Abandonment in Frankenstein and Jane Eyre: A Comparison

What makes this paper effective

• The paper sustains a clear bilateral structure throughout, consistently returning to both novels to develop the comparison rather than treating each in isolation.
• It uses direct quotations from primary texts at meaningful moments — particularly the monster's echo of Milton and Jane's anguished reflection on self-abandonment — to ground abstract claims in textual evidence.
• The spiritual framework (Christian patience vs. Miltonic despair) gives the comparison a coherent analytical lens that unifies the argument from introduction to conclusion.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates effective thematic comparison by identifying a shared element — abandonment — and then systematically tracing how two authors deploy that element toward opposite ends. Rather than summarizing each novel in turn, the writer interweaves analysis of both texts around sub-themes (faith, free will, human connection), a technique that produces genuine comparative insight rather than mere summary.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with a thesis establishing abandonment as the central theme and previewing the dual outcome (despair vs. growth). It then introduces each novel's treatment of abandonment before developing parallel and contrasting readings across several thematic sections — spiritual faith, human connection, free will, and choice. A concluding paragraph synthesizes the contrast and restates the thesis. Secondary sources (Mellor, Linker) are woven in to support interpretive claims rather than substitute for close reading.