University of Phoenix Material

Literature Compare and Contrast Table

Select three literary works that you have read in class, and that you think are connected in at least one way through convention or device. Consider the following: theme, genre, literary technique, culture, use of literary devices such as symbolism, and how diction is used to suggest culture, class, ethnicity, historical period, or age. Use the three works you have selected to complete the Literature Compare and Contrast Table.

|Literary Work: |#1 |#2 |#3 |
|(insert titles) |The Glass Menagerie |Who Will Light The Incense When |Salvation |
| | |Mother’s Gone? | |
|Author |Tennessee Williams |Andrew Lam |Langston Hughes |
|Genre |Play, tragedy. |Story, nonfiction |Story, nonfiction |
|Technique |Drama, |Character |Visual settings, |
| |Plot, Character, Setting, |Setting |Holds value, |
| |Gestures. |Symbolism |Expression |
|Theme |Mother has difficulty accepting |The author feels pressured to |A boy had an idea of what the |
| |reality and expects her son to take|follow his Vietnamese family’s |ideal way to see Jesus would be |
| |the male role of the family and |traditions but he does not want |and while he was at his aunts |
| |wants her daughter to get married. |to. He feels guilty for not |church he felt nothing, not like |
| |She wants him to support the family|wanting to follow what he is told |the other members of church but |
| |financially but he wants to follow |and in his families eyes he is |he felt obligated to lie and go |
| |his personal dreams. |rebellious but he doesn’t do it to|up to the stand because he felt |
| | |do harm, it just isn’t him. |ashamed of himself. |
|Culture |1930’s era, great depression, where|Vietnamese background. |Came from a family who was highly|
| |woman wanted to marry and expected | |religious and spiritual. |
| |men to be head of the home while | | |
| |they stayed home. | | |
|Devices – Symbolism |The lighting is used because it is |Vietnamese horoscope, attending |Church represented the place |
| |a memory, The music is to emphasize|Buddhist temple, Incense to the |where he expected to see Jesus |
| |the theme, The fire escape was used|dead when they are gone. Speaking |and be saved. The light- was when|
| |to show reality and the illusion, |their native language, Vietnamese.|God would be inside him. The |
| |and the glass unicorn identified | |altar was the place where people |
| |the daughter. | |would go when they were saved. |
|Devices – Diction |The attitude the mom used defined |This story took place in a |The setting defined a lot about |
| |what woman wanted, such as living |generation and place where people |the character. He wished to see |
| |in a middle class or higher life |can grow up to do what they want |Jesus and to be saved but he |
| |and also the timing was when woman |to accomplish in life, yet respect|didn’t. The background where he |
| |wanted the best. |what ancestors comment. |came from expected him to be like|
| | | |the rest or the members, and be |
| | | |saved. |
|Other |Amanda the mother wanted her |The message behind the story is to|The timing for the boy to see |
| |children to play the role what |follow what you like and be true |Jesus and be saved could have |
| |people in her social time played. |to yourself and even though family|been at a different moment but he|
| |Each gender had to play their part.|does not always agree be |was put in a difficult situation.|
| | |respectful and understandable. | |