Writing in the Frame: Narrative

Forget the too-sweet chocolate bunnies and endearing marshmallow peeps.   Don’t bother me with the brightly-colored plastic eggs hidden in the nooks and crannies of the yard.   I’m not that concerned with what treats might be hidden in my Easter basket.   What I’m really looking forward to is the Easter Bread.   For generations, my family has made a traditional Italian Easter Bread, light enough to rise off the plate of its own accord, sweet enough to temper even the worst bad mood, flavored with lemon, vanilla or anise, braided into a beautiful wreath whose ends are joined by a colorful hard-boiled egg.    My mother’s, grandmother’s, and great-grandmother’s handprints all may be found in this bread.  And when my family and I slice it and enjoy it for Easter breakfast, we are enjoying not only a special food, but a long tradition.

So, tutors, you get the idea of the narrative.   It is meant to be a true story, told in the first person.  It is about either a significant event (Basic Writing) or a slice of culture that reveals the significance of the story to the writer (Comp. I).   It should include a lot of description and be a very engaging story with all the elements of narrative:  a particular sequence of events (could be chronological, flashback, or flashforward), have a point of view (in this case, first person), use specific, detailed language, and show the story vs. just telling it.    In my example above, for instance, I tried to show the importance of this piece of my cultural heritage rather than telling you, “My family makes a traditional Easter bread.”   I think we can look forward to a lot of great stories from our students.