Write a one- to two-page (250-600 words / 3-4 paragraphs) essay in classic style that narrates and presents the significance of an event from your life.
Focus your essay on a single event you have witnessed, one that occurred over no more than a few hours. You may, if necessary, include brief references to earlier or peripheral incidents, but limit them to a sentence or two.
Make a specific, explicit point about the significance of the event you present. In other words, describe the event and present it in a way that affects how your readers think about a particular problem or issue you raise in telling it.
Do not simply list events in chronological order. Give your essay a thesis and a clear, logical organization. Your first paragraph should start with a strong lead, provide any necessary background information, and end with a clear thesis statement. Then, in a paragraph or two, describe the event itself. Make your description clear, vivid, and concise. In your final paragraph, clearly present the significance of the event. Each paragraph should have a strong topic sentence.
The essays “Shooting an Elephant” and “See You in Six Months” can serve as models of how professional writers have presented events from their own lives.
Write your essay in a classic prose style: clear and concise, specific and engaging.
Make every word count.
Due: September 16
(Bring THREE copies of your essay to class for Peer Critiques.)
Download: Essay 1: A Presentation of an Event