Vanshika Unveiled

 As I reflect on this semester in 12 AP English, it’s clear how much my relationship with reading and writing has evolved. Entering the course, I thought I understood my strengths and weaknesses, but the challenges of this class revealed layers of my identity as both a reader and writer that I hadn’t fully explored. One of the most significant realizations has been the importance of not being so abstract in my essays. It's important to grab onto evidence and have tangible reasoning, instead of these thoughts, though they can have depth. Critical thinking is also something I've learned to develop which also corroborates into me shaping my voice. Analyzing complex texts has challenged my perspective, forcing me to question assumptions and delve deeper into themes and arguments. Reading works like  Saving Sourdi  opened my mind to ideas I really hadn’t considered before, like the decay/evolution of cultural norms through generations. These moments validated the value of step...

Questions softly freeze upon ourselves. Who am I? What do I believe in? Who are my people? Which social role do I follow? How am I supposed to act in public? Which section of society do I follow? To shield yourself from this cold, whose ice numbs you with the undetermined answers of society, you put on your jacket. The jacket is your culture. Culture protects you by answering all your questions, it gives you a purpose. Culture is most often defined as “ the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group” (Oxford). However, this doesn’t encompass even half of the true meaning. Its meaning varies from person to person. For example, one might describe culture as the art, music, passed down through generations; focusing on the tangible expressions in order to differentiate. While the other may say that culture is the collective set of values, norms, and behaviors that shape the way a person thinks; focusing not only on the visible...