Cover Letter

Dear Ms. Cline:

The first half of the semester has been quite an experience for me.  I never thought I would obtain so much knowledge through an online English class.  I was introduced to different aspects of English that I was not aware of before.  I am amazed at how much I have already learned in this class and we are only halfway through.

Not everything I have learned in English 102 has come easy and there are a lot of assignments that I struggled with.  Literary Analysis is much different from any othre writing I have done in my previous English courses.  Most of my writing assignments in my other courses were based on personal experiences and persuasive essays.  It was hard for me to understand how to write Literary Analysis without having summary.  I have been doing much better with the subject and I am sure that I will keep progessing the more that I practice.  Another thing I struggled with in the beginning of the course was the Blog Posts.  I had never done any kind of blog before and I was really nervous with the first one.  At first, it was confusing and a bit overwhelming and I couldn't figure out how to post links and images, but it didn't take long for me to become comfortable with it.  Now I look forward to blogging and it has become my favorite part of this class.

The second half of the semester isn't going to be easy, but I'm sure that I will continue learning about Literary Analysis and I hope to have it mastered by the time the semester is over.  I would like to become more educated with new authors like Margaret Atwood and be a little more familiar with them.  Overall, I want to be an experienced writer and be comfortable with learning new things.

Sincerely,

Courtney Guinn

Sean Huze "The Sandstorm"

Image link 1. Image link 2.
 Here is a good link with poems and stories about war.

After reading Sean Huze's play "The Sandstorm", I realized how powerful a play can be even when it is not seen in person.  I had actually never read a play before and I was really touched by how much emotion was spread throughout the characters.  The characters were so honest that it almost made me feel uncomfortable when I read the play outloud.  I could really tell the stories were coming from real soldiers and the things that they had to deal with is truly remarkable.  It really takes a strong person to be able to handle those situations for example when the soldiers continue to eat their food as other people are dying.  That part really stuck out in my mind and I cannot imagine having a strong enough stomach to endure the things that are seen by the vietnam soldiers.  I'm sure Sean Huze is a true inspiration to others considering he made such an impact on others with a short play.  I think that if the play was seen in person it would be twice as ispirational as it was when reading it.  I think the monologue in the play really worked well and helped to create a connection between the audience and the characters.  I have never been well educated about the war and what a soldier actually goes through nor do I have any friends or family in the war.  After reading this play it gave me a better understanding of the war and what it actually means to be a soldier and have to endure all of those hardships, and then live to tell about it.  It must be something that has to be experienced first hand in order to relate to it at all and I'm sure that all of the characters share a special bond with eachother considering they have all experienced similar hardships.  I was very pleased with Sean Huze's play "The Sandstorm" and it made me more open minded to plays and learning about the war.