In English writing and analysis, compare and contrast involves taking two pieces of media (short story, poem, picture, video, novel, etc.) and finding similarities and differences between them. Usually, the comparison surrounds a theme (for example, culture, loss, genocide, revenge, hatred etc.). By putting the two pieces together and looking for similarities and differences, we should be able to get new insights.

The first step to successfully writing a compare and contrast piece is to choose a central theme to focus on, and then state that in a thesis statement. We will be talking more about thesis statements later. The second step is to collect evidence, quotes, passages that speak to the theme.

In the following assignment, you will be comparing “I Lost My Talk” with the video/story “Shi-shi-etko”. In this case, we have chosen the theme statement for you.

In both pieces of literature, the importance of culture to the protagonist’s identity and well-being is emphasized. In “I Lost My Talk”, the protagonist mourns the loss of her culture, as it is suppressed by Canadian culture. In “Shi-shi-etko”, the story focuses on the moments leading up to the protagonist’s departure to residential schools. Before that, she is reminded of her connections to the natural world, family, her roots and language, all of which will be challenged during her residential school experiences.

Your job is to now find evidence from the two pieces that answer this thesis statement. You may put them in point form in the T-chart below (Pdf and Word). 

I Lost My Talk
by Rita Joe            

I lost my talk
The talk you took away.
When I was a little girl
At Shubenacadie school.

You snatched it away:
I speak like you
I think like you
I create like you
The scrambled ballad, about my world.

Two ways I talk
Both ways I say,
Your way is more powerful.

So gently I offer my hand and ask,
Let me find my talk
So I can teach you about me.

Synthesis – I lost my talk and Shi-shi-etko (Word)
Synthesis – I lost my talk and Shi-shi-etko (PDF)