I don’t think it’s okay to keep racial slurs in literary texts, even if they are part of the historical context. These words, while they might reflect the time and place in which the story was written, still carry a lot of pain and harm. They can make it difficult for some readers to connect with the material or feel comfortable engaging with it. It’s true that understanding history and the issues of the past is important, but I believe there are other ways to show that history without using harmful language that can hurt people. There are many ways to express the prejudices and social problems of the past without causing harm or alienating readers today. We can still learn about the past, the prejudices, and the way society works without needing to keep language that has the potential to hurt people. The impact of these slurs should not be ignored. In the end, it’s about finding a balance—preserving the meaning and context of the text without causing unnecessary harm to those reading it today.
Kadiatou Balde
I would rate my ability to read poetry after the past two weeks as a 6.5/10. I understand the main ideas and can recognize poetic devices, but sometimes I still need to reread or translate certain words into French to fully understand the meaning. My experience with poetry can help me read Oedipus the King by making me more comfortable with older language and figurative expressions. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare relates to the play because both use strong imagery and formal language. In Sonnet 18, Shakespeare writes: “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” This line describes how time and nature can change beauty, similar to how Oedipus the King shows how fate changes a person’s life. By reading poetry, I have learned to pay attention to language and rhythm, which will help me understand Oedipus the King better. Overall, I think my understanding of poetry is improving!
Writing essay 1 was a learning experience for me. While working on it, I thought I was on the right track, but after receiving feedback, I realized there were things I could improve. One big lesson I learned is the importance of carefully reading and understanding the assignment instructions before I start writing and taking more time to break down what is being asked and make sure my response fully answers the question. Another thing I learned is that formatting and citations are just as important as the content of my writing. Following MLA guidelines properly is something I will focus on more, especially when it comes to citations and including a Works Cited page. To improve, I will review the rules and check my formatting before I submit my work. Overall this essay helped me see areas where I can improve my writing process. In the future I will be more careful with understanding the assignment and following formatting rules.
Miss Moore’s Way of Teaching in “The Lesson” In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Miss Moore is a very different kind of teacher. She does not tell the children what to think. Instead, she asks questions and makes them see things for themselves.Her way of teaching is not like school lessons—it is about real life. Miss Moore does not just say, “Life is unfair.” Instead, she takes the children to a fancy toy store where they see toys that cost more than their families’ rent. She asks them, “What do you think?” This question forces them to think about money, class, and unfairness in a way they never did before. Instead of giving answers, she helps them find the answers on their own. Instead of talking about rich and poor people, Miss Moore makes the kids feel the difference. They go from their neighborhood, where money is tight, to a store where some people can spend $1,000 on a toy boat. This makes them uncomfortable but also curious. They start asking questions: Why do some people have so much while others have so little? This lesson is powerful because it is real. Sylvia, the main character, does not like Miss Moore. She does not want to admit that she is learning something. But at the end of the story, she says she is “thinking this over.” This shows that Miss Moore’s lesson worked—even if Sylvia does not want to admit it. Her way of teaching is not about memorizing facts, but about making kids see the world in a new way. Miss Moore teaches in a way that makes kids think deeply.She does not give easy answers but pushes them to question the world. Her lesson stays with Sylvia, making her wonder about money, fairness, and what she can […]
The prewriting assignment helps us understand how to write a strong essay. Instead of writing it right away, we are analyzing a sample student essay to see how a good essay is structured. To prepare, we need to read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man in the World”by Gabriel García Márquez and then review Dean Rader’s overview of the story. This will give us a better understanding of its themes and meaning. The writing guides on thesis statements, using quotations, formatting, and MLA citations will also help us see how to properly structure an essay. After that, we will read the sample student essay. The goal is to pay attention to how the student explains their ideas, uses quotes from the story, and follows MLA formatting. This will help us recognize what makes a strong essay and what can be improved. This step is important because it allows us to learn by example. By looking at someone else’s work, we can see what works well in an essay and what we should avoid when writing our own.
