Unit 2 Reflection

 Emilee Solak

SUPA WRT 105

Schilly 2 AC

March 2021

Looking Back on Unit Two

In unit two, we tackled analysis and created many thorough pieces. We read several chapters of “Writing Analytically,” which went into detail starting with what analysis is/isn’t, and working towards an evolving thesis. This unit definitely developed me as a writer, and I think it also helped in allowing me to see the world from a different perspective and making me more aware of small details that may not jump right out at you.

We started unit two with the New York Times Op Doc videos. This was kind of a starting point for the development of my analytical skills, as some of the videos could be interpreted in different ways so you had to look at everything from all angles. I think that this is important to note because this concept remains present for all of our other projects in this unit. Following this, we dove into our New Yorker cover project. With this, we had to choose a cover that we didn’t have any immediate thoughts about so that we could create an analysis that didn’t sway one way or another. We then wrote an analysis piece, from the color of things to the significance of the date of publication. I think this was the project that really broadened my ability to analyze things and make connections to current events. For example, my cover was dated a few days after 9/11, and I had to really look at the piece to find some of the bigger ideas, which I then connected in part to the Black Lives Matter movement. Lastly, we did a paper on an artifact we needed to find. I chose Always’ #LikeAGirl advertisement. This one really stood out to me, especially since I am a female who understands the message behind the video as I go through it or see it everyday. Unit two allowed me to analyze all sorts of different media, such as magazine covers and videos. I think that it is important to look at more than one thing because it will give you the ability to use your analytical skills for more than one task, and will allow you to make connections.

In between our bigger projects, we also read some articles that we had to analyze as we began our thesis part of the unit. These included Poster Child to Protestor, Either Or, and Does This Purple Mink Make Me Look Gay?. We read the papers and took notes, and then had to find the thesis, complicating evidence and confirming evidence. I think it was very important to do this part of the unit because it helped me to better understand the parts of a thesis and the most effective way to compose one.

At the beginning of the semester, I had a very simple idea of analysis- look at something and tell what it’s about. Now, however, I understand that analysis is looking deeper into things and finding meanings that may not jump right out at you. I also think that looking into what analysis is/isn’t gave me a better understanding of what I would need to include in a paper, and what I don’t need, for example the unit 2 final project. I think my better understanding of analysis was due to the writing analytically book, as well as the variety of different analytical situations I was put into, and how I needed to apply those skills into all of my pieces. Overall I think that this unit has really helped me develop as a writer, while preparing me to be able to write about anything.