Reasons For The Fast Global Growth Of Mcdonalds Marketing Essay

Reasons For The Fast Global Growth Of Mcdonalds Marketing Essay McDonalds success can be attributed to their ability to adapt their business to the diverse culture and fast pace of city life by providing quality fast food in a short period of time. Their restaurants are generally comfortable, clean and provide a variety of choices on their fast food menu. The quality of food is generally consistent and prices are low worldwide. This keeps production costs down enabling them to generate higher turnover every year. Furthermore, McDonalds expanded aggressively, opting to franchise rather than operate its new locations, providing new income and little overheads. They managed to provide a product and service to the global middle class, particularly in emerging markets like China, India, and Latin America. This gave McDonalds a massive advantage and great opportunity. By inducing the idea of going global, Kroc managed to attract the fast food market, using Franchised Restaurants, Company Operated Restaurants, and Affiliated Restaurants. To attract the local market Ray introduced a concept of localising the products, so that they will cater to all verities of the local craving. This approach increased the revenue as well as the stability of the company. Krocs strategy of making partnerships with other businesses created huge success to the company. Going in the same successful path, current management has made partnerships with companies such as Wall-mart, Sinopec, and Wall Disney to reach more customers. QUESTION TWO McDonalds needs to adapt to different cultures and conditions when it sets up business in different parts of the world. What problems might McDonalds encounter when it opens outlets in: 2.1 Countries in Eastern Europe? Eastern Europe constitutes an emerging market for most businesses. The collapse of socialism in the region in 1989 facilitated the move of countries to prepare for the participation in the capitalist market. In 1999, most Eastern European countries were working to meet the requirements for the European Community. In 2004, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia became members of the European Union. Membership of a number of European countries in the EU prompted the flow of foreign investments into the country, increasing household income, increasing investment into the region primarily due to cheap labour compared to wages in Western Europe. There was a general trend towards the improvement of the standard of living of citizens of Eastern European countries. However, in the last two years, most Eastern European countries experienced slowed growth due to the increase in the wages of workers that discouraged investments. Nonetheless, wages are still more competitive in Eastern Europe compared to other regions in Europe. Most Eastern European countries are still in the process of completing their transformation from a controlled to a capitalist Economy. Full transition and the stability of the political and economic institutions are expected to boost economic development in these countries. Assessing the potential of a new market for expansion requires the consideration of several factors providing a comprehensive background of the environment that the expanding business firm expect to enter into. In the past unrest created an environment of uncertainty for investors. Products would have to be sourced from nearby countries creating an increase in transportation and labour costs. EU currencies did not have strong buying power, so profit earned would not be enough to sustain the operating costs of the businesses in that region. Consumption volatility could also have an effect on sales on the eastern region due to the rapid increase in income resulting in a change in consumer behaviour. Employment and wage volatility are important factors in deciding to enter a new market because minimal employment and wage volatility translates to regular income for households influencing the stability of consumption resulting to sales and revenue for business firms. The economic condition of the state affects the financial condition of consumers and their ability to purchase the goods and services offered by entering business firms. Although there is a general trend for consumption, employment and wage volatility among European countries, introducing McDonalds into the region is viable for the following reasons: First, McDonalds will develop a market by providing technological, management and marketing expertise to local entrepreneurs enabling them to establish a known restaurant in different areas that creates jobs translating into income to households due to the hiring of local employees and the purchasing of raw materials from the local farmers and businesses. 2.2 Countries in West Asia? If McDonalds was to open a new outlet in one of the West Asian countries, it would have to take a few things into consideration. McDonalds would experience resistance from the Islamic countries for selling American food and culture. Also, Muslims do not eat pork so McDonalds would have to source Halal suppliers and adjust their menu variety to accommodate them. McDonalds has modified its products to cater for local tastes, not least in countries that have special dietary laws. In Muslim countries like Malaysia, bacon is not served in McDonalds burgers or in its breakfast menu, as pork is haraam, or not permissible under Islamic dietary law. In Israel, the nature of kosher dietary laws, forbidding the mixture of meat and dairy products, means that cheeseburgers are not popular among Jewish customers; furthermore, all meat not prepared in a certain manner is considered unkosher by strict observers of the dietary laws. (Spiritus-temporis.com, 2005) 2.3 Countries in Africa? In Africa McDonalds may face various problems when trying to open up new ventures in countries like Ethiopia, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Ethiopia borders Sudan and Kenya and it is one of the largest and poorest countries in Africa. Its population consists of about 74 million people. Two major religious groups occupy Ethiopia, Muslim and Ethiopian Orthodox, with Muslim being the majority. Unfortunately Ethiopia suffers some the worlds worst droughts in history, which in turn destroys their economy. Agriculture produces 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment for the country. In order to develop a McDonalds in Ethiopia, many major factors such as location analysis, market, competition, facilities style, and menu must be considered. McDonalds already has great marketing programs and strategies in place in other foreign markets so the corporation can help with those variables. Most cultures in Ethiopia will allow consumption of red meat such as hamburgers but not of pork. The bacon used for breakfast and on certain sandwiches can be available but also substitutable with turkey bacon. The Ethiopian culture also doesnt use utensils so they will also be available but optional. Zimbabwe is another country that is filled with Political and financial turmoil over the past few years. McDonalds had indicated its interest in Zimbabwe in 1997 and wanted to open a franchise in the country in 1999 but a political storm that year, which later precipitated an unprecedented crisis that saw inflation levels soaring to record highs, forced the fast foods giant to retreat. (bizcommunity.com, 2011) QUESTION THREE 3.1 Critically discuss McDonalds Globalisation Strategy Globalisation is the integration of markets and technology to a degree never witnessed before in a way that it enables individuals, corporations and nation states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before. Globalisation affects the whole world in ways that may benefit some while disregarding others. Global corporations, such as McDonalds manipulate their advertising to persuade a target audience to purchase and support what I believe to be an unhealthy scheme. Not only has McDonalds changed the way people view the world, but through negative impacts such as health issues, it has also manipulated the everyday life of individuals living in a global community. The faà §ade of healthy eating posed by McDonalds is epitomised through a short TV advertisement displaying the disturbing outcomes due to reliance on quick, easy and convenient food that people pay for, not only with their wallet, but also their health. Globalisation is the outcome of mixing the concepts of localisation and globalisation-as a portmanteau, it is the coming together of the two terms in a manner which suggests that there should be a way for businesses and people to think globally, act locally (Egan, 2007). In practice, this generates business strategies and manners of communication which seek to find innovative ways to blend together the use of a global communication network and scale with the desire to maintain individual areas and cultures, by means of modifying large scale organisations to suit smaller populations (Schumacher, 1967). Consider, for example, McDonalds: as an organisation, it is an incredibly large company which has put branches in many areas and across several different countries. But as they have continued to grow, there has been an increase in resistance against such large scale corporate food chains, as they are seen to ruin the character of a neighbourhood and drain it of culture, as well as provi ding food which is perceived to be substandard and unhealthy. They have therefore had to modify their business practices so as to instil practices which are more welcoming to the local populations, for example by focusing on foodstuffs which are popular amongst the local neighbourhoods and providing healthier, more upscale types of foods on their menu (Towers, 2004). Standardized and adapted approaches to communication are two dichotomous approaches to an advertising or marketing campaign which rely upon two very different methods and achieve differing results. A standardized approach to communication is based upon using the same marketing strategies and techniques regardless of where the campaign is being publicised. This would mean, for example, that the slogans and marketing materials are the same whether the global organisation is approaching a target audience in the United Kingdom or in India (DePalma 2004). A good example of this would be a company like McDonalds, whose campaign slogan Im lovin it remains the same no matter what country it is in-the slogan may be translated out of English and into the local language, but the concept and execution remain the same. The campaign was first launched in Germany in September 2003 as ich liebe es and followed in the United Kingdom and the United States soon after with Im lovin it. The benefits of a standardised marketing plan is that it is cost effective-as it does not require multiple marketing strategies to be drawn up and implemented-and that it helps to create a cohesive global branding concept (DePalma 2004). McDonalds, to continue the example, is easily recognisable the world over for the same branding concepts as any other country. McDonalds has grown from an organisation which had a few branches in the United States to an international phenomenon that has stores in nearly every country in the world. Known for reasonably priced meals with fast food and service, they have pushed even harder to become both a recognisable brand that draws customers in on the strength of their name and brand, but also to adapt to local mores and traditions in such a way to incorporate themselves into neighbourhoods in a strong fashion (Azarya, 2004). McDonalds has had a greater impetus to modify their business practices on a local scale as they are serving food products which are not always locally acceptable. In India, for example, where the Hindu religion prohibits the eating of beef, McDonalds has changed their menu to be primarily chicken and vegetable based, with several items being seasoned in similar ways to the local tradition (McDonalds India, 2010). 3.2 Explain why and how the entry stage of McDonalds was different in China in comparison with the rest of the world. McDonalds made a foray into China in 1990. In China of the 90s ancient belief systems rooted in Confucianism and Taoism were intermingling with Western ideologies, through the narrow window opened up by the Communist government at the helm. This was especially true with regards to thoughts on consumption, consumerism and brands. Although, the hurdles faced by McDonalds in China, like lack of quality supplies and distribution difficulties, were very similar to the Russian experience, it found a more accommodating and efficient bureaucracy and government in the Chinese. The Chinese government wanted to develop its fast food market and wanted McDonalds to take the risk in paving the way. Thus there was mutual interest involved and consequently, on the cultural acceptability front, McDonald did not have to labour as much as it had to in the Soviet Union where it had to stave off an ideological backlash before finding its feet. The interactions between the McDonald brand (and all that it stood for), and the Chinese cultural value system, combined to provide a synergy that resulted in some interesting developments. While in some cases McDonalds became an upholder of traditional values, while in other situations, McDonalds became an appropriate medium for consumers to explore new beliefs and ways of acting. This apparent paradox epitomized the fact that Chinese society was making a transition and elements of McDonalds value orientation were slowly being imbued by the Chinese masses. Two instances are cited to highlight this: McDonalds made a departure from the hierarchical set up of the dining experience in traditional Chinese restaurants, based on considerations of age. In McDonalds the seating arrangements were open, and everyone having equal access as to where to sit and what to order. In this case McDonalds encouraged the Chinese to make a departure from tradition. The lack of alcohol served in McDonalds led some consumers, primarily Chinese women, to embrace being able to be on a more equal footing with men while eating. In this case McDonalds upheld a traditional Chinese custom. In retrospect, in Russia, McDonalds has come a long way from the days of communism inspired anti-globalization backlash. Today, the McDonalds brand is a sign of quality for Russians, so being seen to work for it or supply to it is a highly regarded stamp of cultural approval. By investing in a strong local supply chain and teaching local producers, McDonalds has earned itself an almost unassailable position in the minds of the Soviet people who now view McDonalds as an international brand, run by local people and supplied by local people. It is little wonder that there are as many as 137 McDonalds restaurants in 37 cities with 500,000 customers a day. In a cultural milieu qualitatively different from that of the Americans, McDonalds has done remarkably well in China over the last 15 years. Analyzed from the cultural perspective, today McDonalds does not always denote Westernization in the minds of the Chinese consumers and the interactions are more subtle than that with the result th at McDonalds has absorbed elements of the traditional value system and the Chinese people have imbued elements of Western culture from McDonalds producing a powerful synergy in the process. (answers.com, 2011) QUESTION FOUR Explain some of McDonalds efforts to localize its offerings in China and describe how successful these efforts were. (operational issues) sourced local suppliers, employed local The Chinese fast food market has been booming in the last decade because of fast changing lifestyles and eating habits. The reason for this evolution is that Chinese consumers have accepted the Western-style fast food restaurants as a way of life in China. As a result, the popular American food has become a huge success story, creating a growing market for U.S. frozen potatoes. To position a product in a country, a good marketing strategy is needed. McDonalds success in China is based on a five-point strategy focused on product, price, people, promotion and place. A new trend is the introduction of the sixth P, namely profit. McDonalds also tries to improve the profitability in China. (Edward B. Colby, 2006) PRODUCT McDonalds product strategy consists of three categories. First they try to reflect the tastes and customs of the local markets by offering different kind of menus. The Chicken McNuggets in China come with the traditional BBQ, Sweet Sour, and Honey Mustard sauces, but theres also a Chilli Garlic Sauce, which is very popular in China. (Answers.com, 2007) In 2001 McDonalds Vegetable and Seafood Soup and Corn Soup were introduced. I think that these menu items were introduced because it was in line with their culture and love for foods with exotic taste. Clearly this proved to be a successful marketing strategy as it targeted the palatial needs of the Chinese people because of their ancient history and experimentation with different varieties of food. Furthermore McDonalds went on to introduce a local; version of its Dollar Menu calling it the Value Menu. This also proved a successful concept as most Chinese people are short, tiny in physique and very health conscious. The regular sized meals in the US and other parts of the world suited the BMI (Body Mass Index) height and weight of the average customer. Remember, Chinese people in general are not big eaters thus the reason for McDonalds offering a smaller and cheaper variation of the original product. Due to the urbanization and overpopulated cities, China has many problems with vehicles and parking. McDonalds opened restaurants and dessert kiosks targeting pedestrians and the general working class. Secondly, McDonalds also tries to provide information about their products. In cooperation with their global nutrition team, their local business units develop and implement nutrition information, which can be found on the packaging of the products. The packaging provides information on key nutritional values in a simple and clear format, so that customers around the world can use the information to make menu choices that suit their preferences. Also other communication tools are used, such as advertising both on television as on the World Wide Web to give information about the quality of their food products. (McDonalds Corporation, 2007) Thirdly McDonalds promotes physical activity, for example their sponsorship of the Olympic Games. McDonalds history with the Olympic Movement dates back to 1968. As the Worldwide Olympic Partner and the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games, McDonalds has served millions of athletes. With the sponsoring of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 McDonalds wants to continue to promote an Active Balanced Lifestyle and Olympic Spirit among Kids, Families and Adults of all ages. (Beijing 2008, 2007) This strategy gained McDonalds a lot of support and trust from the Chinese people as their campaign supported good health and physical activity. PRICE The conventional wisdom about China is that most consumers are highly sensitive to price. As a result, a decrease in burger prices is likely to be more effective than a big marketing campaign. To convince Chinese consumers coming to McDonalds, McDonalds lowered prices for its basic menu consisting of a hamburger, fries and drink from 12.50 Yuan to 10 Yuan. (Scott Hume, 2007) Across China there are a lot of differences in purchasing power. Therefore McDonalds China is also exploring menu pricing by taking into account both market and restaurant. (James A. Skinner, 2006) PEOPLE McDonalds provides employment and growth opportunities for a lot of people, more than 1.5 million worldwide. Entering the Chinese market they can give many people the opportunity to operate in their restaurants. They focus also on training and development, which is necessary to learn the required skills, to do their jobs well. McDonalds has its own learning academy, namely the Hamburger University (HU), where a leadership development program is established based on Western management practices. (McDonalds Corporation c, 2007) PLACE There are two important evolutions concerning this subject. First evolution is to open McDonalds China 24 hours a day. Presently, more than 400 restaurants of the 800 restaurants in China have provided services for 24 hours a day. In Beijing 40% of the companys stores open their business for 24 hours. In Shanghai 50% and in Guangzhou 60% have a 24-hour service. The major reason for opening 24-hour restaurants is to meet the demand by the customers, because more and more customers need the services at night because of their changing living habits. In Beijing customers actually werent eager for the night service due to the relatively cold weather there at night. This is different from the customers in the warmer southern China. (Answers.com) The McDonalds success story in China is quite evident as they opened their first 1000th McDonalds restaurant faster than any other country outside the US and is the main focus for investment in the regionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They go one further to mention that they plan to have à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦2000 outlets in China by 2013. Clearly this is quite an achievement in country that is diverse and rich on different culture. QUESTION FIVE Discuss the challenges that McDonalds faced when entering the Chinese market and to expand its operations. You need to use the Geert Hofstedes model to compare China and the U.S. and then highlight cultural challenges that the U.S. managers must be aware of in managing McDonalds operations in China) McDonalds difficulties and challenges in China McDonalds is considered as the most successful and largest restaurant chain in the world. In 1990 McDonalds opened its first store in Shenzhen China. In 1992, McDonalds Beijing outlet was opened. There are more than 800 McDonalds outlets in China today. (answers.com, 2011) In so far as the legal aspect was concerned, there were no franchise laws that existed in China. This posed a problem about how franchises should exist or operate. Chinese people were loyal to Chinese cuisine and felt that the fast food chains did not offer much variety to suit their palate. The Chinese preferred the traditional culture of food and drink complete with colour, fragrance, flavour, and variety. To make matters worse, they also faced intense competition by its biggest rival Yum Brands i.e. KFC. Not only did McDonalds have the difficult task of adapting their business to the Chinese culture and way of life; they also had to fend off their competitors. This meant finding other ways to compete against them and attract customers by changing their product range, style and advertising. Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions: China and The United States: One of the most popular works in the study of culture is that of Geert Hofstedes (1984). Through his research and surveys he theorized that cultural and sociological differences between nations can be categorized and quantified, thereby allowing comparison of national cultures to take place. Hofstedes identified four cultural dimensions. These are: 1. Power Distance The dimension of power distance is about the extent to which power structures are hierarchical and reflect significant inequalities in power. Countries with large power distances exhibit wide inequalities in power, power that is often concentrated in relatively few hands in heavily centralized and hierarchical organizations. Individuals within such cultures view themselves as inherently unequal: subordinates are dependent on those higher up the hierarchy and accept the power of their superiors by virtue of their position in the hierarchy. All participants in the hierarchy expect their position within it to be clearly demarcated. China is considered as a large power distance country. In small power distance countries, individuals are more inclined to regard themselves as equals: rather than expecting to be told what to do, subordinates expect to be consulted and will argue a case with those higher up the organization. Respect for individuals within the organization comes from their proven capacity to perform a role rather than from the possession of a particular job title or their place in an organization. Shorter small power distances coincide with flatter organization structures. The United States is considered a country with small power distance. 2. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance measures the lack of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This manifests itself in high levels of anxiety and emotion. This in turn translates into a preference for highly structured formal rules and limited tolerance for groups and individuals demonstrating deviant ideas or behaviours. 3. Individualism vs. Collectivism The individualist-collectivist dimension measures the degree to which the interests of individuals or of the group take priority. The social framework in an individualistic society is looser than that of a more collectivist society and individuals take responsibility for themselves and their immediate as opposed to extended families. Individualist societies demonstrate a greater regard for individual rights and freedoms and tend to be characterized by assertiveness and competitiveness rather than by teamwork and cooperation. China is considered a country that is collectivist. In China, it is the group (which could be the extended family, the employer or the society as a whole) that looks after the interest of individuals and gives them their sense of identity. In return from this protection, individuals offer the group loyalty and work towards the attainment of goals determined by and for the good of the group, organization or society. The United States on the other hand is a highly individualistic society. 4. Masculinity Femininity Societies that place a high premium on assertiveness, achievement and the acquisition of material possessions are exhibiting aggressive or masculine goal behaviour. Masculine environments also favour conflict and competition in the workplace. Cultures that place a high value on social relationships, quality of life and sensitivity demonstrate passive or feminine goal behaviour. Cultures and workplaces scoring high on the femininity dimension exhibit high degrees of cooperation, negotiation and compromise. The United States can be considered as a masculine culture while China is leaning toward femininity. QUESTION SIX Where do you think the best opportunities for future growth lie for McDonalds? Why? Relations between the U.S. and China could be entering the realm of interesting times, but McDonalds seems undaunted. The fast-food giant recently announced plans to nearly double the number of Golden Arches locations in that highly coveted market. It comes as no surprise that American companies yearn for heated expansion in this populous nation. China has more than 1.3 billion people; one in five people on the planet live in China. Thats a lot of people who might want fries with that. Meanwhile, informal dining out in China is currently a $300 billion opportunity, and its expected to increase by 10% this year as the middle class in that country grows. An aggressive growth target for Chinese restaurants certainly looks like a good idea, given McDonalds 2010 plans to grow global revenue by 3% to 5%, and profit by 7% to 9%. In fact, China is the companys fastest-growing market in sales and income. As it stands now, China has 1,100 Mickey Ds. By the end of 2013, McDonalds plans to have planted 2,000 in the nation. China already represents 23% of revenue from the fast food giants Asia Pacific/Middle East/Africa segment. Lets look at McDonalds comparable-store sales by geographic region for the last several years (in constant currencies): MCD annual comparable-store sales 2009 2008 2007 Asia Pacific/Middle East/Africa 3.4% 9% 10.6% U.S. 2.6% 4% 4.5% Europe 5.2% 8.5% 7.6% *From company press releases and SEC filings. As you can see, in 2009 comps slowed down across the board, although admittedly, McDonalds faced tough comparisons in years past. Investors understandably get excited about U.S. companies that eye Chinese growth; one of the significant factors for the investment thesis for Yum Brands have been its presence in China, and its continued aggressive expansion. Last year alone, it opened more than 500 new restaurants there. Yum has more than 2,870 KFC outlets in China, and more than 450 Pizza Huts. You can see why McDonalds would be salivating to compete for some of that action. Of course, expanding into China is not without pitfalls. Although Starbucks is still waxing enthusiastic about its Chinese locations, its faced plenty of frustrating moments, including its 2007 retreat from the Forbidden City. Many U.S. companies have also had to navigate difficulties with the Chinese government and its policies, including Yahoo! and more recently Google. (www.fool.com, 2011) India may overtake China as the worlds fastest growing major economy by 2015, as the South Asian nation doubles infrastructure investment and adds six-fold more workers than its northern neighbour, Morgan Stanley said. Indias growth may accelerate to 9.5 percent between 2011 and 2015, Morgan Stanley economist Chetan Ahya said in an interview from Singapore today. Indias gross domestic product has expanded at an average 7.1 percent over the decade through the third quarter of 2009, compared with 9.1 percent in China, which surpassed Japan as the second-largest economy last quarter. (Bloomberg.com, 2011) India will surpass China, Japan and many other European countries in the current economic climate with their economic growth rate. It has one of the largest populations in the world. According to a survey by Bloomberg, the govt will invest millions of dollars to develop the countrys poor infrastructure. The creation of jobs in the manufacturing industry means that there will be an increase in consumer expenditure in the long term. McDonalds has great potential in reaching many more consumers in India because an injection of capital into the economy.

Theories Of The Origin Of The Moon :: essays research papers fc

The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth. The distance from Earth is about 384,400km with a diameter of 3476km and a mass of 7.35*1022kg. Through history it has had many names: Called Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks. And of course, has been known through prehistoric times. It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. Due to its size and composition, the Moon is sometimes classified as a terrestrial "planet" along with Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Origin of the Moon Before the modern age of space exploration, scientists had three major theories for the origin of the moon: fission from the earth; formation in earth orbit; and formation far from earth. Then, in 1975, having studied moon rocks and close-up pictures of the moon, scientists proposed what has come to be regarded as the most probable of the theories of formation, planetesimal impact or giant impact theory. Formation by Fission from the Earth The modern version of this theory proposes that the moon was spun off from the earth when the earth was young and rotating rapidly on its axis. This idea gained support partly because the density of the moon is the same as that of the rocks just below the crust, or upper mantle, of the earth. A major difficulty with this theory is that the angular momentum of the earth, in order to achieve rotational instability, would have to have been much greater than the angular momentum of the present earth-moon system. Formation in Orbit Near the Earth This theory proposes that the earth and moon, and all other bodies of the solar system, condensed independently out of the huge cloud of cold gases and solid particles that constituted the primordial solar nebula. Much of this material finally collected at the center to form the sun. Formation Far from Earth According to this theory, independent formation of the earth and moon, as in the above theory, is assumed; but the moon is supposed to have formed at a different place in the solar system, far from earth. The orbits of the earth and moon then, it is surmised, carried them near each other so that the moon was pulled into permanent orbit about the earth. Planetesimal Impact First published in 1975, this theory proposes that early in the earth's history, well over 4 billion years ago, the earth was struck by a large body called a planetesimal, about the size of Mars. The catastrophic impact blasted portions of the earth and the planetesimal into earth orbit, where debris from the

The Psychology of The Gambler Essay -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Gambler

The Psychology of The Gambler    In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Gambler, we are presented with a novel whose protagonist is what we would call today a problem gambler.   The gambling mania of the story's hero, Alexei Ivanovitch, is a mirror of Dostoyevsky's own gambling compulsion.   The heroine, Polina Alexandrovna, represents a woman Dostoyevsky had as a real lover.   Polina is the stepdaughter of the General, who Alexei works for as a servant.   The General shows paranoia over gambling from the outset of the story.   He censures Alexei with respect to his care of the children, "I suppose you would like to take them to the Casino to play roulette?   Well, excuse my speaking so plainly, but I know how addicted you are to gambling.   Though I am not your mentor, nor wish to be, at least I have a right to require that you shall not actually compromise me" (Dostoyevsky 1-2).   The theme of gambling and its psychological impact on the characters pervades The Gambler.   Because of his own gambling addicti on and his intimate knowledge of the class-conscious casino society of his era, Dostoyevsky does an excellent job of showing the psychology that compels the problem gambler. BODY Using diary entries as his literary vehicle, Dostoyevsky takes us inside the minds of his characters in a way that makes us voyeurs because of his realistic portrayal and honest disclosure of human emotion and sentiments.   The story revolves around Roulettenberg, a German spa town where the rich gamble.   We get the inner life of Alexei as it is portrayed in his diaries.   He is poor but educated, and he is very aware of his class in society.   He is conflicted, however, because he both covets and ridicules the lifestyle of the aristocracy with all its pretensi... ...ostoyevsky 70).   Thus, Dostoyevsky does an excellent job at showing how individual consciousness and the environment in which it develops both lead to problem gambling. WORKS   CITED Anonymous.   Easy come, easy go...Maybe.   The Wager.   Vol. 5, No. 43, Harvard Medical School, Nov 1, 2000: 1-3. Dostoyevsky, F.   The Gambler, (1866).   Trans. By C. J. Hogarth.   Project Gutenberg.   Jun 30, 2000: 1-101. McKay, C.   The Gambler, (Review).   eGambling.   Available: http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue6/review, 1-5. Note:   All numbers, symbols, letters, etc. found within parenthesis are actual page numbers from the hard copy of the source.   Numbers following are the electronic page numbers from that source as it prints from the World Wide Web (WWW)   If there are no page numbers in parenthesis then only electronic page numbers are available at the Internet site.

Explore Owen’s Use of Metaphor in Mental Cases Essay

Mental Cases, written in 1918 by Wilfred Owen, explores the damage and deterioration of the minds of soldiers as a direct result of the First World War. Owen’s determination to make known the horror of war mentally is evident throughout; his use of facts increases his ability to shock – it is his tactic almost. He describes in absolute detail the horrendous, physical symptoms of mental torment and emphasises that it was not only physical injury that left its mark, but that memories made such an impact that it could reduce men to wrecks. The use of metaphor; a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, will be explored further throughout Owen’s poem ‘Mental Cases.’ Whilst it is clear almost immediately that Owen intends to shock the reader, it also becomes evident that his aim is at once more refined and more complicated than that simple desire to shock. It is through his use of metaphor that he achieves this; if he simply intended to alarm the reader he could state in simple terms the psychological effect on these soldiers, but by using metaphor he explores their psyche in a much more visceral, provoking and sensory manner. The reader is taken aback by the words that Owen uses, but the real shock is essentially confirmed through his use of metaphor. The reader feels a deeper sense of just how horrific the situation is for these soldiers. The use of the words ‘flying muscles’ create images of fragility and gore but the use of ‘shatter’ as a metaphorical description of these muscles has a deeper impact; it is the external imagery that generates the primary shock. But it is through the use of metaphors such as ‘These are men whose minds the dead have ravished’ that we perceive a much stronger sense of their suffering. The idea that the dead can inflict so much agony and fear into the lives of these ‘set-smiling corpses’ is a horrific one. And yet through this one metaphor we can appreciate the pain of their suffering so much more than through the actual, numerous images that scar their minds. One gets the impression, while reading this poem that ‘these’ men are directly in front us. They lose their individuality and identity but through Owen’s use of direct speech to the reader we feel their presence strongly. Through Owen’s use of intense imagery and metaphors we are able to feel a nuance of what ‘they’ must feel in their unstable, traumatised predicament. â€Å"Sunlight seems a blood – smear; night comes blood black; Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.† These connotations of death, injury and loss surround their every waking and sleeping moment. It is not possible for these men to now know any different than the explosion of bombs, the raining of gunfire and the screaming of the dying, the smell of the dead, ‘Always they must see these things and hear them.’ The personification of pain, misery, memory and the dead all add to the sense of personality loss of these men. Misery ‘swelters,’ they are men that the ‘Dead have ravished,’ ‘memory fingers in their hair of murder.’ These men are not their own; they are conflated into mere ‘things’ through the metaphorical personification of abstract nouns. The form of the poem could be seen as a metaphor in conjunction with these men’s loss of identity; there are instances throughout the poem that could be related to anything but war but are then drawn back to the idea of battle. â€Å"Ever from their hair and through their hands’ palms / Misery swelters. Surely we have perished/ Sleeping, and walk hell; but who these hellish? It is the ambiguity of these ideas that connects with the ambiguity of the men. Mental Cases could also be seen as an extended metaphor of purgatory. Purgatory, as believed in the Roman Catholic Church, is a state in which the souls who have died in grace must expiate their sins, a place or condition of suffering, expiation or remorse.[1] Perhaps it is Owen’s way of emphasising the injustice of their sufferings; they have done nothing but good for their country and are now being ‘rewarded’ with the same handling of those souls in purgatory. Those souls who have sinned and now, only subsequent to their deaths are learning to be truly good again in order to save themselves from an infinity in Hell. Another argument could be that it creates feelings of liminality – these men are locked in something entirely different to anything we know, another world. The archaic use of the word ‘wherefore’ provides a certain biblical weight to the moral insinuations of their conditions. These ‘purgatorial shadows’ sit in a metaphorical hellish existence, the tortured gesticulations of their ‘drooping tongues,’ ‘jaws that slob their relish’ and their ‘baring teeth’ create an image of dehumanisation for the reader and through the effective use of metaphor we can relate these images of disability to the shell-shocked men, enabling us to conjure up an easier image, one that we are more accustomed to. The images of the disabled are a part of our daily life whereas those of the shell-shocked have probably been witnessed never by the reader. Owen’s employment of androgynous characters in the first stanza with the use of ‘these,’ ‘they’ and ‘their’ could be metaphorically symbolic of the Harlequin, first introduced in Dante’s Inferno. The Harlequin, a clown-like figure with hardly recognisable human qualities, is a genderless being who is tormented with a mental incapacity in Dante’s purgatorial ‘land.’ The ‘drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish’ and the Harlequin share those inadequacies of the mind and are linked by a ‘human’ form that is somewhat distorted – the Harlequin through the use of cosmetics, reversible and without them, recognisable, these others by the perpetration of war and trapped with them forever. Dante’s Inferno and Mental Cases do also bear other resemblances through the use of metaphors; in part one of Dante’s Inferno, creative punishments are used to inflict a mental an d psychological pain on the protagonist. It is a pain which is purely vindictive and designed to inflict an emotional agony. This is one of two types of punishment that Dante uses. The first he borrows from forms of medieval torture and is physically agonising to the victims, the second is the punishment for sins committed. The ‘multitudinous murders that they once witnessed’ are the torturous punishments that are bestowed on these ‘purgatorial shadows,’ but it is the punishment for sins committed where the similarities must come to an end. Yes, like Dante, these men appear to be living in a limbo, a purgatorial existence, but because we know nothing of their previous sins, we cannot pass any judgement on whether they deserve to be where they are or not. The use of this metaphor continues to create these feelings of loss and opacity. Owen’s ability to make his words physical is achieved through the use of metaphor. While some would argue that it is his intense imagery that feeds our imagination, others would say it is his capacity to connect catholic ideas with the torment of these men to create metaphors that allow us to comprehend their situation. While he manages to convey this sense of loss, agony and torment, he does so in a way that screams detachment to an almost harsh level. Throughout the poem, his sympathy is essentially non-existent; it is important to note that he does not sympathise with these men as such but states why they are as they are. We see this ‘tactic’ to shock after his use of the metaphor in the third stanza, lines 3-4; â€Å"Sunlight seems a blood – smear; night comes blood black; Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.† This is then justified, almost as if even the poet himself cannot quite comprehend the extremity of their situation; as though he must write it down in its most brutal form in order to understand fully the extent of these men’s perdition. The whole poem, it could be argued, is in this way a metaphor in itself. The poet’s inability to comprehend fully the post-war effects on these men, results in a wording that reflects the mental capacity of the disabled; brutally honest, forthright and with no sparing of emotion. We witness his ‘explanation’ post metaphor; ‘Thus their heads wear this hilarious, hideous, awful falseness of set-smiling corpses.’ It could, however, be argued that Owen is simply using this approach to present to the reader the stigma of shell-shock. Throughout WW1, shell-shock was considered to be a neurological illness and, as a result of the war, something that should be pitied, apologised for and something that should not lead to the social outcast of its victims. This did not, however alter the treatment of these victims. It was easy to pity them from afar but when confronted by them, people would have been uncomfortable, uneasy and awkward. This would arise from the inability to converse with the afflicted, the appearance of their ‘fretted sockets’ and ‘’hideous awful falseness.’ Owen, it must be understood is not like these healthy but distanced people; he embraces the soldiers pain and converts it into a metaphor so vivid, enabling us to understand more their predicament. In conclusion, Owen’s use of metaphor is used to such a successful extent, that it allows the reader to imagine a type of person inflicted with the horrors of war in a way that would not be possible otherwise. It is, I feel, important to re-iterate the significant difference between imagery and metaphor. Yes, Owen’s use of powerful imagery is used effectively, but it is through his use of unrelenting metaphor that we receive an insight into the broken, dishevelled minds and bodies of the shell-shocked soldiers of World War One.

Vampire Academy Chapter 4

FOUR WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ENTIRE commons' attention this time, thank God, but a few passing people had stopped to stare. â€Å"What the hell do you think you're doing?† asked Doll Girl, blue eyes wide and sparkling with fury. Up close now, I was able to get a better look at her. She had the same slim build as most Moroi but not the usual height, which was partly what made her look so young. The tiny purple dress she wore was gorgeous – reminding me that I was indeed dressed in thrift-shop wear – but closer inspection led me to think it was a designer knockoff. I crossed my arms across my chest. â€Å"Are you lost, little girl? The elementary school's over on west campus.† A pink flush spread over her cheeks. â€Å"Don't you ever touch me again. You screw with me, and I'll screw you right back.† Oh man, what an opening that was. Only a head shake from Lissa stopped me from unleashing any number of hilarious comebacks. Instead, I opted for simple brute force, so to speak. â€Å"And if you mess with either of us again, I'll break you in half. If you don't believe me, go ask Dawn Yarrow about what I did to her arm in ninth grade. You were probably at nap time when it happened.† The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation, in addition to my smartass one. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night. Judging from the look on this girl's face, it was. One of the patrolling staff members strolled by right then, casting suspicious eyes at our little meeting. Doll Girl backed off, taking Aaron's arm. â€Å"Come on,† she said. â€Å"Hey, Aaron,† I said cheerfully, remembering he was there. â€Å"Nice to see you again.† He gave me a quick nod and an uneasy smile, just as the girl dragged him off. Same old Aaron. He might be nice and cute, but aggressive he was not. I turned to Lissa. â€Å"You okay?† She nodded. â€Å"Any idea who I just threatened to beat up?† â€Å"Not a clue.† I started to lead her toward the lunch line, but she shook her head at me. â€Å"Gotta go see the feeders.† A funny feeling settled over me. I'd gotten so used to being her primary blood source that the thought of returning to the Moroi's normal routine seemed strange. In fact, it almost bothered me. It shouldn't have. Daily feedings were part of a Moroi's life, something I hadn't been able to offer her while living on our own. It had been an inconvenient situation, one that left me weak on feeding days and her weak on the days in between. I should have been happy she would get some normality. I forced a smile. â€Å"Sure.† We walked into the feeding room, which sat adjacent to the cafeteria. It was set up with small cubicles, dividing the room's space in an effort to offer privacy. A dark-haired Moroi woman greeted us at the entrance and glanced down at her clipboard, flipping through the pages. Finding what she needed, she made a few notes and then gestured for Lissa to follow. Me she gave a puzzled look, but she didn't stop me from entering. She led us to one of the cubicles where a plump, middle-aged woman sat leafing through a magazine. She looked up at our approach and smiled. In her eyes, I could see the dreamy, glazed-over look most feeders had. She'd probably neared her quota for the day, judging from how high she appeared to be. Recognizing Lissa, her smile grew. â€Å"Welcome back, Princess.† The greeter left us, and Lissa sat down in the chair beside the woman. I sensed a feeling of discomfort in her, a little different from my own. This was weird for her too; it had been a long time. The feeder, however, had no such reservations. An eager look crossed her face – the look of a junkie about to get her next fix. Disgust poured into me. It was an old instinct, one that had been drilled in over the years. Feeders were essential to Moroi life. They were humans who willingly volunteered to be a regular blood source, humans from the fringes of society who gave their lives over to the secret world of the Moroi. They were well cared for and given all the comforts they could need. But at the heart of it, they were drug users, addicts to Moroi saliva and the rush it offered with each bite. The Moroi – and guardians – looked down on this dependency, even though the Moroi couldn't have survived otherwise unless they took victims by force. Hypocrisy at its finest. The feeder tilted her head, giving Lissa full access to her neck. Her skin there was marked with scars from years of daily bites. The infrequent feedings Lissa and I had done had kept my neck clear; my bite marks never lasted more than a day or so. Lissa leaned forward, fangs biting into the feeder's yielding flesh. The woman closed her eyes, making a soft sound of pleasure. I swallowed, watching Lissa drink. I couldn't see any blood, but I could imagine it. A surge of emotion grew in my chest: longing. Jealousy. I averted my eyes, staring at the floor. Mentally, I scolded myself. What's wrong with you? Why should you miss it? You only did it once every day. You aren't addicted, not like this. And you don't want to be. But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampire's bite. Lissa finished and we returned to the commons, moving toward the lunch line. It was short, since we only had fifteen minutes left, and I strolled up and began to load my plate with french fries and some rounded, bite-size objects that looked vaguely like chicken nuggets. Lissa only grabbed a yogurt. Moroi needed food, as dhampirs and humans did, but rarely had an appetite after drinking blood. â€Å"So how'd classes go?† I asked. She shrugged. Her face was bright with color and life now. â€Å"Okay. Lots of stares. A lot of stares. Lots of questions about where we were. Whispering.† â€Å"Same here,† I said. The attendant checked us out, and we walked toward the tables. I gave Lissa a sidelong glance. â€Å"You okay with that? They aren't bothering you, are they?† â€Å"No – it's fine.† The emotions coming through the bond contradicted her words. Knowing I could feel that, she tried to change the subject by handing me her class schedule. I looked it over. 1st Period Russian 2 2nd Period American Colonial Literature 3rd Period Basics of Elemental Control 4th Period Ancient Poetry -Lunch – 5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology 6th Period Advanced Calculus 7th Period Moroi Culture 4 8th Period Slavic Art â€Å"Nerd,† I said. â€Å"If you were in Stupid Math like me, we'd have the same afternoon schedule.† I stopped walking. â€Å"Why are you in elemental basics? That's a sophomore class.† She eyed me. â€Å"Because seniors take specialized classes.† We fell silent at that. All Moroi wielded elemental magic. It was one of the things that differentiated living vampires from Strigoi, the dead vampires. Moroi viewed magic as a gift. It was part of their souls and connected them to the world. A long time ago, they had used their magic openly – averting natural disasters and helping with things like food and water production. They didn't need to do that as much anymore, but the magic was still in their blood. It burned in them and made them want to reach out to the earth and wield their power. Academies like this existed to help Moroi control the magic and learn how to do increasingly complex things with it. Students also had to learn the rules that surrounded magic, rules that had been in place for centuries and were strictly enforced. All Moroi had a small ability in each element. When they got to be around our age, students â€Å"specialized† when one element grew stronger than the others: earth, water, fire, or air. Not specializing was like not going through puberty. And Lissa? ­well, Lissa hadn't specialized yet. â€Å"Is Ms. Carmack still teaching that? What she'd say?† â€Å"She says she's not worried. She thinks it'll come.† â€Å"Did you – did you tell her about – â€Å" Lissa shook her head. â€Å"No. Of course not.† We let the subject drop. It was one we thought about a lot but rarely spoke of. We started moving again, scanning the tables as we decided where to sit. A few pairs of eyes looked up at us with blatant curiosity. â€Å"Lissa!† came a nearby voice. Glancing over, we saw Natalie waving at us. Lissa and I exchanged looks. Natalie was sort of Lissa's cousin in the way Victor was sort of her uncle, but we'd never hung out with her all that much. Lissa shrugged and headed in that direction. â€Å"Why not?† I followed reluctantly. Natalie was nice but also one of the most uninteresting people I knew. Most royals at the school enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, but Natalie had never fit in with that crowd. She was too plain, too uninterested in the politics of the Academy, and too clueless to really navigate them anyway. Natalie's friends eyed us with a quiet curiosity, but she didn't hold back. She threw her arms around us. Like Lissa, she had jade-green eyes, but her hair was jet black, like Victor's had been before his disease grayed it. â€Å"You're back! I knew you would be! Everyone said you were gone forever, but I never believed that. I knew you couldn't stay away. Why'd you go? There are so many stories about why you left!† Lissa and I exchanged glances as Natalie prattled on. â€Å"Camille said one of you got pregnant and went off to have an abortion, but I knew that couldn't be true. Someone else said you went off to hang out with Rose's mom, but I figured Ms. Kirova and Daddy wouldn't have been so upset if you'd turned up there. Did you know we might get to be roommates? I was talking to? ­Ã¢â‚¬  On and on she chatted, flashing her fangs as she spoke. I smiled politely, letting Lissa deal with the onslaught until Natalie asked a dangerous question. â€Å"What'd you do for blood, Lissa?† The table regarded us questioningly. Lissa froze, but I immediately jumped in, the lie coming effortlessly to my lips. â€Å"Oh, it's easy. There are a lot of humans who want to do it.† â€Å"Really?† asked one of Natalie's friends, wide-eyed. â€Å"Yup. You find ? ®em at parties and stuff. They're all looking for a fix from something, and they don't really get that a vampire's doing it: most are already so wasted they don't remember anyway.† My already vague details dried up, so I simply shrugged in as cool and confident a way as I could manage. It wasn't like any of them knew any better. â€Å"Like I said, it's easy. Almost easier than with our own feeders.† Natalie accepted this and than launched into some other topic. Lissa shot me a grateful look. Ignoring the conversation again, I took in the old faces, trying to figure out who was hanging out with whom and how power had shifted within the school. Mason, sitting with a group of novices, caught my eye, and I smiled. Near him, a group of Moroi royals sat, laughing over something. Aaron and the blond girl sat there too. â€Å"Hey, Natalie,† I said, turning around and cutting her off. She didn't seem to notice or mind. â€Å"Who's Aaron's new girlfriend?† â€Å"Huh? Oh. Mia Rinaldi.† Seeing my blank look, she asked, â€Å"Don't you remember her?† â€Å"Should I? Was she here when we left?† â€Å"She's always been here,† said Natalie. â€Å"She's only a year younger than us.† I shot a questioning look at Lissa, who only shrugged. â€Å"Why is she so pissed off at us?† I asked. â€Å"Neither of us know her.† â€Å"I don't know,† answered Natalie. â€Å"Maybe she's jealous about Aaron. She wasn't much of anybody when you guys left. She got really popular really fast. She isn't royal or anything, but once she started dating Aaron, she – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, thanks,† I interrupted. â€Å"It doesn't really – â€Å" My eyes lifted up from Natalie's face to Jesse Zeklos's, just as he passed by our table. Ah, Jesse. I'd forgotten about him. I liked flirting with Mason and some of the other novices, but Jesse was in an entirely different category. You flirted with the other guys simply for the sake of flirting. You flirted with Jesse in the hopes of getting semi-naked with him. He was a royal Moroi, and he was so hot, he should have worn a warning: flammable sign. He met my eyes and grinned. â€Å"Hey Rose, welcome back. You still breaking hearts?† â€Å"Are you volunteering?† His grin widened. â€Å"Let's hang out sometime and find out. If you ever get parole.† He kept walking, and I watched him admiringly. Natalie and her friends stared at me in awe. I might not be a god in the Dimitri sense, but with this group, Lissa and I were gods – or at least former gods – of another nature. â€Å"Oh my gawd,† exclaimed one girl. I didn't remember her name. â€Å"That was Jesse.† â€Å"Yes,† I said, smiling. â€Å"It certainly was.† â€Å"I wish I looked like you,† she added with a sigh. Their eyes fell on me. Technically, I was half-Moroi, but my looks were human. I'd blended in well with humans during our time away, so much so that I'd barely thought about my appearance at all. Here, among the slim and small-chested Moroi girls, certain features – meaning my larger breasts and more defined hips – stood out. I knew I was pretty, but to Moroi boys, my body was more than just pretty: it was sexy in a risqu? ¦ way. Dhampirs were an exotic conquest, a novelty all Moroi guys wanted to â€Å"try.† It was ironic that dhampirs had such an allure here, because slender Moroi girls looked very much like the super-skinny runway models so popular in the human world. Most humans could never reach that â€Å"ideal† skinniness, just as Moroi girls could never look like me. Everyone wanted what she couldn't have. Lissa and I got to sit together in our shared afternoon classes but didn't do much talking. The stares she'd mentioned certainly did follow us, but I found that the more I talked to people, the more they warmed up. Slowly, gradually, they seemed to remember who we were, and the novelty – though not the intrigue – of our crazy stunt wore off. Or maybe I should say, they remembered who I was. Because I was the only one talking. Lissa stared straight ahead, listening but neither acknowledging nor participating in my attempts at conversation. I could feel anxiety and sadness pouring out of her. â€Å"All right,† I told her when classes finally ended. We stood outside the school, and I was fully aware that in doing so, I was already breaking the terms of my agreement with Kirova. â€Å"We're not staying here,† I told her, looking around the campus uneasily. â€Å"I'm going to find a way to get us out.† â€Å"You think we could really do it a second time?† Lissa asked quietly. â€Å"Absolutely.† I spoke with certainty, again relieved she couldn't read my feelings. Escaping the first time had been tricky enough. Doing it again would be a real bitch, not that I couldn't still find a way. â€Å"You really would, wouldn't you?† She smiled, more to herself than to me, like she'd thought of something funny. â€Å"Of course you would. It's just, well? ­Ã¢â‚¬  She sighed. â€Å"I don't know if we should go. Maybe – maybe we should stay.† I blinked in astonishment. â€Å"What?† Not one of my more eloquent answers, but the best I could manage. I'd never expected this from her. â€Å"I saw you, Rose. I saw you talking to the other novices during class, talking about practice. You miss that.† â€Å"It's not worth it,† I argued. â€Å"Not if? ­not if you? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish, but she was right. She'd read me. I had missed the other novices. Even some of the Moroi. But there was more to it than just that. The weight of my inexperience, how much I'd fallen behind, had been growing all day. â€Å"It might be better,† she countered. â€Å"I haven't had as many? ­you know, things happening in a while. I haven't felt like anyone was following or watching us.† I didn't say anything to that. Before we'd left the Academy, she'd always felt like someone was following her, like she was being hunted. I'd never seen evidence to support that, but I had once heard one of our teachers go on and on about the same sort of thing. Ms. Karp. She'd been a pretty Moroi, with deep auburn air and high cheekbones. And I was pretty sure she'd been crazy. â€Å"You never know who's watching,† she used to say, walking briskly around the classroom as she shut all the blinds. â€Å"Or who's following you. Best to be safe. Best to always be safe.† We'd snickered amongst ourselves because that's what students do around eccentric and paranoid teachers. The thought of Lissa acting like her bothered me. â€Å"What's wrong?† Lissa asked, noticing that I was lost in thought. â€Å"Huh? Nothing. Just thinking.† I sighed, trying to balance my own wants with what was best for her. â€Å"Liss, we can stay, I guess? ­but there are a few conditions.† This made her laugh. â€Å"A Rose ultimatum, huh?† â€Å"I'm serious.† Words I didn't say very much. â€Å"I want you to stay away from the royals. Not like Natalie or anything but you know, the others. The power players. Camille. Carly. That group.† Her amusement turned to astonishment. â€Å"Are you serious?† â€Å"Sure. You never liked them anyway.† â€Å"You did.† â€Å"No. Not really. I liked what they could offer. All the parties and stuff.† â€Å"And you can go without that now?† She looked skeptical. â€Å"Sure. We did in Portland.† â€Å"Yeah, but that was different.† Her eyes stared off, not really focused on any one thing. â€Å"Here? ­here I've got to be a part of that. I can't avoid it.† â€Å"The hell you do. Natalie stays out of that stuff.† â€Å"Natalie isn't going to inherit her family's title,† she retorted. â€Å"I've already got it. I've got to be involved, start making connections. Andre – â€Å" â€Å"Liss,† I groaned. â€Å"You aren't Andre.† I couldn't believe she was still comparing herself to her brother. â€Å"He was always involved in all that stuff.† â€Å"Yeah, well,† I snapped back, â€Å"he's dead now.† Her face hardened. â€Å"You know, sometimes you aren't very nice.† â€Å"You don't keep me around to be nice. You want nice, there are a dozen sheep in there who would rip each other's throats to get in good with the Dragomir princess. You keep me around to tell you the truth, and here it is: Andre's dead. You're the heir now, and you're going to deal with it however you can. But for now, that means staying away from the other royals. We'll just lie low. Coast through the middle. Get involved in that stuff again, Liss, and you'll drive yourself? ­Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Crazy?† she supplied when I didn't finish. Now I looked away. â€Å"I didn't mean? ­Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay.† she said, after a moment. She sighed and touched my arm. â€Å"Fine. We'll stay and we'll keep out of all that stuff. We'll ? ®coast through the middle' like you want. Hang out with Natalie, I guess.† To be perfectly honest, I didn't want any of that. I wanted to go to all the royal parties and wild drunken festivities like we'd done before. We'd kept out of that life for years until Lissa's parents and brother died. Andre should have been the one to inherit her family's title, and he'd certainly acted like it. Handsome and outgoing, he'd charmed everyone he knew and had been a leader in all the royal cliques and clubs that existed on campus. After his death, Lissa had felt it was her family duty to take his place. I'd gotten to join that world with her. It was easy for me, because I didn't really have to deal with the politics of it. I was a pretty dhampir, one who didn't mind getting into trouble and pulling crazy stunts. I became a novelty; they liked having me around for the fun of it. Lissa had to deal with other matters. The Dragomirs were one of the twelve ruling families. She'd have a very powerful place in Moroi society, and the other young royals wanted to get in good with her. Fake friends tried to schmooze her and get her to team up against other people. The royals could bribe and backstab in the same breath – and that was just with each other. To dhampirs and non-royals, they were completely unpredictable. That cruel culture had eventually taken its toll on Lissa. She had an open, kind nature, one that I loved, and I hated to see her upset and stressed by royal games. She'd grown fragile since the accident, and all the parties in the world weren't worth seeing her hurt. â€Å"All right then,† I said finally. â€Å"We'll see how this goes. If anything goes wrong – anything at all – we leave. No arguments.† She nodded. â€Å"Rose?† We both looked up at Dimitri's looming form. I hoped he hadn't heard the part about us leaving. â€Å"You're late for practice,† he said evenly. Seeing Lissa, he gave a polite nod. â€Å"Princess.† As he and I walked away, I worried about Lissa and wondered if staying here was the right thing to do. I felt nothing alarming through the bond, but her emotions spiked all over the place. Confusion. Nostalgia. Fear. Anticipation. Strong and powerful, they flooded into me. I felt the pull just before it happened. It was exactly like what had happened on the plane: her emotions grew so strong that they â€Å"sucked† me into her head before I could stop them. I could now see and feel what she did. She walked slowly around the commons, toward the small Russian Orthodox chapel that served most of the school's religious needs. Lissa had always attended mass regularly. Not me. I had a standing arrangement with God: I'd agree to believe in him – barely – so long as he let me sleep in on Sundays. But as she went inside, I could feel that she wasn't there to pray. She had another purpose, one I didn't know about. Glancing around, she verified that neither the priest nor any worshippers were close by. The place was empty. Slipping through a doorway in the back of the chapel, she climbed a narrow set of creaky stairs up into the attic. Here it was dark and dusty. The only light came through a large stained-glass window that fractured the faint glow of sunrise into tiny, multicolored gems across the floor. I hadn't known until that moment that this room was a regular retreat for Lissa. But now I could feel it, feel her memories of how she used to escape here to be alone and to think. The anxiety in her ebbed away ever so slightly as she took in the familiar surroundings. She climbed up into the window seat and leaned her head back against its side, momentarily entranced by the silence and the light. Moroi could stand some sunlight, unlike the Strigoi, but they had to limit their exposure. Sitting here, she could almost pretend she was in the sun, protected by the glass's dilution of the rays. Breathe, just breathe, she told herself. It'll be okay. Rose will take care of everything. She believed that passionately, like always, and relaxed further. Then a low voice spoke from the darkness. â€Å"You can have the Academy but not the window seat.† She sprang up, heart pounding. I shared her anxiety, and my own pulse quickened. â€Å"Who's there?† A moment later, a shape rose from behind a stack of crates, just outside her field of vision. The figure stepped forward, and in the poor lighting, familiar features materialized. Messy black hair. Pale blue eyes. A perpetually sardonic smirk. Christian Ozera. â€Å"Don't worry,† he said. â€Å"I won't bite. Well, at least not in the way you're afraid of.† He chuckled at his own joke. She didn't find it funny. She had completely forgotten about Christian. So had I. No matter what happened in our world, a few basic truths about vampires remained the same. Moroi were alive; Strigoi were undead. Moroi were mortal; Strigoi were immortal. Moroi were born; Strigoi were made. And there were two ways to make a Strigoi. Strigoi could forcibly turn humans, dhampirs, or Moroi with a single bite. Moroi tempted by the promise of immortality could become Strigoi by choice if they purposely killed another person while feeding. Doing that was considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins, both against the Moroi way of life and nature itself. Moroi who chose this dark path lost their ability to connect with elemental magic and other powers of the world. That was why they could no longer go into the sun. This is what had happened to Christian's parents. They were Strigoi.

Child Observation Essay

I observed the teacher and what instructional theory she used and the five students in her classroom. Her students consisted of three four girls and one boy from what was shown in the video. Instructional Theory used: The instructional theory that was used by the teacher was that of Vygotsky’s Cognitive Development Theory. Description of the lesson observed: The teacher started out with clear instructions informing the students that they would be doing about learning new words. She started out asking the students ‘Where is Squawker? † she followed up her answer by guiding the answer. Once the students were aware of the question, they answered by saying that Squawker was under the umbrella. The teacher cheered them on and gave positive feedback at that fact that the children answered correctly. She then reiterated the question and the answer and had the students repeat after her. She then asked one student in particular to go and get squawker, who would be her handheld helper for the lesson, from under the umbrella. Her name was Page. The teacher then told the children that they would be learning some new words that were in the word box. She again asked Page to be her word helper for that lesson. She gave the students clear expectations of the lesson. She told them that she would say the word, which she did by spelling it out completely first then saying in in a clear, crisp tone. She asked Page to select the first word and hold it up for everyone to see. The children then repeated the spelling of the first word, lungs, and then they also said the word clearly. *I had to note, that Page did not spell out the word lungs with the other students. She kind of just mumbled the word. * She, the teacher, made sure to also say to the children to â€Å"Look† closely at the word card. The next word Page pulled out of the word box was the word chest. The teacher again modeled how to pronounce each letter of the word and to say the word. She had the students model after her the same exact way. Again I noticed how Page did not pronounce the word like the other students. The teacher then proceeded to ask Page to place the word chest on her chest so that everyone could see the word. Page did as she was told, signifying she knew what the word was. The teacher also at that time emphasized the action â€Å"Do†. The teacher then had page pull out the picture of the lungs from the word box and place it on her chest. The teacher then engage the students and ask them how do we use our lungs, and elicit responses to see if the children had any knowledge of the content they were engaging in. The children showed readiness and ability to move forward with the questioning. She asked what is in the lungs and one child answered air. The teacher made connections to the environment by asking the children what else is full of air, and one child responded by answering â€Å"a balloon†. The teacher applauded and gave each child praise when answering the questions. The teacher also emphasized during this portion of the lesson â€Å"Say† as she wanted to know that the children knew what they were saying as well. She had Squawker, her hand helper, to ask follow up questions to see if the students comprehended the meanings or the usage of the word lungs, and chest all of which each of the five children responded with clear meaning of the text. The teaching technique the teacher used was in line with Lev Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development. Vygotsky’s theory actively involves children in his or her own learning process. His theory also implies that learning occurs before development. It was clear that the children had a base knowledge of the content that the teacher taught them, she just deepened their understanding of the material and the vocabulary. Vygotsky’s theory also implies that development is driven by the children’s enjoyment from learning and interaction with their peers. This interaction with peers and adults play a critical role in their cognitive development. The teacher actively engaged the children. She assisted in their learning by modeling the content, and she also used role play by allowing a hand puppet to be a part of the class as a helper.

“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Essay

The effect of repetition of words and phrases on the main messages contained I have a dream is an inspirational speech delivered by Martin Luther king to emphasizeover the critical situation of negroes, who are still living in the dark age. Whereas he examinesthat how the blacks are suffering in the crucial situation, to convey the true feelings of AfricanAmericans. This is an argumentative and persuasive appeal to the readers in order to makethem aware about the duality that is among the blacks and whites; they are not treated equallyin America. The speech of the king become noticeable and effective to the readers because ofthe continuous use of repetition of words that is also the strategy of the king to give the nationa wakeup call to take a step towards Negroes for their welfare. The speech also leaves thetremendous effect on the minds of people. Although the speech was more effective when theking first delivered it in 1963. Hence, the whole speech contains several examples of repetition of words like onehundred year later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundredyears later, the life of the negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and thechains of discrimination. These lines describes the present unbearable condition of thenegroes that they are still grabbed in the terrible situation and they have a desire to get rid ofthis poverty and sadness which is not easy for them to tolerate. And they want to acquire theirown peaceful land where they get the equal rights and which should be free of all bounding andrestrictions. Coming up with the other repetition that is now is the time to in the last lines ofthe fourth paragraph he uses these words several times, where he strongly addresses that this isthe time to help yourself by making yourself independent like a rock and say goodbye to thedark side of life and by throwing away this separation and inequalit y because every humanbeing is equal in the eye of God. Furthermore, he also emphasize over the satisfaction of Negro by repeating the words wecan never be satisfied as long as on behalf of them. The Negroes are being the victims ofbrutality and at every step they are treated like animals that did not do anything without thepermission of their masters. Perhaps Blacks are not supposed to enter in the hotels and placeswhere the  whites live and their vote even do not matter in any elections. These are thedepressing things for them and they will never be satisfied until they get justice and a completefreedom. King sounds recommending the nation in the words go back to with these words healso took the names of those areas where black lives. He recommends looking forward theseblacks communities, then you come to know that the situation of blacks can be changed and itwill be changed. Instead, he is provoking those blacks that have lost their hope to live withtheir own identity and he also tells the blacks in a didactic way that they should leave thevalley of social outcast. Another repetition of word is I have a dream that begin from 10paragraph to 18 paragraph. Which indicates king emotional appeal towards the black that howimportant is freedom for them, their desire to be treated fairly not by ignorance and hatred,desire of holding the hands of whites to walk and live their lives together, the dream of havingjustice and the dream not to judge by their skin color but by their heart and character. Theydont want any separate nation for them but a nation, which is united and with equalopportunities as with the other white Americans. They want to destroy this inferiority amongthem, they want to low down all those hills and mountains where a person feel himself superiorto others and this is not only the dream of blacks but of America. Elaborating the other example with this faith we will be able to indicates that by this faithwe will definitely be able to come across the feelings of brotherhood and love for each other,and by this faith we will do every work of our routine life together. The word together willcome in our lives and with this togetherness we will understand the meanings of life that isgifted by God to us. By the help of the following words let freedom ring from the king tellsthat every state, valley and city will sing the song of freedom, love, prosperity, brotherhoodand justice. And we need to struggle for the day when we would say finally that we our free. In a nutshell the kings style in the whole essay is very effective and appealing. Therepetition of words and phrases used in this essay are very powerful which directly effect theheart of reader and make them realize that  this is the time to do something for the negroes andnot be late now.