Grade 10 Reflection

A few of the most important things I have learned this year as a writer are how to efficiently and smoothly integrate quotes in my essays, the importance of connecting arguments to my thesis, and how to use outside knowledge to support my arguments. In my reflection on The Good Earth, there was an instance in which I used a quote that was nearly a full paragraph in length. Not only did I make that mistake, but I also did not transition smoothly into the quote; there was no context given beforehand. However, in my literary analysis of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I provided information about the events in the story relevant to the quote I used, and it is obvious that I made sure to pick out only the most crucial parts of the text to quote. a weakness shown in the original version of the essay is not circling back to how my sub-arguments connect to my thesis. However, the comments on the side of the document show that I corrected this, and I put special effort into making sure I did this in all future writing pieces. Lastly, as the school year went on, I have increasingly used outside evidence to support my arguments. For example, I learned the importance of knowing the historical context of a piece of literature, and this is especially apparent in my write-up for my Macbeth Creative Choice Project. I researched 11th and 17th century political and religious philosophies relating to events and viewpoints expressed in Macbeth, then used this information to develop an argument about the unnaturalness of Duncan's regicide. Not only did knowing the historical context of the stories strengthen my understanding of them, but it also fortified the arguments I made relating to them. Overall, this year has been one of immense growth in my reading and writing abilities, and there is no doubt in my mind that the skills I learned and practiced this year will prove useful as I continue my education.