Initial Personal Development Plan Essay

Study skills. During my GCSEs I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of life. I chose to study French, Graphics and History. I enjoyed French the most and did quite well in it, however if I had concentrated more I could’ve done a lot better. I was also working in my dads’ cafà ©. I enjoyed working at the cafà © a lot. It was hard at times to manage my time between School, working at the cafà ©, going to football practice and also making time to do homework and revision. In class I enjoyed myself a lot and got my work done fast so went on to do extra question or ‘bonus questions’. When I was in the classroom environment I felt more confidant in my work as I had the teacher to double check if I had any doubts but because I didn’t go over my work at home I feel it put me really behind .However having to juggle school, work, football and revision was very stressful and I didn’t do well as well I would have liked which put education in a negative light for me . I did consider at one point to stop my education after leaving school while I was at school because I didn’t believe I would be able to handle the pressure, however I knew that education is a very big part of my life and my family’s life as everyone has been to university in my family so I felt I had to go to college and further my education. Through this time my teachers were very helpful, I found it hard to ask for at first but when I did seek advice it was definitely the right choice. It made it clearer what I wanted in the long term and helped boost my confidence a bit in my work. After school had finished, in the summer I worked full time in my dads’ cafà © and learned a lot of new skills. I worked at the front of the shop. This made me in charge of taking orders, making sure the customers were happy, making sure the chef understood what the customer wanted, deal with complaints and come up with a fair solution. I got to experience what it’s like to run a business first hand, I got experience in taking stock, ordering stock, deliveries, cash handling, making targets, pushing sales, customer service and sorting the rotas out. This was my first time having a proper full time job, it was hard at times as at the beginning it a new environment and I wasn’t used to it, however I soon realised that one of my strengths is that I can adapt to new environments rather fast which has helped me in other jobs. While at college I studied Psychology, Sociology and English language/literature. I preferred psychology to my other subjects as I find behaviour very interesting and the cause behind it. Studying at college was a completely new environment, I didn’t have the same pressure as I did at school from my teachers, but however I had more pressure on me to get my work done on my done. I got a part time job as sales assistant in a mens shirt shop. The job was a one person shift job, so it was all up to me to make sales, attending to all the customers, making sure the shop was in a selling state. I soon moved from being just a sales assistant to supervisor which gave me more responsibility, I opened and closed the shop, cash handling, did the banking, ordering stock, sorting the delivery and sorting the rota. Again working and studying was quite stressful, but as I was enjoying my courses at college I did not find it as stressful as I did at school. I had more freedom and also more time so I was able to manage my time a lot better without the pressure. When it comes to my strengths and weaknesses, I sometimes feel my strengths can by my weaknesses. I have a strong sense of empathy which makes it a lot easier for me to get along for with different people and be able to communicate with them on their level. Also being able to speak more than one language has helped too, I speak English, Kurdish, Arabic and a bit of Swedish. Having a strong sense of empathy can be a weakness as I can be too pleasant towards people and can be a push over, but I can stand my ground if need be. I am very strong about my morals and I know where to draw a line between what’s right and wrong. I believe one of my biggest strengths is my will power. I’m very driven when it comes to my work, when I’m in a selling environment I’m very comfortable. Sometimes I am too driven and I can ignore things on the side. Being a very goal oriented person I sometimes forget to enjoy myself and spend too much time achieving my goals. Coming for the middle east a region that is very rich in oil and gas, I am inspired to work in the field. Not very many people from my part of the world work in managing our local resources, I wish to be able to work managing oil and gas and ensure all members of society benefit from the riches of the industry. One of my life’s dreams is to open an orphanage and educate the less fortunate. I firmly believe that an education is the only way to eradicate the social ills affecting my region. I am a firm believer in the fact that education is the cure for all evils. I hope by educating myself as a women from a region where education is not very common I hope to able to stand on my own two feet so as to be able to help others better themselves.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Reivew Essay

Macbeth is a Shakespearean Tragedy Macbeth is considered to be one of the greatest Shakespearean tragedies written by William Shakespeare. According to A.C. Bradley, it is the â€Å"most vehement, the most concentrated, perhaps we may say the most tremendous, of the tragedies† (Bradley 333). Macbeth, written by Shakespeare is a Shakespearean tragedy because it has a tragic hero, mathemata, and a hamartia. These three characteristics are crucial to have in a Shakespearean tragedy and prove that Macbeth is indeed one. More specifically, the tragic hero is one of the most important of the three because without the hero, sympathy cannot be evoked. Macbeth is a tragedy because it contains a tragic hero. In a Shakespearean tragedy, it is imperative that the tragic hero is of high estate, affects the whole nation and evokes pity and fear from the audience. The tragic hero in Macbeth is Macbeth himself. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is introduced as the Thane of Glamis and â€Å"a general of extraordinary prowess† (Bradley 44) in Duncan’s army. When a battle takes place, Macbeth bravely defends Scotland in the battle and is victorious. When he returns home, King Duncan praises him: O worthiest cousin! †¦.Thou art so far before†¦. Only I have left to say, More is thy due than more than all can pay. (Shakespeare 1.4.17-24) Duncan states that Macbeth is his worthiest kinsmen and has done so much for him that he owes Macbeth more than he can ever repay. The audience can identify that Macbeth is a significant character of high estate because he is already Thane of Glamis, and is well respected by the king of Scotland. Macbeth’s high social standing evokes pity and fear from the audience because his sins and downfall are emphasized. The audience suspects him to be virtuous, therefore arousing fear when he commits sins. Also, he has a lot more to lose than a regular citizen; Macbeth eventually loses his mind, wife, house, reputation, and kingship. Since Macbeth is a character of high estate and evokes pity and fear for the audience, he is the tragic hero in Macbeth. Macbeth is also a tragic hero because he is a character of high estate in two additional ways. After the victorious battle, Macbeth is greeted by two noblemen of Scotland sent by the king: â€Å"He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor. /In which addition, hail, most worthy Thane, /for it is thine† (Shakespeare 1.3.111-113).When the Macdonwald, the Thane of Cawdor, commits treason, he is executed and a new Thane is chosen. After hearing about Macbeth’s success in the battle, King Duncan appoints Macbeth as the new Thane of Cawdor. As a result of Macbeth’s nobility, loyalty and bravery, he earns his title as Thane of Cawdor thus proving he is of high estate. When King Duncan dies, Macbeth is chosen to be King of Scotland. Usually, when a king dies, their heir becomes king. However, since both of Duncan’s sons fled the country for their own safety, Macbeth is chosen to be King. This shows the audience that Macbeth is well respected by the citizens of Scotland because he appears to be the best king, second to Duncan’s sons. As the new King of Scotland, Macbeth’s fate evidently has an affect on the welfare of the whole nation. In conclusion, Macbeth is a tragic hero because he is of high estate in several ways, evokes pity and fear from the audience and affects the welfare of the whole nation. When the nation is negatively affected, order must be restored. This is done through the resolution of the plot, also known as mathemata. Mathemata is an extremely important characteristic of a Shakespearean tragedy because it re-establishes the moral order of the world in the play. In Shakespeare’s play, order is restored when Macbeth is killed: â€Å"Behold where stands/The usurper’s [Macbeth’s] cursed head. The time is free† (Shakespeare 5.8.55-56).Macbeth is considered as the evil defilement and ‘sickness’ of Scotland because he perpetrates a series of murders, and more significantly violates the natural order of the universe at the highest level by killing Duncan. Since Macbeth causes the entire situation â€Å"he must end in destruction and despair† (Ribner 57). At the end of the play when Macbeth ends in ‘destruction and despair’, Scotland is finally â€Å"cured† and order is restored. The natural order of the universe is also re-established because Malcolm replaces Macbeth’s position as King. Scotland is no longer ruled by  Macbeth’s tyranny; instead it is ruled by Malcolm, an extremely honourable man: Nay, had I power, I should Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell, Uproar the universal peace, confound All unity on earth. (Shakespeare 4.3.109-112) Although Malcolm may not appear to be virtuous in this scene, he is very much so. At the beginning of the play, Duncan does not test the loyalty of Macdonwald and Macbeth. As a result, Duncan is betrayed by these two men who appeared to be honourable. Malcolm learns from his father’s mistakes and tests MacDuff’s patriotism. Malcolm states he does not contain any qualities of a virtuous king and that he would destroy all peace on earth. When MacDuff has a passionate outburst, Malcolm reveals the truth that he is in fact an honourable man because he is able to identify that MacDuff is a â€Å"child of integrity† (Shakespeare 4.3.129). This proves that Malcolm is in fact a virtuous king because he is not easily fooled like Duncan. Instead, Malcolm is a cautious and knowledgeable man who is likely to be a successful king. With a new honourable and sincerely virtuous king, and the death of Macbeth, the order of the universe is finally restored and the play is resolved. Not only is the death of Macbeth recognized as the resolution of the plot, however, it is also recognized as his tragic end which is caused by a hamartia. For a play to be a Shakespearean tragedy, it must have a hamartia. A hamartia, also known as a tragic flaw, is a good quality in the protagonist which eventually goes somewhat awry and causes their disastrous demise. Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition. Macbeth’s ambition can be recognized as a desirable quality because it causes him to be a great warrior. However, when Macbeth is told by the witches that he will become future king, he has thoughts of killing Duncan. Already, Macbeth’s ambition goes somewhat awry. At first, Macbeth states that he does not want to kill Duncan because â€Å"this Duncan/Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been/So clear in his great office, that his virtues/Will plead like angels†¦.† (Shakespeare 1.7.16-18) and admits that I [Macbeth] have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself And falls on the other. (Shakespeare 1.7.25-28) Macbeth realizes the only reason he has for murdering Duncan is his ‘vaulting ambition’ which does not rationalize the act of killing a virtuous king. Although Macbeth is aware that his vaulting ambition will only lead him to disaster, he still commits the crime. At this point, the audience is fully aware that Macbeth’s ambition is no longer a desirable trait because his ambition, â€Å"which is also his greatness, is fatal to him† (Bradley 9). His ambition allows him to â€Å"hide what the false heart doth know† (Shakespeare 1.7.92) and overcome the thought of killing a virtuous king. Although some scholars may say the witches and Lady Macbeth cause Macbeth’s downfall, he commits and instigates all of the murders himself; it is his own actions that lead him to his tragic end. If Macbeth was not so ambitious for status and did not allow his flawed trait to overpower his morality, he would realize it is irrational to kill the king. Without doubt Macbeth’s ambition acquires him kingship, however, it leads him to death of several innocent people and is the major cause of his downfall. Macbeth’s hamartia is also evident later on the play when he kills Banquo and attempts to kill Banquo’s son. After the witches predict that Banquo’s sons will become kings, Macbeth feels threatened as the new king of Scotland: â€Å"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus† (Shakespeare 3.1.54). Macbeth determines that the only way to be ‘safely thus’ is to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth’s great ambition for power causes him to have a greed for power and stop at nothing to secure his position as king; even if it means he must kill his best friend and challenge fate: â€Å"Rather than so, come, Fate, into the list,/And champion me to the utterance!† (Shakespeare 3.1.77-78). Macbeth’s ambition causes him to believe he can defeat the prophecy of the witches. Macbeth believes that if he kills Banquo and Banquo’s sons, his position as king will be protected. However, by murdering more people, Macbeth’s life, conscience, and kingship is jeopardized instead. Eventually, Macbeth faces the consequences of his own  actions as a result of his ‘great’ ambition and is killed. If Macbeth was not so ambitious, he would realize it is impossible to defeat fate, ultimately preventing his tragic end. Although Macbeth’s ambition begins as a virtue, it goes wrong and eventually leads to his tragic end. All of Macbeth’s actions have led himself to his death and aroused several emotions within the audience; thus proving Macbeth has a hamartia and ultimately is a Shakespearean tragedy. Macbeth is said to be one of the last tragedies Shakespeare ever wrote. None the less, it â€Å"has increasingly impressed twentieth century critics† (Hawkes 50). Macbeth has a tragic hero of high estate and a hamartia that leads to the hero’s tragic end. Last but not least, when order is restored, there is mathemata. With the three most imperative characteristics of a tragedy, Macbeth fulfills the title as the â€Å"most vehement, the most concentrated, perhaps we may say the most tremendous, of the tragedies† (Bradley 333) and proves it is indeed a true Shakespearean tragedy. Works Cited Arif, G. M. Javed. â€Å"Macbeth’s Identity Crisis: Shakespeare as the Saviour.† Academia.edu. N.p., Dec. 2000. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. Bloom, Harold, ed. Major Literary Characters: Macbeth. New York: Chelsea House, 1991. Print. Bradley, A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan, 1905. Johnson, Vernon E., ed. Power in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Print. Shakespeare, William. The Global Shakespeare Series: The Tragedy of Macbeth with Related Readings. Eds. Dom Saliani, Chris Ferguson, and Dr. Tim Scott. Albany, N.Y.: International Thomson Pub Nelson Canada, 1997. Print.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Seventy

Jon The mare whickered softly as Jon Snow tightened the cinch. â€Å"Easy, sweet lady,† he said in a soft voice, quieting her with a touch. Wind whispered through the stable, a cold dead breath on his face, but Jon paid it no mind. He strapped his roll to the saddle, his scarred fingers stiff and clumsy. â€Å"Ghost,† he called softly, â€Å"to me.† And the wolf was there, eyes like embers. â€Å"Jon, please. You must not do this.† He mounted, the reins in his hand, and wheeled the horse around to face the night. Samwell Tarly stood in the stable door, a full moon peering over his shoulder. He threw a giant's shadow, immense and black. â€Å"Get out of my way, Sam.† â€Å"Jon, you can't,† Sam said. â€Å"I won't let you.† â€Å"I would sooner not hurt you,† Jon told him. â€Å"Move aside, Sam, or I'll ride you down.† â€Å"You won't. You have to listen to me. Please . . . â€Å" Jon put his spurs to horseflesh, and the mare bolted for the door. For an instant Sam stood his ground, his face as round and pale as the moon behind him, his mouth a widening O of surprise. At the last moment, when they were almost on him, he jumped aside as Jon had known he would, stumbled, and fell. The mare leapt over him, out into the night. Jon raised the hood of his heavy cloak and gave the horse her head. Castle Black was silent and still as he rode out, with Ghost racing at his side. Men watched from the Wall behind him, he knew, but their eyes were turned north, not south. No one would see him go, no one but Sam Tarly, struggling back to his feet in the dust of the old stables. He hoped Sam hadn't hurt himself, falling like that. He was so heavy and so ungainly, it would be just like him to break a wrist or twist his ankle getting out of the way. â€Å"I warned him,† Jon said aloud. â€Å"It was nothing to do with him, anyway.† He flexed his burned hand as he rode, opening and closing the scarred fingers. They still pained him, but it felt good to have the wrappings off. Moonlight silvered the hills as he followed the twisting ribbon of the kingsroad. He needed to get as far from the Wall as he could before they realized he was gone. On the morrow he would leave the road and strike out overland through field and bush and stream to throw off pursuit, but for the moment speed was more important than deception. It was not as though they would not guess where he was going. The Old Bear was accustomed to rise at first light, so Jon had until dawn to put as many leagues as he could between him and the Wall . . . if Sam Tarly did not betray him. The fat boy was dutiful and easily frightened, but he loved Jon like a brother. If questioned, Sam would doubtless tell them the truth, but Jon could not imagine him braving the guards in front of the King's Tower to wake Mormont from sleep. When Jon did not appear to fetch the Old Bear's breakfast from the kitchen, they'd look in his cell and find Longclaw on the bed. It had been hard to abandon it, but Jon was not so lost to honor as to take it with him. Even Jorah Mormont had not done that, when he fled in disgrace. Doubtless Lord Mormont would find someone more worthy of the blade. Jon felt bad when he thought of the old man. He knew his desertion would be salt in the still-raw wound of his son's disgrace. That seemed a poor way to repay him for his trust, but it couldn't be helped. No matter what he did, Jon felt as though he were betraying someone. Even now, he did not know if he was doing the honorable thing. The southron had it easier. They had their septons to talk to, someone to tell them the gods' will and help sort out right from wrong. But the Starks worshiped the old gods, the nameless gods, and if the heart trees heard, they did not speak. When the last lights of Castle Black vanished behind him, Jon slowed his mare to a walk. He had a long journey ahead and only the one horse to see him through. There were holdfasts and farming villages along the road south where he might be able to trade the mare for a fresh mount when he needed one, but not if she were injured or blown. He would need to find new clothes soon; most like, he'd need to steal them. He was clad in black from head to heel; high leather riding boots, roughspun breeches and tunic, sleeveless leather jerkin, and heavy wool cloak. His longsword and dagger were sheathed in black moleskin, and the hauberk and coif in his saddlebag were black ringmail. Any bit of it could mean his death if he were taken. A stranger wearing black was viewed with cold suspicion in every village and holdfast north of the Neck, and men would soon be watching for him. Once Maester Aemon's ravens took flight, Jon knew he would find no safe haven. Not even at Winterfell. Bran might want to let him in, but Maester Luwin had better sense. He would bar the gates and send Jon away, as he should. Better not to call there at all. Yet he saw the castle clear in his mind's eye, as if he had left it only yesterday; the towering granite walls, the Great Hall with its smells of smoke and dog and roasting meat, his father's solar, the turret room where he had slept. Part of him wanted nothing so much as to hear Bran laugh again, to sup on one of Gage's beef-and-bacon pies, to listen to Old Nan tell her tales of the children of the forest and Florian the Fool. But he had not left the Wall for that; he had left because he was after all his father's son, and Robb's brother. The gift of a sword, even a sword as fine as Longclaw, did not make him a Mormont. Nor was he Aemon Targaryen. Three times the old man had chosen, and three times he had chosen honor, but that was him. Even now, Jon could not decide whether the maester had stayed because he was weak and craven, or because he was strong and true. Yet he understood what the old man had meant, about the pain of choosing; he understood that all too well. Tyrion Lannister had claimed that most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it, but Jon was done with denials. He was who he was; Jon Snow, bastard and oathbreaker, motherless, friendless, and damned. For the rest of his life—however long that might be—he would be condemned to be an outsider, the silent man standing in the shadows who dares not speak his true name. Wherever he might go throughout the Seven Kingdoms, he would need to live a lie, lest every man's hand be raised against him. But it made no matter, so long as he lived long enough to take his place by his brother's side and help avenge his father. He remembered Robb as he had last seen him, standing in the yard with snow melting in his auburn hair. Jon would have to come to him in secret, disguised. He tried to imagine the look on Robb's face when he revealed himself. His brother would shake his head and smile, and he'd say . . . he'd say . . . He could not see the smile. Hard as he tried, he could not see it. He found himself thinking of the deserter his father had beheaded the day they'd found the direwolves. â€Å"You said the words,† Lord Eddard had told him. â€Å"You took a vow, before your brothers, before the old gods and the new.† Desmond and Fat Tom had dragged the man to the stump. Bran's eyes had been wide as saucers, and Jon had to remind him to keep his pony in hand. He remembered the look on Father's face when Theon Greyjoy brought forth Ice, the spray of blood on the snow, the way Theon had kicked the head when it came rolling at his feet. He wondered what Lord Eddard might have done if the deserter had been his brother Benjen instead of that ragged stranger. Would it have been any different? It must, surely, surely . . . and Robb would welcome him, for a certainty. He had to, or else . . . It did not bear thinking about. Pain throbbed, deep in his fingers, as he clutched the reins. Jon put his heels into his horse and broke into a gallop, racing down the kingsroad, as if to outrun his doubts. Jon was not afraid of death, but he did not want to die like that, trussed and bound and beheaded like a common brigand. If he must perish, let it be with a sword in his hand, fighting his father's killers. He was no true Stark, had never been one . . . but he could die like one. Let them say that Eddard Stark had fathered four sons, not three. Ghost kept pace with them for almost half a mile, red tongue lolling from his mouth. Man and horse alike lowered their heads as he asked the mare for more speed. The wolf slowed, stopped, watching, his eyes glowing red in the moonlight. He vanished behind, but Jon knew he would follow, at his own pace. Scattered lights flickered through the trees ahead of him, on both sides of the road: Mole's Town. A dog barked as he rode through, and he heard a mule's raucous haw from the stable, but otherwise the village was still. Here and there the glow of hearth fires shone through shuttered windows, leaking between wooden slats, but only a few. Mole's Town was bigger than it seemed, but three quarters of it was under the ground, in deep warm cellars connected by a maze of tunnels. Even the whorehouse was down there, nothing on the surface but a wooden shack no bigger than a privy, with a red lantern hung over the door. On the Wall, he'd heard men call the whores â€Å"buried treasures.† He wondered whether any of his brothers in black were down there tonight, mining. That was oathbreaking too, yet no one seemed to care. Not until he was well beyond the village did Jon slow again. By then both he and the mare were damp with sweat. He dismounted, shivering, his burned hand aching. A bank of melting snow lay under the trees, bright in the moonlight, water trickling off to form small shallow pools. Jon squatted and brought his hands together, cupping the runoff between his fingers. The snowmelt was icy cold. He drank, and splashed some on his face, until his cheeks tingled. His fingers were throbbing worse than they had in days, and his head was pounding too. I am doing the right thing, he told himself, so why do I feel so bad? The horse was well lathered, so Jon took the lead and walked her for a while. The road was scarcely wide enough for two riders to pass abreast, its surface cut by tiny streams and littered with stone. That run had been truly stupid, an invitation to a broken neck. Jon wondered what had gotten into him. Was he in such a great rush to die? Off in the trees, the distant scream of some frightened animal made him look up. His mare whinnied nervously. Had his wolf found some prey? He cupped his hands around his mouth. â€Å"Ghost!† he shouted. â€Å"Ghost, to me.† The only answer was a rush of wings behind him as an owl took flight. Frowning, Jon continued on his way. He led the mare for half an hour, until she was dry. Ghost did not appear. Jon wanted to mount up and ride again, but he was concerned about his missing wolf. â€Å"Ghost,† he called again. â€Å"Where are you? To me! Ghost!† Nothing in these woods could trouble a direwolf, even a half-grown direwolf, unless . . . no, Ghost was too smart to attack a bear, and if there was a wolf pack anywhere close Jon would have surely heard them howling. He should eat, he decided. Food would settle his stomach and give Ghost the chance to catch up. There was no danger yet; Castle Black still slept. In his saddlebag, he found a biscuit, a piece of cheese, and a small withered brown apple. He'd brought salt beef as well, and a rasher of bacon he'd filched from the kitchens, but he would save the meat for the morrow. After it was gone he'd need to hunt, and that would slow him. Jon sat under the trees and ate his biscuit and cheese while his mare grazed along the kingsroad. He kept the apple for last. It had gone a little soft, but the flesh was still tart and juicy. He was down to the core when he heard the sounds: horses, and from the north. Quickly Jon leapt up and strode to his mare. Could he outrun them? No, they were too close, they'd hear him for a certainty, and if they were from Castle Black . . . He led the mare off the road, behind a thick stand of grey-green sentinels. â€Å"Ouiet now,† he said in a hushed voice, crouching down to peer through the branches. If the gods were kind, the riders would pass by. Likely as not, they were only smallfolk from Mole's Town, farmers on their way to their fields, although what they were doing out in the middle of the night . . . He listened to the sound of hooves growing steadily louder as they trotted briskly down the kingsroad. From the sound, there were five or six of them at the least. Their voices drifted through the trees. † . . . certain he came this way?† â€Å"We can't be certain.† â€Å"He could have ridden east, for all you know. Or left the road to cut through the woods. That's what I'd do.† â€Å"In the dark? Stupid. If you didn't fall off your horse and break your neck, you'd get lost and wind up back at the Wall when the sun came up.† â€Å"I would not.† Grenn sounded peeved. â€Å"I'd just ride south, you can tell south by the stars.† â€Å"What if the sky was cloudy?† Pyp asked. â€Å"Then I wouldn't go.† Another voice broke in. â€Å"You know where I'd be if it was me? I'd be in Mole's Town, digging for buried treasure.† Toad's shrill laughter boomed through the trees. Jon's mare snorted. â€Å"Keep quiet, all of you,† Haider said. â€Å"I thought I heard something.† â€Å"Where? I didn't hear anything.† The horses stopped. â€Å"You can't hear yourself fart.† â€Å"I can too,† Grenn insisted. â€Å"Quiet!† They all fell silent, listening. Jon found himself holding his breath. Sam, he thought. He hadn't gone to the Old Bear, but he hadn't gone to bed either, he'd woken the other boys. Damn them all. Come dawn, if they were not in their beds, they'd be named deserters too. What did they think they were doing? The hushed silence seemed to stretch on and on. From where Jon crouched, he could see the legs of their horses through the branches. Finally Pyp spoke up. â€Å"What did you hear?† â€Å"I don't know,† Haider admitted. â€Å"A sound, I thought it might have been a horse but . . . â€Å" â€Å"There's nothing here.† Out of the corner of his eye, Jon glimpsed a pale shape moving through the trees. Leaves rustled, and Ghost came bounding out of the shadows, so suddenly that Jon's mare started and gave a whinny. â€Å"There!† Halder shouted. â€Å"I heard it too!† â€Å"Traitor,† Jon told the direwolf as he swung up into the saddle. He turned the mare's head to slide off through the trees, but they were on him before he had gone ten feet. â€Å"Jon!† Pyp shouted after him. â€Å"Pull up,† Grenn said. â€Å"You can't outrun us all.† Jon wheeled around to face them, drawing his sword. â€Å"Get back. I don't wish to hurt you, but I will if I have to.† â€Å"One against seven?† Halder gave a signal. The boys spread out, surrounding him. â€Å"What do you want with me?† Jon demanded. â€Å"We want to take you back where you belong,† Pyp said. â€Å"I belong with my brother.† â€Å"We're your brothers now,† Grenn said. â€Å"They'll cut off your head if they catch you, you know,† Toad put in with a nervous laugh. â€Å"This is so stupid, it's like something the Aurochs would do.† â€Å"I would not,† Grenn said. â€Å"I'm no oathbreaker. I said the words and I meant them.† â€Å"So did I,† Jon told them. â€Å"Don't you understand? They murdered my father. It's war, my brother Robb is fighting in the riverlands—† â€Å"We know,† said Pyp solemnly. â€Å"Sam told us everything.† â€Å"We're sorry about your father,† Grenn said, â€Å"but it doesn't matter. Once you say the words, you can't leave, no matter what.† â€Å"I have to,† Jon said fervently. â€Å"You said the words,† Pyp reminded him. â€Å"Now my watch begins, you said it. It shall not end until my death.† â€Å"I shall live and die at my post,† Grenn added, nodding. â€Å"You don't have to tell me the words, I know them as well as you do.† He was angry now. Why couldn't they let him go in peace? They were only making it harder. â€Å"I am the sword in the darkness,† Halder intoned. â€Å"The watcher on the walls,† piped Toad. Jon cursed them all to their faces. They took no notice. Pyp spurred his horse closer, reciting, â€Å"I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men.† â€Å"Stay back,† Jon warned him, brandishing his sword. â€Å"I mean it, Pyp.† They weren't even wearing armor, he could cut them to pieces if he had to. Matthar had circled behind him. He joined the chorus. â€Å"I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch.† Jon kicked his mare, spinning her in a circle. The boys were all around him now, closing from every side. â€Å"For this night . . . † Halder trotted in from the left. † . . . and all the nights to come,† finished Pyp. He reached over for Jon's reins. â€Å"So here are your choices. Kill me, or come back with me.† Jon lifted his sword . . . and lowered it, helpless. â€Å"Damn you,† he said. â€Å"Damn you all.† â€Å"Do we have to bind your hands, or will you give us your word you'll ride back peaceful?† asked Halder. â€Å"I won't run, if that's what you mean.† Ghost moved out from under the trees and Jon glared at him. â€Å"Small help you were,† he said. The deep red eyes looked at him knowingly. â€Å"We had best hurry,† Pyp said. â€Å"If we're not back before first light, the Old Bear will have all our heads.† Of the ride back, Jon Snow remembered little. It seemed shorter than the journey south, perhaps because his mind was elsewhere. Pyp set the pace, galloping, walking, trotting, and then breaking into another gallop. Mole's Town came and went, the red lantern over the brothel long extinguished. They made good time. Dawn was still an hour off when Jon glimpsed the towers of Castle Black ahead of them, dark against the pale immensity of the Wall. It did not seem like home this time. They could take him back, Jon told himself, but they could not make him stay. The war would not end on the morrow, or the day after, and his friends could not watch him day and night. He would bide his time, make them think he was content to remain here . . . and then, when they had grown lax, he would be off again. Next time he would avoid the kingsroad. He could follow the Wall east, perhaps all the way to the sea, a longer route but a safer one. Or even west, to the mountains, and then south over the high passes. That was the wildling's way, hard and perilous, but at least no one wouid follow him. He wouldn't stray within a hundred leagues of Winterfell or the kingsroad. Samwell Tarly awaited them in the old stables, slumped on the ground against a bale of hay, too anxious to sleep. He rose and brushed himself off. â€Å"I . . . I'm glad they found you, Jon.† â€Å"I'm not,† Jon said, dismounting. Pyp hopped off his horse and looked at the lightening sky with disgust. â€Å"Give us a hand bedding down the horses, Sam,† the small boy said. â€Å"We have a long day before us, and no sleep to face it on, thanks to Lord Snow.† When day broke, Jon walked to the kitchens as he did every dawn. Three-Finger Hobb said nothing as he gave him the Old Bear's breakfast. Today it was three brown eggs boiled hard, with fried bread and ham steak and a bowl of wrinkled plums. Jon carried the food back to the King's Tower. He found Mormont at the window seat, writing. His raven was walking back and forth across his shoulders, muttering, â€Å"Corn, corn, corn.† The bird shrieked when Jon entered. â€Å"Put the food on the table,† the Old Bear said, glancing up. â€Å"I'll have some beer.† Jon opened a shuttered window, took the flagon of beer off the outside ledge, and filled a horn. Hobb had given him a lemon, still cold from the Wall. Jon crushed it in his fist. The juice trickled through his fingers. Mormont drank lemon in his beer every day, and claimed that was why he still had his own teeth. â€Å"Doubtless you loved your father,† Mormont said when Jon brought him his horn. â€Å"The things we love destroy us every time, lad. Remember when I told you that?† â€Å"I remember,† Jon said sullenly. He did not care to talk of his father's death, not even to Mormont. â€Å"See that you never forget it. The hard truths are the ones to hold tight. Fetch me my plate. Is it ham again? So be it. You look weary. Was your moonlight ride so tiring?† Jon's throat was dry. â€Å"You know?† â€Å"Know,† the raven echoed from Mormont's shoulder. â€Å"Know.† The Old Bear snorted. â€Å"Do you think they chose me Lord Commander of the Night's Watch because I'm dumb as a stump, Snow? Aemon told me you'd go. I told him you'd be back. I know my men . . . and my boys too. Honor set you on the kingsroad . . . and honor brought you back.† â€Å"My friends brought me back,† Jon said. â€Å"Did I say it was your honor?† Mormont inspected his plate. â€Å"They killed my father. Did you expect me to do nothing?† â€Å"If truth be told, we expected you to do just as you did.† Mormont tried a plum, spit out the pit. â€Å"I ordered a watch kept over you., You were seen leaving. If your brothers had not fetched you back, you would have been taken along the way, and not by friends. Unless you have a horse with wings like a raven. Do you?† â€Å"No.† Jon felt like a fool. â€Å"Pity, we could use a horse like that.† Jon stood tall. He told himself that he would die well; that much he could do, at the least. â€Å"I know the penalty for desertion, my lord. I'm not afraid to die.† â€Å"Die!† the raven cried. â€Å"Nor live, I hope,† Mormont said, cutting his ham with a dagger and feeding a bite to the bird. â€Å"You have not deserted—yet. Here you stand. If we beheaded every boy who rode to Mole's Town in the night, only ghosts would guard the Wall. Yet maybe you mean to flee again on the morrow, or a fortnight from now. Is that it? Is that your hope, boy?† Jon kept silent. â€Å"I thought so.† Mormont peeled the shell off a boiled egg. â€Å"Your father is dead, lad. Do you think you can bring him back?† â€Å"No,† he answered, sullen. â€Å"Good,† Mormont said. â€Å"We've seen the dead come back, you and me, and it's not something I care to see again.† He ate the egg in two bites and flicked a bit of shell out from between his teeth. â€Å"Your brother is in the field with all the power of the north behind him. Any one of his lords bannermen commands more swords than you'll find in all the Night's Watch. Why do you imagine that they need your help? Are you such a mighty warrior, or do you carry a grumkin in your pocket to magic up your sword?† Jon had no answer for him. The raven was pecking at an egg, breaking the shell. Pushing his beak through the hole, he pulled out morsels of white and yoke. The Old Bear sighed. â€Å"You are not the only one touched by this war. Like as not, my sister is marching in your brother's host, her and those daughters of hers, dressed in men's mail. Maege is a hoary old snark, stubborn, short-tempered, and willful. Truth be told, I can hardly stand to be around the wretched woman, but that does not mean my love for her is any less than the love you bear your half sisters.† Frowning, Mormont took his last egg and squeezed it in his fist until the shell crunched. â€Å"Or perhaps it does. Be that as it may, I'd still grieve if she were slain, yet you don't see me running off. I said the words, just as you did. My place is here . . . where is yours, boy?† I have no place, Jon wanted to say, I'm a bastard, I have no rights, no name, no mother, and now not even a father. The words would not come. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I do,† said Lord Commander Mormont. â€Å"The cold winds are rising, Snow. Beyond the Wall, the shadows lengthen. Cotter Pyke writes of vast herds of elk, streaming south and east toward the sea, and mammoths as well. He says one of his men discovered huge, misshapen footprints not three leagues from Eastwatch. Rangers from the Shadow Tower have found whole villages abandoned, and at night Ser Denys says they see fires in the mountains, huge blazes that burn from dusk till dawn. Quorin Halfhand took a captive in the depths of the Gorge, and the man swears that Mance Rayder is massing all his people in some new, secret stronghold he's found, to what end the gods only know. Do you think your uncle Benjen was the only ranger we've lost this past year?† â€Å"Ben Jen,† the raven squawked, bobbing its head, bits of egg dribbling from its beak. â€Å"Ben Jen. Ben Jen.† â€Å"No,† Jon said. There had been others. Too many. â€Å"Do you think your brother's war is more important than ours?† the old man barked. Jon chewed his lip. The raven flapped its wings at him. â€Å"War, war, war, war,† it sang. â€Å"It's not,† Mormont told him. â€Å"Gods save us, boy, you're not blind and you're not stupid. When dead men come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits the Iron Throne?† â€Å"No.† Jon had not thought of it that way. â€Å"Your lord father sent you to us, Jon. Why, who can say?† â€Å"Why? Why? Why?† the raven called. â€Å"All I know is that the blood of the First Men flows in the veins of the Starks. The First Men built the Wall, and it's said they remember things otherwise forgotten. And that beast of yours . . . he led us to the wights, warned you of the dead man on the steps. Ser Jaremy would doubtless call that happenstance, yet Ser Jaremy is dead and I'm not.† Lord Mormont stabbed a chunk of ham with the point of his dagger. â€Å"I think you were meant to be here, and I want you and that wolf of yours with us when we go beyond the Wall.† His words sent a chill of excitement down Jon's back. â€Å"Beyond the Wall?† â€Å"You heard me. I mean to find Ben Stark, alive or dead.† He chewed and swallowed. â€Å"I will not sit here meekly and wait for the snows and the ice winds. We must know what is happening. This time the Night's Watch will ride in force, against the King-beyond-the-Wall, the Others, and anything else that may be out there. I mean to command them myself.† He pointed his dagger at Jon's chest. â€Å"By custom, the Lord Commander's steward is his squire as well . . . but I do not care to wake every dawn wondering if you've run off again. So I will have an answer from you, Lord Snow, and I will have it now. Are you a brother of the Night's Watch . . . or only a bastard boy who wants to play at war?† Jon Snow straightened himself and took a long deep breath. Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran . . . forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place. â€Å"I am . . . yours, my lord. Your man. I swear it. I will not run again.† The Old Bear snorted. â€Å"Good. Now go put on your sword.†

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Personal reflection - and academic literature to support that Essay

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Traditional Chinese History Essay Example for Free

Traditional Chinese History Essay Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not a secret that the Chinese written language is one of the most ancient languages on the Earth planet. In fact, hieroglyphs are considered to be the most significant part of the traditional Chinese history and the most important signs of the Chinese civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, the Chinese language includes about 50 thousands of hieroglyphs, but only  Ã‚  Ã‚   5-8 thousands are practically used and as it is known about 3-4 thousands of hieroglyphs are enough for reading the modern literature.   Also, it continues to unite many ethnic groups. But, why? It is a very interesting question †¦ Traditional Chinese History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Chinese written language is suggested to be an amazing phenomenon among the modern writing systems. It is important to know that other hieroglyphic languages, which took place in the Near East, South Asia, China, Central America disappeared long time ago and became just the objects of the ancient history. As to the Chinese written language, it managed to adapt to all changing conditions during the long development process of Chinese civilization and to become the most reasonable tool for writing in China in the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the archeological data, early history of the Chinese written language began from the inscriptions on the ceramic vessels of the Neolithic period of time. It should be pointed out that all inscriptions were elementary by their forms. It was obvious that the forms of inscriptions were changed depending on various Neolithic cultures of that time. At the same time, some simple signs, revealed on the vessels, were total for several cultures (Origins of Chinese writing, 2006, p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, the historians consider these inscriptions as the ancient signs of the Chinese written language. The differences, which were demonstrated in graphical forms of signs, in some degree, could mean that each Neolithic culture had its own written language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The point is that, the special conditions (both graphical and technical) are required for creating the written language. For instance, the material on which various signs were cut had to have the special surface, which could correspond to the possibilities of the tool chosen for writing. In China, like in the other civilization centers the first writing tool was some sharpened object, which could be used for cutting thin lines and therefore, the material had to possess soft surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coming back to the history we can see that ceramic industry was very popular in China. So, Chinese craftsmen knew various ways of covering ornament and other images on the raw and burnt materials. That’s why both crude and burnt clay were regarded to be the most available material chosen for writing (p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It should be emphasized that the uncommonness of the Chinese written language continues to attract the attention of many specialists and amateurs. There is even the special literature, which describes this uncommonness in detail, but the scientific studying of its history began only at the end of the 19-th century after some ancient evidences of the Chinese written language were found. The discovery of the oracle bones took place in China in1899, when a scholar from Peking was prescribed the special remedy, which had to contain so-called dragon bones for his illness: the fact is that dragon bones were widely used in Chinese medicine at that time and usually referred to fossils of dead animals. The scholar also managed to notice several very interesting carvings that looked like some kind of writing language on the bones he acquired from the local pharmacy (p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People often have the impression that Chinese characters are extremely difficult to learn. In fact, if you were to attempt to learn how to write Chinese characters, you would find that they are not nearly as difficult as you may have imagined. And they certainly qualify as forming one of the most fascinating, beautiful, logical, and scientifically constructed writing systems in the world (Chinese written language, 2006, p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comparing with alphabetic language, hieroglyphic language has more difficult graphical structure of its symbols and includes several thousand signs. For example, the latest Chinese language includes about 50 thousand signs. No other famous hieroglyphic language had such a great number. This example demonstrates how many symbols hieroglyphic language can contain during a long period of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main feature of phonemic and syllabic written languages shows that the linguistic units themselves don’t have the certain meaning. In fact, hieroglyphic writing demonstrates such important linguistic units as words and morphemes. In other words, it transmits the content plan of the certain linguistic units. It is clear that alphabetic writing is intended for some special state of one language. In other words, it can’t be used by another language without some special changes. So that, the main feature of hieroglyphic writing is universality. As we can see, this splendid feature allowed the modern Chinese written language to unite many ethnic groups in a single whole (p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theoretically, hieroglyphs can be used for writing by other languages. The history of the Chinese written language and a huge experience of applying hieroglyphs by Vietnamese and some Thai languages can prove the given fact. As the experience of applying the Chinese hieroglyphs by the Japanese and Korean languages showed – the successful usage of hieroglyphs for agglutinant languages can be very successful and effective if the alphabetic writing is used at the same time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is also another advantage of the Chinese written language – each symbol is independent on its reading. The fact is that each symbol of hieroglyphic writing can be read differently depending on the number of languages, which are usually used by the given writing. So that, we can say the Chinese hieroglyphs have not only one meaning, in fact, it can be also read and understood by such languages as Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese. It should be also said that each hieroglyph has both the â€Å"national† meanings and many dialectical. At the same time, in the South China one hieroglyph can have two completely different meanings – spoken and literary. As usual, the second meaning is widely used for reading written texts and pronouncing the scientific and cultural terms (Origins of Chinese writing, 2006, p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The independence from the real pronunciation of linguistic units allows hieroglyphic writing also to have some so-called â€Å"timeless† properties. It means that if a reader knows the grammatical structure of the language, so the text of hieroglyphic writing can be completely understood despite the date it was written and its symbols can be read by the help of any convenient way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is known, that today, the ancient hieroglyphic texts can be differently understood by the help of the national reading of hieroglyphs, any dialectic readings, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese readings despite the fact they could have another meaning at the moment of their creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All these properties of the Chinese hieroglyphic writing played a very important role in the development of the Chinese national culture and history and allowed the Chinese written language to live so long in spite of all difficulties it had to face. In addition, due to its originality this language managed to become one of the most wide-spread languages among the people all over the World.   Ã‚   Taking into consideration all these historical data we can come to the following conclusion – the Chinese written language is considered to be a unique phenomenon among the other written languages, which also took place in the World history. So, it is unique hieroglyphic language which is very interesting for studying. Chinese is the only major writing system of the world that continued its pictograph-based development without interruption, and that is still in general modern use (Chinese written   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  language, 2006, p.1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coming back to the history of the Chinese written language we can emphasize that the given hieroglyphic writing has managed to go through several stages of its development. Having made a great deal of attempts to change it reformers manage to make the Chinese written language more available for people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevertheless, the main principles and feature of the modern Chinese writing continue to be unchanged during several thousand years. So, that’s why in order to understand the Chinese culture, the traditional Chinese history, the Chinese civilization and if it is possible the Chinese traditional ideology – both the Chinese written language and its history should be studied in detail. References Chinese written language. Retrieved August 10,   2006, from www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese_written_language.htm Origins of Chinese writing. Retrieved August 10,   2006, from http://www.logoi.com/notes/chinese_origins.html

The Ages of Poetry Essay Example for Free

The Ages of Poetry Essay The English Romantic poets of the 19th Century had a conception about nature that, over a century later, appears in the poetry of today. These poets have had a significant influence on the attitude and vocabulary a contemporary poet uses. Among the contemporary poets, Dana Gioia, in his two poems, Becoming a Redwood, and Rough Country, has drawn on the idea of the innocence and untainted part of nature that parallels the Romantic poetry of William Wordsworth and William Blake in their poems Nutting, and The Tyger. Also, Gioia has captured the wild-like and untamable demeanor of nature that many English Romantics have similarly captured. Finally, Gioia uses the concept of the sublime in his poetry to the extent that nature becomes dangerous to humans. Many English Romantic poets have written about the innocent and purity that can be found in nature. In Wordsworths Nutting, he comments on the beauty of the innocence of an unvisited nook his character discovers. Wordsworth writes, Unvisited, where not a broken bough / Drooped with its withered leaves, ungracious sign / Of devastation; but the hazels rose / tall and erect, with tempting clusters hung, / A virgin scene! (Ln17-31) Wordsworth is commenting on the innocence and beauty of nature without human intrusion. This Romantic conception of innocence parallels Gioia in his poem Rough Country. He writes, a spot so hard to reach that no one comes / a hiding place, a shrine for dragonflies / and nesting jays, a sign that there is still / one piece of property that wont be owned. (17-20) This last line implies that this part of nature will remain untouched, this part of nature will remain pure and innocent, and a Romantic conception of nature that even Gioia has adopted in his poetry. Another conception that the English Romantics held about nature was that nature is wild and untamable. This wild-like aspect of nature is described in William Blakes The Tyger. Blake writes, Tyger, Tyger / Burning bright / In the forests of the night / What immortal hand or eye / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? (1-4) Blake creates this image of the Tyger as a wild beast, an untamable creature of the forest, and thereby composes nature the same way. Gioia in many ways parallels this view in his poems. In his poem Rough Country, nature is viewed as a place no engineers can  master, (6)a landscape made of obstacles / of steep hills and jutting glacial rock.(1-2) This nature Gioia describes is not sweet and delicate or fantastic; on the contrary, this attitude toward nature is fierce and ferine. The landscape of the nature in this rough country is not welcoming to humans tread, just as the Tyger in William Blakes poem would not be. In Gioias Becoming a Redwood, a wild and untamed animal is also found in this passage, Something moves nearby. Coyotes hunt / these hills and packs of feral dogs. / But standing here accepts all that. (19-21) Both the Tyger and the coyote have the instinct that embodies nature and both are wild animals. Gioia draws on the Romantic conception that there is wild freedom found in nature. This concept of wild freedom and untamable nature can be more clearly seen through the diction of the poems. Wordsworth writes, At thorns, and brakes, and brambles, and, in truth, / More ragged than need was! Oer pathless rocks, / Through beds of matted fern, and tangled thickets, / Forcing my way, I came to one dear nook / Unvisited. (13-17) In Gioias Rough Country, he uses words like tangled (10) and twisting (13) and thorn thick underbrush, (13) all of which Wordsworth uses in his poem Nutting. Gioia writes, Where tall black trunks of lightning-scalded pine / push through the tangled woods to make a roost / for hawks and swarming crows. / And sharp inclines / where twisting through the thorn-thick underbrush.(9-14) In each passage, these poets present nature as something wild, rugged, and difficult to maneuver simply through their chosen words. There is also a certain fear and respect of the wild, the rugged, and the untamable part of nature that can be seen in the poems of the English Romantics. In Wordsworths, The Prelude: Book 1, 340-400, he talks about the powerful image of the peak, a huge peak, black and huge / as if with voluntary power instinct. (39-40) Introducing the concept of the sublime he writes, And growing still in stature and grim shape / Towered up between me and the stars, and still, / For so it seemed, with purpose of its own / And measured motion like a living thing, / Strode after me. With trembling oars I turned. (42-46) The powerful presence of this mountain, and its inability to be controlled causes man to fear it, and thus fear nature. William Blake can also see the danger of nature in The Tyger. The Tyger represents a villainous side to nature, one that is careless, and does not worry about man. He writes, In what distant deeps or skies / Burnt the fire of thine eyes? / On what wings dare he aspire? / What the hand dare seize the fire? (5-8) This frightening aspect of the sublime, one in which man is afraid yet in awe of the power of nature can be seen in the work of Gioia. In Gioias, Becoming a Redwood, we are in awe of nature with the magnificence of the towering redwood tree. Gioia writes, Unimaginable the redwoods on the far hill / rooted for centuries, the living wood grown tall / and thickened with a hundred thousand days of light. (13-15) With this splendor the wild part of nature implies that there is danger nearby. He writes, Part of the grass that answers the wind / part of the midnights watchfulness that knows / there is no silence but when danger comes. (25-27) This English Romantic concept of sublime that Gioia uses, makes humans to not only fear nature such as the Tyger or the mountains, but also to hold high respect for its beauty and magnificence. It is interesting to see how much of our history actually does repeat itself. It is amazing that even today, we are asking the same questions about nature and coming to similar conclusions as people did in the 19th century. Its not that nature hasnt changed, but the attitudes toward nature still build on many general English Romantic ideas. Dana Gioia, in particular, has taken some of the same attitudes toward nature as the Romantics have; he has developed the untamable and wildness of nature, the innocent and virgin, as well as the sublime in his two poems, Becoming a Redwood, and Rough Country. English Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth and William Blake influence each of his poems. Because of their strong influence on contemporary poets today, it would not be surprising to see their influence carry on in yet another century, and have the influence on poets for years to come.

Nursing Process of Transurethral

Nursing Process of Transurethral Introduction Its said one knows not what he has until it is gone, This common proverb can be applied to the processes involved with Transurethral resection of the prostate( TURP). TURP is done to treat or alleviate enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia) (mayoclinic.com, 1). The prostate is situated near the urinary bladder in an adult male. When a person urinates, urine flows from the bladder, through the prostate gland, then the urethra which is enclosed within the penile shaft, leading to the destination. When this process is interrupted, in this case by an enlarged prostate gland blocking the exit out of the bladder; it can cause various urinary tract symptoms. These symptoms can vary from difficulty urinating, to urinary urgency, nocturia, oliguria, urinary retention and others. If these symptoms are intense, a TURP procedure is recommended by the physician as a minimally invasive method of alleviating them Nursing Process of Transurethral Resection of the prostate Its said one knows not what he has until it is gone, This common proverb can be applied to the processes involved with Transurethral resection of the prostate( TURP). TURP is done to treat or alleviate enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia) (mayoclinic.com, 1). The prostate is situated near the urinary bladder in an adult male. When a person urinates, urine flows from the bladder, through the prostate gland, then the urethra which is enclosed within the penile shaft, leading to the destination. When this process is interrupted, in this case by an enlarged prostate gland blocking the exit out of the bladder; it can cause various urinary tract symptoms. These symptoms can vary from difficulty urinating, to urinary urgency, nocturia, oliguria, urinary retention and others. If these symptoms are intense, a TURP procedure is recommended by the physician as a minimally invasive method of alleviating them. One does not think of what it entails to actually be able to get the urge to urinate and do so with ease. The pleasure of this almost automatic process has been taken away from clients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, leading to the need for a TURP. This explains the concepts of not knowing what one has till its gone or severely made problematic. A nurse comes into play in this process by using the nursing process of assessment, nursing diagnosis, goals, intervention and evaluation to manage the client through the entire course of treatment. That is the nurse follows the patient from preoperative to Post operative while diligently providing care and teaching. Preventing complications of TURP post operatively is a major part of the procedure, as this determines the success of such procedure. In reference to complication after TURP, Weaver 2001 stated that prevention must start long before the patient is admitted into the hospital (p. 1). The nurse needs to ask if the patient recently took Coumadin, Aspirin or any NSAIDs few days before the procedure. These drugs affects blood coagulation and they must have being stopped several days ago before to prevent hemorrhage. Weaver further explained that Coumadin should be discontinued 3-7 days before TURP and patient must have stop taking Aspirin for at least 10 days before (p. 1). During postoperative care, the nurse needs to assess the patients indwelling catheter for patency continuously. The content of the bag must also be checked. This is because a change in the urine color and consistency is the first clue to active bleeding.(Weaver 2001, p. 2) The patients vital signs need to be checked at regular intervals to detect any changes which could be related to bleeding and infection. Particular attention need to place on the patients laboratory values because a low white blood cell count could also show sign for infection. The patients input and output must also be assessed due to the continuous bladder irrigation (CBI). After the removal of the catheter, the nurse should assess the patients urine and explain to the patient that some tingling or burning might be felt and that this is normal. Gilhurst (2006) notes that TURP is used for approximately 90% of prostate surgery and that it is considered the gold standard'. Although TURP is such a high quality procedure, it is not without its risks. Nurses need to diagnose quickly to prevent further complications or mortality in patients. With this invasive procedure, along with catherization, patients are at high risk for infection. Fluid volume defect, as a result of hemorrhage, is another major diagnosis of concern. Patients doing this procedure would usually exhibit disturbed body image and knowledge deficit, although this varies by individual. The expected goals for TURP are that the patient would not experience TURP syndrome, the patient would not exhibit signs of hemorrhage, the catheters patency would be maintained without complication, the patient would verbalizes an understanding of the procedure and its desirable / undesirable effect. The nurse should ensure that the patient receives thorough discharge teaching. According to Ng (2004) continuous bladder irrigation (CBI) is an established procedure designed to prevent the formation and retention of blood clots following transurethral prostatectomy (TURP). (p . 97). This continuous irrigation is established by the use of a three-way Foley catheter. The nurse is responsible for the management of the Foley catheters patency. To ensure that patency is maintained, continuous assessment and early detection is implemented. It is the nurses duty to assess the saline irrigations height, volume remaining, and fluid level in the drip chamber. An assessment of the drainage bag for the amount, consistency and the color of the drainage is a necessary intervention in assuring efficiency of the procedure and in alerting to the development of any complications. Ng 2004 listed a few other interventions in the maintaining of catheter patency which include assess for kinking, traction, and leakage; adjust the clamps to ensure continuous flow rate; and continuously check fluid balance/ bladder irrigation. (p . 98). After a thorough assessment, if blockage is suspected the nurse is to intervene. As stated by Ng 2004 to unblock the catheter the nurses intervention should be to, reassure the patient and explain the procedure, turn off the bladder irrigation system; milk the tubing; observe drainage; and assess for a decrease in the patients level of discomfort. (p . 101). The most common complication after TURP is hemorrhage, with this in mind the nursing interventions should include checking the patients vital sign monitoring every four hours (Wasson 2004, p . 5). The color and consistency of the urine should also be checked at two hours interval. Instruct the patient to remain flat or at a slight incline immediately post-operatively, because sitting may increase venous and bladder pressure causing bleeding, (Wasson 2004, p . 5). While in the hospital, the nurse should inform the physician if there is an increase in the rate of bleeding, and of any drastic change in vital signs. Hypovolemia is a risk factor of extensive bleeding and the nurse should be prepared to intervene with replacements of intravenous fluids and blood products. According to Wasson 2004, the nurse should instruct the patient to drink at least 12 glasses of water per day and to avoid the use of alcohol, caffeinated beverages, and spicy foods that may over-stimulate the bladder (p . 5). Another serious TURP related complication is known as TURP syndrome (Wasson 2004, p. 4). TURP syndrome is described to be an abnormal vascular absorption of irrigating fluid during surgery which causes severe dilutional hyponatemia and hypervolemia (Wasson 2004, p . 4). Nursing interventions aimed at preventing TURP syndrome include careful assessment of its symptoms which include; bradycardia, confusion, full bonding pulses, dramatic increase in blood pressure, tachypnea, and temporary blindness. Discharge teaching is important in making certain that TURP is efficient in resolving the patients condition. The patient should be advised to keep a log of voiding and record the volume of urine, its characteristics, and the frequency. Strenuous activities such as climbing stairs should be avoided during the first few weeks after discharge. The patient should also be encouraged to rest regularly for approximately two to six weeks; this promotes healing of the surgical site. Activity restrictions that enables healing also includes, avoidance of lifting items weighing over five pounds, avoidance of excessive physical exertion, and long walks. Conclusion The patient should be taught by the nurse to notify the physician, if bleeding occurs and does not stop within one hour of therapy. A high fiber diet is encouraged during discharge teaching making sure to emphasize that his helps prevent constipation. Also thorough perineal hygiene should be stressed and the patient should be taught that it reduces the risk for infection. Patients should be advised to take antibiotics and any other medication as prescribed by the physician. Teaching kegal exercises is another important nursing intervention as it strengthens the pelvic floor muscles. After the intervention, the nurse will do an evaluation in order to find out if the goal has been achieved and to see if the patient is progressing as planned. The nurse should reassess the patient to ensure that he or she did not experience TURP syndrome, hemorrhage and any other complications previously mentioned. The effectiveness of the patient teaching should be reassessed, the more knowledgeable the patient is about steps to be taken, the greater the probability that the patient will comply. This may help the patient in taking proper care of themselves after discharge and also prevent complications. Therefore, nursing intervention always help the patient to get positive outcomes. (Wasson 2003, p. 12) As with the fore mentioned proverb, having the need or feeling of urinating, or even the ability to go to the bathroom and successfully relieve the pressure created by a full bladder is a gift. A gift that when gone or almost gone as with oliguria or anuria, and then regained with TURP one would realize it value, and develop a brand new appreciation for the process

Iran :: essays research papers

The salat-the five obligatory daily prayers-is also known as the namez in Iran, India, and Turkey. These prayers are only performed after ritual bathing and take place before sunrise, at noon, in the mid-afternoon, immediately after sunset, and before midnight. Mainstream Shiites combine the noon and afternoon prayers and also the sunset and midnight prayers so that they need only pray three times a day. Praying in Islam is also associated with a specified set of postures, such as standing, bowing, and prostrating. The saum is a fast prescribed only for healthy, adult Muslims during the 30 days of Ramadan; the ninth month is the Islamic calendar. From dawn until dusk, no food, drink, or sexual relations are permitted. Ill individuals and nursing women are excused, but they are expected to make up for missing the fast at other times in the year when they are healthy again or no longer nursing. The zakat or alms tax is levied annually on the crops, livestock, precious metals, and cash of all those living above subsistence and whose debts do not exceed their assets. In theory it is to be collected on behalf of, and then distributed to, the poor. However, many Islamic leaders have collected the zakat to add to their royal treasuries. For this reason, the identity of the zakat collector and distributor has often been a mystery. Since the late Middle Ages (AD 476-1453), mainstream Shiites have had the tax collected by their jurists, legal scholars of Islamic law, who act according to their self-styled role as governors of the imam. The hajj is the â€Å"greater† of the two pilgrimages to Mecca required of all Muslims.

The Legality of Child Pornography Essay -- Child Pornography Debate Es

The Legality of Child Pornography Child pornography is an ongoing issue as technology progresses in today’s world. Now there are ways to produce child pornography without actually using a real child. While there are acts and laws to protect the children, there are still many unsatisfied people on each side of the issue. There are people who believe the adult entertainment companies, who produce the child pornography; they believe that their First Amendment rights are being violated with current acts and laws against it. There are also people who think that the current laws are not strict enough and that they need to outlaw all types of child pornography. It is necessary for all sides of the issue to be considered and for the appropriate people to take suitable actions to determine the outcome and final decision concerning child pornography. While the First Amendment protects many things, one thing it does not protect is any form of child pornography. That is, any content that shows children, under the age of sixteen, engaged in any form of sexual activity. The question of the legality of child pornography first appeared in 1982, in the case of New York vs. Ferber. It was decided that the creation, promotion and distribution of child pornography was illegal. Also, it is illegal to falsely persuade children into performing sexual acts. There are some images still that are protected by the First Amendment that could still be considered child pornography, depending on their use. For instance, images of child genitalia are legal in medical books, but if these same images are put on an adult website, the courts would most likely rule them illegal (AdultWebLaw, 2002). In any case, child pornography is an ongoing cont... ...rosecute the adult entertainment companies because they are not breaking any laws. Until the Supreme Court rules that any form of child pornography is illegal, there will be no changes in the current standing of this issue. Child pornography, not involving children at the age of sixteen and under, is legal and exercises the adult entertainment industry’s right to free speech. Works Cited: Baase, Sara. (2003). A Gift of Fire: Social, legal, and ethical issues for computers and the Internet. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Child Pornography. (1998-2002). AdultWebLaw. Retrieved May 21, 2004 from http://www.adultweblaw.com/laws/childporn.htm Child Pornography Prevention Act. (2001, February 6). Evanston, IL: Jean Goodwin. Retrieved May 21, 2004 from http://faculty-web.at.nwu.edu/commstud/freespeech/cont/cases/morphed.html

Smoking: One Light Can Be One Less Breathe Essay -- Social Issues, Add

Smoking: One Light Can Be One Less Breathe As a group of young girls were swinging swiftly on the swings in the park, they no longer smelled the fresh air, but the smell of cigarette smoke. When they looked up they realized a young man had walked by with a cigarette in hand. He was walking down the sidewalk puffing away on his cigarette, paying no attention to the young girls playing on the playground. Little does he know, by making the choice to smoke a cigarette, he is significantly harming himself and all the people around him who have chosen not to take part in smoking. He does not know and understand the effects smoking can have on a person’s body. There are multiple health risks he takes by simply choosing to light and smoke a cigarette. When he realizes the problems cigarettes can cause, he will want to quit and find different ways to help him. Obviously, there are endless amounts of different solutions to the habit of smoking. As soon as this man realizes what he is doing to himself, those little girls, and everyone else surrounding him, he will certainly want to get help. As the National Cancer Institute notes, â€Å"Secondhand smoke causes disease and premature death in nonsmoking adults and children† (2). This is a piece of information he would learn at a support group meeting, which is one way to quit. Another way he can get rid of the habit is to use nicotine replacement therapy, which would be a nicotine patch and gum. There are also behavioral and motivational therapies a person has as an option to take into consideration. On the other hand, there is also hypnosis someone can perform to help get rid of the habit. As proved, there are numerous ways to quit. On the contrary, with quitting this addictive habit, people ... ...otine patch and gum. Some smokers do not think these work well so they may want to try the other methods previously mentioned, such as, hypnosis or motivational and behavioral therapies. But there is no doubt about it that quitting is the best possible solution for smoking. There are great health risks smokers are taking when lighting that one cigarette. However, they can take actions to stop that. It is just a matter of wanting to make yourself healthy again. Smokers also need to think of the others around them. The National Cancer Institute claims, â€Å"Secondhand smoke causes disease and premature death in nonsmoking adults and children† (2). Smoking can cause death to others around the person smoking. They do not have a choice to be around smoke sometimes. Because they do not have an option, smokers need to make their choice to quit smoking before killing someone.

Journal of My Two Live

Reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s essay, My Two Live, I got that the author, as an Indian-American, tried to define herself throughout her whole life. The changing of her feeling for her identity and the death of her parents and her bicultural experience changed her feeling for her identity from humiliating to confusing to accepting to cherishing. Lahiri wanted convey us that the bicultural things can be seen as a shifting equation and she used â€Å"one plus one† for instances. Basically, I agree with her notion. However, in my opinion, the result of the equation is not just zero or two. It should be equal three or even bigger, when you really understand your great nation, United State of America. In one hand, I think most of people would very easy to lose their way when they are squeezed by two different cultures existing in their daily life. As the second generation of immigrants, my older cousin also had used to face this issue. When, he was a middle school student, he had avoided speaking Chinese, changing his hair’s color to yellow, and love to eat sandwiches and drink soda. Tried to do lot of things to make him seemed more â€Å"American†. Obviously, he is an American without any embellished. But, he did not understand this at that moment. As a naive child, he just hoped he can looks more similar with others around him. At that time, one plus one, of course, smaller than two or even equal zero. In the other hand, along with the growing up, the more social experiences you collected, the deeper understanding of yourself, then you would find that the result of this equation bigger, not limited in two. Because two different cultures combined together is not a simply one plus one equation. It contains great potential and energy, like when carbon meets oxygen can explode incredible brilliancy. Actually, I am not so familiar with America history or the great persons of this nation. However, story of my elder cousin’s I would love to share. As I aforementioned, he had used to doubt himself. But now, his has already got the doctor degree and even published a paper in Science, one of the most top scientific journals in the world. I remember acknowledgment of his doctoral defence stated that he would love to thanks his dear grandma since to be a doctor is grandma’s dream. Following the willing of grandparents or parents is a very traditional thinking in China. When persevering and enduring hardship, which comes from his family, meets critical and innovative coming from his American part, my cousin got an achievement. I think that beyond what one plus one equal two can include. So far, he hope his children can be teach by Chinese culture or even study in China someday, even if his wife is a White. I am not sure if this example reasonable, but this is what I really want to tell. Moreover, as a foreigner, from my sight of view, America is the one of most open and tolerant nations in the world. Democratic† and â€Å"Liberty† are two words what Americans the most proud of and pursuing. Thus, when you are walking on a normal street in any city of US, you will find that really like walking in the United Nations. Citizens of the USA might have various colors of sinks, speak English with different accents, and wear sorts of clothes. What’s more, you can buy anything you want by yourself in spite of understanding nothing English. I think this interesting phenomenon just belongs with America. Therefore, unique and individual are very common and important value of America. Everyone have an American dream, and everyone have the opportunity to achieve it. You can learn everything you like and grow individually. American culture comes from hundreds of cultures. The diversity of culture creates lots of advantages to the US, comparing with any other countries. All these above are the reasons why America, a country less than 300 years history, can be the greatest nation all over the world. Therefore, don’t be confusion because this is a part of America, what make it so amazing and fantastic.

Is the Expansion of Tesco’s going to affect the local businesses?

I have chosen to study the expansion of Tesco's for a number of different reasons. The main reason is that I think that the expansion is going to completely change Clevedon, as it tourist town. It does not need a super store in it. I think that a lot of small businesses/shops are going to suffer if Tesco's gets the go ahead. I also think that there are going to be a number of side affects if the development happens. E.g. environmental issues. These are the main reasons why I have chosen to study the expansion of Tesco's. Methodology In my investigation I plan to do a number of things. I am planning to go round the shops in Clevedon and ask them what they think of the expansion of Tesco's. I am going to ask them all the same questions as to make it a fair investigation. I am going to ask 1) Do you think the expansion of Tesco's is going to affect your business directly? Please explain your answer 2) Do you think there will be any side affects of the expansion of Tesco's? These could be positive of negative. Please explain your answer. 3) Do you think that other businesses are going to be affected by the expansion of Tesco's? Please state what type of businesses you think are going to suffer. I am going to go to a number of different shops asking them what they think. I am also going to interview Morrison's and Lidl, as these are the other two big stores in Clevedon. Along with all the shops in Clevedon I am going to be fair and give Tesco's their chance to put their points across. I am going to interview and hopefully get the plans of the expansion of Tesco's. I am also going to be getting information off the Internet about the expansion of Tesco's. I am going to find old newspaper articles about the expansion and sum them up then put them into my results section. I think I am going to try and get peoples opinion about the expansion of Tesco, but when I went down to Tesco's to do random surveys no one was willing to do them. So I asked simple yes or no questions and I got some results. My two questions where. 1) Do you want Tesco's should expand? 2) Do you think the expansion is going to affect the small business and shops in Clevedon? Results The first thing I am going to do is I am going to get as much information about the expansion of Tesco's as I can. This was the original article that was published in the North Somerset Times on the 01 March 2007. â€Å"Tesco's proposal to demolish its Clevedon store and replace it with one twice as large has finally been registered with planners. The Mercury exclusively revealed in November that Britain's biggest retailer had paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.3 million for land next to its existing store. The supermarket giant intends to build the new store on the site of the current one, and also the premises occupied by Labcaire and the Bradshaw Group. Town residents, small businesses and other interested groups can now comment on the application after plans were formally registered with North Somerset Council last Thursday. They will be discussed by Clevedon Town Council later in March before going to North Somerset Council for a final decision. Tesco plans to keep the Kenn Road store open while the new one is being built and then demolish it for more parking spaces. It says the new store will bring about 150 extra full- and part-time jobs, injecting, it claims, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.5 million per year into the local economy. Current jobs would be safeguarded by keeping the old store open during the construction phase. The petrol station will also be moved on to the Bradshaw site. The new store would have a sales area of 60,148sq ft, compared to the current 27,286, and would provide 602 parking spaces. Tesco says the glass-fronted store would be built from sustainable materials, which are years ahead of what is required under building regulations. The part of the store which would face Southern Way would be two storeys high, the second storey containing a cafe and staff areas. In November Tesco spokesman Felix Gummer said the store, which would be branded as Tesco Extra, would sell a wider range of goods.† After reading up on the problem at hand I went to the local businesses and small shops to see what they think. I asked them all the same 3 questions, which I wrote in my methodology. The first shop I went to interview was WH Smiths. Smiths were very keen to give me lots of information about their view on the expansion on Tesco's. Their answers to my questions are as follows. 1) I think that the expansion of Tesco's is going to greatly affect our business. Our Clevedon Branch is one of the smallest Branches of WH Smiths around. This shop isn't big enough to cope with the demands of Clevedon as it is. We think that if the expansion of Tesco's does go ahead then we are going to loose a lot of business. I think this, as the new Tesco's is going to stock all the products that we stock. Plus as they are a national store it is cheaper for them to produce the products that we stock. So we are going to be under cut. So I am pretty sure that if the expansion does go ahead we are not going to be here much longer. 2) I think that the expansion is going to bring more people to Clevedon, but they will not come into the centre of Clevedon, they will use Tesco's then go. If it was Morrison's expanding then I think that it would be completely different. All the shops around the centre will benefit but as it is Tesco's I think that a lot of shops are going to suffer. I also think that as more people are going to coming to Clevedon then there is going to be a lot more cars coming to Clevedon. Causing more noise and air pollutions. 3) I think that a lot of small business/shops are going to be affected as Tesco's are going to stock a much wider verity of products. Products that the shops in the centre stock. So people are going to go to Tesco's as it is going to be cheaper for them to buy from Tesco's. I then moved round and went to New Look. New Look didn't seem to want to give as much information as WH Smiths but I got their opinion. 1) Our store does not feel threatened by the expansion of Tesco. If anything we think it is going to benefit our business. We do not feel threatened as we are offering a different product. We offer our customers fashionable clothes. Tesco's will not get the designers that we have, so we offer different types of clothes. We do not know if Tesco is even going to sell clothes. 2) As said above we think it is going to bring in more customers to our store. 3) No comment I then went to Woolworth's store they would not let me speak to the manager but I talked to one of the members of staff and got their opinion. 1) I think that the expansion of Tesco's is going to affect our store, but I am not sure if it is going to be in a good way or a bad way. I think that it is either going to take our customers away from us, or it is going to bring in more people from surrounding towns and this may increase our sales. 2) I do however believe that there are going to be a lot of side affects. The biggest being pollution, with all the extra cars coming in to shop at Tesco's plus the noise pollution, the pollution all the machinery will have to use to build the store. Also the local residents are going to be affected, me being one of them my garden backs onto the site, I think my personal area is going to be ruined. 3) I think that certain businesses are going to benefit and certain businesses are going to suffer. I think the well established, well known businesses will be fine but the small self owned ones will not. I then went and saw a friend who works at Aaron's Pets. I managed to talk to the manager of this Branch. He was very keen to give me his ideas about he expansion. 1) I don't think that we are going to be massively affected. I think that in certain areas we will b like with the animal toys, and certain typed of food, i.e. dog and cat food. But we offer a different product to the massive super store. We offer pets and the products that the animals need. (He said need with a lot of emphasis) 2) I do think that a lot of people are going to be affected by the expansion in different ways. I think that people are going to be kept awake at night by the constant traffic flow into and away from the store. Also the delivery lorries come in all through the day and night. Pollution is going to be a problem. As I am manager of a pet store I am very concerned about the animals around the area. There is area or woodland next to the roundabout that will be home to all sorts of creatures that will hunt at night, so there will be a bigger chance of them being run over. 3) I think that all the businesses in Clevedon are going to either suffer or benefit from the expansion. Due to Tesco's bringing in more customers or taking the customers to them. I then went to interview the bakeries. I am going to sum up what the 3 bakeries said and put them into one as they all said the same thing. 1) They all said more or less the same thing, we think that we are going to loose a lot of customers all our younger and middle aged customers will properly choose Tesco's as they will be cheaper. But the older generation are properly going to use us, as they have been using us all their life. Plus the loyal customers that come in to get the bread or tea, they will keep coming to us 2) They all said that the expansion of Tesco's is going to cause a lot of pollution and noise around the Kenn road area, but it wont so much affect the centre of Clevedon. 3) They all said the same thing for this question that it will keep all the bakeries on their feet and keep their standards high. I then went on to interview more shops around the centre of Clevedon and on hill road. They all came out with the same points as above so I have decided to not to include the interviews. I am however going to include information that I found from Morrison's. Nobody was available to comment on behalf of Morrison's but I found an article on the Internet that sums up their views. â€Å"Morrisons has warned the future of its Clevedon store would be under threat if Tesco is given the go-ahead to expand. The retailer says if Tesco is allowed to more than double the size of its Kenn Road store, it would hit the vitality of Clevedon town centre. It has written to North Somerset Council planners strongly objecting to Tesco's proposals. Its planning agent, Peacock and Smith, said there was no need for further supermarket expansion in Clevedon. It said: â€Å"The Morrisons store is the largest retail facility in the town centre and anchors the centre. â€Å"It generates a significant number of linked shopping trips with other shops and services in the town. â€Å"Our client has confirmed that its long-term viability may be under threat if the proposed development were to be approved. â€Å"Should closure of the store ultimately occur, this would also have major implications for the health of Clevedon town centre. â€Å"Accordingly, we consider that, in accordance with national and local retail policy to foster the health of town centres, this application should be refused.† It adds there is spare capacity at its Clevedon store and it is undertrading. Turnover is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10.6 million per year, whereas it would expect it to be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15 million for a store of that size.† This is the information I have gained from shops, it is both primary, the interviews on the shops, and secondary, the articles I have got off the Internet. I am now going to see what customers at Tesco and Morrison's think of the expansion. I found this very difficult and no one seemed willing to give me explanations so I had to except one word yes or no answers. I asked 50 random people the two questions and got closed answers (yes no). 1) Do you want Tesco's should expand? 2) Do you think the expansion is going to affect the small business and shops in Clevedon? Positive Negative Won't affect it Evaluation From all the evidence I have gathered from both primary and secondary sources, I have found out that most people think that the expansion of Tesco's is going to affect local businesses. However people think that the affects it is going to have could be negative or positive. A lot more people believe that it is going to have negative affects on the local businesses. 72% of 50 people I randomly selected from Morrison's and Tesco believe that the affects are going to be negative. This is a vast majority of my random selection. However 20% of people I surveyed believed that the affects are going to positive. By brining in more people to the area, thus bringing more people to the shops. The shop owners came across differently. They all believed that there are going to affects on the economy. The only shops that feel that they are going to be affected are the shops that stock the same products as what Tesco do. The shops that stock specialist items like New Look, don't feel threatened at all. As they have their own designer's so they don't think they will be negatively affected. They think that the new Tesco will bring in more people to Clevedon so more people will visit the shops. Everyone apart from a few people think that in some way the expansion of Tesco's will affect the local businesses. This answers my question is the Expansion of Tesco's going to affect the local businesses? From all my research the answer to the question is yes the businesses are going to be affected but it may be for the better or the worse. If I were to do this task I would do a couple of things differently. In my questions that I asked the shops I would make question 3 â€Å"Do you think there will be any side affects of the expansion of Tesco's? These could be positive of negative. Please explain your answer.† I would make this question more specific or I would get rid of it. Yes I got a lot of information off this question but the information was not relevant to my question so it was a waste of time. I would also ask a lot more random questions, as I think that this is the best way to find out what people think. I believe I have answered my question and have got a lot of evidence to back up my point.