Breaking my silence by Min Jin Lee

Public speaking has always remained one diplomatic skill that one may possess. People might be good orators yet lack the assertiveness in their arguments or might be factual in their findings and still lack persuasiveness in speech. The essay entitled ‘Breaking my silence’ is one such illustration penned down by Min Jin Lee. She begins her scripture, stating how convenient is it to draft down your thoughts instead of orating them in the public domain. Writing, she asserts a presumable canvas. It allows you to hesitate while you pen your thoughts and permits you to rewrite without being judged or discouraged for the rest of your life. 

New York proclaims to be a land of diversity and distinction, yet it does not comply with what it claims to stand up for. For example, a young girl from Seoul moves to New York, believing that this was the place of her dreams. However, she faces rejection and bullying from classmates. Moreover, despite being promised to be taken care of financially, her parents are overworked for six days a week. Here, discrimination against immigrants is seen as they are not entirely accepted in the city. The American perspective of racism is evident until today despite the government’s passing of several anti-racism laws.

The Korean culture is one seen to be judgemental towards ladies. For a lady to be regarded as victorious, she had to kneel before and sacrifice her family’s aspirations. It is incorporated within the culture and makes it difficult for the young girl to achieve her dreams of knowing how to speak well in public. In America, ladies were given freedom of expression and seen worthy if they rose against all odds to combat themselves despite being vulnerable. Despite America’s rigid social structures, they recognized an individual’s handwork as wisdom. A favorable environment is created for Lee to achieve her goals. Nowadays, ladies are fighting towards equal treatment opportunities. For example, the one-third gender rule ensures they are given positions in institutions and not judged due to their feminism.

Lee expresses the character of self-doubt while in school. Despite her being optimistic and believing that she would become a better orator, she sees herself as inferior to students who could debate like professionals and ease. A tone of distress is expressed as peer pressure and social coercion overtakes her, losing focus on her goal. She becomes a corporate lawyer deviating from her dream objectives. In many schools, students give up their dreams due to a lack of trust and believing in themselves. Hence, this encourages one to have self-motivation to become successful.

Despite the segregated racial attitude of the American natives that incorporates a distressing use of words that create an illusion of misery and gloom in a foreign land, Lee becomes a professional writer. She can express herself and thanks to the teachers for the tremendous support in making her learn the art of public debates. Here, a theme of handwork is also expressed as Lee achieves all these despite the challenges. A tone of believing in oneself is also depicted as she works towards attaining her goal.

The reading shows that I need to be motivated and work hard towards my goals as an individual despite the challenges I may face. Lee acts as an example as she faces a lot of rejection but still works towards perfecting her writing. She denotes that it is the words that one chooses to express himself that matter. I am currently facing difficulties in my academic writing, such as formatting my work and correctly using the best style. From this context, I believe that with time, I will be perfect in it, as Lee becomes a good writer through her perseverance.