The Lost Symbol Chapter 1-3

CHAPTER 1 The Otis elevator climbing the south pillar of the Eiffel Tower was overflowing with tourists. Inside the cramped lift, an austere businessman in a pressed suit gazed down at the boy beside him. â€Å"You look pale, son. You should have stayed on the ground.† â€Å"I'm okay . . .† the boy answered, struggling to control his anxiety. â€Å"I'll get out on the next level.† I can't breathe. The man leaned closer. â€Å"I thought by now you would have gotten over this.† He brushed the child's cheek affectionately. The boy felt ashamed to disappoint his father, but he could barely hear through the ringing in his ears. I can't breathe. I've got to get out of this box! The elevator operator was saying something reassuring about the lift's articulated pistons and puddled-iron construction. Far beneath them, the streets of Paris stretched out in all directions. Almost there, the boy told himself, craning his neck and looking up at the unloading platform. Just hold on. As the lift angled steeply toward the upper viewing deck, the shaft began to narrow, its massive struts contracting into a tight, vertical tunnel. â€Å"Dad, I don't think–â€Å" Suddenly a staccato crack echoed overhead. The carriage jerked, swaying awkwardly to one side. Frayed cables began whipping around the carriage, thrashing like snakes. The boy reached out for his father. â€Å"Dad!† Their eyes locked for one terrifying second. Then the bottom dropped out. Robert Langdon jolted upright in his soft leather seat, startling out of the semiconscious daydream. He was sitting all alone in the enormous cabin of a Falcon 2000EX corporate jet as it bounced its way through turbulence. In the background, the dual Pratt & Whitney engines hummed evenly. â€Å"Mr. Langdon?† The intercom crackled overhead. â€Å"We're on final approach.† Langdon sat up straight and slid his lecture notes back into his leather daybag. He'd been halfway through reviewing Masonic symbology when his mind had drifted. The daydream about his late father, Langdon suspected, had been stirred by this morning's unexpected invitation from Langdon's longtime mentor, Peter Solomon. The other man I never want to disappoint. The fifty-eight-year-old philanthropist, historian, and scientist had taken Langdon under his wing nearly thirty years ago, in many ways filling the void left by Langdon's father's death. Despite the man's influential family dynasty and massive wealth, Langdon had found humility and warmth in Solomon's soft gray eyes. Outside the window the sun had set, but Langdon could still make out the slender silhouette of the world's largest obelisk, rising on the horizon like the spire of an ancient gnomon. The 555- foot marble-faced obelisk marked this nation's heart. All around the spire, the meticulous geometry of streets and monuments radiated outward. Even from the air, Washington, D.C., exuded an almost mystical power. Langdon loved this city, and as the jet touched down, he felt a rising excitement about what lay ahead. The jet taxied to a private terminal somewhere in the vast expanse of Dulles International Airport and came to a stop. Langdon gathered his things, thanked the pilots, and stepped out of the jet's luxurious interior onto the foldout staircase. The cold January air felt liberating. Breathe, Robert, he thought, appreciating the wide-open spaces. A blanket of white fog crept across the runway, and Langdon had the sensation he was stepping into a marsh as he descended onto the misty tarmac. â€Å"Hello! Hello!† a singsong British voice shouted from across the tarmac. â€Å"Professor Langdon?† Langdon looked up to see a middle-aged woman with a badge and clipboard hurrying toward him, waving happily as he approached. Curly blond hair protruded from under a stylish knit wool hat. â€Å"Welcome to Washington, sir!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"My name is Pam, from passenger services.† The woman spoke with an exuberance that was almost unsettling. â€Å"If you'll come with me, sir, your car is waiting.† Langdon followed her across the runway toward the Signature terminal, which was surrounded by glistening private jets. A taxi stand for the rich and famous. â€Å"I hate to embarrass you, Professor,† the woman said, sounding sheepish, â€Å"but you are the Robert Langdon who writes books about symbols and religion, aren't you?† Langdon hesitated and then nodded. â€Å"I thought so!† she said, beaming. â€Å"My book group read your book about the sacred feminine and the church! What a delicious scandal that one caused! You do enjoy putting the fox in the henhouse!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Scandal wasn't really my intention.† The woman seemed to sense Langdon was not in the mood to discuss his work. â€Å"I'm sorry. Listen to me rattling on. I know you probably get tired of being recognized . . . but it's your own fault.† She playfully motioned to his clothing. â€Å"Your uniform gave you away.† My uniform? Langdon glanced down at his attire. He was wearing his usual charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis, and collegiate cordovan loafers . . . his standard attire for the classroom, lecture circuit, author photos, and social events. The woman laughed. â€Å"Those turtlenecks you wear are so dated. You'd look much sharper in a tie!† No chance, Langdon thought. Little nooses. Neckties had been required six days a week when Langdon attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and despite the headmaster's romantic claims that the origin of the cravat went back to the silk fascalia worn by Roman orators to warm their vocal cords, Langdon knew that, etymologically, cravat actually derived from a ruthless band of â€Å"Croat† mercenaries who donned knotted neckerchiefs before they stormed into battle. To this day, this ancient battle garb was donned by modern office warriors hoping to intimidate their enemies in daily boardroom battles. â€Å"Thanks for the advice,† Langdon said with a chuckle. â€Å"I'll consider a tie in the future.† Mercifully, a professional-looking man in a dark suit got out of a sleek Lincoln Town Car parked near the terminal and held up his finger. â€Å"Mr. Langdon? I'm Charles with Beltway Limousine.† He opened the passenger door. â€Å"Good evening, sir. Welcome to Washington.† Langdon tipped Pam for her hospitality and then climbed into the plush interior of the Town Car. The driver showed him the temperature controls, the bottled water, and the basket of hot muffins. Seconds later, Langdon was speeding away on a private access road. So this is how the other half lives. As the driver gunned the car up Windsock Drive, he consulted his passenger manifest and placed a quick call. â€Å"This is Beltway Limousine,† the driver said with professional efficiency. â€Å"I was asked to confirm once my passenger had landed.† He paused. â€Å"Yes, sir. Your guest, Mr. Langdon, has arrived, and I will deliver him to the Capitol Building by seven P.M. You're welcome, sir.† He hung up. Langdon had to smile. No stone left unturned. Peter Solomon's attention to detail was one of his most potent assets, allowing him to manage his substantial power with apparent ease. A few billion dollars in the bank doesn't hurt either. Langdon settled into the plush leather seat and closed his eyes as the noise of the airport faded behind him. The U.S. Capitol was a half hour away, and he appreciated the time alone to gather his thoughts. Everything had happened so quickly today that Langdon only now had begun to think in earnest about the incredible evening that lay ahead. Arriving under a veil of secrecy, Langdon thought, amused by the prospect. Ten miles from the Capitol Building, a lone figure was eagerly preparing for Robert Langdon's arrival. CHAPTER 2 The one who called himself Mal'akh pressed the tip of the needle against his shaved head, sighing with pleasure as the sharp tool plunged in and out of his flesh. The soft hum of the electric device was addictive . . . as was the bite of the needle sliding deep into his dermis and depositing its dye. I am a masterpiece. The goal of tattooing was never beauty. The goal was change. From the scarified Nubian priests of 2000 B.C., to the tattooed acolytes of the Cybele cult of ancient Rome, to the moko scars of the modern Maori, humans have tattooed themselves as a way of offering up their bodies in partial sacrifice, enduring the physical pain of embellishment and emerging changed beings. Despite the ominous admonitions of Leviticus 19:28, which forbade the marking of one's flesh, tattoos had become a rite of passage shared by millions of people in the modern age–everyone from clean-cut teenagers to hard-core drug users to suburban housewives. The act of tattooing one's skin was a transformative declaration of power, an announcement to the world: I am in control of my own flesh. The intoxicating feeling of control derived from physical transformation had addicted millions to flesh-altering practices . . . cosmetic surgery, body piercing, bodybuilding, and steroids . . . even bulimia and transgendering. The human spirit craves mastery over its carnal shell. A single bell chimed on Mal'akh's grandfather clock, and he looked up. Six thirty P.M. Leaving his tools, he wrapped the Kiryu silk robe around his naked, six-foot-three body and strode down the hall. The air inside this sprawling mansion was heavy with the pungent fragrance of his skin dyes and smoke from the beeswax candles he used to sterilize his needles. The towering young man moved down the corridor past priceless Italian antiques–a Piranesi etching, a Savonarola chair, a silver Bugarini oil lamp. He glanced through a floor-to-ceiling window as he passed, admiring the classical skyline in the distance. The luminous dome of the U.S. Capitol glowed with solemn power against the dark winter sky. This is where it is hidden, he thought. It is buried out there somewhere. Few men knew it existed . . . and even fewer knew its awesome power or the ingenious way in which it had been hidden. To this day, it remained this country's greatest untold secret. Those few who did know the truth kept it hidden behind a veil of symbols, legends, and allegory. Now they have opened their doors to me, Mal'akh thought. Three weeks ago, in a dark ritual witnessed by America's most influential men, Mal'akh had ascended to the thirty-third degree, the highest echelon of the world's oldest surviving brotherhood. Despite Mal'akh's new rank, the brethren had told him nothing. Nor will they, he knew. That was not how it worked. There were circles within circles . . . brotherhoods within brotherhoods. Even if Mal'akh waited years, he might never earn their ultimate trust. Fortunately, he did not need their trust to obtain their deepest secret. My initiation served its purpose. Now, energized by what lay ahead, he strode toward his bedroom. Throughout his entire home, audio speakers broadcast the eerie strains of a rare recording of a castrato singing the â€Å"Lux Aeterna† from the Verdi Requiem–a reminder of a previous life. Mal'akh touched a remote control to bring on the thundering â€Å"Dies Irae.† Then, against a backdrop of crashing timpani and parallel fifths, he bounded up the marble staircase, his robe billowing as he ascended on sinewy legs. As he ran, his empty stomach growled in protest. For two days now, Mal'akh had fasted, consuming only water, preparing his body in accordance with the ancient ways. Your hunger will be satisfied by dawn, he reminded himself. Along with your pain. Mal'akh entered his bedroom sanctuary with reverence, locking the door behind him. As he moved toward his dressing area, he paused, feeling himself drawn to the enormous gilded mirror. Unable to resist, he turned and faced his own reflection. Slowly, as if unwrapping a priceless gift, Mal'akh opened his robe to unveil his naked form. The vision awed him. I am a masterpiece. His massive body was shaved and smooth. He lowered his gaze first to his feet, which were tattooed with the scales and talons of a hawk. Above that, his muscular legs were tattooed as carved pillars–his left leg spiraled and his right vertically striated. Boaz and Jachin. His groin and abdomen formed a decorated archway, above which his powerful chest was emblazoned with the double-headed phoenix . . . each head in profile with its visible eye formed by one of Mal'akh's nipples. His shoulders, neck, face, and shaved head were completely covered with an intricate tapestry of ancient symbols and sigils. I am an artifact . . . an evolving icon. One mortal man had seen Mal'akh naked, eighteen hours earlier. The man had shouted in fear. â€Å"Good God, you're a demon!† â€Å"If you perceive me as such,† Mal'akh had replied, understanding as had the ancients that angels and demons were identical–interchangeable archetypes–all a matter of polarity: the guardian angel who conquered your enemy in battle was perceived by your enemy as a demon destroyer. Mal'akh tipped his face down now and got an oblique view of the top of his head. There, within the crownlike halo, shone a small circle of pale, untattooed flesh. This carefully guarded canvas was Mal'akh's only remaining piece of virgin skin. The sacred space had waited patiently . . . and tonight, it would be filled. Although Mal'akh did not yet possess what he required to complete his masterpiece, he knew the moment was fast approaching. Exhilarated by his reflection, he could already feel his power growing. He closed his robe and walked to the window, again gazing out at the mystical city before him. It is buried out there somewhere. Refocusing on the task at hand, Mal'akh went to his dressing table and carefully applied a base of concealer makeup to his face, scalp, and neck until his tattoos had disappeared. Then he donned the special set of clothing and other items he had meticulously prepared for this evening. When he finished, he checked himself in the mirror. Satisfied, he ran a soft palm across his smooth scalp and smiled. It is out there, he thought. And tonight, one man will help me find it. As Mal'akh exited his home, he prepared himself for the event that would soon shake the U.S. Capitol Building. He had gone to enormous lengths to arrange all the pieces for tonight. And now, at last, his final pawn had entered the game. CHAPTER 3 Robert Langdon was busy reviewing his note cards when the hum of the Town Car's tires changed pitch on the road beneath him. Langdon glanced up, surprised to see where they were. Memorial Bridge already? He put down his notes and gazed out at the calm waters of the Potomac passing beneath him. A heavy mist hovered on the surface. Aptly named, Foggy Bottom had always seemed a peculiar site on which to build the nation's capital. Of all the places in the New World, the forefathers had chosen a soggy riverside marsh on which to lay the cornerstone of their utopian society. Langdon gazed left, across the Tidal Basin, toward the gracefully rounded silhouette of the Jefferson Memorial–America's Pantheon, as many called it. Directly in front of the car, the Lincoln Memorial rose with rigid austerity, its orthogonal lines reminiscent of Athens's ancient Parthenon. But it was farther away that Langdon saw the city's centerpiece–the same spire he had seen from the air. Its architectural inspiration was far, far older than the Romans or the Greeks. America's Egyptian obelisk. The monolithic spire of the Washington Monument loomed dead ahead, illuminated against the sky like the majestic mast of a ship. From Langdon's oblique angle, the obelisk appeared ungrounded tonight . . . swaying against the dreary sky as if on an unsteady sea. Langdon felt similarly ungrounded. His visit to Washington had been utterly unexpected. I woke up this morning anticipating a quiet Sunday at home . . . and now I'm a few minutes away from the U.S. Capitol. This morning at four forty-five, Langdon had plunged into dead-calm water, beginning his day as he always did, swimming fifty laps in the deserted Harvard Pool. His physique was not quite what it had been in his college days as a water-polo all-American, but he was still lean and toned, respectable for a man in his forties. The only difference now was the amount of effort it took Langdon to keep it that way. When Langdon arrived home around six, he began his morning ritual of hand-grinding Sumatra coffee beans and savoring the exotic scent that filled his kitchen. This morning, however, he was surprised to see the blinking red light on his voice-mail display. Who calls at six A.M. on a Sunday? He pressed the button and listened to the message. â€Å"Good morning, Professor Langdon, I'm terribly sorry for this early-morning call.† The polite voice was noticeably hesitant, with a hint of a southern accent. â€Å"My name is Anthony Jelbart, and I'm Peter Solomon's executive assistant. Mr. Solomon told me you're an early riser . . . he has been trying to reach you this morning on short notice. As soon as you receive this message, would you be so kind as to call Peter directly? You probably have his new private line, but if not, it's 202-329-5746.† Langdon felt a sudden concern for his old friend. Peter Solomon was impeccably well-bred and courteous, and certainly not the kind of man to call at daybreak on a Sunday unless something was very wrong. Langdon left his coffee half made and hurried toward his study to return the call. I hope he's okay. Peter Solomon had been a friend, mentor, and, although only twelve years Langdon's senior, a father figure to him ever since their first meeting at Princeton University. As a sophomore, Langdon had been required to attend an evening guest lecture by the well-known young historian and philanthropist. Solomon had spoken with a contagious passion, presenting a dazzling vision of semiotics and archetypal history that had sparked in Langdon what would later become his lifelong passion for symbols. It was not Peter Solomon's brilliance, however, but the humility in his gentle gray eyes that had given Langdon the courage to write him a thank-you letter. The young sophomore had never dreamed that Peter Solomon, one of America's wealthiest and most intriguing young intellectuals, would ever write back. But Solomon did. And it had been the beginning of a truly gratifying friendship. A prominent academic whose quiet manner belied his powerful heritage, Peter Solomon came from the ultrawealthy Solomon family, whose names appeared on buildings and universities all over the nation. Like the Rothschilds in Europe, the surname Solomon had always carried the mystique of American royalty and success. Peter had inherited the mantle at a young age after the death of his father, and now, at fifty-eight, he had held numerous positions of power in his life. He currently served as the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Langdon occasionally ribbed Peter that the lone tarnish on his sterling pedigree was his diploma from a second-rate university–Yale. Now, as Langdon entered his study, he was surprised to see that he had received a fax from Peter as well. Peter Solomon OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Good morning, Robert, I need to speak with you at once. Please call me this morning as soon as you can at 202-329- 5746. Peter Langdon immediately dialed the number, sitting down at his hand-carved oak desk to wait as the call went through. â€Å"Office of Peter Solomon,† the familiar voice of the assistant answered. â€Å"This is Anthony. May I help you?† â€Å"Hello, this is Robert Langdon. You left me a message earlier–â€Å" â€Å"Yes, Professor Langdon!† The young man sounded relieved. â€Å"Thank you for calling back so quickly. Mr. Solomon is eager to speak to you. Let me tell him you're on the line. May I put you on hold?† â€Å"Of course.† As Langdon waited for Solomon to get on the line, he gazed down at Peter's name atop the Smithsonian letterhead and had to smile. Not many slackers in the Solomon clan. Peter's ancestral tree burgeoned with the names of wealthy business magnates, influential politicians, and a number of distinguished scientists, some even fellows of London's Royal Society. Solomon's only living family member, his younger sister, Katherine, had apparently inherited the science gene, because she was now a leading figure in a new cutting-edge discipline called Noetic Science. All Greek to me, Langdon thought, amused to recall Katherine's unsuccessful attempt to explain Noetic Science to him at a party at her brother's home last year. Langdon had listened carefully and then replied, â€Å"Sounds more like magic than science.† Katherine winked playfully. â€Å"They're closer than you think, Robert.† Now Solomon's assistant returned to the phone. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Solomon is trying to get off a conference call. Things are a little chaotic here this morning.† â€Å"That's not a problem. I can easily call back.† â€Å"Actually, he asked me to fill you in on his reason for contacting you, if you don't mind?† â€Å"Of course not.† The assistant inhaled deeply. â€Å"As you probably know, Professor, every year here in Washington, the board of the Smithsonian hosts a private gala to thank our most generous supporters. Many of the country's cultural elite attend.† Langdon knew his own bank account had too few zeros to qualify him as culturally elite, but he wondered if maybe Solomon was going to invite him to attend nonetheless. â€Å"This year, as is customary,† the assistant continued, â€Å"the dinner will be preceded by a keynote address. We've been lucky enough to secure the National Statuary Hall for that speech.† The best room in all of D.C., Langdon thought, recalling a political lecture he had once attended in the dramatic semicircular hall. It was hard to forget five hundred folding chairs splayed in a perfect arc, surrounded by thirty-eight life-size statues, in a room that had once served as the nation's original House of Representatives chamber. â€Å"The problem is this,† the man said. â€Å"Our speaker has fallen ill and has just informed us she will be unable to give the address.† He paused awkwardly. â€Å"This means we are desperate for a replacement speaker. And Mr. Solomon is hoping you would consider filling in.† Langdon did a double take. â€Å"Me?† This was not at all what he had expected. â€Å"I'm sure Peter could find a far better substitute.† â€Å"You're Mr. Solomon's first choice, Professor, and you're being much too modest. The institution's guests would be thrilled to hear from you, and Mr. Solomon thought you could give the same lecture you gave on Bookspan TV a few years back? That way, you wouldn't have to prepare a thing. He said your talk involved symbolism in the architecture of our nation's capital–it sounds absolutely perfect for the venue.† Langdon was not so sure. â€Å"If I recall, that lecture had more to do with the Masonic history of the building than–â€Å" â€Å"Exactly! As you know, Mr. Solomon is a Mason, as are many of his professional friends who will be in attendance. I'm sure they would love to hear you speak on the topic.† I admit it would be easy. Langdon had kept the lecture notes from every talk he'd ever given. â€Å"I suppose I could consider it. What date is the event?† The assistant cleared his throat, sounding suddenly uncomfortable. â€Å"Well, actually, sir, it's tonight.† Langdon laughed out loud. â€Å"Tonight?!† â€Å"That's why it's so hectic here this morning. The Smithsonian is in a deeply embarrassing predicament . . .† The assistant spoke more hurriedly now. â€Å"Mr. Solomon is ready to send a private jet to Boston for you. The flight is only an hour, and you would be back home before midnight. You're familiar with the private air terminal at Boston's Logan Airport?† â€Å"I am,† Langdon admitted reluctantly. No wonder Peter always gets his way. â€Å"Wonderful! Would you be willing to meet the jet there at say . . . five o'clock?† â€Å"You haven't left me much choice, have you?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"I just want to make Mr. Solomon happy, sir.† Peter has that effect on people. Langdon considered it a long moment, seeing no way out. â€Å"All right. Tell him I can do it.† â€Å"Outstanding!† the assistant exclaimed, sounding deeply relieved. He gave Langdon the jet's tail number and various other information. When Langdon finally hung up, he wondered if Peter Solomon had ever been told no. Returning to his coffee preparation, Langdon scooped some additional beans into the grinder. A little extra caffeine this morning, he thought. It's going to be a long day.

Dreams of “How I Met My Husband” Essay

Dreams seem to be a part of everyday life. People wish to be someone better than themselves or wish for something that is out of their reach or beyond their control. A hired girl dreaming of the life of her employer is a perfectly normal thing. And that same girl dreaming of a love is just as normal. However, in reality of the situation, these things are not true. Whether it is a dream of love or a dream of life, it is still a dream. Working for the Peebles’ was almost like living in a dream, a new life. Edie could bathe more often once she moved in with the Peebles’. â€Å"I had a bath in there once a week. They wouldn’t have minded if I took one oftener†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (para 27). The Peebles’ also owned a washing machine. This was something new to Edie. â€Å"Mrs. Peebles had an automatic washer and dryer, the first I ever saw† (para 24). She was used to having to wring out her clothes and hang them up. These are two things that she could have dreamed about and now has the opportunity to experience them in real life. Living in a place where new technology is available is like a dream come true for Edie. One job Edie has is to clean the Peebles’ house. She goes through Mrs. Peebles’ closet, looking at all the clothes hanging there. One of Edie’s fantasies occurs while doing this. Edie was going through Mrs. Peebles’ clothes and noticed a dress hanging near the back of the closet that she had never seen Mrs. Peebles wear. Now I took note of where it hung and lifted it out. It was satin, a lovely weight on my arm, light bluish-green in color, almost silvery. It had a fitted, pointed waist and a full skirt and an off-the-shoulder fold hiding the little sleeves (para 29). Edie does not stop with trying on the dress. She continues to beautify herself. She pinned up her hair and applied some make-up. She was dressing as if she was of a wealthy family, something that was not true at all. She was trying to imagine what it would be like. While she is dressed up in Mrs. Peebles’ clothes, she is confronted by a man named Chris Watters. Chris is unaware that Edie is pretending to be someone she is not. After they begin to converse, Chris finds out that Edie is really just the hired girl. He proceeds to call her beautiful though, even after he has found out the truth. Her infatuation for Chris begins to grow during this time and the dream of an unattainable love begins to develop. When Edie is around Chris, she shows classic signs of â€Å"being in love.† â€Å"My heart was knocking away, my tongue was dried up. I had to sway something. But I couldn’t. My throat closed and I was like a deaf-and-dumb† (para 54). This quote shows that being around Chris made Edie very nervous. She could not act like her self. Chris proceeds to ask Edie a series of questions, but Edie is unable to respond. Later in the story, Edie goes to visit Chris while the Peebles’ are gone. Between this visit and their first encounter, Edie discovers that Chris has a fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e. When she asks Chris if he is going to get married, he almost avoids the question. â€Å"‘Ha ha. What time did you say they would be back?† â€Å"Five o’clock.† â€Å"Well, by that time, this place will have seen the last of me. A plane can get further than a car'† (para 136 – 138). He is refusing to acknowledge the reality of the situation about the fact that he is to be married. He instead wishes to continue to live in a dream world with no worries. He then proceeds to tell Edie that he needs a long time to say good bye to her, not thinking of his fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e at all. Chris’s fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e wants to get married and does not know how Chris feels. She chases him around as he goes from town to town giving rides in his plane. His comment to Alice, his fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e, when he sees her at the Peebles’ home is â€Å"You’re going to spend a lot on gas that way (para 114.)† Never once does the text suggest that Chris has missed her, yet Alice must miss him if she will chase after him. Despite the fact that Alice is living in a dream world in which she believes Chris wants to be with her, he leaves, running away from his reality and her dream. The scene in the text where Chris says good bye to Edie suggests that he ahs some feelings for her, but it never actually says this. He put the cake away carefully and sat beside me and started those little kisses, so soft, I can’t ever let myself think about them, such kind little kisses, all over m eyelids and neck and ears, all over, then me kissing back as well as I could†¦ and we lay on the cot pressed together, just gently, and he did some other things, not bad things or not in a bad way (para 143). Usually, one does not do these things unless they have feelings for the other person. But since we only know what Edie is thinking, we do not know whether or not Chris has any kind of feelings for her. They are both acting as if they were adults in an actual relationship, when in fact, they are not. Edie is a young teenager, while Chris is a war veteran. With the previous scene described by Edie she suggests that she has true feelings for Chris. She thinks it is real. Before Chris left on his plane, he told Edie that he was going to write to her, letting her know where he was. Edie, because she wanted it to be true, believed him. She really thought that he would be in contact with her again. It’s while she waits for Chris’s letters that Edie meets the man she marries. She always greeted the mailman with a smile, hoping that that day would be the day her letter arrives. â€Å"‘You’ve got the smile I’ve been waiting for all day!’ he used to holler out the car window† (para 196). Edie would wait by the mailbox every day for the letter that she finally realized would never come. It is at this point in the story that Edie â€Å"wakes up† and sees reality as it is. Eventually, the mailman and Edie get married. He always thought that she was waiting for him by the mailbox, not a letter, and that the smile was for him. In reality, the mailman is someone that a girl of Edie’s status is more likely to be with. Her infatuation of Chris was like a dream. Though the text never says that Edie loves the mailman, I think she does. She lets him believe that her smile was for him; she lets him believe in his dream. If she didn’t care for him, I think she would have told him the truth. This story revolves around dreams. Edie has many dreams throughout the text before she realizes the reality of life. The dreams are important to her because they help her get through life. Dreams are important in everyone’s lives because they help people realize what they want out of life. Edie dreams of love because it is something she wants. Without that dream, she would not have met her husband. Without her dreams, she would not have seen life for what it is.

Macbeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macbeth - Essay Example When considering all of this, Hamlet’s contemplation and indecisiveness certainly seem justified. We are forced to think about death and the afterlife by the play. The actions of the play are forced by the death of Hamlet’s father and the ghost’s appearance, and Hamlet contemplates death and suicide throughout the play. Death plays a large part in the theme of uncertainty throughout the play. We have no idea what happens after we die, and so we can no idea as to what happens afterwards. Because we do not know what will happen, we do can not know if we are making the correct decision in regards to questions of suicide. Hamlet ponders this very question in his most famous soliloquy, â€Å"To be or not to be† (III.i.56-86). He comes to the conclusion that people would only deal with the pain and suffering of life precisely because the there is so much uncertainty in everything dealing with the afterlife. The ghost’s existence is another factor to consider when thinking about the afterlife. The ghost’s existence seems to confirm the existence of an afterlife in the world of the play, but it does not state what kid of afterlife actually exists. The ghost has apparently come to seek out vengeance for wrong doings from his life, but we have to consider that it might merely be an evil spirit that is just trying to create trouble. There are many cues throughout the play to suggest as much. Because we cannot know the nature of the afterlife until we are actually dead, we cannot know for certain what the intentions and goals of the ghost really were. The ghost simply adds to he uncertainties. Hamlet is certainly left with more of his fair share of questions to ask himself: â€Å"Was I deceived by the ghost? How am I to do the deed? When? Where? What will be the consequences of attempting it—success, my death, utter misunderstanding, mere mischief

Managing Financial Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Financial Resources - Essay Example Proper accounting supports company officials while they make these decisions, showing them whether or not an investment will be practical, and if the company can afford it. Ethical and professional accounting forms a clear financial image of a business, and allows managers to make informed decisions, keeps investors abreast of developments in the business, and keeps the business profitable. The business performance of a company can be monitored and analysed with the use of accounting ratios. The ratios are used to interpret financial information about the company. The results can be compared with past results or with industry standards to gauge the company's overall performance. The quantitative results for this segment can be found in the Appendices section of this report. Company A's Current Ratio is 1.17, while Company B has 1.03 and Company C resulted in 2.5. This means that all three companies are still able to generate enough cash to settle its short-term liabilities. As a guide, a current ratio of 2 is ideal. For Company C, its result is higher than the ideal guideline and this suggests that Company C may have resources lying idle, for instance, the untimely collection of its receivables. A better ratio to consider when looking at the liquidity of the companies would be the Liquidity Ratio. This ratio does not take into account the companies' stocks, which can be difficult to value and which can be obsolete. Debt-Equity Ratio This assesses the financial risk of a company. A high gearing ratio poses risks if a company is unable to meet its financial obligations as this can very well lead to bankruptcy. Therefore, it is important that this is constantly monitored. Debt-Equity Ratio = Total Long Term Debt / Total Equity The Gearing Ratios for all Companies A, B and C are quite low at 9.2%, 8.1% and 15.4% respectively and the results should not cause an alarm. However, it is good to note that the companies should have a balanced mix of equity and debt to finance its operations. Return on Asset There are several ratios available that can measure the ability of a company to generate profits from its sales. These include Gross Profit Margin, Return on Assets and Return on Equity. A good profit margin is essential in any form of business to ensure there is always enough cash to run its operations. Thus, it is also important that receivables are collected on a timely basis. Return on Asset is a type of profitability ratio and measures the level of profit compared to the value of net assets invested in your business. Return on Assets = Net Income / Total Assets The profitability of all three companies is sound. The Return on Assets are 1.7%, 1.3% and 3.3% for Companies A, B and C respectively. It can be seen that Company C generates the highest return on its assets, whereas Companies A and B are

Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Theory - Essay Example After chute of Feudalism, and the Renaissance era, in the 15-16th centuries, there was even a spiritual Revolution in Europe, mostly in France, after the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants, before French Revolution there was an era for few decades called Elucidation. The representatives of that new steam called Spiritualists, such as Montesquieu and Jean Jacques Rousseau influenced very much the political system of France and contributed to Revolution. It was thus the era of Spirit and Letters, mentality on political theory changed little by little, and mental horizon of people by means of these theories got wider, and by means of French Revolution, the whole political and social system were about to change. Rousseau, among books that he wrote, was, â€Å"The Spirit of Law† and â€Å"Social Contract†, two similar books in which he treats Monarchy and Sovereignty as systems that limit freedom of people, thus social freedom, by means of law.As social freedom is based on natural law, monarchs who apply the law, being the responsible and competent ones to apply may limit freedom, against individual real freedom. In his book ‘’Social Contract’’, he cites: â€Å"How would we like a political system? Would Social contract ensure individual freedom, or am I about to limit one’s natural freedom, based on natural law? Then he moreover claims that the monarchy system is what contributes to Constitution of Social Contract, whereas anybody would sacrifice his/her own freedom for the sake of society†.†. And also, within society, all people are correlated and interrelated, within predetermined relationships, which define individual’s social role, in advance, then individual is just â€Å"a unit† condemned to social freedom the way it is in society, and his social being and substance are defined by means of this system. Individuals by sharing â€Å"common charge† in regard to their social role, are thus forced to obey to laws of sovereign, in all terms, such as political, social, financial and cultural, what composes the ever existing political and social system, the one of capitalism, and

Discusstion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discusstion - Case Study Example Most of the businesses these days are using information technology to expand their origins and this is where cyber crime comes into play. It has been found that cyber crime poses a threat of 2.4 billion to the businesses operating in the United Kingdom. Similarly it was also found that this crime brought upon a loss of $67.2 billion to the companies operating in the United States (Marsillac et al 2010). Considering the high numbers of these crimes, it is estimated that cyber crime is further increasing over time and it needs to curbed as soon as possible. Different regulatory organizations have been formed all over the world to overlook the issue of cyber crime. This essay revolves around the severity of cyber crime as it is found in the world and resorts to an option that would help to limit the crime in totality. It was found that Cyber Crime went up by 10.4 % in the year 2014 from the previous year which clearly shows a growth in the pattern of cyber crimes. In accordance to the costly cyber crimes it was found that insiders, service denials and internet attacks formed an important part of the paradigm (Kassner 2015). Discerning from the research it can be said that the most suitable policy to thwart cyber crime should revolve around the threat from the inside of the company. These insiders are the ones who know most about the company and they can easily access the information with the appropriate information. If these insiders are stopped from committing the crime, the rate can be drastically reduced. The role of managers in curbing the crimes cannot be emphasized enough but the organization should also make sure that they are following the principles of strategic survival in the market. The managers can make sure of this by affirming legitimacy to the firm which forms an utmost part of it s dealing with the competitors.

Know-How and Knowledge Intensive Organizations Essay

Know-How and Knowledge Intensive Organizations - Essay Example These are the ones who the organization relies the most for problem solving. Sveiby suggests that there comes a point in the organization’s life cycle when the professional transfer their knowledge to other system for the sake of the organization’s growth. The author suggest that at this point, the organization is not reliant so much on the professionals as their knowledge has been transferred into other systems where those who are less skilled can still be trusted to do the jobs as the system guides them. An example is an accounting firm where the professionals pool their knowledge in an information system where the less skilled personnel will just do the heavy lifting involving inputting data and the program does the rest. Whereas this may be true for an accounting firm, the same cannot be applied in the production of a book where the professional must be on hand because what the apprentices print is not always the same. In the book ‘Human Capital and the Balanc e Sheet,’ the author defines the value of human capital as one that should not be underestimated. In many ways, the author recognizes that the value of the human capital could wane meaning that the person will not be worth as much as he was but the circumstances differ with some having remedies. Sveiby notes that the pooling of knowledge in the information systems can make some experts redundant. In the same breathe, Washer and Nippani note that it is only possible in four scenarios: the death of the professional, disability, compulsory retirement and voluntary retirement (Washer & Nippani 2004, p. 16). Death and disability can be either fully or partially hedged by taking out a life insurance policy while retirement could either be accompanied by the full value of the human capital in case it is voluntary or a partial value of the capital if it is compulsory. The authors concede that organizations do not usually recognize the full value of the human capital. While it is poss ible for a conventional balance sheet to reflect a decline in profits; for example from $200,000 to $100,000, the difference can be very minimal considering that the value of the human capital will inevitably have increased in this period from the experience garnered. Welcome to the Knowledge Organization versus On the Nature of Knowledge-Intensive Organizations: Strategy and Organization in the New Economy The book ‘Welcome to the Knowledge Organization’ is focused on the management of knowledge throughout the organization. It refers to the knowledge based organizations as being learning organizations. Here, the author states that knowledge has to be shared for the organization to grow. This book clearly focuses on the need for there to be a pool of knowledge in the organization that can assist it to grow. It refers to the leaders in the knowledge intensive organizations as being in charge of learning as they ensure that the experts push themselves in the generation of better ideas while ensuring that this knowledge gained is shared with the other employees. Most organizations hire employees and then train them in the specific line of work that they expect them to be in. the knowledge int

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 22

None - Essay Example his brother. Gothic literature is used to bring about an atmosphere of gloom and terror with an aim of passing messages to the reader. To begin with, it is set in out-of-date times and uses mysterious, dark and evil tone to pass the message. All the gothic characteristics in literature come together to give emphasis to the sagacity of evil. Most writers utilize Epiphany. It bring about a moment in which one sees something in a different perspective. It is triggered by a new piece of information that is crucial to the audience. This characteristic plays a significant role in literature to draw the attention of readers and the interest to know what happens in the piece (Bell, 2087). Bildungsroman is a piece of literature that narrates development of a youthful character this person matures in the process. It depicts the changes that go through an individual as they grow to adulthood. Whitman brought about a new orientation in the American poetry. Free verse poetry did not exist in the industry yet. In fact, in the 19th-century poetry had to be rhymed, and anything that was to the contrary was regarded to be a normal person’s gobbly-gook. However, Whitman changed that notion in the American society; he made people believe that a poet did not have to elevate him or herself above the commoners. Above all, a poet did not have to identify himself or herself with Europe, but be an American. Whitman’s was sceptical of religion, he believes that all religions were equal, and none of the religions was superior to the other. Despite the fact that he was born a quark, he did not live to be a quark in his adulthood He appreciated the old accounts of all religions like the Bible, and genealogies to be true without any exception. Despite the fact that he accepted all, he believed in none of them ( Luzi ,115). Dickinson rarely used titles in her poems since she believed that they were just customary. She argued that a title is not the only way

Research Foundational Theorists Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foundational Theorists - Research Paper Example He is the main foundational theorist without question—even if some of his ideas today seem somewhat controversial and difficult to agree with. The great Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freund was very influential. He came from the psychoanalytical school (which he founded). He worked hard to deconstruct what up until that point had been considered the unitary personality or identity of individuals. Freud’s emphasis on subjectivity, the unconscious, and perspective powerfully effected artists and writers of the period. Theorists in the psychoanalytic school frequently believed that people had a fractured identity, creating a multiplicity of perspectives and views on the world, none of which was especially better than the other. In a way this is a legacy of Freud’s ideas about subjectivity. A somewhat contrary psychological school is Behaviouralism and its founding theorist was B.F. Skinner. This idea holds that psychologists who talk too much about philosophical issues lose sight of what science can prove. Skinner wanted to focus on observable data rather than people’s secret thoughts about things. These theorists that people acted in certain ways because they were conditioned to do so and had less free will than believed. A good example of a behaviourist experiment involves Pavlov’s dogs—these were dogs that were trained to salivate at the sound of a ringing bell. A third important school of psychology is Humanism. These theorists, led by Abraham Maslow, didn’t like what they saw in the literary, over philosophical aspect of psychoanalysis or in the rigid scientific way of doing things in behavioualism. They wanted to take a more common sense approach and look at what things were important to people. They showed that there were many different needs people had, and that if these needs were met, then people would be happy. A fourth school of psychology that could be said to precede all of the theories above

Communication theory assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication theory assignment - Essay Example Social penetration essentially describes a procedure in which a relationship changes from being non-intimate to being intimate. According to this theory, this process is spurred by self-disclosure. It also assumes that relationship development is for the most part a methodical and predictable procedure whose deterioration, should it occur, would go through the same process. Altman and Taylor came up with a pattern that is divided into four separate stages of development. The first phase basically describes orientation and takes place in all public settings where people meeting for the first time will only reveal a small part of themselves to their new acquaintances. For example, at a party in a new club, an individual who is attracted to a stranger is not likely to reveal all of his secrets and family data to the subject of his interest but might only mention his name. According to Altman and Taylor’s social penetration stage, the second phase is the place of exploratory affec tive exchange (Guerrero, Andersen and Afifi, 2012). This usually occurs after two individuals meet again and start learning each others’ personalities. At this stage, the two individuals will start to show more trust in the former acquaintance and reveal more of themselves. They may also begin to explore each other’s lives by asking questions that might have been considered as being intrusive if they were asked in the first stage. In this stage, the two individuals have basically overcome the mild discomfort associated with being in the presence of strangers and begin to share private attributes about themselves with their new friend because they consider him or her to be more than an acquaintance. At the second phase, the relationship is more relaxed and is moving in the direction of being even more intimate. Such developments inspire a feeling of caring about the other individual in both of the parties involved. The third stage is involves affective exchange. Accordi ng to the social penetration theory, the stage of affective exchange is viewed as being a conduit to the most intense level of intimacy (DeVito, 2004). This is because, in this stage, the two relating individuals will consciously begin to separate from people with whom they are mere friends in order to further develop their relationship with the new individual in their life. This can actually result in misunderstandings with other friends who may resent the influence of the new friend on their comrade. However, this small conflict does not affect the resolve of the two people in question to develop their relationship further if they are omitted to doing so. The fourth stage of the social penetration theory is the ‘stable exchange’ phase. This involves the deepest level of intimacy and is typified by continuous development of the newly formed intimate relationship and a constant openness between the two individuals who are concerned (Kanu, 2008). At this stage, there are no remaining secrets between the two relating individuals and they also function as a single entity. At this stage, both individuals can interpret the feelings of each other and can communicate even without articulating what they are feeling. At this stage, the two relating partners will also have completely removed the outer layers that they use to keep other strangers at bay. It is likely that they will

Final - Project and Program Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Final Project and Program Risk Management Essay This type of management may take on an informal or formal approach, but risk management is essential for every project. Risk Management is not a well accepted standard practice since it points out negative aspects of projects, and there are numerous inhibitions that restrain the dynamics of risk management. According to the Wikipedia, a free web-based encyclopedia, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a non-profit professional organization with the purpose of advancing the state-of-the-art of project management. The company is a professional association for the project management profession. The PMI sets standards, conducts research, and provides education and professional exchange opportunities designed to strengthen and further establish professionalism. The Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI() has established a six-step set of processes and practices for the risk management process as documented below: 1. Risk Management Planning: project risk infrastructure is established and a project-specific risk management plan is generated. 2. Risk Identification: events with potentially positive and negative impacts are clearly described. 3. Risk Qualifications: risks are evaluated according to nonnumeric assessment protocols. 4. Risk Quantifications: risks are evaluated according to numeric assessment protocols. 5. Risk Response Planning: strategies to deal with or precluded risks are evaluated and communicated. 6. Risk Monitoring and control: risk management and response plans are put into action. b) Why do professionals mandate Risk Management? Professionals mandate Risk Management in organizations since risk sometimes becomes a secondary issue. This secondary issue occurs since the hope that Project Managers will be able to handle issues and problems as they occur. Since risk remains a secondary issue until an organization’s luck runs out or a profitable opportunity is missed, professionals take a more proactive approach to risk identification and mitigation by applying Risk Management Process and Practices. Based on statistical information, unfavorable risk events eventually occur in good projects without a way to identify and mitigate risk. The Project Manager suffers the repercussions of such type of failure; therefore, professionals mandate Risk Management and support its practices in effort to mitigate risk. . Explain the Delphi Technique and steps for effective application. a) Explain the Delphi Technique. When expert interview techniques are not an option, the Delphi Technique provides an alternate means for extracting information from subject matter experts (SMEs) without pressuring or forcing them to provide much needed information. Many SMEs prefer not to participate in data-gathering processes; therefore, the project manager ( facilitator) applies the Delphi technique to collect information directly from the SMEs without infringing on their schedules. This technique allows the facilitator with directed follow-up capability from experts after peers have been consulted so the highest quality of information is extracted from the experts. b) Steps for Effective Application. To obtain effective information from the Delphi Technique, the Project Manager must posses the ability to generate the original questions to present to the experts and to clarify the information from the experts as it is received. The following six (6) major steps will increase the chances of a successful technique application: 1) Identify experts and ensure their participation 2) Create the Delphi instrument 3) Have the experts respond on the instrument 4) Review and restate the responses 5) Gather the experts’ opinions and repeat 6) Distribute and apply the data The Delphi technique is a time-consuming process, but this technique is promising in extracting information from experts who might not otherwise contribute to a project’s body of knowledge. 3. Explain the Crawford Slip Method (CSM). The Crawford Slip Method (CSM) is a classic tool used to combat the negativism inherent in team members while attempting to identify risk and risk information-gathering for a particular product or process. CSM offers a variety of advantages over other information-gathering techniques, in particular, the ability to aggregate large volumes of information in a very short time period and the complete avoidance of groupthink. CSM is not the hardest risk management technique to apply when properly facilitated. A clearly established question is defined by the facilitator and provided to all qualified participants. The participants then document their response to the clearly established question on a slip of paper. Providing the same clearly established question to the participants again, they document their response to the question on a slip of paper again. This process is repeated ten (10) times using the same clearly established question to better extract all of the unknown information available from the participants involved in the product or process. The initial slips of paper are usually very similar in content; however, as the process repeats itself, the later slips of paper tend to generate identification of issues and risks that could have been overlooked without repetition. The strength of Crawford Slip Method is efficiency. 4. Define SWOT Analysis and their selection criteria. a) Define SWOT Analysis. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis Technique is a directed risk analysis that identifies risks and opportunities within a higher-level organizational context rather than a project’s narrow vacuum.

Impact of Photoshopped Images on Teenagers

Impact of Photoshopped Images on Teenagers Do photoshopped images affect the way teenagers feel about themselves? Do you ever just read through a magazine or just walk through the local Mall and see posters of men or women, young children, even infants with no flaws? Well majority of this advertisement is thanks to photoshopping. So how does photoshopped images affect the way teens feel about themselves? (Choices: The Award Winning Health Life Skills Magazine for Teens,,Debate: Does Photoshopping images Hurt Teens? November/December 2014 Issue.) Back in 2012 a girl started a petition against photoshopped photos in a popular teen magazine, and 84,000 signed, clearly were tired of being fed lies! Use your voice through the internet and social media to demand that companies stop using photoshop for good. Everyone knows that perfection does not exist in this world. So when you open a magazine and see a model or celebrities believe me that their flawlessness is made from photoshopping the images. So dont compare yourself to todays models and celebrities because its their job to look good by using photoshop. The biggest threat to ourselves self-esteem is ourselves. Stop comparing yourself to theirs and start recognizing how good you look. Three Facts about Photoshopping: (Choices: The Award Winning Health Life Skills Magazine for Teens, Debate: Does Photoshopping images Hurt Teens? November/December 2015) In 2013 Israels Photoshop law went into effect. It requires that digital alterations to make models appear thinner be disclosed along with the images or ads. The truth in advertising Act was introduced in congress in 2014. It passed, it would require the government to come up with a strategy to reduce the use of altered images in advertisements. According to a 2014 survey nearly three quarters of young women edit photos of themselves before posting them to social media. More than half of men do the same. Studies have shown that women or girls who read or look at any fashion advertisement or magazines can have a negative effect on their self-esteem. I think that the three facts stated above are really important that they remain enforced still to this day. All companies who use photoshopping to alter any features on a person especially a teenager should make the public aware that it was done. Also they should get the permission from parents of teenagers before any photoshopping images are done and get posted to the public by any advertising on the social media. I feel like companies make it not as clearly visible or known to the public about photos that have been altered. Its usually in very fine print and hard to find on the image or ad. Its very important to teach our young children about the truth behind the images that surround them. Letting them see behind their photo spreads and the advertisements can help control the negative effect of these images. Todays media plays a big part of todays society. The media informs us on everything that is going on in the world. Which includes the new products that are on the market. The media can also have a negative effect on society, especially on teen girls. Their struggles of body image issues, self- esteem, and acceptance is brought out the most when they look at how perfect and flawless women look in magazines, advertisements, commercials, posters, and bill boards. All of the perfect things they see in the media are photoshopped. A method that gives teen girls a perception of what they have to look like to be categorized as being beautiful in todays society. (Huffington Post, New York, NY, Oct. 2014 Issue) A lot of teen girls today put themselves down when they look at a photoshopped ad, they feel as if they arent beautiful. This is the main reason why photoshopping needs to be banned. Perfection doesnt exist. No matter how many photoshopped ads there are in magazines, all women and teen girls are beautiful in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Companies need to stop using photoshop and promote women for who they really are without photoshoping any of their features. I dont understand why some parents feel that they need to alter their teenage or young childrens photos. Especially if they know that their photos are being photoshopped to look better in the eyes of their parents. I think this caused low self-esteem and this is what causes a lot of teenage depression and suicides. At young ages children should be accepted for who, and what they look like not for what someone wants them to look like. Some of the alterations that can be photoshopped are anything from whitening teeth, removing br aces, acne, and altering breasts on photos. Three of the most common mental-health problems among girls are eating disorders, depression or depressed mood/self-esteem. They are linked to the presentation of women in the media. Forty two percent of girls I grades 1-3 want to be thinner. Fifty three percent of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies. By the time theyre 17, girls have seen 250,000 TV commercials telling them they should be aspired to be a sex object or have a body size they can never achieve. Seventy eight percent of 17 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies. Thirty percent of high school girls and 16 percent of high school boys suffer from disordered eating. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. (Day, Lori, Newburyport, MA, 14 April 2014) SUMMARY: Life should be about who you are and not any type of photoshopping to make you something that you are not. I have learned from this research assignment that photoshopping can destroy teens self-esteem, and cause major emotional breakdowns. Be comfortable with your natural body appearance. WORKS CITED: Choices: The Award Winning Health Life Skills Magazine for Teens. (Debate: Does Photoshopping images Hurt Teens?) November/December 2014 Issue Day, Lori, Newburyport, MA: Educational Psychologist, Consultant, and Author of Her Next Chapter: (Why Photoshopping Is a Matter of Life and Death for Many Girls) Huffington Post, New York, NY (Photoshop: The Ugly Truth About Pretty Pictures) 11/11/2014 Updated 1/11/2015 Huffington Post, New York, NY (What We Miss When We Photoshop School Pictures) 10/06/2014, Updated Aug 03, 2015 GOOGLE SEARCHS: (06 Feb. 2017 15 Feb. 2017) Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks? https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com//do-photoshopped-images-make-you-feel-bad- Self Esteem Act: US parents push for anti-Photoshop laws Daily Mail www.dailymail.com/Self-Esteem-Act-US-parents-push-anti-Photoshop-law Oct. 2011 The Self Esteem Act: Parents push for anti-Photoshop law in U.S. Photoshop: The Effect On Teen Girls and Why It Needs to be Banned www.radicalparenting.com//photoshop-the-effect-on-teen-girls-and-why-it-needs-to May 30, 2012 Self-Esteem and Girls: The Medias Role | Building Self-Esteem www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem//self-esteem-in-girls-the-medias-rol Aug 30, 2012 The photoshop effect | Feature Article 2013-12-03 GhanaWeb www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/The-photoshop-effect-294006 Dec 3, 2013 The Ugly Truth Behind Pretty Pictures | Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/the-ugly-truth-behind-pretty-pictures May 2014

Strategy For Success In College

Strategy For Success In College Exemplification Essay: Write an essay presenting your formula for achieving success in college. You may, if you wish, talk about things such as scheduling time, maintaining a high energy level, and learning how to relax. Use examples from your own experience to make your point. Purpose: The main focus of this essay will be supporting a thesis with examples to illustrate or explain a general point; demonstrating focused, organized and developed paragraphs; and successfully incorporating quotes into your writing. Laid out in front of you is one of the most important examinations in your course. With sweat dripping and your palms perspiring, you anxiously flip through the pages of this never ending examination. Your mind spins and you are overwhelmed by the questions that you have no clue how to do. You know you should have studied, but it is too late now. You had your chance, but you missed it because you were busy playing video games and shopping while you were supposed to be studying and doing your homework. Have you ever experienced this sort of situation before where you felt helpless? By developing good study habits such as managing your time efficiently, preparing and organizing, being aware of and applying your learning style, and maintaining your health, you can become a strong and confident student. One of the main factors contributing to success in college is managing your time efficiently. This allows you to balance between your studies, work, and personal activities. How you use your time reflects on the kind of person you are, and by wisely distributing your time, you can become the person you aspire to be. An instrumental tool for success is a schedule, which can be used to record and keep track of all your assignments and tasks that you are committed to completing. In order to make the best use of your time, it is important for you to know what you want. This helps you set your priorities and become committed to obtaining your desired outcome. Next, you should choose realistic and achievable goals and plan strategies that will help you achieve that goal. It is important to also plan for problems that might arise in order to achieve that goal. One of the most common and serious problems you may encounter is procrastination. Other distractions include the television and other external noises. A quiet and distraction free environment is an ideal studying area. In my first year of high school, I had poor time management skills and suffered from extreme procrastination, which resulted in me achieving low grades. However, after imposing several changes in my life, I began to see drastic changes in my academic life. For one thing, I began to set a timer to cue me in on how much time I should spend on each assignment and how long my study session would last. This helped me finish my work quickly and fight procrastination. In order to combat procrastination, you need to be assertive and take self-control. Dont wait until the last minute to work on assignments, but rather work on them early on so you have more free time. In order to have time for recreation and fun, planning ahead is important. This includes writing down important dates in your schedule and planning how much time you will devote to each assignment or task. In addition to time management, organizing and studying are part of the stepping stones of success. My binders, folders, and cabinets used to be chaotic and disorderly. As a result, I often could not locate my homework assignments. This soon got to a point where I knew I had to change in order to succeed. I insisted on keeping color coded files for my assignments, tests, and other schoolwork and set a cabinet next to my desk with materials ranging from highlighters to rulers in each separate file. Organizing your papers will help you keep track of your grades and, ultimately, progress in your course. Organized notes are a vital studying tool. Knowing and using all your resources is one way to helping you achieve your maximum academic potential. Other ways to enhance your skills are to preview and review the chapter, take adequate notes, and do your homework while the information is fresh in your memory. However, it is not profitable to study a subject for a big chunk of time, having breaks, switching to other subjects, and breaking down chunks of reading will enable you to pay attention better. Another dilemma I was faced with was the inability to concentrate in long study sessions. As a result, I thought of creative ways to help myself concentrate better. I made color coded sticky notes in my textbook and often participated in study sessions. Involvement in a study group with your classmates and asking questions if you don’t understand something are ways that you can become more active in your learning. By developing a habit of regularly studying and having all supplies and materials available, you will become more of an active learner and will soon harvest the fruits of your hard work. Furthermore, in order to learn more efficiently, it is important to know and place emphasis on your learning style. My learning style is auditory. If you are an auditory learner, your best way for learning is to hear the information. Reading the notes out loud or listening to a lecture can help you comprehend the information. If you are a visual learner, you learn best by seeing it in pictures or in action, such as watching a clip or looking at pictures and diagrams. If you are a kinesthetic learner, you learn best by using incorporating all your senses. By using techniques such as conducting an experiment or going on a field trip or tour, you can learn precisely interpret the information. By trial and error, I learned my learning style during the course of my high school career. By reading my notes and chapters out loud, listening to recorded chapters available, and watching clips, I began to unfold a greater learning potential within me. There is one final element that is critical to a successful journey through college. Not only is it important to manage your time efficiently, prepare and organize, and apply your learning style, maintaining your health is just as important. This could include regularly exercising, eating healthy meals, and minimizing your stress. According to a study by Yale University, â€Å"The most important predictors of academic achievement were having no television in the bedroom, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically fit, having a secure source of healthy food, and rarely eating at fast-food restaurants. Other significant factors were not drinking soda or other sweetened drinks and getting enough sleep† (Yale School of Public Health). However, most college students overlook the importance of health and as a result, lead an unhealthy lifestyle. By not getting enough sleep, eating junk food, watching television, and consuming alcohol and drugs, they are prone to many ailments such as emotional and physical stress, obesity, malnutrition, and brain fog. These cause them to lose their ability to focus in class. In addition, most college students suffer from stress due to their hectic schedules. Stress can be minimized by exercising, proper sleep, taking breaks in between work, and meditating. Besides reducing stress, eating healthy is also an indicator in academic success. During breaks I have between study sessions, I snack on healthy foods like baby carrots with ranch or celery with peanut butter. Moreover, exercise is the key to leading a healthy lifestyle. No matter how hectic your life may be, always find a few minutes a day to go out for a walk. I go for a jog after studying to clear my head. By eating healthy and exercising, you can increase your focus and concentration, which leads to a higher energy level and ultimately, higher grades. Imagine the same student from earlier, this time with: better time management, more organization and preparation, and a healthier lifestyle. By eating fruits and vegetables, setting time aside for exercise several times a week, keeping a planner at hand with all his assignments and events written down, he has turned his academic life around. He used to get anxious about taking tests, but this time, he has studied for the test every day for the last two weeks, and knows he understands the material and has nothing to fear. He is confident in his ability to do well because he has structured his life to optimize for academic success.   

Stereotypes and Stereotyping of Columbus in 1492: Conquest of Paradise :: Movie Film Essays

The Stereotyped Portrayal of Columbus in 1492: Conquest of Paradise There is no document of civilization which is not at the same time a document of barbarism. Walter Benjamin, "Theses On The Philosophy Of History," 256. [1] Walter Benjamin in Illuminations reminds his readers that each history of civilization is tainted by barbarism since the prevailing civilization's history is dependent upon the suppression and eradication of alternative histories that might challenge the legitimacy of the existing civilization's rule. The problem with traditional history that asserts a stance of "objectivity," according to Benjamin, is that it overlooks how the existing powers-that-be superimpose upon past events a history that justifies the present ideological structure's control; or, put more simply, history is always viewed through the biased lenses of the victor. Colonization and history go hand and hand. History is always written by the colonizer, since the colonizer owns and controls the means of production that allows history texts to be reproduced and proliferate. As a result, "The history which he [the colonizer] writes is not the history of the country which he plunders but the history of his own n ation in regard to all that she skims off, all that she violates and starves" (Fanon 51). [2] No matter who the colonizer is, the problem with all historical documents is that they cannot be separated from the subjective interests that create them. Mexican poet and novelist Octavio Paz writes, "Historical circumstances explain our character to the extent that our character explains those circumstances. Both are the same" (72). Our history implicates how we, as individuals and a culture, judge ourselves. There is always a vested present interest in how we view ourselves in the past. And even for those historians who are trying to voice the oppresseds' counter-histories, the historical text will still be inscribed through his/her present ideological limits that bind historical circumstances to character. [3] But claiming that history is biased is not to imply that it is irrelevant and should stop being written. According to Walter Benjamin, history should stop masking itself as objective and homogeneous and instead focus on the monad: "where thinking suddenly stops in a configuration pregnant with tensions, it gives that configuration a shock" (262). Instead of charting the victor's path, history must examine how colonizer and colonized interact during a specific moment of time.

The Collapse of the Egyptian Regime Essay -- Politics, Hosni Mubarak,

Three months ago, no one in the world could have expected the collapse of the Egyptian regime as a result of a popular revolution. The Egyptians revolted against the iron-fisted hand of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, over three main authorities in Egypt, which are the legislative authority, the executive authority, and the judicial authority. Revolutionaries also called for overthrow the Egyptian regime in order to achieve all their aspirations for a better life in Egypt, and this appeared clearly from their daily chant for eighteen continuous days, which was â€Å"the people want to bring down the regime.† They realized most of their aims through overthrowing Hosni Mubarak the last Egyptian Pharaoh, and agreed on the transferring of power from Hosni Mubarak to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take control of the nation in a short transition period. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces exerted all their efforts in order to meet the key demands of the revo lutionaries through suspension the constitution, and decided to form a committee to amend changes to some constitutional articles so as to use them in issuing a constitutional declaration. After the committee had finished the amendment of the constitutional articles, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces asked citizens to participate in the referendum and not to boycott this process. In fact, most Egyptians, who have the right to vote, agreed on participating in the referendum, although they didn’t decide whether to vote â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†; accordingly, they drew the world’s attention due to their gigantic contribution in the referendum because they turned out on Saturday, March 19th, to vote on the amendment to nine constitutional articles. The scene was incredible ... ...h many citizens may have other reasons which drove them to participate, I think that there were four main catalysts, which were the main driving forces behind this massive turnout of Egyptians to vote in the referendum. In fact, voters participated in the referendum because of their conviction with the fairness of the referendum, their feeling free to vote, and their participation due to the influence of many groups, which pushed them to look for stability and safety. In my humble opinion, all Egyptians must thank the martyrs for all they have sacrificed in order to see this day. I think that we should be proud of ourselves, and we must recognize changes, which we made in the world that motivated Austrian President Heinz Fischer to say: â€Å"The people of Egypt are the greatest people of earth; and they should deserve a Nobel Prize for Peace† quoted in (Shehab, 2011).

Charles Dickens Essay -- essays papers

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens is the greatest English writer that ever lived. He was one of the most popular writers in the history of literature. Surely no English author is so well known and so widely read, translated and remembered as Charles Dickens. He fame is well deserved. From the pen of this great author came such characters as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, Mr. Pickwick, and Little Nett. Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth and spent most of his childhood in London and Kent, both of which appear frequently in his novels. Charles Dickens was the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. John Dickens worked as a clerk at the Navy pay office in Portsmouth. Charles, the second of seven children, went to the local school. John Dickens found it difficult to provide for his growing family on his small pay. In 1822 the family moved to Camden Town in London. John Dickens' debts had become so severe that all the household goods were sold. Still unable to satisfy his creditors, John Dickens was arrested and sent to Marshalsea Prison. At age 12, Charles found work at Warren's Blacking Factory, where he was paid six shillings a week wrapping shoeblack bottles. The brief time that he worked at the Blacking Factory haunted him all of his life. He spoke of it only to his wife and to his closest friend, John Forster. The rough time he had there would show up in his stories Da vid Copperfield and in Great Expectations. Six months after being sent to Marshalsea, one of John Dickens's relatives died. He was left enough money in the will to pay off his debts and to leave prison. Some of the inheritance was used to educate Charles at a nearby private school, Wellington House Acade... ... the problem he gained copyright for the books sold in America. The only thing that I didn’t understand about this book was how the author said that Charles was a self-centered man but he argued to try to abolish slavery and gave some of his earning from book writing to charities. That doesn’t sound self-centered to me. Everything else about it was outstanding and I learned a lot. Charles Dickens went through a lot of rough times in his life and ended up on top. He came from being a normal middle class citizen to being one of the most popular people in the world. His books have been read, translated and made into motion pictures. They have been read and watched by people for years and will still be in years to come. Charles Dickens’s personal life grew increasingly unhappy and drove him to an early death. But His work remains, funny, sad, warm, and stunning.

Adult Development Analysis

Lamis came from a family that originated from the country of Pakistan. She has a big family–her mother, father, fiver brothers, and two sisters–and they all give importance to the values, culture and behaviors inculcated into their minds by their parents. She expressed how blessed she was to be in a family that treasures love, respect, integrity, and life.Lamis life was indeed very challenging because she grew up amidst various complexities in life. When she was a little child, she was always confused as to whose directions should she follow because she has parents who are entirely two different individuals. Her mother is someone who loves to be with people so much.She likes socializing with people and undertaking activities with them because such experience gives her certain pleasure and enjoyment that she does not find in any other places. Her father, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of her mother. He does not like the idea of being with people.He is more comf ortable being alone in his own place, perhaps because her father is a very private person. He keeps a lot of things in his mind and usually do not share most of those things to her mother. Furthermore, her father is very pragmatic and he is open-minded that he understands the contemporary things they do in their lives even if those are sometimes against his beliefs.On the contrary, her mother does not want them to do things on their own. She is very strict in terms of the things they undertake. She wants them to always obey her because she believes that she knows what is best for her children.The contradictions demonstrated by Lamis’ parents made her initially a very confused individual. It affected the development of her morality. She told me she loves both of her parents so she was usually torn between whether to follow her father or her mother.She eventually learned to balance the characters of her parents and somehow managed to grasp the positivity of their differing indi vidualities and created a whole set of values, behaviors, and beliefs that influenced her moral development.Lawrence Kohlberg, a theorist who proposed the concept of moral development, conceived that individuals continue through each stage of moral development consecutively without skipping or returning to a previous stage.According to him, the stages of processing ideas, implying qualitatively, various ways of reasoning, and of problem solving are incorporated in the three levels of pre-conventional, conventional and post conventional development (Hayes, 1994).The pre-conventional level of Kohlberg’s moral development theory communicated that behavior is motivated by anticipation of pleasure or pain (Hayes, 1994). The child is aware of cultural rules and labels of good or bad and right or wrong.The subject then interprets the labels in terms of the physical consequence, such as punishment or reward. This was true in Lamis’ family particularly with how her parents rais ed them. Her mother, in particular, would always want them to help each other and to do things in accordance with her will because she was so strict during those times. She would not allow them to play outside the house if any of them disobey her.Also, she wanted them to always study hard and incessantly reminded them the importance of education in their life. Hence, she would keep their toys and other sources of entertainment like television if they do not review their lessons at least two hours everyday.Her father, on the other hand, would reward them for every good things they do like cleaning the house, fixing their bedrooms, and studying their lessons. He would buy them special cookies or their favorite chocolates every good grade they get from school.Going back to Kohlberg’s moral development theory, the first level, pre-conventional, of moral thinking is generally found at the elementary school level, before the age of nine (Kay, 1982). This level is divided into the f ollowing two stages.The punishment and obedience orientation. This is observed in children ages one to five. The subject is in avoidance of physical punishment and deference to power. The child behaves according to the socially acceptable norms, due to the fear of punishment by an authority figure. The physical aftermaths of an action ascertain its goodness or badness.â€Å"What is right is to avoid breaking rules, to obey for obedience’s sake, and to avoid doing physical damage to people and property† (as cited in Wart, 1998, p. 36). Furthermore, an individual at this stage does not consider the thoughts or feelings of others, nor are they able to relate two points of view. As in Piaget’s framework, ego-centrism and the inability to consider the perspectives of others characterize the reasoning of stage one (Piaget, 2003).The individual instrumental purpose and exchange orientation. Subjects usually between the ages of 5 to 10 are observed maintaining the attri butes of being â€Å"self-serving.† This stage is â€Å"characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one’s own best interest and occasionally taking into consideration the needs of others† (Penn State Engineering, 2006).There is an early emergence of moral reciprocity. â€Å"You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.† The individual will do what is necessary to satisfy his own needs not concentrating on loyalty or gratitude. Justice becomes â€Å"Do unto others as they do unto you.† What is right is the immediate interest in the form of an equal exchange, deal or agreement.A subject at this stage of moral development has a basic understanding that norms and conventions are necessary to uphold society. The motto of this stage is â€Å"What’s in it for me?† Elements of sharing are present but are interpreted in a physical pragmatic way (Hayes, 1994).When Lamis was a little kid, she told me she really did not care so much about the feelings of other people like her siblings and playmates. What was important for her was to play and made sure that she did not violate any of her parents’ rules because her strict mother would surely punish her.Lamis was so young then that she actually did not understand everything her mother told her but she did acknowledge the fact that her mother would not be happy if she does something wrong. Until Lamis learned to care about other people and realize the importance of doing good things to others.Her father played an important part in making her understand the essentiality of recognizing the welfare of other individuals in order for those people to do the same good things to her.Lamis’ early learning experiences were fundamentally influenced by her family. She told me during the interview that she did not go to school early, unlike other children, because she had asthma. She only started to go to school when she was eight years old.Apart from the fac t that she had asthma, her parents were scared to leave Lamis in school at a very early age. Such action, according to her, was perhaps due to the conservatism in their culture. Yet, her father never forgot to tell her good things about going to school and learning new things from a teacher.Lamis’ father would always narrate his positive experiences he acquired from school and things that education allowed him to do. Hence, Lamis became really interested in going to school and in fact, became one of the best students when she started her formal education.Furthermore, Lamis was very thankful to her mother being extrovert. Although she was not allowed to go to school at an early age, her mother would always bring her whenever her mother would socialize with her friends and this was perhaps where she learned most of her social skills, where, according to Kohlberg and Piaget, most moral development occurs along with aging process (Duska & Whelan, 1975).When Lamis started her firs t formal education in Saudi Arabia, she admitted to me that she had complicated experiences the first time basically because she found it very challenging to assimilate to the culture of her school considering that her native culture was very different from the school culture in so many ways.On top of this, she did not know the English language that made it more difficult for her to interact with and understand her classmates. She shared to me one experience and this happened during the school opening. She came to school with short hair and most of her classmates were making fun of her.Since she did not understand the language, she did not get affected and instead maintained her good values and behaviors that her parents inculcated into her mind. Lamis further shared to me some of her strengths when she was a student. She told me she was that kind of student who leads and influences other students. She never got intimidated by the presence of her classmates.In fact, she was the clas s leader and she was the one assigned to do the morning news and introduction at school. She was capable of handling the entire class and her teacher actually entrusted to her the class whenever the teacher leaves. She took responsibilities very well. Such behaviors gave her good grades in school for 12 years.During this part of the interview, I was able to trace where these positive and strong attitudes and behaviors came from. I believe her being strong, socially interactive, intelligent, independent, and creative was due to the trainings provided by her parents when she was a little kid.As mentioned earlier, Lamis was introduced to the notion of reward and punishment system when she was young. Her strict mother would always ask her to study and do things accordingly; otherwise a corresponding punishment would be executed.The interview moreover reveals that Lamis’ life is heavily influenced by her many personal encounters with an array of people of equally diverging persona lity types. Which is why, Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory appears to be a very good choice to help further elucidate Lamis’ unique learning tendencies and personality traits.Erikson’s model, if only to mention, puts higher premium than most on exploring the environmental influences of a person as one grows up. In other words, it â€Å"considers the impact of external factors, parents and society on personality development from childhood to adulthood† (Learning Theories, 2007).According to Erik Erikson, each person needs to undergo eight major life-defining stages over the period of their given life spans. And these stages, on a careful analysis, have two chief characteristics. First, these interrelated life stages – infancy, toddler-hood, school-age, adolescence, early and mid and late-adulthood – are differentiated not by the traditional approach involving the use of chronologically-based age ordering system.Put in other words, Eriksonâ €™s model does not rely on the age of the person in solely evaluating his or her psychological development. Instead, Erikson conceives of these life stages always view of the growth and development of a person achieves relative to his or her age. Critical to his notion of psychosocial theory of personality development is the areas of growth that come with each life stage.Second, every life stage consists in â€Å"a developmental task that confronts individuals with crisis† (Satrock, 2006, p. 71). Erikson’s model maintains that a person needs to find a resourceful way to successfully hurdle the respective crises each life stage brings him or her. If a person resolves a crisis, it serves his growth process well.If a person is unable figure a resolution for it, chances are, it stalls the development of his or her growth and well being. Crises, in needs to argued, are life-defining moments. And as such, it promises not only an ugly catastrophe for a person, but an â₠¬Å"enhanced potential† of a healthy psychological life as well (p. 71).During infancy, Erikson believes that a person needs to resolve fundamental trusts issues. This is achieved when a child is adequately nurtured; i.e., if the immediate environment – the mother, father and siblings, among others – responds well to his or her needs.If a child did not establish a basic sense of security from the family, it can result to an unfortunate retardation of his capacity to trust the larger world later on. Stage two meanwhile pertains to the struggle of a toddler to establish his will.During this stage, a child is able to learn many new things and is beginning to learn what is right from wrong. Depending on the way a person is nurtured at this particular stage, a child can either end up having a strong sense of autonomy or shame.The next phase is the preschooler stage – a time, as it were, to indulge in childhood curiosity. When properly affirmed, a child can devel op a good sense of initiative. When constantly rebuked, a child is expected to develop a gripping sense of guilt.According to Erikson, the immediate family of a child plays a very crucial role in the development or the retardation of children undergoing these three initial stages. In many ways, the importance Erikson places on the role of the family makes his theory wholly distinct from the more inclination-indulging theory of S. Freud (Erikson, 1964, p. 9)Stage four meanwhile concerns the school phase of a child. During these years, a child needs to be empowered to develop his or her competence and self-esteem. At this stage too, a child can either develop a sense of industry or inferiority depending on the manner by which he or she successfully handles the pressures of peer and studies.The next phase is the adolescence stage. At this point, the influence of the family, especially the parents, start to diminish. Everyone’s chief concern at this stage is to establish fidelity in one’s personal affiliation, belongingness, or even relationships. Moreover, a person can either end up establishing a strong sense of who he or she is, or wound up under-developing his or her identity in a crisis marked by severe confusion. Stages six to eight pertains to a person in his or her adulthood.In particular, stage six, or the early adulthood stage, underscores a person’s struggle for love. Since this is the stage proper to establishing relationships, a person can either nurture intimacy or fall apart because of isolation. Stages seven and eight are phases that involve a person’s quest for generativity and integrity. When undermined, a person can sorely wound up into a stage of extreme wallowing and despair (Learning Theories, 2007; Satrock, 2006, pp 71-72).Using Erik Erikson’s theory to evaluate Lamis, the following observations can be noted:First, it can be said that Lamis’ authoritative comportment and unmistakable confidence take root from a successful resolution of her life’s first stage. Lamis’s early life was marked by healthy interaction with her family members.And because each person takes on the â€Å"capital† of gaining something from one’s family of origin (Wartofsky, 1986, p. 113), it can be argued that Lamis’ was able to gain the all important aspect of familial love in her life. Lamis admits belonging to a family that places much regard on care, love and nurturance.Moreover, her being born into a large family turned out to be an advantage for her as well, since her basic need to be nurtured and taken care of as an infant was addressed. This is perhaps the most fundamental reason why Lamis was to develop a strong sense of security as an adult; as indeed, this factor too may help explain why she looks at the world brimming with confidence, optimism and pride.Next, one can also note that Lamis’ is herself quite clued-up with the fact that most of what she bel ieves in and holds on in life stem from the unique manner by which she was nurtured. For instance, Lamis claims that early on in life, she already manifested a certain strain of stoicism towards feelings on account of a very strong sense of rules and punishment-reinforcements.For someone who was just beginning to explore the world, it seems pretty obvious that Lamis developed a sense of autonomy defined by how successful she was able to play by the rules. Her desire to avoid being punished and suffer the shame of being reprimanded by her otherwise rigorous mother was controlling motive for this.As such, this is a classic case of autonomy vs. shame struggle manifested by toddlers. In the process, what emerged from her struggle to obey was a person who has a specific leaning towards obedience and a knack on leadership that influences other people to obey as well.Lastly, it has to be mentioned as well that Lamis’ school age is also marked by a successful overcoming of inferiorit y and low self esteem crises. During the interview, Lamis revealed that her initial contact with the school environment turned out rather unpleasant; as indeed, she had to adjust into the school system rather quickly (since she did not have any schooling prior to her entrance at the age of eight), and put up with incessant teasing of her classmates.But because she was nurtured by a family that cared and supported her, she was able to overcome her school-age crises. In the process, she developed her sense of initiative and industry. This is perhaps seen most glaringly in the healthy and motivated way by which she views her efforts to succeed well in her studies even until the present.To briefly conclude, this paper ends with a thought that, indeed, Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory is able to provide a window for us to look at Lamis’ belief system, behavioral uniqueness and personal worldviews within the larger context of her past experiences. Lamis is indeed a person shaped by the interactions she has had in her lifetime.It is imperative to note that in the years to come, she is to encounter more life defining crises; this time about issues pertinent to adulthood. But what stands out for the meantime is her triumphant emergence from the three identified crises she has thus far encountered.After using Erikson’s theory, we were able to affirm that Lamis’ being able to establish a healthy sense of confidence as an infant, autonomy as toddler, and initiative and industry as a school-age child, surely did serve her well.BibliographyDuska, R. & Whelan, M. (1975). Moral development: A guide to Piaget and Kohlberg. New Jersey: Paulist Press.Erikson, E. (1964). Insight and Responsibility. Lectures on the Ethical Implications of   Ã‚   Psychoanalytic Insight. New York: Norton and Company.Hayes, R. L. (1994). The legacy of Lawrence Kohlberg: Implications for counseling and human development. Journal of Counseling & Development, 72(3), pp. 2 61-267.Kay, S. R. (1982). Kohlberg’s theory of moral development: Critical analysis of validation studies with the defining issues test. International Journal of Psychology, 17(1), pp. 27-43.Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2008). â€Å"Erikson’s Stages of Development†. Retrieved 28   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   July 2008, from Penn State Engineering. (2006). Ethical decision making processes. Retrieved June 24, 2008, from http://www.vanderbilt.edu/CenterforEthics/Descriptions-More%20Info/Resource%20Pages%20for%20Ethics%20Workshop%20-%202006.pdf.Piaget, J. (2003). Part I: Cognitive development in children – Piaget development and learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(1), pp. 8-18.Satrock, J. (2006). Educational Psychology. New York, McGraw Hill, Inc.Wart, M. V. (1998). Changing public sector values: Montgomery Van Wart. Taylor & Francis.