What is a memoir?
Memoir is not a familiar genre to me until I start to work on my first text-based memoir. It is generally defined as a collection of memories that took place in the author’s life. While memoir is considered as a subcategory of autobiography by most people, it has a more narrowed focus than an autobiography. Both memoirs and autobiographies are written in the first-person perspective, but autobiographies typically focus on life of the author and memoirs mainly present a specific piece of memories or feelings of the author. Thus, a memoir expresses a more intimate feeling than an autobiography.
I plan to write a true story that happened in my hometown, Shenzhen, five years ago. I am going to write the experience of a stranger sharing an umbrella with me in a rainy day. Although many people may consider this as an insignificant incident, it has influenced and reshaped my values. Since criminal fraud has increased with the fast speed of urbanization in Shenzhen, people today are less likely to trust others. I would have stayed the same as the majority of people in this midst of suspicion if I had never met the girl that I talked about in my memoir. The insignificant incident in my memoir, however, helped to build my sense of trusting people as well as my willingness to help others when they are in trouble.
Both Afridi and Nobakov wrote their experiences in life, which can be considered as memoirs. Alfridi described her experiences of desperation within her homeland—Pakistan. Although she left Pakistan with her parents at the age of twelve, she revealed that the incident was impressed in her memories and subconsciously “had something to do with making me who I am.” Nobakov explained the concept “time” with his aspects of life. The association in Nobakov’s essay revealed his personal feeling as well as perceptions.
I plan to write a true story that happened in my hometown, Shenzhen, five years ago. I am going to write the experience of a stranger sharing an umbrella with me in a rainy day. Although many people may consider this as an insignificant incident, it has influenced and reshaped my values. Since criminal fraud has increased with the fast speed of urbanization in Shenzhen, people today are less likely to trust others. I would have stayed the same as the majority of people in this midst of suspicion if I had never met the girl that I talked about in my memoir. The insignificant incident in my memoir, however, helped to build my sense of trusting people as well as my willingness to help others when they are in trouble.
Both Afridi and Nobakov wrote their experiences in life, which can be considered as memoirs. Alfridi described her experiences of desperation within her homeland—Pakistan. Although she left Pakistan with her parents at the age of twelve, she revealed that the incident was impressed in her memories and subconsciously “had something to do with making me who I am.” Nobakov explained the concept “time” with his aspects of life. The association in Nobakov’s essay revealed his personal feeling as well as perceptions.