Compare and Contrast Exercise

El Toro Rojo & The Only Rule that Counts

“But for now, you are watching the instantaneous moment. The crowd held silent by the matador’s lance. You, clutching an empty can of San Miguel, whispering Toro! as if you don’t want the bull to hear.”

The biggest difference in the stories is definitely the approach in which they were told and the tone’s of each. El Toro Rojo was set in a particular point in time and took the readers and put them in the author’s shoes. By the end, he included the first quote, giving the reader a sense being there, and sensory details.

“ It took me several weeks and a dozen phone calls to get an address for Gina, who was living in the Gilbert Islands and working for the Peace Corps. I sent her Jeff’s letter because I though she should know.”

The Only Rule that Counts was told through a general recap then a letter from an old friend that didn’t receive a reply. The author showed a lack of effort in responding, so he did what his friend was trying to do and reached out to an old female acquaintance.