Emblematic Object Essay

Introduction 
Description can tell us much more about something than just what it looks like. It can support an idea, a feeling, a situation, a place, a time, or develop feelings of empathy for the character or situation. It is a strong type of support that can be used in both persuasive and analytical essays. In this personal essay, you will write about an object that is emblematic to you, describing it, and discussing its importance and value.  

We own many things that we prize highly for more than just their monetary value. It may be an elaborate thing, or something as simple as a piece of paper with a special note on it. How does that item carry its meaning? How can you look at this one thing and see it for more than what it physically represents? How does it represent the person who owns it, or what does it say about him or her, or his or her past? In short, how is it emblematic? 

Emblem is a word not quite meaning symbol. A thing that is emblematic (e.g., a scar on your knee) represents something more than what it is: more than just an injury, the scar represents a championship skater who worked very hard in a winning season. However, it does not represent that to all people at all times. On the other hand, a symbol does represent the same thing to all people of the same culture at all times. April symbolizes rebirth and love. A skeleton symbolizes death. See how a symbol is different from an emblem?  

The item you choose to write about should be emblematic to you. It can be something that belongs to you or to someone else; it can be something you or someone else still has, or something that no longer exists. However, it must be something that has meaning for you. The following outlines some of the introductory ideas you should keep in mind.

Beginning considerations:
•	Style: A personal or familiar essay should be written in your voice and from your perspective. While you are watching your grammar more carefully than you might in everyday writing, you are still writing as yourself.  
o	Do not use words that are not natural to you.
o	Do not use the personal pronoun you. Instead, use I/me/my when referring to your own experience, or we/us/our when extending that to society as a whole. When appropriate use the specific nouns: i.e. women, men, student, teachers, teens, dragons, etc.  
•	Purpose:  The purpose of this essay is simply to describe your object and both show and explain its importance to you.
o	Do not try to convince or preach to your readers. Simply explain what it is you believe and why you believe it’s important. 
•	Audience:  The audience for this essay is a general audience. Think of this as simply talking to your friends, family, or peers.
•	Limitations:  You must write about a physical object, and it cannot be bigger than a pickup truck.

Finally, remember we begin with the prewriting assignments, so take it one-step at a time. We will read samples and discuss the details more as we move through work on the essay.

Prewriting Assignments
This is a basic overview of the prewriting assignments. I will cover details in class or via video, where I will explain these in more depth and gives tips on how to do them and show you samples.  

Prewriting Assignment 1

Write down as many words, phrases, and sentences as you can to describe your object. Use all the senses you can: sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound. Describe size and color, shape and texture. Think about its weight and feel. Consider its emotional tone or vibe (the dominant impression). List every detail you can think of.  

Your job is to get as many details and descriptions about it down as possible. Use the example I gave you in the slideshow to give you ideas of how to develop your descriptions. (The slideshows are linked on your syllabus and are on the webpage for each essay as well.)

You should have a list that is at least ½ - 1 page long.

Prewriting Assignment 2
Now that you’ve gotten a lot of descriptive phrases or words down about your object, it’s time to describe it. However, you will set your description in the context of a narrative. So, in your Prewriting 2, write the story or a couple of stories of a time you remember the object. As you tell the story, describe the object. You should have 2-3 paragraphs.

Prewriting Assignment 3
Finally, it’s time to discuss why the object you chose is important. What does the story you wrote in your last Prewriting Assignment show about not just the object, but also the person who owns it, or the time in your life that it represents? How is this person or time important to you and how does that show through that object? What does that object reveal about this person’s or time’s character, nature, or significance? You should have at least 2 paragraphs. 

Drafting the Essay
Begin work on putting this essay together by reviewing the grade sheet at the end of this handout. I grade looking for those things, so you need to make sure you keep those things in mind as you write. Once you’ve done that, look over your prewritings, especially prewriting 2 and 3, and consider them in the context of the samples we’ve read and the discussions we’ve had about this essay and this type of writing. Use your prewritings as a start to your essay. Remember, your goal is to create a clear picture of the object and its importance. You may need to add to or omit things from your prewriting, and you may decide to take a very different path. It’s all okay.  

This essay is a personal or familiar essay. As such, you need to be writing in your voice and you need to use the personal pronouns I/me/my. Avoid the use of the pronoun you as much as possible. If you want to extend your points outside of yourself, use the collective we, or the specific group: young people, students, Americans, women, men, dragons, etc.  

You will turn in a draft which will receive a 100 if it is turned in on time and developed sufficiently—it doesn’t have to be finished, but if you’ve done your prewritings and used them you should have at least 2 pages if not more.

I will comment on that draft, return it to you, and give you time to revise it and complete it for your final grade.  

Final Grading Criteria 
Your essay will be evaluated based on the following standards. Please review them and take them into consideration when finalizing your essay. 

Format  
•	Is the essay correctly formatted? (MLA format)
•	Is the essay turned in on time?
•	Does it meet length requirements? (3 pages)

Focus 
•	Does the essay communicate one dominate impression?

Content
•	Does the essay clearly identify the object early on?
•	Does the essay use clear description and narrative?
•	Does the essay have discussion and interpretation of the narrative and description?

Development 
•	Does the essay clearly discuss and communicate the significance of the object?
•	Does the writing reflect critical and careful thought, going beyond surface reactions?  
•	Are the narrative and description clear and focused, creating a sense of the object and moment?

Style
•	Does the style—voice, tone, sentence style, and word choice—reflect the type of writing expected in this essay?

Clarity 
•	Does the writing reflect grammatical and mechanical correctness expected at this level?