Which essay did I find the hardest? I'd say the rhetorical analysis, but I don't even remember writing it at the beginning of the year, so what I should say is the synthesis essay we wrote after putting together the corresponding binder. I guess that one was the hardest since it includes the hours and hours of preparation with finding and analyzing the sources. Really it was hard just because of all the effort, though I probably put the essay itself together easier than one about rhetorical devices.
Easy essays? When hell freezes over, maybe. OK, I felt good about the argumentative essay assignments we had. The structure isn't the easiest with the facts coming last, but honestly, argumentative essays just seem like easier synthesis essays, without all the heavy preparation. For me, it's not terribly hard to make an argument without trying to persuade or attack the other end of the debate, and the important people profiles we made as optional homework really helped.
As for the books and stories we read, I think all the choices were pretty good and important for everyone to read, such as The Crucible, In Cold Blood, The Things They Carried, and The Great Gatsby. Out of all of them, The Things They Carried was definitely the one that I like most- it allows readers to catch a glimpse of how soldiers develop camaraderie and the bonds they make for life, or death, in addition to explaining Vietnam's mental cost on the servicemen with the "Speaking of Courage" and "Notes" section. I was fairly shocked to read that Norman Bowker hanged himself after Tim rejected his letter, which teaches us something about the struggles of today's veterans. I think this one was the most important of all to me.
What I disliked the most was the Recitatif short story. Whilst it makes some important points near the end on the lesser known issue of busing in America's equality struggle, still, I found it hard to follow which of the duo was supposed to black, which, to me, seems kinda counter-intuitive to an important statement on racial strains in America.
Anyhow I'm really satisfied with APLAC anyway, I was worried at the beginning of the year after a particularly troublesome 10th grade year that, without this sounding conceded, could be attributed by a lot of students to a teacher that's no longer here fortunately. But even more fortunately, this year with Mr. T. was quite productive to, if I may say so, everyone of us in his classes.
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