Examples Of Personal Narratives

The Many Faces of Muslim American Women

Wednesday, 22 June 2011

by Bethsaida Nieves

Madison, Wisconsin - What does it mean to be a Muslim woman in America today? In I Speak for Myself, 40 Muslim American women share their experiences of growing up in America. Their personal narratives of struggles and triumphs remind us that we share much more in the journey of life than we often realise.

I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim, edited by Maria M. Ebrahimji and Zahra T. Suratwala, engages readers in a complex set of emotional, symbolic and social considerations related to growing up as a Muslim woman in America.

The stories are a manifestation of the spiritual evolution of change. On the surface, we read of problematic relationships with husbands, co-workers, parents and friends but, on a deeper level, the journey is an expression of the human spirit. These women triumph over adversity in their lives and remind us of the potential and courage within each of us. As we mature and evolve, we come to develop an awareness of the beauty and sacredness of life that transcends culture. For example, one woman writes about finding the strength and power of her voice after divorce and abuse. Another woman discusses the cultural significance of her conversations while working for a state representative.

We also read of how one woman humorously and anxiously deals with the generational and cultural gaps she experiences with her parents. Grappling with the desire to fit in, another woman describes how she struggles to explain and rationalise her name, while yet another speaks to the difficulty in deciding whether or not to wear the hijab (headscarf). Each woman describes her own deepest creative potential, and expresses profound truths about human existence.

Set in the United States and several countries around the world, I Speak for Myself is contextualised within the discourses of American and Muslim identities. This collection of stories extends these discourses into issues of race, class, religion, ethnicity, history, politics, language and gender. They complicate each society’s notions of history, Islam and culture, which ultimately challenges the idea that Muslim women are voiceless and powerless. These authors teach us that beyond culture, there is a deeper tie that binds us – our desire for peace and social justice.

I Speak for Myself provides paradigms that illuminate human possibilities.

How to Write a Personal Narrative | Definition, Prompts n Examples

Each one of us has experiences stuck fast into our memories, which are creditable of sharing with the audience and in case of narrative writing a writer gets  an opportunity to assume and write about themselves.

Writing Personal Narratives

Writing a personal narrative simply means writing a story, resembling to an autobiographical account . The narrative essay makes a point, which is usually pointed out, in the opening paragraph. Personal narratives are told from a defined perspective, which is usually of the author’s. Personal narratives repeatedly provide sensory details to get the reader caught up in the fundamentals and sequencing of the story.

Since a narrative relies on delicate experiences, it typically is in the shape of a story. When the writer uses this method, he or she must be in no doubt to take account of all the conversations within the story. These may include the design, setting, characters, climax, and ending. A personal narrative is usually packed with the details that are vigilantly selected to explicate, sustain, or beautify the story.

Whether in a novel or essay form , a personal narrative tends to convey readers into time and space of the globe portrayed by the author. Through reflecting upon an incident, and through recreating the experience for the audience, a personal narrative can permit you to build up new, delicate, and gratifying standpoints.

Famous Personal Narrative Examples Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne by Donald R. Burgett Submarine! by Edward L. Beach American Guerrilla Behind Japanese Memories by Roger Hilsman Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian Elsie’s Bird by Jane Yolen Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang Steps for Writing a Personal Narrative Choose the Experience or Event to be Reported

Identify the experience that you want to write about. Once the incident has been chosen, keep these three basic principles in mind.

Remember the audience that you will be writing for. A better narrative is one that interestingly recreates an incident for its readers rather than plainly telling the story. Ensure that your experience is meaningful to the readers. For this to hold true, find a generalization that your story supports.

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