The most challenging piece from this course must be the conflicting viewpoints in context paper. The first paper I wrote in this course about literary analysis was my favorite to write, but the paper I wrote about protecting the names of rape victims from being released into social media is the most important. Writing a paper on two conflicting sources was a wake up call to my writing history and writing organization. No longer could I selectively but tastefully ramble about trivial topics such as the symbolism in Beowulf or The Great Gatsby: I had to write this paper with certainty and vindication. I had to learn how to write a two sided thesis and compare two authors! Having the opportunity to write about conflicting viewpoints helped develop my opinion on the subject because I was able to critically read into both sides of the argument. In the beginning of my paper “Re-victimizing,” I held a strong opinion that the names of rape victims should be left out of the social media for protecting. Now I hold the opinion that both names of the victim and assailant should be released in order to understand the full story. Furthermore, I no longer use the term rape “victim” in my everyday use. As I researched and delved into a greater understanding of the situation, I have discovered that “rape survivor” is a more empowering …show more content…
I was able to look more in depth and look from different sides in both papers aforementioned. By distilling and nearly scrapping all my previous writing skills and knowledge I was able to make conclusions I would have never made if I had only read a poem one time, or if I had only read one article about the release of names in sexual crimes. As much as the English class so enlightened me about my ways of writing, the papers I wrote enlightened me by challenging my gut reaction. This semester has challenged me to be okay with not knowing what my thesis statement will be the minute the paper is assigned. In reference to the first piece I wrote in class “Freshly Out of the Womb,” I have stopped crying at the overwhelming nature of my new world. My eyes have been cleared and the umbilical cord has been cut. I learned where to park and I never found my Gabriel Garcia Marquez books. That ending is fine because I know I’m just beginning my life as a student and a writer and I have the opportunity to develop and