Growth & Reflection | American Literature Portfolio

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A Course Challenge

The biggest challenge I faced was learning to write with restraint. Coming into this course, I tended to over-explain everything. When studying Hemingway and attempting to emulate his iceberg theory for my "A" Project, I had to fight the urge to spell out every emotion and let the subtext do the work instead.

It took multiple revisions and a willingness to cut sentences I was proud of. But I learned that what you leave out can be more powerful than what you include.

Restraint Revision

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An Epiphany

My epiphany came while reading Willa Cather's The Sculptor's Funeral. I realized that the town's treatment of the dead artist mirrored how communities often dismiss what they don't understand, only to claim it once it's "safe." This clicked with my own family's immigrant experience.

I understood that American literature isn't just about the past but as a mirror for understanding present tensions between individuals and the communities that shape them.

Connection Understanding

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Personal Growth

At the start of this course, I read literature for plot. Now I read for how the story is crafted and how and why the author made specific choices. I notice sentence structure, dialogue patterns, and the weight of what's left unsaid.

My writing has become more intentional. The free writes pushed me to experiment with voice, and the major projects taught me that good writing requires patience and revision, not just inspiration.

Craft Awareness Intentionality

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Risk-Taking

The biggest risk I took this semester was simply committing to the work. Before each assignment, I felt nervous that I wasn't going to do well and that my writing wouldn't measure up or that I'd miss the point entirely.

Instead of letting that fear hold me back, I pushed through and invested real time and effort into each piece. Showing up and trying, even when uncertain, was its own kind of risk. It taught me that growth happens when you commit despite the doubt.

Commitment Overcoming Doubt

Looking Back, Moving Forward

As I reflect on my journey through Selected Works of American Literature, I am struck by how much my approach to reading and writing has changed. What began as a course requirement became something more of a journey and an exploration of craft, identity, and the power of storytelling.

Where I Started

At the beginning of this course, I saw literature as something to analyze for themes and symbols and a puzzle to solve. I read quickly and wrote the way I'd always written with saying everything directly, leaving nothing to the reader's imagination.

The Journey

Throughout the semester, I encountered authors who challenged that approach. Hemingway taught me about restraint. Faulkner showed me how time and memory can fracture on the page. Cather revealed how place shapes identity. Each free write became an experiment in trying on different voices, seeing what fit.

Where I Am Now

Today, I see myself as a more deliberate writer and a more patient reader. I've learned to trust subtext, to let silences speak, and to revise without mercy. Most importantly, I now understand that literature isn't separate from life.

Moving Forward

The skills I've developed here with close reading, intentional writing, and connecting texts to experience will serve me well beyond this course. I'm grateful for the freedom to experiment in my free writes and for the assignments that asked for genuine thought rather than safe answers.

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Evidence of Growth

Finding My Voice

Early in the semester, I wrote to fulfill requirements. By the end, I was writing because I had something to say. The free writes gave me space to experiment without the pressure of being perfect.

Self-Expression

Reading with New Eyes

I used to skim for plot. Now I catch myself noticing word choices, sentence rhythm, and what authors leave unsaid. Literature class changed how I experience everything I read.

Critical Reading

A Breakthrough Moment

The breakthrough came during my Southern Gothic free write. For the first time, I wrote something that felt alive and not just an assignment, but a piece I actually wanted to finish. That changed everything.

Personal Growth