Personal Essay #3: Experimental Structure and Larger Themes
“In the particular is contained the universal.” – James Joyce
For this essay, we will explore ways to combine the earlier techniques of reflection and narrative scenes in unexpected ways that draw out deeper, big-picture meanings. You may also find it useful to draw on a bit of the styles of analysis and/or persuasion, too, because part of this assignment will be to look for ways that your story might be part of a larger social trend that you want to comment on. Some suggestions:
Keep in mind that you may not discover the significance of the experience until you begin to write. Often the best essays are about seemingly unimportant moments that had meaning for the writer much later, after discovering that other people may have shared these experiences in some form. Remember too that what you initially think was significant about the event may not be what you find ultimately important. Let writing and revision help you discover the meaning of your experience.
Look at how Staples deftly positions his experiences in “Black Men in Public Spaces” as part of a larger trend, while not dwelling too long on things that are not his own personal story. Rodriguez’s “Private Language, Public Language,” would also be a good example of this method – his experiences are shared by many immigrants and descendants of immigrants. How can you make your specific experiences universal? Structurally, there are many ways to approach an essay like this – it certainly doesn’t have to go in chronological order. We’ll talk about some possibilities in class. Feel free to mix styles, jump around in time, even tell it from someone else’s point of view.
B Contract Guidelines:
Afterthought: Why did you pick this topic to write about? What was difficult or challenging in writing this? Was anything enjoyable about writing this? What went well for you? What do you want to keep working on in the future?
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