American Literature Summer Reading List Essay Example for Free

American Literature Summer Reading List Essay The following list was complied from the recommendations of the Belmont High School English department and contains some of the best-known works of American literature. Each book addresses the American Dream and/or American identities. All entering 11th graders must read at least one book from the list below over the summer. Students entering English 11 Honors must read at least one contemporary AND one classic work from the list. The American Literature Summer Reading page on your Edline account provides summaries of the works listed below; it will be available until July 15th. We encourage all students to preview a book before making a choice in order to determine that the writing style and narrative voice will be a good fit. Please consult your 10th grade teacher if you need help finding a book that is a good match for you. Author Book Joan Didion Joan Didion W. E. B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington The White Album: Essays Slouching Toward Bethlehem: Essays The Souls of Black Folk Up from Slavery Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream The Dharma Bums On the Road Hunter S. Thompson Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac Malcolm X and Alex Haley Tom Wolfe Alex Haley Ayn Rand  Ayn Rand Bernard Malamud E. L. Doctorow Edith Wharton Edith Wharton F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald Herman Melville James Baldwin James Weldon Johnson The Autobiography of Malcolm X The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Roots The Fountainhead Atlas Shrugged The Natural Ragtime The Age of Innocence The House of Mirth Tender is the Night This Side of Paradise Moby-Dick Go Tell it on the Mountain Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Genre Essays Essays Essays Memoir Era Classic Classic Classic Classic Memoir Memoir Memoir Classic Classic Classic. Memoir Memoir Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Classic  Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Joan Didion John Cheever John Dos Passos John Irving John Steinbeck John Steinbeck John Updike Kate Chopin Ken Kesey N. Scott Momaday Nella Larson Norman Mailer Philip Roth Ralph Ellison Raymond Chandler Richard Wright Rita Mae Brown Robert Penn Warren Saul Bellow Sinclair Lewis Theodore Dreiser Theodore Dreiser Upton Sinclair Vladimir Nabokov Willa Cather Willa Cather William Faulkner Studs Terkel Play It As It Lays The Wapshot Chronicle The U. S. A. Trilogy The World According to Garp East of Eden The Grapes of Wrath Rabbit, Run The Awakening One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest House Made of Dawn Passing An American Dream Portnoy’s Complaint Invisible Man The Big Sleep Black Boy Rubyfruit Jungle All the Kings Men The Adventures of Augie March Main Street An American Tragedy Sister Carrie The Jungle Lolita My Antonia O Pioneers! Absalom, Absalom! Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do Arthur Miller A View from the Bridge Lorraine Hansberry Sherwood Anderson Sarah Vowell Toure A Raisin in the Sun Winesburg, Ohio The Partly Cloudy Patriot Whos Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means to be Black Now Novel Novel Novel. Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Oral History Play Play Short Stories Essays Essays Classic Classic Classic Classic Contemporary Contemporary Annie Dillard Barack Obama Bob Dylan Itabari Njeri James McBride Jay-Z John Edgar Wideman Luis Rodriguez Maxine Hong Kingston Richard Rodriguez Barbara Ehrenreich Dave Eggers. David Bianculli Erik Larsen Greil Marcus John Berendt Jon Krakauer Neil Swidey Tom Wolfe Amy Tan Andre Dubus III Annie Proulx Audrey Niffenegger Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver Chad Harbach Chang-rae Lee Cormac McCarthy Daniel Wallace Danzy Senna Dave Eggers David Foster Wallace An American Childhood Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance Chronicles, Vol. I Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone The Color of Water: A Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother Decoded Brothers and Keepers Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A The Woman Warrior Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America Zeitoun Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Devil in the White City The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylans Basement Tapes Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Into the Wild The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives The Right Stuff The Joy Luck Club House of Sand and Fog The Shipping News The Time Travellers Wife The Bean Trees Animal Dreams The Poisonwood Bible The Art of Fielding Native Speaker Blood Meridian Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions Caucasia What is the What Infinite Jest Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir. Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Nonfiction Nonfiction Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary David Sheff Don DeLillo Donna Tartt Dorothy Allison Edward P. Jones Fannie Flagg Gish Jen Gloria Naylor Jane Smiley Jennifer Egan Jhumpa Lahiri John Irving John Kennedy OToole Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Safran Foer Julia Alvarez Junot Diaz K. M. Soehnlein Leslie Marmon Silko Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Robinson Marisha Pessl Michael Chabon Ntzoke Shange Paul Auster Paul Auster Paula Fox Peter Cameron Philip Roth Philip Roth Richard Ford Richard Russo Sherman Alexie Beautiful Boy Americana The Secret History Bastard out of Carolina The Known World Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Typical American. The Women of Brewster Place A Thousand Acres A Visit from the Goon Squad The Namesake A Prayer for Owen Meany A Confederacy of Dunces The Corrections The Fortress of Solitude Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao The World of Normal Boys Ceremony Gilead Home Special Topics in Calamity Physics The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo The New York Trilogy The Music of Chance Desperate Characters Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You American Pastoral The Human Stain The Sportswriter Empire Falls Reservation Blues Novel Novel Novel. Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Steven Millhauser. Sue Monk Kidd T. C. Boyle Thomas Pynchon Thomas Pynchon Tom Wolfe Toni Morrison Toni Morrison Walter Mosley Walter Mosley August Wilson August Wilson Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer The Secret Life of Bees The Tortilla Curtain Vineland The Crying of Lot 49 Bonfire of the Vanities Beloved Song of Solomon Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned The Man in My Basement Ma Raineys Black Bottom The Piano Lesson David Mamet Glengarry Glen Ross Tony Kushner Annie Proulx Jhumpa Lahiri Raymond Carver Sherman Alexie Angels in America Close Range: Wyoming Stories Interpreter of Maladies What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Play Play Play Play Short Stories Short Stories Short Stories Short Stories Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary.

Factors Affecting Survival in Patients With Brain Metastasis

Factors Affecting Survival in Patients With Brain Metastasis Prognostic factors affecting the survival in patients with brain metastasis: A Retrospective study Abstract Aims: To determine long term survival and prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases who underwent whole brain radiotherapy. Introduction: Multiple brain metastases are unfortunate consequence, frequently found in patients of advanced cancer. The prognosis, even after treatment with Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy (WBRT) is poor with an average expected survival time of Materials methods: From January 2005 to August 2010, medical records of 186 patients with diagnosis of brain metastasis were analyzed. Out of these, 140 patients who received WBRT Â ± chemotherapy were included and 26 patients who did not take any treatment for brain metastasis were excluded from the study. The prognostic factors evaluated for overall survival were ECOG performance status, gender, age, number of lesions, primary tumor site, primary tumor status, extracranial metastases and chemotherapy radiotherapy. Results: The overall median survival was three months and one two year survival was 8.57% and 3.57%, respectively. The most common primary tumor site was lung 82 (44.08%) followed by breast 46 (24.73%), renal cell carcinoma 11 (5.91%) and unknown primary 11 (5.91%). The overall median survival was 3 months, maximum being 4.5 months in patients with breast cancer. and at one year survival 6/33(18.2%) in breast cancer patients (p=0.10). In this series, the patients with higher perform status (p=0.21), cancer breast (p=0.10) and solitary brain metastasis (p=0.0003) with primary tumor controlled (p=0.14) had better survival. Conclusion: This study suggests that patients with some prognostic factors have good survival. So the overall assessment of the patient is always best done at the bedside and must be individualized. The above mentioned clinical features should be considered and hopefully will aid in the decision regarding treatment of brain metastases. Key words: Brain metastasis, prognostic factors, solitary metastasis, whole brain radiotherapy. Introduction Brain metastasis is one of the most feared consequences of cancer. It is devastating both to patients and their families. Progression of brain metastases may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, neurological deficits, cognitive decline, delirium and eventually death. Patients with brain metastases present dilemma for palliative health care professionals in terms of whether to proceed with whole brain radiotherapy or hospice placement. Metastasis to the brain occurs in approximately 20% of the patients with limited survival and worse quality of life. [1] Glucocorticoids and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) has been the mainstay of treatment while craniotomy for tumor resection has been the standard local treatment for solitary lesion. The median survival of untreated patients is approximately one month, 1.6 months in patients treated with steroids only, 3.6 months in patients treated with radiotherapy and 8.9 months in patients treated with neurosurgery followed by radiotherapy. [2, 3] So me of the strong prognostic factors for survival are: performance status, response to steroids and status of systemic disease. The main goal of WBRT is to improve neurologic deficits caused by the metastases and surrounding edema and to prevent any further deterioration of the neurologic function. The extent of improvement after WBRT is directly related to the time from diagnosis to radiation therapy and early treatment is generally associated with a better outcome. [4, 5] The overall response rate to WBRT ranges from 50-85% in various studies. Traditionally, surgical resection has been offered rarely to patients with multiple metastases because of resection related excessive morbidity. The majority of patients who achieved control of cranial metastasis died from progressive extracranial disease whereas the cause of death in most of the cases is due to CNS disease in patients with recurrent brain metastases. [4, 6] In this study, the prognostic factors were evaluated for survival in patients with diagnosis of brain metastasis who receive WBRT. Materials Methods The records of 186 patients with brain metastases in between January 2005 to August 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Out of these, 46 patients not willing for radiotherapy and who chose only best supportive care were not included in the study. All the remaining 140 patients were planned WBRT after starting dexamethasone, mannitol and other supportive treatment. With diagnosis of brain metastasis, the following variables were analyzed for survival: ECOG performance status, gender, age, number of brain lesions, primary tumor site (Table 2), extra cranial metastases, treatment of primary disease and radiotherapy (Table-1). The survival time was considered as time between diagnosis of brain metastasis and last follow up or recorded death. Brain metastases were detected by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan. All patients were treated with WBRT on telecobalt units Therateron 780 C and 780 E. The WBRT was given by bilateral fields. The total dose was 30-36 Gy with a median of 30 Gy delivered in two weeks, five fractions per week 3 Gy per fraction. The supportive care (dexamethasone mannitol) was started at the beginning of treatment and continued during radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was administered to the patients with good performance status and progressive systemic disease after WBRT. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for windows, version 20.0. Results One hundred forty patients were analyzed who completed WBRT and came for follow up. The survival results were computed by recorded deaths (97 cases) or last follow up (43 cases). The overall median survival was 3 months, and the one two year survival was 12 (8.57%) and 5 (3.57%). One patient of carcinoma breast (primary under control) with brain metastasis was alive at the time of this analysis with survival time of 4.2 years. Those patients who had solitary brain metastasis (p=0.0003), high ECOG performance status (p=0.21), controlled extracranial disease (p=0.14) and breast carcinoma (p=0.10) had better survival (Table 2 3). The single most significant prognostic factor associated with better survival was solitary brain metastasis (p=0.0003). Discussion With gradual improvements in the care of cancer patients, longer survival is expected even in patients with metastatic disease. In this study, patients with brain metastases who received WBRT alone or WBRT followed by chemotherapy were evaluated. Studies of ultra rapid fractionated WBRT (10 Gy in 1 fraction, 12 Gy in 2 fractions, 15 Gy in 2 fractions over 3 days) as carried out by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and other investigators showed a possible increased risk of herniation and death within a few days after treatment and are generally avoided. Likewise, no advantage was seen with extended fractionation (50Gy in 20 fractions or 54.4Gy at 1.6Gy twice daily) compared to the more commonly prescribed 30Gy in 10 fractions. [6, 7, 8, 9] Regimens using 10 or fewer fractions are used in patients with poor prognosis, since such patients are not expected to live long enough to experience serious side effects. The institutional protocol followed in our patients is 30 Gy in10 fractions, 3 Gy per fraction but in patients with good general condition and primary disease under control having solitary brain metastasis, the dose was escalated by 6 Gy to give total tumor dose of 36 Gy. The end point of this study was to evaluate the different prognostic factors related with overall survival in patients with brain metastasis. The prognostic factors associated with better survival were solitary metastasis (p=0.0003), breast carcinoma (p=0.10), female sex (p=0.12), primary under control (p=0.14), higher ECOG performance status (p=0.21). These prognostic factors have also showed better survival in other studies. [7, 10, 11, 12, 13] Out of above mentioned prognostic factors only solitary brain metastasis was statistically significant (p=0.0003); other factors could not show statistical significance which may be due to small number of study sample. Lutterbach et al reported overall median survival of 3.4 months, two yea and three years survival were 5.6% (n=48) and 2.9% (n=25), respectively. [14] Survival of two years or more was observed in RTOG recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class 1 2 patients. Within both classes, survival was significantly better for patients with a single brain metastasis compared with those having multiple brain metastases. In our study, the overall median survival was 3 months, and the one two year survival was 8.57% (n=12) and 3.57% (n=5), respectively and solitary brain metastases survival was significantly better than multiple metastasis (p=0.0003). There is small difference in two years survival in both studies because in our study, no patient received Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS); however, a larger recently published trial (RTOG 95-08) provides compelling evidence for the use of SRS boost following WBRT in patients with newly diagnosed one to three brain metastases. [15] In other recent studies, the role of WBRT following definitive treatment (surgery or SRS) of one to three metastases was most extensively evaluated in a trial conducted by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC 22952-26001) which was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in 2009 . In that trial, 359 patients with one to three brain metastases were randomly assigned to WBRT or observation following definitive treatment of their metastases with either SRS (n = 199) or surgery (n = 160). Despite the better control of the brain metastases, overall survival was virtually the same following WBRT (median 10.7 and 10.9 months). [16] Pease NJ et al showed that patient’s survival with WBRT was increased by an additional three to seven months from unselected group (three to six months) if they are in the high performance status group. [17] For those in poor performance status groups, there was no overall survival benefit. In our study, ECOG performance status 1 2 had better overall median survival (3.4 months) and one year survival (7.85%) as compared to ECOG status 3 and 4 (p=0.21). Lagerwaaed FJ et al reported that lesser systemic tumor activity was showed better median survival ranges from 6.6 months for the ‘none’ group (no extracranial disease) to 3.4 months in the ‘limited’ group and 2.4 months in the ‘extensive’ group (primary uncontrolled other systemic metastasis). [18] In our study, overall survival was 2.2 months 4 months in active primary disease and controlled primary with or without systemic metastases respectively. In our study, female showed better survival than male patients (p=0.12). This may be due to all breast cancer cases were females and breast cases showed better survival than others. Other studies did not show gender related survival difference. Conclusion WBRT continues to be an efficacious treatment in the management of brain metastasis. Despite the use of WBRT, outcomes are poor and efforts should be made to incorporate multimodality approaches including surgery, radiosurgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy sensitizers to improve survival mainly in patients with single metastasis, good performance status and extra cranial disease controlled. References: Posner JB, Chernik NL. Intracranial metastases from systemic cancer. Adv Neurol 1978;19:579-92. Coia LR. The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of brain metastases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1992;23:229-38. Lagerwaard FJ, Levendag PC, Nowak PJ, Eijkenboom WM, Hanssens PE, Schmitz PI. Identification of prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases: A review of 1292 patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1999;43:795-803. Lassman AB, DeAngelis LM. Brain metastases. Neurol Clin 2003; 21:1-23. Patchell RA, Regine WF. The rationale for adjuvant whole brain radiation therapy with radiosurgery in the treatment of single brain metastases. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2003; 2:111-5. Borgelt B, Gelber R, Larson M, Hendrickson F, Griffin T, Roth R. Ultra-rapid high dose irradiation schedules for the palliation of brain metastases: final results of the first two studies by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1981;7:1633-8. Borgelt B, Gelber R, Kramer S, Brady LW, Chang CH, Davis LW, et al. The palliation of brain metastases: final results of the first two studies by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1980; 6:1-9. Kurtz JM, Gelber R, Brady LW, Carella RJ, Cooper JS. The palliation of brain metastases in a favorable patient population: A randomized clinical trial by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1981;7:891-5. Berk L. An overview of radiotherapy trials for the treatment of brain metastases. Oncology (Huntingt) 1995;9:1205-12. Lang FF, Sawaya R. Surgical treatment of metastatic brain tumors. Semin Surg Oncol 1998;14:53-63 Patchell RA, Tibbs PA, Regine WF, Dempsey RJ, Mohiuddin M, Kryscio RJ, et al. Postoperative radiotherapy in the treatment of single brain metastases to the brain. JAMA 1998;280:1485-9. Schellinger PD, Meinck HM, Thron A. Diagnostic accuracy of MRI compared to CT in patients with brain metastases. J Neurooncol 1999;44:275-81. Gaspar LE, Scott C, Murray K, Curran W. Validation of the RTOG Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) classification for brain metastases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2000;47:1001-6. Lutterbach J, Bartelt S, Ostertag C. Long-term survival in patients with brain metastases. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2002;128:417-25. Breneman JC, Warnick RE, Albright RE Jr, Kukiatinant N, Shaw J, Armin D, et al. Stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of brain metastases. Results of a single institution series. Cancer 1997;79:551-7. Kondziolka D, Patel A, Lunsford LD, Kassam A, Flickinger JC. Stereotactic radiosurgery plus whole brain radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for patients with multiple brain metastases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1999;45:427-34. Pease NJ, Edwards A, Moss LJ. Effectiveness of whole brain radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastases: A systematic review. Palliat Med 2005;19:288-99. Lagerwaard FJ, Levendag PC. Prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases. Forum (Genova) 2001;11:27-46 Table 1: Characteristics of patients and treatment Table 2: Distribution of patients and one year survival with primary tumor site Table 3: Univariate analysis of characteristic of patients 1

Portrayal of Native Americans in Film Essay -- Native American Stereot

When Columbus first set foot in the New World, he believed that he had arrived in the islands just off the coast of Cipango, known today as China. Thinking this, he called the people that he met Indians, as they lived on the islands that he falsely believed were the Indies. The term Indian spread back to Europe, as did the term Indies, and to this day, Native Americans are known as Indians, and the Caribbean islands are referred to as the West Indies. The Indians populated a much greater area than Columbus could have imagined, covering the land of two Continents. The Native people of these lands, known already by a term in their languages that roughly meant "the people", were now thrown into one large group called Indians, which stretched nearly pole to pole. The Indians were an invented people. The place they inhabited was not the Indies, and their culture varied from tribe to tribe. The Indian in film is also an invented population of people. No distinction between reality and the imagination are made in these movies. The portrayal of the Native American, and the Native American ways of life were displayed incorrectly in film, and warped the image of the Native American in the eyes of all Americans, especially their descendants. The movies studied vary, from those dealing with Columbus' first encounter with these fascinating people, up through to the end of the 19th century. The films viewed include: 1492 (1992), Christopher Columbus (1985), Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), The Last of The Mohicans (1992), Apache (1954), Dances With Wolves (1990), Crazy Horse (1996), A Man Called Horse (1970), A Man Called Horse III (1982), Soldier Blue (1970), Buffalo Bill and The Indians (1976), and Black Robe (1991). Th... ... L. Native American Images and Stereotypes. 1996. http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/search/papers/garner ~1.html Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com Last of the Mohicans, The. Dir. Michael Mann. With Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe. 20th Century Fox. 1992. 122 min. Mission, The. Dir. Roland Joffe. With Jeremy Irons and Robert Deniro. Warner. 1986. 125 min. Pathfinder, The. Dir. Donald Shabib. With Kevin Dillon and Graham Greene. Leather Stocking. 1996. 84 min. Soldier Blue. Dir. Ralph Nelson. With Candice Bergen and Peter Strauss. AVCO. 1970. 114 min. Spence, Lewis. Myths and Legends of the North American Indians. London: George G. Harrap & Company, 1914. Tecumseh. Dir. Larry Elikann. With Jesse Borrego. 1995. Wilson, Samuel M. Hispaniola: Caribbean Chiefdoms in the Age of Columbus. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press,1990. Portrayal of Native Americans in Film Essay -- Native American Stereot When Columbus first set foot in the New World, he believed that he had arrived in the islands just off the coast of Cipango, known today as China. Thinking this, he called the people that he met Indians, as they lived on the islands that he falsely believed were the Indies. The term Indian spread back to Europe, as did the term Indies, and to this day, Native Americans are known as Indians, and the Caribbean islands are referred to as the West Indies. The Indians populated a much greater area than Columbus could have imagined, covering the land of two Continents. The Native people of these lands, known already by a term in their languages that roughly meant "the people", were now thrown into one large group called Indians, which stretched nearly pole to pole. The Indians were an invented people. The place they inhabited was not the Indies, and their culture varied from tribe to tribe. The Indian in film is also an invented population of people. No distinction between reality and the imagination are made in these movies. The portrayal of the Native American, and the Native American ways of life were displayed incorrectly in film, and warped the image of the Native American in the eyes of all Americans, especially their descendants. The movies studied vary, from those dealing with Columbus' first encounter with these fascinating people, up through to the end of the 19th century. The films viewed include: 1492 (1992), Christopher Columbus (1985), Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), The Last of The Mohicans (1992), Apache (1954), Dances With Wolves (1990), Crazy Horse (1996), A Man Called Horse (1970), A Man Called Horse III (1982), Soldier Blue (1970), Buffalo Bill and The Indians (1976), and Black Robe (1991). Th... ... L. Native American Images and Stereotypes. 1996. http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/search/papers/garner ~1.html Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com Last of the Mohicans, The. Dir. Michael Mann. With Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe. 20th Century Fox. 1992. 122 min. Mission, The. Dir. Roland Joffe. With Jeremy Irons and Robert Deniro. Warner. 1986. 125 min. Pathfinder, The. Dir. Donald Shabib. With Kevin Dillon and Graham Greene. Leather Stocking. 1996. 84 min. Soldier Blue. Dir. Ralph Nelson. With Candice Bergen and Peter Strauss. AVCO. 1970. 114 min. Spence, Lewis. Myths and Legends of the North American Indians. London: George G. Harrap & Company, 1914. Tecumseh. Dir. Larry Elikann. With Jesse Borrego. 1995. Wilson, Samuel M. Hispaniola: Caribbean Chiefdoms in the Age of Columbus. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press,1990.

Use of Repetition, Word Choice, and Imagery in Neuromancer :: Neuromancer Essays

Use of Repetition, Word Choice, and Imagery in Neuromancer While reading "Neuromancer", one may become extremely baffled if he or she cannot interpret the terminology used or the framework in which the book is written. Hence, the use of the formalistic approach is necessary in order for the reader to actually understand the concepts trying to be declared by Gibson. Through the formalistic approach one can begin to see that Gibson uses repetition, and specific word choice to set the tone for the novel, and imagery to relate the content of the book to the lives of his readers. Gibson chooses words to aid the reader in imagining the "dystopia" of the Freeside, a place where the main portion of the book takes place: "For Case, who'd lived for the bodiless exultation of cyberspace, it was the Fall" (6). "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel" (3). Gibson describes Freeside as if it is one of the worst places to go. Katie Cooper also describes the dystopia portrayed in this book as well. Gibson also uses words out of the science fiction terminology such as "jack-in and flatline" to encourage the reader to feel as though he or she is actually in the mist of cyberspace. Even the title of the novel depicts a certain characteristic of the book: "'Neuromancer,' the boy said, slitting long gray eyes'The lane of the land of the dead. Where you are, my friend Neuro from the nerves, the silver paths. Romancer" (243). Through Gibson's use of specific words he creates a constantly depressing mood and he allows the reader in many ways to visualize cyberspace themselves. William Gibson is able to project a clear-cut conception of human communication and exactly how we interact with one another through imagery. He symbolizes this relationship through the use of the two Artificial Intelligence's (AI), Wintermute and Neuromancer. In the book, the AIs live completely different contexts than the other characters such as Case, Molly, or Linda. "No. I saw her death coming. In the patterns you sometimes imagined you could detect... My methods are far more subtle than Wintermute'. I brought her here. Into myself" (259). Neuromancer, one of the AI's, uses Case's close friend, Linda, to try and deceive Case into staying on the beach. Hence, the AI's speak through old friends of the characters to communicate with them.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 22

Seth wasn't at the bookstore the next day, which I took as a bad sign. It was usually his passive-aggressive reaction to whenever we had a fight. I thought about him a lot while I worked, thinking of that awful blowout. We'd had a lot of uncomfortable talks in our time together, but we'd never had anything like that. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what about it bothered me – aside from the obvious – but I kept feeling like it was a pivotal moment, something that was going to have long-reaching effects. It scared me, and I wanted to fix things. And, of course, there was Nyx to worry about. I was going to find a victim after work, and then Vincent said the angels would come while I was asleep – when Nyx made her move. â€Å"You okay?† I looked up from the stack of checks I was signing in my office. Maddie stood there in a black pencil skirt and fitted white blouse that made her look super amazing. She'd worn her hair down too. â€Å"Wow,† I said. â€Å"What's the occasion?† â€Å"Nothing,† she said, with a shrug. â€Å"Wardrobe overhaul.† She lifted one foot, revealing three-inch black heels. â€Å"Holy shit,† I said. â€Å"You don't do anything in halves.† She beamed, and I noticed something about her that had nothing to do with the new clothes. There was joy in her eyes – a happiness that made her confident and even more radiant. She was a far cry from the bitter woman who'd shown up at the auction. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked, not fixating on myself for the first time today. Her grin widened, revealing her phantom dimple. A moment later, she turned more serious. â€Å"I'll tell you later. My news is good. But you†¦what's the matter? You look awful.† Yasmine had said the same thing last night. It really was a sad day when a succubus couldn't stay on top of her game. I shook my head. â€Å"It's†¦complicated.† I offered a weak smile. â€Å"I'll deal with it, don't worry. Now, come on. I'd rather hear something cheerful. Tell me what's going on.† â€Å"Can't. They need me out there. I just came to drop these off.† She set a stack of papers on my desk. They practically melted into the other stacks I already had. My office was so chaotic, it could have been a lair for Nyx in and of itself. â€Å"Come on, the suspense is going to drive me crazy,† I teased. â€Å"Well†¦you think you can give me a lift to the airport tomorrow? I'm going home for Christmas.† â€Å"You taking Doug with you?† â€Å"Nope. He's your holiday gift. But I'll give you the scoop then if you can give me a ride. I'd probably need to leave around five.† â€Å"Five o'clock traffic on the Friday before Christmas. We're going to have a lot of time to talk.† A bit of her normal nervousness reappeared. â€Å"If it's a problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nope. We're closing early anyway. We'll go then.† Maddie left, and I found myself momentarily distracted by whatever her news could be. Whatever it was, it was a good thing. I liked the change it had brought about. That sort of happiness and confidence suited her. My thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. I answered and found Seth on the other end. â€Å"Hey,† I said, hoping I sounded cool and confident and not desperate and relieved. â€Å"Hey.† A long pause followed. â€Å"I†¦just†¦wanted to make sure we were on for Christmas.† My heart sank. No: â€Å"I've missed you.† No: â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Sure. Wouldn't miss it.† Thinking about Christmas. I experienced a weird sense of d? ¦j? ¤ vu. We'd also been with his brother on Thanksgiving. And like now, we'd also been fighting. There it was again: my life, the endless loop. You aren't learning. You aren't changing. Of course, Seth and I had patched up the other fight. Maybe that kind of resolution would repeat itself too. After all, holidays were supposed to be magic, right? â€Å"Okay,† he told me. â€Å"I'll pick you up.† â€Å"Okay.† Another long pause. â€Å"I'd come by today, but†¦well. The book†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The book. Always the book. Then again, I was busy with chaos deities today. â€Å"Yeah, I know. It's fine.† â€Å"We'll talk on Christmas.† â€Å"Okay.† We hung up. A chill ran through me. There it was again. I had no gift for premonition, but an inner instinct – one that had nothing to do with Nyx's visions of the future – told me there was something big coming. After work, I drove over to Bellevue, Seattle's richest and most pretentious suburb. A city in its own right, Bellevue was pretty much the polar opposite of SeaTac. Hotels, restaurants, and shopping were continually being added to its downtown strip, and the influx of money from Boeing and Microsoft was steadily replacing older, plain buildings with sleeker and more stylish architecture. Bellevue was also home to a guy I knew named Kevin. I'd met him years ago in a bar. There was nothing overly extraordinary about Kevin. He was neither a sinner nor a saint, instead occupying some happy ground in the middle that yielded a decent amount of energy whenever I slept with him. His most notable trait was that he was perpetually available. He worked at home – some Web business, I believed – and never seemed to go out, despite being good-looking and sociable. I didn't question that too much, though, because it suited my purposes whenever I needed quick and easy sex with someone I didn't completely loathe. â€Å"Sandra,† he said happily, opening the door of his condo for me. He had dark brown hair and a closely trimmed, very new beard that I approved of. Dark brown eyes regarded me with amusement. â€Å"Been a while.† My â€Å"Sandra† form had a petite build similar to the one I usually wore. After that, the resemblance ended. My hair was now curly and black, my eyes a blue that looked violet sometimes. Underneath my long black coat, I wore a sleeveless navy blue dress that fit snugly and was far too skimpy for this kind of weather. â€Å"It has been,† I agreed. â€Å"Does that mean you aren't going to let me in?† He smiled and stepped back, grandly waving me inside. â€Å"What, do you think I'm crazy or something? Only an idiot would turn you away.† I followed Kevin down the hall and into his living room. He'd redecorated since the last time I was here, and the change was nice. The furniture and d? ¦cor were now all done in shades of a grayish blue that reminded me of winter twilights. A fireplace crackled on one side of the room, and a large bay window looked out to another set of condos. I draped my coat over a chair and smoothed miniscule wrinkles out of the dress. â€Å"You want something to drink?† he asked, hands in his pockets. I shook my head. â€Å"I don't have much time.† He gave me a rueful smile. â€Å"You never do. You know, sometimes I feel used.† â€Å"Is that a problem?† â€Å"Problem?† he asked with a snort. â€Å"A beautiful woman who wants to have sex with me and no commitments? Hardly a problem.† He took a few steps toward me. â€Å"Use me all you want.† He came closer still, and we met in a kiss. No delay, no preamble. I wrapped my arms around his neck and parted my lips, eager to feel him and taste him. His hands rested on my hips for a moment, then slid upward. He caught my dress's straps and pulled them down, baring my breasts and still kissing me the whole time. Pushing forward, he pressed me against the wall, near the fireplace. I felt its heat against the bare skin of my legs. His hands cupped my breasts, thumbs sliding to my nipples and squeezing them. He varied the intensity, sometimes hard and sometimes gentle. I broke the kiss long enough to incline my head toward the uncovered window behind him. â€Å"The window – â€Å" He crushed his mouth back against mine. Our tongues danced together briefly, and then he pulled back just long enough to say, â€Å"I know.† The tone of his voice told me that he not only knew – he also wanted it that way. I didn't question it. This apparently was the season for exhibitionism. Eventually, he moved his mouth away from mine and trailed kisses down my neck. I tilted my head back and arched the rest of my body toward his. One of his hands continued cupping a breast as he nibbled on its nipple, teeth and tongue stirring it to arousal. His other hand pushed up my skirt, eagerly seeking my panties and what lay within. The ache for his energy and his touch coursed through me. I moaned softly as he moved his lips down my body. Shifting to the floor, he settled on his knees while still keeping me standing against the wall. He pulled the panties down all the way, so they hung around my ankles. Sliding his hands between my thighs, he pulled them apart slightly and then buried his face between them, his stubble tickling me. I was burning and wet, more so than I'd realized, and when his tongue touched my aching clit, I moaned more loudly and felt my knees tremble slightly. I started to tell him that he didn't need to do this, that it was okay if he just wanted to get straight to the main event. But as his tongue gently moved back and forth, building the heat and ecstasy within me, I swallowed my words. The last three guys I'd slept with hadn't made me come, and although this visit was strictly utilitarian and part of the Nyx plan, I suddenly and selfishly wanted to get more than his life energy out of it. Back and forth his tongue moved, speed and intensity continually shifting. As his thoughts began to trickle into me, I could tell that he liked doing that not simply for the sake of novelty, but also because he liked seeing the way I reacted to each slight change. He was one of those men who truly enjoyed making a woman happy. The burning spot he'd brought to life between my legs grew and grew, expanding beyond where his tongue touched, beyond my thighs. Steadily, it spread into my whole body, all the way to my fingertips. I felt like fire in human – or rather, succubus – form and writhed against the wall, against him. My knees buckled as the searing pleasure reached a critical point inside me, and his hands moved down to steady my legs and keep me upright. At last the core within me exploded, the fire turning to pure light, pure bliss. I cried out at the way the orgasm consumed me, at the way his tongue still kept teasing me even in the throes of my climax. Finally, even he couldn't keep me upright. My legs had turned to jelly, and I sank to the floor in front of him. He smiled, genuinely pleased, and leaned forward to kiss me. I could taste me on his lips. â€Å"Come on,† he said, taking my hands and helping me up. He led me over to the window and peeled off the rest of my dress. He eased me onto a high window seat. Removing his own clothes, he murmured, â€Å"I should go find a condom.† My breathing was rapid, my heart pounding away. â€Å"No, I want to feel you – just you.† I took his hand and brought it between my legs, guiding his fingers into me. â€Å"I want you to feel me.† I'd been wet before starting all this and was now doubly so after what he'd just done. His fingers glided easily inside of me, and his eyes widened at what he felt. Indecision played on his face, and then he nodded. If counseling any of my human friends, I would certainly advocate safe sex. It didn't matter for me personally, however, since I couldn't catch anything or get pregnant. Often with victims, I'd talk them out of any sort of protection in order to increase their guilt. With Kevin tonight, I didn't want to bother with condoms simply because I didn't want to waste the time. My urgency and desire were too strong. I wanted him now. I slid my hands down his stomach and felt how hard he was. He wanted me too. I wrapped my fingers around him, stroking and massaging and loving the way he swelled within my hand. Pressing my back against the cold glass, I drew my knees up to me and then spread them wide, feeling rather like a butterfly. The window seat was exactly the perfect height, putting us hip to hip as I led him inside of me. We both gasped at the contact. He pushed in as far as possible, our hips pressed skin to skin. The way he filled me up was exquisite. Shape-shifting meant I could make myself as tight as possible, and I loved how he tested the limits of it. He paused a moment, simply savoring the way our bodies felt together, and then slowly began moving in and out of me, rocking me against the window with each thrust. And with that, his life began pouring into me in earnest. I nearly exhaled with relief. The sensation of that energy filling me up rivaled the feel of his body inside me. I had missed it so much, missed the wonder and joy of that pure, indescribable energy generated by the human soul. Nyx had been stealing a part of me, and I was glad to have it back, if only for this moment. The thoughts coming through with his energy were happy and content ones as he reveled in the pleasure of being with me. A secret, kinky part of him was turned on by hoping that his neighbors across the way might be watching. He hoped they were. He hoped they were jealous. His thrusts grew harder and harder, and he murmured over and over how wonderful I was, how beautiful. Still sensitive from him going down on me, I came twice more, my body melting as the orgasms' spasms shook me. At last, I felt his body tense and saw his expression signal he was about to lose control. I dug my nails into his arms and begged him to come in me. He did, shoving me so hard against the window that I hoped the glass would hold. The peak of his energy hit me with his climax, and as it faded, we both sighed happily. I didn't abandon him quite as quickly as I had Bryce, but I didn't spend time lounging in the afterglow either. I helped him get dressed and made sure he was situated comfortably on the couch before I left. I liked him, after all, and hoped I'd see him again in some other casual situation. His face was languid and content as we made our good-byes. â€Å"You are the most exhausting woman I've ever been with,† he told me, eyelids flickering with fatigue. I couldn't help a smile. Of course I was. Other lovers didn't steal his soul – at least not literally. â€Å"Does that mean you want me to stay away longer next time?† He smiled and yawned. â€Å"No. Absolutely not.† Still smiling, I left and headed back to the city. But as I drove closer to downtown, brimming with energy, my happy feelings faded. I remembered why I'd had to go see him in the first place and what would happen tonight. My body, so achingly hot an hour ago, grew cold. When I arrived back at my apartment, Vincent, Carter, and Yasmine were already waiting for me. None of them commented on my glow. Instead, they launched right into the plan. â€Å"Nyx will probably come trolling around tonight,† Carter explained. â€Å"And when she sees you've got energy again, she'll do her thing.† Yasmine nodded along. â€Å"We can't be here when it happens. Vincent will be around, out in the living room. She won't suspect him of anything; she'll figure he's an ordinary human. But when he senses her feeding off of you, he'll let us know. Then, we'll show up and bind her.† I didn't like the sound of any of that – neither the feeding nor the binding. â€Å"What's that mean?† â€Å"We'll pull her out and trap her,† said Carter. Presumably â€Å"out† meant out of me. Yikes. â€Å"Then we'll take her away, back to her prison,† added Yasmine. Their confidence inspired confidence in me, and I suspected I was being influenced by angelic charisma. But there was no way out of this, not if I wanted to shake my nighttime visitor. â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"Let's do this.† The angels left. It was still early evening, so I hung out with Vincent. We played a couple games of cards and watched bad movies. Hanging out with him in such a casual way made it easy to forget he was a nephilim. When midnight loomed, I stood up and stretched. â€Å"I don't think I can sleep,† I remarked. â€Å"It's like trying to go to bed on Christmas Eve. Too jittery to settle down. Except†¦it's not Santa I'm waiting for.† He smiled. â€Å"Well, try. If we need to, we can probably give you a sedative or something, but this whole thing will be more efficient without.† It took a long time – lying in bed for almost two hours – before I fell asleep. It wasn't easy to relax when you were inviting a creature of chaos to come feed off of you. And yet, as I drifted off, I couldn't help a small flicker of eagerness. I'd be dreaming the dream again. And I did. It started from the beginning, like always, running all the way to the part where the little girl fell and my dream-self comforted her. The girl's tears were drying when we both heard the faint sound of a car door closing. My dream-self straightened up. A smile blossomed on her face as she regarded her – my – daughter with the kind of over-exaggerated excitement adults often use with children. â€Å"You hear that?† my dream-self asked. â€Å"Daddy's home.† Mirrored excitement showed on the girl's face as my dream-self stood up, still holding the girl and balancing her on one hip. It was an act of some coordination, considering how small my dream-self was. They walked to the front door and stepped outside onto a porch. It was nighttime, all quiet darkness, save for a small light hanging on the porch. It shone onto a long stretch of unbroken white snow on the lawn and the driveway. All around, more snow fell in a steady stream. I didn't recognize the place, but it certainly wasn't Seattle. That much snow would have sent the city into a panic, putting everyone on Armageddon alert. My dream-self was perfectly at ease, barely noticing the snow. Wherever she was, it was a common occurrence. In the driveway, a car had just pulled up. I felt my dream-self's heart swell with happiness. A man stood behind it, a non-descript dark figure in the faint lighting. He took out a rolling suitcase and slammed the trunk shut. The little girl clasped her hands in excitement, and my dream-self waved a hand in greeting. The man returned the wave as he walked toward the house, and my waking self tried desperately to see his face. It was too dark. I needed him to get closer, just a little closer – I couldn't get any closer because just then, I felt my soul get ripped out of me. I sat up in bed, nearly screaming in agony at the pain coursing through me. All four angels, plus Vincent, ringed the room. The power pulsing around us felt like smoke. I could barely breathe. And there, beside my bed, was Nyx. She looked a lot like Erik's description: an old, emaciated woman. Her skin and hair were white, her dark eyes sunken and inhuman. A tattered, gossamer dress wrapped around her body. She had an almost translucent look, like she wasn't entirely solid, and a sparkling aura shone around her. I couldn't see the forces being wielded, but I felt them distinctly. The angels temporarily had her enclosed in walls of power, but she wasn't bound, not yet. She pushed back against their restraints with considerable power of her own, and I gaped. Any one of those angels dwarfed my own power – yet, their combined force was still an even match for hers. It was a staggering thought, and I couldn't understand why she'd need my energy since she had so much of her own. And actually, she did have some of mine. She'd taken about half before they'd pulled her out of me. Nyx shrieked in rage, still pushing back on them. Then, bit by bit, I could see the balance shift. Her power was fading the more she used it. The angels' was steady. They were weakening her. She realized this and panic showed on her face. Casting frantic eyes over all the angels, she finally rested her gaze on Yasmine. There was still enough of a faint connection between us that I realized what Nyx was going to do. She'd sought out the least powerful of the foursome. Mustering the last of her power, she blasted it toward Yasmine, hoping both to smash the angels' united front and hurt Yasmine enough to cause a distraction. A heartbeat before Nyx unleashed her attack, I saw Vincent's face. He too realized what she was going to do. He moved forward, and I felt his mask drop. The telltale nephilim signature washed over me, and his power filled the room as well. There was a lot of it. He'd held back in the alley. Invisible energy rushed from Nyx toward Yasmine, trying to destroy the angel. But Vincent was there, blocking the attack. It rebounded back on Nyx. She screamed again, her defenses shattering. The other angels seized the opportunity, and bands of light snapped into place around her. A moment later, the light faded, but the restraints were there, even if I could no longer see them. She clawed around her, like a twisted version of a mime in a box, but she was trapped. She couldn't get through the walls they'd locked her in. They'd done it. They'd recaptured Nyx. But none of the angels were paying attention to her. They were all looking at Vincent. â€Å"You,† gasped Joel. He didn't hesitate. He strode toward the nephilim, and I saw Joel's body start to shimmer with light. He was about to transform into his true form, a form of terrible beauty and power. But Yasmine was faster. The slim, dark-haired woman became pure light. She was all the colors of the rainbow and none of them. A sword of flame appeared in her hands. She stepped in front of Vincent – who was screaming at her to stop – and swung toward Joel. The blade hit him, and he screamed. An awful, burning sensation was starting to flood me. Hastily, I shielded my eyes and looked away, realizing what I'd almost done. An angel's true form was an indescribable thing, requiring senses a human – or a human-turned-succubus – didn't possess. Staring at her could cause me major damage. Even being in the same room with her hurt. But I'd seen what I'd needed to before looking away. I'd seen the sword fall. Yasmine had attacked Joel. Nyx had pegged her as the weakest of the four, but Yasmine and Joel must have been incredibly close in power. Catching him by surprise like that tipped the scales. The air in the room swirled, reaching hurricane levels. Power exploded around me, like a sun going supernova. Everything was fire and wind. And screaming. Twin screams: Yasmine's and Joel's. I wrapped my arms around me, burying my face, certain I was going to die. The energy exploding toward me reached a point in which it would surely blow up the building, blow up the world. Stronger and stronger it grew. Suddenly, it all reversed. Power rushed away from my side of the room, back toward the angels. It was like a black hole had formed, sucking everything toward it. Of course, it was only pulling energy, not physical objects, but I nonetheless felt like it was dragging me in too. I clutched the bed's comforter, using it like an anchor to hold me down. Time ceased to have meaning. Ten seconds or ten hours could have passed for all I knew. Finally, the rushing stopped, and everything went still. The atmosphere returned to normal. No more insane power levels. There was only what you would normally expect in a room with three angels, a nephilim, a succubus, and a primordial entity of chaos. The latter had suddenly moved to the backburner of everyone's attention. Yasmine had returned to her â€Å"human† form. It was safe for me. I looked up, expecting Carter and Whitney to swoop in and attack her. But they stood frozen. No trace of Joel remained. He was gone, destroyed. The typhoon of power had marked his death. Yasmine was on her knees, fingers digging into the sides of her face. She sobbed, murmuring words that sounded like frantic prayers. Vincent, like the angels, kept his distance from her. She had just killed Joel. I didn't understand why no one was acting. Why were they just standing there? Everyone seemed to be waiting for something. Suddenly, a voice hissed beside me, more in my mind than spoken aloud. â€Å"Succubus.† I looked into Nyx's cavernous eyes. Like Vincent and the angels, I'd forgotten about her. She extended her hand toward me, and I cringed. Fortunately, the invisible binds kept her from getting any closer. â€Å"Succubus,† she repeated. â€Å"Touch the walls. Use the last of your power to set me free.† â€Å"What? No!† I was dividing my attention between her and the others. The angelic group still stood motionless. â€Å"Free me, and I'll help you exact your revenge.† â€Å"Revenge? Who are you talking about?† â€Å"The one who sent me to you when I escaped,† she rasped. â€Å"The one who promised you to me.† I had no clue what she meant. â€Å"Like†¦who freed you?† She cast an uneasy look behind her. Time was ticking down on her distraction. â€Å"No, you were promised to me! But I can help you. Help you punish – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I said. She was too dangerous. Whatever insane revenge she was talking about wasn't worth what she could do to mortals if she was freed. Her desperation grew. The angels were eventually going to remember her, and we both knew it. â€Å"I will show you the end of the dream!† she cried. â€Å"I'll show you the man. The man in the dream.† My heart stopped. â€Å"He isn't real,† I whispered. â€Å"It was all a lie. You used it to trick me.† â€Å"No! Everything I show is true. Always true.† â€Å"It can't be†¦it's impossible.† I swallowed and felt tears starting to fill my eyes. I wanted it to be true. More than anything. â€Å"That can't ever happen to me.† Nyx beat her hands on her unseen prison walls. â€Å"It's real! It's the future! I've seen it. Touch the walls, and I will show you. I will show you the man in the dream!† I wanted to. I wanted to see him. I needed to see him. The man in the dream. The man who could maybe truly make this future happen†¦. My hand moved forward, like it was being controlled by an outside force. Nyx's eyes widened, eager and hungry. All of a sudden, a scream split the air. No, it was more than a scream. When Yasmine had destroyed Joel, that had involved screaming. This was more than that. It was the most horrible noise in the universe, a phenomenon that went beyond mere sound. Much as my eyes couldn't exactly perceive an angel's appearance, my ears couldn't fully comprehend this. My hand dropped from Nyx, and I jerked my gaze to the angels. Yasmine was still on her knees, and flames were starting to consume her. It was no ordinary fire, though. It reminded me of the light of her true form: all colors and none. Carter and Whitney watched, faces unreadable. Vincent also watched. He'd taken a few steps toward me, backing away from the fire. The look on his face was filled with a jumble of emotions, none of them good. I didn't understand what was happening to Yasmine yet, but I knew what would happen to him. â€Å"Get out,† I told him in a low voice. His face was pale, as pale as Nyx's. He looked like he'd aged a hundred years. â€Å"I can't†¦I can't leave her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You have to. They'll destroy you. Or if they don't, someone else will. Someone else in the city will have noticed this. You know I'm right.† His eyes were still on Yasmine. I could no longer see her, though. She was all flame – flame that had turned black. â€Å"Go!† I exclaimed. â€Å"It's what she'd want. She did this for you!† Vincent flinched at those words and finally looked at me. The full force of his grief made the held-back tears spill down my cheeks. â€Å"Go. Please,† I begged. Joel had been destroyed. Yasmine looked like she was about to be. I couldn't stand anymore death. He said nothing, but after several seconds, he turned invisible. I felt his aura go. Across the room, the flames were starting to fade. Yasmine was slowly reappearing, completely unscathed. She looked no different, but something about her signature had changed. I felt the same golden light, the impression of saffron and frankincense. But it was edged in something else. It no longer had the sharp, crystalline quality of angelic auras. That was gone, replaced by a dark and smoky feel – a smokiness that had nothing to do with the fire. The flames finally disappeared altogether, and Yasmine still knelt on the floor. Seconds later, another signature joined us, one I knew well. Jerome stood in the room, apparently back from whatever clandestine matters he'd needed to oversee. He looked from face to face, finally focusing on mine. â€Å"Jesus Christ. What have you done now?† I ignored him, unable to tear my gaze from Yasmine. She looked the same, exactly the same. And yet, she wasn't†¦ She'd noticed the change too. She held her arms out in front of her, studying them as though she'd never seen herself before. Horror flooded her features. â€Å"No,† she moaned. â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She began sobbing again. Carter finally looked away from her and met Jerome's eyes. â€Å"This is yours now, Charon.† Jerome nodded and stepped toward Yasmine. â€Å"Time to go.† She looked up at him, face glistening with tears. She said nothing, but she didn't need to. Her expression said everything. It was a plea, a plea that none of this was real, that maybe – just maybe – Jerome could make it all go away. He shook his head and touched her shoulder. They vanished. The room was quiet, an unnatural quiet that felt almost oppressive. My voice seemed strange and out of place. â€Å"Wh-what happened?† I asked Carter. I noticed now that Whitney was crying. â€Å"Yasmine has fallen,† he said softly. â€Å"She's a demon now.†

Discuss Dickens treatment of the Victorian concept Essay

Discuss Dickens treatment of the Victorian concept of a gentleman in â€Å"Great Expectations†. Great Expectations is a novel about a boy called Pip and is of him growing up. One day a lawyer turns up at his sister’s house saying he has great expectations of him. A mysterious benefactor is giving money through the lawyer to Pip. Pip spends this money on what he thinks is becoming gentleman i. e. buying new furniture. However towards the end of the novel, when Pip finds out who his mysterious benefactor really is, he realises what a true gentleman is, a man of great principles and, a person with good manners. The novel is written by a much older Pip looking back at his life and being amazed at some of the mistakes he actually made. In Great Expectations, every character has there own opinion of what a real gentleman should be like. Pip, the main character of the novel; while he is still a teenager thinks that a real gentleman should have a lot of money, wear expensive clothes, know how to read and write and should go to a gentleman’s club. Whereas towards the end of the novel, when he is much more grown up, he realises that a true gentleman has good manners and is loyal. Dickens wrote this novel in many sections, which appeared in a newspaper, as the story became so famous the sections were collaborated into a novel. The novel was written in Victorian times, and like many of his novels they were about the times and the attitudes of all people of society. In this novel Dickens’s message to the Victorian people was that to be true gentleman one did not have to be of a rich family or have lots of money; but a true gentleman was loyal, treated others with great respect and had immaculate manners. In modern society we all think that a gentleman should treat others with respect, dress smartly, have excellent manners and be well behaved in public. However some people follow the literal meaning of a gentleman, being that the individual comes from a noble / family. In the novel Pip makes friends with Bently Drummel, who is a gentleman by definition of a dictionary, however what Pip realises a true gentleman is, Bently Drummel is not. There are many things about Bently Drummel that convinces the reader that Bently Drummel is not a true gentleman. Firstly for example he beats his wife, which a true gentleman would never do. A true gentleman would treat a lady with respect at all times. Bently Drummel is only a gentleman because he comes from a rich family his ethics are all completely wrong. He does not lens any money to his friends and he treats them as if they are inferior to him due to his riches. We all know that a true gentleman would never mistreat his friends and would always take great care f them. However on could also argue against these accusations, which are against Bently Drummel and say that he is in fact quite a gentleman. But that all depends upon what one defines a gentleman as. If one says that a gentleman is someone who is very arrogant, and loves himself and his riches more than anyone else then you could say that Bently Drummel is a gentleman However I think in modern day society, and what dickens is trying to put across to the reader is that it is not ones position in society; it is not ones riches that make him a gentleman but his humility, his kindness and his love for his neighbours. In the Victorians times, in which the paper is set, the book as we have said was published in small sections in the newspaper and middle and even lower class people would get to read these newspaper one way or another, so Dickens’s message is not just to the rich or just to the poor but to the whole society. Another example of gentleman by definition and a true gentleman is of Compeyson and Magwitch Magwitch is not rich nor of noble decent, but has good principles, he is Pips mysterious benefactor who sends him money in order for him to become a gentleman, although it may not seem so due to the events early in the novel but Magwitch is kind and caring, as he makes sure that Pip is well looked after. Having said that Magwitch is an escaped convict yet he earns money via an honest living from which he sends money to Pip. Compeyson was Magwitch’s accomplice who ran away with all the money and blamed all the crimes on Magwitch who served the time. Another thing against the Compeyson is that he had very bad principles compared to Magwitch. He conned Miss Havisham into loving him and then and on their wedding day he left Miss Havisham waiting at the altar and ran away with most of her money. This left Miss Havisham devastated she sat I a room with all the clocks stopped at the time of the wedding, she sat their in her wedding gown, very frail obviously because she was not eating well. A true gentleman could never do this to a women and this is highlighted in the way that Magwitch treats women. At the time in which this novel was released in its different sections, Dickens wanted to add enough suspense so that the reader wanted to read the next section and would remember all the previous sections. He added thrill and excitement to the section by introducing a new character relatively in each section, who has there own appearance, is from there own part of society i. e. working class, and who has their own different views and opinions. This is clearly apparent as each character has his own view, for example Estella a beautiful girl, who Pip is deeply in love with tells him that a gentleman dresses smart, has nice shoes and soft hands. IT is clear to see the message that dickens is broadcasting to the people through his novel and is seem to have an effect because it tells all the people the rich and poor that money does not make a gentleman in the eyes of the community so it is better to be happy with what one has and to have good principles and scruples.

Adapting to Change

The mechanical technological driven world of today is moving fast and in this environment change is an inevitable thing because all the ups and downs; failures and successes faced by the people are dependent on the changes occurring in the surrounding environment.The capabilities of a person to respond towards the changes and adopt them determine the way of spending of person’s life. In the personal as well as professional life the people have to be well aware of the changes occurring around them so that they can keep them align with those changes. Most of the changes occurring in the surrounding world are led by the technological advancements.Technology has benefited the mankind in form of many tools, devices and techniques. These new facilities replace the old one and the way of doing certain thing also change with time. Most of the time these advancement and changes bring improvement in the life of the people but in some of the cases people have to give up their traditional values and cultural norms in order to cope up with the changes.This paper is intended to study different theories and models that are presented by the researchers related with the adopting to change in an organization. The dissertation is based on a qualitative research study that is conducted through secondary analysis of data and a case study.The case study of a US based company is presented so that different theories of adopting to change can be studied in the perspective of the company and the evidences could be found about the practical implications of the theories of adopting to change.1.1 Importance of TopicIn the fast moving world of today ideas came in to existence and then they are executed rapidly too, building lot of pressure on the people working in different fields because they have also to adopt the same policy of creating and implementing new and changed ideas from time to time.The time required for making these changes is often very short but the success of an orga nization in the highly competitive marketplace of today lies in the fact that how quickly they can respond towards the changes. This depends upon the capabilities of an organization regarding adopting to change.It is very importance to study that what is the importance of adopting to change in an organization because it is one of the most important issues for the business organization now days and the complete understanding of this issue is essential for individuals as well as organization so that they can manage their existing and design new strategies in this perspective.Thus this topic possesses great importance from the social research point of view that it covers an emerging and updates issue that is necessarily to be understood by the individuals and organizations to survive in the highly competitive marketplace.1.2 Need and Significance for the StudyThere is considerable portion of the literature conducted around the topic and numerous research studies have focused on the mod els and theories of adapting to change and their practical implication.This dissertation is continuation of the research work done so far because the topic is gaining more and more importance. As the technologies is rapidly spreading so the need of studying the change in organization is also getting more and more important and the dissertation is aimed at fulfilling the need of further study on this topic.1.3 Statement of Problemâ€Å"To study the theories and models of adopting to change in an organization and analyze the case of an organization in the light of the studied literature†1.4 Objective of the StudyThe study is aimed t achieving the following objectives ·To understand the concept of adapting to change in an organization from the historical perspective ·To study different theories and models of adopting to change ·To present the case study of an organization regarding the strategies and planning related with adopting to change. 2. Literature Review2.1. Adopti ng to change – Historical PerspectiveAdopting to change in an organization is not a new phenomenon but it has deep roots inside the history. Lewin (1952) presented a three stage model about adopting to change in an organization.   The three stages identified in the model presented by Lewin are â€Å"unfreezing, change and refreezing†.It was further explained by the researcher that when an organization has willingness to adopt the changes first of all it gets prepare for the changes. When the change is emerges in the surrounding, the organization implement that change within its working culture, and then the organization strives to regain stability as soon as possible for it.All of these steps are taken by the organization with a specific period of time so that organization can get stability and functionality on early basis (Lewin, p459, 1952). As the time passes, the business world show the need for more turbulent and flexible model of adopting to change that can fit well in the uncertain organizational and environmental conditions as well so the early model presented by Lewin became less appropriate and uncommon.De Jean (1991) and Malone et al (1992) presented another concept of adopting to change that technology is the main factor that bring changes in the environment and while designing the technologies it is the key issue that the technology must be easily adoptable by the end users and the people can have the opportunity to customize their existing features using the new technology and at the same time they can also create new applications with the help of newly introduced technology.In this way the features and adoptability of the technology it self determines the success rate of its acceptability. At the same time, the organizations also have to be aware of the fact that how they can implement change within their existing working patterns and what are the most appropriate ways of integrating new technologies in their traditional system.I n this situation the experience of the organization plays the most significant role in determining the role of the organization in the changing situation. Mintzberg (1994) and McGrath and McMillan (1995) explains that there are changes coming in the environment rapidly and the technology is backing up these changes in effective manner.In this new scenario there are many organizations that are still unaware of the fact that what is actually going around them because they see all of the things like a game that is entirely new for them and they don’t even know the rules and regulations of playing the game.This is the main factor that can lead the organization towards greater risk of failure because this show the lack of willingness of the company to get prepare for adopting to change and an organization can not survive in marketplace until and unless it is ready to face the changes.2.2. Adopting to change – Need, Importance and StrategiesVictor Siegle (2006) explains that an organization has to be well aware of the changes occurring all around because the success of an organization largely depends upon the fact that how fast and how adequately they respond towards the changes and make amendments in their strategies to meet the demands of those changes.These changes could be in form of change in the client’s or customer’s requirements and the organization has to provide the goods or services of the client or customer according to their new requirements.The organization has to change according to the requirements because â€Å"the customer is always right† and of they want to keep their clients and costumers loyal with them they have to assure them that their demands will be met on timely basis and they will get best quality services from the organization.In this regard it is very important for the organization to know that what are the priorities of their clients or customers and as far as there are some changes occur in their re quirement due to any factor, then the organization has to keep an eye on those changes and the management has to be always prepare to react upon these changes accordingly. Only then they can be sure about the successful relationsIn this context there is great responsibility lies upon the shoulders of the high officials and management. They have to develop such strategies and organizational culture in the company that the staff and their working patterns can easily adjust with the upcoming changes.All of this has to be done while remaining within the boundaries of the schedules, budgets, people, and deadlines. For better management of adopting to change it is essential to create a synergistic nature of the organization means that different teams should be created to perform different type of business activities separately and whenever there is any change required in the production of good and service, the people concerned with that particular part of the work will be contacted and as ked to make changes in their work.In this way the entire production process or company strategies does not face any set back or major delay. This is necessarily to be done by the management because they have no option to say â€Å"No† to the client or customers asking for change. This will not effect the reputation and credibility of the organization but also the sales and revenue of the company will be badly affected.However it doesn’t means that the organization must be ready and go for adopting each and every change occurring in the surrounding world but there is great need of effective management of adopting to change strategies and planning because unmanaged change can create lots of problem for the organization in terms of increate in the potential of causing disruption to projects already in progress that might lead to the mediocre end product, missed deadlines and budgets.All these factors will ultimately contribute towards the deterioration of the relationship of the organization with their client or customer. So there are some key steps that must be followed by an organization in the process of change management so that they can be in better position for adopting to change.For example they have to assure that the new or changes policies will be integrate in to the original or existing policies and working pattern of the organization so that the employees can cope up with these changes easily.The cost and time involved in the production process should be kept in consideration by the management while implementing a change so that the budget and deadline could be managed effectively.At the same time it is equally importance that the management must choose from the emerging changes that which one is beneficial for the organization and which will harm it. This will help the company is getting well prepared for adopting to change in the organization.Jacowski (2006) explains that the overall success of an organization is greatly dependent on t he change adoptability capabilities of the organization. The researcher explains that adopting to change in an organization requires lot of time, dedication, money and effective planning.It is very essential to manage the change properly because changes can take the organization towards improved productivity, efficient employee’s performance, superior quality of good and services produces and a better bottom line.In case of failure of the organization in adopting the change there is a great risk that the relationship of the company with its client or customers will be harm, there will be frustration generate in the employees, and the over all productivity and quality of the organization will be badly effected.In order to avoid the dangers of mismanaged change, it is very importance for an organization to get ready for adopting the change with all its planning and strategies. First of all the change must be added to the company’s function in a practical and meaningful w ay, otherwise there is no chance that the change will be accepted and successfully implemented in the organization.Thus the management has the major responsibility to choose that what change is necessary for the organization and above all what are the implications of that change within the existing working culture of the company. The management has to keep an eye on the time matter also to decide and when and in which aspects of the business, the organization will welcome the changes and what are the aspects and policies that will be remained undisturbed by any of the changes.For the better management of adopting to change in the organization it is a crucial matter that the people associated with the change management must be aware of all the problems and issues associated with the adoption to change sin the organization and they must have adequate work done on the lines that â€Å"who will be taking on the change, who will best know how the change will work, and how it can be util ized†.In addition to this it is equally important that there must be trust worthy relationship between the management and the employees so that the employees can be motivated to work in efficient manner in the changes environment also and they must be mentally prepare to face the changes adopted and implemented by the organization.It is importance to have trust based relation in the organization to get prepare for adopting to change because in case of lack of trust, the employees will resist strongly towards the implemented changes and it will become even more difficult for the management to implement the changes within the organization.Moreover the management should also have deep understanding of the employees issues so that they can know that what changes will be welcome by the employees and what changes will be resisted. In this regard the management must have effective communication link with its people so that there could be good understanding of their reservations and c oncerns.2.2 Theories and ModelsGallivan at al (1994) adaptation to change in an organization requires hard work of many years because it is not something that can occur immediately. The researchers explain that to get prepares for adopting any change, it is very necessary that the management of the organization must assure the flow of concise, readable and to the point information to the employees.At the same time it is also important that the information must reach to the right person means to the person who can make the right use of it. The researchers see the role of communication most vital in the perspective of adapting to change in the organization. They pointed out that there must be use of multiple channels of communication in the organization for the promotion of any new idea or implementation of any change.The management is recommended that there must be good communication links built with the employees so that the management can effectively demonstrate the decision of the management regarding the implementation and adaptation of any new change. The role of management is very crucial at this stage because there is a broad spectrum of skills required to lead to effective management of innovation and change within an organization.There must be programs, workshops, meetings and gatherings arranged by the management with the employees so that both the management and the employees can better understand the perspective of each other. In addition to this the management must also produce and provide some material in form of hard copy or soft copy to the employees.This material can explain the perspective of the employees in detail and can inform the employees many such things that can not be demonstrated orally.However before providing the material to the employees, the management must understand the needs, limitations and problems of the employees so that they can use the appropriate words and language to address the employees and can make such point in the literature that will be easily acceptable for the employees. Kwon and Zmud (1997) explains that adopting to change in an organization is not an easy issue because in many organizations there is great possibility that the employees with resist change and talk about remaining sticking on the same traditional means of doing their work.He further explains that there are some main reasons due to which the employees within an organization can resist for change and these are the challenges for the management if they want to develop a culture in the organization open towards changes.An important reason why the employees resist the change in ambiguity that people are unclear about the details of the emerging change and they have certain questions in their mind that what would be the effect of the change over their job position and working patterns.This unclear image led towards the resistance in the employees regarding the change. Another important reason is lack of proper communication lin ks between the management and the employees. When the employees are not properly informed by the management neither there is any consultancy done with the employees but the change in imposed on the employees as an order, then there is a generally unlikeness and unwillingness in adopting any change.On the other hand if the employees are well informed about the change and the policies are discussed in details then thy can meet higher levels of job satisfaction than uninformed workers. This is because people like to know and they have the right to know that what is going all around them and what are the decisions that are taking place related with their work and positions.