Summative Response:

I have thoroughly enjoyed this unit ENGL102. I actually transferred this semester from Sydney University and was doing a completely different course. I knew that I always had a passion to become a High School teacher, but after receiving my HSC marks and having an opportunity to do so many courses I decided to try something that I would have never otherwise chosen. Despite this minor set back, I am so happy that I have had the privilege to start new, at a new university, doing what I have always felt passionate about. To be Honest I found this unit my most relaxing and enjoyable. I loved the fact that our major essay was due towards the start of the semester (I found it a lot less stressful to complete it then.)

I believe that the weekly blogs were also beneficial as they allowed for growth and development and encouraged the use of technology. Personally I felt it enabled us to gain better knowledge of the text also, more specifically through the critical responses. Likewise, the peer reviews enabled us to see what type of work other students were presenting and thus allowed us to reflect on the quality of work that we were submitting. We explored many themes during this semester in ENGL102, however I believe the most prominent concepts explored include: Australian identity, indigenous Australians, feminism, the importance of relationships, death, nature and art. I enjoyed all the texts that we studied and the questions that were provided.

Two of my favourite blog questions come from weeks 4 and 9.

Week 4: “Do you think Barbara Baynton was intentionally criticising the church at the end of “The Chosen Vessel” or was this story more about the lack of male insight into women’s predicament at this time?”(Griffith, 1) Barbara Banyton’s “The chosen Vessel,” is a short story that exposes the harsh realities of the Australian bush life and heightens the mistreatment of women during the 19th century. Her work is an example of gothic literature in which she exposes how women are exploited, mistreated and disrespected by males. The woman in her story is raped and brutally murdered by a travelling swagman. Through her fiction horror writing Banyton examines the struggles a lonely women faces and emphases women’s predicament. I believe that the “ Chosen Vessel” is more about the lack of male insight into women’s predicament at this time rather then the criticism of the church. Please find below the link to my blog entry for week four.

Critical Post Week 4. 30/8/13

Week 9: “Take a line from Malouf’s novel and build your own paragraph in which you celebrate the joys of being connected to some aspect of nature. Use Jim, Imogen and Ashleigh as models….” (Griffith, 1). I really loved doing this blog entry because I was able express my love for Wentworth Falls and the exhilarating feeling I experience when walking at the falls. It is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. Please find below an image I actually took last week after my visit to the falls and my link to week 9 entry.

Creative: Week 9