1. Bell Work Essay Theme
Which theme do you feel is best developed in Fallen Angels and one of the related readings? Give examples.
The randomness of war
Meaning of war
Loss of innocence
Get out Essay guidelines/rubric and read…

2. Compare & Contrast Essay Guidelines
Fallen Angels
Compare & Contrast
Essay Guidelines
The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to analyze the differences and/or the similarities of two distinct subjects.
A good compare/contrast essay doesn’t only point out how the subjects are similar or different, it uses those points to make a meaningful argument about the subjects.
Thinking about the two text together (compare) and discuss how they approach the same topic.
I encourage you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them

3. Introduction
Introduce the two subjects A and B, which are being compared or contrasted and include an overview
The book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is about the Vietnam War and tells one soldier’s experience from the point of view of the Americans. The poem “In the Forest at Night” by Duc Thanh on the other hand shows the perspective of the war from the enemy’s point of view.

4. Introduction continued
Give more detailed background about the book and related reading.
Gear background details towards the theme you will be writing about.
In Fallen Angels, the narrator, Richie Perry constantly questions the US motives in the war when the reality of war contradicts his romanticized preconceptions. While both the novel and the poem detail the difficulties and hardships soldiers must face on the battlefield, the poem emphasizes the Vietnamese soldiers purpose and optimism whereas the novel emphasizes moral ambiguity.

5. Introduction continued
End with thesis statement: Rewrite the theme in your own words.
Topic + Opinion + How & why = thesis
While both Fallen Angels and “In the Forest at Night” explore the theme of the meaning of war, Fallen Angels questions the purpose of war while “In the Forest at Night” reveals a clear purpose.
The book Fallen Angels and the poem “In the Forest at Night” are about the meaning of war and reveal the differences in purpose American and Vietnamese soldiers felt towards the war.

6. Body paragraphs
Use detailed topic sentences and connecting words to make the relationship between the two subjects clear to your reader
Connectors that show similarities: In addition, similarly, likewise, just as, same as, compared to, as well as, at the same time
Connectors that show differences: However, even though, unlike, on the contrary, in contrast, conversely, although, on the other hand
Even though both works describe the horrors and the hardships of war, the poem still maintains a sense of optimism and moral clarity.
Even though both works describe the horrors and the hardships of war, the poem still maintains a sense of optimism and moral clarity.

7. How to write the body paragraphs
Background info (brief) about what is happening in the text.
Tell what events are leading up to your example.
Perry calls into question the purpose of war when he begins to see Captain Stewart putting his soldiers lives in danger just to get a promotion. Shortly before the final patrol…

8. How to write the body paragraphs
Quote from the book: 1-2 lines only, use a transition
He then states, “Living with difficulty and hardship; Is how the soldier of liberation is trained” (Thanh 3-4).

9. How to write the body paragraphs
Explain how the quote proves your theme.
This quote shows how the Vietnamese had a realistic view of the difficulties they faced, but that their purpose – the liberation of their country – was well-worth the cost.

10. Conclusion Summarize main points Restate the thesis
Final comments (tied to hook or into)

11. Point-by-Point Method: alternates between two topics
Point 1 – discuss A
Point 1 – discuss B
Discussions about overall links between A & B
Point 2 – discuss A
Point 2 – discuss B
Point 3 – discuss A
Point 3 – discuss B
This method is often easier for a reader to follow because similarities and
differences are more obvious when placed next to each other. For this reason,
writers generally use this method for longer essays.

12. Block Method: Presents all points related to one text per paragraph
Body 1: Summarize As similarities
Body 2: Summarize Bs similarities
Body 3: Summarize A & Bs differences