Friday, March 8, 2013

Big number 8! The middle!


What has been my biggest challenge in the class so far?
This is the first time I have taken an online class, I kind of miss peer reviews of my essays. I can take them to the learning center or the online writing tutor and that is neat and all but I do miss having someone I see at least once a week nervously telling me how bad or good my essay is. I think that helped me improve quite a bit.
What has been my biggest success?
Everytime someone leaves a nice comment on my blog. Whenever I start writing something I try and think of a way to make people smile while they are reading it. So whenever I get a nice comment from someone who enjoyed my post it feels like a big success to me.
How have the readings in the class affected me?
I am a huge fan of Moby Dick and I was pretty excited to read another Herman Melville story, boy was I surprised. Bartleby the Scrivener was beautifully written and had the poetic wording I expected from Melville, but it was a boring snoozefest of an uninteresting story. I did not like it one bit. The second reading A Modest Proposal was something I had heard of before but this was the first time I ever read it. I found it super funny. I find it hard to believe that this kind of morbid humor existed almost four hundred years ago. I am not sure if I agree with Swifts politics but he sounds like a fun guy to have at a party.
How is literary analysis different from other types of writing I have done in college?
Literary analysis sounds easy. I have silly opinions about all kinds of things. the message or meaning I can get out of a specific reading is so different than anyone else it seems like I would have an infinite well of knowledge to pull from while writing an analysis. But the hard part for me is I tend to worry about whether or not my opinion will be understood. I don’t think understanding is the point, but I almost always soften up my idea because I fear that it might be too out there.
What are my goals for the second half of the session?  What do I hope to improve or accomplish?
Easy question my goal is to win. I hope to feel much better about my next essay the first two I felt kind of meh about. I want to finish essay number three and think to myself, Yeah that is a good essay. 

4 comments:

  1. Cason, whether I comment or not on your posts - I always enjoy reading them. Just as I have enjoyed reading this one. You are always so lively in your words - I admire that. I think that, if nothing else, you would definitely be an interesting person to be around. :)

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  2. I think you always make your readers smile, so you should feel very successful! I agree with you on Bartleby the Scrivener being a pretty bland story...at least it was pretty short. I know what you mean about the peer reviews. I bet you could set up something with one of the other students to exchange papers or something so you could kind of get that experience. I'd offer up myself but I never finish my paper till the last minute :(. Its an interesting idea though, perhaps Mrs. Cline would want to set something like that up in her future online classes. Good luck on winning! :)

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  3. Hello Carson,
    I always think that your posts are funny which is a great talent! I think that you have a great way of making people smile and laugh while still having great ideas! Ha, I totally agree about Bartleby that it was a snoozefest but it was interesting in a way with all the ways that it could be viewed! I know what you mean sometimes I worry that I reading it wrong or what I think is right could be wrong. I wish you a ton of luck on the upcoming essay's and go out there and win! :)

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  4. Our goals are almost one in the same. These first two writings have killed me and I wish I could have more confidence in my writing in this class but no matter what I try I never finish my essay comfortable with my work.

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