Composition Essay 1 was a learning experience for me. While reading The Transformative Power of Beauty, I grasped how important the task of strictly following rules of structure and rightfully using secondary sources must be. It was not easy for me to identify strengths and weaknesses in the sample essay without making general statements. I needed to be clear in showing where the thesis was not accurate, where textual evidence had been well used, and where the student could have used Rader’s perspective. The exercise made me remember how important it is to address all the sources to be addressed, and not just the primary source. I also recognize that a good conclusion does not merely paraphrase, but one must also restate the thesis and leave an impression. I will double-check in future assignments in being mindful of how I frame my conclusions and thesis statements and make them concise, clear, and straightforward. I will also better incorporate the secondary sources into my analysis rather than adding them in as an afterthought. This activity has allowed me to be more capable of seeing what it takes to make an essay not only good, but interesting and well-supported.
Zoe Jimenez
Most of the discussion in Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” is about economic disparity, but part of the merit of the story is Sylvia’s refusal to learn and change. Rather than simply accepting Miss Moore’s lesson in institutionalized unfairness, Sylvia resists, holding onto pride and superiority to the other children. This isn’t stubbornness—it’s survival. She also won’t grow weak, illustrating how entrenched in her conviction is. The utilization of the first-person narrative by Bambara is critical in presenting Sylvia’s internal conflict. Her rapid, sarcastic voice captures her intelligence and confidence, but when the story ends, her silence and not wanting to think about it disclose that Miss Moore’s lesson has sunk in. What this shows is that development may not be in tangible terms. Sylvia’s defiance act, rather than being a sign of not learning, can actually be the beginning of true self-awareness.awareness.
