Explore the theme of escapism in Peter Pan Essay

The theme of escapism is prominent in much children’s literature. Frances Hodgson-Burnett’s The Secret Garden is, like Peter Pan, an example of Edwardian children’s literature. Both these novels are tales of escapism from real life into another world. There are also more recent examples of escapism in children’s literature. In the 1950s C. S. Lewis invented Narnia, and in even more recent literature, Harry Potter escapes his everyday life to go to school at Hogwarts. J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, an early Edwardian novel, is one of the great classics of British children’s literature and is, on the surface, a tale about a boy who refused to grow up. There is however, an underlying plot concerning a girl who must grow up. It is from this obligation that Barrie’s Neverland acts as a form of escape. Throughout Peter Pan, there is little focus on the female characters. It is almost assumed that Wendy will grow up and become a Mother, as all daughters do. Although Neverland allows Wendy to escape from her home and from the domestic world she knows, she does not escape domesticity altogether. She almost becomes mother to the Lost Boys, and is given a number of domestic duties such as ironing Peter’s shadow. However, Wendy’s relationship with Peter is not entirely conventional. She appears to be the closest thing Peter has to a girlfriend, as he rejects the sexual advances of both Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily. However, Wendy also appears to be acting as his mother, something Peter has been deprived of his whole life. It is the childish energy of Barrie’s imagination filled with such a â€Å"splendid jumble of pirates, redskins, fairies and mermaids† that enthrals so many children (Carpenter p172). Through this manipulation of other people’s minds and emotions, Barrie â€Å"carries them off from the real world †¦ to a country of his own invention† (Carpenter p179). Barrie seems to be presenting his readers with a substitute faith, to act as a form of escape from the Christian teachings of the Victorian era. It has even been suggested that Peter Pan is in fact an alternative religion. Humphrey Carpenter suggests that in many respects Peter is Christ-like. Possibly the most obvious example of this is when he takes Wendy and her brothers on a flight of fantasy to â€Å"his own heavenly land† (Carpenter p182). The Lost Boys who live there seem to represent the souls of the dead as Peter asserts, â€Å"They are the children who fall out of their prams when the nurse is looking the other way†, therefore further increasing Neverland’s resemblance of heaven. The concept of escaping to heaven was extremely important to Barrie. He lost his brother David at a young age and subsequently spent much of his life trying to become a living version of the boy â€Å"who by dying †¦ remained ever young† (Wallshli ger p120). To observe Peter and Hook as the Christ and Satan of Barrie’s religion, the reader must have faith in the novel. The theme of belief is interesting throughout Peter Pan as the reader is, like the Darling children, constantly being asked, â€Å"Do you believe? † In order to fly, the Darling children must have faith, and â€Å"think lovely wonderful thoughts†, as Peter’s fairy dust is, in itself not enough. In turn the reader or audience must have faith and believe in the fact that a child can fly. Similarly, in order to escape to Neverland, a reader must have faith that there is such a place â€Å"somewhere past the second star to the right and straight on until morning†. The theme of belief is particularly important at the end of Barrie’s story when the darling children lose their faith and no longer believe in Peter, and so cannot see him. Though faith and belief are important in Peter Pan, the dream of escaping to another world seems to be almost self-sufficient. Barrie implies there is little need to grow up or awaken from this dream as it is in fact already framed by the Edwardian domesticity of the â€Å"real† world where wealth and relationships are important. Carpenter in fact goes further than this by asserting that children must not grow up and claims that to visit Neverland â€Å"requires an act of belief that children cannot sustain as they grow up† (Carpenter p180). Peter himself seems to be of the opinion that it is only children, who can escape the drudgery of everyday life and claims, â€Å"I want always to be a little boy, and to have fun†. Barrie’s adventure story and his creation of such a magical hero seems to have achieved what so much children’s literature had previously tried to do. Peter represents the shift from the Victorian perception of the child as a â€Å"moral icon† to â€Å"a craze for the child as a fun-loving playboy hero† (Wallshli ger p111). Peter has no memory or emotion, and so â€Å"can live only for the moment† and experiences ecstasies that other children can never know (Wallshli ger p117). Peter is an asexual child rather than a young man. Barrie himself was also somewhat sexless, and it is doubtful whether his marriage was ever consummated. This lack of sexuality and romantic relationship is represented well on stage as Peter is often played by an actress, and is therefore viewed as an androgynous figure. Another interesting aspect of the casting of Peter Pan is that of Mr. Darling and Hook, who traditionally, are played by the same actor. This becomes particularly significant when considering the theme of masculinity in Peter Pan. There is much evidence of male competitiveness in the novel. The most obvious example of this is Peter’s dual with Hook, which appears to be an assertion of masculinity by Peter. It is particularly interesting that it is Peter and the lost boys who triumph over Hook who is a mature villain. This youthful triumph acts as another form of escape for a young reader. Traditionally in Victorian society adults were in control and would have power over children. In Barrie’s Children’s fantasy, it is youth and sexual immaturity that enable Peter to triumph over his adult rivals. It has been suggested by many critics that Peter, â€Å"The boy who wouldn’t grow up†, is a representation of Barrie himself. Barrie was a short man and despite a moustache â€Å"retained a markedly boyish look until old age† (Carpenter p173). He was in a physical respect, quite literally, a boy who couldn’t grow up. This figure of a man in a child’s body is undoubtedly the principle model for Peter, who is â€Å"neither child nor adult† (Carpenter p177).

George Orwell Essay

A comparison between Dickens’ â€Å"hard times† & Orwell’s â€Å"1984† I am writing about two novels that seem to come across as very different. Orwell’s novel portraying a nightmarish image of his opinionated future of Britain. Where as Dickens’ novel creates a vision to represent Victorian education over 150 years ago. Both of these storylines dehumanise and dictate a society, both of very different kinds. Charles Dickens and George Orwell’s novels differ in the recreation of the society and in the plot of the actual storyline. The innocence of the children and the bleak severity of the head teacher is what dickens’ focuses on to display his thoughts of Victorian schools. In which Orwell depicts a society where everything is bleak and distraught and dictated by a soulless party, â€Å"BIG BROTHER†. Further more both novels were written at totally different generations, Dickens being the Victorian times and Orwell’s being the mid nineteen hundreds. Despite all these issues that divide the novels apart they seem to come across as very similar. Within closer inspection of the novels they seem to both control and authorise their societies. Orwell has used an empowering character as his leader; he has created a party lead by â€Å"BIG BROTHER†. Where as in Dickens’ approach to create a leader he has used a less excessive and extreme character called â€Å"Mr Gradgrind†, the head teacher who only implicates facts. Although he may not be as demanding as Orwell’s approach, he uses satire to dissolve the pupil’s mentality. Both of these characters apply a very dominating attitude towards there audience and offer them no thought and identity. â€Å"Girl number 20† â€Å"6079 Smith† Both authors have produced an atmosphere where people who are commanded by them, are clarified as mindless objects; rather than individuals with an imagination. This strips them down to nothing but factorised minds in one case, and an imagination that hardly existed in Orwell’s novel. In an extract from ‘Hard times’, the author disembowels the imagination of the students and use the idea of ‘Morgiana & the 40 thieves’. â€Å"Not unlike Morgiana looking into all the vessels ranged before him†¦ † This gives an idea of ‘Mr Gradgrind’ pouring the facts from his factorised mind, into the students damaged imagination. This compares with Orwell’s approach, where â€Å"BIG BROTHER† brutally demolishes the entire imagination and thought, as they suffer in a decayed dystopia. An additional contrast linking the novels together is, the stern and domineering party in both societies. The â€Å"BIG BROTHER† party emphasises the issue of them surveying the society of the party members and this is persistently repeated in the novel. In which ‘Mr Gradgrind’ constantly stresses the importance of facts and crushes the children’s minds, until they grasp the significance of facts. â€Å"In this life, we want nothing but facts, sir; nothing but facts† † BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU† These two quotations illustrate the emphasis and constant repetition of the parties. The author uses these effects to not only get the picture imprinted in the mind of the characters, but also into the readers. Furthermore, the BIG BROTHER party in Orwell’s novel, links very well with Dickens’ criticizing character, ‘Mr Gradgrind’. These two characters both contrast and appear as very similar in personality and in appearance. They both are displayed with a face that jolts the reader, and creates in their imagination; a daunting and depressing figure. â€Å"The black-moustachioed face gazed down†¦ while the dark eyes looked into Winston’s own† â€Å"While his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves, over shadowed by the wall† The first quotation is Orwell showing his opinion of BIG BROTHER gazing with fear, and this compares extremely well with dickens’ attempt to create the same sort of atmosphere. Dickens expresses more scarce by using a metaphor to show his view of a leader, he also goes into more detail about the bold figure of ‘Mr Gradgrind’. Not only do they link well in appearance, but also in attitude towards their society. Both seem to dictate, and show immense power on the regulations of their own society. In conclusion, I feel that both authors have created a society and atmosphere; that both link together and show many similarities. Although they may well both show differences, they don’t even compare with the shear amount of evidence that link the novels together. Each author has created authority, control and power to create an atmosphere that can dictate a whole society. In this case the societies are very alike and the tone of speech used by each author is much the same. In my opinion, these two novels equally portray a society that can create a vision for the reader to see a glimpse of the past or what may be a glimpse of the future.

Bend It Like Beckham Analysis Cultural Studies Essay

Bend It Like Beckham Analysis Cultural Studies Essay Since the 1950s Britain has gone through an intense period of accelerated social and cultural transitions. These changes come from the results of the disintegration of the British Empire, the expansion of the Commonwealth and the movement of people from various nationalities, languages and cultures. These phenomena have supported the progressive globalization of life and conceived a multi-ethnic and multicultural society, with a strong plurality of identities and heritages. One of the most driving motions for development through this phase has been the women’s movement. Their entry into the labour market and their increasing independence has brought fundamental changes in their position in society and their relations with men. Similarly, the emergence of youth as an identifiable group with a very different lifestyle to members of older generations, has contributed substantially to the changing social and cultural profile of the country. The younger generation has a more equal ity view of the role of women in society. The Hofstede analysis for Britain reports strong feelings towards individualism and masculinity. On the other hand, the power distance and uncertainty avoidance are ranked considerably low. Long-term orientation ranks the lowest. This study indicates potential change that Britain is willing to achieve rapidly with the new generations. Men and women mix freely, with independent relationships to one another. In the football club girls are all very open, they can get in touch with strangers very easily, undress without any shame. And Jess behaves on the contrary. The most vivid example of the British youth’s independence is the fact that parents can’t interfere in Jules’s private life, even when it deals with her sexual orientation. According to Hall’s scale of levels’ of cultures, British culture is a low level context culture because the messages are clear and the words carry most of the information in most communication (for example, when the coach sees that Jess has problems with her parents because of football, he goes there and tells them about his opinion, without any rituals, very directly). More interpersonal connections of shorter duration exist in Britain. Even choosing football in this movie seems to reflect the low level context British culture is experiencing. Football is one of the most rule and goal-oriented, strictly defined and team playing games (where each has its own job). According to Hall’s cultural theories, British culture seems to be the mix of the past-oriented and future-oriented cultures. Old generation is still trying not to lose traditions, they are still very conservative but the younger people are much more future-oriented, as it is very obvious from â€Å"Bend it like Beckham†. In conclusion, British culture is definitely an individualistic one, due to its high level of individual independence, goals and concept of individuality over group goals. Individuals have universal communication and equal attitude to everyone, in the family and in everyday life where men and women enjoy equal rights. It’s also a feminine culture with several specific features of male culture. British culture is a low level context one where people play by external rules, they have separation of time, space, activities, relationships; more interpersonal connections of shorter duration; almost everything is task-centered (decision and activities focus around what needs to be done, division of responsibilities) and so on.

The Costs and Benefits of Joining EMU Case Study - 1

The Costs and Benefits of Joining EMU - Case Study Example The increasing interdependence among the European states is aimed at creating free mobility of goods, services, labour, and capital within the trade region (Debra, & Colin, 2007, p. 162). The EMU has increased the common rules among the member states to combine the separate markets and economies by increasing the economic coordination and cooperation and setting new competition policies for the member states. The EMU has created economic interdependence so as to eliminate monetary policies that undermine and distort benefits realized from such interdependency (Debra, & Colin, 2007, p. 162). For the EMU to function smoothly, the following feature must be present: The member states of EMU must surrender their sovereignty in some areas of policy formulation. Such areas include interest rates and exchange rates determination, and constraints acceptance in macro-economic exercise (Debra, & Colin, 2007, p. 163). The politicians from the member states of EMU are required to undertake unpopular policies required for a state to qualify to be a member of EMU, and also introduce economic structural reforms that will ensure their country’s economies survive within the economic and monetary union. However, reluctance among the major European Union community has led to serious problems of EMU. The above feature and condition do not determine whether the European Union has an ideal environment for using the common currency. The optimal currency areas (OCAs) theory sets the preconditions for use of common currency among states. For the EMU to succeed in using the common currency, the following conditions must be fulfilled: Though the EMU has been launched, some of these conditions appear to be lacking within the European Union trade region. However, some benefits have gained by the European Union countries for being members of EMU. The main perceived benefits of joining economic and monetary union include low costs of the transaction, single market consolidation, the convergence of prices, stabilization of foreign exchange rates, and price stability (De Grauwe, 2005).     

Alternative Solutions to Medical Testing on Animals Article

Alternative Solutions to Medical Testing on Animals - Article Example An ethical principle that guides the use of alternative methods to animal testing encourages the replacement, reduction and refinement as an effective way of minimizing animal suffering while safeguarding biological experiments thereby proposing ethical alternatives as the discussion below portrays. One of such alternatives is cell cultures (Maguire and Eric 121). This refers to the process of growing both human and animal cells in cultures thereby providing scientists with an opportunity to carry their tests effectively. Psychological egoism is among the ethical theories that continue to propagate for the alternative. According to the theory, explains that self-interests often motivate most of the human actions. Scientists and biologists cause immense pain, suffering and even death to other animals in their desire to make inventions thereby enhancing the profits they acquire from such (Watson 66). The theory therefore encourages the use of cells, which provides the scientists with similar platform to carry scientific researches while saving animals from the immense pain. Objectivism is yet another ethical concept that encourages the use of alternatives to animal testing. The concept explains that reality exists independently of consciousness. As such, humans can acquire knowledge from inductive logic and concept formation. Additionally, the concept explains that pursuing one’s happiness is the moral purpose of life. Using animals in scientific experiments provides humans with an opportunity to develop knowledge. However, the concept encourages the use of other safer and painless ways of doing the same. Dissecting animals is often a bloody affair that most people abhor (Monamy 78). The theory therefore encourages methods that enhance personal happiness and does not cause doubts in the minds of the scientists. Reciprocal altruism further advances the thought for a safer and painless ways

International Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Business Management - Assignment Example The implications of these strategies are recommended to future managers for implementation in the organizational policies for getting competitive advantage in the market. Introduction This assignment is about the position of competitive advantage attained by Procter and Gamble and the study of the various approaches and strategies that have been adopted by the organization to rise to a competitive leadership position in the market. The topic is worth to be studied as it would enable us to validate the theories of the competitive advantage with the real example of Procter and Gamble. The implication of these strategies which are namely innovative strategies, cost leadership strategies, differentiation strategy and operation efficiency could be linked to the recent developments in the business of Procter and Gamble. Due to the innovative strategies, Procter and Gamble has been able to restructure its business process and operations and they have been able to track the demand and needfu l to be done to meet the customer needs (Barner, 1991, p.102). Along with that operational efficiency has been attained supported by the cost effective production. These features put Procter and Gamble in a relatively superior position in the market which was reflected in increased acceptability of its products that has driven the business growth (Mullen and Stumpf, 1987, p.38). The review of literature on the topic has been presented followed by the detailed analysis and findings on the strategies adopted by Procter and Gamble for gaining competitive advantage. Literature Review The diamond model was proposed by Michael Porter in 1985 which highlights some of the drawbacks of the theory of comparative advantage. According to this theory, the nations and the business houses focus on the growth of productivity for gaining competitive advantage. In order to attain growth in productivity, the cheap labour that is available could be utilized by the forces of production. Figure 1: Diamon d Model The model has analysed the notion of competitiveness using six broad factors discussed as follows: Factors conditions include capital resources, physical resources, infrastructure and human resources. The demand conditions prevailing in the domestic market can contribute to create competitiveness for the companies when there is pressure from the domestic buyers to innovate new and differentiated products from that of the competitors. The supporting industries are important for the innovation purposes since they are cost effective and can contribute in the upgrading process whereas the government can contribute to the above determinants by influencing the supply conditions as well as demand conditions. The diamond model reduces the high degree of emphasis on the availability of natural resources inside the geographical boundaries which brings out the limitations of the theory of comparative advantage (Stupmf and Dunbar, 1990, p.22). According to the founder of this theory and many other experts, the competitive advantage could be attained by the organizations due to building up unique capabilities that help them to outperform their competitors (Peteraf, 1993, p.185). The various ways in which the companies have attained competitive advantage in the market are due to the access gained to specialized resources of production.

Instruction on how to deliver a presentation about a formal proposal Coursework

Instruction on how to deliver a presentation about a formal proposal. List all steps - Coursework Example The mentors and mentees must be identified and paired with each other. The HR department should also decide on the number of participants who will take part in the project. After the identification of the participants, the guidelines will be discussed and the schedule of mentoring activities will be laid out. Furthermore, the timeline and duration of the program will be communicated. Subsequent to presenting the objectives and timeline of the program, the topics and activities that will be included will be discussed. The implementation strategies will be proposed. After acquainting the audience with the program, to further emphasize its importance, a brief discussion of the benefits that may be obtained from the mentoring activities will be conveyed. Experiences of other organizations with similar programs will be shared. Finally, the presentation will end by stating that a feedback mechanism must be employed to monitor the progress of the participants. Progress reports will be required during specified review periods (Miller, n.d.). Moreover, at the end of the presentation, it must be emphasized that there is no standard mentoring program. It should be tailored to the needs of the organization and the employees. It should be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of those involved in the

Cause and Effect Essay of diabetes Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cause and Effect of diabetes - Essay Example ts in insulin secretion, insulin action or both, which translates to long term damage and dysfunction of various organs of the body (Nayak and Roberts). Within the pancreas, the Islets of Langerhans are responsible for secretion of insulin, which acts to regulate of blood glucose levels. In persons with diabetes, normal insulin function is impaired where it can be produced in insufficient quantities or is produced defectively. This further classifies diabetes mellitus into Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 3-5% of all diabetes in the world and is more common in children and young adults but can occur at any age (International Diabetes Federation 6). Type 1 diabetes presents as an autoimmune disease where insulin producing cells within the pancreas are destroyed, and the patients are always dependent on insulin injections for survival. The destruction of Islets of Langerhans within the pancreas impair the ability to produce insulin adequately thus affecting the process of glucose regulation negatively. Such destruction may be facilitated by the presence of external factors such as viral infections, which may alter the orientation of the host immune system. On the hand, Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all diabetes cases globally, occurring among the middle-aged and older people. In this condition, the body either does not make enough insulin or does not respond well as it ought to the insulin produced and can be controlled by keeping blood glucose levels within the range through diet and exercises. In this regard, Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which implies that the body cannot effectively utilize the insulin produced no matter its quantity. As a result, glucose cannot be transported from the blood to the cells, which encourages excess blood glucose, which makes it difficult for the body to maintain normal glucose levels in the blood. Obesity, which is associated with insulin resistance, has been described

East and Central European countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

East and Central European countries - Essay Example uted leaders of technological change are the countries of Western Europe, the United States and Japan, with a high technological culture and monopolize major breakthrough technology of recent decades, in fact already entered the phase of post-industrial development, successfully addressing the socio-economic objectives. In pursuit of the leaders the countries of South-East Asia and China stepped up on the way to build the innovation economy. (Lavigne, 1992) In recent years, many countries of Central East Europe and CIS are actively moving towards the socio-economic modernization and striving for adapting to the rapidly growing processes of globalization, also announced an innovative course as a priority in their development. However, none of the post-socialist countries has been able to integrate in terms of technologically advanced countries, being mainly on the periphery of the global economy. The basis of the structural change and technological upgrading of Central/East European countries is the policy of their governments, aimed at creating a favorable investment climate, ensuring a serious income of foreign investment. In general foreign companies by the end of 2003, invested in the economies of Central/East Europe 162 billion dollars. About the number of foreign investment in national economy of these countries shows the percentage of volume of accumulated investments in GDP, which amounted for Czech Republic 52%, Hungary - 44, Slovakia - 40%. (Inglot, 2008) Among the major foreign investment companies operating in the market in these countries, there are such well-known multinationals as Opel, Volkswagen, PSA, Audi, Toyota, Daewoo, General Motors, Nokia, Philips, Bosh, IBM, Hewlett Packard, General Electric, Electronics, Ford, Suzuki, Sony, Sanyo, Electrolux and others in the field of view of their interests are mainly in the automobile industry, electronics, manufacturing of computer and telecommunications equipment, pharmaceuticals and chemical

Hobsons Choice Essay Example for Free

Hobsons Choice Essay Maggie. Yes, Maggie Youre growing on me lass. In act three we see that the wedding reception is a small and simple one. This tells the audience that Maggie is not one for wasting money and does not mind having the party in the cellars. As the play moves on, the audience starts to see a change in Willie, Youre making a great mistake, Mr. Hobson. Willie also starts to take the upper hand with Hobson, Sit down, Mr. Hobson. The change in him is all down to Maggie; she has pride in Willie and believes in him. Their marriage is originally more of a business arrangement but it starts to ecome more of marriage of equal partners. When Hobson comes over to seek help, Maggie is sure to talk to Will first, Will its my father. Is he to come in? Maggie and Will work together to make Hobson feel ashamed of his drinking and lead him into giving marriage settlements to her younger sisters. The audience will warm to Maggie over the way he skilfully gets her own back on her father. When Maggie deals with her fathers problem, she is in control and the audience, clearly see that she and Will are working together as a team, Do you think it will get in the paper Maggie? Yes, for sure. Will has come a long way as he was previously described as stunted mentally by a brutalised childhood. Even though Maggies plan has gone well in getting Hobson to give the settlement money over as a fine for trespassing, she shows that she cares for her sisters. Maggie does not let Albert Prosser take the thousand pounds he originally asks for, You neednt be greedy. She also threatens to counter-sue and confirms the original settlement of five hundred pounds. We see a softer more sentimental side of Maggie when she throws away the hot ouse flowers but keeps one to press in her bible. To finish the act, Brighouse returns to the comedy of when Will has to be led to bed by the ear. Although Maggie is clearly in charge in this respect, it contains an element of affection and humour plus this would also make her character a likeable one. At the start of Act Four, we see that Hobson is ill. Tubby tries to help by suggesting for Maggie to come over. Shall I go for Miss Maggie sir? The opinion is agreed by the doctor, l dont know who this Maggie is, but I prescribe her. When Maggie and her sisters find that Hobson needs looking after, Vickey and Alice try to get Maggie to do it. Alice says, I dont think I can be expected to come back to this after what IVe been used to. Hobson tries to offer an unfair, mean deal to Maggie and Will to take care of him but Maggie quickly says, If he goes, I go with him father, as the bribe is poor. The audience notice how Will has become a true gentleman with the help from Maggie, Youre the man IVe made you and Im proud. When Will tries to replace Maggies brass ring for a gold one, Maggie does not ish to give it up. That brass ring stays where you put it. This shows the audience a sense of sentimentality. The play ends with Hobson as a sleeping partner, in Wills business. Will, amazed, closes the act and the play with the words, Well by gum! At the end of the play, the audience sees that Maggie as more of a likeable character . She is portrayed, by Brighouse, as a successful businesswoman strange for a lady in her point in time. Brighouse shows Maggie can be fair and compassionate with other characters.

Listed Building Consent Application Example

Listed Building Consent Application Example Christina Kleanthous Papademetriou   Keepers Lodge Canterbury Road, Denton with Wootton, Kent, CT4 6QZ Contents Introduction Information and Background Purpose of the study Listed Buildings Legislative Background Significant Findings Significant Issues Historical Background and Heritage 2.0 Historical Context, Aesthetic Context, Communal Context Description of Buildings Important Figures and Decorative Interior Description and Characteristics Exterior Description and Characteristics The Proposal Implications and The Justifications Description of the Proposal Implication of the Proposal Justification of the Proposal Methodology for Grand Application Details for achieving the project architecturally Design Details and Planning 5.0 Conclusion 6.0 Appendix, Drawings and Illustrations 7.0 Bibliography Introduction 1.1 Information and Background Keepers Lodge, Denton with Wootton Description: Keepers Lodge for Denton Court Listed Grade: II* First Listed on: 28th of May in 1987 English Heritage Building ID: 178568 OS Grid Reference: TR2155546979 OS Grid Coordinates: 621555, 146979 Location Coordinates: 51.1791, 1.1685 Located in: A260, Wootton, Kent CT4 6QZ Area / Zone: Denton with Wootton Responsible Authority: Dover District Council Region: Kent, England Postcode: CT4 6QZ List entry Number: 1070010 The building is a Mid-19th (1842) Century Building, combining characteristics from three different architectural styles, mainly a Victorian designed building (1837-1901) with decorative characteristics from the Gothic Revival (1840-1880) and the Italianate Style (1840-1885). It is used as the Keepers Lodge, originally property of Denton Court and its gardens. The Jettying design is what is mostly seen in its exterior and interior with a painted cement rendering with an applied frame and tiled roof. It has an identical for the time T-shaped plan in a characteristic Old English style Decoration of the time. It is an one story building with an extended attic as well. It is built on a plinth supporting base with central stack and 2 gabled dormers. Decorative three light oriels are located to the left side of the buildings interior and trilateral oriels located to the right side on the ground floor. The main door is a half- glazed arched door and its surrounded by a gabled porch. [1] Keepers Lodge is located halfway among Canterbury and Folkestone, lies in a valley surrounded by the Denton Woods Park that runs from North to South and the hills that rise to both East and West, on the rear right side of A260 road exposed to the extremely busy main road which connects Canterbury to Folkestone, which runs through the Denton Woods and the Centre of the villages Wootton, Denton and Selstead and the fast traffic makes a dangerous environment for the property, especially with no fence or any other kind of protection available. The property is located in between the three villages, just 2km outside Selstead, 3km outside Wootton and 5km outside Denton, where horses and sheep can be seen feeding on the slopes of the village park and woods. It is an Outstanding Natural Beauty Listed Area and any property or figure in the whole village is closely controlled. It is yet unknown of who designed the building originally, and further down to its existence. The legal owners of the building are the owners of Denton Court. The present owner of the Court is George and Francisca Gosling. Although owning the Keepers lodge as well, it has been out for sale since 1995, without managing to sell the property just yet. Currently the building is still used as a residence, but without a permanent tenant, which puts the property at risk, as its structure and skin (window frames, paint, roofing), started collapsing and showing a significant damage that needs taking care off. Unfortunately, there is no pending application or interest in preserving the property at the moment, neither for specific elements of it nor the whole property in general. 1.2 Purpose of the study Listed Buildings This Listed Building Consent Report is a heritage and design statement, which has been prepared in regards with the stage of the property currently with no intention of preserve or restore the property, and the fact that a further damage will affect its character and appearance as a building of special architectural and historic interest. In addition, this report also mentions the concern in regards with the conservation and restoration of important figures of the building, which are in a risk stage, such us the roof, the windows and the significantly important satyr-corbels. Both its interior and exterior are prime example of early Victorian Architecture, and to refurbish elements of the entire building, is of high importance. The property is a Grade II* listed building, located towards Denton Historic Village, a village listed as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and any building is tightly controlled and listed as a historic building of important heritage characteristics. As a Grade II* Listed building, makes the property a particularly important building of more than just special interest, only 5.5% of listed buildings are Grade II*, but also, and more important, is that it is among the small percentage of 0.2% of the listed buildings listed although built after 1842. This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest and categorized as a National Park Property and Entity as well. The nature of the property, its style and its decorative detailing, which incorporates a number of distinct elements with different features, and the extent of the proposed works have driven the purpose of this document. A full list, illustrations and drawings of each figure and decorative to follow in the next chapters. 1.3 Legislative Background In the first years of peace after 1825 something like a cultural revolution happened, which changed the form and content of cultural production in England. This social and economic change, trigged by the French Revolution, released the Picturesque and Romanticism as a status in the design field and of course in the way the world perceived communities and how they wanted them to look like. The Victorian Idea was the one who rejected the cold and proud neo-medievalism of the early Gothic Revival, and instead, it was the one promoting heritage consciousness and the notion of providing and building houses with a national identity and characteristics that will last in time and are derived from national perceptions and alikes, hence Henry III preferences in design as a reference. [2] All Districts in England take the above very seriously and try to protect as much as possible any heritage of importance, especially if they are an outstanding architectural or historic building of national interest, or if they have an important material in use. The legislation laws in Dover District states that a delicate amendment or extension to allow the continued use or new use of a listed building is acceptable and allowed, in order to safeguard the special character of a listed building, but after of course the appropriate building consent application is issued and approved for any interior, exterior changes, or demolition of any part of it. For Keepers Lodge of Denton Court, until today, the only previous applications for alterations submitted was one, requesting: A) A proposal for the construction of 2 dormers and structural repairs incorporating wall buttresses and wall ties. The application was submitted by Mr. G Gostling on the 26th of August 1988, and permission was granted by the case officer Tim Flisher on the 19th of October 1988. B) Two further Proposal Appeals were made requesting Tidying of Roadside Fencing and to reduce and clean one Lime Tree in a Conservation Area, but the only information available state that the appeals are on a Decided2 State without any further information available for the public. 1.4 Significant Findings Anyone who would like to know and get a first insight of how the original Victorian Jettying Style Buildings look like in Englands Architectural Heritage, could look in examples such as the Keepers Lodge of Denton Court and the whole Denton Historic Village as well, and perceive the details and characteristics relatively easily. [3] Jettying as a distinguishing characteristic of many historic buildings is mostly seen in buildings build between 15th 16th century and 18th-19th century, for timber framed buildings. The distinguishing heavy appearance had an impressive influence in the appearance of the historic centers of England, in places such as Kent, Chester, York and Shrewsbury. [4] Although a house of small dimensions, and not expected to last until today, its original design and method of construction remains visible today, making it a prime example of reference for its purpose. [5] This specific style used in Keepers Lodge in Denton, and seen in several buildings of its time, is the identical box-framed type house, an innovative high quality method of its construction, building type. Its characteristics include a hall running, from ground to roof, through the center of the house. The house is jettyed all round with huge wooden supports reinforced in the attic over the central hall. This strong late medieval and early Tudor home is shielded by a hipped, tiled roof, and was built by yeomen, matching the plan of the main Denton Court house. Buildings located in the south-east of England and Kent more specifically, even relatively small housing and farms, carry upon them, the idea to build houses of comfort, security and craftsmanship. [6] This box-frame style, allowed the house to be up to three full height floors and to provide an easy construction of wings. Its name -box-frame- was derived from the fact that the core vertical supports are detained in place by it s horizontal beams.[7] 1.5 Significant Issues The property is currently not occupied by any tenant, which puts the property at risk, as it has no one to preserve the propertys significant characteristics and take care of any damages cause by time or weather, cause to the property. Because of this issue, the Dover District has no intention of preserving Keepers lodge, or take care of the damages caused on the roof, window frames and on the port decorative figures, because there are no applications submitted, or anyone showing interest of care for the Lodges stage. 2.0 Historical Background and Heritage Historical Context The beautiful Victorian Structure lies to the South of the Denton village and cannot be seen from the village itself, but rather from the road towards the village. The Denton Court and its Keepers Lodge are a very antique-decorated style buildings and were a significant of importance and style properties since 1086 for the Denton Court, and since the start of its construction for the Keepers lodge. The owners and tenants of the properties were important figures of history since the start of its construction such us, Odo, Bishop of Baieux, King Edward as tenant and Ralph de Curbespin as sub-tenant. When the Bishop fell into degradation, all his properties and belongings were taken away by the crown, and thats when the Denton Court and the entire land was given to Gilbert Magimot but with all lands been under the Kings ownership. Throughout the following years between 1087 to 1792, the land and any building currently build in it, changed several hands, until it ended up in 1792 to Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges who refurbished, repaired and added additions to the mansion of Denton Court, such us for example new gardens around the house. As the first private owner of both the Denton Court, Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges introduced the idea of building the keepers lodge for the Denton Court in 1792, but came into existence much later on, in 1842 by other members of the family, who wished to complete the plans Sir. Brydges had for the property. As the most important owner of the property, Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, an English author and genealogist, member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1812 to 1818. He was a founding member of the Roxburghe Club, a publishing club of well-off bibliophiles. He was announced as a Knight Grand Commander of the Equestrian, Secular, and Chapterial Order of St. Joachim in 1807 and was mad e a baronet on 27 December 1814, few years before dying in 1839. [8] After 1810, the whole property carried on being under the Brydges family but it had different families as temporary tenants. William Willats bought both properties and its gardens in 1867 and retouched and rebuild anything that needed restoration in both properties, without modifying the original architecture in which they were build. The gables located on the west side were restored and new structure was added. The central faà §ade though, was changed to face south as an alternative to the west that used to face, so that when passing in front of it from the highway you only see the west side of the building. When William Willats passed away, he left his property to his son, and it was since then passed from to the next generations of the family, until todays owners the brother and sister George and Francisca Gosling. [9] There are several stories said for the small Lodge house, such us that there is blood marked on the stairs, and its still visible, where previous owners during WW1, two brothers, one killed the other on the stairs. A story that was never confirmed, but always draws the curiosity of several visitors of the area. Also, another interesting fact for the property is that one of the visiting residences was the poet Gray, were he restored the lodge to an exceptional state when he was living there with additions such us new adjoining grounds. Lastly, a more recent representation of the building, at its current stage, was featured in TV in Treasure Hunt where there was a clue buried within the lodge. A further search of 500m around the property was done by using the Heritage Gateway Website and no further information about the property or the listing was found when it comes to its historic background. [10] Aesthetic Context The visible South facade, the entrance and the gardens of the property form a significant part of the street scene. As the first property to be seen before entering the historic village of Denton, it provides us with a first insight of the architecture and the characteristics of every building, located in the village, beforehand. The common features of the buildings design, offered in advance by the street, in terms of construction method, material, style, roofing, windows and framing. Away from the property, as soon as you enter Denton, the picture is more varied. Although all buildings are derived from the same architectural era, you see a variety of different roofing materials, wood colors, window styles, some buildings are well preserved and some others not, which makes the village an interesting case study. Nevertheless, is still a beautiful combination of Victorian architecture, old and more recent build. Communal Context Dover District Council focuses on the appearance and preservation of the properties within its Conservation and Heritage Area, as its ethics believe in contributing to the sense of treating a city / town / village as a historic monument and keeping it attractive for locals and tourists as well. The Council issued a Historic Map covering Denton, with Denton Court and Keepers Lodge visible, hand-drawn, in 1896 by the cartographers of the Ordnance Survey. Description of Buildings Important Figures and Decorative 3.1 Interior Description and Characteristics The Interior of the lodge can be described as extremely traditional for its style with significant characteristics; with a skirting board half-way up on the walls and a picture frame around the ceiling, featuring engraved animal, bird or floral prints on the wooden frame. The floor is a mid-toned polished floorboard with a large patterned carpet in the middle of the floor leaving the polished floorboard t be seen only as a border and only. In general, the colors within the rooms are soft, subdued tones, nothing too bright or intense. Delicate gray, lavender and light natural teal color, which give a warmer feeling inside. The pro-hall, living room and the kitchen are full with accessories, soft furnishings and decorations such as framed photographs and pictures, floral vases and souvenirs, carved mahogany, walnut and oak furniture, quite significant for Victorian architecture. Last but not least, the big fireplace in the living room attracts every visitors eye when walking inside, es pecially because of his outstating engraved from nature scenes wooden frame of the fireplace. 3.2 Exterior Description and Characteristics The exterior design links the building with the rest of the village, although distant, as during Victorian period homes typically looked very similar because they were designed to be linked together. An outstanding, well-known for its architectural style period, jettied gable, and the frame covering the whole structure of the building, is decorated with satyr-corbels, along with perforated barge-board and patterned frame. Lastly, a decorative outstanding detail of the building, is the embellished canted bay located on the ground floor, the sash windows, the slate roof and its white colored brick which adds to its exterior a more interesting aesthetic to visitors. The Proposal Implications and The Justifications 4.1 Description of the Proposal It is hard not to love Victorian buildings because of their characteristic ornate architecture, their elegant proportions and sophisticated detailing. It is well known that they were built to be admired, and theyve rise the test of time, too. Having all these in mind, firstly the lodge needs a proper re-touch. A proper care needs to be taken into consideration for the special Victorian roofing of the property and its engraved ending detailing, its beautiful port decorative characteristics, stair, windows and wall engravings and also a proper preservation of the outstanding for its time-and age satyr-corbels. Preserving a home that is 175 years old entails substantial work, and working with the best contractors and products specialized on this manner. [11] As the property is not owned or occupied by any tenant, a public use is what I believe will give to the property the appropriate value and use, and most importantly represent the important heritage and architectural style it represents. The Lodge, as mentioned before, is located in the middle of a National Park, near two historic villages, commonly visited by tourists interested in English heritage, professional historians or even cyclists passing by the park, my suggested use of the building would be a small Tea-Library Room. 4.2 Justification of the Proposal Tearooms in England are usually small restaurants where non-alcoholic drinks and light meals are served, usually in buildings where they have a specific character, internally and externally, and with significant aesthetics and dignified atmosphere. Tea is a significant feature of the British culture and it has been for centuries one of the worlds utmost tea consumers and flavor inventors. Thinking of the buildings location, neither a pub or a different type of shop would the users of the area or people passing by would use or need. The suggestion of combining the Tea Room with walls full of books to give it the use of a library as well, derived from the buildings past, as a dedication to its first owner, Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, who was an author and a bibliophile. This combination describes perfectly the English Culture; enjoying a cup of tea, in a Victorian Architecture building, in the middle of a national park, while reading a book. Although the external style of a building may be its most attractive and noticeable aspect and its public face, its interior is even more vital in the buildings history and heritage identity. Exactly because of its interior, this property would be ideal for this use and to be a prime example of its use and its architectural style. [12] 4.3 Implication of the Proposal The current stage of the property does not support the proposal of being turned into tea-room library which needs an approved kitchen supported-facility, a second fire exit, and an additional support structure to be added on the walls, in order to support the extra weight of the books that will be placed on the walls. From the Heritage Lottery Fund website, we found out that Eating and drinking businesses are between 71% to 79% more likely to be found in a listed building than in a non-listed, in towns, mainly due to the fact that an attractive interior and an important heritage identity aesthetically environment, brings more customers and visitors to the building, especially if its a non-museum or retail shop one. Which means that those difficulties and implications are not hard to overcome, as long as the appropriate measures and consideration is taken. [13] 4.4 Methodology for Grants and Funds Application Rather than leave such a beautiful piece of architecture to collapse, this proposal would be highly beneficial to the community of Denton due to rising the use of the area and provide a development to the area, which is expected to increase the visitor numbers. Because this project is a small-scale one, finding the appropriate funding organisation to support the proposed project, will not be difficult to find, and a trust that can afford it. In this specific case, funding becomes a matter of public fundraising from locals, donations from book and writers associations, private financing or small grants. One of the most obvious additional funding source for this is the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The HLF is the public organisation responsible for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, who are responsible for monuments and listed buildings conservation. From an appropriate study of the HLF and whom they fund, it appears that the above proposal fits their conditions for funding: According to the HLF there are a few grants that Keepers Lodge Tea and Library House could apply for, but because the application process is quite complex, the decision on funds is not an easy one to get or granted. But because of being an important source of funding for heritage projects, the budget available according to the HLF per year for these projects is  £375million. Surely the lodge can be considered at-risk and under used, and bec ause of Denton being a Historic village and an area of economic deprivation, is an advantage for the application process for funding this project. The application process has two rounds: On Round one the application is submitted were it has to clearly demonstrate the feasibility of the scheme suggested and also to demonstrate how the redevelopment of the building will contribute to the development of both, the area and to the heritage of England. Round two consists of the development of the project and the period were the project is supposed to and follow the proposed and agreed plan. There is also another more specific option to for collecting funds for the regeneration of such a project by committees such us; The Educational Grants Directory, The Grants Register, A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need, The Youth Funding Guide and the Directory of Grant Making Trusts; All the above are Private Library and Community Trusts which fund projects that provide or improve community spaces, cultural facilities and places for outdoor recreation, or grants of between  £300 and  £10,000 for community running projects in the UK that allows people to take part in arts, sports, heritage or literature, or promote education, the environment or health in the local community. Although the proposed redevelopment of the Keepers lodge will more certainly cost more than  £10,000, a request and application to more than one of the above Trusts will be necessary. The most important key feature in grants and funds applications to any organisation is a strong management of the application plan. Although big organisations such as HLF, offer advisory and mentoring services, in smaller ones, this might not be an option and the decision on wherever the application will be approved or not would be relied to the applicants clear illustration of everything important and necessary into its application. Financial data need to be provided, new architectural plans need to be comprehensively discussed with clear drawings in place for the organisation and obtaining of the works, and also a full detailing of all expenditure planned to be spend on the whole project as well. 4.5 Details for achieving the project architecturally Design Details and Planning Exterior Design Outdoor Dining and associated outdoor waiting area Main entry and fire exit Services, utility infrastructure and storage area Pedestrian-vehicular circulation system and parking Exterior Retouch Because the setback from the street is evident, and the Lodge is surrounded by a very big open space the addition/creation of a backyard outdoor dining space is suggested, along with a small bar on the backyard as well, which can be used as reception as well for summer use of the outdoor area. A Shading for the outdoor dining should be integrated with the main structure. A small reception area will be added by the main entrance within the pro-hall for greeting the guests and visitors, and also, as the kitchen has two windows, one of them till be turned into a fire exit for safety purposes and also straight access to the outdoor backyard as well. Service area and storage area should be added as part of the design requirements, and it is suggested that an extension is added at the back of the kitchen, hidden from public eye, in order not to interfere with the beauty of the structure itself. The introduction of an appropriate parking is required for a logical and safe vehicular and pedestrian circulation pattern throughout the site that minimizes conflicts. The external walls roof and windows needs replacing, because of their age they started falling down and their damages is visible and dangerous for public use. Interior Design Modification of the single used kitchen to an equipped integrated kitchen Architectural cladding treatment and ventilation system Bathroom alterations requirements Transformation of living room walls to bookshelves from floor to ceiling for library purposes New refrigerator space and introduction will be needed because of the change to the use of the kitchen to cooking for a lot of people, along with keeping inside drinks etc. The working tops should be increased from 25cm that are currently to 50cm as stated by law, and replaced to stainless-steel material for health and safety requirements. As the building is under danger because of not been treated properly, before opening the building to the public, a proper treatment to its cladding and also windows should be replaced for better ventilation and safety purposes. No need of introduction of new ones is needed. The bathroom is located next to a medium size storage area, which both can be merged in order to create a bigger in size bathroom. Although requirements state that two bathrooms are required, because of the buildings size and use it is not necessary as long as the current one is upon the standards for male, female and disable access. The interior design of the building is beautiful as it stands so its dominant existing character will be kept and preserved. The introduction of the bookshelves will be done with the appropriate material which is oak wood to match the rest of the building and give the feeling of an old library and the aesthetics will be perfectly represented. [1] Historic England Website Listing of Keepers Lodge, Denton KEEPERS LODGE, Denton with Wootton 1070010| Historic England, accessed December 18, 2016 [2] Mandler. P., The Fall and Rise of the Stately Home, (New Haven and London, 1997) [3] Brittain-Catlin, T., The English Parsonage in the Early Nineteenth Century, (In Association with English Heritage Reading 2008) [4] Mandler. P., The Fall and Rise of the Stately Home, (New Haven and London, 1997)

Comparing Readers and TV Watchers :: essays research papers

Comparing Readers and TV Watchers In today’s society, one needs to be well prepared for the problems they will encounter. One might be offered drugs, or be faced with the decision of whether or not to breakup a friendship. How does one get prepared to deal with these types of situations? Reading books definitely will not help. Sure, one can get background knowledge on just about every topic from a book, but reading will not prepare you to deal with the outside world. Television is the best way to get a grasp of society’s problems at hand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Readers believe that not only is reading a form of entertainment, but you can learn from it also. Readers are generally better writers; however, too much reading can make you an introvert. There are probably dozens of books that try to depict real life problems, but it’s hard to get the emotional feeling by looking at text. When watching Television, you feel what the character feels. Additionally, readers lack the verbal communication skills possessed by T.V. watchers. To prepare yourself for a job interview, would you rather read a book, or watch people be interviewed? By watching them, one can see how they visually present themselves, and how they speak and listen. That, you cannot learn from a book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Television watchers have a tendency to be more extroversive. They are better verbal communicators, and they know how to present themselves to others. If you were to give a speech, the best way to prepare yourself would be to watch others, and take notes. Additionally, T.V. watchers can build vocabulary through listening to context on the television. When one watches T.V., they can share their experiences with most of America, since most Americans prefer television to reading. Thus, T.V. watchers will get along better with others. Lastly, T.V. sitcoms introduce all kinds of problems and solutions which can be adapted into real life situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s quite obvious that reading will help one become more educated.

Website management - Im making a website on Mobile phones the website :: Computer Science

Website management - I'm making a website on Mobile phones the website will include mobiles from different manufactures. WEBSITE MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT 1 I'm making a website on Mobile phones the website will include mobiles from different manufactures, these will be Nokia, Motorola, Erickson, Siemens and Samsung and through these u will be able to access the different models these will all be on separate pages and I will also include a separate page on mobile phone accessories, their will also be a separate page so the users of this website can e-mail me with any complaints, suggestions and compliments on the site. There are going to be many links to different websites on mobile phones so people can get a rough idea about how good the site is and how competitive we are in the mobile phone business. The reason im making a website on this topic is because mobile phones are very popular and there is a huge demand for them in the world. The background colour will be dark and the same on every page so users will not have to adjust the contrast of their monitor, the font colour will be quite bright so it stands out on the background otherwise the users of my website will have a difficulty reading the font. The font colour will not be the same on every page it will vary through the bright colours so every page will have its own unique look. The font size for normal writing will be about a size 12, this size will vary through different sizes so you can tell which piece of writing is a heading and sub heading these will also be in different font styles the rest of the font will be very business like and also very clear so the site looks professional and so the font is easy to read. There will be many different pictures of mobile phones these pictures will also include a different angles of the phone. The dimensions of the phone will be below it and then I will have a description of the phone next to the picture, the description will include how it works

Americans Have the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Essay -- Constitutional

Americans Have the Right to Keep and Bear Arms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our rights as Americans started to take shape when the Constitution of the United States was drawn up by the delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Three years later, a very important part of American history called the Bill of Rights was added. The Bill of Rights is looked upon and interpreted every day. It gives the citizens of the United States many of the rights and freedoms that we value today, and some of those are in jeopardy. One right that is at stake is our right to bear arms, which is addressed in the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is a highly debatable topic, and many legal scholars and the Supreme Court have yet to resolve the issues and controversy dealing with the Amendment. Until a decision can be made, the law will remain as it is currently interpreted. The citizens of the United States of America have the right to keep and bear arms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversy about the Second Amendment is derived from how it is worded (Jordan). The debate about the wording can be broken into two different arguments. To understand the arguments it is important to know how the Amendment is worded. The Second Amendment states, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed (qtd. in Anastaplo 61).† The first argument is that some people view the Second Amendment as two separate rights. The right of the people to keep and bear arms can be interpreted with the idea that each individual has the right to keep and bear arms; whereas, it could be a collective right giving just the members of the Militia the right to have guns (Gold). It is believed that the original meaning of the right to bear arms and the militia in the same Amendment was because in the early times of America the citizens needed weapons to guarantee th eir freedom and prevent the government from forming a dictatorship (Edel xi). The second debate is that the Amendment is one statement, therefore meaning that the militia has the right to bear arms. The problem of understanding the meaning of the Second Amendment has been brought before many courts all across America and has been ruled upon in different ways at different times. However, the Supreme Court has never declared it illegal to own guns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the years, t... ...iminals would be able to get guns illegally if they wanted them (Smith 25). It comes down to the age old saying of â€Å"guns do not kill people, people kill people.† The ability to keep and bear arms is also a right given to the American people by the Bill of Rights and was reinstated when one of the framers, Thomas Jefferson, said, â€Å"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.† Works Cited Anastaplo, George. The Amendments to the Constitution: A Commentary. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 1995. Chidsey, Donald Barr. The Birth of the Constitution: An Informed History. New York: Crown, 1964. Edel, Wilbur. Gun Control: Threat to Liberty or Defense Against Anarchy?. London: Praeger, 1995. Gold, Bruce. â€Å"The 2nd Amendment: A Historical Understanding.† Keep and Bear Arms.com. 5 April 2004 Hickok, Eugene W., ed. The Bill of Rights: Original Meaning and Current Understanding. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1991. Jordan, Stan. â€Å"The Common Sense 2nd Amendment.† Keep and Bear Arms.com. 2001. 5 April 2004 Klein, Chuck. â€Å"What the Second Amendment Says.† The Cincinnati Enquirer 28 March 2001: B7. 5 April 2004 Smith, Guy. Gun Facts Version 2.0. 2000. 1 April 2004

Hiring an Accredited Administrator Essay

Several registered ISO certified companies are providing services to develop your standards according to the ISO. An ISO certified accredited administrator guides you throughout the entire process of standardization. For instance, in writing company’s policy statement, and sometimes even in complex operating procedures. A firm can hire ISO accredited registrar who has knowledge and background about the firm’s business. Nonetheless, the price of accredited administrator and registrar depend on numerous factors like nature and size of business. Objectives of ISO 9000 Design control, quality system, management responsibility, documentation and data control, process control, order entry, training, inspection of test status, delivery, handling, storing, packing, servicing, measurement and test equipment, statistical techniques, and internal quality audit are some of the main objectives of ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems. Cost of ISO 9000 The cost of implementing ISO 9000 standards in any type of company depends on several factors. Usually, gap analysis is employed when evaluating implementation cost. However, the factors which make an outline about cost focus on the following questions: how long will it take to develop your company’s quality management system working with ISO team? Registrar charges vary from country to country. What is the size of your company? Does it conduct business on international level or domestic level? How many people will be involved in setting up the standards whether you hire a person from outside or not? Normally, in gap analysis, companies calculate two kinds of costs: external and internal. Both include services and consultancy professional charges that include gap analysis, system documentation, system developing, training and awareness, system modifications, internal auditing services and so forth. Registrar fees like, application and registration fees, Product cost includes software and publication. Advantages and Disadvantages of ISO 9000 Advantages. The advantages of ISO 9000 are numerous such as maintenance of quality; opportunity to compete with bigger companies; clarity of customer focus; verification of the company; enhancements in facility performances and superiority as a result of implementing and maintaining the process; and increase in customer confidence and satisfaction. According to Ridley, â€Å"in organizations that are registered to ISO 9000 standards, the impact on control systems is significant. Besides, all your business partners agree that your company is producing product in highly standardized environment, which is not a small benefit. (Ridley, 1997) â€Å"The ISO 9000 registration process requires so much documentation and self-assessment that many businesses that undergo its rigors cite increased understanding of the company’s overall direction and processes as a significant benefit. † Moreover, the ISO 9000 certification process emphasis on self-analysis and operations management issues encourages various internal areas or departments of company to interact with one another in hopes of gaining a more complete understanding of the needs and desires of their internal customers†. (ISO 9000: Encyclopedia of Small Business). In addition, small business owners and large firms’ owners have agreed that ISO 9000 standard certification may be a good tool, which ensures funding from joint venture capital firms. According to another researchers Brewer and Mills, â€Å"ISO provides consistency for the end-customer and traceability for the company itself† (Brewer and Mills, 1994) Disadvantages of ISO 9000 Despite the advantages, there are some disadvantages as well. According to Sadiq, â€Å"senior management’s lack of understanding of the benefits they can derive by effectively implementing the standard also plays a role in creating this negative perception. In many situations top management– not understanding the standard or not having been trained in it-starts to view the standard`s requirements as a non-value– adding burden. † (Sadiq, 2002) Business executives and proprietors who are familiar with the ISO 9000 registration process know that this process may take several months to complete. Moreover, too much time is lost in proper documentation, which sometimes looks a hazardous job. According to Bibby â€Å"it virtually ignores the formulas of modern quality management: there is no mandate to reduce cycle time, cut inventories, speed up deliveries, and increase customer satisfaction†. (Bibby, 1996) Nonetheless, to achieve maximum advantage from this standard, standard languages are required for documenting good procedures. A well-managed system that implements practices can be applied throughout the organization. The documentation procedure should cover all parts of the organization within a certain limit and scope of registration in order to insure that quality objectives are met. A third party may be hired to measures audit models and to verify the certification of organizations. Future of ISO. The ISO 9000 is finally being modified according to the growing needs of the business community all around the world. The family of ISO 9000 and 2000, known as the family of Quality Management System standards, was finalized on 2000. According to Meyer, â€Å"the pressure for companies to become ISO 9000-certified is absolutely increasing and will continue to increase†. (Meyer, 1998) Nowadays, these standards are being distributed to the institute of ISO’s worldwide membership. In this regard, the three final draft international standards, which have been published, are as follows. †¢ â€Å"ISO/FDIS 9000, Quality management systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary †¢ ISO/FDIS 9001, Quality management systems – Requirements ISO/FDIS 9004, Quality management systems – Guidelines for performance improvements†. (What’s the Future of ISO? ISO 9000:2000) â€Å"The ISO Action Plan for Developing Countries defines a number of actions intended to mobilize its members, regional organizations and donor agencies. The actions are aimed at promoting developing country participation in ISO, building capacity through technical assistance programmes and enhancing interactions at regional and international levels. † (What’s the Future of ISO? ISO 9000:2000) ISO has planned some points for the developing countries for the period of 2005-2010, which includes the following: †¢ Intensify awareness among shareholders in developing countries for standardization of economic growth, global trade, and reliable development. †¢ Increase domestic and international cooperation in order to share training, experience, communication, technology, and communication †¢ Expand electronic communication and expertise in information technology tools to take part in global standardization †¢ Enhance participation in technical and governance work of international standard organization to voice priorities. Economic Benefits of ISO As most of the domestic and multinational organizations adopted ISO standards, it increased economic growth and played a fundamental role in globalizing the business world. Certainly, standards create environment for economic success. Equal sets of standards throughout the business world provide business partners an opportunity to trade globally without hesitating about product quality. In this regard, the primary objective behind setting one global standard is to reinforce the global business as a channel of economic activity. The fair market value of small firms registered with ISO 9000 in the year 1994 increased dramatically up to 0. 75 percent. International large firms have experienced more than 0. 80 percent worth of their business. As product quality has improved, public limited companies’ share prices have increased. â€Å"In the UK, the DTI commissioned research revealed the following facts: †¢ Standards make an annual contribution of ? 2. 5 billion to the UK economy; †¢ 13 per cent of the growth in labor productivity is attributed to the role of standards; †¢ Standards are an enabler of innovation and facilitator of technological change; and †¢ The economic return from investment in standards makes sound business sense at both the macro and the micro-economic level†. (TC_211_Newsletter_08. doc) Conclusion In today’s world of economy, the barriers of international trade have been knocked down. Domestic and multinational companies have enhanced their level of performance in order to survive in today’s global world. Today, ISO 9000 standards are globally accepted. They help companies achieve cost effectiveness and quality assurance methods. Many small- and large-scale firms around the world have been adopted ISO standards. According to Ingman, a resercher in this area, â€Å"most organizations will not stop with ISO as their â€Å"only† main quality initiative, but rather will continue to work toward the broader concept of total quality management (TQM)†. (Ingman, 1994) References Brewer Peter C. , Mills Tina Y, (Feb, 1994), Journal Article, ISO 9000 Standards: An Emerging CPA Service Area – International Organization For Standardization. Bibby, Thomas, (Apr 1996), ISO 9000, A Catalyst, Not A Solution, Manufacturing Engineering, EPA – Environmental Management Systems/ISO 14001 http://www. epa. gov/OWM/iso14001/isofaq. htm Accessed, May 12, 2007 How to Pursue ISO Certification http://www. isixsigma. com/library/content/c000917c. asp Accessed, May 12, 2007 ISO 9000 †¦ for better or worse,( Sept 25, 1997) American Metal Market, ISO 9000: Encyclopedia of Small Business http://business. enotes. com/small-business-encyclopedia/iso Accessed, May 12, 2007 ISO – International Organization for Standardization http://www. iso.org/iso/en/iso9000-14000/understand/basics/basics9000/basics9000_2. html Accessed, May 12, 2007 Meyer Harvey R, ( March, 1998 ). Journal Article, Small Firms Flock To Quality System – Intl Organization For Standards’ ISO 9000 Certification – Includes Related Articles, Nation’s Business Not Available www. geog. leeds. ac. uk/staff/m. blake/magis/glossary/esriglos. htm QUALITY MANAGEMENT WITH ISO 9000 http://www. bioingegneria. uniba. it/bollettino/qualita/q_management. html Accessed, May 12, 2007 Ridley Jeffrey , (August, 1997), Jounal Article, Embracing Iso 9000 – Generic, Organizational, Quality-System Standards. Sadiq, Naeem, (Oct 2002), Jounal Article, ISO 9000 Standards: Where’s The Value? Ingman, Lars, Journal Article, (Jan 1994), Life After ISO 9000 TC_211_Newsletter_08. doc http://www. isotc211. org/Outreach/Newsletter/Newsletter_08_2005/TC_211_Newsletter_08. doc Accessed, May 12, 2007 What’s the Future of ISO? ISO 9000:2000 http://www. isixsigma. com/library/content/c000917e. asp Accessed, May 12, 2007 Where ISO 9000 came from and who is behind it http://www. iso. ch/iso/en/iso9000-14000/understand/basics/basics14000/basics14000_1. html Accessed, May 12, 2007.

Miranda v. Arizona Essay

Early in 1963, a 17 years old woman was kidnapped and raped in Phoenix, Arizona. The police investigated the case, and soon found and arrested a poor, and mentally disturbed man. The name of this man was Ernesto Miranda. Miranda was 23 years old when he was arrested. On March 13, 1963, Miranda was arrested based on circumstantial evidence linking him to the kidnapping and the rape. After 2 police officers interrogated him for 2 hours, he signed a confession to the rape charge. The form he signed included the following statement: â€Å"I do hereby swear that I make this statement voluntarily and of my own free will, with no threats, coercion, or promises of immunity, and with full knowledge of my legal rights, understanding any statement I make may be used against me.† Miranda was not given a full and effective warning of his rights. He was not told of his right to remain silent and his right to counsel. Miranda was found guilty of kidnaping and rape and was sentenced to 20-30 years imprisonment on each count. During the prosecution, Miranda’s court-appointed lawyer, Alvin Moore, objected that because of these facts, the confession was not truly voluntary and should be excluded. In the end of 1966, The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, ruled that the prosecution could not introduce Miranda’s confession as evidence in a criminal trial because the police had failed to first informs Miranda of his right to an attorney and against self-incrimination. The Supreme Court of Arizona detailed the principles governing police interrogation. Arizona ruled that detained criminal suspects, prior to police questioning, must be informed of their constitutional right to an attorney and against self-incrimination.

Ingvar Kampradi: Wealthy Man, Frugal Man, Entrepreneur Extraordinair

Introduction Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish born citizen and founder and former CEO of Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd or better known as IKEA. Kamprad created a one of a kind furniture company that has become the largest furniture store in the world. The uniqueness is because they company specializes in everything being able to be broken down and shipped, â€Å"from furniture to the now famous mobile kitchens- could be packed in flat, stackable boxes (Nelson and Quick, 2011-438)†. His way of running the company is based on creativity, hard work and being frugal in his own life as well as the way he runs his company.So frugal that when employees travel they must share hotel rooms, a policy not carried in any major company. The philosophies that he has developed for IKEA are distinctive and have provided a successful way of being very profitable. Kamprad’s leadership characteristics have made him a very wealthy entrepreneur and admirable person but with a dark past. A pas t that he does not deny but states that he has learned from this and according to some has a message to send to other that carries great wisdom. Issues Addressed Kamprad’s company IKEA has been on the rise along with that his personal problems also increased.Alcoholism, his history of Nazi affiliation, and store openings where people died were his biggest problems. Even during his personal problems he never failed to provide creativity for IKEA and to make sure the company was on the right track. He always found a way to lead his company in the direction to be successful despite his personal life. His appreciation for what it takes to be successful and the knowledge that he realizes â€Å"there are no guarantees to economic success tomorrow apart from hard work (Nelson and Quick, 2011-438). Answering the Questions 1. Kamprad is the manager of IKEA, while he is not the CEO he still continues to run the company. He is always trying to create any new ideas, and develop philosop hies to make the company better for their customers and employees. Kamprad is a leader because: he does not sit around pointing fingers and collecting money, but he is out there working to make IKEA a better company every chance he can. Continuing his innovative efforts so the company can be ne of a kind and cater to the people and through all his personal problems and personal achievements the company was always placed at the top of the list; â€Å"he likes to say that IKEA is his fourth child (Nelson and Quick, 2011-438). † 2. Kamprad encouraged a level of followership that has made IKEA a unique company. This followership that he created makes people want to work for IKEA and create new ideas. His philosophies are exceptional and out of the box; his claims of â€Å"we dare to do it a different way (Nelson and Quick, 2011-438)† Kamprad says about IKEA.The way he created IKEA and the way he makes sure the company draws people into being involved. People not only want to shop at his stores, but they want to be a part of the company anyway they can. 3. Kamprad does not want his employees to be sheep or yes men but effective active followers that are independent critical thinkers. Some of Kamprad’s leadership characteristics are â€Å"directive, supportive, participative and achievement oriented (Nelson and Quick, 2011- 413). According to the leadership grid Kamprad is deep in the 9, 1 quadrant which is â€Å"Authority-Compliance management: efficiency in operations results from arranging conditions of work in such a way that human elements interfere to a minimum degree (Nelson and Quick, 2011- 409). † 4. Leadership of Kamprad †¢Transactional – uses effort for reward because how much effort employees put into the company, means how much reward they or the company will receive. †¢Transformational – motivates his people to work for the prosperity of the company and not just for themselves. His vision about IKEA helps bond his followers/ employees to IKEA. He is charismatic – focusing on creating a message with his philosophies and connecting with his followers emotionally. †¢Authentic – role model towards the people due to his developing ingenuity and philosophies. 5. Key leadership lessons that can be observed by Kamprad’s experiences: a. Creativity & uniqueness b. Hard manual work c. Work hard but work smart d. Delegate less and get more involved, do not be afraid to be different, and listen to my people. Conclusions Ingvar Kamprad developed very young starting his business; selling matches and cards from his bicycle and later expanding his business to elling fish, Christmas decorations and pens and pencils. This small town boy from went on to build a company from a cash reward given to him by his father for doing well in academics, Ingvar Kamprad built a company that generated â€Å"more than $33 billion in revenue and nearly $4 billion in net income in 2011 ( http://topics. bloomberg. com/ingvar-kamprad/). † He was known as a very frugal man that had a dark past but he learned from his past explaining that his Nazi affiliations where the greatest mistake of his life. He said this because while he was not proud of being affiliated with this organization he learned a lot from being part of it.He learned to not waist anything, do not take money for granted and keep in common the one thing all rich people have; which is to leave beneath your means. ? References Bloomberg. Bloomber. com, http://topics. bloomberg. com/ingvar-kamprad/ Global Business leaders. http://www. globalbusinessleaders. org/WebPage/LeaderBio. aspx? leaderCd=l005&levelcd=c03r045 Nelson, D. & Campbell-Quick, J. , (2011). Organizational Behavior: Science, the Real World and You. (7th ed. ). Canada: South-Western Cengage Learning. Pace, Joe. The Workplace: Today and Tomorrow. The Professional Development Series, Book One.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 31. Talented

â€Å"What is the werewolves' part in this?† Tanya asked then, eyeing Jacob. Jacob spoke before Edward could answer. â€Å"If the Volturi won't stop to listen about Nessie, I mean Renesmee,† he corrected himself, remembering that Tanya would not understand his stupid nickname, â€Å"we will stop them.† â€Å"Very brave, child, but that would be impossible for more experienced fighters than you are.† â€Å"You don't know what we can do.† Tanya shrugged. â€Å"It is your own life, certainly, to spend as you choose.† Jacob's eyes flickered to Renesmee – still in Carmen's arms with Kate hovering over them – and it was easy to read the longing in them. â€Å"She is special, that little one,† Tanya mused. â€Å"Hard to resist.† â€Å"A very talented family,† Eleazar murmured as he paced. His tempo was increasing; he flashed from the door to Carmen and back again every second. â€Å"A mind reader for a father, a shield for a mother, and then whatever magic this extraordinary child has bewitched us with. I wonder if there is a name for what she does, or if it is the norm for a vampire hybrid. As if such a thing could ever be considered normal! A vampire hybrid, indeed!† â€Å"Excuse me,† Edward said in a stunned voice. He reached out and caught Eleazar's shoulder as he was about to turn again for the door. â€Å"What did you just call my wife?† Eleazar looked at Edward curiously, his manic pacing forgotten for the moment. â€Å"A shield, I think. She's blocking me now, so I can't be sure.† I stared at Eleazar, my brows furrowing in confusion. Shield? What did he mean about my blocking him? I was standing right here beside him, not defensive in any way. â€Å"A shield?† Edward repeated, bewildered. â€Å"Come now, Edward! If I can't get a read on her, I doubt you can, either. Can you hear her thoughts right now?† Eleazar asked. â€Å"No,† Edward murmured. â€Å"But I've never been able to do that. Even when she was human.† â€Å"Never?† Eleazar blinked. â€Å"Interesting. That would indicate a rather powerful latent talent, if it was manifesting so clearly even before the transformation. I can't feel a way through her shield to get a sense of it at all. Yet she must be raw still – she's only a few months old.† The look he gave Edward now was almost exasperated. â€Å"And apparently completely unaware of what she's doing. Totally unconscious. Ironic. Aro sent me all over the world searching for such anomalies, and you simply stumble across it by accident and don't even realize what you have.† Eleazar shook his head in disbelief. I frowned. â€Å"What are you talking about? How can I be a shield? What does that even mean?† All I could picture in my head was a ridiculous medieval suit of armor. Eleazar leaned his head to one side as he examined me. â€Å"I suppose we were overly formal about it in the guard. In truth, categorizing talents is a subjective, haphazard business; every talent is unique, never exactly the same thing twice. But you, Bella, are fairly easy to classify. Talents that are purely defensive, that protect some aspect of the bearer, are always called shields. Have you ever tested your abilities? Blocked anyone besides me and your mate?† It took me few seconds, despite how quickly my new brain worked, to organize my answer. â€Å"It only works with certain things,† I told him. â€Å"My head is sort of†¦ private. But it doesn't stop Jasper from being able to mess with my mood or Alice from seeing my future.† â€Å"Purely a mental defense.† Eleazar nodded to himself. â€Å"Limited, but strong.† â€Å"Aro couldn't hear her,† Edward interjected. â€Å"Though she was human when they met.† Eleazar's eyes widened. â€Å"Jane tried to hurt me, but she couldn't,† I said. â€Å"Edward thinks Demetri can't find me, and that Alec can't bother me, either. Is that good?† Eleazar, still gaping, nodded. â€Å"Quite.† â€Å"A shield!† Edward said, deep satisfaction saturating his tone. â€Å"I never thought of it that way. The only one I've ever met before was Renata, and what she did was so different.† Eleazar had recovered slightly. â€Å"Yes, no talent ever manifests in precisely the same way, because no one ever thinks in exactly the same way.† â€Å"Who's Renata? What does she do?† I asked. Renesmee was interested, too, leaning away from Carmen so that she could see around Kate. â€Å"Renata is Aro's personal bodyguard,† Eleazar told me. â€Å"A very practical kind of shield, and a very strong one.† I vaguely remembered a small crowd of vampires hovering close to Aro in his macabre tower, some male, some female. I couldn't remember the women's faces in the uncomfortable, terrifying memory. One must have been Renata. â€Å"I wonder†¦,† Eleazar mused. â€Å"You see, Renata is a powerful shield against a physical attack. If someone approaches her – or Aro, as she is always close beside him in a hostile situation – they find themselves†¦ diverted. There's a force around her that repels, though it's almost unnoticeable. You simply find yourself going a different direction than you planned, with a confused memory as to why you wanted to go that other way in the first place. She can project her shield several meters out from herself. She also protects Caius and Marcus, too, when they have a need, but Aro is her priority. â€Å"What she does isn't actually physical, though. Like the vast majority of our gifts, it takes place inside the mind. If she tried to keep you back, I wonder who would win?† He shook his head. â€Å"I've never heard of Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted.† â€Å"Momma, you're special,† Renesmee told me without any surprise, like she was commenting on the color of my clothes. I felt disoriented. Didn't I already know my gift? I had my super-self-control that had allowed me to skip right over the horrifying newborn year. Vampires only had one extra ability at most, right? Or had Edward been correct in the beginning? Before Carlisle had suggested that my self-control could be something beyond the natural, Edward had thought my restraint was just a product of good preparation – focus and attitude,he'd declared. Which one had been right? Was there more I could do? A name and a category for what I was? â€Å"Can you project?† Kate asked interestedly. â€Å"Project?† I asked. â€Å"Push it out from yourself,† Kate explained. â€Å"Shield someone besides yourself.† â€Å"I don't know. I've never tried. I didn't know I should do that.† â€Å"Oh, you might not be able to,† Kate said quickly. â€Å"Heavens knows I've been working on it for centuries and the best I can do is run a current over my skin.† I stared at her, mystified. â€Å"Kate's got an offensive skill,† Edward said. â€Å"Sort of like Jane.† I flinched away from Kate automatically, and she laughed. â€Å"I'm not sadistic about it,† she assured me. â€Å"It's just something that comes in handy during a fight.† Kate's words were sinking in, beginning to make connections in my mind. Shield someone besides yourself she'd said. As if there were some way for me to include another person in my strange, quirky silent head. I remembered Edward cringing on the ancient stones of the Volturi castle turret. Though this was a human memory, it was sharper, more painful than most of the others – like it had been branded into the tissues of my brain. What if I could stop that from happening ever again? What if I could protect him? Protect Renesmee? What if there was even the faintest glimmer of a possibility that I could shield them, too? â€Å"You have to teach me what to do!† I insisted, unthinkingly grabbing Kate's arm. â€Å"You have to show me how!† Kate winced at my grip. â€Å"Maybe – if you stop trying to crush my radius.† â€Å"Oops! Sorry!† â€Å"You're shielding, all right,† Kate said. â€Å"That move should have about shocked your arm off. You didn't feel anything just now?† â€Å"That wasn't really necessary, Kate. She didn't mean any harm,† Edward muttered under his breath. Neither of us paid attention to him. â€Å"No, I didn't feel anything. Were you doing your electric current thing?† â€Å"I was. Hmm. I've never met anyone who couldn't feel it, immortal or otherwise.† â€Å"You said you project it? On your skin?† Kate nodded. â€Å"It used to be just in my palms. Kind of like Aro.† â€Å"Or Renesmee,† Edward interjected. â€Å"But after a lot of practice, I can radiate the current all over my body. It's a good defense. Anyone who tries to touch me drops like a human that's been Tasered. It only downs him for a second, but that's long enough.† I was only half-listening to Kate, my thoughts racing around the idea that I might be able to protect my little family if I could just learn fast enough. I wished fervently that I might be good at this projecting thing, too, like I was somehow mysteriously good at all the other aspects of being a vampire. My human life had not prepared me for things that came naturally, and I couldn't make myself trust this aptitude to last. It felt like I had never wanted anything so badly before this; to be able to protect what I loved. Because I was so preoccupied, I didn't notice the silent exchange going on between Edward and Eleazar until it became a spoken conversation. â€Å"Can you think of even one exception, though?† Edward asked. I looked over to make sense of his comment and realized that everyone else was already staring at the two men. They were leaning toward each other intently, Edward's expression tight with suspicion, Eleazar's unhappy and reluctant. â€Å"I don't want to think of them that way,† Eleazar said through his teeth. I was surprised at the sudden change in the atmosphere. â€Å"If you're right – ,† Eleazar began again. Edward cut him off. â€Å"The thought was yours, not mine.† â€Å"If I'm right†¦ I can't even grasp what that would mean. It would change everything about the world we've created. It would change the meaning of my life. What I have been a part of.† â€Å"Your intentions were always the best, Eleazar.† â€Å"Would that even matter? What have I done? How many lives †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tanya put her hand on Eleazar's shoulder in a comforting gesture. â€Å"What did we miss, my friend? I want to know so that I can argue with these thoughts. You've never done anything worth castigating yourself this way.† â€Å"Oh, haven't I?† Eleazar muttered. Then he shrugged out from under her hand and began his pacing again, faster even than before. Tanya watched him for half a second and then focused on Edward. â€Å"Explain.† Edward nodded, his tense eyes following Eleazar as he spoke. â€Å"He was trying to understand why so many of the Volturi would come to punish us. It's not the way they do things. Certainly, we are the biggest mature coven they've dealt with, but in the past other covens have joined to protect themselves, and they never presented much of a challenge despite their numbers. We are more closely bonded, and that's a factor, but not a huge one. â€Å"He was remembering other times that covens have been punished, for one thing or the other, and a pattern occurred to him. It was a pattern that the rest of the guard would never have noticed, since Eleazar was the one passing the pertinent intelligence privately to Aro. A pattern that only repeated every other century or so.† â€Å"What was this pattern?† Carmen asked, watching Eleazar as Edward was. â€Å"Aro does not often personally attend a punishing expedition,† Edward said. â€Å"But in the past, when Aro wanted something in particular, it was never long before evidence turned up proving that this coven or that coven had committed some unpardonable crime. The ancients would decide to go along to watch the guard administer justice. And then, once the coven was all but destroyed, Aro would grant a pardon to one member whose thoughts, he would claim, were particularly repentant. Always, it would turn out that this vampire had the gift Aro had admired. Always, this person was given a place with the guard. The gifted vampire was won over quickly, always so grateful for the honor. There were no exceptions.† â€Å"It must be a heady thing to be chosen,† Kate suggested. â€Å"Ha!† Eleazar snarled, still in motion. â€Å"There is one among the guard,† Edward said, explaining Eleazar's angry reaction. â€Å"Her name is Chelsea. She has influence over the emotional ties between people. She can both loosen and secure these ties. She could make someone feel bonded to the Volturi, to want to belong, to want to please them___† Eleazar came to an abrupt halt. â€Å"We all understood why Chelsea was important. In a fight, if we could separate allegiances between allied covens, we could defeat them that much more easily. If we could distance the innocent members of a coven emotionally from the guilty, justice could be done without unnecessary brutality – the guilty could be punished without interference, and the innocent could be spared. Otherwise, it was impossible to keep the coven from fighting as a whole. So Chelsea would break the ties that bound them together. It seemed a great kindness to me, evidence of Aro's mercy. I did suspect that Chelsea kept our own band more tightly knit, but that, too, was a good thing. It made us more effective. It helped us coexist more easily.† This clarified old memories for me. It had not made sense to me before how the guard obeyed their masters so gladly, with almost lover-like devotion. â€Å"How strong is her gift?† Tanya asked with an edge to her voice. Her gaze quickly touched on each member of her family. Eleazar shrugged. â€Å"I was able to leave with Carmen.† And then he shook his head. â€Å"But anything weaker than the bond between partners is in danger. In a normal coven, at least. Those are weaker bonds than those in our family, though. Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized – lets us form true bonds of love. I doubt she could turn our allegiances, Tanya.† Tanya nodded, seeming reassured, while Eleazar continued with his analysis. â€Å"I could only think that the reason Aro had decided to come himself, to bring so many with him, is because his goal is not punishment but acquisition,† Eleazar said. â€Å"He needs to be there to control the situation. But he needs the entire guard for protection from such a large, gifted coven. On the other hand, that leaves the other ancients unprotected in Volterra. Too risky – someone might try to take advantage. So they all come together. How else could he be sure to preserve the gifts that he wants? He must want them very badly,† Eleazar mused. Edward's voice was low as a breath. â€Å"From what I saw of his thoughts last spring, Aro's never wanted anything more than he wants Alice.† I felt my mouth fall open, remembering the nightmarish pictures I had imagined long ago: Edward and Alice in black cloaks with bloodred eyes, their faces cold and remote as they stood close as shadows, Aro's hands on theirs†¦. Had Alice seen this more recently? Had she seen Chelsea trying to strip away her love for us, to bind her to Aro and Caius and Marcus? â€Å"Is that why Alice left?† I asked, my voice breaking on her name. Edward put his hand against my cheek. â€Å"I think it must be. To keep Aro from gaining the thing he wants most of all. To keep her power out of his hands.† I heard Tanya and Kate murmuring in disturbed voices and remembered that they hadn't known about Alice. â€Å"He wants you, too,† I whispered. Edward shrugged, his face suddenly a little too composed. â€Å"Not nearly as much. I can't really give him anything more than he already has. And of course that's dependent on his finding a way to force me to do his will. He knows me, and he knows how unlikely that is.† He raised one eyebrow sardonically. Eleazar frowned at Edward's nonchalance. â€Å"He also knows your weaknesses,† Eleazar pointed out, and then he looked at me. â€Å"It's nothing we need to discuss now,† Edward said quickly. Eleazar ignored the hint and continued. â€Å"He probably wants your mate, too, regardless. He must have been intrigued by a talent that could defy him in its human incarnation.† Edward was uncomfortable with this topic. I didn't like it, either. If Aro wanted me to do something – anything – all he had to do was threaten Edward and I would comply. And vice versa. Was death the lesser concern? Was it really capture we should fear? Edward changed the subject. â€Å"I think the Volturi were waiting for this – for some pretext. They couldn't know what form their excuse would come in, but the plan was already in place for when it did come. That's why Alice saw their decision before Irina triggered it. The decision was already made, just waiting for the pretense of a justification.† â€Å"If the Volturi are abusing the trust all immortals have placed in them†¦,† Carmen murmured. â€Å"Does it matter?† Eleazar asked. â€Å"Who would believe it? And even if others could be convinced that the Volturi are exploiting their power, how would it make any difference? No one can stand against them.† â€Å"Though some of us are apparently insane enough to try,† Kate muttered. Edward shook his head. â€Å"You're only here to witness, Kate. Whatever Aro's goal, I don't think he's ready to tarnish the Volturi's reputation for it. If we can take away his argument against us, he'll be forced to leave us in peace.† â€Å"Of course,† Tanya murmured. No one looked convinced. For a few long minutes, nobody said anything. Then Iheard the sound of tires turning off the highway pavement onto the Cullens' dirt drive. â€Å"Oh crap, Charlie,† I muttered. â€Å"Maybe the Denalis could hang out upstairs until – â€Å" â€Å"No,† Edward said in a distant voice. His eyes were far away, staring blankly at the door. â€Å"It's not your father.† His gaze focused on me. â€Å"Alice sent Peter and Charlotte, afterall. Time to get ready for the next round.†