Dear reader,

While reading “Husband Stitch”, from Her Body and Other Parties, I noticed one thing about this story that stood out from other books. This is one of the most descriptive pieces I have ever read, and the most engaged I’ve ever been with a story. The details of the woman’s sex life allow the readers to engage with the story and draw their attention to it fully. It’s almost like a romance story, except it has a lot of details about sex and it could almost make you picture it however way you want to picture it. The story reminds me of pornographic content, but with a healthier and better way to consume it.

While reading, I have always been curious about what the woman’s “ribbon” symbolizes. As I progressed in the story, I concluded that the ribbon may have some kind of symbolic meaning that relates to security. The ribbon symbolizes something that allows a woman to feel safe while wearing it, almost like a cover a woman puts on to have a sense of security for herself against the cruel world out there. I came to this conclusion, especially after learning that the woman had been sexually abused by her teacher while she was a child. The woman also does not allow her husband nor her child to ever touch the ribbon, showing that it does not matter how close you are to the woman and that the ribbon is something that is a symbol of protection, a sense of security, for the woman herself only, and no one else could get past this boundary.

In this photo, it symbolizes the importance of the “green ribbon” for the woman, giving the woman a sense of security in a world that is filled with cruelty. Although the woman is still part of society, the presence of the green ribbon itself is enough to draw a certain “boundary” between the woman and the world, giving her a sense of security. This is also why she wouldn’t allow her husband and son to touch it, as it is something that only she can have control over.

When I accepted my offer of admission to City College, I made the decision to move to my family’s empty apartment in the Lower East Side in hopes that it’d make my commute easier, and it was also my desire to pursue personal freedom. The idea of “Family is Community” just came to me one morning, when I started missing how my life used to be. I lived with my family in Queens, and it made me realize how much my life changed after I gained my independence. Did it really make me happy? It was at this moment that I realized the true importance of coming home to family.

Writing my essay was relatively easy, because it seemed like the idea just came to me. I noticed that when there is a writing assignment, I can’t just sit down and decide: “I will start to write.” It needs to be the perfect moment, perfect setting, and when my head is in the right place. And one thing is, I need to get as close to the deadline as possible in order to achieve the best outcomes. Maybe it’s the way my brain is wired, or maybe it’s because of my ADHD. However, I always realized that I work better under pressure. And when I’m as close to the deadline possible, it gives me that pressure and my brain becomes “automatic” in a way.

One thing I like about my writing is the straightforwardness of it. I believe I included good sensory details but also kept it simple so that the reader could understand it. The type of style I like too. Simple and straight to the point. Reading things that are complicated, includes words that no one uses in day to day life, and just have that “literature” feel to it makes me lose all my interest. But there is a way to keep a writing interesting without including all of those big words and confusing details. Maybe for a writer, or someone majoring in English, they may disagree with what I say. That’s completely fine with me. But as a Psychology major, I like to just get my point across and tell my story without complicating things. I believe everyone’s writing styles are different, and that’s completely acceptable. This is what I prefer and I will stick with this, as long as I fulfill all the requirements of the rubric and interest the reader, that is all that matters to me.

Overall, I think I am satisfied with my essay. I believe the topic is unique. When people think of “community”, I don’t think the word “Family” usually comes up. They usually think of specific hobbies or interests. Like “Art Community”, “Walking Community”, whatever that comes to mind. Uniqueness is important to me, and I usually try to think outside the box and just something that’s “different” from the rest.

I designed this image using AI. It highlights how conflict occurs in family, and how tomorrow is always a new day. This is an important point that I tried to get across on my essay. Family is the only “community” where you can have conflict, and tomorrow you will be a family all over again. It shows the importance of family, offering unconditional love and support no matter what. No one else other than your own family is able to give you that. It also shows navigating challenges, and how it is okay in a family and how conflict is vital for a family to thrive.

Dear reader,

As I was reading Chapter 6 of Ghostland, it gave me a mysterious vibe. Very spooky and gave me a little bit of a creepy feeling. The author’s writing was able to put me exactly into the setting it was taking place in. It put me in this dark setting, reminding me of a horror movie except I’m reading it. The time period of slavery made the whole story a lot spookier. If there was one word to describe the whole chapter, it’d be “eerie”.

“the ghosts of Shockoe Bottom are overwhelmingly white.”

One thing that caught my attention the most was the black ghosts. If this town in Virginia was one of the biggest slave trade auctions, then how come no black ghosts are to be found? If slaves were the ones being tortured, sold, imprisoned, by the white European settlers, where are they to be found?

“We typically think of ghost stories in terms of the remnants of a terrible tragedy, a past we cannot escape, or a justive unavenged.” (bottom of page 104)

If ghosts were to serve as a symbol of tragedy, a past we cannot escape. Then, how come are the majority of ghosts white settlers? What about the black ghosts of slaves? Have they just been forgotten? Erased from history? What is the purpose of the white ghosts’ presence, and what reminder is there to serve from the ghosts of these settlers?

This is called the Lost Colony of Roanoke. A mystery that still remains unsolved today. This island was settled by English colonists who later disappeared three years later. Chapter 6 of Ghostland reminds me of this story, due to its mysterious background and events that are unable to be solved or explained. The Island of Roanoke is said to be haunted by the ghosts of these lost colonists, and the cause behind the colonists’ disappearance is still unresolved to this day.