Article Analysis: Analyzing an Ex-Fugitive’s Autobiographical Essay.
“My Decade as a Fugitive” is an autobiographical piece about Waymond Hall, an ex fugitive wanted at one time for home invasion and armed robbery. The article briefly sketches Hall’s life, his fall from being a promising student to criminal, then fugitive, culminating in his ultimate redemption.
The story begins, informally, with the narrator speaking as if they were having a one-on-one conversation with their audience, “It’s funny sharing my story, since I spent the better part of a decade doing everything I could to hide it.” This line, the lede of the story, is a bit coy which helps to create an air of secrecy and mystery around the narrative before it unfolds. I can see how readers could be enticed to continue reading the story, to ask themselves what happens next? However, the lede is perhaps too vague as it doesn’t give the reader enough of a bite (details) to keep them interested. Given the freedom to edit this article I would use the image of Hall hiding in a tree from police, thinking of the inevitability of his capture and of fulfilling his fear of becoming a convict- just like his father.
This article does not seem to have a clear single paragraph nutgraf. Rather the gist of the story appears to be contained within the first section of three paragraphs with the title playing an important role in the dissemination of the essay’s content. In those paragraphs readers are provided with a little bit of background information on Hall as well as setting up the climactic scene which leads to his exile.
One of the great strengths as well as weaknesses of this article is that it is autobiographical. It is a strength because it adds to the Ethos of the piece as well as provides an intimate, closer look, into the events of the story. However, the narrator’s lack of writing inexperience is evident in their limited structural control and story development.
I imagined them flying over the razor wire of Coalinga. -Waymond Hall
The narrative is presented in a nonlinear fashion and this is fine for the most part, however there are instances when a scene change is so quick and unexpected that it is jarring and difficult to follow. Moreover, there are instances in which the author provides certain details which are out of place or don’t add much to the theme or thesis of the story. For example, the author provides a powerful instance in which he discovers that a close friend has died. Subsequently, he lays sprawled on the floor for days. The problem with this moment is that it is not clearly signaled nor tied in to the rest of the story, nor explained. Something of this sort needs to be contextualized and it is this lack of contextualization which hampers the integration of this experience into the larger narrative.
Further, while the piece does have literary elements they are often cliche or obvious. For instance, “My heart was pounding in my ears but not enough to drown out the sounds of dogs and sirens.” The line is essentially a fixed up cliche and the author also tells us what is happening rather than showing it. Regardless, there are some promising examples of imagery or figurative language present within the article including this illustration of prison letters called “kites” in the story, “I imagined them flying over the razor wire of Coalinga.” For this passage I appreciate the fact that the author renders the novel image of letters flying like kites over razor wire.
Another aspect which is lacking from this particular story is the use of statistics to provide extra context or information. However, this lack of information does not hamper the article. Furthermore the author does well to often explain or clarify important terminology (as with the example above) or specific situations throughout the narrative. For example, the author explains the ramifications for having an armed and dangerous tag is that he can be shot for trying to run from the police. These key explanations helped to clarify much of the content of the story.
And now for the kicker, which is the strongest part of the story, “We parted that day but made plans to keep in touch. I could do that sort of thing. I could think about the future again.” Hall’s ending is filled with pathos. After 10 arduous years, the narrator has gained both his redemption and his freedom. A fact that is specifically highlighted by the final line of the essay. As a reader it feels as if I have vicariously been emancipated, freed of the burden of the past. Moreover, one is given a profound sense of justice in the fact that forgiveness and redemption are possible.
I could think about the future again. -Waymond Hall
Overall, I felt that the piece worked. It gave one a good sense of what the main character/narrator had lived through. However, I felt as though the story could have been written better. Perhaps the constraints of having to distill a fairly lengthy and complex story in only a couple of pages is what hampered this piece. Or the fact that the narrator is an inexperienced writer is a trade off for closer perspective on his life. Still it was a decent piece, and I gained insight into the life of a man who I, and even people close to him did not not know all that well.
