Depression in the Bible - 1331 Words

Depression is defined as, â€Å"a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide† (Merriam Webster). A close friend of mine battles depression and would describe it is, â€Å"a debilitating mood that makes it hard to get out of the bed in the morning, a desire to sleep all the time, inability to experience joy, and apathy towards life.† Due to its prevalent occurrence among several people groups throughout history, depression is known as the â€Å"common cold of mental illnesses† and has been called â€Å"the most widespread, serious,†¦show more content†¦Another imbalance that often causes biological depression is amine imbalance. Amines are the neurotransmitters that float in the synapse between two nerve cells in the brain (S mith 3). The key amines are serotonin and norepinephrine. When there is a decrease in the levels of these neurotransmitters, depression often occurs. Biological depression is as common among Christians just as it is common among the general population. However, it often goes undiagnosed due to dissenting views held by many Christians regarding the causes of depression. Many in the church believe depression is just â€Å"all in the head.† They believe it should be easily cured with a bible verse and slapping on a smile. In most cases, it is just â€Å"all in the head.† Although for someone with biological depression, a cure does not always come so simply. Many Christians adhere to beliefs regarding depression such as: 1. Depression is always the result of unconfessed sin. 2. Depression is always the result of lack of faith in God. 3. Depression can always be removed by spiritual exercises such as prayer and fasting. 4. Depression can be removed by making a choice to be happy (Smith 5). It is crucial for pastors to realize that sometimes a depressed person is suffering from an actual medical imbalance and needs to be treated as such. â€Å"It is abundantly clear from current research that certain kinds of depression have important biological roots and can be substantially relievedShow MoreRelatedEssay on Health Grief1546 Words   |  7 Pagesare responses that many people may go through, but there is not a typical response to loss as there is no typical loss and everyone grieves differently (helpguide.org). The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The story of Job in the Bible is an example that displays all the stages of grief set forth by Kubler-Ross’s grief model. Job was a Christian man who followed the path of God’s will in His life. Kubler-Ross was not a Christian, and formulated the griefRead MoreAnxiety And Anxiety Of Anxiety1207 Words   |  5 Pagesanxiety may be? The motivation of anxiety can fluc tuate depending on what the root cause is. Biblically speaking, the Bible has a great deal to say about anxiety and how to deal with anxiety as it arises. It is important to explore what motivates anxiety and what the Bible has to say about anxiety. Anxiety can usually be found paired with another psychological disorder, such as depression or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The feelings of anxiety generally stem from having a lack ofRead MoreThe Lord Is Perfect, Reviving The Soul1569 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Heart Ministries stack up against what the Bible teaches us about counseling? Counseling is one of the more controversial subjects facing the Christian church today. Why? Formal counseling is rapidly on the rise among twenty-first century Christians. The rise in formal counseling corresponds with our societies increasing struggle with depression. Gallup reports that 10 percent of all americans have or are struggling with depression (â€Å"Depression rates higher†). The ADAA reports that forty millionsRead MoreThe Effects Of Clinical Depression On An Individual s Dreaming1485 Words   |  6 Pages resulting in countless breakthroughs and theories as to why and how we dream. There is an article about the effect of clinical depression on an individual’s dreaming. It has been found that people suffering from depression dream three times more than those without depression. This is due to the higher levels of emotional arousal to get out of their system. â€Å"Depression causes (and is caused by) a lot of emotionally-arousing introspection, or rumin ation, that endless sort of worrying that never seemsRead MoreOne Treatment For Adhd Incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy894 Words   |  4 Pagesor aggression, anxiety or withdrawal, loneliness, and depression. People who are diagnosed with ADHD can learn conversational skills and can also improve tasks like organization, and memory. Studies have shown that interventions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Counseling, and Social Skills training to address deficits in emotional regulation including low self-esteem, anger or aggression, anxiety or withdrawal, loneliness, and depression. People who are diagnosed with can learn conversationalRead MoreThe Bible is the Authoratative Word of God Essay686 Words   |  3 Pagesfriend who asks you why you believe in the Bible, and asks Isnt it a book just like any other piece of literature? would be a difficult question, but let alone a very plausible question to be asked to a Christian in a ones lifetime. I have personally been asked this question before on multiple occasions, and there are many responses I have given as according to being sensitive to the circumstances upon which the question was asked. I believe in the Bible as being the authoritative word of God, andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Lament For A Son 929 Words   |  4 PagesKubler-Ross invented the five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptancethat explain the escalation of grief when stricken by bad news (Axelrod, 2004). The paper looks into the book and its relation to the five stages of grief. Question 1 As demonstrated by the five stages of grief, Dr. Wolterstorff suffers greatly emotionally as he deals with his son’s death. In a bid to settle his depression, he reads the Bible on similar experiences that people had (Wolterstorff, 1987). He findsRead MoreFaith, Food, And Captivity : Mary Rowlandson s Account Of Survival And Courage1554 Words   |  7 PagesDear Children and Relations.† What made this piece of writing so popular with England and America was the great narrative skills that Mary Rowlandson possessed. Throughout the narrative, it could be observed that Rowlandson s suppression of rage, depression, and understanding change through her journey. Before the invasion on Lancaster and Rowlandson s captivity, Mary Rowlandson was a harmless housewife who knew absolutely nothing about what suffering was. She always had plenty of food, water, clothingRead MoreHarry Potter And The Deathly Hallows882 Words   |  4 PagesKatrina Anne Winemiller Professor Larissa Purvis English 112 1. November 2014 How Harry Potter and parallels to the Bible As a professional reviewer, Mike Furches reviews Harry Potter in his blog, â€Å"Reviews with Mike Furches: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1† on blogspot.com. Mike’s concern for the dark, scary aspects of the Harry Potter books led him to research the subject more thoroughly, hoping to point out the reasons children should not be reading them. Because of the social, politicalRead MoreThe Real Estate Agent : Tony And Stephanie1316 Words   |  6 Pagesfar, however, the emotional abuse caused both of her and the daughter serious distress. It drew our attention when she mentioned that Tony has seen a doctor and he was told that he needs to take some medicine to help for his sleep and also for his depression. Thus, I contacted Tony to meet and chatted with him to see what has happened. During the conversation, he kept complaining about his jobs, his status, and his family. He has been frustrated, disappointed, and angry about everything, especially

Self-portraits - Van Gogh And Rembrandt Essay - 974 Words

Each artist is an individual with a unique style, and although these styles can be similar in practice – the individuality of the artist often proves the discriminating factor for a successful artwork. Self-portraits are beneficial when looking at the individuality of the artist as there are two aspects to look at – the artist’s style, and the artist’s view of him/herself. The latter can provide a brief insight into the mental situation of the artist as well as any apparent influencing factors of the artwork. This view can often also include fragmental insights into the society and culture of the time. Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh are 2 artists of whom are well represented by this statement. Rembrandt was born into a Dutch†¦show more content†¦The most common of these portrayed garments were the generic Berets that have now been typically associated with the common artist as a stereotype. Looking at the untitled self portrait of 1657 (Figure 1) you can see Rembrandt’s attention to detail and his persistence to achieve life-likeness. He has built up the wrinkled brow, the puckers of skin, in very detailed and effective passages of reddish colours. You can see the application of chiaroscuro in this painting which is obviously intentional as even his clothes, including fashionable beret, are dark to help with the distribution of light and dark with the focus being on his face. This self portrait is one I consider to be among his best. This work provides an insight into Rembrandt’s indifference to self-consciousness as you can see an aged, wrinkled man with a large broad nose and gray wisps of hair, all of which he has made no attempt to positively alt er, he simply strives for realism in his works and finds no reason to alter the physical reality of his work for mere aesthetic purposes. It provides an insight into the culture of the time with the fashion state Rembrandt has depicted himself in as well as the common chiaroscuro methods used in the painting which were common for the culture or society of the time. The self-portrait of 1630 (Figure 2) shows how even from early in his career Rembrandt strove for realism in his works. You are once again struck by the honestyShow MoreRelatedSigns and Symbols Art Essay1427 Words   |  6 Pagesartist can transmit their message, using signs and symbols. This essay will consider two artists that work are defined as being characterised by signs and symbols and use art as means of communicating with the world they live in; Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) and Australian artist Brett Whiteley (1939-1992). Signs and symbols form the basis of how art is observed and interpreted. They represent an idea that an artist is trying to convey to their audience. Signs and symbols can be in the colourRead MoreNew Tendencies Emerged : Paul Cezanne Essay2377 Words   |  10 Pagesinnovative and even revolutionary, but they still emphasized visual representation as a goal, thus continuing the ultimate tradition in art. The artist who shifted this focus towards emotional manifestation was Vincent Van Gogh (1853 -1890). Conveyed through colors and lines, Van Gogh’s paintings delivered raw, almost visceral emotions. In the art arena of the last decades of the 19th century, his visually distorted and emotionally charged reality remained unique and unappreciated. At 37, afterRead MoreVincent Van Gogh1003 Words   |  5 PagesVincent van Gogh began painting in 1879, and continued until his death in 1890. He died a premature death due to the decay of his mental stability, which led to a botched suicide attempt, causing his death two days later. He painted in the period of post-impressionism, during which he made 750 paintings, 1,600 drawings, nine lithographs, and one etching. Some of his most famous and most influential works include Starry Night, The Potato Eaters, and All-Night Cafà ©. Vincent Willem van Gogh was bornRead MoreVincent Van Gogh s Influence On The Post Impressionist Era1949 Words   |  8 PagesVincent van Gogh was a lonely and poor man, but one of the more memorable artists because of his story telling. Starry Night, Bedroom in Arles and Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear are just a few of Vincent van Gogh’s famous paintings. Van Gogh was a Dutch painter born in 1853 and he was a part of the Post-Impressionist period of art. Most of van Gogh’s painting can be considered a biographical approach as his paintings are events he experienced through his life which he wants to recreate. Van Gogh usedRead MoreAnalysis of â€Å"The Potato Eaters† by Vincent Van Gogh Essay1338 Words   |  6 PagesImpressionism and Post-Impressionism Analysis of â€Å"The Potato Eaters† by Vincent Van Gogh In 1883, after leaving his wife Sien and his children Vincent Van Gogh headed to Nuenen. Coming off a disturbing part of his life, which included the break up with his ex-wife with several issues and suffering from gonorrhea, he was having a considerably difficult time. In Nuenen, Van Gogh started to devote himself to drawing, and started to gain attachment and sympathy forRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Alice Walker And Visual Artist1523 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction My paper literary artist Alice walker and visual artist Van Goth are best artist in the world, they have many similar things and different things, they are come from different century, different country, they have different family background, they have different work and life. People have different views on them. They both well know and both have a lot of fans in the world. Compared their difference and similar, life and work. We could links the two lives and their work together. ForRead MoreVincent Van Gogh : The Greatest Artist Of All Time1710 Words   |  7 PagesVincent van Gogh is arguably considered one of the greatest artist of all time, but his career wasn’t always focused on the arts. Vincent was born March 30th, 1853, in Zundert, Neth, and did not begin his art career until the age of 27. (1) Prior to his ventures in the arts, Vincent, at the age of 16, worked as an art dealer apprentice for Goupil and Company. During his 3 year stay at Gurpil and Company, â€Å"Daily contact with works of art aroused his artistic sensibility, and he soon formed a tasteRead MoreArt As A Form Of Self Expression1378 Words   |  6 PagesArt can be a form of self-expression and a way to communicate ideas and thoughts with other people. Each time when an art work is being viewed, a resonance between the art itself the viewer is created. Art allows the artists to express themselves and communicate with the world through their own imaginations and crafts. Ar tists has their own styles and they often use art crafts to blend colors to create incredible visual effects. Art is not always easy to understand. It can be a very literal representationRead More Effect Of Postimpressionists On The Next Generation Essay5119 Words   |  21 PagesMatisse, Vincent van Gogh, and others, and to have finally declared: quot;Oh, lets just call them post-impressionists; at any rate, they came after the impressionists.quot; The term was firmly established when Fry held a second show of postimpressionist art at the Grafton Galleries in 1912. The Postimpressionists The painters most closely associated with postimpressionism all took part in Frys first exhibition: Cà ©zanne, Seurat, Gauguin, Matisse, and van Gogh. Although theirRead MoreIntramuros4927 Words   |  20 Pagesexpense could become patrons and commission portraits of themselves or their family. The unperturbed faces and gestures of  Piero della Francesca  and the calm Virgins of Raphael are replaced by the troubled expressions of  Pontormo  and the emotional intensity of  El Greco. Some decades later  Northern Mannerism  dominated Netherlandish and German art until the arrival of the Baroque. 13 20th-century Modern and Contemporary: The heritage of painters like  Van Gogh,  Cà ©zanne,  Gauguin, and  Seurat  was essential

Automatic Stabilizers free essay sample

The result is higher government spending and lower tax collections and the increased likelihood that the government will run a budget deficit. Similarly, when the economy grows rapidly, tax collections increase and government expenditures on transfer payments decrease, and the likelihood of the federal government running a surplus is greater. Now suppose an economy had a balanced federal budget neither deficit nor surplus. An external shock (such as a dramatic increase in oil prices or drought) then plunged the economy into a recession. Tax revenues fall and expenditures on transfer payments increase, resulting in a budget deficit. Believe it or not, the deficit actually serves a valuable role in stabilizing the economy. It works through three channels: †¢Increased transfer payments such as unemployment insurance, food stamps, and other welfare payments increase the income of some households, partly offsetting the fall in household income. †¢Other households whose incomes are falling pay less in taxes, which partly offsets the decline in their household income. We will write a custom essay sample on Automatic Stabilizers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because incomes do not fall as much as they would have in the absence of the deficit, consumption spending does not decline as much. †¢Because the corporation tax depends upon corporate profits and profits fall in a recession, taxes on businesses also fall. Lower corporate taxes prevent businesses from cutting spending as much as they would otherwise during a recession. The government deficit itself, in effect, offsets part of the adverse effect of the recession and thus helps stabilize the economy. Similarly, during an economic boom, transfer payments fall and tax revenues increase. This dampens the increase in household income and also the increase in consumption and investment spending that would accompany higher household income and higher corporate profits. Stabilization policy is an action taken to move the economy closer to full employment or potential output. Transfer payments that stabilize GDP without requiring explicit actions by policymakers are called automatic stabilizers. The great virtue of automatic stabilizers is that they do not require explicit action from the president and Congress to change the law. Given the long inside lags caused by ideological battles in Washington, D. C. , over spending, taxes, and the deficit, it is fortunate that we have mechanisms in place to dampen economic fluctuations without requiring explicit and deliberative action. Reference link: http://classof1. com/homework-help/economics-homework-help

Univac and Eniac free essay sample

UNIVAC which is also known as the Universal Automatic computer was invented by John P. Eckert and John Mauchly. After years of research and all the formalities, the first version of the UNIVAC was delivered on March 31, 1951. The specifications of the UNIVAC are as follows, an add time of hundred twenty microseconds, multiply time of eighteen hundred microseconds. Its magnetic tape had a speed of 12,800 characters per second; its read-in speed was 100 inches per second. I’m not really sure how much space it had on its hard drive, even though that is a major part of the specifications of the Univac computer. The Univac had 5,200 vacuum tubes. It weighed around 13 tons. It used about 125 kilowatts of electricity to work. The total space the UNIVAC took up was about 35. 5 m squared or more. The Univac seems have had about 1000 words of memory? Interesting Fact: in a presidential election, the Univac was able to predict who would win the race, Eisenhower in this case. We will write a custom essay sample on Univac and Eniac or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page UNIVAC was the first computer made in the United States of America. The Univac was also a very expensive piece of equipment, as like now people go ballistic for new stuff. And I bet computers back in the day required a great deal of intellect to actually operate one. Okay so the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical integrator And Computer) was the first general-use electronic computer. It was able to solve a whole mess of computing problems. Computing problems such as military related stuff, like stuff for the United States Army Ballistic Research Laboratory. The American Military funded the research, since it would really help them; it was also to their gain as well. As with the UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) the ENIAC was invented by the same two, Joseph Mauchly and John P. Eckert. John Mauchly was the chief consultant and John P. Eckert was the chief engineer of the project. With their team, Eckert and Mauchly took around a year or so to design the ENIAC. But it took about a year and a half to actually make the vision a reality; it also cost quite a pretty penny, about 500,000 pennies that came from taxes. The Inside of the ENIAC had around 17. 4 thousand vacuum tubes; it had 70k resistors too. It even had 10,000 capacitors (A device used to store an electric charge), 1,600 relays (which are electrically operated switches. ) Let’s just say the ENIAC had a whole lot of bits and pieces that made it run. It was huge! It was about 1800 square feet in size.

Battle of Sedan in Franco-Prussian War

Battle of Sedan in Franco-Prussian War The Battle of Sedan was fought September 1, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). With the beginning of the conflict, Prussian forces won several quick victories and besieged Metz. Moving to lift this siege, Marshal Patrice de MacMahons Army of Chà ¢lons, accompanied by Emperor Napoleon III, engaged the enemy at Beaumont on August 30, but suffered a setback. Falling back on the fortress city of Sedan, the French were pinned in place by Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltkes Prussians and then encircled. Unable to break out, Napoleon III was forced to surrender. While a stunning victory for the Prussians, the French leaders capture precluded a quick end to the conflict as a new government was formed in Paris to continue the fight. Background Beginning in July 1870, the early actions of the Franco-Prussian War saw the French routinely bested by their better-equipped and trained neighbors to the east. Defeated at Gravelotte on August 18, Marshal Franà §ois Achille Bazaines Army of the Rhine fell back to Metz, where it was quickly besieged by elements of the Prussian First and Second Armies. Responding to the crisis, Emperor Napoleon III moved north with Marshal Patrice de MacMahons Army of Chà ¢lons. It was their intention to move northeast towards Belgium before turning south to link up with Bazaine. Plagued by poor weather and roads, the Army of Chà ¢lons exhausted itself during the march. Alerted to the French advance, the Prussian commander, Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, began directing troops to intercept Napoleon and McMahon. On August 30, troops under Prince George of Saxony attacked and defeated the French at the Battle of Beaumont. Hoping to re-form after this setback, MacMahon fell back to the fortress town of Sedan. Surrounded by high ground and hemmed in by the Meuse River, Sedan was a poor choice from a defensive standpoint. Battle of Sedan Conflict: Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)Dates: September 1-2, 1870Armies Commanders:PrussiaWilhelm IField Marshal Helmuth von Moltke200,000 menFranceNapoleon IIIMarshal Patrice MacMahonGeneral Emmanuel Fà ©lix de WimpffenGeneral Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot120,000 menCasualties:Prussians: 1,310 killed, 6,443 wounded, 2,107 missingFrance: 3,220 killed, 14,811 wounded, 104,000 captured Count Helmuth von Moltke. Public Domain Prussians Advance Seeing an opportunity to inflict a crippling blow on the French, Moltke exclaimed, Now we have them in the mousetrap! Advancing on Sedan, he ordered forces to engage the French to pin them in place while additional troops moved west and north to encircle the town. Early on September 1, Bavarian troops under General Ludwig von der Tann began crossing the Meuse and probed towards the village of Bazeilles. Entering the town, they met French troops from General Barthelemy Lebruns XII Corps. As fighting began, the Bavarians battled the elite Infanterie de Marine which had barricaded several streets and buildings (Map). Fighting at La Moncelle during the Battle of Sedan. Public Domain Joined by VII Saxon Corps which pressed towards the village of La Moncelle to the north along Givonne creek, the Bavarians fought through the early morning hours. Around 6:00 AM, the morning mist began to lift allowing Bavarian batteries to open fire on the villages. Using new breech-loading guns, they began a devastating barrage which forced the French to abandon La Moncelle. Despite this success, von der Tann continued to struggle at Bazeilles and committed additional reserves. The French situation quickly worsened when their command structure was shattered. French Confusion When MacMahon was wounded early in the fighting, command of the army fell to General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot who initiated orders for a retreat from Sedan. Though a retreat earlier in the morning may have been successful, the Prussian flanking march was well underway by this point. Ducrots command was cut short by the arrival of General Emmanuel Fà ©lix de Wimpffen. Arriving at headquarters, Wimpffen possessed a special commission to take over the Army of Chà ¢lons in the event of MacMahons incapacitation. Relieving Ducrot, he immediately canceled the retreat order and prepared to continue the fight. Completing the Trap These command changes and the series of countermanded orders worked to weaken the French defense along the Givonne. By 9:00 AM, fighting was raging all along the Givonne from Bazeilles north. With the Prussians advancing, Ducrots I Corps and Lebruns XII Corps mounted a massive counterattack. Pushing forward, they regained lost ground until the Saxons were reinforced. Backed by nearly 100 guns, Saxon, Bavarian, and Prussian troops shattered the French advance with a massive bombardment and heavy rifle fire. At Bazeilles, the French were finally overcome and forced to cede the village. This, along with the loss of the other villages along the Givonne, compelled the French to establish a new line west of the stream. During the morning, as the French focused on the battle along the Givonne, Prussian troops under Crown Prince Frederick moved to encircle Sedan. Crossing the Meuse around 7:30 AM, they pushed north. Receiving orders from Moltke, he pushed V and XI Corps into St. Menges to completely surround the enemy. Entering the village, they caught the French by surprise. Responding to the Prussian threat, the French mounted a cavalry charge but were cut down by enemy artillery. Map of the Battle of Sedan, 10 A.M., September 1, 1870. Public Domain French Defeat By midday, the Prussians had completed their encirclement of the French and had effectively won the battle. Having silenced the French guns with fire from 71 batteries, they easily turned back a French cavalry assault led by General Jean-Auguste Margueritte. Seeing no alternative, Napoleon ordered a white flag raised early in the afternoon. Still in command of the army, Wimpffen countermanded the order and his men continued to resist. Massing his troops, he directed a breakout attempt near Balan to the south. Storming forward, the French nearly overwhelmed the enemy before being turned back. Late that afternoon, Napoleon asserted himself and overrode Wimpffen. Seeing no reason to continue the slaughter, he opened surrender talks with the Prussians. Moltke was stunned to learn that he had captured the French leader, as were King Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who were at headquarters. The following morning, Napoleon met Bismarck on the road to Moltkes headquarters and officially surrendered the entire army. Aftermath In the course of the fighting, the French incurred around 17,000 killed and wounded as well as 21,000 captured. The remainder of the army was captured following its surrender. Prussian casualties totaled 1,310 killed, 6,443 wounded, 2,107 missing. Though a stunning victory for the Prussians, Napoleons capture meant that France had no government with which to negotiate a quick peace. Two days after the battle, leaders in Paris formed the Third Republic and sought to continue the conflict. As a result, Prussian forces advanced on Paris and laid siege on September 19.

Time Values for Access SQL in Delphi

Format Date/Time Values for Access SQL in Delphi Ever get the awful Parameter object is improperly defined. Inconsistent or incomplete information was provided JET error? Heres how to rectify the situation. When you need to create a SQL query against ​an Access database where a date (or a date time) value is used you need to make sure the correct formatting is used. For example, in a SQL query: SELECT * FROM TBL WHERE DateField 10/12/2008 you want to get all the records from the table named TBL where a general date field DateField equals 10/12/2008. Is the line above clear? Is that December, 10 or October, 12? Luckily, we are pretty sure the year in the query is 2008. Should the date part of the query be specified as MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY or maybe YYYYMMDD? And do regional settings play a role here? MS Access, Jet, Date Time Formatting When using Access and JET (dbGo - ADO Delphi controls) the formatting of the SQL for the date field should *always* be: #YYYY-MM-DD# Anything else might work in limited testing but can often lead to unexpected results or errors on the users machine. Heres a custom Delphi function you can use to format a date value for the Access SQL query. function DateForSQL(const date : TDate) : string;var   Ã‚  y, m, d : word; begin   Ã‚  DecodeDate(date, y, m, d) ;   Ã‚  result : Format(#%.*d-%.*d-%.*d#,[4, y, 2, m, 2, d]) ; end; For January 29, 1973 the function will return the string #1973-01-29#. Access SQL Date Time Format? As for the date and time formatting, the general format is: #yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS# This is: #year-month-daySPACEhour:minute:second# As soon as you construct a valid date time string for the SQL using the above general format and try it using any of Delphis dataset components as TADOQuery, you will receive the awful Parameter object is improperly defined. Inconsistent or incomplete information was provided error at run-time! The problem with the format above is in the : character - as it is used for parameters in parametrized Delphi queries. As in ... WHERE DateField :dateValue - here dateValue is a parameter and the : is used to mark it. One way to fix the error is to use another format for date/time (replace : with .): #yyyy-mm-dd HH.MM.SS# And heres a custom Delphi function to return a string from a date time value you can use when constructing SQL queries for Access where you need to search for a date-time value: function DateTimeForSQL(const dateTime : TDateTime) : string;var   Ã‚  y, m, d : word;   Ã‚  hour, min, sec, msec : word; begin   Ã‚  DecodeDate(dateTime, y, m, d) ;   Ã‚  DecodeTime(dateTime, hour, min, sec, msec) ;   Ã‚  result : Format(#%.*d-%.*d-%.*d %.*d.%.*d.%.*d#,[4, y, 2, m, 2, d, 2, hour, 2, min, 2, sec]) ; end; The format looks weird but will result in the correctly formatted date time string value to be used in SQL queries! Heres a shorter version using the FormatDateTime routine: function DateTimeForSQL(const dateTime : TDateTime) : string;begin   Ã‚  result : FormatDateTime(#yyyy-mm-dd hh.nn.ss#, dateTime) ; end;

Faith and Vocation-Child and Family Services Coursework

Faith and Vocation-Child and Family Services - Coursework Example I have a strong vocation for child and family services because this field offers the most opportunity for integration of faith. Following discussion seeks to illuminate the reality of this claim that â€Å"developing a strong bond between faith and vocation can help one give a definite spiritual meaning to professions like child and family services.† Fea (2010) claims that people are obligated to use whatever knowledge they have in promoting common good according to how it is stipulated in the Bible. According to Hughes & Hughes (2005), it is our duty as Christians to use our skills in a manner that reflects the position we are given by God. Christians believe that God is very pleased when He sees His people using their skills in accordance with the Holy Scriptures. In Matthew 5: 44, Jesus announces the desire of God saying, â€Å"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you† (cited in Scheele, 2006, p. 131). Therefore, it is a religious obligation of children and family service providers to remain professional under all circumstances and help their clients despite their inadequacies. We are not sent by our Lord to greedily advance our personal interests while eschewing the welfare of humanity. It is due to the fact that we have stopped seeing faith and vocation as two entities inextricably linked to one another that such despair and anguish has taken the place of peace in our lives. Remembering the teachings of Jesus Christ when interacting with disadvantaged children and families is bound to motivate us to give our best to those in need because of this influential message in our minds that we have to die one day and answer God. It is important to enumerate just how faith can be expressed by a professional within the field of children and family services. For example, a child of divorced parents can be assisted by a certified specialist in dealing with pressures of daily life by encouraging his/her faith. Every time a disadvantaged child is brought by children

Minnisota V Riff Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minnisota V Riff - Case Study Example The defendant then left the store at about 12.20 a.m. He discarded the hammer in the side alley between Marquette's Market and Art Own's Hardware. There are witnesses to prove that he ran home and also when he discarded the money bag and dropped $2 of the money. He used the money to purchase a guitar. There was a Canadian $5 bill purported to have been stolen from Marquette's Market. The defendant was arrested the day after by Officer Schield at 3.30 p.m. on the ground that he broken into, entered, and burglarized Marquette's Market. The Defense's case is that the defendant, Ronald Riff, won over $900.00 in a poker game between 8.30 p.m. and 12.00 a.m. of the night of the alleged burglary. There are witnesses to prove that Riff won a great deal of money, including the Canadian five dollar bill found in Riff's person. Riff borrowed a tan cloth money bag from Red's Pleasure Palace to put his winnings into. He took the hammer from Rusty Fender's to protect himself and his money. He never stopped by Marquette's Market, but he did toss away the hammer at the point as he ran home. Riff had no motive to steal from Marquette's Market as he had won enough to pay off his debts to Vibes and buy a new guitar. The prosecution has proved that the defendant, Ronald Riff, is guilty of stealing $910 from Marquette's Market after breaking into the store. There is no doubt about Riff's involvement in the crime.

Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon Essay Example for Free

Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon Essay Among the films presented, what captures and awaken my interest was the film from Ann Hui entitled Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon. Somehow, it was portrayed very subtle in the few minutes of the filming, but at the end you will appreciate how it was orchestrated and letting message of the films came across to the mind of the viewers. The movie can be reflected also how the present vulnerability of some countries easily reckoned and entice by the overwhelming, numerous offers from the rich and powerful countries in exchange of something in their economy and future benefits. Then sooner or later their real intention of their acts slowly surface unveiling the shadow of hypocrites. I do appreciate much how the young and vibrant beautiful female villain in the movie depict her character of determination and patience in achieving her goal willing to gamble every thing she has in position. The female villain was willing to set whatever she has even her life was at stake for that cause of her just to fulfill the desire that stirred up her interest for her personal satisfaction and not after for the destruction of the many. Unfortunately, the fate of having that Green destiny sword was not meant for her to hold on forever for she was not the right one entrusted to look after the care of that green destiny sword. The very least she did, was trying to take the chance of having it. Thought she failed but you can not see in her face the expression of regrets. She have done her best to the best she can but maybe her best was not good enough and the fate of trying was not for the right time and responsibility to hold on that awesome destiny she ever dreamed of. The two characters that I fully appreciated to that young and vibrant villain named Jen Yu was so being energetic in pursuing her intention to have that sword and so cool that even a face of treacherous woman cannot be seen on her. But all of these Jen Yu adventures were a reflection of her mere fascination to the glamorous life of Yu Shu Lien. Believing that a woman can have so many adventures and achieving such freedom is a real marvelous for her. There we can consider also that it was her fascination for a great adventure and achieving such freedom that pushed her to commit such treachery in her in country. We can not even see any single history played along with the movie the reason why Jen Yu should be doing that kind of stuff. Though there are some influences she received from that witched type kind of a master, but we can see it clearly that she was really using her brain in a proper perspective. I really consider that Jen Yu was just using that witched type female master she clings to every time she has some chaos facing with. She was even more tricky compare to her lady master. But destiny did not fell at her hands for it was not intended to be. The least thing she did, was trying her luck on that great adventure of her. While on the other hand, Li Mu Bai, who were on the verge of his own quest of finding the missing sword, the Green Destiny who Li Mu Bai believed that finding it the said sword will open an avenue of knowing the real reason of his Master’s death. Li Mu Bai life was made colorful in the story due to Jen Yu’s presence in the said filming. It was Jen Yu’s character that made the story of Li Mu Bai more interesting and captivating. A little glimpse from the shadow of Jen Yu made Li Mu Bai shine clearly and made it more convincing to believed that such story as that still exist and continue to exist as long as it calls for someone to defend for the truth and righteousness against those people who had bested interest and willing to undermine the welfare of the many. To the question of how the story being orchestrated into the minds of the viewers, well, cinematography did it vividly. The venue of the filming was so simple and environmental yet it helped to make the story essence convey the message across to the minds of the viewers. The setting was so fit for the story because of the title that made it easily to connect with the settings itself of the story. Generally, though the story includes some furious fighting stands using their trademark artistry in handling a sword, still you can sense the compassion that goes with it. There was even a time when Li Mu Bai path came across with Jen Yu there were instance of chance giving Li Mu Bai to kill Jen Yu. But something holds on to him that reached at the back of his mind about the real motive, personality of the villain. Until such time, confession of the real scenario took place when the two characters met each other for a final encounter to fulfill their individual destiny that would dictate their fate in their future existence of the story. Just like us individual who has our own destiny to fulfill and keep continue to fight for it daily all in the name of personal gratification, satisfaction and survival. Nevertheless, we have to remember always that it is not what we have in position neither those people surrounding us and the potentials that we have that keeps us winning from the race. But it is by a having a big HEART of patience, determination and Humility.

John Steinbecks East of Eden - Biblical Symbols and Symbolism Essay e

Biblical Symbolism in East of Eden    Throughout the novel East of Eden, Steinbeck uses many biblical references to illustrate clearly the conflict between the opposing forces of good and evil. Much of the plot of East of Eden is centered upon the two sets of brothers representing Cain and Abel.   Both pairs are similar to Cain and Abel in the way they go about winning their fathers’ favors.   All four give gifts to their fathers, and the fathers dismiss the gifts of Charles and Caleb, the Cain representations (Marks, Jay Lester. p.121).   Caleb and Charles Trask are obviously the more malignant brothers.   They are also the more loving towards their father.   Steinbeck’s purpose in this is to illustrate the need of the Cain character in the story.   Abel, Adam and Aron, is the opposite of his brother and naturally good and pure.   The purpose of Adam and Aron in East of Eden is to clarify the belief that purity must know wickedness (Marks, Jay Lester. p.122).   Steinbeck illustrates the nee d for both good and bad with the actions and beliefs of these supposed â€Å"good† characters.   The representations of Abel, Adam and Aron are both described as unloving.   Adam has not treated his children fairly and his treatment is caused by his innate goodness.   Aron grows as an ignorant selfish person because he is naturally good (Fonterose, Joseph.   p. 3382).  Ã‚   Steinbeck uses Cain to illustrate the choice man has.   In the case of Charles, Cain dies an unhappy man who did not live a worthwhile life, Caleb on the other hand, chose to realize his dark past, but chose to continue living his life with hope (Marks, Jay Lester.   p. 122-123).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Steinbeck’s East of Eden he is constantly using single characters to illustrate many differen... ....   Because of man’s evil heritage, being descendent of Cain, he is naturally forgiven for any breach in purity (Levant, Howard. p. 244).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck’s references and allusions to the bible are very obvious.   Although they are most apparent when taking the story of Genesis: 4 into consideration, the more subtle devices are equally as useful to Steinbeck to prove his point.   His beliefs of the relationship between good and evil are easily understood with the allusions that are exercised.   Works Cited Fontenrose, Joseph. John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1963. Levant, Howard. The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Study. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1974. Marks, Lester Jay. Thematic Design in the Novels of John Steinbeck. The Hague: Mouton, 1969. Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. New York: Viking, 1952.

Belonging in Ancestors and Feliks Essay

Fundamentally one can only really feel a true sense of belonging for a nominal moment in time. The actual instance of belonging is intangible and not permanent. Due to this, any form of belonging will involve compromise, sacrifice and some degree of tension as different ideals compete for supremacy. We will continue to accumulate different senses of belonging and disregard the others as we grow, evolve and adapt to different situations. Due to the varying and conflicting belonging ideals, we will become frustrated and the joy of belonging may become a burden upon us at times. This frustration and momentary joy of searching for one’s place of belonging are explored in Skrzynekci’s â€Å"Ancestors† and â€Å"Feliks†, as well as â€Å"Homecoming† a novel by Cynthia Voigt. It implores the audience of these texts to relate to the happenings of the characters in the texts. The texts requires us to place ourselves in the shoes of the characters feeling the ir sense of connectedness, belonging and self identity through the links of family ancestors and or heritage. The poem â€Å"Ancestors† allows the reader to be positioned to feel the connection through our own ancestors and the attributes they bring to the forefront. They allow us to delve into the unknown or forgotten realms of our own history and allows us to draw upon these memories in order to feel content with our own sense of identity within society. It is a basic human notion of feeling as though we are not alone and we are apart of something greater then ourselves. In the poem Shrzynecki, there is an attempt to illustrate to the audience that he feels a sense of isolation in regards to the separation from his ancestors. The poem represents that without a clear understanding of our own history or ancestry we lack a clear sense of self as we are unaware of our past values, motives and/or attributes. This representation of ideas is presented through the use of metaphor and narrative voice. The â€Å"Star† metaphor â€Å"To what star do the footprints lead?† represent an unclear sense of direction – the star being the focal point of navigation which demonstrates the idea that without knowledge of your ancestry we cannot be certain of our place in this world. Another prominent language feature in this poem is the use of rhetoric. The rhetorical questions of â€Å"who, what, why and where† represent the uncertainty of the Author’s own past as there is a missing link from his ancestors and himself. The use of second person narrative voice in â€Å"Ancestors†, for example â€Å"why do you wake† positions the reader to look beyond the constraints of Skrzynekci’s written words and to consider our own ancestry. A The second text â€Å"Feliks† illustrates to the audience that we need some type of belonging in order to fit into society. In the poem the father drew upon his memories of Poland through his garden. Skrzynekci on the other hand was unable to create a link to his heritage or the present as he was torn between the new society and his old traditions. He failed to create a solid link to either of his heritages and thus conflict is presented to Skrzynekci. This conflict is one that creates many difficulties in regards to the way Skrzynekci related to his family and friends. In the first stanza of the poem â€Å"My gentle father kept pace only with the joneses of his own minds making† link to the fact that his father was not affected by the outside happenings and he was the only one whom dictated the way in which he did things. This then put strain on Shrzynecki as he began to feel more and more isolated from the new society as his father was rejecting the new practices rather then assimilating. Another present language feature is the use of hyperbole. The hyperbole â€Å"ten times around the world† is used to exaggerate Skrzynekci’s thoughts in regards to his father. Throughout the poem it is evident that Skrzynekci holds his father in high esteem and wishes not to disappoint his parents by choosing to assimilate into the Australian culture. This leaves Skrzynekci in an isolated state as he does not feel a sense of belonging to either the old or new heritage. In the novel â€Å"Homecoming† the theme of belonging runs throughout the entire novel. The novel tells the story of the 4 Tillerman children as they find themselves alone in their car (being abandoned by their mother), some miles from their home, in a shopping mall parking lot in Peewauket, Connecticut. The children go on a journey in order to find a place to live; a search for a home, a physical place where they can belong. They end up living with their grandmother. Through their journey in the novel they search for belonging within themselves, realizing that they are stronger as a family and that, although they have different personalities, strengths and weaknesses, they belong together. The children also struggle to see where they belong in the wider world, in society, as individuals and as a unit. It becomes apparent though the novel that family is a major symbol of belonging as within the home front the children learn this vital concept. Their â€Å"Homecoming† is a journey that leads them to a long-lost grandmother who remains the key to unlocking their family history and ancestry. They start to learn that families can be fragile, and that if they are not nurtured and protected, they can fall apart as in the case of their family. In regards to the contrasting of the three various texts one must position themselves both in the own realms of society and that of the author. We have to adapt to the author’s context in order to fully comprehend the text and its entirety. All three texts present the themes of belonging/not belonging within themselves and society. In regards to Skrzynekci’s poems we are able to understand that any link, either being that of family ancestors or even heritage creates a sense of belonging due to the link we have created to something greater than ourselves. The novel â€Å"Homecoming† links to the poems through the use of not belonging and the sense that Peter Skrzynekci felt and expressed through his poems. â€Å"Homecoming† links indirectly to â€Å"Ancestors† as both texts bring family and its importance to the vanguard. â€Å"Homecoming† and â€Å"Feliks† contrast as they allow the audience to become aware of different senses of belonging, such as the garden in â€Å"Feliks† and the mother in â€Å"Homecoming†. However in both instances the texts allows one to feel as though they are connected even when they feel as though there is absolutely no sense of belonging present. To conclude, all the three texts above illustrate the importance and the evolving nature of belonging. Thus the fundamental necessity to â€Å"belong† brings to the forefront that motivation for living, the reason for feeling placed within society and the drive for continuing growth and development on our journey through life. SUPERFLUOUS SHORT SENTENCES ARE MORE IMPACTUAL – CONCISE It may be as though we are unable to really feel a true sense of belonging and the only essence that is closets to true belonging is that to oneself. This would ultimately mean that we cannot be truly be connected to anything until at the end of one’s life when we reflect upon all the different places of belonging. It also brings to the vanguard that one can only really feel a sense of connectives or understanding of self if they are aware of their own history. It allows us to no longer feel isolation as we can clearly see where our ideals, motives and values originated. The language features that are present in this text demonstrate these factors and enable us as the reader to further understand the text and its meanings.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER ONE

On a very hot day in August of 1994, my wife told me she was going down to the Derry Rite Aid to pick up a refill on her sinus medicine prescription this is stuff you can buy over the counter these days, I believe. I'd finished my writing for the day and offered to pick it up for her. She said thanks, but she wanted to get a piece of fish at the supermarket next door anyway; two birds with one stone and all of that. She blew a kiss at me off the palm of her hand and went out. The next time I saw her, she was on TV. That's how you identify the dead here in Derry no walking down a subterranean corridor with green tiles on the walls and long fluorescent bars overhead, no naked body rolling out of a chilly drawer on casters; you just go into an office marked PRIVATE and look at a TV screen and say yep or nope. The Rite Aid and the Shopwell are less than a mile from our house, in a little neighborhood strip mall which also supports a video store, a used-book store named Spread It Around (they do a very brisk business in my old paperbacks), a Radio Shack, and a Fast Foto. It's on Up-Mile Hill, at the intersection of Witcham and Jackson. She parked in front of Blockbuster Video, went into the drugstore, and did business with Mr. Joe Wyzer, who was the druggist in those days; he has since moved on to the Rite Aid in Bangor. At the checkout she picked up one of those little chocolates with marshmallow inside, this one in the shape of a mouse. I found it later, in her purse. I unwrapped it and ate it myself, sitting at the kitchen table with the contents of her red handbag spread out in front of me, and it was like taking Communion. When it was gone except for the taste of chocolate on my tongue and in my throat, I burst into tears. I sat there in the litter of her Kleenex and makeup and keys and half-finished rolls of Certs and cried with my hands over my eyes, the way a kid cries. The sinus inhaler was in a Rite Aid bag. It had cost twelve dollars and eighteen cents. There was something else in the bag, too an item which had cost twenty-two-fifty. I looked at this other item for a long time, seeing it but not understanding it. I was surprised, maybe even stunned, but the idea that Johanna Arlen Noonan might have been leading another life, one I knew nothing about, never crossed my mind. Not then. Jo left the register, walked out into the bright, hammering sun again, swapping her regular glasses for her prescription sunglasses as she did, and just as she stepped from beneath the drugstore's slight overhang (I am imagining a little here, I suppose, crossing over into the country of the novelist a little, but not by much; only by inches, and you can trust me on that), there was that shrewish howl of locked tires on pavement that means there's going to be either an accident or a very close call. This time it happened the sort of accident which happened at that stupid X-shaped intersection at least once a week, it seemed. A 1989 Toyota was pulling out of the shopping-center parking lot and turning left onto Jackson Street. Behind the wheel was Mrs. Esther Easterling of Barrett's Orchards. She was accompanied by her friend Mrs Irene Deorsey, also of Barrett's Orchards, who had shopped the video store without finding anything she wanted to rent. Too much violence, Irene said. Both women were cigarette widows. Esther could hardly have missed the orange Public Works dump truck coming down the hill; although she denied this to the police, to the newspaper, and to me when I talked to her some two months later, I think it likely that she just forgot to look. As my own mother (another cigarette widow) used to say, ‘The two most common ailments of the elderly are arthritis and forgetfulness. They can't be held responsible for neither.' Driving the Public Works truck was William Fraker, of Old Cape. Mr. Fraker was thirty-eight years old on the day of my wife's death, driving with his shirt off and thinking how badly he wanted a cool shower and a cold beer, not necessarily in that order. He and three other men had spent eight hours putting down asphalt patch out on the Harris Avenue Extension near the airport, a hot job on a hot day, and Bill Fraker said yeah, he might have been going a little too fast maybe forty in a thirty-mile-an-hour zone. He was eager to get back to the garage, sign off on the truck, and get behind the wheel of his own F-150, which had air conditioning. Also, the dump truck's brakes, while good enough to pass inspection, were a long way from tip-top condition. Fraker hit them as soon as he saw the Toyota pull out in front of him (he hit his horn, as well), but it was too late. He heard screaming tires his own, and Esther's as she belatedly realized her danger and saw her face for just a mome nt. ‘That was the worst part, somehow,' he told me as we sat on his porch, drinking beers it was October by then, and although the sun was warm on our faces, we were both wearing sweaters. ‘You know how high up you sit in one of those dump trucks? ‘ I nodded. ‘Well, she was looking up to see me craning up, you'd say and the sun was full in her face. I could see how old she was. I remember thinking, ‘Holy shit, she's gonna break like glass if I can't stop.' But old people are tough, more often than not. They can surprise you. I mean, look at how it turned out, both those old biddies still alive, and your wife . . . ‘ He stopped then, bright red color dashing into his cheeks, making him look like a boy who has been laughed at in the schoolyard by girls who have noticed his fly is unzipped. It was comical, but if I'd smiled, it only would have confused him. ‘Mr. Noonan, I'm sorry. My mouth just sort of ran away with me.' ‘It's all right,' I told him. ‘I'm over the worst of it, anyway.' That was a lie, but it put us back on track. ‘Anyway,' he said, ‘we hit. There was a loud bang, and a crumping sound when the driver's side of the car caved in. Breaking glass, too. I was thrown against the wheel hard enough so I couldn't draw a breath without it hurting for a week or more, and I had a big bruise right here.' He drew an arc on his chest just below the collarbones. ‘I banged my head on the windshield hard enough to crack the glass, but all I got up there was a little purple knob . . . no bleeding, not even a headache. My wife says I've just got a naturally thick skull. I saw the woman driving the Toyota, Mrs. Easterling, thrown across the console between the front bucket seats. Then we were finally stopped, all tangled together in the middle of the street, and I got out to see how bad they were. I tell you, I expected to find them both dead.' Neither of them was dead, neither of them was even unconscious, although Mrs. Easterling had three broken ribs and a dislocated hip. Mrs. Deorsey, who had been a seat away from the impact, suffered a concussion when she rapped her head on her window. That was all; she was ‘treated and released at Home Hospital,' as the Derry News always puts it in such cases. My wife, the former Johanna Arlen of Malden, Massachusetts, saw it all from where she stood outside the drugstore, with her purse slung over her shoulder and her prescription bag in one hand. Like Bill Fraker, she must have thought the occupants of the Toyota were either dead or seriously hurt. The sound of the collision had been a hollow, authoritative bang which rolled through the hot afternoon air like a bowling ball down an alley. The sound of breaking glass edged it like jagged lace. The two vehicles were tangled violently together in the middle of Jackson Street, the dirty orange truck looming over the pale-blue import like a bullying parent over a cowering child. Johanna began to sprint across the parking lot toward the street. Others were doing the same all around her. One of them, Miss Jill Dunbarry, had been window-shopping at Radio Shack when the accident occurred. She said she thought she remembered running past Johanna at least she was pretty sure she remembered someone in yellow slacks but she couldn't be sure. By then, Mrs. Easterling was screaming that she was hurt, they were both hurt, wouldn't somebody help her and her friend Irene. Halfway across the parking lot, near a little cluster of newspaper dispensers, my wife fell down. Her purse-strap stayed over her shoulder, but her prescription bag slipped from her hand, and the sinus inhaler slid halfway out. The other item stayed put. No one noticed her lying there by the newspaper dispensers; everyone was focused on the tangled vehicles, the screaming women, the spreading puddle of water and antifreeze from the Public Works truck's ruptured radiator. (‘That's gas!' the clerk from Fast Foto shouted to anyone who would listen. ‘That's gas, watch out she don't blow, fellas!') I suppose one or two of the would-be rescuers might have jumped right over her, perhaps thinking she had fainted. To assume such a thing on a day when the temperature was pushing ninety-five degrees would not have been unreasonable. Roughly two dozen people from the shopping center clustered around the accident; another four dozen or so came running over from Strawford Park, where a baseball game had been going on. I imagine that all the things you would expect to hear in such situations were said, many of them more than once. Milling around. Someone reaching through the misshapen hole which had been the driver's-side window to pat Esther's trembling old hand. People immediately giving way for Joe Wyzer; at such moments anyone in a white coat automatically becomes the belle of the ball. In the distance, the warble of an ambulance siren rising like shaky air over an incinerator. All during this, lying unnoticed in the parking lot, was my wife with her purse still over her shoulder (inside, still wrapped in foil, her uneaten chocolate-marshmallow mouse) and her white prescription bag near one outstretched hand. It was Joe Wyzer, hurrying back to the pharmacy to get a compression bandage for Irene Deorsey's head, who spotted her. He recognized her even though she was lying face-down. He recognized her by her red hair, white blouse, and yellow slacks. He recognized her because he had waited on her not fifteen minutes before. ‘Mrs. Noonan?' he asked, forgetting all about the compression bandage for the dazed but apparently not too badly hurt Irene Deorsey. ‘Mrs. Noonan, are you all right?' Knowing already (or so I suspect; perhaps I am wrong) that she was not. He turned her over. It took both hands to do it, and even then he had to work hard, kneeling and pushing and lifting there in the parking lot with the heat baking down from above and then bouncing back up from the asphalt. Dead people put on weight, it seems to me; both in their flesh and in our minds, they put on weight. There were red marks on her face. When I identified her I could see them clearly even on the video monitor. I started to ask the assistant medical examiner what they were, but then I knew. Late August, hot pavement, elementary, my dear Watson. My wife died getting a sunburn. Wyzer got up, saw that the ambulance had arrived, and ran toward it. He pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed one of the attendants as he got out from behind the wheel. ‘There's a woman over there,' Wyzer said, pointing toward the parking lot. ‘Guy, we've got two women right here, and a man as well,' the attendant said. He tried to pull away, but Wyzer held on. ‘Never mind them right now,' he said. ‘They're basically okay. The woman over there isn't.' The woman over there was dead, and I'm pretty sure Joe Wyzer knew it . . . but he had his priorities straight. Give him that. And he was convincing enough to get both paramedics moving away from the tangle of truck and Toyota, in spite of Esther Easterling's cries of pain and the rumbles of protest from the Greek chorus. When they got to my wife, one of the paramedics was quick to confirm what Joe Wyzer had already suspected. ‘Holy shit,' the other one said. ‘What happened to her?' ‘Heart, most likely,' the first one said. ‘She got excited and it just blew out on her.' But it wasn't her heart. The autopsy revealed a brain aneurysm which she might have been living with, all unknown, for as long as five years. As she sprinted across the parking lot toward the accident, that weak vessel in her cerebral cortex had blown like a tire, drowning her control-centers in blood and killing her. Death had probably not been instantaneous, the assistant medical examiner told me, but it had still come swiftly enough . . . and she wouldn't have suffered. Just one big black nova, all sensation and thought gone even before she hit the pavement. ‘Can I help you in any way, Mr. Noonan?' the assistant ME asked, turning me gently away from the still face and closed eyes on the video monitor. ‘Do you have questions? I'll answer them if I can.' ‘Just one,' I said. I told him what she'd purchased in the drugstore just before she died. Then I asked my question. The days leading up to the funeral and the funeral itself are dreamlike in my memory the clearest memory I have is of eating Jo's chocolate mouse and crying . . . crying mostly, I think, because I knew how soon the taste of it would be gone. I had one other crying fit a few days after we buried her, and I will tell you about that one shortly. I was glad for the arrival of Jo's family, and particularly for the arrival of her oldest brother, Frank. It was Frank Arlen fifty, red-cheeked, portly, and with a head of lush dark hair who organized the arrangements . . . who wound up actually dickering with the funeral director. ‘I can't believe you did that,' I said later, as we sat in a booth at Jack's Pub, drinking beers. ‘He was trying to stick it to you, Mikey,' he said. ‘I hate guys like that.' He reached into his back pocket, brought out a handkerchief, and wiped absently at his cheeks with it. He hadn't broken down none of the Arlens broke down, at least not when I was with them but Frank had leaked steadily all day; he looked like a man suffering from severe conjunctivitis. There had been six Arlen sibs in all, Jo the youngest and the only girl. She had been the pet of her big brothers. I suspect that if I'd had anything to do with her death, the five of them would have torn me apart with their bare hands. As it was, they formed a protective shield around me instead, and that was good. I suppose I might have muddled through without them, but I don't know how. I was thirty-six, remember. You don't expect to have to bury your wife when you're thirty-six and she herself is two years younger. Death was the last thing on our minds. ‘If a guy gets caught taking your stereo out of your car, they call it theft and put him in jail,' Frank said. The Arlens had come from Massachusetts, and I could still hear Malden in Frank's voice caught was coowat, car was cah, call was caul. ‘If the same guy is trying to sell a grieving husband a three-thousand-dollar casket for forty-five hundred dollars, they call it business and ask him to speak at the Rotary Club luncheon. Greedy asshole, I fed him his lunch, didn't I?' ‘Yes. You did.' ‘You okay, Mikey?' ‘I'm okay.' ‘Sincerely okay?' ‘How the fuck should I know?' I asked him, loud enough to turn some heads in a nearby booth. And then: ‘She was pregnant.' His face grew very still. ‘What?' I struggled to keep my voice down. ‘Pregnant. Six or seven weeks, according to the . . . you know, the autopsy. Did you know? Did she tell you?' ‘No! Christ, no!' But there was a funny look on his face, as if she had told him something. ‘I knew you were trying, of course . . . she said you had a low sperm count and it might take a little while, but the doctor thought you guys'd probably . . . sooner or later you'd probably . . . ‘ He trailed off, looking down at his hands. ‘They can tell that, huh? They check for that?' ‘They can tell. As for checking, I don't know if they do it automatically or not. I asked.' ‘Why?' ‘She didn't just buy sinus medicine before she died. She also bought one of those home pregnancy-testing kits.' ‘You had no idea? No clue?' I shook my head. He reached across the table and squeezed my shoulder. ‘She wanted to be sure, that's all. You know that, don't you?' A refill on my sinus medicine and a piece of fish, she'd said. Looking like always. A woman off to run a couple of errands. We had been trying to have a kid for eight years, but she had looked just like always. ‘Sure,' I said, patting Frank's hand. ‘Sure, big guy. I know.' It was the Arlens led by Frank who handled Johanna's send off. As the writer of the family, I was assigned the obituary. My brother came up from Virginia with my mom and my aunt and was allowed to tend the guest-book at the viewings. My mother almost completely ga-ga at the age of sixty-six, although the doctors refused to call it Alzheimer's lived in Memphis with her sister, two years younger and only slightly less wonky. They were in charge of cutting the cake and the pies at the funeral reception. Everything else was arranged by the Arlens, from the viewing hours to the components of the funeral ceremony. Frank and Victor, the second-youngest brother, spoke brief tributes. Jo's dad offered a prayer for his daughter's soul. And at the end, Pete Breedlove, the boy who cut our grass in the summer and raked our yard in the fall, brought everyone to tears by singing ‘Blessed Assurance,' which Frank said had been Jo's favorite hymn as a girl. How Frank found Pete and persuaded him to sing at the funeral is something I never found out. We got through it the afternoon and evening viewings on Tuesday, the funeral service on Wednesday morning, then the little pray-over at Fairlawn Cemetery. What I remember most was thinking how hot it was, how lost I felt without having Jo to talk to, and that I wished I had bought a new pair of shoes. Jo would have pestered me to death about the ones I was wearing, if she had been there. Later on I talked to my brother, Sid, told him we had to do something about our mother and Aunt Francine before the two of them disappeared completely into the Twilight Zone. They were too young for a nursing home; what did Sid advise? He advised something, but I'll be damned if I know what it was. I agreed to it, I remember that, but not what it was. Later that day, Siddy, our mom, and our aunt climbed back into Siddy's rental car for the drive to Boston, where they would spend the night and then grab the Southern Crescent the following day. My brother is happy enough to chaperone the old folks, but he doesn't fly, even if the tickets are on me. He claims there are no breakdown lanes in the sky if the engine quits. Most of the Arlens left the next day. Once more it was dog-hot, the sun glaring out of a white-haze sky and lying on everything like melted brass. They stood in front of our house which had become solely my house' by then with three taxis lined up at the curb behind them, big galoots hugging one another amid the litter of tote-bags and saying their goodbyes in those foggy Massachusetts accents. Frank stayed another day. We picked a big bunch of flowers behind the house not those ghastly-smelling hothouse things whose aroma I always associate with death and organ-music but real flowers, the kind Jo liked best and stuck them in a couple of coffee cans I found in the back pantry. We went out to Fairlawn and put them on the new grave. Then we just sat there for awhile under the beating sun. ‘She was always just the sweetest thing in my life,' Frank said at last in a strange, muffled voice. ‘We took care of Jo when we were kids. Us guys. No one messed with Jo, I'll tell you. Anyone tried, we'd feed em their lunch.' ‘She told me a lot of stories.' ‘Good ones?' ‘Yeah, real good.' ‘I'm going to miss her so much.' ‘Me, too,' I said. ‘Frank . . . listen . . . I know you were her favorite brother. She never called you, maybe just to say that she missed a period or was feeling whoopsy in the morning? You can tell me. I won't be pissed.' ‘But she didn't. Honest to God. Was she whoopsy in the morning?' ‘Not that I saw.' And that was just it. I hadn't seen anything. Of course I'd been writing, and when I write I pretty much trance out. But she knew where I went in those trances. She could have found me and shaken me fully awake. Why hadn't she? Why would she hide good news? Not wanting to tell me until she was sure was plausible . . . but it somehow wasn't Jo. ‘Was it a boy or a girl?' he asked. ‘A girl.' We'd had names picked out and waiting for most of our marriage. A boy would have been Andrew. Our daughter would have been Kia. Kia Jane Noonan. Frank, divorced six years and on his own, had been staying with me. On our way back to the house he said, ‘I worry about you, Mikey. You haven't got much family to fall back on at a time like this, and what you do have is far away.' ‘I'll be all right,' I said. He nodded. ‘That's what we say, anyway, isn't it?' ‘We?' ‘Guys. I'll be all right.' And if we're not, we try to make sure no one knows it.' He looked at me, eyes still leaking, handkerchief in one big sunburned hand. ‘If you're not all right, Mikey, and you don't want to call your brother I saw the way you looked at him let me be your brother. For Jo's sake if not your own.' ‘Okay,' I said, respecting and appreciating the offer, also knowing I would do no such thing. I don't call people for help. It's not because of the way I was raised, at least I don't think so; it's the way I was made. Johanna once said that if I was drowning at Dark Score Lake, where we have a summer home, I would die silently fifty feet out from the public beach rather than yell for help. It's not a question of love or affection. I can give those and I can take them. I feel pain like anyone else. I need to touch and be touched. But if someone asks me, ‘Are you all right?' I can't answer no. I can't say help me. A couple of hours later Frank left for the southern end of the state. When he opened the car door, I was touched to see that the taped book he was listening to was one of mine. He hugged me, then surprised me with a kiss on the mouth, a good hard smack. ‘If you need to talk, call,' he said. ‘And if you need to be with someone, just come.' I nodded. ‘And be careful.' That startled me. The combination of heat and grief had made me feel as if I had been living in a dream for the last few days, but that got through. ‘Careful of what?' ‘I don't know,' he said. ‘I don't know, Mikey.' Then he got into his car he was so big and it was so little that he looked as if he were wearing it and drove away. The sun was going down by then. Do you know how the sun looks at the end of a hot day in August, all orange and somehow squashed, as if an invisible hand were pushing down on the top of it and at any moment it might just pop like an overfilled mosquito and splatter all over the horizon? It was like that. In the east, where it was already dark, thunder was rumbling. But there was no rain that night, only a dark that came down as thick and stifling as a blanket. All the same, I slipped in front of the word processor and wrote for an hour or so. It went pretty well, as I remember. And you know, even when it doesn't, it passes the time. My second crying fit came three or four days after the funeral. That sense of being in a dream persisted I walked, I talked, I answered the phone, I worked on my book, which had been about eighty percent complete when Jo died but all the time there was this clear sense of disconnection, a feeling that everything was going on at a distance from the real me, that I was more or less phoning it in. Denise Breedlove, Pete's mother, called and asked if I wouldn't like her to bring a couple of her friends over one day the following week and give the big old Edwardian pile I now lived in alone rolling around in it like the last pea in a restaurant-sized can a good stem-to-stern cleaning. They would do it, she said, for a hundred dollars split even among the three of them, and mostly because it wasn't good for me to go on without it. There had to be a scrubbing after a death, she said, even if the death didn't happen in the house itself. I told her it was a fine idea, but I would pay her and the women she brought a hundred dollars each for six hours' work. At the end of the six hours, I wanted the job done. And if it wasn't, I told her, it would be done, anyway. ‘Mr. Noonan, that's far too much,' she said. ‘Maybe and maybe not, but it's what I'm paying,' I said. ‘Will you do it?' She said she would, of course she would. Perhaps predictably, I found myself going through the house on the evening before they came, doing a pre-cleaning inspection. I guess I didn't want the women (two of whom would be complete strangers to me) finding anything that would embarrass them or me: a pair of Johanna's silk panties stuffed down behind the sofa cushions, perhaps (‘We are often overcome on the sofa, Michael,' she said to me once, ‘have you noticed?'), or beer cans under the loveseat on the sunporch, maybe even an unflushed toilet. In truth, I can't tell you any one thing I was looking for; that sense of operating in a dream still held firm control over my mind. The clearest thoughts I had during those days were either about the end of the novel I was writing (the psychotic killer had lured my heroine to a high-rise building and meant to push her off the roof) or about the Norco Home Pregnancy Test Jo had bought on the day she died. Sinus prescription, she had said. Piece of fish for supper, she had sa id. And her eyes had shown me nothing else I needed to look at twice. Near the end of my ‘pre-cleaning,' I looked under our bed and saw an open paperback on Jo's side. She hadn't been dead long, but few household lands are so dusty as the Kingdom of Underbed, and the light-gray coating I saw on the book when I brought it out made me think of Johanna's face and hands in her coffin Jo in the Kingdom of Underground. Did it get dusty inside a coffin? Surely not, but I pushed the thought away. It pretended to go, but all day long it kept creeping back, like Tolstoy's white bear. Johanna and I had both been English majors at the University of Maine, and like many others, I reckon, we fell in love to the sound of Shakespeare and the Tilbury Town cynicism of Edwin Arlington Robinson. Yet the writer who had bound us closest together was no college-friendly poet or essayist but W. Somerset Maugham, that elderly globetrotting novelist-playwright with the reptile's face (always obscured by cigarette smoke in his photographs, it seems) and the romantic's heart. So it did not surprise me much to find that the book under the bed was The Moon and Sixpence. I had read it myself as a late teenager, not once but twice, identifying passionately with the character of Charles Strickland. (It was writing I wanted to do in the South Seas, of course, not painting.) She had been using a playing card from some defunct deck as her place-marker, and as I opened the book, I thought of something she had said when I was first getting to know her. In Twentieth-Century British Lit, this had been, probably in 1980. Johanna Arlen had been a fiery little sophomore. I was a senior, picking up the Twentieth-Century Brits simply because I had time on my hands that last semester. ‘A hundred years from now,' she had said, ‘the shame of the mid-twentieth-century literary critics will be that they embraced Lawrence and ignored Maugham.' This was greeted with contemptuously good-natured laughter (they all knew Women in Love was one of the greatest damn books ever written), but I didn't laugh. I fell in love. The playing card marked pages 102 and 103 Dirk Stroeve has just discovered that his wife has left him for Strickland, Maugham's version of Paul Gauguin. The narrator tries to buck Stroeve up. My dear fellow, don't be unhappy. She'll come back . . . ‘Easy for you to say,' I murmured to the room which now belonged just to me. I turned the page and read this: Strickland's injurious calm robbed Stroeve of his self-control Blind rage seized him, and without knowing what he was doing he flung himself on Strickland. Strickland was taken by surprise and he staggered, but he was very strong, even after his illness, and in a moment, he did not exactly know how, Stroeve found himself on the floor. ‘You funny little man,' said Strickland. It occurred to me that Jo was never going to turn the page and hear Strickland call the pathetic Stroeve a funny little man. In a moment of brilliant epiphany I have never forgotten how could I? it was one of the worst moments of my life I understood it wasn't a mistake that would be rectified, or a dream from which I would awaken. Johanna was dead. My strength was robbed by grief. If the bed hadn't been there, I would have fallen to the floor. We weep from our eyes, it's all we can do, but on that evening I felt as if every pore of my body were weeping, every crack and cranny. I sat there on her side of the bed, with her dusty paperback copy of The Moon and Sixpence in my hand, and I wailed. I think it was surprise as much as pain; in spite of the corpse I had seen and identified on a high-resolution video monitor, in spite of the funeral and Pete Breedlove singing ‘Blessed Assurance' in his high, sweet tenor voice, in spite of the graveside service with its ashes to ashes and dust to dust, I hadn't really believed it. The Penguin paperback did for me what the big gray coffin had not: it insisted she was dead. You funny little man, said Strickland. I lay back on our bed, crossed my forearms over my face, and cried myself to sleep that way as children do when they're unhappy. I had an awful dream. In it I woke up, saw the paperback of The Moon and Sixpence still lying on the coverlet beside me, and decided to put it back under the bed where I had found it. You know how confused dreams are logic like Dal clocks gone so soft they lie over the branches of trees like throw-rugs. I put the playing-card bookmark back between pages 102 and 103 a turn of the index finger away from You funny little man, said Strickland now and forever and rolled onto my side, hanging my head over the edge of the bed, meaning to put the book back exactly where I had found it. Jo was lying there amid the dust-kitties. A strand of cobweb hung down from the bottom of the box spring and caressed her cheek like a feather. Her red hair looked dull, but her eyes were dark and alert and baleful in her white face. And when she spoke, I knew that death had driven her insane. ‘Give me that,' she hissed. ‘It's my dust-catcher.' She snatched it out of my hand before I could offer it to her. For a moment our fingers touched, and hers were as cold as twigs after a frost. She opened the book to her place, the playing card fluttering out, and placed Somerset Maugham over her face a shroud of words. As she crossed her hands on her bosom and lay still, I realized she was wearing the blue dress I had buried her in. She had come out of her grave to hide under our bed. I awoke with a muffled cry and a painful jerk that almost tumbled me off the side of the bed. I hadn't been asleep long the tears were still damp on my cheeks, and my eyelids had that funny stretched feel they get after a bout of weeping. The dream had been so vivid that I had to roll on my side, hang my head down, and peer under the bed, sure she would be there with the book over her face, that she would reach out with her cold fingers to touch me. There was nothing there, of course dreams are just dreams. Nevertheless, I spent the rest of the night on the couch in my study. It was the right choice, I guess, because there were no more dreams that night. Only the nothingness of good sleep.

Edipo Rey, y La Metamorfosis essays

Edipo Rey, y La Metamorfosis essays Las tragedias de Edipo Rey, y La Metamorfosis tienen diferencias en cuanto a las situaciones, el tiempo y muchas cosas tcnicas, pero en general, estas dos historias tienen un tema muy parecido al de cada uno. La Metamorfosis, habla sobre un joven llamado Gregorio Samsa, que es adicto al trabajo, y en una de esas mandole sus oportunidades, y lo convierte en algo insignificante a la sociedad, y finalmente lo distancia de su familia. Gregorio se preocupaba mucho de su familia en muchas maneras pero especialmente econmicamente, el trabajo le era muy importante. La historia de Edipo Rey, cuenta sobre el anticipado destino trgico de una familia. El padre de Edipo, Layo, recurre a un orculo y este le cuenta sobre su futuro. Le dice que su hijo lo iba a matar a el, y se casarà ­a con su madre (Yocasta). Layo trata de deshacerse de su hijo, pero termina crindose en otra familia, que le cuenta sobre su destino. Edipo se escapa de ellos y trata de huir de su futura vida, pero al final lo que dice el orculo se hace realidad. Al final Yocasta se suicida, y Edipo se saca los ojos y se destierra. Gregorio y Edipo son dos protagonistas que tratan de huir su propia existencia trgica e incambiable, al darse por vencidos, sufriendo el castigo mas grande de cada sociedad. Los dos personajes en su forma de ser son muy similares. Gregorio era un muy buen hijo, y soportaba a la familia. Se preocupaba ms que cualquier otro sobre el estado econmico, e iba a trabajar en mayorà ­a por ellos. Edipo tambin mantenà ­a a la familia que lo adopto y era muy bueno con ellos. Son muy dedicados al trabajo y al deber, saben lo que tienen que hacer para mantener una vida estable. Los dos le tienen un temor que esta muy cerca de ellos y que no quieren que pase. Gregorio...

Literary Research Paper Writing Prompts

Literary Research Paper Writing Prompts Literary Research Paper Writing Prompts Literary researches, though given not too much attention by many tutors and professors, form he greater part of the students’ writing assignments. To master the skills needed to conduct good literary researches, students need to be diligent and attentive to details. There are several important aspects which are to be constantly considered when composing a literary research. The present article would address them attempting t help students gain more knowledge on literary research writing. The foremost skills to be mastered when composing a literary research concerns proper choosing of the bibliographical sources. It is not a secret that the sources selected for this or that academic paper are to be credible and scientific, true and not out-dated. Thus, to select a literature source during the literary research, the student needs to pay attention to the author and volume of publication of this or that sources, as well as the publishing house and date. If all of these pieces of information seem credible and worth attention, then the student may proceed with referencing this or that work. What is more, the student should have knowledge on comparing the peer reviewed articles from those which are not. It is crucial for some academic papers to be citing only the peer reviewed sources, and many students find it difficult to distinguish between those. So, information and credible sources seeking is the foremost stage of every literary research written by a student. Another important step in composing a literary research concerns critical evaluating of this or that information found during the first phase of writing. The information presented in the literary sources, and in the Internet as well, may not always be true, and students blindly relying on it may sacrifice their academic reputation. Sometimes, they fail to prove the facts to be included into the research and thus, their paper could not be considered good as well. Students need to have the critical thinking skills as well as ability to apply the appropriate analyzing principles to identity if the given study is relevant, unbiased and valued for the further literary research. This is the skills which could not be grasped immediately, it usually takes long time before it is mastered. If you feel that you are not yet as good in literary research composing, as you’d desired to, you may always contact the customer paper writing agencies online for the help. The team of freelance writers working in such companies would help you define the credible sources for the literary research, as well as do the first step in composing of this academic assignment. Thus, their helping hand would be really of great value to such students who are not very familiar with the rules and procedures of literary research composing. At you can a great opportunity to buy research paper online, 100% custom written from scratch. Our experts will provide you with professional literary research paper writing assistance!

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Inputs of Industrial Services of America - Research Paper Example Besides, all these essentials are interconnected. As such, they must work together, and a change in one must result in the subsequent change in rest, for the model to be effective (Burke, 2010). According to the pioneers of the model, the first input of an organization is the environment. This entails the external factors of an organization, having significant implications on a firm’s ultimate achievement. The model deems the environment transformation to be having a significant compulsion to an organization’s definitive transformation (Burke, 2010). The model is anchored in the principle that the organization is an open structure, where the outside surroundings have significant impacts on its subsystems. Additionally, the firm ought to apply environment change to review the changes within an organization. The next input of the model is resources. According to Nadler and Tushman, an organization acquires inputs from within and externally to the firm, and then changes th em into outputs. The output may comprise of the firm’s actions, performance, as well as its behavior. Additionally, these occur at the individual, group, and wholesome stage. As such, if an organization is performing below the set objectives, it ought to review its resources. These resources may include capital and information, along with others (Burke, 2010). A firm’s history is also essential for the success of a firm. Various firms substantially rely on their history for success. Companies with well-known products usually possess a niche over their rivals. However, a firm’s history may be detrimental to their objective achievement, since their competitors may use it to their advantage. This may be through counterfeit and... Various organizations face numerous crises in their endeavor to attain their set objectives. Therefore, there is a dire need for organizational transformation in order to keep these organizations on track and realize their initial purpose.Various organization experts have developed models to aid organizations in implementing organizational transformation. Nadler and Tushman together pioneered in the development of an Organization Diagnosis model identified as Nadler-Tushman Congruence model. This model is helpful, since firms employ it in improving an organization’s efficiency, and consequently, promoting the revenue accrual. The model also aids in determining the consequences of transforming an organization. Besides, it is critical to assess the nature and intensity of the predicaments an organization encounters prior to employing the model. The model also highlights the consequence of evaluating an organization before implementing changes in an organization. Besides, approac hes of organizational modification that worked elsewhere may not work within another organization. This has been the case of many organizations, where a new management staff employs an organization plan that worked in their earlier firms. This produces devastating results, since the predicaments facing their new company are dissimilar to the ones facing their former companies. Organizations encounter several challenges in their pursuit of set goals. These challenges may include competition, counterfeit and brand disputes among others.

Analysis Of The Novel The Killer Angels History Essay

Analysis Of The Novel The Killer Angels History Essay The Killer Angels is a historical novel that was authored by Michael Shaara in 1974. The novel is on a narration of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg that took place during the American Civil War. The story is centered on the period between June 30, 1963 when both the Union and the Confederacy soldiers prepare for battle around the town of Gettysburg and the 1st to 3rd of July 1973 when the battle takes place. The novel commences with Harrison, Longstreets spy gathering information on the movement and positioning of the Federal soldiers. Each day of in the novel is narrated from the perspective of the generals from the two sides; James Longstreet and Robert E. Lee on the Confederacys side and John Buford and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain on the Unions side. Michael Shaara narrates the story of Gettysburg, which is among the largest battles in North Americas history to establish the causes of the Civil War. Additionally, he tries to establish the motivations, which led to long-estab lished friends facing each other in battle. Michael Shaara wrote the novel to bring out the significance of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. He provides an accurate account of the events of the Gettysburg War. In the introduction letter that he writes to the reader, Shaara states that he utilized primary sources in writing the books and he did not make any significant alterations in the facts about the War. He aims at bringing this significant part of the American history to life. In the entire novel, the author attempts to portray the both sides of the War without any bias and to highlight the real causes of the War. Shaara uses Harrison, a spy who was hired by General Longstreet to investigate on the actions of the Union forces. This ensures that he remains neutral in his narration of the War. Thus, it can be argued that Michael Shaara was motivated by the urge to bring out the unbiased facts about the Gettysburg War, the real issues that led to the War, and the significance of the War to Americas history. James Longstreet and Robert E. Lees are significant characters in the storys narration. The two are Confederacy soldiers, they trust each other, and they are concerned with the safety of the other. However, they hold varying opinions and tactics about the war. Lee possesses excellent tactical skills though his conventional policies are often in conflict with Longstreets more futurist policies. Lee is a Confederacy general who issues directives from the defensive position. Shaara depicts Lee as wise elderly man who is aware of the fact that his career is almost ending. Lee holds to his conventional ideas of war; however, he appreciates the significance of Longstreets innovative ideas on the war. Lee is an inspiration of the soldiers in the War. He inspires even the wounded soldiers who drag themselves from the Picketts Charge and they beg to be allowed to return to the War. His presence in the War maintains the morale of the Confederacy soldiers. However, his confidence in the soldier s leads to his overestimation of the soldiers might in the War and results in a disaster at Picketts Charge. Lee is depicted as a gentleman, a religious, patient, and a man of honor without vices. He is optimistic and idealistic and believes that his men are capable of doing anything. He is soft-spoken and caring to his men; however, he boldly uses his men and is ready to loose them for a worthy cause. He adopts a religious stand in the war; God is responsible for all the events in the war. Lee is portrayed as a risk taker; he takes risky and daring decisions and is often breaking rules if time is against him. Lee is easily contrasted with Longstreet, a moody man of deep emotions and strong opinions. Longstreet is full of anger and hatred of the War. He believes that the War is a mistake and contests Lees offensive approach. Longstreet prefers establishing a strong defensive position and letting the enemy come to him. He is not portrayed as a coward, but he basis his decisions on the War on the several years of his experience in the army. He is depicted as a total soldier who is devoted to no other cause other than victory in the War. Furthermore, he employs newer approaches in the War compared to Lees conventional approaches and is pained by the death of the soldiers. Thus, contrasting the two generals and their strategies in the War depict that Longstreet was a more superior general with better tactics in the War. Lees tactics were responsible for the death of many soldiers and the eventual loss of the War by the Confederacy. Lastly, Gettysburg played a significant role in the Civil War. The Gettysburg is depicted as a significant part in Americas history. Prior to the Gettysburg War, the Confederacy had won a significant number of wars. However, Gettysburg acted as a turning point for the course of the Civil War. At Gettysburg, the Union gained their first victory in the War. Consequently, they gained momentum in the War and won all the subsequent wars. The Gettysburg War depleted the two sides reserves for the War; it significantly decreased their ammunition and number of soldiers. The North had double, the number of soldiers as the South; additionally, it was more industrialized compared to the South. Thus, the North eventually lost the War due to the lack of resources. This contrasted any other war that had been fought prior to the Gettysburg War.