Junot Diaz Biography

Junot Diaz was born in the Dominican Republic and raised New Jersey. He is a creative writing teacher at MIT and fiction editor at the Boston Review. He also serves on the board of advisers for the Freedom University, a Volunteer organization in Georgia that provides post-secondary instruction to undocumented immigrants. From what I have read I have gathered that he really had to rely on himself. Getting him through college working the jobs where you have to do the dirty work, dishes, and pumping-gas. Supposedly Drown reflects Diaz’s strained relationship with his own father, with whom he no longer keeps in contact with. Diaz was born in Villa Juana, a neighborhood in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was the third child in a family of five.Through most of his childhood he lived with his mother and grandparents while his father worked in the United States. Diaz emigrated to Parlin, New Jersey, in December of 1974, where he was able to reunite with his father. He lived clos e to what he considered one of the largest landfills in New Jersey. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker magazine, which listed him as one of the 20 top writers for the 21st century.He has also been published in Story, The Paris Review, and in the anthologies The Best American Short Stories four times (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000), The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories (2009), and African Voices. He is best known for his two major works: the short story collection Drown (1996) and the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007). Both were published to critical acclaim and he won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the latter. Diaz himself has described his writing style as â€Å"[†¦] a disobedient child of New Jersey and the Dominican Republic if that can be possibly imagined with way too much education.†Dà ­az has received a Eugene McDermott Award, a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, a Lila Acheson Wallace Readers Digest Award, th e 2002 PEN/Malamud Award, the 2003 US-Japan Creative Artist Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and the Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was selected as one of the 39 most important Latin American writers under the age of 39 by the Bogotà ¡ World Book Capital and the Hay Festival.[18] In September 2007, Miramax acquired the rights for a film adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.The stories  in Drown focus on the teenage narrator's impoverished, fatherless youth in the Dominican Republic and his struggle adapting to his new life in New Jersey. Reviews were generally strong but not without complaints. Dà ­az read twice for PRI's This American Life: â€Å"Edison, New Jersey† in 1997 and â€Å"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† in 1998. Dà ­az also published a Spanish translation of' Drown, entitled Negocios . The arrival of his novel (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao) in 2007 prompted a noticeable re-appraisal of Dà ­az's earlier work.Drown became widely recognized as an important landmark in contemporary literature—ten years after its initial publication—even by critics who had either entirely ignored the book or had given it poor reviews. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was published in September 2007. New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani characterized Dà ­az's writing in the novel as: a sort of streetwise brand of Spanglish that even the most monolingual reader can easily inhale: lots of flash words and razzle-dazzle talk, lots of body language on the sentences, lots of David Foster Wallace-esque footnotes and asides.And he conjures with seemingly effortless aplomb the two worlds his characters inhabit: the Dominican Republic, the ghost-haunted motherland that shapes their nightmares and their dreams; and America (a.k.a. New Jersey), the land of freedom an d hope and not-so-shiny possibilities that they’ve fled to as part of the great Dominican diaspora. Dà ­az said about the protagonist of the novel, â€Å"Oscar was a composite of all the nerds that I grew up with who didn’t have that special reservoir of masculine privilege. Oscar was who I would have been if it had not been for my father or my brother or my own willingness to fight or my own inability to fit into any category easily.† He also has said that he sees a meaningful and fitting connection between the science fiction and/or epic literary genres and the multi-faceted immigrant experience.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Seven

THE PROBLEM WAS, OF COURSE, that I soon lost myself in the darkness. After living in the wilds of Montana, I was used to how completely the night could swallow you once you stepped away from even the tiniest hint of civilization. I was even used to wandering the twists and turns of dark forests. But the St. Vladimir's terrain had been familiar. The woods of West Virginia were new and foreign, and I had completely lost my bearings. Once I was pretty sure I'd put enough distance between me and the motel, I paused and looked around. Night insects hummed and sang, and the oppressive summer humidity hung around me. Peering up through the leafy canopy of trees, I could see a brilliant sky of stars, totally untouched by city lights. Feeling like a true wilderness survivor, I studied the stars until I spotted the Big Dipper and figured out which direction was north. The mountains Sydney had driven us through had been to the east, so I certainly didn't want to go in that direction. It seemed reasonable that if I hiked north, I'd eventually hit an interstate and either hitchhike or walk my way back to civilization. It wasn't an airtight plan, but it wasn't the worst one I'd ever had, not by a long shot. I wasn't really dressed for hiking, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I managed to avoid most trees and other obstacles. Following the tiny road out of town would have been easier–but was also what Dimitri would expect me to do. I fell into a steady, subconscious rhythm as I made my way north. I decided it was a good time to check in on Lissa, now that I had time on my hands and no guardians trying to arrest me. I slipped into her mind and found her within the depths of the guardians' headquarters, sitting in a hallway lined with chairs. Other Moroi sat nearby, including Christian and Tasha. â€Å"They'll question you hard,' Tasha murmured. â€Å"Especially you.' That was to Christian. â€Å"You'd be my first choice if something illicitly blew up.' That seemed to be everyone's opinion. From the troubled look on her face, I could see Tasha had been as surprised by my escape as I had. Even if my friends hadn't filled her in on the whole story yet, she had probably pieced most things together–at the very least, who was behind it. Christian gave her as charming a smile as he could manage, like a kid trying to dodge being grounded. â€Å"They'll know by now that it wasn't caused by magic,' he said. â€Å"The guardians will have scoured every inch of those statues.' He didn't elaborate, not in public, but Lissa's mind was working along the same lines as his. The guardians would know now the explosion hadn't been elemental. And even if my friends were the primary suspects, the authorities would have to wonder–just as I had–how teenagers would get a hold of C4. Lissa nodded her agreement and rested her hand on Christian's. â€Å"We'll be okay.' Her thoughts turned to both Dimitri and me, wondering if we'd made it out according to the plan. She couldn't focus on finding Tatiana's killer until she knew we were safe. Like me, the breakout had been a hard choice: freeing me put me in more danger than keeping me locked up. Her emotions were keyed up, prickly and a bit wilder than I would have liked. So much spirit, I realized. She's using too much. Back at school, she'd managed it with prescription medication and later through self-control. But somewhere, as our situations grew increasingly complicated, she'd allowed herself to wield more and more. Recently, she'd used astonishing amounts, and we'd come to take it for granted. Sooner or later, Lissa's reliance on spirit would catch up with her. With us. â€Å"Princess?' A door across from Lissa opened, and a guardian peered out. â€Å"We're ready for you.' The guardian stepped aside, and inside the room, Lissa heard a familiar voice say, â€Å"Always a pleasure speaking with you, Hans. We should do it again sometime.' Abe then appeared, strutting out with his usual swagger. He stepped past the guardian in the doorway and gave Lissa and the Ozeras a winning, all-is-right-in-the-world grin. Without a word, he strode past them toward the hall's exit. Lissa almost smiled but reined it in, putting on a sober look as she and her companions entered. The door shut behind them, and she found herself facing three guardians seated at a table. One of them I'd seen around but had never met. I think his last name was Steele. The other two I knew well. One was Hans Croft, who ran the guardians' operations at Court. Beside him–to my astonishment–was Alberta, who was in charge of St. Vladimir's guardians and novices. â€Å"Lovely,' growled Hans. â€Å"A whole entourage.' Christian had insisted on being present when Lissa was questioned, and Tasha had insisted on being present with Christian. If Abe had known the interrogation time, he probably would have joined the group too, undoubtedly followed by my mother †¦ Hans didn't realize he'd dodged a house party. Lissa, Christian, and Tasha sat down opposite the guardians. â€Å"Guardian Petrov,' said Lissa, ignoring Hans's disapproval. â€Å"What are you doing here?' Alberta gave Lissa a small smile but otherwise kept in professional guardian mode. â€Å"I was here for the funeral, and Guardian Croft decided he'd like an outside opinion for the investigation.' â€Å"As well as someone familiar with Hathaway and her, uh, associates,' added Hans. Hans was the kind of guy who got straight to the point. Usually, his attitude bothered me–that was my normal reaction to most authority figures–but I did respect the way he ran operations here. â€Å"This meeting was intended just for you, princess.' â€Å"We won't say a word,' said Christian. Lissa nodded and kept her face smooth and polite, even though there was a trembling in her voice. â€Å"I want to help †¦ I've been so, I don't know. I'm so stunned about everything that's happened.' â€Å"I'm sure,' said Hans, voice dry. â€Å"Where were you when the statues exploded?' â€Å"With the funeral procession,' she said. â€Å"I was part of the escort.' Steele had a pile of papers in front of him. â€Å"That's true. There are plenty of witnesses.' â€Å"Very convenient. What about afterward?' asked Hans. â€Å"Where did you go when the crowd panicked?' â€Å"Back to the Council's building. That's where all the others were meeting up, and I thought it'd be safest.' I couldn't see her face but could feel her trying to look cowed. â€Å"I was afraid when things started going crazy.' â€Å"We also have witnesses to support that,' said Steele. Hans drummed his fingers on the table. â€Å"Did you have any prior knowledge about any of this? The explosions? Hathaway's breakout?' Lissa shook her head. â€Å"No! I had no clue. I didn't even know it was possible to get out of the cells. I thought there was too much security.' Hans ignored the dig on his operations. â€Å"You've got that bond thing, right? You didn't pick up anything through that?' â€Å"I don't read her,' explained Lissa. â€Å"She sees my thoughts but not the other way around.' â€Å"That,' said Alberta, speaking up at last, â€Å"is true.' Hans didn't contradict her but still wasn't buying my friends' innocence. â€Å"You realize, if you're caught concealing information–or aiding her–you'll face consequences almost as serious as hers. All of you. Royalty doesn't exempt you from treason.' Lissa lowered her gaze, as though his threat had frightened her. â€Å"I just can't believe †¦ I just can't believe she'd do this. She was my friend. I thought I knew her. I didn't think she could do any of these things †¦ I never thought she'd murder anyone.' If not for the feelings in the bond, I might have taken offense. I knew the truth, though. She was acting, trying to distance herself from me. It was smart. â€Å"Really? Because not long ago, you were swearing up and down that she was innocent,' pointed out Hans. Lissa looked back up and widened her eyes. â€Å"I thought she was! But then †¦ then I heard about what she did to those guardians in the escape †¦' Her distress wasn't entirely faked this time. She still needed to act like she thought I was guilty, but the news of Meredith's condition had reached her–which truly had shocked her. That made two of us, but at least I now knew Meredith was okay. Hans still looked skeptical at Lissa's change of heart but let it go. â€Å"What about Belikov? You swore he wasn't a Strigoi anymore, but obviously something went wrong there as well.' Christian stirred beside Lissa. As an advocate for Dimitri, Christian grew as irritated as us at the suspicions and accusations. Lissa spoke before Christian could say anything. â€Å"He's not Strigoi!' Lissa's remorse over me vanished, her old, fierce defense of Dimitri kicking in. She hadn't expected this line of questioning about him. She'd been preparing herself to defend me and her alibi. Hans seemed pleased at the reaction and watched her closely. â€Å"Then how do you explain his involvement?' â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' said Lissa, forcing her control back. Her heart was pounding rapidly. â€Å"He changed back. There's no Strigoi left.' â€Å"But he attacked a number of guardians–on more than one occasion.' It looked like Tasha wanted to interrupt now and defend Dimitri as well, but she visibly bit her lip. It was remarkable. The Ozeras liked to speak their minds, not always tactfully. â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' Lissa repeated. â€Å"And he didn't kill any of those guardians. Not one. Rose did what she did †¦ well, I don't know why. She hated Tatiana, I guess. Everyone knew that. But Dimitri †¦ I'm telling you, being Strigoi had nothing to do with this. He helped her because he used to be her teacher. He thought she was in trouble.' â€Å"That was pretty extreme for a teacher, particularly one who–before turning Strigoi– was known for being level-headed and rational.' â€Å"Yeah, but he wasn't thinking rationally because–‘ Lissa cut herself off, suddenly caught in a bad situation. Hans seemed to have realized quickly in this conversation that if Lissa was involved with recent events–and I don't think he was certain yet–she would have an airtight alibi. Talking to her, however, had given him the chance to pursue another puzzle in my escape: Dimitri's involvement. Dimitri had sacrificed himself to take the fall, even if it meant others not trusting him again. Lissa thought she'd made people think his actions were a former teacher's protective instinct, but apparently, not everyone was buying that. â€Å"He wasn't thinking rationally because?' prompted Hans, eyes sharp. Before the murder, Hans had believed Dimitri truly had become a dhampir again. Something told me he still believed that but sensed there was something big dangling before him. Lissa stayed silent. She didn't want people thinking Dimitri was Strigoi. She wanted people to believe in her powers to restore the undead. But if Dimitri helping a student didn't seem convincing enough to others, all that mistrust might surface again. Glancing at her interrogators, Lissa suddenly met Alberta's eyes. The older guardian said nothing. She wore that neutral, scrutinizing expression that guardians excelled at. She also had an air of wisdom about her, and Lissa briefly allowed spirit to show her Alberta's aura. It had good, steady colors and energy, and in Alberta's eyes, Lissa swore she could see a message, a knowing glint. Tell them, the message seemed to say. It'll create problems–but they won't be as bad as your current ones. Lissa held that gaze, wondering if she was just projecting her own thoughts onto Alberta. It didn't matter who'd come up with the idea. Lissa knew it was right. â€Å"Dimitri helped Rose because †¦ because they were involved.' As I'd guessed, Alberta wasn't surprised, and she seemed relieved to have the truth out there. Hans and Steele, however, were very surprised. I had only seen Hans shocked a few times. â€Å"When you say â€Å"involved,' do you mean †¦' He paused to structure his words. â€Å"Do you mean romantically involved?' Lissa nodded, feeling horrible. She'd revealed a big secret here, one she'd sworn she'd keep for me, but I didn't blame her. Not in this situation. Love–I hoped–would defend Dimitri's actions. â€Å"He loved her,' said Lissa. â€Å"She loved him. If he helped her escape–‘ â€Å"He did help her escape,' interrupted Hans. â€Å"He attacked guardians and blew up priceless, centuries-old statues brought over from Europe!' Lissa shrugged. â€Å"Well, like I said. He wasn't acting rationally. He wanted to help her and probably thought she was innocent. He would have done anything for her–and it had nothing to do with Strigoi.' â€Å"Love only justifies so much.' Hans clearly wasn't a romantic. â€Å"Shes underage!' exclaimed Steele. That part hadn't escaped him. â€Å"She's eighteen,' corrected Lissa. Hans cut her a look. â€Å"I can do the math, princess. Unless they managed some beautiful, touching romance in the last few weeks–while he was mostly in isolation– then there were things going on at your school that someone should have reported.' Lissa said nothing, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Tasha and Christian. They were trying to keep their expressions neutral, but it was obvious this news wasn't a surprise to them, no doubt confirming Hans's suspicions that illicit things had been going on. I actually hadn't realized Tasha knew about Dimitri and me and felt a little bad. Had she known that part of his rejection of her had been because of me? And if she knew, how many others did? Christian had probably tipped her off, but something told me more people were probably starting to find out as well. After the school's attack, my reaction had likely been a big clue about my feelings for Dimitri. Maybe telling Hans now wasn't so big a deal after all. The secret wouldn't be a secret much longer. Alberta cleared her throat, speaking up at last. â€Å"I think we have more important things to worry about right now than some romance that may or may not have happened.' Steele gave her an incredulous look and slammed his hand against the table. â€Å"This is pretty serious. Did you know about it?' â€Å"All I know is that we're getting distracted from the point here,' she replied, neatly dodging the question. Alberta was about twenty years older than Steele, and the tough look she gave him said that he was a child wasting her time. â€Å"I thought we were here to figure out if Miss Hathaway had any accomplices, not dredge up the past. So far, the only person we can say for sure that helped her is Belikov, and he did it out of irrational affection. That makes him a fugitive and a fool, not a Strigoi.' I'd never thought of my relationship with Dimitri as â€Å"irrational affection,' but Alberta's point was taken. Something in Hans's and Steele's faces made me think soon the whole world would know about us, but that was nothing compared to murder. And if it cleared Dimitri of being a Strigoi, then it meant he'd be imprisoned instead of staked if ever captured. Small blessings. Lissa's questioning continued a bit longer before the guardians decided she was free and clear of any part in my escape (that they could prove). She did a good job playing surprised and confused the whole time, even mustering a few tears over how she could have so misjudged me. She spun a little bit of compulsion into her act too–not enough to brainwash anyone, but enough that Steele's earlier outrage transformed to sympathy. Hans was harder to read, but as my group left, he reminded Tasha and Christian that he would be speaking with each of them later, preferably without an entourage. For now, the next person in the hot seat was waiting in the hall: Eddie. Lissa gave him the same smile she'd give any friend. There was no indication that they were both part of a conspiracy. Eddie nodded in return as he was called to the room for his interrogation. Lissa was anxious for him, but I knew his guardian self-control would make sure he stuck to the story. He probably wouldn't pull the tears Lissa had, but he'd likely act just as shocked by my â€Å"treason' as she had. Tasha left Christian and Lissa once they were outside, first warning them to be careful. â€Å"You've gotten out of this so far, but I don't think the guardians have completely cleared you. Especially Hans.' â€Å"Hey, I can take care of myself,' said Christian. Tasha rolled her eyes. â€Å"Yes. I see what happens when you're left to your own devices.' â€Å"Hey, don't get all pissy because we didn't tell you,' he exclaimed. â€Å"We didn't have time, and there were only so many people we could get involved. Besides, you've done your share of crazy plans before.' â€Å"True,' Tasha admitted. She was hardly a role model for playing by the rules. â€Å"It's just that everything's gotten that much more complicated. Rose is on the run. And now Dimitri †¦' She sighed, and I didn't need her to finish to guess her thoughts. There was a profound look of sadness in her eyes, one that made me feel guilty. Just like the rest of us, Tasha had wanted Dimitri's reputation restored. By freeing the queen's accused assassin, he'd seriously damaged any chance at acceptance. I really wished he hadn't gotten involved and hoped my current escape plan paid off. â€Å"This'll all work out,' said Christian. â€Å"You'll see.' He didn't look so confident as he spoke, and Tasha gave him a small, amused smile. â€Å"Just be careful. Please. I don't want to see you in a cell, too. I don't have time for jail visits with everything else going on.' Her amusement faded, and her outspoken activist mode kicked in. â€Å"Our family's being ridiculous, you know. Can you believe they're actually talking about running Esmond for us? Good God. We've already had one tragedy after another around here. At the very least, we should try to salvage something out of this mess.' â€Å"I don't think I know Esmond,' said Christian. â€Å"Moron,' she said matter-of-factly. â€Å"Him, I mean. Not you. Someone's got to talk sense into our family before they embarrass themselves.' Christian grinned. â€Å"And let me guess: you're just the one to do it?' â€Å"Of course,' she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye. â€Å"I've already drawn up a list of ideal candidates. Our family just needs some persuasion to see how ideal they are.' â€Å"I'd feel bad for them if they weren't still being assholes to us,' Christian remarked, watching his aunt walk away. The stigma of his parents turning Strigoi still lingered after all these years. Tasha accepted it more gracefully–despite her complaining–if only to be able to participate in the Ozera family's larger decisions. Christian made no such attempts at civility. It was terrible enough to be treated as less than other Moroi, to be denied guardians and other things royals were entitled to. But from his own family? It was especially harsh. He refused to pretend it was acceptable. â€Å"They'll come around eventually,' said Lissa, sounding more optimistic than she felt. Any response of Christian's was swallowed when a new companion fell into step with them: my father. His abrupt appearance startled both of my friends, but I wasn't surprised. He probably knew about Lissa's interrogation and had been skulking outside the building, waiting to talk to her. â€Å"It's nice out,' said Abe amiably, looking around at the trees and flowers as though the three of them were on a nature walk through Court. â€Å"But it's going to be scorching when the sun comes up.' The darkness that was giving me so much trouble in the woods of West Virginia made for pleasant, â€Å"midday' conditions for those on a vampiric schedule. Lissa gave Abe a sidelong glance. With eyes well-tuned to low light, she had no difficulty taking in the brilliant teal dress shirt under his beige sports jacket. A blind person could have probably seen him in that color. Lissa scoffed at Abe's faked casualness. It was a habit of his, opening with small talk before moving on to more sinister topics. â€Å"You're not here to talk about the weather.' â€Å"Trying to be civilized, that's all.' He fell silent as a couple of Moroi girls passed them. Once they were well out of ear-shot, he asked in a low voice, â€Å"I assume everything went well at your little meeting?' â€Å"Fine,' she said, not bothering to fill him in about â€Å"irrational affection.' She knew all he'd care about was that none of their associates had been implicated. â€Å"The guardians have Eddie now,' said Christian. â€Å"And want me later, but I think that'll be it for all of us.' Lissa sighed. â€Å"Honestly, I have a feeling the interrogation was the easy part, compared to what's coming.' She meant figuring out who had really killed Tatiana. â€Å"One step at a time,' murmured Abe. â€Å"No point in letting the larger picture overwhelm us. We'll just start at the beginning.' â€Å"That's the problem,' said Lissa, kicking irritably at a branch lying across the cobblestone path in front of her. â€Å"I have no idea where to start. Whoever killed Tatiana did a good job covering their tracks and shifting it all to Rose.' â€Å"One step at a time,' repeated Abe. He spoke in that sly tone of his that annoyed me sometimes, but to Lissa today, it was grating. Until now, all of her energy had been focused on getting me out of jail and somewhere safe. That was the goal that had driven her and kept her going in my escape's aftermath. Now, after some of the intensity had faded, the pressure of it all was beginning to crash down on her. Christian put an arm around her shoulders, sensing her dismay. He turned to Abe, unusually serious. â€Å"Do you have any ideas?' Christian asked Abe. â€Å"We certainly don't have any real evidence.' â€Å"We have reasonable assumptions,' Abe replied. â€Å"Like that whoever killed Tatiana would have had access to her private rooms. That's not a long list.' â€Å"Its not short either.' Lissa ticked off people on her fingers. â€Å"The royal guards, her friends and family †¦ and that's assuming no one altered the guardians' records of her visitors. And for all we know, some visits were never logged at all. She probably had secret business meetings all the time.' â€Å"Unlikely she'd have business meetings in her bedroom, in her nightgown,' mused Abe. â€Å"Of course, it depends on the type of business, I suppose.' Lissa stumbled, realization stunning her. â€Å"Ambrose.' â€Å"Who?' â€Å"Hes a dhampir †¦ really good-looking †¦ He and Tatiana were, um †¦' â€Å"Involved?' said Christian with a smile, echoing the interrogation. Now Abe came to a stop. Lissa did the same, and his dark eyes met hers. â€Å"I've seen him. Sort of a pool boy type.' â€Å"He'd have access to her bedroom,' said Lissa. â€Å"But I just can't–I don't know. I can't see him doing this.' â€Å"Appearances are deceiving,' said Abe. â€Å"He was terribly interested in Rose back in the courtroom.' More surprise for Lissa. â€Å"What are you talking about?' Abe stroked his chin in an evil-villain sort of way. â€Å"He spoke to her †¦ or gave her some signal. I'm not really sure, but there was some kind of interaction between them.' Clever, watchful Abe. He'd noticed Ambrose giving me the note but hadn't fully realized what had happened. â€Å"We should talk to him then,' said Christian. Lissa nodded. Conflicting feelings churned inside of her. She was excited by a lead– but upset that it meant kind, gentle Ambrose might be a suspect. â€Å"I'll take care of it,' said Abe breezily. I felt her gaze fall heavily on him. I couldn't see her expression, but I did see Abe take an involuntary step back, the faintest glimmer of surprise in his eyes. Even Christian flinched. â€Å"And I'm going to be there when you do,' she said, steel in her voice. â€Å"Do not attempt some crazy torture-style interrogation without me.' â€Å"You want to be there for the torture?' asked Abe, recovering. â€Å"There won't be any. We'll talk to Ambrose like civilized people, understand?' She stared hard at him again, and Abe finally shrugged in acquiescence, as though being overpowered by a woman half his age was no big deal. â€Å"Fine. We'll do it together.' Lissa was a little suspicious at his willingness, and he must have picked up on that. â€Å"We will,' he said, continuing walking. â€Å"This is a good time–well, as good as any time–for an investigation. Court's going to get chaotic as the monarch elections get under way. Everyone here will be busy, and new people will start pouring in.' A breeze, heavy with humidity, ruffled Lissa's hair. The promise of heat was on it, and she knew Abe would be right about sunrise. It would be worth going to bed early. â€Å"When will the elections happen?' she asked. â€Å"As soon as they put dear Tatiana to rest. These things move fast. We need our government restored. She'll be buried tomorrow at the church with a ceremony and service, but there'll be no repeat of the procession. They're still too uneasy.' I felt kind of bad that she hadn't received a full queenly funeral in the end, but then, if it meant her true murderer was found, maybe she would have preferred it that way. â€Å"Once the burial happens and elections begin,' Abe continued, â€Å"any family who wants to put out a candidate for the crown will do so–and of course they'll want to. You've never seen a monarchial election, have you? It's quite a spectacle. Of course, before the voting occurs, all the candidates will have to be tested.' There was something ominous in the way he said â€Å"tested,' but Lissa's thoughts were elsewhere. Tatiana had been the only queen she'd ever known, and the full impact of a regime change was staggering. â€Å"A new king or queen can affect everything–for better or worse. I hope it's someone good. One of the Ozeras, maybe. One of Tasha's people.' She glanced hopefully at Christian, who could only shrug. â€Å"Or Ariana Szelsky. I like her. Not that it matters who I want,' she added bitterly. â€Å"Seeing as I can't vote.' The Council's votes determined the election's winner, so again, she was locked out of the Moroi legal process. â€Å"A lot of work will go into the nominations,' Abe explained, avoiding her last comment. â€Å"Each family will want someone to further their interests but who also has a chance of getting votes from–‘ â€Å"Oomph!' I was thrust harshly out of the calculating world of Moroi politics and back into the wilds of West Virginia–very painfully so. Something solid and fierce slammed me against the hard-packed earth, leaves and branches cutting my face and hands. Strong hands held me down, and Dimitri's voice spoke in my ear. â€Å"You should have just hidden in town,' he said, a little amused. His weight and position allowed me no room to move. â€Å"It would have been the last place I looked. Instead, I knew exactly where you'd go.' â€Å"Whatever. Don't act so smart,' I said through gritted teeth, trying to break out of his hold. Goddamn it. He was smart. And once again, the closeness of him was disorienting. Earlier, it had seemed to affect him too, but he'd apparently learned his lesson. â€Å"You made a lucky guess, that's all.' â€Å"I don't need luck, Roza. I'll always find you. So, really it's up to you how difficult you want this situation to be.' There was an almost conversational tone to his voice, made all the more ridiculous by the situation we were in. â€Å"We can do this over and over, or you can do the reasonable thing and just stay put with Sydney and me.' â€Å"It's not reasonable! It's wasteful.' He was sweating, from the heat and undoubtedly because he'd had to run pretty hard to catch up with me. Adrian wore a cologne that always made me heady, but the natural scent of Dimitri's warm skin was intoxicating too. It was amazing to me that I could keep noticing these little things–and be attracted to them–even when I was legitimately mad at him for keeping me captive. Maybe anger was a turn-on for me. â€Å"How many times do I have to explain the logic behind what we're doing?' he asked in exasperation. â€Å"Until you give up.' I pushed back against him, trying again to get loose, but all it did was put us closer together. I had a feeling the kissing trick wouldn't work this time. He jerked me to my feet, keeping my arms and hands pinned behind my back. I had a little more room to maneuver than I had on the ground, but not quite enough to break free. Slowly, he began trying to make me walk back toward the direction I'd come from. â€Å"I am not letting you and Sydney risk getting in trouble with me. I'll take care of myself, so just let me go!' I said, literally dragging my feet. Seeing a tall, skinny tree, I stuck one leg out and hooked myself onto the trunk, completely bringing us to a halt. Dimitri groaned and shifted his grip to get me away from the tree. It almost gave me an escape opportunity, but I didn't even manage two steps before he had a hold of me again. â€Å"Rose,' he said wearily. â€Å"You can't win.' â€Å"How's your face feeling?' I asked. I couldn't see any marks in the poor lighting but knew the punch I'd given him would leave a mark tomorrow. It was a shame to damage his face like that, but he'd heal, and maybe it would teach him a lesson about messing with Rose Hathaway. Or not. He began dragging me again. â€Å"I'm seconds away from just tossing you over my shoulder,' he warned. â€Å"I'd like to see you try.' â€Å"How do you think Lissa would feel if you got killed?' His grip tightened, and while I had a feeling he'd make good on his over-the-shoulder threat, I also suspected he wanted to shake me. He was that upset. â€Å"Can you imagine what it would do to her if she lost you?' For a moment, I was out of snappy retorts. I didn't want to die, but risking my life was exactly that: risking my life. No one else's. Still, I knew he was right. Lissa would be devastated if anything happened to me. And yet †¦ it was a risk I had to take. â€Å"Have a little faith, comrade. I won't get killed,' I said stubbornly. â€Å"I'll stay alive.' Not the answer he'd wanted. He shifted his hold. â€Å"There are other ways to help her than whatever insanity you're thinking of.' I suddenly went limp. Dimitri stumbled, caught by surprise at my sudden lack of resistance. â€Å"What's wrong?' he asked, both puzzled and suspicious. I stared off into the night, my eyes not really focused on anything. Instead, I was seeing Lissa and Abe back at Court, remembering Lissa's feeling of powerlessness and longing for her vote. Tatiana's note came back to me, and for a moment, I could hear her voice in my head. She is not the last Dragomir. Another lives. â€Å"Youre right,' I said at last. â€Å"Right about †¦ ?' Dimitri was at a total loss. It was a common reaction for people when I agreed to something reasonable. â€Å"Rushing back to Court won't help Lissa.' Silence. I couldn't fully make out his expression, but it was probably filled with shock. â€Å"I'll go back to the motel with you, and I won't go running off to Court.' Another Dragomir. Another Dragomir needing to be found. I took a deep breath. â€Å"But I'm not going to sit around and do nothing. I am going to do something for Lissa–and you and Sydney are going to help me.'

Blood Brothers Essay

My initial example is where Eddie is advising Mickey what to say when he asks Linda out. Eddie: Linda my loins are burning for you. Let me lay my weary head on your warm breast; Linda, I love you, I want you, the very centre of my being calls out for you! Eddie’s environment has obviously affected the way that he could just think of something to say which is very romantic. You could not imagine Mickey saying such things. Eddie is more confident and knows how to use his vocabulary well in order to get people to do things. When Mickey tries to, his outcome is abysmal. Mickey: Erm†¦ er, well the thing is the centre of my†¦ being cries out for†¦ erm, my knees, loins are†¦ (snaps) Linda for Christ’s sake will you go out with me? Linda agrees. Mickey cannot find the right words to say even if he is told what to say. Mickey’s vocabulary is retarded because of his environment. His school is worse than Eddie’s so he tries to copy Eddie but still cannot do that. I put this under humour because I thought it was quite funny but it could also go under language as both of the boys language has been affected by their environment. My next example is when the policewoman asks Eddie what he is doing. Eddie replies â€Å"Adolf Hitler†. Then the policewoman asks him what his name is and he says that he is waiting for the 92 bus. For one moment I think Eddie wanted to be like Mickey and tried to be cheeky to the police officer but because of his family and environment he was unable to do that and it ended up the wrong way around. This example is like my original but the other way around. Now, I am going to discuss the way that Russell uses plot to stress the point that family and environment have an effect on peoples lives and opportunities. The whole of the story is based around two males who are separated at birth. One of the twins had been told that there was a twin brother and that he died at birth, the other had been told that he was an only child. Now they are isolated from each other their lives begin to change because of their background and environment. My first example is when Mickey and Linda are married and are looking for a house from the council. They had been waiting for approximately five years for a new house and still had not got one! When Linda was passing the Council Offices she stepped into the housing officer’s office and asked to speak to him. When he arrived Linda was surprised as the man was Eddie. She pleaded once again for a house to live in, and because of Eddies environment he said that all he needed to do was to make one phone call. Then Mickey and Linda would be at the top of the list and could have a house very soon. Because of Mickey and Linda’s environment, they were forced to go to the council for a cheap or free house and considering Eddie’s status he could do this extremely quickly. My second example for plot is where Linda turns out just like Mrs Johnson, (Mickey’s mum. ) In â€Å"Educating Rita,† another of Russell’s work, Rita was expected to have a baby as soon as they got married. This is just like Linda with Mickey. In their family and environment they are expected to have a baby young and to traditionally stay around the house. This reduces their opportunities in life as they do not work once they have had a baby. The man of the house, in their environment, is foreseen to do all of the work and bring all of the money in. This is exactly what happens in this story. Now, I have completed â€Å"plot†, I will go on to analyse the staging devises Willy Russell uses to show the effect that family and environment have on the two boys lives. There was a recent performance at a local theatre, which I went to see. I found that by going to see the acted story I found how even the way you dress, your family and your environment were involved in some way. My leading example through â€Å"set† is costume. I noticed Mickey was wearing clothes too big for him which have most likely been passed down through the family. Eddie is the complete opposite to Mickey in the way that he is wearing smart, new school clothes and looks very sharp in his uniform. Russell shows how even clothes have an effect on family and environment. At the play it showed the brothers in completely different houses. One at the rough end of the village and the other at the very high end of social environment. They live in different ways and houses because of their environment. Their family either reduces the opportunity to live in a high class house or improves the opportunity. There are certain changes in the acted story, the first being where Mickey helped his brother complete a crime which went wrong. People in Mickey’s environment often resort to this as they need the money, but people in Eddie’s environment would never be constrained to doing this sort of thing as they always have money. When Mickey went to jail he had to be put on anti-depressants to help him cope with the stress and loneliness of prison. This was the final straw for Mickey because all of his life he had been pushed to the limit craving for food and money, lots of things also go wrong in Mickey’s environment. When he finally reached confinement he felted that was enough. If Eddie had been placed in jail he would probably be able to cope as he has had less to put up with than Mickey but would most likely be bailed anyway! I conclude that every little detail which Willy Russell has put into his well crafted book, and performance, has something to do with family and environment. Because of his own experiences he was able to complete the task of writing this book and include very graphic details of how family and environment effects peoples everyday lives and opportunities.

Risk management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk management - Research Paper Example Demand for transparency has increased and expectations are rising for companies to evaluate report and improve their environmental, social, and economic performance. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) does not have intricate definition. According to McWilliams and Siegel (2001) â€Å"actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interest of the firm and that which is required by law† (McWilliams and Siegel, 2001, p. 117). CSR is more than compliance with the law. Frooman (1997) exemplifies CSR as â€Å"An action by a firm, which the firm chooses to take, that substantially affects an identifiable social stakeholder’s welfare† (Frooman, 1997 p.227). In the light of these definitions, CSR can be viewed as a comprehensive set of rules, practices, programs, and policies that are incorporated into supply chain, business operations, and decision-making processes of the company. CSR usually include community investment, business ethics, governance, envi ronmental concerns, human rights, workplace, as well as the market place. When it comes to Business performance, this is an area where companies pay great deal of attention since it provides integral information about the success and position of the company as well as development and future standpoint. All business operations, in one way or other, revolve around the targeted goal of an organization that is contributing to the success of the business. Business performance provides a neutral description of the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s action. It can be characterized with attributes such as poor or well. Business performance is considered as vital area of interest for the top management of firm. Several elements contribute to the success or failure of the company. CSR is one such variable that contributes to the well-being, reputation, and financial performance of the company. This paper seeks to investigate the impact of CSR practices on firm’s perfo rmance. A critical analysis of prior literature conducted in the same field will be provided in order to evaluate the causal relationship between the two variables. Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Financial Performance Ways in which companies implement practices of corporate social responsibility differs from one another. These differences are based on factors such as respective industry involved, size of company, demands of stakeholders, business culture of the firm, and historical progress of company while dealing with CSR. Numbers of studies have been conducted in order to test the relationship between ethical and social performance of corporation and its impact on financial performance. Erhemjamts, Li, and Venkateswaran, (2012) conducted a study to investigate the determinants of CSR and its implications on the organizational strategy, investment policy, and performance of the business. Erhemjamts, Li, and Venkateswaran, (2012) found that firms having higher R &D intensity, better performance and financial health are more likely to engage in Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) activities, whereas riskers firms are less likely to involve in such activities (Erhemjamts, Li, and Venkateswaran, 2012). Stanwick, and Stanwick, (1998) conducted a study to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility of a business with financial perform

The effectiveness of international criminal law demands clarity in Coursework

The effectiveness of international criminal law demands clarity in respect of the law and jurisdiction and fairness in its enforcement requiring state support. Discuss - Coursework Example International criminal law (ICL) is not an old maxim. The concept generally emerged after the occurrence of World-War II. However, even after more than 50 years of its development, the law is still subjected to numerous contentions and controversies. Several international lawyers strongly believe that ICL lacks uniformity and autonomy that makes quite difficult for its widespread application. At the same time, it is debated that ICL has complex and rigid impact on the sovereignty of a nation. The major sources of ICL are identified to be treaties, Customary International Law (CIL), general principle of law, judicial decisions and learned writing. The scope and operation of these sources of ICL in establishing liability for crimes are argued to be not clarified. The role of International Criminal Courts (ICCs) in prosecuting the international grave crimes such as genocide, war crime and crime against humanity are claimed to be extremely important. However, according to the principle o f complementarity, ICCs are entitled to intervene and criminalise crime only when states are unable or unwilling to provide proper jurisdiction1. Against this backdrop, the study discusses about the effectiveness of ICL, which demands clarity in respect of the law and jurisdiction and fairness in its enforcement requiring state support. International criminal law (ICL) is a discrete body or subsection of public international law. In general, international law deals with inter-state relations, while ICL is paradigmatically related with restrictions placed to individuals. More specifically, international law defines responsibilities of individuals rather than states. Correspondingly, the individuals who are imposed with responsibilities are prohibited and punished according to international mechanism wherein their acts are deemed to be violation or crime under international

Comparison of Charter and Choice schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparison of Charter and Choice schools - Essay Example The parents will get chance for choosing the best educational program for their child. These are basically the public school which offer inter - district school choice program to the public. Charter school does not receive any kind of funding for their facilities. It cannot access those funds which are available under public school construction program in New Jersey. These schools are funded by tax payer dollars. These are free like any other public school in New Jersey. Most of charter schools in New Jersey are less than five years old and smaller in size than the other public school or choice school. These schools are running by getting help from the large and small companies in the country, community group, parents of the student, teachers etc. As these are non profit entity so they can serve educational facilities to limited number of students (Rofes and Stulberg, 2012). Choice school can get the opportunity to access fund which are available under public school construction program in New Jersey. These schools also get several options for funding activities. The state government is playing a crucial role in the funding activities for such kind of schools. This scho ol can also raise fund from the parents of the students. Various scholarship funds also help in this case. A charter school can be created through a proper, accurate and successful application which needs to submit to the New Jersey DOE. The proposal for opening a new school can be given to them or convert an existing public school to a charter school also can also take place. A public school will become chartered school only if the 51 % teaching staffs who are working in that school want this conversion and 51 % guardians or parents of the student want for the same. This conversion or starting a new school can be possible as per the guidelines of the New Jersey Charter School Program Act, 1995. The

Art Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Intercompany Profits Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intercompany Profits - Case Study Example There are factors that the company considers in deriving the method to use, such as ownership and influence. In this case, the analysis of the subsidiaries is included in the consolidated financial statements. The principles of accounting state that the intercompany inventory transfers, such as a transfer between Verizon Wireless and Wireline, must eliminate all the revenues and expenses recorded by the involved parties in the preparation of the consolidated income statement. The profits or losses that are accrued in the transfer of inventory are deferred, to the point where the inventory is sold to a non-affiliate (Christensen, Cottrell, & Baker, 2013). The intercompany profits that are realized by Verizon and its subsidiaries are considered as a single entity to ensure that the only historical cost of the inventory is included in the business’s balance sheet. As such, the profits that may be realized by the parent company (Verizon) are eliminated until when the goods are sold to a non-affiliate. In preparation of the consolidated financial report, the gross profit that is realized by Verizon is only when the inventory has been sold to a non-subsidiary since the intercompany profit s are eliminated. Arguments are that, in the inventory inter-transfer, regardless of the price at which the exchange has taken place, no actual profits have been realized, from the consolidated perspective, but the profit is realized upon reselling of inventory to non-affiliates (Christensen et al., 2013). Verizon eliminates all the intercompany profits, as it no longer applies the provisions and regulatory accounting provided by the FASB 71 (1994). Harley-Davidson is registered as the parent company to two businesses. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) deals with motorcycles and related products while the Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) provides financially related services to other clients. In Harley-Davidson’s consolidated statements, the  entities are sourced from both company subsidiaries and other owned entities by the company.

Claim Response Letter Delivering Negative News Essay

Claim Response Letter Delivering Negative News - Essay Example I want to be categorically clear that at the moment, due to logistics we are not willing to offer any resale or promotional activities (May & Regina, 36). However, in the future the company may decide to offer such activities. This will be communicated in the newspapers and mainstream media should the management decide so. On behalf of the company, we wish to state that we are sorry for the miscommunication and misunderstanding on your part. Digital Inc will not comply with the request because this was a case of misunderstanding. As already mentioned above, we share almost the same name. Our offices are located in close proximities to each other. We realize that that this is a case of miscommunication by the newspaper and the newsrooms that ran the advert. However, I wish to state on behalf of the company that in the future we would be more careful about creating our unique name and logos (different ones) so that this confusion does not arise again. We understand your disappointment about the supposed promotion and any stress it might have caused you. Similarly, we wish to state that in the future when we carry such promotions, we will communicate the same effectively and candidly. The company we share a name with and have striking similarities has since apologized and communicated the same to media houses and online platforms. We would also like to state that several other complaints have been launched, and the Digital Corporation has announced they are looking into the issues decisively. Our company would like to announce that it would soon carry out promotions in three months. You may want to participate in the fabulous promotion that is set to run for three months. All you have to do is visit any of our digital outlets and buy any gadgets of your choice, and you could win great prizes. Besides, you can find us online via digitalinc.us.com or read about us in the newspapers or

Unit 3IP Green Power Sources Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 3IP Green Power Sources - Research Paper Example Inherent conversion losses that lead to energy wastage also result from the power distribution and usage (Patrick, 5). Given that the sum of energy is constant, energy conservation can be achieved by maintaining high efficiencies in the machines used during energy conversion in order to minimize the amount of energy wasted during conversion. Adaptive power control can be adopted at the user end that will substantially reduce energy wastage and loss through the use of light loads. With adaptive power control, a tremendous amount of energy can be conversed since there is an automatic monitoring and control of energy consumption by optimizing the light load efficiency. The current appliances used at home only utilizes about 20-50% of load for a significant amount of time leading to lots of energy wastage. Adaptive control ensures an optimized light load efficiency through the use of automatic switching of the appliances and devices (Patrick, 23). Fossil fuel includes oil, natural gas and coal. The combustion fossil fuel generates high amount of energy that is considered to be of high efficiency. Fossil fuel is easily available and their conversion into a usable form is simple. Coal is cheap as compared to the other energy sources and can be easily transported from one point to the other. Transportation of oil and natural gas over long distances is also easy through the use of pipelines. Coal is plentiful and is easily available in addition to its low costs of extraction and processing. A major disadvantage of fossil fuel is pollution. The processing and conversion of fossil fuel into a usable energy form releases hazardous gasses in addition to the greenhouse gasses released during their consumption. The greenhouse gasses released causes global warming and acidic rain. Oil spills in deep sea destroys the aquatic ecosystem. Oil drilling and excavation is quite

Natural Gas Markets in Three Distinct Regions Essay Example for Free

Natural Gas Markets in Three Distinct Regions Essay Introduction As with many other products and commodities participating in a globalized supply chain, the three dominant market places are located in North America, Europe and Asia. This is no different for natural gas. While each region shares similarly a reliance on energy to support the tenets of the modern high-standard of living, all three are highly divergent in terms of demographic, culture, and history; and differ widely in policies concerning finance, monetary regulation, and of course, energy. These qualities and more have shaped generations of market development in terms of policy and practice, and in examining the results of those developments, or today’s key differences between the natural gas markets in Asia, Europe, and North America, differentiations will be made based on the following three criteria: market maturity, the sources of supply, and the dependence on imports. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Asia – Market Maturity Asia is the least developed natural gas market but shows the greatest growth potential. China in particular is rapidly modernizing; what was once a largely agrarian country is becoming a collection of burgeoning city-centers with growing energy needsproof can be found in any of over 100 cities with a population over one million (Perkowski, 2012). In addition, Chinese government has recently unveiled a policy whereby natural gas is prioritized for the transportation sector in an effort to displace diesel and reign in emissions. (Aishu and Hua, 2012) This suggests China, currently the eighth largest consumer of natural gas, may ascend that list to the top three—situating itself among Russia and the US. Despite China’s position to increase gas consumption, significant barriers exist to natural gas market maturity. Structural and regulatory issues concerning natural gas—including pricingare addressed ad hoc. (Huang, 2012 p.3058) Although industrialized Asia largely sets worldwide LNG prices (which are tied to oil-indexed long term contracts), the prices are not binding. China has pursued non-market concessions with India through bilateral agreements (McRae and Ruppel, 2011), and bypassed bidding processes with countries like Angola and Nigeria, who sign agreements without human rights or financial transparency requirements normally required by Western investors. (Mitchell, 2012) Absent any semblance of sound legal framework (let alone continuity of pricing practice), such actions show great unpredictability in China’s trading habits which reduce confidence of potential investors aspiring to enter China’s natural gas industry. These add up to significant barriers to natural gas market maturity. Asia – Sources of Supply Asian geography promotes trade by sea and larger economies have logically invested heavily in LNG—more than two-thirds of global LNG is traded in the Asia Pacific region (Mitchell, 2012) where flexibility exists to receive gas shipments from a variety sources. Australia (LNG) and Central Asia (pipeline) have traditionally supplied gas to China, but should global market conditions shift, China is easily able to accept shipments from Canada and the United States, and high-CAPEX projects like the Kitimat LNG terminal in British Colombia are indications that North America may grow in relevance to China’s gas supply chain. Asia – Dependence on Imports With limited local conventional gas, industrialized Asia is highly dependent on imported LNG from South East Asia, Australia and the Middle East. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) However, recent assessments peg China’s recoverable tight-gas reserves at over 1,200TCF. Due to uniquely challenging reservoir lithology, (Faulkner, 2012) China will require assistance from Independent producers as their EP technology lags by world standard. (Faulkner, 2012) Even with Shell allocating USD1B per year to Chinese shale gas exploration (Hamilton, 2012), it may take a decade until Chinese shale gas flows to market. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect Asia will continue importing roughly 40% of its gas (roughly half is from in-region) and may become increasingly dependent on supplies from Central Asia (Kazakhstan), the Middle East and Western Africa. (Mitchell, 2012) Europe – Market Maturity Europe contains a well-developed natural gas market which is considered open, although the lack of a uniform natural gas financial and legal framework for European Union (EU) nations is an encumbrance to efficient market operation. The complicated patchwork of cross-border pipelines must also comply with multiple and dissimilar legal and regulatory regimes which add complication to construction and operations. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) The European market relies heavily on long term contracts with price terms based on a mix of competing fuels, and pipeline access is restricted. This policy was crafted by way of reaction to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo; it’s inherently inapplicable to today’s market and serves as a hindrance to full development of the European spot market. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Europe – Sources of Supply Europe is at considerable disadvantage in terms of security of natural gas supply—there is access to Russian and Central Asian natural gas, but only through Russian pipeline systems monopolized by Gazprom and Transneft, meaning shipments are highly subject to disruption resulting from infighting between Russia and transit-nation Ukraine. (Mitchell, 2012) While France has been determined to contain a remarkable 180TCF of shale gas, Europe may never see the benefit as France has invested in nuclear to eliminate the need for hydrocarbon exploration, and holds a moratorium on same. Poland is the other European country with significant shale gas; they intend to monetize their resources expeditiously. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Europe – Dependence on Imports While dependency rates between EU nations varies, the EU imported 54.1% of its gross energy consumption in 2010 (European Commission, 2012), indicating great dependence on seller nations (primarily Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, Qatar and Norway). The EU receives almost 50% of its gas by pipeline, and LNG continues to support the Iberian Peninsula. Diversification of supply is a high priority. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) One major step to liberalizing markets would be to establish pricing mechanisms not tied to oil. While potential exists for shale gas development to reduce European imports, stringent EU environmental regulations ensure Europe’s dependence on imports for years ahead. Lengthy disruptions are unlikely as Russia and Algeria have failed to reinvest hydrocarbon revenues for economic growth; they remain highly dependent on steady cash inflows to remain solvent. If a lengthy disruption did happen, Europe generally has powerful North American allies who may use diplomacy, sanctions or hostility to mitigate damage. In the event of conflict, North American surplus LNG export capacity may bolster gas shortfalls in Europe. North America – Market Maturity The United States and Canada enjoy the most developed and un-restricted natural gas market in the world. Natural gas infrastructure is highly developed and is the mechanism by which the US was able to consume 22% of the world’s natural gas in 2009. (Mitchell, 2012) Natural gas is produced by private companies with open access to the pipeline network and sold at prices set by the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) based on principles of supply and demand. Gas in North America trades at the greatest degree of independence to oil compared to other regions, indicating an exceptionally mature natural gas market. North America Sources of Supply By way of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the US receives natural gas supply by pipeline from Canada and Mexico, and LNG shipments from Trinidad. Canada receives shipments of American gas to eastern markets via pipeline. Importation of Canadian hydrocarbons may increase if authorization is granted to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast. North America – Dependence on Imports North America possesses the reserves and technology to theoretically discontinue natural gas imports. Whether this makes political sense is debatable—doing so would financially impair many supply nations with whom North American countries participate in a variety of global affairs. Canada and the US are particularly well situated to conduct natural gas arbitrage. Environmental concerns have slowed the development of the Keystone XL pipeline. Left unresolved, natural gas may be reallocated for export to Asia. Conclusions In the West (US and EU), increased market share for NG will be an adjustment to an already well-functioning energy supply chain. In China, development of a natural gas market will be part of a paradigm shiftacknowledgement that Chinese people are earning and spending more, and expect higher standards of living. While the West currently enjoys relatively convenient pricing on natural gas, China will boost Asia’s competitiveness with Europe for supplies from Russia, West Africa, Iraq and Central Asia. This will cause an eastward shift of the global gas supply chain, (Mitchell, 2012) and may shine a brighter light of scrutiny on Asia’s standards of conduct that might not be in line with a Western sense of decency. The results of such confrontation on natural gas markets are impossible to predict. One thing we can be sure of is that natural gas as a commodity is more than just a tool by which we power our machines or heat our homes. Natural gas is a gift to the world that if used correctly, can drastically improve the human experience for a great many people. Whether buyer and seller nations can be pragmatic about international trade agreements, use the proceeds to grow internal economies, and establish transparency in the marketplace are the metrics by which we will know if this resource is being put to good use or merely squandered. REFERENCES 1) Mitchell, J. (Nov 2010) â€Å"More for Asia: Rebalancing World Oil and Gas† Chatham House 2) McRae, G. and Ruppel, C. (Jun 2011) â€Å"The Future of Natural Gas, An Interdisciplinary MIT Study† Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Available at: http://mitei.mit.edu/publications/reports-studies/future-natural-gas 3) Perkowski, J. (May 2012) â€Å"China’sBest kept Secrets: Mianyang and Other Tier 3 Cities† Forbes Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/05/11/chinas-best-kept-secrets-mianyang-and-other-tier-3-cities/ 4) Huang, L. (May 2012) â€Å"Development in China’s Natural Gas Industry Regulation† Advanced Materials Research. [Online] Volume 527-527 pp 3058-3061. Available at: http://www.scientific.net/AMR.524-527.3058 5) Faulkner, C. (Sep 2012) â€Å"China’s Natural Gas Potential† Business Excellence [Online] 26 September. Available from: http://www.bus-ex.com/article/china%E2%80%99 s-natural-gas-potential 6) Aishu, C. and Hua, J. [Ed. Fernandez, C.] (Oct 2012) â€Å"China Prioritizes Use of Natural Gas By Vehicles, Ships† Reuters [Online] 31 October. Available from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/china-gas-policy-idUSL3E8LV5DN20121031 7) Hamilton, G. (Aug 2012) â€Å"Shell Canada to go ahead with Kitimat LNG projects despite billion-dollar Chinese gas investment† [Online] 21 August. Available from: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/resources/Shell+Canada+ahead+with+Kitimat+projects+despite/7124608/story.html 8) Main Origin of Primary Energy Imports, EU-27, 2002-2010.[Online] European Commission Eurostat. Available from: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Energy_production_and_imports

The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is Set during the Great Depression in the 1930s in a place called Soledad. When the wall street crash as with the introduction of new machinery led to poverty and unemployment, leaving thousands of workers stranded without work, migrating from place to place searching for some money and a place to sleep. The story Of mice and men starts with a description of the place Lennie and George ended up in after running away from Wead and showed the bad conditions that migrant workers are in. In the novel Lennie and George are the main characters. Lennie is described as a slow and dumb character, while in contrast George is a smart leader and could do much more if he wasnt carrying Lennie along with him all the time. Lennie and George are best friends who travel all over the place together, searching for food, shelter, and some money. In other words they migrant workers. Lennie and George are both similar to the other workers as they are migrant workers but are also unique because migrant workers usually travel alone, but not them they travel together. Lennie and George both have a dream that one day they will own a piece of land. In the novel there are a few themes that teach important life lessons, a few are. friendship. Friendship is very important in this novel because Lennie and George are rare travelling best friends and throughout the novel their friendship is tested is tested to the limit. Another one is hopes and dreams, Lennie and George always survive by speaking about their dreams of one day owning a piece of land as Lennie always says when he is down, tell us George, tell us about the farm. Paragraph 2 The Wall street crash, the Great Depression and new machinery all led to poverty and unemployment and increased the number of migrant workers by thousands. These migrant workers had a very bad lifestyle, they wouldnt stay in one place or settle down and are always moving about. Evidence of this is Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world, they got no family, they dont belong no place, they work up a stake and the next thing you know theyre poundin their tail on some other ranch. This was said by George explaining to Lennie that all migrant workers are lonely and never settle down in one place. The migrant workers , just as they have the bad lifestyle of not settling down; they dont have long term friendship or family, support to that is If them guys gets in trouble. They can rot for all anybody gives a damn but not us This explains that migrant workers have no real friends or people that care for them, another one is they got no family this one also tells us that migrant workers have no relations with their families. Migrant workers have very few possessions and the possessions they do have they carry in a bag called a bindle : their shelves where loaded with little articles, soap and balcum powder, razors and those western magazine, ranch men love to read and there where medicines on the shelves and little vials, combs and a few neck ties, this shows that what migrant workers own are few and are only the things they need most as they are travelling and they only cary around their necessities. Migrant workers rarely have any real relationships with women because they are always travelling around, and the only way they can have a family feel and be with women is if they pay for it through brothel : Old Susys place, where workers can just set in the chairs and have a couple of those shots and pass the time of day This explains that the workers have to pay for relationships with women. Over all the traits of the migrant workers are interconnected. For example, they dont have long term friendships because they travel all time, they also dons have relationships with women because of their loneliness and inability to settle down, they have very few possessions because they cant carry many possessions around with them. They also get low pay which limits the number of possessions that they can buy. Paragraph 3. As a result of the circumstances and the living conditions of the migrant workers, they end up lonely, isolated, violent, selfish and have no job satisfaction. Unlike Lennie and George who have each other and who travel together, most migrant workers are lonely and feel very isolated, I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone, that aint no good, they dont have no fun, after a long time they get mean, they get so that they dont want to talk to nobody. This shows and explains that the migrant workers were lonely and isolated and also that because of that they resort to violence. Violence and a harsh lifestyle are very common characteristics traits found in migrant workers. An example is Candys experience, Theyll can me purty soon, jus as soon as I cant wamp put no bunk houses theyll put me on the county this is said by Candy and it shows the harsh lifestyles of migrant workers and shows that when they are not performing or cant do their job any more. They will get sacked, another quote that shows violence is well if you were to take him and shoot him in the back of the head right there, well hell never know what hit him this shows the violence that is going around inside these ranches. Other examples of violence are when curly attacked Lennie: Then Curlys rage exploded come on ya big bastard, get up on your feet. No big son- of- a- bitch is gonna laugh at me, Ill show ya whos yella. This shows the violence that Curly attacked Lennie with and then started hitting him for nothing. Quite often migrant workers are suspicious of one another, when Lennie and George joined the ranch and were shown to their beds: Says positively kills lice, roaches and other scourge, what the hell kinda bed are you givin us anyways, we dont want no pants rabbits This shows that George and Lennie were suspicious of the hygiene and beds that they were given, another one is I dont like Curly, he aint a nice fella. this was said by Curlys wife and it explains that she was suspicious and hateful towards her own husband. Of all the work the migrant workers do they never get any job satisfaction as they are usually at another ranch before their work has grown so they will never get to see the work that they have done, they also work very hard but get unfair low pay, I aint so bright or I wouldnt be buckin barely For my fifty and found. If I had my own little place Id be bringing in my own crops stead of doin all the work and not getting what comes outa the ground. That shows that migrant workers have no job satisfaction and are angry because theyre all the hard work and not being rewarded for it. No wonder they turn to violence. Paragraph 4. For many Americans at that time the American dream was something to work for and to keep them going, the American dream is the dream of being famous or financially successful or as we saw with the story of Lennie and George it is just wanting to own a piece of land and independence . We first saw the American dream with George and Lennie as they dreamed of one day owning a piece of land. Someday were gonna get the jack together and were gonna have a little house an a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs an live offa the fata da land explains the dream of George and Lennie and shows the hope that they both have, and dhows us what they both wake up for every morning. Candy is an old character that has been in the ranch for many years, and through those years his dreams got lost, but when he found out of George and Lennies dream his got revived, he leaned forward eagerly, spose I went in with you guys thas three hundred an fifty bucks, Id put in the chicken an hose the garden some, howd that be Shows the eagerness and excitement that he was in when he found an opportunity to bring his dream back to life, he also offered all the money he has without thinking twice about it and that shows his determination. Candy is an old man who would like nothing more than some company and a long rest. Curlys wife is also a character with a dream, but her dream is quite different than some of the workers around the ranch. Her dream is to be an actress in the movies, but like most, her dream does not come true. Coulda been in the movies, and had nice clothes like they wear, an I coulda sat in them big hotels and had pitchers took of me this guy said I was a natural. Curlys wife shows how much she wanted her dream and also shows the details of her dream, but also shows the disappointment A her dream is now gone because she is married to Curly. Crooks character is another example of the racism against blacks at that time. Crooks is a lonely character with no friends or family and very small contact with other people on the ranch, but even in the dullest of places, in the saddest of people you can find dreams and hopes. Crooks dream is really just to be independent and to be around a few friends and we found that out when he said If you guys would like a hand to work for nothing, just his keep, why Id come an lend a hand, I aint so crippled I can work like any son of a bitch if I want to , this shows that Crooks is not really interested in money or land but is just looking for some company and independence. Paragraph 5. Language is a very important part of Of Mice and Men, It gives us a true sense and an insight of the atmosphere in the novel. Throughout this section i will be speaking about the aspects of language in Of mice and Men like dialect, accent and colloquial language. Dialect is defined as words that are common to a particular region. Steinbecks characters speak in a Californian dialect, at that time in California and all around America the dialect was very unique and different, they would use many words such as bindle, which is a bag that the migrant workers carried with all their belongings in it. Lennie put his bindle, on the neighbouring bunk and sat down, shows the word is being used in every day situations. Another word is Swamper, which means cleaners, The old swamper shifted his broom and held it between his elbow, in Of Mice and Men Candy is the swamper, another commonly used word is Greybacks- Which means bed bugs, Then how come he got grey bugs, George was working up a slow anger. at the time lice and bedbugs were very common as the level of hygiene was very low. In those times a rural area was usually referred to as the brush , I want you to come right here an hide in the brush. George had instructed Lennie to hide in the brush if he got in any trouble. The author did not fail to show the accent that the people spoke with in those times, when the people in California spoke they would usually not finish their words and senesces, all the characters spoke in the accent and one of them is Curlys wife, I aint told this to nobody before may be I oughtnt to coulda been in the movies, an gad nice clothes all of them nice clothes like they wear, an I coulda sat in them big hotels an had pitchers took of me. This is full of words and sentences that indicate the presence of a Californian accent such as pitchers, like they wear, and also the way her sentences re structured and her words are incomplete. Colloquial language is another important aspect of language as it shows the way people spoke. Throughout the novella, colloquial language is widely used, all characters use the language. I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye, This was said to show that Curlys wife even looks to attract the stable buck. They would also say things like he aint no cuckoo which means that he isnt stupid. And sure its swell which just means its great. Their choice of words are also different as they say things like pitchers and I aint. Steinbeck also uses imagery in his writing which includes animal imagery. He uses animal imagery mainly to describe characters, Lennie is often described as a large and slow character and his character is captured well when he is described as an animal. Lennie dribbled his paw in the water this compared Lennie to a bear as he drank, another is, behind him walks the opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws., This also compares him to a bear explaining his bad posture and features. More support is His huge companion drank in huge gulps in the water, again here. Steinbeck does this to give us a greater idea of the way it feels to be around Lennie. When Steinbeck makes his comparisons he often uses similes to better help describe his character, as he did with the character of Lennie. Colour is also an important factor as it helps to describe many characters. The colour red for example helps describe Curlys wife as she is a character related with death and she is also a character that tries to attract with sex appeal. A girl was standing there, she had full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up, her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules of which were little bouquets of red feathers, this shows the association colour red has with sex. The colour red is also associated with danger as Lennie tries to avoid her after George warns him, listen to me you crazy bastard, he said fiercely, dont you even take a look at that bitch, I dont care what she says and what she do here Curlys wife is associated with danger as George is scared she will get Lennie in trouble. The colour reds association with death also involves Curlys wife as she was killed by Lennie He looked down at her carefully, he moved his hand from over her mouth and she lay still, Curlys wife had died. Conclusion: The Migrant workers had a difficult life and the didnt make it easier for each other either, in a life full of violence, loneliness and un cleanliness the migrant workers have to struggle in their lives and if you were black at that time then life is even worse for you as racism at that time was very strong, you could say that the only thing that everyone at that time woke up for in the morning are the dreams that they all had, even though most of the dreams never came true and most of the people knew that they still all needed something to wake up to, which teaches us a valuable life lesson which is to always have a dream. I think the theme of the story is that you always need someone to rely one as weve learned from the novella that if you have no one you could go crazy. In conclusion I think this novella shows us how a difficult lifestyle can push friendships to the limit

Short Story Playing With Fire English Literature Essay

Short Story Playing With Fire English Literature Essay Mental disorders I performed excellently in school, had relatively close connections with my family and kept a well-mannered group of friends; however, all of my thoughts, actions and emotions could be thrown into disarray with the sight of a single flame. Pyromania, it was called. It was also the reason why I was forced by my mother to come to this stupid group rehab centre. Everywhere I went, there was a thick atmosphere of tension between everyone that seemed impossible to break. Despite this environment, for the past month, I had been able to keep my composure each day with the company of one girl. From the very first day, she was the only person in the room who wore a smile the entire time. With long, brown hair, contrasting her fair skin, and a look of confidence on her face, I thought of no reason why she should be here. Until I saw something which deeply intrigued me: Her emerald green eyes, unlike the rest of her appearance, did not reflect the same warmth and zeal. Rather, they possessed a continuous melancholic gaze that would always give away her true emotions, so I had a tendency to avoid looking her in the eyes whenever I talked to her. Today, as I sat down along the curb of the sidewalk, from my back pocket, I took out a plastic container and flicked the small wheel, igniting a small, but strongly burning flame. You shouldnt be smoking at your age. It will only end with a long and painful death. I dont smoke, I said as I turned around to face the voice, pyromania is different from a nicotine addiction. Casey, I swear I explained this to you the other day. She sat down beside me, leaning in towards the flame. Ah, but its still based on the same principle isnt it? Fire, destruction, and death. She had a slightly pained expression on her face before she added, How you can find the flames beautiful? They only remind me of pain and misfortune. Dont play with fire, Parker. Youre only going to get burned. I think about that sometimes as well, I replied. What had caused this unhealthy affinity towards the flames? This powerful reliance towards fire? At first, it was just a fascination as a child, but there was a point in time where it completely took over my actions. The events of that night lingered with me even now. Every detail was inscribed deep into my memories; from the heat of the fire, to the very lighter I used to set the house ablazeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Stand aside kid, came the gruff voice of a police officer. Go find your parents. Its not safe to be here. I was roughly pushed behind the yellow police tape as the officer hurried back to his car, and the sound of sirens grew louder. From a safe distance, I stood still, mesmerized by the violent orange blaze that continued to engulf the house in front of me. Beads of sweat began forming above my brow from the searing heat emitted by the burning house. Twenty minutes: that was all it took for the house to be completely devoured by the burning flames, and for the entire structure to begin falling apart. Thick billows of smoke collected, making it more and more difficult to breathe as the fire consumed the oxygen close by. The crackling of the wooden beams grew louder, with the house on the edge of collapse. Without warning, a girl parted from the crowd and ran towards the flames, only to be held back by the same officer as before. My parents are still in there! Please! Someone, anyone, help them! I-I dont want them toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but her last words were cut off as the last of the supporting beams collapsed. Tears overflowed from her eyes as she fell to the ground, completely helpless and traumatized. Conversely, from amidst the panic of the crowd of onlookers, I remained completely calm, never breaking eye contact with the blaze for a single second. It was too beautiful a sight to look away from, as the flames continued their dance in the wind. It was like a giant bonfire, sending sparks flying everywhere. The night sky was illuminated with its bright orange glow, making it as bright as day. I reached forward, feeling the heat of the fire grow stronger against my palm, and for just a few moments, time seemed to stopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This was more than eight years ago; I was only ten years old. I remember hearing the following morning that the residents of the house did not survive the blaze from that night, but at that age, I couldnt distinguish between life and death, nor did I realize the severity of my actions. To this day, I still cannot recall the exact reason for starting the fire. All I could remember was the sight of the glowing flames in the night, regretting nothing. But for these eight years, I had been harbouring this memory to myself, refusing to tell a soul. Earlier on, I thought about telling Casey, but after seeing her pained expression towards the smallest flicker of a flame, I couldnt bring myself to do so. For the month that Ive known you, Ive noticed that you space out a lot, said Casey, demonstrating her point by waving her hand in front of my face. Smiling, she continued, the smell of the lighter fluid must be affecting your brain somehow. I returned to reality. Realizing she was right, I retorted, I can cure this problem just fine without your input. Anyways, why dont you ever talk about your problems for once? Its been a month, and I still know nothing about you. I dont even know why you checked into rehab in the first place. I mean, as far as I can tell, theres nothing wrong with you. It was my decision to make, Casey replied, watching the passing cars on the road. Still, why dont you do yourself a favour? Check out of this boring place and spend the remaining days of summer back home with your family. What do you know? Have you ever thought to consider that Im here for a reason? I cant return to my family even if I want to. She stood up abruptly, and started walking back towards the rehab centre. Out of impulse, I stood up as well, making eye contact. For the first time, I saw her grimace, but what was far more intimidating was the hostility in her gaze; even from a fair distance, I could sense it. My comment definitely hit a nerve. Before reaching the doorway, she looked back one last time and said, Its going to rain. You should head inside the facility soon, and she slammed the door behind her. Aggravated, I took out my lighter, trying to light a small flame to ease my tension, but it was no use. Out of lighter fluid, I sighed, so in the end, you got what you wanted, somewhat. Ill need to get a new one tomorrow. I sat back down along the curb of the sidewalk, when moments later, I felt a light shower of rain against my skin. What a perceptive person. For the rest of the week, I avoided Casey, until I saw her knitting something blue in the lobby. I decided not to start a conversation with her. Instead, I sat down in a chair across from her, staring intently at the repetitive motions she made as the fabric grew longer. After a while, she sighed and finally spoke to me. Im knitting a scarf to put on a teddy bear. Its for my baby brothers birthday. I havent seen him in a while thoughà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Her voice was depressed, yet she continued, but I have a permit to go visit him and my family tomorrow. This is an awkward question, but do you mind coming with me? Ill understand if you cant, but youre one of the few people that I trust here. After a while of thinking, I managed to give a nod and everything was planned out for tomorrow. As she left the lobby, her smile had returned. Little did I know that there was so much more that she hid from me behind that smile. At exactly 10 AM, I returned to the same spot that I sat in yesterday, and I noticed how empty the entire lobby seemed without Casey there. At any rate, I was sure the mood would change when she arrived. Five minutes passed; fifteen minutes passed; forty five minutes passed, and I became unexpectedly worried. I contemplated going outside to light a flame with my lighter, but it would be terrible for her to see me like that. Instead, I decided to go find her. However, this was easier said than done, because the rehab centre had many rooms, and I had no idea where she was staying. Nevertheless, I ran around the building looking for her, searching through every corridor, checking the courtyard, knocking on doors to ask if anyone knew where she was staying, but to no avail. Out of breath, I paused and passed by the girls washroom, when I heard hushed crying coming from behind the door. Could that possibly be her? Pulling up closer, I called her name, but there was no answer. As awkward a s it was to enter, my concern for whoever was in there outweighed my embarrassment. However, I was horrified at what I found. It was Casey, but not how I expected. She was sitting on the floor, sobbing, her right arm covering her eyes, but not the tears from her face. From a distance, I could see the glint from the scarlet tinted blade on the tiled floor. Her left arm was filled with scars, with three fresh slashes running across them. A steady stream of blood flowed from them, enough to form a small puddle of crimson beside her. Impulsively, I ran towards her, took off my sweater to soak up the blood and I held her in my arms. Her crying just grew louder, but as she laid her head on my shoulder, I felt helpless, knowing this was all I could do for her. For what seemed like eternity, we stayed like that, her sobs eventually dying down to a slight whimper as I whispered Its okay over and over. Her voice shaky and in hushed tones, she said, My baby brother and my parents arent actually alive. They passed away eight years ago. There was a horrible fire that burned my house to the ground. I managed to escape safely, but my parents, they thought I was still inside. They went back inside for me, and they never came back out. They sacrificed themselves for nothing, and it was my fault! I wish I had died instead of them. Every day, I wish that Sometimes, I would even try to make that wish come true. Her voice started breaking into sobs again, and I came to a horrifying conclusion. Could it be? Eight years ago, from the fire I started, I killed her family and was the reason why harmed herself like this. The guilt I failed to feel from years ago rushed through me, as if it had been collecting for years. It was horrifying to make this connection, but it felt even worse to realize that I enjoyed every moment of the burning fire. Why did fire have to be so destructive? I wished I woul d never see another flame. I never wanted to see Casey suffer like this again. That evening, under an orange painted sky, Casey and I visited the cemetery, where I saw the gravestones of her parents and her little brother. She placed her birthday gift onto her brothers tombstone, and she closed her eyes in a short prayer. The whole time, I remained silent; I didnt feel like I had the right to speak. As we started to leave, I turned around and whispered a pathetic apology, even though it was useless. To this day, I havent told her that I was the one who started the fire; Im afraid of what her reaction might be if I do. But the guilt I feel each day is overwhelming, as I recall the image of Casey as a young girl, standing in front of her burning house, knowing her parents were burned alive in that fire and Casey covered in scars, cutting herself. These are the thoughts that come to mind whenever I re-ignite my lighter, and see the flickering flame, hoping that the guilt I feel from the memory of that night will one day miraculously cure this pyromania.

Irony in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Pride and Prejudice

Irony in Pride and Prejudice Critics have examined Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, since its creation. In this novel, Austen uses and irony to produce a masterpiece. Austen opens the novel with what appears to be a sarcastic sentence. She writes, "IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" (Austen 5). Most readers think of this as humorous and quite laughable. It does not necessarily follow that a man with a large fortune is searching for a wife. However, by the end of the first page, the reader may find himself asking, "Was Austen being sarcastic or was she simply stating a fact?" In Pride and Prejudice, the opening sentence is merely a fact. The text presents two men with large fortunes. Moreover, the end of the novel unites both men "of a good fortune" with wives. Austen sealed their ends. What appears mere sarcasm becomes ironic when one realizes "IT is a truth universally acknowledged." The first character to express sarcasm and irony is Mr. Bennett. Austen brings forth the irony of her opening thesis in his sarcastic speech. The opening dialogue between Mr. Bennett and his wife is a worthy example. She comments on a man leasing a piece of property, Netherfield Park. Mr. Bennett shows very little interest in her story. His disinterest perturbs her and she asks him if he wants to know who has rented the property. He replies "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it" (5). She remarks that the man is "a young man of large fortune" (5). Aside from asking his name, the first thing Mr. Bennett wants to know about this man is: "Is he married or single?" "Oh single my dear, to be sure! A single man of large... ...e seems like utter stupidity to the reader. Yet the most important irony is the irony between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. As the novel progresses, Darcy and Elizabeth put away their pride and prejudice to unite in marriage. Also, Mr. Darcy mutates from the villain to the hero as Wickham goes from hero to villain. Finally, Austen's use of authorial intrusion adds a final touch of sarcasm and irony that completes the novel. Â   WORKS CITED Brower, Reuben A. "Light and Bright and Sparkling: Irony and Fiction in Pride and Prejudice." Ed. Donald Gray. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1966. 374-388. Mudrick, Marvin. "Irony as Dicrimination: Pride and Prejudice." Ed. Donald Gray. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1966. 388-409. Wright, Andrew H. "Feeling and Complexity in Pride and Prejudice." Ed. Donald Gray. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1966. 410-420.

The Death Penalty Is Necessary Essay -- capital punishment, death pena

The death penalty otherwise known as capital punishment, is the most extreme punishment a government can implement on its own people. Presently, only eight-six countries have completely abolished the use of capital punishment, while seventy-four countries still retain some use of the death penalty. Throughout history, the controversy over the necessity of the use of the death penalty has continued. Many oppose the death penalty on basis of moral and ethical grounds, but one must keep in mind that capital punishment is not an excessive and unnecessary form of punishment for those who knowingly and intentionally commit a severe crime in premeditation and that the words â€Å"kill,† â€Å"murder,† and â€Å"execute† are not interchangeable. Once a person crosses the line of committing the severe crime, they have effectively given away their right to life away. This is why in my opinion the death penalty is necessary in order to act as a deterrent to crime, to exact justice for monstrous crimes and to overall keep society safe. The death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the use of capital punishment and the future murder rate. According to research done by Roy D. Adler and Michael Summers, professors at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, it was discovered that, â€Å"When executions increased, homicides decreased the following year. Conversely when executions leveled off, the murder rate spiked the following year†¦ each execution [in the U.S during 1979-2004] was associated with seventy-four fewer murders the following year.† (J. 33) With this direct correlation it is proven that the death penalty can in fact deter crime because it is proven using sta... ...ath penalty for the taking of a life: Agree." The Death Penalty A Curriculum for High School Students and Teachers. Michigan State University Comm Lab and Death Penalty Information Center, n.d. Web. 30 Jul 2011. . Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. "Capital Punishment: Our Duty or Our Doom?." Santa Clara University Ethics Articles n. pag. Web. 30 Jul 2011. . B., Phil. "The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment." Phil for Humanity. Phil for Humanity, n.d. Web. 27 Jul 2011. . E., Mary. Capital Punishment. Greenhaven Pr, 2005. Print. J., Peggy. Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?. Referencepoint Pr Inc, 2009. Print. Stearman, Kaye. The Debate about the Death Penalty. Rosen Central, 2007. Print.