- Where were you as a writer at paper 1?
When writing my first paper in ERH101-03, I had a solid understanding of essay structure, how to analyze a text, and generally, a good command of language. Regarding citations, I was more used to footnoting sources, rather than using the method presented in our class book, The Everyday Writer.
2. Where are you now at paper 2?
Perhaps one of the most significant advances I have made, which is evident in my second paper, is achieving a greater, more in-depth understanding of how to analyze a text, and from that text, be able to psychoanalyze the author (or rhetor), the audience, and understand the overall rhetorical situation. Additionally, I learned simple, yet powerful writing techniques such as declaring the order of ideas in the essay to make for a better organized and more accessible read for the audience.
3. What has gotten you here? How and why?
Although the in-class readings provided good sources for improving my writing, the primary source that aided it, which was by far the most accessible and, in my opinion, more knowledgeable, was MAJ Garriot. Specifically, her comments on my first essay made me realize that in order to fully assert an argument, one must also acknowledge the constraints of the rhetor and the audience (and/or any counterarguments), and how to fully utilize quotes to support the points in the thesis statement. Additionally, after doing the assigned readings for homework, I achieved a fuller understanding of what the authors tried to say as well as gained additional knowledge from the teacher’s perspective. On a personal note, this knowledge is extremely precious to me because I can actually apply this in real life situations (e.g. when I enter a discourse community, I can use rhetorical theory to be a better communicator).