OCCASIONS FOR INFORMAL (NARRATIVE) ESSAYS at a concert the Italian national anthem must be played.
at a concert the Italian national anthem must be played. The second was Mussolini’s rule
Examples: __________________________________
Whatever the subject, the writer is part of it, perhaps the central figure exploring a personal ritual or an
Arctic island, maybe a background figure attending a Sting concert or watching an elephant die. In any
case, we enter the reader’s mind. We experience the writer’s emotions. Like fiction and poetry, informal
essays are imaginative excursions, and so, are sometimes called “creative nonfiction”. Furthermore,
reporters, columnists, and authors of articles, features, essays and reports make their writing interesting by
using narrative. Ministers and other public speakers know the great value of inserting a brief story in a
sermon or an address. In church the congregation quickly comes to life when the preacher starts telling a
story to illustrate a point in the sermon. Essays may be interspersed with incidents – brief stories – that
illustrate the idea presented. Using narrative not only increases the reader’s interest but also makes the idea
easier to understand and remember.
NARRATIVE AS A MEANS OF PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT
Read the paragraph and note how effectively the author uses narrative in the form of an incident
to illustrate his idea.
It is clear, then, that the ignoring of contexts in any act of interpretation is at best a
stupid practice. At its worst it can be a vicious practice. A common example can be the
sensational newspaper story in which a few words by a public personage are torn out of
their context and made the basis of a completely misleading account. There is the
incident of an Armistice Day speaker, a university teacher, who declared before a high
school assembly that the Gettysburg Address was a “powerful piece of propaganda”. The
context clearly revealed that “propaganda” was being used, not according to its popular
meaning, but rather, as the speaker himself stated, to mean “explaining the moral
purposes of a war”. The context also revealed that the speaker was a very great admirer
of Lincoln’s. However, the local newspaper, ignoring the context, presented the account in
such a way as to suggest that the speaker had called Clinton a liar. On this basis, the
newspaper began a campaign against the instructor.
TASK
Write a paragraph in which you use an incident (or two) to support your topic sentence.
Use one of the following topic sentences:


 Cheating on homework assignments and examinations sometimes backfires.


 When people break laws simply because they disapprove of them, they endanger the
foundations of our social structure.


 The prejudices of parents become the prejudices of their children.
 hard work.

 Nonconformists are not popular.
NARRATIVE IN DESCRIPTIVE WRITING – THE CHARACTER
Though he is modest almost to a point of shyness in private life, Toscanini, as a public
personality, is as fiercely independent as an emperor. His lordly refusals to knuckle
down to the Fascists in Italy are now a matter of history. They have, in fact, made the
“old man” a political hero to millions who never would have paid him homage merely as a
musician. The old man enjoyed hid “fight”, especially when he had a chance to make the
enemy look ridiculous.
When the Philharmonic played in Turin in the spring of 1930, Toscanini had one of
these chances. A legal and temperamental impasse had been produced by three
conflicting rules: the first was the traditional Italian rule that when royalty is present
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that when the national anthem is played it must be followed by the Fascist party
anthem “Giovinezza”. The third was Toscanini’s own rule that he would never under any
circumstances conduct “Giovinezza”, which he had once described as musical trash
unworthy of his baton. The authorities pleaded, but Toscanini was firm.
Finally, after much negotiation, a solution was found. While the Philharmonic waited
on stage, formal and stiff in evening dress, a ragged-looking brass band gave both the
national anthem and Mussolini’s “Giovinezza” performances that sounded almost
homicidal. Toscanini, with a perfectly straight face, stood with folded arms before the
orchestra. When the anthems were over, the concert began.
TASK
Write a character sketch of someone whose personality interested you. You may choose a
friend, a relative, a public figure, a music idol, etc. in the course of you sketch tell at least
one incident to illustrate a personality trait.
NARRATIVE IN EXPOSITORY WRITING
In the excerpt below, the author is making the point that a harpsichord is a difficult instrument to
keep in working condition. He supports his point by telling a story.
Lemon or no, the harpsichord is the tetchiest instrument ever invented, and
keeping one in working condition is a drain of anybody’s time. Because it contains
so many moving parts, the instrument is extremely sensitive to changes in
humidity and temperature. Once, as a reviewer, I attended one of those oh-so-
important debut recitals where everything had to be just so, and for this
selection the artist had selected (that is, borrowed) a brand-new and magnificent
Hubbard. It was an unreasonably hot night in October, and because the people
were suffering, somebody opened a window, letting humanity off the hook but
putting the harpsichord in a draft. When the harpsichordist tore into his opening
Couperin group, he found his whole upper keyboard in the terminal stages of
harpsichord pneumonia, with many of the notes more than a whole tone out of
tune and one whistling away an octave and a half out of sight. The show was
wrecked. Luckily, the man’s career was not; but for all the labour that went into it,
this recital did him no good.
TASK
Imagine a story that you would use to illustrate how a computer can ruin whole weeks of
NARRATIVE IN THE INFORMAL ESSAY
The kind of expository writing that relies most heavily on narrative is the informal essay: here the
writer expresses his personal opinions and prejudices. The tone of the essay may vary from light,
often frivolous to serious. Some essays are nothing more than a series of incidents, often
humorous, that support or explain the opinions of the writer. (see the example below).
TASK
Write an informal essay (about 300 words) in which you give your personal opinions on a
subject that is not of earth-shaking consequence. Although informal essays are more likely
to be humorous than serious, amusing than instructive, you need not strain to be funny.
You must, however, be interesting. To assure this, tell a few incidents in illustration of your
opinions.
 How to judge a painting
 Ballet or modern dance?
 How to arrange flowers
 A colourful character in history
 A person prominent in recent news
 Pressures that force conformity
 On being an outsider
 How to be unpopular
 How to judge a newspaper
 The wise use of leisure
 The teen-age rebel
 Living up to or living down to a reputation
WRITING A STORY
 How to vote intelligently
Informal essays are often written as stories that trace a sequence of events from beginning to end
 Wasteful educational practices with occasional intervals of description and analysis. The fundamental movement is forward in
 Bookworm vs. playboy time, but with chances along the way to pause at points of interest. Sticking to a straightforward
 The typical romance, detective story etc. time order can help you grasp your paper’s overall shape.
 The philosophy of a writer you know well
 My encounters with prejudice TASK
 Gifts Spend 5 minutes sketching out the draft of a story. Write quickly and try to get down the overall
 On friendship flow of events. Follow events through from beginning to end in a time order. Avoid mentioning
concepts and emotions. Concentrate on people, places and unfolding events. Write on one of the
following topics, or pick one of your own:
•• A TIME YOU TOOK A RISK
•• A TIME YOUR PLANS BACKFIRED
•• A TIME YOU LEARNED SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT YOURSELF
•• A TIME YOU MADE A MAJOR CHANGE IN LIFESTYLE
•• A TIME YOU ACQUIRED A NEW SKILL
•• A TIME YOU GAVE A GIFT
STRATEGIES OF BEGINNING AN ESSAY
1. Startling statement
What we have to do, what at any rate it is our duty to do, is to revive this old art of
lying. (Oscar Wilde)
In one comic book story, out of fifty-one pictures, no less than forty-five are scenes
of violence and brutality. (Frederick Wertham)
The past fifty years of what we call civilisation have utterly ruined childhood. (Philip
Wylie)
Europeans have made a cliché of saying that nothing is so sad as the sight of
Americans having a good time. (Bernard de Voto)
Last winter a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was killed by
being initiated into a fraternity. (Sloan Wilson)
2. Asking a question
What are the advantages that beginning an essay with a question offers?
What is a tropical jungle like, not from distant generalities or sweeping surveys, but
as seen by an ordinary human on a very usual walk? (William Beebe)
What do college grades predict? Can you forecast from the record of a young man
graduating from college now how successful he'’ likely to be a few decades from now?
(Sylvia Porter)
333... Other ways of beginning an informal essay
Which of these openings would you choose to begin an essay entitled ‘Openings and Closings of
Good Essays’?
1. The ‘opening’ is the 2. Two students of mine used to be great rivals at tennis, but
beginning of a piece of recently Laura has become too good for her rival. ‘The only
writing (either the first difference is my service’, she confided in me. ‘Helena’s service
2
sentence or the first is so predictable that I can always return it. But mine is now 5. An image/picture symbolising the end
paragraph); the ‘closing’ is stronger and more varied. She never knows what to expect.’ 6. A short sentence to signal a break with what went on before
the way the piece of writing The service in tennis has a similar opening to the opening of an
ends (the last sentence, or essay – and many writers could ‘improve their game’ by Here is the opening of an essay attacking education.
the last paragraph). developing a range of different openings. I don’t believe in education. In most cases it does more harm than good. In the
3. Doo-be-doo-be-doo-wa, shawop bam boom! 5. This essay is about how to begin words of Oscar Wilde, ‘Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit – touch it and
the bloom is gone’.
Does it matter how an essay starts? and how to end a piece of writing.
4. To light a fire, take a few big logs and a box of matches. 6. There are at least 15 different Possible endings for the same article.
Strike a match and the logs will easily catch fire. Later, when ways of beginning an essay, and a B. To quote from the
A. They say that education promotes civilised values, tolerance
the fire is burning well, add some smaller wood, which must good dozen ways of ending. Not all song by Pink Floyd,
and understanding. They say that education opens the doors to
be very dry. Finally, for a big blaze that will last all evening, of them are possible in every style
happiness and success. Education, as I have shown, does “Teacher! Leave those
throw a small twist of paper on top of the fire. of writing, but the ability to choose precious little of this. School education does even less. kids alone!”
Is that how to light a fire? Of course not. Yet how few interesting and appropriate
writers start their articles with the ‘twist of paper’, the openings and closings is a very C. And in this brave new world that I D. In short, it is high time we questioned
inflammable opening that would bring it to life! useful skill for a writer to have. envisage, education will be a minority interest, the law requiring all children to be
rather like the hobby of growing stunted bonsai educated. This law is an abuse of a
7. Kane and Peters, in their authoritative 8. ‘Just take the horn out of your trees. A new generation will spring up, a virgin
work Writing Essays, include a five-page mouth.’ This was Miles Davis’s
fundamental human right, the right to
rainforest bearing the exotic fruit of blissful
innocence and individuality.
essay entitled ‘Beginnings and Closings’. advice to a fellow jazz musician ignorance.
The essay begins ‘The British essayist who didn’t seem to know how to E. In the light of all this evidence, who could still F.No, I do not believe in
Hillaire Belloc – who knew, if anyone did, believe in education? Who but an educated fool?
end his lengthy solos. But when
how to begin and how to end an essay – education.
once wrote that “To begin at the beginning you want to end a piece of writing, G. As the poet so rightly says, ‘Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.’
is, next to ending at the end, the whole art is it enough to ‘just put your pen
of writing.”’ Kane and Peters close their down’?
essay with an epigram of their own:
ASSIGNMENT
‘Anyone can stop writing. Only writers can This is the opening of an essay. Write the whole essay (possibly resorting to narrative as a means
finish.’ of supporting your arguments) with two different closings.
aa.. A surprising fact, perhaps including statistics.
bb.. A surprising, shocking or bizarre statement. ‘The best things in life are free,’ they used to say, but for most of us having
cc.. A question.
fun usually means spending money. And yet, even in a city, there are at least
five different ways you can enjoy yourself without putting your hand in your
dd.. A quotation.
pocket.
ee.. A story that illustrates what you are going to say.
ff.. A statement of the topic (summarises what you are going to say).
gg.. A definition of the topic.
STRATEGIES OF DISCLOSURE – NARRATIVE ESSAYS


 How much information will I disclose about a particular subject during the course of my
hh.. A description or image.
story (e.g. an injury)? At any particular point in the story?
ii.. A reference to a well-known phrase 

 At what point in the course of my story will I divulge that information?
By the end, the reader will understand that the doctor said my injury was not serious and I
4. Ways of closing an essay would recover quickly, but at the beginning I’ll only describe the blood running over my lips.
A piece of writing is like a film: a weak or unsatisfying ending spoils all the good things that Then I’ll tell about the slow, throbbing pain as I sat in the hospital emergency room. That
went before. How do you always recognise the end of the film before the words THE END way the reader will wonder, as I did, whether my nose was broken.
come up on the screen? What signals does the film give out to tell us it is finishing? Think of the
plot, the musical score and the images. Referring to specific films you have seen, how many 1) COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION
different kinds of ending can you think of? These control the pacing and tempo of your essay, the time flow.
When I stood to leave, my father continued looking down at his desk, as though lost in
1. Return to the beginning 3. A question
memory. He shuffled a few sheets of paper and then rearranged them carefully in an order
2. A summary or conclusion. 4. A quotation
that seemed more satisfying. When he finally looked up, I saw deep sadness in his eyes, as
though they were trying to tell me something he couldn’t speak of. The following spring, I
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came home again. TASK
Use the above mentioned techniques alone or in combination to shape your narrative so that it
2) BEGINNING IN THE MIDDLE AND FLASHING BACK achieves its purpose and satisfies your readers. Write yourself a note describing at least 2 changes
that you could make in your first draft. Say how you could incorporate these changes and how
TASK they might alter the story’s overall effect.
Imagine the effect of taking an incident from one part of your story and placing it somewhere
ASSIGMENTS
else.

3) FORESHADOWING OR WITHHOLDING INFORMATION COMPLETING A STORY

 How does each story fit the style of the passage you were given?
Experienced storytellers, whether professional writers or old-timers around a pot-bellied stove  Which plots do you find convincing? Why?
understand that suspense keeps the attention level high. Creating and controlling suspense;  Can you make any suggestions to improve the other stories?
delay satisfaction until the last possible moment, thereby intensifying and prolonging the
suspense. Who hasn’t seen this scene or some variation on television? 1. Here is the end of a short story. Imagine what happened earlier and write the beginning of
The Simpson family is about to go on a camping trip to the mountains, but at the last minute the story, in no more than 200 words.
Homer finds he can’t fit all the equipment and the dog into the family station wagon. While ‘The story began badly,’ said the smaller of the small girls, ‘but it had a beautiful ending.’
he goes outside to tell Marge, Bart decides to experiment with a new packing arrangement, ‘It is the most beautiful story that I have ever heard,’ said the bigger of the small girls,
in the process removing the spare tyre and leaning it against the garage wall. When Marge with immense decision.
comes out a few minutes later, she sees that there is indeed some space left and slips in the ‘It is the only beautiful story I have ever heard,’ said Cyril.
few remaining items. “Just needed a mother’s knowhow”, she says as they hop in and take A dissentient opinion came from the aunt.
off, the dog playfully hanging its head out of the window. Then, as the car pulls away, we get ‘A most improper story to tell to your children! You have undermined the effect of
a quick shot of the spare tyre leaning against the garage wall. years of careful teaching.’
‘At any rate,’ said the bachelor, collecting his belongings preparatory to leaving the
4) THICKENING THE PLOT carriage, ‘I kept them quiet for ten minutes, which was more than you were able to do.’
’Unhappy woman!’ he observed to himself as he walked down the platform of
5) USING TENSION & OPPOSITION Templecombe station; ‘for the next six months or so those children will assail her in public
William Blake: “Opposition is true Friendship.” Tension in writing takes many forms and serves with demands for an improper story!’
many purposes. It can grow out of opposition between people; people and their surroundings; From H. H. Munro (Saki), The Story-Teller
hopes and realities; tradition and change. A single piece of writing can use several kinds of
tension, exploring their interrelationships. Build tension and release it according to your 2. Here is the beginning of a short story. Complete it following on from this opening
purposes. Ask questions like the following: paragraph. Make it no longer than 500 words.


 Does this go against what someone would normally expect? [e.g. Forrest is terrible in I did not kill my father, but I sometimes felt I had helped him on his way. And but for the
math, but he’s getting an ‘A’ in Algebra]

 fact that it coincided with a landmark in my own physical growth, his death seemed
 Does this seem out of place in these surroundings? [e.g. I noticed that the beautician kept
scratching her scalp.] insignificant compared with what followed. My sisters and I talked about him the week after


 Does there seem to be an internal contradiction? [In order to find yourself you have to lose he died, and Sue certainly cried when the ambulance men tucked him up in a bright-red
yourself.] blanket and carried him away. He was a frail, irascible, obsessive man with yellowish hands


 Is this part of a pair of natural opposites? [The grapefruit juice was bitterly sour after the and face. I am only including the little story of his death to explain how my sisters and I
platter of syrup pancakes.] came to have such a large quantity of cement at our disposal.


 Is this a challenge or a struggle? [My father announced that he would catch the pig bare- From Ian McEwan, The Cement Garden
handed.]


 Is this part of a contest? [Jordan and Barkley glared at each other across the centreline.] 3. Here is the beginning and the end of a short story by L P Hartley. Imagine what happens in


 Does the language itself suggest opposition? [Do you mean to suggest that the honourable the story and write the middle part of it.
senator from the great state of Texas is a filthy crook?] The circus-manager was worried. Attendances had been falling off and such people as did come – children


 Is an important change being made or contemplated? [After January 15th, all of us who they were, mostly – sat about listlessly, munching sweets and sucking icecreams, sometimes talking to each
couldn’t do 25 push-ups would have to wear yellow gym shorts.] other without so much as looking at the show.


 Is something funny going on at the same time as something sad? The circus-manager and his wife stared at each other.


 Is something trivial going on at the same time as something important? ‘It was the first time he’d done it,’ she muttered. ‘The first time.’ Not knowing what to say to him,
whether to praise, blame, scold or sympathise, they waited for him to come back, but he didn’t come.
‘I’ll go and see if he’s all right,’ the circus-manager said. But in two minutes he was back again. ‘He’s
not there,’ he said. ‘He must have slipped out the other way, the cracked-brained fellow!’