ESSAY #1: COMPARATIVE CLOSE READING

DUE: February 18, 1998

Write a four-to-five-page essay in which you perform a comparative close reading of two passages from the assigned texts. You may choose two passages from different texts, or two passages from the same text. You might select two passages describing similar people or things. For example, you might compare a description of a landscape by Irving with one by Cooper. Or, you might compare two passages that resemble each other in some way but describe two different things. For example, you might compare the passage in which Irving describes Van Tassel’s buffet table with one in which he describes Ichabod’s pursuit of Katrina, since, as we discussed in class, images of courtship and images of food get mixed up in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Consider your choice carefully; while there are some passages that obviously lend themselves to this kind of comparison, it can be very interesting to work with less obvious pairings as well. Each passage should be about a paragraph long, roughly twenty to twenty-five lines of printed text.

Once you’ve selected the passages, spend some time with them. Consider each passage individually, and consider them comparatively as well. Elements you might consider include the following:

Theme: What ideas or topics are touched upon in the passage? Are these themes related in interesting ways? You may want to consider how these themes fit into the larger texts, though if you choose to do this, be careful not to lose your focus on the passages.

Speaker and voice: Who is speaking, and what is the speaker’s attitude toward his or her subject? Do various characters speak, and if so, how? If there is dialogue, is it realistic? Does the narrator seem reliable, or does the author emphasize the narrator’s flaws as a reporter or judge?

Plot: Don’t get bogged down here, but don’t ignore important events that occur in the passage.

Figurative language: What metaphors and figures of speech does the author use? What is their effect? how are the various metaphors connected? How do the metaphors relate to the passage’s content?

Imagery: What kinds of images are used in the passage? For example, does the author use natural imagery, or does he or she use mechanical metaphors? Is most of the imagery visual, or are metaphors related to other senses also used?

Syntax: How does the author arrange the words? Does he or she use ordinary word order? What kinds of sentences does the author use? Are they long or short, simple or complex? Does he or she use fragments? Are things stated, or couched as questions? Does he or she use a great deal of subordination? Are the sentences syntactically consistent throughout the passage, or does the author use variations in syntax to create effects?

Sound: To what extent does the author use sound effects, such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia?

Characterization: How are characters defined and described?

Context: Consider the ways in which the passage fits into the overall context of the work. Note that this assignment is not a strict New Critical explication. It’s therefore fine to refer to relevant material outside the text. For example, if a description of Native Americans is illuminated by the politics of Indian Removal, you should feel free to comment on this. On the other hand, if you choose to address broader contexts of the passages, be sure that you nevertheless remain focused on the passages themselves. Don’t drift away from close reading and into sweeping generalizations about the period or the texts as a whole.

Ideally, your consideration of the two passages together should teach you something about both passages that you would not have noticed had you not compared them. When you’ve figured out what that is, fine-tune your thesis, and begin to plan out your essay. This essay must have a thesis; successful papers will do more than present a straight line-by-line reading of each passage.