Bruce Catton does a great job of using compare and contrast wisely to get his point across in his essay, "Grant and Lee: A study in Contrasts". He clearly describes who each character was and what he stood for. Then, at the end he goes on to analyze the importance comparing these two important figures.
In order to understand how he uses compare and contrast to get his point across, we first have understand what his point is. He compares Grant and Lee to show how two very different men were able to come together - in a room- and decide the future of America. They each had their strong opinions of what they each stood for, and what they each wanted was at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Yet with all these differences, they were able to unite America back again. His message is that having to different opinions doesn't have to be a bad thing. When trying to decide the future of our country these two men surely had some conflicts but because they were different, they were able to analyze the two different options and chose the best one.
Even thought he leaves the analysis at the end, at the beginning he does mention his purpose for comparing and contrasting. This helps with getting his point across because, as we read his comparative essay, we have his argument on the back of our minds.
He also gets his point across by painting an image of each character. He describes where each of them grew up and what affected their way of thinking. Catton does this in an organized fashion. He first describes to us Lee's background and opinion and then he moves on to Grant.
Overall, he has clear image of what he is trying to get across and he is able to transmit this clearness on to us.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Catton: The Writing Rebel
Bruce Catton is a writing rebel. When he writes his essay he doesn't follow the typical a,b,c order that is "the right way to do it", where Topic A has sample 1 and 2, and where Topic B is followed by sample 1 and 2... and so on.
Catton follows a structure of his own. It is very different yet very organized and easy to follow. For example he doesn't state his thesis until the third paragraph and he divides each paragraph to specifically talk about each person (Grant and Lee). Since he is talking about historical figures he begins by talking about what was happening at the time to set the reader in place and give them some brief knowledge about what was happening.
The body of the essay mostly talks about each historical figure in their own way. Each paragraph talks about their backgrounds, their views towards the war, and what they represented. It isn't until the last paragraphs where Catton actually begins to compare and contrast and analyze both of the generals side by side.
In this essay, Catton is arguing that both of these generals have very distinct backgrounds. Both were raised with different lifestyles, yet, they grew up to have the same mission. They were both brought in history and ended up doing something greater for the country which was to bring peace and end the war.
Catton uses this technique in order to show how two very different characters or what ever is to be compared can be similar and come to a common conclusion.
Catton follows a structure of his own. It is very different yet very organized and easy to follow. For example he doesn't state his thesis until the third paragraph and he divides each paragraph to specifically talk about each person (Grant and Lee). Since he is talking about historical figures he begins by talking about what was happening at the time to set the reader in place and give them some brief knowledge about what was happening.
The body of the essay mostly talks about each historical figure in their own way. Each paragraph talks about their backgrounds, their views towards the war, and what they represented. It isn't until the last paragraphs where Catton actually begins to compare and contrast and analyze both of the generals side by side.
In this essay, Catton is arguing that both of these generals have very distinct backgrounds. Both were raised with different lifestyles, yet, they grew up to have the same mission. They were both brought in history and ended up doing something greater for the country which was to bring peace and end the war.
Catton uses this technique in order to show how two very different characters or what ever is to be compared can be similar and come to a common conclusion.
On "Looking at Women"
How does Scott Russell Sanders use cause and effect analysis to get his perspective across in "Looking at Women"? That's an interesting question, you see, because I don't know. To answer this question you first have to ask, "What is Sanders' purpose/perspective?". Well, Sanders is, in a sense, trying to answer the question of, "How should men look at women?". The problem for readers is that his essay doesn't answer the question with a clear and direct answer, which is okay for such an open ended question. Sanders instead describes how men look at women then answers why they look at women. He also describes what women think of men looking at them and how it further effects their actions. The causes and effects that he provides illustrate the problem that men looking at women are causing women to feel like objects or pieces of meat; makes them what to become like pieces of art or toys for men to play with. Showing the effects of looking at women answers the question of, "How should men look at women?". The rest is up o the readers discretion. If they believe the effects are wrong then they will find the answer to be that men should not look at women the way that they do so now.
Classifying to elighten
Anyone can classify or categorize; people do so in their daily routines at school or the workplace. Categorizing with style, though, is something only a few can do. Susan Allen Toth's "Going to the Movies" is a perfect example of this. She classifies the different elements that make up going on a movie date- the type of guy, type of movie, and the interaction between themselves- and uses 3 different dates to represent different categories of movie dates.
Toth doesn't only point out the positives attributes that these 3guys have, she also discusses their downsides. With the exception of Aaron, who doesn't appear to have any good date qualities, Toth points out what these guys do during the date, avoiding bias. A perfect example is Bob, "Inside the theater Bob will hold my hand when I get scared if I ask him. He puts my hand firmly on his knee and covers it completely with his own hand. His knee never twitches"(Toth Paragraph 5). At this point, many readers would think that she would simply keep listing all the positive things that Bob has, but in the next paragraph she addresses how Bob refused to stay for one more drink after a movie because "relationships tend to move too quickly".
Toth does the same thing with the other guys, listing their characteristics and what sets them apart from each other. For example, while Bob likes to watch more documentary-style movies about war, poverty, and other social problems, Sam likes to watch entertaining movies. Again, Toth starts to describe several things about Sam that make him interesting, but then she plays the cards down as explains how he has another girlfriend Duluth. Toth is trying to say that there is no perfect match, up to this point.
In her last paragraph, Toth describes how she sometimes goes to the movies on her own and watches romantic films. Instead of categorizing what she does at the movies, she categorizes what the characters do in the romantic movies- "They smile at each other, I smile at them, I feel they are smiling at me." Toth puts herself in the female character's role in the movies, wishing that it was her living the dream. Toth is trying to convey how a perfect date is only seen in movie films, not in real life.
Toth categorizes all the 3 guys to somehow represent three different kinds of men in America. By explaining what each men does, Toth shows the reader how men do both good and bad things, in the dates. This way, categorizing the actions does the job of telling the whole story instead of her having to explain how she doesn't like the guy. Since, to Toth, there is a right way to do things (most likely what people do in the romantic films she watches on her own), Toth is showing how most guys don't do enough to make her completely happy.
Toth doesn't only point out the positives attributes that these 3guys have, she also discusses their downsides. With the exception of Aaron, who doesn't appear to have any good date qualities, Toth points out what these guys do during the date, avoiding bias. A perfect example is Bob, "Inside the theater Bob will hold my hand when I get scared if I ask him. He puts my hand firmly on his knee and covers it completely with his own hand. His knee never twitches"(Toth Paragraph 5). At this point, many readers would think that she would simply keep listing all the positive things that Bob has, but in the next paragraph she addresses how Bob refused to stay for one more drink after a movie because "relationships tend to move too quickly".
Toth does the same thing with the other guys, listing their characteristics and what sets them apart from each other. For example, while Bob likes to watch more documentary-style movies about war, poverty, and other social problems, Sam likes to watch entertaining movies. Again, Toth starts to describe several things about Sam that make him interesting, but then she plays the cards down as explains how he has another girlfriend Duluth. Toth is trying to say that there is no perfect match, up to this point.
In her last paragraph, Toth describes how she sometimes goes to the movies on her own and watches romantic films. Instead of categorizing what she does at the movies, she categorizes what the characters do in the romantic movies- "They smile at each other, I smile at them, I feel they are smiling at me." Toth puts herself in the female character's role in the movies, wishing that it was her living the dream. Toth is trying to convey how a perfect date is only seen in movie films, not in real life.
Toth categorizes all the 3 guys to somehow represent three different kinds of men in America. By explaining what each men does, Toth shows the reader how men do both good and bad things, in the dates. This way, categorizing the actions does the job of telling the whole story instead of her having to explain how she doesn't like the guy. Since, to Toth, there is a right way to do things (most likely what people do in the romantic films she watches on her own), Toth is showing how most guys don't do enough to make her completely happy.
Objection, please.
Reading Looking At Women by Scott Sanders is a deep analytical, Cause And Effect essay about how men look at woman or as the author puts it, " How should a man look at women?". The author gets his points across points across by giving us examples of women in culture. He uses franchise names such as Playboy, Miss America pageant, Greek Goddesses, famous erotic novelists, paintings and so on. Each example gives us a better view at the points he's making. Let's take for example the Greek Goddesses. Sanders writes that women arouse the interest of men in the way they dress. He gives the example of a goddess lolling around in her long white, chiton gown. It's man-like, he justifies for men to notice the beauty because she's just there for everyone to see. This is how much of the essay is formulated. Question, answer and explanation. The most important part of this essay is the question itself, “How should men look at women?”. He goes by answering this question by getting into his male persona, and others. Yes, all men ogle at woman for one reason and another but it's not always to make them feel uncomfortable though for most of human history, it can't be said the same. Women were built differently, shaped to be beautiful that any man would want to take back home. Even the most novel of men who are not “lusting” have thoughts of looking at women. It's all genetics he resolves to at the end.
Overall, the concept of men looking at women is a topic many will have different positions on. Sanders gives his own perspective and reasoning behind this. He also gives a minor perspective how women feel when thousands of men look at them. They become an object not a person. It can almost relate to slavery. Men objectify women and it might be on purpose but anatomy does not allow men to not notice.
The Norton reader: an anthology of nonfiction prose
Linda H.Peterson - John C.Brereton - Joan Hartman - W.W. Norton - 2000
How to compare
The comparison essay is the one that has proven to be the hardest for me because of the analysis that distinguishes it from a regular classification essay. The example provided was an essay written by Bruce Catton that compares to of the greatest American historic figures, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee tittled "Grant and Lee: A study in Contrasts". In this essay, Catton compares the men by analyzing the the ideals they represent. Catton makes Grant and Lee the incarnation of the North and the South during the Civil War.
Catton describes each man's characteristics independently of each other but in a way that clearly shows how polar these two standpoints are though the men themselves exemplify similar characteristics such as their ability to fight, to think, and to virtue. Catton doesn't just categorize the two men as individuals and then analyze. When you look closer at the essay you see that there is analysis all through out the essay that may have been overlooked because of the subtlety of it.
In his introduction, Catton clearly states the subject of his comparison, though he doesn't really explain his purpose for comparison. The fourth paragraph, which reads "Back of Robert E. Lee was a notion that the old aristocratic concept might somehow survive and be dominant in American life" (213), summarizes Lee's identity in such a way that the ensuing paragraphs are meant to support it. Catton does this so that when he introduces Grant, he may describe him as "everything Lee was not" (213). Of course Catton is referring to Grant and Lee as symbols for the comparison and as people for the similarities.
This was something that I tried to imitate when began comparing George St-Pierre but failed in doing so because of the lack of analysis until the very end, by which point my comparison essay had become a classification essay.
Catton describes each man's characteristics independently of each other but in a way that clearly shows how polar these two standpoints are though the men themselves exemplify similar characteristics such as their ability to fight, to think, and to virtue. Catton doesn't just categorize the two men as individuals and then analyze. When you look closer at the essay you see that there is analysis all through out the essay that may have been overlooked because of the subtlety of it.
In his introduction, Catton clearly states the subject of his comparison, though he doesn't really explain his purpose for comparison. The fourth paragraph, which reads "Back of Robert E. Lee was a notion that the old aristocratic concept might somehow survive and be dominant in American life" (213), summarizes Lee's identity in such a way that the ensuing paragraphs are meant to support it. Catton does this so that when he introduces Grant, he may describe him as "everything Lee was not" (213). Of course Catton is referring to Grant and Lee as symbols for the comparison and as people for the similarities.
This was something that I tried to imitate when began comparing George St-Pierre but failed in doing so because of the lack of analysis until the very end, by which point my comparison essay had become a classification essay.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Bruce Catton: Compare & Contrast
The writing in Bruce Catton's Grant & Lee: A Study In Contrast is a compare and contrast essay that explains the differences between the two civil war generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Because if Catton's extensive history of the civil war he has a very good overview of these two generals. He shows his knowledge over these two generals by comparing them with each other. Catton does more then just compare the two generals he also uses historical facts about the war to back up his knowledge, he also gets into the meanings behind the facts by comparing and contrasting. He analyzes the facts of the war to go into great depth behind the generals.
To really help you understand how compare/contrast work and how you can really get into the heart of the subject, this website will really help you: Compare/Contrast. Compare and contrast I feel is on of the types of writing that can really get deep into the analysis of your subject. One because iit gets you distinguishing between all that you are comparing and it also makes you show the details in which makes the things you are comparing different or the same. Compare and contrast essay's are hard to write because there is the chance you can go into repetition, but if you know alot about what your writing like Bruce Catton then you can really do a good job at it.
To really help you understand how compare/contrast work and how you can really get into the heart of the subject, this website will really help you: Compare/Contrast. Compare and contrast I feel is on of the types of writing that can really get deep into the analysis of your subject. One because iit gets you distinguishing between all that you are comparing and it also makes you show the details in which makes the things you are comparing different or the same. Compare and contrast essay's are hard to write because there is the chance you can go into repetition, but if you know alot about what your writing like Bruce Catton then you can really do a good job at it.
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