Use of personal experience

Part of your essay should focus on the writer’s use of her personal experiences. “Stability in Motion” by Marina Keegan is a personal essay, as the author only describes experiences that she has personally lived and which are in one way or another connected with her first car.

Using personal stories in an essay has the purpose of making the author’s arguments and perspective more easily accepted by the readers.

Firstly, by using a personal story, the author prevents possible criticism as to the validity of her arguments. A personal story implies that she knows her subject matter intimately and that she is aware that her essay is subjective: “My car was not gross; it was occupied, cluttered, cramped. It became an extension of my bedroom, and thus an extension of myself.” (ll. 102- 105)

The use of the writer’s personal experience also creates empathy and a sense of intimacy. Readers are given a...

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