Surprisingly, the first essay turned out to be the assignment I felt most confident about. This was largely because I was able to carefully analyze the instructions and grasp the multiple layers involved. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to hone my critical thinking skills and approach the task with patience and focus. I was thrilled with the grade I received, as it validated my ability to interpret and follow directions effectively. On the other hand, the assignment I believe I could have improved on was the poetry poster. I overlooked the importance of citing the sources for the images I used, mistakenly assuming that free-use images didn’t require attribution. In hindsight, I wish I had taken the time to include proper citations, as it would have likely resulted in a better grade. One of the most valuable lessons I learned this semester was how to correctly use citations and incorporate them seamlessly into my writing. A specific takeaway was ensuring that both the sentences I write and the quotes I include are consistently in the present tense, which has significantly improved the flow of my work.
Nada (Nan) Abushami
In “The Necklace,” Mathilde’s use of descriptive language reflects Raymond Carver’s idea of giving commonplace objects immense power through precise expression. Mathilde, consumed by her longing for wealth and status, transforms ordinary items into symbols of grandeur. She describes a setting “lit by torches in lofty bronze sockets.” This imagery elevates the mundane, creating a vision of opulence and romance. The choice of “bronze” over simpler materials like pewter or silver conveys a sense of warmth and richness, while the torches’ flickering light creates an intimate, almost regal ambiance. These details reveal Mathilde’s yearning for a world beyond her reach, where beauty and luxury dominate. By romanticizing such objects, Mathilde projects her desires onto them, showing how her aspirations distort her perception of reality. This precise language not only enhances the narrative but also stresses Mathilde’s inner conflict and longing.
Fairytales are not only good for children, but crucial for intellectual and personal development. The Positive Impacts of Fairy Tales for Children” by Leilani VisikoKnox-Johnson, does a great job in explaining how children can use fairytales to work through anxiety and trauma. As someone who is chronically anxious this resonates with me, it can be difficult to express what I am feeling due to burden, embarrassment, or guilt. In VisikoKnox-Johnson’s article, she provides an explanation of how children can resonate with a character based on experiences both the child and the character goes through. In Maria Tartar’s “Why Fairy Tales Matter” she discusses imagination, creativity, and intellectual development that comes from reading Fairy Tales. The curiosity a can have when reading words or phrases that aren’t typically used makes the child want to know what it means. A child can gain a higher quality vocabulary than through educational programming alone.
When reading the excerpt “On Her Own Work”, O’Connor brought up the idea of the Grandmother being viewed as a witch. I would’ve never thought about that, while this story has a lot to do with the concepts of good/evil and religion; I began to think about the idea of the supernatural. We have the Grandmother almost prophesizing her and her family’s destiny before the trip even begins. The Grandmother talks about how The Misfit escaped jail and how they would be better off going to Tennessee and then you have the kids making jokes about how they would react if they were faced with the bandit. While I am not a religious person I am spiritual, so having this comparison of the witch and destiny makes me more interested in the story; leaving it to only the view of religion makes me question God or Jesus. This makes me think about the Misfit’s mindset of a person who feels undeserving of his punishment, a man wronged by God and now being faced by a woman who still calls him a good man after killing her family. Had I not read the excerpt I would’ve never thought about the idea of destiny but rather coincidence.
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 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.
“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.
The purpose of the prewriting assignment is to set clear expectations for future assignments and discussions. By providing detailed instructions, students understand what to expect in upcoming tasks. We begin by reading a short story, which indicates that this course will be reading-intensive. Additionally, a secondary link offers further information about the story and its author, allowing us to deepen our understanding. The assignment also includes guidance on developing a strong thesis, correctly inserting quotes, and understanding proper structure through a brief video and an accessible MLA guide. The thesis-building PowerPoint outlines a thesis and its purpose and provides examples to help students distinguish between a strong and weak thesis. The “Inserting Quotes” PowerPoint gives clear instructions on incorporating quotes effectively in essays, and setting clear standards. Lastly, the video on the importance of structure emphasizes that having good content is not enough; the ability to follow instructions is crucial. We are also provided with essay directions that act as a guide and an example of a student paper utilizing the directions from the previous document.
