Charmaine Reyes

Professor Haas

Writing 39B

14 February 2016

Midterm Reflection Essay

Within a blink of an eye, winter quarter is halfway done. To me, it seemed like just

yesterday, I was sitting in PSCB 210 anxious for what was to entail. Personally, writing has

always been something I struggled with, and it is something I not not enjoy. However, taking

Writing 39B with Dr. Haas has definitely changed my attitude and opinions towards writing.

Within six weeks, I’ve become an expert of the fairytale genre, expanding my knowledge on a

genre that I thought I knew pretty much everything about and I’ve improved as a writer and

presenter.

Coming into Writing 39B, I was very excited, for I knew that the class was based on fairy

tales. Growing up, fairy tales and Disney was a big part of my life, and even to this day, is

something that makes me, me. I thought I knew almost everything about the genre, but as the

weeks went by, with every activity and lesson Dr. Haas prepared for the class, I was exposed to

a side of fairy tales that I never knew existed. For example, within the different tales that we

read, we were required to read different versions, based on the culture they came from. Not

only were we required to read it, but based on the functions and conventions that we learned,

we had to analyze and be able to identify the rhetoric situation of the tales, with the tale’s

culture in mind. Having to annotate the different tales, made me realize that fairy tales was

much more than the “once upon a time and happily ever after” that I knew of. The one tale that

I personally enjoyed reading were the different versions of Little Red Riding Hood. The reason

for this, is because after reading this tale, I had the epiphany that the genre was not what I

expected it to be. While reading, I was amazed to find out that there were differences, and it

was very interesting to find out that the reason for the differences was to fit the stories culture.

For example, in the Perrault version, the story ended with no happily ever after, because

Perrault’s stories were intended to teach a moral, where as in the Grimm’s version, the

huntsmen, grandma, and Little Red Riding Hood worked together to kill the Wolf, as a way to

showcase German unification. I thought I knew most fairytales due to the Disney versions that I

grew up with, only to be proved wrong, as each week progressed in this class.

By gaining expertise on the fairy tale genre, I have become a better writer and

presenter. Through learning the basics of what a rhetorical situation is, and how to analyze it, it

has helped me test my abilities to put what I have learned to practice. We first did this through

group presentations. In week three, I was assigned to the Bluebeard group, in which we had to

analyze “a set of tales that crossed cultures.” The same week, I had my first group presentation,

and “it wasn’t the best.” However, “with an open mind” I made it my goal “to make my second

group presentation much better and engaging.” With hard work and dedication, “I saw major

improvement” as I presented, something that occurred due to being much more prepared and

skilled with the topic I was presenting about. Since our presentation was focused on analyzing

the tale’s rhetoric situation and how it tied into the tale’s culture, I made sure to do a lot of

background research to understand my tale and the culture from where it came form

completely. This was my first experience of rhetorically analyzing something. Similarly, the

same weekend, I also wrote my first mini rhetorical analysis. “It was a bit tricky and difficult at

first,” but I knew that practice is all I needed. As of now, I can say that my weekly RA’s has

improved over time, helping me prepare for the upcoming big one. I have definitely seen my

improvement as a writer, and it makes me happy, because for the first time, I am confident and

am actually enjoying something that I once detested. The simple comments that Dr. Haas

provide each week, gives me confidence and reassurance that I definitely have improved. Those

simple comments give me the reassurance that I will do well when conquering the dreadful

rhetorical analysis essay, every writing 39B student dreads about.

Within the course, we have many different course objectives in which by the end of the

quarter we are to accomplish. The course objectives that I have fulfilled so far, are the

objectives of “understanding the concept of rhetoric and rhetorical situation,” “reading texts

closely and understanding them, within their rhetorical situation,” and “understanding how

every text grows out of and reflects its rhetorical situation.” Since the first half of this course

was focused on building expertise of the fairy tale genre, it is the reason as to why the course

objectives that I have fulfilled are the ones that we have focused on doing so much. We did

practices such as annotating different tales with the rhetorical situation in mind, writing mini

rhetorical analysis essays, presenting and teaching the class about the rhetoric of the stories we

read, and contributing to the different workshops that Dr.Haas led, in which as a class,

everyone worked together to explain and identify the many different conventions and functions

that were put into use in the stories we read, and how it impacted the rhetorical situation in a

google document. As a class we have reached the point where we are putting into practice

what we have learned, to reassure that we have successfully completed the course objectives

as a whole.

Along with the course objectives are 8 “habits of mind.” All in all, within the 6 weeks, I

have dealt with each 8 habits. However, the 2 that stands out the most to me are engagement

and metacognition. Each time I am in class, whether I am listening to Dr.Haas talk or listening to

my classmates present, I make sure to give my whole attention, and stay engaged, because

every single second spent in class, is something of educational value. I make sure to give my

whole 100% to anyone who has something to say, for it overall helps me become a better and

more successful expert on the fairy tale genre. With everything I learn, I also practice

metacognition. From the start we had to create a blog, and each week were required to reflect

back on what we learned. Through this habit of mind, it keeps me in check, and makes sure that

I truly did know and understand what I learned. The two habits of mind, engagement and

metacognition, work together, to note my progress as an expert of the fairy tale genre.

Besides fulfilling the course objectives, I’ve also learned that when you are writing

something that you are truly passionate about, and enjoy, it makes things easier. In my past, I

realized I hated writing, because I was required to write about things that I was empathetic

about, or because I was timed, being limited in time. Taking this class, has proved to me that

writing is fun, and that it is a process, which I realized once I read “Shitty First Drafts.” Thus,

with time and preservation, I have learned that I do have the ability to write something of

quality, and I can prove that when writing my RA essay.

Overall, with everything that has happened within the 6 weeks, it has prepared me to

the big moment leading up to the writing of the RA essay. Now that I have become an expert,

with everything that I have learned, I will put my learning into practice when writing my RA

essay on Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent. Since the two are closely related, yet unique in their

own ways, I will be comparing the two based on the conventions of the archetype character of

hero and villain and the character motif of true love. I will describe why there are differences

between the two, as well as why the rhetorical situations impacts those differences. In my

essay, I will follow an order in which with every convention I describe, I will talk about the

classical Sleeping Beauty first, only to after describe the reimagining of the convention/or

function of the the modern version, Maleficent. For this essay, I will focus my research on

comparing 17-19th century and modern 21st century gender roles, for it is my controlling idea.

As the second half of winter quarter begins, I am excited, yet a bit nervous for the end

to come. The next 5 weeks will be very interesting, for it will truly show me how far I’ve come

along, as not only a writer, but as a person as well. Yes, it will be tough and difficult, but

through perseverance, dedication, and strong-will, I can conquer the last half of winter quarter,

successfully, and I will prove that I am indeed a fairy tale expert.