2. How does textual evidence strengthen your comparative literature essay? It causes readers to wonder what other literary works may support or challenge your claim. It identifies the specific elements in each literary work that support your general idea. It suggests to readers that they may not have read the literature as closely as you did. It proves that you have read the literary works well enough to be able to compare them. It proves that you have read the literary works well enough to be able to compare them.​