Examining Your Essay’s Genre

The Profile essay “ The American Male at Age Ten”, written by Susan Orlean, is about a young boy who is in the fourth grade, who’s knowledge is anything short of a typical fourth grade education. Collin Duffy, the wise fourth grader, knows things that a typical fourth grader would not know. The essay employs the features of Ballenger outlines on page 120 of The Curious Writer, because Orlean profile essay has one main focus, the fourthgrade subject, Collin Duffy. Ballenger said “A profile usually provides a detailed look at one person.” Orlean did a very good job as far as staying on topic and describing and giving details of her subject, the fourth grade boy.  Next, Ballenger says “A profile uses narrative as a method of organization.”  In the essay, Orlean narrative about the boy gives the essay added detail because she does it in  such a distinct way. She uses third person point of view to tell the story of her subject. Orlean also has one point in the essay when she gives us description, but it is in the voice of her subject. As Ballenger states, “Profiles go beyond mere description of subjects and reveal information about character much as a short story does through telling details and the subjects own voice.” In one part of the essay Orlean states that Colin says. “The best thing about growing up is adults can go wherever they want.” “Well if you’re grown, and you have a car, and you can go wherever you feel like it and get some candy.” The big idea the profile conveys is how we look at the world when were young, change as we get older. In my opinion, Orlean uses the features Ballenger states on page 120 of The Curious Writer, very well to construct her profile essay.  The information she gives in the profile essay was very detailed. Overall, I liked and enjoyed reading the essay. I like how Orlean told the story, and made me feel like I personally knew Collin. I also feel she touched all the basis of forming a well written profile essay. She had her set subject, and she presented him to her audience very well. The reason why I think she followed Ballenger’s steps is because as I read page 120, all of the features that he listed, I found in her essay.  Only think that I would say is that she could have given us a look into why Collin felt the way he did about something’s, what triggered those thoughts. Other than that, the essay was very good.