ELIZABETH J.

DICKHUT
Writing: An Unexpected Journey
(Literature Capstone, Fall 2014)
Im going on an adventure! While Bilbo Baggins takes a physical trek across Middle
Earth, my personal journey is in examining past writings and analyzing how I have developed as
a student. This is a Sisyphus task: the trends in the samples seem to increase intellectually, but
before reaching the apex there seems to be a subtle retrogression. In sifting through a variety of
sources, however, an overarching trend has emerged that is positive and reflects my development
as a critical thinker and responsible contributor. Classes, theorists, and other school activities
affected this development, as well as experiential learning and practical application of the
material. Through this reflection, I will show my unexpected journey from the beginning of my
professional writing career, the middle stage, and the final, dazzling product that is the
summation of my English Literature major as influenced by a liberal arts education.
In order to clearly trace the development of writing over the course of my intellectual
development, three sample artifacts have been chosen. While any papers could have been chosen
these three are set apart in a timely manner that will directly outline improvements, articulate
changes, and demonstrate critical turning points. The first sample, titled Bones of Contention
is from the 2012 spring semester, or the second half of my first year at Loras College. About one
year later, on December 5th, 2012, a paper titled An Intelligent Female? No Way! was
submitted as a final exam for an English Novel class. Finally, the most important paper of any
undergraduates career will be my third artifact. My thesis project critically analyzes Richard
Wrights Native Son and the impact of economic disparity upon social determinism. These three
papers will outline the path I have taken to develop my development as a writer.

Like the first journey of the Titanic, my start as a writer was a wreck. Due to the
structure of my high school, my first professional, or college, English class was actually my
senior year. Therefore I was exempt from an introductory course at Loras College, so my writing
developed quite differently than my fellow classmates. It is quite evident that my work was
definitely influenced by my extracurricular activities and my strong personality. By being
involved in plays, musicals, and a sport, the world was my stage. The flair for the dramatic
defined my life and that trait infiltrated my writing. This is clearly seen in the catchy title of the
first artifact Bones of Contention which reflected on Native American bones being studied,
hoarded, or reburied. After the pithy title I attempted to start off with a catchy quote and a
dramatic analogy. Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. There are
many quotes about living in the past, learning from the past, looking to the future, and living in
the moment. For whatever action you take, there is usually some clich or catchy phrase that
tells you that action is good or it is bad. Everybody makes mistakes-its a part of being human.
(Dickhut 1). Rereading this introduction whisked me away to a distant land where creativity and
imagination were supreme and rules and analysis were merely supplementary advice. This theme
of interesting writing prevailed throughout the entire paper, much to present amusement.
Drama, however, was the lesser of the evils present in my previous writing styles.
One word that essentially sums up my early professional writings is obfuscation. While I
can generally remember bits of the class, the paper should still make cohesive sense. Instead, I
found that the direction of the paper was unclear and the writing was ambiguous. Also, due to
my attempts at sounding like a college student and adding professional language, my sentence
structure was very basic and repetitive, probably due to the bland word choice. It was actually a
tribulation to attempt to read this paper. This lack of clarity might also be explained through the

circular nature of the writing. Bones of Contention was very generic, lacked analysis, and
didnt even cite references or use any quotes. Overall it seems to be a regurgitation of knowledge
from class. While the formal structure of writing is present, Bones of Contention is lacking in
essence and skill.
After the 2012 spring semester at Loras College I realized that my crowning glory would
be in becoming an English Literature major. When this happened, I knew it was time to get
serious about my English classes and requirements. The fall of my sophomore year I enrolled in
an English Novel class to fulfill a part of the major. Confident in my writing abilities I did not
anticipate the radical change to my paper writing process. Dr. VanLaningham and her outline for
English papers helped to tighten the flow and implement information more accurately of my own
writing style. While this was a completely different style of writing than I was used to, it ended
up being highly effective. This is clearly seen through the final critical paper for the class An
Intelligent Female? No Way! Through this paper I was able to clearly synthesize two rather
distinctive novels, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Monk by Matthew Lewis. A
major downfall of this paper is in the minor details. Some quotation marks are missing and the
language isnt as evolved for an English major. The flow, however, is a work of genius and
reviewing this paper made me marvel at my sophomore writing skills.
Besides Dr. VanLaninghams class, my liberal arts education had started to influence my
writing skills by my sophomore year. After having the Loras dispositions drilled into my brain, I
was subconsciously implementing them in my daily life. Reflective thinking is one of the
dispositions that I didnt originally give much thought. Due to the wide variety of my studies and
my tendency to be involved, I quickly came to realize that reflective thinking might be the most
effective way to be efficient. This can specifically be seen in the fall of my sophomore year

(2012) and joining the tennis team. After taking a few years off I wasnt the most athletic or
talented player on the team. Still, however, I was placed at the top spot. In coming up against
other opponents it was therefore important to critically assess strategies, analyze the opponent,
and reflect upon the best method in order to be successful. This strategy was also implemented in
my studies and helped me to be a successful student athlete, as well as develop my writing
abilities.
My skill in writing and English was also greatly influenced by responsible contributing.
This goes beyond plagiarism and ensuring the authenticity of your work, which was my first
reaction to this disposition. English Novel class started developing this trait, but it has continued
throughout the years. Responsible contributing, in relation to my English Literature major,
highlights the importance of having a purpose. Sure, I can put words on a paper, make them
pretty, and get a good grade. However, what is the point? While grades certainly matter,
understanding the course material, being able to articulate my beliefs, as well as learn from
others work is the end goal. Therefore, responsible contributing means authentically portraying
my morals, respectfully acknowledging differing viewpoints, and forming a learning group to
further develop as an individual and as a community.
The final step in my Loras College writing journey is my senior capstone project. If I
thought my first attempts in high school were pathetic, my capstone has been a learning process.
The newest and most experimental method of writing that I have ever attempted is my thesis
project. My advisor emphasized the importance of my own genius. As an undergraduate
student who is surrounded by world-renowned critics, this is a very daunting task. How am I to
compete or enter into the dialogue with these scholars? Sitting down and letting the ideas flow
has also been very challenging. Due to the nature of Native Son, interpretations and analyses are

endless. Sifting through this information and narrowing my focus has been a challenge but it has
also revolutionized my writing style.
So how could my writing style be currently defined? The most accurate representation
would be acknowledging the fluidity and constant upheavals that come within a learning
community. What I think may be my apex is actually a step on my writing journey. As long as I
stay true to my beliefs and morals while being a responsible contributor, active learning will help
my writing style to stay in constant motion while my skills develop further. So, like Bilbo
Baggins said, I am definitely going on an adventure that will hopefully last a lifetime.