Essay vs Research Papers

The following two paragraphs deal with sibling rivalry, which is a major theme in the novel we are currently reading in class "Montana 1948" by Larry Watson. The first paragraph is in the style of an essay. The second paragraph is in the style of a research paper. Please realize that these are only body paragraphs; the introduction is not included. Both paragraphs start and end with a topic sentence and conclusion sentence; however, the middle sentences differ greatly. In an essay body paragraph, you are strictly discussing a novel you currently read. You have to back your thesis with information from the novel. In a research body paragraph, you can back your thesis with real world information along with your novel. It is important to first mention your research and then back that up with the novel. Be sure to express your analysis for both the research and the novel. As long as you follow these steps, you will have a successful paper.


A main theme in this novel is sibling rivalry. David Hayden is an only child, but his father and his Uncle Frank are very different. David’s father, Wesley, is the Sheriff of their town. Uncle Frank is one of the two town doctors. Frank feels that he is better than his brother. For example, the beer that Wesley offers Frank is not good enough for him; “Okay, okay, it’s great beer…but I’ll drink Schlitz, if it’s okay with you” (39). However, he drinks it anyway, after some thought, to appear to care for his brother. While it appears the brothers have a decent relationship, they truly have a strong rivalry between each other.


There are many tactics to help stop sibling rivalry. One solution is to “find something to do that your [sibling] isn’t interested in” (Henry 2008). It is hard to fight about something that you do not care about. If your sibling is not interested, they will focus on what they are interested in and not bother you about it. In the novel "Montana 1948" by Larry Watson, the protagonist’s father and uncle have a rivalry between them. Most adults grow out of this rivalry; however, these two brothers still fight as much as when they were kids. To help limit this rivalry, they have chosen to work in different professions; this way they do not have to interfere with each other as much. Finding your own thing to do can be challenging, so there are other things you can try.

Be sure to check out Ashley's two paragraphs. They are very strong.