Read “The Price of Black Ambition” by Roxane Gay. While reading, be sure to note the various elements of memoir Gay uses in her piece. For example, does she use all five senses in her descriptions? Is there a clear plot with a conflict for the main character (the author) to overcome? What is the theme of this piece?
In this discussion, write several paragraphs analyzing this memoir. First, briefly describe the rhetorical situation:
- Author: Who wrote this? What do we know about the author that could have influenced how they wrote this piece or how they approached this memoir?
- Audience: Who is the audience for this piece? What do you know about the assumptions or biases they might bring to their reading? How can you tell? Did the author manage to reach the audience? Why or why not?
- Context: Where was it published? When was it published? What current events might the author have been responding to here? How did this impact the way the author wrote this memoir?
- Purpose: Why did the author write this? Did it work? Was the purpose achieved?
Second, summarize the narrative essay and examine the elements of memoir used in this piece. Use textual examples with in-text citations to support your assertions. Pay close attention to elements like:
- Plot and conflict
- Description (five senses)
- Theme or lessons learned
Lastly, write a brief paragraph that sums up your analysis of this piece and describe how reading this piece might help you write your own memoir.
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