Section A: Self as a reader
My first semester at City college taught me to try new things, because you never know if
you are going to end up liking it. Comics were never a genre of literature I was interested in, it
just was not the type of books I read, even if it had more pictures than words which means less
reading. I always thought they were books for children that did not like to read and that their
main interest are superheroes like DC and Marvel. I enjoyed watching the movies but it was not
something I was obsessed with or up to date with like other people would be. That was the case
until I met Ms. Marvel, El Deafo, and read “Soon I will be Invincible”, a comic in the form of a
novel. All the comics sent a type of message and many people, including myself, before had not
taken them seriously because they mostly fall in the range of fiction and are small. To my
interest, the first comics that we were introduced to in class, had a story to tell that called my
attention and did keep me wanting to read more. During my senior year in high school I admit I
was not a huge fan of reading, I noticed that I just read what I wanted not what I was assigned. I
did not expect to read comics during my first semester of English at City College, but I am
thankful I did. I learned from the battles Kamala, Cece and Fatale faced and acknowledged not
everything goes as expected, but you make the best out of it. Nothing can stop you from
becoming the person you are capable of being.

Section B: Writing Situations

You write your thoughts and expand on it. When writing, you write your own story and
decide where to start your journey and where to end it. My sentences have a reason behind it, and a story to tell. When I write, I feel free. I am able to write any sort of idea that I think of and
unravel my personality through my language. Before starting my first semester and now, I have
noticed I was afraid of giving a wrong answer. I always believed that there was a right answer
for almost everything, therefore I did not want to communicate mine. However, language and
literature has given me the opportunity to mark my trail. Based on one of the free writes I did in
class, one I felt strong about and enjoyed reading was about Kamala Khan and her
transformation into Ms. Marvel. I wrote “I believe once Kamala noticed how difficult it was to
be someone she is not, she noticed the difference of her normal life and the life she wants. To
pretend to be someone else requires the effort to act exactly like the other person, and is
exhausting due to the idea that it is not who you really are. Kamala believed it was going to be
very smooth and simple but ended up being the complete opposite.” At first, I thought of
Kamala’s transformation as any other fictional story but then I realized it was different. She had
a message to tell and told that fascinated me. Be yourself, and do not feel any shame about it. I
connected with her message and it inspired me as a writer to be myself and express my thoughts
so that my trail can start and continue.

Section C:
Language is powerful, with the say that it can inform someone else the person you are
based on what you say and how you speak. James Baldwin makes a point that language is a tool
that reveals your identity, how you express yourself, and to monitor your story. Language has no
exclusions, boundaries, or any rules. It is how one communicates with another and express
themselves. This semester I was exposed to literature about color, race, and culture. My writing has improved by not including words that are not necessary, developing my vocabulary, and
being able to express myself without being repetitive. Before, when I would free write, I would
not be able to write at least more than a few sentences, of course repeating some of things I
already have said. I was able to connect myself with the poem, “Where I’m from” by George
Ella Lyon sharing how I identify myself, including my culture, roots, tradition, and family. I
related as well with “Ms. Marvel: No Normal” with the idea of trying to fit in and forgetting
where you came from. To be yourself instead of someone else and make it as useful as you
possibly could. During my first semester of English, I unlocked and discovered the confidence I
now have when I write. Writing my thoughts and connecting with characters with my story or
past experiences. I divorced from the student I was in high school, that could not write more than a page, wrote stuff down just to get it on paper, and did not take my time when I would write. My thoughts would not be completely developed but this semester I put time in my writing, enhanced my vocabulary, and strived to better understand how I identify myself in literature.

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.