Reflective Essay
Intro: Variety topics - What you felt coming into the class? Something about your history. Your
feelings about placing in the class.
Thesis: Do you feel confident about moving into English 1A? Why?
Body 1:
● No 5 paragraphs essay formula: use your own style, more relaxed, less formal
● P.I.E: learned how to explain what examples showed
○ P - A way in which your writing improved
○ I - an example from an essay
○ E - explanation of how that show your writing is better
● Sentences structures
○ coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunction, noun appositives, verbal
phrases
○ fewer YOUs, ANDs
○ fewer transition words
○ sentences less choppy
○ more complex and more sophisticated
● Learned correct grammar: uses present tense in summary
● Cite sources correctly, use quotes correctly
● Thesis statement, topic sentences
■ An effective topic sentence has to be contains an opinion and can’t be too
general or too specific
● Self-evaluation in-class essays
Body 2:
● Group work: sharing ideas
■ In the faction groups and I was in the Candor
■ Discussion about Divergent
● Brainstorming: identity exercise, shapes, toys, real men & good women
■ I chose circle because I think it is useful in our lives
● Watched films (The Outsiders and The Giver) then compared and contrast
● Watched gender role video
● Reading and annotating
■ Read some articles when we prepared for essay 2 (gender role)
● Vocabulary
■ In the reader according to Divergent
● Learned how to write about self experience instead of general knowledge
■ Learned to share
Conclusion: What still need work? What isn’t perfect and what are you aware of that needs
work?
Essay 3 (Revised)
Team concept forms an integral part to an individual life and determines how such
individuals face new world challenges. Participating in teams is probably an essential life
experience. Teams should include various characteristics such as sharing of goals and interests.
There is a leadership hierarchy in a team: a team leader, outstanding members, active members,
and followers. All team members should be willing to follow the rules, have slogans, symbols,
and dress codes. They have a sense of honor, which allows the members of the team to feel
proud of the team and its activities. They also have the feeling of a family; standing together and
protecting each other. These characteristics form a group of people to be a team.
I was a member of the volleyball team. There were at least fifty members of the team,
classified into four groups based on gender and ages. The coach selected the team after a series
of tryouts. We practiced at least three days a week and practiced every day during the
competition season. The coach allowed no absence without a doctor’s note. We had to keep our
grades at an average above 65, with no complaints and warnings from teachers, or we would
receive a suspension from participating in the competition or even kicked out by our coach. It
meant we could not break any school regulations and we could not make our teachers angry, or
underperform in our academics. We had to wear the uniforms and shoe every practice so that the
teammates that acted as a team symbol. I can compare my experience in the volleyball team to
the story of the Divergent. Just like in the Divergent, discipline, respect and dedication was
paramount especially in a team. In the Divergent, even though rules restricted Tris, I think it was
important for her to succeed. I never had trouble following the rules since they helped me
integrate into the society. Ideally, the group association with my team instilled discipline in my
life as part of my daily routine.
The relationships in the team were profound. We went through many complexities and
experienced failures and successes together. We encouraged and helped each other through the
challenges and failures while enjoying the happiness and successes. One of the unforgettable
memories was when the coach punished us. In our first year in the team, we lacked coordination
and understanding. Whenever anyone of us made a mistake, the punishment was ten pushups for
each person. I could not remember how many push-ups I did at that day, but I believed it was
probably over 200. Our coach, Sir Lee, said it was a way to train our team spirit, which was
helping and trust each other. We had not only the sense of belonging but also a feeling of a
family. We cared for and loved each other, treating each other as sisters. Our relationship was
comparable to the Greasers because we fit in and felt like we were part of a family. We knew
that we were not alone when we struggled and had difficult times. I felt motivated and confident
since my teammates had my back.
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players. The main players include
two middle hitters, two left side hitters, a setter, a sub setter, and a libero. Attending the
competitions is the desire of all the players so my teammates and I fought for a starting role in
the team. There were 11 qualified teammates in the team. We were in a competitive relationship
since the first day we met. Instead of belittlement and jealousy, our competitions were healthy.
We made significant efforts on the practice, extended the practice periods, improved strength and
endurance, and corrected our mistakes as much as we could. We were glad if one of us had
improved exponentially because it meant the chances of winning competitions increased. Our
coach evaluated us and decided the players that were qualified for the championships. The
competition within the team was similar to the infighting in the dauntless initiation in the book
Divergent. In the book, team members had to fight for the chance of participating in
competitions; Tris and the transfers from other factions ranked and only the top ten initiates can
stay, so Peter and his friend are jealous of Tris since she is in the top-ranked. I learnt to keep my
competitiveness all the time, and it is a significant value today in our society especially in the
university and employment.
The group identity experienced within the team is similar to that of the Divergent. In the
book Divergent, there were several groups or factions, in view of the Divergent such as;
Abnegation, Candor, Amity, Dauntless and Erudite, all with defined characteristics that
identified each of them. The relationship of people in such a group brings people of different
lifestyles together and integrates them to perform as a unit. It was useful for me to associate with
a group so that I could understand the elements of group psychology and thinking. My team was
a sports team guided by the principles of sports discipline. Rules and regulations governed our
conduct, which made us, disciplined enough to operate successfully as a group. What I realized
from being on the volleyball team was that despite people having different lines of thought,
bringing people together could make them think similarly because they share ideas and goals.
We had similar aims and objectives that made us a team.
The story of our volleyball team is comparable only to the story of the Divergent or The
Outsiders. In the Divergent, the concept of groupthink, group competitiveness and understanding
implicated. While in The Outsiders, the idea of family within a group exemplifies to that of
Ponyboy and the lower class group. The two concepts are identical to our team, both in terms of
values and team spirit. A team is an integral part to ensure success of volleyball sport. Keeping
in mind the values, and facets of our team, I do admit that we have all grown better, the power of
association and unity, driven by a common goal or objective of success is untouchable. How
teams identify each other, like in the Divergent, or how teams associate like family as shown in
The Outsiders, forms the focal point of group success of my volleyball team.
Essay 4 (inclass)
A utopia is a society in which everything is perfect, so a dystopia is the opposite:
everything has gone wrong. The dystopias in Divergent and The Giver are far different from the
standard functioning world that we are used to seeing. The community that is in charge uses
propaganda so that the people can be tricked to understand that everything they are told even if
it is the wrong thing. Nobody can be different, people are forced to follow the rules to the letter.
Nobody can oppose or question the rules that have been set and there is severe punishment if
the strict rules are broken.
The main characters in the two sets try to change the current society that is wrong or
being corrupted and so they have to go through the challenge to modify the society in a positive
state. In The Giver, we see that the main character, Jonas is unique in that he sees color; he
sees Fiona has red hair, and this shows he has the talent to be a receiver. After he receives the
memories and emotions, he realizes that the system is not right so he breaks it. In Divergent,
Tris, the main has a distinctive character as she is divergent, she actually accepts the system
but later realizes that it has been corrupted by Jeanine’s selfishness, so she go against it.
The Giver, the community has total control over people, and they are given very strict
rules to follow which beyond our regular world can tolerate: use precise language, wear
assigned clothing, take morning medication, obey the curfew, and never lie. The community
offers rules of sameness, and there has no war and no crime and no pain. The world is literally
black and white, and seasons, choices, and emotion are nonexistent. In Divergent, we see
factions that are the authority system and one have to be in a faction and if they cannot survive
in it, they are thrown off to the factionless which is no value to the society and stay alive at their
owns. While when one does not fall in any of the factions and seems too perfect for them, they
are termed as divergent, and they are hunted down and eliminated by Jeanine, the leader of
Erudite. Even though The Giver seems more restrictive and being highly controlled, the
Divergent dystopia is worse and more extreme since there are war and suffering.
The rules and loss of individuality set on both genres are strict, but they differ. In The
Giver, the government assigns jobs to people, and people are constantly monitored by cameras.
There is no emotion noticed, one cannot touch people other than family; Jonas and Fiona are
reminded by the robot that they should not touch each other’s hands, an old lady from the
government cannot understand the behavior Jonas kisses Fiona. All these show that sex and
love are prohibited in The Giver. The punishment in The Giver is release, which is being killed
but they understand it as go to the Elsewhere. While in the Divergent, people get to choose the
faction that best suit their personality. There is also no emotion noticed in the Divergent; people
are not supposed to be attached to their family once they become a faction transfer. “But
choosing a different faction means I forsake my family. Permanently” (24). Fortunately love is
allowed in Divergent so Tris can interacting with her fellow and has a crush on Four. People are
sentenced to become factionless if they break the rules or fail the initiation. In this case, there I
think Divergent is kinder than The Giver since the rules are stricter.
There is a hierarchy noticed in the community of both Divergent and The Giver. In The
Giver, there are jobs assigned to people: birth mother whose only job is to give birth, is the
lowest; the mother of the main character has a higher position as she is at the department of
justice. While in the Divergent, there is the faction, Abnegation which is the more elevated
position that gives the rules and in charge of the government. There is constant surveillance
noticed so that order and safety are ensured. The Chief Elder, the leader in The Giver, who
uses cameras to monitor what people are doing and visits people without asking and also later
asks Asher, the best friend of Jonas to kill him. In Divergent, the Erudite sole representative,
Jeanine uses serum to control the Dauntless, to make them become soldiers and to kill
Abnegation. Both dystopias are seems extreme but I think The Giver is greater. The entire
community in The Giver is unfair and danger while in Divergent, it might be safe if I choose to
other faction.
In conclusion, the dystopia in The Giver seems to be the worst and extreme compared to
Divergent.
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