William Faulkners Essay Example for Free

William Faulkners Essay William’s Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning† will confirm the prevalence of moral order over any other order, so that where conflict exists between truth and blood, truth prevails. Although it could be invoked that blood is thicker than water , it is also counter argued that water is wider than blood . There is therefore no substitute for choosing what is right under all circumstances. Discussion of â€Å"Barn Burning† will illustrate in reality the truth of the proposition as it tries to persuade that there is in fact basis to believe and adhere to such proven universality of truth. One argument to support the thesis of this paper is the fact the moral duty occupies higher ground than duty to parents. Doing what is right may result to disobeying parents as long the person exercising the responsibility knows what is right. Such is the case in point in the Faulker’s Barn Burning which is a story of an adolescent boy named Sartoris Snopes (or Sarty as hereinafter called) who is made to appear in court, hoping he will not have to testify in the arson case against his father (Mr. Snopes). Sarty knew that his father Mr. Snopes was absolutely guilty of arson but whoever judge will handle the case now was not an easy thing for Sarty to handle and could still be considered by Sarty as his enemy since the very person to be convicted and was facing the risk of punishment is his very father. Must not Sarty as a son still have to maintain some loyalty given the relationship being by blood? Has that point of testifying against one’s father come Sarty? Has he has not yet separated himself from his father? What must he do? Answering these challenging questions require going deeper what really happened in the story. Before proceeding to some of details of the story, it is best to express for the meantime the argument for upholding the prevalence of moral duty over loyalty to one’s father. It may thus be argued that that fulfillment of moral duty would lead eventually to independence of a person. Independence is the price for making difficult choices for which Sarty is also subject in the story. After laying the arguments to support the thesis there is still need to define some terms as used in the thesis for purpose of clarity. What are the separate meanings of duty to parents, moral duty and independence? Duty to parents is the obligation to obey parents with due all due consideration and respect by reason of the natural relationship. Moral duty is the capacity to choose what is right over what is wrong under all circumstances. Independence as defined connotes freedom from coercion in making difficult choices and a declaration by a person’s individual responsibility for his or her decision. After the definitions, the arguments may now be supported with important parts of the story. Since the first argument is the fact the moral duty occupies higher ground than duty to parents, it may be asked: What is right thing that must be done by Sarty and that may result to disobeying his parents? The obvious answer is the decision to tell the court the truth in making his testimony but such testimony could pin down his father, whom he knows to be guilty. An independent observer may readily see the internal conflict of loyalty to parents and love of truth in the case of Sarty. Indeed it would be straightforward to say that Sarty whether he likes or must make a choice between right and wrong in the end. He cannot leave a decision hanging between the peace’ and â€Å"dignity represented by the de Spains with the meanness and unhappiness of the Snopes family. But one may have to understand that it is more than that. Basing on the story’s beginning, when Sarty was prepared to testify that his father was innocent of burning down that barn, he would have done it because it is his job is to stick to his father. One may however see that at the end of the story, Sarty cautioned Major de Spain (the owner) about his father’s intention to burn down the latter’s stunning plantation. Sarty did this though with his knowledge that this will bring his (Snope’s) family down once and for all, and that this could cause never be able to go home again. This is a difficult decision to make for a boy. How in the world could he made the right one? To do this, Sarty must realize that he was not his father, and the path he wanted to travel in the world was not the same as his father’s. In making a choice, perhaps there is need to go back what led his father to commit arson as subject of trial for which Sarty was being made to testify. The story would readily tell then the nature or predisposition of Sarty’ father to burn everything. Sarty Snope’s family are wandering farmers, hence there is basis in the story to say that they move around even more often than is normal because of his father’s practice (that has become a habit) of burning something down every time to express his anger. Perhaps with his personal evaluation, Sarty understood that there was something profoundly psychological wrong about his father, but it would seem that he disregarded his father’s danger. What a bad luck may the incident has meant for Sarty since upon their family’s arrival at the beautiful plantation of Major de Spain, Sarty had the feeling that the de Spains are safe but as event turned out in the story, Sarty did not know that his father could just as easily bring down a big plantation when his father gets angry. In support of the argument that fulfillment of moral duty would lead eventually to independence of a person, it may be stated that what is natural will come to pass. Moral duty which this paper defined as the capacity to choose what is right over what is wrong under all circumstances has its roots in the natural law and violating the same could have grave consequences like the feeling of guilty conscience. Fulfillment of the moral duty has its rewards too to the person as it could mean freedom from guilty conscience and freedom to make more moral decisions that could sustain long term happiness and independence. In may be asked: Must loyalty bow at the altar moral duty? When must loyalty come to an end? It may be observed that an important part of the story is about loyalty but there is an inner conflict in which the character of the story must face that is his ability to be loyal to his blood origin. And so in Faulkner’s â€Å"Barn Burning†, Sarty spent the majority of the story under a great emotional confusion. What could really cause a young man to tell his father: â€Å"Father please stop as what you are doing is wrong. † It was therefore the demand for loyalty to his father brought about by the relationship that has caused him mixed emotions as to what is the right or wrong in dealing with his father’s tendency to barn burnings. There is basis to notice Sarty’s father’s paranoid thinking and silent threats that may be giving Sarty the inner battle between what’s morally right and family loyalty. In the story, there is that ever-present pull that was causing his guilt feelings. Hence, in one instance he was seen defending his father’s actions and this happened shortly after he was angry with his father for putting the family in such terrible conditions. As in every suffering that must come to an end, he had to be under the true test of loyalty which came at the end of the story when it became clear that his father will be burning the landlord’s barn down after the incident a certain incident within his knowledge. Sarty was angry but the guilt never stopped. If viewed in psychology, it may observed that anger and guilt could really happen together at the same time for Sarty and one would ask: â€Å"Which emotion has the greater chance of being expressed or realized into actions? † First it must also be asked â€Å"What would have made Sarty to feel guilty to the situation? † It may argued that a short period of time did occur in story when Sarty is actually an partner in crime to his father’s actions which he may freely done although with hesitation by running to the to place he was ordered to go and getting the oil to be used by his father in setting the fire. Sarty did show loyalty to his father by obedience. Indeed, loyalty could be blind if it closes its eyes to the truth. Indeed blood is thicker than water but water is wider than blood as oceans contain all the water but blood stays only in living animals. Sarty, in his search for true identity, must now make a choice and he must choose fulfillment of moral duty over his duty to parents. Thus throughout Faulkner’s story Sarty was seeking his true identity. There was confusion caused by his father’s actions that had push him to question who he was. His feeling was temporary while his moral duty to tell the truth of his father’s actions was universal. Although it was his duty to be loyal to his blood and hate the men who were enemies of his father hates, there was a higher standard of which he must also respond. Thus in the storey it could be deciphered that after Sarty was struck by his father for almost telling the Justice of the Peace the truth about the fire and he was found expressing his confusion. He needed therefore to search for what was his true identity to find the solution to that confusion, What may have caused confusion was the fact that he was being struck by his father without any explanation. He was most of the time treated as young man. Sarty may be presumed not to have taught maturity by his father. His having to obey his father to get the oil to be used for burning was an imposition into his mind. It could only be Sarty’s own way of developing where he could assert himself that he ought to become a mature person in order to have courage to face the consequences of his decision. As Sarty was a young man he could have been experiencing and asking the inevitable question of identity and knowing but not knowing enough. His feeling of the pressure to be what his father wanted him to be, although in his heart he knew that his father was wrong was something that must be resolved. In weighing things, he tried to find justification about his father’s behavior in order to be what he thought he should be by telling himself that his father was once a soldier, who deserves respect and honor him and this attempt included trying to convince himself that his father was done with his criminal behaviors. But an instance happened where the landlord demanded twenty bushels of corn as payment for damages that his father had ruined and the book how Sarty thought about the matter: â€Å" Maybe this is the end of it. Maybe even that twenty bushels that seems hard to have to pay for just a rug will be a cheap price for him to stop forever and always from being what he used to be†¦maybe he won’t collect the twenty bushels † His nature as person may have afforded Sarty’ capacity to mature. Attaining maturity is a natural phenomenon in one’s life as one grows with age. For Sarty, it may be argued that he did in fact survive his childhood and was able to look back on it sensibly. From being a child he felt his father could not help but be what he was; but nature has its own way and by the time that adulthood came to Sarty, he was aware of the truth of his father’s criminal behavior and which Faulkner has written: â€Å"†¦the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father’s being, as the element of steel or of powder spoke to other men, as the one weapon for the preservation of integrity, else breath were not worth the breathing, and hence to be regarded with respect and used with discretion† . This knowledge of what is wrong is a natural feeling and the mind appreciates without really thinking is predispose to avoid a rule. Interviewing a friend about whether he exerts effort of knowing what is right, the response was: â€Å"It is one’s nature to avoid the wrong. † There is time for everything. Everything that has started must come to an end. The dilemma that Sarty was suffering must come to an end. Sarty has now to make a decision. He is to make a choice between what is right or wrong. The moment to decide to practice a Sarty’ maturity did came the night of the final barn burning when Sarty made the decision on a subliminal level to warn the landlord of his father’s actions. It was also at that same night that night his father got killed and Sarty realized that he was set free; it was therefore decision that he has done the right thing. His running to the flaming barn, he felt he was running through his childhood. With his screams, he suddenly became calm and clear headed to signal his freedom. It may be concluded the life may be a series of trade offs or great exchanges of what is important to individual person’s life. There are issue of values which may not be seen but felt and asserted by their universalities. Independence is one of this values and its pursuit requires a moral agent to do what is right under the circumstance. Independence has however a price to pay and may extend to individual’s love ones. Such was the story beautifully portrayed by â€Å"Burning Barn†. Works Cited: Faulkner, The Faulkner Reader: Selections from the Works of William Faulkner, Random House, 1954 Flexner and Flexner, ‘Wise Words and Wives Tales: The Origins, Meanings and Time-Honored Wisdom of Proverbs and Folk Sayings Olde and New, Avon Books, New York, 1993 Hoffman, W. Blood is Thicker Than Water, Alien Perspective 2002 Personal interview with a friend conducted on what one feel about a given wrong in making a choice.

Stress: Effects on nursing staff

Stress: Effects on nursing staff Job stress has become an increasingly common outcome of todays dynamic life. Stress in the workplace is better understood as the psychological state that represents an imbalance or inconsistency between an employees perceptions of the demands and their ability to cope with those demands. Most jobs consist of situations or events that employees find stressful; however, some jobs encounter more job-related stress than others. It is now an established fact that the profession of nursing is full of stress and challenges. Female nursing staff faces crying and dying patients on daily basis. The tasks performed by them are almost mundane and unrewarding. If measured by normal standards, nurses job is disgusting and distasteful, degrading and frightening (Hingley, 1984).  [i]   The ILO has commissioned a manual on the job stress and its prevention among female nursing staff entitled work relating stress in nursing, controlling the risk of health by Dr. A. Griffiths, Professor S. Cox, due to its great significance. (ILO, 2001).  [ii]   1.2) THE MAIN SOURCES/CAUSES OF JOB STRESS AMONG NURSES: The job of female nurses is daunting and daring. Everyday multiple and conflicting demands are imposed on nurses by their supervisor, managers, administrative staff and others. Such situation usually leads to work burden and role conflict. The role conflict is inherent in the job of female nurses due to goal oriented demands put on them such as getting patients better very early. The nurses are given the task of providing emotional support and relieving stress of dying and crying patients. Role conflict is common among nurses looking after those patients who are critically ill and dying. It is worth mentioning here that intensive care unit and critical units of our hospitals attracted particular attention these days. Here, the female nurses faces, on daily basis, stark suffering, grief and death. It is now universally accepted that health care in the current era suffer high rate of violent behavior. In recent times, many research studies have measured and determined the effects of job stress on health and well being of nurses in the hospital settings and elsewhere. Job stress detracts nurses from qualitative working lives, enhances psychiatric morbidity and contributes towards physical illness, such as musculoskeletal problems and depression.  [iii]   1.3) International council of nursing (ICN,2001) has reported that if we want to develop an optimum environment for the production of stress, a lot of stressors, we would include, would be obviously recognized by female nurses as events in the hospital settings which they confront on routine basis. The stressors are long hours, unpleasant noises, sights, undue quiet, sudden shift from intense to mundane tasks, time pressure, no second chance, and enclosed environment etc  [iv]  . 1.4) Stress usage in its historical perspective. Stress is a recent term used frequently and generally after 1950s. It is semi-psychological term, always refers to hardship and coercion. In Middle English destress, in Latin stringere- to draw tight. In physics, stress is the internal distribution of a force exerted on a material body, resulting in strain. During the year 1920s and 1930s, stress is used in psychological circles; here it is mental strain or unwelcome happenings. The advocate of holistic medicine refers stress to harmful environmental agent, the implication of which is illness. Following Hans Seyles laboratory experience during 1930s, a new scientific usage of stress developed. Stress is the state of organism as it responded and adapted to the environment. Seyles theories of universal non-specific stress response attracted great interest in the academic circle in physiology. Seyle endeavored to assimilate stress to the non academic physician as well, by writing a good piece entitled stress of life for general public. A thorough and detailed study of job stress would help employees achieve health and happiness by successfully responding to challenges and problems of the modern globalized world. Eustress is the positive stress as against destress which represents negative stress. Stressors are the causative events/ stimulus. A large amount of research has been conducted during the late 1960s and early 1970s, to establish a link between stress and diseases of various kinds, stress and decline in performance. To better address the critical issue of stress, research on stress in medical circle has become a focal point during the recent years. By 1990s, job stress has become significant segment of modern sciences, in all areas of physiology and human functioning. Focus, recently, developed on stress in certain settings, such as stress in work environment. And stress intervention and stress management techniques were developed (how to cope or handle stress). Stress may be viewed as perceived difficulties in life or a way of referring to hurdles, impediments and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional, just stressed out. Stress includes a wide rang of outcomes, from mild irritation to intense and severe problems that might give real breakdown of health. Generally any event or situation between these extremes could be termed as stressful. The most critical and extreme situation result in burn out and the implication is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more frightening and terrifying events that result in great physical loss. PTSD is a critical and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma. It is associated with some occupations such as emergency human resource departments, police personnel and army men etc. These type of stressors may include events as someone actual death, threat to patients life or someone else, serious physical injuries or partial or total disablement, threat to psychological integrity, over whelming usual psychological defenses coping. Sometimes, it may result from profound psychological and emotional trauma apart from any physical harm. Often, however, the two are combined. Life is full of stressful events. We frequently confront challenges and obstacles, and sometime the pressure put on us is very hard to cope with. When we are definitely unsure of how to meet demands set for us, we experience stress. It is worth mentioning here that in small amount stress can be a good thing. It can give us the push, we need, motivating us and to concentrate and remain conscious, focus and alert.  [v]   Stress keep us on our toes during presentation or it stimulate us to curiously study for exam and stay focused when we would be rather in cinema. But when the stress become too hard and the lifes demands exceed our capabilities to handle, then our physical and emotional well being is threatened. We always consider the stressors as being negative, such as rocky relationship, death of near one, over work, an exhausting schedule etc. However, anything that compels us to accommodate and to cope can be a stressor. Stress includes as well, positive events such as promotion, transfer to new post, getting married and changes etc. Regardless of whether an event is positive or negative, if the changes it brings strain, our handling ability and adaptive resources are stimulated, the implication is the subjective feeling of being stressed and the biological stress response of the body. The sources of stress are manifold. Our stress may be associated to outside factors such as working environment, conditions of the world, family affairs etc. Sometime, stress may be the outcome of our own irresponsible behavior, unrealistic goal, negative perception, and attitude etc. The causes of the stress are highly individual. What we think stressful is associated with many factors, including our personality outlook on life, problem solving skills and social support system of our society. Sometimes, that is stressful to us may not be stressful for others. For example, our morning journey may make us worry that traffic jam will make us late, others, however, may find the trip relaxing because they allow more than enough time and enjoy talking, viewing and listening to music or reading books. (NIOSH 1987)  [vi]   Stress experienced by the masses in our modern and industrialized society mainly originates in the Enterprises; much of the stress that originates elsewhere affects our behaviour and performance in this enterprises-spill over effect. Stress means different thing to different peoples. From the perspective of layman, stress can be described as feeling tense, anxious or worried or having the blues. Scientifically such feelings are indication of the stress experience, an intriguingly complex programmed response to perceived threat that can have negative or positive implication. The term stress has been defined in multiple ways in the research and professional literature. All the definitions can be placed in two categories, stimulus and response. According to stimulus definition, stress is an event, situation or characteristic that result in potentially disruptive circumstances. In physics, stress refers to the external force applied to an object, for example a bridge girder. The response is strain, which is the impact the force on the girder. In a response definition, stress is seen partially as a response to some stimulus, called a stressor. A stressor is a potentially harmful or threatening external event or situation. Stress is more than simply a response to a stressor. However, in a response definition stress is the consequence of an interaction between an environment stimulus (a stressor) and an individuals response. That is, stress is the result of a unique interaction between stimulus condition in the environment and an individuals predisposition to respond in a particular way. (Ivancevich, 2001)  [vii]   1.5) Stress Defined:- One of the complicating issues in understanding stress is the fact that it has been defined in a multitude of ways. An adaptive response moderated by individual differences, that is a consequence of any action, situation or event that places special demands on a person.( Ivancevich,Olekalns,2008)  [viii]   Stress is a psychological and physiological response to events that upsets our personal balance in some way. These events or demands are known as stressors.(NIOSH, 2010)  [ix]   Stress is the general term applied to the pressures, people feel in life.(Newstorm,Devis, 2002)  [x]   Any adductive demand caused by physical , mental or emotional factors that requires coping behavior(Bohlander,Snell, 2004)  [xi]   A dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraints or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important.( Robbins, 2001)  [xii]   Stress is a complex pattern of emotional states, physiological reactions and related thoughts in response to external demands.(Greenberg, Baron, 2000)  [xiii]   The interaction between individual and environment characterized by physiological and psychological changes that cause a deviation from normal performance. A situation where in job-related factors interact with a worker to change his or her psychological and/or physiological condition such that the person is force to deviate from normal functioning.(Bernardin, 2003)  [xiv]   Some environmental force affecting the individual, which is called a stressor. The individuals psychological or physical response to the stressor. In some cases, an interaction between the stressor and the individuals response. Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an Opportunity, demand, or resource related to what the individual desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important.(Robbins, Timothy, 2007)  [xv]   (11) Behr and Newman define job stress as a condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and characterized by changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal functioning.(Pfeffer, 1992)  [xvi]   (12) When a person is confronted with a situation which poses a threat or demand, and perceives that she or he does no have the capability or resources to match or exceed the stressor, the imbalance that results at that point in time is termed stress.( Luthan, 2005)  [xvii]  ) (13) An Individuals adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the persons wellbeing.(Mc Shane, Travaglione, 2004)  [xviii]   (14) Stress is an individuals physiological and emotional response to stimuli that place physical or physiological demands on the individual and create uncertainty and lack of personal control when important outcomes are at stake. (Samson, Richard, 2003)  [xix]   (15) Stress is the excitement, feeling of anxiety, and/or physical tension that occur when the demands place on an individual are thought to exceed his ability to cope. (Hellriegel, John 2004)  [xx]   (16) Stress is a negative emotional state occurring in response to events that are perceived as taxing or exceeding a Persons recourse or ability to cope. (Hockenbury, 2003)  [xxi]   For our purposes, we think it is useful to view stress as the response a person makes and to identify the stimulus conditions (actions, event or situation) as stressor. This allows us to focus our attention on aspects of the organizational environment that are potential stress producers. Whether stress is actually felt or experienced by a particular individual will depend on that individuals unique characteristics. Furthermore, note that this definition emphasizes that stress is an adaptive response. The great majority of our responses to stimuli in the work environment does not require adaptation and thus are not really potential sources of stress. In the context of our stress definition, stress is the outcome of handling something that places special demands on the individual. Special here means unusual, physically or psychologically threatening, or outside an individuals usual set of behaviors. Starting a new assignment, changing bosses, having a flat tier, missing a plane, making a mistake at work, having a performance evaluation meeting with the boss, giving a speech all of these are actions, events or situations that may place special demands on individuals. In that sense, they are potential stressors. Not all stressors will always place the same demand on all people. In order 0f an action, event or situation to result in stress, it must be perceived by the individual to be a source of threat, challenge or harm. If there are no perceived consequences good or bad there is no potential stress. At least three additional factors play a role in determining whether what an individual is experiencing is likely to result in stress. These factors are; importance, uncertainty and duration. Importance is related to how significant the event is for the individual. For example, let us suppose that an employee is facing a job lay-off. The more significant or important that event is to the individual, the greater the stress potential. If the employee expects such an event to be followed by a period of prolonged unemployment, it will probably be viewed as a more important event than if immediate employment is assured Uncertainty refers to a lack of clarity about what will happen. Rumors of an impending lay-off may be more stressful for some people than knowing for certain that they will be laid off. At least in the latter case, they can make plans for dealing with the situations. Frequently, not knowing places more demands on people than knowing, even if the known result is perceived as negative. Finally, duration is a significant factor. Stressor can be either acute or chronic. Acute stressors are major events in our lives that have a relatively short time frame. Getting married, losing your job or failing in exams are all events that leave a big impact on us, but they do not endure overtime (we do not fail an exams every day). Chronic stressors have a less profound impact on us when they occur, but we are exposed to them on an almost continual basis. They are represented by daily hassles that fit with seyles representation of stress as the wear and tear of every day life. Such things as shopping, cooking or finding a study space in the library are all minor irritation that we face on an almost daily basis. They may not affect us at a time, but their affect slowly built over time. Generally speaking, the longer special demands are placed on us, the more stressful the situation. Giving an unpleasant job assignment that lasts for only a day or two may be mildly upsetting, whil e the same assignment lasting for months may be excruciatingly painful. Although there are some acute stressors in the workplace (job loss or transfer, promotion or demotion, and entering or leaving the job market), most of the work place stressor are better thought of as daily hassles. 1.6) THE GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS) Stress includes both psychological and physical components. Dr. Hanss Seyle, the pioneer of stress research was the first to conceptualize the psycho physiological responses to stress. Seyle consider stress a non-specific response to any demand made upon an organism. He labeled the three phases of the defense reaction that a person establishes when stressed as the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). Seyle called the defense reaction general because stressor had effects on several areas of the body. Adaptation refers to a stimulation of defenses designed to help the body adjust to or deal with, the stressor. And syndrome indicates that individual pieces of the reaction occur more or less together. The three distinct phases, which can be seen in exhibit no.1, are called alarm, resistance and exhaustion. The alarm stag is the initial mobilization by which the body meets the challenges posed by the stressor. When a stressor is recognized, the brain sends forth a biochemical message to all the bodys systems. Respiration increases, blood pressure raises, pupils dilate, muscles tense up and so forth. If the stressor continues, the GAS proceeds to the resistance stage. Sign of being in the resistance stag include fatigue, anxiety and tension. The person is now fighting the stressor. While resistance to a particular stressor may be high during this stag, resistance to other stressor may be low. A person has only finite sources of energy, concentration and ability to resist stressors. Individuals are often more illness-prone during periods of stress than at other times. The final GAS stage is exhaustion. Prolonged and continual exposure to the same stressor may eventually use up the adaptive energy available, and the system fighting the stressor becomes exhausted. It is important to keep in mind that the activation of the GAS places extraordinary demands on the body. Clearly, the more frequently the GAS is activated and longer it remains in operation, the more wear and tear there is on the psycho physiological mechanisms. The body and mind have limits. The more frequently a person is alarmed, resist and becomes exhausted by work, non-work or the interaction of these activities, the more susceptible he or she becomes to fatigue, disease, aging and other negative consequences. (Ivancevich, 2001)  [xxii]   Stage 1 Normal level of resistance Stage 3 ALARM REACTION The body shows the changes characteristic of the first expose to the stressor. At the same time, its resistance is diminished. Workplace example: A request by a manager to submit a budget in 3 days RESISTANCE The second stage ensures if continued exposure to the stressor is not compatible with adaptation. Resistance increase above normal. Workplace example: Flying off the handle at a meeting because the budget was still unfinished time is passing with no budget work occurring. EXHAUSTION The third stage follows long continued exposure to the same stressor, to which the body has become adjusted. Eventually adaptation energy is exhausted. Workplace example: No sleeps, insomnia, worry about the budget. Totally and physically exhausted. Stage 2 Exhibit no.1 1.7) THE CAUSES OF STRESS The causes of stress, which may rightly be called stressors, include any environmental condition that place a physical or emotional demand on a person. There are numerous stressors in organizational settings and other life activities. Exhibit no.2 lists the four main types of work-related stressor: Physical environment stressors, Role-related stressors, Interpersonal stressors and Organizational stressors. 1.7.1) STRESSORS INHERENT IN PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT STRESSORS) The physical environment of organization contains some physical environmental stressors; safety hazards, poor lighting, and excessive noise etc. For example, a study of textile workers in a noisy plant found that there level of stress decreased measurably when they were supplied with ear protectors. Another study reported that clerical employees experience significantly higher stress level in noisy, open office than in quiet areas. Physical stressors also include poorly designed office space, lack of privacy, ineffective lighting and poor air quality. 1.7.2) ROLE-RELATED STRESSOR In this concept of role related stressors, employees have difficulty in assimilating and reconciling or performing the multitude roles that they play in their life. Main role-related stressors are; Role conflict, Role ambiguity, Workload Task control: Role conflict Accordingly, when masses confront competing demands role conflict occurs. An employee may have two roles that are in conflict with each other (called interrole conflict) or may receive contradictory messages from different people about how to perform a task (called intraoral conflict). Role conflict also occurs when organizational values and work obligations are incompatible with personal values (called person-role conflict). For example, a recent study described how Australian managers experience the stress of people-role conflict when they observe unethical practices involving partners located in other countries. Work related stressors Physical environment stressors Role-related stressors Interpersonal stressors Organizational stressors Non-work stressors Individual Differences stress Consequences of distress Physiological Heart disease Ulcers High BP Headaches Sleep disturbance More illness Psychological Job dissatisfaction Depression Exhaustion Moodiness Burnout Behavioral Lower job performance More accidents Faulty decisions Higher absenteeism Workplace aggression Exhibit no.2 1.7.2.2 Role ambiguity When workers are unsure of meeting job responsibilities, performance, expected level of authority and job conditions, role ambiguity is said to exist. This tends to occur when people enter new situations, such as joining the organization or taking an overseas assignment, because they are uncertain about task and social expectations. 1.7.2.3Work load-work under load providing small amount of work or assignment to workers that do not match their talent is a stressor. However, work overload is the most common stressor these days in our dynamic organization. Employees are required to perform too much work in too short time. Long hour work leads to unhealthy lifestyles, which in turn, cause heart disease and stokes. This is a concern in Singapore and Hong Kong where cultural values encourage long work hours. Work hours in Australia are also creeping up, with almost one-third of the workforce clocking in 49 hours or more per week. Work overload is such a problem in Japan that death from overwork has its own name karoshi. 1.7.2.4) Task control employees feel more stress when they have no control over their assignment, performance and pace of their activities. Work is potentially more stressful when it is paced by a machine, involves monitoring equipment or the work schedule is controlled by someone else. This is the reason why techno stress-stress caused by information technology-has become one of the leading health hazards in the workplace. Australian now identifies e-mail as their biggest source of stress. One-quarter of British managers also say that email is creating stress. Over two-thirds of employees in large American companies feel overwhelmed by the incessant demands of electronic communication. 1.7.3) STRESSOR INTERPERSONAL These include ineffective supervision, office politics and other conflicts with masses. High turnover of front-line staff at Australias Commonwealth Bank is apparently partly cause by stress from increasingly angry customers. One survey indicate that 88 per cent of call center employees in Australia say that they have high or extreme level of stress, mainly due to angry customers and unsupportive management. Its one thing dealing with one angry costumer on the odd occasion, but when you are dealing with people like that all day, it is tough, says JAG Marketing executive Jonathon Gross, who has worked in a call center. Teamwork is a potential interpersonal stressor. A study of West rail, the government-owned rail transportation company in Western Australia, revealed that employees experienced higher stress when they were formed into work teams. Sexual harassment is another powerful interpersonal stressor. Victims of sexual harassment experience trauma (especially from rape or related exploitation) or must endure tense colleague relations in a hostile work environment. Moreover, they are expected to endure more stress while these incidents are investigated. 1.7.3.1) Workplace violence Another serious interpersonal stressor is the rising wave of physical violence in the workplace. In the United States, one thousand workers assassinated on job each year and two million other experiences lesser forms of violence. But the international labor organization reports that the highest incidence of workplace assaults and sexual harassment isnt in the United States; it occurs in France, Argentina, Romania, Canada and England. Workplace violence is less common (or less reported) in Pacific Rim countries, but it is significant stressor in some industries. New Zealands department of work and income has banned 170 people from entering its offices because of their violent or intimidating behavior. All 260 nurses who responded to a survey in New South Wales had experienced some form of violence at least weekly; many cited incidents involving lethal weapons. Employees have usually symptoms of severe stress, when experiencing violence, or after traumatic events. It is not uncommon for these primary victims to take long-term leave. Some never return to work. Workplace violence is also a stressor to those who observe the violence. After a serious workplace incident, counselors work with many employees, not just the direct victims. Even employees who have not directly experienced or observed violence may show signs of stress if they work in high-risk jobs. For example, one study reported that the greater cause of work-related stress among British bus driver is their perceived risk of physical assault. 1.7.3.2) Workplace bullying Although less dramatic than workplace violence, workplace bullying is becoming so common that it is considered as more serious interpersonal stressor. It has become enough of a concern that some Scandinavian countries have passed laws against it. Humiliating behavior, intimidating or offensive attitude that insults and ridicules or degrade another workers at organization is better refer to work place bulling. People with higher authority are more likely to engage in bullying or incivility towards employees in lower positions. What studies here in Australia and around the world are showing is that significant source of workplace stress is bullying-intimidating behavior from employers and bossy attitude. Workplace bullying produces stress and its physiological, psychological and behavioral consequences. Australian studies estimates that almost three-quarters of victims experience or seek counseling for depression, fatigue, sleep disorders and higher blood pressure following incidents of bullying. Workplace bullying also imposes enormous costs on organizations. Australian research has found that victims take an average o HRM: Strategic goals and objectives HRM: Strategic goals and objectives INTRODUCTION This assignment will find out answer the question which is that do u think the linking of HRM with strategic goals and objectives by any organization will help to improve business performance and develop organizational cultures that foster innovation flexibility. Besides it will illustrate the objectives of strategic HRM in the organization and how they influence competitive advantage of organization. Companiesare as good as their staff. The demand to maximise the potencyl of the company and their manpower by clever people management and organisational growth is a dutyaccomplish through the HR area. It is the aim of a company to be successful and to turn a profit. It is necessary for people to play a crucial role in succeeding this objective. The aim of this assignment is to supply an apprehension of the relevancy of HR strategy that advocates the business strategy to the task of HR department a company. Several growing companies believe that Human Resource (HR) supplies them competitive advantage. It was seen by many companies that competitive advantage can be found by quality manpower or employees and culture. Ä °t evaluates the long-run performance of a company. Strategic HR assures that staff of a company helps to its success with their abilities and performance. Traditional HR is related to carrying out of rules and techniques such as recruitment, staffing,assessment. But linking the general HRM and the companys strategy gives HR department more background to increase the skills of their manpower and concentrate on the vision and mission. Human Resource Management The overall aim of HRM is to contribute companies succeed their tasks which are vitally seen in terms of efficiency by its people. HRM emphasises on the importunity of gettting dedication to the companies task and values with emphasis on the need for strategic adjustment, which is the combination of business and HR strategies. Nevertheless , different opinions to the strategic management of human resources are likely. This is a kind of managing andcontrolling the manpower so as to get a competitive advantage. However , it emphasises on the human issues of HRM as valuable assets, by stressing on communication, motivation and leadership. It can be seen as a typical way of leading people, one that focuses on the value of staff as investigationsto be improved by the company. The accent is one which has the involvement of management focused on assuming a planned approach which is intimately incorporated with business strategy. â€Å"The interpretation of HRM is based on incorporating either a soft, developmental humanist approach or a hard, situational contingent approach† (Liao, 2005) In a perfectcompany one would adopt it to be well- adjusted and incorporated with all people partaking the organisational purposes and working together as a team. This concludes that the distinction between the two approaches was not and still is not a precise one. Human resource management policies and rules might affect the recruitment process, in that people could be afected to apply for jobs if the organization becomes considered for its good human resource management approach. On the other hand, poor human resource management practices might rise sales.â€Å"Effective recruiting is essential to an organizations financial future†(Dessler). Human resource managers should actively improve training and aid line managers in the performance appraisal process.Managers should actively revise employee performance to supply feedback to staff and address performance subjects. Performance appraisals should be indifferent and focused on essential performance issues.Managers should ma ke a point staff understand what is expected of them and the demand of their job. HR Strategy and Business Strategy First of all ,strategy will be defined and how it connects to human resource management. Strategy is obtaining from where we are now to where we would like to be; it may be demonstrate or inexplicit in organisational behaviour. Schneider (1994) has suggested that in â€Å"the soft approach, effective HRM is seen necessarily to involve a focus upon fostering employee motivation, commitment and development.† Thus, HR strategy is connected to organisational strategy. Ä °fdefinitions will be looked. Business strategy could be described as those people who work an organisation that find ways to place their business duties through the use of controlling the planning environment and to fully use the future use of the capital and human assets. Nevertheless, HR strategy could be described as the procedure of joining tactics, programmes and purposes within an overall model, planned to improve to meet a companies duties. Because of that, it is saidthat HR strategy should play an important role in improving the companies competitive advantage and not only as a way to contribute the business strategy but also to improve it is a right supposition to the extent of both going hand-in-hand to succeed the companies main purposes and objectives. Of all the demand related to the above, HR strategy could be vindicated by business strategy. HR strategies will be considered by management as of little relevancy to the real duties of the business without business strategy, and it will leave the HR function in a difficult position, however it might have a important role in the delivery of the long-term future plans of a company. All the determinationsif becoming HR or business could be incorporated at a strategic level therefore all aspects and demand are introduced by making new opportunities for what is hold thinkable. Human resource strategy has got too many topics. Because of that , it is difficult to describe human resource strategy. The centre of HR strategy is a kept up focus on the people who work for a company.A HR strategy is vital for keeping quality customer satisfaction,being loved and continuing high quality staff and assuring kept dedication from the staff to steady develop the company. It means that the growth of strategies to appeal the right people to the organisation with the right abilities and competences and strategies to continue them only they are enrolled.Key issues in attracting and continuing staff are Recruitment and Selection, Rewards and pay, Training and development and appraisal management.The main purpose of any HR strategy is to make the highest value company. Ä °t is explained what HR strategy and why organisations should improve a HR strategy.For many organisations there is a essential situation to improve a HR strategy because of the risingly rivalry business globalization. HR strategy educesthe desire to fully work the capacity of people as a opportunity of competitive advantage but also to meet the needs of HR practioners.The only real source of sustainable competitive advantage for many companies is letting loose the power of its people, people and procedures not only supply unbelievable competitive advantage, they are also difficult to copy or buy in. The factors which should be considered by management In performing the work, the manager should think the strategic elements of the organization system. These elements are individual element, formal organization element, informal organization element and The Role and Status Patterns element. Internal factors Ä °ndividual factors: which include attitudes, feeling, and personality traits, motives and other variables that help determine individuals behavior Formal organization factors: are the formal structure, the hierarchy of authority, the communications channels, and the pattern of relationship that it supplies together with is objective, policies, process and other management devices that help to develop and facilitate its system Informal organization factors: it involves the standards and behavioral forms that are enforced upon by its staff by the work group. This element also involves informal systems for communication and the processes for short-cutting formal methods. The Role and Status Patterns factors- are those that are made by both the informal and the formal companies, and by the backgrounds and the behaviors of the people who work these companies External factors Economic factors The price level and general interest rate will influence top managements decision on main problems.â€Å"Because financial resources are scarce, management must allocate them in ways that would yield the maximum return. each Porterian competitive strategy involves a unique set of responses from workers or ‘needed role behaviours and a particular HRM strategy that might generate and reinforce a unique pattern of behaviour†(Schuler and Jackson, 2002 The competitive climate also influences management strategy. Legal factors Statue, common or administrative law curbs business operation. FactorsImposed by Trade Unions Technological factors SAMPLES FROM COMPANIES It is crucial to search how organizations human resource management (HRM) improves to highly skilled, loyalty staff and influence companys performance, therefore resulting in important competitive advantages. It may be important to clarify the strategy throughout the hierarchy to every employee (Huang, 2001). MARK SPENCER Eventuality-based approach to HRM is often known as a necessary part of a cost-minimisation strategy. Nevertheless , in MS it is adviced that for a successful carrying out of changes, there is a more need of soft approach for the medium term success, when everyone who works in the company needs to get together and see the importance of the changes. Bergenhenegouwen (1996) states that the concept of core competences goes beyond this in a search for those few activities that underpin competitive advantage For MS the dedication of senior management and the appointed heads of the business units to HRM are important to organizations effective procedure. It could be necessary to have the information and abilities essential to carry out a believable HRM programme within the company.() For a medium term success, MS should think the following HRM approaches: A clear apprehension and dedication of the management to the attractive change shouldkeep any struggles and operational roadblocks; Good active and attractive leadership will have to come about and be contributed by the managers of MS. It is also important to think as teamwork in make decision procedure. The staff have to be incorporated into the change process management; To be more service-focused company, MSwould have a look at a culture of communication because of thatpeople could use the advantage of ateamwork for the advancement and the companys success. Therefore , MS has to put a great accent on development of social communication abilities of all organisational staff; Staff participation is possible to advocate to a signified of obligation and property and, thus, organisational dedication and commitment. â€Å"The norms and beliefs that increase mark spencers skill to get, see, and return signals from the environment into internal organisational and behavioural change will promote its survival, growth and development†( http://www.ivoryresearch.com/sample13.php) SAMSUNG HRM could make an attractive influence on organisational performance in many ways, these are: improve and successfully carrying out high performance work practices, especially those interested in job and work design, flexible working, imagination, staff improvement, reward and giving staff a voice. develop a clear vision and adjust of values and assure that it is enclosed, imparishable, collective, measured and managed. improve a attractive psychological contract and means of rising the motivation and dedication ofstaff. develop and carrying outpolicies that know the essentials of people and make a great place of work supply support andrecommend to line managers on their role in carrying out HR policies. Mc donalds McDonalds runs in so many countries, HRM should be conscious of the different employment and contract laws, culture, currency differences, and staff costs all over these countries. The extension plans for India must not influencethe company critically when the operation guidelines and policies already exist. When the company increases into new countries they should think other subjects such as uniform and eating habits, certain religions do not eat certain products, other cultures enforce dress code, all these subjects should be considered by the HRM to assure the arrangement of right policies. Because of dropping sales there are plans to change the image and culture of the company; showing new decor, uniforms and packaging. Unless HRM have included the staff in the planning stage of these changes, they will come across great difficulty in getting cooperation; staff should buy in to changes. Ä °n spite ofthe mc donalds does have training facilities around the country studying staff on these changes. Consumers might also protest to this image change. The meeting of healthy foods might cause problems, staff will should be re-trained, which might cause staff missing, andrise training costs. A few of the stores located in city centres are setting facilities to let the customer linking to the Internet. The HRM will have to embed policies to assure right usage of the Internet; and improvements to assure that wrong websites are not possible. TOYOTA Toyota looks for to improve human resources by the action of making things. toyota thinks that development of human resources providespassed on of values and perspectives. Ä °t can be seen that business expansion is related to strategic human resource management. Ä °t has become priority concept. â€Å"Toyota is building both tangible (a new learning facility) and intangible (course content) structures relating to team member development that ensures a secure and steady flow of qualified human resources to conduct Toyotas global business in the 21st century†.( http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/environmental_rep/03/jyugyoin03.html) Toyota has described the needed qualifications of professional staff for office and engineering positions, and shaped human resources who are able to perform day-to-day activities and enlarge their abilities in technical positions. Company-wide training is went on based on employee qualifications, as well as specialized training for individual d ivisions, language training, and special knowledge and skill training TARGETS Pepsico is training store managers in merchandizing techniques to help rise store sales as well as sales of Pepsico. â€Å"Unifi helps consumers with their efficiency appraisal systems, making their customers more competitive andA thus better able to buy Unifi products.† Mercedes gave training mechanics in service by the United States so as that Mercedes can advise 24-hourgiving service anywhere in the United States. Nissan Motors and HondA Motorsadvise busy training programs to their parts suppliersso asto increase the quality of their goods.McDonalds advises comprehensive training to their franchise owners. Thrust Thecase of Lincoln Electric is an instance of the using of HRM practices to rise the performance of production and thereby lower the cost of the electric motors and arc welders. People Express Airlines is similar example of, a cost/efficient thrust. Unifi, McDonalds, and Honda help in the HRM practices of their consumers, distributors, and suppliers, respectively, so as to help them sustain costs down as well as to make sure a rivalry, and thus enduring, set of customers, distributors, and suppliers. IBM can make itself different than rivals by providing programming training for customersemployees. Staffing The American Productivity Center in Houston makes use of its staffing practices to get a rivalry advantage. Moreoverit assists its staffing practices with coherent training practices. The Baltimore Orioles also get differentiation by their staffing practices, this time with their suppliers. Appraising â€Å"At Emery Air Freight, the company was losing $1 million yearly because employees on the airport loading docks were shipping small packages separately rather than placing those with the same destination in one container that. would be carried at lower rates by air carriers.†( http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~schuler/mainpages/GainingCompAdvantageHRMpractices.pdf) Compensation People Express Airline and Lincoln Electric, who use Financial benefit practices to get a cost/efficiency competitive advantage, TRW and the Hewlett-Packard Company use compensation to drive their search for innovative products and services.At Hewlett-Packard, attempting behavior is irritated in project leaders by trying more rewards to their achievement CONCLUSION To sum up, improving a HR strategy is active for companies in todays competitive business environment. The different approaches to HRM strategy in this assignment are not always practical as in reality. In reality when companies are improving a HR strategy they will make possible somewhere between the â€Å"hard† and â€Å"soft† approach.Another point is that evatulaty should be thought, as HR, strategies should be contingent with the companies subcultures.The following concepts should be thought whether the HR strategy a company espouses is to be influence.Different human resource practices should be consistent and accompaniment each other.There should be a fit between the consistent sets of human resource practices and other systems within the organisation.The human resource systems need to be in line with the business or competitive strategy of the company.

Essay --

What is love? Love is the force that binds our feelings. It is very difficult to get out of it, sometimes even impossible. The ability to love in the human beings can manifest itself in the form of attachment, complex social relationships within the group type, but it is fully controversial and has not been confirmed. Love is the highest moral and aesthetic sense, which means a strong emotional attachment and selfless commitment to another person. Love is based on qualities such as selflessness, dedication, devotion. Love is very emotional feeling; it is characterized by high elation flourishing desires, high availability dissolved in the subject of love. In a state of love one experiences a special satisfaction from life that is the state of happiness. The notion of love is multifaceted and includes the love of parents, children, homeland, the object of the opposite sex, love of neighbor. In different religion ethics highest expression of love is agape - which means love of God. The notion of love as a moral quality is formed in a person's lifetime. At first formed desire for the...

Invent a Writing Technology :: Writing Technology Technological Papres

Invent a Writing Technology â€Å"And-O Tempora! O Mores!-to lose the soft warm touch of sheepskin, the knowledge that some lamb chop had died to create this beloved writing surface! Let us weep.† (Tribble& Trubek, pg. 9) Some of us may have wept over this project, weeping over how might to do this writing project. Many of us succeeded in coming up with a unique way to write with natural materials, a few of us cheated to by using limited technology and some of us failed to do the project. All of benefited because we were exposed or unexposed to our element, the writing technologies we as writers use everyday. I cheated since there cannot be found in nature a magnifying glass, which I used. My ultimate method was to burn the letters, words and sentences into leaves from a tree. Though I did not weep, I did think twice about plucking the greenery from the tree. (Hey, those environmentalists have been hitting us hard since birth with idealistic guilt trips.) There can be a quite powerful little beam of light produced by the focusing of sunlight through glass, but since the magnifying glass cannot be found in nature it was considered cheating even if it is very simple and primitive. I could argue that it could have been an innovation of writing. I really entered my imagination for this project; pretending that this was a desire or goal of mine, to invent this technology or advancement as if it had never been invented before and was necessary. Since the first words were created, the technology has been advancing. Since I was a young boy, I have been using that technology and this project helps me to realize what struggles and what successes I have encountered. We do not even need pen and paper. I learned to write with paper and pencil. Now, we use computers and voice-mail. These are technologies we did not have a few years ago. I have become so accustomed in such a short time with these brand new technologies. I struggled to find what would be acceptable for the assignment and while I was contemplating, the conclusions teetered between the real significance of the project and the silliness I felt because of not using the conventional, more superior, available technology.

The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Six

Vickie's house was on a corner, and they approached it from the side street. By now the sky was filled with heavy purple clouds. The light had an almost underwater quality. â€Å"Looks like it's going to storm,† Matt said. Bonnie glanced at Damon. Neither he nor Stefan liked bright light. And she could feel the Power emanating from him, like a low thrum just under the surface of his skin. He smiled without looking at her and said, â€Å"How about snow in June?† Bonnie clamped down on a shiver. She had looked Damon's way once or twice in the barn and found him listening to the story with an air of detached indifference. Unlike Stefan, his expression hadn't changed in the slightest when she mentioned Elena-or when she told about Sue's death. What did he really feel for Elena? He'd called up a snowstorm once and left her to freeze in it. What was he feeling now? Did he even care about catching the murderer? â€Å"That's Vickie's bedroom,† said Meredith. â€Å"The bay window in the back.† Stefan looked at Damon. â€Å"How many people in the house?† â€Å"Two. Man and woman. The woman's drunk.† Poor Mrs. Bennett, thought Bonnie. â€Å"I need them both asleep,† Stefan said. In spite of herself, Bonnie was fascinated by the surge of Power she felt from Damon. Her psychic abilities had never been strong enough to sense its raw essence before, but now they were. Now she could feel it as clearly as she could see the fading violet light or smell the honeysuckle outside Vickie's window. Damon shrugged. â€Å"They're asleep.† Stefan tapped lightly on the glass. There was no response, or at least none Bonnie could see. But Stefan and Damon looked at each other. â€Å"She's half tranced already,† Damon said. â€Å"She's scared. I'll do it; she knows me,† said Stefan. He put his fingertips on the window. â€Å"Vickie, it's Stefan Salvatore,† he said. â€Å"I'm here to help you. Come let me in.† His voice was quiet, nothing that should have been heard on the other side of the glass. But after a moment the curtains stirred and a face appeared. Bonnie gasped aloud. Vickie's long, light brown hair was disheveled, and her skin was chalky. There were huge black rings under her eyes. The eyes themselves were fixed and glassy. Her lips were rough and chapped. â€Å"She looks possessed,† Bonnie whispered back, unnerved. Stefan just said, â€Å"Vickie, open the window.† Mechanically, like a windup doll, Vickie cranked one of the side panels of the bay window open, and Stefan said, â€Å"Can I come in?† Vickie's glazed eyes swept over the group outside. For a moment Bonnie thought she didn't recognize any of them. But then she blinked and said slowly, â€Å"Meredith†¦ Bonnie†¦ Stefan? You're back. What are you doing here?† â€Å"Ask me in, Vickie.† Stefan's voice was hypnotic. â€Å"Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a long pause and then: â€Å"Come in.† She stepped back as he put a hand on the sill and vaulted through. Matt followed him, then Meredith. Bonnie, who was wearing a mini, re-mained outside with Damon. She wished she'd worn jeans to school today, but then she hadn't known she'd be going on an expedition. â€Å"You shouldn't be here,† Vickie said to Stefan, almost calmly. â€Å"He's coming to get me. He'll get you too.† Meredith put an arm around her. Stefan just said, â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Him. He comes to me in my dreams. He killed Sue.† Vickie's matter-of-fact tone was more frightening than any hysteria could have been. â€Å"Vickie, we've come to help you,† Meredith said gently. â€Å"Everything's going to be all right now. We won't let him hurt you, I promise.† Vickie swung around to stare at her. She looked Meredith up and down as if Meredith had suddenly changed into something unbelievable. Then she began to laugh. It was awful, a hoarse burst of mirth like a hacking cough. It went on and on until Bonnie wanted to cover her ears. Finally Stefan said, â€Å"Vickie, stop it.† The laughter died into something like sobs, and when Vickie lifted her head again, she looked less glassy eyed but more genuinely upset. â€Å"You're all going to die, Stefan,† she said, shaking her head. â€Å"No one can fight him and live.† â€Å"We need to know about him so we can fight him. We need your help,† Stefan said. â€Å"Tell me what he looks like.† â€Å"I can't see him in my dreams. He's just a shadow without a face.† Vickie whispered it, her shoulders hunching. â€Å"But you saw him at Caroline's house,† Stefan said insistently. â€Å"Vickie, listen to me,† he added as the girl turned away sharply. â€Å"I know you're frightened, but this is important, more important than you can understand. We can't fight him unless we know what we're up against, and you are the only one, the only one right now who has the information we need. You have to help us.† Stefan's voice was unyielding. â€Å"I have a way to help you remember,† he said. â€Å"Will you let me try?† Seconds crawled by, then Vickie gave a long, bubbling sigh, her body sagging. â€Å"Do whatever you want,† she said indifferently. â€Å"I don't care. It won't make any difference.† â€Å"You're a brave girl. Now look at me, Vickie. I want you to relax. Just look at me and relax.† Stefan's voice dropped to a lulling murmur. It went on for a few minutes, and then Vickie's eyes drooped shut. â€Å"Sit down.† Stefan guided her to sit on the bed. He sat beside her, looking into her face. â€Å"Vickie, you feel calm and relaxed now. Nothing you remember will hurt you,† he said, his voice soothing. â€Å"Now, I need you to go back to Saturday night. You're upstairs, in the master bedroom of Caroline's house. Sue Carson is with you, and someone else. I need you to see-â€Å" â€Å"No!† Vickie twisted back and forth as if trying to escape something. â€Å"No! I can't -â€Å" â€Å"Vickie, calm down. He won't hurt you. He can't see you, but you can see him. Listen to me.† As Stefan spoke, Vickie's whimpers quieted. But she still thrashed and writhed. â€Å"You need to see him, Vickie. Help us fight him. What does he look like?† â€Å"He looks like the devil!† It was almost a scream. Meredith sat on Vickie's other side and took her hand. She looked out through the window at Bonnie, who looked back wide eyed and shrugged slightly. Bonnie had no idea what Vickie was talking about. â€Å"Tell me more,† Stefan said evenly. Vickie's mouth twisted. Her nostrils were flared as if she were smelling something awful. When she spoke, she got out each word separately, as if they were making her sick. â€Å"He wears†¦ an old raincoat. It flaps around his legs in the wind. He makes the wind blow. His hair is blond. Almost white. It stands up all over his head. His eyes are so blue-electric blue.† Vickie licked her lips and swallowed, looking nauseated. â€Å"Blue is the color of death.† Thunder rumbled and cracked in the sky. Damon glanced up quickly, then frowned, eyes narrowed. â€Å"He's tall. And he's laughing. He's reaching for me, laughing. But Sue screams ‘No, no' and tries to pull me away. So he takes her instead. The window's broken, and the balcony is right there. Sue's crying ‘No, please.' And then I watch him-I watch him throw her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vickie's breath was hitching, her voice rising hysterically. â€Å"Oh, please, no-Sue! Sue! Sue!† â€Å"Vickie, stay with me. Listen. I need just one more thing. Look at him. Tell me if he's wearing a blue jewel-â€Å" But Vickie was whipping her head back and forth, sobbing, more hysterical each second. â€Å"No! No! I'm next! I'm next!† Suddenly, her eyes sprang open as she came out of the trance by herself, choking and gasping. Then her head jerked around. On the wall, a picture was rattling. It was picked up by the bamboo-framed mirror, then by perfume bottles and lipsticks on the dresser below. With a sound like popcorn, earrings began bursting from an earring tree. The rattling got louder and louder. A straw hat fell off a hook. Photos were showering down from the mirror. Tapes and CDs sprayed out of a rack and onto the floor like playing cards being dealt. Meredith was on her feet and so was Matt, fists clenched. â€Å"Make it stop! Make it stop!† Vickie cried wildly. But it didn't stop. Matt and Meredith looked around as new objects joined the dance. Everything movable was shaking, jittering, swaying. It was as if the room were caught in an earthquake. â€Å"Stop! Stop!† shrieked Vickie, her hands over her ears. Directly above the house thunder exploded. Bonnie jumped violently as she saw the zigzag of lightning shoot across the sky. Instinctively she grabbed for something to hang on to. As the lightning bolt flared a poster on Vickie's wall tore diagonally as if slashed by a phantom knife. Bonnie choked back a scream and clutched tighter. Then, as quickly as if someone had flicked a power switch off, all the noise stopped. Vickie's room was still. The fringe on the bedside lamp swayed slightly. The poster had curled up in two irregular pieces, top and bottom. Slowly, Vickie lowered her hands from her ears. Matt and Meredith looked around rather shakily. Bonnie shut her eyes and murmured something like a prayer. It wasn't until she opened them again that she realized what she had been hanging on to. It was the supple coolness of a leather jacket. It was Damon's arm. He hadn't moved away from her, though. He didn't move now. He was leaning forward slightly, eyes narrowed, watching the room intently. â€Å"Look at the mirror,† he said. On the glass surface of the bamboo mirror two words were scrawled in Vickie's hot coral lipstick. Goodnight, Sweetheart. â€Å"Oh, God,† Bonnie whispered. Stefan turned from the mirror to Vickie. There was something different about him, Bonnie thought-he was holding himself relaxed but poised, like a soldier who's just gotten confirmation of a battle. It was as if he'd accepted a personal challenge of some kind. He took something out of his back pocket and unfolded it, revealing sprigs of a plant with long green leaves and tiny lilac flowers. â€Å"This is vervain, fresh vervain,† he said quietly, his voice even and intense. â€Å"I picked it outside Florence; it's blooming there now.† He took Vickie's hand and pressed the packet into it. â€Å"I want you to hold on to this and keep it. Put some in every room of the house, and hide pieces somewhere in your parents' clothes if you can, so they'll have it near them. As long as you have this with you, he can't take over your mind. He can scare you, Vickie, but he can't make you do anything, like open a window or door for him. And listen, Vickie, because this is important.† Vickie was shivering, her face crumpled. Stefan took both her hands and made her look at him, speaking slowly and distinctly. â€Å"If I'm right, Vickie, he can't get in unless you let him. So talk to your parents. Tell them it's important that they don't ask any stranger inside the house. In fact, I can have Damon put that suggestion in their mind right now.† He glanced at Damon, who shrugged slightly and nodded, looking as if his attention was somewhere else. Self-consciously, Bonnie removed her hand from his jacket. Vickie's head was bent over the vervain. â€Å"He'll get in somehow,† she said softly, with terrible certainty. â€Å"No. Vickie, listen to me. From now on, we're going to watch your house; we're going to be waiting for him.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† Vickie said. â€Å"You can't stop him.† She began to laugh and cry at the same time. â€Å"We're going to try,† Stefan said. He looked at Meredith and Matt, who nodded. â€Å"Right. From this moment on, you will never be alone. There will always be one or more of us outside watching you.† Vickie just shook her bent head. Meredith gave her arm a squeeze and stood as Stefan tilted his head toward the window. When she and Matt joined him there, Stefan spoke to all of them in a low voice. â€Å"I don't want to leave her unguarded, but I can't stay myself right now. There's something I have to do, and I need one of the girls with me. On the other hand, I don't want to leave either Bonnie or Meredith alone here.† He turned to Matt. â€Å"Matt, will you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Everyone looked at him, startled. â€Å"Well, it's the logical solution, isn't it?† Damon seemed amused. â€Å"After all, what do you expect one of them to do against him anyway?† â€Å"They can call for me. I can monitor their thoughts that far,† Stefan said, not giving one inch. â€Å"Well,† Damon said whimsically, â€Å"I can call for you too, little brother, if I get into trouble. I'm getting bored with this investigation of yours anyway. I might as well stay here as anywhere.† â€Å"Vickie needs to be protected, not abused,† Stefan said. Damon's smile was charming. â€Å"Her?† He nodded toward the girl who sat on the bed, rocking over the vervain. From disheveled hair to bare feet, Vickie was not a pretty picture. â€Å"Take my word for it, brother, I can do better than that.† For just an instant Bonnie thought those dark eyes flicked sideways toward her. â€Å"You're always saying how you'd like to trust me, anyway,† Damon added. â€Å"Here's your chance to prove it.† Stefan looked as if he wanted to trust, as if he were tempted. He also looked suspicious. Damon said nothing, merely smiled in that taunting, enigmatic way. Practically asking to be mistrusted, Bonnie thought. The two brothers stood looking at each other while the silence and the tension stretched out between them. Just then Bonnie could see the family resemblance in their faces, one serious and intense, the other bland and faintly mocking, but both inhumanly beautiful. Stefan let his breath out slowly. â€Å"All right,† he said quietly at last. Bonnie and Matt and Meredith were all staring at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He spoke to Damon as if they were the only two people there. â€Å"You stay here, outside the house where you won't be seen. I'll come back and take over when I'm finished with what I'm doing.† Meredith's eyebrows were in her hair, but she made no comment. Neither did Matt. Bonnie tried to quell her own feelings of unease. Stefan must know what he's doing, she told herself. Anyway, he'd better. â€Å"Don't take too long,† Damon said dismissively. And that was how they left it, with Damon blending in with the darkness in the shadow of the black walnut trees in Vickie's backyard and Vickie herself in her room, rocking endlessly. In the car, Meredith said, â€Å"Where next?† â€Å"I need to test a theory,† said Stefan briefly. â€Å"That the killer is a vampire?† Matt said from the back, where he sat with Bonnie. Stefan glanced at him sharply. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"That's why you told Vickie not to invite anyone in,† Meredith added, not to be outdone in the reasoning department. Vampires, Bonnie remembered, couldn't enter a place where humans lived and slept unless they were invited. â€Å"And that's why you asked if the man was wearing a blue stone.† â€Å"An amulet against daylight,† Stefan said, spreading his right hand. On the third finger there was a silver ring set with lapis lazuli. â€Å"Without one of these, direct exposure to the sun kills us. If the murderer is a vampire, he keeps a stone like this somewhere on him.† As if by instinct, Stefan reached up to briefly touch something under his T-shirt. After a moment Bonnie realized what it must be. Elena's ring. Stefan had given it to her in the first place, and after she died he'd taken it to wear on a chain around his neck. So that part of her would be with him always, he'd said. When Bonnie looked at Matt beside her, she saw his eyes were closed. â€Å"So how can we tell if he's a vampire?† Meredith asked. â€Å"There's only one way I can think of, and it isn't very pleasant. But it's got to be done.† Bonnie's heart sank. If Stefan thought it wasn't very pleasant, she was sure she was going to find it even less so. â€Å"What is it?† she said unenthusiastically. â€Å"I need to get a look at Sue's body.† There was dead silence. Even Meredith, normally so unflappable, looked appalled. Matt turned away, leaning his forehead against the window glass. â€Å"You've got to be kidding,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I wish I were.† â€Å"But-for God's sake, Stefan. We can't. They won't let us. I mean, what are we going to say? ‘Excuse me while I examine this corpse for holes'?† â€Å"Bonnie, stop it,† Meredith said. â€Å"I can't help it,† Bonnie snapped back shakily. â€Å"It's an awful idea. And besides, the police already checked her body. There wasn't a mark on it except the cuts she got in the fall.† â€Å"The police don't know what to look for,† Stefan said. His voice was steely. Hearing it brought something home to Bonnie, something she tended to forget. Stefan was one of them. One of the hunters. He'd seen dead people before. He might even have killed some. He drinks blood, she thought, and shuddered. â€Å"Well?† said Stefan. â€Å"Are you still with me?† Bonnie tried to make herself small in the backseat. Meredith's hands were tight on the steering wheel. It was Matt who spoke, turning back from the window. Bonnie tried to make herself small in the backseat. Meredith's hands were tight on the steering wheel. It was Matt who spoke, turning back from the window. â€Å"There's a viewing of the body from seven to ten at the funeral home,† Meredith added, her voice low. â€Å"We'll have to wait until after the viewing, then. After they close the funeral home, when we can be alone with her,† said Stefan. â€Å"This is the most gruesome thing I've ever had to do,† Bonnie whispered wretchedly. The funeral chapel was dark and cold. Stefan had sprung the locks on the outside door with a thin piece of flexible metal. The viewing room was thickly carpeted, its walls covered with somber oak panels. It would have been a depressing place even with the lights on. In the dark it seemed close and suffocating and crowded with grotesque shapes. It looked as if someone might be crouching behind each of the many standing flower arrangements. â€Å"I don't want to be here,† Bonnie moaned. â€Å"Let's just get it over with, okay?† Matt said through his teeth. When he snapped the flashlight on, Bonnie looked anywhere but where it was pointing. She didn't want to see the coffin, she didn't. She stared at the flowers, at a heart made of pink roses. Outside, thunder grumbled like a sleeping animal. â€Å"Let me get this open-here,† Stefan was saying. In spite of her resolve not to, Bonnie looked. The casket was white, lined with pale pink satin. Sue's blond hair shone against it like the hair of a sleeping princess in a fairy tale. But Sue didn't look as if she were sleeping. She was too pale, too still. Like a waxwork. Bonnie crept closer, her eyes fixed on Sue's face. That's why it's so cold in here, she told herself staunchly. To keep the wax from melting. It helped a little. Stefan reached down to touch Sue's high-necked pink blouse. He undid the top button. â€Å"For God's sake,† Bonnie whispered, outraged. â€Å"What do you think we're here for?† Stefan hissed back. But his fingers paused on the second button. Bonnie watched a minute and then made her decision. â€Å"Get out of the way,† she said, and when Stefan didn't move immediately, she gave him a shove. Meredith drew up close to her and they formed a phalanx between Sue and the boys. Their eyes met with understanding. If they had to actually remove the blouse, the guys were going out. Bonnie undid the small buttons while Meredith held the light. Sue's skin felt as waxy as it looked, cool against her fingertips. Awkwardly, she folded the blouse back to reveal a lacy white slip. Then she made herself push Sue's shining gold hair off the pale neck. The hair was stiff with spray. â€Å"No,† said Stefan oddly. â€Å"But there's something else. Look at this.† Gently, he reached around Bonnie to point out a cut, pale and bloodless as the skin around it, but visible as a faint line running from collarbone to breast. Over the heart. Stefan's long finger traced the air above it and Bonnie stiffened, ready to smack the hand away if he touched. â€Å"What is it?† asked Meredith, puzzled. â€Å"A mystery,† Stefan said. His voice was still odd. â€Å"If I saw a mark like that on a vampire, it would mean the vampire was giving blood to a human. That's how it's done. Human teeth can't pierce our skin, so we cut ourselves if we want to share blood. But Sue wasn't a vampire.† â€Å"She certainly wasn't!† said Bonnie. She tried to fight off the image her mind wanted to show her, of Elena bending to a cut like that on Stefan's chest and sucking, drinking†¦ She shuddered and realized her eyes were shut. â€Å"Is there anything else you need to see?† she said, opening them. â€Å"No. That's all.† Bonnie did up the buttons. She rearranged Sue's hair. Then, while Meredith and Stefan eased the lid of the casket back down, she walked quickly out of the viewing room and to the outside door. She stood there, arms wrapped around herself. A hand touched her elbow lightly. It was Matt. â€Å"You're tougher than you look,† he said. â€Å"Yes, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to shrug. And then suddenly she was crying, crying hard. Matt put his arms around her. â€Å"I know,† he said. Just that. Not â€Å"Don't cry† or â€Å"Take it easy† or â€Å"Everything's going to be all right.† Just â€Å"I know.† His voice was as desolate as she felt. â€Å"They've got hair spray in her hair,† she sobbed. â€Å"Sue never used hair spray. It's awful.† Somehow, just then, this seemed the worst thing of all. He simply held her. After a while Bonnie got her breath. She found she was holding on to Matt almost painfully tightly and loosened her arms. â€Å"I got your shirt all wet,† she said apologetically, sniffling. â€Å"It doesn't matter.† Something in his voice made her step back and look at him. He looked the way he had in the high school parking lot. So lost, so†¦ hopeless. â€Å"Matt, what is it?† she whispered. â€Å"Please.† â€Å"I'm not so sure.† Bonnie didn't even think she wanted to. It was too scary. But she was overwhelmed by an urge to comfort him, to wipe that lost look from his eyes. â€Å"Matt, I-â€Å" â€Å"We're finished,† Stefan said from behind them. As Matt looked toward the voice the lost look seemed to intensify. â€Å"Sometimes I think we're all finished,† Matt said, moving away from Bonnie, but he didn't explain what he meant by that. â€Å"Let's go.†

Young People Enjoy Life More Than Older People Do?

Some people may think that older people enjoy life more than young people do. However in opinion, young people enjoy life more than older people do. Young people' passion and energy are enough to enjoy life more than older people do. The reasons of it are that they do not have to be responsible for numerous tasks, that they are much more energetic than the elderly, and that they can get familiar with new technologies even faster than old people. First of all, young people do not have much responsibility compare to older people.For example, older people have responsibility to take care of their children, to earn money, to complete their work, etc. These responsibilities make them limited to enjoy their life. Moreover, whenever they try to do something to enjoy life they prefer their children's favor first, like to travel where, to choose which movie, to come together with my friends and their mother. These all make the life less enjoyable thing. On the other hand, young people do not have these responsibilities; they are free to choose from variety of options to do for enjoying their life.They can meet with their own friends, and they can go most recent and famous movie. These show us that young people enjoy their life more than older people do. Additionally, young people have more energy to do anything. In contrast, older people usually suffer from some disabilities by the time is passing. For example, my friend and I have lived in same apartment for about ten years and usually we tried to come together whenever we found some free time. And every time we went different places, and tried new things. Sometimes, our parents were the ones who planned and scheduled the vacation.Unfortunately, they were less powerful and active than we were, which forced our decision for changing according to our parents’ situation. We had great time, and enjoyed of course. However, our parents were sorry to not be able to do everything that they used to do it before. Hence, w e see that by the time our enjoying life terms will change up to our ages. And we think that we should go, try and see as much as we can do while we are still young, otherwise we will not be in proper health condition to do whatever we want.Lastly, young people enjoy life more than older people because of the reality that they can easily follow the technology compare to the older people. And technology is one of the most enjoyable things in our life. For example, we are using social media, kinds of application to be more connected to our friends. The more connection creates more friendship. And the more friendship means more enjoyable life. However, older people can only connect with their friends with traditional method which is only couple friends.As a result of this, young people can more enjoy life than older people. To sum up, there is a huge difference between young and older people to enjoy their life. Of course, the older people can also enjoy their life according to their n ew age. However in some point, they feel that they are not able to do everything they want, and in this manner they feel little boundary surrounding them. They might not feel fully enjoyed life like in their young age. On the other hand, young people can able to enjoy life by being less responsible, more energetic and more following up new things.

Tarzan of the Apes, Summary, Characters, Analysis

Tarzan of the Apes was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs,  an American author best known for his science fiction, fantasy and adventure stories. In 1912, the story was serialized in a pulp fiction magazine. It was published in novel form in 1914.  Tarzan of the Apes was so popular among readers that Burroughs wrote more than two dozen sequels featuring the adventures of Tarzan. The story remains a classic adventure novel, but the undercurrent of racism running through  the text has led to a more complicated legacy. Fast Facts: Tarzan of the Apes Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs  Publisher:  A.C. McClurgYear Published: 1914Genre: AdventureType of Work: NovelOriginal language: EnglishThemes: Escapism, adventure, ColonialismCharacters: Tarzan, Jane Porter, Alice Rutherford Clayton, John Clayton, William Cecil Clayton, Paul DArnot, Kala, KerchakNotable Film Adaptations: Tarzan of the Apes  (1918), The Romance of Tarzan  (1918), Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes  (1984), Tarzan (1999) and The Legend of Tarzan (2016). Summary of Plot In the late 1800s, John and Alice Clayton, the Earl and Count  find themselves marooned on the western coast of Africa. They build a shelter in the jungle and  Alice  gives birth to a son. The child is named John, after his father.  When the young John Clayton is just a year old, his mother dies. Shortly afterward, his father is killed by an ape named Kerchak. Young John Clayton is adopted by a female ape named Kala, who names him Tarzan. Tarzan grows up with the apes, fully aware that he is different from his ape family but unaware of his human heritage. He eventually discovers the shelter that his biological parents built, as well as a few of their possessions. He uses their books to teach himself how to read and write English. However, he has never had another human to talk to, so he is unable to speak the â€Å"language of men.† Growing up in the jungle helps Tarzan become a fierce hunter and warrior. When the savage ape Kerchak attacks and tries to kill him, Tarzan wins the fight and takes Kerchaks place as the king of the apes. When Tarzan is just over 20 years old, he discovers a party of treasure hunters  marooned on the coast. Tarzan protects them and saves a young American woman named Jane. Jane and Tarzan fall in love, and when Jane leaves Africa, Tarzan  eventually decides to track her down by traveling to the U.S. During the journey, Tarzan  learns how to speak French and English, and tries to develop civilized manners. He also meets  Paul DArnot, a French naval officer who discovers that Tarzan is the rightful heir to an esteemed English estate. When Tarzan arrives in the U.S., he saves Jane from danger once again, but soon  discovers she is engaged to man named William Clayton. Ironically, William Clayton is Tarzans cousin, and is set to inherit the estate and title that rightfully belong to Tarzan. Tarzan  knows that if he takes the inheritance from his cousin, he will also be taking away Janes security. Thus, for the sake of Janes well-being, he decides not to reveal his true identity as the Earl of Greystoke. Major Characters Tarzan: The protagonist of the novel. Although he is the son of a British lord and lady, Tarzan was raised by apes in the African jungle after the death of his parents. Tarzan is somewhat contemptuous of civilized society, but falls in love with a young American woman named Jane.John Clayton: Also known as the Earl of Greystoke, John Clayton is Alice Claytons husband and Tarzans biological father.Alice Rutherford Clayton: Also known as the Countess of Greystoke, Alice Rutherford Clayton is John Claytons wife and Tarzans biological mother.Kerchak: The ape that killed Tarzans biological father. Tarzan eventually kills Kerchak and takes his place as the king of the apes.Kala: Kala is a female ape who adopts and raises Tarzan after his biological parents die.Professor Archimedes Q. Porter: An anthropology scholar who brings a party of people, including his daughter Jane, to the jungles of Africa under the guise of studying human society. His real goal is to hunt for a long-lost treasure. Jane Porter: The 19-year-old daughter of Professor Porter. Tarzan saves Janes life, and she falls in love with him.Paul DArnot: A French naval officer who finds proof that Tarzan is really John Clayton II and heir to an ancestral English title and estate. Major Themes Escapism: When asked by an editor to write an article about the theme of the Tarzan books, Edgar Rice Burroughs  said that the theme consists of just one word: Tarzan. Burroughs claimed that the Tarzan books did not have a particular message or moral agenda; rather, he said, Tarzan of the Apes  was intended to serve as an escape from thought, discussion and argument.  Ã‚   Civilization: The novel raises questions about the true meaning of civilization.  Tarzan exhibits behaviors that outsiders consider uncivilized, such as eating raw meat and wiping his hands on his clothing after a meal. In contrast, members of civilized society exhibit behaviors that appear unseemly to Tarzan. For example, the supposedly civilized men gang up on animals and use weapons that give them an unfair advantage during a hunt. Tarzan eventually conforms to many of these civilized norms, but he concludes  that he is still wild at heart. Racism: Racism is an ever-present  theme in  Tarzan of the Apes. White characters, including Tarzan, are written as superior beings. Tarzans father is referred to as a member of the â€Å"higher white races.† Tarzan is also depicted as physically and genetically superior to the native tribes who live nearby. These black African characters are referred to as â€Å"poor savage negroes† with â€Å"bestial faces.†Ã‚  Tarzan does not try to befriend them, communicate with them or protect them in any way, but he makes great efforts to help and support  the white men that he meets in the jungle. The novel also  implies that Tarzan is able to teach himself how to read and write because of his white heritage.  Ã‚   Literary Style Tarzan of the Apes is classified as an adventure novel. The perils of the jungle and the life and death struggles that ensue between characters are meant to give readers a sense of excitement. Burroughs stated several times that the story was influenced by the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus. Tarzan of the Apes has influenced other works as well. It has been adapted into films, comics and radio adventure programs.   Key Quotes The following quotes are spoken by Tarzan, after learning to speak the language of men.   â€Å"Only a fool performs any act without reason.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You have admitted that you love me. You know that I love you; but I do not know the ethics of society by which you are governed. I shall leave the decision to you, for you know best what will be for your eventual welfare.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"For myself, I always assume that a lion is ferocious, and so I am never caught off my guard.†

The Chapel of Vence Art and Enlightenment - 1008 Words

The Chapel of Vence: Art and Enlightenment Best known for his use of color, Henri Matisse cleverly cultivated his status as a modern artist using many different styles of painting from Impressionism to Fauvism. The artwork of Matisse has been a milestone in the history of painting. Henri Matisse’s self-proclaimed masterpiece, however, a chapel in Vence, France, is a small, minimalist building. The amalgamation of modern art and the sacred creates a unique spiritual experience in that it welcomes Christians and non-Christians alike to appreciate the artist’s religious symbolism. The elegantly simple architecture of the chapel, the use of light in the space, and the binary of colors on opposite walls have a calming, cleansing, and†¦show more content†¦This binary of color palettes represents a juxtaposition between doctrine and spirituality: the black and white embody the Christian tradition while the harmonizing colors of the windows symbolize the trinity of sun , nature, sea and sky. Looking through the windows one sees the individual, vivid colors that are characteristic of Matisse’s art. As one steps back, however, the colors become identifiable figures and coalesce to become real, tangible images. The yellow and blue accentuate each other as our sensation is the most intense when two extremes are juxtaposed. Matisse uses color brightness, balance and contrast between colors to improve visual aesthetics. This combination of the dynamic and the static really makes the space come alive. Matisse’s Chapel of the Rosary in Saint-Paul de Vence epitomizes his modern style with its simple architecture, transcendental lighting, and color contrast. No less is this a religious experience than the visits to classic cathedrals that dominate the French landscape from the shores of Mont St. Michel, to the Ile de la Cite’s Notre Dame, to the countless other examples of the French expression of faith through architecture. I must admi t to surprise at this overwhelming reaction on my part to Matisse’s talent as an architect and designer. Winding up the mountains to this remote convent, my mind questioned the