Comparing Harpagon from Tvrdica with Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol is a popular assignment because the two characters are famous misers from different centuries and genres. The pairing gives students a clear, accessible way to practice comparative writing. It also exposes a common weakness, which is the tendency to list similarities and differences without ever explaining what the comparison reveals. A grader needs criteria that reward insight, not just coverage.

The most important difference between the two characters is how their authors resolve them. Scrooge undergoes a moral transformation and becomes generous, while Harpagon ends the play still focused on his casket and agrees to the marriages mainly because someone else will pay for the weddings. That contrast points to different purposes, with Dickens writing a redemptive moral tale and Molière writing a comedy that exposes a flaw without curing it. Students who notice this difference tend to write the strongest essays.

Decide before grading whether you want a point-by-point or block structure, and say so in the assignment. Point-by-point organizes the essay around shared topics such as attitudes toward family, while block organizes it by character. Either can work, but students frequently mix them in ways that make the argument hard to follow. A clear structural expectation makes comparison essays much easier to evaluate.

What the Rubric Should Reward

A strong comparison essay needs a thesis that does more than state that the characters are alike and different. It should assert something about why the similarities and differences matter, such as how genre shapes the way each author treats greed. Evidence should come from both works in balanced amounts, since essays that dwell mostly on one text produce lopsided arguments. Finally, analysis should tie the comparison back to the thesis, not just describe two things side by side.

• Thesis claims that the comparison reveals something about theme, genre, or authorial purpose
• Evidence is balanced between Tvrdica and A Christmas Carol
• Each paragraph addresses both characters rather than only one
• Differences in resolution are explained, not just stated
• Transitions signal comparison clearly without becoming repetitive

Frequent Problems in These Essays

One recurring issue is the surface comparison, where students note that both men are rich, old, and unhappy and stop there. These observations are accurate but shallow, because they do not engage with the different forms of the two works. Another is the failure to account for genre, since a stage comedy and a Victorian novella use character very differently. Feedback should push students to ask how form influences what each author can do with the miser.

Students also sometimes treat Scrooge's redemption as evidence that Dickens was more humane than Molière, which is a value judgment rather than an analytical point. A good note asks them to consider what each ending accomplishes for its audience instead of ranking the authors. This keeps the essay focused on interpretation. It also models the kind of reasoning that college-level comparative writing requires.

Grading Efficiently Across Two Texts

Because these essays cover two works, the grader needs to keep both in mind and check quotations for accuracy. It helps to keep a short reference sheet of key scenes from each text so you can verify claims quickly. If a student attributes a speech to the wrong character or misquotes the play, a brief correction in the margin saves confusion. Accuracy matters more in comparison essays because errors undermine the entire argument.

AI-assisted grading can help by checking each essay against the same rubric and highlighting where evidence is unbalanced or where the thesis never returns in the conclusion. That frees you to concentrate on the quality of the ideas rather than on tracking structure. For a class of over a hundred students, the consistency gain is substantial. Students receive feedback that is specific to their comparison instead of general advice about writing.