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(2014
midterm assignment) Sample Student Midterm Answers 2014 #3: Web Highlights |
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Amanda Duarte
A Learning Experience
The web highlights I chose to read and discuss consist of one midterm essay from
2010 by Jessica Gaul, several research posts (one of which I will go over in
depth), and one example from a final exam done in 2010 by Melissa Sandifer. I
did not do my web review until after I had already completed the first half of
my midterm. Since I have taken a course with Dr. White before, I didn’t really
feel the need to review other works beforehand. I think that by waiting until
afterward, I was able to really think about what I wanted to write and give it a
little more personal to my own thoughts and emotions about what I have learned.
I am not saying that the reviews aren’t helpful, because they really are. In
this case it worked to my advantage, as you will see in the paragraphs to come.
The first essay that I reviewed was Jessica Gaul’s “Hooked by Creation and
Utopias”. I must give her credit for such a straightforward title since it is
exactly what her essay encompasses: creation stories and utopias. I was not
extremely impressed with her essay because I felt like she used exactly what Dr.
White provided for her without further analyzing and connecting the text to
other aspects of the course. Perhaps there were different instructions for her
version that may have restricted her from extending connections. My first
thought about her essay was “of course she used those texts.” The Genesis story
and the Iroquois Creation Story 1 (which by the way she does not ever say that
it is from the Iroquois Indians) are key in America’s creation of utopias. I
also do not agree with her presumption of the development of creation story one.
I think that like other creation stories around the world, their story already
shared similarities and when the settlers came in and meshed with the Indians
and vice versa, Indians’ story began to sound and include elements extremely
similar to the Genesis version. I am glad that I waited until I finished my
essay before running into this essay. I would have been more focused on arguing
against this girl’s ideas rather than forming better ones. I felt like I created
a more unifying connection with the course and its objectives by incorporating
texts other than those that Dr. White has provided us with under the terms
creation and utopia.
The second essay that I reviewed was a research post by Diego A. Gutierrez in
2012 titled “In Search of the Truth About Creation”. This post stood out to me
because I too have been in search of the truth. After reading his journey for
the truth, I was able to relate to his personal history with religion and was
impressed by his persistency in finding the truth. I commend him for speaking
with a nun about creation because I have yet to ask any ministers or religious
figures in my church about this question. What differs us, I guess, is my
knowledge of this matter is far greater than his. I already knew the information
that was given to him by the nun he interviewed and his overall resolution to
the question on the stake, one must have the knowledge of their religion and
faith in order to understand the creation of the world but for some reason or
another, I thought that he may have come up with an alternate answer.
The third essay that I reviewed came from the 2010 selection titled “Many Hands:
One America”. This essay gave me an insight of the content of the final essay
for this course. Though there are texts in her essay that we have not discussed,
I think that seeing her essay will help ease my stress level for what is to
come. I agree with her title of the third part to her final essay “Write it
down: No Telling Whose Class It Will Be In Next”, I think that this course
really encompasses a wide variety of terms and texts that can be used to compare
and contrast to other literary works that students will encounter in their
scholastic journey. I think that this course should be taken at the beginning of
a literature student’s college education because it covers many foundations for
literary ideas, themes, and terms. It is also a nice way to end a student’s
journey as a literature major as well because it refreshes all of the little
details and allows the student to develop more connections with what they
learned in their college career.
Each of the essays reviewed and discussed brought about many important memories,
learning experiences that can aid in the improvement of my writing. With Gaul’s
essay, I was reminded that everyone has a unique mind and way of thinking.
Although I did not agree with some of her presumptions, I was able to disagree
with her and reflect on ways to improve some of the ideas that she had.
Gutierrez’s research post was also a reminder of the knowledge that I have
inquired throughout my years as a college student and appreciate his findings as
a reminder of how far I’ve come in my education. Even though I didn’t get an
idea of what I want to research, I can cross out finding the truth in the
creation of the world. The final exam essay that I read allowed me to reflect on
how helpful this course is to all students pursuing their degree in literature.
