Today, along with returning to our study of Sedaris’s “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” we will examine “The Day Language Came into My Life,” the first pages of Chapter Four of Helen Keller’s autobiography, The Story of My Life.
One of the aspects of Sedaris’s essay that you examined last Wednesday was his movement from summary to scene. The first of those occurs with these words of his teacher’s: “If you have not meimslsxp or lpgpdmurct by this time, then you should not be in this room” (167).
You also identified Sedaris’s hyperbole “front teeth the size of tombstones” (168), and his use of metaphors and similes, including these:
- “not unlike Pa Kettle trapped backstage at a fashion show” (167).
- “everybody into the language pool, sink or swim” (167).
- “like a translation of one of those Playmate of the Month data sheets” (168).
Together, Sedaris’s essay and Keller’s chapter excerpt demonstrate two vastly different ways to present a literacy narrative. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” offers a quirky look at the challenges of learning French from a sarcastic, soul-crushing instructor. Keller’s story poignantly recounts learning to make meaning through the sign language of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, learning that certain finger positions mean “water” for those who cannot hear it, and for others, like her, who can neither see nor hear it.
Works Cited
Keller, Helen. “The Day that Language Came into My Life.” The Story of My Life. https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/keller/life/life.html.
Sedaris, David. “Me Talk Pretty One Day.” Me Talk Pretty One Day. Little Brown, 2000. pp. 166-73.
. . . Sample Student Essays
Today in class we will examine two literacy narratives written in a previous semester. After you read and annotate the essays, you and two or three of your classmates will collaboratively compose a short assessment of each narrative.
In each assessement, consider whether the essay focuses on one of the following options for topics:
- a memory of a reading or writing assignment that you recall vividly
- someone who helped you learn to read or write
- a writing-related school event that you found humorous or embarrassing
- a particular type of writing that you found (or still find) especially difficult or challenging
- a memento that represents an important moment in your development as a reader or writer
Also determine whether each essay fulfills the requirements listed below.
- a well-told story
- vivid detail
- some indication of the narrative’s significance
- a minimum of 600 words
After you have composed your assessment, you will review the grade criteria listed below, and assign a letter grade to each narrative.
- An A literacy narrative complies with all of the assignment guidelines: it presents a well-told story, includes vivid details, and conveys the story’s significance in a way that demonstrates a depth of understanding. An A literacy narrative is also well organized and relatively free of surface errors.
- A B literacy narrative complies with all of the assignment guidelines but may convey the significance of the story in a superficial way, may have issues with organization, or may be flawed by surface errors.
- A C literacy narrative complies with most but not all of the assignment guidelines and may also be flawed by issues of organization and/or surface errors.
- A D literacy narrative complies with only a few of the assignment guidelines and may also be flawed by issues of organization and/or surface errors.
- An F literacy narrative fails to comply with most or all of the assignment guidelines and may also be flawed by substantial issues of organization and/or surface errors.
Next Up
On Wednesday you will continue work on your own literacy narratives. At the beginning of class, after I collect your second Check, Please! worksheets, I will return your rough drafts with my notes, and you will have the remainder of the class period to revise on your laptops. You will have an additional week to continue revising before posting your literacy narrative to Blackboard and to your WordPress blog. The due date is Wednesday, September 11 (before class); the hard deadline is Friday, September 13 (before class).
Jane Lucas 