Sabrina Akbar

Ms. O’Keefe

AP Literature

October 14, 2018

Literary Analysis Essay Reflection: Ceremony

The purpose of this essay is to effectively respond to the prompt: in a well-organized

essay, examine the ways multiple authors approach the same pattern in literature. Develop a

claim about the pattern, examine how those patterns are developed throughout the works, and

propose a theory about the significance of the pattern in culture. In answering the prompt, I have

used tools such as ​Ceremony​ by Leslie Marmon Silko and ​The Namesake​ by Jhumpa Lahiri as

my primary sources. Simultaneously, I have used ​How To Read Literature Like A Professor​ by

Thomas C. Foster as my secondary source to apply literary criticism to my two primary sources.

I have also used my chromebook to write the essay and my teacher, Mrs. O'keefe to gain

criticism about my first draft of the essay. I really gained substantial help when talking to my

teacher, so I believe she was the most useful tool during this process. As I worked on this piece, I

truly learned that I am a horrible procrastinator because it took me ages to revise my draft into

the essay it is now. However I persisted, and I want people to know that I wrote a lengthy

amount because I truly love both ​Ceremony a​ nd​ The Namesake. ​They are amongst my most

favorite books and I hope a reader can sense the passion I have for these novels in this piece. If I

had the chance to change this piece, I'd possibly add another primary source to apply to the given

prompt. Although, that would have definitely made the essay much longer, and I am happy with

the outcome of this final essay.