Vampire Academy Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR IN SPITE OF ALL THE training I'd received, all the lessons on Strigoi habits and how to defend against them, I'd never ever actually seen one. It was scarier than I'd expected. This time, when she swung at me again, I was ready. Sort of. I dodged back, slipping out of reach, wondering what chance I had. I remembered Dimitri's joke about the mall. No silver stake. Nothing to cut her head off with. No way to set her on fire. Running seemed like the best option after all, but she was blocking my way. Feeling useless, I simply backed down the hall as she advanced on me, her movements far more graceful than they'd ever been in life. Then, also faster than she'd ever moved in life, she leapt out, grabbed me, and slammed my head against the wall. Pain exploded in my skull, and I felt pretty sure that was blood I tasted in the back of my mouth. Frantically, I fought against her, trying to mount some kind of defense, but it was like fighting Dimitri on crack. â€Å"My dear,† murmured Victor, â€Å"try not to kill her if you don't have to. We might be able to use her later.† Natalie paused in her attack, giving me a moment to back up, but she never took her cold eyes off me. â€Å"I'll try not to.† There was a skeptical tone in her voice. â€Å"Get out of here now. I'll meet you there when I'm done.† â€Å"I can't believe you!† I yelled after him. â€Å"You got your own daughter to turn Strigoi?† â€Å"A last resort. A necessary sacrifice made for the greater good. Natalie understands.† He left. â€Å"Do you?† I hoped I could stall her with talking, just like in the movies. I also hoped my questions would hide how utterly and completely terrified I was. â€Å"Do you understand? God, Natalie. You†¦you turned. Just because he told you to?† â€Å"My father's a great man,† she replied. â€Å"He's going to save the Moroi from the Strigoi.† â€Å"Are you insane?† I cried. I was backing up again and suddenly hit the wall. My nails dug into it, as though I could dig my way through. â€Å"You are a Strigoi.† She shrugged, almost seeming like the old Natalie. â€Å"I had to do it to get him out of here before the others came. One Strigoi to save all of the Moroi. It's worth it, worth giving up the sun and the magic.† â€Å"But you'll want to kill Moroi! You won't be able to help it.† â€Å"He'll help me stay in control. If not, then they'll have to kill me.† She reached out and grabbed my shoulders, and I shuddered at how casually she talked about her own death. It was almost as casual as the way she was no doubt contemplating my death. â€Å"You are insane. You can't love him that much. You can't really – â€Å" She threw me into a wall again, and as my body collapsed in a heap on the floor, I had a feeling I wouldn't be getting up this time. Victor had told her not to kill me†¦but there was a look in her eyes, a look that said she wanted to. She wanted to feed off me; the hunger was there. It was the Strigoi way. I shouldn't have talked to her, I realized. I'd hesitated, just as Dimitri had warned. And then, suddenly, he was there, charging down the hallway like Death in a cowboy duster. Natalie spun around. She was fast, so fast. But Dimitri was fast too and avoided her attack, a look of pure power and strength on his face. With an eerie fascination, I watched them move, circling each other like partners in a deadly dance. She was stronger than him, clearly, but she was also a fresh Strigoi. Gaining superpowers doesn't mean you know how to use them. Dimitri, however, knew how to use the ones he had. After both giving and receiving some vicious hits, he made his move. The silver stake flashed in his hand like a streak of lightning, then it snaked forward – into her heart. He yanked it out and stepped back, his face impassive as she screamed and fell to the floor. After a few horrible moments, she stopped moving. Just as quickly, he was leaning over me, slipping his arms under my body. He stood up, carrying me like he had when I hurt my ankle. â€Å"Hey, Comrade,† I murmured, my own voice sounding sleepy. â€Å"You were right about Strigoi.† The world started to darken, and my eyelids drooped. â€Å"Rose. Roza. Open your eyes.† I'd never heard his voice so strained, so frantic. â€Å"Don't go to sleep on me. Not yet.† I squinted up at him as he carried me out of the building, practically running toward the clinic. â€Å"Was he right?† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Victor†¦he said it couldn't have worked. The necklace.† I started to drift off, lost in the blackness of my mind, but Dimitri prompted me back to consciousness. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The spell. Victor said you had to want me†¦to care about me†¦for it to work.† When he didn't say anything, I tried to grip his shirt, but my fingers were too weak. â€Å"Did you? Did you want me?† His words came out thickly. â€Å"Yes, Roza. I did want you. I still do. I wish†¦we could be together.† â€Å"Then why did you lie to me?† We reached the clinic, and he managed to open the door while still holding me. As soon as he stepped inside, he began yelling for help. â€Å"Why did you lie?† I murmured again. Still holding me in his arms, he looked down at me. I could hear voices and footsteps getting closer. â€Å"Because we can't be together.† â€Å"Because of the age thing, right?† I asked. â€Å"Because you're my mentor?† His fingertip gently wiped away a tear that had escaped down my cheek. â€Å"That's part of it,† he said. â€Å"But also†¦well, you and I will both be Lissa's guardians someday. I need to protect her at all costs. If a pack of Strigoi come, I need to throw my body between them and her.† â€Å"I know that. Of course that's what you have to do.† The black sparkles were dancing in front of my eyes again. I was fading out. â€Å"No. If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.† The medical team arrived and took me out of his arms. And that was how, two days after being discharged, I ended up back in the clinic. My third time in the two months we'd been back at the Academy. It had to be some kind of record. I definitely had a concussion and probably internal bleeding, but we never really found out. When your best friend is a kick-ass healer, you sort of don't have to worry about those things. I still had to stay there for a couple of days, but Lissa – and Christian, her new sidekick – almost never left my side when they weren't in class. Through them, I learned bits and pieces about the outside world. Dimitri had realized there was a Strigoi on campus when they'd found Natalie's victim dead and drained of blood: Mr. Nagy of all people. A surprising choice, but since he was older, he'd been able to put up less of a fight. No more Slavic art for us. The guardians in the detention center had been injured but not killed. She'd simply slammed them around as she had me. Victor had been found and recaptured while trying to escape campus. I was glad, even though it meant Natalie's sacrifice had been for nothing. Rumors said that Victor hadn't seemed afraid at all when the royal guards came and carried him away. He'd simply smiled the whole time, like he had some secret they didn't know about. Inasmuch as it could, life returned to normal after that. Lissa did no more cutting. The doctor prescribed her something – an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety drug, I couldn't remember which – that made her feel better. I'd never really known anything about those kinds of pills. I thought they made people silly and happy. But it was a pill like any other, meant to fix something, and mostly it just kept her normal and feeling stable. Which was a good thing – because she had some other issues to deal with. Like Andre. She'd finally believed Christian's story, and allowed herself to acknowledge that Andre might not have been the hero she'd always believed him to be. It was hard on her, but she finally reached a peaceful decision, accepting that he could have had both good and bad sides, like we all do. What he'd done to Mia saddened her, but it didn't change the fact that he'd been a good brother who loved her. Most importantly, it finally freed her from feeling like she needed to be him to make her family proud. She could be herself – which she proved daily in her relationship with Christian. The school still couldn't get over that. She didn't care. She laughed it off, ignoring the shocked looks and disdain from the royals who couldn't believe she'd date someone from a humiliated family. Not all of them felt that way though. Some who had gotten to know her during her brief social whirlwind actually liked her for her, no compulsion necessary. They liked her honesty and openness, preferring it to the games most royals played. A lot of royals ignored her, of course, and talked viciously about her behind her back. Most surprising of all, Mia – despite being utterly humiliated – managed to wiggle back into the good graces of a couple of these royals. It proved my point. She wouldn't stay down for long. And, in fact, I saw the first signs of her revenge lurking again when I walked past her one day on the way to class. She stood with a few other people and spoke loudly, clearly wanting me to hear. † – perfect match. Both of them are from completely disgraced and rejected families.† I clenched my teeth and kept walking, following her gaze to where Lissa and Christian stood. They were lost in their own world and formed a gorgeous picture, she blond and fair and he blue-eyed and black-haired. I couldn't help but stare too. Mia was right. Both of their families were disgraced. Tatiana had publicly denounced Lissa, and while no one â€Å"blamed† the Ozeras for what had happened to Christian's parents, the rest of the royal Moroi families continued to keep their distance. But Mia had been right about the other part too. In some ways, Lissa and Christian were perfect for each other. Maybe they were outcasts, but the Dragomirs and Ozeras had once been among the most powerful Moroi leaders. And in only a very short time, Lissa and Christian had started shaping one another in ways that could put them right up there with their ancestors. He was picking up some of her polish and social poise; she was learning to stand up for her passions. The more I watched them, the more I could see an energy and confidence radiating around them. They weren't going to stay down either. And I think that, along with Lissa's kindness, may have been what attracted people to her. Our social circle began to steadily grow. Mason joined, of course, and made no secret of his interest in me. Lissa teased me a lot about that, and I didn't yet know what to do about him. Part of me thought maybe it was time to give him a shot as a serious boyfriend, even though the rest of me yearned for Dimitri. For the most part, Dimitri treated me just like anyone would expect of a mentor. He was efficient. Fond. Strict. Understanding. There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that would make anyone suspect what had passed between us – save for an occasional meeting of our eyes. And once I overcame my initial emotional reaction, I knew he was – technically – right about us. Age was a problem, yes, particularly while I was still a student at the Academy. But the other thing he'd mentioned†¦it had never entered my mind. It should have. Two guardians in a relationship could distract each other from the Moroi they were supposed to protect. We couldn't allow that to happen, couldn't risk her life for our own wants. Otherwise, we'd be no better than the Badica guardian who'd run off. I'd told Dimitri once that my own feelings didn't matter. She came first. I just hoped I could prove it. â€Å"It's too bad about the healing,† Lissa told me. â€Å"Hmm?† We sat in her room, pretending to study, but my mind was off thinking about Dimitri. I'd lectured her about keeping secrets, but I hadn't told her about him or about how close I'd come to losing my virginity. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to tell. She dropped the history book she'd been holding. â€Å"That I had to give up the healing. And the compulsion.† A frown crossed her face at that last part. The healing had been regarded as a wondrous gift in need of further study; the compulsion had met with serious reprimands from Kirova and Ms. Carmack. â€Å"I mean, I'm happy now. I should have gotten help a long time ago – you were right about that. I'm glad I'm on the medication. But Victor was right too. I can't use spirit anymore. I can still sense it, though†¦I miss being able to touch it.† I didn't entirely know what to say. I liked her better like this. Losing that threat of madness had made her whole again, confident and outgoing, just like the Lissa I'd always known and loved. Seeing her now, it was easy to believe what Victor had said about her becoming a leader. She reminded me of her parents and of Andre – how they used to inspire devotion in those who knew them. â€Å"And that's another thing,† she continued. â€Å"He said I couldn't give it up. He was right. It hurts, not having the magic. I want it so badly sometimes.† â€Å"I know,† I said. I could feel that ache within her. The pills had dulled her magic, but not our bond. â€Å"And I keep thinking about all the things I could do, all the people I could help.† She looked regretful. â€Å"You have to help yourself first,† I told her fiercely. â€Å"I don't want you getting hurt again. I won't let you.† â€Å"I know. Christian says the same thing.† She got that dopey smile she always did when she thought about him. If I'd known what idiots being in love would make them, I might not have been so keen to get them back together. â€Å"And I guess you guys are right. Better to want the magic and be sane than to have it and be a lunatic. There's no middle ground.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"Not with this.† Then, out of nowhere, a thought smacked me in the head. There was a middle ground. Natalie's words reminded me of it. It's worth it, worth giving up the sun and the magic. The magic. Ms. Karp hadn't become Strigoi simply because she'd gone crazy. She'd become Strigoi to stay sane. Becoming Strigoi cut a person completely off from magic. In doing that, she couldn't use it. She couldn't feel it. She wouldn't want it anymore. Staring at Lissa, I felt a knot of worry coil within me. What if she figured that out? Would she want to do it too? No, I quickly decided. Lissa would never do that. She was too strong a person, too moral. And so long as she stayed on the pills, her higher reasoning would keep her from doing something so drastic. Still, the whole concept prodded me to find out one last thing. The following morning, I went to the chapel and waited in one of the pews until the priest showed up. â€Å"Hello, Rosemarie,† he said, clearly surprised. â€Å"Can I help you with something?† I stood up. â€Å"I need to know more about St. Vladimir. I read that book you gave me and a couple others.† Best not to tell him about stealing the ones in the attic. â€Å"But nobody told how he died. What happened? How did his life end? Was he, like, martyred?† The priest's bushy eyebrows rose. â€Å"No. He died of old age. Peacefully.† â€Å"You're sure? He didn't become Strigoi or kill himself?† â€Å"No, of course not. Why would you think that?† â€Å"Well†¦he was holy and everything, but he was also kind of crazy, right? I read about it. I thought he might have, I don't know, given into that.† His face was serious. â€Å"It's true he fought demons – insanity – his whole life. It was a struggle, and he did want to die sometimes. But he overcame it. He didn't let it defeat him.† I stared in wonder. Vladimir wouldn't have had pills, and he'd clearly continued to use magic. â€Å"How? How did he do that?† â€Å"Willpower, I guess. Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"That and Anna.† â€Å"Shadow-kissed Anna,† I murmured. â€Å"His guardian.† The priest nodded. â€Å"She stayed with him. When he grew weak, she was the one who held him up. She urged him to stay strong and to never give in to his madness.† I left the chapel in a daze. Anna had done it. Anna had let Vladimir walk that middle ground, helping him to work miracles in the world without meeting a horrible end. Ms. Karp hadn't been as lucky. She hadn't had a bound guardian. She hadn't had anyone to hold her up. Lissa did. Smiling, I cut across the quadrangle toward the commons. I felt better about life than I had in a very long time. We could do this, Lissa and me. We could do it together. Just then, I saw a dark figure out of the corner of my eye. It swooped past me and landed on a nearby tree. I stopped walking. It was a raven, large and fierce-looking, with shining black feathers. A moment later, I realized it wasn't just a raven; it was the raven. The one Lissa had healed. No other bird would land so close to a dhampir. And no other bird would be looking at me in such an intelligent, familiar way. I couldn't believe he was still around. A chill ran down my spine, and I started to back up. Then the truth hit me. â€Å"You're bound to her too, aren't you?† I asked, fully aware that anyone who saw me would think I was crazy. â€Å"She brought you back. You're shadow-kissed.† That was actually pretty cool. I held out my arm to it, half hoping it'd come land on me in some sort of dramatic, movie-worthy gesture. All it did was look at me like I was an idiot, spread its wings, and fly off. I glared as it flew off into the twilight. Then I turned around and headed off to find Lissa. From far away, I heard the sound of cawing, almost like laughter.

Mark Antony’s Motivation in Julius Caesar by William...

Rome, 44 B.C. a wealthy and powerful empire whose leader has just been assassinated. People are shocked and terrified but one man stands calmly and looks over this mass chaos. Mark Antony, one of Caesar’s best generals and colleagues, he smiles because he knows that he has a chance to have all of the power in Rome. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare was written in 1599. In the novel Senators worried by the amount of power possessed by Julius Caesar think of a plan to get rid of him. The senators who are part of the conspiracy try to get Brutus to join them. Brutus who is at war with himself joins the conspiracy and decides the death of Julius Caesar is for the good of the Roman people. Mark Antony is motivated both by personal ambition†¦show more content†¦With the Roman Civil War Antony found this as avenging Caesar’s death. The final reason behind Mark Antony’s motivation is that he wanted to avenge Caesar’s death. When Caesar was assassinated , Mark Antony was not there by him, but he returned later to find Caesar dead. He said if the conspirators want to kill him then he wants to die by Caesar. He supposedly sides with the conspirators but when left alone with Caesar’s body Antony reveals his true feelings about Caesar’s death. â€Å"Oh, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, / That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! / Thou art the ruins of the noblest man / That ever lived in the tide of times. / Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!† (III.i.256-260). Mark Antony is apologizing that he is siding with the conspirators for some time. Though this helps Mark Antony be able to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Later after his speech the crowd is ready to avenge Caesar’s death thanks to Antony the crowd agrees that â€Å"Most noble Caesar! We’ll avenge his death.† (III.ii.244). Later when Mark Antony sees that he has convinced the crowd to kill the conspirators and av enge Caesar’s death he with a crooked grin says â€Å"Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. / Take thou what course thou wilt.† (III.ii.260-261). Mark Antony is satisfied that the conspirators will die and Caesar’s death shall be avenged. Mark Antony is motivated both by personal ambition and love forShow MoreRelated Revenge in Julius Caesar and Othello Essay1821 Words   |  8 Pagesa story. Julius Caesar and Othello by William Shakespeare are two plays whose most predominant theme is revenge. This is illustrated through the characters, symbols, and settings of both works. Revenge is a constant theme throughout the play Othello. It is portrayed through one of the character Iago. Iago is determined to destroy Othello and his loved ones. This retribution is a result of Othello promoting Cassio to the position of lieutenant. The theme of revenge is the motivation of Iago’sRead MoreConflicting Perspectives Julius Caesar1435 Words   |  6 PagesPerspectives – Julius Caesar Personalities, events or situations often elicit conflicting perspectives. To what extent has textual form shaped your understanding of conflicting perspectives. In your response, make detailed reference to your prescribed text and one other text of your own choosing. Conflicting perspectives are often the outcome of diverse and contrasting views of ones personality, event or situation. This is evident is the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, as Caesars personalityRead MoreThe Story of Julius Caesar1213 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Shakespeares epic and tragic telling of the story of Julius Caesar, provides an interesting and helpful way of examining history in a dramatic context. The concept of violence is evident throughout the entire play. The interpretative quality of violence, and the relative effectiveness of its usage, provides a useful lens for understanding this work. For this essay, I intend to examine the three characters of Brutus, Cassius and Marc Anthony using this particular focus. I will demonstrateRead MoreHonorable Betrayal Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesHonorable Betrayal The William Shakespeare play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar tells the story of the assassination of Julius Caesar and the eight conspirators behind it. The play takes place in 44 B.C. in Rome. Marcus Brutus is the protagonist and face-man of the insidious conspiracy. He is also the tragic hero in this classic work of literature. Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero is a character that has a character flaw, also known as hubris, and experiences a downfall from a high positionRead MoreVictory or Demise, Same Faces in a New Light1520 Words   |  7 Pagesloyalty are crushed by the hands of an oppressive government and trust is scarce. 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In Shakespeares Julius Caesar, however, the author appears to portray the characters of PortiaRead MoreJulius Caesar2287 Words   |  10 PagesStudy Guide for â€Å"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar† by William Shakespeare The following questions will help you to prepare for your eventual test over â€Å"Julius Caesar†. While I will not be collecting this, it is on you to make sure that you are answering the questions as we go. Your test will be taken directly from this study guide. Act I 1) Judging from the events in Act I, the political mood and behavior of the Romans are best described how? 2) When we first see Brutus, he appears to be ________________________Read More Cleopatra as a Historical Figure Essay2549 Words   |  11 Pagesmust ask ourselves: why? What is it about this individual that strikes us as so intriguing that we, like the Elizabethans before us, centuries ago, like the Romans two millennia past, should divert so much of our attention into construing the motivations behind the enigmatic figure that is Cleopatra? We must look not only to Cleopatra, but also to the historical events surrounding the last few years of her rule, in order to truly understand the historical significance bestowed upon her. It was

Overweight and Obesity - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 592 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/08/13 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Obesity Essay Weight Loss Essay Did you like this example? Overweight and obesity is a situation in which a persons weight is considered higher than the normal weight adjusted for height. In the United States, more than 2 in 3 adults fall in the overweight or obesity category. BMI is a common tool utilized to measure the overweight and obesity in children and adults. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Overweight and Obesity" essay for you Create order According to the NHANES survey conducted between 2013-2014 (NIDDK, 2017), obesity and overweight in the United States is a serious health issue as the majority of the population are suffering, and the trend continues to rise. The overweight or obesity category are the majority at 70.2 percent which implies that 2 in every three adults is obese or overweight in the U.S. Out of this number, 73.7 percent of the obese or overweight population are men while 66.9 percent in this category are women. The problem of obesity or overweight extends to the youth population in the U.S who are suffering greatly. According to the NHANDES data revealed through a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), obesity among the children and adolescents aged between 2 to 19 years is at 17.2 percent while the overweight population is 6 percent (NIDDK, 2017). It implies that 1 in 6 of the population are considered to have obesity while the segment of this population with overweight problems is 1 in every 17 children and adolescents. In the U.S, the trends in obesity and overweight have increased. According to NIDDK (2017), obesity among men and women increased significantly between 1980-2000. Furthermore, the recent times between 2005-2014 has seen the prevalence of obesity and overweight increase significantly among women (NIDDK, 2017). However, there are no significant changes in the prevalence of obesity and overweight among the men. Obesity contributes significantly to the risk for surgical site infection, longer operation time and more surgical blood loss which impairs surgery. According to Tjeertes et al. (2015), incidences of surgical site infection is directly proportional to the BMI. Obesity affects the healing of the surgical wounds because of the excess subcutaneous fat tissues that are predisposed on the patients body. Healing of the surgical wounds is impaired due to the oxygen tension and low regional perfusion. Furthermore, the operation time for surgery increases due to obesity and overweight contributing significantly to the postoperative wound infections. Also, obesity brings too much tension on the surgical incision, increases elevated blood glucose levels and affects immunity leading to impaired wound healing. Surprisingly, being obese leads to the obesity paradox. In this situation, a patient who is obese or overweight and is due for surgery may have long-term survival or improved 30 days of the perioperative care. Survival rates among obese and overweight patients are low. According to Ri, Aikou Seto (2018), there is a negative influence of obesity on the short-term survival rates. Based on large-scale reports, obesity increases postoperative complication rates in gastric cancer surgery. The high risks of complications such as intra-abdominal abscess, post-operative pneumonia, leakage and incision infection develop as a result of obesity. With regards to laparoscopic surgery, operative time for surgery is prolonged by obesity without the influence on survival or complication rates. Despite the higher risk of postoperative complications, patients with a higher BMI exhibit superior survival rates compared with normal BMI patients. References NIDDK. (2017). Overweight Obesity Statistics | NIDDK. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity Ri, M., Aikou, S., Seto, Y. (2018). Obesity as a surgical risk factor. Annals of gastroenterological surgery, 2(1), 13-21. Tjeertes, E. E., Hoeks, S. S., Beks, S. S., Valentijn, T. T., Hoofwijk, A. A., Stolker, R. J. R. (2015). Obesity–a risk factor for postoperative complications in general surgery?. BMC anesthesiology, 15(1), 112.

Structural Adjustment Programme and the Nigerian Economy...

INTRODUCTION The Nigerian economy has several activities sectors which include agriculture (crops), livestock, forestry, fishing, manufacturing, crude petroleum mining and quarrying, utilities, building and construction, transport, communication, wholesale and retail trades, hotels and restaurants, finance and insurance, real estate and business services, housing, producers of government services and community, social and personal services. However, with the advent of the crude petroleum sector and its attendant boom in the international market, all other sectors of the Nigerian economy have experienced serious neglect by the government, thus resulting to an unbalanced economy. Nigeria’s population as a nation is so large that no†¦show more content†¦Broadly defined, privatisation is an umbrella term to describe a variety of policies which encourage competition and emphasise the role of market forces in place of statutory restrictions and monopoly powers. The first definition relates to programmes of privatisation without structural adjustment, such as has been the case in most developed countries, e.g. U.K., France, etc. The second definition relates to a programme of privatisation as an integral part of a Structural Adjustment Programme, such as we have in Nigeria. Commercialisation, on the other hand, can be defined as the re-organisation of enterprises, wholly and partially owned by the Government, in which such commercialised enterprises shall operate as profit-making commercial ventures without subvention from the Government. Under World Bank structural adjustment, the government tried to eliminate inefficient state intervention and obtain budgetary relief by abolishing agricultural commodity marketing boards and liberalizing cash-crop exports. These measures, together with devaluation, increased the naira prices of export crops, especially cocoa. The state also privatized many public enterprises by selling equity to private investors, while restructuring other parastatals to improve efficiency. 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This Is My Playes Last Scene Free Essays

How has Donne used characteristics typical of metaphysical poetry to convey his ideas in â€Å"Holy Sonnet: ‘This is my playes last scene’? † This is my playes last scene is one of Donne’s ‘Holy Sonnets’ embodying spiritual pain and struggling faith in Christianity. Numerous biblical allusions and morbid tone that are typical of metaphysical poetry, convey Donne’s fear of death and religious scepticism. The opening four lines depict the last moments of the speaker’s life through metaphoric comparisons. We will write a custom essay sample on This Is My Playes Last Scene or any similar topic only for you Order Now The comparison â€Å"playes last scene† suggests the speaker is searching for an end that is meaningful and fulfilling. Christian imagery in â€Å"pilgrimage’s last mile† places this envisioned end in religious context, as a pilgrimage to the site of treasured holy relics is representative of Donne’s path to unfaltering devotion, to God. A paradoxical phrase ‘idly, yet quickly run’ expresses the speaker’s hesitance on the way to achieving this believed end to life. The addition of the comparisons â€Å"span’s last inch† and â€Å"minute’s latest point† enhances the cumulative listing of comparisons and dramatises the speaker’s fear of death. The startling personification â€Å"gluttonous death† portrays Donne’s morbid paranoia of the brief moment when body and soul become â€Å"unjoint†. The speaker’s life is dichotomised; his body shall â€Å"sleep a space†, his soul shall â€Å"see that face†, a Christian image of God’s omnipotence imparting judgement on the speaker. The ninth line witnesses a direct confidence in the speaker’s tone â€Å"as my soul, to heaven her first seat†. More prominently featured â€Å"So, fall my sins†, the immutable tone conveys a false reassurance, whereby the speaker actually pleas helplessly for God’s will and judgement. The imperative voice in â€Å"Impute me righteous† forcefully channels the persona’s imploration to receive God’s judgement and have so-called righteousness imputed. The precise word â€Å"impute† makes another religious reference to the Christian understanding of attributing unearned qualities in an act of grace. The finality of the sonnet is epitomised by the poetic triplet â€Å"the world, the flesh and devil†, which alludes to the three sinful temptations as it was known in the context of Donne’s time. It enhances the prayer made by the speaker to be purged of sinful thoughts and acts, by godly intervention that would finally allow him to reach a transcendental state. Ultimately, Donne questions the Christian faith, and commands God’s mercy and judgement by Christian imagery and references to Biblical passages. He expresses despair about his salvation, and reveals his fear of death in a sensitive meditation. As such, the poem is an exemplary display of typical metaphysical characteristics. How to cite This Is My Playes Last Scene, Papers

Ethical Theory and Technology Ethics

Question: Discuss about the Ethical Theory and Technology Ethics. Answer: Introduction: The chief aim of the following essay is to identify and understand the ethical issues from the case study named Maker of Smartphone surveillance app fined avoids jail time that has dealt with the issue of surveillance, which is a sub-issue of privacy. This individual purpose would be accompanied by an in-depth analysis of the ethical issues related with ICT identified within the chosen article. Furthermore, right after the evaluation, the essay would concentrate in preparing a fruitful recommendation considering the particular ethical dilemma identified within the case study. From the considered case study, it has been understood that the alleged individual Hammad Akbar who designed the innovative mobile application, named StealthGenie has been penalized and ordered to pay $US500, 000 as fine (smh.com.au, 2017). The case study implies that instead of designing an innovative as well as relevant mobile application for surveillance, the software engineer had been fined due to breaking a US law related to privacy. It is initially understood from the news article that the alleged mobile application designed and sold by Hammad Akbar is an act of ICT ethical offense as per the fact that the application has been capable of allowing thousands of users to monitor any single act of their targets phones (smh.com.au, 2017). If the entire context can be reviewed following the theoretical perspective of Utilitarianism, the intended act of StealthGenie is both ethically wrong and right. Prior to justify this statement, it should be elaborated that the concept of Utilitar ianism says that morality of an action depends on its effect or result (Arntzenius, 2014). More precisely, Utilitarianism believes that an action can be called relevant and best only when it can maximize the amount of Utility (Sheskin Baumard, 2016). In accordance with the perspective of Utilitarianism, the case of Akbar can be justified in two specific ways. One is, the design and selling of StealthGenie is morally right considering its usefulness for tracking little childrens or elderly and mentally disabled individuals activity. The second or the contradictory one is, the effect of the application is morally wrong when it comes to mind that the app can be misused by criminal groups or by those individuals who seek revenge from others. On the other hand, if the entire scenario can be analyzed from the theoretical perspective of Deontology, it can be said that the invention of the design of StealthGenie and thereafter its selling does not fall under any ethical duty. It is to consider in this context that ethically it is not a duty to monitor or record activities of other person as it highly violates individuals privacy concerns (Wright et al., 2014). Henceforth, such act of surveillance is considered as a potential issue of pri vacy, which is illegal at the same time. As per Saja (2014), the theoretical underpinning of Deontology focuses on the relationship between duty and morality. More specifically, deontological theory strongly believes that morality of a situation should be justified by the actions, which have escalated the situation (Cline, 2014). Deontological perception also states that there are several premises on which an individual is forbidden to perform any action (Grant et al., 2016). Such point of view has been formulated by the deontological thought that says there are numerous choices, which are morally forbidden instead of the matter that those choices are potential in bringing fruitful consequences. This particular opinion is considerable in the context of the selected case study. It should be regarded that the software application designed and sold by Akbar violates the very ground of pluralistic deontology that is duty of non-maleficence. This ground states that people are obligated to restrict themselves from harming others (Cline, 2014). Instead of the fact that the application is helpful for detecting acts of a criminal or monitor activities of little children or elderly people, StealthGenie strongly violates the ICT ethical norm by harming others privacy. However, needless to say in this respect that the ap ology made by Akbar is definitely an act or duty of reparation as he agreed to pay for what he did unintentionally. At the same side, another deontological theory named Natural rights should also be prioritized with high interest. After identifying the potential capability of Akbar made software application that is to monitor entire activities of a target individual through his/her phone, it is probably confusing that whether privacy of criminal individuals or the elderly and concerned ones could be violated or not. According to the deontological theory of Natural Rights, human individuals possess those rights, which are inherent within the natural ethics. According to Wright et al., (2014), privacy is considered as one of the major rights of an individual. Therefore, a fair consideration about all of these point of views implicate that the allegation against the mobile app named StealthGenie is justifiable as this surveillance program contents highly disturbing potentials against privacy. Nevertheless, the entire scenario can also be elaborated from the theoretical standpoint of virtue ethics and contracts, which have also become major piece of ICT ethical concerns. However, the case can be seen from the viewpoint of Aristotle, who had indicated that virtual traits chiefly accomplish human needs and happiness (Van Hooft, 2014). In accordance with this viewpoint, the Hammad Akbars invention of StealthGenie could be considered as virtuous as it has shown its capability in satisfying several individuals to keep track of their targets activities. In contrary, it should also be kept in mind that vices are the opposites of virtue and keeping track of others private work is an act of vice (Yu, 2013). Therefore, according to this point of view, the considered case study could not be contemplated as an act of virtue, instead of the fact that the use of the design has made several people happy and served their needs. It is understandable that the case is predominantly an act of vice. Nonetheless, in this respect the conceptual standpoint of the contract based social contract theory could be considered with high priority. Based on Fried (2015), the contract based social contract theory implies that every individual has the right to act in the way that satisfy their natural desires and should not prioritize others aversions. However, under the contract theory that is right-based an ideal society is that where no individual can act against the rules or no person is above the rules (Fried, 2015). Thus, if the considered case could be reviewed from this elaborated standpoint, then two contradictory views can be acquired. The first is, Akbars creation of StealthGenie is acceptable and not ethically wrong as it has satisfied the creators own natural desire. On the contrary, the act of making this application is morally wrong as it has violated the social rule of not disturbing an individuals privacy. Therefore, a handful of aspects are understandable from the above evaluation, which are the creation of StealthGenie had not been an intended act of ethical violation though the application is potentially capable for surveillance, which is a mighty issue of privacy. Through the theoretical standpoint of Utilitarianism, the surveillance application is both morally wrong as the application can be highly misused by criminal minds (Grant et al., 2016). On the other hand, based on deontological review the act of creating the application has strongly breeched the ground called duty of non-maleficence. Most importantly, the act is not ethically justifiable as it is considered as an act of vice for harming the privacy concerns of others. Therefore, it can be recommended that in future, if anyone will wish to create a surveillance software application like StealthGenie, the person should consider creating it for the use of government. Most importantly, in future prior to create such applicat ion, individuals should anticipate the consequence of the application and evaluate whether the usefulness of the application is harming any of the ICT ethical aspects or not (Saja, 2014). Henceforth, it is to suggest that individuals should not create anything related to information technology that violates privacy, intellectual property, accuracy and accessibility the four ethical pillars of ICT. References Arntzenius, F. (2014). Utilitarianism, decision theory and eternity.Philosophical Perspectives,28(1), 31-58. Cline, A. (2014). Deontology and Ethics: What is Deontology.Deontological Ethics. Fried, C. (2015).Contract as promise: A theory of contractual obligation. Oxford University Press, USA. Grant, P., Arjoon, S., McGhee, P. (2016). Reconciling Ethical Theory and Practice: Toward Developing a Business Ethics Pedagogical Model.Business and Professional Ethics Journal. Saja, K. (2014). Developing Deontology. New Essays in Ethical Theory.The Philosophical Quarterly,64(254), 200-202. Sheskin, M., Baumard, N. (2016). Switching away from utilitarianism: The limited role of utility calculations in moral judgment.PloS one,11(8), e0160084. Van Hooft, S. (2014).Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge. Wright, D., Finn, R., Gellert, R., Gutwirth, S., Schtz, P., Friedewald, M., ... Mordini, E. (2014). Ethical dilemma scenarios and emerging technologies.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,87, 325-336. Yu, J. (2013).The ethics of Confucius and Aristotle: Mirrors of virtue(Vol. 7). Routledge. Zapotosky, M. (2017).StealthGenie maker fined for 'stalker' app.The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 January 2017, from https://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/maker-of-smartphone-surveillance-app-fined-avoids-jail-time-20141126-11upqs.html

The Wretched Of The Earth Essay Example For Students

The Wretched Of The Earth Essay Fanons book, The Wretched Of The Earth like Foucaults Discipline and Punish question the basic assumptions that underlie society. Both books writers come from vastly different perspectives and this shapes what both authors see as the technologies that keep the populace in line. Foucault coming out of the French intellectual class sees technologies as prisons, family, mental institutions, and other institutions and cultural traits of French society. In contrast Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) born in Martinique into a lower middle class family of mixed race ancestry and receiving a conventional colonial education sees the technologies of control as being the white colonists of the third world. Fanon at first was a assimilationist thinking colonists and colonized should try to build a future together. But quickly Fanons assimilationist illusions were destroyed by the gaze of metropolitan racism both in France and in the colonized world. He responded to the shattering of his neo-colonial identity, his white mask, with his first book, Black Skin, White Mask, written in 1952 at the age of twenty-seven and originally titled An Essay for the Disalienation of Blacks. We will write a custom essay on The Wretched Of The Earth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Fanon defined the colonial relationship as one of the non recognition of the colonizeds humanity, his subjecthood, by the colonizer in order to justify his exploitation. Fanons next novel, The Wretched Of The Earth views the colonized world from the perspective of the colonized. Like Foucaults questioning of a disciplinary society Fanon questions the basic assumptions of colonialism. He questions whether violence is a tactic that should be employed to eliminate colonialism. He questions whether native intellectuals who have adopted western methods of thought and urge slow decolonization are in fact part of the same technology of control that the white world employs to exploit the colonized. He questions whether the colonized world should copy the west or developa whole new set of values and ideas. In all these questionings of basic assumptions of colonialism Fanon exposes the methods of control the white world uses to hold down the colonies. Fanon calls for a radical break with colonial culture, rejecting a hypocritical European humanism for a pure revolutionary consciousness. He exalts violence as a necessary pre-condition for this rupture. Fanon supported the most extreme wing of the FLN, even opposing a negotiated transition to power. His book though sees the relationship and methods of control in a simplistic light; he classifies whites, and native intellectuals who have adopted western values and tactics as enemies. He fails to see how these natives and even the white world are also victims who in what Foucault calls the stream of power and control are forced into their roles by a society which itself is forced into a role. Fanon also classifies many colonized people as mentally ill. In his last chapter he brings up countless cases of children, adults, and the elderly who have been driven mad by colonialism. In one instance he classifies two children who kill their white playmate with a knife as insane. In isolating these children classifying there disorders as insanity caused by colonialism he ironically is using the very thought systems and technologies that Foucault points out are symptomaticof the western disciplinary society. Fanons book filled with his anger at colonial oppression was influential to Black Panther members Newton and Seale. As students at Merrit College, in Oakland, they had organized a Soul Students Advisory Council, which was the first group to demand that what became known as African-American studies be included in the school curriculum. They parted ways with the council when their proposal to bring a drilled and armed squad of ghetto youths onto campus, in commemoration of Malcolm Xs birthday, the year after his assassination, was rejected. Seale and Newtons unwillingness to acquiesce to more moderate views was in large part influenced by Fanons ideas of a true revolutionary consciousness. .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .postImageUrl , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:hover , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:visited , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:active { border:0!important; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:active , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: photochemical smog Essay In retrospect Fanons efforts to expose the colonial society were successful in eliminating colonialism but not in eliminating the oppression takingplace in the colonized world. Today the oppression of French colonialism in Algeria has been replaced by the violence of thecivil war in Algeria, and the dictator of Algeria who has annulled popular elections, a the emergence of radical Islam which seeks to replace colonial repression with religious oppression. But this violence might be one of the lasting symptoms of Frances colonial brutality which scared the lives of Algerians and Algerian society; perverting peoples sense of right and wrong freedom a nd discipline.