Current beliefs about how the first peoples Settled North America Essay

1. Explain current beliefs about how the first peoples settled North America, and discuss the ways in which they became differentiated from one another over time. 2. Describe the founding of European nations’ first colonies in the New World. The information in our text shows many different opinions on how North America was settled. An example would be the discovery of the Kennewick man. The discovery of the skeletal remains opened the door to more opinions of North American Settlement. It is still believed that the initial North American settlers are the Paleo-Indians (www. betheluniversityonline.net, 2012). The Archaic era followed with the development of agriculture. This trend was perhaps the most significant development, because settled agriculture permitted the establishment of a sedentary existence, without the need to pursue herd animals (www. betheluniversityonline. net, 2012). A food source could now be provided from grown crops. The Archaic era was then followed by what is called the Pre-Columbian era. The Pre-Columbian era is when the development of societies began to happen. The societies developed because they were now able to provide the necessary food source by growing crops. The crops gave them the ability to remain in one area for a longer period of time. There are many reasons that caused the various tribes to become differentiated from each other. Language caused a lot of issues among the different tribes. Territorial disputes, competition for resources, and traditions caused most of the instability between the settlers (www. betheluniversityonline. net, 2012). The land was the major issue among the settlers because it affected trade. Reference: Schultz, K. , Hist2, Volume 1, History of the United States I, Bethel University Online https://www. betheluniversityonline. net/cps/SectionFramework. aspx? SectionID=254 When Europe voyage was intended to expand their trading options. Few sought to create lasting settlements, and even fewer sought to colonize these exotic lands (www. betheluniversityonline. net, 2012). Wealth was one of the biggest lures to the European’s. The competitive profits from this wealth led to them to colonization and would give them the power to defend what they had discovered. Portuguese would be followed by Spain and this would lead to the Pope’s intervention. He would draw a line from the North to the South dividing the land between the two. Spain would have claim to the West and Portugal would have claim to the East. Despite Portugal’s early ambition, Spain would be the first to establish colonies in North America (www. betheluniversityonline. net, 2012). This would lead the two to a war that ended in nearly annihilating the two because of death and disease. The Spanish colonization lead to the development armies called the conquistadors. The conquistadors would move in and devastate populations and take over the land. This would lead to the enslavement of the Indians. You would then have the French and English to follow this adventure to the New World. Four reasons for the English to become more interested were Religious reformation from Catholicism, Social because the impoverished Englishmen were seeking to escape poverty, Economically investing stopped in the textile market looking for opportunities in the New World, and Geographically Queen Elizabeth’s Monarchy stabilized the throne and allowed England to participate in New World ventures (www. betheluniversityonline. net, 2012). Reference: Schultz, K. , Hist2, Volume 1, History of the United States I, Bethel University Online https://www. betheluniversityonline. net/cps/SectionFramework. aspx? SectionID=254.

Globalization and Technology Negotiation Strategy Article Analysis Essay

Globalization and Technology Negotiation Strategy Article Analysis Negotiation strategy and planning are important in understanding how a negotiator should engage the issue. According to Lewicki, Saunders, and Barry (2006), negotiators can achieve their goal easily by using an effective plan and acquiring a solid strategy in the negotiating room. In this paper, negotiation strategy will be discussed on how the United States is trying to resist globalization and technology from foreign countries in the global market. The following key elements will be discussed: (1) description of globalization policies, and (2) negotiation strategies with China. Description of Globalization Policies According to an article from uschamber.com (2011), businesses have become very high-tech and companies are concerned with global regulatory issues. The United States has joined international policy to help resist foreign globalization into the country. An example of negotiation policies is the use of Internet privacy, free trade agreements, and standards in the telecommunication market. The United States is using strong negotiation tactics to help persuade China and other countries to conform to globalization standards. Negotiation Strategies with China The negotiation strategy in dealing with China is through intimidation of military China has used a policy of secrecy in negotiation and has used their economic power to negotiate global agreements. Even though United States is a dominate military power, the negotiation strategy consists of a distributive bargaining style concerning the dealing of global economics with China. China’s ultimate goal of globalization throughout the Southeast Asia is under a strict negotiation strategy of conflict management between the United States and China. The distributive bargaining style has been used  by the United States when dealing with China’s dominate role in economics. The United States has had to use accommodative negotiation strategy to help negotiate treaties with countries helping keep China in check from dominating globally. Example is how Taiwan has been threaten globally by China but the Unites States uses accommodations with other countries to help gain up on China. Summary and Conclusion In this paper, negotiation strategy was discussed on how the United States is trying to resist globalization and technology from foreign countries in the global market. The following key elements will be discussed: (1) description of globalization policies, and (2) negotiation strategies with China. In conclusion, distributive bargaining and accommodative negotiation strategies were discussed on how China global expansion has been kept at rest. China is a dominate economic power but China’s expansion into global dominance is a rest throughout the world. Distributive bargaining has been used by China to take a hold on dominating the economic regulations put on other countries. China does not receive the same sanctions other countries may receive from political outcry. The United States is in losing situation when trying to negotiate economic sanctions on China but does have the power to stop China from globalization. Military power is used to help control conflict and only time will tell if China continues to back down in the global environment. References Globalization and technology. (2011). U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://www.uschamber.com/issues/technology/globalization-and-technology Lewicki, R. J., Saunders, D. M., & Barry, B. (2005). Negotiation (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT/445 – Organizational Negotiations: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp

City of Kurnool Essay

Kurnool District is a district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, located in the west-central part of the state on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra and Handri rivers. The town of Kurnool is currently the headquarters of the district. It had a population of 3,529,494 of which 23. 16% were urban as of 2001. In 12th century AD, the Odder, who carted stones for the construction of the temple at Alampur, Mahaboobnagar District, on the left bank of the River Tungabhadra, used the site where the town now stands as a stopping place before crossing the Tungabhadra. They greased their cart wheels with oil supplied by local oil merchants and called the place ‘Kandanavolu’ which in course of time came to be known as Kurnool. Of historical interest are the ruins of a royal fort dating back to the medieval kingdom of Vijayanagar, which flourished from the 14th to the 16th century. Several Persian and Arabic inscriptions which throw light on various aspects of historical interests are found here. In Kurnool there are 52 dargahs (shrines) located around the Tungabhadra and Hundri rivers. A very famous and lengthy K. C. Canal starts in Kurnool and ends in Cuddapah. It is around 300 kilometers long. In Kurnool city there are a number of ancient temples, churches and mosques. Kurnool city, known as the gateway to the Rayalaseema, on N. H. 7 (Kanyakumari to Varanasi) on the banks of the Rivers Thungabhadra and the Hundri was the capital of the first linguistic state in free India, Andhra State from 1 Oct. 1953 to 31 Oct. 1956. As such it has some historical buildings. Kurnool has freedom fighters like Vuyyalawada Narsimha Reddy, Gadicharla Harisarvothama Rao. Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha (ZGS) and the District Central Libray (DCL), Kurnool, building near the old Bus stand is named ‘GADICHARLA HARISARVOTHAMA RAO SMARAKA BHAVANAMU†. It is the second district, apart from Nellore (Bejawada Gopal Reddy ‘Andhra state’ & Nedurumalli Janardhan Reddy), which has contributed two Chief Ministers to Andhra Pradesh: Damodaram Sanjeevaiah (1st dalit Chief Minister of India and A. P), Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy 10th Indian Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha rao was elected as member of parliament from Nandyal constituency with over 6 lakh (600,000) majority, a world record.

Critical Analysis of the Article from both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE Essay - 3

Critical Analysis of the Article from both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE aspects - Essay Example This is where the authors claim to have an alternative paradigm which can attempt to answer this paradox. Based on this assumption, authors therefore have recommended a different and alternative approach of rental/access perspective. The authors therefore claim that based on viewing services from this lens will offer a greater insight into the development of products as services as well as to view the time in more elaborative manner in order to design services and products in complimentary manner. Thus the authors have attempted to challenge the basic ideas formulated to define and discuss the services marketing due to the changes that took place due to internet and other forms of services which require less or no human interaction. Services in such perspectives therefore require a comprehensively different and unique paradigm to understand and define services. What is also the stronger point of this article is the fact that it has attempted to reconcile the ideas that has emerged from both the European scholars as well as the American scholars. The need to have dialogue and reconciliation of ideas therefore can provide a common ground to undertake future research on the topic of services marketing. The conclusion of this article indicates that due to emergence of new and fundamentally different and more fluid business models, it is necessary that the more robust frameworks must be developed in order to accommodate the relative changes that take place. This article however, does not provide the way as to how the different changes that unfold themselves into the future can be captured with the existing frameworks. Till new paradigm emerged and services marketing take an entirely new shape, existing theoretical models must be changed or designed in such a manner that they must undertake to capture these changes. This article also lacks in providing

Diversity and Global Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diversity and Global Culture - Essay Example The USA is strongly committed to democracy, in which views of the majority prevail, and strives for equality in law and institutions. The American Heritage College Dictionary defines hip hop as, "The popular culture of big city and especially inner city youth, characterized by graffiti art, break dancing, and rap music-of or relating to this culture." Hip hop is a cultural phenomenon that developed in the late 1970's in the Brooklyn and the Bronx, and a musical style emerged from it. Hip hop has become a pervasive element of popular culture and there are hip hop exercise videos, children's books, adult books, magazines, magazine articles and theses devoted to it. Further, hip hop's roots are much older and its use of music from other genres is reflected in Renaissance parody masses. The roots of this phenomenon lie in Jamaica of the 1940's and by the 1960's trucks fitted with sound equipment started playing American rhythm & blues records, in street corners, for the listening pleasure of the people in the neighborhood. Hip hop music, rap or rap music is a style of popular music, which consists of two main components, namely, rapping or MCing and DJing or audio mixing and scratching. Along with break dancing and graffiti or tagging, these compose the four elements of hip hop, a cultural movement that was initiated by inner-city youth, mainly the African Americans. This phenomenon was wide spread in the Farragut Projects in Brooklyn, NY. Some of the early DJs were Coxson Dodd, Prince Buster, Duke Reid, Maboya, Plummer and Kool DJ D who concentrated on disco music. One of them was Kool Herc who had immigrated from Jamaica and settled in the Bronx with his sound system he called "the Herculords." Kool Herc focused on rhythm & blues and funk records and one of his innovations was to play just the "break," or the musical material between the verses of a song, over and over again. He achieved this effect by using two turntables mounted with the same record. This came to be called "break-beat deejaying." People began to perform "strange, acrobatic twisting dance routines" to these episodes that came to be called "break dances" (Stancell, 1996). Kool Herc hired MCs or master of ceremonies who had to keep up a light banter between the songs with the audience. This was the origin of "rapping." DJ Hollywood, one of the early MC's at Kool Herc's parties would use rhyming verses in his rap. One of these included the words "hip hop" "which much later were used interchangeably to define the music of rap and the culture of those who attended Kool Herc's part ies(Stancell, 1996)." Afrika Bambaata was another early figure in the rap and hip hop world. He participated in many competitions between DJs and MCs often termed as battles. In addition to rapping, these battles were decided on who had the more interesting collection of breaks to play. Afrika Bambatta's breaks were drawn from many genres, including rock, rhythm & blues, mambo, German disco and calypso (Stancell, 1996). This practice of hip hop of incorporating existing sounds like recorded samples of music by other groups in addition to voices or ambient sounds led to lawsuits when the groups involved failed to credit their sources(Romanowsky and George - Warren, 1995). Another early

Television Advertisements Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Television Advertisements - Research Paper Example The paper realizes the prevalence of such behavior and in that acts as a measure to find a solution to the previously answered problem. The research question seeks to address the issue on a producer’s and a television company perspective. It aims to ensure that the involved stakeholders understand their social responsibility in protecting the children by developing relevant measures to combat the adverse effects on the children. The question relates to the significant problem of the various impacts of TV advertisements on children but adopts a different approach from the previous studies. This discussion declares that  the concern will not be a regulation by the prevailing regulative bodies, but an undertaking by advertisement houses and television companies meant to limit the effects of these ads on the children. The answer would work towards improving the overall health of the American population since there will be reduced cases of obesity and smoking among the children. Obesity and smoking are some of the primary causes of heart-related diseases and lung cancer in the United States and other areas in the world. Eliminating the negative influence of TV ads on the children will create a direct effect on the reduction in the prevalence rate of the associated diseases such as lung cancer and heart diseases.  The outcome can be included in the commercial television industry code of practice that will ensure the children are not influenced negatively by the ads and that parents are assured of their children’s safety.

Soviet Unions Decision to Acquire Nuclear Weapons and how it Overcame Essay

Soviet Unions Decision to Acquire Nuclear Weapons and how it Overcame the Obstacles to Acquire Nuclear Weapons - Essay Example The use of nuclear weapons by the US at the end of the second world war and the fact that they kept it as a secret from the Soviet Union has created a fear for Soviet leadership that they might use it for dominating them (Krieger, 2005). The decision to make nuclear weapons was a political decision of Stalin. He made the decision in the same year the Second World War ended (Reed, 2010). It took only four years for Soviet Union to become nuclear. The first nuclear weapon that they fired was a copy of the bomb dropped in Nagasaki by the US. It added to their prestige and deterrent potential. The Soviet effort to develop nuclear weapon was led by Igor Kurchatov at a secret site known as Arzamas-16 (Cold War: A Brief History, 2011). They were helped by spies inside the Manhattan project, most notably by Klaus Fuchs. Fuchs had German origin, but took British citizenship and was send to US to work on the atom bomb. He passed detailed information on the project to the Soviet Union through a courier in 1945 (Klaus Fuchs , 2011). Using the detailed description made by Klaus Fuchs, Soviets constructed a similar copy of the Fat Man bomb (Cold War: A Brief History). It was tested at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1949 and its estimated yield was about 22 kilotons (Cold War: A Brief History). He also passed information regarding hydrogen bomb in 1946 an 1947, but that were not very useful. Reports of the unusual explosive force of the atomic bomb appeared in Soviet press for the first time in Pravda on 13th October 1941. Medvedev (n.d.) points out that the release of a spontaneous chain reaction by the fission of uranium-235, which had been done in 1938 in Germany by Otto Hahn, and by Frederic Joliet-Curie in France, was independently discovered by the young Soviet physicists Georgy Flerov in Leningrad and Yulii Khariton in Moscow in 1939. In the United States, the possibility of developing atomic bomb was discussed in the press in 1940. Flerov beli eved that research was taking place in Germany and the US in the field of uranium fission. He sent a letter to Stalin saying that nothing is being published about the nuclear program and there is something suspicious (Soviet Atomic Bomb Project, 2011). In that letter, he wrote, â€Å"we must build uranium bomb without delay (Thomas B. Cochran, 1995)†. Intelligence officials of Moscow had definite information about this. In the Soviet system during that period, only Stalin got all secret intelligence information. Medvedev argues that the intelligence communications about the atom bomb were also seen and considered firstly by Stalin. In 1942, the Soviet secret service received information from Cairncross, Fuchs and Pontecorvo. They were diehard communists. Klaus Fuchs was a physicist and atomic scientist who left Germany in 1933. John Cairncross was the secretary of Lord Hankey, one of the war ministers of the War Cabinet. Bruno Pontecorvo, was an Italian emigre and close colla borator of the famous Enrico Fermi, who, in 1942, was the first person in the world to construct a nuclear reactor (Medvedev). They send information as goodwill and on their own initiative. Much of the information passed by them was scientific in nature and only a physicist could understand them. In May-June 1942, Kaftanov reported on a letter addressed to Stalin from the physicist Flerov, who explained in a much clearer way what the atomic bomb represented, and why Germany or the USA could possess this bomb in the not too distant future (Medvedev). On hearing Kaftanov’s report, Stalin walked about a little in his Kremlin office, thought, and said ‘it is necessary to act’ (Medvedev). By this time, the intelligence departments have gathered 2000 pages of technical information regarding atomic

Team Behavior and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Team Behavior and Communication - Essay Example Therefore the elements of communication play a vital role for an efficient communication. Effective communication clearly expresses the objective that it's intended to do. No matter how long the communication is but if it reaches the targeted audience clearly it is called effective communication. On the other hand efficient communication is one which is short and crisp. Efficient communication is likely to be quick and to the point. But an efficient communication can also be effective. Therefore effective communication gives more importance to the conveying the point to the listeners whereas efficient communication gives importance to the amount of time taken in communication. Careful listening avoids misunderstanding. Give your undivided attention to the speaker. Ask questions if you need more information. After you have listened carefully it is your turn to give your opinion and expression. Communication is a gift from God and therefore should never be taken for granted. Effective communication is a gift you give others. Never forget that the effectiveness of your communication determines the effectiveness of your life. .. But an efficient communication can also be effective. Therefore effective communication gives more importance to the conveying the point to the listeners whereas efficient communication gives importance to the amount of time taken in communication. A FEW TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 1. Learn to express yourself Help others to get to know you better, so they will know what to expect from you. They will help you to get knowledge because they will offer information about themselves. 2. Learn good listening skills Careful listening avoids misunderstanding. Give your undivided attention to the speaker. Ask questions if you need more information. After you have listened carefully it is your turn to give your opinion and expression. 3. Learn to be assertive Say what you want to say with forthrightness and frankness without being aggressive. To be assertive means not say 'yes' when you want to say 'no'. CONCLUSION Communication is a gift from God and therefore should never be taken for granted. Effective communication is a gift you give others. Never forget that the effectiveness of your communication determines the effectiveness of your life. References 1. Chandra, Joseph(2004), "Power Communication", Chennai: Macmillan, p10-14 2. Pagare, Dinkar(1997), "Importance of Effective Communication" Mumbai: Premiere,

Animal Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal Rights - Research Paper Example In many ways, elements of this group wish that animal rights would be even further reduced due to the fact that animal rights are antithetical to their personal and/or political vantage point. Similarly, on the opposing side, there are those individuals that are deeply troubled by the way our current society disregards the worth and dignity of other life forms. In fairness, among this group as well exists zealots that would advocate for an extreme solution to such an issue such as all individuals becoming vegetarians to affect a positive change on animal rights worldwide. As such, as rationally and scientifically as possible, this analysis will work to lay out a moderate framework from which the author will attempt to explain and understand the relevant arguments that exist on both sides of this debate. The following provides a brief summary of some of the arguments that each side of this debate put forward: The individuals who campaign for a greater degree of protection and animal rights argue the following: - Due to the fact that eating meat necessarily entails the slaughter of an animal, it also entails grief, anxiety, and a high degree of suffering on the part of the animal - Raising animals for slaughter is an inherently callous practice due to the fact that those individuals that are involved in the process begin to become hardened to the hardships and suffering that these animals undergo during this process. - Evidence from a number of physicians and studies have concluded that a meat-eating is not necessarily beneficial to the health of those who eat it. It is verifiable that if the entire planet became vegetarian, the amount of food that would be saved from feeding cattle stock and chickens plus swine and all the other meat that a great deal of our food supply goes towards would be more than sufficient to feed all of those that go without food. The other side of the debate urges multiple levels of justification and rationalization for the killing of animals for many reason: Animals are by nature stupid and incapable of understanding what their role in life is therefore it is not necessary to respect their rights to the same extent that we respect human rights. It is moral and acceptable to use the animal for the needs of the human being if such a use helps the human being(s) to continue to live and thrive

Outlining Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Outlining Policy - Research Paper Example It is therefore imperative that every educational institution establishes labor policies that would avoid discrimination in processes such as hiring, instruction, dismissal, and tenure thereby helping the institution to avoid discriminatory lawsuits. To establish all-round policies that allow the management and administration to address stakeholder needs and ensure that favoritism and unfairness do not reign in a public school, there are certain guidelines that should be observed (Ewing et al., 2005). This paper explores the labor policy guidelines that should define an organization’s hiring, dismissal, tenure, and instructional policies. Hiring Policy Labor laws require that the hiring policies in a public school should not make a job seeker hold the opinion that he/she is being treated unfavorable compared to the others. There are several reasons for which job seekers may feel they are getting unfair or unfavorable treatment. These reasons include age, religion, gender, disa bility, race, skin color, and nationality. It is therefore imperative upon every public school to ensure that such favoritism do not occur in their hiring practices, policies, and procedures (Befort & Budd, 2009). Just like any kind of discrimination is not required in any facet of employment, so it applies to hiring processes. In fact, once discrimination is allowed to permeate the hiring stage, chances are high it would be widespread in the later processes such as dismissal, transfer, and promotion. Discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, and mental or physical disability should thus be eliminated in public schools to avoid lawsuits. The reason being, failure to establish and implement these nondiscriminatory hiring practices would contravene certain labor regulations and laws that provide for fairness and nondiscrimination in hiring processes. For instance, there are laws that forbid age discrimination in offering employment except in certain special case s (Keshawn & Arn, 2005). It is therefore important that public school administrators get conversant with the laws governing the process of hiring in the relevant areas or job description. It is also illegal in many countries to discriminate based on one’s religion while hiring workers unless radicalism and excessive negative attitudes and consequences are apparent. Nonetheless, it is necessary that the concerned institutions follow the due process and the law when hiring, one’s religion and other social alienation notwithstanding. When hiring and considering peoples’ skills, positions to be filled, the responsibilities to be given, and the qualifications required for a job, it is also discriminatory to eliminate job seekers on the basis of their gender. Otherwise, lawsuits and compensations are likely to follow. Once an individual has been hired, the tenure of office, the terms, and conditions of their service are the other tricky aspects of employment that orga nizations must handle fairly and without favor. Tenure Policy There is a unanimous call in the education labor movement for the overhaul of the contemporary concept of tenure in many sectors of the economy. In fact, some stakeholders

Public Utilities Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Utilities - Term Paper Example listically behaved sector to a private owned and liberalized one since the 1980s with the privatization of British Telecom and the introduction of competition in the US long distance services (Wallsten, 2001). Based on the theoretical perspectives on privatization, it has been argued that the privatization of telecommunication sector will result in increasing the sector’s efficiency and overall performance. The empirical studies show the results varying in different countries. Given this background, this essay critically evaluates the privatization process of telecommunications all over the world and its impact. This essay is organized as follows. Section 2 discusses the privatization process of telecommunication sector all over the world. Section 3 discusses the theoretical arguments behind privatization. Section 4 discusses the empirical studies son the telecommunications privatization. Section 5 discusses the country experiences in this regard. Section 6 concludes the essay. Due to the importance of telecommunications sector as a vital part of the national infrastructure in each country, the policy makers in this sector are supposed to ensure the availability of telephone to all upon demand, accessibility to the basic services to all people at affordable prices as well as to protect and defend a country’s security interests (Maitra, 2006). Moreover, being a technology intensive sector, the policy makers need to ensure that the country is making use of the most advanced technology in this sector to make use of all the available opportunities in the technology field. The three main challenges in this sector in front of the policy makers in the 1950s and the 1960s in all countries were the fast technological change, the poor performance of the state owned sector including long waiting times for accessing services and limited financial resources for availing new technologies that facilitate the growth in this sector (Maitra, 2006). Consequently, the three

The Christian Fundamentalist Movement Essay Example for Free

The Christian Fundamentalist Movement Essay As it exists in America, the Christian fundamentalist movement is comprised of Protestant evangelical fundamentalists who seek a complete restructuring of the social and political order, so that all proceeding generations may be brought up in accordance with their doctrine. The most central tenet to their movement is the idea that their sacred scripture, the Bible, is indisputably inerrant, and provides a strict set of rules and guidelines that can be applied to a person in any context. In Martin Marty’s anthology â€Å"The Fundamentalism Project,† he explores the role that fundamentalism plays in politics, the family, and society as whole. Understanding that â€Å"fundamentalism† is a word often misused or wrongly attributed to certain groups, Marty’s works primarily aim at distinguishing the term, and illustrating it’s distinct origin. Furthermore, he describes the integral role of women in sustaining a movement that is essentially patriarchal, and helps us to see how this fits into Manuel Castells notion that the patriarchal family may soon be a thing of the past. Defining and Distinguishing â€Å"Fundamentalism† Fundamentalism, in the most general of senses, is a strategy used within religious communities to reclaim their sacred past, and therefore maintain their identity as a distinct group. They refer to selected doctrines and scriptures, which are considered to be the â€Å"fundamentals† of their beliefs. They are zealously driven by a sense of self-preservation, and the need to convert their adversaries (who, in their case, is anyone but themselves) (Marty, 1). Protestant fundamentalists fit this definition well. They emerged in the early 20th century in opposition to, what they considered to be, an increasingly morally corrupt world. They have since continued to revere the â€Å"fundamental† requirements for salvation by basing every aspect of their lives on the perceived â€Å"divinely inspired† writings of the Bible . Several central features of Protestant fundamentalism shape its identity not only as a religious faith, but also as a strict, oppositional, closely-knit social cohort. The first of these is evangelism, which fundamentalists hold to the up-most importance. Since they see only themselves as saved, they xpend most of their energy on convincing outsiders that they must avoid eternal damnation through conversion (to fundamentalism) by broadcasting evangelical messages over radio and television and various other means. Secondly, fundamentalists believe in a strict biblical inerrancy. That is, they claim â€Å"that the only sure path to salvation is through a faith in Jesus Christ that is grounded in unwavering faith in an inerrant Bible,† and that â€Å"the Bible can be trusted to provide an accurate description of science and history, as well as morality and religion† (Ammerman, 5). Hence their upsurge at the turn of the 20th century, when various scientific and philosophical theories (such as Darwinism) that did not adhere to the written word became increasingly accepted, and they sought to turn everyone back to the strict, unwavering accuracy of the scriptures (Moore, 46). Thirdly, fundamentalists are a pre-millennialist group who use their faith in the Bible to â€Å"predict the future,† that is, the coming of the End. This belief provides them with even more motivation to evangelize, because they think there is only a limited time before the second coming of Jesus and thus a limited time to save non-believers before they are condemned to hell. Lastly, separatism is one of the more crucial features of fundamentalism, because it is the basis for how fundamentalists exist in society. They insist that a true believer will not only follow a strict set of guidelines for his or her own life, but will also shun any person who does not share their lifestyle. In fact, it is this desire to ostracize the mainstream population that originally set fundamentalists apart at the emergence of their movement, as they share much in common with closely related factions such as conservative, or evangelical Christianity. For example, fundamentalists agree with conservative Christian’s â€Å"traditional† understanding of such doctrines as the Virgin Birth, the historical accuracy of Jesus’ miracles, and the imminent second coming of Christ. However, not all conservative Christians agree on how one achieves salvation, which is where evangelical Protestantism veers off. While certain conservative Protestants consider themselves â€Å"saved† if they are baptized and active, faithful members of their church, only evangelicals believe that salvation is solely for those who accept Jesus Christ as their savior and devote their lives to living in his name (a tenant crucial to fundamentalism). And, since many evangelicals place revelatory powers in experience, they cannot all be considered fundamentalists who seek revelation through the scriptures alone. But still, for most of the early 20th century, â€Å"fundamentalists† and â€Å"evangelicals† were barely distinguishable; both groups â€Å"preserved and practiced the revivalist heritage of soul winning and maintained a traditional insistence on orthodoxy† (Ammerman, 4). It wasn’t until fundamentalists chose to actively oppose liberalism, secularism, and communism in a militant fashion that they ostracized themselves from the rest of society, which evangelicals sought to remain in. Historical Background of the Fundamentalist Movement In every society social change proceeds at an uneven pace. Some society members embrace change with relish, while others find it oppressive and troubling. And, when people feel that change is being imposed on them, many will find it necessary to resist. Such was the case with America’s earliest fundamentalists. The early 20th Century Fundamentalist Movement sprung from the Great Awakening in objection to its principles of liberal theology, German higher criticism, Darwinism, all which appeared to undermine the Bible’s authority. The growing discontentment of numerous religiously conservative Christians pushed them to unify and organize, aided by the emergence of a twelve volume series between 1910 and 1915 titled The Fundamentals. This collection was conceived by a Southern California oil millionaire and edited by Bible teachers and evangelists. It contained ninety articles, twenty-seven of them devoted to the Bible, which outlined clearly what were thought to be the essential, fundamental beliefs of Christianity that could not be compromised. It detailed fundamentalism’s core tenets, specifically: The inerrancy of the Bible, the literal nature of the Biblical accounts (especially regarding Christs miracles and the  Creation account in Genesis), the Virgin Birth of Christ, the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross, and the bodily resurrection of Christ (Witherup, 7). These provided the disunited body of participants with a single set of goals, prompting them to ban together to enact change and essentially transforming fundamentalism into a specific movement. However, throughout the following decade this new religiously conservative coalition against liberalism was merely a nagging voice of dissent, still widely considered bigoted or anti-intellectual, and failed to gain significant credibility (Marsden, 124). Fundamentalists remained divided on several key issues, which prevented them from gaining any real solidarity. For example, while most fundamentalists were mainly concerned with biblical inerrancy, many were more focused on dispensationalism, a eschatological theology concerned with the so-called â€Å"end of times. At this end of the spectrum a â€Å"small group of dispensationalist spokes-men pushed the cultural pessimism to its logical extreme,† who used rhetoric that â€Å"was certainly not in any way connected with positive, progressive reformism† (Marsden, 125). This prevalent face of fundamentalism was in no way appealing to the American public, and was counter-productive to the movement. In 1925, the infamous Scopes â€Å"monkey trial† brought to the forefront of the American Public the clash between modernity and fundamentalists. The trial concerned a high school teacher, John Scopes, who was convicted of teaching the scientific theory of evolution in opposition to the biblical teaching of creation. Though the fundamentalist prosecutor William Jennings Byron won the case, liberal press coverage of this legendary trial ultimately led to a severe loss of public support. Nevertheless, Byron would go on to becoming one of the most popular and appealing faces to the movement, and would continue to fuel its growth. The economic depression of the 1930’s provided a context in which fundamentalism could not easily thrive. Such dark times called for a comforting, optimistic theology†¦characteristics not often attributed to fundamentalism. However, this sense of social crisis brought to the fore moral reformist leaders like William B Riley, who began to stress political change as essential to fundamentalist goals. A number of conservative conferences in  New York City  and Philadelphia led to the formation of a larger and more comprehensive organizations the  World’s Christian Fundamentals Association and the Fundamental Baptists of America. Having also lost control of the denominational seminaries, fundamentalists regrouped around a set of independent Bible institutes and Bible colleges. Many of these schools, such as the  Moody Bible Institute  in Chicago and the  Bible Institute of Los Angeles not only provided instruction to their students but assumed many of the duties formerly performed by denominational institutions. They published periodicals, broadcast from their own  radio stations, held conferences, and maintained a staff of extension speakers. They operated like a denominational headquarters, providing a bond between otherwise isolated congregations (Bruce, 55). Although fundamentalism was pushed to the fringe of the Christian community by the new Evangelical movement, it continued to grow as new leaderships arose. The  Baptist Bible Fellowship, formed in 1950, became one of the largest fundamentalist denominations. By 1975 there were 34 Regional organizations, 16 active military chaplains, 11 student chaplains, 1261 individual members and 614 churches. A total of 28 missionary organizations were members of the IFCA movement. They included 13 church extension missions, 11 home missions, and 4 foreign missions. Five Bible institutes and colleges also were members. Then, in 1979 Jerry Falwell pushed the movement into political sphere by founding the Moral Majority, a civic organization that crusaded against what it viewed as negative cultural trends, especially legalized abortion, the  women’s movement, and the  gay rights movement. It also lobbied for prayer in public schools, increased defense spending, a strong anticommunist  foreign policy, and continued American support for the State of Israel. The Moral Majority led a new generation of fundamentalists beyond simply denouncing cultural trends and back into an engagement with contemporary life in the political arena, a place where they have been quite outspoken for the past couple of decades. For example, fundamentalists were strong supporters of President  George W. Bush  and played an important role in the election of Republicans at all levels of government. They also continued to promote conservative positions on various questions of social policy. They took advantage of the post-cold war liberalist attitude by zealously lobbying for political and moral reform at abortion clinics, funerals for homosexuals, etc, to make their point loud and clear. According to Marty Martin, fundamentalists entered â€Å"a new phase of intense activism in the aftermath of the Gulf War (1990-1991) and the collapse of the Soviet Union, in a world that now seemed beset by an inward turning of peoples, or by antipluralist particularisms† (Marty, 7). Even further fueled by the ultural revolution of the 1960’s and early 70’s, especially the assaults on traditional standards of family and sexuality, fundamentalists sought to completely re-structure American culture. They continued to promote conservative positions on various questions of social policy, and given that their â€Å"end† is in sight, have been increasingly forceful in doing so. In other words, the fundamentalist movements’ participants believe that their t ime is running out to achieve their movement’s goals, therefore they need to take advantage of every opportunity they can. In fact, â€Å"the politicization of fundamentalistic evangelicism in recent decades and its unexpected resilience as a political force points to another larger story in American culture, the weakening of the progressive modern scientific liberal consensus that seemed to be building in the first half of the 20th century† (Marsden, 255). Fundamentalism and The Family According to Marty, the fundamentalist desire to return to a â€Å"sacred past† is the motivation behind their focus on re-establishing â€Å"the family† as a staple of social order. They believe that the â€Å"traditional† family is one reminiscent of 17th century Puritanism, a time when religion played as large a role in society as it should now. Christian fundamentalist see the family as the ultimate authority, as it has become a â€Å"potent symbol of an idealized moral order† (Hardacre, 131). Thus, â€Å"the imperative to ‘return’ to an idealized form of the family is perhaps the highest priority of the fundamentalist social agenda† (Hardacre, 131). They see the family as the divine infrastructure that is the basis for all other institutions in society, and are encouraged by spiritual leaders to make the home a moral haven from a corrupt world. The â€Å"traditional† lifestyle that is so revered by Christian fundamentalists is a patriarchal one, in accordance with the Bible. As a result, women willingly assume the subordinate position which is widely considered anti- feminist. In their idealized family, the husband is the sole breadwinner who exercises final authority in all matters, and the wife’s role is simply to serve her husband, children and God. Additionally, females in fundamentalist households are taught to stifle their sexuality, as it could be used as a tool to manipulate the males in society. And, â€Å"women’s personification of tradition also takes the form of (often explicit) restrictions on their physical movements away from home† (Hardacre, 139). In order to stick with â€Å"tradition,† women are often required to forego education beyond basic literacy, and employment in leading sectors of the economy (and most other professions). Especially from a feminist standpoint, it is oftentimes difficult to see why women would become such passionate advocates for a creed that deepens their subordination to men and requires them to relinquish most of their power. However, within fundamentalism, the female role of motherhood is considered to be the most crucial foundation for the family and society as a whole. Since many fundamentalists chose to homeschool their children, these mothers are also the sole educators for their oftentimes many offspring. And, as a large part of their educational focus is on Biblical study, females are called to pass on the meaning of their sacred scripture to the next generation. So though their perpetuation of patriarchy is widely considered anti-feminist, fundamentalist women do not see themselves as such. Instead, they see themselves as carrying out the ultimate female duty as God calls upon them to do. The Quiverfull movement is a smaller, more recent group who share the same desire for a â€Å"traditional† patriarchal family. They are a movement of people who believe is eschewing all forms of birth control, and willingly accepting as many children as they conceive. Not only are they unwilling to prevent pregnancy, but in the same effort to maintain patriarchy wives are required to engage in sexual intercourse whenever their husband so chooses, oftentimes resulting in frequent reproduction. The basis for their lifestyle is found in Old Testament Bible verses in Psalm 127:3-4 that proclaims â€Å"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward; As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his  quiver full  of them† (Quiverfull). Despite the premise of their movement being selection from a religious text, the Quiverfull movement is self-described as non-denominational, though it is often described as both evangelical and fundamentalist. Though their members are predominately evangelical (if not evangelical fundamentalists), look closer will see how they really fit in as a subset to the overall fundamentalist movement. As was just mentioned, the foundation of Quiverfull beliefs comes from a literal translation of the Bible, a characteristic of evangelicism and fundamentalism. And, they don’t only base their reproductive habits off of the Bible; Quiverfulls maintain that the Bible is inerrant in it’s entirety. In consequence, Quiverfull families base their familial structure off of the same scriptures that fundamentalists do, creating the same male-headed families. However, it would probably be inaccurate to say that all members of the Quiverfull movement share the same desire for separatism that is characterized in the participants of the fundamentalist movement. The fact that they do not self-describe themselves as Christian fundamentalists (though they do refer to the â€Å"fundamentals†) alone is suggestive of their less-exclusive nature. For example, if I were to decide now that I want no part in birth-control or family planning, and advocated that as the correct way of life, I would be part of the Quiverfull movement despite any of my other personal ideologies. Nevertheless, the premise of the movement coincides with objectives of fundamentalists, so it still can be considered a contribution to the success of the larger Fundamentalist movement as a whole. The Fundamentalists Identity In Castells’ â€Å"The Power of Identity,† he provides three origins of â€Å"identity building,† the basis for the formation of â€Å"purposive collective actions whose outcome, in victory as in defeat, transforms the values and institutions of society† (Castells, 3). One of these, â€Å"resistance identity,† is similar to McAdam’s idea of â€Å"oppositional consciousness. The latter is vital to the success of any social movement, because the creation of a common enemy creates solidarity between its members, allowing them to link their experiences of injustice to their oppressors, thus providing them with a common obstacle. This type of identity-building â€Å"constructs forms of collective resistance against otherwise unbearable oppression, usually on the basis of identities that were, apparently, clearly defined by history, geography, or biology, making it easier to essentialize the boundaries of existence†. In this case, a collective identity is formed in response to dominant institutions or ideologies, just as fundamentalism emerged to combat the scientifically-progressive ideologies of the early 20th century. Fundamentalism is understood to be â€Å"the construction of collective identity under the identification of individual behavior and society’s institutions to the norms derived from God’s law, interpreted by a definite authority that intermediates between God and humanity† (Castells 2, 13). Thus, to be properly perceived by fundamentalists one has to share their commitment to a authority, as they do in respect to patriarchal order and God. Castells also argues that the new global order with its uncontrollable processes of globalization and individualization of identity is accompanied by several brand new demographical tendencies. Among them there are the high rates of divorce, separation, delayed marriages, children born out of wedlock, violence in the family, gay and lesbian couples, single lifestyles etc. Castells 2, 26) All of these challenge patriarchalism by undermining its material and ideological bases, and Castells sees the Christian family as the only source of stability to this order. He claims that American Christian fundamentalism is not a rationalization of class interests, or territorial communal movements, but is rather â€Å"a political process of defense of the moral, Christian values† with the help of images from the past projected into the utop ian future (Castells, 25). Therefore, fundamentalism derives its strength from the American culture with its deep religiosity as well as â€Å"familistic individualism† and pragmatism as a shelter from solitude and uncertainty of the contemporary  world (Castells). Fundamentalism: A Self Sustaining Movement For its participants, fundamentalism began with the formation of the scriptures and its sustainability is inevitable due to its universal validity. The only threat to its existence is the event after which worldly matters are no longer a concern to fundamentalists: the imminent second coming of their savior, Jesus Christ. Until then, fundamentalism continues to exist in the social order as a well-organized, un-relenting, unified movement, fighting to influence American institutions in accordance with their beliefs. And, with America in the midst of major political and religious upheaval, there has never been a better time for fundamentalists to impose a structural change on our society. Concerning its sustainability, the fundamentalist movement has a clear, unwavering set of tenets and goals which can apply to every society. Furthermore, the solidarity of it’s members has been highly influenced by the movement’s ubiquitous enemy: contemporary American culture. Their formation of an oppositional consciousness has been inherent in their basic dogma, and their list of enemies remains lengthy and ever growing. Their political opportunity has also continued to grow in strength, with an increasing number of right-wing conservatives standing behind their cause. This increase in ideological allies has been paired with a decrease in the strength of repression in society, as more and more Americans have become sympathetic to the fundamentalist message. This has been partially due to the post-9/11 need for revenge against a common enemy, which called for Americans to ban together and generally promoted the idea of returning to the â€Å"family. † This idea is further supported today by public figures like Sarah Palin and Glen Beck, the latter of whom is regarded higher in public-opinion than the president himself. Even despite their philosophical differences, evangelicals and fundamentalists have come together in their plight to change the schooling system, in opposition to secular humanism. Together they seek a â€Å"God-centered education that emphasizes character development and spiritual training,† which requires a totally upheaval of the standard American educational system (Rose, 456). They have pressured public schools to remove certain books from classrooms and libraries, to teach scientific creationism alongside (or in place of) evolution, to eliminate sex education entirely, to adopt textbooks that reinforce â€Å"traditional† American values, that can be found in the scriptures and to avoid â€Å"controversial† subjects in the classroom, such as sex or evolution (Rose, 453). Protestants have developed their own branch of Christian schools, which though may not be strictly comprised of fundamentalists, is most popular among the more separatist and conservative wing of the evangelical movement. Since the 1960’s enrollments in non-Catholic religiously affiliated schools, or schools of which the majority are evangelical, have increased some 149 percent (Rose, 454). These schools have been the fastest growing sector of private education, with approximately one million students (K-12) enrolled in roughly ten thousand schools, which equates to 20% of the total private school population. The goal of this alternate form of education is to restore religious authority in society, re-strengthen parental authority, and educate their children while protecting them from â€Å"drug, sex, violence, and the lack of discipline in the public schools† (Rose, 455). The schools form a sort of protective bubble around the fundamentalist youth, limiting their knowledge of diversity and progressive society. At fundamentalist universities, the Bible is the only form of literature that students study, and many times neither group discussion nor essay writing is part of the regular curriculum (Rose, 461). In other words, students read (for the most part) only the Bible, and do not practice the normal skills that an education requires. This singularization of their knowledge successfully teaches children that fundamentalism is not only the right way, but the only way to live. All in all, it is clear that Protestant fundamentalism is concerned with protecting the sanctity of their ideology in every aspect. Worship, education, the family, friends, recreation, etc. must all adhere to a strict set of doctrinal beliefs, which can only be found in their inerrant Bible. Due to their confined nature, there is little room for desegregation with people of other faiths, which helps to perpetuate the distinct roles that women and children play in this sometimes described anti-progressive or anti-modernist movement. In their plight to change the schooling system, fundamentalists have merged with evangelicals to oppose the secular humanism that they consider to be contaminating their children’s minds. Together, they seek a â€Å"God-centered education that emphasizes character development and spiritual training,† which requires a totally upheaval of the standard American educational system (Rose, 456). In addition, their patriarchal communities have restrained the role of women, keeping them solely in the households to raise and sometimes educate their children. Furthermore, children are encouraged to confine their friendships, dating partners and spouses within the church, allowing little room for outward mobilization. For the most part, they constrain their children to educating them only the â€Å"basics† of Protestant fundamentals, and by rearing them in such a male dominated environment, perpetuate an anti-feminist ideology (Hardacre, 134). Conclusion It is the fundamentalist insistence on â€Å"uniformity of belief within ranks and separation from others whose beliefs and lives are suspect† that has shaped a fervently unique demographic (Ammerman, 9). Their determination to accumulate ideological allies through zealous evangelism has taken fundamentalism from being a theological doctrine, to existing as a strong and ever growing social movement. Their separatist nature has led them to develop their own faith-based communities, churches, schools, universities, radio stations, television shows and more. By creating their own neighborhoods and penetrating the education system, fundamentalists have succeeded in mobilizing and growing in size and authority.

Marketing Communication Tools for Apple

Marketing Communication Tools for Apple In the past two decates it become a common practice for companies to spend millions and billions of money in advertisement (see Table 1, due to lack of any further evidence the numbers should be taken under suspicion). Most of us think that they spent all this money just to make us buy more and more but is not only that. Their ultimate goal is to make as aware of their presence, they want to gain more and more market share and they also use various methods and ways to attract new customers that they have not yet consider them as an option. In order to do that they have to use some tools and means. These tools are known as Marketing Communication Tools and they consist from five principles -also known as marketing communication mix- advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker, Brennan, 2009, p398). Not all of the tools are been used from the companies, some of them are used less some of them more. This is dependable on the strategy the company wants to follow, at this assignment I will try to critically assess and evaluate two key marketing communication tools that Apple Inc. uses. Apple Inc. founded in 1976 and is one the largest corporation across the world that designs computers, electronics and computer software. It became known by been one of the first companies to mass produce and sell Personal Computers, in 1976 Apple 1 and in 1977 Apple II. Since then they become one of the leading companies both in innovation and sales this is the reason why I choose this particular brand in my assignment. One of the most common marketing tools used by Apple Inc. is direct marketing and as Chris Fill (2005, 4th) defines the companies level in his book Apple Inc. is a type four hybrid company. This means that they see direct marketing as brand vehicle and use direct marketing to exploit market space opportunities (Chris Fill 2005, 4th, p.738). The main tool they use for their strategy is the internet and web-mail since the evolution of technology helps direct marketing to prosper and grow. Apple Inc. exploited that by using huge storage databases to keep track of their customers data and preferences. Their main goal is to build a strong and long-term relationship with their customers by forming a community and to define the word I used I mean dedicated customers that follow Apple Inc. products blindly. This growing community is the power of company; it consisted by dedicated customers that are tied to the company mainly for sentimental reasons slowing rising as a cult. Even if the products sometimes do not meet their expectations or the products are left to die from the company they still follow them as a cult current slowly rising. As an example we can relate to that cult is the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community as explained at Albert M. Muniz Jr and Hope Jensen Schau research Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community published in the Journal of Consumer Research mentioning how customers off different brands turn their favorite brands into a religion and giving the products supernatural and magical motifs because they believe they are consisted from some kind of magic and will survive through time and at some point they even might rise again like the phoenix from the ashes. From a consumer point of view their strategy is not as effective as it could be; mainly because direct marketing should be more about feedback and customer profile based. From that prospective they should focus more on how they can use effectively their recourses to be more customer-friendly and diverse, they need to give you the opportunity to feedback and give your own advices, after all this are a way of saying to the customer that you care about his opinion and the customer feel that they contribute to their favorite brand. In 2001 Apple Inc. decided to add one more communication tool missing so far from their arsenal, as a result from that they launched their very own retail stores aiming to get higher market share and to bring joy to millions of dedicated customers around the globe. At this moment Apple Inc. counts 324 stores around the world, their philosophy is simple, they want customers to be able to found everything around their technology in one store. The goal is simple, the company tries to be more diverse more interactive and more two-way communication with their customers, this is what personal selling is all about this is what they aimed at. They want existing customers to interact with new customers and sales personnel to interact with both of them. This is the way they make their bond with the dedicated customers even stronger, due to human interaction and tow-way communication the customers do not only attach to the brand but they evolve a special relationship with the personnel that serves them in a way that the selling personnel influence the buying decision of the customer and the customer has someone that knows what his needs and wants are. Personal selling is a great way to learn about what your customers think for your brand, because is a two-way communication and the feedback is faster than from the one you have with research or direct marketing. Is more specific, more consumer-oriented and more flexible than other communication tools but not without a cost. The main weakness is the high cost, the cost for each contact is very high and thus less time consuming methods should be introduced and used for each customer from the sales manager, as an example Germanos ( http://www.e-germanos.gr/ the pioneers in phone selling in Greece) has evolved a very effective and less time consuming model of personal selling, it is called the 5 minutes rule in which each sales personnel has 5 minutes to identify the customer, identify their needs, propose, take him to the counter and closure. Additionally there is always the possibility of misunderstanding due to the human factor involved in the whole process although human factor is a n important part of this process is also the one part that sometimes causes most of the problems the reasons may vary from cultural and religion beliefs to differences in the social status. As a conclusion after doing research for the strategy that Apple Inc. uses we came across equivocal results, despite Apple Inc. market share status (one of the pioneers at their market) and their total revenue their main goal is their loyal customers, perhaps giving more attention on building stronger and life-lasting relationships with their existing customers than introducing the company to new customers. We cannot get a clear conclusion if their strategy is either bad or good, the only thing we can assume is that what they do, they do it to keep the brand image at a level to justify that their brand is for the few and not for the many. Bottom line despite their strategy or their agenda we need to respect Apple Inc. but always have in mind that we need to be critical and analyze everything to see the hidden truth and what is going on behind the scenes. At the end I want to include a part of an interview given in the September of 2010 from the founder of Accer Inc. , Stan Shih, Apple has to be respected. He said that the company and CEO has always been using a different strategy in the computer industry. According to Shih, Apple is looking for revolution, while other PC brands are evolving naturally.

Representations Of Arabs In Shakespearean Plays English Literature Essay

Representations Of Arabs In Shakespearean Plays English Literature Essay The early years of the 1550s witnessed the first sizeable appearance of black people in England; those whom English merchants took captive and brought to England to work as slaves (Barthelemy 1987). John Hawkins was among the earliest English adventurers to bring black people to England and to sell some other black Africans into slavery in the New Found World. In the 1550s, a black man who was brought to England was married to a native white woman. The child that the mixed couple brought to life was described as black as coal. Arabs include Moors and Moroccan as well as the people that originated from the Arabian Gulf, Middle East and North Africa. Others may include other Eastern people such as Turks. The wordmoors is a loose term that is often used in the Medieval and Renaissance England. It referred to the moor, black moor, and Negroes, Indians, Mahometans and Muslims. These terms are more than not used interchangeably. It has been seen that these people have played various roles in Shakespearean plays. One example of which is Othello. The main character of the tragedy, Othello, is a racial and cultural outsider in Venice. This paper examines the links between the Arabs and stereotypes and how well they were represented in the Shakespearean plays. Further, this paper seeks to explain how the Arabs were viewed in these plays; the sorts of stereotypes that were linked to the Arabs; how these stereotypes influenced that plays and its protagonists; and the change representations and evolutions of the Arabs in the play. Problem Statement and Research Questions It is evident that the Arabs played a great part in the plays of Shakespeare, especially in the tragedy Othello. These representations have emerged as a major topic in modern and contemporary scholarships. Various studies have representations of Arabs in the English and European literature. This papers main research problem is that, on the representation of Arabs in Shakespeares plays, what is the link between the representation and the stereotypes? Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following research questions: 1. How were the Arabs viewed in the plays of Shakespeare? 2. What sorts of stereotypes were linked to the Arabs? These stereotypes were from Shakespeares contemporary society and time frame which is 16th and 17th century Britain. 3. How these stereotypes affected the plays and its protagonists? 4. How do the Arab representations changed and evolved in the plays? Research Objectives The main objective of this paper is examining the link between the stereotypes and the Arab representation made by Shakespeare in his plays. These stereotypes were from Shakespeares contemporary society and time frame which is 16th and 17th century Britain. This aims to examine the effects these representation had on the written plays as well as to study the evolution of these representations. Scope and Limitation The scope of the study shall remain in the examination of the linkage between the Arab representation of Shakespeare in his plays and with the stereotypes of his time. It can be said that this shall include interdisciplinary studies of history and literature. However, this paper shall remain a paper for literature. Arab will be the term to be used in this study; however, this may also include other Eastern people such as Turks, as necessary. Since the main focus of the study is on Arab representation of Shakespearean classics, the researcher will only be limited to the examination of the same. Therefore, the researcher shall not include other literary works that have the same subject. Finally, the researcher will not be concerned on the analysis and the criticism of the literary pieces that include the representation because of the reasons that were mentioned in the aims of this study. Review of Related Literature In the tragedy, Othello, casting the male protagonist as black, Shakespeare activates all the fantasms that have haunted white society about miscegenation to our day: the idea of the black man and the white woman. The double standards of contemporary society, a fortiriori in Shakespeares time, do not hold the same anger against relations between a white man and a black woman, where the assumed dominant and submissive gender roles are matched in the racists minds with the desired racial roles (Serageldin 1998). Shakespeare draws out a powerful argument for the profound alienation of Othello, who-despite arriving at his position by Venetian merit, which also requires him to deny himself-is still destroyed because of his race and his erstwhile, if not continued, religion. When it comes to Morocco and the image of Moors, generally speaking, the relationship between Morocco and England was a friendly one. All along, the relations between the two monarchs were of special nature in spite of the fact that violations happened from time to time from both sides. As has been pointed out in the introduction and throughout this thesis, the Anglo-Moroccan alliance was at some point so strong that the two sides fought side by side in the Cadiz expedition to punish the Spanish (the common enemies of the Moors and the English) and planned to restore the contender of the Portuguese to his Royal seat and to challenge the Spanish interests in the Atlantic and the West Indies. Matar describes the relations between England and Morocco in the Elizabethan period as oscillating between cooperation and conflict, trade and piracy. However, it should be noted here that the Moors, historically speaking, were not so much abhorred by Elizabethan Englishmen as many of their Europe an foes; mainly the Spanish and the French. The then anti-foreign sentiment (whether anti- Spanish, French, Dutch or African) was common. The Moors, though different in religion, and in color, were treated by Britons no worse than, may be better than, any other European, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish or French, aliens, pirates, merchants or ambassadors. Shakespeare is not the only dramatist who utilized foreign and exotic settings in his plays, but Shakespeares distinction was that he did well what many others have failed to do. He was able to imagine life from the perspective of these others while many of his fellow playwrights could not (Elaskary 2008). Shakespeare was bold enough in introducing a revolution in the representation of the Moor, as he did with the Jew. Shakespeare introduced his audience and readers to different types of Moors and blackmoors. The most famous, rather notorious, among Shakespeares Moors (other than Othello) is Aaron in Titus Andronicus while Caliban in The Tempest deservedly takes the status of his deputy. Aaron is among Shakespeares articulated villains. He is described as inhuman dog, unhallowed slave [Act V, iii, 14] and he commits horrible crimes against other characters in the play. Caliban is a little picaresque dwarfish character. Shakespeares Moors are portrayed in a way that is independent and unique yet not very detached from the time or society in which the plays were written. Othello may have some elements of the stereotypal Moor of his time but he is far more human, influential, and independent. Though the play was acted before King James I and his men, Shakespeare, unlike the majority of his contemporary dramatists, seems not to have been involved in the then fashionable habit of worshipping his King and stigmatizing the Others and foreigners to amuse the King and his retinue (Elaskary 2008). When it came to the representation of Moors in Elizabethan drama, it was concluded by Elaskary (2008) that the image of Moors was not static, though stereotypal; it was varied, inconsistent, contradictory and illogical. As the relations between Morocco and England ranged from friendship to enmity so did the image of Moors. When sketching out the plays that were written in the Elizabethan era, the reader may find the raging Turk; the good Turk, the voluptuous, treacherous black Moor, and the noble Moor. The trend at that time, however, was that in general the others (be they blacks, Moors, Spaniards, French, or Irish) would be the villains, the plotters, and the killers while the white natives would be the courageous men and defenders of country and Queen. Sins and crimes have been committed by the black and the white peoples since the dawn of history but the key point is, that when the white man commits a crime this does not indicate or involve an inherent judgment of his race or the nationality to which he belongs as it does with the black man. The representation of Moors in the period under study (as has always been) was always politically motivated. That is why the prudent reader will notice that that Moors with darker skin were more often painted in the darkest colors; merciless conspirators, haters and murderers, than those light or brown skin Moors. Muly Mahamet, Aaron and Caliban may fit in this category. North African Moors, however, fared well on the London stage. Abdelmelec, Muly Hamet and Othello come in this category. If nothing could have washed the black Moors white the friendly ties between Morocco and England positively affected the way Moors from Morocco were represented on the London stage (Elaskary 2008). It turns out that it was the political element rather than the religious, racial or cultural ones that played the leading role when it came to representing the other in Elizabethan England. It might not have been safer (or wiser) for Elizabethan dramatists to flatly oppose, challenge, or criticize the pol itical line of the period. Those who did boldly challenge and question the political taboos at that time ended up penniless or in jail. Thus, John Marston (and Robert Greene) was imprisoned and his manuscripts burnt for his anti-James I writings at the turn of the seventeenth century (Farag). Othellos tragedy is bared before the audiences eyes, and continues to challenge the racism and gender double standards that plague society today. It acknowledges the profound human frailties that jealousy can prey upon in all of us, but it also invites us to question the social context that would prevent people to behave in a natural and humane way and invites us to ask why it should be so (Serageldin 1998). Methodology and Method of Analysis Data driven research is an easy choice for the researcher. This is a flexible and responsive approach and the researcher will not know where the data can lead into. Although the literature is quite difficult because at the start of the study the researcher will not know which literature will be relevant later. Reading is therefore postponed until the literatures relevance is judged later on. Consequently, this may affect the structure of the research later on. Secondly, it is not only the interpretation and the understanding that emerge during the research process. The same is also applied in choosing the methodology. The contents of the research and its process both develop during the proceedings of the research. It has been a debate amongst research students the misalignment between the philosophical pluralism and methodological pluralism. This misalignment can create confusion during the entire research process. When linking the quantitative and qualitative methods of research with the understanding interpretation of philosophy which is positivism and interpretive, the research process often becomes too difficult for many. Along with other constraints, researchers face lack of time, intensity of program, through to willingness in engaging with literature. This confusion drives researchers to remove themselves in the theory and just carry out the research based on their initial goal on what to achieve in it. This relationship between the methods and philosophy has caused this current research on the investigation of Shakespeares portrayal of Richard III with so much anxiety and thought provoking questions. In this research, quantitative tools are used together with the inductive and deductive approaches. Easterby-Smith, et al (2002) has highlighted the importance of the relationship between the research philosophy and the research methods. According to them, this relationship allows one in taking a more informed decision regarding the research approach; helps in deciding which method/s are appropriate for the research; lets the researcher think about constraints that may hinder the research. Checkland and Hollwell (1998) added the component of framework which is epistemology. This consists of assumptions and counted as knowledge. It is expected that researchers shall explain and justify their respective epistemologies, their methodology and methods as well as their conclusions. Evidently, this approach encourages the researchers in being more mindful during the research process. Qualitative research allows the subjects being studied to give much richer answers to questions put to them by the researcher, and may give valuable insights which might have been missed by any other method. Not only does it provide valuable information to certain research questions in its own right but there is a strong case for using it to complement quantitative research methods. Qualitative research has its roots in social science and is more concerned with understanding why people behave as they do: their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, fears, etc. Conclusion In the tragedy, Othello, casting the male protagonist as black, Shakespeare activates all the fantasms that have haunted white society about miscegenation to our day: the idea of the black man and the white woman. The double standards of contemporary society, a fortiriori in Shakespeares time, do not hold the same anger against relations between a white man and a black woman, where the assumed dominant and submissive gender roles are matched in the racists minds with the desired racial roles. Shakespeare draws out a powerful argument for the profound alienation of Othello, who-despite arriving at his position by Venetian merit, which also requires him to deny himself-is still destroyed because of his race and his erstwhile, if not continued, religion. The representation of Moors in the period under study (as has always been) was always politically motivated. That is why the prudent reader will notice that that moors with darker skin were more often painted in the darkest colors; merciless conspirators, haters and murderers, than those light or brown skin Moors. It turns out that it was the political element rather than the religious, racial or cultural ones that played the leading role when it came to representing the other in Elizabethan England. It might not have been safer (or wiser) for Elizabethan dramatists to flatly oppose, challenge, or criticize the political line of the period. Those who did boldly challenge and question the political taboos at that time ended up penniless or in jail. Othellos tragedy is bared before the audiences eyes, and continues to challenge the racism and gender double standards that plague society today. It acknowledges the profound human frailties that jealousy can prey upon in all of us, but it also invites us to question the social context that would prevent people to behave in a natural and humane way and invites us to ask why it should be so. Work Plan and Timetable Task Description Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Writing of Research Proposal; Intensive Review of Related Studies Execution of Research Methodology Analysis of Data Gathered Writing the Research Paper Presentation and Defense of the Research Paper

How does H.G Wells create suspense in The Cone? Essay -- English Liter

How does H.G Wells create suspense in The Cone? There are numerous techniques that an author can use to create interest and suspense when writing a gothic story. Examples of these are short sentences, pathetic fallacy, and emotive language. However Wells then goes on to combine this with a romantic element, and incorporates a crime of passion into the story. So not only does Wells use the gothic genre and its techniques to create tension, but also that of the romantic genre. This story is written in the third person, which works superbly as it gives an overview of the opinions of all the characters and their thoughts. For instance Wells writes, ‘She had an impulse to warn him in an undertone, but she could not frame a word. â€Å"Don’t go!† and â€Å"Beware of him!† struggled in her mind, and the moment passed.’ This technique allows us to connect with more than one of the characters and understand the different points of view, and feelings emerging from them. In a way it prevents the reader from becoming overly bias, because they can see situations from more than one persons perspective. The story starts with a description, using long sentences and scores of adjectives, ‘The night was hot and overcast, the sky red, rimmed with the lingering sunset of midsummer†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This sets the scene in a serene way that leads the reader into a false sense of security, a beautiful night with two lovers talking in lowered voices. However on reading the story retrospectively the opening paragraph could be viewed differently. The sky could be interpreted as angry, or brooding. It could be ominously setting the scene for things to come, it already informs us that the story is set a night, could this be the first gothic element to... ...e word cone is mentioned over twenty times and is featured in the title. Therefore I think that Wells really wants us to take notice of this and start speculating on how this affects the end of the story, of course, once read we discover that the cone is actually the piece of machinery that kills Raut, and finishes the story. At the very end of the story Horrocks’ conscience comes back to him and he says, ‘Oh god! What have I done?’ This shows that he is not a cold-hearted murderer and it shows the reader that perhaps normally he would have been a nice man, but under the circumstances was pushed to do something he wouldn’t have normally done. In conclusion it appears that Wells uses many gothic styles throughout the story to increase tension. He uses description, long sentences, passion, and betrayal. This creates a very gothic and interesting story.

Analysis of The Tulse Luper Suitcases Trilogy Essay -- Peter Greenaway

History and time are considered to be cultural formations since a History cannot be detached from the culture in which it is produced and received. It is through culture that a historical sense is achieved and in fact, each culture experiences History in a different way leading us to the current perception of History as not being one, but many histories depending on the cultural groups involved. Historians have fought throughout the centuries on whether such thing as â€Å"objective History† can exist but in the end, even materialist historians will admit that the reality of History is so complicated and contradictory that no single version could possibly represent the truth; consequently different interpretations are inevitable. This is where Peter Greenaway comes in with his trilogy The Tulse Luper Suitcases in which the eponymous suitcases (of which there are 92) contain the collected memories of Tulse Luper, a manic collector of forgotten records and other evidence of the twentieth century. Devised as a trilogy, Peter Greenaway’s multimedia project concentrates on a period between 1928, the year in which the element uranium was discovered in Colorado, and 1989, the year when the Berlin wall came down and the Cold War came to an end. The two central events of the past one hundred years – the confrontation between East and West and the threat of atomic warfare – have left their mark on writer and realizer of projects Tulse Luper, who spends most of his time detained in some form of prison or another. Luper’s role is hard to define: his many encounters, the injuries he has sustained and fragments of sentences that surface from his memory, all combine to produce a complex weave or structure that includes both various periods in time a... ...aware of in his film, through the opposition between the reality of History on the one hand and the fiction of the Luper project on the other, the truth and stability of what really happened and the playful construction presented by Greenaway, the unincarnated omniscience of reality and the awkward contextualization provided by the Luper point-of-view. According to Greenaway, History does not exist in an absolute, unmediated form, but will always be filtered through the perceptions, interpretations and values of subjects as experiencers, filing instances, historians and readers. The event "as it was" thus can never be recovered in an absolute form and that is why â€Å"there is no such thing as History, [but] only historians† whose collective work only, can serve as a somewhat effective record of History.

The Unwanted

I am writing this letter because I want to recommend the book –â€Å"The Unwanted† by Kien Nguyen to 11th graders in high school. â€Å"The Unwanted† is a work of nonfiction and it is about the Vietnam War. This is the true story about Kien’s childhood life after the communist takeover Vietnam in 1975. In my opinion, war is cruel for people, and it causes many different social issues. The students in 11th grade are studying history, and history is a requirement subject in high school. The major theme in this book for 11th graders is the effect of war. Since teens need to study history at school, they only learn from the book.However, they never imagine a war is always related to our life. The reason for 11th graders to learn from war is discrimination. Discrimination happens in every country and discrimination still exists in our life, especially in the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic country, and there are many different races’ p eople live in the same community. Discrimination not only happens during the war, but it is also happens in school. At school, teens are studying with different races of classmates, and they have different cultures and backgrounds. So teens should learn how to get alone with each other.For example, Kien is a mix-raced and he is a good student whom his teachers are proud of his accomplishments. His teacher recommends him to be a leader in front of parade. He is very proud and it is a good challenge for him to do his best. He wants his mother to be proud of him too. However, his dean cancels his qualification before the parade begins because of his mix-raced. His mother is ashamed about Kien’s mix-raced and she is very worry about him. When the police go to check their family status after the fall of Saigon; his mother worries about his identity.If the police know about Kien’s identity, they might take him to jail. So his mother dyes his hair to make him looks like a Vie tnamese. To dye Kien’s hair and hide his identity shows Kien is discriminated by social community. Although racial discrimination exists in our society, people take pride in mix-raced. Most people nowadays consider mix-raced kids as beautiful or handsome. However, mix-raced kids are discriminated during the Vietnam War; their fates are terrible because the communist take over Vietnam and American help their opposite side. Therefore, the communist consider American as enemies. So the discrimination nfluences teens 11th graders because they need to know more about the social problem in the war. Also, teens should learn the racial discrimination from Kien’s experience. It could always remind teens to get alone with others when they have discrimination at school or in community. Besides, learning more discrimination information also helps them to improve their historical knowledge. Another reason for me to recommend this book to 11th grader is appreciation of Kien’s hard life after the war. Now, our living standard is better than the life in war; however, some families are still facing financial problem.Also, Kien’s life is affected by Vietnam War which he must work hard to support his family’s financial problem. Moreover, 11th graders can learn from Kien’s experience, begin to live independently. So, this is a good chance for the teens to learn a lesson from Kien’s experience. For example, Kien was living in a wealthy family, and he doesn’t need to worry about his life. However, his life has changed after Vietnam War. He works hard to less his mother’s burden. Sometimes he feels helpless because no one can help him; everyone is worrying about their life at the same time.He finally learns how to take care of his family and earn money for his family. He is matured by his life and he acts like an adult. No matter how bad the living environment Kien has, he still accepts it. As teenagers, we should learn from Kien’s life experience to handle our difficulties. Also, this is the useful and helpful message for 11th grader; they can learn a lesson from Kien’s hard life and learn how to handle the difficulties if they have family financial problem. On the other hand, survival and hope are the most important factors in our life.Everyone has a hope when they live in the world and works hard to find a living way. If people do not have a hope to survive, they might live like a person without soul. Also, some of people never give up when they lose their hope; they try to find their hope to survive. But some teens do not think so, sometimes they feel hopeless when they are facing difficulties without any helps. In this book, Kien is hopeless just after the fall of Vietnam. He is too little to handle all of his difficulties in his life. Because he is the oldest son for his mother, he has to take all of the responsibilities.Kien never gives up when he is facing his difficulties. He tries his best to help his family out of Vietnam. His father is an American and he is looking for his father; he needs his father’s help, and he wants his father takes him out of his misfortune. From his difficulties to a way out of Vietnam, it gives him a hope in his life. When 11th graders study many different wars around the world, some of them might feel people in the war are hopeless and helpless; they don’t want to accept their misfortune. It also helps teens to understand even the environment is terrible, they still can find their way to live.As a result, survival is very important in everyone’s life. I like this book very much after I finish it. I am so excited and nervous by Kien’s life changes in this book. I really want to recommend this book to 11th graders who are interest in history and want to study history, because students in 11th grade begin to study history and it is the requirement subject in high school. So, this book can helps them to know more details of historical events in Vietnam War. From Kien’s life, hope and discrimination in the war, they can get the different point of view in the book.Also, they will learn how Kien helps his family and handles his hardship in his life. Now, the teenagers don’t understand the difficulties after the war, because they live under their parents’ protection. For some teens are mix-raced like Kien, they can compare the different situation about the discrimination with Kien’s experience. Before, I had heard some histories from my parents about the Vietnam War and I had learned a little bit at school, and I don’t know how people live during the war. Now, I can image how Kien’s life in Vietnam and how hard he lives under the community society.

The Host Chapter 3: Resisted

â€Å"She won't recognize the new name,† the Healer murmured. A new sensation distracted me. Something pleasant, a change in the air as the Seeker stood at my side. A scent, I realized. Something different than the sterile, odorless room. Perfume, my new mind told me. Floral, lush†¦ â€Å"Can you hear me?† the Seeker asked, interrupting my analysis. â€Å"Are you aware?† â€Å"Take your time,† the Healer urged in a softer voice than the one he had used before. I did not open my eyes. I didn't want to be distracted. My mind gave me the words I needed, and the tone that would convey what I couldn't say without using many words. â€Å"Have I been placed in a damaged host in order to gain the information you need, Seeker?† There was a gasp-surprise and outrage mingled-and something warm touched my skin, covered my hand. â€Å"Of course not, Wanderer,† the man said reassuringly. â€Å"Even a Seeker would stop at some things.† The Seeker gasped again. Hissed, my memory corrected. â€Å"Then why doesn't this mind function correctly?† There was a pause. â€Å"The scans were perfect,† the Seeker said. Her words not reassuring but argumentative. Did she mean to quarrel with me? â€Å"The body was entirely healed.† â€Å"From a suicide attempt that was perilously close to succeeding.† My tone was stiff, still angry. I wasn't used to anger. It was hard to contain it. â€Å"Everything was in perfect order -â€Å" The Healer cut her off. â€Å"What is missing?† he asked. â€Å"Clearly, you've accessed speech.† â€Å"Memory. I was trying to find what the Seeker wants.† Though there was no sound, there was a change. The atmosphere, which had gone tense at my accusation, relaxed. I wondered how I knew this. I had a strange sensation that I was somehow receiving more than my five senses were giving me-almost a feeling that there was another sense, on the fringes, not quite harnessed. Intuition? That was almost the right word. As if any creature needed more than five senses. The Seeker cleared her throat, but it was the Healer who answered. â€Å"Ah,† he said. â€Å"Don't make yourself anxious about some partial memory†¦ difficulties. That's, well, not to be expected, exactly, but not surprising, considering.† â€Å"I don't understand your meaning.† â€Å"This host was part of the human resistance.† There was a hint of excitement in the Seeker's voice now. â€Å"Those humans who were aware of us before insertion are more difficult to subdue. This one still resists.† There was a moment of silence while they waited for my response. Resisting? The host was blocking my access? Again, the heat of my anger surprised me. â€Å"Am I correctly bound?† I asked, my voice distorted because it came through my teeth. â€Å"Yes,† the Healer said. â€Å"All eight hundred twenty-seven points are latched securely in the optimum positions.† This mind used more of my faculties than any host before, leaving me only one hundred eighty-one spare attachments. Perhaps the numerous bindings were the reason the emotions were so vivid. I decided to open my eyes. I felt the need to double-check the Healer's promises and make sure the rest of me worked. Light. Bright, painful. I closed my eyes again. The last light I had seen had been filtered through a hundred ocean fathoms. But these eyes had seen brighter and could handle it. I opened them narrowly, keeping my eyelashes feathered over the breach. â€Å"Would you like me to turn down the lights?† â€Å"No, Healer. My eyes will adjust.† â€Å"Very good,† he said, and I understood that his approval was meant for my casual use of the possessive. Both waited quietly while my eyes slowly widened. My mind recognized this as an average room in a medical facility. A hospital. The ceiling tiles were white with darker speckles. The lights were rectangular and the same size as the tiles, replacing them at regular intervals. The walls were light green-a calming color, but also the color of sickness. A poor choice, in my quickly formed opinion. The people facing me were more interesting than the room. The word doctor sounded in my mind as soon as my eyes fastened on the Healer. He wore loose-fitting blue green clothes that left his arms bare. Scrubs. He had hair on his face, a strange color that my memory called red. Red! It had been three worlds since I had seen the color or any of its relatives. Even this gingery gold filled me with nostalgia. His face was generically human to me, but the knowledge in my memory applied the word kind. An impatient breath pulled my attention to the Seeker. She was very small. If she had remained still, it would have taken me longer to notice her there beside the Healer. She didn't draw the eye, a darkness in the bright room. She wore black from chin to wrists-a conservative suit with a silk turtleneck underneath. Her hair was black, too. It grew to her chin and was pushed back behind her ears. Her skin was darker than the Healer's. Olive toned. The tiny changes in humans' expressions were so minimal they were very hard to read. My memory could name the look on this woman's face, though. The black brows, slanted down over the slightly bulging eyes, created a familiar design. Not quite anger. Intensity. Irritation. â€Å"How often does this happen?† I asked, looking at the Healer again. â€Å"Not often,† the Healer admitted. â€Å"We have so few full-grown hosts available anymore. The immature hosts are entirely pliable. But you indicated that you preferred to begin as an adult†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Most requests are the opposite. The human life span is much shorter than you're used to.† â€Å"I'm well versed in all the facts, Healer. Have you dealt with this†¦ resistance before yourself?† â€Å"Only once, myself.† â€Å"Tell me the facts of the case.† I paused. â€Å"Please,† I added, feeling a lack of courtesy in my command. The Healer sighed. The Seeker began tapping her fingers against her arm. A sign of impatience. She did not care to wait for what she wanted. â€Å"This occurred four years ago,† the Healer began. â€Å"The soul involved had requested an adult male host. The first one to be available was a human who had been living in a pocket of resistance since the early years of the occupation. The human†¦ knew what would happen when he was caught.† â€Å"Just as my host did.† â€Å"Um, yes.† He cleared his throat. â€Å"This was only the soul's second life. He came from Blind World.† â€Å"Blind World?† I asked, cocking my head to the side reflexively. â€Å"Oh, sorry, you wouldn't know our nicknames. This was one of yours, though, was it not?† He pulled a device from his pocket, a computer, and scanned quickly. â€Å"Yes, your seventh planet. In the eighty-first sector.† â€Å"Blind World?† I said again, my voice now disapproving. â€Å"Yes, well, some who have lived there prefer to call it the Singing World.† I nodded slowly. I liked that better. â€Å"And some who've never been there call it Planet of the Bats,† the Seeker muttered. I turned my eyes to her, feeling them narrow as my mind dredged up the appropriate image of the ugly flying rodent she referred to. â€Å"I assume you are one who has never lived there, Seeker,† the Healer said lightly. â€Å"We called this soul Racing Song at first-it was a loose translation of his name on†¦ the Singing World. But he soon opted to take the name of his host, Kevin. Though he was slated for a Calling in Musical Performance, given his background, he said he felt more comfortable continuing in the host's previous line of work, which was mechanical. â€Å"These signs were somewhat worrisome to his assigned Comforter, but they were well within normal bounds. â€Å"Then Kevin started to complain that he was blacking out for periods of time. They brought him back to me, and we ran extensive tests to make sure there was no hidden flaw in the host's brain. During the testing, several Healers noted marked differences in his behavior and personality. When we questioned him about this, he claimed to have no memory of certain statements and actions. We continued to observe him, along with his Comforter, and eventually discovered that the host was periodically taking control of Kevin's body.† â€Å"Taking control?† My eyes strained wide. â€Å"With the soul unaware? The host took the body back?† â€Å"Sadly, yes. Kevin was not strong enough to suppress this host.† Not strong enough. Would they think me weak as well? Was I weak, that I could not force this mind to answer my questions? Weaker still, because her living thoughts had existed in my head where there should be nothing but memory? I'd always thought of myself as strong. This idea of weakness made me flinch. Made me feel shame. The Healer continued. â€Å"Certain events occurred, and it was decided -â€Å" â€Å"What events?† The Healer looked down without answering. â€Å"What events?† I demanded again. â€Å"I believe I have a right to know.† The Healer sighed. â€Å"You do. Kevin†¦ physically attacked a Healer while not†¦ himself.† He winced. â€Å"He knocked the Healer unconscious with a blow from his fist and then found a scalpel on her person. We found him insensible. The host had tried to cut the soul out of his body.† It took me a moment before I could speak. Even then, my voice was just a breath. â€Å"What happened to them?† â€Å"Luckily, the host was unable to stay conscious long enough to inflict real damage. Kevin was relocated, into an immature host this time. The troublesome host was in poor repair, and it was decided there wasn't much point in saving him. â€Å"Kevin is seven human years old now and perfectly normal†¦ aside from the fact that he kept the name Kevin, that is. His guardians are taking great care that he is heavily exposed to music, and that is coming along well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The last was added as if it were good news-news that could somehow cancel out the rest. â€Å"Why?† I cleared my throat so that my voice could gain some volume. â€Å"Why have these risks not been shared?† â€Å"Actually,† the Seeker broke in, â€Å"it is very clearly stated in all recruitment propaganda that assimilating the remaining adult human hosts is much more challenging than assimilating a child. An immature host is highly recommended.† â€Å"The word challenging does not quite cover Kevin's story,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes, well, you preferred to ignore the recommendation.† She held up her hands in a peacemaking gesture when my body tensed, causing the stiff fabric on the narrow bed to crackle softly. â€Å"Not that I blame you. Childhood is extraordinarily tedious. And you are clearly not the average soul. I have every confidence that this is well within your abilities to handle. This is just another host. I'm sure you will have full access and control shortly.† By this point in my observations of the Seeker, I was surprised that she'd had the patience to wait for any delay, even my personal acclimatization. I sensed her disappointment in my lack of information, and it brought back some of the unfamiliar feelings of anger. â€Å"Did it not occur to you that you could get the answers you seek by being inserted into this body yourself?† I asked. She stiffened. â€Å"I'm no skipper.† My eyebrows pulled up automatically. â€Å"Another nickname,† the Healer explained. â€Å"For those who do not complete a life term in their host.† I nodded in understanding. We'd had a name for it on my other worlds. On no world was it smiled upon. So I quit quizzing the Seeker and gave her what I could. â€Å"Her name was Melanie Stryder. She was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was in Los Angeles when the occupation became known to her, and she hid in the wilderness for a few years before finding†¦ Hmmm. Sorry, I'll try that one again later. The body has seen twenty years. She drove to Chicago from†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"There were several stages, not all of them alone. The vehicle was stolen. She was searching for a cousin named Sharon, whom she had reason to hope was still human. She neither found nor contacted anyone before she was spotted. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I struggled, fighting against another blank wall. â€Å"I think†¦ I can't be sure†¦ I think she left a note†¦ somewhere.† â€Å"So she expected someone would look for her?† the Seeker asked eagerly. â€Å"Yes. She will be†¦ missed. If she does not rendezvous with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I gritted my teeth, truly fighting now. The wall was black, and I could not tell how thick it was. I battered against it, sweat beading on my forehead. The Seeker and the Healer were very quiet, allowing me to concentrate. I tried thinking of something else-the loud, unfamiliar noises the engine of the car had made, the jittery rush of adrenaline every time the lights of another vehicle drew near on the road. I already had this, and nothing fought me. I let the memory carry me along, let it skip over the cold hike through the city under the sheltering darkness of night, let it wind its way to the building where they'd found me. Not me, her. My body shuddered. â€Å"Don't overextend -† the Healer began. The Seeker shushed him. I let my mind dwell on the horror of discovery, the burning hatred of the Seekers that overpowered almost everything else. The hatred was evil; it was pain. I could hardly bear to feel it. But I let it run its course, hoping it would distract the resistance, weaken the defenses. I watched carefully as she tried to hide and then knew she could not. A note, scratched on a piece of debris with a broken pencil. Shoved hastily under a door. Not just any door. â€Å"The pattern is the fifth door along the fifth hall on the fifth floor. Her communication is there.† The Seeker had a small phone in her hand; she murmured rapidly into it. â€Å"The building was supposed to be safe,† I continued. â€Å"They knew it was condemned. She doesn't know how she was discovered. Did they find Sharon?† A chill of horror raised goose bumps on my arms. The question was not mine. The question wasn't mine, but it flowed naturally through my lips as if it were. The Seeker did not notice anything amiss. â€Å"The cousin? No, they found no other human,† she answered, and my body relaxed in response. â€Å"This host was spotted entering the building. Since the building was known to be condemned, the citizen who observed her was concerned. He called us, and we watched the building to see if we could catch more than one, and then moved in when that seemed unlikely. Can you find the rendezvous point?† I tried. So many memories, all of them so colorful and sharp. I saw a hundred places I'd never been, heard their names for the first time. A house in Los Angeles, lined with tall fronded trees. A meadow in a forest, with a tent and a fire, outside Winslow, Arizona. A deserted rocky beach in Mexico. A cave, the entrance guarded by sheeting rain, somewhere in Oregon. Tents, huts, rude shelters. As time went on, the names grew less specific. She did not know where she was, nor did she care. My name was now Wanderer, yet her memories fit it just as well as my own. Except that my wandering was by choice. These flashes of memory were always tinged with the fear of the hunted. Not wandering, but running. I tried not to feel pity. Instead, I worked to focus the memories. I didn't need to see where she'd been, only where she was going. I sorted through the pictures that tied to the word Chicago , but none seemed to be anything more than random images. I widened my net. What was outside Chicago? Cold, I thought. It was cold, and there was some worry about that. Where? I pushed, and the wall came back. I exhaled in a gust. â€Å"Outside the city-in the wilderness†¦ a state park, away from any habitations. It's not somewhere she'd been before, but she knew how to get there.† â€Å"How soon?† the Seeker asked. â€Å"Soon.† The answer came automatically. â€Å"How long have I been here?† â€Å"We let the host heal for nine days, just to be absolutely sure she was recovered,† the Healer told me. â€Å"Insertion was today, the tenth day.† Ten days. My body felt a staggering wave of relief. â€Å"Too late,† I said. â€Å"For the rendezvous point†¦ or even the note.† I could feel the host's reaction to this-could feel it much too strongly. The host was almost†¦ smug. I allowed the words she thought to be spoken, so that I could learn from them. â€Å"He won't be there.† â€Å"He?† The Seeker pounced on the pronoun. â€Å"Who?† The black wall slammed down with more force than she'd used before. She was the tiniest fraction of a second too late. Again, the face filled my mind. The beautiful face with the golden tan skin and the light-flecked eyes. The face that stirred a strange, deep pleasure within me while I viewed it so clearly in my mind. Though the wall slapped into place with an accompanying sensation of vicious resentment, it was not fast enough. â€Å"Jared,† I answered. As quickly as if it had come from me, the thought that was not mine followed the name through my lips. â€Å"Jared is safe.†