In the autobiographical work "Levi's" (1992), author Marilyn Schiel explores a childhood memory that focuses on the importance of an old pair of blue jeans. Schiel writes about her early childhood and the reasons why she wanted to wear blue jeans. She talks about her experience in order to later demonstrate how the Levi's caused a profound change in her life. The author establishes a role of reflection, analyzing the importance of the jeans and how they affected her.
             While reading this passage, I was deeply interested in learning about the gender inequalities women experienced during the 1950s. Overall, women wanted more rights and freedom. During the 1960s, women finally began to receive equal rights. Schiel focuses on the blue jeans as a symbol of her new freedom. The reason I enjoyed this passage was that it was easy to connect with the author's situation. Just as the jeans became a mark of Schiel's independence, our society has its own symbol of teenage freedom: the first car. This car is more than just an ordinary vehicle; it represents, for many teenagers, an incalculable amount of freedom and responsibility. And just as Schiel eventually learns that the jeans are an outward appearance of the change, we too learn that the car is just a similar materialization.
             One question I had while reading was about the repetition found throughout the essay. For example, the first three sentences start with a similar phrase ("They weren't...") and the fourth sentence is similar with a minor variation. The author also repeats the description of the blue jeans as "blue jeans – old, worn, Levi's." If one looks closely, the same description can be seen in the first and last paragraphs. The phrase "old, worn Levi's" is also used countless times in referencing the jeans. Upon reexamination, I found that Schiel's repetition throughout the piece calls atte...