Corey Comba

Ms. Guckert

May 17th, 2019

English Comp 112 Reflective Essay

Last semester, while Peter Pan, Wendy, and the Lost Boys explored Neverland, I

explored my writing. I learned and experimented with various topics and writing styles while

discovering and creating a style that I like. I continued to explore this semester and even wrote a

specific type of essay in which I had no previous experience; I felt like Wendy the first time she

tried to fly. My writing goal for this semester was to use more advanced vocabulary. I don’t

think I accomplished that goal to the best of my ability or tried hard enough to truly achieve it.

At the beginning of the semester, I said I was going to try to learn a new word every day and

read books outside of the school curriculum to help gain new vocabulary. I did neither of those

things. The only book I read since then, The Glass Castle, was homework and an assignment for

this class, but I’m glad it was. I genuinely enjoyed reading that book and it did not feel like a

chore. I still hope to improve my vocabulary, especially going into college, and there is definitely

room for future improvement.

Although my original goal of using higher-level vocabulary did not pan out exactly how I

wanted it to, I still believe I was challenged and grew this semester as a writer. The Rogerian

Essay was difficult for me; I had never written one before. As mentioned earlier, I resembled

Wendy and her brothers the first time they tried to fly using Pixie Dust- wobbly, unexperienced,

and confused. They did, however, eventually get the hang of it, and while I thought I was going

to receive a bad grade, it ended up being my highest grade on an essay in this class. Besides the

Rogerian essay, I had learned about and/or written using the style the other essay assignments in
this class, so they did not present huge challenges to me. I was happy to see that when presented

with more of a challenge and unknown territory, I succeeded.

I had mentioned in my previous reflection essay, the reflection essay for the first

semester, that both Peter Pan and Wendy represent my character because I like to take risks

while also being cautious and more timid. I definitely took a risk for the persuasive speech

assignment. We were tasked with writing a persuasive speech that included information we

would like to share with our peers before we graduate, and it had to have specific length

requirements, ethos, logos, pathos, and a certain number of persuasive devices. I took a

calculated risk and chose to not meet the length or content requirements. I had a short speech that

aimed to show that failing is okay and to encourage people to conform less with my central

message being that actions ( me purposefully trying to fail and not conforming to the

requirements) speak louder than words. I most definitely channeled my inner Peter Pan when

taking this calculated risk, but a risk nonetheless.

Last semester I explained how I improved on grammar and style within my essays, and I

think I have still improved throughout the second semester. As far as grammar, I can tell that I

have improved simply by the lack of edits or corrections regarding grammar done by Mrs.

Anderson when she grades my essays. I also think I carried my bold style in the second semester,

and it is especially evident in my persuasive speech and literary argument. In my literary

argument, I subtly attack the general population for being “uncomfortable and even ignorant” in

regards to reading taboo-like topics and use a rhetorical question to express the ridiculousness of

not including The Glass Castle in the curriculum.

 Wendy could not stay in Neverland forever. She had to come home, and she had to grow

up. I cannot stay in Ocean Lakes High School forever. I will grow up, and I will attend

University of Virginia in the fall a better writer than I was before.