Critique of Benthams Quantitative Utilitarianism

Over time, the actions of mankind have been the victim of two vague labels, right and wrong. The criteria for these labels are not clearly defined, but they still seem to be the standard by which the actions of man are judged. There are some people that abide by a deontological view when it comes to judging the nature of actions; the deontological view holds that it is a persons intention that makes an action right or wrong. On the other hand there is the teleological view which holds that it is the result of an action is what makes that act right or wrong. In this essay I will be dealing with utilitarianism, a philosophical principle that holds a teleological view when it comes the nature of actions. To solely discuss utilitarianism is†¦show more content†¦The interest of the community is said to be a sum of the total interests of its several members. It is never specified what how exactly this total is acquired or even if the members of the community would agree on whateve r is considered the communitys interest. If the members would agree then that means that everyone in the community had the same interest to begin with. If the members would not agree, then how can you go about adding up their conflicting interests? These interests, when attempting to get a total seem like they would cancel each other out which wouldnt make for much of sum total. Things of this nature (individual interests) are so relative that it would be impossible as well as pointless to even try to place any kind of concrete value, which brings up another point. What kind of value are these individual and community interests supposed to have? In order to add things up they must have some sort of value. Because of Benthams failure to offer some sort of method for combining individuals interests and since he failed to offer some sort of concrete value for these abstract things, his perspective on the interest of the community remains unclear to me. The second issue that I am going to take up lies in Benthams method of calculating the general tendency of an act that affects a communitys interest. For starters, the process itself is tooShow MoreRelated Critique Of Benthams Quantitative Utilitarianism Essay1764 Words   |  8 Pageswrong. In this essay I will be dealing with utilitarianism, a philosophical principle that holds a teleological view when it comes the nature of actions. To solely discuss utilitarianism is much too broad of topic and must be broken down, so I will discuss specifically quantitative utilitarianism as presented by Jeremy Bentham. In this essay I will present the argument of Bentham supporting his respective form of utilitarianism and I will give my critique of this argument along the way. BeforeRead More Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesMetaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, Utilitarianism that is seemingly in contention with the thoughtsRead MoreVictorian Literature Essay2858 Words   |  12 PagesVictorian era was Utilitarianism. â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number† was Jeremy Bentham, the eighteenth century philosopher’s theory, centred on the belief that logic and reason should be applied to life for the welfare of the majority of Victorian society. However, what Bentham failed to notice, was that this factual and quantitative ideology, forced society to make actions without considering their own individual happiness thus leading to Dickens critique of utilitarianism. The transitionRead MoreEthics and Social Responsibility Essay9502 Words   |  39 PagesMiami football players. This paper will examine the various legal and ethical implications involved in this case, including an analysis of the university’s social responsibility, and an overview of the scandal in terms of three ethical theories: utilitarianism, Kant’s categorical imperative, and ethical relativism. Table of Contents I. Introduction (Stephanie) A. Purposes of Paper * Analytical paper - â€Å"3 value† analysis of law, ethics, and social responsibility * Current, controversial

Names of Occupations and Job Titles in Spanish

Chances are that when you start talking with native Spanish speakers, one of the first things youll talk about is your jobs or occupations—or what you hope to do someday. Heres a guide to talking about occupations in Spanish along with a list of the most common types of jobs. List of Occupational Names Many of the job titles below seem familiar, as many are English cognates, having come from Latin. Keep in mind, though, that in a few cases the meanings in similar-sounding titles dont always line up exactly, sometimes because of cultural differences. A secondary-school teacher in Latin America, for example, might be known as a profesor, while in the United States, at least, the word professor is used primarily at the university level. In this list, the masculine forms are given. The feminine forms are given following a slash (/) in cases where they dont follow the rules above. Note also that different words may be used in some areas, or for certain specialties. Accountant—contador, contableActor/actress—actor/actrizAdministrator—administradorAmbassador—embajadorArchaeologist—arqueà ³logoArchitect—arquitectoArtist—artistaAthlete—atleta, deportistaAttorney—abogadoBaker—panaderoBarber—barberoBartender—mesero, cantineroBeautician—esteticistaBiologist—bià ³logoBusinessman/businesswoman—hombre/mujer de negocios, empresarioButcher—carniceroCaptain—capità ¡nCarpenter—carpinteroChemist (pharmacist)— armacà ©uticoChemist (scientist)—quà ­micoChief executive officer—director generalClerk (office worker)—oficinistaClerk (retail worker)—dependienteCoach— ntrenadorComputer programmer—programadorCook—cocineroDancer— bailarà ­n/bailarinaDentist—dentistaDoctor, physician—mà ©dicoDriver—conductorEditor—redactorElectrician—electrici staEngineer—ingenieroFarmer—agricultor, granjeroFirefighter—bomberoFlorist— floristaGeologist— geà ³logoGuard—guardiaHotelier, innkeeper—hoteleroJeweler—joyeroJournalist—cronistaKing/queen—rey/reinaLandlord—dueà ±oLawyer—abogadoLibrarian—bibliotecarioMail carrier—carteroMechanic—mecà ¡nicoMidwife—comadronaMinister (politics)—ministroMinister (church)—pastorModel—modelo (no separate feminine form)Musician—mà ºsicoNurse— nfermeroOptometrist—optà ³metraPainter—pintorPharmacist—farmacà ©uticoPilot—piloto (separate feminine form rarely used)Poet—poetaPresident—presidente/presidentaProfessor—profesor, catedrà ¡ticoPsychologist—sicolà ³gicoRabbi—rabinoSailor—marineroSalesman/saleswoman—dependiente, vendedorScientist—cientà ­ficoSecretary—secretari oServant—criadoSocial worker—asistente socialSoldier—soldadoStudent—estudianteSurgeon—cirujanoTeacher—maestro, profesorTherapist—terapeutaVeterinary—veterinarioWaiter—camarero, meseroWelder—soldadorWriter—escritor Grammar of Occupations Gender One matter of some confusion can be the gender of the occupational names. In many cases, the same word is used to refer to a man as to a woman. For example, a male dentist is el dentista, while a female dentist is la dentista. In some cases, there are distinct forms, such as el carpintero for a male carpenter and la carpintera for a female carpenter. In many cases, both forms can be used to refer to a female. For example, the boss is el jefe if hes male, but either la jefe or la jefa if shes female, depending on the region and, sometimes, whos speaking. Similarly, la mà ©dica is used to refer to a female doctor in some areas, but in other areas la mà ©dico is used and/or might be considered more respectful. In nearly all cases, using la with the masculine form is the safer choice if youre not sure of local usage. Otherwise, the feminine form of the occupations ending in -o are formed by changing the -o to an -a. Occupations that end in -dor are changed to -dora for the feminine. Occupation names that already end in -a are the same in masculine or feminine. Use of the Indefinite Article Unlike English, Spanish does not use the indefinite article—a or an in English, and un or una in Spanish—when specifying someones occupation: No soy marinero; soy capità ¡n. (I am not a sailor; I am a captain.)Mi madre es profesor de ciencia. (My mother is a science teacher.)Felipe Calderà ³n era presidente de Mà ©xico. (Felipe Calderà ³n was president of Mexico.)Se hizo actriz extraodrinaria. (She became an extraordinary actress.) However, the article can be used in other situations, such as when talking about an occupation in general: Un actor es una persona que interpreta un papel. (An actor is a person who plays a role.)El juez condenà ³ a un dentista por hacer extracciones innecesarias. (The judge sentenced a dentist for performing unnecessary extractions.) ¿De dà ³nde saca la inspiracià ³n un escritor? (Where does a writer get inspiration from?) Some occupation names can be used in ways characterize actions rather than referring to occupation, in which case the article can be used. Todos sabà ­an que el despota era un carcinero psicopà ¡tico. (Everyone knew the dictator was a psychopathic butcher).Mi moto es un psicolà ³gico, y la velocidad mi terapia. (My motorcycle is a psychologist, and speed my therapy.) Key Takeaways Many occupations names in Spanish are similar to those of English because they both come from Latin.The indefinite article (un or una) is not typically used when referring to someones occupation.Separate feminine and masculine forms exist for the names of some occupations, although their use varies across regions.

Essay about Informative Synthesis Fairy Tales - 930 Words

Informative Synthesis Fairy tales play a big role in society whether we realize it or not. They have been told by parents to their children for many generations. Everyone has been introduced to fairy tales whether it’s on TV, from a children’s book, told by someone else, we have all heard a fairy tale. Most of the time fairy tales are being told without thinking what they are about. Fairy tales have effect on people even if they do not know it, and four fairy tale analyzers have written articles discussing it. â€Å"What Fairy Tales Tell Us† by Alison Lurie discuses about how the individual reader is affected by the messages of a fairy tale. Bruno Bettelheim’s â€Å"The Struggle for Meaning† expresses his thoughts on how fairy tales have an†¦show more content†¦Bettelheim generalizes fairy tales as if they are all the same, Lurie talks about the different types of fairy tales and points out their differences. Even though Bettelheim and Lur ie have different opinions they both have similar beliefs on perceiving information and using it throughout your everyday life. Both Lurie and Bettelheim have a common theme of finding the deeper meaning in fairy tales and they use similar terminology. The feel of Lurie’s article says that fairy tales help reiterate the truth that is already known and children should be shown these things, and Bettelheim that fairy tales informs that bad experiences happen and they are normal. In Max Luthi’s article â€Å"The Fairy-Tale Hero: The Image of the Man in the Fairy Tale† he focuses on the human experience fairy tales. Luthi says that the way that women are influence, men are as well. Luthi also focuses on how the role changed from men to women in fairy tales. Luthi names many female figures and calls the heroes in the story and does not question oppressive issues. In Karen Rowe’s article â€Å"Feminism and Fairy Tales† she talks about the traditional role of women, and focuses on how women fit into the role in society. Rowe also talks about the cultural approval between women and the choices they make. Rowe focuses in a lot on gothic romance and marriage. As Luthi does not question oppressive issues, Rowe focuses on some of the same tales that Luthi names, but finds oppressive qualities toShow MoreRelatedEnglish Proverbs and Sayings8785 Words   |  36 PagesEnglish proverbs and sayings Our hypothesis is that English proverbs and sayings can be widely used in teaching different aspects of the language. In this work we used different research methods, such as scientific cognition methods (analysis and synthesis), empirical methods (comparison). We think that the information acquired during the research is useful for learning and understanding the essence of proverbs and sayings and their role in communication; it develops language competence and encouragesRead MorePeculiarities of Euphemisms in English and Difficulties in Their Translation19488 Words   |  78 Pages The main methods of research are descriptive, comparative, the method of analysis and synthesis. But we consider that the study of euphemisms is impossible without using contextual-logical analysis. CHAPTER I. THE NOTION OF EUPHEMISMS IN ENGLISH I.1. Definition of Euphemisms Euphemisms come from a Greek word meaning toRead MoreMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 Pagesshould be studied separately. 2 Notes Toward a Phenomenology of the Narrative The study of narrative1 is presently enjoying the interest of several scholars of the structuralist persuasion. Following Vladimir Propp s famous work on Russian folk tales and Claude Là ©vi-Strauss s writings on myths, various models for the analysis of the narrative—or, depending on the case, of specific narratives—have been suggested (Algirdas Julien Greimas, Roland Barthes, Claude Brà ©mond, Communications no. 8, etcRead MoreMarketing Management 14th Edition Test Bank Kotler Test Bank173911 Words   |  696 Pagestourists is an example of ________ marketing. A) event B) property C) service D) place E) idea Answer: D Page Ref: 6 Objective: 2 AACSB: Analytic skills Difficulty: Moderate 10) In Walt Disneys Magic Kingdom, customers can visit a fairy kingdom, a pirate ship, or even a haunted house. Disney is marketing a(n) ________. A) experience B) service C) event D) organization E) good Answer: A Page Ref: 6 Objective: 2 AACSB: Analytic skills Difficulty: Easy 11) Janet is very

Industrial Sociology - 2647 Words

1st chapter ( industrial sociology ) Introduction Industrial socio is a comparatively new term which gained popularly about the middle of the 20st Century. An independent branch of the Science of Sociology, the history of the industrial sociology has been traced to trade studies introduced by Elton Mayo and his associate between 1924 -32: Thus Elton Mayo; a known sociologist has been identified as the father of Industrial socio. Meaning The term’ industrial sociology includes two terms industry and sociology. ‘The term Industrial means concerning the industry. The word industry is derived from the Latin word industrial which means resourcefulness Definition According to Miller and form Industrial sociology is a substantive†¦show more content†¦* The family headed by the father or master and helped usually by its members and acquaintances worked the raw materials which the master himself had acquired, and sold the finished goods to the customers. * More often work was performed at home and usually the productive process became a family affair. In it craftsman was a domestic worker. * The worker was his own master although there was no abundance, there was spontaneity and freedom. * The worker in the putting-out system usually owned his tools which in all events were simple and inexpensive, perhaps a loom or two. * The only classes in the putting-out system were workers or entire families of workers, on the one hand; and merchant entrepreneur, on the other. * The two were related in a cash nexus, while the worker received wages from the merchant, the entrepreneur received the completed product from the worker. * The sole obligati ons of the merchant and the worker to each other were contractual. * As time went on, demand also increased and the domestic worker could not cope with this as he had only limited resources. * It was the entrepreneur who lent money, raw material and at times even the tools, received the products or tools themselves in mortgage or finally bought them, while the former master or worker continued to work on it as a salaried hand. * Thus, the transition from independent artisanship to proletariat, where the working man wasShow MoreRelatedThe Internal Production Spaces Of Large Cities1177 Words   |  5 PagesThis same logic leads not just towards generalized urban agglomeration but to the emergence of multiple dense industrial districts within the metropolis. The internal production spaces of large cities are composed of mosaics of particular kinds of industrial land use focused on localized nodal clusters comprising activities that range from manufacturing to office and service functi ons. For example, gun and jewellery manufacturing in Birmingham, England; footwear industry of East London; clothingRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution705 Words   |  3 PagesThe Industrial Revolution was the quintessence of capitalistic ideals; it bred controversy that led to Karl Marx’s idea of communism as a massive grass roots reaction to the revolution’s social abuses. Firstly, the Industrial Revolution featured the construction of machines, systems and factories that allowed goods to be manufactured at a faster rate with a lower cost. The seed drill made it so there could be â€Å"a semi-automated, controlled distribution and plantation of wheat seed†(Jones 2013). SecondlyRead MoreSouth Africa: Battling Unemployment. QUESTION 1 1.1) Unemployment: Occurs when those people who are1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworkforce that has been already organised into a trade union as well as the dealing between management and workers about employment conditions. SYSTEM APPROACH Dunlop’s 1958 formation of the Industrial Relations System happened at the same time with similar approaches in political sciences, international relations, sociology, etc. The system approach made an effort to achieve and to establish a general theory/framework of IR and gives a general review which has influenced ER thinking. Its generality makesRead MoreChanges During The Industrial Revolution1796 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction There were many social forces that were at work that led to the emergence of Sociology in the late 18th and early 19th century. Some of these include: the industrial revolution, the French revolution, the Enlightenment and the Counter-Enlightenment. This essay will discuss: the changes in the conditions of labour during the industrial revolution; the ideological revolution, strengthening of the state, nationalism and revolutionary terror in the French revolution; radical changes to theRead MoreHow the Industrial Revolution Affected the World Essay792 Words   |  4 PagesThe Industrial Revolution was the main contributor of the development of factories and modern day machinery. The Industrial Revolution created hundreds of new jobs, influenced many new inventions, and created many new ways of creating and transporting goods. Many jobs including spinners, miners, factory workers, and farmers were beginning to rise in population, due to the new technology being created in the 18th and 19th centuries. The start of new inventions coming into view was beginning in BritainRead MoreEssay on The Effects of Technology on Society1697 Words   |  7 Pagesanother type calls themselves Neo-Luddites, such as Kirkpatrick Sale. In his book Human scale, Sale describes the slow rotting of the stones of the Parthenon and other ancient monuments to civilization from the acid pollution developed by our present Industrial civilization and compares it to the slow disintegration our industrialized society has seemed to have undergone. He identifies effects of technology which have been harmful to the human condition and the environment, but seems to not quite getRead MoreDesign  and  Culture1363 Words   |  6 Pages  tried  to  obey  .  Ã‚   Key  Words:  Ã‚   Cultureï ¼Å'aestheticï ¼Å'imperfectï ¼Å'confidence  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now  that  Design  is  understood  from  Tokyo  to  Moscow,  from  Buenos  Aires  to   Montreal,  it  is  obvious  that  each  country  according  to  its  politics,  its  economics,  its  sociology,  its  industry,  uses  Design  in  a  different  way;  but  one  must  add  that  a  universal  language  is  being  constructed  daily.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The  word  culture  is  used  throughout  the  text  in  its  most  democratic  sense,  that  is,  as  a  concept  which  embraces  the  Read MoreThe Dilemma Of Childhood And Child Labor837 Words   |  4 Pagesconstantly being argued in overseas and domestic sociological literature. 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Industrialization is described as the development of modifying from an agriculture and artisanal social and economic system to an industrialized program. ThisRead MoreWhat Changes in the Organisation of Time, Space and Discipline Are Associated with the Emergence of Modern Industrial Work?1735 Words   |  7 PagesWhat changes in the organisation of time, space and discipline are associated with the emergence of modern industrial work? Word Count: 1620 This essay will discuss the changes that occurred in the organisation of time, space and discipline, as a result of the emergence of modern industrial work, whereby society relied upon the use of science, technology and ultimately mechanisation to produce its goods and services. The transition of home based independent work to working for a boss in a

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-One Free Essays

Dimitri didn’t elaborate. I was too startled by his words and the rest of the night’s events to even know how to begin to address them. He took me back inside, past the Strigoi on guard duty, and upstairs to my suite. We will write a custom essay sample on Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-One or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nathan was no longer outside. For a few brief moments, that nagging voice in my head spoke loudly enough to break through my addled thoughts. If I had no guard in the hall and Inna returned soon, I had a very good chance of threatening her enough to get out of here. Admittedly, that would mean I’d have to deal with a house of God only knew how many Strigoi, but my escape odds were better in the house than in this room. Then, almost as soon as those thoughts appeared, they vanished. Dimitri snaked his arm around me and pulled me to him. It had been chilly outside, and even if his body was cold, his clothes and jacket provided some warmth. I snuggled closer to him as his hands ran all over me. I thought he was going to bite me, but it was our mouths that met, hard and furious. I wrapped my fingers in his hair, trying to pull him closer to me. Meanwhile, his fingers were running against my bare leg, pushing my skirt up almost to my hip. Anticipation and eagerness lit every part of my body. I had dreamed about the cabin for so long, remembering it with so much longing. I’d never expected anything like that to happen again, but now it could, and I was astonished at how badly I wanted it. My hands moved down to his shirt, undoing all the buttons so that I could touch his chest. His skin still felt like ice, a startling contrast to the burning within me. He moved his lips from mine, down to my neck and shoulder, pushing down the dress’s strap as he covered my flesh with hungry kisses. His hand was still on the side of my bare hip, and I frantically tried to pull his shirt off altogether. Suddenly, with a surprising abruptness, he jerked away and shoved me down. At first, I thought it was just more of the foreplay between us, until I realized he was purposely pushing me away. â€Å"No,† he said, voice hard. â€Å"Not yet. Not until you’re awakened.† â€Å"Why?† I asked desperately. I couldn’t think of anything except him touching me-and, well, another bite. â€Å"Why does it matter? Is there†¦ is there a reason we can’t?† Until I’d come here, sex with a Strigoi had never occurred to me†¦maybe it just wasn’t possible. He leaned toward me, putting his lips near my ear. â€Å"No, but it’ll be so much better if you’re awakened. Let me do it†¦ let me do it, and then we can do anything we want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was a bargaining chip, I realized vaguely. He wanted me-it was written all over him-but he was using the lure of sex to get me to give in. And honestly? I was this close to accepting. My body was overriding my mind-nearly. â€Å"No,† I whimpered. â€Å"I†¦ I’m scared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That dangerous look softened, and while he didn’t exactly look like the Dimitri from before, there was something a little less Strigoi about him. â€Å"Rose, do you think I’d do anything that would hurt you?† Somewhere, hadn’t there been a discussion about how my options were to turn or die? The latter seemed like it might hurt, but I didn’t mention that just now. â€Å"The bite†¦ the turning would hurt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I told you: It’ll be just like what we’ve already done. You’ll enjoy it. It won’t hurt, I swear it.† I looked away. Damn it. Why couldn’t he still be sinister and scary? It was so much easier to put my foot down and resist. Even in the heat of passion, I was able to resist. But somehow†¦ seeing him like this, calm and reasonable†¦ well, it was too close to the Dimitri I’d loved. And that was hard to turn away from. For the first time, it made turning Strigoi seem†¦ not so bad. â€Å"I don’t know,† I said lamely. He released me and sat up, frustration filling his features. It was almost a relief. â€Å"Galina’s patience is running out. So is mine.† â€Å"You said we still have time†¦ I just need to think more†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How long could I use that excuse? The narrowing of his eyes told me not much longer. â€Å"I have to go,† he said harshly. There would be no more touching or kissing, I could tell. â€Å"I need to deal with some things.† â€Å"I’m sorry,† I said, both confused and afraid. I didn’t know which Dimitri I wanted. The terrifying one, the sensual one, or the almost-but still not quite-gentle one. He said nothing. Without any other warning, he leaned down and bit into the tender skin of my throat. Whatever feeble escape strategies I had were gone. I closed my eyes, nearly falling over, and only his arm wrapped firmly around me kept me upright. Just like when we kissed, his mouth was warm against my flesh, and the feel of his tongue and teeth sent electricity through me. And like that, it was over. He pulled away, licking his lips as he still continued to hold onto me. The fog was back. The world was wonderful and happy and I was without any cares. Whatever he’d been worrying about with Nathan and Galina meant nothing to me. The fear I’d felt moments ago†¦ my disappointment over sex†¦ my confusion-I didn’t have time to worry about any of that, not when life was so beautiful and I loved Dimitri so much. I smiled up at him and tried to hug him again, but he was already leading me to the couch. â€Å"I’ll see you later.† In a flash, he was at the door, which saddened me. I wanted him to stay. Stay forever. â€Å"Remember, I want you-and I would never let anything bad happen to you. I’ll protect you. But†¦ I can’t wait much longer.† With that, he left. His words made me smile more broadly. Dimitri wanted me. Vaguely, I recalled asking him outside why he wanted me. Why on earth had I asked? What answer had I wanted? Why did it matter? He wanted me. That was what counted. That thought and the wonderful endorphin rush enveloped me as I lay on the couch, and I felt drowsiness overtaking me. Walking over to the bed seemed like too much work, so I stayed where I was and just let sleep come. And, unexpectedly, I found myself in one of Adrian’s dreams. I’d pretty much given up on him. After my first desperate attempts at escape in the suite, I’d finally convinced myself that Adrian wasn’t coming back, that I’d sent him away for good. Yet here he was, standing right in front of me-or, well, at least his dream version was. Often we were in the woods or a garden, but today we stood where we’d first met, on the porch of an Idaho ski lodge. Sun shone down, and mountains soared off to the side of us. I grinned broadly. â€Å"Adrian!† I didn’t think I’d ever seen him look as surprised as he did just then. Considering how mean I usually was to him, I could understand his feelings. â€Å"Hello, Rose,† he said. His voice sounded uncertain, like he was worried I might be playing a trick on him. â€Å"You look good today,† I told him. It was true. He wore dark jeans and a printed button-down shirt in shades of navy and turquoise that looked fantastic with his dark green eyes. Those eyes, however, looked weary. Worn. That was a little odd. In these dreams, he could shape the world and even our appearances to what he wanted, with only a little effort. He could have looked perfect but instead appeared to be reflecting real-world fatigue. â€Å"So do you.† His voice was still wary, as he eyed me from head to toe. I was still in the clingy sundress, my hair down and loose, the sapphires around my neck. â€Å"That looks like something I’d normally dress you in. Are you asleep in that?† â€Å"Yup.† I smoothed down the dress’s skirt, thinking how pretty it looked. I wondered if Dimitri had liked it. He hadn’t said so specifically, but he had kept telling me I was beautiful. â€Å"I didn’t think you’d come back.† â€Å"I didn’t think I would either.† I looked back up at him. He wasn’t like his usual self at all. â€Å"Are you trying to figure out where I am again?† â€Å"No, I don’t care about that anymore.† He sighed. â€Å"The only thing I care about is that you aren’t here. You have to come back, Rose.† I crossed my arms and flounced onto the porch’s railing. â€Å"Adrian, I’m not ready for anything romant-â€Å" â€Å"Not for me,† he exclaimed. â€Å"For her. You have to come back for Lissa. That’s why I’m here.† â€Å"Lissa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My waking self was pumped full of endorphins, and it carried over here. I tried to remember why I should be so worried about Lissa. Adrian took a step forward and studied me carefully. â€Å"Yeah, you know, Lissa? Your best friend? The one you’re bonded to and sworn to protect?† I swung my legs back and forth. â€Å"I never made any vows.† â€Å"What the hell’s the matter with you?† I didn’t like his agitated tone. It was ruining my good mood. â€Å"What’s the matter with you?† â€Å"You aren’t acting like yourself. Your aura†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, unable to continue. I laughed. â€Å"Oh yes. Here it comes. The magical, mystical aura. Let me guess. It’s black, right?† â€Å"No†¦ it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He continued scrutinizing me for several heavy seconds. â€Å"I can barely get a fix on it. It’s all over the place. What’s going on, Rose? What’s happening in the waking world?† â€Å"Nothing’s happening,† I said. â€Å"Nothing except me being happy for the first time in my life. Why are you acting weird all of a sudden? You used to be fun. Figures the first time I’m finally having a good time, you go all boring and strange.† He knelt down in front of me, no trace of humor anywhere. â€Å"There’s something wrong with you. I can’t tell what-â€Å" â€Å"I told you, I’m fine. Why do you have to keep coming and trying to ruin things for me?† True, I’d desperately wanted him to come a little while ago, but now†¦ well, that wasn’t so important. I had a good thing with Dimitri here, if only I could figure out how to solve all the not-so-good parts. â€Å"I told you, I’m not here for me. I’m here for Lissa.† He looked up at me, wide-eyed and earnest. â€Å"Rose, I am begging you to come home. Lissa needs you. I don’t know what’s wrong, and I don’t know how to help her. No one else does either. I think†¦ I think only you can. Maybe being apart is what’s hurting her. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with you now, why you’re acting so weird. Come home. Please. We’ll heal both of you. We’ll all figure it out together. She’s acting so strange. She’s reckless and doesn’t care about anything.† I shook my head. â€Å"Being away isn’t what’s wrong with me. Probably not what’s wrong with her, either. If she’s really worried about spirit, she should go back on her meds.† â€Å"She’s not worried; that’s the problem. Damn it.† He stood up and began pacing. â€Å"What’s wrong with you two? Why can’t either of you see there’s something the matter?† â€Å"Maybe it’s not us,† I said. â€Å"Maybe it’s you imagining things.† Adrian turned back toward me and looked me over again. â€Å"No. It’s not me.† I didn’t like any of this-not his tone, expression, or words. I’d been excited to see him, but now I resented him ruining my good mood. I didn’t want to think about any of this. It was too hard. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"I was happy to see you tonight but not anymore, not if you’re going to sit and accuse me and make demands.† â€Å"I’m not trying to do that.† His voice was gentle-the anger was gone. â€Å"The last thing I want is to make you unhappy. I care about you. I care about Lissa, too. I want you both to be happy and live your lives like you want†¦ but not when you’re both heading down destructive paths.† He almost made sense. Almost seemed reasonable and sincere. I shook my head. â€Å"Stay out of it. I’m where I want to be, and I’m not coming back. Lissa’s on her own.† I jumped off the rail. The world swirled a little, and I stumbled. Adrian caught my hand, and I jerked away. â€Å"I’m fine.† â€Å"You are not. Jesus Christ. I’d swear you’re drunk, except†¦ the aura’s still not right for that. What is it?† He ran his hands through his dark hair. It was his typical sign of agitation. â€Å"I’m done here,† I said, trying to be as polite as possible. Why on earth had I wanted to see him again? It had seemed so important when I first arrived. â€Å"Send me back, please.† He opened his mouth to say something, then froze a few moments. â€Å"What’s on your neck?† He reached forward, and addled or no, I managed to dodge pretty efficiently. I had no idea what he saw on my neck, and I had no interest in finding out. â€Å"Don’t touch me.† â€Å"Rose, that looks like-â€Å" â€Å"Send me back, Adrian!† So much for my politeness. â€Å"Rose, let me help-â€Å" â€Å"Send. Me. Back!† I shouted the words, and then, for the first time, I managed to pull myself out of Adrian’s dream. I left sleep altogether and woke up on the couch. The room was still and silent, the only sound my rapid breathing. I felt all tangled up inside. Usually, so fresh from a bite, I would be floating and gleeful. Yet, the encounter with Adrian had left part of me troubled and sad. Standing up, I managed to make my way to the bathroom. I flicked on the light and winced. It hadn’t been very bright in the other room. Once my eyes adjusted, I leaned toward the mirror and pushed my hair out of the way. I gasped at what I saw. There were bruises all over my neck, as well as signs of fresher wounds. Around where Dimitri had just bitten me, I could see dried blood. I looked†¦ like a blood whore. How had I never noticed this before? I wet a washcloth and scrubbed at my neck, trying to get the blood off. I rubbed and rubbed until the skin turned pink. Was that it? Were there more? That looked like the worst of it. I wondered how much Adrian had seen. My hair had been down, and I was pretty sure most of it had covered my neck. A rebellious thought came to my head. What did it matter if Adrian saw or not? He didn’t understand. There was no way he could even come close. I was with Dimitri. Yeah, he was different†¦ but not that much different. And I was sure I could find a way to make this work without becoming a Strigoi. I just didn’t know how yet. I tried to reassure myself over and over, but those bruises kept staring back at me. I left the bathroom and returned to the couch. I turned on the TV without really watching, and after a while, the happy fog rolled over me again. I soon tuned out the TV and returned to sleep. This time, my dreams were my own. It took a while for Dimitri to come again. And by â€Å"a while,† I mean almost an entire day. I was getting twitchy by that point, both because I missed him and because I missed the bite. He usually visited twice a day, so this was the longest I’d gone without the endorphins. Needing something to do, I preoccupied myself with making myself as beautiful as possible. I sorted through the dresses in my closet, choosing a long ivory silk one that had purple flowers delicately painted into the fabric. It fit like a glove. I wanted to wear my hair up, but after looking at the bruises again, I decided to wear it down. I’d been provided with a curling iron and makeup recently, so I worked my hair over carefully, turning the ends up in perfect little curls. Once made up, I stared happily at my reflection, certain Dimitri would be happy too. All I needed now was to put on some of the exquisite jewelry he’d given me. But when I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of my back from the side and saw I’d missed fastening a clasp. I reached around to do it but couldn’t get a hold of it. It was in that perfect spot just out of my reach. â€Å"Damn,† I muttered, still grappling with the hook. The flaw in my perfection. Just then, I heard the door open in the other room, followed by the telltale sound of a tray being set on the coffee table. A stroke of luck. â€Å"Inna!† I called, walking out of the bathroom. â€Å"I need you to-â€Å" Nausea rolled through me, and as I stepped into the living room, I saw that Dimitri wasn’t the source. Nathan was. My jaw dropped open. Inna stood near him, waiting patiently by the tray, eyes downcast as always. I immediately ignored her and then looked back at Nathan. Presumably, he was still on guard duty, but that had never actually included him coming inside. For the first time in a while, some of my battle instincts kicked in, assessing escape options. My fear urged me to back away, but that would trap me in the bathroom. Best to stay where I was. Even if I couldn’t leave the room, this gave me the most space to maneuver. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, surprised at how calm I sounded. â€Å"Taking care of a problem.† I didn’t really need any pointers to figure out the subtext here. I was the problem. Again, I fought the urge to back up. â€Å"I’ve never done anything to you.† It was faulty logic to a Strigoi. None of their victims ever did anything to them. â€Å"You exist,† he said. â€Å"You’re taking up space here, wasting everyone’s time. You know how to find her-the Dragomir girl-yet you’ll offer nothing remotely useful until Belikov gets off his ass and awakens you. And in the meantime, Galina forces me to waste time watching you and keeps promoting him because he’s convinced her that you’re going to be some amazing asset to us.† It was an interesting set of grievances. â€Å"So†¦ um, what are you going to do?† In a flash, he stood in front of me. Seeing him so close triggered that memory in my mind’s eye-him biting Dimitri and starting all of this. A spark of anger kindled in me but didn’t do much in the way of development. â€Å"I’m getting the information one way or another,† he hissed. â€Å"Tell me where she is.† â€Å"You know where she is. She’s at the school.† There was nothing useful in giving up that news. He knew she was there. He knew where the school was. The look he gave me showed he was not happy about me providing knowledge he already had. Reaching out, he gripped my hair and jerked my head painfully back. Wearing my hair down maybe hadn’t been so useful after all. â€Å"Where is she going? She won’t stay there forever. Is she going to college? The Royal Court ? They must have made plans for her.† â€Å"I don’t know what they are. I’ve been away for a while.† â€Å"I don’t believe you,† he snarled. â€Å"She’s too valuable. Her future would have been planned out a while ago.† â€Å"If it is, no one’s shared it with me. I left too soon.† I shrugged by way of answer. Rage filled his eyes, and I swear, they grew redder. â€Å"You’re bonded! You know. Tell me now, and I’ll kill you quickly. If you don’t, I’ll awaken you to get the information, and then I’ll kill you. I’ll light you up like a bonfire.† â€Å"You†¦ you’d kill me once I was one of you?† Foolish question. Strigoi felt no loyalty to each other. â€Å"Yes. It’ll destroy him, and once Galina sees how unhinged he is, I will return to my original place by her side-especially after I stamp out the Dragomir line.† â€Å"The hell you will.† He smiled and touched my face, running his fingers along my neck and the bruises all over it. â€Å"Oh, I will. It really will make things easier if you just tell me now. You’ll die in ecstasy rather than being burned alive. We’ll both enjoy it.† He wrapped his hand delicately around my throat. â€Å"You’re definitely a problem, but you are beautiful-especially your throat. I can see why he wants you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Warring emotions played within me. Logically, I knew this was Nathan-Nathan, whom I hated for having turned Dimitri in the first place. Yet my body’s need for Strigoi endorphins was raising its head too, and it barely mattered that it was Nathan. What mattered was that his teeth were only a breath away from my neck, promising that sweet, sweet delirium. And while one hand held my throat, the other ran down my waist, down to the curve of my hip. There had been a sultry edge to Nathan’s voice, like he wanted to do more than just bite me. And after so many sexually charged encounters with Dimitri-encounters that never resulted in anything-my body almost didn’t care who touched it. I could close my eyes, and it wouldn’t matter whose teeth bit into me or whose hands peeled off my clothes. Only the next fix would matter. I could close my eyes and pretend it was Dimitri, lost in it all as Nathan’s lips brushed my skin†¦ Except, as some small reasonable part of me recalled, Nathan didn’t just want sex and blood. He eventually wanted to kill me. Which was kind of ironic. I’d been dead set-no pun intended-on killing myself when I got here, lest I become a Strigoi. Nathan was offering me that now. Even if he turned me first, he planned on killing me immediately afterward. Either way, I wouldn’t have to spend eternity as a Strigoi. I should have welcomed this. But just then, as my body’s addiction screamed for his bite and that bliss, I realized something with startling clarity: I didn’t want to die. Maybe it was because I’d gone almost a day without a bite, but something small and rebellious woke up in me. I would not let him do this to me. I would not let him go after Dimitri. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him hunt down Lissa. Pushing through that endorphin cloud that still hung around me, I summoned up as much willpower as I could. I dug deep, remembering my years of training and all the lessons Dimitri had given me. It was hard to access those memories, and I only touched a few. Still, enough came to spur me to action. I lunged forward and punched Nathan. And accomplished nothing. He didn’t budge. Hell, I don’t even know if he felt it. The surprise on his face promptly turned to mirth, and he laughed in that horrible way Strigoi did-cruelly and without any real joy. Then, with the greatest of ease, he slapped me and knocked me across the room. Dimitri had done nearly the same thing when I’d arrived and attacked him. Only I hadn’t flown quite as far or had so miniscule an effect on him. I slammed into the back of the couch, and good God, did it hurt. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I realized the idiocy of fighting someone vastly stronger than me when I’d been losing blood all week. I managed to straighten up and desperately sought my next course of action. Nathan, for his part, seemed in no hurry to respond to my attack. In fact, he was still laughing. Glancing around, I latched onto a truly pitiful course of action. Inna stood near me. Moving with a speed that was painfully slow-but better than I expected myself to manage-I reached for her and wrapped my arm around her neck. She yelped in surprise, and I jerked her harder against me. â€Å"Get out of here,† I said to Nathan. â€Å"Get out of here, or I’ll kill her.† He stopped laughing, stared at me for a moment, and then laughed even harder. â€Å"Are you serious? Do you honestly think I couldn’t stop you if I wanted? And do you honestly think I care? Go ahead. Kill her. There are dozens more just like her.† Yeah, that really shouldn’t have been a surprise either, but even I was a bit taken aback by how easily he could throw away a faithful servant’s life. Okay. Time to go to Plan B. Or maybe it was Plan J? Frankly, I was losing track, and none of them were very good anyway â€Å"Ow!† Inna suddenly elbowed me in the stomach. I released her in my surprise. She spun around with a strangled scream and socked me in the face. The blow wasn’t as hard as Nathan’s had been, but it still knocked me over. I tried to catch a hold of something-anything-as I fell but failed. I hit the floor, my back slamming against the door. I expected her to come right back at me, but instead, she darted across the room and-God help us all threw herself into a defensive posture in front of Nathan. Before I could fully process the weirdness of her trying to protect someone who was willing to let her die, the door suddenly opened. â€Å"Ow!† I said again, as it hit me and pushed me aside. Dimitri swiftly entered. He looked from face to face, and I had no doubt mine showed signs of both Nathan’s and Inna’s attacks. Dimitri’s fists clenched, and he turned toward Nathan. It reminded me of their scuffle in the hallway, all rage and malice and bloodlust. I cringed, bracing myself for another horrible confrontation. â€Å"Don’t,† warned Nathan, face smug. â€Å"You know what Galina said. Touch me and you’re out of here.† Dimitri strode across the room and came to stand in front of Nathan, knocking Inna aside like a rag doll. â€Å"It’ll be worth facing her wrath, particularly when I tell her you attacked first. Rose certainly bears the marks of it.† â€Å"You wouldn’t.† He pointed at Inna, who was sitting dazed on the floor from where Dimitri had knocked her over. Despite my own injuries, I began crawling over to her. I had to know if she was all right. â€Å"She’ll tell the truth.† Now Dimitri looked smug. â€Å"You really think Galina will believe a human? No. When I tell her how you attacked me and Rose out of jealousy, she’ll let me off. The fact that you’ll be so easily defeated will be proof of your weakness. I’ll slice your head off and get Rose’s stake from the vault. With your last breath, you can watch her drive it through your heart.† Holy crap. That was a little worse than Nathan threatening to burn me-wait. My stake? Nathan’s face still bore haughty arrogance-at least to me. But I think Dimitri must have seen something that satisfied him, something that made him think he’d gotten the upper hand. He visibly relaxed, his smirk growing larger. â€Å"Twice,† Dimitri said softly. â€Å"Twice I’ve let you go. Next time†¦ next time, you’re gone.† I reached Inna and gently held out my hand. â€Å"Are you okay?† I murmured. With a look of hate, she recoiled and scooted away. Nathan’s eyes fell on me, and he began backing toward the door. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"Twice I’ve let her live. Next time she’s gone. I’m the one in control here, not you.† Nathan opened the door and Inna stood up, stumbling after him. I stared, mouth agape at the events that had just taken place. I didn’t know which of them I found more disturbing. Looking up at Dimitri, I grappled with what to ask him first. What were we going to do? Why had Inna defended Nathan? Why had Dimitri let him go? None of those defiant questions came to my lips, though. Instead, I burst into tears. How to cite Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-One, Essay examples

Blood Brothers Analysis Essay Example For Students

Blood Brothers Analysis Essay After being separated at birth Micky and Edward were brought up in completely different environments Although they are twins, Mickey and Eddie were separated from the start. Their mother has a very unfortunate background: she has very little money, her husband has left her and she has a big family. She is afraid that she cannot afford another two children. She is also afraid that her children will be taken into care. Mrs Lyons, the woman she cleans for, persuades her to give her one of the twins, Eddie because she is desperate to have children and she cannot have any of her own. Mrs Johnston agrees because she thinks that she will get to see her son everyday and she knows that Eddie will have a better life living in middle class Lyons family for example have his own room. This seems fantastic to Mrs Johnston because all of her children share one room. Mrs Lyons becomes jealous so of her easy relationship with baby Eddie she fires Mrs Johnston and now Eddie is completely separated from Mrs Johnston and his twin. Even though they were split up destiny finally brought them together. The twins are brought together because of their nature. They meet by accident when they are seven years old and become very close right away. They feel so close they become Blood Brothers. This is ironic because they already share the same blood because of their natures. At seven years old nature is more important than nerture. An example to support this view is the fact that they enjoy playing together. To do so they disobey their mothers. The twins first meet when Eddie offers Mickey a sweet. Mickey is amazed by this kind gesture. He did not hesitate to take one. Already nurture has made a slight difference at such a young age because Eddie has sweets and can afford to share which stuns Mickey because he has to keep all his sweets away from his family. The Johnston children do not get many sweets. The difference in society has made Eddie more generous than Mickey, but this is only because he has to chance to whereas Mickey has to saver his sweets. Even though they had completely different upbringings they still got in to the same mischief. The twins experience a completely different reaction when they are shooting a window in the park and get caught by the policewoman. The policewoman tells Mickeys mother that the act was a serious crime whereas Eddies mother was just told it was just a prank really. This is an immense difference. This was a social prejudice because they were brought up in different circumstances. Willy Russel said that it was like a tennis match were he went from one scene to another he only did this once in the play because this would make it more affective. I think that everyone plays apart in the death of both Micky and Edward. Mrs Johnston because she should not have given up her child in the first place Mrs Lyons for telling Micky that Edward was cheating with Edward. Sammys fault for getting Micky in to the trouble with the shooting and getting him sent to prison. Edwards fault for kissing Linda in the first place but I think Edward plays the main part in the death of both of them because he is the one who went running round with the gun and threatened to kill Mickey. Due to the different environments that they grew up in, Eddie is ensured a successful career, because he had money to go to university and would improve his fathers factory when he died. On the other hand, Mickey was almost guaranteed to get a low paid job with long hours because of his deprived environment. Eddie has always been naive throughout the play and has not experienced many difficulties whereas Mickey has always been underprivileged money and unable to have the chance to go to university. The High unemployment rate also played a part in Mickeys life long struggle even when he got out of prison and planned to get his life sorted out he was knocked back down by the unemployment and when he did get a job it was given to him by Edward and this is what might of pushed him over the edge.

Imagery In The Red Badge Of Courage Essay Example For Students

Imagery In The Red Badge Of Courage Essay ImageryThe cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out onthe hills, resting. As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began totremble with eagerness at the noise of rumors. It cast its eyes upon the roads, which were growingfrom long troughs of liquid mud to proper thoroughfares. A river, amber-tinted in the shadow of itsbanks, purled at the armys feet; and at night, when the stream had become of a sorrowful blackness,one could see across it the red, eyelike gleam of hostile camp-fires set in the low brows of distanthills. Once a certain tall soldier developed virtues and went resolutely to wash a shirt. He came flyingback from a brook waving his garment bannerlike. He was swelled with a tale he had heard from areliable friend, who had heard it from a truthful cavalryman, who had heard it from his trustworthybrother, one of the orderlies at division headquarters. He adopted the important air of a herald in r edand gold. Were goin t move tmorrahsure, he said pompously to a group in the company street. Weregoin way up the river, cut across, an come around in behint em. To his attentive audience he drew a loud and elaborate plan of a very brilliant campaign. When hehad finished, the blue-clothed men scattered into small arguing groups between the rows of squatbrown huts. A negro teamster who had been dancing upon a cracker box with the hilariousencouragement of twoscore soldiers was deserted. He sat mournfully down. Smoke drifted lazilyfrom a multitude of quaint chimneys. Its a lie! thats all it isa thunderin lie! said another private loudly. His smooth face was flushed,and his hands were thrust sulkily into his trousers pockets. He took the matter as an affront to him. I dont believe the derned old armys ever going to move. Were set. Ive got ready to move eighttimes in the last two weeks, and we aint moved yet. The tall soldier felT called upon to defend the truth of a rumor he himself had introduced. He and theloud one came near to fighting over it. A corporal began to swear before the assemblage. He had just put a costly board floor in his house,he said. During the early spri* Transfer interrupted!sively to the comfort of his environment because he had felt that the army might start on the march atany moment. Of late, however, he had been impressed that they were in a sort of eternal camp. Many of the men engaged in a spirited debate. One outlined in a peculiarly lucid manner all the plansof the commanding general. He was opposed by men who advocated that there were other plans ofcampaign. They clamored at each other, numbers making futile bids for the popular attention. Meanwhile, the soldier who had fetched the rumor bustled about with much importance. He wascontinually assailed by questions. Whats up, Jim? Tharmys goin t move. Ah, what yeh talkin about? How yeh know it is? Well, yeh kin blieve me er not, jest as yeh like. I dont care a hang. There was much food for thought in the manner in which he replied. He came near to convincingthem by disdaining to produce proofs. They grew much excited over it. There was a youthful private who listened with eager ears to the words of the tall soldier and to thevaried comments of his comrades. After receiving a fill of discussions concerning marches andattacks, he went to his hut and crawled through an intricate hole that served it as a door. He wishedto be alone with some new thoughts that had lately come to him. He lay down on a wide bunk that stretched across the end of the room. In the other end, crackerboxes were made to serve as furniture. They were grouped about the fireplace. A picture from anillustr ated weekly was upon the log walls, and three rifles were paralleled on pegs. Equipments hungon handy projections, and some tin dishes lay upon a small pile of firewood. A folded tent wasserving as a roof. The sunlight, without, beating upon it, made it glow a light yellow shade. A smallwindow shot an oblique square of whiter light upon the cluttered floor. The smoke from the fire attimes neglected the clay chimney and wreathed into the room, and this flimsy chimney of clay andsticks made endless threats to set ablaze the whole establishment. The youth was in a little trance of astonishment. So they were at last going to fight. On the morrow,perhaps, there would be a battle, and he would be in it. For a time he was obliged to labor to makehimself believe. He could not accept with assurance an omen that he was about to mingle in one ofthose great affairs of the earth. He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his lifeof vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled himwith their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoplessecure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimsonblotches on the pages of the past. He had put them as things of the bygone with his thought-imagesof heavy crowns and high castles. There was a portion of the worlds history which he had regardedas the time of wars, but it, he thought, had been long gone over the horizon and had disappearedforever. From his home his youthful eyes had looked upon the war in his own country with distrust. It must besome sort of a play affair. He had long despaired of witnessing a Greeklike struggle. Such would beno more, he had said. Men were better, or more timid. Secular and religious education had effacedthe throat-grappling instinct, or else firm finance held in check the passions. He had burned several times to enlist. Tales of great movements shook the land. They might not bedistinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them. He had read of marches, sieges,conflicts, and he had longed to see it all. His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagantin color, lurid with breathless deeds. But his mother had discouraged him. She had affected to look with some contempt upon the qualityof his war ardor and patriotism. She could calmly seat herself and with no apparent difficulty give himmany hundreds of reasons why he was of vastly more importance on the farm than on the field ofbattle. She had had certain ways of expression that told him that her statements on the subject camefrom a deep conviction. Moreover, on her side, was his belief that her ethical motive in the argumentwas impregnable. At last, however, he had made firm rebellion against this yellow light thrown upon the color of hisambitions. The newspapers, the gossip of the village, his own picturings, had aroused him to anuncheckable degree. They were in truth fighting finely down there. Almost every day the newspaperprinted accounts of a decisive victory. One night, as he lay in bed, the winds had carried to him the clangoring of the church bell as someenthusiast jerked the rope frantically to tell the twisted news of a great battle. This voice of thepeople rejoicing in the night had made him shiver in a prolonged ecstasy of excitement. Later, he hadgone down to his mothers room and had spoken thus: Ma, Im going to enlist. Henry, dont you be a fool, his mother had replied. She had then covered her face with the quilt. There was an end to the matter for that night. Nevertheless, the next morning he had gone to a town that was near his mothers farm and hadenlisted in a company that was forming there. When he had returned home his mother was milkingthe brindle cow. Four others stood waiting. Ma, Ive enlisted, he had said to her diffidently. Therewas a short silence. The Lords will be done, Henry, she had finally replied, and had then continuedto milk the brindle cow. When he had stood in the doorway with his soldiers clothes on his back, and with the light ofexcitement and expectancy in his eyes almost defeating the glow of regret for the home bonds, hehad seen two tears leaving their trails on his mothers scarred cheeks. Still, she had disappointed him by saying nothing whatever about returning with his shield or on it. Hehad privately primed himself for a beautiful scene. He had prepared certain sentences which hethought could be used with touching effect. But her words destroyed his plans. She had doggedlypeeled potatoes and addressed him as follows: You watch out, Henry, an take good care of yerselfin this here fighting businessyou watch, an take good care of yerself. Dont go a-thinkin you canlick the hull rebel army at the start, because yeh cant. Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot ofothers, and yehve got to keep quiet an do what they tell yeh. I know how you are, Henry. Ive knet yeh eight pair of socks, Henry, and Ive put in all yer best shirts, because I want my boy tobe jest as warm and comfable as anybody in the army. Whenever they get holes in em, I want yehto send em right-away back to me, sos I kin dern em. An allus be careful an choose yer compny. Theres lots of bad men in the army, Henry. The armymakes em wild, and they like nothing better than the job of leading off a young feller like you, as aintnever been away from home much and has allus had a mother, an a-learning em to drink and swear. Keep clear of them folks, Henry. I dont want yeh to ever do anything, Henry, that yeh would beshamed to let me know about. Jest think as if I was a-watchin yeh. If yeh keep that in yer mindallus, I guess yehll come out about right. Yeh must allus remember yer father, too, child, an remember he never drunk a drop of licker in hislife, and seldom swore a cross oath. I dont know what else to tell yeh, Henry, excepting that yeh must never do no shirking, child, on myaccount. If so be a time comes when yeh have to be kilt of do a mean thing, why, Henry, dont thinkof anything cept whats right, because theres many a woman has to bear up ginst sech things thesetimes, and the Lord ll take keer of us all. Dont forgit about the socks and the shirts, child; and Ive put a cup of blackberry jam with yerbundle, because I know yeh like it above all things. Good-by, Henry. Watch out, and be a goodboy. He had, of course, been impatient under the ordeal of this speech. It had not been quite what heexpe cted, and he had borne it with an air of irritation. He departed feeling vague relief. Still, when he had looked back from the gate, he had seen his mother kneeling among the potatoparings. Her brown face, upraised, was stained with tears, and her spare form was quivering. Hebowed his head and went on, feeling suddenly ashamed of his purposes. From his home he had gone to the seminary to bid adieu to many schoolmates. They had throngedabout him with wonder and admiration. He had felt the gulf now between them and had swelled withcalm pride. He and some of his fellows who had donned blue were quite overwhelmed withprivileges for all of one afternoon, and it had been a very delicious thing. They had strutted. A certain light-haired girl had made vivacious fun at his martial spirit, but there was another anddarker girl whom he had gazed at steadfastly, and he thought she grew demure and sad at sight of hisblue and brass. As he had walked down the path between the rows of oaks, he had t urned his headand detected her at a window watching his departure. As he perceived her, she had immediatelybegun to stare up through the high tree branches at the sky. He had seen a good deal of flurry andhaste in her movement as she changed her attitude. He often thought of it. On the way to Washington his spirit had soared. The regiment was fed and caressed at station afterstation until the youth had believed that he must be a hero. There was a lavish expenditure of breadand cold meats, coffee, and pickles and cheese. As he basked in the smiles of the girls and waspatted and complimented by the old men, he had felt growing within him the strength to do mightydeeds of arms. After complicated journeyings with many pauses, there had come months of monotonous life in acamp. He had had the belief that real war was a series of death struggles with small time in betweenfor sleep and meals; but since his regiment had come to the field the army had done little but sit stilland try to keep warm. He was brought then gradually back to his old ideas. Greeklike struggles would be no more. Menwere better, or more timid. Secular and religious education had effaced the throat-grappling instinct,or else firm finance held in check the passions. He had grown to regard himself merely as a part of a vast blue demonstration. His province was tolook out, as far as he could, for his personal comfort. For recreation he could twiddle his thumbs andspeculate on the thoughts which must agitate the minds of the generals. Also, he was drilled anddrilled and reviewed, and drilled and drilled and reviewed. The only foes he had seen were some pickets along the river bank. They were a sun-tanned,philosophical lot, who sometimes shot reflectively at the blue pickets. When reproached for thisafterward, they usually expressed sorrow, and swore by their gods that the guns had explodedwithout their permission. The youth, on guard duty one night, conversed across the stream with oneof them. He was a slightly ragged man, who spat skillfully between his shoes and possessed a greatfund of bland and infantile assurance. The youth liked him personally. Yank, the other had informed him, yer a right dum good feller. This sentiment, floating to himupon the still air, had made him temporarily regret war. Various veterans had told him tales. Some talked of gray, bewhiskered hordes who were advancingwith relentless curses and chewing tobacco with unspeakable valor; tremendous bodies of fiercesoldiery who were sweeping along like the Huns. Others spoke of tattered and eternally hungry menwho fired despondent powders. Theyll charge through hells fire an brimstone t git a holt on ahaversack, an sech stomachs aint alastin long, he was told. From the stories, the youth imaginedthe red, live bones sticking out through slits in the faded uniforms. Still, he could not put a whole faith in veterans tales, for recruits were their prey. They talked muchof smoke, fire, and blood, but he could not t ell how much might be lies. They persistently yelledFresh fish! at him, and were in no wise to be trusted. However, he perceived now that it did not greatly matter what kind of soldiers he was going to fight,so long as they fought, which fact no one disputed. There was a more serious problem. He lay in hisbunk pondering upon it. He tried to mathematically prove to himself that he would not run from abattle. Previously he had never felt obliged to wrestle too seriously with this question. In his life he hadtaken certain things for granted, never challenging his belief in ultimate success, and bothering littleabout means and roads. But here he was confronted with a thing of moment. It had suddenlyappeared to him that perhaps in a battle he might run. He was forced to admit that as far as war wasconcerned he knew nothing of himself. A sufficient time before he would have allowed the problem to kick its heels at the outer portals ofhis mind, but now he felt compelled to give serious att ention to it. A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As his imagination went forward to a fight, he saw hideouspossibilities. He contemplated the lurking menaces of the future, and failed in an effort to see himselfstanding stoutly in the midst of them. He recalled his visions of broken-bladed glory, but in theshadow of the impending tumult he suspected them to be impossible pictures. He sprang from the bunk and began to pace nervously to and fro. Good Lord, whats th matterwith me? he said aloud. He felt that in this crisis his laws of life were useless. Whatever he had learned of himself was here ofno avail. He was an unknown quantity. He saw that he would again be obliged to experiment as hehad in early youth. He must accumulate information of himself, and meanwhile he resolved to remainclose upon his guard lest those qualities of which he knew nothing should everlastingly disgrace him. Overpopulation in China EssaySometimes he inclined to believing them all heroes. In fact, he usually admired in secret the superiordevelopment of the higher qualities in others. He could conceive of men going very insignificantlyabout the world bearing a load of courage unseen, and although he had known many of hiscomrades through boyhood, he began to fear that his judgment of them had been blind. Then, inother moments, he flouted these theories, and assured him that his fellows were all privatelywondering and quaking. His emotions made him feel strange in the presence of men who talked excitedly of a prospectivebattle as of a drama they were about to witness, with nothing but eagerness and curiosity apparent intheir faces. It was often that he suspected them to be liars. He did not pass such thoughts without severe condemnation of himself. He dinned reproaches attimes. He was convicted by himself of many shameful crimes against the gods of traditions. In his great anxiety his hear t was continually clamoring at what he considered the intolerableslowness of the generals. They seemed content to perch tranquilly on the river bank, and leave himbowed down by the weight of a great problem. He wanted it settled forthwith. He could not longbear such a load, he said. Sometimes his anger at the commanders reached an acute stage, and hegrumbled about the camp like a veteran. One morning, however, he found himself in the ranks of his prepared regiment. The men werewhispering speculations and recounting the old rumors. In the gloom before the break of the daytheir uniforms glowed a deep purple hue. From across the river the red eyes were still peering. In theeastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun; and against it,black and patternlike, loomed the gigantic figure of the colonel on a gigantic horse. From off in the darkness came the trampling of feet. The youth could occasionally see dark shadowsthat moved like monsters. The regi ment stood at rest for what seemed a long time. The youth grewimpatient. It was unendurable the way these affairs were managed. He wondered how long theywere to be kept waiting. As he looked all about him and pondered upon the mystic gloom, he began to believe that at anymoment the ominous distance might be aflare, and the rolling crashes of an engagement come to hisears. Staring once at the red eyes across the river, he conceived them to be growing larger, as theorbs of a row of dragons advancing. He turned toward the colonel and saw him lift his gigantic armand calmly stroke his mustache. At last he heard from along the road at the foot of the hill the clatter of a horses galloping hoofs. Itmust be the coming of orders. He bent forward, scarce breathing. The exciting clickety-click, as itgrew louder and louder, seemed to be beating upon his soul. Presently a horseman with janglingequipment drew rein before the colonel of the regiment. The two held a short, sharp-wordedconversation . The men in the foremost ranks craned their necks. As the horseman wheeled his animal and galloped away he turned to shout over his shoulder, Dontforget that box of cigars! The colonel mumbled in reply. The youth wondered what a box of cigarshad to do with war. A moment later the regiment went swinging off into the darkness. It was now like one of thosemoving monsters wending with many feet. The air was heavy, and cold with dew. A mass of wetgrass, marched upon, rustled like silk. There was an occasional flash and glimmer of steel from the backs of all these huge crawling reptiles. From the road came creakings and grumblings as some surly guns were dragged away. The men stumbled along still muttering speculations. There was a subdued debate. Once a man felldown, and as he reached for his rifle a comrade, unseeing, trod upon his hand. He of the injuredfingers swore bitterly, and aloud. A low, tittering laugh went among his fellows. Presently they passed into a roadway and marched forward with easy strides. A dark regimentmoved before them, and from behind also came the tinkle of equipments on the bodies of marchingmen. The rushing yellow of the developing day went on behind their backs. When the sunrays at laststruck full and mellowingly upon the earth, the youth saw that the landscape was streaked with twolong, thin, black columns which disappeared on the brow of a hill in front and rearward vanished in awood. They were like two serpents crawling from the cavern of the night. The river was not in view. The tall soldier burst into praises of what he thought to b e his powers ofperception. Some of the tall ones companions cried with emphasis that they, too, had evolved the same thing,and they congratulated themselves upon it. But there were others who said that the tall ones planwas not the true one at all. They persisted with other theories. There was a vigorous discussion. The youth took no part in them. As he walked along in careless line he was engaged with his owneternal debate. He could not hinder himself from dwelling upon it. He was despondent and sullen,and threw shifting glances about him. He looked ahead, often expecting to hear from the advance therattle of firing. But the long serpents crawled slowly from hill to hill without bluster of smoke. A dun-colored cloudof dust floated away to the right. The sky overhead was of a fairy blue. The youth studied the faces of his companions, ever on the watch to detect kindred emotions. Hesuffered disappointment. Some ardor of the air which was causing the veteran commands to movewith gleea lmost with songhad infected the new regiment. The men began to speak of victory asof a thing they knew. Also, the tall soldier received his vindication. They were certainly going tocome around in behind the enemy. They expressed commiseration for that part of the army whichhad been left upon the river bank, felicitating themselves upon being a part of a blasting host. The youth, considering himself as separated from the others, was saddened by the blithe and merryspeeches that went from rank to rank. The company wags all made their best endeavors. Theregiment tramped to the tune of laughter. The blatant soldier often convulsed whole files by his biting sarcasms aimed at the tall one. And it was not long before all the men seemed to forget their mission. Whole brigades grinned inunison, and regiments laughed. BibliographyI am 13 and I just wrote the best paper in the world!English Essays