Literary Criticisms Of Emily Dickinsons Poetry Essays -

Literary Criticisms of Emily Dickinson's Poetry -1- Throughout Emily Dickinson's poetry there are three main themes that she addresses: death, love, and nature; as well as the impact of "the word". When discussing these themes she followed her lifestyle and broke away from traditional forms of writing and wrote with an intense energy and complexity never seen before and rarely seen today. She was a rarity not only because of her poetry but because she was one of the first female pioneers into the field of poetry. One of the most fascinating things about Dickinson's poetry is her overwhelming attention to detail, especially her "pin-point" insights on death. In "I've Seen a Dying Eye," by Emily Dickinson, is a poem about the nature of death. A sense of uncertainty and uncontrollability about death seems to exist. The observer's speech seems hesitant and unsure of what he or she is seeing, partly because of the dashes, but also because of the words used to describe the scene. As the eye is observed looking for something, then becoming cloudy and progressing through more obscurity until it finally comes to rest, the person observing the death cannot provide any definite proof that what the dying person saw was hopeful or disturbing. The dying person seems to have no control over the clouds covering his or her eye, which is frantically searching for something that it can only hope to find before the clouds totally, consume it. Death, as an uncontrollable force, -2- seems to sweep over the dying. More importantly, as the poem is from the point of view of the observer, whether the dying person saw anything or not is as significant as what the observer, and the reader, carry away from the poem. The suspicion of whether the dying person saw anything or had any control over his or her death is what is being played on in the poem. The main idea the poem is trying to convey is that death force itself upon the dying leaving them no control, and if something hopeful exists to be seen after death, it is a question left for the living to ponder. Love is another prevalent theme in Dickinson's poetry. "The Love of Thee-a Prism Be': Men and Women in the Love Poetry of Emily Dickinson," an essay by Adalaide Morris, a feminist critic, examines how Dickinson views love with an allegorical neatness created in her poem "The Love of Thee-a Prism Be" (98). Emily Dickinson believes that it is the prismatic quality of passion that matters, and the "energy passing through an experience of love reveals a spectrum of possibilities" (98). In keeping with her tradition of looking at the "circumference" of an idea, Dickinson never actually defines a conclusive love or lover at the end of her love poetry, instead concentrating on passion as a whole (99). Although she never defined a lover in her poems, many critics do believe that the object or focal point of her passion was Charles Wadsworth, a clergyman from Philadelphia In her poetry, Emily represents the males as the Lover, Father, King, Lord, and Master as the women take complimentary positions to their male superiors, and many times the relationship between the sexes is seen in metaphor-women as "His Little Spaniel" or his hunting gun. The woman's existence is only contingent to the encircling -3- power of the man (104). It could be noted that the relationship with her father created some of the associations that Dickinson used in her work-her father being involved in government, religion, and in control of the family. Dickinson's linked imagery in her male love poetry focuses on suns, storms, volcanoes, and wounds (100). There are always elements of disturbance or extremes and explosive settings. There are also repeated examples of the repression of love causing storm imagery to become "silent, suppressed" volcanic activity-something on the verge of explosion or activity. Of course, in the repressed individual the potential for explosion or action can be very dangerous, and frequently in Dickinson's work this kind of love relationship ends of with someone receiving a wound (100). Another underlying theme in Dickinson's poetry was nature. The Imagery of Emily Dickinson, by Ruth Flanders McNaughton, in a chapter entitled "Imagery of

Overview ofUnited States Navy Regulations essays

Overview ofUnited States Navy Regulations essays United States Navy Regulation began with the enactment by the Continental Congress of the Rules of the Navy of the United Colonies on November 28, 1775. The first issuance by the United States government which covered this subject matter was an act for the Government of the Navy of the United States, enacted on March 2, 1799. This was followed the next year by An act for the better government of the United States navy. In the years preceding the Civil War, twelve successor publications were promulgated under a number of titles by the President, the Navy Department and the Secretary of the Navy. A decision was made by the Attorney General that the last of the pre- civil war issuance was invalid led to the inclusion that the orders, regulations, and instructions heretofore issued by the Secretary of the Navy be, and they are hereby, recognize as the regulations of the Navy Department, subject, however, to such alterations as the Secretary of the Navy may adopt, with the approbation of the President of the United States. Thirteen edition of the Navy Regulations were published in accordance with this authority, which provided that United States Navy Regulations shall be issued by the Secretary of the Navy with the approval of the President. In 1981 this provision was amended to eliminate the requirement for the presidential approval. While leaving this provision unaffected, Congress enacted the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 which granted each of the service secretaries the authority to prescribe regulations to carry out his or her statutory functions, powers and duties. The Chief of Naval Operations is responsible for maintaining Navy Regulations, and for ensuring that Navy Regulations conforms to the current needs of the Department of the Navy deems it advisable that additions, changes or deletions should be made to the Navy Regulations, officials should f...

Equity and trusts Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Equity and trusts - Case Study Example In the scenario, Tom was appointed by Vito as "trustee" over a "general legacy" worth 100,000. As defined, a trustee is someone who has nominal title over a property that he/she holds for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. He/she must show a high standard of care towards her/his beneficiaries and must never permit his/her own interests to conflict with those of the beneficiaries; this person must not profit from whatever that was entrusted to him/her (Martin, 2002). Based on the definition of the word, Tom can't keep the money for himself. It must be noted that there was no overt manifestation (verbal acceptance or rejection) from Tom at the time Vito conveyed his intentions which might be construed as non-acceptance of the responsibility, however, the law only requires the presence of three "certainties" for a trust to exist - certainty of intention (Vito worries about his mistress and illegitimate son so he's leaving some money for them), certainty of subject matter (100,000) and certainty of objects (mistress Lucy and son Santino). In the scenario, these three were explicitly present, therefore, Tom must shoulder this obligation.(2) Fredo wants to know what he should do with the shares in Transit Ltd, as he finds clause of the will very confusing There is nothing confusing in the provision of the will as far as the shares in Transit Ltd are concerned or who should benefit from the company's income. It was evidently declared that Fredo, aside from being one of Vito's estate executors, was also to act as trustee of Transit Ltd for the benefit of any of the family members within the period of ten (10) years. Likewise, he is to distribute income from the shares among residents of West Midlands whomever he sees is fit to get... There were facts that have been established before Vito’s death. First, there was an expressed declaration that 5,000 shares of Lucrative Plc will go to Connie, Vito’s daughter. Although Vito was no longer able to execute an actual share transfer in favour of Connie, such intention was manifested in a card wherein it was explicitly written that such number of stock shares be given to his daughter. In addition to the written note, was the fact that he occasionally emailed statistics to her in order to keep her informed as to the performance of the shares on the stock market, another manifestation that indeed he was bent on letting his daughter be aware of stock market circumstances in preparation for her coming into possession of a substantial amount of stock shares. Second, Michael has been held as the sole beneficiary of the London penthouse, it was expressedly given to him as a gift during his 16th birthday. Since according to the law, those under 18 could not yet enj oy the fruits or income of whatever trusts that have been left to them, Fredo is there, the brother and executor to see to it that Michael gets the penthouse when he gets to the age of maturity.

Compair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compair - Essay Example Khafre also refers to a block cipher. The name Khafre also refers to  kefren  (a pharaoh of Egypt of the fourth dynasty). This pharaoh had his  capital  based at Memphis. The statue of Khafre is made of  stone  that is exceptionally  stylish  or  smooth. Several lines that penetrate deep into the stone  depict  the  texture  of his skirt and headdress. The forms of both bird and  man  faces are remarkably  exact  in  proportion  and their carvings are of a true nature as compared to the Guedea’s  statue (Pickering 43). A closer look at the khafre  statue  reveals more muscle definition and the firmly fixed feet. The statue of Gudea and that of Khafre are different in  purpose  or there functionality. The statue of Gudea represents a  ruler  in the temple while that of Khafre represents the pharaohs. The two statues are also different in terms of the  period  they were created. The statue of Gudea represents a  leader  who ruled in the temple. The statue of Khafre represents pharaohs who were political leaders and not proponents of any faith. The statues are similar in the  period  of their  creation  that is 2900-2600 BCE (Pickering 54). The statues were also created by the Sumerians, which makes another similarity. The statues also represented rulers of two  different  territories. Parthenon is the allegory of Greece and Athens. Parthenon is regarded to be the perfect temple ever built. It also happens to be one of the highly known and recognized memorials in the universe. The temple is outstanding because of its impressive position in appearance on the Acropolis. Secondly, Parthenon’s architectural civilizations and its reflection of the Greek culture over hundreds of years contribute to its recognition as a symbol of western civilization by historians and philosophers. The term Parthenon is derived from a Greek word (Parthenon’s) which means virgin. In the Greek culture of the building, there were two main styles namely, the

Respond for the video david cole interviews dr. franciszek piper Essay

Respond for the video david cole interviews dr. franciszek piper - Essay Example olocaust is a debatable topic, Russians have always opined that Polish, Ukrainians and Russians suffered most, as their propaganda, post-world war, has little mention of Jews. The other part of story, which this tape reveals, deals with the existence of a huge disinfestations complex, where disease caused by lice was combated, using Zyklon B gas. These facts remain unpublicized along with other major evidences of the period which may not serve the purpose of holocaust glorification. In a way, the above chambers were real gas chambers, but the victims were not the inmates, but lice and other insects. The holocaust story has no definite proof, except the eye witness accounts, which could be exaggerated. For example the gas chambers, where the ultimate sacrilege had taken place did comprise of certain areas that never matched with the description of holocaust. These include the marks on walls and floors, indicating their knocking down. In addition, the holes in the floor suggest bathrooms’ existence at the gas chamber, which was never mentioned in the holocaust story. Cole David & Smith Bradley, Interview Transcript, 1992, â€Å"David Cole Interviews Dr. Franciszek Piper, Director, Auschwitz State Museum’, Retrieved on 9th Dec 2010 from:

History Of Cambodia In The 20th Century History Essay

History Of Cambodia In The 20th Century History Essay Cambodia is a country that is about the size of Missouri which is 69,898 square miles or 181,036 square kilometers. Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia on the Indochinese peninsula. Thailand borders Cambodia on the northwest side, Vietnam borders Cambodia on the southeast side, and to the southwest is the gulf of Thailand. Phnom Penh is the kingdoms capital and is the largest city. Phnom Penh is the center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. Cambodia in the 20th Century was under French rule. There were some economic developments that took place in Cambodia. Some of these economic developments were roads and railways were built and the rubber industry grew up. Unfortunately the Cambodians were forced to pay high taxes and from the 1930s Cambodian nationalism grew. The Japanese then occupied Cambodia in 1941. At the beginning the Japanese allowed the French officials to remain in their posts but in March 1945 as the Japanese were losing the war they were very desperate and tried to befriend the Cambodians. Finally they arrested French officials and then Cambodia was declared as independent. When the Japanese surrendered the French took over Cambodia again in October 1945. When the French gain control over Cambodia for the second time they did not allow them to have political parties and a constitution. A treaty of 1949 made Cambodia semi-independent. King Sihanouk dismissed the government in 1952. He took personal control of Cambodia and formed his own political movement. Between the years of 1955 to 1970 he took complete domination of politics that this era was often referred to as the Sihanouk era. His father died in 1960 and he named himself Chief of State. He called this movement Buddhist Socialism. The interesting fact was that this really was not a socialist at all. Sihanouks control started to dwindle in 1968 when the communists began a civil war. In Sihanouk left Cambodia in 1970. After Sihanouk left the country the National Assembly voted to remove his title as chief of state. Cambodia was then renamed Khmer Republic. The communists were in the spot light. Cambodia was bombed by Americans. America bombed this country to try and stop the communists. Then on 17 April 1975 Phnom Phen was finally captured. In the year of 1975 a horrible and devastating incident occurred. In the reign of the Khmer Rouge they were led by Pol Pot who is also known as Brother Number One. Millions of people were killed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The exact number is not known for certain but the estimated amount is 1.5 million and it may have been as many as 3 million. Pol Pot stated that history would begin again in Cambodia. The first revolution was now the first year of history for Cambodia. Cambodia was mostly an agricultural country in 1975. Pol Pot decided he wanted it to be completely agricultural. All the people who resided in towns and cities were forced to move to the countryside. He also stated that agricultural output should be doubled within four years. This is completely an unrealistic target. He put a banned on private property and collective farms were formed. Workers on these farms were forced to work long hours to try and grow extra rice. They were mistreated because they werent given enough food to eat and many got sick from illness and died from a combination of exhaustion and malnutrition. Pol Pot also banned religion. Any people who were caught practicing Buddhism were automatically executed for it. Family relationships were also banned because he felt that parents exploited their children. If anyone broke a rule even if it was a small rule they would be executed. People were also being executed for being lazy and for complaining. Khmer Rouge also murdered intellectuals. People who spoke a foreign language or who were glasses were executed. This horrible situation was finally ended by the Vietnam War. The Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in December of 1978 and they prevailed very quickly. After Pol Pots capture he escaped and he passed away in 1998. The soldiers that worked under Pol Pot fled to Thailand and they were welcomed by the Thais who feared an invasion by the Vietnamese. The Khmer Rouge still continued to try and cause chaos. They continued a guerrilla war against the Vietnamese. Thankfully the Vietnamese forces withdrew from Cambodia in 1989. After the forces withdrew several different parties decided to try and negotiate amongst one another. The negotiations lead to a Paris Peace Accords of 1991. They abandoned Communism in Cambodia and a provisional government ruled until 1993. After the provisional government was ruled elections were held and a constitution was framed. Sihanouk was made a constitutional monarch and in 1999 Cambodia joined ASEAN. Today Cambodia is still a very poor country. There is hope for this country about its future. In the early years of the 21st Century the Cambodian economy grew very fast and with good results. The fastest growing industry for Cambodia is tourism. Cambodia also has a clothing industry and this industry is beginning to rise as well. Some events that have had an impact on Cambodias economy would have to be Pol Pot and his leadership. Pol Pot tried to make the country into a completely agricultural economy and he tried to do this unrealistically. He wanted production to happen overnight and this was nearly impossible. I also believe the war in Cambodia created a huge impact on Cambodia. Anytime you have leaders who are doing no good for a country and are doing bad it has a huge impact on a country. Many of the Cambodians died when Pol Pot was in charge of the country. Also when a country goes to war this too leads to a poor economy. This is because the country normal has to start all over again from scratch. They have to try and build up their country again or try and make their country more prosperous than it was in the beginning. In doing so this takes time and I believe this is what Cambodia is trying to do now. The current economic system is mainly agricultural but they are also trying to build up their industrial system as well. As mentioned before Cambodia has clothing industry which is helping the country builds up their economic system. The clothing industry is expected to rise within the next few years. Also tourism is the countrys most successful means of industry today. The countrys economic system is a reflection of its history in different ways. For example tourism helps Cambodias economy. This is because many tourists want to visit this country because they are intrigued with the countries. Pol Pot ruined the countrys economy by his controlling leadership style and his unrealistic idea of changing the countrys economic system. Many tourists visit and learn about the countrys history of when Pol Pot was in control and find this very intriguing and this brings many tourists to this country. Tourism is the highest means of industrial success for this country. Therefore I believe this country will be able to have a successful economic system despite their history. I am very optimistic in believing this because I believe that with all the tourism this country is gaining this will help stabilize their economy. However I believe this country might face some problems in doing so. Cambodia is still a very poor country. It is very hard to make a poor country into a successful one. I dont think that Cambodia will ever be a prosperous country but I think they could be successful and be stable. I also think another problem that could result is that another powerful leader could try and take over this country. They banned communism but who is to say that this might be allowed again. If a powerful leader tries to take control of this country this could result in bigger issues than what Cambodia is facing today. This could either mean that the country would go back to being under someone elses power and end up even worse off than what they already are . If this doesnt happen then the country might go to war again to protect their country from a future leader and their control. I dont believe this will happen but it is a concern. I think with that this country has potential it will not happen overnight but I believe that it will be a successful country in the future.

Apocalypse Essay -- Apocalyptic Essays

Apocalypse There have been many stories written about the apocalypse or the end of human civilization. They often focus on man’s struggle to avoid annihilation. "War of the Worlds", by H.G. Wells and "Independence Day", directed by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, are examples of the unique qualities of films concerning the end of human civilization. Such Apocalyptic films offer a unique perspective on human character in an extreme setting. Apocalyptic stories are unique because there is no historical event to use as a reference. There have been events where a small group has faced annihilation but humanity as a species has never faced assured destruction. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963, there was some belief that any use of force could trigger a nuclear holocaust. However, few people knew how close the United States and the Soviet Union were to nuclear war. There are no examples of the entire human species facing annihilation. Doomsday stories are common in literature on a smaller scale. Movies such as "Remember the Alamo", "Gettysburg", and "Saving Private Ryan" have characters that face death or destruction, but they face it with bravery and honor. Audiences respect and admire such behavior when one faces death. Apocalyptic stories are an expanded form of this type of writing. They are stories where humanity as a whole can be admired for their positive attributes in addition to the bravery or focus on one hero or heroine. It is not often that one characterizes the entire human race. Usually we divide into cultural or political units and then we evaluate them as a group. We can be organized or divided by religion, social class, political allegiance, cultural beliefs and physical appearance. For example, Ja... ... hero or protagonist, are allocated to several characters or sometimes on all of man. The allocation of qualities among more then one character can often be more profound then a typical story. Combined with the threat of total annihilation of humanity and its culture, Apocalyptic Films and the situations they pose, are very unique. Works Cited Independence Day. Dir. Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich. 20th Century Fox, 1997. War of the Worlds. Dir. Byron Haskin. Perf. Gene Barry. Paramount Pictures, 1952. Mullen, R. D. "The definitive War of the worlds". Science-Fiction Studies. v. 20, Nov. 1993, p. 440-3. Seed, David. "A critical edition of the War of the worlds; H.G. Wells's scientific romance". Essays in Criticism. v. 44, July 1994, p. 258-64. Strozier, Charles B. Apocalypse : on the psychology of fundamentalism in America. Boston: Beacon Press, 1994.

Spirit Bound Chapter Two

MY TRIALS WERE A BLUR. You'd think, seeing as they were the most important part of my education at St. Vladimir's, that I'd remember everything in perfect, crystalline detail. Yet my earlier thoughts were kind of realized. How could these measure up to what I'd already faced? How could these mock fights compare to a mob of Strigoi descending on our school? I'd had to stand against overwhelming odds, not knowing if those I loved were alive or dead. And how could I fear a so-called battle with one of the school's instructors after having fought Dimitri? He'd been lethal as a dhampir and worse as a Strigoi. Not that I meant to make light of the trials. They were serious. Novices failed them all the time, and I refused to be one of them. I was attacked on all sides, by guardians who'd been fighting and defending Moroi since before I was born. The arena wasn't flat, which complicated everything. They'd filled it with contraptions and obstacles, beams and steps that tested my balance–including a bridge that painfully reminded me of that last night I'd seen Dimitri. I'd pushed him after plunging a silver stake into his heart–a stake that had fallen out during his plummet to the river below. The arena's bridge was a bit different from the solid wooden one upon which Dimitri and I had fought in Siberia. This one was rickety, a badly constructed path of wooden planks with only rope rails for support. Every step made the entire bridge swing and shake, and holes in the boards showed me where former classmates had (unfortunately for them) discovered weak spots. The test they assigned me on the bridge was probably the worst of all. My goal was to get a â€Å"Moroi† away from a group of â€Å"Strigoi† that were in pursuit. My Moroi was being played by Daniel, a new guardian who had come with others to the school to replace those killed in the attack. I didn't know him very well, but for this exercise, he was playing completely docile and helpless–even a little afraid, just as any Moroi I was guarding might have been. He gave me a little resistance about stepping onto the bridge, and I used my calmest, most coaxing voice to finally get him to walk out ahead of me. Apparently they were testing people skills as well as combat skills. Not far behind us on the course, I knew the guardians acting as Strigoi were approaching. Daniel stepped out, and I shadowed him, still giving him reassurances while all my senses stayed on alert. The bridge swung wildly, telling me with a jolt that our pursuers had joined us. I glanced back and saw three â€Å"Strigoi† coming after us. The guardians playing them were doing a remarkable job–moving with as much dexterity and speed as true Strigoi would. They were going to overtake us if we didn't get a move on. â€Å"You're doing great,† I told Daniel. It was hard to keep the right tone in my voice. Screaming at Moroi might put them into shock. Too much gentleness would make them think it wasn't serious. â€Å"And I know you can move faster. We need to keep ahead of them–they're getting closer. I know you can do this. Come on.† I must have passed that persuasive part of the test because he did indeed pick up his speed–not quite enough to match that of our pursuers, but it was a start. The bridge shifted crazily again. Daniel yelped convincingly and froze, gripping the rope sides tightly. Ahead of him, I saw another guardian-as-Strigoi waiting on the opposite side of the bridge. I believed his name was Randall, another new instructor. I was sandwiched between him and the group at my back. But Randall stayed still, waiting on the first plank of the bridge so that he could shake it and make it harder for us. â€Å"Keep going,† I urged, my mind spinning. â€Å"You can do it.† â€Å"But there's a Strigoi there! We're trapped,† Daniel exclaimed. â€Å"Don't worry. I'll deal with him. Just move.† My voice was fierce this time, and Daniel crept forward, pushed on by my command. The next few moments required perfect timing on my part. I had to watch the â€Å"Strigoi† on both sides of us and keep Daniel in motion, all the while monitoring where we were on the bridge. When we were almost three quarters of the way across, I hissed, â€Å"Drop down on all fours right now! Hurry!† He obeyed, coming to a halt. I immediately knelt, still speaking in an undertone: â€Å"I'm about to shout at you. Ignore it.† In a louder voice, for the benefit of those coming after us, I exclaimed, â€Å"What are you doing? We can't stop!† Daniel didn't budge, and I again spoke softly. â€Å"Good. See where the ropes connect the base to the rails? Grab them. Grab them as tightly as you can, and do not let go, no matter what happens. Wrap them around your hands if you have to. Do it now!† He obeyed. The clock was ticking, and I didn't waste another moment. In one motion, while still crouched, I turned around and hacked at the ropes with a knife I'd been given along with my stake. The blade was sharp, thank God. The guardians running the trial weren't messing around. It didn't instantly slice the ropes, but I cut through them so quickly that the â€Å"Strigoi† on either side of us didn't have time to react. The ropes snapped just as I again reminded Daniel to hold on. The two halves of the bridge swung toward the sides of wooden scaffolding, carried by the weight of the people on them. Well, ours did at least. Daniel and I had been prepared. The three pursuers behind us hadn't been. Two fell. One just barely managed to catch hold of a plank, slipping a bit before securing his grip. The actual drop was six feet, but I'd been told to regard it as fifty–a distance that would kill me and Daniel if we fell. Against all odds, he was still clutching the rope. I was hanging on as well, and once the rope and wood were lying flat against the scaffolding's sides, I began scrambling up it like a ladder. It wasn't easy climbing over Daniel, but I did it, giving me one more chance to tell him to hang on. Randall, who'd been waiting ahead of us, hadn't fallen off. He'd had his feet on the bridge when I cut it, though, and had been surprised enough to lose his balance. Quick to recover, he was now shimmying up the ropes, trying to climb up to the solid surface above. He was much closer to it than me, but I just managed to grab his leg and stop him. I jerked him toward me. He maintained his grip on the bridge, and we struggled. I knew I probably couldn't pull him off, but I was able to keep getting closer. At last, I let go of the knife I'd been holding and managed to get the stake from my belt–something that tested my balance. Randall's ungainly position gave me a shot at his heart, and I t ook it. For the trials, we had blunt-ended stakes, ones that wouldn't pierce skin but which could be used with enough force to convince our opponents that we knew what we were doing. My alignment was perfect, and Randall, conceding it would have been a killing blow, relinquished his hold and dropped off the bridge. That left me the painful task of coaxing Daniel to climb up. It took a long time, but again, his behavior wasn't out of character with how a scared Moroi might behave. I was just grateful he hadn't decided a real Moroi would have lost his grip and fallen. After that challenge came many more, but I fought on, never slowing down or letting exhaustion affect me. I slipped into battle mode, my senses focused on basic instincts: fight, dodge, kill. And while staying tuned to those, I still had to be innovative and not fall into a lull. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to react to a surprise like the bridge. I managed it all, battling on with no other thoughts beyond accomplishing the tasks before me. I tried not to think of my instructors as people I knew. I treated them like Strigoi. I pulled no punches. When it finally ended, I almost didn't realize it. I was simply standing there in the middle of the field with no more attackers coming at me. I was alone. Slowly, I became more aware of the world's details. Crowds in the stands cheering. A few instructors nodding to each other as they joined in. The pounding of my own heart. It wasn't until a grinning Alberta tugged at my arm that I realized it was over. The test I'd waited for my entire life, finished in what felt like a blink of an eye. â€Å"Come on,† she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and guiding me toward the exit. â€Å"You need to get some water and sit down.† Dazed, I let her lead me off the field, around which people were still cheering and crying my name. Behind us, I heard some people saying they had to take a break and fix the bridge. She led me back to the waiting area and gently pushed me onto a bench. Someone else sat beside me and handed me a bottle of water. I looked over and saw my mother. She had an expression on her face that I had never seen before: pure, radiant pride. â€Å"That was it?† I asked at last. She surprised me again with genuinely amused laughter. â€Å"That was it?† she repeated. â€Å"Rose, you were out there for almost an hour. You blew through that test with flying colors–probably one of the best trials this school's ever seen.† â€Å"Really? It just seemed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Easy wasn't quite the right word. â€Å"It was a haze, that's all.† My mom squeezed my hand. â€Å"You were amazing. I'm so, so proud of you.† The realization of it all truly, truly hit me then, and I felt a smile of my own spreading over my lips. â€Å"Now what happens?† I asked. â€Å"Now you become a guardian.† I'd been tattooed many times, but none of those events came close to the ceremony and fanfare that occurred while getting my promise mark. Before, I'd received molnija marks for kills I'd made in unexpected, tragic circumstances: fighting Strigoi in Spokane, the school attack and rescue–events that were cause for mourning, not celebration. After all those kills, we'd kind of lost count, and while guardian tattoo artists still tried to log every individual kill, they'd finally given me a star-shaped mark that was a fancy way of saying we'd lost count. Tattooing isn't a fast process, even if you're getting a small one, and my entire graduating class had to get them. The ceremony took place in what was usually the Academy's dining room, a room they were able to remarkably transform into something as grand and elaborate as we'd find at the Royal Court. Spectators–friends, family, guardians–packed the room as Alberta called our names one at a time and read our scores as we approached the tattoo artist. The scores were important. They would be made public and, along with our overall school grades, influence our assignments. Moroi could request certain grads for their guardians. Lissa had requested me, of course, but even the best scores in the world might not compensate for all the black behavioral marks on my record. There were no Moroi at this ceremony, though, aside from the handful who had been invited as guests by the new graduates. Everyone else gathered was a dhampir: either one of the established guardians or about-to-become-guardians like me. The guests sat in the back, and the senior guardians sat near the front. My classmates and I stood the whole time, maybe as some sort of last test of endurance. I didn't mind. I'd changed out of my torn and dirty clothes into simple slacks and a sweater, an outfit that seemed dressy while still retaining a solemn feel. It was a good call because the air in the room was thick with tension, all faces a mix of joy at our success but also anxiety about our new and deadly role in the world. I watched with shining eyes as my friends were called up, surprised and impressed at many of the scores. Eddie Castile, a close friend, got a particularly high score in one-on-one Moroi protection. I couldn't help a smile as I watched the tattooist give Eddie his mark. â€Å"I wonder how he got his Moroi over the bridge,† I murmured in an undertone. Eddie was pretty resourceful. Beside me, another friend of mine, Meredith, gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"What are you talking about?† Her voice was equally soft. â€Å"When we were chased onto the bridge with a Moroi. Mine was Daniel.† She still looked confused, and I elaborated. â€Å"And they put Strigoi on each side?† â€Å"I crossed the bridge,† she whispered, â€Å"but it was just me being chased. I took my Moroi through a maze.† A glare from a nearby classmate shut us up, and I hid my frown. Maybe I wasn't the only one who'd gone through the trial in a daze. Meredith had her facts screwed up. When my name was called, I heard a few gasps as Alberta read my scores. I had the highest in the class by far. I was kind of glad she didn't read my academic grades. They would have totally taken away some of the glory of the rest of my performance. I'd always done well in my combat classes, but math and history†¦ well, those were a bit lacking, particularly since I always seemed to be dropping in and out of school. My hair was pulled tightly into a bun, with every stray wisp held with hairpins so that the artist would have nothing to interfere with his work. I leaned forward to give him a good view and heard him grunt in surprise. With the back of my neck covered in marks, he'd have to be tricky. Usually a new guardian provided a blank canvas. This guy was good, though, and managed to delicately place the promise mark in the center of the nape of my neck after all. The promise mark looked like a long, stretched-out S, with curly ends. He fit it in between the molnija marks, letting it wrap around them like an embrace. The process hurt, but I kept my face blank, refusing to flinch. I was shown the final results in a mirror before he covered it up with a bandage so it would heal cleanly. After that, I rejoined my classmates and watched as the rest of them received their tattoos. It meant standing for another two hours, but I didn't mind. My brain was still reeling with everything that had happened today. I was a guardian. A real, honest-to-goodness guardian. And with that thought came questions. What would happen now? Would my scores be good enough to erase my record of bad behavior? Would I be Lissa's guardian? And what about Victor? What about Dimitri? I shifted uneasily as the full impact of the guardian ceremony hit me. This wasn't just about Dimitri and Victor. This was about me–about the rest of my life. School was over. I would no longer have teachers tracking my every move or correcting me when I made mistakes. All decisions would be on me when I was out protecting someone. Moroi and younger dhampirs would look to me as the authority. And I would no longer have the luxury of practicing combat one minute and lounging in my room the next. There were no clear-cut classes anymore. I would be on duty all the time. The thought was daunting, the pressure almost too great. I'd always equated graduation with freedom. Now I wasn't so sure. What new shape was my life going to take? Who would decide? And how could I reach Victor if I was assigned to guard anyone besides Lissa? Across the room, I met Lissa's eyes among the audience. They burned with a pride that matched my mother's, and she grinned when our gazes met. Get that look off your face, she chastised through the bond. You shouldn't look that anxious, not today. You need to celebrate. I knew she was right. I could handle what was to come. My worries, which were many, could wait one more day–particularly since the exuberant mood of my friends and family ensured that I would celebrate. Abe, with that influence he always seemed to wield, had secured a small banquet room and thrown a party for me that seemed more suited to a royal debutante, not some lowly, reckless dhampir. Before the event, I changed yet again. Prettier party clothes now seemed more appropriate than the formal molnija ceremony outfit. I put on a short-sleeved, emerald green wrap dress and hung my nazar around my neck, even though it didn't match. The nazar was a small pendant that looked like an eye, with different shades of blue circling it. In Turkey, where Abe came from, it was believed to offer protection. He'd given it to my mother years ago, and she'd in turn given it to me. By the time I'd put on makeup and brushed out my tangled hair into long, dark waves (because my tattoo bandages didn't go with the dress at all), I hardly looked like someone capable of fighting monsters or even throwing a punch. No–that wasn't quite true, I realized a moment later. Staring into the mirror, I was surprised to see a haunted look in my brown eyes. There was pain there, pain and loss that even the nicest dress and makeup couldn't hide. I ignored it and set off for the party, promptly running into Adrian as soon as I stepped outside my dorm. Without a word, he swept me into his arms and smothered me with a kiss. I was totally caught off guard. It figured. Undead creatures didn't surprise me, but one flippant royal Moroi could. And it was quite the kiss, one that I almost felt guilty about sinking into. I'd had concerns when first dating Adrian, but many of them had disappeared over time. After watching him flirt shamelessly and take nothing seriously for so long, I'd never expected to see such devotion from him in our relationship. I also hadn't expected to find my feelings for him growing–which seemed so contradictory considering I still loved Dimitri and was concocting impossible ways to save him. I laughed when Adrian set me down. Nearby, a few younger Moroi had stopped to watch us. Moroi dating dhampirs wasn't super uncommon at our age, but a notorious dhampir dating the Moroi queen's great-nephew? That was kind of out there–especially since it was widely known how much Queen Tatiana hated me. There had been few witnesses to my last meeting with her, when she'd screamed at me to stay away from Adrian, but word of that kind of thing always gets around. â€Å"Like the show?† I asked our voyeurs. Realizing they'd been busted, the Moroi kids hastily continued on their way. I turned back to Adrian and smiled. â€Å"What was that? It was kind of a big kiss to throw on me in public.† â€Å"That,† he said grandly, â€Å"was your reward for kicking so much ass in those trials.† He paused. â€Å"It was also because you look totally hot in that dress.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"Reward, huh? Meredith's boyfriend got her diamond earrings.† He caught hold of my hand and gave an unconcerned shrug as we began to walk to the party. â€Å"You want diamonds? I'll give you diamonds. I'll shower you in them. Hell, I'll get you a gown made out of them. But it's going to be skimpy.† â€Å"I think I'll settle for the kiss after all,† I said, imagining Adrian dressing me like a swimsuit model. Or a pole dancer. The jewelry reference also suddenly brought on an unwanted memory. When Dimitri had held me captive in Siberia, lulling me into blissful complacency with his bites, he'd showered me with jewelry too. â€Å"I knew you were a badass,† continued Adrian. A warm summer breeze ruffled the brown hair he so painstakingly styled each day, and with his free hand, he absentmindedly tried to arrange it back into place. â€Å"But I didn't realize just how much until I saw you dropping guardians out there.† â€Å"Does that mean you're going to be nicer to me?† I teased. â€Å"I'm already nice to you,† he said loftily. â€Å"Do you know how badly I want a cigarette right now? But no. I manfully suffer through nicotine withdrawal–all for you. But I think seeing you out there will make me a little more careful around you. That crazy dad of yours is kind of gonna make me cautious too.† I groaned, recalling how Adrian and Abe had been sitting together. â€Å"God. Did you really have to hang out with him?† â€Å"Hey, he's awesome. A little unstable, but awesome. We got along great.† Adrian opened the door to the building we were seeking. â€Å"And he's a badass in his way too. I mean, any other guy who wore scarves like that? He'd be laughed out of this school. Not Abe. He'd beat someone almost as badly as you would. In fact†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian's voice turned nervous. I gave him a surprised look. â€Å"In fact what?† â€Å"Well†¦ Abe said he liked me. But he also made it clear what he'd do to me if I ever hurt you or did anything bad.† Adrian grimaced. â€Å"In fact, he described what he'd do in very graphic detail. Then, just like that, he switched to some random, happy topic. I like the guy, but he's scary.† â€Å"He's out of line!† I came to a halt outside the party's room. Through the door, I heard the buzz of conversation. We were apparently among the last to arrive. I guessed that meant I'd be making a grand entrance fitting for the guest of honor. â€Å"He has no right to threaten my boyfriends. I'm eighteen. An adult. I don't need his help. I can threaten my boyfriends myself.† My indignation amused Adrian, and he gave me a lazy smile. â€Å"I agree with you. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to take his ‘advice' seriously. My face is too pretty to risk.† His face was pretty, but that didn't stop me from shaking my head in exasperation. I reached for the door's handle, but Adrian pulled me back. â€Å"Wait,† he said. He drew me into his arms again, our lips meeting in another hot kiss. My body pressed to his, and I found myself confused by my own feelings and the realization that I was reaching a point where I might want more than just kissing. â€Å"Okay,† said Adrian when we'd finally broken away. â€Å"Now we can go in.† He had that same light tone to his voice, but in his dark green eyes, I saw the kindling of passion. I wasn't the only one considering more than just kissing. So far, we'd avoided discussing sex, and he'd actually been very good about not pressuring me. I think he knew I just wasn't ready after Dimitri, but in moments like these, I could see just how difficult it was for Adrian to hold back. It softened something inside of me, and standing on my tiptoes, I gave him another kiss. â€Å"What was that?† he asked a few moments later. I grinned. â€Å"Your reward.† When we finally made it into the party, everyone in the room greeted me with cheers and proud smiles. A long time ago, I'd thrived on being the center of attention. That desire had faded a little, but now, I put on a confident face and accepted my loved ones' praise with swagger and happiness. I held up my hands triumphantly, earning more clapping and approval. My party was almost as much of a blur as my trials. You never really realize how many people care about you until they all turn out to support you. It made me feel humble and almost a little teary. I kept that to myself, though. I could hardly start crying at my own victory party. Everyone wanted to talk to me, and I was surprised and delighted each time some new person approached me. It wasn't often that I had all the people I loved best in one place, and, uneasily I realized this opportunity might never come again. â€Å"Well, you've finally got a license to kill. It's about time.† I turned and met the amused eyes of Christian Ozera, a onetime annoyance who'd become a good friend. So good, in fact, that in my joyous zeal, I reached out and hugged him–something he clearly didn't expect. I was surprising everyone today. â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† he said backing up, flushing. â€Å"It figures. You're the only girl who'd get all emotional about the thought of killing. I don't even want to think about what goes on when you and Ivashkov are alone.† â€Å"Hey, look who's talking. You're itching to get out there yourself.† Christian shrugged by way of agreement. It was a standard rule in our world: Guardians protected Moroi. Moroi didn't get involved in battles. Yet after recent Strigoi attacks, a lot of Moroi–though hardly a majority–had begun to argue that it was time for Moroi to step up and start helping the guardians. Fire users like Christian were particularly valuable since burning was one of the best ways to kill a Strigoi (along with staking and decapitation). The movement to teach Moroi to fight was currently–and purposely–stalled in the Moroi government, but that hadn't stopped some Moroi from practicing in secret. Christian was one of them. Glancing beside him, I blinked in astonishment. There was someone with him, someone I'd hardly noticed. Jill Mastrano hovered near him like a shadow. A Moroi freshman–well, soon to be a sophomore–Jill had come forward as someone who also wanted to fight. She had sort of become Christian's student. â€Å"Hey Jill,† I said, giving her a warm smile. â€Å"Thanks for coming.† Jill flushed. She was determined to learn to defend herself, but she grew flustered among others–particularly around â€Å"celebrities† like me. Rambling was her nervous reaction. â€Å"I had to,† she said, brushing her long, light brown hair out of her face. Like always, it was a tangle of curls. â€Å"I mean, it's so cool what you did. At the trials. Everyone was amazed. I heard one of the guardians saying that they'd never seen anything like you, so when Christian asked if I wanted to come, of course I had to. Oh!† Her light green eyes went wide. â€Å"I didn't even tell you congratulations. Sorry. Congratulations.† Beside her, Christian struggled to keep a straight face. I made no such attempts and laughingly gave her a hug too. I was in serious danger of turning warm and fuzzy. I'd probably get my tough guardian status revoked if I kept this up. â€Å"Thanks. Are you two ready to take on a Strigoi army yet?† â€Å"Soon,† said Christian. â€Å"But we might need your backup.† He knew as well as I did that Strigoi were way out of their league. His fire magic had helped me a lot, but on his own? That'd be a different story. He and Jill were teaching themselves to use magic offensively, and when I'd had time between classes, I'd taught them a few combat moves. Jill's face fell a little. â€Å"It's going to stop once Christian's gone.† I turned to him. It was no surprise he'd be leaving. We'd all be leaving. â€Å"What are you going to do with yourself?† I asked. He shrugged. â€Å"Go to Court with the rest of you. Aunt Tasha says we're going to have a ‘talk' about my future.† He grimaced. Whatever his plans were, it looked like they weren't the same as Tasha's. Most royal Moroi would head off to elite colleges. I wasn't sure what Christian had in mind. It was standard practice after graduation for new guardians to go to the Moroi Royal Court for orientation and to get their assignments. We were all due to leave in a couple of days. Following Christian's gaze, I saw his aunt across the room, and so help me, she was talking to Abe. Tasha Ozera was in her late twenties, with the same glossy black hair and ice blue eyes that Christian had. Her beautiful face was marred, however, by some terrible scarring on one side–the result of injuries inflicted by Christian's own parents. Dimitri had been turned into a Strigoi against his will, but the Ozeras had purposely chosen to turn for the sake of immortality. It had ironically cost them their lives when the guardians hunted them down. Tasha had raised Christian (when he wasn't at school) and was one of the main leaders in the movement supporting those Moroi who wanted to fight Strigoi. Scar or not, I admired her and still thought she was beautiful. From my wayward father's attitude, it was clear he did too. He poured her a glass of champagne and said something that made her laugh. She leaned forward, like she was telling him a secret, and he laughed in return. My jaw dropped. Even from this far away, it was obvious they were flirting. â€Å"Dear God,† I said with a shudder, hastily turning back to Christian and Jill. Christian seemed torn between smugness at my discomfort and his own unease at watching a woman he regarded as a mother get hit upon by a pirate mobster guy. A moment later, Christian's expression softened as he turned back to Jill and continued our conversation. â€Å"Hey, you don't need me,† he said. â€Å"You'll find others around here. You'll have your own superhero club before you know it.† I found myself smiling again, but my kindly feelings were suddenly shattered by a jolt of jealousy. It wasn't my own, though. It was Lissa's, coming through the bond. Startled, I glanced around and spotted her across the room, giving Christian the look of death as he spoke to Jill. It's worth mentioning that Christian and Lissa used to date. More than date. They'd been deeply in love, and honestly, they kind of still were. Unfortunately, recent events had badly strained their relationship, and Christian had broken up with her. He'd loved her but had lost his trust in her. Lissa had spun out of control when another spirit user named Avery Lazar had sought to control her. We'd eventually stopped Avery, and she was currently locked away in a mental institution, last I'd heard. Christian now knew the reasons for Lissa's horrible behavior, but the damage was done. Lissa had initially been depressed, but her sorrow had now turned to anger. She claimed she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but the bond gave her away. She was always jealous of any girl he talked to–particularly Jill, whom he'd been spending a lot of time with lately. I knew for a fact there was nothing romantic going on there. Jill idolized him as some wise teacher, nothing more. If she had a crush on anyone, it was Adrian, who always treated her like a kid sister. We all kind of did, really. Christian followed my gaze, and his expression hardened. Realizing she had his attention, Lissa immediately turned away and began talking to the first guy she found, a good-looking dhampir from my class. She turned on the flirtatious charm that came so easily to spirit users, and soon, both of them were laughing and chatting in a way similar to Abe and Tasha. My party had turned into a round of speed dating. Christian turned back to me. â€Å"Well, looks like she's got plenty to keep her busy.† I rolled my eyes. Lissa wasn't the only one who was jealous. Just as she grew angry whenever he hung out with other girls, Christian became prickly when she spoke to other guys. It was infuriating. Rather than admit they still had feelings and just needed to patch things up, those two idiots just kept displaying more and more hostility toward each other. â€Å"Will you stop already and actually try to talk to her like a rational person someday?† I groaned. â€Å"Sure,† he said bitterly. â€Å"The day she starts acting like a rational person.† â€Å"Oh my God. You guys are going to make me rip my hair out.† â€Å"It'd be a waste of nice hair,† said Christian. â€Å"Besides, she's made her attitude perfectly clear.† I started to protest and tell him how stupid he was, but he had no intention of sticking around to hear a lecture I'd already given a dozen times. â€Å"Come on, Jill,† he said. â€Å"Rose needs to mingle more.† He quickly stepped away, and I had half a mind to go beat some sense into him when a new voice spoke. â€Å"When are you going to fix that?† Tasha was standing next to me, shaking her head at Christian's retreat. â€Å"Those two need to be back together.† â€Å"I know that. You know that. But they can't seem to get it through their heads.† â€Å"Well, you'd better get on it,† she said. â€Å"If Christian goes to college across the country, it'll be too late.† There was a dry–and exasperated–note in her voice when she mentioned Christian going to college. Lissa was going to Lehigh, a university near the Court, per an arrangement with Tatiana. Lissa would get to attend a bigger university than Moroi usually went to, in exchange for spending time at the Court and learning the royal trade. â€Å"I know,† I said in exasperation. â€Å"But why am I the one who has to fix it?† Tasha grinned. â€Å"Because you're the only one forceful enough to make them see reason.† I decided to let Tasha's insolence go, mostly because her talking to me meant that she wasn't talking to Abe. Glancing across the room, I suddenly stiffened. He was now talking to my mother. Snatches of their conversation came to me through the noise. â€Å"Janine,† he said winningly, â€Å"you haven't aged a day. You could be Rose's sister. Do you remember that night in Cappadocia?† My mother actually giggled. I had never heard her do that before. I decided I never wanted to again. â€Å"Of course. And I remember how eager you were to help me when my dress strap broke.† â€Å"Dear God,† I said. â€Å"He's unstoppable.† Tasha looked puzzled until she saw what I was talking about. â€Å"Abe? He's actually pretty charming.† I groaned. â€Å"Excuse me.† I headed toward my parents. I accepted that they'd once had a romance–one that led to my conception–but that didn't mean I wanted to watch them relive it. They were recounting some walk on the beach when I reached them. I promptly tugged Abe's arm away. He was standing way too close to her. â€Å"Hey, can I talk to you?† I asked. He looked surprised but shrugged. â€Å"Certainly.† He gave my mother a knowing smile. â€Å"We'll talk more later.† â€Å"Is no woman safe around here?† I demanded as I led him away. â€Å"What are you talking about?† We came to a stop by the punch bowl. â€Å"You're flirting with every woman in this room!† My chastising didn't faze him. â€Å"Well, there are so many lovely women here†¦. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?† â€Å"No! I wanted to talk to you about threatening my boyfriend. You had no right to do that.† His dark eyebrows shot up. â€Å"What, that? That was nothing. Just a father looking out for his daughter.† â€Å"Most fathers don't threaten to disembowel their daughters' boyfriends.† â€Å"That's not true. And anyway, that's not what I actually said. It was much worse.† I sighed. He seemed to delight in my exasperation. â€Å"Think of it as a graduation gift. I'm proud of you. Everyone knew you'd be good, but no one knew you'd be that good.† He winked. â€Å"They certainly didn't expect you to destroy their property.† â€Å"What property?† â€Å"The bridge.† I frowned. â€Å"I had to. It was the most efficient way. God, that was a bitch of a challenge. What'd the other grads do? They didn't actually fight in the middle of that thing, did they?† Abe shook his head, loving every minute of his superior knowledge. â€Å"No one else was put in that situation.† â€Å"Of course they were. We all face the same tests.† â€Å"Not you. While planning the trials, the guardians decided you needed something†¦ extra. Something special. After all, you'd been out fighting in the real world.† â€Å"What?† The volume of my voice caught the attention of a few others. I lowered it, and Meredith's earlier words came back to me. â€Å"That's not fair!† He didn't seem concerned. â€Å"You're superior to the others. Making you do easy things wouldn't have been fair.† I'd faced a lot of ridiculous things in my life, but this was pretty out there. â€Å"So they had me do that crazy bridge stunt instead? And if they were surprised I cut it, then what the hell else did they expect me to do? How else was I supposed to survive that?† â€Å"Hmm.† He stroked his chin absentmindedly. â€Å"I honestly don't think they knew.† â€Å"Oh, for God's sake. This is unbelievable.† â€Å"Why are you so mad? You passed.† â€Å"Because they put me in a situation they didn't even know how to get out of.† I gave him a suspicious look. â€Å"And how do you even know about this? This is all guardian business.† An expression I didn't like at all came over his face. â€Å"Ah, well, I was with your mother last night and–â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, okay. Just stop,† I interrupted. â€Å"I do not want to hear what you and my mother were doing last night. I think that'd be worse than the bridge.† He grinned. â€Å"Both are in the past, so no need to worry now. Enjoy your success.† â€Å"I'll try. Just don't do me any more favors with Adrian, okay? I mean, I'm glad you came to support me, but that's more than enough.† Abe gave me a canny look, reminding me that underneath that swagger he was indeed a shrewd and dangerous man. â€Å"You were more than happy to have me do you a favor after your return from Russia.† I grimaced. He had a point, seeing as he had managed to get a message into a high-security prison. Even if it hadn't led to anything, he still got points. â€Å"Okay,† I admitted. â€Å"That was pretty amazing. And I'm grateful. I still don't know how you pulled that off.† Suddenly, like a dream you recall a day later, I remembered the thought I'd had just before my trials. I lowered my voice. â€Å"You didn't actually go there, did you?† He snorted. â€Å"Of course not. I wouldn't set foot in that place. I simply worked my network.† â€Å"Where is that place?† I asked, hoping I sounded bland. He wasn't fooled. â€Å"Why do you want to know?† â€Å"Because I'm curious! Convicted criminals always disappear without a trace. I'm a guardian now, and I don't even know anything about our own prison system. Is there just one prison? Are there lots?† Abe didn't answer right away. He was studying me carefully. In his business, he suspected everyone of ulterior motives. As his daughter, I was probably doubly suspect. It was in the genes. He must have underestimated my potential for insanity because he said at last, â€Å"There's more than one. Victor's in one of the worst. It's called Tarasov.† â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"Right now?† He considered. â€Å"In Alaska, I think.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘right now'?† â€Å"It moves throughout the year. Right now it's in Alaska. Later, it'll be in Argentina.† He gave me a sly smile, apparently wondering how astute I was. â€Å"Can you guess why?† â€Å"No, I–wait. Sunlight.† It made perfect sense. â€Å"Alaska's got almost nonstop daylight this time of year–but nonstop night in the winter.† I think he was prouder of my realization than of my trials. â€Å"Any prisoners trying to escape would have a hard time.† In full sun, no Moroi fugitive would get very far. â€Å"Not that anyone can escape through that level of security anyway.† I tried to ignore how foreboding that sounded. â€Å"Seems like they'd put it pretty far north in Alaska then,† I said, hoping to worm out the actual location indirectly. â€Å"You get more light that way.† He chuckled. â€Å"Even I can't tell you that. That's information the guardians keep close, buried in their headquarters.† I froze. Headquarters†¦ Abe, despite being usually observant, didn't notice my reaction. His eyes were watching something across the room. â€Å"Is that Renee Szelsky? My, my†¦ she's grown lovely over the years.† I grudgingly waved him away, largely because I wanted to chase this new plan in my mind–and because Renee wasn't anyone I knew very well, which made him hitting on her less appalling. â€Å"Well, don't let me stop you. Go lure more women into your web.† Abe didn't need much prodding. Alone, I let my brain spin, wondering if my developing scheme had any chance of success. His words had sparked a new plan in my mind. It wasn't much crazier than most of my others. Across the room, I met Lissa's jade eyes again. With Christian out of sight, her mood had improved. She was enjoying herself and was excited about the adventures ahead of us, now that we were free and out in the world. My mind flashed back to the anxieties I'd felt earlier in the day. We might be free now, but reality would catch up with us soon. The clock was ticking. Dimitri was waiting, watching. I wondered briefly if I'd still get his weekly letters, now that I'd be leaving the school. I smiled at her, feeling kind of bad that I'd be ruining her mood when I told her we might now have a very real chance of busting out Victor Dashkov.

Risk of Diseases †English Descriptive Essay

Risk of Diseases – English Descriptive Essay Free Online Research Papers Risk of Diseases English Descriptive Essay Statistics of Canada has recently stated that less than 2% of overweight people living in Canada are overweight because of a thyroid problem and the other 98% are overweight because of their sedentary lifestyle. Working in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and fitness consultant, you get to train and work with a lot of people especially and predominately sedentary individuals who realize that they have to change theory lifestyle in order to decrease their risk of diseases and enable themselves to feel good about themselves. While working, I had the privilege of working with a 32 year old single women from Toronto named Wanda. Wanda like many of the overweight people I have helped for the past 5 years as a personal trainer and fitness consultant wanted to lose weight, she was concerned with her weight, wanted to fit better in to her clothes and wanted to eliminate her old lifestyle for a new improved one. When I first saw Wanda she was the typically sedentary women that I usually encounter. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was very obvious she had bleached, her nose was long and pointy and her she was very fair. When she talked to me I noticed that her thin lips wee cracked and need some lip balm on them. We discussed what she wanted to change about herself and the first thing, she mentioned was her weight. I took a good look at her rounded figure that was estimated to be about 200 lbs. and her height which she was about 5 feet 4 inches and informed her that by my observation of her I could tell that she was in the overweight catelgory according to the BMI which was a measurement of your weight divided my your height and let her know that this would be our main focus. As I had Wanda Atedp to take her skin fold, which was a mental caliper that slightly and gently pinched her skin to tell me how much body fat she had, I noticed het designer name clothes. She had on a red gap t-shirt that was obviously two sizesto small for her that it spaneded her skin was begging to have some fresh air, her belly was sticking out and she had sweat staines under her arms. She wore blue navy blue pants with pink flowers in the front of the tight pants and yellow bumbles on the back. Again theses were too small for her and thought out the skin fold assessment many times she would grasps her hands and squeeze them throughthe side of her pants to pull them up. After the skinfold, we talked about her lifestyle. I knew what she was going to say before any movement of her thin chapped lips open. She looked like the type of wome who ate a lot of unhealthy food like greasy French fries and over drenched ketchup on top of the fries making you double guess if she was eating French fries or kethup. When she got home from work, she would watch tv like the simpsons and the young and the restless then after wasting her whole evening oindulging her self in the tv, she would crawl herself to bed and start all over again. Research Papers on Risk of Diseases - English Descriptive EssayMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraQuebec and CanadaAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementHip-Hop is ArtThe Hockey GameEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentLifes What Ifs

Marketing plan for Unilever Company

Marketing plan for Unilever Company Purpose of the plan The purpose of this marketing plan will be to evaluate the existing retail market strategy for Unilever Company and compare it to the rivals’ strategies. The marketing plan will also be designed after investigating the current trends and developments existing in the retail sector.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing plan for Unilever Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Situational Analysis Target market (of current products) The company products prices are easily affordable to all classes of customers since the company uses a value pricing strategy across all the regions where its branches are found. In terms of the products offered, the company boasts of a multi-brand system where the brand names are known by their positive reputation of being high quality products and thus easier to reach a higher market pool than the rivals(Jones 2002). Distribution network The company ha s a well established distribution network in the more than a 100 countries where the company has invested in. This is very helpful since it helps the customers in accessing company products. Competition The completion Unilever company is facing shall be analyzed in the porters 5 keys of competition (Porter 1988) The Threat from New Entrants: (Low) The products offered by Unilever such as the food and personal care require high capital investment to penetrate the market in relation to the established distribution channels which enables to compete effectively. With the company having branches in more than 100 countries and its ability to design its products according to the customers’ needs, reduces any notable threat from new market entrants. Threat of Substitutes (High) With the emphasis on health eating being at its prime, consumers have been turning to other alternatives such as low carbohydrate and calorie diets as a result making the substitutes threat very high. Bargaini ng Power of Suppliers (Low) This has been low due to the fact that Unilever has a very big and well known business unit, which cannot be forced to change (or influenced in any way in their decision making) by other suppliers.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bargaining Powers of Suppliers (High) The customers, especially those who live in the European Union region, keep on demanding new products and improved features and also diversity in the product prices offered. As a result, the company has been forced to develop new products such as the slimming products. Competition (High) The company faces high competition from companies such as the Novartis, Nestle and DANONE (Neff 2010). As a result, this has forced the company to restructure its program which was aimed at cutting the old portfolio of 1600 brands down to the major 400 core brands. The above rivals are producing similar products to what Unilever and hence the high competition. Financial conditions The company enjoys vast investments almost in every corner of the world as a result currently the financial conditions for Unilever can be described as stable External forces Political The company operates literally everywhere in the world both in the developed and the less developed economies where political situations are stable and chances of market interference by governments of the countries are very minimal thus they cannot control how Unilever markets its products. To reduce chances of political interference, the company uses its experience and goodwill to make contacts in many countries bargaining with the governments so as to modify the regulations and as a result, Unilever has gained political ground using its tactical strategy and experience helping in creation of favourable business environment and increasing their market share in the long run. Economic With the European coun tries under the umbrella of the European Union using one currency (the Euro), the whole of the European market has been transformed to a single market as a result this has led to an increased market for the company products. The single currency has also played a big role in stabilizing the inflation rates within the region and as a result Unilever Company enjoys stable prices throughout the region.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing plan for Unilever Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Technological The firm’s intention is not only to maximize wealth but also anticipates the aspirations of its consumers in order for them to respond creatively and competitively. As other firms automate their systems Unilever has not been left behind and of late the company has been putting much effort on research and development and also launching of modified products so as to satisfy all the stakeholders (Ide a Connection ND). This works well with ensuring the customers are aware of what content the products they buy from Unilever have thus creating reassurance that if the qualities of the good are overlooked, they can always contact the company offices and raise their issues. Summary of situational analysis (SWOT Table) Strengths Leads in most of the food products it offers in the market products such as soups, tea, and cream. Leads in producing and supplying frozen food products in Europe. Leads in producing and selling multiple brands. Possesses the art of producing customer made products that suit their customers completely. Observation and adherence to customers’ needs and desires. The company enjoys good diversity of nationalities as the company has invested almost everywhere in the world. The large range of the products ensures that the customers remain flocking all year out. The company’s liquid tablets for laundry purposes as well as fabric soft eners prevent lime scale when used in stem irons and this has been a major strong point. Increasing market share in the Latin America region, Africa and the Middle East regions. Weaknesses Slump demand from the American region. Company products: the frozen foods, prestige perfume and other household care have been underperforming way below the set targets. The lagging divisions have been affecting the sales growth for the Unilever 400 leading brands. Declining market share for the slim products as people become more health sensitive. Threats from other rivals such as Marks Spencer and Sainsbury (Emmo Dave 2007) Opportunities With consumers changing tastes, the company can change their market segments to a more health-conscious group especially women who can afford to buy the products. Opportunities for market development in the developing countries. They are also high penetrating opportunities in the Latin America region. Adoption of new technologies will aid in easier financial and customer management(IBM 2006) Threats Stiff competition from other rivals in the industry especially the DANONE, Marks and Spencer and also from Sainsbury. Consumer loss of confidence and trust in Unilever products. Many prefer reduced fats and exercises (Unilever 2011). The retailers (subsidiaries) don’t stock enough products (Clarke 2011) Segmentation, targeting, positioning Segmentation refers to the process of dividing a heterogeneous market and breaking it into smaller homogenous segments where members of a certain group correspond to certain needs. Targeting on the other hand is the identifiable group at which a company such as Unilever directs its efforts towards satisfying the clients (Wedel Kamakura 2000). Strategies have thus been developed for each target market by combining the four elements of marketing to make a successful market mix. The company has been targeting households for home care products as well as health sen sitive individuals. Positioning is usually determined in order for the customers to know where the product stands in relation to other rival products. Unilever has positioned themselves as foods and personal care producers with the company positioning itself as a high quality and pocket friendly products producing company. Marketing Strategy Corporate objectives To regain and control the market leadership for the next decade. Regain the stockholder as well as consumer confidence. To make the management more internationalized. Marketing Objectives To create sustainable profitable growth and value for shareholders by increasing the profits by 5% To boost the sales and the margins through a growth strategy by 7.5% To increase spending on advertising the 300 out of 400 core products by allocating marketing budget of 5000 million pounds To increase the market share and maintain leadership in the company’s core product by ensuring and creating customer loyalty and producing prod ucts which meet specific customers in the market. Financial Objectives Increase Unilever marketing funding by 50% over the next two financial years. Increase Unilever capital funding by 5% in next year’s budget and at least 5% each year after that. Societal Objectives To improve the society perception of our products To provide more healthy products in order to maintain our loyal customers To sponsors games and other sporting events in order to closer to our customers and know they feel about our products. Programs The company products touch the lives of many people throughout the world. In nutrition themes, Unilever has of late been recognized on helping their shoppers make a strong choice by enhancing the dietary quality of their products, through intensifying the consumer choice and offering vivid information to their customers.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The efforts have been witnessed in the past such as the introduction of the Nutrition Enhancement Program introduced in 2005 which has enhanced the company achieve the internationally accepted guidelines for nutrition content such as fats, salts and sugar content. With the Food and Agriculture Organization predicting increased populations of undernourished people, the company has in response introduced products which check into malnutrition problems for example the Rama/Blue Band which contains vitamins A and D and the Annapurna salt which is iodized reducing goitre related problems. Target market Marketing touches every aspect of an entrepreneur’s business operation. It is usually a series of activities designed to identify what the customers really want or are looking for in your good or service. The company will target both the middle and the lower classes by offering the products at low prices (Kleiner Adams 2003). Product Product is a bundle of benefits being delivered to meet the needs of our customers (Tronstad 1995). Product policies are concerned with what Unilever should do in their new product and brand development. Branding is part of the actual product and is usually an important issue when considering the product strategy. Branding is usually used to give company products unique identities and helps the marketer to differentiate their product from those of competitors (Rosenzweig 2000). Unilever will use this branding strategy because its name is already established worldwide. The launch costs of new products will be low and the brand loyal customers are likely to try the branded new products. Promotion Promotion entails all the tools we shall use in order to communicate with our customers. They include advertising, sales promotions, direct marketing and public relations among others. In all these, there exist two promotion strategies: the pull or the push strategy (Nitschke ND). Unilever will use the pull strategy whereby the company wil l promote its products to the final customers by encouraging them to buy. As a result, the consumers will be encouraged to demand the products from their intermediaries. Distribution Place simply refers to the means through which our product will reach the consumer (Kotler 2000). It involves the distribution activities which are necessary in getting a product to a customer. With the established distribution centres, Unilever will seek to introduce smaller branches within the countries where the company has introduced subsidiaries as well as introducing new market openings in new areas. Pricing Price is usually the amount our customers will be willing to pay in order to access our product this value comes along (Ellickson Misra 2006). In today’s market place, Unilever will continue using the high quality low price strategy to ensure that the company retains its market share. Financial plan (Determining) The marketing budget Projected costs, revenues and sales forecasts ite m Cost in US Dollars Material costs 2500000 labor costs 6500000 overhead costs 5200000 Advertising costs 350000 promotions 500000 Networking 100000 15150000 Anticipated profits After implementing the business plan, we expect that the company will make profits of 10 billion dollars in the first quarter though the operating costs are expected to increase and the economy to remain sluggish. Implementation Process Measures for measuring performance Using the balance score method, Unilever will be able to control four perspectives of marketing: from the financial perspective, if the company is to meet the objectives, it will be required to monitor and measure all the profits margin sales and other goals through management of the objectives. Thus, the company will be required to measure the profitability of its products according to the region. The desired increase in shareholders’ value will be easily measured through dividends. From the customer perspective, the critical success factors will be measured by making sure they observe the consumer satisfaction index and also by analyzing the problems presented by the consumers. The internal perspective to be measured is the efficiency: this will be done by controlling marketing aspects such as sales force efficiency as well as advertising efficiency. Finally, the last perspective which Unilever can check how the implementation is going on is though the strategic control; this will require the company taking the initiative to critically review the overall marketing and corporate objectives (Martin ND). Implementation procedure If the analysis of our market mixes strategies show that implementation of such measures will aid to the growth of the company, we shall then implement our marketing plan into two phases: Phase one will involve implementing our marketing plan in the European region where the market is stable compared to the other places in Africa, Latin America and Middle East regions. Af ter implementing it fully, if any modifications are required we shall then modify the marketing plan before we can implement it in the other regions. All implementation activities will be planned and scheduled by using a Gantt chart as this will help in monitoring and controlling what has been done and what will have remained (Bunin 2008) Market penetration To penetrate the new markets, Unilever will use the low pricing high quality strategy in order to attract the low class and middle classes in all the regions that the company has established its subsidiaries. To increase the volume of sales the company must ensure that the goods remain of high quality to ensure the customers continue deriving maximum utility. Market development Service program development The company also gives back to the society through its employees. They have introduced the (Lamplighter) program which permits its employees to gauge and track the important aspects of their health (such as blood pressure). In r eturn a healthy workforce for Unilever translates into more friendly and consumer engaged employees. Diversification The company has a wide range of frozen foods, tea, laundry soaps and ice creams among other products. It is also dedicated at providing its customers with the best information about food and nutrition in order to help them make sound decisions when purchasing the company products. About holding promotions, the company has been advertising fully in the internet due to the huge market pool it holds with much interest given on high quality and value. Another market aspect which Unilever has been able to use is the distribution system in which the company distributes its products through their intermediaries throughout the world in every location where their branches are located (Clarke 2011). Reference List Bunin, R.B. 2008. New Perspectives on Microsoft Project 2007: Introductory. London, Cengage Learning. Clarke, F. 2011. Unilever, Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Rio Ice Cream Wars . [Online] Available at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/unilever-and-nestle%E2%80%99s-rio-ice-cream-wars/ . Ellickson, P. B., Misra, S., 2006. Supermarket Pricing Strategies. [Online] Available at: gsb.stanford.edu/facseminars/pdfs/2006_11-17_Ellickson.pdf . Emmo, M., and Dave, D. 2007. Looking Good, Feeling Good and Getting More Out of Life. [Online] Available at: unilever.com/images/iv-icn09_Vitality-symposium-proceedings_tcm13-189850_tcm13-189850.pdf. Idea Connection. Not Dated. Unilever uses Collaboration to Develop Clean Water Solution. [Online] Available at: ideaconnection.com/open-innovation-success/Unilever-uses-Collaboration-to-Develop-Clean-Water-So-00172.html. Jones, G. 2002. Unilever- a Case Study. [Online] available at: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3212.html. Kleiner, E., Abrams, R. 2003. The Successful Business Plan: Secrets Strategies. 4th Edition. London, The Planning Shop Kotler, P. 2000. Marketing Management. New York, Prentice Hall International , Millennium edition IBM. 2006. Unilever Europe Improves Retail Execution And Trade Promotions Efficiency With IBM. [Online] available from; http://www-304.ibm.com/easyaccess/fileserve?contentid=75673 . Martin, J.R. Not Dated. Kaplan, R. S. and D. P. Norton. 1992. The Balanced Scorecard Measures That Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review (January-February): 71-79. [Online] Available at: http://maaw.info/ArticleSummaries/ArtSumKaplanNorton92.htm . Neff, J. 2010. Why Execs at Some of PGs Fiercest Rivals Hold Its Stock: Package-Goods Giants Alums Are Increasingly Cropping Up at Competitors. [Online] Available at: http://adage.com/article/news/p-g-alums-crop-rivals-unilever-estee-lauder-lvmh/143612/. Nitischke, R., Not Dated. The 5Ps of marketing: Arago Partners LLC. [Online] Available from: aragopartnersllc.com/documents/The5PsofMarketing.pdf . Rosenzweig, S. 2000. Smart Marketing: What Big Companies Practice and You Should Learn about Marketing, Branding and Business Development . 2nd Edition. London, Emery Publishing Company. Tronstad, R., 1995. Product Position. [Online] Available at: http://ag.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/PRODUCT.pdf . Porter, M.E. 1998. Competitive Advantage: Creating And Sustaining Superior Performance: With A New Introduction. New York, Simon and Schuster Publishers. Unilever. 2000. Unilever. International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 32. St. James Press. [Online] Available at: fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Unilever-Company-History.html . Unilever. 2011. Millions Of people all over the world have lost weight wit SlimFast. [Online] Available at: unilever.com/brands/foodbrands/slim-fast/index.aspx . Wedel, M., and Kamakura, W.A. 2000. Market Segmentation: Conceptual And Methodological Foundations. 2nd Edition. New York, Springer Publishers.

1. What is your Managerial Philosophy Under what conditions it will Assignment

1. What is your Managerial Philosophy Under what conditions it will work and what may make you reconsider your managerial philosophy 2. What is ethics and what is ethical behaviour - Assignment Example The other condition where it would work is where the management lenders challenging but job related tasks, guidance to their success in these challenges rejuvenates the energy to work harder. However, there are extreme cases that lead to the reconsideration of this philosophy; when brooding and checking for potential leaders within the team, as a manager one has to drop this philosophy to observe the best skills or who could coordinate others in your absentia yet via the right business track. Ethics can be defined as a control mechanism involving systemization, defending and recommending various concepts termed as right or wrong that often address moral disputes or limit chances of moral dispute occurrence all together (Barbara, 2010). Ethical behavior means acting in a manner consistent with individuals or the society typically regard as good values. This behavior is healthy for any goal-oriented business. Ethical behavior is known to involve demonstration of respect for important and morally upright principles, which includes fairness, dignity, honesty individual rights, equality and diversity. In conclusion, management philosophies guide a business leader, but would be eased further by training the staff on the benefits of work ethics where they can guide themselves in the manager’s

American foundation for the blind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American foundation for the blind - Essay Example ed in raising the organization’s profile and changed how people perceived the blind and facilitated the expansion of AFB with many achievements like standardizing the English braille code. The mission statement of the American Foundation for the Blind is â€Å"to remove barriers, create solutions, and expand possibilities so people with vision loss can achieve their full potential† (â€Å"American Foundation for the Blind†, n.p, 2013). This clearly states the main aim of AFB. Migel formulated the mission of AFB and he wished to create a forum for blindness professionals, research and respect the blind. There are many people in the society who are affected by vision loss and AFB makes their lives easy by providing necessary services required. The American foundation for the blind offer variety of services some of which include continuing education credit via Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), provides eLearning services for professional development. AFB as well advocates for the right of the blind to ensure that they equally participate in societal activities. The current happenings of the organization include, AFB offering eleven scholarships for higher education for blind students, nomination for 2014 Migel medals, and AFB eLearning center offers new Webnar on using the iPad in the classroom among others (â€Å"American Foundation for the Blind†,