Compare/Contrast

1. Compare/Contrast Sample Essay

2. Attention-getter • Racial issues have been present from the dawn of time; every generation has had to deal with them. Even the stereotypes that we associate with certain races are examples of racial issues, like how some people believe that all young black men are jail-bound. Both leaders on the side of equality and those who believe certain people are superior have startlingly similar traits, but they are usually characterized by one constant difference.One of the most prominent and revered figures who fought with all his power for racial equality was Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the American civil rights movement in the 1960’s, campaigning for equal rights under the law for all people, no matter their race. He organized peaceful protests and rallies, gave speeches, and organized boycotts to advance his cause, using his ambition to win the hearts and minds of enough of the population to get important issues addressed. On the other hand, Adolf Hitler is one of the most notorious figures of recent history. He was one of the primary instigators of World War II, played a massive role in the Holocaust, and basically made a pretty good attempt at taking over the world. He was consumed by greed to be the only controlling force in the world, believing the Aryan race was superior, and influenced his followers by deceiving them into thinking that it was in their best interest to follow his plan. Martin’s actions were fueled by a great ambition that led to his success, while Hitler was motivated by an enormous greed for power and control that in due course caused his downfall. Provide Background on topics Thesis: People + traits + so what?

3. Topic Sentence: Person, trait, and so what • Hitler was a very complicated figure who showed his monumental craving for control in numerous ways.Foremost among these was the main goal of his campaigning, which was to not just conquer all of Europe, but to accomplish that and then expand on to control the rest of the world.His kind of quest for expansion is a perfect example of how a selfish person will try to push others out of their way and hurt others in order to achieve their own desires.Another of Hitler’s beliefs and goals was to have the Aryan race, which he believed to be superior, rule over all others. This statement is backed by Hitler’s outlook on WWI, seeing it as “a chance for him to become involved in proving that Germany was superior to other European countries.”(Simkin).This belief shows his greed for power as it explains how he justified his actions, and it shines light on the fact that Hitler had little to no respect for a lot of people, as he killed the ones who were in his way and was “a narcissist”(Santoro), only caring for himself. Finally, the methods Hitler employed in his efforts to fulfill his dreams illustrate how covetous of power he was. He used very destructive methods and fed off of others fear, grief, and pain to advance his goals, exploiting “the weakness of his opponents to get closer to power.”(Santoro).Only the greedy would prey on the weak to make themselves appear stronger. Hitler’s evil methods of gaining power only lead to his downfall.Hitler’s greed did give him the command to do a great many things, but eventually led to his own downfall. Supporting detail Explanation: Connect to greed and so what Clincher: person, trait, and so what

4. Restate thesis • Martin Luther King Jr. was an extremely ambitious person, which greatly contributed to his accomplishments, while Adolf Hitler was a very greedy individual whose selfishness held a major role in his downfall. King’s great ambition allowed him to fight for what he believed in peacefully, and keep going well past the point where others would have given up hope of success, as well as helping society in a major way. Hitler’s enormous greed, on the other hand, blinded him from the right path for both himself and his country and led to suffering on a world-wide scale. While both of these leaders had very strong personalities that were instrumental in their different life courses, the difference between their traits are like night and day. Both of these leaders were involved in racial issues, although obviously in very different ways and in very different environments, as well as for different goals. Martin Luther King Jr. and Adolf Hitler were both involved in racial discrimination like stereotypes, although in their case their involvement affected great masses of people. While leaders like Hitler and Martin Luther King Jr. were similar in a variety of ways, several easily overlooked important differences illustrate why King is considered ambitious and Hitler is remembered as greedy. Stereotypes like the one condemning all young inner-city black males to jail illustrate how these issues come into our lives all the time. Summarize body paragraphs Hook to attention-getter