“I need you to say ‘I’” by Kate McKinney Maddalena deals with and deconstructs what is possibly the most permeated and permanent rule in all of academic writing. This rule is to entirely avoid first person pronouns at all times and to write from an unattached and objective point of view. I myself encountered this rule during my first semester at Kean in my College Composition class (which has the expressed purpose of teaching the student how to write an essay at the college level). I understand the purpose of this rule. Human memory is nowhere near perfect. Subjective perspective can easily lead to possibly false information. However, this more personal touch can add a pizzazz to one’s writing that elevates it from the usual dribble that is scribbled by the vast majority of college students.
Furthermore, dipping one’s toes into the concept of first person references allows one to expand their written style greatly. There are only so many ways to factually state something to the reader, but inserting one’s self grants the writer even more wiggle room in their expression. Using “I” and “Me” also means that the work has a more human touch. This means that the reader is far more likely to relate to (and by extent understand) the writer’s views. In our day to day life we never speak to people from an entirely objective point of view, so what is the point of trying to do so in our writing? It is our own individual experiences and viewpoints that make our opinions unique and worth listening to. Therefore, these experiences ought to be referenced and used as support in academic writing.
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