Patterns of College Writing - Essay Example

On the other hand, the author also deploys the use of compound sentences. This is evident through the use of various significant transitions like however, conversely, and on the other hand. The main importance of this structure is to consolidate the comparative nature of the essay. Additionally, it fuses well with the overall plot outlined by the story in the matters regarding the comparisons between Lee and Grant. The essay also deployed the use of a whole-by-whole approach as shown in the paragraph below: “In terms of background, Grant was a middle-class man from humble beginnings in the mountains. He was tough, self-reliant, and independent, believing that he alone was responsible for his fate. Only his skills, efforts, and perseverance would determine if he would be successful. Because he was dissatisfied with the status quo, he believed in democracy and competition. Grant also believed any man could become a leader, provided he had the ability, skills, and was able to assume the position. He wanted only to be able to improve himself and to prove what he could accomplish. Moreover, Grant had no sense of loyalty to his region. As far as he was concerned, every man had an equal chance to show how far he could rise.  Privileges had to be earned, not given. Life was competition” (Kirszner & Mandell, 2001).

From the paragraph above, it is evident that the author is using the whole-by-whole method since it only focuses on describing Grant. Structurally, the paragraph has a well-defined introduction with enough subordinate sentences and a good conclusion. However, the structure of this particular paragraph does not represent the general structure of the essay. The context of the essay revolves around the comparative conflict between two subjects- Lee and Grant.

Conclusively, I think the essay was well structured in line with the context of the story. The choice of sentences fitted the context of the story perfectly. Through the deployment of part-by-part and the whole-by-whole comparison approach, the two characters are described vividly. For instance, this statement achieves a lot in describing Grant, ‘He was tough, self-reliant, and independent, and believing that he alone was responsible for his fate’.