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READ AND ANNOTATE : “Maybe I Could Save Myself by Writing”
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READ AND ANNOTATE: “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde
WRITE: (250 Words) So far in this unit, we have read (and heard) three examples from the genre of the “education narrative.” Your first essay assignment in this class will be to write in this genre yourself. So in this discussion forum, I’d like us to have a conversation about what the features of this genre are. Please discuss some of the following:
- What, from what you’ve seen so far, are the “ingredients” (also known as “conventions”) of the education narrative genre?
- What do you think might be a place to get started with your own education narrative?
- What are your questions or concerns about writing an education narrative of your own?
- If you like, you can also feel free to share an educational experience you had and ask for feedback from your colleagues (and me) to see if we think that might be a solid place to begin writing.
Something prevalent in the 3 writings that fall under the “educational narrative” all have personal anecdotes injected in them. Now all 3 of these writings also have directed audiences. For Lorde’s writing, the “The Fourth of July” she recounts how racism in 1947 ruined her 8th grade graduation present. And how nobody, not even the parents reacted to this encounter. They simply let it be. Lorde’s main audience with “The Fourth of July” would be those who have experienced injustice due to race during the 20th century.
So for my upcoming educational narrative, I want to include a brief personal anecdote that compliments my main message in said narrative. I additionally want to have a clear audience in the writing. So with that in mind, I have to question the following;
Who am I writing to?
How will I gap the bridge between the anecdote and the main message
of my educational narrative?
I have noticed from the articles we read about the education narrative that the writer always starts with reflecting on what they have gone through. For example, in “Maybe I Could Save Myself By Writing,” Jose reflects on his identity and how he feels he doesn’t fit anywhere, being a Mexican American, as he explains later. Another example is in “The Fourth of July,” the author starts by describing her trip to Washington DC, and we notice how she reflects on her graduation of 8th grade, making her realize she is becoming more mature; as we read more into it, it starts showing how she also would have to start maturing and realizing how unfair the world is with the racism she experiences in Washington DC during fourth of July which is supposed to represent a day of freedom. These stories frequently have a pivotal moment where the reader discovers something previously unknown but is now apparent. I believe each education article should contain a section where the author has experienced some difficult time, just like the two other texts showed, and how they overcame or dealt with it.
A place to start my Education narrative would be my experience from middle school to high school since it was a difficult time, especially during the pandemic, which didn’t make the whole learning experience any easier. Also, I would be talking about the teachers I had in middle school and how I didn’t feel prepared to learn in high school because of their teaching methods and how, in high school, things became more accessible because of the type of teachers I had that helped me understand the most and how they cared more about my education than most of my middle school teachers. I also will be talking about how I felt pushed away from middle school and how I felt accepted in high school