Progression

Coming into sophomore year, I was a little unprepared for the focus that I needed to put into english. I soon realized I had to dedicate more time and effort to my studies when I saw that my grades were suffering due to lack of preparation. That being said, I think I have made some good progress this year. I am learning how to incorporate the different aspects that are very essential in an essay such as developing a clear-cut thesis statement and textual evidence, supported by analysis to argue a point. Another major growth of mine has been participation in class. In August, I found myself nervous and sometimes doubtful when it came to sharing my opinions. Now, however, I feel much more comfortable due to the positive atmosphere created by the people around me.
Though I feel like I have made some solid progress this year, there are also different things that I can improve on. First, I think I can do a better job of trying to analyze a piece of literature and find the deeper meaning behind the text itself. I also could improve upon creating more detailed thesis statements. I think that my thesis statements have improved a lot from the beginning of the year, but there is still room to improve as far as incorporating all of the components needed. Lastly, I would like to be better prepared for in class essays, as I have struggled a little bit with my past two. My ultimate goal for this semester is to be able to get an A and I think that I can do this by working on paying attention to detail. Overall, this has been a great year and I look forward to improving my writing skills throughout the rest of the school year.

Censorship

While reading Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress,  I noticed that the Communist belief system in China at the time placed a big emphasis on banning certain books that were influenced by Western society. I understand how the motive of this is to get people to cooperate with what is being enforced by only teaching them one thing, however, I do not agree with this ideology. Without reading different perspectives and topics within literature, it is easy to be close-minded. Taking away specific forms of literature in society is an act of stopping people from becoming globally aware. In Balzac, I could relate to the narrator's curiosity about other forms of literature outside of the Communist restrictions. That being said, I was shocked when I saw that the Bible was being challenged as a banned book. People should be able to practice their religion freely and in banning this type of literature, it is an act of discrimination upon a certain group of people within society. I also believe that banning certain types of books creates negative views on the beliefs that the books represent As I touch the coarse cover of a new book, I am overwhelmed with the crave to gain knowledge. I think that everyone should be able to experience this sensation and read whatever they please.