4. Looking Back

Having just finished writing my rhetorical analysis, I have the chance to look back on what I did and how I will improve moving forward. I analyzed the inaugural address of JFK because I was interested to compare its merit and values with the inaugural address of President Trump just last month. Although I focused mostly on the rhetoric that Kennedy used, I was also able to find parallels to the way President Trump delivered his speech in Washington as well. I spoke of Kennedy's inclusion of historical appeals, figurative language and juxtapositions in attempt to unit the nation before him in the early 1960s. After writing a draft of my ideas and observations, I met with my professor and received great feedback on how to improve my paper that helped me for papers in other classes and will help me continue to improve. I followed the rhetorical analysis formula very well and made convincing topic sentences, concrete details, and commentary throughout my paper. My goal in writing is always to utilize rhetorical skills I have and observe through reading, and in this paper I feel like I did that as well. I went to the writing center as campus to have my paper evaluated and I learned great things there to help enhance my paper and clarify my ideas. Often I have the hardest time with being clear in my writing because everything already makes sense in my head. I've noticed as well that in reviewing and editing my paper, I usually need a second pair of eyes to pick up on small things, mostly in part because I learned the Dutch language serving my mission, and prepositions between Dutch and English sound the same but mean different things in different contexts. So that causes some disconnect sometimes. But overall, I feel like I really answered the ends of the assignment and have learned much in going forward. For my research paper, I want to show a more personal connection to my subject than in this paper. I already have ideas on how to do that by using personal family history stories to appeal to my audience as I research the emotional and logistical struggles of immigration from persecution.