Summary and Analysis Self Reflection

Writing a summary and analysis paper, was a new experience for me. In previous classes, most of my teachers expected me to retell the events of a text and give my opinion on it. They never really asked me to analyze the author’s techniques.  Through my summary and analysis paper on In Defense of a Liberal Education, I was able to look deeply at the author’s techniques.  I had to ask myself if the author did a good job conveying his message to the readers or not.  Did Zakaria motivate his readers to want to preserve the liberal arts? I looked for clues from chapter three of his text which is entitled “Learning to Think,” (Zakaria 72).  I analyzed his structure, diction, anecdotes, imagery, symbolism, and research to make my decision on whether Zakaria accomplished his goal.  After days of analyzing, I concluded that he did make an effective argument. His use of many different techniques helped to make a clear message for the reader.  His text was persuasive and effective. 

Once I decided that Zakaria accomplished his goal of motivating his readers, I began writing my paper. My teacher informed me that the essay should be about ten percent summary and ninety percent analysis.  Therefore, my first paragraph was a brief summary of In Defense of a Liberal Education.  My second paragraph was a summary of chapter three of the text.  Then, I began my analysis.  In the next three and a half pages, I talked about why I thought that Zakaria made an effective argument. I included direct quotes to back up my statements.  I included the quote, “I realized that coming from India, I was pretty good at taking test and regurgitating things I had memorized; I was not so good at expressing my own ideas” (Zakaria 73).  From this quote, I was able to make the connection between a liberal arts education and a skills based education.

Zakaria’s text accomplished the goal of trying to convince readers to preserve the liberal arts.  His stance on education was evident throughout the entire book.  His message was effective and persuasive.