The Personal Narrative Essay
Window 2 of the curriculum in English Language calls for the Personal Narrative Essay as an area of emphasis. Below are some explanatory points defining the expectation and how it aligns to the Narrative standard that students are expected to meet. It is to be stressed that although the “On Demand” assessment is personal narrative, creative fiction can still be utilized as a tool for producing and improving writing and the writing process is still critical
What does a Personal narrative contain:
• Personal point of view (I, me, my, mine)
• An actual event(s) or memory(ies) of the writer
• The focus is driven by the ending of narrative
• The writer expresses a strong feeling or emotion as a result of the event(s)
• The writer expresses what he/she learned as a result of the event(s)
• The writer expresses what he/she accomplished as a result of the event(s)
Narrative writing indeed tells a story. For a personal narrative, it is a reflection or exploration of important events that have happened in a writer’s life. This writing reflects the values of the author. These stories can reflect:
· An experience from the past or present
· An ongoing experience in their lives
· Something that happened to someone else such as a close friend or grandparent.
Vocabulary Associated with Personal Narrative:
· narrative – tells a story
· characters – person/persons in a story
· setting – place where the story happens
· plot – sequence of events involving characters in conflict situations
· point of view – perspective from which the story is told
· theme – moral or big idea of the story
· dialogue – conversation between two or more people
· main event – most significant part of the story
· details – supporting information to elaborate on plot, characters, setting, etc.
· suspense – story tension that keeps the reader engaged
In addition to telling the story, it also reflects what was learned.
Identify the experience you want to write about.
Think about the significance of the experience.
Brainstorm all the details of the experience
· People involved (characters)
· Place it happened (setting)
· Sequence of events (plot)
· Lesson Learned (moral of the story or theme)
Outline or use a concept web or map and extend the details of these bullet points.
· Recreate the events by using descriptions of characters, events and settings.
· Use descriptive figurative language and sensory words
· Show the readers, don’t tell them. The smallest details can be the most important.
These examples are pulled from various personal narratives and memoirs. They are examples of how to develop setting, character, and dialogue in the personal narrative. Some of them were used as openers to the personal narrative and others were used to elaborate on specific incidents.
· Adequately introduces and develops characters and setting/establishes event sequence
· Adequate use of Narrative techniques such as dialogue and pacing to develop *(point of view), experiences, events and characters
Examples of setting developed in the Personal Narrative:
Example 1
The scent of pine from the tree hung over the living room. Heaps of shredded wrapping paper lay strewn across the Oriental rug. The ornaments and lights on the tree sparkled cheerily, while outside the sky was a dull whitish gray. Through the window we could see the bare trees shivering and bending in the wind outside. Leaning against the wall behind the festive Christmas tree was a long, thin package wrapper in brown paper. It was the last present yet to be opened and scrawled on the brown paper was my name.
Example 2
I touch the bitter cold knob of Grandma’s front door. I open it and go right to the heart of the house. It’s where Grandma’s heart is, too. I walk in to see the cream-colored walls and dark brown cupboards filled with 100-year old tools. They are not your tools, but the ones that Grandma uses. The ones she uses to fill your stomach, and puts her heart into. They are her cooking tools in the small kitchen. The kitchen is at least 40 years old with its beige Frigidaire and ancient oven. Despite all of the newer appliances she prefers the ones with character.
Examples of Character developed in personal narratives:
Example 1
She’s coming, I thought to myself. Lean, tall, bleached blonde hair, long flawless nails, fluorescent makeup, wild conspicuous cheetah print outfit, pearly white long buckteeth, heavy makeup, and about 160 pounds was walking over to me. Her perfume was so intense that I could taste it.
Example 2
Grandpa is the king of the sea. He is always relaxed and calm, ready to fish. He may be old, but he’s always ready to pull in that thirty pounder. Grandpa will sit for hours patiently waiting for a bite. I admire those big calloused and scratched hands that have done so much; and the head with not too much hair left on top. Going fishing with Grandpa is always so much fun if you can learn to be patient.
Examples of Dialogue developed in personal narratives:
Example 1
She was turning eight; I was seven. As we walked out the door onto the playground, Rachel suggested we play house. Of course, we had to agree with her; it was her birthday.
“With animals?’ someone asked.
“Yeah. Let’s go down to the bottom of the hill.” We ran down the slope, Maggie and I in the led. At the bottom Rachel noticed the red wintergreen berries.
“We can eat the berries and pretend they’re food and medicine.”
“They’re okay to eat?” Izzie questioned.
“Sure. “ My mom said so, “ Rachel replied.
Example 2
“Dad? There’s a scorpion on the wall!”
“Sure Dunan,” he replied with a smile.
“Really, there is.”
“Okay, okay, I’lll come over,” he replied with another smile, and a sigh. Then I pointed to it, and sure enough, it was a scorpion climbing up our bedroom wall. My dad picked up a sandal and gave it one big WHACK!