Paper #1 -- Narrative Essay: Remembering events ]hz2asgq}

 

Pre-writing:        Read "Salvation" by Langston Hughes and "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell (Whitewolf Words website). Note how the writers used descriptive details and dialogue to make their narratives more vivid.

Assignment:      Write an essay about an incident or experience in your life that had a significant effect on you or that changed your views in some important way.  Choose an event that will be engaging for readers and that will tell them something about you. Tell your story dramatically and vividly.  Make sure you give the reader some idea of its autobiographical significance. The paper should be 750-1000 words (about 3-4 pages long, typed and double-spaced, using correct manuscript form.  Please indicate your  word count in the heading of  your final draft.

 

Your choice of an event is critical to the success of this paper.  Remember, you are not writing your entire life story or autobiography.  It is the little events in one's life which can lead to the most interesting insights about one's life. The following topics do not make for interesting papers--graduation, proms, and learning to drive--so unless you can prove to me in your rough draft that you have an extraordinarily creative or unique perspective on those events, they are not allowed for this assignment.  You may choose from one of the following topics:

 

1.        An incident which gave you insight about something that was important to you

2.        A turning point or milestone in your life

3.        An experience that helped you discover you had the strength to overcome some difficulty in your life.

4.        An incident that has become a family legend, perhaps one that reveals the character of a family member or illustrates how generations or cultures learn from each other

5.        An incident that has allowed you to develop an appreciation or awareness of your ethnic identity.

6.        An experience which you remember vividly and what it means to you now.

 

 

The paper will be graded as follows:

 

Writing Process: * rough draft and 3 copies ready at beginning of class on the due date (5 points) * participation in Elbow group (5 points)	10
Content: * Clear Thesis that shows importance of the experience or insight   (10 points) * Vivid description of people and scenes (30 points) * Good beginning that pulls the reader in and hints at the thesis (5 points) * Effective conclusion that gives insight and clarifies the thesis (5 points)	50
Development and Coherence: * Good pacing and narrative development (10 points)	10
Grammar and Style: * Correct grammar (except for dialogue, which should reflect how a person speaks), punctuation, and mechanics * Good writing style -- effective word choices,  appropriate diction, etc.	40
Total for Paper Content, Development and Coherence, Grammar and Style	100
Total Paper Points	110