Mahnoor Saqib

FIQWS 10008

Professor Alyssa

1 November 2019

Reflection on Exploratory Essay

Quantity does not count quality does. I chose “The Black Cat” for my exploratory essay because it was easy for me to understand and later I found more information that relates to Freud’s concept. My purpose to write an essay besides getting a good grade is to improve my writing skills. My audience was professor Alyssa, who knows everything about the story and Freudian and professor Von Uhl probably know about the story but do not enough know about Freudian concepts. This made me confused because it was hard to write knowing that one professor does know but the other professor probably does not know enough about the story. 

First, I was very confused with what Freud’s concept should I use, so in my first draft, I only had one paragraph about the wishful impulse that the narrator has in “The Black Cat”. So, when I had the peer review in professor von Uhl’s class, it helped me because I got to know more Freud’s concepts that illustrate in the story and that I can use. I wrote about wishful impulse, repression, and displacement. Then, I showed the essay to professor Alyssa and she said that I am not supposed to only summarized the text and told me to remove the transition word “in conclusion” she said since it is the last paragraph of your essay it should be your conclusion. So, I wrote the essay again and tried not to summarize the text but put my analysis in it. We had another peer review in professor von Ulh class and my peer corrected my grammar mistakes and my citations. Also, she said, “more specific thesis, make your inferences based on the story or on Freud not on your own belief and include more in your introduction and conclusion”. Then, professor Alyssa made us write our thesis statement on paper and then we have to comment on at least two of the student’s thesis statements, which helped in including more information from the story. Also, she made a group and everyone shared what Freud’s concept they were using and where did they found it in the story. Then, I showed my essay to the tutor and told him that my professor wants me to focus more on the story than on Freud. I went to professor Alyssa that day to make sure my thesis is strong and when I showed her she said that my thesis is focusing more on Freud. Since few other students were sitting in her office and she made me read my thesis statement aloud and ask them where can I improve. Professor Alyssa and the students helped me to have a strong thesis and I felt very confident about it. Professor von Ulh and professor Alyssa gave us an extra day to complete our essay, it made me relaxed because I thought I will not be able to finish it but when I received another day I was able to finish it.