Personal Narrative Essay

An essay supports a thesis, or main idea. While most essays present arguments to support their thesis, a narrative essay also presents a story to support its thesis. For instance, your topic might be dating and you wish to show your readers that dating is awkward and sometimes unpleasant. In this case, you would arrange the details of your essay to show the audience that dating is unpleasant. In a narrative essay, you will need to offer descriptive detail rather than merely relating facts.

Begin the assignment by recalling the stories that you have grown up hearing and the stories you play a part in within your family and community. In other words, think about what stories are always told at family gatherings and holidays. What is it that makes these stories funny or interesting? Why do family members enjoying hearing these stories? Is there a particular storyteller in you family? Are you the storyteller?

Your goal for this essay is to show how much of what you have learned through family stories. Options:

· stories that taught you about life, or about family values, ethics, and morals. 

· stories that are told that are used to identify you: Our concept of who we are is affected by our environment and our families and our experiences.

· stories that represent you and your family. What about this story tells us something about your family?

Choose an appropriate story and show us this story. Then discuss why this is one of the great stories in your family. How has this story and stories like it shaped the way you view yourself, your family, your community, your environment?

MLA Format, 3 pages.