"WE STOOD IN LINE AT ELLIS ISLAND FOR THIS?"

One personal narrative we read was written by Paul Feig and was taken from his book Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence. The story was from the chapter titled "We Stood in Line at Ellis Island for This?" We only read the beginning of the chapter, though the impact was still significant. The story was narrated by the author who reflected on a traumatizing childhood experience--kids in elementary school nicknamed him Fig Newton. From an outsider's point of view this name can hardly be considered 'traumatizing' even though at the time the author, a self conscious and self absorbed preteen, would have felt personally victimized. The author makes the experience real to his audience with childish narration and exaggerated and dramatized thoughts. He goes as far as to say there must not be a God because He would never allow such an injustice if He were real. Feig's story represents his state of mind at the time of his experience and tells us his personal story or his personal myth [refer to post titled "THE STORIES WE LIVE BY: PERSONAL MYTHS AND THE MAKING OF THE SELF" ].