Malcom X and Amy Tan

Many people learn to write and read with the help of a formal education. Malcom X in “Learning to Read” and Richard Wright in “The library Card” had none of these blessings. In spite of having great disadvantages both Malcom X and Wright became educated. Even though their journey to literacy have some significant differences, the resemblance are evident Malcom X and Richard Wright were incredibly resourceful and extremely self-motivated during their path towards literacy. Both of these men learned to write and read mostly on their own, and along the way, became visionary thinkers with great influence on others.

This quiz is to be completed individually. You may refer to course materials in order to prepare your answers. However, do not discuss the questions and answers with any other person regardless of whether they are in the class or not.

Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

Please address each question below with complete sentences and clear, specific explanation. The total word count of your writing should be between 750-1,250 words.

***NOTE: These questions are a formal writing assignment. Your responses MUST be typed, MUST be in your hand on the day of the seminar, and MUST include full paragraphs and specific references to the text, including page numbers, in order to receive credit. The responses will not be accepted late, and students who show up without a printed copy of their answers will receive a zero for both the written grade and for the discussion. Each answer should be AT LEAST one full paragraph, and some may be longer.

|Please answer each question thoroughly and completely. If you have treated this assignment lightly, you will |

Directions:  Answer each question in a paragraph—be sure to give specific details and examples.  Remember that each of these questions has multiple parts to it.  You must type your responses out and hand it to me by the end of our class period.

Answer the following questions in 100 to 200 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

Everyone has a different story and background, but we all hold similar aspirations for the future. We can either let our background draw us into an inescapable black hole or use it to thrive over any obstacle. For many minority students as myself, the shot at college is the only chance we truly get to overcome our situations. It’s true that not everyone needs a college education to succeed, but the truth is not everyone has the resources to make something of themselves without the valuable education which a renowned institution like the University of Illinois has to offer. I come from a low-income family which had their share of struggles from an early age, which impacted our lives greatly. My decision on what major I possibly might be interested in pursuing might not have been directly linked with my family history, but the overall aspiration of attending college has. At the age of eight I faced the sad reality that I would be left without a father figure. My dad would be incarcerated for the next seven years for dealing drugs and at the end of his sentence he would be deported back to Mexico. This incident left a heartbroken family and a mother to fend for four kids all by herself. This overall incident was a wake-up call to better myself and not let myself be defined by the mistakes, which my father committed. I saw the struggles, which my mother had to endure.My mother is one of the most

When reading this autobiography it reminded me of my adolescent years; I remember feeling like I knew all there was to being a grown up, I also felt like my parents didn’t know much because they didn’t go to college. I strongly feel like they could have always done more than they were doing. Upon reading this, I felt as though I was reading Richard Rodriguez’s journal and he was a very unhappy kid living in the ghetto. He was also embarrassed of his own life and he seemed unhappy in his own skin... “(Ways of reading pg.339) A primary reason for my success in the classroom was that I couldn’t forget that success was changing me and separating me from the life I enjoyed before becoming a student”.

In The Basement of the Ivory Tower is a very illustrative and witty analysis that presents the idea that not everyone is suited for college. The author, who goes by the alias Professor X, presents himself as a man of scholar with the difficult task of teaching English to students he believes should not even be in college. He is an adjunct professor that teaches at two community colleges as a last resort. Throughout this article, he argues that there are too many unreachable students. During his efforts in exploring various strategies to help these students, he claims that they are deficient in ability to complete any college course—especially English. Overall, with a lack of statistics and research, Professor X utilizes his professional character by sharing multiple anecdotes that feebly argue higher education is simply not for everyone.

Directions: Please answer each of the following questions and provide examples from the text, if applicable. Each response should be at least two paragraphs in length and be written in complete sentences.

Use at least two (2) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

The word ain’t is one of the most commonly-overlooked mistake in the English dictionary. It is used very often in TV, books, movies, media, and music, so we shouldn’t be surprised it is now in our real life. Even though our English teachers and grammar textbooks label the word ain’t as incorrect the use of the word has not been banished and we have no idea if it ever will be. Since, it continues to be in our language, and we often us it we should be informed of its origin and its development. However, there are different opinions on the development. Most writers on this issue seems to agree that the word ain’t has not been fully investigated and needs further research. A look at the history of ain’t can help determine how this simple contraction became a serious error in professional writing and speech.

Post these responses directly in your private student journal.  Your assignment is due Wednesday, April  10th. Then a forum will open for each of these assignment questions. Please write two-to-three paragraphs per question.