A significant difference between the two texts is the tone of them.

Ben is a lot more serious than

Jamie because Ben is in a riskier situation. Whereas Jamie provides somewhat of a light-hearted
tone, that is not the case for Ben. He immediately starts the text with how the sky is ‘very dark’ and
how he uses a metaphor to compare himself to a ‘moth in the headlights of oncoming trucks’. This
expresses how dangerous this situation is and he further expresses it by listing things he doesn’t
have to further prove the danger he is in. Him using short sentences questioning his actions also
proves how much more of a dangerous situation he is in, talking about how ‘death or injury is a
genuine possibility’. The level of danger is incredibly high, resulting in Ben adopting a more serious
tone in his text. However, that is not the case for Jamie because of the nature of the situation.
Having a bad start to life in a new country is obviously going to be less severe than cycling at night-
time with close to no safety gear whatsoever. This is clearly shown when Jamie talks about how the
bread is ‘plasticky’ and how the jam is ‘flavourless’. This along with other statements show that
Jamie was listing everything she didn’t like about the place and how she is somewhat upset with her
move, rather than being in any real danger. The image of ‘sharp peaks’ and the ‘valleys and gorges’
directly contrasts to the negative images provided by Ben.

A similarity between the two texts is the fact that both writers change their opinion on their
situation. In Ben’s case, he talks about how he is ‘relishing the extraordinary difference between this
black-blanketed mountainside and home’. This shows that Ben gets a sense of satisfaction and
enjoyment from his current circumstance and has switched from his narrow-minded perspective on
the matter. Similarly, Jamie also changes her opinion and Bhutan and talks about how she is ‘full of
admiration for this small country’. She only thinks about all the negatives about the country, but
after learning about its culture and history, she changes her mind about the country and appreciates
her circumstances. Although the reason for her change is due to being educated about the culture,
whereas Ben had changed his opinion on his circumstances instinctively, as he is in a dangerous
situation and cannot afford to have any doubts in these situations.

In conclusion, we can conclude that the writers present their ideas somewhat similarly but present
them in different perspectives. Their idea being to not be narrow-minded and focus on the bigger
picture. Their perspectives are different because Jamie presents her ideas in a safe environment,
whereas Ben presents them while being in a life-threatening situation.