Metacognition: Kite Runner Essay

This is the first time in my life where I've had a teacher assign homework that instructs me to "think." I've heard: brainstorm, prepare ideas, outline, create a rough draft, etc.; but I've never been told to just think. Believe it or not, these simple instructions really got me thinking. At first I was elated, I thought to myself, Wow Allen is really going easy on us, all we need to do is think and read this week. Then, as the week progressed, I saw the value in this assignment. To write something well takes time, thought, and effort. Even this blog post will be revised several times, not to mention the rumination that always takes please before my fingers hit the keyboard. 

I believe the success and insight I gain from my Kite Runner essay will be directly proportionate to the amount of high-quality thinking that was put into the fundamental ideas of my essay. A wonderfully corny metaphor fits writing perfectly. The ideas, which serve as the seeds, can sprout into a magnificent tree with deep routes and thriving leaves. This growing, blooming process occurs through writing. However, if the seeds (ideas) are not properly planted, nothing significant will occur. 

Specific to this very essay I went through a series of thoughts. After reading the Essay Questions/Prompts I decided that I had a significant amount to say about Hosseini's mix of memoir and fiction. To be honest, my thoughts frightened me a bit. We spent much of class talking about the purpose of mixing memoir and fiction and how that makes the novel successful. However, the thesis I wanted to use directly opposed the views expressed by the majority of my peers during our discussions. The original thesis I thought of was this:

 Hosseini's technique of mixing memoir and fiction lessons the overall impact of the story.

Although it may sound simple, this was in fact a rather controversial thought. But being who I am, I couldn't dump an idea because I was scared. I let this idea settle for a bit, pushing it to the back of my mind and taking advantage of the several days provided for thinking. 

The evening before my thesis was supposed to be more-or-less final, I sat down for a book talk with my mom. She read The Kite Runner and I decided I would try to explain to her why I felt mixing memoir and fiction didn't turn out too well. Sure enough, by the end of our conversation I was more confident than ever. Although my mother and I both agreed there were countless things to admire about the novel, the mix of memoir and fiction wasn't necessarily one of them. 

What I learned from this entire thinking process was primarily that it cannot be rushed. I greatly appreciate that I was given several days to think about what I wanted my essay to convey. Because I was given so much time I was able to develop an idea I could work with well, and something I was proud of. I enjoyed that my thinking was opinionated; something that would evoke emotion from whoever came across it. 

I would still love to improve so much about my thinking process. I'm still trying to learn about the delicate balance between too simplistic, which I feel was the problem this time around, and over-analysis. On some occasions I tend to underestimate my abilities and settle for something that isn't challenging enough, while other times I can get extremely deep into something so miniscule that I fear I won't grasp the big picture. 

Luckily, I'm confident about the seeds I have planted for this essay. A combination of time to think, meeting with Mr. Allen, and talking to readers of the novel has helped me form a claim and look for evidence that supports it. Hopefully the rest of the writing process will be as rewarding as the thinking that began it.

Best of Week: Artful Sentences

This week's highlight was certainly our observations of Artful Sentences. The biggest bore in an English class can often be learning grammar, but this is not the case when using Artful Sentences. This book takes a unique, intelligent approach to writing. No matter how much I thought I knew about writing, I have already learned so much from Artful Sentences. This week we discussed sentence structure, particularly sentence length and variation. To be honest, this isn't typically something I think about in my writing. Until now. (See? I used sentence length variation there!) 

The examples in Artful Sentences were passages from wonderfully written works. The book provided several ways to use the tools/suggestions given. Rather then giving simplistic, elementary examples like other grammar workbooks Artful Sentences provides real literary examples which I believe are more effective. Comparing the examples to my own writing is unavoidable. What I believe the beauty of learning about different writing styles is that my own will inevitably develop. The value of improving my writing is immense.

As previously discussed in class, writing can be or do just about anything. Writing can serve as a way of expression, record-keeping, release, learning, educating others, and growing as both a reader, writer, and individual. I always knew that expressing myself eloquently through writing was beneficial, but I know not to over-do it. I think a wonderful way to avoid stressing the reader or coming across as 'fake' is by varying sentence length.

Even the page itself then looks more interesting.

I see myself using what I've learned in Artful Sentences on many occasions. Whether it be colleges essays, creative writing, or research papers, there are countless opportunities for me to improve my writing. Beginning with my sentences. Although I'm certainly an amateur at this point, I look forward to more lessons and deepening my skill level and understanding.

Artful Sentences serves as Best of Week because it's only the beginning.

Carry it Forward: The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner has countless important themes and lessons that can be applied to daily life. One theme which I find extremely important is that of honesty. Amir suffers from endless regret due to the fact that when he was a child he wasn't honest about what had happened to Hassan. If Amir had been honest so many of his problems would have been avoided. I believe this book exhibits how difficult it can be to tell the truth. It also shows how horrible it is to keep a secret; to live life pretending. The Kite Runner shows the reader that no matter how frightening or unfortunate the truth may be, it must be told. I believe this is an extremely important idea to carry forward throughout the rest of my life. I try to be as honest as I can, and thus I expect the truth from those around me. Life can be complicated at times, and people surely don't need countless lies to complicate a situation any further.

My Journalism teacher has a poster that says something like If you don't lie you'll never have to remember anything. This basically strikes the point that lies are never helpful and the more of them you tell the worse the situation gets. As I was reading and analyzing The Kite Runner I couldn't help but compare Amir to the people I see on the show The Moment of Truth. For those of you who haven't seen it, the premise is that someone is put through a lie detector test as their friends and family watch. I find this show extremely depressing because some people have such horribly tragic secrets that those closest to them don't know. Like Amir, the contestants on the show have developed strong relationships with people who don't know about significant experiences in their past. It's so upsetting to see adults on a "reality show" confessing all their lies and sins while simultaneously ruining their relationships. On the bright side, it definitely motivates me to live a life where I could pass the lie detector test with flying colors. That is one of my biggest goals in life. Not necessarily to live with no regrets, but to be proud of my decisions and the honest way in which I dealt with adversity. 

The Kite Runner, along with other experiences, has taught me the value of honesty. Lying is never the best option and in the long-run will only cause problems. I see the value in truth and hope that in the future I won't loose sight of its importance.