The Return: Midnight Chapter 28

Elena was nodding slowly. â€Å"It would work with what happened to me. At first I was alone out of my body, but then I saw Bonnie beside me.† Bonnie bit her lip. â€Å"Well †¦the first thing I saw was Elena and we were both flying. I was a little behind her. But Stefan, why do you think I fel asleep and dreamed a whole story? Why can't my version just be true?† â€Å"Because I think the first thing you'd have done would be to turn the light on – if you real y were lying there awake. Otherwise, you might well have picked up a soap opera – so boring!† Bonnie's forehead smoothed at last. â€Å"That would explain why nobody believed me even when I told them exactly where the story was! But why didn't I tel Elena about the treasure?† â€Å"I don't know. But sometimes when you wake up – and I think you did wake up to have the out-of-body experience – you forget the dream if something interesting is going on. But then you might remember it later if something reminds you of it.† Bonnie stared into a middle distance, thinking. Stefan was silent, knowing that only she could unravel the riddle for herself. At last Bonnie nodded. â€Å"It could be that way! I woke up and the first thing I thought of was the sweetshop. And after that I never gave another thought to the treasure dream until somebody asked for stories. And it just popped into my head.† Elena pushed the deep blue-green velvet coverlet one way to make it green, then the other way to smooth it into blueness. â€Å"I was going to forbid Bonnie to go on the expedition,†she said: this slave who didn't have a gem on her body except Stefan's pendant which hung from a fine chain around her neck, and was Stillin the simplest kind of after-bath robe. â€Å"But if it's something we have to do, I'd better talk to Lady Ulma. It sounds as if time is precious.† â€Å"Remember – time runs differently here than back on Earth. But we're supposed to leave in the morning,†Bonnie said. â€Å"Then I definitely need to talk to her – right now.† Bonnie jumped up, excited. â€Å"I'l help!† â€Å"Wait.†Stefan put a gentle hand on Bonnie's arm. â€Å"I have to say this. I think you're a miracle, Bonnie!†Stefan knew his eyes must be shining in a way that showed he could hardly rein in his excitement. In spite of the danger – in spite of the Guardians – in spite of everything†¦the largest star bal – ful of Power! He gave Bonnie a sudden impetuous hug, sweeping her off the bed and whirling her before putting her down again. â€Å"You and your precognitions!† â€Å"Oooh†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Bonnie said dizzily, gazing up at him. â€Å"Damon was excited, too, when I told him about the Gateway of the Seven Treasures.† â€Å"You know why, Bonnie? It's because everybody has heard about those seven treasures – but no one had any idea where they are†¦until you dreamed it. You do know exactly where they are?† â€Å"Yes, if the precognition was true.†Bonnie was flushed with pleasure. â€Å"And you agree that that giant star bal wil save Fel ‘s Church?† â€Å"I'd bet my life on it!† â€Å"Woo-hoo!†cried Bonnie, pumping a fist. â€Å"Let's go!† â€Å"So you see,†Elena was saying, â€Å"it'l mean twice as much of everything. I don't see how we can start tomorrow.† â€Å"Now, now, Elena. As we discovered, oh, eleven months ago when you left, any job can be done quickly if we summon enough hands. I am now the regular employer of al those women we used to cal in to make your bal gowns.†As Lady Ulma spoke she quickly and graceful y took Elena's measurements – why do only one thing when you can do two at once? She glanced at her measuring tape. â€Å"Stillexactly the same as when I last saw you. You must lead a very healthy life, Elena.† Elena laughed. â€Å"Remember, for us it's only been a few days.† â€Å"Oh, yes.†Lady Ulma laughed, too, and Lakshmi, who was seated on a stool amusing the baby, made what Elena knew was one last appeal. â€Å"I could go with you,†she said earnestly, looking at Elena. â€Å"I can do al sorts of helpful things. And I'm tough – â€Å" â€Å"Lakshmi,†Lady Ulma said gently, but in a voice that wore the hat of authority. â€Å"We're already doubling the size of the wardrobe needed to accommodate Elena and Stefan. You wouldn't want to take Elena's place, would you?† â€Å"Oh, no, no,†the young girl said hastily. â€Å"Oh, Well,†she said, â€Å"I'l take such good care of little Adara that she's no bother to you while you supervise Elena's and Stefan's clothes.† â€Å"Thank you, Lakshmi,†Elena said from her heart, noting that Adara now seemed to be the baby's official name. â€Å"Well, we can't let out any of Bonnie's things to fit you, but we can cal in reinforcements and have a ful set of garments ready for you and Stefan by the morning. It's just a matter of leather and fur to keep you warm. We use the pelts of the animals up north.† â€Å"They're not nice, cuddly baby animals, either,†Bonnie said. â€Å"They're vicious nasty things that are used for training, or they might come up from the dimension below and attack al the people on the northern fringes here. And when they final y get kil ed, the bounty hunters sel the leather and fur to Lady Ulma.† â€Å"Oh, well †¦good,†Elena said, deciding not to make an animAll rights speech just now. The truth was that she was Stillvery shaken by her actions – her reactions – toward Damon. Why had she acted that way? Was it just to let off pressure? She Stillfelt as if she could smack him a good one for taking poor Bonnie away, and then leaving her alone. And†¦and†¦for taking poor Bonnie – and not taking her! Damon must hate her now, she thought, and suddenly the world developed a sickening, out-of-control motion, as if she were trying to balance on a seesaw. And Stefan – what else could he think but that she was a woman scorned, the kind that Hel had no fury like? How could he be so kind, so caring, when anyone in their right mind would know she'd gone mad with jealousy? Bonnie didn't understand either. Bonnie was a child, not a woman. Although, although, she'd grown somehow – in goodness, in understanding. She was wil ful y blind, like Stefan. But – didn't that take maturity? Could Bonnie be more of a woman than she, Elena, was? â€Å"I'l have a private supper sent up to your rooms,†Lady Ulma was saying, as she quickly and deftly used the measuring tape on Stefan. â€Å"You get a good night's sleep; the thurgs – and your wardrobes – wil be waiting tomorrow.†She beamed at allof them. â€Å"Could I have – I mean, is there any Black Magic at all?†Elena stumbled. â€Å"The excitement†¦I'm going to sleep in my room alone. I want to get a good night's rest. We're going on a quest, you know?†Al the truth. Al a lie. â€Å"Of course, I'l have a bottle sent to – â€Å"Lady Ulma hesitated and then quickly recovered. â€Å"To your room, but why don't we al have a nightcap now? It looks just the same outside,†she added to Stefan, the newcomer, â€Å"but it's real y rather late.† Elena drank her first glass in one draft. The attendant had to refil it immediately. And again a moment later. After that her nerves seemed to relax a bit. But the seesaw feeling never entirely left, and though she slept alone in her room, Damon didn't visit to quarrel with her, mock her, or kil her – and certainly not to kiss. Thurgs, Elena discovered, were something like two elephants stitched together. Each had two side-by-side trunks and four wicked-looking tusks. Each also had a high, wide, long ridged tail, like a reptile. Their smal yel ow eyes were placed al around their domelike heads, so that they could see 360 degrees around, looking for predators. Predators that could take down a thurg! Elena imagined a sort of saber-toothed cat, enormous, with a milk-white pelt big enough to line several garments of hers and Stefan's. She was pleased with her new outfits. Each one was essential y a tunic and breeches, soft, pliable, rain-shedding leather on the outside; and warm, luxurious fur on the inside. But they wouldn't be genuine Lady Ulma creations if that was al there were to them. The inner bodysuit of white fur was reversible and removable so you could change depending on the weather. There were triple-thick wind-around col ars, which trailed behind or could be turned into scarves that wrapped a face up to the eyes. The white pelts spil ed out of the leather at the wrists to make mittens you couldn't lose. The guys had straight leather tunics that just met at the breeches, and fastened with buttons. The girls'tunics were longer and flared out a bit. They were neatly fringed, but not stained or dyed except for Damon's, which, of course, were black with sable fur. One thurg would carry the travelers and their baggage. A second, larger and wilder looking, would carry heating stones to help cook human food and al the food (it looked like red hay) that the two thurgs would eat on the way to the Nether World. Pelat showed them how to move the giant creatures, with the lightest of taps of a very long stick, which could scratch a thurg behind its hippo-like ears or give it a ferocious tap at that sensitive spot, signaling it to hasten forward. that sensitive spot, signaling it to hasten forward. â€Å"Is it safe, having Biratz carry al the thurg food? I thought you said she was unpredictable,†Bonnie asked Pelat. â€Å"Now, miss, I wouldn't give her to you if she wasn't safe. She'l be roped to Dazar so al she has to do is fol ow,†Pelat replied. â€Å"We ride these?†Stefan said, craning his neck to get a look at the smal , enclosed palanquin on top of the very large animal. â€Å"We have to,†Damon said flatly. â€Å"We can hardly walk al the way. We're not al owed to use magic like that fancy Master Key you used to get here. No magic but telepathy works up at the very top of the Dark Dimension. These dimensions are flat like plates, and according to Bonnie, there's a fracture, just at the far north of this one – not too far from here, in other words. The crack is smal by dimensional standards, but big enough for us to get through. If we want to reach the Gatehouse of the Seven Treasures we start on thurgs.† Stefan shrugged. â€Å"All right. We're doing it your way.† Pelat was putting a ladder up. Lady Ulma, Bonnie, and Elena were weeping and laughing over the baby together. They were Stilllaughing as they left on their way. The first week or so was boring. They sat in the palanquin on the back of the thurg named Dazar, with a compass from Elena's backpack dangling from the roof. They general y kept al the sides of the palanquin's curtains rol ed up, except the one facing west, where the bloated, bloody red sun – too bright to look at in the higher, cleaner air outside the city – constantly loomed on the horizon. The view al around them was dreadful y monotonous – mind-bendingly so, with few trees and many miles of dried brown grassy hil s. Nothing interesting to a non-hunter ever showed up. The only thing that changed was as they traveled farther north, it got colder. It was difficult for al of them, living in such close quarters. Damon and Elena had reached an equilibrium – or at least a pretense – of ignoring each other, something Elena would never have imagined could be possible. Damon made it easier by working on a different sleep cycle than the others – which helped to guard them as the thurgs trudged onward, day and night. If he was awake when Elena was, he would ride outside the palanquin, on the thurg's enormous neck. They both had such stiff necks, Elena thought. Neither of them wanted to be the first to bend. Meanwhile those inside the palanquin began to play little games, like picking the long dried grasses from the side of the road and trying to weave them into dol s, fly whisks, hats, whips. Stefan proved to be the one who made the tightest weave, and he made fly whisks and broad fans for each of them. They also played various card games, using stiff little place cards (had Lady Ulma thought they might give a dinner party on the way?) as playing cards, after careful y marking them with the four suits. And of course, the vampires hunted. Sometimes this took quite a long time, since game was scarce. The Black Magic Lady Ulma had stocked helped them stretch the time between hunts. When Damon visited the palanquin, it was as if he were crashing a private party and thumbing his nose at the hosts. Final y Elena couldn't stand it any longer, and had Stefan float her up the side of the thurg (looking down or climbing up were definitely not options) while flying magic Stillworked. She sat down on the saddle beside Damon and gathered her courage. â€Å"Damon, I know you have a right to be angry with me. But don't take it out on the others. Especial y Bonnie.† â€Å"Another lecture?†Damon asked, giving her a look that would freeze a flame. â€Å"No, just a – a request.†She couldn't bring herself to say â€Å"a plea.† When he didn't answer and the silence became unbearable, she said, â€Å"Damon, for us – we're not going on a quest for treasure out of greed or adventure or any normal reason. We're going because we need to save our town.† â€Å"From Midnight,†a voice just behind her said. â€Å"From the Last Midnight.† Elena whirled to stare. She expected to see Stefan holding Bonnie clasped to him hard. But it was only Bonnie at her head level, hanging on to the thurg ladder. Elena forgot she was afraid of heights. She stood up on the swaying thurg, ready to climb down on the sun side if there wasn't enough room for Bonnie to sit down fast in the driver's saddle. But Bonnie had the slimmest hips in town and there was just room for al three of them. â€Å"The Last Midnight is coming,†Bonnie repeated. Elena knew that monotonous voice, knew the chalk-white cheeks, the blank eyes. Bonnie was in trance – and moving. It must be urgent. â€Å"Damon,†Elena whispered. â€Å"If I speak to her, she'l break trance. Can you ask her telepathical y what she means?† A moment later she heard Damon's projection. What is the Last Midnight? What's going to happen then? â€Å"That's when it starts. And it's over in less than an hour. So†¦ no more midnights.† I beg your pardon? No more midnights? â€Å"Not in Fel ‘s Church. No one left to see them.† And when is this going to happen? â€Å"Tonight. The children are final y ready.† The children? Bonnie simply nodded, her eyes far away. Something's going to happen to all the children? Bonnie's eyelids drooped to half mast. She didn't seem to hear the question. Elena needed to hold on to something. And suddenly she was. Damon had reached across Bonnie's lap and taken her hand. Bonnie, are the children going to do something at midnight? he asked. Bonnie's eyes fil ed and she bowed her head. â€Å"We've got to go back. We have to go to Fel ‘s Church,†Elena said, and scarcely knowing what she was doing, unclasped Damon's hand and climbed down the ladder. The bloated red sun looked different – smal er. She tugged at the curtain and almost bumped heads with Stefan as he rol ed it up to let her in. â€Å"Stefan, Bonnie's in trance and she said – â€Å" â€Å"I know. I was eavesdropping. I couldn't even catch her on the way up. She jumped onto the ladder and climbed like a squirrel. What do you think she means?† â€Å"You remember in the out-of-body experience she and I had? A little spying on Alaric? That's what's going to happen in Fel ‘s Church. Al the children, al at once, just at midnight – that's why we have to get back – â€Å" â€Å"Easy. Easy, love. Remember what Lady Ulma said? Nearly a year here came out to be only days in our world.† Elena hesitated. It was true; she couldn't deny it. Still, she felt so cold†¦ Physical y cold, she realized suddenly, as a blast of frigid air swirled around her, cutting through her leather like a machete. â€Å"We need our inner furs,†Elena gasped. â€Å"We must be getting near the fracture.† They yanked down the palanquin covers and secured them and then hastily rummaged through the neat cabinet that was set on the rump of the thurg. The furs were so sleek that Elena could fit two under her leather easily. They were disturbed by Damon coming inside with Bonnie in his arms. â€Å"She stopped talking,†he said, and added, â€Å"Whenever you're warm enough, I suggest that you come out.† Elena laid Bonnie down on one of the two benches inside the palanquin and piled blanket after blanket over her, tucking them in around her. Then Elena made herself climb back up. For a moment she felt blinded. Not by the surly red sun – they had left that behind some mountains, which it turned a pink sapphire color – but by a world of white. Seemingly endless, flat, featureless whiteness stretched out before her until a bank of fog obscured whatever was behind it. â€Å"According to legend, we should be headed toward the Silver Lake of Death,†Damon's voice said from behind Elena. And, oddly, throughout al this chil , his voice was warm – almost friendly. â€Å"Also known as Lake Mirror. But I can't change into a crow to scout ahead. Something's hindering me. And that fog in front of us is impenetrable to psychic probing.† Elena instinctively glanced around her. Stefan was Stillinside the palanquin, obviously Stilltending to Bonnie. â€Å"You're looking for the lake? What's it like? I mean, I can guess why it might be cal ed Silver and Lake Mirror,†she said. â€Å"But what's the Death bit?† â€Å"Water dragons. At least that's what people say – but who has been there to bring back the story?†Damon looked at her. He took care of Bonnie while she was in trance, Elena thought. And he's talking to me at last. â€Å"Water†¦dragons?†she asked him and she made her voice friendly, too. As if they'd just met. They were starting over. â€Å"I've always suspected kronosaurus, myself,†Damon said. He was right behind her now; she could feel him blocking the icy wind – no, more than that. He was generating an envelope of heat for her to stand in. Elena's shivering stopped. She felt for the first time that she could unwrap her arms from clutching herself. Then she felt a pair of strong arms folding around her, and the heat abruptly got quite intense. Damon was standing behind her, holding her, and al at once she was very warm indeed. â€Å"Damon,†she began, not very steadily, â€Å"we can't just – â€Å" â€Å"There's a rock outcropping over there. No one could see us,†the vampire behind her offered – to Elena's absolute shock. A week of not speaking at all – and now this. â€Å"Damon, the guy in the palanquin just below us is my – â€Å" â€Å"Prince? Don't you need a knight, then?†Damon breathed this directly into her ear. Elena stood like a statue. But what he said next rocked her entire universe. â€Å"You like the story of Camelot, don't you? Only here you're the queen, princess. You married your not-quite-fairy-tale prince, but along came a knight who knew even more of your secrets, and he cal ed to you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He forced me,†Elena said, turning to meet Damon's dark eyes straight on, even as her brain screamed for her to let it go. â€Å"He didn't wait for me to hear his cal . He just†¦took what he wanted. Like the slavers do. I didn't know how to fight – then.† â€Å"Oh, no. You fought and fought. I've never seen a human fight so hard. But even when you fought, you felt the cal of my heart to yours. Try to deny that.† â€Å"Damon – why now – al of a sudden†¦?† Damon made a move as if to turn away, then turned back. â€Å"Because by tomorrow we may be dead,†he said flatly. â€Å"I wanted you to know how I felt about you before I died – or you did.† â€Å"But you haven't told me a word about how you feel about me. Only about what you think I feel about you. And I'm sorry that I slapped you the first day I was here, but – â€Å" â€Å"You were magnificent,†Damon said outrageously. â€Å"Forget it now. As for how I feel – maybe I'l get a chance to real y show it to you someday.† Something sparked inside Elena – they were back to fencing with words, as they had been when they'd first met. â€Å"Someday? Sounds convenient. And why not now?† â€Å"Do you mean that?† â€Å"Do I habitual y say things I don't mean?† She was waiting for some kind of apology, some words spoken as simply and sincerely as she had been speaking to him. Instead, with the utmost gentleness, and without glancing around to see if anyone was watching them, Damon cupped Elena's scarf-bound cheeks with his bare hands, pul ed the scarf just below her lips with his thumbs, and kissed her softly. Softly – but not briefly, and something in Elena kept whispering to her that of course she had heard his cal from the moment she first saw him, first felt his aura cal to her. She hadn't known that it was an aura then; she hadn't believed in auras. She hadn't believed in vampires. She'd been an ignorant little idiot†¦ Stefan! A voice like crystal sounded off two notes in her brain, and suddenly she was able to step back from Damon's embrace and look at the palanquin again. No sign of motion there. â€Å"I have to go back,†she told Damon brusquely. â€Å"I have to know what's going on with Bonnie.† â€Å"You mean to see what's going on with Stefan,†he said. â€Å"You needn't worry. He's fast asleep, and so is our little girl.† Elena tensed. â€Å"You Influenced them? Without seeing them?†It was a wild guess, but one side of Damon's mouth crooked up, as if congratulating her. â€Å"How dare you?†she said. â€Å"To be honest, I don't know how I dare.†Damon leaned in close again, but Elena turned her cheek, thinking, Stefan! He can't hear you. He's dreaming about you. Elena was surprised at her own reaction to that. Damon had caught and held her eyes again. Something inside her melted in the intensity of his steady black gaze. â€Å"I'm not Influencing you; I give you my word† – in a whisper. â€Å"But you can't deny what happened between us the last time we were in this dimension.†His breath was on her lips now – and Elena didn't turn aside. She trembled. â€Å"Please, Damon. Show some respect. I'm – oh, God! God! â€Å" â€Å"Elena? Elena! Elena! What's wrong? â€Å" Hurts – that was al Elena could think. A terrible agony had lanced through her chest on the left side. As if she'd been stabbed through the heart. She stifled a scream. Elena, talk to me! If you can't send your thoughts, speak! Through numb lips, Elena said, â€Å"Pain – heart attack – â€Å" â€Å"You're too young and healthy for that. Let me check.†Damon was unfastening her top. Elena let him. She could do nothing for herself, except gasp, â€Å"Oh God! It hurts!† Damon's warm hand was inside her leather and furs. His hand came to rest slightly to the left of center, with only her camisole between his probing fingers and her flesh. Elena, I'm going to take the pain away now. Trust me. Even as he spoke, the stabbing anguish drained. Damon's eyes narrowed, and Elena knew he'd taken the pain into himself, to analyze it. â€Å"It's not a heart attack,†he said a moment later. â€Å"I'm as sure as I can be. It's more as if – Well, as if you'd been staked. But that's sil y. Hmm†¦it's gone now.† For Elena it had been gone since he'd taken it, protecting her. â€Å"Thank you,†she breathed, suddenly realizing that she had been clinging to him, in utter terror that she was dying. Or that he was. He gave her a rare, ful , genuine smile. â€Å"We're both fine. It must have been a cramp.†His gaze had dropped to her lips. â€Å"Do I deserve a kiss?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He had comforted her; he had taken the terrible pain away. How could she sanely say no? â€Å"Just one,†she whispered. A hand under her chin. Her eyelids wanted to melt closed, but she widened her eyes and wouldn't let them. As his lips touched hers, his arm around her†¦changed somehow. It was no longer trying to restrain her. It seemed to be wanting to comfort her. And when his other hand stroked her hair softly at the very ends, crushing the waves gently, and just as gently smoothing them out, Elena felt a rush of shivering warmth. Damon wasn't deliberately trying to batter her with the strength of his aura, which at the moment was fil ed with nothing but his feelings for her. The simple fact, though, was that although he was a new-made vampire, he was exceptional y strong and he knew al the tricks of an experienced one. Elena felt as if she had stepped into clear calm water, only to find herself caught in a fierce undertow that there was no resisting; no bargaining with; and certainly no possibility of reaching by reason. She had no choice but to surrender to it and hope that it was taking her, eventual y, to a place she could breathe and live. Otherwise, she would drown†¦but even that possibility didn't seem so dire, now that she could see the tide was made of a chain of little moments strung like pearls. In each one of them was a tiny sparkle of admiration that Damon had for her: pearls for her courage, for her intel igence, for her beauty. It seemed that there was no slightest motion she had made, no b riefest word that she had said, that he had not noticed and locked in his heart as a treasure. But we were fighting then, Elena thought to him, seeing in the undertow a sparkling moment when she had cursed him. Yes – I said you were magnificent when you were angry. Like a goddess come to put the world to rights. I do want to put the world to rights. No, two worlds: the Dark Dimension and my home. But I'm no goddess. Suddenly she felt that keenly. She was a schoolgirl who hadn't even finished high school – and it was in part because of the person who was kissing her wildly now. Oh, think of what you're learning on this trip! Things that no one else in the universe knows, Damon said in her mind. Now pay attention to what you're doing! Elena paid attention, not because Damon wanted her to, but because she couldn't help it. Her eyes drifted shut. She realized that the way to calm this maelstrom was to become part of it, neither giving in nor forcing Damon to, but by meeting the passion in the undertow with what was inside her own heart. As soon as she did, the undertow became wind, and she was flying and not drowning. No, it was better than flying, better than dancing, it was what her heart always yearned for. A high Stillplace where nothing could ever harm them or disturb them. And then, when she was most vulnerable, the pain came again, dril ing through her chest, a little to the left. This time Damon was so mindlocked with her that he felt it from the beginning. And she could hear clearly a phrase in Damon's mind: staking is just as effective on humans as it is on vampires, and his sudden fear that this was a precognition. In the swaying little room, Stefan was asleep holding Bonnie by his side, with the sparkling of Power engulfing them both. Elena, who had a good grip on the palanquin's ladder, vaulted the rest of the way inside. She put a hand on Stefan's shoulder and he woke. â€Å"What is this? Is something wrong with her?†she asked, with a third question: â€Å"Do you know?†buzzing around in her head. But when Stefan lifted his green eyes to her, they were simply worried. Clearly he was not invading her thoughts. He was focused entirely on Bonnie. Thank God, he's such a gentleman, Elena thought for the thousandth time. â€Å"I'm trying to get her warm,†Stefan said. â€Å"After she came out of trance, she was shivering. Then she stopped shivering, but when I took her hand, it was colder than ever. Now I've put an envelope of heat around her. I guess I dozed off for a little while after that.†He added, â€Å"Did you find anything?† I found Damon's lips, Elena thought wildly, but she forced herself to blank out the memory. â€Å"We're looking for Lake Silver Death Mirror,†she said. â€Å"But al I could see was white. The snow and the fog seem to go on forever.† Stefan nodded. Then he careful y went through the motions of plucking apart two layers of air and slid in a hand to touch Bonnie's cheek. â€Å"She's warming up,†he said, and smiled. It took a long while before Stefan was satisfied that Bonnie was warm. When he did, he gently unwrapped her from the heated air that had formed the â€Å"envelope†and lay her on one bench, coming to sit with Elena on the other. Eventual y Bonnie sighed, blinked, and opened her eyes. â€Å"I had a nap,†she said, obviously aware that she had lost time. â€Å"Not exactly,†Elena said, keeping her voice gentle and reassuring. Let's see, how did Meredith do this? â€Å"You went into trance, Bonnie. Do you remember anything about it?† Bonnie said, â€Å"About the treasure?† â€Å"About what the treasure is for,†Stefan said quietly. â€Å"No†¦No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You said that this was the Last Midnight,†Elena said. As far as she could remember, Meredith was pretty direct. â€Å"But we think you were talking about back at home,†she added hastily, seeing terror leap in Bonnie's eyes. â€Å"The Last Midnight – and no morning afterward,†Bonnie said. â€Å"I think – I heard someone saying those words. But no more.† She was as skittish as a wild colt. Elena reminded her about time running differently between the two worlds but it didn't seem to comfort her. Final y, Elena just sat by her and held her. Her head was spinning with thoughts of Damon. He'd forgiven her. That was good, even though he'd taken his own time about it. But the real message was that he was wil ing to share her. Or at least wil ing to say he would to get in her good graces. If she knew him at all, if she ever agreed – oh, God, he might murder Stefan. Again. After al , that was what he had done when Katherine had had the same sentiment. Elena could never think of him without longing. She could never think of him without thinking of Stefan. She had no idea what to do. She was in trouble.

Advantage and Disadvantage of Owning Bicycle

It's easy to see the advantages of owning bicycle in close city for example Eskisehir. It has a lot of advantages on a lot of titles, although it has disadvantages about many titles. One of the main advantages of owning bicycle has not problem about traffic. you can ride a bike where cars is not driven and you can enter narrow street. another main advantage is being healtier than before cycling. you ride a bike with your leg and your leg's mussles also work and than it puts your blood pressure in order. In addition to this, fuel is unnecessary for cycling, so your money stays in your pocket. On the other hand cycling has some disadvantage. The main disadvantage is about weather so it is hard which is cycling at cold weather days especially in winter. Riding a bike can be responsible for getting cold. Another disadvantage is about speed. It is not for people who is loving speed also there is a problem about this title that it is very hard to go far away, cycling is for close towns. that is not all. there is one more problem about cycling that if you have an accident your body can be injured very badly. You can wear protect clothes although you may be injured very badly. In my opinion owning bicycle is good thing. In general, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. At least it is better than walking for transporting and than experts say that riding a bike one hour in a day is good for being healtier. The problem is that some people can be shy because of riding a bicycle but if you ask me I think they don't have to be shy for this transport style because it is not shameful thing. For this reason I invite everybody to cycle.

Business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Business ethics - Essay Example ctive of the business ethics is to whether the practice of supporting the failing financial institutions through the tax money is morally correct given the fact that financial institutions failed to perform their duties. After the financial crisis of 2008, US and other governments from the developed nations bailed-out their financial institutions by pouring in the public money. This issue created significant moral debate regarding the role of the financial institutions and the government in having allowed the bailing out of the financial institutions. Most of the arguments were based upon the notion that public money should not be spent on those who behaved irresponsibly and are the very cause of the crisis itself. The role of the financial managers in managing the money and engaging into business practices which were risky and speculative was also being deplored. This business ethics issue will therefore be explored from the perspective of the utilitarianism as well as deontology. Both these philosophical theories will be discussed first and applied to this issue in greater details. Deontological ethics are based upon the moral evaluation of the actions based upon whether the actions actually followed or adhered to any rules or not. It is also because of this reason that the deontology is often considered as rule based ethics as it stresses upon the adherence to the rules if any action is to be considered as ethical or not. There are however, different theories of deontology which outline as to how to actually treat an issue from certain perspectives. Kantian ethics of deontology suggests that the morally right way of doing things is as to whether the individuals actually performed from the perspective of the duty or not. Kant also suggests that the morality of actions shall be based upon the motives of the individuals rather than the overall consequences of taking such actions. (Shaw) Utilitarianism however, is an alternative philosophical theory which

Army Leadership - the Role of the Non-Commissioned Officer Essay

Army Leadership - the Role of the Non-Commissioned Officer - Essay Example These roles are to be performed by individual NCO corps as well as the NCO leaders. NCO vision The NCO vision requires that an NCO corps should be grounded in tradition, heritage and values that embody the perpetual learning of values and Warrior Ethos. In terms of roles, the vision requires that NCOs should be capable of training, leading and motivating soldiers. In terms of leadership, their chief role within the military organization is being a direct leader to the military officers. After the training of new recruits, NCOs are assigned to be the key direct leader and a trainer for crew, team and individual at the unit level (Chiefs of Staff, US Army, 1997). According to Fitton (1990), the NCOs are required to lead by example. This means they are expected to understand and practice the ethical requirements of soldiers and perform their duties diligently so as to give a practical lead to the other soldiers. Their role modeling is important for the military personnel because they ar e the most visible leaders within the military organization. The NCOs are required to provide inspiration, motivation and purpose for the other military officers because soldiers look to their NCOs for inspiration, solutions and directions/guidance. Due to their training, long-term service or experience in the military, an NCO officer should be capable of training other officers based on experience. They are supposed to help the soldiers to answer or overcome the challenges experienced in the contemporary operating environment by training them to prepare, cope and perform well no matter the prevailing situation. This means that they should be able to give high quality training to the soldiers. This training they give to the soldiers is also suppose to prepare them for their mission ahead and so they always stress on physical hardening and the basics of field craft. They do this because the need for physically and mentally fit soldiers will not be reduced by the tools provided by tec hnology (Bainbridge, 1976). The NCOs are senior to the soldiers they live, train and work with on daily basis and it is therefore their role to take care of the other soldiers. They are required to balance the mission for the military organization and the welfare of the soldiers. Each NCO should develop and demonstrate as a genuine concern about the well-being of the soldiers they are training or leading. Taking care of the soldiers also entails preparing them adequately to face any challenge that lies ahead of them. In order to achieve this, the NCOs ensure that they give the soldiers enough physical training and military practice for example clearing terrorists from urban strongholds or caves, or carrying heavy loads (Bainbridge, 1976). According to FM 7-22.7 (2002), it is the responsibility of the NCOs to set, maintain and enforce high-quality standards and discipline within the military organization because they are the standard bearers. They should ensure that all soldiers comp ly with the expected rules, discipline levels and military operation standard for example, military appearance. They are supposed to correct all military officers who do not wear their uniform properly while teaching them the right standards of military appearance. In connection to this, they are required to inspect for proper and serviceable equipment and clothing for their soldiers. The role to enforce military standard and discipline should be done

Analysis of Organizational Theory Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Organizational Theory - Article Example In business world saving time means saving money. So project managers problem is how to save time? So that they can save extra labor and power consumption which in turn results in the reduction in costs. Feasibility study plays an important role in the project development process. The feasibility study is nothing but an assessment of the product being developed in terms of the outcome, operational use and technical support in implementing the product. The criteria for feasibility study are economic feasibility, operational feasibility, and technical feasibility. The benefits or outcomes comprise economic feasibility. The total expenditure incurred in the development of the product is derived from the outcome of the product. Developing a product means changing from the old system to the new system. Development of the new product reduces processing saving the time, labor and power. In the new product, errors can be greatly reduced. Operational feasibility refers to the feasibility of the product to be operational. Technical feasibility refers whether the product supports the present market or not. It further refers to the pros and cons of the development. If the project management is unable to make significant changes in the new product then its going effect final outcome, which may result in client canceling the project. Developing a system that is more or less same as the older system is not conducive to the organization's future development. Products that work well at designing phase may not work in the implementation phase i.e. in the real-time environment. To make it work additional human resources and technical expertise may be required, which may take time and increase costs. The products developed by the organizations were tested again and again before introducing them into the real market. Generally, the products that work at initial phases fail at intermediate or final phases.

Reading and Answer the Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading and Answer the Question - Essay Example It is quite difficult for quite a number of people to identify artistic works. For instance, the article, â€Å"living with art† the author indicates that visitors into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are initially unaware of small details about the artistic nature of the memorial, like the â€Å"†¦low wall at their feet† (Gracyk, 118). Through the inability of recognizing small details, there is a possibility of insinuating that they are not in a position to explore the characteristics of some pieces of art. My perception about art differs from the majority since I take recognition of the fact that art is essentially part of the human nature, and for this reason, exploring some of the detailed characteristics of artistic pieces. Through this, there is a possibility of having a better understanding of the natural world. The author uses the term â€Å"outsider art† to describe the creativity of artists that are self-taught, which are pieces that originate from people that are aware of their physical world (Hofstadter and Kuhns, 39). According to experiences by Maya Lin, her artistic ability emanated from her desire to make people aware of the natural world. These types of art have a common expression of the classical art history, which develop a unique artistic culture among a number of people. It is possible to see pure creativity to the human impulses that are manifested in people without crippling some of the effects of formal training. There is a possibility that the artistic world is a reflection of the natural world. Through this provision, one might argue that appreciation of art emanates from the aesthetic appeal that it provides. However, the entire purpose of art should not necessarily be beautiful since works of art depends on the message that the artist is seeking to instill to the viewers. On the other hand, the consideration of

Art as a Form of Creative Expression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art as a Form of Creative Expression - Essay Example The most interesting thing about art is that it is culture-specific and it tells its own story from a certain cultural perspective. People belonging to different cultures use art to express themselves and it shapes their behavior. For instance, sculpture or paintings can be used to express the way of life of a group of people who share the same culture and values. In most cases, people who belong to a particular culture identify with a particular type of art. The same applies to music and dance. The type of music played by people belonging to different cultural groups varies from place to place since they have different cultures. In order to understand the culture of other people, this can be simply done through the consumption of their art products. The other important aspect about art is that it is a unique creation of something that depicts the lives of the people involved. Music, for example, is used to communicate different aspects of the life of a certain group of people. The m usic genre of people belonging to a certain group is shared by all members and it usually communicates important messages about the way of life of these people. Art can also be regarded as a form of entertainment in different sectors of society. Through music and dance, people are entertained while at the same time learning something very important about the way of life of a certain group of people.  Just like any other academic subject, it can be seen that art is learned and the courses offered to differ depending on the type of art being taught at a specific institution. Art lessons can be offered through different stages and individuals can choose the area of specialization from a lower level. There are also colleges and universities that offer various professional qualifications in art studies. Art is widely recognized as a professional qualification in different sectors of society. It is a source of livelihood for many artists who engage in creating different artifacts. As su ch, there are various measures that are put in place in different countries to protect the work of the artists so that they can enjoy the benefits of their creativity. Copyright laws are enforced in different countries so as to protect the products of the artists. This is also meant to ensure that the artists continue to be creative if they are assured of getting rewards from their hard work. Ownership of artifacts is very important since this helps to prevent unscrupulous people from enjoying the benefits of other people’s work. This also helps to develop the art industry which is seen as a source of employment in different societies. The welfare of many individuals is improved through the creation of different artifacts that in turn are used as a form of expression by different groups of people. Basically, it can be concluded that the understanding of art is very important since it has a bearing on the lives of people in different societies. Art is culture-specific and it h elps to distinguish one group of people from the other. Art is also used as a unique way of creating a cultural identity among different people.

Contribution of Facebook to Egypt revolution Research Paper

Contribution of Facebook to Egypt revolution - Research Paper Example In the year 1999, the government of Egypt initiatives was to ensure free internet, reduce the cost of computers, and implementation of many internet access centers. Researches indicate that in the year 2010, approximately 80 million Egyptian citizens had cell phones, which resulted to easy access to Facebook (Elsayed, 2013). How people communicated via Facebook during Egypt revolution In the year 2000, many Egyptian bloggers were able to tackle critical issue. The first blogs in Egypt were published using English, but following Arabic software development, which encouraged publication of more blogs, hence attracting a large domestic population. Following the growth of these blogs, journalists started using other communication technology such as Facebook. The initial Egyptian-instigated cyber activism trial was on April 2008 whereby, the programmers created the first Facebook page, which attracted approximate of seventy thousand supporters. The Facebook knowledge and experience gained power in social media and became an effective instrument to gather information in 2011 protests resulting to Egypt revolution (Elsayed, 2013). Perhaps, what is most effective resulting from the use of Facebook towards revolution of Egypt is the way it transformed the strategy of social mobilization. Perhaps, what is most effective resulting from the use of Facebook towards revolution of Egypt is the way it transformed the strategy of social mobilization. Facebook improved speed and interaction in traditional communication technology.... This really assisted in bringing Egypt revolution to existence. The expansion of the Facebook pages enabled many citizens to engage themselves in political discussions as well as attracting young politicians. Facebook members used this opportunity to spread information on the current faults of President Mubarak government. This discussion seemed to be of the frustrated citizens as the Facebook population portrayed (Marzouki, Skandrani-Marzouki, Bejaoui, Hammoudi & Bellaj, 2012). Many youthful social media journalists who spread political news via Facebook effectively assisted to initiate Egypt revolution. Egyptian youths, gave guidance on their country’s condition using Facebook technology to avoid regime surveillance, like their counterparts, Tunisian youths. During the 2011 Movement, a population that mostly relied on Facebook to gather political information was the major institutional resources of the movement. Two years later, the movement’s leaders introduced nonvi olent movement by designing the association’s logo to bear a resemblance to the Serbian movement logo, which assisted in toppling Slobodan dictatorship. The group members could pay visits to Serbian to meet up the activists. Facebook was the key tool for them to gather and exchange information for better preparations to launch the 2011 protests (Marzouki, Skandrani-Marzouki, Bejaoui, Hammoudi & Bellaj, 2012). Importance of Facebook towards Egypt revolution The main advantage of Facebook technology towards Egypt revolution was its faster means of exchanging information to a large group of both domestic and international Protesters. For example, as Egyptians carefully followed events spread out in Tunisia as they progressed the planning of their protest, the two groups could easily

Alpha Lipoic Acid what is it, and how does it improve (help) Essay

Alpha Lipoic Acid what is it, and how does it improve (help) peripheral neuropathy and insulin resistance - Essay Example The metabolic dysregulation associated with DM causes secondary pathophysiologic changes in multiple organ systems that impose a tremendous burden on the individual with diabetes and on the health care system. The two broad categories of DM are designated type 1 and type 2. ALA has been shown to be useful in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and in order to understand the mechanism of action of ALA in control of DM and DM-associated complicating conditions, such as, neuropathy, it is important to understand the pathophysiologic and biochemical mechanism of these conditions (Boulton, 2005). A prominent biochemical feature of type 2 DM is insulin resistance. This group of disorders is characterised by a pathogenic process that leads to hyperglycemia through variable degrees of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and increased glucose production. Type 2 DM is characterized by three pathophysiologic abnormalities: impaired insulin secretion, increasing peripheral insulin resistance, and excessive hepatic glucose production. Obesity, particularly visceral or central as evidenced by the hip-waist ratio, is very common in type 2 DM. Adipocytes secrete a number of biologic products, namely, leptin, TFN-alpha, free fatty acids, resistin, and adiponectin that modulate insulin secretion, insulin action, and body weight and may contribute to the insulin resistance. As expected, in the early stage of the disease, glucose tolerance remains normal despite insulin resistance since the pancreatic beta cells compensate by increasing the output of insulin. As insulin resista nce and compensatory hyperinsulinemia progress, the pancreatic islets in certain individuals are unable to sustain the hyperinsulinemic state (Huebschmann et al., 2006). Diabetic Neuropathy Diabetic neuropathy occurs in approximately 50% of individuals with long-standing type 1 and type 2 DM. It may manifest as polyneuropathy, mononeuropathy, and/or autonomic neuropathy. As with other complications of DM, the development of neuropathy correlates with the duration of diabetes and glycemic control; both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers are lost. Because the clinical features of diabetic neuropathy are similar to those of other neuropathies, the diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy should be made only after other possible etiologies are excluded (Boulton et al., 2004). The most common form of diabetic neuropathy is distal symmetric polyneuropathy. It most frequently presents with distal sensory loss. Hyperesthesia, paresthesia, and dysesthesia also occur. Any combination of these symptoms may develop as neuropathy progresses. Symptoms include a sensation of numbness, tingling, sharpness, or burning that begins in the feet and spreads proximally. Neuropathic pain develops in some of these individuals, occasionally preceded by improvement in their glycemic control. Pain typically involves the lower extremities, is usually present at rest, and worsens at night. Both an acute and a chronic form of painful diabetic neuropathy have been described. As diabetic neuropathy progresses, the pain subsides and eventually disappears, but a sensory deficit in the lower extremities persists. Physical examination reveals sensory loss,

Indicators of affective component Essay Example for Free

Indicators of affective component Essay This observation gives a glimpse that how sense of belonging, and need for being wanted, loved, and cared for particularly by the family members are essential components to experiencing happiness in the lives of the Gladys elderly. The results show that the institutionalized elderly to having a sense of security in terms of their future. This sense of security in terms of money alone does not ensure happiness or well-being among the elderly. According to their administrators, the elderly seemed to try to cope with their given situation of not having the family members to take care of their emotional needs. Apparently they put on a brave front and tried to sound unaffected and affirmed that they were in ‘good hands’ and ‘there was nothing to worry’ ‘that fathers will take care of until they die’ and even compared their room in Gladys as cozy as one’s ‘mother’s womb. ’ One could notice that most of their references pertained to physical security and not to emotional security which they probably were aware that they could not expect from their family members. Family care is the traditional approach to care giving for the aged and they prefer to be cared at home because it offers better morale and security (Doress-Worters Siegal, 1994). Along with the material security, the need for emotional security is to be assured for the institutionalized aged to experience subjective sense of well-being. Contributing Factors toward SWB among the Institutionalized Aged Results of the study reveal that from the administrators’ viewpoint, subjective well-being among the institutionalized aged rests on their physical health, autonomy/freedom, money/income, meaningful relationships, social interest, concept of time, attitude toward death, and religion and/spirituality. Each of these themes/factors had its sub themes or factors. Physical Health The findings based on the case analysis, content analyzed in-depth interviews with the elderly, and their close associates were consistent on the aspect of health. It highlighted the importance of age specific physical health as one of the most important variables in predicting well-being or happiness among the eldely in the study. It has been empirically proven. According to Campbell et al. (1976), â€Å"When respondents are asked to judge the importance of various domains of their lives, â€Å"good health† obtains the highest rating. † Under physical health, basic competence or physical mobility, food, accommodation, environment, physical exercise and recreational activities (expanded competence) were also considered in the study. The findings showed that these different domains of health contributed toward better physical well-being which positively influences emotional well-being of the elderly. Studies based on older people suggest those encountering functional health problems (basic competence) are at risk for experiencing decline in subjective well-being (Kunzmann, Little, Smith, 2000). It showed that those who enjoyed functional health or having basic competence had come to terms with or maintained a positive attitude toward aging and the age-related physical decline. This finding is aligned with the supposition of Kunzmann et al. (2000) that if it were possible for one to get older without experiencing losses and negative events such as declines in health and physical functioning, he or she would experience increased levels of emotional health. Autonomy/Freedom Freedom and autonomy played a significant role in the well-being of the older adults under study as perceived by Gladys Spellman administrators. Minimal external restrictions and individual freedom even in spiritual matters were considered to be the most attractive feature of the ‘home’, which gave them a sense of independence and personal worth. According to Christopher (1999) it is our capacity for autonomy that brings us our dignity as human beings. Butler et al.(1998) resumed that a possible nagging question in the older person is, â€Å"Can I survive independently without being a burden? † The person whose identity has been that of a dependent person may find it easier to accept illness and institutionalization than so-called independent, autonomous person whose identity has been structured accordingly. Studies conducted by the National Institute of Health show that restrictions in control have detrimental effects on the health of older people (Butler et al. 1998), and therefore on their subjective perception and experience of well being.

Student Attendance And Achievement

Student Attendance And Achievement The relationship between students attendance and achievement in public schools has become a drawn out issue. Among different studies by scholars, policymakers, specialists, and parents the outcome has been determined there is a positive correlation between school attendance and academics. This group study has evaluated that the number of days students attended school improved their learning. Research has determine, lack of attendance not only affected individual students academically, but also affected the learning environment of the entire school. Reducing the rates of student truancy and chronic absenteeism has been and continues to be a goal of many schools and school systems. Despite the long history of concern over student attendance, the issue has received relatively little attention from educational researchers. If schools can improve the truancy of students, then education will begin to gain academically. It is deem, the more students are between the four walls of the classro om, the better prepared they will become and achievement levels will begin to show improvement. The issue of poor school attendance has been a serious concern for many years. The correlation between attendance and achievement has policy makers and researchers questioning the efficacy of family involvement. According to Sheldon 2007, analyses showed when schools worked to implement the concerns of the school with families, and community partnerships, student attendance improved an average of 5%, whereas in comparison to schools that did not implement such strategy, rates of student attendance declined slightly from one year to the next (Sheldon, 2007). In respect of this declination, the present education climate, policy makers have placed a heavy emphasis on getting more children to stay in school in order to pass or score proficiently on standardized tests. This major push was attributed to the federal (NCLB), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The importance of this act has placed heavy sanctions on schools with chronic student failure and poor achievement test results. The si gnificance of this act holds school accountable for high levels of student attendance (Sheldon, 2007). The NCLB placed a rigorous implementation on student achievement and individual schools accountability. Given the major push for academic success, the focus should be redirected more heavily on attendance, mobility, socio economic status and educators in order to improve student achievement (Sheldon, 2007). How Truancy Factors Measure up to Achievement According to Sheppard, 2007, the issue on truancy can best be defined as any unexcused or undocumented absence from school taking into account the attendance rules of the state. Every state has their own set of rules regarding the attendance. These rules are designed to determine the age at which a child is required to start school, the age at which a child may officially finish school and the reasons that might be invoked for any excused absence from school (Sheppard, 2007). The true factors on truancy is the evidence of students performing poorly on tests, in the classroom and not completely prepared for real life situations. One of the obvious reasons for the lack of cleared results in the fight against truancy was the complexed phenomenon, occurring as a result of interplay between various determining characteristics of the family structure and the priority placed on education within the home (Sheppard, 2007). In light of evidence research identified three kinds of factors that contributed to truancy. Currently these factors can be situated at the individual, the family, and the school level of concern. In reasoning on the individual level, it has been established that truants are characterized by lower levels of academic self-esteem (p.267). The family level suggested pupils who are often absent tend to display signs of academic anxiety, sometimes even leading to symptoms of neuroticism. On the school level, truancy was most endemic at the age 15, and in general, the problem was more prevalent among boys than among girls, and proved an impossible accuracy task (Sheppard, 2007). Family Involvement According to Anne Sheppard, 2009, poor school attendance and low achievement tended to occur because of parental variables such as low socio-economic status, conflict, neglect, criminal record and mental illness. However, although research has shown that pupils from poorer socio-economic backgrounds had less positive attitudes towards school and learning and lower levels of academic self-concept than their more advanced peers (Sheppard, 2009). It seems that the poorer economical the family structure, the less likely the family unit will be in support of advancing academically especially outside of the classroom. It has also been viewed that the age of the student plays a role in regards to achievement gap. In other words, the differences were not as great as it might have been expected from the achievement gap between the age group up to 16 years, as it were between their socio-economic statuses (Sheppard, 2009). Sheppard suggested the impact of parental involvement was thought to wo rk through parents educational values and aspirations being presented in a positive parenting style, which influenced how pupils perceived education, schoolwork, and their motivation to achieve. If the parents valued higher educational level, the students value would be of equal importance (Sheppard, 2009). In considering this value, the author suggested that parental involvement affected childrens achievement more than school procedures, especially in the primary years. This lack of involvement was determined to have an effect in the later school years in determining the magnitude of learning. This same involvement was perceived in pupils educational aspirations and staying in education rather than measured achievement (Sheppard, 2009). Research and Data Research on truancy among schools, families, peer groups, and individuals factor has slowly evolved according to the results from this study data from principles of middle-high school students of different states. Information on participants came from those who attended an average comprehensive school and based on their percentage of pupils receiving free or reduced school meals. The average targets for these schools were 91.9% (Sheppard, 2009). This figure indicated that all pupils with an attendance below 92% could be considered poor attenders. These attender names were obtained from the participating schools register (Sheppard, 2009). In retrieving such information, an interview was used to elicit in depth pupil descriptions of their parents behavior over matters of school attendance and their explanations of why it occurred. An interview was chosen instead of a written questionnaire as the pupils were judged unable to put detailed responses in writing. The questionnaire was desig ned to give quantifiable data from qualitative questions which would have been suitable for statistical analysis (Sheppard, 2009). Data were collected and throughout the frequency was rated on a 4 point grading scale. The categories determined (0-3), where 0 represented never, 1 represented once or twice a term, 2 represented once every 2-3 weeks and 3 represented once a week or more often students missed school(Sheppard, 2009). In this statistical correlation, researchers viewed in secondary schools, there were correlations between related poor attendance, antisocial behavior, anxiety, low academic attainment and poor future outcomes regarding employment, adult relationships and crime driving the poor academic down turn (Sheppard, 2007). Within the down turn, it was self -evidence that the students that were in truant jeopardy were more likely to have a track record related with law enforcement. Outside of being in jeopardy with the law, good and poor school attenders within the age bracket of 12-13 years of age, were compared on quantifiable measures of their self- reported requested on numerous occasion to be absent from school with parental permission. Results found this age bracket claimed that they asked their parents to allow their absences from school on an occasional or more often basis using illness as an excuse (Sheppard, 2007). Sheppard reported the study done by M. Morris and S. Rutt in 2004, addressed an uneven association between school attendance and achievement with 14-15 year old pupils. Sheppard conveyed this study showed boys underperformed girls with the same level of attendance problem. The report also revealed better attendance among black Caribbean pupils than their white pupils, but the data did not reflect higher achievement. It did show the relationship reflected attendance and achievement varied according to subject between these two groups with poor attendance being associated with poor achievement in English, but not mathematics (Sheppard, 2007). Implication of Time In considering poor achievement in Math and English, author Richard Schiming, 2009, measured the impact of time and students commitments to various course activities one of the major factors students performance where low in given classes. The results were revealing by far, the most valuable and important time commitment in a course was the time actually spent in the classroom proved major improvement. Time spent was the key importance determinant of a student success and each unit of time in the class itself provided, among all the class related activities, proved the greatest improvement in student performance (Shiming, 2009). The importance of students performance was viewed as time spent in a class in discussion sections that accompanied lectures. Also the importance of time spent studying outside of class preparing for the class session itself shown to be effective. Perhaps most surprisingly was the result that the least significant time commitment in improving student performan ce in a particular class was the time spent studying for the tests or quizzes. The greatest positive impact overall daily basis preparing for and participating in class were the students outperform those students who do not attend or skip class regularly (Shiming, 2009). The role of class attendance specifically in this research demonstrated that the lack of attendance was statistically significant in explaining why a student received failing grades of a D rather than an A, B, or C in any specific class (Shiming, 2009). The statistical tests employed found that regular class attendance was a significant determinant in minimizing a students chance of receiving failing grades. This study strongly suggested that regular class attendance can aid significantly by acting as an insurance policy in avoiding a D or an F grade in any given class. Data were also sorted to determine the relative impact of each absence in the students final letter grade for a particular course (Shiming, 2009). The empirical results showed that absence from class was statistically significant in lowering the letter grade of the typical student. Specifically, each absence from class lowered a students grade by 0.06 in a 4.00 grading system. Thus, a student with 10 absences in a giv en term would lower his/her grade by 0.6, which would be the difference between a C plus and a B for example. Therefore making attendance one of the major factors in student achievement and schools accountability (Rutkowski, Gonzalez, Joncas, Davier 2010). Other Factors In recent years truancy has become a contextual and school related problem around the country. This behavior has sparked various governments and educational agencies to develop a stricter policy to reduce truancy levels, mainly based on the argument that truancy was associated with risk behavior, crime and substance abuse. Researchers shown in various countries, school systems and government agencies increasingly perceived truancy as a major and salient problem for the education system (Claes, Hooghe Reeskens, 2009). Other countries have developed a vigorous policy to reduce truancy and other form of absenteeism in order to improve and build the achievement gap. Mainly this new stricter policy was deeming from the fact that police and welfare officers had to effectively control the presence of minors on the streets during school hours (Claes, Hooghe, Reeskens, 2009). Since students were choosing to skip out on being in class learning, law enforcement agencies had to imposed sanctio ns on parents to take appropriate action in truancy matters or be fine, forced to take parenting courses or be prosecuted. If schools were going to change the level of achievement, then the level of truancy must be dealt with in the same manner as risky behaviors like the use of alcohol and illegal drugs or violence (Claes, Hooghe, Reeskens, 2009). Penalties and the Law Legislation firmly states that childrens attendance at school were the responsibility of the parents. Official guidance encouraged education social work/welfare services and school pastoral staff to use largely punitive, or perceived punitive methods, with parents of poor attenders. The findings suggested that by the secondary school years, poor attenders were likely to have a history of inconsistent parental reaction to school absenteeism and perhaps education in general (Sheppard, 2007). Limited research evidence suggested that prosecuting parents of non-attenders did not result in improved attendance. It was concluded that such prosecuted parents tended to be socially excluded and disadvantaged, with financial penalties serving a mixture of deterrence retribution and a culture of blame. Similarly, education policy makers should demand high-quality evaluations and empirical studies to examine the relationship between parental prosecution and childrens school attendance, if educatio n welfare services are to use such legal procedures with conviction (Sheppard, 2007). The key to absences and tardiness were finding the right consequences. Under some schools new policy, when a student misses a single class, he or she does not receive a lower class grade or a zero for missed work. Instead, within a few hours of the infraction the students parents receive a phone call (and, if available, an e-mail), and within 36 hours a staff member meets with the student to inquire about the absence. There after every unexcused absence resulted in after-school detention. The response of this action students showed that they took these consequences more seriously than they took a change in their grades. In the research one student commented, Last year I could skip and nobody cared. This year, if I skip once Im taken to the woodshed (Reeves, 2008). Since the adoption of this new policy, unexcused absences have dropped by 42 percent, the number of disciplinary referrals has dropped by 64 percent, and suspensions have dropped by 37 percent. These results were strikingly consistent with evidence from other schools. When schools improved their grading policies-for example, by disconnecting grades from behavior-student achievement increased and behavior improved dramatically (Reeves, 2008). Conclusion In regards to truancy, data clearly demonstrated that policies should not be based solely on repressive policies, but measures should be included as an instrument in the fight against school absenteeism. Investigating truancy, it has been proven school does make a difference. Schools that encourage participation environments can offer supporting climates that are seen as open environment for participation produced a lower truancy record and performance level increased. Also, schools that intensified the involvement of parents with what goes on at the school, and increased achievement challenges strengthened their supporting school climate (Claes, Hooghe, Reeskens, 2009). The research findings supported the claim that truancy should be considered a vital educational problem. High truancy prevented schools from reaching their goal of providing children with a sufficient level of skills to play a meaningful role in society. As much of a fight against truancy, it has not being eliminated as a school issue, but was looked at as a matter of law and order, a core element concern of the education system. As lifelong learners, professional must recognize that professional practices continue to evolve as reflections are placed on new information. If and when information arises that helps and identify the root of educational challenges and track progress which can more readily develop an action plan that will have a positive impact on students, then a common goal will emerge to see every student succeed.

A Prolonged Civil Conflict :: essays research papers

The reasons why the Vietnam War lasted so long is a very controversial subject among Americans. There is no simple answer to as why the war lasted so long. Many factors have to be considered when analyzing the war. The first factor that has to be considered is whether or not the U.S. really belonged in the Vietnam War in the first place. The initial reason that the U.S. became involved in Vietnam was because they thought that North Vietnam was going to Russia and China, which were communist countries, for support. Because of the containment policy, the U.S. felt it had to defend South Vietnam from communism. They thought that Russia was trying to take over Europe and make it one communist state. Herring says, “The United States formally committed itself to he containment of Soviet expansion in Europe, and throughout the next two years attention was riveted on France, where economic stagnation and political instability aroused grave fears of communists takeover'; (11). However, all Ho and North Vietnam wanted was for their country to be reunited. “For the Vietminh, unification of their not only represented fulfillment of the centuries-old dream of Vietnamese nationalists but also was economic necessity'; (8). The Vietminh asked the U.S. for support but because they thought that North Vietnam was influenced by Russia, the U.S. turned them down. It was not until later that the Vietminh went to Mao Tse-tung’s Chinese Communists for support out of desperateness. From the very beginning, “the U.S. had attached itself to a losing cause'; (19). Because the U.S. was obsessed with the domino theory and a communist threat in Southeast Asia, they became involved in and were partly to blame for prolonging a civil conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the U.S. had initially become involved in Vietnam’s civil conflict, they kept getting more and more involved. Besides several bomb raids the U.S. also kept sending more and more troops into South Vietnam. The massive bomb raids and the continuous flow of troops into South Vietnam established the U.S.’s policy; they were willing to give full support to South Vietnam and fight in a war in order to stop the spread of communism. As Herring says, the U.S. also insisted “that an important interest had been established that had to be defended for the sake of U.S. credibility throughout the world'; (309).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This leads to the second factor to as why the war lasted so long.

The Gradual Development Of Cha :: essays research papers

Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding, and the topic of this essay is to show how Golding suggests that the boys on the island gradually move from their civilized behavior to total anarchy. In the book, Lord of the Flies, an undefined number of boys are stranded on a desert island, and a leader is chosen. From the start, there is a power struggle between the chosen leader, Ralph, and the leader of a boys choir,Jack. There is also a gradual descent into anarchy as the boys spend more time on the island alone. In the end, they are rescued by a navy ship, but not before atleast two children are dead, namely Piggy and Simon, both murdered. In this essay it will be shown that the boys on the island move from civilization to total anarchy, through the examples of their use of face paint, the death of Simon and the destruction of the conch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Lord of the Flies, an example of their move from civilization to anarchy lies the use of face paint among the boys on the island. Some of the boys, like Ralph and Piggy, never wear face paint. This shows that they stay civilized throughout the story, while the other kids do not. Early in the story, when the hunters chase after a pig, they all where mud, clay, and charcoal as face paint to be 'like things trying to look like something else-'; (Lord of the Flies, William Golding, p. 66). Later, when Jack forms his own tribe they go hunting with masks of pig blood on their faces, as masks. Golding suggests that the children are able to disguise themselves behind these masks, and escape any punishment, therefore freeing them to do as they please. This shows that Golding wanted the reader to think that while the children are afraid of punishment (when they have just arrived on the island), they are civilized in their behaviour, but when they wear their masks, and ar e able to rid themselves of the responsibility of their actions they begin to act more savage-like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example of how the children on the island moved from civilization to anarchy is the progression of the dance they perform. In the beginning, when they dance they all gather in a circle and one child is in the middle, acting as the beast. The children would then proceed to pretend to beat the child, but instead leave him unharmed.

welfare :: essays research papers

Images of Welfare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These words are uttered in elementary schools, high schools, and various events and meetings throughout the nation everyday. We usually do not associate the image of welfare with the American flag or think about it as we recite the allegiance. We, however, associate it with images of prosperity and freedom. As I look closely at the last words of this allegiance: â€Å"†¦with liberty and justice for all.† I remember the number of homeless who beg in the streets, those who for one reason or another await assistance in the social services office, and those who because of the color of their skin or gender association have yet to receive their share of benefits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Webster’s dictionary, welfare means â€Å"Well-doing or well-being in any respect; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; exemption from any evil or calamity; prosperity; happiness.† Before taking classes such as this, my connotation of welfare was totally opposite. Welfare always meant something bad. When I heard the word ‘welfare’ I pictured a homeless person or an immigrant who’s only dream was a better life, but found it was not as easy as it seemed. When I heard about someone on welfare I was quick to jump to conclusions. I’d assume he or she was lazy and just didn’t want to work or that he or she was in some sort of trouble. Looking at Webster’s meaning I notice the words â€Å"respect† and â€Å"the common blessing of life.† I have come to realize those on welfare are people too and deserve the respect everybody else does. They may have come upon hard times or made a mistake or two, but because of the prejudice and stereotypes of others, find themselves stuck in a position where all they have is their â€Å"common blessing of life.

Readiness of Kindergarten Teachers along K-12 Curriculum Essay

One of the major reforms in our country’s educational system is Republic Act 10157, otherwise known as â€Å"The Kindergarten Education Law† or the K to12 (K+12). This Law made the Kindergarten compulsory and mandatory entry to basic education. This Law was initiated by the Aquino administration in order to address the perceived decreasing quality of education in the country, and to meet the international standard regarding the number of years in basic education. This program will require all incoming students to enroll into two more years of basic education. The K+12 System will include the Universal kindergarten, 6 years of elementary, 4 years of junior high school with an additional 2 years for senior high school. The program is implemented and formulated along with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The current k-12 model that had been implemented in the country is an educational landscape for basic and secondary system patterned after the United States, Canada and some parts of Australia had done it. According to Patricia  Velasco’s article, the K- 12 Curriculum envisions â€Å"holistically developed learners with 21st century skills† (DepEd Primer, 2011). This further means that every student would have an understanding of the world around him and a passion for life-long learning while addressing every student’s basic learning needs: â€Å"learning to learn, the acquisition of numeracy, literacy, and scientific and technological knowledge applied to daily life† (p. 6). The main objective of the K to 12 curriculum is to achieve the DepEd’s goal of eradicating illiteracy rate in the country. â€Å"No child is left behind. † (source). Every Filipino has the right to receive quality education in order to become an asset in all dimensions, competent, efficient, effective and productive citizen leading to a decent and comfortable living. The most interesting part concerning the K to 12 program is on its practical assistance for the poor but skillful students. For instance, the student cannot afford to go to college; he is given an option or privilege to be employed not as a professional but on technical job because his skills acquired and developed during his Senior High School can be a guarantee for his  qualification for a vocational employment. Moreover, the program aims to uplift the quality of education in the Philippines in order for graduates to be easily employed. Our country is the only country in Asia and among the countries in the world that has a 10 year pre- university program. The program also aims to meet the standards required for professionals who would want to work abroad. The system aims to fully enhance and develop the students in order for them to be well-prepared especially in emotional and cognitive aspects. Through this, graduates will be able to face the pressures of their future workplace. The K-12 aims the students to have a relevance or importance in the social and economic reality of life. The realm of their role as members of the country. Thus, this vision will be complete through an enhanced curriculum. (K-12 Kindergarten Curriculum Guide 2013) DepEd said that this is the right time to do something better for the field of education, having poor quality education. The DepEd released their stand along the reform. In stressing the need for the new system of basic education, President Benigno S. Aquino III said, â€Å"We need to add two years of our basic education. Those who can afford pay up to fourteen years  of schooling before university. Thus, their children are getting to the best universities and the best jobs after graduation. I want at least 12 years for our public school children to give them an even chance at succeeding. † (source) With the K-12 program, different arguments were formulated. Not all are in favor of the K+12 Education program. There are students complaining of the additional years and there are parents who are not in favor of the additional expenses. But it is an undeniable fact that additional years in the education system will really require more budgets not just from the government but from the  parents as well. Aside from this, students will need additional classrooms, school supplies and facilities. The program would need more qualified teachers as well. Teachers plays an important role 1 / 3 in the K-12 program because they are the ones who will teach the kindergarten pupils, especially the Pre – school teachers. Markovac & Rogulja, 2009, stated that the, early care main goal is to fulfill the Delors principles: â€Å"Learning to be, learning to do, learning to know and learning to live together and to live with others. † The early childhood is a time of rapid growth in all aspects of  children’s development fostered by their natural curiosity and adult support. Therefore, Preschool education is the foundation for a child’s education. The skills and knowledge that a child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on a child’s success when formal schooling begins as well as life success. Preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. The first year of a child’s life is globally acknowledged to be the critical year for lifelong development because the pace of development during these years is  extremely rapid (National Council of Educational Research and Training, 2006 as cited in the K to 12 Curriculum Guide – Kindergarten). While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge and skill set. The Pre – school teachers are supposed to have the courage and knowledge to teach the little ones. They will serve as the guide and the second mother at school. Children’s learning will greatly depend on the teachers strategies. Hence, kindergarten teachers should provide them with an engaging and creative curriculum that is developmentally – appropriate, age – appropriate and socio – cul;turally appropriate (DepEd K to 12 Curriculum guide for Kindergaten, 2012). Many new parents start hearing about K-12 since before their kids are born. However, they are not very clear about what K12 means, and why is necessary for them to start inform themselves about it as it will impact their kids’ future. What Is K12 Education? This term was coined to describe primary and secondary education. This includes kindergarten (K) all the way to the 12 grade. This extremely popular type of education is very common among several countries around the world. â€Å"K to 12† stands for kindergarten plus 12 years of elementary and secondary education. This educational system for basic and secondary education is widely adopted around the world. Early childhood education is intended to support and complement family upbringing and the main goal is to create good opportunities and conditions for each child’s well-being, create a stimulating environment for the child’s comprehensive development and learning while taking into account their age, gender and individual features. The role of early childhood care and education settings in improving children’s development has begun to be viewed with increasing importance. The recognition that centre-based childcare is associated with a host of positive developmental outcomes for children, such as increased cognitive abilities, language development, and emotional and social development (Kagan & Neuman, 1997; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Childcare Research Network [NICHD], 2000, 2002, 2008; NICHD & Duncan, 2003), has led to the introduction of a new policy in Ireland that provides every three-year-old child with access to a free preschool place for one year (Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs [OMCYA], 2009). The importance of preschool learning is that first, parents must remember that preschool education is the foundation for your child’s education. As Adams (2008) stressed that early childhood education is the key to building a strong foundation for a child’s educational success. The skills and knowledge (not to mention aptitude and attitude) that your child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on your child’s success when formal  schooling begins as well as life success, as supported by the House Bill 5367 (2009), aimed to incorporate preschool education to basic education with the DepEd at the frontier of its implementation all over the country. This bill was in consonance with the state’s policy to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail themselves of free and compulsory preschool education that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional simulations, let alone values formation to adequately prepare them for formal elementary schooling, second is that by actively  promoting and encouraging your child’s preschool learning you will promote his or her self esteem as well. Help your child gain confidence by making learning fun and easy at this age and you will 2 / 3 help make your child an eager lifelong learner and the finally preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children  who already possess that knowledge and skill set. According to Anita Woolfolk Hoy and Megan Tschannen – Moran ,(2002), teachers’ sense of efficacy has been related to students outcomes such as achievement (Ross, 1992), motivation, (Midgley, Feldlaufer, & Eccles, 1998) and students’ own sense of efficacy ( Anderson, Greene, & Loewen, 1998). DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro stated that enhancing the competencies of pre-school teachers will have a great impact on the young learners. â€Å"We should ensure that teachers are ready for the challenge of making our young kids’ first school experience enjoyable  and giving them a positive experience that will motivate them to remain in school and complete their education. † This means that pre-school teachers are the implementers of the socially defined curriculum objectives. They help children to adapt to the society and to become its members, to develop interaction between children and different generations, and absorb the main behavioral habits and roles of the community. Also their task is to educate children to become unique subjects and persons as they truly are (Dewey, 1916; Ojakangas, 1998; Siljander, 2002) To become preschool teachers one must have the ability to deal with pupils ages 5. A preschool teacher needs to be proficient in helping children learn how to cooperate, providing fun learning activities suitable for preschoolers, keeping children safe, working as a team member with other teachers and interacting with parents. Preschool teachers need to be eager participants in children’s growth and development, as well as helping students understand how to use their natural curiosity to help make the appropriate developmental leaps in their skills and abilities. They are expected to create an atmosphere where risks can be taken and discoveries made while children remain safe. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Ethical Dilemma in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Nietzsche’s claim that God is dead arouses interesting questions not only on what or who killed God but also on how human society, devoid of the long-held comfort of the polarity of ethical and moral grounds, would formulate judgements of what is real, good, or beautiful in their lives and in the world. The moral and ethical contradiction of a world where Truth does not exist is shown in the movie Glengarry Glen Rose which is an exploration of the motivations and impetus of individuals in a society where the duality good and evil have ceased to become the standards. Arguably, the film portrays the ethical dilemma in a postmodern world, notably posed by Nietzsche, who observed that the demise of the notion of absolute Truth is a double-edged sword for society. This is because the lack of clearcut and universally held concepts of what is right or wrong, while at first seems to connote freedom,   ultimately leaves a void that leads to human despair and nihilistic feelings.Adapt ed for the big screen from a play written by the movie’s director David Mamet (1992), Glengarry Glen Ross follows two days in the lives of four real estate agents who face a bleak future if they do not close a deal soon. These characters, played by a veteran and brilliant cast which includes Al Pacino (Ricky Roma), Jack Lemmon (Shelley Levene), Ed Harris (Dave Moss), and Alan Arkin (George Aaronow), are told point blank by company representative Blake (Alec Baldwin) that the company will fire every salesman except for the top two within one week. The agents, desperate to retain their jobs and continue to earn a living, commit actions that raise questions and at the same time comments on how far human beings in today’s society would go to preserve themselves and attain their materialistic dreams. In a couple of days, the characters become involved in a series of events that show how human culture has tremendously suffered from the lack of ethical and moral consideration s.Apart from capturing the apparent decay in human culture, the film is particularly concerned about the motives and assumptions that drive each sales agent’s actions and how these motives often result in clashing interests. This is evident in how the themes of truth, status, and identity are tackled based on the feelings, thoughts, and actions of the characters in the film. For instance, Blake’s character as a ruthless and unfeeling company representative is clearly intended to parody the attitude of big business when it comes to ensuring a healthy bottom line, which is clearly against the interest of its workers.On the other hand, these workers—or salespeople—are depicted as similar to Blake himself in terms of cruelty and lack of humanity. Ricky Roma, for instance, is later shown to be a heartless soul who takes advantage of the weaknesses of others to advance his objectives. Shelley Levene likewise resorts to thievery in order to close a sale and exac t vengeance on his perceived enemies. In the end, Blake’s character with its apparent inhumanity becomes less despicable as the frailties and weaknesses of other characters are exposed. Ironically, the audience is led to feel pity for such human weakness instead of being led to feel righteous. This is because the film attempts to evoke empathy in its viewers for characters who are, alas, as human as the viewers are and whose justifications for â€Å"wrongdoing† resonate with the audience.Arguably, the narrative of the movie itself is a statement against the ethics—or the lack of it—of the four real estate agents. In this sense, Glengarry Glen Ross delivers a stinging critique of how society’s sense of ethics and even the sense of morality have been replaced by materialistic desires. The story of the four salesmen, desperate and â€Å"immoral,† mirrors the realities faced by individuals in their quest for personal success and a higher social status and how this quest, ironically, often results to the further debasement of the humanity in the individual.The film, in fact, is full of such play at irony that depicts how people’s worth are not judged by society based on how â€Å"good† they live their lives but on the number of material things they possess. In this social order, humans are segregated by their class, ethnic identity, and gender which determine their ability or their eligibility for access to basic and higher needs. The film’s narrative itself, which revolves around real estate agents trying to sell dirt in its figurative and literal meaning, alludes to the way in which humans are not anymore concerned with telling the truth or with earning a living through honest ways or at least, without causing the ruin of others. Apparently, today’s world has gone beyond being immoral or corrupted to being amoral or lacking in moral standards itself.Thus, the ethical dilemma raised by the film reflects Nietzsche’s argument on the death of God, referring to the demise of society’s dualist notion of good or evil. With this death, everything that humans have come to believe in becomes subject to doubt as truth falters in its absolute hold on consciousness. In this society, even the realities of human experience—the entire spectrum of feelings and thoughts—can be questioned and examined for their validity. Human acts are therefore defined not by their conformity with accepted norms or intrinsic values but by the circumstance surrounding them. This circumstance, in turn, becomes the standard by which an act becomes socially acceptable.In Glengarry Glen Ross, the death of universal values and norms for what is good or evil meant that ethical considerations were dispensable and were useful only when the need arises. Ricky Roma’s character, for instance, engages in a monologue—which is later revealed to be a sales pitch—that shows how society and individuals have suspended all forms of judgement in favor of individuality. Accordingly, Roma’s speech, which deals with stealing, cheating, and even pedophilia in a nonchalant manner, is a tell-tale sign of the central argument made in the film: that the death of absolute Truth has entailed the death of things once cherished by humans such as the concept of love and goodness.According to Nietzsche, this has created a void in individuals who felt lost without the ethical values and concept of morality that served to anchor their lives. Instead, these ethical ideals such as Truth, were replaced by the notion that there was a multiplicity of truth depending on how these benefitted society or the individual. Ultimately, however, Nietzsche points out that this loss of a sense of ethics and morality also leads, for many individuals, to lose their sense of meaning and to despair. Thus, loneliness and desperation is pervasive in Glengarry Glen Ross; for how could me n engaged in crafting lies to their fellow humans in order to earn a living be able to live truly meaningful lives?It is therefore in portraying the ruthless and callous ways with which human beings act in a system dominated by materialistic notions of success and happiness, that Glengarry Glen Ross succeeds at brutally dissecting individual motivations and actions based on Nietzsche’s philosophy. Consequently, the film is able to provoke retrospection on what has become a reality for many individuals in a materialistic society, and to evoke the decision of whether this is a reality that is worth maintaining for the long term or one that needs to be transformed and changed to affirm the meaning of human life.Work Cited:Glengarry Glen Ross. Dir. David Mamet. Perf. Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey. New Line Cinema, 1992.