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Ms. Hastings
English 11B
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Check My Work Link: REMOVED

Unit 2 Portfolio Final Draft: Compare and Contrast Essay

Essay requirements: Each section will be completed in complete sentences. This template is
intended to help you structure your essay and organize your thoughts. You are not polishing a
final draft; this final draft is showcasing your understanding of compare and contrast and essay
structure, organization, and writing. Please submit this template as your FINAL DRAFT.

Essay Focus
Copy this information from your essay outline document. If you need to look at the document again click here.

Topic: The Journey to Identity

** Write the full topic you are looking at in
your essay.
For example: Community and
Responsibility

Movement: Modernism
**Write the name of the movement.
Example: Postmodernism

Authors: John Steinbeck & F. Scott Fitzgerald

Introduction
Fill out the table below following the guidelines on the left-hand side.

Introduce the authors and their works: John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald are both authors that have a
**This is your introduction section. In 1-2 similar tone to their stories. One of their many stories that relate to one
complete sentences, introduce your authors another are “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck & “Babylon
and the titles of their work. Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Reference the movement you are focusing In these two stories, they both show a movement of Modernism.
on and 2 -3 of the key ideas/trends from Modernism has a key idea of self-examination. This movement is for
the movement: the authors to express how they feel deep down inside and share their
personal experiences. The movement shows fear people had of social
injustice after World War I, so the authors expressed that fear in their
writings.
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Identify the topic you will focus on: Both of these authors explore the topic of a journey to identity. This is
** In 1-2 complete sentences, introduce the the underlying understanding of how someone is expressing their
topic you will focus on in this essay. journey to figuring out their true self, and what the meaning of their
Remember, the topic will be seen in both life is all about.
texts! Make sure that you detail the topic and
give an overview of what the topic means.
Example: Both of these authors explore the
topic of community and responsibility. This is
the underlying understanding that a
community shares about what each person is
responsible for within the community.

Write your thesis statement: A similarity between John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing
**In 1-2 complete sentences, write your is that they both discuss self-identity and how a person views
thesis statement. This could be the same themselves physically and emotionally. A difference between them is
statement from your rough draft! Make sure that one uses the characters physical appearance to discuss self-
you made any revisions your teacher identity, while the other uses the characters past life to express self-
suggested between the rough and final draft identity.
Example: Although Kurt Vonnegut and Dr.
King both write about the injustices citizens
face at the hands of the government,
Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron’s actions
differ from those valued by Dr. King.

Similarities
Fill out the table below following the guidelines on the left-hand side.

Write a topic sentence that explains what John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald have a few similarities in their
the authors do that is similar: writing. One similarity between The Chrysanthemums & Babylon
**In 1-2 complete sentences, introduce the Revisited is that they both focus on self-identity. They are becoming
similarities. aware of how they are and how people view them.

Give a specific example of the similarity When “He wasn’t young any more, with a lot of nice thoughts and
by including (this should take AT LEAST dreams to have by himself” the character expressed self-awareness and
2 -3 sentences): true identity, while “He was absolutely sure” he was going to spend
LINK TO IN-TEXT CITATION the rest of his life alone. (Fitzgerald “Babylon Revisited” 23) While
SUPPORT VIDEO “She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying
LINK TO SUPPORT FOR QUOTE weakly” the character shows that she has found out how people see her
INTEGRATION and is self-aware of it by the thought of crying “like an old woman.”
**Example: When “our republic wrote the (Steinbeck “The Chrysanthemums” 13)
magnificent words of the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence” citizens agreed
to specific rights and the understanding “that
all men, yes, black men as well as white men,
would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’
of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness’” (Dr. King).
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Take note of how this quote is incorporated!
1) The writer jumps right into the quote to
show the reader the evidence AND the
similarity.
2) The author’s name in parenthesis at the end
of the sentence. This is specific to speeches!
3) The direct evidence is in quotation marks.
4) Any words that the writer changed to
emphasize the key portions are NOT in
quotation marks.

Explain how the quotes show the
similarity you have identified (write AT
LEAST 2 - 3 sentences):
The quotes shown above represent how both stories have a similarity
in their self-awareness to themselves. By showing both quotes, the
similarities shown are expressing how the characters feel after figuring
out their identity that is shown to the world. It can be seen as an eye
opener to the characters.

Transition to your next paragraph by Although both stories show many similarities to expressing identity
explaining that both authors are also and self-awareness, there is still some differences shown amongst the
different: two.
**In 1-2 complete sentences, conclude your
paragraph and transition into the next one. In
a compare and contrast essay, words like
although, whereas, even though, or while can
be used to transition. They show contrast!

Differences
Fill out the table below following the guidelines on the left-hand side.

Write a topic sentence that explains what One difference between The Chrysanthemums & Babylon Revisited is
the authors do that is different: that the authors both have different ways they write about how the
**In 1-2 complete sentences, introduce the characters view themselves as a whole person. One story is mainly
differences. viewed on appearance and one story is mainly viewed on their past.

Give a specific example of their
differences by including a quote from each
text (this should take AT LEAST 2 - 3
sentences):
**Example: Vonnegut's use of absurdism calls
the laws themselves into question. As Harrison
demonstrates the way the community has
failed “[n]ot only were the laws of the land
abandoned, but the law of gravity and the laws
of motion as well” (466).
Take note of how this quote is incorporated!
1) The author’s name is stated before the quote
to introduce the evidence AND difference.
Steinbeck’s use of modernism shows the true feelings of how one
views themselves. As Elisa expresses how one views her the way she
feared “I am strong?” she starts to change her approach by “I never
knew before how strong.” (12) While Fitzgerald shows the self-
awareness a person can feel. As Charlie expresses his reality “He was
absolutely sure Helen wouldn’t have wanted him to be so alone.”
While speaking about past-tense, it shows a deeper meaning into how
Charlie views his life. (23)

2) The direct evidence is in quotation marks.
3) The page number is included in brackets at
the end of the sentence. 4) Any words that the
writer changed to emphasize the key portions
are NOT in quotation marks.
Explain how the quotes show the
difference you have identified (write AT
LEAST 2 sentences):
Transition to your next paragraph by
explaining if the authors have more
similarities or more differences:
Fill out the table below following the guidelines on the left-hand side.
Restatement of your thesis:
**Reintroduces the topic and authors you
focused on.
Mention the movement these authors were
a part of and how it influenced their work:
Conclude your work with a broad
statement of impact: discuss the lasting
impact of the texts and topic you see in the
texts.
**Consider: Why is this topic still important
today? How do both texts address the common
topic to create a spotlight on this issue?
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The quotes shown above represent how both stories have their
differences within one another. How one expresses the way the
character views themselves physically, and how the other character
views themselves off their past and predicts their future. Both stories
express self-identity in different ways.
Therefore, both authors express the topic the journey to identity in
many similar and different ways. Many similarities are shown rather
than differences. It shows how both characters go through the same
problem, yet different situations. One expressing mental identity, while
the other expressing physical identity. The two stories express identity
in many similar ways.
Concluding Paragraph
All in all, both John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald express the
journey to identity in very similar ways. Differences are shown, along
with similarities. While writing about different aspects of both
characters and their life, the two authors still manage to get the same
idea across.
For instance, the movement both authors were a part of was
modernism. Modernism influenced their work by expressing self-
examination. It goes into depth of the depressing state each character
goes through, and how they got there mentally. Modernism also
influenced both stories by showing the social injustice of the two
characters in the stories. How they are judged based off their
appearance or past.
In brief, the topic of both stories still plays a big role in the present
world. Figuring out self-identity can be a struggle, while expressing
how one feels with being feared of how people might view themselves.
The journey is never easy, it can be very challenging with many
obstacles. Both stories express how this journey might be, writing about
how a person can become self-aware during and change their whole
perspective of their life, while still trying to figure out who they really
are as a whole.
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