Reply To: Reflection #1

Theory of Writing Assignment Forums Discussions Reflection #1 Reply To: Reflection #1

#241
Nathaly Castillo
Participant

I know that writing is a form of art that is used by everyone and has multiple purposes. Writing can be used by individuals to express their emotions, spread a message, relieve stress, or have an impact on society. In high school, I have been given the task to put myself in the shoes of a Vietnam veteran based off a book we read in my English class called, “The Things they Carried.” This book talked about the things soldiers carried with them physically such as their boots, backpacks, grenades, weapons, radio, etc. It also talked about what they carry with them emotionally, such as their fears of stepping on a trap, getting shot, not seeing their family again, or watching their friend die in their arms. In this assignment, we had to write a letter to a loved one in the perspective of a soldier during this war. Students had to talk about the thing we would carry physically and emotionally during that time period. I loved this assignment because it involved analyzing the characters in the book and writing in their language. I would take examples of dialogues from different characters and write similar to them but with the items I would use, or with my emotions. This showed my ability to adapt to any language as a writer. At home, I used writing as a form of therapy. Whenever I felt a negative emotion, I would write about it and describe why I felt that way.