Coming into this class, I was shocked we were focusing one semester on one book. I am very happy we got the opportunity to do something new. Instead of jumping around and spending a few classes on a book, it allowed us to be fully immersed in Moby-Dick. 

My close reading has improved immensely. I could focus on one section, chapter, or even passage and analyze it. Practicing this, even when it was difficult, made me a better reader overall. Our class discussions also taught me to pay attention to passages that don’t seem interesting to me. When I would read, I would skim over some parts of the book since I didn’t find them interesting. When we got into small groups, other students would talk about those sections, and I would see a totally different perspective. 

This class is one that I will never forget. I also would probably not have read Moby-Dick in its entirety. This class forced me out of my comfort zone and I am happy it did.