Swan Lake Vs. Revelations Essay -- essays research papers

Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake are two different styles of dance from very different points in history. Revelations is a contemporary dance and Swan Lake is a classical dance. Each dance has certain points that have made it critically acclaimed. They both incorporate different styles of dance but they do share a few characteristics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stage props and the lighting seemed to be different in each performance. Swan Lake had a backdrop of a lake. This was key for this dance. When the girls would turn back and forth from swans they would show a group of swans swim across the lake. This was very important for the audience to understand this very important transformation. The lighting in Swan Lake was a little bit brighter because it had more scenes where the entire stage needed to be illuminated. When the soloists were dancing they did not have a particular spotlight on them. Revelations had a very plain set. This seemed to put more of a focus on the dancers instead of the atmosphere on stage. The backdrop was just a dark cloth with no pattern or picture. The lighting covered the entire stage when many dancers were performing at the same time. When soloists performed, a spotlight was focused on them to draw all the attention to the dance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The choreography in Ailey’s dance was very interesting. The dancers used the floor much more than Swan Lake. Swan Lake’s dance movements seemed to be very apar...

Canadian Identity :: essays research papers fc

Throughout Canada’s relatively short existence we have created quite a reputation for ourselves. Our great nation is known for many things , and I am proud to say that most are positive. Does Canada have a strong national identity? Anyone can see the answer is yes. Just take a look at the facts. For example, we are renowned for our peacekeepers and no other country is considered more peaceful. Without a doubt this is the type of identity we should work to keep. The first thing we should examine is what exactly is meant by â€Å"strong national identity†. A very good example of strong national identity is the U.S.. I doubt there is a man on this planet who is not familiar with the U.S.. People immediately recognize their flag, and most people can tell you quite a bit about them. The same is true of Canada, and what do they know of Canada? In 1995 U.S. President Bill Clinton stated his view of Canada in a speech where he declared, â€Å"Canada has shown the world how to balance freedom with compassion and tradition with innovation, in your efforts to provide health care to all your citizens, to treat senior citizens with the dignity and respect they deserve...†(Canada Today 9). We were also rated first in the UN’s 1992 â€Å"Human Development Index† (9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I have already stated Canada is very well known for our many peacekeeping efforts. This is due to the many places our peacekeepers have been, or are at this very moment, such as Bosnia, East Timor and even Central Africa. These are just a very small portion of the places our peacekeepers are presently stationed. I am not even mentioning the dozens and dozens of other places they have been to. Our peacekeepers have helped save countless lives and Canada has gained relatively little in return, but Canada does it anyways, because it is the right thing to do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from our activities outside the country, we are also one of the best countries to live in. We have one of the top 5 life expectancies for both men and women. We also have the longest expected education according to the UN’s stats. These are just a few reasons why Canada is the greatest country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only do we have a lot to offer Canadian citizens, here is a list of reasons to immigrate to Canada provided by KAM International:

Walden Theme

I believe that the overall message or theme of the novel Walden was to be simplistic. In his section â€Å"Economy† he stated that the feeling of dissatisfaction with one's possessions can be fixed In two ways; one might require more to fulfill the emptiness, or one might reduce their desires to achieve satisfaction. I think that this Is a true statement because you don't need everything In life to be happy. You could have the bare necessities and live your life with the same Joy as someone that Is successful and needs everything expensive to make them happy.It is all about your perspective on how you want to live your life. Another example that went along with the theme of simplicity was when he talked about other residents that were going through life Just trying to make mortgages and payment to all the new things that they own and still wanting the newest fashion trend. On the other hand Thoreau decided that he wanted to live his life differently he took another path that w as indeed the simple life. He left society and lived in the woods to live this certain lifestyle.If he ever came long a time that he needed new clothes, he Just patched them instead of getting the latest fashion and he only wanted the necessary accessories. He thought If you bought something that wasn't needed to survive everyday life was Just a disadvantage of living life to Its fullest. Think of the last time you went shopping for groceries. Did you Just buy what you needed or did you buy other things that you could live without? Do you really need that pack of gum to survive?Most likely you didn't need that pack of gum, cigarettes or zebra cakes. You could just buy what you absolutely need and still live. This is what Walden wanted most people to see is that you can live a simple life with only the necessities and be happy with how you have fulfilled your life. To live this simple life Thoreau built his own shack and actually owned it instead of having a house that was owned by a bank because of a mortgage. Because he didn't have all the big payments he was able to afford other things that he needed.He did say that those that have larger, more Impressive possessions actually have less when you compare them to his possessions. They might have a nice car but he has his life and all that It contains and doesn't have to worry about others taking It away because they can't pay for it. The last thing that I would like to say about the theme simplicity, is that he definitely lived a very simple life but he didn't do the same for his writing style. Thoreau writing in this book was complicated and filled with quotes, puns and double meanings that were not at all simple.He wrote this book in such a way that it was a little hard to read and understand the point he was trying to get across, but we ere able to accomplish it and at least understand a little bit of it. Overall, since I think that the theme of this book was to be simplistic I think that Thoreau achieved hi s goal in living a simple life and making his life be filled to the fullest. I also think that If he were still alive today and had the chance to see how many people are still reading his novel that he would be surprised. I bet he didn't think that his book was going to be as successful as It Is.Thoreau lived his life the way that he wanted and it was to be as simple as it could be. In his section â€Å"Economy' he stated that the feeling of dissatisfaction with one's possessions can be fixed in two ways; one might require more to fulfill the emptiness, or one might reduce their desires to achieve satisfaction. I think that this is a true statement because you don't need everything in life to be happy. You could have the bare necessities and live your life with the same Joy as someone that is successful latest fashion and he only wanted the necessary accessories.He thought if you bought something that wasn't needed to survive everyday life was Just a equidistant of living life to i ts fullest. Think of the last time you went shopping for didn't need that pack of gum, cigarettes or zebra cakes. You could Just buy what you He did say that those that have larger, more impressive possessions actually have has his life and all that it contains and doesn't have to worry about others taking it away because they can't pay for it. Fullest. I also think that if he were still alive today and had the chance to see how think that his book was going to be as successful as it is. Thoreau lived his life the

Amazon Business Model Essay

Overview: Amazon.com was founded in 1994, it started by selling books online. As it grew, the company started offering various products and services. Some goods include: DVDs, videos, electronics, camera and photography, clothing apparels, shoes, and so forth. Other retailers have merged with Amazon.com to offer diverse quality of items based on different degrees of usage, such as new, refurbished, and used items. The company’s headquarter is in Seattle, Washington. It has six global websites that serves customers that are based in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, and Japan. Their website features: e-mail order verification, customer review on products, and one-click shopping. Vision: According to Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, they want to build one of the most customer-centric company in the world. A place where people can find everything they want to buy online (Amazon.com: the Hidden Empire, 2011). Mission: â€Å"Work Hard, Have Fun, and Make History.† The company’s core value is based upon customer obsession. With the help of innovation and technology, they want to take lead in customer care (Fast Moving Consumer Goods, 2009). Business Model A business model is a conceptual framework which expresses the underlying economic logic and system. It proves how a business can appropriate costs, make money, and deliver value to customers. As a result, this segment will introduce this company’s model, and how over the course of several years, it has managed to adapt their model to keep itself ahead (Business Model Definition, N.D). Business Strategy: Business Foundation: The foundation of Amazon.com was built on the ability to transform. It has proved that when opportunities arise to serve new or existing customers, it manages to adapt new business models to exploit it. The company is able to launch and run new businesses while extracting value on existing ones. Accordingly, they will satisfy their customer’s need no matter what, even if it is foreign to their current model. â€Å"You cannot stop at what you are good at.† Jeff Bezos says, â€Å"You have to ask what your customers need and want, and then, no matter how hard it is, you better get good at those things.† (Jeff Bezos Biography, 2001). The leader of Amazon was always interested in building an online retailer. The business model was not uniquely customized to the peculiarity of the Internet, nor was it predominantly innovative as it was based upon an online catalog operation. He saw himself improving on the traditional brick-and-mortar stores saying, â€Å"Look at e-retailing. The key trade that we make is that we trade real estate for technology. Real estate is the key cost of physical retailers. That’s why there’s the old saw: location, location, location. Real estate gets more expensive every year, and technology gets cheaper every year. And it gets cheaper fast.† (Online Extra: Q&A, 2001). However, it was an inexperienced observation when the company assumed that it could expand without making physical investments. Currently, Amazon has invested a large amount of funds into warehouses. Third Party Sellers: After gaining a large amount of profit from their book industry, they began to expand into easily shippable consumer goods. This lead them into two new directions; the first initiative was to host small business as part of the Z-Shop project. The second was partnering with several e-retailers that sold goods that Amazon.com did not. These projects allowed merchants to list up to 3,000 items at cost of 9.99 USD a month (Amazon.com Opens zShops, 1999). Even though this creates competition between Amazon.com and the third party sellers, it gains a percentage of each sale as commission from these merchants. The company obtains information on consumer’s purchasing habits, and create one destination where purchasers enjoy a consistent experience (Chaffey, D., 2012). Competitive Environment As stated previously, Amazon.com is an e-market, and in order to analyze the competitive environment both SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and Porter’s Five Forces will be discussed. SWOT Analysis Strengths: As of January 2010, Amazon.com has three times the Internet sales revenue of the runner up, Staples. By offering a large amount of varied categories through its website and other international ones (Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.co.fr, and so on), it has managed to grow to a customer based company with over 30 million people. In addition, the online retail format enables the company to reduce costs of managing inventory (Amazon.com; online bookstore, 2008). Due to Amazon.com building their business model around their customer’s ever-changing tastes and preferences, they were able to avoid the dot-com bust – a period between 2000-2002, where many dot-com companies went bankrupt (Dot-com bust, 2012). Amazon.com has successfully managed to make its customers to feel that anything they could possibly want could be found on their website. Additionally, its products are marketed at a competitive price. Another important factor is their speedy delivery with their usage of UPS and FedEx (United States) and Royal Mail (United Kingdom). The company also caters for people that prefer online shopping with extra services such as Amazon Prime – a service with a yearly payment, customers are eligible for free next day delivery. Even though Amazon.com is known to be an online seller of most things, it still excels in its original market of book selling. Evidence of such is that students are more likely to use the marketplace to purchase or sell used university books at a fair value. Weaknesses: From a financial standpoint, Amazon.com’s goal of being a customer-centric company that wants to gain a market share rather than profit may not be appealing to investors. Also by relying on third party sellers to provide products to customers, there is the risk that the seller may fail to commit to their sale. Customers will most likely blame Amazon; therefore, damaging Amazon.com’s reputation more than the third party. Another disadvantage is that prices may differ due to geographical location and economy, for example a FILCO Keyboard is 100USD in the in the States; whereas, in the United Kingdom, it is 100GBP. (Amazon.com; online bookstore, 2008). Opportunities: There is an opportunity to expand to other emerging countries such as China, India, and the Middle East. Not only does Amazon have opportunities to expand its base to other geographical locations around the world, it also has the chance to provide many local shops to sell its products abroad through their website. There will be an incentive for retailers to post products on Amazon’s website to increase their sales around the globe, as a result, the company will generate more revenue through third party sales. In addition, it is also possible to open retail stores or provide its own goods such as the Kindle Fire to well-known and established retailers. These suppliers could then be paid a small commission fee to have them display their goods in a proper showcase. This will allow customers to physically interact with the company’s gadgets similar to an Apple store. They could also provide tech support to any problems that may arise. Threats: Currently Amazon.com faces the threat of 15 court cases in regards to patent infringement. Moreover, international issues with their foreign websites may occur, such as export and import restrictions, taxes, tariffs, trade barriers, different payment cycles, and political instability. To illustrate, American electronics use different voltages compared to Europeans, which may cause issues to buyers that are unaware; therefore, Amazon must take extra precaution to ensure that customers are fully aware of what they are purchasing. It may also struggle to provide proper customer support to people that have purchased goods abroad. Porter’s Five Forces Threat of New Entrants: It is unlikely that competitors will be able to compete with Amazon.com’s information system. The technology that has been used in their website is unique, such as the One-click shopping. It has been patented to deter their competitors from copying it. Competitors will find it difficult to compete with Amazon’s brand recognition, because they are well-known for selling books online and are fairly established in that market (Analysing Amazon.com, 2006). Bargaining Power of Buyer: Due to a wide variety of choice, the bargaining power is high as customers may choose to buy from other sites rather than Amazon. Although, Amazon.com has been known to price their products lower to compete with other services such as iTunes. Threat of Product Substitute: It may be considered high, because people might prefer to physically visit a store rather than buy it online. Bargaining Power of Supplier: Amazon.com is not allowed to directly purchase electronic products directly from main distributers such as Sony, because of its low cost strategy. On the other hand, in their book sector, the company has opened five automated distribution centers located within the United States. This lessens dependence on their main distributer, Ingram (Analysing Amazon.com, 2006). Industry Rivalry: Amazon.com has little competition versus websites that sell everything; however, they will have to compete with websites with certain niche for products. For example, competing with Newegg.com with computer parts, iTunes with music, Netflix with movies, Barnes and Nobles for books, and Best-Buy for electronics. Potential Growth through Agility and Adaptation To be regarded as an agile company it must have four characteristics; it must be flexible, adaptable, coordinated, and balanced. The business must have the capability to adjust and adapt in effective ways to environment and market changes. There are three types of agility, one that involves the customers, another with partners, and finally with operations (Marakas, 2011). Consumer Focused Strategy: As previously mentioned, Amazon.com is obsessed with its customer base, the company’s aim is at gaining market share rather than profit. Accordingly, pricing is said to be the primary tool while considering customer’s bargaining power; therefore, adjusting the price of identical goods to correspond to the purchaser’s willingness to pay is a necessity. Amazon.com does not operate in any physical stores; all of its sales occur through its website. The company captures their customers recommendations and comments for site visitors to read, and this is similar to that of a salesperson in a store offering advice on which product to buy. Their website is consistently improved to be personalized and satisfying for customers. It tracks users traffic, the number and duration of visits, what products have been looked at, and so on. Amazon.com then uses all this information to create patterns. It then uses this data promotions and evaluation of goods. Unique and personalized features such as online customer reviews, personalized recommendations, and One-Click ordering, customers truly feel as if their needs are being catered to. Amazon’s website is so technologically advanced, that each customer’s front page would be different from another (Hill, M., N.D). Furthermore, Amazon.com offer its users almost everything due to the vast amount of resources available, such as Amazon.com Auctions, Marketplace (selling of used items), and Z-Shops (third-party sellers). Growth Strategy: In late 2007, Amazon created a subsidiary company called Lab126. Their first product was the Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader. Its business model was so foreign, that it had disrupted the entire industry. In order to be able to launch this product, Amazon became an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). It has linked the Kindle into a digital media platform that used both transaction and subscription based content delivery. Content producers have also partnered up with Amazon to create new content for the Kindle. Even after changing their business model several times, their ability to improve operational efficiencies such as shopping convenience, discount pricing, ease of purchasing, reliability of order fulfillment, and to purchase a large quantity of products from suppliers allowing them to benefit from discounts and offer a wide selection of goods to their customers is the key to sustainable competitive advantage (Kotelnikov, V., N.D). Innovation Strategy: Amazon has redesigned Android 3.0, as a result, The Kindle Fire has a clean, user-friendly home screen without random widgets scattered within the interface. The company has spent several years building up their services such as their cloud music player, video service, Kindle e-books, Android App Store; therefore, the tablet has a vast amount of content. As a result, consumers will know exactly what to look for in the device, and they will know where to get its content. The price point of 199 USD – compared to 269USD for the Xoom, 379USD for the Galaxy Tab, and 499USD for the iPad (A Tablet Buyers Guide, 2012) – is a price consumers are willing to purchase and weigh off the opportunity cost. It will not affect a large portion of their disposable income; therefore, they are more likely to purchase it for their kids. It is much more appealing to purchase an item that is practical at a price of 199USD in comparison to other practical goods at >350USD price range. The objective of the Kindle Fire is mainly about media consumption. Amazon has supplied this device at a low price point, in return, customers are being hooked into Amazon’s digital distribution ecosystem. The main purpose of this is to buyers to purchase high margin items such as the Kindle Apps and E-Books. The Kindle Fire will become a platform for selling digital content, and its distributer will most likely subsidize some hardware to be able to sell more content in the long run. This is a similar approach to what they have done with the E-Reader Kindles. Adaptation Amazon.com has managed to adapt its markets to current events by creating promotional sales that are equivalent to specific dates of the year; for example, Black Friday, Christmas, and Veteran’s Day. They have daily, weekly, and monthly deals constantly running throughout the year. The company’s website places recent products that are popular on their front page, in order to have people notice it. Furthermore, Amazon.com combats competition by allowing sellers to open their stores for a small fee of 9.99 USD a month, and taking a small percent free from supplier’s sales. Conclusion The essay first introduced Amazon’s business model. This model involved business strategy, foundation, and third party sellers. It then analyses Amazon’s competitive environment through SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces. To conclude, the company has unambiguous potential growth from agility and adaptation. Amazon.com has created one of the most unique e-commerce online store by having a variety of products as well as a huge customer base that, to this day, is steadily rising. Amazon.com is a behemoth e-commerce retailer, only time will tell what wonders and innovations this company will bring in the future. Bibliography A Tablet Buyers Guide. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://community.digitalmediaacademy.org/15165-ipad-2-vs-kindle-fire-xoom-others-a-tablet-buyers-guide. [Accessed 20 November 2012]. Amazon.com Opens zShops – Direct Marketing News. 1999. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dmnews.com/Amazon.comcom-opens-zshops/article/62986/. [Accessed 14 November 2012]. Amazon.com: the Hidden Empire. 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/faberNovel/amazoncom-the-hidden-empire. [Accessed 14 November 2012]. Amazon.com; online bookstore. 2008. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/amazon.php. [Accessed 15 November 2012]. Analysing Amazon.com: Macro Environment and Competitive Forces – Yahoo! Voices – voices.yahoo.com. 2006. [ONLINE] Available at: http://voices.yahoo.com/analysing-amazoncom-macro-environment-competitive-138171.html?cat=31. [Accessed 15 November 2012]. Business Model Definition | Investopedia . N.D.[ONLINE] Available at: htt p://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/businessmodel.asp#axzz2CcsE9gly. [Accessed 18 November 2012]. Chaffey, D. Amazon.com case study – Smart Insights Digital Marketing Advice. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/online-business-revenue-models/amazon-case-study/. [Accessed 13 November 2012]. Dot-com bust definition in the Free Online Encyclopedia. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/dot-com+bust. [Accessed 14 November 2012]. E Marketing Lecture, Part 1. 2009. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/Ballkultur/e-marketing-lecture-part-1-to-3. [Accessed 15 November 2012]. Fast Moving Consumer Goods: Amazon – Business Model. 2009. [ONLINE] Available at: http://fmcgcentral.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/amazon-business-model-company-overview.html. [Accessed 18 November 2012]. Hill, M., N.D. E-Business. Available at: http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/dl/free/0073195588/438531/sample_chapter3 .pdf. [Accessed 19 November 2012]. Jeff Bezos Biography — Academy of

“What High School Is” and “Learning to Read”

Khuong Q Tran Professor Frauenholz English 100, Section NC03 October 15, 2009 â€Å"What High School Is† by Theodore Sizer and â€Å"Learning to Read† by Malcolm X Learning has an important role in human being society. By learning a person can gain more knowledge and understanding in order to contribute to the development of society. Learning can be performed in various ways. Specifically, there are two completely different types of learning that produce strength and weakness based on general educational experience. Mark, a Franklin high school student, is described in â€Å"What High School Is† by Theodore Sizer.On the other hand, Malcolm X, who was convicted of robbery in 1946, came out of jail with the knowledge of Black history and the great questionable of Elijah Muhammad, who was the leader of the Nation of Islam (1935-1975). By analyzing the weakness and strength of the education of Mark and Malcolm, the educational experience of Malcolm is ascribed better , and it inspires those who really seek the benefit of learning. Mark, sixteen years old and a genial grader, has both strength and weakness in his educational experience. First, he has better opportunity for well-rounded education. As a high school junior, Mark has to study various subjects.His obligation is to follow different classes such as English class, typing class, biology class, French class, history class and mathematics class. The approximate time spent for each class is around forty to fifty minutes. Moreover, Mark receives specific guidance and particular structure in every class in which he attends. For instance, Ms. Viola, the English teacher, has her students in turn take parts and read out loud (Sizer 20). In addition to the strong points, Mark has a chance to partake in social study group at his school. For example, at Biology class, Mr. Robbins, the teacher, requires his students to form a circle of three or so n order to study the specimen and to take notes about it (Sizer 22). However, there is also weakness in Mark’s educational experience. He mostly encounters a daily external distraction of walking from class to class. Therefore, his education is less profound effect since he has to do other things instead of focusing on studying. Constantly, he has little desire to learn and has no specific goal. As an illustration, Mark feels frustrated, uncomfortable and scared that he won’t be able to complete his letter (Sizer 21), and that â€Å"Tomorrow, and virtually every other tomorrow, will be the same for Mark† (Sizer 24).In contrast, Malcolm, who was imprisoned for seven years in Charlestown Prison, had totally different strengths in his education. One of the strengths was that Malcolm had a great desire to learn new knowledge. In Charlestown prison, he started his desire of learning from a feeling envy of stock of knowledge of Bimbi (X 78). Moreover, Malcolm kept book-reading motions even though he â€Å"really ended up with little idea of what the book said† (X 78). Then he began copying into his tablet all words printed on the dictionary’s pages in order to understand books (X 78-79).In addition to the strong points, Malcolm had few distractions during the time he studied in prison. The only distraction was from the night guards. At night (from 10pm to 4am), while Malcolm was reading and learning in the dim glow of a light, he often had to jump into his bed and feign sleep whenever he heard the approaching footsteps of the night guards (X 80). Therefore, studying had a profound effect on him because he spent almost fifteen hours studying without distraction. Malcolm’s education, known as homemade education, is a better form of educational experience.He had specific goal for his reading and learning although he spent seven years in prison. His goal was to serve the black man in term of Black and White separatism in the 1950’s in United States. His meaningful goal led to great reading and learning of certain subjects, such as Black history, Genetics, slavery, Chinese world history and philosophy. Constantly, he says, â€Å"You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I’m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man (X 85). Moreover, Malcolm’s education is really an educational experience.Unlike Mark’s education, Malcolm had to begin his fundamental education by learning the vocabulary. Henceforth, he daily spent numerous hours on reading books to gain knowledge and understanding. He himself did that spectacular job without any specific guidance, except for his curiosity only. He said, â€Å"I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity-because you can hardly mention anything I’m not curious about† (X 85). On the other hand, reading for the sake of knowledge was a significant way to help Malcolm feel a sense of freedom in spite of being in prison.Tru ly, the more he read, the freer he felt. He concludes that â€Å"I don’t think anybody ever got more out of going to prison than I did. In fact, prison enabled me to study far more intensely than I would have if my life had gone differently and I had attended some college. † (X 85) In short, Mark represents students’ learning style. Meanwhile, Malcolm represents prisoners’ learning style. In fact, both Mark and Malcolm have strength and weakness in their educational experiences. Therefore, the best learning way is to eliminate the weakness and to develop strength in personal skill and talent.A specific goal and a long-term purpose are successful keys of learning. Likewise, there is argument about studying unless it is applied to the contribution of the society. Sizer, Theodore. â€Å"What High School Is. † Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, 3rd ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedf ord – St. Martin, 1995. 20-29. X, Malcolm. â€Å"Learning to Read† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, 3rd ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford – St. Martin, 1995. 78-85.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 18. Stories

I was worried that if I were to divulge the information that she would request that she would decide to never grace me with her presence again. I decided this was the best time to release some of our stories. She hadn't run away yet. I knew I would feel relieved once she knew the truth. â€Å"Carlisle was born in London, in the sixteen-forties, he believes. Time wasn't marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell's rule, though.† I began. I watched her face carefully for any sign of distress. She showed no emotion. I continued, â€Å"He was the only son of an Anglican pastor. His mother died giving birth to him. His father was an intolerant man. As the Protestants came into power, he was enthusiastic in his persecution of Roman Catholics and other religions. He also believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves†¦and vampires.† Her pulse began picking up at the last word; I continued without pausing, â€Å"When the pastor grew old, he placed his obedient son in charge of his raids. At first Carlisle was a disappointment; he was not quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist. But he was persistent, and more clever than his father. He actually discovered a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of a city, only coming out by night to hunt. In those days, when monsters were not just myths and legends, that was the way many lived. â€Å"The people gathered their pitchforks and torches, of course,† I laughed in a non humorous way at the thought of a human bringing harm to a vampire. I continued, â€Å"and waited where Carlisle had seen the monsters exit into the street. Eventually one emerged.† I knew I had arrived at the part of the story where I wasn't sure how to proceed. I went on, but kept my voice low, â€Å"He must have been ancient, and weak with hunger. Carlisle heard him call out in Latin to the others when he caught the scent of the mob. He ran through the streets, and Carlisle ?C he was twenty-three and very fast ?C was in the lead of the pursuit. The creature would have easily outrun them, but Carlisle thinks he was too hungry, so he turned and attacked. He fell on Carlisle first, but the others were close behind, and he turned to defend himself. He killed two men, and made off with a third, leaving Carlisle bleeding in the street.† I paused. The images that were in my mind were of the agony that he felt. The pain of the venom breaking through his veins and causing him to burn for days was forefront in my mind. I met Bella's eyes and she was eager for me to continue. â€Å"Carlisle knew what his father would do. The bodies would be burned ?C anything infected by the monster must be destroyed. Carlisle acted instinctively to save his own life. He crawled away from the alley while the mob followed the fiend and his victim. He hid in a cellar, buried himself with rotting potatoes for three days. It's a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered. It was over then, and he realized what he had become.† My eyes had never left Bella's. Most of the color had drained from her face during my story. She didn't know much of the transformation process and I am sure that she was learning some things that she hadn't known before. She was silent and I was worried I had gone too far, â€Å"How are you feeling?† I asked. â€Å"I'm fine,† she said automatically. She hadn't convinced me though. In a nervous gesture, she began biting at her lower lip. She looked like she wanted to say something; she was hesitating. Curiosity was burning in her eyes. She was regaining her color and I was becoming frustrated once again at the silence of her knowing mind. â€Å"I expect you have a few more questions for me.† I guessed. â€Å"A few.† Of course she did, she was always curious; always interested in things she shouldn't be interested in. â€Å"Come on, then,† I smiled, â€Å"I'll show you.† We turned around and I brought her back to Carlisle's office. I'm guessing you want to show her the pictures, Carlisle wondered, â€Å"Come in,† he invited. I slowly pushed the door open. Carlisle was sitting behind his desk in his leather chair. Perfect timing, Carlisle thought, â€Å"What can I do for you?† he asked. Carlisle rose from his seat. He was already aware of what I was up to, but I didn't want Bella to think we were having our normal silent conversations. â€Å"I wanted to show Bella some of our history. Well, your history, actually,† I explained to him. â€Å"We didn't mean to disturb you,† Bella apologized. Silly Bella, I thought. She sure is polite, isn't she? Carlisle smiled, â€Å"Not at all,† he looked at me, â€Å"Where are you going to start?† he asked. I had many stories in mind and I decided I would start out as simple as Carlisle's story could ever be, â€Å"The Waggoner.† I placed my hand on Bella's shoulder. An electric shock rose up my arm and through my body. I knew she felt it too because her heart starting pounding, her pulse racing. Does that always happen? To deny yourself what you crave most when her pulse rises is truly significant in your relationship. You two are truly meant to be together. Carlisle's thoughts continued more to himself. I turned Bella to face an oil painting that was on the wall behind her, ignoring Carlisle. I could tell that she was interested again. â€Å"London in the sixteen-fifties,† I explained. I knew questions must have been racing through her mind. Carlisle walked up behind Bella. His continuous flow of thoughts had stopped, â€Å"The London of my youth,† he added. Bella must not have realized he was behind her because she recoiled at the sound of his voice. I squeezed her hand. â€Å"Will you tell the story?† I wondered. I didn't want to get anything wrong, or put my foot in my mouth. I'm sorry. You will have to explain it to her because I must leave for work. Don't worry, you'll do fine. Carlisle thought. â€Å"I would,† he turned to Bella, â€Å"But I'm actually running a bit late. The hospital called this morning ?C Dr. Snow is taking a sick day. Besides,† his eyes met mine, â€Å"you know the stories as well as I do.† Carlisle had a wide smile across his face. Carlisle gave Bella a warm smile and ducked out of the room. I looked at Bella, nervous about this conversation. I was still waiting for the wailing and screaming. A sickening jolt surged through my stomach at the thought of her leaving. Her eyes were fixed on the painting. â€Å"What happened then?† she asked eagerly while removing her eyes from the painting and meeting my gaze, â€Å"When he realized what had happened to him?† My eyes moved from her face to another painting. She followed my gaze. â€Å"When he knew what he had become,† I said in a low voice, â€Å"he rebelled against it. He tried to destroy himself. But that's not easily done.† â€Å"How?† Bella asked with shock present on her face. I contained a sigh, â€Å"He jumped from great heights,† my voice stoic, â€Å"He tried to drown himself in the ocean†¦but he was young to the new life, and very strong. It is amazing that he was able to resist†¦feeding†¦while he was still so new. The instinct is more powerful then, it takes over everything. But he was so repelled by himself that he had the strength to try to kill himself with starvation,† I explained. I knew at any moment she would comprehend my words and descend the stairs and quickly exit the house. â€Å"Is that possible?† she asked darkly. â€Å"No, there are very few ways we can be killed.† I saw her open her mouth and I rushed to get the words about before she could ask me another question, â€Å"So he grew very hungry, and eventually weak. He strayed as far as he could from the human populace, recognizing that his willpower was weakening, too. For months he wandered by night, seeking the loneliest places, loathing himself â€Å"One night, a herd of deer passed his hiding place. He was so wild with thirst that he attacked without a thought. His strength returned and he realized there was an alternative to being the vile monster he feared. Had he not eaten venison in his former life? Over the next months his new philosophy was born. He could exist without being a demon. He found himself again. â€Å"He began to make better use of his time. He'd always been intelligent, eager to learn. Now he had unlimited time before him. He studied by night, planned by day. He swam to France and ?C† â€Å"He swam to France?† Bella shrieked incredulously. I had to compose my face because I was trying desperately not to laugh at her reaction, â€Å"People swim the Channel all the time, Bella,† I reminded her. She blinked foolishly, â€Å"That's true, I guess,† shock was evident in her eyes still, â€Å"It just sounded funny in that context. Go on.† â€Å"Swimming is easy for us ?C† â€Å"Everything is easy for you,† she interrupted, a little perturbed. I paused, waiting for her to ask another question. The look on her face was very comical. Her mouth hung open a little and her eyes were wide with surprise. She was quick to perceive my obvious reason for hesitating before I continued, â€Å"I won't interrupt again, I promise,† she said with a small smile. I laughed because I knew that she would interrupt again when she hears what I have to say next, â€Å"Because, technically, we don't need to breathe,† I began until Bella burst out, â€Å"You ?C â€Å" â€Å"No, no, you promised,† I laughed because I knew that when she heard this bit of information that her reaction would be exactly what it was now. Her face was screwed up in longing to finish her questioning. I brought my finger to her lip to silence her, â€Å"Do you want to hear the story or not?† She spoke with my finger pressed lightly against her warm lips, â€Å"You can't spring something like that on me, and then expect me not to say anything.† Her voice was mumbled, trying to speak past my silencing finger. I traced my finger down her jaw and stopped at her neck. My stomach did summer-salts when her pulse speed by my touch. I had momentarily forgotten about the story or where we were. It was just Bella and I, together. â€Å"You don't have to breathe?† her eyes were still wide with interested; her question bringing me to the present. â€Å"No,† I answered, instantly nervous that this proclamation would be the thing that scares her away, â€Å"it's not necessary. Just a habit.† I shrugged, showing her how little it really mattered. She dropped her voice, almost conspiratorially, â€Å"How long can you go†¦without breathing?† â€Å"Indefinitely, I suppose; I don't know. It gets a bit uncomfortable ?C being without a sense of smell.† I tried to explain very nonchalantly. â€Å"A bit uncomfortable,† she mirrored. I continued to look at her face. Each expression fluttered across with little time to settle. Her eyebrows pulled together and I wanted to take my thumb and smooth out the complexity lines. Trying to understand her thoughts was like trying to read sign language unknown to humans. A new speculation loomed in my mind. I removed my hand from her, letting the cold return. Something was eating at me from the inside. I was bringing her into this mythical world. Each new revelation bringing her closer to the doom I was prepared to fight. Bella's face grew very grave. She was watching my expressions now, â€Å"What is it?† she asked gently. She brought her hand to my face, trying to comfort me. I felt each pump of her blood. Her hand warmed my cheek to several degrees than my normal temperature. I sighed because I knew that I was inviting her to tempt fate and that I would allow it. â€Å"I keep waiting for it to happen.† I said quietly. â€Å"For what to happen?† she asked urgently. â€Å"I know that at some point, something I tell you or something you see is going to be too much. And then you'll run away from me, screaming as you go,† I pasted a smile across my face, trying to ease the tension building inside me, â€Å"I won't stop you. I want this to happen, because I want you to be safe. And yet, I want to be with you. The two desires are impossible to reconcile†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I kept my eyes fixed on her, waiting for her to agree with me and just leave. There was a long and painful silence before either of us spoke again. â€Å"I'm not running anywhere,† Bella promised with obvious triumph in her voice, like she was looking fate in the eye and taunting it. I remembered the story, and thought that if I continued maybe, just maybe, she would hear something that would scare her away, â€Å"We'll see,† I smiled. Her lips turned down at the corners, a frown forming on her face, â€Å"So, go on ?C Carlisle was swimming to France.† I caught my breath, delighting in the ever present yearning in my stomach. I moved my gaze from her face to another painting deciding to continue, â€Å"Carlisle swam to France,† I repeated, â€Å"and continued on through Europe, to the universities there. By night he studied music, science, medicine ?C and found his calling, his penance, in that, in saving human lives. I can't adequately describe the struggle; it took Carlisle two centuries of torturous effort to prefect his self-control. Now he is all but immune to the scent of human blood, and he is able to do the work he loves without agony. He finds a great deal of peace there, at the hospital†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, my thoughts moving in a different direction. I willed myself to be like Carlisle. I wished to have his self control, to never have to second guess my senses. I inhaled; something I used to do to calm myself, but now it brought red hot flames ripping down my throat. I mentally shut out the yearning I had now. I remembered what my purpose was for this conversation. I brought my hand to the painting in front of us, tapping lightly on it. â€Å"He was studying in Italy when he discovered the others there. They were much more civilized and educated than the wraiths of the London sewers.† I said while lightly tracing the figures in the picture; the Volturi. I was so deep in thought, remembering things that Carlisle had seen when a startled laugh burst out of Bella's lips. I turned to see what the matter was; thinking that maybe she finally had lost it. Dawn crossed my face as I realized what she was looking at. It was Carlisle's face in the painting with the Volturi. â€Å"Solimena was greatly inspired by Carlisle's friends. He often painted them as gods,† I laughed at the impossibility that any vampire could ever be a god, â€Å"Aro, Marcus, Caius,† I explained as I pointed each one out to her, â€Å"Nighttime patrons of the arts.† Her eyes darted from the painting to me face, â€Å"What happened to them?† she questioned. Her hand reached up to touch the figures in the painting but her finger never touched. â€Å"They're still there,† I shrugged, â€Å"As they have been for who knows how many millennia. Carlisle stayed with them only for a short time, just a few decades. He greatly admired their civility, their refinement, but they persisted in trying to cure his aversion to ‘his natural food source,' as they called it. They tried to persuade him, and he tried to persuade them, to no avail. At that point, Carlisle decided to try the New World. He dreamed of finding others like himself. He was very lonely, you see. â€Å"He didn't find anyone for a long time. But, as monsters became the stuff of fairy tales, he found he could interact with unsuspecting humans as if he were one of them. He began practicing medicine. But the companionship he craved evaded him; he couldn't risk familiarity. â€Å"When the influenza epidemic hit, he was working nights in a hospital in Chicago. He'd been turning over an idea in his mind for several years, and he had almost decided to act ?C since he couldn't find a companion, he would create one. He wasn't absolutely sure how his own transformation had occurred, so he was hesitant. And he was loath to steal anyone's life the way his had been stolen. It was in that frame of mind that he found me. There was no hope for me; I was left in a ward with the dying. He had nursed my parents, and knew I was alone. He decided to try†¦Ã¢â‚¬  During my story telling, I had visualized everything that Carlisle and I had both witnessed during the few days before and after my transformation. The painful memory was something I rarely thought of these days. I looked out the window, banishing the unpopular imagines from my mind. My chest was swelling at the relief I felt for finally releasing the information that could doom me from ever seeing this delightful creature again. The feeling of happiness that was surging through my body at this moment in time was completely indescribable. I hadn't realized that I would feel like this, too; that knowing she wasn't running, that she was one hundred percent accepting. I returned my gaze to Bella. She looked humble and my lips turned up; an automatic response to her beauty. â€Å"And so we've come full circle,† I finished. â€Å"Have you always stayed with Carlisle, then?† she asked. She was constantly asking all the questions that gave everything away about me and nothing about her, â€Å"Almost always,† I replied. I slowly reached out and placed my hand on her waist, exaggerating the movement. I delicately moved her along with me, always remembering how fragile she was. â€Å"Almost?† Bella asked while we were walking down the hall. Crap, I thought. Why was this the one question, of all the questions, to ask? I knew I would give her the answer. The internal argument of her safety still loomed in my mind. She should stay away from me but I loved her and the thought of her leaving caused me physical pain. Pain was something I hadn't felt since before the transformation. Bella brought out all the human aspects of me, including the weakness of pain. I sighed, â€Å"Well, I had a typical bout of rebellious adolescence ?C about ten years after I was†¦born†¦created, whatever you want to call it. I wasn't sold on his life of abstinence, and I resented him for curbing my appetite. So I went off on my own for a time.† I explained. Now, this would be it, the thing that makes her scream in terror. I waited, but, instead of terror she was intrigued. â€Å"Really?† she asked her eyes wide with curiosity. She wasn't frightened? I admitted to killing humans and she was†¦curious. She is so peculiar. That was an understatement. She had lost her mind. We ascended the next set of stairs. I was leading her to my room. I turned and looked at her, â€Å"That doesn't repulse you?† I asked curtly. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I guess†¦it sounds reasonable,† she said firmly. A laugh escaped my lips as I thought of the absurdity of her answer. Horrified delight sliced through my veins. â€Å"From the time of my new birth,† I replied quietly, â€Å"I had the advantage of knowing what everyone around me was thinking, both human and non-human alike. That's why it took me ten years to defy Carlisle ?C I could read his perfect sincerity, understand exactly why he lived the way he did. â€Å"It took me only a few years to return to Carlisle and recommit to his vision. I thought I would be exempt from the†¦depression†¦that accompanies a conscience. Because I knew the thoughts of my prey, I could pass over the innocent and pursue only the evil. If I followed a murdered down a dark alley where he stalked a young girl ?C if I saved her, then surely I wasn't so terrible.† I watched as she shivered. I continued in my quest to be nothing but honest with her, â€Å"But as time went on, I began to see the monster in my eyes. I couldn't escape the debt of so much human life taken, no matter how justified. And I went back to Carlisle and Esme. They welcomed me back like the prodigal. It was more than I deserved.† I stopped in front of my bedroom door, â€Å"My room,† I told her while opening the door and leading her inside. I watched her as she took in everything. Her eyes flowed rapidly from one side of the room to the other. Her stare lingered on my CD's. â€Å"Good acoustics?† she asked. My good mood was vibrant now. The pain from not knowing today's outcome had subsided. I was radiant with glee. I chuckled and nodded at her question. I decided I would give her an example and turned the stereo on from a remote. When the jazz music began to play she whirled spectacularly in a circle, delight in her eyes at the sound. She stopped and moved over to my collection of music. Her eyes read through several labels, â€Å"How do you have these organized?† she asked in astonishment. I was barely paying attention to her words because I was in complete merriment of how the events unfolded today, â€Å"Ummm, by year, and then by personal preference within that frame,† I answered automatically. She turned around to face me. The whirl wind of her warm aroma hit me like a wrecking ball. I continued to breathe evenly, reveling in the pain. I couldn't shake my new found happiness that was ever present in my being. She wanted me; all of me. Her eyes met mine and she read my face, â€Å"What?† she asked. â€Å"I was prepared to feel†¦relieved. Having you know about everything, not needing to keep secrets from you. But I didn't expect to feel more than that. I like it. It makes me†¦happy.† I shrugged my shoulders, but the jubilance radiated out of me and a smile crept up my face. â€Å"I'm glad,† she replied with a smile. I continued to gaze at her. I tried to read her expressions but they were so swiftly changing since she entered this house. I willed myself once more to read her mind. I tried probing it with mine over and over to no avail. My forehead creased in concentration. â€Å"You are still waiting for the running and the screaming, aren't you?† she wondered. My lips turned up lightly and I nodded. â€Å"I hate to burst your bubble, but you're really not as scary as you think you are. I don't find you scary at all, actually,† she lied silkily. Disbelief was strong in my mind. I raised an eyebrow at this news. A sinister thought raced through my head and before I acted a wide smile spread across my face, â€Å"You really shouldn't have said that,† I laughed. I growled very un-menacingly, brought my lips above my teeth to show them off, and hunkered down. Her eyes grew wide with terror. â€Å"You wouldn't† she shrieked. I let my body recoil as I sprung.

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example Here comes annotated bibliography, which enables you to refer to the key ideas of the author. Therefore, to give a proper consideration to a given article or book and evaluate its contents is one of the first and foremost ways to grasp the main ideas of the author and use them effectively. Sources about annotated bibliography, their importance and the way of a right compilation are key factors determining further research. Annotated Bibliography Introduction It is always hard to read through a book or an article from the journal and grasp the main ideas of it at once. It is even more challenging task to use those ideas appropriately and implement the main ideas of the required sources in a relevant manner. Thus, annotated bibliography is a perfect means to facilitate a process of writing. A spirit of academy is sustained by relevant usage of the most important publications. Consequently, it is possible to claim that academicians put all their efforts to compile effective annotated bi bliographies and summarize the main points of the publications. In order to summarize the main ideas of the author it is very important to understand the essence of a given article or book. Therefore, the author’s style, reliability of the source and its contents are of high importance for the effective annotated bibliography.