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When it comes to how each story was familiar with my lived experience, there are a lot of similarities. In both Bloodchild and The Team, I related to the idea of evolving identities and shifting priorities. Just as Gan matures and the main character in The Team transitions from individual goal to a broader purpose, I experienced personal growth.

In all three texts, my experience is different because I didn't have to deal with my problems alone. Each of the characters had to face their issues alone, I've been privileged enough to be given help.

In answering the question "How did the text affect you?" Every single text made me reflect upon myself. With each story, I looked back on my past and figured out what to take away.

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When applying the reader response lens, Bloodchild was familiar to me in a different way than the other two texts. It made me connect through external goals and accomplishments. Whereas Port of Madness and The Team had me relating from an internal perspective of who I perceive myself to be.

The Team is a text where you can directly relate to the characters. The other two texts you have to interpret what the characters feel in order to relate to them. There is a lot more symbolism that represents human issues. Obviously we aren't dealing with aliens in the sense of Bloodchild, but we can still relate to what the characters go through.

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In what ways is the text familiar to your lived experience?

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In what ways is the text familiar to your lived experience?

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Like the narrator’s commitment to running, I also have a deep commitment to baseball. He builds a system of routines and habits much like what I’ve done in my training. The biggest thing that allows me to relate to this text is how his goals shift. He goes from an individual goal of running to a deeper goal of helping the community like his family and frontline workers. Similarly, my goal has shifted as realizing that I might not want to play baseball in college and experience something else. Something deeper that I believe might lie beyond baseball.

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Picture of me after pushing my physical limits by training in 100 degree weather

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In what ways is the text familiar to your lived experience?

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In what ways is the text familiar to your lived experience?

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Like Gan, I’ve experienced moments where I’ve had to make difficult choices that shaped my future, especially with baseball, colleges, and pushing my limits both mentally and physically. The pressure to meet expectations and take on responsibility resonates with my experiences. Additionally, T’Gatoi’s role in Gan’s life is familiar to my lived experience, it's complex—both protective and controlling. This reminds me of navigating relationships with coaches, teachers, or even the expectations of my parents, where guidance can feel both beneficial and burdensome.

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In what ways is the text familiar to your lived experience?

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In what ways is the text familiar to your lived experience?

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I think almost everyone can relate the text to their lived experiences. I know for me, growing up my identities and values as a person changed as I became older and realized what type of person I wanted to be. Toutina is constantly evolving identities and the same applies to every one of us, although not as extreme as the cultural shifts in the writing. Each of us changes constantly.

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Consider the events in the story, the types of characters, or the setting. Can you relate to any of these elements on a personal level?

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Consider the events in the story, the types of characters, or the setting. Can you relate to any of these elements on a personal level?

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For me, it is quite easy to relate to a couple of elements on a personal level. The exact events and characters are not what I relate to, rather it's what their actions and situations symbolize. For example, she wears a fur coat on a hot summer day, and people judge her for it. I view that as symbolizing being different and feeling others' judgment for being different. That's an event I can relate to on a personal level, everyone is different, and sometimes that leads to judgment from others. I liked how she handled the situation and didn't "try to fit in", that small action is a big lesson from the story.

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In what ways is the text different from your lived experience?

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In what ways is the text different from your lived experience?

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The text differs from my lived experiences because it seems as if Toutina is isolated and doesn't have people supporting her. Yes, she has her friend Constantine, but she is forced to deal with her struggles alone. That's where my lived experiences are different. I've been lucky enough to have people around me who are there when I need them.

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The text positively affected me, the way it was written allows you to come up with your interpretation of what different things mean. That allows you to relate on a personal level and in turn improve the grasp and impact it has on you. For example, her changing identities made me think about my past and how I use to try to change who I was to fit in.

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In what ways is the text different from your lived experience?

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In what ways is the text different from your lived experience?

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Unlike in my life, where I have choices in my training, education, and future, Gan’s decision is shaped by a system that offers little freedom. Even his "choice" to accept implantation is heavily influenced by cultural expectations. Also when I push my body to its limits when it comes to training, it’s on my terms. Gan’s survival is tied directly to T’Gatoi, making his sacrifices feel more like a necessity than a personal challenge.

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The text affected me by making me feel proud of what I have accomplished. It brought me down memory lane and realizing all that I should be proud of. Oftentimes we as humans forget what good we have done. We dwell on the bad stuff and rarely feel like we have enough. In reflecting on the text, I saw situations where I have exhibited positively traits like Gan.

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Calendar of what I'm training each day to help promote accountability. 

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In what ways is the text different from your lived experience?

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In what ways is the text different from your lived experience?

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When the narrator loses motivation, he becomes self-destructive. The narrator completely stops running, neglects his health, and falls into drinking and smoking. This differs from me because when I lose motivation, I've built habits that allow me to continue moving forward. Rather than spiral out of control.

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This text affected me by making me think about what I value. It had me reassessing what truly matters to me. The lessons in the story gave a harsh reality check. Sometimes we can get caught not being present and focusing on the future or the past, but this story was a reminder to be present.

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Butler, Octavia. "Bloodchild." 1995

Orange, Tommy. “Tommy Orange: ‘the Team,’ a Short Story.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/07/magazine/tommy-orange-short-story.html.

“Value Creation Stock Illustrations.” iStock, www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/value-creation. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

Walch, Louis. “‘Ports of Madness’ by Fatou Diome.” Words Without Borders, 11 Sept. 2023, wordswithoutborders.org/read/article/2008-07/ports-of-madness/.