The essay listed below was written by Ai Mojo. This article falls short of my objectives because it only presents Shalaya’s perspective and not Citoyen’s. I believe Ai used one of my comments as the basis for my entire piece. I consider Ai to be a useful resource for inspiration and a fresh viewpoint on your writing. Using AI is interesting since it can either make your story more distinctive or entirely off, depending on what you tell it.

The text I am reading is Shalaya’s story, a coming of age tale about a young girl and the struggles she faces in her small town of Pequot. In this essay, I will explore three common themes found in Shalaya’s story—the importance of self-confidence, the power of words, and the strength of friendship.

One of the most prominent themes in Shalaya’s story is the importance of self-confidence. This theme is first introduced when Shalaya remarks, “All things considered, I shall withhold my CF vote rather than support Toni Whitaker, Jimmy Wallace, or the white homeless fat Homosexual” (3). In this quote, Shalaya conveys her refusal to be swayed by the opinions of others, a trait that will prove to be essential throughout her story. By standing her ground and having faith in herself, Shalaya ultimately emerges as the hero of her own story.

Another major theme found in Shalaya’s story is the power of words. This theme is best exemplified in the quote, “Im not white, homless, or homosexual, but if Im going to be honest, I guess you should also know that LaVander peeler smells so good that sometimes you can’t help but wonder if a small beast farted in your mouth when you’re close to him” (3). Here, Shalaya shows her creative use of language to express her thoughts and feelings. Words have the power to influence people’s attitudes and decisions, and this is something Shalaya learns to use to her advantage.

The last major theme found in Shalaya’s story is the strength of friendship. This theme is poignantly demonstrated in the quote, “Toni said I could win the SWDGF every year if we voted on that too, but no one created that yet” (5). Here, Shalaya shows her willingness to stand up for her friend, even when the odds are against her. This speaks to the power of the friendship Shalaya shares with Toni and the lengths she is willing to go to in order to protect it.

These three themes—the importance of self-confidence, the power of words, and the strength of friendship—come together to form the backbone of Shalaya’s story. By exploring each in turn, we gain a better understanding of the challenges Shalaya faces and the strength she musters to overcome them.

What is still a mystery in the text is the ultimate outcome of Shalaya’s story. Will she be able to stand up to the obstacles she faces, or will the pressures of her small town life be too much for her? As I continue reading Shalaya’s story, I am looking forward to learning more about her journey and to discovering how she will ultimately use her strength and resilience to change the world in a special way.

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Sanaa Carter
May 2, 2023 2:07 pm

That is what also occurred to me. When I used AI to produce an essay from my comments, it selected one of the ideas I gave and turned it into the subject of my whole essay. 

Youth Voices is an open publishing and social networking platform for youth. The site is organized by teachers with support from the National Writing Project. Opinions expressed by writers are their own.  See more About Youth VoicesTerms of ServicePrivacy Policy.All work on Youth Voices is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

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