final post

Walking into Patterson the first day of classes I was sure I could write a final paper off of one draft, boy was I wrong. I have learned to look at stories from different points of view, looking for the tools the authors use to persuade the reader or to express his or her beliefs. I have learned how diction is used to set tone in a story and how it can change the way things are perceived. Putting two stories side by side to find a common thread is another thing that I have found helps me to understand writing. Using new technology such as blogging has changed the way I view some text because it opens my eyes to the way other people see it. Lastly I have learned to use what is around me, such as my classmates to help me with my writing. All of these things I have learned in this class and the have changed the way I read and write, for the better. Learning to analyze text while I am reading is one of the first things I learned in English 1010. I have now begun to notice how an author uses specific words to convey certain feelings in their work, such as “blood” in David Mamet’s, “The Rake,” or how David Griffith in “Prime Directive” uses a television show, Star Trek, to display his beliefs on the war in Iraq. After reading these stories that use certain tools so well, I have changed the way I write and read. I now see that comparing a harsh subject to a thing that many people can relate to is a good way to get your point of view across without boring your readers with a straight forward argument and throwing facts at them. Finding different and interesting ways to present my thoughts and ideas helps my writing and makes it more presentable.
Using “The Rake” and “Under the Influence” in a synthesis essay taught me how using two work’s like characteristics can help you come to certain conclusions about the works. After writing my synthesis essay I came to the conclusion that “sons are directly influenced by their fathers.” (Connell 1) I came to this because I found things such as an alcoholic father in “The Rake” and an abusive step father in “Under the Influence” contributed to their son’s lives. I have learned to pull things out of my reading that I wouldn’t have noticed before and use them in my own writing. I did this in all my writing this year and especially in my synthesis essay.
Sometimes doing something you have never done before can help you learn new things. This is what we did when we started blogging. I had never done this before but after doing it I learned that it can help my writing. The main way that it helped was by letting my peers see my writing and give me feed back on what I need to do. I also was able to read other classmates writing pieces and get ideas from them. Overall getting exposed to this new idea of blogging helped my writing and opened me to a place I can turn for inspiration and ideas.
Learning to use my classmates is one of the last things I am taking away from this class. Throughout the semester I have turned over a rough draft to someone in my class and I gotten back a fully corrected draft that is filled with great ideas and helpful tips for me. If I didn’t have my class to peer edit my papers they wouldn’t of turned out near as good as they did.
Leaving the last day of class was a lot different then my first day of class. I learned so much throughout the semester, from using blogger to looking at an author’s choice of words and how it affects their writing. I learned how to put two different works side by side in order to find similar characteristics and come up with and interpretive conclusion. I have changed as a reader and writer as a result of taking this class and it has all been for the better.

Reflection

Looking back on my writing I tend to talk bad about the things that keep me from doing what I love. Weather it is mosquitoes keeping me from enjoying the outdoors and nature or it is jellyfish that keep me from enjoying the beach. Two of my three stories seemed to fall toward this format but my third one was just informative and it didn't have any of my personal writing styles in it.

Liers/Jellyfish

If you go to the beach and someone tells you there are no jellyfish then thy are ling. The ocean is full of jellyfish and anyone who says otherwise is a lire. I can't go to the beach without getting stung by jellyfish so every time I hear someone say the jellyfish aren't out today I just say to myself, lire. Then there are the people that say it doesn't hurt that bad but we all know they are ling. So anytime you have jellyfish you will always have those people that lie about them.

Baseball/Tennis

Baseball is a team sport while tennis is a one man show. In baseball you have a team to back you up but in tennsi you are your only weapons. A bat is used oin baseball while a racket is used in tennis. There are fair and foul balls in baseball but only in or out in tennis

Nature/mosquitoes

I love being outdoors but when you are outside around here you can't help but be swamped by pesky mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the biggest negative to nature. Sure they are vital to the environment because frogs and other animals eat them, but my life would be much better if I never had to see one again. Who likes being outside when the sun goes down and instead of enjoying it you are having to spend your time swatting at mosquitoes that seem to number in the millions.

list B

1. homosexual relationships
2. crime
3. ignorance
4. abortion
5. jellyfish
6. injury
7. lies
8. alcohol
9. mosquitoes

List

List A

1. football
2. family
3. basketball
4. baseball
5. tennis
6. soccer
7. friends
8. freedom
9. money
10. faith
11. nature
12. the beach
13. girls
14. workouts
15. swimming
16. fishing
17. hunting