Interpretations of criteria

I've just started senior english and was wondering how some of you guys (majority of which seem MUCH more intiligent than my teacher) would interpret the bold seciton of this criteria...


Your task is to write a chapter or excerpt of your autobiography. The focus is to be on your adolescence. Select and event or series of events which, for you, encapsulates the essence of your adolescence. Explore the significance of how the event, or set of events, reflect upon your attitudes, values and beliefs and show how these attitudes, values and beleifs promote particular ways of being, thinking, speakinga and using language in the world (i.e. discourses) so as to represent yourself, and adolescence in general, as you wish it to be seen/perceived (that is, position the reader).

Interesting essay...

From my understanding...

I'm picking one (hypothetical) event, you may choose more than one for your essay. For example, a traumatic experience (ie., drug addiction) motivated you to help kids who may be in the same situation, or may be prone to being in that situation.

Using various means of rhetoric and persuasive agruements, you can help the youngsters who can potentially be heading for trouble. It may reflect upon what you feel is the "essence of your adolescence", which, in this case, is helping others and giving of yourself.

Just some quick food for thought, incorporating some of the ideas mentioned there. Hope it helps.


h

unfortunantly it has to be non-fiction, otherwise it would have been much easier.

my main problem is figuring out how to adapt the critera to my boring life :P i was thinking about doing my experiences when 9/11 happened... only problem is i don't know how to adress the 'as you wish it to be seen/perceived' to do with myself/adolescence in general.

Well the above situation was hypothetical, but I thought you may perhaps be able to think of a situation based on that. Essentially, I was just trying to explain what the question wanted (which is what I thought you had asked...could be wrong though. ;))

The "as you wish it to be seen/perceived" part isn't really all that complicated. It's just really saying you should use your feelings from the event (9/11, was your example) to define your character. The key is that this is your definition of your "essence".


h