Flowers For Algernon Essay Example For Students

Blossoms For Algernon Essay Look into Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Discuss the topics of distance and detachment in the two books. In 1818 Mary Shelley composed Frankenstein, the narrative of a man, so devoured by aspiration and a hunger for information that at long last his craving to live his fantasies, turned into his passing. Very nearly 150 years after the fact Daniel Keyes composed Flowers For Algernon, this too chronicled one keeps an eye on aspiration and saw what happens when science and morals cross. Today, in the year 2002 we are confronted with unlimited situations and inquiries of honesty unnaturally conceived children, cloning, hereditary coding and over the long haul and science improves increasingly more must be considered, particularly as mentalities change. Despite the fact that these books were composed at totally various occasions and at first appear to be altogether different both offer comparative thoughts and both inquiry the outcomes when science loses its heart. Frankenstein was written in a period of extraordinary debauchery, Shelley was sensibly wealthy and her works mirrors her own, upper white collar class status in the public eye. Frankenstein has now become classed as a gothic repulsiveness novel, with a demeanor of sentiment to it. In the stupendous convention of all books in the gothic repulsiveness kind, Frankenstein is a tangled catastrophe, wherein strange events happen in genuine circumstances. The term sentimental is put on this novel, to a great extent on account of the time it was composed as opposed to a specific piece of the plot. During the 1800s, music workmanship and writing went about as an outlet for the stifled society, through their work individuals figured out how to show energy and creative mind, instead of request and structure, books of the time were remote from conventional life. In the case of Frankenstein, in spite of the fact that Shelley had driven a fairly bright life, including an undertaking and elopement, society at the time was not extremely intriguing for ladies, through her work Shelley could take a nonappearance from her own reality and could investigate new and cloud thoughts. Crafted by this time, especially books demonstrated exceptionally famous as the profoundly implausible events gave amusement, yet the practical circumstances implied that they were anything but difficult to identify with. Blossoms For Algernon was written during the 1950s when innovation and science were starting to fan out as the world recuperated after WW2. In America purchaser innovation had been on the ascent since the twenties, however after the downturn and the resulting war all had gone calm in favor of cutting edge home contraptions. Yet, the new decade carried with it another energy and implied that science started to work to benefit the individuals, as it provided them with simple other options and helped them in their day by day schedule. One of the major logical improvements of the 50s was the investigation of room travel, and in America everybody was amped up for the possibility of future changes, particularly after, in 1958 NASA was made. Keyes had a degree in brain science, for his fifth work he chose to investigate the inward activities of a truly impeded keeps an eye on mind, in doing this Keyes figured out how to depict the feelings and aspirations of Charlie Gordon, delightfully and implied that this novel, was contacting just as logical. In contrast to Frankenstein, Flowers for Algernon is straightforward, its language isn't liberal or excessively luxurious, this could be down to the various periods, or could be a progressively purposeful strategy utilized by Keyes, the novel is comprised of a progression of progress reports composed by Charlie, the language utilized, makes the story increasingly acceptable and implies that the peruser is considerably more affected fair and square. .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .postImageUrl , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .focused content territory { min-tallness: 80px; position: relative; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:hover , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:visited , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:active { border:0!important; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d { show: square; progress: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-change: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; darkness: 1; progress: obscurity 250ms; webkit-progress: mistiness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:active , .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:hover { murkiness: 1; change: haziness 250ms; webkit-progress: obscurity 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .focused content zone { width: 100%; position: rel ative; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .ctaText { outskirt base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: striking; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; content enhancement: underline; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; fringe: none; outskirt sweep: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; text style weight: intense; line-stature: 26px; moz-fringe range: 3px; content adjust: focus; content embellishment: none; content shadow: none; width: 80px; min-tallness: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/straightforward arrow.png)no-rehash; position: outright; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u9f28e64649211e7d7e3309eac7fb795d:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: From overhang to burial chamber. EssayKeyes different works incorporated some short sci-fi impacted stories, this clearly affected Keyes composing, as Flowers for Algernon is revolved around a to some degree implausible thought of groundbreaking mind medical procedure, yet the story is truly conceivable. This procedure of obscuring the limits between the genuine and strange is acquired from gothic writing, yet some way or another Keyes work appears to be more adult and reasonable than Shelleys story. This distinction might be down to the hole of over a century between the books, albeit today Flowers for Algernon may appear to be somewhat dated, it is as yet acknowledged as a bit of contemporary writing and still mirrors a portion of the inquiries that despite everything plague our general public. Blossoms for Algernon, is written in the principal individual, from the perspective of Charlie Gordon, a man in his 30s who is seriously impeded. The book is an assortment of progress reports composed previously, while and after Charlie gets clinical mediation to help raise his knowledge levels. Preferably, the activity Charlie has, is intended to raise his insight and guarantee that that he stays savvy, anyway as the primary human to get the treatment neither Charlie, nor the specialists have any thought how the story will end. At first the treatment is by all accounts a triumph as Charlie arrives at new statures of insight and even is named a virtuoso anyway it before long turns out to be certain that the treatment was not durable and Charlies mind starts to break down as he implodes into his old self. As Charlies knowledge is expanded he is compelled to consider another arrangement of issues that include him, the book takes on a more profound position as the peruser learns of Charlies battles and how separation assaults his soul. In Frankenstein much time is gone through depicting Victor Frankensteins time on earth and his creation, anyway a little area of the novel is given to the beast as the peruser can see his life and battles. The peruser discovers how the beast longs for a history and needs to find out about his reality, to do this he attempts to follow his maker, Charlie responds in a fundamentally the same as path as once his knowledge rises he needs to now progressively about his past and needs to discover his folks. Blossoms for Algernon opens with an advancement report composed by the then truly hindered Charlie, in the weeks that follow Charlie is guided, educated and experiences spearheading medical procedure that helps his insight drastically. Anyway as his brain extends he immature enthusiastic insight is scrutinized, as he sees things around him and is compelled to confront extreme inquiries concerning his reality, Charlie learns the most difficult way possible that being brilliant doesn't bring joy.

Colorism in the African American Society

Prejudice has been an extremely noticeable issue most usually among highly contrasting individuals. In spite of the fact that it is the most recognized; it isn't the main case of race separation. Race separation happens among different ethnicities and foundations of individuals. Once in a while race separation can come to pass as a result of people’s purpose of perspectives on specific things, for example, religion, shading, age, or even sex. In the accounts, â€Å"The Wife of His Youth† and â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† bigotry and some different types of segregation are available, however shockingly it isn’t one race contradicting another. It is dark on dark prejudice, or all the more explicitly â€Å"colorism;† this is separation dependent on skin shading (Nittle 1). â€Å"Wife of His Youth,† a short story by Charles Chesnutt addresses the tussles of race as a fair looking and dim African American in this manner to the American common war, through the characters Mr. Ryder and Liza Jane. While similarly dark; the lighter skin (Mr. Ryder) had a social favorable position during isolation times. Kate Chopin’s story â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† has a tantamount subject in spite of its setting; it occurred past to the common war. It concerns Desiree and her better half Armand; who bring forth a darker cleaned kid. Their dread that society would dispose of them drives the story to a sad closure. In spite of the fact that, Charles Chesnutt’s story was composed after the common war and Kate Chopin’s was composed before the common war, the two stories show that separation despite everything existed completely inside African American ethnic gatherings. A gross measure of Charles Chesnutt works represents the hardships he suffered in the south as a light African American all the more explicitly â€Å"Wife of His Youth,† which is a short story that occurred after the common war. Chesnutt satirically uncovers not just the challenges looked by racially mixed people yet in addition their extraordinary partialities against all the more hazily concealed African Americans. Chesnutt himself was a result of blended marriage also: in reality he was distinguished as an African American anyway he regularly alluded to himself as white American as well (Rossetti 1). Mr. Ryder who was the principle character in the short story, â€Å"The Wife of His Youth† by Charles Chesnutt, had a comparative life story as Chesnutt. Mr. Ryder was very much regarded by his general public called the Blue Veins. As indicated by Fleischmann, â€Å"Their presence, as meager society of shaded people [whose] reason it was to set up and keep up right social standard among a people whose social condition introduced practically boundless space for improvement† ( Chesnutt 463). This Blue Veins society was a general public inside the bigger society. The bigger society otherwise called the â€Å"white controlled society† had a bad situation for African Americans. There was no space for center ground where African American and Caucasians could thrive. The Blue Veins society was made with the goal that lighter cleaned, minorities individuals whose skin showed up so white that their veins demonstrated like Mr. Ryder, could have critical enrollment in this white society. (Chesnutt 1)They would not like to be sorted with the darker African American gatherings. In the short story, â€Å"No one was qualified for enrollment who was not white enough to show Blue Veins† (Chesnutt 1). With this short story Chesnutt shows that shading matters inside the race. The Blue Veins society doesn't accentuate culture of the race however how light their skin shading shows up. Individuals like Liza Jane, the spouse of Mr. Ryder would not be equipped for participation in his general public since she was uncommonly dark and her social status in the public eye was a previous as a ranch specialist. As the reader’s continues towards the end, some may loathe Mr. Ryder genuine feelings. The peruser may understand that in spite of the fact that Mr. Ryder at first attempted to slip away from his dark parentage through the Blue Veins society; he is clashed with this blame. Liza Jane out of nowhere appears at Mr. Ryder’s house with assurance to discover her significant other (initially named Same Taylor yet now known as Mr. Ryder). Ignorant that she is for sure conversing with Mr. Ryder; she begins revealing to him her story, and how she has been scouring around town for her better half. In the end, Mr. Ryder admits that he is Liza Jane’s tragically deceased spouse anyway it was not until he picked up acknowledgment from the Blue Veins Society. I n the short story it says: My companions, what might the man do? I will guess that he was one who cherished respect, and attempted to manage all men. I will even convey the case further, and assume that maybe he had set his heart upon another, whom he had would have liked to consider his own. What might he do, or rather what should he to do, in such an emergency of a lifetime? â€Å"It appeared to me that he may falter, and I envisioned that I was an old companion, a close to companion, and that he had come to me for exhortation; and I contended the case with him. I attempted to talk about it unbiasedly. After we had viewed the issue according to each perspective, I said to him, in words that we as a whole know: ‘This most importantly: to thine own self be valid, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be bogus to any man. At that point, at long last, I put the inquiry to him, ‘Shall you recognize her? ‘(Chesnutt 796) The Blue Veins society is so focused on looks that, Mr. Ryder is practically hesitant to recognize his significant other without the endorsement from their general public. He realized that this general public victimized darker appearance African Americans so he was uncertain on whether they would concede Liza Jane. Ch arles Chesnutt exhibits that prejudice inside race exists and that shading does matters. Nonetheless, the test is for the individual to comprehend their racial history and to develop from these understandings. Another character that has been overwhelmed by his racial history is Armand Aubigny from the short story, â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† composed by Kate Chopin. â€Å"Of every one of her works Kate Chopin is maybe most popular for ‘Desiree’s Baby. ’ It is the most Anthologized of all her short stories† (Cruz 430). Chopin recounts to the anecdote about Desiree a received kid whose parent’s legacy was obscure. At the point when she turned into a lady, her excellence pulled in the consideration of Armand Aubigny, a neighboring manor proprietor. These two characters later get hitched and bear a child. As time passes by the kid begins to show up more dark than white. When Desiree stands up to circumstance about the child’s composition; Armand considers her responsible in light of her obscure parentage; not realizing that he also has some obligation in the baby’s appearance. â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† happens in the south before the Civil War. Actually, it is one of only a handful scarcely any short stories composed by Kate Chopin that is set before the Civil War (Kate Chopin â€Å"Desiree’s† Baby 1) Around this time, many blended blood kids like Armand and Desiree inclined towards their white legacy to stay away from troubles that the dim African American needed to experience, for example, lynching, beating, burglary, sexual embarrassment, bondage, and so on. Armand Aubigny, one of the characters in this short story was constrained by this period to stifle his past and keep his African American family covered up. He knew being from a darker plummet; it would bring complexities and out of line treatment for him in the white society. Two different ways he covered his past and his family line was: in the wake of finding that the baby’s darker appearance; he tossed Desiree and the infant out of his home. In the short story Desiree says to him â€Å"Shall I go Armand? † and he answered back, â€Å"Yes go† (Chopin 3). He additionally seized all the things that helped him to remember his African American family line, and consumed them; leaving no proof of him consistently being dark. One of the things consumed was a letter from his mother to his dad saying that, she â€Å"belongs to the race that is reviled with the brand of slavery† (Chopin 4). The peruser is dubious on whether Armand was fruitful with staying discreet anyway such mysteries are excruciating to hold. Oslyn Reso Foy states in one of her articles that â€Å"Armand moved out of the shows that have administered his life and Chopin strips him of the cover that have concealed his genuine self† (223). Armand discovers that it is critical to grasp your own ethnicity as opposed to attempting to member with another. An alternate delineation of segregation inside the race in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† is the conduct towards of the baby’s appearance. In the start of the story, Madame Valmonde had shown up for a little while at Desiree’s Home. She was shaken by the child and dithered to accept that it was theirs. â€Å"This isn't the infant! † Madame Valmonde shouted, in alarmed tone (Chopin 2). By the manner in which she reacted to the baby’s appearance approves her anxiety the result of the baby’s appearance. This leaves the crowd with a matter of vulnerability on whether the child would have gotten a similar treatment; on the off chance that it was a lighter appearance. Armand activities too changed when he understands the child is brown complexion. In the article, â€Å"Semiotic Subversion in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ reports that â€Å"before he betrayed his significant other and infant, Armand was the proudest father†¦Marriage and later the introduction of his child had mollified Armand Aubigny imperious and demanding nature greatly† ( Peel 226). Armand needed a child anyway he favored a white cleaned infant rather than a darker looking infant. Not knowing Desiree’s obscure legacy exploded backward on him and left him with a child whose composition was darker than both of theirs rather than lighter. In today society bigotry, isolation, segregation, and so forth is commonly publically ended and illegal; we see amp

4 Books to Get You Started on Contemporary International Politics

4 Books to Get You Started on Contemporary International Politics Sometimes Hollywood and Netflix makes the U.S. seem like the whole world. Especially if, like me, you have the tendency to click on things in your recommended list. We can really get caught up in a bubble when Netflix or Amazon recommends stuff to us that they know well like, based on our previous purchases. Then the media were exposed to doesnt so much open our minds as reinforce our pre-existing values or beliefs. With  Western democracy being increasingly cast in doubt, reading beyond ones political ideology is now more important than ever (if youre not convinced, herere  5 reasons why you should). And that includes broadening our horizons to look at contemporary politics from a global view. So, because I believe in being a well-informed voter, I took a stroll down the Politics section of the library andâ€"boy was it overwhelming! For someone whose only exposure to contemporary international politics was House of Cards, I had to read a truckload to understand just the basics of wh ats going on in a few major countries of the world. To save you the trouble of getting lost in a whole labyrinth of political ideology, heres a list of books about contemporary international politics to get you started. Conscience of a conservative: A Rejection of destructive politics and a return to principle  by jeff flake A scathing critique of Trump that both Democrats and Republicans can appreciate. I found this a more genuine account of what goes on inside the White House than, say, the New York Times Bestseller  Fire and Fury,  which reads more like tabloid journalism (that one definitely wins in entertainment value, thoughâ€"I laughed when I learnt how much Trump hates reading). Some may accuse Senator Flake of hypocrisy, but the book itself takes a well-informed look at the current state of American politics, and makes a compelling call to return to bipartisanship and civility. How democracies die: What history reveals about our future  by steven levitsky and daniel ziblatt Democracies die when individuals are given power through democratic means and then subvert the systems rules or principles. In this book, Harvard scholars Levitsky and Ziblatt examine the collapse of modern democracies such as Germany and Italy, laying out the warning signs of authoritarianism that are flashing all too brightly now in Trump-led U.S. Introduction to Comparative Politics: The State and Its Challenges  By Robert Hislope and Anthony Mughan Recommended to me by a Pol. Science friend. Quite beginner-friendly. Hislope and Mughan provide an adequate number of case studies, comparing the authoritarian regimes of Myanmar, Kuwait and Paraguay with various systems of democracy. I found the chapter on organised crime most fascinating. Its rare in a textbook to get such a detailed study of the impact of crime on politics. The East asian challenge for Democracy: political meritocracy in comparative perspective  edited by daniel A. Bell and chenyang li Here we leave behind the traditional dichotomy of democracy and authoritarianism. Writers of this essay compilation met in Singapore, the only officially meritocratic country that doesnt reject democracy, to exchange ideas. Comparing the political meritocracy of Singapore and China with its philosophy, history, and practice in the U.S. and UK, this book is a wellspring of political wisdom. As scholars openly weigh the strengths and weaknesses of both democracy and meritocracy, they prompt us to consider how democratic processes of selection can best be integrated with the Confucian ideal of meritâ€"be it intelligence or virtueâ€"in public leadership, without falling prey to the corruptive influence of power. Some critics call Singapore an autocracy, but as this writer puts it, at least the escalators work. What books do you recommend about contemporary international politics?   Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

The Demand Of The Economy Essay - 701 Words

â€Å"The demand-pull means that demand in the economy is the key factor, which may be result of cheap borrowing or tax cuts† (Morrison, 2011, p. 85). The reduced interest rate has made cheaper borrowing possible. Just four years prior to 2005, in 2001 the lending interest rate in Nigeria was 23.4%. Over the next decade the lending rate slowly decreased to 16.5% in 2014. The decreased rate made it easier for consumers to increase their spending capabilities in lines of short-term credit. The lending rate has remained high, averaging 16.92% over the last ten years and is significantly lower than the 23.4% rate in 2001. As Morrison (2011, p. 85) points out, high inflation tends to force up interest rates, to enable investors to achieve a real return on investment. From 2008 to 2010 and again in 2012, the lending rate increased with the inflation rate. The graph indicates that after 2010, the GDP growth rate did decrease due to the high interest rates. Higher interest rates also make disposable consumer income decrease which lowers the domestic product demand. Even though the GDP per capita is increasing every year, the effects of price inflation compounded with higher interest rates than other competing markets have put the citizens in a severe state of poverty. According to (The World Factbook: Nigeria), Over 62% of the total population is below the poverty line. This is due to increased cost of living and increased interest rates on borrowing. The growth will soon slowShow MoreRelatedThe Effect Of Aggregate Demand On The Economy1048 Words   |  5 PagesAs supported by the minutes released from the November meeting of the Federal Open-market Committee, the economy continues to strengthen and looks as though it will remain healthy through the foreseeable future. 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This paper will show how Domino s Pizza can increase or decrease its revenue by using price elasticity of demand and will discuss interpretations of elastic demand, inelastic demand and unit elasticity. Furthermore, this paper will show how determinants of price elasticity of demand affect decisions by analyzing substitutability and proportion of income and time. The determination of how to increase or decrease revenue is thoroughly investigatedRead MoreIs The Us Healthcare System Truly Reflective Of A Free Market Economy Driven By Supply And Demand?1763 Words   |  8 Pagespneumonia causing an increase in demand for certain antibiotics and medical care (supply) necessary to treat these ailments. If physicians and/or hospitals do not increase their supply, this will cause a shortage in medical care available meaning the price for care will increase. This is, at its very basic, an example of supply and demand. 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(18) Economic growth is an increase in the output that an economy produces over time, for the minimum of two consecutive quarters. Economic growth can benefit an economy in a number of ways. Firstly, higher average incomes, this allows consumers to enjoy more goods and services and enjoy better standards of living. This in turn could lead to the ‘Trickle Down’ effect, those who are the highest income earners spending their disposable income on goods and services in the economy, thoseRead MoreDifference Between Aggregate Demand And The Price Level1747 Words   |  7 Pages(3) A) What is Aggregate Demand? Aggregate demand is the total amount that all consumers, businesses, government agencies, and foreigners spend on final goods and services. Aggregate demand is represented by the aggregate-demand curve, and it describes the relationship between price levels and the quantity of output that firms are willing to provide. 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Summary Of The Scarlet Letter - 1266 Words

The Power of Guilt At some point in life, everyone makes an unintelligent decision. Oftentimes, these decisions leave people feeling guilty and with nobody to blame but themselves. In the Puritan society presented in The Scarlet Letter, sin is not taken lightly. Sinners are publicly presented on the town scaffold and have to endure embarrassing gossip. Dimmesdale, a church minister, commits adultery with Hester Prynne, and she has a child. Dimmesdale does not confess his sin for several years after Hester is publicly shamed on the scaffold. Dimmesdale gets what he deserves because he chooses to commit the sin and brings the guilt upon himself. Dimmesdale’s guilt deteriorates his mental and physical health as seen by many events,†¦show more content†¦The shame Dimmesdale feels only gets stronger as time goes on. The text states, â€Å"‘Crime is for the iron-nerved’†(Hawthorne 134). At a certain point, it becomes too much for him to handle and he returns to the sc affold. His mental state of mind was unstable, therefore explaining why his behavior becomes so erratic. He screams in pain and thinks he sees Wilson, one of his fellow church elders. He also commonly has visions of Pearl and the scarlet letter. Hester and Pearl join Dimmesdale on the scaffold, united in sin and as a family for the first time. It represents a purgation of sin, however, it was not a true purgation because nobody is there to witness it. Dimmesdale refuses to join Hester and Pearl publicly, therefore neglecting another opportunity to release his body and soul from the guilt and shame that is physically and mentally killing him. Dimmesdale is a minister in a Puritan society. This means that he should be free of sin and respect marriage rights. However, Dimmesdale is the opposite. He is looked up to by many people in society and they all think that he is a saintly man. As a holy man, Dimmesdale knows that he is corrupting the church, making whatever guilt that was already present even more prominent within his thoughts. He is now responsible for corrupting the religious experience and beliefs of all of the townspeople attending the church, not only his own. He knows that he will also be responsible for theShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1633 Words   |  7 PagesMahanoor Khan AP English, Block 5 Mrs. Schuet 26 September 2014 1. Title and Author: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn 2. Summary: A women named Hester, one of the protagonists in the novel, has committed adultery, and has a child. The townspeople believe that her punishment should be to wear the letter A on her clothing so she and the town can remember her sin. Her daughter name is Pearl. Hester will not reveal with whom she had the affair with. The reverend named Dimmesdale is the fatherRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1337 Words   |  6 PagesHokstad ENG 3UC 17 May 2016 Nature of Good and Evil in The Scarlet Letter There is a nature of good and evil in every person. Whether a person tries to push away the evil and be as good as they can be or let the evil consume their well- being. The nature of good and evil can be seen on a day to day basis in the way people act towards others, the crimes they have committed or the lies they do or do not tell. In the book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a recurring theme of theRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1436 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Journal 1 I empathize most with Reverend Dimmesdale. He had to live with the secret of his sin for many years. He also was a reverend and had to preach about sins every Sunday and so was reminded constantly of what he did. In fact he felt so guilty about receiving no punishment while Hester was cursed with the letter that he â€Å"inflicted a hideous torture on himself† by carving the letter A into his own chest (Hawthorne 176). He has also had to endure much from Roger ChillingsworthRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 935 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter is about a woman, Hester Prynne, who has had an affair with a man who she would not name. During the affair Hester became pregnant, so the affair became known to the town. She had the child but would still not reveal who the father was she was then forced to wear a red A representing adulterer on her chest for the rest of her life. The movie Easy A is about Olive Pendergast is an average high school student who is not one of the super-popular girls, but not a loser eitherRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1329 Words   |  6 PagesMelanie Showers Mrs. Voshell Honors English 10 8 January 2016 Morality in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne describes many defining instances of different characters’ morality. Some of the characters’ opinions are very different, but the people of the town have a general morality that leads Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to deal with their sins differently in public, than in private. First, Hester’s morality, is not very defined at the beginning. She seems as though sheRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1136 Words   |  5 PagesNicholas Halford Greene American Lit 7th 18 Mar 2015 Final Draft The Puritan society, seen in The Scarlet Letter, traps many women in the confines of patriarchal gender role with its rituals and beliefs. These common beliefs caused many of the women in the community to feel oppressed and silenced. Amongst these silenced women, only a few chose to stand against these unfair and unjust beliefs. This minute group includes Hester Prynne, the adulteress whose scandalous life is at the center of theRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 2535 Words   |  11 Pageswritten down to tell those later what is right and wrong; evil and good in the world. Sin is very relevant in The Scarlet Letter, it is shown throughout the novel.The novel started and ended with a sin. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, is the cause of this debacle. Hester and Arthur’s inability to control their emotions gave Hester the scarlet letter, and only Hester can redeem herself out of it. Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover a nd also one of the churchRead MoreA Summary of The Scarlet Letter771 Words   |  3 PagesChillingworth sent her to Boston to wait for his arrival, but she ended up by having a child with Authur Dimmesdale, who was a minister of the town. So she was sent to the prison as she had committed adultery. One day, she was emerged from the prison with the letter â€Å"A† on her breast, which is a sign of punishment for her adultery commitment. She and her three-month old daughter, Pearl were led to the scaffold of pillory. At there, she was asked to tell who Pearl’s father is, but she refused to tell. AlthoughRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter- 1641 Words   |  7 PagesStephanie Nicolino Mrs. Sarich English 11H 10 October 2014 The Scarlet Letter- Chapters 9-12 (Passage Analyzer) Chapters 9 and 10 investigate the relationship in the middle of Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. On one level, Chillingworth speaks to science and Dimmesdale speaks to deep sense of being. Like Chillingworth s disfigured shoulders, Dimmesdale s disease is an outward sign of an internal condition, and not medication or religion suffices to cure it. What hampers his recuperation is hisRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1485 Words   |  6 Pages The Scarlet Letter Reading Journal Chapters 2-3 Hester Prynne is first introduced by an angry crowd of people calling for her death. It seems as Hester has done something terribly wrong, something unforgivable. It gave me mixed thoughts, because I had no idea what she had done that made these people so furious, she could be innocent for all I, or any of the characters, know. Hester’s babe was compared/contrasted to the Scarlet Letter on herself, showing that her babe, not the Letter, was the

Hamlet vs Othello Free Essays

In two of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Hamlet and Othello, potency and impotency are addressed through characters actions and schemes. To be potent is to wield power, to be mighty, influential, persuasive, and cogent. One in a high position, one whom many looked up to, would likely hold characteristics of potency. We will write a custom essay sample on Hamlet vs Othello or any similar topic only for you Order Now Contrastingly an impotent character would be one of a lower position, and accordingly one of lesser position and influence. The first of these plays, Hamlet, speaks of a young man, Hamlet, seeking revenge on his uncle for the murder of his father and the taking of his father’s throne and wife. The second play, Othello, demonstrates Iago, the antagonist, to be in want of Othello or Cassio’s higher position and his determination to obtain these through murder, deception, or any other vile mechanism. Young Hamlet from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Iago from Othello provide blatant contrast in the potency of their actions throughout the course of each play. Hamlet portrays an impotent character through his lack of communication and actions, and Iago portrays a potent character through his deceptive communication and decisive action. However, they demonstrate regardless of one’s influence or ability to wield power, similar motives will draw parallel conclusions. Throughout the course of the play Hamlet, the audience watches young Hamlet develop from a character that has no effect on the rest of his household to one who drastically changes its make up. In the beginning, he is compared to a dying king of another kingdom, one â€Å"who [is] impotent and bed-rid† by his uncle Claudius, and is seen to have little effect on anyone around him. (I. ii. 9) The speaker draws this comparison to place emphasis on the weak nature of Hamlet. Within the first acts, his character is not revealed through his communication with others, but through his asides and soliloquies. Upon an encounter with the ghost of his late father and the introduction to his mission to kill Claudius for revenge; Hamlet speaks in a soliloquy full of puzzlement over his subsequent actions. He decides that â€Å"break, [his] heart, for [he] must hold [his] tongue†, and thus not to speak with anyone regarding the matter, but search out the correct actions for himself (I. i. 159). Hamlet in this way designates his revenge to be interpersonal and impotent for the time as he determines his course of action, instead of taking action and speaking with others immediately. As he struggles within himself over the actions he will take, questions arise through witnessing more emotion portrayed in a play that happens on the King’s Court than he feels within him. Hamlet asks in an aside, â€Å"had [the player] the motive and cue for passion/That I have? † (II. ii. 564-565). Despite Hamlet’s definite purpose for revenge, he struggles with his inability to take action and admonishes himself for being unable to even show the emotion a player showed in a fake situation. In this way, impotency of Hamlet is greatly emphasized through his soliloquies and affirmation that â€Å"[he is] pigeon-livered, and lacks gall† towards enacting revenge for his father upon his uncle (II. ii. 581). Furthermore, he speaks about how â€Å"the son of a dear father murder’d/Prompted to [his] revenge by heaven and hell,/Must, like a whore, unpack [his] heart with words† instead of being able to take any determining action against Claudius (II. i. 587-590). At this point, Hamlet’s impotency has reached its highest potential. His purpose has been made clear, and the general course that his actions should take was dictated to him through the ghost; all that is left is for him to be decisive and take action. However, each action he takes is stagnant, and designed to determine his final measure of action instead complete it. From this point forward however, the actions of Hamlet and his plan regarding revenge slowly begin to play out. Since his call to action, he had been in search of a way to prove Claudius’ guilt, and once this is complete Hamlet will â€Å"take the ghost’s word† and complete revenge upon Claudius. Regrettably, due to his indecisiveness over what path to take to determine the king’s guilt, his final actions are made after Claudius is aware of the danger Hamlet presents to him. Thus the only chance Hamlet has to complete his final action is made as he is dying from being poisoned by the king through a â€Å"potent poison [which] quite o’er-crows [his] spirit† (V. ii. 357). In this way his exceeding impotence throughout most of the play resulted in his own murder, due to Claudius’ discovery of Hamlet’s revengeful motives. In Shakespeare’s Othello, a very different personality and methodology for completing a task is seen within Iago than has been seen in Hamlet. His soliloquies consist not of fighting with himself, determining the right and wrong actions, but they demonstrate his very potency in taking actions and manipulating others. Instead of toying with his own emotions Iago uses many different characters to complete his will throughout Othello, even those as minor as Roderigo. Roderigo is found throughout his death to be taken advantage of by Iago, and even speaks of Iago as one â€Å"hast had my purse/As if the strings were [his]† and been able to maneuver him into actions and words which he would not normally have taken (I. i. 2-3). Iago does not spend time contemplating and fighting within himself over the course of actions as Hamlet does, but speaks out. However, although Iago does speak with others, like Hamlet he never reveals his plan to the public. He instead works in secret through manipulation and devious actions. As Iago spends his time working through others and slyly taking critical actions, he speaks saying â€Å"Aye, that’s the way. /Dull not device by coldness and delay† (II. iii. 345-346). This very line, as well as the claim of Roderigo makes of Iago’s ability to manipulate and maneuver people, demonstrates the potency that Iago carries. He is able to take every opportunity present and use it to his own advantage. In order to weaken the position of Othello, he who holds Iago’s wanted position; Iago convinces Othello his wife has been unfaithful. He determines â€Å"if [he] gave [his] wife a handkerchief–â€Å" she should be able to give it to whomever she pleases as a token of affection (IV. i. 10). Thus, if Desdemona, Othello’s wife, no longer has the handkerchief it is a sure sign of her unfaithfulness due to the possibility of her giving it to a lover. By chance, Iago was aware that Desdemona could not find the handkerchief, and is able to use this to convince Othello that Desdemona is adulterous. As this part of Iago’s plan unfolds, Cassio and Desdemona–objects of Iago’s intent–are blindly drawn into his manipulation, yet Iago still appears to be innocent. He uses every chance he is presented with, and builds his plans to gain status as each new opportunity arises, instead of determining a full plan of action before proceeding as Hamlet did. However, due to the immediate action that Iago takes, he is not able to fully comprehend the repercussions of them, as Hamlet was able to do. In the end, this carelessness led to his downfall when he was unable to kill Cassio. Cassio’s death would have meant all the lies that Iago had been feeding to Othello and his peers would have seemed to be truth, and he would have been raised to a higher status as he wished. However, with Cassio still alive the truth of who Iago is and his motives become apparent. He is seen as an â€Å"inhuman dog† for all of the manipulation and scheming that he had done (V. i. 61). Thus he is sent to meet the same fate that he led others to meet, and â€Å"the censure of this hellish villain (Iago)† and eventual death, is left in the hands of a remaining government official (V. ii. 366-367). In the same manner that Hamlet was undone by his extreme impotency throughout the play, Iago was also taken by the reverse extreme, potency. Each character found a tremendous spectrum with seemingly no middle ground to act upon, and were each given a similar consequence for such extremes. Throughout the course of each tragedy, comparisons and contrasting elements can be drawn from both Hamlets’ Hamlet, and Othello’s Iago. Each has a direct goal in mind, and though they are different in detail, they are similar in how they are to be brought about. Though Hamlet and Iago have similar goals, their method for attaining each vary greatly. Hamlet speaks within himself; he wishes to be sure of his actions and the repercussions of them before executing his plan. In this way he is seen as an impotent character, one without influence and who does not manipulate his power in order to attain his goal of revenge. On the other hand, Iago directly manipulates people through his use of words and his own actions. He is viewed as a potent character for the way he uses power to attain his goal of a higher standing, and executes actions without seeming to consider the implications of each of them. In the end however, both Hamlet and Iago find themselves facing inevitable death due to their actions. Each character was an extreme of potency, either high potency, or none at all, and ultimately this led to their downfall. The idea of extremes leading to one’s downfall can be seen not only in Hamlet and Othello, but in many other cases as well. Apathy versus passion is an example of two extremes that if found in a marriage or even friendship, could lead to the end of the relationship. Were there such passion within man he could not control himself, it could end in the opposing party being disapproving, and ending the relationship at that point. Likewise were one to be extremely apathetic in a relationship; it could end abruptly through lack of communication, or the opposing party renouncing the relationship due to lack of any emotion. In this way, each person with an extreme position will be led to his or her downfall through the excessive nature of it, just as Hamlet and Iago were led to their death through extremes in potency. How to cite Hamlet vs Othello, Essay examples

The Significance of Souls of Black Folks

One hundred years after The beginning of the twentieth century was characterized by numerous changes taking place in every country of the world. The United Stated were also transforming into a new society. Americans tried to build a truly democratic country where all people of many nations and colors could be really equal. By all means, that was quite a difficult and very long process. In fact, it is hardly possible to state that the process has changed even one hundred years after. Of course, the life of African Americans has changed dramatically.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Significance of Souls of Black Folks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, in 1900 the majority of African Americans (83%) were living in rural areas, whereas in 1994 the majority of African American population (86,3%) lives in urban areas (Steele 35). It goes without saying that this part of population has gained m any freedoms and in the beginning of the twenty-first century African Americans play an important role in the society. Nevertheless, the issue of racial intolerance is still one of the most burning in the United States. Many African Americans face many injustices and have to struggle trying to prove that they worth the freedoms gained. Thus, in such a world the book by W.E.B. Du Bois Souls of Black Folks can never become less important than I was 100 hundred years ago. The book has two major values. First of all, it is a historical sketch of what was happening in the society. So, it is a great source of detailed and comprehensive information. On the other hand, this book can be a valuable didactic source. Apart from giving certain facts and figures, the book also portrays the inner world of African Americans who had to struggle for being equal to white people. Thus, while reading Souls of Black Folks many can find the solution for the long-lasting tension. The value of factual infor mation Despite the fact that Du Bois tried to outline â€Å"the spiritual world in which ten thousand Americans live and strive† he provided a lot of particular historical information (Du Bois 4). For instance, he mentions certain dates, figures and names which were significant for the life of African Americans. Thus, in â€Å"Of the Dawn of Freedom† Du Bois traces the major stages of the slavery emancipation process. He does not merely depicts the fears and hopes of African Americans but precisely reveals the conditions which formed those feelings in that part of American society. He comments on particular steps implemented by individuals or organizations to obtain equality. Notably, Du Bois provides quite unbiased analysis of those actions. He does not judge from the individual’s viewpoint, he sees the entire picture and articulates what was good or bad for the overall community of African Americans.Advertising Looking for research paper on american liter ature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, Du Bois articulates that Washington’s program is erroneous in several crucial points. Byerman stresses that Du Bois â€Å"countered† one of the central Washington’s ideas of industrial education for African Americans (199). Du Bois, on the contrary, revealed that higher education is essential for African Americans since it is the key to obtaining true equality with white people (46). Such attention to facts makes the book informative and realistic. Du Bois manages to explain what conditions evoked certain feelings in African Americans. This factual precision prevents readers from perceiving the book as a fictional contemplation about tragedy of African Americans. This academic approach enables readers to draw certain conclusions on the basis of truthful facts and personal point of view of an educated person. Inner world of African Americans Du Bois denotes th at the major of the book is to reveal the inner world of those who have to struggle for equality, those who pertain to particular culture but have to assimilate with other people who still regard themselves as masters. Schaffer states that Du Bois portrays African Americans as people who are born with veil which is â€Å"a metaphor for the bifurcation which the black man must routinely deal with† (266). Schaffer articulates that African Americans not only have to live in a hostile world but often â€Å"finds that the beliefs which he himself holds dear are hostile to himself† (266). Mocombe points out another definition to that peculiarity of African Americans’ inner world given by Du Bois, i.e. â€Å"double-consciousness† and â€Å"twoness† (1). Thus, Du Bois depicts his veil and his approach to the overall issue. Notably, he regards himself as a â€Å"problem†, he sees that there is a veil between him and the rest of the â€Å"pale† society (Du Bois 5). However, he also admits that he is not eager to tear the veil. Du Bois does not mind living on that side of it, but he has his own vision of solving the problem: he will beat those who does not want to accept him in everything. Nevertheless, Du Bois depicts other viewpoints of those who live behind the veil: some of them shut down and reveal only hatred or hostility to all â€Å"white† and many simply â€Å"waste† their energy pitying themselves and cursing their fate of being strangers in their â€Å"own house† (5). At this point it is necessary to note that Du Bois considers this duality of souls in terms of â€Å"the racial science and the ideology of biological determinism† (Mocombe 1). Thus, Du Bois admits that African Americans assimilate with the American society but at the same time have their own particular beliefs determined by their racial type.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Significan ce of Souls of Black Folks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is necessary to point out that Du Bois is quite emotional in expressing thoughts and dreams of African Americans. His essays are very catching since irrespective of race or nation the reader starts thinking of unfairness of the â€Å"problems†. This mixture of scientific (historical and sociological) approach and emotionality of a representative of the suppressed part of society reveals the tragedy of African Americans living in the beginning of the twentieth century. The tragedy of African Americans Du Bois portrays many hardships of African Americans throughout his book: from the days of civil war up to the moment when democratic principles won (or at least they were thought to win) in the society. Du Bois reveals those harsh points which really need consideration. For instance, he states that many people think they know a lot about the life of African Americans, but they do not try to know more (Du Bois 63). Moreover, those people are afraid of coming across some unpleasant facts which will explicitly show the real conditions where African Americans have to live. Thus, Du Bois finds it natural to reveal some facts about African Americans’ lives: â€Å"their daily lives and longings†, â€Å"their homely joys and sorrows†, â€Å"their real shortcomings and the meaning of their crimes† (Du Bois 63). Again Du Bois provides many credible facts which enhance the impression provided by the book. While reading the book it is possible to see the real tragedy of African Americans. It is necessary to stress that Du Bois exploits quite fruitful technique combining bright literary language and scientific analysis. The facts accompanied by bright metaphors bring into front the duality of American society where someone can enjoy the comfort of their lives and some should struggle for humane conditions of life. For instance, the story of Argonauts and the Golden Fleece is that background which underlines the inhumane conditions of African Americans’ lives (Du Bois 61-73). By all means, this approach serves the main purpose of the book – to make people know about the two sides of the coin, make them feel the necessity to find solutions. The significance of Souls of Black Folks The significance of the book can hardly be overestimated since it has been a potent stimulus to solve difficult (or rather unpleasant) issues. For instance, Harris defines Du Bois as â€Å"the filtering agent through which whites could learn what it means to be black† (218). Admittedly, the understanding of the viewpoints of both communities can lead to fruitful collaboration. Souls of Black Folks is a guide which teaches what is really important for African Americans. Harris claims that Du Bois â€Å"discusses issues to encourage sociobehavioral change within the African American community to develop European Am erican empathy toward African Americans† (218). It is necessary to point out that the book reaches its aim since it has evoked long-lasting discourse. The book was one of those factors which initiated the dialogue which in its turn generated many effective solutions.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The great value of the book is that it portrays unfairness of many things accepted in the society and at the same time he suggests certain solutions. Du Bois mentions the struggles and ignorance of African Americans, articulates their longing and fears. At the same time it is possible to trace certain strategies provided by Du Bois. Notably, those strategies are useful for both, â€Å"white† and â€Å"black† camp. For instance, â€Å"whites† reading the book can see the real conditions where â€Å"blacks† have to live, and this knowledge inevitable evokes the desire to change at least some part of the unfairness of the world. On the other hand, â€Å"blacks† reading the book can see possible options which can help to become equal to the rest of the population of â€Å"democratic† society. For instance, Du Bois promulgates the exclusive power of higher education which is the key to certain success. Of course, in the beginning of the twentieth century Du Bois could only dream about the veil removal. However, even in the twenty-first century some people create such artificial veil. The existence of those veils makes the book still up-to date. It goes without saying that nowadays Souls of Black Folks can be even more effective since many stereotypes and unfair rules are forgotten and condemned. Thus, it can be helpful to resort to the book when some biased situations emerge. Irrespective of nation or race people can find many ideas which can prevent or resolve conflict situations. In conclusion, it is possible to point out that the major significance of the book is that it can serve as a source of reconciliation. Works Cited Byerman, Keith Eldon. Seizing the Word: History, Art, and Self in the Work of W.E.B. Du Bois. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1994. Print. Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. The Souls of Black Folk (an African American Heritage Book). Radford, VA: Wilder Publications, 2008. Print. Harris, Shan ette M. â€Å"Constructing a Psychological Perspective: The Observer and the Observed in The Souls of Black Folks.† The souls of Black folk: one hundred years later. Ed. Dolan Hubbard. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2003. 218-251. Print. Mocombe, Paul. The Soul-Less Souls of Black Folk: A Sociological Reconsideration of Black Consciousness as Du Boisian Double Consciousness. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2009. Print. Schaffer, Robert G. â€Å"W.E.B. Du Bois’ the Souls of Black Folk as an Example of the Tragic.† The Orchestration of the Arts: A Creative Symbiosis of Existential Powers : The Vibrating Interplay of Sound, Color, Image, Gesture, Movement, Rhythm, Fragrance, Word, Touch. Ed. Marlies Kronegger. Norwell, MA: Springer, 2000. 265-275. Print. Steele, James Daniel. â€Å"The Soul of the â€Å"Black Belt† Revisited.† The souls of Black folk: one hundred years later. Ed. Dolan Hubbard. Columbia, Missouri: Uni versity of Missouri Press, 2003. 34-49. Print. This research paper on The Significance of Souls of Black Folks was written and submitted by user Jett W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sociological explanation of the rise of cohabitation, divorce and remarriage Essay Example

Sociological explanation of the rise of cohabitation, divorce and remarriage Essay Example Sociological explanation of the rise of cohabitation, divorce and remarriage Essay Sociological explanation of the rise of cohabitation, divorce and remarriage Essay Today, almost 25% of 18-49 year olds are cohabiting, it has been suggested that this is now an alternative to marriage. However, only a small percentage of women are cohabiting on a permanent basis and the majority of cohabitees are in a stage which proceeds marriage or going through the process of a breakup. For example, more than half of cohabitations last for less than two years and the reason the main reason for breakup is their decision to get married. This is linked to the decision to have children or the fact that the woman is already pregnant. There are three types of marital breakdown, divorce, which is a legal dissolution of marriage, separation, this is where partners live apart and empty-shell marriages, where the couples remain married but have separate emotional and social lives. Since 1971, marriages have fallen by one-fifth and divorce have doubled, this suggests a collapse in the institution of the family but it could be argued that all of this happened due to unhappy marriages which are likely to end in divorce and the number of empty-shell marriages has declined. The divorce rate partially reflects legal changes. When the law was liberalised to make divorce easier to obtain, there became an increase in the numbers applying for divorce. This is not a course of divorce but a reflection of unhappy marriages. Goode has argued that this process of liberalisation is part of a wider process of secularisation in western societies, by which he means that it reflects the decline in the institution of religion. There is now less stigma attached to it as society as accepted it. Examples of the sudden increase in divorce include the Divorce Reform Act which came into force in 1971 and in 1984 the shortening of the period that a couple had to be married before they could petition for divorce. The divorce rate is an almost exact reflection of the gradual liberalisation of divorce in the twentieth century. In 1969 the law was changed so that irretrievable breakdown of marriage became the only reason for divorce. This meant separation for two years if both partners wanted divorce or separation for five years for five years if only one partner wanted divorce. It has to be remembered that changes in the law reflects changes in public opinion, so we cannot say that the changes in divorce laws caused a rise in divorce, rather they allowed a rise in divorce. Goode has suggested that historically marriage in most societies was not based upon love, but was supposed to be an economic relationship with limited expectations regarding companionship. Partners did not expect marriage to provide partnership and sexual fulfilments as we do today. This links to another sociologist, Parsons who claims that the family has lost its wider functions and instead today is relegated to providing the emotional needs that are not available in the broader society. Furthermore, the decline in the extended family and the move to the nuclear family places greater emotional pressures on the fewer family members. The result of all this emotional loading is that the family becomes an emotional pressure cooker, with the head of emotions leading to chances of an explosion. If the family fails to provide all the emotional and social needs then the marriage breaks down. Changing attitudes of women, three-quarters of divorces are started by wives. This suggests that: the increasing economic independence of women, the increasing beliefs in their own rights and the availability of legal aid for divorce have allowed them the opportunity and desire to divorce if they feel restricted in their marriage. Traditionally, the dominant economic role and the values of patriarchy meant that it was difficult for wives to initiate proceedings. The informal social control and community pressure which helped marriages to remain in place have weakened as a result of increasing urbanisation and the related decline in community. Marital breakdown occurs with greater frequency amongst certain social groups than others. There are higher divorce rates amongst the working and lower classes. The younger the partners at marriage, the higher the chances of divorce. This reflects possible emotional immaturity, the fact that the woman is more likely to be pregnant at marriage or their personal development may take place at different speeds and in different directions. However, the increase in cohabitation and the availability of terminations and contraceptions have decreased the numbers of people marrying young or when the partner is pregnant with an un-planned pregnancy. More than 90% of people still marry today. Although divorce rates are high, remarriages are high too, suggesting that people may reject their partners but they are not rejecting the institution of marriage. However, cohabitation is increasing rapidly and it is now normal to cohabit before marriage. Divorce has increased rapidly since the 1960s and the first marriages have declined. The continuing popularity of marriage is reflected in the fact that those who divorce are still likely to remarry. The increase in divorce reflects changing attitudes and expectations from marriage and the fact that divorce is now easier to obtain.

How to Win a National Merit Scholarship

How to Win a National Merit Scholarship SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Being named a Finalist is the highest academic recognition you can achieve from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It is a national distinction that places you at the pinnacle of academic achievement. Not all Finalists are chosen to receive scholarships, however. Only about 8,000 of 15,000 students gain this award. In this article we’ll talk about what scholarships are available through NMSC and what you need to do to get one. The Path to This Point First, 1.5 million high school juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT. Only 16,000 students are named Finalists, and, after an extensive application process, only 15,000 of these students achieve Finalist status. If you haven’t read our detailed articles yet on the steps to take to become a Semifinalist and Finalist, check them out here: National Merit Semifinalist and National Merit Finalist. Now that you know what it takes to get to this point, read on to learn about the three scholarships available, how much money they give, and how Finalists qualify for scholarship awards. 1. National Merit Scholarships Every Finalist is given consideration for a National Merit Scholarship. Finalists are named Scholars (in other words, receive the scholarship) based on the strength of their applications. Scholars have outstanding applications that demonstrate academic commitment, extracurricular and community involvement, passion, and drive. Your first choice college is not a factor under consideration for National Merit Scholarships. In fact, the NMSC committee members do not even see this information. These scholarships are awarded to only 2,500 Finalists, or about 1 in 6 Finalists. They are a one-time award of $2,500 and are not renewable throughout your years of college. To sum up: Every Finalist is given consideration for the National Merit Scholarship based on their applications. 2. Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships The second type of scholarship offered by NMSC is a corporate-sponsored scholarship. Finalists are also automatically given consideration for these scholarships based on their applications and the information they provide about parental employment, intended majors, and career plans. Most corporate sponsors give awards to students whose parents or guardians work for them. A small number award non-employee children if they indicate an interest in a major or career choice that the corporation wants to support. As this changes year to year, you should check with your corporation of interest to learn about their award criteria. Sponsor corporations include UPS, Boeing, Macy’s, BP, Southwest Airlines, and the General Mills Foundation (see the full list here). About 1,000 students receive corporate-sponsored awards, and they range greatly in amount. They are usual renewable, or awarded annually, and tend to be transferable to any four-year accredited college. To sum up: Finalists are automatically given consideration for corporate-sponsored awards based on their applications and the parent employment information they indicate therein (or occasionally, major and career interest). 3. College-Sponsored Scholarships Finalists who do not receive either the National Merit Scholarships or a Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships are considered for College-Sponsored scholarships. Check thelist of college sponsorsto see which schools are eligible. Some popular sponsor colleges include Boston University, Boston College, Tufts, Bowdoin, Colby, University of Chicago, University of Southern California, and Pomona. Some colleges who do NOT sponsor include Harvard and the other Ivy Leagues, MIT, Williams, and Middlebury. Students must indicate one of the sponsor colleges as their First Choice college on their applications. Students who put â€Å"Undecided† will not be considered. So, even if you’re not sure, you should still put one of the sponsoring colleges as your first choice or add one to your application ASAP. Students can log into their NMSC applications and change their first choice college up until May 31st, UNLESS they have already received an award offer from the college they indicated. NMSC sends rosters of Finalists to sponsoring colleges in March. Scholarship offers start in early May and continue for the next few months. Page 3 of the application goes over the College-Sponsored Scholarships process in detail. If you have any questions about it, definitely clarify by calling NMSC Scholarship administration at 1-847-866-5100. About 4,100 students receive college-sponsored scholarships in an amount between $500 and $2,000. Colleges may award even more merit-based awardsif that’s the case, NMSC will cover up to $2,000, and the rest of the award will come from the college or other sources. Since every school differs, students should contact the school directly to discuss their merit-based financial awards. College-sponsored scholarships are renewable annually and non-transferable. To sum up: You must put a sponsor college as your first choice in your NMSC application to be considered for a college-sponsored scholarship. Since college awards and policies differ, you should contact the school of interest itself to learn how much merit-based scholarship money you might be eligible to receive. Want to build the best possible college application and financial aid package? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. What Do You Need to Do to Maximize Your Chances? Put together an outstanding application. Review instructions for Semifinalists here: http://nationalmerit.org/Merit_RI_Leaflet.pdf. What story do your extracurricular activities and community service tell? Do they show a progression to a position of leadership? Do they show â€Å"depth over breadth†? Besides having flawless grammar and spelling, does your personal essay show that you are thoughtful, reflective, and draw meaning from your experiences? How strong is your recommendation? Give your teacher a â€Å"brag sheet† of the qualities, accomplishments, and even adjectives you would like them to include to make your recommendation stand out as one of the best. If you were on the committee choosing which Finalists become Scholars, what criteria would you use? What would impress you about a candidate and make you want to award him/her a scholarship? Research sponsor corporations and be aware of your parents’ employment. Make sure to include any relevant information on your application so you will be considered for a corporate-sponsored scholarship. Indicate a sponsor college as your first choice on your application. Make any changes by May 31st. Page 3 of your application explains this process in greater detail. Put Your Best Foot Forward - A Timeline Maximize your chances of getting a scholarship by following these steps and meeting all the deadlines. Prep for the PSAT in sophomore year. Make sure you're scoring above the score cutoff for your state, or else you won't qualify as a Semifinalist. Take the PSAT in the fall of your junior year and qualify for Semifinalist by scoring in the top 1%. Study for the SATs in the spring and summer and take them in the fall of your senior year. Get a high score that shows NMSC that your PSAT scores weren’t just a fluke. Submit your NMSC application in early October of senior year. If for some reason your school received late notification of Semifinalists, just let NMSC know. In this instance, they won’t penalize you for having a late application. Receive word that you made Finalist in early February of senior year. Receive word that you won a scholarship starting in early May of senior year. Preparation Is Everything Start preparing as early as possible to become a National Merit Finalist and Scholar. This doesn’t just mean studying for the PSATs and SATs. It also means joining clubs, gaining a leadership position, and cultivating good relationships with your teachers. All of this preparation will not only help you succeed on the PSAT and SAT, but will set you up for success in your future academic and professional careers. What's Next? Make sure you read about our National Merit Semifinalist and Finalist articles to have the best chance of qualifying for each stage of the competition. The National Merit Scholarship uses the PSAT, but the SAT is far more important for college admissions. What's a good SAT score? Learn what a good target score is, based on your college goals. Aiming for a perfect score on the SAT? Read our guide to getting a perfect SAT score, written by one of our perfect scorers. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Sign up for our free 5-day trial today:

Organisational and leadership management (Tesco PLC) Essay

Organisational and leadership management (Tesco PLC) - Essay Example As far as Tesco is concerned, it is placed in a very competitive and challenging industry, that of the retail business. The retail business is a very high selling business, since it involves selling items of daily use. Tesco in the next 0-10 years, will be faced with a lot of new challenges. In the world of business, no organization can remain stagnant and stay where it is. Rather, it has to constantly keep on moving and face the challenges that the unstable environment has to offer. The challenges that Tesco might face in the near future is that it might be challenged by their competitors if they merged together to form a cartel or another organization. Other challenges can be to keep prices low, despite the various tactics that are often used by the retailers to coax the consumers into a tight corner. Examples of such tactics are price fixing. In such times of change and crisis, effective leadership will be essential for Tesco. It would have to have expert power within the company to manage the challenges that is would face. Expert power comes from the expertise possessed by the manger, and the value and need of this expertise within the organization. This expertise is a result of the manager’s special skills, knowledge, abilities and/or previous experience.

Analyzing MacDonalds and Aircel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Analyzing MacDonalds and Aircel - Essay Example The first case is about the establishment and expansion strategies of McDonald’s in France. The company’s first restaurant was established in the nation in the year 1979 in Strasbourg. Since then the company has been continuing to expand its operations steadily through the provision of the best quality of services and value to the customers. For the company which is based in the US, France has demonstrated the highest market growth with the establishment of 1161 numbers of restaurants in 2009. This was possible despite the numerous cultural differences existing between the two nations. The US entry into the French market was perceived as an invasion of American culture into the country which was itself known for its huge cultural heritage and traditions (ICMR, 2011). The theories which would be focused at for discussing the strategies of the company are Geert Hoftsede’s cultural dimensions. The next case would discuss the details of Aircel’s promotional st rategy. This strategy was launched in the year 1999 by the India based mobile operator Aircel. Aircel made entry into the highly competitive Indian market in the year 1999. Innovation formed the key component of its branding strategy. It communicated and connected with its customers using the simplest and the most thoughtful advertising campaigns. The case tries to discuss the various marketing strategies that were undertaken by the company for its late entry into the Indian market and for increasing and expanding its subscriber base. It was one of first telecom operators to be advertising on Face book. The various promotional strategies undertaken by the company would be discussed in the project. The promotional services using the television media, print media and the internet would be discussed in details in the project. Critical discussion of theories Recent research has demonstrated the effects of cultural differences on consumer behaviour. Many studies have emphasized on highli ghting the need for examining the validity of application of inferences which were developed in America for the designing and development of marketing strategies in other nations. A number of US based multinational companies like IBM, Coca-Cola; McDonald’s have been successfully earning significant revenue from their international operations across the globe. Thus the development of the different marketing strategies which remain sensitive towards the cultural differences across nations are considered to be of paramount importance for organizations have cross border operations and for their international success (Canli & Maheswaran, 2000, p.309). Previous research has thrown light on the fact that products and services from nations having favourable perceptions have been provided with positive evaluations. However, despite the above fact a survey which was conducted by Bozell-Gallup, (1996), showed that substantial differences in perceptions prevailed among the different nati ons. For example, according to the perception of Europe, Germany was chosen as the leader of quality. On the other hand for the Asian countries, Japan is considered to be a leader in quality. Despite the existence of substantial literature about nations of origin effects, an examination based on theoretical framework for the understanding of the effects of origin of countries across is still lacking. The collectivism/individualism framework has provided an important way of measuring and comparing the differences in cultures across nations. Collectivists and individualists have shown considerable

Extraordinary Means Of Treatment Essay -- essays research papers

Extraordinary means of treatment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For many years now there have been people who center their lives on giving medical attention to sick patients in need of their care. There have also been many doctors who spend their lives developing techniques to help keep people alive as long as possible, even when the person quite possibly should have died a natural death a long time ago. Does this make what the doctor is doing wrong? Doesn’t the patient deserve a chance to live the longest and fullest life they possibly can?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These questions must be weighed on the benefits of the treatment versus the burden of the treatment. It may prolong life but will it make the life better or just lengthen the suffering that the patient has to go through. These and many other considerations must be taken in account in order to assure the best decision for the patient. Money can also be a factor in extraordinary treatment. Some people can’t afford to have their loved ones in a hospital for very long especially if they are in a coma or other severe illness, and might not be able to afford a long-term hospital bill. Also if there is a very slim chance of success with the procedure it may not be worth trying to save or preserve the life of the patient. Sometimes you may need to take the individual’s opinion on the treatments advice. If they are able to give a competent decision shouldn’t it be used to dete...

Last Sacrifice Chapter One

I DON'T LIKE CAGES. I don't even like going to zoos. The first time I went to one, I almost had a claustrophobic attack looking at those poor animals. I couldn't imagine any creature living that way. Sometimes I even felt a little bad for criminals, condemned to life in a cell. I'd certainly never expected to spend my life in one. But lately, life seemed to be throwing me a lot of things I'd never expected, because here I was, locked away. â€Å"Hey!' I yelled, gripping the steel bars that isolated me from the world. â€Å"How long am I going to be here? When's my trial? You can't keep me in this dungeon forever!' Okay, it wasn't exactly a dungeon, not in the dark, rusty-chain sense. I was inside a small cell with plain walls, a plain floor, and well †¦ plain everything. Spotless. Sterile. Cold. It was actually more depressing than any musty dungeon could have managed. The bars in the doorway felt cool against my skin, hard and unyielding. Fluorescent lighting made the metal gleam in a way that felt harsh and irritating to my eyes. I could see the shoulder of a man standing rigidly to the side of the cell's entrance and knew there were probably four more guardians in the hallway out of my sight. I also knew none of them were going to answer me back, but that hadn't stopped me from constantly demanding answers from them for the last two days. When the usual silence came, I sighed and slumped back on the cot in the cell's corner. Like everything else in my new home, the cot was colorless and stark. Yeah. I really was starting to wish I had a real dungeon. Rats and cobwebs would have at least given me something to watch. I stared upward and immediately had the disorienting feeling I always did in here: that the ceiling and walls were closing in around me. Like I couldn't breathe. Like the sides of the cell would keep coming toward me until no space remained, pushing out all the air †¦ I sat up abruptly, gasping. Don't stare at the walls and ceiling, Rose, I chastised myself. Instead, I looked down at my clasped hands and tried to figure out how I'd gotten into this mess. The initial answer was obvious: someone had framed me for a crime I didn't commit. And it wasn't petty crime either. It was murder. They'd had the audacity to accuse me of the highest crime a Moroi or dhampir could commit. Now, that isn't to say I haven't killed before. I have. I've also done my fair share of rule (and even law) breaking. Cold- blooded murder, however, was not in my repertoire. Especially not the murder of a queen. It was true Queen Tatiana hadn't been a friend of mine. She'd been the coolly calculating ruler of the Moroi–a race of living, magic-using vampires who didn't kill their victims for blood. Tatiana and I had had a rocky relationship for a number of reasons. One was me dating her great-nephew, Adrian. The other was my disapproval of her policies on how to fight off Strigoi–the evil, undead vampires who stalked us all. Tatiana had tricked me a number of times, but I'd never wanted her dead. Someone apparently had, however, and they'd left a trail of evidence leading right to me, the worst of which were my fingerprints all over the silver stake that had killed Tatiana. Of course, it was my stake, so naturally it'd have my fingerprints. No one seemed to think that was relevant. I sighed again and pulled out a tiny crumpled piece of paper from my pocket. My only reading material. I squeezed it in my hand, having no need to look at the words. I'd long since memorized them. The note's contents made me question what I'd known about Tatiana. It had made me question a lot of things. Frustrated with my own surroundings, I slipped out of them and into someone else's: my best friend Lissa's. Lissa was a Moroi, and we shared a psychic link, one that let me go to her mind and see the world through her eyes. All Moroi wielded some type of elemental magic. Lissa's was spirit, an element tied to psychic and healing powers. It was rare among Moroi, who usually used more physical elements, and we barely understood its abilities–which were incredible. She'd used spirit to bring me back from the dead a few years ago, and that's what had forged our bond. Being in her mind freed me from my cage but offered little help for my problem. Lissa had been working hard to prove my innocence, ever since the hearing that had laid out all the evidence against me. My stake being used in the murder had only been the beginning. My opponents had been quick to remind everyone about my antagonism toward the queen and had also found a witness to testify about my whereabouts during the murder. That testimony had left me without an alibi. The Council had decided there was enough evidence to send me to a full-fledged trial–where I would receive my verdict. Lissa had been trying desperately to get people's attention and convince them I'd been framed. She was having trouble finding anyone who would listen, however, because the entire Moroi Royal Court was consumed with preparations for Tatiana's elaborate funeral. A monarch's death was a big deal. Moroi and dhampirs–half- vampires like me–were coming from all over the world to see the spectacle. Food, flowers, decorations, even musicians †¦ The full deal. If Tatiana had gotten married, I doubted the event would have been this elaborate. With so much activity and buzz, no one cared about me now. As far as most people were concerned, I was safely stashed away and unable to kill again. Tatiana's murderer had been found. Justice was served. Case closed. Before I could get a clear picture of Lissa's surroundings, a commotion at the jail jerked me back into my own head. Someone had entered the area and was speaking to the guards, asking to see me. It was my first visitor in days. My heart pounded, and I leapt up to the bars, hoping it was someone who would tell me this had all been a horrible mistake. My visitor wasn't quite who I'd expected. â€Å"Old man,' I said wearily. â€Å"What are you doing here?' Abe Mazur stood before me. As always, he was a sight to behold. It was the middle of summer–hot and humid, seeing as we were right in the middle of rural Pennsylvania– but that didn't stop him from wearing a full suit. It was a flashy one, perfectly tailored and adorned with a brilliant purple silk tie and matching scarf that just seemed like overkill. Gold jewelry flashed against the dusky hue of his skin, and he looked like he'd recently trimmed his short black beard. Abe was a Moroi, and although he wasn't royal, he wielded enough influence to be. He also happened to be my father. â€Å"I'm your lawyer,' he said cheerfully. â€Å"Here to give you legal counsel, of course.' â€Å"You aren't a lawyer,' I reminded him. â€Å"And your last bit of advice didn't work out so well.' That was mean of me. Abe–despite having no legal training whatsoever–had defended me at my hearing. Obviously, since I was locked up and headed for trial, the outcome of that hadn't been so great. But, in all my solitude, I'd come to realize that he'd been right about something. No lawyer, no matter how good, could have saved me at the hearing. I had to give him credit for stepping up to a lost cause, though considering our sketchy relationship, I still wasn't sure why he had. My biggest theories were that he didn't trust royals and that he felt paternal obligation. In that order. â€Å"My performance was perfect,' he argued. â€Å"Whereas your compelling speech in which you said â€Å"if I was the murderer' didn't do us any favors. Putting that image in the judge's head wasn't the smartest thing you could have done.' I ignored the barb and crossed my arms. â€Å"So what are you doing here? I know it's not just a fatherly visit. You never do anything without a reason.' â€Å"Of course not. Why do anything without a reason?' â€Å"Don't start up with your circular logic.' He winked. â€Å"No need to be jealous. If you work hard and put your mind to it, you might just inherit my brilliant logic skills someday.' â€Å"Abe,' I warned. â€Å"Get on with it.' â€Å"Fine, fine,' he said. â€Å"I've come to tell you that your trial might be moved up.' â€Å"W-what? That's great news!' At least, I thought it was. His expression said otherwise. Last I'd heard, my trial might be months away. The mere thought of that–of being in this cell so long–made me feel claustrophobic again. â€Å"Rose, you do realize that your trial will be nearly identical to your hearing. Same evidence and a guilty verdict.' â€Å"Yeah, but there must be something we can do before that, right? Find proof to clear me?' Suddenly, I had a good idea of what the problem was. â€Å"When you say â€Å"moved up,' how soon are we talking?' â€Å"Ideally, they'd like to do it after a new king or queen is crowned. You know, part of the post-coronation festivities.' His tone was flippant, but as I held his dark gaze, I caught the full meaning. Numbers rattled in my head. â€Å"The funeral's this week, and the elections are right after †¦ You're saying I could go to trial and be convicted in, what, practically two weeks?' Abe nodded. I flew toward the bars again, my heart pounding in my chest. â€Å"Two weeks? Are you serious?' When he'd said the trial had been moved up, I'd figured maybe it was a month away. Enough time to find new evidence. How would I have pulled that off? Unclear. Now, time was rushing away from me. Two weeks wasn't enough, especially with so much activity at Court. Moments ago, I'd resented the long stretch of time I might face. Now, I had too little of it, and the answer to my next question could make things worse. â€Å"How long?' I asked, trying to control the trembling in my voice. â€Å"How long after the verdict until they †¦ carry out the sentence?' I still didn't entirely know what all I'd inherited from Abe, but we seemed to clearly share one trait: an unflinching ability to deliver bad news. â€Å"Probably immediately.' â€Å"Immediately.' I backed up, nearly sat on the bed, and then felt a new surge of adrenaline. â€Å"Immediately? So. Two weeks. In two weeks, I could be †¦ dead.' Because that was the thing–the thing that had been hanging over my head the moment it became clear someone had planted enough evidence to frame me. People who killed queens didn't get sent to prison. They were executed. Few crimes among Moroi and dhampirs got that kind of punishment. We tried to be civilized in our justice, showing we were better than the bloodthirsty Strigoi. But certain crimes, in the eyes of the law, deserved death. Certain people deserved it, too–say, like, treasonous murderers. As the full impact of the future fell upon me, I felt myself shake and tears come dangerously close to spilling out of my eyes. â€Å"That's not right!' I told Abe. â€Å"That's not right, and you know it!' â€Å"Doesn't matter what I think,' he said calmly. â€Å"I'm simply delivering the facts.' â€Å"Two weeks,' I repeated. â€Å"What can we do in two weeks? I mean †¦ you've got some lead, right? Or †¦ or †¦ you can find something by then? That's your specialty.' I was rambling and knew I sounded hysterical and desperate. Of course, that was because I felt hysterical and desperate. â€Å"It's going to be difficult to accomplish much,' he explained. â€Å"The Court's preoccupied with the funeral and elections. Things are disorderly–which is both good and bad.' I knew about all the preparations from watching Lissa. I'd seen the chaos already brewing. Finding any sort of evidence in this mess wouldn't just be difficult. It could very well be impossible. Two weeks. Two weeks, and I could be dead. â€Å"I can't,' I told Abe, my voice breaking. â€Å"I'm not †¦ meant to die that way.' â€Å"Oh?' He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You know how you're supposed to die?' â€Å"In battle.' One tear managed to escape, and I hastily wiped it away. I'd always lived my life with a tough image. I didn't want that shattering, not now when it mattered most of all. â€Å"In fighting. Defending those I love. Not †¦ not through some planned execution.' â€Å"This is a fight of sorts,' he mused. â€Å"Just not a physical one. Two weeks is still two weeks. Is it bad? Yes. But it's better than one week. And nothing's impossible. Maybe new evidence will turn up. You simply have to wait and see.' â€Å"I hate waiting. This room †¦ it's so small. I can't breathe. It'll kill me before any executioner does.' â€Å"I highly doubt it.' Abe's expression was still cool, with no sign of sympathy. Tough love. â€Å"You've fearlessly fought groups of Strigoi, yet you can't handle a small room?' â€Å"It's more than that! Now I have to wait each day in this hole, knowing there's a clock ticking down to my death and almost no way to stop it.' â€Å"Sometimes the greatest tests of our strength are situations that don't seem so obviously dangerous. Sometimes surviving is the hardest thing of all.' â€Å"Oh. No. No.' I stalked away, pacing in small circles. â€Å"Do not start with all that noble crap. You sound like Dimitri when he used to give me his deep life lessons.' â€Å"He survived this very situation. He's surviving other things too.' Dimitri. I took a deep breath, calming myself before I answered. Until this murder mess, Dimitri had been the biggest complication in my life. A year ago–though it seemed like eternity–he'd been my instructor in high school, training me to be one of the dhampir guardians who protect Moroi. He'd accomplished that–and a lot more. We'd fallen in love, something that wasn't allowed. We'd managed it as best we could, even finally coming up with a way for us to be together. That hope had disappeared when he'd been bitten and turned Strigoi. It had been a living nightmare for me. Then, through a miracle no one had believed possible, Lissa had used spirit to transform him back to a dhampir. But things unfortunately hadn't quite returned to how they'd been before the Strigoi attack. I glared at Abe. â€Å"Dimitri survived this, but he was horribly depressed about it! He still is. About everything.' The full weight of the atrocities he'd committed as a Strigoi haunted Dimitri. He couldn't forgive himself and swore he could never love anyone now. The fact that I had begun dating Adrian didn't help matters. After a number of futile efforts, I'd accepted that Dimitri and I were through. I'd moved on, hoping I could have something real with Adrian now. â€Å"Right,' Abe said dryly. â€Å"He's depressed, but you're the picture of happiness and joy.' I sighed. â€Å"Sometimes talking to you is like talking to myself: pretty damned annoying. Is there any other reason you're here? Other than to deliver the terrible news? I would have been happier living in ignorance.' I'm not supposed to die this way. I'm not supposed to see it coming. My death is not some appointment penciled in on a calendar. He shrugged. â€Å"I just wanted to see you. And your arrangements.' Yes, he had indeed, I realized. Abe's eyes had always come back to me as we spoke; there'd been no question I held his attention. There was nothing in our banter to concern my guards. But every so often, I'd see Abe's gaze flick around, taking in the hall, my cell, and whatever other details he found interesting. Abe had not earned his reputation as zmey–the serpent–for nothing. He was always calculating, always looking for an advantage. It seemed my tendency toward crazy plots ran in the family. â€Å"I also wanted to help you pass the time.' He smiled and from under his arm, he handed me a couple of magazines and a book through the bars. â€Å"Maybe this will improve things.' I doubted any entertainment was going to make my two-week death countdown more manageable. The magazines were fashion and hair oriented. The book was The Count of Monte Cristo. I held it up, needing to make a joke, needing to do anything to make this less real. â€Å"I saw the movie. Your subtle symbolism isn't really all that subtle. Unless you've hidden a file inside it.' â€Å"The book's always better than the movie.' He started to turn away. â€Å"Maybe we'll have a literary discussion next time.' â€Å"Wait.' I tossed the reading material onto the bed. â€Å"Before you go †¦ in this whole mess, no one's ever brought up who actually did kill her.' When Abe didn't answer right away, I gave him a sharp look. â€Å"You do believe I didn't do it, right?' For all I knew, he did think I was guilty and was just trying to help anyway. It wouldn't have been out of character. â€Å"I believe my sweet daughter is capable of murder,' he said at last. â€Å"But not this one.' â€Å"Then who did it?' â€Å"That,' he said before walking away, â€Å"is something I'm working on.' â€Å"But you just said we're running out of time! Abe!' I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to be alone with my fear. â€Å"There's no way to fix this!' â€Å"Just remember what I said in the courtroom,' he called back. He left my sight, and I sat back on the bed, thinking back to that day in court. At the end of the hearing, he'd told me–quite adamantly–that I wouldn't be executed. Or even go to trial. Abe Mazur wasn't one to make idle promises, but I was starting to think that even he had limits, especially since our timetable had just been adjusted. I again took out the crumpled piece of paper and opened it. It too had come from the courtroom, covertly handed to me by Ambrose–Tatiana's servant and boy-toy. Rose, If you're reading this, then something terrible has happened. You probably hate me, and I don't blame you. I can only ask that you trust that what I did with the age decree was better for your people than what others had planned. There are some Moroi who want to force all dhampirs into service, whether they want it or not, by using compulsion. The age decree has slowed that faction down. However, I write to you with a secret you must put right, and it is a secret you must share with as few as possible. Vasilisa needs her spot on the Council, and it can be done. She is not the last Dragomir. Another lives, the illegitimate child of Eric Dragomir. I know nothing else, but if you can find this son or daughter, you will give Vasilisa the power she deserves. No matter your faults and dangerous temperament, you are the only one I feel can take on this task. Waste no time in fulfilling it. –Tatiana Ivashkov The words hadn't changed since the other hundred times I'd read them, nor had the questions they always triggered. Was the note true? Had Tatiana really written it? Had she–in spite of her outwardly hostile attitude–trusted me with this dangerous knowledge? There were twelve royal families who made decisions for the Moroi, but for all intents and purposes, there might as well have only been eleven. Lissa was the last of her line, and without another member of the Dragomir family, Moroi law said she had no power to sit on and vote with the Council that made our decisions. Some pretty bad laws had already been made, and if the note was true, more would come. Lissa could fight those laws–and some people wouldn't like that, people who had already demonstrated their willingness to kill. Another Dragomir. Another Dragomir meant Lissa could vote. One more Council vote could change so much. It could change the Moroi world. It could change my world–say, like, whether I was found guilty or not. And certainly, it could change Lissa's world. All this time she'd believed she was alone. Yet †¦ I uneasily wondered if she'd welcome a half-sibling. I accepted that my father was a scoundrel, but Lissa had always held hers up on a pedestal, believing the best of him. This news would come as a shock, and although I'd trained my entire life to keep her safe from physical threats, I was starting to think there were other things she needed to be protected from as well. But first, I needed the truth. I had to know if this note had really come from Tatiana. I was pretty sure I could find out, but it involved something I hated doing. Well, why not? It wasn't like I had anything else to do right now. Rising from the bed, I turned my back to the bars and stared at the blank wall, using it as a focus point. Bracing myself, remembering that I was strong enough to keep control, I released the mental barriers I always subconsciously kept around my mind. A great pressure lifted from me, like air escaping a balloon. And suddenly, I was surrounded by ghosts.