Author: lpast616

I incorporated the final draft of my documentary analysis because I was particularly proud of the final product. The empowering documentary I Am Not Your Negro, directed by Raoul Peck, portrays an important issue in modern society regarding the suppression of African Americans by white people in the United States. This movie not only discussed the discriminatory behaviors against the black community in history, but it also informs the audience that despite the improvements, there is a long journey before complete equality between races will exist. I am thankful that I was able to analyze such a beautifully done film regarding equal justice, regardless of physical appearances. I also included my first rough draft of my documentary analysis because it is exactly that: rough. There were various errors throughout the writing of this paper that clearly did not belong in the final draft. For instance, the format of the rough draft does not display a professional setting. It features more so an outline, lacking concrete paragraphs. There is also a dull choice in words, with the constant repetition of the word “emphasize” and not variety in other places. Finally, a final draft should definitely not include a list of “brainstorming ideas” at the end of the paper. This draft effectively represents the messy writing process that acts as the foundation of the paper before it tidies up from feedback and editing.
I also chose to display the final draft of my research paper for the semester because I am extremely passionate about the current immigration crisis that rules the United States and I was particularly proud of my representation of the matter through my own words. During peer editing, I received multiple comments on how my paper clearly revealed how I felt about the issue, and it is important to realize that this message is clear through multiple factors that also contribute to persuasive writing: word variability, syntax, and structure, to simply name a few. Effective writing is important because otherwise, the audience of the material will not be bothered by the topic of the reading, despite its importance. Although writing the paper came with certain challenges, such as finding credible sources, organizing the paper in a coherent way, and changing its style to engage the reader, it paid off in the end result.

The main thing I learned from my work throughout the semester was how to properly organize my paper so that my paper had a coherent flow. The importance of properly organizing the information of your paper gives your paper a level of credibility that will allow your audience to trust the information that you are presenting to them. Transitional sentences were a major contribution to help with the organization of the paper so that the reader could understand the narrative of the paper. I primarily learned the importance of organization in writing assignments through discussions in my English 110 course. We discussed the organization of a paper not just on a wider spectrum regarding paragraphs, but the importance of transitions from a single sentence to the next. We spent 2 class periods doing activities where we needed to identify the proper order of transition sentences from a couple sample essays and then do a similar activity with our personal essays. It was a beneficial activity that certainly helped me realize the importance of fluency in a paper in simple, specific arrangements rather than vague, disconnecting structures.

The lessons I learned this semester will certainly carry with me, not only for future writing assignments but also for any potential opportunities in my respective career. As my education continues, I will certainly make sure to organize my papers to accurately depict my main messages to my audience. For example, if I were to apply for a research study, I would most likely need to write a persuasive paper to convince the mentor that I would be suitable for the position. In order to convince the mentor, I would need to convince them through my careful choice of words, display of information, and coherent organization of the paper. There is a certain power in writing that needs to be handled delicately in order to signal the right message and I am grateful for this course to give me that chance to manipulate it with a personal flair.