The Memory of Running - Personal Essay
On the road, Smithy encounters many people—a
compassionate priest, an eccentric Greenwich Village
artist, a man dying of AIDS, an angry black youth, a
Colorado family, a seductive fellow cyclist, a truck
driver haunted by the past, and an empathetic Asian
mortician, among others. Most of the encounters are
marked by kindness, some by violence, and some by
both. How is Smithy changed by the people he meets?
What do these people tell us about his character? Reread the introduction of each of these characters that
cross Smithy’s path. What does their inclusion in the
novel bring to the plot? Comment on the believability
of the events that ensue and how you, as a writer,
would have changed anything about their interactions.
Your answer should be formatted into a personal
essay (no thesis or strict formal language) and
should clearly explain your reasons for giving the
answers that you have.