8.2 Apoly narrative strategies in

nearly every rhetorcal situation

8.3 Use the elements of narration in

your writing

8.4 Put into practice strategies for

writing narration

8.5 Write a literacy naoahve

8.6 Use visuals in narratives and us

narratives

Before you read this chapter

Chances are tl at ton are already

familiar ath narratcn with tellin Sto—

coo whether fiction} ar nonf;ctonal.

Before reading th s ceapter write

short navanon in tour joni nd or blog

Nnrrate an evei P a memory. or a

far rtasy.

Writing toNarrate

Learning Objectives

8.1 Des nbc the objectives of

narration

5

r

114

8 Writing to Narrate 1149 Wnting to Describe 145

10 Writing to Inform 17111 Writing to Respond 1991 2 writing to Analyze 23113 Writing to Evaluate 26114 Writing to Argue 29015 Writing to Propose 321

113

I

Narrat,on

Colby Buzzell enlisted in the United States Army in 2002 at the age of 26 tobreak a personal trend of drug use and dead-end jobs. In November 2003, he deployedto Iraq to serve as an infantryman machine gunner, While there, Buzzell started writing an anonymous blog about his experiences as an infantryman. The blog attractedattention because his narrations were frank and provided an “insider’s” firsthand account of the war in Iraq, often with more details than what the news was reporting.On August 4, 2004, one of the worst battles of the war erupted at Mosul, andBuzzell found himself right in the middle of it, his platoon under heavy attack. Inhis blog for that week, ‘Men in Black,” he wrote: “1 observed a man, dressed all inblack with a terrorist beard, jump out all of sudden from the side of a building, hepointed his AK-47 barrel right at my ... pupils, I froze and then a split second later,I saw the fire from his muzzle flash leaving the end of his barrel and brass shellcasings exiting the side of his AK as he was shooting directly at me. I heard andfelt the bullets whiz literally inches from my head.”’Buzzell’s “Men in Black” post garnered worldwide attention. Soon his superiors began monitoring his blogs, and after he posted antiwar statements by Jello Biafra, a Green Party leader and lead singer of the Dead Kennedys, they ordered himto stop blogging. Though Buzzell’s blog was active for only ten weeks, it provided aview of the war that few outside of Iraq would ever have, one not crafted, censored,or tempered by either the military or the press. It established precedent for othermilitary personnel to share their stories through blogs. In fact, the military nowencourages personnel to write blogs about their experiences, though it imposesstringent restrictions regarding publication of sensitive or classified information.

Narration8.1 De-rhnth’ etves C

To narrate is to give an account of an event or events—to tell a story. The resulting ,i rrtcnnarrative, the rhetorical object, can be a piece of writing, speech, discussion, image,film, or any other medium through which one tells that story. Narration is closely related to description because narratives describe how things happened, and many ofthe strategies for writing descriptions can be used when writing narratives.Narratives can be presented in the first person (“I heard the crowd cheer when 8.2 Appthe president made his declaration.”) or in the third person (“The crowd cheered nanitvewhen the president made his declaration.”). Some narratives, like the one in this e’ in fljry

- rheo

chapter by Diane Metzger, may even be written in the second person, though theyare rare. Narratives can be fictional or nonfictional, long (like an autobiography ornovel) or brief (like an accident report statement, a blog post, or a testimonial). Narratives can work independently or in conjunction with other rhetorical objectives, forexample, as examples to support the purpose, claim, thesis, or central ideas of a description, argument, or comparison. Part of participation is to bear witness, to sharewith others what we have seen or experienced, to testify, and to place our stories inrelation to others and to connect them. Narration participates in that process.‘Griggs, Brandon. “Soldier Finds His Voice Blogging from Iraq.” CNN.com. 23 Jan. 2009. Web.29 Oct. 2012.

CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

annotated example

David P. Bardeen grew up in Seattle. Washirgton. He graduated in 1996 from HarvardUniversity and vent to work for J P Morgan & Co. as an nvestm.ent banking analystHe graduated from New York Unvers.ty School of Law in 200;whie there, he workedas managing eaco’ of the Law Rev:ee’. As a lawyer, Bardeen has soec atzed in work ngwtb nternat o”ai OuS “esses and Ame”ican clients. He s also active w th In.gration Equait’y. an organzatio that fights “for equality u’’der US. mm gration law forlesban, gay. bsexual, transgender, and HIV-positive ndiduals,”

Bardeen’s narratve was first published in The New York Times Magazine on February 29, 2004. As you read it, consider what Bardeen exigency might have been inwriting this piece. Pay particu ar attention to how he uses dialogue to express the difficulty of the conversation he recounts and how he uses short sentences, even sentencefragments, to strike a particular tone.

Lives; Not CloseEnough for ComfortDavid Bardeen

I had wanted to tell Will I was gay since I was 12. As twins, we shared 4 Notice the amount of information DavIdeverything back then: clothes, gadgets, thoughts, secrets. Every- Bardeen provides in this opening parathing except this. So when we met for lunch more than a year ago, graph: he introduces characters, relationI thought that finally coming out to him would close the distance ships, confict, context, chronology, and

that had grown between us. When we were kids, we created our own purpose.

language, whispering to each other as our bewildered parents lookedon. Now, at 28, we had never been further apart.

I asked him about his recent trip. He asked me about work.

4 Notice these previous two paragraphs:Bardeen uses short sentences, short fragments, and short paragraphs. What doeshe accomplish in his narrative by doing so?

Notice Bardeen’s use of time in this paragraph and how his chronology of eventsaffects how we anticipate the tension ofthe impending conversation between himand his brother.

‘“:V’ ‘i;w

3’

Short questions. One-word answers. Then an awkward pause.Vill was one of the last to know. Partly it was his fault. He is hard

to pin down for brunch or a drink, and this was not the sort of conversation I wanted to have over the phone. I had actually been tryingto tell him for more than a month, but he kept canceling at the lastminute—a friend was in town, he’d met a girl.

But part of me was relieved, This was the talk I had feared themost, Coming out is, in an unforgiving sense, an admission of fraud.Fraud against yourself primarily, but also fraud against your familyand friends. So, once I resolved to tell my secret, I confessed to mymost recent ‘victims” first. I told my friends from law school—thoseI had met just a few years earlier and deceived the least—then Iworked back through college to the handful of high-school friends Istill keep in touch with.

I

—— a1saa ,*a.

— —

Bardeen / Lives; Not Close Enough for Comfort I V

Keeping my sexuality from my parents had always seemedpermissible, so our sit-down chat did not stress me out as much asit might have. We all mislead our parents. “I’m too sick for school today.’ No, I wasn’t drinking.” “Yes, Mom, I’m fine. Don’t worry aboutme.” That deception is understood and, in some sense, expected. Buttwins expect complete transparency, however romantic the notion.Although our lives unfolded along parallel tracks—we went tocollege together, both moved to New York and had many of the samefriends—Will and I quietly drifted apart. When he moved abroad fora year, we lost touch almost entirely. Our mother and father didn’tthink this was strange, because like many parents of twins, theywanted us to follow divergent paths. But friends were baffled whenwe began to rely on third parties for updates on each other’s lives.“How’s Will?” someone would ask. ‘You tell me,” I would respond.One mutual friend, sick of playing the intermediary, once sent mean e-mail message with a carbon copy to Will. ‘Dave, meet Will, yourtwin,” it said. ‘Will, let me introduce you to Dave,”Now, here we were, at lunch, just the two of us.”There’s some-thing I’ve been meaning to tell you,” I said. “I’m gay.” I looked at himclosely, at the edges of his mouth, the wrinkles around his eyes, for) some hint of what he was thinking.“O.K.,” he said evenly.“lye been meaning to tell you for a while,” I said.“Uh-huh.” He asked me a few questions but seemed slightlyuneasy, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answers. Do Mornand Dad know? Are you seeing anyone? How long have you knownyou were gay? I hesitated.

I’ve known since I was young, and to some degree, I thought Willhad always known. How else to explain my adolescent melancholy,my withdrawal, the silence when the subject changed to girls, sexand who was hot. As a teenager I watched, as if from a distance, asmy demeanor went from outspoken to sullen. I had assumed, in theself-centered way kids often do, that even’one noticed this change—and that my brother had guessed the reason. To be fair, he asked meonce in our 20’s, after I had ended yet another brief relationship witha woman. “Of course I’m not gay,” I told him, as if the notion wereabsurd.

“How long have you known?” he asked again.“About 15 years,” I said. Will looked away.

4 Tne orev ous tNo paragrapns herp sohdithe importance of Bardeen’s relationshipwth Ins broTher n the narrative. Notice,too, that in these two paragraphs, Bardeenintroduces draiogue as a method for dclvering parts of me narrat’ve

Consider the way ‘c which Bardeen con-4

veys this moment of anticpation. Thereare very few details. The description of theevent is direct, almost bland; yet its brevityand directness are effectee in bringing usto that moment.“N

Bardeen returns to using dialogue to showus how the con’ersaton unfolded. He uses4 direct quotations and indirect auotes togive the details of the conversation.

Notce tne shift in Bardeen’s narration fromreporting the oiatogue with his brother to4 directly addressng the audence, providingus as readers the answers he mrght otherwise prcude his brother through the dialogue. In this way, WiFs questions becomeour questions. and Bardeen s answers aredrected at our curiosities,

CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

Food arrived. We ate and talked about other things. Mom, Dad,

the mayor and the weather. We asked for the check and agreed to

get together again soon .No big questions, no heart to heart. Just

disclosure, explanation, follow-up, conclusion. But what could I

expect? I had shut him out for so long that I suppose ultimately he

gave up. Telling my brother I was gay hadn’t made us close, as 1 had

naively hoped it would; instead it underscored just how much we

had strayed apart.

As we left the restaurant, I felt the urge to apologize, not for

being gay, of course, hut for the years I’d kept him in the dark, for

his being among the last to know. He hailed a cab. It stopped. He

stepped inside, the door still open.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

He smiled. “No, I think it’s great.”

A nice gesture. Supportive. But I think he misunderstood.

A year later, we are still only creeping toward the intimacy ev

eryone expects us to have. Although we live three blocks away from

each other, I can’t say we see each other every week or even every

two weeks. But with any luck, next year, I’ll be the one updating our

mutual friends on Will’s life.

In th’s paragraph, Bardeen starts to draw

4 the narrative to a close, not only in his

recount of the events but also n terms of

providing his audience with suggestions for

what they should learn from the narrative.

This isnt just a narrative told for the sake of

telling: it has an agenda, a purpose.,c “ —

Bardeen’s conclusion ends the narratr’e,

but it does so without a sense of closure.

4 Instead, it concludes with a sense that the

ending to the story should stit unfold, that

we do not yet know what will happen with

Will and David,,_,-_‘_ ..

annotated example

a —

Vt

Woods / A Southern State of Mind

Summer Woods s ma3orirg n Er’gi sh and h’stor on a pre la.s track and olas on herschooFs Divison soccer team. When she graduates. she plans to tour the world, takngphotographs and wntng about tee dierent knos of people and paces she encounters. Aftertraveing, she hopes to attend law school and become an international human nghts laver,worieng win places ie the Un tea Nations to ensure a peodie are given the basic freedomsthey deser;e. Sammer lo’,es reading an>th ng from noves to newspapers. Her favorite authoris Kurt Vor’negut, and her a.’onte book ‘s To K/I a Mockngbrd. She also writes short ictronstones and poetry n addihon, Summer s a longboarder and a sakeboarder, and she ovesclassic rook greats such as Bob Dlan, the Beatles, Tom Petty, and tCe Roll ng Stones.When Woods went awa to college, she left her home state of Florida for a schoolin South Carolina, a fair distance noh. There, she learned about what ‘The Southrealy is. In her narratve, Woods describes her experiences as she learns what it meansto be a Southerner.

A Southern State of MindSummer WoodsSweat and adrenaline plague the air as the two sides get tangled up in a mix of pride and hunger for victory. The crowd around them reminds them of whom they’re fighting for, and everyscream pushes them harder and harder.

But this isn’t an ancient Roman gladiator fight; it’s Saturday, and this is just another southern football game.The air is filled with the screams of thousands of girls in pretty dresses and the calls of boysin bow ties. The opening whistle may have just blown, but the games started long ago underneath canvas tents stained with Greek letters and beer. The crowd cheers just as loudly for theirschool’s team as they did earlier when their favorite Luke Bryan song blared through the speakers. But they’re dancing for touchdowns now, instead of for a swing dance in cowboy boots.People might assume that, growing up in Florida, I would feel right at home in this sceneof Southern hospitality. But those people would fail to realize that Florida isn’t the South; it’ssomething more akin to a Yankee state that accidentally floated all the way down the Atlanticand got stuck below the Mason-Dixon line. In most parts of Florida, our sweet tea tastes morelike plastic than Aunt Mabel’s kitchen, and “Southern Tide” refers to what brings the wavescrashing onto our coast in a torrent of blue majesty.

So, I ironically began to realize when I left for college in my red Mustang packed tight withmemories and new beginnings that, even though I was headed north, I was really going south.My rearview mirror was filled with Democratic voting, religious ambiguity, and orange juiceas I began instead to cruise past roadside stands selling conservative morals and stories of the“good old days.” I had always thought that the country’s reunification after the Civil War meant

student example

riCHAPTER 8 WntTng to Narrate

student example

simply that: a unified count. I didn’t reize that the South still stands apart, and holdsits own strong culture that mentally you have to belong to in order to ever completelyunderstand. They are proud to be Americans, let me tell you, but they are also proud tobe Virginians, South Carolinians, Tennesseans, Mississippians and Texans. The area isconnected to the North by politics and geographic lines, but also tied together by a byairy that transcends patriotism; the southern states are unified by habitats and a history.

They may have fraternities in the North, but they’re nothing like the organizations inthe South. They juggle everything on a balance as precarious as the relationship betweenJohn C. Calhoun and Andrew Jackson. They enjoy top shelf bourbon and the cheapestlight beer, wear the North while they represent the South, and pride themselves on thenumber of women they sleep with while being the first to jump up to defend a girl’s reputation. ‘l’hey create strong bonds by torturing each other, as hazing is the foundation ofevery fraternity, and instead of gaining empathy from their experience, thrive on doing itto the next set of fresh faced banker’s sons. I still vividly remember the night three of mybest friends got initiated. One of them called me at 2 in the morning and met me outside

my room. He collapsed in a heap in the hallway, and we just sat there in silence for overan hour. He didn’t seem to want to speak, just wanted to sit there, and his eyes were thesize of saucers. But they eventually survived pledging, and plan to continue on the tradition in the spring.Conservative politics are also a huge component of the Southern culture, as Ilearned quickly. After being at school for just over two months, one of my new closefriends invited a few of us out to dinner with his grandparents who lived in the area. Wevent to a very high-end country club, and I felt as if I had been transported back into the

Antebellum South. All of the waiters were black and answered every question with a “yesma’m,” while I attempted to stumble around in heels and act as if I frequented the placeoften. The lights were almost as dim as the sound of the piano being played softly bythe tuxedoed man in the fancily draped corner, and the round tables were arranged perfectly around the room. I finally made the treacherous journey to my chair, after almoststarting a fire when I had a surprising encounter with the side of a candle laid table. Thewaiter winked at me after seeing my eves explode by the sight of the number of utensilsbeneath me. As he came by to push my chair in and drape my napkin across my lap, hesubtly whispered in my ear.“Just start from the outside and work your way in.”I stifled a grateful laugh and began to prepare myself for the task in front of me. Thefirst part of the meal went perfectly smoothly. His grandparents were the perfect representation of the South: his grandfather had been a hunter, his grandmother the perfectquiet spoken housewife, and they were regular patrons of the church as well as modelcitizens. Her delicate hands handled the food with perfect grace, allowing nothingto tumble off her spoon and into the folds of her lap as I often did. My friend and his

professional example

Metzger I The Manipulation Game: Doing Life in Pennsylvania

After fnshing h gh school near PhIacelphia. Dane Hamili Metzger planned to go to college but got marnedinstead, Her hLisband, invoed in a Custody battle with a prevous spouse, kiliea nis ex-w fe wore Metzger andher baby son waited in a car outsde. Metzger admitted to aiding her husband 0 hiding from police for o’er ayear before she was arrested in Boise, Idaho. In 1975 she was sentenced to life n prison for prov’ding intentionalass stance—a sentence with no chance for pa’oe under Pennsykania law Metzger has earned four cot ege degrees s nce entering prison. In fact, toe Pennsy,vana House of Representatves ano Senate have recognized ncrfor be ng the frst woman to earn a college degree while incarcerated,Metzger narrative s unusual because t is wrtten in tne second person. The effect is strategic. heftng theweight of the narrative onto you, the reader, even though we ‘know” the narrative is about the narrator. Thenarrat,ve blends the present tense, creating a sense of urgency with past-tense verbs, establishing a senseof prolonged time. As you read this narrative, consider how Metzgers unconventional approach makes herr narrative effective.

The Manipulation Game: Doing Life inPennsylvaniaDiane Hamill Metzger

If you are serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania’s prison system, you should be well acquainted with the game I’m about to describe. If not, it’s not hard to learn. The only rules areF to have enough hope in happy endings to be gullible and want something so badly that you’llgrasp at any straw. The game is called the Manipulation Game, and this is how it goes.

You’re arrested for the crime of murder in the first or second degree. It really doesn’t matter if you did it or not, or what your degree of involvement was, because when you go to court,chances are good that you’ll be convicted. Let’s face it: Any self-respecting jury member knowsthat if the cops say you did it, you did it. So, the verdict comes in and, with it, a sentence oflife in prison, mandatory in Pennsylvania. (Either that or death—are the two any different?)And now, my friend, you are a statistic. You can never have work-release. You can never havea furlough, not even at Christmas, even though your buddy with ten to twenty for third-degreemurder (“plea-bargain murder”) just won one. You are the best player on the prison softballteam, but don’t expect to go to any away games (though those not doing life are going). Youhave earned your college degree, but don’t expect to go to graduation (although the baby-killerwith ten to twenty went to hers). Your mate mat’ be doing time in another prison, but don’t everexpect visits. Your whole family may die, but don’t expect to go to the funerals. But, if you’ve gotto go to court to get more time, they’ll sure let you off the prison grounds for that! Or, if you’rebreaking your back at eighteen cents an hour on the prison farm crew, that’s different! After all,

CHAPTER 8 Wnting to Narrate

professional example

you are a LIFER! That label makes you more dangerous’ more of a risk than any other kind ofprisoner—no matter what the others are here for, or plea-bargained their sentences down to.None of the good you’ve ever done, are doing, or will do will change that. If you are innocent ofthe crime, in the eyes of the state and society you are guilty. If you are guilty, the remorse youmay feel, the desire to change your life around—they don’t matter, either. You owe time to thestate. An infinite time. In Pennsylvania, that time amounts to an average of twenty-three years,usually more. The average is going up, and the slogan “Life means life” is becoming a chillingreality. As a Pennsylvania lifer, you are now four times more likely to die in prison than to everbe released. After all, by taking your life and turning it into a living death, the state and societywill give meaning to the life of your alleged victim: an eye for an eye, a tragedy for a tragedyright? You begin to consider taking drastic measures—maybe suicide, maybe escape, maybe adescent into madnessBut wait! They tell you that you have hope. Your lawyer can put in an appeal with thePennsylvania Superior Court. So you waitYou’ve been in prison seven years now. Your appeal has been denied. But wait! They tellyou that your appeal can go to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and you can win a new trial.So you wait ... You really want to do the right thing now, You have patience.You’ve been in prison for nine years now. They say the wheels of justice grind slowly. Youheard from your lawyer today: Your appeal was denied. It’s time to look at alternatives, drasticalternatives. But wait! They tell you not to be a fool. You have nine years in, nine “good” years.File a P.C.R.A. fPost Conviction Relief Acti! Get back into court. So you do; you have a hearingand you wait

You’ve been in prison for twelve years now. Oh yeah, ‘our P.C.R.A. was denied some timeback. Thoughts of taking your future back enter your mind ... But wait! They tell you to file forcommutation of sentence with the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, So you begin the long, soul-killing process of applying for clemency.Your case was heard by the Board of Pardons for the second time. You were denied again.You look back on your fourteen years you’ve wasted, years you can never get back ... But wait!Don’t be a fool, they tell you. You’ve put in fourteen years now, and it would be crazy to throwthem all away. You’re always turned down for commutation the first couple of times. Try againin another couple of years. So you wait

You’ve been in prison eighteen years now. You’ve been denied by the Board of Pardons forthe third and fourth times. This has gone far enough; it’s time to do things your way now. Butwait. They ask you how you could even consider throwing away eighteen years. Try commutation again in a couple of years. When you have twenty years in, you’ll have a real good shot. Soyou wait

You’ve been in prison twenty years now. The Board of Pardons denied you again. They wantmore fime out of you. After all, you’re asking for mercy. When you first came to prison, the average

Metzger / The Manipulation Game: Doing Life in Pennsylvania

time done on a life sentence was between eleven and fifteen years; it’s almost double that now.You’ve done all that was expected of you, and more, but they’ve kept changing the rules on you.Maybe you’re too tired to think of alternatives now ,.. but no, damn it, you’ve had enough. Butwait! Twentvvears! You’re almost there, they tell you. Don’t throw it all away! So you waitHow long do you wait? When should the waiting end? At seven years, fifteen years, twentyyears? Your children are grown now. Your parents have passed away. Everything out there haschanged, and you’re just too damned tired and empty to start all over again, and maybe too oldThe manipulation game is an insidious game. Its perpetrators are those in power, maybeeven your own family and friends play their parts, and the object of the game is to dangle ther carrot, that hope of freedom, endlessly, until with each passing year it seems more and morefoolish to risk blowing the time you have accumulated, the time you have wastedHope is a beautiful thing, fyou are one of the very few lucky ones in this game of politicalroulette and you make it out. But if hope turns out to be fruitless, then it becomes destructive—a tool used by the vicious to control the helpless.Tell me, where do you draw the line?1994, State Correctional Institute MuncyMuncy, Pennsylvania

Analyzing the Situation1. Who is the “they” to whom Metzger refers? What role do ‘they” play in the narrative? Inwhat ways do “they” take on the role of antagonist?2. Who is Metzger’s audience? What is her purpose in addressing this audience? How doyou know?

Analyzing the Rhetoric1. In the opening paragraph, Metzger acknowledges that she is the narrator, but at thesame time, she creates a hypothetical situation: “If you are serving a life sentence” Howdoes Metzger use point of view to bring the audience into the narrative?2. What role does location play in this narrative? As you think about location, notice thatMetzge does not locate herself in prison or as a participant in the game. In fact, If youhad not read that information in the headnote, the narrative would not have revealedthose details about the narrator,

3. Metzger strategically uses the retort “But wait!” throughout the narratie. What functiondoes it serve? Notice that n the retort of “But wait!” the exclamation point is replacedwith a period later in the narrative. How does this small change in punctuaton alter thetone of the retort?

— — -

CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

professional example

Discussing

1. In the second paragraph, Metzger writes. Ether that or death—are the two any different? What effect does this statement elicit? Why do ycu suppose tetzger made thisstatement so earI n the narrative and wnv is it made n parentheses? in groups, dscussthe role of this parenthet cal in the overall narrative.

2. The first-person pronoun is absent from the narrative after the first paragraph. repacedby the rhetorical deflection of ‘you,” shifting the point of view from the narrator to the aud.ence. As that audience, how do you respord to this strategy?

3. Metzger concludes the narrative with a single question. What is the effect of this conclusion? What is her final appeal? As a class, discuss Metzgers concluding statement.

Writing

1. Metzger interiects statistical information into the narrative at a point of high emotionalfrustration. Think about how that information works to provide ethos. Think, too, abouthow that ethos is strategically provided at a moment of strong appeal to pathos, Write ananalysis of Metzger’s use of logos and pathos.

2. Notice how often Metzger uses ellipses in her writing. In some ways, we might read thesentences that end with ellipses as indicative of the oblective of the narrative. Are thesesentences like Metzger’s prison sentence? Does writing a sentence like this aid in thenarrative’s purpose? Write a response to Metzger’s essay addressing her repetitive use ofellipses.

3. How does Metzger’s narrative make you feel? Write a response to Metzger explaininghow her narrative affected you.

three examples

/r

David P. Bardeen,“Uves; Not CloseEnough for Comfort”

Summer Woods, “A

athern

State of

To tell a story of personal growthand to use that story to connectwith readers and therr situations.

The writer provides details aboutdifferent perceptions, behaviors,and conversations.

Diane Hamill Metzger, “TheManipulation Game: DoingLife in Pennsylvania”

S1DES1DE Each of the three examples narrates differently: Bardeen narrates a personal and difficult event, Woods recounts experiences of personal identity, and Metzger tells a frustrating story of power. Each takes a differentapproach, but each successfully draws readers into the narration. Consider how each writer uses narration toward an overall agenda.

professional example

lb share a personal storythrough which readers mightconnect to their own situations.

To express frustration, to informreaders about a diftlcult situation,and to invite readers to sharethose feelings of frustration.

PURPOSE

AUDIENCE

PARTICIPANTS

DIALOGUE

LOCATION

PLOT/ACTION!CONFLICT

Readers of The New York Times Other college students. A general audience.Magazine.

The writec the writer’s twin The writer “Southerners,” the The wrfter the prison institution,brother, and the writer’s friends, writer’s friends, and the grand- and the reader.parents of the writer’s friend.

[Dialogue is central to this narra- The writer uses some dialogue The writer does not use anytive. The narrative itself is about at the end of the narrative to de- direct dialogue, though the nara dialogue, and the writer uses scribe a particular situation within rative is constructed so the writerdirectdialoguetodetailaspectflc thenarrative, appearstobespeakingtothesituation.reader

An unnamed restaurant fri an The South, specifically Florida Prison in Pennsylvania locationunnamed city; specific location is and South Carolina; location is is central to the narrative.irrelevant to the narrative, central to the narrative.The narrative is about a personal The narrative relates an indMdu- The narrative centers on a con-conflict within the writer as well al’s active learning about distinc- flict between an individual and anas the tension between the writer tions of perception. institution.and his twin brother

POINT OFVIEW

DETAIL

The narrative is written from the The narrative is written from the The narrative is written from thewriter’s perspective, writer’s perspective, writer’s perspective but is writtenin the second person to force theperspective onto the reader.

The writer provides details aboutthe difficulties of the situation andabout conversations that contribute to that situation.

The writer provides detailsabout the passing of time andthe institutional processes thatoccupy that time. These detailscontribute to the overall sense offrustration the writer expresses.

127

epare8.3 Use the elements of narration in your writing

=K!!:=!r=!!f!Purpose How you use all of the other elements of narration depends on your purpose—why

you are telling the story. Purpose drives all other elements.Partic4,ants The participants may be the people involved in your story, but can also be animals,

plants, cyborgs, computers, chemicals, or anything. You, as narrator, may bea participant. Sometimes, a participant may be kept largely in the background,an invisible presence that still affects actions. Provide enough detail about eachcharacter for the audience to understand the role of the participant.

Believability Readers need to visualize or imagine the participants so they become believable.A strong way to portray participants is through their actions. Excessive details,especially without actions, can overburden an audience; lack of details can leave anaudience unsure why the participant is Included, Dialogue between participants canbring characters to life and strengthen their effect in the story.

Descriptiop Descriptions are the narrative’s details about the characters, the location, dialogue,the action, or other information that enhances the story.

Settjng A narrative’s location includes the place where the events occur, the time they occur,and anything else that contributes to the “scene” of the narrative, like the weatheror sounds. Description is important here, Location can also be revealed through theactions of participants.

Protagonist and The protagonist is the primary participant in a narrative. Any force with which theantagonist protagonist has conflict is the antagonist. The action of the narrative moves towardthe resolution of the conflict.

Action Your audience should be able to follow the events from the beginning (introduction)through the action of the narrative (body) to the resolution (conclusion). The mainaction begins once the protagonist encounters an antagonist, revealing the problemor conflict that must then be resolved. The turning point of the narrative is the climax,the moment when the protagonist acts on the solution to the conflict.

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8,4 Put into practice strategies for writing narration

Test your narratives action

Avoid excessive orirrelevant details

Select backgroundinformation

V Choose a point of viewand use it consistently

Use time indicators

Choose an organizational

strategy to create a senseof time

wf

Use transitional words

Use tense consistently

Use narratives to open orclose a nonnarrative pieceof writing

Use anecdotes to supportyour purpose

Respond

Ask: So what? So what if this action happens? What noes this action have to do withthe situation?

Determine which details can be omitted by considering them in terms of the purposeof the narrative, its role in the larger situation, and who the audience is.Your selections will be largely based on the audiences familiarity with the situationand on the context you want to create for your purpose.First person. Allows you to include personal details and reactions that could not beknown by anyone except the narrator and gives a sense of immediate experience.Second person. Second-person narratives provide writers with the opportunity todirect their narratives at an audience in such a way as to include the audience as aparticipant in the narrative.Third person. Can allow you to show how different characters in the narrativerespond or feel and can suggest a sense of distance or objectivity that can be readas authoritative.

Examples include yesterday three months latet Monday at 10:15 am. Embed timeindicators in text or use them as headings.Chronological order. Tells events in order, beginning to end. Where to begin andend should be determined based on the requirements of the situation, purpose, andaudience.Reverse chronological order. Works backward through events. Often used toemphasize why the narrative is tied to the current moment.Flashback. A leap backward to an eartier event. Can be used to show relevantevents that occurred before the events of the primary narrative, adding layers ofdepth and nuance.Flash forward. A leap forward to a future event. Allows audience to see results ofevents in the narrative.

Careful placement of words such as first, next, then, following, meanwhile, finallyeventually, and previously can guide your audience through the narrative.Past tense is typically used to recount events that have already occurred over eitherlong or short periods of time. Present tense can be used to narrate short events andtends to suggest a sense of intensity and rapid succession,Eeginning with a narrative is a good way to get an audience’s attention or to establishyour position within a situation. Ending narratives can serve as examples of your keypoints or highlight the points you have previously established.Anecdotes, short narratives that relate interesting or pertinent details of an event,typically describe personal expenences and recount real-life events.

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CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

professional example

Raymond Queneau book Exercises in Style argues that a story can be told countless ways and still convey thesame information, To prove this point, Queneau tells a single, two-paragraph story 99 different ways. Artist MattMadden, intrigued by Queneaus project, attempts to show how a vsual story can be told in different ways. Hisnook 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style offers 99 one-page comics, all telling the same story from differentpoints of view, Two of Madden’s 99 versions are shown here. Notice how the perspective shfts in the second version, “Subjective.” After viewing them, take a moment to think of other was the story could be drawn or told,

Version 1: ‘Template”

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Version 2: ‘Subjective”

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Writing Projects jjjLiteracy NarrativesA literacy narrative is a specialized type of personal narrative that tells a story aboutone’s experiences with reading, writing, and other knowledge areas. Most often, a literacy narrative focuses on one or two significant events in a person’s life that affectwhat he or she thinks about reading and writing. When writing a literacy narrative,consider the following guidelines.

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Guideline What You Can DoBe honest with yourself You do not have to preach about the wonders of reading and writing. Sometimes readingand your audience, and writing can be hard, tedious, boring, tiresome, or time consuming, and it OK to sayso. Remembe the literacy narrative is an analysis of why you might think of reading andwriting as you do.

Set realistic expectations. Don’t feel trapped by the expectation that you should have had a literacy-based, life-changing experience; most of us haven’t. Your literacy events may be common or familiar,for example, some routine thing that happened last week. They might be about educationalexperiences—like a teacher who had an effect on you—or about a nonschool-related event.Literacy narratives may also consider l[teracy in math, computers, art, and others.Focus. Don’t try to write about all of your experiences. Focus on one or two specific events anddescribe them in detail, particularly when, where, why, and how they unfolded, explainingtheir relevancy.

Analyze. Do more than tell the story In addition, analyze how the event affected you and explainhow such events shape our thinking about reading and writing (or other literacies). Agood literacy narrative leaves the audience wanting to respond and engage. and it makesconnections.

Be flexible, There is no one right way to write a literacy narrative. Craft your narrative to fit the objectivesof the story you plan to tell. Consider how your narrative might benefit from approachesother than the typical academic essay (but confirm your plans with your teacher first>.

Writing ProjectsEssaySelect a significant, funny, traumatic, terrifying, eye-opening, or pointless event inyour life and write a narrative about it. Be sure to explain the details of the event andits relevance.

Literacy NarrativeWrite a literacy narrative, a specialized personal narrative that tells a story about yourexperiences with reading, writing, and other knowledge areas. Focus on one or two

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CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

events through which you learned about your own relationship with—and value of,perhaps even power of—reading, writing, and visuals. Be sure to provide details ofthose events, and explain to your readers what you learned from those events andwhat they might learn.

VisualWrite a narrative explaining what happened, is happening, or will happen next in thefollowing image. Be sure to analyze the image carefully, especially in terms of situation, culture, identity, institution, and power. Pay particular attention to the point ofview from which you write the narrative.

DigitalAs digital technologies become increasingly more widespread and accessible, “digitalstorytelling” is evolving as a new form of narrative. Digital storytelling is like any otherform of narrative, except that stories are recorded using various media and multimedia technologies and then posted on media sharing sites like Vimeo and Youlube.Some digital stories incorporate video; others use only audio (a podcast, for example). These narratives can be nonlinear, hypertextual, and even interactive. They often include video, animation, photographs, music, sounds, text, and voice-overs. Forthis assignment, write and produce a two- to three-minute digital narrative using anydigital tools you choose. Make the completed project available publically by uploading it to a media sharing site.

Visual Narratives

ResearchWe come to know about many events and situations through narratives. In manycases, those narratives may conflict depending on point of view, speaker/writer, purpose, relations, and ecologies of the narrative, especially if they tell different storiesabout the same event. For this assignment, conduct some research to identify anevent about which you could write more than one narrative. Write a short summaryof at least two of the differing narratives. Then use both narratives to piece together asingle, comprehensive narrative.

Radical RevisionFor this assignment, first write a narrative about a particular recent situation in whichr you have found yourself. Pay particular attention to how you provide details about thesituation and the events. Then, using a series of still visuals—photographs, drawings,cutouts, etc.—retell the narrative using only these images, no captions or text. Focus onmaintaining the flow of the narrative and on keeping the style of the narrative consistent.

Visual Narratives 8.6 Use vsudIsn narratives andVisual components can enhance a narrative, and visuals, themselves, can narrate. Nar- as narra5vesratives often have visual characteristics; for example, through description and action,you “show” your audience what happened, encouraging them to visualize the details.Writers also incorporate visuals such as graphics into their narrations or use visualsV alone to narrate. Consider the following ways in which your narration could be visual.• %Triting as visual. Good narratives move readers to visualize what is being described. Narratives that show readers are likely to be more powerful than narratives that tell readers. Consider this brief passage from Willie North’s 1967 memoirNorth Toward Home:

One afternoon in late August, as the summer’s sun streamed into thecar and made little jumping shadows on the windows, I sat gazing outat the tenement-dwellers, who were themselves looking out of theirwindows from the gray crumbling buildings along the tracks of upper Manhattan. As we crossed into the Bronx, the train unexpectedlyslowed down for a few miles. Suddenly from out of my window I sawa large crowd near the tracks, held back by two policemen. Then, onthe other side from my window, I saw a sight I would never be able toforget: a little boy almost severed in halves, lying at an incredible anglenear the track. The ground was covered with blood, and the boy’s eyeswere opened wide, strained and disbelieving in his sudden oblivion. Apoliceman stood next to him, his arms folded, staring straight aheadat the windows of our train. In the orange glow of late afternoon thepolicemen, the crowd, the corpse of the boy were for a brief moment

CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

immobile, motionless, a small tableau to violence and death in the

city. Behind me. in the next row of seats, there was a game of bridge. I

heard one of the four men say as he looked out at the sight, “God, that’s

horrible.” Another said, in a whisper, ‘Terrible, terrible.” There was a

momentary silence, punctuated only by the clicking of wheels on thetrack. Then, after the pause, I heard the first man say: ‘Two hearts.”

• Text as visual. Even written forms of narrative are intended to be seen, and theirvisual design and material delivery can affect the narrative itself. Consider, forinstance, typographical choices, spacing, and paper.

• Visuals used to clarify or enhance. An image might clarify a difficult-to-explainmoment or enhance its power. For example, when describing events, news mediainclude images that not only convey details but also shape audiences’ interpretations. But just because you can include a visual doesn’t mean you should, Sometimes, not providing a visual might be more powerful than including one.

• Visuals that narrate without writing. A single image or a series of images cannarrate events without words. Some forms of art such as cave paintings or medieval tapestries and paintings relied on narrative elements to tell visual stories.

• Visuals combined with text to create a single narration. This type of visual writ

ing relies on both the words and the image. Comics are a great example because

a worded comic relies on image and text to tell a story. The following example is

taken from Phoebe Gloeckner’s book The Diary ofa Teenage Girl: An Account in

Words and Pictures. The book uses a narrative comic format of text and images to

tell a detailed story of Minnie Goetz, a 15-year-old girl living in San Francisco.

11

Visual Narratives

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CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

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Visuat Narratives

Writing ProcessGUIDELINES

Use the guidelines in this chart to plan, review, and evaluate your process for writing. Each step in the process should support the overallpurpose of your project.

SITUATE• Understand your reasons for using narration.• Consider how narration will account for players.• Understand how relations affect what you can

and can’t narrate.• Identify how your narrative will be limited by

constraints.• Distinguish the role of location in the narration.• Recognize the speakers or writers and their

use of narration.• Identify and analyze how to use narration to

reach your audiences.• Consider what genres, media, and methods

might best convey your narration.• Acknowledge how various institutions and

power affect your narration.• Consider the ecological relationships your

narration will create,

PLAN• Confirm your reason for using

narration.• Clarify your purpose in r,ar

rating.• Consider your form of narra

tive response to the situation.• Understand the purpose of

your narration.• Consider what might be the

best genre, media, andmethod to deliver thenarration.

• Analyze what you know aboutthe situation and what youneed to discover before narrating.

• egin to take notes.

RESEARCH• Determine what kind of

information you will needand the best ways to locatethat information.

• Conduct research to gatherthe information you need.

• Confirm that your researchwill be valid within the situation.

• Identify any visuals you mayneed.

• Organize your information.• Evaluate your information

in light of the situation andyour purpose to determine ifyou need to conduct furtherresearch.

DRAFT• Confirm that narration will

accomplish your purpose.• Draft and organize the

content of your narrative.• Employ the visual pro

cess to develop any visuals your narrative requires.

• Design your narrative.

EDIT• Proofread carefully.• Correct all mechanical and

grammatical errors.

DISTRIBUTE/CIRCULATE

REVIEW AND REVISE• Review your narrative for clarity and concision.• Review your narrative for accuracy.• Review your narrative for degree of detail appropriate to the situation and purpose.• Review your narrative for extraneous Information.• Review your narrative for organizational approach.• Review your narrative for explanations of key terms.• Review your narrative for style appropriate to the situation.• Confirm your research and citations.• Review your narrative for visual effectiveness and readability.• Consider revising the title to most accurately reflect your narrative’s purpose.

EVALUATE• Seek feedback from peers (take advantage of peer editing opportunities),• Self-evaluate.• Ask for feedback from a representative member of the target audience.• Ask for feedback from an editor with whom you are confindent.• Evaluate the usefulness of any feedback you receive and revise accordingly.

• Consider technologies of circulation.• Publish in a form that will be visible within the situation.• Identify methods for increasing circulation (like search engine optimization) within and beyond the specific situation.• Consider audience access.• Identify possible sources of audience response.

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a

Seeking FeedbackSeeking FeedbackPeers, target audiences, and editors can offer valuable observations that will

strengthen your writing. You will encourage more constructive feedback from these

people if you structure your questions for them carefully. Consider asking these kinds

of questions to get feedback:

EVALUATION Guidelines1’

INITiAL REACTION• What are your iflitlal reactions (o this narrative?• What do you see as its purpose?• What are the strengths oIthe narrative? Theweaknesses?

• Does the narration hold your interest?•What main thing could the wrLterd toimproveThejiarrative?- a a

aSJATION• Who io you think tNs narrative is written 1or and• Does the narrative fulfill Its Øurpose e1factlvey?• Has the writer explained all that heeds tube explained?

READABILITY‘boss the title nspresent the narrative?• Dkyou understand the narrative? ifnot, why nOt?• What organizational strategy does the writeruse?• Could you follow the organization and how theevents unfold?

- a—a — aCONTENT-• Does the narrative make sense7

-thaharrative purpose leai *

--. £)oes The writer prolde necessaiy Infomiatlontaiipport the purpose?• Does the piece contain unnecessaryraxtranebus information?-•Whatdetailsstancfoutforyou?•Hoviisigueused,andisiteffective?Whyorwhy-not?

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CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

SummaryTo narrate is to recount, to give an account of an event or events, essentially, to tell a story.Narratives can be told from first-, second-, or third-person points of view. All narratives haveparticipants, and all players have different narratives—even of the same event, though not allare given the opportunity to relate their narratives in all situations. Thus, a narrative may bealtered based on the point of view, or who is telling it. Dialogue, conversation between characters, often enhances a story.

Like any other type of writing, narratives must fulfill a purpose. They also require a setting—a place somewhere in time and space in which they take place. In this setting, somethinghas to happen and unfold in relation to a situation. How the author organizes what happens(through chronological, reverse chronological, flashback, or flash forward strategies) is crucialto accuracy, purpose, and how the audience perceives the story. Use of consistent verb tenseis key to helping the audience avoid being confused. Good narration must consider genre,purpose, location, and audience.

Short narratives such as anecdotes are useful strategies for beginning or ending anyrhetorical situation. A literacy narrative is a specialized type of personal narrative that tellsa story about the writer’s experiences with reading and writing (including visual and audiomedia>. Visual components can enhance a narrative, and visuals, themselves, can benarrative.

Chapter Review1. What are the objectives of narration?

2. Why is narration applicable to nearly every rhetorical situation?

3. Why is knowing the purpose of your narrative crucial?

4. Who are the characters in a narrative, and what function do they serve?

5. Why might you include dialogue in a narrative?

6. Why is location important in a narrative, and how does a narrative help establish locationin a rhetoncal situation?

7. In what ways are narration and description similar?

8. What is the role of conflict in writing narratives?

9. How should you determine what details to include and what details to leave out of yournarrative?

10. What are some advantages and disadvantages of using the different forms of point ofview when writing a narrative?

11. Explain four possible strategies for organizing narratives.

12. How can your choice of verb tense affect your narrative?

13. Why are your choices of transitions important when writing a narrative?

[I,Thinking and Writing about the Chapter14. What s an anecdote? How can it be used in other genres of writing?15. What is the purpose of a literacy narrative?16. Identity four ways in which visuals can be important to narrative.

Thinking and Writing about the ChapterReflectionNow that you have learned more about writing narratives, look back at the narration you wrote

for the prompt at the beginning of this chapter. Revise the narration based on what you have

learned from the chapter and your class,

Discussion ThreadWhy are narratives important? What role do they clay in participation in a rhetorical situation?

How do narratives work, specifically, as a form of participation? Take some time to discuss the

function and role of narratives.

Collaboration1. As a class, watch the 1989 Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train. Then,

in small groups, collaborate to write a summary of the movie, explaining how the various points of view and narrative threads support an overarching account of what happens.2. Work in groups of two or three to write a collaborative narrativedescribing what happened in your class last week. As you work,you might want to consider how screenwriting teams or creatorsof advertising collaborate. Think about how the collaboration willaffect the point of view, the consensus, and the tone of the narration. Once all groups in your class have completed these narratives, share them and discern how they describe moments ofconsensus and moments of disagreement regarding the classroom events. Compare how various groups describe the classand the events that took place.

Writing1. Flash fiction—also known as sudden fiction, rnicrotiction, skinny

fiction, furious fiction, or postcard fiction—is a form of writingthat challenges writers to compose narratives within a prescribed word limit. Althoughflash fiction is typically limited to fewer than a thousand words, many writers set limits of100 words, 50 words, or even fewer, Ernest Hemingway once wrote a sixword short story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” In 2006, Wired magazine

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CHAPTER 8 Writing to Narrate

challenged dozens of well-known writers to wnte six-word stories of tOeir own. Wrrteyour own six-word narrative about what you did today and create a visual to depict it. Consider these examples of flash fiction from Wired to help you get started.Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket, — William ShatnerAutomobile warranty expires. So does engine. —Stan LeeWith bloody hands, I say good-bye—Frank MillerGown removed carelessly. Head, less so. —Joss WhedonThree to Iraq. One came back. —Graeme Gioson

2. Go back to the literacy narrative you wrote for this chapters project and use either images(photographs, drawingsl you have made yourself or images taken from other sources tocreate a visual literacy narrative. The medium for delivery (still or moving images) is centralto this prolect.

3. Survival stories make popular narratives, Using a search engine, search for “survivorsstories” or search on a common theme such as survivor stories for Holocaust survivors,9/11 cancer survivors, natural disaster survivors, military survivors, or school cafeteriasurvivors, After choosing three or four narratives, read and analyze them. Write an assessment of their similarities and differences.

Local SituationWhat narratives about issues on your campus or in your community need to be told? Considernot only narratives about positive things that happen around your campus and community butalso those that expose the negative. Consider the power of narrative to lead to change or acknowledgment. Select a local event or issue, and write the narrative that tells that story.