Zhang 1 Audrey Zhang Mrs.

McMichael AP English 3 29 August 2013 Walter Isaacsons Use of Narrative Writing What an amazing cast of characters! What a wealth of heroes and villains to choose from! (Isaacson 208) For as long as human history has existed, it has been marked by the presence of powerful, unique individuals. As much as any natural or impersonal forces, these personalities have played a decisive role in changing the lives of those around them. The effects that humans have had on the world are worth discussing for the lessons that they teach us about mankind and the enduring power of humanity (Isaacson 2). In his collection of essays American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane, Walter Isaacson uses narrative writing about noteworthy people from the past to illustrate his belief that history is often shaped by the actions of individuals. Throughout the collection of essays, Isaacsons use of narrative writing allows him to humanize his subjects. He depicts them as actual people that his audience can relate to, rather than the heroes of distant history. For instance, he begins his analysis of Albert Einstein by citing his slow development and labeling him the patron saint of distracted schoolkids everywhere (Isaacson 129). In addition to the obvious ironic contrast provided, this anecdote serves to display another perspective on Einstein. Readers who share his traits empathize with him and see him as an actual human, albeit one who lived a hundred years ago. When Isaacson then goes on to discuss Einsteins incredible accomplishments, to the audience it is the flawed and rebellious human

Zhang 2 Einstein who has succeedednot the glorified genius of history textbooks. This drives home Isaacsons thesis that the power to shape history actually lies in our innate humanity. Moreover, narrative writing enables Isaacson to employ a cause-and-effect device that explicitly shows how specific human actions have direct real-world impacts. When he writes that John Adams conducted a delicate multichannel diplomacy with Paris, and ended up averting . . . war (Isaacson 40), he credits this specifically to the responsibly nonpartisan way (Isaacson 40) in which Adams governed. This cause-effect structure illustrates that Adamss personal political decisions led to immense impacts for American history. Additionally, he claims that Albert Einsteins invention of the theory of relativity not only upended physics, it also jangled the underpinnings of society (Isaacson 221). With this contribution, Einstein fundamentally altered the worldview of civilization. By analyzing the definitive effects of human choices, Isaacson changes the way history is viewed. Instead of portraying it as a series of events that just happens, he depicts specific individuals as the catalysts of history, and their actions as those that change the world. The narrative style of writing that Isaacson utilizes effectively conveys his argument that individual people have the power to impact the course of history. This technique focuses on humans and their individual stories, a fitting choice because the central idea of his work emphasizes the power of humanity. By discussing their personal quirks, he humanizes his subjects and allows the audience to form individual connections with them. And by analyzing the impacts that these characteristics had, he successfully demonstrates that it is essentially people these flawed, relatable peoplethat have the power to shape history.

Zhang 3 Works Cited Isaacson, Walter. Best Supporting Actor. American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009. Print. Isaacson, Walter. Einsteins God. American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009. Print. Isaacson, Walter. My So-called Writing Life. American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009. Print. Isaacson, Walter. Person of the Century. American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009. Print.