In addition to small, regular assignments to help improve my regular writing, I also completed two larger and more formal assignments. These assignments challenged me to think more critically and apply the same theories to larger works.

First, in the middle of the semester I completed an Article Review essay. I read and analyzed an article entitled “Doubling and Repetition: Realism and Closure in Dracula.” In this article, John Paul Riquelme analyzes the novel Dracula in terms of doubling within the novel, which conveys a very Deconstructionist essay. My review essay works to analyze and compare Bram Stoker’s original novel with Riquelme’s article. My review essays conveys that I have a grasp on not only the novel itself, but the theories attached to it. In being able to accurately apply and explain a theory that has been attached to a work, I am able to better understand the work involved as well as improve my knowledge and application.

Additionally, our final essay was a chance to critically analyze a work of our complete choosing. This was not limited to works we studied or works connected to what we studied. As I have written many papers on many classical works, I wanted to take this chance to analyze a work that I would not have the opportunity to do otherwise. I chose the 2016 film, Moana. My essays focuses on the film and how it stands as a powerful feminist representation for the young girls that watch it. I wrote a detailed paper on Moana’s lack of a love interest, her independent and bold spirit, as well as her ability to stand up to a powerful male figure. This essay is an accurate representation of my ability to correctly apply a theory to a non-traditional work to shows its strengths and weaknesses as a feminist film.