Rite of Passage – Personal Narrative Writing Assignment
English 10
A “rite-of-passage story” is really nothing more than a personal narrative and you have quite a bit
of experience writing personal narratives. Do not forget what you have learned in the past about writing
narratives. For the “rite-of-passage” personal narrative consider proceeding in this way:
1. Select an event from your life that you will probably remember for the rest of your life. You may
want to check your writing folder for journal writes which may work well for this assignment.
2. Write a “rite of passage” narrative of at least two pages in length. Keep in mind the elements of a
“rite of passage” story:
- a significant even in a person’s life; a journey to a new place (unexplored territory)
- perceived as necessary or important
- involves a separation from “society,” an initiation (of sorts), a transformation, and a
reincorporation into “society”
- the person is changed by the experience, emerging with a new knowledge of the world, (like a
picture developed in a darkroom)
3. Remember all you know about narratives! Ultimately this is a personal narrative. We will
focus our attention on these three areas:
a. Look for the learning; build your story around this. Consider telling us the learning
in the first paragraph of your essay, (or at least hinting at the learning to come).
b. Use dialogue. It is an opportunity to give characters personality and action.
Through detached details you can establish setting.
c. Focus, focus, focus… on the most important part of the episode. If your narrative
takes place over time, focus on an event that represents the whole. No “bed-to-bed”
stories!
4. You may want to include the following:
- Background: what events led up to the experience?
- The experience or journey itself: use details appealing to the senses, figurative language, and
important description, to put the reader in that place and make the reader understand how you felt
at the time. What unexplored territory did you cover in this journey (literal or figurative)?
- Some other questions to consider: what were you trying to accomplish? How much control do
you feel you had? How did other people view this experience? What courage did this require?
Were you surprised by your response to the situation?
- Possibly include some self-evaluation. What did you learn? How were you changed? Could you
have learned this in any other way? Would you repeat the experience knowing what you know
now?
5. Required:
- A personal narrative “think sheet” (10 pts.)
- A correctly and appropriate use of dialogue
- A final draft which follows the Style Sheet (50 pts.)
First Draft Due:
“It is time for me to go on my journey.”
”The truth is a hard deer to hunt.”
(from “By the Waters of Babylon,” by Stephen Vincent Benet)