People can cultivate their sense of place through personal experiences and emotional
development. On the other side, place can also influence people when they stay in one
place as long as they can or they even choose to live there permanently. Specifically,
place can also change an immigrant’s initial mindset and reshape his or her character
or lifestyle to make him or her integrate into the new community. Therefore, the
relationship between place and people indicates that people can change space into
place while place can change people’s characteristics and lifestyles. In this essay, I
would like to choose a piece of creative non-fiction as the memoir to explain
the influence that place has on people. I will write this memoir based on my personal
experience and other international students or Chinese American’s mindset. Since
I am an international student who plans to immigrate to the United States in the future,
I have establish a strong relationship with America. Although I have merely stayed in
the United States for one year, this place has already reshaped me and it will definitely
change my future and my entire life. Therefore, I would like to describe the life before I
went to Emory University in China firstly. Since I would like to reveal the change of
myself, I will compare my personal characteristics and relationships with friends and
family in China with those after I went to America. For example, I will describe how
dependent I was in the past, and how I become self-reliant and work hard to
pursue my future now by the influence of America. These significant changes will
demonstrate the argument of the essay, which refers to the idea about how place
relates to shape myself.
Besides, I will also describe the impression I have towards America in different time
periods. I will explain the reason I chose to apply for American colleges and how I felt
before I studied abroad, and I will also interpret the initial impression when I arrived
at Emory at first. Then, I will illustrate the reason that I would like to work and stay in
America in the future. Because America reshapes me and changes my lifestyles and
characteristics, I begin to find out that America becomes a new place for me.
By illustrating the memoir as the changing process of me in America, it will also
prove the scholarly arguments of Tuan and Price. Specifically, I will describe some
intimate experiences, especially the vulnerable situations, to explain the process I
change America from a space to a place, and how I am also be changed by America.
For example, when I arrived at Emory initially, it was difficult for me to find new
friends, since I was used to be timid and silent in the past. However, with the influence
of enthusiastic American students and American culture, I begin to become outgoing
and learn how to integrate into local community. This is part of the turning point I
change America from a space to a place, and it is demonstrated by the idea of Tuan,
which refers to the argument that people will more likely to regard a space as a place
when they are in the vulnerable situation.
Overall, I will combine the academic idea of Tuan and Price to explain the change of
myself, including the characteristics, lifestyles and emotions. I will use this memoir as
the foundation of the essay to demonstrate that place can reshape people, especially
for immigrants.
General Outline:
l Introduction:
1. Briefly introducing the difference between place and space
2. Briefly introducing the background of myself as an international student who would
like to be a Chinese American in the future
3. Briefly introducing the idea that people can develop their own senses of the place
through their personal experiences and emotions in the local community
l The memoir:
a. First Body Paragraph:
1.Introducing the fact that I studied abroad
2.Describing the life I used to have in China before I came to America
3.Explaining the reason I would like to apply for American universities
4.Describing the experience several years ago when I attended Model United Nations
in America for two weeks
b. Second Body Paragraph:
1.Introducing the expression I had towards America when I initially came there
2.Describing the emotion such as nostalgia at Emory
3.Describing the difficulty that I could not find new friends (Tuan136-148)
4.Describing how I changed myself to establish a social cycle
C. Third Body Paragraph:
1.Describing the current situation of me in America
2.Comparing the characteristics and lifestyles in America with those in China
3.Describing the impression that other Chinese students have towards me after I
returned back to China
l Conclusion
a. Concluding the statement that place can reshape people
b. The prospect for me in America in the future
development. On the other side, place can also influence people when they stay in one
place as long as they can or they even choose to live there permanently. Specifically,
place can also change an immigrant’s initial mindset and reshape his or her character
or lifestyle to make him or her integrate into the new community. Therefore, the
relationship between place and people indicates that people can change space into
place while place can change people’s characteristics and lifestyles. In this essay, I
would like to choose a piece of creative non-fiction as the memoir to explain
the influence that place has on people. I will write this memoir based on my personal
experience and other international students or Chinese American’s mindset. Since
I am an international student who plans to immigrate to the United States in the future,
I have establish a strong relationship with America. Although I have merely stayed in
the United States for one year, this place has already reshaped me and it will definitely
change my future and my entire life. Therefore, I would like to describe the life before I
went to Emory University in China firstly. Since I would like to reveal the change of
myself, I will compare my personal characteristics and relationships with friends and
family in China with those after I went to America. For example, I will describe how
dependent I was in the past, and how I become self-reliant and work hard to
pursue my future now by the influence of America. These significant changes will
demonstrate the argument of the essay, which refers to the idea about how place
relates to shape myself.
Besides, I will also describe the impression I have towards America in different time
periods. I will explain the reason I chose to apply for American colleges and how I felt
before I studied abroad, and I will also interpret the initial impression when I arrived
at Emory at first. Then, I will illustrate the reason that I would like to work and stay in
America in the future. Because America reshapes me and changes my lifestyles and
characteristics, I begin to find out that America becomes a new place for me.
By illustrating the memoir as the changing process of me in America, it will also
prove the scholarly arguments of Tuan and Price. Specifically, I will describe some
intimate experiences, especially the vulnerable situations, to explain the process I
change America from a space to a place, and how I am also be changed by America.
For example, when I arrived at Emory initially, it was difficult for me to find new
friends, since I was used to be timid and silent in the past. However, with the influence
of enthusiastic American students and American culture, I begin to become outgoing
and learn how to integrate into local community. This is part of the turning point I
change America from a space to a place, and it is demonstrated by the idea of Tuan,
which refers to the argument that people will more likely to regard a space as a place
when they are in the vulnerable situation.
Overall, I will combine the academic idea of Tuan and Price to explain the change of
myself, including the characteristics, lifestyles and emotions. I will use this memoir as
the foundation of the essay to demonstrate that place can reshape people, especially
for immigrants.
General Outline:
l Introduction:
1. Briefly introducing the difference between place and space
2. Briefly introducing the background of myself as an international student who would
like to be a Chinese American in the future
3. Briefly introducing the idea that people can develop their own senses of the place
through their personal experiences and emotions in the local community
l The memoir:
a. First Body Paragraph:
1.Introducing the fact that I studied abroad
2.Describing the life I used to have in China before I came to America
3.Explaining the reason I would like to apply for American universities
4.Describing the experience several years ago when I attended Model United Nations
in America for two weeks
b. Second Body Paragraph:
1.Introducing the expression I had towards America when I initially came there
2.Describing the emotion such as nostalgia at Emory
3.Describing the difficulty that I could not find new friends (Tuan136-148)
4.Describing how I changed myself to establish a social cycle
C. Third Body Paragraph:
1.Describing the current situation of me in America
2.Comparing the characteristics and lifestyles in America with those in China
3.Describing the impression that other Chinese students have towards me after I
returned back to China
l Conclusion
a. Concluding the statement that place can reshape people
b. The prospect for me in America in the future