This class was challenging and rewarding, a bit of a wild ride. I think my biggest takeaway from it would have to be the importance of doing stuff imperfectly. This challenging book we read was a lot, but it helped me develop the discipline to stick with it despite not reading every single word or line. I normally refuse to say I’ve read a book until I’ve read every single page until the end (for this reason, a lot of times I end up leaving books for school unfinished, because I feel like I have failed to read them perfectly), but this has shown me that this is not necessarily true. Close reading this, though not every single line, was one of the most valuable and enriching reading experiences I’ve had, at least in a long time. The process to learn close reading was a gradual one too, and it forced me to make failed attempts many times until I hit the mark. However, the opportunities to revise and correct our work were a very important step in this learning process. I tend to shy away from doing things unless I absolutely know exactly what to do, but this class has helped me realize my work is not of less value if it’s not perfect, it just means I’m human and I’m learning.
In terms of the content of the book itself, I feel like I’ve gained a new perspective of America as a country and us as a people. As a Mexican-American, I tend to separate my two nationalities with that hyphen: I am both, but they are distinct from one another. The discussion of what makes an American an American has caused me to question if this separation is really necessary. I am newly interested in what it means to be a person of the United States and why, what American culture might be, and what that means for our society. I’ve always thought that the strength of this nation lies in the combination of so many backgrounds and contributions that enrich us. I still believe this and the book has challenged me to think more deeply on this and how that relates to the American identity.