Badger by John Tripp Essay Example

Badger by John Tripp Essay The goal of this coursework is to think about two sonnets, in light of badgers, by John Tripp and John Clare. So as to do this effectively, it has been suggested that perspectives, for example, the manner in which the artist depicts the badger, the disposition of every artist towards the badger and references to what I discovered viable ought to be secured. Badger by John Tripp This sonnet depends on Tripps individual experience with a badger, during the mid twentieth Century. The initial lines acquaint the peruser with the merciful, delicate nature of a badger. The human generalization of a badger is that they are innocuous, and loveable nighttime things. They show up so cuddly and adorable. Teddy bears or sketch of badgers regularly make this picture. A badger is likewise being embodied, when it is alluded to just like a family man. A greater part of us would accept that families are a solidarity that lone exist in humankind. This normally comprises of a spouse, wife and kids. It appears to be so enlightened. Being people, we would see ourselves as better than different races. Relating people to badgers causes them to appear to be an increasingly wise, and an incomparable race in the set of all animals. We will compose a custom exposition test on Badger by John Tripp explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on Badger by John Tripp explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom paper test on Badger by John Tripp explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer Some would consider badgers to be by and large rather modest and saved. Tripp portrays how he has gained notoriety for staying detached. In certain viewpoints, this is a positive thing. Badgers stay out of other people's affairs, and don't meddle with the lives of individual creatures. It nearly causes them to appear to be persevering. They are occupied enough enveloped with their own lives to ponder about others. As the sonnet creates, the depiction of a badger steadily turns out to be progressively evil, and all the more undermining. The principal sign that something wasn't right is when Tripp composes I thought he stuffed himself on creepy crawlies and roots The utilization of the past tense demonstrates that he used to have this sentiment, yet does not do anymore. This intrigues the peruser about what made him bring down his assessment of badgers. There is reference to the badger bedeviling him and scratching at the work. Him is alluding to Tripps hare. Before, badger goading was an amazingly well known game, and it was a continuous mean of diversion. In the public eye today, it is not, at this point acknowledged, as creatures are dealt with all the more sympathetically and with more regard. However it would appear to be somewhat amusing that a badger would lure a creature, for this situation being a hare. It makes the peruser less thoughtful towards badgers for the evil treatment they got when they were bedeviled. We, as the peruser, are made mindful that badgers are not herbivores, as the greater part of us would accept. They are omnivores, which means they devour both vegetable and meat items. In their indigenous habitat, they chase down their prey, and are intended to do as such. This is affirmed when it says he needed in excess of an exhausting vegetable dish. Tripp underscores this, when the badgers large jaws and bone p ulverizing molars are depicted. The descriptive word bone squashing is especially compelling as it makes one mindful of the sheer force they have. They are intended to destroy substance. This sends a chill down the perusers spine, and unexpectedly, the badger doesnt appear to be so honest and delightful. The grizzled snouter proposes that badgers arent so cuddly all things considered. Their snouter are harsh and bristly, giving an unsavory sensation to ones hand when contacted. Since my youth, creatures have frequently appeared to be somewhat diverting to me, especially badgers. He scooped a gap under the boxwood cubby, is a normal picture I have of a badger doing. I could truly envision it quickly burrowing a tunnel with its paws, throwing a heap of earth behind him. It appears to be fairly silly to me. However what spurs the badger into doing this isn't at all piece diverting. To the uncovered eye, badgers may give off an impression of being so harmless and defenseless, however that is deluding. Fragmented the floor with his slamming head. I would expect that the head is one of the most delicate pieces of the body. The cerebrum is sensitive, and can be harmed without any problem. As it assumes such a fundamental job in a life form, the littlest measure of harm might be deadly. However here is the badger thinking carefully to get through touch, solid wood. The force and quality of him is phenomenal, and terrifying. The horrendous portrayal of the passing of the hare: the string and red dangerous mash that was the main survives from the animal, is detestable. The peruser feels a flood of outrage toward the badger. No animal should kick the bucket along these lines. However that is the thing that nature is about. There is no kindness in the wilderness. The law of the wilderness is somewhat cruel: eat or get eaten. However this despite everything legitimizes the badgers conduct and activities, making it adequate. The last sentence of the sonnet is somewhat surprising: Before a smallholder blew of his head. In spite of the fact that it doesn't appear to be amusing, as it is so unforeseen, ones introductory response is to blast out into an attack of giggling. The sonnet is brought to a quick end. I expect at this stage, Tripps felt that equity had been done, and this was a suitable spot to end the sonnet. As it were, it follows the clich㠯⠿â ½ the miscreant consistently endures. All through the whole sonnet, it is apparent that Tripp bears hard emotions towards badgers. Toward the finish of the sonnet, we discover why. In the initial lines of the sonnet, the generalization of badgers is portrayed, however I was under the feeling that this wasnt his view on badgers. Innocuous they called him. The utilization of the word they demonstrate that the announcement is barring him. On the off chance that it was including his assessment, he would have utilized the term we. Do anymore, the utilization of the past tense recommends even the individuals who thought badgers were innocuous initally, do not do. The way that Tripp depicts the badger causes him to seem awful. . Large jaws. bone-pulverizing molarsgrizzled snouter. These depictions all emphasis on the quality of the badger, and recommend that he exploits it. This sonnet is fairly inclination, and it is clear that Tripp is against the badger, for what he never really bunny. Our poor youthful hare must have passed on of dismay. The descriptors utilized causes the bunny to appear to be so helpless, and honest. The accompanying sentence says however not before the badger minced him, into string and elusive red mash. The portrayal of the hares demise is being depicted and horrendous, especially when the remaining parts of the hare are being portrayed as red dangerous mash. This turns the peruser against the badger, which I believe was what Tripp was attempting to accomplish. There is likewise the utilization of mockery. That loveable thing Being snide, it implies that the author imagines that the badger is actually something contrary to loveable. The last sentence of the sonnet is the point at which a little holder murders the badger. Tripp doesn't offer any remark on what occurred. On the off chance that he felt that it was crooked, he would have most likely referenced something about it. However he neglected to do as such. In this way I would assume that he had no protests of the executing of the badger. The terrible and troubled depiction of the hares demise was especially powerful in convincing the peruser that badgers are not kind, delicate animals. The one line of the entire sonnet than I can't overlook is the badger minced him into string and red tricky mash. So for the most part, while talking about this sonnet, one of the primary things I would allude to is that line, and that doesn't make an especially decent picture of the badger. Likewise, the general format of the entire sonnet is intended to catch the enthusiasm of the peruser. Toward the start, the generalization of the badger is given, by and large depicting it as a delicate animal. However you know that Tripp himself no longer concurs with this announcement. The peruser becomes inquisitive why, and needs to peruse on. As the sonnet creates, the more unforgiving and heartless side of the badgers character is uncovered. Toward the finish of the sonnet, the badger is executed. From Tripps viewpoint, doubtlessly equity had been finished. Anyway I don't concur. The clich㠯⠿â ½ two wrongs dont make a privilege could be reffered to. I dont feel that people reserve the option to pass judgment or rebuff the badger for what he did. The badger was withdrawing, and he was of no danger at all to the people. The badger eats the hare. This is all piece of nature. Do people not eat creatures that are underneath them in the natural pecking order? I think it was fairly dishonest to slaughter the badger, for doing what they do as well. Eating meat. By slaughtering the badger, it didnt breath life into the hare back, did it? Badger By John Clare This sonnet was written in the mid nineteenth Century, and depends on badger goading. The initial lines of the sonnet acquaint the peruser with vile movement. At the point when 12 PM comes a large group of mutts and men. 12 PM is frequently connected with wrongdoing, and insidiousness movement. The world is snoozing, and it is the ideal chance to perpetrate a wrongdoing. The nearness of the host of canines affirms this. It appears as thought the mutts are there for security, or to assault. They are going to follow the badger the word track proposes that the badger is being pursued down, being a casualty of these people. The badger is portrayed as being innocuous. Old snorting badger shows the badger was defenseless and feeble, as he is matured. Snorting is a commotion that individuals frequently make when they are vigilant, and weakness. This implies the badger isn't in a decent condition of wellbeing, and is significantly increasingly defenseless. However the badger is still genuinely solid. They let the most grounded free. The most grounded hounds were set upon the badger, as the men felt that the badger may beable to shield itself against the more vulnerable pooches. Despite the fact that, the chances were out of line. It is outlandish that one badger could

Criminal Justice communication 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Criminal Justice correspondence 4 - Essay Example One should decline to take part in superfluous contentions or discussions. This strategy benefits time for chilling so the two gatherings can move toward the contention with some restraint. Also, another strategy would involve rivalry or emphaticness. This strategy is better pertinent where an individual realizes that they are correct or where it is expected to ensure against individuals who exploit non-serious conduct. Thirdly, an individual can be accommodative particularly where they realize they are incorrect, and especially where it is more relevant to protect a relationship than the current issue or where proceeded with rivalry would be harming to a person’s case. To include, an individual could bargain or arrange where the two gatherings would surrender ground, to show up at a center position satisfactory to all. This will be appropriate where a trade off would progress and work well for the interests of each gathering. Ultimately, gatherings could work together when there is compelling correspondence and concerns are unreasonably important, for instance, to bargain or when the issue is normal and along these lines central to consolidate bits of knowledge. Correspondence is central to accomplish the above methodologies. One should be objective as a disappointment of objectivity influences correspondence. Besides, gatherings should begin from the shared view, that the two of them concur and share, gradually digging into the contention. Strife shirking is likewise a system to keep away from heightening of a contention. In staying away from, there are no victors or failures. One just pulls back evades or delays tending to the contention. It is basic likewise when connections are in question, to give time to chilling or when one is confronted with an all the more problem that is begging to be addressed and, in this manner, has no opportunity to manage this specific one or where more data is required. By and by, this system has the disadvantage in that basic choices could be made of course and in addition, delaying the dace may simply exacerbate the situation or

The Science Behind How New Brain Cells Are Generated

The Science Behind How New Brain Cells Are Generated Theories Biological Psychology Print How New Brain Cells Regenerate By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Claudia Chaves, MD on August 05, 2016 Claudia Chaves, MD, is board-certified in cerebrovascular disease and neurology with a subspecialty certification in vascular neurology. Learn about our Medical Review Board Claudia Chaves, MD Updated on January 21, 2020 PASIEKA / Science Photo Library / Getty Images More in Theories Biological Psychology Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Psychosocial Psychology Conventional wisdom has long suggested that we cannot grow new brain cells; that we are born with all of the brain cells we will ever have and that once those gray cells expire, theyre gone for good. This belief was fueled, in part, by the fact that certain motor (movement) and cognitive (thought) functions tend to decline the older we get. But should this suggest that its all downhill once we approach a certain age and that we have no choice but to wait for the inevitable decline? Brain Cells and the Hippocampus While the vast majority of our brains cells are formed while we are in the womb, there are certain parts of the brain that continue to create new neural cells during infancy. Until recent decades, however, the brain’s limited capacity to regenerate triggered the belief that neurogenesisâ€"the birth of new brain cellsâ€"ceased soon after this stage. However, research done over the last two decades has suggested that at least one part of the brain continues to create new cells throughout a persons lifespan. During the late 1990s, researchers at Rockefellers University in New York City conducted studies in which marmoset monkeys were injected with a tracer chemical that could differentiate between slow-dividing mature brain cells and fast-dividing new ones. What they found was that the hippocampus (a region of the brain associated with memories, learning, and emotions) continued to create new cells without the constraint of age or time. Later studies using carbon-14 dating (which evaluate the age and process of cellular development) confirmed that cells in the hippocampus, while continually dying, were quickly replaced by new ones. It is only by the formation of these cells that the hippocampus is able to maintain its central functions.?? What it also showed us is that the number of new cells, and the frequency by which they are created, begin to decline with age. With that being said, the rate of decline wasnt seen to be consistent and could vary significantly from subject to subject. What Research Tells Us About the Birth of New Brain Cells The above research is considered important as is suggests that there are factors that can stimulate and inhibit the process of adult neurogenesis. It even hints at possible models for treating degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, and even reversing damage caused by traumatic brain injury. Exercise Your Body Among the factors that can potentially amp up this process, exercise has been considered an important one. Early animal research conducted by scientists at the University of Chicago found that aerobic exercise led to both an increase in cell production in the hippocampus and increases in the amount of genetic information being encoded. What this tells us is that not only does the function of the brain improve, the cells themselves are better able to store information for learning and memory.?? Research from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 reported that aerobic exercise among 120 older adults increased the actual size of the hippocampus by two percent and effectively reversed the aging-related cell loss by one to two years.?? Exercise Your Brain In addition to exercise, scientists have found that enriched learning environments can also contribute to the survival of old cells and the production of new ones. In short, it is suggested that the more you exercise your brain, the more you will be able to maintain optimal brain function. On the flip side, there are factors that directly undermine neurogenesis. Chief among these is age. We know, for example, that by the time many adults reach their 80s, as much as 20 percent of the neural connections in the hippocampus will be lost. More Findings Recently, a new study performed at the University of California at San Francisco failed to demonstrate the development of new neurons in the hippocampus of almost 30 adult patients, fueling the controversy of whether neurogenesis in adults does indeed occur.?? Future research with a large number of patients and the development of techniques that allow for imaging of new neurons in the living brain will be necessary to definitively confirm or refute the theory of neurogenesis in adults. This ongoing controversy should not discourage you from exercising physically and mentallyâ€"even if it does not help neurogenesis, its effects on your overall health are incontestable. How Neurons Transmit Information Throughout the Body

Informative Caffeine Speech Essay - 646 Words

Introduction: (bring a monster, sip it) alright. How many of you here drink coffee, energy drinks, or soda daily? Well we aren’t alone; according to Villanova Health Service about 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine in one way or another every single day. Transition: So what is caffeine you generally think of it in, Coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate, and its part of almost all college students daily diet. I. Caffeine A. What is caffeine 1. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary caffeine is defined as a bitter alkaloid C8H10N4O2 (not that any of you care) found especially in coffee, tea, cacao, and kola nuts and used medicinally as a stimulant and diuretic 2. The word caffeine comes from the French word cafà ©,†¦show more content†¦Chemical Performance (fat oxidation, speeding up cells) 3. Mental performance, low doses of caffeine 20-200mg has positive mood effects, such as increased happiness and well-being. III. Negatives to Caffeine A. Lack of sleep 1. A healthy amount of sleep for an adult is 7-8 hours a day 2. It makes it hard to sleep because caffeine has a 6 hour half life meaning it takes 24 hours to fully get out of your system. 3. quality of sleep is bad by reducing REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when your body is recuperating B. To much Adrenaline 1. Adrenaline according to Forbes is what causes your flight or flight. 2. Hyper-aroused body and brain, your emotions overrun your behavior. 3. Irritability and anxiety are most common emotions but caffeine can cause any emotions. C. More side effects 1. Osteoporosis, caffeine and lowered bone density have a significant association 2. Diabetes, Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that consumption of caffeine raised the average daily sugar levels by 8 per cent. 3. Fertility studies have shown that women who drink one to one and a half cups of coffee each day had up to a 50% reduction in fertility. IV. A. Consume a healthy amount of caffeine 1. 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5 Different Ways to Classify Volcanoes

University Application Free Essays

I would like to explain about work experience. From 2005 to 2007, I worked as a help desk technician for a high school affiliated to Korea University in Korea. I maintained roughly 400 desktops and supported technical works including backup, error corrections of desktops and printers, and unskilled user’s mistakes. We will write a custom essay sample on University Application or any similar topic only for you Order Now I formatted and installed Windows OS and replaced main-board’s condenser, VGA, RAM, HDD, LAN card, and ODD. I installed a LAN line for new class rooms to be internet accessible. In 2008, as a system operator I worked for one of the biggest securities companies in Korea. I implemented a daily batch job involved opening and closing a stock market, processing deals in stocks, ERP, marketing and whole stock task with Solaris UNIX. I was involved in discussion on a modification of a batch job scheduling and maintained a batch job by documenting on a scheduled manual record and analyzing the dependency while recording the elapsed time. The next job that I worked for one of the biggest telecommunication companies in Korea, where I discussed about annual operational plan and held the responsibility of including DB running on AIX UNIX and CTI, IVR and recording servers running on Windows 2000. I did first-level troubleshooting and informed a person in charge of a server when the issues arose. I continued to work as a technical support specialist for Apple in 2011 in Singapore. I provided front line support via live web-chat and email for Apple Care certified technicians. I drew on technical information from groups such as Apple care engineering, service training and documentation with a predominant focus on assisting field technicians with the repair of Apple Products. I identified potential engineering issues and trends in escalations by ongoing analysis and tracking of escalations, and analysis of reports. Currently I am working for Seagate as a technical support specialist. I answer to inbound customer inquiry calls and emails for individual and business Seagate hard drive customers. I work cross-functionally to resolve complex issues in Windows and MacOS environments. One day, I participated in a project in designing a team website to implement integrated trouble shooting. It became a great internal knowledge base for our team. It is also very helpful as all articles written by hands on experience for specific issues. After designing the project, I have trained team members for trouble shooting steps for Apple products, and it was a good opportunity for me to utilize my previous working experience at Apple. I am quite interested in UNIX system administration and database. I want to be a computer science professional who delivers environment friendly, convenient and secure life to the world. Special achievements I have made is that I was promoted to be an advanced network product support team member in Feb 2013. I was Chosen as a top 10 agent of all agents around the world in 2011. My personal aim is to know essential computer knowledge to lay down the foundation. Furthermore, I wish to learn the computer and its related fields in depth. Actually, that was my hope when I was working as a system operator in a big data center. This was because I ran shell scripts daily but sometimes I did not fully comprehend how it works. I monitored SQL queries yet sometimes I had difficulty to understand it. I would like to build my career at business computer related. However, the requirements I applied were asking a degree in computer science. In addition, I hope to discover a potential and interesting area in computer filed through BCS. I would like to study with Adelaide University as they provide high quality teaching. I believe after graduation of this degree, I will be highly skilled and adaptable with the ability to design computer-based solutions to the problems of information management and processing. How to cite University Application, Essay examples

Impact of Social Media on Banking Employees-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Social Media on Banking Employees. Answer: Introduction Since its time of inception, social media had influenced upon the world so much that the online service meant for creating a connection between people is now being utilized to mend organizational structures. The dramatic change of technology has affected the social media platforms as well (Ashley Tuten, 2015). The following literature review would include the ideals of different authors in published journals and books about the impact of social media in banking organizations and the employees there. This would have an overview of social media and its implementation in banking sectors. Finally, it would present a clear idea of how the social media influences the occupation and behaviour of the banking sector employees. The impact of social media on banking sectors and employees As per Bharati, Zhang Chaudhury (2015), social media is the software platform, which does not rely on just one user or programmer to access but includes the involvement of multiple users to contribute to the same platform continuously and collaboratively. These activities of contribution include sharing links, text and multimedia files to a third party internet application to interact with each other. Social media is regarded as a Web 2.0 application development that supports user-driven interaction via web. The idea of social media was to adapt to a technology that enables people to have a one-on-one and group interaction for sharing ideas, multimedia and more over a website enabled medium. In the contemporary world, there are numerous social media platforms that people have made an integral part of their lives. These include, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg and many more (Kane, 2015). Involvement of the general mass has become exponentially increased in the social med ia websites and applications in due course of time such that life without social media is unthinkable now. We know that expansion of social media has not confined itself into affecting the lives of general mass but also to the organizations. Since, the social media platforms have a huge amount of consumers present online; it is easier for the business organizations to present their business ideals to the possible customer base in real-time and receive feedback for it as well. It enhances the chances of an organization to build its own influential market presence. Therefore, it is required that an organization include strategic use of social media in enhancing the business being in the customers view. It promotes the business, saves the promotional costs and even helps an organization in overcoming their economic challenges. However, in Malaysia itself, it has been found that organizations have started implemented the usage of social networking platforms for corporate communications and promotional activities. Since, 47 percent of the total Malaysian population uses these platforms, the Ma laysian organizations are being able to reach out to the cream of the society benefitting their business including the banking sectors (Kane, 2015). Literary evidence on the effect of social media on banking sectors and employees According to Schivinski and Dabrowski (2016), social media enhances the opportunities of engaging the customer base to the organizational structure in newer ways. It increases the chances of customers being more intrigued in the brand and the organization. Due to its ability consumer engagement in a timely and directly at relatively low costs, social media is relevant for organizations of all sizes, be it small, medium and large (Felix, Rauschnabel Hinsch, 2017). It was found to have significant positive impact on perceptions and attitudes of a consumer toward ecommerce websites. According to the findings, it has been perceived that with the advancement of technology, social media has expanded its availability from immobile devices to mobile ones. It can be easily accessible from any device having connectivity to the internet. As a business strategy, the usage of social media amongst employees has its positives and its negatives amongst the employees working in the banking sectors (Malhotra, 2017). Engaging employees for posting and sharing content related to the banks marketing strategies and promotions indeed make a good impact on accelerating the market base. However, studies have found that the employees facing the clients, such as loan officers, personal bankers and financial advisors, are forbidden to use social media when it is utilized for business purposes. Although, some are of the opinion that employees can post. Although, it is unclear about the rules for them to post without any proper training done (Dijkmans, Kerkhof Beukeboom, 2015). It forms a bigger proscription on the employees facing the clients who posted business purpose contents on their social media accounts accessed personally. Gap in the literature The literary evidences have successfully covered the overall impact of social media on the organization and its employees. It reveals that the usage of social media comes with a positive and a negative impact. The total number of organizations in Malaysia that is adapting to the latest technology of utilizing social media to its benefit for promoting the business however fails to focus on the accumulated impact it has on the banking sectors. There are evidences of the rules and regulations about the usage of social media in banking sectors and their employees but there is little or no information about the effect of such usage regulations. In addition, all the evidences are based mostly on the professional perspective rather than the effect of social media on banking employees if they use it for personal purposes during the duty hours. Therefore, it needs to be researched upon about the effects social media embarks ahead the employees in banking sectors both by quantitative and qualitative method if the usage occurs during the duty hours but for entirely personal purposes. It is a known fact that using personal accounts of social media during working hours is prohibited in most organizations, however, people find out ways due to the addictive nature of this technology. What drives the urge in the employees to break the prohibitions can also be a point of research further. Conclusion Therefore, it can be concluded from the above report that a marketing program can be based on social media for all the organizations including the banking sectors, however, the use of social media on accordance to the employees working hours is a questionable issue. If used as a promotional tool, the effects of social media usage amongst banking employees can be beneficial to the organization, but client-facing employees face many prohibition and obligations whilst the usage of social media during working hours is in question. The social media has influenced the world in a big way and continuing to do so with the advancement of time and technology. Therefore, it is the best low cost timesaving promotional tool that the organizations can implement in their business strategies. References Ashley, C., Tuten, T. (2015). Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement.Psychology Marketing,32(1), 15-27. Banks, M., Zeitlyn, D. (2015).Visual methods in social research. Sage. Bharati, P., Zhang, W., Chaudhury, A. (2015). Better knowledge with social media? Exploring the roles of social capital and organizational knowledge management.Journal of Knowledge Management,19(3), 456-475. Dijkmans, C., Kerkhof, P., Beukeboom, C. J. (2015). A stage to engage: Social media use and corporate reputation.Tourism Management,47, 58-67. Felix, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Hinsch, C. (2017). Elements of strategic social media marketing: A holistic framework.Journal of Business Research,70, 118-126. Kane, G. C. (2015). Enterprise social media: Current capabilities and future possibilities.MIS Quarterly Executive,14(1). Malhotra, P. (2017). Impact of Social Networking Sites on Financial Performance: A Case Study of Indian Banks. Schivinski, B., Dabrowski, D. (2016). The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands.Journal of Marketing Communications,22(2), 189-214.

My Last Duchess Cel Essay Example

My Last Duchess Cel Essay The text I have selected to discourse is My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning. which was written in 1842. My Last Duchess is a dramatic soliloquy of one side of a conversation between a Duke and a Count’s courier who are negociating a matrimony to the Count’s girl. The Duke’s address about his Last Duchess’ reveals possibly more than he foremost intended to. The Duke shows the Count’s envoy a picture of his Last Duchess. ’ he talks lovingly of the picture and goes on to depict the Duchess. He describes her as beautiful. easy pleased and coquettish. The scene of this verse form is the sixteenth century. where adult females were considered mere ownerships. objects. kid carriers. –not people– and taught to obey orders without contradiction. which could be punishable by decease. In this essay I intend to discourse what I consider to be the poem’s intent and significance. In My Last Duchess the Duke appears to be a really proud. covetous. and good educated adult male. He complains that the Duchess treats his gift to her of a 900 twelvemonth old name as if it were of the same value as the bough of cherries and the white mule given to her by some officious’ sap. He is genitive and commanding. and it is his covetous nature that causes the duchess’s decease. It would non be just to state that the Duke ordered for the Duchess to be disposed of. merely because she flirted with other work forces. he gave her warning and she disobeyed him. In the sixteenth century this would hold been considered a great abuse. Womans were treated as slaves. and if they disobeyed their hubbies or male members of their household so they would be known as an embarrassment to their household and their hubbies. who would hold nil more to make with them. We will write a custom essay sample on My Last Duchess Cel specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Last Duchess Cel specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Last Duchess Cel specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The duchess insults the duke. who is already covetous of her relationships’ with other work forces. who has given her warning. and who she has insulted and go an embarrassment to. the Duke feels he has no other pick but to dispose of her. The Duke chooses his words really carefully when discoursing the decease of the duchess with the minister plenipotentiary. dropping merely little intimations. but giving adequate grounds to take us to believe that did so get rid of her’ . Her decease would hold been quiet and discreet ; which I believe would hold been the Duke’s manner. no dither and no incommodiousness for the duke. Due to the rubric of the verse form. and how the duke describes the duchess as simply his last’ . doing it appear as though there has been many duchesses before her. She was his trophy married woman. and he prided himself on holding a beautiful. immature married woman. but was unable to command his green-eyed monster over those who besides appreciated her beauty. I think the duke has married many times to procure land. money and more significantly. power. The Duke craved power. money and wanted the perfect married woman. who was beautiful and followed his every bid. The Duke is covetous of the manner the Duchess treats other people. non because he loves her and wants all her love for himself. but because he wants her to admit his power over her. The Last Duchess’ was a immature miss when she married the Duke. she could hold been around 13 or 14 old ages old. At this age. although she is old plenty to cognize right from incorrect. and will non be every bit immature as a 10 or twelve twelvemonth old. it is dubious that she is old plenty to get by with so much duty. to be married to the duke for the remainder of her life and to avoid going an embarrassment to her household. To the reader. she may look as if she is simply smiling at other work forces. thanking them for their gifts and crimsoning at regards. Though. to the duke she is smiling at other work forces. the same manner she smiles at him. this causes him to worry that she is being unfaithful. She besides rates his gift of a nine-hundred-year old name the same as any other old gift. non genuinely understanding the value and importance that he believes his name to be. She blooms and smilings. when paid regards. naming that spot of joy into her cheek. of which the Duke is so genitive over. He besides comments that She had a heart—how shall I state? —too shortly made glad. excessively easy impressed ; she liked whate’er she looked on. and her expressions went everyplace. By stating this. he is connoting that she was excessively easy impressed. she liked anyone she seen. and she looked at everyone. The duchess. is immature and immature. she has been warned by the duke she must halt flirtation with other work forces. or face the effects. She sees the Duke’s weak topographic point. his green-eyed monster over her. and returns to tease him. possibly smiling at work forces when she knew she was being watched. this finally. is the cause of her death- her inability to halt smile. He says. Oh sir. she smiled. no uncertainty whene’er I passed her ; but who passed without much the same smiling? This grew ; I gave bids ; so all smilings stopped together. There she stands as if alive. The duchess still smiles at the duke. but besides at anyone else who passes. this annoys the Duke. who. when she disobeys him has decided that he can non take it any more. It all of a sudden dawns on the reader that the Duke has non stopped her from simply smiling. he has stopped her from take a breathing. it is a chilling disclosure. He has ordered her to be disposed of. and so he all of a sudden changes the subject back to the picture. about as if he can’t be bothered to discourse the affair any farther. I think the Duke and Duchess may hold had feelings for each other. and instead than appreciate the feelings of the Duke. she decides to ache them. to badger him. to do him covetous. demoing her immatureness and her naivete of disregarding his warnings. In the opening scene of the verse form. the Duke describes the picture. That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall. Looking as if she were alive. I call that piece a admiration. now. This could easy be mistaken for fancy of the duchess. but he is truly congratulating the picture. He casually tells us that it is his Last Duchess’ on the wall. non trouble oneselfing to call her. as if she were his ownership and refers to her as my. ’ He comments on the painter’s accomplishment and ability to paint her. doing her expression as if she were a existent individual in forepart of them. When the duchess was being painted by Fra pandolf’ . the painter pays her a compliment. which calls a spot of joy to her cheek. which the Duke feels should be reserved merely for himself. He is careful non to uncover his feelings towards the Duchess. although he does unwittingly through his green-eyed monster. He did care for the Duchess. possibly he did non love her. or possibly he thought of her as a ownership and was selfish. declining to portion her smiling with anyone else. but he did hold feelings for her. These feelings grew. and so did his green-eyed monster. the consequence of which unhappily ended in the Duchesses decease. The duke was. at first. lenient with the Duchess. leting her to chat up with other work forces. and when it becomes excessively much for him. warning her. and when she does non take attentiveness of his warning and he worries that his repute will be tarnished he has to move. and act he does. with the Duchess’s decease. Although. at the terminal of the verse form. he asks the minister plenipotentiary to lift. to run into the company that is waiting downstairs. they discuss the dowery which the Duke will have when he marries the Count’s girl. The count so moves on to discourse the statue of a walrus. which he describes the same as he did the picture . doing it look that he did so hold no particular feelings towards the Duchess. and he values the walrus. the same as the duchess. I believe that this verse form is set in the sixteenth century. in the Renaissance period. where the Italian nobility ruled Italy. the hapless had no say and the aristocracy at the clip treated adult females like slaves. In this period of clip. it was unacceptable for a adult female to demo her legs. excessively much of her weaponries. to be caught entirely with other work forces. whether they were guiltless or non. or to be unloyal to those who had taken attention of her. The verse form is set in the duke’s palatial’ house. there could be so be a party downstairs. perchance to compliment the Duke and the Count’s girls future nuptials. There will be many of import people invited. such as the Count. his girl and his tribunal every bit good as many other of import people of the clip. The minister plenipotentiary. after discoursing the dowery with the Duke. will return to the party. to speak to the Count and it will be decided the size of the dowery. and whether the nuptials will go on. This is an of import party for the Duke and he will desire to demo that he has wealths. wealth. power and influence to the Count. so that he will be acute for his girl to get married the Duke. The Duke’s house is large. and filled with art. he seems the type of individual to hold retainers who will be taking attention of the party downstairs. The chief subjects of this verse form are wealths. wealth. power. green-eyed monster and the male dominated society of the sixteenth century. Though there is no subject of love in this verse form. this is non grounds that the Duke did non love the Duchess. he may hold loved the duchess so much. that he could non bear to see the Duchess coquette with other people. The wealths. wealth and power are conveyed through the blue scene of this verse form. the people involved. such as the duke. the count. the duchess. the people who they consider to be below them. such as the minister plenipotentiary. the officious fool’ who gave the duchess a bough of cherries and a white mule that could non perchance compare with the duke’s 900 twelvemonth old name. There is a running subject of green-eyed monster throughout this verse form. and besides a sense of paranoia. the Duke sees the Duchess smiling at other work forces and the thought signifiers in his head that she is traveling to go forth him for anyone she smiles at. Therefore. in decision I have tried to demo what I consider to be the poem’s intent and significance. I have tried to demo how the duke was genitive over the duchess. how she tormented and teased him. how he eventually could non take any more. and she was disposed of. How he did hold feelings for her. but valued her every bit much as a statue of a walrus made out of bronze. How he discusses his Last Duchess’ and his hereafter duchess as if they were points. used for fiscal addition. The duke’s green-eyed monster is a running subject throughout the verse form. and he is unable to command it. or the duchess and he did non desire to lose face to the remainder of the nobility. The Renaissance was a clip when the violent death of adult females for the simplest of things was considered politically right. I have besides tried to demo that I consider this poem’s intent and significance to be about the Duke’s green-eyed monster and low ego regard to do him c onceive of that the Duchess is traveling to go forth for him for anyone and everyone.

Seek First to Be Understand Before Being Understood Essays

Seek First to Be Understand Before Being Understood Essays Seek First to Be Understand Before Being Understood Paper Seek First to Be Understand Before Being Understood Paper Stephan Covey is one of the speakers that will inspire you to truly listen to what the other person is trying to say. If a person does that, one will be able to reflect what the other person is saying and therefore be more able to assist him/her in what they are feeling. Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening? Most people probably seek first to be understood; we want to get our point across. And in doing so, we may ignore the other person completely, pretend that we are listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in rejection of that advice. In order to participate in communication fully, one should be sure to understand the speaker by asking questions and then replying in a way that lets the listener know that you understand the situation. This could be done by trying to mimic the other person’s feeling by repeating what he or she says, a topic that we went over in class when the professor mentioned that this a tactic some interviewers do when interviewing a job candidate. They try to do some bodily gestures and if the interviewee follows their actions, this means that they are on the same level of understanding each other. Seeking understanding is a two-way street that relies on the ability of each listener to ‘actively listen’. Generally speaking, our first impulse in communication is to make sure that we have been understood. Especially as managers and leaders and parents, we often give instruction to others. While this sort of directed communication is important, it is not the only way that we communicate. There are many times that others will come to us with problems, with needs, or with conversation. And I as a mother can attest that my first impulse is to help, to solve the problem or to offer solutions even before I know all the facts. After listening to Covey, sometimes it is a good idea to just listen and say nothing for the first few minutes so I can be able to gather all the facts before offering any assistance. It is in those times that we practice listening with empathy. This means turning our communication practice around and seeking first to understand, rather than first to be understood. This puts the power in the hands of the other person, the power to communicate their feelings. The responsibility then lies with us to accept, and understand the source of, these feelings and then seek to offer any help, if necessary.

Business Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Performance - Assignment Example Barclays provides such a service for charities and fundraisers. The goal was therefore to convince Barclays of the publicity and prestige it would gain from helping us. - Find sponsors for the X-Box360, the V3 pink razor and the VIP tickets. Our targets were large electrical companies such as Comet, Currys and Dixons. We will have to bargain and negotiate with them as successfully as possible because obtaining the prizes for free would allow us to save the funds that we have raised. - Marketing the raffle as efficiently as possible in order to raise interest for our cause and seduce the potential participant with the prizes. However, we will need to be careful not to spend an important amount on marketing and not target a too important group. - Distributing the tickets to the target market i.e. the 1.500 students who compose the school. We will need to make the students aware of the cause we are defending to make the cost of a raffle ticket worth spending. Ali was the team leader elected by the members. Unfortunately, he did not show leadership as he did not establish any contingency plan, budget or strategy. He also failed to allocate tasks to other members. As a member he had to research and print advertising flyers. All the team members were asked to pay 20.00 for a total payment of 120.00 for 5000 flyers when the target market was composed of 1500 students. Ali has to work on his communication skills to reach a better understanding within the group and should really consider planning his actions as it resulted that he produced 3 times the flyers needed. Sukhdeep was charged to go negotiate the scheme with Barclays. He only went once to the bank and claimed that it was a success even if there was not written proof of the agreement. He often proposed marvellous ideas which could never be put into practice, he frequently arrived late at our meetings and was very aggressive when selling the tickets. I believe Sukhdeep should be more committed and professional in his work by showing that he can complete the tasks given to him. Also, he should really work on his sales skills. Umer was responsible of the administration work: making memo's to be sent out to all teachers with form classes as reminders, buy raffle ticket books, to set out the proposal that was to be presented to the bank manger and head teacher, which proved to be very important. (sorry but you did not comment on Umer so please could you complete this part as I don't have any information) Tauseef was tasked to create and produce the flyers and posters. Though very optimistic, Tauseef's ideas were not very creative and he was not able to complete his task within a reasonable budget.

Multiculturalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Multiculturalism - Essay Example We have to get rid of the stereotypes and learn to embrace the strengths that everyone brings to the table. Instead of ridiculing someone because they are different we are to seek the commonalities so that everyone is included in whatever we are doing. When you are in a classroom it is very important to take into consideration the diversity of cultures that are represented. In many school districts Americans struggle with the idea that they have to teach English as a second language to those children who come from Mexico. It is important to make sure that all children are included in the classroom by encouraging them to explore their differences. Some teachers bring in readings about different cultures and create activities around them. Children today do not only have racial differences because of the extended families that raise them. Today a teacher my have children who are disabled, who come from single parent homes and those who come from gay or lesbian homes. These are all a part of the multicultural arena in the class room and all should be made to feel comfortable in their learning. Gender bias in the classroom is not new. There have been several studies done to show that boys and girls receive different educations in most classrooms. In elementary schools many girls are looked over when they raise their hand to answer a question in favor of a boy to answer. In other classrooms it is the boys who are getting the lower grades and who are being referred to special education classrooms. Sometimes this bias comes because of the way the teacher perceives the individual learners in each category. Some teachers seem to socialize young girls towards what they expect a feminine individual to do. They also pressure the boys to accept the role that someone masculine would assume. Chapman (2008) suggests that education teaches girls that they are not equal to boys and there are behaviors that

Critical Reflection on Professional Practice | Education

Critical Reflection on Professional Practice | Education In this essay I will critically review the literature on the role of the modern educator. To this end I will consider the history of teaching and the impact of modern educational theory before defining â€Å"reflective teaching†. I will then go on to consider the ramifications of critical reflectivity at different granularities. The concept of a â€Å"teacher† in the modern sense mayhave originated with the ancient Greeks. The Socratic Method set out byPlato and Xenophon encourages the learner to become an independentthinker through a process of elimination of working hypotheses.Throughout the European â€Å"dark ages† scholarly pursuits were largely thedomain of the clergy, who developed the school system and theprofessional school educator came into being. By Victorian times,however, the role of the educator was that of an instructorwho, in the spirit of John Locke, perceived children as â€Å"blank slatesonto which knowledge can be written† . Then, in the 20th Century, the view of education, and consequently the role of the educator, changed dramatically. The concept of a â€Å"teacher† in the modern sense mayhave originated with the ancient Greeks. The Socratic Method set out byPlato and Xenophon encourages the learner to become an independentthinker through a process of elimination of working hypotheses.Throughout the European â€Å"dark ages† scholarly pursuits were largely thedomain of the clergy, who developed the school system and theprofessional school educator came into being. By Victorian times,however, the role of the educator was that of an instructorwho, in the spirit of John Locke, perceived children as â€Å"blank slatesonto which knowledge can be written† . Then, in the 20th Century, the view of education, and consequently the role of the educator, changed dramatically. Educational theory in the 20thCentury was influenced by, amongst others, Piaget, Vygotsky and Dewey.It will be worth briefly reviewing their ideas. Jean Piaget developed the notion of constructivism in which learnersare considered to construct their own â€Å"theories† of the world.  Constructivism acknowledges the need to build upon and modify existingknowledge rather than simply to fill learners heads with knowledge. Lev Vygotsky emphasised the importance of scaffolding for childrenscognitive development in which the sociocultural environment isinternalised as knowledge is constructed.   As such learning was nolonger situated exclusively in the head but became an interactionbetween the child, peers and educators. John Dewey endorsed Vygotskys sociocultural approach and highlightedthe subjective nature of communal learning.   He is credited withpopularising socioconstructivist ideas into what became known asprogressive education. Another important influence came from cultural theory in the form ofwhat is known as postmodernism. Postmodernism is not a theory butrather a rejection of the â€Å"certain†. Instead, â€Å"meaning is always inprocess†,   and that which seems to be external reality is a culturalconstruct. Postmodernism demands a shift in perspective. Derrida   wrote: â€Å"The center is at the center of the totality, and yet, since the centerdoes not belong to the totality (is not part of the totality), thetotality has its center elsewhere. The center is not the center.† Perhaps the most important contribution of postmodernism to education,then, is the identification and questioning of underlying assumptionsand a blurring of focus from naà ¯ve clarity to reflective holism. As thinking human beings it isnear-on impossible to not be reflective in an everyday sense of theword. However the term â€Å"reflective teaching† refers to something moreprofound something systematically undertaken by practitioners thatâ€Å"implies flexibility, rigorous analysis and social awareness.†Ã‚   I willnow consider how a teacher might be critically reflective at threegranularities: (i) the fine-grain which occurs whilst teaching; (ii)the medium-grain which occurs retrospectively; (iii) the large-grainwhich considers teaching in the context of wider society. Fine-grain reflection relates to whatSchà ¶n calls â€Å"reflection-in-action† . I interpret reflection-in-actionto be a sociocultural process that is not located solely in theteachers head. Indeed it is a process of which the (experienced)teacher is not consciously aware. Rather, it relates to concepts suchas routines, attention and making judgments. It is a subtle teachingskill that is often at odds with the fashionable notion ofâ€Å"well-planned lessons†. The long-term refinement of fine-grain reflection over time is perhapswhat distinguishes the â€Å"expert† from the â€Å"novice† practitioner.Luntley   investigated the nature of expertise which he defines asâ€Å"attention-based knowledge†. He reports on an experienced teacher in amathematics lesson who drew shapes on the board and asked the classwhich ones were similar. She received answers that made no sense (toher) and reflected afterwards: â€Å"I was beginning to think: Oh God! There is something I am missinghere. [Laughter] Something that is obvious to them but not obvious tome.† The teacher then took action to resolve the issue because she: â€Å"recognised a mismatch between the pupils focus of attention and herown, and was able to interrogate this in order to respond in a waywhich changed the direction of the lesson, but enabled her to re-focusthe pupils ideas.† It is difficult to imagine how a trainee teacher might instantlyimprove their â€Å"expertise† and reflect instinctively at the chalk facelike this. Sheer experience seems necessary but it may be that thisexperience can be enhanced through systematic medium-grain reflection. Medium-grain reflection has profoundimplications. Postmodernism suggests the need to be mercilesslyself-critical.   A consequence of this is the lack of a yard-stickagainst which to measure progress. For example, one cannot simplyreflect on how to improve test scores without reflecting that anenvironment engineered for passing tests may actually damage childrenslearning by other standards.   Similarly, one cannot simply reflect onhow to reduce classroom noise levels as a way to â€Å"improve† behaviour.Rather we must identify and reflect on the complex power relations atplay in the classroom. Given these shifting-sands and the opaque nature of presuppositions, itis clear that reflective teaching at the medium grain size is no simpletask. There is no formula or recipe to follow rather it is therejection of such. Practitioners retrospective reflection is in factan attitude that encompasses many areas. Here I will attempt to listjust a few of them. The teacher must consider his or her own â€Å"wholeness†Ã‚   in thesociocultural context of the classroom. Age, gender, ethnicity,class-background, culture, religion, political views are relevant.Similar holistic consideration must be given to the pupils. Furthermorethe classroom itself is a complex sociocultural environment demanding aholistic reflection. The teacher must also consider the nature of the curriculum : how it isto be implemented and what is meant by learning and how we assess it.Policies and models and recipes and formulas abound, both voluntary andcompulsory (such as the 1988 Education Reform act which introduced aNational Curriculum). Reflective practice can be valuable in helpingteachers remain cool-headed amidst passing frenzies such as the currentunsubstantiated craze for â€Å"Accelerated Learning†. However it is no good the teacher merely being aware of thesociocultural nature of the environment, or the possible flaws in thecurriculum, as though this might vaccinate her from problems. Theentire purpose of reflective teaching is to inform practice throughâ€Å"evidence-informed professional practice†Ã‚   such as reflective markingof pupils work, discussion with colleagues, classroom observations,journal keeping and so on. Another aspect is how critical reflective practice might inform ateachers professional development, such as the acquisition offine-grained â€Å"knowledge-based attention† mentioned above. Professionaldevelopment should be considered holistically in a wider socioculturalcontext as a â€Å"process of enlightenment† that is â€Å"a reflective andcommunal process†.   The next step up after school and career focused critical reflection isteachers reflecting on their role in wider society which I discuss inthe following section.   Large-grain reflection refers tocritically considering ones role as a teacher within wider society. Itcan involve quite pragmatic issues such as joining a union, decidinghow to vote and keeping an eye on political developments such as thecurrent â€Å"dominant managerialist ideology†Ã‚   in the work place. It can also involve philosophical and ideological considerations aboutthe future of education. During the ‘cultural revolution of 1960sAmerica many teachers (e.g. Herbert Kohl ) came to reject the ideal ofschool altogether, imagining a future utopia in which society educatesits young without institutionalisation. Other educationalists havevisions of how the nature of learning might be revolutionised in anincreasingly complex and technological society (e.g. Seymour Papert ). Considering that the teaching profession does not offer the greatestfinancial returns, working conditions or status the higher ideals areessential to me personally. Teaching must be seen as a holisticlifestyle an attempt to â€Å"save the world† even to be enjoyable. For me reflective teaching contains an inherent paradox -yet this is its strength. It is a ‘formula for thinking that teachesus to reject formulae for thinking. It is an ongoing questioning andanalysis at all granularities in which our attitude should be aholistic, dynamic process rather than a static set of commandments.Although critical reflection should be painful to a degree, the returns are enriching and invaluable. Research Proposal: Child Attachment with Care Providers Research Proposal: Child Attachment with Care Providers Rationale The author has chosen to focus on the area of nursery care for children aged six months to five years, chiefly because it is an area of personal and professional interest, and because despite a wealth of research on parenting attachment, child development, behavioural development and the like, the field of study is still lacking in good, applied research which explores how children become acclimatised to a nursery environment, and what factors may affect this process. Because of social and societal changes â€Å"many infants tart their out-of-home lives at an early age with non-familial caregivers in childcare settings† (Lee, 2006 p 133). This care setting has potentially long-term implications for the child, the family, and for society as a whole. â€Å"The infant-caregiver relationship is crucial for infants since this first relationship with a caregiver will not only provide a working model for the subsequent relationships with teachers but will also set the stage for adju stment, development, and learning in the current setting and for later school life† (Lee, 2006 p 134). Attachment theories explore how attachment between child and caregiver affect these issues.The focus on attachment theories is also related to the need for nursery workers to engage in partnership working with parents in order to ensure good supportive exchanges of information from both sides, and to promote the best possible experience for the child (and their peers). The author has observed great differences between different children in the ways that they settle into the nursery environment. Some children adapt quickly to the new situation, the caregivers and the activities, while others take much longer, displaying ongoing signs of separation anxiety and other behaviours which indicate they are not fully acclimatised to the nursery environment and carers. While there are arguments here about whether or not childcare workers and parents should expect certain levels of conformity from such young children, and about the individual needs of children being met in a flexible, responsive manner, there is no doubt that children do need to learn to interact in peer groups and to integrate into environments other than the home environment at some point during their developmental processes. The adaptation to the new environment may be related to parenting styles, attachment, or the characteristics of caregivers. Literature Review A range of variables might affect the child’s ability to settle into the childcare environment. Some of these are potentially derived from the home setting, from attachment to parents and other caregivers, and from the kinds of parenting styles that the child has already experienced and from the family situation (David et al, 2003). Other variables are related to (potentially) biology and the social behaviours which reinforce gender. Turner (1991) explores the complex relationships between attachment and gender and child integration with peers in preschool environments, and shows that there are gender differences in these phenomena. How much this is due to carer and peer preconceptions of appropriate child behaviour is not clear, but Phillipsen et al (1999) show that social acceptance, and carers’ perceptions of behaviour and peer interactions are mediated by preconceptions about expected behaviours. This author is concerned that children’s individuality and indi vidual circumstances are perhaps, on the basis of such studies, not being given enough attention, and that this drive for behavioural conformity is perhaps serving a different purpose to the expressed, child-focused aims of nursery providers. McKown and Weinstein (2002) also relate teacher expectations to gender and to ethnicity in early years environments, and so the kinds of demographic information that would be needed in an exploratory study of this kind would include gender and ethnicity questions. Other authors have researched relationships between children and their childcare providers, and shown that the relationship between these may vary according to the perceptions of different childcare workers (Howes et al, 2000), and according to the sensitivity and characteristics of the childcare workers (Gerber et al, 2007). This study would focus on the kinds of perceptions of attachment identified by Howes et al (2000). A more useful study would employ an objective observer to measure and record attachment behaviours (Delamont, 2002), but this is a small scale academic piece, and there are insufficient resources to employ an objective, skilled observer. Other variables affecting the child’s ability to settle must obviously derive from the nursery environment. These may be characteristics of caregivers and caregiver-child relationships, which may be in turn influenced by nursery policies, by organisational culture and norms and managerial practices, and also by the personalities of the caregivers (Cryer et al, 2005). Resources may also affect this environment. Lee (2006) found that â€Å"infants and their key caregivers did build firm (close, secure, synchronous) relationships in the relationship-valued and supportive childcare context† (p 140). This suggests that the context may affect this process in significant ways. However, it is the characteristics of the child his or herself, and their parents or their attachment to their parents which may be the issue here, hence the focus on attachment theory. Rydell et al (2005) suggest that â€Å"a central prediction from attachment theory is that the quality of the child’s attachment to parents will be related to the quality of relationships with other people† (p 188). Therefore, it is important as part of the proposed study to assess the parenting experience and any markers of attachment from the point of view of the parent(s). This may be important in identifying children’s ability to develop secure relationships with other carers (Rydell et al, 2005). Bowlby (2007) argues that babies and toddlers will have their attachment seeking response activated in the absence of a primary or a secondary attachment figure when they are in the presence of a stranger and in unfamiliar surroundings, which is what may happen in nurseries when children do not ‘settle’. This attachment seeking response may be terminated if the child is able to develop an attachment to a secondary carer (Bowlby, 2007). Bowlby (2007) suggests a model of childcare that actively promotes and monitors long-term secondary attachment bonds between baby and carer. This kind of model is shown in the theory of having a key person identified for each child within the setting, which has benefits for the baby/child, in terms of affection and attachment, for parents, and for the key person (Elfer, 2002). Understanding this in the context of the child-caregiver relationship is challenging, because this relationship is multidimensional (Lee, 2006). Aims The aims of this study are: to answer the following question: Why do some children settle in nursery in a short space of time and some take longer, using the same settling in method?; and to model the complex interactions between the factors which may be seen as affecting this process. Theories of attachment will be used as a framework to inform and support the design of the study, but a range of potential variables will be explored in order to fully develop a model of understanding which may answer the key research question. Other aims of this study are that it should improve understanding in order to help childcare workers and parents support children’s transition into the childcare environment Methodology While an ethnographical methodology would be a logical choice of research methodology in this case (Massey, 1998), there are some issues around this kind of approach, including the potential bias of the researcher and the issues cited elsewhere about observation and participant observation. Perspectives other than that of the researcher need to be addressed, and data from parents and from the childcare setting needs to be incorporated. A Grounded Theory approach will be used, chiefly because of the way that this methodology supports the inclusion of a range of qualitative data sources along with quantitative data in the form of descriptive statistics and demographic characteristics (Borgatti, 2005; Glaser and Strauss, 1967). Grounded Theory sets out to develop models of knowledge and explication which are ‘grounded’ in the data under investigation, the nature of which always include ‘rich’ qualitative data (Charmaz, 1994). The complexity of Grounded Theory m odels lies in their derivation from the data themselves, and so would serve well this attempt to address a complex phenomenon likely to be affected by a range of variables. Grounded Theory allows the researcher to make full use of the data (Bell and Opie, 2002; D’Onofrio, 2001). Data analysis is via a process of constant comparison of the data with each other, through stages of analysis towards an end model (Charmaz, 1994; Glaser and Strauss, 1967). The kinds of complexities, the human nature of the interactions within the childcare environment, and the many variables that would likely affect the child’s interactions within that environment, do not lend themselves to a quantitative methodology, particularly one carried out on so small a scale. Nor would it be ethical to carry out quantitative research on vulnerable children when there is no hope of gaining a statistically significant sample size for a good quality quantitative study. Therefore, a qualitative study, which supports and exploratory approach, has been deemed more suitable. Methods which collect talk and conversation would be suitable for this kind of research (Adelman, 1981), but due to the vulnerability of the children involved, the data collection methods must be chosen with care. Similarly, the data collection methods and sources have been selected to include all relevant information which might indicate factors which impinge upon the infant or child’s ability to settle into the nursery environment. Because of the issues of perception discussed above, participant observation was ruled out as a data collection approach (Arnould, 1998). The data collection methods were chosen to minimse the impact on children, parents and childcare workers. These will include exploratory questionnaires given to parents and semi-structured interviews with nursery caregivers, documentary data in the form of the children’s nursery records, nursery policies, mission statements and staff training and orientation documents, and interviews with staff. All these kinds of data sources are suitable to a Grounded Theory Approach (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). It is important to take into account the complexities and details of the context, both physical and behavioural, within which the child behaviours are taking place, because this may indicate factors within the nursery itself which affect the child’s orientation into that environment. The data collection tools, which consist of a parental questionnaire and a pro-forma for the semi-structured interviews with childcare providers, will be informed by the use of established measures, including the Q-Set measure (Moss et al, 2006). Other studies have applied such measures to a similar situation in relation to attachment theory (Moss et al, 2006). Interviews will be audio-taped, anonymised at point of recording, and then transcribed as text documents. All data, from questionnaires, interviews and documentary sources will be transferred into an electronic qualitative data analysis programme such as NVivo, for ease of management and improved analysis (Drisko, 2004). NVivo allows for the development of models from qualitative data, but also supports the integration of quantitative and demographic data to develop correlations between these data and qualitative concepts and findings (Drisko, 2004). Because Grounded Theory tends to treat the literature review as a concurrent process (Glaser and Strauss, 1967), and literature sources as a form of data in themselves (D’Onofrio, 2001), the use of NVivo also supports and aids this process in terms of the management of large amounts of textual data (Drisko, 2004). Ethical Considerations It is important that the quality of the research is such that it is justifiable to carry it out within this setting (see methodology section above). Ethical considerations include the ethics of carrying out research on small children who are unable to give consent, and the affects the research might have on their caregivers. Research that distracts the childcare workers or affects their ability to take care of children would not be ethical. Participant observation was deemed as unsuitable (Arnould, 1998).Having a ‘strange’ adult (the researcher) in the environment might also disturb the ‘status quo’. Therefore, an observational method was not chosen, and parents given full information sheets and consent forms for participation in the study. Only those parents who consent will be included, and data will only be gathered pertaining to their children. Ethical approval will be sought from the researcher’s place of study (via normal ethics committee approv al). Permission will be gained from the child care organisation’s manager, and staff will be recruited via information sheets and consent forms in the same way that parents were. Staff interviews will be carried out at a location convenient to the place of work, and at agreed times which do not interfere with their normal workload. All interviews and demographic data including even the location and name of the childcare setting will be anonymised. Timescale Because of the data collection methods chosen, the timescale is adjusted to take into account the difficulties in gaining good response rates from questionnaires and in fitting in the interviews with the childcare providers in a way that does not place them under undue stress or affecting their working lives. A three month timescale (from the point of ethical approval) is projected for the data collection phase of this project, which will allow for an initial recruitment of the sample, distribution of questionnaires, a second round of questionnaires to improve response rates, and concurrent interviews with childcare providers and collection of documentary evidence from the childcare setting. The concurrent literature review must also take place within this timescale, and so literature searching, identification and collection will occur during the data collection phase, and critical literature review and analysis will commence during this phase and continue through the data analysis p hase of the research. This second phase, data analysis, should take a further three months, from initial analysis to completion of a model. Writing up should take a further two weeks. Conclusion It is anticipated that this study will illuminate the still murky waters of attachment with childcare providers, the potential benefits of the â€Å"key person† in relation to attachment and to promoting the adjustment of the child to the childcare setting. It should also shed light on demographic and other characteristics which may affect this process, thereby, at the very least, identifying key areas for further, more in-depth or targeted research. Because this is an exploratory study, the potential richness of the data should allow for some insight and discovery about issues affecting attachment and adjustment. Attachment theories would need to be explored in much greater detail than this brief proposal allows, and the quality of the existing research on these theories applied to this setting appraised. The resultant model should incorporate the evidence from the literature with the evidence from the study data into a model which may inform future approaches to caring for c hildren within this setting. Bibliography Adelman, C. (1981) Uttering Muttering : collecting, using and reporting talk for social and educational research. London:Grant McIntyre Arnould, E.J. (1998) Ethical Concerns in Participant Observation/Ethnography. Advances in Consumer Research 25 72 Asher, S.R., Pankhurts, J.T., Hymel, S. and Williams, G. (1990) Peer rejection and loneliness in childhood. In Asher, S.R. and Cole, J.D. (eds) Peer rejection in childhood. Cambridge studies in social and emotional development (253-273) New York: Cambridge University Press. Bell, J. and Opie, C. (2002) Learning from Research : getting more from your data Buckingham: Open University Press. Birch, S.H. and Ladd, G.W. (1997) The teacher-child relationship and children’s early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology 35 61-79. Birch, S.H. and Ladd, G.W. (1997) Children’s interpersonal behaviours and the teacher-child relationship. Developmental Psychology 34 934-946. Borgatti, S. (2005) Introduction to Grounded Theory www.analytictech.com accessed 12-07-08. Charmaz, K. (1994)The grounded theory method: An explication and interpretation. In Glaser,, B. (ed) More grounded theory methodology: A reader p 95-115 Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. Coady, M. (2001) Ethics in early childhood research in: MacNaughton, G., Rolfe, S. and Siraj-Blaqtchford, S. (2001) Doing Early childhood Research: international perspectives on theory and practice Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cryer, D., Wagner-Moore, L., Burchinal, M. et al (2005) Effects of transitions to new child care classes on infant/toddler distress and behaviour. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 20 37-56. David, T., Goouch, K., Powell, S. and Abbott, L. (2003) Birth to Three Matters: a Review of the Literature Nottingham: Queen’s Printer. Delamont, S. (2002) Fieldwork in educational settings London: Falmer Press DeMulder, E.K., Denham, S., Schmidt, M. and Mitchell, J. (2000) Q-sort assessment of attachment security during the preschool years: links from home to school. Developmental Psychology D’Onofrio, A. (2001) â€Å"Grounded Theory† Qualitative Research Methods in Education Spring/Summer http://muse.widener.edu accessed 10-7-08. Drisko, J.W. (2004) Qualitative Data Analysis Software: A User’s Appraisal.† In Padgett, D. (ed) The Qualitative Research Experience p 193-209. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Gerber, E.B., Whitebook, M. and Wienstein, R.S. (2007) At the heart of childcare: predictors of teacher sensitivity in center-based child care. Early Childhood Research Quarterly22 327-346. Glaser, B.G. Strauss, A.L. (1967) The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine Goossens, F.A., and van Ijzendom, M.H. (1990) Quality of infants’ attachments to prorfessional caregivers: relation to infant-parent attachment and day-care characteristics. Child Development 61 832-857. Howes, C, Phillipsen, L.C. and Peisner-Feinberg, E. (2000) The consistency of perceived teacher-child relationships between preschool and kindergarten. Journal of School Psychology 38 113-132. Howes, C. (1999) Attachment relationships in the context of multiple caregivers. In Cassidy, J. and Shaver, P.R. (eds) Attachment Theory: research and clinical applications9671-687). New York: Guilford Press. Lee, S.Y. (2006) A journey to a close, secure and synchronous relationship: infant-caregiver relationship development in a childcare context. Journal of Early Childhood Research. 4 (2) 133-151. Massey, A. (1998) â€Å"The way we do things around here: the culture of ethnography.† Ethnography and Education Conference, Oxford University www.voicewisdom.co.uk accessed 13-07-08. McKown, C. and Weinstein, R.S. (2002) Modeling the role of child ethnicity and gender in children’s differential response to teacher expectations. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 32 (1) 159-184. Moss, E., Bureau, J-F., Cyr, C. and Dubious-Comtois, K. (2006) Is maternal Q-Set a valid measure of preschool child attachment behaviour? International Journal of Behavioural Development 30 (6) 488-497. Phillipsen, L.C., Bridges, S.K., McLemore, T.G. and Saponaro, L.A. (1999) Perceptions of social behaviour and peer acceptance in kindergarten. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 14 68-77. Rydell, A-M., Bohlin, G. and Thorell, L.B. (2005) Representations of attachment to parents and shyness as predictors of children’s relationships with teachers and peer competence in preschool.† Attachment and Human Development 7 (2) 187-204. Turner, P. (1991) Relations between attachment, gender and behaviour with peers in preschool. Child Development 62 1475-1488.

Characters in Animal Farm Essay

The over worked and malnourished animals over throw the humans in charge and took power; only to find that the obligation of freedom maybe more dangerous. Out of all the animals, however, one is sure to stand out. That animal is Boxer, the farm’s hardest and strongest worker. George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, is an allegory that reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917, and then on into the Stalinist Era in the Soviet Union. Through a depiction of Boxer, George Orwell allows the reader to make a discernment of the Russian proletariat’s loyalty and hardworking skills, by presenting him as an allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. From the beginning to the end, Boxer remains a diligent worker despite the abundance of toil. After the Rebellion, â€Å"Boxer [seems] more like three horses than one; [and] there [are] days when the entire work of the farm seems to rest on his mighty shoulders.† (46) Therefore, Boxer is precisely the hardest worker on the farm for the reason that he agrees to do the majority of the labor on the farm. In comparison to Mollie and Moses, who depart from the farm without doing any work, Boxer agrees to do additional tasks. Furthermore, after Boxer’s severe depravity, â€Å"Boxer [refuses] to take even a day off work, and [makes] it a point of honor not to let it be seen that he [is] in pain.† (114) Thus, Boxer is an eager worker for the reason that he never renounces his job. On the contrary, Mollie â€Å"[is] late for work every morning and [excuses] herself by saying that she [has] overslept.† This proves that Boxer loves to work. When the going gets bad he sees working as the solution. Boxer is truly the farm’s hero because of his hard work. In addition to his resolution to work harder, Boxer demonstrates fidelity. After Snowball’s expulsion, Boxer is worried about the farm, but he is not smart enough to figure things out on his own. Rather than thinking for himself, Boxer forces himself to believe others. Boxer tries to think things  over for himself, but all he can come up with is, â€Å"If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right,† and he takes up a new personal motto: â€Å"I will work harder.† (70) For this reason, Boxer illustrates allegiance for coinciding with authority. Furthermore, when Napoleon begins executing other animals, Boxer can only say, â€Å"I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder.† (94) Therefore, Boxer is devoted considering that he always falls back on his personal motto: Napoleon is always right. Boxer is loyal to the farm animals and allegiance is w hat makes a worker a good worker. Throughout the most troublesome times on Animal Farm, Boxer is praised by the animals. As time goes on, the animals are much inspired by Boxer’s work ethic than by Squealer’s clever speeches. â€Å"With his tremendous muscles [Boxer] always [pulls] them through. Boxer [is] the admiration of everybody.† (46) Hence, Boxer is admired by the other animals for the reason that he is an inspiration for them. Unlike the pigs who are considered the most intelligent, it is Boxer, who commands the animals simply because of his work ethic. Moreover, during the winter, little progress is made; the animals can not feel so impelled about it as they felt before. However Boxer never loses heart, â€Å"the other animals [find] more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder!’† (85) Ultimately, Boxer is honored by the other animals as a result of the animals being propelled by Boxer. In comparison to Squealer’s adroit speeches, the other animals find more inspiration in Boxer. This clearly identifies that Boxer’s role and personality is highly respected by the animals. These are just some of the examples that prove why Boxer is am allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. These three traits are what make Boxer unique. Unfortunately, his loyalty makes him easy to manipulate. Boxer is a very important character and without him Animal Farm would not exist. Boxer is the one who gives everyone hope and a reason to work harder. For these reasons Boxer is the farm’s hero and is one of the most beloved characters in Animal Farm.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 26

New Year's Eve. Warren, Emerald City's owner, had thrown a swank party at his house and invited the whole staff, along with about fifty others. His house was enormous, and he'd spared no expense. Waiters worked the crowd. A bartender made drinks with great flourish. A DJ spun music in the corner. It was probably the most elaborate party I'd been to all year. Everyone was having a great time. Well, except me, naturally. Maddie and Seth were there. Together. It was strange to see them out as a couple so openly, after all the time he and I had spent hiding our relationship. But when she'd arrived back in Seattle a few days ago, she'd made no attempts at secrecy. Everyone at the store had known within twenty-four hours, and it was still a source of much buzzing and speculation. The general consensus was that they were cute. And, watching them, I supposed that if I weren't so intimately involved, I'd think they were cute too. Mostly they made me want to go throw up the caviar I'd just eaten. They stood together with a few other staff across the room, holding hands. Maddie glowed like a succubus, talking animatedly to Beth about something. Seth, dressed up for a change and looking gorgeous, listened with a small smile – though there was something solemn in his eyes. He looked uncomfortable, and I strongly suspected he'd been brought here at Maddie's urging. I didn't think he was the type who'd come and rub their relationship in my face, but then, I'd never thought he'd break up with me either. Just then, he glanced up to scan the room and met my gaze. By accident or on purpose, I couldn't say. We held each other's eyes for a moment. His expression grew troubled, wistful. I don't know what mine looked like. A moment later, he turned his attention back to the others. But the small smile was gone. â€Å"Makes you want to brush your teeth, doesn't it?† Doug approached me, holding what I believed to be his fifth rum and coke. I pointed to it. â€Å"What, all that sugar you're drinking?† He grinned. â€Å"I mean my sister and Mortensen, as well you know.† I gave them one more glance, then turned back to him. â€Å"Everyone thinks they're cute.† â€Å"I guess. I can't decide how to feel.† He knocked back his drink. â€Å"I mean, he's sleeping with my sister, right? I'm supposed to be, like, outraged and want to defend her honor. Or something. But part of me's thinking maybe they'll hit it off so well that she'll move in with him. And that kind of makes me†¦happy.† Ugh. Bad enough they were dating at all. Moving in together? I couldn't even think that far ahead. They'd only been an item for a week. I silently counted to five and tried not to say something I'd regret. â€Å"Who can say?† I murmured vaguely. Doug tilted his head as he regarded me. â€Å"Always figured you'd be the one going after him, what with your hero worship and his erotic stories about you.† He was referring to a short story of Seth's that had appeared in a magazine not too long ago. The kinky heroine bore an uncanny – and completely coincidental – resemblance to me. I could tell by his voice and face that Doug was joking. He'd never believed there had been anything between Seth and me. Little did he know how close to home his joke hit. â€Å"Well,† I told him. â€Å"Looks like your sister's going to be the one in the erotic stories now.† Doug paled. â€Å"Oh my God. I never thought of that.† He glanced at his empty glass. â€Å"I gotta get another one.† I watched him go and felt a smile tug at my lips, despite my resolution to be miserable. And I was definitely doing a good job at the miserable part. I didn't approach anyone at the party and only spoke a few words to those who tried to engage me in conversation. I'd already turned down several men who'd tried to fetch me a drink or get me to dance. I just wanted to be alone. Really, I shouldn't have come. â€Å"Never thought I'd see you alone at an event like this.† I'd felt his presence behind me before I heard him. â€Å"Carter, you party crasher. I know you didn't get an invitation.† â€Å"Hey, I heard this was the place to be.† â€Å"Isn't crashing one of the seven deadly – holy shit.† The angel had stepped in front of me. His chin-length blond hair was washed and brushed, and he wore khakis and a blue polo shirt. The ensemble was utterly casual and also the nicest thing I'd ever seen him in. He laughed, knowing what had surprised me. â€Å"I couldn't show up like I usually do. I'm still underdressed compared to you.† I had on a form-fitting satin dress with a collar that went all the way up to my neck. Black. Like my mood. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, â€Å"but if we're measuring comparison to our normal ware, you're the best-dressed person in here.† â€Å"This is a great party,† he said, eyeing the room. He had a drink in his hand that I swore he hadn't had a moment ago. â€Å"You don't look like you're having a very good time.† I wasn't ready to talk about that yet, not to him. Averting my eyes, I stared absentmindedly to where Doug was hitting on some woman about twenty years older than he was. The DJ's current song ended, and the guitar notes of a new one kicked up. â€Å"Sweet Home Alabama.† â€Å"Oh, fuck,† I said. â€Å"What?† asked Carter. â€Å"I hate this song.† â€Å"Really? I've always liked it.† I sighed. â€Å"What happened to Yasmine?† His mocking humor faded. â€Å"You know what happened to her. She belongs to Hell now. I'm sure they'll make good use of her.† â€Å"But will she do it?† I asked. â€Å"Will she really turn her back on Heaven and fight?† â€Å"They always do.† It was exactly what Vincent had said. â€Å"Once she's spent enough time shunned by other angels and denied the face of the divine†¦well, she'll want to fight against Heaven.† â€Å"That's stupid. It's like she's†¦I don't know. Like she's being forced to go bad.† â€Å"She made the decision to fall.† â€Å"She did it out of love! You're always telling me that love is the most wonderful thing in the universe.† â€Å"It is. But an angel's love must be given to the power above first, then to humanity as a whole second. It can't be bestowed on just one person – human or nephilim.† â€Å"That's stupid. I think the nephilim have it right thinking all of us are messed up.† I handed my glass to a passing waitress. It had been empty for a while. Hesitantly, I brought up something that was still troubling me, something this song wouldn't let me forget. â€Å"Carter†¦about Nyx. Her visions†¦are they always true?† â€Å"As far as I know. They don't always play out like people think, though. Why do you ask?† â€Å"No reason. Well, I mean, just curious about what she showed me.† â€Å"Ah. Yeah, that's tricky.† He frowned. â€Å"Since she was actually manipulating you, it's hard to say†¦I don't know everything about her. What'd she show you?† â€Å"It's not impor – â€Å" The music abruptly stopped, and from across the room, I heard someone shouting numbers. â€Å"Ten†¦nine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked at a nearby clock. Nearly midnight. â€Å"Eight†¦seven†¦Ã¢â‚¬  People were getting out noise makers and drinks. Couples were getting close. â€Å"Six†¦five†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maddie drew close to Seth. He leaned down toward her, looking nervous. â€Å"Four†¦three†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I clutched Carter's arm. I couldn't watch this. I couldn't watch Seth and Maddie kiss. â€Å"Get me out of here,† I gasped, suddenly having trouble breathing. â€Å"Two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Carter! Get me – â€Å" The world exploded in color around me. Cold night air blasted my face. Disoriented, I staggered and felt Carter catch my arm to steady me. We stood on top of a roof, directly facing the Space Needle. Fireworks burst around it in showers of rainbow sparks. The accompanying noise startled me, and I gasped. Farther away, other fireworks sparkled on the horizon. â€Å"Best view in the city,† joked Carter. I stared around, still confused, until I was finally able to triangulate our position. â€Å"We're on top of the bookstore.† He released my arm, and we stood there watching the fireworks for several minutes. We were so close to the Space Needle that I could soon smell the smoke as the wind blew over us. I started to rub my arms, then remembered to shape-shift on a coat. â€Å"A new year has all sorts of possibilities, Georgina,† Carter finally said, eyes still on the show. â€Å"Not for me. I've lost all mine. I've lost Seth. I screwed up.† â€Å"It's not all your fault. Relationships are symbiotic. Takes two to make them work, two to make them fall apart. Seth's got plenty of blame in this.† I shook my head. â€Å"No†¦the things he did. It was my fault.† â€Å"You're missing the big picture, Daughter of Lilith. You're forgetting Niphon's role. What was he trying to do?† â€Å"Ruin my life,† I said bitterly. â€Å"He had a part, yeah, but he complicated what I'd already messed up.† â€Å"Why? Why'd he do it?† â€Å"Because he hates me.† Carter sighed. â€Å"You're not getting it.† I turned toward him. â€Å"What do you mean? What more is there to get?† â€Å"Only so much I can tell you. Only so much I can interfere.† He fell silent as a particularly showy burst of silver sparkles lit the night sky. The deli conversation with Hugh came back to me. â€Å"Did†¦did he really mess something up with my contract? Is it flawed?† â€Å"That's your side's business. I can't tell you anything about that.† He sighed once more. â€Å"I can tell you that eternity is an awfully long time to keep accruing and carrying around guilt.† â€Å"Why do you care so much?† I demanded. â€Å"Why do you care so much about what happens to me and Seth?† He looked back down at me. â€Å"I like happy endings. I like helping make them happen.† â€Å"Yeah, well. You kind of fucked this one up.† His old, cynical smile returned. â€Å"You want to go home?† I turned toward the Space Needle. â€Å"I want to finish the show.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Oh, hey. Wait.† I reached into my purse and pulled out a cashmere knit hat. I handed it to him. â€Å"Merry Christmas. Sorry I didn't wrap it.† Carter examined his Secret Santa present, then put it on. â€Å"Neat.† When he did finally take me home, he used the same angelic teleportation that always made me slightly nauseous. Aubrey greeted my entrance, rubbing against my legs as I fumbled for the lights. Beneath the floor, it sounded like my neighbors were having a party. I kicked my heels off in the middle of the living room floor and walked toward my bedroom, unbuttoning my dress as I went. I let it fall to the floor, happy to be free of the tight fabric. Opening my closet door, I knelt down and began rummaging through it until I unearthed the old shoe box again. Reaching up to the spot just above my breastbone, I found Seth's ring on its chain. I unfastened it and held the ring in one hand for a long time, staring at its smooth, shining surface and winking sapphires. I took out the old worn ring from the box and held it in my other hand. For a while, I just sat there, looking back and forth between the two. They were different†¦and yet so alike. You were destined for heartache. And are going to repeat that forever. You aren't learning. You aren't changing. With a sigh, I placed both rings into the box, next to a heavy gold cross. I closed the lid and shoved it all back into the closet. It was over. It was all over. Still half-naked, I walked back to where I'd dropped my purse and found my cell phone. I dialed a number and waited. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Dante? This is Georgina.† â€Å"Who?† With a start, I realized I'd never actually told him my name. â€Å"The succubus.† â€Å"Oh.† I had a feeling he'd already recognized my voice. â€Å"Happy New Year.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Are you free tonight?† There was a long, pregnant pause. â€Å"What about the man in the dream?† he finally asked. â€Å"There is no man in the dream.†