Tara Westover’s identity changes greatly throughout the course of her memoir. As
she reflects on her life from an older perspective, she realizes and comes to terms with the
circumstances of her childhood. Through this remembering and through her childhood itself,
Tara’s identity and perceptions have changed greatly. How and why has she changed? Discuss
how your own identity has changed over time, and connect your own experiences to Westover’s.
Discuss who and what plays a role in identity. What experiences from your own life have made
you into the person you are today?
Essay must be a minimum of four full pages long and no more than five full pages in length
•Essay must be typed in MLA format:
(1)This means that your essay must be typed in font size 12, Times New Roman, double-
spaced, in black ink, and with 1-inch margins on all sides only
(2)Your name, essay due date, instructor’s name, and course’s name should be in the top
left-hand corner on the first page only and your last name and essay page number should be in
the top right-hand corner of every page
(3)Your essay must also include a creative yet fitting title that is not in quotation marks,
italicized, underlined or in bold that is typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font
•Use correct sentence structure and correct word usage/grammar/spelling
•Use formal writing that is clear and concise and use sensory detail and description, strong verbs,
and use examples to clarify your ideas
•Create a thesis statement at the end of the introduction in which you clearly state the lessons/the
main idea you will discuss in your essay
•Develop an attention grabber in the introduction and develop an effective introduction•Provide clear and solid examples for support and explain how those examples support your
•Develop transition sentences between paragraphs and ideas
•Provide topic sentences for all body paragraphs in which you state the topic of that paragraph
clearly
ideas
•Include quotes and connections cited in MLA from the text and valid outside sources. You
should have a minimum of six quotes incorporated from the text and two outside sources.
•Provide a conclusion that restates your thesis statement, restates the key points of your essay,
and leaves your reader with a new idea to consider in regards to your topic