Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy

SUMMARY & CRITIQUE OF: â€Å"Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy† (by David Callahan) In â€Å"Cheating in a Bottom Line Economy,† author David Callahan explains the fundamental reasons for the decay of simple business ethics in today’s economy in order to meet bottom line standards. Callahan draws conclusions from everyday businesses such as auto mechanic services, law offices, and even professional medical firms to prove that people will almost always choose financial stability over integrity. The economic life in America has transformed itself into a vast land of professionals focused on achieving â€Å"lean and mean† businesses in efforts to achieve the â€Å"American Dream,† but in essence lose sense of their morals. What happens when an employee is living a standard life with a job just barely getting them by? Executives at corporate headquarters decide to send down a new set of marching orders that drill employees with twice as much work for a sharply decreased base pay. Those marching orders have coined the term bottom line standards. American businesses have become highly competitive today in a market that is constantly changing to keep up with a new generation of ideas. These fluctuations in the economy have caused businesses to take different methods of actions to be competitive in the market. In the 1970’s Sears reigned as one of America’s well known retailers and shaped popular culture. As the market of demand became more competitive, Sears’ earnings began falling off the market. In order to get on the stock market, Sears had to cut 48,000 jobs and institutionalized a new compensation system (Callahan 31). As Sears set their new bottom-line standards to increase efficiency, it caused uproar from the employees. The demands of the company ultimately undermined the integrity of their workers. The pressure to make unpleasant ethical choices at work had employees â€Å"torn between moral integrity, losing [their] job, and trying to figure out how to work all this out† (Callahan 31). Employees of companies with bottom line standards were faced with a new decision at margin which made doing the right thing harder: suffer a pay cut and risk losing their job or cheat the customer. Not to our surprise, the employee would almost always choose their economic stability over their integrity. It is still not easy to say that the employee’s conscious didn’t warn them of the risks, the first time. It begins with just a simple upgrade tune up and then trickles to $1,000 in new auto parts. If we look back at the Sear’s auto mechanic example, a mechanic could easily convince the customer that their car needed a whole new system because of the customer’s lack of knowledge of the subject. The customer automatically assumes there is a guaranteed trust commitment to their service, but in turn gets fooled. The evidence unearthed by investigators found nearly identical reports of cheating at one Sears auto repair shop after another. The art of deception played a key role in fooling customers. The â€Å"ordinary people† at the New York City law firms were bound by an oath to abide a rigorous code of ethics (Callahan 33). Though these lawyers dealt with legal affairs of America’s largest companies, they were faced with not meeting year end billing requirements. In the most desperate cases of being downsized, lawyers turned to padding their hours by simply making up the numbers. They rounded up their hours and added in miscellaneous hours which was described as the â€Å"new math† (Callahan 39). â€Å"Let me tell you how you will start acting unethically†¦One day, not too long after you start practicing law, you will sit down at the end of a long, tiring day, and you just won’t have much to show for your efforts in terms of billable hours†¦so what you’ll do is pad your time sheet just a bit†¦However you will promise yourself that you will repay the client at the first opportunity by doing thirty minutes for the client for ‘free. In this way, you will be ‘borrowin,’ not stealing,† (Schlitz qtd. in Callahan 39). Commitments to meeting bottom line standards and greed have become directions of undermining integrity of even the most trusted profession: medical doctors. Medical professionals begin engaging in multilevel marketing companies such as the Wellness International Network (WIN), which dictate distributors to sell their company’s product at any extent. By earning money off of new distributors, this multilevel marketing became a pyramid scheme for destruction. Report peg the sale of health supplements by doctors at nearly $200 million in 2001, a tenfold increase from 1997. An estimated 20,000 doctors are now selling supplements from their offices, more than double the number of five years ago† (Callahan 49). These sorts of insider trading within their offices go against the American Medical Association guidelines that â€Å"doctors must ensure that the claims supporting any products they sell to patients are ‘scientifically valid and backed up by peer reviewed literature and other unbiased scientific sources’† (Callahan 49). They clearly prohibit the exchange of medical equipment, but the profit is too grand for the doctors to pass up. Those in the medical profession argue that they resort to such options to pay for their debt payments and management. Comments such as â€Å"I was used to following doctors advice†¦Doctors have the training, so you’ve got to respect their expertise† (Cumminskey qtd. in Callahan 48) prove that doctors hold a high level of respect for their profession, but it diminishes as scandals of deception are released to the public. In Steven Messner’s and Richard Rosenfeld’s article A Society Organized for Crime, they explain that people’s behavior towards meeting bottom line standards is to fulfill the American Dream. They state that the American Dream is an ideology that â€Å"people are socialized to accept the desirability of pursing the goal of material success, and they are encouraged to believe that the changes of the Dream are sufficiently high to justify a continued commitment to this cultural goal† (Messner 6). Generally, success in today’s society is defined by monetary and material gains. Therefore people are willing to go at any measure to achieve that success. Both articles explain how crime and delinquency arise from economic disputes that are settled with unethical behavior. The issue at hand is the fact that these issues cannot be solved in conventional ways, but only by working around the system to deceive their customers. Callahan’s article reinforces these popular notions that crime is not always intentional, but a means of getting through small obstacles in life in an unethical matter. These illegal activities begin as small meaningless preconceived activities and then sprout to everyday routines that are accepted within their business community. Callahan also makes us reconsider the power of higher authority figures that knowingly condone and usually promote this unethical behavior. This takes us back to the old saying, would you jump off a cliff if everyone did? The answer is yes. In all three of the cases, personal issues about cheating were put aside because â€Å"everyone was doing it. † I found these readings really interesting and relevant to the topic of crime and delinquency. Callahan does an excellent job of explaining the effects of bottom lines standards on people and the economy. I completely agree with his perspective that choosing economical stability over integrity will get a person closer to the American Dream then losing their job. It poses a moral issue, but in this century you can’t live on just integrity. The sad truth is people gain integrity from their monetary and material wealth. I believe Callahan could really expand on this topic by looking further into the psychological standpoint of meeting bottom line standards in order to get a better understanding of what goes through a person’s mind when deciding to go against their morals. KEY POINTS, ISSUES, AND QUESTIONS:Doing the right thing gets harder as the pressure between financial stability and integrity is put on the line.The game of hustling becomes everyday knowledge that moral ethics are completely put aside.  The American Dream causes people to act irrationally, but if you really think about it their unethical act stimulate the economy.Question: What are the implications of Callahan’s work for discovering cheating in a bottom line economy? Question: What are the psychological aspects of going against morals to deceive people ?

Romeo and Juliet, and War Poetry Comparison Paper

How well does Baz Lurhmann’s adaptation if the script show the theme of conflict? I think Baz Lurhmann’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet strongly shows the theme of conflict throughout the entire film, in which it is retold for the modern viewers.Baz Lurhmann shows at the start of the film two sky high building with ‘Montague’ and ‘Capulet’ in bold lettering at the top, this shows how the two families have a lot of rivalry, such as in the business world of today’s society which a lot of people can relate to also the fact they are both nearly at a war about something nobody knows anything about ‘Ancient grudge‘, I think this is the base point of the build up of conflict in the film. Lurhmann also used quite modern weapons such as guns and drugs which I think is easier for people to understand, as it is up to date which world today.In nearly every shot in the film there is a gun which shows the amount of tension and rivalry betw een everyone and how this leads into the conflicts. Also Lurhmann choose to represent the different houses in the form of gangs which a lot of people now days can understand in a sense which there is always a lot of conflict to protect yourself and your family name. I think Lurhmann has achieved exactly this in Act 1 Scene 1. The conflict shown in this scene is incredible in a way in which it is brought up how something very small can lead into something big and cause a lot of damage and disruption.

Current Economic Policy Proposal Under Debate In Japan

The current economic policy of Japan does not give any support to non-profitable organizations, indebted institutes, banking sector that has a direct impact on working class of the society. It is said that current policy can drive many companies into bankruptcy.The ultimate result can be that many working class people will loose job and unemployment can increase. In order to raise the profitability and decrease the losses on the economy it was estimated that there will be 40% loss on salaries. That would have a damaging impact on their living and spending. It would resemble the era of post war (Conachy, 2001).Koizumi has advocated a system in order to bring reforms in the current economic status. His reforms were proposed to reduce further debt growth, privatization of certain companies in order to pay off debts of states, and avoid bankruptcies.Koizumi said, â€Å"There will be companies going bankrupt and increased unemployment, but if we are fearful of unemployment, we will never see the recovery of the Japanese economy.† According to Koizumi for any future economic growth first we’ll have to suffer some initial turmoil, corporate bankruptcies and increase in unemployment. There are no such rules to boost economical status in a matter of day or weeks. Quick boost to have immediate financial outcomes is not possible (Conachy, 2001).Japan need to completely reform the current policy in order to get fruitful results. For this Japan will have to go through a recession period. According to Koizumi, â€Å"There are people who say emergency economic measures should come first, but the reason the economy is not recovering is the lack of structural-reform policy†¦..It is important for Japan to go through ‘negative economic growth’—or recession—before it could begin to expand again.† (Conachy, 2001)Koizumi is the fourth candidate in election and suggests that if given charge he would form a coalition government with the opposition parties. His position is very strong in politics and might get most the votes in the upcoming elections (Conachy, 2001).Few banks including Bank of Japan and Central bank are considering increasing interest rates and monitoring the results. The interest rate was fixed to zero but raised at 0.25 at the central bank in last July.The economy of Japan is in turmoil because of policy changes. In many instances Bank of Japan is blamed for these damaging impacts.Japan has the second largest economy of the world. It grew in the last decades because there was considerable increase in investment from the businesses side reaching 2.2 from 0.8% and increased funds from consumer spending to 1.1%. In last December the inflation was slowed with GDP rate of expansion reached to 4.8%.It is hoped that this will cause an economic recovery. According to Goldman Sachs, â€Å"growth suggests there is a high likelihood of the mechanism underlying the economic recovery being sustained in t he first quarter and beyond.†According to Akio Makabe, â€Å"Raising rates would go opposite to the government's policy of spurring economic growth through lower rates and a cheap yen, it would be difficult to persuade the government with a rate hike when there is little inflation.† (Bloomberg News, 2007)The current increase in GDP rates is contrasting government decision of economic policy to reduce the price of yen and ultimately no hike from the government side can be expected due to reduced inflation.

Strategies of alterity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategies of alterity - Essay Example For as long as the beloved remains so, he or she may only be defined according to the emotions that he or she brings about from the lover. Barthes obviously takes a pragmatic perspective about romantic relationships. Even as he considers the importance of lovers in knowing each other, he also recognizes the fact that lovers can never fully know or understand the other. Although both Alien Encounter and Outer Space were outright works of science fiction, particularly discussing about the yet to be fully explored frontiers of human and alien relations and the possibilities of life forms beyond the Earth, the spaces it actually meant are the void in human knowledge. The tone of both pieces were light and humorous although the theme that both represent is quite serious. Both being narratives, the readers/viewers are addressed in the second person, which effectively relates them to the theme in point. The female characters in the movie are in search of someone special to them respectively in order to fill up the void in their individual lives. (Sarbanes 57) They did so when then they encountered aliens. However, these beings from outer space do not become special in the sense that became other halves of long-term romantic relationships with the main female characters. Their significance is in their ability to let the women see beyond the void they are experiencing, making them able to live their respective lives better. The desiring subject of the book and the movie is the main female character. Seemingly, the objects of desire are the aliens but, in fact, it is the wish to have happier and less lonely lives. Scopophilia is the sense of gratification that an individual experiences by just looking. According to Freud, scopophilia is one of human sexual instincts although it exists independent of the functions of the main sexual organs. For the person committing scopophilia, an object, often another individual may be

Character education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Character education - Essay Example Character education has been part of educational curriculums since long. Schools have played an essential role in passing on the cultural and ethical values of a society through the generations. It was seen as a moral responsibility of the teachers to involve and impart character education. But trends changes in the second half of the last century and character education completely disappeared from schools. Main reason for this is that teacher’s involvement in character development would infringe the right of the parents. Also the church/state debate added fuel to the argument. Martin Luther King said that â€Å"Intelligence plus character – that is the true goal of education† (Norris et al., 2004). Hence, it becomes the moral responsibility of the teacher to be involved in the character development of the students. And it also makes logical sense as children spend majority of their time in schools interacting with teachers, and hence teachers will have a long lasting impact on the children. Another reason why teachers must take an active part in the development of children character is that there is a decline in the family structure. Due to pressures of the 21st century work environment, majority of the parents are not able to interact with their children as they would desire to. Parents have not been able to share ethical values with the children. This is one of the reasons that youth character has seen a downward trend in the recent years (Ryan, 1993). Therefore it becomes the moral responsibility of the teacher to involve in character development. Research has shown that the learning environment makes an impact and has a positive effect on the social values and in turn the character of a child. That is, students who work in a cooperative learning group develop a character with mutual concern for one another (Johnson et al., 1981). Therefore, teacher is a critical part of the learning environment and hence needs to be actively and consciously

Global Interdependence Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Global Interdependence - Article Example Davis shows how, the fearfulness of the calamity was accelerated by the callous colonizers that led to the death of thousands of poor men, women and children and livestock. In the article by Odd Arne Westad, hails the USA as an interventionist power whose sole aim and purpose has been territorial expansion. The USA has not been fair in treatment to its own citizens, as we know from the terrible plight of the Black Americans. One of the ideals that worked behind motivating the elites of the United States was liberty, which was accessible to those who had private property and education. Thus, the authors in their respective articles condemn vehemently the destructive force of ruling a supposedly inferior race by a self-proclaimed superior race. Domination is the key theme in all the three writings. All these three writers have criticized domination in terms of rule and interference, thereby weakening a country to the considerable extent and robbing its citizens of their natural wealth and environment. Aime describes colonial invasions as ‘hideous’ and is very justified in calling so since the act of taking over another nation completely destroys it and its people. Only force is the base of the relation between the colonizer and the colonized. Davis’ article only reinstates this theory by citing the example of the infamous famine that crippled India during the British Rule. While India produced enough crops to feed its people, most of it was hoarded and the rest exported to different parts of the world. While millions of people died, the colonizers maintained a policy of non-interference. In the article by Westad is a further reinstatement of the evils of forceful acquisition of others land. Colonizers ge nerally cite the example of the colonized’s ignorance, brutality, superstition etc. as was written by Jefferson to Lafayette in 1813.  

THE SUCCESS COMMERCIALISATION OF FRANKLIN INSTITUTE Essay

THE SUCCESS COMMERCIALISATION OF FRANKLIN INSTITUTE - Essay Example Franklin Institute appeals mostly to people who have the passion for arts and this is perhaps the reason for her success story in commercializing itself and making her a most sought-for institute. This research aims to study what might have made Franklin Institute successful. It would not simply be a research about a school has come about but more so, it is done in order to establish a better comprehension about how one might succeed in similar or other endeavors as well. As global commercialization is placed at the forefront, it is important to know the aspects that make an institute successful. In line with Franklin Institute, it is assumed that the museums established to attract contributors and students alike, play the greatest role in its success. Therefore, in this paper, the link between commercialization and museums will be examined more closely. Franklin Institute is located at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It established its first museum in 1934 making it one of the first han ds-on science museums in the country (fi.edu). This made the institute very popular, attracting visitors from every corner and consequently, attracting talented students. As the years passed and technology has advanced, changes have been made in the institute to meet the demands and needs of a fast-changing community. The resiliency of the school made it more possible for it to maintain the success and popularity it has gained for decades through hard work and dedication. As other institutes tried to look into what Franklin Institute was doing, they embraced the concept of putting up museums as attractions to their own schools. However, not all schools have been successful as Franklin. Knowing that people’s needs and wants change over time, Franklin Institute engaged in improving the first attractions of the school and that is probably what keeps the institute surviving even in this time of great competitions. In line with the effects museums have for people, Jehra Patrick wr ote in her blog the results of her research on what attracts people to museums that might have affected the success of Franklin Institute. She names exploration among the top reason why people go to museums. The blogger observes that even people who are not inclined to art, science and technology are very curious so that they feel they have a need to explore what are inside museums. Some seek experience while others know that they have a knowledge that other people must share with them so that they act as facilitators when they go to museums. Professionals and hobbyists also find a wealth of information and ideas inside the museums while still others find the place as a hide-away where they can run from all the troubles in the world (Patrick). With the reasons listed above, it is seen that they include various people from a wide diversity, making the prospects of museum-goers really huge in number It is known that the higher percentage of learning is acquired through the eyes. For t his reason, museums are not just built for adults but for children as well. Museums are safe places to bring children to visit. Unlike parks and other recreational places, the museum caters to smaller number of people which makes it safer for children to be in. Moreover, the sights encourage questions from the children which will start a learning experience not only for the children but the

Conflict in Intensive Care Unit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Conflict in Intensive Care Unit - Assignment Example The researcher states that the players in this situation are the nurses as well as the nurse manager. Each nurse is involved, because he or she will have to decide on his or her shift, and the nurse manager is heading up the issue. The nurse manager appears to not be taking enough initiative to sort the issue out amongst the other nurses, and this can be a huge problem. This can easily result in the nurses becoming angry with each other and this can cause serious implications in the healthcare field. For instance, if a patient is very ill and the nurses are bickering amongst themselves about a scheduling problem, will the client get the proper care? This would need to be addressed immediately. There are two categories of nurses here that have different goals and values. The first category is the nurses who wish to keep their 8-hour shifts, and most of those nurses have worked in the department for 15 years or more. These are the more seasoned, veteran nurses, who have formed their li ves around their current schedules, and are very used to eight-hour shifts. Thus, they feel most comfortable proceeding where they are at. This group of players thus wants to stay with the 8-hour shift schedule. The second category of nurses are those that wish to work 12 hours shifts and thus have more days off. There is no mention of these nurses’ working records, but it appears that these are the nurses who do not have as much veteran status and probably have more flexible schedules as well. The researcher will try a peace negotiation strategy for conflict resolution. His hope would be to attain some type of compromise. The researcher would first approach the veteran nurses and ask them for more information about their planned activities, in order to gauge how important, the situation is to them.

The place of interest in the theory of production Term Paper

The place of interest in the theory of production - Term Paper Example He won himself a Rockefeller scholarship in 1934 and took up teaching jobs at the University of Michigan in 1936 and University of Chicago in 1938. He served as a go-between for Roosevelt and Stalin in 1944 (post Second World War) and as the Polish ambassador to the US from 1945-1946. In 1946, Lange served as the Polish delegate to the United Nations Security Council. A major part of his contribution to economics came during his stint in the US (1933-1945). Although a socialist to the core, he was not a great supporter of Marxian labor theory of value, and instead believed in the neoclassical theory of price (http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/lange.htm). In this paper, I will actually make an attempt to highlight various things that will make the topic of the place of interest in production theory a bit clearer to the readers. There are a number of things that can be learnt from the production theory. Among these things, some of the important ones are the basics that surround the production theory. These are the basics that will put the discussion of the topic into a definite perspective. In his paper, Lange has tried to give an explanation of the foundation of the existing Theory of Interest . He has actually tried to restate some fundamental propositions of the existing Theory of Interest by making special reference to the General Theory of Production. Generally any kind of association between the interest theory and theory of production seems to be incomprehensible. Lange has found that unless a close connection between the interest theory and the general theory of production is established, there would remain a huge problem while discussing a very complicated topic on whether net productivity of capital actually exists. In Lange’s paper, he has tried to explain in a very structured way, the place of interest in the general production theory. For doing that, he has made some assumptions to bring some considerable

The role of a project manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The role of a project manager - Essay Example roject manager is an individual who has the general responsibility for the successful planning, initiation, execution as well as closure of a project. A project manager is a person who is responsible for carrying out all the tasks and operations that are included in project management. Thus, the project success as well as failure centralizes on the project manager’s shoulders (Haughey, 2009). This paper presents a detailed analysis of roles and responsibilities that a project manager carries out. The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of project manager’s performance on a project. This paper will also outline some examples of bad project management. Project management is a systematic way to scheduling and managing project activities and resources from beginning to end. Additionally, these project activities are divided into five phases, first phase is initiation, second is planning, third phase is executing, fourth is controlling, and last phase is completion or termination of the project. In addition, these phases of project management can be used in approximately any kind of project, since their purpose is to organize the different processes of project development (TechTarget, 2008).The fundamental reason for starting a project is to achieve particular objectives. In other words, the purpose for managing the processes as a project is to put attention on the jobs and control for the accomplishment of the objectives on small group or an individual. Additionally, a project is normally a temporary endeavor encompassing a lot of interconnected operations or processes, assigned a considerable cost, and continuing for few weeks or, months, or years. However, the management of a project is a complex and challenging task and the roles of project managers vary with the project requirements (Turban et al., 2005, p.309; Meredith & Mantel, 2006, p.13). The role of a project manager changes with the nature projects. Since, every project has unique nature,

Problem solving and discusion making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Problem solving and discusion making - Essay Example The company’s management has been active in finding solution to counteract the ramifications associated with these restrictions by applying the problem solving procedure to identify and provide solutions to the current problem. Emirates Airline is one of the most reputable companies in the world that have experienced success. The government of Dubai, which is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) owns and controls the Emirates Airlines (Ibrahim, 2005). Traffic control for airlines is one major problem affecting Emirates Airline. It is necessary for air travelling has to be strictly controlled and properly managed for effective service provision (Michael, 2010). There are countries that restrict other airlines from accessing their air space. The reason for this would be to avoid cases of insecurity and reduce congestion in their airspace. Emirates Airline is one of the airline companies facing a similar problem. Canada, for example, has denied Emirates Airline access into its airports. Emirates Airline aims at being a global company serving clients from all over the world. This goal, however, is faced with a major setback due to traffic control issues. Traffic control issues deny the airline an opportunity to compete globally with other airlines that are not subjected to similar problems. Emirates Airline makes losses due to lack of access to airspaces in other international countries such as Canada. There are clients who are loyal to Emirates Airline because of its quality services; these clients, however, end up failing to enjoy the services of the airline due to restricted landing in some countries. The consequence of this constitutes Emirates Airline losing some of its clients to other travel companies that have access to the restricted zones. This implies that traffic control issues leads to the company losing its global competitive edge to other airlines. Accessibility to all regions of the world is a critical element in success of any

In the Time of the Butterflies Essay Example for Free

In the Time of the Butterflies Essay Courage is valued among the characters, and they display it in varying amounts. Among all the sisters Minerva shows the most courage. First she starts off by wanting to be a lawyer and she is not afraid of speaking her mind. She goes to a boarding school where she meets a girl who is against Trujillo and learns how bad Trujillo really is. This is when she begins to start acting rebellious. Once she is older, Minerva’s family is invited to a party at Trujillo’s palace where she does things that most people would never even dare to think of doing. Minerva plays a game with Trujillo which she wins and gets her father released from arrest and gets her into law school. In law school, she joins a group that is speaking out against Trujillo. A lot of courage is needed to complete the tasks that Minerva completed and with these tasks she developed a love-hate relationship with Trujillo making some of the tasks easier to complete. In the end three out of the four sister have a lot courage and become a symbol for many people. The three sisters are killed, but by who they were killed is very controversial. The sisters are all aware of their cowardice as they perceive it, and while they sometimes fight for courage, in some cases they simply accept their cowardice, except for Minerva who shows courage at all times. Growing up Minerva was almost the bravest out of all the sisters. She was not afraid to speak her mind, even if they might be spies around. She would say things about Trujillo that would make everyone jump and ask if she was trying to get everyone killed. She always wanted to be free and make a difference in the world. Government and politics were not a place for women. A woman’s place was to follow her husband and be loyal to her husband. Minerva, on the other hand, wanted to be a lawyer. In reply, her mother comments, â€Å" Just what we need, skirts in the law! † Minerva argues, however, â€Å"It is just what this country needs It’s about time we women had a voice in running our country. † Her sisters had always worried about Minerva and her bravery because politics were dirty business and someone was always getting killed because they said the wrong thing and made Trujillo unhappy. Minerva did not care about the risks about being a woman in politics, she cared about equality and making a difference in the Dominican Republic. She thought she would get some freedom if she left home and went to a boarding school and that’s exactly what she did. In the boarding school, Minerva met a girl whose family was killed by Trujillo and she absolutely hated him for that. This girl told Minerva about all the terrible things that Trujillo has done and this is when Minerva starts learning more about Trujillo. This is also when you start seeing Minerva start becoming rebellious. This is shown when there is a class going on, but Minerva is not there instead she is on a balcony above the class talking to the girl who told her about Trujillo. This boarding school is also where she meets Trujillo for the first time and also shows bravery here. The school is performing a play for Trujillo when Minerva’s friend lifts her arrow and points it at Trujillo. Minerva risks herself to stop her friend from shooting the arrow. It was a small act of courage, but its the small acts that lead to the greater ones. Once Minerva graduates from boarding school and returns home, shortly after the family receives a party invitation from Trujillo. Once inside the castle, Minerva gets seated at a special table which was a request from Trujillo and once Trujillo arrives in the ballroom where the party is being held, he asks Minerva to dance. While dancing, Trujillo tells her how he never forgot her from the boarding school and how he thinks that she is very beautiful. Trujillo slowly moves his hands down her back and onto her buttocks and that is when she backs up and slaps him. No one would ever dare slap Trujillo, even after an act like this. This is a great act of disgrace and Minerva was very brave for standing her ground and slapping him. Everyone looked down on her with shock for what she did and her family was very mad and panicked and left immediately. Her family was very mad because slapping Trujillo could get the whole family killed because that was an act of rebellion. Minerva explains to her family that she did not slap him as a sign of rebellion, but because he touched her buttocks making her very uncomfortable. The family then was not as mad, but they were still very worried to what was going to happen to them. At this point of the movie, Minerva is still the one with the most courage while the rest of the family is accepting their cowardice. It took a lot of courage for Minerva to slap Trujillo in such a public place and at his own party. She knew there would be consequences to this, but she was still not afraid. Soon after the party soldiers came to the Mirabel household looking for the father. They said they were taking him in for quest oning, but everyone knew that he was being arrested and they did not know when they would see him again. Once the soldiers left, Minerva smashed the picture of Trujillo that was hung in their house because of her anger. This is another act of courage because if there are spies around they can come in and take Minerva away and kill her for doing that. ANother act of courage is when Minerva goes to the castle of Trujillo to talk to him about releasing her f ather. Trujillo came up with a game that they would play. They had to roll dice and who ever got the higher number won. The deal they made was if he won her father would not be released, but if she won the father would be released and she would be allowed to go to law school. Women were not allowed to go to law school in the Dominican Republic, so asking Trujillo to let her attend was another act of courage. Minerva ended up winning and Trujillo break the deal that he made with Minerva. The father was released and Minerva soon left to law school. At this point of the movie, Minerva’s sister began to show courage too. In law school, Minerva joins a group that goes against Trujillo and comes up with different plans and ideas to rebel against him, for example hanging up posters around town. One day one of Minerva’s sisters runs away from home and comes to Minerva. This is brave because women were needed at home and it was dangerous for them to travel by themselves. Also leaving home with not telling anyone would leave the parents worrying about their daughter. Minerva tells her sister to go home because it’s a bad time and not a place for her sister to be, trying to protect her. Leaving her sister met a guy who was part of the rebellious group and he got her to be in it as well. Now this is sister is being brave because now she is going against Trujillo as well putting the family in even more danger. Soon the third sister is also in the group and the three sisters become the leaders of this group. They become known as, â€Å"Las Mariposas. † The group is soon caught and everyone in it is arrested. When the sisters look out a small hole in the wall, they see a flag with butterflies on it, representing them and this gives them more hope. Soon the sisters are released from jail by Trujillo. When Minerva arrives at home, Trujillo is there waiting for her. He tells her that she has a lot of courage because everytime he does something nice for her because he likes her, she instead turns her back and does something back and is not afraid to pay the consequences. She then asks Trujillo to release hers and her sisters husbands from jail and Trujillo says he will. The sisters go visit their husbands and give them the good news, but on the way there they get stopped by soldiers. They get taken out of the car and into the cornfields where hey get slaughtered. This ending is very controversial because it was a group of men that killed them, but after all their courage and everything they did for the country, who would want to harm them? Also could have Trujillo ordered their death even if he loved Minerva and did everything she asked for? This part of the story may never be known. The movie begins with only Minerva being the brave one, but ends with three out of four sisters being the brave ones and fighting for what they believed was right. The sisters stopped accepting their cowardice and displayed their courage. As she was being marched down the hall, a voice from one of the cells called out,Mariposa does not belong to herself alone. She belongs to Quisqueya! Then everyone was beating on the bars calling out, Viva La Mariposa! Tears came to my eyes. Something big and powerful spread its wings inside me. Courage, I told myself. And this time, I felt it. † This is a quote from the movie and book that shows that although Minerva has been courageous the whole time, she did not feel it until she was leaving the jail. Everything that Minerva did in her lifetime, built her courage up and made her stronger each time.

Summary Of Career Aspirations Goals Information Technology Essay

Summary Of Career Aspirations Goals Information Technology Essay As the name itself implies Personal Development Plan is a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development and to encourage critically reflective practice. SUMMARY OF CAREER ASPIRATIONS/GOALS My career plan is to become an Information Technology (IT) Consultant operating across nations. I like to work in firms of management consultants, software and systems houses within large manufacturers of computing equipment, or occasionally internally in major industrial companies. The above said areas are some of the places IT Consultants work. For I desire to work in partnership with clients, advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems. Consultants work to improve the structure and efficiency of organizations IT systems. Common job tasks IT Consultants do which I see as part of my career aspirations and goals include: Analyze IT requirements within companies and give independent and objective advice on the use of IT. Provide specialist support and back-up to professionals within client companies. Advise on strategic planning and operational efficiency. May run facilities for clients. Design, develop and test new systems. Train staff in new systems. Part of my career goals/aspirations is to gain growth in resources, that is upgrading my knowledge and resources to grow as a professional, better salary, job satisfaction, experience such as learning about the cultures of different countries, meeting new people and basically becoming familiarized with customs and traditions worldwide. This will enable me to increase my tolerance level and change perspectives and job stability. Accomplishing this goal is a long journey since I am still an undergraduate student but every long journey begins with a step. It is a challenging and technical aspiration though I have a passion for it because it is my dream and there after I want to have my own software incorporation with a group of professionals where I will be overseeing as a CEO of my to be company named Eyis Software Inc. ANALYSIS OF SKILLS Success as a consultant requires the following skill sets: Technical skills such as programming languages Analytical skills such as problem solving expertise Networking skills Database knowledge Interpersonal skills Communications skills Business management skills and Some professional certifications Some other skill sets required are not limited to: Leadership ability Teamwork skills Ability to learn quickly Confidence when making decisions Excellent customer service skills Good organizational skills to manage heavy work load Ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical clients and colleagues Flexibility and adaptability Time management skills Technical Skills Technical skill set includes good programming knowledge that is having knowledge of programming languages such as C, C++, JAVA, VB.NET etc and programming methodologies. Analytical Skills Good knowledge and logical approach to problem solving. Mathematically analyzing the problem and solving it. Networking Skills IT Consultant should possess an understanding of network devices, topologies, network protocols and data communication across networks such as LAN, WAN, Intranets, Extranet, MAN, CAN etc. Database Knowledge It needs Database knowledge including Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements, Data Definition Language (DDL) statements, Transaction Control (TC) statements and Data Control Language (DCL) statements. It requires knowledge of database systems such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, Oracle, and database administration. Interpersonal and Communication Skills As an IT Consultant, interpersonal and communications skills are required: Interpersonal skills in order to close sales, and even persuade your client to act on your advice. Communications skills such as making presentations and writing documents so that you can convey your value and your result to the client, so that the client can see what they have bought. Business Management Skills As an IT consultant business management skills are needed so as to keep track of your assets, cash, accounts receivable and bills and a basic level of organization so as to deal with few repetitive tasks (such as getting those bills out every month). Apart from that, you must plan to focus on marketing and it has to systematic and repeatable. Professional Certifications To be at the cut edge as an IT Consultant obtain professional certifications from the vendors such as MCSE from Microsoft, CCNA, CCNP from Cisco and OCA, OCP from Oracle University etc. Skills/Knowledge Gained These are the skill sets and knowledge I currently have that are required skill sets and knowledge needed for my career aspiration and goals and how and where I acquired them are tabulated follows: S/NO. Skill/Knowledge Area How Where 1. Technical such as programming Programming languages such as VB.NET, PHP MySQL, C and C++ Through my degree studies, private lesson, and personal studies. In college and at home 2. Networking Skills Network+ and CCNA, though they are professional Through my state government scholarship Gates Intense IT Network and Security Trainings, India 3. Database MS Access, Oracle SQL*Plus Through my degree studies. In college 4. Interpersonal Effective communication Through my IT training session India 5. Communication Effective communication Through my IT training India 6. Professional Certifications A+, N+, MCSE, CCNA Hardware engineering course Gates Intense IT Network and Security Trainings, India Skill sets/Knowledge Not Gained The table below indicates the skills/knowledge required for my career aspirations/goals I feel that are needed that I have not yet possessed: S/NO. Skill/Knowledge Area 1. Technical such as programming Programming languages such Perl, C#, JAVA 2. Analytical Further mathematics and core logical problem solving 3. Networking CCNP though it is professional 4. Database Microsoft SQL Server 5. Interpersonal/Communication Ascent, tradition and cultures 6. Business Management Marketing 7. Professional certifications CCNP, OCA, OCP and OCM Explanation of Steps The following are the necessary steps and time frame I have set or planned to obtain the skill/knowledge I have not acquired: Educational qualification: I am still an undergraduate student in the field of software engineering but I strongly believed that maximum by December 2011 I will be through with my first degree and to me only first degree is not enough, I will continue my second degree which is my Master degree in the related field and that will be a maximum of 2 years. The good news is I will not stop at masters and if I have a sponsor I will do my full time doctorate degree and it will take like another 3 years. The technical programming skills such as C# and JAVA will be acquired through my holiday periods and a set time of a least one year will be enough for each. I planned to work as a programmer in a software house for at least 2 or 3 years so as to acquire good programming skill and knowledge. Analytical skills will be obtained based on working on big projects, internships and core programming and a maximum of 4 to 5 years will be required for me to gain it. It is by several practices and doing and this I have to do every possible time that I have. Networking/Professional certifications such as CCNP by Cisco, OCA, and OCP by Sun Microsystems etc. will be obtained during the process. I will go one after the other to gain them and it will take like 2 years. I planned to acquire the knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server prior to my first degree graduation which I will be learning it by myself. Interpersonal/Communication areas such as improving my ascent, studying people traditions and cultures will be obtained through various presentations, documentations and reports, going along with the people, making vital friendships, self discipline, practices and learning within a time set of at least 4 to 5 years and during life process as life itself is a process of learning and no one is an island or paragon of knowledge. Business Management skills such as marketing and business strategies are needed as an IT consultant. I planned to take part-time studies in business related field so as to gain business knowledge, liaising and negotiating with clients and that will take me at least 3 years. Conclusion Having a career as an IT consultant is interesting and technical and one requires a huge set of skills and knowledge. The field of IT industry is diversified and IT consultants carry out such a variety of tasks that one IT consultant career may develop into a number of different industries and sectors. As for me and my career I have to reach my ultimate goals and I have to carry out my set out plans. For I look forward to achieve it and beyond becoming even as a CEO.

Ip History :: Essays Papers

Ip History Recent years saw huge increase in Internet growth there were 40,073 networks on Internet (as of 10/4/94) and it was doubling approximately every 12 months. The current version (IPv4) of Internet Protocol was sufficient for 20 years, but if Internet will continue to grow, pretty soon we will run out of addresses for all connections because IPv4 can handle only 32 bit addresses (which are millions of connections). This is the major drawback of IPv4. The other issues is that IPv4 was not designed to handle real time applications such as video and audio efficiently and IPv4 can create a lot of fragmentation due to the lack of ability to predict or detect the bottlenecks in the packet’s path. The next generation of IP was designed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to handle all of these problems and was first presented on July 25, 1994 in Toronto. Thou structurally it is very different from IPv4; it still incorporates all the successful features of IPv4 like its ability to adapt to many topologies or technologies at the same time. IPv6 is increasing address format from 32 bits to 128 bits. This increase gave 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses (should be more that the packet since switching the paths for each packet will degrade performance of the network. You (well the protocol) can request the unbreakable path, for the applications successfully transmit high quality video and audio over the net. Another great advantage of IPv6 is its compatibility with the IPv4. This will make transition between these two versions painless. Because it doesn't matter how well a new protocol is if there is nopractical way to transition the current operational systems running IPv4 to the new protocol. Structurally both versions are also different. They have different datagram systems and unlike IPv4, IPv6 does not specify all the possible protocol features, this makes it more adaptable to the user’s needs. The datagram in IPv6 consists of Base Header, Optional Extension Headers, and the Data Area. The Base Header is twice as large than in IPv4 due to the added extra 96 bits to the each destination and source addresses, but it actually contains less data. It contains: VERS – for version IPv6, PRIORITY – specifies the urgency 0 Uncharacterized traffic 1 "Filler" traffic (e.g., Netnews) 2 Unattended data transfer (e.g., email) 3 (Reserved)

The Hebrew Scriptures Essay -- essays research papers

The Hebrew Scriptures Truth, scripture and revelation are three concepts that the Bible has been based on. Truth is defined as the way that things are or should be. It can relate to reality or wisdom. Truth can be communicated in a variety of ways. Literally which is facts and figures and can be shown in math and science. Figuratively which is metaphor and simile and can be shown in humanity. Symbolically in fine arts such as art, drama and music and also narratively such as stories, parables and myths. Truth can be known in the head and the heart because it communicates through reason and intuition. Meanwhile, scripture is defined as being written and taken from script. Scripture is a way for religion to permanently preserve its worth of wisdom, ways of worship and to pass traditions on intact for future generations. Finally, revelation means to reveal. It refers to the initiative of God in communicating with humans. Truth, scripture and revelation are all related because they are all forms of communicat ion that allow us to know God’s message. They allow us to see stories and events of how people lived with God in history and set an example of how we should co-exist with God in our world today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hebrew scriptures play a vital role in the revelation of God. There have been many events and stories in which God has expressed his message to people of the world. For example, there is the story of Abraham. In the city of Sodom, the people living during those times were living in very selfish and corrupt ways. God wanted them to renounce these sinful practices or else He would destroy their entire city. God ordered Abraham to find ten righteous people in order to save Sodom. In the end, Abraham failed so the city was destroyed by fire. This showed that God was serious about telling people that they needed to change. It gave them concrete proof that God would come through when He said that He demolish their city. Another example of God’s relationship with Abraham is shown when He orders Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God wanted to test Abraham’s faith in Him and how loyal Abraham truly was. Abraham did end up taking his son to a mount ain to sacrifice him but at the last minute God told Abraham to stop and sacrifice a lamb instead. This event showed that God would come through for Abraham in the end because Abraham’s fa... ... rewards to those who have faith and believe in Him. We should hold true to our faith in God and believe that he will come through for us even in difficult times. If we stand strong through the trials and tests that God chooses to lay upon us, He will exalt us. As well, the example of Moses is conformant to our world today because he shows that God does not condemn those who have sinned against Him. Instead, God chooses to forgive us and look beyond our mistakes. This shows that God still has respect and compassion for those who have made mistakes. Even if we have done wrongdoing, we can still be chosen to be in the Kingdom of God. Finally, the story of David explains that we can all be heroes in the eyes of God even if we are just ordinary people. As long as we believe in ourselves and have trust in God, we can still be successful. Status or strength does not matter in the point of view of God; it is compassion and love that God looks for in each of us. We can lead normal lives but yet still be a king or a queen in the eyes of God. The Hebrew Scriptures will always have a lesson for us, no matter how much our world changes and these lessons are eternally applicable to our lives.

Ideal Education

A university is an institution that educates a student to better prepare them to work in the field that they choose. The best curriculum varies for each student, but it is necessary that the students have some experience in the working environment before they set out on their own. For engineers, strong working skills of your major and internships are essential to survive in today†s society. A successful engineer must also take additional courses writing and computer technology and spend no less than five years in the university. The ideal engineering student would go above and beyond the academic requirements for completing their major and would have working experience in the field that they choose. As an electrical engineering student at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), I have been exposed to a curriculum that gives students more exposure to other areas of the field. The curriculum includes more technical writing and computer technology courses that will help students prepare for the tasks performed by an actual engineer. Some corporations, such as Alcar, are even making courses in communication, technology, and management into prerequisites to work in the industry. These types of courses are especially gratifying because they qualify students for better jobs and allow students to express their ideas more clearly. These traditionally non-engineering courses have now become necessary to complete the best possible engineering education. Linda Geppart supports my theory of a wider spectrum of classes in her article, â€Å"Educating the Renaissance Engineer. Geppart believes that engineers may have their areas of specialty, but they need exposure to other areas as well. For example, an engineer must have at least a working knowledge of other technologies so they know where to seek help to solve a problem. Also, many engineers are needed in other professional areas such as marketing, manufacturing, development, and research. â€Å"This means that engineers need to have communication and writing skills†, said Jin Park, professor of electrical engineering at Yonsei University (in Geppart, p. 16). Progress in communications and technology keeps raising the level of knowledge that engineers need today. Another step to the ideal education would require the students to have experience working in the field they have chosen. Many Universities are giving their students the option to have an internship to fulfill the academic requirements for that semester. My brother, a computer engineering major at Creighton University, has the choice to take an internship the final semester of his junior year. Mentioned in the Geppart article was how many universities in Europe are requiring their students to have internships. In Germany, it is mandatory for the electrical engineering students to spend at least a half-year in the industry. An internship is an extremely valuable part of an engineering education and should be integrated into more Universities. On-the-job experience gives students a chance to work on real projects in an industrial environment. The students working in the actual industry are far better off than the students learning similar material at a desk are because they will have hands on experience doing the work of an actual engineer. Work experience is a crucial part of any education. The time when most colleges allow internships is at the end of the junior year. This way, the students will be able to focus on the topics that they need for that job or a similar one. Some companies will even pay for your last years of college or for your certification, in order to bring you back. In order to receive the best education possible, a student should be able to choose their own electives in their major, especially since many students decide to go into different fields of work later on. Many schools such as Carnegie Mellon University are adapting this into their curriculum and letting their students customize their own education. Most students would obtain much more knowledge in classes they were actually interested in than those they were â€Å"getting out of the way† to fulfill their graduation requirements. I find myself working a lot harder in classes that I am interested in than those that I am not interested in. The notion of choosing your own electives is also very important for those who want to pursue their bachelor†s degree with a degree in another field such as medicine or business. Finally, four years is not a lot of time to receive the best education. A student should stay in a university long enough to get a masters degree or a double major, which would usually be about five years. UCSB offers many different five-year programs including a combination engineering degree with a business degree or an engineering degree with a computer science degree. Also available at UCSB, like in many universities, are the higher education programs like the master†s degree or a PHD. It is essential for universities to offer such programs to give students the opportunity to obtain the ideal education. The expanded program at UCSB does not allow the students to pick many classes outside the requirements because the double major takes up almost all of the time. But the ability to broaden the spectrum of classes a student takes lies in the individual student. A student could still graduate in less time by taking summer courses. The ideal student would complete the requirements for their major and take extra classes to widen the spectrum of their knowledge in their line of work. The model student would also spend some amount of time working in the field that the have chosen. The best curriculum differs for each student depending on their major but it is vital that they spend no less than five years in the university to complete higher education and get, at least, a master†s degree. The more each individual student puts into their college career, the better it will pay off for him or her in the future. Ideal Education A university is an institution that educates a student to better prepare them to work in the field that they choose. The best curriculum varies for each student, but it is necessary that the students have some experience in the working environment before they set out on their own. For engineers, strong working skills of your major and internships are essential to survive in today†s society. A successful engineer must also take additional courses writing and computer technology and spend no less than five years in the university. The ideal engineering student would go above and beyond the academic requirements for completing their major and would have working experience in the field that they choose. As an electrical engineering student at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), I have been exposed to a curriculum that gives students more exposure to other areas of the field. The curriculum includes more technical writing and computer technology courses that will help students prepare for the tasks performed by an actual engineer. Some corporations, such as Alcar, are even making courses in communication, technology, and management into prerequisites to work in the industry. These types of courses are especially gratifying because they qualify students for better jobs and allow students to express their ideas more clearly. These traditionally non-engineering courses have now become necessary to complete the best possible engineering education. Linda Geppart supports my theory of a wider spectrum of classes in her article, â€Å"Educating the Renaissance Engineer. Geppart believes that engineers may have their areas of specialty, but they need exposure to other areas as well. For example, an engineer must have at least a working knowledge of other technologies so they know where to seek help to solve a problem. Also, many engineers are needed in other professional areas such as marketing, manufacturing, development, and research. â€Å"This means that engineers need to have communication and writing skills†, said Jin Park, professor of electrical engineering at Yonsei University (in Geppart, p. 16). Progress in communications and technology keeps raising the level of knowledge that engineers need today. Another step to the ideal education would require the students to have experience working in the field they have chosen. Many Universities are giving their students the option to have an internship to fulfill the academic requirements for that semester. My brother, a computer engineering major at Creighton University, has the choice to take an internship the final semester of his junior year. Mentioned in the Geppart article was how many universities in Europe are requiring their students to have internships. In Germany, it is mandatory for the electrical engineering students to spend at least a half-year in the industry. An internship is an extremely valuable part of an engineering education and should be integrated into more Universities. On-the-job experience gives students a chance to work on real projects in an industrial environment. The students working in the actual industry are far better off than the students learning similar material at a desk are because they will have hands on experience doing the work of an actual engineer. Work experience is a crucial part of any education. The time when most colleges allow internships is at the end of the junior year. This way, the students will be able to focus on the topics that they need for that job or a similar one. Some companies will even pay for your last years of college or for your certification, in order to bring you back. In order to receive the best education possible, a student should be able to choose their own electives in their major, especially since many students decide to go into different fields of work later on. Many schools such as Carnegie Mellon University are adapting this into their curriculum and letting their students customize their own education. Most students would obtain much more knowledge in classes they were actually interested in than those they were â€Å"getting out of the way† to fulfill their graduation requirements. I find myself working a lot harder in classes that I am interested in than those that I am not interested in. The notion of choosing your own electives is also very important for those who want to pursue their bachelor†s degree with a degree in another field such as medicine or business. Finally, four years is not a lot of time to receive the best education. A student should stay in a university long enough to get a masters degree or a double major, which would usually be about five years. UCSB offers many different five-year programs including a combination engineering degree with a business degree or an engineering degree with a computer science degree. Also available at UCSB, like in many universities, are the higher education programs like the master†s degree or a PHD. It is essential for universities to offer such programs to give students the opportunity to obtain the ideal education. The expanded program at UCSB does not allow the students to pick many classes outside the requirements because the double major takes up almost all of the time. But the ability to broaden the spectrum of classes a student takes lies in the individual student. A student could still graduate in less time by taking summer courses. The ideal student would complete the requirements for their major and take extra classes to widen the spectrum of their knowledge in their line of work. The model student would also spend some amount of time working in the field that the have chosen. The best curriculum differs for each student depending on their major but it is vital that they spend no less than five years in the university to complete higher education and get, at least, a master†s degree. The more each individual student puts into their college career, the better it will pay off for him or her in the future.

Iron Crowned Chapter 3

I might have come to accept being queen of the Thorn Land, and it was hard not to grow attached to a place you had a spiritual connection to. Nonetheless, nothing the Otherworld offered would ever take the place of my home in Tucson. It was a small house, but in a nice neighborhood, near the Catalina Mountains north of the city. Gateways between the worlds existed all over, facilitating travel, but I had an â€Å"anchor† in my home, meaning once I shifted out of the Thorn Land's gate, I was able to materialize directly in my bedroom. An anchor could be any object tied to your essence. My roommate Tim, who hadn't seen me in a few days, was understandably shocked when I came strolling into the kitchen. â€Å"Jesus Christ, Eug!† he exclaimed. He'd been flipping pancakes at the stove. â€Å"We've got to put a bell around your neck or something.† I grinned and had an inexplicable urge to hug him – though I knew that would freak him out even more. After all the craziness in the Otherworld, his normality was a welcome sight. Well, â€Å"normality† might have been an exaggeration. Tim – with his tall, dark, and handsome looks – had taken to impersonating Native Americans (badly) in order to score chicks and make money selling his awful poetry. He rotated through various tribes, and last I knew, he'd been passing himself off as Tlingit, seeing as the locals got a little less pissed off by him donning the clothes of a tribe living hundreds of miles away. He lived in my house rent-free in exchange for cooking and housework, and I was glad to see him dressed in an ordinary jeans and T-shirt ensemble today. â€Å"Are you making enough for two?† I asked, heading straight for the full coffeepot. â€Å"I always make enough for two. But most of it goes to waste.† That last part came out as a grumble. He'd once complained about being my â€Å"slave† but missed my being around now. â€Å"Messages?† â€Å"Usual place.† When in the Otherworld, I left my cell phone with Tim. It forced him to play secretary, something he resented since I actually already employed one. Indeed, most of the messages he'd scrawled on the refrigerator's white board were from her. Tue. – 11 AM – Lara: two job offersTue. – 2:30 PM – Lara: one possible client needs ASAP helpTue. – 5:15 PM – Lara: still wants to talk to youTue. – 5:20 PM – Lara: needs you to finish tax paperworkTue. – 10:30 PM – Lara: won't stop callingWed. – 8 AM – Lara: who calls this early?Wed. – 11:15 AM – BitchWed. – 11:30 AM – Sam's Home Improvement: interested in vinyl siding? I admired his detailed message taking – frustration with Lara aside – but my heart sank when I saw who was conspicuously missing. Every time I came home, I secretly hoped I'd see their names up there. Sometimes, on the sly, my mom would check on me. But my stepdad, Roland? He never called anymore, not after finding out about my allegiance to the Otherworld. Tim, preoccupied with his cooking, didn't see my face. â€Å"I don't get why she keeps calling. She knows you can't get any of her messages. Why does she need more than one? It's not like a billion of them are magically going to get through to you.† â€Å"It's just her way,† I said. â€Å"She's efficient.† â€Å"That's not efficient,† he declared. â€Å"It's borderline neurotic.† I sighed, wondering not for the first time if I should just let messages go to voice mail. Despite having never met, Tim and Lara were mortal phone enemies. Hearing them bitch about each other was wearying. Nonetheless, staring at her string of calls already made me feel tired. I'd once had a brisk trade as a freelance shaman, kicking out ghosts and other annoying supernatural creatures who harassed humans. Now that I moonlighted as a fairy queen, I'd had to become much more selective with clientele. I could no longer keep up with the demand around here and felt bad about that. I suspected Roland was picking up my slack but didn't know for sure. I waited until after breakfast before dealing with Lara. Pancakes, sausage, and coffee gave me the strength to deal with this latest batch of requests. Undoubtedly seeing my number on her caller ID, Lara didn't bother with formalities when I finally called. â€Å"About time,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Has he been giving you my messages?† â€Å"He just did. I've been gone for three days. You know you don't need to keep bugging him about it.† â€Å"I want to make sure he tells you I called.† â€Å"He writes them down, every one. Besides, my phone's log also tells me you've called †¦ a lot.† â€Å"Hmphf.† She let it go. â€Å"Well, you're getting a lot of requests lately. I've thinned them out, but you've still got to choose.† It was almost February. We weren't near any major sabbats, when paranormal activity always increased. Sometimes, though, it happened for no reason. It figured now would be one of those times – right while I was in the middle of a war. Or, I realized, it might be happening because of that. My identities as queen and shaman were both well known among many creatures. Maybe they hoped they could get away with more while I was distracted. Half seemed to show up for selfish purposes in our world; the other half hoped to forcibly father Storm King's heir on me. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Let's hear the priorities.† â€Å"We need to finish your taxes.† â€Å"That's not a priority. Keep going.† â€Å"Single woman, stalked by a fetch.† â€Å"That's serious. I'll have to get on that one.† â€Å"Tree elemental. In your neighborhood.† â€Å"Yeah, that one's here for me. He won't hurt anyone else.† â€Å"Phantom-infested subdivision.† â€Å"On a graveyard?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Schedule it, and make sure the builder's charged double. Their own stupid fault.† â€Å"Will do. Then you've got the usual weirdness. Lights in the sky. Possible UFO.† â€Å"Was that Wil again?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Damn it! Did you tell him it's just the military?† â€Å"Yes. He also said there's been some Bigfoot sightings – â€Å" I froze. â€Å"Bigfoot? Where?† â€Å"I didn't get the details. I thought it was his usual craziness. And didn't you say they don't live in Arizona?† â€Å"They don't. Has there been anything weird in the news? Deaths?† There was a pause, and I heard the rustling of papers. â€Å"Two hikers died over in Coronado, near the Rappel Rock trail. The report stated that they fell. Took a couple days to find their bodies. Nasty stuff. Some animals got to them.† I was up and out of my chair in a flash, making the dishes on the kitchen table rattle. Tim, leafing through a magazine, looked up in alarm. â€Å"Call Wil,† I told her, trying to tug on one of my boots while balancing the phone. â€Å"Find out where he heard about these Bigfoot sightings. If it's not Coronado, give me a call back. If it is, no need to call.† Wil was Jasmine's half brother, and I avoided speaking to him when I could. One reason was that he always asked me about her. The other was that he was a crazy, paranoid conspiracy theorist. This time, he might be on to something. Lara was understandably startled. â€Å"But you said Bigfoot – â€Å" â€Å"It's not Bigfoot.† â€Å"Don't forget your other job tonight!† â€Å"I won't.† I disconnected and managed to get on the other boot. Tim regarded me warily. â€Å"I don't like it when you get that look.† â€Å"That makes two of us.† He watched as I went to our hallway closet and produced a little-worn leather coat. â€Å"You're going to Coronado?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"High?† â€Å"Yup.† He sighed and gestured to where we hung our keys near the door. â€Å"Take my car. It'll handle better if you run into snow.† I slung my satchel over my shoulder and flashed him a grateful smile. He warned me to be careful, but I was already out the door with the keys, heading for his Subaru. My eyes barely saw the road as I drove toward Coronado State Park. Bigfoot. No, you wouldn't find Bigfoot out here, not even in the Catalinas. Now, tell me there'd been a sighting in the Pacific Northwest? Or anywhere in Canada? Yeah, it'd be Bigfoot hunting time. But it wouldn't be a priority. They were generally harmless. Here? When you got a Bigfoot sighting in Tucson, it was a demon bear. Yeah – I know. It was a ridiculous name, but it got the point across – and really, there was nothing funny about them. They came from the Underworld and were utterly lethal. With their tall and furry appearance, it was easy to understand why the untrained eye would mistake them for popular images of Bigfoot. Demon bears didn't fuck around either. If only two people were dead, then this one hadn't been in the area long. We were lucky – even if the hikers weren't. No rodents or foxes had fed on those bodies. In Tucson proper, we were enjoying our typically mild winter weather – mid-seventies today, if I had to guess. As I drove higher into the mountains, the temperature dropped rapidly. I soon saw snow on the ground and signs for Mt. Lemmon's ski resorts. Other signs directed me toward popular hiking and climbing areas – including Rappel Rock. In and of itself, it was a popular area for outdoorsmen. With its proximity to the ski areas, the demon bear's presence was doubly dangerous this time of year. I finally reached the trailhead and parked in a gravel lot. Only a couple other cars were there, which was a small blessing. I stepped out of the Subaru, shocked by the blast of cold air that hit me. I was not used to these temperatures. I hadn't been bred for them. Give me monsters and ghosts? No problem. But cold weather? That was a weakness. I could've used magic to adjust the air but needed to conserve my power. Instead, as I stuffed my arsenal into my belt – not comfortable but ready for easy access – I used my magic for a summoning. I spoke the ritual words, and a few moments later, a small implike creature appeared before me. He had pointed ears, smooth night-black skin, and red slits for eyes. â€Å"My mistress calls,† he said in a flat voice, â€Å"and I answer, no doubt for some mundane task.† â€Å"We're going after a demon bear,† I said, moving briskly toward the trail and trying my best to ignore the cold. My jacket wasn't suited for this weather at all, but it was the best I had. â€Å"A more challenging task than most,† he observed. I ignored his condescension as I stopped before the sign indicating the various routes and levels of difficulty for these climbs and hikes. Volusian was a cursed spirit I'd subdued and enslaved. His power made him a useful asset – and a risky one. He hated me and spent a good deal of his time planning how to kill me, should I ever lose the control needed to bind him. I closed my eyes, attempting to become one with the air rather than its victim. The world was silent here, save for the rustling of wind in the pines and chatter of birds and small animals. I spread my senses out, seeking something out of place. My abilities weren't perfect, but I could often sense a presence not from our world. â€Å"There.† I opened my eyes abruptly and pointed near a trail marked â€Å"moderately difficult.† â€Å"Do you feel anything?† Volusian studied the area, using his senses as well. â€Å"Yes. But more there.† He pointed not at the trail itself but more toward its left, off into the woods. I grimaced but knew his senses were slightly better than mine. â€Å"Off-roading. Lovely.† We set out in that direction. Volusian shifted to a more ghostly form that floated along with me, rather than treading through the underbrush like I had to. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle, but it made for slow going. Yet, as I traveled farther and farther, that magical feel increased. â€Å"It will sense you too, mistress,† said Volusian, in a rare show of unsolicited commentary. I didn't doubt it. â€Å"Will it come after me? Or will it run?† â€Å"Run? No. Hide? Perhaps.† There was a calculated pause. â€Å"It won't try to force itself sexually on you, however. The blood of the shining ones is too alluring. It will simply try to eat you.† â€Å"How reassuring,† I muttered. â€Å"I'll do the banishing. You distract it.† Soon, I needed no special senses to know we'd reached our goal. The forest had grown deadly silent. No more birds or other signs of life. A strong sense of †¦ wrongness filled the air. The worlds were stacked: human, Otherworld, Underworld. With our proximity, Otherworldly creatures could sometimes move throughout this world without me feeling anything. Something from the Underworld was too foreign. It stuck out. â€Å"We're close,† I murmured. â€Å"We're practically – oomphf!† A massive arm swung out from a cluster of trees and hit me in the stomach, knocking me painfully backward. There was nothing I could do to prevent my fall onto the forest floor of sharp sticks and rocks, but I did manage to grab hold of my wand as I went down. A giant form loomed in front of me, almost eight feet tall. Long-limbed, with clawed feet and hands, its muscled body could easily be mistaken for that of a Bigfoot. Its ears – while definitely bearlike – were flattened against its head, adding to the humanoid appearance. It roared, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth. Black eyes, filled with nothing but mindless rage, peered down at me. Volusian, compelled by my orders, threw himself against the bear. The power radiating around Volusian's body had the substantiality of a ton of bricks. The creature staggered backward, eyes shifting angrily to my minion. The fact that Volusian hadn't knocked it to the ground was concerning. They were either well matched, or the demon was even more powerful than Volusian. The latter would be problematic, seeing as I wasn't strong enough to banish Volusian. Well, that is, I wasn't strong enough to banish him and fight him. If someone else subdued him, I could have sent Volusian on. If this demon bear had the means to defeat Volusian, then I'd be cake. Hopefully, the demon bear couldn't obliterate Volusian while distracted by something else – me. I scrambled to my feet, holding my wand out as I prepared to open a door to the Underworld. Volusian and the demon battled it out, neither capable of killing each other. I gathered my will, channeling the power of my soul to spread past this world and the Otherworld, on to the Underworld. On my arm, a tattoo of a black and white butterfly sacred to Persephone began to burn as I touched her domain. The air near the demon dematerialized, forming an opening to the Underworld. Grabbing my silver athame with my free hand, I approached the battle, cautious of both the combatants and the forming gate. Volusian hovered over the demon, keeping its eyes directed high. I sneaked up unnoticed. With well-practiced speed, I snaked out with the athame, drawing an arcane symbol on the demon's chest. Usually, banishing a demon back to its domain kept it from returning. A binding mark like this ensured it. I didn't want to take any chances. The demon's roar of rage echoed through the woods, and it turned toward me. I'd anticipated this and had already scrambled away, keeping out of its reach. Really, I'd been lucky the first time it hit me. It had the strength to kill me with one blow. Volusian came forward again to pull the demon's attention back – only, it didn't work. The demon recognized the threat I was and could feel the opening of the gate. Volusian, attacking and attacking, was a nuisance – a painful one – but one the demon could apparently ignore as it came toward me. â€Å"Shit,† I said. I backed farther and farther away, but the demon was quickly closing the distance. Its massive feet could trample the underbrush that slowed me so much. I worked hard to ignore just how dire my situation had become and instead concentrated on the gateway. That door grew more substantial, and soon, its power began calling to its own – sucking the demon back. The creature paused in its attack. The problem was, the gate wanted to pull Volusian too. Orders or not, he moved out of range for self-preservation, which I didn't exactly blame him for. Only, without my minion to beat on the demon, it now had just enough strength to fight the gate and keep coming toward me. It had to know that if it could take me out, the gate would go away too. Suddenly, I heard something approaching us, sticks and leaves crackling under strong feet – or, to be more precise, paws. A red fox – much larger than a normal one – sprang out onto the demon's back, sinking its teeth into the furry brown hide. This brought another shriek from the demon – and gave me a moment's respite. I threw all my power into the gate and jerked the demon toward it. The demon flailed, unable to fight being sent back to its own world. The fox had the sense to get out of the way, its services no longer needed. The demon gave one last mournful cry and then faded from our sight. I stretched the wand toward where the demon had disappeared, sending my energy through the wand's gems to banish the gate as well and reseal this world. Silence followed, except for my own rapid breathing. Slowly, birds began to sing again, and the forest's natural state returned. I leaned against a tall, leafless oak in relief. The banishing hadn't been as easy as I expected, but it certainly could have ended worse – like, with my death. â€Å"We didn't need your help,† I said. â€Å"We were doing just fine.† The fox was no longer there, as I'd already known. It had transformed into a tall, muscled man, with deep, golden-brown skin and black hair that barely touched his shoulders. He was a kitsune, a shape-shifting Japanese fox from the Otherworld. Actually, he was half-kitsune. His mother had been the kitsune; his father a mortal from Arizona. Power-wise, it made little difference. â€Å"Yeah,† said Kiyo, crossing his arms over his chest. He needed no coat and simply wore a burgundy T-shirt. â€Å"You seemed to have it all under control.† â€Å"We were about to,† I retorted. â€Å"Actually, mistress,† said Volusian, deadpan, â€Å"your death was probably imminent.† â€Å"Oh shut up,† I snapped. â€Å"You're dismissed. Go back to the Otherworld.† Volusian vanished. I turned back to Kiyo. â€Å"What are you doing out here anyway?† He shrugged, and I worked hard to ignore the effect his physical appearance always had on me. â€Å"Same thing as you. I'm on Wil's mailing list. When I heard about the Bigfoot sightings †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sighed and turned back the way we'd come. â€Å"I don't need your help.† â€Å"I wasn't coming to help you.† He caught up with me easily. â€Å"I was coming to kill a demon bear. You just happened to be here first.† Considering the trouble Volusian and I had had, I doubted Kiyo could have taken out the demon through brute force. Kiyo was strong, yeah, but hardly all-powerful. Unfortunately, he was all-bravery. He rushed into impossible situations, ready to defend others – even at cost to himself. He'd always been reckless that way – except for once. And that was the core of our problems. Kiyo and I used to date, wrapped in a deeply romantic and physical relationship. His continual disapproval of my Otherworldly relations had begun to fracture things between us. The final break had occurred after Leith had raped me. Kiyo had come to rescue me but had refused to punish Leith. Kiyo had advised a tamer course of action: letting Otherworldly justice take its course. Dorian, however, had opted for on-the-spot justice: he'd run Leith through with a sword. Kiyo and I had broken up shortly after that. â€Å"You were outclassed,† I told Kiyo. â€Å"There are a billion other creatures running loose right now. If you want to help, go after them.† â€Å"Ah, yes. I forgot,† he said. â€Å"Tucson's former caretaker is too busy playing queen.† I came to a halt and glared. â€Å"I'm not playing at anything! Controlling the Thorn Land wasn't my choice, and you know it.† â€Å"That's true. It was Dorian's choice – one he tricked you into. Yet, somehow that doesn't matter, and now it's okay for you to shack up with him and wage war.† I started moving again, marching through the woods in a haze of anger. When we'd broken up, Kiyo had been sad and withdrawn. Over time, he'd gotten his spunk back and now – whenever we ran into each other – didn't hesitate to express his opinion of Dorian, the war, or anything else Otherworldly I was involved in. â€Å"The war wasn't my choice either,† I said at last, after refusing to respond for several minutes. â€Å"Stopping it wasn't exactly out of your control either.† â€Å"So what are you saying? That I should just stop now and surrender?† â€Å"No.† His calmness was annoying. â€Å"But there must be a peaceful way to end it. To negotiate something.† â€Å"Don't you think we've tried?† I exclaimed. â€Å"How bloodthirsty do you think I am? Every diplomat we send is either given unreasonable demands or met with death threats.† â€Å"I like the use of ‘we.' I wonder how seriously Dorian is taking the peace process.† I could see the parking lot through the trees ahead. Good. I needed to be away from Kiyo. His presence was stifling. It stirred up too many feelings, too many feelings I didn't want to deal with. â€Å"Dorian isn't running this by himself. We're in it together, and we have tried to settle with Katrice.† â€Å"And as that's failed, you're now going to march in with your allies and take her land with overwhelming force, expanding your empire.† We reached the gravel lot, and I turned on Kiyo in full anger, hands on my hips. â€Å"We don't have any allies. And I don't want another kingdom! I sure as hell don't want an empire!† He shrugged. â€Å"Say whatever you want, but everyone knows you're looking for people to join up with you.† â€Å"And Katrice is doing the same,† I said smoothly. â€Å"I hear she's visited the Willow Land quite a bit.† Ah, that broke him. Kiyo's smug, cool faà §ade faltered. â€Å"Nothing's decided,† he said stiffly. â€Å"But your girlfriend's no fan of Dorian and me. She's afraid of us. How long, Kiyo? How long until she – and you – fight against us?† I was gaining ground; he was on the defensive. He and Maiwenn the Willow Queen had once been lovers; they'd even had a daughter together. I'd never believed their â€Å"just friends† claims since our breakup. Kiyo took a step forward, leaning toward me and fixing me with that dark, dark gaze. â€Å"She's not my girlfriend. And we're staying neutral.† I gave a shrug as masterfully casual as the one he'd given me earlier. â€Å"If you say so. And I like your use of ‘we.' Except, you don't really have an equal share in it, do you? You just run along and follow her orders.† â€Å"Damn it, Eugenie!† He clenched his fists. â€Å"Why do you have to be so – â€Å" He couldn't finish, and as we stood there, so close, I became aware once more of his body and the memories of our time together. I remembered what that body could do in bed. I remembered the way we'd laughed, how easily we'd connected. The Otherworld consumed so much of my time lately, but I was still half human. The human part of me called to other humans. And as he looked down at me, the anger softening a little, I had a feeling he was thinking the same thing. If he had any lingering attraction, the animal attributes in him would make this doubly awkward. My physical appearance would trigger sexual attraction that much more quickly. Even my scent could arouse him. He looked away. â€Å"Well. None of that matters. You should go home. You're freezing.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I said automatically, like I wasn't shivering and covered in goose bumps. â€Å"Of course you are.† He glanced back at me, a small, wry smile on his face. â€Å"Be careful, Eugenie.† â€Å"With what exactly?† I asked. â€Å"Everything.† With that, he shape-shifted back into a fox – a smaller, normal one – and scampered off through the trees. Naturally, he was too hard-core to have driven up here. Suddenly feeling drained, I got out Tim's keys and turned toward the car. I'd done what I needed to, that was what counted. I didn't want to think about Kiyo or war or anything like that. I wanted to go home and rest before the next job. A tingling along my spine made me drop the keys as I felt an Otherworldly presence appear behind me. I spun around, pulling my wand back out as I did. There, before me, was a ghost. It was female, looking like she'd died in her midthirties. Her translucent form washed out any color, but her hair was curly and shoulder-length, her clothing casual. Seeing a ghost outdoors was rare; they tended to be attracted to material things. Still, location didn't matter. They were dangerous. I pointed my wand at her, banishing words upon my lips. â€Å"Wait, don't!† she cried, holding up her hands. Pleading ghosts weren't uncommon. â€Å"Sorry. This isn't your world. You need to move on. It's for the best.† â€Å"Please. Not yet. I need to talk to you, Eugenie Markham.† I frowned, wand still poised and ready. â€Å"How do you know my name?† â€Å"Because I've come to ask for your help. I need you to find out who killed me.†

Use of Nasdat in Burgess’ a Clockwork Orange

Use of nasdat in Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange â€Å"And, my brothers, it was real satisfaction to me to waltz-left two three, right two three-and carve left cheeky and right cheeky, so that like two curtains of blood seemed to pour out at the same time, one on either side of his fat filthy oily snout in the winter starlight. † –Alex, A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange is set in a futuristic city in a time, not too far off in the future. In this futuristic society, normal citizens have fallen into complacency and are oblivious to the growth of a violent youth culture.Alex, the narrator and protagonist of the story, is a teenage boy who speaks in a contrived slang called nadsat. Nasdat is a contrived language that incorporates elements of Russian and Cockney English. The use of language in the novel helps illustrate and set the scene as Alex leads a small gang of peers, friends and fellow criminals – Dim, Pete, and Georgie – through the streets, robbing, beating men, raping women and committing random acts of violence.Alex is the sole narrator of A Clockwork Orange. Every word on the page is his, and as readers, we experience his world through the scenes he describes and the experiences, suffering and pleasure he encounters. The function of nadsat in A Clockwork Orange, are many. Most immediately, the use of unusual language forces the reader to actively think about and use the language of the book. Because nasdat isn’t common-place, readers must pay attention to and force understanding of the words on the page.The act of comprehending and understanding the language as it is written prevents readers from making judgments about the characters. In this way, nadsat insulates us from many of the harsh and violent realities in the book, allowing us to develop a rapport with Alex and ultimately grow sympathy for the character. To better understand why the language in A Clockwork Orange draws the reader to empathize with the main character, it is important to understand how nasdat was developed and also how it works as a tool to draw the reader in.The most daunting task to most readers of this novel is the introduction of a foreign yet eerily common seeming language. A general understanding of the influence, pronunciation and meaning of many of the words in nasdat can ease the reader into a pleasurable understanding of the novel. Nasdat is heavily influenced by Russian, usually taking a word from Russian and anglicizing it, but retaining some form of the original pronunciation. For example, chelloveck means fellow or person in Nadsat as well as in Russian word, chelovyek.The following sentence shows some of the other influences at work as well. â€Å"I read this with care, my brothers, slurping away at the old chai, cup after tass after chasha, crunching my lomticks of black toast dipped in jammiwam and eggiweg. † Translated loosely, the sentence above shows Alex drinking m any cups of tea, and eating slices of toast and jam with eggs. To dive in deeper, a general understanding of the words is necessary. Chai is the Russian word for tea, but there are also parallels with the English slang word char.Tass is a word which is based on the French and German words for cup (tasse and Tasse) and chasha has origins in the Russian words for teacup (chashka) and a poetical word for a large cup (chasha). Lomtick reflects the Russian lomtik meaning slice. Both jammiwam and eggiweg are made-up, childish renditions of the words jam and egg. The introduction of these words will invariably cause a first time reader of A Clockwork Orange to have problems following the action of the book and may also cause frustration.This fact distances the reader from what is happening, which helps to produce a number of effects on the reader. One of these effects is a well placed discomfort that at not being able to understand what is being said by Alex. The feeling is similar to trav elling in a foreign country and not being able to understand the native language. The reader, much like the traveler doesn’t know whether what is being said is friendly, hostile, threatening or otherwise. Interestingly enough, the language is still intelligible even though it does slow the reader and force them to interpret Burgess’ intention.The difference between using a completely foreign language and one that is even slightly understandable is that nadsat is, for the most part, a form of slang, describing things for which there is already a word in English, but in a different way. As a linguist, Burgess was all too aware that slang can date rather quickly – words like daddy-o, groovy or radical which could root a book or character in a particular time unless it was being employed deliberately for humorous effect.By making up a new type of slang, Burgess could ensure that the book transcended the time in which it was written and is still all too relevant now, and probably will be in the future. The nasdat language also plays another important role in distinguishing who among the characters is a ‘teen' and who is not. As Alex explains to F. Alexander; â€Å"Oh, that,† I said, â€Å"is what we call nadsat talk. All the teens use that, sir. † Furthermore then, people who are not teens, such as Alex's parents, P. R. Deltoid, the prison chaplain and Joe (the lodger), speak normally and do not use the nadsat.The transformation from one characters use of nasdat is at the end of the story when Alex meets his old ‘droog' Pete, and his wife. The contrast between the speech of Alex, who is still using the nadsat, and Pete, who is now speaking normally, coupled with Georgina's (Pete's wife) amusement at Alex's speech creates a colourful picture showing the contrast between the nadsat and the eloquence of Pete's speech. Another feature of the story is that the narration of the book is in the first person narrative, and the way in which Alex addresses the readers, quite often with the words ‘O my brothers,' makes the story being told more personal.His use of first person seems to center the story specifically for the reader. Therefore, it makes the reader feel like Alex is speaking directly to him/her and that they are in receipt of an amazing story which is only being told to a chosen few. This use of language is incongruous to the use of the nadsat because, although Burgess is making the reader feel part of a select group with the informal wording of the narrative and the directness of the way Alex addresses the reader, we are also left feeling out in the cold because of the unfamiliar understanding of the nadsat.Another effect of language is that the violence in the book is partially veiled, making it seem less shocking. As Burgess himself explained; â€Å"to tolchock a chelloveck in the kishkas does not sound as bad as booting a man in the guts. † (Cite) Covering up of the violence usi ng artificial language works because throughout the course of the story readers have to be thinking about what words such as yarbles (testicles), britva (razor) and oozy (chain) mean. The language veil leaves Burgess free to have Alex do what he wants without the reader judging him so harshly.By disconnecting the emotive response to the words from their meaning, nadsat creates a cushioning layer between the acts of violence and how the reader understands these acts. The forced interpretation causes a delay in the mind of the reader as he/she stops to figure out what the â€Å"replaced† word means to the story. Burgess' smokescreen use of the language was intentional in order to shield the reader from the extreme violence and cause him/her to build a rapport with the main character, further building empathy. Works Cited Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York. W. W. Norton & Company, 1986. Print