ASSIGNMENT
In 1–3 expressive paragraphs, write a post describing vividly a moment when a text changed your mind about something. As you write, consider: how the text persuaded you specifically, and how it shifted your mind. (Here, a “text” can be anything that’s deliberately constructed. It can be made of words—a book, magazine article, poem, essay, advertising copy, billboard—and/or it could also be a “visual text”—a TV show, a film, a photograph, a painting, a commercial, a play.) Instructions for posting to the site are here.
GOALS
to practice expressive writing; to think critically about how a text persuades; to show your instructor a representative sample of your writing style.
ADVICE
these blog posts are low-stakes assignments meant to encourage regular writing. Be creative and expressive while also attending closely to the prompt!
GRADES & FEEDBACK
All blog posts are graded, but you will only receive one of two options: 100 (if you complete it) and 0 (if you don’t). Unlike your major essay assignments, I won’t respond in much detail (if at all) to these blog posts, but I will read them! Invest time and thought into the blog posts. Writing is a skill, and it can be strengthened with practice like a muscle. The blog posts will flex the muscles you’ll need for the heavy lifting in the big essays.
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Sara is a ten year old Jewish girl who’s family is about to get taken away by Nazis. She hides her little brother thinking that she can be home in time to get him back. The novel goes on showing the reader everything she goes through to ultimately try to get back to her little brother. It is set in the perspective of a journalist trying to find her grandmother Saras story in the Holocaust. Instantly, I felt like I had the same drive as the journalist, trying to constantly put together bits and pieces of Saras past to figure out the truth. A lot of people criticize the film for being so harsh but I learned so much from it.
The name of this book is Sara’s Key by Tatiana Rosney. I have to admit that the only reason I read the book was because the movie was so powerful. It was a story that taught me how important it was to learn history. I feel like it removed my innocence and showed me the reality of what happened in WW2. Learning facts and history about the Holocaust and seeing the way it impacted these people are completely different things. It is a truly heart breaking story that really gave me the push to know more about the Holocaust. Its important to be educated on the past to make sure that history does not repeat itself.
Another lesson I learned from this book and film was how much suffering Jews have gone though. No matter what situation I am in it can always be worse. The film taught me to be grateful to live here in America and not be persecuted like the Jews during the holocaust.