Go tell it on the mountain by James Baldwin Essay

Go tell it on the mountain by James Baldwin - Essay Example â€Å"He awoke on this birthday morning with the feeling that there was a menace in the air around him’’ (Baldwin 1985, 19). The thought of sinning makes John depressed. John’s relationship with the father deteriorates because of his sin. He feels that obeying God requires submitting to his father. John tells Elisha that: â€Å"Elisha†¦ no matter what anybody says, you remember –please remember-I was saved. I was there.’’ This shows John depressed because of masturbating. â€Å"Then John knew that a curse was renewed from moment to moment, from father to son.†(Baldwin 1985, 288). This highlights John’s depressed state. Sinning is an innate behavior therefore should not cause depression. Instead, one should ask for forgiveness. The bitter relationship between John and Gabriel shows the theme of hatred. There is conflict between Gabriel and his son John. John did not understand the reason of Gabriel’s hate towards him. He tries all he could to appease Gabriel in vain. However, towards the end of the novel, John realizes that Gabriel hate could be because he was not his biological father but his stepfather. â€Å"He lived for the day when his father would be dying and he, John, would curse him on his death-bed.†(Baldwin 1985, 23) .This shows John’s hate for his father. â€Å"Satan, at the moment, stared out of John’s eyes while the spirit spoke.† This quote highlights Gabriel regarding John as a Satan. â€Å"And John did†¦to stare forever into the bottom of Gabriel’s soul.† This shows John disturbed looking for possible reason for Gabriel’s hate. The religious norms practiced by the community are hypocritical. Most of the church leaders and the congregation did not practice the Christian ideals they preached. The fact that Gabriel hated John despite the fact that he was a deacon shows religious hypocrisy. Gabriel does not seem pleased with John even after he became a saint. â€Å"They stood before each other in

Effect of Technology Development on Entertainment

Effect of Technology Development on Entertainment Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction Delivering superior content Enhancing user experiences Platform mobility Conclusion References Introduction Over the years, the advancement of the digital technology has created a revolution in TV. Nielsen’s 2012 report stated that the number of homes with high definition TV grew in the US by more than 8 million (Nielsen 2011). This suggested that TV continues to be the dominant platform media for many households. Watching live or time-shifted TV programmes or games connected online via Internet are now using more of this conduit to deliver their contents to the many TV users. The continuous development and advancement in the digital technology continue to make a tremendous impact on television, playing an important part of family lives’ by offering quality entertainment and increasing the way of family bonding. They are achieved through delivering superior content, enhancing the user experiences’ in watching TV and offer excellent platform mobility for both network producers and users. Delivering superior content With the advancement of technologies like streaming video, high-quality video and Internet, it has offered different delivery platforms to deliver TV programs and dramas. However, the real focus remains on the content. In Kelly Scott Madison’s State of media report, it reiterated that â€Å"content is and always will remain, king† (Madison 2013). With quality programming content like ‘Who is HBO’s Girls for?’ (Smith 2012) that shows about different women and their lives, the show has differentiated itself from other media programming content. The show not only caters to mostly female audience demographics where most females are at home watching TV; the audience are able to relate their lives to the series show and this creates the ‘stickiness’ to the television drama series because of its content. This is similar to other shows like â€Å"Sex and the City†. Subscription TV penetration of TV households in Australia is increasing over the years. It is forecasted to increase from 30% in 2008 to 35% in 2017 (Maurer, Emmanuel Parker 2013). Through subscription TV, it provides different content and choices to the viewers like sport, movies, cartoons, variety shows. It also allows, through digital set-top boxes, the viewers can record and view the program as and when he prefers. This is not available in the traditional broadcast TV when the viewers have to watch a show through a fixed schedule. The regulatory environment for free-to-air television in Australia continues to change. In 2012, the Convergence Review highlighted the need for diversity in media and more Australian content (ABC News 2012). With digital and primary channels, it allows broadcasters the flexibility to provide more Australian content. (Cosgrove, Schaffer Horlin 2013) Through digital technologies, viewers can watch ‘live’ broadcast shows like Formula-1 racing, AFL, English Premier League or Australian Open Tennis. In most networks, it also allows viewers to have video-on-demand in which the viewer can select the movies at their own convenience. Viewers can also use time-shifting features in their set-top to skip the advertisements if they would like to. Thus, with superior content and rapid advancement in technology, TV providers and networks can create more value to the TV consumers (Maurer, Emmanuel Parker 2013). Consumers will now spend more hours watching TV and be willing to spend more money in subscription or video-on-demand fees. Enhancing user experiences TV has advanced tremendously in recent years because of digital technologies advancement. From traditional black and white or colour TV, it now has features like high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Dolby surround effects to 3D technology offering real-life effects to viewers. In addition, in the digital era, TV has provided more connectivity with other devices such as Nintendo wii or Xbox 360 game machine, Internet access for online games, music and many more. Many of these devices provide multi-user games that allow family members to enjoy playing the games in the living room together. Imagine the effects on family bonding when parents and their children can enjoy a game of tennis for several hours in front of the television in the living room. Through technologies, TV has created a ‘cocooning impulse’ (Tryon 2012, p. 291) that unite families and brings them together (Cosgrove, Schaffer Horlin 2013), creating bonding and harmony in the family. User experiences are also enhanced through the superior content delivery through digital technologies. Movies are more readily available in household TV through Pay TV or Subscription TV options. TV drama series like ‘Serangoon’ made by Australian TV or Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls’ are some examples where these sitcoms series which are made for television (Mundell 2013) have created a ‘glueing’ effects on user experiences to the TV. Technologies like video-on-demand and built-in program recorders of TV show allows time-shifting, thus watching TV becomes a ‘pleasure and a treat’ for housewives (Venkatraman 2013). Statistics have also shown that users are now more than doubled spending time watching time-shifted TV using their DVR (digital video recorder) (Madison 2012). Interactive TV also allows viewers to interact with other viewers through polls, chats, online shopping or voting. 3D technology in TV has now experienced a worldwide resurgence together with high definition video capability and superior sound quality standards. It also brought about a drastic change in television viewing, creating vibrant three dimension and captivating real life effects on the viewers. This has created a ‘3D revolution’ (Uniyal 2012) in the user experiences watching TV at home and not only in cinemas. Technological innovations in 3D technology for TV offer a more interactive television user experience through captivating user interfaces like 3D animations or real-time interaction with online apps like Facebook and Twitter (Connected Media World 2013). Platform mobility Traditional scheduled television broadcasts and viewing through receive-only television sets have been increasingly supplanted by digital technologies offering viewer engagement and convenience through video-on-demand, viewing of television programs across a multitude of devices such as smart mobile phones, Apple iPad tablets, Smart Internet-Ready Television, and sophisticated digital set-top boxes provided by cable and internet television operators. As pointed out by Sterne, people can spend many hours of their time watching specific programs using their mobile devices and still not realizing and thinking of themselves ‘as watching television’ (Sterne 2012). Tyron defines â€Å"platform mobility† as the â€Å"idea that films and television shows can move seamlessly from one device to another with minimal interruption† (Tyron 2012). He also noted that digital delivery technologies allowed workers and families with hectic schedules, the ability to watch television programs ‘wherever and whenever they would like’ (Tyron 2012). This provides them the individual and personalized experiences that cater to their own tastes and needs, enhancing the overall compelling user viewing experiences. Tyron (2012) further argues that the viewer empowerment through digital technologies has an overarching impact on viewer engagement as more mobile devices like iPad tablets, laptops and smartphones can provide the platform mobility to the users. Members of the family can watch different or same television program in different places within the house. This also empowered individual viewer to access to a wide range of choice selection like viewing on-demand movies on personal mobile device, online chat using social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook or speaking with their friends on their mobile phones while watching a sport game. Platform mobility also allows producers like Warner to sell their films through this mode of digital delivery to viewers who can purchase them via iPhone apps. Viewers can choose to view their favorite movies as and when they would like, in the living room or on a bus. Thus it can be said that the resurgence of TV as a home for â€Å"quality† entertainment can be partly attributed to demand spawned by viewers’ mobile and digital era lifestyles, and their desire to be an engaged viewer instead of being a passive one. Conclusion In conclusion, it is apparent that digital technologies will continue to remain a dominant force in the television industry as a home for ‘quality’ entertainment. TV network services providers continue to capitalize on the advancement of the digital technologies so as to explore and offer more innovative and value-add services to TV subscribers. Advancement in the Internet or other media delivery channels like satellite, broadcast via cable, allows service providers to increase their revenue streams by offering more superior content and options and enhancing user experiences by making use of newer technology like 3D. Platform mobility remains the focus of the future research in the digital technologies in the TV industry. This is because of the ever changing lifestyles and demanding needs of the younger generation for more contents and mobility. Hence, we will not see the demise of the television but rather a revolution that television plays an important part in the home for quality entertainment, through the digital technologies; and it continues to provide intrinsic value in family bonding. References ABC News 2012, ‘Government releases convergence review’, viewed 7 June 2014, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/govt-releases-convergence-review/3980316>. Cosgrove, C, Schaffer, B Horlin, S 2013, ‘Free-to-air television’, PWC Outlook: Australian Entertainment Media, viewed 7 June 2014, https://outlook2013.ezimerchant.com/category31_1.htm>. Connected Media World 2013, ‘The evolution of the TV User Experience’, viewed 7 June 2014, http://www.connectedmediaworld.com/NewsArticle.aspx?ArticleID=c73b0e36-43ca-4a84-93be-835f4bfe222e>. Madison, K.S 2012, ‘2012 State of media’, Chicago: KSCMedia Madison, K.S 2013, ‘2013 State of media’, Chicago: KSCMedia Maurer, D, Emmanuel, R Parker, A 2013, ‘Subscription television’, PWC Outlook: Australian Entertainment Media, viewed 7 June 2014, https://outlook2013.ezimerchant.com/category38_1.htm>. Mundell, I 2013, ‘Smallscreen fare makes a big splash’, Variety, viewed 2 June 2014, http://variety.com/2013/film/news/smallscreen-fare-makes-a-big-splash-1118064535/>. Nielsen 2011, ‘The cross-platform report’, State of The Media, pp. 2-10. Smith, S.E. 2012, ‘Who is HBO’s Girls for?’, Global Comment, viewed 7 June 2014, http://globalcomment.com/who-is-hbos-girls-for/#>. Sterne, J 2012, ‘Formatted to fit your screen’, FlowTV, vol. 15, no. 5, http://flowtv.org/2012/01/formatted-to-fit-your-screen/>. Tyron, C 2012, ‘’Make any room your TV room’: digital delivery and media mobility’, Autumn, 53(3), pp. 286-300. Uniyal, D 2012, ‘3D Technology: Shaping the future of entertainment’, Journal of Mass Communication, 10(1), pp. 50-55. Venkatraman, M 2013, ‘Consuming digital technologies and making home’, Journal of Business Research, Issue 66, p. 2 1

Captain Picard: Is He a Good Leader? Essays -- Star Trek Essays Papers

Captain Picard: Is He a Good Leader? In Star Trek the Next Generation : "The Defector," does Captain Picard prove himself to be a good leader? In trying to answer this question, I thought "Well, what makes a good leader? Who do we (the general public) consider to be good leaders?" The most obvious choices popped into my head: President of the United States, Congress Representatives, CEO's of large companies. But after considering these leaders, I did not see how Picard compared to them. After all, he is the Captain of the Enterprise, a military space ship. I guess that makes him more of a Colin Powell type-a U.S. military officer of the highest ranking. It makes sense that U.S. military officers are considered to be good leaders. But, does Picard (as a military officer himself) measure up to the standards of a U.S. military officer? Well, what are the standards of a U.S. military officer? I mean, what characteristics must a person posses in order to reach the level of Colin Powell? I am certain that there are more than a few characteristics one must exhibit in order to become an officer in the U.S. military (not just anyone can be an officer, you know), but the three that I find the most essential are: a person must be able to think rationally in the time of a crisis; a person must display determination and confidence when confronting a crisis; a person must keep in mind those who depend on the decisions he or she is making. If someone possesses these three abilities, I think the person can be considered a good leader. In "The Defector," Captain Picard faces a crisis similar to one a U.S. military officer may face (of course, science fictional war and real-life being understood as two separate occurrences). A Romulan ... ...hat the Federation can definitely depend on to make the right decisions in the time of any crisis. He is a man of rationality, confidence and determination, and understanding of others who depend on him; he is a good leader. That is a fact that cannot be second guessed. Works Cited Star Trek The Next Generation: "The Defector. Videotape. Dir. Robert Scheerer. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Wil Wheaton. Paramount Pictures, 1990. 46 min. Lynch, Timothy. The Defector: a Synopsis and Review. n. pag. Online. Internet. 15 January, 1995. Available : http://cruciform.cid.com./~werdna/sttng/tlynch/defector.rev.html. Shakespeare, William. Henry V. n. pag. Online. Internet. Available: gopher://spinaltap.micro.umn.edu:70/11/Ebooks/By%20Title/shake/ Histories/King%20Henry%20V

Of Mice And Men †Review Essay

The novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ is set in the early 1930’s, in the American state of California. America at this time was suffering from the effects of the depression, which followed the Wall Street Crash. This had caused many businesses to go bankrupt. Also, in this period of time America had great problems on the agricultural side of it’s economy. Large areas of farmland had been lashed by hurricane winds, and this had caused much of the topsoil to been blown away, leaving vast areas of land unable to grow any kind of crops. Logically this meant that less workers were needed to tend the land, so many were laid off, and as mentioned earlier many businesses had gone bankrupt following the Wall Street Crash, the combined effect of these two events led to vast numbers of people being left jobless. This gave rise to a new group of society ‘drifters’; people who would travel from place to place doing manual labour, or working in the fields. This worked to the advantage of the business owners who managed to survive the crisis, (many of these were in California, a rich state which had not been hit as badly by the depression) because it meant that there were lots of workers for few jobs. Employers could make working conditions awful, knowing that if anyone complained they could fire them and there would be five people eager to fill the place. We do not know if John Steinbeck’s story is based on true characters or not, but we do know that he gives a very accurate depiction of what life was like at the time, as he himself was a drifter for a period of time. One thing that becomes evident during the story is that most of the characters suffer from loneliness. One of the ways in which they coped with the loneliness was by holding onto a belief in the American dream, the dream that every man can better himself through his own efforts, and live a long and happy life. The first two characters that we meet are George and Lennie, two drifters. George comes across as the leader of the two; his job is to keep Lennie out of trouble. He shows great patience in dealing with Lennie whose mental age is the equivalent of a small child. During the book we do see George lose his temper with Lennie because it appears that he is always messing things up for George. For example when they are on their way to the new ranch Lennie produces a dead mouse from his pocket and George gets angry, â€Å"You crazy fool†, â€Å"You gonna give me that mouse or do I have to sock you?† and â€Å"Blubberin like a baby? Jesus Christ! A big guy like you.† George claims he only keeps Lennie around because he made a promise to his Aunt Clara that he would. Even if this is true she is now dead, and so George has no real reason to keep looking after Lennie, especially as Lennie seems to mess up everything that goes right for George. However, George still puts up with Lennie and this, it would seem, is mainly to avoid the loneliness that is caused by all the travelling. While Lennie may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, he is still someone to converse with on long lonely walks. We learn from early on in the book that George and Lennie also share the American dream, they dream of one day having, â€Å"a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs†.This ambition highlights one big difference between George and Lennie’s grasp on reality, whilst George says he dreams of this, he must know deep down inside of him that they will never fulfil the dream. Lennie on the other hand is completely different he believes so deeply in the dream that at one point George actually threatens to not let Lennie tend the rabbits when they achieve their dream. The dream that these two share leads us to meet the next character that also suffers great loneliness. We first meet Candy when Lennie and George arrive at the ranch. He is the first person they meet. He is also the one who takes them to see the boss. Candy only has one arm and we find out later that he lost his arm in a machinery accident in the fields. However, the ranch still employs him and he was given compensation for his injury. Due to the loss of his arm he cannot work in the fields, instead he has to stay behind and sweep up. This causes him great loneliness because he has no one to talk to, his best friend is his dog, but tragically later in the story the other workers convince Candy to shoot him because he is old and useless. While the other workers can go into town at the end of the month, giving them the opportunity go out and have a good time, Candy cannot join them because he is too old to be out drinking until late in the night. His circumstances cause him to suffer from great loneliness, so it is not surprising that when he over hears Lennie and George talking about their dream, he tries to buy in to it. With the money that Candy got in compensation for his arm, it begins to look as though the dream may become a reality more quickly than George or Lennie imagined. The next character that we meet is Crooks the stable buck. He suffers from loneliness because he is black. This means he has to sleep in his own dorm and is not allowed to stay in the same dorm as the other workers. He is lonely purely because he is alone all the time and has no one to talk to. Crooks is also a cripple as a horse kicked him when he was working, leaving him with a crooked back, this prevents him from joining in many activities. He pretends, when Lennie goes into his dorm to be really angry, â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunk-house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.† But as time goes on he begins to warm to Lennie, â€Å"Come on in and set a while†, â€Å"Long as you wont get out and leave me alone you might as well sit down.† I think this is mainly because he was just glad to have someone to talk to, after being on his own for so long. Even after this though he could not resist getting revenge on the white folk, he teases Lennie asking him, â€Å"S’pose George don’t come back no more.† And he persists and begins to scare Lennie until finally Lennie gets so scared he decides to go and check if George was back yet. But Crooks quickly apologises at the thought of being left all alone again. A few minutes later Candy turns up and although Crooks acts as though he is resentful he still invites him in. The next character to appear at Crook’s door is Curley’s wife. She is the only woman on the ranch, and the guys refuse to talk to her because of Curley. He is very protective and jealous of her and will try and beat up anyone who he thinks might be making a move on her. When the guys in Crooks dorm seem to shut her out she begins to insult them, â€Å"Standin here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs- a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep.† Showing a spiteful side to her character. She only married Curley to spite her mother in the first place. One night in a bar she met a man who claimed he could make her a great star actress. We are not told how the man took advantage of her. He said that he would send a letter to her, but she never received it and blamed her mother, accusing her of destroying the letter, then to spite her she ran off and married Curley. The story has a tragic ending, all the way through the story George had warned Lennie about getting to close to Curley’s wife. But this turned out to be the ‘downfall’ of their dream, which had seemed so much more likely since the addition of Candy to the plot. Lennie is in the barn when she appears and starts talking to him. They start sharing stories, and she asks him why he is so obsessed with rabbits. He tells her about his obsession with stroking nice things, and she allows him to stroke her hair. She starts to complain that he will, â€Å"muss it up†, but when she pulls away Lennie’s grip tightens and she begins to scream. He puts his hand over her mouth and begs her not to because George will get angry. Her body, ‘flopped like a fish’, Lennie had broken her neck. The first people to find the body were Candy and George. They new it had to be Lennie. It is at that point that the dream is thrown into real jeopardy. Candy recognising this, immediately tries to convince George that they can still achieve their hopes, â€Å"You an me can get that little place, can’t we, George? Can’t we?† But Candy already knew the answer. George knows that Lennie was such a big part of the dream, it could not continue without him, it would almost be disloyal. George knows that the other workers, especially Curley would not allow Lennie to live after this. George goes off to find the other workers. Candy is now alone with the body of Curley’s wife in the barn, he blames her for destroying the dreams of three men, himself, George and Lennie. He actually begins to shout at her, â€Å"You god damn tramp.† â€Å"s’pose you’re glad.† George follows the other workers into the barn. He acts as though it is the first time he has seen the body. The other workers assure him that they think he had nothing to do with it, and they set off in search of Lennie. The story ends with George and Carson, one of the ranch hands, standing over Lennie. George has the gun to the back off Lennie’s head. He and Lennie have been talking about the dream, before Lennie knows it George pulls the trigger and Lennie is dead. The last thing we see is George going to the highway with Carson, Curley and Slim. He and Slim walk away to get a drink, George knowing that it’s all over. The dreams that he and Candy have shared, and that have kept them going have been destroyed.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-three

Eddard Through the high narrow windows of the Red Keep's cavernous throne room, the light of sunset spilled across the floor, laying dark red stripes upon the walls where the heads of dragons had once hung. Now the stone was covered with hunting tapestries, vivid with greens and browns and blues, and yet still it seemed to Ned Stark that the only color in the hall was the red of blood. He sat high upon the immense ancient seat of Aegon the Conqueror, an ironwork monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and grotesquely twisted metal. It was, as Robert had warned him, a hellishly uncomfortable chair, and never more so than now, with his shattered leg throbbing more sharply every minute. The metal beneath him had grown harder by the hour, and the fanged steel behind made it impossible to lean back. A king should never sit easy, Aegon the Conqueror had said, when he commanded his armorers to forge a great seat from the swords laid down by his enemies. Damn Aegon for his arrogance, Ned thought sullenly, and damn Robert and his hunting as well. â€Å"You are quite certain these were more than brigands?† Varys asked softly from the council table beneath the throne. Grand Maester Pycelle stirred uneasily beside him, while Littlefinger toyed with a pen. They were the only councillors in attendance. A white hart had been sighted in the kingswood, and Lord Renly and Ser Barristan had joined the king to hunt it, along with Prince Joffrey, Sandor Clegane, Balon Swann, and half the court. So Ned must needs sit the Iron Throne in his absence. At least he could sit. Save the council, the rest must stand respectfully, or kneel. The petitioners clustered near the tall doors, the knights and high lords and ladies beneath the tapestries, the smallfolk in the gallery, the mailed guards in their cloaks, gold or grey: all stood. The villagers were kneeling: men, women, and children, alike tattered and bloody, their faces drawn by fear. The three knights who had brought them here to bear witness stood behind them. â€Å"Brigands, Lord Varys?† Ser Raymun Darry's voice dripped scorn. â€Å"Oh, they were brigands, beyond a doubt. Lannister brigands.† Ned could feel the unease in the hall, as high lords and servants alike strained to listen. He could not pretend to surprise. The west had been a tinderbox since Catelyn had seized Tyrion Lannister. Both Riverrun and Casterly Rock had called their banners, and armies were massing in the pass below the Golden Tooth. It had only been a matter of time until the blood began to flow. The sole question that remained was how best to stanch the wound. Sad-eyed Ser Karyl Vance, who would have been handsome but for the winestain birthmark that discolored his face, gestured at the kneeling villagers. â€Å"This is all the remains of the holdfast of Sherrer, Lord Eddard. The rest are dead, along with the people of Wendish Town and the Mummer's Ford.† â€Å"Rise,† Ned commanded the villagers. He never trusted what a man told him from his knees. â€Å"All of you, up.† In ones and twos, the holdfast of Sherrer struggled to its feet. One ancient needed to be helped, and a young girl in a bloody dress stayed on her knees, staring blankly at Ser Arys Oakheart, who stood by the foot of the throne in the white armor of the Kingsguard, ready to protect and defend the king . . . or, Ned supposed, the King's Hand. â€Å"Joss,† Ser Raymun Darry said to a plump balding man in a brewer's apron. â€Å"Tell the Hand what happened at Sherrer.† Joss nodded. â€Å"If it please His Grace—† â€Å"His Grace is hunting across the Blackwater,† Ned said, wondering how a man could live his whole life a few days ride from the Red Keep and still have no notion what his king looked like. Ned was clad in a white linen doublet with the direwolf of Stark on the breast; his black wool cloak was fastened at the collar by his silver hand of office. Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth. â€Å"I am Lord Eddard Stark, the King's Hand. Tell me who you are and what you know of these raiders.† â€Å"I keep . . . I kept . . . I kept an alehouse, m'lord, in Sherrer, by the stone bridge. The finest ale south of the Neck, everyone said so, begging your pardons, m'lord. It's gone now like all the rest, m'lord. They come and drank their fill and spilled the rest before they fired my roof, and they would of spilled my blood too, if they'd caught me. M'lord.† â€Å"They burnt us out,† a farmer beside him said. â€Å"Come riding in the dark, up from the south, and fired the fields and the houses alike, killing them as tried to stop them. They weren't no raiders, though, m'lord. They had no mind to steal our stock, not these, they butchered my milk cow where she stood and left her for the flies and the crows.† â€Å"They rode down my ‘prentice boy,† said a squat man with a smith's muscles and a bandage around his head. He had put on his finest clothes to come to court, but his breeches were patched, his cloak travel-stained and dusty. â€Å"Chased him back and forth across the fields on their horses, poking at him with their lances like it was a game, them laughing and the boy stumbling and screaming till the big one pierced him clean through.† The girl on her knees craned her head up at Ned, high above her on the throne. â€Å"They killed my mother too, Your Grace. And they . . . they . . . † Her voice trailed off, as if she had forgotten what she was about to say. She began to sob. Ser Raymun Darry took up the tale. â€Å"At Wendish Town, the people sought shelter in their holdfast, but the walls were timbered. The raiders piled straw against the wood and burnt them all alive. When the Wendish folk opened their gates to flee the fire, they shot them down with arrows as they came running out, even women with suckling babes.† â€Å"Oh, dreadful,† murmured Varys. â€Å"How cruel can men be?† â€Å"They would of done the same for us, but the Sherrer holdfast's made of stone,† Joss said. â€Å"Some wanted to smoke us out, but the big one said there was riper fruit upriver, and they made for the Mummer's Ford.† Ned could feel cold steel against his fingers as he leaned forward. Between each finger was a blade, the points of twisted swords fanning out like talons from arms of the throne. Even after three centuries, some were still sharp enough to cut. The Iron Throne was full of traps for the unwary. The songs said it had taken a thousand blades to make it, heated white-hot in the furnace breath of Balerion the Black Dread. The hammering had taken fifty-nine days. The end of it was this hunched black beast made of razor edges and barbs and ribbons of sharp metal; a chair that could kill a man, and had, if the stories could be believed. What Eddard Stark was doing sitting there he would never comprehend, yet there he sat, and these people looked to him for justice. â€Å"What proof do you have that these were Lannisters?† he asked, trying to keep his fury under control. â€Å"Did they wear crimson cloaks or fly a lion banner?† â€Å"Even Lannisters are not so blind stupid as that,† Ser Marq Piper snapped. He was a swaggering bantam rooster of a youth, too young and too hot-blooded for Ned's taste, though a fast friend of Catelyn's brother, Edmure Tully. â€Å"Every man among them was mounted and mailed, my lord,† Ser Karyl answered calmly. â€Å"They were armed with steel-tipped lances and longswords, with battle-axes for the butchering.† He gestured toward one of the ragged survivors. â€Å"You. Yes, you, no one's going to hurt you. Tell the Hand what you told me.† The old man bobbed his head. â€Å"Concerning their horses,† he said, â€Å"it were warhorses they rode. Many a year I worked in old Ser Willum's stables, so I knows the difference. Not a one of these ever pulled a plow, gods bear witness if I'm wrong.† â€Å"Well-mounted brigands,† observed Littlefinger. â€Å"Perhaps they stole the horses from the last place they raided.† â€Å"How many men were there in this raiding party?† Ned asked. â€Å"A hundred, at the least,† Joss answered, in the same instant as the bandaged smith said, â€Å"Fifty,† and the grandmother behind him, â€Å"Hunnerds and hunnerds, m'lord, an army they was.† â€Å"You are more right than you know, goodwoman,† Lord Eddard told her. â€Å"You say they flew no banners. What of the armor they wore? Did any of you note ornaments or decorations, devices on shield or helm?† The brewer, Joss, shook his head. â€Å"It grieves me, m'lord, but no, the armor they showed us was plain, only . . . the one who led them, he was armored like the rest, but there was no mistaking him all the same. It was the size of him, m'lord. Those as say the giants are all dead never saw this one, I swear. Big as an ox he was, and a voice like stone breaking.† â€Å"The Mountain!† Ser Marq said loudly. â€Å"Can any man doubt it? This was Gregor Clegane's work.† Ned heard muttering from beneath the windows and the far end of the hall. Even in the galley, nervous whispers were exchanged. High lords and smallfolk alike knew what it could mean if Ser Marq was proved right. Ser Gregor Clegane stood bannerman to Lord Tywin Lannister. He studied the frightened faces of the villagers. Small wonder they had been so fearful; they had thought they were being dragged here to name Lord Tywin a red-handed butcher before a king who was his son by marriage. He wondered if the knights had given them a choice. Grand Maester Pycelle rose ponderously from the council table, his chain of office clinking. â€Å"Ser Marq, with respect, you cannot know that this outlaw was Ser Gregor. There are many large men in the realm.† â€Å"As large as the Mountain That Rides?† Ser Karyl said. â€Å"I have never met one.† â€Å"Nor has any man here,† Ser Raymun added hotly. â€Å"Even his brother is a pup beside him. My lords, open your eyes. Do you need to see his seal on the corpses? It was Gregor.† â€Å"Why should Ser Gregor turn brigand?† Pycelle asked. â€Å"By the grace of his liege lord, he holds a stout keep and lands of his own. The man is an anointed knight.† â€Å"A false knight!† Ser Marq said. â€Å"Lord Tywin's mad dog.† â€Å"My lord Hand,† Pycelle declared in a stiff voice, â€Å"I urge you to remind this good knight that Lord Tywin Lannister is the father of our own gracious queen.† â€Å"Thank you, Grand Maester Pycelle,† Ned said. â€Å"I fear we might have forgotten that if you had not pointed it out.† From his vantage point atop the throne, he could see men slipping out the door at the far end of the hall. Hares going to ground, he supposed . . . or rats off to nibble the queen's cheese. He caught a glimpse of Septa Mordane in the gallery, with his daughter Sansa beside her. Ned felt a flash of anger; this was no place for a girl. But the septa could not have known that today's court would be anything but the usual tedious business of hearing petitions, settling disputes between rival holdfasts, and adjudicating the placement of boundary stones. At the council table below, Petyr Baelish lost interest in his quill and leaned forward. â€Å"Ser Marq, Ser Karyl, Ser Raymun—perhaps I might ask you a question? These holdfasts were under your protection. Where were you when all this slaughtering and burning was going on?† Ser Karyl Vance answered. â€Å"I was attending my lord father in the pass below the Golden Tooth, as was Ser Marq. When the word of these outrages reached Ser Edmure Tully, he sent word that we should take a small force of men to find what survivors we could and bring them to the king.† Ser Raymun Darry spoke up. â€Å"Ser Edmure had summoned me to Riverrun with all my strength. I was camped across the river from his walls, awaiting his commands, when the word reached me. By the time I could return to my own lands, Clegane and his vermin were back across the Red Fork, riding for Lannister's hills.† Littlefinger stroked the point of his beard thoughtfully. â€Å"And if they come again, ser?† â€Å"If they come again, we'll use their blood to water the fields they burnt,† Ser Marq Piper declared hotly. â€Å"Ser Edmure has sent men to every village and holdfast within a day's ride of the border,† Ser Karyl explained. â€Å"The next raider will not have such an easy time of it.† And that may be precisely what Lord Tywin wants, Ned thought to himself, to bleed off strength from Riverrun, goad the boy into scattering his swords. His wife's brother was young, and more gallant than wise. He would try to hold every inch of his soil, to defend every man, woman, and child who named him lord, and Tywin Lannister was shrewd enough to know that. â€Å"If your fields and holdfasts are safe from harm,† Lord Petyr was saying, â€Å"what then do you ask of the throne?† â€Å"The lords of the Trident keep the king's peace,† Ser Raymun Darry said. â€Å"The Lannisters have broken it. We ask leave to answer them, steel for steel. We ask justice for the smallfolk of Sherrer and Wendish Town and the Mummer's Ford.† â€Å"Edmure agrees, we must pay Gregor Clegane back his bloody coin,† Ser Marq declared, â€Å"but old Lord Hoster commanded us to come here and beg the king's leave before we strike.† Thank the gods for old Lord Hoster, then. Tywin Lannister was as much fox as lion. If indeed he'd sent Ser Gregor to burn and pillage—and Ned did not doubt that he had—he'd taken care to see that he rode under cover of night, without banners, in the guise of a common brigand. Should Riverrun strike back, Cersei and her father would insist that it had been the Tullys who broke the king's peace, not the Lannisters. The gods only knew what Robert would believe. Grand Maester Pycelle was on his feet again. â€Å"My lord Hand, if these good folk believe that Ser Gregor has forsaken his holy vows for plunder and rape, let them go to his liege lord and make their complaint. These crimes are no concern of the throne. Let them seek Lord Tywin's justice.† â€Å"It is all the king's justice,† Ned told him. â€Å"North, south, east, or west, all we do we do in Robert's name.† â€Å"The king's justice,† Grand Maester Pycelle said. â€Å"So it is, and so we should defer this matter until the king—† â€Å"The king is hunting across the river and may not return for days,† Lord Eddard said. â€Å"Robert bid me to sit here in his place, to listen with his ears, and to speak with his voice. I mean to do just that . . . though I agree that he must be told.† He saw a familiar face beneath the tapestries. â€Å"Ser Robar.† Ser Robar Royce stepped forward and bowed. â€Å"My lord.† â€Å"Your father is hunting with the king,† Ned said. â€Å"Will you bring them word of what was said and done here today?† â€Å"At once, my lord.† â€Å"Do we have your leave to take our vengeance against Ser Gregor, then?† Marq Piper asked the throne. â€Å"Vengeance?† Ned said. â€Å"I thought we were speaking of justice. Burning Clegane's fields and slaughtering his people will not restore the king's peace, only your injured pride.† He glanced away before the young knight could voice his outraged protest, and addressed the villagers. â€Å"People of Sherrer, I cannot give you back your homes or your crops, nor can I restore your dead to life. But perhaps I can give you some small measure of justice, in the name of our king, Robert.† Every eye in the hall was fixed on him, waiting. Slowly Ned struggled to his feet, pushing himself up from the throne with the strength of his arms, his shattered leg screaming inside its cast. He did his best to ignore the pain; it was no moment to let them see his weakness. â€Å"The First Men believed that the judge who called for death should wield the sword, and in the north we hold to that still. I mislike sending another to do my killing . . . yet it seems I have no choice.† He gestured at his broken leg. â€Å"Lord Eddard!† The shout came from the west side of the hall as a handsome stripling of a boy strode forth boldly. Out of his armor, Ser Loras Tyrell looked even younger than his sixteen years. He wore pale blue silk, his belt a linked chain of golden roses, the sigil of his House. â€Å"I beg you the honor of acting in your place. Give this task to me, my lord, and I swear I shall not fail you.† Littlefinger chuckled. â€Å"Ser Loras, if we send you off alone, Ser Gregor will send us back your head with a plum stuffed in that pretty mouth of yours. The Mountain is not the sort to bend his neck to any man's justice.† â€Å"I do not fear Gregor Clegane,† Ser Loras said haughtily. Ned eased himself slowly back onto the hard iron seat of Aegon's misshapen throne. His eyes searched the faces along the wall. â€Å"Lord Beric,† he called out. â€Å"Thoros of Myr. Ser Gladden. Lord Lothar.† The men named stepped forward one by one. â€Å"Each of you is to assemble twenty men, to bring my word to Gregor's keep. Twenty of my own guards shall go with you. Lord Beric Dondarrion, you shall have the command, as befits your rank.† The young lord with the red-gold hair bowed. â€Å"As you command, Lord Eddard.† Ned raised his voice, so it carried to the far end of the throne room. â€Å"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, his Hand, I charge you to ride to the westlands with all haste, to cross the Red Fork of the Trident under the king's flag, and there bring the king's justice to the false knight Gregor Clegane, and to all those who shared in his crimes. I denounce him, and attaint him, and strip him of all rank and titles, of all lands and incomes and holdings, and do sentence him to death. May the gods take pity on his soul.† When the echo of his words had died away, the Knight of Flowers seemed perplexed. â€Å"Lord Eddard, what of me?† Ned looked down on him. From on high, Loras Tyrell seemed almost as young as Robb. â€Å"No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance.† He looked back to Lord Beric. â€Å"Ride at first light. These things are best done quickly.† He held up a hand. â€Å"The throne will hear no more petitions today.† Alyn and Porther climbed the steep iron steps to help him back down. As they made their descent, he could feel Loras Tyrell's sullen stare, but the boy had stalked away before Ned reached the floor of the throne room. At the base of the Iron Throne, Varys was gathering papers from the council table. Littlefinger and Grand Maester Pycelle had already taken their leave. â€Å"You are a bolder man than I, my lord,† the eunuch said softly. â€Å"How so, Lord Varys?† Ned asked brusquely. His leg was throbbing, and he was in no mood for word games. â€Å"Had it been me up there, I should have sent Ser Loras. He so wanted to go . . . and a man who has the Lannisters for his enemies would do well to make the Tyrells his friends.† â€Å"Ser Loras is young,† said Ned. â€Å"I daresay he will outgrow the disappointment.† â€Å"And Ser Ilyn?† The eunuch stroked a plump, powdered cheek. â€Å"He is the King's Justice, after all. Sending other men to do his office . . . some might construe that as a grave insult.† â€Å"No slight was intended.† In truth, Ned did not trust the mute knight, though perhaps that was only because he misliked executioners. â€Å"I remind you, the Paynes are bannermen to House Lannister. I thought it best to choose men who owed Lord Tywin no fealty.† â€Å"Very prudent, no doubt,† Varys said. â€Å"Still, I chanced to see Ser Ilyn in the back of the hall, staring at us with those pale eyes of his, and I must say, he did not look pleased, though to be sure it is hard to tell with our silent knight. I hope he outgrows his disappointment as well. He does so love his work . . . â€Å"

Free Essays on Tragedy In Macbeth

IS THIS A TRAGEDY? "In Shakespeare’s tragedy, one element is consistent- the tragic hero. Each tragic hero shares certain traits that contribute to his tragedy. Such as Macbeth, each hero is a man of high estate or high ranking. Also, they each possess some flaw or obsession that will eventually lead to their demise. The character does not have to be â€Å"good†, or moral, but he or she does have to have some unknown potential that makes the reader feel that they could do great things. The reader admires and pities these characters for that reason, but when the death of the tragic hero comes it often brings a sense of relief. Macbeth is one of the best examples of a tragic hero, and proves that this story is a tragedy. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare defines Macbeth as a hero very clearly. For the couragous defense of Scotland he is easily seen to be a hero. When it is discovered that the Thane of Cawdor has surrendered, Duncan decides to give Macbeth this title: â€Å"What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won† (1.2.70). This shows Macbeth’s rank, which starts him in the right direction for a tragic hero. As Macbeth starts to believe the prophecies of the witches that he will be the Thane of Cawdor, and the King, it is easy to see his obsession with his destiny. This great ambition will turn into the flaw that brings Macbeth to his demise. When Duncan named Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decided to murder Duncan. When Duncan arrived at Inverness, Macbeth controlled his ambition for the time being and did not kill Duncan. The failing of his decision was soon reflected by Lady Macbeth who called him a coward. From then on, after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth ent ered into a life of evil. When Macbeth is crowned King, he seems to be isolated from the people who he began this journey with. When the Macbeth plans to kill Banquo, it is obvious that Macbeth has transformed into a completely evil character: ï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Tragedy In Macbeth Free Essays on Tragedy In Macbeth IS THIS A TRAGEDY? "In Shakespeare’s tragedy, one element is consistent- the tragic hero. Each tragic hero shares certain traits that contribute to his tragedy. Such as Macbeth, each hero is a man of high estate or high ranking. Also, they each possess some flaw or obsession that will eventually lead to their demise. The character does not have to be â€Å"good†, or moral, but he or she does have to have some unknown potential that makes the reader feel that they could do great things. The reader admires and pities these characters for that reason, but when the death of the tragic hero comes it often brings a sense of relief. Macbeth is one of the best examples of a tragic hero, and proves that this story is a tragedy. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare defines Macbeth as a hero very clearly. For the couragous defense of Scotland he is easily seen to be a hero. When it is discovered that the Thane of Cawdor has surrendered, Duncan decides to give Macbeth this title: â€Å"What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won† (1.2.70). This shows Macbeth’s rank, which starts him in the right direction for a tragic hero. As Macbeth starts to believe the prophecies of the witches that he will be the Thane of Cawdor, and the King, it is easy to see his obsession with his destiny. This great ambition will turn into the flaw that brings Macbeth to his demise. When Duncan named Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decided to murder Duncan. When Duncan arrived at Inverness, Macbeth controlled his ambition for the time being and did not kill Duncan. The failing of his decision was soon reflected by Lady Macbeth who called him a coward. From then on, after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth ent ered into a life of evil. When Macbeth is crowned King, he seems to be isolated from the people who he began this journey with. When the Macbeth plans to kill Banquo, it is obvious that Macbeth has transformed into a completely evil character: ï ¿ ½...

The Wind in Willows Book Review

'The Wind in Willows' Book Review The Wind in the Willows is a childrens story that lives in the hearts and minds of its readers well into adulthood. With its subtle blend of anthropomorphism and very-British humor, the book is a classic tale of river life and friendship. The Wind in the Willows is surprisingly dark and thrilling in placesparticularly in the later chapters and the battle of Toad Hall. The book provides something that few novels of its time can claim: all-round entertainment for all ages. The story confirms the power of close friends and courage to make a difference in the lives of others. Overview: The Wind in the Willows The novel begins with Mole, a peace-loving little animal, doing some spring cleaning. He soon meets another of the people who live by the river, Ratty, who enjoys nothing more than messing about in boats. After a number of pleasant afternoons having picnics and spending time on the river, Mole and Ratty decide to visit one of Rattys friends, Toad whowhen they arriveexplains to them his latest obsession, a horse, and cart. They go for a ride with Toad, but whilst on the road, they are tipped over by a speeding motorcar (which completely breaks Toads little cart). Far from being upset by the loss of his favorite toy, Toads first thought is that he, too, wants one of those incredible automobiles. This obsession leads him to trouble, however. Much to Mole, Ratty and their old and wise friend Badgers sadness, Toad is soon arrested and sent to prison for stealing a motor car. However, within the gaol, one of the guards daughters soon feels sorry for the poor Toad (who certainly wasnt made for prison life), and gives him some old washerwoman’s clothes and helps him to escape. Toad returns to the river and is welcomed by his friends, who tell him that his home, Toad Hallonce his pride and joyhas been overtaken by the cruel woodlanders: the stoats and the weasels. Some hope does seem to be in sight. Badger tells Toad that there is a secret tunnel leading back into the very heart of Toad Hall and the four friends follow it, leading them right into the lair of their enemies. An enormous battle ensues and Badger, Mole, Ratty and Toad manage to rid the hall of stoats and weasels, placing Toad back where he belongs. The rest of the book suggests that the four friends will continue in their easy-going lifestyle, occasionally taking trips on the river and eating picnics. Toad manages to curb his obsessive behavior, somewhat, but cannot completely cure himself. Englishness in The Wind in the Willows The true joy of The Wind in the Willows is the image of English life: a very Georgian, upper-middle-class take on the world in which the countryside is covered by an incessant summer time and which days can be spent idling by the riverside and watching the world go by. Because of the success of The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame was able to leave his unhappy job in a bank and live very much the life he represented in the pages of the booka life full of cake at tea time, and the soothing sound of the river running past. The novel is also very much loved for its characters: the slightly pompous and ridiculous toad (who is completely carried away by his latest obsession), and the wise old badger (who is crotchety, but who has very high regard for his friends). They are characters who embody the English values of fortitude and good humor. But, these creatures are also incredibly honorable and willing to fight (even to the death) for their little piece of England. There is something ineffably comforting about Grahames little storyfamiliar and also very powerful. The animal characters are completely humanized, but their personalities and characteristics are still linked to their animals characters. The Wind in the Willows is wryly humorous and tremendously fun. This book is one of the greatest childrens books of all time.