1. The Galapagos Islands: Darwin vs. melville
Dual passage analysis
The Galapagos Islands: Darwin vs. melville

2. The Prompt
Both passages below, written in the nineteenth century, describe the same place, the Galapagos Islands (also called the Encantadas), off the coast of Ecuador. Read the passages carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the specific stylistic and rhetorical differences between the two descriptions.

3. Purpose / Tone/Style Darwin’s View Melville’s View Style Purpose Tone
Personal/Scientific journal (for research)
Purpose
Scientific Observation/Exploration
Observe the island physically, not emotionally
Tone
Objective
Scientific
Methodical
Style
Consciously literary
Purpose
Describe the landscape / Experience the island emotionally
Tone
Mysterious
Imaginative

4. Similarities - both view the island as barren, desolate, isolated, solitary and dismal ( But - Not with disgust or negative Attitude)
Darwin
Melville
“less inviting…”
“little signs of life…”
“wretch-looking little weeds”
“broken field…”
“dry and parched surface…”
“desolateness…” “melancholy…” “solitariness…” “remotest…” The deserts are “split [like] Syrian gourds left withering in the sun, they are cracked by an everlasting drought…”

5. Differences Darwin Melville
Darwin’s scientific perspective of nature – he is focused on the physical, scientific, and rational aspects of the island
He leaves nothing to the imagination, he chronologically and methodically details the landscape and his purpose (to collect plants).
He references prior research to include what the island might look like after rain
He ends by comparing the island to another island to validate that there are only two places he’s visited with such vegetation. (Places emphasis on how rare the landscape is).
Melville experiences the island based not on fact, but through human emotion and imagination. His account is outside the realm of scientific exploration.
Relies on the imagination of readers and provides images to encourages them to visualize the mysterious landscape.
Not once does he provide a factual observation, instead he relies on comparisons, allusions, and impressionistic imagery.

6. Darwin - Evidence to support my claims
Darwin’s scientific perspective of nature – he is focused on the physical, scientific, and rational aspects of the island
He leaves nothing to the imagination, he chronologically and methodically details the landscape and his purpose (to collect plants).
He references prior research to include what the island might look like after rain
He ends by comparing the island to another island to validate that there are only two places he’s visited with such vegetation.
Begins chronologically - “In the morning…”
Provides objective description
“I diligently tried to collect as many plants as possible…”
“broken field…”
“dry and parched surface…”
Details his purpose
Ends with reflection / comparison
“…the commonest is the Euphorbiaceae…”
“Fernando Noronha” – only other place with this vegetation

7. Melville – evidence to support my claims
Melville experiences the island based not on fact, but through human emotion and imagination. His account is outside the realm of scientific exploration.
Relies on the imagination of readers and provides images to encourage them to visualize the mysterious landscape.
Not once does he provide a factual observation, instead he relies on comparisons, allusions, and impressionistic imagery.
“five and twenty heaps of cinders…” describing a city landscape
“looking as the world might after a penal conflagration…” evokes images of a burned/ashen landscape
“melancholy…and sad.” - emotion
Compares to the forests of the north, un-navigated waters, Greenland’s ice fields – emphasizes that while they are solitary and lonely – they are beautiful because there is beauty in the changing of the seasons, whereas, the Galapagos have a “special curse” they experience no change.

8. Intro + thesis Example
Both Charles Darwin and Herman Melville describe the barren, desolate, solitary, lonely geography of the Galapagos Islands. However, their backgrounds and perspectives are very different, which accounts for their differing stylistic choices. While Darwin takes an objective and scientific view, Melville views the island through a humanistic and emotional approach to the landscape. Let’s look at a possible way to organize your essay using this introduction.

9. Ways to organize your essay – Option 1 Point-by-point
I. Intro & Thesis
Element 1 of passage A
Element 1 of passage B
Element 2 of passage A
Element 2 of passage B
Conclusion
Remember, the analysis paragraphs include an assertion, embedded textual evidence & commentary/ analysis (purpose behind).

10. analysis body paragraph #1 Part A
Sample Outline
Sample for A
II. Selection of detail/Purpose/imagery Darwin’s scientific perspective of nature vs. Melville’s imaginative perspective
Passage 1 – objective description/ factual details “broken field…” / dry and parched surface…” / “the most rugged waves” / “crossed by great fissures…” / “I diligently tried to collect as many plants as possible…”
Passage II – impressionistic/improvisational imagery “five and twenty heaps of cinders…” describing a city landscape “looking as the world might after a penal conflagration…” evokes images of a burned/ashen landscape / “…old cities by piecemeal tumbling to their ruin by piecemeal…” - never directly describes what he sees
II. A. Darwin presents an objective and factual description of the island with specific descriptive details. He describes the “broken” landscape of “black basaltic lava” against the “most rugged waves.” The land is crossed by “great fissures” and the surface is “parched and dry.” Darwin’s description bursts with sheer quality and quantity of information. His observations are scientific and the only time he veers towards imagination is when he speculates that , “Nothing could be less inviting…” The details he provides further on in the passage reveal prior study, for he identifies the strange plants concretely, to the point of telling the reader that Euphorbiaceae is the most common bush. His language overall is brief, precise, and heavily descriptive. His words show little emotion, little irrational dread of the landscape. The tone of the passage is overwhelmingly objective, with a hint of personal-journal writing, and it is clear that the author seeks to analyze and learn from his experiences, to the point of discovering that during the rainy season, the island is at least briefly green.

11. analysis body paragraph #2
Sample Outline
Now, you do B. Copy my assertion, then add the evidence + analysis.
Selection of detail/Purpose Darwin’s scientific perspective of nature vs. Melville’s imaginative perspective
Passage 1 – objective description/ factual details “broken field…” / dry and parched surface…” / “the most rugged waves” / “crossed by great fissures…” / “I diligently tried to collect as many plants as possible…”
Passage II – impressionistic/improvisational imagery “five and twenty heaps of cinders…” describing a city landscape “looking as the world might after a penal conflagration…” evokes images of a burned/ashen landscape / “…old cities by piecemeal tumbling to their ruin by piecemeal…” - never directly describes what he sees
Melville develops his imaginative perspective of the islands through the selection his selection of improvisational and impressionistic comparisons.
_________________________________
Complete the rest of the paragraph on your sheet of paper.

12. Ways to organize your essay – Option Organization Option 2
Remember, the analysis paragraphs include an assertion, embedded textual evidence & commentary/ analysis (purpose behind.
I. Intro & Thesis
Element 1 & 2 of passage A
Element 3 of passage A
Element 1 & 2 of passage B
Element 3 of passage B
Conclusion
*The danger built into the block method is that the writer can mistakenly end up with two separate essays instead of one unified comparison and contrast essay. To insure unity, take note of the following guidelines:
Each subtopic (rhetorical element) in passage A must also be discussed in passage B
Subtopics should be discussed in the same order in both parts

13. Stop here
Bring your completed Melville analysis paragraph to class on Wednesday, February 1st, 2017

14. Overall (regardless of method chosen):
Give equal treatment to both passages in terms of which rhetorical elements you choose to analyze
Use transitional phrases to help readers understand the similarities and differences in your subject (in contrast to; whereas; unlike; similarly, similarly, comparable to ).
Use your conclusion as an opportunity to tie together your final thoughts on how each passage appears when juxtaposed with the other

15. Sample outline Galapagos – method 1
Both Charles Darwin and Herman Melville describe the barren, desolate, solitary, lonely geography of the Galapagos Islands. However, their backgrounds and perspectives are very different, which accounts for their differing stylistic choices. While Darwin takes an objective and scientific view, Melville views the island through a humanistic and emotional approach to the landscape.
Selection of detail/Purpose Darwin’s scientific perspective of nature vs. Melville’s imaginative perspective
Passage 1 – objective description/ factual details “broken field…” / dry and parched surface…” / “the most rugged waves” / “crossed by great fissures…” / “I diligently tried to collect as many plants as possible…”
Passage II – impressionistic/improvisational imagery “five and twenty heaps of cinders…” describing a city landscape “looking as the world might after a penal conflagration…” evokes images of a burned/ashen landscape / “…old cities by piecemeal tumbling to their ruin by piecemeal…” - never directly describes what he sees
Organization/Structure – Darwin’s chronological/methodical structure vs. reliance on comparisons
Passage 1 - He leaves nothing to the imagination, he chronologically and methodically details the landscape – “In the morning…” / specific observations / “I succeeded in getting very few…” observational precision and factual comparison to “Fernando Noronha”
B. Passage II – Not chronological or factual instead he relies on comparisons to emphasize the desolateness of the island. Compares to “the forests of the north,” “un-navigated waters,” the “Greenland icefields” – emphasizes that while they are solitary and lonely – they are beautiful because there is beauty in the changing of the seasons, whereas, the Galapagos have a “special curse” they experience no change.
Conclusion

16. Sample outline – method 2
I. Both Charles Darwin and Herman Melville describe the barren, desolate, geography of the Galapagos Islands. However, their backgrounds and perspectives are very different, which accounts for their differing stylistic choices. While Darwin takes an objective and scientific view, Melville views the island through a humanistic and emotional approach to the landscape.
Element 1 & 2 of passage A Structure & Syntax
The island a barren & desolate
He leaves nothing to the imagination, he chronologically and methodically details the landscape – “In the morning…” / specific observations / “I succeeded in getting very few…” observational precision and factual comparison to “Fernando Noronha”
Element 3 of passage B – Figurative Language
Element 1 & 2 of passage A – Structure & Syntax
Element 3 of passage B – Figurative language
Conclusion