Mrs.

Pinto Gann Academy

I, Too, Sing America Personal Narrative Assignment
Like the writers we have been reading and discussing, each of us has our own perceptions of
what America is and/or should be; we each sing America. For this narrative assignment, you
should consider what America you sing.
Choose ONE of the following prompts and write a personal narrative about the topic you have
chosen. If you dont like any of the prompts here and/or have something else more important
to write about, please see me. As long as its relevant to the assignment, it would be lovely to
have a little variety (it is the spice of life, they say).

The Namesake #1
To predict his future path in life, Gogol is offered a plate holding a clump of cold Cambridge soil dug up
from the backyard, a ballpoint pen, and a dollar bill, to see if he will be a landowner, scholar, or businessman. Most
children will grab at one of them, sometimes all of them, but Gogol touches nothing. He shows no interest in the
pate, instead turning away, briefly burying his face in his honorary uncles shoulder.
Put the money in his hand! someone in the group calls out. An American boy must be rich!
No! his father protests. The pen. Gogol, take the pen.
Gogol regards the plate doubtfully. Dozens of dark heads hover expectantly. The material of the Punjabi
pajama set begins to scratch his skin.
Go on, Gogol, take something, Dilip Nandi says, drawing the plate close. Gogol frowns, and his lower lip
trembles. Only then, forced at six months to confront his destiny, does he begin to cry. (40)

At only 6 months old, Gogol is expected to know what his future will be and to indicate this
future by choosing the right item proffered on the plate. Write about a time when you were
expected to do something (maybe you are still expected to do something) and your choice
whether to do it or not (for example, you really want to bake cookies for a living but everyone
expects you to be a lawyer or a doctor. But those chocolate chips just wont bake themselves and you
have the worlds best recipe). Dont forget to include your feelings about your choice and any
consequences that may have (or may in the future) occurred because of it.


The Namesake #2
There are ways in which Ashoke and Ashima give in. Though Ashima continues to wear nothing but saris
and sandals from Bata, Ashoke, accustomed to wearing tailor-made pants and shirts all his life, learns to
buy ready-made. He trades in fountain pens for ballpoints, Wilkinson blades and his boar-bristled shaving
brush for Bic razors bought six to a pack. Though he is now a tenured full professor, he stops wearing
jackets and ties to the university. Given that there is a clock everywhere he turns, at the side of his bed,
over the stove where he prepares tea, in the car he drives to work, on the wall opposite his desk, he stops
wearing a wristwatch, resigning his Favre Leuba to the depths of his sock drawer. In the supermarket they
let Gogol fill the cart with items that he and Sonia, but not they, consume: individually wrapped slices of
cheese, mayonnaise, tuna fish, hot dogs. (65)

The longer the Gangulis stay in America, the more American their lives become and the more
leeway they allow for their children to assimilate to the dominant culture. Write about a time
that you consciously or unconsciously assimilated to another culture. It can be something
big like nation or synagogue, or something less big, like group of friends, classroom, school, etc.
Reflect on how this assimilation changed or did not change you.





Mrs. Pinto Gann Academy
I Hear America Singing
I hear American singing, the varied carols I hear,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs

In his Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitmans purpose was to capture the voices of the average
American people, not the aristocracy. In his poem I Hear American Singing, he (among other
things) glorifies the hard work Americans do and respects their ownership of the work itself as
well as the fruits of the labor. Write about a time when your hard work gave you the feeling of
ownership of anything: your product, a place, a group of campers Be sure to consider how
these feelings made you see the world or even just a part of the world differently and the
effect this had on you and/or your worldview.

I, Too, Sing America
Theyll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed

Although Langston Hughes appreciated and loved Whitmans poetry, he could not stay silent on
matters dealing with what it means to be American. He recognized the hypocrisy of the
American ideal, and in this poem he says something about it. Write about a time when you said
something when you spoke up - or when you rebelled against a standard that you knew (in
your heart and/or in your mind) was wrong. Consider what made you act and how your own
actions changed you, another person, or your community.














The fine print:

1. Choose your words carefully; your narrative should demonstrate an understanding of conventions and
style choices in order to present your own personal style. That means that you are telling your story in your
own voice (not that crazy voice you try to have when you write that you think makes you sound smarter or
something).

2. Your narrative should amount to at least 2 pages, typed (Font: 12 point, Times New Roman) and double-
spaced (MLA format, please. If youre unsure what that looks like, check out the link on the resources page
on our website).

3. Your narrative should be turned in to turnitin.com on or before the due date and time.

4. Your narrative should be reflective and insightful, and it should demonstrate a willingness and ability to
learn from experience. This means you should write something reflecting on what you know about
yourself because of this experience.

5. This is a narrative assignment, not an essay. Be creative and honest. Be real. And share your real voice, not
your formal essay one.