Compare-Contrast Essay

The thought of doing an essay for most people can at be quite intimidating because of the need to be technically proficient, following the mandatory expectations outlined and some might find them boring because they feel like it is too restrictive in nature. That is merely just a common misconception though, there are several different styles of essays and the two that are going to be discussed are descriptive and narrative essays. The narrative essay's main purpose is to tell a story using characters and a plot, where perhaps a problem is given, and the events that unfold eventually explain a solution to the problem or issue presented. In contrast the descriptive essay can be very powerful in the fact it is written using the five senses (visual, audible, taste, tactile sensations and smells) this allows the author to bring a scene or object to life in the mind of the reader. While narrative essays are almost like a movie that is played out in the judgment of the reader, the descriptive essay paints a vivid photograph or place the reader can experience and this is why descriptive essays are the superior of the two styles.

One of the best qualities that narrative essays are able to offer over descriptive essays is they are structured to appeal to the simplest of mankind's urge to share a good story. There are various forms in which we can find a narrative writing example such as a poem, play, novel and the obvious essay. There are times when the purpose behind a narrative essay is to simply hold the reader, providing an escape from the everyday stresses of work, and then there are times when it is the author's intention to share a valuable lesson learned that might help others understanding of a topic they haven't fully based an opinion on. “Narration is storytelling from the perspective of a narrator, and the story may be true, false, imaginary, or a combination. A narration can be about past, present, or future events, and it can be short or the length of a novel—it is important to note that more complex narrative forms of writing frequently combine a variety of time frames” (Connell, 2013). For example in the narrative essay Are the Rich Happy?, by Stephen Leacock, the author uses mild doses of humor and sarcasm throughout as he interacts with others as they tell him their tales of the lifestyles the rich, at which point he clearly states that he cannot vouch for their stories but can only express his beliefs on how they live beyond their means. One of the points that is mentioned early on is that just because people may appear to be wealthy because of their extravagant lifestyle, whether it is the expensive clothes that they wear, or because they ride around the city in a flashy limousine, they like to enjoy a night out at the opera from a box up above as only the rich can do. Leacock stresses that just because these people are able to portray the usual characteristics of being rich, for the most part it was all just a facade that they were using trying to give others the illusion they were wealthy, but in reality they were cramped financially because they were all living beyond their means only to live a fallacy.

During the course of the narrative the author uses his sarcastic views to make it all seem lighthearted and not overly sad, but still manages to give the reader a valuable lesson that we all should try to do on a daily basis. Leacock writes, “A friend of mine who has ten thousand dollars a year told me the other day with a sigh that he found it quite impossible to keep up with the rich. On his income he couldn't do it. A family that I know who have twenty thousand a year have told me the same thing. They can't keep up with the rich. There is no use in trying. A man that I respect very much who has an income of fifty thousand dollars a year from his law practice has told me with the greatest frankness that he finds it absolutely impossible to keep up with the rich. He says it is better to face the brutal fact of being poor” (Leacock, 1916, para.3) This is a good message as it apparent the author expresses that many people sometimes concern themselves about their status in society and don't actually take the time to appreciate life at all. There are moments when the use of mild humor makes the reader smile, such as when he tries to relate to the nuances of banking institutions. “I know a man, for example--his name is Spugg--whose private bank account was overdrawn last month twenty thousand dollars. He told me so at dinner at his club, with apologies for feeling out of sorts. He said it was bothering him. He said he thought it rather unfair of his bank to have called his attention to it. I could sympathise, in a sort of way, with his feelings. My own account was overdrawn twenty cents at the time” (Leacock, 1916, para. 10). There is reoccurring theme Leacok paints of how the poor sometimes strive to become wealthy, but those who are seem to struggle with the stresses of their wealth. Instead of telling the reader how happy they are with their good fortune, but they feel encumbrance as has become a solemn trust. While the author tries to drive home the fact that the rich deal with the daily struggles that the poor know nothing. It's moments like these that make the narrative lose its impact as it's purely one-sided. Before we wrap up discussing Are The Rich Happy?let us reflect on a insightful message as Leacock goes on to explain how his close personal friend Spugg who might be able to enjoy champagne from time to time would sometimes would act scorn, for he longed for the taste of water from a nearby creek from his childhood farm. To paraphrase, “I have seen Spugg put aside his glass of champagne--or his glass after he had drunk his champagne-- with an expression of something like contempt. He says that he remembers a running creek at the back of his father's farm where he used to lie at full length upon the grass and drink his fill. Champagne, he says, never tasted like that” (Leacock, 1916, para.11). Although the author doesn't do a great job at accurately describing the differences between the daily struggles of the rich and poor, there are enough elements that will allow the reader to refer to a similar experience in their lifetime.

Now in direct contrast descriptive essays differ in that they are written using vivid descriptions of either a person, event or an experience so that the reader will feel as though they are actually there or experience this vision because of the descriptive metaphors used to bring the essay to life. Rather than simply tell you a story about a real event, place or person, their goal is to show you their subject matter instead of simply telling you an entertaining story with obscure details, leaving their message open for interpretation. In the descriptive essay Caged Bird by Maya Angelou, the poem depicts the drastic differences in the everyday actions of a free bird and a caged bird. Angelou has done a really superb job at using description to represent the possible mental attitude of each bird, capturing the humanlike emotions by expressing the joy a free bird only cared about catching another breeze as the lonesome caged bird who is fearful that his song of freedom is heard upon the hill in the distance. Angelou writes,”A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends, and dips his wing in the orange sun rays, and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage, his wings are clipped and his feet are tied, so he opens his throat to sing” (Angelou, 1983, para. 2). To summarize Angelou (1983) depicts the delight the free bird enjoys by simply painting a vivid image of a bright day with the sun's ray casting over its wings, as it tries to ascend higher feeling as though the sky was its own. Meanwhile, it is crucial to point out that the author wanted to express the sorrow and bitterness the caged bird was filled with, not content with being trapped inside his cage. This is really powerful in that most people who own birds view them as domesticated pets, not truly considering that they are in nature a wild animal and meant to live freely. It's not uncommon that many will not view having a bird as a pet is cruel, anyone considering them as a pet should think about how much they value their own freedom. The only animals that have been bred to be domesticated pets are cats and dogs. This also shares a similar quality of a narrative because it can touch those who don't relate to the bird as the caged animal, but relate to the moral of the story because they might have felt trapped at one point in their life and missed the freedom they once enjoyed.

“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown, but long for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom,” writes Angelou (1983, para. 3). Once again he is able to reader and make them actually feel sympathy for the caged bird who desperately cries. The descriptive nature in helps capture the reader's imagination as you can actually visualize each bird with great clarity. For instance read the following paragraph from Caged Bird as it depicts both birds.

“The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.” (Angelou, 1983, para.4) This is a shining example of how the author was able to capture the emotion that each bird might have had along with using descriptive metaphors to draw the surroundings that became a part of their daily life and truly makes descriptive essays superior over narrative essays. It's very important when writing descriptive essays to be able to convey showing the reader what is going on and if you use vague details it will be lost. If you were to simply describe your grandmothers house like this, “My grandmother's house was old and weathered,” it wouldn't really have much impact for the reader. A more effective description would be, “My grandmother's house was depressing with it's disheartening frown from the worn shutters drooping, the unpleasant scent of mothballs and decaying books that lingered throughout.” It is simple little details that make a huge difference in helping the reader relate to your vision. The author was clever in describing how free bird has a pleasant view as the wind is blowing through the trees, the worm laying on the ground and then the mood become very bleak as the caged bird is upon the grave of it's dreams because it feel as if all hope is lost, but still somehow musters the energy to try to sing. The brilliant use of language and tone are used very effectively.

In conclusion, Angelou and Leacock's essays come from two entirely different perspectives and are communicating two entirely distinct purposes. Leacock's ability to use sarcasm to get his views of being poor after being wealthy is very entertaining, but leaves too much open for interpretation without enough insight on making a solid reason why he feels the poor might actually enjoy life more than the rich. On the other hand Angelou used outstanding descriptions and tone to touch the reader's personal feelings to give their content more impact. In the end the narrative essay by Leacock lacked any sense of order as he jumped from scene to scene creating confusion as it was hard to follow, but the descriptive essay by Angelou was able to capture the attention from the onset using intelligent use of metaphors and prominent use of tone making it the superior of the two styles selected.