Navigating the Comparative Modes (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes
Navigating the Comparative Modes
Overview
The comparative study is a crucial component of your Leaving Cert English exam that requires you to explore the connections and contrasts between three different texts. At Ordinary Level, you'll work with five comparative modes - these act as different "lenses" or perspectives through which you can analyse and compare your texts.
In your exam, you'll be asked to discuss 2 or 3 modes, so understanding each one thoroughly and being able to write strong comparative analysis is essential for success. The key is not just to describe what happens in each text, but to actively compare and contrast how different elements work across your chosen texts.
Critical Distinction: The key to success is comparison, not description. You must actively show connections and differences between texts, not simply describe what happens in each text separately.
The five ordinary level comparative modes
1. Social setting
Social setting examines the society, time period, and location where each story takes place. This mode explores the community's customs, values, living conditions, religious beliefs, political systems, gender roles, and social class structures that influence the characters and plot.
Key areas to explore:
- Society and norms: Consider what type of world each text presents - is it wealthy or impoverished, strict or liberal, rural or urban?
- Customs and traditions: Examine how cultural or religious beliefs shape the characters' behaviour and choices
- Characters' responses: Analyse whether characters accept their social world or rebel against it
How to approach this mode: Look for evidence of how the social environment affects character development and plot progression. Consider how different time periods or locations create different challenges and opportunities for characters.
Worked Example: Social Setting Analysis
In Philadelphia, Here I Come!, the rural Irish setting of Ballybeg creates a restrictive environment that makes Gar feel trapped, leading to his dreams of escape. You could compare this to another text where characters either embrace or challenge their social circumstances.
2. Relationships
This mode focuses on how characters connect with one another - examining family bonds, friendships, romantic partnerships, and rivalries. It's about understanding the dynamics between people and how these connections drive the story forwards.
Key areas to explore:
- Types of relationships: Identify which relationships are most significant in each text
- Changes over time: Track whether relationships improve, deteriorate, or remain static throughout the story
- Impact on characters: Consider how relationships either support or damage the characters involved
How to approach this mode: Don't just describe relationships - analyse how they function. Look for patterns of behaviour, power dynamics, and emotional connections. Consider both positive relationships that nurture characters and negative ones that cause harm.
Exam tip: You can effectively discuss both supportive and destructive relationships across your texts to show variety and depth in your analysis.
3. Theme
Themes represent the main ideas or central issues that run through your texts. Ordinary Level exam questions typically ask you to compare how one significant theme is developed across different works.
Key areas to explore:
- Main theme: Identify the central issue or idea (such as love, poverty, freedom, or family)
- Development: Track how the theme is introduced, developed, and resolved throughout each text
- Character impact: Examine how the theme affects different characters' lives and decisions
How to approach this mode: Choose themes that appear prominently in all your texts. Look for specific moments, dialogue, and events that illustrate the theme. Consider how different authors present similar themes in unique ways.
Exam strategy: Support your thematic analysis with at least two strong examples from each text to demonstrate thorough knowledge and understanding.
4. Hero / heroine / villain
This mode examines the key characters in your texts - the protagonists (heroes/heroines) and antagonists (villains) who drive the narrative forwards.
Key areas to explore:
- Character qualities: Analyse what makes heroes/heroines admirable and what makes villains threatening or problematic
- Challenges faced: Examine the obstacles and difficulties each character encounters
- Character development: Track whether characters change and grow by the story's end
How to approach this mode: Focus on the most important characters rather than trying to cover everyone. Consider both internal struggles (personal growth, moral dilemmas) and external conflicts (opposition from other characters or circumstances).
Important note: You don't need to discuss heroes, heroines, AND villains if they're not all relevant to your texts - focus on the central characters that matter most to your comparison.
5. Aspects of story: tension or climax or resolution
This mode explores the structure and dramatic moments within your texts, focusing on how writers build suspense and bring their stories to satisfying conclusions.
Key areas to explore:
- Tension: How writers create suspense and keep readers engaged
- Climax: The most exciting, emotional, or dramatic moment in each story
- Resolution: How stories conclude and whether endings feel satisfying
Key questions to consider:
- Which structural element (tension, climax, or resolution) is most powerful in each text?
- How do these dramatic moments affect both characters and readers?
- Do the endings provide closure or leave questions unanswered?
Practical approach: You can choose to focus on whichever elements work best for your specific texts - you don't need to cover all three unless it strengthens your argument.
Making effective comparisons
Essential linking phrases
To achieve top marks, you must compare rather than simply describe. Use these transitional phrases to create clear connections between your texts:
For showing similarities:
- Similarly...
- In the same way...
- This is mirrored in...
- Equally noticeable is...
For showing differences:
- However...
- On the other hand...
- Unlike in...
- Quite the reverse is seen in...
Example in practice:
"Both Gar in Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet feel constrained by their families. However, Romeo openly challenges his family's wishes, unlike Gar who remains silent about his frustrations."
Exam success strategies
Before you start writing:
- Name the mode clearly in your introduction and connect it directly to the exam question
- Plan your essay by deciding which 2-3 modes you'll use before you begin writing
- Select your examples - choose specific quotes and key moments from all texts
While writing:
- Use textual evidence - include short quotations and specific references from every text
- Keep comparing - ensure every paragraph contains at least one clear link between texts
- Stay focused - if a text seems challenging, concentrate on what you do understand and build comparisons from there
Key Points to Remember:
- The five comparative modes provide different approaches to analysing your texts: Social Setting, Relationships, Theme, Hero/Heroine/Villain, and Aspects of Story
- Always compare and contrast - don't just describe what happens in each text separately
- Use linking phrases to create clear connections between your texts and show sophisticated comparative thinking
- Support every point with specific examples and quotations from your texts to demonstrate thorough knowledge
- Plan strategically - choose the 2-3 modes that work best for your particular texts and the exam question asked