Compare and Contrast in Literature

Compare and contrast are writing styles that allow the author to focus on the similarities and differences of two situations to emphasize on them. In the gold cadillac, the main character, a black man, buys a gold cadillac which is a fancy and expensive car. The man shows it off to his family but his wife disapproves of it because she thinks he wants to save up for a house instead. In the north, everyone is treated the same but in the south, they face racism which changes the man's mind. In Nadia the Willful, Nadia is a short tempered girl but when her brother dies, she changes her mind and tries to talk about him to honor him but his father, the clan leader, will exile anyone who speaks his name but she still does it. Nadia talks to her father and changes his mind which makes her wiser at the end. The difference with the attitude before and after the death was what the author wanted to emphasize. Finally, in the bracelet, a japanese girl receives a bracelet from her friend and wears it all the way to the concentration camp but during the time in camp, she loses it but her mother teaches her that her best friend will always be remembered in her heart. This shows the difference between when she had her bracelet and then when she lost it. 

Comparisons and contrasts can be seen not only in how events change over time, but also in how people behave. Their actions like the choices they make, how they react to problems reveal clear differences in what they believe is important or right.In the bracelet, before the government ordered the commoners to go to the concentration camp, Ruri’s family were gardeners and “ The irises beside the fish pond were just beginning to bloom. ” However, during the time they had to leave and after when they came back, “But the garden looked shabby and forsaken now that Papa was gone and Mama was too busy to take care of it. ”. This shows the differences between when they were living their normal lives and after, when they came back from the camps. In the gold Cadillac, the father was excited at the car but the mother wasn’t. The contrast of their actions showed that they had different thoughts about teaching others like how the mother thought he wanted to save up for a house instead. A lot like father, the relatives were also very excited but the mother still wasn’t. The mother’s attitude towards the new car compared to everyone else is very negative even though everyone is happy for the father. In Nadia the willful, Nadia wanted to talk about Hamed but that was the exact contrast of what the father wanted. He even went as far to exile someone for saying his name. Compared to the mother, she was very protective and didn’t want Nadia to face her father's wrath. This shows the differences in the family and how they think while emphasizing their different opinions on how to handle Hameds death. These stories all use characters' actions to show how people with different perspectives clash, helping us understand their hidden struggles and priorities.

Comparing and contrasting events over time reveals how people's thoughts and actions can change, even regarding the same issue. These changes are often influenced by various factors and circumstances. In the bracelet, before the government told all Japanese to go to the concentration camp, the flower shop was blooming and ready to be harvested. After, the flower shop is run down and the garden looks untidy without anyone doing anything. This shows in the period of time that they were gone, the shop changed completely and contrasted with the before of the garden. In the gold Cadillac, before the father went to the south, he bought a fancy car and showed it to everyone. All the relatives liked it except his wife who didn’t. After he went to the south and faced racism, he changed his thinking about the car and returned it. The time before and after he went to the south was very small but he changed his thinking very quickly as his experienced racism. In Nadia the willful, Nadia is a quick tempered girl but after the death of hamed, she becomes wiser and her attitude changes for the better. This shows that the time after Hameds death can have big effects. New experiences and events in our lives can change our attitudes and opinions over time. As circumstances change, we may notice significant differences in our ways of thinking.

Compare and contrast can also effectively highlight the different emotions that people experience, revealing how these feelings shape their actions and decisions. Emotions are essential for building the plot of a story, adding depth and making it more engaging for readers. In the gold Cadillac, the mother was sad and negative towards the father and the car because she thought he wanted to save up for a house and wanted the best for him. The relatives on the other hand were all excited and happy for the father. The contrast of these two emotions even though they are relatives shows that not all people have the same emotions. The dad is a lot like the relatives, he is excited compared to the mom although they are husband and wife. In Nadia the willful, after the death of hamed, Nadia is sad but wants to honor Hamed b y talking to him but the father is the exact opposite. He is too sad to think clearly so he exiles someone. These emotions are similar but have different outcomes even though Nadia and the father are close. In the bracelet, the girl is happy at learning about the bracelet but after she loses it, she is sad. This is until her mother teaches her that the girl will always stay in her heart and she isn’t sad anymore. This teaches us that emotions are a part of life and help express how we feel. We experience a variety of emotions when faced with different situations and perspectives. Comparing and contrasting emotions not only enhances our understanding of characters but also strengthens the plot, making the story more impactful and relatable.

Compare and contrast is a strong writing technique that allows the author to show the similarities and differences in two subjects to emphasize on that point. The books the gold cadillac, the bracelet, and nadia the willful all have powerful examples that support the compare and contrast writing technique. Compare and contrast can be used on actions, time, and emotions. For actions, we can compare how people behave in contrast to how others behave for certain events that happen in life. The before and after can greatly contrast with each other because during a small amount of time, big things can happen without you even realizing it. Finally, emotions can show more about people and how they feel can be similar to others. In summary, the compare and contrast technique not only highlights the differences and similarities across actions, time, and emotions in these stories but also underscores the profound impact of experiences and circumstances on individuals' behaviors and feelings.