Compare and Contrast Case

For my Compare and Contrast essays I chose two essays that had something unique in common. Not all connections are obvious or blatant therefore I believe that you should choose essays based on the feelings they provoke in you, not by how easy they are to write about. I chose “Are the rich happy?” by Stephen Leacock for my narrative selection and “Sister Flowers” by Maya Angelou for my descriptive. Descriptive essays are a simpler, straight forward way to convey emotion to a reader, which is what I look for in a good paper.

The first aspect that I noticed about these essays was the point of view in which the author was using to convey the Pathos in their writing. I enjoyed how both essays used details to describe the emotions in the third person. It was as if a window had opened into a place you couldn’t possibly see without the power of the written word. Leacock used the point of view of a friend sitting down to dinner regaling stories to a friend. Angelou chose the point of view of a child trying to understand the interactions of two people one of which she is familiar but embarrassed by and the other she idolizes. Whether it is in regards to how rich people view the issues of their world or how a young black gentlewoman interacts with people of lower birth. It intrigues me how perception can be used to express emotion in such a profound way.

Secondly, the most important reason for using information to gain a better understanding of how other people think is how different problems mean different things to different people. In the story ‘Sister Flowers’ by Maya Angelou, it talks about how certain people use language in different ways and it is only taken as offensive depending on how it is interpreted. Some people are so hung up on pretenses that they fail to see the point of interactions and language. Cultural or social barriers shouldn’t stop anyone from having a civilized conversation. If a person truly wants to know you as an individual then they shouldn’t seek to change the very thing that drew their attention in the first place. This aspect is also seen in Stephen Leacock’s essay when he refers to “He is a self-made man and he has told me again and again that the wealth he has accumulated is a mere burden to him. He says that he was much happier when he had only the plain, simple things of life. I forget what it is that stands in his way.” (Leacock, S., 1916) it is clear to be that the author is at once understanding and confused. For the lower classes life is less complicated, as well as basic in our daily functions and needs. We don’t worry about the stock market, the price of gold or what laws are being passed or rejected. These things are outside the realm of influence to our daily lives. Not so much for our friend, he has an entirely different set of rules to maneuver around. I suppose when he says, ‘I am broke’ it is equivalent to my ‘I drained my savings again.’ The initial