Reflection #1
9/6/13
When I read, I tend to lean more towards visualization and reaction than anything else. I like to be a part of the story, in it alongside the characters, experiencing their experiences and feeling their feelings! Everything else tends to fade out. Sure I wonder what will happen next and try to infer story ideas, but I prefer to be in the place of the characters, as if it’s all happening to me!
Reflection #2
9/13/13
Ideas presented in summer essay
In my summer essay, I focused on deciphering the morals presented in the story rather than dissecting the theme. I took a very worldly viewpoint and showed how the book can be related to others, but didn’t go into detail about how those can be applied to certain principles in one’s life. I think I was a little too attached to the story itself rather than trying to step out of perspective while I was actually reading the book.
Reflection #3
Looking back at reading log – in six weeks, how has it changed (reading abilities)?
I believe that my reading abilities have changed significantly. In my summer reading, I focused a good deal on plot details and trying to find the deeper meaning and symbolism within those plot details. Now I know I was looking in the wrong place! Since the start of the school year, I have learned how to enrich my reading experience by focusing on archetypal patterns, literary technique, and mood or tone. Overall, my perceptions of reading have improved.
Reflection #4
I chose to take my “Lottery” paragraph to the final stage for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is because I had prior knowledge of the short story itself. In my theatre class we read the stage version and discussed it in depth. I was also most comfortable writing this because the topic was easy to grasp. Connotation versus denotation is not a difficult concept to interpret. A final reason I chose this paragraph was because I find it interesting to interpret society. There are so many things society interprets differently than they are intended to be interpreted, and I find it fascinating to dive deep into that. And so, this is why I chose to use my paragraph on “Lottery”.
As I analyze my overall writing and analyzing abilities, I see there are some things that need improvement. As far as organization goes, I don’t think I’m that bad off. As my peers have determined, it is clear where one idea ends and the other begins. As far as my tone goes, I could do better with choosing words with a neutral denotation and connotation. My transitions are a little rusty; I’ve been using advanced words but haven’t developed them into phrases. Overall, I am well on my way to improving dramatically.
Reflection #5
For my argumentative paragraph, I chose to take “The Lady or the Tiger” to the last level. I chose this particular piece because I had a thorough grasp of the topic. Greed and jealousy are very common themes, especially in our modern society, and I have had experience dealing with both of these. Another reason I chose “The Lady or the Tiger” is because of the depth that the symbolism and ambiguity convey in the story itself. I enjoy the challenge of unearthing the deeper meaning behind such elements and techniques.
As far as organization goes, I think I need the most work on rebutting the counter-argument. I need to not just acknowledge them but think more in-depth about how they might further challenge me. Organization as a whole seems good, and my tone is firm and authoritative, but not obnoxiously so.
Reflection #6
In my summer essay, I don’t think I was too sucked into the plot, but I definitely could have done a much more in-depth job of analyzing the situations I presented. My theme and ideas were all very separate and choppy.
In my essay on Lamb to the Slaughter, I can see some steady improvement in the growth and complexity of my ideas. Though I didn’t quite know when to stop and analyze, the parts I did analyze were all concurrent to the same theme.
Lastly, in my analysis paper on Boo Radley, I can see the most growth in complexity of ideas, and also room for growth, such as applying author’s craft to the overall book and theme. In this paragraph, I am most pleased with my transitions from example to example without blurring the overall topic or theme.
I would really like my next step to be the capability of really applying the author’s craft to both the text and the theme.
9/6/13
When I read, I tend to lean more towards visualization and reaction than anything else. I like to be a part of the story, in it alongside the characters, experiencing their experiences and feeling their feelings! Everything else tends to fade out. Sure I wonder what will happen next and try to infer story ideas, but I prefer to be in the place of the characters, as if it’s all happening to me!
Reflection #2
9/13/13
Ideas presented in summer essay
In my summer essay, I focused on deciphering the morals presented in the story rather than dissecting the theme. I took a very worldly viewpoint and showed how the book can be related to others, but didn’t go into detail about how those can be applied to certain principles in one’s life. I think I was a little too attached to the story itself rather than trying to step out of perspective while I was actually reading the book.
Reflection #3
Looking back at reading log – in six weeks, how has it changed (reading abilities)?
I believe that my reading abilities have changed significantly. In my summer reading, I focused a good deal on plot details and trying to find the deeper meaning and symbolism within those plot details. Now I know I was looking in the wrong place! Since the start of the school year, I have learned how to enrich my reading experience by focusing on archetypal patterns, literary technique, and mood or tone. Overall, my perceptions of reading have improved.
Reflection #4
I chose to take my “Lottery” paragraph to the final stage for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is because I had prior knowledge of the short story itself. In my theatre class we read the stage version and discussed it in depth. I was also most comfortable writing this because the topic was easy to grasp. Connotation versus denotation is not a difficult concept to interpret. A final reason I chose this paragraph was because I find it interesting to interpret society. There are so many things society interprets differently than they are intended to be interpreted, and I find it fascinating to dive deep into that. And so, this is why I chose to use my paragraph on “Lottery”.
As I analyze my overall writing and analyzing abilities, I see there are some things that need improvement. As far as organization goes, I don’t think I’m that bad off. As my peers have determined, it is clear where one idea ends and the other begins. As far as my tone goes, I could do better with choosing words with a neutral denotation and connotation. My transitions are a little rusty; I’ve been using advanced words but haven’t developed them into phrases. Overall, I am well on my way to improving dramatically.
Reflection #5
For my argumentative paragraph, I chose to take “The Lady or the Tiger” to the last level. I chose this particular piece because I had a thorough grasp of the topic. Greed and jealousy are very common themes, especially in our modern society, and I have had experience dealing with both of these. Another reason I chose “The Lady or the Tiger” is because of the depth that the symbolism and ambiguity convey in the story itself. I enjoy the challenge of unearthing the deeper meaning behind such elements and techniques.
As far as organization goes, I think I need the most work on rebutting the counter-argument. I need to not just acknowledge them but think more in-depth about how they might further challenge me. Organization as a whole seems good, and my tone is firm and authoritative, but not obnoxiously so.
Reflection #6
In my summer essay, I don’t think I was too sucked into the plot, but I definitely could have done a much more in-depth job of analyzing the situations I presented. My theme and ideas were all very separate and choppy.
In my essay on Lamb to the Slaughter, I can see some steady improvement in the growth and complexity of my ideas. Though I didn’t quite know when to stop and analyze, the parts I did analyze were all concurrent to the same theme.
Lastly, in my analysis paper on Boo Radley, I can see the most growth in complexity of ideas, and also room for growth, such as applying author’s craft to the overall book and theme. In this paragraph, I am most pleased with my transitions from example to example without blurring the overall topic or theme.
I would really like my next step to be the capability of really applying the author’s craft to both the text and the theme.