Posted: March 16th, 2017

How does your life intersect with history? Have certain historical events (such as war, immigration, etc.)Shaped your life or influenced life plans? How? Why is this understanding both a “terrible” lesson and a “magnificent” one?

According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, we can always discover an intersection between autobiography and history. Each person’s life unfolds within a particular historical period, and an individual can understand their own experience by locating their life within history. Each person’s life is shaped by historic events such as war, immigration, racism, oppression of women, economic recession, civil unrest, etc. C. Wright Mills states that this discovery is “in many ways is a terrible lesson, in many ways a magnificent one.” for this essay, each student will write an autobiography. Provide some background about yourself (where you were born, where you live, what are your life goals, etc.).

However, focus your essay on the following questions:

How does your life intersect with history? Have certain historical events (such as war, immigration, etc.)Shaped your life or influenced life plans? How? Why is this understanding both a “terrible” lesson and a “magnificent” one?