Response to Course Material #4

      Each time I write a response to what we have been doing in class, I feel that I have been focusing purely on  close readings of what we are supposed to be reading. You would think by now I would write about something else or mention something more important. I think that is a hard task to do, because looking at the text this closely truly enhances both the reading experience and the overall meaning of what you are reading. By doing a close reading of both Death of a Salesman and The American Dream, I was able to make better and deeper connections and comparisons between the two pieces. However, I think I have a better understanding of The American Dream.
     Another thing we have been doing is looking at the multiple choice questions that will be on the AP test. I think that I will be able to understand these questions better with more practice. 

Response to Course Material # 3

      These past few weeks have been reinforcing the idea of  even more with our reading of Albee's  "American Dream" and our class discussions. When I found out that I would  have to annotate every single page, I was immediately overwhelmed. I was never forced to read into the text like this. I have always been guided in what passages to look at why I should be looking at them. This close reading of the "The American Dream" was basically the cutting of the rope of teacher-guided    reading and set me to wander through this book on my own. 
      I feel that by analyzing "The American Dream" I am going to be able to analyze both "Death of a Salesman" and prompts on the AP test with confidence. 

Response to Course Material #2

     After the 25th of September, we did multiple things such as continue to learn about the aspects of DIDLS,  continuing to practice how to write an introduction for our essays, and learn about types of comedy by reading "The American Dream" by Edward Albee.
    One thing I really enjoyed about these past few weeks was being able to fully understand how to use syntax. Before this class I understood that syntax is about the structure of sentences, but in the packet we reviewed in class I was able to actually look at specific examples of how it is used and the affect it has. By learning about how syntax can be used in pieces, I was able to use syntax for my closed reading response. By using it I felt that I was able to go more into depth of how the author was portraying his point.  
    The constant repetition of dissecting prompts and creating introduction paragraphs seems very tedious to me, but I know that in the long run that this will be a very good skill to have practiced multiple times before the AP exam this may.
     Finally, another thing that has really stuck with me is the reading of Edward Albee's "The American Dream". I enjoyed reading this play because of how absurd it was. I thought it was a very clever way to get his point across. While I was reading this I thought about how parents can make up absurd stories to get children to learn life lessons. Also, another reason I enjoyed this reading was because I took an active part in the play by reading the part of Mrs. Baker Barker. Overall I think that these past few weeks have expanded my knowledge of both tactics to approach literature as well as the AP exam.

Response to Course Material #1

     Ever since the first day of school, we have been going in depth on how to really read literature in order to understand every aspect of it. In every other class I've been taught to look further into literature, but the acronym DIDLS really helped me remember what exactly I should be looking for every time I read (diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax). This acronym has already made it easier to analyze pieces. At first when I read the short story "The Way We Were" by David Sedaris, I was unsure on the overall meaning of the story. Then, after I applied DIDLS to this piece, I was able to see what Sedaris was saying all along whether it be in the length of his sentences or the choice of his words. After I realized what a great tool DIDLS is, I had the urge to reread a few of my favorite books to analyze all of their hidden meanings just in case I had missed something! 

     Another thing that I have found really helpful in preparation for the AP test this spring, is how to write both a well structured introduction and thesis. All throughout my career as a student I have been taught that an introduction should be five sentences long, and I have always struggled finding enough to say in that first paragraph. You can imagine my relief when I learned that a good introduction paragraph is short and to the point containing only three sentences, a connection to the real world, a connection to the book, and a thesis. Writing these introductions became a little easier when we began discussing how to write a thesis. Writing a thesis has never been a strong point for me. I learned these past few weeks that a thesis should give the audience a general idea of what my essay is about, but most importantly that it should ALWAYS answer the prompt. Although there is still tons of room for improvement, I am one step closer to tackling the challenge of writing a thesis. I have always thought of myself as a strong reader and writer, but after these first few weeks I have realized there is a lot I do not know, and I am excited for what I have been missing out on after all these years.