Author: ARIK NOAH

1. Anxiety and aversion both have been major barriers for me in my past writing experiences. When I come upon major assignments or standardized tests I can study or write for hours and days before and no matter what the anxiety will still get to me even after all the work and effort I put in. Anxiety isn’t just an obstacle it’s a mind game that truly twists your mind and wants you to fail but once you put your mind to it and give it your best you will overcome it. I plan to utilize and adopt Eichmeyer’s skills and strategies throughout my transition to college by setting aside a certain amount of time for every assignment and utilizing all my time efficiently. 

   2.Two worlds that I existed in are going to a Jewish private school my whole life and being sucked into a very secluded bubble of almost zero diversity. Going to a fully Jewish school gave me less of a chance to interact with new people of different cultures and religions.  Once I got a little older and by living in New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world, it really has given me the opportunity and ability to interact with lots of new people which I have learned a lot of amazing things from. Another world that I have existed in is Anti-Semitism. Being a proud practicing Jew in New York also comes with the hardships of the vast amounts of hatred Jews face on a daily basis. Many may think that this hatred discourages us to continue to practice, but it truly makes us stronger and more united. No matter how much hate certain people can show, as a practicing Jew I believe that everyone is connected through the creation of god and we are all brothers and sisters and all equal. 

1.  In the essay How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldúa, she disagrees that their are firm lines between different languages and people that speak different languages.  “Chicano Spanish is not incorrect, it is a living language”. This line demonstrates that, while various people speak different languages, the goal of language is to communicate and connect with one another. She also demonstrates that even if she speaks different languages, there may be a shared reality, because she speaks different languages and communicates in different languages.

2. Anzaldua is a persuasive writer in my opinion because she takes a stand for what she really believes in. She chose to base her literary narrative on the difficulties she has faced throughout her life in a different language. Her writing is virtually contradictory, if not outright defiant. Her entire essay is about her inability to express herself in the way she desired, despite the fact that it is written bilingually. As the reader learns about her inability to change languages, Anzaldua demonstrated in her work that she was able to rise above all of the criticism and drift towards success, inspiring inspiration.

3. Liao’s literacy narrative conventions are most visible in Sedaris’ essay, as they both learn a new language from not knowing to know, from confusion to fluency. However, Sedaris believes that the convention that Liao mentioned is that “Literacy narratives both show and tell.” and must illustrate ideas about things as a result of one’s own experiences. However, in Sedaris’ essay, It appears like she’s complaining about her French teacher’s harshness in the classroom, but she didn’t elaborate on how she improved her French comprehension. Instead, she simply asserts that she understands the teacher’s final remarks. 

4. By the end of her piece, I don’t believe Manson feels the same way she did at the beginning. The situation wasn’t totally solved, but she tried her best and was satisfied with the outcome. “Even if my thoughts were incomplete, I stated what I had to say.” There was more to it. You may count on me for the rest of your days! My words were not enough, but I did the best I could” (Manson, 88). Without being self-conscious, she accepts that she has a problem with vocabulary as well as the ability to express her thoughts.