The project that had the most meaning to myself from the presentations of this week was that of the first group that presented on Mary Shelley and Wordsworth. In particular the one thing that stood out among all the presentations was the aspect of the letter written and presented by Jakki. The concept of writing the letter to her brother like that in the start of Frankenstein was a great way of expressing her feelings and outlook at a person she once admired and looked up to in a very large way. This letter was written in a very well organized way in that it presented a very strong point if you really listened to the words closely but it was also very subtle in bringing its point across through a thing as simple as an ordinary letter to her brother. On top of the letter being well written, Jakki read the letter with a very soft and subtle attitude that only added to the effect of sympathy and neglect that she has experienced from her brother. I thought the use of it being her 21st birthday and not even getting a call from her brother was kind of the climax of the meaning of the letter. This showed how somebody that she has looked up to her whole life for being so caring has now been overcome with the worries of success to the point that he has forgotten about the things that really matter in life like family and friends and even the most important birthday of his own sister's life. This letter was the highlight of the teams project but overall the whole presentation was a definite success.

Danny Prodoehl

The first group brought up interesting contrasts between Shelly's Frankenstein and Wordsworth. At first quotes were read from the two authors, and the first presenter described the contrasting views of nature for us. These quotes described how Wordsworth thought we should passively receive nature, that nature is powerful enough to sustain human life. In contrast, the quotes from Frankenstein described how we need to aggressively utilize science to learn about nature.

Another successful tool this group used was showing various photos related to nature and the human experience. Two of the other group members portrayed Wordsworth and Frankenstein (which was easy to follow because of their signs), and both read quotes that related to each particular photo. This was very well done, and it was very clear how Wordsworth and Frankenstein viewed nature, innocence, and experience differently.

The last speaker, Jackie, helped to pull the entire presentation into the light of modern-day experiences. Her letter was very eloquent and poetic. I truly appreciated her insights into the path she had been traveling by following her older brother's ways. It was wonderful to hear how she, right around her 21st birthday, had finally realized that she did not have to lose her innocence. She didn't have to lose the simple happiness of life spent enjoying one's friends and family. She realized, before it was too late, to hold onto that curious innocent "creature" of her childhood.

Darcy Johnson

The first of the six presentations was, to me, the best presentation. I thought it was a great idea how two of the members played the parts of Wordsworth and Frankenstein and argued the opposing points of view. While Wordsworth preached of nature through passivity, Frankenstein spoke of science through aggressiveness. I liked the part when the group described the three ways Wordsworth saw nature. First, as external, everything around us (birds, trees, etc.). The second way was through all existence, everything integrated into one whole. The last was the divine light. Then, as a brutal contrast, was Frankenstein, whose aim was to conquer nature through science. I saw the perfect contrast between the two views. I knew the opposing views, but they illustrated the different thoughts in such a distinct way that even I could understant it. While Wordsworth uses nature to see into the life of things, Frankenstein uses science to see into the life of things. This group brought up questions in my mind that no other group did. I also liked the letter at the end of presentation, but I would have liked it if they described how it tied into the rest of the presentation. I related to the letter because the same thing happened with me and my sister, and after she 'died' in her work, I promised myself that the same thing would never happen to me. But you can't help but wonder...what if it's inevitable? Just like it's inevitable that you will turn into your parents. I watched her. Now I want her to see me. I will defy the inevitable. I will prove everyone wrong. Thank you, group number one, for giving me a newfound power!

Keren Shane

I would like to respond to group number one. I thought that they did an excellent job with Wordsworth and Frankenstein. By using quotes from both the poems and from the book, showing pictures,and reading a personal letter they gave me a much clearer sense about the writings.

First, the quotes. A member from this group used quotes to show the difference between Wordsworth's view on nature and Frankenstein's. Examples from Tintern Abbey showed how Wordsworth loved nature. He believed that you needed nature to be a moral person. Nature was a healer and a teacher to Wordsworth and the quotes shown in class nicely demonstrated this. The quotes that they chose from Frankenstein on the other hand, showed that Victor challenged nature. He tried to conquer it and it made him an immoral person. It also caused him pain and suffering. The exact opposite of Wordsworth.

The second part of this project showed pictures and then they had "Wordsworth" and "Frankenstein" respond to them. They showed pictures of nature, a girl running,and a baby. I especially liked the baby picture. I thought this was an excellent example of how Wordsworth thinks that innocence is found in children since they are closer to nature. They also said that Frankenstein would have thought of the baby as something that is waiting to happen. It was on the verge of losing it's innocence and becoming something.

The last part of this presentation was my favorite. It was a personal example of how something can corrupt you. In the letter she compared her brother's obsession to his work to Victor's obsession with his monster. This letter was very moving and made the subject easier to relate to. Being put aside from something or someone has happened to all of us at one time or another, so it is much easier to understand than the building and rejection of a monster.

I thought this was a great presentation because it used actual examples from the writings, it had visuals to look at (the pictures), and it a personal aspect(the letter). The combination of these resulted in a presentation that was both educational and interesting.

Megan Satterlee

I decided to respond to group one's presentation. I thought they did a good job and were very creative. The presentation was about the different views of Frankenstien and Wordsworth, focusing on their views of nature and human behavior. I liked how the presentation was split into three parts. The first part showed quotes from Frankenstien and Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey on an overhead. And the quotes were discussed and compared. The second part of the presentation had pictures of nature scenes, two pictures of women, and a baby. Two members of the group talked about how Wordsworth and Frankenstien would see the pictures in a different light. Wordsworth would see the pictures as beautiful and innocent and Frankenstien would see them as if they were about to lose their innocence and that man was destructive. The last part of the presentation was a letter written to one of the group members brothers. It was about her brother's obsession with work and how it relates to Victor's obsession with the monster. It was a very touching story about how his work habits have affected thier relationship. And how it's causing them to drift apart. I thought this presentation was creative and related to what we are studing in class.

Anna Still

The group I'm responding to is Group#1 with Brandi, John, Jakki, and Michelle. I thought there presentation to be excellent; comparing innocence and experience from the two different perspectives of Wordsworth and Frankenstein. My favorite part of the presentation was Jakki's speech. In her speech she talked about how while she was growing up she looked up to her brother as a hero and a role model. But as experience set in and he grew up and landed a job with a corporation and became caught up in a business world deprived of any innocence, she found that to model her life after that would only mean her paying the price of her own innocence and happiness. She chose to follow the way of innocence, spontaneity, youth, and joy rather than a life dictated by schedules, routines and systems. One thing she said in her letter which really brough the point home was that one can see an open field as heavenly joy or as an opportunity for prophet. She chose the former. Overall, the presentation was very effective.

Marc Siegel

I felt that each one of the presentations did a great job of portraying the members thoughts on the works we've read. They all showed thought and great imagination. As I'm forced to select one in particular which caught my attention, I must choose the first one. I greatly enjoyed the way it began by simply contrasting Wordsworth and Frankenstein. While I have had thoughts regarding what these people were like, I hadn't summarized their root concepts and placed them side by side. That is essentially what the group did by comparing each man's view of nature. In short, Wordsworth feels that we must find our place in nature, and that will become obvious if we just sit back and observe. Frankenstein would find waiting to be a waste, as science is the path to discoveries regarding nature, as far as he's concerned. These simple thoughts allowed me to have a better mental image of who these men were, rather than just reading their words. Besides being helpful to clarify things for myself and the class, the comparison was also needed to make sure that part two would be understood. Part two was the reactions of the "characters" to different pictures on overheads. It was intriguing to witness the vastly different reactions of the two characters to the overheads. The concept showed creativity while the content demonstrated a solid understanding of Wordworth and Frankenstein's ideologies. I felt that I had gained a stronger understanding of each man by the end of this presentation.

John Valente

In the presentation, one of the speakers talked about the topic"Fear". She described the fear of the relationship between her and her step mother. She lived with a person without knowing her background. This woman would be part of her family. I believe I would understand her feeling. She probably thought she would have less care from her father because of her existing. I remember the poetry" Fear" by Sarah Mclachlin,"But I fear, I have nothing to give I have so much to lose here in this lonely place." Being a child in a family, The love between parents and children expressed natuarally. Children wouldn't need to give anything to obtain parents' love. However, if we compare this relationship to the relationship between a step mother and a child, it would be slightly different. The child might not accept the love from her step mother because she couldn't take place her mother in her mind. To obtain the love from her step mother, she would think she had to give something. But, she had nothing to give as like the poetry said because she didn't have this experience before. That was the fear gradually existed in her mind. She became deel alone in the family, and the description is like the poetry said" I have so much to,lose here in this lonely place." Another speaker in the presentation showed part of movie. The woman told the man that she loved him. The man replied that he knew. The speaker believe that he didn't do enough to show his emotion. He should say that he loved her too. I agreed his opinion because I believe relationship is two ways communication. He knew that she loved him, but he didn't give any feedback to her. She won't sure whahis thinking and won't sure whether he accepted or not.

Nelson Yu