Nicholas Sirota, Period 1, 11/8/21

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

As of right now, some of my main goals that I hope to achieve in this class are to improve my ability to analyze texts across multiple perspectives and to not read with a fixed mindset. Earlier in the year, our English class was assigned to take on the role of folklorists and analyze Maria Tatar’s collection of the various renditions of Cinderella through the lens of a critical theory. I chose to analyze Inea Bushaq’s The Princess in the Suit of Leather through the lens of a feminist critical theory. While my analysis of the patriarchal society found in Bushaq’s piece and how it sends a negative message towards women was strong, some of my weak points were that there was not as much discussion on the positive message that is highlighted to women through Bushaq’s portrayal of the hero Juleidah as a self-reliant and determined feminist. One of the ways in which I can improve my ability to analyze texts through multiple perspectives is to read with less of a fixed mindset. Whenever I read pieces of literature, I tend to read them with set opinions on certain characters, which is preventing me from having a growth mindset when reading literature. These goals will not only help me become a better writer for English class, but will also help me improve in my other classes as well such as US Government where studying multiple perspectives on issues is integral to this class, and ultimately the real world.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

I actually have had this goal for a long period of time, and it did not just develop this year. Ever since middle school, the main feedback that teachers would usually give me on my papers, whether it be in English or history class, is to improve on the counterclaim and recognizing the opinions of the opposing side. When I was working on the writing task mentioned in the previous question, I wanted to make sure that my piece addressed both the negative and positive aspects of Inea Bushaq’s message towards women. I utilized my teacher's advice to show how Juleidah symbolized a modern day feminist and displayed a powerful message to the audience, rather than just focusing on the negative aspects of Bushaq’s work and how it portrayed a distasteful image of a society that oppresses women and prevents them from making decisions. However, this perspective I took regarding Juleidah representing a feminist was addressed minimally in my piece, which means I still have to work on my ability to address multiple perspectives. I have been able to work on this so far through our readings of Greek mythology, and my new growth mindset has allowed me to recognize aspects and traits of Greek deities that I would not have been able to recognize with a fixed mindset. For example, I have always viewed the gods as almighty, powerful beings and I have never really noticed their human hubris until this year. For example, I found it shocking that beings such as Zeus and Athena were as susceptible to feelings of jealousy as humans were, and that the gods were also capable of commiting sins such as murdering their children and having multiple affairs with different women. In particular, as a result of my new growth mindset, my perception of Medusa has changed from an evil monster to someone with good intentions that was the target of jealousy. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

Even though Hercules committed heinous acts such as murdering his children, it was his choice to redeem himself by completing the twelve labors that made him widely regarded as a Greek hero. Similarly, in the real world, everyone has good and evil within them, however it is their choices and their willingness to change that should define them as a person. As Albus Dumbledore once said, “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices”. This message and the people around me have forced me to take on a growth mindset and be able to see both the good and evil in each person, including myself. I have gradually learned that it is important to not have fixed opinions on anyone and to allow them the opportunity to grow and learn from their mistakes, while at the same time holding them accountable for their actions. For these reasons, if I am able to achieve my goal of improving my ability to interpret texts from multiple perspectives, I will be better able to recognize that not only others can grow and change, I can grow and change as well, and I will also be able to realize that my mistakes should not define me as a person. In addition, as a senior in high school, college decisions have been a matter of anxiety for me, and in particular part of it is because I had a fixed mindset on which schools  are considered good and which schools are not as good. Because of my new growth mindset, I am gradually starting to realize that each school I end up in has its own advantages as well as disadvantages, and much like no individual is purely good nor evil, no school is purely “good” or “bad”.