Ms. Duffy Memoir Project
English 8 A House on Mango Street
A Book of my Own? Really?!
“…you will always be Mango Street. You can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are.” - Sandra Cisneros
The purpose of this project is to help you remember what you know, as well as show others who you are. Think about Esperanza’s approach to her book The House on Mango Street. It was HER book, HER words, HER perception, HER observations. How can you approach your own life in this manner? This is what your book is for.
Think about syntax, word choice, and the elements of style as you write your book. Think about the details that we do not always see about you and your life. And most importantly, HAVE FUN WRITING YOUR BOOK!
You should have original titles for each chapter, and each chapter should be started on a new page. The titles should be listed both on the title page, and on each story page.
Your book must have the following items:
o An original cover (5 points)
o A creative title and title page (5 points)
o A thoughtful dedication page (5 points)
o Table of contents (5 points)
o Ten original vignettes with names (5 points)
o Content (25 points)
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 50
Chapter length:
A chapter UNDER 100 words will be considered UNDERDEVELOPED and will not receive full credit. 100 words is roughly a half-page, typed. No more than 1 full, double-spaced page.
Due Date: Tuesday, April 17th
Possible vignettes and prompts to write about:
Ø Your name
Ø Feeling out of place
Ø Equity
Ø Perception
Ø Games or a favorite toy from childhood
Ø A prominent physical feature
Ø Your home/former home
Ø Advice from an adult
Ø Freedom vs Entrapment
Ø A special person
Ø A happy time for you
Ø Going to “work”
Ø A special holiday or birthday
Ø Adolescence is like…
Ø Gender, birth order, and siblings
Ø “The Big Game”
Ø A birth
Ø Life in my neighborhood/town
Ø Inspiration and obstacles in your life
The chapters can be in any order you choose, so long as they follow the order of your Table of Contents. The project is worth 50 points and should reflect a great deal of effort. While we will spend some time in class on this project, you should expect to do some of the project and writing at home.
Remember, you are not limited to the above prompts. You may interpret each of the vignette ideas in your own way, like your quick writes. Your quick writes may be used for inspiration, but they should be reworked and rewritten. This should be some of your best writing, as well as some of the most introspective writing you have done this year for English. And most importantly, you should have fun with this assignment.