Discipline Literacy Narrative and Media Redesign
2-3 Pages
MLA Format
A personal narrative is a great assignment that allows you, as storytellers, to have a good deal of freedom. For this assignment, you should tell the story of one of your literacies that led you to your major and how media impacted this decision. For example, did your affinity for learning languages lead you to majoring in Global Studies? Did hours of playing Minecraft inspire you to become a civil engineer? Did your literacy with numbers convince you that Math is the right discipline for you? Did CNN or Fox News help inspire you to become a journalism or poli-sci major? Find your own literacy and consider how it helped you choose where you wish to go in life. The goal of this assignment is to tell the story of how you found the right major for you or how you are still searching but you know you are literate in a specific way.
Remember that this is first and foremost a narrative. You are telling us a story. Give descriptive details to make the story come alive. Have a consistent point of view. Above all, find the answer to this question in your essay: Why does this story matter? If you have any questions or want to discuss your narrative with me, feel free to ask after class or meet with me during office hours.
Purpose and Audience: Remember that your audience will be me and the peers within your drafting group. Personal narratives allow you to share your life others and allow your readers to live through your experience. In writing this narrative, you will potentially learn things about yourself that allow you to reflect on your discipline and your life. A good story makes people feel something. Allow yourself to be funny, dramatic, or put people on edge. You are a storyteller.
Structure: The five-paragraph essay will not work for this assignment as it is a narrative. The most common structures are: chronological approach, flashback sequence, and reflective mode. Select one that best fits the story you are telling. Feel free to combine these structures as this assignment asks for some reflection on what you find out about yourself. As you are telling your own story, using of the first person “I” is permissible. Try to make your narrative more dynamic by using dialogue when appropriate. If dialogue does not fit with your narrative, then do not force it in. Make sure to choose a point of view and to stick with it. Pay attention to your use of tenses. Consider how present vs. past tense might influence your message and overall tone of your piece. Lastly, make sure your narrative has a central tone. The tone of your narrative should set up an overall feeling. Think about what you are trying to get across to your reader. How do you want your audience to feel when they finish your piece? Careful word choice can help achieve the appropriate effect.
