Compare and Contrast Essay

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McKaylee Kalstrom
Mrs. Erickson
English I
September 19, 2019
Compare and Contrast Essay
The short story “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” by Sandra Cisneros, and the
poems “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, and “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
all express different types of hardships that parents and their families face. These selections have
many similarities and differences. A reoccurring difference throughout the selections is how
each parent communicates with their children. The key similarities that appear in each selection
are the hardworking and caring traits of each parent.
The short story “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” is about a grieving father who
lost his own father and relies on his child to comfort him. Papa is always working because he
wants the best for his kids. Papa is typically gone before his children wake up and it is up to the
eldest child to take care of the younger children. The speaker shows that Papa is a hardworking
man who is heartbroken when they write, “My Papa, his thick hands and thick shoes, who wakes
up tired in the dark, who combs his hair with water, who drinks his coffee, and is gone before we
wake, today is sitting on my bed” (Cisneros 193). Papa’s appearance shows us that he is hard
worker due to his thick hands and shoes and his actions show us that he is hurting since he is in
the child’s room rather than being at work like he usually would. The child learns that even
strong people can be hurting and will need comfort at times. Comparatively, the hardworking
attribute can be seen in the poem “Mother to Son.”
The poem “Mother to Son” is about a mother who is telling her son that he needs to keep
going through any challenge he comes upon in life. The speaker wants her son to be a successful
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person in life. We can infer that this mother had to face many challenges in life when she writes,
“I’se been a-climbn’ on/ and reachin landins’/ and turnin’ corners/ and sometimes going in the
dark/ where there ain’t been no light” (Hughes 194). The speaker’s dialogue shows that she is
hardworking and passionate because she has faced the darkness in her life and has only became
stronger. This mother’s message to her son is to always keep striving for goals or through
challenges even if it is hard, as you will become a stronger, better person because of it.
Correspondingly, the hardworking character trait is also seen in the last poem “Those Winter
Sundays.”
The last poem “Those Winter Sundays” is about a father who constantly works to give
his children the best life they can possibly have, but is not always thanked. The speaker shows us
that their father is a very caring man and cares about his children when they write, “I’d wake to
hear the cold splintering, / breaking. / When the rooms were warm he’d call, / and slowly I
would rise and dress, / fearing the chronic angers of that house” (Hayden 195). This father is
very considerate of his children being that he wakes up early to warm up the house before any of
them get up, just so that they can be warm. But, he is never thanked. “Sundays too my father got
up early, /…with cracked hands that ached/ from labor in the weekday weather made/ banked
fires blaze. No one ever/ thanked him” (Hayden 195). This father’s actions and appearance
express the hardworking attribute. This father shows his children that they need to always work
hard and think about their family first.
In the final analysis, all three literature selections have many similarities and differences.
The most repeating characterizations of each parent is their hardworking and caring actions
towards their children. However, each parent is different because they each communicate with
their children differently, whether that be through grief, wisdom, or actions. Overall, it is very
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important to keep climbing those stairs towards your goals and to always be grateful for
everything you have in life.

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are the hardworking and caring traits of each parent.

attribute can be seen in the poem “Mother to Son.”

hard and think about their family first.

everything you have in life.

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