...Which Essay is Better: A Narrative or A Descriptive? Ever read a story and say to yourself, “What’s happening?” Whenever I read a descriptive essay, that’s what I would say. In this essay I would be comparing and contrasting two types of essays, a narrative and descriptive. I have chosen “Are the rich happy?” by Stephen Leacock 1916 and “Sister Flowers” by Maya Angelou, n.d. By writing my essay, I want to give my views on each and decide which I would rather write. Narrative Essay A narrative essay reflects a personal opinion that is based on your own experiences. This helps you bring a reader into your very own mind and shows him/her the topic you’re writing about through your eyes. Telling a story or event the way it happened for you. It also could provide a sort of lesson or moral to be learned from the outcome of the story as well as what the writer did that contributed to it or not. It’s more on a personal level that any one reading could say that happened to them or that they learned from the story by not doing whatever it was that the writer did. In Stephen Leacock’s “Are the Rich Happy?” the author writes about his experiences with his friends, with of modest income. Most of it, all in his opinion, points out the problems or troubles those with an existential amount of funds in their bank accounts. He goes on to give some examples that he encountered several of his friends going through. “A friend of mine who has ten thousand dollars a year told me the other...
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...Compare-Contrast Essay The thought of doing an essay for most people can at be quite intimidating because of the need to be technically proficient, following the mandatory expectations outlined and some might find them boring because they feel like it is too restrictive in nature. That is merely just a common misconception though, there are several different styles of essays and the two that are going to be discussed are descriptive and narrative essays. The narrative essay's main purpose is to tell a story using characters and a plot, where perhaps a problem is given, and the events that unfold eventually explain a solution to the problem or issue presented. In contrast the descriptive essay can be very powerful in the fact it is written using the five senses (visual, audible, taste, tactile sensations and smells) this allows the author to bring a scene or object to life in the mind of the reader. While narrative essays are almost like a movie that is played out in the judgment of the reader, the descriptive essay paints a vivid photograph or place the reader can experience and this is why descriptive essays are the superior of the two styles. One of the best qualities that narrative essays are able to offer over descriptive essays is they are structured to appeal to the simplest of mankind's urge to share a good story. There are various forms in which we can find a narrative writing example such as a poem, play, novel and the obvious essay. There are times...
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...Literacy Narrative In: Other Topics Literacy Narrative I grew up in a very fortunate family; we never really had to worry about a low income, and we were able to buy extra stuff and go on other trips unlike other families. I never really understood how we were able to do this seeing as my parents did not go to college. They also rarely ever read; if they did it would be a magazine or an article online, and they never wrote. My parents would always push me to read more and always do well on my writing assignments and review them over and over again so they would be the best of my ability. Back then I never really understood why they would make me do all of this, but now that I am a bit older and understand how important these traits are, I understand why they did this. I’ll never forget my English teacher my junior year of high school, Mr. Stanizzi. He was the most inspirational teacher I have ever had in my life. He genuinely loved his job and made English class fun, and fascinating. By this time I thought for sure that no teacher was ever going to change my opinion on writing, but he proved me wrong. There was something he did while teaching and analyzing poems that really struck my interest. Every week we would have a period just focusing on either writing our own poems or analyzing them. There was one particular poem that I was extremely proud of and showed Stanizzi the poem. He was shocked that I wrote such a good poem. He liked my poem so...
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...The Narrative Essay The narrative essay is simply a complete account of an incident or incidents contained in one cohesive essay. The narrative essay is useful when writing an incident report, such as an automobile accident or a criminal action. By far, one of the best uses of the narrative is when introducing the thesis for a longer work, i.e. a research paper. Your audience for this essay is your fellow classmates and the teacher. Assignment Write a narrative essay, the purpose of which is the serve as evidence for the position you have taken on an issue. The issue in the sample essay is how the writer lost his teeth. The essay must be a minimum of 380 words and no more than 400 words. You will superscript the number of the comma rule that justifies it over each comma. When you turn in your final draft, you must turn in a minimum 100-word, process paragraph expressing what you learned as a result of this assignment. Learning Objectives • To format documents correctly in accordance with MLA; • To understand the structure of a narrative paragraph; • To understand your own unique voice (syntax and tone); • To eliminate sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma splices; • To eliminate point of view errors; • To eliminate verb tense errors; • To eliminate punctuation errors – commas; • To have fun. The Narrative Structure A narrative is a story, and like a story has a definite underlying structure. The parts of a narrative are the situation, conflict...
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...Running head: NARRATIVE ESSAY Literacy Narrative Ryan Hickey Western Governors University Student ID # 000504445 NARRATIVE ESSAY 2 Literacy Narrative I have never been fond of fluorescent lights. Their low almost inaudible hum, their constant flickering, and how they seem to bathe the room in a bluish/purplish hue, always seemed to put me on edge. I always tried to be the first one to arrive, and I usually was. Sitting alone in the empty conference room always seemed almost alien to me, even though I had been there many times before. Perhaps it was the anticipation of the upcoming work that caused it, or my body's self defense mechanism releasing adrenaline before the upcoming verbal sparring that always transpired. Whatever it was, it seemed to enhance my surroundings. The hum of the air conditioning clicking on, the whirl of the overhead fans, and the faint hum of the fluorescent lighting. It seemed like eternity had passed before everyone started to slowly trickle in. I scrutinize each person as they entered the room and have a seat at the long oak conference table. It never ceases to amaze me how each person was very different, with little in common. It was a true melting pot in every sense. The only real common thread was baseball. "This is what it takes to run a major league franchise, getting perspective from every possible background" I thought to myself. It was in these player evaluation meetings where I truly grasped the challenging task of being able to effectively...
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...Descriptive versus Narrative Chris Hathaway ENG121 Michelle Terashima January 27, 2014 Descriptive versus Narrative This essay is to compare-contrast a narrative and descriptive essay The essays I chose were, “Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man...
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...WR 115 Assignment Essay One—Literacy Narrative 600-1000 Words Basic Prompt As you begin this essay writing process, reflect on your experiences and attitudes about reading and writing. Regardless of our backgrounds, our ideas of literacy often become deeply engrained as good or bad without much thought about to how these views have come to be. As a result, many of us have definitions of literacy–of reading and writing–that could benefit from a thoughtful and honest close self-examination. Choose a Topic: Please draw from the following as you develop your essay focus: • Narrate an early memory about writing or reading that you recall vividly. Then explain why this event is significant to you now. • Describe someone who taught you to read or write and explain this person’s significance in your life. • Identify a book or other text and explain its significance for you in your reading and writing. • Narrate an experience with a writing or reading task that you found (or still find) difficult or challenging. • Describe a memento and explain how it represents an important moment in your reading/writing development. Then Create a Narrative: Use sound writing and story-telling skills to organize and articulate your story. Make sure to stay focused on your one, main idea. Key Elements • Create a well told story. Bring your narrative to life by using concrete and vivid details. • Develop your main idea. (make sure you only have one main idea) • Develop the significance or affect of your...
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...WR 115 Assignment Essay One—Literacy Narrative 600-1000 Words Basic Prompt As you begin this essay writing process, reflect on your experiences and attitudes about reading and writing. Regardless of our backgrounds, our ideas of literacy often become deeply engrained as good or bad without much thought about to how these views have come to be. As a result, many of us have definitions of literacy–of reading and writing–that could benefit from a thoughtful and honest close self-examination. Choose a Topic: Please draw from the following as you develop your essay focus: • Narrate an early memory about writing or reading that you recall vividly. Then explain why this event is significant to you now. • Describe someone who taught you to read or write and explain this person’s significance in your life. • Identify a book or other text and explain its significance for you in your reading and writing. • Narrate an experience with a writing or reading task that you found (or still find) difficult or challenging. • Describe a memento and explain how it represents an important moment in your reading/writing development. Then Create a Narrative: Use sound writing and story-telling skills to organize and articulate your story. Make sure to stay focused on your one, main idea. Key Elements • Create a well told story. Bring your narrative to life by using concrete and vivid details. • Develop your main idea. (make sure you only have one main idea) • Develop the significance or affect of your...
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...Descriptive versus Narrative This essay is to compare-contrast a narrative and descriptive essay The essays I chose were, “Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible...
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...How they are different is that one of the little girls (Lynda Barry) is going unnoticed in her household and is being neglected and her only safe place is school and she loves it. The other little girl in Edward P. Jones story her mother takes care of her and makes sure she gets to school and has everything she needs for the first day. Where these two are the same is that they are both black, they both go to school and they both love it. “The Sanctuary of School” is Lynda Barry’s narrative essay about her experience as a neglected child and how she learned to use art to cope with her situation. In her essay Barry describes a memory of being a seven-year-old child of parents who focus their attention on finances instead of her and her brother. Barry writes about an occasion when she leaves her house in the early morning hours and finds herself at her school’s playground. She is found by the school janitor, who allows her to assist him as he does his duties to prepare the classrooms. Soon after she greeted by the school secretary and a teacher who both wave at her. When her teacher, Mrs. LeSane, arrives she runs toward her in tears of relief. Mrs. LaSane asks Barry to carry her purse, which Barry feels to be an honor. It is here that Barry finds her security in art, drawing a house with a blue sky and sun in the corner and flowers. Barry learns to use this skill to help deal with her home life, describing it as a “life preserver.” “The First day”, by Edward P. Jones is about...
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...Descriptive versus Narrative This essay is to compare-contrast a narrative and descriptive essay The essays I chose were, “Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible...
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...ENG 121 WEEK 2 NARRATIVE ESSAY DRAFT A+ Graded Tutorial Available At: http://hwsoloutions.com/?product=eng-121-week-2-narrative-essay-draft Visit Our website: http://hwsoloutions.com/ Product Description PRODUCT DESCRIPTION ENG 121 Week 2 Narrative Essay Draft, Motivated Success 1 Not usually but often enough we see the same case scenario, people making it to college and then dropping out within the first year. Why do you think that this kind of thing happens? How many people do you know that have went to college and can honestly say that they are still working in general to graduate? Personally, there are not many people that I know who have graduated from a college which is why we see most people going back to school after so many years. There can be many reasons why a person does not finish school the first time around. May it be because of money issues, their interest were elsewhere at the time, a change in career directed their focus elsewhere, but whatever that may be it happens more than we would like to think. I just so happen to fall into this category of people going back to school after I had been once before but never finished. Throughout this essay I will inform readers on why I am returning back to school, my purpose behind it all, obstacles that have gotten in my way because I am returning and my ambitions that drove me to even consider going back to school. There are many reasons that I am going back to school. One main reason that I am going back...
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...Photo Essay: Worth 70 points (Photo Essay 60/Presentation 10) Due April 10, 15, and 17, 2013 Students will be randomly assigned. Getting Started: The majority of your assignments have focused on your writing ability and expressing ideas linguistically. Visual imagery is also a powerful technique for thinking about and reflecting upon the social world. The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to think about the social world in a different way, more visually than linguistically. For this project, you will select a series of photos that can be meaningfully organized around the central theme of inequality. You are to draw ideas about inequality from the chapters on social class, race/ethnicity, and gender in your text, Our Social World Condensed 2nd (Ballantine and Roberts 2012). Be creative and experimental. The only restriction is that the images must not be illegal and if you are taking the photos in private settings, you must obtain written permission from your subject(s). I have posted a Permission Form in Course Content/Photo Essay on Angel for you to use if you are using personal pictures. The photos may be obtained in various ways. You may shoot photographs specifically for this project or have a friend do so. You may obtain photos through published sources (e.g., books, magazines). You can also search websites for photos. Photos may also be obtained from a stock art archive on the internet. If you choose the latter, one of the best places to start...
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...Victoria Barkon December 15, 2014 ENG 890 Reflection Essay- final draft Reflection essay Writing has not always been my strongest subject in school; in fact it has always been my weakest just because I had always struggled with grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc. I have always end up with bad grades in whatever writing classes I took. But as the semester is coming to an end I can honestly say I have learned and improved on a lot as both a writer and a student. One skill I believe I have improved on is the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. Another skill I have improved on is sentence punctuation strategies: run-ons, comma splices, fragments and comma usage issues. Reading and study of professional essay was one of the skills I learned during the semester. Lastly I had learned how to demonstrate my abilities as a developing writer by: attending class regularly, prepared and on time, and participating actively. The first skill I learned and improved on a lot this semester was the writing process and what it came with such as prewriting, drafting, revising editing, and proofreading. I especially improved on this skill when I wrote my narrative essay. For example I had to write three drafts, first, second and then the finally draft. The first draft was me prewriting and getting all my ideals down. For my second draft I had to go for peer review and...
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...In E.B. White’s “One More at the Lake” and Judy Brady’s “I want a wife”, both authors write on personal encounters they experienced. The author chooses two different methods of writing styles. E.B. White utilizes a nostalgic reflective descriptive piece, whereas Brady uses a more sarcastic narrative. Arguably both writers do a great job in their story telling skills. Both stories are respected and pleasing, yet similar but different at the same time. The authors’ choice of writing style is what gives one story more of an advantage to the other. Though descriptive and narrative essay have identical intent – to tell the reader a story- narratives are more effective in capturing the audience because the uses of different voices, they bring ideas into perspective and they are relatable. There are special components that both style of writing possesses. Narrative writing usually does not stress adjectives to give the physical details of characters, setting or events in the story. Nothing like descriptive writing, narrative writings are written in the first person in order to convey the author's attitudes, beliefs and memories. Narratives are conventional, while descriptive writings content often emphases on a single event, object or place. Occasionally, writers utilize narrative writing style to tell about the past or the future in broad terms. A narrative often reflects personal experience, clarifying what happened during some sort of incident. Narrative essay topics include recounting...
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