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The Narrative Essay Think of the narrative essay as your
personal story and remember you can base it on a
universally significant event or an insignificant event.
Consider making it interesting by illuminating the importance/humor
of the little things. Write about yourself because the narrative
process is designed to show how unique you
are. Make sure that your position is clear. Remember to use
vivid adjectives and active voice to keep the reader engaged.
Make a Point The illumination of an experience is the purpose of
a narrative essay; however, the point you are making should carry
meaning that a general audience can relate to. If you are writing
about a life-changing experience or an ordinary day, the point you
make in your thesis statement should be a claim that you can
support with details. Conventional Rules and Rules of Thumb In the
narrative essay, you are the storyteller, so use conventional
rules, such as plot, setting, character development, and conflict.
The introduction paragraph should grab the readers attention, and
most of the time it should contain the thesis statement. Your body
paragraphs should always support the thesis with examples in the
form of anecdotes. One way to achieve this is to bring the
characters to life with dialogue. An effective way of writing
dialogue is to start a new line with each new person speaking. To
ensure that your narrative is rich and engaging use detail when
describing situations, settings, people and personal feelings.
Based on the assignments, you may write your narrative essay as an
observation or something that changed you. Either way, make sure
that it is personal enough for you to be descriptive and general
enough to apply to your audience. Example of a Strong Narrative
Essay Good Example of a Thesis It is important to try to help your
friends, even if it puts you in harms way. Bad Example of a Thesis
I was in a tornado once, and it was scary.
Intro On an otherwise calm and uneventful day, I heard what
sounded like an enormous train, derailed from the tracks and coming
straight at me. As I put the mattress over my head, I suddenly
remembered that my roommates had not made it home yet. I had to
make a decision quickly. Do I stay under the mattress and be a
coward, or do I go and try to find my friends?
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Thesis It is important to try to help your friends, even if it
puts you in harms way. I learned this one spring day, when a
twister tore through downtown Ft. Worth. I could have stayed in my
closet with my cat, a mattress over my head and a radio, but in
hindsight, I am glad I braved the storm to look for my friends.
Body Paragraphs En route, I watched the bent anarchy of rebar,
walls, glass and unidentifiable structures, gnarled and toothy, as
they paraded in a watercolor swirl in the aluminum windows. Driving
the route from our house to downtown that they would have traveled,
the song A Bridge Over Troubled Water came on, which was fitting to
the situation. By the time I approached downtown, the wind had
ceased and an eerie stillness settled in. Puddles stretched out in
front of me, threatening to engulf the whole town. What I noticed
first about the water everywhere was the absence of artificial
light reflecting back at me. Night had fallen and because of the
tornado all of the streetlights were out. I thought to myself This
is what night is supposed to look like. I noticed that even the
marquis lights were out. All of the buildings were dark and
anonymous; none bared the logo of a corporate tenant. I witnessed
natural night, just as people had before humans preferred
artificial sunlight. For, as far as the eye could see there was not
a working conduit for electricity to pass through, nor could I hear
that distinct buzzing in the air. There was only me, Simon and
Garfunkel on the radio, and the glimpses of scared people hiding
under disjointed facades of the less-affected buildings. Stepping
out the car, I saw the moon finding its face in the stillness of
the oblong puddles below me. The power lines looked like the teeth
of a boxer after a brutal fight; they were going every which way in
a haphazard arrangement. I found my friends car, in the aftermath,
trapped in debris. I was terrified! What happened to them, I
wondered. I looked across the street and among a crowd of
astonished and frightened expressions; I finally located my
friends. I saw from the ghost-white expression on my friend Leahs
face that she was in shock. My other roommate (and friend) was
talking amongst others who were injured. He was helping the
bartender pour shots of whiskey to calm the people down, since the
refuge they had found happened to be a bar. Leah had a piece of
glass embedded in her arm and bloody knees; my other roommate had
deep cuts on the palms of his hands. Leah told me that she was
caught running from her car to this building to seek shelter, and
when she opened the heavy-metal door to the bar, the tornado picked
her up like rag doll and slammed her knees into the asphalt. They
did not need an ambulance, so I ushered them to my car. I was met
with reluctance when I insisted that they go to the emergency room.
Arguing the whole way, I drove them to the emergency room. They
were admitted to triage, and the doctor said that Leahs gash in her
arm needed stitches, and she needed a tetanus shot. They
disinfected their wounds, and a few hours later, we went home.
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Conclusion Even though my friends might have fared okay without
me, I am glad that I could help them out. Since Leah was in shock,
she was not aware of the seriousness of her injuries and probably
would not have sought medical attention without my coaxing. If I am
faced with a life-threatening situation again, I will come to the
aid of my friends. Hopefully, this sentiment will not be challenged
any time soon.
Even in a narrative essay, the thesis (as always) should make a
claim that is supportable by your vivid details, dialogue or
monologue. Although it may be interesting to you that you survived
a tornado, what is more interesting is the over-arching claim or
what you learned about yourself through this experience. Review
Your narrative essay should contain the following:
An introduction paragraph (that more than likely contains the
thesis) Body paragraphs (that support your thesis) A conclusion
(what have you learned, how has your life changed, how can we
benefit
from your story, what it means to you). Note: Relax and compose
the essay as if you are telling a story to a friend. Test Yourself
True/False The following T/F questions review your knowledge of the
preceding worksheet. Write T in the blank if the statement is true,
or write F in the blank if the statement is false.
1. I was in a car accident that hospitalized me for a few days
is a thesis that I could support with many details and personal
opinions. ______
2. I should not include the rules of plot, setting, character
development, ______ conflict, dialogue, or anecdotes in my
narrative essay.
3. It is essential to make a point that can relate to a general
audience instead of a specific audience. ______
4. Passive voice AND active voice should be used in a narrative
essay. ______ 5. I should exclude personal feelings and opinions in
a narrative essay. ______ 6. A narrative essay is similar to a
personal story. ______ 7. It is imperative to provide examples and
details to support my thesis. ______ 8. I should not write about
myself in a narrative essay. ______ 9. There is not a structure
that I should follow in order to write a well-
developed narrative essay. ______ 10. When a loved one passes
away unexpectedly, people react in
negative ways that usually change who they can identify with is
a thesis that I could support with many details and personal
opinions. ______
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Answer Key 1. False The thesis in a narrative essay must be
general enough to make it easy for the
writer to support it with personal experiences. Since being in a
car accident is already a personal experience and is also specific,
it cannot be a thesis statement. However, if the thesis statement
were Being paralyzed from the waist down has taught me how to
provide for myself, one could easily write about the car accident
(a personal experience) that caused the paralysis and changed his
or her life forever. See the Thesis Statements worksheet for more
information about developing a thesis statement.
2. False Plot, setting, character development, conflict,
dialogue, and anecdotes are all examples one can use to support a
thesis statement in a narrative essay. Using one or all of these
elements shows the readers that there is a clear point of view and
that the writer has knowledge about the subject of the essay.
3. True Personal experiences are usually relatable to most
people. For instance, Jill graduated from high school and was
extremely conflicted about where to go to college or what she
should study, but that specific personal experience changed her
point of view about life. Many young adults go through or know
someone who is going through a similar experience and would easily
be able to relate to her story. Narrative essays should be
relatable. It is easier for the reader to understand the writers
point.
4. False Active voice keeps the reader engaged in the essay, but
passive voice pulls the reader out and confuses him or her. See the
Passive Voice worksheet for examples of passive voice, active
voice, and when to use one versus the other.
5. False Personal feelings about experiences engage the reader
in the essay and make it relatable. They also provide examples,
evidence, and/or details to support the thesis statement.
6. True One should write a narrative essay as if it is a
conversation with a friend about an event in his or her life that
affected him or herthat is why personal experiences and feelings
should be included.
7. True Examples are essential to support a thesis statement.
Examples show the readers that there is a clear point of view and
that the writer has knowledge about the subject of the essay.
8. False See answers to numbers 3, 5, and 6. 9. False The
structure of a narrative essay should be as follows: an
introduction with a
thesis statement, body paragraphs with examples to support the
thesis statement, and a conclusion.
10. True The thesis in a narrative essay must be general enough
to make it easy for the writer to support it with personal
experiences. Writing about a loved one dying and the change that
takes place in some people as a result is an event that many people
go through or know someone who has gone through and can easily
relate to. See the detailed answer to number 1. Also, see the
Thesis Statement worksheet for more information about how to
develop a good thesis. See the Thesis Statements worksheet for more
information about developing a thesis statement.
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