Narrative Discussion
Last week you explored a topic for your Narrative Essay. You focused on sentences and began to consider the path and shape of your essay by writing sentences that described the main idea, setting, conflict, and resolution. This week, you will look at paragraphs, the building blocks of the essay. In order to strengthen our your paragraph skills, you will write three paragraphs.
#1 Practice Paragraph
Read Melissa Unbankes’s “The King and I” on pages 138 – 144 of The Norton Sampler. In this short narrative, the author, Melissa Unbankes, describes her grandmother and tells how their relationship changed over time. After reading the story, write a paragraph about a friend or family member, considering the following:
What does the person do? Does the person have a job or career, or is his/her focus on taking care of family?
What is something the person is passionate about?
What is a place you associate with that person?
What is one annoying or unusual trait about that person?
What does that person mean to you?
Now, write the paragraph. Be sure you start with a topic sentence, which is a general statement that introduces the person to the audience.
#2 Practice Paragraph
Choose one of the three photos below and write a paragraph that describes a significant moment in time or event that the photo may represent to the fictional person.
Photos
Follow this pattern to compose your paragraph:
1st sentence (topic sentence): A general statement about an important human trait.
Examples of topic sentences:
One of the remarkable characteristics of a baby is resilience.
Whenever sorrow comes, it comes at the wrong time.
Winning isn’t everything, but it is still nice.
2nd sentence: a statement about the person in the photo
3rd sentence: a statement about the moment captured
4th sentence: a statement about what the person did
5th sentence: a resolving statement
6th sentence: revisit the opening (topic sentence) and repeat in different words (add more perspective)
Paragraph #3
Review your work from the Week One Narrative Essay Worksheet and write an introductory paragraph that is 5 -7 sentences long. In the first sentence, you want to grab the reader’s attention. The last sentence should address the main idea of the story. You do not have to tell the whole story; just provide enough information so that the audience has a feeling of where the story is going.
To submit this assignment, write all three paragraphs on one Microsoft Word file. Title each paragraph using the numeric designation (Paragraph # 1. Paragraph # 2. , Paragraph # 3.) You may title them with a name as well. Submit them by clicking on the title Week 2 Writing Assignment: Paragraphs above and attach your Microsoft Word document file.
Sample Paper
Part one
Something you find challenging is to accept that life is a journey of challenges; one of them is losing a job. Jane was employed early when life was best since she was not behind her bills. To many, this is a significant moment of life where one can make perfect choices without being left out due to finances. Due to the inevitable pandemic that struck the world, which claimed lives and closed down many businesses, Jane lost her job because of financial issues in her company. Jane was an accountant in the Jolly company, a stable job that needed her appearance each day. Since the pandemic realized a few shortcomings in the finance section, they had to trim the number of staff and consider the covid19 guidelines to operate. Jane is a hardworking woman, which is one of the aspects I like about her since despite her being a woman, she stood by herself to cater to her needs. The difficulty in accepting reality always creates denial in individuals, making them live in their past, forgetting about their lives’ present and future. It is a critical aspect in everyone who does not know how to pick themselves up after everything. Considering Jane’s situation, it is difficult for her to contemplate how best she can acquire a new job and move on with life since she is still frustrated with her previous life.
Acceptance is the first step of healing, which I can relate with Jane’s life in that she has not accepted her current situation to develop a perfect strategy for going about it. Based on this perspective, there is a clear similarity between Jane and me in that I find it difficult to let go of my past until it hurts me. Based on this perspective, Jane loves her company and her job to let it go since she had no disciplinary issues. The most annoying thing about Jane is that she keeps her circle close, which I often find as the main source of depression. In most cases, Jane is always lonely to a certain point where she cannot share her fears, which can cause suicide attempts. I always believe that a problem half shared is a problem half solved, which Jane lacks the understanding.
Part two
The second picture depicts that the woman is much depressed to loneliness. Based on her posture, she is contemplated about her previous experiences, which the probability of the experience being negative is high. The moment in the photo shows a clear picture of compelling sadness since the woman does not have the energy to smile. Based on the photo, the woman might have lost her job loved one or received the sad news that makes her feel down. On the other perspective of the photo, the woman might be exhausted and need some time alone to feel refreshed because she is holding a cup of coffee. Depression might be the best feeling to describe the woman in the picture since she is in a position that does not show evidence of happiness. Based on the picture, the woman is in deep thoughts to an extent where she cannot give herself time to drink the coffee based on the position at which she is holding the cup.
Part three.
Depression is when the mind is held up by past experiences, which is unhealthy according to psychology. We are all humans, and we all go through hard times, which means that part of our lives is filled with depression in one way or the other. According to Jane’s story, depression prevails since she lost the job she loved the most. According to psychology, depression is the prolonged thoughts over a tragedy or event that has passed and cannot be changed. The best solution is to accept and let go of such situations by finding an alternative to remedy the condition, which is healthy in our lives.
