Reflection on Readings: The reason that we are doing reflections is so that we can begin to understand the elements that make up genres in writing.
In the first chapter of Malala’s book, she tells the story of the morning leading up to her attempted assassination, which was to completely alter the trajectory of her life. For Sedaris, he covers a longer period of time, but a single incident defines who he really is—an American; a greedy, piggy, self-centered, uneducated American! This almost goes un-noticed, but it is the most important part of this story.
Consider these questions when writing your informal essay:
What point was the author trying to convey?
How did the author accomplish her/his goals?
Where do you think she/he wanted the reader to “land.”?
How effective do you think the piece was as a memoir?
What larger point was important to the personal story?
