Meherun Mim
FIQWS – Reflection
Prof. Dalton

Area 1: Self as a Reader

Intertextual couplings are a major part of literature. It is extremely important for the reader to be able to read several pieces of texts and be able to find connections between different articles and texts. These connections do not necessarily have to be something the authors intentionally pointed out in the text but these coupling show up as different authors writes their main ideas and the ideas turn out to be unintentionally similar. A few texts that we read this semester has intertextual couplings but as a reader, the texts that stood out to me was Jane Jacobs, The uses of sidewalks: contact, and Beloved Enemy, by Leonard Kriegel. While these two texts are very different from each other, both these texts cover significant details about sidewalks which are used by everyone. This one public area being the commonality between these two texts, highlights Gina Apostol’s point that “this doubling makes any reading of a white-dominant text by a person of color quite fascinating.” This connotates that the reader is capable of reading a piece of text and connect it to their prior knowledge of what they read before. As the texts by Jane Jacobs and Leonard Kriegel both rises the issue of underdeveloped city streets where the sidewalks are surely used by everyone on a daily basis but isn’t really recognized in depth. The streets that are not fully developed created immense amount of issues not only for the handicapped but also for anyone who uses a baby stroller etc. These 2 texts also show intertextual couplings as these points out the fact that America is selfish where everyone is all caught up with their own lives and the discomfort of others really isn’t a very serious matter to them unless those individuals themselves don’t face the same issues. Thus, these two very different texts rising a similar issue exposes the intertextual couplings that can exist in any writing.

Area 2: Writing Situations

Writing can be associated with the life time of a caterpillar which evolves from an egg into an admirable beautiful butterfly. Structuring sentences are like a caterpillar going through its metamorphosis stages. As the simple documented words flow into the fully developed complex sentences just like a caterpillar egg starts from simply being an egg to a caterpillar then flow into the form of a beautiful butterfly. As in response to one of the Rhetorical analysis I reviewed that “Turning a one-bedroom apartment space into 2 rooms using temporary faux walls were one of the most creative way Chelsey decorated her home. Even though her busy schedule and tight budget allows a very tight space for living, Chelsey was able to put together the decorative furniture based on the color schemes over the course of a year”. The following lines were a response to a rhetorical analysis of one of the articles from Apartment Therapy. At first, I documented a few very simple words about the speaker. I noted that Chelsea who used faux walls to decorate her tight spaced home and established a one person’s living space into a 2 people’s home. Upon realization of the situation of how poorly detailed my analysis was forming, I decided to use specific and complex wordings to develop my analysis into a more fully flourished and comprehensible writing to express how well and successfully Chelsea decorated her apartment space. I added in the elements of the Rhetorical analysis such as who was the author or the speaker, what was their message, and who are their audience as they trying to convey their messages to. Therefore, adding in the specific details developed my writing situation into a more fully developed piece.

Area 3: Language and Identity

Many of the reading and writing that was covered throughout the semester served to unlock, reveal and connect me and concerns to the greater world. As one of the most relatable articles was Beloved Enemy, by Leonard Kriegel. This text raised the issue of the discomfort faced the disabled on a regular basis who are living in the crowded cities. These individuals are often people who are originally born in that city or moves into the city as children and grows up in those city streets. Thus, rises one of my biggest concern which is to help each other by standing up and speaking out about the injustices happening to people around us. This article connects my concern with the concern of many other disabled people who were born and raised in the city and still being treated as another category minority. These people whose voices, and concerns are turned down almost all the time since their population isn’t as great as the majority groups. This article along with the article, The Neighborhood is the Unit of Change, by David Brooks, educates us on the fact that changes can be made only and only if we all rise up together against one issue at time. As strong of a statement can be made with an entire group of people, the statement is that much weaker if only one-person fights for it. In fact, an able-bodied person, we are supposed to look out and help the disabled who cannot fight by themselves. Therefore, as knowledge can be the light of one’s world, applying that knowledge to bring changes can be that entire world itself.