Jessica Weislogel
Mrs. Heather Trahan
15ENG101-041
Essay #1 – Reading, Composing, Responding
8 October 2009
Discovering Your Autobiography
In today’s society with the rise of social networking and new technologies, it is becoming a popular trend to write about one’s life for all to see. They want to tell their own story in their own words. While talking about your own life may seem simple, the actual construction of an autobiographical piece of literature can be a much more difficult and rigorous process for writers of all ages and skill levels. In the excerpt chapter “writing autobiography,” author bell hooks describes her own struggles to put her life into text. She does this in a way that encourages readers to consider their own experiences as a story. So many people are already writing some form of autobiography for others to read. Through bell hooks’ piece, they can discover new strategies to revisit their past and develop better ways to depict their own lives.
When hooks decided she wanted to write down her story, it was to rid her of the childhood she had. She did not want the past to continue to have its hold on her and wanted to be free to discover her true self. When hooks did begin to write, she found she was blocked from being able to tell her story. bell hooks didn’t want to put her family secrets down on paper for fear of betraying them and breaking the bond they had (31). She also struggled with remembering her memories vividly enough to write about them. hooks began using experiences she was going through as catalysts to bring back those drifting recollections. Some memories were more forced then others, but hooks was more interested in the spirit of those particular moments, not necessarily the accuracy of the events. hooks even felt her work could be considered “bio-mythography” for possibly being part fiction (33). She discovered that from rereading her own story, she had a new perspective on her own life. bell hooks learned she was not releasing her past like she once believed, but was being taught to hold on to that past and those experiences because they made up whom she really was.
Originally, hooks was trying to get her “old” self gone and forever out of her life. She said, “I wanted not to forget the past but to break its hold” (30). She seemed to feel that this Gloria she used to be was preventing her from moving forward. Upon reading that, I was surprised that someone could feel so strongly about getting rid of her past. As I look back on my life, there are several events that were not very positive, but I chose to remember them and learn from them through my family and its love. While I understand bell hooks felt trapped and even somewhat crazed in her youth, I believe it still to be a part of her. In the end, hooks believes that as well and refers to her writing as rescuing the little girl rather than killing her, and bell hooks even felt whole again from putting that Gloria onto paper (35).
When hooks wrote this piece, she chose a specific rhetoric of audience, and intended the work to be for other writers and those interested in writing in general. Her piece gives insight to one life example of the difficulties that writing an autobiography entitles. One has to be able to cope with all aspects of their life to begin with in order to proceed to writing about them. As an author, bell hooks is able to give understanding to the hardships that writing can entail. She writes this chapter with the purpose of warning, but also inspiration. hooks uses herself as a model to show that while it can be a tough journey, writing an autobiography can also help one see deeper within his or her self. The essay of hooks allows me to think more clearly about my writing style and how I approach discussing my own personal stories.
bell hooks used several of her own experiences to explain how she managed to uncover memories that she either couldn’t remember as accurately or was choosing not to remember. She discussed how the use of her senses made it possible to continue her writing because they helped recall parts of her past. She affectively used smell as a rhetoric by going into depth with her details. hooks really captures the reader’s attention by the intensity with which she describes her experiences. She allows the reader to feel as though they are there in the room, smelling the same scents. hooks used the phrase “scent of memory” to explain how the variation of smells she encountered made her recall her past. Specifically, she talks of “those mingled odors of alcohol, sweat, and cigarettes” that surrounded her and the young, black with whom she was having an affair. The event reminded hooks of her Uncle Pete, and one can feel the dislike and discomfort in the situation that hooks felt (32). In my own life, I have noticed that memories can come back to mind due to experiencing senses that are familiar. Just from walking by a stranger that happens to wear the same fragrance as someone significant in your life can trigger a memory.
In summation, hook’s chapter, “writing autobiography,” is entertaining to read while still focusing on a purpose of self-discovery. The ending refers back to the beginning in that hooks learned from the experience. She sees her own life in a different perspective because of it. This in turn encourages readers to think about their own lives and the memories they have. It may help them in a way as simple as increasing the personalization of their tweets to potentially even starting a full-length autobiography of their own.
Works Cited
hooks, bell. “writing autobiography.” Essays on Writing. Eds. Lizbeth A. Bryant and Heather M. Clark. New York: Longman, 2009. 29-35. Print.
Jessica Weislogel
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