Acknowledgments

I walked into the 11AP classroom on the first day of school unsure of whether or not I was prepared to write essays every week and vigorously overanalyze pieces of literature, and granted, I was not prepared. My writing skills were severely lacking. And although they are still lacking, I feel that my writing sucks a little less everyday. There are many people (both dead and alive) who shaped my experience as a reader and writer in AP Language.

I would like to start off by thanking some of my peers. Deepti for sure had a profound impact on my understanding of English -- she taught me the word "onus." As soon as I read her essay and came across "onus," I was so enlightened that I dedicated an entire blog post to it. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to Akul for always participating in class so that I didn't have to. You taught me how to use so many words without actually saying anything. My sincerest thanks to Aatreya for turning any and everything into a joke (even if you beat the joke to death on occasions). 

And of course my teacher(s). I'm deeply indebted to Mrs. Valentino for forcing me to write an essay every single week. Initially, I despised writing in-class essays every Monday. But eventually, as time went on, I got used to this weekly routine, and learned to trust in the process. I began to gain more confidence in my writing and words started to flow from the tip of my pen easier. If there's anything I can take away from this class, it's nUaNcE. The concept of nuance has been stressed so much that it is now etched into my brain. Whether or not I can incorporate nuance in a timed forty-minute essay -- that's a whole other story.

The reason for the parenthetical plural (totally didn't have to search that up) in the preceding paragraph was because of the long-term substitute we had in first semester -- Mr. Kisse. Although Mrs. Valentino later declared everything he taught us as wrong, he still made 11AP great. And I'm not just saying this because he bought us Timbits twice. He was extremely dedicated to our class, and the comments I received on my homework responses were thoughtful and critical, greatly improving my analysis skills. 

Special thanks to the anonymous authors of the numerous sample essays we read. These (sort of) helped me understand exactly what I should aim to accomplish in those forty minutes. I would also thank them for making me feel inferior because of their nUaNcE and/or fancy handwriting.

There are also many pieces and authors that contributed to my understanding of the world. I would like to thank Art Spiegelman for bringing into this world Maus, a revolutionary comic book. The attention to detail in this graphic novel was truly fascinating. I learned to take one image (or in this case panel) and pick it apart to draw a conclusion from it. This was really the first time I analyzed an image as opposed to text, and I became more acquainted with focusing on the minute details that an artist includes, or excludes, in a picture.

I would also like to extend my thanks to F. Scott Fitzgerald for writing The Great Gatsby. I usually dislike overanalyzing certain pieces, but this was an exception. I enjoyed the in-class discussions we had about how all of the tiny details in the novel stood for something greater. Also, all of the characterizations in The Great Gatsby were flawed, and there wasn't a clear line between the "good guy" and the "bad guy." This added another level of complications to the story and made it an intruiging read. 

I also read The Nickel Boys as a part of a book club (shoutout to The Kopper Kids!) earlier this year. Colson Whitehead exposes the true story of The Nickel Academy -- a "reform" school that scarred (both literally and figuratively) many kids during their time there. The discussions we had as a group led us to discover various themes about trauma and racism. I also need to mention the plot twist at the end as it truly blew our minds. 

Lastly, this acknowledgement wouldn't be complete without mentioning David Foster Wallace. His piece "This is Water" taught me about awareness, and how we often overlook the simplest truths in life. A simple change in perspective can do wonders. When reading the "Consider the Lobster," initially I was very confused as the essay seemed like it had no direction. And then Wallace delved into the ethics of cooking a lobster alive, and his personification combined with his vivid imagery made me feel remorse for a "giant insect."

I will end off with a universal truth: when time passes by, literature follows in its wake (huh?). Even after I leave this class, my adventure with the English language will persevere. As I continue to read and gobble up books like a hungry animal (huh??), my understanding of the world will continue to be molded -- like Play-Doh in the hands of a hyperactive three-year old (HuH???). I am excited to see where my journey will take me next. Farewell...