The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 3. Phenomenon

Truly, I was not thirsty, but I decided to hunt again that night. A small ounce of prevention, inadequate though I knew it to be. Carlisle came with me; we hadn't been alone together since I'd returned from Denali. As we ran through the black forest, I heard him thinking about that hasty goodbye last week. In his memory, I saw the way my features had been twisted in fierce despair. I felt his surprise and sudden worry. â€Å"Edward?† â€Å"I have to go, Carlisle. I have to go now.† â€Å"What's happened?† â€Å"Nothing. Yet. But it will, if I stay.† He'd reached for my arm. I felt how it had hurt him when I'd cringed away from his hand. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Have you ever†¦has there ever been a time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I watched myself take a deep breath, saw the wild light in my eyes through the filter of his deep concern. â€Å"Has any one person ever smelled better to you than the rest of them? Much better?† â€Å"Oh.† When I'd known that he understood, my face had fallen with shame. He'd reached out to touch me, ignoring it when I'd recoiled again, and left his hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Do what you must to resist, son. I will miss you. Here, take my car. It's faster.† He was wondering now if he'd done the right thing then, sending me away. Wondering if he hadn't hurt me with his lack of trust. â€Å"No,† I whispered as I ran. â€Å"That was what I needed. I might so easily have betrayed that trust, if you'd told me to stay.† â€Å"I'm sorry you're suffering, Edward. But you should do what you can to keep the Swan child alive. Even if it means that you must leave us again.† â€Å"I know, I know.† â€Å"Why did you come back? You know how happy I am to have you here, but if this is too difficult†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I didn't like feeling a coward,† I admitted. We'd slowed – we were barely jogging through the darkness now. â€Å"Better that than to put her in danger. She'll be gone in a year or two.† â€Å"You're right, I know that.† Contrarily, though, his words only made me more anxious to stay. The girl would be gone in a year or two†¦ Carlisle stopped running and I stopped with him; he turned to examine my expression. But you're not going to run, are you? I hung my head. Is it pride, Edward? There's no shame in – â€Å"No, it isn't pride that keeps me here. Not now.† Nowhere to go? I laughed shortly. â€Å"No. That wouldn't stop me, if I could make myself leave.† â€Å"We'll come with you, of course, if that's what you need. You only have to ask. You've moved on without complaint for the rest of them. They won't begrudge you this.† I raised one eyebrow. He laughed. â€Å"Yes, Rosalie might, but she owes you. Anyway, it's much better for us to leave now, no damage done, than for us to leave later, after a life has been ended.† All humor was gone by the end. I flinched at his words. â€Å"Yes,† I agreed. My voice sounded hoarse. But you're not leaving? I sighed. â€Å"I should.† â€Å"What holds you here, Edward? I'm failing to see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't know if I can explain.† Even to myself, it made no sense. He measured my expression for a long moment. No, I do not see. But I will respect your privacy, if you prefer. â€Å"Thank you. It's generous of you, seeing as how I give privacy to no one.† With one exception. And I was doing what I could to deprive her of that, wasn't I? We all have our quirks. He laughed again. Shall we? He'd just caught the scent of a small herd of deer. It was hard to rally much enthusiasm for what was, even under the best of circumstances, a less than mouthwatering aroma. Right now, with the memory of the girl's blood fresh in my mind, the smell actually turned my stomach. I sighed. â€Å"Let's,† I agreed, though I knew that forcing more blood down my throat would help so little. We both shifted into a hunting crouch and let the unappealing scent pull us silently forward. It was colder when we returned home. The melted snow had refrozen; it was as if a thin sheet of glass covered everything – each pine needle, each fern frond, each blade of grass was iced over. While Carlisle went to dress for his early shift at the hospital, I stayed by the river, waiting for the sun to rise. I felt almost swollen from the amount of blood I'd consumed, but I knew the lack of actual thirst would mean little when I sat beside the girl again. Cool and motionless as the stone I sat on, I stared at the dark water running beside the icy bank, stared right through it. Carlisle was right. I should leave Forks. They could spread some story to explain my absence. Boarding school in Europe. Visiting distant relatives. Teenage runaway. The story didn't matter. No one would question too intensely. It was just a year or two, and then the girl would disappear. She would go on with her life – she would have a life to go on with. She'd go to college somewhere, get older, start a career, perhaps marry someone. I could picture that – I could see the girl dressed all in white and walking at a measured pace, her arm through her father's. It was odd, the pain that image caused me. I couldn't understand it. Was I jealous, because she had a future that I could never have? That made no sense. Every one of the humans around me had that same potential ahead of them – a life – and I rarely stopped to envy them. I should leave her to her future. Stop risking her life. That was the right thing to do. Carlisle always chose the right way. I should listen to him now. The sun rose behind the clouds, and the faint light glistened off all the frozen glass. One more day, I decided. I would see her one more time. I could handle that. Perhaps I would mention my pending disappearance, set the story up. This was going to be difficult; I could feel that in the heavy reluctance that was already making me think of excuses to stay – to extend the deadline to two days, three, four†¦ But I would do the right thing. I knew I could trust Carlisle's advice. And I also knew that I was too conflicted to make the right decision alone. Much too conflicted. How much of this reluctance came from my obsessive curiosity, and how much came from my unsatisfied appetite? I went inside to change into fresh clothes for school. Alice was waiting for me, sitting on the top step at the edge of the third floor. You're leaving again, she accused me. I sighed and nodded. I can't see where you're going this time. â€Å"I don't know where I'm going yet,† I whispered. I want you to stay. I shook my head. Maybe Jazz and I could come with you? â€Å"They'll need you all the more, if I'm not here to watch out for them. And think of Esme. Would you take half her family away in one blow?† You're going to make her so sad. â€Å"I know. That's why you have to stay.† That's not the same as having you here, and you know it. â€Å"Yes. But I have to do what's right.† There are many right ways, and many wrong ways, though, aren't there? For a brief moment she was swept away into one of her strange visions; I watched along with her as the indistinct images flickered and whirled. I saw myself mixed in with strange shadows that I couldn't make out – hazy, imprecise forms. And then, suddenly, my skin was glittering in the bright sunlight of a small open meadow. This was a place I knew. There was a figure in the meadow with me, but, again, it was indistinct, not there enough to recognize. The images shivered and disappeared as a million tiny choices rearranged the future again. â€Å"I didn't catch much of that,† I told her when the vision went dark. Me either. Your future is shifting around so much I can't keep up with any of it. I think, though†¦ She stopped, and she flipped through a vast collection of other recent visions for me. They were all the same – blurry and vague. â€Å"I think something is changing, though,† she said out loud. â€Å"Your life seems to be at a crossroads.† I laughed grimly. â€Å"You do realize that you sound like a bogus gypsy at a carnival now, right?† She stuck her tiny tongue out at me. â€Å"Today is all right, though, isn't it?† I asked, my voice abruptly apprehensive. â€Å"I don't see you killing anyone today,† she assured me. â€Å"Thanks, Alice.† â€Å"Go get dressed. I won't say anything – I'll let you tell the others when you're ready.† She stood and darted back down the stairs, her shoulders hunched slightly. Miss you. Really. Yes, I would really miss her, too. It was a quiet ride to school. Jasper could tell that Alice was upset about something, but he knew that if she wanted to talk about it she would have done so already. Emmett and Rosalie were oblivious, having another of their moments, gazing into each others' eyes with wonder – it was rather disgusting to watch from the outside. We were all quite aware how desperately in love they were. Or maybe I was just being bitter because I was the only one alone. Some days it was harder than others to live with three sets of perfectly matched lovers. This was one of them. Maybe they would all be happier without me hanging around, ill-tempered and belligerent as the old man I should be by now. Of course, the first thing I did when we reached the school was to look for the girl. Just preparing myself again. Right. It was embarrassing how my world suddenly seemed to be empty of everything but her – my whole existence centered around the girl, rather than around myself anymore. It was easy enough to understand, though, really; after eighty years of the same thing every day and every night, any change became a point of absorption. She had not yet arrived, but could I hear the thunderous chugging of her truck's engine in the distance. I leaned against the side of the car to wait. Alice stayed with me, while the others went straight to class. They were bored with my fixation – it was incomprehensible to them how any human could hold my interest for so long, no matter how delicious she smelled. The girl drove slowly into view, her eyes intent on the road and her hands tight on the wheel. She seemed anxious about something. It took me a second to figure out what that something was, to realize that every human wore the same expression today. Ah, the road was slick with ice, and they were all trying to drive more carefully. I could see she was taking the added risk seriously. That seemed in line with what little I had learned of her character. I added this to my small list: she was a serious person, a responsible person. She parked not too far from me, but she hadn't noticed me standing here yet, staring at her. I wondered what she would do when she did? Blush and walk away? That was my first guess. But maybe she would stare back. Maybe she would come to talk to me. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs hopefully, just in case. She got out of the truck with care, testing the slick ground before she put her weight on it. She didn't look up, and that frustrated me. Maybe I would go talk to her†¦ No, that would be wrong. Instead of turning toward the school, she made her way to the rear of her truck, clinging to the side of the truck bed in a droll way, not trusting her footing. It made me smile, and I felt Alice's eyes on my face. I didn't listen to whatever this made her think – I was having too much fun watching the girl check her snow chains. She actually looked in some danger of falling, the way her feet were sliding around. No one else was having trouble – had she parked in the worst of the ice? She paused there, staring down with a strange expression on her face. It was†¦tender? As if something about the tire was making her†¦emotional? Again, the curiosity ached like a thirst. It was as if I had to know what she was thinking – as if nothing else mattered. I would go talk to her. She looked like she could use a hand anyway, at least until she was off the slick pavement. Of course, I couldn't offer her that, could I? I hesitated, torn. As adverse as she seemed to be to snow, she would hardly welcome the touch of my cold white hand. I should have worn gloves – â€Å"NO!† Alice gasped aloud. Instantly, I scanned her thoughts, guessing at first that I had made a poor choice and she saw me doing something inexcusable. But it had nothing to do with me at all. Tyler Crowley had chosen to take the turn into the parking lot at an injudicious speed. This choice would send him skidding across a patch of ice†¦ The vision came just half a second before the reality. Tyler's van rounded the corner as I was still watching the conclusion that had pulled the horrified gasp through Alice's lips. No, this vision had nothing to do with me, and yet it had everything to do with me, because Tyler's van – the tires right now hitting the ice at the worst possible angle – was going to spin across the lot and crush the girl who had become the uninvited focal point of my world. Even without Alice's foresight it would have been simple enough to read the trajectory of the vehicle, flying out of Tyler's control. The girl, standing in the exactly wrong place at the back of her truck, looked up, bewildered by the sound of the screeching tires. She looked straight into my horrorstruck eyes, and then turned to watch her approaching death. Not her! The words shouted in my head as if they belonged to someone else. Still locked into Alice's thoughts, I saw the vision suddenly shift, but I had no time to see what the outcome would be. I launched myself across the lot, throwing myself between the skidding van and the frozen girl. I moved so fast that everything was a streaky blur except for the object of my focus. She didn't see me – no human eyes could have followed my flight – still staring at the hulking shape that was about to grind her body into the metal frame of her truck. I caught her around the waist, moving with too much urgency to be as gentle as she would need me to be. In the hundredth of a second between the time that I yanked her slight form out of the path of death and the time that I crashed into to the ground with her in my arms, I was vividly aware of her fragile, breakable body. When I heard her head crack against the ice, it felt like I had turned to ice, too. But I didn't even have a full second to ascertain her condition. I heard the van behind us, grating and squealing as it twisted around the sturdy iron body of the girl's truck. It was changing course, arcing, coming for her again – like she was a magnet, pulling it toward us. A word I'd never said before in the presence of a lady slid between my clenched teeth. I had already done too much. As I'd nearly flown through the air to push her out of the way, I'd been fully aware of the mistake I was making. Knowing that it was a mistake did not stop me, but I was not oblivious to the risk I was taking – taking, not just for myself, but for my entire family. Exposure. And this certainly wasn't going to help, but there was no way I was going to allow the van to succeed in its second attempt to take her life. I dropped her and threw my hands out, catching the van before it could touch the girl. The force of it hurled me back into the car parked beside her truck, and I could feel its frame buckle behind my shoulders. The van shuddered and shivered against the unyielding obstacle of my arms, and then swayed, balancing unstably on the two far tires. If I moved my hands, the back tire of the van was going fall onto her legs. Oh, for the love of all that was holy, would the catastrophes never end? Was there anything else that could go wrong? I could hardly sit here, holding the van in the air, and wait for rescue. Nor could I throw the van away – there was the driver to consider, his thoughts incoherent with panic. With an internal groan, I shoved the van so that it rocked away from us for an instant. As it fell back toward me, I caught it under the frame with my right hand while I wrapped my left arm around the girl's waist again and drug her out from under the van, pulling her tight up against my side. Her body moved limply as I swung her around so that her legs would be in the clear – was she conscious? How much damage had I done to her in my impromptu rescue attempt? I let the van drop, now that it could not hurt her. It crashed to the pavement, all the windows shattering in unison. I knew that I was in the middle of a crisis. How much had she seen? Had any other witnesses watched me materialize at her side and then juggle the van while I tried to keep her out from under it? These questions should be my biggest concern. But I was too anxious to really care about the threat of exposure as much as I should. Too panic-stricken that I might have injured her myself in my effort to protect her. Too frightened to have her this close to me, knowing what I would smell if I allowed myself to inhale. Too aware of the heat of her soft body, pressed against mine – even through the double obstacle of our jackets, I could feel that heat†¦ The first fear was the greatest fear. As the screaming of the witnesses erupted around us, I leaned down to examine her face, to see if she was conscious – hoping fiercely that she was not bleeding anywhere. Her eyes were open, staring in shock. â€Å"Bella?† I asked urgently. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"I'm fine.† She said the words automatically in a dazed voice. Relief, so exquisite it was nearly pain, washed through me at the sound of her voice. I sucked in a breath through my teeth, and did not mind the accompanying burn in my throat. I almost welcomed it. She struggled to sit up, but I was not ready to release her. It felt somehow†¦safer? Better, at least, having her tucked into my side. â€Å"Be careful,† I warned her. â€Å"I think you hit your head pretty hard.† There had been no smell of fresh blood – a mercy, that – but this did not rule out internal damage. I was abruptly anxious to get her to Carlisle and a full compliment of radiology equipment. â€Å"Ow,† she said, her tone comically shocked as she realized I was right about her head. â€Å"That's what I thought.† Relief made it funny to me, made me almost giddy. â€Å"How in the†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off, and her eyelids fluttered. â€Å"How did you get over here so fast?† The relief turned sour, the humor vanished. She had noticed too much. Now that it appeared that the girl was in decent shape, the anxiety for my family became severe. â€Å"I was standing right next to you, Bella.† I knew from experience that if I was very confident as I lied, it made any questioner less sure of the truth. She struggled to move again, and this time I allowed it. I needed to breathe so that I could play my role correctly. I needed space from her warm-blooded heat so that it would not combine with her scent to overwhelm me. I slid away from her, as far as was possible in the small space between the wrecked vehicles. She stared up at me, and I stared back. To look away first was a mistake only an incompetent liar would make, and I was not an incompetent liar. My expression was smooth, benign†¦ It seemed to confuse her. That was good. The accident scene was surrounded now. Mostly students, children, peering and pushing through the cracks to see if any mangled bodies were visible. There was a babble of shouting and a gush of shocked thought. I scanned the thoughts once to make sure there were no suspicions yet, and then tuned it out and concentrated only on the girl. She was distracted by the bedlam. She glanced around, her expression still stunned, and tried to get to her feet. I put my hand lightly on her shoulder to hold her down. â€Å"Just stay put for now.† She seemed alright, but should she really be moving her neck? Again, I wished for Carlisle. My years of theoretical medical study were no match for his centuries of hands-on medical practice. â€Å"But it's cold,† she objected. She had almost been crushed to death two distinct times and crippled one more, and it was the cold that worried her. A chuckle slid through my teeth before I could remember that the situation was not funny. Bella blinked, and then her eyes focused on my face. â€Å"You were over there.† That sobered me again. She glanced toward the south, though there was nothing to see now but the crumpled side of the van. â€Å"You were by your car.† â€Å"No, I wasn't.† â€Å"I saw you,† she insisted; her voice was childlike when she was being stubborn. Her chin jutted out. â€Å"Bella, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way.† I stared deeply into her wide eyes, trying to will her into accepting my version – the only rational version on the table. Her jaw set. â€Å"No.† I tried to stay calm, to not panic. If only I could keep her quiet for a few moments, to give me a chance to destroy the evidence†¦.and undermine her story by disclosing her head injury. Shouldn't it be easy to keep this silent, secretive girl quiet? If only she would trust me, just for a few moments†¦ â€Å"Please, Bella,† I said, and my voice was too intense, because I suddenly wanted her to trust me. Wanted it badly, and not just in regards to this accident. A stupid desire. What sense would it make for her to trust me? â€Å"Why?† she asked, still defensive. â€Å"Trust me,† I pleaded. â€Å"Will you promise to explain everything to me later?† It made me angry to have to lie to her again, when I so much wished that I could somehow deserve her trust. So, when I answered her, it was a retort. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"Fine,† she echoed in the same tone. While the rescue attempt began around us – adults arriving, authorities called, sirens in the distance – I tried to ignore the girl and get my priorities in the right order. I searched through every mind in the lot, the witnesses and the latecomers both, but I could find nothing dangerous. Many were surprised to see me here beside Bella, but all concluded – as there was no other possible conclusion – that they had just not noticed me standing by the girl before the accident. She was the only one who didn't accept the easy explanation, but she would be considered the least reliable witness. She had been frightened, traumatized, not to mention sustaining the blow to the head. Possibly in shock. It would be acceptable for her story to be confused, wouldn't it? No one would give it much credence above so many other spectators†¦ I winced when I caught the thoughts of Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett, just arriving on the scene. There would be hell to pay for this tonight. I wanted to iron out the indention my shoulders had made against the tan car, but the girl was too close. I'd have to wait till she was distracted. It was frustrating to wait – so many eyes on me – as the humans struggled with the van, trying to pull it away from us. I might have helped them, just to speed the process, but I was already in enough trouble and the girl had sharp eyes. Finally, they were able to shift it far enough away for the EMTs to get to us with their stretchers. A familiar, grizzled face appraised me. â€Å"Hey, Edward,† Brett Warner said. He was also a registered nurse, and I knew him well from the hospital. It was a stroke of luck – the only luck today – that he was the first through to us. In his thoughts, he was noting that I looked alert and calm. â€Å"You okay, kid?† â€Å"Perfect, Brett. Nothing touched me. But I'm afraid Bella here might have a concussion. She really hit her head when I yanked her out of the way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Brett turned his attention to the girl, who shot me a fierce look of betrayal. Oh, that was right. She was the quiet martyr – she'd prefer to suffer in silence. She did not contradict my story immediately, though, and this made me feel easier. The next EMT tried to insist that I allow myself to be treated, but it wasn't too difficult to dissuade him. I promised I would let my father examine me, and he let it go. With most humans, speaking with cool assurance was all that was needed. Most humans, just not the girl, of course. Did she fit into any of the normal patterns? As they put a neck brace on her – and her face flushed scarlet with embarrassment – I used the moment of distraction to quietly rearrange the shape of the dent in the tan car with the back of my foot. Only my siblings noticed what I was doing, and I heard Emmett's mental promise to catch anything I missed. Grateful for his help – and more grateful that Emmett, at least, had already forgiven my dangerous choice – I was more relaxed as I climbed into the front seat of the ambulance next to Brett. The chief of police arrived before they had gotten Bella into the back of the ambulance. Though Bella's father's thoughts were past words, the panic and concern emanating out of the man's mind drown out just about every other thought in the vicinity. Wordless anxiety and guilt, a great swell of them, washed out of him as he saw his only daughter on the gurney. Washed out of him and through me, echoing and growing stronger. When Alice had warned me that killing Charlie Swan's daughter would kill him, too, she had not been exaggerating. My head bowed with that guilt as I listened to his panicked voice. â€Å"Bella!† he shouted. â€Å"I'm completely fine, Char – Dad.† She sighed. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with me.† Her assurance barely soothed his dread. He turned at once to the closest EMT and demanded more information. I wasn't until I heard him speaking, forming perfectly coherent sentences despite his panic, that I realized that his anxiety and concern were not wordless. I just†¦could not hear the exact words. Hmm. Charlie Swan was not as silent as his daughter, but I could see where she got it from. Interesting. I'd never spent much time around the town's police chief. I'd always taken him for a man of slow thought – now I realized that I was the one who was slow. His thoughts were partially concealed, not absent. I could only make out the tenor, the tone of them†¦ I wanted to listen harder, to see if I could find in this new, lesser puzzle the key to the girl's secrets. But Bella was loaded into the back by then, and the ambulance was on its way. It was hard to tear myself away from this possible solution to the mystery that had come to obsess me. But I had to think now – to look at what had been done today from every angle. I had to listen, to make sure that I had not put us all in so much danger that we would have to leave immediately. I had to concentrate. There was nothing in the thoughts of the EMTs to worry me. As far as they could tell, there was nothing seriously wrong with the girl. And Bella was sticking to the story I'd provided, thus far. The first priority, when we reached the hospital, was to see Carlisle. I hurried through the automatic doors, but I was unable to totally forgo watching after Bella; I kept an eye on her through the paramedics' thoughts. It was easy to find my father's familiar mind. He was in his small office, all alone – the second stroke of luck in this luckless day. â€Å"Carlisle.† He'd heard my approach, and he was alarmed as soon as he saw my face. He jumped to his feet, his face paling to bone white. He leaned forward across the neatly organized walnut desk. Edward – you didn't – â€Å"No, no, it's not that.† He took deep breath. Of course not. I'm sorry I entertained the thought. Your eyes, of course, I should have known†¦ He noted my still-golden eyes with relief. â€Å"She's hurt, though, Carlisle, probably not seriously, but – â€Å" â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"A stupid car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I couldn't just stand there – let it crush her – â€Å" Start over, I don't understand. How were you involved? â€Å"A van skidded across the ice,† I whispered. I stared at the wall behind him while I spoke. Instead of a throng of framed diplomas, he had one simple oil painting – a favorite of his, an undiscovered Hassam. â€Å"She was in the way. Alice saw it coming, but there wasn't time to do anything but really run across the lot and shove her out of the way. No one noticed†¦except for her. I had to stop the van, too, but again, nobody saw that†¦besides her. I'm†¦I'm sorry Carlisle. I didn't mean to put us in danger.† He circled the desk and put his hand on my shoulder. You did the right thing. And it couldn't have been easy for you. I'm proud of you, Edward. I could look him in the eye then. â€Å"She knows there's something†¦wrong with me.† â€Å"That doesn't matter. If we have to leave, we leave. What has she said?† I shook my head, a little frustrated. â€Å"Nothing yet.† Yet? â€Å"She agreed to my version of events – but she's expecting an explanation.† He frowned, pondering this. â€Å"She hit her head – well, I did that,† I continued quickly. â€Å"I knocked her to the ground fairly hard. She seems fine, but†¦ I don't think it will take much to discredit her account.† I felt like a cad just saying the words. Carlisle heard the distaste in my voice. Perhaps that won't be necessary. Let's see what happens, shall we? It sounds like I have a patient to check on. â€Å"Please,† I said. â€Å"I'm so worried that I hurt her.† Carlisle's expression brightened. He smoothed his fair hair – just a few shades lighter than his golden eyes – and he laughed. It's been an interesting day for you, hasn't it? In his mind, I could see the irony, and it was humorous, at least to him. Quite the reversal of roles. Somewhere during that short thoughtless second when I'd sprinted across the icy lot, I had transformed from killer to protector. I laughed with him, remembering how sure I'd been that Bella would never need protecting from anything more than myself. There was an edge to my laugh because, van notwithstanding, that was still entirely true. I waited alone in Carlisle's office – one of the longer hours I had ever lived – listening to the hospital full of thoughts. Tyler Crowley, the van's driver, looked to be hurt worse than Bella, and the attention shifted to him while she waited her turn to be X-rayed. Carlisle kept in the background, trusting the PA's diagnosis that the girl was only slightly injured. This made me anxious, but I knew he was right. One glance at his face and she would be immediately reminded of me, of the fact that there was something not right about my family, and that might set her talking. She certainly had a willing enough partner to converse with. Tyler was consumed with guilt over the fact that he had almost killed her, and he couldn't seem to shut up about it. I could see her expression through his eyes, and it was clear that she wished he would stop. How did he not see that? There was a tense moment for me when Tyler asked her how she'd gotten out of the way. I waited, not breathing, as she hesitated. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he heard her say. Then she paused for so long that Tyler wondered if his question had confused her. Finally, she went on. â€Å"Edward pulled me out of the way.† I exhaled. And then my breathing accelerated. I'd never heard her speak my name before. I like the way it sounded – even just hearing it through Tyler's thoughts. I wanted to hear it for myself†¦ â€Å"Edward Cullen,† she said, when Tyler didn't realize who she meant. I found myself at the door, my hand on the knob. The desire to see her was growing stronger. I had to remind myself of the need for caution. â€Å"He was standing next to me.† â€Å"Cullen?† Huh. That's weird. â€Å"I didn't see him.† I could have sworn†¦ â€Å"Wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?† â€Å"I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher.† I saw the thoughtful look on her face, the suspicious tightening of her eyes, but these little changes in her expression were lost on Tyler. She's pretty, he was thinking, almost in surprise. Even all messed up. Not my usual type, still†¦ I should take her out. Make up for today†¦ I was out in the hall, then, halfway to the emergency room, without thinking for one second about what I was doing. Luckily, the nurse entered the room before I could – it was Bella's turn for X-rays. I leaned against the wall in a dark nook just around the corner, and tried to get a grip on myself while she was wheeled away. It didn't matter that Tyler thought she was pretty. Anyone would notice that. There was no reason for me to feel†¦how did I feel? Annoyed? Or was angry closer to the truth? That made no sense at all. I stayed where I was for as long as I could, but impatience got the best of me and I took a back way around to the radiology room. She'd already been moved back to the ER, but I was able to take a peek at her x-rays while the nurse's back was turned. I felt calmer when I had. Her head was fine. I hadn't hurt her, not really. Carlisle caught me there. You look better, he commented. I just looked straight ahead. We weren't alone, the halls full of orderlies and visitors. Ah, yes. He stuck her x-rays to the lightboard, but I didn't need a second look. I see. She's absolutely fine. Well done, Edward. The sound of my father's approval created a mixed reaction in me. I would have been pleased, except that I knew that he would not approve of what I was going to do now. At least, he would not approve if he knew my real motivations†¦ â€Å"I think I'm going to go talk to her – before she sees you,† I murmured under my breath. â€Å"Act natural, like nothing happened. Smooth it over.† All acceptable reasons. Carlisle nodded absently, still looking over the x-rays. â€Å"Good idea. Hmm.† I looked to see what had his interest. Look at all the healed contusions! How many times did her mother drop her? Carlisle laughed to himself at his joke. â€Å"I'm beginning to think the girl just has really bad luck. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time.† Forks is certainly the wrong place for her, with you here. I flinched. Go ahead. Smooth things over. I'll join you momentarily. I walked away quickly, feeling guilty. Perhaps I was too good a liar, if I could fool Carlisle. When I got to the ER, Tyler was mumbling under his breath, still apologizing. The girl was trying to escape his remorse by pretending to sleep. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing was not even, and now and then her fingers would twitch impatiently. I stared at her face for a long moment. This was the last time I would see her. That fact triggered an acute aching in my chest. Was it because I hated to leave any puzzle unsolved? That did not seem like enough of an explanation. Finally, I took a deep breath and moved into view. When Tyler saw me, he started to speak, but I put one finger to my lips. â€Å"Is she sleeping?† I murmured. Bella's eyes snapped open and focused on my face. They widened momentarily, and then narrowed in anger or suspicion. I remembered that I had a role to play, so I smiled at her as if nothing unusual had happened this morning – besides a blow to her head and a bit of imagination run wild. â€Å"Hey, Edward,† Tyler said. â€Å"I'm really sorry – â€Å" I raised one hand to halt his apology. â€Å"No blood, no foul,† I said wryly. Without thinking, I smiled too widely at my private joke. It was amazingly easy to ignore Tyler, lying no more than four feet from me, covered in fresh blood. I'd never understood how Carlisle was able to do that – ignore the blood of his patients in order to treat them. Wouldn't the constant temptation be so distracting, so dangerous†¦? But, now†¦ I could see how, if you were focusing on something else hard enough, the temptation was be nothing at all. Even fresh and exposed, Tyler's blood had nothing on Bella's. I kept my distance from her, seating myself on the foot of Tyler's mattress. â€Å"So, what's the verdict?† I asked her. Her lower lip pushed out a little. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go. How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?† Her impatience made me smile again. I could hear Carlisle in the hall now. â€Å"It's all about who you know,† I said lightly. â€Å"But don't worry, I came to spring you.† I watched her reaction carefully as my father entered the room. Her eyes widened and her mouth actually fell open in surprise. I groaned internally. Yes, she'd certainly noticed the resemblance. â€Å"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?† Carlisle asked. He had a wonderfully soothing beside manner that put most patients at ease within moments. I couldn't tell how it affected Bella. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said quietly. Carlisle clipped her X-rays to the lightboard by the bed. â€Å"Your X-rays look good. Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard.† She sighed, and said, â€Å"I'm fine,† again, but this time impatience leaked into her voice. Then she glowered once in my direction. Carlisle stepped closer to her and ran his fingers gently over her scalp until he found the bump under her hair. I was caught off guard by the wave of emotion that crashed over me. I had seen Carlisle work with humans a thousand times. Years ago, I had even assisted him informally – though only in situations where blood was not involved. So it wasn't a new thing to me, to watch him interact with the girl as if he were as human as she was. I'd envied his control many times, but that was not the same as this emotion. I envied him more than his control. I ached for the difference between Carlisle and me – that he could touch her so gently, without fear, knowing he would never harm her†¦ She winced, and I twitched in my seat. I had to concentrate for a moment to keep my relaxed posture. â€Å"Tender?† Carlisle asked. Her chin jerked up a fraction. â€Å"Not really,† she said. Another small piece of her character fell into place: she was brave. She didn't like to show weakness. Possibly the most vulnerable creature I'd ever seen, and she didn't want to seem weak. A chuckle slid through my lips. She shot another glare at me. â€Å"Well,† Carlisle said. â€Å"Your father is in the waiting room – you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all.† Her father was here? I swept through the thoughts in the crowded waiting room, but I couldn't pick his subtle mental voice out of the group before she was speaking again, her face anxious. â€Å"Can't I go back to school?† â€Å"Maybe you should take it easy today,† Carlisle suggested. Her eyes flickered back to me. â€Å"Does he get to go to school?† Act normal, smooth things over†¦ignore the way it feels when she looks me in the eye†¦ â€Å"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived,† I said. â€Å"Actually,† Carlisle corrected, â€Å"most of the school seems to be in the waiting room.† I anticipated her reaction this time – her aversion to attention. She didn't disappoint. â€Å"Oh no,† she moaned, and she put her hands over her face. I liked that I'd finally guessed right. I was beginning to understand her†¦ â€Å"Do you want to stay?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"No, no!† she said quickly, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress and sliding down till her feet were on the floor. She stumbled forward, off-balance, into Carlisle's arms. He caught and steadied her. Again, the envy flooded through me. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said before he could comment, faint pink in her cheeks. Of course, that wouldn't bother Carlisle. He made sure she was balanced, and then dropped his hands. â€Å"Take some Tylenol for the pain,† he instructed. â€Å"It doesn't hurt that bad.† Carlisle smiled as he signed her chart. â€Å"It sounds like you were extremely lucky.† She turned her face slightly, to stare at me with hard eyes. â€Å"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me.† â€Å"Oh, well, yes,† Carlisle agreed quickly, hearing the same thing in her voice that I heard. She hadn't written her suspicions off as imagination. Not yet. All yours, Carlisle thought. Handle it as you think best. â€Å"Thanks so much,† I whispered, quick and quiet. Neither human heard me. Carlisle's lips turned up a tiny bit at my sarcasm as he turned to Tyler. â€Å"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer,† he said as he began examining the slashes left by the shattered windshield. Well, I'd made the mess, so it was only fair that I had to deal with it. Bella walked deliberately toward me, not stopping until she was uncomfortably close. I remembered how I had hoped, before all the mayhem, that she would approach me†¦ This was like a mockery of that wish. â€Å"Can I talk to you for a minute?† she hissed at me. Her warm breath brushed my face and I had to stagger back a step. Her appeal had not abated one bit. Every time she was near me, it triggered all my worst, most urgent instincts. Venom flowed in my mouth and my body yearned to strike – to wrench her into my arms and crush her throat to my teeth. My mind was stronger than my body, but only just. â€Å"Your father is waiting for you,† I reminded her, my jaw clenched tight. She glanced toward Carlisle and Tyler. Tyler was paying us no attention at all, but Carlisle was monitoring my every breath. Carefully, Edward. â€Å"I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind,† she insisted in a low voice. I wanted to tell her that I did mind very much, but I knew I would have to do this eventually. I may as well get on with it. I was full of so many conflicting emotions as I stalked out of the room, listening to her stumbling footsteps behind me, trying to keep up. I had a show to put on now. I knew the role I would play – I had the character down: I would be the villain. I would lie and ridicule and be cruel. It went against all my better impulses – the human impulses that I'd clung to through all these years. I'd never wanted to deserve trust more than in this moment, when I had to destroy all possibility of it. It made it worse to know that this would be the last memory she would have of me. This was my farewell scene. I turned on her. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked coldly. She cringed back slightly from my hostility. Her eyes turned bewildered, the expression that had haunted me†¦ â€Å"You owe me an explanation,† she said in a small voice; her ivory face blanched. It was very hard to keep my voice harsh. â€Å"I saved your life – I don't owe you anything.† She flinched – it burned like acid to watch my words hurt her. â€Å"You promised,† she whispered. â€Å"Bella, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about.† Her chin came up then. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with my head.† She was angry now, and that made it easier for me. I met her glare, making my face more unfriendly. â€Å"What do you want from me, Bella?† â€Å"I want to know the truth. I want to know why I'm lying for you.† What she wanted was only fair – it frustrated me to have to deny her. â€Å"What do you think happened?† I nearly growled at her. Her words poured out in a torrent. â€Å"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me – Tyler didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both – and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it – and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all – and the van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly, she clenched her teeth together and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. I stared at her, my expression derisive, though what I really felt was awe; she had seen everything. â€Å"You think I lifted a van off you?† I asked sarcastically. She answered with one stiff nod. My voice grew more mocking. â€Å"Nobody will believe that, you know.† She made an effort to control her anger. When she answered me, she spoke each word with slow deliberation. â€Å"I'm not going to tell anybody.† She meant it – I could see that in her eyes. Even furious and betrayed, she would keep my secret. Why? The shock of it ruined my carefully designed expression for half a second, and then I pulled myself together. â€Å"Then why does it matter?† I asked, working to keep my voice severe. â€Å"It matters to me,† she said intensely. â€Å"I don't like to lie – so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it.† She was asking me to trust her. Just as I wanted her to trust me. But this was a line I could not cross. My voice stayed callous. â€Å"Can't you just thank me and get it over with?† â€Å"Thank you,† she said, and then she fumed silently, waiting. â€Å"You're not going to let it go, are you?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"In that case†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't tell her the truth if I wanted to†¦and I didn't want to. I'd rather she made up her own story than know what I was, because nothing could be worse than the truth – I was a living nightmare, straight from the pages of a horror novel. â€Å"I hope you enjoy disappointment.† We scowled at each other. It was odd how endearing her anger was. Like a furious kitten, soft and harmless, and so unaware of her own vulnerability. She flushed pink and ground her teeth together again. â€Å"Why did you even bother?† Her question wasn't one that I was expecting or prepared to answer. I lost my hold on the role I was playing. I felt the mask slip from my face, and I told her – this one time – the truth. â€Å"I don't know.† I memorized her face one last time – it was still set in lines of anger, the blood not yet faded from her cheeks – and then I turned and walked away from her.

Great Gatsby Essay, Character Corruption Essay

Throughout the novel of The Great Gatsby corruption is a prevalent and reoccurring theme and lies within most characters. They become overwhelmed with their own self desires and goal to gain material possession that it blocks their true vision of innocence and morality. Daisy for example is introduced into the book as an innocent dedicated wife to Tom but as the book progresses there is an evident change in her character as she becomes increasingly corrupt. By the end of the book Daisy is selfish, destructive and careless as she handles the situation between her husband, Tom, and her ex lover, Gatsby. For example of her being careless, she lets Gatsby take the blame for her killing of Myrtle Wilson which eventually leads to Gatsby’s death which she seems to show no concern. She is destructive by cheating on her husband while having no real intentions of leaving him for Gatsby. Tom from the beginning of the novel was always seen as corrupt when he has an ongoing affair with Myrtle to satisfy his own needs and leave those needs and feelings of Daisy behind him. He focuses more on monetary value of things and his own self appearance than to the care which Daisy requires out of him as a husband. Tom is also a hypocrite in a way when he catches Daisy and realizes what she has been doing behind his back, he becomes fierce and angry with her while at the same time he has been doing the same behind her back for years. Jordan Baker is also extremely corrupt because of her dishonesty and her need to gossip. She is a social climber who will cling to anyone who means anything or has money for her to grasp onto. She will do whatever it takes to win or get her way, as shown when she cheats in her round of golf to win the tournament. Everything she does is for show and has no regard for other people or their feelings. She goes to Gatsby’s parties with no real concern for who he is while showing no gratitude or thanks for having the party. She is constantly looking out for herself and only herself trying to figure out ways in which she can be seen and become popular in the West and East Egg community. When Daisy was having her affair with Gatsby, Jordan supported her and was behind her during the whole thing, another example of corruption within Jordan. The people of West and East Egg are also all corrupt and consumed with themselves. This is shown when Gatsby dies because only two people show up to his funeral Nick and his father. These people attending his parties have no care for him or his house while they’re there and cannot even pay respect to a man that has died and has given every one of them more then he needed to. Gatsby himself is also a corrupt character in the book yet not nearly as blatantly as the others. Gatsby is corrupted by love and his dream to be with Daisy. Everything he’s ever done in his life such as the money he’s made and the parties he throws are for the slightest chance of him becoming reacquainted with his lost love, Daisy. He is constantly being used by everyone in West and East Egg as an outlet to their everyday lives. They have no regard for who he is and nor do they care. The people come and go as if it is routine for these parties and show no thanks to Gatsby. He has no true friends besides Nick in Egg. Gatsby, over the time of becoming rich has become overwhelmed and brought into the world of expensive material things all to impress Daisy, who previously could not be with him because he was not wealthy. All he can do is show that off so that in the slight chance she comes to one of his parties he can show her is wealth and what he has become. Gatsby is so drawn into and brain-washed over Daisy that she is all he can think about and all he sees is that green light across the bay, dreaming of the time when he and Daisy can finally be together again. This dream is crushed though because he cannot compete with Tom. Tom being categorized under ‘old money’ while Gatsby is categorized under ‘new money’ and big distinction in the communities of West and East Egg. He has devoted his life to becoming an exclusive member to the ‘old money’ people in Long Island but will never be able to reach that goal which corresponds to his goal of end up with Daisy. Corruption is an over arching theme throughout The Great Gatsby and all characters seem to reveal it in their own way with the exception of Nick who stays true to his midwest routes. Nick is never consumed in the material world or has the desire for anything greater than which he already has while all the other characters are always greedy and have desire for more things. They are all absorbed in their own world and worries that they have no time to see what others are doing or how they feel which is an easy way to lead to a corrupted lifestyle.

Essay Free Will Essay

â€Å"Free Will† takes one of the central questions of any religious realm. Whether a human has a freedom in his choice? Whether a human can make a personal, independent decision such us what he should do in each situation? Or are all of his actions predetermined, and the possibility of making a free choice an illusion? Since the time of the Greek philosopher Socrates to modern times, philosophers, theologians, scientists have tried to prove the existence of â€Å"Free Will† or its absence, and as well have to answer to the question do people have real control over their actions? The question, about existence of â€Å"Free Will†, appeared in ancient Greek philosophy. Socrates and his followers believed that the dependence of the lower sensual impulse is an equivalent to slavery, but responsible subordination which was inspired by human mind, means a â€Å"Free Will†. Socrates argued that all humans are looking for the good behavior, but not all equally know what good behavior is. If a person really knows what the true goodness is, then this person wants to do it, but one, who doesn’t know, usually takes imaginary goodness instead of real goodness. Then rushes to reach the imaginary goodness and makes mistakes. This then produces evil deeds. No one is willing to be bad on their own will. This way, moral evil reduced to thoughtlessness, that equal to a lower needs level, and goodness for Socrates, according to Aristotle, expresses of the intellect, which is an equivalent to a â€Å"Free Will†. Which means, only human who doing good things can have â€Å"Free Will†. Based on the foregoing, it is possible to make a conclusion, that by the term â€Å"Free Will†, Socrates understands the qualities that exceptional people have, rather than an integral part of every human being. The idea of â€Å"Free Will† gets a new interpretation with the development of Christianity. If we trace the history of â€Å"Free Will† in the Bible, it is necessary to start with the character of God, who decided on his own and created the universe and all that fills it. The Bible says that man was created in the image and likeness of God. This means that a human is equal to God, and has a consciousness, feelings and will, and has the ability to think and make decisions. Suppose a person is really free in his choice. In such a case, two problems appear right away. According to religious beliefs, everything in this world happens only by the will of God. â€Å"God makes, all he wants, in heaven and on earth. † And no one, including human can’t resist God’s will. How, then, can a person can have any â€Å"Free Will†? If a person is not free, another ethical problem appears. According to Christianity (as well as Islam and Judaism) God rewards man for good behavior and punishes him for his bad. However, if a person cannot choose what he should do in each case, if his actions were predetermined and even corresponded to the will of God, how and why in this case, it is possible to punish humans? And what then is the â€Å"Free Will† for a man? Scientists consider issues related to the freedom of will. With development in science particularly genetic engineering, neuroscience and psychiatry; human view the presence of â€Å"Free Will† has changed. Scientists believe that people do not choose the genotype and the environment, do not choose the other factors affecting their lives. People do not choose in which family to be born, therefore they do not choose hereditary genes that are the most meaningful way determine our lives. Some genes predisposing to a human disease, some genes determining appearance, behavior, intellectual abilities all of them affect our lives. According to scientists, human body is as a kind of machine, established and acting at the direction of the external forces that cause it to work in certain way. This point of view is a concern because it is mean that people cannot be responsible for their behavior in any situation. No one has found the answer to the question of whether people have the â€Å"Free Will† or is it just an illusion. But in any case, a human has the right to follow the path of good or choice the path of evil. All humans exist like cells in a single large organism called â€Å"the universe. † World created from all its parts or elements. Each element contributes to the world their personal characteristic; effects and change world’s destiny. It may be weak and insignificant in the overall system of the world, but it is exists. It operates within certain limits on domestic fundamentals essence and nature. Without any of these elements would be a different world.

Environment Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environment Ethics - Essay Example So ethics needs to be applied to the environment. (Holmes Rolston, pg.1) Saving trees is one of the important factors in the environment. If there are no trees, it would further lead to decrease in the number of animals as it is their natural habitat and cannot be replaced by anything else. No trees means no rainfall. We are aware about the effects of pollution and how trees help restore gases that we all need to survive. Moreover it controls erosion, the advantages are numerous. We should control the emission of poisonous gases that are emitted by motor vehicles, factories etc. that affect the climate and atmosphere around us. Issues regarding global warming needs immediate attention or in future we will not have any snow, glaciers and so on. Water is an important source for a livelihood. No one can survive without water, so we must not waste it. For soon there will be a time when there will be no potable water. Saving natural resources like fuels, water, minerals, for future generations is also very important. Or else their will come a time when they wouldn't know what minerals and ores are. We should take care to save animals and plants that are going to

Blood Donations Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Blood Donations Paper - Essay Example Blood is required regularly and in large quantities to deal with patients ranging from accident victims to leukemia patients. For example, in the United States only 8% of the 115 million Americans who are eligible for blood donations actually come through and donate blood. This situation is worrisome given that each year massive expense is diverted to awareness campaigns in order to increase the number of potential donors (American Red Cross, 2009). In recent years, the amount of volunteering required for blood donation has been decreasing due to a number of causes resulting in pressures on the overall blood donation system. These causes and their effects are listed below in detail to aid policy formulation. 2. Causes Blood donation is a healthy activity that ought to be encouraged in all segments of population. Reasons behind blood donation have often been the subject of research. A study conducted to gauge the reasons behind providing blood and stopping blood donations found that t here was little difference in blood donation patterns across genders. The study found that the same factors motivated and de-motivated blood donors irrespective of the gender of the blood donor. The study also found that the biggest reason for blood donations was the influence of a friend. This category of donors represented nearly half of all filed responses (47.2%). In contrast, only 23.5% of all donors indicated that they were providing a blood donation because of a request through media (Sojka & Sojka, 2008). These requests placed through the media represent all kinds of print, digital and social media in use in the current context. This indicates that the amount of donors being influenced by media outlets is low and could be improved in order to boost blood donations. Another cause behind blood donations shortage is the lack of economic incentives coupled to donating blood. It has been found through a number of studies that blood donors are more ready to respond when they are o ffered some kind of economic incentive (Miller & Weikel, 1974) (Titmuss, 1971) (Sojka & Sojka, 2008). This finding has been consistently reported throughout literature on the issue as indicated from the life of the literature cited above. Another consistent finding in this respect is that blood donors tend to shift from one blood donation program to the other given the richness of the incentive being offered. In order to attract more and more blood donors it is necessary to pursue an effective advertisement campaign focused on creating more leverage for the intended blood donation program. Studies have also found that the most common reason for not becoming a regular blood donor include laziness (19.1%) followed by a fear of needles (10.5%) (Sojka & Sojka, 2008) which are both conditions that could be dealt with using a properly targeted marketing campaign. If people could be allowed to take over their procrastination and their fear of being pricked by a needle, the potential increa se in blood donors would be about 30% combined. Increasing the number of donors is also important given that historically existing blood donors have tended to decrease (Miller & Weikel, 1974). This has come about either due to adverse reaction or due to medical disqualification of existing donors. It has been estimated that 15% of all blood donors are

The effects of the Ottoman Empire on modern day Crete Essay

The effects of the Ottoman Empire on modern day Crete - Essay Example Crete, therefore, has a rich history that informs how individuals strove to build a better world for the rest of the human population. The past struggles of the Cretan people define their modern culture. Multiple events helped create the Cretan culture. To begin with, conquests have made the modern day Crete. This mainly occurred due to the wealth associated with the Island as different parties sought to gain economically from Crete. In addition, religion hugely influenced the development of the region. This occurred in terms of religious conversion and religious conflicts. Notably, Islam and Christianity informed the cultures and attitudes of the residents of Crete. In addition, intervention by international parties influenced the development of Crete. Modern Cretans have a culture of self-defense and self-reliance. In this sense, the citizens believe that they should assume the responsibility of their own lives. In such a nation, individuals slightly delineate from politics since they believe pure hard work relieves one from poverty. Self-reliance is notable in the military culture of Cretans. For instance, a significant number of surveys note that every household in Crete owns at least one gun. These guns are either legal or illegal. In the 17th century’s rebellions against the Christian rule, the Ottoman authorities usually responded by executing several bishops and Christians. In turn, the Greeks attacked the Turkish people. It is notable that there were huge casualties on both sides of the war. The Muslims who migrated into the northern fortified towns experienced famine that consumed almost 60% of the population (Kyriakopoulos, 2008). These experiences seemed to have forged an attitude among Cretans that the state mig ht not always protect them. In this turn, they ensure their own security by owning guns. The Cretans have a contemporary language that borrows heavily from the region’s development. In as much as the general

Oscar Wilde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oscar Wilde - Essay Example His father was a surgeon and his mother was a renowned poet and writer herself(Merriman, 2008). Due to this upbringing, Wilde was educated at the prestigious Trinity College in Dublin and then went to England to study at the Magdalen College(Merriman, 2008). At this latter school, Wilde studied classic literature and poetry. One of Wilde’s major influences while at school was Walter Parker who had founded the Aesthetic Movement which Wilde soon became a part of (Merriman, 2008). The Aesthetic Movement is a lifestyle known as â€Å"arts for art’s sake†(Merriman, 2008). Perhaps it was this movement that was responsible for Wilde’s eccentric personality. Wilde was not only eccentric, but also very talented, which came to light around the same time. During this particular period, Wilde wrote several award winning poems and began a life in London, England and published his first book of poems in 1881(Merriman, 2008). In 1884, Wilde married and had two children (â€Å"Oscar Wilde Biography†). He spent several years traveling around the western hemisphere and lecturing. Once he became a bit more settled with his family, he became the editor of a magazine known as â€Å"Woman’s World†(â€Å"Oscar Wilde Biography†).

Sport Team Brand Identity Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Sport Team Brand Identity - Case Study Example Brand identity takes on a more specific meaning when relating to sports team brands thanks to the degree to which individuals tend to identify with their favorite teams. As is suggested by Birrell (1981), sport in today's society has, in many ways, taken on the importance of ritual from ancient societies and provides the individual with a means of connecting with the rest of the community, something that seems increasingly lacking in other areas of postmodern industrialized life. While brand identity is an integral part of the branding concept and of the business as a whole, much of the existing research regarding this issue has focused on the ideas of brand association rather than identity. Brand associations are essentially the component parts of brand identity. They can include various attributes, such as 'consistent', 'fun' or 'trustworthy', particular images, such as the brand logo, a particular jingle or any number of different means by which individuals begin to associate with the brand. Numerous theories have been brought forward regarding the particularities of brand identity in the sport team setting, several of which will be examined. By examining the relationship between brand identity and brand associations, it is possible to trace how brand associations contribute to and become a part of brand identity. By measuring brand associations in team sport, elements of brand identity can be discovered. Branding ha... 194). The term itself has undergone an extreme transformation in recent years. Although once identified as simply the swoosh on the side of a Nike athletic shoe, the term 'brand' has grown to encompass many aspects of a company. "Brands are not simply products or services. Brands are the sum totals of all the images that people have in their heads about a particular company and a particular mark" (Scott Bedbury, CEO of Brandstream, a Seattle-based marketing consultancy, quoted in Kalin, 2001). The term has come to refer to not only the images a company produces in order to call their product or services to mind, but also the products sold, the services rendered, the building in which the company is headquartered or even the country in which it originated as well as the methods used to project these ideas and images to the broader public - the brand identity. To remain competitive in the world today, just about anything can be identified with a brand if it is so chosen - companies, mu seums, hospitals, even individual people. According to Aaker (1996), strong brands work for the company to help them develop a strong consumer base through broad recognition of the brand identity. This recognition then further works for the company by serving as a weapon to counter growing competition in a shrinking market (Barwise & Robertson, 1992). Corporations can then further use this position to help launch new extensions, such as a line of athletic clothes for Nike or a new flavor for Toblerone (Aaker & Keller, 1990). However, this kind of recognition has also come to imply a much greater responsibility on the part of the company to ensure all aspects of their business are strong. There are four

Why the actual budget deficit is not a good indicator of the fiscal Essay

Why the actual budget deficit is not a good indicator of the fiscal stance and suggest any other better alternatives - Essay Example The budget deficit must therefore be subjected to an intense analysis and scrutiny. Unless it is cautiously interpreted, the budget as is conventionally defined deficit can give rise to misleading conclusions regarding fiscal policy stance. Such conclusions may result in erroneous policy prescriptions that cause more harm than good to the economy (Abedian and Biggs 1998). For many years policy makers placed a lot of emphasis on limiting government’s role in the economy and lowering the budget deficit (Easterly and Schmidt-Hebbel 2004). The two were regarded as policy goals necessary to achieve equity, growth and redistribution of resources. The big question as to whether the conventional budget balance is the correct indicator of the fiscal stance however remains. It should be noted that there are several other fiscal indicators were proposed as alternatives to the conventional budget balance. These indicators are already in use successfully by international organizations such as the OECD and the IMF (Abedian and Biggs 1998). This study will aim to explore the possibility of using alternative fiscal indicators in monitoring and evaluating the sustainability of fiscal policies. A critical analysis of the actual budget balance indicates that it is not the ideal measurement instrument with regard to ascertaining the fiscal stance of a country. The term budget deficit also referred to as budget balance appears regularly in news articles, policy documents by the government that usually warn of it being very undesirable (Eisner 1999). ... The term budget deficit also referred to as budget balance appears regularly in news articles, policy documents by the government that usually warn of it being very undesirable (Eisner 1999). The budget deficit is usually blamed for several economic ills, such as high levels of inflation and discouragement of private investment (Eisner 1999). There is rarely any concrete proof produced for all these guilty assumptions. To add on to this, concerned parties pay very little attention to the objective measurement and interpretation of the budget deficit. The method of measurement of the budget balances also raises several conceptual and practical issues, which are compounded by the absence of uniformity in usage among many countries. For instance, one way of measuring the conventional budget balance is by cash basis. Another person may use the accrual/ payment order basis (Agenor and Montiel 1999). In the first instance, the balance will be the difference between fiscal revenue and total cash flow expenditure. For the second case, the balance will reflect accrued income and spending flows, regardless of whether they involve cash payments or not. The accumulation of arrears on revenue or payments is reflected by a higher balance when measured using the accrual basis as compared to the cash-based approach (Agenor and Montiel 1999). Definitions By definition, actual budget deficit is the difference between government revenues and government expenditure. Structural budget deficit is an estimation of what the government’s budget would be at full level of employment in the economy (Abedian and Biggs 1998). The cyclical budget deficit is defined as the component of

Othello setting act5, scene 1 & 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Othello setting act5, scene 1 & 2 - Essay Example The effect of the setting is that, it has made it possible for evil to be committed without the ability to determine who is committing the evil against the others. On the other hand, Act V scene II is in a bedroom setting within the castle, where Desdemona finally meets her death (Shakespeare, ‎187). As opposed to the setting full of darkness in Scene I, the setting in Scene II is one where the acts of each character are recognizable. Thus under this setting, the evils deeds of the characters now come to the open, where the villains who have been hurting each other are known. It is now possible to tell what who has been holding a grudge against the other, and what reasons inform the sweet revenge (Shakespeare, ‎195). Therefore, there is a contrast in the setting of Scene I and Scene II in Act V, and the effect of the settings contrast is to hide the evils of different characters under Scene I, but their evils are disclosed in Scene

Natureview Yogurt Essay Example for Free

Natureview Yogurt Essay Natureview Farm has a few basic goals in this case. Goal 1: Natureview needs to increase its revenues to $20 million before the end of 2001. Goal 2: Natureview must maintain its strong brand image. Goal 3: Natureview must not turn its back on its loyal customers, suppliers, and distributors. Strengths * Natureview produces yogurt with a family recipe that uses completely natural ingredients and is also organic. Natureview does not use milk from cows that are artificially enhanced with hormones. * Natureview yogurt has an average shelf life of 50 days, which is significantly higher than the competition’s shelf life. * Natureview deploys low-cost guerilla marketing. * Natureview is the leader in market share for yogurt in the Natural Foods Channel, holding 24% of the market share. * Strong brand image. Weaknesses * Natureview’s retail prices are significantly higher than the yogurt options in supermarkets. * Natureview currently only offers single 8-ounce cups and 32-ounce cups of yogurt. Natureview does not offer multipack yogurt products. * Natureview sells in a niche market of consumers who want organic yogurt. * Natureview must deal with a longer distribution channel compared with companies who operate in the supermarkets. Opportunities * Natureview operates in the organic foods market, which was predicted to grow from $6.5 billion in 1999 to $13.3 billion in 2003. * Organic yogurt was predicted to grow 20 percent per year from 2001 to 2006. * One product Natureview does not produce, multipacks, represented 9 percent of total yogurt sales in supermarkets, and was growing by 12.5 percent per year. * Natureview does not sell in supermarkets, but 97 percent of all yogurt consumed is bought in supermarkets. Furthermore, 46 percent of organic food customers bought organic products at supermarkets, compared to 29 percent who bought organic products at natural foods markets. * The overall market for yogurt is huge. 40 percent of the U.S. population consumes yogurt, with 70 percent of the purchasers being men. Threats * Horizon Organic has cash flows from a recent IPO and might gain first mover advantage into supermarkets. * Major companies, like Dannon, are rumored to be entering into the organic yogurt market. * As organic food becomes more popular, natural food markets may begin doing business as supermarkets do, which requires slotting fees and participation in trade promotions. Financial Analysis The financial analysis of the situation will begin with a look at the analysis of the yogurt costs, revenues, and margins in the natural food channel and the supermarket channel. Working backwards from the margins given in the case, and also Exhibit 3 of the case, which shows production costs and retail prices for yogurts by size and channel, a full set of numbers can be produced (see Figures 1 through 6).

Language and motor Development in Early Childhood Essay Example for Free

Language and motor Development in Early Childhood Essay Children experience different rates of language and motor development. There are many factors, which contribute to the deference that exist in the rates of both developments. There are the social, environment and genetic factors that play a part in childhood development. Children show various weaknesses both in their physical and social development. As a result of the differences, children there are various strategies that are used to enhance childhood development. Different strategies are used depending on a child because every child has unique needs. In the given case where Sara exposes loneliness character, various strategies can be used to enhance her social participation. One of the ways that Sara can be helped is by encouraging her to befriend more sociable child. This would make Sara be influenced by the sociable child to become social. This may take time but after sometimes but after sometimes Sara would start following her friends actions. By this, her confidence will also be build up gradually. The child who she is encouraged to be friends with should be younger than she is. This will help her to be the guide and senior, which will help her increase her self esteem. She will be in a position to feel the responsibility and she will learn a lot because her mind will analyze some situations. This will also help her improve her communication skills. (Cassidy Asher, 1992). Sara should also be encouraged to join group activities. This will assist her to, as she will require communication and socializing. She will be able to lean to express herself in front of the group members and share her abilities. Her participation will also make her feel proud of her achievements, which will act as one way of boosting her confidence. This process may not be easy at the start because she may be hesitant but by being shown that this is a safe activity, she will get attracted. She should be guided to start participating in small groups, which will not scare her because she cannot be ignored easily. This will also enhance her chances of leading the group because there will be fewer choices. When she is comfortable in the small group, then the group can be increased in size gradually. This will make her adapt to social life in the school and she will finally be able to socialize fully with other children. Sara can also be helped to stop her loneliness by being given specific tasks. This should be applied at home and in school. (Cassidy,   Asher, 1992).This will help her learn some strategies and techniques, which she can apply when she is undertaking group activities. She should be allowed to undertake the specific tasks alone so that she can realize that she can be trusted. The only thing that is d\needed in this case is monitoring so that she does the right thing. A teacher can also assist Sara by looking at how the school curriculum may be helpful to her in developing her social skills. This is because there are children who may benefit by being allowed to have opportunities to express their feelings of loneliness or sadness by use of manipulation, music, drawing or use of other creative activities. The strategies will allow Sara to have more positive experiences, which will assist her build her confidence and assertiveness. These two qualities are necessary for a child to be able to develop better social skills (Kontos Wilcox-Herzog, 1997). References Cassidy, J., Asher, S. R. (1992). Loneliness and peer relations in young children. Child Development, 63(2), 350-365. EJ 443 494. Kontos, S., Wilcox-Herzog, A. (1997). Teachers interactions with children: Why are they so important? Young Children, 52(2), 4-13. EJ 538 100.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Against Hitler

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Against Hitler Dietrich Bonhoeffer is remembered for many things. He was a highly influential theologian and preacher. His importance as a theologian has only increased since his death. However, he is also remembered for his opposition against Nazi Germany. For the purposes of this paper, I look at three aspects of Bonhoeffers involvement. First, I examine his statements against Hitler and the extent to which he sought to make his opinions known. Second, I consider his involvement in conspiracies to eliminate Hitler. Lastly, I examine Bonhoeffers reflections on his actions, which he wrote while in prison. Although Bonhoeffers actions may raise many questions of morality and ethics, there is no doubt that he played a significant role within the opposition of Nazi Germany. When many people study the Holocaust, they fault Christians for remaining silent as Hitler performed one horrific act after another. Many would say that silence was just as horrible as killing the victims. Bonhoeffer cannot be faulted for this. Rather, he proved to be very outspoken. One of his most popular speeches was that on a German radio show. He was to speak on The Younger Generations Altered View of the Concept of Fuhrer in the Berlin Potsdamerstrasse Voxhaus (broadcasting house). Dietrich was not hesitant to express how he felt about the Fuhrer principle. This speech was given on February 1, 1933, and Hitler had just risen to power days prior. Much of Bonhoeffers words addressed the notion that the youth had been led astray concerning their concept of the Fuhrer. His boldest statement was said toward the end of the broadcast. However, once broadcasters realized that these words should not be heard by others, he was turned off. This was proof that Joseph Goebbels (the Nazi min ister of propaganda) had most likely gained the control of the radio station. Bonhoeffer stated that his speech was carefully planned to fit the allotted time. His final sentences read, should the leader surrender to the wishes of his followers, who would always make him their idol- then the image of the Leader will gradually become the image of the misleaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Leaders or offices which set themselves up as gods mock God (Bethge, pg. 260). His entire speech was later copied and distributed. Bonhoeffer felt that the Fuhrer principle was nothing short of idolatry. Therefore, he was implying that Hitler demanded his people to worship him. This was contempt. This proved to be one of Dietrich Bonhoeffers first outbursts on Hitler. However, there were many others of the sort. There is an account in which Bishop Bell gives that he speaks of Bonhoeffer being very outspoken against Germany. Bell recalls sitting with him amongst others at a friends home in Geneva. Dietrich is approached with the question about what he is praying for. He responds with very harsh statements. If you want to know the truth, I pray for the defeat of my nation, for I believe that is the only way to pay for all the suffering which my country has caused in the world (Bosanquet, pg. 229). He was much convicted about the acts of injustice in which Hitler was repeatedly performing. Bonhoeffer knew that the annihilation of the Jews was wrong, and he was not ashamed to let others know his beliefs. Bell gives an account of a later statement that Bonhoeffer made, If we claim to be Christians there is no room for expediency. Hitler is Antichrist; therefore we must go on with our work and eliminate him, whether he be successful or not (Bosanquet, pg. 229). He felt that it was necessary for him to aid in the elimination of the Fuhrer. Next, I study Bonhoeffers involvement in the conspiracy to kill Hitler. He participated in the Abwehr, which was the military counter intelligence. Within this group was also his brother-in-law, Hans von Dohnanyi. It is said that Dohnanyi was directly involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler. However, Bonhoeffer had somewhat of a different role. It was his duty to contact other countries to gain their support if the assassination were to prove successful. He spent much time traveling, making others aware of the resistance movement. He felt that it was important to know that they had allies assuming that the German government was taken over. Upon visiting Geneva, he attempted to convince them of this, What they needed, Dietrich explained, was a signal from the Allies that once the Nazis were overthrown, the Allies were prepared to recognize a new German government (Raum, pg. 126). This was clearly a well thought out plan. Dietrich traveled to Norway, Italy, as well as Switzerland to gain the support of Bishop Bell. He also attempted to make connections with other German resistance groups, but difficulties arose. A very important assassination attempt took place on March 7, 1943. Hitler was traveling to East Prussia by way of plane. A gift disguised as a box of Brandy was given to him. However, it was a bomb. The bomb was sneaked onto the plane, but it never ignited. Involved in this attempt were members of the Abwehr. This included General Oster, Admiral Canaris, Dohnanyi, Fabian von Schlabrendorff, and General Henning von Tresckow (Raum, pg. 132). Due to the failed attempt, the Abwehr decided to try again. They developed another strategy to kill Hitler. Hitler was originally scheduled to attend a ceremony at an army museum on March 16, 1943, however he rescheduled for March 21st. Colonel von Gersdorff was supposed to get the bomb into Hitlers presence without causing much commotion, even if this meant killing himself in the process. Needless to say, this attempt failed as well. Fortunately, they were not caught in the attempt to execute the assassination. Bonhoeffer was at home with his family during this attempt; however he was expecting a phone call announcing Hitlers assassination, and was disappointed to hear of the failed endeavor. There was in fact a third attempt to kill Hitler, but Bonhoeffer had already been arrested. He was arrested in 1943 in connection with the assassination attempt on Hitler (Scott and Cavanaugh, pg. 139). However, since the Abwehr was a secret group, many of the documents were hidden or destroyed. As a result, there was limited evidence. Much of the evidence used to arrest Bonhoeffer was his connection to Operation 7. The operation was designed to help to free several Jews. The Abwehr was attempting to help the Jews to Switzerland. The fact that Bonhoeffer was involved in several attempts to kill Hitler raises many questions. Due to the fact that Dietrich considered himself a devout member of the Confessing Church makes one question how his beliefs would support such an act. However, Dietrich does not express any conviction about his involvement in the multiple plots to murder Hitler. Bonhoeffer clearly felt that the assassination of Hitler was the last resort. Hitlers actions were proving to gain momentum and were spinning out of control. Therefore Dietrich felt that it was necessary to take action. Through the reading of his writings leading up to his death, he does not seem to be living in fear. He almost appears to be welcoming death. In the first sentence of a writing titled Death, he states Come now thou greatest of feasts on the journey to freedom eternal (Bosanquet, pg. 265). As one can see, Bonhoeffer appears to be at great peace with his fate. Many within the prison commented that Bonhoeffer seemed to be very lively and almost happy. Others would argue that this was due to the fact that the Soviets were closing in and that the prisoners were anticipating liberation. However, fellow prisoners describe it as an inner joy that he experienced. This joy Bonhoeffer desired to share with others. During his imprisonment at Tegel while awaiting trial, many descri be Bonhoeffer as victorious. Bonhoeffer experienced a change of heart. As a result, he no longer viewed his own sufferings within prison as something of which he should be concerned. Rather he stated, we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously not our own sufferings, but the sufferings of God in the world (Bosanquet, pg. 271). Bonhoeffer viewed the acts of injustice as not only actions taken against innocent victims, he saw them as actually taking unjust actions toward God. It appears as if Dietrich did not view his involvement in the Abwehr as wrong. Through his writings in prison and the comments of others, he had a clear conscience and eagerly awaited his arrival in Heaven. In conclusion, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a very influential person during the World War II and especially in opposition to the Nazi Regime. As one can see in his radio broadcast, from the beginning he was very outspoken against Hitler and the Fuhrer principle. He was very bold in comparing this principle to the mockery of God. He played a very active role in the military counter intelligence (Abwehr). Bonhoeffer never hesitated in completing his assignments to gain support of the actions to overthrow the German government. Many would agree that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was very confident that his actions against Hitler were not wrong. Rather, he felt that they were his duty as a result of a conviction to do the right thing. His statements on death and also his inner joy as a result of a relationship with God greatly support this claim.

Fly Away Peter :: essays research papers

'The characters of Imogen, Ashley and Jim counter the despair created by war'. Discuss. This idea of a countenance between the peaceful world of the sanctuary and the the chaotic world of war is one adapted by many, and with good reason. Through his novel, Malouf seeks to convey to the reader various themes. This is cleverly done in a number of ways, just one of which is this juxtaposition of the relationship between Imogen, Ashley and Jim and how it represents a peaceful world, and the 'despair created by war', its destructive nature and the effect it has on the world. The bond between Imogen, Ashley and Jim is founded on their passionate interest and love of the birds, and the individual gifts that each brings to that interest: Jim's special knowledge, Imogen's photography and Ashley's sense of the land and nature. The relationship between the three reflects the calm, balanced and tranquil order of the natural world. Their appreciation of the 'primitive power' of the bush represents a harmony, it goes 'beyond mere convention or the law'. Malouf, in creating such a powerful representation of the natural world, has prepared us well for the impact of war. The relationship established between Imogen, Ashley and Jim in the first half of the novel is skilfully juxtaposed with the trauma and upheaval of war in the second half. It is indeed a stark contrast to the tranquility of the sanctuary. The 'catastrophe' and 'madness' of the war hearlds Jim's 'fall from innocence'. This provides a dramatic contrast in mood, setting and action from the harmonious peace of the sanctuary section. The 'natural cycle of things' that Jim has been so in tune to has disappeared with the disturbance and destructive nature of war. Throughout the latter half of the novel, during which Jim is caught like a fly in the web of war, the layers of discontent are evident - disharmony is a constant theme. This is made far more apparent through the way in which Malouf uses Jim as a reference to the old world, when everything was ordered and followed a pattern. Jim was there because of the unnatural act of war, but as 'a kind of private reassurance for himself alone', there is 'the presence of the birds'. This allows him 'to find his way back at times to a natural cycle of things that the birds still followed undisturbed'.

Andrea Yates and the Drowning of Her Kids :: Andrea Yates Mental Disorders Murder Essays

Andrea Yates and the Drowning of Her Kids How does a perfectly normal woman, living in a typical suburban neighborhood wind up in jail on charges of murdering her five children? On June20, 2001, Rusty Yates receives a call from his wife Andrea to return home from work. He learns that his wife of eight years has systematically drowned each of his five children in the family bath tub. She is arrested in Texas on charges of capitol murder and is convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Andrea Yates was born in Houston, Texas on July 2, 1964. In high school she was valedictorian, captain of the swim team, and Valedictorian. She graduated from Milby High school in Houston, Texas in 1982. She graduated in 1986 from the University of Texas, school of nursing. For the next eight years she worked at a cancer center for children as a nurse. At age twenty five she met her husband Rusty in the apartment complex where they both lived. Rusty and Andrea married in 1993. During their eight years of marriage they had five children. In 1998 Rusty moved his family into a three hundred and fifty square foot remodeled bus. With four young children in such a cramped space, Andrea began to show signs of mental decline. In June of 1999, Andrea had her first suicide attempt then was hospitalized and diagnosed with a major depression disorder. She was prescribed an antidepressant and released. Hallucinations, self mutilation, and the hearing of voices began. On July twentieth of 1999, Andrea made a second suicide attempt. She put a knife against her throat, and begged to die. She was hospitalized and in a catatonic state for ten days. She was injected with the antipsychotic drug Haladol, and her condition improved. The attending psychiatrist warned them that having further babies might bring on additional psychotic episodes. She was released from the hospital, placed in outpatient care, and prescribed Haladol. Upon the urging of Andrea’s family, Rusty purchased a home for Andrea and the children in a small suburban neighborhood and moved the family out of the cramped bus. Andrea’s condition began to improve to the point that she began to swim again, and socialize with the neighbors. She told Rusty that for the first time she felt encouraged about the future, but would always view their past life on the bus as failure as a mother.

Intellectual Property on the Internet Essay -- IP Intellectual Propert

Intellectual Property on the Internet On one of my first web sites I had an original graphic design, done by one of my friends. The design was interesting and eye-catching, two necessary elements for my site. I kept the design on the site for over six months, before taking it down and rebuilding. Almost a year after the graphic went up on my site, the person who designed it saw it on another site. After he showed me, he expressed his disappointment. He had put his time and hard work into this and someone else had just copied the image off my site and used it for themselves. The design was my friend's work and his intellectual property. According to the United States Information Agency, intellectual property is [i]nformation that derives its intrinsic value from creative ideas. It is also information with a commercial value. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are bestowed on owners of ideas, inventions and creative expression that have the status of property. Like tangible property, IPRs give owners the right to exclude others from access to or use of their property. (United States Information Agency, "Intellectual Property Rights Protection") One example of tangible property is the ownership and use of an automobile. If I hold the title to a car it is my car, and I have the right to let people borrow this automobile. I also retain the right to prevent someone from taking my car. Just as I have the right to share or prevent others from using my tangible property, I ought to have the right to share my intellectual property, my word, graphics, and sounds, with whom I choose. If I choose not to allow someone else to use these ideas, then that person will be violating my intellectual property rights. The concept of in... ...ctual Property Organisation." World Intellectual Property Organisation. 1993. {http://ra.irv.uit.no/trade_law/documents/i_p/wipo/art/wipo.html} (1 April 1997). "Intellectual Property Rights Protection." U.S. Information Agency. {http://www.usis.usemb.se/topics/ip/1.html} (27 March 1997). Rosenberg, Matt. "Copyright Law Meets the World Wide Web." 1995. {http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds2-2/weblaw.html} (1 April 1997). Templeton, Brad. "10 Big Myths about copyright explained." {http://www.clari.net/brad/copymyths.html} (1 April 1997). Thilman, Jude. "Telecommunications Radio Project." 1993. {gopher://gopher.igc.apc.org/00/orgs/pacifica/tel/5} (5 April 1997). Turnbull, Paul. "Conversational Scholarship in Cyberspace: The Evolution and Activities of H-NET, the On-line Network for the Humanities." Australian Universities' Review. 39(1): 12-15, 1996.

Samuel Beckett’s Endgame

Samuel Beckett’s plays are immersed in a post- apocalyptic, grey light that reveals only a barren landscape with a few stray survivors who are waiting for the end of everything. Endgame, like Beckett’s other plays, is situated in a minimalist setting which retains only a few disparate elements of the complex universe as we know it.The world of Endgame is one dominated by absence and emptiness, marked by the characters’ allusion to the gradual disappearance of things. Despite the apocalyptic setting however, the activity of the world goes on uninterruptedly.Beckett’s characters are trapped in what seems an infinite postponing of the ultimate ending that would erase the mock simulation of existence that still persists. Although the end of the world seems to have already occurred, a form of life still drags on without any apparent closure or resolution. The essence of Endgame therefore lies in this lack of closure in an already dead universe. As the title of the play foretells, the text focuses on the â€Å"final game† of existence. This game is incredibly reduced, with only four human characters on the stage and very few other elements.Nevertheless, the game seems to be endless and the characters that play it are forced to continue despite their weariness. The game is nothing else than life itself, in its infinite but monotonous flux. The endless repetitions that mark the gestures and the speech of the characters are a representation of the game pattern. The pauses which often interrupt the slow motion of the act appear to be pauses that occur before a movement in the game. Critic Jeevan Kumar observes that the game in Beckett’s play is a metaphor that reflects life itself.In his view moreover, the game represented in the play is very similar to a game of chess, but which is characterized by absolute irrationality: â€Å"For Beckett, a game of chess reflects life itself†¦ But the game of life, unlike a game of chess , is quite irrational. Man is a being tossed in the absurd universe like a piece on the chess board, and his fate is as dubious as that of a chessman. †(Kumar 545) Thus, Beckett makes recourse to the chess representation in order to portray life in its absurdity and illogicality.As in a game of chess, the characters are forced either to move only in a certain way or to be completely motionless. Hamm is unable to stand up and is confined to his wheelchair, without suffering from an actual physical disability. His obsession with being at the very center of the room is also significant as it hints to a fixed position on the board. This may also allude to man’s place in the universe and his relationship to nature. By contrast, Clov, Hamm’s servant, is unable to sit down. Hamm’s old parents are legless and live ‘bottled-up’ in two ashbins.Position and movement are very important in Beckett’s plays, as they emphasize the human beings’ lack of freedom. Life is seen as an entrapping and absurd game, which seems to offer no escape and no relief. The beginning of the play is already an ending, as Clov announces the approach of a finish: â€Å"Clov: Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. †(Beckett 3) significantly, what Clov announces is only the beginning of the end, a state where these two extremities meet but where there is no actual conclusion.As Hamm remarks later in the play, the end and the beginning are coincide, but, paradoxically, nothing begins and nothing ends while everything continues: â€Å"Hamm: The end is in the beginning and yet you go on. † (Beckett 78) It is this absurd waiting and continuation that is at the core of Beckett’s plays. Life is both a scene of nothingness and one of infinity, and it is this duality that drives the characters in Beckett to desperation. One recurrent phrase in the play sums up this idea.The simple fact of existi ng on earth is immutable and incurable: â€Å"Use your head, can’t you, use your head, you’re on earth, there’s no cure for that! †(Beckett 78) Endgame therefore transmits the sense of absurdity and desperation in life. The endless repetitions and recurrent images serve to represent life like a game in which the players are trapped. The roles that Clov and Hamm play, common for most of Beckett’s works, are also significant. The two characters are bound by a curious relationship of dependency which seems unjustified.They are tied to their own roles and positions in the game, which cannot be violated. The game lacks a conclusion and therefore its meaning can never be settled. Life is a game where the human beings seem to wait for life to finally become life. The meaning of life is deferred until its actual ending, and therefore life cannot be lived as an actual existence but only as endless waiting: â€Å"Moment upon moment, pattering down, like the millet grains of†¦(he hesitates) †¦that old Greek, and all life long you wait for that to mount up to a life.†(Beckett 80) William S. Haney notes that this liminal world that Beckett describes, where we confront both the ending and the fullness of life is a fusion between absence and plenitude: â€Å"In alluding to the end of the world and all of its content–objects, time, nature, food, colors, fleas, rats, weather, laughter, kisses, sun, sound, God, and so on–but infinitely deferring this end, Endgame suggests the possibility of experiencing a fusion of fullness and emptiness.†(Haney 48) Beckett therefore pinpoints in Endgame the essence of life itself, which is not a flow of events but rather a fusion among many contradictions. Endgame is therefore a representation of life itself as endless waiting of a finish or a conclusion. Through images of cyclic movement and repetition, the play emphasizes the idea of life as an endless game. Despite the minimalist setting, the atmosphere of the play is one that fuses absence with fullness. There are very few things remaining, and yet the scene seems populated.Nothing actually happens and everything seems to draw to an end and yet there is no closure, as the last word of the play is the verb ‘to remain: â€Å"You†¦remain. †(Beckett 96) Thus, Endgame portrays life as an infinite and absurd game of waiting, which claws man into its void. Works Cited: Beckett, Samuel. Endgame. New York: Grove Press, 1959. Haney, William S. , II. â€Å"Beckett out of his mind: the theatre of the absurd. † Studies in the Literary Imagination. 34. 2 (2001): 39-55. Kumar, K. Jeevan. â€Å"The chess metaphor in Samuel Beckett's ‘Endgame. ‘. † Modern Drama. 40. 4 (1997): 540-553.