“All the Years of Her Life” and “The Gentlemen of Rio en Medio” Essay

The thing about synonyms is that even though they though they might seem like they are the same thing, if put in a different context they can mean something completely different. It’s interesting how two characters with very similar traits, goals and morals can be so different when placed in different stories, like when you switch a word for its supposed â€Å"synonym†. Don Anselmo and Mrs. Higgins are two very similar people. Both are traditional, respected, a little on the old-fashioned side and good at being seen as proud and confident. But it’s their greatest linking factor, their love for their families and communities, which divides them. Don Anselmo is a proud, traditional and very well respected man who has kept up the tradition of planting a tree for every child in the village to the point where a â€Å"gnarled but beautiful† orchard had become a part of his property. And when he is confronted with the request to ask the children to refrain from playing in the orchard, he explains that it is not his choice nor his place, as â€Å"the trees do not belong to him†. To him, nothing is more important than respecting the honor of his family. And to him, every child in that village whether they’re related to him or not, is his family. On the other hand, Mrs. Higgins has too close of an association with her son to the point where she sees his problems as hers. She has a proud and confident facade that hides a spirit broken by reasons that are out of her control. She appears to blame herself for her son’s inability to keep a steady job and lead a good life. Like Don Anselmo she closely identifies herself with her family that in her case seems to have an ill effect on her lifestyle. â€Å"You’ve disgraced me again and again,† she told Albert as they left the pharmacy. She feels as if her son’s shenanigans are her fault and this causes her spirit to crumble. This isn’t the first time that her family has failed her, which in her eyes translates into failing as a mother. So as you can see, both characters have almost identical personality building blocks. On one hand, Don Anselmo has used his love and respect for family to create a bond between him and his village that lead to a tight knit  community. And on the other, Mrs. Higgins chose to use her tolerance and pride to create a poisonous relationship between her son’s lifestyle and her happiness.

Concert Essay

For this concert report I chose to go to a performance of student composers held at YUANZE UNIVERSITY auditorium in building 6. I chose this one because I wanted to see some of the talent that my peers have in the music realm, and also it was one of the only concerts I have been able to attend because of religious restrictions. It was impressive to hear pieces composed by students. I cannot imagine creating something as complex as a musical composition, much less actually performing it, so this aspect of the concert was particularly awe-inspiring. There was a large attendance, and I think that much of the audience consisted of friends of the performers and some of the university students. I went with two friends, who weren’t so eager to go; I had to convince them by telling it would be interesting to see student performers/composers. The first piece was called Oblique/musique composed by Patrick Swanson. This piece instantly stood out among the others because of the instruments involved. The piece was performed by two people: one playing a vibraphone and the other playing a large drum/cymbal/gong. However, the piece also contained prerecorded sounds of static, bass, and an incoherent voice. In this piece the melody was repeated many times. It was similar to the works of John Adams because of its repetitions, background recording, and minimalistic sounds. The second piece was a piano composition called something Afternoon; I didn’t really get the title. This piece had a very relaxing melody and a mild tempo. It was not fast and not slow. It was an experience of a lifetime. I listened to a genre of music I never had listened to. At the concert two people performed already leaving the audience wanting for more. I also noticed that in the back of the auditorium there was a camera crew filming the whole performance. The auditorium was very elegant looking. The majority of the people in the audience were young people in their twenties. That’s what I expected, it being in a college and all. The hall was rather big for such a small performance. It could fit approximately three hundred people and in the performance floor there was a piano a chair for the pianist and a table with a jar and a glass of water. The songs performed in the concert were all mixed up between andante and allegro. Most of the songs went from andante to allegro. It was divided into five acts. Four of the five acts were homophonic and the other act was polyphonic. The performers were dressed very elegantly. There was about thirty people in attendance and they were dressed in there normal attire. Also the majority of the concert was in the dissonant form. Very rarely I saw a consonant song playing. The behavior of the performers was that they were very concentrated in their work. Keeping aware and avoiding all mistakes if possible The pianist was really young for his professionalism, he was really professional, played spectacularly well. He gave the audience feelings of anger, sadness, and joy. The flutist also played brilliantly. Lastly the vocalist was the best part. She had a very high pitched voice sang both high and low parts. Sang both happy and sad parts. Gave the crowd mixed up feelings.

Successful democracy in th US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Successful democracy in th US - Essay Example The product of this tentative exercise is the Articles of Confederation which was submitted on July 12, 1776 to the Second Continental Congress. The three talking points it generated in Congressional sessions were â€Å"the apportionment of taxes according to population, the granting of one vote to each state, and the right of the federal government to dispose of public lands in the West†. (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2009) So concerns for the development and establishment of democracy did not figure during initial discussions. At the same time, one could argue that the template for equal representation of all states is an indicator of impending installation of democratic practices. Through Articles 1 and 13 there is no explicit mention of democracy or egalitarian citizen representation. The Articles are born out of concerns of the ruling elite, who are exclusively White Anglo-Saxon Protestant males (WASPs); they were also propertied slave owners. In fact WASP domination of Ame rican political and business society continues even today, albeit in a weakened form, making incredulous the claim that the Articles served as a guide for democracy in the country.

Using Technology within the Prescription and Medication Process Essay

Using Technology within the Prescription and Medication Process - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the CPOE system used by hospital administrator made errors in the dosage prescribed and prescribed dosage as per the availability in the warehousing rather than as prescribed by the physicians. Moreover, the various screens, small font, and similarity in names also led to errors in matching prescription to the correct patient. Several scholars believe that structural-functional paradigms and organizational development processes are critical determinants of change. The structural-functional paradigm promotes the view that functional efficiency and structural modification increase the productivity. Thus innovation and new processes are identified to enhance organizational performance. Theory of organizational development is hugely pertinent as highlights organization’s willingness to change in order to improve productivity. It not only creates facilitating an environment of constant learning but also introduces new technology to inc rease efficiency and productivity. The flexibility in approach is vital ingredient within the organizational changes that require the constant involvement of the management and workforce to implement the changes successfully. Effective communication becomes an important factor to empower workers with relevant information so that they are better equipped to accept change and exploit it for higher productivity. The theories become important because structural and functional changes are accompanied by dissemination of information and training on new processes. It helps the workforce to understand change and become proficient in using new technology to meet fresh challenges. These theories of change management identify, evaluate and implement the changes through empowerment of the people and therefore would help administrators at Springfield Hospital to solve the problem of medication error.

The Case against Money and Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Case against Money and Happiness - Essay Example The Easterlin Paradox was first published by Richard Easterlin way back in 1974. The paradox was mainly used to support the argument that a general increase in economical growth by a country, would not necessarily result in increased satisfaction levels by its citizenry (Leonhardt 2008). The argument supported by this paradox, was further supported by research that happened to prove that during the resultant aftermath that followed soon after World War II ended, the economy of Japan underwent a rather significant boom with the general economy’s output growing by an average of about sevenfold between the years ranging between 1950 an 1970. This staggering economical growth caused Japan to eventually become one of the world’s richest nations (Leonhardt 2008). Despite the massive economic growth witnessed in the country, polls conducted in Japan showed that the country’s citizenry appeared to become increasingly dissatisfied with their own lives. According to the re sults of one poll, the overall percentage of persons who happened to provide the most positive of the given possible answers pertaining to the level of satisfaction they were experiencing in their lives actually fell from the averages obtained during the late 1950s through to the early 1970s. It was evidently clear that although the people were richer, they were deemed to apparently not be happier. (Lee & Dwight 2006). The results of this Japanese anomaly are inherently somewhat flawed and money can result in happiness. The truth of this statement was verified by efforts of research conducted by two economists from Brookings Institution in Washington, Mr. Wolfers and Ms. Stevenson who discovered that the original research questions had changed and the most positive answer option that was given by the pollsters was one suggesting that although the respondents weren’t completely happy they were satisfied with their life as it were at the moment. Mr. Easterlin is quoted as writi ng that â€Å"it can generally be observed that persons residing in poor countries displayed a tendency towards becoming generally happier once their economic conditions became more favorable and they were subsequently able to afford their basic necessities. Any further gains on their part did not necessarily increase their income but simply just seemed to actually be resetting the bar†. Easterlin argued that one’s relative income which is basically a reflection of how much an individual happens to earn in comparison to how much other persons around the individual happened to be earning – mattered far way more than a person’s absolute income (Leonhardt 2008). The Easterlin Paradox was quickly adopted by the society and grew to become one of the major social sciences classics that were frequently cited in various academic journals as well as in the popular media (Leonhardt 2008). The Case in Support of Money Causing an Increase in Happiness It can be argue d that an increase in a person’s purchasing power can have the effect of causing a resultant increase in the happiness levels of the person. One of the most common arguments in support of this is that such happiness is generally a resultant feeling of one having more as compared to other persons in the same reference group.

Introduction to resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to resource management - Essay Example These can be changed according to the passage of time. It will also occur by the change of environment and by the change of different factors and culture of the society. Technology is a thing that will always change its direction and bring new and innovative things for its users. 6. Industrial and International Relations. For e.g. courts, commissions, government etc. 7. Women Induction in Jobs. Women issues might occur i.e. harassment and discrimination. 8. Career Planning and Development. It is an important step while deciding or developing new business units. A proper and organized, planning and development strategy leads to a great success. 9. Lack of Opportunities. Should notice those opportunities that will give benefit to an organization by observing our competitors. 10. Product Diversification. Product always needs change and diversified strategy to bring improvement and innovation in a product line that will attract customers. Q.2. To what extend does the company need to overhaul the relationship between HRM and its core businesses Relationship between HRM and Business Performance of the Company: According the case study (Financial Times, 22 Dec'1999), Mark and Spencer was facing several problems in their business. They even suffered with great fall and they lost their revenues in a competitive environment of UK. They used the diversified strategy for their company in terms of developing a team of seven people who were responsible for the seven units of Marks and Spencer. As the answer of the question, the company should understand the practices of HRM clearly. They took several wrong decisions that affected their business badly. If they used correct strategies and followed the HRM rules rightly, the problems would not have occurred. Marks and... Team work is very important in human resource management; manager should take along his/her employees and also consult and take their opinions for taking good decisions for their company/organization. The resource management helps managers work together to manage large teams and projects as well. With reference to Pieter.A.Grobler (1996) Strategic HRM issues can occur according to change of environment around business organization. While deciding to create business units we should monitor the following issues: 5. Technological and Environmental Changes. These can be changed according to the passage of time. It will also occur by the change of environment and by the change of different factors and culture of the society. Technology is a thing that will always change its direction and bring new and innovative things for its users. According the case study (Financial Times, 22 Dec'1999), Mark and Spencer was facing several problems in their business. They even suffered with great fall and they lost their revenues in a competitive environment of UK. As the answer of the question, the company should understand the practices of HRM clearly. They took several wrong decisions that affected their business badly. If they used correct strategies and followed the HRM rules rightly, the problems would not have occurred. First of all, the biggest mistake done by Mark and Spencer was that while performing several functions within

Jean Paul Marat during the French Revolution Essay

Jean Paul Marat during the French Revolution - Essay Example They were staunch opponents of much moderate Girodins (also termed as "Brissotin" means loose partnership of republican politicians) who after losing power in 1793 were had to face the "reign of terror "instituted by Montagnards in form of 21 Girodins guillotined by ruling Montagnards and relief factor came to them in 1794 with the end of Montagnard regime. Jean Paul Marat is one out of various reasons which stirred the revolution including the ever-growing elite class, the heavy taxing and cruel feudal system, tyranny on the peasants and crop failure in France in 1788. But he owns central significance while being the leader of radical Montagnards alone. Marat had four occupations and he excelled in all. (1) Marat became a successful doctor in London after having obscure years in France. In 1770s he published many books on scientific and philosophical ideas and philosophies. "A philosophical essay on man (1773) "met huge success. While his political work included "a chain of slavery (1774)". On his return to France he was appointed as a physician to the personal guards of younger brother of the king. On witnessing the grave circumstances of his country he concluded the monarchy is the root of all evils in France and this thought, he later developed in to a movement leading to French revolution. He became editor of a newspaper L'Ami du Peuple (the friend of people) in 1789 and initiated his ruthless, relentless and sharp attacks on aristocracy, that included elite class , royal family and Politicians including king's finance minister . It was a voice of the suppressed class of France, the poor, and it gave them awareness as well as stabilized Marat's influential popularity. In 1790, he addressed his readers, "Five or six hundred heads cut off would have assured your repose, freedom, and happiness. A false humanity has held your arms and suspended your blows; because of this millions of your brothers will lose their lives" (2) The national assembly was shocked and scared now, it sentenced him a month in prison but Marat hided himself and carried on his campaign being behind the scene. Now, the inspirational leader and politician emerged in him. His role as political leader Marat as a delegate to national convention in 1790-91 supported graduated income tax, short term of military service, benefits and schemes for the poor etc publically but inwardly he hated to be a part of aristocracy, and solution to get rid of loathsome Aristocrats was a revolution and just a revolution not passing bills and resolutions. Firstly, he favored the execution of anti-revolutionaries. Secondly, since he was a revolutionary by mind, he supported extremism and radical group to get rid of Royal family and elite class, this movement was called Montagnard movement which in one year of their rule assassinated hundreds of thousands in reign of terror, later, "Girodins" were first target and were targeted severely. Thirdly, he advocated a temporary dictatorship which could deal with emergency in the country. One to one battle and Marat's climax In later two years he became very popular and enjoyed outrageous support by his fellow Persian Leader Georges Danton and Persian people not only in street

In the past thirty years or so, which approach has proven more Essay

In the past thirty years or so, which approach has proven more successful for development neoliberalism or neostatism - Essay Example State interventions in markets once developed must be maintained at a bare minimum because according to the philosophy, the state cannot possibly own enough information to doubt market signals and because powerful groups with vested interests will eventually bias and distort state interventions especially in democracies for their personal benefit (Jessop 2007). The neo-statist model seeks to explain the role of the state in the growth of and industrialization process, directly and explicitly. Many of the neo-statist models position the state as having an overarching impact on the social and economic system that fundamentally impacts upon the economic development, through economic factors play one of the key parts. To determine whether neo-liberalism is has been more successful than neo-statist over the past 30 years or so, it is crucial to first investigate their impacts in several parts of the world where they were applied. To begin, lets starts by examining the impact of neo-libera lism on the distribution and production of some basic commodities in Mexico. Mexico is mainly an interesting country in which to scrutinize neo-liberalism, for many reasons (Snyder 2001). First, the present neoliberal reforms in Mexico are not its first experiment with such policies. It is 19th century incursion which concentrated wealth into the hands of few individuals, created such misery and poverty among workers and peasants that it led to the Mexican revolution. Due to the revolution, the country adopted social policies that were aimed at safeguarding the interests of the workers and peasants which included the naturalization of water, land and mineral rights and enacted policies that sought after to enhance industrialization by safeguarding national industries from foreign competition. Second, the present enactment of neoliberal policies symbolize a deep of policies enshrined by the Mexican revolution, this history and vivid spin make Mexico an attractive milieu within which to evaluate neo-liberalism. The World Bank and IMF have used many neoliberal actions and policies tried in Mexico across developing countries. Mexico’s experiment with neoliberal policies holds a vital example not only for budding countries but also for urban ones also. The neoliberal conversion for Mexico has been deep. The Mexican state has been forced to unlock its markets, leave its social programs and privatize most of its state run industries and community land. While this process has been beneficial to some people, it has also proven to be costly to others. Rural small holders have been amid the losers in general as the uprisings, ensuing insurgence and difficulties attest. While small holders were given individual titles to the parcel they worked on state administered community lands, neoliberal policies also eliminated subsidies and credit that made the smallholders productive. Facing increasingly unstable livelihoods many people left the country side to look for wor k in burgeoning cities. The number of undocumented workers increased tremendously due to this migration. While the United States benefited hugely from this cheap labor, migrant worker have become remittances have become Mexico’s second largest source of foreign revenue. Neoliberal policies have also had a profound effect on Mexico’

Relationship Between Development Of The Sound System And Overall Motor Essay

Relationship Between Development Of The Sound System And Overall Motor Development In Children - Essay Example This essay stresses that that two children by dissimilar patterns of production of speech sounds throughout an early period of phonological development preserve dissimilarity in production patterns during the developmental period. This paper makes a conclusion that though equally children's articulatory skills appeared to be inside normal limits, as compared by their peers, one was in advance of the further in completing the phonetic inventory. Furthermore, their approaches to the manufacture of polysyllabic words at Time 1 were evocative of their later production skills for incessant speech. Even though these outcomes are not broadly generalizable, they begin to offer evidence for untried hypotheses in the literature concerning the relationship between premature pronunciation processes and afterward pronunciation skill. Several predictions made by this study that may be tested by potential studies are the subsequent: 1. First of all the use of glottal and glide substitute for intervocalic consonants throughout early stages of development may be prognostic of moderately slower development of precise articulatory motion wanted for the production of affricates and no early clusters. 2. Early concluding consonant deletion, glottal, and glide substitute do not come into view to be analytical, necessarily, of a wide-ranging linguistic deficit or a harsh phonological difficulty. 3. No doubt, a premature partiality for assimilation and reduplication processes does not come into view to be prognostic of sluggish phonological learning.

An Analysis on Themes and Writing Techniques Essay Example for Free

An Analysis on Themes and Writing Techniques Essay Explain why George tells Nick the Story of the boy who ordered `bergin`. If this boy is actually George, explain why he does not tell Nick that the story is autobiographical. If the boy is not George, explain why he is so upset with Martha when she relates the story about the manuscript her father, the president of the college, would not let George publish. The play begins with George and Martha having just returned from a party hosted by Martha’s father, who is President of the college where George works as a professor. Martha has invited a new faculty member over for some drinks. It is later revealed that their guests at the after-party are a younger couple; Nick, the young, new professor at the Biology Department and his wife Honey. When Nick and Honey arrive, the seemingly innocent after-party evolves into a night of games, manipulation, confrontation and enlightenment for the two couples. As the night deepens, the effects of alcohol start to take over Martha and George. They start to reveal sensitive things about each other and their marriage. In Act Two of â€Å"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? † George tells Nick the anecdote of a boy who once ordered â€Å"bergin†, killed his mother with a shotgun, and then after a year, crashed into a tree and killed his father. This happens after Nick confides in George the truth in his decision to marry Honey. He revealed that he married Honey not because he loved her but more because of the prospect of moving up the social ladder. The play also reveals that Honey does not plan on having children and has been avoiding getting pregnant by taking contraceptive pills. The side effects of the pills have been making her weak all along. (KONKLE, 2003) The reason why George did not tell Nick the story of the boy is his story is that he was too ashamed to admit to himself as well as to other people his troubled past for fear that he might be judged according to this incident. (KONKLE, 2003) Another reason why George disclosed the details of the story of the boy who accidentally killed his parents to Nick is to point out to Nick that no matter how perfect or ideal things may seem on the surface in the present, in truth, there is no such thing as ideal or perfect. The reality of life is that things are bound to go wrong all the time and people need to be ready for anything. What matters is how one deals with these difficulties. Nothing is permanent in the world. Sometimes things go the way you expect them to be but they can go the other way. The only thing permanent is change. The best way to cope with change is to recognize it, assess the veracity of the circumstance, and learn to adjust accordingly. It is important to see the reality of the situation so that in case there are problems that need to be solved, the best way to come up with a proper solution is to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Trying to cover flaws or problems will only worsen the situation. Oftentimes, when this happens, small problems that are left unsolved snowball into an ‘avalanche’ that gets too big that it is bound to leave too much damage. George and Martha started out as a couple with so much promise of success in the future. However, things did not work out as they have planned and as expected. As such, they are having difficulty adjusting to this reality. Instead of accepting the reality of their predicament and exploring other alternatives to get them out of their â€Å"pothole†, so to speak, they chose to remain â€Å"oblivious† to their situation. George and Martha are trapped in their illusion of perfection and are too proud to admit the truth. They are thus thrust deeper in to their â€Å"pothole† of problems. (KONKLE, 2003) George became upset with Martha when she told the story about his manuscript that her father would not let him publish because it exposed his inadequacies. George is a proud man and it is very typical of him to refuse to reveal anything that would make him seem the least bit incompetent. The reality of this situation brought out their frustrations. The incident also highlighted the stark reality of the state of their affairs. Martha’s bickering drew attention to how disappointed that George was not live up to her and her father’s expectations and that she was so disgruntled with her marriage with George. (KONKLE, 2003) What ensued between the two couples reveals the similarities, to some degree, in their marriages. The only difference is that Nick and Honey represent the beginning stages and George and Martha represent the latter. The conversations between the men and the confrontation scenes expose the flaws in both marriages. Through George and Martha, Nick and Honey were allowed to â€Å"peek† into the future state of their relationship. They realize that should they do nothing about the present state of their marriage, they could end up in a place worse than where George and Martha are. For George and Martha, Nick and Honey represent a slice of their past. It allowed them a glance back at the things that have happened, which brought them to where they currently are in their marriage. Reference List KONKLE, L. (2003). Good, Better, Best, Bested: The Failure of American Typology in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In B. J. Mann, Edward Albee: A Casebook (p. 44). New York : Routledge.

Improving Patient Engagement and Satisfaction in Health IT

Improving Patient Engagement and Satisfaction in Health IT Sion Davoudi   According to Buntin et al, Health information technology (HIT) has the potential to improve the health of individuals and the performance of providers, yielding improved quality, cost savings, and greater engagement by patients in their own health care (Buntin et al, 2011). In addition to the countless business benefits, HIT really shines when it comes to patient outcome, satisfaction, and engagement. A relatively broad concept, patient engagement refers to both a patients knowledge, skills, ability, and willingness to manage his or her own health and care and intervention strategies designed to increase activation and promote positive health behaviors (James, 2013). Within its core definition, patient engagement aims for patients to take full ownership of their health. This ownership, combined with technological advancements, can directly lead to increased patient satisfaction. The patient engagement movement is relatively new, and is increasingly important given the enormous complexities of modern medicine. Indeed, many patients struggle to obtain, process, communicate, and understand even basic health information and services (James, 2013), and too often health providers are not properly trained or equipped to facilitate increased engagement by their patients. It is for that reason; technology has an important role to play in the promotion of patient engagement. With social media applications, mobile applications, online health tools, smart wearable body sensors (SWS), technology is a primary driver in achieving increased patient engagement across the population. With social media, e-patients can engage in dialogue with other patients and health educators. Various social media platforms can often include patient stories, expert opinions by health professions, and information about what a patient can expect from a particular procedure (Gallant et al., 2011). For example, Facebook walls allow e-patients interact with each other on health inquiries, hospital services and events. Additionally, mobile applications provide patients the flexibility to access information from remote locations. As a patient, I can access my health record, prescription history, access a drug encyclopedia, or e-mail my doctor directly. This convenience and ease of use allows for not only my increased engagement but also eliminates a need to make a trip to my doctors office. A single technological application that can increase engagement, higher satisfaction, and reduce costs. One limitation with this technology is the digital divide, as accessibility among the poor and elderly will need to rise. Lastly, smart wearable body sensors (SWS) have gained popularity over the years thanks to fitness related devices like the FitBit and Apple Watch. Because SWS allow patients to self-monitor and track their data in real-time, they are uniquely suited to guide patient behavior from the flexibility of home, work or travel. I can monitor and track distance traveled, heartrate, and calories burned with my FitBit application. There is little doubt that technology has and will continue to impact patient engagement and satisfaction. We need to continue advancements in technology and increase our use of social media, mobile applications, and wearable devices. However, while the future holds much promise, important limitations must be overcome to ensure this potential becomes reality. References Buntin, M., Burke, M., Hoaglin, M., Blumenthal, D. (2011). The Benefits Of Health Information Technology: A Review Of The Recent Literature Shows Predominantly Positive Results. Health Affairs, 30(3), 464-471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0178 Gallant, L.M., Irizarry, C., Boone,G. Krep, G.L. (2011). Promoting Participatory Medicine with Social Media: New Media Application on Hospital Websites that Enhance Health Education and e-Patient Voice, Journal of Participatory Medicine; 3. James, J. (2016). Patient Engagement. Health Affairs Health Policy Briefs. Retrieved 16 June 2016, from http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=86

Inleiding :: German Essays

Inleiding Door de druk van de publieke opinie gaan bedrijven steeds vaker rekening houden met hun omgeving. Onder deze omgeving verstaan wij niet alleen mensen die in de nabijheid van deze bedrijven wonen, maar ook het personeel en het milieu. De samenleving eist van bedrijven dat ze minder vervuilend worden en vooral ook ‘veiliger’. De overheid vertaalt deze eisen in een kader wetgeving die aangeeft aan welke eisen bedrijven moeten voldoen. De bedrijven die op het moment van het ontstaan van kaderwetgeving nog geen maatregelingen hebben getroffen om te voldoen aan de eisen worden vaak opgezadeld met hoge kosten die doorberekend worden in het product. Vervolgens blijkt echter dat de consument niet bereid is om meer te betalen voor een product. De gevolgen van deze neerwaartse spiraal laten zich raden en hebben ervoor gezorgd dat vooraanstaande strategen zich gebogen hebben over dit probleem. Zij komen over het algemeen tot de conclusie dat bedrijven door een innovatief (milie u) beleid te voeren voordelen kunnen behalen ten op zichtte van de concurrentie. Dit beleid moet een vooruitziende blik hebben in de richting van toekomstige eisen zodat op een vroeg moment maatregelen kunnen worden getroffen. Vaak blijken bedrijven hierdoor effectiever en efficià «nter te gaan werken waardoor de productiekosten vaak zelfs gaan dalen in plaats van stijgen. In jaar drie van de studie bedrijfskunde gaan wij voor het vak operationeel beheer een onderzoek uitvoeren binnen het kader van drie zorgsystemen. Deze zorgsystemen zijn veiligheids-, milieu- en kwaliteitssystemen. Het bewustzijn dat kwaliteitssystemen grote voordelen met zich meebrengen is rond 1980 ontstaan1. Dit bewustzijn heeft zich ontwikkeld tot de huidige vorm van kwaliteitsmanagement. De ervaringen die hiermee zijn opgedaan kunnen gebruikt worden om toe te passen op de milieu- en veiligheidssystemen. Wij gaan proberen deze vertaalslag te maken. Dit onderzoek zal tevens aan de praktijk getoetst worden door DSM in het onderzoek te betrekken. De theoretische leidraad in ons onderzoek komt voor het grootste gedeelte uit het verplichte studiemateriaal benodigd voor het vak operationeel beheer. De basis voor onze probleemstelling en de daaruit afgeleide vraagstelling komt uit het artikel van M.E. Porter en C. van der Linde, Green and Competitive. Hierin wordt gesteld dat bedr ijven die een innovatief milieu beleid hanteren productiever worden en daardoor beter kunnen concurreren. Er wordt in dit artikel gesteld dat bedrijven te weinig kijken naar de voordelen die een innovatief milieubeleid met zich mee brengt en teveel kijken naar de statische kosten.

lord of the files :: essays research papers

lord of the files Science 10 ecology project ① Extinction of species  A species becomes extinct when its last representative dies.  Extinction is forever - Once a species become extinct will never been seen again.  This has happened quite a lot of times on Earth.  Due, in many cases, to colonization and hunting by humans.  People feel that extinction is very sad, and try to protect life-forms on the brink of extinction by naming them "endangered species" and being nice to them.  Each living organism which humans force into extinction is a tragedy for nature.  Over fishing or excessive hunting by humans can reduce the populations of certain organisms on Earth.  Animals are hunted for their fur, meat or other valuable parts of their bodies. http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/2R84.html http://www.saburchill.com/hfns02/chapters/chap019.html 1. lost of habitat  Sometimes human activities destroy the habitats of living organisms. The habitat of an organism is its home: where it lives, feeds, and reproduces.  Many species have become extinct because humans have destroyed or modified their habitats, polluted their environment  Human influences on the environment can be considered as being influences on the habitats of living organisms.  Any time humans alter the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere or biosphere, habitats are modified  Survival can become more challenging (or even impossible) for the organisms which live there.  When hunters miss their target, the lead shot which comes out of the gun is left behind in nature. Lead is a toxic metal.  The main component of a panda's diet is bamboo. Bamboo forests have been cut down by humans for centuries. http://www.saburchill.com/hfns02/chapters/chap020.html http://www.saburchill.com/hfns02/chapters/chap021.html 2. lost of biodiversity  This collection of vastly varied living organisms is our planet's biodiversity.  The richest parts of the planet's biodiversity are also the least well-known. It is estimated that 97% of all species on Earth live in the oceans below the zone where sunlight penetrates the water.  On the continents, it is estimated that 50% of all land-dwelling species live in tropical rainforests.  Throughout the history of the Earth, as new species evolve, other species become extinct. Overall, as time has progressed, there are more and more different kinds of organisms.  Human activities today are exterminating species up to 10 times faster than they would naturally disappear.  As the numbers of people increase, the numbers of species decrease.  http://www.saburchill.com/hfns02/chapters/chap024f.html 3. Introduction of exotic species  Humans have helped to spread many species across the world.  More often, however, species are introduced accidentally and have a negative impact.  Plant species used in agriculture, for example, have been deliberately introduced to new areas by humans.  Sometimes wild animals are introduced for hunting as a sport.

The First Amendment Essay -- Bill Rights Constitution Government USA E

The First Amendment America was built on freedom. Freedom to speak, freedom to choose, freedom to worship, and freedom to do just about anything you want within the law. America’s law was designed to protect and preserve these freedoms. The reason the United States of America came to exist was because the colonists fled Great Britain to get back the freedoms that were taken away from them by the Monarchy. In countries where Monarchies and Dictatorships rule, there is little if any freedom to speak of. Citizens of these countries are persecuted or even killed if they attempt to exercise any of the basic freedoms. In these countries there is no free speech, no right to choose government, no right to express religion, no right to own property. This is why I believe the first amendment in the Bill of Rights under the Constitution is the most important amendment. The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect toward the freedom of religion. It also prevents the government from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since the early history of our country, the protection of basic freedoms has been of the utmost importance to Americans. The American voice on freedom has been shaped throughout the course of history by the initial democratic notions of the immigrants to the same desire for greater freedom that we have today. Ever since colon...

Course purshasing Essay

* Founded by France Dominique Mandonnaud in 1969 as a simple perfume shop. * By 1979 the company was already expanded to â€Å"several stores† * Originally, Sephora was planned to be self-service store that offers a variety of products. * Its founder Mandonnaud rebranded his combined set of stores in order to expand is market. * Mandonnaud extended its branches all over France by acquiring 8% of total French retail perfume market and was purchased by LVMH, luxury product group, for $262 million in 1997. * Sephora expanded its operations and services beyond the perfume industry and expanding its core of products to cosmetics. * Under LNMH’s ownership and opened its first U. S store in New York City in 1998 However, this presented a challenge for the company as they had a difficult time to supply the products from other prestigious brands; such as Estee Lauder and Clinique. * The Company banked on rather unknown brands to fill its shelves therefore, these relationships grew strong and eventually this fact led to the innovation and creativity of these brands to introduce new lines of products. * Sephora confronted many issues on their cosmetic line division, especially with the direct line of supply from other stores. * Bottom line, Sephora offers more than 200 brands that go from the typical classics to new and exotic brands; altogether, Sephora counts with more than 20,000 products. Among those products we could find top of line and sophisticated brands as well as not so well know products. * Sephora formed an strategic alliance with JC Penny. * Sephora. com was projected to generate 15-20% of Sephora USA sales in 2010. * Sephora. com ranked top 50 retail sites in U. S SWOT analysis Strengths * Globally distributed with more than 1000 shops worldwide * Strong parent company; LVMH * More than 20,000 products to offer. * Strong online sales * self-service approach to cosmetics * Strong emphasis on construct loyalty brand by tracking down the customers shopping habits. Weaknesses * Modest operational budget. * Low brand recognition * Lack of TV promotions and print ads. * Higher price than drugstores and supermarkets Opportunities * Enhance their customer loyalty program in order to build a â€Å"relationship† with the product consumers. * Sign contracts with famous celebrities to endorse their products. * Introduction to enter into emerging economies such as Brazil and India. Threats * Economic downturn. * Other companies in the same industry. * Amazon and other online companies that sale cosmetic, with their aggressive approach could certainly become a threat. Identification of Problem * Personnel and financial constraints needed to be addressed. * Imagination and inventiveness was greatly needed. * Budget limitation, presented a real challenge when it comes to budget allocation to different initiatives. * Outcomes assessment of social media campaigns as well as mobile applications constituted a real test to overcome. Sephora Direct Julie Bornstein took Sephora on another journey. She transforms the marketing view to a much modern and up to date campaigns. * New Budget request was introduced in order to launch a major campaign that will include social media, web site enhancement as well as the implementation of â€Å"customer relationship† campaigns. * Campaign success should be assessed thorough out Facebook â€Å"likes† and twitter followers as well as I phone application downloads. Sephora. com and Beauty Insider * Sephora. com was implement on 1999 with very imp clear short and long term goals. * Up to 25% of sales should be generated by Sephora. com by 2010. * By 2007 Sephora developed its Beauty Insider campaign. * Incentives such as 1 point for every dollar, redeem points programs are among those strategies in order to create that â€Å"relationship† with its customers Social Media Although this initiative had a rocky start, eventually become a success, Bornstein visionary initiative and her persistence, this initiate obtained 1 million product reviews posted on their web site. (Ofek, 2012). Facebook * Sephora join Facebook by 2008 in less than a year their account had close to 300,000 fans in Facebook. * Last statistics show the Sephora page with more than 900,000 Twitter * By 2010, Sephora had approx. 100,000 users. * Primarily used for current promos, contests, events, etc. * Customers used it to tweet about newly found products. You Tube * Used by Sephora to upload â€Å"How to Videos† on make-up applications; however this sharing video site could be utilized on a much more aggressive way. Cell phone applications * The rapid pace of technology forced mayor companies such as Sephora to create applications for smart phones like IPhone, Droid, Blackberry, etc. Alternatives Budget Re-distribution As stated previously the fast pace of technology constitute a real challenge not only to Sephora but to every single company. Therefore, I would like to present the following suggestions: * Cellphone applications should really receive a great attention and consequently, more financial Resources. * Pros * Instant reaching out to their customer base * Cons * Increase cost of application development fees. * Facebook, according to younger generations has become â€Å"not cool† and obviously not as attractive for younger women, therefore Sephora should look into other popular social media networks in order target new customers that eventually become loyal customers. Instagram, Pheed, thumb, Medium, etc. should be receiving at least 5% of the developmental budget for emerging social sites. * Pros * Targeting potential new buyers, young men and women that are eager to take on the world. * Cons * This target population might take some time in order to become actual customers. * Beauty Insider should remain at 20% as this constitutes the strongest campaign for Sephora when it comes to help â€Å"Sephora loyal customers†. * Pros * Continuous catering of â€Å"loyal customers† * Cons * Become obsolete if new strategies are not develop. * Retailing – print catalogs, store animations. Should receive 30% percent of their developmental budget as these tools have become obsolete for the most part. (Personal opinion) * Pros * Reduction of cost in traditional advertise. * Cons * Potential loose of mature but loyal customers. Recommendation Finally, my recommendation will be to start a comprehensive Research of outcomes in the different categories of initiates developed under Julie Bornstein leadership. Based on those findings re-restructure the entire budget and re-think some of our means to reach out to new and existing customers. We live in a fast speed life and therefore our customers are as busy as they could help. Therefore Sephora must constantly evaluate and re-design their marketing strategies in order to provide the upmost friendly user options to inform serve and sell our products and services to their consumers. Therefore I would choose the Cellphone application development to receive a greater part of the advertisement developmental budget and at the same time re-balance other line of the budgets in order to adjust the budgets accordingly to the outcomes evaluation done thorough the above suggested research.

Ancient China Summary Essay

Ancient China Essay By: Zach Ellwood Summary There were four great dynasties in Ancient China; the Han, Shang, Qin, and Zhou. Some of the Shang accomplishments were set up an empire, and started the â€Å"Mandate of Heaven. †The Zhou Dynasty set up a Feudal System and started the Great Wall. The Qin Dynasty extended the Great Wall and standardized coins, weights and measures. The Han Dynasty accomplished more things than the other dynasties, they invented paper, the seismograph, set up the Silk Road, started exams for civil service and finished the Great Wall.Thesis Statement; Although the other dynasties were great, the Han Dynasty was the greatest. Support Paragraph Although the other dynasties were great, the Han Dynasty was the greatest. The Han Dynasty was the greatest because they accomplished more things than the other dynasties, they invented paper, the seismograph, set up the Silk Road, started exams for civil service and finished the Great Wall. The Qin and Zhou Dyna sties failed to complete the Great Wall.The Han Dynasty’s philosophy was a mixture of Confucianism and Legalism making ruler Wu Di and Gau Zu really respected and powerful leaders. Ruler Qin Shi-Huang Di only used Legalism so he was more powerful than respected and Confucias only used Confucianism so he was more respected than powerful. The Han Dynasty also improved Chinese writing. The Shang Dynasty made a simpler not as good writing system called pictographs. Conclusion Paragraph There were four great dynasties in Ancient China; the Han, Shang, Qin, and Zhou.Some of the Shang accomplishments were set up an empire, and started the â€Å"Mandate of Heaven. †The Zhou Dynasty set up a Feudal System and started the Great Wall. The Qin Dynasty extended the Great Wall and standardized coins, weights and measures. The Han Dynasty accomplished more things than the other dynasties, they invented paper, the seismograph, set up the Silk Road, started exams for civil service and finished the Great Wall. That is why the Han Dynasty is the greatest.

Spirit Bound Chapter Three

THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS were strange. The other novices and I might have had the flashiest graduation, but we weren't the only ones finishing our education at St. Vladimir's. The Moroi had their own commencement ceremony, and campus grew packed with visitors. Then, almost as quickly as they came, parents disappeared–taking their sons and daughters with them. Royal Moroi left to spend their summers with their parents at luxury estates–many in the Southern Hemisphere, where the days were shorter this time of year. â€Å"Ordinary† Moroi left with their parents too, off to more modest homes, possibly getting summer jobs before college. And of course, with school wrapping up for the summer, all the other students left too. Some with no family to go home to, usually dhampirs, stayed year-round, taking special electives, but they were the minority. Campus grew emptier each day as my classmates and I waited for the day when we'd be taken to the Royal Court. We made our farewells to others, Moroi moving on or younger dhampirs who'd soon be following in our footsteps. One person I was sad to part with was Jill. I happened to catch her as I was walking toward Lissa's dorm the day before my Court trip. There was a woman with Jill, presumably her mother, and both were carrying boxes. Jill's face lit up when she saw me. â€Å"Hey Rose! I said goodbye to everyone else but couldn't find you,† she said excitedly. I smiled. â€Å"Well, I'm glad you caught me.† I couldn't tell her that I'd been saying goodbye too. I'd spent my last day at St. Vladimir's walking all the familiar sites, starting with the elementary campus where Lissa and I had first met in kindergarten. I'd explored the halls and corners of my dorms, walked past favorite classrooms, and even visited the chapel. I'd also passed a lot of time in areas filled with bittersweet memories, like the training areas where I'd first gotten to know Dimitri. The track where he used to make me run laps. The cabin where we'd finally given in to each other. It had been one of the most amazing nights of my life, and thinking about it always brought me both joy and pain. Jill didn't need to be burdened with any of that, though. I turned toward her mother and started to offer my hand until I realized she couldn't shake it while maneuvering the box. â€Å"I'm Rose Hathaway. Here, let me carry that.† I took it before she could protest because I was certain she would. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, pleasantly surprised. I fell in step with them as they began walking again. â€Å"I'm Emily Mastrano. Jill's told me a lot about you.† â€Å"Oh yeah?† I asked, giving Jill a teasing smile. â€Å"Not that much. Just how I hang out with you sometimes.† There was a slight warning in Jill's green eyes, and it occurred to me that Emily probably didn't know her daughter practiced forbidden forms of Strigoi-killing magic in her free time. â€Å"We like having Jill around,† I said, not blowing her cover. â€Å"And one of these days, we're going to teach her to tame that hair.† Emily laughed. â€Å"I've been trying for almost fifteen years. Good luck.† Jill's mother was stunning. The two didn't resemble each other much, at least not superficially. Emily's lustrous hair was straight and black, her eyes deep blue and long-lashed. She moved with a willowy grace, very different from Jill's always self-conscious walk. Yet, I could see the shared genes here and there, the heart-shaped faces and lip shapes. Jill was still young, and as she grew into her features, she'd likely be a heartbreaker herself someday–something she was probably oblivious to right now. Hopefully her self-confidence would grow. â€Å"Where's home for you guys?† I asked. â€Å"Detroit,† said Jill, making a face. â€Å"It's not that bad,† laughed her mom. â€Å"There are no mountains. Just highways.† â€Å"I'm part of a ballet company there,† Emily explained. â€Å"So we stay where we can pay the bills.† I think I was more surprised that people went to the ballet in Detroit than that Emily was a ballerina. It made sense, watching her, and really, with their tall and slim builds, Moroi were ideal dancers as far as humans were concerned. â€Å"Hey, it's a big city,† I told Jill. â€Å"Enjoy the excitement while you can before you come back to the boring middle of nowhere.† Of course, illicit combat training and Strigoi attacks were hardly boring, but I wanted to make Jill feel better. â€Å"And it won't be that long.† Moroi summer vacations were barely two months. Parents were eager to return their children to the safety of the Academy. â€Å"I guess,† said Jill, not sounding convinced. We reached their car, and I loaded the boxes into the trunk. â€Å"I'll e-mail you when I can,† I promised. â€Å"And I bet Christian will too. Maybe I can even talk Adrian into it.† Jill brightened, and I was happy to see her return to her normal overexcited self. â€Å"Really? That would be great. I want to hear everything that goes on at Court. You'll probably get to do all sorts of cool things with Lissa and Adrian, and I bet Christian will find out all sorts of things†¦ about things.† Emily didn't seem to notice Jill's lame editing attempt and instead fixed me with a pretty smile. â€Å"Thanks for your help, Rose. It was great to meet you.† â€Å"You too–umph!† Jill had thrown herself into me with a hug. â€Å"Good luck with everything,† she said. â€Å"You're so lucky–you're going to have such a great life now!† I returned the hug, unable to explain how jealous of her I was. Her life was still safe and innocent. She might resent spending a summer in Detroit, but the stay would be brief, and soon she'd be back in the familiar and easy world of St. Vladimir's. She wouldn't be setting out into the unknown and its dangers. It was only after she and her mother had driven off that I could bring myself to respond to her comment. â€Å"I hope so,† I murmured, thinking about what was to come. â€Å"I hope so.† My classmates and select Moroi flew out early the next day, leaving the rocky mountains of Montana behind for the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. The Royal Court was a lot like I remembered, with the same imposing, ancient feel that St. Vladimir's tried to impart with its towering buildings and intricate stone architecture. But the school also seemed to want to show off a wise, studious air, whereas the Court was more ostentatious. It was like the buildings themselves tried to make sure we all knew that this was the seat of power and royalty among the Moroi. The Royal Court wanted us to be amazed and maybe a little cowed. And even though I'd been here before, I was still impressed. The doors and windows of the tan stone buildings were embossed and framed in pristine golden decorations. They were a far cry from the brightness I'd seen in Russia, but I realized now that the Court's designers had modeled these buildings off the old European ones–the fortresses and palaces of Saint Petersburg. St. Vladimir's had benches and paths in the quads and courtyards, but the Court went a step further. Fountains and elaborate statues of past rulers adorned the lawns, exquisite marble works that had previously been hidden in snow. Now, in the full throes of summer, they were bright and on display. And everywhere, everywhere were flowers on trees, bushes, paths–it was dazzling. It made sense that new grads would visit the guardians' central administration, but it occurred to me that there was another reason they brought new guardians here in the summer. They wanted my classmates and me to see all of this, to be overwhelmed and appreciative of the glory for which we were fighting. Looking at the faces of the new graduates, I knew the tactic was working. Most had never been here before. Lissa and Adrian had been on my flight, and the three of us clustered together as we walked with the group. It was as warm as it had been in Montana, but the humidity here was much thicker. I was sweating after only a little light walking. â€Å"You did bring a dress this time, right?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Of course,† I said. â€Å"They've got some fancy things they want us to go to, aside from the main reception. Although, they might give me my black-and-white for that.† He shook his head, and I noticed his hand start to move toward his pocket before hesitating and pulling back. He might have been making progress in quitting smoking, but I was pretty sure the subconscious urge to automatically reach for a pack when outdoors was hard to get rid of so quickly. â€Å"I mean for tonight. For dinner.† I glanced questioningly at Lissa. Her schedule at Court always had assorted functions thrown into it that â€Å"average people† didn't attend. With my new and uncertain status, I wasn't sure if I'd be going with her. I sensed her puzzlement through the bond and could tell that she didn't have a clue about any special dinner plans. â€Å"What dinner?† I asked. â€Å"The one I set up with my family.† â€Å"The one you–† I came to an abrupt halt and stared wide-eyed, not liking the smirk on his face one bit. â€Å"Adrian!† A few of the new grads gave me curious looks and continued walking around us. â€Å"Come on, we've been going out a couple months. Meeting parents is part of the dating ritual. I've met your mom. I even met your scary-ass dad. Now it's your turn. I guarantee none of my family's gonna make the kind of suggestions your dad did.† I'd actually kind of met Adrian's dad before. Or, well, I'd seen him at a party. I doubted he had any idea who I was–my crazy reputation aside. I knew almost nothing about Adrian's mother. He actually spoke very little about his family members–well, most of them. â€Å"Just your parents?† I asked warily. â€Å"Any other family I should know about?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian's hand twitched again. I think this time he wanted a cigarette as some sort of protection from the warning note in my voice. Lissa, I observed, seemed highly amused by all of this. â€Å"My favorite great-aunt might stop by.† â€Å"Tatiana?† I exclaimed. For the hundredth time, I wondered how I had lucked out with a guy related to the leader of the entire Moroi world. â€Å"She hates me! You know what happened the last time we talked.† Her Royal Majesty had laid into me, yelling about how I was too trashy to hook up with her nephew and how she had great â€Å"plans† for him and Lissa. â€Å"I think she's come around.† â€Å"Oh, come on.† â€Å"No, really.† He almost looked like he was telling the truth. â€Å"I talked to my mom the other day, and†¦ I don't know. Aunt Tatiana doesn't seem to hate you as much.† I frowned, and the three of us began to walk again. â€Å"Maybe she admires your recent vigilante work,† mused Lissa. â€Å"Maybe,† I said. But I didn't really believe it. If anything, me going rogue should have made me more despicable in the queen's eyes. I felt kind of betrayed that Adrian had sprung this dinner on me, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The only bright side was that I had the impression he was teasing me about his aunt stopping by. I told him I'd go, and my decision put him in a good enough mood that he didn't ask too many questions when Lissa and I said we were going to do â€Å"our own thing† that afternoon. My classmates were all getting a tour of the Court and its grounds as part of their indoctrination, but I'd seen it all before and was able to wiggle out of it. Lissa and I dropped our belongings off in our rooms and then set out to the far side of the Court, where the not-so-royal people lived. â€Å"Are you going to tell me yet what this other part of your plan is?† asked Lissa. Ever since Abe had explained about Victor's prison, I'd been making another mental list of the problems we'd have breaking into it. Mainly, there were two, which was one less than I'd initially had since talking to Abe. Not that things were really much easier. First, we had no clue where in Alaska this place was. Second, we didn't know what the prison's defenses and layout were like. We had no idea what we had to bust through. Yet, something told me all of these answers could be found in one source, which meant I really only had one immediate problem: how to reach that source. Fortunately, I knew someone who might be able to help get us there. â€Å"We're going to see Mia,† I told her. Mia Rinaldi was a former Moroi classmate of ours–a former enemy, actually. She was also the poster child for total personality makeovers. She'd gone from a scheming bitch who was willing to crush–and sleep with–anyone in her quest for popularity to a down-to-earth, confident girl eager to learn to defend herself and others from Strigoi. She lived here at Court with her father. â€Å"You think Mia knows how to break into a prison?† â€Å"Mia's good, but I don't think she's that good. She can probably help us get intel, though.† Lissa groaned. â€Å"I can't believe you just used the word intel. This really is turning into a spy movie.† She spoke flippantly, but I could feel the worry within her. The light tone was masking her fear, the unease she still felt about freeing Victor, despite her promise to me. Those non-royals who worked and did ordinary things at Court lived in apartments far from the queen's quarters and receiving hall. I'd gotten Mia's address in advance, and we set out across the perfectly manicured grounds, grumbling to each other along the way about the hot day. We found her at home, casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with a Popsicle in her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw us outside her door. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned,† she said. I laughed. It was the kind of response I'd give. â€Å"Nice to see you too. Can we come in?† â€Å"Of course.† She stepped aside. â€Å"You want a Popsicle?† Did I ever. I took a grape one and sat with her and Lissa in the small living room. The place was a far cry from the opulence of royal guest housing, but it was cozy and clean and undoubtedly well loved by Mia and her father. â€Å"I knew the grads were coming,† Mia said, brushing blond curls out of her face. â€Å"But I wasn't sure if you were with them or not. Did you even graduate?† â€Å"I did,† I said. â€Å"Got the promise mark and everything.† I lifted my hair so she could see the bandage. â€Å"I'm surprised they let you back in after you took off on your killing spree. Or did you get extra credit for that?† Apparently, Mia had heard the same tall tale about my adventures that everyone else had. That was fine with me. I didn't want to talk about the truth. I didn't want to talk about Dimitri. â€Å"Do you think anyone could stop Rose from doing what she wants?† asked Lissa with a smile. She was trying to keep us from getting into too much detail about my past whereabouts, for which I was grateful. Mia laughed and crunched on a big chunk of lime ice. It was a wonder she didn't get brain freeze. â€Å"True.† Her smile faded as she swallowed the bite. Her blue eyes, always shrewd, studied me in silence for a few moments. â€Å"And Rose wants something now.† â€Å"Hey, we're just happy to see you,† I said. â€Å"I believe you. But I also believe you've got an ulterior motive.† Lissa's smile grew. She was amused by me being caught in my spy game. â€Å"What makes you say that? Can you read Rose that well or do you just always assume she's got an ulterior motive?† Now Mia smiled again. â€Å"Both.† She scooted forward on the couch, fixing me with a serious look. When had she grown so perceptive? â€Å"Okay. No point in wasting time. What do you need my help with?† I sighed, busted. â€Å"I need to get inside the guardians' main security office.† Beside me, Lissa made a sort of strangled noise. I felt kind of bad for her. While she could conceal her thoughts from me on occasion, there wasn't much she did or said that came as a true surprise. Me? I continually blindsided her. She had no clue what was coming half the time, but honestly, if we were planning on springing a renowned criminal out of prison, then breaking into a security office shouldn't have been that big of a shock. â€Å"Wow,† said Mia. â€Å"You don't waste time with the little stuff.† Her grin twitched a bit. â€Å"Of course, you wouldn't come to me with little stuff. You could do that yourself.† â€Å"Can you get me–us–in there?† I asked. â€Å"You're friendly with some of the guardians here†¦ and your dad has access to a lot of places†¦.† I didn't know Mr. Rinaldi's exact job, but I thought it was maintenance-related. â€Å"What are you looking for?† she asked. She held up a hand when I opened my mouth to protest. â€Å"No, no. I don't need details. Just a general idea so I can figure this out. I know you're not going there just to tour the place.† â€Å"I need some records,† I explained. Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"Personnel? Trying to get yourself a job?† â€Å"I–no.† Huh. That wasn't a bad idea, considering my precarious position with being assigned to Lissa. But no. One issue at a time. â€Å"I need some records about outside security at other places–schools, royal homes, prisons.† I tried to keep my expression casual as I mentioned that last one. Mia was on board with some crazy things, but even she had her limits. â€Å"I figured they must keep that stuff there?† â€Å"They do,† she said. â€Å"But most of it's electronic. And no offense, but that might even be beyond your abilities. Even if we could get to one of their computers, everything's password protected. And if they walk away, they lock the computers. I'm guessing you haven't become a hacker since the last time I saw you.† No, certainly not. And unlike the heroes of those spy movies Lissa teased me about, I had no tech-savvy friends who could even come close to breaking that kind of encryption and security. Damn. I stared glumly at my feet, wondering if I had any chance at all of getting more information out of Abe. â€Å"But,† said Mia, â€Å"if the information you need isn't too current, they might still have paper copies.† I jerked my head up. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"They've got mass storage rooms, tucked away in one of the basements. Files and files. Still under lock and key–but probably easier to get to than fighting the computers. Again, depends on what you need. How old it is.† Abe had given me the impression that Tarasov Prison had been around for a while. Surely there was a record of it in these archives. I didn't doubt the guardians had gone digital a while ago, which meant we might not find up-to-the-minute details on the place's security, but I'd settle for a blueprint. â€Å"It might be what we need. Can you get us in?† Mia was quiet for several seconds, and I could see her mind whirring. â€Å"Possibly.† She glanced at Lissa. â€Å"Can you still compel people into being your slaves?† Lissa grimaced. â€Å"I don't like to think of it like that, but yeah, I can.† It was another of spirit's perks. Mia considered a few moments more and then gave a quick nod. â€Å"Okay. Come back around two, and we'll see what we can do.† Two in the afternoon for the rest of the world meant the middle of the night for Moroi, who ran on a nocturnal schedule. Being out in broad daylight didn't feel particularly sneaky, but I had to figure Mia's planning here was based on the fact that there would also be fewer people around that time of day. I was trying to decide if we should socialize more or head out when a knock interrupted my thoughts. Mia flinched and suddenly looked uncomfortable. She rose to get the door, and a familiar voice drifted down the hall toward us. â€Å"Sorry I'm early, but I–â€Å" Christian stepped into the living room. He abruptly shut up when he saw Lissa and me. Everyone seemed frozen, so it looked like it was up to me to pretend like this wasn't a horribly awkward situation. â€Å"Hey, Christian,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"How's it going?† His eyes were on Lissa, and it took him a moment to drag them to me. â€Å"Fine.† He glanced at Mia. â€Å"I can come back†¦. â€Å" Lissa hastily stood up. â€Å"No,† she said, voice cool and princesslike. â€Å"Rose and I have to go anyway.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed, following her lead. â€Å"We have†¦ stuff†¦ to do. And we don't want to interrupt your†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hell, I had no idea what they were going to do. Wasn't sure I wanted to. Mia had found her voice. â€Å"Christian wanted to see some of the moves I've been practicing with the campus guardians.† â€Å"Cool.† I kept the smile on my face as Lissa and I moved toward the door. She stepped as far around Christian as she could. â€Å"Jill will be jealous.† And not just Jill. After another round of goodbyes, Lissa and I left and set back off across the grounds. I could feel the anger and jealousy radiating through her bond. â€Å"It's only their fight club, Liss,† I said, having no need for her side of the conversation. â€Å"Nothing's going on. They're going to talk punches and kicking and other boring stuff.† Well, actually that stuff was pretty sweet, but I wasn't about to glorify Christian and Mia hanging out. â€Å"Maybe now nothing's going on,† she growled, staring stonily ahead. â€Å"But who knows what could happen? They spend time together, practice some physical moves, one thing leads to another–â€Å" â€Å"That's ridiculous,† I said. â€Å"That kind of stuff isn't romantic at all.† Another lie, seeing as that was exactly how my relationship with Dimitri had begun. Again, best not to mention that. â€Å"Besides, Christian can't be involved with every girl he hangs out with. Mia, Jill–no offense, but he's not really that much of a ladies' man.† â€Å"He's really good-looking,† she argued, those dark feelings still seething within her. â€Å"Yeah,† I conceded, keeping my eyes carefully on the pathway. â€Å"But it takes more than that. And besides, I thought you didn't care what he did.† â€Å"I don't,† she agreed, not even convincing herself, let alone me. â€Å"Not at all.† My attempts to distract her proved pretty useless for the rest of the day. Tasha's words came back to me: Why haven't you fixed this? Because Lissa and Christian were being too damned unreasonable, both caught up in their own pissed-off feelings–which were kind of pissing me off in return. Christian would have been pretty helpful in my illicit escapades, but I had to keep my distance for Lissa's sake. I finally left her to her bad mood when dinner came around. Compared to her romantic situation, my relationship with a semi-spoiled royal playboy from a disapproving family seemed downright optimistic. What a sad and scary world this was becoming. I assured Lissa I'd head straight back after dinner and that we'd go see Mia together. The mention of Mia didn't make Lissa happy, but the thought of a potential break-in did distract her momentarily from Christian. The dress I had for dinner was maroon, made of light, gauzy material that was great for summer weather. The neckline was decent, and little cap sleeves gave it a classy edge. With my hair in a low ponytail that did a decent job of hiding the healing tattoo, I almost looked like a respectable girlfriend–which only went to show how deceptive appearances were, seeing as I was part of a crazy scheme to bring my last boyfriend back from the dead. Adrian surveyed me from head to toe when I arrived at his parents' town house. They kept a permanent residence here at the Court. The small smile on his face told me he liked what he saw. â€Å"You approve?† I asked, spinning around. He slipped an arm around my waist. â€Å"Unfortunately, yes. I was hoping you'd show up in something a lot sluttier. Something that would scandalize my parents.† â€Å"Sometimes it's like you don't even care about me as a person,† I observed as we walked inside. â€Å"It's like you're just using me for shock value.† â€Å"It's both, little dhampir. I care about you, and I'm using you for shock value.† I hid a smile as the Ivashkovs' housekeeper led us toward the dining room. The Court actually had restaurants and cafes tucked away within its buildings, but royals like Adrian's parents would consider it classier to have a fancy dinner in their home. Me, I would have preferred being out in public. More escape options. â€Å"You must be Rose.† My assessment of the exits was interrupted when a very tall, very elegant Moroi woman came into the room. She wore a long, dark green satin dress that immediately made me feel out of place and that perfectly matched the color of her–and Adrian's–eyes. Her dark hair was pulled into a bun, and she smiled down at me with genuine warmth as she took my hand. â€Å"I'm Daniella Ivashkov,† she said. â€Å"It's very nice to meet you at last.† Was it really? My hand automatically shook hers in return. â€Å"Nice to meet you too, Lady Ivashkov.† â€Å"Call me Daniella, please.† She turned to Adrian and tsked as she straightened the collar of his button-up shirt. â€Å"Honestly, darling,† she said. â€Å"Do you even look in a mirror before you walk out the door? Your hair's a mess.† He dodged her as she reached toward his head. â€Å"Are you kidding? I spent hours in front of the mirror to make it look this way.† She gave a tormented sigh. â€Å"Some days I can't decide if I'm lucky or not to have no other children.† Behind her, quiet servants were setting food out on the table. Steam rose up from the platters, and my stomach rumbled. I hoped no one else heard. Daniella glanced off down the hall beyond her. â€Å"Nathan, will you hurry up? The food's getting cold.† A few moments later, heavy footsteps sounded on the ornate wood floor, and Nathan Ivashkov swept into the room. Like his wife, he was dressed formally, the blue satin of his tie gleaming next to the starkness of his heavy black suit coat. I was glad they had air-conditioning in here, or he'd have been melting in that heavy fabric. The feature on him that stood out the most was what I remembered from before: a distinctly silver head of hair and mustache. I wondered if Adrian's hair would look like that when he was older. Nah, I'd never find out. Adrian would probably dye his hair at the first sign of gray–or silver. Adrian's father might be exactly as I remembered, but it was clear he had no clue who I was. In fact, he seemed genuinely startled to see me. â€Å"This is Adrian's, ah, friend, Rose Hathaway,† said Daniella gently. â€Å"You remember–he said he'd bring her tonight.† â€Å"It's nice to meet you, Lord Ivashkov.† Unlike his wife, he didn't offer to put us on a first-name basis, which relieved me a little. The Strigoi who had forcefully turned Dimitri had been named Nathan too, and it wasn't a name I wanted to speak aloud. Adrian's father looked me over, but it wasn't with the appreciation Adrian had shown earlier. It was more like I was an oddity. â€Å"Oh. The dhampir girl.† He wasn't rude exactly, just disinterested. I mean, it wasn't like he called me a blood whore or anything. We all sat down to eat, and although Adrian kept his typical devil-may-care smile on his face, I again got the vibe that he really, really wanted a cigarette. Probably hard liquor, too. Being around his parents was not something he enjoyed. When one of the servants poured us all wine, Adrian looked immensely relieved and didn't hold back. I shot him a cautioning look that he ignored. Nathan managed to rapidly devour his balsamic-glazed pork medallions while still looking elegant and proper. â€Å"So,† he said, attention focused on Adrian, â€Å"now that Vasilisa's graduated, what are you going to do with yourself? You aren't going to keep slumming with high school students, are you? There's no point in you being there anymore.† â€Å"I don't know,† said Adrian lazily. He shook his head, further tousling his carefully mussed hair. â€Å"I kind of like hanging out with them. They think I'm funnier than I really am.† â€Å"Unsurprising,† his father replied. â€Å"You aren't funny at all. It's time you do something productive. If you aren't going to go back to college, you should at least start sitting in on some of the family business meetings. Tatiana spoils you, but you could learn a lot from Rufus.† I knew enough about royal politics to recognize the name. The oldest member of each family was usually its â€Å"prince† or â€Å"princess† and held a Royal Council position–and was eligible to become king or queen. When Tatiana had taken the crown, Rufus had become prince of the Ivashkov family since he was the next oldest. â€Å"True,† said Adrian deadpan. He wasn't eating so much as pushing his food around. â€Å"I'd really like to know how he keeps his two mistresses a secret from his wife.† â€Å"Adrian!† snapped Daniella, a flush spilling over her pale cheeks. â€Å"Don't say things like that at our dinner table–and certainly not in front of a guest.† Nathan seemed to notice me again and gave a dismissive shrug. â€Å"She doesn't matter.† I bit my lip on that, repressing the urge to see if I could throw my china plate Frisbee style and hit him in the head. I decided against it. Not only would it ruin dinner, but the plate probably wouldn't get the lift I needed. Nathan turned his scowl back to Adrian. â€Å"But you do. I'm not going to have you sitting around doing nothing–and using our money to fund it.† Something told me I should stay out of this, but I couldn't stand to see Adrian dressed down by his annoying father. Adrian did sit around and waste money, but Nathan didn't have the right to make fun of him for it. I mean, sure, I did all the time. But that was different. â€Å"Maybe you could go to Lehigh with Lissa,† I offered. â€Å"Keep studying spirit with her and then†¦ do whatever else you were doing the last time you were in college†¦.† â€Å"Drinking and skipping classes,† said Nathan. â€Å"Art,† said Daniella. â€Å"Adrian took art classes.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, turning to him in surprise. Somehow, I could imagine him as an artistic type. It fit his erratic personality. â€Å"Then this would be perfect. You could pick it up again.† He shrugged and finished his second glass of wine. â€Å"I don't know. This college would probably have the same problem the last one did.† I frowned. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"Homework.† â€Å"Adrian,† growled his father. â€Å"It's okay,† said Adrian breezily. He rested his arm casually on the table. â€Å"I don't really need a job or extra money. After Rose and I get married, the kids and I'll just live off of her guardian paycheck.† We all froze, even me. I knew perfectly well that he was joking. I mean, even if he harbored fantasies of marriage and kids (and I was pretty sure he didn't), the meager salary a guardian made would never be enough to keep him in the luxurious life he required. Adrian's father, however, clearly did not think he was joking. Daniella seemed undecided. Me, I was just uncomfortable. It was a very, very bad topic to bring up at a dinner like this, and I couldn't believe Adrian had gone there. I didn't even think the wine was to blame. Adrian just liked tormenting his father that much. The awful silence grew thicker and thicker. My gut instinct to fill conversation voids was raging, but something told me to stay quiet. The tension increased. When the doorbell rang, all four of us nearly jumped out of our chairs. The housekeeper, Torrie, scurried off to answer it, and I breathed a mental sigh of relief. An unexpected visitor would help ease the tension. Or maybe not. Torrie cleared her throat when she returned, clearly flustered as she looked from Daniella to Nathan. â€Å"Her Royal Majesty Queen Tatiana is here.† No. Way. All three Ivashkovs stood up abruptly, and a half second later, I joined them. I hadn't believed Adrian earlier when he said Tatiana might come. From his face, he seemed pretty surprised now too. But sure enough, there she was. She swept into the room, elegant in what must have been business casual for her: tailored black slacks and jacket with a red silk and lace blouse underneath. Little jeweled barrettes gleamed in her dark hair, and those imperious eyes peered down at us all as we offered hasty bows. Even her own family followed formalities. â€Å"Aunt Tatiana,† said Nathan, forcing what looked like a smile onto his face. I don't think he did it very often. â€Å"Won't you join us for dinner?† She waved a hand dismissively. â€Å"No, no. I can't stay. I'm on my way to meet with Priscilla but thought I'd stop by when I heard Adrian had returned.† Her gaze fell on him. â€Å"I can't believe you've been here all day and didn't come visit.† Her voice was cool, but I swear there was an amused twinkle in her eyes. It was scary. She wasn't someone I thought of as warm and fuzzy. The whole experience of seeing her outside of one of her ceremonial rooms was totally unreal. Adrian grinned at her. He was clearly the most comfortable person in the room right now. For reasons I never understood, Tatiana loved and spoiled Adrian. That wasn't to say that she didn't love her other family members; it was just clear that he was her favorite. It had always surprised me, considering what a scoundrel he was sometimes. â€Å"Aw, I figured you had more important things to do than see me,† he told her. â€Å"Besides, I quit smoking, so now we won't be able to go sneak cigarettes out behind the throne room together.† â€Å"Adrian!† chastised Nathan, turning bright red. It occurred to me then that I could have based a drinking game around how many times he exclaimed his son's name disapprovingly. â€Å"Auntie, I'm sor–â€Å" Tatiana held up a hand again. â€Å"Oh, be silent, Nathan. No one wants to hear it.† I almost choked. Being in the same room with the queen was horrid, but it was almost worth it to see her verbally bitch-slap Lord Ivashkov. She turned back to Adrian, face thawing. â€Å"You've finally quit? It's about time. I suppose this is your doing?† It took me a moment to realize she was speaking to me. Until that point, I'd kind of hoped she might not have even noticed me. It seemed the only explanation for her not screaming at them to remove the rebellious little blood whore. It was shocking. Her voice wasn't accusatory, either. It was†¦ impressed. â€Å"W-well, it wasn't me, Your Majesty,† I said. My meekness was a far cry from my behavior at our last meeting. â€Å"Adrian was the one who had the, uh, determination to do it.† So help me, Tatiana chuckled. â€Å"Very diplomatic. They should assign you to a politician.† Nathan didn't like the attention on me. I wasn't sure I did either, semi-pleasant or not. â€Å"Are you and Priscilla doing business tonight? Or just having a friendly dinner?† Tatiana dragged her gaze from me. â€Å"Both. There's been some inter-family squabbling going on. Not publicly, but it's getting out. People are making noise about security. Some are ready to start training up right now. Others are wondering if guardians can go without sleep.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"And those are the tamest of the suggestions.† No question about it. This visit had gotten a lot more interesting. â€Å"I hope you're going to shut those would-be militants up,† growled Nathan. â€Å"Us fighting alongside guardians is absurd.† â€Å"What's absurd,† said Tatiana, â€Å"is having strife among the royal classes. That's what I want to ‘shut up.'† Her tone grew lofty, very queenlike. â€Å"We're the leaders among the Moroi. We have to set an example. We need to be unified to survive.† I studied her curiously. What did that mean? She hadn't agreed or disagreed with Nathan's stance on Moroi fighting. She'd only mentioned establishing peace among her people. But how? Was her method to encourage the new motion or squash it? Security was a huge concern for everyone after the attack, and it fell on her to figure it out. â€Å"Sounds pretty hard to me,† said Adrian, playing oblivious to the seriousness of the matter. â€Å"If you still want a cigarette afterward, I'll make an exception.† â€Å"I'll settle for you coming to make a proper visit tomorrow,† she said dryly. â€Å"Leave the cigarettes at home.† She glanced at his empty wineglass. â€Å"And other things.† A flash of steely resolve crossed her gaze, and even though it melted as quickly as it had come, I felt almost relieved. There was the icy Tatiana I knew. He saluted. â€Å"Noted.† Tatiana gave the rest of us brief glances. â€Å"Have a good evening,† was her only farewell. We bowed again, and then she headed back toward the front door. As she did, I heard scuffling and murmured voices. She'd been traveling with a retinue, I realized, and had left them all in the foyer while she came to say hello to Adrian. Dinner was quiet after that. Tatiana's visit had kind of left us all astonished. At least it meant I didn't have to hear Adrian and his father bicker anymore. Daniella mostly maintained what little conversation there was, attempting to inquire about my interests, and I realized she hadn't said a word during Tatiana's brief visit. Daniella had married into the Ivashkovs, and I wondered if she found the queen intimidating. When the time came for us to leave, Daniella was all smiles while Nathan retired to his study. â€Å"You need to come by more often,† she told Adrian, smoothing his hair in spite of his protests. â€Å"And you're welcome anytime, Rose.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said, dumbfounded. I kept studying her face to see if she was lying, but I didn't think she was. It made no sense. Moroi didn't approve of long-term relationships with dhampirs. Royal Moroi especially didn't. And royal Moroi related to the queen especially didn't, at least if past experience was any indication. Adrian sighed. â€Å"Maybe if he's not around. Oh, damn. That reminds me. I left my coat here last time–I wanted to get out too fast.† â€Å"You've got, like, fifty coats,† I remarked. â€Å"Ask Torrie,† said Daniella. â€Å"She'll know where it is.† Adrian went off to find the housekeeper, leaving me with his mother. I should have made polite, inconsequential small talk, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. â€Å"Dinner was really great,† I told her honestly. â€Å"And I hope you won't take this the wrong way†¦ but I mean†¦ well, you seem okay with Adrian and me dating.† She nodded serenely. â€Å"I am.† â€Å"And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Well, it had to be said. â€Å"Tat–Queen Tatiana kind of seemed okay with it too.† â€Å"She is.† I made sure my jaw didn't drop to the floor. â€Å"But†¦ I mean, the last time I talked to her, she was really mad. She kept telling me over and over how she'd never allow us to be together in the future or get married or anything like that.† I cringed, recalling Adrian's joke. â€Å"I figured you'd feel the same. Lord Ivashkov does. You can't really want your son to be with a dhampir forever.† Daniella's smile was kind but wry. â€Å"Do you plan on being with him forever? Do you plan on marrying him and settling down?† The question totally caught me off guard. â€Å"I†¦ no†¦ I mean, no offense to Adrian. I just never–â€Å" â€Å"Planned on settling down at all?† She nodded wisely. â€Å"That's what I thought. Believe me, I know Adrian wasn't serious earlier. Everyone's jumping to conclusions that haven't even happened. I've heard of you, Rose–everyone has. And I admire you. And based on what I've learned, I'm guessing you aren't the type who would quit being a guardian to be a housewife.† â€Å"You're right,† I admitted. â€Å"Then I don't see the problem. You're both young. You're entitled to have fun and do what you want now, but I–you and I–know that even if you see Adrian off and on for the rest of your life, you aren't going to get married or settle down. And it has nothing to do with what Nathan or anyone says. It's the way of the world. It's the kind of person you are. I can see it in your eyes. Tatiana's realized it too, and that's why she eased up. You need to be out there fighting, and that's what you'll do. At least if you truly intend to be a guardian.† â€Å"I do.† I was staring at her in wonder. Her attitude was amazing. She was the first royal I'd met who hadn't immediately freaked out and gone crazy over the idea of a Moroi and dhampir match. If other people shared her view, it would make a lot of others' lives easier. And she was right. It didn't matter what Nathan thought. It wouldn't have even mattered if Dimitri had been around. The bottom line was that Adrian and I wouldn't be together for the rest of our lives because I'd always be on guardian duty, not lounging around like he did. Realizing that freed things up†¦ yet it made me a little sad too. Behind her, I could see Adrian approaching down the hall. Daniella leaned forward, pitching her voice low for me. There was a wistful note to her words when she spoke, the tone of a concerned mother. â€Å"But Rose? While I'm fine with you two dating and being happy, please try not to break his heart too much when the time comes.†

Compare the Use of Location and the Environment in the Great Gatsby

Compare the use of location and the environment in The Great Gatsby and The Go-Between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and L. P. Hartley’s The Go-Between are two novels set in very different places in the world, but both show how love between different classes is doomed to failure. The environment is used to depict the lives of the people around it, such as the opulence and decadence in East Egg, and a dull, lifeless place in the valley of ashes.Both Fitzgerald and Hartley use the environment and location to show how the class system and the American dream have failed. Despite, 1920’s America being seen as free, it is also seen as being morally corrupt, with parties celebrating sumptuousness. A key idea of The Great Gatsby is how despite the wonderful settings Gatsby and Myrtle (sometimes) live in; they are still no way near achieving the dream life the Buchanans have. Fitzgerald opens The Great Gatsby with his overriding point about the failure of the Ame rican dream.This is symbolized with the stark contrast between East and West Egg; East Egg represents aristocracy, and leisure with the old money, while West Egg represents ostentation, garishness, and the flashy manners of the new money. Although separated by a small expanse of water, East Egg is the glitzier one with â€Å"white palaces†, whilst Nick’s own house in West Egg is described as a â€Å"small eyesore†. The ironic description of â€Å"white palaces† is particularly important throughout the novel because the inhabitants of East Egg are anything but pure and innocent, highlighted by the Bucahnan’s and Jordan.The difference between the fictitious places in New York and real locations is also partly interesting as in the ordinary world the east end is usually the poorer side, which suggests that Fitzgerald believes that it makes no difference either way. The Maudsley residence â€Å"Brandham Hall† in The Go-Between is depicted as the upper-middle class â€Å"Georgian mansion†, however the architectural style is described as â€Å"over-plain†. This is a criticism, by Hartley of the Maudsley’s lifestyle having little substance, much like the Buchanan’s and the manner in which their life is conducted. Court Place†, the home of Leo’s is described as â€Å"ordinary†, with Marcus rather snobbishly presumes this to show grandeur, a further indication that the Maudsley’s are not a family to look up to. Leo’s home is much the same to him as Nick’s â€Å"small eyesore† is to him, loved by the inhabitant. The Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby is depicted as a soulless, â€Å"desolate† piece of land. Fitzgerald uses juxtaposition for irony, to depict the area as â€Å" a fantastic farm, where ashes grow like wheat. This emphasizes Fitzgerald’s point that the area is dead and will always be dead, as the crop that grows is already bu rnt out and worthless. The â€Å"ashes† are a metaphor for the people who live in the valley of ashes, as they have no hope of becoming anything, despite the hope of the American dream. †The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg† are the most haunting and resilient symbol in the novel, symbolizing the hopelessness in the novel for all the characters. Wilson’s perspective that the eyes are those of an omniscient God, could suggest that the billboard is a parody of God, as the people are still struggling to live.The colour of â€Å"Doctor T. J. Eckleburg’s† eyes are particularly poignant, with the combination of the â€Å"blue and gigantic† eyes with â€Å"enormous yellow spectacles†, with the blue highlighting the sadness of the residents and the yellow almost mocking them, showing the bright, vibrant life the upper classes have. The billboard symbolizes the fallible American dream, in that it is old and decaying and the Valley is almost forgotten by the entrepreneurs. The American dream is about discovery, individualism and the pursuit of happiness.The Great Gatsby shows that in the 1920’s the ‘old money’ and relaxed social values have corrupted the dream, especially on the east coast, making the pursuit of happiness impossible for the â€Å"gray men† of the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is the only location in The Great Gatsby where hopelessness and decay is palpably obvious. The location of it is particularly poignant and important as it is situated between New York and both the Egg’s, which shows that the rich and the newly-rich have to pass through a place where the dream has failed and have to breath the â€Å"powdery air†.Furthermore, the metaphor evidently shows the ‘powdery’ lifestyle that the people live in, where the life is not perfect in any way, which is why the objects and people are described as â€Å"gray† a colour which is not dea d and black, but slightly lighter, suggesting that they only have a small amount of life in them. Wilson’s garage could be seen as a failure of the American dream; a location where there is nothing worth anything and the place lacks hope of any sort, with Fitzgerald describing Wilson as â€Å"spiritless†.The description of the â€Å"dust-covered wreck of a Ford† is a particularly sad one, because Ford was created to have a car for everyone in America, and despite Wilson owning a car, the derelict state give the impression that perhaps the poor never had the potential to have cars and almost act like the rich, which could mean that Fitzgerald is saying the American dream is a false and unrealistic prospect for the vast majority of people. Unlike Wilson, Ted’s farm in The Go-Between is full of life with â€Å"four horses†, and the countryside â€Å"smell of manure†.The farm represents the happiness that the lower classes have in the 1900â€⠄¢s, and reappears at the end of the cricket match. Unlike, Wilson there is still life and hope left in belongings; however Ted’s suicide shows how the path reaches the same conclusion and could represent the failure of the class system, because although there is hope in areas, no inter-class marriages would be accepted. New York is a juxtaposition of the Valley, with its loud, garish, and slightly frightening demeanour. The party at Myrtle’s apartment shows the failure of the American dream, with everyone getting drunk and having fights.Fitzgerald has made Myrtle’s apartment cramped and ugly with â€Å"tapestried furniture†, which makes it easy to â€Å"stumble†¦ over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles. † Fitzgerald has evidently shows that Myrtle wishes to live the life of a affluent French princess, but one that lives in a materialistic way. He wants to show how Myrtle has always longed to be rich. The picture of a †Å"hen sitting on a blurred rock† shows that the lifestyle that Myrtle has in the apartment is metaphorically close to her, yet she will never fully reach it.The city of New York in The Great Gatsby is visited on many occasions in the novel and is depicted as wealthy and garish with its â€Å"movie stars†, yet it comes across as being anything, but happy. Fitzgerald describes it as â€Å"the city rising up †¦ in white heaps and sugar lumps †¦ with a wish of non-olfactory (not smelling money)†. This metaphorical quote shows that New York is a place of short pleasure that dissolves too quickly. The â€Å"white† is again used for irony, suggesting the deceit and impurity of Myrtle, Gatsby and Wolfshiem in New York.The image of the â€Å"facade of†¦a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the park,† shows that there is actually very little hope in the city. In contrast, the â€Å"atropa belladonna† plant the Leo discovers ap pears to be beautiful, as he admits that despite being poisonous he would â€Å"have to look at it again†, but he soon realises that it is dangerous and poisonous as he destroys it, shortly before Marian and Ted’s affair becomes public. The â€Å"belladonna† is a symbol of beauty, but with an underlying poison in the Maudsley family.Gatsby’s house is similar to Myrtle’s apartment, in that everything seems out of place, as he shows off to his true love Daisy. The â€Å"pile of shirts† that Gatsby owns in â€Å"stripes †¦ in coral and apple green and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  represent the hope that Gatsby has for a life with Daisy despite really knowing that â€Å"rich girls don’t marry poor boys†, because although he has a lot of wealth gathered rather suspiciously, he is no-way near the wealth of the ‘old money’. The colours of the shirts are of great magnitude as they symbolize the innocence of Gatsby’s pursuit, as they are very pure colours.However, the â€Å"Marie Antoinette music rooms† could resemble the fate that Gatsby’s meets as despite the fact that Marie Antoinette was rich she was guillotined in the French revolution, a fate not too dissimilar to that that Gatsby meets. Outside Gatsby’s house is the most important symbol in the novel. The â€Å"green light on the dock† sums up both Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy and the American dream: doomed to failure. The American dream is shown failing right from the first second, when the Dutch settlers, saw the ‘green breast’ and attempted, but ultimately failed to possess it.From an early age Gatsby’s perseverance and hope in the face of adversity epitomises the American dream, but one that is still very much a dream. Overall, both The Go-Between and The Great Gatsby share similar themes and have almost identical conclusions, but the location in both symbolizes many different important them es such as possessions showing how important the person is, for example the â€Å"four candles† outside at the Buchanans house representing the pointless actions that the ‘old’ money have.In the epilogue of The Go-Between Leo sees â€Å"the south-west prospect of the Hall† that was hidden from Leo’s memory could represent new hope and optimism in the future, however the scene of the â€Å"drunken woman† and the image the of â€Å"the Dutch sailors† and Gatsby on his â€Å"blue lawn† are almost ironic claiming that the American dream will never happen, despite all the life put into it. 1650 words 1588 words which mena sthat there is no more than about 60 words avialable on: 1686 words.We have now gone over the word limit by about 100 or so words, so we need to cuct some parts down (get rid of waffle). Also we may need to add a sentence or so on GB and Marie A. Finally we will probably need to have a good think about the intro and conc. /More vale of ash. Unlikely to be pursued with word limit. /Gatsby’s house Chapter 5(need study q’s). In perhaps C4, although this may not be possible Definite Possible * Perhaps the outhouses in GB. More GB stuff is needed so at least 1/3 of the word limit is likely to be on this * Epilogue in GB. Gatsby’s party * The end: likely to be moved to the Conc. * Marie Antoinette Incorporated as background for on eof ghe already done paragraphs. This will leave about 200 words for the Intro. And Conc. We may have to incorporate the end as part of the conclusion, which q. frankly isn’t a bad idea. Use sparknotes for aide One point; the GB is likely to b e the worse of the two novels, and I would like slightly more information about some for the parts before I get the wrong impression (yeah I blame it on you Debbie Houghton).AND we no longer have the GB for reference, but hopefully I will manage to cope (somehow, someway). We have about 1+1 weekends to fin ish it, therefore I hope to finish ASAP and checked as this will give me time to think over changes, but the quicker the better (and seeing as we’re only likely to add a max of 4 paragraphs, I wouldn’t panic too much. On the social class sheet the following things were put down (that I haven’t of yet done): * Buchanan’s house * Ted’s farm (will do) Gatsby’s parties (not sure if I will be able to get this in, but I will try) * Gatsby’s mansion (to some extent) Therefore I need to think about these ideas. We have approx. 13 days left, so only 2 weekends, BUT 1 Saturday we have Ding Dong and the other Orchestra Yet to complete * Getting the word limit down * Improving various phrasing (last weekend) * Perhaps improving the intro * We also have to do the summary grid for Dave for this Tuesday * Impressive vocabularyThe word count now is at 1670, which I’m reasonably pleased with 4 a 1st draft as it is (only) 20 words or so over the upper limit which is OK. Good Luck in finishing it over the next 2 weeks Yours truly, Chris J Hosking xx 2nd draft: 1711 words, I will needd to get rid of 50 at least. All the changes have now pretty much been implemented, so its up to you (me) to get the word limit down. Good Luck Aim to prnit next Tuesday after we have a FINAL check.