Author's voice

Upon writing the narrative for the Zeitoun assignment I put a lot of thought into how much of my voice, as the author, I want to be heard by the readers. Eggers voice was barely there but detectable in subcontext. For example, during the scene where Zeitoun was brought to the Greyhound station and held captive. It was evident that Eggers looked down upon all the officials who allowed that to happen. It was also apparent that he was appalled by this, enough so to spend a whole section of the book on this one event. As an author of a narrative I had to choose what issue I wanted to bring to light and how much of my opinions I wanted to share. I didn't feel right imposing on the story that I used as my basic guideline. After all, I was in Connecticut watching the disaster unfold on television screens while Philipp Meyer was in New Orleans providing aid to victims. I knew I wanted to add in some expository writing about the health care system of New Orleans, but I wasn't sure of how much. Unlike Zeitoun, I wanted to inform readers, like myself, who weren't able to experience the disaster, of facts as well as providing an entertaining story. I decided to start the narrative off with Phillip Meyer's story and then stop at a point of suspense to ensure the reader will continue reading. At the point I added in some facts about the health care system of New Orleans and how Hurricane Katrina affected it. I found a perfect place to pick up with and finish Meyer's story. I am pleased with how the narrative came together and I hope others enjoy it as well.