| In the essays that follow the authors use
comparison and contrast rhetorical strategies to both convince
and inform: they present ideas, products, and issues in a way
that highlights important points and allows you to see differences
and similarities. In order to make the most of this rhetorical
strategy, the authors follow the general rule of choosing subjects
in the same general category, and in the first two essays compare
only two subjects at a time. Keep this in mind as you move
on to the third essay below, which compares more than two subjects.
What bearing does this have on the effectiveness of the essay?
Think about whether the authors have treated similarities and
differences equally in the essays. Do you sense any subtle
distinctions that might sway you toward a specific product
or idea?
In "A War that Never Ends," in
the Atlantic
online,
Mark Halpern discusses two books that take on the English
Language. Halpern compares a new usage book with one published
two years ago.
4http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97mar/halpern/halpern.htm
1. Which method of organizing the essay does Halpern
use (refer to Chapter 6 for descriptions of the different
methods)? What point is Halpern trying to make about
these books and our fascination with the English language?
2. Halpern’s article is clearly about more than
just the two books he compares. How does Halpern use
a comparison of two objects to discuss a much bigger
topic? Write an essay in which a comparison or contrast
of two things acts as a springboard for a discussion
of a larger issue.
If you were about to make a major purchase, an essay that
compares and contrasts your intended goods is just the
thing you might need in order to make an informed decision.
In “Xbox Squared,” on Salon.com, James Au Wagner
comes through for gamers with this comparison of the Xbox
with Nintendo.
4http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/11/15/xbox/index.html
3. What are the main features Wagner uses as points
of comparison? How does his choice of features favor
one game over another?
4. It is clear from the start of this essay that Wagner
is not thrilled with one of the products and its maker.
How does this affect your approach to the article? Are
you leaning toward one product before you even hear about
its characteristics? Try using a similar tactic in your
own writing. Choose two products, one of which you think
is clearly superior. In your essay, compare the products
fairly (that is, discuss their features equally) but
convince the reader that one is without a doubt better
than the other.
In Slate.com’s “Today’s Papers” column,
John Cooke provides a useful example of comparative writing. “Today’s
Papers” summarizes the lead stories in major U.S.
newspapers and offers a comparison of how the topics are
portrayed in each paper.
4http://slate.msn.com//?id=2071323&device=
5. Is this column a strict comparison,
or does Cooke do some contrasting as well? Does Cooke
generally follow the guidelines for a comparison as outlined
in Chapter 6? Try a similar comparison yourself, mimicking
Cooke’s rhetorical strategies and organization.
Buy two competing newspapers and compare and contrast
their coverage of a single event. If your town or city
has only one newspaper, compare its coverage of an event
to a similar story in your campus newspaper.
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