Mod B...informed personal perspective? (1 Viewer)

[jojosiwa123]

Hey guys,
For Mod B critical study of literature the syllabus asks for a "personal response", how does this affect the essay as in how should I word the Mod B essay.
My teacher basically told us to just use "I" and "We", is this the right way to go? kinda feels weird using first person in an essay

 

[idkkdi]

Hey guys,
For Mod B critical study of literature the syllabus asks for a "personal response", how does this affect the essay as in how should I word the Mod B essay.
My teacher basically told us to just use "I" and "We", is this the right way to go? kinda feels weird using first person in an essay

If in between, go with We. I've seen we used before, even in regular essays, but definitely not I.

Edit: Wait for someone who actually understands mod b to answer.

 

[shashysha]

Hey guys,
For Mod B critical study of literature the syllabus asks for a "personal response", how does this affect the essay as in how should I word the Mod B essay.
My teacher basically told us to just use "I" and "We", is this the right way to go? kinda feels weird using first person in an essay

I use 'we' and 'us' but not 'I' e.g. instead of 'the audience is thus positioned to blah blah' do 'thus us responders are further positioned to reconsider our appreciation of blah blah.' You should also use adjectives to describe your arguments is what my school taught me, so instead of 'X's plan to do whatever,' you'd write 'X's cunning yet naive plan to whatever.'
Long story short: use we and us to include personal response and chuck in some adjectives to further develop your personal perspective.
Although disclaimer I am not the best english student lol

 

[violetcombe]

my understanding is that 'I' is fine, and you will read plenty of academic writing that does use I. Just don't follow it with an anecdote about a conversation you had last week with a cashier at Woolworths, you know? Using I doesn't make your writing informal, writing informally makes your writing informal.

This is a bit from a mod A essay that I specifically asked my teacher about and which she said was totally fine

...Hymne to God, in my reading of Donne’s later religious poetry, is an outlier. Its tone contrasts markedly with the pugnacious 2nd person addresses of Donne’s holy sonnets (“why swell'st thou then?”etc.), in that it is singularly introspective...

I even think this can be good, as

(a) it will set you apart from other students, and your absolute priority in advanced (I think) should be to set yourself apart. Because markers are bored shitless.

(b) it gives you a bit more credit for your original ideas. It's like a little signpost that says "I did not get this from sparknotes, or from an academic reading", which, even if subconsciously, should make your ideas a little more impressive. I think.

Having said that, another of my English teachers is always saying that the idea "it is raining outside" is not enhanced or expanded by adding "I think it is raining outside", so do not slip into tentativity when you start writing in 1st person!!

Hope this helps and good luck!!

 

[Canteen]

My teacher told us that whenever a question requires you to provide a personal response/reading a strong personal voice should be adopted i.e. use "I" not "we". This really emphasizes that it is you who is making an informed response to the text you are studying.