NARRATIVE ESSAY

1. NARRATIVEESSAY

2. ASSIGNMENT • To tell the story of a significant moment in your life-history thus far. • To have a clear purpose in telling this narrative; that is, to elucidate the valuable lessons you have taken from this experience. • To carefully select narrative details to support these morals or lessons. • To arrange these details in an appropriate narrative order.

3. CHARACTERISTICS * CHRONOLGY • time sequence • story with a beginning, middle, and end • make a *TIMELINE* * MORAL, POINT, LESSONS LEARNED • stated in the thesis & conclusion • Not: “I am going to tell a story about…” • Rather: “This experience taught me a valuable lesson about friendship.”

4. CHARACTERISTICS * RELEVANCE (EXCITEMENT) • stress relevant (exciting) parts • shorten irrelevant (dull) parts * FOCUS on a specific event • day #3 of vacation * INTRODUCTION and CONCLUSION: • this IS an essay • this is NOT necessarily a 5-paragraph essay

5. PREWRITING

6. PREWRITING • MAKE 2 LISTS: (1) a list of the 5 best times in your life (2) a list of the 5 worst times in your life • MAKE a TIMELINE for the EVENTS of the MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE of YOUR LIFE: • chronology • have a clear beginning, middle, and end

7. INTRODUCTION

8. INTRODUCTION *As if you were on The Late Show promoting a movie: • quick set up (“Set this clip up for us.”) • then “roll tape” • show a clip from “the movie of your life”

9. INTRODUCTIONPICTURE FRAME *PURPOSE: • Why are you telling this story? SO WHAT?! • To satisfy this demand, use the Introduction and Conclusion to create a “frame” which will encompass your story.

10. INTRODUCTIONPICTURE FRAME • The Introduction & Conclusion are the frame around your picture. In them, you will only discuss the background and lesson learned. They are not to make up the majority of your essay. • The Body of the essay will be the picture. It will tell a story, and it will make up the majority of your paper. • Further, the narrative elements you choose for the story will clearly illustrate the lesson/s you learned.

11. INTRODUCTIONPICTURE FRAME INTRO. STORY CONCLN.

12. INTRODUCTION GENERALIZE: • Regarding the type of lessons you learned • Regarding the type of experience you had • “Death is a painfully inevitable part of life, so most of us have undoubtedly had to face death at some point in our young lives.”

13. INTRODUCTION NARROW TOWARDS YOU: • Some • Others • “For some, it may have been the death of a close friend or classmate.” • “For others, it may have concerned the passing of a teacher or an adult acquaintance.”

14. INTRODUCTION TO YOU: • Transition to you • Use transitional expressions • Perhaps brief background information • “However, my encounter with death involved the demise of a close family relative when I was 16. In November of 2006, my 22-year-old cousin, Jefferson Miles, whom I had idolized all my life, died of esophageal cancer.”

15. INTRODUCTION THESIS: Previous sentence: Brief background • When, where did this event take place? • Year, age, season • “During the spring semester of 2004 after I turned 18….” Thesis: ANSWER 2 QUESTIONS: 1) What kind of story? 2) What kind of lessons learned?

16. INTRODUCTION THESIS: • “This tragic experience from that miserable fall taught me valuable lessons concerning my life and family in particular, as well as life and death in general.” • “This frightening experience has taught me valuable lessons regarding me, my family, family in general, and life.”

17. BODY

18. BODY: DETAILS • DESCRIPTION is necessary: vivid detail for character development or setting the scene • concrete & specific details • careful selection of details (STORY=LESSON) • CHRONOLOGICAL organization of details • no flashbacking, no omniscience • no Quentin Tarantino • past tense only

19. BODY: DETAILS • TIME • Year, age, season • NAMES • people, places, occupation titles, stadiums, hospitals, funeral parlors, high schools • BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS • Not a descriptive essay • Use description to set the scene • Or highlight your lessons learned • “the blonde male nurse in purple scrubs took my blood pressure at St. Mark’s Hospital….”

20. BODY: STORY • Extremely FOCUSED • Just a clip from your life-movie • Flows LINEARLY • All verbs should be in the PAST TENSE • PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE: the story should not be all one paragraph; break the narrative into stages (each stage = a paragraph)

21. BODY: BACKGROUND • In the story through dialogue or thoughts at the time** • In the Conclusion when you are explaining a particular lesson** • In the Introduction, briefly, as you set up the story *GET TO THE STORY • The 1st Body paragraph = start of the story • Do not make the reader wait until the 3rd Body paragraph for your story to begin.

22. CONCLUSION

23. CONCLUSION: MORAL • Fully explain the morals/lessons you learned from this experience • While you only hinted at the morals in your Introduction, explain them in detail here in your Conclusion • Lessons concerning yourself, family, friendship, love, life -- • Induction: lessons emanate out from the event

24. CONCLUSION: POV • No “you” • In the Introduction and Conclusion, do not switch to 3rd person POV (“you”) • This is YOUR story- • These are lessons that YOU learned- • So speak from the “I” (1st person POV)

25. Descriptive Essay VSNarrative Essay

26. SENSE DETAILS Dominant Impression BODY STRUCTURE: 3 Body paragraphs 3 parts of the room/car Each supported by: sense details ONLY metaphors to support DI Spatial Arrangement NARRATIVE DETAILS Morals/Lessons BODY STRUCTURE: 3 Body paragraphs start, middle, end OR grouped by stages Each supported by: narrative elements descriptive details to set scenes, support lessons Chronological Order Descriptive Essay VS Narrative Essay

27. TOPICS

28. TOPICS *FOCUSED: • FROZEN MOMENT IN TIME • NOT LIFE STORY • NOT MULTIPLE DAYS • 3-4 PAGES IN LENGTH (with sufficient detail) • PART OF A CHAPTER IN YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY • neither a FULL CHAPTER • nor an ENTIRE BOOK

29. ACHIEVEMENT

30. MISTAKE

31. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE: Family

32. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE: Firsts

33. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE: Realizations

34. More SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE

35. TOPICS 1) TELL THE STORY OF A MAJOR CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE, AN EVENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE OR YOUR WAY OF THINKING ABOUT A PERSON, PLACE, OBJECT: • went to college, inspirational story, went out for a sport/club/play • quit bad habit, split with boy/girlfriend, left bad friends • met someone new • death in the family • divorce day

36. TOPICS *CONTINUED: • 9/11 or anthrax scare • good/bad vacation • dumb action I did • suspended from school • found God, faith was tested, found Alcoholics Anonymous • *met a challenge that neither you nor anyone thought you could do

37. TOPICS 2) TELL THE STORY OF A SPECIAL OBJECT (trophy, medal, picture, stuffed animal) THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO YOU: *this is NOT a descriptive essay on the object; • BODY: • rather, tell the story behind the object: • how/when/why did you get it • CONCLUSION: • lessons learned from the experience • why it means so much to you, • how it gives insight into who you are, • and how you would use it to introduce yourself to someone new whom you wanted to see the “real” you

38. TOPICS 3) OTHER TOPICS: • uncle’s viewing • family member’s (son’s) death—the day of • the day you found Alcoholics Anonymous • bad vacation (focused) • day found out about...diabetes, cancer, pregnancy • *family tradition • sweet 16, hunting trip, accident, robbery • school play or musical (auditions, opening night), nationals or states • responsibility

39. An EXAMPLE of a NARRATIVE ESSAY

40. EXAMPLEEXAMPLE SKELETON OF A NARRATIVE ESSAY *INTRODUCTION: • You’ve got to learn to laugh at yourself. • The best advice my grandfather ever gave me was “Boy, you’ve got to learn to laugh at yourself.”

41. EXAMPLE (cont’d) • Sane people have learned to laugh at themselves. (or well-adjusted people) (generalizing w/o “you”) The best way for people not to take life too seriously is to tell stories about unpleasant events that happened to them. As a teacher, I have had certain encounters that, had I not laughed at them, would have driven me crazy and forced me to leave the profession. For example, during the spring semester of 2004, I took over a section of Microcomp for an ailing colleague and had one of the most embarrassing experiences of my professional career. That day, this teacher was taught a few lessons about himself and his co-workers.

42. EXAMPLE (cont’d) *SYNONYMS for “EXPERIENCES”: • occurrences, incidents, encounters, events, episodes

43. EXAMPLE (cont’d) *BODY: After a long day of teaching my usual load of courses, I …. • skip irrelevant parts • continue with the rest of the story, with concrete/descriptive details and with specific narrative details that prove your lesson learned

44. EXAMPLE (cont’d) *CONCLUSION: This embarrassing, yet funny experience taught me some valuable lessons about myself and my colleagues. First, I realized that… • continue with specific, clear lessons learned • go into specifics regarding these lessons • more than one lesson learned from the “most significant experience” in your life

45. NARRATION in SONGS

46. On a warm summer’s evenin’ on a train bound for nowhere, I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. So we took turns a starin’ out the window at the darkness ‘til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. He said, son, I’ve made a life out of reading’ peoples faces, And knowin’ what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can see you’re out of aces. For a taste of your whiskey Ill give you some advice. So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow. Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light. And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. Said, if you’re gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right. You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, Know when to walk away and know when to run. You never count you r money when you’re sittin’ at the table. There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done Now ev’ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin’ Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowing what to keep. cause ev’ry hands a winner and ev’ry hands a loser, And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep. So when he’d finished speakin’, he turned back towards the window, Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep. (repeat chorus X3) “THE GAMBLER” KENNY ROGERS

47. Let me tell you a story About a woman and a man Maybe you will find familiar Maybe you won't understand The man's name I don't remember He was always Joe to me But I can't forget the woman She was always Christie Lee He was working in a night club That's where he played the saxophone He used to fake to stock arrangements He left the customers alone But one night before the last song About a quarter after three He saw her standing at the coat check And made his move on Christie Lee (X4) She was a nice piece of music She had a rhythm all her own He blew a solo like a blind man She really dug his saxophone She wanted more than just an encore And he could play in every key He left the stage and packed his alto And he took it home with Christie Lee Oh I heard the man knew "the Bird" like the bibleYou know the man could blow an educated axeHe couldn't see that Christie Lee was a womanWho didn't need another loverAll she wanted was the saxIt took a while for him to noticeIt took a while for him to seeHe was never in control hereIt was always Christie LeeChristie Lee, Christie Lee (X2) Oh the man took a calculated gambleYes the man had the power to performBut Christie Lee was more than he knew how to handleShe didn't need him as a manAll she wanted was the hornThey say that Joe became a winoThey say he always drinks aloneThey say he stumbles like a blind manThey say he sold his saxophoneEven the band must face the musicThat's what the moral is to meThe only time you hit the high noteIs when you play for Christie Lee “CHRISTIE LEE” BILLY JOEL

48. We had broken up for good just an hour beforeUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uhNow I'm staring at the bodies as there's dancin' 'cross the floorUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uhAnd then the band slowed the tempo and the music gets me downUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh It was the same old song with the melancholy soundUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh They don't write 'em like that anymoreThey just don't write 'em like that anymoreWe'd been living together for a million yearsUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh But now it feel so strange (out in the atmospheres?)Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh And then the jukebox plays a song I used to know Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uhNow I'm staring at the bodies as they dancin' so slowUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uhThey don't write 'em like that anymoreThey just don't write 'em like that anymoreNow I wind up staring at an empty glassUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uhCause its so easy to say that you'll forget your pastUh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uhThey don't write 'em like that anymore, no!They just don't write 'em like that anymoreThey don't write 'em like that anymoreThey just don't write 'em like that anymore “THE BREAK-UP SONG (They Don’t Write ’Em)” GREG KIHN

49. I. PARADISEBoy:I remember every little thingAs if it happened only yesterdayParking by the lakeAnd there was not another car in sightAnd I never had a girlLooking any better than you didAnd all the kids at schoolThey were wishing they were me that nightAnd now our bodies are oh so close and tightIt never felt so good, it never felt so rightAnd were glowing like the metal on the edge of aKnifeGlowing like the metal on the edge of a knifeC’mon! hold on tight!C’mon! hold on tight! Though its cold and lonely in the deep dark nightI can see paradise by the dashboard light Girl:Ain't no doubt about itWe were doubly blessedCause we were barely seventeenAnd we were barely dressedAin't no doubt about itBaby got to go and shout itAin't no doubt about itWe were doubly blessed “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (1)

50. Boy:Cause we were barely seventeenAnd we were barely dressedBaby doncha hear my heartYou got it drowning out the radioI’ve been waiting' so longFor you to come along and have some funAnd I gotta let ya knowNo you’re never gonna regret itSo open up your eyes I got a big surprise It’ll feel all right Well I wanna make your motor runAnd now our bodies are oh so close and tightIt never felt so good, it never felt so rightAnd were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knifeC’mon! hold on tight!C’mon! hold on tight!Though its cold and lonely in the deep dark nightI can see paradise by the dashboard lightOh its cold and lonely in the deep dark nightParadise by the dashboard lightYou got to do what you canAnd let mother nature do the restAin't no doubt about itWe were doubly blessedCause we were barely seventeenAnd we were barely --Were gonna go all the way tonightWere gonna go all the way tonight's the night (repeat X3) “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (2)