16 Narrative Essay Pt. I
Kristin D Shelby
Narrative Essay
- Read an example of the narrative rhetorical mode
Rhetorical modes simply mean the ways in which we can effectively communicate through language. This chapter covers nine common rhetorical modes. As you read about these nine modes, keep in mind that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his or her purpose for writing. Sometimes writers incorporate a variety of modes in any one essay. In covering the nine modes, this chapter also emphasizes the rhetorical modes as a set of tools that will allow you greater flexibility and effectiveness in communicating with your audience and expressing your ideas.
The Purpose of Narrative Writing
Narration means the art of storytelling, and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. In addition, a narrative can be factual or fictional. A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit.
The big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer’s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount events as they actually happened, but writers of fictional stories can depart from real people and events because the writers’ intents are not to retell a real-life event. Biographies and memoirs are examples of factual stories, whereas novels and short stories are examples of fictional stories.
Tip
Because the line between fact and fiction can often blur, it is helpful to understand what your purpose is from the beginning. Is it important that you recount history, either your own or someone else’s? Or does your interest lie in reshaping the world in your own image—either how you would like to see it or how you imagine it could be? Your answers will go a long way in shaping the stories you tell.
Ultimately, whether the story is fact or fiction, narrative writing tries to relay a series of events in an emotionally engaging way. You want your audience to be moved by your story, which could mean through laughter, sympathy, fear, anger, and so on. The more clearly you tell your story, the more emotionally engaged your audience is likely to be.
Exercise 1
On a separate sheet of paper, start brainstorming ideas for a narrative. First, decide whether you want to write a factual or fictional story. Then, freewrite for five minutes. Be sure to use all five minutes, and keep writing the entire time. Do not stop and think about what to write.
The following are some topics to consider as you get going:
- Childhood
- School
- Adventure
- Work
- Love
- Family
- Friends
- Vacation
- Nature
- Space
The Structure of a Narrative Essay
Major narrative events are most often conveyed in chronological order, the order in which events unfold from first to last. Stories typically have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and these events are typically organized by time. Certain transitional words and phrases aid in keeping the reader oriented in the sequencing of a story. Some of these phrases are listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time”.
Table 10.1 Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time
| after/afterward |
as soon as |
at last |
before |
| currently |
during |
eventually |
meanwhile |
| next |
now |
since |
soon |
| finally |
later |
still |
then |
| until |
when/whenever |
while |
first, second, third |
The following are the other basic components of a narrative:
- Plot. The events as they unfold in sequence.
- Characters. The people who inhabit the story and move it forward. Typically, there are minor characters and main characters. The minor characters generally play supporting roles to the main character, or the protagonist.
- Conflict. The primary problem or obstacle that unfolds in the plot that the protagonist must solve or overcome by the end of the narrative. The way in which the protagonist resolves the conflict of the plot results in the theme of the narrative.
- Theme. The ultimate message the narrative is trying to express; it can be either explicit or implicit.
Writing at Work
When interviewing candidates for jobs, employers often ask about conflicts or problems a potential employee has had to overcome. They are asking for a compelling personal narrative. To prepare for this question in a job interview, write out a scenario using the narrative mode structure. This will allow you to troubleshoot rough spots, as well as better understand your own personal history. Both processes will make your story better and your self-presentation better, too.
Exercise 2
Take your freewriting exercise from the last section and start crafting it chronologically into a rough plot summary. Be sure to use the time transition words and phrases listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” to sequence the events.
Collaboration
Please share with a classmate and compare your rough plot summary.
Writing a Narrative Essay
When writing a narrative essay, start by asking yourself if you want to write a factual or fictional story. Then freewrite about topics that are of general interest to you. For more information about freewriting.
Once you have a general idea of what you will be writing about, you should sketch out the major events of the story that will compose your plot. Typically, these events will be revealed chronologically and climax at a central conflict that must be resolved by the end of the story. The use of strong details is crucial as you describe the events and characters in your narrative. You want the reader to emotionally engage with the world that you create in writing.
Tip
To create strong details, keep the human senses in mind. You want your reader to be immersed in the world that you create, so focus on details related to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch as you describe people, places, and events in your narrative.
As always, it is important to start with a strong introduction to hook your reader into wanting to read more. Try opening the essay with an event that is interesting to introduce the story and get it going. Finally, your conclusion should help resolve the central conflict of the story and impress upon your reader the ultimate theme of the piece.
Exercise 3
On a separate sheet of paper, add two or three paragraphs to the plot summary you started in the last section. Describe in detail the main character and the setting of the first scene. Try to use all five senses in your descriptions.
Key Takeaways
- Narration is the art of storytelling.
- Narratives can be either factual or fictional. In either case, narratives should emotionally engage the reader.
- Most narratives are composed of major events sequenced in chronological order.
- Time transition words and phrases are used to orient the reader in the sequence of a narrative.
- The four basic components to all narratives are plot, character, conflict, and theme.
- The use of sensory details is crucial to emotionally engaging the reader.
- A strong introduction is important to hook the reader. A strong conclusion should add resolution to the conflict and evoke the narrative’s theme.
My College Education
The first class I went to in college was philosophy, and it changed my life forever. Our first assignment was to write a short response paper to the Albert Camus essay “The Myth of Sisyphus.” I was extremely nervous about the assignment as well as college. However, through all the confusion in philosophy class, many of my questions about life were answered.
I entered college intending to earn a degree in engineering. I always liked the way mathematics had right and wrong answers. I understood the logic and was very good at it. So when I received my first philosophy assignment that asked me to write my interpretation of the Camus essay, I was instantly confused. What is the right way to do this assignment, I wondered? I was nervous about writing an incorrect interpretation and did not want to get my first assignment wrong. Even more troubling was that the professor refused to give us any guidelines on what he was looking for; he gave us total freedom. He simply said, “I want to see what you come up with.”
Full of anxiety, I first set out to read Camus’s essay several times to make sure I really knew what was it was about. I did my best to take careful notes. Yet even after I took all these notes and knew the essay inside and out, I still did not know the right answer. What was my interpretation? I could think of a million different ways to interpret the essay, but which one was my professor looking for? In math class, I was used to examples and explanations of solutions. This assignment gave me nothing; I was completely on my own to come up with my individual interpretation.
Next, when I sat down to write, the words just did not come to me. My notes and ideas were all present, but the words were lost. I decided to try every prewriting strategy I could find. I brainstormed, made idea maps, and even wrote an outline. Eventually, after a lot of stress, my ideas became more organized and the words fell on the page. I had my interpretation of “The Myth of Sisyphus,” and I had my main reasons for interpreting the essay. I remember being unsure of myself, wondering if what I was saying made sense, or if I was even on the right track. Through all the uncertainty, I continued writing the best I could. I finished the conclusion paragraph, had my spouse proofread it for errors, and turned it in the next day simply hoping for the best.
Then, a week or two later, came judgment day. The professor gave our papers back to us with grades and comments. I remember feeling simultaneously afraid and eager to get the paper back in my hands. It turned out, however, that I had nothing to worry about. The professor gave me an A on the paper, and his notes suggested that I wrote an effective essay overall. He wrote that my reading of the essay was very original and that my thoughts were well organized. My relief and newfound confidence upon reading his comments could not be overstated.
What I learned through this process extended well beyond how to write a college paper. I learned to be open to new challenges. I never expected to enjoy a philosophy class and always expected to be a math and science person. This class and assignment, however, gave me the self-confidence, critical-thinking skills, and courage to try a new career path. I left engineering and went on to study law and eventually became a lawyer. More important, that class and paper helped me understand education differently. Instead of seeing college as a direct stepping stone to a career, I learned to see college as a place to first learn and then seek a career or enhance an existing career. By giving me the space to express my own interpretation and to argue for my own values, my philosophy class taught me the importance of education for education’s sake. That realization continues to pay dividends every day.
Below is a student example narrative essay:
The Journey
A time in my life where I had to grow up, was when I traveled to Texas. When I was thirteen, about to turn fourteen, I remember leaving Brooklyn New York, and heading to Amarillo, Texas. I felt so nervous and afraid at the same time. I was not accustomed to traveling out of New York, I was born and raised in the “Big Apple.” My grandma has always been there for me, but now I was leaving her. I was going to Amarillo, Texas to a better life at Boys Ranch. The journey was dissimilar, but worth it in the long run. Boys Ranch changed me and made me who I am today.
Traveling to Boys Ranch was really intimidating at first! I could remember leaving the airplane and witnessing all different kinds of folks who dressed and talked very differently, than the ones from New York. Moving to Texas really got to me, but knowing I would stay for five years made it even worse. While I was at Boys Ranch, I started to develop resentment towards my mother. I began to feel like she put me out here deliberately.
Accepting the fact of why I came to Boys Ranch took me a while. I went through a lot of trials, including fighting, getting suspended, and burning bridges between people. It really took me a long time to figure out how to accept the fact of why I’m here and controlling myself. The people at Boys Ranch were always there for me, and still, continue to be. The change was hectic, but gradually I started to realize and accept the fact of why I am here and making the best out of my surroundings.
The effort was worth it and the time being there was beneficial for me. I made everyone proud, including my grandma and aunts. Being born and raised in Brooklyn, a lot of people did not think I would make it. Nevertheless, I graduated high school. When you are surrounded by bad influences, people belittle you, but now I’m on the road to gain massive success. I am still here to make my family and the people around me proud.
My conclusion is realizing that everything happens for a reason. God sent me to Boys Ranch for a reason and was telling me to change my life. Was it hard leaving my family? Yes, was it hard not coming home to the same house I was born and raised? Yes, but It made me who I am today. I regret not being with my grandmother for my high school and college years, but I did what people said I wasn’t going to do. I understood what God wanted of me, and now I’m trying to become massively successful.
Things Your Narrative Essay Must Have
Scene Setting
Let readers know who, what, where and when in your narrative. For example, if you are assigned to write a narrative about a physical challenge, an effective thesis sentence could be, “When I was 8, my father took me to the local YMCA to learn how to swim.” Alternatively, you could start a little farther into the story: “I was 8 years old, and all the other kids at the YMCA knew how to swim.”
The Hook
The best “hook” for readers is appropriate to the story you are telling in your narrative. Mountain climber Aron Ralston, who amputated his own arm after a hiking accident in 2003, tells audiences that when he freed himself and walked toward safety, he knew he was “still going to die. [He] just wasn’t going to die by that rock.” Your life is probably not so dramatic, but an honest “hook” is always effective as a thesis sentence.
Theme
If you know the underlying theme of your narrative essay, you can include it in your thesis sentence. For example, if you are writing a narrative about a great one-day trip you took with friends, the thesis could be, “Spending time with close friends gives memories that can last forever, even if the trip is just one day.” Condense the main ideas in your narrative into no more than one or two elements to find the theme.
Lessons Learned
Many narrative essay assignments ask students to write the story of an experience where they learned a valuable lesson. The thesis sentence for these types of narratives should include the lesson or moral of the story. For example, a thesis for an essay about how you responded to peer pressure could be, “I learned that I shouldn’t do whatever my friends wanted me to do the night I got caught driving without a license.”
Online Narrative Essay Alternatives
Sandra Cisneros offers an example of a narrative essay in Only Daughter that captures her sense of her Chicana-Mexican heritage as the only daughter in a family of seven children.
Her complete essay is available on several websites, including the following:
Gary Shteyngart came to the United States when he was seven years old. The son of Russian Jewish parents who struggled to provide a better life for their son, he reflects on his struggles, including becoming “American,” in Sixty-Nine Cents:
Sherman Alexie grew up on the Spokane Reservation in Washington State. He chronicles his challenges in school, starting in first grade, in Indian Education:
