Wiktoria Hejnas

Chicago Academy
English 4
Period 3
09-09-16

Connection and Reflection Essay

When I think about the word language, I automatically think of something that
expresses who I am. In my opinion language can be defined in many different ways because
each person has a different definition of what language is and what it does. Some people may
think of it in a literal way, such as a form of communication between two or more people. Ex:
Sign language, polish, spanish, english, etc. Other people, such as me, may think of language
as something more insightful and meaningful. One of those people for example is Isabel
Allende.
In Writing as an act of hope, Isabel Allende connects language to culture and identity.
Language tells some sort of story, much like in her letter about her grandfather. In paragraph 6
she states that I found that life became more comprehensible and the world more tolerable. I
felt that my roots had been recovered and that during that patient exercise of daily writing I had
also recovered my own soul. Allendes idea of writing that novel to her grandfather was to tell
her grandfather to go in peace because all his memories would stay with her. But as you can
see in this quote that through her writing and through her language, somewhere along the way
she became more familiar with who she was. She found the person that she has been looking
for in Paragraph 1, simply through writing with purpose. This is exactly what I think writing or
language is, because your words belong to only you, and your words define/reflect on who you
are as a person.
Another thing that reflects who you are as a person, is your schoolwork and the way that
you act inside the classroom and present yourself. Mrs.OKeefe gave our class a lecture about
what it means to be a senior at Chicago Academy High school. In this lecture she told us that as
seniors we have a lot of pressure on us and that there are certain things that are expected of us.
Whether we meet those expectation or not however is up to us, and I think that reflects on who
we are. In English 4, for example, we are expected to read the work that is given/ assigned to us
and we are expected to understand it as well. If we were to not do the reading and if we were to
not ask for an extension on i, because of whatever reason, that reflects on what kind of students
we are, whether we are hardworking and determined or if we are lazy and careless. Not only the
work that we do but the way that we talk and speak to our teachers, I think, says a lot about
whether or not we are ready for the real world (as Mrs.OKeefe said). I think it brings out our
personalities and tells if we are ready to become/and act like adults as well as being treated as
adults, or if we are just not quite mature enough to take on that responsibility.
Speaking of responsibility, in Claiming an Education, Adrienne Rich states that
Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for
you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts;hence, grappling with

hard work. This quote connects to Mrs.OKeefes lecture when she told us that we are
responsible to reach out for help when we need it and we are responsible to build our own
foundations. It is our responsibility to have integrity and honor and that is reflected of us if we
decide to do these things because it shows what we value and whether we value our education.
With great work comes great responsibility. Our responsibility defines us. Our attitude defines
us. Our determination and hard work defines us. Our language defines us and reflects on what
kind of people/students we are.
Language not only gives us a chance to speak our minds and release our feelings, but it
also helps us find ourselves, like Allende did. It helps us prepare for the Real world, like
Mrs.OKeefe said. And it helps us understand our values and commitment to our
responsibilities, like Rich lead us to believe.