“Marginalization” by Chandrakant Mallya

In a scale, both arms are equally important. If one of them tilts, the result is imbalance. Compare the scale to the society. A perfect society viewed from any angle, is impossibility. Turn the pages of human history—perfection was never there. It is reasonable to assume that it will never be there!   It can not be completely avoided either. Society at any given time has not existed and functioned without marginalization! Some of the definitions of marginalization are: â€Å"To relegate or confine to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing.† â€Å"Marginalization (USA) refers to the overt or covert trends within societies whereby those perceived as lacking desirable traits or deviating from the group norms tend to be excluded by wider society and ostracized as undesirables.† Wing Leung describes A marginal person as â€Å"†¦one who does not belong†¦the marginal man†¦ [dwells] at the margin of two cultures and two societies†¦ [and possesses] a marginal mentality†¦ [with its] unresolved identity crises.† Louis Wirth speaking of minority groups thus: â€Å"A group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.† This means, the more numerically dominant members, or the more prosperous section of the society gives unequal treatment leading to acts of social ostracism, acts of discrimination, leading to marginalization. In â€Å"Sula† Tony Morrison traces the lives of two black heroines. They grow together in a small Ohio town—well, that’s the only common point about them. Otherwise, they are poles apart. Their paths are totally divergent, obviously their thinking as well! Nel Wright chooses the normal life of a black woman marries and settles in the place of her birth. She is part of the tightly-knit black community. Sula Peace rejects this option outright. She escapes to a city, joins a college, and when she returns to her roots, she is a rebel. She decides to teach a lesson to the society that humiliated her in childhood. She mocks at the social norms, and she is a wanton sexual seductress. Her vicarious pleasure is depicted in her triumphant return to her village and she is extremely happy about the victory she scored by crossing the hurdles that she faced in her life due to the color of her skin. These two characters ably depict, with utmost sincerity to their own emotions, their suffering and enjoyment   in the light of various trials and tribulations that was part of their life and living. The Civil War in USA led to the physical liberation. The War for economic liberation began thereafter. In Sula Toni Morrison provides us with the real history lesson with the depiction of the black way of life, a society which still continues to be marginalized both from social and economic standpoints. â€Å"Through their girlhood years they share everything — perceptions, judgments, yearnings, secrets, even crime — until Sula gets out, out of the Bottom, the hilltop neighborhood where beneath the sporting life of the men hanging around the place in head rags and soft felt hares there hides a fierce resentment at failed crops, lost jobs, thieving insurance men, bug-ridden flour . . . at the invisible line that cannot be overstepped.†Ã‚   (Morison, 1973) Fences is the story of four generations of black Americans.   The torch of legacy of morals, attitudes, mores and patterns passes through stories. Troy Maxon is the principle character of the play. Being a black, the part of the marginalized society of America, how and why he had to scale down his dreams to adjust inside his run-down yard. The opening scene   Ã‚  begins with Troy Maxon and his trusted friend Jim Bono engaged in drinking and talking. The anguish of marginalization related victimization is evident, when he makes a formal compliant to his bosses, why only white men are permitted to drive garbage trucks for the waste disposal company. The deep impact of marginalization in Troy Maxon’s psyche is shown as he counsels his teenage son Cory Maxon when he is being actively recruited for a college football scholarship. His father discourages him, and tells him not to ignore other important responsibilities. Troy wants that his son should never haul garbage like him. Cory represents all the possibilities his father never had and the unmet dreams. Yet the father is unwilling to let the son go on the path chosen by him to improve his lot in life.   His apprehension is that the white-dominated sports will not let Cory progress, and break his heart. Troy had spent fifteen years in jail for robbery and murder, but he became an accomplished baseball player in the jail. After the release, when he could not get proper opportunities to display his skill, he is bitter and resentful at the chances lost because of the color of his skin. He wants to protect his son from facing such disappointments and turn cynical. It was due to marginalization that Troy’s life was full of difficulties, oppression coupled with bad luck. As a boy, due the abject poverty, he was denied education, he cannot even read. Marginalization is practiced all over the world, and it embraces humanity. In the Developed World, racial and ethnic minority groups stand out as the most marginalized. Then there are other classes like, the poor, the sick, the disabled, the obese, teenage unwed mothers, the elderly, the homosexuals and lesbians. These groups suffer from one form of marginalization or the other-unemployment, poverty, poor health facilities and lack of education and the like. How can we strive to end it? The question should be rather how we can mend it? The ending to marginalization can only be through mending the ways of the society. First of all, the affluent and the socially well placed members of the majority community should realize the grave injustice rendered to the affected society for centuries. Genuine repentance and willing acceptance to reform can only change the social structure. The change with-out can be achieved only through the change with-in. Society must have a will to change, and that is possible by the combined efforts of the government, social and spiritual organizations. It is high time that marginalization is given a ‘decent’ burial. References: Morrison, Toni, Sula: Excerpted from the book jacket: †¦ â€Å"In clear, dark, resonant language   †¦ .members.tripod.com/~bibliomania/archive3/morrison5.html – 9k –Retrieved on May 21, 2007.                                                                                                

Macroeconomic – Government Policies in Reducing Inflation and Unemployment

MACRO-ECONOMIC| Discuss the role of government policy in reducing unemployment and inflation. In your discussion make use of the diagrammatic representation of the macroeconomy developed in lectures in Term 2| Unemployment and inflation are factors that have negative effects on the performance of the economy as a whole. Therefore, policies to achieve low and stable price in? ation, a high and stable level of employment are big macroeconomics issues of our time.This essay focuses on discussing the role of government policy on reducing unemployment and inflation in relation to Keynesian and Monetarist approaches, including examples of impacts of expansionary fiscal and monetary policies on New Zealand economy. Fiscal policy is a demand side policy used by the government to help direct the economy by altering the level of expenditure and/or rate of taxes. Expansionary fiscal policy refers to increase government expenditure or a lower tax in order to inject into or withdraw from the circ ular flow of money respectively, this results a raise in aggregate demand and thus national income.On the other hand, deflationary (contractionary) fiscal policy is used by the government as a tool to control the pressures of inflation by reducing expenditure or increasing taxes, which thus reduce aggregate demand and preventing excessive inflation. Fiscal policy is used by Keynesians to increase/decrease public expenditure and cut/increase taxes during a recession/boom. When they decrease taxes and increase public expenditure, it encourages people to spend, thus raise consumer expenditure.This contributes the reduced unemployment (due to the increased public spending creating more demand and more jobs to increase the supply of goods and services), but an increased inflation (due to the increased spending and wage demands). On the other hand, when Keynesians use fiscal policy to increase taxes and reduce public spending, they cause higher levels of unemployment and lower levels of i nflation. This deflationary fiscal policy is usually used during a boom period.Figure 1 : Keynesians traditionally emphasises the role of fiscal policy as the key tool of economic management and views monetary policy simply as a backup to fiscal policy. They would argue that direct interest rate changes could be used to control aggregate demand. Whereas, Monetarism does not believe that government should intervene by managing the level of aggregate demand, they rather prefer the use of monetary policy to achieve a long-run view of price stability.Monetary policy involves manipulating the interest rate charged by the central bank for lending money to the banking system in an economy, which influences greatly a vast number of macroeconomic variables. In the UK, the government set the policy targets, but the Bank of England and the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) are given authority and freedom to set interest rates, which is formally once every month. Contractionary monetary policy ma y be used to reduce price in? ation by increasing the interest rate.Because banks have to pay more to borrow from the central bank they will increase the interest rates they charge their own customers for loans to recover the increased cost. Banks will also raise interest rates to encourage people to save more in bank deposit accounts so they can reduce their own borrowing from the central bank. As interest rates rise, consumers may save more and borrow less to spend on goods and services. Firms may also reduce the amount of money they borrow to invest in new equipment.A reduction in capital investment by ? rms will reduce their ability to increase output in the future. Higher interest rates may therefore reduce economic growth and increase unemployment. Expansionary monetary policy may be used during an economic recession to boost demand and employment by cutting interest rates. However, increasing demand can push up prices and may increase consumer spending on imported goods and s ervices. In some cases, lower interest rates may be ineffective in boosting demand.Therefore in March 2009 the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee announced that in addition to setting Bank Rate, it would start to inject money directly into the economy by purchasing assets such as government bonds or other securities – often known as quantitative easing. This means that the instrument of monetary policy shifts towards the quantity of money provided rather than the price at which the Bank lends or borrows money (Bank of England website) Fiscal and Monetary policies come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.The most likely argument against its implementation is the substantial lag that accompanies both these policies, for example the time from when the policy has been implemented till the time its impact is felt in the economy. The following section will indicate how the expansionary Fiscal and Monetary Policies impact price stability (inflation rate: 1-3%) and full employment objectives of New Zealand. Both monetary and fiscal policies have a significant impact on inflation.An Expansionary Monetary policy results in lowering the interest rate (OCR) as previously mentioned that in turn increases the quantity of goods and services demanded at any given price level, hence contributing to shifting aggregate demand to the right. In a climate of recession, where money supply is limited, Inflation is not a significant factor in the decision making of the NZ government or the RBNZ Governor; on the contrary increase in inflation is rather seen as positive sign of growth during recession as it indicates an increase in demand.This is further evident by the recessionary climate resulting in a drop in inflation as quoted â€Å"Inflation is set to plunge over the next year, starting with a 0. 5% fall expected for Q4 2008. Retail spending is expected to be down significantly for November, as weak core sales were amplified by lower spending on fuel (petrol p rices fell by 16% in the month). Car sales could see a technical bounce after plunging by 14. 5% in October, but they will remain at very depressed levels. † The above quote underlies the fact that in the current environment an increase in inflation will be seen as a positive sign.The expansionary fiscal and monetary policy pursued presently fare well in a recessionary climate, however if they are pursued over a long period of time, then they could lead to creating an inflationary gap. An inflationary gap occurs when aggregate demand exceeds supply. This can thus result in â€Å"Overheating the economy† i. e. Actual GDP exceeds Potential GDP and leads to a significant Trade deficit and unemployment as well. Figure 2: Inflationary Gap The aim of full employment objective is to keep the level of unemployment in check. The increase of unemployment is accompanied with a recession, due to primarily a drop in aggregate demand.The impact of the expansionary fiscal and monetary policy as mentioned above results in increasing aggregate demand thus essentially resulting in people demanding and consuming more, which results in people buying more goods and services that consequently results in reducing unemployment as demand exceeds supply as opposed to the current scenario, and thus resulting in more people being employed to meet demand. The impact of this expansionary policy may lead to an increase in inflation; however in the short run there exists a trade-off relationship between unemployment and inflation as can be seen in the figure below.Figure 3: Philips Curve describing Inverse Relation of Inflation and Unemployment In conclusion, fiscal and monetary policies are tools used by most national governments to control the economy, including the term of reducing inflation and unemployment. Inflation and unemployment are factors that could give negative impact on the economy if either of them is high. Government needs to predict precisely the situation of t he economy to issue the right fiscal or monetary policies. It usually takes at least several months for policies to take fully effect. References: Lipsey ; Chrystal, 2011. Economics. 12th ed.United States: Oxford University Press. Bank of England, 2013. Monetary Policy .. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. bankofengland. co. uk/monetarypolicy/Pages/default. aspx. [Accessed 03 April 2013]. Biz/ed, 2013. Keynesian ; Monetarist attitudes to monetary policy. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. bized. co. uk/virtual/bank/economics/mpol/inflation/cures/further1. htm. [Accessed 03 April 2013]. FDS. OUP. COM. The role of government in an economy. [ONLINE]. Available at: http://fds. oup. com/www. oup. com/pdf/13/9780199154869. pdf [Accessed 03 April 2013]. Tutor2u, 2013. Inflationary Gaps. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. utor2u. net/economics/content/topics/inflation/inflationary_gaps. htm. [Accessed 03 April 2013]. Scoop News . 2009. Inflation expectations eased in NZ in early 09 [ONLINE] Av ailable at:http://www. scoop. co. nz/stories/BU0902/S00494. htm. [Accessed 03 April 2013]. Action Forex. 2009. Australian ; New Zealand Weekly: 2009 Inflation Profile Revised Down [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. actionforex. com/fundamental-analysis/weekly-forex-fundamentals/australian-;-new-zealand-weekly:-2009-inflation-profile-revised-down-2009011675377/. [Accessed 03 April 2013]. Reserve Bank of New Zealand, 2009.

How the result in home football games reflect the final standing Statistics Project

How the result in home football games reflect the final standing. (Spanish La Liga) - Statistics Project Example Home advantage plays a imperative role for the team resulting in favorable results, and this advantage makes home teams to win several games as compared to the away teams especially when accounting for the diversity of teams (Zelterman, pp.124-189). Appropriate models such as the least square for individual teams are more accurate and precise. This method estimates the home ground advantages for every team together with its individual ratings. Home advantages for all teams in Spanish La Liga from 2002-2003 seasons to 2010-2011 seasons were recorded. The above dataset consist of 20,100 matches. The result indicates that the home ground advantage is not much predictable and varies from team to team across the year. For example, some teams had an adverse home advantage for some years while other performed well at home. However, the home advantage is estimated as 0.5 of the number of goals scored. The results indicated that there was no division effect. The outcomes of the underlying research also depicted that the advantage may work well on winning rather than on goal difference. The prevailing factors results in the generation of the home advantage theory have a tendency of determining the winning team over the winning margins. Clubs with special training facilities had a significant amount of home advantage, and the Madrid clubs had the home advantages. In home advantage, there exist a wide regional variation and amazingly, the research revealed that the crowd size had no direct impact on the magnitude of home advantage. The records for home advantages for top two divisions across Europe English, German, French and Italian leagues were all similar irrespective of the high attendance witnessed in division one games. Moreover, the home advantage is in the Spanish league was at 60.7% arrived at with attendance of 31009 on average. Conversely, the

Promoting Democracy in Cuba Annotated Bibliography

Promoting Democracy in Cuba - Annotated Bibliography Example The author points to limitations on both sides of the fence in terms of the absorptive capacity of the targeted country and the ability of the promoting country to provide appropriate support. He stresses the dangers that may result from over-selling democracy which may reduce a prospective country’s commitment to the process and refers to some of the problems that occur under perverse examples of democracy assistance and promotion. The author indicates that evaluating democracy assistance continues to be an extremely imprecise art which is affected by elements of doubt and offers assistance in terms of approaches to take in promoting democracy internationally. The following study looks at the future of democracy in Cuba and shows how active and direct democracy has worked against the Cuban communist regime. The author who is a lecturer at the University of Colorado indicates that the promotion of the democracy has led to changes in the political economic system in Cuba. The imposition of economic blockade by the United States government is both direct and active as the aim of this drastic measure is to place direct pressure on the Cuban government to change its political system. All countries depend on trade and the United States is a powerful trading partner with states such as Florida a stone throw away. The author also indicates that demise of socialist economic system in the Soviet Union has also had a devastating though indirect impact on Cuba because of the preferential trade agreements which the government of Cuba had with the Soviet bloc. This is indirect and passive because it is through the direct promotion of democracy in the Soviet Union that led to changes in the political economic system on Cuba. The fact that the Soviet Union no longer exists meant that the Cuban governm ent lost the support that allowed them to stave off some of the negative impact that the US economic blockade presented. Both of these have led

Short Term Long Term Goal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short Term Long Term Goal - Essay Example Throughout my life I have been always involved in various forms of business practices. As an eight-year old kid, I was already engaged in the art of trading cards collection. At that time, collecting trading cards with Japanese comic characters was a big craze among children like me. In fact, my classmates would pay a lot of money just to acquire the rare ones. Seeing a business opportunity, I decided to invest my lunch money on collecting and trading cards. Fortunately, I acquired a special card early on and this facilitated my trading and selling engagements with other collectors. This went on for a couple of months until I was able to sell my last card and turn my initial investment of $20 to a staggering $150, which, I believe, was no small feat for an 8-year old boy. The ability to display a basic understanding of sales and returns was inherent to me right from the start. Since then, I have never lost sight of my goals of pursuing entrepreneurship. Towards the end of my senior y ear in college, my friend and I started a clothing import company which enjoyed considerable sales. I also joined the companies of AXA Advisors, Philip Simon Developments USA, Inc and later Shoesapart, Inc to learn fundamental business structures and to have an in-depth scope into daily business operations. Despite these developments, I still wanted to achieve more because I have never been someone who is simply content to rest in his accomplishments. I believe that success is surpassing what you have previously achieved and realizing that you can actually achieve even more. These are the reasons why, for my short term goal, I am intent on getting accepted to the Tsinghua MBA program. My recent trip to China made me discover the huge amount of business potential that it holds. Not only does it offer accelerated and extensive market expansion, but it also offers a high level of penetration opportunity. I am confident that throught the Tsinghua MBA program, I will be able to build an extensive network of classmates and alumni and gather sufficient knowledge of the local market in China to streamline future business growth. Within a year of acquiring my MBA, I want to start a promising food business venture, choosing the initial location at a primary market to promote the brand and attract franchising interest. I want to work on a modular menu that can be dexterously handled by a central kitchen in preparation for franchise expansion. I will focus on expanding to other primary and secondary market within China. Meanwhile, I want to keep creating innovative and attractive menus to fend off competitors. As a long-term goal, I expect the company to have reached a considerable scale and to have accumulated adequate capital within 5 years. I plan to expand the business into other sectors of the industry either through name-licensing or self invested methods. Ultimately, I want to develop the business into a cross-industry company that has a lasting and recognizable br and. I believe that Tsinghua’s MBA program will be crucial in helping me fulfill my goals in life. I plan to focus on E-commerce and Supply Chain Management in addition to Entrepreneurship. I also look forward to

Jean Watson's Theory of Caring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Jean Watson's Theory of Caring - Essay Example The ultimate aim of this context is to examine Jean Watson’s theory of caring and its implications for both patients and nurses. This paper begins by outlining the overview of the theory before looking at how she brought out the idea of caring moment and how it can apply to daily lives of people (Potter & Perry, 1999). Watson’s theory of human caring also called theory of transpersonal caring or the caring model was established in 1979. The theory has undergone evolution for several years, but its root principal remains outstanding. The theory stresses on the concept of humanistic issue of nursing in conjunction to scientific knowledge. She modeled the theory in a way that it clearly brings out the implication and focus to nursing as a different health line of work. She believed that caring is a backing and support of the identity of nurses (Delaune, 2002). She added on that the identity of medicine is that of caring, since nurses deal with patients and medicines; the same should portray their identity. Florence Nightingale who stated that, â€Å"It is the surgeon who saves the life of an individual and it is the nurse who helps the life of this person,† heavily supported Watson’s implication (Reed, 2006). The theory of human caring implies that the role of nurses is to develo p a caring association with patients through treating them as holistic being, which means, body, mind and spirit. The nurses are also supposed to express categorical acceptance and care for patients with a positive concern. They are also supposed to foster health through wisdom and involvement. Watson defined caring moment as the uninterrupted time that a nurse spends with a patient where they can share a story, advice, a joke, laugh together and at least make the patient feel healed. It is the session where the nurse and the patient make contact through nurse entering the patient’s room and making him

Technical Paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Technical Paper - Case Study Example Moreover, there are some limitations associated with the SIEM such as number of events per second to be generated, based on the logs being generated from the system and pulled by the SIEM agents Firewall. (2007). Vulnerabilities in network security are regarded as the â€Å"soft spots† that are evidenced in every network. These vulnerabilities exist in the network as well as individual devices that constitute the network. HTTP, FTP, and ICMP are not secure essentially. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and SYN floods are associated with the inherently vulnerable structure upon which TCP has been designed Various types of network equipment such as firewalls (Agnitum outpost persona firewall pro 2.0.2004), switches, routers; all have security weaknesses that must be acknowledged and safeguarded against. Those include the following weaknesses: Network administrators or network engineers are required to understand the configuration weaknesses and accurately configure their computing and network devices to counteract the common configuration weaknesses. This common problem occurs upon turning on JavaScript in web browsers which enables attacks by means of hostile JavaScript whilst accessing untrusted sites. Some complications also take place due to IIS, Apache, FTP and Terminal Services. Significant security problems come about because of misconfigurations of the equipment itself. For instance, misconfigured routing protocols, certain access lists or even some SNMP community strings can open up large security holes. The unauthorized discovery and mapping of systems, services, or vulnerabilities is referred to as Reconnaissance. It is also known as information gathering and it commonly manifests before an actual access or denial-of-service (DoS) attack. Reconnaissance is rather comparable to a thief casing a neighbourhood in search of vulnerable homes to break into, like easy-to-open doors, windows left

Affirmitive Action initiatives Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Affirmitive Action initiatives - Coursework Example s owing to the fact that the US has become increasingly dominated by people from the Asian and Mexican decent that have dominated the work force in the past. This has made it increasingly difficult for companies to make out the individuals that qualify for affirmative action. This being said, I think that biracial individuals should be counted for Affirmative Action initiatives based on their lineage and simply not by looking at the color of their skin. This is because looking at the skin color can be deceiving. Secondly, it is important to look at the social status of the individuals. Some biracial individuals are well-off and may not be in need of the affirmative action. Biracial individuals should also be counted based on where they come from (Korgen, 1999). This is because some of them live in highly marginalized areas and are in dire need of the affirmative action within the work place. Finally, affirmative action should be based on the academic background of the individuals. Some biracial individuals are well educated and may not require Affirmative

Black Cat Essay Example for Free

Black Cat Essay In Poes The Black Cat, the cat acts as an instrument of justice. The story illustrates that the narrator tortures his pets. Moreover, he kills his wife and the black cat brutally. He tries his best to hide the dead body of his wife. But when the second cat screams and reveals the body to the police officers , it brought about justice to narrators wife and all those animals whom narrator had tortured. Thus the cat indirectly punishes the narrator by revealing the dead body of his wife to the corps. To begin with, the narrator is portrayed as an evil-doer in the story and he deserves punishment for his crimes. For example, the he begins to suffer violent mood swings under the influence of alcohol.He takes to mistreating not only other animals but also his wife. During this uncontrollable rage he spares only Pluto(the black cat). One night when Pluto bites his hand, he cuts out one of the cats eyes. This shows his vengeful behaviour. He keeps on committing wrong just for the sake of wrong. Then, one night he hangs the cat from a tree , where it dies.Furthermore,one day when narrator and his wife are visiting the cellar , the second cat gets under his feet and nearly trips him down the stairs . In a fury, the man grabs an axe and tries to kill the cat but is stopped by his wife. Enraged, he kills her with the axe instead. These actions of narrator throw light upon his merciless and cruel nature. Moreover , he tries to escape from punishment and hides the dead body. Thus, the action of the cat in the end of the story is completely justified. In conclusion, the second cat ultimately serves as the facilitator of justice when it reveals the corpses hiding place at the end of tale. Its initial appearance on the top of a hogstead of rum emphasizes its moral purpose.

The Charge of the Light Brigade with Dulce ET Decorum Est Essay Example for Free

The Charge of the Light Brigade with Dulce ET Decorum Est Essay The Charge of the Light Brigade is written by Lord Alfred Tennyson and describes the tragedy of six hundred heroic men on 25 October 1854.. We get the impression it was an Officer of high rank who relayed this story to the poet due to the constant detailed strategy. The second poem, Dulce et Decorum Est, is written by Wilfred Owen, detailing a scene from World War 1. This poem details the cruel suffering these heroic men experienced seen through the eyes of the Commanding Officer on scene. There are 60 years between these two poems which is immediately obvious with cannons and sabres in The Charge of the Light Brigade and the use of gas in Dulce et Decorum Est. Although these two poems are 60 years apart, the horrors and tragedies are similar but it is the poets who paint them in different colours. Lord Alfred Tennyson paints his poem in radiant colours with shining brass as this elite British cavalry force attempt to recapture the guns. They are proudly and heroically charging as a unit Flashed all their sabres bare into a situation that we, the reader, know can only end in tragedy and suffering. Wilfred Owens palette consists of the more murky colours of mud and blood running into each other detailing the actual suffering of the individual soldiers as it happens. There is a fast, charging pace in Lord Tennysons poem with a rhythmic beat which helps set the scene. In contrast, Wilfred Owens poem is more descriptive and slow in pace which helps the reader to understand the suffering of the individuals. The Charge of the Light Brigade is based on a episode of the Crimean War which took place on the 25 October 1854. The Light Brigade was an elite British cavalry force, made up of 630 men and horses, who were ordered to recapture the Turkish guns at the head of a valley. These guns had been captured by the Russians who had launched an attack on Balaclava, the Allied base. The inspiration behind this poem were three words written by The Times correspondent, W.H. Russell when informing that this ill fated attack was because Someone had blundered. According to Tennysons son, a few minutes after reading this editorial where this phrase occurred, this poem was born. Lord Alfred Tennyson was much admired by Queen Victoria, and was made poet Laureate. This made him the official state poet; therefore, he would record National events through his poetry. Although this poem also records tragedy and failure it emphasises true courage and bravery, which can only strengthen the admiration and respect from the reader for these ill-fated heroes. This heroism also reinforces patriotism within the population creating more unity. The deaths of these men were not in vain; they died for their Country, this is what makes them heroes. Verse one is setting the scene. It immediately starts with Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Tennyson is setting the pace at a gallop. He also creates the feeling of an adrenaline rush. The repetition creates this effect with its rhythmic meter. There is the biblical and symbolic reference to the Valley of Death which tells the reader that these soldiers are being sent like lambs to the slaughter dying for their country. This immediately creates dramatic tension. Tennyson writes this poem in the third person, which tells the reader that he is not actually there this is indicated when he writes Charge for the guns! he said; Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. These three lines outline the objective of the Light Brigade, emphasising their fate with repetition of the biblical symbolism and finally reminding the reader, again with repetition, the number of men involved. These three lines create tremendous dramatic tension by reiterating the futility of this exercise. In verse two Tennyson increases the dramatic tension one hundred fold. He asks the rhetorical question Was there a man dismayed? which is, in effect, emphasising how brave the Light Brigade were. He continues to say Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered: Here is the thunder bolt these men are risking their lives due to an error. This is the only time the error is mentioned, almost as if it was an incidental part of the battle. Tennyson has taken these three words, Someone had blundered as a direct quote from W.H. Russells editorial in The Times. These are the three words that had such a powerful effect on Tennyson himself. He doesnt expand on the error or point the finger of blame, he simply states the fact. It is in these two lines that the reader senses an element of fear. However, fear is never an issue with the Light Brigade themselves. After this shock declaration, Tennyson reminds the reader of the galloping, adrenalin charged pace when he writes Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die: These three lines also very simply emphasise not only how disciplined these brave men and horses were but also their total trust in their Commanding Officers and masters respectively. Verse three depicts the Light Brigade as victims charging into an ambush. It begins with the galloping effect, this time illustrating the actual danger this elite force is charging into. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them Cannon in front of them These three lines give an onomatopoeic effect of anticipation, adrenalin rising, hearts beating harder as they continue their charge. Tennyson fuels this tension further when he writes Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Here Tennyson uses alliteration creating the whistling effect of flying shells. This Unit is surrounded on three sides and are under attack but they continue courageously with their assignment. Tennyson reminds us of their fate, again using biblical symbolism when he writes Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell This is very descriptive writing, Jaws describing the three sides of ambush and waiting to eat these innocent souls. Again, biblical reference is emphasised by the personification of Hell in the form of this erroneous valley. Rode the six hundred is the last time the Light Brigade are referred to as a complete live unit. This is relevant as it tells the reader not one of these heroic soldiers retreated but continued as one fighting force. Verse four now depicts the Light Brigade as an attacking force, charging enemy lines. The verse starts with Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there The galloping and adrenalin fuelled pace is maintained, with the adrenalin running at an all time high. These men are reacting to adversity from close quarters. These lines are also onomatopoeic, giving the swishing, cutting motion of metal through air and flesh. Charging an army, while All the world wondered: This confirms the Light Brigade are still as one even against great adversity, striving to achieve their goal. The world is in great admiration for this elite force, perhaps speculatively holding their breath for the end result. Plunged in the battery smoke Right through the line they broke This rhyming couplet emphasises the galloping and adrenalin charged pace from the first three lines of this verse. This displays the true grit and determination of these valiant men and their steeds. Even through their impaired vision (due to heavy gun fire which would also sting their eyes) the remainder of this elite force managed to break the enemy line and continue their fearless attack from close quarters. Reeled from the sabre stroke Shattered and sundered This details alliteratively the slashed destruction this brave unit dealt on the enemy. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. The Light Brigade is now divided, incomplete this is emphasised by the repetitive use of the word Not. Death is not mentioned it doesnt need to be mentioned. Verse five recounts the aftermath. It is almost a reflection of Verse three, accept this time the Cannon behind them. The galloping effect continues with the remaining unit returning to base. A further variation is shown when Tennyson writes While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well He reminds the reader that this unit was not just a team of heroic men but also their courageous steeds. All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. No number is specified here, but the poet implies very few soldiers and horses survived this onslaught. He allows the reader to decide how few they think may have survived. Finally verse six is a salutation to this incredibly brave, elite force. He opens this verse with the rhetorical question, When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made He is telling us that this unit will never be forgotten because of their extreme bravery and heroism. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! Here, Tennyson is instructing the reader to respect this heroic Force and their courageous efforts. This is emphasised by the repetition of honour and use of exclamation marks. This is an anthem glorifying their name and memory of a truly patriotic elite Force. This poem creates a sense of urgency and determination. He repeatedly creates a galloping pace with a sense of purpose. There is no deviation from this purpose even when the Light Brigade are faced with great adversity. The poets clever use of word repetition combined with the rhythmic meter arouses the readers emotions. Verse one sets the scene and the pace. Tennyson still manages to create a sense of foreboding with his biblical symbolism of the valley of Death. Although there is this sense of foreboding, the Light Brigade have a duty to carry out the orders of their Commanding Officers. It is in the second verse when the readers emotions begin to ride high. It is when the reader is informed Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered: Frustration is now felt because the reader now realises the doomed fate of this elite force is down to one persons mistake. We are aware of this unit charging into the wrong valley knowing that it can only end in tragedy. This almost makes the reader want to give up. It is Tennysons clever galloping pace that pushes the reader on into this massacre. Verse three shows the Light Brigade being swallowed Into the jaws of Death quite literally as they are surrounded in a jaw like fashion with Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them This is extremely descriptive and leaves the reader with the impression that there will be no survivors, as the enemy does not need hand to hand combat to slay the Brigade as they have cannon power. However, Tennyson pushes us forward in verse four by turning the tables and making the Light Brigade become the assailants. As a reader this particular verse gives me a feeling of total admiration. Here is an elite Force faced with an impossible situation. They could have retreated and no one would of blamed them for doing so, but no, without question they continue with even more grit and determination. It is this action that makes them heroes. They are representing us as a nation and are proving to the enemy that we run from no one and are not afraid to stare Death in the eye. Even more to their credit, this elite Force slash their way through the enemy lines leaving bodies in their wake. It could be said that the Light Brigade is symbolic of our country in stature both being small. However, the Light Brigade, like our Country, is a Force to be reckoned with. It is in this verse that patriotism is at an all time high. Not only has this Force continued its challenge but has managed to come through the other side as victors leaving their mark. Tennyson continues with the galloping pace in verse five, echoing the words of verse three with slight variation. As a reader I feel quite exhausted (as obviously the surviving soldiers were) but the galloping speed is maintained until safety is reached. The final verse, although brief, is praise for this heroic Light Brigade. There are not enough words to describe these courageous men and their steeds, so Tennyson has kept it simple but authoritative when he says Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! These simple words create tremendous pride and make you feel that they should be shouted for the entire world to hear. These men are an inspiration to us all. Dulce ET Decorum Est is a poem from 1914-1918 World War One. This poem is actually from 1915 to 1916. The poet, Wilfred Owen, was a Commanding Officer and he actually witnessed the true horror of war. Unfortunately, during this war the weaponry became more advanced and deadly. Chemical warfare was the new weapon. This was a perfect weapon for cowards as the poisonous gas could be released from cylinders or fired in shells five-miles away. The enemy had the satisfaction of knowing that they could cause maximum suffering before death without having to witness it. The suffering from these gases wasnt just from the lungs and eyes but also the visual appearance of the victims was like something from a horror film. The skin would turn greenish black and yellow, tongue protruding with the eyes becoming a glassy stare. In addition to this the victim would be coughing up greenish froth. The stimulation for Owen to write this poem was to share the true horror of this chemical war. To report death as a statistic is one thing but to describe the actual suffering these men had to endure before their release by death is something that needed to be told. In those days it was more likely a poet, especially one commanding a group of men, would be more likely to write in criticism of the horrors of modern warfare. Understandably, they would see the gruesome and painful death as an unnecessary horror. It was futile to allow people to experience such painful death when the enemy wouldnt be near enough to enjoy the the pleasure. In contrast, the Charge of the Light Brigade was close quarter fighting. The enemy still needed to have the Light Brigade in their sights before firing the cannons. The sole concern was to kill as many of the elite force as possible. Unfortunately in World War One, it appears suffering was the main aim. The main thing to bear in mind is that these soldiers werent just rank numbers to the Commanding Officers, they were family. These men very closely together shared all different kinds of emotion. For a Commanding Officer to see one of his men suffer so horrifically and slowly would be like watching his own brother or son. He would equally suffer the torture from frustration of not being able to help or relieve the pain. It could be said this poet suffered from World War One stress disorder as he continued to suffer nightmares after experiencing one of these chemical attacks. In contrast to The Charge of the Light Brigade, there is no glorification of war in this poem. In fact, Wilfred Owen dares to end his poem The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori On reading this poem I have to agree. The first verse immediately tells us that the poet is there(unlike Tennyson, whose contact with war was by reading The Times), by his use of first person when he writes we cursed through sludge we turned our backs In contrast to the Charge of the Light Brigade the descriptions of the soldiers are very detailed, allowing the reader to share their agony. Owen effectively uses many similes to paint his picture, for example Ben double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock- Kneed, coughing like hags This is extremely descriptive of the young men returning from the frontline, appearing more like old vagrants than young brave soldiers. This verse emphasises the exhaustion of these men we began to trudge. Men marched asleep All went lame, all blind Drunk with fatigue; death even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped five-nines that dropped behind. Owen cleverly describes the five-nines as also being tired, which unfortunately means impending death. The second verse immediately begins with direct speech order Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!. These four words are extremely informative. The first word Gas! is spoken like a reaction. The second word GAS! shows recognition of the true danger. Quick, boys! depicts the urgency for his men to protect themselves. Notice he uses the word boys and not men, this indicates familiarity and passion. Owen continues to detail how awkward these gas masks were to put on when he says Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time But someone still was yelling out and stumbling. The reader experiences the panic and frustration these tired men go through when trying to secure their life saving devices. We are now introduced to the real graphic horror of a chemical attack when Owen tells us through the thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. This indicates how quick the chemicals kick into action and how thick and smothering it is. The third verse consists of only two lines In all my dreams before my helpless sight He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. Here is the indication that the poet is suffering from World War One stress disorder. His horrific experience of witnessing on of his boys die such a horrible death returns to haunt him. You can feel his frustration when he says my helpless sight, knowing he is unable to help this soldier. guttering is symbolic to this soldiers spark of life being extinguished due to drowning under a green sea of poisonous gas. In contrast, there was no mention of suffering or death in the Charge of the Light Brigade. The fourth and final verse explodes the myth it is sweet and fitting to die for your country. Owen asks the reader if they would send their children to honourably die for their country if they knew they would die such a slow gory death. His use of adjectives are powerful as he describes white eyes writhing in his face His hanging face As if this is not enough of a description he continues, like Tennyson, with the simile, using biblical symbolism. like a devils sick of sin. This gives the imagery of how evil war is and is the creation of mankinds sin. Owen continues with the satanic imagery when he refers to gargling from the froth corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues This imagery depicts an innocent man possessed, perhaps by the devil himself, as he dies a slow and torturous death. This could be symbolic of Christ himself taking on the sins of the world when he was crucified he also died a slow and torturous death. Owen powerfully ends this tortured poem My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory The old Lie, Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. The poet is talking directly to the reader and is making the reader rethink his or her own beliefs. He is clever because he isnt asking if the reader would suffer such death for their country but if the reader could allow their child to suffer such a death. He explodes the myth by referring to the well known military motto as an old Lie. Owens graphic descriptions of the exhausted soldiers returning from the frontline create a feeling of sympathy for me. These men fought their war and are returning to safety. Many are injured but limped on, blood-shod. Like Tennyson, Owen quietly drops the proverbial bombshell when he says deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped five-nines that dropped behind. For me this creates the feeling of despair for these poor men, as they now have to continue their fight for survival from the unseen enemy. (Tennysons quiet bombshell was Someone had blundered thus making the mission futile.) Hope evaporates as quickly as the poisonous gas spreads when I realise there is one soldier who was just to slow to secure his gas mask. As if thats not enough Owen continues in graphic detail to describe the suffering of this innocent soul. He uses strong words such as guttering, choking, drowning, writhing and hanging. This is extremely powerful writing as it gives me the impression this man is dying many deaths. As I continue reading this poem my sympathy also turns to the poet himself. To witness this horror once is bad enough, but this poor man has to relive it every time he goes to sleep. I can understand his bitterness to war, and after reading this I share his view. This man bravely makes a stand against an age old myth and questions it. It is because of men like Wilfred Owen, who detail the true, visual horror of war that changes and new laws can be made. After World War One chemical warfare was banned by The Geneva Convention and fortunately still stands today. If it wasnt for people like Wilfred Owen, who knows what sorry state our World would be in today. Although I have witnessed this soldiers death through the eyes of his Commanding Officer, I believe he didnt die for his country he died to save the World. There are two main differences between these two poems. They are, firstly, glorification of war (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and the abhorrence of war (Dulce Et Decorum Est). Secondly, the person these poems are written in. Tennyson obtained his details of this war from The Times editorial. However, Wilfred Owen was actually present during the chemical attack. There is a sixty-year gap between these two poems and, therefore the customs and beliefs are different. Tennyson is from the old school, glorifying war, depicting it as action packed, but never mentioning death. Owen, in contrast, concentrates on the suffering of the soldiers as opposed to their heroic deeds. There is futility in both poems but of a different nature. In the Charge of the Light Brigade the mission, itself, is made futile by one human error. However, in Dulce et Decorum est the futility is in the extreme suffering of one man never to be witnessed by the enemy who dealt this heinous blow. Both poets however, refuse to let this futility go unrecognised. Tennyson instructs the reader to honour this noble elite Force who broke enemy lines against great adversity. In contrast Owen instructs the reader to reconsider the old belief of willingly dying for your country. Both these poems have contrasting powerful messages and both are right. I try to imagine it was my great grandfather who died in the Charge of the Light Brigade. On reading this poem it would reassure me that he had not died in vain and had in fact died a hero. Equally, I try to imagine it is my great Uncle who is dying a slow agonising death in Dulce et Decorum est. Although painful to read, again he has not died in vain because the World has been made to share his experience and it never wants that experience again. In effect, it could be said that the Light Brigade as a unit and the chemical infested soldier are representative of Christ in their own ways. The Light Brigade representing Christ fighting the good fight against all odds and achieving their objective (seizing the guns albeit the wrong ones). The dying soldier representing Christ dying for our sins on the cross.

Social and Political Discrimination Against Women

Social and Political Discrimination Against Women The world is facing many problems that are demolishing its unity, forcing the process of making a better world harder to achieve. One of the most devastating problems yet to be solved is the womens rights against discrimination. Discrimination, according to Cambridge Universitys dictionary is the act of treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, religion, sex. Discrimination against women is a type of gender discrimination. According to the Australian Office of Anti-Discrimination Commissioner (OADC) gender discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of his or her gender (Justice, 2009). Womens discrimination is a series problem, it is just not a discrimination against a minority (with all do respect to all minorities). It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against half the human race Kofi Annan[1]. Annan described discriminating against women discriminating against half of the human race which rely on how important the role of women in the progressing of the human race. The problem of discrimination against women was officially addressed to the world through the first couple of years of the establishing of the United Nations (UN). Women inscribed their identity as holders of rights in the founding documents of the UN-the UN Charter (1945) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) the Convention of Civil Rights to Women (1948) and the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952) (Jain Sen, 2005, pp. 12-13). Many countries and nations have issued legislations against discrimination, and specifically against gender or sex discrimination. One of the most notified acts against discrimination is the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 by the British Parliament. Many countries and nations have acts against discriminating women; however, women are still being discriminated b efore the law (Franciscans). Discriminating against women is not just discriminating against a person it is discriminating against families as well; who would want the mother, the sister or the wife to be discriminated at work, at school or at club under no reason but solely because of the gender. The purpose of this essay is to examine the act of discrimination against women and demonstrate on how women suffer in the social life, the political arena and the workplace, and the education. Moreover this essay will adjudge the previous solutions to overcome the problem of discriminating women due to their gender held previously decades ago by countries or nations, and why they did not reap what they have sown. Ultimately, it will propose a solution on how to surmount the problem of discriminating women, because women should not be discriminated due to the prejudice against their gender. Women play the part of half the human race if they were less competent or reliable than men and do n ot deserve equality God would not let them share every role with men. Womens discrimination is much far from being a local issue in a certain part of the world. Women suffer from discrimination, violence and sexual harassment because women most of the times are thought to be less competent than men because of their physical structure. Women are not only discriminated in the developing countries because of the lack of sophistication, women are also being discriminated in the developed countries. Discrimination against women in the UK is deeply ingrained, a government report concludes as cited in (Barriers still in womens way, 2005). The UK, one of the most important and developed countries that plays a major role in the world issues, has a discrimination problem against women which is described by a governmental report to be deeply ingrained or firmly held that it is not likely to be changed. Thus it is a problem that needs more that attention to be solved. According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Data shows that discriminato ry practices against women exists and dominates in almost all parts of the world (2008). Therefore, we do not need each developed country telling a one that is not that the developed country is free from discrimination or it is in very small ratio that discrimination hardly can be found. Statistically according to figure 1[2], the ratio between the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the developing countries does not gap critically; life expectancy is more in MENA than in the developing countries while it decreases in the other areas. The world needs all countries and nations help because it is not a one nation problem it is a problem that we all command. Women social life is covered by many kinds of discrimination. Women in social life suffer from many daily-life appellations, especially in the Middle-East other than the West. In the Middle-East women are classified by their relationship status other than by her contribution to the community. While searching for life partner men get repelled from divorced women. In the process of searching, most of the men search for virgin girls whether those men have previous relation or not. Divorced women are treated different than married women. Whereas single-mothers most of the time do not marry after their first marriage because men do not want extra burden or responsibility. On the other hand single-fathers easily can get married most of the time as there is no social norm against them to re-marry. Single mothers do not refuse to marry, however, they are refuted by the men how are seeking marriage. Divorce is more costly for women than men. The most common impact of divorce on women is the f inancial insecurity it creates, increasing the possibility of poverty for them and their children. Data show that after divorce, women experience a 73 percent loss in their former standard of living and men experience a 42 percent rise (Headlee Elfin, 1996, p. p.52). Not only divorce leave women socially downgraded it also leaves her in economical insecurity, and if a women is supporting a child the disaster will be doubled. According to Clarke-Stewart Brentano, divorced women make only five new friends in the first year of divorce due to the emotional damage of divorce (2006, p. 70). Women are more likely to have blighted social life than men after divorce. Nevertheless, society does not welcome divorcees leaving women in a dark corner of the society. Politically, women suffer from a great impact from discrimination. Women have been discriminated in the political arena, as the society gives the women politicians less creditability than men due to some ideas stuck in the minds that women are more likely to be secretaries other than being the boss. The media has a huge impact on such negative ideas, giving the women always as the soft secretary that has a model body shape and a voice that rhymes with music. According to Abdel-Wahabs film, he sketched a wife being a CEO in a governmental institution, while the employees of that institution do not believe that a woman can hold such a sophisticated position (1966). In that film the female CEO proves to her husband and to her employees at the end of the film that she is as competent as any male CEO that has ever held this position. This is the kind of media that needed to be seen today, not the ones that weaken the image of women and strengthens the stereotyping of them in politics and in workplace. According to Constance B. Morella a US Republican Congresswoman, who represents the Seventh District in Maryland, in politics (once elected) there is equity in terms of salary, but not in terms of leadership. Women are excluded from many issue areas and commissions where they might serve as cited in (Headlee Elfin, 1996). In the US congress the government cannot give smaller salary to women, of course or it would be contradicting its own policies out in the public, nonetheless, they do not give women the right of leadership as they might provide help to their country, the US- her country- deny the womens help in leadership. Unlike men, women pursue politics for the sake of issues and morals not for career advancement. The rejection of women being in the political arena gave them the opportunity to be more active volunteers than men, which gave them more than enough experience to successfully enter the political arena (Headlee Elfin, 1996, p. 26). Men do not have an e xtra brain that makes them excel in politics and likely women do not, hence, they are equal and should have equal political opportunities. Women went to work thus, affecting the mens jobs and the economy mainly because of money. Women worked because they did not have husbands as unmarried or divorced, or they had husbands who were in low-pay jobs. In 1994, 59 percent of married women were working for pay which increased by 19 percent from 1970 (Headlee Elfin, 1996, p. 3). As of discrimination in the work place, statistically, pregnant women suffer widespread discrimination at work, figures show, with almost one in 14 mums-to-be denied opportunities for promotion and one in 50 demoted (Pregnant Women; Discrimination at work, 2006). Pregnant women takes the largest piece in the pie chart according to discrimination, some of the pregnant women do not even get paid for maternity leave, while, some of them do not get promoted and some get demoted. Bibliography Abdel-Wahab, F. (Director). (1966). My Wife is CEO [Motion Picture]. Barriers still in womens way. (2005). Evening Post (South Wales) , p. 5. Clarke-Stewart, A., Brentano, C. (2006). Divorce : Causes and Consequences. New Haven: Yale University Press . Franciscans, I. (n.d.). Discrimination Against Women. Retrieved December 21, 2009, from Franciscans International: http://www.franciscansinternational.org/issues/women/discrimination Headlee, S., Elfin, M. (1996). Cost of Being Female. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. Jain, D., Sen, A. K. (2005). Women, Development, and the UN : A Sixty-Year Quest for Equality and Justice. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Justice, T. D. (2009, September 4). Anti-Discrimination Commissioner: Gender Discrimination. Retrieved December 21, 2009, from Tasmania Online Your gateway to Tasmania: http://www.antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au/publications/gender_discrimination Pregnant Women; Discrimination at work. (2006). Advertiser, The (Adelaide) , 15. UNIFEM. (2008). Justice / Field Stories / Discrimination Against Women : UNIFEM : Progress Of The Worlds Women 2008/2009. Retrieved December 21, 2009, from United Nations Development Fund for Women: http://www.unifem.org/progress/2008/media/POWW08_Report_Full_Text.pdf

Cows On Parade :: essays research papers fc

Cows in the City.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chicago – the Windy City†¦ Famous for its skyscrapers and the Magnificent Mile, this summer Chicago was embellished by a new landmark, or landmarks to be more exact. Nearly 300 cows have found a temporary home in the streets of downtown and its buildings. This extensive public art project, organized by the Chicago Public Art Program , commemorates the city’s industrial history, while bringing a sense of community and beauty to Chicago’s citizens and tourists. In this â€Å"parade†, every cow is full of meaning as well as artistic value. Although many might argue, I, to the contrary, would like to applaud the City of Chicago for the implementation of this great project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This project’s idea was brought to Chicago by Peter Hanig, after he saw a similar project in Zurich. From the North Michigan Avenue Business Association, the â€Å"cow† idea found its way to the Department of Cultural Affairs . This is how it all started. Sponsors commissioned artists, and the cows were on their way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is difficult to make a clear statement of whether the sponsors were trying to advertise using the cows or just participate selflessly in this magnificent â€Å"parade†. Some cows, such as â€Å"Give the Lady what She Wants† with shopping bags on its back is obviously nothing other than advertising for the Marshall Field’s & Co., the cow’s sponsor. The same can be said for the â€Å"Mooving Eli†, near the Eli’s Cheesecake, which also doesn’t disguise its advertising nature. Some people are disgusted to call this form of advertising a public art program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, it is not completely fair to blame sponsors for wanting to use the cows for their own benefit. If cows were bought with tax money, then this issue would become really controversial. Many people, with whom I will tend to agree, understand that although some cows are used for advertising, there are many cows that actually beautify and enrich the city of Chicago by their presence. One of the examples is the â€Å"Stampede† cow, near the historic Water Tower. This cow achieves an incredible much in terms of promoting the city and is a true example of a public art figure that celebrates the city’s diversity of events. This cow is painted with images of Chicago’s celebrations, such as the â€Å"Taste of Chicago†, the â€Å"Venetian Night† and the air show. It is mostly delightful to see a smile on little children’s faces as well as the faces of adults. Cows On Parade :: essays research papers fc Cows in the City.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chicago – the Windy City†¦ Famous for its skyscrapers and the Magnificent Mile, this summer Chicago was embellished by a new landmark, or landmarks to be more exact. Nearly 300 cows have found a temporary home in the streets of downtown and its buildings. This extensive public art project, organized by the Chicago Public Art Program , commemorates the city’s industrial history, while bringing a sense of community and beauty to Chicago’s citizens and tourists. In this â€Å"parade†, every cow is full of meaning as well as artistic value. Although many might argue, I, to the contrary, would like to applaud the City of Chicago for the implementation of this great project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This project’s idea was brought to Chicago by Peter Hanig, after he saw a similar project in Zurich. From the North Michigan Avenue Business Association, the â€Å"cow† idea found its way to the Department of Cultural Affairs . This is how it all started. Sponsors commissioned artists, and the cows were on their way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is difficult to make a clear statement of whether the sponsors were trying to advertise using the cows or just participate selflessly in this magnificent â€Å"parade†. Some cows, such as â€Å"Give the Lady what She Wants† with shopping bags on its back is obviously nothing other than advertising for the Marshall Field’s & Co., the cow’s sponsor. The same can be said for the â€Å"Mooving Eli†, near the Eli’s Cheesecake, which also doesn’t disguise its advertising nature. Some people are disgusted to call this form of advertising a public art program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, it is not completely fair to blame sponsors for wanting to use the cows for their own benefit. If cows were bought with tax money, then this issue would become really controversial. Many people, with whom I will tend to agree, understand that although some cows are used for advertising, there are many cows that actually beautify and enrich the city of Chicago by their presence. One of the examples is the â€Å"Stampede† cow, near the historic Water Tower. This cow achieves an incredible much in terms of promoting the city and is a true example of a public art figure that celebrates the city’s diversity of events. This cow is painted with images of Chicago’s celebrations, such as the â€Å"Taste of Chicago†, the â€Å"Venetian Night† and the air show. It is mostly delightful to see a smile on little children’s faces as well as the faces of adults.

Virginia Woolfs A Room of Ones Own Essay -- Virginia Woolf Room One

Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own Missing works cited In A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf ponders the plight of women throughout history. Woolf 'reads the lives of women and concludes that if a woman were to have written she would have had to overcome enormous circumstances' (Woolf xi). Woolf's initial thesis is that 'a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction' (Woolf 4). Throughout the book, however, she develops other important conditions for artistic creation. Woolf mentions many nineteenth century female writers in order to explain these conditions, but she does not mention Mary Shelley. Woolf most likely excludes the author of Frankenstein because her writing contains considerable male influence. The circumstances of Shelley's life, however, meet Virginia Woolf's basic requirements for the production of good fiction. Mary Shelley possesses a well-rounded education, encouragement, and an 'androgynous and incandescent' mind (Woolf 98). In A Room of One?s Own, Virginia Woolf suggests women produce so little literature because of the tremendous discouragement and criticism that female writers face. She discusses the effects of opposition and disapproval upon the artistic mind. The opinions of others greatly affect artists, and it is those of genius who are most sensitive to criticism. Woolf proposes that it was literally impossible for a talented woman to write well during the sixteenth century: ?A highly gifted girl who had tried to use her gift would have been so thwarted and hindered by other people, so tortured and pulled asunder by her own contrary instincts, that she must have lost her health and sanity to a certainty? (Woolf 49). To further illustrate her poin... ...tial thesis is that ?a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction? (Woolf 4). Throughout the book, however, she develops other important conditions for artistic creation such as a wellrounded education, encouragement, and an ?incandescent and androgynous? mind (Woolf 98). Although Virginia Woolf does not mention Mary Shelley in A Room of One?s Own, probably because of the strong male influence in Shelley?s writing, the circumstances of her life meet Woolf?s basic criteria for the production of good fiction. Mary Shelley?s excellent literary education, stimulating life experiences, encouragement from family, and lack of anger, bitterness, and fear in her writing grant her the status of one of the most famous female writers of the nineteenth century. Works Cited: Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt, 1989.

Analysis of the Structure of a Newspaper Article Essay

The structure of a newspaper article is very important. A well-structured article should be helpful for the reader to follow and understand the story, and most importantly, it should engage the reader, encouraging them to read on. The following articles, ‘Germany grieves for a hero who dared not admit struggle with mental illness. ’ from the newspaper, The Times, and ‘â€Å"It was a real thrill†, says tourist nearly eaten by 18ft great white shark. Taken from The Guardian, will be compared to each other and analysed. The headlines of both articles are similar in the way that they both use dramatic, eye-catching words to grab the attention of the reader. The headline of the Germany article uses the words ‘hero’ and ‘mental illness’ which would make the reader question how they could be linked and persuade them to read on. In the shark article, the sentence ‘18ft great white shark’ and quote, â€Å"it was a real thrill† are included. This is interesting for the reader, and would make them want to find out more about their experience. The opening paragraph of an article should briefly include who was involved, what happened, why it happened and where and when it happened. The Germany article includes all five of these points, whereas the shark article only includes who what and where. However, by not including all the information, the reader is more likely to read on to find more about the story as the detail becomes more developed in the following paragraphs. The closing paragraphs of the articles are similar in the way that the less important and less necessary information is added towards the end. They have both been written using the inverted pyramid structure, meaning the information is arranged in descending order of importance. The most important material is placed at the beginning of the story and the less important information follows. It is effective because it tells the reader quickly what they want to know, but can make the ending boring, with no suspense. Although, in the shark article, a quote has been included in the closing paragraph and was said by the man who experienced the shark attack, which is interesting and engaging. The same quote is also included in the headline, which links the whole article together. Whereas in the Germany article, the quote added in the last paragraph has been said by a columnist, which can be uninteresting and even unnecessary, which is a good example of the inverted pyramid structure. Quotes have been used throughout the text of both articles, but mainly after the first few paragraphs, after the vital information. Quotes are effective in a news story because it is a way to hold the reader’s interest and advance the story. In the shark article, the quote â€Å"I was only in the cage a couple of minutes and this huge shark circled the boat a couple of times, then it started attacking the side of the cage,† This is effective because it builds tension, and doesn’t tell the mans whole experience, so the reader is likely to read on to find out what happens next. This technique is also used again in the quote, â€Å"The captain was hitting the shark on the head with an iron pole but this just made things worse,† However, the Germany article is an informative story, telling people about the death of a German goalkeeper, so the quotes that are included come from sources such as friends and family, for example the quote said by his father, â€Å"In really critical phases, Robert became petrified that a ball, any ball, would be shot at his goal. This is effective because the reader would be intrigued to know peoples views on the situation, and could compare them with their own. In conclusion, I think that both texts are structured effectively as they have been written well to help the reader follow and understand the story, although I prefer the shark attack article, as it is more thrilling, engaging and I found myself wanting to know more.

Dementia Causes Of Nonfatal Disability Health And Social Care Essay

Mr. Roy was a supervisor and driver for a company for 35 old ages, dedicated employee, he married Jane and had four kids. Roy ‘s Dendranthema grandifloruom has history of undiagnosed psychotic jobs. He ever had disconnected idiosyncrasy, rigorous with everything and ever wanted to be foremost. Although he was dedicated to his occupation and ne'er had clip for his household, Jane was the chief carer of the household. She worked as director of a residential place.She says that he ne'er been at that place for my kids. Roy was a lovely individual when he married her, after she had four kids, he was working as a supervisor for a company for 35 old ages. Roy lost his occupation when he could non accept the alterations in work environment, when the company started to utilize the modern equipments. He started to act unsuitably, he collected office paperss and kept it on the top of the Attic, as he does non like Changes Company ‘s policies.He lost his occupation as this company mo ved to another topographic point. He lost involvement in his household life ; he spent clip in saloon and ever had impermanent lady friends and spends money for them, which ever leaded him to hold debts and borrowed from Bankss and edifice society, without cognizing his married woman. His married woman had to confront the biddings, measures and constabularies instances for a long clip. She continued to pay back.He had jobs with pull offing histories, records and names of kids. Roy started to be really ill-mannered and argumentative force per unit area on his married woman for money and spent it handling others in the saloon. He had tonss of impermanent lady friends ; his personality changed, he threatened his married woman with a gun one twenty-four hours to happen his manner. His driving accomplishments became hapless, and he had a auto clang but survived miraculously. He ne'er mentioned with his auto after this incident. Mr. Roy so isolated himself.He usage to see on a regular bas is to the topographic point where the company was and travelled several times in a coach on the fixed path. He has been referred to the head-shrinker and diagnosed of anxiousness, depression and he refused to undergo any intervention for 3 old ages. His status go worse.Roy ‘s memory deteriorated. He admitted to the infirmary due to his hard behavior pneumonia Mrs. Jane had to take voluntary retirement due to fiscal committedness and to look after Roy. Her girl was really supportive to her other three kids hated him, and ne'er bothered about their pa. Roy so sectioned due to his hard behavior admitted in mental wellness unit, undergone a CT scan and diagnosed of Fronto temporal dementedness. He moved to an EMI nursing place to pull off his complex demands. Roy displays physical aggression both existent and endangering. Roy says â€Å" do you desire two black eyes. † He will raise his fist and will try to slap the staff ‘s faces. Roy ‘s suppressions appears de creased which frequently consequences in socially inappropriate behaviors.Physical aggression towards fellow occupants, Roy appears to hold no penetration to his ain status on others illness and safety. Roy is at high hazard of bolting and has a past history of Windowss and bolting from the old attention scenes.Roy is self disregard, resistive towards personal attention, his behavior can be disputing when staff attack him sing personal attention.He has no construct of hazard to himself or others, he will occupy people ‘s personal infinite and can go confrontational regardless of any age groups.When people inquire Roy inquiries he will laugh unsuitably, mimic, or reply unsuitably, for illustration ‘do n't be stupid.His short term memory appears impaired to the topographic point and day of the month.Long term memory appears impaired and muddled. Roy believes that he was in the Navy, but his married woman has told that this was wrong.Some facets of Roy ‘s long term me mory are integral and he is able to acknowledge household members He likes to have on coat and bind all the clip.Conversational accomplishments are limited and superficial in manner hence farther mental wellness appraisal are hard. Roy likes music and will play loud music with no construct to others. When his temper lowers Roy has a inclination to socially insulate himself, He is presently prescribed antidepressants and his temper presently appears stable, he has a sweet tooth, can be really demanding for peculiarly chocolate eclairs.He tends to acquire chest infections recurrently. Common causes of dementedness are Alzheimer ‘s disease, vascular dementedness, Korsakoffs syndrome, Dementia with Lewy organic structures Fronto temporal dementedness, Creutzfeldt Jacob syndrome, Aids related cognitive damage, other rarer causes like Progressive Supranuclear paralysis, and Bins cholers disease. Peoples with multiple Sclerosis, motor nerve cell disease, Parkinson ‘s disease and Huntington ‘s disease can besides at an increased hazard of developing dementedness. Younger oncoming of dementedness is randomly defined as get downing before the age of 65 old ages. It is much rarer than tardily on set of dementedness ( Harvey, 1998 ) the proportion of those with Fronto Temporal Dementia is thought to be higher in younger-on set group than among older people developing dementedness. ( Dale2003 ; Williams 2001 ) perchance presenting emphasiss for household members. In add-on, the societal and psychological context of younger people with dementedness is different from that of older people ( Cox and Keady,1999 ; Tined all and Manthrope,1997 ) The term Fronto temporal dementedness covers a scope of status including choices disease and dementedness associated with motor nerve cell disease all are caused by harm to the frontal lobes and the temporal parts of the encephalon, these are responsible for the emotional responses and linguistic communication accomplishments Alzheimer ‘s society ( factsheet404 ) explains the nucleus characteristics of FTD as defined by the Neary standards are early diminution in societal and personal behavior, emotional blunting and loss of penetration. Selective encephalon devolution is seen in dorsolateral orbital and medical frontlet cerebral mantle ( Neary ) .Personality displacements in the way of submissiveness are typical for FTD. Although extraversion can emerge in antecedently introverted single s ( Rankin, Kramer, Mychackand Miller ( 2003 ) points out that there is a displacement from the heat to coldness on personality panics.Changes in established spiritual or political believes and forms of frock proposing alterations in the sense of ego are common, regard for personal boundaries disappears, some patient stare and go overfriendly, taking openly to the aliens ( including kids ) , Increased trust for others make these patients vulnerable to fiscal cozenages or sexual development. Indiscretion causes embarrassment to the household and disinhibited verbal effusions or socially inappropriate behavior is common. Miller ( 1997 ) describes the symptoms are Antisocial behaviors, frequently reflect hapless opinion and impaired impulse control. Damage in personal behavior is a nucleus characteristic.Some can be hyperactive with verbal and motor activities.where as others become inactive and withdrawn, some patients will fluctuate between over activity and apathy. Gregory and Hodges ( 1996 ) Kean Kalder, Hodges and immature, ( 2002 ) , Rosen et Al, ( 2004 ) Loss of concern for others and outstanding emotional blunting tend to insulate the patient.A solace of cognitive and emotional alterations tocontributeto this emotional blunting.for illustration, comprehension and look.are deficient, and the inability to grok the emotions that others are experiencing. That the others are experiencing peculiarly better, negative emotions contributes to the feeling that the patient is no longer concerned about his or her loved 1s, in add-on, patients become self centred and tend to concentrat e on their ain peculiar demands and desires. In a medical crisis scene, patients may react with inappropriate deficiency of concern, sometimes in a eccentric mode ( Johansson & A ; Hagberg,1989 ; Kramer et Al: 2003 ) loss of executive maps leads to impaired multi tasking, switching abstracting, doing sound judgements, planning and job work outing the executive jobs can be the first manifestaon of venereal disease continuing behavioral shortages ( lindauetal ; 2000 ) hapless public presentation at occupations leads these patients to acquire fired, and they tend to work at increasingly simpler businesss. Similarly, ruinous fiscal loss due to hapless determination devising is common prior to presentation at the doctor ‘s office ( miller 1995 ) explains that preservative and stereo typed behaviors emerge in the in-between phases of FTD, simple insistent motor or verbal Acts of the Apostless such as lips doing, manus friction or humming are common. More complex behaviors such as ro ll uping ( refuse, stones, casts, fictile figures ) rolling a fixed path or numbering money, evolve in patients. Hyperorality manifests in over feeding and alterations in nutrient penchant to a certain type of nutrient or even construct of uneatable objects. Analyzing this behavior features Mr Roy is precisely the same features we can see in him.Roy ‘s disputing behavior can be the marks of hurt choler, aggression anxiousness, and backdown.As ( Kerr and Cunningaham2004 ) states that it is hard to find how individual respond to the behavior or responses of a individual with dementedness, if we do non cognize what caused it for and how individual interprets it.As Roy has a rare signifier of dementedness with primary progressive dysphasia Patient with FTD besides go on to develop address and linguistic communication jobs during the development of disease, ( Neary 1998 Pasquier, Lebert, Lavenu and Gallium, 1999 ) . Depression occurs and many patients with FTD are diagnosed with depressive upsets before dementedness is apparent ( miller 1991 ) depression has untypical characteristics that are a hint to the existent diagnosing. Loss of insight sing behavioral alterations, diminished empathy for others, denial of depression, alterations, diminished empathy for others, denial of depression, apathy, and blunted affect are present, in many patients with FTD and depressive characteristics. Psychotic characteristics, such as psychotic beliefs and hallucination, occur but are infrequent. Deficits in working memory, set shifting and coevals are apparent, episodic memory shortages can be outstanding, taking to misdiagnosis of AD. ( Lindau 2000 ) ( Miller, Swartz Lesser, & A ; Darby, 1997 ) states that inordinate smoke and intoxicant or drug maltreatment can take to the misdiagnosis of intoxicant or drug dependence, patients with FTD tend to gorge in gluttonous mode. In clinical pattern because many doctor s are unfamiliar with its specific characteristics FTLD is normally misdiagnosed as AD. Decline in societal and personal behavior, emotional blunting, loss of penetration and progressive address upset develop early in the FLTD. ( Dawn Brooker 2007 ) points out that understanding individual ‘s past history is important to supplying individual centred attention, by looking at processs for how cardinal narratives are known about and how these are communicated Person with dementedness is cardinal to this procedure although others such as household or professional carers can besides deduce considerable benefits from being involved. The procedure and its touchable results assist communications and aid the development of positive relationships, Life narrative work hence has a multiple benefits for assorted people. It is and activity that all the mostly about the yesteryear, takes topographic point in the present.it involves a series of intensive, non endangering extremely personal treatments between the individual disabled by dementedness and antiphonal appreciative hearer.As Roy ‘s dementedness has progressed and is unable to derive any information from him. Cunningham ( 2006 ) Lack of consciousness a nd cognition about the demands of the patients with dementedness can take to disputing behavior and misunderstanding of their demands. The ABC analysis of behavior is a utile successful tool for understanding patients with Dementia. This system provides an chance to enter all the factors which interact to make a ambitious state of affairs. ( Wang and miller 2006 ) points out that many facets of this upset make it peculiarly troublesome for health professionals, including loss of empathy for others, apathy, diminished penetration and inappropriate sound behaviours that qualify these patients. It can be argued that successful lovingness relationships are those here the individual with Dementia is accepted merely for what they are, non pressurised to go what they one time were an impossible mark for them to accomplish. Kitwood was the first author to utilize the term ‘personhood ‘ in relation to people with dementedness, he defined personhood as a standing or position that is bestowed upon what human being by other, in the context of the relationship and societal being.It implies acknowledgment, regard and trust. Brooker ( 2004 ) helpfully encapsulates the individual -centred frame work in four countries valuing the individual with dementedness and those who provide attention for them. ( V ) The individualism of each individual with dementedness, ( I ) , The of import position of individual with dementedness ( P ) and the cardinal function played by individuals societal environment individual centred attention involves the integrating of these four elements. So the people with dementedness and those who care for so genuinely seen as VIP`s. A senses frame work has been proposed by Nolan as a of understanding these triangular relationship between the individual with dementedness, the relation and the attention place staff.Six senses are highlighted.those are – sense of security, sense of properties, sense of continuity, sense of intent, sense of accomplishment and sense of significance.For individual with dementedness life in a attention place the two cardinal sets of trigon relationship are foremost, with household members and friends and 2nd, with assorted members of staff provide attention.the relationship with household and friends is critical in the context of the individuals journey through life ; the relationship with staff is critical in relation twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours comfort and satisfactions demands.Nolan et al argues ( 2003 ; 2006 ) argue that these six senses are indispensable for the relationship that are reciprocally satisfied for all concerned.for each of six countries, the individu al with dementedness, household member and attention worker may see this otherwise, yet a spread in any of these countries will adversely impact the quality of relationship. ( Forests ; Keady ; b'seddonch ; Diane 2007 ) explains that the individual with dementedness may experience secure and safe when he or she has a friendly smile faces about, and physical demands are reacting to quickly and gently ( the household member may experience secure when she or he experience confident that the individual is in good custodies. and having good attention.the attention worker may experience secure when their occupation is non under menace. when they do non experience criticised and scrutinised for every action, and when they do non experience under menace or onslaught, whether physical or verbal. A survey by CSCI ( 2008 ) of attention places has shown the quality of attention staff, communicating with people with dementedness has a major impact on their quality of life.leadership ethos, of attention place staff preparation ; support and good development are important factors in back uping good pattern. Jane hated Roy because his hard behavior and the emphasis she had before diagnosing. G.P`s were non cognizant of this dementedness as it is rare signifier of dementedness, .A cardinal manner easing carer ‘s engagement, is for the nurses and the carers to negociate a relationship within which engagement can run in a manner that endorses the rules of good pattern is already established.Walker. Tocopherol and Jane, B ( 2001 ) Fronto temporal lobe devolution work stoppages at comparatively immature age, so the disease frequently causes dramatic economic and societal effects before patients arrive in the clinic. The UK National service frame work for older people provinces that there should be specialist services for the younger people with dementia [ DOH ] , ( 2001 ) National service frame work for long term Neurological Conditions advices that there should be individual centred services, early acknowledgment, prompt diagnosing intervention and early rehabilitation ( DoH,2005 ) When Jane had to confront the effects of the challenging behaviours financially and emotionally for long periods as she was non acquiring plenty aid from the wellness professionals, and deficiency of diagnosing and unaware of his type of dementedness.the individual with dementedness will set with this of course, but it can be much more hard for their loved 1s, since they are distressed by what they lost. Miller and Wang ( 2003 ) Typical and Atypical major tranquilizers have been used for commanding aggressive and psychotic symptoms. However sing the possible inauspicious response with deteriorating motor symptoms and dysphasia, major tranquilizers should merely be used as a last resort. An increasing figure of structured or curative activity-based intercessions exist for people with dementedness. Examples include world orientation ; cognitive stimulation therapy ; music therapy ; art, authorship, dance and motion ; play ; aromatherapy and centripetal stimulation ; intergenerational programmes Montessori-based methods ; doll therapy ; the SPECAL attack ; emotion-oriented attention ; horticultural therapy and woodlands therapy. Reappraisals have revealed that the research grounds for most of these activities appears weak, nevertheless the seeable positive consequence they have on persons and anecdotal grounds indicates that they are worthwhile and have Referances Kerr D. Cunningham degree Celsius ( 2004 ) Finding the right response to people with Dementia.Nursing and residential attention.6,11, 539-542. Harvey R.J ( 1998 ) Family Burden immature oncoming of dementedness Epidemiology, clinical symptoms, support and outcome London Imperial College. Walker E. & A ; Devar B.J. ( 2001 ) issues and inventions in Nursing Practice.How do we ease carer ‘involvement in determination devising? Journal of advanced Nursing 34 ( 3 ) , 329-337.DecisionThe above survey therefore explains the badness of Dementia and its effects if left unattended. As stated above the figure of people acquiring affected by this disease is increasing at a really high rate. Thus this disease seems to present a serious menace to mankind and its societal being. The clip has come to get down big graduated table surveies and experiments on this disease and thereby device a methodology/cure for this. Besides WHO should advance consciousness about this disease among common public to guarantee early sensing and thereby cut downing farther wellness hazards.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 12

TWELVE IF YOU'D ASKED ME six months ago, I would have said there was no way I'd be happy to run into Mia Rinaldi at the Royal Court. She was a year younger than me and had held a grudge against Lissa since freshman year – a grudge so big that Mia had gone to great extremes to make life miserable for us. She'd done a good job. Jesse and Ralf's rumors about me had been a result of her efforts. But then Mia had gone with us to Spokane and been captured by the Strigoi. And, just like for Christian and Eddie, that had changed everything. She'd seen the same horrors the rest of us had. In fact, she was the only one of my friends who had witnessed Mason's death and me killing Strigoi. She had even saved my life then by using her water magic to temporarily drown one of the Strigoi. In the great Moroi argument about whether or not they should learn to fight with the guardians, she was firmly on the fighting side. I hadn't seen Mia in almost a month, ever since Mason's funeral. In studying her, I felt like it'd been a year. I had always thought Mia looked like a doll. She was short compared to most Moroi and had young, round-cheeked features. The fact that she'd always curled her hair in perfect ringlets had sort of reinforced that image. But today, she hadn't gone to nearly that much trouble. Her golden blond hair was pulled into a ponytail, its only curl coming from a slight, natural waviness. She wore no makeup, and her face showed signs of having been outdoors a lot. Her skin looked chapped from the wind, and she had a very, very faint tan – almost unheard of for Moroi, with their aversion to sunlight. For the first time ever, she actually looked her age. She laughed at my shock. â€Å"Come on, it hasn't been that long. You look like you don't even recognize me.† â€Å"I almost don't.† We hugged, and again, it was hard to believe that she'd once plotted ways to ruin my life. Or that I'd broken her nose. â€Å"What are you doing here?† She beckoned us out the door. â€Å"We were just about to leave. I'll explain everything.† We went to a neighboring building. It wasn't like a mall or anything, but it did have a few businesses that the Moroi who worked and visited here needed – a handful of restaurants, some small stores, and offices that offered all sorts of services. There was also a coffee shop, and that was where Mia led us. A coffee shop seems like an ordinary thing, but I rarely got to go to them. Sitting in a public place (or semi-public) with friends, not worrying about school†¦ it was great. It reminded me of when Lissa and I had been on our own, when our entire lives hadn't been contained within a school and its rules. â€Å"My dad works here now,† she told us. â€Å"And so now I live here.† Moroi children rarely lived with their parents. They were sent off to places like St. Vladimir's, where they could grow up safely. â€Å"What about school?† I asked. â€Å"There aren't many kids here, but there are some. Most of them are rich and have personal tutors. My dad pulled some strings and set it up so that I can go to them for different subjects. So I'm still studying the same things, just in a different way. It's actually pretty cool. Less teacher time – but more homework.† â€Å"You've been doing more than that,† said Eddie. â€Å"Unless your classes are outside.† He'd noticed the same things I had, and in looking at her hands as they held her latte, I could now see calluses. She wiggled her fingers. â€Å"I made friends with some of the guardians here. They've been showing me a few things.† â€Å"That's risky,† said Christian, though he sounded like he approved. â€Å"Since there's still a debate about Moroi fighting.† â€Å"You mean about Moroi fighting with magic,† she corrected. â€Å"That's what's controversial. No one's really talking about Moroi fighting hand-to-hand.† â€Å"Well, they are,† I said. â€Å"It's just been overshadowed by the magic controversy.† â€Å"It's not illegal,† she said primly. â€Å"And until it is, I'm going to keep doing it. You think with all the events and meetings that go on around here that anyone even notices what someone like me does?† Mia's family, in addition to being non-royal, was also pretty lower class – not that there was anything wrong with that, but she had to feel the effects of that around here. Still, I found her whole situation cheering. Mia seemed happier and more open than she had during the entire time I'd known her. She seemed †¦ free. Christian spoke my thoughts before I could. â€Å"You've changed,† he said. â€Å"We've all changed,† she corrected. â€Å"Especially you, Rose. I can't quite explain it.† â€Å"I don't think there's any way the five of us couldn't have changed,† Christian pointed out. A moment later he corrected himself. â€Å"Four of us.† We all fell silent, thoughts of Mason weighing us down. Being with Christian, Eddie, and Mia stirred up that grief I always tried to hide, and I could see from their faces that they continually fought the same battle. Conversation eventually turned toward all of us catching up on what had happened here and at the Academy. Yet I kept thinking about how Mia had said that I had changed more than the others. All I could think about was how out of control I'd felt lately, how half the time my actions and feelings didn't seem like my own. Sitting there, it almost seemed like Mia was controlled by all of her positive traits now – and I was controlled by my negative ones. Conversations with Adrian replayed through my head, reminding me about how I supposedly had such a dark, dark aura. Maybe thinking about him summoned him, but he and Lissa eventually joined us. Their bar was probably in the same building, I realized. I'd been blocking her out and not paying much attention. Adrian hadn't completely gotten her drunk, thankfully, but she'd agreed to two drinks. I could feel a slight buzz through the bond and had to carefully shield it out. She was as surprised as we'd been to see Mia but gave her a warm welcome and wanted to catch up. I'd heard most of this already, so I just listened and drank my chai. No coffee for me. Most guardians drank it the way Moroi drank blood, but I wouldn't touch the stuff. â€Å"How'd your thing with the queen go?† Christian asked Lissa at one point. â€Å"Not so bad,† she said. â€Å"I mean, not great either. But she didn't yell at me or humiliate me, so that's a start.† â€Å"Stop being modest,† said Adrian, putting his arm around her. â€Å"Princess Dragomir totally stood her ground. You should have seen it.† Lissa laughed. â€Å"I don't suppose she mentioned why she decided to let us come to the trial?† Christian asked stiffly. He didn't look very happy about the bonding that was taking place here – or about Adrian's arm. Lissa's laughter faded, but she was still smiling. â€Å"Adrian did it.† â€Å"What?† Christian and I asked together. Adrian, looking very pleased with himself, stayed quiet for a change and let Lissa do the talking. â€Å"He convinced her that we needed to be here. He apparently harassed her until she gave in.† â€Å"It's called ‘persuasion,' not ‘harassment,'† Adrian said. Lissa laughed again. My own words about the queen came back to haunt me. Who's she? Just another Ivashkov. There are a ton of them. There were indeed. I eyed Adrian. â€Å"How closely are you guys related?† The answer popped into my head from Lissa's. â€Å"She's your aunt.† â€Å"Great-aunt. And I'm her favorite great nephew. Well, I'm her only great nephew, but that's not important. I'd still be her favorite,† he said. â€Å"Unbelievable,† said Christian. â€Å"I'll second that,† I said. â€Å"None of you appreciate me. Why is it so hard to believe that I could make a real contribution in these dark times?† Adrian stood up. He was trying to sound outraged, but the smirk on his face indicated that he still found all of this pretty funny. â€Å"My cigarettes and I are going outside. At least they show me respect.† As soon as he left, Christian asked Lissa, â€Å"Were you getting drunk with him?† â€Å"I'm not drunk. I only had two drinks,† she said. â€Å"Since when did you get all conservative?† â€Å"Since Adrian became a bad influence.† â€Å"Come on! He helped us get here. No one else was able to do it. He didn't have to, but he did. And you and Rose are sitting there, still acting like he's the most evil person on the planet.† That wasn't exactly true. I was mostly sitting there like I had been hit in the head, still too dumbstruck to react. â€Å"Yeah, and I'm sure he did it out of the kindness of his heart,† muttered Christian. â€Å"Why else would he do it?† â€Å"Oh, gee, I wonder.† Lissa's eyes widened. â€Å"You think he did it for me? You think there's something going on with us?† â€Å"You guys drink together, practice magic together, and go to elitist events together. What would you think?† Mia and Eddie looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. I was starting to share the feeling. Anger burned through Lissa, hitting me like a wave of heat. She was utterly outraged. Her fury didn't even have that much to do with Adrian, really. She was more upset at the thought of Christian not trusting her. And as for him, I needed no psychic powers to understand how he was feeling. He wasn't jealous simply because she was hanging out with Adrian. Christian was still jealous that Adrian had the kind of influence to pull this off for her. It was just like what Jesse and Ralf had described, about how the right connections could open the right doors – connections that Christian didn't have. I kneed Christian's leg, hoping he'd get the hint that he really should stop talking before things got worse. Lissa's anger was intensifying, muddled with embarrassment as she began to doubt herself and wonder if she had been getting too close to Adrian. The whole thing was ridiculous. â€Å"Christian, for the love of God. If Adrian did this for anyone, it was because of me and his crazy obsession. He bragged awhile ago that he could do it, and I didn't believe it.† I turned to Lissa. I needed to get her calm and diffuse those dark feelings that could cause so much trouble for her when they ran out of control. â€Å"Liss, you might not be wasted exactly, but you need to chill out for an hour before having this conversation. You're going to say something as stupid as Christian, and I'll be the one who has to deal with the mess – like always.† I'd gotten worked up and expected someone to tell me how bitchy I sounded. Instead, Lissa relaxed and offered Christian a smile. â€Å"Yeah, we should definitely talk about this later. A lot's kind of happened today.† He hesitated, then nodded. â€Å"Yeah. Sorry I jumped all over you.† He returned her smile, fight patched up. â€Å"So,† Lissa asked Mia, â€Å"who have you met here?† I stared at them in amazement, but no one seemed to notice. I'd fixed their fight, and there'd been no acknowledgment. No Thank you, Rose, for pointing out how idiotic we're being. It was bad enough I had to endure their romance day after day, with no consideration for how I felt. Now I was salvaging their relationship, and they didn't even realize it. â€Å"I'll be right back,† I said, interrupting Mia's description of some of the other teenagers here. I was afraid if I sat there, I was going to say something I'd regret or maybe break a chair. Where had this rage come from? I went outside, hoping a gulp of cold air would calm me down. Instead, I got a face full of clove smoke. â€Å"Don't start in about the smoking,† warned Adrian. He was leaning against the building's brick wall. â€Å"You didn't have to come outside. You knew I was here.† â€Å"That's actually why I'm here. Well, that, and I felt like I was going to go crazy if I stayed inside another minute.† He tilted his head to look at my face. His eyebrows shot up. â€Å"You aren't kidding, are you? What happened? You were fine a few minutes ago.† I paced across the ground in front of him. â€Å"I don't know. I was fine. Then Christian and Lissa started having this stupid argument over you. It was weird. They were the ones who were mad – and then I ended up madder than both of them.† â€Å"Wait. They were arguing over me?† â€Å"Yes. I just said that. Weren't you paying attention?† â€Å"Hey, don't snap at me. I haven't done anything to you.† I crossed my arms over my chest. â€Å"Christian's jealous because you hang around Lissa so much.† â€Å"We're studying spirit,† said Adrian. â€Å"He's welcome to join in.† â€Å"Yeah, well, no one ever said love was reasonable. Seeing you come back together kind of set him off. And then he got upset because you pulled rank with the queen for Lissa.† â€Å"I didn't do it for her. I did it for all of you – but, well, you especially.† I came to a halt in front of him. â€Å"I didn't believe you. That you could do it.† He grinned. â€Å"Guess you should have listened to my family history in that dream after all.† â€Å"I guess. I just thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. I'd thought Dimitri would be the one who came through for me, the one who – despite what he said – could make almost anything happen. But he hadn't. â€Å"Thought what?† Adrian prompted. â€Å"Nothing.† With much effort, I managed to utter the next words. â€Å"Thank you for helping us.† â€Å"Oh my God,† he said. â€Å"A kind word from Rose Hathaway. I can die a happy man.† â€Å"What are you saying? That I'm normally an ungrateful bitch?† He just looked at me. â€Å"Hey! Not cool.† â€Å"Maybe you could redeem yourself with a hug.† I glared. â€Å"A small one?† he begged. With a sigh, I walked over and put one arm around Adrian, leaning my head lightly against his arm. â€Å"Thanks, Adrian.† We stood like that for a heartbeat. I felt none of the crazy electricity or connection I did with Dimitri, but I had to admit that Lissa had been right about something. Adrian was annoying and arrogant at times, but he really wasn't the bastard I often made him out to be. The doors opened, and Lissa and the others stepped outside. They understandably looked surprised, but I didn't care just then. Besides, they probably all thought I was pregnant with Adrian's love child, so what did it matter? I backed away. â€Å"Heading out?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah, Mia's got more important things to do than hang out with us,† joked Christian. â€Å"Hey, I just told my dad I'd meet him. I'll see you guys before I leave.† She started to walk away, then abruptly turned around. â€Å"God, I'm so out of it.† She reached into her coat pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. â€Å"This is half the reason I found you guys. One of the court clerks wanted me to give this to you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said, puzzled. She headed off to see her dad while the rest of us strolled back to our accommodations. I slowed my pace as I opened the note, wondering who in the world here would want to contact me. Rose, I was so happy to hear about your arrival. I'm sure it'll make tomorrow's proceedings that much more entertaining. I've been curious for quite some time about how Vasilisa is doing, and your romantic escapades are always an amusing diversion. I can't wait to share them in the courtroom tomorrow. Best, V.D. â€Å"Who's it from?† asked Eddie, coming up beside me. I hastily folded it up and shoved it into my pocket. â€Å"No one,† I replied. No one indeed. V. D. Victor Dashkov.