Comparative Writing - Lesson #1

Purpose of the comparative essay

• The fundamental purpose of a comparative essay is to elaborate the similarities and differences between two things in a systematic manner.

• An effective comparative essay will leave the reader with much greater clarity about the natures and properties of the things that have been compared.

• This could potentially serve as a basis for making a decision in favor of one or the other thing.

  
  

  
  

  
  

A comparative essay is different from, for example, an argumentative essay in that the comparative essay does not make a case for either of the two things under comparison. Rather, the point is to simply set up the comparison so that the reader will have as much information about the two things as possible.

Why are comparative essays important?

The comparative essay is an important form of document because when you have to make a decision or choose a side in an argument, you will want to know as much as possible about the two options under consideration—and a good comparative essay on the subject can bring out both the similarities and the differences between the options, thereby clarifying the stakes at play.

For example, a comparative essay could address the similarities and differences between any of the following pairs:

• The Republican Party and the Democratic Party

• Jason Aseli and Edrick Laos

• The Big Bang and creationism

• The Light or Dark side of the Force from Star Wars

• The revolutionary and the reformist perspectives on social change

Structure of Comparative Essay - Example 1

How to Write a Great Comparative Essay

Ask yourself about your intention

If you have selected two items for your comparative essay, then you should start by asking yourself why you selected those two items. What is it about the two items that made you think it would be a good idea to compare them?