This type of essay has two subjects that may be similar or different. Good compare and contrast essays do not state the obvious. What they are meant for is the illumination of subtle differences or similarities between two subjects. The essay will outline from the get-go the items to be compared and contrasted or both. To do this effectively, you cannot choose two items that are too different from each other. For instance, it cannot be apples and oranges simply based on the fact that they are bo