[English 101 Sample Assignment #1b]
Tracy Sangster
In Unit I we will read several examples of memoirs, and we will discuss how writers create meaning and value through the transcription of and reflection upon their personal experience. Now you will create your own mini-memoir in order to explore the meaning of an experience in your own life.
ASSIGNMENT
Choose a favorite memory from your childhood and write a descriptive account of that memory. This description should be reflective: it should illustrate a particular value of yours. You don’t necessarily have to know what that value is when you start the essay. Use the act of writing to help you discover the meaning of the experience.
Purpose: In this essay, I want you to start flexing your writer’s muscles. I want you to develop your own sense of authority as a writer. After all, who is a better authority on your own life than you? Writing about your own experience is the first step to building confidence for writing on other topics that you may be less familiar with. As Patricia Hampl states, “Memory possesses authority for the fearful self in a world where it is necessary to have authority in order to Question Authority.”
Audience: Assume that your audience are strangers to you. You should use descriptive language to draw them into your essay and make them care about your experience.
Hints for an Excellent Paper:
Format: 750-1000 words (4-5 pages), typed and double spaced.
FIRST DRAFT DUE IN CLASS 9/12: Bring copies for everyone in your group.
FINAL DRAFT DUE TO ME 9/17.
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