Yang 1

Lisa Yang
Prof. Lewis
English 114B
May 8, 2014
Reflection
This English 114B class has been a well-developed semester although I still have
problems some certain stuff that hindered my writing. English 114B has helped me greatly. Yes,
I have noticed my growth in my writing compared to last semester in English 114A.
To begin with, our first assigned essay in class was the continuation of Alice in
Wonderland by Lewis Carroll from English 114A about Louis Althussers ideology theory,
Jacques Lacans mirror stage, and Sigmund Freuds conscious/unconscious mind. In this essay,
we were able to come up with our own prompt as we watched a film Hoodwinked!. I based my
essay off of ideology and feminism. For example, in Hoodwinked!, Red and her Granny were
independent and knew how to defend themselves from the Wolf and the Goodie-Bandit, Boingo
and were safe and alive compared to the original fairy tale by Charles Parrault Little Red Riding
Hood. In Parraults version, Hood and the granny were eaten by the Big Bad Wolf because they
were helpless. At first, I thought this essay was going to be rather easy and breezy because it was
based off of Little Red Riding Hood and fairy tales, Disney for example. Growing up, I loved
the Disneys films. Heck, I dressed as Cinderella for three consecutive years for Halloween when
I was younger. I became to realize that I was wrong, of course. I ended up getting mixed up with
the different versions of Little Red Riding Hood and Red Cap. I really was not educated as
Yang 2

much as I thought I was about the fairy tales I thought I knew of. I paid a visit to the LRC and
found out that my essay overall, was not bad, but it was rather not well addressed. I assumed that
my audience knew what I was talking about. Therefore, from this essay, I have learned that I
need to address my references more proficiently.
My second essay was rather different from my Hoodwinked! essay. This was exciting,
and different. Again, I had to opportunity to establish my own prompt. I decided to write my
essay on Lewis Carrolls psychological issues that people have made assumptions of from the
time of his achievements such as becoming a photographer, mathematician, writer etc...
Psychologists made assumptions that he was sexually frustrated as an individual; therefore he
incorporated many subliminal messages into his novel Alice in Wonderland. Since I am a
psychology major, I was really intrigued and I loved writing this essay. I was really into this
essay; therefore, I did not really have a problem writing my second essay. I felt really confident
in this essay although I did have problems find credible and scholarly sources. I suppose you can
say that I did incorporate more of what the quote stated rather than really giving my own insights
in the essay. I was so focused on making sure that I had my evidences that I kind of lost my own
argument in the essay. That was my main issue with this essay.
Overall, English 114B was the class that I was able to conclude to myself that I have
improved in my writing through Ms. Lewis class. I was finally pointed out the repetitive
mistakes I have made in my essays. I have learned the mistakes and have applied that into my
writing.