How to Write a Comparative Analysis. Throughout your academic career, you'll be asked to write papers in which you compare and contrast two things: two texts, two theories, two historical figures, two scientific processes, and so on. "Classic" compare-and-contrast papers, in which you weight A and B equally, may be about two similar things that · A comparative tale of two methods: how thematic and narrative analyses author the data story differently. An interpretive qualitative approach insists on the plural and negotiated nature of the meanings that humans attach to their social blogger.com by: 7 · Comparative Narrative. Reading, for the true enthusiasts, is a time to take a break, a vacation from the everyday hum-drum life. It is a time for him or her to escape what he or she knows to experience and view life through another’s eyes. For one who truly enjoys this pastime, it does not matter what the genre blogger.comted Reading Time: 8 mins
Comparative Narrative Story Structures Charted! | THE OTHER NETWORK WRITER'S ROOM
Throughout your academic career, you'll be asked to write papers in which you compare and contrast two things: two texts, comparative narrative, two theories, two historical figures, two scientific processes, and so on. In the "lens" or "keyhole" comparison, in comparative narrative you weight A less heavily than B, you use A as a lens through comparative narrative to view B.
Just as looking through a pair of glasses changes the comparative narrative you see an object, comparative narrative, using A as a framework for understanding B changes the way you see B.
Lens comparisons are useful for illuminating, comparative narrative, critiquing, or challenging the stability of a thing that, before the analysis, comparative narrative, seemed perfectly understood. Often, lens comparisons take time into account: earlier texts, events, or historical figures may illuminate later ones, and vice versa. Faced with a daunting list of seemingly unrelated similarities and differences, you may feel confused about how to construct a comparative narrative that isn't just a mechanical exercise in which you first state all the features that A and B have in common, and then state all the ways in which A and B are different.
Predictably, the thesis of such a paper is usually an assertion that A and B are very similar yet not so similar comparative narrative all. To write a good compare-and-contrast paper, you must take your raw data—the similarities and differences you've observed—and make them cohere into a meaningful argument.
Here are the five elements required, comparative narrative. Frame of Reference, comparative narrative.
This is the context within which you place the two things you plan to compare and contrast; it is the umbrella under which you have grouped them.
The frame of reference may consist of an idea, comparative narrative, theme, question, problem, or theory; a group of similar things from which you extract two for special attention; biographical or historical information. The best frames comparative narrative reference are constructed from specific sources rather than your own thoughts or observations. Thus, in a paper comparing how two writers redefine social norms of masculinity, you would be better off quoting a sociologist on the topic of masculinity than spinning out potentially banal-sounding theories of your own.
Most assignments tell you exactly what the frame of reference should be, and most courses supply sources for constructing it. If you encounter an assignment that fails to provide a frame of reference, you must come up with one on your own.
A paper without such a context would have no angle on the material, no focus or frame for the writer to propose a meaningful argument. Grounds for Comparison. Let's say you're writing a paper on global food distribution, and you've chosen to compare apples and oranges, comparative narrative. Why these particular fruits? Why not pears and bananas?
The rationale behind your choice, the grounds for comparisonlets your reader know why your choice is deliberate and meaningful, not random. For instance, in a paper asking how the "discourse of domesticity" has been used in the abortion comparative narrative, the grounds for comparison are obvious; the issue has two conflicting sides, pro-choice and pro-life.
In a paper comparing the effects of comparative narrative rain on two forest sites, your choice of sites is less obvious. A paper focusing on similarly aged forest stands in Maine and the Catskills will be set up differently from one comparing a new forest stand in the White Mountains with an comparative narrative forest in the same region. You need to indicate the reasoning behind your choice.
The grounds for comparison anticipates the comparative nature of your thesis. As in any argumentative paper, your thesis statement will convey the gist of your argument, comparative narrative, which necessarily follows from your frame of reference. But in a compare-and-contrast, the thesis depends on how the two things you've chosen to compare actually comparative narrative to one another.
Do they extend, corroborate, complicate, contradict, correct, or debate one another? In the most common compare-and-contrast paper—one focusing on differences—you can indicate the precise relationship between A and B by using the word "whereas" in your thesis:. Whereas Camus perceives ideology comparative narrative secondary to the need to address a specific historical moment of colonialism, Fanon perceives a revolutionary ideology as the impetus to reshape Algeria's history in a direction toward independence.
Whether your paper focuses comparative narrative on difference or similarity, you need to make the relationship between A and B clear in your thesis.
This relationship is at the heart of any compare-and-contrast paper. Organizational Scheme. Your introduction will include your frame of reference, grounds for comparison, and thesis. There are two basic ways to organize the body comparative narrative your paper. If you think that B extends Comparative narrative, you'll probably use a text-by-text scheme; if you see A and B engaged in debate, a point-by-point scheme will draw attention to the conflict.
Be aware, however, that the point-by- point scheme can come off as a ping-pong game, comparative narrative. You can avoid this effect by grouping more than one point together, thereby cutting down on the number of times you alternate from A to B. But no matter which organizational scheme you choose, you need not comparative narrative equal time to similarities and differences. In fact, your paper will be more interesting if you get to the heart of your argument as quickly as possible.
Thus, a paper on two evolutionary theorists' different interpretations of specific archaeological findings might have as few as two or three sentences in the introduction on similarities and at most a paragraph or two to set up the contrast between the theorists' positions. The rest of the paper, whether organized text- by-text or point-by-point, will treat the two theorists' differences.
You can organize a classic compare-and-contrast paper either text-by-text or point-by-point. But in a "lens" comparison, in which you spend significantly less time on A the lens than on B the focal textyou almost always organize text-by-text. That's because A and B are not strictly comparable: A is merely comparative narrative tool for helping you discover whether or not B's nature is actually what expectations have led you to believe it is. Linking of A and B. All argumentative papers require you to link each point in comparative narrative argument back to the thesis.
Without such links, your reader will be unable to see how new sections logically and systematically advance your argument, comparative narrative. In a compare-and contrast, you also need to make links between A and B in the body of comparative narrative essay if you want your paper to hold comparative narrative. As a girl raised in the faded glory of the Old South, amid mystical tales of magnolias and moonlight, comparative narrative, the mother remains part of a dying generation.
Surrounded by hard times, racial conflict, and limited opportunities, Julian, on the other handfeels repelled by the provincial nature of home, and represents a new Southerner, one who sees his native land through a condescending Northerner's eyes.
CopyrightKerry Walk, for the Writing Center at Harvard University. Skip to main content. Main Menu Utility Menu Search. Harvard College Writing Program HARVARD, comparative narrative. FAQ Schedule an appointment Writing Resources English Grammar and Language Tutor Departmental Writing Fellows Writing Resources Writing Advice: The Comparative narrative Underground Blog Contact Us.
In the most common compare-and-contrast paper—one focusing on differences—you can indicate the precise relationship between A and B by using the word "whereas" in your thesis: Whereas Camus perceives ideology as secondary to the need to address a specific historical moment of colonialism, Fanon perceives a revolutionary ideology as the impetus to reshape Algeria's history in a direction toward independence.
In text-by-textyou discuss all of A, comparative narrative, then all of B. In point-by-pointcomparative narrative, you alternate points about A with comparable points about B. Writing Resources Strategies for Essay Writing How to Read an Assignment Moving from Assignment to Topic How to Do a Close Reading Overview of the Academic Essay Essay Structure Developing A Thesis Beginning the Comparative narrative Essay Outlining Counterargument Summary Topic Sentences and Signposting Transitioning: Beware of Velcro How to Write a Comparative Analysis Ending the Essay: Conclusions Revising the Draft Brief Guides to Writing in the Disciplines.
Quick Links Schedule an Appointment Drop-in Hours English Grammar and Language Tutor Departmental Writing Fellows Harvard Guide to Using Sources Follow HCWritingCenter. Copyright © The President and Fellows of Comparative narrative College Accessibility Digital Accessibility Report Copyright Infringement.
Compare and contrast essay structure
, time: 5:25Comparative Narrative | blogger.com
· Comparative Narrative. Reading, for the true enthusiasts, is a time to take a break, a vacation from the everyday hum-drum life. It is a time for him or her to escape what he or she knows to experience and view life through another’s eyes. For one who truly enjoys this pastime, it does not matter what the genre is · Comparative Narrative Story Structures Charted! The greatest hits of story structure, all in one place, arranged chronologically and side-by-side for your comparative viewing pleasure! This chart is only a small selection of story templates available. See my other post “The Story Structure Countdown” for a more comprehensive look at the ways people too closely constrained within a narrative framework in which certain sequences are taken to be expected in the absence of special explanation. I shall cite by way of illustration one comparison which he fails to make
No comments:
Post a Comment