iscuss Response 1 

Instructions for WWI Email:

• Send me an email at asherj@macomb.edu before class on Thursday (follow proper format/etiquette)

• Include WWI in your subject line

• Include a sentence or two from your Reflection Essay or Response 1 that contained mechanical errors (CS, Run On, Mid Mod, Awkward, etc.) and that you are not entirely sure how to fix. Write these sentences as they originally (incorrectly) appeared in your essay.

• Optional: we can not cover all of your mechanical concerns in one class period, but if you can think of another issue that you'd like me to address (now or in the future), please explain share this with me.

Exploring An Event: WOW ch. 5

"It isn't necessarily what happens that is momentous--it's what happens as a result of the event. What did you learn? How did you change?" (85)

"Perhaps the event gave you insight into the type of person you want to be. It might have enlightened you intellectually, or it might have made you stronger. Some events change us immediately, while others affect us more gradually" (85).

Conventions of a Narrative

• tells a story
• uses the conventions of storytelling: plot, character, setting, climax, and ending
• or, in some genres, it is organized thematically (in either case, it must have some understandable sequence)
• relates conflict of some sort
• told from a defined point of view (usually the author's)
• relates events that are important in your life or that have a profound effect on you
• blends expressive, informative, and persuasive writing
• makes a point--it can be implied or implicitly stated
• includes sensory details/ these details are carefully selected to explain, support, or embellish the story
• includes many details that relate to the main point you are trying to make
• uses vivid and precise verbs
• may use dialogue
• personalizes your experience: many people may have experienced similar situations, but what makes a narrative interesting is when it is written in a fresh, unique way
• it does more than tell about an event; it recreates it (show, don't tell)

In the next few weeks, we will read different types of narratives with different purposes, audiences, style, structure, etc.

As we continue to learn about narratives, make sure you pay attention to the various genres. That way, you'll be able to decide what genre best fits your style, topic, and purpose.

"Road Trip" by Sandeep Jauhar

genre: narrative (traditional)

Analyze Introduction: What can we tell from reading it?

-What should the introductory paragraph(s) include?

How would you describe Jauhar's writing?

Style: manner of expression; how a speaker or writer says what he/she says.

Tone: the writer's attitude toward the material and/or readers. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed, etc.

Discussion Questions:

What is Jauhar's purpose in writing this narrative? (inform, express, persuade, entertain)

Who is Jauhar's audience?

How does he tailor his essay for his audience?

How does Jauhar make this essay meaningful to his audience?

A strong narrative "shows" instead of just "tells." How does Jauhar use descriptive language and sensory details in order to personalize his experience and connect with the reader?

• Identify descriptive language and sensory details

Figurative language changes the literal meaning, to make a meaning fresh or clearer, to express complexity, to capture a physical or sensory effect, or to extend meaning. Figurative language is also called figures of speech. The most common figures of speech are these:

• A simile: a comparison of two dissimilar things using "like" or "as", e.g., "my love is like a red, red rose" (Robert Burns).

• A metaphor:a comparison of two dissimilar things which does not use "like" or "as," e.g., "my love is a red, red rose" (Lilia Melani).

• Personification: treating abstractions or inanimate objects as human, that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings, e.g., "nature wept" or "the wind whispered many truths to me."

• hyperbole: exaggeration, often extravagant; it may be used for serious or for comic effect.

In the conclusion of “Road Trip,” Jauhar states, “I was beginning to appreciate what it was going to take to make me into a doctor—into a man” (95). What does he mean by this statement, and how does he address this purpose throughout his narrative essay?

The conclusion:

What is Jauhar's technique in closing this piece?

What are we looking for in a narrative conclusion?

Jauhar's title

Essay I Instructions