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Meghann Kuhlman

406 MLLC West


PO Box 5495
Fargo, ND 58102
December 13th, 2015
Assessment Committee
Dept. 2320
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Minard 318
Dear Assessment Committee,
The enclosed portfolio is an accumulation of my time and work as an undergraduate English
major at North Dakota State University (NDSU). While it took four different majors to get to this
point in my career, it has been an incredible experience. After reflecting on my work from the
past four and a half years, it is clear that my writing has greatly improved in skill and analysis. I
believe that the enclosed writing assignments best illustrate my proficiency as a writer, analytic
reader, and independent thinker.
Outcome 2
My ability to read and interpret literary work in a complex way has been sharpened and refined
since I have started my education at NDSU. This ability has been exemplified in my final term
paper for ENGL 476, titled Orations Relationship to American Theatre: Where Does Oration
End and Theatre Begin?. This project focused on analyzing the oratory and theatrical elements
of the United States Declaration of Independence. Using Jay Fliegelmans book, Declaring
Independence: Jefferson, Natural Language, & the Culture of Performance, as my primary
guide, I analyzed how the Declaration of Independence was spread and modified during
Americas early years of fighting for independence from the British. This included examining
both the original version of the Declaration of Independence and why oratory was the primary
choice for mass communication in North America. After analyzing a host a sources that
discussed the nature of oratory and its relationship with American theatre, I began to notice links
between the two arts and how it was related to spreading information, opinions, and politics to
the masses.
After thoroughly researching the history behind this powerful document, I came to my own
conclusions about how effective oratory was at delivering the information and echoing the
original intent. Not only did I interpret a diverse variety of texts and mediums for this project, I
was able to form my own conclusions about the links between early American Theatricality and
oration and how its related to the beginnings of the United States.

If I could revise this project again, I would have done more research on American Theatre and
how its development coincides with Americas independence from the British. This would have
shown better integration between the two subjects I was discussing and offer more analysis
between history and the arts. While I am happy with the finished project, I would have liked to
revise it so that it had a more specific thesis statement and more in-depth analysis.
Outcome 5
In the English Studies program, learning about specific literary theoretical lenses has been
integrated into my classes since my first semester of school. In my ENGL 271 course with Dr.
Goldwyn, it was an expectation that these theories by applied not only in written work, but also
in class discussion. I believe that my best work for applying these theories to written work was
illustrated in my paper titled The Construction of Gender and Sexuality within The Decameron
in the Eyes of Butler and Kosofsky-Sedgewick.
In this paper, I analyzed story 2.9 in Bocaccios The Decameron and how Madame Ginevra
performs her gender and sexuality. By consulting works such as Kosofsky-Sedgewicks The
Epistemology of the Closet and Butlers Gender Trouble, I was able to deconstruct Madame
Ginevras performance as a man in order to save her life. These theories discuss how gender is
performed through cultural socialization and observation, which prove that gender is performed,
rather than innate. This assignment in particular taught me to identify feminist critical theory and
how it contributes to the complexity of the themes within Bocaccios The Decameron.
When looking at story 2.9, my primary focus of analysis was Madame Ginevra and how she
masqueraded as a man in order to stay alive. Since her husband has demanded she be put to
death, Ginevra must be able to maintain a new identity in order to keep her life. In choosing to
take on the male identity, she must change her appearance that reflects the cultures typical
masculine norms. Her performance is so believable that no one suspects her, which further
bolsters Butlers theories about gender and performance. Through her skills at deception,
Madame Ginevra is able to prove her innocence and safely return to her husband.
To revise this project, I would have discussed how feminist theory impacts Bocaccios work as a
whole. While this book contains many stories, it would have been interesting to see if these
feminist themes were present throughout the entire collection. Having more examples of how
gender and sexuality is constructed through society and cultural norms would have made my
argument stronger and more persuasive to my audience.
Outcome 6
I have had several classes that have familiarized me with literatures from around the world and
how they have historical and cultural significance, especially ENGL 318 course with Dr.
Helstern. My ntonia: A Feminist Novel, exhibits my familiarity with major writer Willa
Cather and Post-Civil War America. My ntonia centers around the end of the 19th century in
rural Nebraska, where immigrants were settling in order to build a better life for themselves and
their families. Rich with historical detail, my essay reflects on Cathers feminist characters as
they grow to become independent women, despite the patriarchal bias that they face they minute
they arrive in the United States.

This book uses western American is the late 1800s to early 1900s as its backdrop. Not only does
this project paint the landscape of western North America, it also tackles the current struggles
women faced at the time. Immigrants from Europe were pouring in; many faced prejudice and
difficult times due to the dominant cultures distrust of their new cultures and traditions. ntonia
faces these issues as child and overcomes them as she matures, eventually becoming a single
mother before marrying her husband. While she faces scandal for having a daughter out of
wedlock, she is able to support herself and her little family by working on and expanding the
family farm. Her resilience to her peers doubts and ability to work just as hard as any man
makes her a feminist character, breaking through her patriarchal society and its biased
expectations.
When exploring new genres and technologies of writing, my blarg assignment from Dr. Brooks
ENGL 458 course. This assignment pushed me to stray from my typical academic jargon and
explore digital writing and how it is different from my typical writing assignments. Dissimilar
from the research papers and reports that I was comfortable with producing, this assignment
pushed me to explore a new genre by tightening my sentences, refining my argument,
abandoning academic lingo, and using multiple electronic content to bolster my thesis statement.
This project challenged me to cover a very complex issue in 800 words or less with sources that
any viewer can easily access. This process taught me about the versatility of digital writing and
how creating a successful blog is different than writing a successful research paper. This project
was a hybrid that taught me about the digital humanities and the merit of blogs.
Upon graduating from this program, I see that I have become a stronger writer, reader, and
consumer of information. With the many skills that my professors have instilled upon me, I
believe that I am equipped with the proper tools that will help me become successful in my
career in graduate school. My experience within NDSUs English Department has been a
positive one, as each of my professors has been able to teach me something new. I am very
grateful to have had this opportunity and will always be thankful that I have had such a
wonderful array of educators guiding me through my undergraduate career.

Sincerely,

Meghann Kuhlman

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