Format for the Compare and Contrast Essay of "The Necklace" and "The Gift of the Magi"

OUTLINE FOR THE COMPARE and CONTRAST ESSAY

l. Introductory Paragraph
     A. Should  include a hook or a grabber
        1. A question or
        2. An anecdote or
        3. A social observation
      B. The titles of the two stories, the characters and the authors
      C. A brief summary highlighting the ironic endings of the story
      D. One or two sentences on how the two characters circumstances  are the same.
      D.  One or two sentences on how the character of the women contributed to the irony.
      E.  Must include your thesis statement
       

ll. First Two Body Paragraphs (One for Della and one for Mathilde)
       A. You should have a mini-thesis statement (Describe her)
             1. Develop your mini-thesis statement (Elaborate)
        B.  Evidence to support your mini-thesis statement
              1. Either a direct quotation
              2. A paraphrase
        C.  Show how the evidence supports your mini-thesis statement.

III. Compare how the two characters are similar.
       A. You should have a mini-thesis statement
             1. Develop your mini-thesis statement
       B.  How are the characters similar?
             What does each character do, driven by circumstance, which is
             similar to the other?
             1. Evidence to support your mini-thesis
                 a. Either a direct quotation
                 b. A paraphrase
 Show how the evidence supports your mini-thesis

IV. Contrast the two characters
      A. You should have a mini-thesis sentence
            1. You should develop your mini-thesis
                 a. How are the characters different?
                     What does each character do, driven by their character,
                     that is different from the other?
            2. Evidence to support your mini-thesis
                  a. Either a direct quotation
                  b. Paraphrase
       B. Show how the evidence supports your mini-thesis

V.  Concluding Paragraph
      A. Go over your main points in the opening paragraph
            1. The personality traits of Della that result in the ironic ending of the story?
            2. The personality traits of Madame Loisel that result in the ironic ending of her story?
            3. Briefly how they are the same
            4. Briefly how they are different
B. Concluding sentence

Possible themes you may consider when analyzing these two stories are:
Life frequently turns out differently than expected.
Character is Destiny.
One's character will determine one fate.

Food for thought (and something that must be brought up in the essay): Both stories are similar in that there is an ironic twist at the end of each; however, the ironic ending in one, "The Necklace" is tragic - ten years of one's life wasted and one's future destroyed because of lies, arrogance and selfishness.  The ironic ending in "The Gift of the Magi" is not tragic but poignant and sweet; rather than destroying life and love, the sweet sacrifice Della and Jim do for each other cements their love and draws them closer together.

The women's circumstances are similar: they are both young, poor, beautiful, and married to men who clearly love.  But their differences reside in their character - that complex interplay of need, of strength, of ego, of intelligence, of sensitivity, of awareness of others,  of self discipline - all those things that go into character -  and it is their character that determines how they respond to their circumstances, which determines their fate.