Significance of the Porch in Hurston’s Novels, Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watching G :: Their Eyes Watching God Seraph Suwanee

Significance of the Porch in Hurstons Novels, Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watching GodShe took to inviting other women friends to drop in and they all expressed envy of her porch. It built Avray up and made her feel more inside of things. It was a kind of throne room, and out there, Avray felt that she could flier arms and cope. Just looking around gave her courage. Out there, Avray had the courage to visit the graveyard of years and dig up dates and examine them cheerfully. (Seraph on the Suwanee 234) It was the time for school term on porches beside the road. It was the time to hear things and talk. These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Mules and other brutes had occupied their skins. But now, the sun and the bossman were gone, so the skins felt powerful and human. The became lords of sounds and lesser things. They passed nations through their mouths. They sat in judgment. (Their Eyes Were Watching God 1) In Seraph on the Suw anee and Their Eyes Were Watching God, the physical structure of the porch serves to both literally and figuratively elevate its sitters, and becomes an arena for exploring the theme of inside versus outside spaces. Avrays porch in Seraph on the Suwanee is associated with a higher standard of living and is the envy of her visitors. At first, Avray is unsure about(predicate) this new, outside show of ownership. (234) Avray is uncertain about her right to belong to this class of folk and as a result feels inner turmoil about whether or not she deserves such privilege. Her initial conflift with the porch mimics her desire to brace herself to glory in her folks despite her disgust with their old junk, cracked dishes, and shabby house. Over time, Avray put up it easier to rejoice in the comforts of her new life. As she reclined further back into the chaise lounges and cushions of her class, her porch became a place of pride and courage. The use of the metaphor that describes the porch as a throne (and hence the porch-sitters as royalty) reinforces the idea of an elevated social status and its implied protection. Similar to Avrays porch, Phoebys porch in Their Eyes Were Watching God is a social place. Those who sit out on the porch feel free reign to pass judgment on those who walk by.

Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-Ruth :: Savory Essays

Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-RuthWho is Allen Savory?At Goshen College, a small magnanimous arts college, Land Management is superstar of the courses required for Environmental Studies majors. The main book required for this class is Holistic Management by Allan Savory. Savory is a well-known ecologist and author. His books cover his theories on how to sorb c atomic number 18 of rural area. His work is so well recognized that he is known as the founder of holistic attention principles. The teacher of this Land Management, Bill Minter, draws approximately of his lectures from the information in this book. One might make the assumption that the information in a book canonical for a class such as this would non contain controversial material. Both the teacher and the students in the class assumed just this, the material within the book had subsequent evidence to affirm up the theories. However, this is not the case. Allen Savorys holistic management idea s on grazing and resting the land do not work in the basic shipway that he claims they do. In fact, research has been done that disputes his theories. Therefore, it has been given a great deal of criticism by other(a) scientist. Holistic Management TheoriesThere are two theories that holistic management advocates swear by. One is that grazing can be beneficial if preformed in the excoriate way. The other is that resting land is not close for it. Both theories basically state that land can and should be grazed. To understand these theories some background information essential be given as to how land works. Land can be identified on a scale of how hydric or xeric it is. either piece of land falls in the midst of those two points. Hydric lands get a great deal of rainfall and have high humidity. As a result they have much to a greater extent vegetation on the ground and therefore many much organisms to break things down. Xeric lands are just the opposite they are much drier. They have less(prenominal) rainfall, less humidity, less vegetation, and fewer organisms. When vegetation dies in hydric agreement, the great numbers of organisms quickly decompose it. When vegetation dies in a xeric system the decomposition is a much longer process. Savory also compares these landscapes using the terminology of toffee and nonbrittle environments. The more brittle the land is, the more xeric it is. Oppositely, the more nonbrittle the land is, the more hydric it is.Contradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-Ruth Savory EssaysContradictory Ideas on Managing Land Lauresta Piper-RuthWho is Allen Savory?At Goshen College, a small liberal arts college, Land Management is one of the courses required for Environmental Studies majors. The main book required for this class is Holistic Management by Allan Savory. Savory is a well-known ecologist and author. His books cover his theories on how to take care of land. His work is so well recognized that he is known a s the founder of holistic management principles. The teacher of this Land Management, Bill Minter, draws most of his lectures from the information in this book. One might make the assumption that the information in a book approved for a class such as this would not contain controversial material. Both the teacher and the students in the class assumed just this, the material within the book had subsequent evidence to back up the theories. However, this is not the case. Allen Savorys holistic management ideas on grazing and resting the land do not work in the basic ways that he claims they do. In fact, research has been done that disputes his theories. Therefore, it has been given a great deal of criticism by other scientist. Holistic Management TheoriesThere are two theories that holistic management advocates swear by. One is that grazing can be beneficial if preformed in the correct way. The other is that resting land is not good for it. Both theories basically state that land can a nd should be grazed. To understand these theories some background information must be given as to how land works. Land can be identified on a scale of how hydric or xeric it is. Every piece of land falls between those two points. Hydric lands get a great deal of rainfall and have high humidity. As a result they have much more vegetation on the ground and therefore many more organisms to break things down. Xeric lands are just the opposite they are much drier. They have less rainfall, less humidity, less vegetation, and fewer organisms. When vegetation dies in hydric system, the great numbers of organisms quickly decompose it. When vegetation dies in a xeric system the decomposition is a much longer process. Savory also compares these landscapes using the terminology of brittle and nonbrittle environments. The more brittle the land is, the more xeric it is. Oppositely, the more nonbrittle the land is, the more hydric it is.

Inner Truths in The House of the Seven Gables :: House of the Seven Gables Essays

Inner Truths in The House of the Seven Gables     It was Hawthornes belief that romances deal with inner truths, while novels atomic number 18 based on mere fact.  Because he held himself to be a romance writer, inner truths were elemental themes in The House of the Seven Gables. The truths that he conceived, and expressed, in the story range from the innovation that death and suffering do not discriminate based on ones position in society to the karmic entraps one times may have on those of future generations. Hawthorne saw these themes as important concepts that went beyond simple didactic commentaries. As a romance writer he wanted his reader to understand his conceptions on a complete level, and to achieve this he realized that he must delve into an un uncouth space in the readers mind. The supernatural plays an important role in this goal in The House of the Seven Gables. The Supernatural challenges the reader to use her imagination and step out of her usual stereotypes and beliefs so that she may observe the story as Hawthorne wrote it. This challenge is meant to help the reader grasp Hawthornes conceptions.Maules curse at the gallows is the beginning of the maturation for one of Hawthornes central themes guilt will stay for generations. In regards to this karmic theme, Maules curse, a supernatural power, foreshadows the future of the Pyncheon family. Maule insists, God will give him parentage to drink and as we read on it appears that this portion of the curse does indeed come to pass. But the effects of the curse do not end there. As men began to build the Pyncheon home on Maules cut down, the famous spring water on the property entirely lost the deliciousness of its pristine quality. The land that Colonel Pyncheon intended to have for his family immediately started losing its value as the pristine well became foul. As the story goes on it, becomes clear that the curse will similarly effect the Pyncheon family, making what once w as rich very poor.Maules supernatural power is further developed with the use of ghosts. The use of these spirits implies that all inhabitants of the house are in a state of unrest. Although Colonel Pyncheon was the one to commit the sin against Maule, all his relatives will pay for the deed. Alice Pyncheon was said to haunt the House of the Seven Gables and.

The Trial of Jesus Essay -- Religion, Christianity

In The Judaeo-Christian Tradition by Jack H. Hexter, the trial of deliverer is addressed in an unorthodox perspective. The trial of Jesus incorporates two trials the Roman trial and the Jewish trial. In Hexters book the Roman trial is addressed in great continuance while the Jewish trial is almost unaddressed. Hexter provides a perspective of the trial of Jesus with only one cause the stimulate of sedition, for strikeing to be king of the Jews. By using the four gospel texts, Hexters view is illuminated and we find crucial aspects to the trial that not only counter Hexters view on the sedition charge plainly also provide evidence for other important charges. Themes other than the charge of sedition supporting Hexters perspective include, the blasphemy charge addressed in the Jewish trial, along with Jesus holy new kingdom and Pontius Pilates innocent role throughout the trial. Christianity having sprung from Judaism is a crucial fact when concerning the beginning of Christianity and the scourge that it posed to the Jewish community. According to Hexter, the conquest of classical civilization by Christianity is one of the wonders of history. ( Hexter 50) Hexters interpretation of the trial of Jesus begins with the charge of sedition. ...charges with sedition for avering to be king of the Jews, a claim he refused to disavow, Jesus was condemned to death that Rome inflicted on criminals. He was nailed to a cross and left there until he died... (Hexter 63) It is apparent that there is evidence for the claim of sedition such as the power Jesus held when acting out miracles to the public and also the act of Jesus neither declaring or refuting the title of queen regnant of the Jews. However, Hexter uses only the sedition charge for the condemnati... ...eir hands dirty in the matter.In the trial of Jesus, Hexter addressed the sedition claim for being the sole reason that Jesus had hung on the stake to die. However, evidence in the Four Gospel texts illuminate o ther reasons along with the sedition claim, that had effected the finding of fact that Pilate had ultimately delivered. Because of the huge threat Jesus had posed to the Jewish community, and Jesus claim for a holy new kingdom that was not secular, Pilate was forced to please the hoi polloi of his city and reluctantly delivered the verdict to crucify Jesus in order to restore civility in his city. Jesus was formally charged on the account for claiming to be King of the Jews but died for more than just a secular cause. Jesus was preaching a new universal criterion of truth, that many of his followers believed in and many people around the world still believe in today.

Free Will Determinism Essay -- essays research papers

Every day in our lives and everything we do involves some degree of finish reservation or choice selection either mental or physical. We start do choices and decisions from the moment we wake up everyday to the second we sleep. Some decisions we rile ar blatantly obvious to ourselves because of our need to reflect on the choices before choosing. However, most decisions we make throughout the day are made without much thought. We are even, quite often, unaware that we are making decisions due to habituation and preference. Before going further, we must define the terms set down leave alone, determinism and fate or destiny. exempt will is the aptitude to choose. Furthermore, it is the power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate. Fate, or destiny, can be defined as the inevitable events predestined by this force. However, there is a better position to take when it comes to arguing against free will and that positio n, or belief, is called determinism. Determinism states that the conditions at one moment are the necessary result from the previous conditions. Simply put, every effect has a cause, every body process is predetermined. Unthe likes of fate or destiny, it does not mean the future is already established. It is one thing to say that our choice is caused. It is another thing to say that we do not choose, and fate says, we cannot choose. This is definitely an endless design given that it is a matter of personal opinion with no facts involved. However, free will definitely seems like the most plausible standpoint. We do have free will.First of all, we can all experience something within ourselves that we can conclude to be a decision making process. These decisions we make are obviously made from our own will and not determined by anything other than ourselves. Baron Holbach, an 18th century french philosopher, believes that free will is an illusion. According to Holbach, we have no ch oice in anything because everything is predetermined. Holbach also states that our decision making boils down to preference. For example, if Bob walked into an ice cream descent filled with numerous flavors, it would seem that Bob is free to choose any flavor he wants. Holbach would have to argue that Bob has already made a decision in his mind before walking in due to vanilla being his favorite flavor, h... ... that neurons firing chemicals and so forth could have deterministically resulted in his choice of vanilla. There are arguments which claim that free will is an illusion. It is an illusion that we accept because of our inability to observe all of the processes going on involved with making a choice. Basically, this point of view states that we are unaware and have a lack of understanding for numerous processes present within human thought. Despite the differences surrounded by free will and determinism or fatalism, there is some middle ground. Libertarian is the belief tha t free will is affected by human nature but retains ability to choose contrary to our nature and desires. This is a balance between the ideas from free will and determinism. This is a good stance because of its incorporation of both views. This whole argument about free will is purely subjective. However, it seems that there are stronger arguments for the idea of free will as opposed to determinism and fatalism. As was stated earlier, it would seem preferably pessimistic to view the world as a determinist. Just by being a determinist, one is choosing not to believe in free will which is an example of free will in itself.

Catholic scandal :: essays research papers

Bishops Acknowledge Role in Crisis DALLAS (AP) - Americas Roman Catholic bishops opened their historic meeting on clerical sex abuse atomic number 90 by bluntly acknowledging that their mistakes helped cause the crisis, then yielding the floor to victims who described how pain permeated their lives.Photos AP Photo Slideshows AP Photo Catholic Church Abuse Controversy audio/Video Victims Demand Zero Tolerance, More Accountability for Church Leaders (WFAA, Dallas) Bishops Open Priest Sex Abuse Talks (AP) The bishops followed the morning session by going behind closed doors to take up proposals aimed at reforming the way the church handles abuse claims. Whether to adopt a zero tolerance policy throw out any priest found guilty of a single case of abuse was among the decisions facing them.The closed-door talks could continue into the evening. Public debate and exploit was scheduled Friday.Outside the hotel where the meeting was being held, closely 50 people protested the churchs handling of abuse cases. There were no arrests.Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, opened the meeting with a remarkably direct address, calling the crisis "perhaps the gravest we have faced."Abuse victim Michael Bland, of Chicago, told the bishops how he joined the priesthood but then left-hand(a) after trying to convince church leaders to take action against his molester. He urged the prelates to get rid of all those who abuse children."The priesthood lost me but unplowed the perpetrator," Bland said. "The church has taken care of him."Gregory pledged to take action to restore parishioners badly shaken faith in the church hierarchy."The crisis, in truth, is about a profound loss of confidence by the faithful in our leadership," he said. Thats "because of our failures in addressing the crime of the sexual abuse of children and young people by priests and church personnel."He admitted "we d id not go far enough to ensure that every child and minor was safe from sexual abuse. Rightfully, the faithful are skeptical why we failed to take the necessary steps."The bishops rarely allow lay Catholics to speak at their meetings, but three Catholic thinkers who have been following the abuse crisis were given up the chance to address the church leaders after Gregory. They were followed by the abuse victims.Bland said he came forward with his molestation claim while he was still a priest. Suddenly, he felt he "was no longer one of the good guys but one of the victims to be dealt with.

Case Analysis Study

gaffe Study Analysis Paper Prepare a 1,400 to 1,750-word representative study summary paper based on the University of Phoenix Material, Case Study for Student Analysis, located in Week Two of the COMM/215 pic page. Below is a detailed interpretation explaining how to prepare a case study depth psychology paper. ____________________________________________________________ _________________ Typically written in narrative form, a case sets forth, in a factual manner, the events and organisational circumstances surrounding a particular managerial berth.Placing the reader at the scene of the action, the real events presented provide an opportunity to help evaluate alternative nones of action. Case analysis is used in academics to help you demonstrate your ability to evaluate spatial relations critically, to apply concepts you rent learned in a variety, to solve problems, and to communicate your findings and conclusions. The usage of this exercise is to introduce you to case st udies and the analysis process, and to a proper format for writing the case study analysis report. Try not to worry virtually trying to find the right answer to a case. Usually, there is no single right answer.Most cases are intentionally ambiguous and can be viewed from many different perspectives. Several feasible etymons are usually available to any give case. The best solution is the one you can best bear with thoughtful analysis, logical arguments, and substantiating evidence from your explore or your own experience. Your goal in analyzing a case is to provide an importive solution to the situation outlined and to support that solution with solid and persuasive evidence. Overview Analyzing a case study can take several(prenominal) forms, and you should check with your instructor on the detail approach or point of view that he or she recommends.For example, you might analyze the case from the perspective that you are the central character of the narrative and must provide a report of what you would do in the situation. On the other hand, you might play the role of an outside consultant hired to evaluate the situation for which you provide a report. ask sure you allow enough time for the various tasks you must perform. These tasks are listed below and explained in more detail in the following variances. (Note When writing a case analysis as an exercise in a writing class, there will be no content-related course concepts (e. g. management or health care theories) that apply directly to the case. The objective of the assignment will be to produce a well-written analysis. You should check with your instructor to fructify the expectations of content and the amount of research required. Analyzing the Case 1. evidence and study the case thoroughly. 2. Define the problem(s). 3. Select a focus for your analysis by investing gravestone issues and their causes. 4. signalise and apply course concepts in order to identify possible solutions. 5. Evaluate a lternative solutions and choose the solution you believe is best. piece of music the Case Analysis 1. circumscribe how you want to present your views and structure your paper. 6. Produce a first draft of your case analysis. 7. Revise and edit the draft. 8. Format and proofread the last-place report. Analyzing the Case 1. Read and study the case thoroughly. Read the case once for familiarity with the overall situation, background, and characters involved, noting issues that you think may be important. Read the case again, and highlight all relevant facts. Make sure you understand the situation and have all the facts. Make notes close issues, symptoms of problems, root problems, unresolved issues, and the roles of key players.Watch for indications of issues beneath the surface. 9. Define the problem(s). Identify the key problems or issues in the case. Case studies often contain an overabundance of information about a particular situation, not all of which may be relevant. Do not tr y to analyze every fact and issue. Part of the skill of good case analysis is in determining which facts are relevant. 10. Select a focus for your analysis by identifying the key issues and their causes. Determine how to focus your analysis. Narrow the problem(s) you have identified to between two and five key issues. Do not try to examine every possible aspect of the case.Identify the intimately important issues that relate to the concepts you have been studying in the course (if applicable). Once you have focused on one or two key issues, try to gain a fuller understanding of their causes. Why do these problem(s) exist? What caused them? What is the effect of the problem(s) on the organization or the relationships among individuals in the organization? Who is responsible for or affected by the problem(s)? 11. Identify and apply course concepts in order to identify possible solutions. (See previous note regarding writing a case analysis as an exercise in a writing class. This sect ion is included so that you become familiar with the application of case studies in context of applying content-related course concepts. ) a. Identify and apply one or more concepts discussed in class, covered in your readings, or learned from your own experience that would apply to the case and provide some insight or guidance in solving the problem(s). b. Review your notes from class discussions and your texts and other readings in the course, conduct outside research, and use your own knowledge and experience to decide what concepts, theories, or ideas could be relevant. 2. Evaluate alternative solutions and choose the solution you believe best reflects the findings from your analysis. Make certain you can support the solution you choose with solid evidence from your case analysis. Weigh the pros and cons of each alternative. Which solution is the most feasible? Make certain you can defend that solution. Now you are ready to proceed to the next stepdetermining how to present your ideas and structure your paper. Writing the Case Analysis Written case analyses are short, merged reports.Usually, the instructor will ask for between two and ten typed pages, depending upon the complexity of the case. Some case studies are assigned as individual efforts others are group projects. Still others may be a partial group effort, with the group collaborating in the analysis and each individual student being asked to prepare a separate written analysis. Your task, in writing your case analysis, is to combine aspects of the case and key issues with your perceptions and support opinions. You must then examine alternatives, choose the most viable solution, and provide evidence to support your views.You obtain this evidence from class discussions, your text readings, outside research, and your in the flesh(predicate) experiences. 1. Determine how you want to present your views and structure your paper. Most case studies follow a prescribed format and structure and can vary depending upon the course in which it is used, such as those discussed next. Check with your instructor regarding his or her preference as to the sections of the case study analysis report. Case study analyses are written as reports with headings, not as essays. The report should clearly identify the relevant sections for the reader. . Title page Use standard APA format to develop a title page. b. trigger Determine a thesis. Summarize, in one sentence, the principal outcome of your analysis. This is the thesis for your report and should be clearly stated in the first few paragraphs. The institution identifies the central problem. c. Background Take the central problem, and place it in a context for the reader providing background information about the case. Do not recur or rehash the facts stated in the case. Rather, place the case in a research context.The background section demonstrates to the reader that you have conducted research, either academically or in the field, regardi ng the types of problems that the case study describes. Be sure that your written presentation focuses your diagnosis of the problems on the most important issues. d. Key Problems This is where you identify your thoughts about the problems that exist. It is considered a very important part of the report. Start with the who-when-where-what-why-how typical questions (Gerson & Gerson, 2002). Ask yourself here as you ponder the situation What are the problems at this company? thither certainly is usually more than one problem. Identify the ones you see as being instrumental to the success of the company or its project. e. Alternatives Now that you have conducted research and placed the problem(s) into a context, you will have informed choices about the alternative solutions to the problem(s). You are not expected to analyze all possible alternatives. However, you should have considered several alternatives when you formed your opinion about the case. Discuss these alternatives and why y ou rejected them in determining your solution to the case.Why are these viable alternatives? What are the constraints (e. g. money, time, personnel, resources) imposed and the footing that you do not recommend the alternative at this time? f. Proposed Solution Discuss your proposed solution providing support with solid evidence. Generally, you should only provide one proposed solution. extend in mind that in the context of the case study, the characters or company can only start on one solution at a time. Which one do you propose and why? Justify why this solution is the best option through a logical argument supported by research.The proposed solution should be limited and realistic. g. Recommendations If appropriate, you may conclude your written analysis with a discussion of the implications of the problems you identified on the functioning of the organization or on the relationship among individuals in the case. You may also want to make recommendations for further action tha t might be taken to resolve some of these issues. Be specific about what should be done and who should do it. This section discusses specific strategies that the individuals in the case can do to accomplish the proposed solution.Check with your instructor as to whether this section should be included in your case analysis report. 13. Produce a first draft of your case analysis. 14. Revise and edit the draft. 15. Format and proofread the final report. Case study reports are written in a structured format, not as essays. Case study reports usually contain an Executive stocky that contains brief summaries of the Introduction, Background, and Proposed Solution sections of your report. The Executive digest provides a quick, easy-to-read summary of these three main parts of the case study. Check with your instructor to see if he or she requires an Executive Summary to be included with your report. ) Tips for formatting the final report a. If an Executive Summary is to be included, it sh ould be single-spaced with relevant headings identifying the sections. The Executive Summary should summarize those sections of the report, and not contain any information not discussed by the report. b. The case study analysis should be written as a structured report, with relevant headings. The case study analysis is not an essay. 16. Include any relevant appendices and references in a proper APA format.

Gang Leader for a Day

Innovate Your Life In the confine, Gang Leader for a mean solar solar day by Sudhir Venkatesh, a sociology student from the University of Chicago starts out simply trying to understand how it feels to be poor and black, and ends up spending years and years evaluate out the ins and outs of a large number decree (Venkatesh 14). Sudhir receives the chance of a sociologists lifetime to see introductory-hand what life is a desire in the projects. He follows gang rangeer, J. T. more or less and studies his life at the Robert Taylor homes for years. Throughout Venkateshs experience he witnesses many things some sight go a lifetime without seeing.For example, he was no alien to seeing people use do drugss or get beat up by gang members. One interesting aspect of Venkateshs experiment is the federation aspect of the gang life. Although it was hard for Venkatesh to understand during his adventure, even the gang had a sense of what it was akin to help out their friendship and how important it was. There were a lot of aspects of the book that showed the sociological perspective of the Robert Taylor community. The book Gang Leader for a Day shows the sociological perspective by bringing Robert Mertons geomorphological strain theory to life.Robert Merton created the structural strain theory in 1938. This theory states that deviance occurs when a society does not give all of its members equal ability to achieve socially expectable goals (Conley 192). The goals Merton is referring to is the Ameri open fire dream everyone wants to have a good job, a nice home, and a nice family. In the strain theory Merton talks about 5 different types of people that make up society. There are conformists, innovators, ritualists, retreatists, and rebels. Conformists are the people who accept the goals of society and the means of achieving those goals.Innovators accept the goals of society but see to it new means of achieving these goals. Thats where J. T. falls. Ritualists be gettert really accept the goals of society but they accept the means of achieving those goals, they frequently do the bare minimum to get by. Retreatists dresst accept the goals or the means of society and lastly, rebels are the people who turn int accept the goals of society or the means of achieving those goals but they create their own goals while using new means to get there. J. T. is the leader of a gang called the Black Kings.This gang lives in the Robert Taylor homes in Chicago and runs their businesses there. Venkatesh finds out that this group sells drugs for money but the more he learns about this group he finds more and more interesting ways they earn their money. When Sudhir first met J. T. he admitted that the last word I expected to exit this mans spill the beans was college (Venkatesh 19). J. T. surprised him when he told him that he had gone to college on and athletic scholarship and found that he loved reading about history and politics (Venkatesh 27). Venkates h came to find out that J. T. ad a corporate job after college and within two years he quit that job and returned to the gang life due(p) to feeling that his chances of success were limited because he was black (Venkatesh 27). It is always said (especially now a days) how important it is for people to attend college now. You always hear leave and right that youll need a degree to be successful and people often look down on you if you decide to take another driveway instead of college. People accept college as one of the means to reach the Ameri crowd out dream. Thats what makes J. T. the perfect example of an innovator.Although he belongs to a gang which is often frowned upon in society, he accepted the means of achieving the American dream by attending college and getting a degree. Another aspect of the American dream that people accept is having a successful job. Most people would say that an acceptable successful job would mean a 9 to 5, Monday by means of Friday, job. But th at depends on how you mea reliable your success. J. T. may not be considered successful in the eyes of the business world but he considers himself more successful in the gang world than he was in the business world.J. T. has more money than he knows what to do with. He makes his money in various ways. Besides selling drugs through his gang, he also runs three buildings. He would allow people who were known as squatters to stay in the building when it was cold out. They were allowed to hang out in the stairwells and the gang provided them protection for a little bit of money. The gang was always decision ways like this to collect money. They would allow prostitutes to come and live there and some of them would do business there but they also had a fee to pay. Anyone who J.T. allowed to stay in his buildings without a lease would get taxed on their salary for whatever type of business they were doing. But in return the Black Kings would provide them with protection. Venkatesh learned a lot about the gangs power structure and J. T. s business plans. Early in their relationship, J. T. explained the structure to making money in the drug game to Sudhir while he planned his move to rail the Robert Taylor homes. He calls the Robert Taylor homes easy money because of how convenient the location was for white people to drive over.He also says he would go from making thirty thousand dollars a year to seventy-five thousand dollars or maybe even a hundred thousand a year (towards the end of the book J. T. is making somewhere around two hundred thousand dollars a year). This is where J. T. begins to explain the ladder of moving up in the gang and how he wants to move up. Throughout the book Venkatesh watches J. T. move up this ladder after his transition into more buildings change states successful. J. T. finds himself going to meetings with the big wigs of the Black Kings and gaining more and more respect from them.Gang Leader for a day shows a fascinating connection o f the gang world and what people would consider normal society. J. T. s a successful gang leader which also all the drugs and illegal doings of that gang, he attends more like a successful CEO of a business. He moves up a ladder of the drug business just like a prescribed business man has the opportunity to do. He makes most of his money through sales just like a regular company would. He provides protection to the tenants of his building as a service which for the most part they pay him for, much like how regular services are ran.So maybe J. T. doesnt have the regular 9 to 5 job or the nice comfortable home but in his business world he is considered successful. That sounds like an innovator to me. When Venkatesh begins his study on the Chicago projects, he plans to use pecks. He starts off going into the poor community and tries to ask people questions. As Sudhir finds out later on, the people of these communities werent so welcoming to new faces. On his first attempt to ask hi s play along questions, he was stopped and questioned by people in the building.These people did not want to allow him in and assumed he was from a rival gang. His first shot at actually asking the question how does it feel to be young and black? he gets laughed at. Then he asks J. T. the questions and J. T. tells him that he wont learn anything about the life there with questionnaires and says with people like us, you should hang out, get to know what they do, and how they do it. No one is going to answer questions like that. You need to understand how young people live on the streets (Venkatesh 21). With that, Venkatesh changed his study technique from surveys to a field study.I believe that without a first-hand account of what documentation in the projects was like he couldnt fully understand what it was like to be black and poor. I think that there are so many hardships of living the type of life that people lived in the Robert Taylor homes. People could go without eating, or couldnt walk outside of their homes because they were afraid of getting shot. But oddly enough, I dont think it was all bad. Throughout the book there is a strong theme of helping the community. For example, when the Pride group comes in and tries to show up everyone to vote.Even though the Black Kings well-tried to dictate who people would vote for in order to help themselves continue to grow, they were educating people on their rights. There were people like Ms. Bailey who wouldnt let anyone go without eating and found places to donate warm winter jackets for the people in the community. Without witnessing these acts of kindness in the community I dont think Venkateshs results would have been as accurate. Most books you read or movies you watch about gangs portray them so negatively and make it seem like everything they do is horrible for the community around them.Needless to say selling drugs openly on the streets is no way to live a life, but Venkateshs field study brought to light all the good things that go on in communities like these that a survey couldnt have. Im sure the people living in the Robert Taylor homes would ask for a nicer place to live or more food to eat and they more than likely didnt taste being poor but Venkatesh upholdd through his study that just because someone is poor and lives in gang territory doesnt mean that they cant be as nice or as crazy as someone who lived in the suburbs.I strongly believe that if he had used the survey method he would not have found these types of things out about this community. Through his field study, the question arises, was this study ethical? There are unimpeachably some gray lines in answering this question. Sociologists are hypothetical to make sure their participants are aware of what the study consists of. Throughout the book Venkatesh constantly asks himself what his intentions were of his study. If the police detective barely knows what his intentions are how are the participants suppo sed to understand?They are also supposed to make sure none of the participants can be harmed in their study. He also questions the ethics of his study when he watches J. T. beat up C-note for working on cars where he wanted to play basketball. He asks himself how he is supposed to stand by and watch violent acts like these take place without putting his morals at stake. I absolutely believe that in a field study like this Venkateshs ethics were on the line, but I dont believe he would have gotten the same results if he didnt cross that line.In Gang Leader for a Day I think that Venkatesh proved that poor people arent completely poor. They may not have money and might not always be able to afford food but I believe that he proved they windlessness enjoy their lives to the most they can. I also think that its an assumption that someone cant be successful if theyre from the projects because your poor and dont always have the means to get there. Venkateshs study showed through J. T. th ats not true. Even though J. T. isnt successful in societys eyes he is in his mind because he has the money, the cars, and the clothes.He doesnt view himself as a criminal he believes that since hes doing good things for his community he isnt a criminal. He just has a different way of doing things. People look up to J. T. in the Robert Taylor homes and expect him. For example, during Ms. Baileys monthly meeting with her tenants, people question how she can support J. T. knowing all the illegal activities he conducts. She points out to these people that the community has become much safer and that there had been less shootings in their area due to the help from J. T. and his gang. J. T. eld so much power in the community and he tried to use that power to make positive changes. He had his younger officers clean up after community parties and did other community service like projects to prove to others that they werent always bad people. All in all, Gang Leader for a Day taught me tha t people in the projects arent all miserable, bad people. Sure, they lead a hard life but there are people there that have their hearts in the right place and do what they can to help even if they engage in activities that might be frowned upon like dealing drugs.You see all different types of people in these types of communities. Thats why this book was such a good example of the structural strain theory. There are people like J. T. that use new ways of finding their own success and theres people like Sudhir who follow the means to achieve the goals of society by going to school and getting a job. I genuinely enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it for someone who is interested in getting a wider perspective on what the project life is like. drive and Reviewed by Logan Beck I used academic integrity in completing this assignment.

Cache Positive Environment Essay

AC1.1 A description of what is meant by a dogmatic environment In both a setting and home a positive learning environment is crucial for children. There are a number of things that can to a positive environment. A setting or class should be engaging and dynamic place for the children attending. Creating order and removing clutter helps children to feel there in orderliness in the environment in order from them to learn, having a disorganized environment can be a distraction. Children should be provided with a clean, safe, and organized setting. excite posters, pictures along with work the children have made should be put up around the setting, non only can this be engaging for the children but shows the childrens work is valued. Poster and displays should be regularly changed and updated related to the theme or topic being taught as this gives variety.The settings lay out and arrangement contributes to having a positive environment and ensuring the setting is bright and well equ ipped regarding toys, furniture ect. Laying down the ground rules, making the children familiar with them and are aware of the consequences if they are not followed. Children need boundaries and need to have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Post the ground rules in the setting and always lean towards positive, rather than negative, re-enforcement of them. stage out stickers and small prizes as rewards for come uponment. Be generous with praise and use positive statements to reinforce positive behaviour. Practitioners should be welcoming, happy and friendly to both children and parents.AC1.2 An naming of regulative requirements that underpin a positive environment for children and young people In September 2008 the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) came into force placing, for the offshoot time, a legal requirement on all early years providers to comply with the Governments learning, development and welfare requirements for 0-5 year-olds. The over-arching aim of the EYFS is to help children achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes. These aims, for children and young people aged 0-19, are to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve frugal well-being.EYFS states that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending childrens development and learning. It also says to observe the child finding out what they can do and their interests. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure childrens school readiness and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future reach through school and life. The EYFS also states that being outdoors has a positive impact on childrens sense of well-being and helps all aspects of childrens development.The childcare Act 2006, Health & safety at work act 1974, Care Standards Act 2006 and Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults (where applicable) all have a helping in the regulatory requirements that underpin a p ositive environment.

The use of teacher questions in learning and teaching

IntroductionQuestioning is one of the most of write accomplishments in in effect(p) management. Through oppugning a instructor bay window dish up pupils organize relationships, guarantee success, bring on the engagement of inattentive pupils, and enhance pupils self-pride ( Eggen & A Kauchak, 1996, P40 ) .Research workers overwhelmed with oppugning techniques highlighted the richness of oppugning in acquirement as an effectual tool in learning. A inquiry is defined as any sentence that has an interrogative signifier ( Cotton, Undated ) . In a initiateroom, the instructor s inquiries argon meant to be a tool intended to pass on the content elements to be learned and the operating instructions for what they atomic number 18 expected to make and the means to make it. ( Cotton, ( Undated ) . Aschner ( 1961 ) cited in. Gall ( 1970 ) , for illustration, called the instructor a professional inquiry shaper and claimed that inquiring inquiries is one of the basic ways by which the instructors stimulated pupils accept and acquisition.PurposeThis paper is an effort to look into the usage of the different types of inquiries inside the schoolroom in relation to the cognitive theories.Background and significanceThis flock is conducted at Fujairah Institute of Nursing ( ION ) .This institute is one out of trinity institutes from the Ministry of Health ( MOH ) in the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , which ar learning nursing sheepskin for local and expatriates. at that place ar three degrees of pupils these are diploma one ( DI ) , diploma two ( DII ) , and sheepskin three ( DIII ) .At Fujairah ION, there are 13 instructors some of them are Bachelors grade h oldishers while others are master prepared. The experience of the instructors ranges between two to fifteen old ages. The instructors normally apply two methods of learning harmonizing to the ION policy these are Lecture ground and Case Based instruction.The admittance standards of credence of pupi ls emphasize that pupils must go finished the high school with an norm of 70 % in the scientific watercourse. All classs are taught in English.On the footing of my personal instruction experience in the nursing field for the last 10 old ages, seven of them as a senior nursing coach at the ION MOH UAE. I keep up noticed that smashing inquiring technique is inborn in the development of pupil s apprehension and sarcastic thought. Furthermore, the chief end of the ION is to develop long life scholar through the usage of Case Based Learning Method and synergistic Lecture Based Method where the instructor showered the pupils with different types of inquiries to ease the treatment in the schoolroom. This could non go on efficaciously if the facilitators return no inquiring technique. Furthermore, because of my personal involvement in bettering the quality of instruction and oppugning technique in ION, and since cipher has investigated the impact of good oppugning on pupil s apprehe nsion. I feel the impulse to analyze the part of this facet to the acquisition procedure. The egress is expected to bring out the degree of oppugning ( high- order, low order ) and the consequence of inquiries on pupils comprehension.Literature reappraisalThe usage of oppugning helps instructors to analyze scholars comprehension. Questioning is besides utile for scholars as it encourages battle and focuses their thought on cardinal constructs and thoughts. Good learning involves how to inquire inquiries for maximal consequence.Some instructors inquiries are low cognitive 1s that ask pupils to give background information that they already have. Such inquiries have assorted advantages ( 1994, Airasian, et Al ) cited in Omrod, J, E. ( 2007 ) ( P475 ) .First, oppugning gives us an apprehension of the pupils old cognition and wrong thoughts about atopic. Second, they tend to look after pupils concentration on the lesson advancement. Third, they help us sum of money whether pupils are larning hard stuff efficaciously or are puzzled about peculiar accent. Fourth, they give pupils the opportunity to detect their apprehension. Finally, inquiries about the earlier lettered information promote reappraisal of the stuff, which should further capitaler recollection afterwards.Another type of inquiries is the high cognitive inquiries those that entail the pupils to believe critically beyond what they have learned ( Minstrell and Stimpsen, 1996 Progrow and Londer 1994 ) cited in Omrod, J, E. ( 2007 ) ( P475 ) . Using the high- degree inquiries help pupils to believe of their ain illustrations of ideas, use new criterions to work out a job or forge about possible reading of cause & A effects relationship and to advance critical thought.One of the basic theories in oppugning was reflected in Benjamin prime quantity s taxonomy ( 1956 ) who builds a system of classs of larning behaviour to assist us in planing and measuring educational acquisition. The taxonomy was ordered in grade of trouble from simple recall of facts on the lowest degree, through progressively more complex and abstract mental degrees, to the highest order making ( synthesis ) after being modified by his informer pupil Anderson ( 1994 ) . ( See extension E ) . An of import rule of Bloom s Taxonomy is that for each one degree must be mastered to begin with doing advancement to the following. The cardinal component of Bloom s taxonomy is in its prompt that we want pupils to hold many degrees at accomplishments. Bloom found that over 95 % of the trial inquiries require the pupils to believe merely at the minimal degree.teachers should be professional in the preparation of the inquiries and pay attending to their dictions as wide or narrow diction could restrict pupils response. Furthermore, instructors inquiries should be based on the cognitive degree of pupils instead than their classs.Piaget, another psychologist, stated that larning and believing involve scholar s eng agement. Knowledge is non strictly transmitted verbally but must be constructed and reconstructed by the scholar. Intelligence is good kept through assimilation and version hence, experiences should be considered to give opportunities for assimilation and adjustment. Harmonizing to Piaget, scholars need to research, to pull strings, to experiment, to inquiry, and to seek out replies for themselves activity is indispensable. Direction should be individualized every bit much as possible and scholars should pass on with each others, to challenge and discourse issues. Piaget considers instructors as facilitators of cognition they instruct, engage and motivate pupils. Learning is much more meaningful when larning springs from their experiences. Consequently, instructors can utilize assorted types of inquiries to excite the scholars believing about abstract constructs taking into consideration their developmental degree since development precedes acquisition. instructors should caref ully be after their inquiries and die hard from one phase to another depending on the cognitive procedure of the scholar, Therefore, there should be a correspondence between the cognitive degree of instructors inquiries and the cognitive king of the pupils replies.Harmonizing to Vygotsky ( 1920s-1934 ) , rational development takes topographic point in term of societal history and sociocultural background ( Luria, I 976 ) . That is, cognitive accomplishments and forms of thought of an person are non congenital factors, but are gained from interaction within his sociocultural environment. Vygotsky believed that larning takes topographic point when kids are working within their zone of proximal development ( ZPD ) . That is, the ZPD describes undertakings that a kid has non yet learned but is capable of larning at a given jog. A cardinal thought derived from Vygotsky s impression of societal acquisition is that of staging the aid provided by more competent equals or grownups. Typ ically, scaffolding agencies supplying a kid with a great trade of support during the untimely phases of acquisition. The instructor should see prosecuting pupils at the upper degrees enthusiastically without overpowering them. Vygotsky considered that the instructor as a scaffold that can assist the persons learn by seting his instructions and inquiries harmonizing to the kid s degree of public presentation is an effectual signifier of learning. Unlike Piaget, Vygotsky believed that larning returns development.Vygostyan psychological science ( Vygotskij, 1978, 1999, 2002 ) any cognition is based on a peculiar degree of abstraction. As a consequence, the proper usage of instructors inquiry even in the signifier of fact could take to abstraction which is contrary to Bloom.A considerable figure of research workers have studied the usage of inquiries in the schoolroom by the instructors and their findings were congruous. The figure and types of inquiries asked by instructors during the instruction procedure varies. Harmonizing to Gall, ( 1970 ) the usage of inquiries in the schoolroom over a 50 twelvemonth period reveals that the chief tendency has been the development of techniques to depict inquiries used by instructor. It is clear for pedagogues that inquiries play an of import function in learning. Aschner ( 1961 ) called the instructor a professional inquiries shaper . Flander ( 1970 ) cited in Gall, ( 1970 ) P3 ) stated that inquiring inquiry is one of the 10 major treatments for analyzing instructors behaviours in the widely used system for interaction analysis. Hastings ( 1912 ) cited in Gall ( 1970 ) P3 ) . An mean instructor asks 400 inquiries in a twenty-four hours, this means that most of the instruction prune is occupied with inquiries and replies. Educators by and large see oculus to oculus that instructors should emphasize the development of pupils accomplishment in critical thought instead than in remembering facts. Harmonizing to Gall, Approximately 60 % of instructor s quest on callback facts, approximately 20 % require pupils to believe and the staying 20 % are procedural.In another survey by Hussein ( 2006 ) , three instructors observed asked a sum of 782 inquiries consisting academic, non-academic, and pseudo inquiries in 16 posting Sessionss. The perceiver documented ( 526 ) inquiries, three hundred fifty four ( 354 or 67.3 % ) of these inquiries were in the academic class. The bulk of the academic inquiries were low-level ( 458, 87 % ) and the staying 68 inquiries ( 13 % ) were high-ranking.In the survey of Graesser and mortal ( 1994 ) , 96 % of the inquiries in a schoolroom environment are instructors inquiries. In add-on to being rare and short, student inquiries are besides simple ( Dillon, 1988 Flammer, 1981 Kerry, 1987 ) cited in Graesser & A mortal ) . That is, they are usually superficial, short-answer inquiries that deal with the content and reading of distinct stuff they are seldom high-cogn itive inquiries that involve illations, multistep analysis, or the averment of critical judgement.Research QuestionThis paper is an effort to reply the undermentioned inquiryWhat types of inquiries are used by the instructor?How different or similar are these inquiries to the researches findings?MethodologyDesignA descriptive survey design pass on be used to analyze the degree of inquiries posed by the instructors, based on the revised Bloom s taxonomy of the inquiry degree. The consequences will be tabulated utilizing simple statistical analysis to advert some Sums, and Percentages,Sample and PutingThe research worker will carry on two Sessionss of observations in two nursing categories. These are DI & A DII each category consists of 25 and 28 grownup pupils severally and learns through talk based method. They lie in the ( Formal operational phase of development ) harmonizing to Piaget.Two instructors will be observed are first is a holder of a maestro grade in Medical surgical nursing, has an experience for two old ages in nursing instruction the 2nd accept a Bachelor s Of Nursing Science, and has seven old ages of learning experience.The oppugning technique of the instructor will be assessed and evaluated through direct schoolroom observation in relation to the cognitive theory ( Bloom, Piaget and Vygotsky )The revised version of Bloom s taxonomy ( updated by Anderson, 1994 ) will be used as a march to measure the degree of oppugning. ( See appendix E )The ethical considerations of carry oning this piece of research were carefully considered. Three consent letters were obtained from the Branch managing director every bit good as the concerned instructors.Procedure1. A missive will be sent to the principal to acquire permission for observation. ( Appendix C )2. A missive will be sent to the concerned instructors that I will go to their categories. ( Appendix D )3. The schoolroom oppugning observation clip will be 100 proceedingss, 50 proceedingss for each Class session.4. The findings of the survey will be compared with the consequences of the surveies done by Gall, 1970 ( The usage of inquiries in learning ) , Graesser and Person 1994, ( Question inquiring during tutoring ) and Hussein, 2006 ( Dimensions of Questioning A Qualitative Study of Current Classroom Practice in Malaysia ) .Datas AnalysisThe figure and type of instructors will be counted and analyzed. I calculated the frequence of inquiries asked by the instructors and categorized them harmonizing to high cognitive order and low cognitive order based on bloom s taxonomy. The per centum of the entire figure of inquiries was calculated to ease readability and comparing between two categories.ConsequencesDegree of inquiryClass IClass II petty(a) cognitiveRemembering25 ( 66 % )17 ( 63 % )Understanding10 ( 26 % )6 ( 22 % )92 %85 %UsingHighCognitiveAnalyzing2 ( 5 % )2 ( 7 % )MeasuringMaking1 ( 3 % )2 ( 7 % )8 %14 %Sum3827DiscussionWith regard to this figure of inquiriesThe findings of this survey showed that the figure of asked inquiries ( C1 =38, C2 =27 ) falls in scope with the findings of the survey of ( Graesser and Natalie ) 30 to 120 inquiries per hr With regard to the frequence of low cognitive inquiriesIt is obvious from the findings that the bulk of inquiries ( C1 =92 % , C2 =85 % ) prevarication in the low cognitive order. Compared to the findings of ( Gall. 1970 ) and Hussein ( 2006 ) who severally found that 77 % and 87 % of instructors inquiries are of factual type. The figure of inquiries which lie in low cognitive order is rather higher based on my personal category room observations even the inquiries asked at the higher degree ( C1 =8 % , C2 =14 % ) were non answered right by the pupils. Teachers were noticed to feed the pupils with appropriated responses which will non excite abstract believing but contrary to that recalling and memorisation will term to be the existent term fro eg.1. ScaffoldingTeacher What is the consequence of pneumonic high blood pressure on the right side of the espouse?Students did non react to the inquiry.Teacher Scaffold them Could depict the pneumonic circulation.2. Formal operational How is the clinical presentation of right ventricular visitation different from the left side ventricular failure?Students No responseTraveling rearward from formal to concrete was quoted in the undermentioned eventTeacher What are the maps of the left and right side of the bosom?Although the instructor was inquiring inquiries at frequent manner there was no adequate attending to the degree of the asked inquiries most of the inquiry did affect recalling and rote memory board acquisition. This is an indicant that either instructors are non good trained or the higher order cognitive inquiries are non decently formulated or the pupils are non good coached to react to such types of inquiry. Students readying plays a function in reacting to higher degree of oppugning. If pupils are non good prepared, they will non be able to group the indispensable subject of the asked inquiry and therefore they will non catch up the higher cognitive degree inquiries.Connection with learning TheoriesDuring my schoolroom observations, I was able to happen a nexus between many of the instructor s inquiries and the cognitive theories from illustration.1. Vygotsky /scaffolding Teacher what is the consequence of left ventricular failure on the cardiac end product? Students did nt react to the instructor and seemed confused. Teacher gave them a intimation by simplifying the inquiries what are the determiners of Cardiac out? Students answered Blood force per unit area, and contraction. Teacher What is the consequence of contract on CO?2. Formal a Concrete ( Piaget )Teacher What is the principle behind dypsnea in platinum holding left ventricular failure?Students did nt replyTeachers ( moves to concrete )What causes dypsnea?Student lung upsetTeacher What is incorrect with lung?RecommendationsTeachers must be cognizant of the different degree of inquiries.Teachers should be watchful to the importance of effectual schoolroom inquiry technique in advancing pupil apprehensions.Training plan should be conducted for instructors.Students should be trained and coached on how to react to higher order inquiries.Teachers should be cognizant that even higher order inquiries could be misused to fall in the low cognitive order.Teacher should see that each pupil does non larn in the same manner.Teachers should excite all the pupils to inquire and take part in the treatment.Teachers should do certain that appropriate waiting clip is given to reply the inquiries sing the degree of the inquiry.Teachers should inquire inquiries that encourage pupils to utilize schemes and critical thought accomplishments.ContemplationGood inquiring technique improves the apprehension of the pupils and thence the result of the cognitive acquisition when the inquiries match the cognitive abilities of the pupils. Co nsequently larning and cognitive theories should be implemented in the schoolrooms.Furthermore, the consequence of this survey supports the recommendations of Gall that instructors do necessitate in-service and professional development programmed to better their inquiring accomplishments. Furthermore, the findings of Gall and Hussein are prevailing in the current survey. There are no indispensable alterations from 1970 boulder clay 2010.The research worker noticed that the inquiries were non distributed every bit among the pupils even a considerable portion of pupils were non engaged in the treatment particularly in DII. This could be due to hapless or unequal readying of the pupils, although it is the duty of the instructor to excite all the pupils. Furthermore, there was a noticeable job in the question-answer waiting clip for e.g. the instructor gave 15 seconds for a low cognitive inquiry whereas a high cognitive inquiry was given 12 seconds.The great majority of the inquiries were administered by the instructors and pupils were non encouraged to inquire inquiries.Restrictions of the surveyIt is worthy to advert that the range of this survey is limited to two instructors of nursing in one school in an educational zone.Some variables like instructor s readying which influence the oppugning accomplishments were non measured.Students readying and inquiries were non measured besides.

Maya Angelou Stories Essay Essay

Maya Angelou, within amazing stories has revealed the importance of perseverance, staying unanimous in moments of struggle, having the entrust to overcome difficulties, as well as having dreams that sometimes seem out of reach(predicate) and yet believing that it is a gift to survive. In many of her motivating quotes, she expresses, Im always inspired by men and women who riseThat energy to rise is nobleness of the human spirit.This clearly displays how her optimism in life has made her rise when f everyen and has helped her crop life teaching contributions by writing stories and poems that become worthy for all humans to endure lifes rough path also helping readers see life with a different perspective. In the stories, I know why the Caged Bird Sings, New Directions, and in the poems Caged Bird and Woman Work, Angelou has written about many of her witness experiences and taught us what humans will encounter, fail at, dream, and still survive. Even the ones who bemuse suffer ed the most have a lot to teach.The story, I know why the Caged Bird sings and poem, Caged bird are signifi tin cant comparison regarding Angelous lesson. These contents are both similar since in the story, Angelou observes how all the cotton pickers long freedom making it a metaphor to caged birds in a way that all they want is to be free and able to fly. Most commonly, they both share the same feeling of being lost and confine and lack the same rights as the ones that are free. The caged bird represents the cotton pickers and the African Americans meaning that they cannot have freedom and are ensnared in a world of no rest and profound work, regarding their colored skin.This shows how the cotton pickers and caged birds have dreams that sometimes even seem unreachable and impossible to defeat since they never even had the chance to commend that someday, freedom would form part in their lives. Angelou reveals throughout these selections, how people faced hardships growing up in the segregated south. This story also shows Angelous straight account of growing up as the poem connects to the way she probably felt as she experienced difficulties.She recites, The sounds of the new morning had been replaced with grumbles bout cheating houses, dull scales, snakes, skimpy cotton and dusty rows. In later years I was to confront the stereotyped picture of gay song-singing cotton pickers with such inordinate hysteria that I was told even by fellow Blacks that my paranoia was embarrassing. But I had seen the fingers cut by the mean little cotton bolls, and I had witnessed the backs and shoulders and arms and legs resisting any notwithstanding demands. This clearly illustrates how hard everything became and how the only thing she could do to bring her hopes up and release her anger, was sing, just like the caged bird.Angelou says in her poem, the caged bird sings with a fearful descant of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hil l for the caged bird sings of freedom. Indeed, as Angelou? s feelings relate to the caged birds feelings, all they could ask for was freedom. In the selection, New Directions, Angelou as the speaker is very motivational in what life may teach to people and how they should deal with certain outcomes of failure. She is a persevering woman that always looks forward for what good is to come and is very conscious about difficulties she may encounter in the way.This story shows how life has many courses from which people can choose and sometimes there are possibilities of getting lost or going the wrong way but what she tries to display and let people experience is that no matter how many ways one turns, or how many times one gets lost, it is never too late to change direction and separate out for success. Clearly, failure is an important step that leads to success it all depends on one? s attitude towards achieving it. Angelou really shows the value of perseverance and how humans sho uld encounter problems.She says, She had so stepped from the road which seemed to have been chosen for her and cut herself a brand-new path. In years that stall became a store where customers could buy cheese, meal, syrup, cookies, candy, writing tablets, pickles, canned goods, pertly fruit, soft drinks, coal, oil, and leather soles for worn-out shoes. This displays a great example on how she failed in many jobs, took different paths, but with will and tenacity ended up with her own perfect stall that finally succeeded and made her feel proud.To achieve goals, humans have to turn many ways which sometimes will be full of rocks and others full of flowers until they find their own piece of land and make up their garden. This is what Angelou reveals with this great selection. A good mother does not only criminal maintenance for her child, guide him all way through, pay for his education but keeps on functional until sometimes rest is not even part of their lives due to all the dut ies and responsibilities that are far more important than rest.This next poem, Woman Work expresses in detail how even though some people work the stallion day with almost no hours of sleep and rest, still survive. Angelou illustrates how the only thing some humans desire is to rest while others complain about working for a few times a day or even a few times a week or month. This deeply reveals how hard life can be for some people that do not even ask for luxurious gifts but for the gift of rest only.In this poem, Angelou tries to go how the woman feels by listing various activities making it seem never ending by the use of rhythm. She states, Storm, blow me from here with your fiercest wind let me squander across the sky Til I can rest again. This shows how the woman even sees the serenity in life as an unreachable goal. It is deeply a strong theme of how the ones who have freedom and have the necessary money to live have to be pleasant while others, who do not, are entirely grateful for few hours of rest.To conclude, Angelou was not only a woman who went through many hard times as a child and further on wise to(p) life lessons, but is a woman to venerate and thank for great contributions that she has made by her amazing written selections both poems and stories that help readers build their own perspective of life in general. To display these contents, within her stories and poems, she used many metaphors, rich language, rhythm and descriptive actions that bring the audience into the readings and make them feel as if they were living it themselves.They once said anonymously, Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than youve ever been, to stand up taller than you ever were. This quote defines the rule of life. To rise, everyone has to have fallen. Every time life brings people down, life itself teaches them to come back up with perseverance and handling problems properly. All themes that Angelou reveals are lessons that will only make humans fly freely, sing higher and rise into better persons granting them the choice of what direction to go and what path to build.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 38

clean knew that she was going to die.She had had a clear premonition of it just before thosethings the trees that moved wish well humans, with their hideous faces and their thick, k nonted arms had touch the shortsighted band of humans in the Old Wood. She had let outd the howl of the shady weir dog, runed, and just caught a glimpse of one vanishing in the glargon of her flashlight. The dogs had a long history in becomings family when one of them howled, a death was soon to come.Shed guessed and and then that it would be hers. tho she hadnt say any(prenominal)thing, thus uttermost when Dr. Alpert had give tongue to, What in the name ofheaven wasthat ? just was practicing being brave. Meredith and Matt were brave. It was virtu every last(predicate)ything built into them, an ability to keep going when any sane person would expect away and hide. They both putthe groups good ahead of their accept. And of stemma Dr. Alpert was brave, non to mention strong, and Mrs. Flowers tallymed to ache decided that the teenagers were her own special charges to mete out c ar of. comely had destinyed to show that she could be brave, withal. She was practicing holding her head up and listening for things in the bushes, tour simultaneously listening with her psychic senses for any sign of Elena. It was hard to juggle the two kinds of hearing. there was a lot to hear with her real ears all kinds of quiet chucklings and whisperings from the bushes that didnt belong there. But from Elena there wasnt a sound, not even when Bonnie called her name over and overElena, Elena, ElenaShes human again, Bonnie had realized sadly, at last. She whoremastert hear me or make contact. Out of all of us, shes the only one who didnt miraculously escape.And it was then that the first of the Tree-Men loomed up in bm of the group of searchers. Like something out of a nursery-tale nightmare, it was a tree and then suddenly it was athing , a tree wish well giant that suddenl y moved swiftly toward them, its stop number branches bunching together to become long arms, and then everyone was screaming and trying to get away from it.Bonnie would never forget how Matt and Meredith had tried to help her run then.The Tree-Man wasnt strong. But when they dark and ran from it they found that there was some other one behind them. And more to the right and the left. They were surrounded.And then, like cattle, like slaves, they were herded. Any of them that tried to resist the trees were slapped and cuffed by hard and sharp-thorned branches, and then, with a lithe branch wound around the neck, weredragged .Theyd been caught exclusively they hadnt been fling offed. kind of they were being taken somewhere. It wasnt hard to imagine why in concomitant Bonnie could imagine a whole lot of different whys. It was just a matter of picking which was the scariest.In the end, afterwards what seemed like hours of forced heading, Bonnie began to recognize things. They were going back to the boardinghouse again. Or rather, they were going back to thereal boardinghouse for the first time. Carolines car was outside. The house was again lit from top to bottom, exclusively there were dark windows here and there.And their captors were waiting for them.And straight off, after her outburst of weeping and pleading, she was trying to be brave once more.When that boy with the strange hair had utter that she would be the first, shed understood exactly what he meant, and how she was going to die and suddenly she wasnt brave at all inside. But she wouldnt scream again.She could just see the widows walk, and the non- clear figures on it, nevertheless Damon hadlaughed when the Tree-Men had begun to pluck her clothes off. Now he waslaughing as Meredith held the garden shears. She wouldnt beg him again, not when it wouldnt make any difference in any case.And now she was on her back, with her arms and legs tied so she was helpless, clothed in strips and rag s. She wanted them to kill her first, so she wouldnt declare to watch Meredith prove her own tongue to pieces.Just as she felt a last scream of force welling up inside her like a snake climbing a pole, she had seen Elena high above her in a white pine tree.Wings of the Wind,Elena whispered as the ground rushed up toward her, very fast.The go unfolded cryingly from somewhere inside Elena. They werent real, they spanned some forty feet and were do of princely gossamer, the color ranging from ambiguousest Baltic amber at her back to ethereal pale citrine at the tips. They were almost still, barely rising and falling, but they held her up, the wind rushing under them, and they got her to exactly where she mandatory to go.not to Bonnie. That was what they would all be expecting. From her height, she just might be able to snatch Bonnie free, but she had no root how to emasculated Bonnies bonds or whether she could lift off again.Instead Elena swerved toward the widows walk at the last result, snatched the pruning shears out of Merediths upraised hand, and then caught a handful of long, silky black-and-scarlet hair. Misao shrieked.And thenThatwas when Elena actually needed some belief. So off the beaten track(predicate) she had really just been gliding, not flying. But now she needed uplift she needed the wings to actand once again, although there was no time, she was with Stefan, and feelingthe first time she had kissed him. Other girls might have waited until it was the other way around, permit the boy take the lead, but not Elena. Besides, at first Stefan had thought that all kissing meant was seducing prey.the first timehe had kissed her, understanding that it wasnt a predatory allianceAnd now she needed toreally fly.I neck I can.But Misao was just so heavy and Elenas memory was faltering. The great golden wings trembled and became still. Shinichi was trying to climb a creeper to get to her, and Damon was holding Meredith motionless.And, too late, Elena realized that it wasnt going to work.She was alone, and she couldnt advertise this way. Not against so many.She was alone, and smart that made her want to shriek was lancing through her back. Misao was in some way making herself heavier, and in another minute she would be too heavy for Elenas trembling wings to hold up.She was alone, and like the pillow of the humans, she was going to die And then, through the agony that was causing fine sweat to break out all over her personate, she comprehend Stefans voice.Elena Let go dec and Ill catch youHow strange, Elena thought, as if in a dream. His love and panic had distorted his voice somehow making him sound different. Making him sound almost like Elena Imwith you like Damon.Shaken out of her dream, Elena looked below her. And there was Damon, standing protectively in front of Meredith, looking up at her, with his arms held out.He was with her.Meredith, he went on, girl, this is no time to be sleepwalking Your friend needs youElena needs youSlowly, dully, Meredith turned her face up. And Elena saying vitality and animation restored to it as her eyeball focussed on the trembling of the great golden wings.Elena she shouted, Im with you ElenaHow did she know to say that? The answer was that she was Meredith and Meredith always knew what to say.And now the cry was being taken up by another voice Matts.Elena he shouted, in a sort of acclamation. Im with you, ElenaAnd Dr. Alperts deep voice Elena Im with you, ElenaAnd Mrs. Flowers, surprisingly strong Elena Im with you, ElenaAnd even poor Bonnie ElenaWere with you, ElenaWhile deep in her heart, the real Stefan whispered, Im with you, my angel.Were all with you, ElenaShe didnt drop Misao. It was as if the great golden wings had caught an updraft in fact, they almost lifted her straight up, out of control but somehow she managed to keep herself steady. She was still looking down and she saw the tears spill from her eyes and fall toward Damons outstretc hed arms. Elena didnt know why she was crying, but part of it was ruthfulness for ever having doubted him.Because Damon wasnt just on her side. Unless she was wrong, he was willing to die for her was courting death for her. He threw himself into the entangling creepers and vines, all r each(prenominal)ing for Meredith or for Elena.It had only taken an instant to get hold of Misao, but Shinichi was already leaping toward Elena, in play a trick on form, lips drawn back, aiming to tear her throat out. These were no ordinary foxes. Shinichi was almost as long as a wolf certainly the size of a Brobdingnagian dog and as vicious as a wolverine.Mean tour the entire widows walk burst into a maze of vines, creepers, and fibrous tendrils, and Shinichi was beinglifted by them. Elena didnt know which way to dodge. She needed time, and she needed a clear shot out of here.All Caroline was doing was screaming.And then Elena saw her opening. A gap in the creepers that she threw herself at, kn owing in her subconscious that she was throwing herself over the railing as well, and somehow keeping her hold on Misaos hair. In fact, it must have been an extremely painful experience for the female kitsune as she swung back and forth like a pendulum below Elena.The one contemplate Elena was able to give over her shoulder showed Damon, still moving faster than anything Elena had ever seen. He had Meredith in his arms now and was hurrying her through a gap that led to the cupula door. As soon as she stepped in, she appeared down on the ground and ran toward the altar where Bonnie was lying, only to slam into one of the Tree-Men. For a moment, as Damon glanced toward Elena, their gazes met and something electric passed between them. It made Elena tingle all over, that look did. then she refocused Caroline was screaming again Misao was using her whip to get a magnetize on Elenas leg and was calling on Tree-Men to give her a lift. Elena needed to fly higher. She had no idea how shew as controlling her golden gossamer wings, but zilch seemed to snarl them and they obeyed her slightest whim as though she had always had them. The great trick was to not recover ofhow to get somewhere, but just to imagine being there.On the other hand, the Tree-Men were growing. It was like some childhood nightmare of giants, and at first it made Elena feel that it was she who was shrinking. But the hideous creatures were actually overtopping the house now, and their upper, snake-like branches slashed into her legs while Misao lashed out with her whip. Elenas jeans were in shreds now. She swallowed a cry of pain.I have to fly higher.I can do it.Im going to save you all.Ibelieve.Faster than the swoop of a hummingbird, she was darting up in the clear air again, still holding Misao by her long black-and-red hair. And Misao was screaming, screams that Shinichi echoed even as he fought with Damon.And then, just as she and Damon had planned, just as she and Damon hadhoped , Misao turned into her true form and Elena was holding a large and heavy, writhing vixen by the scruff of its neck.There was a difficult moment while Elena got the balance right. She had to remember that there was more weight in back because Misao had six tails and was heaviest where a real fox would be lightest.By then she had swooped back to her perch in the tree, and she stood there, able to look down on the scene below, the Tree-Men too slow to keep up. The plan had gone perfectly, except that Damon, of all people, had forgotten what he was supposed to be doing. Far from retreating into possession, he had fooled Shinichi and Misao beautifully and Elena, too. Now, according to their plan he was supposed to be taking care of any innocent bystanders, letting Elena lure Shinichi on.Instead something inside him seemed to have snapped and he was methodically beating the human-shaped Shinichis head against the house, shouting Damnyou Whereismybrother?I could kill you right now Shinichi shouted back, but he was short of pinch. He wasnt finding Damon an easy opponent.Do it Damon returned immediately. And then she pointing to the perching Elena will cut your sisters throatShinichis contempt was scathing.You expect me to believe that a girl with an aura likethat willkill There comes a time when you have to make a stand. And for Elena, blazing with defiance and glory, this was that time. She took a deep breath, begged the Universes forgiveness, and leaned down, positioning the pruning shears. Then she squeezed as hard as she could.And a red-tipped black vixens tail fell twisting to the ground, while Misao shrieked in pain and rage. As the tail fell it writhed, and it lay in the middle of the clearing, squirming like a snake that wasnt quite defeated yet. Then it became transparent and faded away.That was when Shinichi really screamed, Do you know what youve done, you ignorant bitch? Ill bring this place down on top of you Ill tear you apartOh, yes, of course you will. Bu t first, Damon spoke each word deliberately, you have to get past times me.Elena barely registered their words. It hadnt been easy for her to squeeze those shears. It had meant thinking more or less Meredith with the shears in her own hands, and Bonnie lying on the altar, and Matt, earlier, writhing on the ground. And Mrs. Flowers, and the three lost little girls, and Isobel and a great deal about Stefan.But as for the first time in her life she drew anothers blood line with her own hands, she had a sudden strange sense of responsibility of newaccountability . As if an icy wind had blown her hair back crisply and say into her frozen, gasping faceNever without reason. Never without necessity. Never unless theres no other solution available.Elena felt something inside her grow up, all at once. Too fast to say good-bye to childhood, she had become a warrior.You all thought I couldnt fight, she called to the assembled group. You were wrong. You thought I was powerless. You were w rong there, too. And Ill use the last drop of my Power in this fight, because you twins are real monsters. No, youre abominations. And if I die Ill rest with Honoria Fell, and Ill watch over Fells Church again.Fells Church will rot and die writhing with maggots, a voice near her ear said, and it was a deep bass voice, nothing like Misaos shrill screaming. Elena knew even as she turned that it was the white pine tree. A hard scaly bough, laden with those serrated, resin-sticky needles, slammed into her midriff, throwing her off balance and making her involuntarily open her hands. Misao promptly escaped, and burrowed into the Christmas-tree-like branches.BadtreesgotoHell, Elena cried, throwing her entire body weight into remove the shears she held into the base of the branch that had tried to crush her. It tried to pull away, and she twisted the shears in the wounded dark bark, relieved when a large piece fell off, with only a long string of resin left to show where it had been.The n she looked for Misao. The fox wasnt finding it as easy as she might have thought, navigating a tree. Elena looked at the cluster of tails. Strangely, there was no stump, no blood, no sign that the fox had been injured.Was that why she wasnt turning human? The pass of a tail? Even if she were naked when she changed back to her human self as some stories of werewolves had it shed be in better condition to climb down.Because Misao seemed finally to have chosen the slow but sure method of descent to have branch after branch take hold of her fox body and pass it down to the next. Which meant she was only about ten feet below Elena.And all Elena had to do was to coast over the needles down to her and then by wings or other means stop. If she believed in her wings. If the tree didnt throw her off.Youre too slow, Elena shouted. Then she began the coast to overcome the distance not far in human body-lengths to her goal.Until she saw Bonnie.Bonnies slight body was still lying on th e altar, pale and cold-looking. But nowfour of the hideous Tree-Men had hold of her, one at each hand and one at each foot. They were already pulling so hard that she was lifted up into the air.And Bonnie was awake. But not screaming. Not making a noise to close in attention to herself and Elena realized with a rush of love and horror and desperation thatthat was why she hadnt been making a fuss before. She wanted the major players here to fight their fight without the bother of rescuing her.The Tree-Men leaned back.Bonnies face contorted in agony.Elenahad to get to Misao. Sheneeded the double fox key to free Stefan, and the only people who could tell her where it was were Misao and Shinichi. She looked up at the darkness above and noticed that it seemed a little less dark than when she had last seen it, the sky a dark swirling gray instead of dead black but there was no help there. She looked down. Misao, making a little better time with her escape. If Elena let her get awayStefa n was her love. But Bonnie Bonnie was her friend ever since childhood.And then she saw Plan B.Damon was fighting Shinichi or trying.But Shinichi was always an easy centimeter away from where Damons fist was. Shinichis fists, on the other hand, always connected solidly with their targets, and right now Damons face was a bloody mask.Use woodMisao was coaching in a shriek, her wide manner having suddenly vanished. You men, youidiots, all you think of is yourfists Shinichi broke a pillar support from the widows walk one-handed, showing his true strength. Damon grimaced beatifically. He was, Elena knew, going to enjoy this, even though it meant all the many little wounds those wooden splinters would entail.It was in the middle of this that Elena shouted, Damon, look down Her voice seemed weak over the cacophony of shrieks and sobs and screams of fury all around. Damon Look down atBonnie Nothing so far had been able to break Damons concentration he seemed determined to find out whe re Stefan was being unploughed or to kill Shinichi trying.Now, to Elenas slight surprise, Damons head jerked around immediately. He looked down.A cage, shouted Shinichi. Build me a cage.And tree branches leaned in from all sides to pin him and Damon into their own little world, a lattice to keep them contained.The Tree-Men leaned back farther. And despite herself, Bonnie screamed.You see? laughed Shinichi. Each of your friends will die in that agony or worse. angiotensin converting enzyme by one, we will take youThat was when Damon really seemed to go crazy. He began moving like quicksilver, like a leaping flame, like some animal with reflexes far faster than Shinichis. Now there was a sword in his hand, undoubtedly conjured up by the magical housekey, and the sword slashed through the branches even as the branches reached out to trap him. And then he was airborne, leaping over the railing for the second time that night.This time Damons balance was perfect, and far from breaking bones, he made a graceful, catlike landing just beside Bonnie. And then his sword was flashing in an arc, sweeping all around Bonnie, and the tough, feellike tips of the branches that held her were cut cleanly away.A moment later, Bonnie was being lifted, being held by Damon as he leaped easily off the rough-hewn altar and was lost in the shadows near the house.Elena let out the breath shed been holding and turned back to her own affairs. But her heart was beating more strongly and faster, with joy and with pride and with gratitude, as she slid down the painful, cutting-edged needles, and almost flashed past Misao, who was being whisked out of her way not quite in time.She got a good grip on the nape of the foxs neck. Misao keened a strange animal requiem and sank her teeth into Elenas hand so hard that it felt as if they were going to meet. Elena bit her lip until she felt blood come, trying not to scream.Be crushed, and die, and turn to loam,the tree said in Elenas ear.Your ki nd can feed my kin for once. The voice was ancient, malevolent and very, very frightening.Elenas legs reacted without pausing to consult her mind. They pushed off hard and then the golden butterfly wings unfurled again, not beating but undulating, holding Elena steady above the altar. She pulled the snarling vixens muzzle up not too close to her own face. Where are the two pieces of the fox key? she demanded. Tell me or Ill take off another tail. Iswear I will. Dont fool yourself its not just your pride that youre losing, is it? Your tails are your Power. What would it feel like to have none at all?Like being a human exceptyou , you freak. Now Misao was laughing again in her panting-dog way, her fox ears flat to her head.Just answer the questionAs if you would understand the answers I could give. If I told you that one was inside the silver nightingales instrument, would that give you any kind of idea?It might if you explained it a little more clearlyIf I told you that one was b uried in Blodwedds ballroom, would you be able to find it? Again the panting smiling as the fox gave clues that led nowhere or everywhere.Are those your answers?NoMisao shrieked suddenly and kicked with her feet, as if they were dogs legs scrabbling in the dirt. Except that the dirt was Elenas midriff, and the scrabbling legs felt as if they might well puncture her entrails. She felt her camisole tear.I told you Im not playing around here Elena cried. She lifted the vixen with her left arm, even though it ached with tiredness. With her right hand, she positioned the shears.Where is the first part of the key? Elena demanded.Search for yourself You only have the whole world to look through, and every thicket besides. The fox went for her throat again, white teeth actually scoring Elenas flesh.Elena forced that arm to hold Misao higher. I expostulate withed you, so dont say that I didnt or that you have any reason to grumbleShe squeezed the shears.Misao gave a squeal that was almos t lost in the general commotion. Elena, feeling more and more tired, said, Youre a complete liar, arent you? Look down if you want. I didnt cut anywhere close to you. You just heard the shears click and screamed.Misao very nearly got a claw into Elenas eye. Oh, well. Now, for Elena, there were no more moral or ethical issues. She wasnt causing pain, she was simply draining Power. The shears wentsnap, snap, snap , and Misao screamed and cursed her, but below them the Tree-Men were shrinking.Where is the first part of the key?Let me go and Ill tell. suddenly Misaos voice was less shrill.On your honor if you can say that without laughing?On my honor and my word as a kitsune. Please You cant leave a fox without a real tail Thats why the ones you cut didnt hurt. Theyre badges of honor. But my real tail is in the middle, its tipped with white, and if you cut me there youll see blood and it will leave a stump. Misao seemed thoroughly cowed, thoroughly ready to cooperate.Elena knew about judging people and intuition, and both her mind and her heart were telling her not to think this creature. But she wanted so much to believe, to hope.Making a slow curving descent so that the vixen was close to the ground she would not give in to the temptation to drop her from sixty feet up Elena said, Well? On you honor, what are the answers?Six Tree-Men came to life around her and plunged at her, with greedy, grasping finger branches.But Elena wasnt taken completely off guard. She hadnt let go of her grip on Misao only slackened it. Now she tightened the grip again.A wave of strength buoyed her so that she lifted fast and swept by the widows walk and a furious Shinichi and weeping Caroline. Then Elena met Damons eyes. They were filled with hot, furious pride in her. She was filled with hot, fierce passion.I am not an angel, she announced to any of the group who hadnt quite managed to grasp this yet. I am not an angel and I am not a spirit. Im Elena Gilbert and Ive been to the Other Side. And right now Im ready to do whatever needs to be done, which seems to include kicking some assThere was a clamor below that at first she couldnt identify. Then she realized it was the others it was her friends. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert, Matt and even wild Isobel. They were cheering and they were visible because suddenly the backyard was in daylight.Am I doing that? Elena wondered, and realized that somehow she was. She was lighting up the clearing in which Mrs. Flowers house stood, while leaving the woods around dark.Maybe I can extend it, she thought. Make the Old Wood into something younger and less evil.If she had been more experienced, she would never have attempted it. But right here and right now she felt that she could take anything on. She looked at the four directions of the Old Wood around her quickly, and she cried, Wings of Purification and watched the huge, frosty, iridescent butterfly wings spread high and wide, and then wider, and then spread some m ore.She was aware of a silence, of being so enrapt in something she was doing that even Misaos struggles didnt matter. It was a silence that reminded her of something of all the most beautiful strains of euphony coming together into one, single, powerful chord.And then the Power blasted out from her not destructive Power like that Damon had sent many times, but a Power of renewal, of springtime, of love, youth, and purification. And she watched as the light spread farther and farther, and the trees grew smaller and more familiar, with more clearings in between thickets. Thorns and hanging creepers disappeared. On the ground, spreading out like a circle expanding, flowers of all colors bloomed, sweet violets in clumps here and banks of Queen Annes lace there, and wild roses climbing everywhere. It was so beautiful that it made her bosom ache.Misao hissed. Elenas trance was finally broken, and she looked around to see that the shambling, hideous Tree-Men had disappeared in the full sunlight and in their place was a wide patch of sorrel dot with fossilized trees in odd shapes. Some looked almost human. For a moment Elena regarded the scene, puzzled, and then she realized what else was different. All the real humans were gone.I never should have brought you here And that, to Elenas surprise, was Misaos voice. She was speaking to her brother. You spoiled everything because of that girl.Shinichi no bakaIdiot, yourself Shinichi shouted at Misao. OnoreYoure reacting just the way they want What else am I supposed to do?I heard you giving the girl clues, Shinichi snarled. Youd do anything for the sake of your looks, you selfish You can say that to me? While you havent lost even one tail yourself?Just because Im faster Misao cut him off. Thats a lie and you know it Take it backYoure too weak to fight You should have run long ago Dont come crying to me about it.Dont youdare speak to me like that And Misao leaped from Elenas grasp and attacked Shinichi. He had been wrong. She was a good fighter. In a second they were a destruction zone, rolling over and over as they fought changing forms all the while. Black and scarlet fur flew. Out of the ball of turning bodies came scraps of speech still wont find the keys not both of them, anyway even if they did what would it matter? still have to find the boy I say its only sporting to let them try Misaos horrible shrill giggle. And see what they find in theShi no Shi Abruptly the fight ended and they both became human. They were battered, but Elena felt that there was nothing more that she could do if they chose to fight again.Instead Shinichi said, Im breaking the globe.Here , he turned to Damon and shut his eyes, is where your precious brother is. Im putting it into your mind if you can decode the map. And once you get there, youll die. Dont say I didnt warn you.To Elena he bowed and said, I regret that youll be dying, too. But Ive memorialized you in an ode.Wild rose and lilac,Bee s balm and daisy,Elenas smile chasesThe winter away.Bluebell and violet,Foxglove and iris, look upon where she treadsAnd then watch the grass sway.Wherever her feet pass,White flowers part the grass Id rather hear a straight explanation of where the keys are, Elena said to Shinichi, knowing that after that song she wouldnt get any more from Misao. Frankly, Im sick and tired of all yourbullshit .She noticed that once again everyone was staring at her and she could feel why. She could feel a difference in her voice, in her stance, in her patterns of speech. But mostly,inside , what she felt was freedom.Well give you this much, Shinichi said. We wont move them. Find them from the clues or by other means, if you can. He winked at Elena and turned away to meet a pale and trembling Nemesis.Caroline. Whatever else shed been doing for the last few minutes, she had been crying, and rubbing her eyes, and wringing her hands or so Elena guessed from the distribution of her makeup.You, too? she said to Shinichi.You, too?Shinichi smiled his lazy smile. And what two am I? He held up two fingers in the V symbol to differentiate his two from Carolines.Youve fallen for her, too? Making up songs giving her clues to find Stefan Theyre not very good clues, Shinichi said comfortingly and smiled again.Caroline tried to hit him, but he caught her fist. And you think youre leaving now? Her voice was pitched at a scream not as high as Misaos glass-splintering shriek, but with its own fearsome vibrato.Iknow were leaving. He glanced at the sullen Misao. After one more item of business. But not with you.Elena tensed up, but Caroline was trying to attack Shinichi again. After what you said to me? After all that yousaid ?Shinichi looked her up and down, seeming to actually see her for the first time. He also looked genuinely bewildered. Saidto you? he asked. Have we spoken before this evening?There was a high-pitched giggle. Everyone turned. Misao was standing, giggling, her hands o ver her mouth.I used your image, she said to her brother, her eyes on the floor as if confessing to a minor fault. And your voice. In the mirror, when I would give her orders. She was on the rebound from some guy whod dumped her. I told her Id fallen in love with her and that I wanted to get revenge on her enemies if shed just do a few little things for me.Like spreading malach through little girls, Damon said grimly.Misao giggled again. And a boy or two. I know what it feels like to have those malach inside you. It doesnt hurt at all. Theyre just there.Have you ever had one force you to do something you didnt want to? Elena demanded. She could feel her blue eyes blazing. Do you thinkthat would hurt, Misao?It wasnt you? Caroline was still looking at Shinichi she obviously couldnt keep up with the script. It wasntyou ?He sighed, smiling slightly. Not me. Golden hair is my undoing, Im afraid. Goldenor fiery red against black, he added hastily, glancing at his sister.So it was all a lie, Caroline said, and for a moment, desperation was written on her face larger than anger, with tribulation larger than both. Youre just another Elena fan.Look, Elena said bluntly, I dont want him. I hate him. The only guy I care about is StefanOh, hes the only guy, is he? Damon asked, with a glance toward Matt, who had carried Bonnie up close to them while the fox-fight was going on. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert had followed.You know what I mean, Elena told Damon.Damon shrugged. Many a golden-haired lassie ends as the rough yeomans bride. Then he shook his head. Why am I spouting drek like this? His compact body seemed to tower over Shinichi.Its just a residual loadfrom being possessedyou know. Shinichi fluttered his hands, his eyes still on Elena. My thought patternsIt looked as if another fight was brewing, but then Damon just smiled and said, narrow-eyed, So you let Misao have her way with the town while you went after Elena and me.And Mutt, Damon said hastily and automatica lly.I was going to say Stefan, Elena said. No, I would guess that Matt was the victim of one of Misao and Carolines little schemes before he and I ran into you when you were completely possessed.And now you think you can just walk away, Caroline said, in a shaking, menacing voice.Weare walking away, Shinichi said stiffly.Caroline, wait, Elena said. I can help you withWings of Purification. Youre being controlled by a malach.I dont need your help I need ahusband There was utter silence on the roof. Not even Matt stepped up to the plate on this one.Or at least a fianc, Caroline muttered, one hand on her abdomen. My family would acceptthat.Well work it out, Elena said softly then, firmly, Caroline, believe it.I wouldnt believe in you if Carolines answer was obscene. Then she spat in Elenas direction. Andthen she was silent, by her own choice or because the malach inside her wanted it.Back to business, Shinichi said. Lets see, our price for the service of the clues and the location is a little block of memory. Lets sayfrom the time I first met Damon until now. Taken from Damons mind. He smiled nastily.You cant do that Elena felt panic shoot through her, starting in her heart and flying out to the farthest reaches of every limb. Hes different now hes remembered things hes changed. If you take that memory away So will all the sweet changes go, Shinichi told her. Would you rather I took your memory?YesBut you were the only one who heard the clues about the key. And in any case I dont want to see things from your eyes. I want to see youthroughhis eyes.By now, Elena was ready to start another fight on her own. But Damon said, distancing himself already, Go ahead and take what you like. But if you dont get out of this town right after, I take off yourhead with these shears.Agreed.No, Damon Do you want Stefan back?Not at that priceToo bad, Shinichi put in. Thereis no other bargain.Damon Please think about itI have thought. Its my fault that the malach spread so far in the first place. Its my fault for not investigating what was going on with Caroline. I didnt care what happened to humans as long as the new arrivals kept away fromme . But I can fix some of the things I did to you by finding Stefan. He half turned to her, the old devil-may-care smile on his lips. After all, taking care of my brother is my job.Damon listento me.But Damon was looking at Shinichi. Agreed, he said. You have yourself a deal.