Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative
Name
Institution
Abstract
A personal narrative is a writing style narrative that relates to personal experience and usually told in the first person. Writing a personal story can be compelling to the writer as well as the person reading it. Most people use this form of writing to share their experiences or the experiences of others, and it also creates awareness of some of the struggles people feel shy talking about. Also, it enables one understand the viewpoint of another when compared to theirs. This paper will analyze “Fear of a Black Man” a personal narrative written by Abilash Gopal and discuss some of the similarities and differences in terms of perspectives or opinions that they may have to mine. Additionally, I will briefly identify what I can learn by being able to understand his story and perspectives and whether reading these perspectives helps me grow in terms of how I view others.
Keywords: personal narratives, perspectives, viewpoints, author, reader
Personal Narrative
“Fear of a Black Man” is a personal narrative written by Abilash Gopal. He takes about his experience with a young black male patient who as per his previous doctors was diagnosed with severe anxiety, paranoia, and polysubstance abuse. Being a man of color too, Gopal talks of some of the challenges people like him go through on a daily basis and how prejudice ends up playing a part in perception (Gopal, 2016). The differences Gopal may have I comparison to me is that he seems to have gotten the opportunity to live well and from a good cultural background and these to some extent may make him have a different point of view.

For example, by him assuming his patient’s character shows that he was a bit ignorant of the patient’s background. However, despite the differences, some similarities are that he was aware of the misconception the general public had o people of color especially black men. He was also empathetic towards his patient, and this illustrated that he to some point understood the struggles of living in miserable, violent cities.
What intrigued me the most about this narrative is how well the author articulated the struggles of a young black man particularly when it comes to them being vulnerable and getting help from hospitals. Being a black man working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), I found Gopal’s story unique especially on how black people are usually wrongly diagnosed because of their cultural backgrounds. I was also able to sympathize with the gentleman in the story because I also once had an experience where a patient had to be sent away because the organization declined their insurance. Most patients especially the ones who were poor or prejudiced faced or still face such issues where they end up not getting the treatment they deserve because of not being able to afford such care or end up getting unfair treatment since some health practitioners have reserved discrimination against them.
Through comprehending someone else’s personal narrative, I learn that everyone has their struggles that they are going through and even though they may be different from mine at the end of the day their cultural backgrounds shape someone else’s perceptions. Additionally, from Gopal’s story, I learned the importance of self-development that comes with writing one’s or someone else’s narrative. Writing down of personal experiences act as a healing power especially after going through traumatic experiences as it brings out some repressed emotions of what one went through. Moreover knowing that someone else may have gone through the same experiences forms a bound and motivates one to write a personal narrative that not only expresses one’s ordeals but some of the societal issues that may be affecting a larger group of people.
Moreover, analyzing the perspectives of others can help me grow as a person and realize the vast range of ideas that exist in the world. I am also able to respect that there are times where I may have to differ in opinions with others and that I can only foster good relationships by being respectful of another person’s personal beliefs. I will also be able to remain open-minded and respectful of others when writing my personal narrative, especially when having to acknowledge their beliefs and values when relating to them.
Reference
Gopal, Abilash. (2016). Fear of a Black Man. Huffington Post – The Blog. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fear-of-a-black-man_b_9964096.html.