Prompt:

How were Cisneros and Tan similar in background and attitude (or motivation)? 

Write a 4-paragraph comparison essay that follows this organization:

• Introduction + Thesis statement
• Topic sentence 1 (background similarities)
  • Cisneros’ background
  • Tan’s background
• Topic sentence 2 (attitude or motivation similarities)
  • Cisneros’ attitude/motivation
  • Tan’s attitude/motivation
• Concluding statement + closing remarks

You will need to turn in two parts: an outline and an essay.

• Outline (“Classwork 6”)
  • Remember you are organizing the body paragraphs by similarity points (a point by point essay).
  • Two comparison points (background and attitude/motivation).
  • A simple outline–you don’t have to type out everything.  Just the thesis statement, the two topic sentences, and the concluding statement.  You can also note some important ideas before you forget them!

• Essay (“Quiz 3”)
  • Follow your outline!
  • Don’t forget to add an introduction (briefly introduce the two stories).
  • Quote and cite to support your arguments, but be sure to explain and interpret in your own words as well.  Expecting about 5 to 6 quotes total.  When you are citing add the author’s last name to show whom you are quoting, like this: (Cisneros 298).
  • Make sure Cisneros and Tan aren’t flipped back and forth arbitrarily!  Be consistent.  Decide who is subject 1 and who is subject 2 and then stick with it.
  • Use comparison keywords: Like, likewise, just like, similar, similarly, similar to, as …  as, same, same as, equally, etc.
  • Underline or bold the thesis statement, the two topic sentences, and the concluding statement.  This shows me you know what understand your own essay’s organization and can help you check if everything is in the right place.
  • MLA style formatting.
  • I am expecting an insightful discussion of both Cisneros and Tan.  If your essay isn’t anywhere near at least 1.5 pages, you need to describe, interpret, and explain more.