Essay #3 Assignment: The Descriptive and Narrative Profile | Homework Solution

Essay #3 Assignment: The Descriptive and Narrative Profile

Assignment:

Write a 2-4 page essay in which you tell a story or stories about someone you know in order to create a dominant impression. (The minimum length is two FULL pages.) 

Choose a person to describe.  The subject must be someone you know, such as a friend, a relative, a teacher, a mentor, etc.  This is because this essay does not use documentation; you are only writing from first-hand knowledge.  (If you were writing a profile of Mariah Carey, for example, you would need to provide documentation for any biographical information you mention because you do not know Mariah Carey personally. The Descriptive and Narrative Profile Therefore, no celebrities are allowed as subjects.) 

Other restrictions:

You cannot not choose your mother, father, or a child.  The essay will receive a zero if it is on one of these. 

The biggest mistake students make with this assignment is that they do not tell a story. The assignment is not to explain or only describe your subject; the goal is to tell a story about someone you know while using descriptive language. 

The story should be told in first-person point of view, and while you may be a character in the story, make sure that you are not the focal point of the story.

Other requirements:

Remember that your essay will need a point:  Why are you telling a story about this person?  What is your thesis? Name your specific subject in the thesis statement. The Descriptive and Narrative Profile

Do not write in 2nd person.  Essays that use second person will be docked one letter grade. 

In addition to using sensory details, use at least one example of each of the 4 types of figurative language discussed in the notes:  simile, metaphor, personification, and allusion.Both the rough draft and final draft must be typed and in MLA format.

This is not a biography of your subject.  Instead, you will use narrative to create a dominant impression.  In other words, tell a story or a series of short incidents that capture who the person is. Do not start with “John was born in…,” and the goal is not to write the subject’s life story.  Instead, tell a story about your subject or a few short episodes in their life, using narrative. The Descriptive and Narrative Profile

The most difficult part of this assignment is often choosing the right subject.  This can be a person you know well, a person you love, or a person you despise. (Remember, a dominant impression can be either positive or negative!) It can be someone you remember fondly from childhood, someone who made you afraid, someone you had a crush on, or someone who hurt you. It can be your best friend, your roommate, your next-door neighbor, an interesting person you met recently, or anyone else you can think of.  

Here are just a few examples of successful subjects students have chosen in the past:

• an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend (A dominant impression does not have to be positive!) 
• a best friend with a quirky personality (We all have that one friend we talk about…)
• a coach with a tough persona. The Descriptive and Narrative Profile
• a friend who works with the homeless (Someone who has a remarkable character will make a great subject.) 
• a friend who always got into trouble
• a cousin or other relative who is often the subject of gossip or funny stories at family get-togethers 

Think about someone you know well.  This should be someone you already tell stories about.  If you’re having trouble figuring out what to say about your subject, just pick someone else!  

The writing process

When choosing a subject, ask yourself how you will make this person interesting to an audience.  Begin by brainstorming specific details and stories about this person; this will help you craft a dominant impression.

Step 1: Choose a subject and brainstorm | The Descriptive and Narrative Profile

Step 2: Complete a sketch outline:  introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion

Step 3: Write your thesis statement

Step 4: Flesh out the outline with specific details

Step 5: Write the essay

Step 6: Revise and edit (at least twice)

BELOW IS THE TOPIC ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS ESSAY:

Essay #3: One-paragraph topic proposal

For this assignment, write a fully-developed paragraph about the person you will profile for Essay #3. The paragraph should tell a brief version of the story you will tell in your essay. The Descriptive and Narrative Profile

Catherine Goodman is an ambitious, confident, and resilient black woman who has defied odds to become one of the youngest black female leaders in the United States. Catherine grew up in Shreveport, LA. She faced economic hardships, lack of quality education, systemic racism, and implicit bias. Whenever Catherine entered professional rooms, she faced overt bias as she was often the only black woman in the room. Even though Catherine did not access quality education, she did not give up her dreams of becoming a leader. Catherine got involved in various community programs to develop her leadership skills.

She coordinated community awareness campaigns about the dangers of drugs. Catherine showed genuine care and concern for drug addicts. She helped develop the strategic objectives of awareness campaigns. Catherine also collaborated with community organizations and businesses to help provide resources to individuals facing drug addiction.

She organized community forums and hall meetings and invited experts to discuss the available resources for drug addicts. Catherine conducted workshops on rehabilitation processes and drug prevention. Even though she faced funding limitations, Catherine managed to develop effective campaigns that helped many young people overcome drug addiction.