World Lit Comparative Essay Topic Guidelines?

[veritas :)]

Hey!

I'm very new to IB....

Could I have some guidelines (not specific topics) as to what sort of topics people do for their World Lit Comparative essay???

Should it be general or specific? Does it need to make reference to specific characters or themes?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

[Ruan Chun Xian]

Very specific (you're writing 1500 words only) comparative topics on any topic - themes, characters, mood, language, whatever.

[Sandwich]

If either of your novels/plays/whatever has a Sparknotes, or a Yorknotes with one of those "themes" sections in it, that's often the best place to look, unless you've noticed something which particularly interests you whilst you're reading through. The big thing is making sure that the theme is present in both texts to a similar extent. Otherwise you're going to write a little bit of comparison on a couple of minor overlapping points where whatever it is turns up in both texts, and then will find yourself writing analysis of the text with more in it. Your goal is to ask yourself the question you can write the best and most complete essay about, ensuring it'll all squeeze into 1,500 (often the hardest bit!)

[Tilia]

Narrow it down as much as you can. It doesn't have to do with characters or themes, even if that might be the easiest way of finding something to compare.

What you have to make sure though, is that you mention the cultural settings of the works and if one is a play anf the other's a novel, for instance.

[sweetnsimple786]

If either of your novels/plays/whatever has a Sparknotes, or a Yorknotes with one of those "themes" sections in it, that's often the best place to look, unless you've noticed something which particularly interests you whilst you're reading through.

I'd save going to Sparknotes.com or looking through York Notes as a last resort. When you're reading your world lit works, try to annotate thoroughly. If you see any reoccurring images or phrases, circle them. Underline important or interesting quotations--that kind of stuff. Perhaps you'll find a common thread between them that most people miss out on that intrigues you. After you read the works and if you don't notice anything like that, don't fret. You can get a good score from doing something that's kinda hackneyed. In fact, like Sandwich said, one important criterion in picking your topic is that it interests you =)