Obstacles of Austen’s Anne Elliot vs. Shakespeare’s Rosalind
This is evident, first in Celia's love for her, which is proved in Duke Fredrick's capability of allowing her to stay in the court.
Comparative Literature Essay Examples and Topics
Essays on comparative literature are very popular among educators in English and liberal arts courses. You were likely asked to write a comparison that features Hamlet at some point, or will be in the future.
However, the breadth and variety of the topics tends to be overwhelming. It can be challenging to summarize the various national and periodic traditions concisely and similarly.
In many cases, you will be unable to do so, as literature can vary widely, particularly across genres. However, you can improve your literature paper and achieve an excellent result by following several tips.
First of all, you should decide on the presentation you will employ in the work. You can separate the paper by topics and compare the two traditions side by side. This structure is best if you have definite ideas about parallels you can draw between them.
However, if you do not find any points of reference the information you have, you can still complete the essay. In such a case, you should divide the body of the paper into two sections, with each providing an overview of a period.
These considerations may help in your writing process:
- Try to use titles that identify the topic clearly, such as “French Romantic Fiction.”
- Try to connect every broad statement you make to the thesis. This structure will make your essay coherent and well-organized.
- Do not be afraid to voice an original idea that you cannot support with evidence. The purpose of a critical essay is to help you develop a unique view.
You can find a selection of comparative literature topics, comparative literature essay prompts, and comparative literature essay examples as well as other useful samples at IvyPanda.
Women in Chopin’s “The Storm” and Steinbeck’s “Chrysanthemums”
This essay is going to compare and contrast the characters of two women, Calixta from Chopin's "The Storm" and Elisa Allena from Steinbeck's "Chrysanthemums", who are in different contexts of the stories.
Different Literary Genres Understanding
A major difference between poems and drama and the short story is that the first two have a predefined format of writing which includes the use of more dramatic words as compared to the short [...]
“A Friend of the Earth” and “The Terranauts” Comparison
One of the reasons behind the rising popularity of the "eco-fiction" genre has to do with the fact that the philosophy of environmentalism has now been firmly incorporated in the discourse of post-modernity, which nowadays [...]
Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”
The formalist analysis of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep repeats the same mistake, as it focuses on the plot devices and tropes presented in the story.
“Annabel Lee” and “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
Although the plot is different in each of these poems, both Annabel Lee and The Raven share the themes of death and lost love, as well as the symbolic language.
“The Dew Breaker” and “Maus” Stories Comparison
Despite the seeming difference in the details of each of the seven stores, there is the invisible and almost intangible connection between the seven parts of the book.
Racism in Rankine’s “Citizen” and Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad”
Both of them focused on similar problems but used entirely different methods to deliver their ideas while having clear benefits and disadvantages of their choices.*One the one hand, novels like Citizen help build an emotional [...]
“The Yellow Wallpaper” and The Laugh of the Medusa
The topic of a woman's voice being silenced by society and becoming heard in writing appears to be among the similar themes of the critical essay "The Laugh of the Medusa" by Cixous and the [...]
“The Letters” and “The Best Offer” Comparison
Even though both works reveal the main values of society, emphasizing the role of love, they show that people from the 12th and 21st centuries are not the same.
Make-Believe Plays in “Tom Sawyer” vs “Little Women”
A child has an imaginative mind and creates a world, separate from the realities of his/her life, in the form of a make-believe play.
John Donne’s and Edmund Spenser’s Works Comparison
Although the theme of female body is disclosed differently in two poems, both authors resort to a variety of devices to make the idea clear and to engage the readers in the perception of it.
Violence Representations: “Stones of the Wall” and To Live
Therefore, the dichotomy of violence and hope remains alive in a deliberate attempt by the author to show that conflict is a necessity for peace and stability.
“A Doll’s House” and “Death of a Salesman” Comparison
The main conflict of the play is thoroughly intergenerational and lies in Willy's inability to accept the decision of his older son Biff, as the latter is willing to leave town to go to farmland [...]
The Theme of Shame in “Anna Karenina” and The Idiot
Although the theme of shame is central to both Anna Karenina and The Idiot, the nature of this feeling is explained differently: Tolstoy regards shame as the result of a person's actions, while Dostoevsky considers [...]
Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Eliot Works Comparison
In addition to the Great War, urbanization, immigration, and the rapid progress of technology led to the general feeling of uncertainty due to the rejection of old, traditional ideas.
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Flannery O’Connor’s Works Comparison
The place is one of the most powerful tools for creating an imaginary world of the stories, the essential components of which are space and time.
Pilgrimage in Dante’s Inferno and Ch’eng-En’s Monkey
The pilgrimage is scary as the characters are squeezed in a reek and noise that torments them as they get to the lowest point of the center full of ice and there no signs of [...]
Victorian Literature: Alfred Tennyson and Herbert Wells
The poet has based the accounts of this poem on the story of Odysseus and his mariners as described in the Homer's Odyssey in the eleventh scroll.
Macbeth and Hamlet Characters Comparison
The queens in Hamlet and Macbeth play a pivotal role in the life of the heroes of the play. She is portrayed as a mother who, in her awareness of Hamlet's crisis, feels guilty and [...]
Existentialism in “Nausea” and “The Stranger”
In Nausea, the main character is a well-traveled 30-year-old man afflicted with intense feelings of the meaninglessness of his own being, an experience he dubs 'nausea.' The main character and narrator, Roquentin, is portrayed as [...]
The Goal-Orientation in Literature
In this paper, the focus will be to compare the goal-orientation between the protagonist in the play 'Waiting for Godot' and the novel 'Fear and Loathing in Vegas'.
Caroll’s Alice and Stevenson’s Jimmy Characters
Analysis of the Similarities portrayed between Alice and Jim and the respective applications of the authors style of literature. In addition, the author uses the different settings of the story and the character traits of [...]
The Dystopian Societies of “1984” and Brave New World
The three features which are discussed in this respect are the division of the two societies into social strata, the use of state power and control over citizens, and the loss of people's individualities.
Ken Liu’s “Good Hunting” and The Perfect Match
This essay aims to explore the elements of defamiliarization that are evident in the two works and to summarize the points to show how the use of this technique differs in the stories.
Comic Heroines in “As You Like It” and Twelfth Night
Rosalind is the boy-heroine of As You Like It, who, like her father, deprived of her rightful inheritance, lived a life of captivity as a friend and lady-in-waiting to Celia.
“A Rose for Emily” and “Letter of John Rolfe”
An illustration to explain that this is nonfiction is the fact that it states, "This is a copy of the gentleman's letters to Sir Thomas Dale.
The Zombie Apocalypse Plot in Literature
In this work of literature, the problem is seen in the connection to the holes in the ozone layer and global warming, i.e.it is human-caused.
Transcendentalist vs Dark Romantic Literature
Transcendentalism was one of the brightest literary movements of the 19th century, in which a few people belonging to cultured and educated American society founded a movement that proclaimed the power and importance of the [...]
“Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Molly Whuppie” Tales
Both Jack's and Molly's parents are poor, and the children in the stories are forced to experience difficulties in finding food and trying to survive; therefore, the boy and the girl get into ogres' houses.
ZZ Packer’ Stories Comparison
Dina's experiences in Japan depicted in Geese contribute to the depiction of her life at Yale from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, offering valuable insights into the development of her character and search for personal and national [...]
Sven Beckert and Naomi Klein’s Books Comparison
The author perceived the foundation of modern capitalism through war capitalism, which used military strength and technological advantages in order to clear land for cotton plantations and subjugate or exterminate various indigenous races that got [...]
“The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”
From both stories, it is evident that the journey of life requires people to be sympathetic and interact with each other.
Family Conflict in Unigwe’s, Kwa’s, Gebbie’s Stories
Coincidentally, "The kettle on the boat" seems to communicate the same theme that Dipita illustrates in the "honor of a woman".
Chiew’s, Ramos’, and Chimamanda’s Short Stories
The consistency of the three works in addressing power struggles within the family as a social unit is a lesson to the society of the urgent need to restructure the family as the basic social [...]
Kelemo’s Woman, Porcelain, The Rich Man’s School
In her book, The Rich People's School, the writer uses the main character, Sylvia, to highlight the issues of class struggles and parenthood in society.
The Mother Image in a Poem, a Song, and an Article
Both the children and the husband will definitely miss her because she is the epitome of their comfort and sustenance."The Mother Return" by Dorothy Wordsworth is a highly sensational poem.
Misjustice in Solzhenitsyn’s Work and Innocence Project
Compensating the Wrongly Convicted is intended to introduce the issue of wrongful convictions that persists in the United States today answering some of the basic questions concerning the problem and informs about the potential solutions [...]
“Editha”, “Fires on the Plain”, “Old Man’s War”
The often promoted idea of nationalism that increases patriotic sentiments during a time of conflict may play a substantial role in the development of wrong ideas regarding war and its purposes, and provoke division of [...]
Solidarity in The Waste Land and Angels in America
In his 1922 poem "The waste land", Thomas Eliot attempts to portray how social solidarity of in the modern world is affected by social and cultural changes such as the change in gender roles, dynamism [...]
Satan in John Milton’s and Dante’s Works
Perhaps one remarkable part of Milton's perception of Satan is in his continuous view of Satan as a person with a lot of charisma.
John Updike’s and Joyce Carol Oates’ Short Stories
In contrast, Connie's difficulties can be explained by the fact that she resists the control of her mother. This is one of the aspects that can be distinguished.
Characters in “An Inspector Calls” and “Of Mice and Men”
The most noticeable feature of the character is the fact that she never appears in the play in the flesh and is only described by other characters.
The Ebers Papyrus and The Book of the Dead
Though a range of facts concerning the household and traditions of the people of Ancient Egypt remain buried under the sands of time, several facts about the culture in question can be considered relatively well-known.
Hero in “The Odysseus” and “The Epic of Gilgamesh”
This paper explores the differences and similarities between the heroes of the ancient epics such as "The Odyssey" by Homer and "The Epic of Gilgamesh" the product of the culture of ancient Mesopotamia.
The Great Gatsby and Winter Dreams by Scott Fitzgerald
In this analysis, the researcher will try to confirm the argument that the Great Gatsby was a continuation of the Winter Dreams.
Cohen’s “Loose Girl” and Castner’s “The Long Walk”
Consequently, in the book 'The long walk: A story of war and the life that follows' authored by Brian Castner, the two major events that are evident after reading it include the battle for oneself [...]
Tao Qian’s and LI Qingzhao’s Poems Comparison
Thesis Statement: The use of song lyric and art collection in Li Qingzhao's work portrays the disillusionment associated with the Song Dynasty while Tao Qian's dianyuan style depicts the disunion and desire for freedom during [...]
“Learning to Read and Write” and “The Library Card”
Frederick Douglass' "Learning to Read and Write" and Richard Wright's "The Library Card" are the stories of perseverance and resolve in overcoming the obstacles that prevented the marginalized black people from the most basic and [...]
Arthur Morrison’s and Jack London’ Literature Comparison
One of the best examples of the slum practice is the rediscovery of Pompeii and the opportunity to visit it during the Romantic period.
The Book “Fahrenheit 451” and the Movie “Equilibrium”
The book Fahrenheit 451 and the movie Equilibrium have some similarities and contrasts: Both the book and the movie delve into the topic of the suppression of free thought; in both cases, the concept of [...]
Suneeta Peres da Costa and Hsu Ming Teo: Works Comparison
In her book, the 22-year Suneeta pictures the life of the abnormal Mina, the central character, born with feelers on her head.
Family Values Comparison: The Aeneid and the Holy Bible
It starts by showing God's creation of the universe and all the living things including man and how Adam and eve disobeyed God by eating fruits from the tree that God had warned them not [...]
Mary Prince and Frederick Douglass: Works Comparison
The primary goal of compiling the stories was to invoke opposition and assist in the fight for the abolishment of slavery.
Literature: The Grapes of Wrath and As I Lay Dying
This understanding forms the background of The Grapes of Wrath and As I Lay Dying analysis in this paper. The unity of structure and language in any comical genre take after carnivalistic folklore..".there is a [...]
Matthew Arnold’s and Thomas Hardy’s Poems Theme
In spite of the fact that the theme of isolation is shown in both the poems, the idea of isolation is presented in Arnold's poem "Dover Beach" with the focus on the melancholic isolation of [...]
Epic Poems: “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, “The Iliad”, and “One Thousand and One Nights”
On the other hand, in the epic poem "The Iliad" the author is concerned with the heroic exploits of Achilles in the contexts of death and immortality.
Characterization’s Importance in Literature
This statement by the narrator is a significant tool of characterization because it reveals that the main character is insane. The narrator is also important in revealing the character of the old man.
Oedipus King vs. Macbeth: Drama Comparison
The concept reflects the foundation of the decent authority through showing the tendencies of power both in the ancient times and in the period of Renaissance.
“In the American Society” and “The Gift of the Magi”
The act of giving is described as the presentation of a gift to the intended individual with the purpose of pleasing or offering assistance to the recipient.
Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Literature Comparison
As a result, their narratives, in tone, in mood, in presentation of self, in degree and kind of analysis of the world around them, reflect these differences.
Psychological and Material Reality in Literature
His psychological reality contrasts with his material reality such that he does not practice his homosexuality just because of his class and the social attitudes at the time.
Writing Techniques in Stoker’s Dracula and Kafka’s The Metamorphosis
A critical analysis of the writing styles adopted by the two authors makes it clear that the texts have an effect on the reader.
Literature: “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “His Dark Materials”
Lewis' works offer a reimagining of the story of Jesus as depicted in the New Testament and a representation of Orthodox Christian beliefs in the context of his imagined world.
Short Story and Movie Comparison: “Lamb to the Slaughter”
In this analysis, it is clear that mood in the two pieces of literature is enhanced by the characters and how they act and speak, the manner in which the author advances the plot and [...]
Poems about the Earth by Robert Penn Warren and Pablo Neruda
At the same time, the tone of the poem is mystic and shows the awe towards the force and grandeur of nature.
The Drover’s Wife by Murray Bail and Henry Lawson Comparison
Both writers show that it is extremely difficult for these women to get used to the role of drover's wife or a person who has to struggle against heavy odds in order to support the [...]
“Giovanni’s Room” and “Native Speaker”
The theme of being imprisoned in the environment that is seemingly open-minded to a range of cultures, yet promotes a single standard in terms of the identity that one is supposed to have and the [...]
“A Rose For Emily” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
Having started with the announcement of her death, the author then reveals the main facts of her life from the point of view of the community of the city.
“The Father” and “A Doll’s House”
Resting on these facts, it is possible to analyze some works which belong to the same period of time in order to understand the main ideas of the epoch and the authors message to readers.
“The Namesake” and “The Overcoat”
At the same time, Gogol, who is the character of Lahiri's novel, has something in common with the protagonist of "The Overcoat".
“True Grit”: Book and Films Comparison
A notable distinction this particular rendition of the book to film/s is that, for the most part, the films stick closely to the book.
Literature as a Protest: The Lottery and The Crucible
Thus, in the case of "the lottery" it can be seen that it is a form of protest against the practice of blindly following "tradition" without taking into consideration the full logic of the actions [...]
Robert Frost and Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison
Walk Whitman was born in the first half of the 1800s and Robert Frost in the second. The use of figurative speech in poetry gives the poems a capacity to reach out to the hearts [...]
The Problem with “Love” in the Literature Works
Their union comes out as selfish in respect to the man's family, and it is evident that in the context of this story, marriage is not the objective of their love.
Literature Comparison: This Is a Picture of Me and Heat
Though "This Is a Picture of Me" by Margaret Atwood and "Heat" by Archibald Lampman differ from each other considerably in terms of their style, imagery, characters, and other essential details, they are connected with [...]
Relations in Bone by Fae M. Ng and Rice by Su Tong
The current paper is the evaluation of two powerful books about the lives of different families in the frames of one period of time and the demands to follow the rules and personal ambitions.
Women’s Roles: 1001 Nights and The Iliad
Both of the works serve as detailed and deep reflections of the histories and cultures of the countries they came from and elaborately portrayed the relationships between men and women, religions and spirituality, and the [...]
Congwen’s “Border Town: A Novel” and Su-Hui’s “Six Records of a Floating Life”
The plot is set in 1934, and the manuscript describes life in rural China through the eyes of a young lady and her grandfather. In the book "Six Records of a Floating Life", Shen loses [...]
Theme of War in William Shakespeare and Erich Maria Remarque Works
Probably the most memorable aspect of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front is that it contains a number of scenes that expose readers to the graphic accounts of war-induced carnage and death.
Childhood Memories in Doyle’s, Griffin’s, Foer’s Works
It should be pointed out that the issues concerning functioning and improvement of the memory, effects of the childhood experience and background on the personality, and the significance of having the heart not only as [...]
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus”
The idea of a person being in the center of the action and trying to overcome some problems connected with doom, fate and some other supernatural forces become peculiar to this kind of art.
Realism in American and British Literature
The concept is interested in looking at the daily lives of individuals from both the lower and middle classes, whose character is determined by social factors. The movement covered the whole country since it was [...]
Literature Comparison: Raisin in the Sun and A Dream Deferred
Despite the seeming difference in genre, stylistic choices, characters and settings, the novel Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes' poem A Dream Deferred have a lot in common; in fact, one [...]
Literature Comparison: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and 1984
It can be said that while both of these books address the issue of hidden methods of coercion, Nineteen-eighty Four provides a bleak vision of the future in which the whole of society is controlled [...]
Race Literature Comparison: Nadine Gordimer and Patricia Smith
The poem, "What it's Like To Be a Black Girl," depicts a racially abusive society, which does not accept the conditions of the black girl. It is clear that both characters are prejudiced by the [...]
Literature: Things Fall Apart and The Epic of Gilgamesh
The two are internally affected by the struggle between the forces longing for change and those advocating for the restoration of the status quo.
Father-Son Relationships in “My Oedipus Complex” and “Powder”
The son in this situation shows some features of his personality as a doubtful and worrying individual making it harder for the father to impress him.
Medea and Antigone: Literature Comparison
However, in spite of the fact that the motivations of Medea and Antigone are considered to be the same, they choose different actions.
Alice Walker and Patricia Smith Works: Literature Comparison
Every society that is characterized by a mixture of racial interfaces is prone to a level of conflict that usually arises when some of the characters in the society esteem themselves as superior by virtue [...]
Comparison: Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire
In the Death of a Salesman, Willy, the protagonist, is lost in the illusion that the American dream is only achievable via superficial qualities of likeability and attractiveness.
Ancient Greece Heroes: Iliad and The Knight’s Tale
It is rather tempting to see the later work as a reflection of the ancient Greek story, but Chaucer's work is rather a re-evaluation of the old story.
Society Degradation: Handmaid’s Tale and Revolutionary Letters
Similar to Atwood's story, Di Prima's Revolutionary Letters allows the readers to go beyond the accepted paradigms in the pursuit of the truth and independence.
“The Hobbit”: Book vs. Movie
The names of places, characters, and events are the same in both the book and the movie. In contrast, in the movie, the story revolves around Bilbo and the dwarves.
“The Holy Man of Mount Koya” and The Narrow Road to Oku” Compare Emotions in Journey Narratives
Thus, it is possible to state that the journey described in Izumi Kyoka's "The Holy Man of Mount Koya" can remind the elements of the journey presented in Matsuo Basho's "The Narrow Road to Oku" [...]
Plays Comparison: Pygmalion, A Doll’s House and Trifles
This especially appears to be the case in the situations when what happened to be the actual truth, simply does much of a logical sense in the concerned person's eyes.
Society Role in Literature: King Lear and Things Fall Apart
The difference is that the leader of the plan is much tougher physically and emotionally, and it is evident that he would not give up his values and morals.
Comparison: ‘Night of the Iguana’ and ‘Goodnight Desdemona’
The rest of the group learns about the engagement and understandably express their anger towards the reverend, thus resulting in his decision to make a stop at the hotel and booking accommodation for the group [...]
Travel Narratives: “The Grand Tour” and “Vagabonding”
Although both Pugh and Osnos provide seemingly similar observations on the same issue concerning the economics and politics of the places that they visit, these observations contribute to creating a completely different image of the [...]
Travel Narratives: “The Grand Tour” by Osnos and “About Mike Pugh”
Although these sources demonstrate that travelling can enrich the inner world of a person and his/her understanding of other cultures, their arguments made by the authors significantly differ as to the role that travelling should [...]