My thesis for the research essay is that fairy tales are beneficial for children because they support language development, moral comprehension, and emotional growth. From List A, I was especially interested in “The Positive Impacts of Fairy Tales for Children” by Leilani VisikoKnox-Johnson. One idea that stood out to me was how fairy tales give children a way to process emotions they may not be able to express yet. The article mentions a study in an Italian oncology ward where sick children connected deeply with fairy tales, as they saw the villains as a symbol of their illness and related to the feeling of helplessness from the main characters. This comparison gave the children a new coping mechanism for something as serious as death, which I found very powerful. Another idea I appreciated was how therapists can use children’s reactions to fairy tales to understand identity issues and emotional struggles they may be facing, especially during illness or trauma. From List B, the article “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales” by Mary Howarth also supported my thesis. Howarth explains how fairy tales help children explore ideas like identity, trust, and problem-solving. One example she gives is how children acting out stories can strengthen both their vocabulary and their understanding of moral values. I also liked that the article pointed out how fairy tales create space for kids to feel empowered, such as in “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids” by the Brothers Grimm, where the smallest goat ends up saving the others. This shows how children can identify with characters and use those connections to work through big emotions and develop a stronger sense of self.
Concepcion Arellano
I think it is best to leave a story fully unedited to capture the author’s message conveyed through the story. The writing process is already lengthy, with several drafts and endless hours of writing development. If we censor a word, we are missing one of the author’s intentional decisions in making the story. This can lead to a missing detail in character analysis. For example, through the use of a slur, we are given a better sense of the grandmother’s character when she berates the children for not having enough respect, and yet turns around and insults a child with a negative assumption that they are incapable of owning pants. These offensive slurs do not reflect current times, but they give us an insight into the grandmother’s past. It is a reminder of the history that failed many people who couldn’t fit into idealized standards. If these slurs are omitted, then we do not get to fully experience what life was like for those discriminated against during those times. It robs students of important lessons, like the negative effects that discrimination has on people’s egos as well. The grandmother highly believed she was above reproach when she tried to manipulate everyone around her to do her bidding and thought she had the right to be racist towards those of a different skin color.
I love reading poetry, but before these two weeks, whenever I finished reading poetry, I would feel like I wasn’t grasping something, as if an understanding was just beyond my reach. After reviewing the article, “How to Read a Poem” by the American Academy of Poets, I am much more confident when reading poetry. I particularly liked the list of prompts as a way of “talking back to a Poem” because it turned out to be quite useful when reading the poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. By following the prompts from the previous section, “talking back to a Poem,” I was able to dissect the meaning behind the poems and see the connection between the comfort the speaker experienced when they were passing through the solitary and dark woods. I was then able to use this knowledge with Oedipus the King and ask more questions about the circumstances facing the city of Thebes. These prompts also led me to find connections between the video explaining the history behind Greek theater, and have a better understanding of the stage setting.
After rereading my essay with the feedback I received, I see the areas I can improve. When I stepped back from my first essay experience this semester, I realized I doubted myself through every step to the point where I deleted sentences that could have helped at the end. This overthinking led me to believe that I was being too personal in the essay, but when I reviewed it again with the feedback I realized that I could have used it to my advantage instead. This experience also helped me see the need to manage my time better. I will give myself more time to review each reading carefully and jot down anything that comes to mind instead of dismissing my ideas. This also extends to giving myself enough time where I can step back from my final draft and come back to it with fresh eyes so I can trust myself as a writer and be confident that the work I send in is what I really feel.
When Bambara made Sylvia the narrator of his story, he was able to immerse us through a child’s perspective. He highlighted another side to the themes an AI generator would normally write about. Her encounter with Ms. Moore is not viewed as an opportunity to learn but as an intruder imposing her condescending opinions on them. Throughout the narrative, Sylvia expresses her disapproval of Ms. Moore based on other adults’ views. She describes Ms. Moore’s unwillingness to dress casually and wear makeup as another display of her superiority compared to the rest of her community. We can see Ms. Moore’s intentions in trying to educate the children, but from Sylvia’s perspective, we do not see those intentions come across clearly. This moment can be seen during the story when Sylvia refuses to discuss her reaction to the toy store with Ms. Moore. Sylvia struggles with her conflicting feelings of growing awareness over the social inequality she is faced with as a child. Bambara’s use of Sylvia’s point of view forces us to confront social inequality in the same way she was forced to face it through confusion and self-reflection. Through Sylvia’s narration, we also see another type of injustice when children are left to navigate these inequalities alone.
We must read and understand the assigned readings during our first rewriting assignment. These readings include ” The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and ” Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man'” by Dean Rader. After we review these literary works we review several PowerPoint presentations that help us review parts that make up a successful essay. This week we will review the necessary MLA format, thesis statements, and correct usage of quote insertions. We are also given the directions for the sample student essay. These directions give us an idea of what the sample essay is supposed to convey. In these directions, the student was reminded of important rules like grammar usage and specificity of details. The student was also given a basic outline detailing the necessary essay structure. We also got the chance to read the essay after the sample student followed instructions. The prewriting assignment helped me understand what my future essays should encompass to get full credit. The readings prepare me for the essay prompt and be able to gather the necessary details.
