Comparative Essay Question

Question

Hi,

So I'm writing a comparative essay. Does it make sense to use the block method over the point-by-point method?

For my set of body paragraphs, the first one is the introduction of both topics and I talk about the origin of the content. Then the following two paragraphs are each about the content. Would it work? My prof was not clear on this part.

Thanks

Answer 1

My Question is whether there is a 2 paragraph body limitation.

I like to see 3 so that each topic is given full attention and then the line by line.

So....

Introduction

Parallel Paragraph 1st Topic

Parallel Paragraph 2nd Topic

Integrated Paragraph with line by line

Answer 2

For a comparative essay, I would use the point-by-point method. This allows the reader to experience a natural flow of back-and-forth thought/consideration of what you're writing on. If you cram your analysis into the dense block-method form, it may not have the opportunity to be fully fleshed out. Use point method to your advantage, and allow yourself to truly explore both perspectives as they rebound off of each other.

Answer 3

Either strategy can be effective.

It's often easier to keep the parallels straight if you go through points of comparison as your primary organizational structure. If you analyze one thing first and then do a parallel analysis of the other you may find your audience gets lost a little easier, even if you do not. (And are you sure you will not?) With proper signposting, however, the "Thing One and Thing Two" strategy can be more effective in some cases.

With all that said it's still possible that your professor has a definite bias or a particular educational purpose for having you use one structure or the other. Most naive writers try to analyze the cases separately because it appeals to their natural cognitive biases to think that way. So writing teachers often want to force you to exercise your analytical muscles by making you do the point-by-point comparison instead. but that's a pedagogical purpose rather than a rhetorical one. They know that it's simply seems easier to do it with one section of the essay devoted to the first case and another section devoted to the other case. But it is not actually easier. And that's something they want you to learn in addition to I have it of meticulously thought-out analysis.