Blog Entry 11

I have really enjoyed this class covering Arab American Literature. I took a class on the Arab World and a class in Arabic 1, so this class added to my knowledge of Arabs and Muslims. In January, prior to the start of course, I was hesitant to take this course because I knew it would involve reading lots of books. When I was younger, I used to read a lot more, but lost interest. When I saw the syllabus, I felt a little overwhelmed and when Dr. Esa brought all the books we would read to our first class, and stacked the books on the desk, I knew it would be a lot of reading. Thankfully, I kept up with the reading. I learned about Arab Writers and Arab culture. I looked forward to class and discussions. The discussions were thorough and helpful in teaching us how to analyze literature. I took a class, 'Intro to Literary Analysis' (in Spanish), so I had some background in analyzing texts. We read a lot of books and despite all the hard work, I feel accomplished. Thanks to Dr. Esa and this course, I have started to read again. The pleasure that was lost in reading has now returned. Looking back at my blogs, I am glad I was able to blog every week and consider material discussed in class and reflect. I plan to use my blog as reference for reminding myself everything we learned. I will say, however, if a student is not interested in reading or learning about other cultures, they should not take this class. I will recommend this to students who are interested in the world and improving analytical skills. I graduate this semester and am thankful for the classes I have had with Dr. Esa, and this class on Arab American Literature. Four years went by fast, but I am eager to use the skills I’ve acquired for future jobs.