The Scarlett Letter Essay Example For Students

The Scarlett Letter Essay The novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an intriguing account of a Puritan community that experiences a breakdown in beliefs. The story deals with a woman, Hester, who commits adultery with a Calvinistic minister resulting in the birth of a child (Martin 110). As compensation for her crime of passion and her refusal to name her lover, Hester is sentenced to wear an embroidered scarlet letter on her bosom. It is this letter, or secret sin, that becomes the emphasis of the novel and assumes many different roles (Martin 111). Hawthorne starts the novel by portraying the literary reality associated with the different aspects of the letter (Martin 110). From the start, Hawthorne seems to say, this is a scarlet letter; because of that, it is capable of further meaning. The letter will have to carry the burden of the tale (Martin 111). Hawthornes use of symbolism is fully developed in the multi-meanings hidden in the scarlet letter through a variety of characters. We will write a custom essay on The Scarlett Letter specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The scarlet letter represents different ideals to different people and should be given the proper consideration (Martin 114). In the Puritan community, the letter is viewed as a moral obligation to inform others of Hesters sin, one that they feel should be dragged out into the sunshine (Hawthorne 43). They believe the letter symbolizes psychological and religious truth. The Puritans are a people amongst whom religion and law were almost identical, and in whose character both were so thoroughly interfused, that her mildest and severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful (Hawthorne 40). It is said that meager, indeed, and cold, was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders at the scaffold (Hawthorne 40). The Puritans are firmly against Hesters actions and feels that she has disgraced them along with herself. They feel that she must take responsibility for her actions. The effect of her punishment however is not what the Puritans ha d hoped to achieve. Hesters sin has grown from that of passion to one of purpose. Even with Hesters sympathetic attitude, she was not filled with regret and therefore the letter had not done its task (Martin 122). To the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the scarlet letter contains a whole new meaning. He views the letter as a constant reminder of his sin and cowardice. His guilt continues to grow as a result of his not being able to come forth in front of the community and take responsibility for his actions. His guilt and sin become magnified by his inability to stand beside Hester at the scaffold. Dimmesdale, also is ironically charged with questioning Hester and trying to convince her of the importance of identifying her fellow sinner (Hawthorne 52). He begins to feel more and more grief and it begins to affect his mental and physical state. He soon becomes weak; however, it is believed by the community to be because of his too unreserved self-sacrifice to the labors and duties of the pastoral relation (Hawthorne 80). When Dimmesdale is believed to be near death, the community again believes it is because the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet (Hawthorne 88). Dimmesdale seems to be haunted by Satans emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth. This diabolical agent had the Divine permission, for a season, to burrow into the clergymans intimacy and plot against his soul (Hawthorne 94). Chillingworth proposes to Dimmesdale that a sickness, a sore place, if we may so call it, in your spirit, hath immediately its appropriate manifestation in your bodily frame (Hawthorne 99). However, Dimmesdale denies and refuses to discuss it with him. Dimmesdale becomes weaker and weaker because by the constitution of his nature, he loved the truth, and loathed the lie, as few men ever did. Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self! (Hawthorne 105). Before Dimmesdales death, he finally confesses to his sin on the scaffold and free s his soul and conscience. Spectators have testified to seeing on the breast of the unhappy minister, a SCARLET LETTERthe very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynneimprinted in the flesh (Hawthorne 182). Dimmesdales own personal suffering and guilt becomes known after the consequence of his sin is immersed. Since women are of less account than men, they are coerced physically rather that psychologically (Baym 283). Forced to wear a symbol of shame in public, Hester is left alone behind that symbol to develop, as she will. .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 , .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .postImageUrl , .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 , .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:hover , .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:visited , .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:active { border:0!important; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:active , .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534 .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1136e730d333ec8d7a745c63ab249534:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The American Indian Genocide EssayHester Prynne is torn in two between the different meanings she possesses towards the scarlet letter. The pain inflicted by the letter remains with Hester, while at the same time she takes satisfaction in having the letter. She views the letter as an armor of pride that is also a mantle of suffering (Martin 114). The letter serves as a constant reminder to Hester of her sin and brings the coldness of the community on her. She becomes isoBibliography:

History of the Byzantine Empire essays

History of the Byzantine Empire essays The Byzantine Empire is sometimes referred to as the East Roman Empire. The word Byzantine, in fact, comes from "Byzantium," which is the Greek name for a city on the Bosphorus. It was established with the foundation of Constantinople, the capital. The Empire included parts of both southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and northern Africa. The ancient Roman Empire having been divided into two parts, an East and West with the east being the Byzantine. It was around between 312-1453AD and it reached its most powerful point in the 500's A.D. People of the Empire called themselves Romans, although they weren't really Romans; they were descendants of various ancient people. They were a mixture of mainly Greeks and Latin The Byzantine Empire was greatly influenced by the Greeks, who colonized the area, in the mid 600's BC. When Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed after himself Constantinople, in 330 AD, When the Empire began to grow in number and power. The Empire lasted close to 1250 years until the Ottoman Turks came in and beat Constantine the Great and renamed it Istanbul, which it is known as today. Christianity influenced the culture of Byzantine including art, music, and architecture. Being that Constantinople was the capital of the Empire it was where everyone would go to read and write the language of ancient Greece. This period made many beautiful works of arts and fine poetry. Visual arts also flourished, too. Most of the artist worked as servant s of the court or belonged to religious orders, and they remained anonymous, which explains why most Byzantine artwork has no artist, so one or many people could have made these great works, and we would never know. The artworks on churches were also very popular the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, known to the Byzantines as the Church of the Resurrection at the order of Emperor Constantine probably took ten years...

10 Fascinating, Little-Known Moth Facts

10 Fascinating, Little-Known Moth Facts Moths arent just the dull brown cousins of our beloved butterflies. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Before you dismiss them as boring, check out these 10 fascinating facts about moths.   1. Moths Outnumber Butterflies by a 9 to 1 Ratio Butterflies and moths belong to the same order,  Lepidoptera.  Over 90% of known Leps (as entomologists often call them) are moths, not butterflies. Scientists have already discovered and described well over 135,000 different species of moths. Moth experts estimate there are at least 100,000 more moths still undiscovered, and some think moths actually number half a million species. So why do a few butterflies get all the attention? 2. Most Moths Are Nocturnal, but Many Fly During the Day We tend to think of moths as creatures of the night, but this isnt always the case. Some moths are quite active during daylight hours. Theyre often mistaken for butterflies, bees, or even hummingbirds. The clearwing moths, some of which mimic wasps or bees, visit flowers for nectar during the day. Other diurnal moths include some tiger moths, lichen moths, wasp moths, and owlet moths.   3. Moths Come in All Sizes Some moths are so small theyre referred to as micromoths. Generally, moth families in which the member species measure just a centimeter or two are considered micromoths. But a still undescribed species collected in Africa is likely the smallest moth of all, with a wingspan of just 2 mm. At the other end of the moth spectrum is the white witch moth (Thysania aggrippina), a neotropical species with a wingspan that reaches up to 28 cm, or the size of a dinner plate. 4. Male Moths Have a Remarkable  Sense of Smell Keep in mind that moths dont have noses, of course. An insects sense of smell is essentially its ability to detect chemical cues in the environment, called chemoreception. Moths smell these cues with highly sensitive receptors on their antennae. And male moths are the champions of chemoreception, thanks to feathery antennae with lots of surface area to grab those molecules from the air and give them a sniff. Female moths use sex attractant pheromones to invite potential mates to mingle. Silk moth males seem to have the strongest sense of smell of all and can follow a whiff of female pheromones for miles. A male promethea moth holds the record for tracking a scent through the air. He flew an astounding 23 miles in the hope of mating with the girl of his dreams and was likely disappointed when he realized hed been tricked by a scientist with a pheromone trap. 5. Some Moths Are Important Pollinators We dont often think of moths as pollinators, perhaps because we arent outside in the dark watching them work. While butterflies get all the credit, there are plenty of moths moving pollen from flower to flower, including geometer moths, owlet moths, and sphinx moths. Yucca plants require the help of yucca moths to cross-pollinate their flowers, and each yucca plant species has its own moth partner. The yucca moths have special tentacles with which they can scrape and gather pollen from yucca blossoms. Charles Darwin famously predicted that orchids with exceptionally long nectaries were pollinated by insects with equally long proboscises. Though ridiculed for his hypothesis at the time, he was later vindicated when scientists discovered the Madagascan sphinx moth, an orchid-pollinating species with a 30 cm proboscis. 6. Some Moths Do Not Have Mouths Some moths dont waste time once they reach adulthood. They emerge from their cocoons ready to mate, and content to die soon afterward. Since they wont be around for very long, they can get by on the energy they stored as caterpillars. If you dont plan on eating, theres really no point in developing a fully-functioning mouth. Probably the best-known example of a mouthless moth is the luna moth, a stunning species that lives just a few days as an adult. 7. Not All Moths Eat, but They Are Often Eaten Moths and their caterpillars make up a lot of biomass in the ecosystems where they live. And they arent just empty calories, either. Moths and caterpillars are rich in protein. All kinds of animals feed on moths and caterpillars: birds, bats, frogs, lizards, small mammals, and in some parts of the word, even people! 8. Moths Use All Kinds of Tricks to Avoid Being Eaten When everything in your world is intent on eating you, youve got to get a little creative to stay alive. Moths employ all kinds of interesting tricks to avoid predation. Some are masterful mimics, such as caterpillars that look like twigs and adult moths that blend in with tree bark. Others use startle markings, like the underwing moths that flash brightly colored hindwings to distract pursuing predators. Tiger moths produce ultrasonic clicking sounds that confuse sonar-guided bats. 9. Some Moths Migrate Everyone loves migrating butterflies, like the famous long-distance flights of the North American monarchs. But nobody gives props to the many moths that also migrate, perhaps because they tend to fly at night. Moths tend to migrate for practical reasons, like to find a better food supply, or to avoid uncomfortably hot and dry weather. Black cutworm moths spend their winters on the Gulf Coast but migrate north in the spring (like some senior citizens). Olympic trivia buffs may remember the hordes of migrating Bogong moths that pestered athletes during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. 10. Moths Are Attracted to Light Bulbs, Bananas, and Beer If the previous 9 facts convinced you that moths are pretty cool insects, you might be interested in attracting moths so you can see them for yourself. Moth enthusiasts use a few tricks to lure moths closer. First, many moths will come to lights at night, so you can start by observing the moths that visit your porch light. To see a greater diversity of the moths in your area, try using a black light and a collecting sheet, or even a mercury vapor light. Some moths might not come to lights but cant resist a mixture of fermenting sweets. You can mix up a special moth-attracting recipe using ripe bananas, molasses, and stale beer. Paint the mixture on a few tree trunks and see who comes for a taste. Sources: Australias Bogong moth invasion turns even yawning into a potential health hazard, The Independent. November 4, 2013.Capinera, John L. Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition.Corcoran, A.J., Barber, J. R., and Conner, W. E. Tiger moth jams bat sonar. Science. July 17, 2009.Cranshaw, Whitney and Redak, Richard. Bugs Rule! An Introduction to the World of Insects.Kritsky, Gene. Darwins Madagascan hawk moth prediction. American Entomologist, Volume 37, 1991.Largest Lepidopteran Wing Span, University of Florida Book of Insect Records, April 17, 1998.  Moisset, Beatriz. Yucca Moths (Tegeticula sp.). US Forest Service website.Smallest Moth in the World?, UC David Department of Entomology and Nematology website, June 29, 2012.Status of Pollinators in North America, by Committee on the Status of Pollinators in North America, 2007.Waldbauer, Gilbert. The Handy Bug Answer Book.

About smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About smoking - Essay Example In the current society, many people smoke since it looks fashionable and outgoing. Therefore, in their personal perception, smoking looks cool. Such smoking practices lead to different effects that alter your daily activities. The most common effect is addiction. Scientific research shows that smoking one cigarette can lead to affection of smoking more and more cigarettes. This results into addiction and might become part of life of the victim. Furthermore, smoking has horrible effects on the human body. When an individual smokes a cigarette, they cause major health problems to themselves and the people around them. This activity shortens the lifespan of all the individuals affected by the cigarette smoke. That is why it can result into cancer, emphysema and heart diseases (Slovic, 2001). Smokers are unable to quit smoking cigarettes because it is addictive in nature. The cigarettes contain tobacco and nicotine that are highly addictive. Thus, the body and mind adapts the nicotine effect quickly leading to addiction. In conclusion, it is evident that smokers understand the consequences of puffing cigarettes, but find it hard to quit. Even though, it reduces stress, personal issues and pressure, it is not advisable to start smoking. Individuals should consider the harmful impact of smoking before adopting the new

Implications of Health Economic Concepts for Healthcare Coursework

Implications of Health Economic Concepts for Healthcare - Coursework Example In the health care, accesses to medical services are always on high demand. However, there is a shortage of medical practitioners who can help in treating people (Edwards, 2001). This has an effect of increasing the medical costs that entrepreneurs will charge. This is because there is a shortage of medical practitioners, and the demand is high for the services of these practitioners. Another example is on generic drugs. Because of the many and great supply of these drugs, they are cheap when compared to the original version of these drugs (Ko, 2013). The law of supply and demand denotes that when supply is high, then the prices of the products will be low. The experiences of a variety of health care organizations are able to demonstrate the fact that the demand of health care services is not insatiable, and they are predictable. It is possible to predict the advice, appointment, or the message of a health care service provider, basing on time, population, and scope of the practice of the provider (Dalton, 2012). It is possible to anticipate periods of low or high demand by analyzing the demand data that is collected, based on the requests recorded in electronic health registers, or accounting books. An health care system can use these predictions for purposes of matching the supply of its services to the various needs of patients for a particular service (Lee and Kim, 2012). Most people believe that the demand for health care services is inelastic. For example if a person is sick, then he or she will not be very sensitive to price. A person suffering from malaria, typhoid, etc, will pay the price of medical treatment, irrespective on whether it is low, or high. However, the exception to this principles or rules touches on the purchase of eye glasses, plastic surgery, elective surgery, etc. These are considered luxurious health care services, and it is only for the preserve of the rich (Dalton, 2012). In

Nuclear Power - a Reliable Energy Source for the Future Essay Example for Free

Nuclear Power a Reliable Energy Source for the Future Essay Nuclear power A reliable energy source for the future India is on the move. Indeed, one of the primary reasons why we are even having this competition is a result of the 8% plus annual GDP growth over the last 8 years. This growth has been driven by strong domestic demand, and with that electricity consumption per capita has doubled from 355KWh in 2000 to 720kWh by 2009. This is a huge increase, but in absolute terms is puny when compared to other countries globally, being only 20% and 3% of the figures for China and America respectively. Juxtapose this with the deplorable fact that about 400 million people are yet to be connected to the electricity grid and the writing is on the wall. In this regard it’s best to compare ourselves to China but it’s already clear that demand is going to soar in the coming years. On the supply side, the power generation figures are much gloomier, and most years hover stubbornly around the ‘Hindu rate of growth’ of 3%. Understandably power generation requires huge capital investment; even so, the pace of growth has been extremely tardy over the past 20 years. In many states (Maharashtra being the notable example) reasonably healthy power surpluses from the early 90s were allowed to stagnate into power deficits by the end of the decade, setting the stage for a huge uphill struggle to cope with the demand surge of this past decade. The net result of all this is that overall national power deficit is around 12% consistently, with no major state being power surplus. There can be no doubt as to what is responsible for this; poor planning and lack of foresight on the part of the Government. Thankfully, it appears to have finally woken up to the challenge, and there are hasty efforts being made to meet the XIth plan revised target of 62,500 MW with a far more ambitious target for the XIIth plan. Given this changed outlook on the part of the Government, I think this is an excellent opportunity to not only work for the short term goal of bridging the deficit, but also looking further ahead and envisioning scenarios for 2020 and beyond. Let’s take a step back and see exactly how we get our power from. At the oment, the predominant source is thermal – a kinder word for what are mostly coal-fired plants. Totally these contribute 64. 6% of the total installed capacity. The other major contributor is hydroelectric powerwhich provides another 22. 6% of total power. Both are hardly what you’d term green; coal powered plants , especially in India are inefficient and polluting whereas large scale hydroelectric projects tend to cause large scale environmental ch anges as well as trigger population shifts. Finally there is nuclear and renewables, which come in at 4. % and 7. 2% respectively. Given the scale of problems associated with large scale hydroelectric projects, it is going to extremely difficult (and not advisable from an environmental viewpoint either) to attempt to build huge hydroelectric projects. Indeed, most of the current capacity has been installed in the immediate years post-independence and there has been little progress with large scale projects in the last twenty years (the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the movements against the Tehri dam come to mind here). It is quite clear therefore, that apart from small scale hydroelectric projects that do not require massive dams on rivers, it is going to be very difficult to raise the conventional hydroelectric generation capacity by as much as is required by the growth in demand discussed above. It is quite an accepted view that the renewable energy sources like wind, tidal and geothermal just will not have the ability to compensate for current fossil fuel generation. Wind and waves could only be used at the coast or in elevated areas in the mountain ranges, and apart from the four monsoon months, wind patterns across the subcontinent are rather subdued. In my view, there are strong reasons for opting for the latter, which I will detail in the paragraphs below. India abounds with coal. Indeed, this is the only fossil fuel we have a huge supply of. Beneath the ground in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa lies about 10% of the known reserves, making India the 3rd largest coal producer in the world. With reserves enough to last for at least another 100 years, it is no surprise then that post-Independence a huge emphasis was placed on enhanced production and utilisation for electricity generation. There are of course other demands for coal, most notably by the steel industry where it is used as a raw material. Like many other areas for the economy, the steel industry has also boomed in the last 20 years with a six fold increase in production. But this may also prove to be too little as demand is increasing at an annual pace of 10%+ and is likely to accelerate given the renewed push for infrastructure development by the government. All of this has meant that once again India is importing large quantities of coal negating the trade cushion that large domestic production naturally affords us. What is the reason for this mismatch? All mines in India were nationalised in the 1970s, and have fallen behind the rest of the world in production standards and efficiencies. Finally, Indian coal has a high ash content and low calorific value which means that larger quantities of raw material will need to be mined. All of these last points highlight the much larger problem with coal- its huge impact on the environment. Fossil fuels pollute, but they do so in two ways- through the emission of particulate matter, S02, N02 and other harmful gases (traditional pollution) and the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. In most of the developed world, the former has vanished almost completely with strict regulations on emissions from plants. In India, with the poor quality of mining and lax environmental normscoal power plants are a huge source of local pollution. This significantly mars the quality of life of the people in the surrounding area, and if a dramatic increase in coal power is planned, a much larger number of people will be affected. Of course, the much bigger problem and challenge is the huge carbon emissions. To many, the whole debate on climate change is a conspiracy by the West. Just when India appears to be settling on a path of sustained growth, the bogey of carbon emissions is raised by nations that have made full use of carbon based industries themselves. Climate change debate in India is extremely low on facts and high on rhetoric and outlooks range from a care-a-damn attitude to holding it liable for everyunusually heavy downpour. Climate change is by and large not a burning topic for public discussion, certainly not one of the aam aadmi issues and so receives short shrift amongst our politicians- many of whom know precious little on the matter. Imagine then the unease, when the whole issue blew up suddenly at Copenhagen in 2008 and India thrust into a prominent position alongside China. No longer an innocent bystander as at Kyoto a decade before, India’s growth and emergence in the world’s eyes have also ensured that it is now seen as essential to the solution. While there was no deal reached on the matter in part due to India and China standing firm, the writing is on the wall for India. Emission limits are going to come sooner or later. Indeed, they may be pretty soon given the unexpected change in the Government’s stance at the current round of negotiations in Cancun. All this makes coal powered plants the real villains of the lot. Spewing huge amounts of carbon in the atmosphere, they can (and especially the ones in India) be highly inefficient. Technologies like Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) exist which can reduce this but is at the moment prohibitively expensive and reduces the efficiency of the plant by a further 50%. There is also the additional problem of safe storage of the captured CO2 so that it does not leak out for 100s of years. If even in the West it will require significant government subsidy to implement, there is not much scope of it taking off in India where there will be no governmental support. A simple modification could be to build gas/oil based plants. While the carbon emissions will be curtailed somewhat, and air pollution unquestionably reduced, these are not a solution to the problems of carbon emissions. And finally India’s oil and gas (despite recent finds) reserves are far short of meeting demand, which would place these plants at the mercy of large fluctuations in international prices or global unrest. Good examples of this are the countries of Europe who are trying hard to diversify themselves away from Russian gas. Now these can be perceived as significant setbacks, or else as a whole new set of opportunities with the chance for a level playing field. I earnestly believe that these two issues- the burgeoning power deficit and the push to eliminate it and the need to begin some action on climate change have fortuitously come at the same time. Nuclear energy has a long association with independent India. Nuclear energy caught the attention of our founding fathers and Jawaharlal Nehru was an eager advocate. In an influential letter Homi Bhabha, the architect of the Indian nuclear program wrote â€Å" Moreover, when nuclear energy has been successfully applied for power production in say a couple of decades from now, India will not have to look abroad for its experts but will find them ready at hand. † But the fortunes of our nuclear ambitions mirrored only too closely that of India’s relations with the rest of the world. The early optimism of the Nehru years disappeared abruptly with the China war, and the 1964 Chinese atomic test only served to highlight India’s isolation from the world’s major powers and the precarious security balance with regards to China. Acquiring a bomb became a national priority; and while the 1974 tests were a triumph for Mrs Gandhi domestically, it spelt doom for civilian nuclear efforts. An outraged international community imposed tough sanctions, which were further intensified after the 1998 nuclear tests. For most people, it seemed that civilian nuclear efforts had been given a quiet burial. But was this really the case? Amazingly, and in what must be one of the greatest triumphs of Indian science and engineering, it was not! Despite tremendous odds, a great deal of effort was put into civilian nuclear technology. Realising that they couldn’t rely on the West, our scientists decided to revisit the entire basis of the nuclear process and press on with phase II of the so called three stage nuclear program. The emphasis would now be placed on Thorium, which is much more abundant in India. There are significant challenges to using this material, mostly due to the fact that it does not produce the fissile stable Uranium 235 as a by-product of decay. A lot of work has been done in this area, and today we are ready to commission projects at phase II and planning work has already begun for Phase III Advanced Heavy Water Reactor systems. However, in that period the Cold War became history and our growing economy and some unexpectedly dogged diplomacy won India the landmark nuclear deal of 2008. While the sceptics may decry the ‘loss of sovereignty’ India is now no longer a nuclear pariah and can trade and develop its civilian nuclear capabilities as it sees fit. What I want to underscore here is just how competitive we are; our atomic energy facilities are in many cases at the cutting edge of nuclear research and certainly the best work on Thorium is coming out of India. So much so that nuclear scientists from the West are extremely keen on using our facilities and collaborating with us. I think the nuclear deal will enable us to leverage our strengths well, and if properly planned out, India could very well turn from customer to supplier, exporting high value technology to other countries around the globe. This is an opportunity that surely cannot be missed! But to return to nuclear energy- does it fulfil the requirements for a reliable source of energy? Well air pollution is extremely limited, and so are carbon emissions as there are no fossil fuels involved (except perhaps for the transfer of the fuel). India possesses vast reserves of Thorium, and electricity from nuclear power will also be cost effective. Sure, it takes longer to build these plants but that in part has been to our lack of experience and the stifling of nuclear commerce pre 2008. This has been taken into account in the growth plans to 20,000 MW by 2020 and then a further tripling to 63,000 MW by 2032. Unlike the solar power targets though, these should be readily achievable. At the moment, Indian industry doesn’t possess many of the skills required by the industry and this will be a great impetus itself for developing high tech industries in India. However, there is the serious issue of disposal of nuclear by products and the catastrophic scenarios that can arise from a nuclear accident. Indeed it is the latter which has led to large amounts of anti-nuclear feelings especially in Europe. The largest such accident was at Chernobyl in 1986 and the radiation from this affected most of continental Europe. But as has been pointed out, safety standards in the Soviet Union were not as stringent as the West, and even these were blatantly violated as the Soviet economy began to crumble. In other words, it was a terrible exception and given correct management, shouldn’t happen again. In many ways this was eerily similar to Bhopal, which is worrying for two reasons. One it shows we don’t have an inbred safety culture and two that such comparisons could be a convenient bogey for derailment of nuclear projects. The solution is to tackle the former and build up a culture of professionalism and discipline at these nuclear power plants, with safety standards that compare with the West and are adhered to. The memories of Bhopal are still fresh in people’s minds and let’s hope the lessons stay with us also. France is a great example of a system that works. 70% of its electricity is generated in nuclear plants and it has an unblemished safety record. So along with technology, we should have no qualms in learning from the best in the trade and imbibing their safety ethic. If this is done, there is a great chance of nuclear technology becoming another transformative sector for the economy like IT was in this decade. Being a nuclear energy powerhouse will have a knock-on effect for Indian diplomacy and our relations with the rest of the world. Given the volatile nature of world events, it is almost a certainty that access to nuclear technology will be continue to be restrictive in the years ahead. All of the world powers today have strong nuclear programs- even Japan is a key supplier for civilian nuclear technology. A strong domestic nuclear sector will add a lot of weight to our voice in the world and hasten India’s ascent on the world stage. Nuclear energy will enable us to make significant progress in meeting any emissions targets that could be set for us and will make clear to the world that India is serious about climate change. Not only is this good for us in the long run (India is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures) but it will also deflect pressure back on the developed nations who are primarily responsible for the problem. Such a bold move would be another shot in the arm for Indian diplomacy. If a stopgap solution is required, then coal and gas plants are the way forward. Indeed, to meet the immediate deficit, this is the only way. But it is not the technology for the future. At the moment, that mantle lies with nuclear energy. Our country has already done a great deal of work under very difficult conditions to build up our nuclear program. It would be a tragedy to let this slide and not harness its capabilities. Accomplishing this will require vision- but then, that is exactly what is needed to build the India of the future.

Soliloquies Essay - A Powerful Soliloquy in Macbeth -- Macbeth essays

A Powerful Soliloquy in Macbeth The play ‘Macbeth’ uses soliloquies with great effect to express the thoughts of individual characters, particularly in the case of the protagonist, Macbeth. In Act V Scene V, strong words from Macbeth convey to the reader two themes of the play.   This soliloquy demonstrates the play's use of irony and the use of the disparity between the great opposition of light and darkness as symbols for both life and death.   This soliloquy is quite significant to the play as a whole since it demonstrates two very important themes as well as leading to a better understanding of Macbeth. Macbeth is talking to an officer, when hearing of his wife's demise his mood suddenly deepens into that of emptiness.   He begins a soliloquy and states a number of ironic things.   He states that life drags on, that it "creeps in this petty pace" when in reality the speed of his actions and the development of the play's plot are taking place at a great speed.   Furthermore he goes on to describe life as a "brief candle," thus communicating that life’s opposite; death must therefore be an eternal darkness.   Throughout the play, the character Macbeth has longed for death, perhaps so that he can be unleashed from his worldly pain and guilt. He goes... ...arkness, pain, and insignificant. Works Cited and Consulted: Biggins, Dennis. "Light and Darkness in Macbeth." Shakespeare Studies VII (1975) Gilligan, Carol. Irony in Macbeth. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982 Kinney, Arthur F. ed. William Shakpespeare: the Tragedies. Boston: Hall and Company, 1985. Noble, Adrian. "At age 436, His Future is Unlimited." New York Times 23 Apr. 2000, late ed., sec. 2:5. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Elements of Literature. Sixth ed. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997. "William Shakespeare." BBC Homepage. Online. Available . 26 Mar. 2004.

Media-Based Anticrime Efforts

Today’s prevalent technological innovations contribute to the growing incidents of crime in the United States. This alarming fact has already been brought into the awareness of the National Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign and that which the agency has been addressing these days. Majority of NCPC’s campaigns are engaged in preventing crimes that involve the internet crime, bullying, and theft. (â€Å"Current Campaigns†) In addition, Court TV’s Choices and Consequences also wishes to help the American society become aware of its ability to prevent crime. Empowering the youth – as its main targeted audience – with the wisdom that they can help prevent crime by being aware that the decisions that they make as adolescents have significant lifetime consequences is what this award-winning program do. (â€Å"Mission†) In my opinion, these crime-fighting organizations are effective with their mission of preventing crimes in the society. Through their programs, the community is provided with sufficient information that strips them off from being ignorant about the most recent crime trends in the society. This information will serve as their weapon in fighting against particular crimes when they encounter them. The use of the various forms of media leaves no man ignorant about serious social issues that directly affect him. Consequently, sometimes, excessive use of media in order to deter crime does not necessarily mean that it initiates fear among the members of the society to commit crime. There are even instances when people are influenced otherwise. Too much information also leads to curiosity – curiosity to do what and how it feels like to do what the law tries hard to prevent from happening. Moreover, though broadcast companies hate to admit it, media sensationalize crime incidents that results to adverse psychological effects among some members of the society. There is moreover a conflicting interest issues in the media’s concern regarding its ability to report and deter crime. The federal government, in its hope to secure the society and prevent crimes from happening utilizes the media in order to popularize its campaigns against crime. Major organizations who are advocates of deterring crime also provides television networks with a large sum of money just to make sure people are aware of the criminal issues that are happening in the society so they can avoid it when in the situation. These huge amounts of money that is at stake here leaves us into doubt whether the media companies are earnest in helping deter crime in the community. References: Current Campaigns. Retrieved from http://www.ncpc.org/newsroom/current-campaigns on Oct.  25, 2007. Mission. Retrieved   on Oct. 25, 2007.   

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 20

â€Å"Cookies,† Alaric said gravely. â€Å"Bonnie thinks she could manage to choke down a few cookies. Just to keep her strength up.† â€Å"Cookies, got it,† said Meredith, rummaging in Mrs. Flowers's kitchen cabinet to find a mixing bowl. She clunked a big china bowl that was probably older than she was onto the counter and checked the refrigerator. Eggs, milk, butter. Flour in the freezer. Vanil a and sugar in the cupboard. â€Å"Look at you,† Alaric said admiringly as Meredith unwrapped a stick of butter. â€Å"You don't even need a recipe. Is there anything you can't do?† â€Å"Lots of things,† Meredith replied, basking in the warmth of Alaric's gaze. â€Å"What can I do to help?† he asked cheerful y. â€Å"You can get another mixing bowl and measure two cups of flour and a teaspoon of baking powder into it,† Meredith told him. â€Å"I'l beat the butter with the other ingredients in this bowl, and then we can put them together.† â€Å"Got it.† Alaric found a bowl and measuring cups and started to measure out the items. Meredith watched his strong, tanned hands confidently leveling off the flour. Alaric had gorgeous hands, she thought. His shoulders were nice, too, and his face. Al of him, real y. She realized she was ogling her boyfriend instead of stirring, and felt her cheeks color, even though no one was watching her. â€Å"Pass me the measuring cups when you're done with them?† He handed them to her. â€Å"I know something scary's going on, and I want to protect Bonnie, too,† he said, smiling a little, â€Å"but I think she might be milking the situation a little. She loves that everyone's pampering her.† â€Å"Bonnie's being very brave,† said Meredith primly, then flashed him a grin, â€Å"and, yes, she might be milking it.† Matt came down the stairs and into the kitchen. â€Å"I think maybe Bonnie should have some tea when she gets out of her bubble bath,† he said. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers is busy putting protective spel s on the bedroom Bonnie chose, but she said she has a mix of chamomile and rosemary that would be good, and to put honey in it.† Meredith focused on mixing the cookie ingredients together as Matt boiled water and careful y measured dried herbs and honey to make the tea to Mrs. Flowers's exact specifications. When he final y finished fussing over it, Matt picked up the fragile teacup and saucer careful y. â€Å"Wait, maybe I'd better take the whole pot up,† he said. As he searched for a tray to carry it on, he asked, â€Å"Meredith, are you sure you and Bonnie got everything she might need from her house?† â€Å"She was up there for nearly a half hour. She got everything she wanted,† said Meredith, â€Å"and if we missed anything, I'm sure Mrs. Flowers has some extras.† â€Å"Good,† said Matt, his handsome face intent as he picked up the tea tray without spil ing anything. â€Å"I just want to make sure Bonnie's okay.† He left the kitchen, and Meredith listened to his footsteps heading back upstairs. Once he was out of earshot, she and Alaric both burst out laughing. â€Å"Yes, she's definitely milking it,† said Meredith, when she'd stopped giggling. Alaric pul ed her toward him. His face was serious and intent now, and Meredith caught her breath. When they were this close, she could see the hidden flecks of gold in his hazel eyes, and they felt like a secret only Meredith knew. â€Å"I love how you take care of your friend,† Alaric told her, his voice low. â€Å"What I love most is that you know she's pushing it as far as she can, seeing what you'l do for her, and you laugh, but you're stil going to give her whatever she needs.† He frowned a little. â€Å"No, that's not right. I do love how you see the funny side of it, but what I love most is how wel you take care of everyone you can.† He pul ed her closer stil . â€Å"I guess mostly I love you, Meredith.† Meredith kissed him. How could she have worried that Celia would come between them? It was like there had been a mist fil ing her eyes, making it so that she was unable to see the simple truth: Alaric was crazy about her. After a minute, she broke the kiss and turned back to the cookie dough. â€Å"Get a cookie sheet, would you?† she asked. Alaric stood stil for a moment. â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said. Closing her eyes, Meredith summoned al her strength. She had to tel him. She had promised herself she would. He handed her a cookie sheet and she busied herself by scooping spoonfuls of dough onto it. â€Å"There's something I need to tel you, Alaric,† she said. Alaric froze next to her. â€Å"What is it?† he asked, his voice wary. â€Å"It's going to sound unbelievable.† He gave a snort of laughter. â€Å"More unbelievable than everything else that's happened since I met you?† â€Å"Sort of,† Meredith said. â€Å"Or, at least, it's specifical y about me this time. I've been†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was hard to say. â€Å"I come from a family of vampire hunters. Al my life, I've been training to fight. I guess taking care of people is a family trait.† She smiled weakly. Alaric stared at her. â€Å"Say something,† Meredith prompted after a moment. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked wildly around. â€Å"I don't know what to say. I'm surprised you never told me this. I thought† – he paused – â€Å"that we knew each other real y wel .† â€Å"My family†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Meredith miserably. â€Å"They made me swear that I would keep our secret. I never told anybody until a few days ago.† Alaric closed his eyes for a minute and pressed his palms against them hard. When he opened them, he looked calmer. â€Å"I understand. I do.† â€Å"Wait,† said Meredith. â€Å"There's more.† The cookie sheet was ful , and she cast about for something else to occupy her hands and eyes while she talked. She settled on a dish towel and twisted it nervously. â€Å"Do you remember that Klaus attacked my grandfather?† Alaric nodded. â€Å"Wel , I found out a few days ago that he also attacked me, and stole my brother – the brother I'd never known I had – and took him away and made him a vampire. And he left me – I was only three – some kind of half vampire. A living girl, but one who needed to eat blood sausage and sometimes had†¦ sharp teeth like a kitten's.† â€Å"Oh, Meredith†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alaric's face was ful of compassion, and he moved toward her, hands out. Toward me, Meredith noted. Not away, not afraid. â€Å"Wait,† she said again. â€Å"Elena asked the Guardians to change things to the way they would have been if Klaus never came here.† She put down the dish towel. â€Å"So it never happened.† â€Å"What?† Alaric said, staring at her. Meredith nodded, a helpless, confused smile spreading over her face. â€Å"My grandfather died in a retirement home in Florida two years ago. I have a brother – one I don't remember, unfortunately – he got sent away to boarding school when we were twelve and joined the military as soon as he turned eighteen. Apparently he's the problem child of the family.† She took a deep breath. â€Å"I'm not a vampire. Not even a half vampire. Not now.† Alaric was stil staring at her. â€Å"Wow,† he said. â€Å"Wait a minute. Does that mean that Klaus is stil alive? Could he come here, come after your family now?† â€Å"I thought of that,† Meredith said, glad to address the practicalities. â€Å"I don't think so. Elena asked the Guardians to change Fel ‘s Church so it was as if Klaus never came here. She didn't ask them to change Klaus and his experience. For him, I think, logical y, he did come here, long ago, and now he's dead.† She smiled shakily. â€Å"I hope so, anyway.† â€Å"So you're safe,† Alaric said, â€Å"as safe as a vampire hunter might be. Is that al you needed to tel me?† When Meredith nodded, he reached for her and pul ed her back into his arms. Holding her tightly, he said. â€Å"I would have loved you with sharp teeth, too. But I'm so glad for you.† Meredith closed her eyes. She had needed to tel him, to know how he would have reacted if the Guardians hadn't changed everything. A great warming gladness spread al through her. Alaric pressed his lips against her hair. â€Å"Wait,† she said once more, and he released her, looking inquisitive. â€Å"The cookies.† Meredith laughed and put them in the oven, setting the timer for ten minutes. They kissed until the buzzer rang. â€Å"Are you sure you'l be okay alone?† Matt asked anxiously, standing by Bonnie's bed. â€Å"I'l be right downstairs if you need anything. Or maybe I should stay here. I could sleep on your floor. I know I snore, but I'd try not to, I swear.† Bonnie gave him a brave little smile. â€Å"I'l be fine, Matt. Thank you so much.† With one last worried glance, Matt patted her hand awkwardly, then left the room. Bonnie knew he would toss and turn on his own bed, thinking of ways to keep her safe. Probably he would end up sleeping on the floor outside her door, she thought, giving a delighted little wriggle. â€Å"Sleep wel , my dear,† said Mrs. Flowers, taking his place by Bonnie's bedside. â€Å"I have cast al the protective charms I know around you. I hope you like the tea. It's my own special brew.† â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Flowers,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Good night.† â€Å"You are enjoying this way too much,† said Meredith, who came in next carrying a plate of cookies. She was limping, but had insisted that she didn't need a cane or crutch as long as her ankle was bandaged. In fact†¦ Bonnie took a closer look at Meredith. Her cheeks were flushed, and her usual y smooth hair was a little mussed. I think she's very glad that Celia's gone to UVA, Bonnie thought with a smirk. â€Å"I'm just trying to keep my spirits up,† Bonnie said with a mischievous smile. â€Å"And you know what they say: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. My lemonade is having Matt trying to fulfil my every need. It's too bad we don't have more boys around here.† â€Å"Don't forget about Alaric,† said Meredith. â€Å"He helped make the cookies. And he's downstairs researching everything he can that might be related to this.† â€Å"Ah, everyone catering to me, that's what I like,† Bonnie joked. â€Å"Did I tel you how much I enjoyed the dinner you made? Al my favorites†¦ it was like my birthday. Or my last meal,† she added more soberly. Meredith frowned. â€Å"Are you sure you don't want me to stay in here? I know we've protected the house as wel as we can, but we don't real y know what we're fighting. And just because the last couple of attacks took place in daylight with the whole group around, it doesn't necessarily mean that's the way they have to be. What if whatever this is can get past our defenses?† â€Å"I wil be fine,† said Bonnie. Intel ectual y she knew she was in danger, but oddly, she didn't feel scared. She was in a house with people she trusted, al of whom were focused wholeheartedly on her safety. Besides, she had a plan for the night – something she couldn't do if Meredith slept in the room. â€Å"Are you sure?† Meredith fretted. â€Å"Yes,† Bonnie said emphatical y. â€Å"If something bad was going to happen to me tonight, I'd know in advance, right? Because I'm psychic, and I get warnings about things.† â€Å"Hmmm,† said Meredith, quirking one eyebrow. For a moment she looked like she was going to argue. Bonnie kept her gaze firm. Final y, Meredith put the tray of cookies on the table by the bed next to the teapot and cup Matt had brought up earlier, pul ed the curtains across the window, and looked anxiously around to see what else could be done. â€Å"Okay, then,† she said. â€Å"I'l be right next door if you need me.† â€Å"Thanks, Mer. Good night.† As soon as the knob clicked into place, Bonnie lay back in bed and bit into a cookie. Delicious. A slow smile bloomed on her lips. She was the center of attention now, as if she were a Victorian heroine bravely suffering from some kind of wasting il ness. She had been encouraged to pick out her favorite of the boardinghouse's many bedrooms and had chosen this one. It was a charming room with creamy rose-patterned wal paper and a maple sleigh bed. Matt hadn't left her side al night. Mrs. Flowers had fussed around her, fluffing pil ows and offering her herbal tonics, and Alaric had been conscientiously researching protection spel s in al the grimoires he could find. Even Celia, who had never been anything but snippy to her about her â€Å"visions,† promised before she left to let her know as soon as she found something helpful. Bonnie turned on her side, inhaling the sweet scent of Mrs. Flowers's tea. Here in this cozy room, it was impossible to feel like she needed protection, that she could be in danger this very second. But was she? What was the time frame after one's name was cal ed? After Celia's name had appeared, she had been attacked within the hour. After Meredith's had appeared, she hadn't been attacked until the next day. Maybe things were getting more spaced out. Maybe Bonnie wasn't going to be in danger until tomorrow or the next day. Or next week. And Damon's name had appeared before Bonnie's did. Bonnie's skin tingled at the thought of Damon's name in lake weeds. Damon was dead. She had seen him die – and in fact he'd died for her (although everyone else, in their compassion for Elena, seemed to have forgotten that). But the appearance of his name must mean something. And she was determined to figure out just what. She listened. She could hear the sounds of Meredith moving around in the room next door with a steady thumping that suggested she was practicing with her stave, and from down below came the faint voices of Matt, Alaric, and Mrs. Flowers talking in the study. Bonnie could wait. She poured herself a cup of tea, crunched on another cookie, and wiggled her toes pleasurably under the soft pink sheets. She sort of liked being a supernatural invalid. An hour later, she had finished her cup of tea and al the cookies, and the house was quieter. It was time. She climbed out of bed, her too-long polka-dotted pajama pants flapping around her ankles, and opened her overnight bag. While Meredith had waited downstairs at her house, she had pried up the loose board by her bed and taken out Traversing the Boundaries Between the Quick and the Dead, a book of matches, a silver knife, and the four candles she needed for the ritual. Now she took them out of her bag and rol ed back the rug by the bed so she could crouch on the floor. Tonight, nothing was going to stop her. She was going to reach Damon. Maybe he could tel her what was going on. Or maybe he was in some sort of danger, in whatever plane dead vampires ended up on, and needed to be warned. In any case, she missed him. Bonnie hunched her shoulders and wrapped her arms around herself for a moment. Damon's death had hurt her, not that anyone had noticed. Everyone's attention, everyone's sympathies, had been directed toward Elena. As usual. Bonnie got back to work. Quickly, she lit the first candle and, dripping wax on the floor to anchor it upright, placed it to her north. â€Å"Fire in the North, protect me,† she whispered. She lit them in widdershins order: black to the north, white to the west, black to the south, white to the east. When the circle of protection was complete around her, she closed her eyes and sat quietly for a few moments, focusing herself, reaching to find the power at her center. When she opened her eyes, she took a deep breath, picked up the silver knife, and quickly, without giving herself time to wimp out, cut a gash across her left palm. â€Å"Ouch,† she muttered, and turned her hand over, dripping blood on the floor in front of her. Then she dabbed the fingers of her right hand in the blood and smeared a bit on each candle. Bonnie's skin tingled painful y as magic rose around her. Her senses honed, and she could see tiny movements in the air, as if flashes of light were appearing and disappearing just out of sight. â€Å"‘Through the darkness I cal to you,'† she intoned. She didn't need to look at the book; she had memorized this part. â€Å"‘With my blood I cal to you; with fire and silver I cal to you. Hear me through the cold beyond the grave. Hear me through the shadows beyond the night. I summon you. I have need of you. Hear me and come!'† The room went stil . It was the stil ness of expectation, as if some great creature were holding its breath. Bonnie felt like an entire audience stood around her, suspended in eagerness. The veil between the worlds was about to lift. She had no doubts. â€Å"Damon Salvatore,† she said clearly. â€Å"Come to me.† Nothing happened. â€Å"Damon Salvatore,† Bonnie said again, less confidently, â€Å"come to me.† The tension, the feeling of magic in the room was beginning to dissipate, as if her invisible audience were quietly creeping away. Yet Bonnie knew the spel had worked. She had a funny, blank, cutoff feeling, like when she was talking on the phone and her carrier suddenly dropped the cal . Her cal had gone through, she was sure of it, but there was no one on the other end. Only what did it mean? Was Damon's soul just†¦ gone? Suddenly Bonnie heard something. A light breathing, just a smidge out of time with her own. There was someone right behind her. The hairs rose on the back of her neck. She hadn't broken the circle of protection. Nothing should be able to cross into that circle, certainly no spirit, but whoever was behind her was inside the circle, so close to Bonnie that they were almost touching her. Bonnie froze. Then slowly, careful y, she put down her hand and felt for the knife. â€Å"Damon?† she whispered uncertainly. A tinkling laugh sounded behind her, fol owed by a low voice. â€Å"Damon doesn't want to talk to you.† The voice was honey-sweet, but somehow also poisonous-sounding, insidious and oddly familiar. â€Å"Why not?† Bonnie asked shakily. â€Å"He doesn't love you,† the voice said in a soft, persuasive tone. â€Å"He never even noticed you were there, unless there was something he wanted from you. Or perhaps if he wanted to make Elena jealous. You know that.† Bonnie swal owed, too afraid to turn around, too afraid to see who the voice belonged to. â€Å"Damon saw only Elena. Damon loved only Elena. Even now that he's dead and lost to her, he won't hear you cal ing,† the voice lilted. â€Å"Nobody loves you, Bonnie. Everyone loves Elena, and that's how she likes it. Elena keeps everyone for herself.† A burning sensation began behind Bonnie's eyes, and a single hot tear ran down her cheek. â€Å"No one wil ever love you,† the voice whispered. â€Å"Not when you're standing next to Elena. Why do you think no one ever saw you as anything but Elena's friend? Al the way through school, she was standing in the sunshine and you were hidden in her shadow. Elena made sure of that. She couldn't bear to share the spotlight.† The words rattled inside Bonnie's mind, and suddenly something inside her shifted. The icy terror she'd felt just moments ago had thawed, making way for roiling anger. The voice was right. Why had she never seen it before? Elena was Bonnie's friend only because Bonnie was a foil for her own beauty, her own sparkle. She had been using her for years without caring how Bonnie felt at al . â€Å"She cares only about herself,† Bonnie said, half sobbing. â€Å"Why can't anyone see that?† She shoved the book away from her and it knocked over the black candle to her north, breaking the circle. The wick smoked and guttered, and al four candles went out. â€Å"Ahhhh,† said the voice in satisfaction, and tendrils of dark fog began to creep from the corners of the room. Just as quickly as her fear had left her, it snapped back. Bonnie spun around, holding the knife, ready to face the voice, but there was no one there – just dark, amorphous fog. Hysteria wel ing within her, she got to her feet and stumbled toward the door. But the fog moved quickly, and soon Bonnie was enveloped in it. Something fel with a clatter. She couldn't see more than a few inches. Bonnie opened her mouth and tried to scream, but the fog flowed over her lips, and her scream turned into a muffled moan. She felt her grip on the knife loosen and it dropped to the floor with a dul clank. Her vision grew blurry. Bonnie tried to lift her foot but could barely move. Then, blinded by the fog, she lost her balance and pitched forward into darkness.

Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Essays

Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Essays Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Paper Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet It is my opinion that no one person can be held responsible for the tragic deaths of the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Rather it is a combination of people and circumstances that contrive to form a tragic ending. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, and thus has all the generic features of a tragedy; that there is a fatal flaw on the part of the main characters, in this case their passionate love at first sight for each other, Did my heart love till now? This passionate love means the two lovers cannot be separated, and their desperation to be together could be the reason for their plight. Alternatively, it could also be argued that Shakespeare built up dramatic expectation, via prophetic fallacy and short scenes accelerating to a climax, that the death was necessary as a dramatic ending. This structure can be clearly seen throughout the play as a whole as Shakespeare uses lower status characters (talking in prose) usually to speed up the pace, using riots and conflicts, whereas he uses the higher status characters (talking in verse) at balls or parties to slow down the pace and deepen the play. Therefore, due to Shakespeares deliberately convoluted plot, it is imperative to discuss each topic in turn, evaluating how and to what extent, each factor was responsible; starting with, arguably, one of the most important reasons; fate, or chance. Fate, or chance, was an accepted philosophical belief in Elizabethan England, and both were linked to astrology; the belief that you can see the future in the planets, Some consequence yet hanging in the stars! The belief that the two lovers have a preordained destiny, i. . that the two, star crossd lovers cannot change their fate, recurs frequently throughout the play. Shakespeares references to fate are, almost without exception, asides, Some consequence yet hanging in the stars, which meant that the character was talking to himself (and therefore the audience), and showed that Shakespeare really wanted to emphasise this point in the play to the onlookers. On looking through the play, I found there were far more references to fate in t he first two acts than the last ones. This may be because these references to fate are coupled with prophetic fallacies; which are used to build tension and dramatic expectation, to maintain interest in the first half and then allow the omniscient audience to see the inevitable consequences. I believe Shakespeare used fate as the classic medium to create the fall from power, another traditional feature of a tragedy, and then used the portents to allow the pair to see their unavoidable downfall. This fateful incurrence provides the struggle of the play; the lovers conflict against their, death-marked loves. As a subsection of fate, the references to chance specifically are fewer, and in a direct contrast to the references to fate, appear mainly at the culmination of the play. This lends rather well to the feeling of chaos, as chance is a much more random idea than fate, and gives the impression that anarchy is at work. This set up has also been chosen as a way of showing that there could be more than one person behind the tragic deaths. That is, Shakespeare has deliberately given the final two scenes a chaotic feel to illustrate the convoluted plot lines and the intertwining motives each character has, especially true of the Friar Lawrence. The only real reference to chance (although it can be argued it is fate at work) is the failure of Friar John to deliver the letter, I could not send it! Linked to Fate, is social pressure, during the play, Shakespeare uses social pressure as an agency for fate; i. e. a way to focus the situation and explaining why the lovers cannot be together. It can be argued that this is the most important reason as without a conflict and inhibitor there would be no play as Romeo and Juliet could just be together. However, social pressure is a more modern idea and as such it is unlikely that Shakespeare purposely decided to use it, and I feel probably thought of it is the feud; indeed it is only with hindsight that we can see its effect. Shakespeare emphasise this point like most of the others from the very beginning of the play, dog of the house of Montague, and even before that in the prologue, ancient grudge break to new mutiny. This first scene cleverly reflects Act 3 scene 1, but Shakespeare has changed the roles so that Romeo discards his pacifist views and is provoked into fire-eyed fury. When Shakespeare draws references to Italy, he may be reflecting the traditional, and rather stereotypical, view of Italians as all having private vendettas or feuds. However, to a certain extent it works as Shakespeare is using a literary technique of setting the events in a place the Elizabethan audience would not know about apart from what theyve been told. In particular, by leaving the facts uncle ar about the ancient grudge, one begins to feel that perhaps there wasnt one, or that it has escalated out f all control. This is used for dramatic irony, as it is in inverse proportion to the amount of destruction incurred by the end of the final scene, all are punished! Another reason which Shakespeare decided to introduce was the Friars own motives. He says, to Romeo, that he wants to turn your households rancour to pure love, but he seems wary to allow the lovers to wed in public and appears more intent of the joining of the two households than that the two lovers are together, for this alliance may so happy prove. I believe that Shakespeare has left this reason in deliberately to offer an alternative view, and to give more variety to the end scene. Shakespeare also displays an ulterior personality trait of the Friar as he appears reluctant to be found with the bodies and hurries from Capels monument rather than be caught, and when he is the language he uses reflects the way that he is prepared to tell all. The language he uses is direct, there are no puns and little imagery and the language is non-theological when compared to his behaviour in his cell, Benedicte! and Holy Saint Francis! which demonstrates how unwilling he is to be dishonoured. Fellow characters echo this sentiment, and Juliet exclaims, What if it be a poison which the Friar subtly hath ministered to have me dead? This statement turns out to be ironical as although the potion is not a poison, the Friars plans do culminate in her and Romeos death. The friar, himself raises an interesting point as a cause, he blames the rude will of human nature (Act 2 scene 3) and disclaims that self-centredness results in evil if it gains priority over grace. Maybe, therefore, it is only human nature to cause such sufferings. Another point, which recurs throughout the play, is the patriarchal dominance of the society which the play is set in. In this community fathers had absolute sway over their daughters and gave them away to whosoever they chose, and were offended if they refused. It could have been the fathers stubbornness that the two were unable to join. This point is linked to the idea about the pointlessness of the feud; it was the fathers as head of the families who were the main upholders of the feud, and they never mention the reason for their doing so. As Elizabethan society was so patriarchal, it would therefore have been a dramatic point that Shakespeare was making when he uses Juliets sarcasm as a device to fight back at her father, It is an honour I dream not of! In the context of this play, this means that Capulet feels it is his right to pressurise Juliet, go with Paris to Saint Peters church, Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. The separation between Juliet and her father is repeated in the Lady Capulet, and the two seem uneasy when together. Shakespeare demonstrates this point by splitting a technique such as repetition across the two characters, so the two appear to be interrupting each other for example, Lady Capulet: The county Paris, at Saint Peters Church Shall happily make thee a joyful bride. Juliet: Now by Saint Peters Church and Peter too, He shall not make me there a joyful bride. Such repetition increases the tightening tension of the plot and gives an additional insight into the pairs characters. My final point is perhaps the most obvious, that it is the love or passion of Romeo and Juliet themselves that causes their death. The two lovers are so madly in love that are too hasty and Shakespeare emphasises this by short scenes accelerating to an abrupt climax. It can be argued that the structure of the play therefore reflects the pairs turbulent relations as when they are harmonious the pace is slowed, and this is then sped up when the two are desperately seeking each other. Perhaps the tragic ending is Shakespeares way of rebuking both love at first sight and the artificial, chivalric love between Rosaline and Romeo. In conclusion, as can be seen from the discussed reasons; there are, as with all of Shakespeares plays a multitude of factors, which are all equally valid and viable. Also, all of Shakespeares language is intentional, so he is able to cleverly link both individual passages and whole scenes to the play as a whole. However, Shakespeare emphasises some more than others and in this respect I believe it is fate, which is the most predominantly mentioned of the factors. This is consistently mentioned by Shakespeare and lends itself to the play as a whole well. As previously discussed it lends a feeling of impending doom, and inevitable tragedy to the play. This factor could have become too linear, so Shakespeare introduced the idea of chance, which adds a random and chaotic air to the play. Also, all of Shakespeares language is intentional, so he is able to cleverly link both individual passages and whole scenes to the play as a whole.

Low-Cost Gift Ideas for College Students

Low-Cost Gift Ideas for College Students If youre like most college students, buying gifts present a complicated dilemma: Youd like to give nice presents but you are, after all, a college student trying to live on a budget. So how can you balance wanting to give nice presents with the limits of your bank account? Luckily, there are ways to give low-cost gifts without coming across as cheap. 8 Low-Cost Gift Ideas for College Students Print out and frame a nice picture. With everything being digital these days, try to remember the last time someone gave you a printed-out picture that you can hang on your wall and how nice that present was (or would be!). If youre really short on cash, print something at the highest quality available on your printer and make a nice frame to match. Give a simple college-themed gift. While the $60 sweatshirts in the campus bookstore are pretty nice, they might also be out of your budget. See what else you can find that celebrates your time in school while costing a little less. Keychains, bumper stickers, t-shirts on the clearance rack (will your cousin really know?), plastic cups, and lots of other presents can be had for under $10 and even under $5, if you really spend some time looking. Give the gift of time. Money may be in tight supply for you, but time may not be especially if you need a gift for the holidays when youre home on break. Consider planning a nice walk with your mom, ​volunteering with your dad, hanging out with your friend at his work one afternoon, or even babysitting for your parents so they can get some time to themselves. Make something from scratch. Nearly everyone has some kind of creative talent. Think about what you do best and run with it. Can you write a few poems? Paint a picture? Mold something out of clay? Take some awesome photographs? Make something from wood? Write a song? Record yourself singing your mothers favorite tunes? Dont sell yourself short as a great source of gifts you can make completely on your own. Put together a piece of your life at college. It doesnt have to be fancy to be effective. If, say, your grandmother never had the chance to go to college, put together a shadow box or collage of images from your time in school. You can collect things like stickers, fall leaves, a page from the course catalog, or articles from the school paper to give her a piece of what your college life is like. Make a memory box for an old friend or family member. You can probably find a nice little box somewhere on campus or at a local big box or drug store. Cut up some nice pieces of paper and write a cherished memory of you and the person youre giving your gift to; fold them over once or twice; Then write a nice card that explains the gift and says how often they can unwrap one of the little memories in the box (once a week? once a month?) It can be a great trip down memory lane for you and a very personal, meaningful gift for an old friend or beloved family member. Frame a design you make. Who says only a photograph can go in a picture frame? Start with a piece of paper and get creative. Print or cut out quotes about the importance of education, snip headlines from your school paper, take (or sketch) a picture of your school as long as you put together something with a similar theme (e.g., your campus), its hard to make a homemade gift like this look bad. Let your creativity flow without worrying about the cost. Switch up a usual gift into something different. Dinner and a movie is a pretty classic gift for a girlfriend, boyfriend, or even a parents birthday. But if your money is tight, you can switch things up to have an equally good time without the high cost. Consider, for example, going to breakfast and a movie. The food bill will be cheaper, your movie will likely be a matinee (and cheaper than an evening film), and you and the person you take will have a unique experience, too.

Discuss the implications of long and short term tracheostomy tubes on Essay

Discuss the implications of long and short term tracheostomy tubes on physiotherapy patient management - Essay Example Inhibition of the airway by any foreign body in the lynx is also a reason that would lead to a tracheotomy. The other reason is the inability to remove any secretions from the trachea. Another reason is sleeping problems in obese individuals leading to restricted breathing (Johnson, Gluckman, & Sanders, 2001). Lastly damage to the vocal cord which causes swallowing difficulties that lead to aspiration problems is another major reason. The management of patients with tracheotomy tubes is carried out by an individual with specialized skill to avoid any complications (Wijesinghe & Gough, 2000). The patients require regular care on the tracheotomy tube to ensure they are clean and are in good working conditions (Goldstein, 2004). The wound should be cleaned regularly to avoid infection that may lead to complications later. The pipes need to be suctioned regularly to avoid any blockages that may impede with the regular functioning of the tracheotomy-tubes (Ji, Kim & Park, 2002). The patients need to be educated on basic measures that they should observe in order to decrease the risk of infections and on how to care for the tracheotomy tubes (Lewarski, 2005). For example the patients should ensure that they avoid touching the tracheotomy tubes with unclean hands. In addition the patients should be advised to clean the wound when instructed to by the medical practitioner only (May & Porter, 2008). The patients are advised to see a doctor if they experience any pain or notice any thing out of the ordinary to ensure that any complication or issue is attended to on time (Morris & Afifi, 2010). The management of the care givers who take care of tracheotomy patients is done through proper training. These care givers who are physiotherapists are provided with the correct equipment to ensure that they offer the patients the best care. These equipments include