Family Stories as History

Family Stories as History

Melissa Perez Pino Miami Regional University English Composition I June,06,2025 Application 6: Narration – Content, Structure, and Style

Application 6: Narration – Content, Structure, and Style

Outline of Lessons from the Narrative (30 points)

Thesis Statement:

Jada F. Smith’s narrative explores how family stories—especially those passed through oral tradition—serve as powerful records of resistance, pride, and identity, even when public history attempts to erase or sanitize the truth.

Body 1: The Power of Oral History

Family stories, like those about Auntie Jean, preserve truth where public records fail.

These stories carry emotional weight and cultural knowledge.

Oral traditions act as resistance against historical erasure.

Body 2: Shaping Identity Through Family Legacy

Smith feels pride and connection to civil rights activism through these stories.

Personal encounters with family memories deepen her understanding of history.

Auntie Jean’s courage helps Smith see herself as part of a lineage of strength.

Body 3: Conflict Between Public History and Personal Memory

The newspaper article omits crucial details (e.g., gunshots).

This reveals how official history can misrepresent events.

Smith realizes the importance of preserving her family’s version.

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Question Responses

1. What is the main purpose of Smith’s narrative?

The main purpose is to emphasize the importance of oral family stories in preserving truth and legacy, especially when formal history omits or distorts key events. Through Auntie Jean’s story, Smith comes to understand that her family’s lived experiences are as valid and valuable as any official record. The story shapes her understanding by giving her a deep sense of pride in her roots and connecting her to a lineage of bravery and activism.

2. How does Smith create a mental picture of the scene in the roller rink?

Smith uses vivid sensory imagery and emotional detail to recreate the roller rink confrontation. She describes Auntie Jean with “knees buckling and hands shaking,” yet standing firm—a powerful visual of fear and courage. The owner is painted as an almost monstrous figure who “loomed” and was “foaming at the mouth with rage,” intensifying the danger and drama. The sound of the gunshots into the ceiling is another sharp sensory cue that brings the tension to life. These details help readers feel as if they are right there, witnessing the standoff.

3. What does “History is written by the victors” mean, and how does it apply?

This quote means that those in power often control how stories are recorded and remembered—frequently omitting or altering facts to suit their narrative. In Smith’s story, the official newspaper article erases key events: the threat, the gunshots, the fear. It presents a calm version, protecting the image of authority and silencing the youth’s resistance. Auntie Jean’s version, passed through the family, holds the emotional and factual truth. The adage applies here because it shows how history can be rewritten unless personal testimonies are preserved and shared.

4. Describe the author’s style. What impact does it have?

Smith’s style is conversational, reflective, and emotionally honest. She uses humor, dialogue, and vivid anecdotes to draw the reader in. Her casual tone (“Y’all? This ain’t right!”) makes the story feel personal and relatable. This style enhances the reader’s engagement and appreciation because it feels authentic and human—like sitting in on a family conversation. It helps convey the warmth, pride, and emotional weight of her memories, and reinforces the message that history lives through storytelling.

• What is the main purpose of Smith’s narrative?,

• How does Smith describe the roller rink scene?,

• What does “History is written by the victors” mean?,

• How does oral tradition resist historical erasure?,

• What impact does Smith’s writing style have?