Larson 2014
Name________________________
English 10 Comparison Paper
The final paper for this term is a comparison between Of Mice and Men and A Raisin in the Sun.
You will compare how these writings explore, explain, demonstrate, and/or communicate the
American Dream. It will be a typed and formal literary analysis paper, in which you will use
quotes and examples from the literature with proper citation of quotes and book references.
1. Here’s an introduction paragraph. You can use this or one very similar.
The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and the play A Raisin in the Sun by
Lorraine Hansberry both explore the goals and struggles of achieving The
American Dream. Both texts explore overall themes and how different characters
are affected by their dreams, and both challenge readers to new ideas and insights.
2. Combine theme paragraphs 1 and 2 from your previous Mice essay. Provide the
introduction or topic sentence: “A major theme from Of Mice and Men was ______and
can be seen through two unique examples. One example is…. [include a quote from the
book and your thoughts]. Another example is… [include quote and your thoughts]” You
should already have two examples with cited quotes.
3. This paragraph can be about the same theme from the previous paragraph or a new
theme. Use the topic sentence. “Like in Of Mice and Men, the same theme of ______ can
be found inside A Raisin in the Sun.” Or “A major theme from A Raisin in the Sun was
______ and can be seen through two distinct examples. One example is…. [include a
quote from the book and your thoughts]. Another example is… [include quote and your
thoughts]” You will need at least two examples, quotes, and page references.
4. Combine character paragraphs 3 and 4 from your Mice essay. Provide the topic sentence
“In the novel Of Mice and Men, characters were did/ did not achieve the American
Dream…” You should already have two examples with cited quotes.
5. This paragraph will be about characters and their dreams from A Raisin in the Sun.
Provide the topic sentence. “In the play A Raisin in the Sun characters did/ did not
achieve the American Dream...” You will need at least two examples, quotes, and
page references.
6. This paragraph will combine the last two paragraphs from your Mice essay. Begin with
the topic sentence, “Looking back at the anticipation guide, my ideas about the
statements have been affected by reading Of Mice and Men.” You should already have
two examples with cited quotes.
7. This paragraph will reflect similarly to the previous paragraph. Use the A Raisin in the
Sun anticipation guide for help. Begin with the topic sentence, “Looking back at the
anticipation guide, my ideas about the statements have been affected by reading A Raisin
in the Sun.” Name two specific statements. Explain how your ideas have changed for
each. Have a supporting quote for each to explain the change.
8. Conclusion: tie it all together. Restate the content of the first paragraph in a slightly way.
It should feel like an “echo” of your thesis.
Larson 2014
Necessities:
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The paper will be constructed from the SAME document you now have as your Mice
Comparison in googledocs. Do not create or share a new document
DO NOT USE THE WORD “YOU” IN THIS PAPER
It will be typed, double-spaced, and 12 point Times New Roman font
Use proper MLA formatting for heading and title
Your quotes insertion must be correct, with introductions, punctuation, and citation.
Make sure your introduction gives the context—who’s saying it to whom and why.
Use a colon if the introduction is a complete sentence.
The theme of loneliness is obvious in characters like Lennie and Curley's wife.
Steinbeck shows George's loneliness by having him play Solitaire: "George laid down
his cards thoughtfully, turned his piles of three. He built four clubs in his ace pile"
(Steinbeck 28). George doesn’t talk about loneliness like the other characters do, but
Steinbeck shows it.
Use a comma if the introduction is not a complete sentence, and ends in something like,
“Lennie says,” or “Candy responds,”
Steinbeck uses a variety of animal imagery to describe Lennie. Steinbeck writes,
“He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws” (Steinbeck
2). The animal imagery suggests that Lennie is not capable of the same level of thinking
and action as the other characters.
Your name
Teacher’s Name
English 10A
4 March 2014
Title
Your paper is due on googledocs by midnight on Tuesday, March 4. It is due on
turnitin.com by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. As it is all accessible online, there are no
extensions; the content that is completed by the due time is what will be graded.