I NEED TO UNDERSTAND ANALOGIES!!!!!!!! please help me?

Question

For my english class we're supposed to write an analogy essay about something you hate or love. I've looked everywhere for help online as to what analogies are yet I still don't completely understand them. Even when my teacher explained them I didn't understand them.

Anyways this essay is due on Friday and I would really like to finish it today since I don't have school today.

I had an idea for an essay but I'm not sure if it could be used as an analogy.

I was thinking if drugs and halloween could work somehow.

They're completely different, but they're the same in some people are for them while others are against them and they also bring people together.

Would this work? Can this be turned into an analogy?
If so then I think [HOPE!] that I understand what to do.
Otherwise please tell me I'm wrong.

I WILL APPRECIATE IT SOOOOOO MUCH IF SOMEONE WILL HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

With an analogy you are comparing one thing to something else, so your idea should work. You need to compare Hallowe'en to drug use, or drug use to Hallowe'en. You will need to compare them point by point, so start by making a list of the points you want to make and the aspects you want to compare. What are the similarities between drug use and Hallowe'en? Go from there.

I hope this is of some help.

Answer 2

Forgive me for saying this, but I don't think any of the answers have quite explained what an analogy is and I'd be afraid of using the "analogies" that they posed for Halloween and Drugs, because most english teachers don't only want proper grammar, but also critical thinking.

An analogy is the comparison of (usually) two things, ideas...etc that are similar in some aspect(s).

"The brain is like a computer, both process data"

In the above statement we see that the two comparables are not the same thing, but there exists a similarity between them. In this type of analogy, called a simile (because the word "like" is used), we see that the author is comparing a relatively well known item, the computer, to something more complex, the brain.

There are also the analogies that emulate relationships:

Fire is to Ice as Hot is to Cold

Lion is to Cub as Dog is to Pup


If you were to use Halloween and Drugs, you'd have to analyze the two things, one a holiday where children and adults dress up for candy, the other an illegal, addictive substance (unless "drug use/abuse" was used, in which case it would be an activity or violation of social norm).

Although this is a very stretched analogy, I would think that comparing prostitute who sell them selves for drugs to Halloween would be a closer start. Again, the two aren't quite analogous on the surface, you'd have to dig deeper and find true matching similarities between the two groups. The difference that might lie between the two would be, do children like dressing up AND receiving candy, or do they dress up for the sole purpose of receiving candy. And on the flip side, do prostitute enjoy their activities AND supporting their addiction or do they sell themselves soley to support their addiction.

Answer 3

The best way to try and explain an analogy is to make a comparison using something know and something unknown so that you have a frame of reference.

For example, I found a page that uses this analogy: "followers are to a leader as planets are to a sun "

If you don't understand the relationship between the sun and it's surrounding planets, you can use the relationship between a leader and his followers. Not only do followers gravitate towards a leader, but they by definition follow said leader. Similarly, the planets gravitate towards the sun and essentially follow it's pull.

Another example of an analogy could be used to express passion. For example, my passion for my lover is like a brush fire on a hot dry day in the California wilds. You then have to think of what you know of brush fires and how quickly they can stem out of control, and then you can understand the destructive aspects of passion and how quickly it grows and spreads..

Answer 4

An analogy is when you make point about something different and relate to the other main point.

Drugs and Halloween:
Halloween is when some people dress as different people obsessed with getting more and more candy. Drugs are the same thing. They turn you into someone else. the addiction causes you seek more and more drugs.

Answer 5

hmm.. from your question and your proposed solution it seems that you are missing the definition of what an analogy is.

Here is a good quote from the dictionary:

1. a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump.

So....using your goal.. drugs and halloween prob. won't work because they are dissimiliar.

Halloween and Guy Fawkes day (England) would.

.

Answer 6

I like sports so i would make the analogy about how the Superbowl is the highest level of championship for football. As the World Series is to Baseball. Another example would be the Jack o lantern to Halloween as Santa Clause is to Christmas.

Answer 7

an analogy is comparing an experience with another with similar features. it may be good or bad. for example, if you have previously enjoyed playing badminton, you can draw a conclusion that you can enjoy playing tennis later on. on the other hand, if you have encountered difficulties in math, chances are you will generalize that to include algebra.

Answer 8

Why do theists have the kind of not elementary time not generalising atheists? (see what I did thar?) besides, be that because it may desire to, what you do not look to comprehend is that i for my section a minimum of (i can't fairly communicate for anybody else) do comprehend analogies and parables extremely nicely, I had all of them defined to me and analysed them intimately in Bible analyze and Sunday college, I merely ended up coming to the top that the bible does not face up to scrutiny. i comprehend you disagree with that end, yet claiming that it is because of the fact you have understood it and that i haven't is the two smug and disingenuous.

Answer 9

mmm
its sort of like:
drugs are to thugs as costumes are to halloween
just pick what goes together in the first group
"drugs are to thugs"
then put an "as"
then the next group of things your analyzing
"costumes are to halloween"

Answer 10

it's a like and as kinda thing

cake is to iceing
as
head is to helmet

the iceing goes on the cake..and the heltmet goes on your head