Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Host Chapter 39: Worried

Perfect, I grumbled to myself. Just perfect. Ian was coming to join me for lunch, a big smile glued into place on his face. Trying to cheer me up†¦ again. I think you're overdoing the sarcasm lately, Melanie told me. I'll keep that in mind. I hadn't heard from her much in the past week. Neither of us was good company right now. It was better if we avoided social interaction, even with each other. â€Å"Hey, Wanda,† Ian greeted me, hopping up onto the counter beside me. He had a bowl of tomato soup in one hand, still steaming. Mine was beside me, cooled and half full. I was toying with a piece of roll, ripping it into tiny pieces. I didn't answer him. â€Å"Oh, come on.† He put his hand on my knee. Mel's angry reaction was lethargic. She was too used to this kind of thing to really work up a good fit anymore. â€Å"They'll be back today. Before sunset, without a doubt.† â€Å"You said that three days ago, and two days ago, and again yesterday,† I reminded him. â€Å"I have a good feeling about today. Don't sulk-it's so human,† he teased. â€Å"I'm not sulking.† I wasn't. I was so worried I could barely think straight. It didn't leave me energy to do anything else. â€Å"This isn't the first raid Jamie's gone on.† â€Å"That makes me feel so much better.† Again with the sarcasm. Melanie was right-I really was overusing it. â€Å"He's got Jared and Geoffrey and Trudy with him. And Kyle's here.† Ian laughed. â€Å"So there's no way they'll get into any trouble.† â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† â€Å"Okay.† He turned his attention to his food and let me stew. Ian was nice that way-always trying to give me what I wanted, even when what I wanted was unclear to either of us. His insistent attempts to distract me from the present anxiety excepted, of course. I knew I didn't want that. I wanted to worry; it was the only thing I could do. It had been a month since I'd moved back into Jamie and Jared's room. For three weeks of that time, the four of us had lived together. Jared slept on a mattress wedged above the head of the bed where Jamie and I slept. I'd gotten used to it-the sleeping part, at least; I was having a hard time sleeping now in the empty room. I missed the sound of two other bodies breathing. I hadn't gotten used to waking up every morning with Jared there. It still took me a second too long to return his morning greeting. He was not at ease, either, but he was always polite. We were both very polite. It was almost scripted at this point. â€Å"Good morning, Wanda, how did you sleep?† â€Å"Fine, thank you, and you?† â€Å"Fine, thanks. And†¦ Mel?† â€Å"She's good, too, thanks.† Jamie's constant state of euphoria and his happy chattering kept things from becoming too strained. He talked about-and to-Melanie often, until her name was no longer the source of stress it had once been when Jared was present. Every day, it got a little bit more comfortable, the pattern of my life here a little bit more pleasant. We were†¦ sort of happy. Both Melanie and I. And then, a week ago, Jared had left for another short raid-mostly to replace broken tools-and taken Jamie with him. â€Å"You tired?† Ian asked. I realized I was rubbing at my eyes. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"Still not sleeping well?† â€Å"It's too quiet.† â€Å"I could sleep with you-Oh, calm down, Melanie. You know what I meant.† Ian always noticed when Melanie's antagonism made me cringe. â€Å"I thought they were going to be back today,† I challenged. â€Å"You're right. I guess there's no need for rearranging.† I sighed. â€Å"Maybe you should take the afternoon off.† â€Å"Don't be silly,† I told him. â€Å"I've got plenty of energy for work.† He grinned as though I'd said something that pleased him. Something he'd been hoping I would say. â€Å"Good. I could use some help with a project.† â€Å"What's the project?† â€Å"I'll show you-you finished there?† I nodded. He took my hand as he led me out of the kitchen. Again, this was so common that Melanie barely protested. â€Å"Why are we going this way?† The eastern field did not need attention. We'd been part of the group that had irrigated it this morning. Ian didn't answer. He was still grinning. He led me down the eastern tunnel, past the field and into the corridor that led to only one place. As soon as we were in the tunnel, I could hear voices echoing and a sporadic thud, thud that it took me a moment to place. The stale, bitter sulfur odor helped link the sound to the memory. â€Å"Ian, I'm not in the mood.† â€Å"You said you had plenty of energy.† â€Å"To work. Not to play soccer.† â€Å"But Lily and Wes will be really disappointed. I promised them a game of two-on-two. They worked so hard this morning to free up the afternoon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't try to make me feel guilty,† I said as we rounded the last curve. I could see the blue light of several lamps, shadows flitting in front of them. â€Å"Isn't it working?† he teased. â€Å"C'mon, Wanda. It will be good for you.† He pulled me into the low-ceilinged game room, where Lily and Wes were passing the ball back and forth across the length of the field. â€Å"Hey, Wanda. Hey, Ian,† Lily called to us. â€Å"This one's mine, O'Shea,† Wes warned him. â€Å"You're not going to let me lose to Wes, are you?† Ian murmured. â€Å"You could beat them alone.† â€Å"It would still be a forfeit. I'd never live it down.† I sighed. â€Å"Fine. Fine. Be that way.† Ian hugged me with what Melanie thought was unnecessary enthusiasm. â€Å"You're my very favorite person in the known universe.† â€Å"Thanks,† I muttered dryly. â€Å"Ready to be humiliated, Wanda?† Wes taunted. â€Å"You may have taken the planet, but you're losing this game.† Ian laughed, but I didn't respond. The joke made me uneasy. How could Wes make a joke about that? Humans were always surprising me. Melanie included. She'd been in just as miserable a mood as I was, but now she was suddenly excited. We didn't get to play last time, she explained. I could feel her yearning to run-to run for pleasure rather than in fear. Running was something she used to love. Doing nothing won't get them home any faster. A distraction might be nice. She was already thinking strategy, sizing up our opponents. â€Å"Do you know the rules?† Lily asked me. I nodded. â€Å"I remember them.† Absently, I bent my leg at the knee and grabbed my ankle behind me, pulling it to stretch out the muscles. It was a familiar position to my body. I stretched the other leg and was pleased that it felt whole. The bruise on the back of my thigh was faded yellow, almost gone. My side felt fine, which made me think that my rib had never really been broken. I'd seen my face while I was cleaning mirrors two weeks ago. The scar forming on my cheek was dark red and as big as the palm of my hand, with a dozen jagged points around the edges. It bothered Melanie more than it did me. â€Å"I'll take the goal,† Ian told me, while Lily fell back and Wes paced beside the ball. A mismatch. Melanie liked this. Competition appealed to her. From the moment the game started-Wes kicking the ball back to Lily and then sprinting ahead to get around me for her pass-there was very little time to think. Only to react and to feel. See Lily shift her body, measure the direction this would send the ball. Cut Wes off-ah, but he was surprised by how fast I was-launch the ball to Ian and move up the field. Lily was playing too far forward. I raced her to the lantern goalpost and won. Ian aimed the pass perfectly, and I scored the first goal. It felt good: the stretch and pull of muscle, the sweat of exertion rather than plain heat, the teamwork with Ian. We were well matched. I was quick, and his aim was deadly. Wes's goading dried up before Ian scored the third goal. Lily called the game when we hit twenty-one. She was breathing hard. Not me; I felt good, muscles warm and limber. Wes wanted another round, but Lily was done. â€Å"Face it, they're better.† â€Å"We got hustled.† â€Å"No one ever said she couldn't play.† â€Å"No one ever said she was a pro, either.† I liked that-it made me smile. â€Å"Don't be a sore loser,† Lily said, reaching out to tickle Wes's stomach playfully. He caught her fingers and pulled her closer to him. She laughed, tugging away, but Wes reeled her in and planted a solid kiss on her laughing mouth. Ian and I exchanged a quick, startled glance. â€Å"For you, I will lose with grace,† Wes told her, and then set her free. Lily's smooth caramel skin had taken on a bit of pink on her cheeks and neck. She peeked at Ian and me to see our reaction. â€Å"And now,† Wes continued, â€Å"I'm off to get reinforcements. We'll see how your little ringer does against Kyle, Ian.† He lobbed the ball into the far dark corner of the cave, where I heard it splash into the spring. Ian trotted off to retrieve it, while I continued to look at Lily curiously. She laughed at my expression, sounding self-conscious, which was unusual for her. â€Å"I know, I know.† â€Å"How long has†¦ that been going on?† I wondered. She grimaced. â€Å"Not my business. Sorry.† â€Å"It's okay. It's not a secret-how could anything be a secret here, anyway? It's just really†¦ new to me. It's sort of your fault,† she added, smiling to show that she was teasing me. I felt a little guilty anyway. And confused. â€Å"What did I do?† â€Å"Nothing,† she assured me. â€Å"It was Wes's†¦ reaction to you that surprised me. I didn't know he had so much depth to him. I was never really aware of him before that. Oh, well. He's too young for me, but what does that matter here?† She laughed again. â€Å"It's strange how life and love go on. I didn't expect that.† â€Å"Yeah. Kind of funny how that happens,† Ian agreed. I hadn't heard him return. He slung his arm around my shoulders. â€Å"It's nice, though. You do know Wes has been infatuated with you since he first got here, right?† â€Å"So he says. I hadn't noticed.† Ian laughed. â€Å"Then you're the only one. So, Wanda, how about some one-on-one while we're waiting?† I could feel Melanie's wordless enthusiasm. â€Å"Okay.† He let me have the ball first, holding back, hugging the goal area. My first shot cut between him and the post, scoring. I rushed him when he kicked off, and got the ball back. I scored again. He's letting us win, Mel grumbled. â€Å"Come on, Ian. Play.† â€Å"I am.† Tell him he's playing like a girl. â€Å"Playing like a girl.† He laughed, and I slipped the ball away from him again. The taunt wasn't enough. I had an inspiration then, and I shot the ball through his goal, guessing it would probably be the last time I got to do it. Mel objected. I don't like this idea. I'll bet it works, though. I put the ball back at center field. â€Å"You win, and you can sleep in my room while they're gone.† I needed a good night's rest. â€Å"First to ten.† With a grunt, he launched the ball past me so hard that it rebounded off the distant, invisible wall behind my goal and came back to us. I looked at Lily. â€Å"Was that wide?† â€Å"No, it looked dead center to me.† â€Å"One-three,† Ian announced. It took him fifteen minutes to win, but at least I got to really work. I even squeezed in one more goal, of which I was proud. I was gasping for air when he stole the ball from me and sailed it through my goalposts for the last time. He wasn't winded. â€Å"Ten-four, I win.† â€Å"Good game,† I huffed. â€Å"Tired?† he asked, the innocence in his tone a bit overdone. Being funny. He stretched. â€Å"I think I'm ready for bed myself.† He leered in a melodramatic way. I winced. â€Å"Aw, Mel, you know I'm joking. Be nice.† Lily eyed us, mystified. â€Å"Jared's Melanie objects to me,† Ian told her, winking. Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"That's†¦ interesting.† â€Å"I wonder what's taking Wes so long?† Ian muttered, not taking much notice of her reaction. â€Å"Should we go find out? I could use some water.† â€Å"Me, too,† I agreed. â€Å"Bring some back.† Lily didn't move from where she was half sprawled on the floor. As we entered the narrow tunnel, Ian threw one arm lightly around my waist. â€Å"You know,† he said, â€Å"it's really unfair for Melanie to make you suffer when she's angry at me.† â€Å"Since when are humans fair?† â€Å"Good point.† â€Å"Besides, she'd be glad to make you suffer, if I'd let her.† He laughed. â€Å"That's nice about Wes and Lily, don't you think?† he said. â€Å"Yes. They both seem very happy. I like that.† â€Å"I like it, too. Wes finally got the girl. Gives me hope.† He winked at me. â€Å"Do you think Melanie would make you very uncomfortable if I were to kiss you right now?† I stiffened for a second, then took a deep breath. â€Å"Probably.† Oh, yes. â€Å"Definitely.† Ian sighed. We heard Wes shouting at the same time. His voice came from the end of the tunnel, getting closer with each word. â€Å"They're back! Wanda, they're back!† It took me less than a second to process, and then I was sprinting. Behind me, Ian mumbled something about wasted effort. I nearly knocked Wes down. â€Å"Where?† I gasped. â€Å"In the plaza.† And I was off again. I flew into the big garden room with my eyes already searching. It wasn't hard to find them. Jamie was standing at the front of a group of people near the entrance to the southern tunnel. â€Å"Hey, Wanda!† he yelled, waving. Trudy held his arm as I ran around the edges of the field, as if she were holding him back from running to meet me. I grabbed his shoulders with both hands and pulled him to me. â€Å"Oh, Jamie!† â€Å"Did ya miss me?† â€Å"Just a tiny bit. Where is everyone? Is everyone home? Is everyone okay?† Besides Jamie, Trudy was the only person here who was back from the raid. Everyone else in the little crowd-Lucina, Ruth Ann, Kyle, Travis, Violetta, Reid-was welcoming them home. â€Å"Everyone's back and well,† Trudy assured me. My eyes swept the big cave. â€Å"Where are they?† â€Å"Uh†¦ getting cleaned up, unloading†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wanted to offer my help-anything that would get me to where Jared was so I could see with my own eyes that he was safe-but I knew I wouldn't be allowed to see where the goods were coming in. â€Å"You look like you need a bath,† I told Jamie, rumpling his dirty, knotted hair without letting go of him. â€Å"He's supposed to go lie down,† Trudy said. â€Å"Trudy,† Jamie muttered, giving her a dark look. Trudy glanced at me quickly, then looked away. â€Å"Lie down†¦?† I stared at Jamie, pulling back to get a good look at him. He didn't seem tired-his eyes were bright, and his cheeks flushed under his tan. My eyes raked over him once and then froze on his right leg. There was a ragged hole in his jeans a few inches above his knee. The fabric around the hole was a dark reddish brown, and the ominous color spread in a long stain all the way to the cuff. Blood, Melanie realized with horror. â€Å"Jamie! What happened?† â€Å"Thanks, Trudy.† â€Å"She was going to notice soon enough. C'mon, we'll talk while you limp.† Trudy put her arm under his and helped him hop forward one slow step at a time, keeping his weight on his left leg. â€Å"Jamie, tell me what happened!† I put my arm around him from the other side, trying to carry as much of his weight as I could. â€Å"It's really stupid. And totally my fault. And it could have happened here.† â€Å"Tell me.† He sighed. â€Å"I tripped with a knife in my hand.† I shuddered. â€Å"Shouldn't we be taking you the other way? You need to see Doc.† â€Å"That's where I'm coming from. That's where we went first.† â€Å"What did Doc say?† â€Å"It's fine. He cleaned it and bandaged it and said to go lie down.† â€Å"And have you walk all this way? Why didn't you stay in the hospital?† Jamie made a face and glanced up at Trudy, like he was looking for an answer. â€Å"Jamie will be more comfortable on his bed,† she suggested. â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed quickly. â€Å"Who wants to lie around on one of those awful cots?† I looked at them and then behind me. The crowd was gone. I could hear their voices echoing back down the southern corridor. What was that about? Mel wondered warily. It occurred to me that Trudy wasn't a much better liar than I was. When she'd said the others from the raid were unloading and cleaning up, there was a false note to her voice. I thought I remembered her eyes flickering to the right, back toward that tunnel. â€Å"Hey, kid! Hey, Trudy!† Ian had caught up to us. â€Å"Hi, Ian,† they greeted him at the same time. â€Å"What happened here?† â€Å"Fell on a knife,† Jamie grunted, ducking his head. Ian laughed. â€Å"I don't think it's funny,† I told him, my voice tight. Melanie, frantic with worry in my head, imagined slapping him. I ignored her. â€Å"Could happen to anybody,† Ian said, planting a light punch on Jamie's arm. â€Å"Right,† Jamie muttered. â€Å"Where's everybody?† I watched Trudy from the corner of my eye as she answered him. â€Å"They, uh, had some unloading to finish up.† This time her eyes moved toward the southern tunnel very deliberately, and Ian's expression hardened, turned enraged for half a second. Then Trudy glanced back at me and caught me watching. Distract them, Melanie whispered. I looked down at Jamie quickly. â€Å"Are you hungry?† I asked him. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"When aren't you hungry?† Ian teased. His face was relaxed again. He was better at deception than Trudy. When we reached our room, Jamie sank gratefully onto the big mattress. â€Å"You sure you're okay?† I checked. â€Å"It's nothing. Really. Doc says I'll be fine in a few days.† I nodded, though I was not convinced. â€Å"I'm going to go clean up,† Trudy murmured as she left. Ian propped himself against the wall, going nowhere. Keep your face down when you lie, Melanie suggested. â€Å"Ian?† I stared intently at Jamie's bloody leg. â€Å"Do you mind getting us some food? I'm hungry, too.† â€Å"Yeah. Get us something good.† I could feel Ian's eyes on me, but I didn't look up. â€Å"Okay,† he agreed. â€Å"I'll be back in just a second.† He emphasized the short time. I kept my gaze down, as if I were examining the wound, until I heard his footsteps fade. â€Å"You aren't mad at me?† Jamie asked. â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"I know you didn't want me to go.† â€Å"You're safe now; that's all that matters.† I patted his arm absentmindedly. Then I got to my feet and let my hair, now chin length, fall forward to hide my face. â€Å"I'll be right back-I forgot something I wanted to tell Ian.† â€Å"What?† he asked, confused by my tone. â€Å"You'll be okay here by yourself?† â€Å"Course I will,† he retorted, sidetracked. I ducked out around the screen before he could ask anything else. The hall was clear, Ian out of sight. I had to hurry. I knew he was already suspicious. He'd noticed that I'd noticed Trudy's awkward and artificial explanation. He wouldn't be gone long. I walked quickly, but didn't run, as I moved through the big plaza. Purposeful, as if I were on an errand. There were only a few people there-Reid, headed for the passageway that led to the bathing pool; Ruth Ann and Heidi, paused by the eastern corridor, chatting; Lily and Wes, their backs to me, holding hands. No one paid me any attention. I stared ahead as if I were not focused on the southern tunnel, only turning in at the very last second. As soon as I was in the pitch-black of the corridor, I sped up, jogging along the familiar path. Some instinct told me this was the same thing-that this was a repeat of the last time Jared and the others had come home from a raid, and everyone was sad, and Doc had gotten drunk, and no one would answer my questions. It was happening again, whatever I wasn't supposed to know about. What I didn't want to know about, according to Ian. I felt prickles on the back of my neck. Maybe I didn't want to know. Yes, you do. We both do. I'm frightened. Me, too. I ran as quietly as I could down the dark tunnel.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Digital Learning Environment Essay

In the statement â€Å"Recently, there were two recent cover stories in Time Magazine: Their conclusion was that children today are different. In fact, based on what we now know from the neurosciences and psychological sciences, what we’re now beginning to understand is that children today are FUNDAMENTALLY different than we are in the way they think, in the way they access, absorb, interpret, process and use information, and in the way they view, interact, and communicate in the modern world because of their experiences with digital technologies. If this is the case, it holds profound implications for all of us personally and professionally.† I truly believe it’s true. I feel that we are surrounded by digital devices that were not there when I was young. There is new technology that comes out every day and eventually I believe that will be on only way of life in everything we do. I do feel that today’s learners have a different way of learning than we did in the past. I feel there are so many different factors that have changed how today children learns, thinking, etc. I believe the main factor is all the new technology that comes out daily. I feel that technology has been taken for granted for many different ways especially in the learning environment. For example, when I was in high school I had to go to the library to check out books to complete a research paper but in today’s world students just type what they are looking for on the computer and the web provides the answer. I feel it has taken away the experience of how to research something. People can learn so much more when they actually have to do the leg work on researching than just sitting on the couch and typing up the question and the computer does the work. I believe that it can show some laziness on the student’s part because it is others that have done the work and not them. The whole digital world has taken away a person’s creativity, personality (their own work), etc. I feel that having hands on and thinking skills expands their thought process and creative process where they utilizing their own thoughts and not anyone else’s. I feel at times that I would utilize the physical act of learning something instead of them researching on computers websites, etc. I also would have them use their own thoughts and try to learn to have an open mind to take in suggestions from other people. I will ensure that I give them the opportunity to learn from their own experiences with the help and guidance from myself and other adults. I feel this will get to use their own knowledge in cases where they don’t have the digital resources due to batteries going dead or don’t have the access.

Write About the Ways Love Is Explored in Two Soliloquies. One from Romeo and Juliet, and One from Othello.

Write about the ways love is explored in two soliloquies. One from Romeo and Juliet, and one from Othello. Write about the ways love is explored in two soliloquies. One from Romeo and Juliet, and one from Othello. A Soliloquy is an dramatic technique used in plays to convey to the audience, a character’s true most inner thoughts, feelings and emotions. Shakespeare is famous for using soliloquies to place the audience in an omniscient position, allowing them to develop an intimate relationship with the characters, often creating dramatic irony and tension.Shakespeare expresses the theme of death throughout Romeos soliloquy to enable the audience to empathise and feel pathos toward Juliet â€Å"Death that hath suck the honey of thy breath†. The word â€Å"breath† is ironic and is symbolic of how Romeo cannot bare to be without Juliet, so much so that he feels the sensation of suffocation. Dramatic irony is also apparent as the audience knows that Juliet is still al ive; this sentiment provokes emotion as the audience is willing for Romeo to notice that she is not dead.Also the fact that love is blind plays an ironic almost humorous part here as Romeo is failing to see Juliet is still alive. The theme of death continues as Shakespeare personifies death throughout the soliloquy to present it as a more sinister force and rival for Juliet’s love: â€Å"shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous? And that the lean abhorred monster keeps thee here in the dark to be his paramour? † The negative language negative language used to personify death, â€Å"lean abhorred monster†, illustrates Romeos sense of disgust but more importantly, the fear that death has taken Juliet from him.Romeo’s fear is clearly expressed when Shakespeare writes: â€Å"For fear of that I still will stay here with thee/here i will remain†. The repetition of â€Å"here† conveys Romeos determination to stay with Juliet to the exten t that he will take his own life. Therefore, the audience get the impression that Romeo feels he must kill himself to preserve their love, a trait which links with his hamatia. Furthermore, Shakespeare employs the ongoing lexical field of death to create a sense of foreboding and heighten the dramatic irony.The main protagonist Romeo personifies death using a metaphor to express its severity. He explains how death has not â€Å"conquered† Juliet’s beauty â€Å"yet†. The word yet implies that death is inevitable which links to the phrase â€Å"star crossed lovers† that is delivered in the prologue. Elizabethan people were highly superstitious and believed heavily in fate which would have contributed to the many attributes that make Romeo a tragic hero. â€Å"And deaths pale flag is not advanced there. Shakespeare‘s use of nautical language is used to infer how Romeo has almost been â€Å"shipwrecked† (as he says later in the soliloquy) which highlights his solitude and his incomplete sensation he feels without Juliet present. In Addition, the audience so observes that Romeo’s obsessive and unconditional love for Juliet contributes to his fall from grace and greatly adheres to his hamartia. â€Å"Thee here in dark to be his paramour/here’s to my love†. Dramatic irony and a paradox of light is used her to show Romeo’s possessiveness and impetuousness.The fact that he says â€Å"my† shows his obsessive naivety, as he almost loves Juliet too much so to speak. It is clear for the audience to see that Romeo is ruled by fate, doomed from the start. A contemporary audience would have profoundly disagreed to this ethos as in a modern way we believe that we choose or make our own â€Å"fate†. Contrastingly Shakespeare uses powerful repetition to emphasise the importance and severity of Othello’s opening line. The use of monosyllabic words creates tension, highlighting Othelloâ€⠄¢s chilling tone. It is the cause, it is the cause my soul â€Å". Here Othello is addressing his soul and conscience, trying to justify the terrible act which he is about to commit; but in his mind he already has established the inevitability of his actions. The fact that Othello uses the word â€Å"It â€Å"shows he cannot bring himself to name the act that Desdemona has supposedly committed. Even this early in the soliloquy, the reader can clearly distinguish Othello’s hamartia (the traits that make a tragic hero).We see his serious errors in judgment (believing Iago without proof) which later leads him to committing the dead (Taking Desdemona’s) that leads to his downfall. Additionally, Othello changes the address of his soliloquy from his inner self, to the â€Å"Chaste stars â€Å". It is a commonly known fact that the Elizabethan era were very superstitious; so it is very understandable that they could empathise with Othello’s â€Å"cause â€Å" a nd understand his alliance with the stars. â€Å"Let me not name it to you, chaste stars â€Å".This is reminiscent of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet, where it refers to â€Å"star crossed lovers â€Å", the audience can now see a clear correlation between obsessive love and death, which is sad as in both plays the deceased lovers are â€Å" innocent â€Å". Here Othello is further trying to reassure himself that he is doing the just thing; that his actions are almost written in â€Å"alabaster â€Å"inevitable. Referring to the â€Å"chaste stars â€Å" is also part of Othello’s hamartia; the idea of being doomed from the beginning .Also his obsessive, overpowering love for Desdemona, distorts his perception of reality, which is why he failed to detect the lies being fed to him by Iago. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to highlight Desdemona’s innocence, the fact that Othello says â€Å"chaste â€Å"is almost humorous as the audience knows that Desdemona is completely innocent, never committing adultery in her extremely short life. Just as Romeo speaks of Juliet’s beauty, even in death, to emphasise his love for her, so too does Othello in acknowledging Desdemona’s outward perfection and beauty. â€Å"†¦.. hiter skin than snow/And smooth as monumental alabaster†¦.. † Here Shakespeare uses and extended metaphor, which is ironic as Othello is comparing Desdemona to white snow, white being symbolic of innocence and purity which paradoxes the vile dead which he is about to commit. Shakespeare use of figurative language here powerfully reflects Othello’s intense love and adoration for Desdemona. The fact that Othello elevates Desdemona to a position of â€Å"Monumental† perfection shows that he is savouring her beauty before confirming his resolve that â€Å"she must die†.Furthermore, Shakespeare’s clever use of dramatic irony and ability to control the audiences’ emotions through powerful imperative verbs is shown in this part of the soliloquy. â€Å"Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men†. Othello’s resolve is highlighted by a break in the flow of the verse, emphasised by a colon. This break represents his sorrow, regret and anguish. The fact that Othello is a â€Å"Moore† means he suffered both outwardly (isolation and alienation attacks) and inwardly (tortured conscience). Unfortunately the finality of this statement conveys to the audience the harsh reality that Othello is going carry out this injustice.Also this particular line said by Othello links with what Brabantio (desdamona’s father) says in the beginning of the play â€Å"Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee†. This here is very ironic, as Othello is going to murder Desdemona for the exact thing her father warned him about, except she has not committed the act. We the audience feel pathos to ward Desdemona as even her father had a false predicament and made an extreme error in judging his own daughters character.Unsurprisingly this links with Romeo and Juliet’s struggle to be together as a result of the â€Å"family feud†. Love is portrayed to be a hardship in both plays, which may be one of the reasons the love is so obsessive and unhealthy. To conclude, I believe that the theme of love is convayed very effectively in both Romeos and Othello’s soliloquy. Both invoked a variety of emotions and allow the audience to really connect with the characters. A great amount of dramatic irony and tension is delivered at pivotal points in both plays where obsessive leads to the suicide of Juliet and contrastingly the murder of Desdemona.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Commonwealth of Independent States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Commonwealth of Independent States - Essay Example The initial goals of CIS creation were as follows. First, it was made to initiate a close economic cooperation between members through establishing a so-called 'common economic space'. Second, coordination of policies between allied states with mutual respect for interests was proposed. The third main objective of CIS was to create a unified military-strategic space under a joint command. Thus, the CIS was devised as a regional union, based on the concept of a state, complete with a centralized economy and cross-border ties at the macro and micro levels. Newly acquired independence meant little for post-soviet countries, as their economies were interdependent. In particular, membership in CIS meant the delay of energy crisis for every former Soviet republic. Despite the potential benefits CIS members could gain every of them understood the price they had to pay for using Russia's abundant energy resources. "The Soviet experience constantly reminds the new elites of the CIS that Russia could effectively usurp their independence in any supranational body in which it is the only major power center." (Aslund et al 1999, p.19). Indeed, it was never a secret that Russia uses CIS to influence the policies of regions, which were subjects of domestic policy just a few years ago. To put it simply, every CIS member except Russia faced a dichotomy: on the one hand they had to secure their newly proclaimed sovereignty, on the other - they were unable to survive without external economic help. Although allies behaved differently from each other in this complex situation, they can be divided into three general groups. The first group, which may be called extremely pro-Western, refused from as much cooperation with Russia as possible. Three Baltic regions, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania refused to enter CIS and decided to seek help from other neighbours. Politically, Lithuania is headed towards Poland, and Estonia along with Latvia favour toward Finland and Scandinavian region. The main reason for turning back on Russia was the fact that since their forced incorporation into the Soviet Union they've never acknowledged the legality of that claim. Still, even politically independent, Baltic States remain under Russian economic influence, as it remains their main trading partner. The second group, the most numerous one, tries to balance between Western help and alliance with Russia. Since Russia perceives CIS as a tool to hinder if not stall the movement of NATO towards East, these members of CIS try to gain as much use as possible from this confrontation. For instance, in spite of membership in the Council of Europe and some if not frequent calls for economic help from United States (e.g. during electoral campaign of Viktor Yuschenko), Ukraine has clearly stated its attitude to Russia as "the most important strategic partner", according to words of Leonid Kuchma. Other countries that can be referred to this group are Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and

Thursday, September 12, 2019

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

Women Studies - Essay Example The author would like the reader to walk away from reading this book with an understanding of feminism, that is not just local or national but international as well. She takes "the perspective that cultural diversity must be respected but that it must not be used to excuse the maltreatment of women" (p.5). She wants the reader to understand that although what a woman in one culture might take for granted as a right might be something a woman in another culture is still fighting for but it does not make it any less of an issue under feminism. Burn wants to "give you some overall sense of the varieties of issues affecting women and the variety of their response, and how both these are affected by culture and women's roles as reproducers" (p.5). 1. The study of lesbianism is important to the topic of women across cultures because almost every country in the world has a lesbian sub-culture living somewhere in it, whether they want to admit it or not. The consequences of proclaiming yourself to be lesbian can be emotionally trying especially in societies that have very strict social roles that are to be maintained. Numerous countries deny having any problems with lesbianism because they have laws that outlaw it so it cannot possible exist.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Learning Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Learning Journal - Essay Example During this time I gained insight into my strengths and weaknesses and realized that my strong work ethic and reliability made me an effective leader and manager of people. I realized that management was the path in life I am best suited for, so I entered University, and these module courses to further strengthen my management skills and develop my areas of weakness. I appreciate the environment of people with whom I carry out my learning experience. It’s essential to have an informative and critical group of minds that can offer constructive advice on a variety of issues that I can then incorporate into my individual learning experience. I also think that my University experience challenges me to develop greater time management skills and learn better ways to balance my priorities. I believe that my University experience will help me strengthen my writing and analytical skills. I believe that there is an important social realm to obtaining a University degree. While itâ€℠¢s absolutely necessary to have a degree to attain many jobs, the accomplishment of being accepted to University, attending lectures, and successfully completing a University degree is a great personal accomplishment that will bring me confidence and a sense of accomplishment in my life. I’m idealistic. I believe in meaning, or at least something that transcends blind allegiance to the dollar. I understand that I am possibly in the prime of my life and I want to grasp hold of it and make the most of my situation. I am studying at University because I believe ideas and concepts are essential, and that they offer much needed supplements to the ideas and experiences we encounter in our daily lives. I believe the same thing is true of students and professors and I want to make the most of my collaborative relationships with them. Because I am not sure if it Socrates (Plato, p. 32) was right when he said, â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living,† but I constantly am reassessing the

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Summary and analysis of an article for micro- economics Essay

Summary and analysis of an article for micro- economics - Essay Example Many economists have predicted a rise in the GDP by spring which could help raise the unemployment rate. The article quotes the job loss trend witnessed in JPMorgan Chase in relation to the decline in the GDP. A 9 to 10% unemployment rate is being predicted to occur by mid-year which can in turn put a lot of stress to the banking sector. Such an economic down trend could result in wage cuts and prices of commodities. If the GDP reaches 3.5%, an 8.5% rate in unemployment will be witnessed by the end of 2009. However economists have stated that with an already higher unemployment rate the GDP may have understated the weakness of the economy. Thus even if a positive economic growth is seen in the second half of this year it might not be able to keep the unemployment rate from increasing in the next year. While recessions in the past have seen a rapid recovery in the aftermath the current situation is more unlikely to follow the same due to the higher healing time required by financial sectors this time around. There is a lot of dependence on consumer spending and stimulus programs to better the situation and a positive improvement in the unemployment rates can add to faster