The Narrative

Essay

What is a Narrative Essay?

• A written account of a true story about something significant in the writer’s life.

Book-Length Examples: • The Diary of Anne Frank

• A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

• The Story of my Life (by Helen Keller)

What is the Purposeof Narrative Writing?

• To Express or Share (Communicate)

• To Entertain

• To Reveal Ourselves to Ourselves

• To Reveal Ourselves to Others

• To fill the need for intimacy or nontrivial human contact

Elements of Narrative Writing

• Plot

• Theme

• Setting

• Characters

• Conflict

• Voice

Finding a Topic for Your Narrative Essay

• Moments of enlightenment or coming to knowledge: understanding jealousy for the first time, seeing a truth you had previously overlooked

• Passages from one realm to the next: from innocence to experience, from outside to insider, from enemy to friend

• Confrontation with the unknown: with people or situations that challenged or threatened your values or identity

• Moments of crisis

• Problems with people

• Problem accepting limitations and necessities

• Lessons Learned

Presentation by Kim Groninga

List on slide 5 from Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing