Wildania Brito

This was one of the most difficult papers I have ever written. I have never analyzed so many scholarly sources and had to explain how good were they used. At first, I supposed we had to analyze whether she made her point clear enough or not. However, our task was to analyze the sources Carney used and how effectively were they used. Writing this exploratory essay highlighted my writing strengths but as well as my defaults. Moreover, writing this type of essays made me remember why I love argumentative essays. To criticize the actions people take and once in a while highlight how some things do in fact work for them. 

I was aware of my analytical strengths from a start. However, during the process of writing this essay, I noticed I was very good at it. I read every page twice and started to notice how the sources she was using were often repeated and that there were many secondary sources. In my writing, I tried entering every detail of analyzation, everything that was going through my mind while reading this scholarly article the second time around. I included words like well-picked and sufficient evidence because at the beginning of the article she did start with great initiative. This demonstrates to the reader that I am nowhere near biased and that I can easily highlight her strengths as well as her weaknesses. My diction impacted every sentence that followed, phrases like stepback and source tried described what was going to be said next. Whenever words like these appeared the reader should have known that criticism was on the way ahead. I believe that adding a voice and tone into the writing improves and heightens the attention the reader gives to the piece of writing. I tried adding a voice without directly speaking to the audience, I learned this in my last essay. I worked on this skill with my exploratory essay and I believe I am beginning to master it. 

I am a very critical person and this highlights my writing just like in my life. I want to become a lawyer, meaning I am very attentive to when it comes to mistakes and how to use them to my advantage. I noticed there was a repetition in the use of sources, I noticed that she used her own work as a source and that she repeatedly used secondary sources. I used these defaults to my advantage and made these the center of my writing, highlighting why the use of these unreliable sources might make the audience bias and focus their attention on the negative aspects of this scholarly article. I for the second time mastering a strong piece of writing had a difficult time calling attention to the thesis. It was difficult formulating a thesis at first but I noticed that I could create it at the end just as I was advised. Not knowing I had already articulated a thesis and it was putting the spotlight on the downsides of the scholarly article. 

I used and explored most if not all rhetorical situations, my motivation or purpose was to create critical feedback on the sources used and how effective were they used. Also, to what extent were they effective. My genre was a piece of nonfiction because I worked through examining an idea of the problems that come with it. The editing of my peer group in the process of writing made me open to ideas and new concepts that made me edit many things in my work. I again believe that peer editing, peer evaluations greatly help me as a writer who often has issues with the same things, editing gives me a rough time but my peers help me through it, they might notice things I don’t. 

In conclusion, I actually enjoyed writing my exploratory essay and showing my analytical skills to everyone. Having a chance to criticize a scholarly article made me want to know how many works like this is out there. Having to focus on the flaws was very difficult but as I do want to become a lawyer I had to use this to my advantage. Peer reviewing helped a lot with the fact of editing and having a second or even a third opinion helps with the writing process a tremendous amount. Writing the exploratory essay called attention to my toughness in criticizing and analytical skills, I love doing this.