Roman Fever Symbolism

Wharton’s â€Å"Roman Fever† In Edith Wharton’s â€Å"Roman Fever,† the setting takes place in the romantic city of Rome, on the balcony of a casual Roman restaurant. Two wealthy American widows, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, are sitting together carrying on a conversation from afternoon to evening. From the restaurant, the two women are overseeing the ruins of the ancient city of Rome. Grace Ansley and Alida Slade’s conversation from afternoon to evening, the colosseum, the ancient ruins, and Grace Ansley’s knitting all have important meanings. The afternoon light is the last hours of friendship and kindness that the two ladies display for each other.When the two ladies finally start getting deeper into their conversation they begin to build an envious relationship that takes place at dawn. The evening darkness is Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley’s entry to the dark secrets and rivalry that they have for each other. The colosseum is symbolic for the battlefield where Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade fought for the man that they loved. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley continue the gladiatorial tradition. In this battle, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley use their life of lies, daughters and husbands as weapons to criticize on each other.The ruins of the romantic city of Rome are also significant. The ruins is like Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade’s decaying relationship. In the end their friendship collapses. In â€Å"Roman Fever†, Grace Ansley is knitting with crimson silk throughout most of the story. There are many different ways in which knitting is used. Mrs. Ansley knitting is a way for her to cover up her agitation and the guilt of her past. The knitting represents the complicated, twisted relationship and life that these women have. The crimson silk is symbolic for passion and love.

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 1

Expelled. It was one of the scariest words a high school senior could think of, and it kept ringing in Thea Harman's mind as her grandmother's car approached the school building. â€Å"This,† Grandma Harman said from the front passenger seat, â€Å"is your last chance. You do realize that, don't you?† As the driver pulled the car to the curb, she went on. â€Å"I don't know why you got thrown out of the last school, and I don't want to know. But if there's one whiff of trouble at this school, I'm going to give up and send both of you to your Aunt Ursula's. And you don't want that, now, do you?† Thea shook her head vigorously. Aunt Ursula's house was nicknamed the Convent, a gray fortress on a deserted mountaintop. Stone walls everywhere, an atmosphere of gloom-and Aunt Ursula watching every move with thin lips. Thea would rather die than go there. In the backseat next to her, Thea's cousin Blaise was shaking her head, too-but Thea knew better than to hope she was listening. Thea herself could hardly concentrate. She felt dizzy and very untogether, as if half of her were still back in New Hampshire, in the last principal's office. She kept seeing the look on his face that meant she and Blaise were about to be expelled-again. But this time had been the worst. She'd never forget the way the police car outside kept flashing red and blue through the windows, or the way the smoke kept rising from the charred remains of the music wing, or the way Randy Marik cried as the police led him off to jail. Or the way Blaise kept smiling. Triumphantly, as if it had all been a game. Thea glanced sideways at her cousin. Blaise looked beautiful and deadly, which wasn't her fault. She always looked that way; it was part of having smoldering gray eyes and hair like stopped smoke. She was as different from Thea's soft blondness as night from day and it was her beauty which kept getting them in trouble, but Thea couldn't help loving her. After all, they'd been raised as sisters. And the sister bond was the strongest bond there was†¦ to a witch. But we can't get expelled again. We can't. And I know you're thinking right now that you can do it all over again and good old Thea will stick with you-but this time you ‘re wrong. This time I've got to stop you. â€Å"That's all,† Gran said abruptly, finishing with her instructions. â€Å"Keep your noses clean until the end of October or you'll be sorry. Now, get out.† She whacked the headrest of the driver's seat with her stick. â€Å"Home, Tobias.† The driver, a college-age boy with curly hair who had the dazed and beaten expression all Grandma's apprentices got after a few days, muttered, â€Å"Yes, High Lady,† and reached for the gearshift. Thea grabbed for the door handle and slid out of the car fast. Blaise was right behind her. The ancient Lincoln Continental sped off. Thea was left standing with Blaise under the warm Nevada sun, in front of the two-story adobe building complex. Lake Mead High School. Thea blinked once or twice, trying to kick-start her brain. Then she turned to her cousin. â€Å"Tell me,† she said grimly, â€Å"that you're not going to do the same thing here.† Blaise laughed. â€Å"I never do the same thing twice.† â€Å"You know what I mean.† Blaise pursed her lips and reached down to adjust the top of her boot. â€Å"I think Gran overdid it a little with the lecture, don't you? I think there's something she's not telling us about. I mean, what was that bit about the end of the month?† She straightened, tossed back her mane of dark hair and smiled sweetly. â€Å"And shouldn't we be going to the office to get our schedules?† â€Å"Are you going to answer my question?† â€Å"Did you ask a question?† Thea shut her eyes. â€Å"Blaise, we are running out of relatives. If it happens again-well, do you want to go to the Convent?† For the first time, Blaise's expression darkened. Then she shrugged, sending liquid ripples down her loose ruby-colored shirt. â€Å"Better hurry. We don't want to be tardy.† â€Å"You go ahead,† Thea said tiredly. She watched as her cousin walked away, hips swaying in the trademark Blaise lilt. Thea took another breath, examining the buildings with their arched doorways and pink plaster walls. She knew the drill. Another year of living with them, of walking quietly through halls knowing that she was different from everybody around her, even while she was carefully, expertly pretending to be the same. It wasn't hard. Humans weren't very smart. But it took a certain amount of concentration. She had just started toward the office herself when she heard raised voices. A little knot of students had gathered at the edge of the parking lot. â€Å"Stay away from it.† â€Å"Kill it!† Thea joined the periphery of the group, being inconspicuous. But then she saw what was on the ground beyond the curb and she took three startled steps until she was looking right down at it. Oh†¦ how beautiful. Long, strong body†¦ broad head†¦ and a string of rapidly vibrating horny rings on the tail. They were making a noise like steam escaping, or melon seeds being shaken. The snake was olive green, with wide diamonds down its back. The scales on the face looked shiny, almost wet. And its black tongue flickered so fast†¦. A rock whizzed past her and hit the ground beside the snake. Dust puffed. Thea glanced up. A kid in cutoffs was backing away, looking scared and triumphant. â€Å"Don't do that,† somebody said. â€Å"Get a stick,† somebody else said. â€Å"Keep away from it.† â€Å"Kill it.† Another rock flew. The faces around Thea weren't vicious. Some were curious, some were alarmed, some were filled with a sort of fascinated disgust. But it was all going to end up the same for the snake. A boy with red hair came running up with a forked branch. People were reaching for rocks. I can't let them, Thea thought. Rattlers were actually pretty fragile-their backbones were vulnerable. These kids might kill the snake without even meaning to. Not to mention that a couple of the kids might get bitten in the process. But she didn't have anything†¦ no jasper against venom, no St. John root to soothe the mind. It didn't matter. She had to do something. The redheaded boy was circling with the stick like a fighter looking for an opening. The kids around him were alternately warning him and cheering him on. The snake was swelling its body, tongue-tips flickering up and down faster than Thea's eye could follow. It was mad. Dropping her backpack, she slipped in front of the red-haired boy. She could see his shock and she heard several people yell, but she tried to block it all out. She needed to focus. I hope I can do this†¦. She knelt a foot away from the rattler. The snake fell into a striking coil. Front body raised in an S-shaped spiral, head and neck held like a poised javelin. Nothing looked so ready to lunge as a snake in this position. Easy†¦ easy, Thea thought, staring into the narrow catlike pupils of the yellow eyes. She slowly lifted her hands, palms facing the snake. Worried noises from the crowd behind her. The snake was inhaling and exhaling with a violent hiss. Thea breathed carefully, trying to radiate peace. Now, who could help her? Of course, her own personal protector, the goddess closest to her heart. Eileithyia of ancient Crete, the mother of the animals. Eileithyia, Mistress of the Beasts, please tell this critter to calm down. Help me see into its little snaky heart so I'll know what to do. And then it happened, the wonderful transformation that even Thea didn't understand. Part of her became the snake. There was a strange blurring of Thea's boundaries-she was herself, but she was also coiled on the warm ground, angry and excitable and desperate to get back to the safety of a creosote bush. She'd had eleven babies some time ago and had never quite recovered from the experience. Now she was surrounded by large, hot, fast-moving creatures. Big-living-things†¦ way too close. Not responding to my threat noises. Better bite them. The snake had only two rules for dealing with animals that weren't food. 1) Shake your tail until they go away without stepping on you. 2) If they don't go away, strike. Thea the person kept her hands steady and tried to pound a new thought into the small reptile brain. Smell me. Taste me. I don't smell like a human. I'm a daughter of Hellewise. The snake's tongue brushed her palm. Its tips were so thin and delicate that Thea could hardly feel them flicker against her skin. But she could feel the snake drop down from maximum alert. It was relaxing, ready to retreat. In another minute it would listen when she told it to slither away. Behind her, she heard a new disturbance in the crowd. ‘There's Eric!† â€Å"Hey, Eric-rattlesnake!† Block it out, Thea thought. A new voice, distant but coming closer. â€Å"Leave it alone, guys. It's probably just a bull snake.† There was a swell of excited denial. Thea could feel her connection slipping. Stay focused†¦. But nobody could have stayed focused during what happened next. She heard a quick footstep. A shadow fell from the east. Then she heard a gasp. â€Å"Mojave rattler!† And then something hit her, sending her flying sideways. It happened so fast that she didn't have time to twist. She landed painfully on her arm. She lost control of the snake. All she could see as she looked east was a scaly olive-green head driving forward so fast it was a blur. Its jaws were wide open-amazingly wide-and its fangs sank into the blue-jeaned leg of the boy who had knocked Thea out of the way.

Entertainment V. Addiction Essay

There is a definitive and quite distinct difference between wholesome, quality entertainment and addiction. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury very clearly states the variation among the two. Through his examples and characters in his story about a very realistic society, he expresses his opinions and almost foresees something quite relevant to society today. However, there will always be those select few who will recognize the worthlessness of mindless propaganda that seems to infect the minds of humankind. Television takes a prominent role in the script of everyday life. Additionally, it takes an even larger role in the lives of the citizens of Bradbury’s metropolis. Actually, it is more of a brain cell cemetery. For example, Mildred, the main character’s (Montag’s) wife, is constantly bombarded with television and radio programs. In fact, three walls in the parlor of the couple’s home have been converted into giant television screens! For Mildred, however, this is not good enough. She whines that having a fourth wall installed would make her happy, and that she couldn’t possibly be happy without it. Her argument is that the installation would only be $2,000 and that in order to earn this money they could just â€Å"do without a few things†. This could be considered addictive, taking into account that she is willing to give up part of the way that she lives in order to further intoxicate her mind and make her even number to the world around her . And as a result of this constant flow of trivial nonsense into her system, she is made to feel as though she is thinking for herself, acting for herself, and having a wonderful time. During the time that Ray Bradbury had written this book, television was a brand new invention. It was not too terribly popular yet, but he thought that it posed a problem. In Ray’s mind, people would be consumed by irrelevant and insignificant programs, which may become habit-forming as time progressed. He wrote of enormous televisions, which we can relate to modern-day flat screens. Bradbury foretold of people becoming reliant on technology, and not being able to ponder life and all of its questions†¦ to just stop and smell the roses! This is all very relatable to modern society,  and it is easy to see where it fits into everyday life. Clarisse, a seventeen year old girl in Fahrenheit 451, is able to show Montag that life does not have to be lived in such a way as to think that being unaware of the world is a good thing. She is able to show him that there are ways to enjoy one’s self without needing anything but an open mind. Clarisse is one of those genuine people who are able to think for themselves, who asks the â€Å"why† instead of the â€Å"how† of things. Furthermore, the intellectuals that Montag meets also have that same zest for life. They are able to understand the importance and necessity of the thoughts of others in the past. These intellectuals realize that a better understanding and perception of life can come from theminds of others. Faber, an exceptionally odd character, is also one of those remarkable people. He is able to realize that true entertainment comes from enjoying life and exploring its mysteries. He is able to find joy in free-thinking and learning in a way that is completely separate from the superficial way of his society. Montag also slowly comes to this great discovery throughout the book. It starts with him just being curious. But isn’t that all it takes to do something great, a spark of curiosity? In conclusion, Mr. Bradbury’s position is clear as crystal in his novel Fahrenheit 451. Entertainment consists of inspiring and enlightening ideas and activities, while addiction can come easily and swiftly from those things that will deaden the mind and will bring nothing of value into the thoughts of mankind. And even though they can be rare, those who are able to look past those things and find the worthwhile substance in life will gain more out of life by being able to look at the world in new ways.

Evaluating Design Choice and Threats to Validity in a Essay

Evaluating Design Choice and Threats to Validity in a Quasi-Experimental Design - Essay Example The present author selected the choice of quasi experimental design with the rationale of avoiding the need to have two different sample sizes to work with because that would have been time consuming and defeated the overall time frame set for the researcher for the given academic research. With the quasi experimental design however, all that the researcher needed to do was to use a comparison group, without the need to employing the use of an experimental group: a situation that would have brought about the need for a posttest at the end of the given study (Cheng, 2009). The choice of quasi experimental design brought about two major types of validity, which were external validity and internal validity. With reference to external validity, it could be said that because quasi experimental designs deal with real-world scenarios, it is often easier to guarantee external validity because the results of the researcher are often evidently clear for public scrutiny. The absence of random sampling however inhibits the general internal validity of the quasi experimental design (Sanigorski et al., 2008). The author was therefore not in a better position to critically explain the validity that existed because the use of comparison groups defeated the idea of internal validity of the research. Sanigorski, A. M., Bell, A. C., Kremer, P. J., Cuttler, R., & Swinburn, B. A. (2008). Reducing unhealthy weight gain in children through community capacity-building: Results of a quasiexperimental intervention program, Be Active Eat Well. International Journal of Obesity, 32,

What makes a Good Leader Popular Theories of Leadership Essay

What makes a Good Leader Popular Theories of Leadership - Essay Example Terry (1994) says that competence for a managerial job is the product of both inherited and acquired qualities. Therefore the team leader has to be a good learner, so that he can capitalize on the stronger points of the team while trying to minimize the effects of weaker points. Pascale (1990) wrote that "managers do things right, while leaders do the right thing," A leader is supposed to be; Negotiator: The negotiating skills are the one's which distinctly differentiate a leader from other members. While stuck up in a tricky situation a leader uses his skills to convince the concerned people, tries to extract reasonable benefits for his team mates and negotiates a better deal from suppliers while weighing the outcomes of different alternatives. Coach: A leader has to be a good coach as well. He is supposed to impart the basic working principles amongst his team members. But he must not take this job so seriously that he starts interrupting the team members for each and every task. This results in undue interference in routine functioning of the team. Popular Theories of Leadership Many different writers and researchers have come out with differing styles and behavioral aspects of leadership and relevant theories. Theories of leadership may be classified under three headings: i. Trait theories, ii. Style theories, iii. Contingency theories. Trait Theories The trait theory values some traits or qualities of a leader. This theory is based on the assumption that the person is more important than the situation. It received some endorsement when it appeared that leaders such as Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin appeared to possess a mystical charm which captivated their followers. Trait theory assumers that A leader's intelligence should be above average and he or she should possess the ability to deal with complex problems. The leader should have the ability and initiative to see and deal with complex problems. Leaders are usually very self-confident and competent at their job. Leaders should have the ability to see problems in the wider context. This is known as the 'helicopter factor'. Trait theory has since attracted considerable criticism, as it places the individual's traits before the theories of management. But over the years history is replete with examples which indicate that such a theory has indeed worked wonders for the oraganisation or the country. Style Theories Style theories are based on the assumption that employees will work harder for managers who adopt certain styles of leadership. The following four styles were identified by Huneryager and Heckman in 1967: The dictatorial style: The manager tells his or her subordinates what to do, with the implied threat that they will be punished if they do not obey orders. This style is not widely used in industry and commerce. The autocratic style: Decision making is controlled by the leader, and participation by subordinates is not encouraged. Such a leader takes autocratic decisions based on his understanding of the situation. The democratic style: Such a leader believes in adopting an approach in which the subordinates are also consulted while taking some key decisions. Decision making is shared by the subordinates as well. For this to be really effective, the subordinates must be prepared to participate. The laissez faire style: Such an approach is said to be 'take it

Investment Portfolio paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Investment Portfolio paper - Essay Example According to her, it has a broad global track for the equity part of her portfolio, hence secure for her investment. This investment plan is also well registered and recognized worldwide. Since she intends to invest for over thirty years, this investment will give her good returns since it has a high demand. This is a follow up of her willingness to maintain discipline on investment as she has done before. Besides, she has no dependants and has sustainable income which will enable her to invest without interruption. Her return objectives are determined by the capital she holds in her retirement benefits account which she never monitors, meaning she is determined to let it grow without interference. ETF is an organization that has grown for over years with expensive assets. This gives it chance to reduce the level of risks it faces. The risks are therefore tolerable by this woman. This means that she has a high probability of getting returns, but low probability of getting losses. There is also a good chance of diversifying the investments in the organization. This is because it has variety of securities, enabling any shareholder to diversify investments at will. She can invest in securities like bonds, debentures and many others among the investment

Business operations of American airlines and British airways Essay

Business operations of American airlines and British airways - Essay Example Airlines today operate in a competitive global environment, where every minute there are thousands of take-offs and landings across the world. International airlines like British Airways and American Airlines, which have dominated the skies for many decades now, operate with minimum possible margins, use innovative measures to keep their competitive edge over others, manage operations with hectic minute to minute schedules, somehow retain their trained manpower in this expanding aviation sector and still stay afloat to perform better in the next year. All these aspects require herculean efforts from the HR, operations and executive management where one adverse report or an accident/incident can permanently damage to the reputation of an airline and throw it off the markets in matter of months. American Airlines, the world’s largest airline is a fully owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation founded in 1934, based in Texas and operates a passenger airline within North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia. With about 86,600 employees on its payroll, the airline covers 250 destinations and also operates air freight service. The AMR Company also connects America’s eight important cities to smaller destinations throughout the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean through two subsidiaries with other names of American Eagle and American Connection. As on Dec 06, AMR’s fleet included 697 American Airlines aircraft and 306 American Eagle aircraft. AMR Company with over 4000 daily flights contributes $ 150 billion to US economy and holds 17.8% market share. In 2006, the airline carried over 98 million passengers. On an average day, American Airlines alone will:1 Fly about 270,000 passengers Receive more than 220,000 reservations calls. Handle more than 344,000 pieces of luggage. American's award winning website provides customers with all possible facilities at the click of a button including online reservations, news, destination information and assistance, connections with other airlines and various other offers. Financial Position: Year Revenue Profit/Loss 2006 $22.56 billion $231 million 2005 $20.71 billion - $861 million 2004 $18.65 billion - $761 million 2003 $17.44 billion - $1.23 billion 2002 $17.30 billion - $3.51 billion 2 AIRLINE PROFILE - BRITISH AIRWAYS British Airways is the leading international airline from the United Kingdom, and one of the largest airlines with a great reputation in the market. The airlines has its bases at Heathrow and Gatwick, London, and the airline is the flag carrier of the UK. With about 48070 employees on the payroll, the Company also operates a worldwide air cargo business along with its scheduled passenger services. As in Mar 07, the company operates to about 147 destinations in 75 countries and carried over 33 million passengers during previous year. BA has holdings in many international airlines and business partnerships with many other airlines from various countries creating 'Oneworld' alliance. It aims to be a transnational airline. Financial Performance:3 Year 2006 2005 2004 2001 2000 Net Operating revenues* 7,813 7,560 7,688 8,340 9,278 Net Profit* 251 130 72 -142 114 * in million(s) of Pound Sales per Geographical Area United Kingdom 49 Europe: 63% Americas: 20% Rest of the World: 17% Areas data as of 31/03/2007 Considering importance of new technologies available for consumers at the click of a button, BA also has a well developed internet site offering various attractive services to its customers besides online reservations. IMPACT OF LIBERALIZED ECONOMY AND AVIATION SECTOR Recently, a study was conducted to study impact of liberalization of economy and aviation sectors on the airlines performance which came out with astounding results.