Reflection Paper
Introduction
Perfection in academic English writing requires someone with a positive attitude especially in dealing with the challenges it comes with. Everyone needs to accept the mistakes and inadequacy of his/her initial essays and use them as a platform for future essays. These are the two principles/experiences, which I have learnt in my previous English classes. In this class, I wanted to learn about some of the different types of English papers. Additionally, I also wanted to learn the basic principles used in the analysis of different types of literary works. I have learnt how to write argument papers as well as research papers. Moreover, I have acquired the basics of analyzing different types of literary works.
In writing this paper, I liked my ability to apply the various aspects that I have learnt in writing argument papers. For instance, the ability to give an introduction that features both sides of the controversy besides giving a concise thesis statement. I wrote about how the internet negatively affects adolescents. By writing this paper, I wanted to learn how to defend my opinions while constructing paragraphs that include evidential support. In addition, I wanted to learn how to conclude my essay without having to restate the thesis i.e. to be able to readdress the thesis in light of the evidential support provided within the body paragraphs. I am happy that I was able to apply most of the principles that I learnt about writing argument papers. I had a good introduction, thesis and I was able to construct body paragraphs that provided evidential support for my arguments or rather opinions. Moreover, I learnt the techniques of enhancing fluency in a paper e.g. by using topic sentences and having the last sentence of a paragraph introduce the next paragraph. The only aspect that I wanted to learn but did not is how to readdress the thesis statement in the conclusion while incorporating the evidential support from the body paragraphs.
Research Paper
Writing this paper was one of the most exciting experiences that I have ever had because of the approach that the author used in the development of his story. He was actively involved in the collection of the information that he used in compiling the book i.e. his tour to the Louisiana Cajun Coast. This enhanced my understanding the themes of the book. However, I faced a challenge in internalizing as well as contextualizing the French terminologies used by the author in different parts of the story. This made the writing of my paper quite difficult. I thought of the book Bayou Farewell as a travel book i.e. a book containing the adventurous stories made by Tidwell to the Louisiana Coast. From reading the book, I learnt several aspects. For instance, I learnt about the effects of human activities on the Coast especially how they endanger the life of not only human beings but also that of the marine creatures within the region. I also learnt the economic loss that the region and the U.S. will suffer if the government does not take the proper measures to curb the degradation of the natural resources in the region. Concerning my future studies, this project will act as a background of understanding the use of first hand information in causing awareness of a given problem in the society. Additionally, the information that I gathered from the book will assist me in understanding more about what is required in proper conservation of natural resources in any given region.
Sonny’s Blues
I thought that the story Sonny’s Blues depicts the inability of people to be successful in life due to the effects of their reckless lifestyles. However, on reading the story and writing the paper about the book I developed a different understanding of the story. I liked the satirical nature of the story since unlike what I thought (as dictated by the first impression of the title of the book), the book unravels the ability of the African Americans to rise above their struggles an aspect that granted them success. I learnt about the challenges faced by the blacks in America such as racial discrimination and poverty. I have also learnt about the rise of Jazz music among the America Americans. Additionally, I have learnt about how the use of flashback is used to enhance the themes in a story. The difficult aspect in writing this paper was drawing all the themes from the two major characters in the book. I made two connections to this story. Firstly, the suffering that African Americans have had to endure to thrive in the communities dominated by Whites especially in the 18th to 20th centuries. Secondly, there is the stereotyping of the blacks as not only criminals but also the weaker community, which was evident in the American community in the last few centuries.
Conclusion
I hope that my next English class will be more exciting and with lots of literary works to analyze. This class has prepared me for the future classes in several ways. It has equipped me with the basic techniques for writing different types of papers e.g. argument and research papers. It has also provided a platform for learning how to be fluent in my writing. Moreover, the class equipped me with the necessary literary analysis techniques that I can use in analyzing different types of literary works.
