Memoir Reflection

Before this unit I wasn't familiar with the idea of a memoir, I just assumed these type of stories were all regarded as Biographies. The Glass Castle was definitely a good introduction to memoirs . The story held my attention throughout the entire thing, and although much of this can be credited to the interesting events that unfolded in the story, after writing my memoir I realized that the style of writing the author portrays the events through was even more gripping. Jeanette Walls successfully tells the story as if she was recounting it in person to the reader. It's amazing how when reading it you feel like you develop a knowledge and understanding of Jeanette and her family and how much emotion it can provoke by knowing that these events really happened. When writing my memoir I tried to take into account that this familiarity and connection a reader develops with the characters in the story is extremely important in that it not only helps people to relate to the story, but also insures that the reader regards the characters and events as believable and true.

Another admirable quality of Jeanette's writing in the Glass Castle that I tried to incorporate in my memoir is her ability to adopt a younger perspective perfectly. I found this to be challenging when writing my memoir, but partially avoided it by choosing a memory that took place closer to my current age. Overall I found the memoir difficult to write, but very enjoyable. I have never produced a piece of writing as personal as this, and I found through re-living the moment and writing it down, I gained insight into my views on myself and my family.

Unfortunately, I think I possibly focused on the description of the setting a bit too much. In the end I'm happy with the story I produced and the messages displayed in it, but I feel as though the story might have been more effective with more character development and less description of the scenery. Also, showing and not telling was difficult at first, but through dialogue and actions I found it easier to say less and less about a character, but still inform the reader about their personality and nature. Understatements are one thing I found very difficult to incorporate. Although they were extremely effective in the Glass Castle, I found it challenging to include them in my memoir because the perspective I was telling it from was much older. I tended to overstate things in several parts of the story, and although I don't think it took anything away, it didn't contribute anything either.

Ultimately, writing the memoir was an experience I enjoyed. I like some things about my memoir such as the repetitive symbol of the sand. I feel as though I put in a good effort, but there are also some things I regret not thinking about more such as the title and the opening. 

(picture taken on Gros Morne, Bonne Bay, Newfoundland)