Using your own Journal Entry 1 and Crèvcoeur’s “What Is an American?” as a springboard, you will write a personal narrative in which you discuss your definition of what constitutes an American identity. In your discussion of specific aspects pertaining to American identity, be sure to support your assertions and reactions to your primary text with your own observations and personal experiences. Avoid generalizations or clichés in your discussion, and instead, provide your own unique perspective, as one who was born in this country, one who has become a citizen, or one who has come to America to attend school. Think about relevant personal experiences or anecdotes you may include as vivid illustrations of your points. Remember, this is a personal narrative, which means you will essentially tell your reader a story from your own experience–a story that you believe serves as a relevant example of what constitutes an American identity in your eyes.
——————–The Purpose::—————————–
The purpose of this essay is to use your own personal experience as a means of developing, supporting, and illustrating your own definition of what constitutes an American identity.
——————————–The Structure—————————
Your essay should be clearly and logically organized and thoroughly develop and support your ideas.
You should begin your essay with an introduction that engages your reader’s attention and introduces Crèvcoeur’s work, your primary source. In your introduction, provide a brief summary of Crèvcoeur’s definition of an American, making sure that you identify key characteristics. Follow your summary of Crèvcoeur’s “What Is an American?” with your reaction to Crèvcoeur’s definition, if you think his observations are true or outdated. End your introduction with a clear thesis that makes a claim about what/who an American is.
Each body paragraph should include a specific topic sentence highlighting the main idea of the paragraph and relating back to the thesis. You may want to focus on one particular aspect of your/Crèvcoeur’s definition per paragraph.
End your essay with a conclusion that does more than summarize your essay’s main points. Instead, you may want to talk about whether or not our understanding of what it means to be American remains consistent from one generation to the next or if it has evolved and continues to evolve in light of recent events.
An introductory paragraph that establishes your definition of what it means to be American in relation to Crèvcoeur’s observations
Clear thesis/controlling idea(s) at the end of your introduction
Clear focus and smooth organization
Specific examples from your own personal experiences to support your thesis
Discussion of Crèvcoeur in relation to your own views/experiences
Two direct quotes from Crèvcoeur, with proper lead-ins
