Growing up, Kayla had had many people who doubted that she could become someone and have a good life because of a past of drug use and “risky” decisions. She wanted to enlist in the army to do better for herself and so she can prove an ex boyfriend wrong. She wanted to take a risk that mattered and so that she could be part of a change. She knew that not many women were enlisted in the army to begin with and thought this could be her opportunity to prove a few people around her wrong. She wanted to show the world that she was “not afraid”, and for once, take a good risk in her life.

1. As I read the different myths, I realized the ones I can relate to the most are myths 2 and 6. Very often I will start writing only when I know exactly what I’m going to say because I feel as though it is easier to write once I have the full story in my head. Also, from a very early age I was taught the “5-paragraph essay” format. I have stuck to that format ever since because it is the easiest format and I am able to keep good idea flow throughout my essay.
2. College-level research requires that you look into a topic more in depth, and look up information in books and articles, rather than just information on Google. High school- level research was more superficial and only required that you look up a few different pieces of information online from different websites, while in college it is more useful to go to the library for your research.
3. An argument in a college essay is a carefully put together idea that is meant, not to bash the reader, but to make them see your point of view and understand it better. The author makes the analogy of a courtroom. You are the lawyer who is trying to prove that someone is guilty or not guilty and the audience (readers) must decide on which side they want to pick.
4. The closed writing assignment is meant for you to analyze two different claims and say which one you agree with more. However very often, these require that you go in depth with your answer and show your understanding of both. The semi-open writing assignment allows you to make your own claim on a writing, but it is important to avoid summaries because the main purpose is to analyze or explain your claim on the particular subject. Finally, the open writing assignment allows you to create your claim and what you want to write about. It leaves the floor open to you on what path you want to follow and what you want to create an argument on.
5. The characteristics of effective writing are being open-minded and having consistent research and study, having the ability to use reason and facts over your emotions on a topic, and reading for information and formulated a cohesive and reasoned response.
6. The word “I” can be used in an argument because you are sharing your opinion that you want the reader to understand. You can also use “I” in a personal essay because often times you are telling a story that happened to you or someone you know, so it is ok to use “I”.
7. It is clearly bad to use “I” in papers like lab reports. These are papers that mostly revolve around facts and data, so using “I” can hinder that idea and make the report seem almost unbelievable.

In reading Rich’s poem, I saw vivid images of war. However, I think the part of the poem that portrays war and the peripheries of war is the 10th stanza. Here it is as though the author represents everyone that is involved or is part of the war. As the reader we can see the people who are victims of the holocaust, we can see the struggling immigrants, we can see the poverty, and other aspects that we can recognize as war. Finally I think the “woman of sixty” is almost like a reflection of the little Jewish girl. The woman of sixty helps the reader see what is going on because she can observe and see how the world is changing. The little girl is the innocent and harmless reflection of the woman of sixty, who had been through more and sees the world in war for what it really is.

Fear is a recurring theme throughout Speigelman’s “Maus” when it comes to what the characters are going through. During the Holocaust, Vladek and his family experienced many hardships and moments that really brought them out of their comfort zones. He tells the story of how they were in constant fear of being taken by the Nazis if they did one small thing wrong. They were even terrorized by the Nazis if they didn’t do anything wrong. Living in constant fear of not knowing what would happen to you next really can affect someone, and it did just that for Vladek and his family. In addition, when the Jews were all gathered at the stadium, they were in fear of what would happen if they went and if they didn’t go. However once there, Vladek was scared that he was going to be separated from his family, so he “registered” to be on the same side as them. Fear is like a dark cloud that hangs over the characters in Maus because of the situation they were forced into and the events that occur while they are in the Holocaust. You can see the effect this has on him later, as he tells the story to his son.

The theme of home resonates greatly throughout the excerpt, “The War”. From the beginning, there is a sense of family when the narrator explains how she and Gertrude Stein are invited to many dinners. We can see how close and comfortable everyone gets by spending time with each other. For example, when they go to Ms. Mirlee’s house, the narrator describes it as being very comfortable, like how one would feel in one’s home. In addition, the theme of home can be seen when the narrator moves from London to Paris. Although London was once her home, she comes to really enjoy Paris. As a result, Paris becomes the place that she can call home because of how comfortable she feels there. The narrator shows us that “home” can really mean any place that one desires. Also, the place that we currently live in doesn’t always feel like home, due to different events that sometimes occur in our lives. In this case, the war was the catalyst that made it hard for her to feel at home in London. Therefore, in Stein’s “The War” we can see that home can have many different meanings for us, and we can really find a home anywhere.

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