Barbour’s Entry into Spain

John Barbour and Sons is Ltd is a cloth manufacturing company that has been in operation since 1894. They manufacture garments that are waxed to provide a waterproof finish. The clothes have been used by fishermen, naval officers and cyclists. The company’s products have gained varied popularity response in different regions depending on the perception of their clients. Some have considered it as functional while others view it as a passing fad and fancy. In spite if the varied reactions by the customers, the Barbour company has managed to sustain its market share and keep its reputation high by maintaining its mains principles.The company, originally from Britain has gained popularity in the international market and has moved to other neighbouring countries like United States, Canada, France and Spain. Due this expansion, the company introduced new products in terms of designs to cater for the new markets. Their unique marketing strategy and the development of new designs hav e played an important role in their success especially in the international market hence solving the exchange rate inconveniences.The launch of the company website was another great achievement of the Barbour Company that came with a lot of benefits including improved business-customer relationship and developed brand loyalty. The uniqueness of the company’s marketing strategy has lead to formation of two clubs on their website that is, Barbour owners club and Barbour members club. This is a competitive advantage they have against their competitors. They also provide for cross selling through their website database Product standardizationBarbour Company is very popular with manufacturing of classic waxed clothed in the European market. Since there is increased competition in the international market, the company has to do a great deal of promotion and marketing in order to remain competitive in the developing market. One of the strategies to do this is to carry out product st andardization (Carlo 1994). Though marketing abroad is very tricky and the products for export are not necessarily the same as those for domestic market, core aspect still remain crucial for both markets.In order to maintain competitiveness in the international market, the Barbour Company should carry out international strategies that include customization, product adaptation, and innovation other than standardization. In the international market, the extent of standardization should be limited to certain degree since the requirements may not be the same as the domestic needs. Three methods commonly applied by some of the successful companies include; 1. adopting the same promotion and marketing policy home and abroad 2. the company takes care of the specific requirements of foreign customers3. The firm may opt to start designing from scratch, products for the foreign market. The reasons why Barbour Company needs to carry out some standardization its marketing strategy is the benefi ts that come with the standardization of product in the international market. They include; the company is more likely to benefit from economies of scale, this means that the company would enjoy discounts and expenses that it would benefit as a result of the increased production. Per cost production is reduced and production volume is increased (Carlo 1994).Common consumer needs allow for product standardization, there are some commodities that are universally used and need same prerequisite across borders for example, raincoats and jackets. Standardization allows cutting down of costs that could have been incurred in designing other products from scratch. Consumer mobility is another strategy in International marketing process. This process helps firms to specifically manufacture products for the markets abroad. Other than standardization, consumer mobility is a strategy that brings about consumer retention and consumer mobility.This process will be used by Barbour Company to answe r very elementary questions about the foreign market before venturing in to it. They include subjects like, how do the clients arrive at a purchasing decision, what is the customers’ judgement of the stores presentation and how does it influence buying behaviour. These topics would help the management of Barbour a great deal in the prediction of in-store consumer trends and the other factors that affect their purchasing habits. Such findings can be very useful in designing the marketing strategy that would be used in the foreign market (Carlo 1994).Understanding consumer mobility and purchasing relationships would assist in predicting the expected trend and flow of products in the market and would encourage innovative technology to meet the customers’ requirement as observed by the customer mobility trends. Production adaptation the opposite of product standardization and is equally important in marketing in new markets especially overseas. Product adaptation involves modification and innovation of a firm’s products based on the existing products of the competitors in the market.This strategy exploits the competitor products and not on ground-breaking innovations, it follows the existing product portfolio. Since in Spain there are existing cloth manufacturing already, Barbour Company needs to carry out a research on the existing consumer requirements and specifications and make modifications on their products and promote them in the international market (Carlo 1994). Many exporting companies have or those that are multinational and have branches in other nations have engaged in product modification of their supply and has devised very efficient foreign marketing style.Designing such strategy should consider the available resources and the profits. Having eight retail stores U. K and its presence in over 28 countries in the European market including Spain is a very challenging circumstance for the Barbour Company. The company has to employ the following adaptation techniques in product adaptation as a marketing strategy depending on customer desires and market objectives; 1. Same product same needs – this strategy would help to popularize Barbour Cloth Company along other companies that are producing similar products both in domestic and foreign market.This is because they meet similar deeds 2. Same product different needs – this could be used when similar products are intended for different purposes. Some cloths may be viewed as essential for example, waxed coats used by fisher men while other clients may view them as just fashionable. 3. Different product, similar needs – this strategy would help to provide alternative products in the market for customers in both foreign and domestic market. 4. Dual adaptation – this king of product adaptation would involve modifying the product as well as the purpose for its use.This is usually very expensive and would not be very necessary unless it sho ws greater success rates in a field not yet exploited. 5. Invention – this helps the companies in question to cater for customers who may not be able to afford what already exists in the market. This is because some customers have low income and might not be able to manage to pay for expensive garments or the same adaptation can be applied where a company discovers a cheaper production technology that can be used to accomplish the same requirements.Developing Integrated Communications Strategy Integrated marketing communication is a way of ensuring that all information and messages are connected. This means that the process involved go beyond just the coordination of a company’s outgoing information (advertisements and promotions) through different media and the reliability of the message (Schultz et,al. 1996). Integrated marketing strategy utilizes widespread customer information to plan and develop a marketing approach.Barbour Company has to develop a well designed i ntegrated marketing strategy because it would enable the company to have an on paper plan which would be very effective in sustaining its market niche in a competitive world as well as discover new marketing requirements and unmet customer needs (Schultz et,al. 1996). Steps in designing this communication mix are; 1. Creating customer database – bearing in mind that Barbour Company operates its own data base, creation of customer database would enable the management access customer information and analyze the purchasing habits and trends in the market.2. Laying down on-paper strategies – the marketing strategy is usually developed form the information obtained from the customer database. Business communication, sales and promotions are designed from the insights from the customer information. 3. Designing working tactics – once the general strategy has been laid down, proper promotional plans can be specified to target specific marketing goals. 4. Evaluation of Strategy – the outcomes of the new information about the consumer habits is investigated to establish the efficiency of the strategy set to operate. Marketing Communication MixThis defines the exact advertising medium to be used, personal selling, market promotion, and business – customer relationships the company would use to meet the objectives set in the marketing strategy (Schultz et,al. 1996). The best marketing strategies usually work out the 4 P’s Versus the 4 C’s analysis Product and Customer – in designing consumer products, the company should make sure that the customer needs and requirements are met. Both the international and local markets have changed so much that businesses no longer trade in what they can make rather the product specification is determined by consumers specific needs.Since the customer is the â€Å"man† in business, then meeting the requirement puts a business at a better position in the market mix. Price and Cost – the pricing of products should be designed to comply with the consumer’s cost to satisfy his/her needs. Research has found out that price is just one element of the consumers’ cost structure in meeting their needs (Yeshin 1998). The intrinsic cost plays a very critical part for example; it’s the cost of time to watch a movie and the cost of guilt for not treating your friends well.Place and Convenience – provision of products at the right place at the right time should be matched with the convenience the customer would enjoy. Convenience covers characteristics of physical or practical location, easiness of access, and reduced transaction time (Yeshin 1998). Promotion and Communication – promotional marketing should not be hard to comprehend as the purpose of the message may not be accomplished. The best mediums for communication and promotional activities in marketing should have a feedback mechanism to enable two way communications ( Yeshin 1998).The message should be understood by the customer in a way to create the need to purchase products being marketed. The revolutionized marketing communications has prompted the change of mass marketing strategy to more target specific marketing. The changes and improved information and communication technology has facilitated market segmentation. The progress in information technology especially the aspect of media fragmentation has encouraged narrowcasting as opposed to broad casting The BenefitsThough integrated Marketing Communications would require a lot of resources from Barbour Company, the benefits (competitive advantage, Profits and increased sales) that come with it are worth the cost and the effort invested in the strategy. Integrated communication wraps information around consumers and shortens the time spent in the buying. This enable to reduce queues and the sales made in a day could be greatly increased; this efficiency usually improves company reputation as well as creating a better relationship between the customers and the business (Yeshin 1998).Barbour Cloth Company would be able to retain customers in this competitive environment as good relationship between customers and the company builds customer loyalty. This is very essential in eliminating unnecessary onslaught of competition. The possibility of maintaining customers for a long time is a very strong competitive advantage. Integrated marketing communication will result in increased returns due to efficiency involved. The current advances in information and communication technology have adopted the use of effective unified message as opposed to incoherent innumerable messages.Consolidated and crystal clear message will have higher chances of penetrating the busy environment and reaching the target consumers. Integrated marketing can to a great extent heighten sales by stretching messages across numerous communication tools to d generate more opportunities for customers to acce ss and obtain awareness of the products, stimulate the need to have the product being advertised and ultimately getting the potential customers to actually purchase the goods.Finally the adaptation of an integrated marketing system would enable the Barbour cloth company to save a lot of money that could have otherwise been used to duplicate graphics and photos. In IMC, the photos can be shared and used for advertising, presentations and promotional literature. Agency costs are cut down buy the use of a single agency for all communications and even if the company might use several agencies, time is a saved for meetings, briefings and strategic planning.Workload is reduced and hence the efficiency of the marketing strategy is improved, work stress is completely eliminated. Pricing of Products Price is one of the important aspects of the integrated marketing strategy as identified earlier. This is because it’s closely linked to the positioning of the product in the market. On th e other hand, the price of a product significantly influences other elements of marketing (Phillips et,al. 1994). There are many ways of developing prices for gods and services.Come the most crucial one are; Premium pricing – this allocation of high prices depending on uniqueness of the products, Penetration Pricing – prices are purposively set low in order to achieve a market niche, Economic Pricing – prices are set based on low manufacturing and marketing costs, Price Skimming – higher prices are set as a result of the established competitive advantage, Psychological pricing – prices are set based on the emotional perception of the consumer, Product Line Pricing – pricing benefits are granted on a range of products, Product Bundle Pricing – prices are collectively set for a collection of Products as a single package, promotional pricing – prices are set to enhance promotion of the product and Value pricing – prices are influenced by external factors such as competition, and recession. Pricing Objectives Barbour Cloth Company has to develop pricing objectives in order to settle on the most favorable pricing of their products (Phillips et,al. 1994). There are different objectives for pricing, but the basic reasons include the following; 1. Profits – the purpose of any business organization is to make maximum profits, bearing in mind the expenses and other overhead costs. Present profit maximization may not be the superb pricing strategy if it results in lower profits. 2. Revenue – the purpose of the business is to establish long term trend in profit margin by expanding the market segmentation and reducing costs. 3.Quality leadership – the prices usually indicate the position of a product as the quality leader. This builds consumer confidence and loyalty. 4. Status Quo – prices may help a firm to sustain its position in the market by making a stable and consistent profit level. Conclusion Business success is the dream of many business ventures, expansion and enlargement in to the foreign market is the sign o0f success. With efficient marketing strategy in Place, Barbour cloth company is likely to attain success both in Home market Britain and abroad including Spain. The few set backs that might be encountered would include the Spain’s government policies and business regulations.Barbour being a family business needs to be cautious with the law and utilize all aspects of legal (LE-PEST C Analysis) environment for business operations. References Carlo A. (1994). Product Standardizatuion.. A Management Process. American Society for Healthcare Central Service Personnel of the American Hospital Association Phillips C. Doole I. & Lowe R. (1994). International Marketing Strategy. Anlysis, Development and Implementation. Routledge. Schultz D. E, Tannenbaum S. I & Lauterborn R. F. (1996) The New Marketing Paradgm. Integrated Marketng Communications. M cGraw-Hill Proffessional. Yeshin T. (1998). Integrated Marketing Communications. The Holistic Approach. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Slavery In The South

A large proportion of whites in the South supported slavery even though less than a quarter of these whites actually owned slaves. They felt that slavery was a necessary evil and that it was an important southern institution. The slave population in 1800 was just under 900,000 slaves and of that only 36,000 of these slaves were in the northern states. In 1860 this number grew to almost 4 million slaves were in the southern states. Many important statesmen such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington regarded slavery as a necessity even though it was evil.Individuals and groups of people of all sects defended slavery. Eventually anti-slavery views grew steadier, but there were still many people who continued to hold on to their strong anti-slavery beliefs and hesitated to join in on the abolitionist agitation. These people were unwilling to dispute what other citizens held to be their right. Although there were southern whites that didn’t necessarily like slavery, they still supported it because they felt it was the South’s right to have slavery. Thus slavery became an increasingly Southern institution.Eradication of slavery in the North that started in the revolutionary era and was mostly over by the 1830’s. This dispute led to the division of the United States between the North and the South. Slavery came to eventually define the essence of the South, if you were for slavery you were from the south and you were considered pro-southern whereas opposition to slavery was considered anti-southern. Even though most white southern males did not own slaves, slavery continued to set the South farther and farther apart from the country and Nation as a whole.Even though slavery at one time was common in the America’s, by the time the 19th century came around it was only found in a few countries such as Brazil and Cuba and the southern United States. In the 19th century the U. S was known as a country that celebrated liberty and equality and yet here were the southerners who represented everything but these things. Most Northerners joined the abolitionist movement not to help the slaves but to help the appearance of the United States and the bad impression slavery left on the U. S. Even with these movements taking place, slavery was still on the up and up.This of course was due to the sudden increase in cotton cultivation in order to meet the demands of the Northern and European textile manufacturers, so in a sense the Northerners were without knowing supporting slavery in an indirect form. Another reason why the southerners clung to this belief of slavery being a necessity no matter how evil was because southern agrarian communities were in fact centered on slavery. The South did not undergo the same industrial revolution that was starting in the North, in fact the Southerners stayed almost completely rural and lagged in modernization very increasingly.Examples of this include indications such as public education at t he time and railroad construction. Because of all of this the Southerners felt as if slavery was indeed a necessity and their agricultural economy orbited around slavery. Many Southerners feared that the abolition of slavery would eventually result in an economic collapse. The biggest difference between the South and the North was purely ideological. In the North, slavery was abolished and small groups of abolitionists developed. In the South however, white spokesman, from political to ministers and etc.all rallied behind slavery and treated it as the bedrock of southern society. Overall defenders of slavery had developed a range of arguments that they presented in order to defend their cause. They relied strongly on the religious aspect of their arguments on slavery when they defended their belief. They portrayed slavery as a part of God’s plan for civilizing a primitive people. Because of this it made it so that any southerner who defied slavery also defied Southern society and religion itself. The Southerners also based their case on social arguments as well.They compared their supposed orderly religious and harmonious society to the Northerners supposed individualistic and tumultuous environment. This defense clearly represented the exact image of the so-called free labor argument that had become a very popular idealistic theory in the North. This stated that slavery kept the South back from modernization, and it kept them poor and as degraded, pro-slavery advocates that responded that only slavery could save the South from the evils that modernity brought to their land. In the 1840’s the struggle with slavery played a major role and factor in American politics.Northerners who were committed to free soil or the idea that western territories should be reserved for only for free white settlers, whereas southerners insisted that a limitation on slavery’s expansion was unconstitutional and was meddling with the Sothern’s order and t heir honor. The slavery’s issue was no longer about the morality of it, but instead became about how it would affect the U. S politically and economically. This debate became so aggressive that at a later time it would cause a civil war between the country itself.

Apush Slavery Dbq

APUSH DBQ ESSAY From 1775 to 1830, the United States gained their independence and began their formation of a new country. During this period, the ideas of the Revolutionary War had an influence on the African Americans. A number of African Americans were freed but the institution of slavery spread due to social and economic reasons. Both the free African Americans and enslaved confronted and endure the challenges they faced as they fought for rights and equality. The Revolutionary War was a major factor in the development of slavery during that period of time.During the early months of the war, the Lord Dunmore's Proclamation was written which declared all slaves free if they took up arms against the American colonists. (Doc A) The British took advantage of the slaves' desire for freedom to disrupt the American's war efforts. Antislavery sentiments were circulating in the North due to the ideas of the war. However, in the South, the whites believed that they deserved to own the slav es and that it would secure the freedom that they were fighting for. After the Americans won the war, slavery was abolished in the North and further importation of slaves was prohibited.However, slavery was still ongoing in the southern and border states. Manumission, the act of freeing slaves, was soon occurring in the 1790's because people started to feel that slavery was bad because it went against the ideals of the Revolutionary War. Venture Smith's Narrative was an example of manumission as the slave paid for his freedom. (Doc F) This was a common act as many slaves were freed as such during the 1790's. The Revolutionary War and the ideals revolving around it contributed to the increased number of free African Americans. Related article: Apush Taxation Without Representation DbqHowever, even as more and more slaves were being freed, the institution of slavery was expanding too. The southern areas of the United States had an increasing number of slaves from 1790 to 1830. In 1790, only the southern states along the east coast and an area around the Ohio River had an overwhelming percent of slaves. This increased as in 1830, almost all the southern states up to the Mississippi River had a large group of slaves. (Doc C) A reason for such an increase in slaves was due to the invention of the cotton gin. This led to a revival in slavery due to the increase amount of cotton farms to accommodate the demands from England.Cotton ruined the farmland and this led to expansion west as the soil exhausted which explains the increasing trend of slaves in the southern states. During the same period, both free African Americans and enslaved ones faced challenges as they tried to gain rights and freedom. Free African A mericans felt they had the right to vote and â€Å"no taxation without representation†. They felt that since they fought along with the colonists in the Revolutionary War for the same ideals then they should have the rights to it instead of it being imposed on them now. Doc B) Even though some African Americans were freed, they were not spared from discrimination and abuse. Free African Americans in Boston had to bear with daily insults and physical abuse on the streets. Images of African American’s deformity were also common placed in areas of cities and towns. (Doc I) David Walker was an abolitionist who called for blacks to take up arms and fight back against the whites. Walker believed that the blacks should be just as free as Americans and it will just end up hurting the Americans if the blacks have to obtain their freedom by fighting. Doc J) There have been frequent slave rebellions in hope of obtaining freedom. The Haitian Revolution led to an increase in slave revolts as slaves gain hope after seeing the successful revolution in Haiti. Both the freed and enslaved African Americans faced their challenges by enduring and taking up arms against the whites. Overall, the Revolutionary War and its ideals led to the manumission of many slaves. The cotton gin was a major factor of the revival of slavery in the south. Both the freed and enslaved African Americans fought for their equality and rights. Due to these changes, the African American's role in society is reconsidered.

Mobil and the American Automobile Association Research Paper

Mobil and the American Automobile Association - Research Paper Example Vallen and Vallen (2001) observe that ratings and audits for hotels can be a subjective business. He points out that in some countries where the rating systems are handled by the government, there is a great possibility that bribery, politics, and trade association bickering will affect the rating of an establishment. The Star Rating system RACV endorses is handled, not by the government, but by a private enterprise – the AAA Tourism group. This is much akin to the system adopted by the Americans – who use ratings from enterprises such as the American Automobile Association and Mobil. This has the effect of avoiding the political influence of a governmental rating system. The auditing for AAA Tourism’s ratings is done by local assessors. Vallen and Vallen further note that local assessors have a tendency to be subjective in their ratings. They observed that these assessors usually award full points for the mere presence of amenities and not the quality of such. I n comparison, the guidelines stipulated by the AAAT have a rigid point system that relies heavily on the quality of existing amenities. From observation, it may be said that these guidelines serve to mitigate such biases. One point in the assessment process of AAAT that raises questions is the fact that assessors are required by the system to make their visits announced (AAAT 2003). Other rating firms will conduct their assessments anonymously. This is, presumably, to capture the natural atmosphere and typical quality a hotel offers on any given day. The question with planned visits is that hotel management is given the opportunity to prepare what may be considered as a contrived sense of quality.

Two Sides of the Same Coin of Revenge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Two Sides of the Same Coin of Revenge - Essay Example ngeling.â€Å"Such readings may speak to a wish to construct the violence of revenge as a purely â€Å"male† problem or an effect of patriarchy† (Willis 22). Shakespeare and Middleton turn the tables by using a female revenger, Tamora and Beatice-Joanna, in their plays. These two characters are two sides of the same coin. Tamara is the â€Å"imagery of [a] womb, tomb, and pit† (21) while Beatrice-Joanna is the image of sight; both these qualities are fuel for their revenge. Hunger’s role is to gain more power while the sight is blinded by the end goal, both on a verge of destruction. Both female characters seek out revenge and use their influence and position to obtain their desired vengeance through indirect, coercive, and manipulative channels. These characters seek revenge only to leave a trail of lies, blood, and deception, which follows them to their graves for truth cannot be hidden for long. Titus Andronicus and The Changeling highlighted the many ways in which the plays are informed by gender ideology (21). It maybe said that tragic plays revolve around a masculine character. â€Å"Men had a vested interest portraying vendettas as â€Å"grand struggles[s]† highlighting masculine traits of bravery, daring, and fighting skill† (24). The beginning of the play is started off with Saturninus and Bassianus fighting over who should be named Emperor. They chant their speeches but Marcus steps in to announce the â€Å"returns the good Andronicus to Rome† (Shakespeare 1.1.37). Men would use their strength to gain power and authority, while women â€Å"appeared as idealized figured of chastity to be protected, or more darkly, as vulnerable vessels of the enemy to be raped and despoiled. But in many of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as in those by other Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists, women are sometimes active participants in revenge plots† (24). For revenge to be there, first a crime must be committed and for one reason or the other the law cannot punish the

Find a Local Newspaper Article that is Related to HR Management Research Paper

Find a Local Newspaper Article that is Related to HR Management - Research Paper Example Although having tattoos is not considered essentially inappropriate in workplaces, the general environment is that tattoos are undesirable. From an annual survey conducted in 2012, it was learnt that sixty-one percent of HR managers believe that tattoos can restrict job opportunities for an aspiring applicant. In 2011, it was fifty seven percent. Most employees think that strict dress codes in corporate offices are unfair pressure on them as they restrict them from enjoying the current fashion trends. This grievance is reflected in Ms. Thomas’s statement â€Å"there are parts of my body I wish I could get tattooed, but because I work in a corporate setting I have to keep them on a wish list† (Kaufman, n.p.). Moreover, employees also dress according to their religious and cultural ethics. The principle objective of HR management is to ensure that the company’s employees exhibit a professional and business minded image while at the same time the clothing be casual. The HR managers usually do not impose any strict and explicit instructions on dress codes, however the employees remain concerned whether their unusual attires like tattoos and body piercing will affect their chances of job promotion. In this article another corporate level employee Amy L. Hayden, who has tattoos in visible parts of her body, has spoken about her experiences during job interviews. In those days she applied for two to five jobs every day and sometimes had successfully passed many first and second level interviews, but at the end she was never called for the jobs. However, there are also instances where the HR managers seem to be more contrived than the company. These managers do not approve unconventional dressing styles of employees,... This essay approves that HR managers mostly impose dressing codes on employees to maintain a formal business like ambiance in the workplace. Although such codes have no legal basis, the employees nonetheless remain apprehensive regarding their promotional opportunities if they do not follow the unspoken rules. The final outcome is that employees have to wear full body covering clothes even in hot weather. However, HR managers strive towards setting standard dress code that will maintain both formal appearance and sustain the comfort level of employees. This report makes a conclusion that the issue regarding employees’ dressing habits is a sensitive one since it may hurt the religious and cultural beliefs of many people. Therefore, the HR managers need to tread the territory carefully by maintaining a balance between professionalism and comfort of employees. The real issue here is that HR managers should show trust on the employees than instructing them to follow certain rules regarding dressing. Certain things like tattoos and body piercing are more personal choice of employees and should not be disapproved unless they are blatant disregard of company rules. This paper stresses on our appearance. When we are bussines ones we have to wear special uniform. When a persone has a tattoo on the body he have to hide it under the wear. Because if you have not very good look your colleagues and clients wil taken lightly.

Feminism shown throughout the book called Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay

Feminism shown throughout the book called Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Essay Example Some have considered it quite ironic for a person like Mary Shelley to write a novel in which all female characters have marginal representation compared to the male characters. Shelley was born to a very notable Victorian feminist named Mary Wollstonecraft. Yet, she has portrayed women as creatures of little wisdom or independence in her most distinguished novel. For example, when the text says that â€Å"He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care;† (Shelley 26), it is suggested by Viktor that Caroline, his mother, had no capacity to look after herself and looked up to his father to be taken care of. She clearly has no means to support herself financially and so, marries Viktor’s father for survival. This possessibility of women, depicted in the novel, could be due to the fact that Shelley wrote in a time when women were expected to abide by some rules which were set for them by the conservative society in which they lived. Her novel does not speak of women with spirited enthusiasm, rather they are described in a very ordinary way which makes the readers perceive them as ordinary and powerless. For example, at one point, Viktor speaking of his mother says that in his childhood, â€Å"she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift† (Shelley 30). Here, it is clear how powerless women then were because Elizabeth, while being unaware herself, is promised by another woman to his child. Elizabeth has no say in this important matter of her life, rather she is treated like an object and handed over to a child. There is a huge gender gap which is clearly noticeable in Frankenstein. This is even considered a sexist book by many critics. Negative portrayal of women in the novel is traced back by some to the time in which Shelley lived when women were brought up in a such a way that they could not think of

Biography Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biography Research - Essay Example Nelson Mandela, indeed brought trouble to himself but in the human kind advantage. He indeed had problems in his life but only because he was not an ordinary man, but one with ambitions and ideals and above all, he had the strength to accomplish them. The discourse was addressed before his career to develop , but this was the evidence that Nelson Mandela didn’t have any hidden purposes. Nelson Mandela was born in a special family, belonging to the Thembu group, which existed before the British conquest. It can even be said that he was born in a royal family, because his father was a member of the royal council of Thembu, and Mandela himself should have inherited this position. After his father’s death, he was adopted by the Regent, Dalyndiela, in gratitude to his father loyalty. Belonging to such an important family he was initiated in the Thembu culture, and according to its traditions at age sixteen, he attended Clarkebury Boarding Institute, and proved that he was a brilliant student, graduating Junior High in two years, instead of three years. As a young man he couldn’t stay apart from different organizations or manifestations. From this early age he demonstrated an initiative and leadership sense. Thus he was chucked from the university, after involving in a boycott against university administration. In this period he meets Oliver Tambo, a prolific lawyer, who will become a very good friend and colleague. So far Nelson Mandela followed the Regent indications and thus of his culture, but his enterprising and innovative personality didn’t allow him to bound under some rules. So, after the Regent arranged some marriages to his real son and to Mandela , they both left in Johannesburg, working in a mine, and then at a law firm. Mandela was aware of the fact that education was very important ( thing strongly sustained by him much later in his campaigns ) so he graduated from University of South Africa and then attended to the Law University

Resume, cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Resume, cover letter - Essay Example I am writing to apply for job at Ferragamo Korea. Recently, I graduated from the University at Buffalo majoring in Economics. I went to United States of America six years ago. I have been in a language school called GEOS. I have learned not only English but also about the culture of various countries of the world, while studying there. Thus, I have improved my global competence by studying abroad. After that, I entered Quincy College in May 2009, and then I transferred to The University at Buffalo in January 2012. During my academic stint there, I have taken composition classes and business courses. In these courses, I successfully completed a lot of research papers, presentations and group meetings. Through these experiences, I have developed strong communication skills as well as writing skills, which will be useful for the Logistics position. I have prior experience in Logistics position at Bosch Rexroth Korea. In addition, I have imbibed high sense of responsibility while working there and also improved my communication skills. Thus, utilizing that prior experience and training, I can provide effective productivity at Ferragamo Korea. I am aware that Ferragamo Korea always offers not only high quality service, but also has incorporated good company culture. Thus I am very much interested to get a job in the Logistics and Distribution section at Ferragamo Korea. If I am given the opportunity at Ferragamo Korea, I am sure I will make myself a valuable asset to the department and also the organization, and would also use that opportunity to further develop myself professionally as well as personally. I am looking forward to discuss about my qualifications for this position in Ferragamo Korea. Please feel free to email and contact me at jinhyeok2@hotmail.com, 010-4026-0140. Thank you for considering my

Police Gratuity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police Gratuity - Essay Example This paper illustrates that gratuities help in cementing the relationship between the police officers and the public. The police officers who accept gratuities are more informed that police officers who are very strict on law enforcement. Gratuities, therefore, bridge the gap between the police officers and the general public. It offers an avenue where the general public interacts with the police personnel with minimal professional boundaries. On the other hand, it is quite unethical for someone to refuse a gift or an appreciation for favors. Therefore, it serves as a means of expression of human characteristics by the police officer to the public. A gift is known for converting the receiver and the respondent together in a mutual social reciprocation relationship. Gratuities also play a significant role in creating a mutual relationship between the general public and police officers. In the broader perspective, gratuities can be viewed as a method which necessitates community polici ng concept. Police officers, therefore, use gratuities to develop a good relationship with the public. The developed police-public relationship serves as a platform for transferring criminal information from the public to the police officers. Additionally, gratuities are used by criminal investigation department in their investigations. Gratuities reduce the cost of administration of justice. The legal procedure to get justice is sometimes very expensive in terms of resources and time. Additionally, people who are prone to gratuities are frequent users of the police services. The known frequent users of gratuities are businessmen to hide their bad reputation and traits from the general public. On the other hand, gratuities may tamper with police officers ability to administer fair and just services to the public. Police officers are likely to grant preferential treatment to those who are prone to gratuities. In such situation, justice would be administered unfairly. Gratuities overr ate the position of police officer. Police officers who accept gratuities view themselves as very special officers who must be rewarded for their services to the public. Police officers are professionals in their own capacity. They are paid salaries to offer protection and other services to the public. Therefore, acceptance of gratuities is unethical and violation of their professional ethics.

Marketing Is Called Delivery of Standard of Living Essay Example for Free

Marketing Is Called Delivery of Standard of Living Essay Standard Marketing Marketing is one of the terms in academia that does not have one commonly agreed upon definition. Even after a better part of a century the debate continues. In a nutshell it consists of the social and managerial processes by which products (goods or services) and value are exchanged in order to fulfill the needs and wants of individuals or groups. Although many people seem to think that marketing and advertising are synonymous, they are not. Advertising is simply one of the many processes that together constitute marketing Marketing, as suggested by the American Marketing Association, is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders. [1] Another definition, perhaps simpler and more universal, is this: Marketing is the ongoing process of moving people closer to making a decision to purchase, use, follow or conform to someone elses products, services or values. Simply, if it doesnt facilitate a sale then its not marketing. [2] Philip Kotler in his earlier books defines as: Marketing is human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes. Add to Kotlers and Norris definitions, a response from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) [3]. The associations definition claims marketing to be the management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably. Thus, operative marketing involves the processes of market research, new product development, product life cycle management, pricing, channel management as well as promotion. Marketing-taking actions to define, create, grow, develop, maintain, defend and own markets. An approach to business that seeks to identify, anticipate and satisfy customers needs. Al Ries and Jack Trout defined marketing as simply war between competitors, however this is clearly absurd Ali v Frazier is not marketing however the publicity and hyping of the event for commercial purposes is. It was the era of the clean-cut figure in a smart suit, the glad hander salesman who could sell refrigerators to an Eskimo, capable of selling everything from used cars to Bibles. It was sometime in the late Forties that attention came to rest upon a number of inter related elements of the marketing task that seemed to act together to influence the offtake of a product or service. Neil Borden of Harvard coined the phrase the elements of the Marketing Mix, depicting the manager of the function as not a specialist in selling, distribution, or advertising but rather a blender of ingredients in the right proportions to suit the market, its time and place. Later Marketing got separated from the notion of selling, including three distinct elements: customer orientation, i. . beginning with the customer; integrating the whole organization taking a long-term point of view; and linking with the primary goals of the business i. e. a combination of growth, market share and profitability. Indeed some writers (Peter Ducker, Regis McKenna) hold that Marketing and Business are synonymous. A later and less comprehensive formulation came to be known as the 4Ps product, price, promotion and place. This has now become the universal standard as a teaching tool for any introductory course in the subject. This was a vast improvement over the confusion between selling and marketing. It firmly put the former as a part, but only one among many that together explain the success or failure of a product in appealing to customers. Marketing thus became the overarching strategic theme, higher in level of abstraction than the mere act of obtaining the order. The significance of advertising in the establishment of an assured customer base really took off only after the widespread availability of mass media, especially after the 1950s. This not only made competition more difficult but more expensive and affordable only by the large sector. Enter the era of brands and branding. The Brand Image and Personality school came next, mostly identified with the legendary David Ogilvy, who said the brands personality gave it a first class ticket through life. The purpose of advertising was to convey the essence of this personality, beyond merely conveying the consumer benefits to the user and do it in a charming and cultured way (People dont buy from clowns . . . The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife . . . ). Stephen King Director, J. Walter Thompson, London acknowledged as the practitioners guru of Branding, stressed the need for all the elements of a brands make up from name, packaging, design elements to the creative expression of the advertising to hang together. They must be not only mutually consistent, but also reinforcing the strengths of one another, to create a totality greater than the sum of its parts. Though brands have been around a long time the attention to building them happened only after the Sixties. Some enlightened organizations were exceptions and the brand leadership of their famous names still stands, such as Marlboro, Lux, IBM, Gillette, Kodak, Johnson Johnson and so on. Soon, however, the only distinguishing feature of brands became their distinctive flavour of advertising, particularly so in consumer products. After all what can you say about a car (mileage, power, styling, looks), detergent (washes whiter, brighter clothes, removes stains) soap (refreshes, fragrant) or toothpaste (sparkling teeth, healthy gums, fresh breath) that hasnt been said before

Lava Lamp Essay Example for Free

Lava Lamp Essay Getting Their Attention: How many of you own lava lamps? How many of you enjoy looking at Lava Lamps? Introducing Yourself and Relating The Topic to the Speaker: If youre like me you love looking at a lava lamp at night or if youre in your living room just hanging out its always a good thing to Just look at and keep your mind busy. IVe always found lava lamps very cool. Preview Your Points: Today I will show you 7 easy steps on how to make your very own personal lava lamp hat you can show to friends or keep for yourself. This is a very fun activity for kids or even for you to have on your own. Whats In It for Them? This easy to make lava lamp is very cheap to make and is much better than going out and purchasing an expensive one. This lava lamp can be used if youre trying to sleep and need a little light or is a fun activity you can show to kids or your own kids. Thesis Statement: This is a very fun and easy thing you can do for your own enjoyment. Transition: Like many projects lets start by gathering the materials. Body: 1. The first step is to gather the materials A. There are several supplies that are needed to make this lava lamp. 1. You will need Water. 2. The second item is a clear plastic bottle. 3. The third item is vegetable oil. 4. The fourth item is food coloring of your choice. 5. The fifth item is Alka-Seltzer tablets. Transition: Now that weve collected all the materials we can begin on our steps. 1. Pour water into the plastic bottle until it is around one quarter full (you might want to use a funnel when filling the bottle so you dont spill anything). Pour in vegetable oil until the bottle is nearly full. 3. Wait until the oil and water have separated. 4. Add around a dozen drops of food coloring to the bottle (choose any color you like). 5. Watch as the food coloring falls through the oil and mixes with the water. 6. Cut an Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces (around 5 or 6) and drop one of them into the b ottle, things should start getting a little crazy, Just like a real lava lamp! 7. When the bubbling stops, add another piece of Alka-Seltzer and enjoy the show! Conclusion: anyone. 2. The second step was gathering all the materials Water, Clear plastic bottle, vegetable oil, food coloring, and youre Alka-Seltzer. 3. The third step is Just following the 7 easy steps that you have learned today. 4. And fourth step is to enjoy your own personal lava lamp. Final Appeal: I hope this demonstration showed you guys a fun easy way to enjoy a lava lamp. I hope I inspired maybe a parent or someone to try this project. Concluding Statement: I hope everyone enjoyed this presentation and learned something fun and exciting today, Thank you.

Traditions and Beliefs of Indigenous People on Death

Traditions and Beliefs of Indigenous People on Death Traditions and Beliefs of Indigenous People on Death and Dying Table of Contents (Jump to) Traditional Beliefs in Present Times Customary societies have survived AND advanced. Objectives The Circle of Life Life: Dying After the Funeral Fire Health services Communication Causes of disease Implications for palliative care PALLIATIVE CARE NURSES Conclusion: Nursing Care in a Palliative Setting. References Traditional Beliefs in Present Times Customary Beliefs in Present Times Customary convictions have survived Composed methods for religion Lifestyle Christianity is the overwhelming religion in numerous groups Minister Intermarriage Willful transformations May have a few beliefs or ideologies spoke to Parts of conventional convictions may be kept up while regarding Christian ways. (Boland, Foulds, Ahmedzai Pockley, 2012) Customary societies have survived AND advanced. Survival is a fitting term subsequent to intense Blend of chapel, state and financial matters Dispossession of grounds and convictions Differing qualities: no single Local society (Burke, 2010) Objectives Discuss customary convictions about the ways furthermore, significance of death and biting the dust. Discuss how present day medication can look into comprehend, regard and suit these Traditional convictions The Circle of Life So as to comprehend demise, first must grasp the circle of life. Four stages in the excursion of the human soul: (a) Conception (b) Life (c) Demise (Campbell, 2013) Life: We are soul having a human experience We are made out of three awesome parts Soul Mind Body As it conceived our soul leaves the Creator and Soul world Dying At the point when passing on, a customary individual will require the functions, prescription and petitions to God that will manage his/her soul back to the soul world. Otherworldly pioneer or prescription individual near to the Passing on individual will direct the services Family and tribe individuals will be available Drug in this setting means profound force .A blend of capacity and power – connected .To a capacity to prompt. (Campbell, 2013) After the Funeral Basic for close relatives to hold a 24 Hour precursor fire on the cherished ones birthday To pay tribute to his/her memory Helps relatives, particularly kids, to comprehend they are the latest in a long line of progenitors driving back to the start of time at the point when the Creator put the first man and lady on earth .Demise Feast dependably goes hand in hand with this progenitor Fire Haudenosaunee Creation Story gives more profound experiences into the start of life, the first individuals and all parts of creation. Characterizes relationship between all life on Mother Earth to the spirits in the sky and the creatures in the Sky World. Awesome widespread challenge between the upper world of consideration and lower universe of disorder .People need to arrange between these circles in life and passing patients and families toward the end of life is mindful so as not to sum up. (Downing, Boucher Marston, 2012) Overabundance passing’s among Indigenous individuals are because of circulatory ailments, harm, harming, respiratory conditions and diabetes.6 In conventional times, unforeseen demise may ordinarily have been ascribed to witchcraft; in current times this understanding stays dormant, however, there is a more noteworthy propensity at fault awful eating routine, and harming by contaminations, for example, insect poisons tainting grass and water. (Gardiner, Ingleton Gott, 2012) Health services But where there are settled Indigenous medicinal administrations, social insurance offices of numerous kinds are utilized reluctantly. Significant conditions, for example, disease regularly come to restorative consideration just late throughout the ailment. As of not long ago, open healing center, convenience was isolated, and human services administrations were very deficient, especially given the checked social imbalance and the related weakness status of Indigenous individuals. (Gould, 2002) Communication It might be viewed as rude or hostile to take a gander at an Indigenous individual. Wellbeing choices have a tendency to be a family or group undertaking. Family structure is unpredictable and represented by perceived commitments and social guidelines. It might be viewed as more fitting to converse with people other than the patient when examining that quiets circumstance. In a few groups as it is unthinkable for a child in-law to converse with his relative. (Shimoinaba, OConnor Lee, 2010) Causes of disease Sickness in Indigenous groups is regularly seen as stemming, partially, from introduction to magical powers, estrangement from the country (maybe the consequence of constrained uprooting) or some individual insufficiency (egg, a stately obligation ignored, or an inability to take after a standard principle of conduct). An attribution of accusing may take after, and the maxim of sorry by persons thought, mindful will be viewed as essential; fizzling that reaction, a payback punishment may be looked for, conceivably including physical discipline. (Whitehead, 1998) Implications for palliative care 1. Diverse elucidations of analysis and reason may make doubt in the middle of staff and patients. Medicines coordinated at moderating side effects, even extreme torment, may be seen as meddling in a fundamental methodology coming about because of a socially decided disorder. A socially safe way to deal with torment administration is called for. (Whitehead, 1998) 2. In trying to uncover the circumstances and reason for a passing, it might be reasoned that a career has been ensnared. He or she may confront Indigenous equity, which could mean anything from a short expulsion from the group to a skewering. The utilization of infusions by a career or wellbeing laborer may raise suspicion of harming. PALLIATIVE CARE NURSES Palliative care, the latest range of specialization, is characterized by the Last Acts Task Force (1999) as the far reaching administration of the physical, mental, social, profound, and existential needs of patients, especially those with hopeless, dynamic disease. The objective of palliative consideration is to help them to attain the best conceivable personal satisfaction through alleviation of torment, control of indications, and rebuilding of practical limit, while staying delicate to individual, social and religious values, accepts and hones. (Woodman, Baillie Sivell, 2015) The consideration that both hospice and palliative consideration medical attendants give is basically the same as exhibited by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Role Delineation Study. Then again, hospice and palliative consideration attendant’s variant in their arrangement and practice settings. Hospice and palliative consideration attendants work as a team with other welfare supplier in the setting of an interdisciplinary group. Made out of very qualified, uniquely prepared experts and volunteers, the group mixes their qualities together to foresee and address the issues of the patient and family confronting terminal sickness and deprivation. (Yannakakis, 2013) Nursing Care in a Palliative Setting. The hospice development has developed in the United States in the course of recent years. The center of hospice consideration is in complete physical, psychosocial, enthusiastic, and profound consideration to critically ill persons and their families. Hospice suppliers advance personal satisfaction by shielding patients from troublesome mediations and giving consideration at home, at whatever point potentially, rather than the healing facility. Hospice medical caretakers give mind basically under the rules of the Medicare Benefit Act of 1983, a government program that permits patients to bite the dust in their homes with their families and companions next to them. Palliative care, the latest range of specialization, is characterized by the Last Acts Task Force (1999) as the far reaching administration of the physical, mental, social, profound, and existential needs of patients, especially those with hopeless, dynamic disease. The objective of palliative consideration is to help them to attain the best conceivable personal satisfaction through alleviation of torment, control of indications, and rebuilding of practical limit, while staying delicate to individual, social and religious values, accepts and hones. (Yannakakis, 2013) Conclusion: Despite the different misfortunes and hardships continued by Indigenous Australians, a noteworthy versatility and a pride in their surviving society is clear in numerous spots, and non-Indigenous Australians have slowly been directed to a more prominent admiration and esteem for the individuals themselves progenitors totally wrecked. Appreciation is a word that passes on numerous parts of the proper way to deal with health awareness and palliative administer to Indigenous Australians: regard for the frightful history of relocation, dispossession and roughness that portrayed white–black relations over eras; regard for distinctive implications of family; regard for the suspicion and distress usually felt by Indigenous individuals needed to enter significant medicinal services foundations, and the requirement for Indigenous possession, administration and staffing of more adequate social insurance offices; and admiration for the need to take a seat with patients and relatives, suf ficiently giving time and space to hear how needs are communicated and to bring family-based choices into expert drove consideration arranges. References Boland, J., Foulds, G., Ahmedzai, S., Pockley, G. (2012). Effects of opioids on cellular immunity: implications for palliative care. BMJ Supportive Palliative Care, 2(Suppl_1), A3-A4. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2012-000196.9 Burke, B. (2010). Cooperatives for Fair Globalization? Indigenous People, Cooperatives, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Brazilian Amazon. Latin American Perspectives, 37(6), 30-52. doi:10.1177/009458210382098 Campbell, C. (2013). Advanced Prostate Cancer Survivors: Implications for Palliative Care. Journal Of Palliative Care Medicine, 01(S3). doi:10.4172/2165-7386.s3-003 Campbell, C. (2013). Advanced Prostate Cancer Survivors: Implications for Palliative Care. Journal Of Palliative Care Medicine, 01(S3). doi:10.4172/2165-7386.s3-006 Downing, J., Boucher, S., Marston, J. (2012). Doctors and nurses training needs for childrens palliative care. BMJ Supportive Palliative Care, 2(Suppl_1), A36-A37. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2012-000196.106 Gardiner, C., Ingleton, C., Gott, M. (2012). A systematic review exploring factors supporting partnership working between generalist and specialist palliative care services: implications for older people. BMJ Supportive Palliative Care, 2(Suppl_1), A40-A41. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2012-000196.118 Gould, L. (2002). Indigenous people policing indigenous people: the potential psychological and cultural costs. The Social Science Journal, 39(2), 171-188. doi:10.1016/s0362-3319(02)00161-1 Shimoinaba, K., OConnor, M., Lee, S. (2010). Japanese head nurses perspectives regarding issues of nurses working in palliative care units and current support systems. Progress In Palliative Care, 18(6), 358-363. doi:10.1179/1743291x10y.0000000008 Whitehead, N. (1998). The Indigenous People of the Caribbean:The Indigenous People of the Caribbean. American Anthropologist, 100(4), 1046-1047. doi:10.1525/aa.1998.100.4.1046 Whitehead, N. (1998). The Indigenous People of the Caribbean:The Indigenous People of the Caribbean. American Anthropologist, 100(4), 1046-1047. doi:10.1525/aa.1998.100.4.1046 Woodman, C., Baillie, J., Sivell, S. (2015). RELATIVES PREFERRED PLACE OF CARE AT THE END-OF-LIFE: IMPLICATIONS FOR PALLIATIVE CARE IN THE FUTURE. BMJ Supportive Palliative Care, 5(1), 116-117. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2014-000838.38 Yannakakis, Y. (2013). Indigenous People and Legal Culture in Spanish America. History Compass, 11(11), 931-947. doi:10.1111/hic3.12096

Shopping Tendencies of Men and Women Essay -- Compare Contrast Essays

Shopping Tendencies of Men and Women One of my friends called me asking to pick her up from the store where she was shopping. When I found her inside the store and asked what happened to her, she came up with a story. Her husband and she decided to take one car to do the shopping and arrange some other business in the bank. Her husband came up with a plan that he will drop her in the store and drive to the bank while she will be shopping. They decided that he would pick her up when he will be done with the bank. But an hour later, when he came and found that she was not done with her shopping list yet, he became angry; moreover, his wife had in her shopping cart a set of glasses that were not on her shopping list. After a tirade that she always wastes her time and his money doing shopping, he left the store. Many times after this accident, I noticed that most women and men behave in different way doing their shopping. For example, women stay much longer in the stores than men, buy a lot of small but necessary purchases, such as a kitchen towel or a new pillow case, and try to reduce expenses using coupons, manufacturer’s rebates or buying stuff on sale. In contrary, most men prefer not to bother themselves with coupons and usually buy needed thing right when they find it. They usually avoid a lot of things that are important for women, such as embroidered serviette or plate covered with ornament. As I have done some observation and questioned my friends, I understood that women have different approach toward shopping than men do, at least among my acquaintances. When women shop, they try to buy things that will perfectly fit their style or interior of their house. They are looking for particular color, shape and size of whatever thing they need -- saucepan, chair, or lamp. I believe when woman buys, her first priority is prettiness, or good look. On second place is practical side of the item. In most cases, women choose a dress that makes her slender and shoes that make her taller even if all these things are unpractical and uncomfortable. However, regular man does not pay much attention to how pretty he will look in a new suit; he cares more how comfortable it is. Most men I know are not picky about their cloth and do not spend a lot of time in any store. One of my male friends told me that he usually goes straight to the section where an it... ...ere are number of calories and ingredients indicated, and check price and quality of different brand names. For instance, when I want to buy a melon, I will examine it first: does melon has sweet aroma, is it ripe? I want to buy the best from what is available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Indeed a lot of fellow females will go to the other stores looking for lower prices. If woman find something she likes very much but cannot afford it, she will try to cut a price or go there day after day waiting until particularly liked thing will be on sale. And she will get it anyway.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the contrary, men rarely go to other places looking for lower prices. Most of men will buy needed thing for indicated price. If man cannot afford to buy the thing he liked, he will wait until he collects necessary amount of money or more likely, forget about it next day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shopping became unavoidable in our age of high technology. Thousands of men and women go to the Wal-Mart, Albertsons, or Sears everyday. However, I believe there is a different approach toward shopping which depends on person’s gender. I found that indeed most women enjoy doing shopping, while men shop just because they are out of necessary things.

Comparing Marriage in Eveline and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Marriage in Eveline and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At times, a marriage may be motivated by feelings other than romantic love. Themes of alternative motivations for marriage are explored in the literary works, "Eveline" and "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky". Also, in each of these stories, the decisions of a principle character is greatly influenced, by the opinions of others concerning marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sometimes people do not marry to be with one that they love, instead, they marry to flee a place or a person that they dislike. At the age of nineteen, Eveline consented to marry Frank to get away from her job at the Stores and her father.   She thought her comrades at the Stores might call her a fool to run off with Frank to get married and that Miss Gavan would be glad she was gone.   Although she feared her father would become violent because of her marriage, she knew some others would respect her. She planned to explore a new life with Frank in his distant country home, Buenos Aires.   Frank seemed older than Eveline from the stories he had told of his experiences.   Eveline was acting upon impulse to escape.   The more experienced Frank "would save her.   He would give her life, perhaps love, too."   (Joyce 331).   Her mothers life of commonplace sacrifices closing in final craziness (Joyce 331) was reason enough for Evelines sudden need to marry Frank.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eveline weighed questions of her decision up to the last minute.   She struggled with her feelings toward her known life.   As the time for her to leave with Frank approached, she realized that her current life was not all that bad.   Marriage would not be the answer to her dilemma.   She did not go with Frank.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The people of Yellow Sky knew Sheriff Jack Potter had gone to San Antonio, but did not know why he went nor when he was coming back.   However, Potter had gone "to meet a girl he believed he loved, and there, after the usual prayers, had actually induced her to marry him, without consulting Yellow Sky for any part of the transaction."   (Crane 212).   Potter and his bride were older than the average newly weds during that time period.   They were self conscious because people in the parlor-car stared at them.   Potter began to feel a greater self consciousness about how his town of Yellow Sky would respond to his marriage.

Heineken Essay -- essays research papers fc

Global distribution channels vary in general because everyone is trying to discover a way to make money without getting the flow of current distribution channels. Each channel is a very important chapter in the process of the global channel in order for the world to obtain some type of harmony within the distributing between the channels. The article discusses brand management on a global scale. Marketing across cultures can be done with Theodore Levitt's idea for exploiting the "economics of simplicity" with standardized products, packaging, and communication. Global brands become symbols of cultural ideals; therefore, transnational companies have to offer a high-value product that deliver the cultural myths consumers are looking for. The Global Brands Study found consumers associate global brands with three characteristics (quality signal, global myth, and social responsibility), which are used to evaluate them when making purchase decisions. Global consumers are segmented into four categories: global citizens, global dreamers, anti-globals, and global agnostics. More than two decades ago, Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt provocatively declared in a 1983 HBR article, "The Globalization of Markets," that a global market for uniform products and services had emerged. He argued that corporations should exploit the "economics of simplicity" and grow by selling standardized products all over the worl...

Charm bracelet Essay

My charm bracelet is a symbol of me and everything I stand for. It is a chain bracelet with many different charms. Each charm symbolizes an event or an item that makes me who I am. My turtle charm represents my speed. My life has always been at a slow pace, never have I been quick with anything I do. I feel that people don’t slow down to just enjoy life’s every beauty. I take time to slow down and walk this earth with thankfulness, like a turtle. My cowgirl boots charm represents my pride. I gather the cows, put out hay, and mend to what is needed. After the work is done I put on my dress put those same boots on that I installed great amount of work and dance. I take pride in being a beautiful women and doing a job only for men. My boots have stunning lacing work, but still gets the job done, like me. My two hearted charm represents my compassion. My attitude towards others is nothing shy from compassionate. This world has many harsh dealings; I try to understand people and their pain. Compassion is all it takes to change a person’s life. Like my heart, is full of compassion. My angel charm represents my faith. I am a child of God; I try to do my best to follow his teachings. I go to church every Sunday. I’m very active in my youth group, and was asked to teach weekday school next year. My father always told me angels watch over us and guides us; I will someday be one of those angels. My charm bracelet carries many symbols of me and my life. It shows my faith, my compassion, my speed, and my beauty as a hard working woman. This is me and what I stand for, don’t ask of anything else you will be left disappointed.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 25. MIRROR

I FORCED MYEYES – FROZEN WIDE OPEN WITH SHOCK – to move, so that I could not examine too closely the oval object wrapped in tendrils of shivering, fiery hair. Edward was in motion again. Swift and coolly businesslike, he dismembered the headless corpse. I could not go to him – I could not make my feet respond; they were bolted to the stone beneath them. But I scrutinized his every action minutely, looking for any evidence that he had been harmed. My heart slowed to a healthier rhythm when I found nothing. He was lithe and graceful as ever. I couldn't even see a tear in his clothes. He did not look at me – where I stood frozen to the cliff wall, horrified – while he piled the quivering, twitching limbs and then covered them with dry pine needles. He still did not meet my shocked gaze as he darted into the forest after Seth. I didn't have time to recover before both he and Seth were back, Edward with his arms full of Riley. Seth was carrying a large chunk – the torso – in his mouth. They added their burden to the pile, and Edward pulled a silver rectangle from his pocket. He flipped open the butane lighter and held the flame to the dry tinder. It caught at once; long tongues of orange fire licked rapidly across the pyre. â€Å"Get every piece,† Edward said in a low aside to Seth. Together, the vampire and the werewolf scoured the campsite, occasionally tossing small lumps of white stone into the blaze. Seth handled the pieces with his teeth. My brain wasn't working well enough for me to understand why he didn't change back to a form with hands. Edward kept his eyes on his work. And then they were done, and the raging fire was sending a pillar of choking purple toward the sky. The thick smoke curled up slowly, looking more solid than it should; it smelled like burning incense, and the scent was uncomfortable. It was heavy, too strong. Seth made that snickering sound again, deep in his chest. A smile flickered across Edward's tense face. Edward stretched out his arm, his hand curled into a fist. Seth grinned, revealing the long row of dagger teeth, and bumped his nose against Edward's hand. â€Å"Nice teamwork,† Edward murmured. Seth coughed a laugh. Then Edward took a deep breath, and turned slowly to face me. I did not understand his expression. His eyes were as wary as if I were another enemy – more than wary, they were afraid. Yet he'd shown no fear at all when he'd faced Victoria and Riley. . . . My mind was stuck, stunned and useless as my body. I stared at him, bewildered. â€Å"Bella, love,† he said in his softest tone, walking toward me with exaggerated slowness, his hands held up, palms forward. Dazed as I was, it reminded me oddly of a suspect approaching a policeman, showing that he wasn't armed. . . . â€Å"Bella, can you drop the rock, please? Carefully. Don't hurt yourself.† I'd forgotten all about my crude weapon, though I realized now that I was grasping it so hard that my knuckle was screaming in protest. Was it rebroken? Carlisle would put me in a cast for sure this time. Edward hesitated a few feet from me, his hands still in the air, his eyes still fearful. It took me a few long seconds to remember how to move my fingers. Then the rock clattered to the ground, while my hand stayed frozen in the same position. Edward relaxed slightly when my hands were empty, but came no closer. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid, Bella,† Edward murmured. â€Å"You're safe. I won't hurt you.† The mystifying promise only confused me further. I stared at him like an imbecile, trying to understand. â€Å"It's going to be all right, Bella. I know you're frightened now, but it's over. No one is going to hurt you. I won't touch you. I won't hurt you,† he said again. My eyes blinked furiously, and I found my voice. â€Å"Why do you keep saying that?† I took an unsteady step toward him, and he leaned away from my advance. â€Å"What's wrong?† I whispered. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Are you . . .† His golden eyes were suddenly as confused as I felt. â€Å"Aren't you afraid of me?† â€Å"Afraid of you? Why?† I staggered forward another step, and then tripped over something – my own feet probably. Edward caught me, and I buried my face in his chest and started to sob. â€Å"Bella, Bella, I'm so sorry. It's over, it's over.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I gasped. â€Å"I'm okay. I'm just. Freaking out. Give me. A minute.† His arms tightened around me. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† he murmured again and again. I clung to him until I could breathe, and then I was kissing him – his chest, his shoulder, his neck – every part of him that I could reach. Slowly, my brain started to work again. â€Å"Are you okay?† I demanded between kisses. â€Å"Did she hurt you at all?† â€Å"I am absolutely fine,† he promised, burying his face in my hair. â€Å"Seth?† Edward chuckled. â€Å"More than fine. Very pleased with himself, in fact.† â€Å"The others? Alice, Esme? The wolves? â€Å"All fine. It's over there, too. It went just as smoothly as I promised. We got the worst of it here.† I let myself absorb that for a moment, let it sink in and settle in my head. My family and my friends were safe. Victoria was never coming after me again. It was over. We were all going to be fine. But I couldn't completely take in the good news while I was still so confused. â€Å"Tell me why,† I insisted. â€Å"Why did you think I would be afraid of you?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said, apologizing yet again – for what? I had no idea. â€Å"So sorry. I didn't want you to see that. See me like that. I know I must have terrified you.† I had to think about that for another minute, about the hesitant way he'd approached me, his hands in the air. Like I was going to run if he moved too fast. . . . â€Å"Seriously?† I finally asked. â€Å"You . . . what? Thought you'd scared me off?† I snorted. Snorting was good; a voice couldn't tremble or break during a snort. It sounded impressively offhand. He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head back to read my face. â€Å"Bella, I just† – he hesitated and then forced the words out – â€Å"I just beheaded and dismembered a sentient creature not twenty yards from you. That doesn't bother you?† He frowned at me. I shrugged. Shrugging was good, too. Very blas. â€Å"Not really. I was only afraid that you and Seth were going to get hurt. I wanted to help, but there's only so much I can do. . . .† His suddenly livid expression made my voice fade out. â€Å"Yes,† he said, his tone clipped. â€Å"Your little stunt with the rock. You know that you nearly gave me a heart attack? Not the easiest thing to do, that.† His furious glower made it hard to answer. â€Å"I wanted to help . . . Seth was hurt. . . .† â€Å"Seth was only feigning that he was hurt, Bella. It was a trick. And then you . . . !† He shook his head, unable to finish. â€Å"Seth couldn't see what you were doing, so I had to step in. Seth's a bit disgruntled that he can't claim a single-handed defeat now.† â€Å"Seth was . . . faking?† Edward nodded sternly. â€Å"Oh.† We both looked at Seth, who was studiously ignoring us, watching the flames. Smugness radiated from every hair in his fur. â€Å"Well, I didn't know that,† I said, on the offense now. â€Å"And it's not easy being the only helpless person around. Just you wait till I'm a vampire! I'm not going to be sitting on the sidelines next time.† A dozen emotions flitted across his face before he settled on being amused. â€Å"Next time? Did you anticipate another war soon?† â€Å"With my luck? Who knows?† He rolled his eyes, but I could see that he was flying – the relief was making us both lightheaded. It was over. Or . . . was it? â€Å"Hold on. Didn't you say something before – ?† I flinched, remembering what exactly it had been before – what was I going to say to Jacob? My splintered heart throbbed out a painful, aching beat. It was hard to believe, almost impossible, but the hardest part of this day was not behind me – and then I soldiered on. â€Å"About a complication? And Alice, needing to nail down the schedule for Sam. You said it was going to be close. What was going to be close?† Edward's eyes flickered back to Seth, and they exchanged a loaded glance. â€Å"Well?† I asked. â€Å"It's nothing, really,† Edward said quickly. â€Å"But we do need to be on our way. . . .† He started to pull me into place on his back, but I stiffened and drew away. â€Å"Define nothing.† Edward took my face between his palms. â€Å"We only have a minute, so don't panic, all right? I told you that you had no reason to be afraid. Trust me on that, please?† I nodded, trying to hide the sudden terror – how much more could I handle before I collapsed? â€Å"No reason to be afraid. Got it.† He pursed his lips for a second, deciding what to say. And then he glanced abruptly at Seth, as if the wolf had called him. â€Å"What's she doing?† Edward asked. Seth whined; it was an anxious, uneasy sound. It made the hair on the back of my neck rise. Everything was dead silent for one endless second. And then Edward gasped, â€Å"No!† and one of his hands flew out as if to grab something that I couldn't see. â€Å"Don't -!† A spasm rocked through Seth's body, and a howl, blistering with agony, ripped from his lungs. Edward fell to his knees at the exact same moment, gripping the sides of his head with two hands, his face furrowed in pain. I screamed once in bewildered terror, and dropped to my knees beside him. Stupidly, I tried to pull his hands from his face; my palms, clammy with sweat, slid off his marble skin. â€Å"Edward! Edward!† His eyes focused on me; with obvious effort, he pulled his clenched teeth apart. â€Å"It's okay. We're going to be fine. It's -† He broke off, and winced again. â€Å"What's happening?† I cried out while Seth howled in anguish. â€Å"We're fine. We're going to be okay,† Edward gasped. â€Å"Sam – help him -â€Å" And I realized in that instant, when he said Sam's name, that he was not speaking of himself and Seth. No unseen force was attacking them. This time, the crisis was not here. He was using the pack plural. I'd burned through all my adrenaline. My body had nothing left. I sagged, and Edward caught me before I could hit the rocks. He sprang to his feet, me in his arms. â€Å"Seth!† Edward shouted. Seth was crouched, still tensed in agony, looking as if he meant to launch himself into the forest. â€Å"No!† Edward ordered. â€Å"You go straight home. Now. As fast as you can!† Seth whimpered, shaking his great head from side to side. â€Å"Seth. Trust me.† The huge wolf stared into Edward's agonized eyes for one long second, and then he straightened up and flew into the trees, disappearing like a ghost. Edward cradled me tightly against his chest, and then we were also hurtling through the shadowy forest, taking a different path than the wolf. â€Å"Edward.† I fought to force the words through my constricted throat. â€Å"What happened, Edward? What happened to Sam? Where are we going? What's happening?† â€Å"We have to go back to the clearing,† he told me in a low voice. â€Å"We knew there was a good probability of this happening. Earlier this morning, Alice saw it and passed it through Sam to Seth. The Volturi decided it was time to intercede.† The Volturi. Too much. My mind refused to make sense of the words, pretended it couldn't understand. The trees jolted past us. He was running downhill so fast that it felt as if we were plummeting, falling out of control. â€Å"Don't panic. They aren't coming for us. It's just the normal contingent of the guard that usually cleans up this kind of mess. Nothing momentous, they're merely doing their job. Of course, they seem to have timed their arrival very carefully. Which leads me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns had reduced the size of the Cullen family.† The words came through his teeth, hard and bleak. â€Å"I'll know for sure what they were thinking when they get to the clearing.† â€Å"Is that why we're going back?† I whispered. Could I handle this? Images of flowing black robes crept into my unwilling mind, and I flinched away from them. I was close to a breaking point. â€Å"It's part of the reason. Mostly, it will be safer for us to present a united front at this point. They have no reason to harass us, but . . . Jane's with them. If she thought we were alone somewhere away from the others, it might tempt her. Like Victoria, Jane will probably guess that I'm with you. Demetri, of course, is with her. He could find me, if Jane asked him to.† I didn't want to think that name. I didn't want to see that blindingly exquisite, childlike face in my head. A strange sound came out of my throat. â€Å"Shh, Bella, shh. It's all going to be fine. Alice can see that.† Alice could see? But . . . then where were the wolves? Where was the pack? â€Å"The pack?† â€Å"They had to leave quickly. The Volturi do not honor truces with werewolves.† I could hear my breathing get faster, but I couldn't control it. I started to gasp. â€Å"I swear they will be fine,† Edward promised me. â€Å"The Volturi won't recognize the scent – they won't realize the wolves are here; this isn't a species they are familiar with. The pack will be fine.† I couldn't process his explanation. My concentration was ripped to shreds by my fears. We're going to be fine, he had said before . . . and Seth, howling in agony . . . Edward had avoided my first question, distracted me with the Volturi. . . . I was very close to the edge – just clinging by my fingertips. The trees were a racing blur that flowed around him like jade waters. â€Å"What happened?† I whispered again. â€Å"Before. When Seth was howling? When you were hurt?† Edward hesitated. â€Å"Edward! Tell me!† â€Å"It was all over,† he whispered. I could barely hear him over the wind his speed created. â€Å"The wolves didn't count their half . . . they thought they had them all. Of course, Alice couldn't see. . . .† â€Å"What happened?!† â€Å"One of the newborns was hiding. . . . Leah found him – she was being stupid, cocky, trying to prove something. She engaged him alone. . . .† â€Å"Leah,† I repeated, and I was too weak to feel shame for the relief that flooded through me. â€Å"Is she going to be okay?† â€Å"Leah wasn't hurt,† Edward mumbled. I stared at him for a long second. Sam – help him – Edward had gasped. Him, not her. â€Å"We're almost there,† Edward said, and he stared at a fixed point in the sky. Automatically, my eyes followed his. There was a dark purple cloud hanging low over the trees. A cloud? But it was so abnormally sunny. . . . No, not a cloud – I recognized the thick column of smoke, just like the one at our campsite. â€Å"Edward,† I said, my voice nearly inaudible. â€Å"Edward, someone got hurt.† I'd heard Seth's agony, seen the torture in Edward's face. â€Å"Yes,† he whispered. â€Å"Who?† I asked, though, of course, I already knew the answer. Of course I did. Of course. The trees were slowing around us as we came to our destination. It took him a long moment to answer me. â€Å"Jacob,† he said. I was able to nod once. â€Å"Of course,† I whispered. And then I slipped off the edge I was clinging to inside my head. Everything went black. I was first aware of the cool hands touching me. More than one pair of hands. Arms holding me, a palm curved to fit my cheek, fingers stroking my forehead, and more fingers pressed lightly into my wrist. Then I was aware of the voices. They were just ahumming at first, and then they grew in volume and clarity like someone was turning up a radio. â€Å"Carlisle – it's been five minutes.† Edward's voice, anxious. â€Å"She'll come around when she's ready, Edward.† Carlisle's voice, always calm and sure. â€Å"She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself.† But my mind was not protected. It was trapped in the knowledge that had not left me, even in unconsciousness – the pain that was part of the blackness. I felt totally disconnected from my body. Like I was caged in some small corner of my head, no longer at the controls. But I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't think. The agony was too strong for that. There was no escape from it. Jacob. Jacob. No, no, no, no, no . . . â€Å"Alice, how long do we have?† Edward demanded, his voice still tense; Carlisle's soothing words had not helped. From farther away, Alice's voice. It was brightly chipper. â€Å"Another five minutes. And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt that she can hear us now.† â€Å"Bella, honey?† This was Esme's soft, comforting voice. â€Å"Can you hear me? You're safe now, dear.† Yes, I was safe. Did that really matter? Then cool lips were at my ear, and Edward was speaking the words that allowed me to escape from the torture that had me caged inside my own head. â€Å"He's going to live, Bella. Jacob Black is healing as I speak. He'll be fine.† As the pain and dread eased, I found my way back to my body. My eyelids fluttered. â€Å"Oh, Bella,† Edward sighed in relief, and his lips touched mine. â€Å"Edward,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes, I'm here.† I got my lids to open, and I stared into warm gold. â€Å"Jacob is okay?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† he promised. I watched his eyes carefully for some sign that he was placating me, but they were perfectly clear. â€Å"I examined him myself,† Carlisle said then; I turned my head to find his face, only a few feet away. Carlisle's expression was serious and reassuring at the same time. It was impossible to doubt him. â€Å"His life is not in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will still be a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady. As soon as we're done here, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to get him to phase back to his human form. That will make treating him easier.† Carlisle smiled slightly. â€Å"I've never been to veterinarian school.† â€Å"What happened to him?† I whispered. â€Å"How bad are his injuries?† Carlisle's face was serious again. â€Å"Another wolf was in trouble -â€Å" â€Å"Leah,† I breathed. â€Å"Yes. He knocked her out of the way, but he didn't have time to defend himself. The newborn got his arms around him. Most of the bones on the right half of his body were shattered.† I flinched. â€Å"Sam and Paul got there in time. He was already improving when they took him back to La Push.† â€Å"He'll be back to normal?† I asked. â€Å"Yes, Bella. He won't have any permanent damage.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Three minutes,† Alice said quietly. I struggled, trying to get vertical. Edward realized what I was doing and helped me to my feet. I stared at the scene in front of me. The Cullens stood in a loose semicircle around the bonfire. There were hardly any flames visible, just the thick, purple-black smoke, hovering like a disease against the bright grass. Jasper stood closest to the solid- seeming haze, in its shadow so that his skin did not glitter brilliantly in the sun the way the others did. He had his back to me, his shoulders tense, his arms slightly extended. There was something there, in his shadow. Something he crouched over with wary intensity. . . . I was too numb to feel more than a mild shock when I realized what it was. There were eight vampires in the clearing. The girl was curled into a small ball beside the flames, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was very young. Younger than me – she looked maybe fifteen, dark-haired and slight. Her eyes were focused on me, and the irises were a shocking, brilliant red. Much brighter than Riley's, almost glowing. They wheeled wildly, out of control. Edward saw my bewildered expression. â€Å"She surrendered,† he told me quietly. â€Å"That's one I've never seen before. Only Carlisle would think of offering. Jasper doesn't approve.† I couldn't tear my gaze away from the scene beside the fire. Jasper was rubbing absently at his left forearm. â€Å"Is Jasper all right?† I whispered. â€Å"He's fine. The venom stings.† â€Å"He was bitten?† I asked, horrified. â€Å"He was trying to be everywhere at once. Trying to make sure Alice had nothing to do, actually.† Edward shook his head. â€Å"Alice doesn't need anyone's help.† Alice grimaced toward her true love. â€Å"Overprotective fool.† The young female suddenly threw her head back like an animal and wailed shrilly. Jasper growled at her and she cringed back, but her fingers dug into the ground like claws and her head whipped back and forth in anguish. Jasper took a step toward her, slipping deeper into his crouch. Edward moved with overdone casualness, turning our bodies so that he was between the girl and me. I peeked around his arm to watch the thrashing girl and Jasper. Carlisle was at Jasper's side in an instant. He put a restraining hand on his most recent son's arm. â€Å"Have you changed your mind, young one?† Carlisle asked, calm as ever. â€Å"We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself.† â€Å"How can you stand it?† the girl groaned in a high, clear voice. â€Å"I want her.† Her bright crimson irises focused on Edward, through him, beyond him to me, and her nails ripped through the hard soil again. â€Å"You must stand it,† Carlisle told her gravely. â€Å"You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now.† The girl clutched her dirt-encrusted hands around her head, yowling quietly. â€Å"Shouldn't we move away from her?† I whispered, tugging on Edward's arm. The girl's lips pulled back over her teeth when she heard my voice, her expression one of torment. â€Å"We have to stay here,† Edward murmured. â€Å"They are coming to the north end of the clearing now.† My heart burst into a sprint as I scanned the clearing, but I couldn't see anything past the thick pall of smoke. After a second of fruitless searching, my gaze crept back to the young female vampire. She was still watching me, her eyes half-mad. I met the girl's stare for a long moment. Chin-length dark hair framed her face, which was alabaster pale. It was hard to tell if her features were beautiful, twisted as they were by rage and thirst. The feral red eyes were dominant – hard to look away from. She glared at me viciously, shuddering and writhing every few seconds. I stared at her, mesmerized, wondering if I were looking into a mirror of my future. Then Carlisle and Jasper began to back toward the rest of us. Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme all converged hastily around where Edward stood with Alice and me. A united front, as Edward had said, with me at the heart, in the safest place. I tore my attention away from the wild girl to search for the approaching monsters. There was stillnothing to see. I glanced at Edward, and his eyes were locked straight ahead. I tried to follow his gaze, but there was only the smoke – dense, oily smoke twisting low to the ground, rising lazily, undulating against the grass. It billowed forward, darker in the middle. â€Å"Hmm,† a dead voice murmured from the mist. I recognized the apathy at once. â€Å"Welcome, Jane.† Edward's tone was coolly courteous. The dark shapes came closer, separating themselves from the haze, solidifying. I knew it would be Jane in the front – the darkest cloak, almost black, and the smallest figure by more than two feet. I could just barely make out Jane's angelic features in the shade of the cowl. The four gray-shrouded figures hulking behind her were also somewhat familiar. I was sure I recognized the biggest one, and while I stared, trying to confirm my suspicion, Felix looked up. He let his hood fall back slightly so that I could see him wink at me and smile. Edward was very still at my side, tightly in control. Jane's gaze moved slowly across the luminous faces of the Cullens and then touched on the newborn girl beside the fire; the newborn had her head in her hands again. â€Å"I don't understand.† Jane's voice was toneless, but not quite as uninterested as before. â€Å"She has surrendered,† Edward explained, answering the confusion in her mind. Jane's dark eyes flashed to his face. â€Å"Surrendered?† Felix and another shadow exchanged a quick glance. Edward shrugged. â€Å"Carlisle gave her the option.† â€Å"There are no options for those who break the rules,† Jane said flatly. Carlisle spoke then, his voice mild. â€Å"That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught.† â€Å"That is irrelevant,† Jane insisted. â€Å"As you wish.† Jane stared at Carlisle in consternation. She shook her head infinitesimally, and then composed her features. â€Å"Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards.† Carlisle nodded. â€Å"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him.† â€Å"Of course.† Jane smiled. Her face was almost too lovely when it was animated. She looked back toward the smoke. â€Å"It appears that you've done our work for us today . . . for the most part.† Her eyes flickered to the hostage. â€Å"Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle.† â€Å"Eighteen, including this one,† Carlisle answered. Jane's eyes widened, and she looked at the fire again, seeming to reassess the size of it. Felix and the other shadow exchanged a longer glance. â€Å"Eighteen?† she repeated, her voice sounding unsure for the first time. â€Å"All brand-new,† Carlisle said dismissively. â€Å"They were unskilled.† â€Å"All?† Her voice turned sharp. â€Å"Then who was their creator?† â€Å"Her name was Victoria,† Edward answered, no emotion in his voice. â€Å"Was?† Jane asked. Edward inclined his head toward the eastern forest. Jane's eyes snapped up and focused on something far in the distance. The other pillar of smoke? I didn't look away to check. Jane stared to the east for a long moment, and then examined the closer bonfire again. â€Å"This Victoria – she was in addition to the eighteen here?† â€Å"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year.† â€Å"Twenty,† Jane breathed. â€Å"Who dealt with the creator?† â€Å"I did,† Edward told her. Jane's eyes narrowed, and she turned to the girl beside the fire. â€Å"You there,† she said, her dead voice harsher than before. â€Å"Your name.† The newborn shot a baleful glare at Jane, her lips pressed tightly together. Jane smiled back angelically. The newborn girl's answering scream was ear-piercing; her body arched stiffly into a distorted, unnatural position. I looked away, fighting the urge to cover my ears. I gritted my teeth, hoping to control my stomach. The screaming intensified. I tried to concentrate on Edward's face, smooth and unemotional, but that made me remember when it had been Edward under Jane's torturing gaze, and I felt sicker. I looked at Alice instead, and Esme next to her. Their faces were as empty as his. Finally, it was quiet. â€Å"Your name,† Jane said again, her voice inflectionless. â€Å"Bree,† the girl gasped. Jane smiled, and the girl shrieked again. I held my breath until the sound of her agony stopped. â€Å"She'll tell you anything you want to know,† Edward said through his teeth. â€Å"You don't have to do that.† Jane looked up, sudden humor in her usually dead eyes. â€Å"Oh, I know,† she said to Edward, grinning at him before she turned back to the young vampire, Bree. â€Å"Bree,† Jane said, her voice cold again. â€Å"Is his story true? Were there twenty of you?† The girl lay panting, the side of her face pressed against the earth. She spoke quickly. â€Å"Nineteen or twenty, maybe more, I don't know!† She cringed, terrified that her ignorance might bring on another round of torture. â€Å"Sara and the one whose name I don't know got in a fight on the way. . . .† â€Å"And this Victoria – did she create you?† â€Å"I don't know,† she said, flinching again. â€Å"Riley never said her name. I didn't see that night . . . it was so dark, and it hurt. . . .† Bree shuddered. â€Å"He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe. . . .† Jane's eyes flickered to Edward, and then back to the girl. Victoria had planned this well. If she hadn't followed Edward, there would have been no way to know for certain that she was involved. . . . â€Å"Tell me about Riley,† Jane said. â€Å"Why did he bring you here?† â€Å"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here,† Bree babbled quickly and willingly. â€Å"He said it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent.† Bree lifted one hand and stabbed a finger in my direction. â€Å"He said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her.† I heard Edward's jaw flex beside me. â€Å"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part,† Jane noted. Bree nodded, seeming relieved that the conversation had taken this non-painful course. She sat up carefully. â€Å"I don't know what happened. We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces.† She shuddered again. â€Å"I was afraid. I wanted to run away. That one† – she looked at Carlisle – â€Å"said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting.† â€Å"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one,† Jane murmured, her voice oddly gentle now. â€Å"Broken rules demand a consequence.† Bree stared at her, not comprehending. Jane looked at Carlisle. â€Å"Are you sure you got all of them? The other half that split off?† Carlisle's face was very smooth as he nodded. â€Å"We split up, too.† Jane half-smiled. â€Å"I can't deny that I'm impressed.† The big shadows behind her murmured in agreement. â€Å"I've never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. Do you know what was behind it? It seems like extreme behavior, considering the way you live here. And why was the girl the key?† Her eyes rested unwilling on me for one short second. I shivered. â€Å"Victoria held a grudge against Bella,† Edward told her, his voice impassive. Jane laughed – the sound was golden, the bubbling laugh of a happy child. â€Å"This one seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind,† she observed, smiling directly at me, her face beatific. Edward stiffened. I looked at him in time to see his face turning away, back to Jane. â€Å"Would you please not do that?† he asked in a tight voice. Jane laughed again lightly. â€Å"Just checking. No harm done, apparently.† I shivered, deeply grateful that the strange glitch in my system – which had protected me from Jane the last time we'd met – was still in effect. Edward's arm tightened around me. â€Å"Well, it appears that there's not much left for us to do. Odd,† Jane said, apathy creeping back into her voice. â€Å"We're not used to being rendered unnecessary. It's too bad we missed the fight. It sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward answered her quickly, his voice sharp. â€Å"And you were so close. It's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here.† Jane met Edward's glare with unwavering eyes. â€Å"Yes. Quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?† Edward nodded once to himself, his suspicions confirmed. Jane turned to look at the newborn Bree again, her face completely bored. â€Å"Felix?† she drawled. â€Å"Wait,† Edward interjected. Jane raised one eyebrow, but Edward was staring at Carlisle while he spoke in an urgent voice. â€Å"We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing.† â€Å"Of course,† Carlisle answered. â€Å"We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree.† Jane's expression was torn between amusement and disbelief. â€Å"We don't make exceptions,† she said. â€Å"And we don't give second chances. It's bad for our reputation. Which reminds me . . .† Suddenly, her eyes were on me again, and her cherubic face dimpled. â€Å"Caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human, Bella. Perhaps he'll decide to visit.† â€Å"The date is set,† Alice told Jane, speaking for the first time. â€Å"Perhaps we'll come to visit you in a few months.† Jane's smile faded, and she shrugged indifferently, never looking at Alice. She turned to face Carlisle. â€Å"It was nice to meet you, Carlisle – I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again . . .† Carlisle nodded, his expression pained. â€Å"Take care of that, Felix,† Jane said, nodding toward Bree, her voice dripping boredom. â€Å"I want to go home.† â€Å"Don't watch,† Edward whispered in my ear. I was only too eager to follow his instruction. I'd seen more than enough for one day – more than enough for one lifetime. I squeezed my eyes tightly together and turned my face into Edward's chest. But I could still hear. There was a deep, rumbling growl, and then a high-pitched keen that was horribly familiar. That sound cut off quickly, and then the only sound was a sickening crunching and snapping. Edward's hand rubbed anxiously against my shoulders. â€Å"Come,† Jane said, and I looked up in time to see the backs of the tall gray cloaks drifting away toward the curling smoke. The incense smell was strong again – fresh. The gray cloaks disappeared into the thick mist.