On My Narrative Weakness

My narrative weakness is my tendency to default to logos in any narrative prose. When I write, it is far easier for me to tackle a topic from a logical approach rather than evoking emotions. My pathos is certainly present in poems and song lyrics, but not in a narrative prose. This stems from preference. I would rather write a historical essay with future conjectures, rather than a recollection of a memory. In order to become a multi-talented writer however, I must work towards empathetically approaching topics and continuously trying to evoke emotion. In order to compose a successful narrative that will keep readers coming back for more, pathos is the most important technique. If a reader doesn't feel attachment or significance to an element of the narrative, they will have little to no interest in the text.

In regards to books, I am very selective. I limit myself to medieval fantasy, theological writings, and historical fiction. My favorite book of all time would be The Lord of the Rings. Not only can I enjoy the fantasy aspect, but I love to analyze it theologically. As a Catholic, I can easily uncover and understand the underlying theological themes Tolkien wove into his narrative. Likewise, I enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies. My father and I will sit and watch them and try to find new things to discuss about them. One of our favorite topics of debate is whether or not a certain character or action is a biblical allusion or not. The Ents and Ent Wives are still up for debate!

A song that I consider to be the "story of my life". Before writing this I began debating. "Should I go with the song I actually connect with? Or should I reach into my box of generic answers behind a facade? " In retrospect, a total of one or two people may ever come across this post, therefore, I would like to preface my song analysis with a short reflection. Some people these days seem to use mental illness as an excuse, or a way to get special treatment. "I am very nervous for my entrance exam for this college, I must have anxiety!" Unfortunately, that is not anxiety. I once read an article where someone likened anxiety to eating an apple in a meeting. All the members of the board were given apples; the subject in question finished hers first. She sat there, the juices from the core dripping down her hands, on to her pants, in fear. Should she go and throw the apple away? Rather than simply throwing the apple away, she waited until other members of the board stood up and threw theirs away. Even though she was a sticky mess, she was safe. No one would look at her in question as she threw her core away.

I have to choose the song "ECHO" by Crusher-P. Memorable lines from "ECHO" and their analysis are as follows: "The trembling fear is more than I can take, when I'm up against the echo in the mirror." The echo in the mirror refers to the subject's own reflection. They are afraid of who they are, because they know they are not "normal". There is something that holds them back or prevents them from functioning like a "normal" person.

"I can't get a grip, but I can't let go." This is by far one of my favorite lines. The subject's way of thinking is so clearly detailed! They cannot grab on to what they think is "normal" but they cannot "let go" of what is preventing them from being "normal". It is such a stark contradiction, getting a grip, and letting go.

"Can someone tell me please, why I'm switching faster than the channels on TV" Anyone who is diagnosed with moderate to severe anxiety would most likely be able to tell you, depression is a side effect. Depression isn't feeling sad, it's lacking the will to even feel. The anxiety tells you "What if you mess up?" while the depression whispers "You wouldn't be able to do it anyway." This causes an internal conflict in the subject. Should they even attempt it? Should they cancel their plans? But what if people are mad? It's fine, they didn't like them anyway."

"My enemy's invisible, I don't know how to fight." This is the most prolific line of the entire song. Whether you are battling a mental illness, or a physical one like fibromyalgia, the enemy is invisible. Often, we just don't know how to fight. We have tried it all: therapy, medicines, surgeries. What should we do when there is nothing left? How do we fight?

The story I cannot turn away from, is my own. We as humans desperately look for something to latch on to. Even if it is a thin as a spider's thread, we will hold on to it as if it were our life line. Simply referencing my selections for favorite media reveals who I am; a devout Catholic battling an invisible enemy. Tolkien's story, Frodo's story, Crusher-P's lyrics, they are my story. Take a second to analyze your favorite selections; do they reflect who you are?

#assignment #english #enc2135 #narrative