American Hostage by Micah Garen Narrative powers-in this essay use the book “American Hostage” by Micah Garen and Marie-Helen Carleton and will examine how
Garen and Carleton tell their true story through the printed word.

You will inquire into the writer-reader-subject triangle to
discover the elements that make for an effective, engaging reading experience.

American Hostage by Micah Garen Assignment

Write an essay of at least three full pages that explores the power of narrative writing in America Hostage. Your
essay should exam both the narrative skill employed by Garen and Carleton and the personal sources of you response to the
story.
Narrative skill includes: description, pacing dialogue, characterization, viewpoint, expression of thought and emotion,
crafting of scenes, and meaningful uses of exposition.
Source of your response in include: personal identification based on shared experience and conflict.
Your essay should refer to specific passages in American Hostage, citing the relevant page numbers.
Thesis: Your thesis statement should make a direct claim about the effectiveness or power of the narrative writing by Garen
and Carleton, and this claim should be supported by evidence and ideas drawn from the three basic components of the reading
experience:
1. The narrative skill employed by the author.
2. The situation or conflict that is the subject of the memoir.
3. The influence of your own past experience.
You should refer to at least four specific scenes and passages in the memoir and cite them. You should quote (briefly) at
least two times. Your other textual references can paraphrase, summarize or analysis particular moments in the memoir.