE device that is used to present this experience or event.

(Both questions are taken from the January 2013 English B Paper 2)

In every CSEC poetry question you get, parts one and two of the question will ask you to describe, discuss or explain some aspect of the poem. The third part of the question will always ask you to discuss a poetic/literary device used in the poem.

I know that this may be repetitive to you, but you should always read both questions through very carefully. It would be very unpleasant to begin writing on a question only to glance back at the paper and realize that you mistook a crucial detail , or even worse- that you can't fully answer the question you chose (this only applies to the actual exam, where you will choose between the two types of questions).

The question literally gives you the instructions for your essay, so they should not be overlooked .

Apart from ensuring that you don't mistake any details, reading the question also gives you the time to plan your essay mentally. The first sentence of the question will give you a guide as to what the theme of your essay will be, and what information you will include in the introductory paragraph. The instant that you read the question, you will be able to think about answers to each of the three parts of the question on which you will expound throughout the essay.

Step 2: The Introductory Paragraph (5 sentences)

Depending on the type of writer you are, you may prefer to write a separate plan for your essay before beginning writing. If you believe that you write better and more efficiently after planning out your essay, then, by all means, do your prior planning. A little time spent before arranging your thoughts is worth it, if it helps you.

A good plan can take the form of a few bullet points written loosely on a sheet of paper, where you note key concepts surrounding each of the parts of the question. For example, planning a first body paragraph for the question on the treatment of women could look like this:

a) A Stone's Throw - the woman in question is being abused in the name of justice by a group of ravenous men, who want to punish her for alleged promiscuity

The Woman Speaks to the Man who Has Employed Her Son - the mother, despite having cared for her son and placing no limits on his potential, has to accept being betrayed by this very son, who now seeks a father figure in a man offering him work as part of a gang

Those are brief summaries, and it would be expected that you go into more detail within the body paragraph.

While some may prefer to plan their essays, others (such as myself) prefer to just jump right into the essay and keep themselves in check while writing.

The introductory paragraph is a very important start, and can even help you in planning the essay overall. Let us first consider the parts of the introductory paragraph of a poetry essay:

As shown above, the introductory paragraph of a poetry essay will contain five basic parts: the hook, stating poems, and question parts 1, 2 and 3.

The Hook is one of the best ways to make your essay stand out. It is a statement that should be based on the theme of the question chosen. So, for question 1 from the past paper, the theme would be the treatment of women . Question 2's theme would be significance experience or events .

Making an interesting general statement can seem very difficult at first, but it's really about either trying to 'sound smart' or expressing your thoughts on the theme (just make sure that you don't use any personal pronouns like 'I' and 'we.' For example, look at the following hooks based on question 2:

"The length of the average human’s lifetime encompasses the interwoven intricacies of several experiences which influence the internal mindscape of the person in question as well as those around them."

"Each unique experience, whether triggered by disruptive forces such as nature, contextual obligation and temporal necessity influence momentary revelations described in most of the poems prescribed by the CSEC syllabus."

(Note that although the hook is important for distinguishing your essay, you should not take too long to write it, since you still have 4 and a half paragraphs to write afterwards.)

After the hook, you must state the poems you have chosen (or the poems provided by the question) in a sentence that also compares the two. Maybe a bit complicated? Look at the following example for question 2:

"The poems “South” by Kamau Brathwaite and “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri both include vivid descriptions of significant experiences in the life of each speaker."

See? In this sentence, you just want to mention both of the poems you will be comparing. It connects what you said in your hook to the rest of the essay.

Question Parts 1, 2 and 3 simply involve you summarizing how you will answer each part of the question in the rest of the essay. Maybe in previous grades, you've heard of the thesis statement, where teachers would expect a simple sentence like "this essay will..." and then you would restate the question.

However, at this higher level of writing (yes, you are at a higher academic level now, yay), teachers want something a little less... bland.

For each part of the question, it is suggested that you write at least one sentence outlining your answer (in relation to BOTH poems). So, part 1 of question 2 asks you to "Describe the experience or event." So, your sentence would give a brief description of the experience or event in both poems you chose (in this case, we chose "South" and "An African Thunderstorm"):

"Brathwaite illustrates the incident of migration in “South” through a homesick islander while Rubadiri presents a more concrete experience of the destructive force of nature (a thunderstorm) through a member of an African village."

(Using the last names of the poets can be a good way to refer to the poems during comparisons)

Notice that only a few words are used to describe the experience in each poem, since you are only summarizing what you will discuss in a whole paragraph later.

Comparing the poems like that in the sentence can be useful when you want to write efficient sentences.

The same thing is done for question parts 2 and 3:

"The persona of “South” is averse to his new surroundings after leaving his homeland, and feels oppressed by a strange and cold environment , while the speaker of “An African Thunderstorm” along with the members of his village react with fear towards the cloud of impending doom. "

"Brathwaite employs personification to convey the impact of migration on the persona. Rubadiri uses repetition to communicate the effect of the experience of the thunderstorm."

Aaaand just like that, you've completed your introductory paragraph! The best thing about introductory paragraphs like this is that they help you plan and think about the answers to all the questions before actually expounding on each point. Let's look at the combined introductory paragraph:

"The length of the average human’s lifetime encompasses the interwoven intricacies of several experiences which influence the internal mindscape of the person in question as well as those around them. Each unique experience, whether triggered by disruptive forces such as nature, contextual obligation and temporal necessity influence momentary revelations described in most of the poems prescribed by the CSEC syllabus. The poems “South” by Kamau Brathwaite and “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri both include vivid descriptions of significant experiences in the life of each speaker. Brathwaite illustrates the incident of migration in “South” through a homesick islander while Rubadiri presents a more concrete experience of the destructive force of nature (a thunderstorm) through a member of an African village. The persona of “South” is averse to his new surroundings after leaving his homeland, and feels oppressed by a strange and cold environment, while the speaker of “An African Thunderstorm” along with the members of his village react with fear towards the cloud of impending doom. Brathwaite employs personification to convey the impact of migration on the persona. Rubadiri uses repetition to communicate the effect of the experience of the thunderstorm."

Step 3: The Body Paragraphs

You are probably already familiar with the three parts of a paragraph: the topic sentence, body sentences and the concluding sentence. However, in a poetry essay, you are comparing two poems, and you are doing that while answering a question in 3 parts. As a result, your paragraphs may be a bit different.

Instead of that model, it may be useful to think of each paragraph as composed of different chunks of points, examples and explanations for each poem. I like to think of each paragraph as containing two paragraphs within it, a separate topic sentence for each poem :

Overall Topic Sentence (Optional)- This sentence gives a general overview of both poems. This is optional though, as it is more efficient to simply start with the topic sentence for the first poem.

Look at the following examples for parts 1 and 2 (an overall topic sentence is not very applicable to question part 3 ):

Part 1: "The poems both investigate very distinctive experiences in the lives of the personas, each one important to the speaker in conflicting ways."

Part 2: "Each persona finds himself in the midst of a strange and somewhat threatening circumstance, and their own reactions as well as those of the people around them reflect the severity of what is occurring."

Poem Topic Sentences

The poem topic sentence should be a specific connection of the poem to the question, and can be similar to what was written in the introductory paragraph. Each poem topic sentence should be the start of what you will write on that particular poem, so your body paragraph will be like two paragraphs in one.

For example, for question 2 part 1, the topic sentences for the two poems selected could be:

"Firstly, the persona of “South” explores the experience of migration and the impact of abandoning his homeland."

"On the other hand, the persona of “An African Thunderstorm” finds himself and his village threatened by an immensely powerful thunderstorm. The poem explores this terrifying experience by relating in evocative detail the destructive power of the storm."

Note: Using comparative phrases such as 'on the other hand,' 'contrarily,' 'by comparison,' and 'similar to' can help to better connect the content of your essay.

The topic sentences are only meant to introduce the content (body sentences) of your paragraph, so your description of South would follow the topic sentence concerning South, and the same would go for An African Thunderstorm.

Body Sentences (Point, Example, Explanation)

The body sentences of your paragraphs are where you get to contribute the real content of your essay. When writing your body sentences, you should try to follow the structure Point, Example, Explanation, abbreviated as P.E.E., (if you're into that, I guess you can remember it like that).

Point- This is where you state an aspect of your answer to the question. So, for part 1, you would 'describe the event or experience.'

Example- Use an example (a quote) from the poem to support your point.

Explanation- Explain your point more and show how your example supports your point.

These three parts can be in three separate sentences, in one sentence, or even just two. You can even mix up the order of the parts to how you see fit. How much you write is fully dependent on w hat you find sufficient for answering the question.

Look at the following example of a completed body paragraph (the body sentences are underlined and colour-coded, red for point , blue for example and green for explanation ):

"Firstly, the persona of “South” explores the experience of migration and the impact of abandoning his homeland. The speaker leaves his island home, a picturesque landscape of shimmering ocean waves and sand , as shown in “ I have travelled: moved far from the beaches.” He has gone to “ stoniest cities,” towns of stony foundations and even stonier people, contrary to the warm people he remembers from his home. The northern lands he traversed were plagued with unpleasant weather conditions, like “ slanting sleet and… hail.” Travelling to the “ saltless savannas” of Africa, he noticed they were completely devoid of the salty ocean of his homeland which he misses so dearly. Now, he lives in a house amongst the trees in the forest “where the shadows oppress [him]" and the darkness around him reflects the longing for his island home. In the forest, there is only the rain and the river, which, to him, can never substitute for the boundless opportunity and joy of the sea. Leaving his home has brought him to several places in the northern world; each a stark contrast to the one place he feels he belongs. Now, he settles in a place that lacks the ocean and its distinct character, and the “tepid taste of the river” cannot satisfy him in its ordinary and saltless nature. On the other hand, the persona of “ An African Thunderstorm” finds himself and his village threatened by an immensely powerful thunderstorm. The poem explores this terrifying experience by relating in evocative detail the destructive power of the storm. The clouds are said to “ come hurrying with the wind,” denoting the speed with which the winds propel them towards the settlement. “ Like a madman chasing nothing,” the wind darts and turns, whirling about with no definite direction or purpose, bound to cause damage to the things around it. The persona sees the wind tossing things up as it moves by at breakneck speeds, carrying the “ pregnant clouds” (filled with rain and other hallmarks of meteorological terror) on its back. The “trees bend to let [the wind] pass” as it whistles by, showing the sheer force of its movement- even forcing the strong, tall-standing trees to bend as though prostrating themselves before the wind’s undeniable power. Around the persona in the village, the wind sends the clothes of the people flying off, waving in the wind like “ tattered flags.” Blinding flashes of lightning strike in the distance followed by the low rumble of thunder, a chaotic image of the imminent tempest. The “ pelting march of the storm” is continuous and seemingly unstoppable as it approaches the village, communicating the idea of doom associated with this experience."

Note that in the paragraph above,a separate sentence explanation is not as necessary since you are simply describing the poems.

Step 4: Concluding Paragraph

Sometimes, writing a concluding paragraph can seem like the most difficult part, because you don't have a clear path as to what to write . In these cases, for the sake of efficiency, you can think of the concluding paragraph as having 4 parts:

General Statement on the Theme or the Poems- This can be similar to your hook

Summary Sentence of Body Paragraph 1

Summary Sentence of Body Paragraph 2

Summary Sentence of Body Paragraph 3

For example:

"In conclusion, experiences define both the premise and particularities of human life. Distinct significant events create both momentary and long-lasting impacts to the person in question as well as those around them. The poems “South” and “An African Thunderstorm” both present a significant experience in the lives of the personas. While the speaker’s reaction to migration in “South” is in phases, beginning with a denial of oppressive memory followed by acceptance, the people around the speaker in “An African Thunderstorm” react with both fear and seemingly malapropos joy to the imminent thunderstorm. Brathwaite implements personification to relay the impact of external migration on the persona. Rubadiri employs repetition to convey the thunderstorm’s impact on the environment, and therefore rationalizes the fear of the members of the village."

(Starting with "In conclusion" is very common, so you can usually omit such clichéd connectors)

Now, let's take a look at the completed essay:

The length of the average human’s lifetime encompasses the interwoven intricacies of several experiences which influence the internal mindscape of the person in question as well as those around them. Each unique experience, whether triggered by disruptive forces such as nature, contextual obligation and temporal necessity influence momentary revelations described in most of the poems prescribed by the CSEC syllabus. The poems “South” by Kamau Brathwaite and “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri both include vivid descriptions of significant experiences in the life of each speaker. Brathwaite illustrates the incident of migration in “South” through a homesick islander while Rubadiri presents a more concrete experience of the destructive force of nature (a thunderstorm) through a member of an African village. The persona of “South” is averse to his new surroundings after leaving his homeland, and feels oppressed by a strange and cold environment, while the speaker of “An African Thunderstorm” along with the members of his village react with fear towards the cloud of impending doom. Brathwaite employs personification to convey the impact of migration on the persona. Rubadiri uses repetition to communicate the effect of the experience of the thunderstorm.

Firstly, the persona of “South” explores the experience of migration and the impact of abandoning his homeland. The speaker leaves his island home, a picturesque landscape of shimmering ocean waves and sand, as shown in “ I have travelled: moved far from the beaches.” He has gone to “ stoniest cities,” towns of stony foundations and even stonier people, contrary to the warm people he remembers from his home. The northern lands he traversed were plagued with unpleasant weather conditions, like “ slanting sleet and… hail.” Travelling to the “ saltless savannas” of Africa, he noticed they were completely devoid of the salty ocean of his homeland which he misses so dearly. Now, he lives in a house amongst the trees in the forest “where the shadows oppress [him]" and the darkness around him reflects the longing for his island home. In the forest, there is only the rain and the river, which, to him, can never substitute for the boundless opportunity and joy of the sea. Leaving his home has brought him to several places in the northern world; each a stark contrast to the one place he feels he belongs. Now, he settles in a place that lacks the ocean and its distinct character, and the “tepid taste of the river” cannot satisfy him in its ordinary and saltless nature. On the other hand, the persona of “ An African Thunderstorm” finds himself and his village threatened by an immensely powerful thunderstorm. The poem explores this terrifying experience by relating in evocative detail the destructive power of the storm. The clouds are said to “ come hurrying with the wind,” denoting the speed with which the winds propel them towards the settlement. “ Like a madman chasing nothing,” the wind darts and turns, whirling about with no definite direction or purpose, bound to cause damage to the things around it. The persona sees the wind tossing things up as it moves by at breakneck speeds, carrying the “ pregnant clouds” (filled with rain and other hallmarks of meteorological terror) on its back. The “trees bend to let [the wind] pass” as it whistles by, showing the sheer force of its movement- even forcing the strong, tall-standing trees to bend as though prostrating themselves before the wind’s undeniable power. Around the persona in the village, the wind sends the clothes of the people flying off, waving in the wind like “ tattered flags.” Blinding flashes of lightning strike in the distance followed by the low rumble of thunder, a chaotic image of the imminent tempest. The “ pelting march of the storm” is continuous and seemingly unstoppable as it approaches the village, communicating the idea of doom associated with this experience.

Each persona finds himself in the midst of a strange and somewhat threatening circumstance, and their own reactions as well as those of the people around them reflect the severity of what is occurring. In “South,” the persona’s reaction to migration can be divided into two distinct stages as related by the poem. His initial reaction is one in which he is ‘oppressed’ by the darkness of his surroundings and seems overtaken by an emotion of inextricable gloom. He is now in a place so unlike his island home, devoid of the ocean which he so loves and has lacked in all the places he has gone to since migrating. The only water he finds here is from the rain or the river, whose ‘tepid taste’ is unappealing and bland to him. In this initial reaction, he denies the river. He, who is “ born of the ocean,” cannot “ seek solace in rivers.” While the ocean has a characteristic ebb and flow, the river runs on ad infinitum, without end. Instead of representing limitless renewal like the ocean, the river instead flows on “like [his] longing” for his homeland. By denying the river, he also denies himself longing for home- even though it is the absence of things he cherishes and misses so dearly that creates his sense of gloom in the first place. His second reaction, shown in the volta of the poem, is when he accepts the river and decides to join it. The river, though constantly flowing like the persona’s longing, is both a conduit of humanity’s past events as well as a path to the sea. In accepting the river and in turn his longing, he also is able to tap into the historical archive of the river and recall his own childhood. Thus, the persona’s reaction is an abridged version of the Kubler-Ross Model of Grief- he begins with denial of the river and what it represents in reaction to being parted with his homeland, and ends with accepting its repertoire of past events (good and bad) to reminisce happily on visions from his childhood. He is able to return to the sea. On the other hand, the persona of “An African Thunderstorm” does not have a reaction illustrated by the poem to the experience of the thunderstorm. Instead, the poem focuses on the reactions of women and children in the village. The children are said to scream with delight in the ‘whirling wind,’ seemingly malapropos given the context of the destructive force of the storm. However, it makes sense as a puerile reaction to a novel experience. A child, not understanding the workings of the world as of yet, is most likely going to be delighted when confronted by something new, like strong winds or the beginnings of rain. The women and mothers of the village have a completely opposite reaction to the children. They instead “dart about… madly” showing a frenzied response to an obvious threat. They seem to be in a panic, either trying to complete preparations for the imminent storm, or, darting about aimlessly unsure of any way they can mitigate the its effects. The women’s babies are said to be “ clinging on their backs” reflecting a possible fear which they share with their mothers. The startling nature of the advent of something so undeniably malignant would be cause for babies to be fearful- and even if they were unable to comprehend it, they would be inheriting the evident fear displayed by their frantic mothers.

Finally, Brathwaite employs personification in “South” in order to convey the effect of migration on the persona. After migrating, the persona comes to live in a house in the forest. He specifically says “ the shadows oppress me,” giving the shadows a human-like quality in being able to abuse him in some way. The context of this line is based around his sojourns far away from the beaches of his home and now settling in a forest house. The shadows cast by trees in the canopy of a forest over the forest floor are likely what he refers to- so very different from the “ bright beaches” full of sunshine from his island home. However, he may also refer to shadows figuratively, and thus the line may take on a dual meaning. Shadows could also refer to recurrent memories of his home, in line with the common association of shadows with memories. So, having left the beaches he so dearly loves, he is stuck amidst the shadows of trees which only remind him of how far he has gone from where he belongs. The gloominess of this forest contradicts what he is used to, so it is as if he is being victimized by his own environment. In the same way, memories of his past, which only remind him of how incongruous the forest is to his island, subject him to constant longing and yearning for a return home. On the other hand, repetition is used in Rubadiri’s “An African Thunderstorm” to convey the impact of the experience of the thunderstorm on the environment. The line “trees bend to let it pass” is repeated twice throughout the poem and denotes the motion of the trees in relation to the wind. The trees lean and bend over when the wind passes by, shifting from its path due to its violence and strength. However, this also conveys a subservience in the trees in that they bend to allow the wind to pass. It is as though the trees are prostrating themselves before a powerful king as he strolls stately by. In the same way, the trees, tall and robust stalwarts of nature are bent forcefully by the mighty wind. Thus, the thunderstorm is shown to be immensely powerful, forcing everything around it to morph and change to accommodate its unhindered passage.

In conclusion, experiences define both the premise and particularities of human life. Distinct significant events create both momentary and long-lasting impacts to the person in question as well as those around them. The poems “South” and “An African Thunderstorm” both present a significant experience in the lives of the personas. While the speaker’s reaction to migration in “South” is in phases, beginning with a denial of oppressive memory followed by acceptance, the people around the speaker in “An African Thunderstorm” react with both fear and seemingly malapropos joy to the imminent thunderstorm. Brathwaite implements personification to relay the impact of external migration on the persona. Rubadiri employs repetition to convey the thunderstorm’s impact on the environment, and therefore rationalizes the fear of the members of the village.

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Unfortunately as a parent I failed at some point. You know, my kids were overloaded with assignments plus extracurricular studies plus sports, so one day we found out they are just not coping. I used https://justdone.ai/academic-writing/learning-strategies  to undertake a few written assignments so we managed to stay afloat, but perhaps I should not have loaded them this much. So foolish of me.

Department of Comparative Literature

You are here, recent dissertations in comparative literature.

Dissertations in Comparative Literature have taken on vast number of topics and ranged across various languages, literatures, historical periods and theoretical perspectives. The department seeks to help each student craft a unique project and find the resources across the university to support and enrich her chosen field of study. The excellence of student dissertations has been recognized by several prizes, both within Yale and by the American Comparative Literature Association.

2012 – Present

Teaching Connections

Advancing discussions about teaching, harnessing the potential of generative ai in medical undergraduate education across different disciplines – a comparative study on performance of chatgpt-3.5 and gpt-4 in physiology and biochemistry modified essay questions.

Nathasha LUKE 1 , LEE Seow Chong 2 , Kenneth BAN 2 , Amanda WONG 1 , CHEN Zhi Xiong 1,3 , LEE Shuh Shing 3 , Reshma Taneja 1 , Dujeepa D. SAMARASEKARA 3 , Celestial T. YAP 1

1 Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUSMed) 2 Department of Biochemistry, NUSMed 3 Centre for Medical Education (CenMED), NUSMed

Editor’s Note: Natasha and her co-authors share a summary of the findings from the study they presented at HECC 2023 under the sub-theme “AI and Education”.

Nathasha presenting her team’s study during HECC 2023.

Introduction

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of modern-day education. ChatGPT passing medical examinations (Kung et al., 2023, Subramani et al., 2023) and solving complex clinical problems (Eriksen et al., 2023) displayed its potential to revolutionise medical education. The capabilities and limitations of this technology across disciplines should be identified to promote the optimum use of the models in education. We conducted a study evaluating the performance of ChatGPT in modified essay questions (MEQs) in Physiology and Biochemistry for medical undergraduates.

Answer Generation, Assessment, and Data Analysis

The modified essay questions were extracted from Physiology and Biochemistry tutorials, and case-based learning scenarios. 44 MEQs in Physiology and 43 MEQs in Biochemistry were encoded into GPT-3.5 to generate answers. Each response was graded by two examiners independently, guided by a marking scheme. The examiners also rated the answers on concordance, accuracy, language, organisation, and information and provided qualitative comments. Descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation, and variance were calculated in relation to the average scores and subgroups according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. Single factor ANOVA was calculated for the subgroups to assess for a statistically significant difference.

Subsequently, a subgroup of 15 questions from each subject was selected to represent different score categories of the GPT-3.5 answers. Answers were generated in GPT-4 and graded similarly.

The answers generated in GPT-3.5 ( n = 44) obtained a mean score of 74.7 (SD 25.96) in Physiology. 16/44 (36.3%) of the answers generated in GPT-3.5 scored 90/100 marks or above. 29.5%, numerically 13/44, obtained a score of 100%. There was a statistically significant difference in mean scores between the higher-order and lower-order questions on the Bloom’s Taxonomy ( p < 0.05). Qualitative comments commended ChatGPT’s strength in producing exemplary answers to most questions in Physiology, mostly excelling in lower-order questions. Deficiencies were noted in applying physiological concepts in the clinical context.

Figure 1 . Distribution of scores of answers generated in GPT-3.5. 

The 15 Physiology questions answered by GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 had mean scores of 59.2 (SD 32.04) and 68.6 (SD 29.77) respectively. For the 15 Biochemistry questions, the mean score for GPT-3.5 was 59.33 (SD 29.08), and for GPT-4 was 85.33 (SD 18.48). The increase in GPT-4 scores was statistically significant in Biochemistry ( p = 0.006), but not in Physiology ( p = 0.4)

Our study showcases the potential of generative AI as a helpful educational resource. However, the current generative AI technology is not at a standpoint to be the sole educational resource, as performance is sub-optimal in most of the questions. The responses are either incomplete or contain errors, particularly in the domain of applying concepts in the clinical context. The wise use of generative AI as an adjunct to other resources will augment the learning process. Students and educators should be aware of the potentials and weaknesses of generative AI technologies in their own disciplines. One strategy would be to get students to generate the initial draft from generative AI, critically analyse the responses, and based on their analysis, strive towards improving their application of disciplinary knowledge. In addition, educators will have to revise certain educational tools to ensure that course objectives are still met in the generative AI era. This technology should be incorporated into learning pedagogies where appropriate.

Our study demonstrates the differential performance of ChatGPT across the two subjects. The performance of language models largely depends on the availability of training data; hence the efficacy may vary across subject areas. Subject and domain-specific training focusing on areas of deficiencies will enhance the performance of language models.

Overall, GPT-4 performed better than GPT-3.5 in the subset of questions tested. The users should know the potentials and limitations of each type as well as iterations of generative AI to promote optimum adoption of the technology.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the examiners who took their time to grade the ChatGPT responses. We would like to thank CDTL for their support and the Teaching Enhancement Grant (TEG) which financially supported our project.

Eriksen, A. V., Möller, S., & Ryg, J. (2023, December 11). Use of GPT-4 to diagnose complex clinical cases. NEJM AI, 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.1056/aip2300031

Kung, T. H., Cheatham, M., Medenilla, A., Sillos, C., De Leon, L., Elepaño, C., Madriaga, M., Aggabao, R., Diaz-Candido, G., Maningo, J., & Tseng, V. (2023, February 9). Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: Potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models. PLOS Digital Health, 2 (2), e0000198. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000198

Subramani, M., Jaleel, I., & Krishna Mohan, S. (2023, June 1). Evaluating the performance of ChatGPT in medical physiology university examination of phase I MBBS. Advances in Physiology Education, 47 (2), 270–71. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00036.2023