Monday, September 30, 2019

An Analysis of Flexible Leadership Style

An analysis of flexible leadership style Name: Shi Baoyuan Student ID: 20121367 Email: [email  protected] co. nz Word Count: 2029 Executive Summary Flexible leadership style is a vital for leaders to manage the company that a leader needs to possess this model to cope with the changeable company activities. A leader who utilizes the flexible leadership style will provide a suitable working surrounding to his (her) subordinates, and make them working in positive emotion; hence, the subordinates would provide more profits to the company.Additionally, in different situations, the leader needs to change the leadership style to fit the current circumstance. However, the benefits of the situational leadership model are obvious to the leaders; many leaders still avoid adjusting themselves to change. Analyzing this fact, habit and fear of failure are two reasons for this problem. In order to overcome the resistance of changing leadership style in managing a company, the leader should obtai n more education which could assist the leader understanding more and reduce anxiety.Furthermore, the leader can build a new habit, which is depended on the situational leadership model, to cover the old one. Table of Contents Executive Summary2 1. 0 Introduction4 2. 0 Flexible leadership style to a company5 2. 1 Different subordinates need different leadership styles5 2. 2 Different situations need different leadership styles6 2. 3 Variable leadership styles for a company7 3. 0 Resistance of changing leadership style9 3. 1 Habits9 3. 2 Fear10 4. 0 Overcome the resistance of change11 4. 1 More Education11 4. 2 Building New Habituation12 . 0 Conclusion13 6. 0 Recommendation14 References15 1. 0 Introduction Leader plays a vital role in the operation of the company. The leadership style that a leader utilizes in managing is the key to nicely operate the company. According to Hersey and Blacnchard’s situational leadership model, there are four leadership styles in leading an orga nization in different circumstances, which represents that the leader needs to adjust his (her) leadership style to certain situations. The situational leadership model brings plenty of profit to the company.In this report, some evidence will be provided to proof it. However, situational leadership model is a mature and effective model; some leaders still avoid following it. The reasons and solutions of this phenomenon will be mentioned in this report. 2. 0 Flexible leadership style to a company In the management activities, the leader should possess two basic behaviors which are task-oriented behavior and relationship behavior. Both of these two behaviors should be balanced during the company activities, which could assist the company acquiring favorable management model.However, because of the followers and the situations are different, the leader needs to change the leadership styles to handle the variable management activities. 2. 1 Different subordinates need different leadersh ip styles In a company, the subordinates are all different in ability, emotion, and other factors. In order to effectively managing the company, the leader needs to utilize appropriate leadership style to certain subordinates, because the way that the leader treating the followers directly influences the emotion of the followers.According to Graham (1999), â€Å"having a comfortable and stimulating work environment is becoming a crucial factor in getting the job done right. † Individuals working in a comfortable surrounding would reduce the probability of making mistakes. Hence, the leader needs to provide the subordinates comfortable working environments, which could effectively assist the subordinates promoting the working efficiency. Treating different staffs with suitable leadership style would make the subordinates feeling working in a comfortable surroundings, which could assist the followers keeping in active emotion. The leader’s internal, external, and relatio nal context of behavior connects with the followers; own sense of internal motivation† (Banutu & Shandra, 2007, p. 70). It represents that the subordinates can magnify their functions of roles in the company business activities by the influence from the leader. Hence, the correct leadership style choosing in leading certain subordinates is a necessary part in leading activities. Finally, the company will be profited from the result of employees’ duteous works. 2. 2 Different situations need different leadership stylesApart from the factors of the subordinates, the situations of a company always change, which the leader needs to adjust the leadership style to fitting the current circumstance. According to James (2004, p. 296), the leader should change the leadership style â€Å"that is dependent on the situation of which the leader finds him/herself in. † There are two basic elements in leadership, which are task-oriented behavior and relationship behavior. Hence, the leader needs to decide which one is more important in certain situation, the task or the relationship, and provides corresponding leadership style to control and handle the company activities.Facing different situations, the leader needs to alter different leadership styles to match the circumstances. For example, â€Å"in emergency situations, leaders do not have time to seek opinions and suggestions from followers or to use other participative styles† (Robbins & Hunsaker, 2011, p. 224). It represents that the main job of the company in such situation is to immediately complete the assignment they should finish. Hence, the leader needs to just give order to the subordinates finishing their assignments instead of asking for any suggestions and acquiring permission. . 3 Variable leadership styles for a company The operating condition of a company is related with the leadership of the leader. The leadership always occupies the vital position in resolving the result of a co mpany in a crisis; hence, in order to lead the subordinates, the leader needs to amply analyze the choosing of leadership style in certain situation (Steven, Berke, Taylor, & Jose, 2008). It represents that the choice of the leadership in different surroundings and with different subordinates is vital to a company.Once a new assignment coming, the leader needs to consider different factors; and selects a suitable leadership style to handle the assignment. In 1974, House and Mitchell illustrated the Path-Goal situation model that there are four leadership styles in managing activities to fit different situations and subordinates. Utilizing different leadership style can deal with special issue. According to Hammuda and Dulaimi (1997), utilizing different leadership style needs to fit different condition. Table 1 illustrates the Path-Goal situation model (Hammuda & Dulaimi, 1997).From this table, it clearly states that, in different situations, the selection of the suitable leadership style will bring positive effects on the outcome. Table 1: A Path-Goal situation model. 3. 0 Resistance of changing leadership style The situational leadership model is a necessary factor in leading activities; and many leaders have realized it. However, the utilization of this model is not universal. There several reasons in this issue. In this chapter, two reasons of resistance of change will be mentioned which are habits and fear of failure. 3. 1 HabitsThe person who is in the position of leader has experienced much time in managing company, which represents that the leadership style of the leader has become one of his (her) habits. It states that changing the leadership style equals breaking the habit of a person. â€Å"Breaking a habit is difficult because it takes hard work and involves giving up perceived benefits from the habit† (Robbins & Hunsaker, 2011, p. 241). A habit has become a part of individual, which means that it is difficult to change. Individuals have be en accustomed to obtain the benefits from their habits, so it is hard for them to abandon the habits.Here is an example. A man who always wears a watch on his left hand changed wearing the watch on another hand, which will make him feel that it is a heavy burden to his right hand, while he feels nothing wearing on his left hand. It illustrates that individuals dislike the uncomfortable with changing habit. For the reason that people will not prefer to undertake the uncomfortable, as a result, avoiding changing habits is universal. 3. 2 Fear Another reason that leader refuses to change is fear. Leadership style changing represents that the relationships and aims of the company will be different from the past.Before changing, the company could still continue normally working. However, leadership style changing will bring risk to the company because that no one can ensure the new style fitting the company situation. It illustrates that the changing activity might fail, which the leader dislike to suffer the pain from failure. Hence, â€Å"the best way to avoid the pain of failing is not to do anything at all† (Connelly, n. d. ). It is because of this sense; many leaders prefer to maintain the unique leadership style in managing the company in avoiding suffering risk. Furthermore, the fear of losing also makes people avoiding change.According to Robbins & Hunsaker (2011), individuals will feel fear when they are unclear about the coming change, which might make them losing their positions, status, rights or other things are belong to them. It states that people resist changing because of the fear of losing, so facing the unknown change, an involuntary of resistance sprout in individuals’ minds. 4. 0 Overcome the resistance of change Flexible leadership style is a basic element in managing company business. The profits of the flexible leadership style, as it mentioned above, are abundant.Hence, the leader needs to overcome the resistance of change, wh ich could provide positive influences in the management activities. In this chapter, some suggestions will be provided to assist these leaders overcome the resistance of changing leadership styles. 4. 1 More Education As it mentioned, some leaders avoid changing because they dislike undertaking risk; and fear of losing. In order to overcome these uncomfortable senses in changing the leadership style, it â€Å"requires a kind of leap of faith: you decide to move in the direction of the unknown on the promise that something will be better for you† (Schuler, 2003).Leaders need to clearly understand the result of the changing. Additionally, leaders need to be clear about the process of change. An effective method for achieving these purposes is to obtain more education of relative knowledge. According to Robbins and Hunsaker (2011), well-educated will reduce the anxiety of leaders because leaders can understand what will happen, which provide confidence to them to overcome the fe ar of changing. Once leaders know how to control the coming situations by changing their leadership style, and forecast the profit in future; they would not fear to change. . 2 Building New Habituation Leader resists changing the leadership style because he (she) has built it as a habit of his (her) behavior. Changing a habit is a tough work, hence leader can build another habit to modify the leadership skills and even cover the old style. â€Å"Habituation is a decrease in the strength of a naturally elicited behavior that occurs through repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus. † (Bouton, 2007) It states that an individual can build new habituation by repeating the same action.Hence, leaders who want to own the ability to flexibly change the leadership style need to continually force them to do relative activities. Additionally, it needs â€Å"a signal or event that will make you do the thing that you want to do† (PluginID, 2011). Leader can utilize this meth od to model inflexible leadership as his (her) new habit, but, as it mentioned above, before building the new habit of leadership, leader needs to comprehend the benefit, and makes confidence with the change he (she) is going to do. Finally, a new habit in leadership style controlling will be built. . 0 Conclusion A leader needs to utilize appropriate leadership style to handle the issue with different subordinates in different situations. Hence, the flexible leadership style is necessary in managing the works of a company. The benefits of this model are obvious, so the leader should utilize this model in operating activities of the company. However, there are some resistances to some leaders in altering the leadership styles; these leaders can utilize suitable methods, as it mentioned, to overcome this condition. 6. 0 RecommendationAt present, company management plays an important role in a company development. Leaders need to possess the capability in changing the leadership style to adjust the leading activity to an ideal condition. Acquiring more education and building a new habit are two reasonable selections to assist the leader obtaining the ideal leading ability. However, it is not easy to achieve the purpose; a wonderful leader should overcome these uncomfortable, and nurture the leading ability for the future self-development. References Banutu, M. B. , & Shandra, M. T. B. (2007).Leadership and organizational change in A competitive environment. Business Renaissance Quarterly, 2(2), pp. 69-90. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com Bouton, M. E. (2007). Learning and behavior: A contemporary synthesis. Retrieved from http://www. sinauer. com Connelly, M. (n. d. ). Exposing Fear of Change. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www. change-management-coach. com/fear-of-change. html Graham, A. (1999, May 07). Comfortable space promotes creativity lighting and colour enhance a productive work environment. The Times – Transcript, pp. n/a. R etrieved from http://search. roquest. com Hammuda, I. M. , & Dulaimi, M. F. (1997). The effects of the situational variables on the leadership stylesin construction projects. (King's College, Cambridge, UK). Retrieved from http://buid. academia. edu James, W. (2005). The impact of corporatisation and national competition policy: An exploratory study of organisational change and leadership style. Leadership ; Organization Development Journal, 26(3), pp. 289-309. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com PluginID. (2011). The Simplest Way To Build a Habit. Retrieved from http://www. pluginid. com Robbins, S. P ; Hunsaker, P, L. (2011). Training in interpersonal skills. (6th ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Schuler, A. J. (2003) Overcoming Resistance to Change: Top Ten Reasons for Change Resistance. (Schuler Solutions, Inc. , Virginia). Retrieved from http://www. schulersolutions. com Steven, H. A. , Berke, J. , Taylor, J. , ; Jose, A. V. (2008). The role of leadership duri ng large scale organizational transitions: Lessons from six empirical studies. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, 13(1), pp. 16-24. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Law and Ethics Essay

1. What is the primary objective of IBM’s advertising? How have the objectives of its advertising changed over the years? In one perspective the initial primary objective of IBM’s advertising is to recapture brand equity to increase its diminishing market share. Plunging from one of the market leader during 70’s and 80’s to almost a market looser in the 90’s, IBM’s rebranding aims at the value proposition in the mind of the consumers. Defeated by the rivals such as Microsoft, Dell and Oracle, IBM had to push the awake call alert to reposition itself as one of the significant player in the industry. This all been done through the ingenious and new paradigm of advertising series on which could reinstate the big blue stigma. The transformation process that could penetrate the existing market with the new products known as the product penetration strategy can be best served through the non-personal media Gradually, over the years these objectives had been streaming with the need and orientation towards the present consumers demand and market behavior. What has been emphasis during the early stage of communicating with the consumers has to be molded with the present requirement to suit the consumer needs and wants. Series of persuasive and accurate appeals of the IBM’s advertising plus the campaign has alerted the consumers of its present business orientation and objectives. At this stage recapturing the brand equity has become marginal as the target is to increase the market share through brand retention, brand loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM). 2. Evaluate each of the campaigns described in the case and the accompanying ads shown in the Power Point file. Are the intended branding messages being communicated clearly and do the ads speak equally well to users, as well as non-users, of IBM products and services? IBM’s advertising was handled by a large number of different agencies prior to 1993. Until the late 80’s this wasn’t a problem because IBM was such a dominant player in the market. However this eventually became a problem as IBM was beginning to loose its identity having portrayed itself in a wide variety of ways around the country. So in 1995 they introduced a campaign. â€Å"Solutions for a small planet†: These ads were meant to create a unified brand image of IBM around the world, while connecting everyone on this â€Å"small planet†. This campaign was very successful, and was a huge step in restoring IBM’s image. The main communication goal for this campaign was delivering message that IBM can â€Å"manage information anywhere, anytime, and for anyone†. The messages are underlined by the repeated use of the word †solutions† in describing I.B.M.’s products and services. That echoes the theme †Solutions for a small planet,† which has appeared in all the I.B.M. advertising created by Ogilvy & Mather, the WPP Group agency that has been the company’s worldwide shop since 1994. The campaign was based on extensive market research around the world. This campaign targeted C-level Executives like Chief executives, Chief Managers, etc. IBM wanted to be known as the â€Å"provider of solutions†. â€Å"E-Business†: This campaign was introduced in the late 1990’s. This was to connect with people who were beginning to use the internet more and more for their business and personal use. This was a very good move as using the internet in some way is now a part of almost everyone’s daily activities. This campaign continued to connect the brand with being able to help people with their business needs. Testimonials from customers such as Mercedes Benz and Motorola were used to back up the message that IBM can help you with your business. E-business signals IBM’s recognition of its customers’ increasing desire to use the Web for commerce and collaboration. IBM also used this campaign to attract a broader customer base of small to midsize customers seeking to develop a Web presence. â€Å"On Demand† The main objective of this campaign was to increase the focus on Business Services Market. It used a series of print ads, television commercials and outdoor advertising which reaches the consumer while he or she is outside the home. It was focused on marketing to consumers when they are â€Å"on the go† in public places, in transit, waiting and/or in specific commercial locations. Outdoor advertising formats fall into four main categories: billboards, street furniture, transit, and alternative. IBM helped analyzed medical data with an advertisement â€Å"Fighting Cancer is ON†. Other examples include â€Å"Napster is ON†, â€Å"China is ON†, â€Å"The PGA Tour is ON†, to increase  the focus on Business Services Market. In all these campaigns â€Å"ON† is about getting your company to work better. The goal of the ‘ON Demand’ campaign was to show that yet again IBM was at the forefront of helping companies/businesses which were f ully integrated, wanted to meet the demands of the ever demanding consumer and aiming to provide better services and grab business opportunities available at a global scale. â€Å"The Other IBM† and â€Å"Help Desk†: These campaigns move into the Information Technology Consulting Industry. The Other IBM was designed in 2005 to reposition company. It used imagery with scenes of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. The IBM Help Desk was aimed at mid-sized businesses and, rather than concentrating on technological jargon, it focused on showing how the IBM Help Desk can be of assistance in solving practical business problems. The TVCs literally take the Help Desk into the real world to show, in a humorous way, how the IBM Help Desk can assist businesses in making their operations smoother and their lives easier 3. What is the value of using testimonials or mini-case studies across a variety of business and industries in IBM’s integrated marketing communications campaigns?

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Organizations growth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizations growth - Research Paper Example If the firm can maintain an adequate level of cash and other resources, it can swiftly move to acquire undervalued firms to actually create an opportunity to deliver more value to the shareholders of the firm. (Damoiseau, Black, & Raggio, 2011) In order to expand globally, firms therefore have to manage whether they want to grow organically or through expansion. In either way firm has to manage certain issues which will be discussed below in order to be successful at global level. Cultural Profile Culture plays important role in the overall success of the organization at the local as well as the international level. The management of change within an organization clearly demonstrated the need for having a clear analysis of how the culture of the organization will be changed and reshaped in a manner which is more suitable for the firm. In order to successfully operate in countries like India, it is therefore important that the cultural assessment must be done. The overall cultural pro file of India would suggest that India is a developing country with established historical and cultural roots. The same has been transferred into the management style of the firms operating in the environment too. Over the period of time, India however, is making a transition towards a global corporate culture which is required for fostering of the global management culture within the organization. India is a country which is dominated by masculine culture which is based upon traditions and family businesses. The Tata Group started as a family business and is still is a family business despite the fact that it is now an international conglomerated. Indian culture therefore is focused upon family businesses where bosses and managers are considered like father figures. Communication Issues Another important role of the leader in managing change is to communicate across a shared vision for the change and the future of the firm. Providing a clear and vivid communication across the whole firm therefore makes it clear for each one of the employee and other stakeholders to basically know what their roles and responsibilities are and what the firm actually expects from them. Such an approach therefore ensures that the leaders inculcate the vision across the whole organization through effective communication across all the channels. One of the ways through which leaders manage change is to ensure the stability during the change process as change is not being viewed by every person in same manner. Like Tata Group which remained an organization where culture was not so conducive and employees worked as if they were working in a public sector organization. In such situation, the productivity was relatively low and as such complacency developed across all the companies working under the banner of Tata Group. As a leader, Ratan Tata therefore has to ensure that the painful transition of the organization takes place as quickly as possible in order to take advantage of the re lative opening of Indian economy to the international world. One of the key requirements therefore first is to initiate that change required to make the firm to advance and meet the future requirements of the market. (Ahn, Adamson, & Dornbusch, 2004). This was only achieved through effective communication because change at the global level requires effective communication of the changes. Communication within a particular cultural group can however, become

Friday, September 27, 2019

Animal Abuse Regarding Puppy Mills Research Paper

Animal Abuse Regarding Puppy Mills - Research Paper Example Animal abuse, which is commonly referred to as cruelty to animals, is the act of mistreating animals for example by inflicting pain or subjecting them to poor living conditions and expecting financial returns from them. An animal is an organism which must be treated with dignity and cared for in all ways possible not just as a right but also to enhance their productivity in terms of quality and quantity (Pacelle 97). For example, one may be wrong to assume that a cow which is not taken care of in terms of feeding and medication is capable of producing the right quality or quantity of milk and meat as it would be evident in those that are facilitated with such implements. The animal must be availed with the right living conditions such as space, hygiene among others, which would presumably make it feel comfortable. In this respect, it would be important to note that the essay is concentrating most on those animals that are under direct care of humans, such as pets and specifically pup pies in puppy mills. A puppy mill is a terminology used to refer to a facility, which is involved in the business of producing and rearing dogs, for the purposes of selling them to customers interested in pets, with the sole intention of making profits. Statistics indicate that there are approximately 4000 puppy mills in the US, which are said to be producing more than 40000 puppies every month, translating to more than 500000 puppies on yearly basis (Wrede 36). This business capitalizes much on the notable love that Americans in general have for pets, which creates a sustainable market and demand for puppies.   Animal rights abuse has continued to exist over a long period of time despite the efforts being made by individuals and organizations to curb this. In puppy mills for example, the greed for money has been a major problem as it has totally compromised the welfare of animals in those facilities, which have continued to grow in number in the US. The rights to life and freedom from exploitation am ong others do not exist in these facilities as dogs are killed at will while their living conditions are in a total mess. Breeders are not allowed to bond with their offspring as they are separated at an early age of 5 weeks thus disregarding the fact that these animals have feelings. Some justify these actions by asserting that animals do not possess the capacity to think or carry out responsibilities but so do those humans who are incapacitated.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Why is an education important in today's work force Essay

Why is an education important in today's work force - Essay Example to spend money on training and development, competition between employees have increased, 21st century arrangements require college education and this level of education is essential for a better living standard. The economy is still in recession and organizations are trying to survive the recession by cutting its expensive. Employers are trying to save the cost of training and development and at the same time they desire a workforce that is already trained. College education equips an individual with both hard and soft skills which are required in today’s organization. Due to this college level education allows individuals to gain employment under current economic conditions. Now a day’s even those who have huge amount of experience are competing for entry level positions in order to gain employment. Due to this young individuals who do not have a college education on their resumes are finding it difficult to gain employment. College education provides individuals with the knowledge, skills and abilities that are required for fresh members of the workforce to compete with those who have years and years of experience. Organizations in the 21st century are competing globally; they are no longer producing and selling their goods and services within limited boundaries (Stephens 1). Due to this, organizations need to be able to develop goods and services according to the cultures and customs of people belonging to different regions. They need employees who have the ability to communicate people from different regions to identify their needs and wants. College education equips an individual with interpersonal and communication skills which help these employees in communicating with people from different parts of the world. This then helps organization in developing goods and services in compliance with the needs and desires of customers throughout the world. Individuals who have a college level education are already equipped with soft and hard skills which an

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Japanese manga censorship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japanese manga censorship - Research Paper Example Sometimes the word â€Å"air† is used to describe manga in Japanese which implies its possibility to penetrate everywhere: people buy manga on trains, in local supermarkets and small shops, in cinemas and read it in parks, luxurious apartments and shopping malls (Kinsella 4). Why has manga become so widespread and demanded in Japan? In post-war period it became linked to political events of the country and was perceived as counter-cultural experimentation. Most manga nevertheless concentrated on depiction of daily life events. Beginning from the 1970s manga adapted to the tastes of the population and concentrated on the topics popular among men: science fiction, robots, heroic events, however he group of women who appeared in the end of the 1970s adapted manga to female auditory making manga about love and romantic relationships (Gravet 24) The beginning of the 1980s coincided with the growth of the initial manga auditory and the economic rise of the country that is why publishers decided to widen the scope of genres and started looking for explicitly sexual and violent images in manga that were supposed to provide popularity. But the success on the territory of Japan was only a first step because manga has even won its special place in hearts of American readers with the help of exotic heroes, unique style of depiction, and unpredictable plot twists. Manga offered a fresh look on heroic epos: wide-eyed superheroes, latex-booted heroines and wild-haired supervillains have become extremely popular in a faraway America (Wood 14). For a long time manga and anime managed to avoid the attention of censors until an unfortunate case in 1989 when in a house of a serial killer a number of explicitly sexual content was found and he himself turned out to be a member in Comiket, the biggest convention for manga fans in the country. Since then the debates regarding the necessity of censorship for manga do not cease. Though some

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Those Winter Sundays Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Those Winter Sundays Poem - Essay Example This comparison of a cold winter day with the father’s endeavors contributes to the writer’s use of harsh imagery. The consonants are bravely spread out over the poem making it a powerfully illustration of love and fury. The poem is mixed with images contrasting a son’s journey of remembering his father’s actions that were completely overlooked in his childhood but now as a man, he recalls them with respect. The poem presents the theme of love that is not returned and the theme of regret which the speaker feels after his father is no more. Robert Hayden has presented the love of a father for his child who does not care about the fact whether his son loves him in return for it or not. This unconditional love is explained as the father does not care about his own fatigue and he maneuvers to light up the fireplace to make the house warm for his family. The poet expresses the fact that this act of devotion of the father was driven by his love for his family as he sacrificed his own rest for the sake of his family’s comfort. This is explained by the poet in these lines, â€Å"then with cracked hands that ached/ from labor in the weekday weather made/ banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.† These lines express the deep love of the father who did not care about his pain and suffering and his family’s comfort was his highest priority. The regret of the poet for not being thankful to his father has been explained in the poem as well. The poet explains that his father had faced many difficulties but despite of all his hardships, he wanted to make his family comfortable. The poet regrets for not loving his father back in return and for not being grateful to him for the sacrifices he gave for his family. The poet feels sad when he remembers how he had been unmoved and uncaring to the efforts made by his father to express his love for his family. The last

Monday, September 23, 2019

Interpretation of the film Like water for chocolate Essay

Interpretation of the film Like water for chocolate - Essay Example It is a story of fantasy, romance and food, full of color and intensity. In fact, food, cooking and the kitchen are essential elements in this movie to such an extent that even the title itself is a reference to food. The expression "como agua para chocolate", translated as â€Å"like water for chocolate†, refers to the boiling water used to prepare hot chocolate in Mexico. This South American idiom is often used to describe someone who is sexually frustrated. Pedro and Tita’s love story starts very early on when as a girl she catches the boy’s eye. When years later the family receives the visit of young Pedro, Tita and him immediately recognize each other and fall in love. However, this was not meant to be: Tita was the youngest of three daughters and, according to custom, the one that would stay at home and take care of the ageing parents. Consequently, Tita will only be allowed to marry after the death of her mother (Monografà ­as.com). Her mother, a strict, conservative and tyrannical character, will not break the tradition but offers Rosaura, the eldest, instead. After some deliberation Pedro decides that marrying Rosaura would bring him closer to his real love and, to Tita’s surprise, he accepts the proposal. As a consequence, they all end up living in the same house and the situation becomes untenable: Pedro and Tita cannot be together but cannot hide the love that is obvious to all. From the storyline it is obvious that, in such a conservative society as that found in Mexico during the early 20th century, traditions are more important than feelings and compliance with an old custom prevails over the love of the main characters. In this conventional and old-fashioned society, although individuals were not free to marry whoever they chose, no one dares to challenge the established rules and become conformist. This applies to women but also to men, as

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ciminal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ciminal - Essay Example The current cases of death penalty in United States of America have determined that the death penalty is arbitrary and unfair. Decades have passed after the sentencing rules and regulations were accepted by the Court in Gregg but death penalty is still capriciously applied to an insignificant amount of criminals. The capital punishment system is deficient of uniformity. The most atrocious murderers are not sentenced to death penalty (Blume, Eisenberg &Wells, 2004). Unsuccessful bylaws and limitations in the capital punishment system have resulted in prosecutors falling back on their partialities regarding on the worst and sympathetic criminals. According to Amnesty International Report, 95 percent of offenders cannot pay for their own lawyers. Poor people are over and over again subjected to convictions and death punishments that equally but more prosperous offenders do not receive. Black murderers are more likely to be subjected to death penalty by prosecutors than white murderers. Co defendants who have committed the same crime are subjected to different punishments. Individual prosecutors decide the death sentence which depends on the nature of the crime. Offenders found guilty of crimes for which death penalty is possible, have not received death sentence. Two offenders convicted of capital crimes get significantly different sentences (Amnesty International Report, 2005). The University of Maryland conducted a study of inmates on the death row in 2002 and found out that most defendants were to receive the death penalty because they had killed white people (Burkhead & Luginbuhl, 2003). There was another report which was released by the New Jersey Supreme court where it concluded that criminals involved in killing whites were more likely to receive a death penalty rather then the killers of black victims. Interviews conducted with jurors found out that they decide the penalty before the commencement of the trial. The National

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Early Childhood Education and Childcare Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education and Childcare Essay Summary â€Å"Why Universal Childcare? † is a great title for an article such as this one. The question enters the reader into a vast pool of potential answers to the question. First off, what does universal childcare mean? For me, I believe that universal childcare means all around childcare, not only in a general sense, but all over the map childcare. Most people don’t see a problem with childcare in Canada, but it seems as if there are some issues pertaining to the system of childcare in Canada. â€Å"In a country of close to five million children of 0-12 years of age, Canada now has fewer than 900,000 regulated childcare spaces. The percentage of children for whom a space is available increased only to 17. 5 percent about a 10 percent increase over the past fifteen years†. (Prentice, 2009, p. 1). A frequent problem most organizations/programs run into is often funding the programs. Without funding, the programs usually suffer and do not meet the maximum amount of care and quality that it should be able to meet. Along with this, the childhood educators/childcare providers may be undertrained. â€Å"The quality of the care is frequently troubling: limited public financing forces programs to operate as cheaply as possible, and requirements for programs are low. The early childhood educators who provide the care are underpaid and often undertrained. Overall, Canada’s early childhood education and care situation suffers from chronic neglect. † (Prentice, 2009, p. 1). Another reason why this situation may come across as shocking to most people, is because Canada is an extremely wealthy country, so you could expect Canada to have a very strong childcare programs. Childcare programs are always changing, they have changed drastically in the last few years, most programs are now looking for ways to interpret ways of learning and more social support for children. â€Å"ECEC (Early Childcare Education and Care) is about an integrated and coherent approach to policy. It is about providing care that includes all children and all children regardless of employment or socio-economic status. † (Prentice, 2009, p. 4). Integrating social support and learning into these childcare programs will expand the knowledge and adaptability of children when entering their later childhood educations. The history of childcare helps explain why today childcare programs are poorly put together. â€Å"The origins of childcare were in philanthropy and benevolence. From the mid- nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century, most of what we know today as childcare programs were provided by educational, philanthropic, or religious organizations, often led by prominent women. † (Prentice, 2009, p. 71). Women were the ones who normally ran the childcare centers, but as we see today, women are entering the paid workforce. The governments did not play a role back then, hence they did not play a part in the responsibility. Today, we count on the government to help fund and organize these programs, which is still a  developing task. After World War II, the federal government stopped funding childcare. This lead out into outbursts which lead to : The Day of Nurseries Act, which became Canada’s first provincial legislation. This lead to the number of childcare programs expanding. We saw a leading change in childcare happen in 2006, when the Harper Conservatives made childcare one of their five leading promises. â€Å"In the 2006 election the Harper Conservatives made childcare one of their five leading promises†. (Prentice, 2009, p. 84. ). Unfortunately, what was promised to parents never happened. Childcare disappeared in importance. How were parents supposed to trust anyone with their ‘childcare money’? â€Å"Following the cancellation of the national childcare plan, childcare space expansion showed the smallest increase in regulated child care in some years: an increase of only 26,661 spaces since 2006. † (Prentice, 2009, p. 86). The author is trying to show the reader the importance of history, and how the little things contribute to how childcare as a whole has developed over the years. Also, the importance of funding programs for childcare.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Debate on Euthanasia: Utilitarianism

The Debate on Euthanasia: Utilitarianism Cory Thomas Is it appropriate to end the life of a person in a critical condition who is experiencing extreme torment and enduring? This paper is going to look at how the ethical theory of utilitarianism applies to the controversial issue of euthanasia. Distinctive moral positions and contentions are held for various types of euthanasia. Therefore in this paper, I will discuss active and passive euthanasia from a utilitarians perspective. In addition, the utilitarian views of voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia will be explored. Euthanasia, also called helped suicide, is the act of discharging a person from a hopeless malady or unbearable enduring. There are two principle types of euthanasia. Aside from the fact that life is taken from these patients, the process differs between active and passive forms. In both, life is taken from the patient who is suffering from a hopeless malady. However, active euthanasia is a demonstration of executing the individual by deadly infusion to bring about quick and effortless passing. In contrast to this, passive euthanasia is when you kill that person by taking away something significant they needed to live. This can be in the form of terminating ones life support or withdrawing from medical care immediately. The second types of willful extermination are voluntary and non-voluntary. Voluntary willful extermination is the point in which the individual, who is at deaths door offers, agree to seek euthanasia. Non-voluntary is when the terminally ill is not able to give consent so they give the approval through another person. This all being said and for the purpose of this paper, I will be focusing on active-voluntary euthanasia from the utilitarian point of view.ÂÂ   Euthanasia is a social problem because most people dont agree that individuals, especially terminally ill patients in excruciating pain, should be able to end their lives.ÂÂ   This is also extremely controversial if this patient cannot give consent for themselves. There is a great deal of debate encompassing euthanasia, which revolves around whether it ought to be lawful. The debate encompassing euthanasia includes numerous religious, therapeutic and sociologic perspectives. Jeremy Bentham, a philosopher from London, created the principles of moral philosophy called utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness(Mill Pg. 4). This means that through a utilitarianism perspective, a deed or task must be done in terms of the greater good. Whats more, the best joy rule expresses that an ethical activity is one that expands the aggregate utility on the planet. As it were, if an activity is moral, it raises the measure of satisfaction on the planet. This permits activities to be positioned by profound quality. In the event that an activity fulfills one individual, it is ethically right. In spite of the fact that if another activity would make more than one individual cheerful, that activity is all the more ethically right. Utilitarianism expresse s that something is good or great when it delivers the best measure of useful for the best number of individuals. Its a hypothesis of standardizing morals that asks whether a particular activity is great or awful, moral or unethical. The main principle of Benthams theory is the Principle of utility. By utility is meant the property of something whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness (all equivalent in the present case) or (this being the same thing) to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered (Bentham Pg.7). Utility measures the happiness or unhappiness that results from a particular action. When applying or taking this from the perspective of an ill patient, the controversy comes from whether or not this patient should be granted peace from suffering, for their own happiness, or suffer longer for the happiness of their loved ones. Mill portrays the distinction of delights as quality in joys, or what makes one joy more profitable than another. While examining delights, simply as a joy and thats it, it ought to be in more prominent sum and create the most great. Process separates amongst higher and lower-quality joys. On the off chance that a delight were of higher quality, then more individuals would pick it over an alternate joy. As indicated by Mill, this is valid, regardless of the possibility that this joy is joined by uneasiness and that same individual would not exchange it for a more noteworthy measure of the other joy. With all this being said about utilitarianism, and now applying utilitarianism to euthanasia, there are different moral positions for different forms of euthanasia. For purposes of this paper and arguments sake, Im going to discuss active voluntary euthanasia. Mills Greatest Happiness Principle states that, actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Mill Pg. 4). Mill would agree with active voluntary euthanasia because it leads to the greatest happiness of the patient and the family. Therefore from the utilitarian point of view they would agree with active voluntary euthanasia. One objection to utilitarianism is individual rights. People will argue that just because something makes someone happy, it does not make the action right. Think of it from a moral perspective, as this can be applied to various parts of life. Take for example theft. Is it wrong to steal millions of dollars in medicine to heal your sick spouse because you are too poor to afford paying for it? Furthermore, it isnt right to hurt certain people with a specific end goal to fulfill other individuals? Another protest would be that individuals trust that utilitarianism is excessively requesting. Utilitarianism infers that we ought to dependably act keeping in mind the end goal. Individuals that protest say this is excessively strict of a necessity. It is soliciting excessively from individuals to be constantly spurred to advance the general satisfaction. What happens when the general bliss has been accomplished? There are going to be individuals who are unsatisfied and the circle will procee d. One study to this is to understand the definitive results of your actions. The thing about utilitarianism is that it is a type of consequentialism, meaning an action is judged by it consequence. Regardless of whether an activity is ethically right or wrong depends completely on its results. Consequentialists will state that activities are correct when they expand for more noteworthy benefit. With the objection of utilitarianism being too demanding, Mill states, no system of ethics requires that the sole motive of all we do shall be a feeling of duty; on the contrary, ninety-nine hundredths of all our actions are done from other motives, and rightly sothe motive has nothing to do with the morality of the actionthe great majority of good actions are intended not for the benefit of the world, but for that of individuals, of which the good of the world is made up (Mill Pg. 13). Work Cited Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Symbols and Symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird - Symbols, Themes and Characters :: Kill Mockingbird essays

   To Kill A Mockingbird - Symbols, Themes and Characters       Now, you're probably wondering what is To Kill A Mockingbird all about? Well that is what I am going to be telling you about in this paper. You will find out that To Kill A Mockingbird is full of different themes, symbols, conflicts and many different characters.    There is a theme of a coexistence of good and evil in this novel. Harper dramatizes Scout and Jem's transition from a perspective of childhood innocence. Many of the characters assume that people are good because they have never seen evil. So in result to this Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are not fully prepared for the evil that they meet up with, and as a result of that they are destroyed.    There are a lot of different social classes in this story. The Finches are on the top of the social list in Maycomb. And then the farmers are underneath them. Then whom they call the white trash is underneath the farmers. Even though the blacks are much more gifted than some of those people they are still underneath those white trash people. This is the main topic of the whole story. A black man gets accused of attacking a white lady...but he probably wouldn't even be in the position that he was in if he was white. To Kill A Mockingbird shows the destructive attitude that whites have against blacks. Not so much the period we live in but it still exists.    There is also theme of an education of children. The children are taught to move from innocence to adulthood. At the end of the book which only scans through about two years of Scout's life. He knows almost everything about algebra. This theme is explored by the relationship between Atticus and his kids. Unsympathetic teachers confront Scout a lot through the story. The most important lessons are those of sympathy and understanding. Miss Caroline's commitment to the educational techniques that she has learned in college and it makes her ineffective and dangerous.    Also, there are some symbols in this story that are very important to the overall story itself. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, one will observe that nearly every character is a mockingbird.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Compairing the Websites of Dell Computer and Compaq Computer :: Compare Direct Marketing Websites

Compairing the Websites of Dell Computer and Compaq Computer In the exploding world of e-commerce, the ability of a company to attract customers using websites is critical for the company’s success. The use of the website by two computer manufacturers, Dell and Compaq, is evidence of this fact. Dell is the forerunner in the direct marketing of computers to customers via the Internet. As the success of Dell’s marketing approach became apparent, other computer companies such as Compaq have tried to market their product directly via the Internet as well. In evaluating the Dell and Compaq computer websites, several areas had to be assessed and compared for their effectiveness in promoting the product. The four main areas included in the evaluation of the websites were the target audiences for each company, the style chosen for the website, the content of each website, and the structure of each website. However, the experience of Dell in direct marketing has allowed them to create a website that is more effective for a wide customer b ase than the Compaq website is. The first area of evaluation was the comparison of the target markets for both Dell and Compaq. In evaluating the Dell homepage, the target audience was determined to be businesses and government institutions. The Dell homepage contains five links to other areas of the website, one each for small businesses, large businesses/healthcare, education, government, and home/home office. In splitting the business into four categories, the emphasis Dell places on business customers is evident and identifies its target audience as predominately business and government customers. However, Dell is obviously vying for individual computer sales to homes and consumers. In addition, in examining the Dell homepage, the target audience can also be identified as customers who are users of the Internet, as Dell does not sell computers in stores. Dell is a direct retailer of computers and uses the Internet as its primary source for customers to place orders, although Dell does allow for phone sales as w ell. In contrast, examination of the Compaq homepage identifies the primary target audience of Compaq to be home computer users. Compaq advertises discounted computer models directly on its homepage, creating a sense that Compaq is attracting home users since home users tend to shop for computer deals. Businesses on the other hand, tend to obtain their discounts by purchasing computers in bulk quantities. However, Compaq is seeking business customers as evidenced by its links for small and medium businesses, enterprise businesses, government institutions, and educational institutions.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Free College Admissions Essays: Art is My Life :: College Admissions Essays

Art is My Life From an early age I have always had a strong interest in art, and have been involved with it in some form all through my life. In year nine I realized that it was something that I might like to pursue as a career, I started taking it more seriously. The Chase's art department encouraged me very well and helped me develop my art skills. I am currently studying Art at A-level and have had my work exhibited in a gallery and in local industry buildings as part of the 'Art in the Workplace' scheme which is organized by my college. The piece of my artwork which was displayed, and used in a business's workplace was a painting inspired by an Art Department trip to Italy. In my spare time, I enjoy running my own comedy website with my friends, which has enabled me to learn good organizational skills. Aside from art, I enjoy playing basketball with other students from my college every Wednesday afternoon. I have found this to be a welcome break from normal study, allowing me to exercise at the same time as relieving stress. My present interest in art is more graphic/typography based, although I do enjoy all areas of art. I have been designing graphics on my computers from a young age and have work published in national magazines. Not all the graphical work I do is computer based, I enjoy using traditional mediums in a clean graphical way, as I find it more satisfying working on a larger scale and producing something more "real". My current course has helped me "branch out" more; I have experimented in many disciplines successfully producing paintings, pastels and drawings, which I had never really developed fully before. I have had two part-time jobs involving computer related work, in which I have been able to bring art influences into. When working for Retail Futures, an e-commerce company based in Malvern, I designed their corporate image, and websites for clients such as Coalport and Parcel Force. More recently I have taken another job with a more technical slant, for another e-commerce firm, eplexus. I still do design work, in which I have designed websites and images for "Highwaycode.com", and Anglo Digital a successful venture capitalist firm. Alongside my practical experience, I am also studying Computing at my current college, which aids me to learn the fundamentals of computer usage and programming, an area that I am interested in.

Causes of Ignorance

Illiteracy is directly related to two main causes; Schools and Parents/Environment. Schools maintain letter grades that represent the performance and outcome of the students. Grades throughout the semester, cumulative grades and final outcomes. When taking a step back and looking at society and seeing how much ignorance and illiteracy there is it really makes you begin to think about whether or not that is not only the type of environment you wish to be in but whether or not you wish to raise your children there. Typically the schools represent the environment. School funding is also a very large problem that is a leading cause of illiteracy. Many schools simply do not have enough funds to buy the proper, updated and on grade level books. This causes the children to have below average and grade level reading levels, comprehension skills and general knowledge. On a day to day basis parents are blamed for the illiteracy of their children; whether it be because they are not encouraging their children to learn and read, or attend school in general to even try. In many cases the parents are not supportive of their children because they do not want to see them succeed and surpass their families expectations for them. Perhaps this is because they may feel intimidated or as if the child is overstepping some kind of authoritative boundary. Typically the overall education level of a parent is what determines their behavior towards their children and the kind of future that they want them to achieve. If the child's parent did not go very far in their college career, if any college at all then they usually do not press the importance of graduating with a strong degree to be successful. Some believe that schools may also be to blame because the expectations are set too high. In reality many schools just expect too little. Many children need challenges in order to further themselves. By marking a level and saying â€Å"This is what we feel you need to know by this age. † it puts realistic expectations. They do this because the testing that is provided at the end of a high school career that is required to be taken, cannot be altered for any child. They need to be prepared for these tests and in order to do well on them classroom standards must be met. Teachers are as supportive as the student allows them to be. Proper measures and steps need to be taken in order for students to live up to those expectations. Depending on the location of the school, funding is a tremendous problem. You cannot run a school off of nothing. Without proper methods of payment for the teachers, there would be none. Without money to buy the textbooks and teaching supplies, there would be no classes and curriculum for the students to follow. The end result of ill-funded schools is poor educations or none at all. Without proper updated textbooks children would not be kept up on current events; nor would they have the ability to use their common knowledge of today's society. Comprehension skills, in the context of different teaching/learning theories beginning decades ago, up to theories still used and replaced today. Reading levels and the ability to practice reading skills in order to raise the levels for proper education consumption. Illiteracy is based on three sole factors that I have previously stated. Had many schools had better funds and systems to raise money the illiteracy rate would drop severely. The typical factors will not easily be cared for but with the proper dedication and skills, can steadily decrease illiteracy in children which in turn results in illiterate adults.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Depiction of Lord Capulet in Romeo & Juliet

Set in the city of Verona during the 12th/13th century, Romeo and Juliet, is a typical love story by William Shakespeare with a tragedy twist. When Romeo Montague and his friends gate-crash Lord Capulet’s party, the last thing he imagined he would do is find the love of his life, Juliet. After realising Romeo is the son of her father’s sworn enemy they decide to keep their relationship secret and get married behind her families back. When Romeo’s best friend Mercutio is stabbed and killed by Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, Romeo kills Tybalt and is declared banished.Meanwhile, Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, decides to cheer his daughter up by allowing her to marry Paris, though unknown to him, she is already married. Severely wanting to get out of this marriage and with her husband, Romeo, in a different town, Juliet seeks assistance from the priest, father Lawrence, who hands her a ‘poison’ which will mimic death for 24 hours, after her funera l she would be placed into a vault and when she awakes from her deep sleep her and Romeo would be able to run away to be together.Romeo is unaware of this plan as he is out when the messenger arrives so when his friend Balthasar learns of the death he immediately travels to tell Romeo. With Romeo thinking his love is dead he takes the risk of going back to Verona to say his final farewell to Juliet, when he arrives he is automatically spotted and the police, once Romeo had purchased poison he makes his way to the church.Soon enough, father Lawrence learns that Romeo has no idea Juliet is actually still alive. Inside the church Romeo drinks the poison which begins to kill him.. just as Juliet begins to wake, she realizes it’s too late and takes his gun to her head, Killing her instantly. Act 1 scene 1, we see several men from two families (the Capulet’s and the Montague’s) take part in a fight led by Tybalt, a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin, and Benvolio, Rom eo’s cousin and therefore a Montague.This is where we get the feel of absolute hatred between the two families. A loathing which has been passed down through generations, started between Lord Capulet, an overpowering and very controlling man and Lord Montague and equally powerful man. We are first introduced to Lord Capulet when he gets involved in a fight between Sampson, Gregory Benvolio and Tybalt. He is shown to be aggressive and confrontational because he says ‘What noise is this?Give me long sword ho! ’ as soon and he arrives. Which could indicate he doesn’t think about what he says and can be immature as well as how willing he is to get involved in the pointless feud, this is until Prince informs them ‘Once more, on pain of death, all men depart’ which implies if there is another street both Lord Capulet, Lord Montague and any other men involved will be executed, This is when Lord Capulet’s mood changes and he becomes calm.In Act 1 scene 2 Lord Capulet seems calm and willing to make peace with Lord Montague, we know this because he says ‘†¦ ‘tis not hard, I think for men so old as we to keep the peace. ’ ‘†¦ _we_ to keep the peace’ This shows he is trying to approach Lord Montague in an equal and friendly manor as he accepts there cannot be any more violent outbreaks in the streets anymore. We next see Lord Capulet in the Capulet household in the midst of a party when he is calmly talking to Paris about his daughter Juliet.Women in the Elizabethan age could refuse marriage but would be disowned by their families. In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet thinks Juliet is ‘too young’ and ‘still a stranger to the world’ . This is showing himself to be a very caring and loving father, this could be because he has no other children and could also be the reason he treats Tybalt like the son he never had. He refuses Prince the hand of hi s daughter because he doesn’t want to lose her yet, he goes on to change his mind later in the story.In the next scene Romeo Montague gatecrashes the Capulet’s party, Lord Capulet appears to be very respected by Tybalt because when Romeo is spotted and threatened by him, Lord Capulet looks at him and says â€Å"Content thee, Gentle coz, let him alone;† He goes on to say â€Å"Here in my house do him no disparagement; Therefore be patient, take no note of him; It is my will, the which if thou respect†.This is showing himself to be a fair man, treating his family and his enemy’s son the same and shows that he is clever, powerful and respected as he doesn’t want to make a scene in public and in front of his friends and family, Surprisingly Tybalt doesn’t go against his word at all, he listens and respects the wishes of his uncle. Shakespeare is showing this man to be kind and rational, we make a judgment at this stageon how he isnâ€℠¢t reacting to the fact Romeo is his the son of his arch-rival. In this scene Lord Capulet also compliments Romeo by calling him ‘A virtuous and well governed youth’ which shows how relaxed he is about the young Montague’s presence because we couldn’t imagine him complimenting an enemy in such a way. By the next point in the story, Tybalt and Mercutio are dead and we start to get an idea of what sort of a man Lord Capulet really is.In Act 3 Scene 4 he changes his mind and allows Prince to marry Juliet for a few reasons i. e. He wants her to be married and settled to a man he approves of, He wants to be proud of her, He wants her to be married to a man who has money, is generous, powerful and respected †¦ not knowing that she is already married to Romeo. After Tybalt is killed we know Juliet is devastated because she locks herself in her room, only letting Romeo in because he appears on her balcony, unbeknown to her father.We also know Tybalt’s death isn’t the only reason for her upset the other reason she is in such shock is the fact her ‘true love’, Romeo, is the reason for Tybalt’s death although her father doesn’t know , if he knew Romeo and Juliet were married she would be disowned by him and the rest of their family. Lord Capulet decides to bring the wedding forward in order to cheer her up, we know this because he says ‘She loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly’, He sees the wedding of his only child an opportunity to lift the mood after such death in the family.Unfortunately Juliet doesn’t want to marry Prince because she is in love with the now banished, Romeo. When Lady Capulet tells Juliet of her husband’s plans for her to be wed ‘early next Thursday morn’ she is surprised but refuses and tells her mother ‘When I do marry, I swear, It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris’ , We can tell from this sentence that she hasn’t told her mother of her relationship with Romeo and that her mother thinks Juliet hates Romeo for killing Tybalt.As Lord Capulet enters her room he immediately describes her body as a ‘fountain’ and says ’in one little body thou counterfeit’s a bark, a sea, a wind, For thy eyes, which I may call the sea, Do ebb and flow with tears. Thy bark thy body is, Sailing in this salt flood. Thy winds thy sighs†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Which shows us he is concerned about her and her wellbeing, showing him to be a caring father for a split-second. He is angered when he hears that she will not bemarrying Paris and disowns her straightaway, he says unforgivable things to her such as ‘Out, you green sickness, carrion! Out you baggage! You tallow face’ he also calls her a ‘Disobedient wretch’ He goes on to say ‘Get thee to church o’ Thursday, Or never after look me in the face’ , so he’s saying she either marries Pa ris or she’ll lose her father, She has to make the decision. There is a suggestion of physical violence when Lord Capulet exclaims ‘My fingers itch.’Implying he wants to hit her for disrespecting him by disagreeing with him. He reminds her of the importance of family and marrying to obtain a high status, we know this because he says ‘And having now provided A gentleman of A noble parentage, Of fair demesnes, youthful and nobly trained, stuffed as they say, with honorable parts’ he describes Paris in this way because he is trying to persuade Juliet to marry him, its as if he doesn’t want to disown her.Lord Capulet decides that she can ‘No longer house with me’ unless she marries Paris and he would rather see her beg, starve and die in the streets than live with her if she doesn’t go through with the marriage. Lord Capulet’s behavior in this scene shocks us because we are used to seeing him as a caring and loving fathe r towards Juliet and we don’t expect him to go this far when she refuses because he has seemed like a calm man in previous scenes. It’s sad to see his behavior change this dramatically towards her because a father should look out for his daughter.It’s also sad to see because it was his decision and she hasn’t had a choice in the matter at all and the feud between the Montague’s and Capulet’s was started between the two fathers so it isn’t Juliet’s fault and she should be able to see Romeo if she wants to. During the play, the language Lord Capulet uses to describe Juliet changes a lot. In the beginning of the play he describes her as ‘still a stranger to the world’ and ‘too young to marry’ which shows he is a caring father.He is looking out for his daughter and by saying she is too young to marry, he is trying to protect her from growing up too fast. His behavior towards her changes vastly when she ref uses to marry Paris possibly because he has spent time trying to protect her and now she throws it back in his face by disagreeing with him. Although Lord Capulet is unaware of the fact she is already married, she has just delayed being disowned by her father by keeping her marriage to Romeo a secret. We notice the change immediately  because one minute he’s describing her sadness and acting like he cares about her enough to be concerned about her happiness and then he change into a stubborn and, what seems like, a care-free father .We notice the change when he says ‘What is this? â€Å"Proud† and â€Å"I thank you† and â€Å"I thank you not† And yet not â€Å"proud†? Mistress minion you. ’ We don’t think he is capable of disowning his only child but he continues to call her ‘Baggage’ and ‘Green sickness’ which shows just how upset and angry he is with her.He uses harsh words by saying ‘An you b e mine, I’ll give you my friend. An you be not, Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, For, my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee, Nor what is mine shall never do thee good’ saying he no longer will want anything to do with her if she doesn’t marry Paris and he would rather see her beg, starve and die on the streets rather than give her somewhere to live and he’ll never want anything to do with her, however if she agrees to marry Paris then he will forgive her for disagreeing and she can stay living there etc.Act 4 scene 5, When Juliet is found ‘dead’ in her bedroom , Lord Capulet appears to be grief-stricken and genuinely upset even though he had said he would disown her if she didn’t marry Paris. His sadness over rules his power in this scene as he turns to Lady Capulet and says ‘ O Heaven! O wife, Look how our daughter bleeds! ’ showing that he is so upset, he doesn’t care about how he appears to any one else. We realise he doesn’t see how he is partly responsible for her ‘death’ by forcing her into a marriage just to bring joy to himself, not in fact thinking at all about what Juliet would want.If he had realised this, we may be able to feel more sympathetic towards him as he would have probably been really upset and angry with himself which, in turn, could have saved his daughter’s life when she awoke. When she does awake to find Romeo had poisoned himself, oblivious to the fact Juliet wasn’t dead at all, she shoots herself in the head with his gun so as they can be together after all, even if that means in a different life.We notice that Lord Capulet realises the feud between the two families have been to blame for the two lovers’ deaths because he offers Lord Montague his hand and overall peace between the Montague’s and Capulet’s, Again showing the loving and caring fatherly side to himself. Throughout the entire play L ord Capulet’s mood varies between a loving, concerned father and an angry, heartless, powerful man. There are 4 main points in his behaviour.In the beginning he comes across as a powerful man when he takes part in a fight , his attitude in this scene is limited as he seems to be this man who is only interested in showing the Montague family who owns the city. When he engages in a conversation with Paris about marrying Juliet, he becomes more of a caring father and try’s to look out for her by saying she is ‘Too young’ to marry and although he says she is ‘still a stranger to him ´ which suggests that he has doubts about her loyalty to him and this also shows an absence of trust in her.The next main point is when he changes again to become an angry and somewhat cold man, we think this because he feels let down and his fears of loyalty towards him are true to an extent. He decides to disown her as a daughter unless she marries Paris because he feels let down and he obviously though he was doing right by her. He says he would rather see her beg and die on the streets than stay in that house, he calls her ‘baggage’ which we can guess means she was a ‘mistake’.The last point we can gather how remorseful he is because he is totally overwhelmed with grief, we see the caring fatherly side to him for the last time in the final scene when the two lovers are found dead together in the chapel. We can tell he knows the feud has been the main reason for their deaths and rightly blames himself. We know how sorry he is when he offers peace to Lord Montague and we realise he has been a loving father and husband all the way through the play, he just thinks what he is doing (i. e. feuds, arranged marriages etc.) is all for the right reasons and he feels he is doing right by his family.He finally understands that his wants and Juliet’s wants were completely different and all that she wanted was irrelevant by him at the time. We feel sympathy for him at this final point in the play because we can see how he realises everything now and it’s now too late to make up for the mistakes he has made, The only thing he can do is make peace with his rival. Lord Capulet chose his power over his family and by doing so, two young people ended up dying, making this the perfect tragedy and love story. The Depiction of Lord Capulet in Romeo & Juliet Set in the city of Verona during the 12th/13th century, Romeo and Juliet, is a typical love story by William Shakespeare with a tragedy twist. When Romeo Montague and his friends gate-crash Lord Capulet’s party, the last thing he imagined he would do is find the love of his life, Juliet. After realising Romeo is the son of her father’s sworn enemy they decide to keep their relationship secret and get married behind her families back. When Romeo’s best friend Mercutio is stabbed and killed by Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, Romeo kills Tybalt and is declared banished.Meanwhile, Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, decides to cheer his daughter up by allowing her to marry Paris, though unknown to him, she is already married. Severely wanting to get out of this marriage and with her husband, Romeo, in a different town, Juliet seeks assistance from the priest, father Lawrence, who hands her a ‘poison’ which will mimic death for 24 hours, after her funera l she would be placed into a vault and when she awakes from her deep sleep her and Romeo would be able to run away to be together.Romeo is unaware of this plan as he is out when the messenger arrives so when his friend Balthasar learns of the death he immediately travels to tell Romeo. With Romeo thinking his love is dead he takes the risk of going back to Verona to say his final farewell to Juliet, when he arrives he is automatically spotted and the police, once Romeo had purchased poison he makes his way to the church.Soon enough, father Lawrence learns that Romeo has no idea Juliet is actually still alive. Inside the church Romeo drinks the poison which begins to kill him.. just as Juliet begins to wake, she realizes it’s too late and takes his gun to her head, Killing her instantly. Act 1 scene 1, we see several men from two families (the Capulet’s and the Montague’s) take part in a fight led by Tybalt, a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin, and Benvolio, Rom eo’s cousin and therefore a Montague.This is where we get the feel of absolute hatred between the two families. A loathing which has been passed down through generations, started between Lord Capulet, an overpowering and very controlling man and Lord Montague and equally powerful man. We are first introduced to Lord Capulet when he gets involved in a fight between Sampson, Gregory Benvolio and Tybalt. He is shown to be aggressive and confrontational because he says ‘What noise is this?Give me long sword ho! ’ as soon and he arrives. Which could indicate he doesn’t think about what he says and can be immature as well as how willing he is to get involved in the pointless feud, this is until Prince informs them ‘Once more, on pain of death, all men depart’ which implies if there is another street both Lord Capulet, Lord Montague and any other men involved will be executed, This is when Lord Capulet’s mood changes and he becomes calm.In Act 1 scene 2 Lord Capulet seems calm and willing to make peace with Lord Montague, we know this because he says ‘†¦ ‘tis not hard, I think for men so old as we to keep the peace. ’ ‘†¦ _we_ to keep the peace’ This shows he is trying to approach Lord Montague in an equal and friendly manor as he accepts there cannot be any more violent outbreaks in the streets anymore. We next see Lord Capulet in the Capulet household in the midst of a party when he is calmly talking to Paris about his daughter Juliet.Women in the Elizabethan age could refuse marriage but would be disowned by their families. In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet thinks Juliet is ‘too young’ and ‘still a stranger to the world’ . This is showing himself to be a very caring and loving father, this could be because he has no other children and could also be the reason he treats Tybalt like the son he never had. He refuses Prince the hand of hi s daughter because he doesn’t want to lose her yet, he goes on to change his mind later in the story.In the next scene Romeo Montague gatecrashes the Capulet’s party, Lord Capulet appears to be very respected by Tybalt because when Romeo is spotted and threatened by him, Lord Capulet looks at him and says â€Å"Content thee, Gentle coz, let him alone;† He goes on to say â€Å"Here in my house do him no disparagement; Therefore be patient, take no note of him; It is my will, the which if thou respect†.This is showing himself to be a fair man, treating his family and his enemy’s son the same and shows that he is clever, powerful and respected as he doesn’t want to make a scene in public and in front of his friends and family, Surprisingly Tybalt doesn’t go against his word at all, he listens and respects the wishes of his uncle. Shakespeare is showing this man to be kind and rational, we make a judgment at this stageon how he isnâ€℠¢t reacting to the fact Romeo is his the son of his arch-rival. In this scene Lord Capulet also compliments Romeo by calling him ‘A virtuous and well governed youth’ which shows how relaxed he is about the young Montague’s presence because we couldn’t imagine him complimenting an enemy in such a way. By the next point in the story, Tybalt and Mercutio are dead and we start to get an idea of what sort of a man Lord Capulet really is.In Act 3 Scene 4 he changes his mind and allows Prince to marry Juliet for a few reasons i. e. He wants her to be married and settled to a man he approves of, He wants to be proud of her, He wants her to be married to a man who has money, is generous, powerful and respected †¦ not knowing that she is already married to Romeo. After Tybalt is killed we know Juliet is devastated because she locks herself in her room, only letting Romeo in because he appears on her balcony, unbeknown to her father.We also know Tybalt’s death isn’t the only reason for her upset the other reason she is in such shock is the fact her ‘true love’, Romeo, is the reason for Tybalt’s death although her father doesn’t know , if he knew Romeo and Juliet were married she would be disowned by him and the rest of their family. Lord Capulet decides to bring the wedding forward in order to cheer her up, we know this because he says ‘She loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly’, He sees the wedding of his only child an opportunity to lift the mood after such death in the family.Unfortunately Juliet doesn’t want to marry Prince because she is in love with the now banished, Romeo. When Lady Capulet tells Juliet of her husband’s plans for her to be wed ‘early next Thursday morn’ she is surprised but refuses and tells her mother ‘When I do marry, I swear, It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris’ , We can tell from this sentence that she hasn’t told her mother of her relationship with Romeo and that her mother thinks Juliet hates Romeo for killing Tybalt.As Lord Capulet enters her room he immediately describes her body as a ‘fountain’ and says ’in one little body thou counterfeit’s a bark, a sea, a wind, For thy eyes, which I may call the sea, Do ebb and flow with tears. Thy bark thy body is, Sailing in this salt flood. Thy winds thy sighs†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Which shows us he is concerned about her and her wellbeing, showing him to be a caring father for a split-second. He is angered when he hears that she will not bemarrying Paris and disowns her straightaway, he says unforgivable things to her such as ‘Out, you green sickness, carrion! Out you baggage! You tallow face’ he also calls her a ‘Disobedient wretch’ He goes on to say ‘Get thee to church o’ Thursday, Or never after look me in the face’ , so he’s saying she either marries Pa ris or she’ll lose her father, She has to make the decision. There is a suggestion of physical violence when Lord Capulet exclaims ‘My fingers itch.’Implying he wants to hit her for disrespecting him by disagreeing with him. He reminds her of the importance of family and marrying to obtain a high status, we know this because he says ‘And having now provided A gentleman of A noble parentage, Of fair demesnes, youthful and nobly trained, stuffed as they say, with honorable parts’ he describes Paris in this way because he is trying to persuade Juliet to marry him, its as if he doesn’t want to disown her.Lord Capulet decides that she can ‘No longer house with me’ unless she marries Paris and he would rather see her beg, starve and die in the streets than live with her if she doesn’t go through with the marriage. Lord Capulet’s behavior in this scene shocks us because we are used to seeing him as a caring and loving fathe r towards Juliet and we don’t expect him to go this far when she refuses because he has seemed like a calm man in previous scenes. It’s sad to see his behavior change this dramatically towards her because a father should look out for his daughter.It’s also sad to see because it was his decision and she hasn’t had a choice in the matter at all and the feud between the Montague’s and Capulet’s was started between the two fathers so it isn’t Juliet’s fault and she should be able to see Romeo if she wants to. During the play, the language Lord Capulet uses to describe Juliet changes a lot. In the beginning of the play he describes her as ‘still a stranger to the world’ and ‘too young to marry’ which shows he is a caring father.He is looking out for his daughter and by saying she is too young to marry, he is trying to protect her from growing up too fast. His behavior towards her changes vastly when she ref uses to marry Paris possibly because he has spent time trying to protect her and now she throws it back in his face by disagreeing with him. Although Lord Capulet is unaware of the fact she is already married, she has just delayed being disowned by her father by keeping her marriage to Romeo a secret.We notice the change immediately  because one minute he’s describing her sadness and acting like he cares about her enough to be concerned about her happiness and then he change into a stubborn and, what seems like, a care-free father . We notice the change when he says ‘What is this? â€Å"Proud† and â€Å"I thank you† and â€Å"I thank you not† And yet not â€Å"proud†? Mistress minion you. ’ We don’t think he is capable of disowning his only child but he continues to call her ‘Baggage’ and ‘Green sickness’ which shows just how upset and angry he is with her.He uses harsh words by saying ‘An you b e mine, I’ll give you my friend. An you be not, Hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, For, my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee, Nor what is mine shall never do thee good’ saying he no longer will want anything to do with her if she doesn’t marry Paris and he would rather see her beg, starve and die on the streets rather than give her somewhere to live and he’ll never want anything to do with her, however if she agrees to marry Paris then he will forgive her for disagreeing and she can stay living there etc.Act 4 scene 5, When Juliet is found ‘dead’ in her bedroom , Lord Capulet appears to be grief-stricken and genuinely upset even though he had said he would disown her if she didn’t marry Paris. His sadness over rules his power in this scene as he turns to Lady Capulet and says ‘ O Heaven! O wife, Look how our daughter bleeds! ’ showing that he is so upset, he doesn’t care about how he appears to any one else. We realise he doesn’t see how he is partly responsible for her ‘death’ by forcing her into a marriage just to bring joy to himself, not in fact thinking at all about what Juliet would want.If he had realised this, we may be able to feel more sympathetic towards him as he would have probably been really upset and angry with himself which, in turn, could have saved his daughter’s life when she awoke. When she does awake to find Romeo had poisoned himself, oblivious to the fact Juliet wasn’t dead at all, she shoots herself in the head with his gun so as they can be together after all, even if that means in a different life.We notice that Lord Capulet realises the feud between the two families have been to blame for the two lovers’ deaths because he offers Lord Montague his hand and overall peace between the Montague’s and Capulet’s, Again showing the loving and caring fatherly side to himself. Throughout the entire play L ord Capulet’s mood varies between a loving, concerned father and an angry, heartless, powerful man. There are 4 main points in his behaviour.In the beginning he comes across as a powerful man when he takes part in a fight , his attitude in this scene is limited as he seems to be this man who is only interested in showing the Montague family who owns the city. When he engages in a conversation with Paris about marrying Juliet, he becomes more of a caring father and try’s to look out for her by saying she is ‘Too young’ to marry and although he says she is ‘still a stranger to him? which suggests that he has doubts about her loyalty to him and this also shows an absence of trust in her.The next main point is when he changes again to become an angry and somewhat cold man, we think this because he feels let down and his fears of loyalty towards him are true to an extent. He decides to disown her as a daughter unless she marries Paris because he feels let down and he obviously though he was doing right by her. He says he would rather see her beg and die on the streets than stay in that house, he calls her ‘baggage’ which we can guess means she was a ‘mistake’.The last point we can gather how remorseful he is because he is totally overwhelmed with grief, we see the caring fatherly side to him for the last time in the final scene when the two lovers are found dead together in the chapel. We can tell he knows the feud has been the main reason for their deaths and rightly blames himself. We know how sorry he is when he offers peace to Lord Montague and we realise he has been a loving father and husband all the way through the play, he just thinks what he is doing (i. e. feuds, arranged marriages etc.) is all for the right reasons and he feels he is doing right by his family.He finally understands that his wants and Juliet’s wants were completely different and all that she wanted was irrelevant by him at the time. We feel sympathy for him at this final point in the play because we can see how he realises everything now and it’s now too late to make up for the mistakes he has made, The only thing he can do is make peace with his rival. Lord Capulet chose his power over his family and by doing so, two young people ended up dying, making this the perfect tragedy and love story.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Iron Crowned Chapter 24

â€Å"What?† exclaimed Jasmine. I didn't share her concern. â€Å"Damn it. I should have banished you the first time I saw you. I don't have time for this, not with everything else. You should be in the Underworld by now. Kiyo isn't going to kill me.† â€Å"I'm serious!† said Deanna, as frantic as a ghost could get. â€Å"You're in danger!† I shook my head. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry about your husband †¦ really, I am. But not every guy is homicidal. Don't transfer this to me.† â€Å"I'm not! This is real. I was going to move on after †¦ after †¦ well, after my husband was arrested†¦.† There was a mournful pause. Her story had come to a close, but it hadn't had a happy ending. â€Å"I wanted to say good-bye formally and went looking for you †¦ but found Kiyo instead †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I put my hands on my hips, wishing I'd brought my wand. I did not need a delusional ghost, not with everything else right now. â€Å"And then he said he was going to kill me?† â€Å"No. He told that other queen he would.† That cut off my snark, leaving me speechless for a moment. â€Å"What other queen?† demanded Jasmine. â€Å"The blond one. The Willow Queen.† Jasmine and I exchanged looks. Suddenly, Deanna's crazy statements had become slightly less crazy. â€Å"What exactly did you overhear?† I asked quietly. â€Å"He told her you were pregnant and that you'd have an abortion if it was a boy †¦ but that he was concerned. He was worried because you hadn't just done it already.† Deanna looked back and forth between our faces, desperate for either of us to believe her. â€Å"He said it was probably just shock and that you'd ‘do the right thing,' but that if you didn't †¦ well, Maiwenn said they'd have to make you lose the baby. Or †¦ if that didn't work †¦ that Kiyo would kill you.† â€Å"That's insane,† I said. â€Å"Kiyo wouldn't kill me.† â€Å"Kiyo doesn't want the prophecy to come true,† said Jasmine. â€Å"It's not that insane.† I turned on her. â€Å"He loves me. This whole idea †¦ it's ridiculous.† â€Å"Why would I lie?† said Deanna. â€Å"You helped me. I'm helping you by warning you before I move on to the next world. I'm telling you, I heard them. Kiyo swore he'd make sure the prophecy couldn't be fulfilled.† â€Å"Kiyo. Loves. Me.† â€Å"Dorian loves you too,† pointed out Jasmine. â€Å"And look what he did. When you think about it, Kiyo's the type who'd think one tragic loss of life was worth saving many. Or something stupid like that.† â€Å"He would.† Admitting it surprised me, and yet †¦ as the meaning of Deanna's words sank deeper and deeper, I remembered my first meeting with Kiyo. He'd found me on Maiwenn's orders. They hadn't known what kind of person I was, if I'd wanted to fulfill the prophecy or not. He'd never said so explicitly, but my impression had been that both were willing to go to extreme means to stop Storm King's heir from being born. Our relationship had obviously changed since then, but maybe †¦ maybe some things hadn't†¦. â€Å"But he wouldn't go that far,† I finished. â€Å"Do you want to take that chance?† asked Jasmine softly. â€Å"Maybe he wouldn't really kill you, but you heard what he said about Maiwenn's ‘magic' abortion.† What had Deanna claimed? That Kiyo and Maiwenn had planned to make me terminate the pregnancy if I wouldn't willingly? â€Å"We just need to talk,† I said, hoping I sounded convincing. My next words gave me away. â€Å"Somewhere I know I'm safe.† â€Å"Kiyo's in the waiting room,† said Jasmine, seeing that I was finally taking this seriously. â€Å"Is this a safe place?† â€Å"Probably not.† I had finished getting dressed. â€Å"There must be a back door. There's always a back door. We'll go †¦ we'll go home. I'll get my weapons, and then we'll go to the Otherworld. He and I can talk about this reasonably in the Thorn Land. I'll be safe there.† â€Å"You'll never make it there,† said Deanna. I'd practically forgotten about her. â€Å"He can follow you. As soon as you leave here, he'll know and come after you.† â€Å"How could he – â€Å" I lightly touched my upper arm, the spot where Kiyo's nails had barely dug in the other night. I took a deep, shaking breath. â€Å"He marked me,† I said. He'd scratched me the first night we'd met too, leaving a long-healing wound that allowed him to track me wherever I went. This one was smaller but would work just as well. Jasmine was already moving toward the door, so full of tension and purpose that she seemed much older. â€Å"We'll just go straight to the Otherworld then. You'll be safe there. Where's the nearest gateway?† I racked my brain, thinking of our location. â€Å"By Morriswood Park. Farther than I'd like.† â€Å"Well, we have to go soon. If we stay here any longer, the doctor'll come ask what's wrong,† said Jasmine. â€Å"And we can't let Kiyo find us in the parking lot.† â€Å"You'll never make it to the park in time,† wailed Deanna. I scowled, but she was right. Jasmine looked at me questioningly. For a moment, I considered calling Volusian, but he might happily kill Kiyo and claim it was in my defense. I wasn't ready for that. â€Å"I know where we can go,† I said. â€Å"Come on.† We left the exam room, stepping out into the hallway. I turned with purpose, opposite the direction of the waiting room we'd entered from. This took us deeper into the clinic, past more examining rooms and their lab. A couple staff members passed us, but we walked confidently enough that no one stopped us. They probably assumed we'd been directed somewhere. Meanwhile, my eyes were searching for an exit sign. There had to be a back door. Surely hypocritical health professionals had to go somewhere to smoke. â€Å"There.† I nodded toward an exit sign, praying it didn't lead to a fire door, which would be of no use to us. Nope. It was just an ordinary door, one probably used for maintenance or shipments. Someone did notice us then and start to ask what we were doing, but by then, we were outside and behind the building. â€Å"Eugenie, where are we going?† asked Jasmine anxiously. Deanna had faded away, perhaps now finally leaving this world after fulfilling what she believed to be her last duty. As we walked briskly toward my car, some part of me kept wanting to think she'd lied. But why? As she'd said, she had no reason. She'd held true to me before. And with every passing second, I grew more and more conflicted, wondering what I should believe. Kiyo loved me. He'd gone out of his way to win me back †¦ but he was firmly set on protecting the human world. At any cost? We'd see. Deanna was mistaken; she had to be. My worst fate was probably going to be Kiyo's talking me to death. We got in the car, and I did briefly consider trying to make a break for Morriswood Park and its Otherworldly gate. After all, what was Kiyo going to do? Get in a high speed chase with us? The thing was, with that mark, he would be able to track me. He could probably feel me moving away now. If we headed anywhere near the park he'd figure it out. He'd either try to beat us there or just catch up with us on the other side. No, I had to go somewhere else. Somewhere with protection. Somewhere I could be sure I was safe until all of this madness was settled. Jasmine's face grew increasingly troubled as we drove away from the doctor's office. She kept glancing back, as though expecting to see Kiyo right on our bumper. When we turned into a suburban neighborhood, her worry shifted to confusion. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Home,† I replied, pulling into the driveway of a well-kept house surrounded by trees and flowers. A fence enclosed the backyard but couldn't hide the efforts someone had made to turn a Tucson backyard into something lush and green. The gate in the fence was unlocked as I'd known it would be. The yard was unoccupied, save for birds and insects. The house's patio door had its glass open, covered only by a screen that let in the afternoon air. It too would be unlocked. â€Å"Kiyo won't really do it,† I muttered, as I jerked the door open. â€Å"Maybe he's upset †¦ but we can talk this out. Deanna overreacted. We're overreacting.† We stepped into a small breakfast nook, and in the adjacent kitchen, a man spun around. My heart leapt when I saw him. The familiar, kind face. The graying hair. The tattoos of whorls and fishes. It felt like a lifetime since our last meeting. Roland. I'd gone to my parents' house. Roland's reactions were those of a man who'd spent years fighting and training, but even that didn't prepare him for the sight of us. Astonishment filled his features, quickly giving way to outrage. â€Å"Eugenie! What are you – â€Å" â€Å"Get your weapons,† I ordered, casting an uneasy glance behind me. Jasmine followed as I strode toward him. â€Å"Whatever you've got in the house.† He didn't move. â€Å"You know you're not – â€Å" â€Å"Get them!† I exclaimed. â€Å"We don't have time for this!† I don't know what look I wore on my face, but it was enough to pierce the walls of hurt and anger he'd built between us since learning of my involvement in the Otherworld. I'd taken a risk coming here, a gamble that no matter what happened, Roland would protect me. And I was right. He transformed before my eyes, suddenly the concerned and caring stepfather I'd grown up with. â€Å"What's – â€Å" Before he could finish, the screen door flew open. Kiyo stood there, face dark and stormy. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† he demanded. â€Å"Why did you take off?† â€Å"You first,† I said, taking a step back toward Roland. â€Å"What are you doing?† Jasmine moved to my other side. My eyes were on Kiyo, but I could sense Roland bracing for battle. Maybe he didn't know what was going on, but anyone could have seen how dangerous Kiyo was. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you, and you disappeared!† Kiyo moved forward a little but stopped, recognizing the united front that Roland and I – and yes, even Jasmine – presented. â€Å"Talk? Is that all you wanted to do?† â€Å"Yes. Of course.† Kiyo glanced between all of us. â€Å"You promised, Eugenie. You promised if it was a boy, you'd get rid of it.† â€Å"There's a girl too!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can't get rid of one without the other.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† he said. â€Å"The consequences are too big.† â€Å"I can't kill an innocent. She hasn't done anything.† â€Å"Not directly. Letting her live means he lives. And there's nothing innocent there. He can't live. Eugenie, you know that. I'm not trying to be cruel. Please. Do what's right.† Jasmine and Roland remained silent as this drama played out. Meanwhile, I realized how sickened the language of this whole matter continued to make me. Get rid of it. He can't live. â€Å"You're so quick to kill your own children,† I said in disbelief, echoing what Jasmine had said a few days before. â€Å"Don't you feel any remorse? You know better than me what it's like to be a parent!† â€Å"Yes,† he said, clenching his fists. â€Å"I do know. And it's amazing. I wish you could know what it's like†¦.† â€Å"But I can't? I can't have the same chance you and Maiwenn had?† Kiyo shook his head. â€Å"You aren't the same as Maiwenn. You can't ever be.† It was like a gut-punch. I was stunned into silence, and a bit of his fierceness eased. I think he read my reaction as acceptance. â€Å"Look, I don't get this,† he said. â€Å"I don't get why you're resisting all of this after what you've always said! You never wanted a baby – any baby. If you've changed your mind, then †¦ well, try again. You just can't have these.† â€Å"And what then? I just keep having abortions until a girl comes along? What kind of a sick bastard are you?† I moved forward without realizing it, my anger exploding. Roland put a hand on my arm, keeping me back. It wasn't affection. It was a warning. It was defensive strategy, keeping us together. â€Å"I'm trying to protect the human world,† Kiyo said. He hadn't come any closer, but he was as ready as we were, his reflexes even faster. â€Å"And you should be too.† â€Å"And what happens if I don't do what you want?† I asked quietly. Here it was, the moment of truth. He sighed. â€Å"I don't want it to come to that.† â€Å"To what?† My voice rose sharply, the anguish in me ready to explode. â€Å"What will you do?† â€Å"I'll take you to Maiwenn – by force. And then †¦ and then she'll take care of it.† â€Å"The hell you will,† I said. Goddamnit, I wished I had a weapon. I almost always traveled with them – but not to the doctor's office. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roland's hand rest on the counter and wrap around something. A wand. He'd had his wand in the kitchen. But of course he would. Unlike me, he hadn't become careless. â€Å"I'll never let that happen. You guys aren't going to experiment on me!† Kiyo's face displayed a mix of emotions. There was sorrow and disappointment. He did care. He didn't want this fight between us – but he also believed in his greater good. He believed he had to do anything to stop the prophecy, and I knew then that Deanna had spoken the truth. Ideally, he just wanted the pregnancy to end. If that wasn't possible, then I was what needed to be eliminated. â€Å"How can you do this?† he asked, his voice both a threat and a plea. â€Å"How can you risk all this – just to save one life?† It was only in that moment, as the words left my lips, that I learned the truth about myself, what I'd been holding deep inside. The girl and boy thing didn't matter. Only the heartbeats did – those tiny, rapid heartbeats pounding in my ears †¦ â€Å"I'm not,† I told him. â€Å"I'm saving two lives.† I sealed my fate with that. Kiyo moved so fast that I wasn't prepared for the attack. He sprang toward me, shape-shifting as he did into his giant fox form, fangs out, snarling. A blast of wind slowed – but didn't stop – his leap, providing enough time for Roland to jerk me out of the way. The wind magic hadn't come from me. It had been Jasmine, which was why the power hadn't packed much of a punch. The unaccustomed magic left her gasping, but it had been enough to buy us a brief escape. Roland pulled me out of the kitchen, out to where we had more space to maneuver in the living room. Kiyo followed without hesitation, all brute strength and speed. â€Å"He can be banished,† I gasped out to Roland. â€Å"The same as a gentry.† Roland gave a brisk nod of acknowledgment. He already knew this, but in the sudden flurry, he didn't have the necessary pause to do a full banishing. Kiyo reached us, throwing himself on me and pushing me away from Roland. I fell hard to the ground, Kiyo's weight pinning me there. As quickly as he'd turned fox, he transformed back into a man. Still displaying amazing speed, he pulled me up by the arm. I didn't know if his intentions were simply to cart me out of the house or to attempt a world-jump then and there, but I didn't give him the chance. I'd recovered my senses and took hold of my magic. The air grew thick, and a hurricane-worthy gust blasted him away – along with a substantial part of my parents' furniture. Kiyo grimaced as he regained his footing and agonizingly took one step at a time toward me. â€Å"Damn it!† he yelled over the roar of the wind. â€Å"Stop this!† â€Å"You stop this!† I shouted back. The magic burned in my blood, and no matter how annoyingly weak the pregnancy had made me, my power hadn't diminished too much. â€Å"We don't even know that this prophecy's real! I've already met one fake seeress. It could all be for nothing.† Roland and my mother had once told me that prophecies were a dime a dozen in the Otherworld, and I'd seen that to a certain extent. Until now, I'd never wanted to take the chance that mine wouldn't come true. â€Å"But we don't know!† Kiyo countered. I could see the irritation on his face. I was keeping a storm raging around me, one that held him at bay while hopefully Roland began a banishing. â€Å"We can't risk it. Please. Please come back with me to Maiwenn. We'll fix this.† I didn't answer and instead kept the storm going. My gaze stayed on Kiyo, but I felt the tingle of shamanic magic – human magic – beginning to glimmer. Roland was indeed performing a banishing spell. Kiyo transformed into a fox again, and with that extra strength, he managed to push through the storm-shield around me and knock me to the ground again. He stayed as a fox this time, holding onto that strength. His teeth bit into my shirt, through to my shoulder, and I yelled out in pain. My magic wavered, and to my astonishment, he began dragging me – slowly – across the living room. His progress was halted when a small end table slammed into his back. I tell you, those things are lethal. Instinctively, he reared up against his attacker: Jasmine. He shoved her away, and she stumbled back. Snarling, Kiyo returned to me, and I had the uneasy feeling my odds were getting worse as to whether he'd cart me away or just kill me. He could hold on to human thoughts in fox form, but they became increasingly influenced by animal reactions the longer he stayed transformed. He suddenly looked away from me, gold eyes on Roland, who stood planted firmly across the room with his wand extended. I'd sensed the banishing earlier because of my training. Now, with the spell in full force, Kiyo could feel it too. Abandoning me for the new threat, Kiyo raced toward Roland. I screamed as all that animal power slammed into my stepfather, pinning him against the wall. The wand flew from Roland's hand. The banishing spell disintegrated. Kiyo shifted to human form again, still trapping Roland. Roland was strong but couldn't match Kiyo's strength. Struggling was useless. â€Å"Stop it,† cried Kiyo. â€Å"Both of you.† His arm pressed against Roland's neck. Roland managed a gasp as the grip cut off his air. Immediately, I let the storm magic around me drop. As I did, I felt that Jasmine had been lending her strength to me without me even realizing it. She too ceased her wielding and struggled up from where she'd been knocked down, coming to stand with me once again. The room fell eerily still. â€Å"Let him go,† I growled, moving slightly forward. I knew I couldn't win against Kiyo in a physical fight, but I also couldn't let him harm Roland. â€Å"This isn't about him. Don't hurt him.† â€Å"Believe me,† said Kiyo, â€Å"I don't want to.† His eyes were dark and human again, but there was still some feral glint in there. â€Å"Come with me, and I'll release him.† â€Å"Come with you,† I said flatly. â€Å"To Maiwenn's?† â€Å"You'll thank me later,† said Kiyo. My mind raced frantically. Roland was struggling for breath. How much longer did he have? Would Kiyo really kill him? I wondered if I could get off another blast of magic. Another attack of wind? Lightning? I could create a controlled bolt indoors, but it'd probably kill both men. And if I went with Kiyo †¦ let him take me to Maiwenn †¦ well. There'd be no getting out of that, no escape. Roland looked ready to pass out. His blue eyes were fixed on me, and then, quickly, he glanced toward my feet. I thought it was him about to lose consciousness, but then I saw the purpose in his eyes. His wand was near my feet, within easy reach. I didn't let on to Kiyo that I'd noticed. Roland's eyes returned to me, some message there. â€Å"Please,† I begged, wondering frantically what Roland wanted me to do. â€Å"Let him go.† I couldn't pull off a banishing spell. There wasn't enough time. Kiyo would release Roland, true, but then I'd be the one attacked again. I honestly didn't know how long Kiyo would play it safe. He was attempting â€Å"reasonable† solutions: force me to go to Maiwenn, blackmail with Roland, et cetera. Sooner or later, if he truly believed the prophecy's threat, he would simply eliminate me. Roland was still staring at me, still wanting me to do something he thought would save us. He'd trained me. Surely I could figure it out. I had to. What could a wand do? It cast spells. It banished creatures, sending them out of this world†¦. I felt my eyes widen. I knew what he was telling me to do. Doing it would save him, I was certain, because Kiyo would release him and come after me †¦ into the Otherworld. Roland wanted me to open a gateway for myself. I could do it. It was a fast spell, one I had the power for. Forcing another being through was what took so much time and effort. But opening the gate and stepping through? That could be done quickly. If it could be done. Getting in was easy. Passing through the worlds unassisted was hard, and I'd even had trouble going through fixed, physical gates lately in my weakened state. Making a blind, unaided transition might not even be possible for me. I'd done it once before, and it had required a lot of power. And dear God, had it hurt. If I could do it, though †¦ I'd get away from Kiyo, and Kiyo would let Roland go in order to chase me down. This could buy me the time to flee to safety. The only thing that might make it possible was that I had anchors in the Otherworld to help pull me in. If I jumped with no solid destination, I could end up trapped between the worlds, my essence disintegrated. Hell, that might still happen, but an anchor would reduce the likelihood. I didn't know where I was in relation to the Otherworld's layout, but the closest anchor would pull me in if this worked. Time to find out. With speed that rivaled Kiyo's, I reached for the wand and then grabbed hold of Jasmine's hand. Bringing her only made my task more difficult, but I wouldn't leave her to Kiyo. With the wand, I summoned the necessary magic and ripped open a gate to the Otherworld. Kiyo realized what was happening and released Roland, trying to reach me – but it was too late. I threw myself into the opening, clinging to Jasmine, and knew it would shut immediately behind us, simply because I couldn't hold open a personal gate for long. It felt just as painful as last time, like I was crashing through the floors in a building. Down, down, down. Smash, smash, smash. Each layer was more agonizing than the last, and with each blow, I felt like I was being torn apart. It was likely I was, and I would destroy Jasmine with me, ripping our souls from our bodies. Then, I sensed a tug. My soul turned toward it, and I felt my fractured self coalesce and become whole, even as that falling, excruciating sensation continued. Then – there was only one impact left: a real one. Jasmine and I slammed into a hard stone floor. My body cried out at the pain. True, physical pain. I had already been hurting from the fight with Kiyo, and now, crashing through the worlds had taken that pain to new levels. Nausea welled up in me, and I fought hard not to throw up. I could hear Jasmine whimpering, but the sights around us were a blur as my disoriented mind tried to get a hold of itself. Finally, the world came into focus, the colors and lines growing sharp once more. A faint hum of magic in the air, one that was always present, told me I'd made it intact to the Otherworld. And Dorian was looking down at me.