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.
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.
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 [...]
Edgar Allan Poe’s and Herman Melville Comparison
To this end, the current paper is a comparative review of Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" and Melville's "Billy Budd".
“The Jungle” and “The Return of Mr. Wills”
For this assignment, I have chosen the following fictional accounts of the US: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and The Return of Mr.
‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Literature Comparison
Stella is a devoted wife struggling to make her marriage work, even though her husband Stanley, subjects her to a lot of pain and suffering.
“To Live” and “The True Story of Ah Q”
The common traits of the society are reflected in the main characters; the spirit of the Revolution penetrates the fortunes of Fugui, and Ah Q.
John Updike and Joyce Carol Oakes Stories – Literature Comparison
In this respect, Connie lives in her imaginary world; she is reluctant to observe the moral values established in her family.
Main Themes in “Othello” and “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”
In fact, it appears that this passion is encouraged by the feelings of regret and shame more than by affection to Bayardo.
Comparative Literature: “The Odyssey” and “The Aeneid”
The Odyssey and The Aeneid are some of the major epics created by the western civilizations. On balance, it is possible to state that the two epics share a lot of features as Virgil's work [...]
“Breakfast of Champions” and “The Bonfire of Vanities”
However, the most important sentences in the first chapter are those that introduce the concept of Communism, America's attitude to it, and the distribution of wealth in the world: "Dwayne Hoover's and Kilgore Trout's country, [...]
“Oedipus Rex” and “A Doll House”
The main issue is that Ibsen uses these techniques to show how the protagonist discovers her inner strengths, while Sophocles applies them to depict the frustration of a person and the destruction of his vanity.
Chinese American History in Literature
The aspects include the specific topic of the resource, its statement of the thesis, forms of materials presented, and theoretical issues raised and used by the author.
“Your Paradise” and “The Martyred”
Yi's "Your Paradise" and Kim's "The Martyred" disclose the theme of sacrifice in a variety of ways and explain how it is possible to misunderstand the role of violence embedded in sacrifice, use sacrifice as [...]
“Othello” and “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”
Consequently, I believe that differences between passion and love have a tendency to exist, as passion is the uncontrolled actions to show affection, and love is the act of the understanding of the behavior of [...]
Comparison: “The Sick Rose” by W. Blake and “Out Of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking” by W. Whitman
The poem The Sick Rose looks into vulnerability of women in the face of men, the susceptibility of love in the face of unfaithfulness, and the susceptibility of the body in the hands of STDs.
Sartre’s “Why Write?” and Miller’s “Narrative”
The reader is extremely important for the writer because reading is the significant act in disclosing the generosity of the work, and the writer should understand for whom he writes because the reader is free [...]
Comparison: the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
Consequently, the love explained in the book of Mark is the ultimate love that makes people volunteers of even their own life for the purposes of abiding to the promises.
Comparison: “The Chimney Sweeper” and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
William Blake describes the peculiarities of their life with the help of Tom Dacre's words in the first stanza of the poem.
“Saboteur” and “Everyday Use” Literary Comparison
The second story describes the life of a common family in which even tenor is interrupted by the visit of one of the daughters of Mama and their different understanding of identity.
Comparison: The Algonquin Cinderella (America) Vs Tam and Cam (Vietnam)
The ultimate result of this is the occurrence of multiple versions of the same fairy tale, which implies that one of the versions is superior compared to the others.
Comparison: “A&P” by John Updike and “Greasy Lake” by T.C Boyle
Reading the stories, it seems from the first glance that the main similar feature of the protagonists is their age, still, the closer look at the stories shows that the situations these people appear at [...]
Comparison: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by S. Alexie and Persepolis by M. Satrapi
Depicted lively in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Persepolis, the life journey of an social misfit can twist in a number of ways, making it obvious that, despite there is a [...]
Rodney Stenning’ and Christopher Marlowe’ Poems Comparison
The approach of the shepherd to love is simplistic, verging on the ideal rather than the reality of existence and as such represents a type of love doomed to failure rather than success. In the [...]
“The Brothers Karamazov” and “The Stranger”
In the novel, the author illustrates that the value of human life is perceived with respect to mortality. He claims that Ivan always yearned for the death of his father.
The North Wind and the Sun by Aesop and The Dead Men’s Path by Chinua Achebe
The short stories The North Wind and the Sun by Aesop and The Dead Men's Path by Chinua Achebe show that persuasion and peaceful measures can be more effective than inducement and force.
“Lamb to the Slaughter” and “A Jury of Her Peers”
Two short stories, Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl, and A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell, both have a woman who killed her husband as a key part of their plot.
“The Birth-mark” and “The house of Usher”
Poe in his work, The Fall of the House of Usher and Hawthorne in his work' The Birthmark; they have employed different literary elements.
“A Noiseless Patient Spider” and “Moby-Dick” Literature Analysis
Whitman uses the spider as a metaphor of humanity, drowned in a sea of uncertainty, while Melville uses Pip's ocean experience to represent peoples' struggles in the world.
“The Story of an Hour” and “The Birthmark”
The "punishment" of the character, however, does not necessarily testify to the narrator's support of the expected behavior standards pointing out a conflict between the author and the society in regards to ethical, moral, and [...]
Hills Are Like White Elephants and Shooting an Elephant
The validity of this suggestion can be well illustrated, in regards to the fact that, throughout his conversation with Jig, the American never ceased exhibiting the signs of being thoroughly arrogant.
Stoker’s Dracula and Woolf’s Orlando Literature Compare
When we talk about the qualitative aspects of the Victorian era in Britain, the first thing that comes in mind, in this respect, is the fact that European intellectuals of the time were strongly influenced [...]
Pu’s Red Beans and Chang’s Lust, Caution
This is one of the major details that can be distinguished. This is one of the peculiarities that can be singled out.
Two Kinds by Amy Tan and Who’s Irish by Gish Jen
The story 'Who's Irish' by Jen Gish is based on the events in the life of an elderly Chinese immigrant lady, and the struggle she undergoes as she tries to acclimatize herself to a radically [...]
“Othello”, “A Worn Path” and “Negro” Literature Comparison
Although Hughes in his "Negro" discusses race as the main source for the character's identity and attempts to accentuate the role of the black race for the whole world history, Shakespeare in Othello and Welty [...]
The Namesake and Dogeaters
The reason for this is that, as it will be shown later in this paper, the behavioral patterns of many of the female-characters, featured in The Namesake and Dogeaters, appear to reflect the concerned women's [...]
Mao Dun and Huang Chun-Ming’s Styles Comparison
Thus, while comparing Mao Dun and Huang Chun-ming's stories, it is significant to state that the authors use the third person omniscient narrative point of view in order to create the complete picture of the [...]
Hamlet and King Oedipus Literature Comparison
This essay compares the characters and roles of both Hamlet and King Oedipus as the sons who have to deliver justice to their fathers' killers.
“Survival in Auschwitz” and “First They Killed My Father”
Tens of thousands of people were executed and tortured to death during both of these events.= Cambodian Pol Pot and European genocide will always be remembered as ones of the most shameful pages of the [...]
“Girl”, “Drown” and “The Language of the Body” Literature Comparison
Parenting The mother is striving to bring up her daughter to be the best in the world. The motive of the Writer Kincaid intends to show the reader the difference between the old and the [...]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Angels in America
Hence, the similarities and differences depicted in the two plays in terms of plot, general structure and the way the issues are brought up.
William Blake’ Poems Comparison: “The Lamb” and “The Tyger”
It is possible to compare and contrast two poems, "The Lamb" and "The Tyger", to understand how the poet managed to create evoking and appealing images.
Fighting for Freedom of American Identity in Literature
Loyalty is one of the themes in the story, as the boy is confused on whether to side with the family or the law.
“The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” and “Frankenstein”
In this essay, the author seeks to confirm that in the two books, the role of the devil is the same.
“The Beard” and “From Hunger”
Similarly, in "From Hunger," the author realizes that she would never be as beautiful as she wanted to be. The author feels that his life is not real if tied to a single sad encounter.
“Raisin in the Sun” and “Harlem”
Hansberry and Hughes introduce the same idea of a dream compared to a raisin dried up in the sun, but explain it in different ways in order to show how the interpretation of a thought [...]
“Things Fall Apart” and “Midnight’s Children”
One of the main qualitative aspects of the ongoing discourse of post-colonialism, is that it often addresses the issue of what can be considered the indications of one's endowment with the so-called 'post-colonial' identity.
Comparative Literature: The Bath by J. Frame and The Hollow of the Three Hills by N. Hawthorne
The novel The Bath by Janet Frame and the short story The Hollow of the Three Hills by Nathaniel Hawthorne also make readers think about the manifestations of bravery.
Comparative Literature: Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” and O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”
Although Chopin uses the metaphor of storm in order to describe the adultery and the female character's desire and passion, the speaker's presentation of the love affair is extremely realistic and focused on details.
Literature: Border Town by Shen Congwen and Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang
Both the stories revolve around the plots of love and marriage of the young Cuicui in Border Town and the divorcee Liusu in Love in a Fallen Land.
Comparison: “The Price We Pay” and “An Oral History of Adama Bah”
Bah employs subheadings to divide her long story into parts and themes, while Mayblum's writing is an undivided essay."The Price We Pay" by Adam Mayblum and "An Oral History of Adama Bah" by Adama Bah [...]
Comparison: “Sunday Morning” by W. Stevens and “To Elsie” by W. C. Williams
At the end of the poem, the author talks of a car without one to drive it, and it gives a picture of loss of direction, which is still linked to the chaotic scene that [...]
T. Morrison’s and B. Emecheta’s Writing Styles Comparison
Although both Morrison and Emecheta provide the life stories of black women and discuss the problem of social choices for them in the novels, the authors' writing styles differ significantly because Morrison concentrates on irony [...]
Literature Studies of “The Destructor” and “The Lottery”
It is the assumption of this paper that in both stories, the lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr.
Comparison Between Sun Tzu’s Art of War and Machiavelli’s Art of War
Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' is one of the most read books that guide military strategists and leaders on issues that relate to war and how they should be approached.
Poems by G. Brooks, E. Housman, L. Clifton and M. Swenson
In his poem, Housman employs the lyrical strategy to put across the meaning of the poem; that is to praise an athlete who has died at a young age.