Arevalo 1

Angel Arevalo

Professor Gregory Mclure

Writing 39A

12 March 2020

Final Essay: Reflection

Before winter quarter and general start of this class, I haven’t put in effect into my writing skills

since high school where I took english literature and AP english language, which taught the

regular basis of creating an essay structure of five paragraphs or more, creating a strong and

effective thesis statement, a claim that is the highlight of the paragraph as well as topic

sentences. In the first week of the quarter, we were taught how to be detailed into our writing by

structuring the beginning, middle, and end in analyzing novels and short stories, for example,

The Tricky Leak, ​being the first reading to describe what is the author’s intention in the story,

identifying academic vocabulary, and rhetorical and literary device that lead to creating the start

of my role-playing game that balances art and literature .

I used critical reading in varieties of novels and short stories we covered throughout the

course, but one, in particular, caught my attention that described multiple elements of the theme,

which was the ​Sphynx ​by Alicia Vanvoy Call. In the analysis assignment, I described the short

summary of the protagonist of a girl who is uptight, inconsiderate being that shows inhumane

and poor communication towards the mythical creature which is the sphinx that makes both

beings get at each other’s throat that implies negative communication of short syntax, dark

imagery of the girl choking the creature, and tone of aggression of the sphynx’s towards the girl
 Arevalo 2

for milk. I describe that not only me but the reader themselves engage more meaning in negative

communication that the author is implying as the message.

When reflecting the term of critical reading during the assignment it applies is that a

reader itself learns the main idea and message, structure, evidence, and reflection that concludes

standard clarity and comprehension of the text. However, there is more to it, not essentially

meaning being critical of what text you read, which strategize each section for analyzing and

identifying the weak points. During the class when we were discussing the​ Sphynx,​ I thought of

three steps that interpreted a simple, yet effective that helped me become a critical reader as I

approached other readings in the course. Step one is having a clear mind to read and describe the

text. Step two is becoming the writer’s audience because their design in texts for a specific theme

and becoming a “part” of the theme makes the audience become the target while making it

difficult to read to “enforce” us to find the message of the text and theme elements. Step three

makes important notes about the text itself by writing down the plotline of the text, main

protagonist, selecting certain sentences that may have a connection to the text’s structure and the

theme, rhetorical device, and tone itself.

Using sources is essential evidence to support my text while crafting it effectively to

balance my main ideas with new ideas the text of the source itself. Almost in the end of the

course, I used academic sources to support my game analysis through rules and scenarios that

build it into what it is, in which implying the message of decision making through bond and

communication, in which ​The Many Faces in Role-Playing ​by Hitchens and Drachen describes

how the “characters controlled by players can be defined in quantitative terms and are defined

individuals in the game world, but not identified only as roles or functions. Our characters can
 Arevalo 3

potentially develop, for example in terms of skills, abilities or personality, the form of this

development is at least partially under a player's control and the game is capable.” To clarify, it

describes the player's characters build through rules and restrictions that “enforces” decision

making among the audience.

Using sources during the game analysis assignment has set ​foundations for each point in

my writing that lead my readers the intended goal or message in my role-playing game. In my

point of view, it helped me revise and expand my message, clarify the topic sentences and body

paragraphs, and lastly reflect what I have learned from it by stating that being decisive in

decision making connects to me in reality. ​ H

​ owever, doing so establishes a difference between

my ideas and from my sources; directs my readers to these sources, and allows me to establish

credit to the author or site to avoid academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Understanding the writing process of making my game analysis through four stages:

collaboration, drafting, revision, and reflection are parts of a process to expand your thinking

skills that improves writing. When making my first draft for the game rhetorical analysis, I

started off with four paragraphs: Introduction, two bodies, and a conclusion. The introduction

describes a short summary about my game world, type of material that structures the

reception/main idea about it, the first body stating how the scenario implies the message of

decision making through communication and bonds, as well as the rules. Lastly, re-stating the

reception without repeating the same explanation again so that the audience/players can

understand it. The second draft was to expand that reception with two more paragraphs of

profession and genre, and feedback from a peer reviewer that strengthened my paper and

changed certain parts of the text.

 Arevalo 4

Each process into making an analytical essay demonstrated how I can strengthen each

draft of my reception by ​returning to my prewriting step of making the message. In which,

expanding the key points in the body paragraphs and finalizing my analysis into seven

paragraphs, divided into an introduction, five body paragraphs, and a conclusion that professor

Mcclure states to make our analysis argumentative in a 4-6 page range and understanding to not

go beyond the limitation of the assignment itself. During the process, I also need to take an

account of giving a purpose in the reception that implies whether it’s intentional to describe me

through literary skills or lessons about life itself through decision making.

As I approach the end of the course and the quarter itself, I understood critical reading,

using sources, and effective writing process through collaboration, drafting, revising, and

finalizing my work gave an insight into giving a purpose into writing. An example is in making

my rpg world because my main intention and theme was to be decisive in your choices through

communication that connects to me because I can’t independent when making a choice

depending the current situation, feeling isolated from the world, expressing how I feel about my

choices if it is the right direction to my future. The game analysis is a stepping stone to express

myself through imagery of art and writing of being decisive, giving me confidence to decide art

as my major to pursue.