Monday, September 30, 2019
Macbeth Act 2, scenes 1 and 2 Essay
In Act 2 Banquo is found with his son Fleance, in the courtyard of Macbeth’s castle at â€Å"witching hour†. The night is cold and dark, with fog surrounding the castles boundaries. Banquo is becoming nervous and this is evident from what he says to his son, Fleance, â€Å"Hold, take my sword. – There’s husbandry in heaven, Their candles are all out. – Take thee that too.†Even though it is obvious he would like to rest, he is fearful of nightmares whilst he sleeps, the following quote suggests this, â€Å"A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep; merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in response.†As Banquo was patrolling the area he hears a noise, â€Å"Who’s there?†startled and scared at this he says to Fleance, â€Å"Give me my sword.†Banquo is tired and is trying to maintain full alert, showing he is on edge; listening out for any anything and everything that might occur. As Macbeth steps out of the dark, slightly visible by Banquo, Macbeth replies: â€Å"A friend†Banquo feels relieved as he can now put his mind at rest, because he has seen a friendly face at such time of night and hostile surroundings. After Macbeth had been socialising with Banquo, Banquo remembers to ask Macbeth a question that had been troubling him about the witches, â€Å"I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters; To you they showed some truth.†Macbeth tries quickly to change the subject by answering, â€Å"I think not of them;†this is because he does not want to be linked to the murder of Duncan that Macbeth is plotting. Macbeth then tries to bribe Banquo, we see this from â€Å"If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis, it shall make honour for you.†By this Macbeth is trying to imply that if Banquo stands by him and stays loyal to him, when he Macbeth needs him, Banquo will not regret it and will be honoured by others. Banquo replies, â€Å"So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counselled.†Which basically translates, as long as Banquo does not have to risk his honour in providing his life and can keep a clear conscience, then he will be advised by Macbeth. This indicates that Banquo might be picking up on Macbeth’s intentions on becoming king of Scotland. So far we can see the differences in the two characters personalities. Banquo is a loyal person, kind, open to discussions, friendly and honourable to the king â€Å"Duncan†as well as to his friends and family. On the other hand Macbeth is the complete opposite in every way, he appears to be dishonourable (as we know he is planning Duncan’s murder), a liar, untrustworthy and an actor of personalities. When Macbeth is on his own his mind becomes delusional goes into a frenzy he starts to think about the side affects of his actions, but is hyped up and ready to do the deed of killing Duncan. It is clear from, â€Å"Is this a dagger that I see before me, The handle towards my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still,†that Macbeth is hallucinating. However, during the build up to the murder Macbeth continues to be drawn by the image of the dagger to Duncan’s room. â€Å"I see thee still and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before.†From this we are informed that Macbeth has now imagined Duncan’s blood on the dagger, but this does not put Macbeth off as we see from when the bell is rung, which was a sign from Lady Macbeth that the coast was clear. Macbeth does not hesitate as he confidently says, â€Å"I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell. Yet earlier, in Act 1 scene 7 we see that Macbeth had doubts about murdering Duncan as he thinks, â€Å"If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly. If th’assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease, success, that but his blow might be the be-all and the end all – here†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ This is where we realise he is feeling uneasy about killing his friend and worrying about the possible consequences. The reason Macbeth changed his mind about murdering Duncan is because Macbeth really wanted to be King more than anything, and once the witches prophesised that this would happen, it made Macbeth more convinced that he should carry out the murder. The changes of his mind show us that Macbeth is easily misled. I feel Macbeth would not have been brave or foolish enough to kill Duncan had his wife not persuaded him to do it as we see from her planning and convincing Macbeth that their murder won’t fail, â€Å"We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep, whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him. Although we have seen Macbeth’s guilt about wanting to kill his friend and someone who he really respects, he is driven to follow through his ambition of becoming king because of his wife, Lady Macbeth. Once Macbeth has killed Duncan he feels guilty which causes him to become hysterical. Although his wife tries to calm him down it is evident that she fails because she instructs him to, â€Å"Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hands.†After washing his hands Macbeth still thinks the blood is still on him, due to the burden he is carrying from the dirty deed he carried out. He is so ridden with guilt he cannot even bring himself to say â€Å"Amen†because it is such a religious word, and he knows that now he has committed such a crime, he cannot be a holy person. Macbeth is so tortured in his mind that he imagines he hears a voice cry â€Å"sleep no more†. He feels he will be punished for killing a defenceless man and in return he will be deprived of sleep. He refuses to go back into Duncan’s chamber because the sin he has performed is so great he cannot face up to it again, we learn this from, â€Å"I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done, look on’t again, I dare not.†The following quotes also confirm his guilt, â€Å"To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.†Which seems to suggest that he would like to disown himself, and â€Å"Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst†implies that Macbeth wishes that Duncan would wake up at the sound of the noises Macbeth hears. Lady Macbeth is not able to fight off Macbeth’s mood swings and conscience. She is trying to be positive and tries to have an optimistic answer for all his negative comments. We see this many times, one example is after Macbeth has killed Duncan he says, â€Å"This is a sorry sight†, but his wife replies â€Å"A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.†Act 2 ends with Macbeth continuing to feel guilty and on edge with every noise he hears. Â
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Opening case: Pinterest Essay
1. Knowledge: Do you consider Pinterest a form of disruptive or sustaining technology? Disruptive technology is a new way of doing something that initially does not meet the needs of existing customers. This type of technology tends to open new markets and destroy old ones. While, a sustaining technology produces an improved product that customers are eager to buy. This technology provides better, faster and cheaper products on established markets. I think that Pinterest is a sustaining technology. Indeed, it’s a social network like Facebook or twitter but the system it’s not the same so this website improved the market of the social media. 2. Comprehension: Categorize Pinterest as an example of Web 1.0 (e-business) or Web 2.0 (Business 2.0) The Web 1.0 is a term to refer to the World Wide Web during the first few years of existence between 1991 and 2003. The e-business is ecommerce with all activities related to internal and external nosiness operations. During the Web 1.0 the first type of e-business appears. The Web 2.0 is the next generation of Internet; it’s a set of economic, social and technology trends. This platform is characterized by new qualities like collaboration, sharing and free. This new generation encourages customers to share and create communities. I think that clearly Pinterest is an example of Web 2.0. This website is all about creating a community and connect people together through the things that they find interesting. As a user you can create your own â€Å"interest boards†. Like that you can show and share with your friends what is important for you. Plus, like in twitter people can follow other. In addition to that Pinterest was created in 2010 after the end of the Web 1.0 in 200 3. 3. Application: Describe the e-business model and revenue model for Pinterest. There are several types of e-business model, and I think that the model of the company is the C2C. The C2Cmodel offers services to assist consumers interacting with each other over the Internet. Pinterest is a social network based on visual communication. All the users can really interact with others, the can talk bout a brand or a product. The revenue model is based on advertising fees that generate revenue to the company. Pinterest uses images directly linked to the retailers website and uses banner ads too. Pinterest allows retailers to put adds on the website in exchange of money. 4. Analysis: What is open source software and how could Pinterest take advantage of it? Open source software is software with a source code available free. That’s means that any third party doesn’t have to pay fees to review or modify it. The Web 2.0 counts on that. Users don’t have to pay fees to enter on the website. They can visually communicate without paying anything. Pinterest take advantage of it because people want to share and communicate about their passion, interest of favorite brands. But people will to do that is they had to pay for it. So Pinterest give to them a platform to express them. They are able to drive traffic because it’s free and open source. 5. Synthesis: Create a plan for how a start-up company could take advantage of Web 3.0 and generate the idea for the next great website that is similar to Pinterest. The web 3.0 is the future generation of the web, the Internet more â€Å"intelligent†. The future computer will can understand and analyze relationship. Plus, they will be able to analyze a request like â€Å"I want to go to the theater and go after eat Japanese! What do you suggest? A start-up can take advantage of this new web through several aspects: Integration of legacy: use current devices as smartphones, laptops, and so on, as credit cards, tickets and reservation tools. Intelligent applications: the use of agents, machine learning and semantic web concepts to complete intelligent tasks for users. Open ID: the provision of an online identity that can be easily carried to a variety of devices (cell phones†¦) allowing for easy authentication across different websites. Open technologies: the design of website and other software so they can be easily integrated and work together. A worldwide database: the ability for databases to be distributed and accessed from ev erywhere. An idea that would be close to Pinterest laying on the web 3.0 advantages would be, that connects all the news in the world in one website. Launch a website that gathers every information on a dedicated subject. The user will type a specific request on the research toolbar of the website, and thanks to the â€Å"semantic analysis†the website will give access to the user to an amazing databases. In additions to that, the information will be rank by importance and pertinence for the user. 6. Evaluation: Evaluate the challenges facing Pinterest and identify ways the company can prepare to face these issues. The Pinterest’ s site is about pining lot of photos and images. Users can go against the law if they pin a picture with a copyright or not their. Pinterest can be the victim of a lot trails against the, accusing them that they violate the copyright. To face this issue Pinterest protects it self by completing the indemnity clause that all users have to sign. By putting images on their â€Å"interest boards â€Å" people can blame Pinterest if they are violating copyright infringement.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Activity 7 - Establishing Integrity Research Paper
Activity 7 - Establishing Integrity - Research Paper Example eal intent of the participant and the customary factors influencing his or her statements like long-established knowledge on a particular subject area. Conversely, statements affirmed by the participant in response to a researcher’s prompted question or set of questions present a more directed series of information. Carefully generated and specified research questions made on purpose provide scope and direction for the participants to state answers that are within the bounds of the purpose of the study. On that basis, statements made in response to a researchers prompted questions are more direct and more authentic in all angles considering that they are based on focused confines. 2. Basically, the contention would mostly lie on the basis of the reliability of the statements. Participants’ observations are relatively random and arbitrary in scope. At times, their statements on a particular subject are consolidated with impertinent issues which should not have been included in the first place. The prime reason for this is that there is no provision of confines that the participants can use to serve as foundations for their answers. Alternatively, responses that were gathered by prompting focused questions on interviews delivers statements which are sifted or sorted through in order to satisfy particular questions. The interviewer should ensure the consistency of the conversation since the interviewer wording of the questions depend upon him (Turner, 2010). On the whole, in gathering and analyzing data, responses prompted through interview must be admitted first more than mere observations. 3. According to Kvale (1996), the prime objective of conducting an interview, particularly a research interview, is to understand the statements, responses made by the interviewees. Therefore, the question would be "how can we assure ourselves as interviewing researchers that we understand all the responses we gathered?" Prior to factoring in your own input to a
Friday, September 27, 2019
Summary of experience in zoo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Summary of experience in zoo - Essay Example They swallow large chunks of food. It sleeps only when very full and curls up in the grass to rest. They eat and lie during the day. None are nocturnal. They like long grass and dense to lie on. It is an insectivorous mammal that feeds on large and small insects mostly ants because termites were not in plenty. It uses the back to carry small ones. They also use their fore limbs to reach on trees with feet to the ground. It uses its front limbs to walk and then pulls the rest of its body forward. Thus, the hands serve as the legs too. They do not vocalize anything. They seem to lack expressions more so due to their elongated snouts. Females take care of their young ones protectively. The gorilla is a terrestrial quadrupedalism primate. It however is more like a human. It uses its front limbs to eat and hold with its fingers. They rest on grass or open ground; play with others and even with humans. They also rest on tree branches. They sleep on trees where mostly have built their own nests. When climbing one may say they are vertical clinging and leaping primates. They are fed with fruits and leaves of certain plants. They also eat roots and feed on succulent things. They are always looking for something fleshy to feed on such as a fruit. They hold on the hand and eat like a human. They hold on to their young ones with front limbs like the arm of a human. They also carry them on their backs when walking. A gorilla knuckle walks using its four limbs. They make some utterances that cannot be understood. They mostly have the horizontal pout. However, they grin when food is brought to them or when asking for food they pout. They live in groups. The monkeys are mostly arboreal. They are vertically clinging and leaping primates. They rest on trees and hold on to branches with arms like humans or their tails which are rather flexible. They sleep on trees where mostly have built their own nests. They like to sleep high on the trees they live on.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Afghan employment by foreign contractors Dissertation
Afghan employment by foreign contractors - Dissertation Example Afghanistan is a landlocked Islamic country which has been at the crossroads of many cultures and civilizations. In ancient times, Afghanistan had been invaded and subdued by Persians, Greeks, Macedonians and Aryans (Scarborough, 1998). Especially during the 1st and 2nd centuries, Afghanistan became a central and strategic trading site of the famed Silk Road that linked Rome and China and which brought not only commodities such as silk, porcelain etc to Afghanistan but also arts, religions (Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity and Islam) and most especially, the †equally important currency ideas†(Clammer, 2007,p.652). In more modern times, Afghanistan had been the bone of contention between Britain and Russia in what is called â€Å"The Great Game†(Garthoff 1997,p.977) and between Russia and the USA in what is called â€Å"The Cold War†(Walker 1995,p.356). Despite the land’s difficult terrain with its high mountains and plateaus, steep ridges, deep valleys and its remote position, Afghanistan is the ideal buffer zone and the arena for balance of power (Ewans, 2002). According to Grau (1998)                                                                                                                       Afghanistan was, to the Russians, an outlet to the Indian Ocean and an extension of                                                                                                                 Russian expansionism for the British it was an important shield to protect India, Pakistan and other British territories from Russian hegemony. But the Russians prevailed in the struggle for control of Afghanistan when Britain granted independence to India and Pakistan, thus leaving a power vacuum. The latter signaled the entry of USA as rebel group.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Hinduism and Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Hinduism and Judaism - Essay Example There are interesting similarities and differences in their foundational teachings that show some of the elements that unite people, and some of the ways in which cultural context informs religious development. Hinduism traces its roots back to approximately 2500 B.C. It was not a religion that began with one particular historical event, but was rather a gradual development of beliefs by peoples in the Indus Valley (Zaehner, pg. 15). Its sacred literature has two categories: sruti and smriti. The sruti were heard, or divinely revealed, and include the Vedas (the most ancient Hindu scriptures), the Upanishads, the Brahmanas, and the Aranyakas. The Vedas contain the creation account, regulations for sacrifices, and prayers. According to Hindu tradition, these texts were secretly taught by a prophet to a disciple (David S. Noss, 55). The smriti are texts that were remembered or passed down orally. The difference is that these were written by humans rather than by the gods. The smriti consist of the epics, the Sutras and the Puranas. The epics are long poems about events in the lives of heroic warriors. The Sutras relate to such ideas as dharma, yoga, and Vedanta. The most significant of these was the Laws of Manu, or the Manusmriti, which concerned proper law and conduct for Hindus. The Puranas are mythological writings, containing the stories of the gods and goddesses (Knott, pg. 24-25). The Indus Valley civilization cohered around two cities, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Between 2500 and 2000 B.C., the nomadic Indo-Aryans began to migrate into this area, just as the Indus Valley peoples began to disappear. The Vedas were the scriptures of the Indo-Aryans and are most commonly acknowledged as the basis for Hinduism, and they are also said to be Hinduism's supreme authority (Morgan, pg. 32). The Vedic conception of rita, or cosmic order, later served as the basis for the ideas of dharma and karma. The gods served as guardians of this idea of rita and had to be propitiated regularly by sacrifice. (Morgan, pg. 33). And so with the idea of sacrifice came a collection of regulations and technicalities for the sacrifice process (Kinsley, pg. 92). During this time, the priesthood came to assume a good amount of power in society. Such new doctrines as the four stages of life, the idea of transmigration, and the origins of the caste system (Morgan, pg. 48). While in its foundat ional stages, Hinduism had claimed that the soul could die, either on Earth or even in heaven, but this change had the soul being reborn in an endless cycle, seeking release, or moksha from this unending existence. Despite the fact that Judaism started far from Hinduism, there are many striking similarities to complement the differences between the two faiths. According to such sources as the Tanakh and the Talmud, the Jewish faith is based on a covenant between God and Abraham, established approximately in 2000 B.C., and renewed between God and Moses around 1200 B.C. Unlike Hinduism, Judaism is monotheistic (Huns Kung, pg. 88). Like Hinduism, Judaism relies on its texts and traditions to provide its central authority. Like the Vedas, the Torah underwent a brief period of
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Multinational Company and Its Organizational Goals Case Study
Multinational Company and Its Organizational Goals - Case Study Example Organization structure should be chosen based on its strategy (Bartol and Martin, 1998, p. 251 - 278). For example, suppose an organization is making or delivering large volumes of only a few products or services in the same geographical area, and these are very similar to each other. All the organization needs to do is coordinate the various departments, then departmentalized or functional structure works best. Departmentalization allows people to specialize in a function, and achieve economies of scale. Suppose the organization is producing or delivering several products or services in the same geographical area, and these products are very dissimilar from each other. Then, it is better to organize along product lines. This is because one product does not have anything to do with the other, there are no economies in the functional structure for this case. On the other hand, giving each product its independent departments lets the product managers serve their customers more efficien tly. Suppose the organization is producing or delivering several products or services to several different customers whose demands are very different. Then it is better to organize along customer lines so that the managers can work towards satisfying each customer according to his or her needs. The same logic goes for organizing on the basis of country or region. If the organization is making products in several places with different tastes and demands, the organization should organize along geographical lines.
Monday, September 23, 2019
The Turning Point of Tet 1968 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The Turning Point of Tet 1968 - Essay Example Startled at such an unexpected idea, I felt uncomfortable and I began thinking of declining the proposed agreement to appoint me for the post yet seeing that it would be an awkward moment to do so and that the majority are not quite drawn to encourage someone else for it, I gave in. In the process, however, I discovered that the type of work assigned to me allowed flexibility that if I knew how to manage time and energy wisely, I could adjust my level of productivity within a range of efficiencies depending on the work amount, my available relevant skills, as well as my ability to delegate tasks to others. This is the point at which I recognized having the capacity to think strategically. Even with my current non-military organization, knowing that everybody is focused on individual assignments and that my fellow teammates normally maintain a passive attitude in examining my activities, I gain the leverage of controlling my behavior toward workload. By ‘strategic thinking’, I could execute around the essentials of concentrating my efforts on situations that call for my knowledge and capability at the optimum so that the fulfilment I earn would serve as my drive for the next projects. In this manner, I often yield the chance of being able to reserve time and energy on human relations which enable me to address general interests and win the confidence of many to whom I have been able to delegate some jobs. Due to the bond of trust established, it becomes much easier to communicate with people and have them naturally seek grounds for understanding schemes for the committee which I carry out under my own terms. Moreover, I could detect strategic thinking in the course of spontaneously developing the trait of ignoring negative impressions attached with temporary unpleasant acts or intentions. With your own understanding of what cooperation and support you need from others involved, what do you need from others in their roles to accomplish your own work
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Homework Wk 2 FIN444 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Homework Wk 2 FIN444 - Assignment Example The website also contains articles and blogs that an interested party can find the information they require regarding the industry. It is also a platform where different insurance companies can prospect for business through featured products and price quotes to lure customers. What is interesting about this site is that it has information that anyone seeking to know about the industry can get. This may include students, industry competitors and customers to name but a few. In future I can use the website for different reasons which might include but not limited to seeking of an insurance product, investment in the industry and learning information lawyers.com is a website on legal matters. It contains information about the law profession for those practicing and for the potential clients seeking representation. It is divided into different categories where clients and those in the legal profession can easily navigate to get information that might be of use to them. Those who might be seeking legal representation can get one and lawyers find clients when they are featured. An individual seeking clarity on a certain legal question can post a query and get a response. The website also contains legal documents on different matters of interest to different people seeking them for this or the other reason. In future I can use the website to get information I might require for the various different reasons from the blogs, articles and through queries. I can get important legal knowledge on matters touching on different aspects of my life and situations. This is because ignorance is no defense in law. There are seven main general principles of insurance. Among them is the principle of insurable interest. Insurable interest is found when a person who taking the insurance gets financial or other kind of benefit from the use or existence of the object that was insured. In this case if it is a person, their continued
Saturday, September 21, 2019
The New American Desk Encyclopedia Essay Example for Free
The New American Desk Encyclopedia Essay Both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson have large, enduring legacies in American history. While Hamilton is largely responsible for the United States becoming an economic giant with an economy based on finance, manufacturing, and trade, I admire Thomas Jefferson more, particularly for his broad, considerable intellect and his challenging views on human liberty. Modern America admittedly fits Hamilton’s vision much more than Jefferson’s. After serving as Washington’s aide-de-camp, Hamilton organized the infant United States’ economy and foresaw a capitalist America not unlike Britain’s, which dominated world trade and had a growing number of factories, abundant capital, and vast commercial enterprises. (Jefferson’s rural nation of yeoman farmers was a noble vision but not realistic in the modern world then taking shape. ) Hamilton was also a strong advocate of federalism, which gave the centralized national government far more authority than the one conceived in the Articles of Confederation. However, he was no friend of broad democracy, known in his time as an unscrupulous elitist and ambitious social climber who adhered to what today seem like outdated notions of â€Å"natural aristocracy†maintained by â€Å"enlightened self-interest†(New American Desk Encyclopedia 548-549). He openly mistrusting the American public (which he considered â€Å"a great beast†and little more than an unruly mob) and opposed the Bill of Rights, the basis for American civil liberties (which Jefferson’s protege Madison wrote). For believers in broad democracy and individual liberty, though, Jefferson is by far the more admirable figure. The First Amendment is perhaps his greatest legacy, stemming from his statutes on religious freedom in Virginia and firm belief in church-state separation. He was also a believer in freedom of the press, claiming to prefer a nation where there was a free press and no government, rather than vice versa (Countryman 69-71). The Declaration of Independence is almost entirely his creation as well, a vivid, articulate piece of writing that has influenced democratic thought worldwide. It helped inspire the French revolution less than a generation later, and even the United States’ past enemies have invoked it, including Ho Chi Minh, who based Vietnam’s 1945 independence declaration on Jefferson’s document. He was also a superior intellect, known as one of the colonies’ best minds while still a young man. Jefferson was a gifted writer, skilled diplomat, believer in liberty (his ideas on the subject were progressive for their time), architect, inventor, creator of the University of Virginia (revolutionary in its time for offering a wholly secular higher education), and amateur scientist who commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the newly acquired American West. He was also a contradictory figure, as an educated, affluent slaveholder who wanted a rural nation of free yeoman farmers enjoying widespread democracy. He was also accused of siring at least one child by his slave, Sally Hemings. (In his defense, the Declaration of Independence’s first draft contained a strong condemnation of slavery, which other Southern delegates made him remove, and he was himself ambivalent about the practice. ) While Alexander Hamilton helped make the United States prosperous and economically powerful, Jefferson played an even greater role in helping make it a democracy (albeit a limited one compared to democracy today), setting an example of a civil society based on the rule of law and individual liberties that other nations would follow over the next two centuries. His lasting legacy helped shape the meaning of liberty and democracy, which became a worldwide phenomenon during the late twentieth century, helped change the world’s politics, and helped define modernity itself. REFERENCES Anonymous. The New American Desk Encyclopedia. Third edition. New York: Signet, 1993. Countryman, Edward. The American Revolution. New York: Hill and Wang, 1985. Davis, Kenneth C. Don’t Know Much about History. New York: Avon, 1990.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Social Media Effective Marketing Communicative Tool Caffe Nero Marketing Essay
Social Media Effective Marketing Communicative Tool Caffe Nero Marketing Essay This research primarily focuses on social media being an effective marketing communicative tool for Caffe Nero- the Italian coffee bar. Social media has made a huge impact both on the business and marketing world. Traditional marketing methods are not able to reach the target audiences as they did a decade ago with the same effect (Pelsmarker, Neijens 2009). Marketing communication which represents the voice of the company are a means to inform, remind and communicate about their products and services directly or indirectly to the consumers (Kevin lane keller, 2009). Caffe Nero, the Italian coffee company which have been chosen for the research work, provides a great deal of value for their customers. They are dedicated to providing their customers with their finest range of high quality espresso- based coffees, cold coffees as well as a wide range of high quality Italian foods. By creating a friendly atmosphere, by integrating local environment and culture, they have proved to be customer focused. On a business perspective, to increase sales and to gain competitive advantage the company has been trying to communicate its products and services to the consumers through different marketing communication tools. But according to Kevin lane keller (2009), marketing communication is changing enormously from what it was 10-30 years ago. Internet and technology are changing the way the world communicates and interacts. Marketing communication is conveying messages about the products and services to audiences that are of values encouraged to offer attitud inal and behavioural responses (chris fill, 2005). There is no point in communicating if there is no audience to receive the message. This brings the researcher to the aim and objectives of the research Marketing communication allows a company to link their products and services to other people, brands, places, feelings and experiences (Kevin lane keller, 2009). The media environment has changed dramatically in recent years. Traditional media such as Television, magazines, newspapers, magazines are losing their grip on customers. Attention age, as this current period is called, is overlapping the information age, as increasingly abundant information is available particularly on the internet (Richard A Lanham, 2006). This age was marked as individuals began to create, consume and share information freely and instantly on the internet using social media. The period began with the emergence of web 2.0 technologies and social media in the year 2000 (Lanham, 2006). Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), defines social media as a group of internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user generated cont ent. With the emergence of web 2.0, internet allows individuals by providing a set of tools to share information and to build social and business connections. According to Dan Zarrella (2007), social media takes place in different forms. This includes blogs, microblogs(Twitter), social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn), social bookmarking and voting sites (digg, Reddit), forums, virtual worlds(second life), media sharing sites(Youtube, Flickr). The ultimate goal of these foundations is to create a platform that encages and empowers its customers with the opportunity to communicate with the organization. These platforms are important to organizations, as it allows the organization to measure and monitor the effects of organization on their customers. Building on the personal empowerment that internet offers, individuals are connecting and talking through social networking sites about anything and everything (Evan , 2008). Evan (2008) quotes social media to a Wikipedia process. He descr ibes saying, people can write anything and everything, whatever they want on sites like Wikipedia, encyclopaedia. But its also true that often within a few minutes, someone would look at what you wrote and either validate or comment on it. Safko, Brake (2009), defines social media to activities, behaviours and practices experienced among communities of people who gather online to share opinions, knowledge and information using conversational media. This is where organizations should use social media to reach their customers. Its not possible to receive a spontaneous response using traditional communication methods. Avoiding advertisements, media and audience fragmentation and technologies such as web 2.0, digital television makes it increasingly difficult to reach and convince the audience (the so called customers) with traditional campaigns (Pelsmarker, Neijens (2009). For organizations, social media serves as an inexpensive platform so to implement the marketing campaign. With thi s, its possible for organizations to receive direct feedback from their consumers and markets (Mangold, 2009). Social media can be used by organizations in giving direct response to customer complaints, broadcasting updates, announcements, news and promotions. In order for an organization to be successful, they need to define their goals and this depends upon the platform that the organizations choose. Ignoring social media completely can deprive a company of an important marketing vechile and potent, cost-effective tools (Stephen E Arnold, 2009). Arnold (2009), also makes it clear that social media when embraced by an organization allows to create a relationship with its customers. Rapid diffusion of powerful broadband internet connections, multipurpose cellphones, portable video music players and ad-skipping digital video recorder have forced marketers to rethink a number of their traditional practices (Kaplan Thaler, Koval 2003; kiley 2005) Social media has become an effective tool for marketing and sales. As social media continues to grow, the ability to reach consumers has increased. Social media appeals to both small and big business. Brands are using social media to reach customers and to build and maintain reputation. In this new media environment, it is important for organizations (small or big) to have a social media presence. 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Research methodology examines the ways in which the information is gathered in order to answer the questions imposed for research. In this study conducted on social media, the research methodology looks into the methods used for research, research design, sampling its size and type and the limitations to the study. Both primary and secondary research contributes to the study conducted on social media, as an effective communicative tool. With regards to the primary research, both qualitative and quantitative methods are used for the purpose of the research. 3.1 Secondary research: Collection of secondary data helps the researcher to get a general idea of the research field; therefore acting as a helpful source of information (Yin, 2003). With consideration to secondary research, data can be collected from books, journals, articles and websites which will help the research in getting an overall idea of the research topic. 3.2 Primary research: Collection of primary data is necessary when researchers are interested in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, attitudes, intentions, motivations, opinions and behaviour (Gemmy, 1999). As mentioned above, both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used for this study. Knight, McCabe (1997), suggests that case study provides a vehicle through which several qualitative methods can be combined, thereby avoiding too great a reliance on one single approach. The tools used under qualitative method to gain access to the data are focus groups and depth interview. Focus groups: In focus groups, the verbal interactions between the participants are important. The planning and running of different types of group have no means of standard. At the end of the day, it is the skill of the moderator that determines the quality of the data (Ray kent, 2006). The type of group chosen is Mini groups consisting of 4-5 people in a group. As Ray Kent (2006), points out that, Mini Groups can be used for study related to personal issues or for in-depth explorations. As this is a study conducted on social media (which is more of consumer related), all age groups, from younger to older are taken for the purpose of study. The number of group planned for the discussion ranges from 2-6. Goodyear (1990) suggests that for exploratory research or for strategic projects, a group number of 30 or more is required and for tactical projects a group number of 2-8 is required. Every method has its own advantages as well as limitations. Ray kent (2006) examines the advantages as follows Advantages of focus groups: Cultural and social influences are highlighted Consumer differences are highlighted which helps in understanding a range of attitudes in a short span of time. Observing the groups is made easier Depth interviews: In depth interviews, the main lines of communication are between the interviewer and respondent or respondents (Kent, 2006). Executive and consumer interviews have been panned to be conducted, as this serves the purpose of the study and for the collection of data. Executive interviews are conducted with managers, which will highlight the way in which organization does things, which is relevant for this research. Consumer interviews are planned to be conducted with a whole family, consisting of different age groups which helps the research to understand the influence of individual members of the family. The interview is planned to be conducted in an open-ended way, with a time period of 15-30 minutes. Kent (2006) considers the following to be the advantages Advantages of depth interview: It is possible to identify who said what Majority and minority opinions can be captured The tool used under quantitative method to gain access to the data is Questionnaire. Asking individuals questions and noting their responses systematically has been a method of social research since 1970 (Kent, 2006). Questionnaires in relation to marketing tend to be in association with survey research (Yin, 2003). A face to face method of questionnaire has been chosen as it helps the study to be more realistic. A face to face method when compared with a telephone interview helps to limit the number of questions and the questions will appear to be fairly simple and short. The question format chosen with regards to the questionnaire is multi-response question, giving the respondents the choice to pick more than 1 response category. The length of the questionnaire has been planned to be limited to about 10-15 questions. The longer the questions, the more the chance to create unwillingness among respondents to finish off with the questionnaire. 3.3 Research Design: Chris fill, paul Baines (2008) defines research design as a clear non-technical description of the research type adopted and the specific techniques to be used to gather the required information which includes sampling procedures, data collection instruments. The research design used in this study conducted is of a case study design. Case study research is concerned with the particular nature and complexity of the case in question (Bryman, Bell, 2007). The question of how will a case study in the context of research design criteria, in terms of ecological validity, external validity, internal validity, experimental validity, replicability and reliability, depends on the researcher on how he feels that these are appropriate for the evolution of a case study research (Bryman, Bell, 2007) . But Yin (1984) considers that they are appropriate criteria and suggest ways in which the case study research can be developed to meet the criteria. 3.4 Sampling: Researching a small sample carefully may in fact , result in a greater accuracy than either a very large sample or attempting a complete census, since the problems associated with handling a large number of interviewers and a large number of questionnaires may create errors of a greater magnitude than those arising from the sampling process (kent, 2006). Under qualitative research, the size of the sample used for focus groups and depth interview, involves a small number of respondents. The sampling method used for qualitative research is purposive samples, a non-probability sampling method which allows the researcher, to select using his/her experience or judgement drawn from qualitative research. Under quantitative research, the size of the sample used for questionnaires, involves large number of respondents. The sampling method used for quantitative research is stratified sampling, a probability sampling method which classifies the population based on certain characteristics such a s age, gender, sex etc which is very relevant on the study conducted . Traditional marketing methods do not provide the same effectiveness as it did a decade ago in reaching their target customers (Pelsmarker, Neijens, 2009). A thorough study conducted through a range of literature has shown the rise of a new vehicle which helps organizations in communicating to its customers more effectively than it used to be. Yochai Benkler (2006) uses the neologism network information economy or network economy to describe the underlying technological, social and economic characteristics of what is known as social media. Social media is able to reach a global audience, it can be assessed at a little cost, it does not require much skill, and also receives spontaneous responses. Whether it is a small, medium or large business, consumers are using social media and there is no reason I can see as a researcher for organizations to not use social media as a means to reach their customers. The above findings from the literature have already proved social media as an effective communicative tool for Caffe Nero. Further results from the primary and secondary data will help the researcher to get a clear insight on whether social media can be used as an effective marketing communicative tool for Caffe Nero.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Trinity Church :: essays papers
Trinity Church Henry Hobson Richardson designed his most famous building, Trinity Church in Copley Square, after winning a competition in 1972. James O’Gorman described Trinity as â€Å"a cultural even of the first importance in American history.†â€Å"The building both represents a departure of the Boston’s mind from its Puritan past, and emergence of American creativity as a force in architecture.†Born in 1838, Richardson was raised just outside New Orleans and surrounded by the colorful stucco buildings of New Orleans. He was from an American family but was greatly influenced by the French culture of his area. After being denied admission to West Point, Richardson graduated Harvard, class of 1859. After Henry Hobson Richardson graduated Harvard University, he decided to remain in the North to study rather than return to New Orleans. He had the opportunity to study in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, travel to London, travel through rural England, and through Southern France and Spain, making some trips with his friend Henry Adams. Richardson collected postcards throughout his trips that would eventually amount to over 3000 images. Later, he returned to the US and began practicing in New York. Richardson served on the Staten Island Commission, and then moved to Brookline, MA in 1874 after completing several commissions in Boston. Richardson then designed Trinity Church during his remaining twelve years that he spent in Massachusetts. Trinity Church is a prime example of revival architecture. When the â€Å"New Republic†of the United States gained its independence, the â€Å"New Democratic Citizens†wanted their place in history reflected in their architecture. The people of the 18th century were proud people, with rights, rights to build homes and communities of their own. And so, the revival style was born, a style built upon the perceptions of their predecessors, the Greeks and Romans. The difference was they had more freedom than their predecessors. This revival style continued into the 19th century when Trinity Church was designed in a Romanesque Revival Style. The primary difference was scale as churches grew dramatically in size. Furthermore, the construction of the Trinity Church brought about the Richardsonian Romanesque Style. This architecture style remained prevalent during the Victorian period, primarily as a result of the widespread influence of the Trinity Church that displayed bold stonework, complex roof patterns, and arched openings. One defining feature of Romanesque architecture is a round-headed arch. Trinity is articulated with many round-head arches that frame its windows and entrances.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The Times of the Spanish Inquisition Essay -- essays research papers
Known for the terror it caused the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula, The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most deadly inquisitions in history. Used for both political and religious reasons, the time period between the 1400’s and the 1800’s belonged to the Catholic Roman Empire (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1994). In order to better understand the Inquisition, the reasons behind it, and the phenomenal worldwide effect, it is indispensable to examine its preceding events. In 14th century Spain, Jewish people are often associated with wealth, being a epidemic to the general public. When Aragon united with Castille in the marriage of Ferdinand V and Isabella, Spain was on the verge of becoming one of the wealthiest nations of the period. A large part of that prosperity was due to the Jewish community. Archdeacon Martinez of Seville continually tried to motivate the people to cleanse themselves of the Jewish citizens, finally succeeding on Ash Wednesday (March 15), 1391. Mobs flogged and beat the Jewish civilians to renounce their religion and become Christian. The victims of that day amount to hundreds, if not thousands, of unsuspecting people (C. Roth, The Spanish Inquisition, 1964). Although the Jews had become Christian to avoid persecution, they still celebrated their beliefs in secrecy. In 1487, their behavior was discovered during Jewish Passover, which was the same week as the Holy Week for the Catholic Church. Thus, the Spanish Inquisition was f ounded to sanitize the ...
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Mutual Respect Between Students and Teachers Essay -- Education Relati
Mutual Respect Between Students and Teachers The relationship between students and teachers should be one of mutual respect. Students should listen to the teacher and try their best in the class. Teachers, on the other hand need to do their best to give their students a quality education and respect them as individuals. There should be a set curriculum, but teachers need to be creative in how they teach what is required. California is considered one of the lowest in terms of education standards. In order for this to change, teachers and students both need to start working towards a solution. Students need to have more respect for their teachers and take more responsibility for their education. I have noticed a difference in the attitudes of people in high school now and when I went to school. Some high school teachers tell me that their students come to school high on marijuana, or drunk. From my own experience with young people at my workplace, I noticed when they go out, they often talk about different drugs they will take to heighten their enjoyment, and have heard some comment they don't want to go somewhere like Disneyland, or Magic Mountain sober. When I attended high school, people would drink and do drugs at parties, but only the "stoners" would do anything at school, or at most other functions. Some of the students I talked to at work said they feel school is boring and they don't learn anything from their teachers. Most of the homework their teachers give them is busy work. Some pointed out they learned more in elementary school and junior high, but haven't learned much in high school. Another point that was made was the lack of useful electives. Art, Auto shop, and Music are offered, but there are no busin... ...ross boundaries in a classroom they may see as intimidating, and a revision of how we see educational excellence. (117) Education will only improve if teachers and students learn to respect each other's positions. A place to start is by finding a common ground, an understanding. The curriculum, canon, or list of "Great Books" is a good common starting place. By keeping this canon in our schools, we will keep a common link between generations. The next step is the teachers' presentation of their lessons. The students need to be able to relate to the lessons. The final step is the students. They must take responsibility for their education and try to learn what is being presented to them. Works Cited Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 105-119.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Spirit Bound Chapter Fourteen
THE LAST TIME TATIANA HAD wanted to yell at me, she'd simply taken me to one of her private sitting rooms. It had made for a weird atmosphere, like we were at teatime–except people didn't usually scream at other people during teatime. I had no reason to believe this would be any different†¦ until I noticed my escort was leading me to the main business buildings of the Court, the places where all royal governing was conducted. Shit. This was more serious than I'd thought. And indeed, when I was finally ushered into the room where Tatiana waited†¦ well, I nearly came to a standstill and couldn't enter. Only a slight touch on my back from one of the guardians with me kept me moving forward. The place was packed. I didn't know for sure which room I was in. The Moroi actually kept a bona fide throne room for their king or queen, but I didn't think this was it. This room was still heavily decorated, conveying an old-world royal feel, with painstakingly carved floral molding and shining gold candleholders on the walls. There were actually lit candles in them too. Their light reflected off the metallic decorations in the room. Everything glittered, and I felt like I'd stumbled into a stage production. And really, I might as well have. Because after a moment's surveying, I realized where I was. The people in the room were split. Twelve of them sat at a long table on a dais at what was clearly meant to be the focal point of the room. Tatiana herself sat at the middle of the table, with six Moroi on one side and five Moroi on the other. The other side of the room was simply set with rows of chairs–still elaborate and padded with satin cushions–which were also filled with Moroi. The audience. The people sitting on either side of Tatiana were the tip-off. They were older Moroi, but ones who carried a regal air. Eleven Moroi for the eleven acting royal families. Lissa was not eighteen–though she was about to be, I realized with a start–and therefore had no spot yet. Someone was sitting in for Priscilla Voda. I was looking at the Council, the princes and princesses of the Moroi world. The oldest member of each family claimed the royal title and an advisory spot beside Tatiana. Sometimes the eldest waived the spot and gave it to someone the family felt was more capable, but the selectee was almost always at least forty-five. The Council elected the Moroi king or queen, a position held until death or retirement. In rare circumstances, with enough backing from the royal families, a monarch could be forcibly removed from office. Each prince or princess on the Council was in turn advised by a family council, and glancing back at the audience, I recognized clusters of family members sitting together: Ivashkovs, Lazars, Badicas†¦ The very back rows appeared to be observers. Tasha and Adrian sat together, and I knew for a fact they weren't members of the Royal Council or family councils. Still, seeing them set me at ease a little. I remained near the entrance to the room, shifting uneasily from foot to foot, wondering what was in store. I hadn't just earned public humiliation; I'd apparently earned it in front of the most important Moroi in the world. Wonderful. A gangly Moroi with patchy white hair stepped forward, around the side of the long table, and cleared his throat. Immediately, the hum of conversation died. Silence filled the room. â€Å"This session of the Moroi Royal Council is now in order,†he declared. â€Å"Her Royal Majesty, Tatiana Marina Ivashkov, is presiding.†He gave a slight bow in her direction and then discretely backed off to the side of the room, standing near some guardians who lined the walls like decorations themselves. Tatiana always dressed up at the parties I saw her at, but for a formal event like this, she was really channeling the queen look. Her dress was long-sleeved navy silk, and a glittering crown of blue and white stones sat atop her elaborately braided hair. In a beauty pageant, I would have written such gems off as rhinestones. On her, I didn't question for a moment that they were real sapphires and diamonds. â€Å"Thank you,†she said. She was also using her royal voice, resonant and impressive, filling the room. â€Å"We will be continuing our conversation from yesterday.†Wait†¦ what? They'd been discussing me yesterday too? I noticed then that I'd wrapped my arms around myself in a sort of protective stance and immediately dropped them. I didn't want to look weak, no matter what they had in store for me. â€Å"Today we will be hearing testimony from a newly made guardian.†Tatiana's sharp gaze fell on me. The whole room's did. â€Å"Rosemarie Hathaway, will you please come forward?†I did, keeping my head high and posture confident. I didn't exactly know where to stand, so I picked the middle of the room, directly facing Tatiana. If I was going to be paraded in public, I wished someone would have tipped me off to wear guardian black and white. Whatever. I'd show no fear, even in jeans and a T-shirt. I gave a small, proper bow and then met her eyes directly, bracing for what was to come. â€Å"Will you please state your name?†she asked. She'd already done it for me, but I still said, â€Å"Rosemarie Hathaway.†â€Å"How old are you?†â€Å"Eighteen?†â€Å"And how long have you been eighteen?†â€Å"A few months.†She waited a couple moments to let it sink in, as though this were important information. â€Å"Miss Hathaway, we understand that around that time, you withdrew from St. Vladimir's Academy. Is this correct?†That's what this was about? Not the Vegas trip with Lissa? â€Å"Yes.†I offered no more info. Oh God. I hoped she didn't get into Dimitri. She shouldn't have known about my relationship with him, but there was no telling what information could spread around here. â€Å"You went to Russia to hunt Strigoi.†â€Å"Yes.†â€Å"As a type of personal revenge following the attack at St. Vladimir ‘s?†â€Å"Er†¦ yes.†No one said anything, but my response definitely caused a stir in the room. People shifted uneasily and glanced at their neighbors. Strigoi always inspired fear, and someone actively seeking them out was still an unusual concept among us. Oddly, Tatiana seemed very pleased by this confirmation. Was it going to be used as more ammunition against me? â€Å"We would assume then,†she continued, â€Å"that you are one of those who believe in direct strikes against the Strigoi?†â€Å"Yes.†â€Å"Many had different reactions to the terrible attack at St. Vladimir's,†she said. â€Å"You aren't the only dhampir who wanted to strike back against the Strigoi–though you were certainly the youngest.†I hadn't known about others going on vigilante sprees–well, aside from some reckless dhampirs in Russia. If that was the story about my trip she was willing to believe, that was fine with me. â€Å"We have reports from both guardians and Alchemists in Russia that you were successful.†This was the first time I'd heard the Alchemists mentioned in public, but of course they'd be a common topic among the Council. â€Å"Can you tell me how many you killed?†â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I stared in surprise. â€Å"I'm not sure, Your Majesty. At least†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I racked my brain. â€Å"Seven.†It might have been more. She thought so too. â€Å"That might be a modest estimate compared to what our sources say,†she noted grandly. â€Å"Nonetheless, still an impressive number. Did you perform the kills by yourself?†â€Å"Sometimes I did. Sometimes I had help. There were†¦ some other dhampirs I worked with once in a while.†Technically, I'd had Strigoi help as well, but I wasn't going to mention that. â€Å"They were close to your age?†â€Å"Yes.†Tatiana said no more, and as though receiving a cue, a woman beside her spoke up. I believed she was the Conta princess. â€Å"When did you kill your first Strigoi?†I frowned. â€Å"Last December.†â€Å"And you were seventeen?†â€Å"Yes.†â€Å"Did you perform that kill yourself?†â€Å"Well†¦ mostly. A couple friends helped with distraction.†I hoped they weren't going to push for more details. My first kill had occurred when Mason had died, and aside from the events surrounding Dimitri, that memory tormented me the most. But Princess Conta didn't want too many other details. She and the others–who soon joined in the questioning–mostly wanted to know about my kills. They were slightly interested in knowing when other dhampirs had helped me–but didn't want to go into when I'd had Moroi help. They also glossed over my disciplinary record, which I found baffling. The rest of my academic details were mentioned–my exceptional combat grades, how I'd been one of the best when Lissa and I had run away our sophomore year and how quickly I'd made up for lost time to become top in my class again (at least as far as fighting went). They talked also about how I'd protected Lissa whenever we were out in the world alone and finally concluded with my exceptional trial scores. â€Å"Thank you, Guardian Hathaway. You may leave.†Tatiana's dismissive voice left no room for doubt. She wanted me out of there. I was only too eager to comply, giving another bow, and then scurrying out. I cast a quick glance at Tasha and Adrian as I did, and the queen's voice rang out as I cleared the door, â€Å"That concludes our session today. We will convene again tomorrow.†I wasn't surprised when Adrian caught up with me a few minutes later. Hans hadn't ordered me to come back and work after the session, so I had decided to read that as freedom. â€Å"Okay,†I said, slipping my hand into Adrian's. â€Å"Enlighten me with your royal political wisdom. What was that all about?†â€Å"No clue. I'm the last person to ask about political stuff,†he said. â€Å"I don't even go to those things, but Tasha found me at the last minute and said to come with her. I guess she got a tip-off you'd be there–but she was just as confused.†Neither of us had said anything, but I realized I was leading him toward one of the buildings that housed commerce–restaurants, shops, etc. I was starving all of a sudden. â€Å"I got the impression this was part of something they'd already been talking about–she mentioned their last session.†â€Å"It was closed. Like tomorrow's. No one knows what they're discussing.†â€Å"Then why make this one public?†It didn't seem fair that the queen and Council could pick and choose what they shared with others. Everything should have been public. He frowned. â€Å"Probably because they're going to hold a vote soon, and that'll be public. If your testimony plays some role, then the Council may want to make sure other Moroi witnessed it–so that everyone understands the decision when it comes.†He paused. â€Å"But what do I know? I'm no politician.†â€Å"Makes it sound like it's already decided,†I grumbled. â€Å"Why have a vote at all? And why would I have anything to do with government?†He opened the door to a small cafe that sold light lunch food–burgers and sandwiches. Adrian had been raised with fancy restaurants and gourmet food. I think he preferred that, but he also knew I didn't like always being on display or being reminded that I was with a royal from an elite family. I appreciated that he'd known I'd just want something ordinary today. Nonetheless, our being together earned us a few curious glances and whispers from the diner's patrons. At the school, we'd been a source of speculation, but here at Court? We were a main-stage attraction. Images were important at Court, and most dhampir-Moroi relationships were carried out in secret. Us being so open–especially considering Adrian's connections–was scandalous and shocking, and people weren't always discreet with their reactions. I'd heard all sorts of things since returning to Court. One woman had called me shameless. Another had speculated aloud why Tatiana hadn't simply â€Å"dealt with me.†Fortunately, most of our audience was content to stare today, making them easy to ignore. There was a small line of thought on Adrian's forehead as we sat down at a table. â€Å"Maybe they're voting to make you Lissa's guardian after all.†I was so astonished that I couldn't say anything for several seconds when the waitress suddenly appeared. I finally stammered out my order and then stared at Adrian with wide eyes. â€Å"Seriously?†The session had been an examination of my skills, after all. It made sense. Except†¦ â€Å"No. The Council wouldn't go to the trouble of holding sessions for one guardian assignment.†My hopes fell. Adrian gave a shrug of acknowledgment. â€Å"True. But this isn't an ordinary guardian assignment. Lissa's the last of her line. Everyone–including my aunt–has a special interest in her. Giving her someone like you who's†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I gave him a dangerous look as he grasped for a word. â€Å"†¦ Controversial could upset some people.†â€Å"And that's why they actually wanted me there to describe what I've done. To convince people in person that I'm competent.†Even as I spoke the words, I still didn't dare believe them. It was too good to be true. â€Å"I just can't imagine it, seeing as I seem to be in so much trouble with the guardians.†â€Å"I don't know,†he said. â€Å"It's just a guess. Who knows? Maybe they do think the Las Vegas thing was just a harmless prank.†There was a bitter tone in his voice over that. â€Å"And I told you that Aunt Tatiana was coming around to you. Maybe she wants you as Lissa's guardian now but needs to make a public display to justify it.†That was a startling thought. â€Å"But if I do get to come with Lissa, what are you going to do? Get respectable and come to college too?†â€Å"I don't know,†he said, green eyes thoughtful as he sipped his drink. â€Å"Maybe I will.†That was also unexpected, and my conversation with his mother returned to my mind. What if I was Lissa's guardian in college and he was with us for the next four years? I was fairly certain Daniella had thought we'd be splitting up this summer. I'd thought so too†¦ and was surprised to feel how relieved I was that I might get to stay with him. Dimitri always left my heart full of pain and longing, but I still wanted Adrian in my life. I grinned at him and rested my hand on his. â€Å"I'm not sure what I'd do with you if you were respectable.†He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. â€Å"I've got some suggestions,†he told me. I didn't know if it was his words or the feel of his mouth on my skin that sent shivers through me. I was about to ask what those suggestions were when our interlude was interrupted†¦ by Hans. â€Å"Hathaway,†he said, one eyebrow arched as he stood over us. â€Å"You and I have some very different ideas about the definition of ‘punishment.'†He had a point. In my mind, punishment involved easy things like lashings and starvation. Not filing. Instead, I replied, â€Å"You didn't tell me to come back after I saw the queen.†He gave me an exasperated look. â€Å"I also didn't tell you to go off on a playdate. Come on. Back to the vaults.†â€Å"But I have a BLT coming!†â€Å"You'll get your lunch break in another couple hours like the rest of us.†I tried to repress my outrage. They hadn't been feeding me bread crusts and water during my work detail, but the food hadn't tasted much better. Just then, the waitress returned with our food. I grabbed the sandwich before she even set the plates down and wrapped it in a napkin. â€Å"Can I take it to go?†â€Å"If you can eat it before we get back.†His voice was skeptical, seeing as the vault was pretty close. Clearly, he was underestimating my ability to consume food. In spite of Hans's disapproving expression, I gave Adrian a kiss goodbye and a look that told him maybe we'd continue our conversation. He gave me a happy, knowing smile that I only saw for a second before Hans ordered me away. True to my expectations, I managed to get the sandwich down before we arrived back at the guardians' building, though I did feel a little nauseous for the next half hour or so. My lunchtime was almost dinnertime for Lissa, out in the human world. Returning to my miserable punishment, I cheered up a little at the joy running through her via our bond. She'd spent the whole day on her campus tour of Lehigh, and it was everything she'd hoped it could be. She loved it all. She loved the beautiful buildings, the grounds, the dorms†¦ and especially the classes. A glimpse at the course catalog opened up a world of subjects that even St. Vladimir's superior education hadn't offered us. She wanted to see and do everything that the school had to offer. And even though she wished I was there, she was still excited about the fact that it was her birthday. Priscilla had given her some elaborate jewelry and had promised a fancy dinner that night. It wasn't exactly the type of celebration Lissa had hoped for, but the thrill of her eighteenth birthday was still intoxicating–particularly as she looked around at the dream school she'd be attending soon. I confess, I felt a pang of jealousy. Despite Adrian's theory about why the queen had called me in today, I knew–as did Lissa–that the odds of me going to college with her were still probably nonexistent. Some petty part of me couldn't understand how Lissa could therefore be excited about it if I wasn't going to be along. Childish of me, I know. I didn't have long to sulk, though, because once all the touring was done, Lissa's entourage returned to the hotel. Priscilla told them they could clean up for an hour or so before heading to dinner. For Lissa, this meant more fighting-practice time. My brooding mood immediately turned irate. Things got worse when I realized that earlier in the day, Serena had told Grant about Lissa and Christian's desire to defend themselves. He apparently thought that it was a good idea too. It would figure. Lissa had two progressive guardians. Why couldn't she have gotten some stodgy, old-school person who would be horrified at the thought of a Moroi even thinking about fighting off a Strigoi? So, while I sat helpless and unable to smack sense into any of them, Lissa and Christian now had two instructors. Not only did this mean more learning opportunities, it also meant Serena had a competent partner to demonstrate certain moves with. She and Grant sparred, explaining maneuvers while Lissa and Christian watched wide-eyed. Fortunately (well, not for Lissa), she and I soon noticed something. The guardians didn't know the true reason Lissa was interested in fighting. They had no idea–how could they have?–that she wanted to go hunt and stake a Strigoi in the feeble hope of bringing him back to life. They thought she just wanted to learn basic defense, something that seemed very sensible to them. So that was what they taught. Grant and Serena also made Lissa and Christian practice on each other. I suspected there were a couple reasons for this. One was that Lissa and Christian didn't have the skill to do much damage to each other. The second reason was that it amused the guardians. It did not amuse Lissa and Christian. There was still so much tension between them, both sexual and angry, that they resented being in such close contact. Grant and Serena stopped the two Moroi from doing any more face punching, but simple dodges often meant brushing against each other, fingers sliding against skin in the heat of the action. Every once in a while, the guardians would have someone play Strigoi–putting Lissa or Christian on the offensive. The two Moroi welcomed this to a certain extent; after all, direct attacks were what they wanted to learn. But, when Christian (playing Strigoi) lunged at Lissa and pushed her into a wall, learning offense suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea to her. The maneuver pressed them right up to each other, his arms holding hers. She could smell him and feel him and was overwhelmed by the fantasy of him just holding her there and kissing her. â€Å"I think you two should go back to basic defense,†said Grant, interrupting her traitorous feelings. He sounded like he was more worried about them hurting each other than the possibility that they might start making out. It took Lissa and Christian a moment to even register his words, let alone part from each other. When they did, both avoided eye contact and returned to the couch. The guardians launched into more examples of how to avoid an attacker. Lissa and Christian had seen this so many times that they knew the lesson by heart, and their earlier attraction gave way to frustration. Lissa was too polite to say anything, but after fifteen minutes of Serena and Grant showing how to block with your arms and dodge someone reaching for you, Christian finally spoke. â€Å"How do you stake a Strigoi?†Serena froze at Christian's words. â€Å"Did you say stake?†Rather than being shocked, Grant chuckled. â€Å"I don't think that's anything you need to worry about. You want to focus on getting away from a Strigoi, not getting closer.†Lissa and Christian exchanged an uneasy look. â€Å"I helped kill Strigoi before,†Christian pointed out. â€Å"I used fire at the school's attack. Are you saying that's not okay? That I shouldn't have done it?†Now Serena and Grant traded glances. Ha, I thought. Those two weren't as progressive as I thought. They were coming from a defense point of view, not offense. â€Å"Of course you should have,†said Grant at last. â€Å"What you did was amazing. And in a similar situation? Sure. You wouldn't want to be helpless. But that's the point–you have your fire. If it came down to you fighting a Strigoi, your magic's going to be the way to go. You already know how to use it–and it'll keep you safely out of their range.†â€Å"What about me?†asked Lissa. â€Å"I don't have any kind of magic like that.†â€Å"You'll never get close enough to a Strigoi for it to be a problem,†said Serena fiercely. â€Å"We won't let you.†â€Å"Besides,†added Grant with amusement, â€Å"it's not like we just go around handing out stakes.†I would have given anything for them to go take a look in her suitcase right then. Lissa bit her lip and refused to make eye contact with Christian again, for fear of giving away their intentions. This was not going according to their crazy plan. Christian again took the lead. â€Å"Can you at least demo it?†he asked, trying–and succeeding–to look like someone just seeking the sensational and exciting. â€Å"Is it hard to do? It seems like all you have to do is aim and hit.†Grant snorted. â€Å"Hardly. There's a bit more to it than that.†Lissa leaned forward, clasping her hands together as she followed Christian's lead. â€Å"Well, then don't worry about teaching us. Just show us.†â€Å"Yeah. Let's see.†Christian shifted restlessly beside her. As he did, their arms brushed, and instantly they moved apart. â€Å"It's not a game,†Grant said. Nonetheless, he walked over to his coat and produced his stake. Serena stared incredulously. â€Å"What are you going to do?†she asked. â€Å"Stake me?†He gave that small chuckle of his and searched the room with his sharp eyes. â€Å"Of course not. Ah. There we are.†He walked over to a small armchair that had a decorative pillow. He lifted it up and tested its width. It was fat and thickly filled with some sort of dense stuffing. He returned to Lissa and gestured for her to stand. To everyone's astonishment, he handed her his stake. Locking his body into a rigid position, he gripped the pillow hard between his hands and extended it out a couple feet in front of him. â€Å"Go ahead,†he said. â€Å"Aim and hit it.†â€Å"Are you crazy?†asked Serena. â€Å"Don't worry,†he said. â€Å"Princess Voda can afford the incidentals. I'm proving a point. Strike the pillow.†Lissa hesitated only a few more moments. An excitement that seemed unusually intense filled her. I knew she'd been anxious to learn this, but her desire for it seemed higher than before. Gritting her teeth, she stepped forward and awkwardly tried to impale the pillow with her stake. She was cautious–fearing she'd hurt Grant–but there was no need for her to worry. She didn't even budge him, and all she managed with the stake was a slight snagging of the fabric on the surface. She tried a few more times but achieved little more. Christian, being who he was, said, â€Å"That's all you can do?†Glaring, she handed him the stake. â€Å"You do better.†Christian stood, snarky smile disappearing as he studied the pillow critically and sized up his blow. As he did, Lissa glanced around and saw the humor in the guardians' eyes. Even Serena had relaxed. They were making their point, proving staking wasn't an easy thing to learn. I was glad, and my opinion of them rose. Christian finally made his move. He did actually pierce the fabric, but the pillow and its stuffing proved too much to break through. And again, Grant wasn't shaken at all. After more failed attempts, Christian sat down again and handed the stake back. It was kind of fun to see Christian's cocky attitude shot down a little. Even Lissa enjoyed it, despite her own frustration over how difficult this was becoming. â€Å"The stuffing's got too much resistance,†Christian complained. Grant handed his stake to Serena. â€Å"What, and you think a Strigoi's body is going to be easier to get through? With muscles and ribs in the way?†Grant got back into his position, and without hesitation, Serena struck with the stake. Its point burst through the other side of the pillow, coming to a halt just in front of Grant's chest as tiny fluffy pieces of stuffing drifted to the ground. She jerked it out and handed it to him like it had been the simplest thing in the world. Both Christian and Lissa stared in amazement. â€Å"Let me try again,†he said. By the time Priscilla called them to dinner, there wasn't a pillow in that hotel room left untouched. Boy, she was going to be surprised when she got the bill. Lissa and Christian hacked away with the stake while the guardians looked on with a superior air, confident their message was being delivered. Staking Strigoi was not easy. Lissa was finally getting it. She realized that in some ways, piercing a pillow–or a Strigoi–wasn't even about understanding the principle. Sure, she'd heard me talk about lining your shot up to get to the heart and miss the ribs, but this was more than knowledge. A lot of it was strength–strength she physically didn't have yet. Serena, though seemingly petite, had spent years building up her muscle and could get that stake through practically anything. One hour-long lesson wouldn't give Lissa that kind of strength, and she whispered as much to Christian when the group went out to dinner. â€Å"You're quitting already?†he asked, voice equally low as they rode in the backseat of an SUV. Grant, Serena, and a third guardian were there too, but they were deep in discussion. â€Å"No!†Lissa hissed back. â€Å"But I've got to, like, train before I can do it.†â€Å"Like lift weights?†â€Å"I†¦ I don't know.†The others were still talking to each other, but Lissa's topic was too dangerous for her to risk them hearing. She leaned close to Christian, unnerved yet again at how his closeness and familiarity affected her. Swallowing, she tried to keep her face impassive and stick to the topic. â€Å"But I'm just not strong enough. It's physically impossible.†â€Å"Sounds like you're giving up.†â€Å"Hey! You didn't make it through any of the pillows either.†He flushed slightly. â€Å"I almost got through that green one.†â€Å"There was hardly anything in it!†â€Å"I just need more practice.†â€Å"You don't need to do anything,†she shot back, fighting to keep her voice quiet through her anger. â€Å"This isn't your fight. It's mine.†â€Å"Hey,†he snapped, eyes glittering like pale blue diamonds, â€Å"you're crazy if you think I'm going to just let you go and risk–â€Å" He cut himself off and actually bit his lip, as though will alone wasn't enough to stop him from talking. Lissa stared at him, and both of us began wondering how he would have finished. What wouldn't he risk? Her putting herself in danger? That was my guess. Even without talk, he spoke volumes with his expression. Through Lissa's eyes, I saw him drinking in her features and trying to hide his emotions. At last, he jerked away and broke that intimate space between them, getting as far from her as he could. â€Å"Fine. Do whatever you want. I don't care.†Neither of them spoke after that, and since it was lunchtime for me, I returned to my own reality and welcomed a filing break–only to be informed by Hans that I had to keep working. â€Å"Come on! Isn't it lunchtime? You have to feed me,†I exclaimed. â€Å"That's just beyond cruel. At least throw me some crumbs.†â€Å"I did feed you. Or, well, you fed yourself when you inhaled that sandwich. You wanted your lunch break then. You got it. Now you keep working.†I slammed my fists against the endless piles of paper before me. â€Å"Can't I at least do something else? Paint buildings? Haul rocks?†â€Å"I'm afraid not.†A smile twisted the corners of his lips. â€Å"There's a lot of filing we need done.†â€Å"How long? How long are you going to punish me?†Hans shrugged. â€Å"Until someone tells me to stop.†He left me alone again, and I leaned back in my chair, forcibly trying not to flip the table in front of me over. I thought it would make me feel momentarily better, but it also meant I'd have to redo the work I'd done. With a sigh, I returned to my task. Lissa was at dinner when I tuned back into her later. It might have technically been in honor of her birthday, but really, it was all royal conversation with Priscilla. That was no way to spend a birthday, I decided. I'd have to make this up to her whenever I earned freedom. We'd have a real party, and I'd be able to give her my birthday present: gorgeous leather boots that Adrian had helped me acquire back at school. Being in Christian's head might have been more interesting, but since that wasn't an option, I returned to my own and mulled over my earlier talk with Adrian. Was this punishment finally going to end? Was an official royal decree going to put me and Lissa together at last, despite the guardians' normal policy? Trying to figure it out was like being on a hamster wheel. A lot of work. No progress. But it got me through the dinner conversation, and before I knew it, Lissa's group was getting up and heading for the restaurant's door. It was dark out now, and Lissa couldn't help but feel the weirdness of being on a human schedule. Back at school or the Court, this would be the middle of the day. Instead, they were now heading back to their hotel and would be going to bed. Well, probably not right away. I had no doubt that if Lissa and Christian could get over their current huff, they'd be back to stabbing more pillows. As much as I wanted those two dating again, I couldn't help but think they were a lot safer apart. Or maybe not. The group had hung out at the restaurant far past the normal dinner hour, so the lot was mostly empty as they walked across it. The guardians hadn't exactly parked in the back, but they weren't near the main entrance either. They had, however, made a point of parking next to one of the street lamps illuminating the lot. Except it wasn't lit now. The light had been broken. Grant and Priscilla's guardian noticed it right away. It was the kind of little detail we were trained to notice: anything unusual, anything that might have changed. In a flash, the two of them had stakes out and were flanking the Moroi. It only took seconds for Serena and the guardian assigned to Christian to follow suit. That was something else we were trained to do. Be on guard. React. Follow your colleagues. They were fast. All of them were fast. But it didn't matter. Because suddenly, there were Strigoi everywhere. I'm not entirely sure where they came from. Maybe they'd been behind the cars or on the parking lot's edges. If I'd had a bird-eye's view of the situation or been there myself with my â€Å"nausea alarm,†I might have had a better sense of it all. But I was watching the scene through Lissa's eyes, and the guardians were going out of their way to block her from the Strigoi who seemed to have appeared out of thin air as far as she was concerned. Most of the actions were a blur to her. Her bodyguards were shoving her around, trying to keep her safe as white, red-eyed faces popped up everywhere. She saw it all through a fear-filled haze. But before long, both of us could see people dying. Serena, just as fast and strong as she'd been in the hotel room, staked a male Strigoi cleanly through the heart. Then, in return, a female Strigoi leapt at Priscilla's guardian and broke his neck. Lissa was distantly aware of Christian's arm around her, pressing her against the SUV and shielding her with his own body. The remaining guardians were also still forming a protective ring as best they could, but they were distracted. Their circle was faltering–and they were dropping. One by one, the Strigoi killed the guardians. It wasn't for lack of skill on the guardians' part. They were simply outnumbered. One Strigoi tore out Grant's throat with her teeth. Serena was backhanded hard against the asphalt, landing facedown and not moving. And, horror of horrors, the Strigoi didn't seem to be sparing Moroi either. Lissa–pushing so hard against the SUV that it seemed as though she might become one with it–stared wide-eyed as one Strigoi swiftly and efficiently ripped into Priscilla's neck, pausing to drink her blood. The Moroi woman didn't even have time to register surprise, but at least there had been no real suffering. The endorphins dimmed the pain as the blood and life were drained from her body. Lissa's emotions shifted into something beyond fear, something that hardly felt like anything at all. She was in shock. Numbed. And with a cold, hard certainty, she knew that her death was coming and accepted it. Her hand found Christian's, squeezing it tightly, and turning toward him, she took small comfort in knowing the last sight she would see in life was the beautiful, crystalline blue of his eyes. From the look on his face, his thoughts were along similar themes. There was warmth in his eyes, warmth and love and– Total and complete astonishment. His eyes widened, focusing on something just behind Lissa. At that same moment, a hand grabbed Lissa's shoulder and whipped her around. This is it, a small voice inside her whispered. This is where I die. Then, she understood Christian's astonishment. She was facing Dimitri. Like me, she had that surreal sense of it being Dimitri yet not being Dimitri. So many of his features were the same†¦ and yet so many were different. She tried to say something, anything, but while the words formed on her lips, she just couldn't manage to get them out. Intense heat suddenly flared behind her, and a brilliant light lit Dimitri's pale features. Neither Lissa nor I needed to see Christian to know he had produced a ball of fire with his magic. Either the shock of seeing Dimitri or fear for Lissa had spurred Christian into action. Dimitri squinted slightly at the light, but then a cruel smile twisted his lips, and the hand resting on her shoulder slid up to her neck. â€Å"Put it out,†said Dimitri. â€Å"Put it out or she dies.†Lissa finally found her voice, even with her air cut off. â€Å"Don't listen to him,†she gasped out. â€Å"He's going to kill us anyway.†But behind her, the heat died. Shadows fell across Dimitri's face once again. Christian wouldn't risk her, even though she was right. It hardly seemed to matter. â€Å"Actually,†said Dimitri, voice pleasant amid the grim scene, â€Å"I'd rather you two stay alive. At least for a little while longer.†I felt Lissa's face move to a frown. I wouldn't have been surprised if Christian's did too, judging from the confusion in his voice. He couldn't even manage a snarky comment. He could only ask the obvious: â€Å"Why?†Dimitri's eyes gleamed. â€Å"Because I need you to be bait for Rose.â€
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Case analysis: music juice
Rocky LU and John Wong, two friends who wanted to build a new Internet venture together, found an interesting concept in Amsterdam that they wanted to import in North America: it was a platform based on scrounging where fans could help their favorite musicians by raising money for them. The two entrepreneurs imported the core business model of the company Jellybean. Com and added a few features to differentiate themselves from the existing competitors.However, once the company was created, several problems occurred: – A new competitor, Clothespin. Net, was launched one month after Injustice, backed by a large campaign. – There were additional costs and delays on the implementation of the website. – Rocky was lacking coding skills and John didn't have any management skills. This resulted in the deterioration of the relationship between the two friends. – Two of the four revenue streams were inefficient, which lead to an insufficiency of venue. Most of the p eople had the opinion that the website presented no interests In conclusion, the fundamental problems were the lack of experience and skills from the two founders, the lack of interest from the website and the insufficient revenues. Given this situation, Musicale had several options to improve its value proposition. For example, it could improve its marketing campaign or offer more possibilities for users on Its website, like voting for his favorite artist or raise money or movies or books.These solutions would help the website to have more users, which is the fundamental element of the concept of scrounging. For my part, I think that they could take advantage from the help of an outsider. For example, they could contact venture capitalist or business angels. With their experience and knowledge, they would give great advices to the two young entrepreneurs. Moreover, It Is an opportunity for Rocky and John to obtain financing for their startups.
Health Benefits of Cigars
Health Benefits of Cigars From the prehistoric times to voyages to the new world, cigars and tobacco have been used in varied methods that are important to man, and one of them is the various Health Benefits of using cigars. These benefits are as follows: Beneficial for Alzheimer’s Patients Studies since the 1900’s have shown that nicotine imitates a certain part of the brain called neurotransmitters and is known to affect an abundant number of this important part of the brain. Research has shown the effect of nicotine to increased brain function.As Alzheimer’s is characterized by affected neurons in the basal forebrain linked with loss of nicotinic receptors, it was found out that nicotine have important effects to this cells, increasing not only the regulation of flow of blood in the brain but also cognition.. Control effects of Tourette’s Syndrome Data from a recent study showed that nicotine can control the effects of Tourette’s syndrome; these effects are characterized by physical tics and uncontrollable vocalizations which are often filled with obscenities.A series of case studies showed long-term control of tics, vocalizations and other symptoms by the effect of nicotine, the active ingredient in cigars. Stabilize patients with Schizophrenia New data indicating that nicotine can regulate some of the psychophysiological symptoms seen in patients with schizophrenia have been uncovered in recent studies in patients who are suffering from schizophrenia. This disease is very hard to understand and to treat, that is why understanding the effect of nicotine this illness is crucial. Good Memory and CognitionThe effect of smoking cigars not only encompasses persons suffering from diseases of the neurons in the brain but also the normal and healthy person. Clinical studies have shown that effect of nicotine to non-smoking persons produces significant improvements in long-term recall and attention span. Analgesic Research has show n that the active ingredient in cigars, which is nicotine, has an effect that relaxes muscles. Its effect on the peripheral nervous systems is very much alike to analgesics so cigars, in case of emergencies can be used as pain relievers.Control Intestinal Parasites and Worms Cigars can be used to control some intestinal parasites and worms, ingesting small amount of cigar, the equivalent of 1-1. 5 of cigarette, can be used to kill this parasites. After 24 hours of ingesting the cigar, passing of the parasites can be noticed due to toxic effect of nicotine to the parasites. Stress Relief Most cigar smokers will tell you that cigars help them relax and ease the tension and stress after a hard day’s work.Stress is associated with many illnesses such as hypertension, migraines and others, and should not be taken lightly. The effect of cigars is very important to lower the stress levels of a person. Appetite and Diet It is known that small doses of cigar smoking stimulate appetite and large doses can depress hunger and thirst. By using one product, in this case cigars, people can have their desired effect on their appetite, either dieting or gaining some pounds.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Comparison of two Poe short stories Essay
The â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†and â€Å"The Black Cat†are two short stories written by the author Edgar Allan Poe respectively in 1843 and 1845. The two short stories which are characterized by a gothic and mysterious atmosphere has a very similar plot setting, but how do you differ the reason for killing an old innocent man(TTH), and a sudden hanging of the cat that you used to love(BC)? Poe gives a unique opportunity to analyze the way of human behavior through his short stories, where you as a reader have to study the minds of insane individuals who claim to be sane. The atmosphere of Poe’s two shorty stories indicates a lot of fear, which makes the tension rise as the timeline develops. This is seen in both stories, even though we have one big difference regarding the order of the events; in the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†our starting point is in a prison or in a mental health center most likely, where the protagonist recounts the preceding actions, which has led him to the place he is now. This means that we know the whole plot of the story. This flashback-like telling technique makes the reader focus more on aspects we normally consider less important; why does the heartbeat get louder and louder? â€Å"[†¦] the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder – louder – louder!†(P. 158 l. 9-10). These dark and odd aspects are quite important in the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†, not only because they make the story more exciting and thrilling by the anaphors for instance, but also because it leads us toward a more â€Å"right†comprehension of the protagonists` behavior; how and why is he driven to his state of mi nd? Poe’s way of writing makes the tension rise a lot towards the end. It almost feels like the text is speeding up for the reader because of the action-packed ending containing all of these repetitions and exclamation marks. Furthermore is the monologue also a central factor in both short stories affecting the atmosphere, because the protagonists enrage themselves more and more. No other individuals tries to calm them down in any way, ask how they are etc. Especially this makes them seem even crazier. In â€Å"The Black Cat†is the atmosphere also dark and frightening, but not exactly in the same way though. In contrast to the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†are the smaller effects not that important in â€Å"The Black Cat†. The atmosphere is more affected directly by the protagonist whose mood seems to be changing a lot through the story. The atmosphere appears almost idyllic in the beginning when the narrator tells us about this love for animals: â€Å"I was especially fond of animals, and was indulged by my parents with a great variety of pets. With these I spent most of my time, and never was so happy as when feeding and caressing them.†(P. 1 l. 21-23), but as the protagonist starts to go out and drink he gets more and more irritable. It seems like he is aware of the changing, but he finds himself unable to reverse it somehow. The answer for this might very well be the alcohol, which gives the atmosphere a huge twist as the protagonists’ senses are attenuated and he catches the wrong impressions of his formerly loved cat Pluto: â€Å"One night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, I fancied that the cat avoided my presence.†(P. 2 l. 55-56). The negative side effects of the alcohol withdraw a condition influenced by paranoia for the protagonist. Poe has an unusual way of building up a fearful; more likely a disgusting atmosphere around hobbies containing good moral and mutual pleasure; caretaking of an old man and petting a loyal cat – not really the things we would consider evil. He does this deliberately to make the reader focus more on the protagonist’s personalities: Why would anyone hang a sweet cat or a kill an old man? The relationships are turned upside down; your friends become your enemies. If we take a closer look on the spectacular personalities we most likely indirectly make an interpretation of the protagonists who are defending their extreme behavior. This is specifically seen in the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†, wherein the protagonist tries to argue for his actions several times: â€Å"And have I not told you what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses?†(P. 156 l. 27-28). The denial of the madness almost appear logic to some individuals perhaps, but you do not call it mitigating circumstances what so ever if an individual can hear the heart pounding of a dead man. This is in fact the biggest difference between the two men – the protagonist in the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†could as well be a woman, but he says: â€Å"You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.†(P. 155 L. 3). For that reason we assume the individual is a man; a man who has planned his murder for about a week. In contrast to this has the protagonist in â€Å"The Black Cat†not planned his murderous actions at all, but carries them out in blind rage. Besides this does the two protagonists have a lot in common regarding the narration especially. They both seem unreliable; they cannot be completely accurate with everything that happened in the past, particularly the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat†since he was intoxicated by alcohol most of the time. Both titles say a lot about the narrators as well. The title in the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†can be put in relation to the narrator and his own heart, because he can’t bare his own actions at last and we think that it is in fact his own heart that pounds so hard in the end of the story due to the feeling of guiltiness. This applies equally in the other short story, wherein the man is suppressed by guiltiness in the end and suddenly kills his lovely wife. Furthermore is the thematic subject almost the same as the title interpretation; the human heart cannot bare such guiltïÆ' outwardly they both seem very confident when the police searches the house, but the inside is the guilt-feeling increasing, which reveals the protagonist’s evil acts in the end. Poe masters the gothic genre very well by creating this fearful environment; even making the home a frightening place in the â€Å"Tell-Tale Heart†, whereas he makes irrational pets rational and makes the narrators irrational murdersïÆ' relationship turned upside down again, this time regarding outwardly behavior. He changes the abilities of human nature in the big whole, which makes the stories a bit hard to analyze and therefore we must as reader think like a psychologist to obtain a slightly right comprehension of the unique stories.
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