Comparing texts
Comparing two texts from different times (eg 100 years apart) helps to identify how each achieves its purpose. Link the texts by theme or topic, eg both might be about experiences of poverty, education, survival, or even a popular day out.
When linking two texts, we summariseTo give a brief statement of the main points. and synthesise Bringing together information from two (or more) sources.:
- the different viewpoints in each text, eg caning was accepted in the early 1900s but not today
- the purposes - the writers' reasons for writing the texts or what they want to achieve
- methods used to convey viewpoints, eg text type, structure, language differences, tone
- context – this will come from within the texts, eg modern references, such as ‘Google’, or from the past, such as ‘printing press’
- intended audiences - this could be one reader or a specific group of readers
Question:
Use details from both extracts. Write a summary of the different ways and reasons that help is offered to homeless people.
Extract 1:
Spend a night on the streets for a Nottingham homeless charity by Ben Ireland, The Nottingham Post, September 10, 2015.
Chris Kershaw, senior PR assistant at The Nottingham Building Society, is taking part in his fourth sleep out.
He said: "I think it's important that people experience the extreme conditions. We only have to do it for one night, but we must remember homeless people don't have the privilege to pick and choose when they sleep out."
Mr Kershaw, 39, of Spondon, said the charity was close to his heart because of mental health and addiction issues in his family.
"It might surprise readers, but the sleep out is actually really fun. Being homeless certainly isn't, but there's a real community effort in this event.”
The Nottingham Post, Ben Ireland
Extract 2:
Night Walks (1861) by Charles Dickens – here Dickens writes about his experience of coming across a homeless man in London.
Suddenly, a thing that in a moment more I should have trodden upon without seeing, rose up at my feet with a cry of loneliness and houselessness Homelessness., the like of which I never heard. We then stood face to face looking at one another, frightened by one another. The creature was like a beetle-browed hair-lipped youth of twenty, and it had a loose bundle of rags on, which it held together with one of its hands. It shivered from head to foot, and its teeth chattered, and as it stared at me - persecutorA bully., devil, ghost, whatever it thought me - it made with its whining mouth as if it were snapping at me, like a worried dog. Intending to give this ugly object money, I put out my hand to stay it for it recoiledJumped backwards. as it whined and snapped and laid my hand upon its shoulder. Instantly, it twisted out of its garment … and left me standing alone with its rags in my hands.
Night Walks (1861), Charles Dickens
Analysis
SUMMARISE - scan read both texts for 2 or 3 main points:
| Extract 1 – 2015 | Extract 2 - 1861 |
| The ‘sleep out’ is organised – a ‘community’ event. It is regular – this is Mr Kershaw’s ‘fourth’. | Dickens stumbles across the homeless man accidently – he does not deliberately set out to help. |
| Mr Kershaw thinks it is important people understand the ‘extreme conditions’ by experiencing them – as well as raising money. | Dickens intends to offer money with no further involvement. He frightens the homeless man before he is able to help him. |
| Mr Kershaw has personal reasons for helping the homeless. | Dickens helps because he pities the man’s condition. |
| Extract 1 – 2015 | The ‘sleep out’ is organised – a ‘community’ event. It is regular – this is Mr Kershaw’s ‘fourth’. |
|---|---|
| Extract 2 - 1861 | Dickens stumbles across the homeless man accidently – he does not deliberately set out to help. |
| Extract 1 – 2015 | Mr Kershaw thinks it is important people understand the ‘extreme conditions’ by experiencing them – as well as raising money. |
|---|---|
| Extract 2 - 1861 | Dickens intends to offer money with no further involvement. He frightens the homeless man before he is able to help him. |
| Extract 1 – 2015 | Mr Kershaw has personal reasons for helping the homeless. |
|---|---|
| Extract 2 - 1861 | Dickens helps because he pities the man’s condition. |
SYNTHESISE – compare the differences:
In Extract 1, Chris Kershaw “is taking part in his fourth sleep out”, suggesting that helping the homeless is an organised and regular event. “Community effort” suggests that everyone is getting together to help. In Extract 2, Dickens is shocked and “frightened” when he comes across a homeless man “suddenly”. He has not deliberately planned to help homeless people. Dickens is alone in his effort to offer the homeless man any help, unlike Extract 1 where lots of people are helping.
Kershaw thinks that people should experience the “extreme conditions” and remember that homeless people “don't have the privilege to pick and choose when they sleep out”. This shows that he wants to do more than just give money, he wants people to understand how hard life is for homeless people and why giving money to help is so important. On the other hand, Dickens intends to “give this ugly object money” but shows no intention of becoming more involved than that.
The reasons for helping are different in the extracts. Kershaw hints that “family issues” mean that helping is personal and “close to his heart”. Dickens notices that the homeless man “shivered” and wore “a bundle of rags”, implying that he pities the “creature” but has no deeply personal reasons for helping him.
