As a writer, you can use the reflections of other writers in many ways. Among other purposes, they can help you gain firsthand impressions from people who have been affected by an event. They can allow you to learn more about a particular historical period. They can help you understand the motivations and experiences of key figures in a political, cultural, or social movement. And they can help you develop a fuller understanding of your own experiences as you prepare your own reflective document.

You can begin to understand the contributions made by reflective documents by learning about the purposes, readers, sources, and contexts that have influenced other writers. In the following sections, you’ll find discussions and examples of reflective essays, humorous reflections, and photo essays. In the e-Pages for this chapter (integrated into this LaunchPad), you’ll find discussions and examples of literacy essays, memoirs, and audio essays.