The Glass Menagerie A Study In Symbolism Essays (1550 words)

The Glass Menagerie: A Study In Symbolism In the drama, The Glass Menagerie (1945), Tennessee Williams reflects upon personalexperiences he and his family encountered during the Depression of the 1930's. As a lower classfamily, the characters are placed in the slums of St. Louis in 1935. The protagonist, Tom Wingfield,is the narrator and Williams' surrogate. Living with his mother and sister, Tom supports them byworking in a shoe manufacturing warehouse. He should feel lucky to have this job; however, hedespises his work and dreams of leaving to become a Merchant Marine. Unhappy with what life hasdealt him, Tom strives for adventure and longs to turn his back on his responsibilities. His mother,Amanda Wingfield, abandoned by her husband almost sixteen years ago, tries to keep her familytogether through tough times. Although her love and hopes for her children are sincere, heroverbearing and outspoken nature often hurts them. Laura, Tom's sister, suffers from neuroses. She has trouble separating fantasy from reality. Without the ability to function in the outside world,Laura becomes a liability to both Tom and Amanda. The gentleman caller, Jim O'Connor, is afriend of Tom's from the warehouse. He is an ambitious young man, who strives for the AmericanDream through hard work and optimism. Jim offers the Wingfields hope for the future: Tom: He is the most realistic character in the play, being an emissary from aworld of reality that we were somehow set apart from. But since I have apoet's weakness for symbols, I am using this character also as a symbol; he is the long- delayed but always expected something that we live for (23). Williams gives the reader many emblems throughout the play; there are three of them are especiallyinteresting. The unicorn symbolizes Laura's uniqueness, the picture of Mr. Wingfield represents hisstrong influence on his deserted family, and Malvolio's coffin trick signifies Tom's suffocatinglifestyle. The unicorn is a symbolic representation of ways that Laura is unique or unusual . The first facetof the unicorn, its horn, refers to ways that Laura is an unusual person, such as in her may escapemechanisms. Laura's escape devices include her glass menagerie, listening to records on theVictrola, and visiting the park and zoo. Laura identifies with her glass menagerie because she hastrouble identifying with the real world, the pieces are small and delicate, just as she is. The Victrolais a reminder of Mr. Wingfield; Laura often plays records to avoid the present and thinks pleasantlyabout the times she had with her father. When Laura stopped going to Rubicam's Business College,she would spend many of her days at the zoo or park. She was a nature lover and thought of theseplaces as very peaceful and beautiful, a sharp contrast to her real life. The fragility of the unicorn, itssecond part, recalls Laura's delicate psychological condition. Laura's emotional problems causedmany difficulties in her life. While in high school, Laura was very self-conscious about the brace shehad to wear, as evidenced in the following passage: Laura: I had that brace on my leg -- it clumped so loud! Jim: I never heard any clumping. Laura: To me it sounded like -- thunder! Jim: Well, well, well, I never even noticed. Laura: And everybody was seated before I came in. I had to walk in front of all those people. Myseat was in the back row. I had to go clumping all the way up the aisle with everyone watching! Jim: You shouldn't have been self-conscious. Laura: I know, but I was (93). Laura suffered all the way through high school. Unfortunately, she scored poorly on her finalexaminations and dropped out of school. After such a failure, her fragile self-esteem dropped fromlow to almost non-existent, and she could not face going back. Six years later, with pressure fromher mother, Laura took another stab at education. She enrolled at Rubicam's Business College. However, Laura only made it to the first test. As the test began, she vomited on the floor and had tobe carri ed to the bathroom. Laura never returned to school, and once again her fragile emotions gotthe best of her. The transparency of the unicorn, its final facet, represents the fact that Laura'sproblems are easily apparent to anyone who cares to notice them. This is best seen

Using Accents on French Capitals

Using Accents on French Capitals You may have heard that capital letters are not supposed to be accented. This may be good advice, but, really, whether to use  accents  on French capital letters is entirely up to you. Most of the time they are not essential, and so most French speakers do not add them. In publishing, they have not been added either ever since Vogue magazine decided about 20 years ago that they were too small to be read in print and detracted from clarity and good design; much of the publishing world agreed and followed suit. That said, there are actually two instances when you should always use accents on capital letters: Avoid Embarrassing Misunderstandings or Mistakes Look at what happens when  an advertisement for  biscuits salà ©s (salted crackers) is written in all caps:  BISCUITS SALES, a LOL-worthy mistake that means dirty crackers. Yum!  Its so much clearer to write BISCUITS SALÉS, nest-ce pas? There are plenty of  examples of French homographs like the case above, words that are spelled alike (or almost alike) but mean different things, where failing to add an accent or accents could lead  to embarrassing results. Consider haler (to haul in) versus hà ¢ler (to tan); arrià ©rà © (backward) versus arrià ¨re (backlog); and interne (internal) versus internà © (an inmate in a mental hospital), to name a few. Proper Nouns: The Name of a Company or a Person. Its important to show respect to organizations and people by spelling their names correctly, as well as to make sure that the person who reads the name knows how it should be spelled. If you dont write the accent when the name is in all caps, your reader may not realize that there is an accent when that individual sits down later to write a letter to the person or organization in question. What the  Acadà ©mie Franà §aise Says Some people argue that it just makes more sense  to always use  accents on capital letters in French. And the august  Acadà ©mie franà §aise  agrees: On ne peut que dà ©plorer que lusage des accents sur les majuscules soit flottant. On observe dans les textes manuscrits une tendance certaine lomission des accents. En typographie, parfois, certains suppriment tous les accents sur les capitales sous prà ©texte de modernisme, en fait pour rà ©duire les frais de composition. Il convient cependant dobserver quen franà §ais, laccent a pleine valeur orthographique. Son absence ralentit la lecture, fait hà ©siter sur la prononciation, et peut mà ªme induire en erreur. Il en va de mà ªme pour le trà ©ma et la cà ©dille. On veille donc, en bonne typographie, utiliser systà ©matiquement les capitales accentuà ©es, y compris la prà ©position  ,  comme le font bien sà »r tous les dictionnaires, commencer par le  Dictionnaire de lAcadà ©mie franà §aise, ou les grammaires, comme  Le  Bon Usage  de Grevisse, mais aussi lImprimerie nationale, la Bibliothà ¨que de la Plà ©iade, etc. Quant aux textes manuscrits ou dactylographià ©s, il est à ©vident que leurs auteurs, dans un souci de clartà © et de correction, auraient tout intà ©rà ªt suivre à ©galement cette rà ¨gle.

MBA in Finance Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MBA in Finance - Personal Statement Example Like most other individuals of my age, I had been directed towards completing tasks mechanically. Little had I known that I had been drawn towards engineering. However, to my disappointment, I could not make it to Embry Riddle University as I could not clear the engineering exam for that. Nevertheless, I was determined to move forward in life. Behind an ardent reader, I had been inspired by Einstein’s quote of playing the ‘game’ of life better than anyone else. Considering that it was now time to chart my career path, I decided to enhance my knowledge of finance. In doing so, I came across reading several books such as articles in the Economist magazine. Even though I could not make much sense out of them at that time, they were instrumental in my success at university later on. This eventually led me to studying Finance at UT in the USA where I developed interest in the subject in a short frame of time. During this period, I greatly improved my analytical, writin g and numerical skills. From making investment decisions to solving managerial problems, the baggage I carried in this field was quite comprehensive. My experience at UT was further enhanced by my earlier diploma in English Language in Orlando which was my first step in to the diverse and multicultural world. Even though I had travelled to various places previously, such as Europe, North America, Africa and Asia for vacations, never had I encountered as a diverse a place as the U.S.A. This short educational experience  ­Ã‚ ­has developed my cross-communication skills which are necessary for survival for any profession in the modern workplace. Furthermore, my experience at UT as a Finance student has helped me relate finance with everyday life. Previously I perceived finance as a strictly specialized and confined domain. However, by studying the real-life applications of finance I was able to relate theory with practice. Most importantly, I could relate most of the concepts to the recent financial downturn which turned around the economies of most advanced nations such as U.K and U.S. I was able to understand how most economies work and how the public and government policies jointly determine the state of economy in most countries. Even though I still endeavor to understand complex financial models and theorems, I do not have much difficulty in understanding the conceptual content and application. In the contemporary age of advanced information systems, I believe the competitive advantage of a Finance professional does not lie in the reproduction of models or calculations but the conceptual analysis and interpretation of those in the context of real-life scenarios. Considering that I had been an out-station student studying in UT in U.S.A, I have gained insight into the demands of an academic and professional life. Since I was in-charge of everything and had to do everything on my own, I learnt to take my own initiatives and gradually became independent. The demanding commitments to academics further taught me how to organize my study schedule and in no time I learnt how to communicate with my peers. This also provided a tremendous platform for my personal growth as I learnt how to strike a balance between personal and academic life. I was much clearer regarding my goal (of pursuing a career in finance) and was determined to enhance my horizon of learning by taking a giant leap into a well-reputed college for my Masters. However, I

What is the Muslim Brotherhood and why is it so popular in Egypt Essay

What is the Muslim Brotherhood and why is it so popular in Egypt - Essay Example It is worth mentioning in this context that the notion of Muslim Brotherhood has its roots in Egypt where it was founded as a pan Islamic religious and social movement by a group of activist Islamic scholars and teachers in the 20th century. Historical evidences reveal that the movement had been quite popular not only in Egypt but all around the world integrating more than two million Islamic members from various Islamic countries. To be noted, the movement was founded by an imam and a school teacher named Hassan al-Banna. According to the founder of the movement, i.e. Imam Hassan al-Banna, the main idea behind the initiation of the movement was to encourage the Islamic nature to dominate, rather than to get dominated by others. Although many experts all over the world believe that the organisation does not appreciate violence, it has many a times found cruised to have its linkage with Islamic terrorism (Tadros, 2012, pp. 1-15). It is in this context that the leaders of the Muslim Br otherhood attempts to advise its loyal followers to rescue Jerusalem from the dominance of Palestine which indicates a strong influence of historic event on the religious as well as social customers of the Muslim community in Egypt. This particular aspect however have been criticised to ignite the sense of terrorism among the followers of the organisation. It is further viewed that the organisation seeks to spread its teachings and ideologies all across the globe so that they can gain maximum number of followers which will in turn strengthen their power and influence over the world politics which has further been criticised as an aggressive political move covered with religious and social intentions. Apparently, the organisation works in every section of the society which includes schools, universities and professional offices among others. This aspect concedes with the aim of the organisation which searches for commendable position in all aspects of life of the Islamic people with special emphasis on the Arabic countries (Tadros, 2012; Leiken & Brooke, 2007, pp. 107-121). Correspondingly, the aim of this paper is to discuss about the Muslim Brotherhood in detail with respect to its popularity in Egypt. Discussion The Muslim Brotherhood From a generalised perspective, Muslim Brotherhood is regarded as a social and religious organisation that has its presence in various Islamic and non-Islamic nations of the world. It seeks to operate and show its influence in various aspects of the day to day life of people belonging to the Islam community, integrating all the Muslim like-minded people from around the world to regain the historical identity and a respectful position of Muslim society in the modern world (Aldridge, 2013, pp. 1-75). However, the concept of Muslim Brotherhood has a broader dimension. In order to have an in depth understanding of the same a detailed study is required. Hasan al-Banna was the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt in th e year 1928. He not only acted as a leader of the religious as well as political movement but also worked as a guide to the Muslim community motivating his followers to regain the dominance and social respect in the world. The organisation can further be observed to have been built on the notion that by integrating the Muslim community people, referred as Muslim brothers, the organisation could effectively work towards strengthening the presence

Managing with Web 2.0 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing with Web 2.0 - Research Paper Example (Girrell, 2010) The application of Web 2.0 tools and applications can help companies and organizations in knowledge management, work coordination & decision making. Web 2.0 tools help companies manage knowledge, coordinate work and enhance decision making in a number of ways. Blogs, wikis and social networking help companies and their employees communicate and boost productivity. After all, blogs can provide information to users in a less formal way yet attainable form and grant readers the opportunities to respond to the writer, ask, questions, comment, etc. This interaction bridges the corporate users and the readers/customers or potential customers and builds relationships. (Johnston, 2010) Since Web 2.0 tools are user friendly, communication and knowledge creation are easy. For instance, for the workforce, wikis serve as a â€Å"blackboard† a space in which corporate workers and an increasingly mobile workforce can communicate with each other, formalize projects and the components thereof, document progress and do so in a less costly manner. After all, wikis, like most Web 2.0 tools contain costs. This is especially true since Web 2.0 tools do not require IT department implementation. (Johnston, 2010) Blogs, wikis and social networking tools solve the problem of individual emails, IMs and the creation of numerous emails conveying information, raising questions or documenting progress. Web 2.0 solves the problems of connection across a large company or department and provides the users with flexibility. It offers the manager or creator the opportunity to post the information and the other workers or users with 24 hour viewing from anywhere they can log into such platforms. For this reason, all parties have a sense of autonomy and connectedness despite virtual connectivity. Therefore companies could benefit from using Web 2.0 tools

McDonalds Company Overview

McDonalds Company Overview 1.0 Introduction McDonalds Company Overview McDonalds is a big corporation and international fast food restaurant around the world, it was founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1937 in California, and 43 years later in December 1980, the global fast food restaurants had arrived in Malaysia (The Communications Department McDonalds Restaurants Ltd 1995). It gives a lot of advantage to McDonalds and opportunity to capture more shares and customers as the fast food trend in Malaysia still have the market to expand. Since 1982, McDonalds opened its first restaurant stated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It creates many job opportunities, especially in its headquarter which is having more than 8,000 local people and 120 support staffs being employed.( M.Azu, 2010) This report reviews McDonalds social performance, and how the McDonalds performance influencing to the society. Furthermore, it also shows the effective of stakeholders and the performance of company with regards to fulfilling needs within society. 2.0Social performance The corporate social performance consists of measurement in â€Å"how well the institution has translated its social goals into practice† (CGAP Workshop Paris 2004). It also known as corporate social responsibility (CSR), is define as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lord Holme and Richard Watts n,d.) There is another definition, CSR is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. It respects cultural differences and finds the business opportunities†¦.† (Ghana n,d.) For McDonalds, my own definition is that CSR is about how companies manage the business operation to produce an overall impact on society and creates a good impression to customers and stakeholders in order to making profits in ways of belief in welfare, and responsibility to take care of welfare benefits. In this section, we will discuss about how well the CSR and contribution of McDonalds in the society. 2.1Services provider technology improvement McDonalds provides customers extra services such as delivery order through phone and online, and also 24 hours service for people who look for quick meal during their night shift. (McDonalds n.d.) It gives a good aspect of economic arises as many household can purchase the fast foods in the convenience way. This will slightly increase the rate of consumption in Malaysia. Moreover, it helps to develop infrastructure especially telecommunication, intercommunication and so on, as nowadays people are lazy to go out having their meals, some of them are ordering their meals through internet rather than driving a car to buy foods. 2.2Environmental protection Environmental protection refers to â€Å"any activity to maintain or restore the quality of environmental media through preventing the emission of pollutants or reducing the presence of polluting substances in environmental media.† (Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods 2001). In this case, McDonalds is announcing a plan to buy up $100 million in recycled construction materials for use in building and remodeling its fast-food restaurants. (John Holusha 1990), it is helping the recycling industry to reclaim those materials such as newspapers, cans and bottles. In addition, McDonalds also uses the recycling materials for packaging such as beverages, burgers and so on. However, the McDonalds recycling program is not only aimed to do like that, the company said the plastic items are also can reform into the useful items such as trays and buckets. (John Holusha 1990) Therefore, sometimes McDonalds will come out with their strategy such as using the recycle plastic items to make plastic glass as a free gift for customers who buy a set of meal. 3.0Impact of social performance As we know that McDonalds is a fast food restaurant, some people might not satisfy with their services or foods. This section will tell us the issues that McDonalds encountered. 3.1 Copyright and Patents Copyright is a â€Å"protection for original expression of ideas that we cannot copy from them who have registered†. (HJ Ventures International, Inc 2004) There are different functions between copyright and patent. For a thing to be patented it must be useful. Since we know that McDonalds is a big corporation, they had registered the copyright and patents, which mean people cannot use the similar name or product when forming a business. However, sometimes company may face the copyright and patents problem. For an example, there is hottest news in recent years, which contend about the copyrights of the company name, McDonalds v McCurry. McDonalds vigorously defends its trademarks against violations anywhere in the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Liam Jeory 2009) We can see that McDonalds strongly defends against their copyrights. However, McDonalds failed to sue McCurry for the copyrights, McCurry argued that their selling foods such as briyani rice, nasi lemak, while McDonalds sells fries, and burgers, etc. (Boey Wei Lyn, 2010) In this case, the court held that their style is use in different terms of presentation, get-up and targeted market, and the signboard for McCurry would not result in reasonable persons associating McCurry Restaurant with McDonalds. (Boey Wei Lyn 2010) In fact, McCurry offered to the customers are totally different from what McDonalds offered, and this shows that McCurry did not use â€Å"Mc† to name their food items served in his outlet. In conclusion, the court st ated that there was no proof in such circumstances, and eventually McDonalds leave to appeal to the court and awarded McCurry cost of RM10, 000. 3.2Nutrition Nowadays most customers concern in healthy foods. However, fast food is considered oily and bad for health, it will link to serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, obesity and so on. McDonalds has no sufficient scientific evidence to prove that their food can be valuable part of a balance diet. Many people said that McDonalds are selling unhealthy products, for most people who practice to eat the healthiest possible food usually either cooks at home or have meal at the workplace to avoid taking fast food. (Helen and Dave) However, the situation is changing rapidly, many food industries has processed the unhealthy mass for food that it can used to replace fresh and healthy foods. This successful development had causes a serious problem in human health as now they currently sell to about 30 million people daily. (Helen and Dave) People start to rely on McDonalds fast food and dislike cooking at home as its convenience to all of them. Therefore, McDonalds has become the world largest threats for human health which people are concerning about. 3.3 Legal and Political Environment Malaysia is formally an Islamic nation as majority of its population comes from Muslim. McDonalds will have to bind with the Malaysia Law which is Syariat Law, it stated that all food served must be Halal. (M.Azu, 2010) It brings a lot of limitation to McDonalds food offered to Malaysia. In order to capture and making profit in this market, McDonalds have to cooperate in working with suppliers, authorities, local businesses and government throughout their international operations. As we know that McDonalds makes many offers such as beef, chicken, pork, fish meal around the world, McDonalds is forced to follow the law in Malaysia by serving the Halal food to gain Islam consumers confident which creates a good impression in Malaysia. Therefore, McDonalds must concern in the type of foods in Malaysia they offered, especially the total absence of pork products. 4.0Effective of Stakeholders Stakeholders can be defined as â€Å"individuals and groups who are affected by the activities of an organization†¦..†(Ian Worthington 2009). McDonalds stakeholders have the combination of Internal, Connected and External Stakeholders in Malaysia. This section shows only the analysis of the two elements of stakeholders as external shareholders take less effect in McDonalds organization. 4.1Internal Stakeholders Internal stakeholders includes both elements, which is managers and employees, this type of stakeholders will affect the day-to-day operations in McDonalds as their working performance will directly affects McDonalds business and the impression of the company. 4.1.1Managers In Malaysia, there is only one managing director, Azmir Jaafar, who is responsible to all the McDonalds restaurant in Malaysia. He is the one who works from low hierarchy level which is assistant manager, store manager, to high hierarchy level of operations consultant, market manager and director of operations. As a trainee manager, he said that the manager needs to understand the basics of cooking burgers and cleanliness in the kitchen at all times. (Sarah Chew 2009) Therefore, a manager must make sure that day-to-day operations are running smoothly and serving the foods and beverage constantly. Moreover, a stock manager also plays an important role which he has to make sure the ingredients are fresh and applicable. 4.1.2Employees For a trainee manager, he has to qualify the needs of employee in McDonalds operations. As McDonalds open for 24 operation hours, sometime they need to find someone who is fast learner and able to work in flexible hours. Therefore, the communications interact between employees is the important skills for a manager to manage the working schedule and so on. In addition, Azmir Jaafar said that he love his job because McDonalds has been rated for 10 best employers. (Sarah Chew 2009) McDonalds is also providing training to their employees in terms of management skill, customer service skills and so on so that employees positive attitude toward customers can bring positive image to the public. 4.2Connected Stakeholders Connected stakeholders cover groups such as shareholders, suppliers and customers, and are parties which invest or have dealings with the firm. (Ian Worthington 2009) These elements will strongly affect the financial performance of the company. 4.2.1 Customer In fact, customer is the key element for McDonalds to survive in the market. Sales levels increase or decrease directly affects the cash stream flow system and McDonalds stock listed in the market. 4.2.2 Shareholders and suppliers Supplier helps to maintain the McDonalds demands and to make sure that ingredient is fresh, as while as McDonalds can provide the best tasty food served to customers. On the other hand, â€Å"increasing of shareholders value will be best served†¦.† (Ian Worthington 2009) Company and shareholders will get profits if the company performs well and achieving success and financial well-being. 5.0 Conclusion In short, this report clearly shows that McDonalds business operations and the impacts of social performance within society, I believe the highlighted points are important to McDonalds to pay close attention and overcome it, and help to improve their performance while expanding the business to the market in near future. 6.0 Recommendation As we know that McDonalds fast food is considered oily and bad for health, I suggest that company should offer healthy foods such as sweet potato, vegetables salad meals to target the people who are vegetarians. Moreover, company should not only target the customers, it can cooperate with another company to form a new restaurant in order to fulfill the vegetarian or healthy needs, and response to any activity such environmental protection plan in the society. Reference List Boey Wei Lyn, 2010. McDonalds v McCurry. http://loyarburok.com/selected-judgments/a-comment-on-mcdonald-losing-its-trademark-battle-against-mccurry/ (accessed April 1, 2010). CGAP Workshop Paris CERISE coordinated. 2004. Power point slides. Retrieved from Cerise-microfinance publications Website: http://www.cerise-microfinance.org/publication/pdf/prog_spi2/15-11h15-Argidius-Kverhagen-definition.pdf (accessed March 31, 2010). HJ Ventures International, Inc. 2004. Copyright definition. Patent Glossary: Copyright.http://www.hjventures.com/patent/Copyright.html (accessed March 31, 2010). Glossary of Statistical Terms.2001. Environmental protection. http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=836 (accessed March 31, 2010). Helen and Dave, n.d. the issues introduction.http://www.mcspotlight.org/issues/intro.html (accessed April 1, 2010). Hes lovin it.2009.The Malaysian, May 31, Sarah Chew. http://www.mcdonalds.com.my/abtus/corpinfo/49.pdf (accessed April 2, 2010). Ian Worthington, 2009. Stakeholders and how they affect your business. http://www.simama.org/article/stakeholders-and-how-they-affect-your-business (accessed April 2, 2010). JohnHolusha, 1990. McDonalds Contribution to Recycling. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/18/business/mcdonald-s-contribution-to-recycling.html?pagewanted=1 (accessed April 1, 2010). Mallen Baker, n.d. Corporate Social Responsibility What does it mean? http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/definition.php (accessed April 7, 2010). M.Azu, 2010. McDonalds Malaysia Marketing Strategy. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/23688272/McDonals-Malaysia (accessed April 2, 2010). McDonalds, n.d. History: McDonalds in Malaysia. http://www.mcdonalds.com.my/abtus/corpinfo/history_msia.asp (accessed March 31, 2010). Royce Cheah and Bill Tarrant, 2009. McDonalds vs McCurry heads for Malaysia court again.http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5834EF20090904 (accessed April 1, 2010).

Lanston hughes comparison of two poems Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by the name of Langston Hughes. A well-known writer that still gets credit today for pomes like â€Å" Theme for English B† and â€Å"Let American be American Again.† â€Å"Theme for English B† and â€Å"Let American be American again† share some similar elements. These poems both written by Langston Hughes both explain about inequality. Theme for English B revolves around the separation of the black and white man; the differences within each race were segregation was at a high point. Let America be America again revolves around the concept that America is supposed to be the land of the free, but to another race or background; it’s a total opposite. (I guess that being colored doesn’t make me not like the other folks who are other races. - Theme for English B). ...

The Blue Sword CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The next morning they left the Madamer Gate, to go back down the mountain as they had come. The little troop was less than half what it had been the morning before, and it moved more slowly, from weariness, wounds and †¦ a slight feeling of anticlimax, Harry thought. She had a foul headache. Every step Sungold took struck like a mallet behind her eyes, and her vision sparkled with it. â€Å"Does one always feel a bit lost, the day after a battle?† she asked Jack, who was riding somewhat stiffly at her side. Draco had suffered a cut over his poll, and the headpiece of the bridle was paddled with a bit of blue cloth. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"Even when you win.† They rode gently but steadily all that day. That evening Harry said to Kentarre: â€Å"You may leave now, if you wish, to go home. I – we're all grateful for your help. It's very likely we would not have held them off even long enough for – for Gonturan to drop the mountains on them, without you. And,† Harry said more hesitantly, â€Å"it is also good to find another friend and ally.† Kentarre smiled. She smiled much more easily now than she had when she and her archers first stepped out of the trees to pledge to Harimad-sol; and Harry didn't think it was only because the threat of the Northerners had been halted. â€Å"It is good to find a friend, lady, as you say, and it is ill to lose one too soon. We would follow you still, and see your king, and give you a little more glory at your return. I think perhaps we filanon have held alone in our woods too long; and without you, Harimad-sol, we would have no homes now to go back to. We were Damarians not so very long ago, and our fathers called Corlath's fathers king. We would go with you.† Four of her archers had materialized out of the firelight to stand beside her when she began to speak, and they nodded. One wore a white rag around his forehead, and it covered one eyebrow, which gave him a puzzled uncertain look; but there was no uncertainty in his sharp nod. Harry looked unhappily at her hands. â€Å"I – I'm not sure it would be wise of you to come to Corlath on my heels, calling me sol. I came here – left him and his army and his battle plans – expressly against his wishes, and I think it more than likely that I'm riding into trouble, as I choose to go back. I – er – applaud the idea that you should declare yourselves as Damarians again, but I – well – highly recommend that you make your own path to Corlath, without me.† Kentarre did not seem surprised by Harry's words; but then Terim or Senay must have told her the story. â€Å"Your Corlath I think is not a fool, and it would be foolish to treat with less than great honor the one who buried Thurra and thousands of his army. We will come with you, and if he turns you away, we will still come with you. You are welcome here,† Kentarre said with a wave of her hand and a faint musical clatter of the blue beads around her wrist. â€Å"You need not go into exile homeless.† Harry said nothing. She found that she was too tired to argue, and too grateful for their loyalty, for she was simply afraid of what she was returning to – afraid mainly because she realized how desperately she wanted to be able to go back. It was true, Corlath would be forced to honor her as the cause of Thurra's downfall, for he was no fool and he was a very honorable king; but she did not want him forced. â€Å"Very well,† she said at last; â€Å"let it be as you wish.† Kentarre bowed, a brief graceful sweep. â€Å"Thank you,† said Harry. â€Å"It is my honor to follow Harimad-sol,† said Kentarre. Jack smiled at Harry as she knelt down again by their fire, and was swarmed over by Narknon, who seemed in her own way to be as shaken by the mountains' falling as the human beings had been. â€Å"We cling to you like leeches,† he said, and she looked at him in surprise. â€Å"Or so I believe was the gist of your conversation just now.† Harry nodded. â€Å"So perhaps this is a good time to warn you that Richard and I and our lot are planning to come too – throw ourselves at the mercy of your Hill-king. There's nothing at home for us. And um – † he turned his hands over to warm the backs of them by the fire, and stared at his callused palms – â€Å"we'd like to.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"You'll only be able to talk us out of it with an extraordinary amount of effort, because any reason you may come up with we will immediately assume has to do with your praiseworthy desire to spare us pain or trouble, and we are quite selfishly set on riding east on your heels. And we none of us have the strength for protracted arguing anyway, yourself included. And I may be old and stiff and sore, but I'm wonderfully stubborn.† There was a pause. â€Å"Very well,† said Harry. Richard, at Jack's left hand, poked the fire with a stick. â€Å"That was easier than I was expecting,† he said. Jack smiled mysteriously. They came to Senay's village the next day, and they were met with a feast. Senay's father explained: â€Å"We felt the mountain fall three days ago, for the earth shook under us and ash blew over us. The air felt brighter afterward, and so we knew it had gone well for you.† â€Å"The dust was blue,† said Rilly. â€Å"And it is a three days' ride to the Gate from here, so we expected you,† the young woman, Rilly's mother and Senay's father's second wife, explained; and Senay's father, Nandam, said: â€Å"Hail to Harimad-sol, Wizard-Tamer, Hurler of Mountains.† â€Å"Oh dear,† said Harry in Homelander, and Jack snorted and coughed, and Richard demanded to be let in on the joke. But when the platters, heavy and steaming, were passed, she decided that fame had its advantages. She had not eaten so well since she had sat at the banquet that made her a Rider †¦ with Corlath †¦ The next morning, to her dismay, Nandam appeared with a tall black horse with one white foot. â€Å"I will come with you,† he said. â€Å"This leg has made me useless in battle, but I am not without honor, and Corlath knew me of old, for Senay is not the first to ride to the king of the City from my family and my mountain. I will ride in your train too, Wizard-Tamer.† Harry winced. â€Å"But – † It was her favorite word of late. â€Å"I know,† said Nandam. â€Å"Senay told me. It is why I will come.† They avoided the fort of the Outlander town, lying peacefully in the sun, untroubled by the tiresome tribal matters of the old Damarians. The Outlanders had known all along there were too few of the Hillfolk to make serious trouble; and if the earth had shivered slightly underfoot a few days ago, it must be that the mountains were not so old as they thought, and were still shifting and straining against their place upon the earth. Perhaps a little volcanic activity would crack a new vein of wealth, and the Aeel Mines would no longer be the only reason the Outlanders went into the Ramid Mountains. Jack looked rather broodingly toward the iron-bound wall inside which he had spent most of the last eighteen years. He caught Harry looking at him and said: â€Å"Anything there waiting for me is something on the order of ‘Confine yourself to quarters while we decide what to do with you – poor man, the desert was too much for him and he finally went bonkers.' I'm not going back.† Harry smiled faintly. â€Å"I botched it, you know. If I'd known what I was doing, I could have gone alone, quietly dropped half a mountain range where it would do the most good – â€Å" â€Å"And ridden off into a cloud, never to be heard of again,† said Jack. â€Å"I sometimes think the blind devotion – or the press of numbers – of your loyal followers is all that is sending you back to your king at all.† Harry stared unseeingly at the horizon of her beloved Hills, and she remembered Aerin's words, and that Dickie had called her back to this world just a little too soon. â€Å"Is he really such an ogre?† Jack went on. â€Å"Don't you want to go back?† Harry turned and looked back at the smudge on the golden-grey sands that was Istan. â€Å"No, he is not an ogre. And, yes, I want to go back – very much. That is why I am afraid.† Jack looked at her; she could feel his gaze on her, but she would not meet his eyes. The trip back, Harry thought unhappily less than three days later, seemed a lot shorter than the trip away; and this in spite of the fact that they were moving slowly for the sake of their wounded, who had resisted staying in Nandam's village to be healed and demanded to come with them. â€Å"They don't want to miss out on any of the fun,† Jack said apologetically, as if it were all his fault. â€Å"Fun?† she said, exasperated. â€Å"Your attitude is perhaps a little unnecessarily rigorous,† suggested Jack. Harry muttered something that was better not said aloud, and added, â€Å"They take honor and loyalty very seriously here, you know, you Damarian-mad Homelander.† Jack shrugged. â€Å"And if they throw us out on our collective ear – even that is fun of a sort, I believe.† He paused, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. â€Å"But I'm afraid I have the same optimistic outlook as the rest of Harry's bandits.† Harry protested, â€Å"But I know more about it!† â€Å"Ignorance is bliss,† replied Jack. They had no difficulty finding their way to the camp of the Hill-king. Harry never thought about it, beyond the simple word â€Å"east.† But although â€Å"east† covers a great deal of territory, she had pointed Sungold's nose as surely as if she were a route-rider, covering the same path she had traveled for years. She wished now she weren't quite so accurate. She could see the king's tent looming in the twilight before them, the sunset fading behind them, and their long shadows beginning to dissolve in the ripples of the grey sand underfoot. She knew that they were marked by the king's guard, but no one hailed them. She could well believe that she and Sungold and Gonturan were immediately recognizable, but she was surprised that even if she were not to be taken prisoner on sight the very obvious presence of twelve armed Outlanders in her train was exciting no comment. Since she did not know what else to do, she rode reluctantly but directly to the king's tent; it rose from the center of the other tents, the black-and-white banner flying from its peak. Still no one stopped or questioned her; but several offered her silent hand greeting, the kind a king's Rider might expect, and this comforted her a little. But she wished she would see someone she knew well enough to talk to – Mathin or Innath by choice – to ask what sort of welcome she might expect. There was little sign that this army had fought a desperate battle against the odds only days before; and she suddenly realized that it had never occurred to her that Corlath might lose. She was learning to believe what the backs of her eyelids told her. The tents were all neatly and precisely pitched, and the horses she saw were sleek and fit. There was a hum of tension about the camp, though, which she could feel; the silence had a stretched quality to it, and those people she saw hurrying from tent to tent looked as though their errands might be about life and death. Sungold's steps fell too quickly. She saw no other Rider, and at the door to the king's tent she paused, and her company came up behind her, and fanned out into a little court around their captain. The gold-sashed guard saluted her, just as he had done half a year ago; she thought it was even the same man, although he looked much older, almost as old as she felt. She stayed in the saddle; she wanted to stay there forever; at very least it made her taller than a man on foot – even Corlath. What was she to say? â€Å"The prodigal has returned? The mutineer wishes to be reinstated? The subordinate, having gone to a great deal of trouble to prove her commander wrong, has come back and promises to be a good little subordinate hereafter, or at least until the next time?† Then Corlath put back his golden silk door and stood before her, and she stared down at him, and she could not have gotten out of the saddle then even if she had wanted to. She realized why, when her kelar had shown him to her in battle some days ago, she had not at first recognized him, that his sash was the wrong color. He was wearing her sash. â€Å"Hari,† he said; then â€Å"Harimad-sol,† as he walked to Sungold's side; stiffly he moved, she thought, and her heart failed her at the thought that he might have been wounded. She stared down at him still, and could not move, and then, shyly, he put his hand around her dusty leather ankle and said, carefully, â€Å"Harry.† She pulled her leg over the withers and slid down Sungold's shoulder as she had once slid down Fireheart's, and put her arms around her king and hugged him fiercely; and his arms closed around her and he murmured something, but her blood was ringing in her ears, and she could not hear what it was. It is not very comfortable, holding someone close who is wearing a sword and various unyielding bits of leather armor, and it is less comfortable yet if both parties are so accoutered. Harry and Corlath dropped their arms after a short time and looked at each other, and each distantly thought that the other one was wearing a rather silly smile, and Harry noticed that Corlath's eyes were the color of gold. â€Å"You are unhurt?† she said; her voice sounded tinny in her hot ears. â€Å"I am unhurt,† he said. â€Å"And you?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, still looking at his golden eyes. â€Å"Or no. I am not hurt.† â€Å"I am glad,† her king said, and his voice was still low and shy, â€Å"to see you – here – and still – † he hesitated – â€Å"still of the Hills?† Harry took a deep breath. â€Å"I will be of the Hills till I die, but what are you going to do to me for going off like that? And it's not their fault,† she went on hurriedly, gesturing behind her, â€Å"but they would come with me even though I warned them how it was with me. Whatever you say, I will obey, but – what is it?† She stopped, for as she tried to make her apologies, or her amends, or whatever they were, she remembered that she and Corlath were not alone, and that she was a deserter. She looked up and around, but her company were only dark figures to her, dim in the fading light. â€Å"I will return to you your sash,† Corlath said, but his hands did not move to untie it from around his waist. â€Å"You should not have lost it – for I assume you lost it. If you had not, but flung it away deliberately, it would be a sign that you denied me, and Damar, and were making yourself an exile forever.† â€Å"Oh no,† said Harry, horrified; and the slightly foolish and uncertain smile on Corlath's face grew into a real smile, one unlike any Harry had ever seen on the Hill-king's face before. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"I hoped not.† Harry whispered: â€Å"You have done me much honor – since the beginning.† Corlath replied: â€Å"I did only what I must, for the kelar gave me no choice; but I – I came to believe in you, and I did not care what the kelar said.† â€Å"Did you believe in me then, when I rode away and left you, my king, and I a king's Rider, against your orders?† The smile faded, but his eyes were still bright yellow. â€Å"I did,† he said. â€Å"Luthe †¦ warned me you would do something mad – and I †¦ feared something else, for thus a man makes a fool of himself, and will not accept the wisdom the gods send him. I did not realize what Luthe had told me – I had forgotten what the kelar had told me – till you had gone.† â€Å"Something else?† said Harry. â€Å"What did you fear?† Her heart beat more rapidly as she waited for his reply, and she hoped he would ask her such a question, that she might answer it as her heart bade her. But Corlath looked around them. â€Å"The Outlanders you bring to my camp are not your escort home?† Harry shook her head violently. â€Å"They are my escort home only insofar as they would bear me company in my home, in the Hills, if you will have them.† â€Å"I will have them, and be honored,† said Corlath, and his eyes lingered on Jack, who sat Draco quietly between Richard and Terim, â€Å"they who stood at Madamer Gate and watched the mountain fall on Thurra. This tale they will tell, I hope, and tell often.† â€Å"And I hope I will never have to do anything like that again,† said Harry, and for a moment she could not see Corlath's yellow eyes, but a demon-thing that had once been human on a white stallion with the teeth of a leopard. Corlath looked down at the top of her bent head. â€Å"For you I hope that you do not either; the kelar strength is not a comfortable Gift. â€Å"I saw – I watched the mountain fall. I heard you call me and knew then who it was you faced – and thus why it was that I had not seen him before me: why we were able to throw the Northerners back, for all that they outnumbered us. They did not, I think, expect us to be so strong, or Thurra would not have divided his army as he did; for Thurra's demon blood had told him that only the demon Gifts are strong. â€Å"I was proud of you – and I was glad that it was I you called upon.† His voice died away to a murmur, but then he spoke loudly: â€Å"There is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years, to Aerin and Tor, that we do not often see today, for there have been few women warriors of late, till Gonturan rode to battle again. But tradition is that a betrothed pair may exchange sashes, and thus they pledge their honor to each other, for all to see. I will return you your sash if you choose, for I have no right to wear it, as you have not granted me the right. But I have been honored to wear it, in my people's eyes, till you returned – for as I had had so little faith in you despite Luthe's words to me, so I decided to have faith that you would return, to the Hills and to me, and to hope that your answer might justify me.† Harry said clearly, that all might hear: â€Å"My king, I would far rather you kept my sash as you have kept it for me in faith while I was gone away from you, and gave me your sash to wear in its place. For my honor, and more than my honor, has been yours for months past, but I saw no more clearly than did you till I had parted from you, and knew then what it would cost me if I could not return. And more, I knew what it would cost me if I returned only to be a king's Rider.† Then a cheer went up from many throats, and not only from those of Harry's company; for many of the camp had gathered in the center court before the king's zotar to hear how this meeting would go, for they had seen Harimad-sol's sash around their king's waist, and those who remembered the tradition had told of it to those who did not. And there was no surprise, in those who had followed Harry or in those who had fought with Corlath, and there was much joy; and the echoes of those cheers must have come even to the city boundaries of the Outlander town called Istan, and the barred gate of the General Mundy. And the Outlanders who had followed Jack Dedham when he decided to follow the young Harry Crewe, who had become Harimad-sol and the Hill-king's Rider, and who did not know the Hill tongue, looked around them, and at the two tall figures before them standing beside the chestnut stallion, and they cheered too; and Jack, in a lull, said to them: â€Å"In case you would like to be sure what you're cheering, our Harry is going to marry this chap. He's the king, Corlath.† Under the cover of the shouting Corlath drew Harry closer to him and said: â€Å"I have loved you long, though at first I did not know it; but I knew it when I sent you into the Hills with Mathin and Tsornin for your teachers, for I saw then how I missed you. And when in the City I found that Narknon had followed you, I was jealous of a cat, who could go where she wished.† Harry said, softly, that only his ears might hear: â€Å"You might have spoken.† Corlath smiled wryly. â€Å"I was afraid to tell you, for I had stolen you from your people, and the awakening of your kelar might make you hate me, for she whose blood gave you the Gift left the Hills long ago. When you knew what it was that this heritage gave you, it might drive you back all the more strongly to your father's people, to a fate the Hills had no part of. The Gift is not a pleasant burden. â€Å"But when I saw you were gone I looked to the west, for I knew where you must be going, and I vowed that if we both lived, when we met again I would tell you that I loved you, and ask you to stand by me not as Rider but as queen; for suddenly it seemed worth the risk, and I could not bear it that you might never know.† Harry said: â€Å"I love you, and it has haunted me that for my disobedience I would be exiled, not from the people I have claimed as my own, though this were punishment enough, but from you that I loved best of anything and best of all. I think I knew you could not exile me, for the victory Gonturan had won for you and your Hills; but I knew that for you to have turned against me for leaving as I did, it would have been the bitterest exile, even if I sat at your left hand as Rider all my life.† It was Innath who grabbed her away at last and danced her around, for Innath had no dignity, and Corlath and Harry seemed able to ignore the tumult around them indefinitely. Then Jack took her away from him, and then she was embraced and knocked about and swung back and forth till she was dizzy; but she laughed and was happy, and thanked everyone who touched her. But there was one face in particular that she looked for and could not find, and its absence troubled her. At last they let her go to Corlath again, and her happiness was shaken for the face she could not find, and she seized his arm anxiously and said, â€Å"Where is Mathin?† Corlath, who had been dancing too, went very still. â€Å"He is not dead?† she said, and her voice rose till it broke; but when he shook his head it gave her no comfort. He took her hand in his and said, â€Å"Come,† and led her away, through the tents. Now she could see the traces of battle, for by lantern light she saw blood-stained gear and unidentifiable bits and tatters moving mournfully in the evening breeze, and some few people, bandaged, limping, or lying by campfires, gently tended by those who were unhurt. Corlath led her to a long low tent and drew her inside, and the smell of death struck her at once, although the figures lying on rugs and blankets and cushions were well cared for and cleanly bandaged, and their chests still rose and fell with breathing, and there were many nurses watching over them and bringing drink and thin invalid food. Corlath brought her to the far end of the narrow tent, and the figure there turned its head toward them. Harry threw herself on her knees, weeping, for here was Mathin. â€Å"I knew you would return,† said Mathin, and one hand moved a few inches to close weakly around Harry's; and Harry gulped and nodded, but still her tears flowed and she could not stop them. â€Å"And you will marry our king?† he went on, in what would have been a conversational tone if it had not been so faint, and Harry nodded again. â€Å"I wanted you to toast us at the wedding, my old friend and horse-breaker and teacher,† she said. Mathin smiled. â€Å"I leave my honor in good hands, best of daughters,† he said gently. â€Å"No,† said Harry, and while her tears still fell her voice gained strength. â€Å"No.† As she knelt, Gonturan dug a hole between her ribs, and she stood up impatiently and unbuckled her and let her fall; and as she bent down again a few of her tears fell on her own hand, and they were hot, scalding hot, and left red marks where they touched the skin; and she realized that her eyes and cheeks burned with them. She drew the blanket away from Mathin's chest and belly, where a long mortal wound oozed through its wrappings; the blood was almost black, and green-tinged, poisoned, and there was an unhealthy smell. â€Å"In Aerin's day,† murmured Harry, â€Å"kelar was good for things. It didn't only hurt things, and make trouble.† Corlath came to stand behind her. Mathin looked up at his king and said, â€Å"Aerin – â€Å" Harry felt Corlath's hands on her shoulders, and twisted where she knelt, and seized his hands. â€Å"Help me,† she said. â€Å"You helped me on that mountaintop. It was as though you held me up, held me by the shoulders as you did the first evening when I tasted the Water of Sight.† Her eyes, wide open, were going blind; it was like the golden war-rage, only worse; it would split her skin, she would wither and blacken in the heat of it. Corlath said, as if against his will, â€Å"Mathin fell, guarding me, while I was far away on a mountaintop; if it had not been for him, I would have had no body to return to.† Harry shivered and the heat plucked at her nerves and ate up her strength, and blindly she reached out one hand to touch Mathin, and her fingers touched the bare skin of his upper arm, and she felt him shudder, and his breath hissed between his teeth. Whatever it was thundered through her veins and filled her lungs and stomach, her hands and mouth; and she let go of Mathin and turned to the next bed, and scrabbled with the bedclothes, for she could see nothing but the golden storm and feel nothing but one of Corlath's hands tight in one of hers, and she touched the throat of the occupant of the pallet next to Mathin. She groped her way down the long length of that tent, stumbling, almost crawling but for Corlath, touching foreheads and hands and shoulders, and the nurses turned back the bedding, and the eyes of the dying looked into her blind eyes and hoped for her touch but feared it, and none but Corlath who were themselves whole came near enough even to brush the hem of her tunic, for it was hard just to breathe if she, with the power that was in her, was too near. The fire rose through her and crackled in her ears, so that she was deaf as well; but at last they came to the door, and Corlath led her out, her feeble feet not sure where they would find the earth with each step; and she felt the evening breeze, and the fire began to subside, reluctantly at first. But as it drained out of her, back to where it had come from, it took with it the marrow of her bones and the elastic of her muscles, for such was the fire's fuel, and she leaned against Corlath. He put his arms around her, and when the fire flickered at last and went out and she crumpled, he picked her up and carried her back to his zotar, and she lay in his arms as limp a burden as when he had put the sleep on her, the night he stole her from the Residency. Harry woke up feeling as if she had been sick for a year and was now approaching convalescence. She stared at the peaked roof of the zotar and slowly realized where she was. Even her thoughts were too weak to entertain the idea of moving. Narknon, by some extra feline sense, knew when she opened her eyes, and without moving from her sprawl across Harry's legs, began to purr. With the purr came Corlath, who had been sitting just beyond the curtain that had been hung by Harry's bed to give her peace from the comings and goings of the king's tent. He put back the curtain when he heard Narknon. He was himself weary, for much of the strength Harry had used the evening before was his; and he had not been able to sleep that night for watching her. He watched her sleeping, hoping only that she would awaken and still be Harry. His heart was in his mouth as he dropped down beside her. The look on his face brought Harry more strongly back to herself, and she sat shakily up; and he put an arm around her shoulders, and she was happy to rest her head against his chest and be silent. She did not want to ask, but she could not help herself, so at last she said: â€Å"Mathin?† His voice sounded deeper than ever with her ear against his chest when he spoke. â€Å"He will carry a handsome scar, but he will carry it lightly, and he will be strong enough to sit on Windrider when we leave this place to return to the City, in a few days' time; although his right arm still pains him somewhat, from the long raw burn near the shoulder, as though a fire had scorched him.† Harry remembered how she had known the fire was eating her, that it would leave nothing of her; and she opened her right hand, the hand that had touched Mathin. It looked as it always had, but for the small white mark across the palm, which was only two months old. â€Å"And the others?† â€Å"None will die, and while none is as quick to recover as Mathin, none either bears the mark of where Harimad-sol touched them.† â€Å"And – my people? Jack, and Kentarre, and those who follow them? And Nandam, and – and Richard? Have you met my brother Richard?† â€Å"Your Jack has introduced us.† Corlath had remembered Colonel Dedham when he saw him standing in the twilight behind Harry; remembered him as the one man who had seemed to listen to what Forloy said, and believe that the men of the Hills might be speaking the truth, even to Outlanders. It was that sight of the man who had offered the Hill-king his loyalty while standing on the Residency verandah that had given Corlath the courage to declare his love for Harry the night before. It had seemed a fine bold thing to him at the time to bind her sash around himself and wear it openly; it hadn't occurred to him till he saw her with her company at her back, and her pale eyes fixed on him with an expression he could not read, that it would force him to face her with it and what it meant immediately, whenever he saw her again – if he saw her again. It would doubtless have been kinder or more courteous – and less dangerous – to choose his time and place; and not make such a public display of it. But then, without the sash around his waist and his people watching eagerly for the outcome, it was so extremely possible that his courage would have failed him again, for all his noble words about risk-taking. All these things he would tell Harry later. â€Å"But Richard has the face of your family, though he has not the eyes, and I would have guessed who he must be.† â€Å"Jack would like better than anything in the world to ride a Hill horse.† Harry heard the beginning of his laugh far inside him before it burst out into the air; and she raised her head and looked inquiringly into his face. He shook his head at her and said, â€Å"My heart, your Jack shall have a hundred of our horses, and welcome,† and then he bent his head and kissed her, and she drew him down beside her. A few minutes later Narknon, with an offended growl, climbed off the bed and stalked away. Mathin was a trifle paler than usual when Corlath's army mounted and set their faces to the east, but he sat easily on Windrider and looked all around him as if reminding himself of what he thought he had lost; but most often he looked at Harimad-sol, riding at the king's right hand. The army moved slowly, for there were litters to carry, and they need not hurry. Even the desert sun overhead seemed glorious rather than relentless, and their king was to marry the damalur-sol who bore Gonturan the Blue Sword, and the Northerners had been defeated, at least for their time, and probably for their children's time, and perhaps even their grandchildren's; and Damar was still theirs. And it was as well also that the army was moving slowly for the sake of Jack Dedham and Richard Crewe, who were riding Hill horses, and finding Hill horsemanship a little more difficult than Harry had, and were dismayed at the idea of being able to stop a horse at full gallop simply by sitting down a little hard er in the saddle. Harry, when she was not with Corlath, rode circles around them and teased them and made Sungold do all sorts of fancy passes and turns, not really to annoy them but only because she could not contain herself for happiness. Sungold bucked and bounced till even Harry had to clutch at his mane to stay on – Jack had the temerity to laugh – and behaved not at all like a well-schooled war-horse, and seemed just as happy as she.

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Paul Revere's Midnight Ride Essays - Massachusetts, Foundrymen Paul Revere's Midnight Ride Paul Revere was a very patriotic man who would later save some of the leaders of what now is our country. Paul was a silversmith in the town of Boston. He came over to the colonies from France. His father taught him the silversmiths trade. He also became a gold and copper smith. Then on, He became very interested in patriotism and independence from Britain. He engraved alot of cartoons which were published in the Boston news papers. He was also one of the fifty people who took place in the Boston Tea party. He married Sarah Orne and had eight kids who most died at infancy. Then his wife Sarah died after having their eighth child . A few years later he married Rachel Walker and had eight more children. He served for the people of Boston as a special messenger.(101) On March 5, 1770 people were taunting the British and throwing snowballs at them . They got so fed up and started firing shots. Six people were killed. The Boston Massacre was just one of the many violent acts that were to follow. After the Boston Massacre the British removed all taxes except for a small tax on tea. Boston wasnt the only town who refused the tea just one of the most violent. Paul Revere and his accomplices came up with a plan. They would paint their faces and dress up like Indians and go aboard the boat that held tea from the East India Company. They emptied the tea chests into the water while people cheered from the docks. One man stole some tea for his own use had to run around town(100) with no water or breaks and they also nailed his coat to a wall which was some kind of symbolic gesture. After the Boston Tea Party King George shut off Boston Harbor which was Boston's only resource. Pauls first ride was to ride to other colonies and tell them about what happened and to ask them for

Islamic Civil War - Battle of Siffin

Islamic Civil War - Battle of Siffin Introduction Conflict: The Battle of Siffin was part of the First Fitna (Islamic Civil War) which lasted from 656–661.   The First Fitna was a civil war in the early Islamic State caused by the murder of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan in 656 by Egyptian rebels.             Dates: Beginning on July 26, 657, the Battle of Siffin lasted three days, ending on the 28th. Commanders Armies: Forces of Muawiyah I Muawiyah IAmr ibn al-Aasapproximately 120,000 men Forces of Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi TalibMalik ibn Ashterapproximately 90,000 men Battle of Siffin - Background: Following the murder of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan, the caliphate of the Muslim Empire passed to the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, Ali ibn Abi Talib. Shortly after ascending to the caliphate, Ali commenced consolidating his hold over the empire. Among those who opposed him was the governor of Syria, Muawiyah I. A kinsman of the slain Uthman, Muawiyah refused to acknowledge Ali as caliph due his inability to bring the murders to justice. In an attempt to avoid bloodshed, Ali sent an envoy, Jarir, to Syria to seek a peaceful solution. Jarir reported that Muawiyah would submit when the murderers were caught. Battle of Siffin - Muawiyah Seeks Justice: With the blood-stained shirt of Uthman hanging in the Damascus mosque, Muawiyahs large army marched out to meet Ali, pledging not to sleep at home until the murderers were found.   After first planning to invade Syria from the north Ali instead elected to move directly across the Mesopotamian desert.   Crossing the Euphrates River at Riqqa, his army moved along its banks into Syria and first spotted his opponents army near the plain of Siffin. After a small battle over Alis right to take water from the river, the two sides pursued a final attempt at negotiation as both wished to avoid a major engagement. After 110 days of talks, they were still at an impasse. On July 26, 657, with the talks over, Ali and his general, Malik ibn Ashter, began a massive attack on Muawiyahs lines. Battle of Siffin - A Bloody Stalemate: Ali personally led his Medinan troops, while Muawiyah watched from a pavilion, preferring to let his general Amr ibn al-Aas, direct the battle. At one point, Amr ibn al-Aas shattered part of the enemy line and nearly broke through far enough to kill Ali. This was countered by a massive attack, led by Malik ibn Ashter, which nearly forced Muawiyah to flee the field and badly reduced his personal bodyguard. The fighting continued for three days with neither side gaining an advantage, though Alis forces were inflicting a larger number of casualties. Concerned that he might lose, Muawiyah offered to settle their differences through arbitration. Battle of Siffin - Aftermath: The three days of fighting had cost Muawiyahs army approximately 45,000 casualties to 25,000 for Ali ibn Abi Talib. On the battlefield, the arbitrators decided that both leaders were equals and the two sides withdrew to Damascus and Kufa. When the arbitrators met again in February 658, no resolution was achieved. In 661, following the assassination of Ali, Muawiyah ascended to the caliphate, reuniting the Muslim Empire.   Crowned in Jerusalem, Muawiyah established the Umayyad caliphate, and began working to expand the state.   Successful in these endeavors, he reigned until his death in 680.

PESTEL Analysis of Cummins ESB Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PESTEL Analysis of Cummins ESB Business - Essay Example Notable areas that Cummins ESB is likely to face political and legislative interferences include but not limited to taxation policies, labour laws, trade restrictions, Environmental regulation and investments especially public private partnership ventures. In other words Cummins ESB will have to comply with different legislations relating to taxation, labour, or investment in every country of their operation. Economic Factors Economic factors are inherent concern to Cummins ESB taking into consideration that the factors are likely to influence their profits, investments, costs, prices and demand to greater extent. Notable economic factors that are likely to affect operations Cummins ESB include but not limited to inflation, interest rates, unemployment rates, and or currency exchange rates. The fact that Cummins ESB engage in massive investments across the globe and the same time engage in repatriation of earnings to the parent company (Cummins Inc.), the company’s investments costs as well as revenues are likely to be affected by fluctuating currency rates. The currency rates are also likely to affect the cost of exported as well as imported products and services. Inconsistent interest rates in different countries are also likely to affect the cost of company’s investment abroad. Inflationary trends globally and in specific international market is also detrimental on Cummins ESB earning. Social factors Most markets in the international market are always distinguished from their cultural aspects most of which are inherent while others are acquired. Social trends such as Demographic change; fashion and preference, age distribution, levels of literacy, customs and traditions, attitudes and beliefs are likely to affect the operation of a multinational company to significantly. It is unlikely that Cummins ESB operations will be affected by social trends in the global market considerably. However, demographic change in country or region is likely to in crease demand for energy either for lighting, cooking and or heating. Additionally the population is growing more conscious about the form of energy they use as most environmental conservation agencies continue to drug for green energy. Technological factors It is noteworthy that technology is one of the major external variables that has played significant role in developing competitive products and services by Cummins ESB. The technology has not only benefited the company but also Cummins ESB customers as it enhance to effective and efficient delivery of services (Cummins Power Generation Inc, 2010). For instance, introduction of Electronic Funds Transfer Systems (EFTPoS) and Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) has highly enhanced delivery of services and products. Through effective technology Cummins ESB has managed to design and build energy efficient diesel, LP gas or natural gas generators, digital controls and transfer switches for standby around the globe. All technologic breakth rough of Cummins ESB is attributable to the high investment in Research and development. Environmental factors It is always in the best interest of the common public that a company operate lean projects that are not harmful to the environment. This means that companies have responsibility to remain environmental savvy when producing or marketing

Fluorescence Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fluorescence - Lab Report Example In this experiment, anthracene was the electronically excited species while carbon tetrabromide was the quencher. A 250 ml solution of 0.1 mM anthracene (AN) was prepared in spectrometric quality n-hexane and used as a â€Å"solvent† to prepare 25 ml of 15 mM â€Å"stock† solution of CBr4. Eight dilutions of the AN/CBr4 were made using AN as the solvent starting with 0% (10 ml of AN) and ending with 100% (10 ml of CBr4). The solutions were then introduced into a fluorescence cell and deaerated with dry N2 for two minutes one after the other. The full fluorescence spectrum was then recorded using the instrumental conditions set by the TA. The fluorescent intensities of all the dilute solutions were recorded. The Stern-Volmer plot in this experiment is curved upward because the system is considered to be suddenly exposed to a steady-state excitation source. A graph of I0/I vs [Q] gives KÏ„0 as the slope. The rate constant value obtained from the Stern-Volmer plot was 8393.7 Lmol-1s-1 while the theoretical value is estimated at 5.37 Ãâ€" 10^10 Lmol-1s-1. The rate constant obtained in this experiment is lower than the theoretical value due to factors such as ground-state complex formation between A and Q, competition between A and Q for the incident light and polarization effects. From equation 10 a graph of (I0/I) versus [Q] gives KqÏ„0 as the slope, and knowing the numerical value of Ï„0 then the value of Kq can be