Yearly Archives: 2024

Poetry isn’t my greatest talent, but I have a decent understanding of it and can appreciate the nuances in the verses. While I may not possess the skill to write poetry myself, I can engage with the themes and emotions conveyed in the poems I read. My experience with poetry, particularly with Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” enhances my reading of “Oedipus the King” in several ways. Both works explore themes of power, pride, and the consequences of one’s actions, which creates a rich ground for comparison.  In “My Last Duchess,” the Duke’s voice reveals his possessiveness and underlying arrogance, much like Oedipus’s initial confidence in his ability to uncover the truth about his identity. Both characters exhibit a tragic flaw—hubris—that ultimately leads to their downfalls. This parallel allows me to reflect on the nature of authority and the fragility of human pride. Furthermore, the use of dramatic monologue in Browning’s poem provides insight into character psychology, reminiscent of the intense emotional revelations in Sophocles’s play. Just as the Duke’s speech unveils layers of his character, Oedipus’s dialogue reveals his inner turmoil and gradual realization of his tragic fate. Analyzing the imagery in “My Last Duchess,” where the Duke’s obsession with control is evident, I can draw connections to the motifs of sight and knowledge in “Oedipus the King.” Both works compel me to consider how the desire for power can blind individuals to the truths about themselves and their actions, enriching my understanding of the tragic elements present in both pieces.

I think that after reviewing poetry for the past two weeks, I now have a slightly better comprehension of speech, imagery, and emotion. Engaging with poetry, like “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, has expanded my understanding of mental health and the varied nature of the social condition, themes that are further explored in “Oedipus the King.” In “Oedipus the King,” the terrible turn of events and Prufrock’s quest for the truth are mirrored, reflecting Prufrock’s inner turmoil and fears. Both poems examine the limits of human comprehension as well as the importance of both individual and collective accountability. Prufrock’s persistent self-doubt and hesitations, for instance, are reminiscent of Oedipus’s first denial of his fate and eventual acceptance of its tragic reality. Through comprehending the significant feelings of Eliot’s poem, I am able to look at the conversation and remarks in “Oedipus” from a more advanced viewpoint.

Even though poetry is not my thing, over these past two weeks I have seen a little improvement in my understanding of poetry when it comes to tragic themes since I enjoy it. I’ve become more aware of how tone and metaphor create meaning, which has helped me better understand the complex text of Oedipus the King. Poetry often conveys deep emotions using few words, a skill that applies to Sophocles’ play where each line holds importance. A poem that resonates with Oedipus the King is Maya Angelou’s “Alone” Both text explores the the theme of isolation and the inevitability of fate. In Oedipus the King, the protagonist’s quest for truth leads to separation from society and his family, reflecting Maya Angelou’s poem on the deep loneliness experienced by individuals regardless of the people surrounding them. This awareness of how isolation and fate twist together has deepened my understanding of tragic themes in poetry.     

I’ve learnt so much about poetry over the course of us going through the different types of poems etc. Therefore, my ability to read and understand poetry has increased. I’d rate myself a 6. Even though it’s seemingly low, before we started this topic, I would’ve rated myself a 3. I realized that poets use the different times of day or seasons to represent time or age. Like in the poem “What my lips have kissed, and where, and why” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. She wrote, “Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree” (Millay). The term winter can convey that a lot of time has passed or now she’s older. This shows that you need critical thinking, creative interpretation and sometimes a little research to figure out what the poet is trying to convey. Just like in Oedipus the king, we are provided with interpretations for the language used. But without these interpretations I would’ve been confused about some of the references. For example, where it says, “You may see them one with another, like birds swift on the wing, quicker than fire unmastered, speeding away to the coast of the Western god” (Grene 3).  At first read, the meaning behind this is hard to understand so I had to research It to realize that the western God refers to “the god of night, or Death” which tells me that this means the women were dying quickly.

In the last 2 week my ability to read poems has improved significantly When starting to read poems i would let the word play and symbols go over my head without understanding the meaning of each word but now i pay close attention to the small details and word play in certain lines. This experience can help me with reading oedipus the king by getting to understand theme like fate and self discovery, for example like sylvia plaths poem Mirror they both have to deal with self awareness and confrontation.

I would say my ability to read poetry hasn’t changed, if it did then only slightly, within the past couple of weeks. However, my experience with Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening did help me when I had some issues understanding what “A blight is on the fruitful plants of the earth.” could mean or who “a God that carries fire, a deadly pestilence” could be. I had to think about what each line had to do with each other in Oedipus the King, the same way I had to think about what the line “And miles to go before I sleep,” had to do with stopping in the woods to watch the snow fall, which was that the context clues from the surrounding text would help figure out what was being talked about. I ended up realizing the god who carries fire and pestilence was Apollo and the pestilence he brought was towards the crops.

My ability to read poetry I would say is probably a 6/10, and I say this because some poems are easier to read than others. For instance, the poem “The Mother” by Gwedolyn Brooks, within the first line you immediately know what the speaker is writing about, “Abortions will not let you forget” (Brooks). Right away the speaker is disclosing her emotions and remembrance of the terminations she had and how she wont be able to have those nurturing experiences with the children she could’ve had. Then there’s the poem, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B Yeats, and you have to use your sense of imagery to understand what the speaker is writing about in the poem and how he is describing his safe place by metaphorically speaking about his 5 senses. “I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;” (Yates). In these two lines he is using his sense of hearing through the poem so we can understand how peaceful it is at his safe place, its so peaceful there that you’re able to hear the movement of the water. Consequently, that’s why I say some poems are easier to read than others because some are more direct and there’s others that you actually try to imagine what the speaker is writing about in order to fully understand. As far as the play, I missed Tuesday’s class so I’m playing a little bit of catch up. Nevertheless I feel as though the play falls under the same category as one of those pieces of writing that you have to sort of know about the ancient Greek history to understand the play. When we were placed into groups and we discussed the chorus of the […]

Poetry really taught a lesson for me throughout the semester, much more than when I was in high school. In my studies in high school, we were introduced to poetry in ELA where all we know much about, that was true at the time, is they always rhyme when we were studying about their fluctuation and how the reader is taught “to make ideas as they believed” when reading a poem. For the majority we had to read them by overused but famous poets like William Shakeshphere and Edgar Allen Poe. We also learned that poetry’s like a code of words dressed into the sentence structures of each stanza, along with the assumption every poem can be easily understandable by just the beginning, or read once.    I would like to include Haiku there as a good example written by Buson.    “In lantern light,  My yellow chrysanthemums Lost all their color”   This comes at first glance as simple to me if I were a beginner of poetry. It then tells me Buson’s people became old when his friends died. Which I respect about the way Buson described coloration as shifting. In Oedipus, there comes a simile and metaphors between most lines at the same time, as usually within haiku’s use in describing their ideas in a natural element.    Before high school, we were taught that poetry comes with a “hum”, describing the melody in the tone of the writer who made them decide to express figurative languages into emotions and feelings.   These myths both helped and discerned me. For the good side, myths are used as a testament to my knowledge because they allow people to understand what to avoid, and not to accept. On the flipside, knowing these myths into true beliefs had led me […]

I would rate my ability to read poetry after these past two weeks a 7. Reading the different poems and analyzing them really helped me understand the true meanings of poems, but I struggle with some here and there. Understanding the poem in general is always confusing and I need to reread a couple times and definitely annotate to get some ideas from it. I feel like my experience with poems can help with the reading of Oedipus the King because I’ve seen many different words and the definitions of them. This is one of the things I struggle with the most when it comes to poems, many of the poems I read use words and phrases that are from an old period of time, which we don’t use anymore. This always confuses me, but I think being able to read numerous poems these past two weeks that both show and don’t show it will help. Touching more upon the word choice and how I struggle with understanding it, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” because they both use certain words that I don’t understand. The difference between the two is that “Oedipus the King” uses those older words such as “thee” and more less, and, they added the definitions of not so common words on the bottom of each page which was useful to me as well.

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read and understand poetry has improved. Now, I  can better understand deeper meaning and emotions, especially in themes of loss and conflict. Reading poetry was never an easy task for me, and I always thought that poetry is simple writing with random picked words. Gwendolyn Brook’s poem ” the mother” has been important in this growth. What caught my interest was the title ” the mother”, which is written in all small caps. That intrigued my curiosity to learn deeper meaning to this poem. Her focus on grief, guilt, and the struggles of motherhood connected with me. The poem deals with fate and choice, This new understanding of how to read a poem will better direct me onto reading the ” Oedipus the King” , as Greek plays, stories and mythology requires some type of background history, as everything in the play might have a meaning. It is difficult for me to directly quote from poet ” the mother”, but I will paste 1st stanza of the poem for references. Abortions will not let you forget. You remember the children you got that you did not get, The damp small pulps with a little or with no hair, The singers and workers that never handled the air. You will never neglect or beat Them, or silence or buy with a sweet. You will never wind up the sucking-thumb Or scuttle off ghosts that come. You will never leave them, controlling your luscious sigh, Return for a snack of them, with gobbling mother-eye.

I believe I am improving in my ability to read poetry. Even with some improvement, I still catch myself rereading specific lines multiple times to fully grasp the sentence. More specifically, the older poems (such as Shakespearian poems) are less direct with their meaning. The sentence structure used in its lines is typically outdated today, which makes it read less fluently. At the same time, I believe this has prepared me to read Oepidus the King. One example of a poem by Shakespeare that uses rather indirect sentence structuring is “Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun.” A line such as “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks…” doesn’t have the same flow as modern writing; therefore, it forces you to pay more attention to its meaning. Oepidus the King uses very similar language and sentence structuring; hence, I have experience to aid me in fully understanding each line. .

Lately, I’ve been getting more comfortable with poetry, even though it’s not something I usually familiar with. At first, trying to dissect each line and uncover the deeper meanings felt pretty daunting. But with some practice, I’ve learned to take my time and really enjoy the layers in the poems. Going over them multiple times, like we did in class, has really helped me grasp the content better. I think these skills will be super useful when diving into Oedipus the King. One poem that really sticks with me is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. The way he uses the paths as a metaphor for choices and their consequences reminds me a lot of how Oedipus’s choices lead him to his tragic end. Realizing how Frost creates deeper meaning from something as straightforward as a road has made me notice how even small details in Oedipus—like the crossroads—hold significant symbolic meaning. All in all, the readings has boosted my confidence in tackling the complex themes in Oedipus the King and looking for the hidden messages beneath the surface.

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read, understand and interpret poetry has improved. I feel more confident in understanding the deeper meanings poets convey through metaphor, symbolism, and imagery. This experience has taught me to read carefully and multiple times, while looking for subtle cues that reveal more complex emotions or ideas. When reading Oedipus the King, these skills are valuable. In Emily Dickinson’s, “The Wife”, the metaphor of the sea developing “pearl and weed” shows how emotions can be hidden. This insight could help me understand similar symbolism in Oedipus the King, blindness as that can be representing ignorance or the search for truth. It also makes me more sensitive and aware to the emotional depth of characters, and encouraging me to read beyond the words in order to find the underlying tensions. Understanding the structure and form of poetry has prepared me for analyzing the structure of the story which can help me understand better the connection between subtle and complex ideas to the flow and more visible ideas.

I don’t have much experience with poetry. I mean I have read some poems from time to time but never took the time to break them down to fully understand them. Poetry is something that must be read piece by piece and break it down the same way, just as we have been doing in class. However, I’m not sure this makes it easier for me to process and understand. Even though I don’t read much poetry, I do have a favorite poem. It is actually a spoken word type of poem. Ain’t That Bad by Maya Angelou resonated with me and was easy to understand and interpret. To me it is a celebration of blackness, black culture, black identity, black language, black experience. Dancin’ the funky chicken Eatin’ ribs and tips Diggin’ all the latest sounds And drinkin’ gin in sips. Puttin’ down that do-rag Tighten’ up my ‘fro Wrappin’ up in Blackness Don’t I shine and glow? Now ain’t they bad? An ain’t they Black? An ain’t they Black? An’ ain’t they Bad? An ain’t they bad? An’ ain’t they Black? An’ ain’t they fine? Oedipus the King will take some time for me to process, but I don’t think it will be as challenging as it seems. I just have to read it multiple times.  

Poetry has never been a strength of mine, poetry tends to be very confusing. While I understand poetry is meant to be read more than once I find it discouraging; going over the poems in class made me feel better about taking my time and processing. When reading My Last Duchess I noticed the line: How such a glance came there; so, not the first Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not Her husband’s presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek Breaking this section down was challenging, but I realized the poet is really foreshadowing by showing us the jealousy and possessiveness of the Duke. With the exercise of reading poems, I feel confident that I will be able to understand and process Oedipus the King. This reminds me of the process I had to take to understand Othello, my old English teacher helped me learn how to read it and it ended up being one of my favorite stories of all time.

In writing Essay 1, I realized that my Essay 1 is kind of short. My response to the student sample was primarily based on what I observed, and I followed the assignment instructions closely to identify what the student sample essay  might have missed. However, I struggled to find additional points to elaborate on, which resulted in a less developed argument. I noticed that while I wrote extensively in the second paragraph, the first and third paragraphs were quite brief. This imbalance made my essay feel incomplete. I also overlooked the proper format for my Works Cited page; I didn’t include a hanging indentation, which I now understand is an important formatting detail. Through this experience, I plan to take more time during the drafting process to expand my ideas, and ensure each paragraph is fully developed for my future essay and add a hanging indentation for the works cited.  

I wanted to come back to this Discussion after seeing the importance of participating and reading my classmates comments. The overload of school work and job balance i mainly didn’t understand if we had to write about OUR EXPERIENCE  essay or STUDENT SAMPLE for this week.However, i did wanted to write about student sample. So here it goes. When i read “Beauty” as part of the title i was okay,maybe student is talking about the  beauty of the men that the villagers mainly the woman were admiring.I wanted to keep going with the title. As i kept reading i was getting supper confused and noting made sense.At the same time,I felt very glad about my self because maybe I didn’t do as well on my essay, I do have a hug gap of continues improvement but i knew not even half way that this student used some source of AI.The huge abuse on these technologies is concerning into a certain point. I will dedicate more time in my ENGLISH work and will start participating actively  in our discussion boards and will start enjoying this class with this community that we are building. I loved Jacob’s answer to discussion board on week 5.

I acknowledge that we have a lot of time to do our essays however, these topics are really hard for me to wright about. Sometimes I don’t know where even to start.I like reading but sometimes these types of literatures i  find very hard to understand and to write about. Towards the end i clearly understood and found a topic to write about for the essay 1 . I feel i need a more practice on my writing skills so i can keep improving. As one of my classmates wrote, practice makes perfect.When it comes in citations i find it very hard to move back and forth with two story’s . After my essay one is revised i will sit down and see where i need to improve.I will also, keep reading all the material that the professor provides. I need a lot of more practice and more reading and time management in this course.

In my opinion, writing Essay 1 was a little challenging. I was surprised because I usually do well with essays and writing overall. I’m used to creating my own outlines and brainstorming independently, but this time I followed your outline and your instructions for each paragraph. I enjoyed the challenge overall. I started by drafting and putting pieces together until I felt somewhat confident, even though I know this isn’t my best work. The hardest part for me was having my sources already cited. I like to research and think outside the box, but in this case, I couldn’t do that.

Currently as I haven’t done finishing the essay, I have left myself thinking too much about each sentence I’ve been writing. Because often times when you do, it takes away the time necessarily needed to build a functionally written essay about what you have written. I encountered problems critiquing the student’s AI-written essay about one thing only and nothing related to the other. One major error I did was that I tried to look back so many times about literary devices. Including are the outlines and such and not finding out what in the heck the student’s sample meant. Such words I intended to use were ‘overwritten, bland, robotic, nonsensical, and overgeneralistic. But as a student, I learn it is not to overexert yourself during the English course when you needed help and advice. For what it’s worth, I should’ve need to efficiently increase their time and resources into both evaluating the student sample according to the directions and the criteria on how he/she performed, and how well I done my assignment from the start, not only to reevaluate my structure, but to encourage my integrity with feedback from the people who wanted me to really succeed in this class. I have not mention that I sometimes worry about time as much as the writing assignment. I should next time only focus on the essay at hand, try to do it earlier next time, and keep doing work more efficiently so that this mistake wouldn’t be made for the next semester.

My first essay experience was challenging, as I made several errors and lacked depth and detail. My approach was too broad and did not align well with the assignment requirements. Balancing multiple classes, each demanding many assignments, has been difficult. I’ve realized that I haven’t devoted enough attention to my writing, which has affected the quality. However, I am confident in my ability to get better. Moving forward, I plan to focus more on ensuring my writing flows smoothly, with correct grammar and punctuation. Additionally, I will improve my citations and ensure they are meaningful to my writing. I will strive for better, As I have always been told “Practice makes Better.”

While I was writing essay 1, I realized that I had procrastinated which led to me to kind of rushing the essay. I also learned that I wasn’t fully prepared when it came to giving examples from the primary and secondary sources which was the story and the overview of that story. I realized that I was so focused on talking about how the student didn’t write her essay in the format of the outline and that they didn’t have a thesis, but instead had a theme, that I wasn’t talking about the two stories and the thesis of what it should’ve been. I was mainly talking about structure and formatting the whole essay and in the body paragrpahs which I could’ve avoided. When I got my feedback, I also realized that my body paragraphs could’ve been more organized and informative so that’s something that will make me change how I approach future writing assignments.

My experience in writing Essay 1 was a bit challenging. I learn and understands the outline which is requires in writing an essay more clearly. For example, the introduction requires the identification of the primary and secondary sources. I realizes the body was structure differently form how I would usually write it. I had a bit of a struggle grasping the structure of the body such as when and how to incorporate the sources and the quotes which was required. Writing a strong thesis statement was an issue as well. Also, citation is not one of my strengths. This is something I cannot grasp fully such as differentiating between MLA and APA. However, with the better understanding of the essay outline and how each part (the introduction, body and conclusion) is structured, I am hoping that I would improve in my essay writing. I would definitely incorporate what I leant in my essays going forward.  

My experience with essay one was that found the structure of the essay very well but once I started reading the essay I found myself struggling to connect the ideas of what the student was trying to portray because his ideas were kind of all over the place wasn’t very clear so for me it was a little challenging. My Approach to fix this in upcoming assignments is to take notes from the previous one and break down the text a little better and not try and rush through my writing process because sometimes I have many things to say but mix them all together so just making sure I get a better understanding of the whole passage and look deeper for quotes.

In the Essay 1 assignment, I struggled with balancing analysis and summary. I often ended up summarizing the text instead of focusing on deeper analysis and connecting it to my thesis, which weakened my argument. Pre-writing helped me organize my thoughts and create a draft, but I became too focused on following the outline perfectly. While the outline made it easier to structure my ideas, I was trying so hard to stick to it that I left out some important points I wanted to present. Additionally, I needed help to keep my thesis clear and consistent throughout the essay. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure if my points fully supported my main argument or simply restated information. However, I learned the value of making strong connections between my ideas and the main argument that I was presenting the importance of clarity in my writing, and the need to ensure that every point I make contributes to my overall message.

My experience with the Sample student essay was actually fun for me.  Sitting on the other side and being able to critique will give you so much insight on just how much work it is to detect what the student did wrong. It was a learning tool for me indeed. I realized just how important it is to be able to tell the difference between a good thesis or bad one, also acknowledging when the student takes a turn in the discussion. when it isn’t relevant anymore. It definitely makes me want to work harder on my next essays thesis and point in the body of the essay. One thing i have become familiar with is being able to point out what is wrong within the format. I’ve used the MLA format so much that i can just see errors if any just by glancing at the essay so that part was not challenging for me. I still feel like i need more work in the thesis part of the essays, and will work more on that. I want to be able to work more on being more specific and inserting quotes from the essay. I was able to print out the assignments and spread it out in front of me so i can be the best critique i can. I learned that following all the directions in the essay will assist you in getting to the flow of your essay.

My experience with our first essay was realizing I should trust my honest thoughts on whatever I’m reading. In the student’s essay, I saw more than a few things wrong at first but I started writing about how good it was. Then I edited what I wrote to somewhat reflect what I actually thought but I didn’t want to ridicule the work too harshly and ended up leaving out important mistakes, like how it was formatted, or not touching too much on the ones I did mention, like how all the quotes weren’t real. In the future I need to write my honest thoughts, whether they are good or bad, so my essay better answers the question/topic.

My experience with writing Essay #1 was fun but also stressful. Although I seemed to grasp the idea of what the assignment was, I struggled with critiquing the Sample Student’s essay . I think I struggled with this because at times I felt overwhelmed with having to compare the both stories, the sample student’s directions and essay as well as the directions on how I was supposed to critique. I learned what mistakes to not make on my future essays and that I should always follow the directions given.

While working on Essay 1, I came to understand just how important it is to be specific and clear in my analysis. The feedback I got pointed out that some of my wording was a bit vague, which made me think about how I express my ideas. One major lesson was the need to accurately represent my sources and really grasp the material I’m analyzing. For example, I accidentally attributed quotes to the wrong source, which taught me to be more diligent in cross-referencing my citations. I also realized that making statements without solid support weakens the overall argument. This experience will definitely influence how I tackle future writing assignments, encouraging me to plan more thoroughly, double-check my sources, and ensure my thesis is clearly linked to the rest of the essay. I’ll specifically focus on structuring my paragraphs for a smooth flow and making sure every point I make ties back to my main argument.

When I was writing essay 1, I learned a lot about crafting a better writing structure. I learned how right a strong thesis and how to have good transitions between paragraphs and how to integrate quotes better in my text. While reviewing the sample essay, I first focused on understanding the thesis made and that it should be more of an argument than announcement. It helped me write a better thesis. I also noticed that the sample essay transitions between the different paragraphs and ideas wasn’t as smooth to read so it made me give more attention on how I can connect my thoughts better. In order to do so I realized I need to have a better understanding of the text. I came back to read the story once again and had it with me throughout my writing. I also understood the importance of having a clear conclusion which is not only summarizing what I covered. It helped me to provide my reflection better on paper. Overall, this experience has improved how I approach writing assignments, focusing on clarity, coherence, and structure.    

I am proud of the essay that I submitted, because it paid off to take the risk of a very bold stance. Usually, I would’ve tried to be more positive in my review of the student essay; however, I took the chance to be critical and very outward with the mistakes I noticed. When I saw that the quotes used in the sample essay weren’t actually in the secondary source, I kept questioning myself if I had been mistaken. I ended up taking the gamble and making a statement about the quotes being incorrect, and it helped my essay in the end. Something I learned to improve on was to use quotations when referring to one word, rather than apostrophes. The main takeaway I got from the experience was that I should keep taking more risks with my writing. For every future writing assignment, I also know now how important it is to hit every single point from the rules/guidelines in my essay. Most importantly, I learned how to make a strong statement with specific research to back it up.

After finishing my first essay, I realized that writing an English essay is not easy, especially since it has to follow the MLA format exactly. As someone who started learning English later in life and still isn’t very good at it, this made the process even harder for me. I never really liked writing when I was young, and I didn’t have much interest in reading or writing. After completing this essay, I feel like I need to improve both my understanding of the writing requirements and my way of organizing ideas.

Doing Essay #1 I definitely will make sure I check and adjust my essay thoroughly before submission moving forward as well as making sure I read both sources to a tea. Unfortunately, after critiquing the student sample essay when I went to adjust my essay to double spacing I didnt realize that my laptop changed my font from the standard font and my paragraphs werent indented anymore, so while Im speaking on the student essay my essay was also grammatically incorrect. Nevertheless, I was so mad at myself because I felt like making sure the first sentence of your paragraphs are always indented is something you learn in elementary school. I definitely remember my teacher teaching us how indent with our index finger. The Professors feedback made me realize I have to take my time and proof read to make sure everything is to the standard MLA form. I wanted to be transparent with you guys because I took it pretty hard and was mad at myself for making a mistake like that, however I took the accountability and I will give it my all to not do that again.

Writing essay #1 was a struggle. I learned that I need to focus on ensuring that the content written is accurate and aligns with the assignment requirements. I can see that I misunderstood some elements such as the correct use of quotes and the central themes in the source material. Then I realized one issue was I used a quote that wasn’t present in the article. Moving forward, I will spend more time cross-referencing my sources to make sure I’m accurately representing the material. This experience will change how I approach my essay when writing by making me more careful with fact-checking and being sure that I understand the core themes before drafting my essay. For example, I will take things slowly by rereading my essay and sources after drafting to verify that all the quotes are used correctly and reflect the author’s point. I’ll also focus on a clear and precise thesis that fully satisfies the essay’s objectives avoiding irrelevant information

Reflecting on my experience writing Essay 1, I learned that following specific instructions was crucial. For example, I now understand that when the assignment asked for a thesis statement about an idea in the Rader article, it was necessary to focus solely on that specific requirement. This meant carefully analyzing the Rader article to identify a clear and focused idea to center the thesis statement around. Additionally, I realized the significance of providing in-text citations for all attributed quotes, as demonstrated in the student’s essay. Understanding the importance of properly attributing sources and using citations has not only improved the credibility of my work but has also helped me avoid unintentional plagiarism. These realizations have changed my approach to writing assignments. I now pay closer attention to the details outlined in the instructions to ensure that my work meets the specific criteria, and I am more diligent in incorporating proper citations to support my arguments and ideas.

In the first writing exercise for Essay 1, I learned that seeking external sources for help isn’t inherently wrong, but relying on them too heavily can be detrimental. This exercise challenged me to thoroughly read and re-read, alternating between my instructions and the sample student’s instructions, carefully taking it step by step. I knew going in that this would be a complex paper, which pushed me to slow down and focus. Normally, I tend to read something once and proceed based on my initial understanding, but this exercise forced me out of that comfort zone. I found myself repeatedly revisiting the student’s instructions, checking the requirements for primary and secondary quotes, comparing them to what was actually written, and noticing issues like the lack of MLA format. Additionally, the professor used this as an example to show the class how relying on AI for writing can lead to incomplete or flawed work, further emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and attention to detail when completing assignments.

Writing essay one was challenging for me because of the multi-layered aspect of this assignment. Even though this was an opinionative essay I struggled to write my essay following such specific guidelines. Due to these guidelines, for a while my paper felt “stiff”; it lacked flow and individualism. Another struggle I faced was critiquing the sample student essay.  The process felt harsh, but to follow the instructions given to me, I had to ensure the student properly adhered to the guidelines given. One lesson I’ve learnt is the importance of having your essay line up with your thesis statement. I realized that while writing my essay, all my main points hinged on what is written in my thesis. It is also important to ensure the body of your essay is not contradictory to the thesis statement. Due to this realization, I approached my thesis differently. I spent extra time to ensure that I had a thesis that effectively expressed my thoughts on the sample student essay.  

My experience with writing Essay Number One was an unexpected rollercoaster. I was so intent on ensuring everything was perfect. I wanted to include every quote seamlessly without skipping a point in the outline so badly that I forgot what the substance of the Sample Essay was really about. I had slipped up on something I should have noticed all because I wanted to make sure that I did the essay on time and that it made complete sense, grammatically. So I realized that sometimes I need to step back and take my time with my outline at first and not overlook the pre-writing assignments as just part of my homework but rather as a stepping stone for what my essay will consist of. This will change my approach to writing essays for the rest of the semester because for one, I haven’t written an essay in a long time and I feel a lot more comfortable now, and two, I think I finally got my rhythm of how ill be setting up my essays and to ensure I won’t procrastinate write a paragraph day by day so I can take time with my thoughts. I’m very excited about the next essay and I hope that my revision for the first essay is better than the last.

In writing the Essay # 1, I realized that I struggled with proper formatting and misused quotes, which weakened my argument. My citations were inconsistent, and I did not integrate quotes smoothly into the text. Also after reading Professor’s comment, I realized that I used too much of the abstract language which clouded my message, making it harder to communicate clearly. These mistakes obstructed the overall flow and clarity of my essay. Moving forward, I plan to focus on improving my formatting by closely following MLA guideline. Additionally, I will work on selecting more relevant quotes and include them naturally, ensuring they support my points effectively.

After reading, Toni Cade Bambara’s short story ” The Lesson”. My plan is to name my essay ‘’ Emotional growth and inner conflict”. Sylvia’s journey is characterized by a complex emotional landscape. Her journey from ignorance to awareness is filled with misunderstanding, anger, and finally, realization. This inner conflict reminds me of the common experience of growing up, as kids have trouble understanding how to fit in with the world. The turning point that she experiences at the toy store captures her battle with emotions of insufficiency and tough realities of value, both fundamental and physical. Some topics I would cover throughout my essay are character development, symbolism, conflict resolution and themes of forgiveness and acceptance. By concentrating on these elements, my essay can provide further insight into the complex nature of inner conflict and emotional development, expanding our comprehension of the character’s journey beyond socioeconomic factors.

When writing an essay about Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson”, I would focus on Sylvia’s strong opposition to Miss Moore’s lessons. I would try to connect her feelings with the broader socio-economic issue of black children’s relationship with education during that time. When Sylvia described Miss Moore’s educational background, she spoke about her being a college graduate with disdain. When she briefly described Miss More’s relationship with the community, she notes that her neighbors spoke about Miss Moore “behind her back like a dog”. They spoke about the fact that she didn’t go to church but would feel shameful when she brought them gifts. To me, this speaks to the testament of how black people disregarded education because it was unattainable. This might be the reason why Sylvia treats Miss Moore and her lessons with open hostility; her lessons remind her of the education that Sylvia knows deep down how hard it would be for her to achieve. Throughout the story, Sylvia is depicted as a little girl with immense pride and a strong sense of independence. She marches to her own beat and drags along her friend, Sugar, for the ride. The combination of her pride and independence mixed with her socio-economic background is something that a lot of black people during that time period used to disparage education.

I think this essay focuses more than the socio-economic issues in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, you might look at how Slyvia grows and becomes more self-aware. At first, Sylvia is resistant, shown when she says, ” I’m really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree”, which emphasizes her first defiance towards Miss Moore. By the end, Sylvia reflection ” Ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin,” shows she’s starting to think differently and she feels more determined.  Another perspective is Miss Moore could be seen as pushing the kids to see things differently, especially when she said, “Where we are is who we are,” encouraging them to question their surroundings. The toy store could symbolize dreams, when a toy is expensive it represents both dreams and aspirations: the wanting and The work. If I had to give this a title for this essay it would probably be “Growth and Symbols”.

So after reading “ The Lesson” by Toni Cade,  I can see that the essay shifts focus away from the socioeconomic theme that could have been more explored into a intricate dynamic in the character development, relationship and identity. One possible approach that could have been analyze the narrators point of view, on how her defiance and internal conflict including the eventual introspection reflecting her coming of age process. But with the subtle tension between Miss Moore’s and Sylvia shows more about their personalities and the cultural divided between them. Also another interesting thing is the importance of the setting because how Bambara contrast the world of Harlem with the affluent Fifth Avenue store. In other words I would have renamed the essay title as “ Beneath the Surface”.

I will write about wealth inequality and I will give this essay title called “the wealth inequality of the word”. In this essay, “lesson”, by Toni Cade Bambara, Miss Moore asks a group of children if they know what money is like and says this world is made of wealth inequality. She also says they are poor and live in the slums. Sylvia personally doesn’t agree with her until they go to the fifth Avenue. They see the price of a hand-crafted sailboat of fiberglass through the window of a toy store and that cost one thousand one hundred ninety five dollars. When she saw this price she was very shocked and couldn’t believe this sailboat cost that much. Her sailboat is just fifty cents, she doesn’t believe people will buy that expensive sailboat and believe this sailboat should have a motor or other special on it. Unfortunately, there was nothing special on this sailboat, just a handmade sailboat. There is a big gap between the poor and the rich. They don’t care how much this thing is worth,because they can afford it. For low income people like Sylvia won’t spend that much on a sailboat. Even if she has the money, she will spend this money on other places, but it is likely that she still couldn’t afford it with her savings. When Miss Bambara tells them to go inside the store everyone stops moving including her. This made her very angry because she felt that this was not like usual self where she could go wherever she wanted. She thought in her mind but her body just can’t move forward. No one moves because they feel the inequality between poor and rich, they know they can’t afford anything in this store. Finally they followed Miss Moore into this […]

Toni Cade brings us through many different facets in “The Lesson.” She explores economic disparity, the lack of socioeconomic security, and the effects of growing up in a marginalized community. A part of the story that I found very interesting, and one I could resonate with, is witnessing how Sylvia’s attitude changed as they made their way through the toy store. At the beginning of the story, Sylvia appears to be a very outspoken individual with strong opinions on her classmates, environment, and Miss Moore. However, as Miss Moore takes the children outside of their comfort zone, she’s able to evoke many different emotions out of them, including Sylvia. As an individual who grew up in the North Bronx within a poor community, I could resonate with her feelings of apprehensiveness and uncomfortability being in such an expensive store. I’ve had the pleasure of being a nanny to many different wealthy families in NYC, with whom I’ve traveled to The Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard, and overseas. Similar to Sylvia, initially being within those dynamics and out of my element, I would feel uncomfortable as if I didn’t belong, “But I feel funny, shame. But what have I got to be shamed about? Got as much right to go in as anybody” (Sylvia). I would often times find myself rationalizing my being there and meeting such successful people. Unlike Sylvia, my feelings didn’t manifest into anger and resentment but more so a curiosity to learn as much about the places I was visiting and the people around me to further educate myself. Which was Miss Moore’s objective with the children—to provide them with exposure to cultivate a new way of thinking. I was saddened to realize that, unlike Sugar and Mercedes, who adopted an introspective attitude at the end of the trip, […]

A topic I would write in an essay on “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara that doesn’t talk about the socio-economic issues in the story but more on an interesting detail would be about the impact this trip to Fifth Avenue with Miss Moore has left on the children. In the beginning of the story, the main character and the other children weren’t quite familiar with the world outside their own that was until a lady named Miss Moore brought them to Fifth Avenue where they learned how about the unjust equal opportunity. There, they found expensive toys that costed more than enough to feed a whole family which made the main character, Sylvia, angry. But besides the anger towards how unequal they found she society was, I believe that this whole trip had a major impact that changed these children’s views of the world and possibly even affected them to work hard for their future. A different title I would give the story would be “The Impact.”  

If I were to write an essay about “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I would entitle it “Role Model” or “It Takes a Village.” In the essay, I would focus on Ms. Moore’s unwavering dedication to expanding the minds of neighborhood kids by introducing them to experiences beyond their immediate environment, such as upscale toy stores like FAO Schwarz, demonstrating her belief in the transformative power of knowledge and exposure. Ms. Moore’s emphasis on education and critical thinking is evident in her interactions with the children, particularly in her conversations with Sylvia. When Sylvia questions the lesson’s relevance to their lives, Ms. Moore encourages her to engage with the realities of social and economic inequality critically, challenging the children to think beyond their immediate circumstances. She motivates them to question, analyze, and seek understanding, nurturing a sense of agency and empowerment. Ms. Moore’s influence cultivates curiosity and critical awareness, establishing her as a positive role model committed to the children’s development.

If I had to write an essay that focuses less on socio-economic issues and more about interesting/important details or elements in the story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I would probably decide to write about the symbolism that Toni Cade Bambara added into this story. One of the symbols I saw was when they went to the toy store and as they were looking through the window, they saw a boat that was priced at one thousand one hundred ninety- five dollars. Sylvia had to reread it twice because of how ridiculous she thought the price was for one toy, which I agree on. Sylvia was shocked and a bit angered at this which can symbolize that she has a different perspective on what to spend money on as well as the relationship she has with money and wealth. This one toy can symbolize the difference between poverty and wealth, depending on who’d buy that and who wouldn’t even believe the price. Lastly, the title I’d give this essay would be something basic and maybe along the lines of “Symbolism in The Lesson”

In an essay focused less on socio-economic issues and more on other important elements in Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson,” I would explore the themes of personal growth and mentorship, particularly through the lens of childhood challenges. The story highlights Sylvia’s journey of self-awareness, as she navigates her environment with growing curiosity and observation. Miss Moore, with her appearance and approach—”nappy hair, proper speech, and no makeup”, serves as a symbol of individuality and defiance of societal norms, pushing the children to question their surroundings and aspire for more. While Sylvia’s educational background remains ambiguous, her sharp observational skills show her potential to transcend the limitations of her upbringing. The real focus of the story is on internal struggles and the awakening of perception, as Sylvia begins to grasp that her circumstances don’t have to define her future. The title for this essay would be “The Awakening of Perception: Navigating Childhood Challenges and Mentorship,” highlighting how mentorship helps shape a deeper understanding of the world beyond material inequalities.

After reading through the short story “The Lesson”, the title would be “Through the Lense of Childhood Challenges”. Bambara made a very good point about the fact childhood life exists with challenges as well as challenges that come with it. Stories can tell us something about what had happened at the time of setting within the writing, and something big for it to represent the situation. I think for this short story, her childhood represented a big impact. That big impact I learned from the short story is through the struggle of education. We see this girl in a coming of age story viewing her background with much anticipation of the world. We don’t even know how Sylvia is educated. But we understood by Sylvia’s personality that she might have been well observative and analytical to her surroundings. But regardless if Sylvia is well educated, there can be other potential problems she has experienced through the story like her neighborhood and society. I imagine Ms. Moore would be the testimony behind Bambara’s past life if she were to be a real life person.

I would just like to add that I appreciate the exposure that Miss Moore is giving the children in her community. It’s an exposure that they more than likely would not have with out her.

I think this essay focuses more than the socio-economic issues in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, you might look at how Slyvia grows and becomes more self-aware. At first, Sylvia is resistant, shown when she says, ” I’m really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree”, which emphasizes her first defiance towards Miss Moore. By the end, Sylvia reflection ” Ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin,” shows she’s starting to think differently and she feels more determined.  Another perspective is Miss Moore could be seen as pushing the kids to see things differently, especially when she said, “Where we are is who we are,” encouraging them to question their surroundings. The toy store could symbolize dreams, when a toy is expensive it represents both dreams and aspirations: the wanting and The work. If I had to give this a title for this essay it would probably be “Growth and Symbols”.

If I were to write an essay on “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I would probably write about childhood development and how it’s affected by different aspects. The title would be ” A Journey Through Childhood Development”. The introduction would give a quick idea of how someone’s childhood could have effects on a person’s current, and future, way of life and how it relates to the story. Each body paragraph would focus on how various interactions and thoughts affect the children differently, such as how Miss Moore tries to teach them in varying ways, the children’s view on her lessons (and each other) throughout the story, and how the children begin to change by the end. I would include certain parts from the story, like how the children realize how the world works, how they all want their piece, and how Sylvia starts to think through what she was being taught and how that could affect her future.

Hi everyone, I think I would write in an essay that is less about socio-economic issues and more about other interesting/important details or elements in the story is empowerment. Miss Moore is trying to get the students to take action that will change society. This would require them to stand out and speak up, to be different. Miss Moore is a good example of this with her “nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup.” She also doesn’t use her first name and doesn’t go to church. On the train ride back, Sylvia remembers one of Miss Moore’s refrains, “Where we are is who we are. . . But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.” The response she’s wants in return is “that poor people have to wake up and demand their share of the pie.” She wants to get through to the kids that they don’t have to be limited by where they grow up. The “demand” indicates that they will have to do something about it. She’s trying to empower them enough to take the necessary steps. I would name this story “Empowerment Awareness”.

While an AI generated essay on “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara would be about socio-economic and broad social issues, I found the narrator, Sylvia, and the start of her growth to be more interesting. In the beginning of the story, Sylvia found Miss Moore to be an annoyance. She hated the way Miss Moore looked, and the constant lessons she would try to teach the children. Sylvia called the teachings boring, and would much rather have gone to the pool. I interpreted this as Sylvia normalizing the way life was, and not caring about Miss Moore’s lessons. Once they headed to the store, Sylvia’s behavior changed. Once the realization hit her that people spend more money on pointless toys than her family spends on life essentials, she finally started giving it some thought. However, it wasn’t a complete 180 from before. She shut down when Miss Moore specifically asked her what she learned, and didn’t wanna hear Sugar realizing it too. It’s almost as if Sylvia didn’t want to believe what she learned, and was taking it out on the people around her. After all, Sylvia was a child, and growth takes time. I found the first step in her path to seeking a better life to be the most fascinating part, as it’s subtle change was realistic. As for the title of the essay, I think “The First Stage of Grief” is fitting, because Sylvia was essentially in denial of her reality even though she knew better.

As a psychology student, I would analyze The Lesson by focusing on Sylvia’s development and the emotional relationship between the kids rather than the big social issues. I think Sylvia’s sarcastic and tough personality is just a mechanism to protect herself from feeling vulnerable. She feels like Miss Moore is trying to make her feel less than her, which might be the reason she doesn’t like her. In reality, Miss Moore doesn’t force the kids to agree with her. She shows and teaches them things and lets them think for themselves. However, by the end of the story, we see Sylvia starting to think about things differently, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. I would present this in my essay to support my argument on Sylvia’s personal growth. Additionally, Sylvia’s conflict with Sugar would also play an important part in my essay. They’re close, but as Sugar starts to understand what Miss Moore is teaching, Sylvia feels betrayed. This tension shows how growing up can sometimes mean growing apart from people you’re close to. We can tell that Sylvia doesn’t want to be left behind, but she’s not ready to change yet, either. The essay title could be The Journey to Self-Discovery, focusing on how Sylvia’s internal conflict is a key part of the story. It’s less about money and more about how she’s learning, even when she doesn’t want to.

In an essay about “The Lesson”, by Toni Cade Bambara, regarding a different issue rather than the socio-economic issues and more about other interesting/important details or elements in the story I would write about how it emphasizes class distinction and identity through language. Sylvia’s rebellious, streetwise behavior and her contempt for authority are reflected in her casual, bold speech. Calling Miss Moore a “nappy-head bitch with a goddamn college degree” is an example of how she resists formal education and society norms through the use of slang. Because of her working-class background, Sylvia’s vocabulary reflects her pride in her neighborhood as well as her rejection of anything that goes against her worldview. On the other hand, Miss Moore stands out as an outsider due to her formal, educated vocabulary, which symbolizes her middle-class background. Despite having the same racial background, the different speaking styles emphasize their different social classes. Miss Moore’s lessons on injustice are alienating and transformative because of her proper English, which places her in a world of privileges and opportunities that the children, like Sylvia, cannot access. A title I would give to the story is “The Cost of Reality”.  

The short story, The Lesson, left me with thoughts that I find a little hard to describe. The main lesson being taught to the children by Miss Moore seems to be clearly about their socio-economic standing and the disparity between them and the people who may shop in the store. However, there seems to be a lesson more directly targeted towards Sylvia. It’s implied towards the end when Miss Moore says, “Anybody else learn anything today?” She asked that while staring at Sylvia, clearly directing the question at her. It may just be my personal bias, however, Sylvia’s attitude throughout the story possessed an air of entitlement. She would speak ill of others and seemed to think of herself as better than others in certain aspects. She also seemed to lord over her companions. There were also mentions of both anger and shame when upon experiencing the toy store, its atmosphere, and its prices. In the end, Miss Moore’s targeted question was the metaphorical final nail in the coffin that both sparked Sylvia’s competitiveness and humbled her. It made her stop and think about the day and what she experienced. It made her want to be better. That’s what I think I’d try to write about in an essay about this short story. An essay titled “A Lesson on Humility” about Sylvia’s shift and the lesson that was meant for her specifically. 

In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson,” the narrative shines with a sense of curiosity and discovery, as Miss Moore takes the children on a fun and thought-provoking trip. Miss Moore, a creative and thoughtful teacher, believes in learning through new experiences. Instead of simply telling the kids what to think, she brings them to the exciting FAO Schwarz toy store, where they get to see amazing and expensive toys like a $1,195 sailboat. The children are wide-eyed and intrigued as they wander through this new world, full of toys they could never have imagined, “So she leads us around the windows of the toy store and me and Sugar screamin, ‘This is mine, that’s mine, I gotta have that, that was made for me, I was born for that”’. It is fair to name this essay “Imaginary Spark”. Sylvia, one of the children, is a bright and lively character who, despite being strong-willed, finds herself thinking deeply by the end of the day. While she initially resists Miss Moore’s lesson, Sylvia’s natural curiosity and competitive spirit push her to reflect on what she’s seen. Rather than feeling discouraged, Sylvia’s reaction is one of excitement and motivation. The adventure has sparked a desire in her to explore new possibilities, and she leaves the story with a sense of determination and hope. The lesson, while subtle, awakens in Sylvia a playful yet meaningful drive to learn and grow.

After reading the story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, there is a relationship between Ms. Moore and the children. Even if it might be a love/hate relationship, Ms.Moore does a great job teaching the kids a lesson. I would title this essay ” How My Teacher Taught Me a Lesson”. Being that their are many lessons of the story that can be interpreted, the children have different interpretations of the “lesson”. The children have different reactions to the world that Ms. Moore portrayed to them. Some of the kids responded well, while the other kids felt angry and embarrassed. Some of the children felt misplaced and nervous because they haven’t experienced anything like where they were. Ms. Moore wanted to show the children that there is more to life than the ” ghetto”. The relationship between the children and Ms. Moore is important because it shows how most children miss out on life because they are ” stuck” in the life they’re in.

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, the title does an excellent job explaining what the material is about. If I were to write an essay on the subject I would title it “My Glass Balloon”, the theme of “The Lesson” reminds me of a loss of innocence or a shattering of reality. The story has an unappreciated guardian who takes it upon herself to enlighten the children of her neighborhood. To the guardian, at least one child must understand their situation to break the generational cycle. The child who grasps their situation’s reality is now stripped of their rose-colored glasses. While this will change the child forever possibly creating a resentful mindset, if the child can process this and seek guidance there is no doubt that they will grow out of their environment. It will be a challenge relating to friends who do not realize their situation or resentment to their family for putting them in the situation in the first place. This can be quite isolating, it takes a strong personality to use this to make a positive outcome.

After reading ‘The Lesson’ by Toni Cade Bambara I can see how a writer would focus on economic disparity, lack of equal opportunity, racial inequity, and other broad social issues. However, what caught my attention the most was the relationship between Miss Moore and Sylvia. I would title my essay ‘The Relationship’ Miss Moore saw something in Sylvia that she didn’t see in the other children. Sylvia was smart and wise. We get to see this when Ms. Moore trusts Sylvia with the $5 for the cab ride. Sylvia seems to have a strong dislike for Miss Moore, and I believe it’s because Miss Moore actually challenges Sylvia when asking her questions and giving her responsibility. At the end of the story, Ms. Moore asks “Well, what did you think of F.A.O. Shcwarz?”, and was pleasantly surprised when Sugar responds. I guess because she didn’t expect a response from Sugar but from Sylvia instead. Which leads to Miss Moore looking directly at Sylvia when asking ‘Anybody else learn anything today?’ She really wanted Sylvia to engage because she knew Sylvia was in fact paying attention and had an opinion.

Reading “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara if I wrote an essay on it I would title my essay, “The Realism of The Lesson : Growing up in Harlem”. I felt a connection to the reading because I am from Harlem . When it came to Sylvia’s slang, the nick names for her friends around her block, even down to the relationship with Miss Moore I was able to relate to her character based on how I grew up. Nevertheless, I would use quotes from the source to further explain how the reading represented a reality by portraying the everyday life of a group of kids growing up in Harlem. In Conclusion, I would compare the deeper “Lesson” of the reading from the trip with Miss Moore to the community I grew up in and give examples of my “Miss Moore” back in the day. Growing up in the projects we had several community activities to keep us out of trouble and instead of “Miss Moore” being a family friend, our community leader was my cousin Sandra and outside of taking us on excursions out of the “Hood” we had to go to church every Sunday. Subsequently, my essay will break down the realism of the reading in comparison to my upbringing.

In my essay named “Perception”, i would focus on how, in the end of “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia says, “And something weird is goin on, I can feel it in my chest. “Anybody else learn anything today?” lookin dead at me. I walk away and Sugar has to run to catch up and don’t even seem to notice when I shrug her arm off my shoulder”. Upon reading that line, i thought to myself just how much and deeply that trip to F.A.O Schwartz affected her perception of reality. In my essay i would dig deep into the mental status of the narrator and how she viewed life before and after seeing the prices of the toys in which also might have been a representation of so much more than imagined. I believe she had she struggled with opening up to people seeing as how she was an orphan. Miss Moore, was indeed so important to the lives of these young children and it was a particular knowing that she had with Sylvia. Perhaps she wanted to prepare her for what she could potentially do to change things in the future.

As I  read the story, “The Lesson “by Toni Cade Bambara, I was immediately drawn to the Sylvia’s description of Miss Moore. One of such is” This lady moved on our block with nappy hair proper speech and no makeup “(Bambara 1). There were many other reasons why Miss Moore stood out in this neighborhood, and one of them was that she was always planning something. For this reason my title for this story would  be “Teachable Moments.” On this occasion Miss Moore took the children to The Toy store on Fifth Avenue.  In this experience she piqued their interests to learn about new things; such as the paper weight and the microscope, had open discussions and explained the prices. However,  most of all she observed their reactions. “And I  watched Miss Moore who is steady watching us like she is waiting  for a sign” (Bambara 5). Miss Moore wanted them to broaden their thinking and enjoy their childhood. As Sylvia said” I’m thinking about this tricky toy I saw in the store. A clown that somersaults on a bar then does chin ups just cause you yank lightly to his leg” ( 5).

“Knowledge is Power” is what I would title the essay to my interpretation of the short story “The Lesson” by Toni Bombara. In the short story, we learn about Sylvia and her block friend’s trip with Ms. Moore and how one rip in their reality can cause them to believe there is more to them than where they come from. Sylvia is first presented in the story as someone who knows exactly who she is and has a good understanding of how the adults around her move, so there’s nothing that surprises her as she is a brilliant and observant young girl and won’t change for anybody, not even Ms. Moore. That is until she is given this new perspective in life, how the World around her is a lot more unforgiving than it seems, and how she has been dealt a poor hand for no other reason than losing the lottery in life to gain better opportunities. From there on she is angry with her new reality and how her small world has been ripped from her hands by Ms Moore but, it is not for nothing. It wasn’t just some painful experience Ms Moore wanted to inflict on these children but rather drive them to reach for more than their surroundings. I’m glad I see this in the final sentence where Sylvia announces how “ain’t nobody gonna beat” (Bombara)  her at anything, the lesson that Sylvia was trying so hard not to embody and detest ironically, ignites a fire in her.

My title would be “The different ways in which individuals conceptualize the same idea”. In the story “The Lesson”, They all live in the same neighborhood and they all live in very similar situations – Living in the ghetto with similar house holds. “while our mothers were in a la-de-da apartment up the block having a good ole time” (Bambara 1). However, during their visit to the toy store, they all had different reactions. In the end some personalized the experience while it flew over the heads of others. It had an effect on all of them but the severity of the effect is different. For example, Sylvia and sugar. They both understand the concept, that the lesson is a contrast to how they live versus how others live in relation to their financial stance. Thereafter, sugar accepts her reality and situation. The lesson never truly got through to her,  However, for Sylvia, her reality was threatened and in that moment she felt ashamed and somewhat vulnerable which she’s not used to. Those feelings urge her to change her situation instead of accepting it like sugar.

“The Lesson:, written by Toni Cade Bambara, speaks about social inequality and the limited economic opportunities available to minority groups. It discusses economic disparity, lack of equal opportunity, racial inequity, and other broad social issues. It also explored how the different classes and how they were viewed.  I would title this essay “The Social Inequality faced today” as this is something that is still experienced by numerous persons in our society today. In the story, a Black person was still referred to by derogatory names and slurs. Further the choice of words used in the reading addresses the stark contrast between the wealth of some and the poverty of others, revealing the social injustices faced by many. It illustrates how marginalized groups are often judged based on their physical characteristics, social status, and overall appearance, including their economic circumstances. By writing about this, readers from different ethnicities would be able to relate to the story.

This article is very thought-provoking and carries significant educational value in terms of self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-planning. For me, it holds a deep meaning in understanding oneself and planning for the future. If I were to write an article, I would title it “The Future” and focus on Miss Moore’s unique teaching methods. Her distinctive approach in education is designed to inspire young people never to be content with their current situation, which can be expressed in Chinese as “画地为牢” (creating a prison with one’s own limits). Miss Moore’s teaching encourages students to critically reflect on their present lives and their personal situations. By doing this, she motivates them to question their limitations and strive for continuous improvement. Her lessons are not just about accepting the status quo but about envisioning a better future. Through her innovative methods, Miss Moore helps students understand the importance of self-assessment and future planning, guiding them towards achieving a more fulfilling and successful life.

Tony Cade Bambara’s short story “A Lesson” not only explores social inequality, but also reveals social fissures even more through meticulous detail and rich characterization. Presented through a child’s perspective, the story draws out a complex world of emotions beyond a mundane class. If I were to write an essay, I’d focus on differences and inequalities. For example, Sylvia and her family live in an impoverished neighborhood with very little financial means. Her family’s financial situation is in stark contrast to Miz Moore’s family, and this disparity causes Sylvia to feel a strong resentment towards Miz Moore. As a result, Sylvia always had strong suspicion and dissatisfaction towards Miz Moore, and even nicknamed her “Miz Big Nose” in her mind. This shows that Sylvia is ashamed of her poor family background and is prejudiced against wealthy members of society such as Miz Moore. This stereotype and the inferiority complex of poverty reflects the economic inequality and racial prejudice that exists in society.

The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, expresses not only the few economic possibilities that minority groups have, but also the wealth, poverty and inequality that exist in society.  If I were to write an essay I would focus  on social differences,and  I would title it “Social inequality.” Firstly, because the way to start the reading, in with words that label people of color, such as in the first paragraph the description of Miss Morre refers to the word “black as hell”, which can be noted as a derogatory word to describe someone, since culturally hell would be considered a dark and hostile place.The reading also has to do with the social injustice that many people in the world suffer, while some have too much wealth, others have nothing.That is why the reading not only recounts the economic differences, but also how many special groups are marginalized due to their physical characteristics, their outcomes, and their appearance in a general sense, including economic capacity.

I plan to title the essay “Exploring Symbolism and Character Development in ‘The Lesson’ by Toni Cade Bambara.” This essay will take an in-depth look at the symbolic elements in the story, particularly focusing on the toys in the F.A.O. Schwarz store as metaphorical representations of the social and economic disparities experienced by the characters. Furthermore, I aim to conduct a thorough analysis of the character development of Sylvia and Miss Moore, delving into their individual motivations, personalities, and the shifts in their relationship as the narrative unfolds. By shifting the narrative lens from purely socio-economic concerns, my essay seeks to provide a comprehensive exploration of the literary elements and character interactions that contribute to the richness and depth of “The Lesson.” Through this approach, readers will be able to gain a more profound understanding of the story and gain a deeper appreciation for its layered themes and complexities, moving beyond the broader societal issues it addresses.

What is your understanding of the pre-writing task in Week 1 Activity? 10? What do you have to do? What is the purpose of the prewriting task? I understand that the pre-writing  task in week 1, activity 10 is an explanation of the steps necessary to create a good essay.The purpose is to understand the different steps in creating an essay. Because is important undestant the correct way for the construction to an essay with the order and sequences. What we need to do: 1: Read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Week 1 Activity 1).  2: Read “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man’” by Dean Rader (Week 1 Activity 3) 3: Review the supporting guides in Week 1 4: Read Directions for Sample Student Essay (See Activity 10 Activity 5 PowerPoint on Thesis Statements Activity 6 PowerPoint “How to Insert Quotations into a Literary Essay” Activity 7 Format Illustration/Format Matters Video Activity 8 MLA Citation guide Read the Sample Student Essay (See Activity 10)

My understanding of the prewriting  assignment is that we are to evaluate a sample essay and determine whether the writer followed the instructions to create a good essay. First, we are instructed to read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as well as “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man'” by Dean Rader.  Next, we are to review a couple of PowerPoints, one on Thesis Statements and the other on “How to Insert Quotations into a Literary Essay”. The purpose of this is to teach us how to build the body of our essays. Next we are instructed to watch a format illustration video and review a MLA Citation guide to teach us proper MLA formatting and citations. After we have followed these steps carefully we are to ready to read directions for a sample essay as well as read the sample essay. Upon reading, we should be able to understand Thesis statements, insertion of quotations, proper MLA formatting and citations and determine if the sample essay has been written properly as well as write our own essays following the same guidelines going forward.

For Activity 10 we were instructed to evaluate a sample essay. I think the purpose of this assignment is to see if we understand what a thesis statement is,  how to properly write one, and  to see if we understand the components of a good essay. I also believe that it is setting an example of what the professor expects of us during this course. We will also get an understanding of how to generate a work cited page. We are basically understanding structure, learning different styles and tones, checking and improving what we write, noticing common errors, and gaining inspiration. All of this will allow for us to be better writers.

My understanding of the pre writing assignment is that we have to read ” The  most handsome drowned man” and ” Overview of the most handsome drowned man” and after we are done with these two text we go through the guidelines on how to make a well written essay following the format using quotation, making a strong thesis statement, after going over these reviews we read over the student sample essay to give us a brief and inside on what we as students should provide in our essays to come. The main purpose of these reviews is so that we will be able to come out as better writers in our future and make sure we maintain a high gpa because writing is not only used in English but in all of our courses weather its a short written paragraph or a long 10 page essay it keeps us retracing our tracks to make sure everything is written the way it should be.

The prewriting assignment is a guide to help students learn the necessary skills to begin the journey of writing their first essay correctly.  Delving into the PowerPoint presentation has been very eye-opening, making me aware of how to write an essay with the correct use of a thesis statement. Also, how to properly structure an MLA paper. I need more work when it comes to writing an MLA paper, so I look forward to writing. I know when properly structuring your paper you have to add quotations and correct citations. Learning all of these skills will prepare us for our first essay paper using the assigned readings. All in all, this prep work is giving me the tools I need to write at a higher level, which is the goal. As I move forward in my academic future I will need to learn to write at a higher level to ensure that my papers pass in whatever course I am taking. 

From my understanding, this prewriting assignment is designed to help us generate and organize ideas for the essay. It’s a multi-layered process meant to guide us in brainstorming, outlining, and narrowing down our focus. By working through activities from Week 1, we’ll learn how to effectively structure a literary essay, incorporate quotes, and use MLA style. For this specific essay, we’ll be using “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Dean Rader’s Overview to come up with our own thesis. Prewriting helps break down the story and guides us in understanding its deeper meaning, which will be essential as we develop our essay. This preparation lays the groundwork to ensure that when we start writing, we already have a clear plan and focus, making the writing process smoother and more effective. This thorough prewriting approach not only shows our writing process but also enriches our engagement with the text, allowing us to craft a more insightful and well-supported literary analysis.”

The prewriting assignment focuses on this week’s topic, which is identifying literary devices such as a thesis statement and being able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.  The prewriting assignment helps us to understand the topics we are going to write about and also familiarizes us with the literary devices we are expected to use. It is understood that we have to read, “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which is a primary source. Then, we have to read “Overview of “The Most Handsome Drowned Man”” by Dean Rider which is a secondary source that analyzes the story by Marquez. Eventually, we will have to evaluate a student sample essay to identify if the essay has a strong thesis statement, and if the student was able to effectively use both the primary source and secondary source, to discuss and analyze an idea expressed in the secondary source. This will then strengthen our own ability to be able to utilize strong thesis statements and analyze a secondary source using a primary source.

My understanding of the purpose of the prewriting essay in Week 1 Activity 10, is that this essay is a warm-up compared for the final essay. It allows for the summarization of the final essay. Based on my understanding, the purpose of the pre-writing assignment is to provide a guide and layout of the literary essay. In order to complete this essay, one would have to write a  thesis-driven essay discussing one of the ideas expressed in “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man’” by Dean Rader about the story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Just like any other essay, an introduction, body and conclusion will have to be created. Additionally, the essay has to be written in MLA format. The essay requires the following pages, in addition to the introduction conclusion and body, it requires the work cited page, a page for academic integrity and the citations for the stories.  

The prewriting assignment is a step-by-step guide to help students with the necessary skills and knowledge to write their first essay successfully. This process involves a thorough analysis of two assigned reading materials: “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and a literary overview of “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Dean Radar. Several PowerPoint presentations provide detailed instructions to guide them through creating a well-developed thesis statement, including a few examples of thesis statements and structure, how to correctly add quotations in the body of writing, a video of proper writing format, and how to correctly apply MLA citations. These resources are to ensure students, instilling in them the confidence that they have the essential tools to establish a solid foundation for their upcoming essays. Also, a detailed essay outline and a sample student essay are included as part of these resources to offer further guidance and reference.

My understanding of the pre-writing assignment is that we will be using all 3 resources provided to us, “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “The Overview of “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Dean Rader, and the sample student essay to formulate the foundation of what will ultimately guide us to write essays efficiently and as smoothly as possible. As long as all 3 resources and the supporting guide posted on week 1 are used it will allow me to formulate my thesis statement and compose a strong essay. As well as to properly write an essay, as stated in step 3 of the pre-writing assignment, by following activities 5, 6, 7, and 8 which include sources as how to follow proper MLA format and quoting primary/secondary sources correctly, The purpose of the pre-writing assignment is to break down the story by Gabriel Marquez and use the resources provided to us so we can layer the similarities within each theme of our primary and secondary sources to create our main idea.