Teaching Argument Writing with Frankenstories

Key questions

• What is this like?

Used for

• Resolving disputes of classification and identity
• Similar to a definitional argument except the criteria are for being considered similar to a member of a category
  • This means the criteria can be more flexible and less literal
• It's about justifying treating something like a member of a different category:
  • "The congestion is like a clump of hair clogging a drain, so we need to pull it out!"
  • "But if we pull it out and don't change the drain, it'll fill up with hair again!"

Makes use of

• Criteria match reasoning
• Comparative phrases:
  • is like, are similar to, equivalent to, as if, the same as...

Other notes

There are two basic types of comparison.

• Analogy is more poetic and metaphorical:
  • "The streets of downtown Beaverton are liked clogged arteries..."
  • "This proposal will be like putting the city on a low-cholesterol diet..."
• Precedent is more grounded and literal:
  • "Our traffic is similar to Skunkton's a decade ago..."
  • "This proposal is a watered-down version of what Skunkton did..."

Context ideas

• Speaker roles: Politician, lawyer, advocate, critic, scientist, individual
• Situations: Cultural, political, or scientific controversy, also personal opportunities and conflicts