The Art of Autobiographical Endings_ Exemplified in Carmen Maria Machado’s ‘In the Dream House’ -2
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Reflection on “The Art of Autobiographical Endings: Exemplified in Carmen Maria Machado’s ‘In the Dream House'”
Carmen Maria Machado decided to end her memoir, In the Dream House, with a final chapter titled “Dream House as Ending.” According to her, the notion that “there’s a real ending to anything, I’m pretty sure, is the lie of all autobiographical writing”(Machado 239). Every autobiographical writer has to eventually let the reader go, but […]
A Codependency Crisis
You, my best friend. You’ve known me since I was in the third grade. I heard your voice every morning in homeroom for the morning announcements. I never knew who you were until I saw you on the playground one day. You sat on the curb, tears rolling down your cheeks. I asked why […]
Self Portrait as Operant Conditioning
Self Portrait as Operant Conditioning How often is motivation purely from within, especially when you’re young? Did you excel in middle school because you incessantly worried about your future, or because you liked to read nineteenth century literature for fun? No. You learned from a very young age that success in school brings much more […]
The Strategic Use of Voice and Narration in Autobiography
When I reflect on who I am as a person, I often fail to acknowledge the middle school version of myself. The girl I used to be is the complete opposite of who I am now. She was infatuated with internet stars, spent most of her time in her room on social media, and struggled […]
Why My First Boyfriend Still Hates Me
How are our identities shaped by our past? Some argue that although our pasts may shape our current selves, it does not define us. Others may feel like our past holds the best version of ourselves, as it represents our “peak” in life. We often reminisce of times where we celebrated huge milestones, or times […]
Our Awe-Inspiring Music Programs
By Friday afternoon, after a long week in the second grade, I am very much ready for the weekend. Once I finally see Gaga’s silver car approaching me in the carpool line, I am excited knowing I’m going to perform today. Once all of my siblings get home from school, we are going to eat […]
The Rewards and Repercussions of Writing About Trauma
The dynamic between writing and trauma is complex. We could argue that writing about trauma is therapeutic for victims, but at the same time we could argue that writing can cause more harm than good. The act of reliving traumatic events all over again– as authors carefully craft stories about the darkest moments of their […]
Exploring the Complexity of Space and Time in Personal Narratives
We typically think of some moments in space and time as more significant than others. The day we get married is deemed more significant than a mundane day sitting in the office. In reality, what if our sense of space–and how we derive meaning in space–is all that matters? Does our interpretation of a moment […]