CHECKLIST--COMPARISON THEME

If you cannot answer these questions, or if some of them make no sense to you, go back to the instructions for the comparison paper and review the assignment.

1. What two items are being compared in this paper?

2. Which kind of comparison is it--a personal choice (car, major, where to live, etc.); an analytical comparison (which painting is impressionist, which film is film noir, which poem is a sonnet, which sitcom character is most like Barbie); or a philosophical comparison which leads to a suggestion for change or a profound observation?

  • Note: If you can't tell, do not simply assume that it is a philosophical comparison! The fact that you cannot tell is very important to revising the paper so that the reader can tell which kind of comparison it is.

    • 3. Personal choice. (Go on to 4 or 5 if it is an analytical or philosophical comparison.) If it is a personal choice, what are the circumstances of the person making the choice? These will apply to the person, and be such things as age, temperament, whether married, whether s/he has children, how much money is available, health, etc. Do not confuse circumstances with points of comparison; circumstances describe the person making the choice; points of comparison describe the items being compared.

    4. Analytical. (Go to 3 or 5 if it is a personal choice or philosophical comparison.) If it is an analytical comparison, answer both these questions: What is the concept that forms the basis for comparison (impressionism, postmodernism, the Barbie syndrome, the hero, film noir, jazz, etc.)? What reading in the text is the concept from; or if the concept is not from the readings, where is it from?

    5. Philosophical. (Go to 3 or 4 if it is a personal choice or analytical comparison.) If it is a philosophical comparison, answer both these questions: What two things (people? doctrines? civilizations? What?) are being compared? What philosophical conclusion is drawn from the comparison?

    6. What makes the introduction effective/ineffective? In particular, does it give away the ending?

    7. What similarities have caused the writer to choose these two particular items to compare?

    8. Tell which of the three possible methods of organization is used in the body of the paper. Do not give a number; describe the method of organization.

    9. Name or describe any points of comparison that you do not understand from the paper.

    10. Name or describe any vital points of comparison you think are missing.

    11. Name or describe any points of comparison you think have nothing to do with the conclusion.

    12. Name or describe anything about the paper that you find confusing.

    13. Do you find any paragraphs which do not stick to their topics? Tell which ones, and how to fix them.

    14. Do you find any one-sentence or otherwise undeveloped paragraphs? Explain where they are and what to do to fix them.

    15. (Personal or analytical—if this is a philosophical comparison, go on to 16.) Does the conclusion tell what choice was made? What was the choice? Does the choice derive logically from the points of comparison covered in the body? Explain how.

    16. (Philosophical—if this is a personal or analytical comparison go back to 15.) Does the conclusion develop naturally from the comparison? Explain the logical connection between the comparison and the conclusion.

    17. Is new information introduced in the conclusion to justify it? This should not happen! If it does, that new information must be moved to a point much earlier in the paper.

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