“The essay is, and has been, all over the map. There’s nothing you cannot do with it; no subject matter is forbidden, no structure is proscribed. You get to make up your own structure every time, a structure that arises from the materials and best contains them. The material is the world itself, which, so far, keeps on keeping on. The thinking mind will analyze, and the creative imagination will link instances, and time itself will churn out scenes- scenes unnoticed and lost, or scenes remembered, written, and saved…”
-Annie Dillard in "The Essay's Unlimited possibilities"
Up until my last year of high school, I thought essays had to be a certain way. But as my advanced composition teacher, Mrs. Krivohlavek, explained to my class, essays can and should be about any topic that interests you. Just like Annie Dillard, she believes no topic is forbidden. Throughout the semester we read essays from past students with topics ranging from rice crispies cereal to the relevance of bras and why panty hose are important. The creative minds of the students linked these unusual but clever topics with their childhood memories and how they have helped society both past and present. The imagination of the students created fun and interesting essays. The details that were given appealed to almost all of my senses. The created vivid pictures in my mind and the clarity of their thoughts made it seem as if the essay had been my own idea. With the freedom to write about anything they wanted the students were able to let their personalities shine through in their writing.
But unlike Dillard, many teachers believe that essays should be written in a certain format. It is drilled into the head of all students that essays should have a particular number of paragraphs and should be written in this style.
Being able to write about any topic that interests you in the structure that you like or even without structure gives a person the freedom to express themselves, it gives them the opportunity to explore their imagination and to define their own writing style.
Every composition teacher has their own techniques and styles that they want their students to follow. And, although I don’t necessarily agree with the idea that there is only one way to write or one particular format to write in, I understand why they teach that way. Being taught the basics of writing an essay or different format to write in helps you figure out your own personal writing style.
