Essay 3: Character in Context

due before class on Mon. Apr. 24

Write an essay centering on a single character and their relationship with a place—where they grew up, where they live, where they work, or any other place that is significant to them. The goal is to evoke this character in their context, and thereby capture this an interesting aspect of this person’s relationship with their environment. See the sample pieces for inspiration.

There are two ways to do this assignment: as a reported piece (journalism), or as a memoir.

Option A: As a reported piece:

If you choose to write this essay as a reported piece, you will write what in the world of journalism is called a “character profile.” Your central character should ideally be someone who lives or works nearby, whom you can interview. (You might consider someone related to the place you wrote about for Essay 1; or you can choose someone entirely different.)

If you’re interesting in taking this approach, you might want to start soon. It might take a few visits to this person to get all the information you need to write the story.

Option B: As a memoir:

If you choose to write this as a memoir, your central character could be a person from your past—a friend, relative, or other acquaintance—whose story who find compelling. If possible, you may wish to interview that person, or other people who know or knew them, to refresh your memory about the details of that person and the place against which you intend to depict them.