Education Systems of France and America Essay

There are present many differences in the way of life between France and the United States of America; from the social structure to the job market, from the political atmosphere to the legislative structure; from the language to fashion and so on. The focus of my research paper is a comparative study of the system of education of the two nations; highlighting the individual traits of each and discussing the similarities and the differences between the two. I will focus on the following: †¢ How the educational systems of France and the USA are alike and how they differ; – Similarities and differences between the French and American primary education; – Similarities and differences between French secondary and American high schools; †¢ Approaches to educational reform undertaken by France and the U. S. An examination of these areas intends to offer a clearer insight to the French and American educational systems. Basic Differences between the French and American Systems From the origin of the two systems of education, to the policies governing teachers, the federal budget allocation for education; the dissimilarities are many. I will highlight the major differences between the two distinct systems. According to â€Å"Education in France,† 2006, in 2006, the French federal budget for education was $83 billion (or 64. 6 billion Euros) whereas the American budget was $69. 4 billion (â€Å"Education in America,† 2006). The Ministry of National Education is France’s largest employer, employing educators at every level – from elementary to professors, whereas in America, teachers are employed by district and professors directly by their respective College or University. There is no unified body, unlike the Ministry of National Education in France, which manages educator employment. French schools are comprised of four components: 1. Kindergarten or Maternelle, 2. Primary school or Ecole elementaire, 3. Junior High or College, and 4. High school or Lycee, American schools are generally divided into three or four parts, according to Cozic (1992): 1. Preschool and kindergarten 2. Junior high 3. High school France’s philosophy of education is essentially unlike that of the United States, as highlighted below, quoting Fraser (1963): â€Å"In 1957 the Ministry of National Education gave the following account of school organization in France: ‘The hierarchy of the three great branches, Primary, Secondary, and Higher, as conceived by the Constituent Assembly and built by Napoleon – to which was later added Technical Education – remains the basis of our school organization. ‘† French education is divided into three parts; basic American education is in effect branched into only two, primary and secondary, with the third component, higher education, is fast becoming a privilege, not enjoyed by too many students in the current era. The high school graduation rates also differ between the two nations. In 2001, it was estimated that 70% of American public high school students graduated (Greene & Forster, 2006). France was aiming to achieve 80% high school graduation rate. This seemingly small difference has significant consequences on the literacy levels of the nations, which then become evident in other areas, such as the employment rate, a nations technological or scientific level of advancement, higher education levels of a country (percentage of the population who has attended College or University). Differences in the Primary Educational Systems of France and USA Education at the primary level is highly stressed upon in both the countries. The principals and philosophy of education between both the nations is most similar at this stage in a child’s academic career than any other stage. Kindergarten and elementary school, or maternelle and ecole elementaire is viewed as a critical juncture in the life of a child. Attendance in kindergarten and maternelle is compulsory in both the countries; however parents chose to send their children at as young an age as possible – 3 or 4 being the average age of attendance. In France, preschool or maternelle is divided into three one-year periods. These are: 1. Petite section (age 3), 2. Moyenne section (age 4), and 3. Grande section (age 5). There exist also pre-maternelle institutions (or daycare centers), which parents often decide to send their children to (Lee& Sivell, 2000). Primary School Children of both France and the U. S. are required to attend primary schools. In France, a national mandate has been set which dictates the compulsory school attendance of all six year old children ( Education in France,† 2006). This isn’t the case in America, where the policies differ between the states. A child can start at 5, or 6 depending on the educational laws in the state of residence. It is generally agreed however that children in both America and France should attend school as early as possible, which proves to be beneficial in the cognitive and learning development of a child; helps to develop their social skills and instills disciplinary values. Elementary School Elementary school attendance in both the nations is compulsory too. In America, this usually entails the duration between 6 years to 11 or 12, depending on the state’s (of residence) policy on education. The elementary schooling system runs from 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade and so on in the American system. The sixth grade is included in the Elementary system in some state, while not in others. In France, however, due to the national guidelines on education, children begin ecole elementaire from the age of 6 to 10, in the duration of which they pass through five grades, cours preparatoire, cours elementaire premiere annee, cours elementaire deuxieme annee, cours moyen premiere annee and cours moyen deuxieme annee. In the early stages of elementary system (or ecole elementaire) of both the countries, one or two teachers are assigned to teach all the subjects, which too are very similar, including: †¢ language, †¢ history, †¢ geography, †¢ social studies, †¢ math, †¢ science, †¢ art or music and †¢ physical education Religious education is avoided at this level in France and in America only a very few Elementary schools provide religious courses. High School (or Lycee) methodology While the teaching philosophy and methods between both the countries are unique, they fundamentally serve similar purpose: equipping students with a solid educational base to prepare them for their futures. The differences between the French secondary schooling system (college, and lycee) and the American junior high and high school are many. There exist similarities too – both systems require attendance (although in France no attendance is required after the age 16). In both systems, school selection is based on the area of residence and in both nations parents can pay a little more and educate their children privately. In the American secondary system, middle or junior high is the gap of 2 or 3 years between elementary and high school. In France, however, middle school or college normally begins in grade 6, denoted as 6e, at 11 years of age. This lasts four years, going down to grade 3e when the students are about 14. Grade 2e follows, and begins the high school (lycee), a three year period, ending with their last year or terminale. In the American system, students commence junior high either at the 6th Grade (age 12) or the 7th Grade (age 13), staying at this stage for 2-3 years and then moving on to Grade 9 (or High School) around the age of 15 (Urdan, 2001, p. 112). This phase extends to four years, ending at the completion of the 12th Grade. Another major dissimilarity between the two systems is that U. S. students are usually required to take standardized tests as soon as the Grade 6, including the SATs or ACTs occasionally during middle and high school. In France, students can take the standardized tests, or the baccalaureat after the completion of their schooling, to help determine what route they’ll take after lycee. The French baccalaureat is the equivalent of the U. S. high school diploma, only difference being that French students have to clear specific tests to acquire their bac (as it is called. Also, students may decide not to take the bac, since it is â€Å"in law more an exam for entrance into university than a lycee completion exam† (â€Å"Baccalaureat† 2006). A notable aspect of the French lycee is that students are provided the opportunity to specialize in particular courses the last few years of high school. Both the U. S. and French secondary systems require student attendance, but students in France are obliged to attend only till the age of 16. After that certain exams are to be undertaken which decide what courses the student will take for the rest of his/her schooling. Students who do well on these examination are given a chance to attend a lycee to study for the baccalaureat till they are 18 years old. Vocational Courses offer those students a shortened study period of two years who don’t score well on the entrance tests. That is considered one of the strengths of the French system. Instead of isolating the vocational branch, they amalgamate it within the secondary schooling system, which is encouraging for students to not only learn about other areas within their current educational system, but to remain with their peers too. Regarding the courses, French students are permitted only a restricted number of options for the path they choose to take. They are restricted to a few courses and the number of electives they can take are very few. American students, on the other hand, aren’t restricted as such. Most schools permit their students to take electives, provided they fulfill certain pre-requisites and the extra courses will eventually help them lead up to a diploma. French students who don’t do well on the in 2nde grade exams can prepare for for Brevet d’Enseignement Professionel (BEP – a certification in teaching), or Certificat d’Aptitude Professionelle (CAP – a certificate of professional aptitude). Both these are easily adaptable to earn the student a â€Å"baccalaureat professionel,† which, although not as esteemed as a baccalaureat in other areas, like as math or science, but would still be a huge advantage to students pursuing other areas (Guichard, 2000, p. 62). French students who decide to take the bac are given a choice between three â€Å"streams†, all of which entail exclusive specializations and carry different ‘weights’. They are: 1. Scientifique (natural sciences), 2. Economique et sociale (a blend of sciences and literature with some economics and social studies), and 3. Litteraire (French language, geography, history, foreign languages and literature) (â€Å"Baccalaureat,† 2006). Educational Reform In the recent years, the topic of educational reform has been gaining momentum. The Bush administration set forth a â€Å"Leave No Child Behind† educational reform policy (McGuinn, 2006), with the aim of providing education to every child in the United States. Similarly, in France, educational reform often turns into political issue for the leaders, who bicker over sections of the core curriculum in regards to what is best for the nation. There is a significant disparity between reform in France and America. As stated earlier, France has a standardized curriculum for its public schools, whereas in the United States, the curriculum has to be set by the states and school districts. This is one of the reasons French educational reform is less extensive than the reform bills and acts passed in the U. S. to modify the educational system. Conclusion Taking into view all the ways in which education differs between France and the United States, it is debatable which country has the superior system. Each of the two countries have pros and cons. The question of which system is superior is irrelevant in this context. There is no one correct or incorrect way to educate a child; what works well for one student might fail for another. Selecting one structure over the other would be meaningless since both have their own set of accolades and setbacks.

Be Able to Support Individuals to Use the Toilet

3. Be able to support individuals to use the toilet 3. 1 Provide support for the individual to use toilet facilities in ways that respect dignity 1. Offer the individual a help. 2. If the individual is not able to transfer by itself help him/her to transfer however encourage using their own strength as much as he/she is able in order to promote their independency. 3. When the individual is sitting on the toilet cover his/her private area with for example towel to respect their dignity. 4.Ask if they the individual needs some privacy, if it is save to live the individual by him/herself on the toilet inform that you are going to wait outside the toilet and when finish he/she can call you. In the situation when it is not safe to live the individual on the toilet, you can respect their privacy by turning around. 5. Do not make any comments which would make them feel uncomfortable. 3. 2 Support individual to make themselves clean and tidy after using toilet facilities Most of the service users at my work place require full support after using a toilet. However, we remained them to wash their hand after using the toilet.Those service users who are not able to wash their hands by themselves are supported by staff members. The service users who do not need a support with using the toilet are remanded to use it and to remember to wash their hands. 6. Be able to monitor and report on support for personal care 6. 1 Seek feedback from the individual and others on how well support for personal care meets the individual’s needs and preferences 1. Read Care Plans. 2. Ask the individual if the currently used methods meet their preferences. 3. Ask the individual if they would like to make any changes which would make their personal care more convenient, comfortable or njoyable. 4. Discuss with staff members how they can improve the support of the individual in order to meet their needs and preferences. 5. Upgrade Care Plans on the regular basis. 2. 2 Be able to contribut e to establishing the nature of specific communication needs of individuals and ways to address them Establishing the nature of specific communication: 1. Talk to family members to find the way how the individual used to communicate with them. 2. If the individual hasn’t got any family members read the care plan if any exists. 3. Observe the individual. 4. If the individual is verbal just talk to them.The ways to address: 1. Talk to them. 2. Give them choice. 3. Ask them showing the pictures. 4. Learn non verbal language (makaton) 5. Communication passport (for example a picture of service user when is happy, angry or sad). 6. Showing the trust by seeking the contact with support members (for example grabbing the hand, not ignoring when being asked). 2. 3 Explain how and when to access information and support about identifying and addressing specific communication needs When: 1. When the individual is new at the house. 2. When the individuals condition is getting worse How: 1 .Care Plan 2. Communication Passport 3. Family 4. Speech and Language Therapist 5. Basic information tables placed in each room 6. Know how to support the use of communication technology and aids 3. Explain the importance of ensuring that communication equipment is correctly set up and working properly This is important because it is necessary to know how to communicate with service users in order to meet their needs. It prevents unnecessary misunderstanding and follows it anxiety and irritation of service users. As such it decreases the possibility of provoking a challenging behaviour.

Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’, and P.B. Shelly’s ‘Alastor’ Essay

The theme of suffering is best conveyed through the â€Å"solitary† aesthetic figure of the wanderer or vagrant. Romantic writers produced works revealing extremes of isolation and socialisation, creating ‘either a wild beast or a god’ and proving that although solitude can render knowledge, it can also be the cause of deep suffering. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, is an account of the monstrous potentiality of human creative power when severed from moral and social concerns. Suffering is displayed through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and his nameless creation, the monster or â€Å"the fallen angel† . Moreover, what is necessary to further the discussion of suffering, is the cause and indeed expression of suffering endured by the central characters. Frankenstein hopes to be the source of a new species, but ironically, his creature evolves into a self acknowledged Satan who swears eternal revenge and war on upon his creator and all the human race as a result of the misery he experiences at their hands. The Monster sees salvation only through the creation of his Eve. Both master and creature are torn by their internal conflicts from misapplied knowledge and their sense of isolation. P.B. Shelley’s Alastor; or the Spirit of Solitude, compares well to Frankenstein as there are many similarities with the poet and the character of the Monster and his creator, Frankenstein; both texts portray the themes of suffering through isolation and central to both is the desire for a companion or equal other. Alastor; or the Spirit of Solitude is a touching poem which conveys well the suffering of the individual. There is an obsession within the young poet within the poem, which leads him to express the broodings of the heart in solitude. The lonely musings of the poet are ironically soothing and create a melodious tone to the poem as he learns and strives for more knowledge to quench his young mind. As P.B.Shelley describes the character in the preface to the poem, he also draws on its moral: ‘It represents a youth of  uncorrupted feelings†¦He drinks deep of the fountains of knowledge and is still insatiate†¦ His mind is awakened and thirsts for intercourse with an intelligence similar to himself†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He yearns as a result, for his perfect companion, but his wandering to far lands fails to find him his ideal. Shelley goes on to write that in desiring the purest being in a ‘single image’ he seeks in vain for a prototype of his conception. ‘Blasted’ by his disappointment he descends to an ‘untimely grave’. Shelley stated also in his preface that the tragic flaw of the young poet is that he is ‘deluded’ and ‘duped’ and thus ‘morally dead’. Shelley suggests, therefore that the spirit is cursed because it fails to exist with other citizens of the world. The poet chooses to wander in solitude and so suffers for existing ‘without human sympathy’. It is the ‘intensity and passion for their search’ which leads them to ‘lasting misery and loneliness in the world’. The moral is epitomized in the final lines of the preface: ‘Those who love not their fellow beings live unfruitful lives and prepare for their old age a miserable grave’. It is ironic that the poem begins exclaiming ‘Earth, Ocean, Air, beloved brotherhood!’ and yet this obsession and love for creation leads him further and further away from coexisting with all these things which he admires, leading to withdrawal and suffering. The opening verse describes romantic images of nature, typical of the period in which Shelley was writing, revealing the poets love for nature: The ‘dewy morn’ and the ‘solemn midnight’ as well as the descriptions of animal and insect life, create a tranquil atmosphere. Yet these are suddenly juxtaposed by the second verse; the poet describes suffering and disturbed sleep in ‘charnels and on coffins’ and the philosophical questions of the purpose of existence that follow create a sense of foreboding. P.B.Shelley, significantly, then describes ‘the alchemist’, implying that just as the alchemist’s quests to turn base metals into gold are an impossibility, the poets quests to wander and reject society, is equally fruitless. Parallels can be made to Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, who also is like the alchemist . The poet desires a companion, just as the Monster does in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In the poem, the longing is portrayed in the image of the  moon: ‘As oceans moon looks on the moon in heaven’ This image is significant for several reasons; the poet compares illusion and reality and therefore conveys how he pursues the dream image of the maid into the real world, but the pursuit, as the image boldly suggests, is impossible and unattainable. In addition to this, the image of the moon enhances the feelings of a vacant natural world as it seems to the poet, whose narcissist love is directed to an ideal conceived within his own mind. This can be compared to both the character of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Just like the poet in Alastor, the Monster desires in despair for an ideal which will never become a reality. Equally, the idea of narcissism is also apparent within the character of Frankenstein. In the poem, ‘Yellow flowers forever gaze on their own drooping eyes’ This image symbolises Narcissus who saw his reflection and fell in love with it, mistaking it for a Nymph, falling into the river, and dying in pursuit of his own reflection, turning into a daffodil. In the same way, Frankenstein is solipsistic and motivated by selfish desires; for him, love is narcissistic and in his pathetic attempt to make a creation in his own image, as God did with Adam, he creates instead ‘the fallen angel’, which he fails to love and nurture. Thus the novel and the poem both represent an idealistic quest, egotistical in essence- and for Frankenstein, a quest for self glorification- which gives rise to unimaginable suffering. In his poem, Shelley compares suffering and loneliness with an eagle, ‘grasped in folds of green serpent’ burning with pain, ‘Frantic with dizzying anguish’ Shelley appropriately uses the imagery of the serpent attacking a bird, drawing in Biblical parallels to the poem, just as Mary Shelley does in her novel to place importance on the Fall of Man. This theme is essential in Frankenstein as it often provides reasons for the suffering the characters experience, as Frankenstein too gains his knowledge through a forbidden act. Despite James Reiger’s 1974 criticism of the realism of the novel, it cannot be denied that Shelley knew far more about Galvanism, science and sorcery, than her critics gave her credit for. Frankenstein’s asexual creation of a ‘new species’ is actually an evolutionary regression. His ‘solitary reproduction’ is far from God-like; it is instead the beginning of terror and torment on human lives. The r eader first learns  about Frankenstein’s ill health and general condition through Robert Walter. This is an effective narrative method revealing Shelley’s exceptional style which enhances sympathy towards Frankenstein and, more importantly, serves to create suspense. He is described as being ‘dreadfully emaciated by fatigue and suffering†¦generally melancholy and despairing’ and more significantly, ‘gnashes his teeth as if impatient of the weight of woes that oppress him’. This description also highlights that Shelley’s work has been influenced by her father, the author of Caleb Williams, William Godwin, who wrote ‘Every time the mind is invaded with anguish and gloom the frame (or physical and outward vigour) becomes disordered’ (Godwin, Political Justice, Pg 249) Walter’s description of Victor Frankenstein only creates further suspense and is heightened by Frankenstein’s answer to why he is alone and travelling in such severe conditions: â€Å"To seek one who fled from me† It is his ‘constant and deep grief’ (Walter, page 59) which instil ‘sympathy and compassion’ in both Walter and the reader. The cause to Frankenstein’s grief is then revealed to the final and only friend he will ever have, in a unique Gothic style, revealing elements of both the sensational and supernatural. What follows then is a chilling story, in which Shelley creates a brooding atmosphere or gloom and terror, mystery and suspense, revealing at first the sufferings of the creator, and then the pain and torment of the creation. Frankenstein emphasises that â€Å"No youth could have passed more happily than mine†. Shelley contrasts the description of Frankenstein’s upbringing which is both respectable and pleasant, to the ‘gloomy and narrow reflection upon self’ which Frankenstein now feels on telling his story to the lieutenant. He outlines his fascination for ‘the structure of the human frame’ (page 79) and his various advancements in his work , but what is emphasised more is his obsession with his work. When his experiment is finally complete, there is no such joy. Frankenstein describes his disappointment and disgust when the monster woke, having ‘worked hard for nearly two years, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart’ (page 85) So sickened and repulsed by the being he has created, Victor leaves the room: ‘†¦one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped’ (page 88). Thus form the moment the Monster is created, Frankenstein rejects him. His justification for his  action is simply: ‘Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance!’ It is this fatal rejection which leads to his own downfall and proves that the suffering and solitary state of the monster is a result of Frankenstein’s irresponsibility. Victor’s suffering is caused by loss of his family and lover, and ultimately himself. Walter describes him as ‘broken in spirit’ but a ‘divine wanderer’ nevertheless. Frankenstein says ‘I have suffered great and unparallel misfortunes.’ Victor is not only referring to the murders, but also to the trial of Justice who is wrongly accused of murdering the young boy, William. Victor is aware that it was in fact the Monster who committed the murder, and when Justine’s verdict is announced, Victor can only think of his own guilt: ‘The tortures of the accused could not equal mine†¦the fangs of remorse tore at my bosom’. Victor blames himself for the deaths that occur because only he is aware of his creation and that it was he who let lose the malice of the ‘fiend’. His mental state leads to his illness, and typically in a Romantic novel, Shelley proves language cannot describe the nature of experience and is therefore limited, as Victor states: ‘†¦the sense of guilt which hurried me to hell of intense tortures, such as no language can describe.’ Victor describes his own solitary state has being ‘deep, dark, death – like solitude’ and this implants bitter rage within him: ‘My abhorrence for this fiend cannot be conceived’ and so he vows to avenge the murders. The arrival of the monster reveals to the reader a different story of suffering. Shelly prepares the reader for a terrifying gothic figure, but when he finally appears before the vehement Victor, he is composed and calmly states: ‘I expected this reception†¦all men hate the wretched’. His demeanour and eloquent speeches reveal a learned individual whose rationality supersedes even Victors, furthermore, there is a tone of remorse and pain in his voice. It is certain that Victor’s creation only grows monstrous qualities through his sufferings. Victor created life and abandoned it, and the monster even states helplessly:’ No father had watched my infant days’. His creation therefore has no identity, family, society, home or companion. He recognises that he is different: ‘Who was I? What was  I? Whence did I come? What was my destination?.’ His perceptions of himself are formulated as a result of societies reactions to him. He is â₠¬Ëœhideous and gigantic’ and suffers for these reasons in solitude. He describes his initial feelings as a new creature on earth, a ‘helpless, miserable wretch; I knew and could distinguish nothing; but feelings of pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept.’ His experiences are harrowing and emotional, and yet astounding; the monster’s sensory experiences are like a small child that is abandoned and desperately trying to survive. His first encounter with mankind leaves him afraid ‘miserable†¦from the barbarity of man’ (130) However, his encounter with the cottage family reveal the real nature and characteristics of the Monster. He yearns to be part of a family unit and on seeing the family weep, he realises their pain is poverty. He realises that by stealing from them ‘inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained and satisfied myself with berries’ (141) He helps them by collecting firewood and without their knowledge tends to their crops, and his only reward is his personal satisfaction of being able to help the needed. It can be stated that at this stage, the creature is only monstrous in appearance, and his recognition of the cottagers suffering shows his astonishing empathetic qualities. His romantic descriptions of his observations of the children and the loving nature of the family, juxtapose with his solitude and his feelings of self- loathing which are epitomised in seeing his reflection in the lake: ‘I was filled with bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification.’ When the cottagers finally find him, they too react through physical violence and ultimately the monster is rejected once again only to return to his solitude and misery: ‘Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant†¦ endowed with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man†¦When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me†¦a blot upon this earth which all men fled, and whom all men disowned’ (149) The monster is visibly aware of his alienation and his reflections cause him agony and sorrow. He expresses his pain through wandering, and this is a pivotal moment which captures the transition completely: ‘I gave vent to my anguish in fearful howling. I was like a wild beast.’ His distress and agony are with a world full of prejudices where he is given no chance, and thus, he projects his rage at his surroundings tearing at branches and trees, and finally ‘sank on the damp grass in the sick impotence of fear.’ It is at this moment that he realises his goodness will never be recognised; he is grotesque but has physical strength as his only tool, hence declaring ‘everlasting war ‘ on his ‘enemies’, and above all, ‘against he who had formed me’, his creator, Victor Frankenstein, the root of his suffering. The image which follows is a hellish and ghoulish scene of the monster howling into the night and burning down the cot tage he had once loved. His stream of bad fortune is just appalling and Shelley seems to be exposing the inhumanity of humanity. The significance of the three texts which the monster encounters cannot be overlooked. The first text is Goethe’s The Sorrows Of Young Werther which enables the monster to realise his own solitary state and depression. He weeps whilst Werther suffers too as an orphan and solitary walker, and adds: ‘I applied much personally and to my own feelings and condition’ (153) He compares his Werther’s desires to become part of Charlottes family to his own which were to become part of the cottage family, the De Lacey’s. Shelley’s novel also draws from her mother’s work, such as Vindication in which the influence is apparent through the monster’s actions; he is deprived of the domesticity and affections necessary for human beings. Thus through Goethe’s text, he learns of the domestic idyll. The second text is the Volume of Plutarch’s lives which depicts the history of the origins of mankind, and from the text he learns ‘high thoughts’, and goes on to state: ‘He elevated me above the wretched sphere of my own reflection [of self- pity and gloom], to admire and love the heroes of past ages’. However it is the third text, Milton’s Paradise Lost which is most striking in its parallel towards both the Monster and Victor . The monster found a correlation between his condition and stated: ‘Like Adam, I was apparently  united by no link to any other human being†¦I was wretched, helpless and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition’ (page-136). The monster’s central complaint is that he is alone and he requests that Victor make a companion for him: ‘I am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me†¦ my companion must be of the same species and have the same defects’ (Page 168) Society has rejected him because he is ‘deformed and horrible’, but this suffering leads to the monster retuning to find his creator so that loneliness can only be overcome by a companion – this is a huge realisation in the monster: and more significantly, is that this suffering caused by complete solitude, is experienced by humans too. Hence the suffering felt by the monster makes him no different to man. The monster goes on to say that a companion is ‘necessary for my being’ (Pg 168) and the only cure for his malicious behaviour and misery. When Victor refuses a ‘fiendish rage animated him as he said this; his face was wrinkled into contortions too horrible for human eyes to be hold†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Pg 169) This is his reaction to someone refusing what he desires most, what has haunted him since his creation and his rage is hardly surprising when considering the suffering he has endured. ‘Every time languor and indifference creep upon us our functions fall into decay†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This is where the monster’s argument finds its roots, for as Godwin writes in Political Justice, in order to be ‘cheerful’, we must ‘cultivate a kind and benevolent propensity†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Godwin also expressed his views on solitary confinement and these too seem to be echoed in the text :’The soul yearns, with inexpressible longings, for the society of its like.’ The monster is hence likened to the offender in solitary confinement and pleads for a companion: ‘Who can tell the suffering of him who is condemned to uninterrupted solitude? Who can tell this that this is not, to the majority of mankind the bitterest torment that human ingenuity can inflict?’ (Pg 251) Echoing Godwin, who wrote ‘A man is of more worth than a beast’, Victor disregarding the monster’s pleas, destroys the unfinished female monster. This is the penultimate event which gives rise to relentless suffering endured by the monster . The extent of his misery is epitomised with the monster questioning Victor: ‘Shall each man find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? Are you to be  happy while I grovel in the intensity of my wretchedness?’ (Volume 3, chapter 2) Thus there is a disastrous outcome to Victor’s reasoning. In Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein hopes to be the source of new species, but ironically, his creature evolves into a self acknowledged Satan who swears eternal revenge and war upon his creator and all the human race. The monster reflects that hell is an internal condition which is produced and increased through loneliness. Both master and creature are torn by their internal conflicts from misapplied knowledge and their sense of isolation. In P.B. Shelley’s poem, the solitary walker suffers as a result of his own actions and choice to be abandon society. He suffers for having fantasies that will never be a reality. Hence his suffering is a result of his own disillusionment. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Shelley, P.B., Alastor: Or, The Spirit Of Solitude 2. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft , Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus,(D.L.Macdonald and Kathleen Scherf) 1999. 3. Duncan Wu, ed,. Romanticism: A Critical Reader, (Blackwell, 1995) 4. Butler, Marilyn, Romantics, Rebels and Revolutionaries: English Literature and its Background, 1760-1830,(Oxford University Press, 1981) 5. Goethe, J.W., The Sorrows of Young Werther(Penguin Books, 1985) 6. Furst, Lilian, European Romanticism, (Wayne State University Press, 1990).

Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Speech - Essay Example The beneficial part of it is its usefulness in enabling a community to adopt good central practices and values. On the other hand, social change prevents communities from retaining and preserving important cultural values. Otherwise, social change is a significant to every society. Social change has been in the forefront of major economic, social, and religious development in the world. It diverts the perception of a people to new values that are consistent with time. People have to acknowledge that social values are dynamic. What applies to a society or generation at a particular time might not apply to a different one at a different time. Social change is significant in reinforcing new ideas into the minds of the society. The major challenge in imparting new social values is convincing individuals to believe them and divert their attention from the old values. Opportunistic countries found it difficult to start respecting human rights to abolish slave trade (Reynolds and Paul, 59). A wave of change for recognition swept the world and consequently, people were under compulsion to abolish slave trade. Today, the world enjoys human freedom and rights. Is there a need for a society to change its values? Necessity for social change is dependent on its objective and affects the society. For example, industrial revolution expanded the economic base of many communities. It availed a variety of products to the society apart from creating jobs. The illustration justifies the need for social change in the economic perspective. The same example can also illustrate the negative perspective of industrial revolution (Reynolds and Paul, 74). After economic prosperity of the world, a number of economic crimes such as corruption cropped up. Social media has spread across the world at a first rate. It is important for communication and making advertisements. However, it leads to the spread of immoral behavior. The world should learn to

Response 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Response 2 - Essay Example For this reason, followers of the religion are the least westernized. In addition, Appiah (2006) recognizes the importance of religion is retaining the cultural and social balance. In an example, he cites that the superior nature of man over women is today recognized as a religious teaching. However, this is important in cultural or social setting. However, Appiah is correct to argue against the use of violence to retain social balance or cultural purity. Generally, the article portrays the role of religion as a mandatory way of retaining the purity of cultures and humanity. However, this approach to humanity cannot be effective in the modern humanity. People have the freedom to explore other cultures and social paradigms without being held back by religious customs or untimely religious interpretations. In the response by India Ferguso’s post, I agree with the argument that the religious view of one person should not be universal. This is based on that each religion or person may have different perception of religion, culture and social life. Regardless of the cultural or religious affiliation, a person may always explore culture that they perceive as appropriate for them. However, I disagree with the assumption that westernization has increased the disregard of culture and religion. The western culture is part of the paradigm of a changing world. If people, mostly leaders, enhanced their teaching on religion and tradition the world population would not be easily westernized. Westernization may be a failure on cultures and religion to remain stern and resist being versatile to suit the need and beliefs of every person. For instance, religions like Islam remain less corroded from the fact that they retain the original provisions of the religion regardless of the global

Office Gym Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Office Gym Time - Essay Example For the first group, Group A, a survey was sent to 20 random employees who had access to the office gym and also were offered an incentive of 30 minutes paid gym time by their office. For the second group, Group B, a survey was sent to 20 random employees, all of whom had access to the office gym but were not paid to do so by the company. Randomization was done through the use of a computer program to select random employee ID numbers. After the data was collected, it was graphed and analyzed. The first graph on the left compares the amount of office gym time that was used between the two groups. The top box plot shows Group A’s use of the gym, while the bottom box plot shows Group B’s use of the gym. As can be seen from the box plot, Group A spent considerably more time in the gym, and this was most likely due to the paid incentive. However, this graph alone is not enough to determine the program’s success. For further analysis, the box plot on the right shows employee satisfaction between the two groups. As can be seen from the box plot, it appears that Group A has slightly higher employee satisfaction. Further analysis was conducted by calculating the summary statistics. The table shows the calculated summary statistics for gym time for each group. From the summary statistics calculated in this table, we can conclude that Group As gym time was higher than Group Bs. This was most likely due to the paid incentive for Group A. However, a link needs to be made to prove the benefits involved. To show this link, the employee satisfaction summary statistics show the differences in employee satisfaction between the two groups. As can be seen by the summary statistics, the mean and median for Group A are both considerably higher. As such, it is statistically confirmed that Group As the level of satisfaction is higher than that of Group Bs.

Business and sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business and sustainability - Essay Example However, the introduction of the approach that â€Å"cleantech† offers is something of a different entity entirely. As such, cleantech necessarily refers to the way in which technology can be utilized both as a means of providing a diminished negative impact upon the environment as well as providing a superior level of performance at lower cost. In such a way, cleantech is able to not only benefit the interests of the natural environment but also benefit the interests of stakeholders within the firm that seek to maximize revenue by increasing efficiency and productivity. In such a way, the utilization of cleantech comes to be something of a win – win situation. Whereas it is oftentimes seen that businesses and industry can only maximize profits through increasing production, cleantech necessarily promotes the understanding that changes in technology necessarily promote increase in efficiency that has a positive impact upon overall profits as well as a diminished negativ e impact that the process of production might necessarily engaged the environment. As a function of understanding and describing cleantech to a more full and complete degree, the following analysis will be concentric upon the means by which cleantech is ultimately the definition of a sustainable business. Before delving directly and answering whether cleantech is or is not the hallmark of sustainability, it must be necessary to understand the cleantech, and the application thereof, necessitates that the industry/firm in question be perennially aware and cognizant of whatever changes might be taking place within the technological environment. The reason that this awareness is so necessary is due to the fact that the firm will not be able to integrate with these technological changes and thereby enhance their overall efficiency unless they are continually seeking means by which the process in which they engage can be streamlined. Although cleantech represents an important progression with regards to the way in which business/industry seeks to integrate both with the needs to generate income and the needs to preserve the environment, it would not be fair to say that sustainable business is all about cleantech. The reason for this is due to the fact that sustainability and business cannot and should not be defined based upon cleantech alone. In such a way, cleantech should be viewed as a process and means whereby a firm/industry can seek to benefit itself with the tangential benefit of benefitting the environment. Although this is a net positive for all players involved, it nonetheless does not have sustainability as its primary mission or goal. Instead, it merely allows for the ancillary benefit of environmental consciousness. An obvious example of the way in which cleantech works in order to benefit both the company and the environment would necessarily be the utilization of a better and more efficient process of production than had previously been employed. Mor eover, the process itself is not the sole contingent category; instead, the actual inputs to the process or the building or facility within which the product is created can also include components of cleantech. In short, cleanteach is not restricted to a simplistic understanding of the components of any particular project. As such, the range and scope of materials and processes which it includes is so broad as

LDAP Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

LDAP - Coursework Example As its name shows, it is a lightweight client-server protocol which is used for directory services, particularly the directory services which are based on X.500. Additionally, LDAP is implemented on TCP/IP or other connection oriented data transfer services. LDAP supported user programs are able to inquire LDAP servers to search for entries using a variety of techniques. In this scenario, LDAP servers’ directory holds all the data in its entries, as well as cleans can be employed to choose immediately the group or person we desired, and provide immediately the data and information we desired. On the other hand, LDAP is not restricted to contact details, or yet data regarding diverse public. LDAP can also be used to search for pointers to printers, encryption credentials as well as additional services on a framework, in addition to particular sign-on where one password for a client is distributed among a lot of services. Moreover, LDAP is very useful for some types of directory related details, where quick searches as well as fewer repeated database based updates are the standard (Gracion, 2010; Briggs & Spence, 2000; The Linux Documentation Project, 2010). This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the security features which LDAP supports, then it will assess that how can access control list be implemented on the LDAP servers. Afterward it will also analyze the security auditing features that LDAP supports in addition to the detection of brute forcing attacks (such as NAT) against a LDAP server. LDAP AN OVERVIEW Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) offers a network directory service that is used as a central database containing the vital data and information regarding the groups, public and additional units that form a business. Seeing that each organization's framework and its accurate description of necessary information can be diverse, thus in this scenario a directory service has to be extremely tailored and supple. However, it is an in trinsically difficult task. In this scenario, the X.500 network protocol intended for directory services is a main aspect under consideration. In view of the fact that it was intended to offer extensive directory services for huge and intricate businesses, therefore, X.500 is itself a huge and complicated network protocol, consequently in order that a trivial adaptation of it was developed which is acknowledged as LDAP. LDAP, explained in RFC 1777, is considered as a division of the X.500 network protocol, as well as it has been applied more extensively as compared to X.500 itself has been deployed in any framework (Bauer, 2003; Donnelly, 2000; Briggs & Spence, 2000). In this scenario, it can be said that LDAP and X.500 are unconfined network protocols, similar to TCP/IP; neither is an individual suite. Seeing that a network protocol has to be applied in a number of ways of software, like that a server domain, or kernel component, or else a user program. Additionally, as compared to TCP/IP, all the performances of LDAP are not similar or yet totally able to communicate (with no alterations). Fortunately LDAP is implemented and designed to be widespread. Moreover,

Role Played by Community Programmes in Shaping Education Dissertation

Role Played by Community Programmes in Shaping Education - Dissertation Example From the report it is clear that  community programs are those programs undertaken outside the classroom that contribute to the social well-being of students. Most community programs involve both the students and members of the public, especially the society living around the school. The students play an important role of making their contribution towards making the society a better place while at the same time developing their social skills through interactions with other people from outside the precincts of the school. Community programmes in education bring together individuals from learning environments and the community in a common activity for the benefit of the society. Therefore, the context of this research is both in institutions of learning as well as in the community with which they are involved.  According to the study findings education touches on every aspect in the life of person. In that regard, it is essential to understand what it entails. Education entails tra ining of individuals to improve their academic, psychological and social development. In that case, schools and other institutions of learning strive to put together a combination of programs that would assist in the development of a complete student by the time they finish school.  This research shall employ both a quantitative and qualitative approach, based on the nature of information acquired through the research. These approach involves the unification of adequate research practices with theoretical bases in research.

Cost Accounting. A managerial emphasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cost Accounting. A managerial emphasis - Essay Example This in turn drive up fixed costs due to imperfect factor substitution as managers turn to other less efficient activities or resources to substitute the activity that is used as the cost driver. The fixed cost is in turn costed over a lower level of activity, making the activity seem costly when in fact it might be a lucrative market or product (Doogar, 2001). Q12. In activity based management, cost driver analysis, cause-and-effect diagram, pareto analysis, and performance measurement are performed. Activity based analysis examines, quantifies, and explains the effects of the cost driver on the cost of an activity. Cause-and-effect diagram maps out causes that affect an activity, process, stated problem, or outcome. In pareto analysis, histogram of cost drivers that contribute to the total cost is constructed. Performance measurement identifies the work performed and the results achieved by an activity process or organizational unit (Porter, 2006). Q13. Andrew Carnegie installed weigh scales at all points in his mills to see whether material was saved or not. Rather than checking quality after the products have been produced, Edward Deming's ideas of Total Quality Management propounded a cease in dependence on mass inspections-quality must be designed and built into the processes, preventing defects rather than attempting to detect and fix them after they have occurred.

Sociological Inquiry Asignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sociological Inquiry Asignment 1 - Essay Example There are many details of the problem which are rather unknown to general public: donors or wealthy sponsors themselves decide important questions related to school budgeting, types of testing, number of school’s personnel, etc. 3. The author of the article is religion reporter for The New York Times newspaper. He works for this newspaper not for so long since 2008. Vitello covers predominantly religion news from local perspective, New York City. Earlier the reporter used to work for such newspapers as Long Island’s Newsday, Kansas City Star, Knickerbocker News and some others. Paul Vitello has veteran experience as a reporter. He has written numerous articles on religious issues, for instance, â€Å"Clergy Urge Efforts to Lower the City’s Abortion Rate†, â€Å"Hepatitis Scare Hits Nassau Church after Wafers’ Exposure at Christmas Masses†, â€Å"N.Y. Parochial Schools Downcast After Archdiocesan Warning†, â€Å"Bitterness Follows End of a School† to name a few among many others. I believe that the author has enough experience and appropriate qualification to write about issues related to religion (church) and education like in the article under the analysis in this paper. 4. Vitello’s article presents a clear analysis of the issue. However, the author covers only schools and churches of New York City and nearby area.

Support for Abortion Essay Example for Free

Support for Abortion Essay Abortion involves the termination of a pregnancy or ending the life of an unwanted and unborn fetus. According to most pro-choice people, abortion means getting rid or terminating a pregnancy and not necessarily killing a fetus. They believe that the unborn child is only an embryo or fetus, not an actual living baby. According to the pro-choice people, a mother has an option of terminating or ending a pregnancy because the fetus is only in the early stages of developing. This possibly means it does not contain a life. Those factions that support abortion believe that a woman should have the right to make a decision concerning pregnancy termination in case there is no desire to bear a child. Thus, according to the pro-choice faction bearing a child should be imposed or forced on women. It should be a decision made by an individual at her own accord, and abortion is a solution, which offers them options of avoiding a parental life, which they may not be ready to embrace. However, the pro-life people insist and believe that an unborn fetus is a living child and terminating a pregnancy is equal to murder. They claim that an embryo is a living being that is in its initial and premature stages of development. Thus, according to the pro-life groups the fact that an embryo is perceived as a living being, abortion clears amounts to murder of a living person. According to the American constitution, all people are provided an inalienable right that is assured by the constitution. The American constitution guarantees that people have a right to seek and pursue their happiness in life. It is the fundamental right of women to seek this happiness without being forced to carry responsibilities that they are not willing or ready pursue. For that reason, based on this notion a baby can sometimes become a hindrance on the happiness pursuance of women (Manninen 34). This is because even if women contain an option of giving up their unwanted child up for adoption she still endure carrying the baby for months before giving birth. For that reason, abortion is a sure option of aiding women in averting this burden and solves their predicament of carrying an unwanted fetus. For that reason, the traditional values of forcing women to bear children that they are not ready to raise demonstrate prejudice because they deny women their guaranteed privilege and invades into their constitutional liberty (Thomson 70). Furthermore, abortion is a medical option, which ensures that the health of women is safeguarded. Many women are exposed to various dangerous medical conditions that put their health at a risk. This involves disease such as kidney illnesses, hypertension, heart sickness and anemia, as well as many other medical conditions (Thomson 72). In several circumstances, these diseases pose a life threatening risk to women. Thus, with such consideration abortion gives women an option to avert serious medical complications that can occur because of childbirth. The Unites States must recognize distinct historical experiences that are discriminatory to uphold the right of women as free individuals that are liberated and not prisoners of subjection laws (Zastrow 18). Furthermore, the traditional society of America was highly chauvinistic. The society was massively patriarchal perceiving women as childbearing instruments and homemakers while undervaluing their societal contributions and values. This resulted in the society prejudicing women and regarding them as minorities with little say in society. For that reason, under such circumstances abortion offers women an opportunity to enjoy a right that society had denied them for long. The right to abortion gives women a sense of individuality and recognition because she has the right to decide the fate of her future and that of the fetus she is carrying (Rossi 32). Conclusion Abortion is a notion that raised several questions in the American society. This has resulted in intense arguments by those who support and those who support abortion. The two factions remain highly divided in their opinions concerning the issuer of abortion. This is because they believe in varied egalitarianism and faith concerning the issue. In consequence, I believe that abortion should be supported based on the benefits it has in society which includes saving the life of women and offering women their right to express and make decisions concerning their bodies as individuals.

Summary Of Leadership Style Toshiba Commerce Essay

Summary Of Leadership Style Toshiba Commerce Essay My leadership style is participative style according by survey. In my view my participative leadership style is appropriate for my work place. Participative leadership style helps all team members to participate in decision-making. This helps us to get proper solution for the problem and also encourage team member to share their ideas, opinion and thoughts which help in progress of organization. It will help to motivate team members and engaged them in process of organization. This style helps me work co-operatively with my subordinates. My current leadership style works out to be Participative or democratic. I have completed two surveys online (completed surveys attached with this plan), and based on the results I got from the surveys I can say that my current leadership style works out to be Participative. According to me participative style is good for work place but sometime it make me weaker, when new member come in work and they are not more experienced and skilled. But at that time I have to give more time to develop their skill by giving guidance. For that I have to communicate and provide more guidance to that member at work place. I have completed one surveys online (completed surveys attached with this plan), and based on the results I got from the surveys I can say that my current leadership style works out to be Participative. My current strengths based on the surveys are situational management, delegation of authority and collaborative effort but The main areas I need to improve communication and pressure handling. Participative leadership style is the leadership style where a leader gives subordinates the opportunity to fully participate in decision making process. It is used by various influential leaders throughout the globe, making it one of the most widely used leadership style. Participative style is a very useful tool to promote employee satisfaction and employee morale. Leadership theories Leadership theories can be described as different ways to leadership and how leaders are created and how different types of leaders lead leader are by born or they are made .There are many different theories of leadership proposals, but I chose the most quoted of all three. We will explain in detail a bit Transformation leaders Business leaders to create a high-performance workforce is becoming increasingly important, and to do so beyond the job requirements and encourage the kind of organization should be able to. Injury strain the new concept of leadership Leadership As a result, being one of them. Teams, departments, divisions, and the entire organization: variant leadership can be found at all levels of the organization. These leaders the vision, inspiration, daring, risk the same, and thoughtful thinkers. They are equipped with a charismatic charm, Charisma alone is not enough to change the way the organization operating. For major changes, transformation leaders should exhibit the following four elements: Inspirational Motivation:  The foundation of transformational leadership is the promotion of consistent vision, mission, and a set of values to the members. Their vision is so compelling that they know what they want from every interaction. Transformational leaders guide followers by providing them with a sense of meaning and challenge. They work enthusiastically and optimistically to foster the spirit of teamwork and commitment. Idealized Influence:  They believe in the philosophy that a leader can influence followers only when he practices what he preaches. The leaders act as role models that followers seek to emulate. Such leaders always win the trust and respect of their followers through their action. They typically place their followers needs over their own, sacrifice their personal gains for them, ad demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct. The use of power by such leaders is aimed at influencing them to strive for the common goals of the organization. Individualized Consideration:  Leaders act as mentors to their followers and reward them for creativity and innovation. The followers are treated differently according to their talents and knowledge. They are empowered to make decisions and are always provided with the needed support to implement their decisions. Situational leadership theory The situational leadership theory developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard. The model shows that the management of employees skills and work readiness of the individual employee and no one needs leadership style better to adjust. It is the model of situational leadership theory; managers can adjust their direction according to the needs of employees and implementation of effective leadership based on the situational context of Basa. The heart of the model leaders should review their followers to support the trailer on the basis of needs and opportunities. In this way, developing their skills of their followers, and of course, is more qualified, mature and independent. Participative Theories Participative leadership theories suggest that the ideal leadership style is one that takes the input of others into account. These leaders encourage participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel more relevant and committed to the decision-making process. In participative theories, however, the leader retains the right to allow the input of others. Role model Mahatma Gandhi https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwENpuSM6GXQx3jZXWX4C_36ckvjdN-Us0LggCbPKBE-7uoav1Y11I2DhKVgNvApF9ZXj7XnGVdjQn2bFEfQNXWpRmZ3zhoW_ORMoW7G7XelV571ikGOJVd0WOkVBuH_M3L5TNlK1tYL9J/+gandhi+image.jpg+%252814%2529.jpg Mahatma Gandhi is generally considered one of the most influential world leader from humble beginning he gained world prominence helped achieve independent for India and left a lasting legacy for us all. many of Gandhis core principles are remarkably relevant. This is especially true of Gandhi thoughts and practice in the realm of leadership competencies and self development. He famous quote live as if you were to die tomorrow learn as if you were to live forever His thinking was Non violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind According to Mahatma Gandhi was democratic leadership style . His leadership was over a whole country. A country of over 30 crore people.   It started in 1915 when he returned from South Africa where he was an advocate. In South Africa, he became acutely aware   of the inequalities and ignominies trusted upon Indians and blacks by the White men. He was not a leader who did not listen to his subordinates. He had emphatically said that India could not be divided and if it had to be done, it would be over his dead body. But, when the rest of the leadership   put forward the theory of partition being the only solution to the imbroglio of Hindu-Muslim divide, he thought over it thoroughly and saw the inevitability of it and gave his nod. More than than anything else, he was a leader without a thought for himself. He could have become anything he wanted in the government. It says something for him that no one even suggested that he become the prime minister or the president. He would have laughed his head off! He was not even present during the change of guard ceremony on   the night of August 15, 1947. He was with the poor victims of caste violence in Calcutta! He was, after all, one of the people, not a leader! Vision :- Gandhis vision was for and independent India made up of peaceful and self sufficient villages. Gandhi encouraged inclusion of the untouchable class. He encouraged people to return to traditional Indian lifestyles and to create their own goods withing their villages. Mission:-   Let me read you his personal mission statement: Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day: I shall not fear anyone on Earth. I shall fear only God. I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice form anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth and in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering. but this is his personal mission statement but his mission was freedom of India from British empires. Bhagat singh http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/2011/6/10dec771-9cd8-448f-b7d0-4245f4389708HiRes.JPG On the other side we will talk about Bhagat singh ji. He was one of the freedom fighter of India same like Mahatma Gandhi but his way get freedom was different from other . Bhagat Singh believed that the rich would only get richer and the poor would only get poorer in the case if India did not adopt the socialistic approach. Bhagat Singh became the first socialist leader of the country.but he always take deision his own so He was autocratic leader. The British authority, while interrogating them, came to know about their involvement in the murder of J. P. Saunders. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder. Singh admitted to the murder and made statements against the British rule during the trial.   While in jail, Bhagat Singh found that the authorities were following a dual policy in treating the prisoners. The criminals of foreign origin were treated better than Indian political prisoners. As a protest, he along with some fellow prisoners declared to go on hunger strike. The strike continued for over a month and finally the British had to accept before their conditions.So this behaviour shows that is autocratic leader he didnt ask anyone in jail what he is going to do. Bhagat Singh along with other revolutionaries found responsible for the Assembly bombing and murder of Saunders. On March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore with his fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev. Singh was cremated at Hussainiwala on banks of Sutlej river. In terms of leadership styles,  Bhagat Singhs was a more entrepreneurial , go-it-alone style. leadership by example, self-sacrifice, with a pro-active plan. Gandhis was more persuasion and extracting the lowest common denominator across different segments of the masses. in general, if one had to choose, one might prefer the Gandhi method of taking people along on your decisions. only thing then is that the plan better be a good one. if any problem was in Gandhis plan was that a carefully slow one. not sure also that it wasnt just a series of adhoc reactions to various events along the way. Gandhi makes people his power but on other side Bhagat singh who take his decision on his own. Evaluation of two leaders with my leadership style and values Quality Mahatma Gandhi Bhagat singh Rajbir Singh Personal values kindness Determination Discipline Simplicity ambition competency integrity service responsibility hard worker Teamwork Loyalty Satisfying others Improvement Personal Beliefs Truth   Nonviolence   Vegetarianism   Brahmacharya   Simplicity   Faith   work in team violence for freedom open mind Revolution freedom fighter Every work should be Done in a perfect way 2. A teamwork is always Helpful to achieve a Goal 3. First deserve than desire 4. Always believe in yourself And dont expect much from Others 5. Life is small be happy and make Other happy. Personal Attitudes 1.Political minded 2.Helping others 3.Devotional 4.Visionry 5.Kindness NON Political minded Beauty lover Aggressive Helpfulness Interested 1.Aggresive 2.Fun loving 3.Logical 4 Political minded 5.Enthusiastic Personal Traits l. Helpful 2.kind 3.devotional 1.visionary 2.Innovative 3. Fun loving 1.logical 2.Rightness 3.Helpful Benchmarking Criteria Benchmarking Tools Leadership is a measureless scope that has no boundaries none can actually describe its area, method, traits, or other specifications. Benchmarking tools is very useful when people want to know where they stand but benchmarking tool is basically comparison with you and other leader or people characteristics. Communication:-communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another.  . Many of the problems can be occur in an organization are the either the direct result of people failing to communicate and/or processes, which leads to confusion and can cause good plans to fail. Dedication:-   dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. Openness:- openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of it.open to talk with their followers. Decision making:-Good leader also need to have ability to make a good decision making. Decision making is vital tools of benchmarking. Confidence:-confidence means you have to believe in yourself and i can do this sprit I know it sounds unoriginal, but confidence makes the leader. If you dont your charges will begin to question whether or not you know what you are talking about. Patience:- If you explain a task or situation to your staff and they dont understand, then clarify it for them. Its not their fault that they dont understand your instructions can be wrong. Good leader need to have patience to get results.   Loyalty:- This is something that you expect of your leader. It is also something that your leader expect from you. loyalty is the part of happiness. Loyalty makes good relations with leader and follow Responsibility:- some leaders are more responsible than other .  Leaders are willing to bear the ultimate responsibility for  their undertakings. They dont point the finger of blame when things go twisted. Benchmarking I have created a table below which shows how I rate myself against the benchmarking criteria listed above. For excellence, the rate is 5 For good, the rate is 4 For average, the rate is 3 For below average, the rate is 2 For poor, the rate is 1 For poor, the rate is 1 S. No Benchmarking Criteria Rating 1. Communication 4 2. Dedication 5 3. Openness 4 4. Decision making 3 5. Confidence 4 6. Patience 4 7. Loyalty 2 8. Responsibility 4 Rationale for Benchmarking For communication I rated myself 4 because communication is always two way process between two living things. At my workplace without communication u cant work in field. My co-workers at my work place also try to be like me. I always focus on my job first other than doing something else. In dedication I rate myself 5 because if i am loyal to someone or something, such as a job. To work hard towards a goal with little thought to other matters, example like : He was so dedicated to his job that he never had any free time. openness is very good quality of leaders. I am very open to talk with everyone at my workplace fun loving man. Anyone can talk with me at any time about anything. At my work place sometime I have to take decision on my own basis without any interruption from others. sometime its hard to take decision sometime easy. like i am working for watercare and i have to turn off water of key account most of the time we try to avoid to turn off the water of key account let me ex plain you little bit what is key account like storage of fuel place like one at end of viaduct harbour. If i have turn off water i will make my call by myself , I have to sort out that problem on the spot. So it is improving my decision making ability. Also when my boss tells me about new job or how to tackle with different situations I listen to them very carefully to avoid problem in future, which shows I have good listening skills and its my responsible level at workplace. Reflection leader are made or leader born this question always in debate. But according me can be made or they are by born. Time has ability to change everything .my leadership style is participative leadership style i like to work in teams. where every one working together on common goal. Sometime I behave as a leader in my house sometime at my working place and sometime at my collage. I used to compare myself with my supervisor and always notice their work that how he complete his work. And after analysing all this I feel I need to learn a lot in terms of leadership. Sometimes I feel great when I performed my duties like by boss. I day in my life i will be become a good leader. To achieve this I am doing lots of study on great leaders in the world that will help in future . Personal Development Plan Opportunities (Goals) Short-term Goals To pass out my diploma in business level 5 from (Kiwi Institute of training and Education) Start my other course water reticulation level 4 Get two year work permit. Get permanent resident of NZ. work on myself confidence. Long term goals I want to do plumbing course in Newzealand. Setup my own plumbing business. Buy my own house. World tour. Rationale To pass out my diploma in business level 5:- First thing i need to complete my course soon as possible because my company is offering me a good job that is good for my future. Start my other course water reticulation level 4 :- After this business diploma my company is offering me water reticulation level 4 course that will give me more knowledge about my work. Get two year work permit:- I need apply two year work permit hope so they will give me. Get permanent resident of NZ :-After all this if everything will go right i will apply for P.R . Work on myself confidence:- Sometime i loose myself confidence even know that i can do it. Plumbing course in Newzealand:- In long-term goal i will do plumbing course from M.I.T that will help me in future. Setup my own plumbing business. After i done my plumbing course i would like to set up my own business. Buy my own house. Everyone have dream to buy a their own home same like other i had dream of buy my own home. World tour. I like to go for world tour but this is my long term plan. Strategies I am more practical then theatrical person I like to do things practically rather than theatrically to pass business diploma I am doing hard work in study. To get this Opportunities i did very hardwork in company in hole company there is only two person with this course. For my work permit i already ask my boss he is ready to help me as soon i will finish my this course. Confident level is this kind of goal that I have to improve by myself by picking up hard job but in this method i have to make sure that i will be not get overconfident. In long term goal i want study in plumbing course in NZ previous year I tried to get admission in plumbing but they gave to only permanent resident people so I have to my permanent resident first. My leadership style is participative style working in teams or in group together delegating work to other so in long term plan I will try to open my own plumbing business. I am going to start saving for my world tour i like to go around the world amd meet different people. Time frame Whether you are on course to complete the work in accordance with the agreed  time frame. To accomplish several tasks in a limited frame of time you need to make short term plan of achieving these goals. Have an everyday to -do- list and make sure that the tasks on your list are accomplished daily. You need to sacrifice and also discipline yourself and then you will achieve. My short term goal and short term goal are related to each other if one of them not complete or some problem in it then other one cant complete them I will make a Time Frame on the basis of my leadership skills and knowledge. I will check time to time whether I am achieving the goals , If I am not hitting the goals then i will find out the reason. Measures

Is Elearning The Way Forward Education Essay

Is Elearning The Way Forward Education Essay E-learning, in its broadest sense, is the use of networked information technologies in education. E-learning is also called as web based learning, online learning or Internet based learning. E-learning is not bound to time and classroom attendance students and teachers may be at different locations on different times. One of the most common types of E-learning takes the form of distance learning courses. Universities upload course material for the student to study individually and complete tasks based on the course material. This allows students to access the course material on the web anytime and from anywhere. Advancement in computing and information technology coupled with almost universal availability of the broadband make e-learning an enticing option in many fields including medical education. In this assignment I will be reflecting on my personal experience with e-learning. I will also discuss its applicability in undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical educatio n and continuing medical education of practicing clinicians. Theory behind e-learning The meaning of knowledge and learning have changed through time. There is a certain swift in emphasis on learning, rather than teaching, as we rightly move towards a learner centred curriculum. E-learning, which is based on well documented adult learning principles, certainly facilitates a learner centred approach. Traditional education is based on instructivism theory. Teacher or tutor teaches a predefined set of information, deciding what students had to learn. Students learn to pass the examination. E-learning is based on constructivist and cognitive theories suggesting that learning is individualised and the students past experiences and knowledge have a great impact on the newly acquired knowledge (Jonassen 1994). Blended learning refers to learning involving multiple methods and approaches, commonly a mixture of class room and e-learning Requirements for successful implementation Mitchell and Honore 2008 proposed a pyramidal system for successful implementation of e-learning programmes. The base of the pyramid, which forms the foundation for successful e-learning programme, consists of appropriate, accessible technology and usable, stimulating and interactive design. The apex of the pyramid is represented by the individuals who are involved in the programme and their attitude and motivation forms a major part in the success of e-learning methods. Basic computing skills are essential for the success of e-learning. There is an assumption that the current undergraduates have the necessary computing skills. Kiran et al 2004 has shown that computing skills among undergraduates are variable and one can not assume expertise or even ability. Good technical support is essential including after hours support. For effective e-learning, student should be able to access material quickly both on campus and at home. Slow connectivity can be a problem. There is considerable cost involved in setting an e-learning programme. Role of e-learning in Continuing Medical Education All practicing clinicians in the United Kingdom are obliged to attend Continuing Medical Education programmes to maintain knowledge and skills as a part of appraisal and revalidation (The General Medical Council). E-learning offers excellent opportunities in this area. I have completed many online e-learning courses. Advantages of these courses include minimal cost, no travel cost and there is no need to take time off to attend these courses as they can be completed from home. They offer excellent value for money and the quality of these courses are comparable to that off traditional courses. I recently attended an advanced laparoscopic surgery skills course. Few weeks prior to the course I was asked to sign up to the course organisers web site. I was able access part of the course material. This enabled me to practise some of the skills prior to attending the course. This has certainly enhanced my learning more than I would have acquired without the access to the e-learning material. There were 20 participants form 8 countries and most found the e-learning very useful. E-learning has made it possible for practicing clinicians from a remote part of the world to contact their peers through video conferencing in the management of difficult clinical situations and this facilitates on-the-job learning. When I was a resident in 1989 I had to wait for over two weeks to find out about an important adverse effect of a drug which now I could find out in a couple of minutes using online electronic databases. In medical education there can be no doubt that opportunities for learning occur all the time and not confined to the class room and e-learning has a lot to offer in this regard. Role of e-learning in Postgraduate Medical Education E-learning plays an important role in Postgraduate Medical Education. Many Deaneries across the United Kingdom has setup e-learning portals for the benefit of postgraduate trainees. Harden 2006 suggested that e-learning will be one of the most important developments in the delivery of postgraduate medical education. In surgical training many hands on courses utilise e-learning methods to enhance face-to-face learning. Types of e-learning resources The basic e-learning resources include e-textbooks, power point presentations of lectures and electronic notice boards. The communication in these methods is one way. Bilham 2005 argues that much of e-learning using these methods was based upon a model of knowledge transmission from the teacher to student as in the traditional education system. The rise of new technologies has turned the World Wide Web from strictly an information destination into a platform, not only to read or watch media, but to actually do things (Martin and Parker 2008). This has made innovative approaches possible in the field of medical education including group projects, virtual patients and virtual clinics. This encourages interactive learning. E-learning in undergraduate medical education I discussed with many Foundation Year one doctors who have graduated from different medical schools across the country. I have observed that the usage of e-learning is variable between medical schools. They felt that e-learning enhanced their learning in basic medical science like anatomy. Multimedia graphics helped them as they felt that the laboratory demonstration in it self was not sufficient for learning. In clinical medicine they felt that e-learning was beneficial in problem based case discussions and case presentations. E-learning has the potential to enhance the learning instead of simply presenting the information. Examples of beneficial multimedia may include a video clip, computer animation for explaining the underlying patho physiology and images of investigations like chest x ray or endoscopy pictures. I have observed that some e-learning using multimedia technology detract the learner from the key message that the teacher wanted to convey and this should be avoided. Physical skills are best learnt by performing them under direct supervision. E-learning, however, can be used to augment the teaching of practical skills. A video showing the technique will be helpful in priming the learner prior to attending a teaching session. Another interesting development in medical education is the application of virtual patient. Examples in this category include a video of clinical consultation to illustrate history taking or examination skills or for demonstrating a physical sign. This is useful for demonstrating certain clinical conditions which the student is unlikely to encounter during their short stay in certain clinical attachments like dermatology or rheumatology. Virtual patients can be used to teach the skills of diagnostic reasoning and patient management through interactivity. There are packages available which allows the student to take a virtual history from a bank of questions and this is followed by examining the patient. This can be artificial and I believe this is better learnt bedside. We have to acknowledge that most of the learning that occurs in clinical practice is opportunistic and technologies which could bridge the gap in experience will be beneficial. Assessment and feedback in e-learning Assessment and feedback are important elements of medical education. Time logged on to the website and accessing the e-learning modules can be monitored as a part of formative assessment. Formative or summative assessments in e-learning courses can be carried out using Multiple Choice Questions and Extended Matching Questions. Multimedia enhanced virtual patient case scenarios can be used for assessment followed by Multiple Choice Questions or diagnostic reasoning tests. Care must be taken to include all possible correct answers in diagnostic reasoning tests because programming can be technically challenging. I have some reservations in using e-learning summative assessments as the identity of the student can not be guaranteed and may encourage cheating. Feedback in e-learning is limited to correction of mistakes and it is difficult to provide detailed feedback. Evidence for e-learning in medical education Cook et al 2008 conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of internet based instruction in medical education. They have concluded that e-learning is better than no intervention and as effective as traditional education. They have also concluded that there is no evidence to conclude that e-learning is better than traditional education. Clark 2002 has demonstrated that students are very satisfied with e-learning. Students, however, do not see e-learning replacing instructor-led training but as a complement to it, forming a part of a blended learning strategy. Advantages and disadvantages of e-learning E-learning has many advantages. The learner can schedule the learning around their personal and professional life minimising disruption to their day to day life. E-learning allows the learner to choose the learning material which is beneficial to them. The learner can pace their learning which suits them best. They will be able to contact their colleagues and teachers in discussions which can happen synchronously or asynchronously depending on the nature of the discussion. E-learning encourages the learner to take responsibility to their learning. The disadvantages of e-learning are as follows. There is a considerable start up cost as well as maintenance cost and this should be taken in to account when setting up an e-learning programme. As learners are responsible for their learning unmotivated learners and learners with poor study habit may find it difficult to progress. There is added responsibility for the facilitator to be available on demand. Students may feel socially isolated, however, blended learning overcomes this issue. Slow or unreliable internet connection can be challenging as most multimedia content needs fast internet connection. Conclusion E-learning has become an integral part of medical education starting from undergraduate medical education to the continuing professional development of the practising clinicians. Like other teaching methods, e-learning has its own strengths and weaknesses and need to be used appropriately. E-learning has the potential to shift the balance form teaching to learning. Basic computing skills are essential for e-learning. The range of e-learning activities varies from e-books to co-ordinated project works. Studies have shown that the results of e-learning methods are comparable to traditional teaching methods in undergraduate medical education. To be successful e-learning has to be combined with traditional teaching methods as a blended approach as practice of medicine involves real patients not virtual patients. E-learning is also playing an important role in the development of postgraduate trainees and life long learning of practicing clinicians. E-learning certainly has the potential t o enhance the learning in medical education, if used appropriately.

Henry James The Art of Fiction Essay -- Henry James The Art of Fictio

Henry James' The Art of Fiction In an essay written in response to an essay written by Walter Besant, both titled "The Art of Fiction", Henry James provides both a new understanding of fiction and greater understand of his own works. James analyses, however briefly, the process of creation of a work of fiction, readers' responses to it, and the requirements of the work and the author. James' language within this essay may be in need of some levity, but he does occasionally break through the haze to make a very strong and effective point: "[T]he only condition that I can think of attaching to the composition of a novel is†¦that it be sincere" (161) There is point in which over-analysis takes away from the intention, the point in which talk of theory wanders away from the actual work of art. This is as true today in the critique of fiction as it was in James' time. In analysis we often place requirements of a piece of work. We state that for something to be this, it must then have that. These restrictions and guidelines can hardly be placed on fiction. We cannot presuppose the c...

Transit Oriented Development Essay -- Urban Trasportation Essays

Transit Oriented Development Introduction Policy makers across the country are focusing on numerous ways to combat sprawl throughout the United States. New movements, such as new urbanism, have come to the forefront in this fight. This review is looking into a new concept in the fight on sprawl, called Transit-oriented development or TOD. Although this new tool to fight sprawl is rapidly becoming a popular method, it is still a new concept and needs to be studied further. This review will provide insight into the historical background of this developing idea, look at case studies of how this new strategy has worked and failed so far, and provide a glimpse into what the future holds for this novel concept. Transit-oriented Design Objectives Transit-oriented development is defined as the creation of compact, walkable communities centered around train systems. TODs mix residential, retail, office, open space, and public uses in a walkable environment, making it convenient for residents and employees to travel by transit, bicycle, foot, or car† (2). Like conventional development around transit stations, TOD aims to increase transit ridership. However, unlike conventional development around a transit station, TOD plans are based on goals of improving transportation options, creating walkable communities, as well as improving â€Å"neighborhood cohesion, social diversity, conservation, public safety, and community revitalization† (3). TOD design principles contain elements that are intended to achieve these social, neighborhoods, regional, and transportation goals. If all of these goals are met development will become focused on high-density areas instead of a centrifugal developmental process. Transit-orie nted develop... ...ng our natural and cultural landscapes from uncontrolled development. Works Cited 1. Barton, Michael and Charles, John A. The Mythical World of Transit-Oriented Development: Light Rail and the Orenco Neighborhood, Hillsboro, Oregon. Cascade Policy Institute (2003). 2. Calthorpe, Peter. The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream. New York: Princeton Architectural Press (1993). 3. Cervero, Robert. Rail Transit and Joint Development: Land Market Impacts in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. APA Journal 60 (Winter 1994): 83-94. 4. Cort, Cheryl and Mary Gute. Building Healthier Neighborhoods with Metrorail: Improving Joint Development Opportunities. A Chesapeake Bay Foundation Report (2001). 5. Menotti, Val Joseph. The New Transit Town: Best Practices in Transit-Oriented Development. APA 71 (Winter 2005) pg. 111 Transit Oriented Development Essay -- Urban Trasportation Essays Transit Oriented Development Introduction Policy makers across the country are focusing on numerous ways to combat sprawl throughout the United States. New movements, such as new urbanism, have come to the forefront in this fight. This review is looking into a new concept in the fight on sprawl, called Transit-oriented development or TOD. Although this new tool to fight sprawl is rapidly becoming a popular method, it is still a new concept and needs to be studied further. This review will provide insight into the historical background of this developing idea, look at case studies of how this new strategy has worked and failed so far, and provide a glimpse into what the future holds for this novel concept. Transit-oriented Design Objectives Transit-oriented development is defined as the creation of compact, walkable communities centered around train systems. TODs mix residential, retail, office, open space, and public uses in a walkable environment, making it convenient for residents and employees to travel by transit, bicycle, foot, or car† (2). Like conventional development around transit stations, TOD aims to increase transit ridership. However, unlike conventional development around a transit station, TOD plans are based on goals of improving transportation options, creating walkable communities, as well as improving â€Å"neighborhood cohesion, social diversity, conservation, public safety, and community revitalization† (3). TOD design principles contain elements that are intended to achieve these social, neighborhoods, regional, and transportation goals. If all of these goals are met development will become focused on high-density areas instead of a centrifugal developmental process. Transit-orie nted develop... ...ng our natural and cultural landscapes from uncontrolled development. Works Cited 1. Barton, Michael and Charles, John A. The Mythical World of Transit-Oriented Development: Light Rail and the Orenco Neighborhood, Hillsboro, Oregon. Cascade Policy Institute (2003). 2. Calthorpe, Peter. The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream. New York: Princeton Architectural Press (1993). 3. Cervero, Robert. Rail Transit and Joint Development: Land Market Impacts in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. APA Journal 60 (Winter 1994): 83-94. 4. Cort, Cheryl and Mary Gute. Building Healthier Neighborhoods with Metrorail: Improving Joint Development Opportunities. A Chesapeake Bay Foundation Report (2001). 5. Menotti, Val Joseph. The New Transit Town: Best Practices in Transit-Oriented Development. APA 71 (Winter 2005) pg. 111

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 5

What?† Thea said. This was something she could speak out about. â€Å"Blaise, are you out of your mind?† â€Å"I hope you're not saying you don't want to do spells,† Blaise said dangerously. â€Å"That's part of it, you know.† â€Å"I'm saying there's no way we can get enough blood to fill this without them noticing. What are we going to tell them? ‘I just want a little to remember you by?'† â€Å"Use your ingenuity,† Vivienne said musically, twining a red-gold strand of hair around her fingers. â€Å"In a pinch we could always use the Cup of Lethe,† Blaise added calmly. â€Å"Then no matter what we do, they won't remember.† Thea nearly fell over. What Blaise was suggesting was like using a nuclear bomb to swat a fly. â€Å"You are crazy,† she said quietly. â€Å"You know that maidens aren't allowed to use that kind of spell, and we probably won't even be able to use it when we're mothers, and probably not even when we're crones. That's stuff for the elders.† She stared at Blaise until the gray eyes dropped. â€Å"I don't believe in classifying some spells as forbidden,† Blaise said loftily, but she didn't look back at Thea and she didn't pursue the subject. As she and Dani left the patio, Thea noticed that Dani had taken one of the small vials. â€Å"Are you going to the dance?† â€Å"I guess so.† Dani shrugged lithe shoulders. â€Å"John Finkelstein from our world lit class asked me a couple weeks ago. I've never been to one of their dances before-but maybe this is the time to start.† Now what did that mean? Thea felt uneasy. â€Å"And you're planning to put a spell on him?† â€Å"You mean this?† She twisted the vial in her fingers. â€Å"I don't know. I figured I'd take it just in case†¦.† She looked up at Thea defensively. â€Å"You took one for Eric.† Thea hesitated. She hadn't talked to Dani about Eric yet. Part of her wanted to and part of her was scared. What did Dani really think of Outsiders, anyway? â€Å"After all,† Dani said, her sweet face tranquil, â€Å"they're only humans.† Saturday night Thea took a dress out of the closet. It was pale green-so pale that it almost looked white-and designed along Grecian lines. Witch clothes had to feel good as well as look good, and this dress was soft and lightweight, swirling beautifully when she turned. Blaise wasn't wearing a dress. She was wearing a tuxedo. It had a red silk bow tie and cummerbund and it looked fantastic on her. This is probably going to be the only dance in history where the most popular girl has on cufflinks, Thea thought. Eric arrived right on time. He knocked at the front door of the shop, the door that only Outsiders used. Night People came around back, to a door that was unmarked except for what looked like a bit of graffiti-a spray-painted black dahlia. Okay, Thea thought. She took a deep breath before she unlocked the door and let him in. This is business, business, business†¦. But the first moment wasn't as awkward as she'd feared. He smiled and held out a corsage of white orchids. She smiled and took it. Then she said, â€Å"You look nice.† His suit was pale fatigue brown, loose and comfortable looking. â€Å"Me? You look nice. I mean-you look wonderful. That color makes your hair look just like gold.† Then he glanced down at himself apologetically. â€Å"I don't go to many dances, I'm afraid.† â€Å"Don't you?† She'd heard girls talking about him at school. It seemed as if everyone liked him, wanted to get close to him. â€Å"No, I'm usually pretty busy. You know, working, playing sports.† He added more softly, â€Å"And I have a hard time thinking of things to say around girls.† Funny, you never seem to have a problem around me, Thea thought. She saw him looking the shop over. â€Å"It's my grandmother's store. She sells all kinds of things here, from all around the world.† She watched him closely. This was an important test. If he-a human-believed in this stuff, he was either a New Age geek or dangerously close to the truth. â€Å"It's cool,† he said, and she was happy to see that he was lying. â€Å"I mean,† he said, obviously struggling to find a polite way to praise the voodoo dolls and wand crystals, â€Å"I think people can really affect their bodies by changing their state of mind.† You don't know how right you are, Thea thought. There was a clack of high heels on wood, and Blaise came down the stairs. Her shoes appeared first, then her fitted trouser legs, then all the curves, emphasized here and there with brilliant red silk. Finally came her shoulders and head, her midnight hair half up and half down, framing her face in stormy dark curls. Thea glanced sideways at Eric. He was smiling at Blaise, but not in the goofy, dying-sheep way other guys smiled. His was just a genuine grin. â€Å"Hi, Blaise,† he said. â€Å"Going to the dance? We can take you if you need a lift.† Blaise stopped dead. Then she gave him a blistering glare. â€Å"Thank you, I have my own date. I'm just going to pick him up now.† On the way to the door, she looked hard at Thea. â€Å"You do have everything you need for tonight- don't you?† The vial was in Thea's pale green clutch purse. Thea still didn't know how she could possibly get it filled, but she nodded tightly. â€Å"Good.† Blaise swept out and got into a silver-gray Porsche that was parked at the curb. Kevin's car. But, as Thea knew, she wasn't going to pick up Kevin. â€Å"I think I made her mad,† Eric said. â€Å"Don't worry. Blaise likes being mad. Should we go now?† Business, business, business, Thea chanted to herself as they walked into the school cafeteria. It had been completely transformed from its daytime identity. The lights and music were oddly thrilling and the whirl of color out on the dance floor was strangely inviting. I'm not here to have fun, Thea told herself again. But her blood seemed to be sparkling. She saw Eric glance at her conspiratorially and she could almost feel what he was feeling-as if they were two kids standing hand in hand at the edge of some incredible carnival. â€Å"Uh, I should tell you,† Eric said. â€Å"I can't really dance-except for slow ones.† Oh, great. But of course this was what she was here to do. To put on a show of romancing Eric for Blaise. A slow song was starting that minute. Thea shut her eyes briefly and resigned herself to fate-which didn't seem all that awful as she and Eric stepped out onto the floor. Terpsichore, Muse of the Dance, help me not make a fool of myself. She'd never been so close to a human boy, and she'd never tried to dance to human music. But Eric didn't seem to notice her lack of experience. â€Å"You know, I can't believe this,† he said. His arms were around her lightly, almost reverently. As if he were afraid she'd break if he held her too hard. â€Å"What can't you believe?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"Everything, I guess. That I'm here with you. And that it all feels so easy. And that you always smell so good.† Thea laughed in spite of herself. â€Å"I didn't use any yemonja this time-† she began, and then she almost bit her tongue. Adrenaline washed over her in a wave of painful tingles. Was she crazy? She was blurting out spell ingredients, for Earth's sake. He was too easy to talk to, that was the problem. Every so often she'd forget he wasn't a witch. â€Å"You okay?† he said as her silence stretched on. His voice was concerned. No, I am not okay. I've got Blaise on one side and the laws of the Night World on the other, and they're both out to get me. And I don't even know if you're worth it†¦. â€Å"Can I ask you something?† she said abruptly. â€Å"Why did you knock me out of the way of that snake?† â€Å"Huh? It was in a striking coil. You could have got bit.† â€Å"But so could you.† So did you. He frowned as if stricken by one of those unsolvable mysteries of life. â€Å"Yeah†¦ but that didn't seem so bad somehow. I suppose that sounds stupid.† Thea didn't know how to answer. And she was suddenly in terrible conflict about what to do. Her body seemed to want her to lean her head against Eric's shoulder, but her mind was yelling in alarm at the very thought. At that moment she heard loud voices at the edge of the dance floor. â€Å"Get out of the way,† a guy in a blue jacket was saying. â€Å"She smiled at me, and I'm going over there.† â€Å"It was me she was smiling at, you jerk,† a guy in a gray jacket snapped back. â€Å"So just back off and let me go.† Expletives. â€Å"It was me, and you'd better get out of the way.† More expletives. â€Å"It was me, and you'd better let go.† A fistfight started. Chaperones came running. Guess who's here? Thea asked herself. She had no trouble at all locating Blaise. The red-trimmed tuxedo was surrounded by a ring of guys, which was surrounded by a ring of abandoned and angry girls. â€Å"Maybe we should go over and say hi,† Thea said. She wanted to warn Blaise about starting a riot. â€Å"Okay. She sure is popular, isn't she?† They managed to worm their way through the encircling crowd. Blaise was in her element, glorying in the adulation and confusion. â€Å"I waited for an hour and a half, but you never showed up,† a very pale Kevin was saying to her. He was wearing an immaculate white silk shirt and exquisitely tailored black pants. His eyes were hollow. â€Å"Maybe you gave me the wrong address,† Blaise said thoughtfully. â€Å"I couldn't find your house.† She had her hand tucked into the arm of a very tall guy with shoulder-length blond hair, who looked as if he worked out four or five hours a day. â€Å"Anyway, you want to dance?† Kevin looked at the blond guy, who looked back impassively, his cleft chin rock hard. â€Å"Don't mind Sergio,† Blaise said. â€Å"He was just keeping me company. Do you not want to dance?† Kevin's eyes fell. â€Å"Well, yeah, of course I want to†¦.† As Blaise detached herself from Sergio, Thea leaned forward. â€Å"You'd better not do anything too public,† she hissed in her cousin's ear. â€Å"There's already been one fight.† Blaise just gave her an amused glance and took Kevin's arm. Most of the boys followed her, and with the crowd gone, Thea saw Dani at a small table. She was wearing a sparkling gold dress and she was alone. â€Å"Let's go sit,† Eric said, before Thea could even get a word out. She threw him a grateful look. â€Å"Where's John?† Thea asked as they pulled chairs to the table. Dani nodded toward the pack following Blaise. â€Å"I don't mind, though,† she said, sipping a cup of punch philosophically. â€Å"He was kind of boring. I don't know about all this dance stuff.† Thea knew she meant it was different from Circle dances, where everyone was in harmony and there was no pairing off. You danced with the elements and with everybody else, all one big interconnected whole. Eric volunteered to get more punch. â€Å"How's it going with him?† Dani asked in a low voice when he was gone. Her velvety dark eyes searched Thea's curiously. â€Å"Everything's okay so far,† Thea said evasively. Then she looked out toward the dance floor. â€Å"I see Viv and Selene are here.† â€Å"Yeah. I think Vivienne already got her blood. She stabbed Tyrone with her corsage pin.† â€Å"How clever,† Thea said. Vivienne was wearing a black dress that made her hair look like flame, and Selene was in deep violet that showed off her blondness. They both seemed to be having a wonderful time. Dani yawned. â€Å"I think I'll probably go home early-† she began, and then she broke off. Some kind of a disturbance had begun on the other side of the room, in front of the main entrance. People were scuffling. At first, Thea thought it was just another minor fracas over Blaise-but then a figure came staggering out under the lights of the dance floor. â€Å"I want to know,† the voice said in dissonant tones that rose over the music. â€Å"I want to knoooow.† The band stopped. People turned. Something about the voice made them do that. It was so obviously abnormal, the cadence wrong even for somebody who was drunk. This was someone who was disturbed. Thea stood up. â€Å"I want to knoooow,† the figure said again, sounding lost and petulant. Then it turned and Thea felt ice down her spine. The person was wearing a Halloween mask. A kid's plastic mask of a football player, the kind held on with an elastic string. Perfectly appropriate for a Halloween dance. But at Homecoming, it was grotesque. Oh, Eileithyia, Thea thought. â€Å"Can you tell me?† the figure asked a short girl in black ruffles. She backed away, reaching for her dance partner. Mr. Adkins, Thea's physics teacher, came jogging up, his tie fluttering. None of the other chaperones seemed to be around-probably because they were out somewhere trying to control fights over Blaise, Thea thought. â€Å"Okay, let's settle; settle,† Mr. Adkins said, making motions as if the figure were an unruly class. â€Å"Let's just take it easy†¦.† The guy in the Halloween mask pulled something out of his jacket. It glinted like a rainbow under the colored dance floor lights, reflective as a mirror. â€Å"A straight razor,† Dani said in a hushed voice. â€Å"Queen Ms, where'd he get that?† Something about the weapon-maybe the fact that it was so weird, so old-fashioned-made it scarier than a knife. Thea pictured the way even a safety razor could slice flesh. Mr. Adkins was backing away, arms held out as if to protect the students behind him. His eyes were frightened. I have to stop this, Thea thought. The problem was that she had no idea how. If it had been an animal, she could have stepped out and tried mind control. But she couldn't control a person. She started walking anyway, slowly, so as not to attract attention. She skirted the edge of the crowd around the dance floor until she drew parallel with the masked guy. Who by now had switched to a new question. â€Å"Have you seen her?† he said. He kept asking it as he walked, and people kept backing away. Vivienne and Selene drew to either side with their dates. The razor glittered. Thea looked toward the opposite end of the dance floor, where Blaise was standing with Kevin Imamura. With no Buck, no Duane to protect her. But Blaise didn't look frightened. That was one thing about Blaise-she had magnificent physical courage. She was standing with one hand on her hip and Thea could tell that she knew exactly who was coming her way. In between moving couples, Thea glimpsed something else. Eric was on the other side of the dance floor, holding two cups of punch in one hand and one in the other. He was keeping pace with the masked guy, just as she was. She tried to catch his eye, but the crowd was too thick. â€Å"Have you seen her?† the masked guy asked a couple right in front of Blaise. â€Å"I want to knoooow†¦.† The couple split like bowling pins. Blaise stood exposed, tall and elegant in her black suit, lights shimmering off her midnight hair. â€Å"Here I am, Randy,† she said. â€Å"What is it you want to know?† Randy Marik stopped, panting. His breath made a muffled noise against the plastic. The rest of the huge room was eerily silent. Thea moved closer, walking silently. Eric was pulling in from the other side, and he saw her for the first time. He shook his head at her and mouthed, â€Å"Stay away.† Yeah. And you're going to tackle him armed with three party cups of punch. She gave him a look and mouthed, â€Å"You stay away.† Randy's hand was trembling, making the razor flash. His chest was heaving. â€Å"What is it, Randy?† Blaise said. The toe of one high heeled shoe tapped the floor impatiently. â€Å"I feel bad,† Randy said. It was almost a moan. Suddenly his head didn't seem well connected to his neck. â€Å"I miss you.† His voice made Thea's flesh creep. He sounded like a person with the body of an eighteen-year-old and the mind of a four-year-old. â€Å"I cry all the time,† he said. With his left hand, he pulled off the Halloween mask. Kevin recoiled. Thea herself felt a wave of horror. He was crying blood. Bloody streams ran down from each of his eyes, mingling with regular tears. A spell? Thea wondered. Then she thought, no; he's cut himself. That was it. He'd made two crescent-shaped incisions under his eyes and the blood was coming from them. The rest of his face was ghastly, too. He was white as a corpse and there was fuzzy stubble on his chin. His eyes stared wildly. And his hair, which had always been strawberry blond and silky, stood up all over his head like bleached hay. â€Å"You came all the way from New Hampshire to tell me that?† Blaise said. She rolled her eyes. Randy let out a sobbing breath. This seemed to make Kevin braver. â€Å"Look, man, I don't know who you are-but you'd better keep away from her,† he said. â€Å"Why don't you go home and sober up?† It was a mistake. The wild eyes above the bloodstained cheeks focused on him. â€Å"Who are you?† Randy said thickly, advancing a step. â€Å"Who†¦ are†¦ you?† â€Å"Kevin, move!† Thea said urgently. It was too late. The hand with the razor flashed out, lightning quick. Blood spurted from Kevin's face.