Le’ Chatelier’s Principle

Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to develop a deeper understanding of LeChatelier’s Principle by observing several systems at chemical equilibrium and interpreting the effects of varying concentrations and temperature. The principle states that if systems at equilibria are altered or disturbed in any form, the equilibria will shift to reduce the disturbing influence ( Catalyst, 186). In a 3 part experiment, we analyzed the outcome of changes in reactant and product concentrations, equilibrium involving sparingly soluble salts, and the effect of temperature on the equilibrium.In part 1 , we observed the shift in equilibria of two aqueous solutions of Copper and Ammonia then Nickel and Ammonia. In part 2, we focused on cobalt ions in the presence of chloride ions as well as the precipitation of silver nitrate and sodium carbonate. In the last part of the experiment we utilized a solution of Cobalt chloride and compared the color at room temperature and then again in a contain er of boiling water. Physical Data: No physical Data was applicable to the experiment. Chemical Equations: Part i: Changes in Reactant or Product Concentrations A. Copper and Nickel Ions [Cu(H2O)4]2+ (aq) + 4NH3(aq) [Cu(NH3)4]2+(aq) + 4H2O(l) blue dark blue †¢[Ni(H2O)6]2+(aq) + 6NH3(aq) [Ni(NH3)6]2+(aq) + 6H2O(l) green pale violet †¢H+(aq) + NH3(aq) NH4 +(aq) B. Cobalt Ions †¢[Co(H2O)6]2+(aq) + 4CL- (aq) [CoCl4]2-(aq) + 6H2O(l) Part ii: Equilibrium Involving Sparingly Soluble Salts †¢2AgNO3(aq) + Na2CO3(aq) Ag2CO3(s) + 2NaNO3(aq) †¢2Ag+(aq) + CO32-(aq) Ag2CO3(s) Net ionic equation ^ †¢2H+(aq) + CO32-(aq) H2CO3(aq); H2CO3(aq) > CO2(g) + H2O(l) Ag+(aq) + Cl-(aq)AgCl(s) †¢Ag+(aq) + 2NH3(aq) [Ag(NH3)2]+(aq) †¢I-(aq) + Ag+(aq) AgI(s) Safety †¢Safety goggles are required to be worn throughout entire duration of the lab experiment. †¢Wear gloves, as the chemicals may cause serious damage to the skin skin. †¢Be sure to clean mat erials with soap and water before beginning any procedures. †¢When disposing wastes, be sure to do so in the appropriate receptacle. †¢Use precaution when handling all chemicals, careful not to inhale anything. Experimental Procedure and Observations Part i: Changes in Reactant or Product ConcentrationsA. Copper and Nickel Ions Procedure Copper 1. Place 1 mL of 0. 1 M CuSO4 in a clean test tube. 2. Add 15 M NH3 drop wise until a color change occurs. 3. Mix the solution in the test tube as you add the NH3. 4. Add 1 M HCl drop wise while mixing the solution, until the color changes. Nickel 1. Place about 1 mL of 0. 1 M NiCl2 in a clean test tube. 2. Add 15 M NH3 drop wise until a color change occurs. 3. Mix the solution in the test tube as you add the NH3. 4. Add 1 M HCl drop wise while mixing the solution, until the color changes. Observations Copper . The liquid is light blue in color. 2. The solution turned to royal blue. 3. Solution begins to slowly change to a more tran sparent blue. 4. We added 56 drops, the top of the solution remained royal blue as the bottom turned completely clear and colorless. After shaking it, it turned completely light blue. Nickel 1. The liquid is light/clear green in color. 2. The solution turned from green to blue to a lavender complex. 3. The solution turned to a clear lavender color. 4. The solution reverted back to clear green. B. Cobalt Ions Procedure 1. Place 0. mL of 1 M CoCl2 in a test tube. 2. Add 12 M HCl to test tube until a change is noticeable. 3. Slowly add water to the test tube while mixing. Observations 1. Exactly 10 drops are placed in the tube. The liquid is pale pink in color. 2. The solution turned to dark blue. 3. The solution slowly turns to purple, as little particles form on the bottom. A pale pink color began to form at the top and the color consumed the entire solution. Part ii: Equilibrium Involving Sparingly Soluble Salts Procedure 1. Add 10 drops of 0. 01 M AgNO3 to 0. 5 mL of 0. 1 M of Na2C O3. . With caution, add 6 M HNO3 drop wise until a change occurs. 3. Add . 1 M of HCl drop wise until a change is observed. 4. Add 15 M NH3 drop wise until a change occurs. 5. Add 6 M HNO3 drop wise until there is evidence of a chemical change. 6. While mixing the solution, add 15 M NH3 drop wise. 7. Add 0. 1 M KI drop wise until there is evidence of a chemical reaction. Observations 1. The original Na2CO3 solution is clear in color. The addition of AgNO3 turns it cloudy almost immediately. A small amount of precipitate is also visible in the solution. 2.Exactly 4 drops of HNO3 are added and the color of the solution reverts back to clear. 3. 4 drops of HCl are also added and the solution once again turns back cloudy with visible precipitate. 4. 15 drops of NH3 are used and the solution becomes colorless with the precipitate dissolving. 5. The solution remains colorless and a small gas cloud forms over the solution. 6. The solution is still clear and the gas above is still visible. 7. The solution turns white/ creamy in color. There is visible precipitate and the gas above the liquid is no longer visible. Part iii. Effect of Temperature on EquilibriaProcedure 1. Using a 250 ml beaker, heat 75ml of water until it begins to boil. 2. Place 1 mL of 1. 0 M CoCl2 in a test tube and place the test into the boiling water (Careful not to spill). Observations 1. The water heats to a temperature of about 135 °C. 2. The color of the CoCl2 at 20 °C is red. After placing it in the boiling water it changes to a deep pink/magenta color. Data/ Results Part i: A Part i: B Part ii Part iii Calculations: No mathematical calculations were applicable to the experiment. Discussion: Beginning with the first experiment, which consisted of the Copper, Nickel, and Ammonia.In both reactions, the strength of the ammonia is stronger than that of the water, causing each of them to dissociate. Once Hydrochloric acid is added to left of the equation, the ammonia binds to hydrogen forming ammonium and driving the reaction back in the direction that it came from. The equilibrium is therefore established by the Nickel ion and Ammonia and shifted by the hydrochloric acid once the hydrogen reacts with ammonia in a common acid-base reaction. The ammonia-metal bond in each of the reactions causes a precipitate to form because of the hydroxide ions that are left after the donation of the hydrogen.Part B of the experiment consisted of the aqueous Cobalt and chloride ions. The addition of the hydrochloric acid, once again induces an immediate change in color. The equilibrium of the equation is disturbed because of the acid, which lead to the left shift in the equation. Increasing the amount of water allowed H2O to act as a base forming H3O, allowing the reaction to move back to the right. In the second portion of the lab, the combination of silver and sodium carbonate leads to the formation of a precipitate. This is accounted for based on the silver+carbonate complex.Adding h ydrochloric acid forms an unstable carbonic acid which will later dissociate into carbon dioxide and water. This also has the effect of dissolving the silver carbonate and shifting the equation back to the left. Further removal of the silver on the left forces the reaction to move in the direction of the loss. Silver ions react with ammonia that is added and added more acid to this caused ammonium to form. Ammonia is added once more to reestablish the equilibrium. The final add-on of potassium iodide once again disrupts the balance because the silver reacts the iodide causing the reaction to move left.By manipulating the temperature, we were able to deduce information about the final reaction involving cobalt chloride. Starting near room temperature at exactly 20 °C the cobalt chloride started at a light pink color. After placing the solution in a heated water bath of exactly 135 °C, the contents of the test tube turned dark pink. The reaction is therefore endothermic as the coo l CoCl2 absorbed heat from it’s water bath before making a chemical change, therefore the reaction shifts to the right to absorb the heat. Conclusion:Conducting the experiment gave us the opportunity to learn about the effects of varying concentration and temperature in a system, hence the objectives were met because in performing each section of the lab, we were able to apply LeChatelier’s principle. The methods applied greatly aided in our understanding of the material as we had to apply previous knowledge to understand the behavior of the chemicals. Many of the solutions that were added drop wise had to be done that way as to not add too much because too much of a substance could prevent the reversal properties of the reaction.

Concepts of Family Nursing Theory

Nurses hold a unique position among health care professionals in terms of prolonged proximity to patients during a stay in hospital or while a person with a long-term health problem is being cared for at home. In contemporary context it is necessary to address the needs of the families whose lives may be irrevocably changed by the illness of one member. As Friedman (1992:29) put it: â€Å"The psychosocial strains on a family with a member suffering a chronic or life-threatening condition can rival the physical strains on the patient.† However, it is not only in relation to chronic illness and disability that families may stand in need of help. The family developmental life cycle involves natural transitions which may create considerable stress. One example might be a woman trying to deal with an adolescent son who is engaging in risk-taking with drugs and alcohol, to protect her younger son from his brother’s influence, to persuade her busy husband to give more attention to his family while providing some support for her mother who is caring for an increasingly frail husband. There is potential for conflict in all of these relationships as family members attempt to balance their own needs with those of other members of the family, and of the family as a unit. Such family tensions are likely to influence the health and well-being of each family member, and their ability to deal with unanticipated events such as accidents or unemployment. Wherever families are struggling to maintain or restore equilibrium, to find ways of coping effectively with crisis or with long-term stress, nurses may find themselves in a supportive role. Frude (1990) identifies that in the literature on families some authors focus upon individuals and regard other members as being the social context of the person. Other authors look at the family unit as a whole with individual members as parts of the whole. This distinction is pertinent to discussions on family nursing. Currently nurses and their colleagues see it as both legitimate and important to take into account the family context of their patients or clients. Much more discussion and collaboration takes place with relatives than in the past. Nurses in some specialties, for instance community nursing, pediatrics or psychiatric nursing, might argue that because of the nature of their work they have always been concerned with the family of the particular client or patient. From the contemporary perspective, it is useful to be aware of how family composition is changing in order to have a mind to the wider context of society as a whole. It is possible to be under the impression that the family today is in terminal decline if all that one reads in the popular press is to be believed. A closer look behind the headlines reveals that what is understood to be under threat is the traditional two biological parent household with dependent children, the nuclear family. It is increasingly apparent that a growing minority of children will experience life in a family that is headed by a lone parent, usually the mother, before they reach adulthood. A popular misconception is that the majority of these mothers are single women. Their numbers are growing faster than other groups, the figures for which seem to have established at the end of the 1990s, but divorced, separated and widowed mothers still constitute the majority. In addition, the divorce rate in remarried couples remains higher than for the general population. There are many factors involved in this but the additional stresses of a reconstituted family may make them more vulnerable to breakdown, for instance the parent-child bond predating the marital bond can lead to step-parents competing with their children for primacy with their spouse. Dimmock (1992) notes that too often the blended family is cast in the mould or ideal of the nuclear family. Indeed, many of those involved are keen to view it in that light. Remarried families can often be struggling with unresolved emotional issues at the same time as coping with family transitions. Dimmock (1992) also indicates that society offers the choice of two conceptual models, that of the nuclear family or the wicked step-parent (mostly stepmothers) of fairy tales. The family nursing model allows accommodation of a family with less rigid boundaries. A nurse, perhaps in the role of health visitor, with an understanding of family systems and family nursing could provide valuable support and help for these families to work through some of the issues involved. There is another group of families which is becoming more prominent, particularly in the United States. Lesbian and gay parenting is currently a topic of hot interest as our society struggles to decide whether it will move forward on human rights issues or attempt to retrench and move back into a mythical past of â€Å"family values.† Increasingly in the US this is an area of interest and debate, especially as reproductive technologies have advanced so that it is possible for the lesbian woman to contemplate pregnancy without a male partner. Gay men wishing to raise a family are also becoming a focus for media interest and debate in this country. The impact of AIDS and HIV infection has also highlighted issues concerning next of kin with gay men, particularly within the health service and in legal terms. This demonstrates the appropriateness of accepting the notion that, from a nursing perspective, the family is who the individual identifies, although it may not necessarily conform to biological or legal ways of thinking. From the personal viewpoint, the strongest argument for the appropriateness of family nursing in the United States now is the massive shift of care from hospitals and institutions to the community. Patients in hospital are more acutely ill, with resultant stress for families who need support. In the community families are in the first line of caring for individuals with intractable, often severe, health problems. At the same time, the purpose of nursing is to provide care for those with continuous needs in partnership with people and with other organizations. Therefore, I totally agree with the purpose of family nursing described by Hanson (1987:8) which is to promote, maintain, and restore family health. Moreover, family nursing is concerned with the interactions between the family and society and among the family and individual family members. References Dimmock, B. (1992) A child of our own, Health Visitor, 65, 10:368-370 Friedman, M.M. (1992) Family nursing: Theory and practice, 3rd edn, Connecticut: Appleton & Lange. Frude, N. (1990) Understanding family problems: A psychological approach, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Hanson, S.M.H. (1987) Family nursing and chronic illness, in Wright, L., Leahey, M. (1987) Families and chronic illness, Pennsylvania: Springhouse.

Bric Countries India Opportunities And Challenges Economics Essay

Bric Countries India Opportunities And Challenges Economics Essay India has now become the tenth largest economy in the world however it needs to engage more dynamically with the other emerging economies to move up the ladder in realising her dream to become one of the leading economic powers in the world. The world is looking at India due to her impressive economic growth. India being the fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity attracts large FDI in different sectors. All these coupled with economic reforms undertaken in 1991 by Narsinhma Rao government, has made India the second fastest growing economy in the world  . Thus to become economic power India needs to accelerate its economic reforms and take further steps to overcome institutional and infrastructural bottlenecks. 35. There has been increase in the share of industries over the years however the revival of manufacturing sector is the reason for rapid growth in GDP. India has become one of the favourite destinations for IT, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, automobile, consumer goods etc. As per the recent reports   [ 14 ]   published, India has pulled ahead of China to lead the Forbes list of best countries for new jobs. However the potential to engage with other BRIC countries to fuel her economic growth have not yet fully exploited. There is a requirement for India to move beyond cosmetic ties & forge strong cooperation in fields of trade, IT sector, energy, science and technology and defense and space technology sector to enable mutual benefit of all countries in the group and fuel her economic growth. 36. As per the Goldman Sachs report   [ 15 ]   India will be the third largest economy in the world and by 2030, when it will outperform Japanese economy. To realise this dream, India needs to improve its rural infrastructure such as electricity, roads, irrigation and transport to generate employment and should also at the same time invest heavily in social infrastructure. The de-regulation of economy, simplification of procedures and r elaxation of entry barriers for business activities is must for further growth in FDI. The urgent need to improve infrastructure in rural areas for its development so that it not only participates in the growth of the country but also adds to it.   [ 16 ]    Brazil 37. Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and the eighth largest in the world, based on nominal GDP and ninth largest by purchasing power parity. Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with an average growth rate of 5 %. As per Goldman Sachs report Brazil will become one of the five largest economies in the world in the times to come, thus becoming one of the most sought after industrial destination. Brazil is member of various economic organizations. At present its 60 % of exports consist mostly of manufactured or semi manufactured goods. Its main trade partners as per recent reports are Latin America (25.9 %), EU (23.4 %), Asia (18.9 %), the United States (14.0 %), and others (17.8 %). Brazil has a broad base in the sophisticated technological sector that ranges from automobile, petrochemicals, fertilizers, submarines, aircrafts, space research and also a pioneer in many fields, including deep water oil research, ethanol production and blending.   [ 17 ]   Thus it offers great opportunities for India to get into economic and trade ties to exploit potential of Brazil and thus further increasing the mutual trade which has not yet reached the desired level.   [ 18 ]

COmpare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COmpare and Contrast - Essay Example ast four cases that include Lindile Mbotya v Minister of Police, Lamula et al v Minister of Police, Mhando v Attorney General and Another, and Gervas v Said Mohamed Ndeteleni. Lindile Mbotya v Minister of Police is a South African case that was decided in the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division of Port Elizabeth. Lindile Mbotya (Plaintiff) sued the Minister of Police (Defendant) for an alleged unlawful arrest and detention seeking damages in the region of 250,000 South African Rand. The plaintiff sued based on the fact that the arrest and detention was done without probable cause and that it was malicious. A member of the South African Police Services did the arrest in the employ of the defendant. The defendant refuted the allegations stating that the plaintiff was arrested and detained lawfully in accordance with the provisions of Section 40(1) (b) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 based on the arresting officer’s suspicion that the plaintiff had committed an offence. was within the confines of the law in exercising his discretion to arrest the plaintiff. The high court ruled in favor of the plaintiff based on aspects such as unlawful arrest and the circumstances that led to the deprivation of liberty, for instance improper motive, and harsh conduct of the arresting officers. The damages were awarded not to enrich the plaintiff but to offer solatium for the injury caused and also based on the plaintiff’s constitutional rights. Mhando v Attorney General and Another is a similar case to the above case in the sense that Mhando (Plaintiff) sued the Attorney General and Another (Defendant) for wrongful arrest, detention and prosecution by the police and sought damages for that. The case was also held in a High Court, but at Dare salaam in Tanzania. Unlike in the above case, the defendant here filed a written statement of defense and also followed it by a notice of preliminary objection that the suit was time barred. Unlike the first case,

Leadership in The Healthcare Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Leadership in The Healthcare Sector - Essay Example These codes can be viewed as a formulation of personal responsibility. The most identifiable significance being the mode of commitment that an individual possesses. In general, sense the code possesses all aspects of professional situation as both a human and a proficient member of the organization. It is obvious that an organization is formed with human aspects and for an organization to become ethical, it is important the human aspects be indulged into following the code. It is imperative that these codes of ethics would be subjective and open to individual interpretations but it should also be noted that in such incident these codes, phrases, or word of the codes would be judged upon individual approach of humane solution. (Zimmerman, 2002) In this respect of Ethics and Leadership qualities of an organization, it would be relevant to mention the emergence of Professional Care Organization (PCO, a newly established health care organization). Its very existence may be definitely seen as a paradigm shift. The clientele is the public in need of medical treatment. The organization employs a staff of 120 professionals (doctors, paramedics, assistants, nurses, health-care assistants, and maintenance staff). PCO intends to become the leading health-care services provider in its region. It also plans to alter the general conception for high medical care costs by implementing a society benefit program that will allow to significantly reducing the patients' expenditures. The modern American health industry is going through a difficult period, one characterized by new concerns about rising health costs. The major concern that had directed medicine until that time was that Americans required more medical care-more than the marketplace would offer by itself. Now, however, worries about high expenditures are replacing concerns about expanding access. The country's focus turns to the matter of redundant procedures, excessive rates of surgery and hospitalization, and repetition of facilities and equipment. The appearance indicates the growing appeal of scientific and rational approaches to social concerns, including health related questions. PCO symbolizes a way to smooth the playing field and to bring arrangement and order as well as scientific reasoning to the, at times, inefficient health care system. Analytical foundation gives society a structure for posing a range of questions related to priority-establishment. It lets the public evaluate existing al ternatives, explore hypothetical

Learning to walk in the Customer's Shoes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Learning to walk in the Customer's Shoes - Essay Example During the technology boom years of the 1990s, TI became a product- and technology-centric organization taking advantage of the demand of the times. However, when the technology bubble burst with the change in market demands, TI’s technology-centric business had to drastically reengineer itself into a customer-centric one to be able to effectively compete for new business. This necessitated a re-orientation of the entire TI organization, which was effectively accomplished by BTS USA, a global supplier of computer-based simulations for learning. Human resource development is involved in three main areas: individual, occupational, and organizational development. Development of the individual addresses skill and career development. Occupational and group development addresses the integration of cross-functional individuals through a team building program, or for informing and training employees about new products and services. Organizational development involves the introduction of a new culture or ways of operating, such as introduction of a customer care program or quality management which requires the involvement of all individuals or groups in the organization (Wilson, 2005, pp. 15-16). In order to effect the change from technology- to customer-centric, TI had to conduct training on all three areas. The approach it took of first training its executives is the right approach. Senior management must lead the way in organizational change by providing both the leadership and commitment of the necessary resources. Documented b est practices show that senior management must make the organization’s objectives as their personal objectives and must be able to measure their own achievements, they must fully understand the process that the organization has to go through, and they must provide necessary support, empowerment and authority down the line (Cooper & Edgett, 2003). Had TI decided to train its front-line

Application implement into a business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Application implement into a business - Essay Example Wrapped wire method also is said to have a digital use of circuit for using solder less boards. Advantages of wrapped wire are as follows, it is reliable method, it is relatively cheap, can be used to make a permanent circuit, the last but not the least it is fast and easily to change the system for better operation. Although, this method is highly preferred in most of machines which consume relatively high voltage, they are associated with demerits such that connection to the lead square must be made with solder to the head of the IC socket where the pin wire is heading to. Therefore, capacitors, resistors and transistors soldered to the IC to complete the circuit (Kraslawski & Turunen, 2013). Another disadvantage is that, low current is associated with few number of mA, thus reducing working capacity of the machine. Prototyping environments and processes regarding to a computer system Environment is a key factor that should be considered before buying and setting a prototype system. For instance, a computer is one of the electronic gadgets that require sensitive attention to be considered. Therefore, wrap wire method and printed circuit board are used because they are safe, highly reliable and so on. Computers requires a steady flow of current such that, connection of wires from a power supply to the entire system should be very competed to avoid failure of current from reaching the destination. Additionally, printed circuit board helps machines to keep steadiness flow of current to the junior elements such as transistors and capacitors which maintains functioning of a computer. In a computer system there two types of prototypes namely, hardware prototype and software prototype (National Research Council, 2008). Hardware prototypes are mostly concerned with fixing all the physical functional parts of a computer. These parts include motherboard elements, monitor, a nd switches among other physical part of a computer. On the other hand, software prototypes are concerned with installation of programs, such as micro soft office, VLC, internet among many programs, as one can prefer (Russell, M. T. (2008). Defining an accessibility technology for the prototype in a business In order to achieve desirable and accessible prototypes many companies have found it as a

Managing Organisations in a Global Context. Chevron Corporation Essay

Managing Organisations in a Global Context. Chevron Corporation - Essay Example Global scale of its operations, scarcity of skilled workforce, and a highly competitive commodity based business makes Chevron highly vulnerable to the external environment. For Chevron to retain its market leadership in a competitive global knowledge-based economy, it has to depend on efficient knowledge exchange between its operations groups (customer facing) and the technology center staff (responsible for technology and support). Therefore, it is important for Chevron to actively engage in knowledge management activities to increase operational efficiencies and overall cost-advantages. The report analyses the structure, organizational culture and leadership of Chevron to study its internal capabilities. Chevron has a decentralized organizational structure that poses both a threat and advantage to implement necessary changes for knowledge sharing and team collaboration. The principles of â€Å"The Chevron Way† that acts as a learning tool to communicate and reinforce the va lues and goals of Chevron is a key artifact for its team and learning-based organization culture. Chevron leader ­ship has been instrumental in driving key initiatives as best practice sharing, operational efficiency management system and benchmarking wrt industry practices. The key issues that are important to be addressed for Chevron’s long-term future are low-cost competition from state-owned oil companies, global communication challenge regarding environmental concerns and its existing decentralized structure. Introduction The financial crisis of 2008 highlighted once again two key lessons for organizations all over the world: firstly, that organization cannot operate in vacuum and is not invulnerable to what is happening in the external environment and secondly, the world is so interconnected that positive and negative effects in organizations can have ripple effects across the globe in a matter of minutes. External environment comprises of factors such as administrati ve and legal (international, non-governmental policies and regulations, legislatures and legal frameworks), technology (innovations, research and development), politics (government support and political systems in the geographical region), economics (inflation, labour laws, opportunity costs, currency restrictions etc.), society and culture at local, national and regional levels and stakeholders (Harrison, 1970). There are evident examples of organizations that have been deeply impacted due to pressures of the external environment such as Kodak at the advent of disruptive innovation in digital imaging (Forbes, 2008), Lehman Brothers bankruptcy due to 2008 global financial crisis (Investopedia, 2009) etc. Globalization has transformed contemporary business environment into a knowledge-based economy that makes organizations even more vulnerable to changes. Oil and Gas companies are no exceptions to this turbulent environment. The relevance of geopolitical tensions, environmental consi derations, oil economics and market dynamics make them complex entities to operate. They deal with a number of complex tasks, which reason the necessity of knowledge management system in the oil and gas organizations. Globalization, innovative technologies, outsourcing and offshoring, new joint ventures, government regulations and scarcity of experienced personnel have amplified the need to share and mobilize knowledge, expertise and best practices across multi-national organizations to retain their competitive advantage (Leavitt, 2002). This report addresses the above factors in case of CHEVRON Corporation, and

Does mandating nurse-patient ratios improve care Coursework

Does mandating nurse-patient ratios improve care - Coursework Example ult, experts in healthcare have argued that in order to better safety of patients and quality of care there needs to be a higher number of nurses so as to lower the nurse-to-patient ratio (NPR), which will ensure nurses have more time with patients, which will ensure quality care and assessment-which are contributing factors to enhancing quality and safety of care. The findings and debates around the ratio have already led to the development of legislation in some states and the publication of various researches, articles and papers on the same issue. This paper reviews various articles on this issue as covered in five academic databases accessed online using the following search words: â€Å"does mandating nurse-patient ratios improve care.† Title of Source, URL and author: The first work titled â€Å"The effect of nurse staffing on selected outcomes of care† is a 2008 publication found on the ProQuest online database. This piece of work can be viewed online at this Uniform Resource Locator (URL): https://online.cdu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_19_1. The work is authored by Moh’d, Ali Saleh from The University of Wisconsin. The â€Å"ProQuest Dissertations and Theses† (PQDT) Database is under the ProQuest group of databases which hosts a wide array of European and American dissertations. The collection includes theses that date back to 1962, and dissertations that date back to 1861 to the current time. The database provides access to both old and most recent resources and is particularly resourceful for researchers because it offers access to information from various disciplines. The main objective of this database is to offer access to theses and dissertations from various disciplines to researchers and students in various fields. The source sampled from this database highlights issues that relate to the nurse-to-patient ratio. The major objective of the work was to cover a study that examined the influence of nurse staffing on job

Value and Risk Management - MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Assignment

Value and Risk Management - MSc Civil Engineering and Construction Management - Assignment Example Our aim at present is to provide a brief background of our consultancy firm. We have been in this business for years, delivering professional service and expertise to companies and organisations in improving their strategic plans and in the conduct of value management and value engineering studies as we have vast knowledge of concepts and methodologies on this area. SBE Innovations Ltd., a partnership of private and public sectors, is a valued client. This paper is an initial report on the study that our VM/VE team conducted on the proposed recreation and commercial centre. The first part is a study on value management with a focus on the site inspection, the objectives for the conduct of VM/VE, the workshop, discussions and brainstorming, and other tools our team has conducted. Functional analysis provided the needs of SBE Innovations through recommendations to minimize unnecessary costs and maximize the potential benefits of the different functions of the project. The second part deals on value engineering involving imaginative and creative efforts, and methods and means to provide substitute materials, tools and processes which can give a valuing ‘map’ for the project. Value management is the first activity that we will apply at the early stage of the project. This is a step-by-step analysis, employing scientific methods, discussions, brainstorming, and all possible logical means to arrive at a low-cost with high value for the client’s project. This study will be a collaboration of the different stakeholders including department heads and key employees of SBE Innovations and our very own team. They will carry out a workshop to undertake value management and value engineering. The team will conduct functional analysis and provide suggestions, including inputs from the different stakeholders and the people in the field in order to provide the greatest

Comparison Between Two Paintings Essay Example for Free

Comparison Between Two Paintings Essay During the 14th century, when the beginning of the Renaissance took place, Florence was one of the main political, economic, and artistic cities in Europe. The Black Death, the plague that reduced the population of Florence, and the difficulties Florence encountered by this time explain the heavy influence of gothic style in architecture and the elegance found in every artwork created in this era. Florence was one of the top European cities when it came to painting, because it had the greatest school of painting where many important artists assisted. Florence, throughout the years, has always been an important influence in history and art. Even though many artists have a vast aspiration for art, each artist possesses his own criteria and methods that they acquired during the time in which they lived. Artists in Italy from the 1400s throughout 1900s shared many common techniques and skills that were characterized by their era. This period brings a new perspective of life to the European countries in the early fourteenth-century. By this time, people in Italy thought that a new and contemporary era had begun with a new style in painting and architecture and a new evolution in music, science, philosophy, and literature as well. Lorenzo di Credi, is an Italian painter who belonged to the Renaissance period of the 1400s. Lorenzo di Credi, who lived in Florence, was learning about this new era that had a huge impact in everyone’s life. This new era had an advanced development in society and a rise of civic culture. A new sense of realism in art, new discoveries in the material world, and new more joyous vision of the world around them were taking place during the era. The Renaissance influenced the social, economic, spiritual, scientific, and religious aspect of Italy. Lorenzo, who started to have a special interest in art when he was in Florence by the 1450s, was already starting to produce his own paintings. When Lorenzo started his vocation as an artist, he always had a special interest in portraits. â€Å"He is known primarily for his devotional paintings, although he was also much in demand as a portrait painter and was a sensitive draughtsman. † Lorenzo also started painting in oil, which was a new technique that arose in the Renaissance period. This new technique was usually painted in wood or canvas. Oil has a deep, intense tone and has hard, enamel-like surfaces. With oil, painters could also demonstrate the glowing and the light and, if needed, they could arrange any possible mistake or part they wanted to change because oil dries very slowly. This technique is not easy to adapt and adjust, but this did not keep Lorenzo from painting with it. â€Å"It is not known how oil painting was first developed, but in Western Europe there are indications of its use from at least the 12th century AD, and it was widely used from the Renaissance. Oil was also very popular because with it, artists could produce the finest clarity of colour. Artists manipulate the oil using stiff brushes made out of hog hair. Lorenzo was recognized for possessing patience when working in his paintings, he did not only use oil, he also adapted other methods of painting that required a lot of skill. A perfect example of a famous artwork of Lorenzo di Credi is Portrait of a Young Women. In the Renaissance, women were not lucky to live in Florence if they wanted to be involved in society. Woman by this era were just a subject of men. The Portrait of a Young Women exhibits a widow woman. When looking at the painting, one can find a variety of characteristics that lead the viewers to think her husband has died. In the Renaissance era women in Italy dressed very elegantly, wearing long gowns with baggy and loose fitting dresses. Woman used to wear very complex fabrics that covered their entire body. Wool was usually the dominant fabric woman in Italy used to wear in different types of quality and colors. This young woman in the painting is wearing a long, simple black dress with long sleeves and a black veil on the head. The dress may not seem extravagant because she is dressed as a widow. The dress does not contain any important detail, but stills looks elegant. Besides her clothing, her appearance does not demonstrate a positive one. The look on her face and the body language the painting resembles has a negative connotation. It is said that this woman was Lorenzo di Credi’s sister-in-law. She is also holding a ring in her left hand, which one can assume is her wedding ring. The way she holds and places her hands leads the viewer to think she is thinking about him, she is recalling him. The look on her face, her eyes, nose, and mouth are all-static, they don’t have any positive expression. When looking at the eyes, one cannot tell where she is looking at. One may think Lorenzo was imitating Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa. It is said that Lorenzo admired and followed Leonardo’s paintings. When looking at Lorenzo’s paining, one can relate with her because of the rigorousness body. Her hands and her face are painted with in an accurate manner. Lorenzo’s skills are perfectly demonstrated in this painting, one can see the shadows all over he painting and the different tones of colors he uses in his work. The young woman’s body is so realistic that one can even see the perfect nails and the wrinkles in her hands. Behind the widow woman is a beautiful garden and an enjoyable view. The background contains many details in the tress, especially in the leaves. The background incorporates the mountains and the sky with a variety of tones of blues and greens. The tree behind the woman is painted in a circular way looking like a halo, which can resemble an image of the Virgin Mary. Her face looks calm and docile, which can also be associated with the Virgin Mary. After analyzing Portrait of a Young Woman from the 15th century, one is going to encounter a whole new perspective of life with new techniques and characteristics in a painter from the 20th century even though both artists are Italian. This Italian artist, Umberto Boccioni, was not only a painter; he was also involved with sculptures, theories, and literature. Even though his career came to an end very fast when he died at a young age, he still influenced many artist around the world and had a very productive career. Boccioni was from the Italian city of Verona, but he spent the majority of his childhood in Forli, Genoa, and Padua. It is not until he moves to Rome that he found his passion for art. Boccioni, inspired by Balla, relates himself a lot with landscapes and nature. â€Å"In his first years of activity, closely following his master’s teaching, Boccioni produced oil paintings, sketches, pastels, studies in tempera, and advertising posters. † After several years he went to Paris where he got inspired by the modernity and the French metropolis, which impacted his life and his work in many ways. Boccioni was leaving in a new era were the Futurism, art movement, was taking place. The Futurism movement had a great influence in his artwork; it later became a distinguished characteristic in all of his paintings and his career as an artist. He established this movement, so by demonstrating his painting with this new movement, he also inspired other artists to follow the Futurism. Self-Portrait was painted in Rome in the 1905 when Boccioni was twenty-three years old. In Boccioni’s famous painting, one can see Umberto Boccioni well dressed in black also with a black, flat hat on his head. The painting does not show the body’s parts with clarity and the painting only covers less than half of his body. The way Boccioni paints himself is in a more modern manner using vivid colors in the background and in his face. This portrait is also painted with oil, but this time on a canvas instead of wool. Oil on canvas was the other method artist used in the 1400s, but still was popular in the 20th century. One can see that oil became an important gadget for artists in their paintings and is still currently in use by many artists at the present time. Boccioni’s painting, Self-Portrait, reflects a change in style from light tonalities in colors to stronger contrasts of light and dark. With the way Boccioni applies the oil in this painting, one can see that the body itself is not well defined because of the longer brushstrokes. His face has a deep, serious look with his eyebrows twisted even though his black, little eyes are almost close. At the background, one can see a wall with different tone of yellow, baby blue, and the leaves of a tree. One can see that Boccioni avoided the straight line and has used complementary colors to create a vibrant effect and express a positive connotation in his portrait. Now, one can see that even though both artists are Italian, they still have very different styles; they both have different perspectives of life because of different periods the lived in. Although they both have very different techniques, one can still find some characteristics that relate them and connect their paintings. Di Credi shows a more complex, divine, almost perfect human being while Boccioni portraits himself in a more modern manner. Both paintings are portraits; yet, one can find a lot of distinction between the two of them. While the young woman shows a negative connotation, Boccioni’s self portrait shows a lively man with vivid colors that gets the viewer’s attention immediately. Both artists found a way of establishing a human body in different styles using different methods with the brushes. Another difference in the way these two artists painted is that with di Credi’s painting one can see when he exactly ends in the edges. One can see that the young woman seems real, while Boccioni’s portrait has more shadows. In Boccioni’s painting is more noticeable the use of brushes than in di Credi’s young woman. Usually, each artist demonstrates his feelings in their paintings; or shows a current event happening in the artist’s era. Or they just produce something that has impact their life or them in any certain way. Zeitgeist , â€Å"spirit of the times† can be related with theses two artists and their paintings because both are presenting their passion for art in the epoch in which they are living. All artworks are a reflection of the time. By analyzing and comparing these two paintings, one can find many interesting aspects of art. Art is more than a painting; art is a history behind an artwork that each artist is trying to evoke in every viewer. Art is using one’s creativeness to transmit one’s thoughts. One can appreciate more the Art when learning the â€Å"spirit of the time†; one can comprehend the artist’s emotions by analyzing every single detail in the artwork and the historical background of it. It is beyond belief how many details one can find when observing in detail each painting; one can find intriguing how every artist was impacted and influenced by the political, economical and historical aspect of their own country. The techniques, skills, and styles di Credi and Boccioni possessed are still influencing other artist nowadays. Their artworks will always be recognizable and distinguishable to people because art will never be forgotten. As centuries go by, one will still see these two artists dominating, impacting, and influencing new artists and viewers.

Lord of the Flies - Leadership Essay Example for Free

Lord of the Flies Leadership Essay The ideas of Leadership and human nature can best be related to an up and coming Hollywood star. They start out all innocent but the fame, fortune, and power catch up with them. It changes them, having people look up to you and knowing that they will follow everything they do allows you to understand the power that you have. They can end up going out of control and it will change them for the worst. The ability to have this kind of power, for Jack, turns him into being obsessive with being the leader of the tribe. When he does not win it makes him really jealous of Ralph. He makes everyone turn on Ralph to become the unofficial leader. The power drives him crazy and starts to beat on kids on the island for no apparent reason, it even escalades to killing them. It is human nature to have the desire for power, to lead other people, and control them, even though we don’t try to the greed can overpower us to do the wrong choices. The human nature of wanting power can come for several different reasons such as competition to be the leader of the tribe, having too much desire to be a leader, and when you are neglected by the others. A major reason there was greed to have power, in Lord of the Flies, is because there was competition in who would be it. Jack thought he was a shoe-in to be leader since he had the choir to back him up. Instead, Ralph was chosen over Jack. Jack was extremely angry that he lost and believed he deserved to be the leader. It was even embarassing to him because Ralph, who beat him out for being the leader, wasn’t even interested in winning. Jack became obsessed in having power over the tribe that he was ready to go great lengths to get what he wanted. He made some boys on the island feel like outsiders in order to get the tribe on his side. This is an example why competition is a main reason why there was a greed to have power. A large factor in Lord of the Flies, especially in Jack, is to have too much desire to be leader. When Jack used to live back in England he went to boarding school. In those days boarding schools were not the greatest places. He had boundaries on where he could go, what he could do and who he could talk too. Virtually, everyday of his life is scheduled. Once getting n this island he was free, he was free to do whatever he wanted. Because he was being confined to such a boring and routine life he wanted more than freedom. He wanted to control the freedom of others, he wanted to be leader. In his mind he was trying to prove he was responsible and could handle it, but what he did was plain cruelty and evil. You get a big impression that Jack never wants to leave this island. This is showing you that Jack you that Jack is one of the first to lose contact with civilization, its human nature to want power but he is going mad. A major key for Ralph to have power is because he was starting to get neglected by the others. At first Ralph wasn’t to fond in being chosen to be leader but knew he had some ideas on how they could get off the island. At first everyone listened to him and they were all excited to work. Then they wanted to hunt Ralph was okay with this because they could use some meat. This was a huge mistake, all they wanted to do was hunt. Ralph held assemblies to get them under control because no one was building shelters or working on the fire, they had lost all discipline The hunters were not happy what Ralph was telling him. The hunters were starting to favor the leader of the hunters Jack, because what he was telling seemed to be much more appealing to them. Jack then saw his chance to become the leader they were all frusterated at Ralph so the hunters all got together and moved out to a secluded part of the island. Those who were left behind, including Jack, were left with next to nothing. Ralph finally realized he was the lows of the lows, he was at Piggy’s level. This made him want some recognition to get back the status he once had so he joined Ralph. Once again its human nature that if you can’t beat them you join them. Ralph joined the group knowing it was wrong and through joining even lost contact with civilization. He want the power he once had as lesder but becomes a savage through it. Leadership, human nature and the effects it has is shown throughout the novel Lord Of The Flies. How much control we have over our human can make a big difference on our personality and how we react to different confrontations. The chance of having power will come at different times in our life we must choose the time we take them.

Practical Experience And These Approaches Business Essay

Practical Experience And These Approaches Business Essay Difference between analytical/Planned and emergent approaches. We explore the differences among the concepts of Analytical and emergent strategy. Critics challenged the traditional analytical-approach impossibility of forecasting, introduces emergent approach. Strategic planning no more remains a ritual where future is assumed to remain more-or-less similar (Grant, 2003). Analytical/planned approach Planned strategy requires clearly articulated vision and associated plans, presence of formal controls to impose them, in a stable totally predictable/controllable environment (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985). We can argue the three characteristics of a planned approach as a) precise mission of the firm, articulated to its staff in an unambiguous manner, e.g. become the market-leader in the cloud-computing domain in next 5years, b) existence of a shared organisational intention among the staff at all level, e.g. meet the CMMi ML-5 or Six-sigma quality standards in all deliverables, c) these collective-intentions must be realized irrespective of any environmental [external] forces, e.g. Tata-group places quality above all other aspects, often at the expense of profit. In planned strategy, leadership, devices a plan, articulates it precisely and strives for its implementation in a surprise-free environment; external-factors are not considered for any distortion of this plan. It is non-res ponsive to external-factors e.g. newer technology, change in customer-choice, government policy change etc. Though this could be applicable to Army, but surely not in modern business-environment. Does an organisation could have a totally predictable/controllable business-environment? No, referring to Shell oil-spill in Bonga oilfield, BP Deepwater-horizon oilspill in Gulf of Mexico, the financial turmoil in US during 2010 affecting business [both financial and IT domain]. Referring to the recent incidents of Boeing-Dreamliner [787-series aircrafts] which has been grounded worldwide, short after its much hyped-release, due to major technical problems. Concluding, firms normally have almost none or little control over the environment where it operates and hence purely analytical approach is not advisable. Emergent approach Vision could provide a holistic view of firms direction, with room for adaptation, i.e. the ultimate vision could emerge during the journey itself Mintzberg and Waters (ibid). In an emergent approach feedback is welcome on past actions, opportunities and threat and thus firms vision can be re-developed considering all these factors en-route. Flexibility to external factors and adaptation to turn the threats into opportunities are pivotal in emergent approach. We can consider this as an bottom-up approach, a necessary component of the strategic planning process, as it ensures that information from all parts of the organization is included in the decision-making process (Plant, 2006). We can refer to matrix project based organisation structure (Brooks, 2009) in this context where information flows freely and decision is taken considering all inputs. Transformational leadership can nurture such an environment from where strategies could emerge, e.g. leadership [captaincy] in a football or cricket match- with the common vision [win the match] leader need to formulate strategy based on the ground-situation which is totally unpredictable and uncontrollable [e.g. an injury of a key-player, rain, wind]. Differences Identified Formal plans, precise intention, centralised leadership in a controllable and predictable environment where as emergent is adaptable to new threats/opportunities, shared beliefs, collected vision and respondent to external inputs. We can refer to Gumps success in life in the movie Forrest Gump as emergent style. For a deliberate approach become successful the business environment, must be perfectly predictable and/or under the full control of the firm Mintzberg and Waters (ibid). Analytical/planned assumes a controllable/predictive environment which is almost impossible to have in recent high-tech, turbulent, boundary-less business environment. In an emergent approach the actions need to be consistent over time Mintzberg and Waters (ibid). But these are two extremities; pragmatic approach should be in between these. The presence of feedback (Roger, 1996) and the continuous strategy-formulation via learning is two key aspects in my view of emergent approach over deliberate one. Often emergent approach is perceived by many that management is out of control; instead it establishes a feedback loop, a matrix structure which is open, flexible and a responsive learning organisation. This maturity to react to external factors makes emergent approach the advantage. But too much emergent can bring trouble on the other hand. Practical experience and these approaches I was working with a MNC-Bank in Benelux region, local government has mandated them to implement stringent security-measures to enhance its risk-exposure after the credit-crisis in 2010. Our vision was at very high-level and the threats/opportunities were unknown, as we progress down the program we take input from our environments [e.g. government regulatory bodies, Banks staff, industry best-practices] and formulate the path to implement the vision during the journey. Had we chose an analytical approach it would have failed as we did not have any hint on the external factors [what measures we need to implement, what are the external security threats, what are the significant Bank assets that needed security etc] and unpredictability of ground situation. We were challenged by both external factor [like government regulation, cyber attack] and internal factors [legacy of the departments, preparedness of the Bank staff, apprehension over possible lay-off etc] . planned approach percei ved by the staff as imposed as there is less chance for feedback and re-formulate the strategy but only strong adherence to that planned tasks, in our environment [the MNC Bank, our customer] that wont work, we needed to motivate the staff and persuade them assuring that these measures wont affect them in any way. Once this sensemaking was done, their feedback was taken, workshops arranged to brainstorm on the challenges and we collectively turned those threats into opportunity and our programme was endeared by staff and once we had a motivated workforce rest was easier. It was also for us a learning experience as the concept of emergent approach opens the possibility of strategy formation by learning process, Mintzberg and Waters (ibid). Such a learning behavior is especially important when an environment is too unstable/complex to comprehend, or too hard to predict- as was the case with the Bank, stakeholders were four vendors, mandating government-organisation, six internal-depa rtments spread across two countries and competing with each other. Emerging approach, we took helped us to enhance our understanding of the situation over-time and to respond to an evolving reality, Mintzberg and Waters (ibid). . Analysis of Benefits Pragmatic strategy-development need to combine both deliberate, and emergent approaches, Mintzberg and Waters (ibid) at first leadership need to establish a vision to direct its staff and a path to realize the same, at the same time it is highly important that strategy responds to the external factors during the journey. We can conclude that the emphasis may change from time-to-time based on situation demand but both are needed to succeed. It depends on the situation and business-domain too. An umbrella-approach, devised based on the ground-situation, which is partially deliberate and partly emergent, is the ideal to follow. Analytical/planned approach In a manufacturing unit [e.g. steel, car, aircraft] or in Banking/Insurance domain the planned/analytical approach would be successful as they operate in Bureaucratic structure (Brooks, 2009) where Standard Operating Procedures are followed religiously with little scope of innovation. So are the government firms, hospitals [to some extent] and sports organisation. Once planned people unquestionable follow the instructions and stringent control implemented to realize the pre-defined path. Monopoly business [former Nokia, Blackberry over mobile market, IBM and its mainframe, Microsoft and its windows] could be a good place for successful deliberate approach implementation because the firms have to some extent control over their environment [market] and they are not challenged aggressively by external factors [e.g. Nokia until HTC, Samsung flooded the mobile market]. In Army/Police departments could follow deliberate [planned] strategy but during the actual war-field they need to util ize the feedback loop and change tactics based on ground-situation. Emergent approach Emergent approach, which is being developed over time in collaboration with and accommodating the changing reality, it is a front-line approach, tends to solve actual issues In the modern volatile, fast-moving, boundary-less market, firms need to be more agile to obtain the competitive-edge over competitors, this makes emergent approach more pragmatic and beneficial in a slow-growth market too. We can view emergent strategy as a set of actions, or behavior, consistent over time Mintzberg and Waters (ibid). in the traditional deliberate approach idea was generated by individual [or a few leaders at the top-most rank] whereas in emergent it emerges en-route, collective ideas surely would be better than a single-one. Front-line staff and middle-managers who can spot a threat early [being close to production-line/customer] and swiftly react on that [to turn it to an opportunity] this enables the firm to withstand the threat- this is paramount in emergent approach (Moore, 2011).

families Essay -- essays research papers

The importance of families has been espoused by all since the inception of modern times. Considered by most to be the backbone of America, it is how we socially and culturally indoctrinate our offspring so they are able to become a functional member of society. A lack of a full family is often cited as the reason that children end up as criminals or delinquents. The notion of family being the birthplace of problems is not even something most people could find feasible, which is what makes Barbara Ehrenreicht’s essay â€Å"Are Families Dangerous?† seem a bit out in left field to most readers. But upon closer inspection and reflection into ones own family life, and the lives of those around them, Ehrenreicht’s essay begins to make a lot more sense. It is because of my understanding of values within our culture and my own personal experience with my family that I believe Ehrenreicht’s essay on family is completely true in the ideas that it expresses. Most of us choose only to recall fond memories of our youth when we speak about how great family life is, though the reality of things is that few of us have a perfect youth with our family and it is often peppered with emotional and physical harm. Ehrenreicht hits the nail on the head when she talks about the plight of the wife, many of their problems come not from outside of the house, but within. Turn to any daytime TV show to see the crying and emotional pain that family members cause, whether it be from physical or emotional abuse....

Essay --

Hayanny Silva Coach Hansen Brit Lit December 13, 2013 Shakespeare Hamlet Insanity VS Sanity The Tragedy of Hamlet In the Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet an intellectual prince switches from sanity and insanity throughout the entire play. You can see that during the play when madness seems right, he puts on an "antic disposition (I.V.173). Nevertheless when Sanity proves to be the answer Hamlet returns to being logical. Hamlet claims he is "mad north-north-west" (II.ii.376), meaning he is mad sometimes and sane other times. Therefore, to reach his goals, Hamlet switches between sanity and insanity. In the poem, Hamlet switches to insanity to achieve some of his goals. Hamlet uses his insanity to conquer his obstacles. Hamlet is only insane towards his enemies and his enemy’s allies. For example, Hamlet attacks Gertrude verbally and physically, because she is an obstacle to Hamlet. Also, Hamlet kills Polonius and assures that Polonius is "dead, for a ducat, dead" (III.iv.25).When hamlet kills Polonius he feels nothing, no sympathy, no sorrow, and no fear. His insanity overcame him to the point that he would kill someone with not a hence of pity nor feelings. Hamlet gradually harms Gertrude with his words of insanity, while killing Polonius with his insanity. All of these two people, Gertrude, and Polonius, are Claudius' allies, and by harming Claudius' allies, Hamlet is harming Claudius, which is Hamlet’s goal. Death of his [Hamlet] father caused a fault in Hamlet's logic, and that fault forced the madness on him. Hamlet believes that Gertrude his mother has had an affair with his Uncle and actually aided in the slaughter of his beloved father. On top of that, Hamle... ... ideas that Hamlet is mad and that Hamlet is not mad. Readers and critics can agree that Hamlet is not a "man of action," but is instead a "man of reflection"-reflection that is concentrated on both himself and the world (Schucking 31).I believe it is Shakespeare's anger towards corruption and religion that makes Hamlet to fall into madness. â€Å"Finding a character in real life of a person endowed with so delicate as to border on weakness with sensibility too exquisite to allow of determined action â€Å"(Sylvia 13).While it’s difficult to point out the exact cause in Hamlet's life that lead to his insanity, one thing is for certain; he went mad, and the madness did to him what it does to everything that holds madness; it destroys whatever it touches. Insanity in The tragedy of Prince Hamlet over powered sanity which concludes that the entire play revolves around insanity

The Chocolate War - Transformation of Jerry :: Chocolate War Essays

Why would a person decide to betray the beliefs they had fought so hard for? In Robert Cormiers novel The Chocolate War, the character of Jerry Renault changes drastically from a rebel to a follower in the end. The school gang known as the vigils and his moral beliefs motivates Jerry’s actions. He feels he must take a stand against evil. Jerry can be considered a hero because of his beliefs. In the end however he gives in to the things he fought against and becomes a follower. There are many factors that cause Jerry to act the way he does. The main reason is he forced by the vigils to refuse the chocolates. "When he returned to the school after practice, he found a letter scotch-taped to the door of his locker. A summons from the vigils. Subject: Assignment."(Cormier 62) He is now forced to refuse the school chocolate sale. He now has to face Brother Leon and tell him no which soon gives him insight in to the teachers’ feelings. "His eyes gave him away. His face was always under control but his eyes showed his vulnerability."(Cormier 92) Jerry realizes that Brother Leon is struggling with the candy sale and that he is trying to hide his anger for Jerry’s’ refusal. Jerry knows Brother Leon’s hate for him and his fear of failure with the chocolate sale. "He had met Brother Leon in the corridor late one afternoon after football practice and had seen hate flashing in the teachers eyes. More than hate: something sick." (Cormier 92) J erry knows that Leon hates him for refusing the chocolates but he doesn’t want to give into Leon and take the chocolates. This is what motivates Jerry to become a rebel Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as any man admired for his courage, qualities or exploits, especially in war. Some people attribute the term hero mostly to war. My personal definition of a hero is someone who takes a stand against evil or an unjust cause. The term hero can be applied to anyone, it isn’t necessary to save the world from explosion to be a hero. The act of standing up for a friend can also be called a heroic act. The character of Jerry Renault can easily be classified as a hero in my opinion. Jerry stands up for what he believes is right and says no to Brother Leon. The Chocolate War - Transformation of Jerry :: Chocolate War Essays Why would a person decide to betray the beliefs they had fought so hard for? In Robert Cormiers novel The Chocolate War, the character of Jerry Renault changes drastically from a rebel to a follower in the end. The school gang known as the vigils and his moral beliefs motivates Jerry’s actions. He feels he must take a stand against evil. Jerry can be considered a hero because of his beliefs. In the end however he gives in to the things he fought against and becomes a follower. There are many factors that cause Jerry to act the way he does. The main reason is he forced by the vigils to refuse the chocolates. "When he returned to the school after practice, he found a letter scotch-taped to the door of his locker. A summons from the vigils. Subject: Assignment."(Cormier 62) He is now forced to refuse the school chocolate sale. He now has to face Brother Leon and tell him no which soon gives him insight in to the teachers’ feelings. "His eyes gave him away. His face was always under control but his eyes showed his vulnerability."(Cormier 92) Jerry realizes that Brother Leon is struggling with the candy sale and that he is trying to hide his anger for Jerry’s’ refusal. Jerry knows Brother Leon’s hate for him and his fear of failure with the chocolate sale. "He had met Brother Leon in the corridor late one afternoon after football practice and had seen hate flashing in the teachers eyes. More than hate: something sick." (Cormier 92) J erry knows that Leon hates him for refusing the chocolates but he doesn’t want to give into Leon and take the chocolates. This is what motivates Jerry to become a rebel Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as any man admired for his courage, qualities or exploits, especially in war. Some people attribute the term hero mostly to war. My personal definition of a hero is someone who takes a stand against evil or an unjust cause. The term hero can be applied to anyone, it isn’t necessary to save the world from explosion to be a hero. The act of standing up for a friend can also be called a heroic act. The character of Jerry Renault can easily be classified as a hero in my opinion. Jerry stands up for what he believes is right and says no to Brother Leon.

African Poetry Essay

RICAN poetryTruthful and fruitful human experience forms the basis for written expression in any branch of literature. Conveyed through a language of international exchange, it can reach a wider audience for whom it becomes a useful reference in times of need. The English language attained international prominence due to several reasons; one of the most important being colonization. As in other countries of the Commonwealth, English was imposed on Anglophone Africa as a means of easy communication and administrative convenience. It is a historical irony that the same language serves the African writer in voicing his thoughts and feelings to the world at large. While discussing the future of English, Simeon Porter observes, It will adopt to meet new needs and in that incessant reshaping and adaptation, every speaker and writer consciously or unconsciously will play some part. (181) Today, the prediction of Porter came true of African writing in English. It brought strength and appeal to the English language by adding a large range of new vocabulary and usage. Writing on the problems faced by the African English writers, Chinua Achebe the famous Nigerian writer says, The African writer should aim to use English that brings out his message without altering the language to the extent that its value as a medium of international exchange will be lost. He should aim at fashioning out an English, which is at once unusual and able to carry his peculiar experience. (61) It is applaudable that the writers of Africa succeeded in accomplishing the above task set by Achebe, which is by any means not an easy one. Their successful integration of native experience and expression in an alien tongue received worldwide acclaim. Their success proved, as critics like Srinivasa Iyengar pointed out, A shot in the arm of modern English Literature has had to come from West Africans like Amos Tutuola, Wole Soyinka and Gabriel Okara. (16) The role of poetry, in African literature, has been highly effective in providing the people with the needful inspiration and the necessary insight. The language of poetry, for the African people, is a source of learning and becoming aware of their destiny that necessitates the knowledge of their past, present and the possible future. These and several other ideas fuelled African poetry in English. For the African poets, poetry became a powerful medium through which they conveyed to the world audience, not only their â€Å"despairs and hopes, the enthusiasm and empathy, the thrill of joy and the stab of pain†¦ † but also  a nation’s history as it moved from † freedom to slavery, from slavery to revolution, from revolution to independence and from independence to tasks of reconstruction which further involve situations of failure and disillusion†. (Iyengar, 15) When we read African Literature, we should, by obligation remember that, colonization was at its harshest in Africa. As history stands proof, it was highly exploited and savaged by the ambitious ‘white man’. This experience is on the minds of all thinking poets. Despite getting ‘uhuru’ or independence, the bitterness returns again and again. The unforgettable colonial past comes angrily alive in a poem by Kenya’s poet Joseph Kareyaku thus, It is not as you suppose, your lands, your cars, your money, or your cities I covet†¦ It is what gores me most, that in my own house and in my very own home you should eye me and all that’s mine with that practiced, long-drawn, insulting sneer. (quoted in Iyengar, 30) In a poem entitled â€Å"If you want to know me† Noemia De Sousa writes ruefully of Africa, by effectively using the literary device of personification thus: This is what I am  empty sockets despairing of possessing of life a mouth torn open in an anguished wound†¦ a body tattooed with wounds seen and unseen from the harsh whipstrokes of slavery tortured and magnificent proud and mysterious Africa from head to foot This is what I am. (Narasimhaiah, 137) The much-brutalized Dark Continent is tellingly depicted in the following lines of a poem named â€Å"The Shapes of Fear† by Richard Ntiru. Like an arrested breath when breathing makes silence imperfect and the ear cannot differentiate between the conspiratorial whispers and the winds singing. †¦ a twig in the courtyard snaps and report of a gun is understood. (Narasimhaiah, 137) Nigerian poet , the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s masterful irony skillfully conceals anger at the racist attitude in his famous poem, â€Å"Telephone Converstion. † After negotiating for a house on rent on telephone, he tells the landlady of his being a black African. He was rudely shocked when he was ‘caught†¦ foully’ by the lady’s query regarding his darkness thus: † HOW DARK†¦? † I had not misheard†¦ â€Å"Are you light OR VERY DARK†¦ † (Narasimhaiah, 149). The â€Å"ill- mannered silence† between the two is filled with images such as ‘stench of rancid breath of public- hide-and-speak, Red booth, Red- Pillar-box, Red double-tiered Omnibus squelching tar’ that subsume the age-old and still hopeless and violent colour- conflict. The theme of English superiority glares through David Rubadiri’s poem â€Å"A Negro Labourer in Liverpool†: Here his hope is the shovel And his fulfillment resignation. (Narasimhaiah, 134) One of the most important phases in African poetry is Negritude, a powerful literary movement founded by Aime Cesaire of Senegal. Among other things, the Negritude poets favoured the theme of glorification of Africa. They worshipped anything African in scintillating rhymes. Anger at injustice meted out to the colonized Africa is also one of the oft-repeated themes of their poetry. Here’s an example from David Diop’s poem â€Å"Africa. † Africa, my Africa Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs†¦. Is this you, this back that is bent This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation This back trembling with red scars And saying yes to the whip under the midday sun†¦.. That is Africa your Africa. That grows again patiently obstinately And its fruit gradually acquires The bitter taste of liberty. (Narasimhaiah, 153) Dennis Brutus, a South African poet, was subjected to torture by a cruel regime. His writing is full of images of love contrasted with images of death thus, Desolate Your face gleams up Beneath me in the dusk Abandoned A wounded dove Helpless Beneath the knife of love. (Quoted in Theroux, 2) Great feeling for Africa is felt in Abioseh Nicol’s poem â€Å"The Meaning of Africa† thus: Africa, you were once just a name to me †¦ So I came back  sailing down the Guinea coast †¦. You are not a country Africa, You are a concept †¦ I know now that is what you are Africa Happiness, contentment and fulfillment. (Quoted in Povey, 39) A poet’s affirmation of his love for Africa shines radiantly through the following verses. Dark Africa! My dawn is here; Behold! I see A rich warm glow in the East, And my day will soon be here. (Iyengar, 30) Deification of Africa is a fit topic for many African poets. Perhaps this is their reaction to the self glorification and the civilizing zeal of the imperial powers of Europe. Bernard Dadie’s poem attains special significance viewed in that light. He says in a poem entitled â€Å"I Thank God†, I thank you God for creating me black. White is the colour for special occasions Black the colour for every day And I have carried the World since the dawn of time And my laugh over the World, through the night creates The Day. (Narasimhaiah, 122) In Africa, the advent of the white man’s civilizing mission displaced scores of native societies from their own cultural roots. The impact of the spread of Christianity combined with material benefits such as classroom education and well-paid jobs forced many Africans abandon their own faith and adapt the religion of the pale-faced aliens. This situation is responsible for the natives to suffer from culture shock. Nevertheless, the native is expected to owe allegiance to his own tribal culture and embrace Christianity for material benefits. This cultural confusion is well articulated by Mabel Segun in a poem thus: Here we stand Infants overblown Poised between two civilizations Finding the balance irksome. (Quoted in Povey, 39) Gabriel Okara expresses the same sentiments in a lyric thus: When at break of day at a riverside I hear jungle drums†¦ Then I hear a wailing piano Solo speaking of complex ways. (Quoted in Gleason, 143) However, there are poets like Kofi Awoonor Williams of Ghana whose passion for past is expressed in his rediscovery themes with the help of extended rhythms as in the following lines. â€Å"Sew the old days for us our fathers that we wear them under our old garments after we have washed ourselves†¦.. â€Å" ( The Anvil and the Hammer)  again, † Sew the old days for me my father Sew them so that I may wear them For the feast that is coming. † (Quoted in Theroux, 4) He accomplishes the same excellence of evolving extended rhythms in poems like â€Å"The Long Journey† and â€Å"My Song. † Poetic excellence and rare innovative creative ability are seen in Christopher Okigbo poems such as â€Å"The Stars Have Departed. † He says, The stars have departed The sky in a monocle Surveys the world under The stars have departed And I- Where am I? ? Stretch, stretch O antennae, To clutch at this hour, Fulfilling each movement in a  Broken monody. (quoted in Walsh, 48) Images that can evoke a situation beyond hope which are reminiscent of Eliot’s war poetry are visible in the following verses from K. Brew’s poem â€Å"The Search. † The past is but the cinders Of the present The future The smoke That escaped Into the cloud- bound sky. (quoted in Walsh, 50) Some of the poets have realized the futility of fighting over issues such as race, respect and national identity. What more can be more illuminating than the enlightened poet’s words such as, You must leave the sifting sands of self- seeking and deceit  and erect far mightier mansions on the rock of healthy soil. (Iyengar, 36) Lenrie Peter’s poems are short on the print but deep on one’s mind like the one cited below Open the gates To East and West Bring in all That’s good and best. The memorable lines of Peter’s poem â€Å"On a wet September Morning† with their sheer beauty of imagery and the underlying thought of universal brotherhood celebrate the oneness of the human family. To cite a few verses, The echo burst in me Like a great harmonic chord- Violins of love and happy voices The pagan trumpet blast  Swamping the lamentation of the horn Then the heraldic drums In slow crescendo rising Crashed though my senses Into a new present Which is the future. After this brief glance at African poetry, we realize that it is not simply an offshoot of British literary tradition. espite the many disadvantages such as a scarred past, colonial trauma, expression in a foreign medium, inability to travel abroad, unstable economic and political state of affairs in their respective nations, lack of educational opportunities, the African poet has effortless creative capacity. It is an enriching combination of rich oral literature, native experience and imported tradition of writing in English that made African poetry a tremendous success both at home and abroad. The ‘Black Orpheus’ (African Poets) is no longer an unknown or an unwanted quantity but a fascinating and often enviable and beneficent literary marvel from what was ignorantly termed as the ‘dark continent’.

My Son, My Executioner

â€Å"My Son, My Executioner† In the Donald Hall poem,† My Son, My Executioner, â€Å"Hall depicted a father who has grown old, holding their young child in their arms. Hall portrayed strong imagery of a fatherly figure giving up everything to care for his young child. The tone of the poem is both happy and dark. Hall’s theme showed that once a person has a child, the parent’s life is completely changed. â€Å"My Son, My Executioner† is a very well written poem with a deep, true meaning that readers could relate to. The imagery helps Hall depict a father caring for their young child.Hall is first telling the reader that the father is with his child. The child seems to be very young because the father takes the child in his arms. â€Å"I take you in my arms/quiet and small and just astir. † This shows that the father cares a lot about his child. The father could be taking out time from his day to share this moment with his child. The son, who is in his arms or lying on his lap, shares the father’s warmth. â€Å"And whom my body warms. † The father expresses how he has to give up himself in order for the son to be happy and healthy. â€Å"Your cries and hungers document/out bodily decay. Hall is saying when the child is hungry then he must get fed. As time goes on, the father gets older and the roles of father and son are reversed. The dedication has to be there for the parents to raise a happy and healthy child. The tone of this poem is a combination of happiness and darkness. The poem can be seen to have a happy tone that Halls shows well. He writes about the father acknowledging his child as his own. â€Å"My son. † Hall portrays happy images like a father wrapping his arms around his young child. â€Å"I take you in my arms. † The father also makes it known that his presence will live forever in his child.This means the father will always be with the child spiritually. On the other hand, t his poem can be taken in a direful tone. Right from the title, Hall throws a dreary feeling toward the reader. â€Å"My son, my executioner. † There are words that Hall uses in his poem that show a darker side. â€Å"And start to die together. † The reader could interpret these lines as some sort of sick meaning. This poem could either be taken in a happy tone or a dark tone. The main theme Hall is trying to express is that once a person has a child, their lives are changed forever.In the first line, â€Å"My son, my executioner,† is saying that once a child comes into the world, in a sense the parent’s life is taken away. Yet as morbid as that sounds, the parent’s life is made eternal through their child forever. The father knows his time is now focused on his son. There is a reversal of roles, as the child gets bigger and stronger, the father gets weaker and will die. â€Å"Sweet death, small son, our instrument/of immortality. † Another p roblem was that the parents had their child young. That day the child was born, their lives were changed and it will never be the same again. We twenty-five and twenty-two. † In conclusion, Donald Hall portrays a father who has grown old, holding their young child in their arms. . The way Hall used imagery, showed the reader a fatherly figure that gives up everything to care for his son. The tone of the poem was important because it let the reader know that the poem could be seen as happy or dark. The theme showed the readers that once they have a child, their lives are changed forever. â€Å"My Son, My Executioner† is a very well written poem with a deep, true meaning that readers, along with parents, could relate to.

The Host Chapter 42: Forced

Ian's jaw fell slack. â€Å"You†¦ what?† â€Å"I'll explain in a minute. This isn't fair to you, but†¦ please. Just kiss me.† â€Å"It won't upset you? Melanie won't bother you?† â€Å"Ian!† I complained. â€Å"Please!† Still confused, he put his hands on my waist and pulled my body against his. His face was so worried, I wondered if this would even work. I hardly needed the romance, but maybe he did. He closed his eyes as he leaned toward me, an automatic thing. His lips pressed lightly against mine once, and then he pulled back to look at me with the same worried expression. Nothing. â€Å"No, Ian. Really kiss me. Like†¦ like you're trying to get slapped. Do you understand?† â€Å"No. What's wrong? Tell me first.† I put my arms around his neck. It felt strange; I wasn't at all sure how to do this right. I pushed up on my toes and pulled his head down at the same time until I could reach his lips with mine. This wouldn't have worked with another species. Another mind wouldn't have been so easily overwhelmed by its body. Other species had their priorities in better order. But Ian was human, and his body responded. I shoved my mouth against his, gripping his neck tighter with my arms when his first reaction was to hold me away. Remembering how his mouth had moved with mine before, I tried to mimic that movement now. His lips opened with mine, and I felt an odd thrill of triumph at my success. I caught his lower lip between my teeth and heard a low, wild sound break from his throat in surprise. And then I didn't have to try anymore. One of Ian's hands trapped my face, while the other clamped around the small of my back, holding me so close that it was hard to pull a breath into my constricted chest. I was gasping, but so was he. His breath mingled with mine. I felt the stone wall touch my back, press against it. He used it to bind me even closer. There was no part of me that wasn't fused to part of him. It was just the two of us, so close that we hardly counted as two. Just us. No one else. Alone. Ian felt it when I gave up. He must have been waiting for this-not as entirely ruled by his body as I'd imagined. He eased back as soon as my arms went limp, but kept his face next to mine, the tip of his nose touching the tip of mine. I dropped my arms, and he took a deep breath. Slowly, he loosened both his hands and then placed them lightly on my shoulders. â€Å"Explain,† he said. â€Å"She's not here,† I whispered, still breathing in gasps. â€Å"I can't find her. Not even now.† â€Å"Melanie?† â€Å"I can't hear her! Ian, how can I go back in to Jamie? He'll know that I'm lying! How can I tell him that I've lost his sister now? Ian, he's sick! I can't tell him that! I'll upset him, make it harder for him to get well. I -â€Å" Ian's fingers pressed against my lips. â€Å"Shh, shh. Okay. Let's think about this. When was the last time you heard her?† â€Å"Oh, Ian! It was right after I saw†¦ in the hospital. And she tried to defend them†¦ and I screamed at her†¦ and I-I made her go away! And I haven't heard her since. I can't find her!† â€Å"Shh,† he said again. â€Å"Calmly. Okay. Now, what do you really want? I know you don't want to upset Jamie, but he's going to be fine regardless. So, consider-would it be better, just for you, if -â€Å" â€Å"No! I can't erase Melanie! I can't. That would be wrong! That would make me a monster, too!† â€Å"Okay, okay! Okay. Shh. So we have to find her?† I nodded urgently. He took another deep breath. â€Å"Then you need to†¦ really be overwhelmed, don't you?† â€Å"I don't know what you mean.† I was afraid I did, though. Kissing Ian was one thing-even a pleasant thing, maybe, if I wasn't so racked with worry-but anything more†¦ elaborate†¦ Could I? Mel would be furious if I used her body that way. Was that what I had to do to find her? But what about Ian? It was so grossly unfair to him. â€Å"I'll be right back,† Ian promised. â€Å"Stay here.† He pressed me against the wall for emphasis and then ducked back out into the hallway. It was hard to obey. I wanted to follow him, to see what he was doing and where he was going. We had to talk about this; I had to think it through. But I had no time. Jamie was waiting for me, with questions that I couldn't answer with lies. No, he wasn't waiting for me; he was waiting for Melanie. How could I have done this? What if she was really gone? Mel, Mel, Mel, come back! Melanie, Jamie needs you. Not me-he needs you. He's sick, Mel. Mel, can you hear that? Jamie is sick! I was talking to myself. No one heard. My hands were trembling with fear and stress. I wouldn't be able to wait here much longer. I felt like the anxiety was going to make me swell until I popped. Finally, I heard footsteps. And voices. Ian wasn't alone. Confusion swept through me. â€Å"Just think of it as†¦ an experiment,† Ian was saying. â€Å"Are you crazy?† Jared answered. â€Å"Is this some sick joke?† My stomach dropped through the floor. Overwhelmed. That's what he'd meant. Blood burned in my face, hot as Jamie's fever. What was Ian doing to me? I wanted to run, to hide somewhere better than my last hiding place, somewhere I could never, ever be found, no matter how many flashlights they used. But my legs were shaking, and I couldn't move. Ian and Jared came into view in the room where the tunnels met. Ian's face was expressionless; he had one hand on Jared's shoulder and was guiding him, almost pushing him forward. Jared was staring at Ian with anger and doubt. â€Å"Through here,† Ian encouraged, forcing Jared toward me. I flattened my back against the rock. Jared saw me, saw my mortified expression, and stopped. â€Å"Wanda, what's this about?† I threw Ian one blazing glance of reproach and then tried to meet Jared's eyes. I couldn't do it. I looked at his feet instead. â€Å"I lost Melanie,† I whispered. â€Å"You lost her!† I nodded miserably. His voice was hard and angry. â€Å"How?† â€Å"I'm not sure. I made her be quiet†¦ but she always comes back†¦ always before†¦ I can't hear her now†¦ and Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She's gone?† Muted agony in his voice. â€Å"I don't know. I can't find her.† Deep breath. â€Å"Why does Ian think I have to kiss you?† â€Å"Not kiss me,† I said, my voice so faint I could barely hear it myself. â€Å"Kiss her. Nothing upset her more than when you kissed us†¦ before. Nothing pulled her to the surface like that. Maybe†¦ No. You don't have to. I'll try to find her myself.† I still had my eyes on his feet, so I saw him step toward me. â€Å"You think, if I kiss her†¦?† I couldn't even nod. I tried to swallow. Familiar hands brushed my neck, tracing down either side to my shoulders. My heart thudded loud enough that I wondered if he could hear it. I was so embarrassed, forcing him to touch me this way. What if he thought it was a trick-my idea, not Ian's? I wondered if Ian was still there, watching. How much would this hurt him? One hand continued, as I knew it would, down my arm to my wrist, leaving a trail of fire behind it. The other cupped beneath my jaw, as I knew it must, and pulled my face up. His cheek pressed against mine, the skin burning where we were connected, and he whispered in my ear. â€Å"Melanie. I know you're there. Come back to me.† His cheek slowly slid back, and his chin tilted to the side so that his mouth covered mine. He tried to kiss me softly. I could tell that he tried. But his intentions went up in smoke, just like before. There was fire everywhere, because he was everywhere. His hands traced my skin, burning it. His lips tasted every inch of my face. The rock wall slammed into my back, but there was no pain. I couldn't feel anything besides the burning. My hands knotted in his hair, pulling him to me as if there were any possible way for us to be closer. My legs wrapped around his waist, the wall giving me the leverage I needed. His tongue twisted with mine, and there was no part of my mind that was not invaded by the insane desire that possessed me. He pulled his mouth free and pressed his lips to my ear again. â€Å"Melanie Stryder!† It was so loud in my ear, a growl that was almost a shout. â€Å"You will not leave me. Don't you love me? Prove it! Prove it! Damn it, Mel! Get back here!† His lips attacked mine again. Ahhh, she groaned weakly in my head. I couldn't think to greet her. I was on fire. The fire burned its way to her, back to the tiny corner where she drooped, nearly lifeless. My hands fisted around the fabric of Jared's T-shirt, yanking it up. This was their idea; I didn't tell them what to do. His hands burned on the skin of my back. Jared? she whispered. She tried to orient herself, but the mind we shared was so disoriented. I felt the muscles of his stomach under my palms, my hands crushed between us. What? Where†¦ Melanie struggled. I broke away from his mouth to breathe, and his lips scorched their way down my throat. I buried my face in his hair, inhaling the scent. Jared! Jared! NO! I let her flow through my arms, knowing this was what I wanted, though I could barely pay attention now. The hands on his stomach turned hard, angry. The fingers clawed at his skin and then shoved him as hard as they could. â€Å"NO!† she shouted through my lips. Jared caught her hands, then caught me against the wall before I could fall. I sagged, my body confused by the conflicting directions it was receiving. â€Å"Mel? Mel!† â€Å"What are you doing?† He groaned in relief. â€Å"I knew you could do it! Ah, Mel!† He kissed her again, kissed the lips that she now controlled, and we could both taste the tears that ran down his face. She bit him. Jared jumped back from us, and I slid to the floor, landing in a wilted heap. He started laughing. â€Å"That's my girl. You still got her, Wanda?† â€Å"Yes,† I gasped. What the hell, Wanda? she screeched at me. Where have you been? Do you have any idea what I've been going through trying to find you? Yeah, I can see that you were really suffering. Oh, I'll suffer, I promised her. I could already feel it coming on. Just like before†¦ She was flipping through my thoughts as fast as she could. Jamie? That's what I've been trying to tell you. He needs you. Then why aren't we with him? Because he's probably a bit young to watch this kind of thing. She searched through some more. Wow, Ian, too. I'm glad I missed that part. I was so worried. I didn't know what to do†¦ Well, c'mon. Let's go. â€Å"Mel?† Jared asked. â€Å"She's here. She's furious. She wants to see Jamie.† Jared put his arm around me and helped me up. â€Å"You can be as mad as you want, Mel. Just stick around.† How long was I gone? Three days is all. Her voice was suddenly smaller. Where was I? You don't know? I can't remember†¦ anything. We shuddered. â€Å"You okay?† Jared asked. â€Å"Sort of.† â€Å"Was that her before, talking to me-talking out loud?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can she†¦ can you let her do that now?† I sighed. I was already exhausted. â€Å"I can try.† I closed my eyes. Can you get past me? I asked her. Can you talk to him? I†¦ How? Where? I tried to flatten myself against the inside of my head. â€Å"C'mon,† I murmured. â€Å"Here.† Melanie struggled, but there was no way out. Jared's lips came down on mine, hard. My eyes flew open in shock. His gold-flecked eyes were open, too, half an inch away. She jerked our head back. â€Å"Cut that out! Don't touch her!† He smiled, the little creases feathering out around his eyes. â€Å"Hey, baby.† That's not funny. I tried to breathe again. â€Å"She's not laughing.† He left his arm around me. Around us. We walked out into the tunnel junction, and there was no one there. No Ian. â€Å"I'm warning you, Mel,† Jared said, still smiling widely. Teasing. â€Å"You better stay right here. I'm not making any guarantees about what I will or won't do to get you back.† My stomach fluttered. Tell him I'll throttle him if he touches you like that again. But her threat was a joke, too. â€Å"She's threatening your life right now,† I told him. â€Å"But I think she's being facetious.† He laughed, giddy with relief. â€Å"You're so serious all the time, Wanda.† â€Å"Your jokes aren't funny,† I muttered. Not to me. Jared laughed again. Ah, Melanie said. You are suffering. I'll try not to let Jamie see. Thank you for bringing me back. I won't erase you, Melanie. I'm sorry I can't give you more than that. Thank you. â€Å"What's she saying?† â€Å"We're just†¦ making up.† â€Å"Why couldn't she talk before, when you were trying to let her?† â€Å"I don't know, Jared. There really isn't enough room for both of us. I can't seem to get myself out of the way completely. It's like†¦ not like holding your breath. Like trying to pause your heartbeats. I can't make myself not exist. I don't know how.† He didn't answer, and my chest throbbed with pain. How joyful he would be if I could figure out how to erase myself! Melanie wanted to†¦ not to contradict me, but to make me feel better; she struggled to find words to soften my agony. She couldn't come up with the right ones. But Ian would be devastated. And Jamie. Jeb would miss you. You have so many friends here. Thanks. I was glad that we were back to our room now. I needed to think about something else before I started crying. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. There were more important issues at hand than my heart, breaking yet again.