Self-Assesment: Learning more

Learning to write for others was something that was difficult for me. When I wrote, “ Hey ma, can I talk to you real quick?” I wanted the audience to be captured, to take the work seriously. I was used to writing quick essays on literature but not on something that meant a great deal to me. It became evident very quickly that this piece of writing was a lot more important than I thought it would be. Being passionate about the topic, I wanted to make sure that my voice was clear and conscience, that what I wrote would have an impact on readers. To do this I used several of the literary devices taught in composition.

My hope with this essay is for readers to understand the true danger of street harassment as well as for more conversations to open up about it. To make my argument stronger, I used several sources including a survey I conducted myself. By asking women their experiences I was able to use real-life examples. This, in turn, led to a use of pathos. Audiences are more likely to open up and feel sympathy if they can actually relate. The misinterpretation of street harassment is that it is normal and rare, but both aren’t true.

Being passionate about this topic meant vigorous research and in-depth reading, this led to detailed passages and evidence. I wanted to leave no room for argument or at least for the opposing side to get more of an understanding of what it is to be a woman in outer boroughs. In my research there were moments where the stories of other women hit hard, I felt it would have been an injustice to not get the point across.

I feel as though I presented my argument in a strong manner. I used multiple pieces of evidence and provided a call to action. My stance is clear and the point that I want to make is given as well as my own personal connection with the topic.

I wanted to write on street harassment because I felt as though it wasn’t discussed enough. I noticed that it was normalized in pop culture and that wasn’t right. It’s important to have conversations about this and its also important to realize that if the topic makes someone uncomfortable then it isn’t being spoken about the way it should be.