English 253--Responses to Creative Project Presentations on May 12 2011

Group 16

Though many of the presentations today were exceptional, the one Itook particular interest to was group 16's presentation. This group began by explaining the relationship between Gregor Samsa's character and personality and the insect he transformed into; they noted that Gregor is often argued to be a distasteful person, already a burden on

his family, much like vermin like cockroaches. They then proceeded to make similar connections between various insects or bugs and other characters of various works we've been studying; Gregor's sister Grete is compared to a butterfly, demonstrating her transformation into a beautiful, strong woman, and Pozdnicheff is compared to a preying mantis for his similar relationship that begins in physical attraction

and ends in violence. I feel that these connections and comparisons were not only creative but insightful - group 16 took Kafka's concept of metamorphosis and, after analyzing the personalities and behaviors of various characters, applied it to them. This is the kind of application and analysis I believe we are supposed to draw from the reading we do. This presentation practiced this very well in a thoughtful and entertaining manner, resulting in a better understanding of the characters we study, and perhaps even a better understanding of the author who created them as well as the message he is intending to convey.

I enjoyed all of the projects from Thursday's class. The presentation that was the most influential to me was group 16's presentation. I liked how they used the story of The Metamorphosis and applied it to different works we have read. I enjoyed how they decided to say what types of bugs other characters would turn into. I especially liked how they said Grete from The Metamorphosis would be a butterfly because she is reserved at first and then she can blossom into her own person. I also agreed when they said Fredrick Douglass would become a horned dung beetle. I liked how this group did not only stick to one of the books we have read but chose a variety. I thought it was very well done. 

The team that did the best job creating a presentation that most effectively analyzed the books from class was team 16.  Their project had analysis from many different books, instead of just one (like most groups so far), and it showed a deep understanding of a broader range of topics.  The team created a list of creatures that various characters might turn into should they have the same unfortunate fate as Gregor in The Metamorphosis.  Of their characters that they analyzed, my favorites were the officer from The Penal Colony, and Pozdnyshev from The Kreutzer Sonata.  For each character, the supporting quotes from the book were very helpful, but for these two, the reasoning and analysis was clearly the best.  Comparing Pozdnyshev to a praying mantis was very creative, illustrating the similarities between his feelings and actions towards his wife, and those between mates of praying mantes.  Also, a bee is a great way to summarize the qualities of the officer.  He is a hard, diligent worker, doing anything to please his (former) governor.  In the end, he is so dedicated that he is even willing to die for what he believes in; similar to the way a bee will die to protect the hive.  In total, the majority of the connections were deep and meaningful, and very creative.

My favorite presentation of the day was Group 16, the “Debugging English 253”.  In this presentation, the group members chose prominent protagonists of our recent novels and described the kind of insect they would be!  I enjoyed the reasons behind why Gregor was a cockroach and how it related to Kafka’s life.  I thought this was a good introduction and a relevant beginning to their project.   In their presentation, they took quotes from the texts and explained how the quote led to their particular bug choice.  It was very creative!  I was particularly struck by the Officer and Colonel Chabert.  The Officer was portrayed as a bee because he was willing to die for a cause.  Colonel Chabert was seen as a worm because he came up from the earth and had absolutely no backbone.  This group must have done some good research to know some of these bug facts (or maybe they just are bug enthusiasts!).  However, each insect fit the characters accurately.  It personally helped me differentiate each personality of the characters.  It was much easier to relate each character to a simple thing such as an insect to create a better understanding of the texts.  Interestingly enough, I also imaged Grete as a butterfly!  After I read the last sentence in “The Metamorphosis”, I felt like Grete emerged from a cocoon that Gregor placed her in.  It was very odd that this group had my same view of the situation!  Overall, I saw this presentation as the most creative and beneficial to my understanding of the novels.  What a good idea! I wish I thought of it!

A group that stood out for me was group 16. They were able to capture my attention and keep it where the other groups were lacking. They were creative,  bringing elements of fun and excitiment into the readings. There were able to keep it fun and interesting, and not just be a repeat of earlier discussion. They did their research, thought through their ananlysis to make a clear, informative, but entertainging presentation. They were able to relate what they had and their ideas directly back to the readingins, and clearly showing and telling us the connection between the two. THey were able to bring in facts, tie them with their ideas, anc finish it off with connecting it to the books. Each person did a fine job at speaking clearly and explaining their charactor and bug of choice. I also enjoyed groups 20 presentation although they didn't really do anything creative like the assignment says. They turned  "Projects need to combine critical insight into works read with creative personal response," into a research and regeritate project. I really enjoyed the subject, as I did my own research on how Frederick Douglass escaped after I read the book and found more information in a shorter amount of time. They were able to share their knowledge with the class in a clear lecture.

Group 16’s presentation was the most meaningful to me because I am terrified of creepy crawling critters.  This group certainly did in depth research on different insect characteristics and displayed fascinating pictures of each. I enjoyed how the group chose characters from different books and matched a bug or insect to that characters personality.  This was a very creative approach to tie in common themes between each story and remind the audience that in the end, we share common traits with all living things. I think Group 16 picked appropriate bugs that suited each character’s personality.  By analyzing character’s personality traits and researching insect characteristics that matched it showed that they gave their presentation a lot of though.  For example, a butterfly was well suited for Grete because caring for her brother kept her locked up in a cacoon.  When he passed away, Grete went through a complete metamorphosis and changed into a beautiful woman.  

The project I liked the most was group 16’s “Debugging.”  It was very creative and I really liked and was surprised by how their bugs had many of the same characteristics of the characters in the books. For example, when they compared Grete to a butterfly. When reading the book I never saw that after Gregor died she had her own metamorphosis. Now it makes so much sense and is really a clever ending to the book. Some of the other comparisons that I liked a lot were the bee, the praying mantis, and the tick. The group branched out and included every main character from the recent books that we had read. The only one I didn’t really like was Colonel Chabert being an earthworm. To me that seemed too literal about his being buried in the mass grave and crawling out. It wasn’t based on his characteristics, rather one event in his life where he kind of acted like an earthworm. I never would have related the officer to a bee, but I think this was an appropriate match for him.  The officer certainly was dedicated to his machine and what it stood for, just like a bee is dedicated to its colony.  I had never heard of a horn dung beetle, but from how the group described the bug, it seemed to fit Fredrick Douglas perfectly.  I was impressed by how Douglas survived slavery, and it seems like a horn dung beetle would also be able to escape if enslaved. I definitely agree that Countess Ferraud resembled a parasite because she latched onto men and sucked all of their resources dry.

Group 16's presentation about prominent characters from different works we've read in this cycle of presentations was my favorite of the day's set.  They took the basic idea that Gregor was turned into a cockroach because of his inner character and tried to apply it to others.  It required decent character analysis to pull off and I think they did a good job of it.  They started by talking about how Gregor's character mirrored his external appearance as a cockroach.  Although they noted that there wasn't total consensus, they asserted that Gregor was a deplorable character rather than a good man with a tragic fate.  Next, they tackled Grete, labeling her as a butterfly.  My first reaction was skepticism, but as soon as they started explaining their logic, I decided I agreed with their analysis - the imagery at the end of the story really does make it seem like Grete is coming out of her shell (or cocoon) and becoming something more beautiful.  The officer was compared to a bee, which was my least favorite comparison.  They chose a bee because the officer offered himself up to the machine, proving his commitment to the thing and the old ways, as a bee will willingly sacrifice its life for the good of the hive.  I understand that the bee is probably the most appropriate insect they could have found for the Officer, I just think it was the weakest connection of the bunch.  The other characters they made connections to were decent, nothing especially good or bad about them (I’ve only talked about my most and least favorite connections here, in the interest of keeping my response short enough).  The group's pattern of introducing the insect parallel (accompanied by an appropriate image to help the visual thinkers) and explaining their logic made it obvious that they put thought into the meaning of the different characters, and all of the comparisons seemed logically sound.

I definitely enjoyed the presentation by group 16 on the bugs other characters would be from the works we've read previously in Engl253. I thought this was a very creative idea for tying together themes and characters from different books in order to compare and contrast them with one another. Instead of simply analyzing one literary work, they went to the extra effort of looking at several of the books from the past few weeks of class, applying a single filter to some of the characters in order to create a single presentation focusing on similar themes between them. I thought that all of the choices of bugs for the characters were very well done, and the quotes and rationales for the choices were well chosen and explained.

I thought that it was incredibly interesting how the two groups told the story of how Frederick Douglas escaped from slavery.  I liked that group 16’s proposed plan mirrored the actual escape except for a few details. The group must have really done their research and paid close attention to the story while we were reading it. This group also talked about people that would try and turn escaped slaves in after they had reached the north for monetary reasons. I think that this can also be seen in modern society were people value possessions and money over simple human values and treating people with respect. This idea is also seen in Colonel Chabert when Ferraud leaves Chabert with no money or assets in order to keep her good name. At the same time you see people like the sailor who gave Douglas sailor papers and the couple that housed Douglas and his wife in New Bedford. This people didn’t know Douglas well, yet they were risking everything to help him escape to slavery.

Group 16 had a very interesting take on this creative presentation analysis of the books we’ve read for this section of class. I thought by characterizing the main roles in each reading as bugs was very interesting. For the most part each bug had characteristics that accurately portrayed the prevalent features of each main character. Perhaps the most accurate characterization was Countess Ferraud’s depiction of her bug-form. Countess Ferraud, very much like ticks, lives off the livelihood of other creatures. It seemed like Ferraud only cared for her own status and her own wealth even if that meant latching onto the nearest aristocrat. Even though her status was potentially threatened by the Chabert’s presence, she was able to quickly manipulate her way out of out of that predicament. There is no way the reader would find any patience or sympathy for her. This is the same reaction for ticks especially if it has latched onto your own person! This group did a fantastic job and it was really unique to all the other groups that have presented thus far. I would have liked to see how the group would have characterized the country doctor or the groom in that short story. In addition to these characters I think it would have been interesting to see how the group portrayed some of the other characters in the Frederick Douglass novel (e.g. Mr. Covey or Sandy Jenkins). 

I thought Group 16 Debugging English 253 was the best on Thursday. Even though the idea of someone turning in to a bug is gross, it was interesting to see how the personalities of a person could be translated in to character traits of small insects. I never realized why Gregory had metamorphosis into a cockroach, Group 16 explained that like a cockroach, Gregory is ill-mannered (nasty), a non-practicing Jew which makes him lonely non-human vermin like. I also like how they describe his sister Grete being symbolized as a butterfly. She has aspirations of going to school but since Gregory turned into a bug, she is still stuck at home doing nothing until Gregory dies. Despite Gregory dying miserable and alone, Grete is now able to live her life more freely and less stressful. Another character that was interesting to compare to a bug was Frederick Douglas. They thought he was a dung beetle because it’s the world’s strongest bug, which can interpreted through Douglas’s strong survival skills, and his ability to go out against all the white masters in the south. I thought the insect comparisons were the most meaningful because it allows the class to look at specific characters in a new perspective. It almost makes us think of certain characters in a negative light because of the insects that were chosen to represent them.

Many groups did a great job and I had trouble picking a single favorite, but I thought Group 16 had a very thoughtful and creative presentation and thus was my choice for the best. Group 16 turned major characters from all the different books we have read into insects like Kafka turned Gregor into a cockroach in The Metamorphosis. Group 16 turned Gretta into a butterfly, which I thought, was very suiting and possibly even what Kafka was hinting at in The Metamorphosis. Gretta was a being held down like a caterpillar while Gregor was alive, but after he died Gretta was set free flying like a butterfly, going out, becoming enlightened, and beautiful. Group 16 turned The Officer from The Kreutzer Sonata into a bee because he spread his views onto others. Pozdnyshevwas turned to a praying mantis because he had loved his wife and ended up killing her out of jealously. A praying mantis loves its mate and lays the eggs then the male kills the female, strikingly similar to Pozdnyshev’s story. Fredrick Douglas was turned to a dung beetle. I though this to be oddly similar to Fredrick’s situation, he had made the most of his time as a slave learning to live with what he had, a dung beetle eats dung and balls it up rolling it back to its home. Being a slave was a real shitty situation which a lines with the dung beetle’s ways. Also as group 16 pointed out Fredrick fought off Mr. Covey and the dung beetle has great battle skills similar to Fredrick. I really like how group 16 justified each metamorphosis with supporting arguments that made sense, good job!

I felt that all of the group’s presentations were very insightful to all of our readings, but group number 16 stuck out the most to me.  Their project entitled, “Debugging” English 253, assigned and described which bug each main character would be out of The Metamorphosis and Other Kafka Short Stories, The Kreutzer Sonata, The Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglas, and Colonel Chabert.  They described that Gregor turned into a cockroach because he was not “the good guy.”  This can be reflected in Kafka himself in that he was a non-practicing Jew, which is very looked down upon.  Grete was assigned to a butterfly, which was reflected through one of the final lines of “she had blossomed out into a beautiful, well-built girl.” The officer was described as a bee.  This is because bees are willing to fight until the death for the queen bee, which corresponds to the officer’s love for the torture chamber.  Moving on to The Kruetzer Sonata, Pozdnischeff was described as a preying mantis.  This is because preying mantis’ battle against their mates for survival, which corresponds to Pozdnischeff consciously killing his wife out of jealous rage.  Fredrick Douglas was assigned to the horn dung beetle, because of their strong nature that is also reflected in Fredrick’s will to escape captivity.  Colonel Chabert was described as a worm because they are both “buried alive,” live in filth and are spineless.  Countess Ferraud was portrayed as a tick due to her ability to latch onto men and use them for her personal gain.  This presentation was able to fully hold my attention and was interestingly thought provoking.

Group 16 had to most purposeful presentation because of their unique outlook on the idea of metamorphosis and how they combined an assortment of stories into their theory. They clarified that the underlying reason on why Gregor turned into a cockroach was because it mimicked his shady qualities as a salesman. They then gave their rendition on what animals the characters from the other various stories would most closely resemble. Their ideas were slightly humorous, yet insightful. My favorites where Grete becoming a butterfly because of her blossoming into a woman after the death of Gregor and the penal colony officer becoming a bee because he was willing to die to protect the honor of his past governor. I found this metaphors as being intriguing because I could easily relate to them due to my biological science background. Also, they allowed me to think of the characters' mannerisms in a different light and how these mannerisms are parallel to the roles of certain organisms in nature. Their power point contained direct quotes from the stories that gave strong evidence to the specific mannerism that represents the animal. I also enjoyed the various pictures of the animals in their natural environments because they chose pictures that reinforced their theories. I think it was an overall great presentation because they intertwined imagination and direct evidence to illuminate a specific theory to the audience. I thought they picked the perfect animal analogy for each character, which I applaud. I will admit that I will not see these characters as anything else but the animal depicted by Group 16's presentation.

I really liked group 16's Debugging English 253.  I thought it was a thoughtful comparison of The Metamophosis to other works we have read this quarter.  Because they provided the scientific explanations of the different types of bugs, it was easy to see the relation between the different insects and the characters.  This was also a completely new approach to a presentation and I appreciated the creativity. 

I found group 16’s presentation to be the most interesting. I thought it was very creative to compare characters from the different stories that we have read into the insects that they would be. They compared Grete to a butterfly, the officer to a bee, Pozdnischeff to a praying mantis, Frederick Douglass to a horned dung beetle, Colonel Chabert to a worm, and Countess Ferraud to a tic. Then, with each insect, they gave a fun fact about it that coincided with the particular character. I thought the group was dead on with their insect comparisons. Their comparisons of Colonel Chabert to a worm and Pozdnischeff to a praying mantis were their strongest comparisons. Colonel Chabert is like a worm because he dug himself out of the ground, and Pozdnischeff is like praying mantis because he killed his mate just as praying mantis’ do. I thought this presentation was extremely creative and provided a good analysis of the overall character of each character within the stories.

Group 16's presentation about prominent characters from different works we've read in this cycle of presentations was my favorite of the day's set.  They took the basic idea that Gregor was turned into a cockroach because of his inner character and tried to apply it to others.  It required decent character analysis to pull off and I think they did a good job of it.  They started by talking about how Gregor's character mirrored his external appearance as a cockroach.  Although they noted that there wasn't total consensus, they asserted that Gregor was a deplorable character rather than a good man with a tragic fate.  Next, they tackled Grete, labeling her as a butterfly.  My first reaction was skepticism, but as soon as they started explaining their logic, I decided I agreed with their analysis - the imagery at the end of the story really does make it seem like Grete is coming out of her shell (or cocoon) and becoming something more beautiful.  The officer was compared to a bee, which was my least favorite comparison.  They chose a bee because the officer offered himself up to the machine, proving his commitment to the thing and the old ways, as a bee will willingly sacrifice its life for the good of the hive.  I understand that the bee is probably the most appropriate insect they could have found for the Officer, I just think it was the weakest connection of the bunch.  The other characters they made connections to were decent, nothing especially good or bad about them (I’ve only talked about my most and least favorite connections here, in the interest of keeping my response short enough).  The group's pattern of introducing the insect parallel (accompanied by an appropriate image to help the visual thinkers) and explaining their logic made it obvious that they put thought into the meaning of the different characters, and all of the comparisons seemed logically sound.

Again today all of the presentations were very well thought out and very well presented, but I would have to say group 16 was my favorite presentation. They creatively put together a slideshow "debugging" the class works, basically relating certain insects to the different characters in the stories we have read about. They were obviously going off of the book that Kafka wrote, particularly the story of The Metamorphosis.  With the essence of each bug they related a certain character, and a quote to fit the description and reason for choosing the bug. I particularly thought the bug they chose for Pozdnischeff was comical. They related him to a preying mantus, which is ironic because it is actually the females that bite off their spouses heads I believe, not the other way around. Nonetheless, they did a terrific job!

This batch of group presentations was highly creative and original all around, so I find it hard to pick a favorite.  But I decided to go with Group 16’s presentation, “Debugging ENGL 253”.  This presentation attempted to assign appropriate bugs for characters from “The Metamorphosis”, “In the Penal Colony”, The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, Colonel Chabert, and “The Kreutzer Sonata”.  I thought the explanation of why Gregor turned into a bug was an interesting interpretation.  It may have very well been a reflection of Kafka’s own feelings as a non-practicing Jew in Germany, an outcast.  I liked the interpretation of Grete as a butterfly.  Through the course of “The Metamorphosis”, Grete really does come out of her cocoon, at the expense of poor Gregor.  Her parents don’t pay her much mind at the beginning of the story, so this is when Grete is still a caterpillar.  At the end of the story, her parents take full notice of her growth and beauty.  The interpretation of the officer from “In the Penal Colony” as a bee was a creative choice.  The officer does try to spread his views like pollen, and he is willing to sacrifice himself in order to defend his view of the torture contraption as the ideal way for an unjust person to die, much like a bee is willing to sacrifice itself to defend its territory.  The praying mantis is definitely an appropriate bug for Pozdnischeff to turn into.  Female praying mantises are known to kill their mates while mating.  In the case of “The Kreutzer Sonata”, the male praying mantis kills the female for (supposedly) mating with another praying mantis.

I found group 16’s presentation to be the most interesting presentation with their analysis of several characters from our reading and what gregor like transformations each of them would undergo. What sparked my interest the most was the revisiting of Khafka’s interpretation of gregor’s metamorphosis and whether or not Gregor was good or evil. I feel that Khafka’s work is a story about the human condition. For a large part of his life Gregor was carrying around this deep self-loathing, sort of a hatred for how he was living his life. He might as well have been a cockroach considering how he felt. I find this funny because in the book he never once acts surprised that he had turned into a cockroach; it is as almost as if he was expecting it; that in his mind he had always been a cockroach and that the only change was a physical one. This hatred of himself did not spawn from within him but most likely developed because he felt obligated to support his family, thus following this life that he loathed. One can argue that Gregor could not be evil, as he never once harbored any of his anger at his family, the entire time he wished to support them and love them. So then the family must be truly evil to have treated their gregor this way right? I disagree if you have ever lived around someone who was so functionally depressed you would agree with me. Living with someone in this condition is physically and emotionally draining even if it’s someone you love. I feel that this response to gregor was not something that came on as soon as he transformed but was growing the entire time his self hatred manifested a growing contempt for Gregor, and his transformation signaled the moment when the family couldn’t take it any more. I would have to say that both Gregor and his family are both victims of the human condition.

Thursday was yet another day of some amazing presentations. My favorite presenters would have to be group number 16. What they called debugging, taking characters and figuring out what bug they would have turned in to. It was a very interesting way to look at different peoples experiences through life and it was pretty neat how they used other characters that we have learned about not only from Kafka. Kafka was a little crazy but he had a new way to look at things, a new way of putting things into perspective. The group said that Gregor was turned in to a cockroach because he wasn’t a “good” guy. This presentation made me think about the presentation on Tuesday how they took Gregor’s story and kept it going, he kept on living and then ended up turning someone else into a cockroach. It was an interesting approach to open your eyes to different ideas. Group 16 thought that Grete would have been a butterfly, which is a great example of all teenagers blossoming into young adults. She started out as a young girl and towards the end was a beautiful “well built” girl. Although it did take her until after Gregor’s death for her to get out on her own. I really liked how they took other characters and made them into bugs as well, for example like Frederick Douglas would have been a Horn Beetle because of the fact that they are great fighters and have good survival skills. Great job Group 16! Really neat insight into a bugs world. 

Group 17

I liked group seventeen’s presentation on Fredrick Douglas. It was really cool how they tried to look for clues in Fredrick Douglas’s narrative about his escape plans. I got a lot of interesting information about his travels. For example he traveled alone and he did sometimes beg, lie, steal or cheat for food on his journey of escaping slavery. I also learned that he had two big connections in his escape. The first was Mr. Ruggles who housed him in New York and then Mr. and Mrs. Johnson who helped get him started when he settled in New Bedford. I thought this presentation enlightened me to new facts that helped me better understand the life of Fredrick Douglas. I also thought that Group sixteen’s presentation on Kafka’s writings was well thought out. I like how they described the Metamorphosis of each character in to a bug based on the characteristics and evolving traits of the characters themselves. My favorite comparison was a bee to the officer in the short story “The Penal Colony”. The office was a cruel being who was shown at the end as willing to fight to the death to protect his beliefs and ideals just as a bee who will sacrifice itself to protect the hive. Another favorite comparison of mine was also colonel chabert to an earthworm. Colonel Chabert had no backbone and didn’t stand up for himself and rose from a long rest underground which is comparable to an earthworm that has no spine and lives underneath the dirt.

Based on the media I saw online I really enjoyed group 17's presentation.  They pieced together the adventures of Fredrick Douglas from nothing but the minimal details found in his narrative.  While I am sure much of the escape route was made up it seemed accurate and completely believable.  It was especially entertaining being able to compare their imagined route with the actual route that Group 20 presented on.  You can see where some of the lines where information found in the narrative was stretched to make the escape possible.  Both presentations were well put together and easy to understand even without the vocalizations.  I think the use of google maps really helped aide the audience and helped listeners see the scope of his travels.  Direct references to the text were helpful and showed that the group really understood what they were trying to put together.  They kept the escape realistic even though it was imagined, a task harder than it might seem.  It appears the group did not try to cut any corners in imagining the escape and did a good job with it.

My favorite presentation was that of Group 17. I thought it was very interesting examining the possible escape strategy for Fredrick Douglass. I remember while reading the book I expected the escape of Fredrick to be vividly outlined just as his past experiences were. However, this was not the case; Douglass described the escape in only a couple sentences. This project quenched my need for a description of the escape and helped me to form some ideas for myself. I appreciated the way this group broke down his escape in regards to the route he took, the food he ate, the people he traveled with and the people that might have helped. This was very insightful and helped me to better realize what a feat it would have been to be an escaped slave at that time. Another thing that really opened my eyes in their presentation was how very low the literacy rate was in the 1850s, around .4%.  I took a look on the Internet and saw that the population is the US around this time by just over 23 million people, and this included about 3 million slaves! This was astounding to hear! Finally, the last fact I found to be very interesting was how many people were actually wiling to help theses slaves that had run away. The majority of them being white people. Its good to know that at least some people realized the horrors of slavery back then.

Group 17 prefaced their presentation by acknowledging that in the story of Frederick Douglas, they never mentioned exactly how he escaped form slavery. The book only described him plotting it and after he had already escaped. This group used logical guesses as to how he escaped based on references from the book. They noticed through different parts of the story that he probably escaped alone. They mapped out the most logical route that he would have taken to escape as well. Douglas worked on a boat for part of the book so they acknowledged that he had a little bit of money and street knowledge through that. He learned how to read as well which made him very advanced in society in those times because not many people were able to read. Group 17 used very advanced graphics for their presentation, they had great composure, well thought out and interesting things to say and seemed to have shared the work fairly evenly.

Of all the groups to present on Wednesday, Group 17 stood out to me the most.  I really liked how they essentially tried to predict where Douglass would have travelled to escape slavery.  It reminds me of a sort of “mystery novel,” or detective movie, where the task is to piece the evidence together and determine what exactly happened.  One fact that really stuck out at me was the fact that he supposedly travelled with only the clothes on his back.  No food, no supplies, no water, no sleeping accessories, just clothing.  If this is true, it makes me think that Douglass must have been really good with people.  I don’t see any other way for him to have survived without being able to stop and talk to different people along the way and convince them to provide him with the different supplies I’m sure he would have needed along the way.  I guess the only way Douglass wouldn’t have had to do this was if he stole from people along the way, which he said he would do if the situation called for it.  The only real problem I have with this group trying to predict how Douglass escaped is the fact that they don’t REALLY know what happened.  No one does.  I’m impressed with the work they did using only Douglass’ accounts, but it’s tough to know whether there is even any truth to the things Douglass said.  However, given the resources they had, I think group 17 did a great job.  

I thought group 17 did the best job of presenting on thursday. I was already really interested in learning about the details of how Fredrick Douglass escaped, so when they said they would be discussing that topic i was really excited. First they covered all of the historical context of how and why he was attempting to escape, and they did this in a very clear and concise manner. They also went over the exact escape routes he took, over land and water which i found exciting and fascinating. It was interesting to learn that he most likely had no companions and made his escape alone. I like how they did research on the type of food and supplies he had, and the connections he made along the way. Overall it was a very informative presentation. 

The presentation that I found most meaningful was Group 17, which was the imagined escape of Frederick Douglass.  I enjoyed how they used the clues in the novel to try and understand how he may have escaped.  Their project showed insight into the work by analyzing details in the literature closely.  Creating an escape plan based off their insights illustrates a creative perspective.  Using historical context served as a refreshed of the times and gave the audience the information they needed to put his escape in the right context.  In particular, I like how they included details, such as the potential connections he made and what clothes he might be wearing.  Those details can be easily overlooked, but are often crucial to understanding the slave running away.  After all, these details often meant life or death.  For example, details such as the literacy rate, not only showed the society they lived in, but reminded us just how important having an education and being able to read can be.  Seeing as we’re all college students, we most likely all know that an education is vital in our society and have an appreciation for intellectual ability.  However, we don’t often think about how difficult it would be to not be able to use any of the everyday skills, such as reading, writing and basic math.  Being able to perform any monumental tasks without the information that is passed through these three mediums would be nearly impossible.  Imagining how Fredrick Douglass might escape forced me to think how difficult this colossal journey might be.

Group 17 prefaced their presentation by acknowledging that in the story of Frederick Douglas, they never mentioned exactly how he escaped form slavery. The book only described him plotting it and after he had already escaped. This group used logical guesses as to how he escaped based on references from the book. They noticed through different parts of the story that he probably escaped alone. They mapped out the most logical route that he would have taken to escape as well. Douglas worked on a boat for part of the book so they acknowledged that he had a little bit of money and street knowledge through that. He learned how to read as well which made him very advanced in society in those times because not many people were able to read. Group 17 used very advanced graphics for their presentation, they had great composure, well thought out and interesting things to say and seemed to have shared the work fairly evenly.

The presentation I remember most from Thursday was group 17. They discussed the escape of Fredrick Douglas as described in the book. Douglas made a point of not releasing the details of his escape in this particular novel, so the group had to examine it for clues and deduce his escape from there. I liked the map they showed and how they talked about him taking the waterways and read the specific passages from the book. One suggestion I have is that the map was clearly from MapQuest or Google maps, so it would have been interesting to see how long those websites suggested it would have taken to walk from Baltimore to Philadelphia and used that number in their analysis. It was also interesting to hear group 20 present Douglas’s actual escape route and be able to compare and contrast the two groups. Group 17 was very close in their interpretation of the book’s clues about his escape, and as an audience member I never would have know what was accurate and what was speculation if it were not for group 20.

I felt that Group 17 had a very unique presentation.  Many of the presentations thus far have taken a very creative approach, in group 17's presentation I felt that they were much more informative.  The group did not intend to be humorous, they intended to give a detailed analysis of how Fredrick Douglas escaped.  It was obvious that the group read and understood the book and put effort into throughly understanding the steps that Douglas took to escape.  Group 17 brought our class back in time and allowed us to put ourselves in the the perspective of Douglas.  I liked how the group included how Douglas figured out which direction to run when escaping.  Douglas would look at the direction the sailboats were sailing.  Overall I thought the group gave a great analysis and summary of Fredrick Douglas and I really enjoyed learning more about his escape and journey to freedom.

Group 17 Presented on The Life and Narrative of Frederick Douglass. They talked about the escape route that Douglass might have used and if it was possible to do.  It was very interesting the used goggle maps to plan the trip and map out the route using the clues in the book.  The group went into detail about what Douglass would have to do to prepare for his journey. For example they told us what type of food he would have been traveling with and how much money he would need to buy supplies. It was really interesting to see that if you read Douglass book you could piece together his escape route. It made me wonder if he planned that, so that other salves that could read could read his book and know this route to take.

I really enjoyed group seventeen's project on Fredrick Douglass. The Power Point Presentation was very attractive, and seemed to have had a lot of effort put into its production. Also, I found the historical context to be very interesting and engaging. I also liked hearing about the escape route. I thought it was a very good topic because it captured the audiences attention... I was sad that we didn't get to hear the complete escape route, but we got that later. I also appreciated how often the group referenced the book. I felt that the presentation was very accurate. The public speaking was nicely done, and I felt like I really learned something.

Group 18

The group that appealed to me the most was Group 18. For their presentation, it was set up like a trial; first of Pozdnyshev who claims that the reason he killed his wife who committed adultery which were said to be both due to the Kreutzer Sonata by Beethoven. Then they went on to prosecute Elvis Presley, who claimed that he was not to blame for the corruption of men and women and women fainting from his dance moves. Lastly, the group prosecuted a member of a band whose songs had inappropriate lyrics about drinking and killing. In the end, the final consensus is that as humans we are compelled by music in a violent way. The final decision is that we are impacted negatively by music and finally, Pozdnyshev is declared as not guilty because he was driven by Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata to murder his wife. Although I didn't agree with the group's joke about shutting down music and art programs, I found I related to the fact that we as humans do relate and are sometimes compelled by music, though I don't necessarily agree it's always a negative experience. My experience with the presentation was interest. I liked the way the group showed a modern way that music could affect society as the Kreutzer Sonata affected Pozdnyshev. The group did well in keeping my attention as they presented the skit and finally coming to a relatable and emotion based conclusion.

Out of all the groups that went today I thought that Group 18 was creative and interesting while still adding a new outlook on the “Kreutzer Sonata.” The fact that they used modern day artists that have been criticized for their music on the public of America captured my attention. Both Elvis and the other “rock star” (who I can’t remember what band he was from), were good examples of artist who created music that implied “evil” things that went against society. The skit was a satire to the idea that music should be “more simple” so that it doesn’t make people actually FEEL emotions from the music they’re listening to, which is the exact opposite of the meaning of music. It really embodied Podzsnichef’s feelings about Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata; evil, sexual, provocative. All in all, this skit was very effective and entertaining to watch.

All the group projects on Thursday were especially creative and interesting, but in my opinion, Group 18's presentation was the best in that it was entertaining but also demonstrated a clear understanding of the book.  The group performed a mock-trial skit in which they placed Pozdnyshev on the stand for the murder of his wife.  In response, Pozdnyshev insisted that Beethoven's music drove him to kill.  Thus began the satire: Group 18 proceeded to question Beethoven, Elvis Presley, and Henry Rollins, all the while insinuating that music is "bad" and provokes passion or intense emotion within the listener.  Beethoven was charged with inspiring Pozdnyshev's murder by creating a very intense and passionate piece.  Elvis Presely was charged with instigating sexual and promiscuous behavior with his provocative lyrics and dance moves.  And finally, Henry Rollins was accused of being an advocate for anarchy and drunk driving.  Throughout the presentation, and each character's testimony, the group used direct quotes from either Tolstoy's The Kreutzer Sonata or from Presley/Beethoven/Rolins.  This created a much more "realistic" feeling and actually helped the skit from becoming too cheesy.  They also outlined the plot from The Kreutzer Sonata throughout the proceedings, and were able to tie it in to more modern-day examples.  This created a relevant and interesting approach to a very complex piece, which allowed for an insightful final product.

Group 18 Presented on “The Kreutzer Sonata”. They took a very creative approach with their project.  They did a mock trial between "The Kreutzer Sonata",  Elvis, and Henry Roland. This was such a great idea for a presentation. Not only was it well thought but it was also super funny and relatable. Group 18 was dead on when it came to understanding how people felt when “The Kreutzer Sonata” first came out. I am glad that they showed the class this similarity between Elvis and Henry Roland. My dad remembers how big of a deal it was when Elvis and Henry Roland first hit the music scene and how scandalous everyone thought it was. Through this presentation it was easier for me to understand how “The Kreutzer Sonata” was such a big deal and so ground breaking. This group did a great job.  

My favorite group to present was group number 18 who presented on the trial of music.  They presented a trial to the class where they were discussing whether or not music could be the root cause of problems, such as promoting violence or causing someone to commit a murder, which was the case in the Kreutzer Sonata.  I think this was a very creative idea and very well preformed.  It takes a lot of courage to go in front of the class and act out a script.  I also really liked that they used wording from the actual story, this showed they put a lot of time and effort into this project.  The analysis of using other musician was also very creative and amusing.  It was really cool how they connected this theme to other musicians and how this was a common trend back in the mid 1900s.  That people were not responsible for his or her own actions necessarily.  It is completely ridiculous to think that someone might think that you would not be blamed for murder because a song drove you to do so.  However, sometimes I am curious in this day and age if activities such as violent video games promotes violence?  All in all I thought it was a very impressive performance and I really enjoyed listening to what they had come up with.

Group 18's skit was very creative. The court room scenario was a great way to discuss the Kreutzer Sonata. This skit was able to discuss the underlying theme of the Kreutzer Sonata in an entertaining way. Music has a great ability to express passion and excitement. It also pointed out how absurd it was that Pozdnyshev was acquitted of murder. Their point was that music is not responsible for destroying and corrupting our society. It can't lead people to kill. Bringing in Elvis Presley and another musical artist was a great testament to the fact that we have seen this before. People used to think that Elvis Presley's music was immoral and wrong, where today it is considered revolutionary music, at least in America. Although we joke that music couldn't possible lead someone to kill their wife, there may be some underlying truth that music has an impact on our lives. It may not directly lead us to violence or depression or other emotions, but it can certainly contribute.

I thought all the groups this week had original and interesting presentations. But if I had to choose a favorite, it would be group 18 and their Trial of Music. The group had a pretend trial of famous musicians like Beethoven and Elvis. Basically the point of the trial was to see whether or not musicians are responsible for the effects of their music. It was an interesting concept. This idea related to the Kreutzer sonata which we read earlier in the quarter. This was a very unique and original idea in terms of the group presentations we've had so far. I liked the fact that every member of the group participated in some way and the constant participation made the presentation very interesting. It wasn't the same old slideshow presentation because it was so active. Because of the style of this presentation the group was able to go into detail on the Kreutzer sonata and analyze the tone of it using points from the book as 'facts of the case'. All in all I found this to be a very entertaining and lively presentation, but not to be forgotten, the rest of the groups did a great job as well.

The group that I thought did the best was group 18, with their prosecution trial they held against Pozdnisvheff.  Their presentation was put together very well and hit on a point that I had not thought of before.  Is the Kreutzer Sonata the reason Pozdnisvheff killed his wife?  Is music responsible for the actions it makes people take and the feelings they feel?  To answer these questions the group creatively questioned some of the most influential musicians of the past.  One being Elvis and the others being Beethoven and Henry Rollins.  I overheard the professor and one of the presenters talking and I guess the group put that whole presentation together in two days, not bad.  I liked this presentation because of the characters in the trial.  Both of the men playing the influential musicians did a great job imitating them which made the whole thing pretty fun to watch.  I liked the way that they used real quotes for the artists themselves.  These two things combined made it feel like the famous dead people themselves had risen from the dead to make their court date.   I feel that, after watching every presentation to date, that group 18’s presentation will be very hard to top.  The creativity they used and the questions they answered during their time on stage stands above all the rest.  This didn’t come easy for them either.  Other groups that presented that day, like group 19 and group 16 did extremely well in presenting their good ideas.     

The best group on Thursday was Group 18. I really enjoyed their creative project from The Kreutzer Sonata. The trial they conducted on Pozdnyshev and other historical musicians was helpful in seeing the impact of music at other points in history and not just in a novel. Beginning with Pozdnyshev and Beethoven made perfect sense since that was what the story was about and it gave us a sense of what you were going to do after that in the trial. I do not recall if there was another musician before Elvis Presley, but Elvis’ part was used effectively to show another musician that was blamed for issues in society. Elvis’ actions and motions were said to rouse the sexual passions of teenaged youth—he made the ladies go wild, so religious groups and other adults got angry with him and his music. Elvis was a perfect fit for the trial and for proving your point. The next guest I neither remember his name nor knew who he was at the time of seeing him announced to our class on Thursday. I believe you said he was the singer from Black Flag, and if that is the case, then he would also be a good fit for your presentation. According to a bit of research I did after hearing the name and not having a connection, Black Flag had a strong influence on the Punk culture of the 80s and continues to be an influence today. Overall, Group 18s presentation was the most enjoyable and relatable.

My favorite presentation of the day was group 18. This group explored the idea from The Kreutzer Sonata that music can drive people to do things they otherwise would not do. This was an idea that stuck out to me as I read the Kreutzer Sonata because to me it seemed like simply an excuse. While the group’s trial skit kept consistent with the book and found Pozdnyshev not guilty, it seemed to me like they shared my opinion about the ridiculousness of this excuse. This was shown by the judge’s sarcastic speech about the dangers of the arts. This group made interesting connections between Poznyshev argument that Beethoven’s music drove him to insanity and the argument that Elvis and a more modern punk band were corrupting society. This brought the ideas expressed in the Kreutzer Sonata more up to date and made them more accessible to a modern audience. The group also kept the audience’s attention by making the performances entertaining and amusing. Overall this presentation shared the ideas and connections made to the Kreutzer Sonata in a way that was amusing and easy to listen to.

Group 18 was my favorite because they used many different musical artists to challenge beethovens arguement in a  fake trials to motivate the killing of his wife in the Kreutzer Sonata. The went from having one of the members act out Elvis and did a pretty decent job to the anarchist music group Black Flag. It relates to how music can create emotions in every person and I liked how they explained it. Giving the audience a thing to compare today's music back to Beethoven's. Although they could've put more time into the project I really thought they had some good takes on how music really is a part of todays society. Well done group 18

I personally liked the presentation by Group 18 the best. The presentation was based on Tolstoy’s book, The Kreutzer Sonata. It involved a skit where there was a trial, in which music was being held responsible for the corruption of people. They involved Beethoven, Elvis and various other artists to defend music. The accusations put forth to each artist were actual accusations the artists faced in life. For example, Elvis was accused of corrupting America’s youth by his “provocative” form of dance. The trial ended in music proved guilty and being not taught to young people. I believe this is the best end to this trial because it shows the absurdity of the trial itself. While music may have inadvertently caused bad things it’s just the author’s explanation of the world and their views.  This presentation related to me because I always thought that the excuse of music causing young people to do things is so absurd. I believe that young people are in fact impressionable but they have to have a personality to do any of the actions that they do. In the end it’s every person’s responsibility for their own actions and that is what matters. Saying the music made you do it is the same as saying your friend told you to jump off a bridge, it’s all extremely silly.

I really enjoyed Group 18's presentation of the courtroom case of the murder of Pozdnyshev's wife. I really enjoyed the testimonies of Beethoven, Presley, and Black Flag. These testimonies allowed the music industry to defend themselves against the arguments that their music is evil and drives people to do things.  At the end, I enjoyed the tongue in cheek ruling that music must be silenced and it is at fault for the passions that its listeners feel.  I feel that this ruling was one that the class should consider as many of us are immersed in music every day

I think that Group 18 did an exceptional job connecting the Kreutzer Sonata to a more modern day issue. I thought that the mock trial was entertaining and was fun to watch. I found it interesting that they were able to connect Beethoven to artists that we are more familiar with today, such as Elvis Presley, and a contemporary rock band. Elvis was prosecuted for corrupting our youth today, and the rock star was prosecuted for increasing violence in young children. Because of their prosecution, Beethoven was proven not guilty. I myself, would not have come up with the connection of the Kreutzer Sonata to major issues going on in schools today, such as budgeting. I thought it was funny that the prosecution’s advice was to cut the funding for music programs, and to show that art was not important to people and youth. Obviously this is a ridiculous claim, but it adds to the ridiculousness that Pozdnischeff was found not guilty because he was taken over by evil music. This group did an awesome job presenting the material in a creative and fun way, and I appreciate seeing that they put so much effort into creating a script for their presentation. It wasn’t just a boring relay of facts, it was a story that drew the audience in, while presenting legitimate information. I think that all of the groups did a good job, but this one was my favorite.

I found Group 18's presentation of a trial of characters from The Kreutzer Sonata and musicians from different eras to be a effective exploration of the power of music. The way they treated it like a trial, with group members playing the roles of judge, lawyer, and defendants, made an argument for the value of music in society. The lawyer, arguing for the abolishment of music due to its negative influence on society, was a compelling foil for the artists they chose to portray. By relating Pozdnyshev's actions to Beethoven, Elvis, and the singer from Black Flag, they made the point that music is not responsible for people's faults. The lawyer's closing argument pointed out the danger of blaming music for society's ills by playing devil's advocate. I liked the way this presentation left me with more to think about, and it worked well to bring elements of the book to life.

Group 18 was the most meaningful to me. They did a great job presenting their topic, using a court trial to evaluate the Krutzer Sonata. They all were upbeat and clearly out of their comfort zone. The way they brought different figures and put them on the stand to be questioned made it interesting and fun. The one was trying to see if it was the music in society that drove him to murder. This related to me because I also feel that people today take lyrics in a lot of rap music to seriously. Eminem has a song that discusses this same thing, it’s a letter conversation between him and a fan and how the fan was actually doing what the lyrics were about. Eminem writes back that its just a song and not to do those things.Also having sat trial on a case it gave me some what of a flash back to that time.  

My favorite of today’s presentations was the mock trial. This group acted out a fictional trial in which Beethoven is put on trail for writing music that is so emotionally influential that it leads a man to kill his wife. The man, of course, who is accusing Beethoven, is none other than Pozdnyshev from Leroy Tolstoy’s “The Kreutzer Sonata.” In the story, Pozdnyshev’s wife performs the sonata with another man, and the music is so overwhelming to Pozdnyshev that it convinces him that his wife is in love with the other man and leads him to kill his wife for an infidelity which she has not yet performed. Not only was the acting of this presentation good and very funny, the comparisons they drew, in the form of witnesses, were thoughtful. In the mock trial, Elvis is called to the stand for his music was said to have a similar sexual impact on woman in the 50s. This presentation revealed how the themes of the stories we have read this year are so much a part of our humanity that effective comparisons can be drawn from any point in our history.

From the presentations on May 12, I found group 18's to be the most engaging.  Their skit based on the Kreutzer Sonata was hilarious, and presented the material in a very refreshing way.  Their skit brought me into the drama of the story but kept me laughing with their witty script, which I thought was very well done.

My favorite group presentation was group 18. For their presentation, they acted out a trial for convicting the murder of Pozdnyshev's wife. First, they had Pozdynshev on the stand, where he said that he was inspired/ driven by Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata to murder his wife. After this statement, the prosecution called to stand three different musicians to see if they felt like music could cause or influence an individual's actions. The first musician called to the stand was Beethoven himself. He proclaims that he cannot be held accountable for a man's actions just because of the way his music was heard and interpreted. The next musicians were Elvis Presley and Henry Rollins, and their responses were very much the same as Beethoven's. Regardless, the judge found Pozdynshev not guilty in the end. This presentation was extremely entertaining and it addressed an interesting point of view in regards to music's role in influencing individual's thoughts and actions. 

From the groups who presented on May 12th, I found Group 18 to be the most creatively entertaining and meaningful to me. The group turned the front of the class into a courtroom whose proceedings entailed trying Beethoven himself for his hand in killing Pozdnyshev's wife through the composition of his lustful devil-music, the Kreutzer Sonata. A crafty lawyer interviewed Pozdnyshev, Beethoven, and even Elvis Presley on the overall argument that their music had the capability to incite emotion which, in turn, could cause the deaths of wives by jealous husbands and slutty behavior by girls intoxicated by awesome jams. Therefore, they (sarcastically, I hope) concluded that it should be made law that music be bland, unexciting and unemotional so that it doesn't stir audiences into doing anything rash. Through this ironically backwards display of how "devil music" can lead listeners astray, the group really delved into how effective music can be at invoking unique emotional responses in listeners - something that I whole-heartedly agree with through my personal experiences with songs. 

For me the presentation that was the most enlightening, or brought new information and analysis to the table was group 18 which did the reenactment of a hypothetical court case taking place for the Kreutzer sonata.  I thought that their stance on using the musical piece as the culprit for the murder was very innovative, and actually a fitting analysis for the story. It was the music that brought the two lovers together, and allowed their relationship to flourish and progress. It would have been nice to have more questioning done on Pozdnyshev, however I can understand the limited time can affect the depth of analysis. Other than that I thought having a member of the group pretend to be Beethoven and getting questioned was extremely effective in conveying their point. Also using actual quotes from Beethoven himself was clever. Lastly, having Elvis called to the stand as a witness was a very effective way to connect with the audience. Since we are comprised of college students I am sure most of us are much more familiar with Elvis and his music rather than Beethoven. So not only did they provide a creative from of analysis but they did it in a way so that the audience could connect with the information. Lastly, the group member playing the role of Beethoven and Elvis even managed to through in an accent to sound like them which added a humorous element to keep the audience engaged.

Group 19

I enjoyed group 19's Colonel Chabert rap. Out of all the groups, they definitely had the highest entertainment factor, but they also did a great job of showing how themes in an old story are very similar to the themes that come up in rap music. Often times its easy to blow off a book that was written in the 1800s by saying, "it's too old to apply to me, times were different back then." But if you give the book some thought it is easy to see that even with all of today's technology we are still facing the same issues as we were years ago. These themes of love, money, and identity seem timeless as they will always apply to people. It's interesting to see that even in our media, movies are coming out with very similiar plots to Colonel Chabert even thought it was written 200 years ago. Group 19 did a very good job of keeping the lyrics informative while entertaining us with a rap. The slide show was also nice so that we could read what you were saying and see some good pictures. Nice work group 19.

I enjoyed group 19 the most. At first I was skeptical of a rap, but it was very well done. I liked that all the group members took turns rapping different sections; they all clearly put a lot of time into it. The pictures and lyrics were well done and put together nicely. It showed a contrast between idealism and realism. It made the story of Chabert more modern, and gave the story some more imagery. Major themes including money, debt, police, and gold diggers, are prevalent in both Colonel Chabert and rap in general. It worked. I enjoyed the presentation, very entertaining

The presentations given on May 12 had again multiple groups with immense creativity. Personally, group 19 and their rendition of Ice Cube’s “Today was a good Day” was one of the more creative and relatable to the audience. They entitled their interpretation of the classic rap song, “Chaubert Had A Bad Day”.  You can tell that they thought about whom their audience was when preparing their project. Students between the ages of 18 and 22 have grown up with the world of Hip Hop and have seen its growth. Their decision to do a song allows the audience to relate it to their own life and personal experiences as well as to be more intrigued with their presentation. As for the lyrics and meaning of the song they created, the title basically sums it up. They go through the story of Colonel Chaubert, which is more or less an extremely bad day even though it spans for more than a day. In my opinion, group 19’s cleverness with their presentation idea as well as the execution set them above and beyond most groups.

The group presentation that I liked the most from this set of student projects was Group 19's Chabert rap. The reason that I liked this presentation was because it was really unique compared to the other presentations that were given in the past. From personal experiences of trying to change the lyrics of a rap, I knew how long it must've taken them to put their presentation together. It made me feel like they really had to analyze the story of Colonel Chabert. The fact that they decided to perform a rap kept me interested the entire presentation because the way they expressed their take on the story was in a modern way. It was highly entertaining. I am very glad they chose to show the lyrics to their rap in a powerpoint because it made it easy to follow along. The only thing I think that could've been different was the pictures in the powerpoint. I think it would have been better if they took pictures of themselves somewhat acting out the story of Chabert in a "gangster" way. I think that would have been more relevant. Overall I really enjoyed their presentation as a whole and would be glad to hear more presentation raps in the future.

My favorite presentation of the day was Group 19. The rap about Colonel Chabert was VERY creative and well done. The rap was poetic and gave a well oganized representation of the story of Colonel Chabert. My favorite line in the rap is "Can't the war hero be recognized as alive? Society is more corrubtable than a disc drive". Relating Chabert's struggles to injustices seen in society was brilliant. I also really liked the line, "She's as slimy as a squid the way she's using her kids, but Chabert catches on and gets wind of her con." The metaphors used in the rap were great and create accurate representations of the characters. The group show that they have a stong understanding of the story and that a lot of time was obviously spent creating this rap. Great job Group 19!

Easily my favorite performance was the second to last group, group 19. They were hilarious. Their take on the Romanic writings of Chabert were not only humorous but they touched on just about every single aspect of the book. I felt that it was perfect that they used the idea of a rap song because the content of the book contained very similar themes as the lyrics in rap songs today, themes such as; women, money, betrayal and hatred.  The whole time in the novel Chabert struggles to get his money, wife and name back through the character Derville and group nineteen did a great job of making sure that those struggles came across very clear within their rap depiction of the book. They also made it very clear to the audience as to what exactly was going through Chabert’s head during his struggle which I found interesting. I have to admit I was not prepared for them to use profanities in their rap, which were not bad at all, but I am glad they used the modern day slang to truly give their rap the true essence of that type of music today. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the work that was put into this project. Not only did they cover just about every main topic in the book but they did it in a clear and concise way. The group did a lot of work because their PowerPoint presentation flowed perfectly and they created a good amount of their own personal lyrics to the wrap which must have taken some time. Great job on the rap and the interpretation of the book it was a fun and interesting presentation to listen to.

I really enjoyed group 19! I like how they took Colonel Chabert's story and turned it into a rap. That was very fun and entertaining. They were able to take the story and successfully make it a little bit more understandable with modern terms. I did like how they chose rap and connected it to the themes of the book like, money, greed, police, etc. It was a great connecting and I never thought of that until they mentioned it. I mean when I read Colonel Chabert I admit I definitely got a little lost at times with the wording because it seemed to be a little complex. With their rendition of it I felt like I really understood the story. It was a great idea and really kept me entertained with the pictures that went along with the rap song. They were able to keep it fun while still capturing the essence of Colonel Chabert's sad story of how he pretty much lost his identity because of a greedy woman. Great job guys!While all the projects were excellent, I was the most impressed by Group 19’s rap about Colonel Chabert. I think it takes a lot of courage to write and perform a rap for any project.  Probably my favorite part about the rap was how they sampled Ice Cube’s classic “It Was a Good Day.”   It was a very clever use of irony.  In “It Was a Good Day,” Ice Cube raps about what a good day it he just had in South Central L.A., one of his reasons being that he didn’t have to use his AK.  Colonel Chabert, on the other hand, definitely did not have many “good days” throughout the book.  In fact, it was quite the opposite. Colonel Chabert endured much suffering.  This group did a solid job of combining a decent narrative of his hardships with entertaining rhymes.  I really liked the opening where he’s talking about Chabert in the lawyer’s office for the fifth time.  There were definitely some funny lines.  However, the group also did a good job of staying relevant to the story, and not putting in too much hip-hop fluff.  I think that would’ve taken a lot away from the project, and this group avoided that quite well.  Good job guys, your project was very fun and I enjoyed it a lot.

I found all of the projects that went today very interesting but the one that I found most interesting was the project that made a rap. I knew that professor marx said that a rap would be a good idea for the project but I did not imagine a rap turning out this well. They did an excellent job making the rap sound real, and incorporating modern rap themes with the themes going on in a lot of the stories we have read so far. Like they stated at the end of their presentation, modern rap talks a lot about "gold diggers" and violent crimes and they did  a very good job of making their rap sound normal while incorporating these themes we have been reading about.

On May 12 the presentations were interesting and I thought each group did a great job. The one I enjoyed the most was the Chabert rap by group 19. I thought it was an interesting way to present the Honore Balzac by Colonel Chabert.  The short story talked about war and how everyone thought Colonel was dead but really returned. I thought that the rap was based off a short storyline that is similar to what rappers in today’s society sing about. I thought the group chose a unique way to describe and interpret their project.

Group 19’s presentation was the only one I even remotely enjoyed today. Their rap was creative and was full of clever rhymes. I thought it was very appropriate to talk about Colonel Chabert as if he were living some a kind of life very similar to some recent rappers fascination with money, women, and status. Also they did it in a really fun way, which we really need to see more off. As a class we have already sat through enough simple PowerPoint presentations and need something fun to keep us interested.  I believe everybody else that presented today could have put a lot more effort into it and done a much better job.  With that being said even this group could have done a much better job. I really liked the premise, but the final product just felt rushed or last minute. None the less it was still the most creative and for the most part I enjoyed it. It was a shame that we had two Fredrick Douglas presentations in one day. It’s been forever since we read that and I feel like most of us already have quite a good understanding of from other classes.

Group 20

The most influential presentation, to me was description from Group 20 of how Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery. These details are skipped in Douglass’ autobiography because he didn’t want to ruin the possibility of escape for other slaves. This omission left a large hole in the story since it is the most critical part of the story that an inquiring mind would want to know. Leaving these details out was a very smart thing to do, as the presentation outlined that there were men in New York who would actively look for escaped slaves, and any new details on how an escape happened would only add to the tools that these people had available. I found it especially interesting that he had several encounters with people he knew along the way, which could have easily ended in him getting caught and taken back into captivity. Also, having the conductor look at his papers instead of the ticket booth was very smart, and once again must have been one of the most stressful moments a person could ever have. I never had thought of how Douglass could have met Anna Murray, and found in fascinating that Douglass had met her in a black debating club. It must have been very hard to keep that a secret while he was still a slave. Overall, knowing the details to how Douglass escaped went a long way in closing the story as a whole.

I liked group 20 the best. I think they gave a very concise over view of the history of Fredrick Douglas. They gave us a lot of details that were not given of mentioned in the book. This type of background and detail is important when reading a historical novel because it helps the reader know the setting. When it comes to Fredrick Douglas, he left out many of the details that actually led to his escape and his life afterward. Knowing how Douglas escaped and all of the details and plans that had to be made before he could escape was very interesting. The path that he had to take was extensive and seeing how he had to put his life in many strangers hands showed how much he had to trust people that he had never met. This shows how life has changed, as we rarely talk to strangers anymore, much less rely on them with our life.

Group 20’s presentation on Frederick Douglass’s escape from slavery was the most meaningful to me.  Ever since I finished reading his book, I have been wondering exactly how he escaped since he does not describe it in much detail.  It honestly has been bugging me since we finished it a couple weeks ago.  I found it incredibly interesting that Douglass used the train, probably the most public and indiscreet form of transportation at the time, not once, but twice!  It was also intriguing to learn that Douglass ran across a number of people on his that would have recognized him and sent him back.  Douglass walked a tightrope and I admire his courage.

Group 20 gave a presentation on how Frederick Douglass escaped slavery.  It wasn’t like most of the other presentations which had some form of satire incorporated into them.  This presentation was very serious and strictly informative about the escape of Frederick Douglass.  He actually tried to escape twice but failed the first time.  His first attempt occurred in 1836 but was thwarted in his efforts.  He then went to work in a shipyard for two years, where he picked up the lingo and swagger of sailors.  Two years later, he attempted another escape this time disguised as a sailor because he knew all their mannerisms.  He departed on Dedecmber 3rd, 1838, from Baltimore and traveled to Wilmington and then to Philadelphia and finally to New York.  He took a steamboat from Wilmington to Philadelphia disguised as a sailor and had to avoid people who recognized him.  He met Anna Murray, a free house maid, and fell in love with her.  Anna lent him money to pay for his train ticket.  He rode on a train, then took a ferry, and then rode on another train to get to New York.  To get onto these trains, he would pay someone to laod his bags on for him.  Then, he would run and sneak onto the train as it was starting to roll away and simply give the ticket checkers his  fake sailor papers, which they would check briefly because there were so many people on the train to check.  After spending some time in New York, Frederick Douglass moved to Massachusetts where he worked as an unskilled laborer.  Eventually, he became a preacher and preached against slavery.