IB English HL I

2023-24

Dr. Malashewski

Self-Assessment 2:

Spring 2024 Q1

This quarter I have grown as a reader and writer. For example, compared to last quarter I find myself more

often utilizing various analytical frameworks and tools like Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a

Professor, literary theories we were introduced to in class, and various analytical methods for plays. Through

the implementation of these analytical frameworks in my annotations, dialectical journals, and literary analysis

essays, my comprehension and analysis of the intricacies and nuances of the texts increases. By association, the

echelon of information I write with also grew, allowing me to have freedom in the writing process. So far this

semester , I have read Glengarry Glen Ross, A Doll’s House, and The Lying Life of Adults. I noticed that a

connection between the texts is feminist literary theory. In Glengarry Glen Ross, this manifests in the depiction

of toxic masculinity in the real estate salesmen. In A Doll’s House, this is evident through the dynamic between

Nora and her husband, Torvald, in which we see Nora’s compliance and eventual defiance of the patriarchal

standards for women. In The Lying Life of Adults, we can see this in the emphasis on aesthetic appearance,

where it serves as the impetus for the plot and a recurring theme throughout the literary work. For this last

quarter, I would like to focus on perfecting my writing skills without the implementation of

grammar-checking softwares like Grammarly. To accomplish this goal, I will write a first draft completely on

my own, then revise with Grammarly to see where I can improve.