reading and analyzing narrative essays with 150 words for each one

analyzing Mengestu's "Home at Last"

Sedaris "Me Talk Pretty One Day"

 Lahiri's "My Two Lives"

Voice: How do word choice and language style reflect the writer's theme?

· Actions: What do the main character's actions say about him/her?

· Insight: Where in the text did a character become aware of something or gain a new way of seeing the world? Describe the writer's technique for getting this information across.

· Telling Details: . A telling detail or fact is one that advances the characterization of someone without the writer having to state an obvious opinion.

·Setting: Experiences happen in some place at some time, and good essays describe these settings. How did the writer re-create on paper the sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations of this essay? The telling details of a setting can reveal something essential about the essay without the writer explicitly explaining them.

· Sequence of Events: How did the writer sequence his/her events. What phrases or sentences were used to show the sequence of events?