Mohammed

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read poetry has improved a little. Poetry is still difficult for me, but when I take my time, I can understand some of the deeper meanings. This can help with reading Oedipus the King because both use hidden messages that require deeper thinking. One poem we read, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, connects to Oedipus the King. In the poem, the speaker stops in the woods but remembers he has things to do and must keep going. This is like Oedipus, who is also on a journey he cannot stop. The speaker in the poem might want to stay, but his duty pushes him forward. Oedipus also has to keep going, even when the truth brings him pain. Both show how fate and duty control people’s lives.

When I read “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I focused less on the socio-economic issues and more on Sylvia’s personality and how it develops throughout the story. What stood out most to me was Sylvia’s stubbornness and her resistance to change. You can tell by reading that Sylvia is intelligent and observant but she uses forms of sarcasm and judgment to shield herself from confronting the truths presented to her by Miss Moore. Even though she acts uninterested in Miss Moore, her thoughts show she’s paying attention and starting to question the world around her. I’d also look into the relationship between Sylvia and Sugar. They’re friends, but there’s competition as well, particularly toward the end when Sugar breaks in and surprises Sylvia. It’s almost a wake-up call for Sylvia that she’s not as in control as she’d like to be. The character of Miss Moore is intriguing as well. She’s an outsider, not only to society but also in how she’s going about teaching. Her method of getting the children to think for themselves resonates with Sylvia greatly, even though she will not acknowledge this. I’d title my essay “Sylvia Unfiltered.”

The prewriting assignment in Week 1 Activity 10 is about preparing to write your first essay. You need to read and evaluate a sample student literary essay, but you don’t have to write anything yet. The steps include reading “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, reading an overview of the story by Dean Rader, reviewing guides on thesis statements, inserting quotations, essay format, and MLA citation. After that, I will read the directions for the sample student essay and the essay itself. The purpose of this prewriting assignment is to help me understand how to analyze a literary essay, learn how to structure my essay, and get familiar with important writing skills like making a thesis, using quotes, and following MLA format. This will help me build a strong foundation before I start writing my essay in the coming weeks.