Thursday, March 13, 2008

Compare Contrast Theme or Recurring Theme

In writing this type of theme, you may compare different authors, or two or more works by the same author, or different drafts of the same work. Similarities are brought out by comparison, and differences are brought out by contrast. One of the aims of this type of paper is definition--i.e., a description that identifies the properties and characteristics of something.
One of the first tasks is to find a common ground in order to compare two works or writers--style, subject matter, ideas, structure, tone, characterization, milieu, etc. What appears at first as dissimilar can often be put into a frame of reference that permits analytical comparison and contrast.

Method of treatment: Rather than treating each work or author separately, one after the other, it is preferable to treat a main idea and its major aspects with reference to both works or writers as they illustrate or illuminate the idea, thus interlocking the two in close juxtaposition. This interweaving of subject matter helps avoid repetition.

Questions to ask: How does the work differ from other works in the same general category? How is one work greater than another? Or, how does each succeed in its own way? What similarities and dissimilarities are there (in tone, style, characterization, ideas, images, structure, etc)?

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