An analogy is a way of showing how two apparently unlike things are actually similar. One of the most famous modern analogies was spoken by Forrest Gump: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.”

Your job in this assignment is to explain something by using an extended analogy. Usually, an analogy is a way of making a complex or abstract idea easier to understand. By comparing something difficult to something ordinary and familiar, you can help your reader understand. It is an extended analogy because you will use the entire paper to explain the various ways in which your objects or ideas are similar.

The place to begin is by choosing an abstract concept (like friendship) and a concrete or familiar thing (like a sailboat). Your main analogy would then be, Friendship is like a sailboat.

Next, you’ll need to come up with at least three ways in which your two subjects are alike.

1. Negotiating the rough seas of relationships takes patience and skill
2. Friendship can be an exciting voyage.
3. Without friends, we would be adrift and alone.

Once you’ve got your three supporting points, you can begin composing your first draft. Give at least one paragraph to each point and be sure to add a concluding paragraph.

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Below are some suggestions for abstract and familiar subjects to compare. You can choose any combination or select one that is not listed — these are just to get you thinking.

Abstract		Concrete/Familiar
life	courage	circus	strong shield
love	peace	rocking chair	blind man
happiness	Christianity	diamond	gentle stream
anger	the United States	jungle	space voyage
hatred	philosophy	volcano	zoo
prejudice	patriotism	baseball	warm blanket
family	insanity	a dark basement	prison
friendship	addiction	butterfly	dark alley
faith	grace	handcuffs	sunset

One of the keys to a paper like this is creativity and insight. Do your best to think in a way that is fresh and original. Don’t make your observations obvious. You want to give your reader a new look at the concept you have selected.

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