Composition comparison


How to write a comparative description of two characters?

You may be asked to write an essay in which you compare two characters of one work (Natasha Rostova and Mari Bolkonskaya, Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky) or heroes of different works (Anna Karenina and Natasha Rostova, Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin).

First, compare the simplest, “obvious” characteristics of heroes: age, origin, education, social status, material prosperity.

Pay attention to the character traits. One hero is cheerful, romantic, honest. Another is a cynic, likes to lie.

Be sure to focus on the attitude to life and to people, for example, to others. One is “tired of life” (Eugene Onegin), the other does not tire of knowing it to the very end, acting (Eugene Bazarov). One hero is ready to understand each person (Prince Myshkin), the other – only thinks of himself (Raskolnikov).

It is very important to compare how the heroes of works behave

in the same situation. War: Andrei Bolkonsky goes to the army, Pierre Bezukhov goes to the militia.

Example. Tatyana Larina is 18 years old, she was born in a landowner’s family, grew up in a village. Tatyana was brought up by a nanny who was very fond of her. Tatiana is beautiful, romantic, thoughtful, naive, because she knows little of life, but reads a lot of French novels. Princess Mary – a young girl of aristocratic origin. She happened to be in the world, to meet with different people, but she is also naive and trustful. Both girls quickly fall in love, they only need to meet a person unlike those they used to see in their environment. Both do not hide their love and are ready to follow their chosen one.

You can also compare how the characters behave in similar situations. Tatyana Larina remained faithful to her husband, even when Eugene Onegin offered her his love: “But I’m given to another, I’ll be faithful to him for a century.” This choice helped her preserve honor and dignity. Anna Karenina found love more important than adultery to her unloved husband and this

ruined her. Katerina could not stand life with a man she did not like and committed suicide.

It is important not to miss comparison of the beliefs of the heroes, their philosophical position. Raskolnikov argues about whether he has the right to act and is committed to a crime. Bazarov believes that the man himself is the master of his destiny and, most importantly, his work.

It is worth paying attention to the relationship of the characters with other characters.

Explore how the author of the work relates to the characters, describes them with love, with surprise, with disdain? What feelings does he want to evoke in the reader with these descriptions?

Finally, determine how you treat these heroes.


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Composition comparison