Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? I feel like the assignment that was most successful was reading poetry. I believe this for several reasons. The first being that I learned a lot whilst completing the assignment; secondly it was really enjoyable and interesting. My favorite part was making the flyer and decorating it with the theme of your chosen poem. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I feel like I could’ve done better for most of the work this semester. For some weird reason, my head seemed to be out of the game and I struggled with most assignments. However, I will give myself some grace and credit that I completed almost every assignment. I wish that I would’ve had more clarity and be a little bit more focused. 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? I learned that it is okay to fail sometimes but the most important thing is that you keep trying.
Shania Gomez
What is your thesis for the research essay on fairy tales? My thesis for the research essay on fairy tales is that fairytales are great for kids and plays a significant role in children’s development, understanding and outlook. Identify one article from List A and one article from List B that interests you. One article from list A that interest me is “Experts Say Fairy Tales Not So Happy Ever After” by Liz Grauerholtz in Purdue News. One article from list B that also seems interesting is “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales” by Mary Howarth. Please cite the author’s name and explain which ideas from the article caught you attention and why. In “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales” by Mary Howarth my interest is peaked because the author lists various great points the benefits of fairytales and the impact of them on children. The article “Experts Say Fairy Tales Not So Happy Ever After” by Liz Grauerholtz was interesting because I completely disagreed with the benefits of fairytales and it was interesting to see it from that point of view.
There were multiple ideas that I found in ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find’ by Flannery O’Connor that I may have missed if I didn’t read the article. At first, judging by the title, I expected this story to be somewhat of a cliche. Loosely based on love and romance, however it couldn’t be any further. Throughout the story, there was more drama than anything, until the end. The article did a great job in explaining the suspense that was created throughout the story and the realizations is crafted. Another idea that could’ve been easily missed has I not read the article was the deeper analysis of the Grandmother. In O’connor’s story, she is portrayed as being manipulative and selfishness. However, in the article the grandmother’s final act of kindness emphasizes the author’s use of irony. This insight further deepens the meaning of the story. Without reading the article, I might’ve missed some of the story’s theme such as redemption and selflessness in unexpected moments.
In the past two weeks, my ability to read and understand poetry has greatly improved. I am now able to understand the language as well as the structure of poems which deepened my understanding of the reading Oedipus the King. Though my understanding for poetry overall has improved, I still have a little difficulty in reading some poems as they are not familiar readings to me. One poem that particularly resonates with me is one by an Unknown writer. Precious Rose From the day that you were born, and I held you very close, I knew in my joyful heart, that you’re my very precious rose. My life changed for the better, I felt it in my heart, I just knew, for the rest of my life, We’d never be apart. Months and years have passed, and I watched you mature and grow, I promised myself, forever, my love for you, I’ll show. I wish you a beautiful life, filled with joy and infinite bliss, I’ll always be your mother, and my precious rose I kiss. This poem holds a significant place in my heart because it expresses all of the feelings I feel towards my own daughter. It also makes me sad a little because it makes me long for a mother’s love; for my mother to feel this way about me. Stanza 4, lines 3-4, “I’ll always be your mother, and my precious rose I kiss.” is my favorite line in this poem because it shows how valuable the mother’s child is to her.
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.
In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara the presence of economic disparity and other social issues are greatly felt. However if I were to write an essay that is less about socio- nomic issues and mention more intriguing details about the story, I would write about how the backgrounds of the characters influences and sways their reality and perceptions. For example, Sylvia’s upbringing in the urban environment has exposed her to a different reality; one which heavily includes the street behavior influencing the way she carries about herself. With this kind of environment, it is hard for Sylvia to see past her hardships and a better future which probably affects her outlook on life. On the other hand, Ms. Moore was exposed to a different lifestyle and environment, one which probably wasn’t has hard as Sylvia’s. Due to this, she has a completely different outlook on life which sways her perception on life. She is aiming to expand the kids’ life experiences. However, one may ask, had she live a life like Sylvia’s, would she still have this optimistic approach. I would name my essay “The Pessimistic Optimist”.
What is your understanding of the prewriting assignment in Week 1 Activity. 10? What do you have to do? What is the purpose of the prewriting assignment? In my understanding, the pre-writing assignment is to help give us more structure and clarity on how to properly construct future essays and other assignments whilst integrating the MLA format. In week 1, we started off by reading “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as well as an article by scholar Dean Rader which distinguished the difference of primary and secondary source. We were then provided with several inks, some of which fully demonstrate how to use the MLA format and others were sample essays. I believe that these essays are somewhat based on how we are to write our upcoming assignments. I believe that with the proper pre-writing and understanding of the required format, our essays will be well written and up to Ms. Conwell’s standard.
