comparative novel essay example

How to Compare Two Novels in Comparative Essay

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At some point in your literature studies, probably just about the time you get really good at finding the theme of a novel and coming up with a sound analysis of a single literary piece, you will be required to compare two novels.

Your first task in this assignment will be to develop a good profile of both novels. You can do this by making a few simple lists of traits that might be comparable. For each novel, identify a list of characters and their roles in the story or important characteristics, and any important struggles, time periods, or major symbols (like an element of nature).

You may also attempt to come up with book themes that could be comparable. Sample themes would include:

Man versus nature (is each main character battling the elements?)
Individual versus society (does each main character feel like an outsider?)
Struggle between good and evil (are your characters involved in good v. evil scenarios?)
Coming of age (do the main characters experience a tough lesson that makes them grow?)

Your assignment will most likely give you direction as to whether you should find specific characters, story characteristics, or overall themes to compare. If it is not that specific, don't worry! You actually have a little more leeway.

Comparing Two Novel Themes

The teacher's goal when assigning this paper is to encourage you to think and analyze. You no longer read for a surface understanding of what happens in a novel; you are reading to understand why things happen and what the deeper meaning behind a character is a setting or an event. In short, you are expected to come up with an interesting comparative analysis.

As an example of comparing novel themes, we will look at The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Red Badge of Courage . Both of these novels contain a "coming of age" theme since both have characters who grow a new awareness through tough lessons. Some comparisons you could make:

Both characters have to explore the notion of "civilized behavior" in the societies where they exist.
Each main character has to question the behavior of his male role models and his male peers.
Each main character leaves his childhood home and encounters challenges.

To craft an essay about these two novels and their similar themes, you would create your own list of similarities like those above, using a list, chart, or a Venn diagram .

Sum up your overall theory about how these themes are comparable to create your thesis statement . Here is an example: "Both characters, Huck Finn and Henry Fleming, embark on a journey of discovery, and each boy finds new understanding when it comes to traditional notions about honor and courage."

You will use your common characteristic list to guide you as you create body paragraphs .

Comparing Main Characters in Novels

If your assignment is to compare the characters of these novels, you would make a list or Venn diagram to make more comparisons:

Both characters are young men
Both question society's notion of honor
Both witness behavior that makes them question their role models
Both have a nurturing female influence
Both question their former beliefs

Comparing two novels is not as difficult as it sounds at first. Once you generate a list of traits, you can easily see an outline emerging.

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A comprehensive guide to crafting a successful comparison essay.

Comparison essays are a common assignment in academic settings, requiring students to analyze and contrast two or more subjects, concepts, or ideas. Writing a comparison essay can be challenging, but with the right approach and guidance, you can craft a compelling and informative piece of writing.

In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with valuable tips and examples to help you master the art of comparison essay writing. Whether you’re comparing two literary works, historical events, scientific theories, or any other topics, this guide will equip you with the tools and strategies needed to create a well-structured and persuasive essay.

From choosing a suitable topic and developing a strong thesis statement to organizing your arguments and incorporating effective evidence, this guide will walk you through each step of the writing process. By following the advice and examples provided here, you’ll be able to produce a top-notch comparison essay that showcases your analytical skills and critical thinking abilities.

Understanding the Basics

Before diving into writing a comparison essay, it’s essential to understand the basics of comparison writing. A comparison essay, also known as a comparative essay, requires you to analyze two or more subjects by highlighting their similarities and differences. This type of essay aims to show how these subjects are similar or different in various aspects.

When writing a comparison essay, you should have a clear thesis statement that identifies the subjects you are comparing and the main points of comparison. It’s essential to structure your essay effectively by organizing your ideas logically. You can use different methods of organization, such as the block method or point-by-point method, to present your comparisons.

Additionally, make sure to include evidence and examples to support your comparisons. Use specific details and examples to strengthen your arguments and clarify the similarities and differences between the subjects. Lastly, remember to provide a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces the significance of your comparison.

Choosing a Topic for Comparison Essay

When selecting a topic for your comparison essay, it’s essential to choose two subjects that have some similarities and differences to explore. You can compare two books, two movies, two historical figures, two theories, or any other pair of related subjects.

Consider selecting topics that interest you or that you are familiar with to make the writing process more engaging and manageable. Additionally, ensure that the subjects you choose are suitable for comparison and have enough material for analysis.

It’s also helpful to brainstorm ideas and create a list of potential topics before making a final decision. Once you have a few options in mind, evaluate them based on the relevance of the comparison, the availability of credible sources, and your own interest in the subjects.

Remember that a well-chosen topic is one of the keys to writing a successful comparison essay, so take your time to select subjects that will allow you to explore meaningful connections and differences in a compelling way.

Finding the Right Pairing

When writing a comparison essay, it’s crucial to find the right pairing of subjects to compare. Choose subjects that have enough similarities and differences to make a meaningful comparison. Consider the audience and purpose of your essay to determine what pairing will be most effective.

Look for subjects that you are passionate about or have a deep understanding of. This will make the writing process easier and more engaging. Additionally, consider choosing subjects that are relevant and timely, as this will make your essay more interesting to readers.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when finding the right pairing. Sometimes unexpected combinations can lead to the most compelling comparisons. Conduct thorough research on both subjects to ensure you have enough material to work with and present a balanced comparison.

Structuring Your Comparison Essay

When writing a comparison essay, it is essential to organize your ideas in a clear and logical manner. One effective way to structure your essay is to use a point-by-point comparison or a block comparison format.

Whichever format you choose, make sure to introduce your subjects, present your points of comparison, provide evidence or examples to support your comparisons, and conclude by summarizing the main points and highlighting the significance of your comparison.

Creating a Clear Outline

Before you start writing your comparison essay, it’s essential to create a clear outline. An outline serves as a roadmap that helps you stay organized and focused throughout the writing process. Here are some steps to create an effective outline:

1. Identify the subjects of comparison: Start by determining the two subjects you will be comparing in your essay. Make sure they have enough similarities and differences to make a meaningful comparison.

2. Brainstorm key points: Once you have chosen the subjects, brainstorm the key points you want to compare and contrast. These could include characteristics, features, themes, or arguments related to each subject.

3. Organize your points: Arrange your key points in a logical order. You can choose to compare similar points side by side or alternate between the two subjects to highlight differences.

4. Develop a thesis statement: Based on your key points, develop a clear thesis statement that states the main purpose of your comparison essay. This statement should guide the rest of your writing and provide a clear direction for your argument.

5. Create a structure: Divide your essay into introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each section should serve a specific purpose and contribute to the overall coherence of your essay.

By creating a clear outline, you can ensure that your comparison essay flows smoothly and effectively communicates your ideas to the reader.

Engaging the Reader

When writing a comparison essay, it is crucial to engage the reader right from the beginning. You want to hook their attention and make them want to keep reading. Here are some tips to engage your reader:

Start with a strong opening statement or question that entices the reader to continue reading.
Use vivid language and descriptive imagery to paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind.
Provide interesting facts or statistics that pique the reader’s curiosity.
Create a compelling thesis statement that outlines the purpose of your comparison essay.

By engaging the reader from the start, you set the stage for a successful and impactful comparison essay that keeps the reader engaged until the very end.

Point-by-Point vs Block Method

When writing a comparison essay, you have two main options for structuring your content: the point-by-point method and the block method. Each method has its own advantages and may be more suitable depending on the type of comparison you are making.

Point-by-Point Method: This method involves discussing one point of comparison at a time between the two subjects. You will go back and forth between the subjects, highlighting similarities and differences for each point. This method allows for a more detailed and nuanced analysis of the subjects.
Block Method: In contrast, the block method involves discussing all the points related to one subject first, followed by all the points related to the second subject. This method provides a more straightforward and organized comparison but may not delve as deeply into the individual points of comparison.

Ultimately, the choice between the point-by-point and block methods depends on the complexity of your comparison and the level of detail you want to explore. Experiment with both methods to see which one best suits your writing style and the specific requirements of your comparison essay.

Selecting the Best Approach

When it comes to writing a comparison essay, selecting the best approach is crucial to ensure a successful and effective comparison. There are several approaches you can take when comparing two subjects, including the block method and the point-by-point method.

The block method: This approach involves discussing all the similarities and differences of one subject first, followed by a thorough discussion of the second subject. This method is useful when the two subjects being compared are quite different or when the reader may not be familiar with one of the subjects.

The point-by-point method: This approach involves alternating between discussing the similarities and differences of the two subjects in each paragraph. This method allows for a more in-depth comparison of specific points and is often preferred when the two subjects have many similarities and differences.

Before selecting an approach, consider the nature of the subjects being compared and the purpose of your comparison essay. Choose the approach that will best serve your purpose and allow for a clear, organized, and engaging comparison.

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Comparative Essay

How to Write a Comparative Essay – A Complete Guide

10 min read

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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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.

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)

Comparative Essay. License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

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How to Write a Comparative Essay

Last Updated: May 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,683,351 times.

Perhaps you have been assigned a comparative essay in class, or need to write a comprehensive comparative report for work. In order to write a stellar comparative essay, you have to start off by picking two subjects that have enough similarities and differences to be compared in a meaningful way, such as two sports teams or two systems of government. Once you have that, then you have to find at least two or three points of comparison and use research, facts, and well-organized paragraphs to impress and captivate your readers. Writing the comparative essay is an important skill that you will use many times throughout your scholastic career.

Comparative Essay Outline and Example

How to Develop the Essay Content

Step 1 Analyze the question or essay prompt carefully.

Many comparative essay assignments will signal their purpose by using words such as "compare," "contrast," "similarities," and "differences" in the language of the prompt.
Also see whether there are any limits placed on your topic.

Step 2 Understand the type of comparison essay you are being asked to write.

The assignment will generally ask guiding questions if you are expected to incorporate comparison as part of a larger assignment. For example: "Choose a particular idea or theme, such as love, beauty, death, or time, and consider how two different Renaissance poets approach this idea." This sentence asks you to compare two poets, but it also asks how the poets approach the point of comparison. In other words, you will need to make an evaluative or analytical argument about those approaches.
If you're unclear on what the essay prompt is asking you to do, talk with your instructor. It's much better to clarify questions up front than discover you've written the entire essay incorrectly.

Step 3 List similarities and differences between the items you are comparing.

The best place to start is to write a list of things that the items you are comparing have in common as well as differences between them. [3] X Research source

Step 4 Evaluate your list to find your argument.

You may want to develop a system such as highlighting different types of similarities in different colors, or use different colours if you are using an electronic device.
For example, if you are comparing two novels, you may want to highlight similarities in characters in pink, settings in blue, and themes or messages in green.

Step 5 Establish the basis for your comparison.

The basis for your comparison may be assigned to you. Be sure to check your assignment or prompt.
A basis for comparison may have to do with a theme, characteristics, or details about two different things. [7] X Research source
A basis for comparison may also be known as the “grounds” for comparison or a frame of reference.
Keep in mind that comparing 2 things that are too similar makes it hard to write an effective paper. The goal of a comparison paper is to draw interesting parallels and help the reader realize something interesting about our world. This means your subjects must be different enough to make your argument interesting.

Step 6 Research your subjects of comparison.

Research may not be required or appropriate for your particular assignment. If your comparative essay is not meant to include research, you should avoid including it.
A comparative essay about historical events, social issues, or science-related topics are more likely to require research, while a comparison of two works of literature are less likely to require research.
Be sure to cite any research data properly according to the discipline in which you are writing (eg, MLA, APA, or Chicago format).

Your thesis needs to make a claim about your subjects that you will then defend in your essay. It's good for this claim to be a bit controversial or up for interpretation, as this allows you to build a good argument.

How to Organize the Content

Use a traditional outline form if you would like to, but even a simple list of bulleted points in the order that you plan to present them would help.
You can also write down your main points on sticky notes (or type them, print them, and then cut them out) so that you can arrange and rearrange them before deciding on a final order.

The advantages of this structure are that it continually keeps the comparison in the mind of the reader and forces you, the writer, to pay equal attention to each side of the argument.
This method is especially recommended for lengthy essays or complicated subjects where both the writer and reader can easily become lost. For Example: Paragraph 1: Engine power of vehicle X / Engine power of vehicle Y Paragraph 2: Stylishness of vehicle X / Stylishness of vehicle Y Paragraph 3: Safety rating of vehicle X / Safety rating of vehicle Y

Step 3 Alternate the subjects in each paragraph.

The advantages of this structure are that it allows you to discuss points in greater detail and makes it less jarring to tackle two topics that radically different.
This method is especially recommended for essays where some depth and detail are required. For example: Paragraph 1: Engine power of vehicle X Paragraph 2: Engine power of vehicle Y Paragraph 3: Stylishness of vehicle X Paragraph 4: Stylishness of vehicle Y Paragraph 5: Safety rating of vehicle X Paragraph 6: Safety rating of vehicle Y

Step 4 Cover one subject at a time thoroughly.

This method is by far the most dangerous, as your comparison can become both one-sided and difficult for the reader to follow.
This method is only recommended for short essays with simplistic subjects that the reader can easily remember as (s)he goes along. For example: Paragraph 1: Engine power of vehicle X Paragraph 2: Stylishness of vehicle X Paragraph 3: Safety rating of vehicle X Paragraph 4: Engine power of vehicle Y Paragraph 5: Stylishness of vehicle Y Paragraph 6: Safety rating of vehicle Y

How to Write the Essay

Body paragraphs first . Work through all that information you've been compiling and see what kind of story it tells you. Only when you've worked with your data will you know what the larger point of the paper is.
Conclusion second . Now that you've done all the heavy lifting, the point of your essay should be fresh in your mind. Strike while the iron’s hot. Start your conclusion with a restatement of your thesis.
Intro last . Open your introduction with a "hook" to grab the reader's attention. Since you've already written your essay, choose a hook that reflects what you will talk about, whether it's a quote, statistic, factoid, rhetorical question, or anecdote. Then, write 1-2 sentences about your topic, narrowing down to your thesis statement, which completes your introduction.

Organize your paragraphs using one of the approaches listed in the "Organizing the Content" part below. Once you have defined your points of comparison, choose the structure for the body paragraphs (where your comparisons go) that makes the most sense for your data. To work out all the organizational kinks, it’s recommended that you write an outline as a placeholder.
Be very careful not to address different aspects of each subject. Comparing the color of one thing to the size of another does nothing to help the reader understand how they stack up. [15] X Research source

Be aware that your various comparisons won’t necessarily lend themselves to an obvious conclusion, especially because people value things differently. If necessary, make the parameters of your argument more specific. (Ex. “Though X is more stylish and powerful, Y’s top safety ratings make it a more appropriate family vehicle .”)
When you have two radically different topics, it sometimes helps to point out one similarity they have before concluding. (i.e. "Although X and Y don't seem to have anything in common, in actuality, they both ....”)

Even the best writers know editing is important to produce a good piece. Your essay will not be your best effort unless you revise it.
If possible, find a friend to look over the essay, as he or she may find problems that you missed.
It sometimes helps to increase or decrease the font size while editing to change the visual layout of the paper. Looking at the same thing for too long makes your brain fill in what it expects instead of what it sees, leaving you more likely to overlook errors.

Expert Q&A

The title and introduction really catch the reader's attention and make them read the essay. Make sure you know how to write a catchy essay title . Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
Quotes should be used sparingly and must thoroughly complement the point they are being used to exemplify/justify. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2
The key principle to remember in a comparative paragraph or essay is that you must clarify precisely what you are comparing and keep that comparison alive throughout the essay. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2

Avoid vague language such as "people," "stuff," "things," etc. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Avoid, at all costs, the conclusion that the two subjects are "similar, yet different." This commonly found conclusion weakens any comparative essay, because it essentially says nothing about the comparison. Most things are "similar, yet different" in some way. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Some believe that an "unbalanced" comparison - that is, when the essay focuses predominantly on one of the two issues, and gives less importance to the other - is weaker, and that writers should strive for 50/50 treatment of the texts or issues being examined. Others, however, value emphasis in the essay that reflects the particular demands of the essay's purpose or thesis. One text may simply provide context, or historical/artistic/political reference for the main text, and therefore need not occupy half of the essay's discussion or analysis. A "weak" essay in this context would strive to treat unequal texts equally, rather than strive to appropriately apportion space to the relevant text. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
Beware of the "Frying Pan Conclusion" in which you simply recount everything that was said in the main body of the essay. While your conclusion should include a simple summary of your argument, it should also emphatically state the point in a new and convincing way, one which the reader will remember clearly. If you can see a way forward from a problem or dilemma, include that as well. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/comparing-and-contrasting/
↑ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/comparative-essay
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/comparing-and-contrasting/
↑ http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/how-write-comparative-analysis
↑ https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/style_purpose_strategy/compare_contrast.html
↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/10-7-comparison-and-contrast/
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/steps_for_revising.html
How to Structure Paragraphs in an Essay

About This Article

To write a comparative essay, start by writing an introduction that introduces the 2 subjects you'll be comparing. You should also include your thesis statement in the introduction, which should state what you've concluded based on your comparisons. Next, write the body of your essay so that each paragraph focuses on one point of comparison between your subjects. Finally, write a conclusion that summarizes your main points and draws a larger conclusion about the two things you compared. To learn how to do research for your essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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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

For Teaching Fellows & Teaching Assistants

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

Assignment Decoder

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

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Characterization’s Importance in Literature

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The Concept of True Love

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

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Animals as Symbols of the Human Behaviour

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

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Actions’ Effects in “Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe

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A High-Toned Old Christian Women by Wallace Stevens

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Comparing and Contrasting

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.”

Introduction

In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them.

Recognizing comparison/contrast in assignments

Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that make it easy for you to see that they are asking you to compare and/or contrast. Here are a few hypothetical examples:

Compare and contrast Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression.
Compare WWI to WWII, identifying similarities in the causes, development, and outcomes of the wars.
Contrast Wordsworth and Coleridge; what are the major differences in their poetry?

Notice that some topics ask only for comparison, others only for contrast, and others for both.

But it’s not always so easy to tell whether an assignment is asking you to include comparison/contrast. And in some cases, comparison/contrast is only part of the essay—you begin by comparing and/or contrasting two or more things and then use what you’ve learned to construct an argument or evaluation. Consider these examples, noticing the language that is used to ask for the comparison/contrast and whether the comparison/contrast is only one part of a larger assignment:

Choose a particular idea or theme, such as romantic love, death, or nature, and consider how it is treated in two Romantic poems.
How do the different authors we have studied so far define and describe oppression?
Compare Frye’s and Bartky’s accounts of oppression. What does each imply about women’s collusion in their own oppression? Which is more accurate?
In the texts we’ve studied, soldiers who served in different wars offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings both during and after the fighting. What commonalities are there in these accounts? What factors do you think are responsible for their differences?

You may want to check out our handout on understanding assignments for additional tips.

Using comparison/contrast for all kinds of writing projects

Sometimes you may want to use comparison/contrast techniques in your own pre-writing work to get ideas that you can later use for an argument, even if comparison/contrast isn’t an official requirement for the paper you’re writing. For example, if you wanted to argue that Frye’s account of oppression is better than both de Beauvoir’s and Bartky’s, comparing and contrasting the main arguments of those three authors might help you construct your evaluation—even though the topic may not have asked for comparison/contrast and the lists of similarities and differences you generate may not appear anywhere in the final draft of your paper.

Discovering similarities and differences

Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you’re considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Assign each one of the areas that doesn’t overlap; in those areas, you can list the traits that make the things different. Here’s a very simple example, using two pizza places:

Venn diagram indicating that both Pepper's and Amante serve pizza with unusual ingredients at moderate prices, despite differences in location, wait times, and delivery options

To make a chart, figure out what criteria you want to focus on in comparing the items. Along the left side of the page, list each of the criteria. Across the top, list the names of the items. You should then have a box per item for each criterion; you can fill the boxes in and then survey what you’ve discovered.

Here’s an example, this time using three pizza places:

As you generate points of comparison, consider the purpose and content of the assignment and the focus of the class. What do you think the professor wants you to learn by doing this comparison/contrast? How does it fit with what you have been studying so far and with the other assignments in the course? Are there any clues about what to focus on in the assignment itself?

Here are some general questions about different types of things you might have to compare. These are by no means complete or definitive lists; they’re just here to give you some ideas—you can generate your own questions for these and other types of comparison. You may want to begin by using the questions reporters traditionally ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? If you’re talking about objects, you might also consider general properties like size, shape, color, sound, weight, taste, texture, smell, number, duration, and location.

Two historical periods or events

When did they occur—do you know the date(s) and duration? What happened or changed during each? Why are they significant?
What kinds of work did people do? What kinds of relationships did they have? What did they value?
What kinds of governments were there? Who were important people involved?
What caused events in these periods, and what consequences did they have later on?

Two ideas or theories

What are they about?
Did they originate at some particular time?
Who created them? Who uses or defends them?
What is the central focus, claim, or goal of each? What conclusions do they offer?
How are they applied to situations/people/things/etc.?
Which seems more plausible to you, and why? How broad is their scope?
What kind of evidence is usually offered for them?

Two pieces of writing or art

What are their titles? What do they describe or depict?
What is their tone or mood? What is their form?
Who created them? When were they created? Why do you think they were created as they were? What themes do they address?
Do you think one is of higher quality or greater merit than the other(s)—and if so, why?
For writing: what plot, characterization, setting, theme, tone, and type of narration are used?
Where are they from? How old are they? What is the gender, race, class, etc. of each?
What, if anything, are they known for? Do they have any relationship to each other?
What are they like? What did/do they do? What do they believe? Why are they interesting?
What stands out most about each of them?

Deciding what to focus on

By now you have probably generated a huge list of similarities and differences—congratulations! Next you must decide which of them are interesting, important, and relevant enough to be included in your paper. Ask yourself these questions:

What’s relevant to the assignment?
What’s relevant to the course?
What’s interesting and informative?
What matters to the argument you are going to make?
What’s basic or central (and needs to be mentioned even if obvious)?
Overall, what’s more important—the similarities or the differences?

Suppose that you are writing a paper comparing two novels. For most literature classes, the fact that they both use Caslon type (a kind of typeface, like the fonts you may use in your writing) is not going to be relevant, nor is the fact that one of them has a few illustrations and the other has none; literature classes are more likely to focus on subjects like characterization, plot, setting, the writer’s style and intentions, language, central themes, and so forth. However, if you were writing a paper for a class on typesetting or on how illustrations are used to enhance novels, the typeface and presence or absence of illustrations might be absolutely critical to include in your final paper.

Sometimes a particular point of comparison or contrast might be relevant but not terribly revealing or interesting. For example, if you are writing a paper about Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” and Coleridge’s “Frost at Midnight,” pointing out that they both have nature as a central theme is relevant (comparisons of poetry often talk about themes) but not terribly interesting; your class has probably already had many discussions about the Romantic poets’ fondness for nature. Talking about the different ways nature is depicted or the different aspects of nature that are emphasized might be more interesting and show a more sophisticated understanding of the poems.

Your thesis

The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so they don’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague reports of your general topic (for example, “This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in some ways and different in others,” or “Pepper’s and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference”) with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, “Pepper’s and Amante have similar prices and ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart.”

Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looking for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is “So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper’s and Amante are different in this way?” One might also wonder why the writer chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John’s, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here’s a revision of the thesis mentioned earlier:

Pepper’s and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper’s makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture.

You may find our handout on constructing thesis statements useful at this stage.

Organizing your paper

There are many different ways to organize a comparison/contrast essay. Here are two:

Subject-by-subject

Begin by saying everything you have to say about the first subject you are discussing, then move on and make all the points you want to make about the second subject (and after that, the third, and so on, if you’re comparing/contrasting more than two things). If the paper is short, you might be able to fit all of your points about each item into a single paragraph, but it’s more likely that you’d have several paragraphs per item. Using our pizza place comparison/contrast as an example, after the introduction, you might have a paragraph about the ingredients available at Pepper’s, a paragraph about its location, and a paragraph about its ambience. Then you’d have three similar paragraphs about Amante, followed by your conclusion.

The danger of this subject-by-subject organization is that your paper will simply be a list of points: a certain number of points (in my example, three) about one subject, then a certain number of points about another. This is usually not what college instructors are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those similarities or differences matter. Thus, if you use the subject-by-subject form, you will probably want to have a very strong, analytical thesis and at least one body paragraph that ties all of your different points together.

A subject-by-subject structure can be a logical choice if you are writing what is sometimes called a “lens” comparison, in which you use one subject or item (which isn’t really your main topic) to better understand another item (which is). For example, you might be asked to compare a poem you’ve already covered thoroughly in class with one you are reading on your own. It might make sense to give a brief summary of your main ideas about the first poem (this would be your first subject, the “lens”), and then spend most of your paper discussing how those points are similar to or different from your ideas about the second.

Point-by-point

Rather than addressing things one subject at a time, you may wish to talk about one point of comparison at a time. There are two main ways this might play out, depending on how much you have to say about each of the things you are comparing. If you have just a little, you might, in a single paragraph, discuss how a certain point of comparison/contrast relates to all the items you are discussing. For example, I might describe, in one paragraph, what the prices are like at both Pepper’s and Amante; in the next paragraph, I might compare the ingredients available; in a third, I might contrast the atmospheres of the two restaurants.

If I had a bit more to say about the items I was comparing/contrasting, I might devote a whole paragraph to how each point relates to each item. For example, I might have a whole paragraph about the clientele at Pepper’s, followed by a whole paragraph about the clientele at Amante; then I would move on and do two more paragraphs discussing my next point of comparison/contrast—like the ingredients available at each restaurant.

There are no hard and fast rules about organizing a comparison/contrast paper, of course. Just be sure that your reader can easily tell what’s going on! Be aware, too, of the placement of your different points. If you are writing a comparison/contrast in service of an argument, keep in mind that the last point you make is the one you are leaving your reader with. For example, if I am trying to argue that Amante is better than Pepper’s, I should end with a contrast that leaves Amante sounding good, rather than with a point of comparison that I have to admit makes Pepper’s look better. If you’ve decided that the differences between the items you’re comparing/contrasting are most important, you’ll want to end with the differences—and vice versa, if the similarities seem most important to you.

Our handout on organization can help you write good topic sentences and transitions and make sure that you have a good overall structure in place for your paper.

Cue words and other tips

To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you’ll want to be sure that your transitions and topic sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of the points you’ll be making and the organization you’ll be using, but you can help them out with some extra cues. The following words may be helpful to you in signaling your intentions:

like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless, conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on the one hand … on the other hand.

For example, you might have a topic sentence like one of these:

Compared to Pepper’s, Amante is quiet.
Like Amante, Pepper’s offers fresh garlic as a topping.
Despite their different locations (downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro), Pepper’s and Amante are both fairly easy to get to.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How To Series

How to Write a Character Comparison in 8 Steps

Sometimes two characters are clearly alike, while other times it’s not as obvious. In order to write a successful character comparison, you must move beyond a description of the characters and analyze how they relate to each other. You should examine both characters’ individual roles in their respective literary works to understand how they contribute to the overall meaning of the text.

Let’s take a look at eight steps for writing a character comparison.

1. Choose two characters

The first step to writing a character comparison is to determine two characters you want to compare. Before you start comparing, revisit parts of the text where each character appears. Take note of the various character descriptions throughout the text and become familiar with the role of each character.

A few popular choices for writing character comparisons:

Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov , Crime and Punishment  
Hamlet and Laertes , Hamlet 
Lucy Manette and Madame Defarge , A Tale of Two Cities  
Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker , The Great Gatsby

2. Establish a purpose for comparison

Why are you comparing these two specific characters? Are you comparing to find meaningful similarities and differences or is it to demonstrate your understanding of the work as a whole? By establishing a purpose, you’re laying the foundation for your comparison and can refer back to it when you start to analyze each character.

Several reasons for comparing two characters:

Compare how each character’s actions and attributes affect the plot
Major similarities or differences in character can show what themes the author wants to emphasize
Explain how the relationship between the characters provides deeper understanding of the themes

3. Describe the characters

This is a good time to refer to any earlier notes you’ve taken about specific characters in the text: physical descriptions, style of dialogue, narrative elements, etc. It may be helpful to create a two column chart where you can list the traits of each character and cross reference your findings. Remember to always cite direct textual evidence!

Important points to consider:

Physical descriptions
Beliefs / Values
Descriptions by narrator and other characters

4. Identify similarities and differences

Although the assignment may say “compare,” the assumption is that you will compare and contrast—consider both the similarities and differences. Once you’ve determined the traits of each character, identify the similarities and differences between them. Focus on the overarching personal qualities or nature of the two characters rather than describing their physical features.

For example, if you’re writing about Pride and Prejudice , don’t write something like, “ Darcy is a man, and Elizabeth is a woman.” Instead, write something like this: “Despite the fact that Darcy is a man and rich and Elizabeth is a woman and relatively poor, they share the following characteristics: ____.” And then finish by supplying striking examples in a way that explains the novel for your readers.

5. Formulate a thesis

Your thesis statement should reflect your purpose for comparing two characters and incorporate the effects their similarities and differences have on your essay. Refer back to your purpose for comparing characters as well as your list of similarities and differences in order to formulate the main claim you’re making in the essay.

For example:

Though both members of the same social circles, Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker reveal the freedoms and restrictions imposed on women in The Great Gatsby .
Though both receive prophecies from the witches. Macbeth and Banquo react differently to the news, illustrating through contrast the corrupting effects of power and pride.

6. Form a conclusion

Fill in the blanks of the following statements:

“I am comparing these two characters in order to show ____ about the work.”
“These characters share the following characteristics: ___.”
“These characters differ in the following ways: ____.”
“These similarities and differences relate to the essential meaning of the work because ____.”

Once you’re able to complete these statements, refer back to your thesis for your character comparison. Have you gathered enough information to make an accurate comparison between the two characters? Have you demonstrated your understanding of the work as a whole?

For example, If you’re writing about Shakespeare’s Hamlet and you compare Marcellus and Gertrude , you’ve pretty much demonstrated you don’t understand the play well, because there’s little meaningful connection between the two. On the other hand, if you compare Ophelia and Hamlet , as two adults following their respective fathers’ advice to their deaths, you’ve demonstrated superior comprehension.

7. Structure your comparison

Consider how you will compare the characters. Broadly speaking, there are two general ways to structure your comparison:

You can write about both characters in each paragraph (paragraph 2: A’s appearance, B’s appearance; paragraph 3: A’s motivation, B’s motivation, etc).
You can write all about A, then all about B, and relate both characters to each other in a following paragraph.

No matter which structure you choose, remember why you’re comparing these two characters. You must always make a larger argument about the meaning of the similarities and differences, and you must always support those arguments with specific examples from the work.

Once you’ve outlined the structure of your character comparison, you’re finally ready to write! Make sure that all of the information in your essay is accurate and can be supported by the text. Once you’ve finished writing, it’s always a good idea to proofread your work and make revisions if necessary.

For more how-to lessons, visit eNotes’ How To Series .

4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay

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The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. Comparison and contrast is simply telling how two things are alike or different. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both. The thesis should focus on comparing, contrasting, or both.

Key Elements of the Compare and Contrast:

A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both.
The purpose of writing a comparison or contrast essay is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two subjects.
The thesis should clearly state the subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both, and it should state what is to be learned from doing so.
Organize by the subjects themselves, one then the other.
Organize by individual points, in which you discuss each subject in relation to each point.
Use phrases of comparison or phrases of contrast to signal to readers how exactly the two subjects are being analyzed.

Objectives: By the end of this unit, you will be able to

Identify compare & contrast relationships in model essays
Construct clearly formulated thesis statements that show compare & contrast relationships
Use pre-writing techniques to brainstorm and organize ideas showing a comparison and/or contrast
Construct an outline for a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay
Write a five-paragraph compare & contrast essay
Use a variety of vocabulary and language structures that express compare & contrast essay relationships

Example Thesis: Organic vegetables may cost more than those that are conventionally grown, but when put to the test, they are definitely worth every extra penny.

Graphic Showing Organization for Comparison Contrast Essay

Sample Paragraph:

Organic grown tomatoes purchased at the farmers’ market are very different from tomatoes that are grown conventionally. To begin with, although tomatoes from both sources will mostly be red, the tomatoes at the farmers’ market are a brighter red than those at a grocery store. That doesn’t mean they are shinier—in fact, grocery store tomatoes are often shinier since they have been waxed. You are likely to see great size variation in tomatoes at the farmers’ market, with tomatoes ranging from only a couple of inches across to eight inches across. By contrast, the tomatoes in a grocery store will be fairly uniform in size. All the visual differences are interesting, but the most important difference is the taste. The farmers’ market tomatoes will be bursting with flavor from ripening on the vine in their own time. However, the grocery store tomatoes are often close to being flavorless. In conclusion, the differences in organic and conventionally grown tomatoes are obvious in color, size and taste.

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34 Comparative Summary

A Comparative Summary compares two or more works objectively and should:

• include a solid, descriptive title • identify common issues discussed • provide rigorous yet succinct summary of each work • exhibit a balanced discussion of each work • clearly identify of similarities and differences • clearly examine the root of disagreements (differences in argumentation, concepts defined, etc.) • utilize effective transitions throughout

Comparative Summary Sample

Writing That Works Copyright © 2021 by The Writing Center at The University of Baltimore is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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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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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

Text prompt

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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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55 Writing about the Novel: Film Comparison

You began the process of writing your literary comparison paper in the Introduction to the Novel chapter by choosing an essay, reading it carefully, and writing a personal response. In this chapter, we will move through the remaining steps of writing your paper.

Step 3: Choose a Film for Comparison

The key to a good comparison essay is to choose two subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison is not to state the obvious, but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities.

When writing a film comparison paper, the point is to make an argument that will make your audience think about your topic in a new and interesting way. You might explore how the novel and the film present the theme…or how the novel and the film explore the identity of a main character…or…the options are limitless. Here’s a quick video giving you a little overview of what a film vs novel comparison might look like:

To this end, your next goal is to choose a film adaptation of your novel. Some novels may only have one, but some have many that have been created over the last 100 years! Your adaptation could be a feature film, a YouTube short, or an indie film. Choose one that allows you to make an interesting point about the portrayal of the theme of the novel and the film.

Step 4: Research

Once you’ve chosen a second piece, it’s time to enter into the academic conversation to see what others are saying about the authors and the pieces you’ve chosen.

Regardless of the focus of your essay, discovering more about the author of the text you’ve chosen can add to your understanding of the text and add depth to your argument. Author pages are located in the Literature Online ProQuest database. Here, you can find information about an author and his/her work, along with a list of recent articles written about the author. This is a wonderful starting point for your research.

The next step is to attempt to locate articles about the text and the film themselves. For novels, it’s important to narrow down your database choices to the Literature category. For essays, you might have better luck searching the whole ProQuest library with the ProQuest Research Library Article Databases or databases like Flipster that include publications like newspapers and magazines.

Finally, you might look for articles pertinent to an issue discussed in the novel. For example, The Grapes of Wrath is about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, but it also contains an environmental theme. Depending on what aspect you want to highlight in your comparison, you might look for articles about the Great Depression or about farming and the environment.

Remember, it is helpful to keep a Research Journal to track your research. Your journal should include, at a minimum, the correct MLA citation of the source, a brief summary of the article, and any quotes that stick out to you. A note about how you think the article adds to your understanding of the topic or might contribute to your project is a good addition, as well.

Step 5: Thesis & Outline

Similar to other academic essays, the film comparison essay starts with a thesis that clearly introduces the two subjects that are to be compared and the reason for doing so.

This video highlights some of the key differences between novels and films:

Begin by deciding on your basis for comparison. The basis of comparison could include items like a similar theme, differences in the focus of the piece, or the way both pieces represent an important issue.

This article gives some helpful advice on choosing a topic.

Once you’ve decided on the basis of comparison, you should focus on the points of comparison between the two pieces. For example, if you are focusing on how the literary elements and the cinematic elements used impact the message, you might make a table of each of these elements. Then, you’d find examples of each element from each piece. Remember, a comparison includes both similarities and differences.

By putting together your basis of comparison and your points of comparison, you’ll have a thesis that both makes an argument and gives readers a map of your essay.

A good thesis should be:

Statement of Fact: “The novel and the film of Pride and Prejudice are similar in many ways.”
Arguable: “The film version of Pride and Prejudice changes key moments in the text that alter the portrayal of the theme.”
Personal Opinion: “‘The novel is definitely better than the movie.”
Provable by the Texts: “Both the novel and the film focus on the importance of identity.”
Obvious: “The movie provides a modern take on the novel.”
Surprising: “Though the movie stays true to the original themes of the novel, the modern version may lead viewers to believe that the characters in the book held different values than are portrayed in the novel.”
General: “Both the novel and the film highlight the plight of women.”
Specific: “The novel and the film highlight the plight of women by focusing on specific experiences of the protagonist. “

The organizational structure you choose depends on the nature of the topic, your purpose, and your audience. You may organize compare-and-contrast essays in one of the following two ways:

Block: Organize topics according to the subjects themselves, discussing the novel and then the film.
Woven: Organize according to individual points, discussing both the novel and the film point by point.

Exercises: Create a Thesis and Outline

You’ll want to start by identifying the theme of both pieces and deciding how you want to tie them together. Then, you’ll want to think through the points of similarity and difference in the two pieces.

In two columns, write down the points that are similar and those that are different. Make sure to jot down quotes from the two pieces that illustrate these ideas.

Following the tips in this section, create a thesis and outline for your novel/film comparison paper.

Here’s a sample thesis and outline:

Step 6: Drafting Tips

Once you have a solid thesis and outline, it’s time to start drafting your essay. As in any academic essay, you’ll begin with an introduction. The introduction should include a hook that connects your readers to your topic. Then, you should introduce the topic. In this case, you will want to include the authors and title of the novel and the director and title of the film. Finally, your introduction should include your thesis. Remember, your thesis should be the last sentence of your introduction.

In a film comparison essay, you may want to follow your introduction with background on both pieces. Assume that your readers have at least heard of either the novel or the film, but that they might not have read the novel or watched the film–or both–…or maybe it’s been awhile. For example, if you were writing about Pride and Prejudice , you might include a brief introduction to Austen and her novel and an introduction to the version of the film you’ve chosen. The background section should be no more than two short paragraphs.

In the body of the paper, you’ll want to focus on supporting your argument. Regardless of the organizational scheme you choose, you’ll want to begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. This should be followed by the use of quotes from your two texts in support of your point. Remember to use the quote formula–always introduce and explain each quote and the relationship to your point! It’s very important that you address both literary pieces equally, balancing your argument. Finally, each paragraph should end with a wrap up sentence that tells readers the significance of the paragraph.

Here are some transition words that are helpful in tying points together:

Finally, your paper will end with a conclusion that brings home your argument and helps readers to understand the importance/significance of your essay.

In this video, an instructor explains step by step how to write an essay comparing two films. Though you will be writing about a novel and a film, rather than two films, the same information applies.

Here’s another instructor explaining how to write a comparison essay about two poems. Note the similarities between the two videos.

Here’s a sample paper:

Attributions:

Content created by Dr. Karen Palmer. Licensed under CC BY NC SA .
Content adapted from “Comparison and Contrast” from the book Successful Writing licensed CC BY NC SA .

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5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)

A compare and contrast essay selects two or more items that are critically analyzed to demonstrate their differences and similarities. Here is a template for you that provides the general structure:

A range of example essays is presented below.

Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

#1 jean piaget vs lev vygotsky essay.

1480 Words | 5 Pages | 10 References

(Level: University Undergraduate)

Thesis Statement: “This essay will critically examine and compare the developmental theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, focusing on their differing views on cognitive development in children and their influence on educational psychology, through an exploration of key concepts such as the role of culture and environment, scaffolding, equilibration, and their overall implications for educational practices..”

#2 Democracy vs Authoritarianism Essay

Thesis Statement: “The thesis of this analysis is that, despite the efficiency and control offered by authoritarian regimes, democratic systems, with their emphasis on individual freedoms, participatory governance, and social welfare, present a more balanced and ethically sound approach to governance, better aligned with the ideals of a just and progressive society.”

#3 Apples vs Oranges Essay

1190 Words | 5 Pages | 0 References

(Level: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “While apples and oranges are both popular and nutritious fruits, they differ significantly in their taste profiles, nutritional benefits, cultural symbolism, and culinary applications.”

#4 Nature vs Nurture Essay

1525 Words | 5 Pages | 11 References

(Level: High School and College)

Thesis Statement: “The purpose of this essay is to examine and elucidate the complex and interconnected roles of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) in shaping human development across various domains such as physical traits, personality, behavior, intelligence, and abilities.”

#5 Dogs vs Cats Essay

1095 Words | 5 Pages | 7 Bibliographic Sources

(Level: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “This essay explores the distinctive characteristics, emotional connections, and lifestyle considerations associated with owning dogs and cats, aiming to illuminate the unique joys and benefits each pet brings to their human companions.”

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

I’ve recorded a full video for you on how to write a compare and contrast essay:

Get the Compare and Contrast Templates with AI Prompts Here

In the video, I outline the steps to writing your essay. Here they are explained below:

1. Essay Planning

First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you’re comparing.

I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:

Grab the Worksheet as Part of the Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack

2. Writing the Essay

Once you’ve completed the worksheet, you’re ready to start writing. Go systematically through each feature you are comparing and discuss the similarities and differences, then make an evaluative statement after showing your depth of knowledge:

Get the Rest of the Premium Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack (With AI Prompts) Here

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement

Compare and contrast thesis statements can either:

Remain neutral in an expository tone.
Prosecute an argument about which of the items you’re comparing is overall best.

To write an argumentative thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay, try this AI Prompts:

💡 AI Prompt to Generate Ideas I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that pass a reasonable judgement.

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Take action! Choose one of the following options to start writing your compare and contrast essay now:

34 Compelling Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Topics cover education, technology, pop culture, sports, animals, and more.

Do your writers need some inspiration? If you’re teaching students to write a compare and contrast essay, a strong example is an invaluable tool. This round-up of our favorite compare and contrast essays covers a range of topics and grade levels, so no matter your students’ interests or ages, you’ll always have a helpful example to share. You’ll find links to full essays about education, technology, pop culture, sports, animals, and more. (Need compare-and-contrast essay topic ideas? Check out our big list of compare and contrast essay topics! )

What is a compare and contrast essay?

Education and parenting essays
Technology essays
Pop culture essays
Historical and political essays
Sports essays
Lifestyle essays
Healthcare essays
Animal essays

When choosing a compare and contrast essay example to include on this list, we considered the structure. A strong compare and contrast essay begins with an introductory paragraph that includes background context and a strong thesis. Next, the body includes paragraphs that explore the similarities and differences. Finally, a concluding paragraph restates the thesis, draws any necessary inferences, and asks any remaining questions.

A compare and contrast essay example can be an opinion piece comparing two things and making a conclusion about which is better. For example, “Is Tom Brady really the GOAT?” It can also help consumers decide which product is better suited to them. Should you keep your subscription to Hulu or Netflix? Should you stick with Apple or explore Android? Here’s our list of compare and contrast essay samples categorized by subject.

Education and Parenting Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Private school vs. public school.

Sample lines: “Deciding whether to send a child to public or private school can be a tough choice for parents. … Data on whether public or private education is better can be challenging to find and difficult to understand, and the cost of private school can be daunting. … According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, public schools still attract far more students than private schools, with 50.7 million students attending public school as of 2018. Private school enrollment in the fall of 2017 was 5.7 million students, a number that is down from 6 million in 1999.”

Read the full essay: Private School vs. Public School at U.S. News and World Report

Homeschool vs. Public School: How Home Schooling Will Change Public Education

Sample lines: “Home schooling, not a present threat to public education, is nonetheless one of the forces that will change it. If the high estimates of the number of children in home schools (1.2 million) is correct, then the home-schooling universe is larger than the New York City public school system and roughly the size of the Los Angeles and Chicago public school systems combined. … Critics charge that three things are wrong with home schooling: harm to students academically; harm to society by producing students who are ill-prepared to function as democratic citizens and participants in a modern economy; and harm to public education, making it more difficult for other parents to educate their children. … It is time to ask whether home schooling, charters, and vouchers should be considered parts of a broad repertoire of methods that we as a society use to educate our children.”

Read the full essay: Homeschool vs. Public School: How Home Schooling Will Change Public Education at Brookings

Which parenting style is right for you?

Sample lines: “The three main types of parenting are on a type of ‘sliding scale’ of parenting, with permissive parenting as the least strict type of parenting. Permissive parenting typically has very few rules, while authoritarian parenting is thought of as a very strict, rule-driven type of parenting.”

Read the full essay: What Is Authoritative Parenting? at Healthline

Masked Education? The Benefits and Burdens of Wearing Face Masks in Schools During the Pandemic

Sample lines: “Face masks can prevent the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2. … However, covering the lower half of the face reduces the ability to communicate. Positive emotions become less recognizable, and negative emotions are amplified. Emotional mimicry, contagion, and emotionality in general are reduced and (thereby) bonding between teachers and learners, group cohesion, and learning—of which emotions are a major driver. The benefits and burdens of face masks in schools should be seriously considered and made obvious and clear to teachers and students.”

Read the full essay: Masked Education? The Benefits and Burdens of Wearing Face Masks in Schools During the Pandemic at National Library of Medicine

To Ban or Not: What Should We Really Make of Book Bans?

Sample lines: “In recent years, book bans have soared in schools, reaching an all-time high in fall 2022. … The challenge of balancing parent concerns about ‘age appropriateness’ against the imperative of preparing students to be informed citizens is still on the minds of many educators today. … Such curricular decision-making should be left to the professionals, argues English/language arts instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky. ‘Examining texts for their appropriateness is not a job that noneducators are trained to do,’ she wrote last year, as the national debate over censorship resurged with the news that a Tennessee district banned the graphic novel Maus just days before Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

Read the full essay: To Ban or Not: What Should We Really Make of Book Bans? at Education Week

Technology Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Netflix vs. hulu 2023: which is the best streaming service.

Sample lines: “Netflix fans will point to its high-quality originals, including The Witcher , Stranger Things , Emily in Paris , Ozark , and more, as well as a wide variety of documentaries like Cheer , The Last Dance , My Octopus Teacher , and many others. It also boasts a much larger subscription base, with more than 222 million subscribers compared to Hulu’s 44 million. Hulu, on the other hand, offers a variety of extras such as HBO and Showtime—content that’s unavailable on Netflix. Its price tag is also cheaper than the competition, with its $7/mo. starting price, which is a bit more palatable than Netflix’s $10/mo. starting price.”

Read the full essay: Netflix vs. Hulu 2023: Which is the best streaming service? at TV Guide

Kindle vs. Hardcover: Which is easier on the eyes?

Sample lines: “In the past, we would have to drag around heavy books if we were really into reading. Now, we can have all of those books, and many more, stored in one handy little device that can easily be stuffed into a backpack, purse, etc. … Many of us still prefer to hold an actual book in our hands. … But, whether you use a Kindle or prefer hardcover books or paperbacks, the main thing is that you enjoy reading. A story in a book or on a Kindle device can open up new worlds, take you to fantasy worlds, educate you, entertain you, and so much more.”

Read the full essay: Kindle vs. Hardcover: Which is easier on the eyes? at Books in a Flash

iPhone vs. Android: Which is better for you?

Sample lines: “The iPhone vs. Android comparison is a never-ending debate on which one is best. It will likely never have a real winner, but we’re going to try and help you to find your personal pick all the same. iOS 17 and Android 14—the latest versions of the two operating systems—both offer smooth and user-friendly experiences, and several similar or identical features. But there are still important differences to be aware of. … Owning an iPhone is a simpler, more convenient experience. There’s less to think about. … Android-device ownership is a bit harder. … Yet it’s simultaneously more freeing, because it offers more choice.”

Read the full essay: iPhone vs. Android: Which is better for you? at Tom’s Guide

Cutting the cord: Is streaming or cable better for you?

Sample lines: “Cord-cutting has become a popular trend in recent years, thanks to the rise of streaming services. For those unfamiliar, cord cutting is the process of canceling your cable subscription and instead, relying on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu to watch your favorite shows and movies. The primary difference is that you can select your streaming services à la carte while cable locks you in on a set number of channels through bundles. So, the big question is: should you cut the cord?”

Read the full essay: Cutting the cord: Is streaming or cable better for you? at BroadbandNow

PS5 vs. Nintendo Switch

Sample lines: “The crux of the comparison comes down to portability versus power. Being able to migrate fully fledged Nintendo games from a big screen to a portable device is a huge asset—and one that consumers have taken to, especially given the Nintendo Switch’s meteoric sales figures. … It is worth noting that many of the biggest franchises like Call of Duty, Madden, modern Resident Evil titles, newer Final Fantasy games, Grand Theft Auto, and open-world Ubisoft adventures like Assassin’s Creed will usually skip Nintendo Switch due to its lack of power. The inability to play these popular games practically guarantees that a consumer will pick up a modern system, while using the Switch as a secondary device.”

Read the full essay: PS5 vs. Nintendo Switch at Digital Trends

What is the difference between Facebook and Instagram?

Sample lines: “Have you ever wondered what is the difference between Facebook and Instagram? Instagram and Facebook are by far the most popular social media channels used by digital marketers. Not to mention that they’re also the biggest platforms used by internet users worldwide. So, today we’ll look into the differences and similarities between these two platforms to help you figure out which one is the best fit for your business.”

Read the full essay: What is the difference between Facebook and Instagram? at SocialBee

Digital vs. Analog Watches—What’s the Difference?

Sample lines: “In short, digital watches use an LCD or LED screen to display the time. Whereas, an analog watch features three hands to denote the hour, minutes, and seconds. With the advancement in watch technology and research, both analog and digital watches have received significant improvements over the years. Especially in terms of design, endurance, and accompanying features. … At the end of the day, whether you go analog or digital, it’s a personal preference to make based on your style, needs, functions, and budget.”

Read the full essay: Digital vs. Analog Watches—What’s the Difference? at Watch Ranker

AI Art vs. Human Art: A Side-by-Side Analysis

Sample lines: “Art has always been a reflection of human creativity, emotion, and cultural expression. However, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), a new form of artistic creation has emerged, blurring the lines between what is created by human hands and what is generated by algorithms. … Despite the excitement surrounding AI Art, it also raises complex ethical, legal, and artistic questions that have sparked debates about the definition of art, the role of the artist, and the future of art production. … Regardless of whether AI Art is considered ‘true’ art, it is crucial to embrace and explore the vast possibilities and potential it brings to the table. The transformative influence of AI art on the art world is still unfolding, and only time will reveal its true extent.”

Read the full essay: AI Art vs. Human Art: A Side-by-Side Analysis at Raul Lara

Pop Culture Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Christina aguilera vs. britney spears.

Sample lines: “Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera was the Coke vs. Pepsi of 1999 — no, really, Christina repped Coke and Britney shilled for Pepsi. The two teen idols released debut albums seven months apart before the turn of the century, with Britney’s becoming a standard-bearer for bubblegum pop and Aguilera’s taking an R&B bent to show off her range. … It’s clear that Spears and Aguilera took extremely divergent paths following their simultaneous breakout successes.”

Read the full essay: Christina Aguilera vs. Britney Spears at The Ringer

Harry Styles vs. Ed Sheeran

Sample lines: “The world heard our fantasies and delivered us two titans simultaneously—we have been blessed with Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles. Our cup runneth over; our bounty is immeasurable. More remarkable still is the fact that both have released albums almost at the same time: Ed’s third, Divide , was released in March and broke the record for one-day Spotify streams, while Harry’s frenziedly anticipated debut solo, called Harry Styles , was released yesterday.”

Read the full essay: Harry Styles versus Ed Sheeran at Belfast Telegraph

The Grinch: Three Versions Compared

Sample lines: “Based on the original story of the same name, this movie takes a completely different direction by choosing to break away from the cartoony form that Seuss had established by filming the movie in a live-action form. Whoville is preparing for Christmas while the Grinch looks down upon their celebrations in disgust. Like the previous film, The Grinch hatches a plan to ruin Christmas for the Who’s. … Like in the original Grinch, he disguises himself as Santa Claus, and makes his dog, Max, into a reindeer. He then takes all of the presents from the children and households. … Cole’s favorite is the 2000 edition, while Alex has only seen the original. Tell us which one is your favorite.”

Read the full essay: The Grinch: Three Versions Compared at Wooster School

Historical and Political Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Malcolm x vs. martin luther king jr.: comparison between two great leaders’ ideologies .

Sample lines: “Although they were fighting for civil rights at the same time, their ideology and way of fighting were completely distinctive. This can be for a plethora of reasons: background, upbringing, the system of thought, and vision. But keep in mind, they devoted their whole life to the same prospect. … Through boycotts and marches, [King] hoped to end racial segregation. He felt that the abolition of segregation would improve the likelihood of integration. Malcolm X, on the other hand, spearheaded a movement for black empowerment.”

Read the full essay: Malcolm X vs. Martin Luther King Jr.: Comparison Between Two Great Leaders’ Ideologies at Melaninful

Contrast Between Obama and Trump Has Become Clear

Sample lines: “The contrast is even clearer when we look to the future. Trump promises more tax cuts, more military spending, more deficits and deeper cuts in programs for the vulnerable. He plans to nominate a coal lobbyist to head the Environmental Protection Agency. … Obama says America must move forward, and he praises progressive Democrats for advocating Medicare for all. … With Obama and then Trump, Americans have elected two diametrically opposed leaders leading into two very different directions.”

Read the full essay: Contrast Between Obama and Trump Has Become Clear at Chicago Sun-Times

Sports Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Lebron james vs. kobe bryant: a complete comparison.

Sample lines: “LeBron James has achieved so much in his career that he is seen by many as the greatest of all time, or at least the only player worthy of being mentioned in the GOAT conversation next to Michael Jordan. Bridging the gap between Jordan and LeBron though was Kobe Bryant, who often gets left out of comparisons and GOAT conversations. … Should his name be mentioned more though? Can he compare to LeBron or is The King too far past The Black Mamba in historical rankings already?”

Read the full essay: LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant: A Complete Comparison at Sportskeeda

NFL: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning Rivalry Comparison

Sample lines: “Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were largely considered the best quarterbacks in the NFL for the majority of the time they spent in the league together, with the icons having many head-to-head clashes in the regular season and on the AFC side of the NFL Playoffs. Manning was the leader of the Indianapolis Colts of the AFC South. … Brady spent his career as the QB of the AFC East’s New England Patriots, before taking his talents to Tampa Bay. … The reality is that winning is the most important aspect of any career, and Brady won more head-to-head matchups than Manning did.”

Read the full essay: NFL: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning Rivalry Comparison at Sportskeeda

The Greatest NBA Franchise Ever: Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers?

Sample lines: “The Celtics are universally considered as the greatest franchise in NBA history. But if you take a close look at the numbers, there isn’t really too much separation between them and their arch-rival Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, you can even make a good argument for the Lakers. … In 72 seasons played, the Boston Celtics have won a total of 3,314 games and lost 2,305 or a .590 winning mark. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers have won 3,284 of 5,507 total games played or a slightly better winning record of .596. … But while the Lakers have the better winning percentage, the Celtics have the advantage over them in head-to-head competition.”

Read the full essay: The Greatest NBA Franchise Ever: Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers? at Sport One

Is Soccer Better Than Football?

Sample lines: “Is soccer better than football? Soccer and football lovers have numerous reasons to support their sport of choice. Both keep the players physically fit and help to bring people together for an exciting cause. However, soccer has drawn more numbers globally due to its popularity in more countries.”

Read the full essay: Is Soccer Better Than Football? at Sports Brief

Lifestyle Choices Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Mobile home vs. tiny house: similarities, differences, pros & cons.

Sample lines: “Choosing the tiny home lifestyle enables you to spend more time with those you love. The small living space ensures quality bonding time rather than hiding away in a room or behind a computer screen. … You’ll be able to connect closer to nature and find yourself able to travel the country at any given moment. On the other hand, we have the mobile home. … They are built on a chassis with transportation in mind. … They are not built to be moved on a constant basis. … While moving the home again *is* possible, it may cost you several thousand dollars.”

Read the full essay: Mobile Home vs. Tiny House: Similarities, Differences, Pros & Cons at US Mobile Home Pros

Whole Foods vs. Walmart: The Story of Two Grocery Stores

Sample lines: “It is clear that both stores have very different stories and aims when it comes to their customers. Whole Foods looks to provide organic, healthy, exotic, and niche products for an audience with a very particular taste. … Walmart, on the other hand, looks to provide the best deals, every possible product, and every big brand for a broader audience. … Moreover, they look to make buying affordable and accessible, and focus on the capitalist nature of buying.”

Read the full essay: Whole Foods vs. Walmart: The Story of Two Grocery Stores at The Archaeology of Us

Artificial Grass vs. Turf: The Real Differences Revealed

Sample lines: “The key difference between artificial grass and turf is their intended use. Artificial turf is largely intended to be used for sports, so it is shorter and tougher. On the other hand, artificial grass is generally longer, softer and more suited to landscaping purposes. Most homeowners would opt for artificial grass as a replacement for a lawn, for example. Some people actually prefer playing sports on artificial grass, too … artificial grass is often softer and more bouncy, giving it a feel similar to playing on a grassy lawn. … At the end of the day, which one you will choose will depend on your specific household and needs.”

Read the full essay: Artificial Grass vs. Turf: The Real Differences Revealed at Almost Grass

Minimalism vs. Maximalism: Differences, Similarities, and Use Cases

Sample lines: “Maximalists love shopping, especially finding unique pieces. They see it as a hobby—even a skill—and a way to express their personality. Minimalists don’t like shopping and see it as a waste of time and money. They’d instead use those resources to create memorable experiences. Maximalists desire one-of-a-kind possessions. Minimalists are happy with duplicates—for example, personal uniforms. … Minimalism and maximalism are about being intentional with your life and belongings. It’s about making choices based on what’s important to you.”

Read the full essay: Minimalism vs. Maximalism: Differences, Similarities, and Use Cases at Minimalist Vegan

Vegetarian vs. Meat Eating: Is It Better To Be a Vegetarian?

Sample lines: “You’ve heard buzz over the years that following a vegetarian diet is better for your health, and you’ve probably read a few magazine articles featuring a celeb or two who swore off meat and animal products and ‘magically’ lost weight. So does ditching meat automatically equal weight loss? Will it really help you live longer and be healthier overall? … Vegetarians appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than meat eaters. Vegetarians also tend to have a lower body mass index, lower overall cancer rates and lower risk of chronic disease. But if your vegetarian co-worker is noshing greasy veggie burgers and fries every day for lunch, is he likely to be healthier than you, who always orders the grilled salmon? Definitely not!”

Read the full essay: Vegetarian vs. Meat Eating: Is It Better To Be a Vegetarian? at WebMD

Healthcare Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Similarities and differences between the health systems in australia & usa.

Sample lines: “Australia and the United States are two very different countries. They are far away from each other, have contrasting fauna and flora, differ immensely by population, and have vastly different healthcare systems. The United States has a population of 331 million people, compared to Australia’s population of 25.5 million people.”

Read the full essay: Similarities and Differences Between the Health Systems in Australia & USA at Georgia State University

Universal Healthcare in the United States of America: A Healthy Debate

Sample lines: “Disadvantages of universal healthcare include significant upfront costs and logistical challenges. On the other hand, universal healthcare may lead to a healthier populace, and thus, in the long-term, help to mitigate the economic costs of an unhealthy nation. In particular, substantial health disparities exist in the United States, with low socio-economic status segments of the population subject to decreased access to quality healthcare and increased risk of non-communicable chronic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes, among other determinants of poor health.”

Read the full essay: Universal Healthcare in the United States of America: A Healthy Debate at National Library of Medicine

Pros and Cons of Physician Aid in Dying

Sample lines: “Physician aid in dying is a controversial subject raising issues central to the role of physicians. … The two most common arguments in favor of legalizing AID are respect for patient autonomy and relief of suffering. A third, related, argument is that AID is a safe medical practice, requiring a health care professional. … Although opponents of AID offer many arguments ranging from pragmatic to philosophical, we focus here on concerns that the expansion of AID might cause additional, unintended harm through suicide contagion, slippery slope, and the deaths of patients suffering from depression.”

Read the full essay: Pros and Cons of Physician Aid in Dying at National Library of Medicine

Animals Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

Compare and contrast paragraph—dogs and cats.

Sample lines: “Researchers have found that dogs have about twice the number of neurons in their cerebral cortexes than what cats have. Specifically, dogs had around 530 million neurons, whereas the domestic cat only had 250 million neurons. Moreover, dogs can be trained to learn and respond to our commands, but although your cat understands your name, and anticipates your every move, he/she may choose to ignore you.”

Read the full essay: Compare and Contrast Paragraph—Dogs and Cats at Proofwriting Guru via YouTube

Giddyup! The Differences Between Horses and Dogs

Sample lines: “Horses are prey animals with a deep herding instinct. They are highly sensitive to their environment, hyper aware, and ready to take flight if needed. Just like dogs, some horses are more confident than others, but just like dogs, all need a confident handler to teach them what to do. Some horses are highly reactive and can be spooked by the smallest things, as are dogs. … Another distinction between horses and dogs … was that while dogs have been domesticated , horses have been tamed. … Both species have influenced our culture more than any other species on the planet.”

Read the full essay: Giddyup! The Differences Between Horses and Dogs at Positively Victoria Stilwell

Exotic, Domesticated, and Wild Pets

Sample lines: “Although the words ‘exotic’ and ‘wild’ are frequently used interchangeably, many people do not fully understand how these categories differ when it comes to pets. ‘A wild animal is an indigenous, non-domesticated animal, meaning that it is native to the country where you are located,’ Blue-McLendon explained. ‘For Texans, white-tailed deer, pronghorn sheep, raccoons, skunks, and bighorn sheep are wild animals … an exotic animal is one that is wild but is from a different continent than where you live.’ For example, a hedgehog in Texas would be considered an exotic animal, but in the hedgehog’s native country, it would be considered wildlife.”

Read the full essay: Exotic, Domesticated, and Wild Pets at Texas A&M University

Should Zoos Be Banned? Pros & Cons of Zoos

Sample lines: “The pros and cons of zoos often come from two very different points of view. From a legal standard, animals are often treated as property. That means they have less rights than humans, so a zoo seems like a positive place to maintain a high quality of life. For others, the forced enclosure of any animal feels like an unethical decision. … Zoos provide a protected environment for endangered animals, and also help in raising awareness and funding for wildlife initiatives and research projects. … Zoos are key for research. Being able to observe and study animals is crucial if we want to contribute to help them and repair the ecosystems. … Zoos are a typical form of family entertainment, but associating leisure and fun with the contemplation of animals in captivity can send the wrong signals to our children.”

Read the full essay: Should Zoos Be Banned? Pros & Cons of Zoos at EcoCation

Do you have a favorite compare and contrast essay example? Come share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, if you liked these compare and contrast essay examples check out intriguing compare and contrast essay topics for kids and teens ..

A good compare and contrast essay example, like the ones here, explores the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.

First day of school vs. the last day of school.

80 Intriguing Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for Kids and Teens

Android vs. iPhone? Capitalism vs. communism? Hot dog vs. taco? Continue Reading

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Great Gatsby — Comparative Analysis of The Book “The Great Gatsby” and Its Movie Adaptation

Comparative Analysis of The Book "The Great Gatsby" and Its Movie Adaptation

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NPR in Turmoil After It Is Accused of Liberal Bias

An essay from an editor at the broadcaster has generated a firestorm of criticism about the network on social media, especially among conservatives.

Uri Berliner, wearing a dark zipped sweater over a white T-shirt, sits in a darkened room, a big plant and a yellow sofa behind him.

By Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson

NPR is facing both internal tumult and a fusillade of attacks by prominent conservatives this week after a senior editor publicly claimed the broadcaster had allowed liberal bias to affect its coverage, risking its trust with audiences.

Uri Berliner, a senior business editor who has worked at NPR for 25 years, wrote in an essay published Tuesday by The Free Press, a popular Substack publication, that “people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.”

Mr. Berliner, a Peabody Award-winning journalist, castigated NPR for what he said was a litany of journalistic missteps around coverage of several major news events, including the origins of Covid-19 and the war in Gaza. He also said the internal culture at NPR had placed race and identity as “paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace.”

Mr. Berliner’s essay has ignited a firestorm of criticism of NPR on social media, especially among conservatives who have long accused the network of political bias in its reporting. Former President Donald J. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to argue that NPR’s government funding should be rescinded, an argument he has made in the past.

NPR has forcefully pushed back on Mr. Berliner’s accusations and the criticism.

“We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories,” Edith Chapin, the organization’s editor in chief, said in an email to staff on Tuesday. “We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.” Some other NPR journalists also criticized the essay publicly, including Eric Deggans, its TV critic, who faulted Mr. Berliner for not giving NPR an opportunity to comment on the piece.

In an interview on Thursday, Mr. Berliner expressed no regrets about publishing the essay, saying he loved NPR and hoped to make it better by airing criticisms that have gone unheeded by leaders for years. He called NPR a “national trust” that people rely on for fair reporting and superb storytelling.

“I decided to go out and publish it in hopes that something would change, and that we get a broader conversation going about how the news is covered,” Mr. Berliner said.

He said he had not been disciplined by managers, though he said he had received a note from his supervisor reminding him that NPR requires employees to clear speaking appearances and media requests with standards and media relations. He said he didn’t run his remarks to The New York Times by network spokespeople.

When the hosts of NPR’s biggest shows, including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” convened on Wednesday afternoon for a long-scheduled meet-and-greet with the network’s new chief executive, Katherine Maher , conversation soon turned to Mr. Berliner’s essay, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. During the lunch, Ms. Chapin told the hosts that she didn’t want Mr. Berliner to become a “martyr,” the people said.

Mr. Berliner’s essay also sent critical Slack messages whizzing through some of the same employee affinity groups focused on racial and sexual identity that he cited in his essay. In one group, several staff members disputed Mr. Berliner’s points about a lack of ideological diversity and said efforts to recruit more people of color would make NPR’s journalism better.

On Wednesday, staff members from “Morning Edition” convened to discuss the fallout from Mr. Berliner’s essay. During the meeting, an NPR producer took issue with Mr. Berliner’s argument for why NPR’s listenership has fallen off, describing a variety of factors that have contributed to the change.

Mr. Berliner’s remarks prompted vehement pushback from several news executives. Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor of standards and practices, said in an interview that he rejected all of Mr. Berliner’s claims of unfairness, adding that his remarks would probably make it harder for NPR journalists to do their jobs.

“The next time one of our people calls up a Republican congressman or something and tries to get an answer from them, they may well say, ‘Oh, I read these stories, you guys aren’t fair, so I’m not going to talk to you,’” Mr. Cavin said.

Some journalists have defended Mr. Berliner’s essay. Jeffrey A. Dvorkin, NPR’s former ombudsman, said Mr. Berliner was “not wrong” on social media. Chuck Holmes, a former managing editor at NPR, called Mr. Berliner’s essay “brave” on Facebook.

Mr. Berliner’s criticism was the latest salvo within NPR, which is no stranger to internal division. In October, Mr. Berliner took part in a lengthy debate over whether NPR should defer to language proposed by the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association while covering the conflict in Gaza.

“We don’t need to rely on an advocacy group’s guidance,” Mr. Berliner wrote, according to a copy of the email exchange viewed by The Times. “Our job is to seek out the facts and report them.” The debate didn’t change NPR’s language guidance, which is made by editors who weren’t part of the discussion. And in a statement on Thursday, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association said it is a professional association for journalists, not a political advocacy group.

Mr. Berliner’s public criticism has highlighted broader concerns within NPR about the public broadcaster’s mission amid continued financial struggles. Last year, NPR cut 10 percent of its staff and canceled four podcasts, including the popular “Invisibilia,” as it tried to make up for a $30 million budget shortfall. Listeners have drifted away from traditional radio to podcasts, and the advertising market has been unsteady.

In his essay, Mr. Berliner laid some of the blame at the feet of NPR’s former chief executive, John Lansing, who said he was retiring at the end of last year after four years in the role. He was replaced by Ms. Maher, who started on March 25.

During a meeting with employees in her first week, Ms. Maher was asked what she thought about decisions to give a platform to political figures like Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican Party chair whose position as a political analyst at NBC News became untenable after an on-air revolt from hosts who criticized her efforts to undermine the 2020 election.

“I think that this conversation has been one that does not have an easy answer,” Ms. Maher responded.

Benjamin Mullin reports on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact Ben securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or email at [email protected] . More about Benjamin Mullin

Katie Robertson covers the media industry for The Times. Email: [email protected] More about Katie Robertson

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Comparative metabolomics combined with genome sequencing provides insights into novel wolfberry-specific metabolites and their formation mechanisms.

1 School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Hainan University, Sanya, China
2 School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
3 Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
4 National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Wolfberry Science Research Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, China
5 College of Biological Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, China

Wolfberry ( Lycium , of the family Solanaceae) has special nutritional benefits due to its valuable metabolites. Here, 16 wolfberry-specific metabolites were identified by comparing the metabolome of wolfberry with those of six species, including maize, rice, wheat, soybean, tomato and grape. The copy numbers of the riboflavin and phenyllactate degradation genes riboflavin kinase ( RFK ) and phenyllactate UDP-glycosyltransferase ( UGT1 ) were lower in wolfberry than in other species, while the copy number of the phenyllactate synthesis gene hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate reductase ( HPPR ) was higher in wolfberry, suggesting that the copy number variation of these genes among species may be the main reason for the specific accumulation of riboflavin and phenyllactate in wolfberry. Moreover, the metabolome-based neighbor-joining tree revealed distinct clustering of monocots and dicots, suggesting that metabolites could reflect the evolutionary relationship among those species. Taken together, we identified 16 specific metabolites in wolfberry and provided new insight into the accumulation mechanism of species-specific metabolites at the genomic level.

1 Introduction

Wolfberry ( Lycium , of the family Solanaceae) has excellent nutritional value, with a history dating back thousands of years ( Jin et al., 2013 ). The wolfberry genus contains ~80 species, with a discrete geographic distribution from South and North America to Australia, Eurasia, the Pacific Islands, and South Africa. There are 7 species and 3 varieties in China, mainly distributed in the north ( Levin and Miller, 2005 ). Consuming wolfberry could promote human health by nourishing the liver and kidneys, enhancing vision and regulating the immune system ( Vidović et al., 2022 ). As a result, a large number of studies have assessed the nutritional value of wolfberry from various perspectives. For example, one of the key components responsible for the antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects in Lycium barbarum L. is Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) ( Jin et al., 2013 ; Masci et al., 2018 ). Lycium barbarum fruits (LBFs) flavonoids are involved in prominent antioxidant, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, immunity-enhancing, and antitumor activities ( Yang et al., 2022 ). The anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murray have a positive role in maintaining intestinal health and play an antioxidant role ( Yan et al., 2018 ). Ascorbic acid and its derivatives in LBFs can regulate the intestinal flora in mice ( Huang et al., 2020 ). However, except for these known active substances, wolfberry-specific metabolites are still poorly known.

To date, various metabolic methods have been applied to the determination of metabolites in wolfberry. Fifty-six volatile compounds in Ningxia goji berries were characterized by gas chromatography-spectrometry (GC-MS) and identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and aroma dilution analysis (AEDA) ( Lu et al., 2017 ). Using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS), 41 spermidine derivatives were tentatively characterized from LBFs ( Ahad et al., 2020 ). Nine alkaloids were yielded in LBFs by spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods ( Chen et al., 2021 ). Thirteen flavonoid compounds were identified in LBFs using LC-MS ( Yang et al., 2022 ). Based on these metabolic methods, the comparative metabolome of different varieties ( Zhang et al., 2016 ), tissues ( Xiao et al., 2021 ) or development stages of wolfberry ( Zhao et al., 2015 ) under various environmental conditions ( Poggioni et al., 2022 ) has been extensively studied. For example, by comparing the metabolic groups of Lycium barbarum , Lycium chinense , and Solanum lycopersicum , the metabolic markers distinguishing Lycium and Solanum fruits were revealed ( Dumont et al., 2020 ). However, there is still a large gap in metabolome comparison between wolfberry and different species, which needs further exploration.

To study the metabolic mechanism of wolfberry-specific substances, many studies have been carried out on the regulatory mechanism of metabolites during fruit ripening. The LbNCED1 transcript level was transcriptionally activated by the developmental cues of Lycium fruit, enhancing the accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA), thereby promoting anthocyanin production and leading to fruit coloration ( Li et al., 2019 ). Distinction in the expression patterns of 22 transcription regulators may be the main reason for the morphological and phytochemical differences between L. barbarum (LB) and L. ruthenicum (LR) fruits at five developmental stages ( Zhao et al., 2020b ). Recent research has shown that LbNR (nitric reductase (NR) from L. barbarum ) inhibited anthocyanin biosynthesis and enhanced proanthocyanidin (PA) accumulation by regulating nitric oxide (NO) ( Li et al., 2020a ). Moreover, based on metabolome and transcriptome analysis, many key genes involved in metabolite synthesis were identified in wolfberry. For example, candidate genes for flavonoid biosynthesis were identified by conducting transcriptome and flavonoid metabolic profiling, and the molecular regulatory mechanism of LrAN1b on anthocyanins and fruit color was verified, which provided a new understanding of the potential mechanism of action of flavonoids ( Li et al., 2020b ). Through competitive transcriptome analysis between LB and LR, 38 MYB transcription factors that may regulate the fruit development of wolfberry were identified ( Wang et al., 2020 ). Recently, the first reference genome of wolfberry was published ( Cao et al., 2021 ), indicating that the genetic basis of metabolites in wolfberry can be analyzed at the genomic level.

To comprehensively explore the specific metabolites and their causes in wolfberry, we compared the metabolome of wolfberry, rice, maize, wheat, soybean, grape, and tomato. A total of 1043 distinct metabolic features were detected and were divided into 10 categories, 16 of which were identified as wolfberry-specific metabolites. Our results showed that metabolites could reflect the evolutionary relationship among different species. We further showed that the copy numbers of RFK , HPPR , and UGT1 may be the main reasons for the specific accumulation of riboflavin and phenyllactate in wolfberry.

2 Materials and methods

2.1 plant materials.

To study the differences in metabolites between wolfberry ( Lycium , of the family Solanaceae) and other species, we selected three monocot crops and three dicot crops as reference objects. The monocot crops included three major staple crops maize ( Zea mays L.), rice ( Oryza sativa L.) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), with rice being the model plant for monocots. The dicot crops included legume crop soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and the fruit crops tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) and grape ( Vitis vinifera L.). Wolfberry ( L.barbarum ‘Ningqi No.1’, L. barbarum var. auranticarpum , L. ruthenicum ) was obtained from Yinchuan, Ningxia (E113°42′, N34°48′). Maize (Waxy maize, Red Waxy maize, Fruit maize, Sweet maize), Grape (Red grape, Green grape, Seedless red grape, Jufeng grape), Tomato (Pink tomato, Tomato, Cherry tomato, Millennium cherry tomato) were obtained from Haikou, Hainan (E110°20′, N20°02′). Soybeans (GDC058, GDC062, GDC063) were obtained from Zhengzhou, Henan (E113°42′, N34°48′). Wheat (Lumai 21, Heng 7228, Linmai No. 2, Xinong 529) was obtained from Zhaoxian, Hebei (E114°28′, N38°02′). Rice (Huanghuazhan, Nipponbare, Mimghui 63, Zhengshan 97, Zhonghua 11) was obtained from Hainan University (E110°20′, N20°02′).

2.2 Sample preparation and extraction

The samples were put in a lyophilizer for vacuum freeze-drying, and they were crushed in a mixer mill (MM 400; Retsch, Haan, Germany) for 1 min at 30 Hz. Next, 80 mg of the powdered sample was weighed into a 2 mL centrifuge tube, and 70% aqueous methanol (v/v) with lidocaine internal standard was added to extract the water-soluble metabolites (pure methanol was used to extract the fat-soluble metabolites). Then, the tube was vortexed for 10 seconds, allowed to stand for 10 min, repeated three times, and placed in a refrigerator at 4°C for 10-12 hours. Then, the sample was centrifuged (4°C, 10000 rpm, 10 min), the supernatant was pipetted, the water-soluble and fat-soluble metabolites were mixed 1:1 and filtered by a microporous filtration membrane (SCAA-104, 13 mm, 0.22 μm, Shanghai Anpu Experimental Technology Co., Ltd., http://www.anpel.com.cn/ ), and the sample was filtered into an injection bottle for storage for UPLC-MS analysis.

2.3 Detection of metabolites

The instruments used for LC-MS/MS analysis included UPLC-Q Exactive Plus Orbitrap HRMS and UPLC-Q-Trap 6500+ MS. The analytical column used was a C18 column (Shim-pack GLSS C18, 1.9 μm, 2.1*100, Shimadzu).

UPLC chromatographic conditions: mobile phase A is an aqueous solution containing 0.04% glacial acetic acid, and mobile phase B is a methanol solution containing 0.04% glacial acetic acid. Elution gradient: At 0 min, V phase A : V phase B = 95:5; At 10 min, V phase A : V phase B = 5:95; At 11 min, V phase A : V phase B = 5:95; At 11.1 min, V phase A : V phase B = 95:5, this ratio was continued until the end (duration is 14 minutes). The column temperature was set to 40°C, the injection volume of the injector was 2 μL, and the flow rate was 0.35 mL/min.

Orbitrap HRMS mass spectrometry conditions: ESI ionization method, mass spectrometry scanning mode is Full MS/ddMS2, ion collection mass range is 100~1200 m/z, and the lysis voltage is set to 20, 40, 60 eV; The spray voltage in positive ion mode is 3.5 kV, the capillary temperature is 350°C, the heater temperature is 350°C, the sheath gas (nitrogen) flow rate is 40 arb, and the auxiliary gas (nitrogen) flow rate is 10 arb. The spray voltage in negative ion mode is -3.0 kV, the capillary temperature is 350°C, the heater temperature is 350°C, the sheath flow rate is 30 arb, and the auxiliary air flow rate is 10 arb.

For wide-target detection of metabolites by UPLC-Q-Trap 6500+ multiplex reaction monitoring mode, the MRM detection window was set to 60 s, and the target cycle time was set to 0.8 s. The raw data were integrated by Multi Quant 3.0.3 to accurately obtain the relative content of each substance.

2.4 Metabolome analyses

All statistical analyses were carried out using R (4.1.1, http://www.r-project.org ). (PCA) was performed using the R package “FactoMineR” ( Lê et al., 2008 ) with 587 metabolite data from 3 biological replicates of mixed samples of each species to evaluate the metabolome differences across seven species. Circular plots were constructed using the R package Circlize, with the raw data normalized and scaled in the R program; the y-axes of the seven circles were set on the same scale. The hierarchical clustering tree using metabolome data of the seven species was constructed using the R package “hclust”. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was conducted by the R package “ropls” ( Thévenot et al., 2015 ) to identify the major discriminant metabolite features among different species. A metabolite feature was considered a species-specific metabolic trait when matching the following criteria compared with the other six species: (i) P value of paired t-test ≤ 0.05; (ii) Fold Change ≥ 3. Venn diagrams were generated on the online website jvenn ( http://jvenn.toulouse.inra.fr/app/index.html ).

2.5 Enrichment analysis

Heatmaps were generated using the R package “pheatmap” with data normalization to divide the metabolome into eight clusters, and comparisons were performed via an average linkage method based on the Manhattan distance. Metabolic traits of different clusters were used for the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis to elucidate the differential metabolic pathways among these seven different species. Enrichment analysis was carried out using the online platform MetaboAnalyst ( https://www.metaboanalyst.ca/ ) selecting Oryza sativa japonica (Japanese rice) (KEGG) as a reference database. The bubble plot was drawn by the R package “ggplot2” ( Ginestet, 2011 ).

3.1 Metabolomic profiling of seven species

To dissect the metabolome differences between wolfberry and diverse species, six popular species were selected for comparison with wolfberry for analysis in this study. These species include four cereal crops maize, rice, wheat, legume crop soybean and two fruit crops tomato and grape. To reduce the specific error associated with a variety, we collected commercially available varieties of these seven species and mixed them to prepare mixed samples that represented the metabolome of each species. Collectively, a total of 1043 distinct metabolic features were detected and quantified in these seven species, the identification class is shown in Supplementary Figure S1A . Based on the comparison of our local metabolite database and commercial standards ( Chen et al., 2014 ; Li et al., 2022b ), 587 metabolites were identified, which could be divided into 10 categories, including 127 phenylpropanoids, 125 amino acids and their derivatives, 116 organic acids and sugars, 66 lipids, 40 nucleic acids and their derivatives, 35 vitamins and cofactor derivatives, 20 terpenoids, 15 alkaloids, 10 phytohormones and 33 other metabolites ( Figure 1A , Supplementary Table S1 ).

Figure 1 Multispecies metabolic spectrum composition analysis. (A) Classification of metabolites that have been speculated or verified. A total of 587 metabolites in wolfberry, soybean, tomato, grape, maize, wheat and rice were detected in this study. (B) Principal component analysis of the 587 metabolites among the seven species. (C) Features of the 587 metabolites in the seven species. Raw data were normalized and scaled using the R program, and data points show the average values of three replicates of each metabolite. The y-axes of the seven circles are on the same scale, from 0.508 to 1.556. Substance classes are represented by the line colors.

Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to assess the overall metabolome differences under the unsupervised model. The first principal component (PC1) explained the greatest variance (27.7%) of the variation among the seven species. Among the top 50 contributors of PC1, the proportion of amino acid and their derivative was the highest, followed by organic acids and sugars ( Supplementary Table S2 ). The second principal component (PC2) was orthogonal to PC1 and was the largest in the remaining variance, accounting for 19.4% of the variance. Among the top 50 contributors in PC2, phenylpropanoids had the highest proportion, followed by amino acid and their derivative ( Supplementary Table S2 ). For example, ornithine hydrochloride (ms025), the first-ranked identified metabolite, was found to accumulate more in the species with negative PC2 (grape, wolfberry and rice) than in those with positive PC2 (maize, wheat, soybean and tomato) ( Supplementary Figure S1B ). The results showed that the seven species were clearly separated, and three biological replicates of each species were compactly grouped together. This discrete clustering of the respective species indicates the distinct attributes of each species and the high repeatability and reliability of the experimental results ( Figure 1B ).

To visualize the variation in the metabolome among different species, we generated a circular plot for the seven species ( Figure 1C ). In the circular plot, strong variation in metabolic accumulation across seven species could be observed, with phenylpropanoids, nucleic acids and derivatives as well as phytohormones showing the most pronounced variation. To quantify the degree of variation, we used the coefficient of variation (CV) values of metabolites across the seven species. Phenylpropanoids were found to be the most variable metabolites, with a CV range from 11.56% to 244.93%, which is consistent with the results shown in the circular plot ( Supplementary Figure S1C , Supplementary Table S3 ). In contrast, nucleic acids and derivatives have the least variation, probably because they are crucial components of genetic material in all species, some of which play vital roles in influencing the structure and function of RNA or in post-transcriptional gene regulation ( Dominissini et al., 2016 ). Therefore, the conservation of these compounds, which represented the minimum variation in our data, implied their importance in living organisms, illustrating the role of nucleic acids and derivatives as building blocks in the life of organisms.

3.2 Differential accumulation patterns of metabolites among seven species

The overall profile of all identified metabolites in the seven species was analyzed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). As shown in the heatmap, the metabolic diversity in different species was further indicated. Furthermore, all the compounds were hierarchically clustered into eight main clades, the first seven of which specifically accumulated in wolfberry, rice, maize, wheat, tomato, grape and soybean, indicating that each species has its preferential metabolites ( Figure 2A , Supplementary Table S4 ).

Figure 2 Analysis of differences in the relative content of metabolites. (A) Cluster analysis of the relative content of annotated metabolites in 7 species. The relative content of the annotated metabolites was represented by the mean of three biological replicates and normalized by z score standardization. Metabolites were clustered by hierarchical cluster analysis. Shades from blue to red in the figure represent increasing levels of metabolites, and the 10 color blocks in the class column indicate the classification of metabolites. (B) KEGG enrichment analysis of metabolites specifically accumulated in wolfberry. The P value ranges from 0.125 to 0.025, as seen by the color scheme of red to blue. The size of the dots represents the number of metabolites.

To explore the preferred metabolic pathway of each species, we performed pathway enrichment analysis of the metabolites in clade 1 to clade 7 by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database ( Figure 2B , Supplementary Figure S2 ). Here, we focused on the preferred metabolite of wolfberry in clade 1. The 43 substances in clade 1 showed specific accumulation in wolfberry and were classified into 9 different categories. The two largest metabolites among them are organic acids and sugars and amino acids and their derivatives, accounting for 25.58% and 23.26%, respectively. Organic acids and sugars in wolfberry fruit are not only important nutrients but also the main influencing factors of flavor quality, while amino acids and derivatives are the main nutritional and medicinal components in LBFs ( Zhao et al., 2020a ). In the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, the 43 metabolites were involved in 19 pathways. The major pathways are presented in the bubble plot ( Figure 2B ). In addition to amino acid metabolism, they also include glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, thiamine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA metabolism, purine metabolism, cyanoamino acid metabolism and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Similarly, 48 metabolites in clade 6 showed more accumulation in grapes and were enriched in the glutathione metabolic pathway. This could explain the antioxidant activity conferred by glutathione in grapes ( Supplementary Figure S2F ). Collectively, these results suggest that the specific accumulation of metabolites in different species can represent and determine their specific nutritional value.

3.3 Metabolic profile reflects the evolutionary relationship between monocotyledons and dicotyledons

To explore the affinities among the seven species, a neighbor-joining tree was constructed using metabolome data of the seven species ( Figure 3A ), and we also created a phylogenetic tree using the whole genome protein sequence of the seven species Supplementary (Figure S3) . The dicotyledons wolfberry, tomato, soybean and grape were clustered in both metabolome-based and protein-based trees, while the monocotyledons wheat, rice and maize were clustered together. These results indicate that there are differences in the metabolome between monocots and dicots, and the metabolomes could reflect the evolutionary relationship among different species.

Figure 3 Metabolome analysis between monocotyledons and dicotyledons. (A) Neighbor-joining tree of the seven species with metabolome data. (B) PLS-DA analysis of the metabolite profiling of seven species. The data represent the mean values obtained from three biological replicates of each species. Powder blue and baby pink indicate dicots and monocots, respectively. (C, D) Comparisons of the relative accumulation levels of the top 50 (C) and bottom 50 (D) contributors identified in the PLS-DA distribution in the dicots and monocots. The relative content of metabolites was represented by the mean of three biological replicates and normalized by z score standardization. Metabolites were clustered by hierarchical cluster analysis. Shades from blue to red in the figure represent increasing levels of metabolites. Phe, Phenylpropanoids; AA, Amino acids/derivatives; OA, Organic acids and sugars; Nuc, Nucleics/derivatives; Ter, Terpenoids; Vit, Vitamins and Cofactor derivates; Alk, Alkaloids; Oth, Others; Lip, Lipids; KIN, Phytohormones.

To estimate the classification performance of monocots and dicots, we conducted supervised PCA and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) among the seven species. The R 2 X, R 2 Y and Q 2 are 0.436, 0.998 and 0.849, respectively, which are the prediction parameters of the PLS-DA model. The R 2 X value reflects the degree to which the model explains the variability of the input data, while the R 2 Y and Q 2 values represent the model’s explanatory power for the output variable and its predictive accuracy, respectively. Here, R 2 Y and Q 2 were both close to 0.9, with the same order of magnitude, indicating the stability and trustworthiness of this model ( Golbraikh and Tropsha, 2002 ; Blasco et al., 2015 ; Su et al., 2022 ). The results showed that the main principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 46.6% of the variability, with monocots and dicots being well discriminated from each other ( Figure 3B ).

The PLS-DA loading values of these 587 compounds are listed in Supplementary Table S5 to quantify the contribution to the classification of the metabolites. On the basis of these data, two heatmaps were generated to organize the accumulation levels of the most effective contributors within monocots and dicots. We found that the top 50 contributors preferentially accumulated in dicots ( Figure 3C , according to Supplementary Table S5 , indicated in red), and organic acids and sugars (38%) as well as amino acids and derivatives (22%) were predominant among them, which might be identified as the specific accumulated components of dicots. In contrast, the bottom 50 contributors tended to have a preferential accumulation pattern in monocots ( Figure 3D , Supplementary Table S5 , indicated in blue), and it can be inferred that lipids and phytohormones accumulated specifically only in monocots. The aforementioned results reveal that the differentiation between monocots and dicots can mainly be ascribed to the considerable variation in compounds such as organic acids and sugars, amino acids and derivatives, phenylpropanoids and lipids. Together, these results indicate that the metabolome reflects evolutionary relationships between different crops.

3.4 Species-specific metabolites of the seven species

To identify those metabolites that could be used to split and distinguish the seven species, we calculated the fold change for each compound among the species. We defined the metabolites in a certain species whose content was more than 3 times higher than that of other species as species-specific metabolites. There were 16, 29, 14, 21, 15, 52 and 23 species-specific metabolites in wolfberry, rice, wheat, maize, soybean, tomato, and grape, respectively ( Figure 4A ). Seven phenylpropanoids (cyanidin chloride, echinacoside, esculoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, methyl p-coumarate, narcissoside and scopoletin), two amino acids and their derivatives (L-asparagine and N-acetylneuraminic acid), four organic acids and sugars (2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, phenyllactate and shikimic acid), one lipid (cholesterol), one vitamin and coenzyme derivative (riboflavin), and one alkaloid (4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine) were among the 16 wolfberry-specific metabolites. Twenty-nine rice-specific metabolites comprised six terpenoids, two phytohormones, four amino acids and their derivatives, five organic acids and sugars, three lipids, eight phenylpropanoids and one vitamin and coenzyme derivative. Six phenylpropanoids, two amino acids and their derivatives, one organic acid and sugar, three lipids, and two nucleic acids and their derivatives are among the 14 wheat-specific metabolites. Among the 21 maize-specific metabolites were two phenylpropanoids, three amino acids and their derivatives, three organic acids and sugars, nine lipids, two nucleic acids and their derivatives, one alkaloid and one other compound. Fifteen soybean-specific metabolites included one phenylpropanoid, two amino acids and their derivatives, three organic acids and sugars, five lipids, one nucleic acid and its derivative, one terpenoid, one alkaloid and one other substance. Fifty-two tomato-specific metabolites included nine phenylpropanoids, 16 amino acids and their derivatives, five organic acids and sugars, 12 nucleic acids and their derivatives, four vitamins and coenzyme derivatives, three alkaloids, one phytohormone and two other compounds. In addition, 23 grape-specific metabolites were identified, comprising 15 phenylpropanoids, three amino acids and their derivatives, three organic acids and sugars, one phytohormone and one other compound.

Figure 4 Comparison of differential metabolites between different species. (A) The number of known classified metabolites in each species showing more than threefold higher content than those in the other six species. The Y-axis refers to the number of metabolites. (B) Venn diagram analysis of wolfberry-specific metabolites relative to each species. Each color triangle denotes the wolfberry-specific metabolites relative to each species (top). Each color bar represents the number of wolfberry-specific metabolites relative to each species (bottom). The Y-axis represents the number of metabolites. Green: rice; purple: wheat; pink: maize; blue-green: soybean; blue: tomato; yellow: grape.

We found that phenylpropanoids, organic acids and sugars accounted for the largest proportion of specific metabolites in wolfberry, which may determine the special nutritional value of wolfberry. To further compare the metabolites specifically accumulated in wolfberry compared to each species, we performed a Venn diagram analysis. The Venn diagram shows the number of wolfberry-specific metabolites compared with other species. Wolfberry had the most differential metabolites compared with grapes, followed by rice, corn and wheat, the three monocotyledon crops ( Figure 4B ). Venn diagrams of specific metabolites of other species are shown in Supplementary Figure S4 . We found that all species had the highest number of specific metabolites relative to grape, while grape had the most specific metabolites compared to wheat.

3.5 Variation in the number of gene copies causes specific metabolites of Lycium barbarum to accumulate

The copy numbers of the riboflavin and phenyllactate degradation genes riboflavin kinase ( RFK ) and phenyllactate UDP-glycosyltransferase ( UGT1 ) were lower in wolfberry than in other species, while the copy number of the phenyllactate synthesis gene hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate reductase ( HPPR ) were higher in wolfberry, suggesting that the copy number variation of these genes among species may be the main reason for the specific accumulation of riboflavin and phenyllactate in wolfberry. To illuminate the genetic basis of the high metabolite content in wolfberry, we investigated the metabolic pathway of riboflavin and phenyllactate, which are more than five times more abundant in wolfberry than in other species. RFK , encoding riboflavin kinase, which is responsible for the degradation of riboflavin, had the lowest number of copies in wolfberry ( Figure 5 ). This could lead to the weakening of riboflavin’s ability to turn into flavin mononucleotide (FMN), thus increasing the accumulation of riboflavin in wolfberry. HPPR , encoding hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate reductase, which is responsible for synthesizing phenyllactate, has the highest copy number in wolfberry when compared with the other six species ( Figure 6 ). As a result, the amount of phenyllactate in wolfberry may dramatically increase. Moreover, UGT1 , encoding a key enzyme in the initial step of phenyllactate degradation, had the fewest copies in wolfberry ( Figure 6 ). This will slow down the reaction of phenyllactate to phenyllactylglucose in wolfberry. Therefore, the increased synthesis and decreased degradation of phenyllactate are jointly responsible for the specific accumulation of phenyllactate in wolfberry ( Figure 6 ). Taken together, our results showed that specific accumulation of riboflavin and phenyllactate in wolfberry may be caused by variation in the number of genes involved in riboflavin and phenyllactate synthesis or degradation.

Figure 5 Riboflavin metabolic pathway. The heatmap shows the accumulation of metabolites and the copy number of genes among the seven species. Left corner there is a scale bar. The circles represent the accumulation levels of metabolites, and the data are represented by the average values of three biological replicates and normalized with z score standardization. Shades from blue to red represent increasing metabolite levels. The rectangular heatmap represents the copy numbers of genes, with green representing a high copy number and white representing a low copy number. The rectangle box indicates the key enzyme, and the abbreviation: RIB5, riboflavin synthase; BLVRB, biliverdin reductase/flavin reductase; hpaC, flavin reductase (NADH); fre, NAD(P)H-flavin reductase; PHO, acid phosphatase; FHY1, FMN hydrolase/5-amino-6-(5-phospho-D-ribitylamino) uracil phosphatase; RFK, riboflavin kinase; FLAD1, FAD synthetase; ENPP1_3, ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 1/3; NUDT23, ADP-ribose/FAD diphosphatase. Wo, M, R, Wh, S, G and T represent wolfberry, maize, rice, wheat, soybean, grape and tomato, respectively.

Figure 6 Phenyllactate metabolism pathway. The heatmap shows the accumulation of metabolites and the copy number of genes among the seven species. Left corner there is a scale bar. The circles represent the accumulation levels of metabolites, and the data are represented by the average values of three biological replicates and normalized with z score standardization. Shades from blue to red represent increasing metabolite levels. The rectangular heatmap represents the copy numbers of genes, with green representing a high copy number and white representing a low copy number. The rectangular box indicates the key enzyme, and the abbreviations are as follows: GOT2, aspartate aminotransferase, mitochondrial; TAT, tyrosine aminotransferase; hisC, histidinol-phosphate aminotransferase; tyrB, aromatic-amino-acid transaminase; ARO9, aromatic amino acid aminotransferase II; fldH, aromatic 2-oxoacid reductase; HPPR, hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate reductase; fldA, cinnamoyl-CoA:phenyllactate CoA-transferase; UGT1, phenyllactate UDP-glycosyltransferase. Wo, M, R, Wh, S, G and T represent wolfberry, maize, rice, wheat, soybean, grape and tomato, respectively.

4 Discussion

In this study, we discovered 16 metabolites that preferentially accumulate in wolfberry and showed that the copy number of genes may be one of the main factors contributing to the accumulation of these metabolites. We also demonstrate that metabolite contents can be utilized as indicators to determine the evolutionary relationship between various species.

In recent years, the nutritional components in plants have aroused broad concern. ( Sun et al., 2024 ) Wolfberry has special nutritional value, and scholars have conducted extensive research on it. Over the past few years, with the advancement of metabolomic methods, metabolomic studies of various plants have been extensively studied, including wolfberry. Using widely targeted LC-MS/MS, the metabolites and their spatial distribution in dried kernels of six representative bread wheat cultivars in China were determined. Flavonoids varied the most in different varieties, and the concentration was higher in the outer layer of the grain but lower only in the kernel ( Zhu et al., 2022 ). The metabolome study of maize and rice showed significant interspecific differences in their metabolic variation and identified flavonoids as the key constituent of interspecific metabolic divergence ( Deng et al., 2020 ). A study with widely targeted metabolomics in three major food crops (wheat, maize and rice) and three fruits (banana, mango and grape) revealed that the main differential metabolites in crops and fruits were vitamins, amino acids, flavonoids and lipids and identified complementary patterns of essential nutrients in crops and fruits ( Shi et al., 2022 ). Through the analysis of metabolites in wolfberry and tomato, it was found that the typical markers of tomato were lycopene, carotene, glutamate and GABA, while the characteristic metabolites of wolfberry were lycibarbarphenylpropanoids and zeaxanthin esters ( Dumont et al., 2020 ). However, few direct comparisons have been made between the metabolomes of wolfberry and other common species. In this work, we demonstrated that the metabolomes of monocots and dicots differed significantly. By comparing wolfberry with other common species, we identified more undiscovered specific metabolites in wolfberry, which may be closely linked to wolfberry’s biological functions.

Numerous active ingredients have been identified in wolfberry. Lutein, zeaxanthin and carotene in wolfberry can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ( Bertoldi et al., 2019 ). Together with vitamin B, they are responsible for the vision-improving effects of wolfberry ( Kocyigit and Sanlier, 2017 ). Phenolic substances in wolfberry have been widely reported, and wolfberry has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anticancer properties and intestinal microbiome regulatory effects ( Ilić et al., 2020 ). In addition, LBPs, organic acids and carotenoids can also enhance the antioxidant capacity of wolfberry ( Kocyigit and Sanlier, 2017 ). Changes in anthocyanin content are associated with the difference in fruit color of different wolfberry varieties and with the antioxidant capacity of the fruit ( Zheng et al., 2011 ). In addition, wolfberry fruit also lowers blood sugar, blood fat and blood pressure, which is mainly due to the accumulation of amino acids, various monosaccharides and LBP in wolfberry ( Potterat, 2010 ). In this study, we identified important active components in wolfberry. For example, betaine has been widely reported as an important active substance in wolfberry due to its antioxidant activity ( Vidović et al., 2022 ). Our findings revealed that the concentration of betaine in wolfberry exceeds that of rice, maize, soybean, tomato, and grape by over 30 times, while its content in wheat is comparable to that in wolfberry ( Supplementary Table S2 ). Besides, compared to those previously described in wolfberry, we discovered more metabolites that accumulate specifically in wolfberry, including N-acetylneuraminic acid, asparagine, 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, phenyllactate, shikimic acid, echinacoside, esculin, isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, narcissoside, scopoletin, cyanidin chloride, methyl p-coumarate, riboflavin, 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine and cholesterol. Of these, phenyllactate, N-acetylneuraminic acid, echinacoside, esculin, isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, narcissoside and 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine were first identified as wolfberry-specific metabolites. Previous studies have shown that wolfberry can improve people’s vision ( Kocyigit and Sanlier, 2017 ). Riboflavin, often known as vitamin B2, has been shown to sustain proper visual capabilities in living beings ( Kocyigit and Sanlier, 2017 ). Wolfberry contains high levels of riboflavin, which suggests that riboflavin is responsible for the fruit’s ability to improve vision. Anthocyanins and organic acids in wolfberry have been reported to be associated with conferring antioxidant activity to wolfberry ( Yan et al., 2018 ; Oğuz et al., 2021 ). In this study, we identified cyanidin chloride and four organic acids and sugars as wolfberry-specific metabolites, which may be significant anthocyanins and organic acids that confer antioxidant activity to wolfberry. Additionally, it has been reported that scopoletin has antioxidant activity in rats ( Panda and Kar, 2006 ), and its specific accumulation in wolfberry may also be responsible for the antioxidant capacity of wolfberry.

The dissection of the genetic mechanism of important nutrient production in wolfberry is conducive to accelerating the process of plant breeding. Combining transcription and metabolism has become a widely used method to analyze the formation mechanisms of important metabolites in wolfberry. Using this research method, researchers have identified several key genes that regulate important metabolites of wolfberry through differences in transcription levels. For instance, the transcript level of LbNCED1 positively regulates anthocyanin accumulation in wolfberry, thereby promoting fruit coloration. Nowadays, the genome has become a powerful tool for identifying functional genes ( Zhao and Shi, 2022 ; Li et al., 2022a ). The wolfberry reference genome is the first published reference genome of woody Solanaceae, which is beneficial for analyzing the genetic basis of wolfberry metabolites at the genome level. However, there is still a gap in the research analyzing the formation mechanism of wolfberry-specific metabolites at the genome level. In this work, we identified 16 wolfberry-specific metabolites, among which 10 exhibited a more distinct accumulation pattern in wolfberry. The concentration of these 10 metabolites in wolfberry was more than five times higher than in other species. Specifically, these metabolites include N-acetylneuraminic acid, 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, phenyllactate, echinacoside, esculoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, narcissoside, scopoletin and riboflavin. Among them, the metabolic pathways of phenyllactate and riboflavin have been clearly analyzed in KEGG, we compared the copy number of the genes encoding key enzymes for the synthesis and degradation of specific metabolites in wolfberry and other species. Compared with other species, riboflavin and phenyllactate have more copies of key enzymes for synthesis and fewer copies of key enzymes for degradation in wolfberry, which may be the reason for their specific accumulation in wolfberry. Our work demonstrates that the formation of wolfberry-specific metabolites is controlled not only by the level of gene expression but also by the copy number of key genes that may lead to differences in metabolite synthesis pathways.

5 Conclusion

In this study, we compared the metabolome of wolfberry with that of six species, including the cereal crops maize, rice, wheat, legume crop soybean, and the fruit crops tomato and grape, and identified metabolites that accumulate specifically in wolfberry. Through high-throughput metabolomic analysis with widely targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), a total of 16 wolfberry-specific metabolites were identified, including seven phenylpropanoids, two amino acids and their derivatives, four organic acids and sugars, one lipid, one vitamin and coenzyme derivative, and one alkaloid. The phenyllactate degradation gene UGT1 had the lowest copy number of the six species, whereas the riboflavin and phenyllactate synthesis genes RFK and HPPR had higher copy numbers than those of the other six species. This suggests that the copy numbers of RFK , HPPR , and UGT1 may be the main reasons for the specific accumulation of riboflavin and phenyllactate in wolfberry. Moreover, the metabolome-based neighbor-joining tree showed that monocots and dicots clustered together separately, suggesting that metabolites could reflect the evolutionary relationship among different species. Taken together, we identified specific metabolites in wolfberry and provided new insight into the accumulation mechanism of species-specific metabolites at the genomic level.

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/ Supplementary Materials . Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.

Author contributions

QL: Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Methodology. CZ: Writing – original draft, Methodology, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. HZ: Writing – original draft, Visualization. YZho: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. SL: Writing – review & editing, Visualization. YL: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. XM: Writing – review & editing. WA: Writing – review & editing, Resources. JuZ: Writing – review & editing. JiZ: Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition. YZha: Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision. CJ: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work is supported by the Key Research & Development Program of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region [grant number 2022BBF01001 and 2021BEF02002], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number U23A20221], the Innovative Research Group Project of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region [grant number 2021AAC01001], and the Innovation Team for Genetic Improvement of Economic Forests [grant number 2022QCXTD04].

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the reviewers’ hard work and constructive comments, which allowed us to improve the quality of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1392175/full#supplementary-material

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Keywords: metabolome, nutrition, riboflavin, phenyllactate, copy number variation

Citation: Long Q, Zhang C, Zhu H, Zhou Y, Liu S, Liu Y, Ma X, An W, Zhou J, Zhao J, Zhang Y and Jin C (2024) Comparative metabolomics combined with genome sequencing provides insights into novel wolfberry-specific metabolites and their formation mechanisms. Front. Plant Sci. 15:1392175. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1392175

Received: 27 February 2024; Accepted: 15 April 2024; Published: 26 April 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Long, Zhang, Zhu, Zhou, Liu, Liu, Ma, An, Zhou, Zhao, Zhang and Jin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Cheng Jin, [email protected] ; Yuanyuan Zhang, [email protected]

†These authors share first authorship

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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In the block method, you cover each of the overall subjects you're comparing in a block. You say everything you have to say about your first subject, then discuss your second subject, making comparisons and contrasts back to the things you've already said about the first. Your text is structured like this: Subject 1.
The 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)
Comparative Essay
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.
How to Write a Comparative Essay (with Pictures)
2. Use a mixed paragraphs method. Address both halves of the comparison in each paragraph. This means that the first paragraph will compare the first aspect of each subject, the second will compare the second, and so on, making sure to always address the subjects in the same order.
Comparative Analysis
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 ...
Free Comparative Literature Essay Examples & Topics
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. ... For more examples of comparative literature essays, check the links below. 745 Best Essay Examples on Comparative ...
Comparing and Contrasting
Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you're considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common.
How to Analyze Two Books in an Essay
At this point, you want your outline to include that you want X quote here, and you will support it by saying Y and Z. I like to use two pieces of evidence for each paragraph. When analyzing and comparing two books in an essay, this makes it easy because each piece of evidence can come from each novel. Or you can switch off paragraphs, going ...
How to Write a Character Comparison in 8 Steps
Let's take a look at eight steps for writing a character comparison. 1. Choose two characters. The first step to writing a character comparison is to determine two characters you want to compare. Before you start comparing, revisit parts of the text where each character appears. Take note of the various character descriptions throughout the ...
4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay
4.1: Introduction to Comparison and Contrast Essay. The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. Comparison and contrast is simply telling how two things are alike or different. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to ...
Comparative Summary
A Comparative Summary compares two or more works objectively and should: • include a solid, descriptive title. • identify common issues discussed. • provide rigorous yet succinct summary of each work. • exhibit a balanced discussion of each work. • clearly identify of similarities and differences. • clearly examine the root of ...
Comparative Literature Essay
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 ...
Writing about the Novel: Film Comparison
Step 3: Choose a Film for Comparison. The key to a good comparison essay is to choose two subjects that connect in a meaningful way. The purpose of conducting the comparison is not to state the obvious, but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities. When writing a film comparison paper, the point is to make an argument ...
5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)
Here they are explained below: 1. Essay Planning. First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you're comparing. I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:
PDF Comparative Essay Sample: Two Books
His novel "On the road" is among Top 100 American books of last century for unique style and language. The author wrote this masterpiece between 1949 and 1951, however, the book was published only in 1957. "On the road" is by right considered one of the most notable English-language novels. The second writer we research today, Brian O ...
34 Compelling Compare and Contrast Essay Examples
Compare and Contrast Paragraph—Dogs and Cats. Sample lines: "Researchers have found that dogs have about twice the number of neurons in their cerebral cortexes than what cats have. Specifically, dogs had around 530 million neurons, whereas the domestic cat only had 250 million neurons.
Comparative Analysis of The Book "The Great Gatsby" and Its Movie
The great Gatsby, written by F. Scoot Fitzgerald, is the most critical literature toward the American dream throughout the depicting characteristics of... read full [Essay Sample] for free
NPR in Turmoil After It Is Accused of Liberal Bias
In his essay, Mr. Berliner laid some of the blame at the feet of NPR's former chief executive, John Lansing, who said he was retiring at the end of last year after four years in the role. He was ...
Frontiers
Comparative metabolomics combined with genome sequencing provides insights into novel wolfberry-specific metabolites and their formation mechanisms Qiyuan Long 1,2† Changjian Zhang 1,2† Hui Zhu 1,2 Yutong Zhou 2 Shuo Liu 1,2 Yanchen Liu 1,2 Xuemin Ma 3 Wei An 4 Jun Zhou 5 Jianhua Zhao 4 Yuanyuan Zhang 1,2* Cheng Jin 1,2*

How to Compare Two Novels in Comparative Essay

Comparing Two Novel Themes

Comparing Main Characters in Novels

Essay Papers Writing Online

Understanding the Basics

Choosing a Topic for Comparison Essay

Finding the Right Pairing

Structuring Your Comparison Essay

Creating a Clear Outline

Engaging the Reader

Point-by-Point vs Block Method

Selecting the Best Approach

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How to Write a Comparative Essay – A Complete Guide

What is a Comparative Essay?

Comparative Essay Structure

How to Start a Comparative Essay?

Choose a Topic

Develop a List of Similarities and Differences

Establish the Basis for Comparison

Do the Research

Create an Outline

How to Write a Comparative Essay?

Comparative Essay Introduction

Comparative Essay Body Paragraphs

Comparative Essay Conclusion

Comparative Essay Examples

Comparative Essay Topics

Tips for Writing A Good Comparative Essay

Transition Words For Comparative Essays

Transition Words for Similarities

Transition Words for Differences

Frequently Asked Question

How do you end a comparative essay?

Keep reading

The Comparative Essay

What is a comparative essay?

Make sure you know the basis for comparison

Develop a list of similarities and differences

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

Come up with a structure for your essay

Instructor Resources

Step 1: Identify the Basis for Comparison

Step 2: Create a List of Similarities and Differences

Step 3: Write a Thesis Statement

Step 4: Create a Structure

How to Write a Comparative Essay

Comparative Essay Outline and Example

How to Develop the Essay Content

How to Organize the Content

How to Write the Essay

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