Charmaine Reyes

Professor Haas
Writing 39B
14 February 2016
Midterm Reflection Essay
Within a blink of an eye, winter quarter is halfway done. To me, it
seemed like just yesterday, I was sitting in PSCB 210 anxious for what was to
entail. Personally, writing has always been something I struggled with, and it
is something I not not enjoy. However, taking Writing 39B with Dr. Haas has
definitely changed my attitude and opinions towards writing. Within six
weeks, Ive become an expert of the fairytale genre, expanding my
knowledge on a genre that I thought I knew pretty much everything about
and Ive improved as a writer and presenter.
Coming into Writing 39B, I was very excited, for I knew that the class
was based on fairy tales. Growing up, fairy tales and Disney was a big part of
my life, and even to this day, is something that makes me, me. I thought I
knew almost everything about the genre, but as the weeks went by, with
every activity and lesson Dr. Haas prepared for the class, I was exposed to a
side of fairy tales that I never knew existed. For example, within the different
tales that we read, we were required to read different versions, based on the
culture they came from. Not only were we required to read it, but based on
the functions and conventions that we learned, we had to analyze and be
able to identify the rhetoric situation of the tales, with the tales culture in

mind. Having to annotate the different tales, made me realize that fairy tales
was much more than the once upon a time and happily ever after that I
knew of. The one tale that I personally enjoyed reading were the different
versions of Little Red Riding Hood. The reason for this, is because after
reading this tale, I had the epiphany that the genre was not what I expected
it to be. While reading, I was amazed to find out that there were differences,
and it was very interesting to find out that the reason for the differences was
to fit the stories culture. For example, in the Perrault version, the story ended
with no happily ever after, because Perraults stories were intended to teach
a moral, where as in the Grimms version, the huntsmen, grandma, and Little
Red Riding Hood worked together to kill the Wolf, as a way to showcase
German unification. I thought I knew most fairytales due to the Disney
versions that I grew up with, only to be proved wrong, as each week
progressed in this class.
By gaining expertise on the fairy tale genre, I have become a better
writer and presenter. Through learning the basics of what a rhetorical
situation is, and how to analyze it, it has helped me test my abilities to put
what I have learned to practice. We first did this through group
presentations. In week three, I was assigned to the Bluebeard group, in
which we had to analyze a set of tales that crossed cultures. The same
week, I had my first group presentation, and it wasnt the best. However,
with an open mind I made it my goal to make my second group
presentation much better and engaging. With hard work and dedication, I

saw major improvement as I presented, something that occurred due to

being much more prepared and skilled with the topic I was presenting about.
Since our presentation was focused on analyzing the tales rhetoric situation
and how it tied into the tales culture, I made sure to do a lot of background
research to understand my tale and the culture from where it came form
completely. This was my first experience of rhetorically analyzing something.
Similarly, the same weekend, I also wrote my first mini rhetorical analysis. It
was a bit tricky and difficult at first, but I knew that practice is all I needed.
As of now, I can say that my weekly RAs has improved over time, helping
me prepare for the upcoming big one. I have definitely seen my
improvement as a writer, and it makes me happy, because for the first time,
I am confident and am actually enjoying something that I once detested. The
simple comments that Dr. Haas provide each week, gives me confidence and
reassurance that I definitely have improved. Those simple comments give
me the reassurance that I will do well when conquering the dreadful
rhetorical analysis essay, every writing 39B student dreads about.
Within the course, we have many different course objectives in which
by the end of the quarter we are to accomplish. The course objectives that I
have fulfilled so far, are the objectives of understanding the concept of
rhetoric and rhetorical situation, reading texts closely and understanding
them, within their rhetorical situation, and understanding how every text
grows out of and reflects its rhetorical situation. Since the first half of this
course was focused on building expertise of the fairy tale genre, it is the

reason as to why the course objectives that I have fulfilled are the ones that
we have focused on doing so much. We did practices such as annotating
different tales with the rhetorical situation in mind, writing mini rhetorical
analysis essays, presenting and teaching the class about the rhetoric of the
stories we read, and contributing to the different workshops that Dr.Haas led,
in which as a class, everyone worked together to explain and identify the
many different conventions and functions that were put into use in the
stories we read, and how it impacted the rhetorical situation in a google
document. As a class we have reached the point where we are putting into
practice what we have learned, to reassure that we have successfully
completed the course objectives as a whole.
Along with the course objectives are 8 habits of mind. All in all,
within the 6 weeks, I have dealt with each 8 habits. However, the 2 that
stands out the most to me are engagement and metacognition. Each time I
am in class, whether I am listening to Dr.Haas talk or listening to my
classmates present, I make sure to give my whole attention, and stay
engaged, because every single second spent in class, is something of
educational value. I make sure to give my whole 100% to anyone who has
something to say, for it overall helps me become a better and more
successful expert on the fairy tale genre. With everything I learn, I also
practice metacognition. From the start we had to create a blog, and each
week were required to reflect back on what we learned. Through this habit of
mind, it keeps me in check, and makes sure that I truly did know and

understand what I learned. The two habits of mind, engagement and

metacognition, work together, to note my progress as an expert of the fairy
tale genre.
Besides fulfilling the course objectives, Ive also learned that when you
are writing something that you are truly passionate about, and enjoy, it
makes things easier. In my past, I realized I hated writing, because I was
required to write about things that I was empathetic about, or because I was
timed, being limited in time. Taking this class, has proved to me that writing
is fun, and that it is a process, which I realized once I read Shitty First
Drafts. Thus, with time and preservation, I have learned that I do have the
ability to write something of quality, and I can prove that when writing my RA
essay.
Overall, with everything that has happened within the 6 weeks, it has
prepared me to the big moment leading up to the writing of the RA essay.
Now that I have become an expert, with everything that I have learned, I will
put my learning into practice when writing my RA essay on Sleeping Beauty
and Maleficent. Since the two are closely related, yet unique in their own
ways, I will be comparing the two based on the conventions of the archetype
character of hero and villain and the character motif of true love. I will
describe why there are differences between the two, as well as why the
rhetorical situations impacts those differences. In my essay, I will follow an
order in which with every convention I describe, I will talk about the classical
Sleeping Beauty first, only to after describe the reimagining of the

convention/or function of the the modern version, Maleficent. For this essay, I
will focus my research on comparing 17-19th century and modern 21st
century gender roles, for it is my controlling idea.
As the second half of winter quarter begins, I am excited, yet a bit
nervous for the end to come. The next 5 weeks will be very interesting, for it
will truly show me how far Ive come along, as not only a writer, but as a
person as well. Yes, it will be tough and difficult, but through perseverance,
dedication, and strong-will, I can conquer the last half of winter quarter,
successfully, and I will prove that I am indeed a fairy tale expert.