Journal Article Critique Paper - 1099 Words

Journal Article Critique Paper Britnie Amedee, Kelsey Thompson, Angela Lipford BSHS/435 January 19, 2015 Mrs. Heather Suggs Journal Article Critique Paper â€Å"Electronic games are now an everyday part of childhood and adolescence† (Olsen, 2010). Considering children and adolescence are our future, parents need to consider and monitor how these electronic games are affecting their child. There are more studies afloat that report the negative affects of video games over the positive effects until recently. Children and adolescents become addicted to video games easily so it is important to monitor what they are playing and how it is affecting them and their character. A recent study on many boys and girls reported why they are†¦show more content†¦More research needed to be completed on the other side of the spectrum, how video games can positively affect a child life. Next, Cheryl Olsen goes on to give the reasons why 1,254 boys and girls enjoy playing video games. Following these reasons she acknowledges the benefits the boys and girls receive from these video games. The reasons why they are benefitting from the video is broken into different sections such as; The Joy of Completion, The Opportunity to Lead, Youth Teaching Each Other, and Expressing Creativity. Just the few reasons previously stated are great enough to persuade the reader to continue reading. The journal article discusses the method the research study used to collect data from the sample. The research study utilized a survey that consisted of 17 questions related to motivation for playing video games. The survey was distributed to boys and girls in grades 7 and 8. A total of 1,254 surveys were completed between Pennsylvania and South Carolina. The children had four options for each statement: strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, and strongly agree. The top three statements were: its just fun, its exciting, and something to do when bored. The remaining 14 statements were all written in a positive context related to learning, emotional maintenance, and social aspects. The article provided complete and clear information related to how theShow MoreRelatedCHDV 443 journal article analyses critique paper1802 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿ The Effects of Digital Game-Based Learning On Cognitive Development Monique Labansat California State University, Los Angeles Ke, F. (2008). Alternative goal structures for computer game-based learning. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 3(4), 429-445. 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Creating a Healthy City Free Essays

Creating a Healthy City Environmental health should be a great concern for each individual person as well as our nation and the whole world. Environmental health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors affecting health and our environment. t which includes air, land and water. We will write a custom essay sample on Creating a Healthy City or any similar topic only for you Order Now Environmental health extents to the chemical we use such as BPA and the effects it can and may have on our children, fuel in the economy and additional sources of fuel, building green, environmental disease and sources of energy in which all of these items can have an effect on the environment and our health. Here are other aspect of environment health that I would have never consider to be part of our concern or environment; but have just as of an impact as anything else. Bioterrorism warfare is critical because without the governments’ prevention and methods many of us could be affected by chemical warfare. This weapon can kill and destroy our very lives. Buying locally is another expect of environmental heath that is critical to our community is buying our food locally from farmers and growers in our area. This is a great benefit of knowing more about where your food comes from. It so much more too environmental health in which I do not have the time to discuss. One major item is creating a healthy environment in our communities and cities to help established a better life. Bottom of FormCreating a healthy city is to improved living conditions and better health services in association with various development activities by incorporate different ways to make the city healthy. By creating a healthy city would be committing to the development and maintenance of physical and social environments which support and promote better health and quality of life for residents. Building a health City would be to consider green building, recycling, educating and protecting the water, air and land in which residents maintain their living. Maintaining a healthy environment is critical to increasing quality life and years of healthy living. Healthy City would require and include high political commitment, collaboration, community participation, integration of activities and development of a city health profile and a local action plan. Once the plan has been established and implemented it’s important to monitor and evaluate by incorporating views from all groups within the community. These are critical steps in making the city environmental healthy. In order for Stockbridge to become a healthy city it will require some planning just to implement small changes and goals first then move to larger objectives. One area in which Stockbridge can begin is just to begin implementing a recycling plan. In large cities such as New York they have trash pickup and recycle pickup. Trash has to be divided into two categories. This is something that is a small goal for Stockbridge to introduction to the community. This is a small start but it’s a big change that can help to established or start the process of a healthy environment in the city. Beginning someone where is a start to healthy living. Having a health city will cost money and time. Money will needed to be generated in order for us to have the community in which we want or deserve to have. Producing a plan is one thing; but have the money to implement the plan is another which could affect the process and progress of the community. Its important for the city official to reach out the people in the community and to give them an understanding of how important is our environment to the city. The present encomic situation is what would have a great impact or obstacle in the city to obtain the funds need to make changes; but this where the community comes in and fund raisers are established to make our city environmental health. Introducing a clean environment healthy city would require information how important having a clean city is important to the community. A health city is about clean air, water, land and waste disposal for better living in the community. Understanding the air we breathe is essential that’s why green emission is established to reduce the amount of carbon that is leaked in to the air which can cause breathing issuing. Having clean water and plenty of water is a something our body cannot live without. Land is major because the quality of land effects food and the types of food in which we can choose from and eat. Land is different from place to place and each area yields certain kinds of food that is necessary for the nutrients we need. When our air, water and land is destroyed where do we go and how do we survive. Environmental Health should be a global concern because earth is our home. Some of the environmental issues of global warming–global dimming—water pollution, air pollution; land pollution and land degradation are affecting humanity throughout the entire world, these and other issues affects every species on the planet earth. Its imperative that mankind listen to the cry of the environment and begin to work together to save our planet. We can all play a part play by taking concern for endangers species, and being careful not to pollute our water and our land. Environmental Health effects and impacts our entire existence and every person should be aware of what the issues are and how they can help to change or fix them because it can and will affect our air, water and food. We do not take an interested to protect and preserve our planet we are looking at killing and destroying ourselves. References Hilgenkamp, Kathryn (2006) Environmental health ; Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Massachusetts, chapter 8-10, pgs. 134-191 Omi, Shigir MD (2000) Regional experience in making a Healty city, retrieve June 14, 2012 http://www. who. int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/prevdisradio/en/index. html How to cite Creating a Healthy City, Essay examples

Appraising and Rewarding Performance of Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation free essay sample

It is one of the oldest insurance firms in the country. The firm received its license to operate in Manila in 1907, twenty years after the company was first established in Toronto, Canada in 1887 by Sir John A. Macdonald, who at the same time was Prime Minister of Canada. Manulife Philippines was the first foreign company to list in the Philippine Stock Exchange, and is among the top five life insurance companies in our country today. The firm’s dedication to client service enabled it to grow and increase financial strength. In 2007, the Philippine Insurance Commission (IC) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank) approved the operation of a bank assurance joint venture company, Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCB Life). MCB Life is a strategic bank assurance alliance of China Banking Corporation (China Bank), the Philippines’ first privately owned commercial bank, and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife), a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Manulife Financial Corporation. We will write a custom essay sample on Appraising and Rewarding Performance of Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page B. Company Mission and Vision of Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation In Asia, Manulifes goal for each market is to develop a company that will best meet the needs of customers, achieve employee satisfaction, and provide leadership in the life insurance industry. Manulife works hard to build companies that cultivate wealth creation, wealth protection, and an improved quality of life for local customers. Manulifes corporate vision is to be the most professional life insurance company in the world: providing the very best financial protection and wealth management services tailored to customers in every market where the company does business. MCB Life’s mission is committed to develop long term relationships with families and businesses which make us the company of choice in providing economic security through a broad range of financial services, customized and delivered by competent and ethical professionals. C. Company Profile and Background of Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial is an international leader in protection and wealth management with key operations in Canada, US, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Bermuda, and the Philippines. Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) pioneered life insurance in the Philippines in 1895. Today, Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc. , is one of the largest and most trusted insurers in the country with almost a half a million policies in force and is boosted by the strength and stability of Sun Life Financial shares in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. SLAMCI) is the fund manager and principal distributor of the biggest family of mutual funds in the Philippines, the Sun Life Prosperity Funds. It also boasts of being the first in its field to put in place the accounting system needed to adequately comply with the standards set by the International Accounting Standards (IAS). Serving as the company’s wealth management arm, SLAMCI benefits from the expertise of its mother company’s close association with MFS Investment Management (the inventor of mutual funds in the US). Sun Life Financial Plans, Inc. SLFPI) is the second wholly-owned subsidiary of SLOCPI and the sole distributor of its pension and education plans. SLFPI holds the distinction of being the fastest growing pre-need company in the country today. For 113 years now, SLF-Philippines continues to be a proud and trusted partner of the Filipino in his journey to financial freedom. D. Company Mission and Vision of Sun Life Financial Sun Life Financial’s vision is To be the preeminent provider of financial security to individuals over their lifetime. With regards to this mission of the company, Sun Life Financial aims to provide financial freedom for Filipinos. E. Objectives of Study The objective of this study is to present the methods of rewarding and appraising performance of our two chosen companies, particularly in the insurance industry. For this research, we chose to do a study on Manulife Philippines, more specifically Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation (MCB Life); and also Sun Life Financial. This paper aims to present the different rewards given to employees and performance appraisals done to evaluate their employees’ performance, while comparing both companies. In order to obtain a clearer picture on how employees are being appraised and rewarded in two companies in the same industry, a comparison between Manulife Philippines and Sun Life Financial should be done. F. Statement of Problem The researchers would conduct a study on the rewarding and appraising of performance of insurance companies, and what the companies want to achieve. The researchers would like to find out how the companies reward their employers in this industry, and the process of performance appraisal; and the effects of these human resource activities in the daily operation of the companies. G. Basic Assumptions The basic assumptions with regards to the insurance industry are that there are agents who sell insurance packages, and managers who oversee their work. All the employees in the insurance industry are motivated to work harder, since the more insurance sold means the higher commission they receive. As agents sell insurance, managers motivate and supervise agents, and ensure that performance is met through the reaching and, if ever, exceeding of quotas. H. Significance of the Study The significance of the study is to provide insight on how the Human Resource (HR) department of each company manages and oversees the proper giving of rewards and executing performance appraisals on their employees. The study will give companies an idea on what performance appraisal and rewarding system they should implement in order for them to effectively motivate their employees, particularly those in the insurance industry. I. Scope and Limitations The scope of this study is on the HR practices in rewarding and gathering performance appraisals on two insurance companies’ employees, namely MCB Life Assurance Corp. nd Sun Life Financial, both of which are located in the Philippines. Since the study is limited to only two insurance companies, namely MCB Life and Sun Life Financial, the researchers could not generalize the results of our information to the entire insurance industry. There are many other insurance companies that can be used as object of study that would provid e us with different results with regards to rewards and performance appraisals. The second limitation of this study is that the two companies are located in the local setting. Although these companies originated internationally, some of their policies with regards to rewarding employees and performance appraisals may slightly differ from their international counterparts. Also, the study involves only the participation of the HR managers of the respective companies. The performance appraisal and rewarding systems of the companies’ were obtained solely from the HR managers. To limit the study, the researchers focused only in interviewing the HR managers. CHAPTER II: Review of Related Literature A study was conducted in manufacturing firms. The results revealed that the impact of the systematically administered pay varied depending on the type of organization involved. The systematic administration of pay-for-performance reward system can increase employee performance in manufacturing firms than in service organizations. In addition, since there is an assumption that employee performance is positively affected by pay, pay for performance or incentive pay is considered as an effective way to increase the incentive effects of money because it relates pay directly to results of the performance (Luthans, 2002). Financial incentives are more effective when they are link to good performance. The link between pay to performance generally motivates people to work harder. The link is seen as a reinforcer or motivator. The approach recommended to organizations is to consider or include specific performance criteria to employee pay and directly link it to value enhancing business results. The system at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) is used as an example for variable pay. The performance of employees and managers at the company is measured by comparing each employee to others who are on the same level. Performance is measured on a 1-to-5 scale basis. The company calculates the results and categories of each employee as top, middle, or bottom. Employees on the top category receive about 65 percent more in bonuses than those in the middle category. Employees at the bottom category might not receive any bonus (DuBrin, 2005). Regular performance appraisals can provide a basis for employee motivation only if handled well. But often performance appraisals become uncomfortable rituals for employees and managers. Performance appraisals can be considered effective when expectations and objectives are clarified to the employees for the benefit of both supervisors and workers. Meanwhile, good manager-employee relationships could be ruined once performance appraisal is poorly prepared or improperly conducted (Tim Peterson, 2000). The organizational culture requires the evaluation of its employees’ performance on an individual basis. Focusing only on the individual’s performance and not considering the limiting conditions that restrict one’s performance will defeat the purpose of the performance appraisal conducted in organizations. The best way to evaluate or appraise performance is through the use of objectives, standards, or targets. The targets should be set for each employee. Open communication between employees and their immediate supervisor should be present to be able to remove possible barriers that will occur in attaining the desired results. It should be set individually to fully capture one’s abilities and level of development (Bacal, 1999). Most organizations believe that the way to improve organizational performance is to get every employee do a better quality job. The improved individual performance will accumulate and generate its way to the profit and loss statement. Performance management is an individual-based process that usually takes place between an employee and his direct supervisor. The manager or supervisor would set expectations, observe behaviors, determine performance, coach and provide feedback to the employees. This is conducted in a performance review. This process is being widened to include a 360-degree review that gets additional inputs from other employees, generally guided by the direct manager. An analysis was done on the financial performance of 437 companies. In almost all the cases, companies with performance management programs have higher profits, better cash flows, stronger stock market performance, and a greater stock value. Productivity is also better. It can be concluded that if people or employees are treated as valued assets to be developed, it will be beneficial for the company (McAdams, 1996). A guideline for effective rewarding and recognition has been provided. First, the reward should match the person; the person should find the reward satisfying. One way to know what the person likes is to ask him what he value the most. Second is to match the reward to the achievement. A person who did a project should be rewarded in a more substantial way than a person who only did you a favor. Third, the reward should be timely and specific. To have more effect or motivation to repeat desired actions, the reward should be given as soon as possible. The employee must also know the reason why he is being rewarded. The pattern of recognition must be irregular, so as to have an effective way in sustaining performance in the end. The reward and recognition must reflect the company’s values and business strategy. Employees must also participate and contribute in their development and execution. It also advised not to use â€Å"jelly bean† motivation by giving all employees the same reward regardless of their performance. Managers must know how to justify the performance and reward the employees accordingly (Nelson, 2005). CHAPTER III: Methods and Sources of Data The means of gathering data for our study was through two formal interviews. The respondents interviewed were the Human Resource (HR) Managers of both firms; Ms. Joy Escobido for MCB Life, and Philip Tiu for Sun Life Financial. Each of the two Human Resource Managers for the respective companies provided us with a brief background of the company, and oriented us with the operations of the firm with regards to their department. The researchers used interview as their primary tool on gathering pertinent information about the insurance companies’ performance appraisal and rewarding systems. Most of the companies’ information was obtained from the interview and the companies’ websites. Books about organizational behavior, human resource management, performance appraisals, and rewarding were used to give the researchers adequate information about the topic. The theoretical foundation was mainly obtained from the books. Journals that were retrieved from De La Salle University’s electronic database provided the researchers updated and reliable information about the topic. The study is solely a descriptive type of research paper. Only the Human Resource managers of the respective companies were interviewed to understand the companies’ performance appraisal and rewarding systems. Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data The employees of Sun Life Financial and Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp. MCB Life) companies are called differently. Employees in MCB Life are considered as the company’s associates and not as agents. According to the company, this is done to show the equality within the workplace. Although in reality, the associates are considered as rank-in-file workers; what MCB Life wants to embed in them is that they are all very important in the life cycle of the company. Without them, the company will not generate sales at all. MCB Life believes that the word â€Å"agent† has a negative connotation of having a lower position in the company. This is why the company decided on the term â€Å"associates†, which at the same time increased the self-respect of the employees. On the other hand, Sun Life Financial considers their employees as agents of the company. The performance appraisal and rewarding systems of Sun Life Financial and MCB Life both differ in many ways. Sun Life Financial appraises the performance of its agents based on the quota quarterly. The branch manager or the immediate supervisor of the associate is the one who conducts the quarterly performance appraisal. The immediate supervisor evaluates the agent based on the amount of his generated sales. If the agent reaches the quota of PHP 125,000 per quarter, then he gets to remain in the company. All of the employees, whether old or newly hired, have the same quota for their yearly sales. However, if for two consecutive quarters, the quota for the sale is not met, the agent is removed from the company. This is something that the company practices to push their employees to reach their target quotas and motive them to work harder. Thus, it is important for an agent to generate more sales because it is the sole basis of their performance appraisal. It may seem that the HR department is directly not connected with the termination of the company’s employees, but in reality, they are the ones who are responsible in the handling the performance appraisals (given to them by the immediate supervisors of the employees). It is the responsibility of their immediate supervisors to evaluate the accomplishment of each of his employees, and present their evaluation to the HR department or further decisions regarding the sanctions, termination, and rewards due to the employees. MCB Life provides their associates with both a base pay and a commission, while the agents of Sun Life Financial’s salary are solely based in commission – no sales, no salary. Unfortunately, our interviewee was not comfortable with disclosing such information regarding MCB Life’s base pay and commission rates, although the associate’s commission ranges from 25%, which is the minimum commission rate, to 50% maximum commission rate. The commission that each of the associate receives depends on the insurance plan they sell to their clients. Aside from the commission rate that these associates receive, incentive pay is also given to those associates who exceeded above the quota of sales required from them. Persistency, refers to collection of payment, incentive pay is give to the associate whose clients were able to pay for two years insurance plan. Bonus pay is given to the associate who has achieved the quota and a persistency rate of 85% and above. Health card are also given to employees in case of health or medical emergencies. The employer shoulders PHP 400 for the associate’s health card every month. An associate, who happens to have a disease, will receive a medical insurance of up to PHP 200,000. The net selling commission (NSC) of Sun Life’s agents is computed based on their settled Life Insurance and/or Pre-need applications (see Figure 1, Appendices). Based on Figure 1, in the year 2001, 5 settled applications are equivalent to PHP 100,000 net selling commission, while 15 applications are equivalent to PHP 125,000 net selling commission.

US Military Spending

Table of Contents Introduction Background Ethical argument on military spending Evidence based on figures Counter argument Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Is the huge spending in the U.S military ethical and warranted? The justification of an act is based on whether or not the act in question adheres to the moral laws and the common good of all the concerned parties.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on US Military Spending specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The doctrine of military justice and the just war theory dictates that military spending and acts should not only safeguard the common good but rather enhance societal wellbeing, ethos and values of all interested parties. U.S military spending is ethical and fully justified since it aims to enforce law and order by ensuring that the military forces are well equipped to safeguard the common good of citizens. Military spending has in the recent past been a cr itical issue to most governments. Economic scholars argue that a lot of money is invested into the military to make it look more important than other key sectors of the economies of many states. The general view of the citizens of the U.S. is that a lot of funds need to be channelled to other sectors of the economy such as education, research, health care and clean energy. In this study, we shall evaluate the impact of spending on the military as measured against other sectors of the economy of the U.S. Background The United States government has over the years increased its national security budget even when it does not seem to have any external threats from its neighbours. Its military spending is equal to no other country with economic figures showing that the spending on its military by the U.S. is half of the total spent on national security around the world. Ethical argument on military spending The U.S. government is said to have spent 689 billion on military budget in the ye ar 2010(Lamothe, 45). The mentioned figure has been on the rise for the last 7 years. The figure rose marginally in the year 2001. Other countries also respond to security threats in the same manner as the U.S when faced with situations of insecurity to their well being. It is worth noting that every other state can also be faced with threats to its security but the manner in which the national budget of every country is harmonized to meet security challenges is what is most important.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Evidence based on figures The U.S military budget may seem insignificant since it is around 4.9 percent of the country’s GDP (Thompson, 26). Compared to other countries, the U.S. may seem to be using less than what it earlier spent on the â€Å"hot and cold war† times. However, by absolute standards, these are huge amounts since they constitute 5000 dollars per family. Compared to expenses on others sectors of the economy, the federal government expenditures in 2004 were 14billion for energy, 1.8billion for transit and railroad networks and 4.7billion for recreation and culture. There is an argument by the U.S. government that military spending offers stable, decent and well paying jobs to many. This gives rise to the view that military spending is a major pillar of the U.S. economy. However, research shows that other sectors that do not receive the same funding from the budget seem to provide similar and at times better opportunities for job creation. One way of scrutinizing the size of U.S. military expenditure is by comparing it with other countries (Bender, 34). Counter argument The U.S. does not have bigger security threats than other countries to justify its huge spending on its military as compared to countries like Israel, India and China. The military budget of the U.S is normally considered to be wasteful as there are other sectors of the U.S national economy that need to be adequately funded like health, education and housing. At a time when the economy of the U.S is undergoing recession, there is need to channel funds to more productive sectors of the economy. The U.S. has not been invaded directly by any country since the Nineteenth Century. This fact shows that the U.S. has only been â€Å"picking fights† with other countries and invading countries that are not at war with it in the role of restoring peace in the said countries. Economists tend to object such policies by the U.S. government hence preferring that the government would spend more money on other sectors of the economy. One good scenario that explains how some people viewed the military was during Clinton’s administration. U.S. citizens were happy that during Clinton’s administration, the U.S. did not engage in war. It is evident that the U.S. undertakes these wars by choice due to the fact that it has a huge milita ry presence (Barber, 23). It is also clear that countries without military capability cannot embark on such undertakings of â€Å"wars of choice† whose purposes evolve, as in Iraq, from disassembling wars of mass destruction, fighting terrorists and promoting democracy (Miles, 10).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on US Military Spending specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The U.S has in the past been viewed as promoting conflict rather than stopping it. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are major cases in point in demonstrating this fact. President Bush Jr. was warned by the U.N Security Council against invading Iraq but he ignored the advice of the council and directed the U.S. military to attack Iraq. The U.S military invasion of Iraq is seen by many people in the world and especially the citizens of the U.S. as having contributed immensely to the economic recession of the U.S. that has persisted fo r many years. The war in Afghanistan as another case in point also serves to indicate that a lot of money was wasted in funding the war which seemed to have no direct significance to the U.S. The U.S military budget was constrained as the soldiers had to be paid high allowances on their salaries among other expenses. The military equipment was also costly to maintain for the U.S government taking into account the number of years the U.S military stayed in Afghanistan. Works Cited Barber, Barrie. â€Å"Military looking for more tech-savvy recruits.† Springfield News-Sun 11 March. 2012:13.Print. Bender, Bryan.†Gates calls for build up in troops†. The Boston Globe. Retrieved:8.Print. Lamothe, Dan. â€Å"Corps ends year with 203,000 active Marines†. Marine Corps Times. Gannett Company16 October. 2009:12. Print. Miles, Donna. â€Å"Review to Consider Consequences of Budget Cuts.† American Forces Press Service 21 April. 2011:19.Print.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thompson, Loren. â€Å"How to Waste $100 Billion: Weapons That Didn’t Work Out.† Forbes Magazine 19 December. 2011:23.Print. This essay on US Military Spending was written and submitted by user Kelsie V. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on In Cold Blood

Truman Capote’S In Cold Blood Truman Capote was first introduced to the story of the brutal killing of the Clutter family â€Å"†¦one morning in November of 1959, while flicking through The New York Times, I encountered on a deep inside page, this headline: Wealthy Farmer, 3 of Family Slain† (Capote, 3). He decided to write about the crime committed in Kansas, because â€Å"murder was a theme not likely to darken and yellow with time† (Capote, 3). Capote promptly headed for Kansas, where he spent six years researching, solving, and writing about the unforgivable act. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the final product of his years of research, is a masterfully written account of the cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. In writing In Cold Blood, Capote presents the blood-curdling story of the brutal killing of the Clutter family in a journalistic style, and is able to exclude his point of view on all of the events; â€Å"The most difficult thing in In Cold B lood is that I never appear in it, but I solved it†¦The whole thing was done from Al Dewey’s point of view† (Newsweek, 60). Because of Capote’s immeasurable talent for writing, he is able to present factual events, just as in a journalistic article, in a style that seems similar to a fiction novel. His focus in In Cold Blood is on the facts of the events which occur before, during, and after the murder of Mr. Clutter; Kenyon, his fifteen year old son; Nancy, his 16 year old daughter; and, Bonnie, his wife. Capote’s emphasis on the facts can be seen through his thorough account of what the murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, took from the Clutter’s house, which was about thirty dollars from Mr. Clutter’s billfold, â€Å"†¦some change and a dollar or two† (239) from Mrs. Clutter, a silver dollar from Nancy, and a radio. Added up, Perry and Dick gained â€Å"between forty and fifty dollars† (246) from their visit to the Clutter’s house.... Free Essays on In Cold Blood Free Essays on In Cold Blood Truman Capote’S In Cold Blood Truman Capote was first introduced to the story of the brutal killing of the Clutter family â€Å"†¦one morning in November of 1959, while flicking through The New York Times, I encountered on a deep inside page, this headline: Wealthy Farmer, 3 of Family Slain† (Capote, 3). He decided to write about the crime committed in Kansas, because â€Å"murder was a theme not likely to darken and yellow with time† (Capote, 3). Capote promptly headed for Kansas, where he spent six years researching, solving, and writing about the unforgivable act. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the final product of his years of research, is a masterfully written account of the cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. In writing In Cold Blood, Capote presents the blood-curdling story of the brutal killing of the Clutter family in a journalistic style, and is able to exclude his point of view on all of the events; â€Å"The most difficult thing in In Cold B lood is that I never appear in it, but I solved it†¦The whole thing was done from Al Dewey’s point of view† (Newsweek, 60). Because of Capote’s immeasurable talent for writing, he is able to present factual events, just as in a journalistic article, in a style that seems similar to a fiction novel. His focus in In Cold Blood is on the facts of the events which occur before, during, and after the murder of Mr. Clutter; Kenyon, his fifteen year old son; Nancy, his 16 year old daughter; and, Bonnie, his wife. Capote’s emphasis on the facts can be seen through his thorough account of what the murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, took from the Clutter’s house, which was about thirty dollars from Mr. Clutter’s billfold, â€Å"†¦some change and a dollar or two† (239) from Mrs. Clutter, a silver dollar from Nancy, and a radio. Added up, Perry and Dick gained â€Å"between forty and fifty dollars† (246) from their visit to the Clutter’s house....

Understanding English Pronunciation

Understanding English Pronunciation In order to improve your English pronunciation, it is important to understand a number of terms and concepts. This article introduces the most important components from smallest- a unit of sound- to largest- sentence level stress and intonation. A short explanation is given for each concept with links to more resources to improve, as well as teach, English pronunciation skills. Phoneme A phoneme is a unit of sound. Phonemes are expressed as phonetic symbols in the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). Some letters have one phoneme, others have two, such as the diphthong long a (eh - ee). Sometimes a phoneme may be a combination of two letters such as ch  in  church, or dge in judge.   Letter There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. Some letters are pronounced differently depending on which letters they are with. For example, c can be pronounced like a hard /k/ or as an /s/ in the verb cite. Letters are made up of consonants and vowels. Consonants can be voiced or voiceless depending on the sound (or phoneme). The difference between voiced and voiceless is explained below. Consonants Consonants are the sounds that interrupt vowel sounds. Consonants are combined with vowels to form a syllable. They include: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, z Consonants can be voiced or voiceless. Vowels Vowels are open sounds caused with the vibration of vocal sounds  but without obstruction. Consonants interrupt vowels to form syllables. They include: a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y NOTE:  y is a vowel when it sounds as /i/ such as in the word city. Y is a consonant when it sounds as /j/ such as in the word year.   All vowels are voiced as they are produced using the vocal chords. Voiced   A voiced consonant is a consonant that is produced with the help of the vocal chords. A good way to tell if a consonant is voiced is to touch your fingers to your throat. If the consonant is voiced, you will feel a vibration. b, d, g, j, l, m, n, r, v, w Voiceless A voiceless consonant is a consonant that is produced without the help of the vocal chords. Place your fingers on your throat when speaking a voiceless consonant and you will only feel a rush of air through your throat. c, f, h, k, q, s, t, x Minimal  Pairs Minimal  pairs are pairs of words that differ in only one sound. For example: ship and sheep differ in only in the vowel sound. Minimal pairs are used to practice slight differences in sound. Syllable A syllable is formed by a consonant sound combining with a vowel sound. Words can have one or more syllables. To test how many syllables a word has, put your hand under your chin and speak the word. Each time your jaw moves indicates another syllable. Syllable Stress Syllable stress refers to the syllable that receives the main stress in each word. Some two-syllable words are stressed on the first syllable: table, answer - other two syllable words are stressed on the second syllable: begin, return. There are a number of different word syllable stress patterns in English. Word Stress Word stress refers to which words are stressed in a sentence. Generally speaking, stress content words and glide over function words (explained below). Content Words Content words are words that convey meaning and include nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and negatives. Content words are the focus of a sentence. Glide over function words to stress these content words to provide the rhythm of English. Function Words Function words are required for the grammar, but they provide little or no content. They include helping verbs, pronouns, prepositions, articles, etc.   Stress-Timed Language When speaking about English we say that the language is stress-timed. In other words, the rhythm of English is created by word stress, rather than syllable stress as in syllabic languages. Word Groups Word groups are groups of words that are commonly grouped together and before or after which we pause. Word groups are often indicated by commas such as in complex or compound sentences. Rising Intonation Rising intonation occurs when the voice goes up in pitch. For example, we use rising intonation at the end of yes/no questions. We also use rising intonation with lists, separating each item with a short rise in the voice, before a final, falling intonation for the last item in a list. For example in the sentence: I enjoy playing hockey, golf, tennis, and football.   Hockey, golf, and tennis would rise in intonation, while  football would fall.   Falling Intonation Falling intonation is used with information sentences and, in general, at the end of statements. Reductions Reductions refers to the common practice of combing a number of words into a short unit. This generally occurs with function words. A few common reduction examples are: gonna - going to and wanna - want to Contractions Contractions are used when shortening the helping verb. In this way, two words such as is not become one isnt with only one vowel.

Realistic in nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Realistic in nursing - Essay Example However, it is worth noting that nurses are also humans and are prone to common problems that affect humans. The only difference is that nurses have information. It can be argued that practicing what they teach is the problem due to extraneous factors. For example, nurses may advice diabetes patients on diet. However, they themselves may be unable to follow the diet they prescribe to patient and hence, they become diabetic. Physical and mental situation can be a genetic condition. It follows that a nurse may be unable to control it despite having information. In such situations, it becomes an irony or sarcastic for such a nurse to advice a patient who has the same condition. Such situations may demoralize a nurse to start doubting his or her importance. As such, patients should first consider nurses as human beings who are prone to health problems instead of expecting them to be perfect in terms of

Discuss the benefits to a retailer of operating multiple formats Essay

Discuss the benefits to a retailer of operating multiple formats. Illustrate your answer with three examples from the UK retail - Essay Example Sainsbury’s, for example, has introduced a credit card that enables a customer to earn loyalty points whenever they shop at the supermarket. Tesco, on the other hand, is working on an application on Facebook, which will enable customers to gain double Club Card points by sharing or liking the facts about the products they buy from the supermarket. The Blackberry Company, on the other hand, uses TV and Billboards to launch new products. It also uses sales promotions to obtain advance payments in the short term sales (Chadwick, Doherty, Anastasakis, 2006). The Benefits of Using Multiple Formats to a Retailer The use of multiple formats has proved to be of immense importance to retailers because multiple formats normally offer unique opportunities for retailers to use services such as geo-location to market their products. This is applicable when using formats like social media. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, used by Tesco tend to be hyper social platforms (Varley, 2 005). Multiple formats also tend to benefit organizations in that; some of the formats used by retailers tend to influence the consumers. For example, in that case of Sainsbury’s, where a consumer uses their credit card to shop, and eventually earns points. The use of advertisements by companies such as Tesco is also a format that can be used by a retailer to attract more customers and obtain more profits. For instance, Tesco has normally used flyers and websites to increase awareness among customers in the UK (Varley, 2005). Theory of Social Media as a multiple format used by retailers Berman and Evans (2004) discuss ways in which social media assists as a multiple format when it comes to skills that help retail marketing. Ellis-Chadwick, Doherty and Anastasakis (2006) reveal that social media helps its users view themselves in other ways by using their fresh data and presenting it in a manner that is planned. Using social media leads to increased consumer engagement and may result in quick sales in case a company has offers for consumers at a given time. Using such social media, retailers are in a position to create brand awareness, therefore, attracting more customers. The use of social media results in increased product awareness among consumers. Provision of consumers with information, such as price of products and location of the stores, where such products can be found, increases sales for the retailers (Healey and Baker, 1997). Porter’s five forces theory Porter’s five forces theory is a format that helps retailers to understand their positions in the competitive market. The retailers can normally use competition to evaluate their weaknesses. It enhances retailers with the ability to evaluate whether the goods and services offered are profitable. Retailers may use this format to evaluate their buyer power, the capabilities of their competitors, their supplier power, the threats accompanied by substitution, and the threats they may face in case they make a new entry into the market (Porter, 2008). An examination of the Mintel report reveals that; if a company manages to analyze the other companies in the market, the company can be in a position to track its competitors, and this leads to the identity

Cruiseline Industry Research Essay Example for Free

Cruiseline Industry Research Essay Instead of a long and boring trip, cruise industry can offer a perfect one with full of fun. Nowadays, there are a lot cruise companies around the world and Carnival Corporation, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International are the most famous. Next the development of those companies will be discussed in order to find how they are operated and what kinds of changes they are done. 1. The development of Carnival Corporation Carnival Corporation is the first cruise operator in the world, boasting about dozen cruise lines and about 100 ships with a total passenger capacity of more than 190,000. This company was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison and his former schoolmate Meshulam Riklis. At the time, the first ship of Carnival purchased was Mardi Gras( previous name Empress of Canada). Although its future voyage went better and better, Arison had to think about cutting the cost of each run, like reducing fuel consumption by reducing the speed and the frequency of stops it made as a result of the company’s debt which was more than 5 million dollars. If this was true, the passenger would have to spend more time on the trip, so Arison added other value-added services entertainment feature, including nightclubs, disco and so on. In fact this was a revolution for the whole cruise industry to make the trip fun. Accordingly, Mardi Gras was called â€Å"Fun ship†. This was the part of early development of Carnival. Next part includes the growth and expansion from 1970 to 1980. With the help of the hit television series The Love Boat, the cruise industry was revitalized. At that time, Arison bought another 2 ships: the Carnival bought in 1975; the Festivale bought in 1977. In 1978, he also booked the fourth ship, the Tropicale. As the result of expansion, Carnival had three ships running one week cruises From Florida to Caribbean. In the beginning of 1980s, Arison ordered three more ships so that Carnival owned the largest cruise line fleet with seven ships in the world. Around 1980-1990, it had a significant change from strategic view. In order to fill all these ships, Carnival made use of different kinds of promotion methods. Firstly, Carnival took advantage of aggressive marketing and advertising strategies. Its marketing channel was â€Å"Fun Ship† advertising campaign in 1984 through talk shows and the largest network television. Secondly, Carnival tried to gain the support from travel agents which could have recommended Carnival cruises as the first choice to the customers. Thirdly, Carnival offered cheaper, shorter trips to attract younger, more middle-class customers compared with previous customer segments. Carnival tried best to run at full capacity. In addition, Carnival paid attention to strategic acquisitions. Carnival was not only buying the cruise shipping business (Holland America Line, 1988) but also the companies (Windstar Sail Cruises and Holland America Westours) that included hotels. During the year following the acquisition, Carnival carried 579,000 passengers, generating $600 million in revenues and earning profits of $196 million. † After that, it was another period for Carnival 1990-2000. There was no much significant change since the last period. In 1991, Carnival ordered a 300 million dollar ship Sensation and a 315 million dollars ship Fascination. The largest passenger ship Carni val Destiny which was at 101,000 tons and had room for 2,640 people set for sail in 1996. The super-luxury cruise line business for Carnival came in 1998 contributing to Cunard’s five ships which is the QE2, THE Vistafjord, the Royal Viking Sun and Sea Goddess I and II. At that time, Carnival did the most important acquisition the Cunard White Star Line. Then the company changed its legal name to Carnival Corporation in 1998. Next stage was the new millennium; it was not easy for Carnival in the beginning. There were several reasons: the terrorist attacks in 2001; severe acute respiratory syndrome (SAS); share price fell and profits waned; under fire for covering up illegal dumping. In 2002, Carnival acquired Princess Cruises with 5, 67 billion bids through the competition with Royal Caribbean. 1980-1990 significant change Growth and Expansion 1970-80 Early history Founded in 1972 Strategic acquisitions An innovative marketing Campaign Growth and Expansion 1990-2000 New millennium The structure of the development of Carnival Corporation 2. The development of Princess Cruises â€Å"Princess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. † Princess Cruises was founded in 1965. The first two ships were Princess Patricia and Italia. Then Princess Cruises was acquired by the world’s largest shipping company with 320 ocean going vessels which name was Britain’s Peninsular amp; Oriental Steam Navigation Company (Pamp;O) in 1974. With the development of its Cruise industry, P amp; O Princess Cruises paid more attention to acquirement. In 1986, Pamp; O Princess Cruises acquired Tour Alaska. After next two years, Sitnar Line was purchased by P amp;O Princess Cruises and all of its major tonnage was transferred to Princess which includes three ships under construction.

Free Essays: Impact of the Word on Dickinson :: Biography Biographies Essays

Impact of the Word on Dickinson In Donald E. Thackrey’s essay "The Communication of the Word," he talks about how "the power of the individual word, in particular, seems to have inspired her with nothing less than reverence" (51). Dickinson approached her poetry inductively, that is, she combined words to arrive at whatever conclusion the patterns of the words suggested, rather than starting out with a specific theme or message. Instead of purposefully working toward a final philosophical point, Dickinson preferred to use series of "staccato" inspirations (51). Dickinson frequently used words with weight in her work, and as a result her works usually cannot be grasped fully in one reading without dissecting each word individually. Often Dickinson would compile large, alternative word lists for a poetry before she would come to a decision on which word was "just right" for the impact she wished to achieve (52). For example, this poem displays Dickinson’s use of alternative, thesaurus-like lists: Had but the tale a thrilling, typic, hearty, bonnie, breathless, spacious, tropic, warbling, ardent, friendly, magic, pungent, winning, mellow teller All the boys would come— Orpheus’s sermon captivated, It did not condemn.    Eventually, Dickinson came to rest on the word "warbling," but one can see the meticulous care that she put into the decision on which word to use. Another poem of Dickinson’s that shows her compositional method is "Shall I Take Thee?" the Poet Said." In this poem, Dickinson discusses from where the power of the world comes. "Shall I take thee?" the poet said To the propounded word. "Be stationed with the candidates Till I have further tried."    The poet probed philology And when about to ring For the suspended candidate, There came unsummoned in    That portion of the vision The word applied to fill. Not unto nomination The cherubim reveal. In the preceding poem, one can see the artistic style come through her composition. The best representation of that particular idea comes from the author Donald Thackrey when he says: It is significant that the revealed word comes "unsummoned" in a flash of intuition†¦.and yet the implication of the poem is that the revealing of the word must be preceded by the preparatory, conscious, rational effort of probing philology†¦She [Dickinson] herself was well aware that inspiration, while all-sufficient when present, seldom came even to a great poet.

“Brown girl, brownstones” by Paule Marshall Essay

Plot summary The prose fiction Brown girl, brownstones by Paule Marshall, is a bildungsroman with autobiographical elements, tracking the life and experiences of the main protagonist, Selina Boyce and the family and friends in her life. Marshall uses various elements and techniques in the prose, to bring about different themes, characteristics and aspects in her novel. The text is set mainly in the 1930’s Brooklyn, New York, at a community of brownstone houses occupied by the Bajan immigrants. Though there are various perspectives of other personas in the prose, Marshall uses a third person narrative to show the first person perspective of Selina. The story begins with Selina at ten years old and continues until she is no longer a minor. It shows the theme of identity as Selina is trying to find who she is amongst members in her family. â€Å"But they have taken no photographs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was one of the first time Selina’s loneliness can be seen in the text. She is jealous of the fact her parents took photographs of the family before the death of her infant brother, yet took no keepsakes of hers. Then it goes on to where Marshall is a very descriptive narrator, using a cinematic effect in her story telling. The scenes shift continuously to suggest simultaneous action which produces a dramatic effect that helps to build conflict and suspense. She also uses devices and diction to bring about various themes and symbolic elements in her text. She uses the technique of epigraph to start each chapter, it is a type of foreshadowing, hinting of what will happen throughout the chapter. It also helps to characterize individuals in the story. Contrast is also a reoccurring technique in the text, as characters such as Silla and Deighton, Ina and Selina, have contradictory personalities. There is also contradiction in the symbols and diction in the text. Words such as ‘winter’ and ‘Sun’, ‘darkness’ and ‘light’, are contradictory symbols referring to the characteristics of individuals such as Selina’s parents in the text. The write r involves the use of the Bajan dialect as well as English, as if trying to incorporate the reader in the culture of Barbados and also add credibility and realism to the story. It suggests pride in the Bajan culture. The author uses various figurative devices in the text. There is a heavy focus on the use of personification and architectural imagery. Symbolism is evident in the prose; using colors such as red to represent romance and sexual relationships; and white, and  brownstones to represent upward mobility, status and unattainable goals. Land in the text is also symbolic of independence and opportunity. The use of conflict, such as; mother-daughter, husband-wife, black-white, is brought out by the symbols and conflicting elements in the prose. It shows the destruction in relationships, and accentuates climatic moments, such as when Deighton, used the money Silla stole from him, or when Silena told the whole Bajan association, she’d tricked them. Marshall uses devices such as; imagery, epigraph, motif, foreshadowing, pathetic fallacy and biblical allusion, to show racism, identity, women in society, family, deceit, and various other themes in the prose fiction. The denouement, begins with Silena recognizing who she is and making final decisions for herself. After all her trials and lost relationships, she finally covers her identity, accepting who she has become, the trials she is yet to face and the people in her past who has made her who she is today. Especially her mother, whom she had always fought against. Rational The life of Deighton Boyce, was the subject chosen for the poem between many view Deighton as a problem in the text Brown girl, brownstones, giving him no sympathy. The poem was intended to convey sympathy for Deighton. His life in the poem is specifically intriguing as though he causes many shifts in characteristics of others in the text, his own life is not emphasized. The poem will hopefully give an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the issues of Deighton death, and his life. Mocking Jay I saw a song bird fight a bird of prey, Beautiful-ugly, he was, filled with sorrow, was she. Night and day, He sang a tune of love and wonder, She sang back of vicis and plunder, I tried to save that mocking Jay, But the night stole him away. Where are you my mocking Jay? Trapped in the tomb of brown stones? Your young are calling, where are you? Won’t you fight the snow away? Don’t you hear the light’s moans? Has she trapped him too? No longer perched on your window silla They’ve clipped your wings You’ve destroyed their prison The flock screams their Bajan banter Fly away home my mocking Jay Swim home my song bird But, mocking Jay’s never dive†¦ I’ll send a new light your way†¦ For you to see through winter’s clock†¦ To save your flock†¦ To blind your eyes†¦ And save you from the dark†¦ Shattered tunes of my broken song bird Remember your prayers Eulogy. The sad broken memory. The life you ran away. Dead like marrow staining the asphalt. Staining corals a sea away. Songs long dead, I’ll sing them to you. I’ll pray your tarnished soul away. Deighton, my mocking Jay. Analysis The poem â€Å"mocking Jay†, is a kind of stanzaic elegy, in tribute to a character in the prose text â€Å"Brown girl, Brownstones†. The poet uses the mimicking bird, mocking jay, to represent the character Deighton in the prose text. Not only do mocking jays have a gift in music, which was one of the professional genres Deighton attempted, but they repeat everything sung to them in a mocking manner. Deighton, like these birds, reflects a mocking version of the negatives surround him; from using the money his wife stole from him, to purchase frivolous gifts to spite her; to changing his course of study every time he is confronted with racism or barriers. Deighton also  has the dream like (surreal), and fun loving attributes common to these birds. The poem comprises of four sestets, a couplet a single line and a septet. The stanza formation, is quite symbolic. The first stanza is the first of the four sestets. At the end of each sentence in this sestet is a comma. This represents the fact that this relatively pleasant chapter in his life is not yet complete, it won’t end in a ‘happy ever after’. It is as if to say that the beginning of their relationship was an unfinished dream. The second sestet ends in a question within, as if questioning the relationship, not understanding the change in the relationship and in Silla. The third sestet ends without punctuation is representative to all the times Deighton and the audience were waiting to see Silla’s response to sightings behavior. The final sestet concludes with â€Å"structured-chaotic† punctuation, of when Silla’s revenge unfolds it was chaotic in the circumstances of deportation, but structured in that it was her plan all along. Combining with the lack of punctuation, the couplet of stanza five signifies hi s never ending pain. It symbolizes that, as the lack of punctuation prevents the sentence from truly being complete, his pain and suffering will not end even in the afterlife. The single line consists of one word â€Å"Eulogy†, this refers to the speech given at a funeral or a recollection of the past doings of an individual after he is dead. This word being the shortest stanza, represents the lack of quality and memorabilia Deighton has left behind with his children. The final stanza a sestet can be tied to the biblical representation of the day God rested. The number seven represents the change that occurs after an accomplished cycle. Deighton, accomplices all he could so the last stanza represents his death the final rest he accomplished after his life cycle. The poem has a steady rhythms. Though not all stanzas have a structured rhyme scheme, the poem still flows as if it does. It is like the steady yet unusual flow of life, just as the poem is a depiction of Dighton’s life as was repre sented in the prose fiction. The first stanza contains a set of rhyming couplets, repeating the first rhyme in the last stanza (an â€Å"a, a b, b a, a† format). The last rhyme however is a forced rhyme, this is there to show that leaving the omnipresence was not something the Jay wanted, but was what was forced on him. The second stanza consists of alternate rhymes that emphasize the questioning in this stanza, that he is running alternate scenarios in his mind as to why the wife who used to love him hates him so  much now. The fourth sestet has the last rhyme, â€Å"clock† and â€Å"flock†. This symbolizes that the time he has left with his children is limited as his death is nearing. The rest of the poem is rhyming going parallel to the pores fiction as explanations are revealed in the story, the confusion and rhyming stops. The poem commences with the omnipresent narrator giving a visual imagery of the meeting between two contradicting birds. The â€Å"song bird† represents something happy, passive and peaceful, while â€Å"bird of prey† represents something sly, dominating and warlike. The story continues with oxymoronic inverted syntaxes of line two, that helps to emphasize that the creatures have contradicting personas and that their union could never last as it was based on confusion. Just as in the prose fiction, Silla thought she could turn Deighton into someone he wasn’t, and failed. The diction used in the first stanza such as; â€Å"vicis†, â€Å"Jay† and â€Å"Night†, aid in displaying the theme of conflict in relationships. ‘Vicis’ is the Latin word for change, in reference to the context it highlights Silla’s need to change her husband’s persona and fight to create a life for them that he never wanted. The capitalization diff words such as Jay and Night, personify these nonhuman objects, in the case of the Jay it helps to emphasize this being a character trait of Deighton, while the Night highlights Silla’s character as bright cold and heartless, but at that time seeming beautiful and peaceful . Lines three and four of the first stanza also help to concretize the theme of contradictory persons in relationships, displayed in the first stanza. Stanza two is a rhetorical question sestet, it constantly asks questions the ‘Jay’ is obviously unable to answer, and these are symbolic of the time where the relationship between Silla and Deighton was confusing. He didn’t know where she stood, whether still in love with him or hating h for the injustice she believes he did to their son, the first line emphasizes this. It follows with a reference to the brownstone house Silla spent a majority of the text fighting to obtain. The use of diction such as â€Å"prison†, â€Å"brown†, and â€Å"stones† was a slight pun as a Jay would find a house made of stones a prison, and juxtaposed with the text, it can be said that Deighton saw the house his wife fought so much for was like a prison to him, and a symbol of his failures in his relationships and providing for his family. Line two is the first and only mention of their children in the poem. This is symbolic as it shows that not only did Deighton not spend enough time  with them and focused more on himself, but he also failed as a father in that he couldn’t protect them from the â€Å"snow† which is a personified symbolism of his wife. The personification of the ‘light’, at the end of the stanza references all the happiness and innocence still in the family. When the persona asks about the moaning light that ‘she’ has trapped it means that he was unable to prevent the happiness and life from leaving their family, this aids in uncovering the themes of failing one’s family and loosing things that are important. The third stanza has the most textual allusions, the stanza opens with a pun, â€Å"window silla†. As a bird a sill is somewhere you can rest, be at peace like a home, in this means Deighton no longer feels at home in the browns stones. Silla is also the name of his wife so it can mean that he is also no longer feeling happy in his marriage, as shown in the text queen he began going you the house form his mistress in the nights. â€Å"They’ve clipped your wings† line two of the stanza refers to when he almost got his arm amputated due to his indolence. This is symbolic as it is a physical representative and slight foreshadowing of how his time was ending. The next line refers to the song they sang to him at the wedding. The ‘f’’, ‘s’, ‘th’ and ‘b’ fricative and plosive so funds of the fourth line in the third stanza, emphasizes the running and the drama happening in that scene of the text. The ‘swim home’ in the last line of that stanza references the Caribbean since Islands in the Caribbean are surrounded by water. The last sestet refers to the last actions before Deighton’s death. It starts with a pun, on Deighton’s childhood, as he dived for the coins white men through at him, and also an allusion to him diving to his death. The ‘new light’ is symbolic for Deighton’s religious period, where the movement of the new light helped him to finally discover himself, though completely swiping his personality. ‘winter’s clock’ is symbolic for Deighton’s attempts at going back in time to rectify the problems mainly caused by his relationship with his wife. The couplet, single line and septet, is after his death. People have pained cries due to morning Deighton’s death. The mansion of Prayers refer to his newfound beliefs and Eulogy is the speech given at a funeral. The final stanza is technically the omnipresence’s eulogy for Deighton, though it shows that he is not someone people will remember with respect. It speaks of how he could have had a life if he’d made different choices. It gives an image of his death at sea, and  its connection to his past in the Caribbean. It then shows the general sadness surrounding his death, and accentuates the theme of death in the text. The poem changes from a tone of observation, to unease, to sadness. Hopefully bringing out an overall sympathy for the persona. Though it is not a total rhyming poem, it still has a flowing rhythms that showcases the life cycle of Deighton, as shown in the text. Conclusion The text Brown girl, brownstones, is an excellent depiction of women and men in immigrant communities. Most persons generally sympathize with the women of these communities, however this poem has hopefully garnered a positive response to men in these communities, and those shown in the text. This may help persons to recognize that women were not the only ones with problems in the text. The blame for these conflicts also, should not be solely the fault of males like Deighton, in the prose, but equally shared between each individual, and characters in the prose fiction.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

I reached for Ki with the part of my mind that had for the last few weeks known what she was wearing, what room of the trailer she was in, and what she was doing there. There was nothing, of course that link was also dissolved. I called for Jo I think I did but Jo was gone, too. I was on my own. God help me. God help us both. I could feel panic trying to descend and fought it off. I had to keep my mind clear. If I couldn't think, any chance Ki might still have would be lost. I walked rapidly back down the hall to the foyer, trying not to hear the sick voice in the back of my head, the one saying that Ki was lost already, dead already. I knew no such thing, couldn't know it now that the connection between us was broken. I looked down at the heap of books, then up at the door. The new tracks had come in this way and gone out this way, too. Lightning stroked the sky and thunder cracked. The wind was rising again. I went to the door, reached for the knob, then paused. Something was caught in the crack between the door and the jamb, something as fine and floaty as a strand of spider's silk. A single white hair. I looked at it with a sick lack of surprise. I should have known, of course, and if not for the strain I'd been under and the successive shocks of this terrible day, I would have known. It was all on the tape John had played for me that morning . . . a time that already seemed part of another man's life. For one thing, there was the time-check marking the point where John had hung up on her. Nine-forty A.M., Eastern Daylight, the robot voice had said, which meant that Rogette had been calling at six-forty in the morning . . . if, that was, she'd really been calling from Palm Springs. That was at least possible; had the oddity occurred to me while we were driving from the airport to Mattie's trailer, I would have told myself that there were no doubt insomniacs all over California who finished their East Coast business before the sun had hauled itself fully over the horizon, and good for them. But there was something else that couldn't be explained away so easily. At one point John had ejected the tape. He did it because, he said, I'd gone as white as a sheet instead of looking amused. I had told him to go on and play the rest; it had just surprised me to hear her again. The quality of her voice. Christ, the reproduction is good. Except it was really the boys in the basement who had reacted to John's tape; my subconscious co-conspirators. And it hadn't been her voice that had scared them badly enough to turn my face white. The underhum had done that. The characteristic underhum you always got on TR calls, both those you made and those you received. Rogette Whitmore had never left TR-90 at all. If my failing to realize that this morning cost Ki Devore her life this afternoon, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I told God that over and over as I went plunging down the railroad-tie steps again, running into the face of a revitalized storm. It's a blue-eyed wonder I didn't go flying right off the embankment. Half my swimming float had grounded there, and perhaps I could have impaled myself on its splintered boards and died like a vampire writhing on a stake. What a pleasant thought that was. Running isn't good for people near panic; it's like scratching poison ivy. By the time I had thrown my arm around one of the pines at the foot of the steps to check my progress, I was on the edge of losing all coherent thought. Ki's name was beating in my head again, so loudly there wasn't room for much else. Then a stroke of lightning leaped out of the sky to my right and knocked the last three feet of trunk out from beneath a huge old spruce which had probably been here when Sara and Kito were still alive. If I'd been looking directly at it I would have been blinded; even with my head turned three-quarters away, the stroke left a huge blue swatch like the aftermath of a gigantic camera flash floating in front of my eyes. There was a grinding, juddering sound as two hundred feet of blue spruce toppled into the lake, sending up a long curtain of spray, which seemed to hang between the gray sky and gray water. The stump was on fire in the rain, burning like a witch's hat. It had the effect of a slap, clearing my head and giving me one final chance to use my brain. I took a breath and forced myself to do just that. Why had I come down here in the first place? Why did I think Rogette had brought Kyra toward the lake, where I had just been, instead of carrying her away from me, up the driveway to Lane Forty-two? Don't be stupid. She came down here because The Street's the way back to Warrington's, and Warrington's is where she's been, all by herself, ever since she sent the boss's body back to California in his private jet. She had sneaked into the house while I was under Jo's studio, finding the tin box in the belly of the owl and studying that scrap of genealogy. She would have taken Ki then if I'd given her the chance, but I didn't. I came hurrying back, afraid something was wrong, afraid someone might be trying to get hold of the kid Had Rogette awakened her? Had Ki seen her and tried to warn me before drifting off again? Was that what had brought me in such a hurry? Maybe. I'd still been in the zone then, we'd still been linked then. Rogette had certainly been in the house when I came back. She might even have been in the north-bedroom closet and peering at me through the crack. Part of me had known it, too. Part of me had felt her, felt something that was not-Sara. Then I'd left again. Grabbed the carry-bag from Slips ‘n Greens and come down here. Turned right, turned north. Toward the birch, the rock, the bag of bones. I'd done what I had to do, and while I was doing it, Rogette carried Kyra down the railroad-tie steps behind me and turned left on The Street. Turned south toward Warrington's. With a sinking feeling deep in my belly, I realized I had probably heard Ki . . . might even have seen her. That bird peeking timidly out from cover during the lull had been no bird. Ki was awake by then, Ki had seen me perhaps had seen Jo, as well and tried to call out. She had managed just that one little peep before Rogette had covered her mouth. How long ago had that been? It seemed like forever, but I had an idea it hadn't been long at all less than five minutes, maybe. But it doesn't take long to drown a child. The image of Kito's bare arm sticking straight out of the water tried to come back the hand at the end of it opening and closing, opening and closing, as if it were trying to breathe for the lungs that couldn't and I pushed it away. I also suppressed the urge to simply sprint in the direction of Warrington's. Panic would take me for sure if I did that. In all the years since her death I had never longed for Jo with the bitter intensity I felt then. But she was gone; there wasn't even a whisper of her. With no one to depend on but myself, I started south along the tree-littered Street, skirting the blowdowns where I could, crawling under them if they blocked my way entirely, taking the noisy branch-breaking course over the top only as a last resort. As I went I issued what I imagine are all the standard prayers in such a situation, but none of them seemed to get past the image of Rogette Whitmore's face rising in my mind. Her screaming, merciless face. I remember thinking This is the outdoor version of the Ghost House. Certainly the woods seemed haunted to me as I struggled along: trees only loosened in the first grand blow were falling by the score in this follow-up cap of wind and rain. The noise was like great crunching footfalls, and I didn't need to worry about the noise my own feet were making. When I passed the Batchelders' camp, a circular prefab construction sitting on an outcrop of rock like a hat on a footstool, I saw that the entire roof had been bashed flat by a hemlock. Half a mile south of Sara I saw one of Ki's white hair ribbons lying in the path. I picked it up, thinking how much that red edging looked like blood. Then I stuffed it into my pocket and went on. Five minutes later I came to an old moss-caked pine that had fallen across the path; it was still connected to its stump by a stretched and bent network of splinters, and squalled like a line of rusty hinges as the surging water lifted and dropped what had been its upper twenty or thirty feet, now floating in the lake. There was space to crawl under, and when I dropped to my knees I saw other knee-tracks, just beginning to fill with water. I saw something else: the second hair ribbon. I tucked it into my pocket with the first. I was halfway under the pine when I heard another tree go over, this one much closer. The sound was followed by a scream not pain or fear but surprised anger. Then, even over the hiss of the rain and the wind, I could hear Rogette's voice: ‘Come back! Don't go out there, it's dangerous!' I squirmed the rest of the way under the tree, barely feeling the stump of a branch which tore a groove in my lower back, got to my feet, and sprinted along the path. If the fallen trees I came to were small, I hurdled them without slowing down. If they were bigger, I scrabbled over with no thought to where they might claw or dig in. Thunder whacked. There was a brilliant stroke of lightning, and in its glare I saw gray barnboard through the trees. On the day I'd first seen Rogette I'd only been able to catch glimpses of Warrington's lodge, but now the forest had been torn open like an old garment this area would be years recovering. The lodge's rear half had been pretty well demolished by a pair of huge trees that seemed to have fallen together. They had crossed like a knife and fork on a diner's plate and lay on the ruins in a shaggy X. Ki's voice, rising over the storm only because it was shrill with terror: ‘Go away! I don't want you, white nana! Go away!' It was horrible to hear the terror in her voice, but wonderful to hear her voice at all. About forty feet from where Rogette's shout had frozen me in place, one more tree lay across the path. Rogette herself stood on the far side of it, holding a hand out to Ki. The hand was dripping blood, but I hardly noticed. It was Kyra I noticed. The dock running between The Street and The Sunset Bar was a long one seventy feet at least, perhaps a hundred. Long enough so that on a pretty summer evening you could stroll it hand-in-hand with your date or your lover and make a memory. The storm hadn't torn it away not yet but the wind had twisted it like a ribbon. I remember newsreel footage at some childhood Saturday matinee, film of a suspension bridge dancing in a hurricane, and that was what the dock between Warring-ton's and The Sunset Bar looked like. It jounced up and down in the surging water, groaning in all its slatted joints like a wooden accordion. There had been a rail presumably to guide those who'd made a heavy night of it safely back to shore but it was gone now. K yra was halfway out along this swaying, dipping length of wood. I could see at least three rectangles of blackness between the shore and where she stood, places where boards had snapped off. From beneath the dock came the disturbed clung-clung-clung of the empty steel drums that were holding it up. Several of these drums had come unanchored and were floating away. Ki had her arms stretched out for balance like a tightrope walker in the circus. The black Harley-Davidson tee-shirt flapped around her knees and sunburned shoulders. ‘Come back!' Rogette cried. Her lank hair flew around her head; the shiny black raincoat she was wearing rippled. She was holding both hands out now, one bloody and one not. I had an idea Ki might have bitten her. ‘No, white nana!' Ki shook her head in wild negation and I wanted to tell her don't do that, Ki-bird, don't shake your head like that, very bad idea. She tottered, one arm pointed up at the sky and one down at the water so she looked for a moment like an airplane in a steep bank. If the dock had picked that moment to take a hard buck beneath her, Ki would have spilled off the side. She regained some precarious balance instead, although I thought I saw her bare feet slide a little on the slick boards. ‘Go away, white nana, I don't want you! Go . . . go take a nap, you look tired!' Ki didn't see me; all her attention was fixed on the white nana. The white nana didn't see me, either. I dropped to my belly and squirmed under the tree, pulling myself along with my clawed hands. Thunder rolled across the lake like a big mahogany ball, the sound echoing off the mountains. When I got to my knees again, I saw that Rogette was advancing slowly toward the shore end of the dock. For every step she took forward, Kyra took a shaky, dangerous step backward. Rogette was holding her good hand out, though for a moment I thought this one had begun to bleed as well. The stuff running through her bunchy fingers was too dark for blood, however, and when she began to talk, speaking in a hideous coaxing voice that made my skin crawl, I realized it was melting chocolate. ‘Let's play the game, Ki-bird,' Rogette cooed. ‘Do you want to start?' She took a step. Ki took a compensatory step backward, tottered, caught her balance. My heart stopped, then resumed racing. I closed the distance between myself and the woman as rapidly as I could, but I didn't run; I didn't want her to know a thing until she woke up. If she woke up. I didn't care if she did or not. Hell, if I could fracture the back of George Footman's skull with a hammer, I could certainly put a hurt on this horror. As I walked, I laced my hands together into one large fist. ‘No? Don't want to start? Too shy?' Rogette spoke in a sugary Romper Room voice that made me want to grind my teeth together. ‘All right, I'll start. Happy! What rhymes with happy, Ki-bird? Pappy . . . and nappy . . . you were taking a nappy, weren't you, when I came and woke you up. And lappy . . . would you want to come and sit on my lappy, Ki-bird? We'll feed each other chocolate, just like we used to . . . I'll tell you a new knock-knock joke . . . ‘ Another step. She had come to the edge of the dock. If she'd thought of it, she could simply have thrown rocks at Kyra as she had at me, thrown until she connected with one and knocked Ki into the lake. But I don't think she got even close to such a notion. Once crazy goes past a certain point, you're on a turnpike with no exit ramps. Rogette had other plans for Kyra. ‘Come on, Ki-Ki, play the game with white nana.' She held out the chocolate again, gooey Hershey's Kisses dripping through crumpled foil. Kyra's eyes shifted, and at last she saw me. I shook my head, trying to tell her to be quiet, but it was no good an expression of joyous relief crossed her face. She cried out my name, and I saw Rogette's shoulders go up in surprise. I ran the last dozen feet, raising my joined hands like a club, but I slipped a little on the wet ground at the crucial moment and Rogette made a kind of ducking cringe. Instead of striking her at the back of the neck as I'd meant to, my joined hands only glanced off her shoulder. She staggered, went to one knee, and was up again almost at once. Her eyes were like little blue arc-lamps, spitting rage instead of electricity. ‘You!' she said, hissing the word over the top of her tongue, turning it into the sound of some ancient curse: Heeyuuuu! Behind us Kyra screamed my name, stagger-dancing on the wet wood and waving her arms in an effort to keep from falling in the lake. Water slopped onto the deck and ran over her small bare feet. ‘Hold on, Ki!' I called back. Rogette saw my attention shift and took her chance she spun and ran out onto the dock. I sprang after her, grabbed her by the hair, and it came off in my hand. All of it. I stood there at the edge of the surging lake with her mat of white hair dangling from my fist like a scalp. Rogette looked over her shoulder, snarling, an ancient bald gnome in the rain, and I thought It's him, it's Devore, he never died at all, somehow he and the woman swapped identities, she was the one who committed suicide, it was her body that went back to California on the jet Even as she turned the other way again and began to run toward Ki, I knew better. It was Rogette, all right, but she'd come by that hideous resemblance honestly. Whatever was wrong with her had done more than make her hair fall out; it had aged her as well. Seventy, I'd thought, but that had to be at least ten years beyond the actual mark. I've known a lot of folks name their kids alike, Mrs M. had told me. They think it's cute. Max Devore must have thought so, too, because he had named a son Roger and his daughter Rogette. Perhaps she'd come by the Whitmore part honestly she might have been married in her younger years but once the wig was gone, her antecedents were beyond argument. The woman tottering along the wet dock to finish the job was Kyra's aunt. Ki began to back up rapidly, making no effort to be careful and pick her footing. She was going into the drink; there was no way she could stay up. But before she could fall, a wave slapped the dock between them at a place where some of the barrels had come loose and the slatted walkway was already partly submerged. Foamy water flew up and began to twist into one of those helix shapes I had seen before. Rogette stopped ankle-deep in the water sloshing over the dock, and I stopped about twelve feet behind her. The shape solidified, and even before I could make out the face I recognized the baggy shorts with their fading swirls of color and the smock top. Only Kmart sells smock tops of such perfect shapelessness; I think it may be a federal law. It was Mattie. A grave gray Mattie, looking at Rogette with grave gray eyes. Rogette raised her hands, tottered, tried to turn. At that moment a wave surged under the dock, making it rise and then drop like an amusement-park ride. Rogette went over the side. Beyond her, beyond the water-shape in the rain, I could see Ki sprawling on the porch of The Sunset Bar. That last heave had flipped her to temporary safety like a human tiddlywink. Mattie was looking at me, her lips moving, her eyes on mine. I had been able to tell what Jo was saying, but this time I had no idea. I tried with all my might, but I couldn't make it out. ‘Mommy! Mommy!' The figure didn't so much turn as revolve; it didn't actually seem to be there below the hem of the long shorts. It moved up the dock to the bar, where Ki was now standing with her arms held out. Something grabbed at my foot. I looked down and saw a drowning apparition in the surging water. Dark eyes stared up at me from beneath the bald skull. Rogette was coughing water from between lips that were as purple as plums. Her free hand waved weakly up at me. The fingers opened . . . and closed. Opened . . . and closed. I dropped to one knee and took it. It clamped over mine like a steel claw and she yanked, trying to pull me in with her. The purple lips peeled back from yellow toothpegs like those in Sara's skull. And yes I thought that this time Rogette was the one laughing. I rocked on my haunches and yanked her up. I didn't think about it; it was pure instinct. I had her by at least a hundred pounds, and three quarters of her came out of the lake like a gigantic, freakish trout. She screamed, darted her head forward, and buried her teeth in my wrist. The pain was immediate and enormous. I jerked my arm up even higher and then brought it down, not thinking about hurting her, wanting only to rid myself of that weasel's mouth. Another wave hit the half-submerged dock as I did. Its rising, splintered edge impaled Rogette's descending face. One eye popped; a dripping yellow splinter ran up her nose like a dagger; the scant skin of her forehead split, snapping away from the bone like two suddenly released windowshades. Then the lake pulled her away. I saw the torn topography of her face a moment longer, upturned into the torrential rain, wet and as pale as the light from a fluorescent bar. Then she rolled over, her black vinyl raincoat swirling around her li ke a shroud. What I saw when I looked back toward The Sunset Bar was another glimpse under the skin of this world, but one far different from the face of Sara in the Green Lady or the snarling, half-glimpsed shape of the Outsider. Kyra stood on the wide wooden porch in front of the bar amid a litter of overturned wicker furniture. In front of her was a waterspout in which I could still see very faintly the fading shape of a woman. She was on her knees, holding her arms out. They tried to embrace. Ki's arms went through Mattie and came out dripping. ‘Mommy, I can't get you!' The woman in the water was speaking I could see her lips moving. Ki looked at her, rapt. Then, for just a moment Mattie turned to me. Our eyes met, and hers were made of the lake. They were Dark Score, which was here long before I came and will remain long after I am gone. I put my hands to my mouth, kissed my palms, and held them out to her. Shimmery hands went up, as if to catch those kisses. ‘Mommy don't go!' Kyra screamed, and flung her arms around the figure. She was immediately drenched and backed away with her eyes squinched shut, coughing. There was no longer a woman with her; there was only water running across the boards and dripping through the cracks to rejoin the lake, which comes up from deep springs far below, from the fissures in the rock which underlies the TR and all this part of our world. Moving carefully, doing my own balancing act, I made my way out along the wavering dock to The Sunset Bar. When I got there I took Kyra in my arms. She hugged me tight, shivering fiercely against me. I could hear the small dicecup rattle of her teeth and smell the lake in her hair. ‘Mattie came,' she said. ‘I know. I saw her.' ‘Mattie made the white nana go away.' ‘I saw that, too. Be very still now, Ki. We're going back to solid ground, but you can't move around a lot. If you do, we'll end up swimming.' She was good as gold. When we were on The Street again and I tried to put her down, she clung to my neck fiercely. That was okay with me. I thought of taking her into Warrington's, but didn't. There would be towels in there, probably dry clothes as well, but I had an idea there might also be a bathtub full of warm water waiting in there. Besides, the rain was slackening again and this time the sky looked lighter in the west. ‘What did Mattie tell you, hon?' I asked as we walked north along The Street. Ki would let me put her down so we could crawl under the downed trees we came to, but raised her arms to be picked up again on the far side of each. ‘To be a good girl and not be sad. But I am sad. I'm very sad.' She began to cry, and I stroked her wet hair. By the time we got to the railroad-tie steps she had cried herself out . . . and over the mountains in the west, I could see one small but very brilliant wedge of blue. ‘All the woods fell down,' Ki said, looking around. Her eyes were very wide. ‘Well . . . not all, but a lot of them, I guess.' Halfway up the steps I paused, puffing and seriously winded. I didn't ask Ki if I could put her down, though. I didn't want to put her down. I just wanted to catch my breath. ‘Mike?' ‘What, doll?' ‘Mattie told me something else.' ‘What?' ‘Can I whisper?' ‘If you want to, sure.' Ki leaned close, put her lips to my ear, and whispered. I listened. When she was done I nodded, kissed her cheek, shifted her to the other hip, and carried her the rest of the way up to the house. ‘T'wasn't the stawm of the century, chummy, and don't you go thinkin that it was. Nossir. So said the old-timers who sat in front of the big Army medics' tent that served as the Lakeview General that late summer and fall. A huge elm had toppled across Route 68 and bashed the store in like a Saltines box. Adding injury to insult, the elm had carried a bunch of spitting live lines with it. They ignited propane from a ruptured tank, and the whole thing went kaboom. The tent was a pretty good warm-weather substitute, though, and folks on the TR took to saying they was going down to the MASH for bread and beer this because you could still see a faded red cross on both sides of the tent's roof. The old-timers sat along one canvas wall in folding chairs, waving to other old-timers when they went pooting by in their rusty old-timer cars (all certified old-timers own either Fords or Chevys, so I'm well on my way in that regard), swapping their undershirts for flannels as the days began to cool toward cider season and spud-digging, watching the township start to rebuild itself around them. And as they watched they talked about the ice storm of the past winter, the one that knocked out lights and splintered a million trees between Kittery and Fort Kent; they talked about the cyclones that touched down in August of 1985; they talked about the sleet hurricane of 1927. Now there was some stawms, they said. There was some stawms, by Gorry. I'm sure they've got a point, and I don't argue with them you rarely win an argument with a genuine Yankee old-timer, never if it's about the weather but for me the storm of July 21, 1998, will always be the storm. And I know a little girl who feels the same. She may live until 2100, given all the benefits of modern medicine, but I think that for Kyra Elizabeth Devore that will always be the storm. The one where her dead mother came to her dressed in the lake. The first vehicle to come down my driveway didn't arrive until almost six o'clock. It turned out to be not a Castle County police car but a yellow bucket-loader with flashing yellow lights on top of the cab and a guy in a Central Maine Power Company slicker working the controls. The guy in the other seat was a cop, though was in fact Norris Ridgewick, the County Sheriff himself. And he came to my door with his gun drawn. The change in the weather the TV guy had promised had already arrived, clouds and storm-cells driven east by a chilly wind running just under gale force. Trees had continued to fall in the dripping woods for at least an hour after the rain stopped. Around five o'clock I made us toasted-cheese sandwiches and tomato soup . . . comfort food, Jo would have called it. Kyra ate listlessly, but she did eat, and she drank a lot of milk. I had wrapped her in another of my tee-shirts and she tied her own hair back. I offered her the white ribbons, but she shook her head decisively and opted for a rubber band instead. ‘I don't like those ribbons anymore,' she said. I decided I didn't, either, and threw them away. Ki watched me do it and offered no objection. Then I crossed the living room to the woodstove. ‘What are you doing?' She finished her second glass of milk, wriggled off her chair, and came over to me. ‘Making a fire. Maybe all those hot days thinned my blood. That's what my mom would have said, anyway.' She watched silently as I pulled sheet after sheet from the pile of paper I'd taken off the table and stacked on top of the woodstove, balled each one up, and slipped it in through the door. When I felt I'd loaded enough, I began to lay bits of kindling on top. ‘What's written on those papers?' Ki asked. ‘Nothing important.' ‘Is it a story?' ‘Not really. It was more like . . . oh, I don't know. A crossword puzzle. Or a letter.' ‘Pretty long letter,' she said, and then laid her head against my leg as if she were tired. ‘Yeah,' I said. ‘Love letters usually are, but keeping them around is a bad idea.' ‘Why?' ‘Because they . . . ‘ Can come back to haunt you was what rose to mind, but I wouldn't say it. ‘Because they can embarrass you in later life.' ‘Oh.' ‘Besides,' I said. ‘These papers are like your ribbons, in a way.' ‘You don't like them anymore.' ‘Right.' She saw the box then the tin box with JO'S NOTIONS written on the front. It was on the counter between the living room and the sink, not far from where old Krazy Kat had hung on the wall. I didn't remember bringing the box up from the studio with me, but I suppose I might not have; I was pretty freaked. I also think it could have come up . . . kind of by itself. I do believe such things now; I have reason to. Kyra's eyes lit up in a way they hadn't since she had wakened from her short nap to find out her mother was dead. She stood on tiptoe to take hold of the box, then ran her small fingers across the gilt letters. I thought about how important it was for a kid to own a tin box. You had to have one for your secret stuff the best toy, the prettiest bit of lace, the first piece of jewelry. Or a picture of your mother, perhaps. ‘This is so . . . pretty,' she said in a soft, awed voice. ‘You can have it if you don't mind it saying JO'S NOTIONS instead of ‘KI'S NOTIONS. There are some papers in it I want to read, but I could put them somewhere else.' She looked at me to make sure I wasn't kidding, saw I wasn't. ‘I'd love it,' she said in the same soft, awed voice. I took the box from her, scooped out the steno books, notes, and clippings, then handed it back to Ki. She practiced taking the lid off and then putting it back on. ‘Guess what I'll put in here,' she said. ‘Secret treasures?' ‘Yes!' she said, and actually smiled for a moment. ‘Who was Jo, Mike? Do I know her? I do, don't I? She was one of the fridgearator people.' ‘She ‘ A thought occurred. I shuffled through the yellowed clippings. Nothing. I thought I'd lost it somewhere along the way, then saw a corner of what I was looking for peeking from the middle of one of the steno notebooks. I slid it out and handed it to Ki. ‘What is it?' ‘A backwards photo. Hold it up to the light.' She did, and looked for a long time, rapt. Faint as a dream I could see my wife in her hand, my wife standing on the swimming float in her two-piece suit. ‘That's Jo,' I said. ‘She's pretty. I'm glad to have her box for my things.' ‘I am too, Ki.' I kissed the top of her head. When Sheriff Ridgewick hammered on the door, I thought it wise to answer with my hands up. He looked wired. What seemed to ease the situation was a simple, uncalculated question. ‘Where's Alan Pangborn these days, Sheriff?' ‘Over New Hampshire,' Ridgewick said, lowering his pistol a little (a minute or two later he holstered it without even seeming to be aware he had done so). ‘He and Polly are doing real well. Except for her arthritis. That's nasty, I guess, but she still has her good days. A person can go along quite awhile if they get a good day every once and again, that's what I think. Mr. Noonan, I have a lot of questions for you. You know that, don't you?' ‘Yes.' ‘First off and most important, do you have the child? Kyra Devore?' ‘Yes.' ‘Where is she?' ‘I'll be happy to show you.' We walked down the north-wing corridor and stood just outside the bedroom doorway, looking in. The duvet was pulled up to her chin and she was sleeping deeply. The stuffed dog was curled in one hand we could just see its muddy tail poking out of her fist at one end and its nose poking out at the other. We stood there for a long time, neither of us saying anything, watching her sleep in the light of a summer evening. In the woods the trees had stopped falling, but the wind still blew. Around the eaves of Sara Laughs it made a sound like ancient music.