Short Paper #4 Final Reflection 2-3 pages typed (5 paragraphs) Due Tues, May 15th

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

-Mahatma Gandhi
Introduction What were your views on literature when you came into the course? Discuss your first impressions of the course and how the course met or did not meet your expectations. What did you learn in the class and in all of your classes this semester? Your thesis should provide an overall assessment of what you learned during the semester, focusing specifically on the ways you have grown as a student and a critical thinker over the course of the semester. The thesis does not have to focus entirely on this class, but can include all of your classes. Body Paragraph #1 Reflecting Reflect on the course reading from English 102. Which selections did you like the best? Explain what you learned from them. What were the main themes? Why did you like these stories? If you could take one piece of literature off of the syllabus, which one would it be? Provide a well-stated defense of your position. Body Paragraph #2 Connecting Discuss the connection between the literature weve discussed in class and other classes you have taken both in high school college. Im especially interested in intersections between this class and other disciplines. For instance, did you learn anything in a history, psychology, or sociology class that relates to the main themes of one or more of the stories we have read. Example: Reading Maus personalized my understanding of the Holocaust, something I have studied in my history classes at QCC. In one of my history classes, we talked about the causes of war, but reading Maus reminded me that history is always also a personal story of human struggle. Body Paragraph #3 Applying Discuss what youve learned this semester in general, connecting one or more of the stories to your own personal experience. What lessons do these stories and poems teach us about living an empowered, productive life? How can we use what weve learned through our reading and classroom discussion to question and counter the social forces that control us in both visible and invisible ways. If applicable, discuss how the abstract ideas weve discussed connect with your own career goals. Example: As I read Sonnys Blues, I admired Sonny for pursuing his passion, but it also made me think about my own passion: art. Currently, Ive decided to forgo that passion to pursue a more lucrative career in medicine. In one sense, I wonder if Ive made the right decision, but Conclusion Based on the class, what do you think is the purpose of literature? What would happen if literature, art, and culture were entirely removed from the planet? What kind of world would we live in? Do you think you will ever read books again once you have left college? Explain why or why not? If you will, what kinds of books will you read.