Analyzing narrative techniques in a given reading

Question

Task: Part 1: Analysis (500 words)
Analyse one of the set readings in your chosen creative non-fiction genre (memoir, biography, narrative journalism, or true crime). The analysis should:
• Identify and examine at least one genre convention in the set reading, and
• Identify and analyse at least one narrative technique in the set reading.

Part 2: Plan (500 words)
Plan a work of creative non-fiction to develop for your 'Creative Work and Exegesis' assessment. Your plan should:
• Outline key events that will occur in the creative work.
• Identify the readership of the creative work, and the significance of the themes raised.
• State the ethical considerations that will arise in your creative work and how you will address them.*
• Outline the research you need to undertake to write the creative work and exegesis.

Part 3: Partial draft (500 words)
Compose the opening 500 words of your story. The draft should demonstrate relevant genre conventions and narrative techniques.

Answer

Part 1: Analysis

Genre convention –

Biography:

The article, “Mcphee structure” belongs to the biography genre convention. Most art forms such as writing follow a particular genre and this article is the autobiography of the author. Herein, he narrates his experience whenhe was on a certain assignment and how he coped with the given situation. Genre convention provides the elements, tropes, situations, characters, plots, and topics prevailing in the given condition(Cole). Accordingly, the piece draws a picture of what the writer has been going through as he was working with The New Yorker. The article also provides a brief on his student life, the perfect ingredient of biography. This kind of writing allows understand how certain people have worked hard to build a position for themselves amidst hardship and competition.

Narrative journalism:

The article also gives a sneak peek of the narrative journalism genre convention. Considering the flow of the write-up, it is a perfect piece of narrative journalism. It can easily be a part of a newspaper column wherein the writer gives a first-hand account of his years spent at Princeton High School. The narration is unique and has the ingredients of a weekly article in a newspaper or a magazine. Throughout the piece, the writer has maintained the pace and interest of the readers(Sairsingh). The writer’s unique story-telling style heightens as some readers may identify themselves with the events and experiences that he has been through. Especially, resonates with those having a background at Princeton High School.

Narrative technique –

The narrative technique is the presentation mode of a good story. It can be a biographical piece or a narrative one that has its unique style, pattern, and plot(Lestari and Wahyudin). In storytelling, a suitable narrative binds the piece from the beginning to its end.

Linear narrative:

The article, “Mcphee structure” is an ideal instance of linear narrative wherein the author follows an order to convey his perspective to the readers. It is the first-hand account of the author enabling the readers to immerse in his daily life chores. The piece also gives a detailed account of his experiences and obstacles in due course. This sort of narrative holds the plot uniquely and maintains the interest of the readers throughout(Aljuaythin). Chronology is another characteristic of this write-up that details the journey of the author in his days at Princeton High School.

Viewpoint narrative:

In viewpoint narrative, the perception of the author is held highly. It expresses the subjective personal experience of the author, say his days at Princeton High School. The narrative exclusively focuses on the perception of the author as he experiences his school and initial working phase. Through this sort of narration, one can understand what the author is trying to convey and the tone of his writing. It is good to get the perception of the author as it may open new avenues of understanding for the readers who sometimes get stuck in nowhere(Anderson).

Part 2: Plan

Key events in creative work –

I believe that creative work should have a purpose to resonate among the readers or viewers as the medium may be. It may center on an event, a date, or some moments in one’s life to make it something special. The most intriguing aspect will be certain memories that the author has back to his childhood. It is because childhood plot appeals to the readers or viewers as those were the golden moments of our life. People nowadays miss the innocence and simplicity of their childhood days and a write-up on such things arouses their interest in the subject(Cole). So, my writing will focus on the left behind days of our childhood as it gives a scope to the readers to transform them from the complex, real-world to those cherished moments.

Readership of the creative work and significance of the theme –

The readership of the creative work will be those who cherish their childhood as their best days. In my writing, I will focus on the golden moments of childhood that are quite common to most children. Events like adjusting to a new school, accommodating oneself among strangers turned friends and some pleasant and unpleasant experiences. I hope most people have gone through such conditions. A unique storyline appeals to the targeted readers if they can relate to it(Kartawijaya).

I aim to connect with the readers and drive them back to their golden childhood which they miss a lot. Childhood theme appeals to all of us and it has a universal language as a posh New Yorker may identify himself with it and so does one living in a remote Chinese town. Again, it appeals to people fromvaried age range or demography as each one of us has been through our childhood days that mostly have pleasant memories. And these memories we like to visit quite often.

Ethical considerations:

Ethics is a prime aspect as an author has certain responsibilities to the community and needsto abide by them an author should believe in ethical writing. His work should be a unique instance of integrity and positivism that the readers can rely on rather than be ambiguous about the facts revealed in the process(Hutchison). So, the work should not preach anything hurtful and be original with the intent to make a significant contribution to the community. Sometimes writing can be harsh or hurtful to some people, but the author should clarify himself as per the given scenario to avoid any unprecedented events down the line.

Outlining the research:

My research will be around how the writing will appeal to the targeted readers. I will pick up common themes that are prevalent globally. Since my writing is about childhood, it possesses a universal appeal and I will try to strike a common ground for everyone to understand it efficiently. I like to keep the theme raw and devoid of any author’s influence to keep the storyline intact.

Part 3: Partial draft

Moments of my childhood – the golden period of my life, our lives, and each one of us

Childhood and school days are synonymous with each other. I often relish my childhood days and the joyous bus ride to school everyday with my friends and siblings. Those were days that brings a smile to my lips even when I take a break from the monotonous job schedule. I come from a big family having my siblings and cousins stacked in the same neighborhood. Since my tender years, my joy knew no bounds as I had people my age around me. We even had a pet, Joey who was quite fond of me and whenever get a chance used to lick me.

I specifically remember our preparation during the Halloween Days. We were so excited to scare each other and scream our lungs out to feel the excitement and joy. Once during Halloween, my father was out of town due to his job commitments. We waited till late at night for his arrival and scare him with the masks that we prepared ourselves. Down the line, I know that Dad was not scared at all, but he acted like that to give us the joy of our life. I consider it the best Halloween that I have celebrated to date and we often laugh about it.

I remember strolling in the neighborhood park with Joey. He was a mischievous one and barked at the passers-by to scare them off. I used to enjoy it and even encourage Joey to do so. We used to play throwing the ball at the park and I used to play a lot of tricks with him. To my astonishment, Joey was a sport and a partner in my crime. The most amazing thing about him was he used to listen to me whatever I used to instruct. That was the fund part, being a child instructing my pet and he is obliging. I used to imagine myself as a grown-up like my parents but now want a Time Machine to go back to those days.

Childhood and rivalry at school were fun and it was no nonsense like office politics that I encounter at the workplace. I was a shy kid and stay behind our gang leader who was of my age only, rather shorterand leaner than me. But he had a commanding voice that we all used to obey. I tried to track him through Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit but in vain. Maybe he is on the platform with a different name and would like to establish contact with him to rekindle our fond memories from ourschool days.

Bibliography

Aljuaythin, W. "Gender representation in EFL textbooks in Saudi Arabia: A critical discourse analysis approach." International Journal of Applied Linguistics English Literature 7.5 (2018): 151-157.

Anderson, T.H. "Study strategies and adjunct aids." Theoretical issues in reading comprehension. New Jersey: Routledge, 2017. 483-502.

Cole, Stefanie. "The Writing Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Writers." Teaching Librarian 25.1 (2017): 20.

Hutchison, C. Corporate Leaders Lack of Ethics. Fairfield: DigitalCommons@SHU, 2021.

Kartawijaya, S. "Improving students’ writing skill in writing paragraph through an outline technique." Curricula: Journal of Teaching and Learning 3.3 (2018).

Lestari, M. and A.Y Wahyudin. "Language learning strategies of undergraduate EFL students." Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning 1.1 (2020): 25-30.

Sairsingh, M. "Critical Literacy: Beyond Reading and Writing in the Bahamian Tertiary Classroom." International Journal of Bahamian Studies 23 (2017): 31-39.