1. Sum up your answer to the class question in 5 sentences. Make each sentence count, ie: ensure that it contains specific information and is not generalization. Our class question is How can writing better help me to understand the place where I am from? Alternate ways of framing this question are: How has this class better helped me to understand the place where I am from? or How have the assignments we've done in this class helped me to better understand the place where I am from?

    John  Steinbeck, Joan Didion, and David Foster Wallace have all taught me different lessons on how to write about and explain my home. For example, how to describe my home using obscure settings and objects, the relationships in my life, and major life changing events. Didion in particular showed me how to show an object or place and then how to explain the feelings it invoked without coming out and saying it. Steinbeck taught me how to use relationships and description of people in a way that describes the place in which I’m f5rom. Additionally, David Foster Wallace taught me how to use a traumatic experience and show how it affects home in a way that changes the feeling towards the area.

2. Rank the following topics (1-5) in terms of your confidence level, pertaining to the Critical Essay. Provide your REASONING for each ranking:

• Thesis/Focus/Answer to the Class Question 4, because i feel like my thesis was able to cover all of of the ways these writings have helped me. Although I do need to work more on my focus.

• Structure/Organization 3.5, because although the groupings were good I need to centralize all my thoughts more concisely.

• Evidence 4, I feel like the quotes I provided were successful examples of how the authors taught me to write in certain styles.

• Analysis of Evidence 4, I feel like I explained each qu0ote to a extent in which it explained my reasoning behind using the evidence.

3. What types of evidence are you using right now? What are your two texts, and how are you using them right now to help you answer the question? If you haven't integrated any textual evidence yet, how do you plan to do this?

I am using a quote from each one of the authors that we read, and am using the quotes to explain the ways in which the authors taught me about duality, showing and telling, and the use of relationships in different environments.

4. Since this essay is very free form, you are tasked with creating your own organizational scheme and focus. Does your answer to the class question feel specific enough yet? Does it feel generic at all, like it could apply to anyone, or just to you? Are you using a high level of detail when recalling your evidence? What would you like to, a.) teach your reader about your relationship to the place where you are from, and b.) teach your reader about how our class helped you to better understand that relationship?

No my answer does not feel specific enough yet. Yes it does feel kind of generic, but at the same time it is personalized to my experiences. Yes and no, but I think i need to use more details.

1. I would like to teach my reader that there is a complicated place, you have both some of the worst and best memories ther. Also home doesn’t have to be just your house it can be the town,city, and or people that have helped you grow throughout your life.
2. I want to teach my reader about how our class helped me learn that you can use an obscure thing like dust as didion used, and describe a not only the clutter but the dysfunction of a home. Also how duality can be seen in the most unexpected places.
3. How are you using duality right now? Is it more of a side topic, or is it central to your focus and organization?

At the moment it's more of a side topic mentioned in my paragraphs about Steinbeck and Foster Wallace’s writings, but I intend to centralize it more throughout the essay.