Reviewing Midterm Performance

For the final interdisciplinary essay exam, I will be focusing on developing and maintaining a clear line of thought throughout the whole essay. I often feel unorganized and overwhelmed by the amount of information that I have retained and want to write about. If I am not careful, I may include extraneous material that may cause my essay to stray away from the thesis. Also, I need to come up with a strong thesis and support it with literature, art, and music material that I feel the most comfortable with. For the midterm, I felt like I was more familiar with the material and perhaps it was because the differentiation between cultures was more prominent whereas the Nineteenth Century, Pre-WWI Modernism, Post-WWI Modernism, and Postwar Boom have some similar concepts. Also, I noticed that some of the comments on my essays are about expanding upon what I had stated and providing clarification. The paragraphs that had more detail often scored higher than the ones that lacked clarification.

For my essay about China, the main claim is that the Chinese hold traditional value in the question of how one can cultivate oneself to reach the highest potential. The natural course of life, also known as the Way, is the ultimate pursuit and with cultivated insight, one can embark towards a transformation. The two period concepts used throughout the essay for the literature, art and music are The Value of a Nature and a Way and Cultivated Insight. In Analects, the idea of cultivating insight through discipline, skill, and following the natural course is emphasized by Confucius. Fan Kuan represents nature, the Way, and cultivated insight through the composition of Travelers Among Mountains and Streams. The perspective represents the natural order of the universe and allows the viewer to internalize the beauty of nature and to gain insight. The Running Brook by Lui Tsun-Yuen portrays how nature is in constant flux with the representation of the movement of water. The varying tempos and dynamics emphasize the process of transforming oneself to build harmony. The conclusion introduces the idea that a strong intuition and sense of self will ensure that one is on the correct path towards achieving the Way.

Word Count: 367