Reflective Essay

Nathan Freni
English 12
5/25/10
Mr. Gallagher
REFLECTION

This year in English I was faced with challenges that I was not put thought before. A lot of work was asked from me and I was not used to doing homework and essays very often. Writing, reading, and analyzing are a lot easier to me now after the year of work I’ve done.

Reflecting back towards the beginning of the year, I really liked working on Hamlet. I liked the book a lot although it was trough to read. DJ’s and in class essays on this book helped me out in the long run for the overall analysis of the book. Many notebook entries of mine were very good because I learned how to put more detail into the notebook entries and to not strive to “just” get it done. I strived for bigger and better entries. One example of this is in my 6th DJ that is on the blog. I lengthened my entry from the previous ones and added a lot more detail. “At first when they come into the scene Hamlet seems extraordinarily happy in seeing them. As the scene continues, Hamlet asks them, what make you at Elsinore?... Hamlet somehow knows that King Claudius and Queen Gertrude sent them to Hamlet to find out about him.” This part of my entry shows how much I have grown as a writer. Before this year I would have probably said something like “Hamlet knows about his parents spying on him”. But, because of what I have learned this year and how to analyze and be more specific with the text, I made it longer and better.

Another thing that troubled me in the beginning of the year was creative essays. I have never been good at writing, always been good with punctuation and that stuff but never been good at putting words together. This English class made me a better writer by far than what I was when I first walked in here. My college essay although was not very good. There are a lot of revisions that I could have made, and which I did seeing as my college essay was the paper I did the revision paper on. Using a lot of “I” and “Me” in my writing takes away from creativity. Learning not to do that, the creative essays created after my college essay have been a lot better. One good paragraph in my college essay was, “The next day at basketball, I found myself on edge. Taps on my shoulder were giving me whiplash like I could not believe… Suddenly my mind was off the game and became tangled up, again, in what happened to me the night before”. This paragraph creates a feeling for my readers that is chilling or so to say. The couple people that read my college essay have told me that that paragraph sends chills up there spine because they can feel how I felt that day. The way I create writing pieces is now one of my stronger points, as to at the beginning of my year being one of my weakest points.

The one thing that has always been tough for me to do is read. I just never liked doing it. I thought it was a waste of time. During this school year in English, I learned how to make reading funner by picturing it in my head as I read. By doing this, it made me think of a movie in my head and it actually made me want to read. It’s comical that I say that because I used to always say I’ll never read a whole book but finally this year I accomplished that. The Namesake was a good book to read because of where it took place. In Boston. But it also was a great story about struggles of immigrants to find their identity in their new society.

At the end of the year I made improvements in many aspects of English class. Reading, writing, creating etc. were all strengthened by being taught by Mr. Gallagher and also Mr. Weir. I will take the things I have learned in this class and apply them down the road in whatever life throws my way.

Revision

Nathan Freni

5/25/10

Mr. Gallagher

REVISION


The cars pass by as we walk down Lebanon Street. I had a bad feeling about walking home from Melrose. Of course I had to be right. I was having a good time but it just couldn’t last. “What up?” I hear from behind me, so I turn around. My friends jump behind me and I’m face to face with my soon to be opponent. I thought nothing of the two men that stepped out from the truck. “What’s up?” I answer back. “Do you remember me? One of them asked. I answered, “No.” I felt my stomach cringe as they walked up to me. Before I knew it I was on the ground. My “friends” did nothing, they sat there in shock. “Get off of me!” I yell as I struggle to get up.

I never thought I would get mugged. I just did not ever think it would happen to me. My guard was down. I tried to throw a couple of defensive punches, but then there was a pointy feeling on my stomach and I looked down to see a knife. I felt helpless. I felt like “My life was over”. “Give me your hat little man!” (It was my pleasure to give him that hat.) I did not want that knife thrusting into my stomach.

For some reason, when I heard the slam of a door I knew it was a good thing. A Massachusetts State Trooper, who happened to live in the house next to where this occurred, came running out of his house and chased the kids up the hill. They were too quick and got into the truck before he could catch up. I called my dad. He and my older brother came to get me.

The next day at basketball, I found myself on edge. Taps on my shoulder were giving me whiplash like I couldn’t believe. Seeing my friends in the stands made me think “What if?” “What if he was with me, or him?” Suddenly my mind was off the game and was tangled up, again, in what happened to me the night before.

Now, with High School coming to a close, I want to study Criminal Justice in college. This event makes me want to help people; like that trooper helped me that night. I would just love knowing that I would be protecting and helping the people that I love most dearly.

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