NARRATIVE ESSAY ASSESSMENT

11th grade English – Rhetoric
Lippman
NARRATIVE ESSAY

The Narrative Essay is due on October 8 or 9th.

I would like you to write a 3-5 page narrative essay. Remember, a narrative is a story. You have to tell a story. About yourself. It has to be true. Or, it has to read authentically. By this I mean, you can’t write a story about dragons and warlocks who rule the land.

The narrative must be a triptych. A triptych is a piece of art that has three parts. Here are the three parts.

1. The Set Up.
In the set up I want you to establish place, time, persona, voice. Where does the story take place? Who are the players? What is the situation? Be as descriptive and evocative as possible.

2. The Transformative Moment (private).
This is the moment in the narrative in which the speaker, you, has some realization—big or small—that re-defines in some way your sense of self, your vision of the world. You must ruminate on how your perspective on “things” has changed. You must discuss, describe and explore this change. Be as descriptive and evocative as possible.

3. The Universal Moment (public).
This is the moment in which you discuss your new knowledge, your new found realization and how it may play out in the public sector. How does/has what you have “seen” in yourself effect those around you, yourself. And, how might you take what you have learned about yourself to do some “good” in the world. Be as descriptive and evocative as possible.

The Narrative Essay is due on October 8/9.

Honors Component: Write a poem about your transformative moment. Go nuts.