/Essay #1 – Memoir/Personal Narr

/Essay #1 – Memoir/Personal Narrative/Epiphany Definition: A memoir is a personal essay that recreates a past event, person, and/or place, and connects that memory to the present, self-aware writer. The reader is able to both comprehend the significance of the memory and understand the writer’s experience. The writer can either be the observer of events or an active participant. Memoirs are very much like scrapbooks that immortalize rich, insightful moments. Assignment: Write an essay in a personal voice that recreates a particular experience from your past. You should also incorporate narrative techniques and sensory details. You may also use dialogue, characterization, thought passages, and flashbacks. Examples: Much like Sammy in “A&P” and the narrator in “Araby,” you will write this first narrative essay about a significant event from your past as an older (and hopefully) wiser person. Your reader should be able to comprehend the significance of the memory and its importance to you, the writer. Through your narration, the reader should be able to discern the “epiphany” or “ah ha” moment that resulted from your experience. Epiphany – some moment of insight, discovery, or revelation by which a character’s life or view of life is greatly altered -a moment of revelation in which amid the most encumbered circumstances it suddenly happens that the veil is lifted, the mystery laid bare, the ultimate secret of things made manifest (Harry Levin qtd. in Literature 260). Purpose:  Demonstrate an understanding and use of narrative and descriptive writing  Write in a personal voice  Reflect on the importance of a significant past event/turning point.  Select and order events into a narrative  Construct and convey the meaning of a clearly significant moment  Improve writing skills at each stage of the composing process Format: 750-1000 words, double-spaced, word processed (typed), 1” margins, 12 point font such as New Times Roman, Garamond, or Century Evaluation Criteria: Your essay should meet the guidelines of the assignment, be a grammatically correct and word-processed ENC 1102 essay, and follow the formatting guidelines of the assignment and as listed in the syllabus. Upload file to BB9. Must be in .doc or .rtf format. No Pdf's or WPS files.