essay

1. Palmer​ ​Eng.​ ​102
Personal​ ​Narrative​​ ​(~750​ ​words​ ​or​ ​2.5​ ​pages)
A​ ​“message,”​ ​or​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​a​ ​communicator​ ​wants​ ​you​ ​to​ ​think,​ ​believe,​ ​or​ ​act​ ​on,​ ​is​ ​something​ ​we
are​ ​subjected​ ​to​ ​nearly​ ​all​ ​the​ ​time.​ ​Identify​ ​a​ ​message​ ​that​ ​has,​ ​at​ ​some​ ​point​ ​in​ ​your​ ​life,
resonated​ ​with​ ​you​ ​-​ ​something​ ​you’ve​ ​believed,​ ​learned​ ​for​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time​ ​or​ ​changed​ ​an​ ​opinion
on,​ ​or​ ​otherwise​ ​“accepted.”
1.​ ​​Describe​ ​the​ ​​content​:​ ​what​ ​is​ ​this​ ​message?​ ​What​ ​does​ ​it​ ​mean?​ ​What​ ​implications​ ​does​ ​it
carry​ ​-​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​for​ ​those​ ​that​ ​agree,​ ​and​ ​disagree?​ ​Did​ ​how​ ​you​ ​​think​​ ​about​ ​the​ ​message​ ​lead​ ​to
changed​ ​​actions​?​ ​Has​ ​there​ ​been​ ​tension​ ​between​ ​you​ ​and​ ​those​ ​that​ ​don’t​ ​accept​ ​this​ ​message?
2.​ ​​Next,​ ​analyze​ ​the​ ​​medium​​ ​of​ ​the​ ​message.​ ​How​ ​was​ ​it​ ​relayed​ ​(in​ ​what​ ​form/s)?​ ​Is​ ​it
something​ ​you’ve​ ​come​ ​across​ ​many​ ​times?​ ​Through​ ​a​ ​magazine​ ​article,​ ​a​ ​class​ ​lesson,​ ​a​ ​speech,
a​ ​conversation,​ ​a​ ​billboard?​ ​Pick​ ​two​ ​of​ ​these​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​the​ ​message.​ ​Discuss​ ​their​ ​sources
(creators​ ​and​ ​their​ ​​ethos,​​ ​or​ ​authority),​ ​delivery​ ​(style​ ​and​ ​tone),​ ​and​ ​assumptions​ ​about​ ​you​ ​as
the​ ​receiver.
3.​ ​​Lastly,​ ​reflect​ ​on​ ​this​ ​process​ ​of​ ​approaching​ ​the​ ​message:​ ​does​ ​analyzing​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​above
context​ ​make​ ​you​ ​see​ ​it​ ​in​ ​a​ ​different​ ​way?​ ​Why​ ​or​ ​why​ ​not?
Structure​:​ ​Tell​ ​it​ ​like​ ​a​ ​story.​ ​What​ ​does​ ​this​ ​one​ ​idea,​ ​tell​ ​us​ ​about​ ​you​ ​as​ ​a​ ​person?​ ​What​ ​does
where​ ​the​ ​message​ ​came​ ​from,​ ​tell​ ​us​ ​about​ ​your​ ​influences?​ ​Your​ ​relationships?​ ​What​ ​does​ ​the
medium​​ ​tell​ ​us​ ​about​ ​your​ ​life​ ​as​ ​a​ ​millenial/​ ​consumer/​ ​American/​ ​male/​ ​female,​ ​etc?​ ​Make​ ​it​ ​an
interesting,​ ​investigative​ ​get-to-know-you​ ​piece.​ ​Don’t​ ​make​ ​it​ ​dry​ ​and​ ​detached.