KEY TAKEAWAYS A compare-and-contrast essay analyzes two subjects by either comparing them, contrasting them, or both. The purpose of writing a comparison or.... . . ... A compare-and-contrast essay is a style of essay that points out the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.. . . ... Compare and contrast essays are academic papers in which a student analyses two or more subjects with each other. To compare means to.... . . ... A compare and contrast essay therefore looks at the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences. This essay type is common at.... . . ... Compare and contrast essays examine topics from multiple viewpoints. This kind of essay, often assigned in middle school and high school,.... One of the most common is the comparisoncontrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideasusually two of themare similar to.... The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to analyze the differences andor the similarities of two distinct su