Biblical Aspect of Moby Dick Essay

Moby Dick is a novel filled with many biblical allusions, and I feel strongly that there are certain characters in the book that portray biblical characters or express the same situations in the Bible. In the beginning of the book, Father Mapple gives a sermon to the sailors about Jonah and the whale. This story in itself has much symbolism and starts the book off with the notion that God and the Bible are very much a part of the story. In specific there are a few main characters that support the fact that they are symbolic to the Bible. First, Ishmael is the main character in the story and is the narrator through most of the book. He is very different from all of the sailors on the ship. He has class, intelligence, and he knows nothing about whaling or the sea. In the book of Genesis, Ishmael was an outcast â€Å"with everyone’s hand against him,† and in the book you see how he is different from the sailors because of his small knowledge of whaling. To further examine Ishmael’s situation, he says he escapes to the sea to leave the depressions that have ridden his life. Another part of Genesis tells us that Ishmael wasn’t Abraham’s true son because he was born through one of Abraham’s maids (supposedly Sarai, his wife, was infertile) and ever since Isaac was born, Ishmael was shunned. Like in Moby Dick, Ishmael was looked down upon from the beginning because he didn’t have the history that other people on the boat had as sailors. Ishmael is always different from everyo ne, and he looks at everything in an interrogative way, so he thinks of Moby Dick as a holy mysterious creature while Capt. Ahab thinks Moby Dick is pure evil. Moby Dick is the most complicated, undefined character in the book. But to attempt to understand this enigma, let’s look at what we know about him. Moby Dick is a white, massive sperm whale, the largest and most feared by all beings in the sea. To Ahab, Moby Dick is the highest of all evil. To Starbuck, the chase after the whale is a fruitless cause. To Ishmael, the whale defines mystery, unexplainable, and holiness. Moby Dick’s whiteness  can be linked with holiness and godliness, such as Revelation 1:14, † His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;† Much of revelation involves the color white, which has been historically a holy color and a color of prosperity as described in Ishmaels in-depth description of the indescribable whiteness that he saw when he caught sight of Moby Dick. Another excerpt of Revelation shows the importance of white in the Bible, Revelation 4:4) â€Å"And round about the t hrone were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting , clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.† Ishmael tries to describe whiteness as, â€Å"which at times by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical and well nigh ineffable was it, that I almost despair of putting it in a comprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me. But how can I hope to explain myself here; and yet, in some dim, random way, explain myself I must, else all these chapters might be naught.† So it seems as if the whiteness was the same indescribable thing as is the whiteness John saw in his Revelation, which he wrote for the Bible. We know Moby Dick is indestructible and like God, nobody can touch him. So can we conclude Moby Dick represents God? I think that is one of the mysteries that Melville leaves the reader to unfold on their own. He is symbolically the great divine mystery. Captain Ahab could be taken in different ways, such as good or evil. In this case he would be evil considering he has the same name as King Ahab in the Bible. Ahab is like no other character in the book. At times, he lacks compassion or even certain aspects of a complete personality, but maybe the determination of his goals (revenge on Moby Dick) compensates for his lack of personality. Captian Ahab isn’t just after the bulbber and oil of the whale, but he is after the glory and the sense that he can conquer everything. The thing that keeps his engine running after Moby Dick is the fact that there is something greater than him, the â€Å"Great† Captain Ahab. Some refer this egotistical ness as hubris, something Greek tragedy (from the packet) Gods have, and that hubris is sometimes the reason for their downfall. Captain Ahab has so much confidence in going after Moby Dick that at one point he says â€Å"If man will strike†¦talk not of blasphemy man; I’d   strike back at the sun if it insulted me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So not only is he determined, the only thing that makes him complete is the fulfillment of striking hate and death upon this whale. To compare to the Bible, Captain Ahab is similar to the King Ahab of 1 Kings. The Bible says in 1 Kings 16:33, † and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all Kings of Israel before him.† Throughout the book Ahab does only what will further his pursuit of the whale and in doing that, he at times disobeys the rules of religion, business, of common sense, and ignoring the omens, pleas against his cause, and experience (Moby Dick Packet). For example, one part of the book describes a part where two ships meet to dock for a short time and once Ahab heard news of Moby Dick’s location, he immediately abandoned all plans of sailors interacting with the other boat and women, not even taking a second to breathe, because he was narrow minded with the white whale in vision. Like King Ahab has Elijah, Captain Ahab has Fedallah as prophets to warn the two leaders of troubles ahead. Elijah proclaims disaster for King Ahab’s misdoings on him and his family. Fedallah came to Ahab, prophesizing the downfall of Ahab and his ship. This shows Melville’s concordance of the Bible with his storytelling. As you can see, Ahab was punished in both the bible and Moby Dick. In The bible it says,(1 Kings 17:1) † And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In conclusion, I believe Melville definitely used symbolism to spice up his story and also biblical allusions to give more sense to build the climax of the story. I feel I have proven to you that these three characters, Moby Dick, Ishmael, and Captain Ahab were all linked to characters in the bible. Depending on how deeply you look into the story, you can find that symbolism lies everywhere in this book and that is why it is the â€Å"smartest† book for a high-school student to read.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 6

One thing about working in a bookstore is you have immediate access to print media: Nocturnal Admission is a treat for the senses, one of those rare jewels that emerges from the dark obscurity of small clubs and restaurants. Of course, after last night's performance at the Verona, it's unlikely they'll be playing shoddy venues again. Nocturnal Admission is well on its way to becoming a household name – not only at the local level, but the national one as well. The opening staff and I oohed and aahed over the concert review in the Seattle Times, all of us clustering around the information desk, rereading our favorite quotes over and over. The writer had even provided a few words of Doug's bio – after several other lines praising his voice and onstage persona – adding that he worked at a â€Å"local bookstore.† We loved that; the nondescript reference almost made us feel like celebrities too. I let them chat on a bit longer, reveling in my own pride and pleasure for Doug, before finally breaking things up. â€Å"All right, kids, I hate to crack the whip, but I see customers at the door. â€Å" They dispersed reluctantly, but I saw Andy smirking when he thought I didn't notice him whispering something to Casey. The only word I caught was â€Å"whip.† Charming. One would think having a dominatrix reputation would at least make me a more formidable authority figure, rather than a source of ridicule. And today, I was the only authority figure. Paige was out sick again, so I had to unofficially work both her job and my own. At least the staff was in good form despite the late night, which made things easier. Casey seemed unaffected by last night, which I found remarkable. Maybe it was the resilience of youth. After drinking and smoking that much, I doubted I'd have been in as good a shape as she was – and I had the advantage of supernatural healing and recovery. My misgivings about Alec must have been premature, I decided, considering what a good mood she appeared to be in. She smiled every time I saw her during the day and was always ready with a friendly comment to customers and coworkers alike. When I stopped by to take something from a neighboring register, I heard a customer ask her if she knew offhand whether his books would total under twenty-five dollars or not. She flipped through the stack expertly and had an answer within ten seconds. â€Å"With tax, $26.57. Put this one back, and you'll be at $22.88. Closest you can get without going over.† â€Å"Did you do that all in your head?† I asked her later. Dimples showed in her pretty cheeks. â€Å"I'm an accounting major.† â€Å"Yeah, but my accountant sure as hell doesn't do my taxes in his head.† â€Å"Of course not. But this stuff's easy.† Doug came in at noon, much to the delight of the others. Practically strutting, he couldn't stop crowing about the review and kept asking me if I'd read such-and-such in the article. I had to assure him repeatedly that I'd read it all. Like Casey, he too acted untouched by last night's partying. He worked and bounced around with what was becoming his trademark energy. Compared to the two of them, I felt downright curmudgeonly, not to mention inadequate. Sheesh. What were immortality and shape-shifting next to superhuman computations and dazzling stage performances? When I returned from my lunch break, he practically sprinted up to me. â€Å"Kincaid, Kincaid – you gotta help me out.† â€Å"What's wrong?† He inclined his head toward one of the registers. Alec stood leaning against it, flirting with Casey. She smiled and nodded enthusiastically at something he said. â€Å"Alec came by to tell me he got us a major audition over at the Blue Gallery. We have got to go practice. Stat.† â€Å"Good grief. Slow down on the italics.† â€Å"Kincaid, I mean it! You have to cover for me. No one,ll know I left. These guys don't care, and Paige and Warren won't be in.† â€Å"How long do you need?† â€Å"The rest of the day.† â€Å"The rest of the – that's going to be over twelve hours for me! Besides, I can't close. I'm going to a play downtown.† Seth had just secured us some last minute tickets. â€Å"Then†¦stay as late as you can. Janice,ll handle closing.† I hesitated. Warren preferred that the manager or one of the assistant managers close, but Doug was right. Janice could handle it. â€Å"Kin -caid,† he begged. â€Å"Please. I need this. You know I do.† Doug had always been charming and irresistible. Something about him today particularly appealed to me. A master working another master, apparently. When I gave in to his pleas, he picked me up and spun me around in a most undignified way. Two minutes later, he and Alec left, and I settled in for a long day. When it finally neared its end, I felt certain the store would burn to the ground in my absence. Dragging myself away at last, I drove downtown, found parking, and sprinted into the theatre just as the lights were going down. Breathless, I slid into a seat between Seth and his thirteen-year-old niece Brandy. On the other side of him, Seth's brother and sister-in-law waved to me. Brandy grinned. She'd been shy the first time we met but now seemed to regard me as the older sister she didn't have. I adored her too. If Seth and I ever split up, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to handle keeping away from his family. â€Å"I didn't think you'd make it,† she told me, her features faintly discernible in the dim lighting. In days long past, people would have said she and her mother had â€Å"flaxen† hair, but no one really used that term anymore. Still, I always thought it appropriate when I saw that pale shade of gold. â€Å"Just making a fashionably late entrance,† I whispered back. â€Å"Remember that when you're older. It keeps men guessing. Once they start presuming anything, there's no living with them.† Brandy giggled. Seth only smiled, but his eyes radiated approval, as he assessed me. I wore wine-colored silk and had my hair in a French twist. His eyes, I'd long since discovered, could be as eloquent and expressive as his pen. The messages they sent me now hardly seemed decent for a public setting. He moved his hand over to cover mine, so that both rested on my thigh, and as the night progressed, I found myself thinking more about that hand placement than the excellent play. Afterward, he and I stood with his family in the lobby for a while, catching up. Terry and Andrea Mortensen were great people who always treated me with genuine kindness. From what I'd learned of Seth's antisocial habits, I think they regarded me as some sort of last hope for him. Brandy affirmed as much when she and I dashed to the restroom together. â€Å"Dad told Uncle Seth not to screw things up,† she informed me as we washed our hands. â€Å"He said even if Uncle Seth is famous, him getting a woman like you defies belief.† I laughed and smoothed down the skirt of my dress. â€Å"I don't know about that. I don't think your dad gives your uncle enough credit. â€Å" Brandy gave me a sage look, worthy of someone much older. â€Å"Uncle Seth spent last Valentine's Day at a library.† We returned to the lobby and spoke a bit more before Terry declared they needed to rescue the babysitter who'd been left with their other four daughters. Andrea touched my arm as they prepared to leave. â€Å"You're coming to Seth's birthday party, aren't you?† I looked at all of them in surprise. â€Å"When is it?† â€Å"Thanksgiving. They fall on the same day every once in a while.† â€Å"It's a good ploy to get turkey and presents,† remarked Terry. He was shorter and more clean-shaven than Seth but otherwise bore a fair resemblance to his older brother. â€Å"I didn't even know it was coming up.† I shot Seth an accusing look. â€Å"I forgot.† For anyone else, that would probably have been a lie, but I believed him. â€Å"So you'll be there?† Andrea again gave me the impression they were desperate to foster Seth's love life. I could have probably negotiated a stipend for showing up. â€Å"With bells on.† Seth and I went back to his place this time. I shape-shifted into my favorite pajamas – flannel pants and a cami – and crawled into bed with him. His bed was bigger than mine and had a feather duvet, as well as a teddy bear named Damocles who wore a University of Chicago T-shirt. Still a little wound up, we talked in the dark about Emerald City for a while, then moved on to books in general. We had a vast array of familiar literature in our repertoire, and we jumped around authors and genres. We both admired Toni Morrison and Tennessee Williams. Neither of us could get through Anna Karenina. Seth hated Jane Austen, whom I adored. As we debated back and forth, I was relieved to be reminded we truly did have a lot in common. Sex was not the only thing between us, even if it was the only thing that stood between us. At some point in the literary discussion, I began to drift off. The long day had worn me out, and sleep felt luxurious. Seth seemed tired too. He and I drew close, lying on our sides, legs touching. Random thoughts whispered in my head as unconsciousness tugged at me. How Aubrey was doing. Whether Paige's baby would be a boy or a girl. If Bastien was any closer to bedding Dana. How in the world Doug's band had become so amazing so quickly. I opened my eyes a couple hours later, uncertain what had woken me. One of those weird, unseen things that suddenly break you out of sleep, I guessed. Quiet darkness still enveloped us with no sign of morning in sight. A little moonlight filtered inside, casting funny shadows around the desk and other bedroom furniture. Unlike my place in Queen Anne, car traffic here dropped off at night, so I heard only the sound of breathing and electrical humming. Then I noticed that Seth and I had moved our bodies even nearer than before. Our legs wrapped around each other pretzel-style, our arms kept us close together. His scent flooded my nose. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed his were open as well. Intense pools of darkness. He was watching me. Still a little sleepy, I moved my hand up to his neck, twining my fingers in his hair, drawing my face closer to his. His hand rested on the small of my back where the tank top rose away from my flannel pajama bottoms. He touched the skin there just as he had at the concert, his hand sliding toward my side, tracing the curve of my hip before running toward my thigh. The fingers that beat such a steady tattoo on computer keys were as delicate as feathers on me. My eyes never left his as we touched each other, and I swore I could hear my heart thundering in my ears. Then, despite some screaming voice in the back of my foggy brain, I pushed my mouth toward his and kissed him. Our lips were tentative at first, as though surprised they had gotten this far. We tasted each other, slowly and gently. His hand on the back of my thigh slid upward, and something about shy Seth Mortensen stroking my ass sent a thrill through me. A soft exhalation lodged in my throat, and as my tongue explored past his lips, seeking more, he suddenly pushed me onto my back with an urgency that I think astonished both of us. His other hand slid up under my shirt and cupped the bottom of a breast, and through his boxers, I could tell that more than just his hands and lips wanted this to progress. Then, ever so slightly, I felt something else. A slight tingling. Angel-fine tendrils of prickly bliss slowly snaking through me, wrapping around me. Exhilarating. Better than any intoxicant I'd ever experienced. Pure life, pure energy. It was delicious and tantalizing, another dimension of the physical pleasure we stood on the brink of. The fact that it was Seth's was even more alluring. It had his unique essence written all over it. I wanted to dive into it, close my eyes and forget all about being responsible while that sweetness filled me. But I couldn't. My resolve was weakening by the second, true, but I was still holding on. Barely. I broke the kiss reluctantly, trying to muster my strength and move away from him. At the first sign of my struggle, he immediately let me go. â€Å"I – I'm sorry,† I said, sitting up and putting my face in my hands. I rubbed my eyes as though waking from a dream, which in a manner of speaking, I was. â€Å"We can't. It†¦it started†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Just from kissing.† It was a statement, his voice coming out husky with desire and sleepiness†¦and regret. He knew better than most how lethal a passionate kiss could be; I'd almost killed him the last time. Of course, that had been an exceptional situation, and my near-death state had sucked away much more than a deep kiss normally would. â€Å"Just from kissing,† I repeated bleakly. It didn't take intercourse for one person to give themselves up to another. There were no loopholes in this game. Tense silence crept in around us until Seth sat up as well and shifted his body away from mine. I could hear genuine pain and guilt when he spoke again. â€Å"I'm sorry about that. I don't know†¦meant to have better control. But I just sort of woke up†¦and I was half-asleep†¦and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know,† I whispered into the darkness. â€Å"I know. And I'm sorry too.† More silence. â€Å"I guess,† he finally said, â€Å"I should go sleep on the couch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I closed my eyes, feeling terrible but knowing he was right. We'd been playing with fire by fooling around with this chaste-sleeping thing. It was a wonder something bad hadn't happened sooner. The more it sunk in, the more I realized how much damage I could have caused. Hell, how much damage had I caused already by taking those few drops of life from him? A week off his lifespan? A few days? Even one minute would have been too much. Bitterness – at the world, not him – dripped from my voice when I spoke. â€Å"No. I'll take the couch. We're at your place.† â€Å"Whatever. Leave me some remnant of chivalry.† I didn't say anything, and we sat once more in awkward silence. A hundred questions hung in the air between us, but neither of us could broach them. Both our faults. When an emotional situation turned uncomfortable, I had a tendency to run from it or pretend it wasn't happening. And while Seth wouldn't exactly run away, he wouldn't initiate the dialogue needed to explore something like this. So we continued sitting there. At last, he stood up. â€Å"I'm sorry. Sorry for what I did.† He blamed himself, which was typical of him but not fair, especially since I had technically touched him first. I should have said something then, told him it wasn't all his fault. But the words stuck on my tongue, held up by my own confused feelings. After a few more moments, he left for the living room. I lay back down, Damocles in my arms, but slept badly the rest of the night. When morning came, Seth and I ate breakfast in more tense silence – he'd finally made my pancakes – broken only occasionally by stiff small talk. We then went to the bookstore together, parting ways quickly. I hardly saw him the rest of the day. Bastien was in the city for some reason or another that night, so he picked me up later and drove me over to his place for the ridiculous heist at Dana's. When I saw the post-sex energy wreathing him, I knew what had brought him downtown. â€Å"Don't you get tired of getting laid every day?† I asked him, wishing I could have gotten laid last night. â€Å"I'm going to pretend you didn't actually just ask that, Fleur .†He then proceeded to ramble on about his various Dana sightings in the last few days, how chummy they were getting, how it could only be a matter of time before the inevitable. When I didn't really respond, he cut me a sidelong glance. â€Å"What's the matter with you? You look miserable.† I sighed. â€Å"I kissed Seth last night.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"And what?† â€Å"What else happened?† â€Å"Well†¦nothing. I mean, a little groping here and there, but that's it.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, I shouldn't have done it.† A dismissive look crossed his face. â€Å"A kiss is nothing. It's not like you gave him a blow job or anything.† â€Å"Good lord, you're crass.† â€Å"Don't act like I offended your delicate sensibilities. And you know what I'm talking about.† â€Å"Doesn't matter. I was weak. I got some of his energy from that.† † Fleur , I love you as much as I've ever managed to love anybody, but this whole thing is absurd. You're never going to be happy until you've fucked this guy, so just get it over with. It'll take away the whole forbidden attraction and allow both of you to get on with your lives. â€Å" â€Å"‘Get on with our lives?' What's that supposed to mean?† I asked sharply. â€Å"I mean half the reason you guys are so infatuated with each other is because you can't have each other. It's not love, but it is a normal human reaction, a catalyst for physical attraction.† He paused and considered. â€Å"Your maniacal obsession with his books might also be a factor.† â€Å"That's not true. None of that's true at all. Well, I mean, those books are good enough to be the basis of a religion, but that's not the same thing. That's not why I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Love him? Hell. I still didn't know if I did or not. I wasn't even sure what love was after all this time. Bastien shook his head, not believing me but not wanting to argue either. â€Å"Fine. Keep going with this. I still think you should fuck him, though. Even if it doesn't make you both realize you're better off apart, it'll at least remove one source of tension between you and maybe let you attempt some sort of normal dysfunctional relationship.† I stared bleakly into space. â€Å"I can't. Not even one night. It'd take years off his life. I couldn't live with myself.† â€Å"Bah. Only a handful of years at most. What's that? Besides, men have done stupider things for sex – with women they don't even really like. If he really does love you, he might think it's a fair trade.† I shuddered. I didn't think it was fair at all, but he was right about the silly things men would do for sex. I'd seen and initiated plenty of them. We finally gave up both sides of the argument when we pulled into his driveway. The clock was ticking, and we had to start this operation. Bastien had watched Dana and Bill drive off earlier, and their teenage son had gone down the street to stay at a friend's house. Shifting to be invisible to mortal eyes, Bastien and I crept out the back of his house and scaled the fence into Dana's yard. It sort of made me feel like I was in a spy movie; I half wished we could crawl under some motion-detecting lasers. â€Å"They have a security system,† I whispered to Bastien as I watched him pick the back door's lock. More useful skills gleaned from long centuries. â€Å"Being invisible isn't going to deactivate it. â€Å" â€Å"No problem. I've done some invisible reconnaissance. I know the code.† Sure enough, he punched it into the console once we were in the house, and the readout's red light turned green. We started in the Dailey office, as that seemed like the most logical place to stash paperwork. Dana had a meticulous sense of organization that creeped me out, and we had to make sure we left everything the way we found it. Unfortunately, most of the stuff was completely useless. Memos. Efficient – and honest – budget reports. Invoices. Press releases. She had a lot of pictures too, which were at least more fun to look at than the papers. Most of them showed family or CPFV events. A number of the shots had Jody in them, which saddened me. I recalled the other woman's sly wit and passion for art. Why would someone with any sort of intelligence want to get involved in all this? â€Å"I didn't realize how active Jody was in this group,† I remarked to Bastien. â€Å"She wasn't so bad. Dana's corrupted her.† â€Å"Dana's a persuasive woman. Hey, did you know Jody's last name is Daniels? And her husband's name is Jack?† We giggled over that and continued searching a while longer before finally abandoning the office. We then ransacked – neatly, of course – any other cupboards or drawers we could find on the main floor. Nothing. â€Å"Maybe there are secret panels behind paintings,† suggested Bastien. â€Å"Or maybe the pool-boy thing was a fraud, Dana's honest with her business dealings, and there's really nothing else to get on her except that she's a prejudiced bitch.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"One place left. The true sanctuary. The bedroom.† I grimaced. Going into someone's bedroom freaked me out. The ultimate violation of privacy. But Bastien charged on, still confident this wild goose chase would yield results. Fortunately, the bedroom had the neat, sterile look of a hotel, not the warm and sensual air of one's most intimate space. It made searching easier, like I was breaking into a vacant room. We sifted through drawers and closets, again finding little to go on. â€Å"Eek!† I suddenly cried, staring into an open drawer. Bastien flew to me. â€Å"What? What is it?† I held up what had to be the most wholesome pair of granny panties I'd ever seen. They were like great-granny panties. They were even white. You would have thought she could at least go out on a limb and get them in blue or green or something. Bastien elbowed me for my overreaction. â€Å"How can you even act surprised after hearing her rants about modest clothing?† â€Å"Modest is one thing, but Jesus†¦how high do these things go? Up to her neck?† â€Å"Put them back. We've got to – â€Å" Click. We'd both heard. I shot Bastien a panicked look and shoved the underwear back in the drawer. â€Å"I thought you said – † His tone was grim. â€Å"I know, I know.† Someone had just entered the house.

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Employee Benefits - Essay Example Companies also offer these benefits as acts of appreciation in order to take care of the well being of its human capital. The purpose of this paper is to study different types of employee benefits and its how they can be utilize as part of a company’s strategic plan. Two types of mandatory fringe benefits that employees working for companies receive are social security and unemployment insurance benefits. Companies match the 7.65% percent employees pay to the federal government for their social security pension plan and Medicare benefits. The unemployment insurance is an insurance the employer buys from a governmental agency that pays employees money in case the employee gets fired for up to year on a bi-weekly basis. Other mandatory benefits employees received from companies are a certain amount of sick days and vacation days per year. The typical approximate benefit of accumulated vacation and sick days is ten sick days a year ten vacation days per year. The other types of benefits companies can offer are voluntary benefits to their employees. A benefit package a company can offer to their employees includes benefits such as health plan, dental plan, company cars, gas allowance, Christmas bonus, flexible time, tuition assistance, training and development opportunities, child day care, elderly care and credit unions among others. A total package of benefits is offered by companies for two main strategic reasons. These two strategic objectives are to enable a company to recruit top talent and in order to retain trained employees in the firm. Offering benefits such as child day care is a very valuable benefit for a single mother. It enables these women to work, while having the reassurance that their children are receiving a proper care which at times costs thousands of dollars a month. A health plan is a benefit that protects the health of the employees and provides the medical financial assistance needed in those times when employees

Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12500 words

Dissertation Example This study suggests that the explanation as to how information systems contribute to the performance and competitive advantage of the firm may lie within the specific responses, and competitive actions that the firm participates in or the role information systems play in the competitive dynamics of the firm (Eisenhardt 2004). Kenya and most African countries have one thing in common; they all have a large health provision gap, which is growing each year. This provision gap is prevalent mostly in the urban areas. This arises due to rural-urban migration since young men, and women move to urban areas in search of employment. This movement to urban areas has led to the over stretching of the available and limited health facilities. Due to this, many dispensing chemists that at times act as clinics have sprung up in almost every estate, surburb in the city. The health provision gap can be supplemented through such dispensing chemists and pharmacies. Moreover, many households cannot affor d to pay medical bills at the hospitals and see this as a cheaper way of meeting their medical needs. Capital Chemist is one of those dispensing chemists that operate within Nairobi with the aim of making medical supplies such as drugs, and equipment readily and cheaply available. It also offers services such as laboratory tests. It aims to support and reduce the health gap that exists in Kenya, especially the urban areas. Capital Chemist has over 50 employees and has been operating in the pharmacy market in the country for the last 5 years. Its drug dispensing division is one of the most profitable of the overall venture. Despite increasing competition from other dispensing chemists and pharmacies, Capital has maintained a strong position in the drug dispensing market thanks to its attractive, long operating hours, and the variety of drugs and medical equipment it offers. Even though the popularity of Capitals’ long working hours and a variety of services, Capital has manage d to keep and attract more customers due to the strong customer relationship it has. It has also been able to achieve this through its high level of customer support. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The Capital Chemist, herein referred to as ‘The Chemist’ is a pharmaceuticals drugs and medical equipment retail chain in Nairobi, Kenya. A registered pharmaceutical retail company was incorporated in 2007. It has branches in several parts of the city. Its presence manifests itself in almost every estate, in the city. Administratively the chemist is served through all its 12 branches across the city. It has its headquarters in Nairobi’s Central Business District. These branches aim at meeting the goals, and mission of the company. All operations are regulated and controlled by the headquarters in Nairobi. It aims at providing quality, readily available medical drugs to its client when needed and whenever needed. Synchronizing the management and operations of these branche s to ensure efficiency in service delivery, and profitability has become a nightmare. Currently each of the 12 branches has its own management system that is limited to point-of sale management only. The other process such as inventory management, price control, and diagnosis are manually handled using spreadsheets. Given that daily sales and purchase quantities are high and are forecast to increase, tracking and

Quantitive analyse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantitive analyse - Essay Example There appears very strong linear relationship between income and age, as the data points lie (cluster) around a straight line. There appears very week (or no) linear relationship between income and degree. However, the scattergraph is inconclusive, as there are two values for degree Arts (0) and Science (1), only. In a bivariate regression, R2 is a measure of the correlation coefficient r. Correlation coefficient value near 0 indicates there is little (or no) association between the two variables and a value near 1 indicates a strong association between the two variables (Lind, Marchal and Wathen, 2009). Using correlation coefficient, R2 can be calculated as below The regression slope coefficient of 0.771 suggests that every year increase in fulltime-employed adult’s age increases income by about  £771, on average. The regression intercept coefficient of 4.860 is not meaningful in the context of this problem because there will be no employee with 0 years age. The value of coefficient of determination, R2 is 0.9797. This suggests that fulltime-employed adult’s age explains about 97.97% variation in income. Only 2.03% variations in income remains unexplained. The regression slope coefficient of -2.35 and intercept coefficient of 37.71 suggests that Science degree decreases fulltime-employed adult’s income by about  £2,350 as compared to Arts degree. Arts fulltime employed adult’s income is  £37,710, on average. The value of coefficient of determination, R2 is 0.0183. This suggests that fulltime-employed adult’s degree only explains about 1.83% variation in income and 98.17% variations in income remains

Industrial Safety Jobs in Oklahoma Research Paper

Industrial Safety Jobs in Oklahoma - Research Paper Example The legal environment is a factor because there are strict laws in place which compels the organizations to ensure that the workers are safe and that al the measures of industrial safety are in place. These laws are in place not only in the developed countries but also in the developing countries. This shows the level of importance which governments have for the industrial safety. The humanitarian argument has its roots is humanities. It suggests that it is the responsibility of the organization to ensure that the fellow humans are not treated in any inhumane way. The proponents of this concept suggest that if an organization does not focus on industrial safety, it can have a severe implication on its image and eventually profits. The economic argument, as discussed earlier, is based on simply the costs of industrial hazards. Moreover, if the legal aspect is also held into consideration, then an organization should also keep in mind the legal penalties and fines which the government can impose because of safety breaches. The situation in Oklahoma in particular and the US in general is such that the Chemical Safety Board is seriously working to ensure that a proper system is in place for industrial safety. This has led to an increase in opportunities for jobs in this area. For instance, CSB is now considering implementing a program in which a greater emphasis is placed on the employee involvement in the safety ensuring process. In this way the workers can equally participate in monitoring, controlling and more importantly owning the safety process. If, for instance, an accident occurs, the employees can now directly report the issue to the CSB and thus CSB can investigate on quick and accurate information (Rick, 2012). The prospect of industrial safety in Oklahoma is promising. The state is included in one of those places where this concept is being taken seriously. There are many universities which are offering programs for

Assessment of an enterprise-level business system Essay

Assessment of an enterprise-level business system - Essay Example At the end this write up would set forth the criteria for establishing the acceptability or otherwise of the business process mapping tools and suggest any improved tools. In fact all this considerations can be answered in the concept of business process reengineering. It was in the early 1990s that many US corporations, and subsequently companies all over the world, began to adopt the concept of business process reengineering (BPR) to obtain long lost competitiveness that they had lost during the previous decade. The primary feature of BPR is the sole focus on business processes, rather than functional organizational structures. Davenport (1993) defines a (business) process as "a structured, measured set of activities designed to produce a specific output for a particular customer or market. It implies a strong emphasis on how work is done within an organization, in contrast to a product focus's emphasis on what. A process is thus a specific ordering of work activities across time and space, with a beginning and an end, and clearly defined inputs and outputs: a structure for action. ... Taking a process approach implies adopting the customer's point of view. Processes are the structure by which an organization does what is necessary to produce value for its customers." 1 Hammer & Champy's (1993) definition can be considered as a subset of Davenport's. They define a process as "a collection of activities that takes one or more kinds of input and creates an output that is of value to the customer." Whereas Johansson et. al. (1993) defines a process as, "a set of linked activities that take an input and transform it to create an output. Ideally, the transformation that occurs in the process should add value to the input and create an output that is more useful and effective to the recipient either upstream or downstream." This definitions lead us to chief feature of a business process viz. Definability, Order, Customer, Value adding, Embeddedness and Cross functionality. In order to gain an understanding of the various processes involved in the organization which completes its business system information pertaining to above features of the business processes needs to be collected. There can be essentially two approaches to collection of such data-one , the primary data collection and, two, the secondary data collection. With in these approaches primary data could be collected through face to face interviews with key personnel responsible for such processes and a broader based questionnaire approach can be used for the operative employees. Secondary data sources can be rich and can range from industry publications to in-house examination of manuals, sales and marketing registers, financial accounts, accounting vouchers to Board minutes to minutes of the various committees of the Board and other executive committees. 2 The process of business process mapping can follow two approaches. Davenport and Short (1990) have identified two basic methods for process identification, which they termed "targeted" and "comprehensive" methods. Targeted methods take their starting point in the identification of a relatively small number of processes being critical to the business, which are

Passage to India Part One Essay Example for Free

Passage to India Part One Essay Summary: Chapter IV Mr. Turton invites several Indian gentlemen to the proposed Bridge Party at the club. The Indians are surprised by the invitation. Mahmoud Ali suspects that the lieutenant general has ordered Turton to hold the party. The Nawab Bahadur, one of the most important Indian landowners in the area, announces that he appreciates the invitation and will attend. Some accuse the Nawab Bahadur of cheapening himself, but most Indians highly respect him and decide to attend also. The narrator describes the room in which the Indian gentlemen meet. Outside remain the lowlier Indians who received no invitation. The narrator describes Mr. Grayford and Mr. Sorley, missionaries on the outskirts of the city. Mr. Sorley feels that all men go to heaven, but not lowly wasps, bacteria, or mud, because something must be excluded to leave enough for those who are included. Mr. Sorley’s Hindu friends disagree, however, as they feel that God includes every living thing. Summary: Chapter V At the Bridge Party, the Indian guests stand idly at one side of the tennis lawn while the English stand at the other. The clear segregation dismays Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore. Ronny and Mrs.  Turton disdainfully discuss the Indians’ clothing, which mixes Eastern and Western styles. Several Englishwomen arrive and discuss the earlier production of Cousin Kate. Mrs. Moore is surprised to note how intolerant and conventional Ronny’s opinions have become. Mr. Turton arrives, cynically noting to himself that each guest has come for a self-serving reason. Reluctantly, Mrs. Turton takes Adela and Mrs. Moore to visit a group of Indian ladies. Mrs. Turton addresses the Indian women in crude Urdu, and then asks Mrs. Moore and Adela if they are satisfied. One of the Indian women speaks, and Mrs.  Turton is surprised to learn that the women know English. Mrs. Moore and Adela unsuccessfully try to draw the Indian women out into more substantial conversation. Mrs. Moore asks one of them, Mrs. Bhattacharya, if she and Adela can visit her at home. Mrs. Bhattacharya agrees to host the Englishwomen the upcoming Thursday, and her husband promises to send his carriage for them. Mr. Fielding, who is also at the party, socializes freely with the Indians and even eats on the Indian side of the lawn. He is pleased to learn that Adela and Mrs. Moore have been friendly to the Indians. Fielding locates Adela and invites her nd Mrs. Moore to tea. Adela complains about how rude the English are acting toward their guests, but Fielding suspects her complaints are intellectual, not emotional. Adela mentions Dr. Aziz, and Fielding promises to invite the doctor to tea as well. That evening, Adela and Ronny dine with the McBrydes and Miss Derek. The dinner consists of standard English fare. During the meal, Adela begins to dread the prospect of a drab married life among the insensitive English. She fears she will never get to know the true spirit of India. After Adela goes to bed, Ronny asks his mother about Adela. Mrs.  Moore explains that Adela feels that the English are unpleasant to the Indians. Ronny is dismissive, explaining that the English are in India to keep the peace, not to be pleasant. Mrs. Moore disagrees, saying it is the duty of the English to be pleasant to Indians, as God demands love for all men. Mrs. Moore instantly regrets mentioning God; ever since she has arrived in India, her God has seemed less powerful than ever before. Summary: Chapter VI The morning after Aziz’s encounter with Mrs. Moore, Major Callendar scolds the doctor for failing to report promptly to his summons, and he does not ask for Aziz’s side of the story. Aziz and a colleague, Dr. Panna Lal, decide to attend the Bridge Party together. However, the party falls on the anniversary of Aziz’s wife’s death, so he decides not to attend. Aziz mourns his loving wife for part of the day and then borrows Hamidullah’s pony to practice polo on the town green. An English soldier is also practicing polo, and he and Aziz play together briefly as comrades. Dr. Lal, returning from the Bridge Party, runs into Aziz. Lal reports that Aziz’s absence was noticed, and he insists on knowing why Aziz did not attend. Aziz, considering Lal ill mannered to ask such a question, reacts defiantly. By the time Aziz reaches home, though, he has begun to worry that the English will punish him for not attending. His mood improves when he opens Fielding’s invitation to tea. Aziz is pleased that Fielding has politely ignored the fact that Aziz forgot to respond to an invitation to tea at Fielding’s last month. Analysis: Chapters IV–VI The wildly unsuccessful Bridge Party stands as the clear focus of this portion of the novel. Though the event is meant to be a time of orchestrated interaction, a â€Å"bridge† between the two cultures, the only result is heightened suspicion on both sides. Indians such as Mahmoud Ali suspect that Turton is throwing the party not in good faith, but on orders from a superior. Turton himself suspects that the Indians attend only for self-serving reasons. The party remains segregated, with the English hosts regarding their guests as one large group that can be split down only into Indian â€Å"types,† not into individuals. Though the Bridge Party clearly furthers our idea that the English as a whole act condescendingly toward the Indians, Forster also uses the party to examine the minute differences among English attitudes. Mrs.  Turton, for instance, represents the attitude of most Englishwomen in India: she is flatly bigoted and rude, regarding herself as superior to all Indians in seemingly every respect. The Englishmen at the party, however, appear less malicious in their attitudes. Mr. Turton and Ronny Heaslop are representative of this type: through their work they have come to know some Indians as individuals, and though somewhat condescending, they are far less overtly malicious than the Englishwomen. Cyril Fielding, who made a brief appearance in Chapter III, appears here to be the model of successful interaction between the English and Indians. Unlike the other English, Fielding does not recognize racial distinctions between himself and the native population. Instead, he interacts with Indians on an individual-to-individual basis. Moreover, he senses that he has found like-minded souls in Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore. Of the two, Fielding is more closely akin to Mrs. Moore than Adela: Fielding and Mrs. Moore are unself-conscious in their friendship with Indians, whereas Adela consciously and actively seeks out this cross-cultural friendship as an interesting and enriching experience. Forster fleshes out the character of Adela Quested significantly in these chapters. As part of this effort, the author uses Fielding as a sort of moral barometer, a character whose judgments we can trust. In this regard, we can see Fielding’s judgment of Adela—that she appears to object to the English treatment of the Indians on an intellectual, rather than emotional level—as Forster’s own judgment. Adela, perhaps because of this intellectual, unemotional curiosity about Indian culture, conducts her interactions in India in a negative sense rather than a positive one—attempting to not act like the other English rather than attempting to actively identify with Indians. Adela always acts s an individual, rejecting the herd mentality of the other couples at the English club. While the other English try to re-create England in India through meals of sardines and plays like Cousin Kate, Adela hopes to experience the â€Å"real India,† the â€Å"spirit† of India. Yet we sense that Adela’s idea of this â€Å"real India† is vague and somewhat romanticized, especially when compared to Mrs. Moore’s genuine interaction with Aziz or Fielding’s enthusiastic willingness to partake in Indian culture. The primary Indian protagonist, Aziz, develops in these chapters as significantly distinct from English expectations of Indian character. While the English pride themselves on dividing the Indian character into â€Å"types† with identifiable characteristics, Aziz appears to be a man of indefinable flux. Forster distinguishes Aziz’s various guises—outcast, poet, medical student, religious worshiper—and his ability to slip easily among them without warning. Aziz’s whims fluctuate in a way similar to his overall character. In Chapter VI we see Aziz shift from mood to mood in the space of minutes: first he wants to attend the Bridge Party, then he is disgusted with the party, then he despairingly mourns his dead wife, then he seeks companionship and exercise. Ironically, one of Aziz’s only constant qualities is a characteristically English quality: an insistence upon good breeding and polite manners. This quality makes Aziz slightly prejudiced—it leads him to reject his friendship with Dr. Lal—yet it also allows him to disregard racial boundaries, as when he feels automatically affectionate toward Fielding because of the Englishman’s politeness. Furthermore, Forster uses these chapters to begin to develop one of the major ideas he explores in A Passage to India—the inclusiveness of the Hindu religion, especially as compared to Christianity. Forster portrays Hinduism as a religion that encompasses all, that sees God in everything, even the smallest bacterium. He specifically aligns Mrs. Moore with Hinduism in the earlier scene from Chapter III in which she treats a small wasp kindly. The image of the wasp reappears in Chapter IV as the wasp that the Hindus assume will be part of heaven—a point on which the Christian missionaries Mr. Grayford and Mr. Sorley disagree. Mrs. Moore is a Christian, but in Chapter VI we see that she has begun to call her Christianity into question during her stay in India. Whereas God earlier was the greatest thought in Mrs.  Moore’s head, now the woman appears to sense something beyond that thought, perhaps the more inclusive and all-encompassing worldview of Hinduism. Summary: Chapter VII In every remark [Aziz] found a meaning, but not always the true meaning, and his life though vivid was largely a dream. (See 0pl,) Fielding’s many worldly experiences keep him from being insensitive toward Indians like the rest of the English are. The English mildly distrust Fielding, partly out of suspicion of his efforts to educate Indians as individuals. Fielding also makes offhand comments that distress the English, such as his remark that â€Å"whites† are actually â€Å"pinko-grey. Still, Fielding manages to remain friendly with the men at the English club while also socializing with Indians. Aziz arrives at Fielding’s for tea as Fielding is dressing. Though the two men have never met, they treat each other informally, which delights Aziz. Fielding breaks the collar stud for his shirt, but Aziz quickly removes his own and gives it to Fielding. The relations between the two men sour only briefly when Aziz misinterprets Fielding’s dismissive comment about a new school of painting to be dismissive of Aziz himself. Aziz is disappointed when Mrs.  Moore and Adela arrive, as their presence upsets the intimacy of his conversation with Fielding. The party continues to be informal, though, even with the women present. Aziz feels comfortable addressing the women as he would address men, as Mrs. Moore is so elderly and Adela so plain looking. The ladies are disappointed and confused because the Bhattacharyas never sent their carriage this morning as promised. Adela pronounces it a â€Å"mystery,† but Mrs. Moore disagrees—mysteries she likes, but this is a â€Å"muddle. † Fielding pronounces all India a muddle. Aziz denounces the rudeness of the Hindu Bhattacharyas and invites the women to his own house. To Aziz’s horror, Adela takes his invitation literally and asks for his address. Aziz is ashamed of his shabby residence and distracts Adela with commentary on Indian architecture. Fielding knows that Aziz has some historical facts wrong, but Fielding does not correct Aziz as other Englishmen would have. At the moment Fielding recognizes â€Å"truth of mood† over truth of fact. The last of Fielding’s guests, the Hindu professor Godbole, arrives. Aziz asks Adela if she plans to settle in India, to which Adela spontaneously responds that she cannot. Adela then realizes that, in making this admission, she has essentially told strangers that she will not marry Ronny before she has even told Ronny so herself. Adela’s words fluster Mrs. Moore. Fielding then takes Mrs. Moore on a tour of the college grounds. Adela again mentions the prospect of visiting Aziz’s house, but Aziz invites her to the Marabar Caves instead. Aziz attempts to describe the caves, but it becomes clear that Aziz has never seen them. Godbole has been to the caves, but he does not adequately describe why they are extraordinary; in fact, Aziz senses that Godbole is holding back information. Suddenly, Ronny arrives to take Adela and his mother to a polo match at the club. Ronny ignores the Indians. Aziz becomes excitable and overly intimate in reaction to Ronny’s rude interruption. Fielding reappears, and Ronny privately scolds him for leaving Adela alone with Indians. Before the ladies leave, Godbole sings an odd-sounding Hindu song in which the singer asks God to come to her, but God refuses. In her ignorance, [Adela] regarded [Aziz] as â€Å"India,† and never surmised that his outlook was limited and his method inaccurate, and that no one is India. (See Important Quotations Explained) Summary: Chapter VIII Driving away from Fielding’s, Adela expresses annoyance at Ronny’s rudeness. Adela mentions Aziz’s invitation to the Marabar Caves, but Ronny immediately forbids the women to go. Ronny mentions Aziz’s unpinned collar as an example of Indians’ general inattention to detail. Mrs. Moore, tired of bickering, asks to be dropped off at home. Adela feels suddenly ashamed of telling those at the tea party of her intention to leave India. After the polo match at the club, Adela quietly tells Ronny that she has decided not to marry him. Ronny is disappointed, but he agrees to remain friends with her. Adela sees a green bird and asks Ronny what type of bird it is. Ronny does not know, which confirms Adela’s feeling that nothing in India is identifiable. Ronny and Adela begin to feel lonely and useless in their surroundings; they suddenly feel they share more similarities than differences. The Nawab Bahadur happens by and offers Ronny and Adela a ride in his automobile. Riding in the back seat, the two feel dwarfed by the dark night and expansive landscape surrounding them. Their hands accidentally touch, and they feel an animalistic thrill. The car mysteriously breaks down on a road outside the city. They all climb out and determine that the car must have hit something, probably a hyena. After a short while, Miss Derek drives past them offers them a ride back to Chandrapore. Driving back to Chandrapore, Miss Derek jokes about her employer, an Indian noblewoman. Ronny and Adela feel drawn together by their shared distaste for Miss Derek’s crass manner and for the Nawab’s polite but long-winded speeches. When Adela and Ronny arrive back at the bungalow, Adela says that she would like to marry Ronny after all. He agrees. Adela, however, immediately feels a sense of disappointment, believing she will now be labeled the same as all the other married Englishwomen in India. They go inside and tell Mrs. Moore of their plans. Adela begins to feel more pleasant, joining Ronny in poking fun at the Nawab Bahadur. When Ronny and Adela tell Mrs.  Moore of the strange car accident, the older woman shivers and claims that the car must have hit a â€Å"ghost. † Meanwhile, down in the city of Chandrapore, the Nawab Bahadur describes the accident to others. He explains that it took place near the site where he ran over and killed a drunken man nine years ago. The Nawab Bahadur insists that the dead man caused the accident that occurred this evening. Aziz is skeptical, however, and feels that Indians should not be so superstitious. Analysis: Chapters VII–VIII Though Fielding himself disregards racial boundaries, his tea party does not quite develop into a successful version of the Bridge Party. Aziz and Adela both appear overexcited during the tea, while Mrs. Moore and Professor Godbole remain withdrawn from the others’ chatter. The sudden cultural interaction carries Adela away and convinces her, almost subconsciously, that she cannot remain in India and become a wife at the club—prompting the spontaneous admission that upsets Mrs. Moore. The tea sours when Ronny arrives, though his rudeness appears only to bring out tensions that already existed. Aziz becomes grotesquely overfamiliar, Adela blames herself and Ronny, Fielding becomes annoyed, and Mrs. Moore becomes spiritually drained by Godbole’s Hindu song. The tea party is further disturbed by a disparity between what Forster calls â€Å"truth of fact† and â€Å"truth of mood. † Thus far in A Passage to India, we have seen that the Indian characters often tend to say one thing when they mean another. Forster presents this tendency as problematic only for the English, among whom words are taken at face value. Indians appear skilled at identifying the undertones—the unspoken elements—of a conversation. Indeed, we see that Aziz recognizes from tone, rather than words, that Godbole is withholding information from his description of the Marabar Caves. Moreover, when Aziz invites Mrs. Moore and Adela to his house, the â€Å"mood† of his question—his sincere feeling of goodwill and hospitality to the Englishwomen—is all that Aziz means to convey. Adela, however, takes the invitation literally and asks for Aziz’s address. The misunderstanding makes Aziz uncomfortable, as he is in fact embarrassed about the appearance of his home. Fielding, too, reacts negatively to Adela’s literal-mindedness. This disconnect between cultural uses of language is an important division between the English and Indians in the novel. Forster explores another divide between the English and Indian cultures through the idea of naming or labeling. If the English in the novel always say exactly what they mean, they also are quick to attach names or labels to objects and people around them. When Adela and Ronny sit together at the club, Adela wonders aloud what kind of bird sits on the tree above them. Ronny does not know, which depresses Adela even more; meanwhile, the narrator notes that nothing is identifiable in India, as things disappear or change before one can name them. The British in India realize that with the ability to name or label things comes power. It is for this reason that Fielding’s remark that â€Å"whites† are really â€Å"pinko-grey† upsets the men at the club: by deflating labels like â€Å"white† and â€Å"brown,† Fielding implicitly challenges the assertive naming and labeling power of the English in India. If â€Å"white† really only refers to skin tone—rather than also connoting superiority, advanced religion, technology, and morality—then â€Å"whites† have no inherent right to rule India. Adela’s conflicted view of naming or labeling constitutes a major tension within her character. On the one hand, Adela recognizes that the ability to label gives one power—or, as she might say, a purpose or place in the world. India’s resistance to identification, symbolized by the nameless green bird, challenges Adela’s sense of individuality. On the other hand, Adela realizes that being on the receiving end of a label can leave one powerless. It is for this reason that she remains resistant to marrying Ronny, knowing that she will be labeled an Englishwoman in India—a club wife—and that her behavior will be restricted accordingly. When Adela feels her individuality challenged by India’s resistance to identification, she seems more likely to turn to Ronny for marriage; yet, when she recognizes the tyranny of labels like â€Å"Englishwoman in India,† she feels reluctant to marry Ronny. We see in these chapters that the natural environment of India has a direct effect on Ronny and Adela’s engagement. As soon as Adela tells Ronny she does not want to become engaged, their surroundings begin to overwhelm them, making them feel like lonely, sensual beings who share more similarities than differences. In particular, they feel that the night sky swallows them during their ride with the Nawab Bahadur. The sky makes Ronny and Adela feel indistinct as individuals, suddenly part of a larger mass that is somehow fundamentally united. Therefore, when their hands touch accidentally in the car, both Ronny and Adela are attuned to the animalistic thrill of sensuality. Their experience under the engulfing Indian sky draws Ronny and Adela together, forcing them to assert themselves as important, distinct individuals through a commitment to each other. Furthermore, the social environment of India—the Indians who surround Ronny and Adela—contributes to this shift in perspective in the couple’s relationship, their new feeling that they are more alike than different. Specifically, Ronny and Adela feel a bond through their shared distaste for Miss Derek and the Nawab Bahadur—a bond that leads Adela to suddenly reverse her decision and renew her engagement to Ronny. In this regard, Forster implies that the union of marriage requires a third presence, against which husband and wife can define themselves as similar. Indeed, after announcing their renewed engagement, Adela shows her openness to her future with Ronny through her willingness to make fun of the Nawab Bahadur with him. While Ronny and Adela feel a sense of unity against the muddle that is India, we see Mrs. Moore grow even more spiritually attuned to the minds of Indians. First Mrs. Moore appears to be most aligned with the religious figure of Professor Godbole. Godbole’s song, in which God is called but does not come, profoundly affects Mrs. Moore, deepening her sense of separation from her Christian God. Then, when Ronny and Adela tell Mrs.  Moore of their car accident with Nawab Bahadur, the elder woman strongly feels that a ghost caused the accident. Though Ronny and Adela ignore Mrs. Moore, we learn a short while later that the Nawab Bahadur, too, suspects that a ghost caused the accident—the ghost of the drunken man that he ran over nine years ago near the same spot. While Ronny and Adela begin to segregate themselves from the social and natural landscape that surrounds them, Mrs. Moore surrenders to the overwhelming presence and mysticism she feels in India, attuning herself to a sort of collective psyche of the land she is visiting.

Culture Of Hepg2 Cells Biology Essay

Culture Of Hepg2 Cells Biology Essay Hep G2 cell line was purchased from American Type Culture Collection (ACTT) (VA, USA). Dulbeccos Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), 0.5% Trypsin-EDTA 10x, and Penicillin-Streptomycin (PS) were obtained from Invitrogen Corporation (NY, USA). Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) was gotten from Welgene Inc. (Daegu, South Korea). Fatty acids (Palmitic, Oleic and Dedocanoic acid), Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Tween 20 came from Sigma (MO, USA). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (CA, USA). MTT assay (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay) was purchased from Molecular Probes (Oregon, USA). LDH assay (Lactate dehydrogenase assay) was from ROCHE (Mannhein, Germany). [emailprotected]/503 and Carboxyl-H2DCFDA were purchased from Invitrogen Corporation (Oregon, USA). Nile red was from Fluka (MO, USA). Triglyceride Quantification Kit and ATP Colorimetric/Flourometric Assay Kit were purchased from BioVion Inc. (CA, USA). Annexin V Floustaining kit was from Roche (IN, USA). Phosphate buffered saline was made up of chemicals at pH 7.4, including 11.7g NaCl, 5.5g Na2HPO4-7H2O, and 1.35g NaH2PO4. All other chemicals met in standard grade of analysis. Culture of HepG2 cells HepG2 cells were cultured in Dulbeccos modified Eagles medium, containing 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and 1% (v/v) Penicillin-Streptomycin under 5 % CO2, 95 % humidity at 37 °C. The cells were subcultured by using 0.5% Trypsin-EDTA 1x (Invitrogen Corporation, NY, USA) for detachment and seeded at proper cell number in all experiments. Fatty acid treatment When 80 % confluency of HepG2 was reached, it was treated with various concentrations of the fatty acids (0 mM, 0.1 mM, 0.2 mM, 0.3 mM, 0.5 mM, 0.7 mM and 1.0 mM) for 24 h. The stock solution of fatty acids was prepared at 100 mM by dissolving in DMSO and stored at -200C. The stocks were diluted in DMEM media containing a constant ratio of fatty acid bound bovine serum albumin at 2 to 1 to obtain working solution in all experiments. Cytotoxicity assay Cytotoxicity was based on the measurement of cytoplasmic enzyme activity by using cytotoxicity detection kit (ROCHE, Mannhein, Germany). The cytoplasmic enzyme was released from damaged cells that its enzyme activity expresses to the proportion of toxiced-cell. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) presents in all cells which is a stable cytoplasmic enzyme. When the membrane integrity of the cells is damaged, it is quickly released into the media. In this assay, NAD+ is reduced to NADH/H+ during conversion of lactate to pyruvate by the LDH-catalyzed. After that, H/H+ from NADH/H+ was transferred by the catalyst (diaphorase) to the tetrazolium salt (yellow) which was reduced to formazan (red). To conduct the assay, the culture supernatant is collected cell-free after desire exposure time (24 h). The reaction mixture from the kit was then applied in the samples. The absorption of the formazan dye formed was measured at 490 nm on an ELISA reader (VERSARMAX, Molecular Divices., CA, USA). Cell viability Cell viability was measured based on measurement absorption of a water-insoluble purple formazan which was reduced from a yellow water-soluble tetrazolium salt in live cells. Briefly, the cells were treated with MTT (5 mg/ml) in DMEM at 37 0C for 1.5 h. Then, the media were removed, and DMSO was added to dissolve the furmazan crystals. After gently pipetting, the absorbency was measured at 570 nm using an ELISA reader (VERSARMAX, Molecular Divices., CA, USA). The estimation of cell viability was calculated by comparing between the spectra value of treated and untreated cells. Quantification of triglyceride Triglyceride content (TG) was determined according to an enzymic method (BioVion Inc, CA, USA). In this method, glycerol is a product by TG-catalyzed which reacts with the probe to generate coloration measured on spectrophotometry at 570 nm. In briefly, the cells were washed twice times with cold PBS, then homogenized in 5% Triton-X100 solution. After slowly heating at 80-100 °C for 5 min, the samples were centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 5 min. The supernatant collected from removing insoluble materials was added 2 ÃŽ ¼l of lipase, mixed well and incubated for 20 min at room temperature. Finally, 50 ÃŽ ¼l of the reaction mix was putted in each sample for 45 min of incubation, protected from light. The value of triglyceride content was quantified based on triglyceride standard curve that was constructed with different concentrations of TG (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 nmol/ml). Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation The measurement of ROS production within cells was carried out by using 2†²,7†²-Dichlorohydrofluorescein diacetate (Carboxyl-H2DCFDA; Invitrogen Corporation, Oregon, USA) which is combined into fluorescent products in the presence of H2O2 and other ROS molecules and esterases (Zhenyuan Song et al, 2007). After the cells were overloaded with 1.0 mM fatty acids, 10 mM final concentration of Carboxyl-H2DCFDA was added in the media without FBS at 370C in darkness for 30 min. Then, the cells were washed twice times with warmed PBS and lysed in 200 Ã‚ ­l RIPA buffer (PIERCE, IL, USA). The lysed-cells were centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 5 min. The supernatants were conveyed to a 96-well back plate which were excited at 485 nm and emitted at 530 nm for the Carboxyl-H2DCFDA fluorescence on Fluorometer (VICTOR2, Perkin Elmer., MA, USA). Trilyceride staining on Confocal Bodipy @493/503 (Invitrogen, Oregon, USA) was used to capture TG fluorescence on Confocal microscopy. In this experiment, the cells were prepared as above. Before the dyes treatment, the cells were washed with PBS twice times. Bodipy @493/503 was then added at 1.0  Ã‚ ­M, and 15 min of incubation at 370C after the cells were rinsed with PBS again. Zeiss LSM Image Brown software (LSM 510 meta, Carl Zeiss., Jena, Germany) was handled to take TG image at excitation of 488 and emission of BP 505-530 nm. ROS staining on Confocal ROS generation in HepG2 was stained by using Carboxyl-H2DCFDA. In this experiment, the cells were prepared as above. Before the dyes treatment, the cells were washed with warmed PBS twice times. The carboxyl-H2DCFDA was applied at 10 mM final concentration in Serum free media (DMEM without FBS), and incubated for 30 min at 370C, protected from the light. After that, the cells were rinsed with warmed PBS again. Zeiss LSM Image Brown software (LSM 510 meta, Carl Zeiss., Jena, Germany) was handled to take ROS image at excitation of 488 nm and emission of LP 530 nm. Detection of cell death and trilyceride accumulation by Confocal HepG2 seeded in the 24-well plate and treated with final concentration of fatty acids to 1.0 mM for 24 h. After the incubation time, the cells were washed twice times with PBS. Then, Bodipy @493/503 (Invitrogen, Oregon, USA) was dissolved in PBS at 5  Ã‚ ­g/ml which was added into each well. This process was kept in darkness for 15 min at 370C. After that, the Bodipy solution was removed and the cells were then washed by Binding buffer from Annexin V Floustaining kit (Roche, IN, USA). Finally, the cells were incubated in 100  Ã‚ ­l/ml of Propidium iodide (PI) for 10 min in darkness. Exposition of TG accumulation and apoptosis was observed at excitation of 488 and 543 nm, and emission of BP 505-530 and LP 650 nm on Carl Zeiss Confocal Microscopy (LSM 510 meta, Carl Zeiss., Jena, Germany), respectively. Data analysis All results were expressed as mean of repeated three or four values  ± SEM. The difference between groups was identified by using t.test. p < 0.05 was considered statistical significant.

Greek Male Sculptures and Todays Advertising Essay -- Kouros Krytios

Greek Male Sculptures and Today's Advertising Freestanding sculpture that decorated the early Classical Period of Greek Art consisted of predominantly male nude figures. The male body was used in seeking to create "more realistic ways to portray the human figure in painting and sculpture and to place figures in more realistic settings"(Stokstad pg 178). This portrayal of young men through freestanding sculpture revealed a sort of obsession with the male body in which society took on as the norm. As opposed to the Greek society, the one of today might associate nudeness with aspects of profanity and vulgarity because of the view that certain parts of the body are not to be seen by public eyes. A nude body of today may also be seen as sexy or provocative. This allows the public art form of yesterday to be replaced by the controversial art form of today. The Krytios Boy of 480 BCE is an example of this Greek glorification of the young male body. The quest to create this figure into a realistic form proves to accomplish itself in the figure's contrappasto stance, the curved spin...

of mice and men :: essays research papers

THEMES Major Theme The major theme of the book is the beauty of a dream, for it gives a person a purpose in life. George and Lennie dream of owning a farm that they can call their own and where Lennie can raise rabbits and stay out of trouble, free from the constraints of society. Both men constantly keep this dream in front of them. In fact, Lennie asks George to repeat the dream over and over. George, himself, refuses to frivolously spend any money, for he is saving every dime to buy the land. The dream keeps both of the working; it also keeps them close. Curley's wife and Crooks, two cynics, scoff at the dream of Lennie and George as being unrealistic, but Candy sees its possibility and its beauty. He offers to give his life savings to help make the dream a reality, for he wants to join George and Lennie on the farm, living out his last days in happiness. When the two men accept Candy, he suddenly has a new lease on life; the dream has given him hope for a better future. At the end of the novel, the dream dies. As soon as Candy sees the body of Curley's wife, he understands his own loss of a dream and curses her for it. George also knows the dream has died with Lennie's death, and the novel ends with his going off to spend his money on liquor. He no longer has a reason to save his pennies. Without a dream, his life is sad and meaningless.Minor Theme The pain of loneliness is another key theme of the novel. Early in the book, George sets the lonely mood by stating, 'Guys like us that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.' Candy becomes the picture of total loneliness caused by age. He is rejected by all for being old and handicapped. His only company, his faithful, old, blind dog, is taken from him and killed; Candy fears that he will be treated the same way in the future and wants to join Lennie and George on the ranch. Crooks is the picture of total loneliness caused by prejudice. Because he is the only black man on the ranch, he is forced to live alone in a shed of the barn, and no one will have any interaction with him. of mice and men :: essays research papers THEMES Major Theme The major theme of the book is the beauty of a dream, for it gives a person a purpose in life. George and Lennie dream of owning a farm that they can call their own and where Lennie can raise rabbits and stay out of trouble, free from the constraints of society. Both men constantly keep this dream in front of them. In fact, Lennie asks George to repeat the dream over and over. George, himself, refuses to frivolously spend any money, for he is saving every dime to buy the land. The dream keeps both of the working; it also keeps them close. Curley's wife and Crooks, two cynics, scoff at the dream of Lennie and George as being unrealistic, but Candy sees its possibility and its beauty. He offers to give his life savings to help make the dream a reality, for he wants to join George and Lennie on the farm, living out his last days in happiness. When the two men accept Candy, he suddenly has a new lease on life; the dream has given him hope for a better future. At the end of the novel, the dream dies. As soon as Candy sees the body of Curley's wife, he understands his own loss of a dream and curses her for it. George also knows the dream has died with Lennie's death, and the novel ends with his going off to spend his money on liquor. He no longer has a reason to save his pennies. Without a dream, his life is sad and meaningless.Minor Theme The pain of loneliness is another key theme of the novel. Early in the book, George sets the lonely mood by stating, 'Guys like us that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.' Candy becomes the picture of total loneliness caused by age. He is rejected by all for being old and handicapped. His only company, his faithful, old, blind dog, is taken from him and killed; Candy fears that he will be treated the same way in the future and wants to join Lennie and George on the ranch. Crooks is the picture of total loneliness caused by prejudice. Because he is the only black man on the ranch, he is forced to live alone in a shed of the barn, and no one will have any interaction with him.

Free Essays on Homers Odyssey: Religion and Death :: Homer Odyssey Essays

Religion and Death in Homer's Odyssey      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How does the Ancient Greek beliefs of religion and death differ with the view of other cultural groups?   Death, the way it is represented in Homer's book, The Odyssey, is always caused by human error.   Whether their death was caused by greed, selfishness, or just being curious, many people died in The Odyssey.   Still, the question of what happens after we die remains.   Many religions have different beliefs of religious ideas from the Ancient Greeks.   Afterlife, is a belief where the comparisons among religions become extremely close. The Greek beliefs of gods and death are different from the modern day beliefs of other religions such as Judaism and Ancient Egyptian beliefs.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example,   The Odyssey begins with a scene containing a conversation among the gods.   The goddess Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, is discussing the matter of Odysseus with Zeus, the head god and god of sky (Homer 10).   Of course these are not the only Greek gods and goddesses. Other examples of Greek gods and goddesses are Apollo, god of music, poetry, medicine, archery, and young unmarried men and Hestes, goddess of the home. As you can see, the Greeks believed in many gods unlike the people of the Jewish fate who believed in one god.   The Jewish god does not have an emblem that which it is represented by.   The belief is that the god is represented by everything.   For example, members of the Jewish religion believe god is everywhere, in everything, and represented by everything they do.   Another example of the religious differences is how Ancient Egyptians believed in idol gods which are gods represented in statues. Ancient Greek beliefs are different from those of other societies because of differences between how gods are represented in Judaism and Ancient Egyptian beliefs.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Equally important are the Ancient Greek views of death.   Death caused by human error is widespread throughout the book.   Human error is encountered in each one of Odysseus's adventures on his return home.   The Kyklopes represented the greediness, selfishness, and uncilvilization of Odysseus's men.   Odysseus fell asleep and his men unleashed a bag of bad winds, throwing them off path (Homer 315).   Skylla and Kharybdis was a representation of death from nature when Odysseus's men stopped rowing and six of the men were killed.

International Equity Markets

INTERNATIONAL EQUITY MARKETS Firms are financed with both debt and equity. Although the debt markets have been the center of activity in the international financial markets over the past three decades, there are signs that international equity capital is becoming more popular. Transaction of a foreign borrower in a domestic market in local currency is the predominant international equity activity. Foreign firms often issue new shares in foreign markets and list their stock on major stock exchanges, such as those in New York, Tokyo, or London. The purpose of foreign issues and listings is to expand the investor base in the hope of gaining access to capital markets in which the demand for shares of equity ownership is strong. A foreign firm that wants to list its shares on an exchange in the United States does so through American Depository Receipts (ADRs). These are the receipts to bank accounts that hold shares of the foreign firm’s stock in that firm’s country. The equities are actually in a foreign currency, so by holding them in a bank account and listing the receipt on the account on the American exchanges, the shares can be revalued in dollars and redivided so that the price per share is more typical of that of the U. S. equity markets ($20 to $60 per share frequently being the desired range). There was considerable growth in the 1990s in the euro-equity markets. A euro-equity issue is the simultaneous sale of a firm’s shares in several different countries, with or without listing the shares on an exchange in that country. The sales take place through investment banks. Once issued, most euro equities are listed at least on the Stock Exchange Automated Quotation System (SEAQ), the computer-screen quoting system of the International Stock Exchange (ISE) in London. Czinkota, Michael R. , Ilkka A. Ronkainen and Michael H. Moffett. Fundamentals of International Business. Mason: South-Western, 2004.

Comparing and Contrasting Country Lovers and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Essay

These elements contribute to the short story’s effectiveness as author uses different literary forms and styles to connect the reader to the story. Style has many characteristics that help the author engage the reader such as; punctuation, the use of connotations, and culture. This is what helps the reader’s imagination take over, paint the picture, and get emotionally connected to the author’s story. In comparing and contrasting the two short stories of â€Å"the Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer you see the differences and similarities in style between the two authors. The culture, which is the common characteristics of a group or a region (Clugston 2010), is very similar in both stories since they are close to real life with the setting in the 1900’s. Both stories revolve around relationships and love. Thurber style is more imaginative then Gordimer which is defined by his use of connotations and punctuation, although both stories are very detailed when it comes to the characters and settings within the stories. In the short story â€Å"Country Lovers† Gordimer does a great job illustrating the setting, which is the time or place in which the action occurs (Clugston 2010). Gordimer provides details about the South African culture that allow the reader to understand the separatism and segregation the characters are living. The reader gets to feel what it’s like to be black in South Africa through the detailed descriptions of the loving conditions and treatment of blacks. The main characters in the story are Paulus and Thebedi. Paulus is the son of a farmer who was raised with the children of the black families that worked on his father’s farm. He falls in love with a black childhood playmate as a teenager but he understands that a relationship with her is forbidden. Thebedi is Paulus black childhood playmate who becomes his lover. The two begin a sexual relationship which results in a child being born. The theme, which is a representation of the idea behind the story (Clu gston 2010), is interracial love or forbidden love. The laws and culture of South Africa forbid interracial couples. Thebedi & Paulus are aware of the dangers of being together but choose to get involved anyway. As the story unfolds, Gordimer brings out the imagination of the reader through the use of metaphors, which is an implied comparison between one object and another that is different from it (Clugston 2010). An example of this is when Goridmer writes, â€Å"hidden by the mesh of old, ant–eaten trees held in place by vigorous ones, wild asparagus bushing up between the trunks, and here and there prickly–pear cactus sunken–skinned and bristly, like an old man’s face† (Clugston 2010). This allows the reader to visually paint the picture of where Thebedi and Paulus are at and what the scenery is. A common symbolism, which is something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else (Clugston 2010), that is used in â€Å"Country Lovers† is a tree. A tree can be a symbol for life, death, or immortality. This is a good match with the theme and plot of the story. The plot, which is a dynamic element in fiction, a sequence of interrelated, conflicting actions and events that typically build to a climax and bring about a resolution (Clugston 2010), thickens as both Thebedi and Paulus continue their love affair. Thebedi goes on to marry Njabulo, who is also black, and fails to tell Paulus of her marriage. At the same time Thebedi  also finds out she is pregnant with Paulus baby. When Thebedi gives birth to her daughter it’s obvious the baby isn’t Njabulo’s but he accepts her as it was his own. When Paulus finds out about the marriage and the child he becomes upset, why does he get upset, I believe it’s a sign of his love for Thebedi which ties back to the theme of forbidden love. The story takes an interesting twist, although the author never clearly states that Paulus killed the baby, it’s evident he did by the flow of the story. It’s up to the reader to understand the â€Å"why†, why would Pau lus kill the baby? Again, I believe the â€Å"why† ties back to the theme of forbidden love. Paulus has accepted that Thebedi will never be his wife due to society and the racial customs of South Africa. Understanding this he doesn’t want anyone to find out about the baby because interracial relationships are forbidden so he takes the extreme measure of killing the baby. One could also argue that he killed the baby out of jealousy and not wanting another man to raise his child. The story ends with Thebedi refusing to testify against Paulus in the killing of her baby. This shows that Thebedi has accepted her role in society as a black woman giving up any hope if a relationship with Paulus. Throughout the whole story Thebedi character is submissive to Paulus but the ending shows that Thebedi is also submissive to society by giving into social traditions and discriminatory behavior of South Africa. The short story of â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber is written in a third person point of view, which occurs when the speaker is not a participant in the story (Clugston 2010). The form is limited omniscient, which is when the thoughts and feelings of only one of the characters are related through the narrator (Clugston 2010) that character is Walter Mitty. The setting of this story occurs in a city called Waterbury but the state is never mentioned or disclosed, one can assume its Waterbury, Connecticut. The main characters are Walter Mitty and Mrs. Mitty. Walter Mitty is someone who gets bossed around by his wife so he creates a secret life for himself. In his secret life he see’s himself as a powerful man who is admired by all, something he is not in real life. Mrs. Mitty is the bossy, nagging, overbearing wife of Walter Mitty. Thurber does a great job illustrating the relationship between Walter and his wife which many people can relate too, I found it very humorous. That takes me to the theme of the  story, which I believe is marriage. Thurber portrays a marriage where the husband is submissive to his bossy, nagging, and overbearing wife. A second theme could be masculinity since all of Walter’s dreams portray him as a powerful man who’s admired by all. The story is about Walter taking his wife into town to visit her hair dresser. Along the way Walter begins to fantasize to escape the reality of his real like. Thurber does an excellent job of engaging the reader’s imagination through each of Walter’s fantasy’s allowing the reader to vividly picture what Walter is fantasizing about. An example of this is during Walter’s first fantasies where he is commanding a hydroplane through a storm, â€Å"Rev her up to 8500! We’re going through!† The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa† (Clugston 2010). The sound of â€Å"ta-packeta-pocketa† is just the cylinders of the car Walter is driving. Each one of Walter’s fantasies is tied to something that is specific to what’s going on in the story. As Walter drives past the hospital he starts to fantasize about being a surgeon. As the newsboy shouts about the Waterbury trial Walters fantasi zes about being in a courtroom. The Liberty magazine leads Walter into a fantasy about military dugout. Thurber does a great job of interweaving Walter’s fantasies with the surroundings of the story. The uses of symbolisms in â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† were not used in the traditional literary forms. Instead Thurber ties in the symbolism of control and power in each of Walter’s fantasies by Walter showing bravery, no fear, power, fame, and a man with high ranking titles. Thurber does a great job of connecting and supporting the symbolism with the theme of marriage and masculinity. The use of this symbolism is to show how Walter feels about marriage, since Walter feels powerless throughout the story as his wife talks down to him. There are many differences and similarities in â€Å"Country Lovers† and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty†. The first and most recognizable difference is â€Å"Country Lovers† is a tragic story with a plot that builds up along with way with romance, physical relationship, racial discrimination, pregnancy,  arranged marriage, murder, deception, secrecy, and acceptance of normalcy. While â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† is a comedy with not much of a plot. Where they are similar, both are written in a third person limited omniscient point of view. Both had themes of love and marriage but were very different in how each played out. â€Å"Country Lovers† was forbidden love and arranged marriage while â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† was love and marriage between a husband and wife. These literary elements contribute to the short story’s effectiveness as author’s uses different literary forms and styles to connect the reader to the story. References: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 15

It was 1942, and I was in France. I didn't want to be in France. I hadn't wanted to be there for the last fifty years, yet somehow, Bastien kept talking me into staying. There was also the small fact that our supervising archdemon didn't want us to go. He liked the way we worked together. Incubus-succubus teams were hit or miss sometimes, but we were exceptional, and our superiors had taken note. It was good for our hellish careers but not for my morale. Bastien didn't see what my problem was. â€Å"Hell doesn't even need us here,† he told me one day, after I'd complained for like the thousandth time. â€Å"Think of it as a vacation. Hordes of souls are being damned here every day.† I walked over to the window of our shop and peered out onto the busy road, pressing my hands against the glass. Bicyclists and pedestrians moved past, everyone needing to get somewhere and get there fast. It could have been any ordinary weekday in Paris, but this was no ordinary day. Nothing had been ordinary since the Germans had occupied France, and the scattered soldiers in the street stood out to me like candles in the night. Bad simile, I thought. Candles implied some kind of hope or light. And while Paris had fared better than most people realized under Nazi rule, something in the city had changed. The energy, the spirit†¦whatever you wanted to call it, it had a taint to me. Bastien said I was crazy. Most people were still living their daily lives. The food shortages weren't as bad here as in other places. And after shape-shifting into Aryan nation poster children with blond hair and blue eyes, we were more or less left alone. Bastien was still going on about my glum mood while he moved about and straightened hat displays in my periphery. He'd chosen millinery as his profession for this identity, one that worked well for meeting well-to-do Parisian women. I played the role of his sister – as I so often did in other scenarios – helping with the store and keeping house for him. It was better than dance halls or brothels, which had been our previous occupations in France. â€Å"What about your friend?† Bastien asked me slyly. â€Å"Young Monsieur Luc?† At the mention of Luc, I paused in my dejected assessment of the world outside the hat shop. If I was going to talk about candles in the night, then Luc was mine. A real one. He was a human I'd met recently, working with his father – a violin maker. Their trade had suffered even more than ours, as the market for luxury items shriveled in these lean times. But Luc never seemed to let their financial woes affect him. Whenever I saw him, he was always cheerful, always full of hope. The weight of so many centuries of sin and darkness were starting to take their toll on me, and being in Paris only made it worse. Yet, Luc was a wonder to me. Being able to look at the world with such optimism, with such conviction that good would prevail†¦well, it was a foreign concept. One I was intrigued by. I couldn't stay away from it. â€Å"Luc's different,† I admitted, finally turning from the window. â€Å"He's not part of this.† Bastien snorted and leaned against the wall. â€Å"They're all part of this, Fleur.† Fleur was his long-time nickname for me over the years, no matter what identity I assumed. â€Å"I don't suppose you've slept with him yet?† My answer was to turn away again and remain silent. No, I hadn't slept with Luc. I wanted to, though. I wanted to with the instincts of a woman who had fallen for a man, as well as the craving of a succubus to consume the energy and taste the soul of someone so good. I had never hesitated before. This was the kind of thing I'd always sought out. It was even my job. But something inside of me was changing. Maybe it was these bleak times, but whenever I looked at Luc and saw that purity radiating from him – and his growing love and trust in me – I just couldn't do it. â€Å"He's coming by tonight,† I said at last, dodging the question. â€Å"We're going for a walk.† â€Å"Oh,† said Bastien. â€Å"I see. A walk. That's certain to impress Theodosia.† Theodosia was our archdemoness. I turned back around sharply, glaring at Bastien. â€Å"It's none of your business what I do!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Besides, if this is the ‘vacation' you claim it is, I shouldn't need to secure a good soul.† â€Å"Souls are falling left and right around here,† he agreed. â€Å"But you've still got to turn one in every once in a while. You can't spend the rest of your existence only going after bad ones.† I didn't speak to him for the rest of the day, and fortunately, business picked up quite a bit in the afternoon. It kept us both busy, though I counted down the minutes until Luc showed up that evening. He gave polite greetings to my â€Å"brother,† and then I hustled us out of there so that I wouldn't have to see the knowing look in Bastien's eyes. Luc could have passed for my brother too with his sunny golden hair. He always smiled when he looked at me, making small crinkle lines around the blue eyes I fancifully likened to sapphires. He held my arm as we passed through the evening crowd, filled with those going home after work or possibly seeking nighttime entertainment. He told me I looked beautiful, and we talked of other inconsequential things: the weather, neighborhood gossip, day-to-day affairs†¦ We ended up at a small city park that was a popular spot for others seeking evening strolls before curfew. We found a relatively secluded area among some trees and settled onto the grass. Luc had been carrying a small basket the entire time and revealed its contents: pastries and a bottle of wine. He didn't have extra money to throw around for that kind of thing, but I knew better than to protest. It was already done. Whatever else he'd had to sacrifice in return would be well worth it, as far as he was concerned. He had another surprise for me as well: a book. He and I were always trading novels back and forth, and as I lay down against the grass, skimming through the pages, a strange yet warm peace blossomed within me. â€Å"Next time you should bring your violin,† I said, setting the book down. â€Å"I want to hear you play again.† He stretched out beside me, his hand finding mine. We laced our fingers together and watched the sky grow purple. â€Å"Not out here,† he said. â€Å"I don't want a public concert.† â€Å"You'd charm them all,† I said. â€Å"The whole city would line up and dance at your command, just like the pied piper.† He laughed, the sound as golden as his hair or even the sun itself. â€Å"And then what would I do with them?† â€Å"Line them up and send them all away so that we can be alone.† â€Å"We are alone,† he said, laughing again. â€Å"Sort of.† I rolled to my side and leaned over him. Shadows from the surrounding trees enclosed us. â€Å"Alone enough.† I brought my lips down and kissed him, surprising both of us. I hadn't meant to do it. We'd never kissed before. I'd held myself back from him, earning all that chastising from Bastien. I could never bring myself to take Luc's energy and shorten his life. Yet, something came over me just then. It might have been my earlier gray mood or the feelings that were eerily like love within me. Whatever it was, being a succubus didn't matter just then. Well, it didn't until his energy started flowing into me. Our kissing grew more intense, our lips full of demand. His soul shone so brightly that even that one kiss was enough to taste his energy. It was glorious. My whole body thrilled to both it and his touch. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and without conscious thought, I began unbuttoning his shirt. He rolled me over so that I was the one on my back now and moved his mouth down to my neck. The knee-length skirts of this time gave him easy access to run his hand up my leg, and I pressed myself closer to him, pulling at his clothes while his hungry lips moved farther and farther down. All the while, that beautiful life filled me. I was drowning in it. When his lips reached the spot between my breasts, something seemed to jolt him to reality. He pulled up from me, running his hand over my hair as he looked down into my eyes. â€Å"Oh God,† he said. â€Å"We can't do this. Not now.† The mantra of moral men everywhere. â€Å"We can,† I said, surprised at the pleading in my own voice. It was the affection I felt for him speaking, not any agenda of Hell's. I wanted – needed – him to be closer to me. He sighed. â€Å"Suzette, Suzette. I want to. But I want us to get married. I can't do this – can't do this to you – unless I know you'll be my wife. It isn't right otherwise.† I stared up at him, uncertainty interfering with my desire. â€Å"Are you†¦are you proposing to me?† Luc thought about it for a moment and then grinned again, giving me another of those radiant smiles that never failed to make my heart race. â€Å"Yes. I guess I am. We'd have to wait a little bit – wait until I had more money. But when the war's over, things will get better.† This war's never going to be over, some gloomy part of me thought. But just now, that wasn't the real issue. His wanting to marry me was. It was impossible, of course. I could theoretically shape-shift so that I aged with him, all the while getting succubus sex on the side. Some succubi did that, having countless husbands over the centuries. Most didn't even stick around. They just disappeared. Their marital vows meant nothing. Looking at him now, at that burning love in his eyes, I felt my heart torn in two. If I said yes, he would wrap me up again and make love to me. If I said no, he wouldn't – not out of spite, but because of what was honorable. This could be so easy. Say yes. Promise I'd marry him and take him now. I could fulfill my heart's longing, my body's longing, and keep my good standing with Hell. I could leave after we were married. Or, easier still, break off the engagement. All I had to do was give him a dishonest â€Å"yes.† Sex to him wasn't right without that. Really, it was a wonder he didn't insist on waiting until marriage. The commitment was apparently enough. He believed in me. He believed I was a good, honest person. If I said I loved him and would be true to him forever, then he would accept that. Just say yes. But the words stuck in my throat. I couldn't lie to him. I couldn't let him find out how base I really was. And as his lingering life energy burned inside me, I realized I couldn't steal more from him. The guilt of what I'd done already was hitting me hard. It had only been the barest taste, but it had clipped time off of his life. And if I did back out of marriage after we'd had sex, he'd think what we'd done had been wrong. A sin. A black mark on his soul. I slid out from under him and sat up. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I can't marry you.† His happy face remained unchanged. â€Å"It doesn't have to be now. And it doesn't even have to be†¦about this.† He gestured to where I'd just been lying in the grass. â€Å"Like I said, we couldn't get married for a while anyway.† â€Å"No,† I repeated, my heart sinking. â€Å"I can't†¦I can't marry you. Ever.† I can't hurt you. I care about you too much. I can't take your light from the world. He must have seen something in my face, something that drove home the truth of my words. That smile faded. The sun disappeared behind clouds. My heart broke. I hastily stood up, suddenly unable to look at him. What was wrong with me? I didn't know. All I knew was that I couldn't stay there. I couldn't stay there and see him hurting. If I did, I would start sobbing. As it was, I could feel tears starting to sting my eyes. â€Å"Suzette, wait!† I hurried away but soon heard him coming behind me. Even after my rejection, he didn't sound angry. He was concerned, worried about me. I hated that even more. I wish I'd driven him into a rage. But, no, even something like this†¦it would hurt him, yet he would respect both me and my choice. Which was why I had to stay away from him. Not just now, but always. I knew now that I couldn't be around someone I cared about. I couldn't stand the thought of causing pain to a loved one. I couldn't stand the thought of damning a good soul. Somewhere, somehow, after centuries of blithely harming others, I had gone horribly awry as a succubus. How? When? With Niccol? °? Was it just the gradual sum of all the lives and souls I'd harmed finally taking a toll on me? I was headed back for the hat shop. Bastien and I lived above it. I could still hear Luc following me, calling out to me that everything was okay. I knew if I made it inside, he wouldn't come barging in after me. He'd probably knock politely at the door but would go away if Bastien told him to. I took a shortcut, cutting behind some buildings off the main road. I knew the way well, but it was dark now, limiting my vision enough that I didn't see the soldier until I ran straight into him. He was standing so still and so solidly that it was like I'd accidentally run into one of the building's walls. I bounced back, and he caught me by the shoulder. â€Å"Easy there,† he said. His French had a heavy German accent but was articulated well. â€Å"You'll hurt yourself.† He was a giant of a man, young and not unattractive. I couldn't quite tell in the fading light, but his uniform made me think he was an officer of some sort. He was smiling down at me and hadn't let go of my shoulder. â€Å"Thank you,† I said demurely. I tried to step back gracefully, but his grip was strong. â€Å"You shouldn't be out here at all,† he added. â€Å"It's dangerous. Especially with curfew coming.† Curfew was nowhere near coming, despite the darkening sky. He looked me over as he spoke. My skirt had fallen back into place while running, but several buttons on my blouse had come undone with Luc and hadn't been fixed. It provided a pretty good vantage on my bra and cleavage. â€Å"My house is just over there,† I said. â€Å"I'll just – I'll just go now.† The hand on my shoulder stayed locked where it was, but his other hand had slipped through the opening in my blouse and was tracing the shape of my breast. Great. After all the deep and traumatic revelations I'd had tonight about the cursed life of a succubus, the last thing I needed was a Nazi feeling me up. Scratch that. There was something worse. â€Å"Let her go.† Luc's voice rang out behind me, and I winced. I'd hoped I'd lost him in the chase, but if he had seen me coming in this direction, he could have made a pretty good guess about which path I was taking home. â€Å"Walk away,† said the officer. â€Å"This has nothing to do with you.† Luc's fists were balled up. â€Å"Let her go,† he repeated. â€Å"I won't tell you again.† The officer laughed, but it was a harsh, terrible sound. â€Å"You won't tell me anything.† I tried my best to peer at Luc while still in that hard grip. â€Å"Go,† I told him. â€Å"It'll be all right. I'll be okay.† â€Å"Smart girl,† said the German. Luc lunged at him, and I was shoved out of the way as the two men grappled with each other. I stared in horror. Everything happened so quickly that my brain barely had time to even register what I was seeing. Luc was strong and fast, but the other guy was huge – and had a knife. I saw it flash briefly in what light was left, and then Luc's body went rigid. The officer stepped back, jerking the blade out of Luc's stomach as he did. I shrieked and tried to run toward him, but the Nazi's arm stopped me, grabbing hold of me once more. Luc's hands clutched at his stomach as blood flowed from it. He looked down at it in disbelief, like he was waiting for a punch line to reveal itself, and then he collapsed to the ground. I tried again to break free of my captor but couldn't. Luc's eyes gazed up at me, though his lips couldn't form any words as he lay there in that terrible agony, the life pouring out of his body. â€Å"There,† said the German officer, pulling me so that I was pressed against his chest. His knife had disappeared to wherever it had come from, and the hand that had held it – the hand that had stabbed Luc – was reaching under my shirt again. â€Å"Now there are no more distractions.† I heard Luc make a strangled sound as the officer ripped open the last of my buttons. Enough of my numbed shock wore off that I remembered I could fight back here. I could shape-shift to twice this guy's size and – Thunk. The Nazi's head lurched forward as something struck him from behind. His hold on me released, and he fell to the ground unconscious. Bastien stood behind him holding a hat block: a heavy, rounded wooden object used for constructing hats. â€Å"I'd know your scream anywhere,† he said. I had no time for his joking or to offer thanks. I dropped to my knees beside Luc and pulled off my blazer, frantically trying to use it to stop the bleeding. He was still conscious, and his eyes were on my face, still full of that hope and love that was so characteristic of him. Bastien knelt beside me, face solemn. â€Å"No human medicine can fix this, Fleur,† he said quietly. â€Å"I know.† I'd known as soon as I'd seen Luc fall. It was why I hadn't sent Bastien to get help. â€Å"Oh God. This can't be happening.† â€Å"It's†¦all right.† Luc's words were barely audible, and I had a feeling he was choking on blood. â€Å"You're safe†¦all that matters†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He coughed again, and this time I did see blood near his lips. â€Å"No, no,† I said. â€Å"It wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth it. None of this should have happened!† It was my fault. All my fault. Luc had come to save me from the German. I'd run into the German because I'd fled from Luc. And I'd fled from Luc because I'd suddenly latched on to a moral high ground and refused to have sex with him. If I'd just given in†¦if I'd just said I'd marry him and taken him like a succubus should have, this never would have happened. We would have been lying in the grass right now, naked in each other's arms. Instead, he'd died in this alley because of me, because of my weakness. I was a succubus who'd tried to act human – and I'd done a shitty job at both. Luc was beyond speech now. Everything was said with his eyes as he gazed at me, like I was some angel sent to carry him home. Bastien nudged me. â€Å"Fleur, he's going to stay alive a little while. You know how long stomach wounds take. It's agony.† â€Å"I know,† I growled, choking off a sob. â€Å"You don't need to tell me.† Bastien's voice was grave. â€Å"You can stop it. Ease his suffering.† I stared at Bastien incredulously. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? Go get that knife and finish him?† He shook his head. â€Å"He's only got a little life left, Fleur. Only a little. You won't need to do much.† I didn't get it right away. When I did, I felt my eyes go wide. â€Å"No†¦I can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He dies regardless,† said Bastien. â€Å"You can make it faster†¦sweeter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was still shaking my head, but Bastien's words had penetrated. He was right. He was right, and I hated him because he was right. Turning from Bastien, I looked back at Luc, whose brow I'd been stroking with my hand. His gaze was still turned upward, still at me. A drop of water fell on his cheek, and I realized it was one of my tears. â€Å"Good-bye, Luc,† I said softly. It seemed like I should say a million other things to him, but I couldn't form the words. So, instead, I leaned down and brought my lips to his. I pressed against them, making full contact, though it had none of the animal passion from before. This was gentler. A whisper of a kiss. But as Bastien had said, it didn't take much. The beautiful, silvery sweetness of his life energy flowed into me. It was just as pure and perfect as before – and it was gone quickly. I took it into me and sat up, just as Luc exhaled his last breath. The eyes that had watched me so adoringly saw nothing now. I sat up and leaned against Bastien. â€Å"I killed him,† I said, no longer holding the tears back. â€Å"You brought him peace. You were his angel.† It was an eerie echo of my earlier sentiments. â€Å"No, this†¦I mean, before. He shouldn't have been out here. He's here because†¦because of me. If I'd slept with him, this wouldn't have happened. But I couldn't. I didn't want to hurt him†¦didn't want to taint him†¦and then this happened†¦.† Bastien put his arm around me. â€Å"If it makes you feel better, his soul won't be going to our people.† I buried my face in his shoulder. â€Å"This is my fault. My fault†¦I should have done what I was supposed to do. I was ready to – then he asked me to marry him and – damn it. I should have done it. I should have lied. It would have been better for everyone. I don't know how this happened†¦.† â€Å"It happened because you get too close to them,† said Bastien. He was stern but trying hard to be gentle. â€Å"Men like this†¦anyone like this†¦they enchant you, Fleur. You get attached and then you get hurt.† â€Å"Or I hurt them,† I murmured. â€Å"You need to stay indifferent.† â€Å"It's getting worse,† I said. â€Å"Every time, it's harder on me. I don't understand. What's happening to me? What's wrong with me?† â€Å"Immortality,† he said wisely. â€Å"Too many years.† â€Å"What do you know? You're younger than me.† Bastien helped me stand, though I was reluctant to let Luc go. â€Å"I know that you can't keep doing this. Listen to what I said: don't get attached to these good ones. No matter what you do, it won't end well.† â€Å"I won't go near the good ones at all,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"No more. I'm staying away from them altogether.† Bastien's kindly mien dropped. â€Å"That's ridiculous,† he scoffed. â€Å"Weren't you listening to me earlier? You can't go after immoral men for eternity. You'd get no energy. You'd have to do it every other day.† I looked down at Luc, Luc who had loved me and gotten killed for me. My fault. All my fault. â€Å"Never again,† I said. â€Å"I won't ever hurt anyone like that again.† When I returned to the box in the dark, I didn't need the Oneroi to enlighten me. All of that dream had been true – except for the last part. It had been a lie. I had continued to hurt people, over and over.