compare and contrast essay
What is Compare and Contrast Essay? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples
Compare and Contrast Essay Definition
A compare and contrast essay (kuhm-PAIR and kuhn-TRAST ESS-ey) is a composition that points out the similarities and differences of two or more things.
In academia, educators assign compare and contrast essays to evaluate students’ knowledge of the subjects and encourage critical thinking. Outside of academia, compare and contrast essays or articles compare things like products and forms of media to assist in the reader’s decision-making process.
Compare and Contrast Essay Criteria
It’s important that a compare and contrast essay’s subjects are somewhat alike. Like the adage about apples to oranges, there’s no logical point in comparing two things that are obviously dissimilar. Instead, a compare and contrast essay should consider two subjects whose similarities and differences aren’t immediately evident. For example, it’s better to compare two breeds of dogs (like a Labrador vs. a German Shepherd) rather than a giraffe and a dog, as the former serves the logical purpose of offering insight into the best option for a family pet.
Then, essayists must compare the subjects based on similar criteria. For example, a sentence like “The Labrador never barks; however, a German Shepherd is expensive” isn’t comparing the dogs with the same criteria. Instead, the essayist would say “The Labrador never barks; however, German Shepherds are a more vocal breed.”
Compare and Contrast Essay Structure
Thesis
The style of essay begins with a thesis statement that identifies the two or more subjects to be discussed. Using the Labrador vs. German Shepherd example, the thesis statement might be “While Labradors are often considered the quintessential family dog, German Shepherds are just as trainable and have many qualities that make them a more desirable family pet.”
Body of the Essay
From the thesis statement, there are two ways to organize a compare and contrast essay: the subject method or the point-by-point method.
Subject Method
With the subject method, the essayist focuses on each subject individually. They would fully examine the first subject’s negatives and positives in the first few paragraphs, the second subject’s negatives and positives in the next few paragraphs, and then reexamine their thesis in a concluding paragraph. If the essay comparing Labradors and German Shepherds was written with the subject method, it would analyze the traits of Labradors, then the traits of German Shepherds, and conclude with the essayist’s findings.
Point-by-Point Method
When using the point-by-point method, the essayist examines the subjects by each individual similarity or difference before reaching a conclusion. For example, the first paragraph might compare the price of purebred Labradors vs. purebred German Shepherds, and the second paragraph might compare the two breeds’ temperaments when in a family environment.
Conclusion
The conclusion of an essay readdresses the thesis and outlines the essayist’s main arguments. A conclusion to the Labradors vs. German Shepherds essay might be: “While both Labradors and German Shepherds have their positive qualities, a German Shepherd’s trainability and exceptional health outweigh the issue of costliness, making it the superior choice for a family.”
Transition Signals
Throughout this style of essay, the essayist uses certain phrases, called transition signals, to indicate they’re making a comparison. Comparison signals are phrases like similarly, also, both, and likewise; contrast signals are phrases like conversely, in contrast, and unlike.
Compare and Contrast Essay Usage
Compare and contrast essays are used largely in academia to assess the student’s knowledge of two subjects. An educator might have a student compare works of literature, authors, genres, time periods, characters, or ideological concepts.
Some semblance of the form also appears in print and online, usually to aid in the decision-making process. In the workplace, for example, a presentation might compare two strategies to help the company decide on a certain direction. Many periodicals feature articles that compare products, movies, and literature so that consumers can make better buying decisions.
Examples of Compare and Contrast Essays
1. Timandra Harkness, “Nature and Nurture, Then and Now”
Harkness compares the treatment of the nature vs. nurture question in two films: the 2011 documentary Project Nim, which is about a chimpanzee learning sign language, and the 1970 feature film L’Enfant Sauvage, about a doctor’s encounters with a feral child. Here, she points out similarities between the films’ subjects:
At first, there are many parallels in the behaviour of the boy, whom the doctor names “Victor,” and that of Nim. Both show instinctive fear and resistance, bite their captors, and have to be restrained with a rope from running away. Both learn table manners and to ask for food and drink.
Harkness uses transition signals in her essay (parallels, both) and chooses a point-by-point structure to compare the two characters.
2. Nicholas Klacsanzky, “Parenting Styles”
In this essay, Nicholas Klacsanzky compares four different parenting styles: authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved, and authoritative:
Not too different from the authoritarian style, authoritative parenting combines responsiveness with demands. It is commonly the most recommended parenting style, as it sets limits for children, while offering them support.
Klacsanzky organized his essay by subject and spends a paragraph on each of the different styles. In this excerpt, he transitions into the authoritative style paragraph by comparing it to the authoritarian style. Unlike Harkness’s essay, Klacsanzky clearly favors one of his subjects over the others.
Further Resources on Compare and Contrast Essays
The Academic Help website offers several complete compare and contrast essay examples.
The University of Minnesota website has compare and contrast essay writing exercises.