Motives for the voyages of discovery Research Paper

Motives for the voyages of discovery - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: The research work on the film Conquest of Paradise proves that the protagonist’s motives for his voyages of discovery include his personal motive to prove his worthiness as a sailor, to quench the renaissance spirit by going beyond national boundaries, to find out new lands, to extend European influence to new lands, to plunder gold and wealth from the natives, to find out new sea routes, colonization under the crown, to spread Christianity, and to expand trade and commerce in future years. This section is broadly divided into: personal motive, renaissance spirit, to find out new lands, expansion of European influence, to plunder wealth, to find out sea routes, colonization, religious purposes, and expansion of trade. Personal motive: In the movie, the director makes use of the protagonist’s personal motive (say, to prove his value as a sailor) to unearth the importance of the expeditions of discovery. To be specific, the protagonist decides to fulfil his personal aim by conducting a voyage to unseen lands. Deanne Schultz opines that, â€Å"Despite weak condescension to the counter discourse, the film argues that Columbus deserves restoration to a legacy of greatness.†1 One can see that the protagonist tries to convince Queen Isabella I that he is worthy enough to conduct an expedition. This personal motive to prove oneself as a worthy sailor is inherent in almost all sailors. Still, the protagonist fails to convince the queen because the proposed expedition will result in economic burden. But the protagonist does not give up his personal interest/aim. Instead, he tires his level best to gain a ship and crew members. This proves that the protagonist is so obsessed with his personal motive/interest. So, one can see that the director sheds light into the protagonist’s inner mind and unveils the reason behind his passion towards sailing. Renaissance spirit: The protagonist’s expeditions of discovery in the film are symbolic of the influence of Renaissance that urges individuals to go beyond national boundaries. To be specific, the protagonist represents the spirit of Renaissance to explore the unknown. One can see that Renaissance resulted in geographical discoveries. The protagonist is aware that his expedition can help him to gain glory. But, he does not possess a ship or crew members. Still, his unending passion towards adventure forces him to approach the queen. This passion towards adventure is the essence of Renaissance. Somehow, the protagonist convinces the queen and starts his expedition. The director makes use of the protagonist’s effort to portray the human passion to know the unknown. The protagonist is aware that he cannot fulfil his dreams without seeking help from the queen. Besides, he knew that his voyage can help him to be on the pinnacle of success. The protagonist does not like to an idle individual because his destiny is interconnected with the revolutionary spi rit of Renaissance. One can see that the protagonist’s passion towards his profession and its relationship with the rapid change in European mindset helped him to be victorious in the end. So, the director convinces the viewers and proves that Renaissance spirit guides the protagonist towards his expeditions of discovery. To find out new lands: In the movie, the director makes use of historical facts to prove that the protagonist’s aim was not to reach the mainland of America, but to reach Asia. To be

Macbeth Film Comparison Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Film Comparison Essay Compare and contrast the opening scenes of Polanskis 1971 film version of Macbeth with Geoffrey Wrights 2007 adaptation. Roman Polanskis and Geoffrey Wrights adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth are filmed in different styles despite being based on the same play. This may be to suit a different audience or convey a different message to one another. Roman Polanskis 1971 reproduction opens on a wide angle shot of a beach with a sunrise coming up over the horizon. This creates a feeling of morning, and that this is just the start of a storyline. After this, three old, weathered women appear and dig a hole in the sand- allowing a mysterious atmosphere to develop, which leaves the audience wanting to know more. The witches then bury a dagger encased in a severed hand and a hangmans noose. These items allow the audience to ponder upon the connection of the items. The witches then say their goodbyes and wander off along the beach, the only sound being the squeaking of their cart used to haul the ritual items in. This shot is quite simple, but it creates a feeling of anticipation. Geoffrey Wrights 2007 adaptation opens in a more 21st century blockbuster style, with attractive young schoolgirls playing the part of the witches who vandalise a graveyard by gouging out the eyes of statues of angels and spraying the eyes of the statues with red spray paint. This is quite an aggressive scene to start with, and sets the pace for the rest of the film. Compared to Polanskis version, this introduction offers a more up-beat feel, instead of the more sombre style of the 1971 film. The camera then pans round to a close-up of Macbeths face whose attention is drawn to the young schoolgirls as they wander past him. He then looks at his wife who is kneeling over their dead sons grave crying. Again, another close-up, but this time of Lady Macbeths face which at this point is not particularly attractive. This could show Macbeths desire for a prettier woman in the schoolgirls, and reality- the less attractive sight of his wife; but in the end, no-one knows what he is thinking, just that he is not comforting his wife. Here, the atmosphere is quite tense- lots of things are happening at one time which makes you feel like you are there, in Macbeths hectic, confused mind. In relation to Polanskis film, this film is less mysterious and makes you expect fewer twists because there have been not many so far. The title graphics in Polanskis film are set in a Roman style font, Seriffed and coloured black. The aged font emphasizes the fact that the film is very traditional. This style of writing is often used in newspaper articles. The 2007 adaptation uses a much more modern, contemporary sans-serif font. The text is coloured red- a recurring theme in this film. In the 1971 version, a wide angle shot of the beach is the start of the film. This wide angle shot is used throughout the first scene to depict the bleak landscape that the film is set in. The wide shot could also be showing us the bigger picture- that there are many little thing that make up the plot of Macbeth, and this is just one little thing on a wide, open beach. Geoffrey Wrights film does not include many wide- angle shots in the first few scenes. This is most probably because of the action-packed nature of the film. Therefore the camera follows the action intensely- for example following the witches around the graveyard. This gives the audience an adrenalin rush- especially in the action scenes where the audience can perceive themselves to be taking part in the violence. In both films however, close-up shots of the faces of the main characters are shown. In Polanskis film this is to show mainly emotion- the creepy expressions of the witches, and Macbeths blank expression when shown in a close-up. When Macbeth is first shown, invaders are being hung in the background- but Macbeth retains his blank facial expression- suggesting that he has no feelings for those being hung. Geoffrey Wrights film shows close-ups of the faces of the witches defacing the statues at the graveyards. These shots show the determination that the witches show by their facial expressions to destroy all that has to do with God and heaven in the graveyard. The close-ups of Lady Macbeths face show her weakness in her love for her dead child. Polanskis film uses very weak morning light as a setting for the beach scene. This gives a dull, grey, washed out look to the beach. The beach seems quite uncomfortable, as it is daybreak and there is almost no light and the open beach makes you feel cold inside creating an atmosphere that hints to you that something bad is about to happen. Similarly, the 2007 version seems to be shot in the day, but there is very little light as the graveyard is overcast. Despite this, the graveyard feels more comfortable due to the auburn hair of the witches which seem to emit warmth and light- allowing the audience to feel more relaxed and enjoy the action scene that follows. Polanskis film opens with the witches burying strange items that all link to death and suffering- a dagger, a noose and a severed hand. Blood (possibly a symbol of murder) is then poured over the items. The witches then spit on either side of themselves, possibly to bind themselves to the witchcraft they are taking part in. the weather at that time is bleak ,and a thunderstorm is brewing- possibly suggesting a little cheaply hat something bad is about to happen. At that point, after the title sequence, the king gallops onto the beach to the sound of trumpets- symbolic of royalty and fame. In Geoffrey Wrights adaptation, a recurring theme of red is used from the start of the film. This colour represents blood, murder, death, danger, and the underworld. For example, the witches hair is Auburn, suggesting that they pose a mild danger to Macbeth. Also, The Cawdor- the bar which is used as a drugs den, has red wallpaper- suggesting that it is part of the underworld. The witches vandalise a graveyard at the start of the film, showing their hatred towards God and heaven. They gouge out the eyes of the angels- possibly making them blind to what is about to happen. Red spray paint is forcefully sprayed in the eyes of the statues, also making them oblivious to the witchcraft about to take place. Crosses are also defaced- possibly a reference to Macbeths worries about his afterlife. After the vandalism, the girls quieten down, possibly showing an ounce of respect seen as though the place they just demolished is a graveyard. Macbeth is dressed in casual attire, but in black, as in the introduction, he is supposed to be mourning his sons death. Macbeths wife also lays down white roses- symbols of love and innocence- ironic as in the end, nobody seems to be innocent! Later on, as Macbeth and his gang chase a drug dealer from the underworld (with the prevailing colour of red), yellow street lights and buildings are shown- this separated the real world from the underworld. This shows the audience that Macbeths actions are not within the realms of what a normal person would do, and that in order to carry on with his normal life; he must keep his actions inside the underworld. Music is an important part in setting the scene for a film, and in Roman Polanskis film, a droning, repetitive, chaos-inducing tune is used which shows the kookiness of the witches. When Macbeth is shown, a drum beat, not dissimilar to that of an army march beat is used. This shows how Macbeth is a soldier and will fight for his king. The King has music played on a trumpet- vey regal and flattering, this shows his position clearly as a monarch. The music played for the different characters is mostly to show who they are in terms of status; and the music is used instead of a lengthy introduction, allowing the audience to apply stereotypes to the different characters via the music and paint a picture in their minds about the character, but on a deeper level than shown on screen. While the title graphics are showing, fighting sounds are played- simulating the sounds of a battlefield. Plus with swords clanging and maces clashing, the audience are allowed to recreate their own battle in their minds without the help of visual hints. The 2007 version uses similarly annoying, grating noises for the witches- but this time using hissing sounds- possibly a link to the devil posing as a snake in the Bible story of Adam and Eve, where the snake fools Eve into eating the Apple, who then fools Adam into also eating the apple- an uncanny resemblance to the tragedy of Macbeth. Instead of showing a blank screen while showing the title credits, Wright preferred to show a gung-ho showdown between Macbeths gang and an Asian gang. Here, the music is loud and upbeat in contrast to the hissing beforehand- just like the 1971 version. Possibly in an attempt to entice the audience of the 21st century, Wright uses very violent scenes- such as depicting men being shot with submachine guns by Macbeth. Again- this may have been done to excite the audience; and instead of letting the audience make up the fight in their minds, a graphical representation has been put on a plate for them. This was not done in 1971 due to the social taboos against showing excessively violent scenes in films- a theme that runs right through the 2007 version as nowadays, these types of scenes are generally being seen as more and more acceptable; despite many believing that suggesting is much more powerful than stating- as could be the case in Wrights version. Roman Polanskis film shows witches dressed in ragged clothes, unwashed and with no shoes. This allows the audience to see immediately that these women are strange, and not very wealthy. The king on the other hand is shown to wear a fine suit of armour, with a polished helmet- showing his social importance and wealth. Macbeth lies in the middle of the two extremes- not exuberantly poor like the witches- as he wears chainmail and shoes; but not very wealthy and important- as he has no banner or shiny helmet. This simplistic method of categorising people shows the simplistic way in which Polanski is trying to depict the characters and show the audience how Macbeth is lodged between the two extremes of wealth and social status. When Macbeth meets up with his gang for the action sequence, all of his gang are dressed casually in dark clothes. All except the gangs Consigliere (the Kings son) who is dressed in a smart black suit with a red tie- again, with reference to the recurring theme of red, this time showing him as royalty, and as having a higher social status than the other gang members. Hair is an important part of first impressions- in Polanskis film, Macbeths hair is not shown in the introduction, and is hidden by a chainmail hood. This could hint at Macbeth being sheltered from evil and guarded due to his hood acting as a safety blanket. The King wears a crown- a symbol of true royalty, and his hair is uncovered- possibly showing that he is weak. Geoffrey Wrights adaptation also depicts the King as being weaker than the other characters when his hair colour is looked at. The King is shown as having very fair, blonde hair- again being a symbol of innocence and weakness. The witches in Polanskis film have different hairstyles- two have hoods- like Macbeths but made of cloth, and one has dirty, unwashed brown hair. This array of hairstyles allows the audience to realise that the witches are individuals, and are not all identical in the way they behave. On the other hand, the 2007 version shows all of the witches having the same hairstyle and colour- that being red- with connotations to blood and death. This also is trying to show the audience that they are quite aggressive and possibly have links to the devil. Roman Polanskis film depicts Macbeth with 1970s style censoring- no explicitly violent or sexual scenes; but traditional hints at what is happening. Wrights version is essentially a film from a totally different time period- showing excessive violence to help the modern audience understand what is going on. I think that despite the sometimes cheesy details of the film, Polanski has created a classic that really entices the audience and makes them wonder what is going on when subtle hints are dropped directing the viewer on the right direction in terms of their mental picture of the scene. The 2007 version shows how complacent modern-day audiences have become with violence and nudity in films. I think that this is mostly down to the filmmakers wanting to make the film more exciting- in some ways they have, as the action scenes in the film can be quite gripping. But as a teenager, I think that more needs to be done in order to let my imagination get to work and try to think of what is really happening, and what is the film trying to tell me beyond the gratuitous violence.

The Ethics of Student-Faculty Business Deals :: Argumentative Persuasive Teacher Essays

The Ethics of Student-Faculty Business Deals The Akamai Corporation has meant big money for one Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and one of his students. Back in 1995, Tom Leighton, a professor of applied mathematics at MIT, started playing around with ways to use complex algorithms to ease congestion on the Web. He enlisted several researchers, including one of his graduate students, Danny Lewin. At the time, they weren't thinking about starting a company. But Mr. Lewin, following the keen instincts of a cash-strapped graduate student, suggested they enter the project in the Sloan School's annual business-plan competition. They won the software category in the preliminary round and then entered the finals, where they finished among the top six. Mr. Leighton and Mr. Lewin were still interested in the technology mainly as an academic exercise, but the possibility that their work could have real-world applications pulled them inevitably into business. They launched Akamai Technologies Inc. in the fall of 1998, and took it public the following October. Opening day saw the stock soar from $26 a share to more than $145, giving the company a day-one market cap of $13.13 billion. This sounds like a great business venture, but there still is a small problem. Mr. Lewin was one of Mr. Leighton's students when they formed the Akamai Company. This brings about the moral question of the case. Should students and professors be allowed to start companies together? Although there is no clear answer, there is widespread agreement among administrators that schools need to address the question. As a result, many M.B.A. programs are in the process of reviewing and, in many cases, implementing policies and guidelines governing student-professor business collaborations. The burden of this moral question falls mostly on professors since student is not an establish profession and thereby has no formal code of ethics. On one side of the issue are those who point to ethical considerations and insist that schools can't tolerate the possibility that students may perceive any conflict of interest on the part of a professor. On the other side are those who've invested substantial time and money in a business-school education specifically to gain access to professors. These people don’t want to consider any restriction on their ability to conduct their business lives as they see fit. Caught in the middle are administrators, who must protect their schools' academic integrity while trying to accommodate students and faculty alike.

Day When Every Thing Went Wrong

It was a fine Saturday morning. I got up in haste. Quickly I got ready for my school. It was 7. 05 am and my mother shouted at me for not taking my breakfast properly. However I ran to my bus stop and to my utter misfortune the bus had already left. I was literally breathless. I couldn’t afford to go a single minute late in my maths examination. Again I ran to my house and luckily my brother was there to take me to my school. I thanked God for that and bidding goodbye to my mother we both went to school.On the way we saw huge mass gathering for there took place an accident. My brother stopped there for a while. I actually didn’t want him to go and inspect the matter. Rather I said him to take another route. He managed to take me by another way. Suddenly my eye fell on my watch and I saw there were fifteen more minutes for our examination to start. I just closed my eyes and prayed that I would be able to attend my examination properly. My brother asked me not to worry an d assured that we would reach school in just five minutes.He raised the pin of the speedometer to 80 . I took a deep breath of relaxation as I could see my school in front of my eyes. Then suddenly two dogs rushed to the middle of the road fighting strenuously. My brother failed to control the speed and ultimately one of the dogs came between the two wheels of our bike. Our bike got hashed on the wall. My head got banged on a stone. But still then I was uttering â€Å"my examination, my examination!! †My brother was bleeding profusely.But he managed to take a lift from a van. I got admitted in the Hospital and had facial paralysis for some time. Seriously if I had to remember the worst day of my life then it would be none other than 4th January 2010. I felt so bad that I couldn’t even express my feelings in words. The whole year I worked so hard and at the end I got promotion to the next class on the basis of a medical certificate. But I thanked God for keeping me and my brother safe.

Part Five Chapter VIII

XIII Sukhvinder had been walking around Pagford longer than Samantha. She had left the Old Vicarage shortly after her mother had told her she must go to work, and since then had been wandering the streets, observing invisible exclusion zones around Church Row, Hope Street and the Square. She had nearly fifty pounds in her pocket, which represented her wages from the cafe and the party, and the razor blade. She had wanted to take her building society pass book, which resided in a little filing cabinet in her father's study, but Vikram had been at his desk. She had waited for a while at the bus stop where you could catch a bus into Yarvil, but then she had spotted Shirley and Lexie Mollison coming down the road, and dived out of sight. Gaia's betrayal had been brutal and unexpected. Pulling Fats Wall †¦ he would drop Krystal now that he had Gaia. Any boy would drop any girl for Gaia, she knew that. But she could not bear to go to work and hear her one ally trying to tell her that Fats was all right, really. Her mobile buzzed. Gaia had already texted her twice. How pissed was I last nite? R u going 2 work? Nothing about Fats Wall. Nothing about snogging Sukhvinder's torturer. The new message said, R u OK? Sukhvinder put the mobile back into her pocket. She might walk towards Yarvil and catch a bus outside town, where nobody would see her. Her parents would not miss her until five thirty, when they expected her home from the cafe. A desperate plan formed as she walked, hot and tired: if she could find a place to stay that cost less than fifty pounds †¦ all she wanted was to be alone and ply her razor blade. She was on the river road with the Orr flowing beside her. If she crossed the bridge, she would be able to take a back street all the way round to the start of the bypass. ‘Robbie! Robbie! Where are you?' It was Krystal Weedon, running up and down the river bank. Fats Wall was smoking, with one hand in his pocket, watching Krystal run. Sukhvinder took a sharp right onto the bridge, terrified that one of them might notice her. Krystal's yells were echoing off the rushing water. Sukhvinder caught sight of something in the river below. Her hands were already on the hot stone ledge before she had thought about what she was doing, and then she had hoisted herself onto the edge of the bridge; she yelled, ‘He's in the river, Krys!' and dropped, feet first, into the water. Her leg was sliced open by a broken computer monitor as she was pulled under by the current. Part Five Chapter VIII VIII Samantha was driven from the spare room at last by her urgent need to pee. She drank cold water from the tap in the bathroom until she felt sick, gulped down two paracetamol from the cabinet over the sink, then took a shower. She dressed without looking at herself in the mirror. Through everything she did, she was alert for some noise that would indicate the whereabouts of Miles, but the house seemed to be silent. Perhaps, she thought, he had taken Lexie out somewhere, away from her drunken, lecherous, cradle-snatching mother †¦ (‘He was in Lexie's class at school!' Miles had spat at her, once they were alone in their bedroom. She had waited for him to move away from the door, then wrenched it back open and run to the spare room.) Nausea and mortification came over her in waves. She wished she could forget, that she had blacked out, but she could still see the boy's face as she launched herself at him †¦ she could remember the feel of his body pressed against her, so skinny, so young †¦ If it had been Vikram Jawanda, there might have been some dignity in it †¦ She had to get coffee. She could not stay in the bathroom for ever. But as she turned to open the door, she saw herself in the mirror, and her courage almost failed. Her face was puffy, her eyes hooded, the lines in her face etched more deeply by pressure and dehydration. Oh God, what must he have thought of me †¦ Miles was sitting in the kitchen when she entered. She did not look at him, but crossed straight to the cupboard where the coffee was. Before she had touched the handle, he said, ‘I've got some here.' ‘Thanks,' she muttered, and poured herself out a mug, avoiding eye contact. ‘I've sent Lexie over to Mum and Dad's,' said Miles. ‘We need to talk.' Samantha sat down at the kitchen table. ‘Go on, then,' she said. ‘Go on – is that all you can say?' ‘You're the one who wants to talk.' ‘Last night,' said Miles, ‘at my father's birthday party, I came to look for you, and I found you snogging a sixteen-year – ‘ ‘Sixteen-year-old, yes,' said Samantha. ‘Legal. One good thing.' He stared at her, appalled. ‘You think this is funny? If you'd found me so drunk that I didn't even realize – ‘ ‘I did realize,' said Samantha. She refused to be Shirley, to cover everything up with a frilly little tablecloth of polite fiction. She wanted to be honest, and she wanted to penetrate that thick coating of complacency through which she no longer recognized a young man she had loved. ‘You did realize – what?' said Miles. He had so plainly expected embarrassment and contrition that she almost laughed. ‘I did realize that I was kissing him,' she said. He stared at her, and her courage seeped away, because she knew what he was going to say next. ‘And if Lexie had walked in?' Samantha had no answer to that. The thought of Lexie knowing what had happened made her want to run away and not come back – and what if the boy told her? They had been at school together. She had forgotten what Pagford was like †¦ ‘What the hell's going on with you?' asked Miles. ‘I'm †¦ unhappy,' said Samantha. ‘Why?' asked Miles, but then he added quickly, ‘Is it the shop? Is it that?' ‘A bit,' said Samantha. ‘But I hate living in Pagford. I hate living on top of your parents. And sometimes,' she said slowly, ‘I hate waking up next to you.' She thought he might get angry, but instead he asked, quite calmly, ‘Are you saying you don't love me any more?' ‘I don't know,' said Samantha. ‘Maybe he'll be the first of many!' yelled Samantha, getting up from the table and slamming her mug down in the sink; the handle came off in her hand. ‘Don't you get it, Miles? I've had enough! I hate our fucking life and I hate your fucking parents – ‘ ‘ – you don't mind them paying for the girls' education – ‘ ‘ – I hate you turning into your father in front of me – ‘ ‘ – absolute bollocks, you just don't like me being happy when you're not – ‘ ‘ – whereas my darling husband doesn't give a shit how I feel – ‘ ‘ – plenty for you to do round here, but you'd rather sit at home and sulk – ‘ ‘ – I don't intend to sit at home any more, Miles – ‘ ‘ – not going to apologize for getting involved with the community – ‘ ‘ – well, I meant what I said – you're not fit to fill his shoes!' ‘What?' he said, and his chair fell over as he jumped to his feet, while Samantha strode to the kitchen door. ‘You heard me,' she shouted. ‘Like my letter said, Miles, you're not fit to fill Barry Fairbrother's shoes. He was sincere.' ‘Your letter?' he said. ‘Yep,' she said breathlessly, with her hand on the doorknob. ‘I sent that letter. Too much to drink one evening, while you were on the phone to your mother. And,' she pulled the door open, ‘I didn't vote for you either.' The look on his face unnerved her. Out in the hall, she slipped on clogs, the first pair of shoes she could find, and was through the front door before he could catch up.

A Brief Guide to Modernization Theory

A Brief Guide to Modernization Theory Modernization theory emerged in the 1950s as an explanation of how the industrial societies of North America and Western Europe developed. The theory argues that societies develop in fairly predictable stages through which they become increasingly complex. Development depends primarily on the importation of technology as well as a number of other political and social changes believed to come about as a result. Overview of Modernization Theory Social scientists, primarily of white European descent, formulated modernization theory during the mid-twentieth century. Reflecting on a few hundred years of history in North America and Western Europe, and taking a positive view of the changes observed during that time, they developed a theory that explains that modernization is a process that involves industrialization, urbanization, rationalization, bureaucracy, mass consumption, and the adoption of democracy. During this process, pre-modern or traditional societies evolve into the contemporary Western societies that we know today. Modernization theory holds that this process involves  increased availability and levels of formal schooling, and the development of mass media, both of which are thought to foster democratic political institutions. Through the process of modernization transportation and communication become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, populations become more urban and mobile, and the extended family declines in importance. Simultaneously, the importance of the individual in economic and social life increases and intensifies. Organizations become bureaucratic as the  division of labor  within society grows more complex, and as it is a process rooted in scientific and technological rationality,  religion declines in public life. Lastly, cash-driven markets take over as the primary mechanism through which goods and services are exchanged. As it is a theory conceptualized by Western social scientists, it is also one with a capitalist economy at its center. Cemented as valid within Western academia, modernization theory has long been used as a justification for implementing the same kinds of processes and structures in places all over the world that are considered under- or undeveloped as compared with Western societies. At its core are the assumptions that scientific progress, technological development and rationality, mobility, and economic growth are good things and are to be constantly aimed for. Critiques of Modernization Theory Modernization theory has had its critics from the start. Many scholars, often people of color and those from non-Western nations, have pointed out over the years that modernization theory fails to account for the way Western reliance on colonization, slave labor, and theft of land and resources provided the wealth and material resources necessary for the pace and scale of development in the West (see postcolonial theory for extensive discussions of this). It cannot be replicated in other places because of this, and it  should not  be replicated in this way. Others, like critical theorists including members of the Frankfurt School, have pointed out that Western modernization is premised on the extreme exploitation of workers within the capitalist system, and that the toll of modernization on social relations has been great, leading to widespread social alienation, a loss of community, and unhappiness. Still, others critique modernization theory for failing to account for the unsustainable nature of the project, in an environmental sense, and point out that pre-modern, traditional, and indigenous cultures typically had much more environmentally conscious and symbiotic relationships between people and the planet. Some point out that elements and values of traditional life need not be completely erased in order to achieve a modern society​ and point to Japan as an example.

Finding Hidden Writing Jobs

Finding Hidden Writing Jobs Three weeks ago, I landed a job writing $100-a-piece articles for a marketing agency. The recruiter told me I was one of only three people to respond and asked me how I had found her ad that she had deliberately placed in some uncommon corner. I sent her the article, Three Ways To Find Writing Jobs On The Deep Web, that I had once written for FundsforWriters. Three years ago, I collected search engines that crawl the Deep Web in order to find hidden online jobs. The Deep Web represents approximately 3,000 out of 1 web pages according to the science journal Nature, and they are hidden from regular search engines because they are too small, passwords of such pages include Twitter, Behance, Ryze, forums, password-protected business sites, Tumblr, Reddit, or newly-born blogs. I searched for engines that can scour these sites so I could uncover hidden writing jobs. Method I check alternative search engines to see if they retrieve ads for writing jobs. I read books on the Deep Web such as The Invisible Web I copy methods of certain HR recruiters who had devised their own systems for finding hidden opportunities (albeit in the recruiting niche). I also experiment with different keywords and keyword patterns to see which are more likely to produce jobs on different sites. So, for instance, I found that hiring writers or writers wanted works on Tumblr but I use looking for writers for Facebook. These are nine of the top engines that I uncovered. Boardreader   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Youll want to use the Advanced Search to help you make the most of this site. Few engines need as exact keywords as this does. Omgili – Oh My Gosh I Like It really does help you find communities, message boards, and discussion threads on any topic. Type in your keywords (I used looking for freelance _) and access Discussion Posts or Blog Posts. Dotmos.com – It helps you dig news in your field that you may less likely see on the common search engines. I use it for looking for jobs. too. Create Link Socialbearing.com – This engine helps you drill Twitter. Twazzup.com – This is a new all-in-one Twitter search engine. Twitter has other search engines that you can use such as OneRiot and Louis Gray, but the helpful thing about Twazzup is that you can type in whatever interests you and Twazzup returns related content. Smashfuse.com Smashfuse travels Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, Vimeo, Tumblr, and Flickr among others. Minuses: The site lacks advanced options. (I add date or country to the keyword or I use general keywords. The latter option is probably best). Blogsearchengine.org – This engine also scours StumbleUpon and delicious giving you two further sites for finding   jobs from Minus: The site lacks advanced options. MeltwaterIceRocket.com – This is one of the most powerful blog search engines. It searches blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and sites on the worldwide web. Webring Find people and groups who share your interest. This group is a cross between LinkedIn and Facebook and is especially helpful for   beginners who want to find contacts or jobs. Freelancers spend money, time, and tears networking, marketing, or cold-calling to escape the competition.  I found an easier, more comfortable way that works just as well: Probing the deep web.

Lycopene Chemistry and How It Protects Against Cancer

Lycopene Chemistry and How It Protects Against Cancer Lycopene (see chemical structure), a carotenoid in the same family as beta-carotene, is what gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit, apricots, red oranges, watermelon, rosehips, and guava their red color. Lycopene is not merely a pigment. It is a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to neutralize free radicals, especially those derived from oxygen, thereby conferring protection against prostate cancer, breast cancer, atherosclerosis, and associated coronary artery disease. It reduces LDL (low-density lipoprotein) oxidation and helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, preliminary research suggests lycopene may reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation, and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix, and skin. The chemical properties of lycopene responsible for these protective actions are well-documented. Lycopene is a phytochemical, synthesized by plants and microorganisms but not by animals. It is an acyclic isomer of beta-carotene. This highly unsaturated hydrocarbon contains 11 conjugated and 2 unconjugated double bonds, making it longer than any other carotenoid. As a polyene, it undergoes cis-trans isomerization induced by light, thermal energy, and chemical reactions. Lycopene obtained from plants tends to exist in an all-trans configuration, the most thermodynamically stable form. Humans cannot produce lycopene and must ingest fruits, absorb the lycopene, and process it for use in the body. In human plasma, lycopene is present as an isomeric mixture, with 50% as cis isomers. Although best known as an antioxidant, both oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms are involved in lycopenes bioprotective activity. The nutraceutical activities of carotenoids such as beta-carotene are related to their ability to form vitamin A within the body. Since lycopene lacks a beta-ionone ring structure, it cannot form vitamin A and its biological effects in humans have been attributed to mechanisms other than vitamin A. Lycopenes configuration enables it to inactivate free radicals. Because free radicals are electrochemically imbalanced molecules, they are highly aggressive, ready to react with cell components and cause permanent damage. Oxygen-derived free radicals are the most reactive species. These toxic chemicals are formed naturally as by-products during oxidative cellular metabolism. As an antioxidant, lycopene has a singlet-oxygen-quenching ability twice as high as that of beta-carotene (vitamin A relative) and ten times higher than that of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E relative). One non-oxidative activity is regulation of gap-junction communication between cells. Lycopene participates in a host of chemical reactions hypothesized to prevent carcinogenesis and atherogenesis by protecting critical cellular biomolecules, including lipids, proteins, and DNA. Lycopene is the most predominant carotenoid in human plasma, present naturally in greater amounts than beta-carotene and other dietary carotenoids. This perhaps indicates its greater biological significance in the human defense system. Its level is affected by several biological and lifestyle factors. Because of its lipophilic nature, lycopene concentrates in low-density and very-low-density lipoprotein fractions of the serum. Lycopene is also found to concentrate in the adrenal, liver, testes, and prostate. However, unlike other carotenoids, lycopene levels in serum or tissues do not correlate well with overall intake of fruits and vegetables. Research shows that lycopene can be absorbed more efficiently by the body after it has been processed into juice, sauce, paste, or ketchup. In fresh fruit, lycopene is enclosed in the fruit tissue. Therefore, only a portion of the lycopene that is present in fresh fruit is absorbed. Processing fruit makes the lycopene more bioavailable by increasing the surface area available for digestion. More significantly, the chemical form of lycopene is altered by the temperature changes involved in processing to make it more easily absorbed by the body. Also, because lycopene is fat-soluble (as are vitamins, A, D, E, and beta-carotene), absorption into tissues is improved when oil is added to the diet. Although lycopene is available in supplement form, it is likely there is a synergistic effect when it is obtained from the whole fruit instead, where other components of the fruit enhance lycopenes effectiveness.

Movie Analysis Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis - Movie Review Example featuring weird, surreal experiences and phenomena which are distortions of reality and which probability of occurring in real life is pegged at almost zero. But then this is a smart and clever, head-trip of a comedy where moviegoers’ disbelief is momentarily suspended throughout the movie as they find themselves unwittingly enraptured by the intensity of the story and the acting of the whole cast as well as the fantastic imagery. Moviegoers soon become enmeshed by the palpable reality of its themes of manipulation, voyeurism, identity and the desire to experience being a matinee idol even for a brief instance. Director Spike Jonze and scriptwriter Charlie Kaufman expertly weaves a bizarrely original, wildly imaginative tale of adventure-seeking people crawling through chutes and transforming themselves into modern Alices in Wonderland or Gullivers except that the fantasy world they have rode into is inside the mind of a celebrity which they try to control and appropriate for themselves for their personal, selfish benefits. The movie functionally begins when Craig Schwartz a puppeteer working as a filing clerk in a low-ceilinged office in the 7 1/2th floor of a New York building, discovered a portal behind a filing cabinet. Crawling into the narrow tunnel, he was suddenly whisked into the brain of actor John Malkovich, experiencing what Malkovich experiences as if these were his own experiences. After 15 minutes, he is spewed out and dumped near the New Jersey Turnpike Social psychology is the science that seeks to understand how people’s behaviors, thoughts and feelings are influenced by other people (Schneider et al 2005,p.2). In this movie, 6 principles of social psychology can be utilized to explain the characters or behaviors of one or more of the dramatis personae in the movie and these are the following: 1. The Looking Glass Self- One forms a self-image of himself from the reflections i.e. the judgments or critiques of others. These make

Care management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Care management - Essay Example Here you are dealing with human beings, not furniture! Veronica arranged to have the referral documentation completed and waited for a place for Mrs. James in good faith. But what happened? It is quite surprising that Veronica Gibbs, the Ward Manager was not aware of a particular procedural aspect that affected her and her patient. The age difference and the merit of the case is a later issue. The prime question is, why Veronica Gibbs was not taken into confidence, at least informed in advance, about the impending admission of a patient, on out-of -turn basis, superceding the ‘seniority’ of Veronica Gibbs! Veronica arranged to have the referral documentation completed and waited for a place for her patient. Coffee house is not the place for Veronica to know, how she has been overruled. That too it is a matter of chance that she came to know about it! This lapse on the part of the authority that took decision to admit a junior patient without the knowledge of Veronica Gibbs is regrettable and difficult to condone! Assuming for a while that the young patient required the treatment for a short duration (as compared to the assumed treatment of Mrs. Violet James for a longer duration) yet, the clandestine admission of the junior patient can not be justified. Mrs. James is bound to know about this development. Won’t she feel betrayed by Veronica Gibbs? Even she too should have been taken into confidence, as to why a junior patient was considered for admission and the special reasons about it. All concerned would have been happy. Trust betrayed takes time to heal, at times, it may never heal at all. With this wrong advertisement, the good will of the Care Management will suffer much. Without doubt, the practice adopted by the Care Management, is wrong. I know a case where a rich patient admitted to the hospital for kidney transplantation, getting preference in the matter related to operation. The specialist

Questionnaire or Interview on Effects of Substance Abuse on Prisoners Assignment

Questionnaire or Interview on Effects of Substance Abuse on Prisoners in Austin, Texas - Assignment Example In doing this, the study focuses on establishing the reasons for the prevalence of substance abuse in Austin prisons as everything has its own cause. This is what will be used to determine the negative impacts on prisoners despite the existence of rehabilitation and treatment centers to take care of drug users. The questionnaire addresses all issues related to the effects of drug abuse on prisoners in Austin. Introduction Substance or drug abuse is a pattern of harmful and injurious use of drugs for purposes of altering one’s mood. According to Chang (2010), substance abuse refers to the consumption of illicit drugs for purposes that are meant to interfere with the normal mental condition of a person. Substance abuse is prevalent among many prisons in the modern world. There has been an increase in the rates of substance abuse in Austin prisons (Texas Statistical Report, 2012). This has been due to the fact that many prisoners want to forget their situation of being locked up in an institution with no freedom of movement. They, however, do not consider the long-term effects that substance abuse imposes on their lives as they are only focused on the short-term impacts, which in this case, is the altering of the normal condition. They do not consider the health and economic challenges that they incur later as a result of substance abuse. These conditions alter their social way of lives in one way or the other. Objectives of the study Specific objective I. To establish the effects of substance abuse on prisoners in Austin, Texas Other objectives I. To determine the prevalence of drug abuse in Austin prisons II. To determine the challenges faced by relatives of drug abusers in Austin Hypothesis I. Ho: there is no relationship between a weak criminal justice system and prevalence of substance use in prisons. H1: there is a relationship between a weak criminal justice system and prevalence of substance use in prisons. II. H: drug-related offenses influence dru g abuse in Austin prisons H1: drug-related offenses do not influence drug abuse in Austin prisons III. Ho: there is no relationship between negative effects on substance abusers and challenges to relatives of substance abusers H1: there is a relationship between negative effects on substance abusers and challenges to relatives of substance abusers A Questionnaire on Effects of substance abuse on prisoners in Austin, Texas SECTION A Personal Details 1. What is your name? (Optional) 2. What is your age? A. Below 18 years B. 18-30 years C. 31-40 years D. 41-50 E. Above 50 3. What is your education level? A. Primary B. Secondary C. Tertiary D. None 4. What is your religion? 5. What was the reason for your incarceration? Explain Possible answers to this question could be drug-related offenses or other offenses that may lead to incarceration. Jennifer et al. (2012), notes that drug abuse is implicated in three kinds of offenses related to drug. That is offenses related directly to drug ab use such as theft to get money for drugs, offenses defined by drug sale or possession, and offences related to a way of life that disposes an individual (substance abuser) to engage in unlawful activities. This may take the form of associating with other lawbreakers or with illegitimate markets. Therefore, most of the responses from interviewees on this question could be that they were imprisoned because of directly drug-related directly offenses.

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

International Management - Essay Example There is no care about privacy in US, people must be informed and given chance to object when their information is sent outside for direct marketing, data cannot be sent outside in Italy, and all direct mails should contain the name and address of the data owner in Spain are some of the best examples for how culture affects internet. Internet affects the culture or social systems more than how culture or social systems affect internet use. It is because; internet has caused drastic changes in society. Online communication such as chatting, emailing and webinars, and other modes of interactions such social media, online sales, advertising and e-marketing have tremendously changes culture and social systems. Traditionally, people went to work. But now, with the advent of internet, work comes to home as millions of people worldwide work from home for making money is a good example for how internet affects culture. As markets become increasingly globalized, it is very important to identify and evaluate operational conflicts between nations, religions, values and cultures. In international business contexts or other relations, there can be some operational conflicts due to differences in perceptions of time, change, individualism and material factors. Americans find time as limited and therefore they keep deadline strictly. They feel frustrated when others in a company fail to meet deadlines. For them time is to be saved and they keep specific schedules for saving time. Perspectives of time are largely affected by the religious and cultural views or values. For instance, Deresky (2011, p.104) stated that Arabs regard ‘deadline’ as a kind of insult in them while it is imposed by others to them whereas Americans take an approach of ‘firm commitment’ to meeting deadlines. Individualism is about ‘I’ consciousness. Americans give greater significance to viewing private lives

Sociology - Symbolic interaction and gay marriage Essay

Sociology - Symbolic interaction and gay marriage - Essay Example What is most significant is the fact that the society has to approve the same and not hold the gay men accountable for what they indulge within. There is a good amount of information available at hand which suggests the proper incorporation of the gay marriages within the society’s aegis. The other side of the issue suggests that the society does not quite accept such gay relationships. They believe that it is very strange to enter into such relationships because it would bring problems for the people who are spread in different areas of the world. The straight individuals feel that the gay relationships effectively mar their own linkages that they have with the people around them, and make the same look awry and skewed (Bell, 2009). This perspective has been reached upon with the passage of time as gay relationships have come on excessively in this day and age, and within different areas of the world more than anything else. The gay marriage is such an important part of the s ociety in the current times that one cannot look beyond the same. There have been immense comprehensions that have been reached upon which suggest the notion of people being against the same as well as the ones who believe it is the right of the individuals to pick and choose their own orientation.

Visual Arts Experimental Drawing Research Paper

Visual Arts Experimental Drawing - Research Paper Example Just as the artist for the tapestry is unknown, there is also confusion on who actually commissioned the tapestry. This art piece is not just known for its significance in the history of art but is also admired by historians around the world since it depicts the events that led to the Norman conquest of England that ended in the Battle of Hasting. The fifty scenes depicted in the tapestry illuminate historians on the different events that transpired during one of the most important battles in English history. As each piece within the tapestry depicts one scene separately, the element of continuity is created within the piece through the use of borders that improve as the art piece progresses. The medium used by the artists developing the Tapestry is colored woolen yarn that is embroidered on the tabby-woven linen. The artists have used the technique of stem stitch and outline stitch throughout the tapestry. The color theme that the tapestry depends on is terra cotta, olive green, blu e, dull gold with touches of black to accentuate the entire piece (Musset, 14-16). Below are three scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry, properly labeled and chronologically placed: Brothers in Arm, Scene 1 Long Live the King, Scene 1 Battle of Hasting, Scene 1 Egyptian Tomb Painting Just as the Egyptian architecture has been famous around the world, Egyptian tomb paintings have also been source of inspiration for artists around the world. The Egyptian tomb paintings are not done by one artists but rather a group of craftsmen. The painting on the tomb walls depicted ordinary scenes such as hunting, fishing etc. Along with the everyday scenes, scenes of the deceased’s life were also painted, depicting his major achievements in life. The purpose of the Egyptian tomb paintings was to prevent evil from taking over the dead man’s spirit. In this regard, the paintings served as a biography of the deceased so that he may remember what he was in his life and would not be tempted to join the evil forces (David, 66). Egyptian tomb paintings are quite unlike any other painting since they employ the technique of relief to create a three dimensional element. Through the technique of relief, the artists carved on the walls of the tomb to give the painting an effect of sculpture. Two kinds of relief were used: raised relief, whereby the figures were raised from the background; and sunken relief whereby the figures were sunken from the background. Even though, the relief ensured that the painting took a three dimensional element, the artists relied strictly on painting two dimensional figures. Within these figures, the head were also shown in profile while the body was frontal. Egyptian tomb painting was also famous for their use of vivid colors. The colors within the Egyptian tomb painting were quite defined, meaning that certain colors were attributed to certain features of the face. For example, the hair was always black and the skin always yellow. Certain pieces of Egyptian tomb painting are as under: ‘Sennedjem and Ti harvesting papyrus’ from the Ramesside Period located in tomb of Sennutem Menena Tomb: Harvesting Scene #2 ca. 1342 Egyptian tomb painting from Beni-Hasan (about 1900 B.C.) Miriam Cahn Miriam Cahn is a Swiss artist who studied graphic design in Paris and Basel, a city where she was born. Miriam was a Jewish and a feminist, a fact that is apparent from many of her paintings. Most of Cahn’

Sociology - Symbolic interaction and gay marriage Essay

Sociology - Symbolic interaction and gay marriage - Essay Example What is most significant is the fact that the society has to approve the same and not hold the gay men accountable for what they indulge within. There is a good amount of information available at hand which suggests the proper incorporation of the gay marriages within the society’s aegis. The other side of the issue suggests that the society does not quite accept such gay relationships. They believe that it is very strange to enter into such relationships because it would bring problems for the people who are spread in different areas of the world. The straight individuals feel that the gay relationships effectively mar their own linkages that they have with the people around them, and make the same look awry and skewed (Bell, 2009). This perspective has been reached upon with the passage of time as gay relationships have come on excessively in this day and age, and within different areas of the world more than anything else. The gay marriage is such an important part of the s ociety in the current times that one cannot look beyond the same. There have been immense comprehensions that have been reached upon which suggest the notion of people being against the same as well as the ones who believe it is the right of the individuals to pick and choose their own orientation.

Soccer or Hunger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soccer or Hunger - Essay Example In fact, the level of attention that is paid to the sports in Europe and U.S speaks about the high levels of life the dwellers of this regions have. Thus, it is no wonder that there is little football fans in Africa - it's hard to devote all of the attention to the forthcoming football match when you don't know what your children will have for breakfast tomorrow. Soccer has become a profitable industry due to the amount of attention that is devoted to it in the developed countries. It turned out that being a soccer player is a decent occupation; at least the salaries of the soccer players in some parts of the world, are higher than those of the doctors or lawyers. The numbers found in the Soccer and World Football FAQ were that in top Euro leagues the soccer players make from $50,000 to $7,000,000-8,000,000. The statistics strokes us down by the fact that the financial state of the European soccer players is not as good as it may've seemed, as the average salary is no more than $1,500,000. The top salary in Mexico is $2,200,000, but the average one is no more than $400,000. High profile players like David Beckham earn roughly 10 million a year from their salary alone. Roy Keane (Manchester United) got paid 100,000 a week, while Ronaldinio gets paid 7.6 million per year.

Question Behind the Question Essay Example for Free

Question Behind the Question Essay QBQ BY john G. Miller IQ- Incorrect questions These are the questions that often pop into our minds first and tend to be negative. They point fingers and are not helpful in resolving problems. Who dropped the ball? Why didnt they take core of that? QBQ- Better, more accountable questions. These are the questions that are often behind the IQs. You may have to really think to get these questions to the fore front of your mind. What can I do to make sure you can get that done next time? How can I support the team better? how can I adapt better? How can I better understand the situation? What solution can I provide? What can I do to get more information to make a better decision? QBQs should begin with what or how. They should contain l. They should also focus on action. When we are in the middle of a situation, we need to not be a victim. Things are always going to happen at work and in our personal lives. If we allow ourselves to become victims then we wont be able to come up with good solutions. Stress is a choice, contrary to popular belief. Stress is a result of our actions. we can choose how we react to the things going on around us. We can to choose to be positive and make decisions to make the situation better or choose to let the situation take control and stress us out. When questions lead to procrastination on the individuals part. When we are waiting on someone else to do something, we are then becoming inactive ourselves. Along with this who questions lead to blame. We must first ask the questions about what we should have done to make the who go away. People are always talking about succeeding outside the box Lets work on succeeding inside the box! Lets not focus on having more people, more money or more time. How about hitting target and goals with what we have and making the most of the situation. Another syndrome is the we/they syndrome. This is where groups, departments, regions, stores or different day parts point the fingers about their issues at other people instead of taking the accountability themselves. There are always barriers out of our control must work to become so good that we can overcome those barriers. Ownership- A commitment of the head, heart and the hands to fix the problem and never affix blame! Each person on a team is different. A great team will learn to identify the strengths of each person, capitalize on them and appreciate them. Personal accountability begins with ME! Leading by example- Being what I am by acting according to my word. Believe or leave- If you are not on the boat with your whole hear t, maybe you should not be on the boat. QBQ Serenity Prayer- God grant me the serenity to accept the people that I can not change, the courage to change the one that I can and the wisdom to know i ME! *Action, even when it leads to mistakes, brings learning and gr inaction brings stagnation and atrophy. *Action leads towards solutions. Inaction holds us in the past. *Action builds confidence; inaction doubt. Humility in the cornerstone of leadership. As a leader, Im here to help the individuals on my team reach their goals and full potential. How can I help YOU?

Illegal Immigration into The United States of America :: Immigration Immigrants Persuasive Essays

Immigration, legal or otherwise, is a huge issue right now. Debates rage about how many immigrants should be allowed into the country and how zealously we should guard our border from illegal intruders. To a point, these people are correct, illegal immigration is something that should be stopped. People should not cross the border illegally or overstay on visits. The important question is, however, does illegal immigration deserve the massive amount of attention it receives? No, it does not. By looking at the respected immigrants of the past and thinking about the issues in a clear and objective way, it becomes apparent that illegal immigration (and legal immigration, for that matter) is not as vital an issue as many consider it to be. A key point in this discussion is that many of those who are vehemently opposed to illegal immigration are also opposed to large amounts of legal immigration as well. These thinly hidden agendas mean that often the debate on illegal immigration cannot be separated from the debate on legal immigration. According to Negative Population Growth (which is a suspect source), Americans are firmly believe in tough laws against illegal immigrants and that 70% of Americans want no more than 300,000 legal immigrants to enter the U.S. per year. In fact, N.P.G. says that 20% of Americans want immigration completely stopped. Taking these numbers as the truth, it is clear that America thinks that we have too many immigrants. Such a dislike of immigration is interesting considering the success of past immigration. Many people would say that today's immigrants are somehow different than those of the past. However, the truth is that the similarities between the immigrants of today and those of the past are numerous. Their reasons for coming to this country are often similar. Many of the immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were compelled to leave their homes by the rapidly changing nature of their countries. In the Europe of the 19th century, this meant quickly growing population and a rapidly industrializing economy. In nations like Mexico and Vietnam, the same thing is happening today, they "are undergoing the same convulsive demographic and economic disruptions that made migrants out of so many nineteenth century Europeans" (Kennedy p.64). Those who are against the immigration of the 1990's also say that the European immigrants of the past were culturally similar to Americans, and that they were more willing to assimilate and become "American." Neither of these things are true. Old immigrant groups like the Italians and may be seen as generically "white" and "American" now, but when they first began moving to the

Transcendentalism Essay -- essays research papers fc

Transcendentalism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people have theories and philosophies about life in general. There have been hundreds of thousands of books published by many different people on the ideas of people in the past and the present. Transcendentalism falls in amongst all of these ideas. There have been articles, essays, poems, and even books written about this subject. Transcendentalism has effected many people since the philosophy was first introduced. The idea was complex and hard to grasp for many commoners and therefore it was understood by few people, and some would think that the idea was not understood at all and that was part of the idea. Henry David Thoreau once stated about himself, â€Å"I should have told them at once that I was a transcendentalist. That would have been the shortest way of telling them that they would not understand my explanations† (Reuben 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even the people that called themselves â€Å"transcendentalists† had only their own thoughts of what transcendentalism was, which in turn were based on the thoughts of others. So, transcendentalism is defined as a philosophy. This philosophy was uniform for everyone that believed in it. This is a difficult concept to comprehend because the philosophy called for people to trust themselves and their own thoughts, which meant that even though transcendentalists held the same central idea, all of their individual thoughts branching off transcendentalism contradicted the other transcendentalists. In Paul Reuben’s web site, Noah Porter made this statement about transcendentalism:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word Transcendentalism, as used at the present day, has two applications. One of which is popular and indefinite, the other, philosophical and precise. In the former sense it describes man, rather than opinions, since it is freely extended to those who hold opinions, not only diverse from each other, but directly opposed. (1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These transcendentalists all had different opinions on the different things in life, but they believed in the philosophy of transcendentalism. According to Webster’s Dictionary, transcend means to go further than, or to go past. This would give transcendentalism the definition of an idea beyond other people’s ideas, or even possibly beyond this earth. The idea of transcendentalism is definitel... ...ed to an optimistic emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and rejection of traditional authority† (American 1). The major players in the transcendentalist movement are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They shared ideas such as self-reliance, and ideas about how there is a divine being that controls every person. They influenced many other writers and they even had an effect on the American society, then and now. Transcendentalism was a philosophy and a way of life. It will continue to be this as long as we have access to the great minds of the transcendental movement. Works Cited â€Å"American Literary and Philosophical Movement.† The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition. 1 Jan. 1993. Atkinson, Brooks. Walden and other writings of Henry David Thoreau. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1950. Durant, Will. The Story of Philosophy. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1926. Reuben, Paul. Towards a Definition of Transcendentalism. http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transweb/tr-aldef.htm Runes, Dagobert D. A Treasury of Philosophy. Chicago, IL: Spencer Press Inc., 1955. Von Frank, Albert J. Transcendentalism. The Reader’s Companion to American History. 1 Jan. 1991.

Coyote Blue Chapter 8~9

CHAPTER 8 Meet the Muse, Mr. Lizard King Santa Barbara Calliope Kincaid waited on the steps of the Tangerine Tree Cafe thinking about the past lives of lizards. A small, brown alligator lizard was sunning himself on the planter box by the steps and his lidless eyes, glazed but seeing, reminded Calliope of a picture of Jimi Hendrix that her mother had kept next to the bed when she was growing up. She wondered if this lizard really could be an incarnation of Jimi, and what he must feel like living in the planter box in front of a cafe, eating bugs and hiding, after being a rock star. Between the ages of seven and nine Calliope had been raised a Hindu, and during that time she had developed an acute empathy for other creatures, never sure what bird or beast might just be Daddy or Grandma working off some karma. She had taken the concept almost to the point of agoraphobia – she was afraid to go out of the house for fear that she might crush some relative doing time as a stinkbug – when her mother moved into NSA Buddhism and Calliope's spiritual focus was changed to sitting before a gong with her mother, the two of them chanting for prosperity until the apartment's heater ducts began to vibrate. Evicted for disturbing other tenants, Calliope's mother turned to goddess worship, which Calliope liked because she didn't have to wear clothes to the rituals and there were always lots of flowers. When Calliope blossomed at thirteen and began to attract too much attention from neopagan males, her mother turned to Islam, changed her daughter's name to Akeem a Mohammed Kincaid, and equipped her with a veil. Calliope, who had easily grasped the concepts of karma and reincarnation, of transcendentalism and oneness, of harmony with nature and the goddess within, was completely thrown by the concepts of guilt, self-flagellation, and modesty set down in Islam. She promptly shaved one side of her head, dyed the remainder of her waist-length blond hair hot pink, and began taking hallucinogenic drugs and sleeping with awkward, pimpled tough-boys with mohawks. Men replaced religion, and Calliope accepted their seductive lies with the same open wonder she had given the gods. In an attempt to pull her daughter out of a spiritual tail-spin, Mom turned Unitarian, but Calliope had already slashed the ecumenical apron strings and Mom was left to hopscotching religions on her own. Currently she lived in an ashram in Oregon where she acted as the spirit channel for a four-thousand-year-old, super-enlightened entity named Babar (no relation to the elephant). As a child exposed to so many religions, Calliope had developed a malleability of faith that stayed with her into adulthood. Through the assimilation of many spiritual beliefs, without science or cynicism to balance them, Calliope was able to define everything in her world, accept the highs and lows of life with resolve, and never be burdened by the need to understand. Why understand when you can believe? For Calliope, every event was mystical and every moment magical; a flat tire could be a manifestation of karma, or a lizard might be Jimi Hendrix. If she fell in love too easily and got hurt too often it wasn't bad judgment, it was just faith. She was humming â€Å"Castles Made of Sand† to the lizard when Sam's Mercedes pulled up to the curb. She looked up and smiled at him, not the least bit concerned that he was thirty minutes late. It had never occurred to her that he might not show. No man had ever stood her up. She ran to the car and tapped on the passenger window. Sam pushed the button and it whirred down. â€Å"Hang on a second, I have to do something,† she said. She went around to the front of the car and searched the grille until she found a moth that had met its end with minimal damage. She plucked the moth from the grille, took it to the planter box, and wiggled it in front of the lizard while singing a few bars of Hendrix's â€Å"Little Wing.† The lizard snapped at the moth halfheartedly and slithered away under the geraniums to sulk. Calliope had been correct in guessing that this particular lizard had, indeed, been a rock star in a previous life, and if she had sung a chorus of â€Å"L.A. Woman† or â€Å"Light My Fire† the lizard would have been delighted, but how could she have known? She dropped the moth into the planter box and returned to the car. â€Å"Sorry I'm late,† Sam said. â€Å"It's only time,† she said. â€Å"I'm always late.† â€Å"I had them fix your car.† He was trying not to look at her. He'd just gotten enough control of his nerves to drive and he wasn't ready to be rattled by the girl again, but he wouldn't have thought of not picking her up. During the whole debacle at the condo, the urgency to see her again had hovered in the background of his mind and finally snapped him out of his confusion over the Coyote medicine. Was she connected to the Indian? â€Å"That's sweet of you,† she said. â€Å"Did you look at the car?† â€Å"Look at it? No. I just had the garage come down.† â€Å"It's a great car,† Calliope said. â€Å"It has over three hundred horsepower, a six-pack of Weber carburetors, competition suspension and gearing – it'll do over a hundred and eighty on a straightaway. I can blow most Porsches off the road.† Sam didn't know what to say, so he said, â€Å"That's nice.† â€Å"I know that women aren't supposed to care about things like that. My mother says that I'm obsessed with vehicles because I was conceived in the back of a VW microbus and spent most of my childhood in one. We moved around a lot.† â€Å"Where does she live?† Sam asked. He would ask her about the Indian, really, when the time was right. â€Å"Oregon. I didn't build the car myself. I used to live with this sculptor in Sedona, Arizona, who built it for midnight drives in the desert. One day I was telling him that I thought that cars had replaced guns as phallic symbols for American men, and I thought it was interesting that he had one that was so small and fast. The next day he gave me the Datsun and went out and bought a Lincoln. It was very sweet.† â€Å"Very sweet,† Sam echoed. Now or never, he thought. â€Å"Calliope – that is your name, right?† â€Å"Yes,† the girl said. Sam put on his salesman's this is a serious matter voice. â€Å"Calliope, do you know who the-â€Å" â€Å"My name wasn't always Calliope,† she interrupted. â€Å"Sherman – he was the sculptor – started calling me Calliope, after the Greek muse of epic poetry. He said that I inspired men to art and madness. I liked the way it sounded so I took it as my real name. My mom even calls me Calliope now.† Sam had brought thousands of sales interviews back into control when the client tried to wander, he wouldn't let this girl sidetrack him. â€Å"Calliope, who was the Indian-â€Å" â€Å"You know, the Indians used to change their names as they grew up and their personalities changed or when they did certain things, like Walks Across the Desert and stuff like that. Did you know that?† â€Å"No I didn't,† Sam lied. â€Å"But I really need to know-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, there's my car!† Sam slowed and pulled the Mercedes in behind the Z. â€Å"Calliope, before you go-â€Å" â€Å"We can't have sex tonight,† she said. â€Å"I have some things to do, but I can cook you dinner tomorrow if you want.† Sam turned to her, his mouth hanging open. She was smiling at him, waiting for his answer with her eyes wide, as if she'd just been surprised. He realized that every time he had looked at her she'd worn that same expression of wonderment, and each time it had thrown him. Dammit, he wouldn't be distracted. She was sharp, but he was sharper. He was in control here. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"Terrific. I live at seventeen and a half Anapamu Street – that's upstairs. Whatever you do, don't go to the downstairs door. Six o'clock, okay?† Without waiting for his answer, she was out of the car and away. Sam rolled down the window and shouted after her. â€Å"My name is Sam.† She looked back at him and smiled, then got into the Datsun and fired it up. Sam watched the little sports car tilt with the torque of the engine as she revved it. She burned off the back tires, filling the air with squeals and blue smoke as she pulled away. CHAPTER 9 Quitting Now Greatly Reduces the Chance of Visions Crow Country – 1967 It was well before dawn and no lights burned in the houses and shops of Crow Agency as Pokey piloted his old truck through town, a sleepy-eyed Samson wobbling on the seat next to him. â€Å"How far is it to the fasting place?† Samson asked. â€Å"About two hours, but only fifty or so miles as the Crow drives. Get it, as the Crow drives?† Pokey grinned at Samson and took a swig from a pint bottle of whiskey. He and Harlan had talked and drunk all night after Samson's sweat. Now he was using the road like a buttered harlot – he was all over the place while trying to stay in the middle – and scaring Samson, whose head whacked the window when Pokey got too much shoulder and had to yank the truck's retreads back onto the asphalt. â€Å"Could we slow down, Pokey?† â€Å"We're not going that fast.† Samson peeked at the speedometer, which registered zero, as did all the broken gauges in the truck. Pokey caught Samson looking and grinned again. â€Å"I ain't in any danger at all, you know. I seen my death in a medicine dream. I get shot, and it ain't nowhere near this old truck. Nope, I'm plumb safe in this truck, no matter what I do.† â€Å"What about me?† Samson asked. â€Å"Don't know? What's your death dream?† â€Å"I didn't have one.† Pokey looked down at Samson with a worried expression. â€Å"You didn't?† â€Å"Nope,† Samson said with a gulp. â€Å"Well then, if I wreck you could be plumb fucked.† He began to weave more radically, leaning hard into Samson as the truck slipped off the shoulder again. â€Å"Oh, shit! These tires are bald too! Don't worry, son, I'll dance for your ghost at the Sun Dance!† â€Å"Pokey, stop it!† Samson had begun to giggle as his uncle leaned into him. â€Å"Quick, go to sleep fast, and dream of dying on top of a pretty woman, Samson. It's your only chance.† â€Å"Pokey!† Samson was doubled over with laughter now as Pokey fishtailed the truck back and forth in the road while pumping the brakes and the clutch, causing Samson's head to jerk around like a rag doll's. Pokey shouted, â€Å"Blacken your face, Samson Hunts Alone, this is a good day to die.† Then he slammed on the brakes and brought the truck to a skidding stop in the middle, of the road. Samson was thrown to the floor of the truck among a collection of old beer cans and soda bottles. Still giggling, he climbed back up onto the seat and began pounding on Pokey's shoulder. Pokey grabbed his hands and shushed him. â€Å"Look,† Pokey said, nodding to the front of the truck. Samson turned to see a huge buffalo bull crossing the road in front of them. â€Å"Where did he come from?† Samson asked as he watched the bull lumber out of the headlights. â€Å"Must of wandered off the Yellowtail's place. They got a few head of buffalo.† â€Å"Good thing you saw him in time.† â€Å"I didn't see him. Them things are so dark they just eat up your headlights. I was just fooling with you when I stopped.† â€Å"We were lucky,† Samson said gravely. â€Å"Nope, I told you we was safe. Now you quit being afraid of things that ain't happened yet. That's why I gave you that dream.† Pokey geared up the truck and they rode in silence for a while, listening to the rattling grind of the old Ford's engine. The sky was just getting light and Samson could see the new leaves coming on the trees and the blossoms on the cotton-woods. He was glad his fast was to be in the time of the first grass. The days would be mild and warm, but not hot. â€Å"Pokey,† Samson said. â€Å"What do I do when I get thirsty?† Pokey took a long pull on the pint before he answered. â€Å"You must pray that your suffering is accepted and you are given a spirit helper.† â€Å"But what do I do? What if I die?† â€Å"You won't die. When your suffering is too much you must go to the Spirit World. You must see yourself traveling into a hole in the ground and down a long tunnel. You will come out into the light and you will be in the Spirit World. There you will not be hungry or thirsty. Wait there and your spirit helper will come to you.† â€Å"What if my spirit helper doesn't come?† â€Å"You must go back down the tunnel again and again, looking for him. In the buffalo days you had to have a spirit helper to go into battle or people thought you were a Crazy Dog Wishing to Die.† â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"A warrior who is so crazy, or so full of sadness, that he rides against the enemy just so they will kill him.† â€Å"Was my dad a Crazy Dog Wishing to Die?† Pokey smiled and looked wistfully ahead. â€Å"It is bad luck to speak of it, but no, he did not wish to die. He just got too drunk and drove too fast after his basketball games.† They drove south through Lodge Grass, where the only activity was that of a few dogs trying to clear their throats for the day's barking and a few ranchers cadging free coffee at the feed and grain store. Once through town, Pokey turned east on a dirt road into the rising sun to the Wolf Mountains. In the foothills the road became deeply rutted, and washed out in places. Pokey shifted into low and the truck ground down to a crawl. After a half hour of kidney-jarring bumps and vertiginous cutbacks, Pokey stopped the truck on a high ridge between the peaks of two mountains. From here Samson could see all the way to Lodge Grass to the west, and across the green prairies of the Northern Cheyenne reservation to the east. Lodgepole pines lined the mountain on both sides, as thick as feathers on a bird, thinning here, near the peak, where the ground was arid, strewn with giant boulders, and barren but for a few yucca plants and the odd tuft of buffalo grass or sage. â€Å"There.† Pokey pointed east to a group of car-sized boulders about fifty yards from the road. â€Å"That is the place where you will fast. I'll wait for you on this side of the road if you need me, but you must only come up here if you have a vision or if you are in trouble.† Pokey grabbed a bag from the floor of the truck and handed it to Samson through the window. â€Å"There's a blanket in there and some mint leaves to chew when you get thirsty. Go now. I will pray for your success.† As he walked down the hill toward the boulders, Samson felt a lump rising in his throat. What good is medicine if you die of thirst? What good is medicine, anyway? He'd rather be in school. This was no fun, this was scary. Why did Pokey have to be so strange? Why couldn't he be more like Harlan, or Ben Cartwright? Once on the downhill side of the boulders Samson could see the place where he would sit through his fast: a small stone fire ring under the overhang of one of the boulders. Samson sat down facing the sun, which was now a great orange ball on the eastern horizon. He thought of Grandma at home. She would be pouring Lucky Charms in everyone's bowls about now, getting his little cousin Alice's insulin out of the refrigerator and filling the syringe, making sure everyone was dressed and ready for school. Uncle Harlan would be sitting in the living room drinking coffee and telling all the kids to be quiet because of his hangover. Samson's aunts would be pulling the blankets off the sweat lodge and loading them into the back of Harlan's truck so they could take them to the laundromat. Normally, Samson would be trading punches in the arm with Harry and Festus and lying to Grandma about having his homework done. He wanted to be at home with everyone else, not sitting by himself up here on a mountain. He had never been by himself before. He decided he didn't like it. For the first time in his life he was lonely. He tried to think of the Spirit World. Maybe he could go there really fast, find a spirit helper and go back up to the truck so Pokey could take him to Lodge Grass and get a Coke: thirty minutes, tops. Get in, get out, and nobody gets hurt, as Uncle Harlan always said, something he picked up in Vietnam. Samson tried to imagine the hole he would enter the Spirit World through. He couldn't do it. Maybe a prayer. â€Å"O Great Spirit and Great Mother,† Samson prayed in Crow. â€Å"Hear my prayer. Please let me find my spirit helper so I can go home.† He waited a moment. Okay, that didn't work, back to the hole in the ground. After two hours he grew bored and his mind wandered to the Ponderosa, then to school, home, the planet Krypton, the snack bar in Crow Agency, the McDonald's in Billings, the damp basement of Lodge Grass High School, where Harlan had taken him and shown him old black-and-white films of his father playing basketball. He wondered what his father had been like. Then wondered about his mother, who had died when he was only two. Her liver quit, Harlan said. No one else would talk about the dead. He tried to remember her, but could remember only Grandma and his aunts. The new feeling of loneliness was getting worse. Maybe he could make up a vision. He could go tell Pokey that he had a vision and found his spirit helper and Pokey would tell him how to make his medicine bundle and he could go home. That would work. He thought for a moment about what animal he should pick for his spirit helper and decided on a hawk. He didn't know what hawk medicine was, but it was probably pretty good for you unless you raised chickens or something. Samson ran up the hill and just as he was cresting the ridge he began to shout. â€Å"Pokey! Pokey! I had my vision! I saw my spirit helper!† When he reached the road the truck was nowhere in sight. He looked up and down the road, then crossed it and looked down the other side of the ridge. Pokey was gone. Samson felt his lip begin to quiver and water fill his eyes. He sat down in the dirt as the first series of chest-wrenching sobs escaped him and echoed down the ridge. He buried his face in his knees and cried until his throat hurt. When finally he found the bottom of his sadness he looked up and wiped his eyes on his forearm. Why would Pokey just leave him? Maybe he just went to buy some beer. Maybe he would bring back a Coke. Samson suddenly realized that he really was thirsty. The sun was moving higher in the sky and it was starting to get hot. He stood and looked around for a shady place to wait, but the closest shade was down by the boulders, and from there he wouldn't be able to see the truck coming. He sat on a small rock by the road in the full sun. During the next two hours Samson chewed all his mint leaves and took to sucking pebbles to keep his mouth from getting dry while he drew pictures in the dust with a stick. He heard a car engine and looked up to see a cloud of dust coming off the road about two miles away. That would be Pokey. Samson stood on the rock to see if he could make out the truck. As the cloud approached, however, he noticed that it wasn't Pokey's truck at all, but a big powder-blue car unlike any he had seen before. He sat back down on the rock and was fighting back another fit of sobs when the car skidded to a stop beside him, bringing with it a choking cloud of dust. There was a whirring sound and the car window slid down, revealing the big, round face of the driver, a white man, who seemed to have four or five spare chins under his first one. â€Å"Excuse me, son.† The driver smiled. â€Å"I seem to have gotten myself turned around here. Would you know the way to get to Highway Ninety?† â€Å"It's a long way,† Samson said. â€Å"You have to go down the mountain into Lodge Grass, then go to Crow Agency. That's where the highway is.† The white man wasn't really white, he was more of a bright pink, and he smiled with his voice, like Samson was his best friend. â€Å"You lost me, son. Lodge Grass?† â€Å"You have to stay on this road down the mountain, then you have to turn.† â€Å"I got you there, son, but which way did you say I should turn?† Samson pointed down the mountain and the driver's eyes followed his finger, then he turned back to Samson looking confused. â€Å"I don't suppose you are heading that way, are you, son?† Samson thought for a minute before he answered. If this man would take him to the highway in Crow Agency he could walk home from there. Never trust a white man who wants to give you something, Pokey had said. Soon as you think you got it he will take it away and take everything you got along with it. But Samson couldn't figure out how the driver would take away a ride, and all he really owned was his hunting knife. If the white man tried to take that, Samson would cut his gizzard out. â€Å"I'm going to Crow Agency,† the boy said. â€Å"I can show you the way.† â€Å"Well, jump in quick, partner. It's hotter than blazes out here and it's gettin' in the car.† Samson walked around the back of the car, remembering what Pokey had told him about not trusting white men. It was the biggest, bluest car he had ever seen. Maybe it was the heat, but it seemed to take a long time to walk around it. When he opened the door a blast of cold air hit him that instantly brought goose bumps to his arms and back: He jumped into the car and stared in amazement at the vents in the dashboard where the cold was coming from. He'd never experienced air-conditioning before. â€Å"Close the door, son. You want to bake us?† Samson closed the door as the car started moving. â€Å"It's cool in here, and it smells good.† The driver, still smiling, looked down at Samson and tipped the straw skimmer he was wearing. He was the fattest man Samson had ever seen and he was wearing a powder-blue suit the same shade as the car; he filled the driver's seat like a bagful of sky. Up close Samson could see that the man's skin was pink from little veins that ran through it like road maps. â€Å"Thank you kindly, son. Name's Commerce. Lloyd Commerce, purveyor of the world's finest cleaning apparatus, the Miracle.† He held out a fat hand to Samson. Samson shook two of the giant fingers with his right hand. He let his left drop near the handle of his hunting knife. â€Å"I don't know what that is,† Samson said. â€Å"I'm Samson Hunts Alone.† â€Å"You don't know about the Miracle? Well, Samson Hunts Alone, let me tell you: in a few years the Miracle will be the standard by which all vacuum cleaners will die. In a few years, if you don't have a Miracle in your broom closet you might as well just hang a sign outside your house saying ‘We live in filth. The Miracle is just the most advanced machine for the elimination of household dirt, dust, and disease that the world has ever known!† Samson was amazed at how excited Lloyd was – it seemed that the more Lloyd talked, the pinker he got. Even if it was rude, Samson thought he should interrupt before Lloyd hurt himself. â€Å"I know what a miracle is. One of my aunts is a Christian. I don't know what a purveyor is.† Lloyd took a deep breath and shot a smile at Samson. â€Å"I am a salesman, son, one of the last truly free individuals on this planet. I sell miracles, son. Not just vacuum cleaners. I sell real loaves-and-fishes miracles.† He paused for a moment and waited. Samson was hugging the car door, his hand on his knife thinking that this was the craziest talk he had ever heard from anyone besides Pokey. â€Å"I know what you're thinking,† Lloyd continued. â€Å"You're thinking, Lloyd, what kind of miracle do you perform? Am I right?† â€Å"Nope,† Samson said. â€Å"I was thinking about a Coke.† â€Å"There's some in a cooler in the backseat,† Lloyd tossed off, trying to get back to his point. â€Å"Grab me one too, would you, son?† Samson scrambled over the seat and dug into a cooler where a dozen Cokes lay in the ice around a fifth of rum. He grabbed two and slithered back over the seat. Lloyd took the Cokes and opened them. He handed one to Samson, who drank half the bottle in one pull. â€Å"Miracles,† Lloyd said. Samson didn't care how crazy Lloyd was – life was fine! The car was cool and quiet and smelled like spices. He wasn't thirsty and he was going home. Even on the rough mountain road the car rode like a cloud. He closed one eye and rested, keeping the other eye on Lloyd. â€Å"Miracles?† Samson said. â€Å"That's right! I can make dreams out of nothing, wants out of dreams, needs out of wants, and leave a dream in your hand. You know how I do it?† Samson shook his head. This man was just like Pokey: if he wanted to tell you something he would tell you even if you dropped dead and rotted right before his eyes. â€Å"Well, son, it all starts with a smile at the door. When you hit that door people ain't been sitting there waiting for you. They been sitting around thinking about how miserable they are. They got nothing to hang on to, nothing to go on for. When they answer that door they're as sour as green oranges, but I don't give it back to 'em. I give a smile of pure honey, and words just as sweet. I tell them what they want to hear. If they're ugly, I tell 'em they're looking fine. If they're a failure, I marvel at their success. Before they got the latch off the screen door I'm the best friend they ever had. And why? Because I see them as what they would like to be, not what they are. For once in their life they are living their dream, only because I make them think they are. â€Å"But then they look around and get a little uncomfortable. If they got what they wanted, how come they ain't feeling it? How come they still feel empty? Well, son, between you and me, there ain't no contentment, no satisfaction, this side of the grave. You ain't never going to be as pretty or as rich as you want to be. No one ever has, no one ever will. Folks don't know that, though. Folks think that there's an answer to that scary feeling that keeps riding them no matter what they do.† â€Å"Coyote Blue,† Samson said. â€Å"Don't talk nonsense, boy, I'm trying to teach you something. Where was I? Oh, yeah, they think that there's an answer. So I give it to them. I watch their eyes while I'm telling them how damn good they're doing, and when they get right to the edge of panic 'cause they can't see it, I tell them about the Miracle. â€Å"Suddenly a clean rug is all that stands between them and all they could ever be. I take out my machine, and I vacuum up their beds into a little black bag. Then I have them boil that bag on the stove until the whole house smells like a sun-ripe battlefield. You see, all that dead skin that falls off you in your sleep is in the mattress; when you boil it the smell is disgusting. There is filth in these folks' houses. How the hell you gonna be beautiful and successful with filth all around? You can't. Filth is the problem and the Miracle is the solution. Now they want it. â€Å"So we talk some more and I make like I'm gonna leave, but they want the machine. I understand that, but they already got a vacuum cleaner. They don't need my machine. I guess a little filth never hurt no one. But they do need it, they say. They need it. And why do they need it? Because now it's all they got standing between them and their dream. So I write them up. I take their money and I leave them holding that dream in their hand while I drive away. Wants, to needs, to dreams – usually in forty-five minutes or less. Now that's a damn miracle, son.† â€Å"So you trick them,† Samson said. â€Å"They want to be tricked. I just provide a service. It ain't no different than going to the movies or seeing a magician. You don't want to see that the pirates are using rubber swords, do you? You don't want to see the secret pockets up the magician's sleeves, do you? You want to believe in something that you know ain't true, just for a while. People spend a lot of money and time to get tricked. And I get to drive a nice car, stay in good motels, eat in restaurants, and see the country in style.† Samson thought about that for a while. Driving around in a big, cool, good-smelling car would be almost as good as living on the Ponderosa. Maybe better. Nobody on the reservation drove a car like this, and they hardly ever ate in restaurants, except the burger stand in Crow Agency. Maybe tricking people was the way to go. It sure sounded better than baling hay or fixing truck engines. â€Å"Do you think I could sell miracles?† Samson asked. Lloyd laughed. â€Å"You got some growing to do first. Besides, it takes a man of character to handle freedom. Do you have character, Samson?† â€Å"Is that like medicine?† â€Å"It's better than medicine. You get yourself some character and come see me in a few years. Then we'll see.† That settled it. Samson was going to get himself some character and sell himself some miracles. He lay back on the seat and closed his eyes. Lloyd started talking again. The words were soft and rhythmic and soon Samson Hunts Alone, full of Coca-Cola and miracles, fell asleep. -=*=- â€Å"Samson, wake up.† Someone was shaking his shoulders. He opened his eyes and saw Pokey holding him at arm's length. â€Å"What are you doing up here by the road?† Pokey asked. â€Å"What?† Samson looked around. He was on the ridge where he had sat down before the big blue car had come along. â€Å"Where's Lloyd?† â€Å"Who's Lloyd?† Pokey asked. â€Å"I've only been gone a couple of hours. Why did you come up here? Did you have your vision?† â€Å"No, I went for a ride. I took a ride home with a man who sold Miracles.† â€Å"Samson,† Pokey said. â€Å"I don't think you took a ride anywhere. I think you better tell me what the man said to you.† Samson told Pokey about Lloyd Commerce, about the car as long as a house, about selling miracles and tricking people and living the good life. When he was finished Pokey sat staring at the boy for a long time before he spoke. â€Å"Samson, you had your vision. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Why are you sorry, Pokey? Because I didn't find my spirit helper?† â€Å"I wish you saw a squirrel or a flicker, Samson, but you saw a vacuum cleaner salesman,† Pokey said forlornly. â€Å"But he was just a fat white man.† â€Å"He only looked like a white man. I think you saw Old Man Coyote.†

Mad Shadows

Compare and contrast. The topic I have chosen to discuss is the function and meaning of dreams and dreaming in fantasy texts. Dreaming, in this context, is an implicit representation of the characters ideals and their wants. I believe the function of dreaming in fairy tales to be a temporary escape from ones reality, a reflection of ones true desires, as well as a tool that gives dimension to the characters, while at the same time allowing the reader to better understand the mind of the characters.This is demonstrated with the characters of Cinderella, in the different versions of Cinderella in the classic Fairy Tales, as well as with Isabelle Marie, in Mad Shadows. In Mad Shadows, the main character Isabelle Marie is deemed â€Å"ugly† by her mother, and for this reason is treated as virtually a slave and made to tend to the needs of her mother and more beautiful brother Patrice, who gets all of their mothers attention for being beautiful. Isabelle Marie then meets Michel, a blind boy with whom she falls in love with, and he with her on the pretense of her lying to him about being beautiful.During scenes where she is running around the meadow with him, temporarily escaping her life, she dreams of being beautiful and accepted by Michel. , almost to the point of delusion. â€Å"Wishing to be beautiful will probably make me beautiful, thought Isabelle Marie, to justify her game. † (p. 42. ), game being her deception of Michel. Her being beautiful would make her situation much different. Her mother would accept her, Michel would accept her, and so she believes her life would be easier and naturally much better would she be beautiful.Dreaming in these texts proves a temporary escape from the situations of these young girls who are in less than desirable positions. Another function of dreaming in these texts would be a reflection of the characters true desires, in this case a longing to be accepted and loved. Isabelle Marie does not feel loved and acce pted. Her mother Louise does not accept or love her daughter because she is not seen as beautiful as her brother Patrice. Michel, the boy she meets and falls in love with, falls in love with her because Isabelle Marie lies and tells him she is beautiful. She wanted to be in love, to be beautiful. Both of them were pure, for in [her] longed a desire for perfect beauty (p. 36). This demonstrates Isabelle Marie’s desperation to be accepted and loved. Both Cinderella and Isabelle Marie’s true desires are to be accepted and loved, one through meeting her prince charming, and the other through becoming physically beautiful. Lastly, dreaming serves as a functional tool in fantasy texts as a way of giving characters more dimension, as well as allowing the reader to comprehend the mind and actions of the characters.In Mad Shadows, the look we are given into Isabelle Marie’s wants allow us to understand why she acts certain ways that otherwise would seem evil and without purpose. When Louise goes on a trip and Isabelle Marie starves and taunts her brother Patrice to the point of illness, we understand why she feels the need to commit such acts: â€Å"By depriving him of food she could make him pale and wan, and this creature who had never known the touch of misery would become her puppet. † (p. 15). -concept of foreshadowing- Cinderella-