Write about a challenge or an achievement that changed your life and shaped you to who you are today.

 In this essay, in the Self-Analytical Narrative, you will be the encoding writer; you will be embedding theories, using symbolic meaning, direct/indirect characterization such as Frued’s and Lacan’s theories. The Self-Analysis Narrative essay can be the retelling of an episode, an incident with embedded deeper meaning. Please follow the assignment I attached. I need it asap, t 

English
 103
 Winter
 2018
 
  K.
 Yegoryan

 

  1
 

SELF-­‐ANALYSIS
 NARRATIVE
 
Essay
 1
 

 

So
 far,
 we
 have
 been
 learning
 how
 to
 analyze
 texts
 and
 visuals
 by
 decoding
 the
 embedded
 meaning
 with
 
the
 use
 of
 critical
 theories.
 Thus,
 we
 were
 the
 critical
 reader
 decoding
 the
 meaning
 that
 the
 writers/
 
producers
 of
 visuals
 had
 encoded.
 In
 this
 essay,
 in
 the
 Self-­‐Analytical
 Narrative,
 YOU
 will
 be
 the
 
encoding
 writer;
 you
 will
 be
 embedding
 theories,
 using
 symbolic
 meaning,
 direct/indirect
 

characterization,
 etc.
 in
 your
 story.
 

 
 The
 Essay
 is
 due
 on
 Thursday,
 Jan.
 25.
 

 

Prompt of the essay: choose ONE option/topic
Option 1:

Write about a challenge or an achievement that changed your life and shaped you to who you
are today.
(For example: Overcoming fear and the feeling of doubt
for one’s abilities is very important. Throughout our life
path we face many obstacles and challenges that may
affect our self-confidence. However, with any challenge
there is a triumph; hence, think of a time when you felt
“alienated” or “powerless”, “ignored,” but had the strength and/or creativity to triumph the challenge and regain your confidence. )

Option 2:
Write about someone you admire(d) or dislike(d), or simply about somehow who had an important impact
on your life.

Option 3:
Write about a memorable event, an incident that had

happened with you or you were a witness of it.

Tell what it was and how it changed your life.
————————————————————– ————————————————————————————-

• I will also bring in a sample essay to class, and we will do an activity, which is a self-narrative passage!

Remember your story should define who you are! Your style of writing, the diction,

characterization of your characters and/or of yourself, the chosen setting, theme, dialogues,

conflicts, cultural impact, etc.- all should show/narrate about YOU!

The Self-Analysis Narrative essay can be the retelling of an episode, an incident with
embedded deeper meaning for the reader to deconstruct and decode!

The essay should be 2.5 – 3.5 pages: typed / double spaced,
following MLA format

Your story should:

I. Demonstrate your understanding of critical theories by embedding such themes as

As an inspiration watch the personal story episode/ted speech using
the link below: Sue Austin: “Deep sea diving in a wheelchair”

As an inspiration watch the personal story episode/ted speech
using the link below: Maysoon Zayid: I got 99 problems;
palsy is just one.

English
 103
 Winter
 2018
 
  K.
 Yegoryan
 

  2
 

(any of the themes/theories we learned or as many as you want):

 
Here
 are
 some
 themes
 to
 choose
 from:
 
 

 

• Irony:
 how a person, situation, or circumstance is not as expected or would actually seem
• Semiotics:
 use
 of
 connotative
 and/or
 symbolic
 meaning
 
 

 

 

• Ideologies;
 Power
 and
 control;
 ISA/RSA
 (Marx’s
 and
 Althusser’s
 theories)
 
(status, gender, race superiority/inferiority, language advantage/disadvantage, (lack of)
literacy, physical (dis)ability) Capitalism: Commodification and American Dream Ideology

Power/
 Control
 via
 ideologies
 and
 repression
 (power
 gained
 or
 asserted
 because
 of
 
certain
 beliefs/
 traditions,
 class/gender
 belonging,
 or
 because
 of
 repression/violence,
 or
 
because
 of
 knowledge,
 education,
 job
 position/
 certain
 skill)
 

 

For example, let’s say Anna narrates a segment from her personal story of her unhealthy marriage and
abusive relationship where her uneducated husband was using physical and emotional violence to assert his
power as a dominant man and make his wife more submissive because she had education and a better job.
His lack of education and her better position were “threats” of his status and power…
Or let’s say Anna’s life changed after the dance competition where she demonstrated better dancing
skills than her best friend. She started to experience bullying and emotional pressure from her best friend
(or partner).
Or, on a more positive note, let’s say Anna gained more power and recognition at her work after her
supervisor learned about her knowledge/ unique skill in…

 

• The
 new
 self/
 the
 birth
 of
 a
 new
 self
 or
 a
 change
 (Lacan’s
 theory)
 

 
 
 
 
 Self-­‐identification
 through
 the
 other
 (other
 character,
 other
 name,
 a
 memory,
 an
 objet)
 

 
 
 
 
 Longing
 for
 self-­‐wholeness
 (through
 a
 love
 partner,
 artistic
 endeavors,
 etc.)
 

 
 
 
 
 For example, Anna could feel her real self only in the little dark attic, which was her art-studio. The
moment she would lighten the candle above the worn-out canvas and pick up the oily, dusty brush, the
attic would become her creative realm where she could feel complete, calm, and powerful…
 

 
 
 
 
 Ego/
 Alter
 ego
 (duality
 in
 us)
 

 

• The
 stages
 of
 the
 psychic
 apparatus/
 mind
 (id,
 ego,
 and
 superego)
 (Freud’s
 theory)
 

 
 
 
 
 Changing
 one’s
 life
 and/or
 surprising
 a
 desire,
 love,
 passion
 because
 of
 certain
 morals/
 

 
 
 
 
 cultural
 beliefs
 
 
Uncanny/
 displacement/
 change
 

 
 
 
 
 Castration
 (loss)/
 substitution
 

 
 
 
 
 Loss
 and
 Gain
 
 

 
 
 
 
 Memory
 /dream
 (also
 “American
 Dream
 Ideology”
 of
 anyone
 can
 be
 successful)
 

 
 
 
 
 Fear
 and
 Desire
 as
 obsession
 

 

• Interpellation
 (Althusser’s
 theory)
 *
 we
 will
 discuss
 next
 week/
 see
 on
 Theories
 PowerPoint
 
Interpellation
 (use/
 definition
 1)
 reproduction/rebirth/
 the
 new:
 Transgression
 from
 
OLD
 to
 the
 NEW
 (usually
 with
 a
 helper,
 a
 medium)
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Interpellation
 (use
 2)
 (Self/Other:
 seeing
 oneself
 in
 the
 other,
 a
 medium
 through
 which
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 people
 understand
 or
 see
 their
 own
 “self”
 and
 their
 place
 within
 a
 given
 society)
 
 

 

 

• Gender
 Roles
 and
 Expectations
 in
 Patriarchal
 society
 and/or
 from
 Feminist
 perspectives
 
*
 we
 will
 discuss
 next
 week/
 see
 Gender
 paradigm
 handout
 under
 PowerPoint
 section
 of
 our
 weebly
 web.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐
 

English
 103
 Winter
 2018
 
  K.
 Yegoryan
 

  3
 

Your narrative should also: *
 we
 will
 discuss
 next
 week
II. Use the 6 elements of Fiction:
1. a definable character or characters

2. point of view

3. setting

4. conflict (external or internal)

5. style

6. theme

III. Have the 5 qualities of the narrative genre:
1. A clear context/ plot that one can re-tell that story

2. A well-chosen, thoughtfully emphasized details and description that describe/depict the climax

moment (the most important moment of your story that brought a change or marked an importance).

3. Organization: Logical chronological organization that clearly show the Exposition (past), the

Climax (the incident), Resolution (the change) or Flashback, when the story starts from the Climax (

the most important part, the part or the incident) and then goes before and after of what happened.

4. Consistent point of view: it should be written either from 1st or 3rd person point of view

5. A meaningful point/purpose, a message/suggestion that you are communicating, or a lesson

that you are teaching to your reader through your narrative/ story: The essay should explicitly or

implicitly, yet clearly communicate the message/ lesson that you (the writer) want(s) the reader to

learn.

_______________________________________