Comparative Analysis Part 2 Notes

How to Compare and Contrast

1. In IB English Paper 2, the ultimate goal is not just analysis, but comparative analysis.
2. The best essays evaluate how two texts treat ideas similarly and differently across several dimensions:
   1. Technique:

      1. “While Orwell uses imagery of surveillance (‘The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously’), Atwood employs symbolism (‘The red of the Handmaids is not their colour, but the Republic’s’) to evoke authoritarian control.”

   2. Theme:

      1. “Both Orwell and Atwood explore the theme of state control, but while Orwell focuses on the manipulation of truth, Atwood centres on the regulation of the body.”

   3. Characterisation:

      1. “Orwell’s Winston is portrayed as a passive resister whose rebellion stems from a need for truth, while Atwood’s Offred is more hesitant, shaped by her attachment to memory and identity.”

   4. Purpose:

      1. “Both authors critique totalitarianism, but Orwell’s warning is aimed at political indoctrination through propaganda, while Atwood’s is directed at theocratic oppression rooted in gender politics.”

   5. Effect:

      1. “Orwell leaves readers with a sense of crushing despair through Winston’s reprogramming, Atwood instead leaves us with ambiguity, inviting readers to question the boundaries of resistance and hope.”

   6. Context:

      1. “Orwell, writing post-WWII amid fears of fascism and Stalinism, constructs a society obsessed with control and censorship, while Atwood, writing during the rise of the New Right in the 1980s, reacts against the rollback of women’s rights.”

From Basic to Advanced Comparative Analysis

Basic Comparison

1. “Orwell and Atwood both portray dystopian societies.”

2. This is technically accurate, but vague and underdeveloped.

Step 1: Add Technique

1. “Orwell uses newspeak and telescreens, while Atwood uses colour symbolism and ritual to construct dystopian control.”

2. Now we’re pointing to how the dystopias are built.

Step 2: Add Purpose

1. “Through these techniques, both authors criticise authoritarian regimes that dehumanise individuals and suppress personal autonomy.”

2. We now have technique + purpose.

Step 3: Add Theme and Characterisation

1. “Both writers reveal the human cost of oppression: Orwell through Winston’s gradual loss of self (‘2 + 2 = 5’), and Atwood through Offred’s fragmented identity and longing for her daughter.”

2. We’ve now added theme + character.

Step 4: Add Effect and Context