Thursday, December 26, 2019

Bonuses Can Backfire - 1436 Words

Case Incident 3 Bonuses Can BackFire. Question 1 In a competitive business climate, more business owners are looking at improvements in quality while reducing costs. Meanwhile, a strong economy has resulted in a tight job market. So while small businesses need to get more from their employees, their employees are looking for more out of them. Employee reward and recognition programs are one method of motivating employees to change work habits and key behaviors to benefit a small business. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, reward and recognition systems should be considered separately. Employee reward systems refer to programs set up by a company to reward performance and motivate employees on individual and/or group†¦show more content†¦Likewise, if quality is an important issue for an entrepreneur, the reward system that he or she designs should not emphasize rewarding the quantity of work accomplished by a business unit. Case Discussion 4 Question 1 * Relax – People will sense your genuineness and casualness, and theyll respond accordingly. Stiff, formal conversation will probably lead to equally rigid responses. * Listen and observe more than you talk – Use active listening with your staff. When people feel youre hearing them, youll probably seem more sincere. Read some pointers on active listening. * Ask for feedback and ideas – Let everyone know that you want ideas to make things better. As the boss, people may think that your opinions and ideas are right. So hold back from saying what you think – the goal is to see what others have to say. * Wander around equally – Dont spend more time in one department or section than another. And dont always talk to the same people or to people with certain ranks. You want to be approachable to everyone, regardless of job title or position. * Use the time for spontaneous recognition – If you see something good, compliment the person. Thi s is a perfect way to show your gratitude. * Hold meetings out and about – Instead of having all your meetings in the boardroom or your office, meet with people in their work areasShow MoreRelatedHow Do Corporations Achieve Effective Management?1134 Words   |  5 Pagesphysiological needs of its employees by setting an average salary of $108,483, which basically can ensure survival† (Management). Furthermore, Apple provides â€Å"a wide range of applications to protect the safety needs of workers, such as the development of health and safety standards, training more employees to identify hazards, providing safety equipment or offering subsidies and bonuses† (Ibid). From this it can be seen that Apple applies extrinsic motivational methods to motivate its staff by offeringRead MoreAnalysis Of Elizabeth Grammar On Job Redesign1064 Words   |  5 Pagescorrect unnecessary steps, and consequently make his job more efficient and effective. This tool helps as a moti vator that leads to higher employee satisfaction since the subject feels more in control of his job. Nevertheless, job enrichment can also backfire because employees will not see the correlation between earning more duties, and not earning more money (Carpenter, M., Taylor, B., Erdogan, B., 2009). In Layman’s case study, the job enrichment principles are present first in recognizing thatRead MoreMotivational Methods1155 Words   |  5 Pagesworkplace so it would be great to implement those goals into the workplace. To make these goals a reality the employer or leader of the team can offer incentives such as bonuses or special lunches. In order to build the team successfully proper leadership is important; however the team members should still have some sort of independence so that the team can operate effectively on its own. According to www.HumanResource.about.com, there are 12 Cs for team building; one of the twelve C’s is cultureRead MoreEssay about A Role of Ethics and Social Responsibilities in Management.1153 Words   |  5 PagesA Role of Ethics and Social Responsibilities in Management. Ethics can be defined as a process of evaluating actions according to moral principal of values(A.Alhemoud). Throughout the centuries people were trying to choose between profit and moral. Perhaps, some of them obtain both, but every time it could have roused ethical issues. Those issues concern fairness, justice, rightness or wrongness; as a result it can only be resolved according to ethical standards. Setting the ethical standardsRead MoreThe Average Cost Of Tuition1730 Words   |  7 Pagesthe institution s main website and magazine. More than three quarters are also responsible for advertising, market research, video production, and student recruitment communications† (Goldsmith). It is believed that the amount spent on advertising can forecast a rise in tuition. â€Å"Some experts on the economics of higher education also warn that marketing contributes to the continuing rise in college costs†¦colleges that spend more money on marketing are building in a layer of cost that would not otherwiseRead MoreApplication Of Game Thinking On Non Game Contexts1494 Words   |  6 Pagesloyalty? And how can we use it retain more customers? Why Gamify Customer Retention? Gamification is the â€Å"application of game-thinking in non-game contexts.† We simply borrow the mechanics of traditional games and apply them to uncommon concepts, like customer retention. Acquiring new customers is expensive. So, reducing customer churn can greatly impact your company’s financial health. A study in the Harvard Business Review noted that increasing customer retention by 5% can generate a 25%-95%Read MoreEssay on Student: Woodrow Wilson and Federal Government Jobs1461 Words   |  6 PagesPresident Garfield’s assassination? (One point) Pendleton Act, which meant that the federal government jobs were to be given based on superiority and throughout examination. What was meant by â€Å"Rum, Romanism and Rebellion†? Why did this comment backfire on Republicans? (Three Points) comment made by Samuel Burchard, a protestant minister, that the Democratic part was Rum,Romanism and rebellion. This comment singled out mostly Irish Catholic men and created a stereotype and this pissed off the CatholicRead MoreHow Bad Is Favoritism in the Workplace?1809 Words   |  7 Pagesharmony is endangered and team work is practically impossible. Worse, your worry that such preferential treatment of some co-workers may even translate to higher pay, bonuses and better career opportunities, may not be misplaced. By not treating everyone equally, a manager is fostering a sense of resentment and separation that can de-motivate employees and damage team unity. Also, by focusing attention on particular employees, it is easy to overlook growth opportunities and unique skill sets offeredRead MoreWill an Acquisition Help or Hinder Your Business? Essay1748 Words   |  7 Pagesprofitability of your business overnight. It might allow you to take advantage of new economies of scale , or move into new areas. You might be able to acquire a bigger and better customer base, or strengthen your management team. But an acquisition can also bring problems, draining financial and management resources from your original business. You need to work out whether the acquisition will add value to your business, after making realistic allowances for all the hidden costs. To be successfulRead MorePerformance-Related Pay Essay examples1993 Words   |  8 Pagesindividuals which are also in line with organisational goals to make sure incentive plans work effectively. Numerous researches have been conducted regarding the issue of the effectiveness of incentive plans. Some management experts suggested that incentives can be a powerful tool to motivate employees (Bennett, 1993) and Vroom’s (1964) expectancy theory indicated that pay for performance provides a direct and explicit link between performance and outcome, which fixed salary compensation does not. However,

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Essay on The Geranium and Judgment Day - 2602 Words

Flannery O’Connor’s short-story work occurred during the 1950s and 1960s, a time in which race caused significant tensions among Americans. Raised in the south, Flannery grew up in an atmosphere of overt racism and Catholic fervor. Both of these influences affected the way she wrote. Flannery OConnor conveyed both her moral and religious values in her writing, and she consistently wrote about religion and race within this narrow perspective. â€Å"Many of my ardent admirers would be roundly shocked and disturbed if they realized that everything I believe is thoroughly moral, thoroughly Catholic, and that it is these beliefs that give my work its chief characteristics† (OConnor Habit 147–8).She showed this narrowness repeatedly by her†¦show more content†¦While the setting of â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge† occurs on a bus in the south, and most of the story’s hostility occurs because the bus is integrated, the social norm s only a few months prior to the story were drastically different. â€Å"The Artificial Nigger† is also full of race-related issues. Over the years of her life, O’Connor continued to employ race and moral themes in her writing. In writing â€Å"The Geranium,† she started with a white southern man who did not want to be in New York because of the integration, but who ends up being helped by a black man when he falls. By the time she finished the story, however, she ended up with a totally opposite storyline: a white southern man in New York tries to befriend a black man and ends up having a stroke and falling down the stairs to his death. At first writing, Flannery OConnor characterized the white southerner as racist. But when she learned that she was going to die from lupus, her views on how racism played out on both sides of the fence became less one-sided. Both blacks and whites, she seemed to surmise, had similar issues with integration. There were people, both black and white, who might be against integration, but who also might find unexpectedShow MoreRelatedA Letter to His Parent by Jose Rizal4 223 Words   |  17 PagesSoil 14. Platinum 15. copper SOCIAL STUDIES Match column A with column B write the letters of the correct answer. 1. November a. Feast of Penafrancia 2. May b. Lenten season Holyweek 3. September c. All saints day 4. December d. Santacruzan 5. March or april e. Christmas 6. January f. Sinulog Arrange the Lenten celebration in order. Write the number 1-5 on the blank. A. Pabasa B. Palm Sunday C. Easter Sunday D. BlackRead More Sexism, Prejudice, and Racism in Lees To Kill A Mockingbird2051 Words   |  9 Pageseyes of a young girl and follows her through the experience of childhood growing up in the racist, prejudice, and sexist south during the great depression. This serves as a platform for the guidance of her father, who she looks up too, to combat the judgment of others (Shakleford). Both black men and women are not allowed on the ground floor and are restricted to the balcony. Also women as well as blacks do not serve on juries (Shakleford). This serves as an obvious visual example of the sexist ways

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

In The Two Articles, Heloisa Sabin And Peggy Carlson Argued On The Iss Essay Example For Students

In The Two Articles, Heloisa Sabin And Peggy Carlson Argued On The Iss Essay ue about animal testing. There does not seem to be any agreement between the two writers, while there is an obvious disagreement between them. Sabin agrees to Animal Testing: ?Animal research saves human lives? but Carlson disagrees: ?Animal tests are unreliable?. Animal testing is quite an arguable topic in the world. In Sabins article, she stated the example of her husband using polio vaccine as her persuasion as he was one that benefited a lot from the outcome of animal testing. Her husband, Albert Sabin, inventor of oral polio vaccine, told a reporter before his death in 1993, ?There could have been no oral polio vaccine without the use of innumerable animals, a very large number of animals.?(Sabin) Sabin shows that polio has been eradicated in Western Hemisphere in about forty years after the polio vaccine was introduced to United State. She truly believes that the polio vaccine saves the world from the fear of the polio, therefore she repeatedly reference to ?reality? to help her in persuading readers that animal testing is in fact an advantage. Since she shows that the information she pointed out was from the reality, not just something she made up, this makes readers easier to believe in her point of view. As can be expected, Carlsons disagreement with Sabin about animal testing leads her to a dramatically different point of view as well. In Carlsons article, she provides the information about how inaccurate animal testing are to support her point of view.?Nearly everything that medicine has learned about what substances cause human cancer and birth defects has come from human clinical and epidemiological studies because animal experiments do not accurately predict what occurs in humans.?(Carlson) Carlson uses cancer and birth defects as an example to disagree with Sabins example of her husband using polio vaccine. ?It was unfortunate that the original polio vaccine was produced using monkey calls instead of available human cells as can be done today.?(Carlson) Carlson pointed this out because this sentence tells us that the medicine available today may be created or experimented on a non-human being. Using substances from animals other than human to produce medicine for human may resu lt in serious disease. Sabin pointed out the story about her husband benefited from the polio research; thus she thinks animal testing can save human lives. In contrary, Carlson pointed out the animal testing done in the past could be done on human nowadays; thus she thinks animal testing is unnecessary. And she does not believe the polio vaccine example can justify that it is worth to spend billion dollars and thirty million animals for the animal experimentation. In the article, Sabin used her husband, Albert, as an example to persuade people to agree with her in her article. Although writing only one example can make readers concentrate on how well her persuasion is, having more examples can let readers know animal research really saves human lives. Sabin only listed one example in her argument, so I think Carlson did refuse all the argument in Sabins article. In Carlsons article, the point about smoking cannot be tested on animals seemed most persuasive to me. But comparing to the article that Sabin wr ote, Carlson seems to have lesser support for her argument, and this article might not be persuasive to some people. Sabin makes strong emotional appeals in her article. This plays a really large part in her persuasion. Since most reader usually drives by emotional articles, this help a lot in making readers to think what Sabin said was really trustworthy. Carlson does not appeal to the emotion of the readers while she only stated her points one by one. When reading that article, I felt that it is only a report on why animal testing needs to be abandoned. It might not be easy for some readers to agree with the author in spite of the fact that she tried hard to persuade. .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 , .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .postImageUrl , .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 , .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:hover , .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:visited , .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:active { border:0!important; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:active , .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04 .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc0b17a6060e20eae00ded3a19d2ecd04:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain Green K EssayIn conclusion, the disagreement between Sabin and Carlson on animal testing could appeal to different people. To accept Sabin, one would have to believe that if there were no animal testing, a lot of human would have died because of the polio disease. By using some animals, researchers could find out the way to save human lives that this is the best result to see. To accept Carlson, one would have to understand the problem that animals cannot be tested on every kind of newly researched medicine. It is because some of the tasks cannot be done on animals. For example, cigarettes cannot be tested on animals, as they do n ot know how to smoke.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Top MBA Online Programs Essay Example

Top MBA Online Programs Essay The 2012 QS Distance Online MBA Rankings  Ã‚  is  the first and only report that ranks accredited online, distance and hybrid MBA programs offered by the worlds top business schools.   Designed by  QS Intelligence Unit, world educational leaders, the report is based on the most rigorous quantitative ranking system to date, empowering you with a reliable analysis of reputable online MBA programs. Not All Online MBA Programs are Created Equal The digital revolution has brought forth new educational opportunities as well as the explosion of numerous  questionable  for-profit online MBA programs. Most MBA applicants neither have the time nor preparation to   successfully weed through the numerous options that exist. The online MBA program ranking system was designed to help you pick the right online MBA program for you by looking at those factors deemed most important when deciding between programs. They include: We will write a custom essay sample on Top MBA Online Programs specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Top MBA Online Programs specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Top MBA Online Programs specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer * Employability                      * Student Quality               * Diversity* Faculty and Teaching      * Class Experience            * Accreditation Schools included in the ranking had to be accredited by one of the three main MBA accreditation organizations; be established, with at least one graduating class; and be recognized by at least one of the MBA employers included in the  QS Global Employer Survey.  Ã‚  The report was developed in direct response to the increasing popularity of  Ã‚  distance learning and online MBA programs. 15. Arizona State University 14. University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) 13. Robert Gordon University 12. University of Reading 11. Drexel University 10. Temple University 9. Penn State University 8. Euro MBA 7. Durham University 6. Imperial College 5. Indiana University 4. Thunderbird School of Global Management 3. Manchester University 2. University of Warwick 1. IE Business School

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Declaration of Independnce essays

The Declaration of Independnce essays The Declaration of Independence is arguably the most well known document in the United States history if not world history. It marked the beginning of an insurrection that gave birth to one of the strongest and youngest countries in the world. The committee that collaborated on The Declaration laid down the foundation for a new government of democracy and freedom. Those that contributed to knew that the document was to change the history of the colonies forever and start a revolution. The Declaration was written to show a new theory of government, reasons why they were separating from England, and a formal declaration of war. Written in 1776, mostly by Thomas Jefferson, this gave the colonies freedom from Britains tyranny. Jefferson uses a very strong and direct technique to express his statement. ...It becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another... from the very first paragraph shows that the colonies plan to secede completely from Britain. Jeffersons claim is that the colonies were being misgoverned by the British and they must break away for the benefit of the new states. Jefferson uses various forms of support for his claim. He begins by justifying a rebellion when he says, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government... He talks of virtues, safety and happiness to appeal to a new form of government and attempt to diminish uneasiness of a rebellion. He continues this by calling it their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. He then uses specific examples of how the British regime ruled unlawfully, showing how King George refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. Going on h...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Common Dorm Costs for College Students

Common Dorm Costs for College Students Living in the residence halls during your time in college often means you can avoid the hassle of having to pay rent every month, deal with a landlord, and budget for utilities. There are still, however, lots of costs that come with living in the dorms. Keep in mind that, as a student living in on-campus housing, there are actually a lot of expenses you have control over. Sure, you may be required to purchase a meal plan, but you can purchase the smallest one possible and keep some snacks in your room for when youre hungry. Additionally, if you take care of your room during the year, you wont face unexpected charges for cleaning or damage repairs when you check out. Lastly, taking good care of yourself - e.g., finding time to exercise, getting enough sleep, and eating well - can help eliminate unexpected costs on things like doctors appointments or medications. Below is a sample budget for a student living on-campus during their time in school. Your costs may be higher or lower depending on where you live, your personal choices, and your lifestyle. Consider the budget below a sample that you can revise as needed for your own individual situation. Additionally, some line items in this sample budget can be added or subtracted as needed. (Your cell phone bill, for example, may be much larger - or smaller - than listed here, depending on your needs as well as your budget.) And some items, like transportation, may be vastly different depending on how you get to campus as well as how far away from home your school is. The nice thing about budgets, even if youre living in a residence hall, is that they can be reworked until they fit your own unique needs. So if something isnt quite working out, try moving things around until the numbers add up in your favor. Common Dorm Costs for College Students Food (snacks in room, pizza delivery) $40/month Clothes $20/month Personal items (soap, razors, deodorant, make-up, laundry soap) $15/month Cell phone $80/month Entertainment (going to clubs, seeing movies) $20/month Books $800-$1000/semester School supplies (paper for printer, jump drive, pens, printer cartridges) $65/semester Transportation (bike lock, bus pass, gas if you have a car) $250/semester Travel (trips home during breaks and holidays) $400/semester Prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, first-aid kit $125/semester Miscellaneous (computer repair, new bike tires) $150/semester

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Human development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Human development - Essay Example Willingham dispels this is as mere speculation, but public opinion considers this as the long-awaited evidence to justify how to judge people and identify their capabilities. The advancement of neuroscience over the years has been at an awe-inspiring speed. However, it has attracted diverse misconceptions and myths in terms of the cognitive ability of the brain. Several scientific findings have led to these assumptions and myths, and there applicability in the class setting by teachers is largely debatable. The left-brain versus right-brain distinctions continues to elicit varied reactions from the media and the populace. The analysis by scientists about the functioning of each hemisphere provides a better interpretation on understanding students, girls, and young children. In terms of students, it is not true that right-brained students should avoid the education system and concentrate on their artistic side. Such assumptions may prejudice the thinking of parents who may choose not to educate their children through the normal schooling system, claiming that their brains hinge on the right hemisphere. Considering the information is not entirely credible, it may be risky to use it in learning materials. There are books that already present such information to students and teachers. Neuroscientists have tried to diffuse the unnecessary propaganda, but their efforts are fruitless. Both hemispheres of the brain coordinate to process information. In case one side is better, it is only by a slight margin with marginal advantages. In consequence, this means that educational material should consider whole-brain thinkers and individual needs of students, rather than focusing on faulty and unsubstantiated myths. The cognitive differences between boys and girls are statistically real, but at the same time, are too insignificant to determine provision of instructions across the genders. Evidently,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Recruitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Recruitment - Essay Example It is significant to recruit individuals with necessary talents, credentials and capability in order to comprehend the purposes of an organization. Thus, it is important that managers keep in mind the present and future needs of the organization in the process of recruitment. Fruitful recruitment approaches comprise of a systematic examination of the job and the labor market situations. Recruitment is almost central to any procedure of management and failure in recruitment can develop complications for any organization such as adverse impact on its productivity and unsuitable stages of employment or abilities. Inadequate recruitment can result into shortages in labor, or even complications in decision making in management. Nevertheless, recruitment is not just an easy selection procedure. It also needs decision making of the management and wide preparation to hire the most appropriate human labor. Competition amid business organizations for recruiting the best potential has increased concentration on invention, as well as management decision making. The recruiters target at recruiting only the greatest applicants who would outfit the business values, morals and climate definite to the organization. Recruitment process does not end with application and selection of the suitable individuals, but includes preserving and holding the workers selected. Regardless of a well-designed plan on recruitment and selection, as well as involvement of competent management team, recruitment can encounter weighty hindrances in execution. Theories of human resource management may offer understandings on the best methods to recruitment although organizations will have to use their internal management abilities to apply universal concepts within exact organizational settings; recruitment has the main purpose of providing a pool of potentially competent job applicants. Researchers argue that recruitment models do not exist in seclusion. Present inducements to create them depend on t he probabilistic prediction of future vicious circle and scientific developments of accurate management alternatives (Martin & Jackson 2005, p. 90). Good recruitment models significantly enhance the capability of managers to make well-versed policy decisions. There are various categories of recruitment models; for instance, there is retained search model where a hiring professional works exclusively for a particular need and payment is separated into two sections. In addition, exclusive requirement model demands that the recruiter assures the client to close the vacancy within specific time. However, in case he fails to close the vacancy by the time, he or she should either close the position with slighter charge or accept some other fine. The most significant model that is currently preferred by many organizations includes the recruitment process outsourcing. This is because in this model, the recruitment process outsourcing partner is accountable for closing all needs (Torrington, Hall & Taylor 2008, p. 59). The partners are responsible for the entire recruitment process starting from sourcing, scheduling, interviews, and selecting. This is a benefit to the organization because it does not have to manage its own recruitment group, thus cost reductions. However, in order to avoid or reduce any risks that may occur because of this model, it is vital that organizations take precaution in the process of selecting recruitment partners. This is for

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Global communication Essay Example for Free

Global communication Essay The explosion of the internet has improved global communication and created a significant impact in our lives. With the advent of broadband wireless internet access in Singapore, our adolescents are spending intensive hours in cyberspace everyday and everywhere to meet their educational, entertainment, social and emotional needs. While they are going through this transitional stage of their life in seeking the ‘Who am I’ answers, this article reviews and seeks to understand what they do on the internet. It was discovered that both U. S. and Singapore adolescents enjoy interactive cyber communication with their peers and sharing common interest such as on-line games and audio/video downloading. An action research on a group of 35 adolescents in Singapore has revealed some interesting patterns in their internet engagement. This emerging engagement cannot be ignored by parents and teachers as we discuss our roles in protecting and nurturing our adolescents. Literature Review Introduction The Singapore Government is systematically and strongly promoting the use of information technology. One of its strategies is to make it compulsory that 30% of the school curriculum to have an information technology component and to be computer-based by 2002 (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, 2000). Naturally, the advocacy of Internet use is part of this omnipresent attempt. Young Singaporeans are placed right in the midst of all these changes and soon Internet use will be commonplace given the Governments ubiquitous promotion. As an academic staff in the Polytechnic, my objective is to study what our adolescent students do on the internet. By having a better understanding of their engagement on the internet, it would help us as facilitators to identify their interests, needs and to understand what motivates them. This literature review covers some surveys on adolescents conducted in the United States, studies on the impact of the internet on adolescents’ behaviour and a regional governmental conference on cyber endangerment. United States Adolescents’ Engagement on the Internet As the U.S. adolescent internet usage grew exponentially in the last decade, a number of correspondent expectations have emerged (Gross, 2000). Gross performed a research to identify the activities that adolescents in suburban California engaged in on the internet and why they perform them. She discovered the following: (1) that gender predicts usage, i.e., boys spend more time online, surfing the web and playing violent games, while girls chat or shop online; (2) that internet use causes social isolation and depression, especially for teens; and (3) that adolescents use the internet for anonymous identity experimentation. By means of highly detailed daily reports of adolescents’ home internet usage and peer-related adjustment, the present research sought to compare these expectations with the actual experiences of early and mid-adolescents in 2000 and 2001. For the most part, adolescent boys’ and girls’ online activities have become more similar than different. On average, boys and girls alike described their online social interaction as (1) occurring in private settings such as e-mail and instant messages, (2) with friends who are also part of their daily, offline lives, and (3) devoted to fairly ordinary yet intimate topics such as gossiping with friends (Gross, 2000). This is an interesting article that relates the conflicts faced by adolescents. According to Erikson, adolescents are experiencing a transitional stage of their life between childhood and adulthood where they need to deal with the conflict between identity attainment and identity diffusion (Berk, 2002). Gross(2000) discovered that adolescents need to explore their identity through identity play and role experimentation. Apparently, the internet serves as an ideal platform for them to play an anonymous role in their email and instant messaging (IM) communications. They tend to take on a role of an older character in attempt to explore their future self and identity (Gross, 2000). Another of their interest at this stage is to relate to their peers more than their parents or teachers. They could engage in intimate and private relationship with their peers on the internet interactively and instantly. Escober-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel and Thickstun (2005) attempted to study the effects of the internet on adolescent sexual behaviours. It was triggered by the fact that adolescents in the United States were engaging in sexual activity at early ages and with multiple partners. The mass media have been shown to affect a broad range of adolescent health-related attitudes and behaviours including violence, eating disorders, and tobacco and alcohol use. The authors wanted to explore the factors that contribute to adolescents sexual activity. It was found that the mass media plays a very influential role in shaping adolescents’ attitudes and behaviour towards violence, eating disorders, tobacco, alcohol and sex. Based on their survey, the internet is a significant media that the U.S. adolescents engage in (Escober-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel Thickstun, 2005). In 2003, 60.8% of the U.S. household have at least one desktop computer at home. The adolescents spend 2 hours online each time for 4 days per week. Of the contact time on the internet, 61% of it is spent on surfing the internet. It is interesting to note that the adolescents consider 14% of what they do in the internet as activities they would not want their parents to know. The authors have summarised some pre-studies of the effects of media on adolescents. They have collected some useful statistics that describe the breakdown of adolescents’ exposure to the media, from radio, television, internet to magazines. The statistics in adolescents’ sexual behaviours have supported their linkages to adolescents’ exposure to sexuality in the media. Regardless of the measure of the correlation, one thing that is apparent is that the media does pose a significant impact on adolescents’ attitude and behaviour in various areas, including violence, eating disorder, tobacco, alcohol and sex (Escober-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel Thickstun, 2005). How the adolescents were influenced by the media were also analysed in this article. Adolescents learn their behaviour through imitating a character they aspire to be (Bandura’s social learning theory). Other supporting theories include arousal, motivation and super-peer theory. In the latter, adolescents have a tendency to model people older than themselves. This resonates with the earlier findings by Gross (2000) that adolescents like to explore their self and future identity. Singapore Adolescents’ Engagement on the Internet The above studies have surfaced couple of gaps that I could address in my research. Firstly, we need to do a study in Singapore’s context. Secondly, I can learn from the challenges that the authors have shared. It would be an upstream task to measure the specific effects of the media on adolescents. Hence, the key objective of my research would be focusing on finding out and understanding adolescents’ usage of the internet. Moving closer to this region, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State and chairman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee talked about the internet and its impact on Asia (Ho, 2005). He suggested that as nations and governments become increasingly wired, its youths naturally become more in tune with the cyber world and its hosts of activities. Our youths surf the Internet for information and resources for their schoolwork. They play online games with faceless opponents for their leisure; or to enhance their social life, they may enter chat rooms and journal their thoughts in blogs and make new friends in cyberspace. These are creative and healthy online activities if done with the right motivations and values, and in moderation. But, as our youths become increasingly cyber-savvy, they are also becoming increasingly cyber-endangered. Hence we need to be cautious of the dark side of internet (Ho, 2005). Besides cyber addiction, we need to be aware that exposure to unhealthy materials on the internet such as violence imageries may lead to increasing violence and anti-social behaviour amongst youths. Apart from preparing our youths to be cyber-savvy and protecting them from becoming victims, we should also be mindful that they are susceptible to the temptations of cyber vices and may end up committing cyber crimes themselves. Once online, a whole new cyber world greets them. Therefore, proper education and programmes need to be in place in society in order to help our youths cope with making informed online decisions, and learning to surf the internet safely and moderately. Professor Ho has started a discussion on the double-edged impact of the internet on our youths. While the internet is a valuable resource basin for their learning and development, it could also pose a threat to their safety, social, emotional and moral developments. There is a need to protect and educate our youth on how they could use the internet safely and responsibly. He shared an important statistic in our youths’ usage of internet. 68% of Singapore youths have frequent access to the internet; that is 18% higher than the regional average of 50% (Ho, 2005). Hence it is critical that we take the leadership role in understanding our youths’ engagement in the internet and taking proactive measures to promote cyber wellness. Research Question The Research Question: What do Singapore adolescents do on the internet? Purpose Why do I want to understand adolescent usage on the internet? Firstly, it is the desire of adults including parents, teachers and mentors, to improve our communication with adolescents. By understanding what they do on the internet, we would be able to identify their interest and needs. According to Ho (2005), it is important that we understand the potential threat based on the activities they engage on the internet. Besides promoting their cyber wellness, it is also our desire as adults to determine effective channels to influence them positively and to support their development. Benefits The results of this survey would be useful for me as an academic staff whose primary role is to facilitate their learning and development in the polytechnic. By understanding their interest and internet activities, it would help me to improve my communications with them and strengthen facilitator-student bonding. I believe that this would in turn increase my effectiveness in preparing them for the industry as they graduate from the polytechnic. The second group of adults that would benefit much from this research are their parents. In the same way, by understanding the paradigm that their children live in, parents could better connect with them and improve family bond. Methodology Research Paradigm Our nation has arrived at this era where youths are playing a more critical role in leading our country. That is why our Ministry of Community Development has added in Youth as an additional portfolio that deserves increased focus and attention. In the recent general election in 2006, the incumbent People’s Action Party has recruited significant number of young leaders who were born after our independence in 1965 (Balakrishnan, 2004). The key reason is to equip the party with leaders who are closer to our youths and adolescents in communication and understanding of their needs and ideology. This group of citizens plays a pivotal role in shaping our future nation as they would be exercising their voting power in future elections, getting involved in national policies and ultimately replacing our current aging population in the long term. With the emergence of information technology and the internet, the learning curve of our adolescents has risen exponentially. As far as communication and information exchange is concerned, the size of our globe has shrunk and distances between countries have become irrelevant with the click of the computer mouse. The internet has emerged to be a major channel of media, especially among the adolescents. The researches done in the U.S. as discussed above have shown that internet pose a significant impact on adolescents. Considering the higher internet penetration in Singapore compared to the U.S. per household, we would not expect the impact of the internet on our adolescent to be any lower. Scope As discussed in the review of Article, it is important that I set a realistic scope of study considering the limited time and resources. As this is the first research, I would be focusing on finding out the activities that adolescents engage in on the internet. I have designed a survey that captures what adolescents use the internet for, the activities they engage in, how much time they spend on them. There were some qualitative question to understand their preferences, interest and reasons for engaging in the internet activities. Subjects and Materials The stakeholders were adolescents. I managed to survey 35 adolescents in my network, of which most of them are polytechnic students between 18 to 19 years old. The materials required for this survey were basically printed copies of the survey questionnaires. They spent about ten minutes each to complete the survey forms. Procedures As this is my first research on the adolescents, it would be practical for me capture a broad span of their activities as a foundation for future or follow-up focused activities. The model of action research used must support continuous improvement and leverage on past findings with an interpretive approach. Hence, the model which I choose to adopt is the Zuber-Skerritt’s spiral model. The steps of Zuber-Skerritt’s spiral model are: (1) develop a plan of critically informed action to improve current practice. The plan must be flexible to allow adaptation for unforeseen effects or constraints; (2) the group members act to implement the plan which must be deliberate and controlled; (3) this action is observed to collect evidence which allows thorough evaluation. The observation must be planned and the action process and its effects within the context of the situation should be observed individually or collectively; (4) reflection of the action recorded during observation is usually aided by collaborative discussion among the group members. Group reflection can lead to a reconstruction of the meaning of the social situation and provides a basis for further planning of critically informed action, thereby continuing the cycle. I designed a survey questionnaire and printed out multiple copies to the adolescents. Participation was purely based on voluntary basis and their identities were all anonymous. I explained the objectives of my survey clearly to them through both direct verbal communication and highlighting them on the survey form in print. Results and Discussions The Survey forms were given to adolescents in my network as planned. They responded positively and completed the survey with ease. The feedback was that the questions were clear. There were total 35 adolescents who participated in the survey. The gender groups were well represented with 16 males and 19 females. There were some triangulations of the reflection stage of this research as I spent some time after the survey to talk to some of the adolescents to clarify certain information pertaining to some websites or online games which I was not familiar with. It was a meaningful session as they were very open to share with me their interest such as why the males like to play challenging online games like Dota and Warcraft. I then compiled that information gathered into a spreadsheet and studied the pattern of their engagement in the internet. Activities on the Internet It is interesting to note that the adolescents spend more than one-third (an average of 9 hours per day) of their time on the internet. This is supported by the fact that internet access is highly available both at school and at home. First of all, the Polytechnic provides the infrastructure to support the use of Information Technology (IT) in learning. Every student is required to own a notebook computer for administration, curriculum-related communication, research, performing on-line tutorials and submissions of assignments. The entire campus is enabled to provide wireless broadband access. In line with the national adoption of internet access, all the students here have internet access at home. Internet access and cost of IT equipment have become so affordable that most of them (26 out of 35) have wireless broadband access in their homes. [pic] Note: IM : Internet Messaging Games: On-line games on the internet Blog : blogging on the internet Surf : Internet search for information Music : Downloading of audio files Video : Downloading of video files and watching video on-line Chart 1 : Adolescent Internet Usage It is apparent that the adolescents spend most of their time on the internet messaging and chatting. Comparing with the adolescents in the U.S. (Gross, 2000) who spend about 40 minutes in IM per day, Singapore adolescents spend 4.75 hours per day. That is an astounding seven times more. Next in line would be surfing the internet, followed by entertainment such as video and music downloads. Why do they spend almost 5 hours per day internet messaging? Based on the survey, the adolescent revealed that IM is the most convenient and fastest way for them to communicate with their classmates and friends. Besides, it is interactive and free. This is in line with Gross’s analyses of the rationale for adolescents’ affinity to IM (Gross, 2002). Adolescents like to move fast and do not have much patience to wait for response especially when they want to relate to their peers. IM is real-time. They could instantly chat with their peers online and express their emotions immediately. Similar to adolescents in the U.S. as studied by Gross (2000), I also discovered that the adolescent here do not use their real names in their IM image. They like to use emotive roles such as â€Å"I am so scared†¦test is coming†. This also reflects Erikson’s theory on adolescent anonymous identity which teenagers enjoy relating their emotions to their peers in role exper imentation (Suler, 2005). The second most common activity the adolescents engage in is in surfing the internet for information. This is not surprising as they are required to research for information as part of the requirement in projects and assignment in class. [pic] Chart 2 : Favourite Website With reference to Chart 2, it is not difficult to explain the frequent usage of Google and Yahoo as search engines for their studies. However, it is unanimous that Friendster is the most popular website that the adolescent visit. The reasons quoted for visiting this website are to connect with their friends and to update each other of their latest profile. This is in line with Suler’s findings on peer intimacy (Suler, 2005). During adolescence, humans experiment intensely with new intimate relationships, especially opposite sex relationships. They look for comrades and new groups where they can feel a sense of belonging. All these relationships become a big part of exploring ones own identity. Through communication website like Friendster and Livejournal, there is an almost limitless array of people and groups to interact with all kinds of people and groups with all kinds of personalities, backgrounds, values, and interests. The adolescents here are curious in discovering both their identity and that of their peers. To reinforce adolescents’ interest, Blogspot and Blogger take up 13.4% of the total favourite websites count. Of the 35 adolescents surveyed, 7 of them have their own blog site and 10 of them are active blogger. They enjoy expressing their emotions and sharing their social life with their peers. One popular site they like to visit, especially among the females is that of a flamboyant 21-year old female XiaXue. The girls like to her blog because it is funny and she shares her social life openly. This confirms that adolescents prefer to interact with people they can identify with (Berk, 2002). Another interest that is significant is that of video watching on the Youtube website. The adolescents’ favourite videos are humorous and entertaining like those of XiaXue and Mr. Brown who is famous for his local political jokes. Gender Comparison [pic] Chart 3: Gender Comparison of Internet Usage Chart 3 above is essentially a breakdown of Chart 1 by gender. It is interesting to note that males spend more time than females in IM. This is also related to their indulgence in on-line games and video downloading. Because of these common interests among their peers, the males derive a sense of achievement as they share information of the latest on-line games and videos using IM. In fact, the more knowledgeable or competent males would co-teach their peers on how they could excel in the on-line game. This phenomenon was highlighted by Suler(2005) in his study. He suggested that adolescents love the sense of mastery and accomplishment as they engage in peer teaching. While females prefer fantasy on-line games like Maple Story and Audition, males indulge in war, strategy and shooting games like Warcraft and Dota. The key reasons are that the males enjoy challenge and like to take risk. Besides, they are also intrigued in connecting with and challenging people in other parts of the world. Males spend substantial time in downloading video over the internet. Their favourites are comedy movies. For females, their favourite are MTVs of their idols. This resonates with the study done by Gross (2000) on adolescents’ tendency in pretending to be someone else. By idolising an older person such as a superstar, they are exploring their future identity (Gross, 2000). Recommendation First of all, as part of the Zuber-Skerritt’s spiral model in action research, I would recommend a follow-up to the above research. We have achieved our objective of gaining a general understanding of what adolescent do on the internet. Of the various activities they engage on the internet, the most significant is in IM. Hence, I would propose to do a further action research on why and how they use IM. In doing so, adults could understand them better and even use IM in improving adult-adolescent relationship. Secondly, I would recommend to adults including parents and teachers of our adolescents to be aware of the above findings and take proactive actions to build strong bonding with our adolescents and to protect them from the potential cyber danger. As is true of all adolescent activities, they need at least some supervision to stay on track and avoid trouble (Suler, 2005). Getting involved doesnt just mean supervising in order to avert trouble. The world of computers also can become an excellent way for parents and adolescents to have fun together, to get to know each other better. There will be a part of the adolescent maybe even a part that they try to hide that will love this. Suler suggested a few anecdotes which I think could be applied in Singapore. First, adults could get knowledgeable of the internet and join in with the adolescents. To be most effective in supervising the adolescents cyberspace activities, the parent needs to know something about the topic. Parents could talk to their kids about cyberspace and join them in some of their online activities. They could even communicate occasionally with their adolescents through IM to keep in touch with them. It is encouraging to note that our government is supporting the formation of cyber wellness centre such as the PlanetCRuSH which was launched by TOUCH Community Services in August 2006 (Seow, 2006). During the official launch of the centre by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, some parents and their adolescents were playing on-line games together in the E-sports Carnival competition to promote family ties (Seow, 2006). Secondly, adults need to acknowledge the merits and threats of the internet. We should not vilify cyberspace that will only alienate the adolescent. Instead, we could talk to them openly about both the pros and cons. We should show an acceptance of their cyber life, but discuss some of the dangers and what steps they should take if they encounter unsavoury situations or people. Thirdly, adults should advocate and encourage a balance in cyberspace time and other activities. If theres something they really enjoy on the Internet, find a way to expand that activity into their in-person life. The idea is to integrate cyberspace into the rest of their life, and encourage them to develop non-Internet activities too. Conclusion Through the above article review and action research, I see Erikson’s psychosocial theory of adolescents’ behaviour in action. What adolescents do on the internet are manifestation of their identity experimentation and exploration, peer intimacy and belongings, separation from parents and venting frustrations. The common activities that both U.S. and Singapore adolescents engage in are IM, emails, audio/video downloads and online games. However, in terms of the length of engagement, Singapore adolescents spend 7 times more than their counterparts, especially in IM. This could be due to the higher broadband internet access rate and availability in Singapore. A further study on how adolescent use the IM is recommended to understand this intense engagement of activity. As parents and teachers, we need to be aware of the intensity of adolescent engagement in the internet and take proactive measures to protect them from cyber danger and be jointly involved in some of their internet activities such as IM and on-line games. By expressing our interest in their lives and communicating with them via their preferred platform, not only could we create a positive impact in their internet experience, we could also foster strong adult-adolescent bonding. Reference List Balakrishnan, V. (2004). Youth Mentoring Convention: Speech by Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Ag Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports. In MCYS [on-line]. Available WWW: http://app.mcys.gov.sg/web/corp_speech_story.asp?szMod=corpszSubMod=speechqid=863 [2006 November 15]. Berk, L. E. (2002). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Escobar-Chaves, S. L., Tortolero, S. R., Markham, C. M., Low, B. J., Eitel, P., Thickstun, P. (2005). Impact of the Media on Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. In Pediatrics [on-line]. Available WWW: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/116/1/S1/303#F1 [2006 Sep 29]. Gross, E. F. (2000). Adolescent Internet use : what we expect, what teens report. In UCLA Digital Media Centre [on-line]. Available WWW: http://www.cdmc.ucla.edu/downloads/Adolescent%20Internet%20usepdf.pdf [2006 Sep 29]. Gross, E. F., Juvonen, J., Gable, S. L. (2002). Internet use and well-being in adolescence. Journal of Social Issues, 58, 75–90 Ho, P. K. (2005). The Youth.Net: Developing Cyber Wellness In Conjunction With Asean + 3 Seminar On Urban Youth Work III at Orchard Hotel Speech by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State (Law And Home Affairs) And Chairman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC), 26 July 2005. In [emailprotected] [on-line]. Available WWW: http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=1614type=4root=0parent=0cat=0 [2006 Sep 29]. Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (2000). Broad-based approach to make Singapore the location for infocomm manpower and savvy workforce. In IDA [on-line]. Available WWW:http://www.ida.gov.sg/Website/IDAContent.nsf/dd1521f1e79ecf3bc825682f0045a340/7f1eda7f3c633fd1c825689800580dc9?OpenDocument Seow, E. (2006, September 30). Safe Fun and Games at New Cyber Wellness Centre. Keeping in Touch, p. 5.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Psychotherapy via Bellow in Seize the Day Essay -- Seize the Day Essay

Psychotherapy via Bellow in Seize the Day  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The ending of Seize the Day is ironic and revealing about the theme of the entire novella.   When Tommy Wilhelm inadvertently attends a funeral for a stranger, he begins to sob uncontrollably at the sight of the unknown corpse.   It is a painful reminder of his own mortality and a cathartic release of emotion he has been building up over the downward spiraling course of his life.   However, it is ironic because Tommy is the only one at the funeral who is expressing such emotion and it makes others in attendance believe he must have been very close to the deceased to be so devastated.   In other words, no one is crying for the dead man, not even Tommy, but Tommy is crying for himself.   This is not only irony but serves to underscore the entire theme of the novel-laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.   Instead of seizing the day and living in the here-and-now, Tommy is torn by anxiety over the future and regret over the past.   Because of this, he believes he is in need of some kind of favor, or break, or sympathy.   However, he comes to realize that, like the tears we often shed for ourselves, pity is often a personal exercise of self and seldom forthcoming from others.   He recognizes this because he learns that from the perspective of others, he is the only one to blame for his repeated mistakes and his repeated failures.   As he muses at one point when in need of sympathy, "And why, Wilhelm further asked, should he or anybody else pity me; or why should I be pitied sooner than another fellow?   It is my childish mind that thinks people are ready to give it just because you need it" (Bellow   93).   Tommy considers himself a failure because he has taken to heart... ...isis helps him to accept the discomforts that come with being free and fully alive, and, as the novella ends, we can only hope from that moment on Tommy will begin to seize the day each day in the present as he strives to make something of himself in the here-and-now for the future, his own and others.      WORKS   CITED Bellow, S.   Seize The Day.   (9th printing).   New York, The Viking Press, 1968. Christy, M.   Bellow's pleasure in imaginary states.   Boston Globe Online. http://www.boston.com/globe/search/stories/nobel/1989/1989e.html, Nov. 15, 1989:   1-4. Stein, H. T. and Edwards, M. E.   Classical Adlerian theory and practice.   http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/theoprac.htm,   Aug. 21, 1998:   1-19. Stevenson, D. B.   Freud's division of the mind. http://landow.stg.brown.edu/HTatBrown/freud/Division_of_Mind.html,   Oct. 4, 1999:   1-2.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 10

The first sight of her broke through his animal state and gave him enough mind to stand up like a man. She reminded him of Hellewise. She had that same look of tender courage, that same ageless wisdom in her eyes. Any woman could be pretty by virtue of regular features. But Hana was beautiful because her soul showed in her face. Seeing her made him ashamed. Seeing her defend him, intercede on his behalf as she was so obviously doing, made him angry. He resisted when she sneaked him out of the cave and tried to send him back into the world. Didn't she understand? It was best for him to die. As long as he was loose, no child, no woman, no man was safe. Even as he stood there in the moonlight with her, he was trembling with need. The bloodlust was trying to unbalance his mind, and it was all he could do not to grab her and bite into her soft throat. When she offered him her throat, he almost cried. It wasn't a sacrifice to turn her down and walk away. It was the only right thing to do, the only thing he could do. And then the hunters came. His mind was unbalanced by the torture. It was that simple. Not that it was an excuse, there was no excuse for what followed. But during the endless time while Hana's clan burned and stabbed and beat him, he lost all contact with the person he thought of as himself. He became an animal, as mindless as the mob that was trying to kill him. As an animal, he wanted two things: to survive and to strike out at the people who were hurting him. And there was a way to do both. Throats. White throats, spurting dark blood. The image came to him slowly in his haze of pain. He didn't have to lie here and take this. He was wounded, but there was still a granite core of strength inside him. He could fight back, and his enemies would give him life. The next time a spear jabbed at him, he grabbed it and pulled. It belonged to the broad-shouldered hunter, the one who'd led the others to him. Thierry grabbed the man as he stumbled forward, wrestling him to the ground. And then, before anyone in the crowd had time to react, he darted for the hunter's throat, for the big vein that pulsed just under the skin. It was all over in a minute. He was drinking deep, deep, and gaining strength with every swallow. The dam of the Three Rivers was staring at him in paralyzed shock. It felt good. He tossed the dead man aside and reached for another. When several hunters came at him at once, he knocked them apart and killed them, one, two, three. He was a very efficient killer. The blood made him supernaturally strong and fast, and the bloodlust gave him motivation. He was like a wolf set loose in a herd of antelope-except that for a long time nobody in the clan had the sense to run. They kept coming at him, trying to stop him, and he kept killing. It was a slaughter. He killed them all. He was drunk with blood and he gloried in it, in the animal simplicity of it, the power it gave him. Killing was glory. Killing to eat, killing for revenge. Destroying the people who hurt him. He didn't ever want to stop. He was drinking the last drops from the veins of a young girl when he looked down and saw it was Hana. Her clear gray eyes were wide open, but the light in them was beginning to go dark. He'd killed her. In one blinding instant he wasn't an animal anymore. He was a person. And he was looking down at the one person who had tried to help him, who had offered him her blood to keep him alive. He raised his eyes and saw the devastation he'd left in the cave. It wasn't just this girl. He'd murdered ‘most of her tribe. That was when he knew the truth. He was damned. Worse than Maya. He'd committed a crime so monstrous that he could never be forgiven, never be redeemed. He had joined evil in the end, just as Maya had promised he would. No punishment could be too great for him-but then, no punishment would make the slightest difference anyway, not to these people or to the dying girl in his arms. For just an instant some part of him pushed away at the feelings of guilt and horror. All right, you're evil, it said. You might as well go ahead and be evil. Enjoy it. Have no regrets. It's your nature, now. Give in. Then the girl in his arms stirred. She was still conscious, although barely. Her eyes were still open. She was looking up at him†¦. In that moment, Thierry felt a shock that was different from anything he'd ever felt before. In those large gray eyes, in the pupils which were hugely dilated as if to catch every last ray of light before death, he saw†¦ himself. Himself and the girl, walking together, hand in hand through the ages. Joined. Shifting scenes behind them, different places, different times. But always the two of them, tied with an invisible bond. He recognized her. It was almost as if all those different ages had already happened, as if he were only remembering them. But he knew they were in the future. He was looking down the corridor of time, seeing what should have been. She was his soulmate. She was the one who was supposed to have walked with him through different lives, being born and loving and dying and being born again. They'd been born for each other, to help each other grow and blossom and discover and evolve. They should have had many lives together. And none of it was going to happen. He was an immortal creature-how could he die and be born again? And she was dying because of him. He'd destroyed it all, everything. He'd killed his destiny. In the enormity of it, he sat silent and stunned. He couldn't say, â€Å"I'm sorry.† He couldn't say, â€Å"What have I done?† There was nothing that he could say that wasn't so trivial as to be demeaning to her. He simply sat and shook, looking down into her eyes. He had an endless feeling of falling. And then Hana spoke. I forgive you. It was just a whisper, but he heard it in his mind, not with his ears. And he understood it, even though her language was different from his. Thierry reeled with the discovery that he could talk to her. Oh, Goddess, the chance at least to tell her how he would try to atone for this by spilling out his own blood.. . You can't forgive me. He could see that she understood his own hushed answer. He knew he didn't deserve forgiveness. But part of him wanted her to realize that he had never meant this to happen. I wasn't always like this. I used to be a person- We don't have time for that, she told him. Her spirit seemed to be reaching toward him, drawing him into her, facing him in a still and separate place where only the two of them existed. He knew then that she had seen the same thing he had, the same corridor of time. She was gentle, but so sad. I don't want you to die. But I want you to promise me one thing. Anything. I want you to promise me you ‘II never kill again. It was easy to promise. He didn't plan to live†¦ no, she didn't want him to die. But he couldn't live without her and he certainly couldn't live after what he'd done. He'd worry about it later, about how to deal with the long gray stretch of future waiting for him. For now, he said, I'll never kill again. She gave him just the faintest of smiles. And then she died. The gray eyes went fixed and dark. Unseeing. Her skin was ghostly white and her body was absolutely still. She seemed smaller all at once as her spirit left her. Thierry cradled her, moaning like a wounded animal. He was crying. Shaking so hard he almost couldn't keep hold of her. Helpless, pierced by love that felt like a spear, he reached out to gently push her hair off her face. His thumb stroked her cheek- and left a trail of blood. He stared at it in horror. The mark was like a blaze of red against her pale skin. Even his love was deadly. His caress had branded her. The few survivors of Hana's clan were on the move, surrounding Thierry, panting and gasping with their spears ready. They sensed that he was vulnerable now. And he wouldn't have lifted a hand to stop them†¦ except that he had made a promise to Hana. She wanted him alive to keep it. So he left her there. He picked up her still, cooling body and carried it toward the nearest hunter. The man stared at him in fear and disbelief, but he finally dropped his spear to take the dead girl. And then Thierry walked out of the cave and into the merciless sunlight. He headed for his home. Maya caught up with him somewhere on the steppes, appearing out of the tall, ripping grass. â€Å"I told you how you'd end up. Now forget that washed-out blonde and start enjoying life with me.† Thierry didn't even look at her. The only thing he could imagine doing with Maya was killing her†¦ and he couldn't do that. â€Å"Don't walk away from me!† Maya wasn't laughing now. She was furious. Her voice followed him as he kept going. â€Å"I chose you, Theorn! You're mine. You can't walk away from me!† Thierry kept going, neither slower nor faster, letting her voice blend into the humming of the insects on the grassland. But her mental voice followed him. I'll never let you get away. You'll always be mine, now and forever. Thierry traveled fast, and in only a few days, he reached home and the person he'd come to see. Hellewise looked up from her drying herbs and gasped. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you,† he said. â€Å"I need your help.† What he wanted from her was a spell to sleep. He wanted to sleep until Hana was born again. â€Å"It could be a long time,† Hellewise said when he told her the whole story. â€Å"It sounds as if her soul has been damaged. It could be hundreds of years- even thousands.† Thierry didn't care. â€Å"And you might die,† Hellewise said, looking at him steadily with her deep, soft brown eyes. â€Å"And with what you've become-I don't think creatures like you are reborn. You would just†¦ die.† Thierry simply nodded. He was only afraid of two things: that Maya would find him while he was asleep, and that he wouldn't know when to wake up. â€Å"I can arrange the second,† Hellewise said quietly. â€Å"You're linked anyway; your souls are one. When she's born again, voices from the Other Side will whisper to you.† Thierry himself figured out how to solve the first problem. He dug himself a grave. It was the only place where he could count on being safe and undisturbed. Hellewise gave him an infusion of roots and bark and Thierry went to sleep. He slept a long time. He slept straight through the epic battle when Hellewise drove Maya and her son Red Fern out of the tribe and away from the witches. He slept through the origins of the Night World and thousands of years of human change. When he finally woke up, the world was a different place, with civilizations and cities. And he knew that somewhere Hana had been born in one of them. He began to look. He was a wanderer, a lost soul with no home and no people. But not a killer. He learned to take blood without killing, to find willing donors instead of hunting terrified prey. He looked in every village he passed, learning about the new world surrounding him, surviving on very little, searching every face he saw. Lots of communities would have been glad to adopt him, this tall young man with dusty clothes and far-seeing eyes. But he only stayed long enough to make sure that Hana wasn't there. When he did find her it was in Egypt, the Kingdom of the Two Lands. She was sixteen. Her name was Ha-nahkt. And Thierry would have recognized her anywhere, because she was still tall, still fair-haired and gray-eyed and beautiful. Except for one thing. Across her left cheek, where his fingers had smeared her own blood the night that he had killed her, was a red mark like a bruise. Like a stain on her perfect skin. It was a sort of psychic brand, a physical reminder of what had happened in her last life. A permanent wound. And it was his fault. Thierry was overcome with grief and shame. He saw that the other girl, Ket, the friend who had been with Hana in the last life, was with her again now. She had friends. Maybe it was best to leave her alone in this life, not even try to speak to her. But he had forgotten about Maya. Vampires don't die. Life is strange sometimes. It was just as Thierry was thinking this that a figure walked into the lobby. Still half in his daydream of the past, he was expecting it to be Circe, so for a moment he was simply confused. Then his heart rate picked up and every muscle in his body tensed violently. † It was Maya. He hadn't seen her for over a hundred years. The last time had been in Quebec, when Hannah had been named Annette. And Maya had just killed her. Thierry stood up. She was as beautiful as ever. But to Thierry it was like the rainbow on oil scum. He hated her more than he had ever imagined he could hate anyone. â€Å"So you found me,† he said quietly. â€Å"I knew you'd show up eventually.† Maya smiled brilliantly. â€Å"I found her first.† Thierry went still. â€Å"That amulet was a very good one. I had to wait around to catch her alone so she could invite me inside.† Thierry's heart lurched. He felt a physical wrench, as if something in him were actually trying to get out, trying desperately to get to Hannah-now. How could he have been so stupid? She was too innocent; of course she would invite someone into her house. And she thought of Maya as a friend. The ring should have offered at least a measure of protection from mind control-but only if Hannah had kept it on. Thierry realized now that she probably hadn't. His voice a bare whisper, he said, â€Å"What did you do to her?† â€Å"Oh, not much. Mostly it was just conversation. I mentioned that you were likely to get rough with her if things didn't go your way.† Maya tilted her head, eyes on his face, looking for a reaction. Thierry didn't give it to her. He just stood, watching her silently. She hadn't changed in thousands of years. She never changed, never grew, never got tired. And she never gave up. He didn't think she was capable of it. Sometimes he thought he should just tie himself to her at the waist and find a bottomless pit to jump into. Rid the world of its two oldest vampires and all the problems Maya caused. But there was his promise to Hannah. â€Å"It doesn't matter what you say to her,† he said stonily. â€Å"You don't understand, Maya. This time is different. She remembers and-â€Å" â€Å"And she hates you. I know. Poor baby.† Maya made a mock-sympathetic face. Her eyes sparkled peacock blue. Thierry gritted his teeth. â€Å"And I've come to a decision,† he went on evenly. â€Å"The cycle has to be broken. And there is a way to do it.† â€Å"I know,† Maya said before he could finish. â€Å"You can give her up. Give in to me† â€Å"Yes.† This time he cut her off. And the look of astonishment that flared in her eyes was worth it. â€Å"At least, yes to the first part,† he finished. â€Å"I'm giving her up.† â€Å"You're not. You can't.† â€Å"She's happy in this life. And she-doesn't want me.† There. It had been hard to say, but he'd gotten it out. â€Å"She remembers everything-I don't know why, but she does. Maybe because she's so dose to her original form. Maybe somehow the memories are closer to the surface. Or maybe it's the hypnosis. But in any case, she doesn't want me anymore.† Maya was watching him, fascinated, her eyes the violet of deep twilight, her lips parted. Suddenly, she looked beyond him and smiled secretly. â€Å"She remembers everything? You really think so?† Thierry nodded. â€Å"All I've ever brought her is misery and pain. I guess she realizes that.† He took a breath, then caught Maya's eyes again. â€Å"So I'm end-tag the cycle†¦ now.† â€Å"You're going to walk away.† â€Å"And so are you. She's no threat to you anymore. If you want something from me, the only person to deal with is me. You can try any time you like in Vegas.† He gazed at her levelly. Maya threw back her head and let out ripples of musical laughter. â€Å"Oh, why didn't you tell me before? You could have saved me some trouble†¦ but on the other hand, her blood was very sweet. I wouldn't have missed-â€Å" She broke off, then, because Thierry slammed her against the oak-paneled wall of the lobby. In one instant, his control had disappeared. He was so angry that he couldn't speak out loud. What did you do to her? What did you do? He shouted the words telepathically as his hands closed around Maya's throat. Maya just smiled at him. She was the oldest vampire, and the most powerful. In every vampire who came after her, her blood had been diluted, half as strong, a quarter as strong, an eighth. But she was the original and the purest. She wasn't afraid of anyone. Mel I didn't do anything, she said, answering him the same way. I'm afraid you were the one who attacked her. She seemed very unhappy about it; she even stabbed you with a pencil. Maya lifted a hand and Thierry saw a neat dark hole puncturing it, faintly ringed with blood. The power of illusion, he thought. Maya could appear as anyone and anything she wanted. She had talents that usually only belonged to werewolves and shapeshifters. And of course she was a witch. She really has extraordinary spirit, Maya went on. But she's all right-you didn't exchange as much blood as you ‘d planned. The pencil, you see. People were gathering behind Thierry, murmuring anxiously. They were about to interfere and ask him to please let go of the girl he was strangling. He ignored them. Listen to me, he told Maya, staring into her mocking golden eyes. Listen, because I'm never going to say this again. If you touch Hannah again-ever-in any life-I will kill you. â€Å"I'll kill you,† he whispered out loud, to emphasize it. â€Å"Believe me, Maya, I'll do it.† Then he let her go. He had to get to Hannah. Even a small exchange of blood with a vampire could be dangerous, and Maya's blood was the most potent on earth. Worse, he'd already taken some of Hannah's blood last night. She could be critically weak now †¦ or starting to change. He wouldn't think about that. You won't, you know. Maya's telepathic voice followed him as he made for the door. You won't kill me. Not Thierry the compassionate, Thierry the good vampire, Thierry the saint of Circle Daybreak. You're not capable of it. You can't kill. Thierry stopped on the threshold and turned around. He stared directly into Maya's eyes. â€Å"Try me.† Then he was outside, moving quickly through the night. Even so, Maya got the last word. And, of course, there's your promise†¦.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Spite Analytical Summarry

Taylor Wiemken Instructor Spaulding English 110. 02 January 17, 2010 Emotional Logic The family in the essay â€Å"Spite,† by Anne Trumbore, fights through the adversity of having a mother with multiple sclerosis. As the reader starts to delve into the meanings behind the words, it shows there is more of a mental quarrel going on between the family members. â€Å"Spite† expresses the battle between the logical and emotional aspects of the human that begin to coincide with each other as conflicts and complex situations arise.The repetition of logical ideas and conversations throughout â€Å"Spite† shows the importance Anne Trumbore places on having a logical perspective during adverse situations. Anne says, â€Å"The facts are indisputable. †(1). The word â€Å"facts† and â€Å"Three ribs, weakened by twelve years of steroids, snapped on impact. †(1) emphasizes the exact recounting of the moment her mom fell in the shower. It helps represent t hat even in a dire situation, Anne places the logic of the negativity she receives from her mother over the emotional response of rescuing her from the scalding water. She recounts how her mother would call her a fat ass.Instead of an emotional response of displeasure such as crying, she takes time to analyze her body characteristics and concludes that her ass is fat compared to the rest of her body. Anne sees that the facts simply state that helping her would be counterproductive to exceeding the expectations of the class by solving the equation. The constant changing between the equation and her mother screaming brings up the question of whether logic is stronger than the emotional appeal to help. The satisfaction of solving the equation involves a greater sense of accomplishment than helping her naked, screaming mother out of the shower.Contemplating Anne’s actions shows how the mind can categorize an emotional situation into a logical equation of finding the greatest bene fit. The logic placed throughout the essay, â€Å"Spite†, infers that Anne’s emphasis on facts, as developed throughout her childhood, is important to her understanding of real life situations. The use of emotional feelings and actions between the mother and daughter in â€Å"Spite† constructs the difference between their conflicting reactions. The instant reaction of screaming by the mother as she fell in the scalding water is what most people under duress would do.The expected response of Anne would be to help her mother in need, but her unordinary perception of not caring and brushing off the instance seems to paint her as a cold, selfish person. The shaving of Anne’s head also evokes emotions of Anne being so inadequate that her mother doesn’t seem to care about her appearance. Her mother’s emotional response of â€Å"She’s not a boy. It’s a pixie cut. †(3) seems to contradict her action of shaving Anne’s head . Anne’s mother’s words are defending her daughter’s female identity but her actions of shaving Anne’s head are considered masculine.Anne develops the story for the reader by explaining situations that would seem unordinary and then recounting past events that have changed her emotional capacity to not feel sorry for her mother. The essay, â€Å"Spite†, develops the mother’s emotions of fighting multiple sclerosis with the logical ideas of Anne’s decision-making during difficult circumstances. The use of Anne’s mother’s emotional responses with the logical decisions Anne contemplates in her head, helps the reader see the inner battle between the two, and how they relate to Anne’s decision-making as the essay progresses.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Queen Elizabeths Wardrobe Revolution Fashions English Literature Essay Essays

Queen Elizabeths Wardrobe Revolution Fashions English Literature Essay Essays Queen Elizabeths Wardrobe Revolution Fashions English Literature Essay Essay Queen Elizabeths Wardrobe Revolution Fashions English Literature Essay Essay Manner is defined to be the prevalent sought-after apparels that are a la manner. A manner compositor is person who wears a new outfit that everyone else replicates and expands. Queen Elizabeth was a trendsetter and she non merely affected the manner people used to dress but besides used this as an advantage to help her throughout her reign. Queen Elizabeth was non ever dressed so opulently. A missive written by her nurse during her childhood pleaded to the King to give small Elizabeth adequate apparels so that she does non hold to run around in shreds. I beseech you to be [ a ] good Godhead to my ladyaˆÂ ¦that she may hold some array for she hath neither gown, nor kirtle nor arms, nor railes, nor organic structure stitches, nor hankies, nor muffles nor biggins. All this her grace must hold. I have driven off every bit long as I can, that be my troth I can drive it no longer. Biding you my Godhead that ye will see that her grace may hold that [ which ] is needed for her ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . Elizabeth used her closet for political and personal decision-making. She passed Torahs in respects to vesture and everyone was required to dress harmonizing to their station. Manner has aided to keep a societal construction in England and had an impact on history throughout Queen Elizabeth s reign. Queen Elizabeth s closet was made up of amazing frocks and non merely did she frock to affect people but her closet service more than merely one intent. It is said that during Queen Elizabeth s childhood, she did non hold any excessive frock to have on. In fact she was dressed with the simplest cloths and the plainest of gowns and at one point her nurse begged for the King to give her more apparels that fitted her station. Elizabeth s young person and her female parent s decease had a great influence over her political every bit good as personal determinations ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . Her show of the fancy frocks was non due merely to a craving for rich gowns to do up for her impoverished closet of her younger yearss but was besides used to do political and wealth statements ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . Both her male parent and she were good known for their extravagancy in dressing. It is said that Queen Elizabeth even outsh one her male parent in the luxury of her frocks. The usage of manner for her political advantage was one of the absorbing traits of Queen Elizabeth. For illustration, deluxe gowns impress people and Elizabeth knew that. Thus her closet was foremost fashioned to affect and besides to accommodate her station as a opinion sovereign ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . Besides she sent portrayals of herself excellently dressed to Catherine de Medici during the matrimony dialogues with the Anjous which gained consentaneous congratulations. As she was the queen of England, the manner she dresses affected the people around her as they all dressed up to be in the Queen s good graces. King Henry VII, Elizabeth s gramps, was the object of chitchat about poorness and bargain rate as a consequence of his severe closet while on the other manus, Queen Elizabeth s munificent closet conveyed generousness and the willingness to pass ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan F ashion ) . Although her closet far topped any other in England, her vesture disbursals were rather modest. Behind the excessive facade of her apparently expensive closet, were the fact of limited financess, carefully budgeted outgos, and the crafty usage of resources and stuffs ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . As her reigned progressed, people began conveying apparels to her as an effort to derive her favours. So, her outgo cost was significantly reduced and she could give more financess to other countries. Queen Elizabeth s closet did non merely affect foreign sovereign but besides the English people under her reign during the Elizabethan epoch. The Elizabethan epoch was renowned for its stylish construct and the manner people were utilizing it to show themselves. At the beginning of the epoch, adult females s manner did non hold much of an importance in their lives but after Queen Elizabeth came to power, everything they wore came to count. Fashion was considered an of import portion of the Elizabethan epoch ( England Fashion during the Elizabethan Age ) . Dressing up was deemed an art signifier and therefore Elizabethan people took clip and attempt to be smart ( England Fashion during the Elizabethan Age ) . As might be expected, the apparels the queen wore significantly affected the people near to her. They began to dress consequently to fit the Queen s manner but were careful to non dominate hers. Queen Elizabeth s ladies in waiting wore her old frocks that other adult females ende avored to copy. Elizabeth s manner influence spread good beyond adult female s vesture. The luster of her closet began to alter male garments as good. Courtiers competed with each other in order to be seen in the most showy, flowery, dearly-won, and stylish outfits to acquire in the good graces of the Queen ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . Hunting was one of the favourite athleticss during the Elizabethan epoch and many vesture manners were formed during the runing trips. Many a clip, a baronial or some affluent individual would come dressed up in a new voguish outfit which the other affluent and under category environing the Hunt would reproduce, therefore distributing the manner ( Elizabethan Sports ) . Queen Elizabeth had portrayals of herself painted, of which transcripts were made and distributed freely throughout the land ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . This manner her image could be displayed to broad audience therefore ensuing in the spread of the tribunal s manner and inspiring pride into the English people s bosom. Queen Elizabeth changed the manner people used to dress and this was considered as the it thing of the clip. The manner people used to dress during the Elizabethan epoch was about a combination of the manner with one s societal position and this was besides the epoch where Torahs were imposed with respects to vesture ( Clothing in Elizabethan Era ) . In Greenwich on the 15 June 1574, Queen Elizabeth enforced some new Sumptuary Laws called the Statutes of Apparel ( Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws ) . It was chiefly enforced and put to work by King Henry VIII, and these Torahs were so enforced by his eldest girl Queen Mary, and so Queen Elizabeth continued the tradition. It was a good manner of maintaining control over the public ( Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws ) . These Torahs were popular among the English people as the penalty for go againsting the Sumptuary Laws could be terrible ; mulcts, loss of belongings, rubric and sometime even person s life! ( Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws ) . No definite legal certification could be found where the criminal was brought to justness or the stipulated penalt y was carried out for interrupting the jurisprudence ( Sumptuary Law ) . Some mentions to such happenings can be found in a few personal diaries, but no parliamentary records seem to be to confirm these journal entries ( Sumptuary Laws ) . Queen Elizabeth enforced these Torahs to restrict the outgo of people on apparels and besides to keep the societal construction of the Elizabethan epoch. The chief concern of the Queen was that money was spent on unpointed stuffs alternatively of being used for more purposeful things. The other concern was that if anyone started have oning anything they wanted, it will take to moral diminution and societal pandemonium. For illustration, if person can non state the difference between a dairymaid and a countess at a glimpse, so pandemonium might happen throughout the land and Queen Elizabeth did non desire that go oning ( Queen Elizabeth s Influence on Elizabethan Fashion ) . These Torahs were about impossible to implement as there was no vesture constabulary ( Elizabethan Sumptuary Statutes ) . Elizabethan dressing displayed information about the societal position of the individual have oning them and this was non merely determined by the wealth of the individual but besides their societal standing ( Elizabethan Clothing ) . The Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws were of import as it revolutionized what everyone was have oning and it besides emphasized the societal category system as people were dressing harmonizing to their category. During the Elizabethan epoch, manner has played an of import function in determining the history throughout Queen Elizabeth s reign. Due to Queen Elizabeth s deficiency of rich and elegant frocks during her younger yearss, her closet, alongside her celebrated virginity when she grew up influenced 1000s of people in England and helped her throughout her political every bit good as personal determinations. She fashioned the manner people were dressing during the epoch as people looked up to her and wanted to derive her favours. Behind the facade of the expensive looking and jeweled incrusted gowns were a carefully budgeted planning, limited financess and intelligent usage of the resources and stuffs needed. She besides received expensive vesture gifts from many of her courtiers who wanted to be remarked and be portion of the tribunal. The portrayals she painted of herself were a brilliant show of wealth and power that anyone would be impressed by its luster. She made transcripts of he r portrayal and had them distributed throughout Elizabethan England. The Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws were an indispensable facet of the Elizabethan epoch manner as it kept society s societal construction from fade outing in thing thin air. Queen Elizabeth was a cardinal constituent in the spreading of the manner during the epoch and she did with much grace and glorification.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Pronoun Definition and Examples

Pronoun Definition and Examples In English grammar, a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause. The pronoun is one of the traditional  parts of speech. A pronoun can function as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence. Unlike nouns, pronouns rarely allow modification. Pronouns are a closed word class in English: new members rarely enter the language. To understand how to recognize and correctly use pronouns, it can be helpful to review the types of pronouns that exist in English. Demonstrative Pronouns A  demonstrative  pronoun points to a particular  noun  or to the noun it replaces. These pronouns can indicate items in space or time, and they can be either singular or plural, says  Ginger Software. When used to represent a thing or things, demonstrative pronouns can be either near or far in distance or time, says the online grammar, punctuation, and spelling checker, offering these examples: Near in time or distance:  this, theseFar in time or distance:  that, those There are three basic rules for using demonstrative pronouns: They always identify nouns, such as: I can’t believe this. The writer does not know what this  is, but it exists.They often describe animals, places, or things but  they can also describe people, such as:  This  sounds like Mary singing.They stand alone, distinguishing them from demonstrative adjectives, which qualify (or modify) nouns. Demonstrative pronouns can be used in place of a noun, so long as the noun being replaced can be understood from the pronoun’s context: This  was my mother’s ring.These  are nice shoes, but they look uncomfortable.None  of these answers is correct. Indefinite Pronouns An indefinite pronoun refers to an unspecified or unidentified person or thing. Put another way, an indefinite pronoun doesnt have an  antecedent. Indefinite pronouns include  quantifiers  (some, any, enough, several, many, or much);  universals  (all, both, every, or  each); and  partitives  (any, anyone, anybody, either, neither, no, nobody, some, or  someone). For example: Everyone  did as  he  pleased.Both  of us match the donation.Some coffee  is  left. Many of the indefinite pronouns can function as  determiners. Interrogative Pronouns The term  interrogative pronoun  refers to a  pronoun  that introduces a  question. These words are also called a  pronominal interrogative. Related terms include  interrogative,  wh-word, and  question word, although these terms are usually not defined in precisely the same way.  In English,  who, whom, whose, which,  and  what  commonly function as interrogative pronouns, for example: Even if you do learn to speak correct English,  whom  are you going to speak it to?- Clarence Darrow When immediately followed by a  noun,  whose, which, and  what  function as  determiners  or interrogative adjectives.  When they start a question, interrogative pronouns  have no antecedent, because  what they refer to is precisely what the question is trying to find out. Reflexive Pronouns A  reflexive pronoun  ends  in  -self  or  -selves  and is  used as an  object  to refer to a previously named  noun  or pronoun in a sentence. It can also simply be called a  reflexive. Reflexive pronouns usually follow  verbs  or  prepositions. For example: Good breeding consists of concealing how much we think of  ourselves  and how little we think of the other person.-  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Mark Twain Reflexive pronouns, which have the forms  myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, oneself, and  themselves, are essential to the meaning of a sentence. Intensive Pronouns An  intensive pronoun  ends in  -self  or  -selves  and emphasizes its  antecedent. It is also known as an  intensive reflexive pronoun. Intensive pronouns often appear as  appositives  after  nouns  or other pronouns, for example: He wondered, as he had many times wondered before, whether he  himself  was a lunatic.- George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four Intensive pronouns have the same forms as  reflexive pronouns:  myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, oneself, and  themselves. Unlike reflexive pronouns, intensive pronouns are not essential to the basic meaning of a sentence. Personal Pronouns A  personal pronoun  refers to a particular person, group, or thing. Like all pronouns, personal pronouns can take the place of  nouns  and  noun phrases. These are the personal pronouns in English: First-person singular:  I  ( subject), me (object)First-person plural:  we  (subject), us (object)Second-person singular and plural:  you  (subject  and  object)Third-person singular:  he, she, it  (subject),  him, her, it  (object)Third-person plural:  they  (subject),  them  (object) Note that personal pronouns  inflect  for  case  to show whether they are serving as  subjects  of clauses or as  objects  of verbs or prepositions. All the personal pronouns except  you  have distinct forms indicating  number, either  singular  or  plural. Only the third-person singular pronouns have distinct forms indicating  gender: masculine (he, him), feminine (she, her), and neuter (it). A personal pronoun (such as  they) that can refer to both masculine and feminine entities is called a  generic pronoun. Possessive Pronouns A possessive pronoun can take the place of a  noun phrase  to show ownership, as in, This phone is  mine. The  weak  possessives (also called  possessive determiners) function as  determiners  in front of  nouns, as in, My  phone is broken. The weak possessives are  my, your, his, her, its, our, and  their. In contrast, the  strong  (or  absolute)  possessive pronouns  stand on their own:  mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours,  and  theirs. The strong possessive is a type of  independent genitive. A possessive pronoun never takes an  apostrophe. Reciprocal Pronouns A reciprocal pronoun expresses a mutual action or relationship. In English, the reciprocal pronouns are  each other  and  one another, as in this example: Leadership and learning are indispensable to  each other.- John F. Kennedy, in a speech prepared for delivery on the day of his  assassination, Nov. 22, 1963 Some  usage  guides insist that  each other  should be used to refer to two people or things, and  one another  to more than two. Relative Pronouns A  relative pronoun  introduces an  adjective clause  (also called a  relative clause), as in: Spaghetti at her table,  which  was offered at least three times a week, was a mysterious red, white, and brown concoction.- Maya Angelou, Mom Me Mom The standard relative pronouns in English are  which, that, who, whom,  and  whose.  Who  and  whom  refer only to people.  Which  refers to things, qualities, and ideas- never to people.  That  and  whose  refer to people, things, qualities, and ideas. Source What is a Demonstrative Pronoun? Ginger Software, 2019.