I think literary texts should keep their authentic language, even if it includes offensive terms. As an African living in United state for 4 years now, reading stories like” A Good Man is Hard to Find” gives me a deeper understanding of what Black people were going through during that time in America. Even though some of the words in the text hurt me as a Black person. I feel like they help me connect with the reality of the struggles and injustices faced by Black communities back then. It’s painful, but it also feels important to see the truth of how things were, and recognize the changes that have happened since then. For me, preserving the original language helps us understand history better—the good and the bad. It shows us the mindset of the people living in that era and helps explain why society was the way it was. Changing or erasing those words might make the story less impactful because it takes away the raw honesty of the time period. I know not everyone feels the same way, and I respect that. Offensive language can be hard to read, especially for people who’ve experienced racism or discrimination. But I think keeping the authentic language allows us to have meaningful conversations about the past and learn from it. For me, it’s not just about the story—it’s about understanding the history behind it and seeing how far we’ve come
Fatim Sidibe
If I hadn’t read O’Connor’s essay in Activity 1, I would have missed some key insights into “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” In her essay, O’Connor explains that the grandmother’s final moment with The Misfit is significant because it’s an act of grace. Without this explanation, I might not have understood how important it is when she reaches out to him and calls him “one of my babies,” showing unexpected kindness even in a dangerous situation, and after hearing his freinds killing her family. O’Connor also talks about how violence in the story serves to reveal people’s true personality, which makes the family’s encounter with The Misfit so crucial. It forces the grandmother to confront her beliefs and gain clarity. Additionally, O’Connor’s discussion of creating complex characters helped me see the grandmother as more than just a hypocritical figure because when I was reading, I kind of hated her. I thought that she was a racist by calling the black boy on the window “pickaninny” the word I just discovered. I also thought that she was hypocrite, manipulative, in short a bad person even thought she seemed to do not know that she was one; I realized that she’s someone capable of change and growth after reading activity one. These insights from the essay help me appreciate the deeper themes and moral questions in the story, like redemption and the complexity of human nature.
Before these past two weeks, I never really got into poetry. I thought it was just about rhyming and trying to impress someone special. But thanks to Professor Conway, I’ve started seeing poetry in a whole new way, and it’s actually pretty cool. I’ve found out that poetry comes in all sorts of styles, with deep meanings and beautiful layers that make reading so interesting. Take Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” for example. It’s about that quiet moment of thinking between wanting to disappear into the peaceful darkness of the woods and needing to keep promises. This struggle is a lot like what Oedipus faces in Oedipus the King, where he battles between his fate and his choices. Then there’s Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” which cleverly shows the Duke’s controlling nature through his words—just like how Oedipus reveals his weaknesses through his actions. Even though I didn’t know these poems before because my country has a different school program, and it’s a bit tougher for me since I’m still learning English, diving into poetry has helped me better understand themes, characters, and symbols in plays like Oedipus the King. It’s been an eye-opening experience.
Reflecting on my experience with writing Essay 1, I realized just how important it is to pay attention to the details. At first, I really messed up because I didn’t follow the MLA format correctly. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I learned that even things like choosing the right font—like Times New Roman, which I found surprisingly nice-looking—can make a difference in how an essay comes across. One big takeaway was the importance of reading the instructions carefully before diving into the writing. The first time around, I was so tired and just wanted to get it done quickly so I could go to sleep. That rush led to a pretty sloppy job. This taught me that managing my time better and approaching assignments with a clear head is crucial. I would like thank Professor for giving an opportunity to retry because having to rewrite the essay after my professor’s feedback was actually a good learning moment. It showed me how valuable it is to revise and be open to criticism. By taking a closer look at the student sample essay I was supposed to evaluate, I got better at analyzing content, which will definitely help me in future assignments. Overall, this experience has taught me to prepare more thoroughly, pay attention to the little things, and learn from my mistakes. Next time, I’ll make sure to give myself enough time for each part of the process—from understanding what’s needed to drafting and revising—so I can do my best work.
In Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson,” there’s so much more going on than just the obvious talk about money and inequality. What really grabbed me was Sylvia’s character and how she changes throughout the story. At first, she’s this tough, street-smart kid who doesn’t want to listen to Miss Moore. But as they wander through that fancy toy store, you can almost feel her world expanding. It’s like she’s starting to see things differently, even if she doesn’t fully get it yet. The way Bambara writes Sylvia’s voice is super authentic—it feels like you’re right there with her, hearing her thoughts in real-time. And then there’s all this symbolism, like the sailboat that’s ridiculously expensive. It’s not just a toy; it’s a symbol of dreams and the barriers that keep them out of reach for kids like Sylvia. So, while the story definitely tackles big issues like economic disparity, it also dives deep into personal growth and awareness, which I found really compelling. It makes you think about how we all have these moments that push us to see beyond our immediate world.
My Take on the Prewriting Assignment in Week 1 Activity 10 In Week 1 Activity 10, we’re tasked with a prewriting assignment that helps us get ready to evaluate a sample student literary essay. Here’s how I understand it: First, we need to read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This is important because it gives us a direct understanding of the story we’ll be analyzing. Next, we read Dean Rader’s “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man,’” which offers some critical insights and interpretations that can deepen our understanding of the text. After that, we go through several guides. These include PowerPoints on writing strong thesis statements and how to insert quotations into a literary essay, along with resources on formatting and MLA citation. These are all essential skills for writing a clear and well-supported literary analysis. Finally, we read the directions for the sample student essay and then the essay itself. This step allows us to see how another student has approached their analysis and apply what we’ve learned from the earlier steps. The purpose of this prewriting assignment is to prepare us with the tools and techniques needed to analyze literary texts effectively. By following this process, we can gain a better understanding of the material and improve our ability to express our thoughts clearly in writing. Overall, this prep work sets us up to write a thoughtful and well-argued literary essay.
