J.B. Priestly & the story Essay

After the Inspector’s departure Birling admits that he has â€Å"learnt a loti from his visit. However, he immediately singles out Eric as â€Å"you’re the one I blame for this [the scandal]i , so he still seems to have little notion of community as he should, if he had learnt anything, be saying â€Å"we’re the ones to blame for thisi. Instead he seems to be shifting blame from himself. We can also see that as soon as the characters begin to construct doubts about the legitimacy of the Inspector he tries to find a way out of his predicament. As the story unravels he becomes â€Å"excitedi on discovering that the Inspector is not real and soon he has managed to put the whole episode out of his head, despite protests from Eric and Sheila who try to tell him that â€Å"you still haven’t learnt anything. i Birling is far more concerned about what may happen if the news comes out in public than whatever he did to Eva Smith and makes fun of Eric and Sheila for â€Å"not being able to take a jokei. However, the phone call he receives at the end of the play is not at all funny to him. To sum up, from the play we can see that when Birling preaches his â€Å"every man for himselfi philosophy he is very assured that he is right. The Inspector’s questioning manages to make him change his mind slightly although he is still sure of what he believes in. When he sees a chance to get out of the embarrassing situation he has been put into he grabs it with both hands and manages to forget the lesson he has learnt during the evening. Sheila is probably the character who changes the most during the play. At the start of the action she is very happy about her engagement, â€Å"pleased with life and rather excitedi. However, even at this point we pick up some of the qualities in her that are so marked later in the play, such as her clear stating of opinions which can be seen when she half-teases Gerald about his absence during the summer and her opinion of wine drinkers. Sheila’s reaction on receiving her engagement ring from Gerald show her state of mind: â€Å"Sheila: Oh – it’s wonderful! Look – Mummy – isn’t it a beauty? Oh – darling! i Sheila appears to be inattentive over her father’s speeches at the dinner table and has to be told to listen. This suggests that she neither find his opinions interesting nor agrees with them, which may point to her future conduct in the play. Sheila’s explanation of her conduct when interviewed by the Inspector shows how naive and thoughtless she was up to that point. However, unlike Birling she feels very upset about her conduct, shown by her running out of the room sobbing when first shown the photograph of Eva Smith. She also swears that she will â€Å"never, never do it [behaving like that towards others] again to anybodyi. This is a turning point in the play for Sheila. Almost at once she sheds her image of being a naive and ignorant young lady and takes on the most profound understanding of the Inspector’s message. During the rest of the play she often makes several cutting remarks during the other characters’ i interviews’ with the Inspector. For example, when the Inspector is talking to Mrs Birling she warns her mother not to block herself from Eva Smith in her answers to his questions: Mrs Birling: †¦ And in any case I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class — Sheila : Mother, don’t–please don’t For your own sake, as well as ours, you musn’t. — Mrs Birling: Musn’t – what? Really, Sheila! Sheila : You musn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, the Inspector will just break it down†¦ Incidences such as this, where Sheila is clearly contradicting the opinion of her parents, lead Mrs Birling to remark to the Inspector that â€Å"You seem to be making a great impression on the childi. The Inspector’s response, that â€Å"we often make an impression on the young onesi is proved to be true. The younger characters – Sheila, Eric and to an extent Gerald, are able to see the Inspector’s message realise that he is right. However, the older characters are too entrenched in their beliefs and still stubbornly cling to what they believe in.

Is interactive clubbing the future of nightlife? Essay

Abstract The purpose of this study is primarily to provide a denotative definition of an Interactive Clubbing which was clearly manifested in t. The author first provided essential definitions suggested by credible sources as to the definition of the terms involved in the paper such as clubbing, interactive and then the most important concept of interactive clubbing and then provided a brief history on the origin of clubbing as to the technology being used in traditional clubbing. The methodology in this research included two sets of surveys intended managers (First set) and club goers (second set). The questions in the surveys aimed to have as a result an analysis on what are the technology involved in traditional clubs and whether such innovative installations create a positive impact to club goers and eventually to assess whether an introduction of a new concept such as that of an interactive clubbing would be appealing to frequent club goers. The respondent managers fro the first set of survey questions, came from different traditional and contemporary clubs and existent interactive club. The total number of respondents is 50 managers for the United Kingdom clubs. Most of the respondents are managers of clubs that had operated and remained successful for at least six to ten years. They were also managers in such clubs for three to four years. On the other hand, the respondent club goers for the second set of survey questions, consisted of total number of respondents is 50 club goers fro the United Kingdom. Most of the respondents are frequent club goers ranging from ages eighteen to thirty-eight years of age. In the course of this research, the author proposed an interactive club which comprised of a perfect combination of the theories in technological installation in a futuristic club which can be made possible through the proper application of such theories. Finally, the conclusion provides for an assumption regarding the concept of interactive clubbing as the future of clubbing experience. Introduction Definition of Terms Clubbing, like other ambiguous words pertains to different connotations and denotations. In order to have a concrete and working definition for the purpose of this particular research proposal, it is important to associate the word clubbing to the a certain concept identified in this research. The working definition to be used for this paper shall be associated to â€Å"Night Clubbing† which pertains the common term â€Å"Night Life† which is commonly practiced by the young citizens ranging from teen-agers until the young professionals, sometimes even the professionals under 40 years of age. Activities included with â€Å"Night Clubbing† are social dances, drinking, relaxation and other social activities. Necessary equipments present in every club is a dance floor and a bar side. Such equipments improve and enhance as the history of clubbing grows along with the innovations brought about by the evolution of technology. Moreover, nightclub is often denoted as a venue for entertainment which utilizes music, dancing and drinking as form of relaxation. Interactive is a concept that pertains to the innovational enhancement of a communication environment where in more than a party is equipped and is able to participate in a particular given activity. This definition is provided by the â€Å"Alliance of Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)†, an organization that specializes in rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations standards for the communication and related information technologies industry worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open approach. Combining the two concepts mentioned above would introduce a new era of clubbing apart from the traditional method of the activity as mentioned earlier. The product of the two concepts would give birth to a new concept called, the Interactive Clubbing. According to Sam Radvilla, a Video Jockey (VJ) in one of the clubs in UK, interactive clubbing is the visuals (graphics and video footage) triggered and manipulated by the motion of a dance crowd (sensors) or simply sound waves (microphone or other sound input). It is also the use of real time camera feeds with a visual set to start an optical dialogue between dance floor or audience, screen(s) and stage. Video feedback used by Video Jockeys (VJ) as a symbolic bridge between the digital and the analog world. Playing images with the same techniques and means as electronic musicians use (sampling, pitching, scratching, midi). According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Interactive can be define as the involving the actions or input of a user; especially : of, relating to, or being a two-way electronic communication system (as a telephone, cable television, or a computer) that involves a user’s orders (as for information or merchandise) or responses (as to a poll). A Disc Jockey (DJ) is the person in charge and in control of the musical scoring in a club or any social gathering entailing the need of music. The DJ has often the responsibility in keeping the music alive which also means that he has the obligation of keeping the night lively and keep the party going on till it will end. A Video Jockey (VIDOE JOCKEY (VJ)) has almost the same role as that of a Disc Jockey. The only difference is that the Disc Jockey has utilizes only audio Jockey, where as the Video Jockey comments on a video taped program or the Video Jockey does not only make use of an audio but also a video advantage that he can be seen and can interact with people in a visual manner. The innovative offer of live communication provided the possibility of a Video Jockey in Clubs. Most often than not, Video Jockey preferred in social gatherings and clubs. History The history of clubbing started from the cabarets of Europe during the early years of the 19th century and then it evolved into the bight clubs of the United State not far from the 1950’s. According to Lewis (Lewis, 1981) clubbing became popular as daring past time among urban whites, who would even travel uptown to Harlem after hours of music, food and excitement. Regine Zylberberg in her book Moi, mes histoires, 2006, gave a brief overview of the history of clubbing in the United Kingdom. The first member-only discotheque nightclub was opened at Berkeley Square London, in 1962 through the initiative of Mark Birley. This was then followed by the return of rock and roll during the 1970’s which was remixed into disco music from the French discotheque. The early clubbing according to Regine (as she is popularly called) used jukebox or mostly live bands as a source of musical entertainment. She also mentioned clubs having a dance-floor, suspended colored lights and the juke box were eventually enhanced with two turntables which are operated in order to avoid dead breaks between the music, setting into place the standard elements of the discotheque. As clubbing enters the dawn of technological innovations, additional equipments have been added to make clubbing experience become more exciting. DJ’s of the traditional early clubbing are replaced by VJ’s. The lights are enhanced to move along with the beat of the music. The sounds of music are enhanced through larger and stronger volumes of speakers that replaced jukebox. The musical scoring can be manipulated through an audio mixer that has different controls which makes the job of Jockeys easier. When computers were introduced to play a role in audio mixing, automated and readily mixed music and computer generated effects are now being used in modern night clubs all over Europe and the rest of the clubbing industry all over the globe. Issue Since the introduction of a new form of clubbing, technological issues of its probability and the nature of its existence are haunting the interactive media. The issue that this research attempts to resolve is that, whether interactive clubbing will succeed in providing full satisfaction to modern and contemporary club goers, that would make Interactive technology the future. This research would also attempt to provide a denoted definition of interactive clubbing. Relevance of the Study As an interactive media major, this research would serve as an application of all the theories and practices that I have gathered from my learning experiences. Conceptualizing a new form of clubbing through interactive installation would compel me to combine all the different media in order to come up with a multimedia operated clubbing. This research would eventually serve as the action of the theory that has been instilled in me from my years of studying interactive media. This study would benefit the alternative club goers which are looking for more exciting experiences that other interactive clubbing cannot provide. The right combination technological installations would eventually produce a seemingly perfect environment for club goers to become fully satisfied and fully equipped with an interactive clubbing. Moreover, this research would also provide opportunities for the proper utilization of technological equipments and maximizing the fruitful efforts of scientific research in media and in entertainment. Interactive clubbing would further bring clubbing experience to a higher level of satisfaction which was definitely unable to be provided by the old method of traditional clubbing.

Exploring Proper Use of APA Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exploring Proper Use of APA Style - Essay Example All the sources and works used in certain writing must be cited to acknowledge the authors (Bloch 210). Citing the sources of the information written by a student in an assignment depend on the style that a person wishes to use for the assignment. The styles include MLA, APA, Harvard and others and all of them are cited differently (Pecorari 324). All of them require citations after each phrase or sentences that are taken from other sources. In a paper or assignment cited in the APA style, the students must include the author’s sir name and the year of publication in the in text and in the references, details of the books, articles or other sources used should be included (Currie 15). Determining where to put the citations has been a problem to many students in higher learning institutions. Students should have knowledge of all types of citation styles to avoid skipping on important areas which requires citations. Author’s sir name should be included in the in text of all citation styles. Students should do lots of tests to enhance their knowledge on places where they should put their citations (Bloch 219). To effectively avoid plagiarism, students must be fully aware of what is plagiarism and the effects it can bring in their academic lives. Students can avoid plagiarism by taking careful and organized notes during lecture times and when they are reading from books, articles and other sources. They should be sure to include citations after each phrase or sentence taken from those sources (Hall 34). Students should manage their time effectively so that they can have enough time to do their assignments. It is clear that students who do their assignment in the last moment have the tendency to plagiarize so that they can meet their deadlines. Time management helps the students to finish their quality assignment without plagiarizing. A person must be aware of when and

Levandary cafe case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Levandary cafe - Case Study Example This was mainly in terms of design of the store as well as menu selection. Because of this, it is paramount for Foster to get more involved in the China’s business and strategic plan for effective adoption and ensure expansion in this region. Louis Chen is a self-driven CEO in charge of lavendary China but he faces immense resistance and negative attitude towards both the firm’s planning and reporting processes. This has yielded too many concerns among the Lavendary management thus there is a need for Foster to travel to China. This is to address varied and emerging management issues cited above. Mia Foster can opt to hire an international financial analyst for the Denver team- This is important though expensive to enable the use of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Hence, ensure the sustainability of the china business as it grows. Reduce the freedom given to Louis Chen through obtaining more information about the China operations and involving the home office in these operations. In addition, the Involvement of Mia foster in the china business plan will help in ensuring that Chen does not go too offline with his agendas. My recommendation encompasses reducing the extra freedom given to Louis Chen that he acquired from Howard. This will allow the management in the US to be involved in all the discussion concerning the China operations. This way, Chen cannot work on his authority alone and hence major design and menu selection alterations can only be approved by the management in the US. The management can also easily compel Chen’s team to use the standard reporting procedures used in the US. If this happens, a lot of costs will be reduced. Using the accepted standards will also make the audit much easier hence enhancing the business integrity. Critics may argue that cutting down the freedom of Louis Chen is not

Critical Commentary on National Trust Annual Report 2011-2012 Essay

Critical Commentary on National Trust Annual Report 2011-2012 - Essay Example By looking at the Trust Report it is brought out in by the diversity of the priority programs that National Trust has. They have been developed to meet the strategy set by the Trust to achieve its goals mentioned before. The priority programmes include bringing places to life. This strategy can be equated with the social aspect of the model as argued by Brent (2010, pg 218) that,† A flat notion of social implies that all ‘being’ is interactive. And that all actors are simultaneously produced by other actor.† This means that all perspective of bringing places to life is codependent on the all the other factors in which all of the priorities are in a chain that each depends on the other to work failure in which all the other structures will suffer. With the improving conservation and environmental performance being one of the main model of heritage the Trust ensures that all the goals concerning the environment is covered in each of the strategies they have so that the environmental conservation is not only left to function on its own but rather it is made in a state that it works in all the strategies spread out case in point is the properties section where they have to adhere to a set of policies governing the environmental and this can be implemented by the improving conservation and environmental performance section. This is mainly governed by the overall energy reduction and also by conservation performance indicator which checks the activities done that enhances conservation of the environment. By staff satisfaction in their works, operational management satisfaction and volunteer recommendation will propel investing in people as an objective. The fourth objective which is financing the future the sustainability in the long term and not being wasteful is guaranteed and this can be achieved through an increased net gain, members’ numbers getting high, efficiency which will cut down the costs and also investing in properties th at beat the baseline target. The political aspect is related to the financial aspect of the Trust priorities as it relates with the politics of running the Trust with the finance made from all the respective sections and in return it is what will be used for expenditure of the Trust even as it makes the return as the income made. The data captured by the National Trust performance index indicates the overall target by the Trust and the expectation from each of the objectives set and this will explain how each department is related to one another and whenever each section underperforms, the other section will have to play catch up or try to recover the revenue lost from one section. A good example is the Visitors enjoyment score, net promoter score and relevance to the local community. All the said sections performed poorly mainly because the visitors did not play their part in recommending the Trust to their peers as this was shown by the high number of membership and good income bu t low scores when it comes to the visitors and members’ part. Also the other areas indicate the level of which the members partake in relation to tourism as not many of them have fully participated in visiting the areas managed by the Trust. Some of the unique milestone programmes for the company

Work Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work Ethics - Essay Example Qualities like punctuality, cooperation and teamwork are traits that must be present in an employee given to any type of work. Be it the white collar professional or the blue collar laborer, all these groups have to abide by these rules. Every organization must ensure that their employees have perfect attendance along with productivity scores to create a profitable and professional environment. However, there are certain work ethics that are employed in white collar jobs at a far greater degree than for blue collar jobs: respect for different race or sex. Appearance is another ethic which is important in white collar jobs rather than blue collar ones. This gives the white collar workers a greater edge over manual jobs. 2) Upper middle class benefit the most from the work ethics produced by their organization. This is because these professional white collar workers are safe from problems like sexual or ethnic harassment, an ethic which is usually ignored amongst the lower classes: semi-professionals, working and marginalized members. Equality is an ethic which has not been mentioned in the work ethics program. It should be considered to ensure that no employee is disrespected because of their position at the job. The class differences can pose as a great source of inequality. These barriers should be removed before they create further problems within society.

Theme & Introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theme & Introduction - Essay Example The theme "How well do you know the people around you' will help to create a special context of communication because all communication is context bound. We can think of spatial, temporal, relational and sometimes organizational frameworks within which it is embedded. Employees will be divided into several families (mothers, fathers and children despite of their sex and age). The imagined place is a countryside; event - holidays, a picnic. 'Plunged' into this situation, the personal characteristics of the participants together with features of the shared situation act to shape the interaction that transpires and both may be influenced, to some extent, in consequence. Likewise, goals pursued are determined by personal and situational factors (Beebe, Masterson 2000). This theme was selected for training program because many employees lack knowledge and practice of interpersonal communication. The goals people pursue are not always conscious, and indeed one feature of skilled performance is that behavior is often executed automatically. Once responses are learned they tend to become hard-wired or habitual. When employees know how to interact, they no longer have to think about actions such as how to start a talk and how to behave. Skilled behaviors must be interrelated, in that they are synchronized in order to achieve a particular goal.

Hariharan N The Musical Genius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hariharan N The Musical Genius - Essay Example This gave way to many concerts, television performance and even TV serial such as â€Å"Junoon†. In 1994, he received the Best Album of the Year Award for the song Abshaar-e-Ghazal. In 1998, he was awarded as the â€Å"Best Male Playback Singer† by the Tamil Nadu State Government Film Awards for his song â€Å"Mere dushman mere bhai†. All of the awards however were nothing compared to the milestone that he achieved in the year 1996, the time when his fusion album ( Indian-English ) â€Å" Colonial Cousins† made him a celebrity. It was a collaboration between Bombay-based composer/singer Leslie Lewis and him. It was popular due to the fact that it : "Colonial Cousins" became the first Indian act to be featured on MTV Unplugged and also won the pair a string of national and international awards, including the MTV Indian Viewers Choice award and US Billboards award†( Hariharan mysticamusic.com ) The popular album showcased Harahan’s musical prowess as a co-writer , musical scorer and artist. This is a hard combination to beat even amongst young artists of today where singing is the only forte one has. What was outstanding about Harihan is that he was able to â€Å" scale the song Hamsathwani raga in three octaves, hitting the lowest and highest notes with equal facility. His other songs like â€Å"Feel Alright â€Å" is a perfect example of fusion wherein he was able to sing the English lyrics yet in typical Indian folk style.

Investment Advice for Microsoft Research Proposal

Investment Advice for Microsoft - Research Proposal Example Microsoft - major industry player - is headed by Mr. Steven A. Balmer, Microsoft’s 49-year old Chief Executive Officer (CEO).   The company’s co-founder, the illustrious Mr. Bill Gates, also sits in the Board of Directors and acts as its Chief Technological Architect.   As at end of the fiscal year 2005, Mr. Balmer along with the other directors of the company received an average annual salary of about $1.0 million each. As a global company, Microsoft operates in various countries across the world.   The headquarter is located at One Microsoft Way in Redmond, Washington D.C.   Direct competitors of Microsoft include other formidable companies such as Google Inc., International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Oracle Corp.   In terms of sales, Microsoft came in second to IBM as at end-June 2005.   However, Microsoft has posted the highest net income as compared to other industry players. Based on the above financial highlights, it can be seen that sales of Microsoft are steadily accelerating as evidenced by the moderate sales growth in the last three years.   In the same way, the income the company generated as at end-June 2005 has recovered from the decline in the previous year.   The sales and income posted by Microsoft are well above the industry average in 2005. Similarly, Microsoft has consistently proven its ability to convert sales into income in the past three years as seen in the company’s net profit margin.   Its 3-year average of 28% is higher than the industry average of only 23.5%. In terms of liquidity, Microsoft is highly liquid since it has more than sufficient current assets to cover its current liabilities.   As such it has a high current ratio that sends a positive signal to investors.

Merger between EnviroTech an InterClean Essay Example for Free

Merger between EnviroTech an InterClean Essay First of all, I would like to take the time to say â€Å"thank you† to each one of you for your outstanding efforts, it has been very enjoyable to work alongside with each of you in contributing to the success of InterClean. You are all well aware of the strategic movement as announced by David Spencer is very near on the horizon. As this merger between InterClean and EnviroTech begins to unfurl I foresee that each of you will have a key role to play in making the transition as smooth as possible. As managers it is our duty to show our fellow co-workers and new team members why we have been successful. It is important to welcome the employees joining us from EnviroTech. The incoming employees from EnviroTech bring vast experience and proven track record that will help to move us in the direction we want to go. Combining two companies together is no easy task and this new endeavor will be challenging. Each individual will need to present his or herself in a positive manner. The main objective is to be positive about the changes that will take place. Also everyone shall commit to learning the new concept of â€Å"full-service solutions packages† (University of Phoenix, Week One Supplement, 2010). I urge each of you to be open to share your ideas as well as receive ideas from all of your team members, old and new. Keep in mind that this new concept will not be immediately rock-solid it will take, several tries an adjusting to create the best package to suit each of our clients. I am sure that some of you are not feeling comfortable with the upcoming transition and that is understandable. However, I again urge you to see the potential this acquisition can bring. The growth potential globally is enormous and you can each have a part to make it happen. Each of you will have an impact on your workers, and how each of you decide to carry yourself can either promote or bring down morale. I  inspire each of you to press forward and lead your teams. You are all more than capable to produce results, so mentor your teams to produce even better results. I would also like to go over a few other important matters. These involve human resource issues because of the diverse work force we will gain by this merger. Obviously each of you will have several if not numerous new members joining your teams. It is very important and I cannot stress it enough just how important it is that you treat every employee the same. You cannot favor or give preference to the current InterClean employees over the incoming EnviroTech employees. Please exercise good judgment when addressing each newly acquired employee. Also when making selections for your teams an initially assigning tasks I suggest you seek input from myself, Carol our internal consultant, and the HR department. If you have any concerns please bring it to my attention immediately as well as to Carol and human resources. Be certain that the issue or concern is cleared up before moving forward. It is in the best interest of the company and for each of you to create an atmosphere that is warm, thriving yet peaceful, non-hostile, and safe. We all need t o value diversity and as Cascio put it â€Å"to manage diversity, there is no room for inflexibility and intolerance-displace them with adaptability and acceptance† (Cascio 2006, p. 125). Furthermore we will all be attending a full-day seminar on reengineering at Leeward Community College, please mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 1. I will send out a reminder along with the pertinent seminar information. If you are unable to make it on Wednesday, you will need to attend the Tuesday session, so let me know as soon as possible so I can make the change for you. I know you are all thinking, â€Å"What is reengineering?† â€Å"Reengineering is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in cost, quality, and speed† (Cascio 2006, p. 18). I also strongly recommend that each of you sign up for the management training sessions that HR is setting up. Immediately share and talk with your workers about attending the new product and sales training sessions. Go ahead and schedule your teams with HR to ensure everyone can be properly accommodated as quickly as possible. You should also encourage participation in the ongoing HR seminars that cover topics such as developing skill in conflict resolution and effective communication. As always you are free to come and discuss any issue or  concern that you may have with me. I am more than willing to sit down with each of you and listen to what you have to say. So please do not hesitate I am here for each of you and want to continue working alongside with each you and your teams. I am hopeful that going forward we will all embrace the upcoming changes and challenges facing us. Together we can achieve the desired results to move InterClean closer to our strategic direction of global expansion. References Cascio, W. F. (2006). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database University of Phoenix (2010) Week One Supplement: InterClean-EnviroTech Merger Scenario Retrieved from University of Phoenix HRM/531-Course Website

Prospects of Insurance | Insurance Business Analysis

Prospects of Insurance | Insurance Business Analysis This is the law of nature that people have to live and play with hazards and to some extent insurance policy can free people from those frustrations. Even if this is true, people of Bangladesh still dont prefer to insure themselves. One may think that the people of Bangladesh are risk lover; on the other hand other may contradict by saying that their low purchasing power doesnt permit them to avail insurance policy. Here we will try to find out the problems of insurance business in Bangladesh and will try to suggest some steps for overcoming these problems. What is insurance? Insurance in its basic form is defined as A contract between two parties whereby one party called insurer undertakes in exchange for a fixed sum called premiums, to pay the other party called insured a fixed amount of money on the happening of a certain event. In simple terms it is a contract between the person who buys Insurance and an Insurance company who sold the Policy. By entering into contract the Insurance company agrees to pay the Policy holder or his family members a predetermined sum of money in case of any unfortunate event for a predetermined fixed sum payable which is in normal term called Insurance Premiums. Insurance is basically a protection against a financial loss which can arise on the happening of an unexpected event. Insurance companies collect premiums to provide for this protection. By paying a very small sum of money a person can safeguard himself and his family financially from an unfortunate event. For Example if a person buys a Life Insurance Policy by paying a premium to the Insurance company , the family members of insured person receive a fixed compensation in case of any unfortunate event like death. There are different kinds of Insurance Products available such as Life Insurance , Vehicle Insurance, Home Insurance, Travel Insurance, Health or Mediclaim Insurance etc. Types of Insurance Any risk that can be quantified probably has a type of insurance to protect it. Among the different types of insurance are: Automobile insurance, also known as auto insurance, car insurance and in the UK as motor insurance, is probably the most common form of insurance and may cover both legal liability claims against the driver and loss of or damage to the vehicle itself. Over most of the United States purchasing an auto insurance policy is required to legally operate a motor vehicle on public roads. Recommendations for which policy limits should be used are specified in a number of books. In some jurisdictions, bodily injury compensation for automobile accident victims has been changed to No Fault systems, which reduce or eliminate the ability to sue for compensation but provide automatic eligibility for benefits. Boiler insurance (also known as Boiler and Machinery insurance or Equipment Breakdown Insurance) Casualty insurance insures against accidents, not necessarily tied to any specific property. Credit insurance pays some or all of a loan back when certain things happen to the borrower such as unemployment, disability, or death. Financial loss insurance protects individuals and companies against various financial risks. For example, a business might purchase cover to protect it from loss of sales if a fire in a factory prevented it from carrying out its business for a time. Insurance might also cover failure of a creditor to pay money it owes to the insured. Fidelity bonds and surety bonds are included in this category. Health insurance covers medical bills incurred because of sickness or accidents. Liability insurance covers legal claims against the insured. For example, a homeowners insurance policy provides the insured with protection in the event of a claim brought by someone who slips and falls on the property, and brings a lawsuit for her injuries. Similarly, a doctor may purchase liability insurance to cover any legal claims against him if his negligence (carelessness) in treating a patient caused the patient injury and/or monetary harm. The protection offered by a liability insurance policy is two-fold: a legal defense in the event of a lawsuit commenced against the policyholder, plus indemnification (payment on behalf of the insured) with respect to a settlement or court verdict. Life insurance provides a cash benefit to a decedents family or other designated beneficiary, and may specifically provide for burial and other final expenses. Annuities provide a stream of payments and are generally classified as insurance because they are issued by insurance companies and regulated as insurance. Annuities and pensions that pay a benefit for life are sometimes regarded as insurance against the possibility that a retiree will outlive his or her financial resources. In that sense, they are the complement of life insurance. Total permanent disability insurance provides benefits when a person is permanently disabled and can no longer work in their profession, often taken as an adjunct to life insurance. Locked Funds Insurance is a little known hybrid insurance policy jointly issued by governments and banks. It is used to protect public funds from tamper by unauthorised parties. In special cases, a government may authorize its use in protecting semi-private funds which are liable to tamper. Terms of this type of insurance are usually very strict. As such it is only used in extreme cases where maximum security of funds is required. Marine Insurance covers the loss or damage of goods at sea. Marine insurance typically compensates the owner of merchandise for losses sustained from fire, shipwreck, etc., but excludes losses that can be recovered from the carrier. Nuclear incident insurance damages resulting from an incident involving radioactive materials is generally arranged at the national level. (For the United States, see Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act.) Political risk insurance can be taken out by businesses with operations in countries in which there is a risk that revolution or other political conditions will result in a loss. Professional Indemnity Insurance is normally a mandatory requirement for professional practitioners such as Architects, Lawyers, Doctors and Accountants to provide insurance cover against potential negligence claims. Non licensed professionals may also purchase malpractice insurance, it is commonly called Errors and Omissions Insurance and covers a service provider for claims made against them that arise out of the performance of specified professional services. For instance, a web site designer can obtain EO insurance to cover them for certain claims made by third parties that arise out of negligent performance of web site development services. Property insurance provides protection against risks to property, such as fire, theft or weather damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as fire insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, home insurance, inland marine insurance or boiler insurance. Terrorism insurance Title insurance provides a guarantee that title to real property is vested in the purchaser and/or mortgagee, free and clear of liens or encumbrances. It is usually issued in conjunction with a search of the public records done at the time of a real estate transaction. Travel insurance is an insurance cover taken by those who travel abroad, which covers certain losses such as medical expenses, lost of personal belongings, travel delay, personal liabilities.. etc. Workers compensation insurance replaces all or part of a workers wages lost and accompanying medical expense incurred due to a job-related injury. A single policy may cover risks in one or more of the above categories. For example, car insurance would typically cover both property risk (covering the risk of theft or damage to the car) and liability risk (covering legal claims from say, causing an accident). A homeowners insurance policy in the US typically includes property insurance covering damage to the home and the owners belongings, liability insurance covering certain legal claims against the owner, and even a small amount of health insurance for medical expenses of guests who are injured on the owners property. Potential sources of risk that may give rise to claims are known as perils. Examples of perils might be fire, theft, earthquake, hurricane and many other potential risks. An insurance policy will set out in details which perils are covered by the policy and which are not. History of Insurance business in Bangladesh: Insurance is not a new business in Bangladesh. Almost a century back, during British rule in India, some insurance companies started transacting business, both life and general, in Bengal. Insurance business gained momentum in East Pakistan during 1947-1971, when 49 insurance companies transacted both life and general insurance schemes. These companies were of various origins British, Australian, Indian, West Pakistani and local. Ten insurance companies had their head offices in East Pakistan, 27 in West Pakistan, and the rest elsewhere in the world. These were mostly limited liability companies. Some of these companies were specialised in dealing in a particular class of business, while others were composite companies that dealt in more than one class of business. The government of Bangladesh nationalised insurance industry in 1972 by the Bangladesh Insurance (Nationalisation) Order 1972. By virtue of this order, save and except postal life insurance and foreign life insurance companies, all 49 insurance companies and organisations transacting insurance business in the country were placed in the public sector under five corporations. These corporations were: the Jatiya Bima Corporation, Tista Bima Corporation, Karnafuli Bima Corporation, Rupsa Jiban Bima Corporation, and Surma Jiban Bima Corporation. The Jatiya Bima Corporation was an apex corporation only to supervise and control the activities of the other insurance corporations, which were responsible for underwriting. Tista and Karnafuli Bima Corporations were for general insurance and Rupsa and Surma for life insurance. The specialist life companies or the life portion of a composite company joined the Rupsa and Surma corporations while specialist general insurance companies or the genera l portion of a composite company joined the Tista and Karnafuli corporations. The basic idea behind the formation of four underwriting corporations, two in each main branch of life and general, was to encourage competition even under a nationalised system. But the burden of administrative expenses incurred in maintaining two corporations in each front of life and general and an apex institution at the top outweighed the advantages of limited competition. Consequently, on 14 May 1973, a restructuring was made under the Insurance Corporations Act 1973. Following the Act, in place of five corporations the government formed two: the sadharan bima corporation for general business, and jiban bima corporation for life business. The postal life insurance business and the life insurance business by foreign companies were still allowed to continue as before. In reality, however, only the american life insurance company. continued to operate in the life sector for both new business and servicing, while three other foreign life insurance continued to operate only for servicing their old policies issued during Pakistan days. Postal life maintained its business as before. After 1973, general insurance business became the sole responsibility of the Sadharan Bima Corporation. Life insurance business was carried out by the Jiban Bima Corporation, the American Life insurance Company, and the Postal Life Insurance Department until 1994, when a change was made in the structural arrangement to keep pace with the new economic trend of liberalisation. The Insurance Corporations Act 1973 was amended in 1984 to allow insurance companies in the private sector to operate side by side with Sadharan Bima Corporation and Jiban Bima Corporation. The Insurance Corporations Amendment Act 1984 allowed floating of insurance companies, both life and general, in the private sector subject to certain restrictions regarding business operations and reinsurance. Under the new act, all general insurance businesses emanating from the public sector were reserved for the state owned Sadharan Bima Corporation, which could also underwrite insurance business emanating from the private sector. The Act of 1984 made it a requirement for the private sector insurance companies to obtain 100% reinsurance protection from the Sadharan Bima Corporation. This virtually turned Sadharan Bima Corporation into a reinsurance organisation, in addition to its usual activities as direct insurer. Sadharan Bima Corporation itself had the right to reinsure its surplus elsewhe re outside the country but only after exhausting the retention capacity of the domestic market. Such restrictions aimed at preventing outflow of foreign exchange in the shape of reinsurance premium and developing a reinsurance market within Bangladesh. The restriction regarding business placement affected the interests of the private insurance companies in many ways. The restrictions were considered not congenial to the development of private sector business in insurance. Two strong arguments were put forward to articulate feelings: (a) Since the public sector accounted for about 80% of the total premium volume of the country, there was little premium left for the insurance companies in the private sector to survive. In this context, Sadharan Bima Corporation should not have been allowed to compete with the private sector insurance companies for the meagre premium (20%) emanating from the private sector; (b) Being a competitor in the insurance market, Sadharan Bima Corporation was hardly acceptable as an agency to protect the interests of the private sector insurance companies and should not have retained the exclusive right to reinsure policies of these companies. The arrangement was in fact, against the principle of laissez faire . Private sector insurance companies demanded withdrawal of the above restrictions so that they could (a) underwrite both public and private sector insurance business in competition with the Sadharan Bima Corporation, and (b) effect reinsurance to the choice of reinsurers. The government modified the system through promulgation of the Insurance Corporations (Amendment) Act 1990. The changes allowed private sector insurance companies to underwrite 50% of the insurance business emanating from the public sector and to place up to 50% of their reinsurance with any reinsurer of their choice, at home or abroad, keeping the remaining for placement with the Sadharan Bima Corporation. According to the new rules the capital and deposit requirements for formation of an insurance company are as follows: Capital requirements: for life insurance company Tk 75 million, of which 40% shall be subscribed by the sponsors; for mutual life insurance company Tk 10 million; for general insurance company Tk 150 million, of which 40% shall be subscribed by the sponsors; and for cooperative insurance society Tk 10 million for life and Tk 20 million for general. Deposit requirements (in cash or in approved securities): For life insurance Tk 4 million; for fire insurance Tk 3 million; for marine insurance Tk 3 million; for miscellaneous insurance Tk 3 million; for mutual insurance company Tk 1.4 million; and for cooperative insurance society, in case of life insurance Tk 1.4 million, and in case of general insurance Tk 1 million for each class. The government guidelines for formation of an insurance company are: (1) The intending sponsors must first submit an application in prescribed form to the Chief Controller of Insurance for prior permission. (2) After necessary scrutiny the Chief Controller shall forward the application with his recommendation to the Ministry of Commerce. (3) After further scrutiny, the Ministry of Commerce shall submit its views to the Cabinet Committee constituted for this purpose. (4) The decision of the Committee, if affirmative, should be sent back to the Ministry of Commerce which in turn should send it back to the Chief Controller of Insurance for communicating the same to the sponsors. (5) The sponsors would then be required to apply in a prescribed form to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies to get registration as a public liability company under the Companies Act. Memorandum and Articles of Association duly approved by the Controller of Insurance would have to be submitted with the application. (6) Once the registration process was completed the sponsors would have to obtain permission of the securities and exchange commission to issue share capital. (7) Reinsurance arrangements would have to be made at this stage. (8) After all the above requirements were fulfilled the licence to commence business under the Insurance Act 1938 is to be obtained from the Chief Controller of Insurance. Application can only be made subject to government announcements in this regard. The control over insurance companies, including their functions relating to investments, taxation, and reporting, are regulated mainly by the Insurance Act 1938 and the Finance Acts. The privatisation policy adopted in the 1980s paved the way for a number of insurers to emerge in the private sector. This resulted in a substantial growth of premium incomes, competition, improvement in services, and introduction of newer types of business in wider fields hitherto untapped. Prior to privatisation, the yearly gross premium volume of the country was approximately Tk 900 million in general insurance business and approximately Tk 800 million in life insurance business. In 2000, premium incomes rose to Tk 4,000 million in general insurance business and Tk 5,000 million in life insurance business. Up to 2000, the government has given permission to 19 general insurance companies and 10 life insurance companies in the private sector. Insurers of the country now conduct almost all types of general and life insurance, except crop insurance and export credit guarantee insurance, which are available only with the Sadharan Bima Corporation. Numerous institutions, associations and professional groups work to promote the development of insurance business in Bangladesh. Prominent among them are the Bangladesh Insurance Association and bangladesh insurance academy. Bangladesh Insurance Association was formed on 25 May 1988 under the Companies Act 1913. It is registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and has 30 members. It aims at promoting, supporting and protecting the interests and welfare of the member companies. Surveyors and insurance agents occupy a prominent position in the insurance market of Bangladesh. The surveyors are mainly responsible for surveying and assessing general insurance losses and occasionally, for valuation of insurance properties, while the agents work to procure both life and general insurance business against commission. The system of professional brokers has not yet developed in Bangladesh. However, it is a common practice of the insurers to engage salaried development officers for promotion of their insurance business. Problems of insurance business in bangladesh The insurance business in Bangladesh is facing lots of problem in every now and then. To describe the problems, we use service quality gap model. By using the model it will become more easer to understand the problms of insurance in Bangladesh. Service Quality Gap Model Managers in the service sector are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their services are customer-focused and that continuous performance improvement is being delivered. Given the financial and resource constraints under which service organizations must manage it is essential that customer expectations are properly understood and measured and that, from the customers perspective, any gaps in service quality are identified. This information then assists a manager in identifying cost-effective ways of closing service quality gaps and of prioritizing which gaps to focus on a critical decision given scarce resources ( SERVQUAL and Model of Service Quality Gaps: A Framework for Determining and Prioritizing Critical Factors in Delivering Quality Services by Dr. Arash Shahin, Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Iran). What makes managing customer service different, as a marketing problem, from managing the standard elements of the marketing mix (product, price, pro motions, and place) is that customer service is typically delivered by front-line employees. Personnel policies, thus, have immediate marketing implications. Many retailers take this into consideration by treating employees as internal customers. According to this philosophy, management must sell their internal customers on the company and its policies in order to induce front-line employees to deliver the desired levels of customer service. Standard personnel policies that can facilitate customer service and sell the internal customers include (a) employee screening and selection, (b) training, (c) setting suitable reporting relationships, (d) goals and reward systems, (e) internal communications, and (f) generally creating a service culture. The Gap Analysis Model goes a step beyond simply reexamining each of the standard personnel policies in light of the desired customer service. The model provides specific criteria concerning personnel and management policies that complete the linkage between customer expectations and perceived service delivery. In addition, the model provides a checklist of where breaks in the chain can occur; using this checklist can provide a useful audit of service quality (See: A Service Quality Audit: Application of the Gap Analysis Model by Paul R. Messinger, University of Alberta). There are seven major gaps in the service quality concept, which are shown in Figure-1. The model is an extension of Parasuraman et al. (1985). According to the following explanation (ASI Quality Systems, 1992; Curry, 1999; Luk and Layton, 2002), the three important gaps, which are more associated with the external customers are Gap1, Gap5 and Gap6; since they have a direct relationship with customers. Gaps 1 through 6 widen or close, so does Gap 7. The authors conceptual model of service quality follows:   The key to delivering high quality service is to continually monitor customer perceptions of service quality, identify causes of service quality shortfalls, and take appropriate action to improve the quality of service (close the service gaps). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap 1. Not Knowing What Customers Expect: Based on interviews, the authors found that executives perceptions of superior quality service are largely congruent with customers expectations. Customers expectations versus management perceptions are the result of the lack of a marketing research orientation, inadequate upward communication and too many layers of management. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap 2. The Wrong Service-Quality Standards: Gap 2 arises when there is a discrepancy between what managers perceive that customers expect and the actual standards that they (the managers) set for service delivery. This gap may occur when management is aware of customers expectations but may not be willing or able to put systems in place that meet or exceed those expectations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap 3. The Service-Performance Gap: Organizational policies and standards for service levels may be in place, but is front line staff following them? A very common gap in the service industry, Gap 3 is the difference between organizational service specifications and actual levels of service delivery. Service specifications versus service delivery is the result of role ambiguity and conflict, poor employee-job fit and poor technology-job fit, inappropriate supervisory control systems, lack of perceived control and lack of teamwork. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap 4. When Promises Do Not Match Delivery: Customers perceive that organizations are delivering low-quality service when a gap appears between promised levels of service and the service that is actually delivered. This gap is created when advertising, personal selling or public relations over-promise or misrepresent service levels. Service delivery versus external communication may occur as a result of inadequate horizontal communications and propensity to over-promise. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap5: The discrepancy between customer expectations and their perceptions of the service delivered: as a result of the influences exerted from the customer side and the shortfalls (gaps) on the part of the service provider. In this case, customer expectations are influenced by the extent of personal needs, word of mouth recommendation and past service experiences. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap6: The discrepancy between customer expectations and employees perceptions: As a result of the differences in the understanding of customer expectations by front-line service providers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gap7: The discrepancy between employees perceptions and management perceptions: As a result of the differences in the understanding of customer expectations between managers and service providers. Figure1: Model of service quality gaps (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Curry, 1999; Luk and Layton, 2002) Other Problems Service quality gap model does not provide all the problems of insurance business. There some other problems too. These problems are given below: Lack of trustworthiness: Lack of trustworthiness is one of the the major problems of insurance business in Bangladesh. Lengthy process in getting payment after any incident is the main reason of trustworthiness. Time killing behavior in payment after incidence is reducing the trust of the customers towards the insurance companies. Low income of the people: Low income and purchasing power doesnt permit the people of Bangladesh to go for an insurance policy. Practically we can easily relate the above mentioned factors. For example, in one hand the lower income of the people is creating barrier in buying insurance policy, on the other hand lack of trustworthiness makes this insurance avoiding behavior more acute. Unattractive offerings: Insurance companies are not providing attracting offerings to their customers. All the offerings are similar. There is very less variation among the offerings of differnt insurance companies. Lack of information about the insurance companies: The insurance companies are not delivering their information (regarding company and insurance policy) properly or evenly which is another problem of the insurance companies. Inefficiency in problem solving: Inefficiency in problem solving is another problem of the insurace companies. If any customer comes to then to solve some problems, they do not solve those problems efficiently. High service/processing cost : Insurance companies charges high service/processing cost from their customers. Less convincing sales people: Some insurance companies appoint sales people at a very lower cost. These sales people are not much convincing. They can not convince effectively to purchase insurance pollicy. This is another problem of insurance companies. Lengthy process to get payment after incidents: Insurance companies take a lenthy process to get payment after incidents. Sometimes they take one or two years to pay their customers. This is one of the major problems of insurance companies. Steps to overcome the problems of insurance business: The demographic trends suggest that as private insurance companies (both local and multinational) have proliferated in Dhaka city, better educated and more affluent people have gravitated to these insurance companies for insurance services. These people/clients are likely to have better information about the quality of services provided by both public and private insurance companies and their inclination to select private insurance companies suggests, implicitly, that the quality of service is better at these private firms even though their (private insurance companies) service cost is somewhat higher. Moreover, many branch operation of private insurance companies help the people to make evaluation among them and making an insurance decision in favor of those which are trustworthy. But between the private local and foreign insurance company choice, clients are mostly considering foreign private insurance companies due to its trustworthiness, experience in operation and wide area cove rage. Less number of branches of the public insurance companies may be another prime reason of not being preferred by the local clients. By definition, it might be more authentic if the clients were inclined towards the public insurance companies from trustworthiness point of view, but as statistics suggests in favor of choosing foreign private insurance firms, probably we have to be satisfied by saying that it is in many respect guided by clients psychology of getting better and prompt services. The incentive structure must also play a role in ensuring the quality services delivered by the public insurance companies. One solution is to tie part of the compensation of insurance personnel in public companies to services rendered and feedback received from clients. This, of course, is a complex issue and has implications for pay scale administration, since public bank staffs, as government servants, are paid according to certain pay structures. While beyond the scope of this paper, au thors feel that compensation flexibility is necessary to reward those who are dedicated to providing quality insurance services. If compensation adjustments cant be incorporated, benefits-including promotion, transfer in more valued branches, study leave, performance bonus and the like-could be tied to performance evaluation mechanism. There must be a formal procedure of evaluating the employees by the clients through some questionnaire type performance appraisal form. A suggestion, objection or recommendation book in the branch can be introduced where the clients can even complain or appreciate about a specific employee. Public awareness and the transparency of the high official may have a positive impact on that issue. A rating scale could also be established to rate the quality of services based on insurance companys facilities, past performance records, and clients evaluations. The rating factors and mechanisms would have to be developed on the basis of inputs from clients and t he profession. It would also be important to determine, specify, and strongly enforce the legal consequences for tampering with client records and their evaluations. This process will lead to qualifying and ranking each and every insurance company (Private and public). We think the insurance policy collection and profit margin should not be the only benchmark to position a specific insurance company. As the number of insurance companies continues to grow, it is important to develop a national capability to periodically evaluate and publicly disseminate (As University Grants Commission did for the private universities) the ratings or rankings of all insurance companies so that each service providers reputation is widely known. Armed with this information, clients can make more informed choices. In addition, as an important determination of insurance company choice, firms must invest in building their reputation/reliability which will hel

Philosophy-imputable Acts :: essays research papers

Dr. Kitchel Ethics 2314 "Imputable Acts in Regards to the Fate of a World" An act is called imputable when the person committing the act is in possession of both knowledge and consent in regards to the action at hand. Imputability is a thing that is always completely possessed or completely not possessed by a person. Imputability causes accountability. Accountability has degrees upon which it is based and these degrees depend on whether or not the person was influenced by some modifier of either the intellect or the will. Imputability's requirements, knowledge and consent, have to do with the relationship between the act in question and whether or not it is a good or evil act. An act is either objectively, morally good or evil. To the degree that the person committing the act is aware of this in the form of either knowledge or consent is the degree to which the act itself is imputable and thereby also the person is accountable for the act. The characters in C. S. Lewis' novel, "Prelandra", make choices and perform acts that drastically effect the outcome of the world in which the novel takes place. Some of these acts are wholly imputable while others are not. However, all of the acts are either good or evil. As a result of this, the novel illustrates the importance of being able to distinguish the difference between good and evil acts in the consequences that befall its characters from their own actions within the novel. The novel's protagonist, John Ransom of Thucalandra (Earth), is sent by Maleldil (God) to the planet of Prelandra (Venus) in order to stop the Bent Oyarsa (Satan) from corrupting that planet as he did with Earth though Ransom has no knowledge of the exact purpose of his journey upon leaving or even once he is there on the planet. Once he arrives on the planet, he encounters the person he deems "the Green Lady." Lewis' character, the Green Lady, is Prelandra's counterpart to the Eve character in the Genesis story of creation in the Bible. After meeting her and realizing who she is, Weston the villain from the first book appears in Prelandra. He is there on a new "mission." This new mission is no longer for the survival of the human race as it was on his journey to Malacandra but is now for the survival of the "Human Spirit.

Sin and Personal Growth in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Nathaniel Hawth

The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and was first published in 1850. Hawthorne’s purpose for The Scarlet Letter was to show how anybody can sin, and that sin should be used as an example to learn from. Hawthorne also made clear that good can come from sin and that sin can help a person grow. Hester Prynne is the main character of the book. She is still young when she has her child, Pearl. She is a strong and determined, and uses her past sin, and the â€Å"A† as something to learn from rather than something to be ashamed of. After the shame of getting the â€Å"A,† she moved into the outskirts of town and became a seamstress. The way she was able to move on from her sin and continue her life, even after being scorned and humiliated, is proof of her strength. Years later, when her sin is almost completely forgotten her benevolence is shown in how she cares for the physical and spiritual needs of people in the community. Pearl is Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale’s illegitimate daughter. Although Pearl is described as beautiful, throughout the book, she is consistently described as â€Å"impish† and â€Å"elfish.† These strange descriptions, as well as her odd behavior, make her seem inhuman, and make the townspeople view Pearl as sin-embodied and the devil-child. Pearl is very smart, and even at a young age she becomes aware of the scarlet letter and recognizes that is has some kind of significance. The quote, â€Å"One day, as her mother stooped over the cradle, the infant’s eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter, and, putting up her little hand, she grasped at it, smiling, not doubtfully, but with a decided gleam, that gave her face the look of a much older child.†, shows how she draws attention ... ... view, Hawthorne writes, â€Å"On the wall hung a row of portraits, representing the forefathers of the Bellingham lineage, some with armor on their breast, and others with stately ruffs and robes of peace.† Hawthorne serves his purpose by combining his detailed characters, his informative writing style, and his ongoing themes throughout the book. Some of his predominant themes in the book are how sin can lead to personal growth and the battle between good and evil. Over the seven years of wearing the scarlet letter, Hester grew a lot, and after finding out about Chillingworth, Dimmesdale underwent a change as well. The way that sin can lead to personal growth is seen in their lives. The battle of good and evil is seen in the lives of Reverend Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Evil needs good in order to survive. Soon after Dimmesdale’s death, Chillingworth died as well.

Tibetan Oracles :: Tibet Religion Papers

Tibetan Oracles In Tibetan tradition, the word oracle, or kuten, literally interpreted means â€Å"the physical basis.† The word oracle is also used to define the spirit which enters into men and women who are acting as a medium between the spiritual and natural realms. Oracles serve as a guide for Tibetans in political decisions, predictions about natural forces, etc. Their decisions help guide internal and external affairs. They most clearly demonstrate their function while in trance. In this mind-altered state prophecies and predictions are made about questions asked. Their answers are taken seriously by Tibetans and high-standing political and religious individuals. The occurrences that take place while in trance cannot all be explained by scientific means and there is some spiritual force acting on the situation. To fully understand Tibetan oracles and their trances, some background information about them must be given. The first recognized Nechung oracle was realized in 1544 AD. This was the first time that the spirit of Nechung was possessed in a human being. The name of oracle was Drag Trang Go-Wa Lobsang Palden. Many oracles used to be present in Tibet, but their numbers have diminished as a result of various factors such as Chinese occupation. However, the phenomenon of oracles still remains central to Tibetan life. The oracle is not only used to predict the future, but they are also sometimes used as protectors and healers. The main function of oracles in Tibet is to answer tough questions about internal and external affairs both religious and political. They way that this is most effectively performed and acted upon is through possession or trance induction. Trance induction in the Tibetan State Oracle is a complex process involving certain physical deprivations and stimuli from various sources of anything from music to hyperventilation. Symbolic elements as well as visualizations induce possession and trance in the oracle. (Ellingson 58) Certain questions about the spirituality of the oracles arise. It could be argued that oracles are taught to act in spiritual ways and that these actions are just reproductions of what they have been taught. Tibetan Oracles :: Tibet Religion Papers Tibetan Oracles In Tibetan tradition, the word oracle, or kuten, literally interpreted means â€Å"the physical basis.† The word oracle is also used to define the spirit which enters into men and women who are acting as a medium between the spiritual and natural realms. Oracles serve as a guide for Tibetans in political decisions, predictions about natural forces, etc. Their decisions help guide internal and external affairs. They most clearly demonstrate their function while in trance. In this mind-altered state prophecies and predictions are made about questions asked. Their answers are taken seriously by Tibetans and high-standing political and religious individuals. The occurrences that take place while in trance cannot all be explained by scientific means and there is some spiritual force acting on the situation. To fully understand Tibetan oracles and their trances, some background information about them must be given. The first recognized Nechung oracle was realized in 1544 AD. This was the first time that the spirit of Nechung was possessed in a human being. The name of oracle was Drag Trang Go-Wa Lobsang Palden. Many oracles used to be present in Tibet, but their numbers have diminished as a result of various factors such as Chinese occupation. However, the phenomenon of oracles still remains central to Tibetan life. The oracle is not only used to predict the future, but they are also sometimes used as protectors and healers. The main function of oracles in Tibet is to answer tough questions about internal and external affairs both religious and political. They way that this is most effectively performed and acted upon is through possession or trance induction. Trance induction in the Tibetan State Oracle is a complex process involving certain physical deprivations and stimuli from various sources of anything from music to hyperventilation. Symbolic elements as well as visualizations induce possession and trance in the oracle. (Ellingson 58) Certain questions about the spirituality of the oracles arise. It could be argued that oracles are taught to act in spiritual ways and that these actions are just reproductions of what they have been taught.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 5. ISLE ESME

â€Å"Houston?† I asked, raising my eyebrows when we reached the gate in Seattle. â€Å"Just a stop along the way,† Edward assured me with a grin. It felt like I'd barely fallen asleep when he woke me. I was groggy as he pulled me through the terminals, struggling to remember how to open my eyes after every blink. It took me a few minutes to catch up with what was going on when we stopped at the international counter to check in for our next flight. â€Å"Rio de Janeiro?† I asked with slightly more trepidation. â€Å"Another stop,† he told me. The flight to South America was long but comfortable in the wide first-class seat, with Edward's arms cradled around me. I slept myself out and awoke unusually alert as we circled toward the airport with the light of the setting sun slanting through the plane's windows. We didn't stay in the airport to connect with another flight as I'd expected. Instead we took a taxi through the dark, teeming, living streets of Rio. Unable to understand a word of Edward's Portuguese instructions to the driver, I guessed that we were off to find a hotel before the next leg of our journey. A sharp twinge of something very close to stage fright twisted in the pit of my stomach as I considered that. The taxi continued through the swarming crowds until they thinned somewhat, and we appeared to be nearing the extreme western edge of the city, heading into the ocean. We stopped at the docks. Edward led the way down the long line of white yachts moored in the night-blackened water. The boat he stopped at was smaller than the others, sleeker, obviously built for speed instead of space. Still luxurious, though, and more graceful than the rest. He leaped in lightly, despite the heavy bags he carried. He dropped those on the deck and turned to help me carefully over the edge. I watched in silence while he prepared the boat for departure, surprised at how skilled and comfortable he seemed, because he'd never mentioned an interest in boating before. But then again, he was good at just about everything. As we headed due east into the open ocean, I reviewed basic geography in my head. As far as I could remember, there wasn't much east of Brazil†¦ until you got to Africa. But Edward sped forward while the lights of Rio faded and ultimately disappeared behind us. On his face was a familiar exhilarated smile, the one produced by any form of speed. The boat plunged through the waves and I was showered with sea spray. Finally the curiosity I'd suppressed so long got the best of me. â€Å"Are we going much farther?† I asked. It wasn't like him to forget that I was human, but I wondered if he planned for us to live on this small craft for any length of time. â€Å"About another half hour.† His eyes took in my hands, clenched on the seat, and he grinned. Oh well, I thought to myself. He was a vampire, after all. Maybe we were going to Atlantis. Twenty minutes later, he called my name over the roar of the engine. â€Å"Bella, look there.† He pointed straight ahead. I saw only blackness at first, and the moon's white trail across the water. But I searched the space where he pointed until I found a low black shape breaking into the sheen of moonlight on the waves. As I squinted into the darkness, the silhouette became more detailed. The shape grew into a squat, irregular triangle, with one side trailing longer than the other before sinking into the waves. We drew closer, and I could see the outline was feathery, swaying to the light breeze. And then my eyes refocused and the pieces all made sense: a small island rose out of the water ahead of us, waving with palm fronds, a beach glowing pale in the light of the moon. â€Å"Where are we?† I murmured in wonder while he shifted course, heading around to the north end of the island. He heard me, despite the noise of the engine, and smiled a wide smile that gleamed in the moonlight. â€Å"This is Isle Esme.† The boat slowed dramatically, drawing with precision into position against a short dock constructed of wooden planks, bleached into whiteness by the moon. The engine cut off, and the silence that followed was profound. There was nothing but the waves, slapping lightly against the boat, and the rustle of the breeze in the palms. The air was warm, moist, and fragrant – like the steam left behind after a hot shower. â€Å"Isle Esme?† My voice was low, but it still sounded too loud as it broke into the quiet night. â€Å"A gift from Carlisle – Esme offered to let us borrow it.† A gift. Who gives an island as a gift? I frowned. I hadn't realized that Edward's extreme generosity was a learned behavior. He placed the suitcases on the dock and then turned back, smiling his perfect smile as he reached for me. Instead of taking my hand, he pulled me right up into his arms. â€Å"Aren't you supposed to wait for the threshold?'71 asked, breathless, as he sprung lightly out of the boat. He grinned. â€Å"I'm nothing if not thorough.† Gripping the handles of both huge steamer trunks in one hand and cradling me in the other arm, he carried me up the dock and onto a pale sand pathway through the dark vegetation. For a short while it was pitch black in the jungle-like growth, and then I could see a warm light ahead. It was about at the point when I realized the light was a house – the two bright, perfect squares were wide windows framing a front door – that the stage fright attacked again, more forcefully than before, worse than when I'd thought we were headed for a hotel. My heart thudded audibly against my ribs, and my breath seemed to get stuck in my throat. I felt Edward's eyes on my face, but I refused to meet his gaze. I stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. He didn't ask what I was thinking, which was out of character for him. I guessed that meant that he was just as nervous as I suddenly was. He set the suitcases on the deep porch to open the doors – they were unlocked. Edward looked down at me, waiting until I met his gaze before he stepped through the threshold. He carried me through the house, both of us very quiet, flipping on lights as he went. My vague impression of the house was that it was quite large for a tiny island, and oddly familiar. I'd gotten used to the pale-on-pale color scheme preferred by the Cullens; it felt like home. I couldn't focus on any specifics, though. The violent pulse beating behind my ears made everything a little blurry. Then Edward stopped and turned on the last light. The room was big and white, and the far wall was mostly glass – standard decor for my vampires. Outside, the moon was bright on white sand and, just a few yards away from the house, glistening waves. But I barely noted that part. I was more focused on the absolutely huge white bed in the center of the room, hung with billowy clouds of mosquito netting. Edward set me on my feet. â€Å"I'll†¦ go get the luggage.† The room was too warm, stuffier than the tropical night outside. A bead of sweat dewed up on the nape of my neck. I walked slowly forward until I could reach out and touch the foamy netting. For some reason I felt the need to make sure everything was real. I didn't hear Edward return. Suddenly, his wintry finger caressed the back of my neck, wiping away the drop of perspiration. â€Å"It's a little hot here,† he said apologetically. â€Å"I thought†¦ that would be best.† â€Å"Thorough,† I murmured under my breath, and he chuckled. It was a nervous sound, rare for Edward. â€Å"I tried to think of everything that would make this†¦ easier,† he admitted. I swallowed loudly, still facing away from him. Had there ever been a honeymoon like this before? I knew the answer to that. No. There had not. â€Å"I was wondering,'7Edward said slowly, â€Å"if†¦ first†¦ maybe you'd like to take a midnight swim with me?† He took a deep breath, and his voice was more at ease when he spoke again. â€Å"The water will be very warm. This is the kind of beach you approve of.† â€Å"Sounds nice.† My voice broke. â€Å"I'm sure you'd like a human minute or two†¦. It was a long journey.† I nodded woodenly. I felt barely human; maybe a few minutes alone would help. His lips brushed against my throat, just below my ear. He chuckled once and his cool breath tickled my overheated skin. â€Å"Don't take too long, Mrs. Cullen.† I jumped a little at the sound of my new name. His lips brushed down my neck to the tip of my shoulder. â€Å"I'll wait for you in the water.† He walked past me to the French door that opened right onto the beach sand. On the way, he shrugged out of his shirt, dropping it on the floor, and then slipped through the door into the moonlit night. The sultry, salty air swirled into the room behind him. Did my skin burst into flames? I had to look down to check. Nope, nothing was burning. At least, not visibly. I reminded myself to breathe, and then I stumbled toward the giant suitcase that Edward had opened on top of a low white dresser. It must be mine, because my familiar bag of toiletries was right on top, and there was a lot of pink in there, but I didn't recognize even one article of clothing. As I pawed through the neatly folded piles – looking for something familiar and comfortable, a pair of old sweats maybe – it came to my attention that there was an awful lot of sheer lace and skimpy satin in my hands. Lingerie. Very lingerie-ish lingerie, with French tags. I didn't know how or when, but someday, Alice was going to pay for this. Giving up, I went to the bathroom and peeked out through the long windows that opened to the same beach as the French doors. I couldn't see him; I guessed he was there in the water, not bothering to come up for air. In the sky above, the moon was lopsided, almost full, and the sand was bright white under its shine. A small movement caught my eye – draped over a bend in one of the palm trees that fringed the beach, the rest of his clothes were swaying in the light breeze. A rush of heat flashed across my skin again. I took a couple of deep breaths and then went to the mirrors above the long stretch of counters. I looked exactly like I'd been sleeping on a plane all day. I found my brush and yanked it harshly through the snarls on the back of my neck until they were smoothed out and the bristles were full of hair. I brushed my teeth meticulously, twice. Then I washed my face and splashed water on the back of my neck, which was feeling feverish. That felt so good that I washed my arms as well, and finally I decided to just give up and take the shower. I knew it was ridiculous to shower before swimming, but I needed to calm down, and hot water was one reliable way to do that. Also, shaving my legs again seemed like a pretty good idea. When I was done, I grabbed a huge white towel off the counter and wrapped it under my arms. Then I was faced with a dilemma I hadn't considered. What was I supposed to put on? Not a swimsuit, obviously. But it seemed silly to put my clothes back on, too. I didn't even want to think about the things Alice had packed for me. My breathing started to accelerate again and my hands trembled – so much for the calming effects of the shower. I started to feel a little dizzy, apparently a full-scale panic attack on the way. I sat down on the cool tile floor in my big towel and put my head between my knees. I prayed he wouldn't decide to come look for me before I could pull myself together. I could imagine what he would think if he saw me going to pieces this way. It wouldn't be hard for him to convince himself that we were making a mistake. And I wasn't freaking out because I thought we were making a mistake. Not atall. I was freaking out because I had no idea how to do this, and I was afraid to walk out of this room and face the unknown. Especially in French lingerie. I knew I wasn't ready for that yet This felt exactly like having to walk out in front of a theater full of thousands with no idea what my lines were. How did people do this – swallowall their fears and trust someone else so implicitly with every imperfection and fear they had – with less than the absolute commitment Edward had given me? if it weren't Edward out there, if I didn't know in every cell of my body that he loved me as much as I loved him – unconditionally and irrevocably and, to be honest, irrationally – I'd never be able to get up off this floor. But it was Edward out there, so I whispered the words â€Å"Don't be a coward† under my breath and scrambled to my feet. I hitched the towel tighter under my arms and marched determinedly from the bathroom. Past the suitcase full of lace and the big bed without looking at either. Out the open glass door onto the powder-fine sand. Everything was black-and-white, leached colorless by the moon. I walked slowly across the warm powder, pausing beside the curved tree where he had left his clothes. I laid my hand against the rough bark and checked my breathing to make sure it was even. Or even enough. I looked across the low ripples, black in the darkness, searching for him. He wasn't hard to find. He stood, his back to me, waist deep in the midnight water, staring up at the oval moon. The pallid light of the moon turned his skin a perfect white, like the sand, like the moon itself, and made his wet hair black as the ocean. He was motionless, his hands resting palms down against the water; the low waves broke around him as if he were a stone. I stared at the smooth lines of his back, his shoulders, his arms, his neck, theflawless shape of him†¦. The fire was no longer a flash burn across my skin – it was slow and deep now; it smoldered away all my awkwardness, my shy uncertainty. I slipped the towel off without hesitation, leaving it on the tree with his clothes, and walked out into the white light; it made me pale as the snowy sand, too. I couldn't hear the sound of my footsteps as I walked to the water's edge, but I guessed that he could. Edward did not turn. I let the gentle swells break over my toes, and found that he'd been right about the temperature – it was very warm, like bath water. I stepped in, walking carefully across the invisible ocean floor, but my care was unnecessary; the sand continued perfectly smooth, sloping gently toward Edward. I waded through the weightless current till I was at his side, and then I placed my hand lightly over his cool hand lying on the water. â€Å"Beautiful,† I said, looking up at the moon, too. â€Å"It's all right,† he answered, unimpressed. He turned slowly to face me; little waves rolled away from his movement and broke against my skin. His eyes looked silver in his ice-colored face. He twisted his hand up so that he could twine our fingers beneath the surface of the water. It was warm enough that his cool skin did not raise goose bumps on mine. â€Å"But I wouldn't use the word beautiful† he continued. â€Å"Not with you standing here in comparison.† I half-smiled, then raised my free hand – it didn't tremble now – and placed it over his heart. White on white; we matched, for once. He shuddered the tiniest bit at my warm touch. His breath came rougher now. â€Å"I promised we would try† he whispered, suddenly tense. â€Å"If†¦ if I do something wrong, if I hurt you, you must tell me at once.† I nodded solemnly, keeping my eyes on his. I took another step through the waves and leaned my head against his chest. â€Å"Don't be afraid,† I murmured. â€Å"We belong together.† I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words. This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it. His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him, summer and winter. It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire. â€Å"Forever,† he agreed, and then pulled us gently into deeper water. The sun, hot on the bare skin of my back, woke me in the morning. Late morning, maybe afternoon, I wasn't sure. Everything besides the time was clear, though; I knew exactly where I was – the bright room with the big white bed, brilliant sunlight streaming through the open doors. The clouds of netting would soften the shine. I didn't open my eyes. I was too happy to change anything, no matter how small. The only sounds were the waves outside, our breathing, my heartbeat†¦ I was comfortable, even with the baking sun. His cool skin was the perfect antidote to the heat. Lying across his wintry chest, his arms wound around me, felt very easy and natural. I wondered idly what I'd been so panicky about last night. My fears all seemed silly now. His fingers softly trailed down the contours of my spine, and I knew that he knew I was awake. I kept my eyes shut and tightened my arms around his neck, holding myself closer to him. He didn't speak; his fingers moved up and down my back, barely touching it as he lightly traced patterns on my skin. I would have been happy to lie here forever, to never disturb this moment, but my body had other ideas. I laughed at my impatient stomach. It seemed sort of prosaic to be hungry after all that had passed last night. Like being brought back down to earth from some great height. â€Å"What's funny?† he murmured, still stroking my back. The sound of his voice, serious and husky, brought with it a deluge of memories from the night, and I felt a blush color my face and neck. To answer his question, my stomach growled. I laughed again. â€Å"You just can't escape being human for very long.† I waited, but he did not laugh with me. Slowly, sinking through the many layers of bliss that clouded my head, came the realization of a different atmosphere outside my own glowing sphere of happiness. I opened my eyes; the first thing I saw was the pale, almost silvery skin of his throat, the arc of his chin above my face. His jaw was taut. I propped myself up on my elbow so I could see his face. He was staring at the frothy canopy above us, and he didn't look at me as I studied his grave features. His expression was a shock – it sent a physical jolt through my body. â€Å"Edward,† I said, a strange little catch in my throat, â€Å"what is it? What's wrong?† â€Å"You have to ask?† His voice was hard, cynical. My first instinct, the product of a lifetime of insecurities, was to wonder what I had done wrong. I thought through everything that had happened, but I couldn't find any sour note in the memory. It had all been simpler than I'd expected; we'd fit together like corresponding pieces, made to match up. This had given me a secret satisfaction – we were compatible physically, as well as all the other ways. Fire and ice, somehow existing together without destroying each other. More proof that I belonged with him. I couldn't think of any part that would make him look like this – so severe and cold. What had I missed? His finger smoothed the worried lines on my forehead. â€Å"What are you thinking?† he whispered. â€Å"You're upset. I don't understand. Did I†¦ ?† I couldn't finish. His eyes tightened. â€Å"How badly are you hurt, Bella? The truth – don't try to downplay it.† â€Å"Hurt?† I repeated; my voice came out higher than usual because the word took me so by surprise. He raised one eyebrow, his lips a tight line. I made a quick assessment, stretching my body automatically, tensing and flexing my muscles. There was stiffness, and a lot of soreness, too, it was true, but mostly there was the odd sensation that my bones all had become unhinged at the joints, and I had changed halfway into the consistency of a jellyfish. It was not an unpleasant feeling. And then I was a little angry, because he was darkening this most perfect of all mornings with his pessimistic assumptions. â€Å"Why would you jump to that conclusion? I've never been better than I am now.† His eyes closed. â€Å"Stop that.† â€Å"Stop what?† â€Å"Stop acting like I'm not a monster for having agreed to this.† â€Å"Edward!'7I whispered, really upset now. He was pulling my bright memory through the darkness, staining it. â€Å"Don't ever say that.† He didn't open his eyes; it was like he didn't want to see me. â€Å"Look at yourself, Bella. Then tell me I'm not a monster.† Wounded, shocked, I followed his instruction unthinkingly and then gasped. What had happened to me? I couldn't make sense of the fluffy white snow that clung to my skin. I shook my head, and a cascade of white drifted out of my hair. I pinched one soft white bit between my fingers. It was a piece of down. â€Å"Why am I covered in feathers?† I asked, confused. He exhaled impatiently. â€Å"I bit a pillow. Or two. That's not what I'm talking about.† â€Å"You†¦ bit a pillow? Why?† â€Å"Look, Bella!† he almost growled. He took my hand – very gingerly – and stretched my arm out. â€Å"Look at that† This time, I saw what he meant. Under the dusting of feathers, large purplish bruises were beginning to blossom across the pale skin of my arm. My eyes followed the trail they made up to my shoulder, and then down across my ribs. I pulled my hand free to poke at a discoloration on my left forearm, watching it fade where I touched and then reappear. It throbbed a little. So lightly that he was barely touching me, Edward placed his hand against the bruises on my arm, one at a time, matching his long fingers to the patterns. â€Å"Oh,† I said. I tried to remember this – to remember pain – but I couldn't. I couldn't recall a moment when his hold had been too tight, his hands too hard against me. I only remembered wanting him to hold me tighter, and being pleased when he did†¦. â€Å"I'm†¦ so sorry, Bella,† he whispered while I stared at the bruises. â€Å"I knew better than this. I should not have – † He made a low, revolted sound in the back of his throat. â€Å"I am more sorry than I can tell you.† He threw his arm over his face and became perfectly still. I sat for one long moment in total astonishment, trying to come to terms – now that I understood it – with his misery. It was so contrary to the way that I felt that it was difficult to process. Theshock wore off slowly, leaving nothing in its absence. Emptiness. My mind was blank. I couldn't think of what to say. How could I explain it to him in the right way? How could I make him as happy as I was – or as I had been, a moment ago? I touched his arm, and he didn't respond. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and tried to pry his arm off his face, but I could have been yanking on a sculpture for all the good it did me. â€Å"Edward.† He didn't move. â€Å"Edward?† Nothing. So, this would be a monologue, then. â€Å"I'mnot sorry, Edward. I'm†¦ I can't even tell you. I'm so happy. That doesn't cover it. Don't be angry. Don't. I'm really f – â€Å" â€Å"Do not say the word fine.† His voice was ice cold. â€Å"If you value my sanity, do not say that you are fine.† â€Å"But I am: I whispered. â€Å"Bella,† he almost moaned. â€Å"Don't.† â€Å"No. You don't, Edward.† He moved his arm; his gold eyes watched me warily. â€Å"Don't ruin this,† I told him. â€Å"I. Am. Happy.† â€Å"I've already ruined this,† he whispered. â€Å"Cut it out,† I snapped. I heard his teeth grind together. â€Å"Ugh!† I groaned. â€Å"Why can't you just read my mind already? It's so inconvenient to be a mental mute!† His eyes widened a little bit, distracted in spite of himself. â€Å"That's a new one. You love that I can't read your mind.† â€Å"Not today.† He stared at me. â€Å"Why?† I threw my hands up in frustration, feeling an ache in my shoulder that I ignored. My palms fell back against his chest with a sharp smack. â€Å"Because all this angst would be completely unnecessary if you could see how I feel right now! Or five minutes ago, anyway. I was perfectly happy. Totally and completely blissed out. Now – well, I'm sort of pissed, actually.† â€Å"You should be angry at me.† â€Å"Well, I am. Does that make you feel better?† He sighed. â€Å"No. I don't think anything could make me feel better now.† â€Å"T/?af,† I snapped. â€Å"That right there is why I'm angry. You are killing my buzz, Edward.† He rolled his eyes and shook his head. I took a deep breath. I was feeling more of the soreness now, but it wasn't that bad. Sort of like the day after lifting weights. I'd done that with Renee during one of her fitness obsessions. Sixty-five lunges with ten pounds in each hand. I couldn't walk the next day. This was not as painful as that had been by half. I swallowed my irritation and tried to make my voice soothing. â€Å"We knew this was going to be tricky. I thought that was assumed. And then – well, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And this is really nothing.† I brushed my fingers along my arm. â€Å"I think for a first time, not knowing what to expect, we did amazing. With a little practice – â€Å" His expression was suddenly so livid that I broke off mid-sentence. â€Å"Assumed? Did you expect this, Bella? Were you anticipating that I would hurt you? Were you thinking it would be worse? Do you consider the experiment a success because you can walk away from it? No broken bones – that equals a victory?† I waited, letting him get it all out. Then I waited some more while his breathing went back to normal. When his eyes were calm, I answered, speaking with slow precision. â€Å"I didn't know what to expect – but I definitely did not expect how†¦ how†¦ just wonderful and perfect it was.† My voice dropped to a whisper, my eyes slipped from his face down to my hands. â€Å"I mean, I don't know how it was for you, but it was like that for me.† A cool finger pulled my chin back up. â€Å"Is that what you're worried about?† he said through his teeth. â€Å"That I didn't enjoy myself?† My eyes stayed down. â€Å"I know it's not the same. You're not human. I just was trying to explain that, for a human, well, I can't imagine that life gets any better than that.† He was quiet for so long that, finally, I had to look up. His face was softer now, thoughtful. â€Å"It seems that I have more to apologize for.† He frowned. â€Å"I didn't dream that you would construe the way I feel about what I did to you to mean that last night wasn't†¦ well, the best night of my existence. But I don't want to think of it that way, not when you were †¦Ã¢â‚¬  My lips curved up a little at the edges. â€Å"Really? The best ever?† I asked in a small voice. He took my face between his hands, still introspective. â€Å"I spoke to Carlisle after you and I made our bargain, hoping he could help me. Of course he warned me that this would be very dangerous for you.† A shadow crossed his expression. â€Å"He had faith in me, though – faith I didn't deserve.† I started to protest, and he put two fingers over my lips before I could comment. â€Å"I also asked him what should expect. I didn't know what it would be for me†¦ what with my being a vampire.† He smiled halfheartedly. â€Å"Carlisle told me it was a very powerful thing, like nothing else. He told me physical love was something I should not treat lightly. With our rarely changing temperaments, strong emotions can alter us in permanent ways. But he said I did not need to worry about that part – you had already altered me so completely.† This time his smile was more genuine. â€Å"I spoke to my brothers, too. They told me it was a very great pleasure. Second only to drinking human blood.† A line creased his brow. â€Å"But I've tasted your blood, and there could be no blood more potent than that†¦ I don't think they were wrong, really. Just that it was different for us. Something more.† â€Å"It was more. It was everything.† â€Å"That doesn't change the fact that it was wrong. Even if it were possible that you really did feel that way.† â€Å"What does that mean? Do you think I'm making this up? Why?† â€Å"To ease my guilt. I can't ignore the evidence, Bella. Or your history of trying to let me off the hook when I make mistakes.† I grabbed his chin and leaned forward so that our faces were inches apart. â€Å"You listen to me, Edward Cullen. I am not pretending anything for your sake, okay? I didn't even know there was a reason to make you feel better until you started being all miserable. I've never been so happy in all my life – I wasn't this happy when you decided that you loved me more than you wanted to kill me, or the first morning I woke up and you were there waiting for me†¦. Not when I heard your voice in the ballet studio† – he flinched at the old memory of my close call with a hunting vampire, but I didn't pause – â€Å"or when you said i do' and I realized that, somehow, I get to keep you forever. Those are the happiest memories I have, and this is better than any of it. So just deal with it.† He touched the frown line between my eyebrows. Tm making you unhappy now. I don't want to do that.† â€Å"Then don't you be unhappy. That's the only thing that's wrong here.† His eyes tightened, then he took a deep breath and nodded. â€Å"You're right. The past is past and I can't do anything to change it. There's no sense in letting my mood sour this time for you. HI do whatever I can to make you happy now.† I examined his face suspiciously, and he gave me a serene smile. â€Å"Whatever makes me happy?† My stomach growled at the same time that I asked. â€Å"You're hungry,† he said quickly. He was swiftly out of the bed, stirring up a cloud of feathers. Which reminded me. â€Å"So, why exactly did you decide to ruin Esme's pillows?† I asked, sitting up and shaking more down from my hair. He had already pulled on a pair of loose khaki pants, and he stood by the door, rumpling his hair, dislodging a few feathers of his own. â€Å"I don't know if I decided to do anything last night,† he muttered. â€Å"We're just lucky it was the pillows and not you.† He inhaled deeply and then shook his head, as if shaking off the dark thought. A very authentic-looking smile spread across his face, but I guessed it took a lot of work to put it there. I slid carefully off the high bed and stretched again, more aware, now, of the aches and sore spots. I heard him gasp. He turned away from me, and his hands balled up, knuckles white. â€Å"Do I look that hideous?† I asked, working to keep my tone light. His breath caught, but he didn't turn, probably to hide his expression from me. I walked to the bathroom to check for myself. I stared at my naked body in the full-length mirror behind the door. I'd definitely had worse. There was a faint shadow across one of my cheekbones, and my lips were a little swollen, but other than that, my face was fine. The rest of me was decorated with patches of blue and purple. I concentrated on the bruises that would be the hardest to hide – my arms and my shoulders. They weren't so bad. My skin marked up easily. By the time a bruise showed I'd usually forgotten how I'd come by it. Of course, these were just developing. I'd look even worse tomorrow. That would not make things any easier. I looked at my hair, then, and groaned. â€Å"Bella?† He was right there behind me as soon as I'd made a sound. â€Å"I'll never get this all out of my hair!† I pointed to my head, where it looked like a chicken was nesting. I started picking at the feathers. â€Å"You would be worried about your hair,† he mumbled, but he came to stand behind me, pulling out the feathers much more quickly. â€Å"How did you keep from laughing at this? I look ridiculous.† He didn't answer; he just kept plucking. And I knew the answer anyway – there was nothing that would be funny to him in this mood. ‘This isn't going to work,† I sighed after a minute. â€Å"It's all dried in. I'm going to have to try to wash it out.† I turned around, wrapping my arms around his cool waist. â€Å"Do you want to help me?† Td better find some food for you,† he said in a quiet voice, and he gently unwound my arms. I sighed as he disappeared, moving too fast. It looked like my honeymoon was over. The thought put a big lump in my throat. When I was mostly feather-free and dressed in an unfamiliar white cotton dress that concealed the worst of the violet blotches, I padded off barefoot to where the smell of eggs and bacon and Cheddar cheese was coming from. Edward stood in front of the stainless steel stove, sliding an omelet onto the light blue plate waiting on the counter. The scent of the food overwhelmed me. I felt like I could eat the plate and the frying pan, too; my stomach snarled. â€Å"Here,† he said. He turned with a smile on his face and set the plate on a small tiled table. I sat in one of the two metal chairs and started snarfing down the hot eggs. They burned my throat, but I didn't care. He sat down across from me. â€Å"I'm not feeding you often enough.† I swallowed and then reminded him, â€Å"I was asleep. This is really good, by the way. Impressive for someone who doesn't eat.† â€Å"Food Network,† he said, flashing my favorite crooked smile. I was happy to see it, happy that he seemed more like his normal self. â€Å"Where did the eggs come from?† â€Å"I asked the cleaning crew to stock the kitchen. A first, for this place. I'll have to ask them to deal with the feathers†¦. † He trailed off, his gaze fixed on a space above my head. I didn't respond, trying to avoid saying anything that would upset him again. I ate everything, though he'd made enough for two. â€Å"Thank you,† I told him. I leaned across the table to kiss him. He kissed me back automatically, and then suddenly stiffened and leaned away. I gritted my teeth, and the question I meant to ask came out sounding like an accusation. â€Å"You aren't going to touch me again while we're here, are you?† He hesitated, then half-smiled and raised his hand to stroke my cheek. His fingers lingered softly on my skin, and I couldn't help leaning my face into his palm. â€Å"You know that's not what I meant.† He sighed and dropped his hand. â€Å"I know. And you're right.† He paused, lifting his chin slightly. And then he spoke again with firm conviction. â€Å"I will not make love with you until you've been changed. I will never hurt you again.†