Section I: Self As a Reader

   There is responsibility that a writer has when writing; there is also responsibility that the reader has when reading. The writer should be one which aims to make a “personal” connection with all readers. In other words, one who can grab the attention of any person, independently of their age, race, social status, etc. On the other hand, the reader should be one to point out these connections, and not only point them out, but to try to expand them as well, whether that’d an expansion known as text-to-self connection , text-to-world, or text-to-text. Readers that read for thoroughness are able to find connections further from the personal level, like finding “Intertextual couplings”. “Intertextual couplings” are the way articles “talk to each other”. Throughout the course of this semester I’ve seen “Intertextual couplings” in many of our readings. This is something that, as a reader, I’ve gotten so much better in. In two occasions I’ve noticed “Intertextual couplings”; the first time between the articles, Decoration of Houses, by Edith Wharton, and McMansion Hell by Kate Wagner, and the second time between the articles, “The Purposes of Sidewalks: Contact” by Jane Jacobs and Decoration of Houses. The connection on the first occasion was more obvious than the second. For example, in the first occasion, both articles discuss the “dos and the don’ts” of aesthetics and architecture, and it’s almost as if they’re both arguing together against the horrible set up of rooms and architecture. The second connection wasn’t as obvious, but the texts still spoke to each other. In, The Decoration of Houses, Edith Wharton makes strong emphasizes on the importance of privacy, and how it is to be obtained. This concept of privacy, in her writing, focuses on how “[it is] one of the first requisites of civilized life”. In other words, Wharton is very passionate about this idea of keeping things in order, and aligned, which is seen in how detailed she is throughout her writing when advising different kinds of ways to decorate a room, school rooms, dining rooms, etc. Alike Wharton, Jane Jacobs also mentions “privacy” in her book. Although Jane Jacobs fights for the preservation of sidewalks in neighborhoods, for the “trust” that is built amongst the people, she also claims that “privacy is precious in cities … [because] in small settlements everyone knows your affairs. In the city everyone does not – only those you choose to tell will know much about you”. Therefore, I find that Wharton and Jacobs both speak for this idea of “privacy”, and how it’s precious. The texts speak to each other about privacy in different angles. Therefore, this semester helped me a lot to further amplify my ability to find “Intertextual couplings”, especially when finding the connection for my research essay.

Section II: Writing Situations

   When I read “Beloved Enemy, A Cripple in the Crippled City”, by Leonard Kriegel, his part of the story as a crippled in New York made me realize things I didn’t before. One thing that I realized was exactly related to a prompt question my Professor asked us to free write about; that was “In which unspoken ways does physical space shape social life?” My answer was the following: “Physical space is far more influential than many people think. Every physical space should have a meaning and a purpose to the community it’s serving. In Kriegel’s situation, the World Trade Center, before becoming the monument it is today, was a physical space that was extremely influential to his life; it was meaningful. Krigel describes in deep detail the meaning of why the WTC was such an important part of the city to him; it’s “walkways, and plazas … the sweep of the staircase in the Winter Garden”. Kriegel loved the World Trade Center because it “offered access, open space, and it led him into the city”. This was a very inclusive space for him and those in his community (crippled) as well. Therefore, the unspoken way in which the WTC shaped Kriegel’s social life, was in a positive, beautiful way, because it didn’t make him feel so excluded or different. Kriegel himself didn’t notice his “love” for this physical space,until it laid in ruins to be a monumental space, however this didn’t take away from the fact that due to the presence of the WTC, before it laid in ruins, Kriegel’s social life was enhanced in a positive way”. The story behind this free write was to help us further practice detailed reading (rhetorical analysis), as that helped us for our research topic/essays as well.

Section III: Language and Identity

   “Language is a political instrument, means, and proof of power. It is the most vivid and crucial key to identity: It reveals the private identity, and connects on with, or divorces one from, the larger, public or communal identity” (781). I agree with this quote presented by James Baldwin, because in my experience, the language that I use in my writing can reveal part of my identity. Reading and writing, in general, has formed me to be the way I am today. In my 1st essay I spoke about my interaction with reading and how it has formed me to be the person I am today. Here is an excerpt from my 1st essay “ I loved [grammar] class so much because being able to understand how different parts of speech can come together and give greater meaning to any story, article, poem, etc, opened doors for me to become what my siblings called, a “nerd”. There came a time where I would correct my sister’s grammatical statements, even as we spoke an “ordinary” conversation; this would annoy my brother and her, but I just couldn’t help it”. That was a small experience that I had dealing with a transition of heavily disliking reading and writing to loving it, and how it has influenced my identity. I think my essays reflect who I am, in that it is very obvious that with every reading that I have been given in class, my life has impacted one way or another (Like the time when I remodeled my room due to the eye opening experience I had with the text, “Decoration of Houses”, by Edith Wharton). That is a part of my identity. I am a person who likes to be open to advice from others, in order to be the best version of myself and to better those things that are involved in my daily life. Through my writing it is also noticeable how majority of the time I start with a universal phenomenon then further develop my essay into more specifics. This reveals my personality as well, because the way I approach things in life is with a broad perspective; in hopes of being more comprehensive with the people, or events that I encounter in my life, then I break them down in specifics and try to give those small details the attention they need, as it is only this way that the bigger picture is clearer.

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