Class Evaluation

Almost of the texts had an impact on me as a reader. I could see myself, a little bit, in each character. For example Craig in Blankets. I have dealt with growing up and sometimes feeling rejected and not being understood, as he did many times throughout his story. Another example is Janette in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Parents and their children don't always understand each other. At one time or another, I have felt that my parents could never understand me. Each story impacted me a little differently. Maus, helped me understand why people are so ignorant sometimes. I was able to see Vladek and his actions in some of my family members. I consider them sometimes "crazy" when they act or think a certain way. But I am able to understand them a little bit better now.

When the class began reading these graphic texts, I was a little bit skeptical because I knew very little. After reading them I have a better appreciation. For example reading American Born Chinese and Blankets I had no idea that these stories would impact me. I was able to not only relate to these texts but also appreciate them a lot more. I never thought that these stories had depth or importance.  They are completely different from traditional texts which let you create your own imagery.  By looking at the graphics and the thickness of the lines or the boldness of the character's eyes, really help create the story. You are able to interpret it completely differently then you would a traditional text. I know realize that graphic texts are fun to read as well.

I enjoyed reading and interpreting all the texts that we read throughout the course. It was interesting to read and then chat about them the next class period. I always refer to these discussions as "a book club". I like hearing what others had to say and how they interpreted the different texts. Some of the classmates totally interpreted the text differently then I did, and it was interesting to hear their reasoning. It sometimes had an affect on my original interpretation as well. For example the graphic text, Maus, I could not understand why Art, the author, illustrated scenes the way he did. After listening to others interpretation, I was able to learn a lot. The texts were not extremely challenging to read, but some of the time they got a bit depressing which made it hard to get through. Overall, I enjoyed most of the texts that we read. I am able to really think deep about texts now and why the author decided to write how they did. I now am able to read literature differently and am really starting to think more critically about them.