A Writing Guide
Compare and Contrast Analysis writing can be used with many subjects. This guide uses literature. For more on this analysis, thesis, and other writing styles, browse this playlist. We highly recommend watching the Compare and Contrast Analysis video as a companion to this guide.
Comparing works of literature can help create understanding of themes in certain time periods and genres of writing. It can also help us consider the context of each work such as influences, motives, and others’ interpretations of the pieces.
We created the example theses below using Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s 1984. These books are easy to compare because of their shared qualities. Both are dystopian (dark dramas focused on society), and they were both written in the mid-nineteenth century. When choosing your comparisons, consider choosing subjects that share qualities; it’s easier that way!
Thesis Example 1
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and 1984 by George Orwell are similar in some ways and different in others.
This thesis is a start, but doesn’t yet identify specific themes or contextual similarities or differences. It only tells the reader a comparison will happen. Let’s keep developing it.
Thesis Example 2
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and 1984 by George Orwell are similar in theme but different in sub-themes.
This thesis is getting better! Now it declares a general path for the essay’s comparison, but it’s still not specific enough. As writers, we want our readers to understand exactly what will happen in an academic essay. One more try.
Thesis Example 3
While both by Ray Bradbury and by George Orwell are dystopias with a shared central theme of the power of knowledge, they diverge in the authors’ conceptions of ignorance and control. This thesis is strong because it directly addresses comparison (mentions commonalities and differences). It also contains points of comparison and context (the power of knowledge, ignorance and control). Now the reader can expect that the essay will use direct quotes from the novels, paraphrases of chapters, and relevant historical sources to support the complex claim presented here.
A written piece’s thesis is incredibly important, and it serves as a focus to keep you on track. If you find yourself stuck while writing, check on your thesis: is it complex, debatable, and clear? Browse our other guides on thesis or book coaching, tutoring, or a workshop to learn more.
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