Essay #1—Personal Na
ative Essay
TOPIC:
We have read Gary Soto’s “Looking for Work,” which is a short, personal account
of a specific period in Soto’s childhood, where he reveals his family life and
various perspectives as he works through these experiences. I have also emailed you
“Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer,
which are great examples of the personal na
ative essay. In class, we have
discussed a variety of other perspectives on family.
For this na
ative essay, think of a specific, pivotal moment in your childhood or
adolescence. Notice that all three stories read in this class focused on ONE day.
Be sure to stay centered on an important moment that can be explored in 3 to 5
pages. Explore how this moment/day changed your perspective, life circumstances, or
affected your growth in some way.
Make sure to use specific, vivid details of your incidents and experiences to
illustrate to the reader of the pleasures, perils, chaos, or responsibilities, of
this time. Use your story-telling skills and make it captivating! Also, be sure to
write about a time that you are comfortable describing; you will need concrete
details to explain and support your main point.
As with storytelling, your na
ative essay will contain a plot, character, setting,
climax, and ending. Since this is a na
ative, it will likely follow time-order
organization. Also, your main point should be expressed early on in the essay.
ESSAY FORMAT:
Essay #1 must be at least three full pages long, double-spaced, using MLA style.
You will lose points if you don’t fulfill the minimum requirements. You will be
graded on strength of main point ca
ied throughout, focus/organization, specific
details/support, and gramma
punctuation/sentence structure.
There should be an introduction that catches the reader’s attention. And while
this assignment is specifically dealing with personal experiences, this essay still
must have a clear point and must stay on-topic throughout.
Body paragraphs should have topic sentences and contain vivid details to support the
main argument. This is a time to tell stories about childhood experiences and
elate these details to the overall essay.
Quick Grading Checklist:
1. Introduction: Does it have a compelling opening that catches the reader’s
attention?
Does it have adequate background information to lead up to thesis/main
point?
Does it have a clear focus/thesis that provides a guideline for the
direction of the na
ative essay?
2. Body/Na
ative: Does each paragraph stay on-topic and flow together smoothly
with transitions and clear sequencing?
Is there a unique and compelling voice telling the story? Does the style
fit the content?
Are there enough solid, vivid details and specific examples to support the
thesis?
Is there reflection on these moments to tie them into the rest of the essay?
Are the stories relevant to the assignment given?
Is the na
ative centered around only ONE pivotal moment?
3. Conclusion: Is there a sense of closure or reflection of how this moment
impacted the writer’s perspective or childhood?
4. Editing/Proofreading: Is the essay completely free of
spelling/gramma
punctuation/format e
ors?
I look forward to reading these!