Plays: “Rachel” by Angelina Grimke and “Sisters Matsumoto” by Philip Gotanda
Theme: historical trauma as it relates to racially marginalized communities
Analyze similarities and differences in how your authors reveal their themes (via dramatic structure and literary elements). Both formal and stylistic elements–such as genre, tone, imagery, figurative language, symbolism, characterization, setting, dialogue, diction, etc.–may help prove your argument, but you should focus on as few devices as possible, seeking depth of analysis rather than breadth. If your authors share devices, your comparison becomes direct and pointed. Seek out similarities/differences in dramatic and literary technique just as eagerly as you found commonalities in theme. A comparative summary would focus on “what” the authors say. Your comparative analysis will discuss “how” the authors speak to us. An ideal essay will focus on a single theme and a single literary-dramatic device across two plays, taking a “deep dive” that considers both similarities and differences in order to arrive at a larger claim for significance about how this comparison reveals something new, interesting, or telling to the essay’s reader.
Finally, construct an argument that compares and contrasts your authors’ approaches to a shared theme. This argument should not be obvious. It should require evidence from the texts to prove, and it should require your voice to elucidate. Your essay should not conclude without 1) anticipating and preempting objection from your audience and 2) establishing significance for your audience. Why does this argument matter? What’s at stake? Try to transcend the simple act of answering a prompt in a writing course and say something meaningful for your readers–connecting literary devices and themes to playwriting generally, to readers’ lives, or to the broader human experience/society.
