Kate McKinney Maddalena’s “I need you to say ‘I’”: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing feels particularly relevant to my college experience; as I have found myself wrestling with my urge to use the first person in many an essay. The way I circumvented this limitation was by using other words which took the place of “I”. And it is only now, after reading Maddalena’s article, that I realize that this was an improper solution to the problem standing before me. According to Maddalena, steering students away from using the first person is less about using the word “I”, and more about being objective in your writing. Believe it or not this little tidbit of information was either never specified or completely glossed over by past instructors. It’s a big part of why I just replaced “I” with another similar-sounding word.
From here the article proceeds to advocate for the presence of the first-person perspective within formal writing. Citing the “observer effect”, where research results may be skewed through the act of someone observing them, as a relevant instance where personal language would be relevant. Maddalena also notes that the first-person perspective can be applicable in providing a new interpretation of a subject; providing an example in Batman comics.
Overall the biggest takeaway from this article is that refraining from the first person is akin to breaking from a bad habit. You’re urged to avoid it so that you can better steer yourself towards objective language. But once you have mastered speaking objectively, you’re able to break the rules and pepper some first-person perspective in your writing without sacrificing your message.
Leave a Reply