Reflection

Throughout this course, my ability to annotate and review different writing styles has made great strides.  The assignment I gained the most knowledge from, was post 2, rewriting the news.   I revised an article that was written about a newly released convict from jail, named Dolphy Jordan.  The article drew my attention because of the program he was put in afterward in order to let Jordan slowly progress back into the city of Seattle as a normal man.  When writing an article that multiple audiences will read, finding the right words to say without showing a bias was a challenge I faced numerous times.

When deciding the audience for my article, “Back on the Streets”, I contemplated what type of people would be reading it.   The article was originally about an ex-convict, Dolphy Jordan, who had been released from prison and put in a new program to get them back on track to a better life.  Most likely, the people observing this article would be concerned parents, organizations and the majority of Seattle, so giving an optimistic perception of Jordan would be more appealing to these people.  But, he also stabbed a woman to death when he was 16, so not everyone that reads the article will agree with the author, Nicole Brodeur’s point.  Brodeur’s bias illuminates her desire to show the community that the convict has changed for the better.  As I read it, I decided that leaving out bias would broaden the audience, and draw in more diverse readers.  After completing my revision of the article, I learned that when considering the audience, I could create an impressive informative essay that appeals to a multitude of people.

The article I revised for post number 2 showed that Brodeur’s intention was to make Dolphy Jordan look like a saint.  She dwelled on the fact that Dolphy was a foster child and subject to physical abuse when he was young.  This reference to Jordan’s violent past is implicitly blaming his childhood for his violent outburst, and that it was not his fault.  While trying to figure out how I could completely take out the implied bias, and make this article strictly informative, I unknowingly realized that I was subconsciously analyzing the text.  Without any use of sympathetic or emotional words, I still had observed the author’s intention through the use of stating certain information that gave a positive interpretation of Jordan.  My intention when revising was completely different; I wanted to notify the people of Seattle, that a man was released from prison, but I wanted to emphasize the information about the program he was in, that rehabilitates ex-convicts.  An author’s intention can completely change the focus of a piece of writing.  In this case, the author wanted to let it be known that Dolphy Jordan was a “new man,” while I stressed on the PPEP program he is apart of in order to stray away from opinionated statements and not sway the reader’s outlook. The challenging obstacle of avoiding bias helped me to be a more effective reader and author by forcing me to analyze and change what I thought was unfitting.

The essays I wrote this quarter shed light on the idea of me possibly pursuing a career involving writing.  After getting a chance to compare my revised article and Brodeur’s article, I noticed that my writing skills have improved impressively.  Even though I’ve only written essays that are required for school, the many different kinds of assignments I’ve had have bettered my abilities in every aspect.  I found that my article was more appropriate to be news article in comparison to Brodeur’s, whose seemed more like a publicity stunt for the program and Dolphy Jordan both.  I’m confident that if I take what I’ve learned from just this one specific writing assignment, a career in journalism wouldn’t be something I would be quick to reject, as I would have 3 or 4 months ago.   Now that I can discern certain hidden or even obvious writing styles and techniques, I feel more self-assured in my writing than ever.  Now that I actually enjoy writing when I get to decide how I write it, I can apply what I’ve learned in class to real-life situations. 

Reviewing this article by Nicole Brodeur, gave me insight on how to approach specific texts depending on what my purpose is.  If I had read her article outside of class without the intention of revising it, I would have found it effective.  It’s effective in persuading the reader that the author’s bias is right.  Before, when I would write an essay, I would just try and put down the bare minimum required, and didn’t even consider who would be reading it, or if my opinion was the only one.  Writing my own version of her article helped me to be more analytical of one’s intentions and the audience I’m engaging with. I have achieved much in the last few months in my English class, and this article was the jumping off point of my progression into becoming a real writer.