Thursday, January 30, 2003
at 4:49 PMIt's All Greek To Me
I would work on my European history Document-Based Question essay, but I must stay downstairs awaiting The Pizza Man's arrival with what I presume will be pizza. Anyhow, I want to allot myself the standard, uninterrupted time to write. I did go through the documents, and I think I know how to group them. If I recall correctly, the question is something along the lines of:
What were the contemporary views of the movement for Greek independence from the Ottoman Turks during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries?
My organization will involve the views of Christianity (Greek Orthodox) as a bulwark against Turkish barbarism, the longing for a restoration of ancient Greek philosophies and principles, and the mood of the Greeks who wanted to create a modern, enlightened state similar to those of France or England. Ausgezeichnet.
My Free Response Question received a 99, for which I am grateful. I wrote it with the Donald in my lap, however, and I need to release that habit, before it becomes an impairment on my mad history skills.
I prefer the European history Advanced Placement test to the dreaded U. S. History exam. The document-based paper practically writes itself. All I must do, at minimum, is provide structure.
The main U. S. History essay required too much thinking. I struggled my junior year with how, precisely, to pull just the knowledge that would answer the question adequately. I tended, unfortunately, to wander off along some side point that may well have been interesting and applicable, but detracted from the brief amount of time I had to support my thesis.
My typically understated writing style, too, prevents me from clearly positioning my arguments for the reader. I always expect the reader to understand my implications because, well, I understand them, and I'm no genius.
