“Ecofeminism in Beasts of the Southern Wild and Whale Rider”
Written in December 2021 for an Environmental Humanities graduate course with ASU, my essay “Ecofeminism in Beasts of the Southern Wild and Whale Rider” explores ecofeminism through the discourse of environmental studies. The films Whale Rider and Beasts of the Southern Wild incapsulates ecofeminism and environmental justice. By analyzing literature and film grounded in the humanities, society obtains a more nuanced understanding of the role of the humanity in our current environmental crisis as well as the changes needed moving forward.
“Theories of Literacies”
Written in February 2022 for a Theories of Literacies graduate course with ASU, this collection of mini essays explores various subfields of literacies: defining the term of what it means to be ‘literate,’ societal barriers inflicted through literacy, an examination of the complexities of literacy practices in the face of transnationalism, and a critique of a literacy study involving bilingual students at home and at school. This text offered much self-reflection on what it means to be literate, breaking down barriers for what constitutes ‘literacy’ or not. Through this course, I realized the power of literacy with its differing modalities and ever-reaching effects on society.
“Captives to Capitalism”
Written in February 2022, this essay analyzes the texts of Mary Rowlandson and Harriet Jacob under the lens of privilege and how this shades the interpretation of their experiences: religion, motherhood, and human rights. Rowlandson was held captive by Native Americans as a result of colonialism. Harriet Jacobs is held captive by the color of her skin, the fate of being born a Black slave in 1813 in the United States. Both women and mothers, the individual privilege (or lack thereof) of each women shape their experience within their captivity from an immediate sense under colonialism and slavery as well as a broader sense, as capitalism as the ultimate captor.