Comparing and Contrasting

1. Comparing and Contrasting Point by Point or Side by Side

2. Pick your texts • One short story: “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin • One poem: “Women,” by Louise Bogan

3. Question your themes • What big ideas are expressed by both the short story and the poem? • Which of these ideas do you understand the best? • Which do you find most interesting? • How is this idea expressed by the short story? • How is this idea expressed by the poem?

4. Question your themes • What big ideas are expressed by both the short story and the poem? • The repression of women, • The nature of marriage, • Male vs. female attitudes about the world • Which of these ideas do you understand the best? • The repression of women

5. Question your themes • How is this idea expressed by the short story? (what literary tools are used?) • Connotative words • Figurative language • Imagery • How is this idea expressed by the poem? (what literary tools are used?) • Connotative words • Figurative language • Imagery

6. Find your evidence from the story • Connotative words • “eyes stayed keen and bright” (229) • “coursing blood warm and relaxed” (229) • “clear and exalted perception” (229) • Figurative language • “heart trouble” (228, 230) • “monstrous joy” (229) • “revealed in half-concealing” (228) • Imagery • “trees aquiver” (228) • “delicious breath of rain” (228)

7. Find your evidence from the poem • Connotative words • “provident” (l. 20) • “stiffen” (l. 10) • “benevolence” (l. 11) • “dusty” (l. 4) • Figurative Language • “eager meaninglessness” (l. 15) • “hear in a whisper . . . a shout” (l. 17, 18) • “cell” (l. 3) • Imagery • “wilderness: cell” (l. 1, 3) • “crops, clean wood: love” (l. 13-15)

8. Find your organization Point by point: This is the best structure when your comparisons are along the same lines. 1. point one from the story CONNOTATIVE WORDS 2. point one from the poem 3. point two from the story FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 4. point two from the poem 5. point three from the story IMAGERY 6. point three from the poem

9. Find your organization • Side by Side: This works best when your comparisons are less precise. The trick with this structure is to weave the story and poem together throughout your discussion.

10. Remember the requirements • You must use one short story • You must use one poem • You must write eight paragraphs • You must follow one of the two choices in organization • You must use quotations from the texts in every body paragraph at least once (at least six total)

11. To write your thesis • What is your theme? • Mine is “Repression” • What opinion can you state? • I’m claiming that both authors reveal that women are often repressed, but Chopin claims through circumstance and Bogan claims through choice • Both Chopin and Bogan express the idea that too often women are repressed, either by choice or by circumstance.