Prior to this year, I did not even know about the ICE method. In one example from my analytical essay on “Celia Behind Me” from October, I plainly rephrased the quotation instead of developing the …show more content…
In my latest analytical essay about Catcher in the Rye , I isolate ‘“so damn happy”’ from the quotation: ‘“felt so damn happy all of the sudden’ (275).” I then continue with how it connects to my thesis and an explanation of its relevance, completing the ICE triad. I elaborate with “all he needed in that moment was one person to truly care for him. Phoebe fills that void and makes Holden temporarily “so damn happy.”’ Since learning how to successfully apply the ICE method to my writing, I no longer restate my quotation without adding any additional commentary. Instead, I seize the opportunity to provide my input, display its relevance, and further the argument of my thesis. The ICE method has genuinely been the principal element in improving my writing this …show more content…
I wrote a vignette about this feeling, titled “I Will Always Be Stupid.” Accompanied by all of the writing quirks like similes, rhymes, and alliterations from Cisneros’ style, I wrote about how “whenever I reflect on my past self, I can easily see” that “I am stupid. I am dumb. I am naïve.” As I continue digging the coming of age hole to something spectacular, I gain the ability to “reflect on my past self” with objectivity. I also wrote that “I may feel intelligent, competent, mature, and experienced now, but that will change. Time will pass [and] my personality will evolve.” My level of maturity has allowed me to understand that I will always have room to grow and more gems to find. I accept that fact, am conscious that “my personality will evolve,” and I will continue carving my own tunnel through the ground. Additionally, comparing the older version of myself to my current form causes me to “look back to this point of my life and question how I could have been so stupid.” In the future, “I will be able to perceive things I couldn’t have imagined at this age and will feel stupid for it.” The reality of life for all people follows a similar individual path through the ground, in search of something spectacular. As I mature, my world view will develop and I “will feel stupid” for all of the buried gems I missed and how small-minded I