Adolf Hitler Essay Thesis Example For Students

Anchee Mins Katherine: A Lesson In Survival :: Anchee Min Katherine Essays

Anchee Min's Katherine: A Lesson In Survival Conceived in Shanghai, China, in 1957, under the standard of Chairman Mao, China’s socialist pioneer, Anchee Min followed the lessons of Mao (Book Reporter). In 1974, she worked at a work camp for quite a while. In 1984, she came to America, and by 1994 her diary, Red Azalea, turned into a worldwide hit (book coat). Katherine, her first novel, was distributed in 1995. Min’s Katherine has been called by a Vogue commentator, â€Å"a ground-breaking exercise in survival† (book coat). We see the focal character and storyteller, Zebra Wong, face numerous tribulations and, at long last, come out the survivor. Zebra is twenty-nine years old, unmarried, and living in Shanghai with her folks and sibling. In her local China, the Cultural Revolution has quite recently reached a conclusion, however a considerable lot of her companions and individual compatriots are still intensely affected by the lessons of Chairman Mao Zedong and his organization. Uncovering personal insights concerning her past, piece by piece, Zebra brings out smothered emotions: â€Å"I didn’t need to take a thing with me, not in any case my garments. Anything that might be a token of what occurred, I discarded†(16). With these dubious signs of something shocking having happened to her, gradually Zebra’s past turns out to be clear. Katherine, the title character, is an educator from America who has come to China to show understudies the English language, and en route gives Zebra and her schoolmates a feeling of opportunity. She is an outsider alluded to by Zebra as â€Å"one of the remote settler we were educated to shoot†(3). All things considered, through Katherine’s direction and kindheartedness, we become familiar with Zebra’s past. Zebra opens up to her in a manner she never has. She reveals to Katherine that she used to work at Elephant Fields, a risky work camp that scared Zebra, where she was sent to the work with explosive. â€Å"I saw a few lethal mishaps at work and I started to feel very scared†(81). Not exclusively was Elephant Fields a hazardous work environment, yet her manager â€Å"seduced and raped† her (81). At the work camp, Zebra finds that she is conveying the offspring of the man that manhandled her. With China’s exacting thoughts on a pregnant wo man’s existence without marriage, â€Å"In China, any lady who got pregnant before marriage pulverized her future†(82), Zebra’s powerful urge not to shoulder Mr.

Analysis Of Ethnographic + Case Study Research Articles Article

Analysis Of Ethnographic + Case Study Research Articles Article Analysis Of Ethnographic + Case Study Research Articles â€" Article Example > IntroductionMackenzie’s (1992) article is about an ethnographic study that was conducted to examine the experiences of nurse students in regard to their learning environment. Below, the article is analyzed on the basis of the CASP Rubric. CASP Question Exemplary Performance: 1. Relevance of the Research Goal: Mackenzie (1992) makes a clear statement of the research goal by noting that “The aim of the research is to gain an understanding of the learning experiences of district nurses from the perspective of the students” (p. 683). The importance of the research as well as its relevance is also described in the introductory paragraphs of the article. For instance, it is noted that many studies about nurse education have done little to look at how students learn with respect to “adult learning theory” (Mackenzie, 1992, p. 683). The study by Mackenzie (1992) was therefore meant to fill this gap. Supporting sources for the background information are provided. Section Score __ __5____ 2. Appropriateness of Research Methodology: Mackenzie (1992) adopted ethnography as the research methodology, and an explanation has been provided as to why this methodology was used. In particular, it is noted that ethnographers concern themselves with meaning and gaining an understanding and appreciating that “individuals interpret situations and act in accordance with their interpretation and understanding of each situation” (Mackenzie, 1992, p. 684). On account of this, the author came up with research questions based on a personal experience in teaching and nursing practice. These questions are attuned with the research methodology and are supported by citations. Section Score ____5____3. Research Design: Mackenzie (1992) has explained that the use of an ethnographic research approach means that the research design to be used “cannot be totally predetermined” (p. 684). However, it is further explained that despite there being no need for a predetermined resear ch design, some planning is necessary. It is for this reason that the author formulated research questions based on personal experience in nursing practice and in teaching. This is well supported by other sources. Section Score ____5____4. Participants: The participants in the study are described as students who had been placed in a placement program. There is no clear description of the sampling strategy used, but a reader can tell from the information provided that purposive sampling was used. No further details about the participants are provided, save for the experience that they had. Even then, the participants’ identities are protected since no names are mentioned in the article. Section Score ____3____5. Collection of Data: Mackenzie (1992) has clearly described how data were collected through “informal or unstructured interviews and observations” (p. 685). Although it is not explicitly stated who collected the data, it is indicated that the use of both interviews and observations was meant to “validate the author’s interpretation of the meaning of the behavior she had observed” (Mackenzie, 1992, p. 685). This indicates that the author of the article was involved in the collection and processing of data. It also shows the relevance of the data collection methods to the issue being investigated. Section Score ____4____6. Self-Disclosure: There is no disclosure of the relationship between the researcher and the participants. As well, there is no information about how any bias that could arise from the methodological choices that were made could be handled. Section Score ____1____

Pop Art As A Form Of Art - 1014 Words

Pop Art is in our everyday life. Whether it’s the design on a soup can or an actual painting you see it every day. Many of the things we see every day are in famous pop art paintings. The movement Pop Art started in the late 1950s to the early 1960s. It spread widely through Britain and the Americas. The Movement Pop Art was named by the art critic Lawrence Alloway. At first the public didn t accept Pop Art as a form of art. It was later accepted by many critics. The critics felt it showed that technology and media where starting to make a considerable change in society. Pop Art was a way of taking everyday objects and putting them into a painting or drawing in an abstract way. Comic books, ads, and food wrappers are some examples of what art was made during the era. The purpose of Pop Art was thought to bring back something more appealing to the public eye, even though that didn t happen at first it obviously took off later because we still see it today. The movement became an important cultural event in history because it showed relatable events and topics. Andy Warhol is a famous artist in Pop Art history. His original name is Andrew Warhola. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 6, 1928. His parents Julia and Ondrej Warhola were immigrants from Rusyn who came to the United States for a better life. Together they had three children, Andy and his two brothers Andy was the youngest. Warhol wasn’t just an artist, he was also a filmmaker. The type of films heShow MoreRelatedPop Art Form A Critique Of Post Wwii Society And Culture Essay1693 Words   |  7 PagesDoes Pop Art form a critique of post-WWII society and culture or is it a celebration of high capitalism and consumption? Pop Art emerged in Britain in the late 50’s and the United States in the early 60’s.(Mamiya 1992) Pop Art is generally known today as a representation of celebrating popular culture and consumerism, however it’s background and origins are far more broad and extensive. There are many factors and influences that lead to the creation of the Pop Art movement such as adjusting toRead MoreIwt Task 1 Essay1698 Words   |  7 Pagesversus Pop Art In this life, there are many forms of art or art â€Å"movements† to speak of. How we interpret art is a very subjective thing. What a person sees and feels when looking at art greatly depends on their upbringing, their values, and even their mood at the time of viewing. Could something dark and lacking color be art? What about a comic strip in the newspaper or the billboard down the street? Again, interpretation and taste in art is individual. I elected to explore into the two art movementsRead More Pop Art, Postmodernism, and World War II Essay786 Words   |  4 PagesPop Art, Postmodernism, and World War II Pop Art, a form of Postmodernism, describes the genre of art during and after WW2. The question I am exploring within this topic is why did the influence of the time period of World War II create such sexual and abstract works of art ? The points of view I encountered delivered two basic positions on the same issue. I studied a web site as well that offered graphics to support and explain it’s position (http://www.azstarnet.com/~nik/AME/time/popart/indexRead MoreArt Movement After World War I1174 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Visual Art Encyclopedia, Surrealism sprang up in Paris and became rooted in the avant-garde art world. Surrealism was the fashionable art movement after World War I. Surrealism is and the last major art movement to be associated with the Ecole de Paris. The writer Andre Breton (1896-1966), nicknamed the Pope of Surrealism, was the movement s founder and chief theorist. He introduced and defined the new style in his initial 1924 manifesto (Manifeste du Surrealisme) and later inRead MoreARTS 125 Week 5 Assignment Art And Culture Paper858 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Art and Culture Liliana Gonzalez ART/125 May 11, 2015 Joseph Blomer University of Phoenix Abstract Art has evolved in ways only one can imagine, however; their imagination does not have to go far because all one has to do is turn on the computer and connect to the World Wide Web to get information on everything. Architecture, sculpture, and painting has been around for ages, then photography made its way on to the art scene in the 1820’s and has taken leaps and bounds to establishRead MoreThe Pop Art Movement Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pop Art Movement Pop art got its name from Lawrence Alloway, who was a British art critic in 1950’s. The name â€Å"Pop Art† reflected on the â€Å"familiar imagery of the contemporary urban environment† (kleiner, 981). This art form was popular for its bold and simple looks plus its bright and vibrant colors. An example of this type of art is the oil painting done by Andy Warhol, â€Å"Marilyn Diptych† (Warhol, Marilyn Diptych) in 1962. The Pop art movement became known in the mid-1950 and continued asRead MorePop Art Movement Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesThe Pop Art Movement was one of the biggest visual art movements of the 20th century. Therefore it is extremely significant. Pop Art is simply an abbreviation for popular art work. Numerous artists such as such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Claes Oldenburg started this phenomenal movement form the 1950’s and onwards. It came at a time after a two decade period where abstract art was extremely popular. Pop Art is the movement in art when artists began to create art with theRead MorePost WWII Art Analysis675 Words   |  3 PagesPost WWII Art Analysis Authors name Authors institutional affiliation Authors note Post WWII Art Analysis The piece of art that the paper will analyze is Sleeping Girl. Roy Lichtenstein painted Sleeping Girl in 1964, as part of his work in pop art pop culture. Another artist who painted in the style of pop art was Andy Warhol, just to add context with whom Lichtenstein kept artistic company. Sleeping Girl is a seminal work in a series of paintings in comic book style. Comic book cultureRead More Pop art was a direct response to the commercial and consumer society756 Words   |  4 PagesPop art was a direct response to the commercial and consumer society of modern time†. Explain why this might be true. Pop art was an art formed by artist expressing their views. â€Å"Pop art was a direct response to the commercial and consumer society of modern time†. Explain why this might be true. Pop art was an art formed by artist expressing their views on modern day society. Pop art originally emerged from England in the fifties; although it was not exploited in England, in fact duringRead MoreWarhol And Art With Pop Culture Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesBritain and in the United States. During the late 1950’s the pop artists began to look for inspiration in everyday things. They were getting inspiration from consumer goods and mass media. They began with bold colors, and they also adopted the silk-screening. They also established and idea were there work had its own originality. Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein were very aware of the past however there idea was to connect fine art with pop culture. There ideas came straight from the televisions, advertisements

Values, Self Confidence And The Feeling Of Belonging

Values give us self-awareness, self-confidence and the feeling of belonging. They help us make the right choices and force us to develop integrity. Values show us how to choose between different priorities and give us an idea of what improvements we need to be made to improve our relationships with others. When we act with these values they give us credibility, and help us to know where we stand, and clarify what we will and will not tolerate. We make many choices daily, some have very minor significance, others of extreme importance, and each one of these choices we make have a huge impact not just on us, but those around us. Even a very small decision such as having a burger instead of a salad could effect our health in the long run, and in result affect the people we love. There are seven values that are absolutely essential for human survival. The seven include justice and fairness, caring, respect responsibility, honesty, loyalty and liberty. These seven values play a major ro le in our lives. Many of us forget these values that we have been taught. Living in this busy and fast paced world, many us of neglect to practice these core values. The ethical couture of this world is spiraling downward. We seem to be focused on ourselves rather than caring about others. I will be describing how these seven essential values are expressed in my life and some areas that need some work. I strive to be the best person i can be, I understand we live in a cruel world, but I feel itShow MoreRelatedFactors That Influence the Development of Individuals Self Concept1687 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluence the development of individuals self concept. I am going to outline how factors can influence the development of individuals self-concept, firstly, I will to define what is self-concept. Self-concept self concept is about the way we view ourselves. There are two sides of our self concept and these include: our self-esteem, which is how we feel about out selves that is the the worth and value that you as a person attribute to yourself, and self-image, which is how we see ourselvesRead MoreOur Well-Being Depends on a Secure Sense of Belonging to a Group.Docx871 Words   |  4 PagesOur well being depends on a secure sense of belonging to a group The idea of belonging is an important and fundamental value in our lives. For humans as social creatures, belonging to a group provides a sense of security both physically and mentally. A group provides a framework of values, attitudes and rules that the individual can find a sense of security and comfort from when all share the same aspects of life. A sense of belonging therefore most commonly emerges from personal experience, conceptsRead MoreThe Sense Of Belonging And Interpersonal Connectivity1222 Words   |  5 PagesThe sense of belonging and interpersonal connectivity is a widely researched topic in psychology, but controversies have been surrounding it among different researchers (Ma, 2003). Also, it has been defined in various ways . According to Vallerand, sense of belonging has to do with the feeling of connectivity with others in the same environment, often involving identifying oneself with a particular group. When the sense of belonging is deeply rooted within a group, one feels accepted, loved and respectedRead MoreSelf Confidence And Self Esteem768 Words   |  4 PagesThe self-confidence and self-esteem of young children may be greatly boosted by a strong key person approach in the setting. Many aspects of this approach support the safeguarding of children. A sense of wellbeing involves feeling good about yourself and having a positive outlook on life. It embraces a range of positive feelings, including enjoyment, vitality, self-confidence and self-esteem. Children and young people who have a positive sense of wellbeing are less likely to be vulnerable to abuseRead MoreThe Importance Of Interpersonal Relationship972 Words   |  4 Pagesfulfilled, the third level of human needs is interpersonal and involves feelings of belongingness. Humans need to feel love and acceptance from social groups such as families and peer groups. In fact, the need to belong is so innately ingrained that it may be strong enough to overcome physiological and safety needs. (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 2017) What this implies that it’s a given human nature to want to feel a sense of belonging to a group. This group is expected to support and connectedness withRead MoreStrictly Ballroom and Neighbours by Tim Winton Essay Belonging.1576 Words   |  7 Pages2010 HSC Area of Study BELONGING ‘An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging’ Discuss this view with detailed reference to your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing An individual’s relation with others in their surroundings, may be enhancing or rewarding, or even set a boundary in a way for them to belong, however sometimes an individual’s environment can be too restrictive which would make itRead MoreThe Importance of Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Schools1032 Words   |  5 Pagesof how our own attitudes, values and behaviour may lead to that inclusive practice, how to challenge discrimination and how to promote some important anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices. First of all is important to define what is meant by inclusion and inclusive practice. Inclusive practice is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers that compromise the children participation in their educational process, in their feeling of belonging and in their wellbeing inRead MoreAcademic Motivation and Group Belongingness of Regular and Irregular Students1613 Words   |  7 PagesRationale of the Study Many educational researchers agree that the need for belonging is one of the most important needs of all for students to function well in all types of learning environments (Connell Well Born, 1991; Deci Ryan, 1991; Finn, 1989; Osterman, 2000). The feeling of belonging may have a direct and powerful influence on students’ motivation (Goodenow, 1993). For example, perceived support and the sense of belonging are expected to increase students beliefs in their success and accordinglyRead MoreDo Name Brand Clothing Affect Children and Teens Lifestyles and Interactions With One Another? 1206 Words   |  5 Pagesthere peers for wearing the wrong type of â€Å"brand† or do not have enough money to buy the right type of brand. Of course some might object that name brand is beneficial for children and teenagers, I concede that is name brand clothing can boost ones confidence. Although I still maintain that name brand clothing is harmful and destructive for teen’s lif estyles. Name brand clothing and its advertising negatively effects the social and individual interactions of children and teenagers. Nature of the Debate:Read MoreInterpersonal Relationship and Self-awareness1703 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction In this essay, we will discuss the importance of self-awareness and other forms of awareness in building quality relationships. Communication plays a vital role in developing any kind of healthy relationship, regardless of what phase the relationship is in. â€Å"Ineffective communication causes an interpersonal gap that is experienced in all facets of life and in all sectors of society† (Bolton, 1987, p.4) Communication can be divided into two categories which is verbal and non-verbal

Leading Teams Free Essays

Part I: Explain how you perceive your leadership style within the context of (a) the team you were assigned to during the course and (b) any another team you were a member of. The term leadership has been defined in many ways according to Howard Gardner (1995). President Harry Truman, an infamous leader could lead people to do what they do not want to do yet like it (Gardner, 1995; cited in Parker ump; Begnaud, 2004). We will write a custom essay sample on Leading Teams or any similar topic only for you Order Now Eileen Ford from a well-established modeling agency defines leadership as the â€Å"ability to convince people to do what you want them to do as if they have thought of it themselvesâ€Å"(Karns ump; Bean, cited in Parker ump; Begnaud, 2004). Leadership guru Warren Bennis describes leadership as â€Å"those who make a contribution makes a difference in the organization, thus giving meaning to his or her work† (Czarnecki, 2010). In our times of innovation and change, my personal leadership have style involves a great deal of flexibility. At work, as the principal of the Child Learning Center in the Saudi National Guard Health Affairs, I have strived to create an environment that is warm and inviting as well as nurturing. In my team during this course, I tried to look for what is best in each team member. One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein states that â€Å"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. † I believe that you have to respect not only people’s needs, but also their pain and their vulnerability. From my work experience I have found that a lot of battles are about very personal things. I try my best to be attuned to the unspoken needs that people play out in the workplace and teams. People are people in whatever setting — they bring their luggage of stuff, we all do — and the dynamics in the workplace are a function of the interaction of what we all have in our suitcases. I can’t change that. You can acknowledge it. You can give it space. You can give it air and light. In the end, it can’t rule the day, either, because in the workplace there are higher things and rules that are going to guide what we need to do here. It’s helpful to know that, and be aware of it as a leader, and it’s even better if your team is aware of it and feels that you’re not trying to change who they are. I believe that a team leader impact the team’s mood by modeling a positive state. Attitudes are contagious. When you smile, you make others happy. When you concentrate on being the positive factor in your team’s day, their productivity goes up. When you seek out good things to say about others, you will find more good things about them. This is not coincidental. This is the power of being positive. My attitude has the power to not only lift me up or pull me down, but affect my team in the same way. I try to look for the positives in situations. And remember, as the saying goes, that I need â€Å"to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to change the things I can†. I simply need the wisdom to know the difference between the two. I try hard to focus on only the things I can directly influence. Work at making a positive difference on those things. In Goleman, Daniel â€Å"Leading Resonant Teams† interview he mentioned that â€Å"The emotional system of the brain — unlike any other biological system in the body — is designed to be regulated not just internally but externally, in our relationships with other people. The circulatory system is a closed loop. But emotions are an open loop system. In other words, our brain is designed so that other people can help us manage our emotions better. Therefore, as a leader I must establish a set of ground rules for the way we work together, both by example in my own behavior and by commenting on the behavior of others and helping people do better. In other words, as a leader I need to help the team become more self-aware. Self-awareness is a prerequisite for the team’s ability to manage its own emotions, and deal with issues rather than buryin g them. Another component that is an important part of my leadership style is the ability to understand change. In my observation, change is a given. We are in a fast changing environment so therefore to manage it more effectively, as a leader. I must first accept it. An effective leader must be able to know what to do at all time. I must always have a plan but also be willing to change it. I realize that there will be bumps in the road that I do not expect and I must be willing to make changes to combat those changes. I believe that each of us can access our inner resources to become a more effective leader in our own field. But first we must be willing to take initiative and stand for something we believe in passionately. We must be ready to take the heat. Many of us avoid the responsibility of leadership primarily because we are too sensitive to criticism. But when we know who we truly are and we live from an inner core of values, criticism can be filtered to take in only what is true and helpful to our growth. Part II Explain how you studied during this course and how you performed during this course in? class. Provide details of how you approached the course material, including all activities you did in relation to learning the concepts of teams. During this course I made sure that I finish reading all the required materials, I found the website (leader to leader) to be very helpful, especially the interview with Goleman, Daniel. I skimmed through the reading first and looked at the section headings so that I know the types of information that I’m going to be looking at because I know that the brain can only learn between 5 and 9 new concepts in a session. So I give myself several days to repeatedly rehearse and go over the material. I have read once that it takes about 24 hours for the brain to process information to make it permanent, the more rehearsal, the more permanent it’ll be. What I learned was that, some things are best done by a group than by an individual. I found that sometimes its ok delegate to other members tasks which are not my forte and concentrate on the one’s I am good at. Being in a group made me experience different roles, if my idea was the one that the group agrees on, I got to be the leader, sometimes I get to follow other member’s plan. Being a Team leader does not mean managing the team, but help the team solve problems in order to be more effective. Rather than optimal leadership style, I leaned that different types of leaders are useful in different situations, and leaders are more important in some situation than others. But as much as possible, I learned how to be a good listener and patient when other members talk. We found it to be very helpful to set deadlines to get things done. Conflict is better handled when you talk it out with the people involved and let them understand how their roles impact the project and how this conflict affects the team’s goal. Finally I think that good communication it’s the key to successfully finish any project. How to cite Leading Teams, Essay examples

Why Diversity Matters free essay sample

Diversity is commonly defined by basic attributes such as gender, skin color, nationality, and sexual orientation. However diversity in terms of world views is much more important and relevant than these external labels. Having a class of people with different opinions on how to change the world and what their purpose would be in it is extremely valuable to me. If one were to look at me one would assume I was another white, athletic female with a boring suburban background. But take the time to know me, and you will find a girl born in a foreign country, who has Christian beliefs mixed with liberal views, and also two uvulas. It is more important to me to be exposed to people with different world views, who can challenge or encourage my own, than to have 20% of my class be Asian and 30% African-American and 4.2% percent Pacific Islander. A student’s background is valuable because his different experiences have molded his views and priorities. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Diversity Matters or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But simple, exterior characteristics should not be over-prioritized to use as the basis for class decisions. A class of 100% suburban Caucasians might lack a diversity of world views, but neither is diversity assured by admitting quotas of students of particular races or genders. Spending my formative college years surrounded by people who all agree on their interpretation of a controversial text and cannot add anything new to a discussion would be a waste, of time, money and resources. I seek a liberal arts education with peers who force me to defend my opinions because theirs are different. My classmates’ diversity of ideas and outlooks will broaden my own view of the world. College is about â€Å"leaving the nest†, learning independent of the shelter and confines of home, and assessing the values and lessons learned in youth. Joining a class of people who have grown up with different values and perspectives, who have formed different views of how the world should develop, and the role they expect to play in that development, creates the diversity that is optimal for a liberal arts education.

Hrotsvitha von Gandersheimâ€Dramatist, Poet and Historian

Hrotsvitha von Gandersheim- Dramatist, Poet and Historian Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim wrote the first plays known to be written by a woman, and she is the first known European woman poet after Sappho. She was a canoness, poet, dramatist, and historian. Surmised from internal evidence of the writings that she was born about 930 or 935, and died after 973, perhaps as late as 1002 The German Dramatist is also known as Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim, Hrotsvitha von Gandersheim, Hrotsuit, Hrosvitha, Hrosvit, Hroswitha, Hrosvitha, Hrostsvit, Hrotsvithae, Roswita, Roswitha Hrotsvitha von Gandersheim Biography Of Saxon background, Hrotsvitha became canoness of a convent in Gandersheim, near Gà ¶ttingen. The convent was self-sufficient, known in its time for being a cultural and educational center.  It had been established in the 9th century by Duke Liudolf and his wife and her mother as a free abbey, not connected to the hierarchy of the church but to the local ruler.  In 947, Otto I freed the abbey completely so that it was also not subject to a secular rule.  The abbess in Hrotsvithas time, Gerberga, was a niece of the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I the Great.  There is no evidence that Hrotsvitha was herself a royal relative, though some have guessed that she might have been. Although Hrotsvitha is referred to as a nun, she was a canoness, meaning that she did not follow the vow of poverty, though she still took the vows of obedience and chastity that the nuns did. Richarda (or Rikkarda) was responsible for the novices at Gerberga, and was a teacher of Hrotsvitha, of great intellect according to Hrotsvithas writing.  She later became an abbess. At the convent, and encouraged by the abbess, Hrotsvitha wrote plays on Christian themes. She also wrote poems and prose. In her lives of the saints and in a life in verse of Emperor Otto I, Hrostvitha chronicled history and legend. She wrote in Latin as was usual for the time; most educated Europeans were conversant in Latin and it was the standard language for scholarly writing.  Because of allusions in the writing to Ovid, Terence, Virgil, and Horace, we can conclude  that the convent included a library with these works.  Because of mention of events of the day, we know that she was writing sometime after 968. The plays and poems were shared only with others at the abbey, and possibly, with the abbess connections, at the royal court. Hrotsvithas plays were not rediscovered until 1500, and parts of her works are missing.  They were first published in Latin in 1502, edited by Conrad Celtes, and in English in 1920. From evidence within the work, Hrostvitha is credited with writing six plays, eight poems, a poem honoring Otto I and the history of the abbey community. The poems are written to honor saints individually, including Agnes and the Virgin Mary as well as Basil, Dionysus, Gongolfus, Pelagius and Theophilus.  Poems available are: PelagiusTheophilusPassio Gongolphi The plays are unlike morality plays that Europe favored a few centuries later, and there are few other plays extant from her between the Classical era and those. She was obviously familiar with the classical playwright Terence and uses some of his same forms, including satirical and even slapstick comedy, and may have intended to produce more chaste entertainment than Terences works for the cloistered women. Whether the plays were read aloud or actually performed, is unknown. The plays include two long passages which seem out of place, one on mathematics and one on the cosmos. The plays are known in translation by different titles: Abraham, also known as The Fall and Repentance of Mary.Callimachus, also known as The Resurrection of Drusiana.Dulcitis, also known as The Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins Irene, Agape and Chionia or The Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins Agape, Chionia, and Hirena.Gallicanus, also known as The Conversion of General Gallicanus.Paphnutius, also known as The Conversion of the Thais, the Harlot, in Plays, or The Conversion of the Harlot Thais.Sapienta, also known as The Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins Faith, Hope, and Charity or The Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins Fides, Spes, and Karitas. The plots of her plays are either about the martyrdom of a Christian woman in pagan Rome or about a pious Christian man rescuing a fallen woman. Her Panagyric Oddonum is a tribute in verse to Otto I, the abbess relative.  She also wrote a work about the abbeys founding, Primordia Coenobii Gandershemensis.

Answers to Questions About Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Constructions

Answers to Questions About Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Constructions Answers to Questions About Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Constructions Answers to Questions About Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Constructions By Mark Nichol The following questions from readers pertain to how to distinguish essential information from nonessential information. 1. A colleague of mine wrote, â€Å"Institutions need to be able to collect and collate data in a centralized tool, which is easily accessible and can be mined to inform data-analytics activities.† I corrected it to â€Å"Institutions need to be able to collect and collate data in a centralized tool that is easily accessible and can be mined to inform data-analytics activities,† but she disagrees with the edit. I know I’m right, but how do I explain it to her? In your revision, you have altered the sentence to reflect the writer’s interest in presenting the essential details that the centralized tool is easily accessible and is conducive to data mining. The original version of the sentence offers the details in an offhand fashion, set off as a subordinate clause rather than as part of the main clause. Both versions are grammatically valid, but only your revision conveys the emphasis the writer intends. 2. When is it right to put a comma in front of â€Å"such as†? In many of your examples, I notice that there is no specific standard to using â€Å"such as.† At times, you write it as â€Å", such as,† and at other times, you omit the comma preceding â€Å"such as.† Are there any rules to using a comma before â€Å"such as†? Precede â€Å"such as† with a comma when the phrase that includes the listed examples is not essential to the sentence, such as in â€Å"The program offers team sports, such as basketball and softball, for adults in recreational and competitive leagues.† Omit a comma before â€Å"such as† when the information is essential: â€Å"The program offers team sports such as the ones listed below for adults in both recreational and competitive leagues.† The wording in these examples is identical, but there’s a subtle difference in meaning: The commas in the first example set off the phrase â€Å"such as basketball and softball† as a parenthesis in the main clause â€Å"The program offers team sports for adults in recreational and competitive leagues,† which states that the program is exclusively for adults. The second sentence refers to a list of sports for adults in recreational and competitive leagues, implying that other team sports may be offered that are exclusively for children or are for adults or children alike or are only recreational or only competitive. 3. â€Å"In the sentence ‘Chairs that don’t have cushions are uncomfortable to sit on,’ I think which is acceptable in place of that, because chairs is a nonperson noun. I would appreciate if you let me know why that is the only correct answer.† The fact that chairs refers to a class of objects, rather than people, is irrelevant. That is not the only correct answer, but it is the best one. In American English, most careful writers employ that and which distinctly to clarify the difference in meaning between restrictively and nonrestrictively constructed sentences: â€Å"Chairs that don’t have cushions are uncomfortable to sit on† refers to a particular class of chairs: those without cushions. The implication is that many chairs are comfortable; the ones specifically referred to are a categorical exception. â€Å"Chairs, which don’t have cushions, are uncomfortable to sit on† expresses- erroneously- that all chairs are cushionless. (The phrase â€Å"which don’t have cushions† is parenthetical; it can be omitted without altering the meaning of the basic sentence: â€Å"Chairs are uncomfortable to sit on.† However, this sentence is also incorrect in its assertion.) Some writers will use which in both types of sentences: â€Å"Chairs which don’t have cushions are uncomfortable to sit on† and this is common in British English but most people (at least those in the United States) recognize that the distinctive wording helps strengthen the role of the commas in distinguishing meaning. By the way, although â€Å"Chairs, which don’t have cushions, are uncomfortable to sit on† and the abridged version, â€Å"Chairs are uncomfortable to sit on,† are logically erroneous comfortable chairs certainly do exist (though, unfortunately, I’m not sitting in one right now) a similarly constructed sentence can be valid: â€Å"Ostriches, which can’t fly, rely on their strong legs for mobility.† Conversely, because no ostriches are capable of flight, â€Å"Ostriches that can’t fly rely on their strong legs for mobility† is problematic. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesDisappointed + Preposition150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

LETTER OF APPEAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LETTER OF APPEAL - Essay Example Respect Sir, I basically belong to the part of the world that is often characterized by the conventional professions and money making sources. These primarily include professions like business studies, engineering, medicine and other commonly tested and practiced professions. In such environments there is little margin for experimenting or going for professions that are little tested and little known. Before I put my case, I hereby state that I am not writing to question the system of immigration in the incumbent country nor do I plan to challenge it through the claims that I may make. I am here only to seek your professionally motivating and sympathetic consideration into the personal reasons which forced me into skipping classes and breaching the original terms of visa where it was conditioned to attending the classes and completing my degree as per initial undertaking. I will also attribute the reason for the overall debacle to the immaturity and hastiness from my end, believing that the dropping out will make my parents realize instead of considering the repercussions and the possible consequences and I hold myself directly responsible for it and do not blame the law, the institution or any other individual affiliated in the entire conundrum that is at hand. To start with the particularity of my case I render an unconditional apology for having violated the original conditions and thereby request a revisiting into the case with possible grant of a fresh visa or nullifying of the decision reached as a result of the acts committed in the light of skipping classes originally. Giving a history of my family, my sister is enrolled in the field of medicine study and she is going well with her goals and there are no records of her dropping out or any other event therefore I can indirectly assure through her practices and her presence ,that if I am given a chance to follow my desired goals, it will allow me delivering the goods as per expectations and conditions

Arab Family and Customs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arab Family and Customs - Essay Example The ethnic identity of any group is usually subject to the convergence of two key factors that are the immigrant culture and the host culture. There exists a scramble for dominion between the two factors irrespective of what the ethnic affiliation might be. Eventually, these two factors accommodate each other and a compromise where both cultures find space becomes evident. The interaction between the host and immigrant cultures dictates the characteristics of the ethnic identity (Zogby 77). The Arab-American identity becomes built on an intricate weave of both the immigrant Middle East culture and the American culture leading to a unique situation for the second generation of Arab-Americans. A dialectic relationship between the host and immigrant features result in a dynamic culture that has both American and Arabic elements. Whereas the intertwined culture cannot be equated, the immigrant culture is more often than not the more influential of the two. Focus group studies carried out in Dearborn, Michigan, which hosts the largest population of Arab Muslims in the United States, shed light on the identity taken by the studied lot and the reasons behind the identities taken. Since the two cultures are diverse and different on so many levels, the only way to forge forward is to adapt to the new foreign way of life keeping principal elements of your Arabic heritage (Zogby 65). Gender and religion emerged as vital elements of the Arab identity. An Arab has to be of a certain religion with vast differences in what becomes expected of the various genders. Gender is especially a thorn in the flesh of many Arab Americans who become somewhat confused by how the respective immigrant and host cultures view gender. Whereas the host culture boasts a sense of equality between the genders, the immigrant culture faithfully subscribes to the opposite view

Byrons Depression Reflected in Manfred Essay -- Depression Manfred E

Byron's Swiss tour and Manfred hit close to home for me. Not because I have traveled Switzerland, but because at one time in my life, I also experienced feelings of alienation and hopelessness. Therefore, I was quite intrigued by Dr Miall's notion of trauma in Manfred. I think he makes a compelling argument, especially when he pairs the notion of trauma with Freud's theory on the causes of trauma, but I do not necessarily agree with him entirely. While Dr Miall's theory is sound, I do not think his definition of trauma is clearly defined. I think a better, but not nearly as interesting theory, is that of depression. Although the symptoms of both psychological disorders are almost indistinguishable, their sources are quite different. I will distinguish the differences and sources between posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Then I will try to show how Byron suffers from depression, not the result of trauma. Trauma is "[a] psychic injury, esp. one caused by emotional shock the memory of which is repressed and remains unhealed; an internal injury, esp. to the brain, which may result in a behavioural disorder of organic origin. Also, the state or condition so caused" ("trauma," def. 2a). Trauma is often the cause of posttraumatic stress disorder, which although is not defined in Dr Miall's notes, did however come up in class. Posttraumatic stress disorder "involves enduring psychological disturbance attributed to the experience of a major traumatic event" (Weiten 544). By looking at that definition, Dr Miall's theory does apply; however, Weiten's textbook reveals that the types of trauma that lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, from the most prevalent to the least, for men (since the discussion is about Byron) are: w... ...ces of trauma and the sources of depression. Both lead to the same symptoms, but I think depression better represents Byron's state of mind. Freud's theory on trauma can work if one sees Manfred/Byron suffering from trauma, but it does not work if one sees him as suffering from depression. I must admit that I am biased in my conclusion. I am drawn to my theory based on my own personal experiences. Works Cited Byron, George Gordon. Manfred. Romanticism: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1998. 718-751. "trauma." Def. 2a. The Oxford English Dictionary Online. 1989. Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. University of Alberta Library. Edmonton, Alberta. 3 April 2005. http://dictionary.oed.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/. Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. 5th ed. Toronto, Ontario: Wadsworth, 2001. Byron's Depression Reflected in Manfred Essay -- Depression Manfred E Byron's Swiss tour and Manfred hit close to home for me. Not because I have traveled Switzerland, but because at one time in my life, I also experienced feelings of alienation and hopelessness. Therefore, I was quite intrigued by Dr Miall's notion of trauma in Manfred. I think he makes a compelling argument, especially when he pairs the notion of trauma with Freud's theory on the causes of trauma, but I do not necessarily agree with him entirely. While Dr Miall's theory is sound, I do not think his definition of trauma is clearly defined. I think a better, but not nearly as interesting theory, is that of depression. Although the symptoms of both psychological disorders are almost indistinguishable, their sources are quite different. I will distinguish the differences and sources between posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Then I will try to show how Byron suffers from depression, not the result of trauma. Trauma is "[a] psychic injury, esp. one caused by emotional shock the memory of which is repressed and remains unhealed; an internal injury, esp. to the brain, which may result in a behavioural disorder of organic origin. Also, the state or condition so caused" ("trauma," def. 2a). Trauma is often the cause of posttraumatic stress disorder, which although is not defined in Dr Miall's notes, did however come up in class. Posttraumatic stress disorder "involves enduring psychological disturbance attributed to the experience of a major traumatic event" (Weiten 544). By looking at that definition, Dr Miall's theory does apply; however, Weiten's textbook reveals that the types of trauma that lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, from the most prevalent to the least, for men (since the discussion is about Byron) are: w... ...ces of trauma and the sources of depression. Both lead to the same symptoms, but I think depression better represents Byron's state of mind. Freud's theory on trauma can work if one sees Manfred/Byron suffering from trauma, but it does not work if one sees him as suffering from depression. I must admit that I am biased in my conclusion. I am drawn to my theory based on my own personal experiences. Works Cited Byron, George Gordon. Manfred. Romanticism: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1998. 718-751. "trauma." Def. 2a. The Oxford English Dictionary Online. 1989. Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. University of Alberta Library. Edmonton, Alberta. 3 April 2005. http://dictionary.oed.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/. Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. 5th ed. Toronto, Ontario: Wadsworth, 2001.

Continue to Fund NASA

The wreckage of the ship and the remains of her seven crew members were strewn all across Texas and parts of Louisiana. Even the most staunch NASA believers contemplated their support for the agency as fire rained from the sky. It had been nearly 17 years since the last fatal disaster of the Challenger explosion, and this served as another frightening reminder that space travel till is not safe.The incident caused the question that everyone asked themselves that day: Is the journey Of space travel and exploration worth the sacrifice of human lives? This line of thinking has ultimately lead to the debate over whether we, as American tax payers, should continue to fund NASA in its mission to explore and understand the universe. I propose that NASA is not only an important part of our government, but an absolute critical piece of our development as a human species. We are a race destined for the stars, and the formation of agencies like NASA were the first steps to that end.To better un derstand NASA, we have to look at the agency from its inception. NASA was essentially born out of fear of Soviet space superiority. On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launch the worlds first artificial satellite into space by the name of Sputnik (Gerber, Lanais). As a direct result, almost exactly one year later NASA was formed with 8,000 employees and a 1 00 million dollar budget. The initial goal of NASA was to make up lost ground on the Soviets in the space race, but on May 25, 1961 President John F Kennedy gave NASA its prime directive: put a man on the moon and bring him back feely before the end of the decade.With an astonishing pace and efficiency, that goal was achieve on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon and gave his famous â€Å"One Small Step for Man† speech. At that time, the whole country was behind NASA and its mission. The very act of putting a man on the moon changed our society in many ways. Man was no longer bound to the Ear th, and it changed our perception of the universe. Exploration of space and the stars seemed within our grasp. It looked like only a matter of time before the common man would be colonizing the moon. Fast forward almost forty years later and we find that Man has not been back since.The notion that we were able to send a man to the moon in eight years, but spend the next forty idly by on Earth and our low orbit space stations does not sit well with some. And, if you are just looking at the small picture of manned space travel, it would seem that NASA is moving at a snails pace. Since the last moon landing, Man has not moved an inch past our low orbit space stations. When looking at faults, there are many to be found as to why this has occurred. The first thing we can look at is the faltered support NASA received from our entry in the past few decades.When Americans started dying for the cause, we all slowly started losing our taste for space travel. This also occurred when we realize d the high cost of sending man into space. The public does not see the benefits of sending a man to the moon again, as the â€Å"been there, done that† mentality has prevailed. This is especially apparent as of late when Obama just recently canceled the Constellation Program, which aimed at getting a man back on the moon by 2020 (Atkinson). The ultimate goal was to start towards building a lunar base from which we could launch other space sessions from.Yet, even though we had already spent 9 billion dollars on the project, it was axed. NASA was cited as â€Å"over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation due to a failure to invest in critical new technologies. † Instead, NASA was urged to invest and inspire the centralization of space flight (Belton). This comes about because the space shuttle fleet will be retiring this year, and the US will be entirely reliant on the Russian space agency to ferry our astronauts to the International Space Station for the nex t few years. It is suggested that spurring growth in this sector will achieveBeam's angle of creating jobs and will be better economically than sending our money to Russia. While I find the centralization of space flight a step in a good direction, I believe the cancellation of the Constellation program shows an enormous lack of foresight on the Obama administration's part. While this move harkens back to when the government spurred growth in commercial aviation sector by use of the Airmail initiative (Simmers 2), one must realize that the money is just not there yet for commercial study and exploration.The projects NASA have undertaken have required massive budgets with usually very little monetary return. This is not necessarily the arena for private industry, who have a bottom line to worry about. There has been much outcry as to the cost of supporting NASA through public funding. This year Anna's budget actually increased 6% to just under 18 billion dollars, which to some, are n ot being spent wisely. It is unfortunately true that NASA has become the government agency that nobody wanted it to be: big, bloated, inefficient and expensive.It seems it has fallen into the pit that most other government agencies have. For proof of this e can look at Anna's latest Mars rover project, the Mars Science Laboratory (MS). The rover was supposed to launch near the end of 2009 and now has been delayed (twice) to 201 1 (Chance). The budget for this project was approved at 1. 6 billion but now is projected to surpass 2. 2 billion by launch. Even if you look at Anna's more recent success stories the public has been asking â€Å"is it worth it? ‘ The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity launched in 2003 and were expected to last only 6 months.Six years later and we find they are still operating on Mars and sending back data. At a total cost of -? 944 million for a six year mission, you could say that's a bargain (Chivies). Yet, there are many who wonder how soil samples and weather patterns on Mars help us when there many more issues down on Earth that need attention. Some have urged for the slashing and outright abolishment of NASA in favor of shifting its budget to other social programs like well fare, national health care or education.While I am not debating the whether or not these programs need more funding, I am stating that diminishing Anna's budget and overall presence would be a huge blow to the development of the IIS and he human race as a whole. When looking at the overall governmental spending budget, NASA is only a drop in the bucket, totaling only less than 1% (Change). Compare that to the height of the Apollo missions that took 5% of the budget, it shows that today's program is affordable. The national defense budget is nearly 40 times that of Anna's.While NASA does not directly work towards the hyphenation of space (that is the Air Force's domain), maintaining space superiority does lend to our country's defense. One can only imagi ne if Russia or China gains the upper hand. Regardless, the minute anis we might see by diverting Anna's funding elsewhere would be greatly outweighed by the detrimental effects this would have on our country and perhaps the world. So far you might say there haven't been many pro's for NASA that have been presented. The fruits of Anna's labors really fall into two categories: tangible and intangible.The intangible gifts that NASA has given us are really the hardest to defend as they may not directly benefit us. For instance, NASA has discovered more than 300 explants (planets orbiting stars outside our solar system) and are still finding new and better ways to detect them Cowmen). They recent launched the Keeper space telescope that will aid us in finding even more explants. The knowledge that there are definitively more planets outside our solar system, while not surprising, does nothing for us now and helps no one at the moment.Yet, the information we might glean from these explan ts may perhaps unlock how planets are formed in our universe; and may even give a glimpse into how life is formed. One cannot put a price tag on expanding the human understanding of the universe. But, knowing how life or planets are formed do not help the starving or the dying. For those who do not care that Uranus has 1000 MPH wind speeds or that at the center of every galaxy there may be a super massive black hole; we must look at the direct and tangible presents that NASA has bestowed on our society.Many, many innovative technologies have been directly and indirectly created by NASA is pursuit of its goals. If you get lost in the woods and your GAPS leads you back to safety; you can thank NASA for that. If MR. scan catches the early stages of cancer and you get to live a full life because of it, you can thank NASA (Change 2). If your fire alarm goes off and you can get out of your souse before it is engulfed in flames; again, you can thank NASA. If you have an ear thermometer, ce ll phone, satellite TV or cordless drill; you can thank in whole or in part, NASA.The technologies NASA has given the world has not only made life easier, but has saved countless lives as well. Let's not forgot Anna's enormous contributions to meteorology either, which have not only saved lives but have help the agricultural sector as well. All these things we may not have come about if NASA hadn't help create them as a means to their end. If all of Anna's contributions to humanity have not swayed you than reaps nothing will. You must take into account this though; that the fate of the entire world and the human race may be on Nanas shoulders.I'm sure you have all seen movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact, and believable or not these Earth striking comets are a very real possibility. The only way we will have fair warning if this comes to pass will be through the efforts of agencies like NASA. The only organizations even considering the possibilities and contingency plans are thos e like NASA This is not fear mongering either; the widely accepted notion that Earth has been hit by a comet before exulting in the extinction of species like the dinosaurs is proof enough that it is possible.It may very well be that one day NASA saves the Earth from destruction, and We will breath sigh of relief that we kept them around. When its all said and done, we need NASA. They have given us so much in the way of knowledge and tech analogical advancements that we shouldn't turn our backs on them now. Granted, they are not perfect and do have many glaring flaws. Perhaps they need a restructuring or new leadership to get them back on the path. The fact remains that we are indebted to NASA for eloping us grow technologically and as humans looking up wide eyed at the sky.

Not All Street Gangs Were Formed For Ill Doing - 1745 Words

Not all street gangs were formed for ill doing. Many people might think down on the creation of gangs but it is a part of survival in their region. Street gangs, which pull peers into gangs for protection and social status, assemble to protect their neighborhood, family and friends from other street gangs thus causing rising crime rate and innocent people dying because of this. First off, there are a few definitions for gangs because authorities had a hard time explaining what a gang even is. â€Å"Walter Miller (1982:313) contrasts gangs with law violating youth groups, which he defines as â€Å"an association of three or more youths whose members engage recurrently in illegal activities with the cooperation and moral support of their companions.† This definition of law – violating youth groups does not include structure or territory, two important elements of Miller’s definition of youth gangs. Spergel (1984:200) similarly defined delinquent groups as â€Å"an association of two or more youths, usually between the ages of ten and seventeen years, who are engaged in acts defined as illegal†(Covey, Herbert. Street Gangs throughout the world.Springfield,IL: Charles C Thomas,2010.Print). â€Å"Groups of youths considered deviant youth groups (and no one knows for certain the extent to which these groups referred to as gangs) di d not exist in any large number in the United States until the nineteenth century, although one report notes that they were found in some area during colonialShow MoreRelatedBlack Males Essay1072 Words   |  5 PagesBlack males have been racially profiled for a countless amount of years. Currently it’s continuously growing all around the world’s social media. 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Were they aware that their daily activities would become a â€Å"subculture† along with the Mods and Rockers? In his essay titled â€Å"The Skinheads and the Magical Recovery of Community,† John ClarkeRead MoreThe Stonewall Riots Of 19692157 Words   |  9 PagesAmericans to equal rights for women, the American people were rising up and discovering that their voice in the political discourse was just as important as those they elected to office. One other such group that awakened and challenged the existing status quo that kept them silent and scared were the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities across the country. From the first large-scale associations of LGBT individuals that formed in San Francisco in the 1950’s to the political and

Plight of the Code Hero in the Works of Ernest Hemingway...

The Plight of the Code Hero in the Works of Ernest Hemingway In his novels Ernest Hemingway suggests a code of behavior for his characters to follow: one that demands courage in difficult situations, strength in the face of adversity, and grace under pressure. Termed the code hero, this character is driven by the principal ideals of honor, courage, and endurance in a life of stress, misfortune, and pain. Despite the heros fight against life in this violent and disorderly world, he is rarely the victor. The code that the hero follows demands that he act honorably in this uphill battle and find fulfillment by becoming a man and proving his worth. Hemingway himself lived his life trying to show how strong and unlimited†¦show more content†¦In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is an unlucky fisherman who has not caught anything in 84 days. Yet he sets out alone on the 85th day to try again. For three days he struggles with a large marlin which he finally kills; but, despite his best efforts, he loses the fish to repeate d shark attacks. Still, Santiago returns to his small fishing village with the skeleton of the fish. He achieves a spiritual victory instead of a material one, surviving the ordeal of battle, and arriving with proof of his struggle strapped to his boat-the skeleton of the fish. Rather than a huge profit from such a large fish, he gains the admiration of the town for his valorous fight. Violence and disorder prevail, but Santiago honorably defends his catch in the midst of what will be a losing battle. Oscar Wilde once said, Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you (n. pag.). Santiago finds fulfillment by proving his manhood and his worth to both the town and Manolin, a local boy who admires him greatly. Hemingways description of Santiago includes symbolism of Christ, aShow MoreRelated Review Of Ernest Hemingway And Writings Essay1503 Words   |  7 Pages Review of Ernest Hemingway and Writings nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelest and short-story writer whose writings and personal life exerted a profound influence on American writers of his time and thereafter. Many of his works are regarded as American classics, and some have subsequently been made into motion pictures. A review of Hemingway reveals many interesting points about his life, about the influences upon his works, and of the the themes and stylesRead More Biography of Ernest Hemingway Essay3737 Words   |  15 PagesBiography of Ernest Hemingway Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter. You will meet them doing various things with resolve, but their interest rarely holds because after the other thing ordinary life is as flat as the taste of wine when the taste buds have been burned off your tongue. (On the Blue Water in Esquire, April 1936) A legendary novelist, short-storyRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesscheme. Free verse is not, however, loose or unrestricted: its rules of composition are as strict and difficult as traditional verse, for they rely on less evident rhythmic patterns to give the poem shape. Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is a seminal work of free verse. Line and Stanza Poetry generally is divided into lines of verse. A grouping of lines, equivalent to a paragraph in prose, is called a stanza. On the printed page, line breaks normally are used to separate stanzas from one another.Read MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 PagesAny literary work is unique. It is created by the author in accordance with his vision and is permeated with his idea of the world. The reader’s interpretation is also highly individual and depends to a great extent on his knowledge and personal experience. That’s why one cannot lay down a fixed â€Å"model† for a piece of critical appreciation. Nevertheless, one can give information and suggestions that may prove helpful. PLOT The Elements of Plot When we refer to the plot of a work of fiction, then

The Giver by Lois Lowry - 869 Words

Expository Essay Through our society we are all raised up to be independent and unique individuals such as being ourselves and expressing who each of us are to the world. However, in the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, everyone is raised to count on one another and everyone must look and act the same. Our society differs from Jonas’s in many ways, such as the family units, birthdays, and the way we each learn about our past. In the book The Giver, our society and Jonas’s differ in terms of the family units. On page 8, Jonas’s mother tells Lily about the kids in the family units as, â€Å"Two children – one male, one female – to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules.† This quote explains how the parents are only allowed to have one male and one female – no more, no less. This differs from our society because our family unit can consist of many more or less than two children and the parents do not have to have one of each gender in the family. Also, in the quote, mother said, â€Å"to each family unit†, which makes it sound like the children are given to the parents, which is exactly right. The mothers of the family units in Jonas’s society are not allowed to give birth. Instead, there are birthmothers who give birth to the children and those childrenShow MoreRelatedThe Giver By Lois Lowry940 Words   |  4 PagesLois Lowry’s 1993 young adult novel â€Å"The Giver† captured audiences worldwide with its fascinating characters and dystopian society. The book was long due a film adaption, which finally came in 2014 from director Phillip Noyce. While critics remained mixed about the film itself, the movie offers a decent adaption of its source material, keep ing in mind its original themes of pain, pleasure, and memory, but strays away in certain areas. Both the film and novel carry the same themes that have madeRead MoreThe Giver, By Lois Lowry1796 Words   |  8 Pages Memories need to be shared,† words from Lois Lowry in her book The Giver (154). The Giver focuses on the protagonist, Jonas and the world he lives in. In his community everything is perfect and under control, avoiding war, fear or pain. The people are forbidden to make their own decisions as they’re made for them by the community. Throughout the book, Jonas learns the truth on how they are living and his feelings turn. In The Giver, written by Lois Lowry, the theme of the significance of sharingRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1949 Words   |  8 Pagesbeliefs or personal values that they insist on imposing over the surrounding community. Such is the case with Lois Lowry s The Giver, a fictional story of a society without emotions, arguments, or differences amongst people, where equality is the ultimate goal. The story revolves around 12-year-old Jona s, who is chosen to become the Receiver of Memories, which would be given to him by the Giver, a historian of humanity s past. His lessons force him to confront feelings for the first time and the growingRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry784 Words   |  4 PagesTitle: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Illustrator: No illustrator Genre: The genre of the book is scientific fiction. It is scientific fiction because Lois Lowry made a setting where everything is unusual than the things we do now. There are birthmothers, rarely Receivers of Memory ( which Jonas turns out to be ), and other special jobs in the community center. Point of View: The point of view in the story is third person because if there was a first person, the narrator ( which is a person that isRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry884 Words   |  4 PagesGiver Essay Agustin Fitipaldi Bervejillo In the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry. The main character Jonas is not like others in his utopian community. He is a normal 12 year old boy and is living in the same old community of sameness. Until one day he gets selected to be the Receiver of Memory and begins to experience things on a different way because of the memories being transmitted to him. As the changes become more evident, Jonas begins to see flawsRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1334 Words   |  6 Pages Ella Smailn How has the character Jonas from Lois Lowry s book The Giver developed over the course of the novel? Word count: 1311 Louis Lowry’s The Giver, written in 1993 is a captivating, prize-winning novel. It is set in a community, which is first presented as the perfect world, an utopian society. The novel follows a boy called Jonas, who as the novel progresses sees the utopia more like a dystopian. This community has eliminated any pain the society would have byRead MoreThe Giver by Lois Lowry959 Words   |  4 PagesThe giver by Lois Lowry was an interesting book to say the least. In the beginning you are lead to believe these are normal kids and characters, possibly in the future, but in pretty much the same state of mind as our definition of â€Å"human† today. As the book goes on, you are slowly let in on details, like the characters can not see color, and that the parents are not biological parents, and everything is organized and decided for the characters in the book. The author did a great job of slowly bringingRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1554 Words   |  7 PagesBlock 6 Second Independent Project: Book Report 10/5/14 The Giver In this essay, I am going to report about the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy, is the main character of the book. The book describes a seemingly indestructible society, with absolute order and rules. Jonas happens to be chosen as the next Receiver of Memory on his twelve year old ceremony. After receiving part of the memories from the The Giver and discovering the truth behind this â€Å"perfect† community, heRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1313 Words   |  6 Pagesis no pain, no prejudice, no emotion, and no detestation. Lois Lowry gives a vivid description of a community where everything is equal, everyone is just as important as another, and life choices are made by only one individual. In the book The giver by Lois Lowry, it expresses the exact opposite of Marx’s most important ideas which is a prime example of what people will do if they were forced to live a certain way. In the book The Giver, it tells the story of a perfect world. Everyone there is happyRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry962 Words   |  4 Pages In Lois Lowry’s The Giver the community feel free but they are restricted by the rules of this society. Their individuality has been taken away along with their emotions, precision of language has taken control and the rules have brainwashed the community. Is it worth living in a society with rules and restrictions like these. Throughout The Giver, Lowry attempts to awaken each and every reader to the dangers that exist when people opt for conformity over individuality and for unexamined security

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4 Free Essays

The next day, I went to the address on Dante’s business card. It was in Rainier Valley, which wasn’t exactly rundown but wasn’t upwardly mobile either. The directions led to a narrow shop jammed in between a barber and a shady-looking convenience store. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4 or any similar topic only for you Order Now PSYCHIC hung in red neon letters in the window. The â€Å"I† had burned out. Underneath it, a handwritten sign read: PALM READING TAROT CARDS. I stepped through the door, making bells ring. The interior proved to be as barren as the exterior. A narrow counter flanked one wall. The rest of the small, stark space was empty, save for a round table covered in red velvet that had cigarette burns on it. A tacky crystal ball sat on top. This place was a wasteland compared to Erik’s warm, inviting shop. â€Å"Just a minute,† a voice called from an open doorway in the back. â€Å"I’ve just got to – â€Å" A man entered the room and stopped when he saw me. He was about six-foot, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Two days worth of facial hair covered his face, and he wore jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Early forties, maybe, and pretty cute. He looked me over from head to toe and gave me a sly, knowing smile. â€Å"Well, hello. What do we have here?† He tilted his head, still studying me. â€Å"Not human, that’s for sure. Demon? No, not strong enough. Vampire? No†¦not this time of day.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, surprised that he’d sensed something in me. He had no immortal signature; he was definitely human. He must be like Erik, I realized. A mortal who could sense the immortal world, though he didn’t have enough skill to pinpoint what I was exactly. Deciding there was no point in subterfuge, I said, â€Å"I’m a succubus.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, you aren’t.† â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"You aren’t.† I was a bit surprised to be having this conversation. â€Å"I am too.† â€Å"No. Succubi are flame-eyed and bat-winged. Everyone knows that. They don’t wear jeans and sweaters. At the very least, you should have a bigger chest. What are you, 34B or something?† â€Å"C,† I said indignantly. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"Look, I am a succubus. I can prove it.† I let my form change, shifting through several different female variations before returning to my usual one. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Well, I’ll be damned.† I had a feeling he was playing with me. â€Å"Are you Dante?† â€Å"For now.† He approached and shook my hand, holding on to it. He flipped it over. â€Å"You here for a palm reading? I’ll show you how to shape-shift your hand to get a good future.† I took my hand back. â€Å"No, thanks. I’m here because I have some questions†¦questions that Erik Lancaster thought you might be able to answer.† Dante’s smile dropped. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter. â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean? Erik’s my friend.† Dante leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"Of course he’s your friend. He’s everyone’s friend. Fucking boy scout. If he could have shaken his holier-than-thou attitude and worked with me, we could have made a fortune by now.† I remembered what Erik had said about Dante being a con artist and a Hell-bound person. I didn’t pick up any evil vibes off him, but there was a definite abrasiveness to his attitude that made Erik’s assessment more plausible. â€Å"Erik has standards,† I declared. Dante laughed. â€Å"Oh, great. A holier-than-thou succubus. This is going to be fun.† â€Å"Look, can you just answer my questions? It won’t take long.† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"I’ve got time – at least until the next rush of customers.† The bitter tone in his voice as he gestured to the empty room indicated that there hadn’t been a rush in a very long time. â€Å"I had a dream the other night,† I explained. â€Å"And when I woke up, all my energy was gone.† â€Å"You’re a succubus. Supposedly. That kind of thing happens.† â€Å"I wish everyone would stop saying that! This wasn’t normal. And I’d been with a man the night before. I was charged up, so to speak.† â€Å"You do anything afterward that would have depleted the energy?† Everyone kept asking that too. â€Å"No. I just went to bed. But the dream†¦it was really strange. I don’t know how to explain it. Really, really vivid. I’ve never felt anything like it.† â€Å"What was it about?† â€Å"A, um, dishwasher.† Dante sighed. â€Å"Did someone pay you to come here and mess with me?† Through gritted teeth, I related the dream. â€Å"That’s it?† he asked when I finished. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Lame dream.† â€Å"Do you know what it means?† â€Å"Probably that you need to fix your dishwasher.† â€Å"It isn’t broken!† He straightened up. â€Å"Sorry. Can’t help you then.† â€Å"Erik said this was your specialty.† â€Å"It is, I suppose. But, sometimes a dream is just a dream. You sure you don’t want me to read your palm? It’s all bullshit, but I can at least make something up so you feel like the trip wasn’t wasted.† â€Å"No, I want to know about my fucking dream. How can it be just a dream if I woke up with no energy?† Dante walked back over to me and flicked a piece of escaped hair out of his face. â€Å"I don’t know. You aren’t giving me enough to go on. How many times has it happened?† â€Å"Just the one time.† â€Å"Then it may be just a fluke, kiddo.† I turned toward the door. â€Å"Well, thanks for the ‘help.'† Hurrying over to my side, Dante caught my arm. â€Å"Hey, wait. You want to go get a drink now?† â€Å"I – what?† â€Å"I’ll risk upsetting the masses and close up shop for the day. There’s a great bar around the corner. Draft Budweiser – only a dollar a glass during happy hour. My treat.† I scoffed. I didn’t know what was more absurd. That Dante thought I’d go out with him or that he thought I’d drink Budweiser. His attractiveness wasn’t enough to make up for his weird personality. â€Å"Sorry. I have a boyfriend.† â€Å"I’m not looking to be your boyfriend. Cheap sex is fine with me.† I met his eyes. They were gray, similar to Carter’s but without the silvery hue. I expected a joke here, but despite the perpetual smirk, Dante appeared to be perfectly serious. â€Å"Why on earth do you think I’d have cheap sex with you? Do I look that easy?† â€Å"You say you’re a succubus. You’re easy by definition. And even without the bat-wings and flame-eyes, you’re pretty cute.† â€Å"Aren’t you worried about your soul?† Even if he was as corrupt as Erik had insinuated – and I still wasn’t really seeing that – Dante would take some kind of hit from sleeping with me. All mortals did. Of course, I’d met plenty of men – good and evil alike – who’d been willing to risk their souls for sex. â€Å"Nope. My soul’s pretty far gone. This would just be for fun. Look, if you want to skip the beer, we can just get right to it. I’ve always wanted to do it on the table over there.† â€Å"Un-fucking-believable.† I pushed open the door. â€Å"Oh, come on,† he pleaded. â€Å"I’m pretty good. And hey, maybe your boyfriend’s poor sexual performance is what’s stressing you out and taking away your energy.† â€Å"Not likely,† I told him. â€Å"We don’t have sex.† There was a moment’s silence, then Dante threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Did it occur to you that maybe that’s stressing you out? Clearly the dishwasher is a metaphor for your broken sex life, which then forces you to wash dishes ‘by hand.'† I left, heading back to the bookstore where I could get a little respect. Some dream expert Dante had turned out to be. I could see now why Erik didn’t really like him. I was also starting to wonder if maybe everyone was right. Maybe I had mentally burned myself out. Maybe the dream was really just a dream. I was almost at the bookstore when I got a phone call. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† asked a pleasant female voice. â€Å"This is Karen from the Seattle Children’s Alliance, calling to confirm your participation in our auction this week.† â€Å"Your what?† There was a pause. â€Å"Our charity date auction, to raise money for the Alliance.† I was still baffled. â€Å"Um, sounds like a great cause, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.† I heard papers being ruffled. â€Å"We have you listed as a volunteer.† â€Å"For what, to be auctioned off for a date?† â€Å"Yes. It looks like†¦here we are. Your name was submitted by Dr. Mitchell.† I sighed. â€Å"Let me call you back.† I hung up and dialed Hugh. â€Å"Hey, Dr. Mitchell. You volunteered me to be auctioned off?† â€Å"It’s not that different from what you usually do,† he argued. â€Å"And it’s for charity.† â€Å"I buy the peace-on-Earth-and-good-will-toward-men thing from Peter and Cody – but not from you. You don’t care about those kids.† â€Å"I care about the group’s director,† Hugh said. â€Å"She’s a fucking fox. I get some high quality candidates to raise money, and I can probably get her in bed.† â€Å"You’re using a children’s charity to further your sex life. That’s horrible. And why didn’t you ask Tawny? If anyone needs a date, she does.† â€Å"Her? Jesus Christ. It’d be a disaster. We’re trying to make money here. Do you hate kids or something?† â€Å"No, but I don’t have time to do it. I’ll write them a check.† I hung up on his protests, just as I turned onto Queen Anne Avenue. I was a little early for my shift and decided to stop home and grab an apple and a granola bar. Last time I’d worked, we’d been so busy that I’d skipped my lunch break. I figured that this time, I should come prepared. My immortality wouldn’t let me starve to death, but I could still get lightheaded and weak. Halfway down the hall to my apartment, I felt a shock wave of crystalline goodness. Angelic auras. I opened my door and found the whole gang: Carter, Yasmine, Whitney, Joel, and Vincent. None of them spoke; they were all just watching me expectantly. The angels would have sensed me long before I sensed them. They all sat in my living room, casually occupying my sofa and chairs as though they weren’t a host of heavenly warriors. Well, not all of them were casual. Joel sat as stiff and formal as he had the first time I met him. â€Å"Oh, man,† I said, shutting the door behind me. â€Å"It’s just like that They Might Be Giants song.† Vincent grinned. â€Å"‘She’s an Angel’?† I nodded. â€Å"Somewhere they’re meeting on a pinhead – â€Å" † – calling you an angel, calling you the nicest things,† he finished. â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Joel, interrupting our jam session. â€Å"Or not so nice,† I muttered. I turned from Vincent and glared at Joel. â€Å"I live here, remember?† â€Å"We’re having a meeting,† he said. â€Å"Hey, when you asked if Vince could stay here, you never said anything about making this your top secret tree house headquarters. I don’t care if you guys hold your choir practice here or whatever, but don’t try to throw me out while you do.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Yasmine. I did a double-take. Apologies from angels were about as rare as from demons. From the look on his face, Joel was about as surprised as me. â€Å"We probably should have asked first. We can go somewhere else.† She leaned over my coffee table and started gathering up newspapers. Interesting. Apparently Vincent’s fixation with the news was more than just a personal hobby. I glanced back up at Yasmine and tried to act like I hadn’t noticed anything. â€Å"No, it’s fine. I’m actually heading right back out. I just came by for some food.† She pushed strands of long, black hair out of her face. They’d slipped out of her ponytail. â€Å"You want Vince to make you something?† He turned to her, startled, wearing an astonished, yet still-amused look. â€Å"What am I, your personal assistant?† â€Å"Not with the kind of respect you show us,† she grumbled. I hid a smile. â€Å"Thanks, but I’m fine. I don’t have the time.† â€Å"Good,† said Joel. â€Å"Then hurry up.† Whitney sighed and looked a little embarrassed – but not enough to contradict him. Yasmine had no such qualms and elbowed him in the ribs. â€Å"What was that for?† he exclaimed. â€Å"You have no manners,† she scolded. Grinning broadly, I went to the kitchen and found an apple. When I opened the cupboard to look for my granola bars, I found the box empty. â€Å"Hey,† I said, carrying it out to the living room. â€Å"Did somebody eat these? I had two left this morning.† Carter spoke up for the first time. â€Å"I was hungry.† I stared at him, incredulous. â€Å"You ate both of them?† â€Å"I was hungry,† he repeated, not looking contrite in the least. â€Å"Does it ever stop with you?† I exclaimed. â€Å"First the Christmas tree, now this? You didn’t even throw the box away!† â€Å"I was hoping you’d forgotten about the Christmas tree. That was an accident, and you know it.† I sighed loudly and put the apple in my purse. â€Å"I’m going to the grocery store later,† said Vincent helpfully. Aubrey jumped up and settled herself between him and Yasmine. Both their hands instantly moved to pet her. Aubrey gave me a smug cat look at the attention. â€Å"I’ll pick you up some more if you want.† â€Å"Pick him up some more so that he doesn’t go rob the food bank next. See you guys later. No wild parties while I’m gone.† Carter, Yasmine, and Vincent laughed; Whitney and Joel didn’t. When I’d shut the door behind me, I paused in the hall, wishing there was some way to spy on angels. There wasn’t, unfortunately. I couldn’t even hide from them. They could mask their signatures from me, but not vice versa. In fact, they all knew I hadn’t left yet. Annoyed, I headed downstairs, curiosity burning in me. Why were they all here? Why did they need a human? And what role did the newspapers play? Figuring out what angels did with their time was always difficult. With my side, it was pretty straightforward. We were always looking to commit souls to Hell and did so in a well-monitored, micro-managed manner. Heaven’s forces moved in mysterious ways, though. Carter’s purpose in Seattle was a continual puzzle for my friends and me since none of us ever saw any evidence of him doing anything particularly noble, aside from sharing his cigarettes. He did always show a lot of interest in my love life and was quick to dispense cryptic pieces of advice, but I suspected that was more curiosity than altruism. Work was only a few blocks away. Since it wasn’t raining, I simply walked down there. As soon as I entered Emerald City, Maddie approached me, an uncomfortable expression on her face. â€Å"Hey,† she said uneasily. â€Å"I, um, need your advice. I’m going to a wedding tomorrow and don’t know what to wear. This is so stupid†¦but could you take a look at my options?† Peering around, I decided the store could function without us for ten minutes, particularly since it had taken Maddie a fair amount of courage to broach this subject. I’d never actually seen her dress up before. â€Å"Okay. Let’s see what you’ve got.† We went back to my office, and she tried on three different dresses. No doubt Seth would have been amused to know she was changing clothes while I was in there. When she’d finished, I gave my honest opinion. â€Å"They don’t do you justice.† â€Å"Which is a nice way of saying they look awful on me.† Maddie balled one of the dresses up and tossed it to the floor. â€Å"I hate this sort of thing. How can I write about women’s issues and not be any good at them?† â€Å"Well†¦you write about different kinds of issues. The problem here is that you’re wearing clothes that are too big for you.† Her dark eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"I’m big. They’re loose. They hide it.† Maddie wasn’t big, not really. She was a size ten or twelve, if I had to guess, and her short height emphasized that a little. But her curves were all proportioned correctly, and she had a very pretty face. Of course, compared to the anorexic models so popular among humans today, I could understand her attitude. â€Å"You are not big. But those dresses make you look it. Something smaller’s going to make you look better.† â€Å"I can’t wear tight clothes.† â€Å"They don’t have to be tight. They just have to fit.† Maddie sighed and ran her hands down the sides of her thighs. â€Å"You don’t know what it’s like,† she said, the slightest accusatory note in her voice. â€Å"You’re beautiful and tiny. Not all of us have the luxury of looking perfect all the time.† â€Å"No one looks perfect all the time,† I argued. â€Å"I certainly don’t.† Okay, I kind of did. â€Å"You’ve just got to find the right things. And really, half of beauty is attitude. You feel sexy, then you are sexy.† Maddie looked dubious. â€Å"I don’t think it’s that easy. Guys aren’t exactly chomping at the bit to ask me out. You know how long it’s been since I was on a date?† â€Å"That goes back to attitude,† I said. â€Å"Look, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but you don’t always give off friendly vibes. I mean, you do to me. And to Doug. Sort of. But really, that’s it.† â€Å"I know I’m not the best with people,† she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. â€Å"But I just can’t do meaningless small talk.† â€Å"Yeah, but you still have to do some talking. It’s a fact of life.† â€Å"Well, if guys came and actually talked to me, maybe I could try. But they aren’t really lining up.† She gestured at her body. â€Å"Because of this. And now we’ve come full circle.† â€Å"What if I could guarantee you a date?† I asked, suddenly inspired. Her lips quirked into a smile. It instantly transformed her face. â€Å"Are you asking me out?† â€Å"No, but someone else will, I’m certain of it. You just have to let me pick out your outfit.† â€Å"I’m not wearing anything slutty.† â€Å"It won’t be,† I promised. I stood up from my chair. â€Å"Look, I’ve gotta run. Wear the yellow dress to the wedding. With a belt. I’ll give you details later about the date plan.† She left, looking skeptical, and I threw myself into work. The rest of the day flew by. I never saw Seth in the caf? ¦ and presumed he was working at home today. We had a date later on, so I knew I’d see him then. Since becoming manager, I spent a lot of time holed up in my office, which was hard on the social part of me. But, every once in a while, I got to escape to cover someone’s break or arrange a display. While near the self-help section, a guy carrying some books stumbled near me and dropped the stack. Hoping he hadn’t tripped on a bump in the carpet and was planning a lawsuit, I hastily knelt down to help him. â€Å"No, no,† he said, cheeks burning. He was the age I looked, late twenties. Early thirties at most. â€Å"You don’t have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was already stacking them, though, and quickly understood his discomfort. They were books on all sorts of fetishes – in particular, exhibitionism and voyeurism. â€Å"Oh God,† he said, as I handed him the books. â€Å"I’m so embarrassed. I feel like such a pervert.† â€Å"It’s okay,† I told him. â€Å"It’s your business, and we’ve all got our†¦ah, preferences.† He looked mildly reassured but still clearly wanted to bolt. There was a wedding ring on his hand, and I expected I was dealing with a fetish he probably didn’t share with his wife. Honestly, I was surprised he’d resorted to actual books when he could find a hundred times more sources on the Internet. Most likely he and his wife shared a home computer, and he feared discovery. It was Georgina the succubus, not Georgina the bookstore manager, who asked the next question. Georgina the bookstore manager would have gotten fired for it if caught. â€Å"You like the watching or the doing?† I kept my voice low. He swallowed, studied me for mockery, and must have decided I was serious. â€Å"The, um, doing.† For half a breath, I considered going for it with him. I needed the energy, badly. He’d be an easy mark, consumed with a secret obsession he couldn’t fulfill anywhere else. But, it’d mean doing it in this body, and I didn’t like that. This was my preferred, everyday shape. I didn’t want to sully it with business. So, I smiled and sent him on his way, silently wishing him well in fulfilling his sexual desires. I called Seth later while I was walking home from work to confirm our date. We were going to meet over at the Pacific Northwest Ballet to see The Nutcracker. While he appreciated the performing arts, getting him to go out while his book’s ending loomed had been a Herculean task, and I still couldn’t believe he’d agreed. He’d only conceded after I’d promised he could show up at the last possible minute. Only, we apparently had different definitions of â€Å"last possible minute† because when the lights went down, he still hadn’t surfaced. The ballet started, and I craned my neck each time I heard one of the doors open. The chair beside me stayed empty, unfortunately. It was a sign of my agitation that I missed a lot of the performance and couldn’t appreciate Clara’s dream – a dream as vivid for her as mine had been for me. I loved the ballet. I’d danced in a few shows over my lifetime and never got tired of watching graceful muscles and elaborate costumes. At intermission, I turned on my cell phone and saw that Seth had tried to call. I dialed him back without even listening to the voice message. When he answered, I said, â€Å"Please tell me a crazy fan kidnapped you and broke your legs with a sledgehammer.† â€Å"Um, no. Didn’t you get my message?† â€Å"Well, no, seeing as my phone said it came in a half-hour ago. I didn’t have it on because I was busy watching this thing. You know, The Nutcracker?† He sighed. â€Å"I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave. I was too wrapped up. I thought if I, uh, gave you enough notice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Notice? This was more like a belated birthday card. Six months after the fact.† Silence fell, and I felt some satisfaction in knowing he was quietly acknowledging his wrongdoing. â€Å"I’m sorry, Thetis. It was†¦I shouldn’t have done it, busy or not. I’m really sorry. You know how I get.† Now I sighed. He was so damned sincere and adorable that I had a hard time holding a grudge. This wasn’t, however, the first time he’d stood me up or otherwise neglected our social life. Sometimes I wondered if I allowed him too much indulgence. I spent so much time worrying about my transgressions taking advantage of him; maybe I was the one being walked over without even realizing it. â€Å"You want to meet up after the show?† I asked, trying not to sound mad. â€Å"Cody invited me out to the bar with them. We could hang out there for a while.† â€Å"Um†¦well, no.† â€Å"No?† The annoyance I’d tried to quell shot its head back up again. â€Å"I just forgave you for standing me up and wasting the money I paid on your ticket, and now you’re turning down my conciliatory offer?† â€Å"Look†¦I really am sorry, but watching you and your friends get drunk isn’t exactly appealing.† I sat for a moment, too stunned to respond. He’d spoken in his typically mild way, but I’d heard the slightest bit of derision underscoring his words. Seth didn’t drink. He always tolerated my excesses good-naturedly, but I suddenly wondered if they irritated him after all. His meaning came through as haughtiness to me. â€Å"Sorry we’re not up to your standards. God knows we can’t expect you to do anything outside of your comfort zone.† â€Å"Please, stop. I don’t want to fight with you,† he said with exasperation. â€Å"I’m really, really, really sorry about all this. I didn’t mean to stand you up. You know that.† The lights flashed, signaling the end of intermission. â€Å"I’ve got to go.† â€Å"Will you†¦will you please come over tonight? Go out with your friends, let me finish, and then I’ll make things up to you. I promise. I†¦I have an early Christmas present for you.† The hesitancy in his voice softened my heart. A little. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. It might be really late when I get there.† â€Å"I’ll wait up.† We said our good-byes and disconnected. I watched the rest of the show in a grumpy mood and decided drinking and bitching with the gang couldn’t come a moment too soon. How to cite Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4, Essay examples