Doris Lessing :: Biography Biographies Essays

Doris Lessing Doris Lessing is considered a South African writer, although Africa is not the place of her birth. She was, in fact, born in Persia (now Iran) to British parents in 1919. As a child, she and her parents moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she lived until 1949 (Sage, 15). White colonists had not previously settled in the part of Africa to which her family moved (Charters 894). In 1949 she moved to London where she still, apparently, resides. Lessing's life appears characterized by displacement. Charters tells us that "Lessing left school at the age of fourteen in rebellion against her mother" (894). Although neither Charters nor Lessing tell us for certain, it seems she may have been pushing against a representative of the colonialist mindset and way of life that she fought as an adult. Her unease with her status as a British national in Africa can be clearly seen in an event related by her biographer Lorna Sage in a quote from Lessing's "Being Prohibited," a piece written for The New Statesman. At the age of 16, Lessing was waiting in a train at a border crossing between Southern Rhodesia and South Africa. The forms she had been given to fill out at the border required her to declare nationality, birthplace, and other information. In this quotation, Lessing relates her discomfort at being one of the "Herrenvolk" (Sage 16): I had written on the form: Nationality, British, Race, European; and it was the first time in my life I had to claim myself as a member of one race and deny the others . . . The immigration man . . . looked suspiciously at my form for a long time before saying that I was in the wrong part of the train. I did not understand him. (I forgot to mention that where the form asked, Where were you born?, I had written, Persia.) "Asiatics," said he, "have to go to the back of the train†¦" "But," I said, "I am not an Asiatic." (Sage 16) For Lessing, this incident seemed to display her lack of a secure "place" in the world. Insecure in the role of British national, unable to be a "real" national of her adopted homeland, she is further separated by the place in which she was born. According to Sage, in the same piece Lessing investigates the idea that maybe "it was her Persian birth rather than her 'red' anti-racist politics that made her a prohibited alien" (16).

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen Essay -- Anthem Doomed Youth W

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen The sonnet ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, by Wilfred Owen, criticizes war. The speaker is Wilfred Owen, whose tone is first bitter, angry and ironic. Then it’s filled with intense sadness and an endless feeling of emptiness. The poet uses poetic techniques such as diction, imagery, and sound to convey his idea. The title, ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, gives the first impression of the poem. An ‘anthem’, is a song of praise, perhaps sacred, so we get the impression that the poem might me about something religious or joyous. However, the anthem is for ‘Doomed Youth’ which is obviously negative. The title basically summarizes what the poem is; a mixture of thoughts related to religion and death, irony, and cynicism. The poem doesn’t slowly start to focus on the point he’s making: there is an immediacy of war with the usage of present tense. Plus, it starts with a rhetorical question. With the rhetorical questions, he says that the dead soldiers, or ‘cattle’, die insignificantly, for there are no ‘passing-bells’ for them. Furthermore, he is emphasizing the vast number of the dead by meaning that there wouldn’t be enough bells, or time to ring the bells for each soldier. The speaker continues by answering his own question with lines filled with onomatopoeia, personification, assonance, and alliteration: the ‘only’ substitute for the bells are the bullets fired during war by the ‘stuttering rifles’ and the ‘guns’ with the ‘monstrous anger’. This type of beginning sets out a solid foundation for the poem: it already gives the reader a strong idea of what the intentions of the poet are. The poem continues the theme of negativity when the speaker criticizes the use of religion throughout war, and possibly questions God. By using things as sacred things as ‘prayers’, ‘bells’ and ‘choirs’ as tools to mourn the insignificant ‘cattle’, Owen says that the dead would only be mocked. The vast number of dead ‘cattle’ is described by Own when he says that there aren’t enough ‘candles’ to ‘speed them all’, and there aren’t any official funerals, but they can only be mourned by releasing their ‘holy glimmers of good-byes’ and that ‘the pallor of girls brows shall be their pall’. The vast number of dead ‘cattle’ is described by Own when he says that there aren’t enough ‘candles’ to ‘speed them all’, and there... ...d ‘shells’. All of these words are in the octet: there is no presence of war vocabulary in the second part of the poem. The religion vocabulary on the other hand is present throughout the poem. In the octet, it is used to mock religion, whereas in the sestet, they are used in a ‘holier’ sense. Throughout the poem, there is an obvious presence of negativity. Besides the actual content, there is a lot of special diction used to reinforce the negativity: first in the title ‘Anthem for Doomed youth’. The theme of negativity continues with the question used in the beginning of both the octet and the sestet, and questions give a sense of uncertainty, doubtlessness, and negativity, but also, Owen uses them to make a point. This theme is continued with negative and pessimistic words such as only, no, nor, demented, wailing, sad, mourning, not, and slow. Some of these words have been used more then once and often used closely, which strengthens the effect. In the end, the poem ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’, by Wilfred Owen, criticizes war, and the use of religion to mourn the dead soldiers, while pitying the mourners. To strengthen his views, he uses strong diction, imagery and sound.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fourteen

Catelyn Ned and the girls were eight days gone when Maester Luwin came to her one night in Bran's sickroom, carrying a reading lamp and the books of account. â€Å"It is past time that we reviewed the figures, my lady,† he said. â€Å"You'll want to know how much this royal visit cost us.† Catelyn looked at Bran in his sickbed and brushed his hair back off his forehead. It had grown very long, she realized. She would have to cut it soon. â€Å"I have no need to look at figures, Maester Luwin,† she told him, never taking her eyes from Bran. â€Å"I know what the visit cost us. Take the books away.† â€Å"My lady, the king's party had healthy appetites. We must replenish our stores before—† She cut him off. â€Å"I said, take the books away. The steward will attend to our needs.† â€Å"We have no steward,† Maester Luwin reminded her. Like a little grey rat, she thought, he would not let go. â€Å"Poole went south to establish Lord Eddard's household at King's Landing.† Catelyn nodded absently. â€Å"Oh, yes. I remember.† Bran looked so pale. She wondered whether they might move his bed under the window, so he could get the morning sun. Maester Luwin set the lamp in a niche by the door and fiddled with its wick. â€Å"There are several appointments that require your immediate attention, my lady. Besides the steward, we need a captain of the guards to fill Jory's place, a new master of horse—† Her eyes snapped around and found him. â€Å"A master of horse?† Her voice was a whip. The maester was shaken. â€Å"Yes, my lady. Hullen rode south with Lord Eddard, so—† â€Å"My son lies here broken and dying, Luwin, and you wish to discuss a new master of horse? Do you think I care what happens in the stables? Do you think it matters to me one whit? I would gladly butcher every horse in Winterfell with my own hands if it would open Bran's eyes, do you understand that? Do you?† He bowed his head. â€Å"Yes, my lady, but the appointments—† â€Å"I'll make the appointments,† Robb said. Catelyn had not heard him enter, but there he stood in the doorway, looking at her. She had been shouting, she realized with a sudden flush of shame. What was happening to her? She was so tired, and her head hurt all the time. Maester Luwin looked from Catelyn to her son. â€Å"I have prepared a list of those we might wish to consider for the vacant offices,† he said, offering Robb a paper plucked from his sleeve. Her son glanced at the names. He had come from outside, Catelyn saw; his cheeks were red from the cold, his hair shaggy and windblown. â€Å"Good men,† he said. â€Å"We'll talk about them tomorrow.† He handed back the list of names. â€Å"Very good, my lord.† The paper vanished into his sleeve. â€Å"Leave us now,† Robb said. Maester Luwin bowed and departed. Robb closed the door behind him and turned to her. He was wearing a sword, she saw. â€Å"Mother, what are you doing?† Catelyn had always thought Robb looked like her; like Bran and Rickon and Sansa, he had the Tully coloring, the auburn hair, the blue eyes. Yet now for the first time she saw something of Eddard Stark in his face, something as stern and hard as the north. â€Å"What am I doing?† she echoed, puzzled. â€Å"How can you ask that? What do you imagine I'm doing? I am taking care of your brother. I am taking care of Bran.† â€Å"Is that what you call it? You haven't left this room since Bran was hurt. You didn't even come to the gate when Father and the girls went south.† â€Å"I said my farewells to them here, and watched them ride out from that window.† She had begged Ned not to go, not now, not after what had happened; everything had changed now, couldn't he see that? It was no use. He had no choice, he had told her, and then he left, choosing. â€Å"I can't leave him, even for a moment, not when any moment could be his last. I have to be with him, if . . . if . . . † She took her son's limp hand, sliding his fingers through her own. He was so frail and thin, with no strength left in his hand, but she could still feel the warmth of life through his skin. Robb's voice softened. â€Å"He's not going to die, Mother. Maester Luwin says the time of greatest danger has passed.† â€Å"And what if Maester Luwin is wrong? What if Bran needs me and I'm not here?† â€Å"Rickon needs you,† Robb said sharply. â€Å"He's only three, he doesn't understand what's happening. He thinks everyone has deserted him, so he follows me around all day, clutching my leg and crying. I don't know what to do with him.† He paused a moment, chewing on his lower lip the way he'd done when he was little. â€Å"Mother, I need you too. I'm trying but I can't . . . I can't do it all by myself.† His voice broke with sudden emotion, and Catelyn remembered that he was only fourteen. She wanted to get up and go to him, but Bran was still holding her hand and she could not move. Outside the tower, a wolf began to howl. Catelyn trembled, just for a second. â€Å"Bran's.† Robb opened the window and let the night air into the stuffy tower room. The howling grew louder. It was a cold and lonely sound, full of melancholy and despair. â€Å"Don't,† she told him. â€Å"Bran needs to stay warm.† â€Å"He needs to hear them sing,† Robb said. Somewhere out in Winterfell, a second wolf began to howl in chorus with the first. Then a third, closer. â€Å"Shaggydog and Grey Wind,† Robb said as their voices rose and fell together. â€Å"You can tell them apart if you listen close.† Catelyn was shaking. It was the grief, the cold, the howling of the direwolves. Night after night, the howling and the cold wind and the grey empty castle, on and on they went, never changing, and her boy lying there broken, the sweetest of her children, the gentlest, Bran who loved to laugh and climb and dreamt of knighthood, all gone now, she would never hear him laugh again. Sobbing, she pulled her hand free of his and covered her ears against those terrible howls. â€Å"Make them stop!† she cried. â€Å"I can't stand it, make them stop, make them stop, kill them all if you must, just make them stop!† She didn't remember falling to the floor, but there she was, and Robb was lifting her, holding her in strong arms. â€Å"Don't be afraid, Mother. They would never hurt him.† He helped her to her narrow bed in the corner of the sickroom. â€Å"Close your eyes,† he said gently. â€Å"Rest. Maester Luwin tells me you've hardly slept since Bran's fall.† â€Å"I can't,† she wept. â€Å"Gods forgive me, Robb, I can't, what if he dies while I'm asleep, what if he dies, what if he dies . . . † The wolves were still howling. She screamed and held her ears again. â€Å"Oh, gods, close the window!† â€Å"If you swear to me you'll sleep.† Robb went to the window, but as he reached for the shutters another sound was added to the mournful howling of the direwolves. â€Å"Dogs,† he said, listening. â€Å"All the dogs are barking. They've never done that before . . . † Catelyn heard his breath catch in his throat. When she looked up, his face was pale in the lamplight. â€Å"Fire,† he whispered. Fire, she thought, and then, Bran! â€Å"Help me,† she said urgently, sitting up. â€Å"Help me with Bran.† Robb did not seem to hear her. â€Å"The library tower's on fire,† he said. Catelyn could see the flickering reddish light through the open window now. She sagged with relief. Bran was safe. The library was across the bailey, there was no way the fire would reach them here. â€Å"Thank the gods,† she whispered. Robb looked at her as if she'd gone mad. â€Å"Mother, stay here. I'll come back as soon as the fire's out.† He ran then. She heard him shout to the guards outside the room, heard them descending together in a wild rush, taking the stairs two and three at a time. Outside, there were shouts of â€Å"Fire!† in the yard, screams, running footsteps, the whinny of frightened horses, and the frantic barking of the castle dogs. The howling was gone, she realized as she listened to the cacophony. The direwolves had fallen silent. Catelyn said a silent prayer of thanks to the seven faces of god as she went to the window. Across the bailey, long tongues of flame shot from the windows of the library. She watched the smoke rise into the sky and thought sadly of all the books the Starks had gathered over the centuries. Then she closed the shutters. When she turned away from the window, the man was in the room with her. â€Å"You weren't s'posed to be here,† he muttered sourly. â€Å"No one was s'posed to be here.† He was a small, dirty man in filthy brown clothing, and he stank of horses. Catelyn knew all the men who worked in their stables, and he was none of them. He was gaunt, with limp blond hair and pale eyes deep-sunk in a bony face, and there was a dagger in his hand. Catelyn looked at the knife, then at Bran. â€Å"No,† she said. The word stuck in her throat, the merest whisper. He must have heard her. â€Å"It's a mercy,† he said. â€Å"He's dead already.† â€Å"No,† Catelyn said, louder now as she found her voice again. â€Å"No, you can't.† She spun back toward the window to scream for help, but the man moved faster than she would have believed. One hand clamped down over her mouth and yanked back her head, the other brought the dagger up to her windpipe. The stench of him was overwhelming. She reached up with both hands and grabbed the blade with all her strength, pulling it away from her throat. She heard him cursing into her ear. Her fingers were slippery with blood, but she would not let go of the dagger. The hand over her mouth clenched more tightly, shutting off her air. Catelyn twisted her head to the side and managed to get a piece of his flesh between her teeth. She bit down hard into his palm. The man grunted in pain. She ground her teeth together and tore at him, and all of a sudden he let go. The taste of his blood filled her mouth. She sucked in air and screamed, and he grabbed her hair and pulled her away from him, and she stumbled and went down, and then he was standing over her, breathing hard, shaking. The dagger was still clutched tightly in his right hand, slick with blood. â€Å"You weren't s'posed to be here,† he repeated stupidly. Catelyn saw the shadow slip through the open door behind him. There was a low rumble, less than a snarl, the merest whisper of a threat, but he must have heard something, because he started to turn just as the wolf made its leap. They went down together, half sprawled over Catelyn where she'd fallen. The wolf had him under the jaw. The man's shriek lasted less than a second before the beast wrenched back its head, taking out half his throat. His blood felt like warm rain as it sprayed across her face. The wolf was looking at her. Its jaws were red and wet and its eyes glowed golden in the dark room. It was Bran's wolf, she realized. Of course it was. â€Å"Thank you,† Catelyn whispered, her voice faint and tiny. She lifted her hand, trembling. The wolf padded closer, sniffed at her fingers, then licked at the blood with a wet rough tongue. When it had cleaned all the blood off her hand, it turned away silently and jumped up on Bran's bed and lay down beside him. Catelyn began to laugh hysterically. That was the way they found them, when Robb and Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik burst in with half the guards in Winterfell. When the laughter finally died in her throat, they wrapped her in warm blankets and led her back to the Great Keep, to her own chambers. Old Nan undressed her and helped her into a scalding hot bath and washed the blood off her with a soft cloth. Afterward Maester Luwin arrived to dress her wounds. The cuts in her fingers went deep, almost to the bone, and her scalp was raw and bleeding where he'd pulled out a handful of hair. The maester told her the pain was just starting now, and gave her milk of the poppy to help her sleep. Finally she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they told her that she had slept four days. Catelyn nodded and sat up in bed. It all seemed like a nightmare to her now, everything since Bran's fall, a terrible dream of blood and grief, but she had the pain in her hands to remind her that it was real. She felt weak and light-headed, yet strangely resolute, as if a great weight had lifted from her. â€Å"Bring me some bread and honey,† she told her servants, â€Å"and take word to Maester Luwin that my bandages want changing.† They looked at her in surprise and ran to do her bidding. Catelyn remembered the way she had been before, and she was ashamed. She had let them all down, her children, her husband, her House. It would not happen again. She would show these northerners how strong a Tully of Riverrun could be. Robb arrived before her food. Rodrik Cassel came with him, and her husband's ward Theon Greyjoy, and lastly Hallis Mollen, a muscular guardsman with a square brown beard. He was the new captain of the guard, Robb said. Her son was dressed in boiled leather and ringmail, she saw, and a sword hung at his waist. â€Å"Who was he?† Catelyn asked them. â€Å"No one knows his name,† Hallis Mollen told her. â€Å"He was no man of Winterfell, m'lady, but some says they seen him here and about the castle these past few weeks.† â€Å"One of the king's men, then,† she said, â€Å"or one of the Lannisters'. He could have waited behind when the others left.† â€Å"Maybe,† Hal said. â€Å"With all these strangers filling up Winterfell of late, there's no way of saying who he belonged to.† â€Å"He'd been hiding in your stables,† Greyjoy said. â€Å"You could smell it on him.† â€Å"And how could he go unnoticed?† she said sharply. Hallis Mollen looked abashed. â€Å"Between the horses Lord Eddard took south and them we sent north to the Night's Watch, the stalls were half-empty. It were no great trick to hide from the stableboys. Could be Hodor saw him, the talk is that boy's been acting queer, but simple as he is . . . † Hal shook his head. â€Å"We found where he'd been sleeping,† Robb put in. â€Å"He had ninety silver stags in a leather bag buried beneath the straw.† â€Å"It's good to know my son's life was not sold cheaply,† Catelyn said bitterly. Hallis Mollen looked at her, confused. â€Å"Begging your grace, m'lady, you saying he was out to kill your boy?† Greyjoy was doubtful. â€Å"That's madness.† â€Å"He came for Bran,† Catelyn said. â€Å"He kept muttering how I wasn't supposed to be there. He set the library fire thinking I would rush to put it out, taking any guards with me. If I hadn't been half-mad with grief, it would have worked.† â€Å"Why would anyone want to kill Bran?† Robb said. â€Å"Gods, he's only a little boy, helpless, sleeping . . . â€Å" Catelyn gave her firstborn a challenging look. â€Å"If you are to rule in the north, you must think these things through, Robb. Answer your own question. Why would anyone want to kill a sleeping child?† Before he could answer, the servants returned with a plate of food fresh from the kitchen. There was much more than she'd asked for: hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, a rasher of bacon and a soft-boiled egg, a wedge of cheese, a pot of mint tea. And with it came Maester Luwin. â€Å"How is my son, Maester?† Catelyn looked at all the food and found she had no appetite. Maester Luwin lowered his eyes. â€Å"Unchanged, my lady.† It was the reply she had expected, no more and no less. Her hands throbbed with pain, as if the blade were still in her, cutting deep. She sent the servants away and looked back to Robb. â€Å"Do you have the answer yet?† â€Å"Someone is afraid Bran might wake up,† Robb said, â€Å"afraid of what he might say or do, afraid of something he knows.† Catelyn was proud of him. â€Å"Very good.† She turned to the new captain of the guard. â€Å"We must keep Bran safe. If there was one killer, there could be others.† â€Å"How many guards do you want, rn'lady?† Hal asked. â€Å"So long as Lord Eddard is away, my son is the master of Winterfell,† she told him. Robb stood a little taller. â€Å"Put one man in the sickroom, night and day, one outside the door, two at the bottom of the stairs. No one sees Bran without my warrant or my mother's.† â€Å"As you say, m'lord.† â€Å"Do it now,† Catelyn suggested. â€Å"And let his wolf stay in the room with him,† Robb added. â€Å"Yes,† Catelyn said. And then again: â€Å"Yes.† Hallis Mollen bowed and left the room. â€Å"Lady Stark,† Ser Rodrik said when the guardsman had gone, â€Å"did you chance to notice the dagger the killer used?† â€Å"The circumstances did not allow me to examine it closely, but I can vouch for its edge,† Catelyn replied with a dry smile. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"We found the knife still in the villain's grasp. It seemed to me that it was altogether too fine a weapon for such a man, so I looked at it long and hard. The blade is Valyrian steel, the hilt dragonbone. A weapon like that has no business being in the hands of such as him. Someone gave it to him.† Catelyn nodded, thoughtful. â€Å"Robb, close the door.† He looked at her strangely, but did as she told him. â€Å"What I am about to tell you must not leave this room,† she told them. â€Å"I want your oaths on that. If even part of what I suspect is true, Ned and my girls have ridden into deadly danger, and a word in the wrong ears could mean their lives.† â€Å"Lord Eddard is a second father to me,† said Theon Greyjoy. â€Å"I do so swear.† â€Å"You have my oath,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"And mine, my lady,† echoed Ser Rodrik. She looked at her son. â€Å"And you, Robb?† He nodded his consent. â€Å"My sister Lysa believes the Lannisters murdered her husband, Lord Arryn, the Hand of the King,† Catelyn told them. â€Å"It comes to me that Jaime Lannister did not join the hunt the day Bran fell. He remained here in the castle.† The room was deathly quiet. â€Å"I do not think Bran fell from that tower,† she said into the stillness. â€Å"I think he was thrown.† The shock was plain on their faces. â€Å"My lady, that is a monstrous suggestion,† said Rodrik Cassel. â€Å"Even the Kingslayer would flinch at the murder of an innocent child.† â€Å"Oh, would he?† Theon Greyjoy asked. â€Å"I wonder.† â€Å"There is no limit to Lannister pride or Lannister ambition,† Catelyn said. â€Å"The boy had always been surehanded in the past,† Maester Luwin said thoughtfully. â€Å"He knew every stone in Winterfell.† â€Å"Gods,† Robb swore, his young face dark with anger. â€Å"If this is true, he will pay for it.† He drew his sword and waved it in the air. â€Å"I'll kill him myself!† Ser Rodrik bristled at him. â€Å"Put that away! The Lannisters are a hundred leagues away. Never draw your sword unless you mean to use it. How many times must I tell you, foolish boy?† Abashed, Robb sheathed his sword, suddenly a child again. Catelyn said to Ser Rodrik, â€Å"I see my son is wearing steel now.† The old master-at-arms said, â€Å"I thought it was time.† Robb was looking at her anxiously. â€Å"Past time,† she said. â€Å"Winterfell may have need of all its swords soon, and they had best not be made of wood.† Theon Greyjoy put a hand on the hilt of his blade and said, â€Å"My lady, if it comes to that, my House owes yours a great debt.† Maester Luwin pulled at his chain collar where it chafed against his neck. â€Å"All we have is conjecture. This is the queen's beloved brother we mean to accuse. She will not take it kindly. We must have proof, or forever keep silent.† â€Å"Your proof is in the dagger,† Ser Rodrik said. â€Å"A fine blade like that will not have gone unnoticed.† There was only one place to find the truth of it, Catelyn realized. â€Å"Someone must go to King's Landing.† â€Å"I'll go,† Robb said. â€Å"No,† she told him. â€Å"Your place is here. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell.† She looked at Ser Rodrik with his great white whiskers, at Maester Luwin in his grey robes, at young Greyjoy, lean and dark and impetuous. Who to send? Who would be believed? Then she knew. Catelyn struggled to push back the blankets, her bandaged fingers as stiff and unyielding as stone. She climbed out of bed. â€Å"I must go myself.† â€Å"My lady,† said Maester Luwin, â€Å"is that wise? Surely the Lannisters would greet your arrival with suspicion.† â€Å"What about Bran?† Robb asked. The poor boy looked utterly confused now. â€Å"You can't mean to leave him.† â€Å"I have done everything I can for Bran,† she said, laying a wounded hand on his arm. â€Å"His life is in the hands of the gods and Maester Luwin. As you reminded me yourself, Robb, I have other children to think of now.† â€Å"You will need a strong escort, my lady,† Theon said. â€Å"I'll send Hal with a squad of guardsmen,† Robb said. â€Å"No,† Catelyn said. â€Å"A large party attracts unwelcome attention. I would not have the Lannisters know I am coming.† Ser Rodrik protested. â€Å"My lady, let me accompany you at least. The kingsroad can be perilous for a woman alone.† â€Å"I will not be taking the kingsroad,† Catelyn replied. She thought for a moment, then nodded her consent. â€Å"Two riders can move as fast as one, and a good deal faster than a long column burdened by wagons and wheelhouses. I will welcome your company, Ser Rodrik. We will follow the White Knife down to the sea, and hire a ship at WhiteHarbor. Strong horses and brisk winds should bring us to King's Landing well ahead of Ned and the Lannisters.† And then, she thought, we shall see what we shall see.

Black Plague Essays - Health, Medicine, Plague, Veterinary Medicine

Black Plague Essays - Health, Medicine, Plague, Veterinary Medicine Black Plague Living in Europe in the middle of the 1300s would have been heartbreaking and dreadful. Not only were the living conditions very poor but there was an unknown disease that was wiping out a large percentage of European population. One cannot imagine the fear of wondering whether you or someone you loved was going to catch this deadly disease. No explanation would make a person feel safe from catching it or dying with it. The people of Europe just lived their lives as best they could realizing that nothing they do could ever stop this. They did not have the power to stop this it was far too beyond them. This unknown disease is known as the Bubonic Plague. The plague was passed among many rodents by fleas. Most of the rodents were rats. Fleas living on the rats blood would eject the disease into the rat causing it to die quickly. When there were no rats left around, the flea would search for a new host, such as a human. When an infected flea bit the human the bacteria multiplies quickly causing death within a few Days. One a person obtains this disease they can easily spread it among other humans by bacilli coughed or sneezed in to the air or by human fleas. The plague had struck other parts of the world before it was first reported in Europe. The disease had been found in China and throughout India around 1332. Nomadic horsemen may have carried the plague westward between China and the Black Sea, where it apparently spread into Russia. Rumors had spread to Europe about the strange and terrible things happening in the East. Europeans began fearing this plague not knowing of its origin or cause. Eventually, the same unusual things started to occur in Europe and the plague was then reported to be in Europe. As the bubonic plague spread across Europe it was called many names. Italians were dying by the thousands so they called it the Great Death. The Spanish called it Moroccan Fever, while Moroccans called it Mountain Fever. Most Europeans called it the Italian Fever or Italian Pestilence. It was not until later when the plague was called the Black Death. Black in Latin means dreadful, unlucky, and gloomy. This and because of black spots on the skin of many plague victims led the people to associate the word black with the plague. There are two reasons that made Europe ripe for the spread of the plague. The negative reason was the living conditions of majority of the people. Most peasants and serfs lived in small villages of windowless thatched wooden huts. It would not be too bad if the people knew of sanitation. They dumped their wastes into rivers from which they drank. They also dumped them into nearby fields where livestock graze and livestock slept under the same roof as the people. Washing was a similar problem. People rarely washed themselves or their clothes. Fleas lice and other vermin were part of life and to be endured with. Most rats were ignored which was not good because they were major carriers of the disease. Many of the doctors of the time were amazed at the horrible disease. Physicians were stumped about cure or even remedies of this illness. The only advice they could offer is to get away from it and start off new somewhere else. Many physicians followed their own advice and deserted areas where the plague was to be found. Many doctors told patients that the disease came because of a corrupted or polluted atmosphere. There were a few attempts of doctors finding a remedy. Gui de Chauliac recommended a variety of pills, purges, and bleeding. These are all known as medieval remedies. Chauliac seemed to think on the brighter side of things. Others like Chalin de Vinario put his own opinion quite bluntly, Every pronounced case of the plague is incurable. All the doctors lacked one important connection: the spread of plague between the rats. This connection had been noticed earlier by others. An extremely high fever, chills, and ultimately delirium and death characterize the plague. The bacilli collect in the lymph nodes, mostly the ones in the

Future Of E-Commerce Essays - Retailing, E-commerce, Free Essays

Future Of E-Commerce Essays - Retailing, E-commerce, Free Essays Future Of E-Commerce 1 The Future of E-Commerce Future 2 THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE There are varying opinions regarding the future of e-commerce. Despite the fact that online sales are growing exponentially, some analysts believe that e-commerce is heading for a fall. Laurie Windham justifies her belief that as time goes on, sales will decrease instead of increasing. Windham believes that net consumers are very different than mall shoppers and catalog shoppers. Furthermore, she says that dot-coms are responsible for ruining their own chances to sell because they have spoiled customers to the point that consumers expect cheap prices and freebies and if they don't get them, they just move on to another site. E-commerce, Windham says, is a fickle world with little, if any, customer loyalty (Fortune, 2000). Windham found some interesting differences between online shoppers and traditional shoppers. For instance, 34 percent of online shoppers describe themselves as comparison shoppers but only 8 percent of traditional shoppers describe themselves as comparison shoppers. Another comparison is that only 1 percent of Web shoppers say they hate stores but 10 percent of traditional shoppers say they hate stores (Fortune, 2000). Web shoppers are by and large comparison, price-sensitive consumers. Future 3 Windham, who spent two years studying the consumers who purchase online, said that as nonusers begin to use the Web for purchasing, they will be less adventuresome than people already making purchases online. They will also be slightly older than the norm and they will be more fearful and cautious about privacy and security. In other words, as nonusers begin using the Web to shop, they will be a more conservative group than current users. It is probable they will also be less fickle and more loyal to brands/stores (Fortune, 2000). Windham pointed out that there were numerous problems with people receiving exactly what they ordered online during last holiday season. Based on that, she suggested sales may be lower this year (Fortune, 2000). Surveys conducted after the last holiday season suggested online shoppers would continue shopping online. One survey, for instance, indicated that more than 90 percent of consumers reported that shopping online met or exceeded their expectations. Eighty percent said they would increase their online shopping in 2000 (Rutledge, 2000). Studies found that consumer confidence in using the Internet for shopping reached very high levels, which were due to a number of factors. Positive comments from family and friends were one of the factors that swayed more people to utilize this option. Better selections from online stores also made the experience more satisfying. Finally, Future 4 secure credit card transactions played a major role in increasing sales (Rutledge, 2000). Consumers were enticed to try shopping on the Internet by the massive marketing campaign last year for both dot-com stores and retail stores online. More than 70 percent of Net shoppers said they bought from e-commerce sites that offered free shipping. Another 54 percent said they were enticed by the discounts offered for their first online purchase. Forty percent used online coupons and 25 percent responded to the offer of free gifts for their online purchase (Rutledge, 2000). The Direct Marketing Association projected that sales generated from catalogs and the Internet would double in the next four years, reaching $3.33 billion (Entrepreneur, 2000). A study by Jupiter Communications agreed saying that sales would increase this holiday season. This study reported that holiday shoppers would spend almost $12 billion in online purchases between November 1 and December 31 this year, which represents a 66 percent increase over the same time period last year. The increase between the 1998 and 1999 holiday seasons was 126 percent. There is a slowdown in the degree of growth but it is still a substantial increase (Kontzner, 2000) The Gartner Group predicted a much larger growth this year. They projected sales of $19.5 billion. This group also believed that dot-com stores and retail stores online Future 5 would not spend as much money on advertising this year. Instead, they will spend

Tips for Writing Broadcast News Copy

Tips for Writing Broadcast News Copy The idea behind news writing is pretty simple: keep it short and to the point. Everyone writing for a newspaper or website knows this. But that idea gets taken to a new level with it comes to writing copy for radio or television broadcasts. There are lots of tips for broadcast news writing that make the job a little easier. Keep It Simple Newspaper reporters who want to show off their writing style occasionally insert a fancy word into a story. That just doesnt work in broadcast news writing. Broadcast copy must be as simple as possible. Remember, viewers arent reading what youre writing, theyre hearing it. People watching TV or listening to the radio generally dont have time to check a dictionary. So keep your sentences simple and use basic, easily understood words. If you find youve put a longer word in a sentence, replace it with a shorter one. Example: Print: The physician conducted an extensive autopsy on the decedent.Broadcast: The doctor did an autopsy on the body. Keep It Short Generally, sentences in broadcast copy should be even shorter than those found in print articles. Why? Shorter sentences are more easily understood than long ones. Also, remember that broadcast copy must be read out loud. If you write a sentence thats too long, the news anchor will be gasping for breath just to finish it. Individual sentences in broadcast copy should be short enough to be easily read in one breath. Example: Print: President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats sought to ease Republican complaints about a massive economic stimulus plan Friday, meeting with GOP leaders in the White House and promising to consider some of their recommendations.Broadcast: President Barack Obama met with Republican leaders in Congress today. The Republicans arent happy with Obamas big economic stimulus plan. Obama says hell consider their ideas. Keep It Conversational Many sentences found in newspaper stories simply sound stilted and unwieldy when theyre read out loud. Use a conversational style in your broadcast writing. Doing so will make it sound more like real speech, as opposed to a script someone is reading. Example: Print: Pope Benedict XVI joined U.S. President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II on Friday by launching his own YouTube channel, the latest Vatican effort to reach out to the digital generation.Broadcast: President Obama has a Youtube channel. So does Queen Elizabeth. Now Pope Benedict has one, too. The pope wants to use the new channel to reach out to young people. Use One Main Idea per Sentence Sentences in newspaper stories sometimes contain several ideas, usually in clauses that are broken up by commas. But in broadcast writing, you really shouldnt put more than one main idea in each sentence. Why not? You guessed it - put more than one main idea per sentence and that sentence will be too long. Example: Print: Gov. David Paterson appointed Democratic U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand on Friday to fill New Yorks vacant Senate seat, finally settling on a woman from a largely rural, eastern district of the state to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.Broadcast: Gov. David Paterson has appointed Democratic Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to fill New Yorks vacant Senate seat. Gillibrand is from a rural part of the state. She will replace Hillary Rodham Clinton. Use the Active Voice Sentences written in the active voice just naturally tend to be shorter and more to-the-point than those written in the passive voice. Example: Passive: The robbers were arrested by police.Active: Police arrested the robbers. Use a Lead-In Sentence Most broadcast news stories start with a lead-in sentence that is fairly general. Broadcast news writers do this to alert viewers that a new story is being presented, and to prepare them for the information that is to follow. Example: Theres more bad news today from Iraq. Note that this sentence doesnt say very much. But again, it lets the viewer know that the next story is going to be about Iraq. The lead-in sentence almost serves as a kind of headline for the story. Heres an example of a broadcast news item. Note the use of a lead-in line, short, simple sentences, and a conversational style. Theres more bad news from Iraq. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush outside Baghdad today. The Pentagon says the soldiers were hunting insurgents when their Humvee came under sniper fire. The Pentagon hasnt yet released the soldiers names. Put Attribution at the Start of the Sentence Print news stories usually put the attribution, the source of the information, at the end of the sentence. In broadcast news writing, we put them at the beginning. Example: Print: Two men were arrested, police said.Broadcast: Police say two men were arrested. Leave out Unnecessary Details Print stories tend to include a lot of details that we just dont have time for in the broadcast. Example: Print: After robbing the bank, the man drove approximately 9.7 miles before being apprehended, police said.Broadcast: Police say the man robbed the bank, then drove nearly 10 miles before he was caught. Sources Associated Press, The. Rep. Gillibrand gets Clintons Senate seat. NBC News, January 23, 2009. Associated Press, The. Vatican launches Pope YouTube channel. CTV News, January 23, 2009. jengibson. Simplifying Print Writing. Course Hero, 2019. What makes good broadcast writing? StudyLib, 2019.

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China Essay - 3

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China - Essay Example The state based automobile manufacturing company of China, Chery International was founded in the year 1997 with an investment capital of RMB 3.98 billion. The Chinese state owned firm has grown rapidly over the years and presently has a production capacity of around 900,000 engines, cars along with 450,000 transmissions. The product portfolio ranges from passenger and commercial vehicles along with minivans. The company follows a highly modernized approach towards the production of automobiles in all its facilities and provides a strong focus on quality and innovation. With the passage of time, the Chinese firm has successfully penetrated into multiple markets in home and abroad (Cherryinternational.com-1, 2013). The automobile market in the US is one of the largest in the world and is interesting the home turf for 13 automobile manufacturers. Every major automobile manufacturing brand ranging from European, Japanese, Korean or Indian has presence in the US automobile market (selectusa.commerce.gov, n.d.). On a statistical note, the top 10 automakers manufacture 80% of the world’s automobiles, 90% of which is sold in the US markets. Talking in depth about the US auto market, it has to be stated that the market is dominated by the multiple global brands. General Motors is presently the leader in the US market. Other popular and prominent auto brands in the US market are Ford, Toyota, Daimler, Honda and Nissan. As of the current times, it needs to be highlighted that the US auto industry is starting to attain the pre-crisis growth levels. Auto sales in the year 2013 in the US were pegged at 15.6 million vehicles, which is a significant 7.6% increase as compared to 2012. For the year 2014, it is being expected that the US auto industry is supposed to attain a sale of around 16.1 to 16.5 million vehicles (Woodall and Klayman, 2014). It can be said that the marketing mix comprises of