Chinese Cinderella Book Review - 910 Words

The book â€Å"Chinese Cinderella† by Adeline Yen Mah is a heart touching true story about an unwanted girl named Adeline, who longed for the compassion and love of her parent’s. While giving birth to Adeline, her mother passed away from child birth complications, leaving her father with five children to care for, including a new born. Four years later, her grandmother Nai Nai also passed away leaving her father no choice but to remarry. Soon after, her father met and fell deeply in love with a woman named Niang, who becomes Adeline’s new stepmother. Adeline’s father and Niang had two children of their own, a boy and a girl, as well as Adeline and her three older brothers and older sister. A year later, Adeline’s family moved to Shanghai†¦show more content†¦Adeline, by this time, had matured a great deal, becoming independent and focused on her school work. She had discovered that even though they were her family, and she did love them, she was in control of her happiness and she alone could decide her future. During this time Adeline excelled in her school work, especially in writing. She wrote a play entitled â€Å"Gone with the Locusts† and entered it into a playwright competition. Two weeks later, an unusual event occurred, her father showed up at her boarding school to pick her up. Adeline was confused and wondered why the attention from her father. She soon found out that she had indeed won first place in the playwright competition, a very prestigious award, including a cash reward of fifty English pounds. For the first time, Adeline felt as though she had made her parents proud, still wanting more than anything to please them, and desiring to achieve a higher level of education. Winning this award made her parents realize that she was capable of excelling and her father soon granted her request and allowed her to continue her education, go to college and study in England. This book was well written , filled with many details and had a touching story. As the reader you couldn’t help but sympathize with Adeline, feeling neglected and desiring love. This book also described the many facets of the Chinese culture, as well as explaining all of theShow MoreRelatedThe Impact of to Analyse Disney Movie and Understanding the Dominant Position in Children3134 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1 Problem statement----------------------------------------------------- 1 1.2 Purpose statement------------------------------------------------------ 1 2.0 Literature review---------------------------------------------------------------- 2 3.0 What is socialization------------------------------------------------------------ 3 3.1 Mass media-------------------------------------------------------------- 3 3.2 ChildRead MoreThe Impact of to Analyse Disney Movie and Understanding the Dominant Position in Children3142 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1 Problem statement----------------------------------------------------- 1 1.2 Purpose statement------------------------------------------------------ 1 2.0 Literature review---------------------------------------------------------------- 2 3.0 What is socialization------------------------------------------------------------ 3 3.1 Mass media-------------------------------------------------------------- 3 3.2 ChildhooRead MoreCase on the Disney Brand14200 Words   |  57 PagesSuccessful Expansions into new Geographies...........................................................................9 Avon’s Turn-around: A Case Study .......................................................................................9 Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 10 Disney – A Case Study............................................................................................................10Read MoreDisney: Losing Magic in the Middle Kingdom16116 Words   |  65 Pagesduring the Chinese New Year in February 2006, when many mainland tourists with valid tickets were barred from entering due to overcrowding, causing a chaotic scene in front of the TV news cameras. 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Is Anxiety A Dangerous And Powerful Thing - 868 Words

One’s mind is a very dangerous and powerful thing. It can control one in a positive way, leading them to very high places and greatness, but it can also lead one into deep and dark places. Anxiety is a mind altering disorder- a disorder many struggle with daily. The smallest things can switch one’s brain from happiness to complete fear in a matter of seconds. This is something you should never wish upon someone. According to Merriam Webster’s Online Encyclopedia anxiety is defined as, â€Å" An abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs, by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self- doubt about ones capacity to cope with it†. Another definition of anxiety by the American Psychological Association states, â€Å" Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have r ecurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry†. There are many types of anxiety disorders and the symptoms vary. Some symptoms of anxiety include obsessive thoughts, cold or sweaty palms, increased heart rate, trouble sleeping, and feelings of panic. Anxiety is something I personally deal with every day. My anxiety includes stress anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, and many more. Being in large crowds overwhelms me and sometimes even really loud noises makes me upset. When I am inShow MoreRelatedearly marriage779 Words   |  4 Pagesdrug merely the most obvious form of addiction in our society. Drug addiction is on of the things that undermines traditional values. That can cause harmful effect to our body. Conclusion-drug addiction may affect human health. If there are people using drugs, others will always think negative. Drugs can also give human mental problem Drugs are not dangerous. 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Stated by Cushing â€Å"The most surprising thing about these numbers (numbers that he found in his studies) is that the â€Å"mean or hurtful† stat isn’t closer to 100%† (page 2 of 6), meaning that kids all around the world commonly say mean or hurtful things all the time to kids who are different, interact with their teachers more then their friends, and kids who are smaller and/or weaker then the commonRead MoreEssay on Addictions to Smoking and Alcohol836 Words   |  4 Pagesdrinking alcohol, which often leads to addiction. The word addiction is a very powerful word in this sense, as it means the physical and psychological craving for a substance that develops into a dependency, and continues even though it is causing the addicted person physical, psychological and social harm. The disease of addiction is chronic and progressive; it can lead to extremely dangerous outcomes. This applies to both smoking, and alcohol addiction. 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The wages of laborers were insufficient to keep their families alive (Zinn 257)Read MoreMy Reflection On My Adolescent Side857 Words   |  4 PagesGetting back to the normal session was pleasant for me. It was not as intense as initial sessions, but still powerful. â€Å"My adolescent side† exercise was especially insightful, and made me think about it in depth. It is incredible to see that I still keep these sides alive in a different way. Even today shyness and anger feelings popping out in my daily life can makes things harder time to time. These sides might not be seen as playful/joyful as other’s have. Moreover, I do not even know how to address

Emotional Intelligence Free Essays

Macro practice: â€Å"Social work practice aimed at bringing about improvements and changes in the general society. Such activities include some types of political action, community organization, public education, campaigning, and the administration of broad-based social services agencies or public welfare departments. † (The Social Work Dictionary) Some of the varieties of roles in macro practice include the following: enabler mediator, integrator/coordinator, general manager, educator, analyst/evaluator broker, facilitator, initiator, negotiator, mobilizer, and advocate (Kirst-Ashman and Hull). We will write a custom essay sample on Emotional Intelligence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Macro social work is the practice of helping people solve social problems and make social change at the community, organizational, societal, and global levels† (William G. Brueggemann). Given the above definitions, in your 3-4 page, double-spaced typed paper, develop the concept of macro practice relative to your chosen field of practice. Again, conceptualize macro practice as two things: (1) as a practice method with particular skills and, (2) conceptualized as a practice setting. As a practice setting, one could think of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services or the North Carolina State Office of Human Services as a macro setting, or one could think of the local county Public Health Department as those kinds of settings where the primary work is at the macro level. Social workers at these levels typically are not providing direct service to clients and carrying a caseload; there is no direct group intervention work, per se. You role might involve the development of policies being formulated, programs being developed, and even perhaps legislation being drafted by an MSW to help improve services and programs for people in the nation. Put yourself in the role of a social worker at the macro level and who is using macro practice skills to effect planned changed within the field of practice you selected. For example, you might be working at the Department of Health and Human Services and your job is to develop better programs and services for grandparents who are taking care of their grandchildren because the children’s parents are not able to care them for any number of reasons. You might be working in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to ensure that family support services are included in legislation for disabled veterans wounded in Iraq. Discuss the individual social work skills needed, and also consider the organizational issues you’ll likely to encounter, in order to be a competent macro-practice level social worker. How to cite Emotional Intelligence, Papers Emotional Intelligence Free Essays string(239) " unique source of information for individuals about their environment, which informs and shapes their thoughts, actions, and subsequent feelings, and there is a growing view that emotion information can be used more or less intelligently\." Emotional Intelligence? Organizational Behavior Tamara Ramsey August 12, 2012 Abstract This paper examines how emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence are associated with academic success and job performance. Emotional intelligence continues to pick up momentum in the world of business and academia. More and more research supports the concept that emotionally intelligent employees, managers, leaders, and companies produce noticeable business results. We will write a custom essay sample on Emotional Intelligence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Employers are now looking for emotional intelligence in their potential employees and leaders and utilizing assessments and directed interviews to assess a potential hire’s emotional intelligence skills. Research has shown that emotional intelligence skills are important to success on the job. The lack of emotional intelligence can break or significantly slow a professional’s career progression in today’s complex world. An individual with emotional intelligence definitely will be a part of the finest in this complex world and will have the ability to survive its ups and downs with dignity and grace, while successfully adding value in his/her professional and personal life. What is emotional intelligence? Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. This concept was firstly developed in 1990 by two American university professors, John Mayer and Peter Salovey and they concluded that, people with high emotional quotient are supposed to learn more quickly due to their abilities. In 1995 another psychologist named Daniel Goleman extended the theory and also made it well-known. In his articles and books, he argued that people with high emotional quotient do better than those with low emotional quotient. The term â€Å"emotional intelligence† debuted in several scientific articles written by John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey during the early 1990s. The researchers defined emotional intelligence as the compilation of four kinds of skills: perceiving and expressing emotions, understanding emotions, using emotions, and managing emotions. These insightful publications helped pave the way for the 1995 best-seller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and Working with Emotional Intelligence by New York Times behavioral science columnist Daniel Goleman, which brought emotional intelligence into the mainstream of business. According to Peter Salovey, chairman of the Department of Psychology at Yale University, â€Å"Prior to 1995, only other psychologists had heard of emotional intelligence. Goleman’s first book made the term a household word (Simmons, 2001). Emotional intelligence provides a significant contribution to our understanding of relationships in the work place. Mayer and Salovey’s conceptualization of emotional intelligence focused on emotional abilities that link emotion and cognition, while other definitions, for example Goleman’s definition, incorporate social and emotional competencies including some personality traits and attitudes. Mayer and Salovey’s model of emotional intelligence that encompasses (a) emotional awareness, (b) emotional facilitation, (c) emotional knowledge, and (d) emotional regulation. This model emphasizes that emotional intelligence is a multi-dimensional construct and that these four steps are iterative in that each of the abilities can contribute to enhancing other abilities. For instance, in reflecting on reactions during a crisis situation, an individual’s emotional self-awareness can contribute to a better understanding of the emotions involved (Jordan, 2004). Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different factors of emotional intelligence: the perception of emotion, the ability reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotion and the ability to manage emotions. . Perceiving Emotions: The first step in understanding emotions is to accurately perceive them. In many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such as body language and facial expressions. 2. Reasoning with Emotions: The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we respond emotionally to things that garner our attention. 3. Understanding Emotions: The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of meanings. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of their anger and what it might mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that he is dissatisfied with your work; or it could be because he got a speeding ticket on his way to work that morning or that he’s been fighting with his wife. 4. Managing Emotions: The ability to manage emotions effectively is a key part of emotional intelligence. Regulating emotions, responding appropriately and responding to the emotions of others are all important aspect of emotional management. (Cherry, 2012) According to Salovey and Mayer, the four branches of their model are, â€Å"arranged from more basic psychological processes to higher, more psychologically integrated processes. For example, the lowest level branch concerns the (relatively) simple abilities of perceiving and expressing emotion. In contrast, the highest level branch concerns the conscious, reflective regulation of emotion† In the book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, the central thesis that he tries to point out is that emotional intelligence may be more important than I. Q. in determining a person’s well-being and success in life. At first I didn’t know what Goleman was talking about when he said emotional intelligence, but after reading the book I have to say that I agree completely with Goleman. One reason for my acceptance of Goleman’s theory is that academic intelligence has little to do with emotional life. To me, emotions can be just as intelligent as your I. Q. There is the idea of academic intelligence having little to do with emotional life. Goleman states that, â€Å"Emotional intelligence is the ability to motivate oneself, persist in the face of frustrations, regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think. (Goleman, 1995) I feel that academic intelligence gives you no preparation for the turmoil and opportunities that life brings. The funny thing is that our schools and our culture are still fixated on our academic abilities. Even though emotional intelligence is a new concept, the information that does exist suggests it can be as powerful as I. Q. T he past few decades have seen increasing interest in emotion research. Although much remains to be learned, agreement is beginning to emerge regarding the way emotion should be viewed. Emotions provide a unique source of information for individuals about their environment, which informs and shapes their thoughts, actions, and subsequent feelings, and there is a growing view that emotion information can be used more or less intelligently. You read "Emotional Intelligence" in category "Essay examples" A notion central to emotional intelligence theory is that individuals differ in their ability to perceive, understand and use emotional information, and this ability significantly contributes to intellectual and emotional well-being and growth. Emotional intelligence as a concept has prospered, in part, because of the increasing personal importance of emotion management for individuals in modern society. Indeed, researchers have commonly claimed that emotional intelligence predicts important educational and occupational criteria beyond that predicted by general intellectual ability. Emotional intelligence (EQ), intelligence (IQ), and personality are not connected. The three do not go together in any meaningful way. Emotional intelligence explains a fundamental element of your behavior that is unique from your intellect. You cannot determine someone’s IQ based on their EQ and vice versa. Intelligence is how quickly you absorb new information and it does not change throughout your life. Emotional intelligence is unique because it is a flexible skill that you can improve with practice. Anyone can develop a high degree of emotional intelligence (Unknown, 2012). Like IQ, your personality does not change. Personality is the style with which you approach the world: what motivates you and the people and situations that give you energy (versus those that drain it). One example of this is the tendency we all have to be introverted or extroverted. As we know, it’s not the smartest people that are the most successful or the most fulfilled in life. You probably know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and unsuccessful at work or in their personal relationships. Intellectual intelligence or IQ isn’t enough on its own to be successful in life. IQ can help you get into college but it’s EQ that will help you manage the stress and emotions of sitting your final exams. While some research has found emotional intelligence is positively correlated with academic performance the results have been mixed. In addition, it has been suggested that emotional intelligence can increase as experience increases for a â€Å"maturity† effect. Considering the mixed nature of literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance, the concept warrants further research. Perhaps the studies that did not find a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance did not examine the sub factors of emotional intelligence or perhaps it was due to the scale that was utilized (Shipley, 2010). Goleman (1995) describes individuals with high emotional intelligence as having good interpersonal skills and interacting well with others. His description of these individuals infers they are gregarious and seek out others. In a similar vein, individuals with a need for affiliation evaluate themselves in relation to others and seek social approval. Goleman (1995) believes individuals with high emotional intelligence are ‘attuned’ to other people. In their decision-making, individuals with a need for affiliation are swayed by the needs of people and do not seek to hurt others or break relationships, so they are more comfortable in roles where they can act as an integrator. Goleman’s framework of emotional intelligence contains ‘building bonds’ as one of the competencies in the social skills cluster (Christie, Jordan, Troth, ; Lawrence, 2007). Goleman describes the individual with high emotional intelligence as goal-focused, personally effective, self-assertive, and possessing perseverance towards their goals. The controlling and channeling of our motions toward a goal is Goleman’s definition of the master aptitude of emotional intelligence. Goleman further defines these qualities by linking them to the concept of achievement drive. But it has been found that those with a need for achievement prefer situations where they are personally responsible for the outcome and where they can get performance fee dback in relation to how well they are doing on a task. Goleman considers achievement drive to be a subset of emotional intelligence (Christie, Jordan, Troth, Lawrence, 2007). Three of the most popular theories have to be taken into consideration. They are the theories of Mayer and Salovey, Goleman and Baron as shown in following table: Table 1: Emotional Intelligence Models Mayer and Salovey| Goleman| Baron| Perception, Appraisal and Expression of Emotions| Emotional self-awareness| Intrapersonal| Emotional Facilitation of Thinking| Managing Emotions| Interpersonal| Understanding and Analyzing Emotions, Employing EmotionalKnowledge| Motivating Oneself| Adaptability| Reflecting Regulation of Emotion to Promote Emotional andIntellectual Growth| Recognizing Emotions in othersHandling Relationships| Stress ManagementGeneral Mood| (Aruna, Suganthi, Samuee, 2011) In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in how emotional intelligence (EI) affects everyday life transactions. For example, it has been claimed that EI is an important factor in determining life success and psychological well-being. Another area of study where the effect of EI might be influential is occupational stress. Since stress is conceived mainly as an emotional reaction (usually negative) to various environmental stimuli, EI could be used as a framework, within which the individual could learn how to cope with it and how to control strong emotions. In one of the very few studies exploring this issue, it has been found that managers high in EI suffered less subjective stress, had better physical and psychological well-being, and demonstrated higher-in-role job performance (Nikolaou Tsaousis, 2002). Research such as that from the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations demonstrates how emotional intelligence skills are instrumental in achieving success and business results. Emotional Intelligence (EI) and the type of personality are very strong predictors on behavior at work. Both these concepts are very useful in determining the suitability of a person to a particular job. An awareness of a person’s EI will help both the person himself as well as the organization to grow. Every employee needs to have a good relationship with his colleagues (namely boss, peer group, subordinates) as well as his customers / clients. Studies have shown that EI affects team or group performance. Investigating EI abilities, personality traits and work performance, a study found that EI abilities enhanced the effects of agreeableness on task and contextual performance indicating that individuals possessing a personality trait that predisposes them to get along with others, such as team player, are even more effective in task role as well as contextual role when they possess high EI abilities (Shaffer ; Shaffer, 2005). Emotional intelligence is said to influence one’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures, clearly an important set of behaviors to harness stressful work conditions. Table 2: Work Benefits from Emotional Intelligence Factors| Workplace Benefits| Self-Regard| Builds better work attitudes and behaviors; better self-confidence leading to better performance. | Reality testing| Focuses on daily based real things happening. | Self-actualization| Inspire, encourage individual/team performance; bringing more life experience to the job. | Empathy| Understands feelings, duties and demands being placed on contemporaries creates consistent functioning; understanding others viewpoints helps make one group. Assertiveness| Encourages individuals to work more effectively and share ideas without any fears and act as a leader. | Emotional Self-Awareness| Lifts successful policy and leads to improved interaction among workers. | Impulse control| Knows rash actions can be costly; often stay away from mistakes by simply discussion time to stop and think. | Flexibility| High perform better in positions where tasks are dynamic and changing. Low, perform better at more defined tasks requiring reliability and consistency. Independence| People fluid thinking for themselves, yet still active listening to and utilizing ideas from others when appropriate. | Social Responsibility| Contributing to recognized departmental and company plans; being aware of the greater good you and your group can contribute towards benefits of society. | Optimism| Self-fulfilling prophecy: staff believing something is possible; often make it happen; optimistic attitude that wards off stress. | Problem Solving| Create viable alternative solutions, including a cost / benefit analysis / long-term implications. Interpersonal Relationship| Avoid communication related barriers within and between departments. | Stress Tolerance| Coping with reasonable amount of work pressures, establishing clear priorities, and meeting pragmatic deadlines. | Happiness| Boosts spirits / holistic performance| (Allam, 2011) An important new direction is in the use of emotional intelligence in institu tional effectiveness. EI assessment, intervention, and evaluation provide a valuable research perspective in studying both student performance and institutional effectiveness. Research studies in progress show a positive and significant relationship of EI skills and competencies to student achievement and retention. Research related to the characteristics that are sought by recruiters and prospective employers in graduating college students suggests that emotional intelligence (El) skills are as important as, if not more important than, job-related skills. Counselors working with college students, however, usually focus on career management and job search skills and neglect the development of emotional intelligence skills. Emotional intelligence seems to be an excellent framework to use in helping college students find a job and succeed in the workplace. More than ever, college graduates must have a wider array of skills and knowledge to become successful employees and citizen. Although job-related knowledge is critical, today’s college students need other skills to succeed in the workplace. Research suggests that many students finish college only to find that they are ill prepared for dealing with many aspects of their personal and working lives (Liptak, 2005). The theory of emotional intelligence (El) can provide a valuable framework for career counselors in higher education settings to use to help students be more successful in the workplace upon graduation. By using El skills as a focus, counselors can effectively integrate personal counseling with career counseling. Research indicates that interpersonal and intrapersonal skills are some of the most sought-after characteristics of new and prospective employees, even more so than job-related knowledge. These characteristics and skills, however, have been neglected in the literature in research, and in services provided by career counselors working with people transitioning into the workforce. EI seems to be an excellent framework to use in working with college students to help them be more successful in finding a job and in being successful on the job (Liptak, 2005). Managing your emotions will improve your work performance and develop good connections with others. Emotionally intelligent people are in tune with themselves and how they impact others. They can read others and the situation well, understand how they are affected by others’ emotions and behaviors, and can respond accordingly. As a manager or leader, using your emotional intelligence skills will mold productive and effective employees and teams, which will produce good business results and grow an emotionally intelligent organization (Kappesser, 2010). Everyone is born with some degree or level of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence can affect several factors in your life, such as: performance at work; your physical health; your mental health; and your personal relationships. Using your emotional intelligence can give you an edge in maximizing what you have in the way of appearance, IQ, education, and work experiences by reflecting on, identifying, and shaping any of these areas to bring about a positive impact or outcome. Emotional intelligence is believed to develop as you experience life and interact with others and your environment. In a normal course of a lifetime emotional intelligence tends to increase as we learn to be more aware of feelings, effectively handling distressing emotions, to listen and empathize. As one ages and grows in experience, their emotional intelligence will continue to increase as well. Bibliography Allam, Z. (2011). Emotional Intelligence at Workplace: A Psychological Review. Global Management Review, 71-80. Aruna, R. R. , Suganthi, L. L. , Samuee, A. A. (2011). Design of an Instrument for Evaluating Emotional Intelligence among Professionals. Advances In Management, 9-19. Cherry, K. (2012). What is Emotional Intelligence? Retrieved from About. com Psychology: http://psychology. bout. com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell. htm Christie, A. , Jordan, P. , Troth, A. , Lawrence, S. (2007). Testing the links between emotional intelligence and motivation. Journal of Management and Organization, 212-226. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. Jordan, P. J. (2004). Dealing with Organizational Change: Can Emotional Intelligence Enhance Organizational Learning. International Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 456-471. Kappesser, L. C. (2010). The Smart New Way to Get Hired. Indianapolis: JIST Works. Liptak, J. J. (2005). Using Emotional Intelligence to Help College Students Succeed in the Workplace. Journal Of Employment Counseling, 171-178. Nikolaou, I. , Tsaousis, I. (2002). Emotional intelligence in the workplace: Exploring its effects on occupational stress and organizational commitment. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 10(4), , 327-342. Shaffer, R. D. , Shaffer, M. A. (2005). Emotional Intelligence Abilities, Personality and Workplace. Academy of Management Best Conference Paper, 1-6. Shipley, N. L. (2010). The effects of emotional intelligence, age, work experience, and academic performance. Research in Higher Education Journal, 1-18. Simmons, K. (2001, April). Emotional Intelligence: What Smart Managers Know. Retrieved from American Society of Association Executives Web site: http://www. asaecenter. org/Resources/articledetail. cfm? ItemNumber=13040 Unknown. (2012). What Everyone Needs to Know. Retrieved from Emotional Intelligence: http://www. emotionalintelligence. net/ How to cite Emotional Intelligence, Essay examples

Ironies Of Life Essay Example For Students

Ironies Of Life Essay Ironies Of LifeIrony is a word that has been around in my life since I was six years old. I remember it exactly, the day that the word entered my vocabulary. My mom and I were driving to my grandmas house and I was reading a ?Calvin and Hobbes? comic from the paper earlier that morning. Calvin had been saving a snowball in the freezer for 4 months and was going to use it. He snuck up on his nemesis, Suzy, and threw it as hard as he could, and missed. He goes into hysterics, wondering how he could have missed that perfect shot, while, at the same time Suzy is scooping up the pile of snow lying in front of her. Calvin turns in time to see Suzy grinning as she hurls it in his face. The last panel has Calvin lying on the ground with snow on his head, saying that ?the irony of this is sickening?. I asked my mom what that word and she told me to look it up when we got home. Ever since then, Irony has been one of my favorite words, because of the sarcasm and wit involved to use it. The Oxfo rd English dictionary defines irony as the use of words designed to convey a meaning opposite to the literal sense, with the design of indicating dissent, disapprobation,or contempt;censure or ridicule under cover of praise or compliment; covert sarcasm or satire. This means that you can make fun of someone, and make them feel really dumb, which is something that the media loves to do. The T.V. shows ?Saturday Night Live?, ?Friends?, ?Fraiser?, and ?The Simpsons? are all perfect examples of irony. ?Fraiser? is a show that loves to use the concept of irony to play with the characters of the show, getting them into some precarious situations. Irony in entertainment isnt something new though. In greek tragedies, famous playwrights used irony to entertain audiences for years. Sophicles used irony in one of his most famous plays, ?Oedipus? where a young couple, who were King and Queen of a land, were told by a prophecy that their son would kill the father. Frightened by this knowledge, they took their son and chained him to a mountain far away. A shepherd found the boy and raised him as his own. The boy grew to become a man, and, while walking on a path, was told to move so that a royal coach may pass. He didnt want to move and ended up killing all of the guards and the king himself. He then ventured to the next town, which happened to be the city where his parents ruled, and wound up marrying the queen. When they found out what had happened, he took a pin and jabbed out his eyes. The Greeks knew that word as ironia, which is latin. They knew it to mean dissimulation, ignorance purposely affected. Probably the most famous gr eek to use irony, though, was Socrates, who had is own form of irony, Socratic Irony. Socratic irony is a condition of affairs or events exactly the reverse of what was to be expected; a contradictory result of events as though in mockery of what might have been looked for; as in the irony of the circumstances. What Socrates would do is play dumb, so that he would be easily overlooked, and put aside, and could easily lure his companions into a state of self assuredness. Then he could tell who really was intelligent and who was not, and decide who he wanted to make friends with. Its a brilliant way to see who is your intellectual equivalent. .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b , .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .postImageUrl , .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b , .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:hover , .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:visited , .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:active { border:0!important; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:active , .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u01380d58a425d71bfe7c352471bb0a8b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Soil erosion EssayIrony is a funny thing. It can be used to make a interesting outlook on a situation, provide some dry sarcasm, or put things in perspective. Its a fun word to use and very popular, for anyone who can use sarcasm can use the word irony. English Essays

Obesity Health or Feminist Issue

Obesity is one of the urgent problems of the modern society. These days, this problem bothers minds of almost all women around the world. There are many issues related to the problem of overweight, the discussions are spreading far behind the health problems related to obesity, they reach cultural, social and psychological dimensions. When it comes to obesity issue, most of us will readily agree that it is rather a female problem than a male one.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Obesity: Health or Feminist Issue? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the light of pursuit of modern women to correspond to contemporary ideals of beauty and, at the same time to be independent of the social standards, obesity becomes a feminist issue, as it is widely considered to be a â€Å"rebellion against the powerlessness of the woman, against the pressure to look and act in a certain way and against being evaluated on her ability to create an image of herself† (Orbach 204). There this agreement usually ends, however, on the question of woman’s independence and her health, the issue of obesity provides a topic for further discussions. Whereas some are convinced that obesity is a rebellion against social standards, others maintain that obesity is entirely a health and psychological problem that cannot be associated with feminism and should be discussed only as a medical issue. I’m of two minds about the issue of obesity. On the one hand, I agree that women should fight with standards of beauty that are laid upon them by means of media and ideal appearance of top models that look at ordinary women from glance magazines and ads. On the other hand, I’m not sure if overweight can be a good means to fight against sex inequality and means to proclaim woman’s independence. Thus, I argue that obesity is a big problem, but one should not run to extremes and take obesity only as â€Å" a response to the inequality of the sexes† (Orbach 204), but it should regard it as a health problem as well. Indeed, it goes without saying that even in a modern society woman cannot be completely equal to man. This inequality goes much further than social right and other political or social issues. The problem lies much deeper and it deal with stereotypes and psychology of both sexes. Modern media provides two images of a woman, thus dictating priorities for her and dividing her life in two major periods. The first period is when she is not married and should find a man to create a future family: during this period she should be pretty and sexy. The second period is her family life when she should support her husband and children and be a perfect â€Å"mistress†. This woman’s â€Å"functions† are not emphasized, but widely provided and create stereotypes. In addition, the relationships between man and women are identified as â€Å"man looks at women.Adv ertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Woman watches themselves being looked at† (Orbach 202). Consequently, this makes a woman to be responsible for her â€Å"good look† and emphasizes â€Å"presentation as the central aspect of a woman’s existence and makes her extremely self-conscious† (Orbach 202). Such situation can be commented with words by Susie Orbach that â€Å"the woman’s body is not her own (203). In their fight against these stereotypes, feminists claim that: â€Å"Being fat represents an attempt to break free of society’s sex stereotype. Getting fat can thus be understood as a definite and purposeful act; it is a direct, conscious or unconscious, challenge to sex-role stereotyping and culturally defined experience of womanhood† (Orbach 201). In this light, being fat can be considered as an attempt to show one’s indivi duality and independence. However, is this the only reason why women put weight? Yves Engler claims that â€Å"advertising fatty foods and putting delicious looking pictures for all to see is the cause of our fat† (120). Indeed, in some extend we are forced to be dependent on fatty food and fast food which is around us. It can even become a psychological addiction. Hardly a woman who eats a hamburger is too concerned about her independency and individuality. Randy Balko writes that â€Å"the main cause of obesity lies within a person’s own responsibility† (343). Thus, if you are fat, it is all your responsibility. Orbach partially supports these opinions, but she still emphasizes that women eat fat food not because they do not have a willpower, but rather because they want to ruin the social norms and ideals provided by the media industry. It is obvious that having a perfect body is a mania, rather than a desire to be healthy: â€Å"In the United States, a woma n with a lean, strong, and well-sculpted body is the ideal. Many who do not fit the ideal struggle with feelings of guilt and shame. The percentage of women with body image disturbance is alarming and those with overweight and obesity struggle to meet the ideal† (Buxton 285) In this light, women should deal with pressure to confront to the perfect stereotype from the glance magazine, but as it has already been mentioned, she should not run to extremes. I argue that obesity is an extreme, as it is also associated with health problems.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Obesity: Health or Feminist Issue? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The health problems related to obesity include â€Å"coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon), hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)† (â€Å"Overweight and Obesity† n. p.). Thus, one question arises: â€Å"Is it worth being fat, but independent if it impacts your heal so much?† I support the idea, that obesity is a problem and feminists should not proclaim it as a form of rebellion against social standards. Moreover, â€Å"As one talks about the body, in addition to the physical dimensions, one must also consider cultural, political, and symbolic construct. Each of these four dimensions impact the psychological dimension of the body or body image† (Buxton 285). People are different and their bodies are also very different. Consequently, all people have different attitudes to the way a woman should look like. In fact, tastes differ and it does not mean that all men like only slim women and all girls should be thin or fat to show their individuality. Fat is not good for one’s health. Thus, if feminists use obesity as a form of rebel, it can be said that they use health problem as a form of rebel as well. Thus, obesity is the issue that should not be taken lightly. It cannot be used for ideological or personal purposes. Whereas obesity breaks social standards, it impacts greatly one’s health. In this light, I strongly support the idea that one should keep within limits and develop wise attitudes towards his/her health, as well as appearance. Works Cited Barbara K. Buxton. â€Å"Body Image and Women: How Does Obesity Fit into the Picture†Bariatric Nursing and Surgical Patient Care, 3(4): 285-290. Web. Balko, Radley. â€Å"What You Eat Is Your Business†. In They Say I Say. The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (With Readings). Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Berkenstein, and Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2009. Engler, Yves. â€Å"Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations.† In They Say I Say. The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (With Readings). Ed. Gerald Graff , Cathy Berkenstein, and Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2009.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Orbach, Susie. â€Å"Fat as a Feminist Issue.† In They Say I Say. The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (With Readings). Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Berkenstein, and Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2009. â€Å"Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences.† Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. This essay on Obesity: Health or Feminist Issue? was written and submitted by user Leighton H. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Life And Times Of The Man Who Invented The Tel Essays

The Life And Times Of The Man Who Invented The Tel Essays The Life And Times Of The Man Who Invented The Telephone Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) Alexander Graham Bell is remembered today as the inventor of the telephone, but he was also an outstanding teacher of the deaf and a prolific inventor of other devices. Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a family of speech educators. His father, Melville Bell, had invented Visible Speech, a code of symbols for all spoken sounds that was used in teaching deaf people to speak. Aleck Bell studied at Edinburgh University in 1864 and assisted his father at University College, London, from 1868-70. During these years he became deeply interested in the study of sound and the mechanics of speech, inspired in part by the acoustic experiments of German physicist Hermann Von Helmholtz (1821-1894), which gave Bell the idea of telegraphing speech. When young Bell's two brothers died of tuberculosis, Melville Bell took his remaining family to the healthier climate of Canada in 1870. From there, Aleck Bell journeyed to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1871 and joined the staff of the Boston School for the Deaf. The following year, Bell opened his own school in Boston for training teachers of the deaf; in 1873 he became a professor of vocal physiology at Boston University, and he also tutored private pupils. Bell's interest in speech and communication led him to investigate the transmission of sound over wires. In particular, he experimented with development of the harmonic telegraph a device that could send multiple messages at the same time over a single wire. Bell also worked with the possibility of transmitting the human voice, experimenting with vibrating membranes and an actual human ear. Gardiner Hubbard (1822-1897) and Thomas Sanders, fathers of two of his deaf pupils backed Bell financially in his investigations. Early in 1874, Bell met Thomas A. Watson (1854-1934), a young machinist at a Boston electrical shop. Watson became Bell's indispensable assistant, bringing to Bell's experiments the crucial ingredient that had been lackinghis technical expertise in electrical engineering. Together the two men spent endless hours experimenting. Although Bell formed the basic concept of the telephoneusing a varying but unbroken electric current to transmit the varying sound waves of human speechin the summer of 1874, Hubbard insisted that the young inventor focus his efforts on the harmonic telegraph instead. Bell complied, but when he patented one of his telegraph designs in February 1875, he found that Elisha Gray had patented a multiple telegraph two days earlier. Greatly discouraged, Bell consulted in Washington with the elderly Joseph Henry, who urged Bell to pursue his germ of a great invention speech transmission. Back in Boston, Bell and Watson continued to work on the harmonic telegraph, but still with the telephone in mind. By accident on a June day in 1875, an intermittent transmitter produced a steady current and transmitted sound. Bell had proof of his 1874 idea; he quickly sketched a design for an electric telephone, and Watson built it. The partners experimented all summer, but failed actually to transmit voice sounds. That fall, Bell began to write the patent specifications, but delayed application; Hubbard finally filed for the patent on February 14, 1876, just hours before Gray appeared at the same patent office to file an intent to patent his telephone design. Bell's patent was granted on March 7, 1876, and on March 10, the first message transmitted by telephone passed from Bell to Watson in their workshop: Mr. Watson, come here, I want you! After a year of refining the new device, Watson and Bell, along with Hubbard and Sanders, formed the Bell Telephone Company in 1877. Bell immediately married Mabel Hubbard, daughter of his new partner, and sailed to England to promote his telephone. The phone company grew rapidly, and Bell became a wealthy man. He turned to other interests on his return to the United States in 1879, while also defending his patents (which were upheld in 1888) against numerous lawsuits. With money from the Volta Prize, awarded to him in 1880 by the French government, Bell established the Volta Laboratory. Among the new devices he invented there were the graphophone for recording sound on wax cylinders or disks; the photophone, for transmitting speech on a beam of light; an audiometer; a

The Misuse of Prescription Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Misuse of Prescription Drugs - Essay Example s such as painkillers, tranquilizers, stimulants, or sedatives without the appropriate prescription from a medical practitioner simply for the experience that results from using the drug. Employees may use prescription drugs to get high, stay awake or avoid sleep while others may use such un-prescribed drugs for actual medical needs. The most significant reason behind the habit is the fact that it does not receive the attention it deserves due to efforts placed primarily on traditional drug abuse such as cocaine. Most individuals are also oblivious of the addictive effect that may accompany misuse of such drugs, while the reality is that even simple and seemingly harmless sharing of medication may be accompanied by profound addiction and negative consequences. Some of the symptoms of misuse of prescription drugs include sudden mood changes, heightened irritability and aggressiveness. Others include confusion, concentration fluctuations, reduced productivity, frequent short term sick leaves, deterioration in people skills, dishonesty and theft as the individual seeks to maintain the expensive habit (HSE 5). Misuse of prescription drugs should particularly gain the attention of management in today’s firms due to a number of reasons. First, the issue is now relevant than ever as literature and research indicate that it is on the rise. It mainly affects the young employees i.e. generation X and Y (Maxwell 1), whose workplace culture is already an issue of concern to the manager (Tolbize 2-4). The impacts of misuse of prescription drugs in the workplace can be studied based on the employees abusing the drugs themselves, fellow workers, the management and the workplace as a unit. The effects of abusing prescription drugs by employees concern both their medical and social well-being. They may experience health problems, addiction and psychological issues which affect their personal, family, social and professional lives and ultimately trickle down to the firm’s

The Way we really are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Way we really are - Essay Example the publication of her previous book coinciding with the 1992 United States presidential election campaign that publicised debates about traditional American family values and the alleged decline of those values with associated declines in public and private behavior standards. Coontz was concerned that the conservatives within the Republican Party were making untrue claims that the decline of traditional family values was detrimental to American society and has harmful social, economic, and political consequences.1 Stephanie Coontz seemed to echo the opinions of many that believed the myth of traditional American family values underpinning traditional nuclear families was generally an unfounded fiction. The primary theme of ‘The Way We Never were: American families and the Nostalgia Trap’ was the argument that the idea that the traditional nuclear family was the main form of social unit that was not as prevalent as some argued. The conservative politicians and fundament alist religious groups spread such myths, as they would like the American public to believe. The Way We Never Were was very successful in making that point as well as being another example of Coontz’s ability to examine and evaluate American social history besides making valid arguments about contemporary American society. This book brought Coontz critical acclaim as well as increased book sales.2 The Way we Really are is a book that Stephanie Coontz intended to use to describe and examine the reality of family life in contemporary American society rather than describing American social history as her previous books had done so well. The Way we Really are was a change of approach and perspective that had commenced with The Way We Never Were.3 Coontz’s changes in approach and perspective were mainly in response to intensified public and political debates concerning changes to family lives in American society in the past, the present, and indeed in the future.4 To classify it in

History and Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History and Political Science - Essay Example History and Political Science Lenin beliefs on socialism stemmed from the idea that a democracy led by a hint of dictatorship, and held in support by the class of working citizens would help overthrow the government in power at the time, leading to a change of power from the rich to the poor. In this statement, he tries to emphasize that by choosing the working class as the bearers of power for the poor, so that proper governance would take place. Karl Marx believed that the poor and the rich were in a constant struggle for dominance thereby leading to strikes that were meant to fight for justice in areas of wages and proper working environments. He believed that the transition from capitalism to socialism happens as a result of changes in human history and it was inevitable. This was different from Lenin’s views dictating that certain working class of people should hold power so as to pave way for the lower class to gain a piece of the national cake. Question 3 Hitler believed that the Aryan race was much superior to all other races and thus he strongly opposed the Jews who were a minority race with no human rights to him and thus did not belong to the human race.This made him contemplate creating a Roman Empire in the 20th century as it had been before which was contrary to what his counterpart believed in the freedom of the Jews.In the late nineteenth century, there were no major historical events that were taking pl ace as was the case seen in the Great Depression. The term of service for the Presidents was very short as it consisted of only one year. Their responsibilities were very minimal at the time and consisted of small duties to the Congress and thus acted only as custodians of the State. Question 5 President Hoover did his part in curbing the effects of the Great Depression though his efforts were futile at the time. He took up the role of administrator rather than president of the people and even donated his salary to charity. He set up a program to assist the unemployed and added value expenditure to the public. He even increased aid for states in the form of monetary help from the federal government. Question 6 President Kennedy supported the fight against racial discrimination and the right to civil justice for all and it was for that reason that he supported the freedom riders by signing the freedom marshals and mediating for the release of the wife of Martin Luther King’s w ife. The latter had been arrested due to the ongoing racial segregation in departmental stores. He then made the famous civil rights address in support of the demonstrations that arose when an African American was denied public admission to school. Question 7 The terms of disagreement between the Soviets and Americans lay in the fact that Truman presidency claimed a breach of contract by Stalin on the Yalta promises. It was declared that the Soviet leader was on a mission of expansion in part of Europe and was contemplating to spread communism to most countries. Question 8 Richard Nixon as a supporter of foreign policy made some moves that were aimed at fostering good relations with the Soviet Union and the China republic. He was responsible for escalating the war in Vietnam by enacting bombs in Cambodia but later retreated which temporarily resulted in peace but a return of war without his involvement. He met with the Soviet

Ernest Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants Analysis

Ernest Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants Analysis Miscommunication Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† is an intense story that depicts a couple at a crisis point in a relationship as they try to work out their problems. It is paramount that the story takes place at a train station in Spain They argue openly in public, trying to establish communication to each other’s antagonistic views on the future of their relationship should take. The story itself ends without any hint of a reasonable solution, the reader never knows how or if they manage to find prevalent ground they stand on with the problems that have surfaced. A close reading of the text reveals all kinds of delusions and misconceptions, which both distract the reader and engage in communication in the short tail. Hemingway displays a cunning theme of the inability to communicate effectively within a relationship, along with hints to a few smaller themes such as evasion of responsibility, that aid the main theme. Hemingway uses literary elements such as tone, similes, metaphors, and an abundance of symbols to convey the story. Hemingway uses tone to push the theme of communication in the story. The narrator is very controlled, giving the reader a glimpse of information outside of the conversations between the American and the girl; even among the American and the Bartender accommodating the drinks for that matter. Hemingway controls the propensity in the narrator’s way to tell what the story brings forth. Hemingway does this to allow the readers thinking to be perspicacious, but can withal make for rough reading. He uses different tones ranging from relaxing to distraught tunes in the dialog to allow the story to develop, yet, leaving the reader disoriented and left to critically think about what is being said in the story. Both the girl and the American are having a very relaxed and controlled conversation. Keep in mind that they are having this conversation in a public place that might or might not contribute to this control. Even in today’s society, talking about topics such as sexual intercourse, abortion, or relational ties, some might exercise some form of control when verbalizing about these intimate details in public. â€Å"While the two are talking, they seem to almost lose that control at points in the conversation and becomes a distraught tone, like when the woman frantically says: please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop talking(224). Later on when the American states, I might have. Just because you say I wouldnt have doesnt prove anything (224) The girl insinuates that he’s not well peregrinated enough to have visually discerned white elephants. At this point the conversation starts to lose traction and they start to lose control† of the situation. Though they are both able to get their somewhat respective stances across; neither of them are able to articulate why they feel the way they do without explanation. As a result, they both feel threatened, incriminated, and misunderstood. This transitions the tone from distraught, to a somewhat somber yet dejected tone; which is what the reader can visually perceive at the end of the story: Do you feel better? he asked. I feel fine, she said. Theres nothing wrong with me. I feel fine. (225) Since they can’t get past what they desire, to verbalize about why they desire it, there is a consummate communication breakdown. In a sense, both the girl and the American talk, but neither of them listen to each other or care to look at the problem from the other person’s point of view. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† is comprehensive of similes and metaphors because the language is throughout void of the words â€Å"abortion† and â€Å"baby† whereas thats all the characters are verbalizing of. For instance, at the station, the girl comments that the Anis Del Toro tastes like licorice, and also the man verbalizes that’s the manner with everything, to that the girl replies â€Å"Everything tastes of licorice. particularly all the items you’ve waited farewell for, like absinthe.† the American then replies, â€Å"Cut it out,†(222) Rather a full of life reaction to a seemingly innocuous comment. its potential that â€Å"absinthe† stands for one factor, to the couple that the reader is not cognizant of, but its additionally, potential that the lady is touching on but she has waited her whole life to induce maternity and have a baby but presently it has been spoiled for her by the American. Ultimately, the American’s ammunition throughout this verbal duel with the lady is that the flexibility to form the affiliation emotionally hostile to her, as proven by his reactions to her comments regarding the appearance of the hills and conjointly the indisputable fact that everything she waits for tastes like licorice. Hemingway implies the girl is additional showing emotion invested at intervals the connection that for the American is clearly for the most part regarding sex. Hemingway utilizes symbols and their meanings over the girl’s artistic ability, as she looks to look at and licitly order higher than what she has. The accepted of the hills, coveting like white elephants could also be a robust picture; a white elephant is a possession thats unutilizable or extreme, principally one thats precious to carry up or intense to kill. The hills and the mountains being printed as white elephants may move mind the image of a pregnant abdomen. The young girl is outlined as sitting on this side of the station, with its white slopes and tan (221), dry nation. This aspect shows the value of an innocent life, as associate outcome of it looks dead. On the flip side, when she stands up and peregrinates to the supplementary aspect of the station, she externally sees fields of green grass, delicious trees on the banks of the river, and also the massifs on the to date perspective the watercourse, thus representing the value of life and wanting to keep the child instead of getting an abortion. a tragic remnant of a cloud moves over the world of grain that might name the winnow she confronts, the transient pessimism in what may perhaps be associate united choose, or not turning into the premature birth. She externally sees the watercourse over the trees,(221) but, that proposes shes attending to grip the subsistence, the attrac tiveness, on the substance of it simply on the to date perspective her seizing. The station has many elements to explore. The station is Associated closely to that of Island in the middle of the ocean. It sits center of all these rail road tracks. If viewed from on prime of, the station would seem to be penned by tracks, rather sort of a baby would be contained at intervals a mother. The shade recommends an advertisement between time respites from the sun, astonishingly so much uniform to reckoning a train could also be associate alleviation from the travel. The snappiness of their conversation is on the amount, whereas others were within the bar sitting tight presumably for the train. This discriminatingly indicates that the young person is hardline. Bamboo has been nonetheless vacant, so if a cross serving of bamboo is investigated, it’s a spherical. This might encapsulate the uterus, vacuous. In spite of the means that if a string is see over bamboo, its filled, torrential unvaried to a pregnant abdomen ought to be. The wrap had Anis del Toro painted thence as embellishment, adequate, as an example, this current couples legitimacy ought to appear, by all accounts, to be expeditiously numerous to associate within the outside spectator. The wrap blows confining the table, as if it’s associate proof of the young girl of the choice she got to have an effect on. Exactly once the rule of potation are doled out on the table by the server, they are resolved to gain pads and started drinking to distract themselves from the argument. By the amount the third globe of potation is scattered, the liners are saturated. They did not block the wet from physically incoming at the table. This might be run of the mill of birth prevention floundering, but in a very venue of while not a doubt a table procuring wet, the young person becomes pregnant. As a conclusion of the birth prevention battling, the American and also the young person become into this discord in this not one or the opposite one among them will assent close-by the others membrane begin. When the quality of three rounds of potation square measure apportioned on the table by the server, they are bent on to gain pads. Being consequently sultry, the glasses sweat. They did not deflect the soaked from physically incoming at the table. This might be run of the mill of birth prevention slumping, b ut in a very zone of definitely a table obtaining wet, the young person becomes pregnant. As a consequence of the birth prevention battling, the American and also the young person become into this conflict in this not one or the opposite one among them will concur adjacent the others acknowledge starting. Hemingway uses literary devices such as tone, similes, metaphors, and symbols to approach the reader at a different approach of analyzing a story. Hemingway uses these literary devices to trick the reader into thinking about a story when the story itself is encoded to be something completely hidden from the text, which in this case the hidden conversation was about abortion. Communication is a huge part in many places ranging from workplaces and also relationships. Without communication things fail and will not progress forward. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† Perrine’s Story and Structure: An Introduction to Fiction. Ed. Greg Johnson and Thomas R. Arp. 14th ed. Stamford CT: Cengage 2015. 221-225 Print.

Gregors Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis Es

Gregor's Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis In his story The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka gives us the story of Gregor Samsa, a young man who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect-like creature. Gregor, however, remains strangely indifferent to his plight, in a manner that seems inhuman to most readers. This is not due to a lack of omniscience on the narrator's part that causes the indifference to go unmentioned, and neither is it due to inobservance on the part of Gregor to the point of not noticing that he has been changed into an insect. Rather, Gregor does not pay much attention to his new form as an insect because his life as a human lacked many ordinary human characteristics. In other words, Gregor was mentally not human even before his change in physical form. Just after his metamorphosis, Gregor makes an important observation on his job as a traveling salesman: "Oh God," he thought, "what a grueling job I've picked! Day in, day out - on the road. The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I've got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!" (4) Most "normal" people would claim that meaningful relationships constitute the core of the human experience. But Gregor's concerns seem much more mundane. He begins with complaining about the quotidian problems of his job and only in the end reaches that which is really important - and then he immediately goes on to continue thinking about his job. He is obsessed with work, "a tool of the boss, without brains... ...c. But we could also interpret this sentence in the opposite light, to assert that Gregor is an animal by dint of his ability to feel. This is supported by Gregor's ruminations on his plan to send Grete to the Conservatory: "...and it was his secret plan that she who, unlike him, loved music and could play the violin movingly..." (27, italics added). Thus, Gregor as a human being could not derive pleasure from music, indicating that he lived in a deprived, insect-like emotional state. As we have seen, Gregor's mental life was extremely limited even before his physical metamorphosis. Perhaps Kafka intended this story as a means of pointing out that many people in an increasingly capitalist society, like Gregor, become more and more obsessed with money and thus live a mechanical life, like an insect. Thus, they sequester themselves from the pleasures of the soul. Gregor's Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis Es Gregor's Obsession with Money Exposed in Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis In his story The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka gives us the story of Gregor Samsa, a young man who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect-like creature. Gregor, however, remains strangely indifferent to his plight, in a manner that seems inhuman to most readers. This is not due to a lack of omniscience on the narrator's part that causes the indifference to go unmentioned, and neither is it due to inobservance on the part of Gregor to the point of not noticing that he has been changed into an insect. Rather, Gregor does not pay much attention to his new form as an insect because his life as a human lacked many ordinary human characteristics. In other words, Gregor was mentally not human even before his change in physical form. Just after his metamorphosis, Gregor makes an important observation on his job as a traveling salesman: "Oh God," he thought, "what a grueling job I've picked! Day in, day out - on the road. The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I've got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!" (4) Most "normal" people would claim that meaningful relationships constitute the core of the human experience. But Gregor's concerns seem much more mundane. He begins with complaining about the quotidian problems of his job and only in the end reaches that which is really important - and then he immediately goes on to continue thinking about his job. He is obsessed with work, "a tool of the boss, without brains... ...c. But we could also interpret this sentence in the opposite light, to assert that Gregor is an animal by dint of his ability to feel. This is supported by Gregor's ruminations on his plan to send Grete to the Conservatory: "...and it was his secret plan that she who, unlike him, loved music and could play the violin movingly..." (27, italics added). Thus, Gregor as a human being could not derive pleasure from music, indicating that he lived in a deprived, insect-like emotional state. As we have seen, Gregor's mental life was extremely limited even before his physical metamorphosis. Perhaps Kafka intended this story as a means of pointing out that many people in an increasingly capitalist society, like Gregor, become more and more obsessed with money and thus live a mechanical life, like an insect. Thus, they sequester themselves from the pleasures of the soul.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Five

I LEFT SHORTLY THEREAFTER with the Alchemists and didn't expect to see Adrian for a little while. He was staying on with the other Moroi a couple more days in Pennsylvania, so there was no chance of a repeat flight together. My trip back to California was quiet and uneventful, though my mind raced with all the developments of the last couple of days. Between Ms. Terwilliger's cryptic warning and my new lead on Marcus, I had plenty to occupy me. A text message from Eddie greeted me when I hailed a cab at the Palm Springs airport: We're eating at Marquee's. Wanna join us? A follow-up message soon came: You can drive us back. I directed the driver to take me to a suburb on the far edge of the city rather than Amberwood's home in Vista Azul. I was hungry, seeing as there'd been no dinner served on the plane in coach, and besides, I wanted my car back in my own hands. When I arrived at the restaurant, I found Eddie and Angeline sitting on one side of a booth with Jill on the other. Immediately, I knew why they'd chosen to eat so far from our school. Being away meant Eddie and Angeline could go out as a couple. Back at Amberwood, everyone thought we were related. Eddie, Jill, and I passed ourselves off as siblings, while Angeline was our cousin. Eddie and Angeline had recently started dating, so they'd had to hide their relationship from our classmates to avoid raising suspicions. We already seemed to attract enough attention as it was. Angeline was cuddled up in Eddie's arm. Even he looked like he was having a good time, which was nice to see. He took his responsibilities so seriously and was often so tense that it seemed as though it wouldn't take much to make him snap in two. Angeline – though uncouth, unpredictable, and often inappropriate – had proven remarkably good for him. That didn't make him any less diligent in his guardian duties, of course. Things were a little different on the opposite side of the table. Jill looked miserable, slumped into the seat with her arms crossed. Her light brown hair hung forward, covering part of her face. After ill-fated romances with a guy who wanted to become a Strigoi and with Eddie's human roommate, Jill had come to realize that Eddie might very well be the guy for her. It was fitting, too, because for a long time, he'd harbored a secret crush on her, fiercely dedicated to her in the way a knight served his liege lady. He'd never believed he was worthy of Jill, and without any signs of her affection, he'd turned to Angeline – just when Jill had come around and wanted him. At times, it seemed like some sort of Shakespearean comedy . . . until I looked at Jill's face. Then I'd feel conflicted because I knew if Eddie returned her affection, Angeline would be the one with that sad, sad expression. It was kind of a mess and made me glad to be free of any romantic entanglements. â€Å"Sydney!† Jill beamed when she saw me, brushing her hair away. Maybe it was because she needed the distraction, or maybe it was because Adrian's new attitude toward me had lifted some of her moodiness. Regardless, I welcomed a return to the old friendliness in her rather than the brooding and accusing looks she'd harbored since I rejected him. â€Å"Hey, guys.† I slid into the booth beside her. Immediately, I opened up my cell phone's picture album and handed it to her since I knew she'd want to know about the wedding right away. Despite all the intrigue that had gone down there, I had managed to take some pictures without the other Alchemists noticing. Even if she'd seen some of it through Adrian's eyes, Jill would still want to examine everything in detail. She sighed with happiness as she scanned the pictures. â€Å"Look at Sonya. She's so pretty.† Angeline and Eddie leaned across the table to get a look. â€Å"Oh. And there's Rose and Lissa. They look great too.† There was an odd note in Jill's voice as she spoke. She was friends with Rose, but her half sister was still a bit of an enigma. Jill and Lissa hadn't even known they were sisters until recently, and the volatile political environment had forced Lissa to behave more as a queen than a sister toward Jill. It was a difficult relationship for both of them. â€Å"Did you have a fun time?† Eddie asked me. I considered my answer for several moments. â€Å"I had an interesting time. There's still a lot of tension between the Alchemists and your people, so some of it was a little weird.† â€Å"At least Adrian was there. Must have been nice to have someone you know,† said Angeline, in well-meaning ignorance. She pointed to a picture I'd taken of the reception hall. My intent had been to get a full shot of the venue for Jill, but Adrian had happened to walk into the shot, posed and perfect like some handsome spokesmodel hosting the event. â€Å"Always so pretty.† Angeline shook her head in disapproval. â€Å"Everyone there is. I guess that means there weren't any celebratory wrestling matches?† It was a sign of Angeline's progress that she'd deduced that so quickly. Her people, the Keepers, lived in the wilds of West Virginia, and their openness to romance between vampires, dhampirs, and humans was only one of their more bizarre customs. Friendly fights broke out often, and Angeline had had to learn that such behaviors weren't acceptable out here in mainstream America. â€Å"Not while I was there,† I said. â€Å"But hey, maybe something went down after I left.† That brought grins to Jill's and Eddie's faces and a hopeful look to Angeline's. A waitress came by, and I ordered Diet Coke and a salad. Maybe I'd loosened up in my tight calorie counting, but I swore I could still taste the sugar from all the wedding cake I'd eaten after the spell. Angeline tightened her hold on Eddie's arm and smiled up at him. â€Å"If you ever get to see my home, you can fight my brother Josh to show that you're worthy of me.† I had to swallow a laugh. I'd seen the Keepers' community and knew she was absolutely serious. I worked to keep a straight face. â€Å"Aren't you breaking a lot of rules by being together without that having happened yet?† Angeline nodded, looking a little glum. â€Å"My mom would be so scandalized if she knew. But I guess this is a unique situation.† Eddie smiled indulgently at her. I think sometimes he thought we were exaggerating about the Keepers. He was going to be in for a shock if he ever did visit them. â€Å"Maybe I can fight a bunch of your relatives to make up for it,† he said. â€Å"You might have to,† she said, not realizing he was joking. It was hardly romantic banter, but Jill looked decidedly uncomfortable discussing their relationship. She turned to me, very obviously trying not to look at them. â€Å"Sydney, what are we going to do about Christmas?† I shrugged, unsure what she was asking. â€Å"The usual, I guess. Give presents. Sing songs. Have Yuletide duels.† Angeline lit up at that. Jill rolled her eyes. â€Å"No, I mean, we're going to be on winter break in a few weeks. Is there any way . . . is there any way we can go home?† There was a plaintive note in her voice, and even Eddie and Angeline broke their mutual admiration to stare at me. I shifted under their scrutiny. Angeline wasn't as concerned about visiting the Keepers, but I knew Eddie and Jill missed their friends and family. I wished I could give them the answer they wanted to hear. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"You'll be staying at Clarence's for break. We can't risk . . . well, you know.† I didn't need to emphasize the need for Jill's safety. We were all familiar with that refrain. Ian's comment about how fragile the throne was drove home the importance of what we did. Jill's face fell. Even Eddie looked disappointed. â€Å"I figured,† she said. â€Å"I just hoped . . . that is, I miss my mom so much.† â€Å"We can probably get a message to her,† I said gently. I knew that was no substitute for the real thing. I was able to make occasional phone calls to my own mom, and hearing her voice was a million times better than any email could be. I even got to talk to my older sister, Carly sometimes, which always cheered me up since she was so bright and funny. My younger sister, Zoe . . . well, she was a different story. She wouldn't take my calls. She'd nearly been initiated into the Alchemists – to take on this mission, in fact – when I'd stolen it from her. I'd done it to protect her from committing to the Alchemists so young, but she'd seen it as an insult. Looking at Jill's sad face, I felt my heart clench. She had been through so much. Her new royal status. Targeted by assassins. Fitting in to a human school. Her disastrous and deadly romances. And now enduring Eddie and Angeline. She handled it all with remarkable strength, always resolutely going through with what she had to do even if she didn't want to do it. Lissa was praised for being such an exemplary queen, but there was a regality and strength to Jill as well that many underestimated. Glancing up, I caught a spark in Eddie's eyes as he too seemed to recognize and admire that about her. After dinner, I took them back to Amberwood and was pleased to see that my car was in perfect shape. I drove a brown Subaru named Latte, and Eddie was the only other person I trusted behind the wheel. I dropped him off at the boys' dorm and then took Angeline and Jill back to ours. As we were walking in the door, I caught sight of Mrs. Santos, a teacher I knew by reputation. â€Å"You guys go ahead,† I told Jill and Angeline. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow.† They left, and I walked across the lobby, waiting patiently for Mrs. Santos to finish a discussion with our dorm matron, Mrs. Weathers. When Mrs. Santos started to turn around and leave, I caught her attention. â€Å"Mrs. Santos? I'm Sydney Melrose. I wondered if I could – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, yes,† she said. â€Å"I know who you are, dear. Ms. Terwilliger raves about you all the time at our department meetings.† Mrs. Santos was a kindly-looking woman with silver and black hair. Rumor had it she'd be retiring soon. I flushed a little at the praise. â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† She and Ms. Terwilliger were both history teachers, though Mrs. Santos's focus was on American history, not world. â€Å"Do you have a minute? I wanted to ask you something.† â€Å"Of course.† We stepped off to the side of the lobby, out of the incoming and outgoing dorm traffic. â€Å"You know a lot about local history, right? Southern California?† Mrs. Santos nodded. â€Å"I was born and raised here.† â€Å"I'm interested in nontraditional architecture in the Los Angeles area,† I told her, the lie rolling easily off my lips. I'd thought about this in advance. â€Å"That is, non-Southwest styles. Do you know any neighborhoods like that? I'd heard there were some Victorian ones.† She brightened. â€Å"Oh, yes. Absolutely. Fascinating subject. Victorian, Cape Cod, Colonial . . . there are all sorts. I don't have all the information on me, but I could email you when I get home tonight. There are several I know off the top of my head, and I know a historian who could help you with others.† â€Å"That'd be great, ma'am. Thank you so much.† â€Å"Always happy to help a star pupil.† She winked as she started to walk away. â€Å"Maybe next semester you'll do an independent study with me. Provided you can tear yourself away from Ms. Terwilliger.† â€Å"I'll keep it in mind,† I said. As soon as she was gone, I texted Ms. Terwilliger. Mrs. Santos is going to tell me about historical neighborhoods. The response came quickly: Excellent. Come over right now. I scowled as I typed back: I just got here. Haven't even been in my room. To which she replied: Then you can get here that much faster. Maybe that was true, but I still took the time to put my suitcase back in my room and change out of my travel clothes. Ms. Terwilliger lived pretty close to the school and looked as though she'd been pacing in circles when I arrived at her house. â€Å"Finally,† she said. I glanced at the time. â€Å"It's only been fifteen minutes.† She shook her head and again wore the same grim expression she'd had out in the desert. â€Å"Even that might be too much. Follow me.† Ms. Terwilliger's home was a little bungalow that could have doubled as a New Age store or possibly a cat shelter. The level of clutter set my teeth on edge. Spell books, incense, statues, crystals, and all sorts of other magical items sat in piles in all rooms of the house. Only her workshop, the room she led me to, was neat and orderly – even to levels I approved of. Everything was clean and organized, to the point of being labeled and alphabetized. A large worktable sat in the center of the room, completely cleared off, save for a stunning necklace I'd never seen before. The chain was made of intricate gold loops, and the pendant was a deep red cabochon stone in a lacy gold setting. â€Å"Garnet?† I asked. â€Å"Very good,† she said, lifting the necklace. The candlelight in the room seemed to make every part of it glitter. â€Å"It's lovely,† I said. She held it out to me. â€Å"It's for you.† I stepped back uneasily. â€Å"For . . . me? I . . . I mean, thank you, but I can't accept a gift like that.† â€Å"It's not a gift,† she said. â€Å"It's a necessity. One that might save your life. Take it and put it on.† I refused to touch it. â€Å"It's magical, isn't it?† â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"And don't give me that look. It's no different from any of the charms you've made for yourself.† â€Å"Except that anything you'd make . . .† I swallowed as I stared into the depths of that bloodred jewel. â€Å"It's going to be a lot more powerful than anything I can create.† â€Å"That's exactly the point. Now here.† She thrust it so close to me that it nearly swung out and hit me in the face. Steeling myself, I reached out and took it from her. Nothing happened. No smoke or sparks. No searing pain. Seeing her expectant look, I fastened it around my neck, letting the garnet lie next to my cross. She sighed, her relief nearly palpable. â€Å"Just as I'd hoped.† â€Å"What?† I asked. Even if I sensed nothing special about it, the garnet felt heavy around my neck. â€Å"It's masking your magical ability,† she said. â€Å"No one who meets you should be able to tell that you're a magic user.† â€Å"I'm not a magic user,† I reminded her sharply. â€Å"I'm an Alchemist.† A small flicker of a smile played over her lips. â€Å"Of course you are – one who uses magic. And to a particularly powerful person, that would be obvious. Magic leaves a mark on your blood that permeates your whole body.† â€Å"What?† I couldn't have been more shocked if she'd said I'd just contracted a deadly disease. â€Å"You never told me that before!† â€Å"It wasn't important,† she said with a small shrug. â€Å"Until now. I need you hidden. Do not take that off. Ever.† I put my hands on my hips. â€Å"Ma'am, I don't understand.† â€Å"All will be revealed in time – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I said. At that moment, I could have been talking to Stanton or any of the countless others who'd used me and fed me pieces of information throughout my life. â€Å"It will be revealed now. If you've gotten me into something dangerous, then you either need to get me out of it or tell me how to.† Ms. Terwilliger stared at me for several quiet moments. A gray tabby cat rubbed up against my legs, ruining the seriousness of the moment. â€Å"You're right,† she said at last. â€Å"I do owe you an explanation. Have a seat.† I sat down on one of the stools by the table, and she sat opposite me. She clasped her hands together in front of her and seemed to be having a hard time gathering her thoughts. I had to force myself to stay calm and patient. Otherwise, the panic that had been gnawing at me since the desert would completely consume me. â€Å"You remember that woman you saw in the picture?† she asked at last. â€Å"Your sister.† Ms. Terwilliger nodded. â€Å"Veronica. She's ten years older than me and looks half my age, as you could undoubtedly tell. Now, it isn't difficult to create an illusion. If I wanted to appear young and beautiful, I could – emphasis on appear. But Veronica? She's actually managed to make her body young and vibrant. It's an advanced, insidious kind of magic. You can't defy age like that without making some sacrifices.† She frowned, and my heart pounded. Creating youth made all my Alchemist sensibilities reel. It was nearly as bad as Strigoi immortality, maybe worse if she was talking about a human doing it. That kind of twisted magic had no place in this world. Her next words drove home the wrongness of it all. â€Å"Or, in her case, sacrificing others.† Sacrifice. The very word seemed to poison the air. She stood up and walked over to a shelf, producing a newspaper clipping. Wordlessly, she handed it to me. It was a recent article, from three days ago, talking about a nineteen-year-old UCLA student who'd been found comatose in her dorm room. No one knew what had caused it, and the girl was hospitalized with no indication of when or if she'd wake up. â€Å"What is this?† I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer. I inspected the article more closely, especially the picture it contained. At first, I wondered why the paper would show a sleeping old woman. Then, reading the fine print, I learned that the coma victim also displayed some unexplained physical symptoms: gray-streaked hair and dry, cracked skin. Doctors were currently investigating rare diseases. I cringed, unable to believe what I saw. She was hideous, and I couldn't look at her for very long. And just like that, I suddenly understood. Veronica wasn't sacrificing victims with knives and stone altars. She was conducting some kind of perverse magic on these girls that bent the rules of nature, putting them in this hideous state. My stomach twisted, and I gripped the table for support. â€Å"This girl was one of Veronica's victims,† confirmed Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"That's how she maintains her youth and beauty – by taking it from others. When I read this, I thought – almost hoped – some other magic user was doing it. Not that I'd wish this on anyone. Your scrying spell confirmed she was in the area, however, which means it's my responsibility to deal with her.† I dared a look down at the article again and felt that nausea well up again. The girl was nineteen. What would it be like to have the life sucked out of you at so young an age? Maybe the coma was a blessing. And how corrupt and twisted would you have to be to do that to someone? I didn't know how exactly Ms. Terwilliger would â€Å"deal with† her sister and wasn't sure I wanted to find out. And yet, if Veronica really was doing things like this to innocents, then yes, someone like Ms. Terwilliger needed to stop her. A magical attack of this magnitude was one of the most terrible things I could imagine. It brought back all my ingrained fears about the wrongness of magic. How could I justify using it when it was capable of such horror? Old Alchemist lessons came back to me: Part of what makes the Moroi particularly dangerous is their ability to work magic. No one should be able to twist the world in that way It's wrong and can easily run out of control. I tuned back into the present. â€Å"How do I fit into this, ma'am? I already figured out where she is. Why am I in danger?† â€Å"Sydney,† Mrs. Terwilliger said, looking at me strangely. â€Å"There are few young women out there with your abilities. Along with youth and beauty, she intends to suck someone's magic away and use it to make herself that much more powerful. You, my dear, would be the ultimate coup for her.† â€Å"She's like Strigoi,† I murmured, unable to repress a shiver. Although those undead vampires could feast on anyone, they preferred Moroi because they had magic in their blood. Drinking Moroi blood made Strigoi more powerful, and a chilling thought suddenly hit me. â€Å"Practically a human vampire.† â€Å"Something like that,† Ms. Terwilliger agreed. â€Å"This amulet should hide your power, even from someone as strong as her. She shouldn't be able to find you.† A calico cat jumped up on the table, and I ran a hand over her sleek fur, taking comfort in the small contact. â€Å"The fact that you keep saying ‘should' makes me a little nervous. Why would she even come looking in Palm Springs? Does she know about me yet?† â€Å"No. But she knows I'm here, and she may check on me once in a while – so I need to hide you in case she does. I'm in a bind, however, because I need to find her but can't actively do the hunting. If she finds out I'm investigating, she'll know that I know she's here. I can't alert her. If I have the element of surprise on my side, I'm more likely to stop her.† She frowned. â€Å"I'm honestly surprised she would come so close to me in California at all. Regardless, I need to keep a low profile until it's time to strike.† Ms. Terwilliger looked at me meaningfully, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I began to put together what she was saying. â€Å"You want me to hunt her.† â€Å"It's not hunting so much as gathering some data. You're the only one I can trust to do this. She and I can sense each other if we're close, no matter how much we try to hide our magic. I know this is going to sound shocking, but I actually think it'd be best if you hunted her – even if you're the one she's after. You're one of the few I can trust completely and you're resourceful enough to pull something like this off.† â€Å"But I'd be putting myself out there. You just said I'd be a big catch for her.† The twists and turns here were mindboggling. â€Å"Yes. Which is why I gave you the amulet. She won't sense your magic, and if you're cautious in your investigation, she should have no reason to notice you.† I still wasn't following the logic here. â€Å"But why me? You have a coven. If you can't do it yourself, then there must be someone else – a stronger witch – who can do it.† â€Å"Two reasons,† she said. â€Å"One is that you have excellent investigative skills – more so than others older than you. You're intelligent and resourceful. The other reason . . . well, if another witch goes after her, she might very well kill Veronica.† â€Å"Would that be such a bad thing?† I didn't like violence and killing by any means, but this might be a case where it was justified, if it could save other lives. â€Å"You said you were going to ‘take care of her.'† â€Å"If I have no choice . . . if I must kill her, then I will.† She looked dejected, and I had a moment of empathy. I loved my two sisters. What would I do if I was ever in a deadly conflict with one of them? Of course, it was hard to imagine Zoe or Carly committing this kind of atrocity. â€Å"However, there are other ways of neutralizing and subduing a magic user. If there's any way – any way at all – I can do that, I will. My coven sisters won't feel that way, which is why I need your help.† â€Å"I can't.† I pushed the stool back and stood up, nearly stepping on a cat in the process. â€Å"There must be some other way you can do this. You know I'm already bogged down in supernatural affairs.† I actually couldn't bring myself to admit the real reason I wanted to dodge this. It was about more than just risking my life. So far, all my magical interactions had been with Ms. Terwilliger. If I signed on for this, I would be plunging into the world of witches, something I'd sworn I would never do. Ms. Terwilliger tapped the article, and her voice was quiet when she spoke. â€Å"Could you let this happen to other girls, knowing there's a way you could stop it? I've never heard of any of her victims waking up. The way this spell works, Veronica needs to renew it every few years, and it requires five victims within one month. She did this once before, and it caught me off guard. This time, we have warning. Four more people could suffer this fate. Do you want that?† There it was. She'd called me on the other part that had been nagging me because she knew me too well. I couldn't let innocents suffer, not even if it meant risking myself or facing the fears that haunted me. If I could stop this, I had to. No one deserved the fate of that girl in the paper. â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"And let's not forget that you could soon be one of her victims.† I touched the garnet. â€Å"You said I'm hidden.† â€Å"You are, for now. And I hope against all hope you'll stay that way.† I'd never seen her so grim before, and it was hard to watch. I was used to her prattling, bumbling, no-nonsense nature. â€Å"But here's something I've never told you about how magic users sense each other.† Something I'd learned over the years: it was never a good thing when people said, â€Å"Here's something I never told you. . . .† I braced myself. â€Å"Untrained magic users have a particular feel that's unique from the more experienced,† she explained. â€Å"There's a oh, wild-ness about the magic that surrounds you. It's easy for advanced witches to sense. My coven keeps track of novice magic users, but those are tightly guarded secrets. Veronica won't have access to those names, but there are spells she can use that can pick up on some of that untamed magic if it's near her. It's how she probably found this poor girl.† Ms. Terwilliger nodded toward the article. The idea of me having some â€Å"wild† magical aura was as shocking as her saying I had magic in my blood. â€Å"When she absorbs a victim,† Ms. Terwilliger continued, â€Å"she gets a burst of that wildness. It fades quickly, but when she possesses it, it can briefly enhance her ability to scry for another untrained victim. The more victims she takes, the stronger that ability will grow. There's a chance,† Ms. Terwilliger said gravely, â€Å"that it could be enough to break apart the garnet. I don't know.† She spread out her hands. â€Å"So you're saying . . . with each victim she attacks, the chance that she'll find me increases.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"All right. I'll help you hunt for her.† I shoved all my fears and doubts aside. The stakes were too high. My life, the other girls . . . Veronica had to be stopped for all our sakes. Someone like her couldn't be allowed to go on like this. â€Å"There's more,† added Ms. Terwilliger. Really? â€Å"More than hunting an evil witch who wants to drain me of my life and power?† â€Å"If we can stop Veronica from finding less powerful victims, we can save their lives and limit her ability to find you.† She produced a small velvet bag and emptied it out onto the table. Several small agate circles fell out. â€Å"These are charms that have some ability to mask magic. Not as strong as the garnet – that would take too long. But they're a quick fix that might save some of these other girls' lives.† I knew where this was going. â€Å"And you want me to deliver them.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I know I'm giving you some very difficult tasks here.† This was getting worse and worse. â€Å"Difficult? That's an understatement. And putting aside the fact that you want me to find a woman who could suck my life away there's also the very small detail that the Alchemists would flip out if they knew I was involved with any of this.† Ms. Terwilliger didn't answer right away. She just watched me. A black cat jumped up beside her and joined in the staring. Its yellow-eyed gaze seemed to say Do the right thing. â€Å"Where do I start?† I asked finally. â€Å"Finding that neighborhood is part of it, right?† â€Å"Yes. And I'll tell you where to find her potential victims, if you'll do the legwork of warning them. My coven keeps track of them. They'll be girls very much like you, ones with power who refuse to train and have no mentor to look after them. Once we have a clear fix on Veronica herself . . .† Ms. Terwilliger's eyes hardened. â€Å"Well, then. That's when I'll step in.† Once more, I wondered if I really wanted to know what that entailed. A moment later, she added, â€Å"Oh, and I thought it would be a good idea to obscure your appearance as well.† I brightened. I couldn't explain it, but somehow, that made me feel immensely better. â€Å"There are a lot of spells for that, right?† I'd seen a number of them in my studies. Even if I had to use magic, it was better to at least look different. â€Å"Yes. . . .† She drummed her fingers against the table. â€Å"But the amulet might not be able to hide you wearing an ‘active' spell, which would then defeat the whole purpose. What I was actually hoping was that your ‘brother' Adrian might be able to help.† My legs felt weak, and I sat back down. â€Å"Why on earth should Adrian be involved in this?† â€Å"Well, he seems like he'd do anything for you.† I eyed her, wondering if there was a double meaning in that. Her gaze was far away, her thoughts turned inward. She'd meant her words honestly. â€Å"Veronica wouldn't be able to detect vampire magic. His power . . . that spirit element he was telling me about . . . it can confuse the mind, right? Affect what others can see?† â€Å"Yes. . . .† She focused on me again, nodding in satisfaction. â€Å"If he could accompany you, help muddle whoever meets you . . . well, that would offer an extra level of protection.† I still didn't know what all I'd be doing to hunt Ms. Terwilliger's sister, but it sounded like, at the very least, there'd be a drive to Los Angeles in my future. Me, trapped in another small space with Adrian while he continued with that infuriating â€Å"loving from afar.† I was so caught up in the emotional turmoil that idea caused that it took me a moment to realize the larger issue I was letting myself get sucked into. â€Å"Do you realize what you're asking?† I said quietly. I touched the garnet again. â€Å"To be a part of this, you're asking me to expose myself to both human magic and vampire magic. Everything I try to avoid.† Ms. Terwilliger snorted, and for the first time tonight, I saw a return of her usual amused attitude. â€Å"Unless I'm mistaken, you've been exposing yourself to both kinds of magic for some time now. So, it can't go against your beliefs that much.† She paused meaningfully. â€Å"If anything, it seems like it goes against the Alchemists' beliefs.† â€Å"The Alchemists' beliefs are my beliefs,† I said quickly. She arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Are they? I would hope your beliefs would be your beliefs.† I'd never thought about it that way before, but I suddenly hoped desperately that her words were true.