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Literary mirrors are pieces of literature that one can relate to, to some extent. These mirrors allow us to see our situations and use the text to reflect about own lives. Literary windows are pieces of literature that one does not necessarily relate to, but they can develop an understanding of a situation different from their own through the piece itself.

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"Speech to the Young" by Gwendolyn Brooks

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"Speech to the Young" by Gwendolyn Brooks

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"Speech to the Young" by Gwendolyn Brooks was a literary mirror for me. Brooks was addressing the younger generation in her piece, calling out for them to be the change they want to see. Brooks implied that some people will try to tear others down, but you cannot let them get to you. I used this piece as a mirror because as a young person, I know that I can live my life how I want to, and no one else should ruin my happiness just because they are miserable. Even though people try to spread their negativity around, I can't let their negative attitude affect the way that I want to live.

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"High School Training Ground" by Malcolm London

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"High School Training Ground" by Malcolm London

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"High School Training Ground" by Malcolm London was a literary mirror for me. In this piece, London took the average high school experience, but used harsh yet authentic language about what is happening in our schools. Schools are supposed to be formative years in a person's life, however London compares it to a "training ground" where people are categorized into groups such as "regular" and "honors" and there is little anyone can do to escape their labels. London makes school sound monotonous yet incredibly challenging to do when there are so many factors against students such as having jobs, family issues, and other priorities outside of school. This piece allowed me to see school in a different light. Instead of using school to find yourself and what you would like to pursue for the rest of your life, many people are told what they will be able to accomplish after high school without having any say in the matter.

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"Quinceañera" by Judith Ortiz Cofer was a literary window for me. This piece is a coming of age poem about a girl reaching her "womanhood". I felt that the language of this piece made the main character sound alone and fully independent from that day forward, and that is something I could not really relate to. I think that many people my age have a lot of support from other people as they are reaching adulthood, and the language of this piece made the transition from child to woman sound very drastic and immediate. Overall, I think this is a beautifully written poem about becoming a woman, and I used this piece as a literary window to expose myself to the idea of others having to be independent and lose their childhood so suddenly.

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"Eveline" by James Joyce was a literary mirror for me. I could really relate to the main character in this story, being stuck between which life she should choose. The main character in this story was torn between if she should continue to live the life she has now, stuck taking care of her family for the rest of her life, or if she should go with her boyfriend to start a new life where she can finally live for herself. In the end, when she decided to stay, I found myself feeling a little disappointed with her decision. I used this piece as a literary mirror, which actually helped me reflect on my own situation. I saw that leaving a complicated situation can be beneficial because you only have one life to live, and you should be living for your own happiness, despite some people thinking that it is selfish of you to do.

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A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 

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A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 

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A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was a literary window for me. This play had a very interesting plot that involved a family who looked very different from my own in many ways. This play had a great take on how different groups, including race, age, and class, attempt to achieve "The American Dream" in a way that I had never seen before. This play made me think a lot about situations that are different from my own, and made me empathize with the family, hoping for them to succeed in the end. Overall, this play was incredibly well written and allowed me to think a lot about how my situation can differ from any other person's in all aspects of my life.

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The song "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman is a literary window for me. The song is about a girl who wants to escape poverty, and by the end of the song, she is living in almost the same situation as when she was younger, still stuck in the cycle of poverty. This song is an emotional classic that many people recognize and love, however, it is not one that I necessarily relate to. I have lived my life surrounded by members of the upper-middle class, therefore I have never seen or heard of a situation like in this song. However, this song is a reminder that a lot of people in poor communities struggle to support themselves and others, and have to be selfless and make sacrifices, such as dropping out of school to support their family, which only continues the cycle of poverty.

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

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My favorite piece of work this semester was The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This book was such a captivating coming-of-age story that was so well written. I loved the structure of the book, containing vignettes, this was not a structure that I had read before, so that was very new and exciting to read. This book made the reader fall in love with the main character, Esperanza, and I was very invested in what was happening to her throughout the book and the couple of years of her life the story followed. Additionally, I love that involving this book in English 2 got to highlight an amazing Latina author.