Literacy Narrative Reflection
When I was first told that I had to write a seven-paragraph essay based on two pictures, I got nervous: my palms started to get sweaty and I started doubting myself. In my head, it was impossible to write such a lengthy essay just by looking at two pictures; I could have not been more wrong. When I got home, I felt frustrated because I had no idea where to start. After analyzing the two pictures in class and learning about their backgrounds I had so much to say about the two utterly different struggles depicted in the two pieces of art but I didn’t know how to organize my thoughts and shape them into a well organized essay. This was my first writing assignment of the semester and doing poorly was not a choice yet I could not stop wondering if my writing skills were good enough to perform well on it. After realizing there was an outline on how to draft the reflection essay on blackboard, I let out a huge breath.
The outline provided by Ms. K was of great assistance on writing the narrative. After having an idea of what I could write on each paragraph, even I was surprised on how fluently my thoughts flowed. The questions on the outline made me think outside the box, I started connecting the two images to my personal life and to the problems that are impacting our society today. After I started writing about the two pictures I was furious, not because I was struggling with the essay but because Glenn Mccoy was victimizing a billionaire who is against the public education system by comparing her to an activist who is the reason why so many women of color today are allowed to obtain an education. It is infuriating to know that someone is capable of making a satire from such a sensitive topic.
This assignment has been a great opportunity for me to learn more about myself and the society I live in. I realized that the interpretation of artistic work varies from person to person based on their values and experiences. Personally, I was critical about the political cartoon because public education has had a great impact on my life and in the life of those close to me. Regardless of my standpoint on the matter, I owe respect to others even if they do not share my views. Most importantly, I learned not to doubt myself too harshly in the face of pressure. In spite of how nervous I felt about writing the narrative, the ending result is something I am very proud of.
Exploratory Essay Reflection:
When I was told that I had to write an exploratory essay about one of the four stories in the prompt of the essay, the first thing that I did was go home and begin reading the stories. After reading “The Black Cat” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” I decided to not read the others because “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” got my attention. The power that society has on individuals is intriguing and alarming at the same time. I was intrigued by the way that society wanted to shape women; they believed that to be a woman meant to be a housewife and disregard any prospect of having fun. I was critical about the expectations that society had for women, mainly because nowadays women have more freedom of expression; additionally, now there is more emphasis on the idea of equality of genders. At the same time, the immense influence that society has on an individual is alarming; it can lead to all sorts of psychological problems such as low self-esteem and in Connie’s case: sexual abuse. By the end of my essay, the point that I tried to get across is that by expecting women to act or think a certain way, society is not shaping them, instead, society is causing them to make poor decisions.
The main way I was challenged by writing this paper was in the sentence and paragraph structure. It was hard for me to express my thoughts while taking into consideration the word count; it is not easy to realize what information in a paragraph is essential and what is redundant. Additionally, finding the perfect balance of evidence to support my arguments is something I had trouble with. Since there is a word count, I could not use too much evidence or too long quotes. At the same time, my argument had to be backed up by the story and/or Freud. Both of this challenges were solved by re-reading the story multiple times out loud and cutting out the information that was not essential.
This assignment has been a great opportunity for me to engage in Course Learning Outcomes. By assessing information from Freud’s lectures and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” I analyzed the text in order to produce a written response to the prompt. Additionally, I explored how a woman’s place in society affects her experiences and how the experiences of women have changed through time. With regards to the composition learning outcomes, I started using citation and developing strategies for reading and editing my work.
Critical Research Paper Reflection
When I was first told that I had to write a critical research paper I went into panic mode. I have written two research paper however, they were both scientific. The process of writing a scientific research paper is much more different than the process of writing a critical research paper; in science we measure physical things, we analyze them and then, we reach a conclusion. In English it is different because it requires us to analyze the behavior of literary characters; most of the time their behavior is not as simple as it seems and going deeper without speculating is a big challenge. After reading the possible literary tests that we could use in this research paper, I ended up choosing “The House on Mango Street” because after reading the story I could connect with Esperanza’s struggles since some of them are my own.
This research paper was a big challenge because at first, I didn’t quite understood where the Freud was. In “The House on Mango Street,” it is not easy to see when Esperanza represses her wishes. The way in which the story is written it is easy to get lost in the poetry and forget that Sandra Cisneros had a bigger purpose in writing this book. With regards to the rhetorical situation, it was difficult to include the Freud without over simplifying what my audience already has knowledge of.
This assignment has been a great opportunity for me to engage in Course Learning Outcomes. By gathering, interpreting, and accessing information from Freud’s lectures I got to analyze Esperanza’s character through psychoanalysis. Additionally, I explored how Esperanza’s place in society as well as ethical views affect her daily experiences. With regards to the composition learning outcomes, I located research sources in the library’s database and used citations.
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