Saturday, January 25, 2020

Puritan effect on Literature Essay -- essays research papers

Literature has always revealed a great deal about the attitudes and beliefs of different cultures. Puritan authors in the late 17th and early 18th centuries wrote poems, persuasive speeches, stories, and first hand accounts that reveal their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Described especially was the Puritan’s deep regard for religion and their fear and love of God. William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation was written in 1630 as a description of Bradford’s experiences in the New World. The main purpose of his account was to persuade those who remained in England to come to America. He described in detail the benefits of religious freedom. Religion played an extremely important role in the lives of early Puritans. Bradford described how God helps the Pilgrims make their way safely across the perilous waters to safety. He wrote: â€Å"†¦they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean†¦again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bradford was appealing to the high interest in God’s divine intervention amongst the people. Bradford also described in his documentation the sickness and famine faced by the people and the communal effort to help the suffering. Bradford said: â€Å"†¦in the time of most distress, there was but six or seven sound persons who to their great commendations, be it spoke, spared no pains night or day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fire...

Friday, January 17, 2020

Asceticism in Hasidic Thought as a response to the Sabbatean

Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers agreed to the concept of prohibiting a culture of unbridled licentiousness, reasoning that a life of excessive indulgence in the physical pleasures would not only serve to significantly detract from man's physical productiveness but would also derogate his spiritual qualities, adversely affecting his ability to understand and properly worship his God. Therefore, both placed considerable constraints on man's sexual life, ordinances extending far beyond the strict rabbinic decrees governing martial relations.Only with these guidelines in place did both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers feel hat man could achieve the proper level of devotion to God and his Torah in the physical world, despite the seemingly ubiquitous pleasures of the flesh. However, while both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers offer different principles for differing levels of religiosity, they do not follow the same guidelines for determining the requisite levels of devotion to God. Appropriately, both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers divide their restrictions, positing two distinct levels of prescribed action: one for a higher spiritual man and another for a lower spiritual man. It appears that the level promulgated by Moodiness for his higher spiritual man is in practice parallel to that of the Hashish lower spiritual man. Thus, while both agree in principle to the utilization of ascetic means in an effort to increase one's religiosity, they diverge as to where the proper level of asceticism should be for their higher and lower spiritual men.What is to account for this difference in thought? I would like to posit that this change in thought came about, in part, due to the licentious sins of the Sabina movement and its inheritors. The ascetic lifestyle advocated by several Hashish leaders and thinkers, cumulating with Rabbi McCann of Burbles, may be viewed as a reactionary response to Sebastian movements, particularly Franking, and their well-known sexual mi sconduct. Moodiness Approach to Asceticism Moodiness presents a dual approach to asceticism's interaction with spiritual man's physical life.In his philosophical corpus More Invective, Moodiness writes: One should detach his thought from, and abolish his desire for bestial things†¦ The pleasures of eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and in general of the sense of touch†¦ We have it so far as we are animals like other beasts, and nothing that belongs o the notion of humanity pertains to it. 2 Further on in the More Invective he adds: (Eating, drinking, and copulation) should be reduced to the extent possible: one should do them in secret, should feel sorrowful because one does them†¦A man should be in control of all these impulses, (and) restrict his efforts in relation to them. 3 Here Moodiness describes a paradigm for the ascetic lifestyle. He endorses a pleasure-free existence, advocating for not only â€Å"control† and â€Å"restriction,† but for â €Å"sorrow' as well. Further, he stresses the inhumanity present within the annalistic shires of man, something which man should â€Å"detach his thought from, and abolish his desire for. † Yet, in his legal code Mishmash Torah, Moodiness adopts an entirely different perspective regarding man's involvement with and enjoyment of the physical pleasures.There he states: Possibly a person may say: Since envy, cupids, and ambition are evil qualities to cultivate and lead to a man's ruin, I will avoid them to the uttermost and seek their contraries. † A person following this principle, will not eat meat, or drink wine, or marry, or dwell in a descant home, or wear comely apparel, but will clothe himself in sackcloth and coarse wool like the idolaters priests. This too, is the wrong way, not to be followed†¦ Such have the sages said, â€Å"Do not the prohibitions of the Torah suffice you that you add other for yourself? And concerning this and similar excess Solomon exh orts us, â€Å"Be not over-righteous, nor excessively wise. Wherefore should you be desolate? 4 The passage from the Mishmash Torah contradicts the previously presented thoughts found in the More Invective. Moodiness writes not only about how one should participate in worldly pleasures, but also that whoever refrains from doing so is mimed a sinner. This suggests that an ideal exists to engage in the physical actions of the world, something which is reflected, no doubt, in the various Halation which demand pleasurable physical activity. Such an idea contrasts sharply with Moodiness's statement in the More Invective that man should feel â€Å"sorrowful† and perform the physical actions of eating and cohabitation â€Å"in secret. † In the next section of Mishmash Torah, Moodiness continues with this formulation, explaining exactly what one should sense when engaged in the physical activities of life: Man would direct his heart and all his actions only for the aim of kno wing God, and his sitting, arising, and speaking should all be considered in that light†¦When he eats, drinks, and cohabits, he should not intend to do these things only for the sake of pleasure, to the extent that he eats and drinks only that which is sweet to the taste, or engages in sex for the purpose of pleasure. Rather, he should eat and drink only for the purpose of making his body and limbs healthy†¦ He should not engage in intercourse when he desires it, but only when he knows that he must for reasons of lath emit seed, or for the purpose of propagation. 6 â€Å"Man,† Moodiness says, â€Å"Must direct his heart and all his actions only for the aim of knowing God. Thus, according to Moodiness, when man has both the proper intentions as well as the bodily need, there exists no reason to abstain from the physical activities. In fact, it seems that engagement in such acts, when done within the proper religious context, serve to enhance and increase one's relig iosity. Further, in the next section, Moodiness elevates this idea of physical permissibility, suggesting that man's actions, when fused with the proper intentions, re not only acceptable but even inherently good, as they are intrinsically forms of divine service.Here he states: Whoever throughout his life follows this course of will be continually serving God, even while engaged in business and even during cohabitation, because his purpose in all that he does will be to satisfy his needs so as to have a sound body with which to serve God. Even when he sleeps and seeks repose, to calm his mind and rest his body, so as not to fall sick and be incapacitated from serving God, his sleep is service of the Almighty.In this sense our sages charges s, â€Å"Let all your deeds be for the sake of God† And Solomon in his wisdom, said, â€Å"In all your ways know him†¦ â€Å"7 The statement â€Å"Even when he sleeps†¦ His sleep is service of the Almighty' stands in sharp con trast to the lowly position of religious value assigned to man's physical needs by Moodiness in his More Invective. In this section, not only are man's physical actions warranted and accepted as both natural and seemingly neutral facts of life, but rather they are also imbued with positive religious status.Man's actions, when practiced with the proper intentions and requisite control, serve not only as ids to one's strive for spiritual perfection, but even as genuine forms of serving God in and of themselves. For what reason does such a discrepancy between the thoughts of Moodiness in More Invective and Mishmash Torah exist? 8 Perhaps, the answer lies in the fundamental difference between More Invective and Mishmash Torah. Mishmash Torah was written for everyone; the intended audience includes both scholar and layman, and Moodiness therefore approached the topic of sexuality from the layman's perspective.To be sure, Moodiness did not warrant limitless sexual activity to any degree, yet he did grant man the right to sexual activity when an both desired it (I. E. Bodily needs) and his intentions were properly rooted in the service of God. In More Invective however, Moodiness's intended audience was of an entirely different nature. More Invective was written for the spiritually elite,9 the ones who engrossed themselves in the study of philosophy, what Moodiness himself termed â€Å"the zenith of all Torah study. 10 For these students of philosophy the level of asceticism presented in Mishmash Torah does not suffice. Indeed, they are held to a higher level of religious observance and hence must maintain a holier epistyle, one which includes more stringent ascetic practices than those required of the masses. Sebastian and Frankest Anti-Ascetic Practices Before discussing the particulars of the Sebastian and Frankest sexual practices, it is important to note that there are a number of corollaries between Sebastian and Hashish's.I would argue that these similarities were a factor in pushing the Hashish thinkers towards a more ascetic approach. To begin, both movements are ones of renewal while concurrently claiming to be movements of restoration. While undoubtedly new religious sects, each claim that they're teachings emanate for rotational Judaism. Second, Sabbaticals texts, which had not been central religious sources up to this era, take on a pivotal role in each movement. Third, both movements emerge not from the religious or intellectual elite, but rather from the plebian classes.This results in attitudes of skepticism and even contempt from the rabbinic authorities. Fourth, as popular movements, they are each shrouded in mystery, with neither program not platform in their nascent stages. Fifth, both movements share a doctrinal characteristic in their need for and reverence of a communal leader. This leader, a Attack for Hashish and Shabbiest Seven for the Sebastian (and later Jacob Frank and Eva Frank for the Franklins), is a key aspect in each movements thought, without whom the movement would collapse.Lastly, the two movements, particularly Franking and Hashish's, share geographic-temporal similarities, with the action centering on the area of Podia, Ukraine in the mid- eighteenth century. 11 Claims of sexual libertarianism and anti-ascetic behavior against Shabbiest Seven are well known. Surgeons Schools, in his magna opus on the Sebastian movement, describes Shabbiness strange, paradoxical ascetic behavior saying: When he became master over a large number of enthusiastic followers he loud indulge his fondness of alternating semiotic and semantic rituals†¦ E can easily imagine him clad in phylacteries, singing psalms and surrounded by women and wine. The picture fits the twilight atmosphere of Subtask's erotic mysticism. â€Å"12 Choler's depiction of Shabbiest leaves us with a clear image of a cult-leader, whose frequently vacillating whims and fancies were indulged at will. Indeed, Shabbiest is known to have been â€Å"a lewd person,†13 and several accounts speak of him confiscating betrothed and virgin women for short periods of time in what were allegedly platonic arrangements. When it comes to the Frankest movement, the claims of immorality grow ten-fold, making Shabbiest look like a celibate. Egregious sexual behavior was the norm, with instances of incest and other licentious acts commonplace. As described by Dad Rapport-Albert: There is evidence to suggest that the discipline of sexual abstinence was broken intermittently by orgiastic ceremonies conducted at precisely those times?the holiest days on the Jewish calendar?at which the Sebastian had traditionally engaged in antinomian activity.Ruches Frank, for example, is said to have summoned to his private chamber three nouns women whom he forced to carry out â€Å"shameful acts,† â€Å"abominations† and â€Å"wherefrom and other forbidden acts† on the Day of Atonement of 1800, and Jacob Frank himse lf was reported early in his career to have presided over a secret ceremony at which all the â€Å"brothers† and â€Å"sisters† were to Join him and his wife in a darkened room where partners were exchanged in a collective sex-act.The coexistence of sexual abstinence and profligate rites of illicit sexuality, which is by no means unusual in the history of sectarian religion, was a characteristic feature of Sebastian from the start†¦ 5 The Frankest approach to unbridled sexual ecstasy, whose rationale was based upon Sabbaticals scatological teachings of removing the yoke of Halvah in preparation for the redemption, found itself in these acts of extreme sexual perversion.Indeed, as Pale Emaciate describes, the Frankest truly believed that these acts were correct and sanctioned by God: Samuel of Buss states that â€Å"it is permissible to have children and to have sexual intercourse with someone else's wife or one's own sister, or even?though only in secret?with one 's own mother†¦ ‘ had carnal relations with the wife of my son†¦ And I believe that all this is permitted because God commanded us to do thus. Other testimonies described the breaking of the prohibition of incest, having sexual relations with menstruating women, masturbation (also in public) as well as the practice of sexual hospitality whereby a host offered his wife or daughter to a stranger coming as a guest to his house†¦ The women interrogated by the Station belt din reported that they slept with strangers â€Å"upon the wish of their husbands,† who â€Å"told them it was a positive commandment. â€Å"16 According to the above, Frankest Hashish Judaism Approach to AsceticismRegarding the interaction between man's sexuality and his strive for spirituality, Hashish literature does not leave us wanting. The Maggie of Mechanize spoke of converting oneself into an â€Å"main† or â€Å"state of nothingness† during the act of intercourse. In an obviously physical act it is quite telling that the Maggie calls for the absolute negation of one's physical self. Essentially, the Maggie states that sex, while both an important and necessary part of life, is not an act which should induce Joy or pleasure. 7 The Magic's foremost pupil Rabbi Eliminate of Lichens (1717-1786) rived this teaching from a verse in Genesis 4:1 which states: â€Å"And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: ‘I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD. '18 The question asked on this verse was why the Biblical author used the word ‘know for intercourse instead of a more descriptive word for the action. The answer given was that Adam did not act correctly during intercourse.Instead of directing all his thought to concentrate on God in heaven, he focused on his wife and her physicality, as well as his personal sexual enjoyment, thus â€Å"knowing† err. As David Bible explained, â€Å"Dam's sin was not sexuality itself but the desire and physical enjoyment that was aroused in him while having intercourse. â€Å"19 Perhaps then, this is speaking of not only the prerequisite negation of one's physical interaction and enjoyment, but also of the necessity to shun one's mental involvement with the act of intercourse.This idea is quite analogous to Moodiness's remarks in More Invective, namely that â€Å"one should detach his thought from, and abolish his desire for, bestial things. â€Å"20 Just as the Hashish thinkers discussed the actions and emotions associated with the act of intercourse, so too did they instruct regarding the proper times when the sexual act is permitted. Such an idea is found in the writing of Menace Mendel of Katz (1787-1859), who is considered to be one of the strongest advocates for asceticism among first generation Hashish's. 1 He writes in his work Meet Vehemence about how the biblical infraction of illicit sexual relations may be applied to unnecessary r elations with one's wife, even those outside of the prohibited Indian period. 22 Such a view essentially prohibits one to engage in elation's with his wife unless there exists a valid Halfback reason (such as the Matzoth of Noah or Pre Reeve) for doing so. This idea is quite similar to the guidelines which Moodiness prescribes for the spiritually elite in More Invective, 23 that one should â€Å"reduce to the extent possible†24 engagement in the physical pleasures of the world.Rabbi McCann of Burbles (1772-1810) took ascetic practice a step further than others, to a level which has no parallel in Moodiness's writings. Rabbi McCann is known for his famous claim of â€Å"for me men and woman are the name,†25 meaning that not only had he restrained his physical actions, but that he had also completely conquered his innate sexual drive. Yet, in the Hay Maharani, Rabbi McCann seems to vacillate between intense euphoria on his supposed overcoming of sexual desire and deep de pression at the realization that such a desire had yet again returned to tempt him. 6 Perhaps such a state of mind drove Rabbi McCann to the extreme edge of the ascetic spectrum. Rabbi McCann, in several of the works ascribed to him, describes the idea of sexual lusts as the root of all human sin and desire. Thus, it may be said that Rabbi McCann strives to not only curb his sexual passions and avoid all forms of illicit sexuality (such as lascivious thoughts), but also to uproot and eradicate the innate human sexual drive from his conscience. 7 Such an audacious endeavor was not intended for the masses; rather, it was reserved for the elite few, and quite possibly for Rabbi McCann alone, of whom it was said, â€Å"was keen on asserting that he, the true Addict,' had achieved the supreme indifference to sexuality that the earlier masters had only preached. â€Å"28 The idea of guarding oneself to the extent of not attaining pleasure in the act of intercourse may be found in the as cetic practices of Rabbi McCann.True, Rabbi McCann recognized the significance of the act of intercourse in its role as facilitator of the fulfillment of Halfback obligations, yet he did not find anything attractive or pleasurable in the act itself. Rather, for him the act took on a feeling of actual physical pain: Copulation is difficult for the true Addict. Not only does he have no desire for it at all, but he experiences real suffering which is like that which the infant undergoes when he is circumcised. This very same suffering, to an even greater degree, is felt by the Addict during intercourse. The infant has no awareness; thus his suffering is not so great.But the Addict, because he is aware of the pain, suffers more greatly than does the infant. 29 Rabbi Manama's concept of experiencing the pain of circumcision during the sexual act finds itself on the extreme outskirts of Hashish thought. While, as mentioned above, some advocate for a connection to God as opposed to one's p artner during intercourse, and some like Moodiness discuss denying oneself pleasure in the act itself, very few go so far as to assert that one should have negative, painful feelings during intercourse in an effort to facilitate a parietal, as opposed to a physical, nexus.Rabbi McCann however, stresses that only through the negation of physical pleasure could the Addict consecrate the act of intercourse; only with the physical pain of circumcision could the Addict raise the coarse annalistic nature of the sexual act to a sanctified performance, one which beholds divine partnership within the process of procreation. 30 Manama's call for a prerequisite asceticism to facilitate a proper spiritual cleaving to God places him far beyond anything previously advocated by normative or Hashish Judaism. Yet, RabbiMcCann clearly states that this is the level of the Addict, and not that of the ordinary man. Several authors quote him as saying that â€Å"every man can be worthy of achieving this level,31† and indeed on a theoretical plane this may be true. Practically though, Rabbi McCann never demanded this of his followers, rather reserving these ascetic ideals for the true Addict, the elite core of the Hashish community, someone like Rabbi McCann himself. Conclusion Sexuality poses a unique challenge to the religious man: how can one synthesize the pleasures of the flesh with his spiritual beliefs?The answer, according to Moodiness and several Hashish thinkers, is found in individuals acts of asceticism, actions which go beyond the raw restrictions and requirements of Halvah, deeds which serve to redeem the religious man from his bestial and perhaps even sinful instincts. While the need for such actions is agreed upon by both Moodiness and the Hashish thinkers, the extent to which they must permeate man's existence is a matter of controversy. Moodiness ‘s higher spiritual man is placed on par with the average spiritual man in Hashish thought, while the Hashi sh Addict, according to RabbiMcCann, takes upon himself ascetic measures far beyond those advocated for by Moodiness. As discussed above, I believe that this Hashish tendency towards asceticism came about, in part, due to its many shared factors with the Sebastian movement and desire to distance itself from the sexual immortality found among the Sebastian and Franklins. Whereas normative Maidenhead Judaism advanced two set forms of ascetic behavior, the Hashish movement saw it necessary to expand on these ascetic guidelines in an effort to distance itself from its wayward, licentious neighbors.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Analysis of Porters 5 Forces Model and Its Application in...

Topic of the Assignment ANALYSIS OF PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL AND ITS APPLICATION IN E-COMMERCE BASED ECONOMY PORTER’S FIVE FORCES FRAMEWORK: A business has to understand the dynamics of its industries and markets in order to compete effectively in the marketplace. Michael Porter has postulated that the intensity of competition in an industry is determined by its underlying economic structure. Porter (1985) defined the forces which drive competition, contending that the competitive environment is created by the interaction of five different forces acting on a business. In addition to rivalry among existing firms and the threat of new entrants into the market, there are also the forces of supplier power, the power of the buyers, and†¦show more content†¦The Porter’s Five Forces model is a simple tool that supports strategic understanding where power lies in a business situation. It also helps to understand both the strength of a firm’s current competitive position, and the strength of a position a company is looking to move into. Despite the fact that the Five Force framework focuses on business conc erns rather than public policy, it also emphasizes extended competition for value rather than just competition among existing rivals, and the simpleness of its application inspired numerous companies as well as business schools to adopt its use. LIMITATIONS OF THE FIVE FORCES MODEL: Porter’s model is a strategic tool used to identify whether new products, services or businesses have the potential to be profitable. However it can also be very illuminating when used to understand the balance of power in other situations. Porter argues that five forces determine the profitability of an industry. At the heart of industry are rivals and their competitive strategies linked to, for example, pricing or advertising; but, he contends, it is important to look beyond one’s immediate competitors as there are other determines of profitability. Specifically, there might be competition from substitute’s products or services. These alternativesShow MoreRelatedGoogle Inc Case Study1847 Words   |  8 Pagesrecommendation to Google. From industrial and internal analysis conducted, it is found that search industry is still favorable for Google. In addition, Google is in a great position in the industry with its unique search solutions and advertising techniques. However, with its creativity-oriented culture and diversified products and services, Google can also venture into other market opportunities such as ecommerce, portal and PC application services. 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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

What It Takes For English Learners - 928 Words

â€Å"What it takes for English Learners to Succeed?† is an article written by Jana Echevarria, Nancy Frey, and Doug Fisher that illustrate concepts that will allow English Learners to become fluent in English. The purpose of this article is to discuss four accessible teaching practices that will allow English Learners in U.S. classroom to become academically successful and attain fluency in English. To clarify, the authors use access, climate, expectations, and language instruction as the practices that will eliminate education inequality and enable students to be able to fully participate in rigorous course work without excluding English Learners. Ultimately this provides an approachable school reform, creates additive integration of multicultural perspective and approach and lastly brings a way for language diversity to be seen in the classroom. The four effective practices are interdependent to one another. These concepts are the key points that provide a solution in helping English learners become fluent English speakers and be able to understand difficult lessons and high standards. The first strategy the article points out is Access, and it is used more frequently than the others. Echevarria and colleagues (2015) demonstrate that when teachers use differentiated teaching strategies, it will allow students to understand the concepts being taught more easily. For example, using multimedia to provide visual learning along with listening to the teacher can help with learning,Show MoreRelatedWhat It Takes For English Learners?930 Words   |  4 Pagesdiverse in cultures, the needs for new English learners to learn the basic of English and grow in fluency has expanded. Nevertheless, a major of English learners receive insufficient education and have low achievement at school. 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That is why he oftenRead MoreGraduation Speech : Low Participation And Achievement1159 Words   |  5 Pagesidentify with – there is no set goal of what the learner wants to achieve when enrolling for English Literacy and Numeracy courses. †¢ No computer or access to a computer, and therefore computer illiterate, will leave the learner frustrated – English Literacy and Numeracy with computer skills are vital today when applying for higher paying employment in order to better your standard of living. †¢ No time to enrol in full time courses – adults must sometimes take on two or even more jobs to meet endsRead MoreThe Instruction Of English Language Learners Essay1491 Words   |  6 Pagesinstruction of English Language Learners and the difficulties they face with highly important progress tests. The five peer-reviewed articles, in this paper, investigate how changes in language acquisition are measured and how new regulations, in the United States academic standards, affect test practices and test development. The new educational ideals have been developed and put in place to help teachers accomplish the task of content evaluation during final exams. English learners are the firstRead MoreThe Education Of The Texas Education Code1310 Words   |  6 Pagesensures equal educational opportunities for every student in the state who has a home language other than English and who is identified as an English language learner. It is important to know the requirements and competencies for this program. I also became aware of the exceptions and waivers a district must submit a waiver for if it is unable to provide and bilingual education or English as a second language program. Once understanding the criteria and program design, I attended and observed anRead MoreEnglish As A Second Language Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesLearning Academic English as a Second Language When I started searching about topics that are related to Academic English I came up with the features of Academic English but this was a general topic so I looked for other topics. I searched on google about other topics, such as the importance of Academic English. I noticed a website that is about the importance of Academic English for non-native speakers. That really interested me because it is a personal topic since English is my second language

Monday, December 23, 2019

Theme Of Love In Antigone - 1033 Words

In Antigone there are many examples of love and war throughout the play. The chorus plays a big role in explaining how love and war both take place. Love and war can not only be seen by the plot of the story, but can also be observed within many of the characters. Love is shown for the dead and other family members, war is shown by suicide, and people standing up for themselves and what they believe in. The are many examples of the characters showing the love that they have for one another, but the struggle that they have with war within themselves is also shown. Throughout the play love and war are shown in the way that Antigone, Haimon, and Creon show their feelings about many different things and each other. The love and war†¦show more content†¦In the beginning Haimon shows a lot of respect towards his father and his kingly powers and decisions. Haimons love is shown for Creon in the play when he says â€Å"I am your son, Father. You are my guide. You make things clear for me, and I obey you† (716). Haimons hate towards his father is later shown whenever he suggests that his father not punish Antigone and tells him that all of Thebes is in Antigones favor. Haimon also later believes that Creon should listen to the people and make decisions based on the general public. Haimons also shows hate and war against his father when he stands up to him and tells him that what he is doing id not right and that he is going against the God’s. Haimons hate towards his father Creon are shown when he says â€Å"Its is not City if it takes orders from one voice†¦You have no right to trample on God’s right† (719). Haimon shows a lot of love and war towards his father Creon throughout the play based on his decisions he makes as king. Lastly, the love and war relationship was shown in the character Creon many times during the play. Hate and war is the characteristic most shown by Cron in the play Antigone because he has a strong sense of hate towards Antigone for disobeying him and his orders. Also, Creon shows hate towards and traitor or anyone who did him or his family wrong, which was why he set the law that no one could bury polyneices because he betrayed his country and hisShow MoreRelatedMain Theme Of Antigone942 Words   |  4 PagesThemes are important to any story; they give the reader a sense of background and understanding when it comes to the events unfolding in the story. Many literary works include multiple themes, all of which convey  important ideas about humanity and the way that society functions. In  Antigone  by Sophocles, themes exist such as determination, the conflict between conscience and law, the conflict between divine and human law, and familial loyalty.  One key and central theme of Antigone is the importanceRead MoreSophocles Antigone : The Third Of The Three Theban Tragic Plays1106 Words   |  5 PagesSophocles’s play, Antigone is the third of the three Theban tr agic plays and was written around 440 B.C. and is still well known today. Sophocles s play Antigone tells a tragic story about family honor and a sister’s love for her brothers. After Antigone’s two brothers, Polynices and Eteocles died in battle, Creon became the new leader of Thebes. Creon orders that Eteocles have a proper burial while Polynices’s body remain unburied, simply left to rot. Antigone refuses to let her brother’s bodyRead MoreMoral Law vs. Political Law in Sophocles’ Antigone Essay979 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sophocles’ Antigone, a written dramatic play, Sophocles portrays the theme that at times of one’s life, it is necessary to follow moral law and ignore political law. In the play, a determined and courageous woman named Antigone is loyal to her beloved brother by granting him a proper burial and having to suffer the consequences for revolting. Throughout Antigone, several incidents occurred where the political la w was of no importance to the individual. Conflicts between Antigone and Ismene andRead MoreThe Prologue Of Antigone899 Words   |  4 PagesThis passage is an excerpt from the prologue of ‘Antigone’, an Ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles. In this scene, Antigone is trying to convince her sister, Ismene, to help her bury their brother, Polynices. It is significant to the rest of the play as gives explanation to future events and establishes the characters of Antigone and Ismene and their roles in the overall plot. Additionally, the excerpt gives a strong idea of the setting. In the scene, the audience can infer ideas about past eventsRead MoreThe Stories Of Antigone, Gilgamesh, And Genesis1091 Words   |  5 PagesThe stories of Antigone, Gilgamesh, and Genesis were stories that are applicable even in situations happening today. These all have universal themes and have symbols. These stories are iconic because the way the authors’ composed the stories. The aut hors used literary devices to portray underlying messages. These stories have common elements, such as theme, even though they were written in different decades. A common theme between Antigone, Gilgamesh, and Genesis is the bond within siblings. In theRead MoreEssay on Sophocles: Family vs. Law890 Words   |  4 PagesLaw Family, an important theme of life, gets expressed throughout many ways in society. Family may take precedence over many things, including authority and the law. Within the tragic play, Antigone, the author Sophocles presents situations where the characters have to choose between their family and the law. The characters must choose what is more important to them, their family or obeying the laws of Thebes. Throughout the play, Sophocles presents a strong theme of family values and the importanceRead More Set Design for Antigone and how it Helps the Audience Understand the Themes1385 Words   |  6 PagesOutline your set design for Antigone and say how it would help a present day audience to understand the plays themes and atmosphere. For the set design of Antigone, I need to think about how everything links together to provide a complete picture, interacting the actors with set, colour scale. If I was designing the set for a performance this play at college, I would have it performed in the theatre studio in Notre Dame college, it is a linear square space approximately 8metres x 8metresRead MoreThe Moral Of The Story Of Antigone857 Words   |  4 Pagesmisnamed. Outside the city gates, Antigone tells Ismene that Creon has ordered that Eteocles, who died defending the city, is to be buried with full honors, while the body of Polynices, the invader, is left to rot. Furthermore, Creon has declared that anyone attempting to bury Polynices shall be publicly stoned to death. Outraged, Antigone reveals to Ismene a plan to bury Polynices in secret, despite Creon s order. When Ismene timidly refuses to defy the king, Antigone angrily rejects her and goes offRead MoreExplain the purpose of the main characters, minor characters and the chorus in Antigone. (30 marks)1556 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Explain the purpose of the main characters, minor characters and the chorus in Antigone. (30 marks) All characters which feature in Sophocles’ play Antigone play an important role somehow; mainly conveying a certain moral or theme. The major characters portray the main themes such as loyalty, whilst some of the minor characters and the chorus explore the theme of prophecy and fate. Antigone is one of/the main character in the play named after herself. However it is debatable whether she is theRead MoreA Man Defeated By His Flaws in Sophocles’ play, â€Å"Antigone† 995 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sophocles’ play, â€Å"Antigone† translated by Robert Fitzgerald and Dudley Fitts, Creon believes his laws surpass the laws written by the gods but his real flaw is his belief in masculine superiority and his self-destructive pride. In Greek literature, a tragedy means a sad story in which a hero is defeated because of his flaws and through this the audience will have a better understanding of themselves and the world. King Creon takes the audience thru his journey of ego, stubbornness and suffering

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Twilight Saga 5 Midnight Sun 14. Plans Free Essays

Coasting down the sweeping drive, I was reveling in the scent that was still lingering in the car. When I pulled up to the garage I saw Jasper and Emmett fooling around and wrestling outside. Instead of leaving the vehicle I took another breath. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 14. Plans or any similar topic only for you Order Now The aroma was intoxicating. Jasper turned to stare at me after he was immersed immediately in undulations of love, like a sponge absorbing water. My intense love was flowing through me as if there were blood flowing through my veins again. Each second, Jasper was being saturated in my bliss. He shook his head in absolute fascination at my involvement with the human girl that was swiftly taking over my existence. I rolled my eyes at him, ignoring his preconceived notions. He turned back to Emmett, grabbing his wrist and swinging him over his shoulder while Emmett landed with a loud thud on the ground. â€Å"I’m going to get you for that,† Emmett grabbed at Jaspers ankle, bringing him down to the ground, another loud thud issued through the small clearing. They both jumped up and began beating on each other. Watching the pair of them brawl was always amusing to me because Jasper would use moves that Emmett had never imagined before and Emmett would ultimately be defeated. Though he was tremendously sturdy, Jasper had familiarity in fighting particularly strong vampires. Their grappling continued while Jasper attempted to throw Emmett down, which eventually worked, but fighting with Emmett reminded me of a human trying to wrestle a piano up the stairs. Dammit! Where does he come up with those moves?Emmett rumbled. Jasper was chuckling in a patronizing tone at Emmett’s indistinct muttering. I couldn’t help but snicker right along with him. He’s in a better mood. â€Å"Hey, wanna wrestle, bro?†Emmet smiled at the thought. â€Å"Emmett,† I tried to stifle my chuckle. â€Å"You know that you will just get angry because I will hear what move you are going to make!† I said in good spirits. Whatever, Edward! Emmett replied sarcastically. His lip curved up in a menacing way and in the next instant he visualized tackling me. He flashed towards me, and in that second I bounded up and on his back, ready for the attack. A few choice curse words exited his mouth. Snickering, I leapt off his back and continued walking towards the house, Jasper’s loud guffaws continued echoing through the forest. â€Å"It’s so unfair, you know?† Emmett complained. I am beginning to see why Alice likes this human girl so much, Edward is not brooding anymore, Jasper hit Emmett with a small pine tree. Thwack. â€Å"Ahhhh,† Emmett shouted while running full force toward Jasper like a train going full speed. Thwack. Emmett laid on the ground, giving up. Jasper chuckled. I threw them a quick smile over my shoulder before entering the house. â€Å"I bet he won’t bring her back,† Jasper said to Emmett, knowing I could still hear. I grimaced. â€Å"What’s on the table?† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"I won’t use my abilities during our next three football games,† Jasper said, grinning. â€Å"Yeah, no more warm fuzzy feelings about how precious the pig skin football is!† Emmett agreed. â€Å"And if you lose, Emmett?† Jasper continued. â€Å"I won’t say another word about that incident in Alaska†¦you remember, don’t you?† Emmett retorted with a smile in his voice. â€Å"You’re on!† Jasper exclaimed. This was apparently the second bet Jasper had made today, though I never understood why he would bet against Alice. I continued to be in better spirits regardless of the banter between Emmett and Jasper and no doubt it was due to the exceptionally delicate girl, Bella. I saw Alice and Rosalie working on their fashion line when I walked inside and they both looked up. Rosalie was finally starting to rein in most of her frustrations. Alice flitted toward me. Can I meet Bella now? Please! I just found the perfect dress for her to wear. Seriously, have you seen the girl’s wardrobe? She needs help! Alice’s vision of Bella and her, arms around each other’s waist, once more flickered in her mind. There was something new there, though, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. â€Å"Alice, please, not now,† I pleaded. Her bottom lip puckered out and she frowned. â€Å"I’m sorry, Alice. I just don’t think I am ready.† Or I’m not willing to share her when I just so recently obtained her, I thought dubiously. It will happen, Edward. I love her and you can’t keep her to yourself forever!Alice’s lower lip was still protruding. She marched away from me and began working with Rosalie again. Pig,Rosalie snapped. At least her thoughts were becoming less insulting. When I entered my room I placed a classical CD in the player, trying to drive my thoughts away from the brown-eyed girl that was always at the forefront of my mind. Instead of listening to the intricate workings of the master piece I was listening to all I could think about is how Bella’s heart sounded strangely like the melody flowing from the violin in the background, or how her voice sounded like some musical ballad that no instrument would ever be able to duplicate. Or how the rhythm of her pulse was perfectly harmonious with her very soul. An hour had elapsed and no matter how relentlessly I tried, all I could imagine was her magnificent bouquet, her blushing cheeks or her continuous, melody like heart pumping her soul with life. I was in dispute with myself about going to see her. Each grueling minute was passing at a snail’s pace as I sat on my couch, yearning to be close to her. It wasn’t long before I lost my internal argument, though; I sprang out my window and proceeded in the direction of Bella’s. There he goes again, Emmett saw me through the window. When I arrived outside her house, Billy and Jacob Black were still there. I began searching their thoughts, hoping I hadn’t missed something important. Jacob’s thoughts were very irritating. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Bella but his thoughts were not like Mike’s; he put Bella on a pedestal in his mind and respected her. Regardless, I was still not happy about the way he fantasized her. The Blacks were about to depart and I was able to listen in on them with no difficulty, easily probing their minds for information, secretly unlocking more of Bella’s thoughts by spying on her. Here I was, being the vampire stalker again, like a falcon searching for prey. â€Å"Are you and your friends coming back to the beach soon?† Jacob asked, excited. I really hope so†¦I think Bella likes me. Man, she is so good-looking! â€Å"I’m not sure,† Bella sidestepped Jacob’s question. Dang, I hope she comes to the reservation soon. I had a good time with her last time she was there. I think she likes me, too. She was flirting with me†¦ I think.Jacob was picturing them strolling on the beach together. I clenched my teeth tight enough to cut steel, I was so annoyed. Yes, I was undeniably aggravated. Abruptly my mood was lightened when I saw how Bella was trying to flirt with Jacob in his memory. I suddenly couldn’t suppress a laugh that came through my still clenched teeth when I saw how Bella was attempting to flirt. She truly had no idea what she did to the males around her, how her light flick of her lashes brought some boys to their knees, begging to go out with her. Unexpectedly, I felt sorry for the child. It couldn’t possibly be his fault that she was entirely unaware to her exquisiteness. â€Å"That was fun, Charlie,† Billy said, though his thoughts were elsewhere. I can’t believe I didn’t get the opportunity to tell Charlie about Edward! Next time†¦ So, Billy did recognize me earlier. He probably weaved an intricate thread of lies into Bella’s head. His recollection of his histories was more involved than I realized, but still, his opinions are based solely on half-truths. â€Å"Come up for the next game,† Charlie encouraged. â€Å"Sure, sure,† Billy said. â€Å"We’ll be here. Have a good night.† He suddenly looked at Bella. I’m going to have a talk with her about this Cullen business. â€Å"You take care, Bella,† he added gravely. Billy had every right to be concerned about Bella. She was hanging around a vampire†¦ for fun; what’s more perilous than that? And not just any vampire; the one who hungered after her blood above all others of his kind. Though Bella’s mind is cut off to my extraordinary gift, one thing was still certain: she was absolutely unique. â€Å"Thanks,† she mumbled and then looked away. She didn’t look incredibly pleased with Billy and without thinking about it, once again I tried to penetrate the solid wall surrounding her thoughts. Nothing, silence. So, instead, I was now observing Bella via Charlie’s mind which was quite tedious at times considering his thoughts were sometimes non-existent and his human eyes were weak. I saw the back of Bella’s head through his cloudy human vision as she began walking towards the stairs. Charlie hurriedly called out to her. â€Å"Wait, Bella.† She jerked slightly and turned around warily. She had a severe look on her face, or maybe it was a look of guilt†¦shame? Hum, I really hope I hadn’t missed anything for the short period of time that I was gone. What could she possibly be feeling guilty about? Again, I was chastising myself for not just giving up my hopeless effort to stay away from her. There was something I missed and now I was regretting my absence. â€Å"I didn’t get a chance to talk to you tonight. How was your day?† Charlie inquired. â€Å"Good,† Bella said, still hesitating on the stairs. It looked like she was in deep thought and once again I was perturbed by the lack of thoughts emitting from her. What could possibly be going through that curious mind of hers? I tried to probe her mind once more, just to check, before I reached the silent and impenetrable barrier that was always there. â€Å"My badminton team won all four games,† she said dubiously. I immediately remembered her hitting the net, herself, and Mike in one swing. Now that I knew she was all right, I laughed loudly. The poor girl really was the clumsiest creature I had ever known. She seriously had the grace of a drunk sailor playing golf. â€Å"Wow, I didn’t know you could play badminton!† Charlie exclaimed. Four games? Wow. I’m impressed. I laughed even louder at the fact that he thought she was the reason why the team won. Charlie was truly taken aback and had every right to be according to her statement. â€Å"Well, actually I can’t, but my partner is really good,† she admitted with chagrin. Oh. I should have known better. â€Å"Who is it?† he insisted. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she hesitated. â€Å"†¦Mike Newton.† Jealousy ripped at me. This new emotion was masterfully working its way into my daily routine and continuing to aggravate me. She didn’t like him, it was obvious, yet every time they talked or I had to listen to his every fantasy, the little green monster grew to another size. â€Å"Oh yeah ?C you said you were friends with the Newton kid. Nice family. Why didn’t you ask him to the dance this weekend?† Charlie was smiling now and his thoughts were wistful. There it was again, the now larger green monster tugging at my heart, making me want to bring my previous ‘torture Mike’ fantasies to reality. Blow torches came to mind. â€Å"Dad!† Bella groaned, snapping me out of my unhealthy fantasy. â€Å"He’s kind of dating my friend Jessica. Besides, you know I can’t dance.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† Charlie muttered, disappointed. â€Å"So I guess it’s good you’ll be gone Saturday†¦ I’ve made plans to go fishing with the guys from the station. The weather’s supposed to be real warm. But if you wanted to put your trip off till someone could go with you, I’d stay home. I know I leave you here alone too much.† â€Å"Dad, you’re doing a great job.† Bella smiled at him and I saw a sign of relief in her eyes. What was she so relieved about? Why wasn’t she telling him she would be with me that day? Even if we weren’t going to Seattle, as long as he knew she was with me†¦I’d have to bring her back. If she doesn’t†¦No. Stop there. â€Å"I’ve never minded being alone ?C I’m too much like you.† She winked at him, a sign of trust. She went upstairs after that and I could hear her preparing for bed. As soon as she was asleep I would be in her room again, watching over her as her vampire protector. Bella slept very peacefully that night. I was sitting in my usual spot and taking pleasure in the delectable fragrance that was now engrained in my mind forever. Each breath sent flames down my throat, but it was somewhat pleasurable, too. I was hoping that with each painful gulp of air I would eventually become immune to her scent. Deep down, I was still mildly worried that I wouldn’t stay in control for long when I had her alone in the far away meadow. I took in another breath and it was like swallowing daggers, but it was almost a good pain, a sweet pain. After several hours, the scent started to feel less agonizing and much sweeter. I was grateful that it was becoming easier to be around her. If I were to be away from her for any period of time I would be afraid I would have to start all over again. I sighed. I was just giving myself excuses to never leave her. Tonight, I ventured towards her pile of books. Along with Shakespeare there were other classics. Her copy of Wuthering Heights was torn to pieces. Going through the small pile next to her bed, I learned that she still had several surprises up her sleeves. She was, undoubtedly, the most original and unordinary teenager I had ever met. When dawn broke across the night sky, I decided I needed to leave before Charlie woke up. Darting through the misty forest, I was whizzing past trees at a lethal speed. The air from the night was moving rapidly past me and my throat was still burning from her magnificent fragrance. I was thinking about hunting prior to Saturday so that I would be prepared before I was with her in the meadow†¦ alone. Me and her delicate soul alone ?C no thoughts, no nosy vampires – just me and her in the riveting meadow. The monster was too tightly bound and needed a release. Just a small ounce of prevention ?C inadequate though I knew it would be. When I arrived at home Alice was waiting for me, already in on the plan. Let’s go this afternoon!She beamed at me. Her eyes were twinkling and she couldn’t suppress her radiant smile. I soon saw why she wanted to go hunting with me so badly. Her vision was clear; she would be introduced to Bella today. Even though the meeting would be quick and last a few seconds, she was elated. â€Å"Is that the only reason you want to go hunting with me?† I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Of course not, silly! I don’t want you to hurt her, Edward. Hunting before you see Bella is a great idea. You could use my company, too. I can tell it bothers you that you don’t have the greatest self-control, and I am used to it with Jasper. I understand. â€Å"Okay, but you better be good! Don’t thrust yourself on Bella. I don’t want to scare her off.† I paused for a moment before adding, â€Å"even though she probably needs a good dose of fear.† I frowned. Alice just grinned widely and scampered off into the house as she sang joyfully in her mind about meeting her new best friend. â€Å"I mean it!† I shouted. I washed up, jumped into my Volvo and hurried back to Bella’s, pulling into the driveway as soon as Charlie was gone. Bella ran out of the house quickly, and this time she didn’t hesitate before she got into the car eagerly. Her hair was shiny and smelled like strawberries, a strong whiff of it hit me as she shut the car door. As soon as the door was shut, her aroma swam around my nose. I was beginning to enjoy her scent, embracing it instead of cringing away from it. No mistakes. As soon as I saw her smiling face and recognized that she was pleased to see me, too, I couldn’t help but smile back at her, it was an automatic response. â€Å"How did you sleep?† I asked. I knew she slept well. I kept watch over her all night. She didn’t even speak. It must have been a dreamless night for her. â€Å"Fine, how was your night?† She smiled wider. â€Å"Pleasant.† I was thinking about how Bella had another suitor she didn’t want, Jacob Black. She said yes to me. I couldn’t help but feel euphoric. She looked at me and her eyes were so warm and inviting. Her hot, delicious breath surrounded me and I just wanted to tell her how much I loved her. Couldn’t she tell? It must be obviously splayed across my face. I took in the air between us. Mouth-watering; there were no other words to describe it. â€Å"Can I ask what you did?† she inquired with a smirk. She wanted to know what I was doing last night. Did she really care what I did, or was she just being polite? No, she did think about me. She even thinks that her feelings for me overshadow my own. She couldn’t comprehend the mere complexity of my love for her. She didn’t realize how lucky I really was. â€Å"No, today is still mine,† I said. She looked at me in disbelief and kitten outrage. Today I had a brand new list of questions to ask her. I asked her about Renee, her hobbies, and what the two of them did in their free time together. I wanted to know about her grandparents, even her school friends. Every thought I unlocked was like opening a door to a new world. During our lunch break together, I remembered I wanted to know more about her past relationships; or not, actually, but I still had to know her complete story. My lips moved and freed the question before I gave them permission to do so. She looked embarrassed and I watched as her face went from her lovely white and slowly began to flush pink. The flood of blood up to her face made me bite down on my cheek. Her flush was utterly stunning, and delectable. My surprise kept the monster at bay as the realization of the fact that she had never chosen anyone before me hit. Were we dating? Is that what this is called?It was hard to believe that she didn’t have someone in the past. Every male she has come across has had to mentally remind themselves to put their tongues back in their mouths. They flock to her. Did she say no to every one of them, even before me? She said yes to me, I reminded myself. â€Å"So, you never met anyone you wanted?† I asked. â€Å"Not in Phoenix,† she answered, blushing again. What are you thinking? My lips pressed together into a hard line. I watched her across the cafeteria table as she took a bite of her bagel. Human food did look utterly disgusting. What does Edward see in Bella? She isn’t even pretty, Jessica glared at her. I wanted to shield Bella from her thoughts, but at that moment I remembered my hunting trip. â€Å"I should have let you drive yourself today.† â€Å"Why?† she demanded. She looked confused. â€Å"I’m leaving with Alice after lunch,† I said She blinked, â€Å"Oh.† She looked disappointed and then said, â€Å"That’s okay; it’s not that far of a walk.† What? She couldn’t be serious. After all this time did she not think of me as a gentleman? I would never make her walk. I was frowning. â€Å"I’m not going to make you walk home. We’ll go get your truck and leave it here for you.† â€Å"I don’t have my key with me,† she sighed. â€Å"I really don’t mind walking.† She looked upset then. What are you thinking now? This was getting exasperating. I shook my head. I know where the key is, Edward, Alice’s thoughts chimed in. â€Å"Your truck will be here, and the key will be in the ignition ?C unless you’re afraid someone might steal it.† I laughed. Who would want to steal that truck? If someone did I would hunt them down. â€Å"All right,† she agreed. She pursed her lips like she was thinking hard and I could almost see a hint of a challenge. I smirked at the thought. Having a psychic as a little sister had its advantages. â€Å"So where are you going?† she asked casually. â€Å"Hunting,† I answered grimly. â€Å"If I’m going to be alone with you tomorrow, I’m going to take whatever precautions I can.† Run, Bella, run! Stay, Bella, stay, I was pleading silently. I had to give Bella the choice. It had to be her choice, always. â€Å"You can always cancel, you know.† She looked down and I was frustrated because I couldn’t see her face. â€Å"No,† she whispered and looked up at me again. â€Å"I can’t.† She can’t? I sighed mentally and realized that I couldn’t cancel either. â€Å"Perhaps you’re right.† She changed the subject, â€Å"What time will I see you tomorrow?† she asked. She looked upset. Had I said something to upset her? Exasperating, not knowing her thoughts was purely frustrating. Did some god send this wonderful creature here to drive me mad? Hoping I hadn’t upset her I answered, â€Å"That depends†¦ it’s Saturday, don’t you want to sleep in?† I offered. â€Å"No!† she answered quickly. I almost felt my heart restart after 80 years of being still. She didn’t want to sleep in because she wanted to be with me. I tried my best to suppress a smile so she wouldn’t be able to tell how pleased this actually made me. â€Å"The same time as usual, then,† I decided. Then I wondered about Charlie. She didn’t tell him that she was going with me, I speculated how she was going to explain me showing up at her house, â€Å"Will Charlie be there?† Her eyes grew tight and she said, â€Å"No, he’s fishing tomorrow.† She seemed enormously pleased about something. I thought about taking her and never bringing her back. Stop! That fantasy, above all the rest, should be the one I would will myself to never think. Didn’t she want me to bring her back? I was feeling frustrated and my voice came out a little sharper then I meant, â€Å"And if you don’t come home, what will he think?† She looked at me like she was prepared to answer this question, â€Å"I have no idea, he knows I’ve been meaning to do the laundry. Maybe he’ll think I fell in the washer.† She was tempting me to seize her and run for it! I scowled at her and she attempted to be angry by scowling back. Just like always, she was just a vicious kitten. She scowled at me for a few more moments and then her expression changed. She looked thoughtful. What was she thinking now? â€Å"What are you hunting tonight?† she inquired like she was asking me to pass the salt. It was so causal, like she was asking about the weather or what was on TV. â€Å"Whatever we find in the park. We aren’t going far.† I mused. â€Å"Why are you going with Alice?† she asked with obvious curiosity. I considered this for a moment. She talked about my clandestine existence like it was normal. I mulled things over; how to tell her that it was Alice that was going because most of my family members were†¦ un-approving of my newly found obsession with a human girl. â€Å"She is the most†¦ supportive.† I frowned, thinking about her visions of vampire Bella. You know it is because I am your favorite sister. Alice thought. Great, she was listening. Bella looked up at me with her beautiful chocolate eyes, â€Å"And the others?† she asked apprehensively, â€Å"What are they?† Pissed off that is what we are. Rosalie thought. Emmet looked at Rosalie then and followed her stare. I try to rein her in bro, but she is feisty. That’s Rosalie for ya. Emmett thought. I wrinkled my brow and replied the best way I could without hurting her feelings, â€Å"Incredulous, for the most part.† I watched her gaze go from my face to over her shoulder. I watched my family with disbelief. They were staring off in different directions, acting like they weren’t listening. I couldn’t be so lucky. â€Å"They don’t like me,† she guessed. She wouldn’t think that Edward if you would introduce us. You know Bella and I are going to be best friends. You know how much I love her. Alice mused. â€Å"That’s not it,† I disagreed. Liar, Rosalie thought. â€Å"They don’t understand why I can’t leave you alone.† I said. Damn right I can’t understand. She’s a human. Rosalie thought with disgust. It’s true bro, I can’t really understand the appeal, but if it makes you happy then I got your back. Emmett contemplated. â€Å"Neither do I, for that matter.† Bella added on top of the already massive amounts of thoughts coming from my family over this conversation. I couldn’t accept that she would consider something like that. Didn’t she know that her beauty was one of a kind, inside and out? I’ve never meet a being quite like her before. I shook my head and rolled my eyes towards the ceiling, partially for her answer, and partially answering my family’s thoughts. I looked back at Bella, â€Å"I told you ?C you don’t see yourself clearly at all. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever known. You fascinate me.† She glared at me with her furious kitten face again. I smiled at her face, â€Å"Having the advantages I do,† I mused, touching my forehead, â€Å"I have a better than average grasp of human nature. People are predictable. But you†¦ you never do what I expect. You always take me by surprise.† She looked away then, and back at my family. She looked†¦ embarrassed? Upset? I couldn’t tell, â€Å"That part is easy enough to explain,† I added. I wished she would look my direction, â€Å"But there’s more†¦ and it’s not so easy to put into words-â€Å" What the hell are you thinking of saying to her, Edward? Rosalie then turned and glared at Bella. What is so special about this girl? Huh? I don’t see it. She is so breakable and human. You just keep her around because she smells like the greatest snack you’ll ever have! Rosalie continued to give Bella a fierce look. If you take a bite out of her this will hurt our whole family, you know that! I had it with her and I snarled under my breath. Whatever, nitwit. Rosalie turned her head then. Bella looked back at me then and I was relieved to see her face. She looked†¦ frightened? Was that possible? Did Bella even know what fear was? I was going to have to give Rosalie a good scolding later. â€Å"I’m sorry about that. She’s just worried. You see†¦ it’s dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with you so publicly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn’t want to finish my sentence. I was hoping she wouldn’t ask to hear the rest, but of course, she would want to know. â€Å"If?† â€Å"If this ends†¦ badly.† I put my head in my hands and tried to push the thought out of my head. Maybe she will finally see that this is serious. That I could†¦ gulp†¦ kill her at any moment. I could breathe her delectable scent in and one day the monster might break free from the darkness I put him in and decide to taste the delicious blood that I could see pulsing on her neck. I heard her drop her hand on the table. I kept trying to push those thoughts away, but then I took in a large gulp of her rich aroma. Instantly the monster reared up. I heard Bella’s shaky voice then, â€Å"And you have to leave now?† The monster retreated then. â€Å"Yes,† wait, she wasn’t†¦. scared? She still didn’t want me to leave? I relaxed and couldn’t help but look delighted, â€Å"It’s probably for the best. We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology ?C I don’t think I could take any more.† Bella gave me a look like she completely understood what I meant, she must have been feeling the same way about the dull movie, not like I was watching it anyways. It’s time to meet Bella! Yay! Alice trilled in her mind. I could see the back of my head from her vision as she skipped over to the table. â€Å"Alice,† I said. â€Å"Edward,† she answered, and added, this is where you introduce us, in her thoughts. â€Å"Alice, Bella ?C Bella, Alice,† I introduced them, hoping that Alice won’t start bugging me every five minutes about hanging out with her. I only barely obtained Bella, and I didn’t want Alice to take all her time away from me. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† Alice smiled, â€Å"It’s nice to finally meet you.† Once again I saw a vision of her and Bella arm in arm, smiling at each other, Bella’s eyes bright, crimson red. I shot a dark look at her. â€Å"Hi, Alice,† Bella whispered shyly. â€Å"Are you ready?† Alice asked me. I didn’t want to leave Bella, but I was more than happy to remove Alice from her, â€Å"Nearly, I’ll meet you at the car.† I met Bella, yay. Edward, you know this means that we get to start hanging out right? Alice beamed. I glanced at Bella and as she watched Alice dance away. â€Å"Should I say ‘have fun,’ or is that the wrong sentiment?† she asked, looking back at me. Her expression showed a painful emotion, like me leaving her for a short moment in time would cause her great pain. She was so nonchalant about talking about my world that I couldn’t help but grin. â€Å"No, ‘have fun,’ works as well as anything.† I said. â€Å"Have fun, then† she said, I could tell there was an edge to her voice. Was she going to miss me while I was away? Being separated from her was overwhelmingly painful, was she feeling this way too? She couldn’t possibly grasp the concept of the kind of love I felt for her. â€Å"I’ll try,† I continued to smile at her, â€Å"And you try to be safe, please.† â€Å"Safe in Forks ?C what a challenge.† â€Å"For you it is a challenge.† I hoped that she remembered my last request about her safety; that she stays out of the woods. â€Å"Promise.† I begged. If she put herself in harm’s way or was hurt in any way because I wasn’t there to protect her†¦ it would shattered my cold, silent, heart into pieces. â€Å"I promise to try to be safe,† she mused, â€Å"I’ll do the laundry tonight ?C that ought to be fraught with peril.† If that were all she was going to do this evening, she should be safe. I remembered her incident in gym from the other day and grasped the concept that no matter what Bella was doing, there was always an opportunity for her to injure herself. The thought merely brought on an internal chuckle, though, and I teased, â€Å"Don’t fall in.† â€Å"I’ll do my best† she mocked. I stood then, wishing I didn’t have to leave. Bella got up too. â€Å"I’ll see you tomorrow,† she sighed. I was suddenly absorbed by my desires again. Maybe if I just lightly gripped her around the waist, I would only have to concentrate on the amount of pressure I used. No mistakes, I scolded myself. I suppressed a sigh. â€Å"It seems like a long time to you, doesn’t it?† I asked. She nodded with a sullen expression. She was continually saying yes to me. â€Å"I’ll be there in the morning,† I promised. The infatuation I had over touching her was winning my inner dispute. I longed to hold her in my arms, to be engulfed in her warmth. I was craving her touch, too. My body was burning with the yearning to possess her and before I knew it I had reached over and touched her face, lightly touching her cheekbone. Her scent was lingering between us and I took air in my lungs slowly, as if to make the burning and aching of my throat a more pleasurable experience. It wasn’t, it was only a burning pain and I knew if I didn’t turn away now I wouldn’t stop at her face. I’d grab at her waist and bring my lips to hers. No mistakes, I yelled internally. I turned on my heel and strode swiftly from the room, even though my mind was begging me to turn around and take the girl into my arms and†¦ stop there! When I arrived at the car Alice was sitting on the hood, â€Å"You know, Carlisle could help you turn her,† Alice mused. I glared at her. â€Å"I will not take her life Alice!† â€Å"Sure fooled me, I thought I was going to have to drag you out of the lunch room with the visions that were flashing in my mind,† Alice said, â€Å"Now I’m super thirsty after all the imagines I saw,† she faux pouted. â€Å"Like I said, I won’t end her life,† I eyed her evenly. â€Å"Like I said,† she mocked, â€Å"you should ask Carlisle. If you aren’t biting her because you are afraid you will end her life, then why? To keep her human?† she looked at me in aversion, â€Å"but you know†¦ Carlisle won’t kill her.† Alice continued. â€Å"Alice, Bella will not be turned into a vampire, the first one who tries will suffer the consequences!† I growled. â€Å"Okay, okay. Just a thought, Edward,† she looked unhappy. Alice got into the Volvo and we drove to Bella’s. She’ll be fine, you know? Her night looks extremely uneventful. She really needs to get out more†¦ Alice thought. â€Å"I know, being away from her just makes me extremely anxious,† I explained. â€Å"I know,† she trilled. We arrived at Bella’s shortly. You’ll find the key in her blue jeans downstairs in a blue laundry basket, Alice thought, figured I would save you some time. You would have found it eventually, of course, but this way you get out of there quicker. â€Å"Thanks, Alice,† I said, glad our little spat was patched up, or at least put behind us. â€Å"You’re Welcome!† Alice said while she jumped in the driver’s side of the Volvo and drove off towards our house. I was lurking inside Bella’s house and found her truck key quickly. Her lingering scent was ever present throughout the house. I was breathing in deeper than I ever had before around the seductive scent, only because she wasn’t here in the house. I was in no danger of hurting her when she wasn’t here, I contemplated. So I took in another gulp of her perfume before I left the house, which I know I would regret later when I was hunting. I drove her truck back to the school; her aroma was stronger in here than in her house. I tried to distract my mind by musing over all the things I could upgrade on her truck before Bella got out of school. If Rosalie and I were on better terms I would have her do some work under the hood. This truck couldn’t possibly be that safe. I grabbed a piece of paper out of my backpack and decided to write a note to Bella. I have a keep sake from her, she deserves to have one from me, too. I thought of what to write while I was driving (more like snail crawling) back to the school. I decided simple was safer. When I parked the truck I left the key in the ignition and wrote â€Å"Be Safe† on the white piece of paper. I left it in her seat. I checked to make sure there was no one looking and I speed off through the forest and back home. Alice was waiting on the doorstep for me. â€Å"Are you ready?† She trilled. â€Å"Yes, let’s go.† We sprinted through the forest in silence for several miles. I knew it was safe to hunt when the only thoughts I heard were Alice’s. She was thinking about what she was going to pick out for Rosalie to wear tomorrow, whether green and pink or black and pink would look better on her new design for a shirt, and which shoe would look better with Esme’s pants, open toed or not. Her thoughts wondered every which fashionable way possible, and I was grateful. I didn’t want her to bring Bella up. She had so many visions and images in her mind when it came to Bella, and I would never be ready to see some of those visions come to light. Her mind suddenly shifted to our purpose. She stopped suddenly and her eyes went blank. I saw flashes of a large animal in her thoughts but they were flashing and changing so rapidly I was unable to ascertain what she was seeing. Her eyes focused on me now; there is a bear 5 miles from here. Go north and follow the river, you will run into him in 8.2 miles. Alice smiled at me. â€Å"You know, Emmett will be jealous if I tell him you helped me catch a grizzly.† I grinned. â€Å"I know, but you need carnivore blood to help you out with tomorrow.† She smirked. â€Å"Meet you back here in 30?† I asked. You’ve got it! She was gone before she finished her thought. I ran north until I hit the river and followed it. I was letting the monster out of the cage, disengaging my ever flimsy hold on my growing thirst. The monster had been begging for release more than normal lately and I finally let my animal instincts take over. I thought of Bella’s blood, and I was instantly ravenous. I came across a bear exactly 8.2 miles from my starting location. Alice really did have an amazing gift. The monster reared up and I let out a menacing growl. The bear stood on its hind legs and growled back unimpressively. I leapt towards the beast and quenched my thirst. I was right, Bella’s scent and blood even made the bear’s blood dull to the point of being dissatisfying. Bears were much more delicious then the deer I usually ate, but I had been exceedingly gluttonous with feeding since I met Bella, making my meals less than appetizing. When the animal was dry of its blood I pushed the carcass off me and breathed in the cold night air. I rejoined with Alice shortly after. â€Å"Are you going to Bella’s tonight?† she asked. â€Å"Of course, Alice, why?† I stared at her suspiciously. â€Å"Oh, well, Jasper and Emmett have been missing you like crazy, I think I might have even seen Emmett pout the other night when you left so early,† she chortled. I didn’t respond. I know that I had been spending an abundance of my time with Bella, but didn’t they understand? They hardly leave their other half. That is what Bella had become though, my other half. â€Å"Please, Edward†¦ please,† she begged. I couldn’t stand to see my little sister beg like this. I did owe my family a plenitude of my time after everything I had been putting them through lately. â€Å"Okay Alice, but just for the earlier hours of the evening,† I gave in. During the evening Jasper, Emmet, Alice and myself decided that we were going to play cards. With the many talents my family members have, you would think that playing cards would be ludicrous. Jasper would be feeling the triumph or failure emitting from a card player, Alice would see future moves that you were going to make, and I could hear their thoughts. We didn’t play games where we had to use our brains though. The card games we played were strictly speed based. With our vampire speed we tore through every deck of cards. Jasper and Emmet loved to gamble, and our games wouldn’t be the same without a bet. Because of their constant opposition, Esme made us move our game outside before Emmett broke anymore furniture. Rosalie was still fuming about the situation with Bella, but even she couldn’t hold herself up in the garage anymore and came to play. After 79 decks of cards, 2 broken tables, 1 broken vase, 1 ripped shirt (Jaspers), and 3 trees knocked down, we d ecided that we had caused enough destruction. I did get pleasure from the time spent during the evening with my siblings. My regular moping had abruptly wilted away after I came back from Denali. I could tell that my family was enjoying the new Edward, the less mummy-like Edward. Something told me they didn’t want the sulky one back again, which just gave me another excuse to stay with Bella. Time passed slowly, even with the fun I was having with my family. I looked at the clock and noticed it was 10pm. I quickly stood up, ready to leave and watch Bella sleep. Emmett looked up at me and gave me a pleading look. Come on bro, we are about to play some serious football. Jasper and I have come up with some new rules; you have to catch the ball with your elbows only. Come on, it will be hilarious! Emmett begged. Plus I have a bet that†¦ he continued, but I interrupted him. â€Å"Emmett, I’m sorry†¦ maybe another time. It makes me uneasy to be away from her, you understand, right?† Emmett scoffed and I grinned, â€Å"I knew you would understand!† When I arrived at Bella’s, she was already asleep. Any normal teenager would have been out with friends, going on a date, or shopping†¦ but not my Bella. When I finally climbed through her window, I heard music playing. I was instantly intrigued. It was Chopin’s Nocturnes. Once again, we shared a common interest. I knew this CD well. As I stepped closer to her, the scent that had almost taken me the first time we met entered my lungs and I felt like succumbing to the monster inside. She turned over once, and I heard her sigh my name. The clawing monster was instantly diminished. She didn’t move much after that, and she even lightly snored. I sat in the rocking chair breathing her scent in deeply. I was fighting all of my cravings tonight. She looked absolutely beautiful with her hair splayed across her face and pillow. Her pink cheeks lightly flushed. How long was I going to be able to suppress my growing desires to touch her? I knew that our trip to the meadow would either be our breaking or making point. Would she leave alive, or would she leave a vampire? I won’t end her life, I promised myself. Tomorrow, of all the days I had spent with Bella, would be the one day I would not be allowed to make a mistake. I repeated, no mistakes, to myself for good measure. I suppressed a sigh. I honestly don’t know if I will ever really leave her alone, but I would like to think that after tomorrow, I will have a plan. When it started to get light outside I decided to leave, realizing Charlie would be up soon to go fishing. I was leaning over Bella, taking in her scent one last time before I left, and suddenly my hand was at her face lightly caressing. I pulled away immediately and flew out the window. I decided that before I took Bella to the meadow, I needed to see Alice. Her visions were versatile lately. My future was a mystery and I wanted reassurance that Bella would come home to Charlie alive and unharmed. I knew what my decisions would be, but these new cravings were taking over. How many times had I reached out and touched Bella, not even realizing it until my hand was warming from her skin. Alice greeted me at the door, â€Å"Edward, I know you are worried, let me show you what I see. There was one outcome where you bite Bella and she becomes a vampire, hum†¦ but that one has become distant and fuzzy. This clearer vision shows you and Bella laying in the meadow, and my last vision shows you bringing her home safely.† Alice showed me mentally. I had a lump in my throat as I tried to thrust the first vision from my mind. That lump continued to grow as I began panicking. I didn’t know how to ask, but I had to ask for her help. Before I could request her help, Alice answered, â€Å"I will be close by Edward. I won’t let anything happen to Bella.† I love her too, doesn’t he realize this! â€Å"Thanks, Alice.† I whispered. I swiftly rose up the stairs to prepare myself for our new journey together. How to cite The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 14. Plans, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Sex older people free essay sample

This paper was prepared for SCWK 321, Section 01, taught by Professor Jonghyun Lee Late adulthood is considered to start at the age of 65 and continue through 85 until death. According to Erik Erikson’s 8 stage of psychosocial development, this is the final stage of an individual, the integrity vs. despair stage. During this stage of maturity in late adulthood, they begin to reflect on their life lived; if they feel that they made a contribution to life and feel fulfilled, they accept themselves and accept death as a reality. Erik Erikson â€Å"believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about our pasts, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to depression and hopelessness† (McLeod 2008). On the other hand if for some reason they are unable to become satisfy with their life, this will result in a feeling of a complete loss of hope thus they are unable to come to term with death. If the elderly successful complete this stage, they attain wisdom. There is a misconception that older people should not or is not sexual, that as they grow older, they grow less interested in any sexual relation but sexual desire varied from one person to another. It is viewed as a taboo among families and media, inappropriate to be spoken about. According to a study of 2,622 adults over 60 by Elias (1992) found that â€Å"81% of women were sexually active in their 60’s and 65% at the age of 70 and older; among man, 91% were still having sex in their 60’s and 79% after age 69†. Some factors that can contribute to the increase in the interest of sexual relation among older people can be that his/her partner has more time with each other than before, no preoccupation with birth control and/or no chances of bearing children or children interrupting their special moments. Although sexual activity can last for a lifetime there are factors including â€Å"medications, illnesses, partner availability and relationship problems, more than age-related changes in sexual responsiveness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nusbaum 18), which can hinder it and forces the older people to become celibate. The media including television, radio, internet, social media and advertisement, all play a huge role on giving us information, creating perceptions about ourselves and the world. Rarely do we see elderly in movies, they are nonexistent but when we do, they are represented in a negative way. Youthfulness, beauty, physical strength, the Barbie doll shaped woman is what the media place an emphasis on. Elderly are often portrayed in the media as immobile, old, cute, and unable to take care of themselves, depending on wheelchair and cane to move around, weak, blind, hard of hearing, unemployed, and living in nursing home, rude, not interested in sex and always sewing. Thus why the younger generation develops a fear of growing old, they don’t want to live in a nursing home, dependent on others and have nurses changing their diaper as the media misrepresent the late adulthood to be. Two theoretical perspectives that can be integrated in among late adulthood are age stratification perspective and social construction theory. The age stratification theory tries to recognize and comprehend the differences between age group in a society. In the stratification theory â€Å"similar to the way society is structured by socioeconomic class, it is also stratified by age† (Hutchison 365). Depending on our age group or cohort, older people are assigned their roles and individual’s right. The limitation to this theory is that it focuses solely on their age and it does not take into account social class, gender and the race of a person. In social construction theory, through our daily interaction, we create meaning and experiences about the old age. Hutchison stated that social construction theory â€Å"aims to understand and explain the influence of social definitions, social interactions and social structures on the individual elderly person† (364). Our environment, in which we live in, helps define who the old age are but these meaning can change depending where you might live. For example in United States, a person in their late adulthood might be viewed as an invalid, burden or useless whereas this same person can be defined as a person of wisdom and strength in Africa. Life expectancy are soaring , thanks to the decrease in mortality of children and young adults, the decrease of mortality among the aging particularly because of the accessibility to improved health technology but it is expected for our body to decay overtime. This is a natural ongoing process that cannot be stopped by any technology or gimmicks. As our body age, it become harder for our cells to reproduce as often as before and it has less ability to create antioxidants thus it takes longer for the body to heal if break a bone or cut our finger. It is harder also to recover from a cold or infection because the body loses some of its ability to recognize foreign bacteria, viruses and etc. and it will start to attack some of it healthy cells. Our system begins to slow down and response slower, our blood begins to be pumped less, there is a decrease in the functioning of our respiratory system, vision decreases and so do our hearing ability. Our bones become weak, arthritis becomes common due to less cartilage in-between the joints, our sensory system weakens which causes elder to often lose their balance, falling and fracturing their bones. Potency among the late adulthood may decline but sexual desire and the capacity to perform it continues. As men grow older, they tend to produce less testosterone, thus prolonging their ability to erect and lead them to have less sexual desire. On the other hand for women, their sexual interests are heightened due to the fact that there is a decrease in the predication of estrogen which is followed by menopause. Due to the attitudes and behaviors of families’ members and staff, surrounding the expectation of the older generation, many elders are hushed about their sexual behaviors. Sometimes even doctor who are not properly trained to work specifically with this population, may turn away concerns, sees the topic as inappropriate for their age or are uncomfortable with the older people talking about sexual activities. In nursing home and/or assisted living facilities, there has been an issue about the privacy of a couple in their room. Also there has been a concern surrounding sexual activity among individual who has been diagnose with dementia and their inabilities to consent to sexual activity. Elders of the minorities’ false diagnosis of dementia are due to the factors of language barriers, limited availability to information, miscommunication and the low or no education among them. According to a study by Dilworth and Hilliard (2012) â€Å"African American families are less likely than whites to institutionalize elders with dementia and more likely to normalize dementing behaviors† (31). Social Workers can have a better understanding and be able to meet the needs of this issue and the population that it affects by not assuming anything about a person’s sexual practices, preferences and/orientation. By evaluating personal attitudes, feeling and values regarding sexuality, being cultural competence and demonstrating sensitivity to the clients values beliefs, we can better assess the sexual activity among older people. It is essential that as social worker, to remain nonjudgmental and explore options and services available for encouraging healthy sexual activities. Refrain from treating older adult as if they are a child, incapable of making independent decisions even if they cannot do so, empower rather than discourage. References Dilworth-Anderson, P., Pierre, G. Hilliard,T.S. (2012). Social justice, health disparities, and culture in the care of the elderly. Journal of Law, Medicine Ethics, 40(1), 26 -32 Elias, M. (1992). Late-Life Love (Cover Story). Harvard Health Letter, 18 (1) 1. Hutchison, E.D. (2011). A life course perspective. In Dimensions of Human Behavior: The changing life course. (4th ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Nusbaum,M.H., Lenaham,P., Sadovsky,R. (2005). Sexual health in aging men and woman Addressing the physiologic and psychological sexual changes that occur with age. Geriatrics,60(9), 18-23. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Erik Erikson | Psychosocial Stages. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html