A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-one

Tyrion As he stood in the predawn chill watching Chiggen butcher his horse, Tyrion Lannister chalked up one more debt owed the Starks. Steam rose from inside the carcass when the squat sellsword opened the belly with his skinning knife. His hands moved deftly, with never a wasted cut; the work had to be done quickly, before the stink of blood brought shadowcats down from the heights. â€Å"None of us will go hungry tonight,† Bronn said. He was near a shadow himself; bone thin and bone hard, with black eyes and black hair and a stubble of beard. â€Å"Some of us may,† Tyrion told him. â€Å"I am not fond of eating horse. Particularly my horse.† â€Å"Meat is meat,† Bronn said with a shrug. â€Å"The Dothraki like horse more than beef or pork.† â€Å"Do you take me for a Dothraki?† Tyrion asked sourly. The Dothraki ate horse, in truth; they also left deformed children out for the feral dogs who ran behind their khalasars. Dothraki customs had scant appeal for him. Chiggen sliced a thin strip of bloody meat off the carcass and held it up for inspection. â€Å"Want a taste, dwarf?† â€Å"My brother Jaime gave me that mare for my twenty-third name day,† Tyrion said in a flat voice. â€Å"Thank him for us, then. If you ever see him again.† Chiggen grinned, showing yellow teeth, and swallowed the raw meat in two bites. â€Å"Tastes well bred.† â€Å"Better if you fry it up with onions,† Bronn put in. Wordlessly, Tyrion limped away. The cold had settled deep in his bones, and his legs were so sore he could scarcely walk. Perhaps his dead mare was the lucky one. He had hours more riding ahead of him, followed by a few mouthfuls of food and a short, cold sleep on hard ground, and then another night of the same, and another, and another, and the gods only knew how it would end. â€Å"Damn her,† he muttered as he struggled up the road to rejoin his captors, remembering, â€Å"damn her and all the Starks.† The memory was still bitter. One moment he'd been ordering supper, and an eye blink later he was facing a room of armed men, with Jyck reaching for a sword and the fat innkeep shrieking, â€Å"No swords, not here, please, m'lords.† Tyrion wrenched down Jyck's arm hurriedly, before he got them both hacked to pieces. â€Å"Where are your courtesies, Jyck? Our good hostess said no swords. Do as she asks.† He forced a smile that must have looked as queasy as it felt. â€Å"You're making a sad mistake, Lady Stark. I had no part in any attack on your son. On my honor—† â€Å"Lannister honor,† was all she said. She held up her hands for all the room to see. â€Å"His dagger left these scars. The blade he sent to open my son's throat.† Tyrion felt the anger all around him, thick and smoky, fed by the deep cuts in the Stark woman's hands. â€Å"Kill him,† hissed some drunken slattern from the back, and other voices took up the call, faster than he would have believed. Strangers all, friendly enough only a moment ago, and yet now they cried for his blood like hounds on a trail. Tyrion spoke up loudly, trying to keep the quaver from his voice. â€Å"If Lady Stark believes I have some crime to answer for, I will go with her and answer for it.† It was the only possible course. Trying to cut their way out of this was a sure invitation to an early grave. A good dozen swords had responded to the Stark woman's plea for help: the Harrenhal man, the three Brackens, a pair of unsavory sellswords who looked as though they'd kill him as soon as spit, and some fool field hands who doubtless had no idea what they were doing. Against that, what did Tyrion have? A dagger at his belt, and two men. Jyck swung a fair enough sword, but Morrec scarcely counted; he was part groom, part cook, part body servant, and no soldier. As for Yoren, whatever his feelings might have been, the black brothers were sworn to take no part in the quarrels of the realm. Yoren would do nothing. And indeed, the black brother stepped aside silently when the old knight by Catelyn Stark's side said, â€Å"Take their weapons,† and the sellsword Bronn stepped forward to pull the sword from Jyck's fingers and relieve them all of their daggers. â€Å"Good,† the old man said as the tension in the common room ebbed palpably, â€Å"excellent.† Tyrion recognized the gruff voice; Winterfell's master-at-arms, shorn of his whiskers. Scarlet-tinged spittle flew from the fat innkeep's mouth as she begged of Catelyn Stark, â€Å"Don't kill him here!† â€Å"Don't kill him anywhere,† Tyrion urged. â€Å"Take him somewheres else, no blood here, m'lady, I wants no high lordlin's quarrels.† â€Å"We are taking him back to Winterfell,† she said, and Tyrion thought, Well, perhaps . . . By then he'd had a moment to glance over the room and get a better idea of the situation. He was not altogether displeased by what he saw. Oh, the Stark woman had been clever, no doubt of it. Force them to make a public affirmation of the oaths sworn her father by the lords they served, and then call on them for succor, and her a woman, yes, that was sweet. Yet her success was not as complete as she might have liked. There were close to fifty in the common room by his rough count. Catelyn Stark's plea had roused a bare dozen; the others looked confused, or frightened, or sullen. Only two of the Freys had stirred, Tyrion noted, and they'd sat back down quick enough when their captain failed to move. He might have smiled if he'd dared. â€Å"Winterfell it is, then,† he said instead. That was a long ride, as he could well attest, having just ridden it the other way. So many things could happen along the way. â€Å"My father will wonder what has become of me,† he added, catching the eye of the swordsman who'd offered to yield up his room. â€Å"He'll pay a handsome reward to any man who brings him word of what happened here today.† Lord Tywin would do no such thing, of course, but Tyrion would make up for it if he won free. Ser Rodrik glanced at his lady, his look worried, as well it might be. â€Å"His men come with him,† the old knight announced. â€Å"And we'll thank the rest of you to stay quiet about what you've seen here.† It was all Tyrion could do not to laugh. Quiet? The old fool. Unless he took the whole inn, the word would begin to spread the instant they were gone. The freerider with the gold coin in his pocket would fly to Casterly Rock like an arrow. If not him, then someone else. Yoren would carry the story south. That fool singer might make a lay of it. The Freys would report back to their lord, and the gods only knew what he might do. Lord Walder Frey might be sworn to Riverrun, but he was a cautious man who had lived a long time by making certain he was always on the winning side. At the very least he would send his birds winging south to King's Landing, and he might well dare more than that. Catelyn Stark wasted no time. â€Å"We must ride at once. We'll want fresh mounts, and provisions for the road. You men, know that you have the eternal gratitude of House Stark. If any of you choose to help us guard our captives and get them safe to Winterfell, I promise you shall be well rewarded.† That was all it took; the fools came rushing forward. Tyrion studied their faces; they would indeed be well rewarded, he vowed to himself, but perhaps not quite as they imagined. Yet even as they were bundling him outside, saddling the horses in the rain, and tying his hands with a length of coarse rope, Tyrion Lannister was not truly afraid. They would never get him to Winterfell, he would have given odds on that. Riders would be after them within the day, birds would take wing, and surely one of the river lords would want to curry favor with his father enough to take a hand. Tyrion was congratulating himself on his subtlety when someone pulled a hood down over his eyes and lifted him up onto a saddle. They set out through the rain at a hard gallop, and before long Tyrion's thighs were cramped and aching and his butt throbbed with pain. Even when they were safely away from the inn, and Catelyn Stark slowed them to a trot, it was a miserable pounding journey over rough ground, made worse by his blindness. Every twist and turn put him in danger of falling off his horse. The hood muffled sound, so he could not make out what was being said around him, and the rain soaked through the cloth and made it cling to his face, until even breathing was a struggle. The rope chafed his wrists raw and seemed to grow tighter as the night wore on. I was about to settle down to a warm fire and a roast fowl, and that wretched singer had to open his mouth, he thought mournfully. The wretched singer had come along with them. â€Å"There is a great song to be made from this, and I'm the one to make it,† he told Catelyn Stark when he announced his intention of riding with them to see how the  "splendid adventure† turned out. Tyrion wondered whether the boy would think the adventure quite so splendid once the Lannister riders caught up with them. The rain had finally stopped and dawn light was seeping through the wet cloth over his eyes when Catelyn Stark gave the command to dismount. Rough hands pulled him down from his horse, untied his wrists, and yanked the hood off his head. When he saw the narrow stony road, the foothills rising high and wild all around them, and the jagged snowcapped peaks on the distant horizon, all the hope went out of him in a rush. â€Å"This is the high road,† he gasped, looking at Lady Stark with accusation. â€Å"The eastern road. You said we were riding for Winterfell!† Catelyn Stark favored him with the faintest of smiles. â€Å"Often and loudly,† she agreed. â€Å"No doubt your friends will ride that way when they come after us. I wish them good speed.† Even now, long days later, the memory filled him with a bitter rage. All his life Tyrion had prided himself on his cunning, the only gift the gods had seen fit to give him, and yet this seven-times-damned she-wolf Catelyn Stark had outwitted him at every turn. The knowledge was more galling than the bare fact of his abduction. They stopped only as long as it took to feed and water the horses, and then they were off again. This time Tyrion was spared the hood. After the second night they no longer bound his hands, and once they had gained the heights they scarcely bothered to guard him at all. It seemed they did not fear his escape. And why should they? Up here the land was harsh and wild, and the high road little more than a stony track. If he did run, how far could he hope to go, alone and without provisions? The shadowcats would make a morsel of him, and the clans that dwelt in the mountain fastnesses were brigands and murderers who bowed to no law but the sword. Yet still the Stark woman drove them forward relentlessly. He knew where they were bound. He had known it since the moment they pulled off his hood. These mountains were the domain of House Arryn, and the late Hand's widow was a Tully, Catelyn Stark's sister . . . and no friend to the Lannisters. Tyrion had known the Lady Lysa slightly during her years at King's Landing, and did not look forward to renewing the acquaintance. His captors were clustered around a stream a short ways down the high road. The horses had drunk their fill of the icy cold water, and were grazing on clumps of brown grass that grew from clefts in the rock. Jyck and Morrec huddled close, sullen and miserable. Mohor stood over them, leaning on his spear and wearing a rounded iron cap that made him look as if he had a bowl on his head. Nearby, Marillion the singer sat oiling his woodharp, complaining of what the damp was doing to his strings. â€Å"We must have some rest, my lady,† the hedge knight Ser Willis Wode was saying to Catelyn Stark as Tyrion approached. He was Lady Whent's man, stiff-necked and stolid, and the first to rise to aid Catelyn Stark back at the inn. â€Å"Ser Willis speaks truly, my lady,† Ser Rodrik said. â€Å"This is the third horse we have lost—† â€Å"We will lose more than horses if we're overtaken by the Lannisters,† she reminded them. Her face was windburnt and gaunt, but it had lost none of its determination. â€Å"Small chance of that here,† Tyrion put in. â€Å"The lady did not ask your views, dwarf,† snapped Kurleket, a great fat oaf with short-cropped hair and a pig's face. He was one of the Brackens, a man-at-arms in the service of Lord Jonos. Tyrion had made a special effort to learn all their names, so he might thank them later for their tender treatment of him. A Lannister always paid his debts. Kurleket would learn that someday, as would his friends Lharys and Mohor, and the good Ser Willis, and the sellswords Bronn and Chiggen. He planned an especially sharp lesson for Marillion, him of the woodharp and the sweet tenor voice, who was struggling so manfully to rhyme imp with gimp and limp so he could make a song of this outrage. â€Å"Let him speak,† Lady Stark commanded. Tyrion Lannister seated himself on a rock. â€Å"By now our pursuit is likely racing across the Neck, chasing your lie up the kingsroad . . . assuming there is a pursuit, which is by no means certain. Oh, no doubt the word has reached my father . . . but my father does not love me overmuch, and I am not at all sure that he will bother to bestir himself.† It was only half a lie; Lord Tywin Lannister cared not a fig for his deformed son, but he tolerated no slights on the honor of his House. â€Å"This is a cruel land, Lady Stark. You'll find no succor until you reach the Vale, and each mount you lose burdens the others all the more. Worse, you risk losing me. I am small, and not strong, and if I die, then what's the point?† That was no lie at all; Tyrion did not know how much longer he could endure this pace. â€Å"It might be said that your death is the point, Lannister,† Catelyn Stark replied. â€Å"I think not,† Tyrion said. â€Å"If you wanted me dead, you had only to say the word, and one of these staunch friends of yours would gladly have given me a red smile.† He looked at Kurleket, but the man was too dim to taste the mockery. â€Å"The Starks do not murder men in their beds.† â€Å"Nor do I,† he said. â€Å"I tell you again, I had no part in the attempt to kill your son.† â€Å"The assassin was armed with your dagger.† Tyrion felt the heat rise in him. â€Å"It was not my dagger,† he insisted. â€Å"How many times must I swear to that? Lady Stark, whatever you may believe of me, I am not a stupid man. Only a fool would arm a common footpad with his own blade.† Just for a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes, but what she said was, â€Å"Why would Petyr lie to me?† â€Å"Why does a bear shit in the woods?† he demanded. â€Å"Because it is his nature. Lying comes as easily as breathing to a man like Littlefinger. You ought to know that, you of all people.† She took a step toward him, her face tight. â€Å"And what does that mean, Lannister?† Tyrion cocked his head. â€Å"Why, every man at court has heard him tell how he took your maidenhead, my lady.† â€Å"That is a lie!† Catelyn Stark said. â€Å"Oh, wicked little imp,† Marillion said, shocked. Kurleket drew his dirk, a vicious piece of black iron. â€Å"At your word, m'lady, I'll toss his lying tongue at your feet.† His pig eyes were wet with excitement at the prospect. Catelyn Stark stared at Tyrion with a coldness on her face such as he had never seen. â€Å"Petyr Baelish loved me once. He was only a boy. His passion was a tragedy for all of us, but it was real, and pure, and nothing to be made mock of. He wanted my hand. That is the truth of the matter. You are truly an evil man, Lannister.† â€Å"And you are truly a fool, Lady Stark. Littlefinger has never loved anyone but Littlefinger, and I promise you that it is not your hand that he boasts of, it's those ripe breasts of yours, and that sweet mouth, and the heat between your legs.† Kurleket grabbed a handful of hair and yanked his head back in a hard jerk, baring his throat. Tyrion felt the cold kiss of steel beneath his chin. â€Å"Shall I bleed him, my lady?† â€Å"Kill me and the truth dies with me,† Tyrion gasped. â€Å"Let him talk,† Catelyn Stark commanded. Kurleket let go of Tyrion's hair, reluctantly. Tyrion took a deep breath. â€Å"How did Littlefinger tell you I came by this dagger of his? Answer me that.† â€Å"You won it from him in a wager, during the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day.† â€Å"When my brother Jaime was unhorsed by the Knight of Flowers, that was his story, no?† â€Å"It was,† she admitted. A line creased her brow. â€Å"Riders!† The shriek came from the wind-carved ridge above them. Ser Rodrik had sent Lharys scrambling up the rock face to watch the road while they took their rest. For a long second, no one moved. Catelyn Stark was the first to react. â€Å"Ser Rodrik, Ser Willis, to horse,† she shouted. â€Å"Get the other mounts behind us. Mohor, guard the prisoners—† â€Å"Arm us!† Tyrion sprang to his feet and seized her by the arm. â€Å"You will need every sword.† She knew he was right, Tyrion could see it. The mountain clans cared nothing for the enmities of the great houses; they would slaughter Stark and Lannister with equal fervor, as they slaughtered each other. They might spare Catelyn herself; she was still young enough to bear sons. Still, she hesitated. â€Å"I hear them!† Ser Rodrik called out. Tyrion turned his head to listen, and there it was: hoofbeats, a dozen horses or more, coming nearer. Suddenly everyone was moving, reaching for weapons, running to their mounts. Pebbles rained down around them as Lharys came springing and sliding down the ridge. He landed breathless in front of Catelyn Stark, an ungainly-looking man with wild tufts of rust-colored hair sticking out from under a conical steel cap. â€Å"Twenty men, maybe twenty-five,† he said, breathless. â€Å"Milk Snakes or Moon Brothers, by my guess. They must have eyes out, m'lady . . . hidden watchers . . . they know we're here.† Ser Rodrik Cassel was already ahorse, a longsword in hand. Mohor crouched behind a boulder, both hands on his iron-tipped spear, a dagger between his teeth. â€Å"You, singer,† Ser Willis Wode called out. â€Å"Help me with this breastplate.† Marillion sat frozen, clutching his woodharp, his face as pale as milk, but Tyrion's man Morrec bounded quickly to his feet and moved to help the knight with his armor. Tyrion kept his grip on Catelyn Stark. â€Å"You have no choice,† he told her. â€Å"Three of us, and a fourth man wasted guarding us . . . four men can be the difference between life and death up here.† â€Å"Give me your word that you will put down your swords again after the fight is done.† â€Å"My word?† The hoofbeats were louder now. Tyrion grinned crookedly. â€Å"Oh, that you have, my lady . . . on my honor as a Lannister.† For a moment he thought she would spit at him, but instead she snapped, â€Å"Arm them,† and as quick as that she was pulling away. Ser Rodrik tossed Jyck his sword and scabbard, and wheeled to meet the foe. Morrec helped himself to a bow and quiver, and went to one knee beside the road. He was a better archer than swordsman. And Bronn rode up to offer Tyrion a double-bladed axe. â€Å"I have never fought with an axe.† The weapon felt awkward and unfamiliar in his hands. It had a short haft, a heavy head, a nasty spike on top. â€Å"Pretend you're splitting logs,† Bronn said, drawing his longsword from the scabbard across his back. He spat, and trotted off to form up beside Chiggen and Ser Rodrik. Ser Willis mounted up to join them, fumbling with his helmet, a metal pot with a thin slit for his eyes and a long black silk plume. â€Å"Logs don't bleed,† Tyrion said to no one in particular. He felt naked without armor. He looked around for a rock and ran over to where Marillion was hiding. â€Å"Move over.† â€Å"Go away!† the boy screamed back at him. â€Å"I'm a singer, I want no part of this fight!† â€Å"What, lost your taste for adventure?† Tyrion kicked at the youth until he slid over, and not a moment too soon. A heartbeat later, the riders were on them. There were no heralds, no banners, no horns nor drums, only the twang of bowstrings as Morrec and Lharys let fly, and suddenly the clansmen came thundering out of the dawn, lean dark men in boiled leather and mismatched armor, faces hidden behind barred halfhelms. In gloved hands were clutched all manner of weapons: longswords and lances and sharpened scythes, spiked clubs and daggers and heavy iron mauls. At their head rode a big man in a striped shadowskin cloak, armed with a two-handed greatsword. Ser Rodrik shouted â€Å"Winterfell!† and rode to meet him, with Bronn and Chiggen beside him, screaming some wordless battle cry. Ser Willis Wode followed, swinging a spiked morningstar around his head. â€Å"Harrenhal! Harrenhal!† he sang. Tyrion felt a sudden urge to leap up, brandish his axe, and boom out, â€Å"Casterly Rock!† but the insanity passed quickly and he crouched down lower. He heard the screams of frightened horses and the crash of metal on metal. Chiggen's sword raked across the naked face of a mailed rider, and Bronn plunged through the clansmen like a whirlwind, cutting down foes right and left. Ser Rodrik hammered at the big man in the shadowskin cloak, their horses dancing round each other as they traded blow for blow. Jyck vaulted onto a horse and galloped bareback into the fray. Tyrion saw an arrow sprout from the throat of the man in the shadowskin cloak. When he opened his mouth to scream, only blood came out. By the time he fell, Ser Rodrik was fighting someone else. Suddenly Marillion shrieked, covering his head with his woodharp as a horse leapt over their rock. Tyrion scrambled to his feet as the rider turned to come back at them, hefting a spiked maul. Tyrion swung his axe with both hands. The blade caught the charging horse in the throat with a meaty thunk, angling upward, and Tyrion almost lost his grip as the animal screamed and collapsed. He managed to wrench the axe free and lurch clumsily out of the way. Marillion was less fortunate. Horse and rider crashed to the ground in a tangle on top of the singer. Tyrion danced back in while the brigand's leg was still pinned beneath his fallen mount, and buried the axe in the man's neck, just above the shoulder blades. As he struggled to yank the blade loose, he heard Marillion moaning under the bodies. â€Å"Someone help me,† the singer gasped. â€Å"Gods have mercy, I'm bleeding.† â€Å"I believe that's horse blood,† Tyrion said. The singer's hand came crawling out from beneath the dead animal, scrabbling in the dirt like a spider with five legs. Tyrion put his heel on the grasping fingers and felt a satisfying crunch. â€Å"Close your eyes and pretend you're dead,† he advised the singer before he hefted the axe and turned away. After that, things ran together. The dawn was full of shouts and screams and heavy with the scent of blood, and the world had turned to chaos. Arrows hissed past his ear and clattered off the rocks. He saw Bronn unhorsed, fighting with a sword in each hand. Tyrion kept on the fringes of the fight, sliding from rock to rock and darting out of the shadows to hew at the legs of passing horses. He found a wounded clansman and left him dead, helping himself to the man's halfhelm. It fit too snugly, but Tyrion was glad of any protection at all. Jyck was cut down from behind while he sliced at a man in front of him, and later Tyrion stumbled over Kurleket's body. The pig face had been smashed in with a mace, but Tyrion recognized the dirk as he plucked it from the man's dead fingers. He was sliding it through his belt when he heard a woman's scream. Catelyn Stark was trapped against the stone face of the mountain with three men around her, one still mounted and the other two on foot. She had a dagger clutched awkwardly in her maimed hands, but her back was to the rock now and they had penned her on three sides. Let them have the bitch, Tyrion thought, and welcome to her, yet somehow he was moving. He caught the first man in the back of the knee before they even knew he was there, and the heavy axehead split flesh and bone like rotten wood. Logs that bleed, Tyrion thought inanely as the second man came for him. Tyrion ducked under his sword, lashed out with the axe, the man reeled backward . . . and Catelyn Stark stepped up behind him and opened his throat. The horseman remembered an urgent engagement elsewhere and galloped off suddenly. Tyrion looked around. The enemy were all vanquished or vanished. Somehow the fighting had ended when he wasn't looking. Dying horses and wounded men lay all around, screaming or moaning. To his vast astonishment, he was not one of them. He opened his fingers and let the axe thunk to the ground. His hands were sticky with blood. He could have sworn they had been fighting for half a day, but the sun seemed scarcely to have moved at all. â€Å"Your first battle?† Bronn asked later as he bent over Jyck's body, pulling off his boots. They were good boots, as befit one of Lord Tywin's men; heavy leather, oiled and supple, much finer than what Bronn was wearing. Tyrion nodded. â€Å"My father will be so proud,† he said. His legs were cramping so badly he could scarcely stand. Odd, he had never once noticed the pain during the battle. â€Å"You need a woman now,† Bronn said with a glint in his black eyes. He shoved the boots into his saddlebag. â€Å"Nothing like a woman after a man's been blooded, take my word.† Chiggen stopped looting the corpses of the brigands long enough to snort and lick his lips. Tyrion glanced over to where Lady Stark was dressing Ser Rodrik's wounds. â€Å"I'm willing if she is,† he said. The freeriders broke into laughter, and Tyrion grinned and thought, There's a start. Afterward he knelt by the stream and washed the blood off his face in water cold as ice. As he limped back to the others, he glanced again at the slain. The dead clansmen were thin, ragged men, their horses scrawny and undersized, with every rib showing. What weapons Bronn and Chiggen had left them were none too impressive. Mauls, clubs, a scythe . . . He remembered the big man in the shadowskin cloak who had dueled Ser Rodrik with a two-handed greatsword, but when he found his corpse sprawled on the stony ground, the man was not so big after all, the cloak was gone, and Tyrion saw that the blade was badly notched, its cheap steel spotted with rust. Small wonder the clansmen had left nine bodies on the ground. They had only three dead; two of Lord Bracken's men-at-arms, Kurleket and Mohor, and his own man Jyck, who had made such a bold show with his bareback charge. A fool to the end, Tyrion thought. â€Å"Lady Stark, I urge you to press on, with all haste,† Ser Willis Wode said, his eyes scanning the ridgetops warily through the slit in his helm. â€Å"We drove them off for the moment, but they will not have gone far.† â€Å"We must bury our dead, Ser Willis,† she said. â€Å"These were brave men. I will not leave them to the crows and shadowcats.† â€Å"This soil is too stony for digging,† Ser Willis said. â€Å"Then we shall gather stones for cairns.† â€Å"Gather all the stones you want,† Bronn told her, â€Å"but do it without me or Chiggen. I've better things to do than pile rocks on dead men . . . breathing, for one.† He looked over the rest of the survivors. â€Å"Any of you who hope to be alive come nightfall, ride with us.† â€Å"My lady, I fear he speaks the truth,† Ser Rodrik said wearily. The old knight had been wounded in the fight, a deep gash in his left arm and a spear thrust that grazed his neck, and he sounded his age. â€Å"If we linger here, they will be on us again for a certainty, and we may not live through a second attack.† Tyrion could see the anger in Catelyn's face, but she had no choice. â€Å"May the gods forgive us, then. We will ride at once.† There was no shortage of horses now. Tyrion moved his saddle to Jyck's spotted gelding, who looked strong enough to last another three or four days at least. He was about to mount when Lharys stepped up and said, â€Å"I'll take that dirk now, dwarf.† â€Å"Let him keep it.† Catelyn Stark looked down from her horse. â€Å"And see that he has his axe back as well. We may have need of it if we are attacked again.† â€Å"You have my thanks, lady,† Tyrion said, mounting up. â€Å"Save them,† she said curtly. â€Å"I trust you no more than I did before.† She was gone before he could frame a reply. Tyrion adjusted his stolen helm and took the axe from Bronn. He remembered how he had begun the journey, with his wrists bound and a hood pulled down over his head, and decided that this was a definite improvement. Lady Stark could keep her trust; so long as he could keep the axe, he would count himself ahead in the game. Ser Willis Wode led them out. Bronn took the rear, with Lady Stark safely in the middle, Ser Rodrik a shadow beside her. Marillion kept throwing sullen looks back at Tyrion as they rode. The singer had broken several ribs, his woodharp, and all four fingers on his playing hand, yet the day had not been an utter loss to him; somewhere he had acquired a magnificent shadowskin cloak, thick black fur slashed by stripes of white. He huddled beneath its folds silently, and for once had nothing to say. They heard the deep growls of shadowcats behind them before they had gone half a mile, and later the wild snarling of the beasts fighting over the corpses they had left behind. Marillion grew visibly pale. Tyrion trotted up beside him. â€Å"Craven,† he said, â€Å"rhymes nicely with raven.† He kicked his horse and moved past the singer, up to Ser Rodrik and Catelyn Stark. She looked at him, lips pressed tightly together. â€Å"As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted,† Tyrion began, â€Å"there is a serious flaw in Littlefinger's fable. Whatever you may believe of me, Lady Stark, I promise you this—I never bet against my family.†

Marriage and Family Structure Essay

â€Å"Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner. † These were words of Army Bloom while commenting on the topic of marriage (Sardone 2010). Human race is a product of a family in one way or another. However, not all can be said to exist in the planet as result of marriage. They are those that were born out of wedlock and either live with one parent or have never known any of their parents. Nevertheless, marriages still take place and families continue to exist. With the development of society, both the marriage and family structure have undergone transformation and many have veered off from the traditional definitions of the same. This paper is aimed at showing that marriage and family are important parts of any culture despite there being different types of marriage and family structure. According to Goepfrich (2007, p 3) in his book â€Å"Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage, marriage can be defined as â€Å"the social institution under which man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments or religious ceremonies among others. † Goepfrich acknowledges that for people to be recognized as married, they must have witnesses and the ceremony conducted by either a civil servant or a religious minister. However such a statement by the author ignores the fact that there are so many people who claim to be happily married yet they have never been legally married. In some cultures especially in the places such as Africa, a marriage can be validated by traditional elders without the necessity of the couple being awarded a marriage certificate. However, one thing agreeable to all is that a marriage will lead into a family; since any couples get married to form a family. Types of Marriages Authors have classified marriage into different categories depending on the context. The Sociology Guide (2010) divides marriages in several types; polygyny (polygamy), polyandry, group marriage, monogamy; under monogamy there is serial monogamy and straight monogamy. Polygyny (Polygamy) In this type of marriage, a single man has more than one wife at a particular period (Sociology Guide 2010). There are different cultures that do not view this type of marriage as valid and therefore it is not encouraged. Civil laws in many countries do not recognize polygamous families and this leads the man to either live with the other wives secretly or without valid wedding certificate. Christianity as a religion teaches that a marriage should be â€Å"one-man one-wife† and thus one is required to declare that he has never married before and if he had done so, the wife had died. Some Christian denominations do not even join divorcees in the holy matrimony. However in Islamic cultures as well as in societies in South Africa, polygamous marriages are recognized. A good example is that of the incumbent president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma who has more than four wives. Sororal polygyny or sororate is a situation where one man has married blood sisters, while in non sororal polygyny, the wives are not blood sisters (Sociological Guide, 2010). Polyandry Though not as common as polygamous marriage, this type of marriage entails one woman having more than one husband. This is not recognized in many cultures and therefore those who involve themselves in such do not do it in open. However, some cultures allow blood brothers to share wives especially if the husband is impotent or he only sires children of one sex. This type of marriage is referred to as fraternal or alelphic polyandry and is very common among the Todas. In non fraternal polyandry, the husbands are not related in any way and the other men cannot claim the woman as their wife at that particular time when he is living with one of them (Sociological Guide, 2010). Monogamous Family This type is regarded as the ideal type of marriage in addition to being the most common and acceptable by nearly all cultures and religions, even those that accept the other types of marriage. It is a one-man one-husband marriage. Under this type of marriage, there is the serial marriage where a husband remarries after the demise of his wife. In such a situation, this is not regarded as polygamy. Of recent, it has become common for the spouse to get another wife/husband after divorce. However, some people chose to remain single after the departure of their spouses. In what is referred to as a straight marriage, the spouse may not be allowed to remarry under any circumstances (Sociology Guide, 2010). Forced Marriages In this type of marriage, the woman is abducted and the husband rapes her. In those cultures where forced marriages are practiced, there is a belief that once a man has intercourse with a woman, he automatically becomes her husband. This practice however is not very common in many societies of the world and is therefore detested in those cultures that do not practice it. In some African cultures, girls are married off to elderly men while they are still toddlers in exchange of livestock. The child continues to stay with her family until she reaches puberty and this is when she is taken to the husband by the parents, whether willingly or unwillingly (Sfetsu, 2009). Same sex Marriage The issue of same sex marriage has generated more heat than light in the contemporary society, with some supporting it while others demonizing it. However, same sex marriage has been legalized in different states of the world. Sexologists have used the term homosexuality to refer to people who have â€Å"a same sex gender sexual orientation† However, in the community, the term ‘gay’ has been used to refer to male homosexuals with the term ‘lesbian’ referring to female homosexuals; sometimes ‘gay’ refers to both women and men. There are some who are attracted to people of both genders and are referred to as heterosexuals (Cantor, 2006, p. xiii). Those who oppose the same sex marriage argue that they are unnatural and that they provide the nonconductive environment for the raising of children. They also argue that it threatens marriage as an institution in addition to going against religious principles among other reasons. However, proponents of homosexuality state that homosexuals are human beings and thus have their own rights (Bidstrup, 2000). Marriage in the Western Culture In this century, marriage in European and American culture is often legally defined as monogamous. This does not mean that there are no few societies that do still practice polygamy while others are in what is referred to as open marriages. In latter form of marriage, the spouse has the freedom to leave when he or she feels like. In the Western world, divorce has been made less complicated and thus has increased in rate. Marriage is seen as a legal covenant which recognizes the emotional union of the couples and can be terminated any time the partners feel like. In this world, it is the woman who is granted the custody of child and not the husband in case of a divorce or separation. In addition, all the partners have the duty of supporting their children (Sfetcu, 2009). When a child has been born out of wedlock, he or she is entitled to enjoy the same rights just like those that are legitimate. In the Western cultures, partners are protected by law from rape by their spouses and those who do so may find themselves in the court of law. Moreover, the law defends wives or even husbands from being physically abused or disciplined. In this culture, wealth that has been acquired since the couple married is often divided among the couple in case of divorce. What one gets however is determined by a court of law or community property law (Sfetcu, 2009). Marriage in the Eastern World In these cultures, marriage is regarded as being quite different from the way it is regarded in the Western world. For example in the former, polygamy is permitted; in fact men with many wives are generally considered as being wealthier than those with one wife. A large part of the population in the Eastern world is Islamic and though the religion advocates for the marriage of a man and woman, the Quran allows a man to have a maximum of four wives (Sfetcu, 2009). However in such societies, all the wives must be treated as being equal by the man. In states where the larger part of the population is Muslim, marriage is only permitted when both partners are Muslim; otherwise non Muslims must first denounce their religions and embrace Islam. In some societies in China, a man in the upper class would first be formally married and then later allowed to get concubines. However, the current communist regime does not permit polygamy but only monogamy (Sfetcu, 2009). Family Structure As years have come and gone, the society, including the family, has undergone great transformation. The term â€Å"family† has traditionally been used to describe the father mother and children as a unit. However, this structure has changed over time. The common types of family structure include childless, nuclear, extended as well single (Shelton, 2010). Nuclear Family Shelton (2010) defines a nuclear family as that family that â€Å"consists of a mother, father, and their biological or adoptive descendants, often called the traditional family† Many anthropologists usually regard this type of family structure highly than any other type of family and conducive one for the rearing of children. However, there must be emotional support, environment of love, economic support as well as enough time spent together. Single Parenthood Of the types of the family structures listed, this can be regarded as one the newest. This is because in the olden days, the society could not have imagined that a person could have lived without either a wife or a husband. In case of death or separation, remarriage would either take, place or the woman would be inherited by the brothers. However, with the economic independence of women, many usually decide to stay single after the separation, divorce or death. Some women are not interested in marriage and therefore choose to have children or one and raise them on their own. Research that has been done has shown that 25% of the children are born by women who are unmarried and mostly teenage mothers. Proponents of this type of family structure have stated that it has less pressure especially if it is formed after a divorce. However, some psychologists have claimed that this kind of marriage is disadvantageous especially to children as sometimes it is associated with juvenile delinquency (Shelton, 2010). Childless Family It is often the desire of many, if not all, couples to have a child or more after marriage; however, this is not always the case. A couple may also not be able to bear a child because of either social or biological problems. However, others may later get a child of their own in future or just decide to adopt one. Though many of such couples may opt to stick together, in some cultures however, lack of children after marriage is viewed negatively and the man if forced to remarry. The brothers of the husband may also be required to sire children for their brothers if it is realized that he is impotent. Others may however decide to rear a pet or two who acts as substitutes (Shelton, 2010). Extended Family An extended family can be described as a group of family members that is made up of adoptive or biological parents together with their children as well as other members of that family. In many global societies, an extended family has been described as â€Å"the basic family group. † In some cultures such as those with Asian origin, an entire extended family may live under the same roof. These may include; uncles, aunts, grandparents and even foster children. Sometimes children of parents who have died or separated may be raise by their grandparents (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009). Conclusion Despite the many types of marriage and family structure, one thing that is clear is that, marriage and family are important part of the human race. This is why all cultures in the world have both. Marriage is often viewed as a gateway into a family, though there are those that form families without marrying formally. It is however important for people to formalize their marriages as it will be easier to deal with some setbacks in the families such as divorces or death. .

Application of Marketing Theories to Practice

Application of Marketing Theories to Practice Introduction This report shows the different field of businesses and the methods that our company was using in SimVenture comparing with theories. Marketing and Sales Our company’s main marketing tool was advertising but we were using different like direct marketing, exhibitions and our website. However, digital marketing is limited only to website in the game, although this is getting more popular these days (Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette, 2006). Digital marketing defined by Jobber, 2007: â€Å"The application of digital technologies that form channels to market (the Internet, mobile communications, interactive television and wireless) to achieve corporate goal through meeting and exceeding customer need better than the competition.† Digital marketing is almost completely missing from the game, it is only limited to website. Network theory studies relationships of all sorts, whether between people, animals or things. Social network analysis is an overlapping tool for learn ing about patterns that develop within social networks and how they influence behaviour. Digital marketing channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram are useful in this regard, as they allow marketers to listen to what consumers are saying, and they allow marketers to leverage the power of influential users to spread messages throughout their networks (Harvard Business Review, 2006.). Generational marketing theory holds that consumers born of the same generation — defined as a 20-year period — have common attitudes and behaviours because of shared experiences that influenced their childhoods and shaped their views of the world. The relevance of generational theory to digital marketing is primarily in the ways in which each generation communicates and the online places where marketers can reach them (Zickuhr, 2010.). The customer research in the game is only limited to where the customers heard about but nothing who they are (age, gender, education, et c.). All in all the game had good opportunities in traditional marketing channels like direct marketing and advertisement but digital marketing part is really limited which makes it less realistic. Operations Efficient operations management is a key element to make a company successful. Without supply network a company cannot exist. A supply network perspective means setting an operation in the context of all the other operations with which it interact some of which are its suppliers and its customers. Materials, parts, other information, ideas and network of customer-supplier relationships formed by all these operations (Slack, Chambers, Johnston, 2004.). The supply network view can also help in decision making about the design. The design activity in operations has one overriding objective: to provide products, services and processes which will satisfy the operation’s customers. During the game our company used ‘Just in time’ method for the production because i f there was more order then our organisation was able to produce then we contracted some out when it was financially possible. Furthermore, in the meanwhile of last year in the game, all of our production was contracted out because the four employees weren’t enough to build the product and to handle other task that were essential to run the company at the same time. High dependency theory is one of the explanation of the ‘Just in Time’ approach to operations management. With high inventories insulating each stage in the production process, the dependency of the stages on one another was low. Take away the inventory and heir mutual dependency increases. The ‘Just in Time’ practice of empowering ‘shopfloor’ staff makes the organisation dependent on their actions (Slack, Chambers, Johnston, 2004.). However, this theory perfectly suits with SimVenture, thus it is realistically show the opportunities and limitations of ‘Just in Timeâ₠¬â„¢ delivery and production because in the first year when financially it was not a possibility to contract out some of the production we bumped into some limitations according to the ‘Just in Time’ manufacture technique.

Water Rocket Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Water Rocket Design - Research Paper Example The typical construction of a water rocket consists of household materials such as discarded plastic bottles, water, duct tape etc. Typical water rockets are constructed out of plastic bottles. The plastic bottles may be used individually or in combination after cutting out their bases and joining them together. Water is filled inside the plastic bottle rocket body but some space is left empty. The plastic bottle filled with water and partially empty is then turned upside down and sealed. This aids preserving the water inside. Compressed air or other gas injected into the water filled plastic bottle pressurizes the water inside. Typical sources of compressed air include bicycle pumps or portable air compressors. Similarly, other gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen may be used using compressed gas cylinders. However, using nitrogen may be dangerous given the high compression ratios used to store nitrogen. The compressed gas tends to provide the means to store potential energy ins ide the rocket body. The stored potential energy is releasable from the rocket when desired. The mass fraction of the water rocket increases with the use of water. This allows the provision of greater impulse when compressed air and water escape from the water rocket body. In addition to water, other additives are also used to increase the mass fraction of water rockets. ... This paper will look into the construction of water rockets to teach students mathematical principles while looking into learning styles, safety and other pedagogical considerations. Water Rocket Design Principles Water rockets are a direct application of Newton’s third law of motion describing action and reaction. The release of compressed gas and water allows the rocket to lift itself skywards for considerable distances. The exact physics behind water rockets depends in large part on the stored energy inside the rocket and the air drag encountered by the moving rocket. However, a lack of standardized construction techniques means that a number of different physics models are used to delineate how water rockets operate. The final outputs from a water rocket include the total height achieved as well as the total duration of flight. These outputs depend on a number of different inputs including the pressure of compressed gas, the volume of water used, the nozzle configuration a nd the weight of the water rocket body. The relationship between these inputs and outputs are expressible in a variety of different ways. Various models are available to delineate the relationship between these inputs and outputs. However, none of the available models guarantees a high degree of accuracy so these models can be best used as approximations. Mathematical Relationships In order to simplify the relationship between the inputs and outputs for a water rocket, students were presented with a simple water rocket mathematical model. The physics behind water rockets requires exploration of advanced concepts such as (Gommes, 2010): incompressibility of water; compressibility of

The Internet and Availability of Information Research Paper

The Internet and Availability of Information - Research Paper Example Information is one of the assets of an organization. Raw data until processed has no value in a business structure to be used in the best interests of the organization. With the advent of information technologies that raw data is gathered, stored, processed and disseminated to become an integral part of the organizations' processes. An information system links together data inputs, processes, and information outputs in a systematic, structured way. With the use of technology, information processes are used to further the operations and management of an organization (Ward 1995). With the help of internet and usage of technology, information can be accessed and made available with the click of the mouse. By using electronic means like the Internet, the email and other electronic means of communication, the right information becomes available at the right time. Electronic mail has become the standard and dependable source of communicating information. Other than emails, there are company websites, online bulletin boards, and message boards through which anybody can gather reliable, relevant and important information. Simple searching and researching on the internet about a company's systems can be availed at any time. Information sharing has become as easy as can be dreamt of (Kairab 2004, p. 10). Information systems work on the principles as the value of information is crucial in taking important decisions by the management. Information system is a set of interdependent parts that gather, use and provide information, and feedback to meet a business goal. These parts are input, processing, output, and feedback. We see day-to-day examples of information systems at work in ATMs, airline reservation systems, course reservation systems etc. Efficiency, effectiveness, and system performance standard makes an information system reliable; these are the three important ingredients that generate output, which is received in the format of documents and reports when raw data is captured to transform it into beneficial outputs. Important feedback from the output is recycled back to input or processing activities for getting further future output. In a computerized information system, inputs used are hardware, software, databases, internet, people, and methods are utilized to gather, use, save, and process data into information, as seen in the figure1 (Stair & Reynolds 2009).  

Chinese banking system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese banking system - Essay Example In the banking sector, Chinese financial system is by and large dominated by the large but underdeveloped banking system, which is mainly controlled by the four largest state-owned banks with a lot of non-performing loans. These state-owned banks will a lot of power by using the money injected into their business from the large foreign currency reserves to give out loans to selective borrowers, in particular, state-owned banks and to selective investment projects. But with the on going privatization in the banking sector, this will permit the entry into the sector of more domestic and foreign banks that will be of great importance since it will stimulate the banking sector and bring in more competitiveness and root out all the NPL.Chinese Financial markets have been characterized by speculation and insider information and have not been very successful in the effective allocation of resources as the banking sector. China has two main financial markets, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange all established in 1990 and have been growing at a tremendous rate. But these markets have not been working at the rate which can bring in some improvements in the Chinese financial market sector. This is all due to encumbrances and poor regulation at the level of the regulatory environment particularly in the corporate and trading laws, legal protection of investors, and as well as institutions governing the enforcement of contracts that have all been poorly developed.

The Gala Event at Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour Essay

The Gala Event at Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour - Essay Example The objective is to boost the morale of the employees and the stakeholders to achieve even higher growth. With this in mind, the even logo we suggest is the symbol of â€Å"ladder† which shall be maintained at all locations, transport, hotels rooms, convention center, dining hall or wherever the group would be moving. The stakeholders that would be arriving from outstation need special consideration. To ensure maximum participation, there has to be something exciting for the guests to look forward to. The invitation itself would have to stir their imagination and make them expect something different from the usual dinners and conferences. To generate a positive emotional response, a mystical invitation would be sent out. The symbol of the ladder would serve to show heights not just in the physical life but would indicate that the event would transport them to greater heights. To ensure they have a pleasant experience at the hotel, all arrangements would be in alignment with individual needs. The invitation would carry a form with simple questions seeking their choices in certain requirements which would be provided in their rooms. The rooms too would have the symbol of the ladder and the dà ©cor would emanate a WOW from them. We can assure they would carry the memories of the event at their subco nscious level and would remember it for a very long time. Importance of site selection and venue inspection is an important part of any event planning process. Importance has not been given only to the aesthetics or physical appeal of the venue but the facilities combined with relaxation have been considered. The venue is rich in character and meets the specific business or personal needs. The location of the event has been chosen as the clients want the dinner and accommodation to be at the same location. Australia’s largest hotel, Four Points by Sheraton is ideally located and has 650 rooms and 45 suites. Thirty suites and seventy rooms will be provided.

Major Changes in Kuwaiti Culture and Economy during the Past 20 Years Research Paper

Major Changes in Kuwaiti Culture and Economy during the Past 20 Years - Research Paper Example A marketing technique that works in, say, North America, may not work on another continent, like Asia. Using the same marketing method may actually backfire and even cause harm to a product or service when used in a country with a different culture (TradePals). The following factors need to be considered in international marketing: International marketing research plays an important role in the identification and development of a company’s strategies for internationalization. It enables a business to identify, evaluate and compare potential foreign market opportunities and develop a marketing plan. Research also provides a company with foreign market intelligence to help it anticipate events, take appropriate action, and prepare for global changes. Kuwait is located between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and a short trip across the Persian Gulf from Iran. Kuwait was nominally part of the Ottoman Empire until 1899 when it fell under British protection. It remained a British protectorate until 1961, although Britain granted independence to Kuwait in 1914. Oil was discovered in 1938, and Kuwait is believed to have about 10 per cent of the worlds known oil reserves. With little arable land or natural fresh water with which to grow crops, petroleum dominates the Kuwaiti economy. Presently, Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy headed since 1977 by Amir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah. Political parties are illegal in its 50-seat, popularly elected legislature, but several informal political groups — including Muslim groups — have put up candidates. Eighty-five per cent of Kuwaiti residents are Muslim, and only 45 per cent of the nation's residents are ethnic Kuwaitis. Others are mostly from elsewhere in the region. In August 1990, Iraq attacked and invaded Kuwait. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a UN-mandated coalition led by the United States began a ground assault in February 1991 that liberated  Kuwait.  

Operation Analysis w5 discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Analysis w5 discussions - Essay Example Graphical solutions in linear programming have limited number of decision variables. The technique of LP plots constraints on graph paper and then identifies the feasible region that is represented by the constraints. The objective function is then drawn and used to identify optimal points in the feasible region. However, graphically, linear programming can only be done in one two variables. Thus, the maximum number of variables in LP model is two. However, it can be done in more than three variables using special algorithms. Business managers use linear programming models to come up with concrete and measurable performance improvements. The kind of decisions that are arrived at using LP models represent the optimal solutions or decisions that are possible with the given constraint variables at the disposal of managers. For instance, the optimal decision would be the maximum profit that a business can generate using available limited resources or the minimum costs that the business can incur to produce products in order to maintain its current maximum level of profits. Therefore, LP can help managers use available limited resources effectively, reduce costs, improve profitability, and reduce risks among other key benefits. Simplex method is a special algorithm that is computer based used to find optimal solutions to linear programming problems that contain thousands of constraint and decision variables. The simplex method uses iterative algorithm to find solutions to optimization problems. The method uses or provides data on slack variables, which represent unused resources and opportunity costs or shadow costs useful in sensitivity analysis. Therefore, simplex method is an effective and efficient method that overcomes the limitations of the linear programming model to find solutions to problems of optimization by ending at an optimal solution by jumping from

Introduction to Art-Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Art-Questions - Essay Example The method was first used in China and in Japan during the ninth century (James et al., 1997). 2a. Andy Warhol's famous "serigraph" of Marilyn Monroe was made in what way? The serigraph is the manner of attaching a stencil in a finely woven fabric, which is also attached in a frame. The paint will then pass through the fabric and create an image on the tee shirt, paper, or board on the other side of the screen. In the case of the serigraph of Marilyn Monroe, which was done by Andy Warhol, it was done through photographic stencils in which he used a photo of the subject and specialized chemicals in order for the image to stick on the silk screen (Lazzari & Schlesier, 2012). b. What is another name for the process called serigraph? Screen printing or photo silkscreen printing (Lazzari & Schlesier, 2012). c. What material is used in making one? The main material in screen printing is a stenciled image in a very fine woven fabric. In order to create an image in a material, paint or ink m ust be used to attach the image in a material. Also, a squeegee will be used in pushing the ink or paint unto the other side of the woven fabric (Lazzari & Schlesier, 2012). 3. The expensive process of making handwritten letters on stretched calfskin as the only form of communication was replaced with the invention of movable type in 1450. (a) Discuss two benefits from the invention of movable type and how that invention's benefits are similar to the more recent development of the personal computer and the Internet? The invention of the movable type by Johann Gutenberg during 1450 was and is revolutionary. There were many benefits brought by the movable type, and one of these benefits includes the increase in the production of printed materials and documents. In this manner, offices were able to reproduce copies of their documents and were able to save a file for their own self-keeping. It was considered as an efficient manner in the reproducing and preserving documents. The second benefit of this invention was that it had economic benefit for every business industry. It had allowed the publication of books and other printed materials, such as newspaper by bulk, which had eased the process and lowered the cost. This invention of the movable type had a similar impact on the current usage of personal computer and the Internet in terms of the ease in the production of printed or written materials. Aside from this, as the movable type had aided in the production of books, personal computers, and the internet had also made the availability and the production of books easier and more accessible (Blossom, 2011). 4. The 1841 daguerreotype of Maria Edgeworth was one of many that began to be produced at that time and they became a serious threat to portrait painters. (a) Why ? The daguerreotype was invented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, which used the copper sheets, that are silver-plated and contains iodine. This causes the plate to be sensitive to light, and as it is exposed to the camera, the images are developed through the warms vapor of mercury. This processed had opened its way to the creation of much sturdier and long-lasting portraits. It was also commercialized, allowing the greater public to immortalize their images. For this reason, the portrait painters became threatened with the new process of reproducing portraits. However, it did not push through, but became one of the leading inventions and influences in the field of photographs (Nelson, n.d.). 5. If you were a

My First Day Essay Essay Example for Free

My First Day Essay Essay My First Day†¦ As of today, August 30th, I, Blah blah blah, took the initiative to explore the entire campus. Today, the temperature could have possibly been right at about 93 degrees, and I decided to walk around this gigantic campus to waste time before my next class. During orientation week, I missed the campus tours because I was too busy sleeping my day away. So, what other way to compensate for lost time than to take my very own campus tour? Initially, I intended to look for the art buildings, but the best thing I discovered after my journey today happened to be the fact that the art buildings were being reconstructed. Just my luck. However, I did find the Knight Physics building which happens to be absolutely gorgeous. I also happened to stumble across the school’s arbortorium. I felt like I was walking through a jungle with my combat boots on and the leaves hovering above my head. I walked around in a circle and found my way to the school of law. The school of law is literally like its own kingdom within the campus. The students had their own law shirts, and the windows of the classroom even had curtains to block the sun out. I know curtains are a pretty simplistic observation, but I could not help but to find that fascinating! I have failed to sit in any classroom that had panels to block the sun. Only in the law school at the University of . As I walked away from the law school, I made my way towards the UC area and back around towards the Rat. Passing the vivacious students lounging with their friends, I hiked around the lake under the scorching sun wishing that I had a bottle of water, a hat, and maybe even some sun glasses. The heat was pretty unbearable. Passing between the Hecht and Stanford towers, I ventured towards the school of architecture. That is one white building. I expected it to be more lavish in its exterior design seeing that it is the school of architecture. I walked past the school of architecture and head back towards Mahoney-Pearson. I know that area pretty well. is my new home for now. As I left the Mahoney-Pearson area, I circled around towards the UC area again and crossed the winding paths towards the Whitten Learning Center. There was approximately 10 minutes left to spare before class started, and the brightest idea that I came up with all day was†¦ to finally sit down!

Hammond Organ and the Leslie Speaker Essay Example for Free

Hammond Organ and the Leslie Speaker Essay Behind the Hammond organ is a man known as Laurens Hammond after whom the musical instrument is named. The Hammond organ is an electric organ that was invented in 1934. It was the work of Hammond Organ Company. The company originally made the instrument and sold it to churches. It was used as an alternative to the pipe organ used at that time in churches. The pipe organ was wind-driven. The new alternative was cost-effective. In the period between 1960 and 1970, the Hammond Organ became a standard keyboard and was popular in the playing of jazz, rock music, blues as well as gospel music (Laurens Hammond). Lauren Hammond, the man behind the Hammond Organ filed U. S. rights to manufacture a new kind of electrical musical instrument. His idea of an instrument could recreate the sound of a pipe organ. In the month of April 1935, his first invention was exposed to the public. Model A was also availed in June of the same year. Milt Herth used the instrument for playing his popular music live on WIND (AM) immediately upon its release. During World War II, the instrument was used by the military chapels in the US as well as the post theatres. It is therefore possible that the familiarity of the military with the organ could have contributed in making it popular in the period after the war (Laurens Hammond; Hammond organ history). For Hammond, creation of the organ was aimed at replacing the pipe organs with an affordable substitute in middle class residences. He also intended it as a gadget for radio broadcasting. The organ however began to be used by jazz musicians in the 1950s. Such musicians include Jimmy Smith. Its popularity in pop music led to its use in the British Radio 360 station. In that country, the organ was associated with ice rinks and elevator music. Later on, it became the organ popular with rock musicians Steve Winwood, Jon Lord and Keith Emerson in the 1960s and 1970s (Hammond organ history). The first Hammond organ that was made by Hammond Organ Company was operating on additive synthesis of waveforms that were got from harmonic series. The harmonic series were in turn made by mechanical tonewheels that rotate in front of electromagnet pickups. On the two keyboards are mounted some drawbars. The drawbars are slid in order to mix the element waveform ratios. Different models of the Hammond organ were produced but the Hammond B-3 organ model was and still is the most popular. The B-3 organ was for instance used towards the end of the 1960s and in the beginning of the 1970s for its overdriven sound. It was popular in progressive rock bands as well as blues rock. These earlier version has been used for a long time. This is despite the fact that the last electromechanical Hammond Organ came off the assembly in the middle of 1970 (Hammond organ history). After the electromagnetic organ, the musicians of the 1980s and 1990s started using other electronic and digital appliances to reproduce the sound which was produced by the Hammond Organ. This was solely because the classic Hammond Organ is relatively heavy and difficult to move from one place to another. This imitation was made easier by the digital signal processing and sampling technology in the years after 1990 and musicians could now copy the original Hammond sound (Edward). Most of the existing traditional organ fanatics prefer the Hammond tonewheels. Some of the popular models of this organ have tube amplifiers. In addition some of the most recent of the Hammond organ have a combination of tonewheel and solid amplifiers. The Hammond Organ Company is now the property of the Suzuki Company. Now Hammond Suzuki, the company manufactures digital organs which reproduce the sound of the tonewheel organ (Laurent Hammond). The Leslie Speaker On the other hand, the man behind the idea of the Leslie speaker is also the person after whom the instrument is named. His name is Donald Leslie. The Leslie Speaker is a special creation. It is an amplifier or loudspeaker that is often associated with Laurent Hammond’s Hammond organ. It is used by musicians to create special audio effects that make use of the Doppler effect. Together with the Hammond organ, the two are a popular ubiquitous component in most of the existing varieties of music. Like the Hammond Organ, the Leslie speaker’s production has also been taken over by the Suzuki Musical Instruments (Henricksen). At the beginning, the Hammond Organ Company refused to hire Don Leslie. Nevertheless, the man worked under a contract with the Hammond Company for some time. Don Leslie did some work for the local electric company replacing the old fifty cycle rotor tone generators. Instead of these, they put in place the sixty cycle units in the homes of customers. When it was first invented, the Leslie speaker was called the Vibratone. This was in 1941 about six years after the invention of the Hammond Organ. Vibratone was later adopted by the Fender Guitar Company when they manufactured a speaker system and effects unit which included a Leslie rotating speaker. Soon after Leslie sold the company under which he manufactured the Leslie speaker, Fender Company also adopted the name Leslie in 1965. At this time, even Fender had been bought by CBS and it was under CBS that Leslie’s company as well as Fender now operated. The name was therefore used, to be precise, by the CBS Company (Henricksen). The Leslie speaker was not advertised. Don Leslie demonstrated a prototype with Bob Mitchell near the Los Angeles city. The prototype was a rotating baffle put in a hole in a small closet that had a big speaker. It was in the closet near Don Leslie’s organ at home. Bob Mitchell was an organ player at the radio station KFI near Los Angeles. After the demonstration was made, Don Leslie was contracted to put in another similar prototype in the studios at the radio station where Bob worked. Only Bob Mitchell would be permitted to use this new installation. This awed Mitchell so much that he made attempts to copyright that speaker. This he did not succeed in though. After this, Mitchell was employed by the Mutual Broadcasting System as an organist. During his shows, Mitchell played the Hammond organ together with the Leslie speaker. From this, the exposure of the two inventions to the public was quick and guaranteed. From then, most of the organ players regardless of whether they were professional or part-time yearned for the sound created by these organs. In the jazz community for example, Jimmy Smith, the jazz organ player assisted in popularization of the sound among the artists of rock-roll in the years between 1950 and 1960 and even at the beginning of the 60s. At this time, the Leslie speaker had a height of more than sixty inches. It was referred to as the 30A. Don Leslie was inspired by this to manufacture more of the series founded by this 30A. He called the series Tall Boys or the 31 series. Later in the 50s, Don Leslie also made the 21H. These were meant for use in homes, smaller radio sound stages and venues for concerts. The first units were produced in 1941. From this time, the Leslie speaker was known under several different names. Such names as might be used to refer to the same speaker include Brittain Speakers, Hollywood Speakers and Crawford Speakers. In 1946 though, the speaker went back to its old known, the Leslie Vibratone. After seventeen years of rejection, the man behind the invention of the speaker offered the company for sale to Hammond. Don Leslie had waited for seventeen years to sell the company and after declaring hi interest in selling it again to Hammond, he waited thirty days. After this period, he still had not heard from Hammond. He retracted his offer (The Hammond organ history; Edward). In 1980, the Leslie name and the Electro Music were bought by the Hammond Corporation from their present owners, the CBS Company. It is now the property of Hammond under the company name Hammond Suzuki in USA (Edward). The Leslie speaker is used even to the present day and is actually very popular. In the present day, the Leslie parts can be got from various sources besides the fact that there are websites that offer plans which could help individual to construct the speaker. The sites have even posted photographic examples to guide one through the process. The modern Leslie speaker now has more enhanced speakers as well as electronics. Henricksen writes that the web even has a 500 W high performance model. In addition, the classic Leslie speaker has continued to be made and availed in the market. Similar effects can nevertheless be obtained through analogue electronic gadgets and digital imitation. The sound produced by the Leslie Speaker can be imitated by phase and chorus shifter instruments. In spite of this, nothing has the ability to copy the sound of the Leslie speaker that is heard in person. The imitation of the sound by some digital gadgets can however make distinction difficult (Henricksen). Conclusion The Hammond Company had also designed a set of speakers to work with the Hammond organ. However, most of the organ players have a preference for playing the Hammond via a rotating speaker cabinet. This speaker cabinet is what is known as the Leslie speaker after its inventor Donald Leslie and after many changes of names. (Donald Leslie lived between 1913 and 2004). This speaker system is an integrated combination of amplifiers where sound is produced after rotating a horn over a treble driver that is not moving. This is in addition to a rotating baffle as mentioned earlier which is placed under a non-moving bass woofer. The resulting characteristic sound is due to the pitch shifts that are in constant alteration made from the Doppler effect produced in turn by the moving sound sources. The original idea was to imitate the complicated tones and constantly altering sound sources originating from the big group of ranks in a pipe organ. From this initial organ, the effects were different depending on the rotor speed. The speed can be fastened between fast and slow by use of a console. The most characteristic effect is heard either when the speaker starts or stops rotating. Paul Di Matteo is known for the modifications he made to the Leslie cabinets. He replaced the original transducers with what is now a woofer of about 18 inches that has dual high frequency drivers well-liked for the high power stage applications. Reference: Edward, Peterson. â€Å"The rich history of the electric organ. † â€Å"Hammond Organ History. † http://thehammondorganstory. com/chapterxv. asp (30 April 2009). Henricksen, C. A. , â€Å"Unearthing the mysteries of the Leslie cabinet. † Recording Engineer/Producer magazine, April 1981. http://theatreorgans. com/hammond/faq/mystery/mystery. html (30 April 2009). â€Å"Laurens Hammond. Electrical Musical Instrument. U. S. Pat. No. 1956350. † http://www. google. com/patents? id=NUlkAAAAEBAJ (30 April 2009).

Purpose Of Different Camera Angles

Purpose Of Different Camera Angles A long shot shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. It has been suggested that long-shot ranges usually correspond to approximately what would be the distance between the front row of the audience and the stage in live theatre. It is now common to refer to a long shot as a wide shot because it often requires the use of a wide-angle lens. A related notion is that of an extreme long shot. This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an exterior, e.g. the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action e.g. in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, as it is meant to give a general impression rather than specific information. Medium Shot A medium shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. In some standard texts and professional references, a full-length view of a human subject is called a medium shot; in this terminology, a shot of the person from the knees up or the waist up is a close-up shot. In other texts, these partial views are called medium shots. Medium shots are relatively good in showing facial expressions but work well to show body language. Depending where the characters are placed in the shot, a medium shot is used to represent importance and power. Close-Up A close-up tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups display more detail than a medium or long shot, but they do not include the broader scene. Moving in to a close-up or away from a close-up is a common type of zooming. Close-ups are used in many ways, for many reasons. Close-ups are often used as cutaways from a more distant shot to show detail, such as characters emotions, or some intricate activity with their hands. Close cuts to characters faces are used far more often in television than in movies; they are especially common in soap operas. For a director to deliberately avoid close-ups may create in the audience an emotional distance from the subject matter. Close-ups are used for distinguishing main characters. Major characters are often given a close-up when they are introduced as a way of indicating their importance. Leading characters will have multiple close-ups. Close-up shots do not show the subject in the broad context of its surroundings. If overused, close-ups may leave viewers uncertain as to what they are seeing. Close-ups are rarely done with wide angle lenses, because perspective causes objects in the center of the picture to be unnaturally enlarged. Certain times, different directors will use wide angle lenses, because they can convey the message of confusion, and bring life to certain characters. Aerial Shot Aerial shots are usually done with a crane or with a camera attached to a special helicopter to view large landscapes. A good area to do this shot would be a scene that takes place on a building. If the aerial shot is of a character it can make them seem insignificant or vulnerable. Birds Eye Shot A birds eye shot refers to a shot looking directly down on the subject. The perspective is very foreshortened, making the subject appear short and squat. This shot can be used to give an overall establishing shot of a scene, or to emphasise the smallness or insignificance of the subjects. These shots are normally used for battle scenes or establishing where the character is. Low-Angle Shot A low-angle shot is a shot from a camera positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up. Over the Shoulder Shot An over the shoulder shot is a shot of someone or something taken over the shoulder of another person. The back of the shoulder and head of this person is used to frame the image of whatever (or whomever) the camera is pointing toward. This type of shot is very common when two characters are having a discussion and will usually follow an establishing shot which helps the audience place the characters in their setting. Point of View Shot A point of view (POV) shot is a short film scene that shows what a character (the subject) is looking at (represented through the camera). It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the characters reaction. A POV shot need not be the strict point-of-view of an actual single character in a film. Sometimes the point-of-view shot is taken over the shoulder of the character (third person), who remains visible on the screen. Sometimes a POV shot is shared (dual or triple), i.e. it represents the joint POV of two (or more) characters. There is also the nobody POV, where a shot is taken from the POV of a non-existent character. This often occurs when an actual POV shot is implied, but the character is removed. Sometimes the character is never present at all, despite a clear POV shot. A POV shot need not be established by strictly visual means. The manipulation of diegetic sounds can be used to emphasize a particular characters POV. It makes little sense to say that a shot is inherently POV; it is the editing of the POV shot within a sequence of shots that determines POV. Nor can the establishment of a POV shot be isolated from other elements of filmmaking mise en scene, acting, camera placement, editing, and special effects can all contribute to the establishment of POV. With some POV shots when an animal is the chosen character, the shot will look distorted or black and white. Reverse Shot Shot reverse shot is a film technique wherein one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. Shot reverse shot is a feature of the classical Hollywood style of continuity editing, which deemphasizes transitions between shots such that the audience perceives one continuous action that develops linearly, chronologically, and logically. It is in fact an example of an eye line match. Two Shot A Two shot is a type of shot where the frame encompasses a view of two people (the subjects). The subjects do not have to be next to each other, and there are many common two-shots which have one subject in the foreground and the other subject in the background. The shots are also used to show the emotional reactions between the subjects. An American two shot shows the two heads facing each other in profile to the camera. Establishing Shot An establishing shot sets up, or establishes, a scenes setting and/or its participants. Typically it is a shot at the beginning (or, occasionally, end) of a scene indicating where, and sometimes when, the remainder of the scene takes place. Establishing shots may use famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty to identify a city. Alternatively, an establishing shot might just be a long shot of a room that shows all the characters from a particular scene. A close-up shot can also be used at the beginning of a scene to establish the setting. Establishing shots were more common during the classical era of filmmaking than they are now. Todays filmmakers tend to skip the establishing shot in order to move the scene along more quickly. In addition, scenes in mysteries and the like often wish to obscure the setting and its participants and thus avoid clarifying them with an establishing shot. An establishing shot may also establish a concept, rather than a location. For example, opening with a martial arts drill visually establishes the theme of martial arts. Master Shot A master shot is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the players in view. It is often a long shot and can sometimes perform a double function as an establishing shot. Usually, the master shot is the first shot checked off during the shooting of a scene-it is the foundation of what is called camera coverage, other shots that reveal different aspects of the action, groupings of two or three of the actors at crucial moments, close-ups of individuals, insert shots of various props, and so on. Freeze Frame Shot A freeze frame shot is used when one shot is printed in a single frame several times, in order to make an interesting illusion of a still photograph. Freeze frame is also a drama medium term used in which, during a live performance, the actors/actresses will freeze at a particular, pre-meditated time, to enhance a particular scene, or to show an important moment in the play/production. The image can then be further enhanced by spoken word, in which each character tells their personal thoughts regarding the situation, giving the audience further insight into the meaning, plot or hidden story of the play/production/scene. This is known as thought tracking, another Drama Medium. Insert Shot An insert is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot. Inserts cover action already covered in the master shot, but emphasize a different aspect of that action due to the different framing. An insert is different from a cutaway in that the cutaway is of action not covered in the master shot. There are more exact terms to use when the new, inserted shot is another view of actors: close-up, head shot, knee shot, two shot. So the term insert is often confined to views of objectsand body parts, other than the head. Thus: CLOSE-UP of the gunfighter, INSERT of his hand quivering above the holster, TWO SHOT of his friends watching anxiously, INSERT of the clock ticking. Often inserts of this sort are done separately from the main action, by a second-unit director using stand-ins. Inserts and cutaways can both be vexatious for directors, as care must be taken to preserve continuity by keeping the objects in the same relative position as in the main take, and having the lighting the same. Special Effects used in Martial Art Films Bluescreen/Chroma Key Chroma keying is a technique for mixing two images or frames together in which a colour (or a small colour range) from one image is removed (or made transparent), revealing another image behind it. This technique is also referred to as colour keying, colour-separation overlay (CSO; primarily by the BBC), greenscreen, and bluescreen. It is commonly used for weather forecast broadcasts, wherein the presenter appears to be standing in front of a large map, but in the studio it is actually a large blue or green background. The meteorologist stands in front of a bluescreen, and then different weather maps are added on those parts in the image where the colour is blue. If the meteorologist himself wears blue clothes, his clothes will become replaced with the background video. This also works for greenscreens, since blue and green are considered the colours least like skin tone. This technique is also used in the entertainment industry, the iconic theatre shots in Mystery Science Theater 3000, for example. Describe Relate Bullet Time Bullet Time refers to a digitally enhanced simulation of variable speed (i.e. slow motion, time-lapseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) photography used in films, broadcast advertisements and video games. It is characterized both by its extreme transformation of time (slow enough to show normally imperceptible and un-filmable events, such as flying bullets) and space (by way of the ability of the camera angle-the audiences point-of-view-to move around the scene at a normal speed while events are slowed). The first movie to use the Bullet Time technique was Blade in 1998, where bullets were computer-generated and digitally implemented. However, the actual term Bullet Time is a registered trademark of Warner Bros., the distributor of The Matrix. It was formerly a trademark of 3D Realms, producer of the Max Payne games. This is almost impossible with conventional slow-motion, as the physical camera would have to move impossibly fast; the concept implies that only a virtual camera, often illustrated within the confines of a computer-generated environment such as a game or virtual reality, would be capable of filming bullet-time types of moments. Technical and historical variations of this effect have been referred to as time slicing, view morphing, slow-mo, temps mort and virtual cinematography. Describe Relate Computer-generated Imagery Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. Video games usually use real-time computer graphics (rarely referred to as CGI), but may also include pre-rendered cut scenes and intro movies that would be typical CGI applications. These are sometimes referred to as FMV (Full motion video). CGI is used for visual effects because computer generated effects are more controllable than other more physically based processes, such as constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for crowd scenes, and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using any other technology. It can also allow a single graphic artist to produce such content without the use of actors, expensive set pieces, or props. 3D computer graphics software is used to make computer-generated imagery for movies, etc. Recent availability of CGI software and increased computer speeds have allowed individual artists and small companies to produce professional grade films, games, and fine art from their home computers. This has brought about an Internet subculture with its own set of global celebrities, clichà ©s, and technical vocabulary. Simulators, particularly flight simulators, and simulation generally, make extensive use of CGI techniques for representing the Outside World. Describe Relate Digital Compositing Digital compositing is the process of digitally assembling multiple images to make a final image, typically for print, motion pictures or screen display. It is the evolution into the digital realm of optical film compositing. Describe Relate Stop Trick A stop trick is a film special effect. It occurs when an object is filmed, then while the camera is off, the object is moved out of sight of the camera, and then the camera is turned back on. When the film is watched it thus seems to the viewer that object disappears. Georges Mà ©lià ¨s accidentally developed the stop trick while filming street traffic in Paris. The gate mechanism of his camera jammed; the traffic continued moving normally but Mà ©lià ¨ss camera stopped filming until he could free the gate mechanism. Later, when he screened the printed footage of the street traffic, he was astonished to see an omnibus suddenly turn into a hearse. What actually happened is that the omnibus moved out of frame after the camera jammed, to be replaced by the hearse before the camera continued filming. Mà ©lià ¨s used this technique to do magical tricks. For example, he would film a magician and a girl; the magician would make a gesture and Melies stopped the camera. He told the girl to go out of sight and started the camera again. When viewing the finished film, it looked like the girl disappeared suddenly after the magicians gesture. This technique is not to be confused with the stop motion technique, in which the entire shot is created frame-by-frame. The television series Bewitched made frequent usage of the stop-trick technique. Describe Relate Stop Motion Stop-motion (also known as stop-action or frame-by-frame) is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Clay figures are often used in stop-motion for their ease of repositioning. Stop-motion animation using clay is described as clay animation or clay-mation. Describe Relate Camera Techniques used in fight scenes Long Lens Stunt The most basic approach to shooting a violent punch is one of the most effective. The very first punch thrown in Fight Club was shot this way, and its used again throughout the film, so it cant be bad. Speed Punch Wf Matching Motion Wf Knock Down Wf Cutting For Impact Wf Down on the Floor Wf Off-Screen Violence Wf The Moment of Defeat Wf

To Kill a Mockingbird: Jem Grows Up :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has won many prestigious awards and is still a very classic and appreciated book in our society today. Jem, a character in the book, grows up and realizes that you have to step in someone else’s shoes to understand why they make the decisions that they make. Once Jem saw that the knot-hole in the tree was filled with cement he started crying because he stepped into Boo Radley’s shoes. Also, When Jem learned that Mrs. Dubose had died, he stepped into her shoes and then felt sorry for her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One way that shows that Jem grows up and realizes that he has to step in someone else’s shoes to understand why they make the decisions that they make is when he discovers that Nathan Radley filled the knot-hole in the tree with cement. He told Jem that he filled the tree with cement due to the fact that the tree was dying, when it was obviously not. Boo was communicating with them by placing gifts in the knot-hole. Jem steps into Boo’s shoes at that point and figures out that all Boo was trying to do was communicate with the children, and putting gifts in the knot-hole was the only way he knew how to without getting a lot of attention from the public. Jem knows that if he were locked up in his own house for that long, he would try to communicate and have a little fun with children that he sees playing around in the neighborhood. That is why he cries; he knows that Boo is just trying to be nice and communicate with them, and he just doesn’t un derstand why Nathan Radley would cut that communication between his brother and the children   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another way that shows that Jem grows up and realizes that he has to step in someone else’s shoes to understand why they make the decisions that they make is when he learned that Mrs. Dubose had died. When he was reading to Mrs. Dubose, he hated it, and he hated her for making him do it for so long. Once he learned that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict, and that her fits were from it, he ate all of his bad comments about her. He stepped into her shoes and saw everything from her perspective. He knew that if he were in her position, he would have probably done the same thing.

Capital Punishment Essay -- Death Penalty

Capital Punishment The definition of capital punishment is the legal punishment of death for violating criminal law. The person who gets capital punishment is the ones who committed serious crimes. Methods of capital punishment throughout the world are by stoning, beheading, hanging, electrocution, lethal injection and shooting. The two most common methods capital punishment use in the United States are lethal injection and electrocution. The lethal injection is the most used form of capital punishment. It’s an intravenous shot that kills the criminal quick and painless. When capital punishment is done by electrocution the criminal is strapped to a chair that a volts of electricity is pass through. In America if all people agree with capital punishment there will be less crimes. Capital punishment is different in each state, so depending on what state a crime is committed there’s different punishments for committing serious crime. To deter and reduce serious crimes all states need to have the same laws. Crimes can only be reduced or deterred by making people frightened of being arrested, convicted, and punish for crimes the commit. When a person commits a serious crime, which causes another life to be lost, they should have their right to live taken. If there was a standard law in which capital punishment was permitted in all fifty states, serious crimes will be reduce. When people already know that if they will be executed for taking another life, people will think...

Summary and Analysis of The Prioress Tale :: Canterbury Tales The Prioress Tale Essays

Summary and Analysis of The Prioress' Tale (The Canterbury Tales) The Prioress' Tale: The Prioress tells a tale set in an Asian town dominated by the Jewry in which usury and other things hateful to Christ occurred. The Christian minority in the town opened a school for their children in this city. Among these children was a widow's son, an angelic seven year old who was, even at his young age, deeply devoted to his faith. At school he learned a song in Latin, the Alma redemptoris, and asked the meaning of it. According to an older student, this song was meant to praise the Virgin Mary. As he was walking home from school one day singing this song, he provoked the anger of the Jews of the city, whose hearts were possessed by Satan. They hired a murderer who slit the boys' throat and threw the body into a cesspool. The widow searched for her missing child, begging the Jews to tell her where her child might be found, but they refuse to help. When she found him, although his throat was slit, he began to sing the Alma redemptoris. The other Christians of the city rushed to the child and carried him to the abbey. The local provost cursed the Jews who knew of this murder and ordered their death by hanging. Before the child was buried, he began to speak. The Virgin Mary had placed a pearl on his tongue that allowed him to speak, despite his fatal wound, but when the pearl was removed he would finally pass on to heaven. The story ends with a lament for the young child and a curse on the Jews who perpetrated this crime. Analysis The Prioress' Tale is overtly a religious tale centered around Christian principles and a devotion to the Virgin Mary, but within the warm affection that the Prioress shows for her Christian faith is a disquieting anti-Semitism that will be immediately obvious to the modern reader. The tale is an overwrought melodrama, replete with scenes of such banal sentimentalism and simplistic moral instruction. The tale is an unabashed celebration of motherhood. The guiding figure of the tale is the Virgin Mary, who serves as the exemplar for Christian values and the intervening spirit who sustains the murdered child before he passes on to heaven. Her mortal parallel is the mother of the murdered boy, who dearly loves her son and struggles to find the boy when he is lost.