Comparative Essay Engl 133W

MLA style double spaced 12pt times new roman 1 inch margins

Learning to Read and Write, by Frederick Douglass
“Reading to Write, by Stephen King
On Keeping a Notebook,” by Joan Didion
Slang in America,” by Walt Whitman
Two Ways to Belong in America, by Bharati Mukherjee

Essay 1 is a comparative essay of at least 750 words, not including works cited page. You will choose from one of three prompts listed below and fully address all aspects of that prompt. Follow the formatting guidelines for all our essays and papers in this course. Any quotes or paraphrased content from the readings (or outside research, if you choose to use it), must be properly cited in text and in a reference list at the end of your document.

Compare and contrast Douglasss narrative to Kings narrative. Are there points of comparison between their author motivations, or the ways they pursue their goals, or their feelings about pursuing them? How are they different? You might consider tone, structure, theme, or thesis statement as potential places where they differ.
Both White and Didions narratives focus on memories. Compare and contrast their approach. Consider, as you compare them, how they use the elements of writing (tone, structure, theme, point of view) and rhetorical mode to make their point.
Compare and contrast how authors Mukherjee and Tan describe the immigrant-in-America experience. Consider how the tone, descriptions, and unique perspectives contribute to a readers understanding of the broader picture of an immigrant experience.