Mymona Tasnim

The City College of New York

Brenna Crowe

FIQWS 10111

Oct 19, 2022

Cover letter for Phase 2

I really enjoyed phase 2 because I could work more independently. The part I loved the most was, I could choose my own text to analyze. There was no specific text that we had to choose. For my rhetorical analysis, I chose Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue.” The reason why I chose this text was because I could connect myself with Amy Tan’s situation. I am also an immigrant. I moved here with my whole family just two weeks ago before the pandemic. It was really difficult for all of us as everything was completely shut down because of the pandemic. Even though I could speak in English, my mom and dad faced a lot of problems. This situation can be compared with the broken English of Amy Tan’s mother. Her English was also broken just like my parents’. Another reason why I chose this text is, it is really easy to understand. All things are described really precisely and concisely. 

I earned a deeper understanding of rhetorical analysis and rhetorical situations. Honestly speaking, I did not know the difference between these two before starting the course. Now I know that one is a noun and the other is a verb. Now, I think my writings are more organized than before. Another thing I learnt from this phase is, a thesis can be more than one sentence. Earlier I used to think that, thesis meant just one sentence. Now I know that a thesis can be more than one sentence. When I started writing my analysis essay, I was really lost. I was struggling in the introduction. I was thinking about how to start my essay. After thinking for a few minutes, I could easily write my essay. Writing the thesis statement also seemed easy for me. I knew exactly what to write in the thesis statement. 

This phase has certainly helped me to achieve some of the learning outcomes. One of those is, “Recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations.” I know about some really important rhetorical strategies and devices now. Some of these are: ethos, logos, pathos, metaphors, exigence and imagery. These things really helped me to be a good writer. Understanding these strategies also help me to understand any text better and know why a writer made certain choices. For my analysis essay, I chose my professor and my peers as my audience. 

I really enjoyed and learnt a lot in phase 2. I look forward learning more and enjoy more in phase 3.