The Host Chapter 22: Cracked

Jeb put his hands behind his head and looked up at the dark ceiling, his face thoughtful. His chatty mood had not passed. â€Å"I've wondered a lot what it's like-getting caught, you know. Saw it happen more than once, come close a few times myself. What would it be like, I wondered. Would it hurt, having something put in your head? I've seen it done, you know.† My eyes widened in surprise, but he wasn't looking at me. â€Å"Seems like you all use some kind of anesthetic, but that's just a guess. Nobody was screaming in agony or anything, though, so it couldn't be too torturous.† I wrinkled my nose. Torture. No, that was the humans' specialty. â€Å"Those stories you were telling the kid were real interesting.† I stiffened and he laughed lightly. â€Å"Yeah, I was listening. Eavesdropping, I'll admit it. I'm not sorry-it was great stuff, and you won't talk to me the way you do with Jamie. I really got a kick out of those bats and the plants and spiders. Gives a man lots to think about. Always liked to read crazy, out-there stuff, science fiction and whatnot. Ate that stuff up. And the kid's like me-he's read all the books I've got, two, three times apiece. Must be a treat for him to get some new stories. Sure is for me. You're a good storyteller.† I kept my eyes down, but I felt myself softening, losing my guard a bit. Like anyone inside these emotional bodies, I was a sucker for flattery. â€Å"Everyone here thinks you hunted us out to turn us over to the Seekers.† The word sent a shock jolting through me. My jaw stiffened and my teeth cut my tongue. I tasted blood. â€Å"What other reason could there be?† he went on, oblivious to my reaction or ignoring it. â€Å"But they're just trapped in fixed notions, I think. I'm the only one with questions†¦ I mean, what kind of a plan was that, to wander off into the desert without any way to get back?† He chuckled. â€Å"Wandering-guess that's your specialty, eh, Wanda?† He leaned toward me and nudged me with one elbow. Wide with uncertainty, my eyes flickered to the floor, to his face, and back to the floor. He laughed again. â€Å"That trek was just a few steps shy of a successful suicide, in my opinion. Definitely not a Seeker's MO, if you know what I mean. I've tried to reason it out. Use logic, right? So, if you didn't have backup, which I've seen no sign of, and you had no way to get back, then you must've had a different goal. You haven't been real talkative since you got here, ‘cept with the kid just now, but I've listened to what you have said. Kind of seems to me like the reason you almost died out there was 'cause you were hell-bent on finding that kid and Jared.† I closed my eyes. â€Å"Only why would you care?† Jeb asked, expecting no answer, just musing. â€Å"So, this is how I see it: either you're a really good actress-like a super-Seeker, some new breed, sneakier than the first-with some kind of a plan I can't figure out, or you're not acting. The first seems like a pretty complicated explanation for your behavior, then and now, and I don't buy it. â€Å"But if you're not acting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused for a moment. â€Å"Spent a lot of time watching your kind. I was always waiting for them to change, you know, when they didn't have to act like us anymore, because there was no one to act for. I kept on watching and waiting, but they just kept on actin' like humans. Staying with their bodies' families, going out for picnics in good weather, plantin' flowers and paintin' pictures and all the rest of it. I've been wondering if you all aren't turning sort of human. If we don't have some real influence, in the end.† He waited, giving me a chance to respond. I didn't. â€Å"Saw something a few years ago that stuck with me. Old man and woman, well, the bodies of an old man and an old woman. Been together so long that the skin on their fingers grew in ridges around their wedding rings. They were holding hands, and he kissed her on her cheek, and she blushed under all those wrinkles. Occurred to me that you have all the same feelings we have, because you're really us, not just hands in a puppet.† â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"We have all the same feelings. Human feelings. Hope, and pain, and love.† â€Å"So, if you aren't acting†¦ well, then I'd swear to it that you loved them both. You do. Wanda, not just Mel's body.† I put my head down on my arms. The gesture was tantamount to an admission, but I didn't care. I couldn't hold it up anymore. â€Å"So that's you. But I wonder about my niece, too. What it was like for her, what it would be like for me. When they put somebody inside your head, are you just†¦ gone? Erased? Like being dead? Or is it like being asleep? Are you aware of the outside control? Is it aware of you? Are you trapped there, screaming inside?† I sat very still, trying to keep my face smooth. â€Å"Plainly, your memories and behaviors, all that is left behind. But your consciousness†¦ Seems like some people wouldn't go down without a fight. Hell, I know I would try to stay-never been one to take no for an answer, anyone will tell you that. I'm a fighter. All of us who are left are fighters. And, you know, I woulda pegged Mel for a fighter, too.† He didn't move his eyes from the ceiling, but I looked at the floor-stared at it, memorizing the patterns in the purple gray dust. â€Å"Yeah, I've wondered about that a lot.† I could feel his eyes on me now, though my head was still down. I didn't move, except to breathe slowly in and out. It took a great deal of effort to keep that slow rhythm smooth. I had to swallow; the blood was still flowing in my mouth. Why did we ever think he was crazy? Mel wondered. He sees everything. He's a genius. He's both. Well, maybe this means we don't have to keep quiet anymore. He knows. She was hopeful. She'd been very quiet lately, absent almost half the time. It wasn't as easy for her to concentrate when she was relatively happy. She'd won her big fight. She'd gotten us here. Her secrets were no longer in jeopardy; Jared and Jamie could never be betrayed by her memories. With the fight taken out of her, it was harder for her to find the will to speak, even to me. I could see how the idea of discovery-of having the other humans recognize her existence-invigorated her. Jeb knows, yes. Does that really change anything? She thought about the way the other humans looked at Jeb. Right. She sighed. But I think Jamie†¦ well, he doesn't know or guess, but I think he feels the truth. You might be right. I guess we'll see if that does him or us any good, in the end. Jeb could only manage to keep quiet for a few seconds, and then he was off again, interrupting us. â€Å"Pretty interesting stuff. Not as much bang! bang! as the movies I used to like. But still pretty interesting. I'd like to hear more about those spider thingies. I'm real curious†¦ real curious, for sure.† I took a deep breath and raised my head. â€Å"What do you want to know?† He smiled at me warmly, his eyes crinkling into half moons. â€Å"Three brains, right?† I nodded. â€Å"How many eyes?† â€Å"Twelve-one at each juncture of the leg and the body. We didn't have lids, just a lot of fibers-like steel wool eyelashes-to protect them.† He nodded, his eyes bright. â€Å"Were they furry, like tarantulas?† â€Å"No. Sort of†¦ armored-scaled, like a reptile or a fish.† I slouched against the wall, settling myself in for a long conversation. Jeb didn't disappoint on that count. I lost track of how many questions he asked me. He wanted details-the Spiders' looks, their behaviors, and how they'd handled Earth. He didn't flinch away from the invasion details; on the contrary, he almost seemed to enjoy that part more than the rest. His questions came fast on the heels of my answers, and his grins were frequent. When he was satisfied about the Spiders, hours later, he wanted to know more about the Flowers. â€Å"You didn't half explain that one,† he reminded me. So I told him about that most beautiful and placid of planets. Almost every time I stopped to breathe, he interrupted me with a new question. He liked to guess the answers before I could speak and didn't seem to mind getting them wrong in the least. â€Å"So did ya eat flies, like a Venus flytrap? I'll bet you did-or maybe something bigger, like a bird-like a pterodactyl!† â€Å"No, we used sunlight for food, like most plants here.† â€Å"Well, that's not as much fun as my idea.† Sometimes I found myself laughing with him. We were just moving on to the Dragons when Jamie showed up with dinner for three. â€Å"Hi, Wanderer,† he said, a little embarrassed. â€Å"Hi, Jamie,† I answered, a little shy, not sure if he would regret the closeness we'd shared. I was, after all, the bad guy. But he sat down right next to me, between me and Jeb, crossing his legs and setting the food tray in the middle of our little conclave. I was starving, and parched from all the talking. I took a bowl of soup and downed it in a few gulps. â€Å"Shoulda known you were just being polite in the mess hall today. Gotta speak up when you're hungry, Wanda. I'm no mind reader.† I didn't agree with that last part, but I was too busy chewing a mouthful of bread to answer. â€Å"Wanda?† Jamie asked. I nodded, letting him know that I didn't mind. â€Å"Kinda suits her, doncha think?† Jeb was so proud of himself, I was surprised he didn't pat himself on the back, just for effect. â€Å"Kinda, I guess,† Jamie said. â€Å"Were you guys talking about dragons?† â€Å"Yeah,† Jeb told him enthusiastically, â€Å"but not the lizardy kind. They're all made up of jelly. They can fly, though†¦ sort of. The air's thicker, sort of jelly, too. So it's almost like swimming. And they can breathe acid-that's about as good as fire, wouldn't you say?† I let Jeb fill Jamie in on the details while I ate more than my share of food and drained a water bottle. When my mouth was free, Jeb started in with the questions again. â€Å"Now, this acid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jamie didn't ask questions the way Jeb did, and I was more careful about what I said with him there. However, this time Jeb never asked anything that might lead to a touchy subject, whether by coincidence or design, so my caution wasn't necessary. The light slowly faded until the hallway was black. Then it was silver, a tiny, dim reflection from the moon that was just enough, as my eyes adjusted, to see the man and the boy beside me. Jamie edged closer to me as the night wore on. I didn't realize that I was combing my fingers through his hair as I talked until I noticed Jeb staring at my hand. I folded my arms across my body. Finally, Jeb yawned a huge yawn that had me and Jamie doing the same. â€Å"You tell a good story, Wanda,† Jeb said when we were all done stretching. â€Å"It's what I did†¦ before. I was a teacher, at the university in San Diego. I taught history.† â€Å"A teacher!† Jeb repeated, excited. â€Å"Well, ain't that amazin'? There's something we could use around here. Mag's girl Sharon does the teaching for the three kids, but there's a lot she can't help with. She's most comfortable with math and the like. History, now -â€Å" â€Å"I only taught our history,† I interrupted. Waiting for him to take a breath wasn't going to work, it seemed. â€Å"I wouldn't be much help as a teacher here. I don't have any training.† â€Å"Your history is better than nothing. Things we human folks ought to know, seeing as we live in a more populated universe than we were aware of.† â€Å"But I wasn't a real teacher,† I told him, desperate. Did he honestly think anyone wanted to hear my voice, let alone listen to my stories? â€Å"I was sort of an honorary professor, almost a guest lecturer. They only wanted me because†¦ well, because of the story that goes along with my name.† â€Å"That's the next one I was going to ask for,† Jeb said complacently. â€Å"We can talk about your teaching experience later. Now-why did they call you Wanderer? I've heard a bunch of odd ones, Dry Water, Fingers in the Sky, Falling Upward-all mixed in, of course, with the Pams and the Jims. I tell you, it's the kind of thing that can drive a man crazy with curiosity.† I waited till I was sure he was done to begin. â€Å"Well, the way it usually works is that a soul will try out a planet or two-two's the average-and then they'll settle in their favorite place. They just move to new hosts in the same species on the same planet when their body gets close to death. It's very disorienting moving from one kind of body to the next. Most souls really hate that. Some never move from the planet they are born on. Occasionally, someone has a hard time finding a good fit. They may try three planets. I met a soul once who'd been to five before he'd settled with the Bats. I liked it there-I suppose that's the closest I've ever come to choosing a planet. If it hadn't been for the blindness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How many planets have you lived on?† Jamie asked in a hushed voice. Somehow, while I'd been talking, his hand had found its way into mine. â€Å"This is my ninth,† I told him, squeezing his fingers gently. â€Å"Wow, nine!† he breathed. â€Å"That's why they wanted me to teach. Anybody can tell them our statistics, but I have personal experience from most of the planets we've†¦ taken.† I hesitated at that word, but it didn't seem to bother Jamie. â€Å"There are only three I've never been to-well, now four. They just opened a new world.† I expected Jeb to jump in with questions about the new world, or the ones I'd skipped, but he just played absently with the ends of his beard. â€Å"Why did you never stay anywhere?† Jamie asked. â€Å"I never found a place I liked enough to stay.† â€Å"What about Earth? Do you think you'll stay here?† I wanted to smile at his child's confidence-as if I were going to get the chance to ever move on to another host. As if I were going to get the chance to live out even another month in the one I had. â€Å"Earth is†¦ very interesting,† I murmured. â€Å"It's harder than any place I've been before.† â€Å"Harder than the place with the frozen air and the claw beasts?† he asked. â€Å"In its own way, yes.† How could I explain that the Mists Planet only came at you from the outside-it was much more difficult to be attacked from within. Attacked, Melanie scoffed. I yawned. I wasn't actually thinking of you, I told her. I was thinking of these unstable emotions, always betraying me. But you did attack me. Pushing your memories on me that way. I learned my lesson, she assured me dryly. I could feel how intensely aware she was of the hand in mine. There was an emotion slowly building in her that I didn't recognize. Something on the edge of anger, with a hint of desire and a portion of despair. Jealousy, she enlightened me. Jeb yawned again. â€Å"I'm being downright rude, I guess. You must be bushed-walking all over today and then me keepin' you up half the night talking. Ought to be a better host. C'mon, Jamie, let's go and let Wanda get some sleep.† I was exhausted. It felt as if it had been a very long day, and, from Jeb's words, perhaps that wasn't in my imagination. â€Å"Okay, Uncle Jeb.† Jamie jumped lightly to his feet and then offered his hand to the old man. â€Å"Thanks, kid.† Jeb groaned as he got up. â€Å"And thanks to you, too,† he added in my direction. â€Å"Most interesting conversation I've had in†¦ well, probably forever. Rest your voice up, Wanda, because my curiosity is a powerful thing. Ah, there he is! ‘Bout time.† Only then did I hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Automatically, I shrank against the wall and scooted farther back into the cave-room, and then felt more exposed because the moonlight was brighter inside. I was surprised that this was the first person to turn in for the night; the corridor appeared to house many. â€Å"Sorry, Jeb. I got to talking with Sharon, and then I sort of dozed off.† It was impossible not to recognize this easy, gentle voice. My stomach rolled, unstable, and I wished it were empty. â€Å"We didn't even notice, Doc,† Jeb said. â€Å"We were having the time of our lives here. Someday you'll have to get her to tell you some of her stories-great stuff. Not tonight, though. She's got to be pretty worn out, I'd bet. We'll see you in the morning.† The doctor was spreading a mat out in front of the cave entrance, just as Jared had. â€Å"Keep an eye on this,† Jeb said, laying the gun beside the mat. â€Å"Are you okay, Wanda?† Jamie asked. â€Å"You're shaking.† I hadn't realized it, but my whole body was quivering. I didn't answer him-my throat felt swollen shut. â€Å"Now, now,† Jeb said in a soothing voice. â€Å"I asked Doc if he minded taking a shift. You don't need to worry about anything. Doc's an honorable man.† The doctor smiled a sleepy smile. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you†¦ Wanda, is it? I promise. I'll just keep watch while you sleep.† I bit my lip, and the quivering didn't stop. Jeb seemed to think everything was settled, though. â€Å"Night, Wanda. Night, Doc,† he said as he started back down the hall. Jamie hesitated, looking at me with a worried expression. â€Å"Doc's okay,† he promised in a whisper. â€Å"C'mon, boy, it's late!† Jamie hurried off after Jeb. I watched the doctor when they were gone, waiting for some change. Doc's relaxed expression didn't waver, though, and he didn't touch the gun. He stretched his long frame out on the mat, his calves and feet hanging off the end. Lying down, he looked much smaller, he was so rail thin. â€Å"Good night,† he murmured drowsily. Of course I didn't answer. I watched him in the dull moonlight, timing the rise and fall of his chest by the sound of the pulse thudding in my ears. His breathing slowed and got deeper, and then he began to quietly snore. It could have been an act, but even if it was, there wasn't much I could do about it. Silently, I crept deeper into the room, till I felt the edge of the mattress against my back. I'd promised myself that I would not disturb this place, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything if I just curled up on the foot of the bed. The floor was rough and so hard. The sound of the doctor's soft snoring was comforting; even if it was put on to calm me, at least I knew exactly where he was in the darkness. Live or die, I figured I might as well go ahead and sleep. I was dog tired, as Melanie would say. I let my eyes close. The mattress was softer than anything I'd touched since coming here. I relaxed, sinking in†¦ There was a low shuffling sound-it was inside the room with me. My eyes popped open, and I could see a shadow between the moonlit ceiling and me. Outside, the doctor's snores continued uninterrupted.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 13

Roman was impossible to live with after that. He refused to tell me any more details, only that Seth needed to undergo hypnosis and that more would be revealed once that happened. â€Å"But don't you think I should know now?† I demanded, for what felt like the hundredth time the following day. â€Å"I don't want to influence either of you,† came the response. â€Å"Just in case I'm wrong.† â€Å"I thought you said you'd figured it out! You're saying now that there's a chance you might be wrong?† â€Å"There's always a chance,† he said pragmatically. â€Å"But I don't think I'm wrong.† And with that infuriating response, there was nothing I could do except wait and speculate. I couldn't figure out what exactly Roman planned on doing with hypnosis, but at least it seemed relatively safe. I wouldn't have put it past Roman to say, â€Å"Let's stage a trap for some demons and use Seth as bait.† There were worse things than being hypnotized into clucking like a chicken, I supposed. It took a number of days to get an answer. The delay came from finding a time when both Seth and Hugh were available. Despite his many formidable skills, hypnosis apparently wasn't in Roman's repertoire. It was, however, in Hugh's, which I found kind of surprising. When I asked him about it, he explained that he'd once been at a medical conference, during which participants were required to take a certain number of seminars. He'd chosen hypnosis because he thought it would be a blow-off class. â€Å"It was actually harder than it seemed,† he remarked. â€Å"I did some more follow-up on it after the conference. Dabbled here and there. Haven't put it to much use since then, aside from an ill-fated date last year.† â€Å"Are you going to be able to do what Roman needs you to today?† I nodded toward my living room, where Roman was pacing like a caged animal. We were all waiting on Seth to show up, and Roman kept obsessing over small details necessary to create â€Å"the perfect hypnotic environment.† He was constantly adjusting the lighting and moving the recliner. Sometimes he'd put it in the center of the room. Other times, he'd drag it to the side, where there were more shadows. We'd given up on trying to advise him. He was too irritable and wound up. Hugh frowned, watching Roman. â€Å"I don't know. What he asked me to do . . . well, it's pretty basic, as far as technique goes. It's what he wants me to do with it that's kind of wacky. I've read up on it a little this week, and honestly . . . I don't know if it's going to work.† I still didn't know what â€Å"it† was and had resigned myself to patience. Seth arrived shortly thereafter, mood bright and optimistic. Andrea's improvement after Carter's visit had been remarkable, and it was affecting everyone in the household. I crossed my fingers every day that Hell wouldn't send someone back to undo what Carter had done. Seth gave me a half hug and kissed me on the lips, a further sign of his good mood since he was usually so reserved in front of others. â€Å"You missed a good time,† he told me. He was wearing a Princess Bride shirt today. â€Å"I took Kendall and the twins Christmas shopping. They got Ian some used copies of The Metamorphosis and Candide.† â€Å"He's into those?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, they're great books, but I just never thought of them as his thing.† â€Å"Well, they aren't mainstream best sellers – like some people's sellout books – so he's into the elitist appeal. He likes to go to coffee shops – obscure ones that you've never been to, naturally – and pretend to read counterculture literature. He'll be glad to have the new material.† Seth's amusement faded as he took in the living room, with all its drawn shades and Roman carefully arranging the recliner (again). Noticing our attention, Roman paused and glanced between the three of us. â€Å"I wasn't sure what background noise would work best, so I loaded a few different things onto my iPod. I've got ocean waves, wind chimes, and white noise.† Hugh shrugged. â€Å"Makes no difference to me. I'm not the one being hypnotized.† â€Å"I'm still not sure I can be hypnotized,† said Seth. â€Å"But if it doesn't matter . . . hmm, are there seagulls with the ocean waves?† â€Å"Yes,† said Roman. â€Å"Then let's go white noise.† Roman obligingly started it up, filling the room with what sounded more like faulty radio reception than soothing neutral sounds. â€Å"Maybe you should keep it at a low volume,† I suggested delicately. â€Å"You know, you don't want it to be so soothing that Seth falls asleep.† Roman looked dubious, but at a nod from Seth, the volume decreased. I might not understand how hypnotizing Seth was going to play into Hell's greater plans, but so long as Roman believed it was necessary, Seth got to call the shots. Seth gave me a quick hand squeeze and a smile that was meant to be reassuring. He didn't like immortal affairs but had accepted this crazy venture for me. Following Roman's direction, Seth settled himself into the recliner and eased it back. Hugh pulled up a stool near Seth, but Roman and I sat on the periphery of the living room. Hypnosis required a minimum of distractions, which we clearly were. I'd even had to lock the cats up in my bedroom earlier, to make sure Aubrey and Godiva didn't decide to jump on Seth's lap mid-session. â€Å"Okay,† said Hugh, after clearing his throat. â€Å"Are you ready?† He took out a small notepad, filled with his illegible writing. It was the most low-tech thing I'd seen him use in a while. â€Å"Ready as I'll ever be,† said Seth. Hugh glanced at Roman and me briefly, perhaps in case we had a last-minute change of heart, and then returned to the notepad. â€Å"Okay, close your eyes and take a deep breath. . . .† I was familiar with some of the basics of hypnosis, and the exercises that Hugh began with were pretty standard. Although Seth had been joking, I too honestly wondered if he could be hypnotized. Part of his nature as a writer was to focus on all the details of the world, making it difficult to hone in on one thing sometimes. Of course, he could also show single-mindedness for his work, and that was the attribute that soon came out. After a few minutes of guided breathing, it became clear that Seth was definitely growing more and more relaxed. I almost thought he'd actually fallen asleep, until Hugh began asking him questions. Seth responded, eyes closed, voice perfectly steady. â€Å"I want you to go back,† said Hugh. â€Å"Back in your memories. Go past your thirties, into your twenties. From there, think about your college years. Then high school.† He allowed a pause. â€Å"Are you thinking about high school?† â€Å"Yes,† said Seth. â€Å"Okay. Go further back in time, back to middle school. Then elementary school. Can you remember a time before then? Before you started school?† There was a slight delay before Seth spoke. Then: â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What is your earliest memory?† â€Å"In a boat, with my father and Terry. We're on a lake.† â€Å"What are they doing?† â€Å"Fishing.† â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Watching. Sometimes I get to help hold a pole. But mostly I just watch.† I felt a knot form in my stomach. I didn't fully understand Roman's strategy here, but there was something terribly personal and vulnerable about what we were doing, listening to these memories. Seth rarely spoke of his father, who had passed away when Seth was in his early teens, and it seemed wrong to â€Å"make† him do it in this state. â€Å"Go back even further. Can you remember anything before that? Any earlier memories?† asked Hugh. He seemed uneasy, a sharp contrast to Seth's utter calmness. † No. â€Å" â€Å"Try,† said Hugh. â€Å"Try to go back further.† â€Å"I . . . I'm in a kitchen. The kitchen at our first house, in a high chair. My mom's feeding me, and Terry's walking through the door. He runs to her and hugs her. He's been gone all day, and I don't understand where he's been.† School, if I had to guess. I tried to put an age on this memory, using what I knew of the age difference between the brothers. How long did kids stay in high chairs? And how young would he have to be to not understand the concept of school? Three? Two? â€Å"That's great,† said Hugh. â€Å"That's really great. Now keep going even more. Go back to something even earlier.† I frowned, thinking they were kind of pushing it now. I was no expert in human memory, but I thought I'd once read about how two was the age when memories really began forming. Seth seemed to struggle with this as well, frowning despite his otherwise calm exterior. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"I've got one.† â€Å"Where are you?† said Hugh. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"What do you see?† â€Å"My mother's face.† â€Å"Anything else?† â€Å"No. That's all I remember of that.† â€Å"That's okay,† said Hugh. â€Å"Now find something else before that. Any memory. Any image or sensation.† â€Å"There's nothing,† said Seth. â€Å"Try,† said Hugh, not looking nearly as confident as he sounded. â€Å"It doesn't matter how vague it is. Anything you can remember. Anything at all.† â€Å"I . . . there's nothing,† said Seth, the frown deepening. â€Å"I can't remember anything before that.† â€Å"Try,† repeated Hugh. â€Å"Go further back.† This was getting ridiculous. I opened my mouth to protest, but Roman caught hold of my arm, silencing me. I glared at him, hoping I could convey all my frustrations at what they were doing to Seth in one look. Roman simply shook his head and mouthed Wait. â€Å"I remember . . . I remember faces. Faces looking at me. Everyone's so much bigger than me. But they're mostly shadows and light. I can't see . . . can't comprehend much detail.† Seth paused. â€Å"That's it. That's all there is.† â€Å"You're doing good,† said Hugh. â€Å"You're doing great. Just listen to the sound of my voice, and keep breathing. We need to go back even earlier. What do you remember before that? Before the faces?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Seth. â€Å"There's nothing there. Just blackness.† Roman shifted in his chair, going rigid. He leaned forward, eyes bright and excited. Hugh glanced over questioningly, and Roman gave an eager nod. Swallowing, Hugh turned back to Seth. â€Å"I need you . . . to go past the blackness. Go to the other side of it.† â€Å"I can't,† said Seth. â€Å"It's a wall. I can't cross it.† â€Å"You can,† said Hugh. â€Å"Listen to my voice. I'm telling you, you can. Push back in your memories, past the memories of this life, to the other side of the blackness. You can do it.† â€Å"I . . . I can't – † Seth cut himself off. For a moment, there was no other sound save the white noise on Roman's iPod, though it was a wonder I couldn't hear the pounding of my own heart. The frown that had been intensifying on Seth's face abruptly smoothed out. â€Å"I'm there.† Hugh shifted awkwardly, disbelief registering on his face. â€Å"You are? What are you doing? Where are you?† â€Å"I . . .† The frown returned, but it was different in nature. It was distress from the memory itself, not the effort. â€Å"I'm bleeding. In an alley.† â€Å"Are you . . . are you Seth Mortensen?† Hugh's voice was a whisper. † No. â€Å" â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"Luc.† The frown smoothed again. â€Å"And now I'm dead.† â€Å"Go back to the alley,† said Hugh, regaining his courage. â€Å"Before you . . . before, um, Luc died. How did it happen? Why were you bleeding?† â€Å"I was stabbed,† said Seth. â€Å"I was trying to defend a woman. A woman I loved. She said we couldn't be together, but I know she didn't mean it. Even if she didn't, I still would've died for her. I had to protect her.† It was about that point that I stopped breathing. â€Å"Where are you?† Hugh reconsidered his question. â€Å"Do you know the year?† â€Å"It's 1942. I live in Paris.† Roman reached across me to a stray catalog on a chair. Producing a pen, he scrawled something on the catalog's cover and then handed it to Hugh. Hugh read it and then gently placed it on the floor. â€Å"Tell me about the woman,† he said to Seth. â€Å"What's her name?† â€Å"Her name is Suzette.† Someone let out a strangled gasp. Me. I stood up then, and Roman jerked me back down. A million protests sprang to my lips, and he actually had the audacity to clamp a hand over my mouth. He shook his head sharply and hissed in my ear, â€Å"Listen.† Listen? Listen? He had no idea what he was asking. He had no idea what he was hearing. For that matter, I wasn't sure either. All I knew was that there was no way this could be happening. Much like the night I'd gotten into bed with Ian, I had the surreal feeling that the only way any of this could be real was if I'd accidentally stumbled into someone else's life. â€Å"Tell me about Suzette,† said Hugh. â€Å"She has blond hair and blue eyes,† said Seth levelly. â€Å"She moves like music, but none of the music I make can compare to her. She's so beautiful . . . but so cruel. Not that I think she means to be. I think she believes she's helping.† â€Å"Go back now,† said Hugh. â€Å"Back to your childhood, Seth – I mean, Luc. Go back to your earliest memories as Luc. Are you there?† â€Å"Yes,† said Seth. â€Å"What do you see?† â€Å"My mother's funeral, though I don't understand it. She was sick.† â€Å"Okay. I need you to go back again, younger and younger, back until you hit more blackness. Can you do that? Can you find it again?† Again, the rest of us held our breath, waiting for Seth to respond. â€Å"Yes,† he said. Hugh exhaled. â€Å"Go to the other side of that blackness, back before Luc. You can cross it. You did it before.† â€Å"Yes. I'm there.† â€Å"What is your name now?† â€Å"My name is Etienne. I live in Paris . . . but it's a different Paris. An earlier Paris. There are no Germans here.† â€Å"What do you do for a living?† â€Å"I'm an artist. I paint.† â€Å"Is there a woman in your life? Girlfriend? Wife?† â€Å"There's a woman, but she's none of those. I pay to be with her. She's a dancer named Josephine.† I began to feel ill. The world was spinning, and I lowered my head, willing everything to settle back to its rightful order. I didn't need to hear Seth next describe Josephine. I could've done it down to the last curl. â€Å"Do you love her?† Hugh asked Seth. â€Å"Yes. But she doesn't love me back.† â€Å"What happens to her?† â€Å"I don't know. I ask her to marry me, but she says she won't. That she can't. She tells me to find someone else, but there is no one else. How can there be?† Hugh had no answer for that, but he had his rhythm now. He kept repeating the pattern, pushing Seth back further and further through impossible memories, always crossing that black wall, always asking Seth's name and location, where he was, and if there was a woman who'd broken his heart. â€Å"My name is Robert. I live in Philadelphia, the first of my family born in the New World. We run a newspaper, and I love a woman who works for us. Her name is Abigail, and I think she loves me too . . . but she disappears one night without a word.† â€Å"My name is Niccol. I'm an artist in Florence. It's 1497 . . . and there's this woman . . . this amazing woman. Her name is Bianca, but . . . she betrays me.† â€Å"My name is Andrew. I'm a priest in southern England. There's a woman named Cecily, but I can't allow myself to love her, not even when the plague takes me. . . .† On and on it went, and with each step Hugh helped Seth take back, part of my heart broke. All of this was impossible. Seth couldn't have lived all these lives and times he was describing – and not just because of the obvious problems of life and death as we knew them. Seth wasn't just describing his lives. He was describing mine. I had lived every one of these lives that Seth described. I had been Suzette, Josephine, Abigail, Bianca, Cecily . . . They were all identities I'd assumed, people I'd become when Hell had transferred me to new places over the centuries. I would reinvent myself, take on a new name, appearance, and vocation. For every one of my identities Seth mentioned, I had lived a dozen more. But the ones he talked about . . . the ones he claimed to know as well, they were the ones that stuck out to me. Because although I'd had countless lovers, in countless places, there were a handful who had struck some part of my soul, a handful whom I had truly loved, despite the impossibility of our situations. And Seth was touching upon every one of them, checking them off like items on a grocery list. Only, he wasn't just talking about these men I'd loved. He was talking about being them. Whereas I had created these lives, he was acting as though he'd been born into them, born as these lovers I'd had, only to die and be reborn again in some other place with me. . . . It was impossible. It was terrifying. And eventually, it stopped. â€Å"That's it,† said Seth at last. â€Å"I can't go back further.† â€Å"You know you can,† said Hugh. â€Å"You've done it before. Are you at the blackness again?† â€Å"Yes . . . but it's different than before. It's not like the others. It's more solid. Harder to cross. Impossible to cross.† â€Å"Not impossible,† said Hugh. â€Å"You've already proven that. Cross back to the next life.† â€Å"I can't.† The thing was, I was beginning to agree with Seth. I didn't think there was anything else he could go back to, not if he was paralleling my lives. I'd jumped ahead of him at one point and made some educated guesses on what he would say, and I'd been right each time. I knew how many great loves I'd had as a succubus, and there were none left. Before Seth, there had been eight. â€Å"Push through,† urged Hugh. â€Å"I can't,† said Seth. â€Å"They won't let me. I'm not supposed to remember.† â€Å"Remember what?† â€Å"That life. The first life.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"It's part of the bargain. My bargain. No, wait. Not mine. Hers, I think. I'm not supposed to remember her. But how can I not?† It was another of those rhetorical questions, and Hugh looked to Roman and me for help. The imp had been confident there for a while, once the lives began rolling off so easily, but this was something different. Seth wasn't making a lot of sense, not that this had all been particularly crystal clear so far. Roman made gestures that seemed to be both encouraging and impatient, with a general notion that Hugh should improvise. â€Å"Who's this bargain with?† asked Hugh. â€Å"I . . . I don't know. They're just there, waiting for me in the blackness. After the first life. I'm supposed to go on to the light, but I can't. There's something missing. I'm incomplete. My life has been incomplete . . . but I can't remember why. . . .† Seth furrowed his brow, straining with the effort of remembering. â€Å"I just know I can't move on. So they make a bargain.† â€Å"What's the bargain?† â€Å"I can't remember.† â€Å"Yes, you can,† said Hugh, surprisingly gentle. â€Å"You were just talking about it.† â€Å"I don't remember the details.† â€Å"You said it was about you being incomplete. Something was missing.† â€Å"No . . . someone. My soul mate.† Seth's breathing, which had been so steady throughout all of this, grew a little shaky. â€Å"I'm supposed to go on with her, into the light. I can feel it. I wasn't supposed to live that life alone. I wasn't supposed to go to the light afterward alone. But she's not there. She's not anywhere I can get to now. They say they'll give me a chance to find her, a chance to find her and remember. They say I can have ten lives to be with her again but that one is used up. Then I have to go with them forever.† â€Å"This life that you can't remember,† prompted Hugh. â€Å"You said it's your first life, right? The one that's on the other side of this, uh, extra thick wall of blackness? The life they say you've already used?† â€Å"Yes,† said Seth. â€Å"That's the first. The one I'm supposed to forget.† â€Å"You can remember it,† said Hugh. â€Å"You're already remembering parts of it, things you aren't supposed to. Go to the other side of the blackness, before the bargain, before your death. What do you remember?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Do you remember a woman? Think about the bargain. The soul mate. Can you remember her?† Seth's silence stretched into eternity. â€Å"I . . . yes. Kind of. I feel her absence, though I don't understand it at the time.† â€Å"Have you made it back yet?† asked Hugh. â€Å"To the first life?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What is your name?† â€Å"Kyriakos.† â€Å"Do you know where you are? Where you live?† â€Å"I live south of Pafos.† The name meant nothing to Hugh, but it meant everything to me. I began to slowly shake my head, and Roman gripped hold of my arm again. I'm not sure what he was afraid I'd do. It seemed to be an all-purpose attempt to keep me from interrupting the nightmare unfolding before me, either with word or movement. He needn't have worried. The rest of me was frozen. â€Å"Do you know the year?† asked Hugh. â€Å"No,† said Seth. â€Å"What do you do?† Hugh asked. â€Å"What's your job?† â€Å"I'm a musician. Unofficially. Mostly I work for my father. He's a merchant.† â€Å"Is there a woman in your life?† † No. â€Å" â€Å"You just said there was. Your soul mate.† Seth considered. â€Å"Yes . . . but she's not there. She was, and then she wasn't.† â€Å"If she was, then you must be able to remember her. What's her name?† He shook his head. â€Å"I can't. I'm not supposed to remember her.† â€Å"But you can. You're already doing it. Tell me about her.† â€Å"I don't remember,† said Seth, the faintest touch of frustration in his voice. â€Å"I can't.† Hugh tried a new tactic. â€Å"How do you feel? How do you feel when you think of her?† â€Å"I feel . . . wonderful. Complete. Happier than I ever believed possible. And yet . . . at the same time, I feel despair. I feel horrible. I want to die.† â€Å"Why? Why do you feel both happiness and despair?† â€Å"I don't know,† said Seth. â€Å"I don't remember.† â€Å"You do. You can remember.† â€Å"Roman,† I breathed, finding my voice at last. â€Å"Make this stop.† He only shook his head, eyes riveted on Seth. Roman's entire body was filled with tension and eagerness, anxiously straining forward for the last pieces of info to fill out the theory he'd put together. â€Å"She . . . I loved her. She was my world. But she betrayed me. She betrayed me and tore my heart out.† â€Å"Her name,† said Hugh, catching some of Roman's excitement. â€Å"What was her name?† â€Å"I can't remember,† said Seth, shifting uncomfortably. â€Å"It's too terrible. They made me forget. I want to forget.† â€Å"But you didn't,† said Roman, suddenly standing up. â€Å"You didn't forget it. What is it? What is the woman's name?† Seth's eyes flew open, either because of his own inner turmoil or from Roman breaking the trance. Either way, the calm state of relaxation was gone. Raw emotions played over Seth's features: shock, sorrow, hate. And as he gazed around and reoriented himself to his surroundings, his eyes – and all of those dark, terrible feelings – focused on me. â€Å"Letha,† he gasped. â€Å"Her name is Letha.†

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie Essay The Characters and short about their backgrounds: Mr Justice Wargrave Had worked as a Judge for many years and had a fine reputation all over the country. He had killed several people by giving them the death sentence one of them is Edward Seton. Seton was probably innocent. Vera Claythorne Worked as a Schoolmistress. Her crime was killing Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton, by not trying to help him by while he was about to drown. She was his nanny. Philip Lombard Explorer, that has travelled all around the world. Was known as a man that you can rely on in stressful situations. He killed 21 men of an East African tribe by leaving them when mercenaries attacked their village. Miss Emily Brent Was an old cynical lady. Because of her a girl named Beatrice Taylor killed herself by jumping from a bridge. She was working with Emily as a maid. And when she got pregnant Emily froze her out. General Macarthur An old General who sent a man named Arthur Richmond to a certain death when he found out that he was having an affair with his wife. Dr Armstrong He owned a practice and was very popular in the upper class of England. He accidentally killed Louisa Mary Clees. He operated her while he was drunk and she died because of that. Tony Marston A man in his mid twenties, very handsome and popular around women. He drives very carelessly and ran over John and Lucy Combes. They both died. Mr Blore A former inspector at Scotland yard. Because of him James Stephen Landor died. He killed himself after being sent to prison innocent. Blore planted the evidence against Landor. Mr and Mrs Rogers They worked as servants. Were married. They worked for Jennifer Brady. Jennifer was a sick old Lady and giving her, her medicine, was a part of their job. One time they didnt give it to her and they inherited a lot of money. One day in August, eight people got a mysterious letter. Eight strangers, all carry a well-hidden secret. They are all invited to Nigger Island, an island that was very famous for people who like to read gossip magazines. The Island is located right outside the Devon coast, and is called Nigger Island cause the island is shaped like a head with the lips of a Negro. They all arrive on time but the weather is terrible and the women are a bit anxious about being on the Island since theres a storm coming. When they get to the Island, they find out that their host and hostess are delayed. They arent alone on the Island. The Owens has hired two servants, Mr and Mrs Rogers. Including them, they are ten people. Mr and Mrs Rogers serve a fantastic dinner, and serve them drinks afterwards. While Mr Rogers serves them the drinks, they hear a mysterious voice. The voice accuses every one of them of a terrible crime: MURDER! Mrs Rogers fainted of the shock. They tried to find out where the voice came from, and discovered that its a gramophone put up against the wall in the adjoining room. They are all very upset, and thats why no one thinks its a murder when Anthony Marston dies just a few minutes later. He choked of his drink, said the doctor, then he gave Mrs Roger a sleeping drug and sent her to bed. Thats how the terrible story began. The others sat up late discussing the mystery about all this. First the very vague invitation, then the voice and their missing host and hostess. They also discuss the letters, and discover that there are different senders. The sender is always a U. N. Owen = unknown. And why the shower curtains were missing. Early next morning Dr Armstrong woke up by someone knocking on his door. It was Mr Rogers, something was wrong with his wife. He couldnt wake her. When Dr Armstrong takes a look at her, he sees that shes dead. Probably heart failure, he cant know for sure without his medical instruments. Thats why nobody thinks the second death is a murder. But when General Macarthur dies from a hard hit in the back of his head while hes sitting on the beach, they start to wonder. After discussing the evidence, as Judge Wargrave calls it they come to the conclusion, that Mr unknown is one of them. The weather is so bad that no one could be able to get out to the island. Not even the daily boat with groceries came. The next on the list was Mr Rogers. He was out chopping wood for the fireplace when someone almost cut his head of with an axe. The men found him a few hours later, when they wondered why he hadnt woken them up. Suddenly Vera remembered something: The old nursery jingle. Ten little nigger boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine. Nine little nigger boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight. Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon; One said hed stay there and then there were seven. Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six. Six little nigger boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five. Five little nigger boys going in for law; One got into Chancery and then there were four. Four little nigger boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three. Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two. READ: The characters of Birling and Goole in An Inspector Calls EssayTwo little nigger boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one. One little nigger boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and there were none. My God, he was killing by the jingle! Anthony Marston choked, Mrs Rogers overslept, General Macarthur stayed on the coast of Devon and Mr Rogers was chopping up sticks. Another weird thing is the tray with the adornment little nigger boys, in the dining room. After each death theres one missing. And no one notices until after the second death. The fifth to be killed was Miss Emily Brent. She was sitting alone in the dining room, when the killer struck. She was half-asleep from a sleeping drug, which the killer had slipped into her coffee, when she was killed with a cyanide injection. Vera came to fetch her, but when she heard a bumblebee buzzing, she knew what had happened. Now there were only five of them left. I guess theres no need to say that the atmosphere was very tensed and they were all very frightened. Vera went to bed early that night, and no one had to tell her to lock her door carefully. The men remained downstairs talking. They were trying to figure out how they all could be lured into this mess. Philip Lombard had been asked to come to protect Mrs Unknown jewellery, he had even brought a gun. While they were talking Vera went into her room, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and in a second or two, the men broke into her room. They turned on the lights, and discovered that the hand was seaweed hanging from the ceiling, but something else was wrong. Someone was missing the Judge. When they got to the living room he was sitting in a chair, with a judge wig and robe. It was Emilys missing yarn and the shower curtain. He was dead, shot in the head, probably with Mr Lombards gun. Mr Lombard, was now a suspect. So they put all lethal weapons and drugs into a box with a lock on it, and then put the box in a chest that also had a lock on it. They gave one key to Mr Lombard, and the other one to Mr Blore. So if someone wanted to open the boxes they had to have both keys. That night Vera went to bed feeling a bit safer. She thought the boat would come in the morning, and with all dangerous weapons locked up, they would survive the night no doubt. Mr Blore was determined not to fall asleep. So he lay on his bed waiting for something to happen. And his waiting paid of. Around half past two, he heard footsteps outside his door. He sprung to his feet; noiseless he opened the door, just in time to see doctor Armstrong walk out the front door. He went to fetch Lombard and together they searched for Dr Armstrong. When the morning came, the two men were sure that Dr Armstrong was the killer. They woke Vera up and told her what had happened during the night. The Island was very small and bare, so theres no place to hide except or the house. They figured that there was nothing left to do, so they went down to the bridge and waited for the boat. They knew who the killer was, they had searched the whole island last night without finding him and Lombard had his gun with him. It was finally over they thought. In good faith, Mr Blore went up to the house to get them something to eat. After a while Vera and Lombard wondered were he were, and went up to the house to look for him. They found him dead, hit in the head by a stone statue formed as a bear. The statue had fallen from the window above. Now they knew who the killer was. It was Dr Armstrong and this proved that he was still alive. Vera and Lombard went for a walk on the cliffs, they figured they would be safer there. Because there they could se him coming long before he could get to them. Suddenly Vera saw something in the water. It was stuck between two rocks. They went down to look at it and when they got closer they realised it was a human body. They pulled up the body and when they saw whom it was Lombard pulled his gun. It was Dr Armstrong! With only two people alive on the island they knew that it had to be one of them. Vera insisted that they should lay Armstrongs body over the high tide mark. The body was heavy, and while Lombard was busy with the body Vera stole his gun. They struggled with the gun for a few minutes and suddenly the gun went off. Lombard fell dead to the ground. Vera went up to the house. In every guestroom she saw a dead body on the bed: first Anthony Marston, then Mrs Rogers, General Macarthur, Mr Rogers, Miss Brent and Judge Wargrave. She felt very tired, though she hadnt eaten anything all she could think of was to go to sleep. She went into her room. In the middle of the room there was a noose hanging from the roof with a chair under. READ: Alice Walker-Everyday Use EssayShe climbed up the chair a put the noose around her neck like she was in a trance. Then she kicked the chair away. People on shore had been told that there was going to be a test on the island, to see how people react when they are marooned on an island for a week. Thats why the boat didnt come. But after a few days they started to wonder. When the boat got there, all they found were dead bodies and the worst crime mystery England ever seen. They knew the order of the crimes, cause Vera had written a diary and they knew the time of death of Lombard. The rest they could figure out. Vera hanged herself, but normally the chair would lie on the floor, but it was neatly put upright in a corner. And the gun lying in the hallway. The police were puzzled but everything solved when a fisherman found a message in a bottle. The Judge, Mr Justice Wargrave, had written the message. This is the content of the letter: He was the murderer, and the reason that he killed all those people was because ha had always felt a need for killing. But he also had a strong sense of whats right and whats wrong. And one day when he was talking to his colleagues they discussed that there must be a lot of crimes that the law cant touch. Crimes like death help and car accidents often cant be proved. In his mind he came up with a plan. A plan that would help him convict murderers. He loured nine people to the island including him they would be ten. Finding the people wasnt very hard. He asked people hed met a few questions, and without knowing it people told him exactly what he wanted to know. He chose the Nigger Island cause the name fitted with the old nursery jingle he had learned at school as a child. Slipping cyanide in Tony Marstons drink wasnt difficult, cause at that time no one suspected murder, same thing with Mrs Rogers. General Macarthur was also an easy target while he was sitting alone on the beach. Everyone was asleep when he killed Mr Rogers and Miss Brent wasnt suspecting anything when he put sugar in her coffee. And by the time he gave her the lethal dose of cyanide, she was to affected by the drug to notice him. He engineered his own death with the help of Dr Armstrong. He told him that he knew a way to find out who the murder was. They would convince the others that he was dead so he could snoop around without anyone knowing. All the doctor had to do was to say that he was dead, and ketchup did the trick with the bullet hole. He told the Doctor that he wanted to meet him on the cliffs later. When the good doctor came, he was pushed into the ocean. No one could she him when he threw the bear of stone at Blore. Vera took care of Lombard and herself. All he had to do was to put the chair back, and then take his own life. And he built some kind of catapult to throw the gun into the hallway after he had taken his own life. But first, he wrote this letter. My notes: Theres really not much to write about the characters, because Agatha hasnt written much about them. Just their actions and reactions, not much about their appearances. I think that her main reason about the book was just to entertain people, to give us something scary to read. The book is realistic but it in the same time its not. I wouldnt be surprised if some maniac really did something like his, not in Sweden though. Agatha Christie has written the book from an observers point of view. But she also get individual sometimes, you know what Veras thinking when she writes in her diary and so on. The book is written in old-fashioned everyday English speech. For example: Fancy a drink ehh? My thoughts about the book: I liked the book but I dont think its one of her best. Ive read quite a few but I liked the other ones better. I cant say that the novel has effected me, not like On the beach. After that book I started o think about world peace and things like that, but as I said this isnt likely to happen in Sweden. I dont know what else to say, I liked the book, it didnt affect me in any special way and I cant recognise their feelings in my own life. Agatha Christie Agatha Christie is famous throughout the world. She has written 78 crime novels, 19 plays and 6 novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott. Her books have sold billions of copies in English and another billion in 44 other languages. Her last published book, sleeping murder, was published in 1976. Staring: Miss Marple, one of two persons that she often used in her books. The other one is Hercule Poirot. Hercule was a detective and Miss Marple was an old lady who kept her eyes open and had a sense for details. They always solved their murders. She was born in Torquay, and were married to Sir Max Mallowan, archaeologist.

Viuses are Non-living particles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Viuses are Non-living particles - Essay Example The modes of transfer of viruses from one person to the other vary significantly. Viruses can be spread through vomits, coughs, sneezes as well as bites from infected organisms (Shors, 4). There are several reasons why viruses are included in biology even though they are non-living. One of the reasons why viruses are included in biology is the fact that they affect living organisms in various ways (Mettenleiter & Francisco, 73 ). Viruses are always associated with several serious diseases in living organisms. Viruses are known to be pathogenic to human beings. They can lead to alteration of the activities of the cells that they have invaded (Shors, 54). This is because viruses are only active when they are inside living cells. Viruses also have the ability to attack as well as infect bacterial cells. These are some of the reasons why viruses are included in biology. Treatment of viral infections is always very difficult using antibiotics. This is because viruses always hide inside the cells (Rogers, 75). This presents a big challenge for the antibiotics to reach them. Therefore, treating viral infections with antibodies is difficult. In addition, the nature of viruses makes it difficult to treat them with antibiotics. Viruses have simple structures. As such they use their host cells’ structures to accomplish their activities. This makes it ineffective to use antibiotics to cure

Marriott International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriott International - Essay Example It should be noted that the company tries to occupy different positions on the mind of each customer through its different product lines. After looking at its different positioning strategy, this paper will identify the strategic issues or risks faced by the organization. Lastly, it will also offer recommendations based on the conducted analysis. Marriott International offers an extensive array of accommodation products and services. The company's products range from affordable to luxurious lodging. It can be deduced that the company provides customers with the most basic accommodation packages at lower prices while it also excels in offering the luxury of value added services and fulfilling even the unfulfilled wishes of their guests. Marriott International's portfolio is composed of 16 brands: Marriott's Hotels and Resorts; JW Marriott Hotels and Resort; Renaissance Hotels and Resorts; Courtyard; Residence Inn; Fairfield Inn; Marriott Conference; TownePlace Suites; SpringHill Suites; Marriott Vacation Club International; Horizons; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company; Ritz-Carlton Club; Marriott Execustay; Marriott Executive Apartment; and Grand Residences (Mariott International 2006). These various brands are marketed using different marketing mixes. However, it can be seen that Marriott International generally uses five major strategies-cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated cost leadership and differentiation. It should be noted that Marriott pursue cost leadership in its Fairfield Inn brand which provides "consistent quality lodging at an affordable price." Differentiation is applied to its luxury brand Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott. It should be noted these hotels offer plain accommodation services but "experiences." Focused differentiation is applied to Marriott Vacation Club, ExecuStay, and Renaissance which accommodates a narrow segment of the market by offering highly differentiated service. The company employs focused cost leadership through its SpringHill Suites. Much of its product line banks on integrated cost leadership and differentiation like Courtyard and TownePlace Suites. The sales trend of Marriott International proves that both corporate and business unit strategies of the firm are working for its benefit. Right now, the company boasts of recording approximately $20 billion. Even though Marriott occupies different places in the mind of its customers, the company was able to strengthen its competitive position through its aggressive marketing efforts. The company was able to avoid confusion by strategically designing marketing mixes which clearly delineates one brand from the other. This was done by differentiating the products, promotion, and price strategies for each brand. What is notable though is Marriott's strong commitment in extending excellent service to its guests. The company often differentiates its products not only on the unique lodging designs and features but also on the service extended by its staff. Marriott banks on its capacity of knowing the needs and wants of its clientele. The company's aggressive effort of instilling unique f eatures to its products in its entire portfolio really paid off. 3.0 Recommendation Since

Admission Acceptance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Admission Acceptance - Essay Example Everything was so different. I had left behind in my homeland, everything that seemed normal and natural to me and found myself in a completely alien culture. My proficiency in English was barely passable. Not only did I have difficulty expressing myself, I found it difficult, as well, to understand spoken English here. Since those first few trying months, I have gained a firm grasp of the language and, more importantly, the cultural and language nuances that were so foreign to me at first.Something as simple as school was very strange from what I was accustomed to; the schools in India are very different from those here in the US, and it was almost overwhelming initially, but I have since overcome those barriers. My school work did suffer to an extent during my transition, and therefore, my grades do not fully reflect my potential or intelligence. I had to work harder than most of my peers in order to keep up in my schoolwork, not because I was not smart enough, but because everythi ng was new and different and I had to become fluent in English. It did affect my grades, but it taught me much about myself and what I am capable of. I have gained valuable insight into what I can accomplish in my life and learned that at times the important lessons we learn cannot be measured by external standards.

Business statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business - Statistics Project Example In order to test the hypothesis, the significance level chosen was 0.05 while for constructing confidence interval a 95% confidence level was chosen. The data gathered through random sampling is attached in the Appendix. Since the sample size is large the independent sample t test was conducted for hypothesis testing assuming equal variances. The results showed that that the sample represented the population in a true manner while the hypothesis testing provided that there is no significant difference between male and female students in the IQ levels. The correlation between intelligence and gender has passed through several distinct phases. During the 19th century, when general adult suffrage was a social and political issue in some parts of the world, intelligence and gender was considered a topic of great interest for studying. Since, many proposed it as a requirement for allowing of suffrage that both male and female should have equal level of intelligence. Moreover, historically women were not allowed to excel in academics and were kept within the houses to perform domestic chores. The topic had remained under investigation since ages due to the social differences that prevailed between male and female and so has been incorporated in the study. Explorations on biological gender differences within the context of human psychology attempt to investigate the behavioral and cognitive differences between males and females. Such research makes use of experimental testing of cognition in diverse forms. These tests are based on the potential differences that may exist in areas like spatial reasoning, IQ, spatial reasoning, emotion, aggression, brain structure and its operation. Amongst the investigators around the world, it has always remained a challenging aspect whether intelligence has any correlation with gender differences. While investigating the differences of level of intelligence amongst

Language Anthropology in Different Societies Essay

Language Anthropology in Different Societies - Essay Example The development of languages follows cultural experiences of the people owning the language. Some languages remain limited to the societies speaking the language, and their spread remains constrained to limited space location. In localized languages, the grammatical use of languages remains constricted within varied environments; hence limitation in the development of these languages. Linguistic anthropology focuses on different paradigms that enable continuity of languages avoiding extinction of languages, like the cases of various North American languages (Eriksen, 1995). The development of languages in different societies remains unique and follows different societal elements that assist in the composition of languages. Grammatical descriptions of languages help researchers in analyzing the different elements of language development across numerous societies. The socio-cultural identity of language defines how language develops in children as they grow. Children in different societies acquire language skills through the environmental factors affecting social development. Language acquisition skills in children follow the various the various societal elements including the behaviors of the people owning the language (Fedorak, 2008). Within societies, children acquire the languages spoken within their immediate environments. The development of lingual capabilities in children, therefore, remains heavily reliant on the surrounding society and environment. Socialisation remains a fundamental element of language acquisition in children adopting their first language. Individuals living in different societies socialize children to language through naturally occurring stories, often told to children through other individuals within the society. Language acquisition in different societies occurs accompanied by the enculturation, with both processes occurring concurrently.  

Competency based education in terms of its suitability to Respriatory Essay

Competency based education in terms of its suitability to Respriatory care education - Essay Example Respiratory care education requires systematic approach due to the complex level of knowledge and skills that the students are required to have them become competent practitioners. Respiratory care practice is also a regulated profession that has guideline and standards which the practitioners should meet (Wyka, Mathew and Clark 5). These make the respiratory care education to require a systematic but flexible approach. The competency-based education is well known to provide this kind of characteristics to a learning process and thus it can play a fundamental role in the sustainability of this kind of education. Competency based education can play various roles in the sustainability of respiratory care education. One of the major roles it can play is assisting in the selection and design of the module or course content. Another role it can play is assisting in the identification of individual course or module performance objectives. It can also assist in defining the ways in which respiratory care education can use to administer the course content. Competency based education can also assist in the selection of the kind of assessment that is suitable for the kind of competency that the learners are required to attain in respiratory care education. Another way that this kind of education can assist is through providing an evaluation method that can relate individual’s performance to the specified criteria or standards. This can assist in informing the trainers whether the students have developed the level of competency that is sufficient for effective practicing as respiratory care pro fessions. Competency based education program involves a selection of the knowledge and skills which should be taught in a course as well as determination of how these knowledge and skills should be taught. It also involves the selection of the

Evaluative Review Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluative Review Assignment - Essay Example Recommendations Organize with parents to address ways to identify if their child has destructive tendencies According to Jimerson and Furlong (2006), this is a better way of dealing with a student’s aggressive behavior. Parents are better positioned to evaluate their children mannerisms and take the necessary measures. Education about the signs of this behavior will assist parents in taming their misdemeanor. Application of this will streamline a student’s morals and methods of associating with others. Parents are occasionally determinants of a child’s character development. Therefore, their children are more likely to take heed of their advice. Metal Detectors According to Jimerson and Furlong (2006), the employment of a metal detector in searches is highly advisable. It is in the interest of all students that this practice is approved. Some students who have malicious intentions towards the teaching staff or fellow comrades are capable of carrying weapons to th is effect. However, persons who do it should not abuse this activity. This measure will definitely discourage students from transporting harmful objects to schools. Metal detectors have proven effective in sectors such as airports and highly guarded government institutions. It has reduced potential threats such as terrorism and smuggling. Follow the law The law is a guideline of limitations and freedoms we should exercise. Teachers are to exercise acceptable disciplining methods of students who have behavioral cases (Conoley and Goldstein 2004). Disciplinary punishment should be implemented to the extent instructed by law. Excessive use of force in disciplinary cases often initiates some violent and rude behaviors from students. This can have extensive consequences as the student can resort to unconventional ways of coming even. Conoley also suggests that statistically, in many cases students win legal cases concerning discipline and the institution suffers the embarrassment. Teache rs should be more cautious on this issue. Training School Staff The schools staff both administrative and non-administrative is instrumental in ensuring proper safety precautions are adhered to (Conoley and Goldstein, 2004).Violence is impartial and occurs randomly in view of the supposition that it is intricate to determine a person’s intentions. Students have developed clever ways to conceal their intentions. Therefore, the staff including teachers, train guards and drivers should focus on violence prevention. The staff should be trained to take steps promptly when violence occurs. This will help them mitigate the adverse effects that associate to this vice. They should also be trained to detect destructive behavior in the initial stages thus enabling them prevents unavoidable that was to happen. According to Daniels and Bradley (2011), ignorance of the staff of growing tensions between students is what leads to the columbine High school riot. Violent incidences were ignore d based on the perpetrators social status in the institution. This allowed the popular and senior students assault their fellow junior scholars uncontrollably. The intimidated student’s collective anger led to the rampage. The staff was vindicated on their negligence of the spiteful activities that were occurring in that institution. Establishment of Good Trust relationship with Students According to Daniels and Bradley (2011), most of the students who partake in these acts have

The first two chapters of Hard Times Essay Example for Free

The first two chapters of Hard Times Essay Dickenss was a lively writer who knew what he wanted to write about but also what his readers wanted to read. In each of his books dickenss is careful to select a balance between his own ideas a morel intention with that of what the Victorian public enjoyed, (mystery, crime, romance and comedy). Dickens also felt strongly about the unfair class division in the cities. He was determined to portray the wrongs done to children and make a stand against the utilitarianism in society. (Perhaps his own childhood experiences never left him). All of these factors contributed to the initial creation of Hard Times. In this essay, I will look at the satiric methods Dickens uses in the opening chapter of Hard Times). When first reading the opening chapters of the novel it is apparent that there is an obvious difference in style and language from todays text. The sentences are far longer, some of the language is unfamiliar and Dickenss is clearly manipulating the reader. To do this, Dickens uses a number of techniques, such as humour, irony, wit and exaggeration to describe the education system in this period. These methods combined are known as satire and are all used simultaneously to engage the reader into reading further and believing the plot. This was a very common tool used in the Victorian time as it encompassed comedy and exaggeration to attack an otherwise difficult situation. However this method sometimes involved the twisting of facts and over amplification of ideas in order to convey a view point. Despite this, the technique was widely accepted by Victorian society as they much preferred an exciting and interesting read. Determined to portray an insight into the education system, dickens set about describing a sinister class room scene with the aid of satire. The school is host to a new schoolmaster starting his first day teaching pupils. Dickenss carefully assigns names to each character in relation to their individual personality or stature. For example, the figures of authority are named Mr Gradgrind and Mr Chokumchild which both suggest rough, abrasive and menacing individuals. In contrast a young girl, new to the class, is named Sissy Jupe. A name which compliments her weak, feminine and vulnerable persona.

Labeling Theory Of Deviance Essay Example for Free

Labeling Theory Of Deviance Essay Various theories have been put forward to explain the causes of crime and delinquency in society. The Labelling theory of crime argues that the tendency to perceive and treat people as offenders precipitates their engagement in crime. It is based on the hypothesis that people will assume the labels that they have been given to them by the society. Labelling in this case works to reinforce deviant behaviour as well as solidifying the deviant identities in the society. In other words labelling people as criminals plays a significant role in increasing or rather causing crime in the society. (Burke R,2005). As Tannenbaum, an early sociologist supporting the labelling theory of crime argued that the process of tagging, defining, identifying, segregating, describing and emphasizing that certain individuals as deserving special treatment is a way of stimulating, suggesting, suggesting and evoking the traits being complained of makes people become what they are described as being. Symbolic interactionalism is based on the agency analysis of deviance and social control. In this case deviance is viewed as a label which is imposed on the subjects who after rejecting or accepting the labels construct deviant identities as well as careers. To change such a situation the need for radical transformation is more of a necessity than a requirement. Labelling theory of crime can be blamed for the increased instances of crime as the criminal justice system tries to curb it. People who are arrested, prosecuted and punished are labelled as ‘criminals’ and the society deems them as such. A large proportion of the society also joins hands in labelling them as such and this increases their tendency to indulge in criminal behaviours. When people are labelled as criminals it is difficult for them to effectively adjust into the society and for instance they may fail to obtain legitimate employment, a factor that increases their likelihood to indulge in crime. (Burke R,2005). They may also face isolation from the mainstream society and this could trigger psychological problems which are highly correlated to criminality. When the labelled criminals internalize the self concept that they are criminals they tend to increase criminality behaviours as after all they are perceived as criminals and should behave as such. (Coser L, 2006). Offenders ought to be treated as sick characters to make it easier for the criminal justice system to offer best treatment for ease reintegration into the society. This way the stigmatization would be dealt with amicably. Labelling could occur from the society as a whole or the system, family, among peers as well as in schools from teachers. Labelling in crime tends to be more frequent or intense among the minority groups whose voice is almost insignificant in society. How a society reacts after it has labelled criminals is what determines if a crime is to dwindle or intensify. Societies that labels criminals and for a long term reject them in the society increases their likelihood to commit crime while the society that tries to assist the labelled criminals to effectively integrate into the society reduces the rates of crime that could have been attributed by labelling. Erving Goffman is among the sociologists whose ideologies could be useful in explaining the labeling theory of crime. He is popular for the notion of total institutions. He defined ‘total institutions’ as places of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals are cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time. Together these people lead an enclosed formally administered round of life. Goffman further highlighted the discrepancies between those who reside in the total institutions and those in the larger general population. In the larger population man works, plays and sleeps in varying places, with varying people, different authorities and in the absence of an overall rational plan. (Hawkins J and Kirkland F, 2001). This is contrary with the scenario in the total institutions where there are barriers between those three aspects. Life in the total institutions is clear or definite and this creates the notion that they exist for a good reason among the general population. There is no freedom in the total institutions as is experienced in the ‘home world’ or the general population. To Goffman the inmates being sent to prisons or total institutions already know the culture they are to expect though the reality is actually felt or experienced after admission. (Hawkins J and Kirkland F, 2001). Goffman identified three major phases in the life of an inmate. The first one is before they get into the total institutions that is when they are still in the ‘home world’, when they in the institutions and when they re enter the home world after release from the total institutions. He focused on the similarities that exist in the varying institutions. He argues that all aspects of life are conducted in the same place and under the same or a single authority. This means that all prisons will have similar experiences. All these aspects were carried on in the immediate company of a large batch of others all of whom were treated alike and needed to do the same things together. Another observation made was that all phases of a day’s activities were to be tightly scheduled and one activity led at a pre-arranged time to the next. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987)Notably, the whole sequence of activities was imposed from a higher system of explicit formal rulings and a body of officials a clear indication of alienation and dominance within the total institutions. The various enforced activities are brought together into a single rational plan which is designed to fulfill the official aims of the institution. The roles that are performed by the inmates in the total institutions serve interests or are for the aims of the institution rather than the individual. Goffman identified four major dimensions of institutional life ranging from the rigidity of the routine, block treatment of inmates, depersonalization of inmates and social distance between the staff and the inmates which Goffman termed as binary management. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987) Before one gets into prison they are from the ‘home world’ where they already have an established conception of themselves. Entrance into the ‘total institutions’ strips them off the benefits attached to the’ home world’. Here, they are subjected to a series of abasement, degradation and humiliation. The consequence of this is that their self becomes horrified. When in the institution an individual develops a moral career which is determined or influenced by his surrounding. The role of the significant other becomes critical at this point. Goffman observed further that in the total institutions the process by which individuals were mortified was rather standard across all of them. This is a clear indication that life in these institutions is quite different from that which is experienced in the larger world and that it is a difficult task to have inmates maintain the same traits they had before they got there. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987). Again, since the conditions were similar across the total institutions they were likely to exhibit similar traits. The first restriction of the self for the inmates takes place when the total institutions act as a barrier between the inmate and the general population. In the civilian life one’s sequential roles are not in conflict with one another and so no roles hinders or rather blocks the performance of the others regardless of how frequent they were. Life in the institutions is in such a manner that role scheduling is disrupted as the inmates do not dictate what to do and when to do it. In other words they are denied the freedom to decide what role to perform and at what time. Instead there are round the clock surveillance where orders given are to be followed to the letter. In addition to the role scheduling being disrupted in the institution, role dispossession also takes place, Visitors are restricted and one is also restricted from frequenting places they initially did. Depending on whether the entrance into the total institution was voluntary or involuntary entry to such institutions somehow prepares the individual to withdraw from ‘home world’ or from the general population. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987). This preparation makes the adaptation in the new environment easier. Involuntary entry into the total institutions is however different as one may not be prepared for the new kind of life. Inmates may find themselves perform some roles that they learnt in the institutions on return to the general world. All the same there are certain houses that will have to be incurred or faced for instance the time for education or parenting. There is also the loss of legal privileges for instance one may not be in a position to attend to court proceedings on matters that affect them directly for instance adoption of a child. These privileges may be short term they maybe enjoyed on the completion of the term. However there are others with long term ramifications. The realization that one has not lost certain rights due to the barrier between him and the outside world may not auger well with him. There are other challenges that the inmate faces on return to the society. For instance there are the admission requirements where certain standards have to be followed or adhered to. On entrance to the total institutions various losses are incurred as for instance one may lose their hair, their identity as they are assigned numbers, they undress and change their clothes and are given institutional uniforms, they list their possessions, have to adhere to the rules and they are also assigned to certain quarters where they are to reside. According to Goffmann’s findings the society is to blame for deviance within it as it subjects people it terms as wrong doers into harsh conditions and expects them to reform. (Willcocks D, Peace, S and Kellaher l, 1987). In the book the ‘Myth of mental illness’ Thomas Szasz argued that mental illness was a myth. To him, the whole idea or notion of psychiatric illness could be termed as ‘scientifically worthless and socially harmful’. (Shorter E, 1997). There are similarities between goffman and szasz ideologies. Goffman backed Szasz when he made the conclusion that the mental health institution he studied could be defined as a ‘total institution’ where ‘the closed system infantilized the patients and restricted their lives’. Goffman noted that the clear difference between the staff and the patients and on entrance to the institutions the patients faced humiliation, degradation, abasement and profanations of the self’. Goffman rejected the idea of prisons and mental health institutions which according to him robbed off the inmates their time. The ‘sentence’ denied them living. The aspect of alienation is clear when the use of power is used by the staff members against the ‘patients’. He condemned the pretence by the staff members that they were out to assist the patients and dismissed it as a mere ’power grab’. (Shorter E, 1997). Szasz argued that although psychological disorders are real, defining them as diseases was a way of imposing coercion in the society. He argued that defining such disorders as illness when they had no correlation with physical sickness was untrue. The only relationship existing between mental disorders and physical illness was the fact that they both made the individual unable to handle their daily activities or duties. (www. mdx. ac. uk). The psychological disorders according to Szasz were brought about by man. He further noted that compulsory psychiatry is a crime against humanity and it undermines freedom in the society. He quoted Mill to justify his observation that ‘the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own good either physical or moral is not sufficiently warranty’. However unlike Mill, Szasz offered or rather provided no exception where power could be used forcefully. He advocated for freedom where all individuals are given the chance to choose what they find best for them. Although the compulsory psychiatry may not be harmful to the patients Szasz argues that it is not compatible with a free society. (www. mdx. ac. uk). He further advocates for the application of universal law which is not discriminative to anyone in the society. The same law applied to those termed as insane ought to be the same applied on those viewed as insane. Treating people otherwise is unfair as it implies that there is no equality and they are treated as special beings. Any form of special treatment on the allegations that one is mentally sick is unfortunate as it treats them as less human beings. (www. mdx. ac. uk). References: Anthony Clare and Peter Sedgwick. Mental Health and Civil Liberties. A theoretical contrast of Thomas Szasz. Retrieved on 5th march 2009 from http://www. mdx. ac. uk/WWW/STUDY/mhhlib. htm#SzaszMyth Dianne M. Willcocks, Sheila M. Peace, Leonie A. Kellaher. 1987. Private Lives in Public Places: A Research-based Critique of Residential Life in Local Authority Old \ Peoples Homes. Taylor Francis Publishers. Edward Shorter 1997. A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac. John Wiley and Sons Publishers John Palmer Hawkins and Faris Kirkland. 2001. Army of hope, army of alienation: culture and contradiction in the American Army communities of Cold War Germany. Greenwood Publishing Group Tim Jordan, Steve Pile, 2002. Open University Social Change. Blackwell Publishing, Lewis Coser. 2006. Crime Theories and the Field of Criminology. Retrieved on 4th march 2009 from http://www. apsu. edu/oconnort/1010/1010lect02. htm.

Why Social Exclusion Can Effect The Community Social Work Essay

Why Social Exclusion Can Effect The Community Social Work Essay is essay will discuss why social exclusion and anti-oppressive practice are so closely linked. It will discuss how social exclusion can affect an individual and community, taking away their right to choices afforded to others in society. It will demonstrate how through anti-oppressive practices, processes such as decisio n making and managing risk can be done in an ethical manner to help promote independence and empower a service user enabling them to work in partnership with the service provider. It will also discuss, how a managerial style of social work threatens to remove the decision making process from social workers in order to maximise efficiency, meet targets and minimise risk. With growing media coverage calling for social work decision to be more transparent, increasing pieces of legislation, policies and procedures are taking away the decision making skills and professional judgement from the role. From the very beginning, the role of a social worker has been to help those marginalised and discriminated against by main stream society. The Poor Laws of 1536 saw for the first time, money being collected from local people and redistributed to those deemed worthy of support (Horner, 2009). These humble beginnings are in stark contrast to the complex role of social work today. Banks (2006) discusses the role and the attitude towards social work as ever changing, one which is impacted by the opinions of main stream society and the political agenda, era and environment within which it works. The underpinning values of social work have remained largely unchanged throughout its history and can be identified in the modern role today; respect, confidentiality, acceptance of individualism, being non-judgemental and a belief in the ability to change, as described by Parrott (2011). These values have defined the role of a social worker as being one that promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. (International Federation of Social Work, 2011). Values and ethics are a strong theme which dominates all aspects of social work. Values are ideals or beliefs which are important to an individual or organisation and can be viewed as being either positive or negative. Ethics are ways in which a person or organisation behaves in relation to their values, again either positively or negatively. Values define what is right and wrong whereas ethics is the act of doing right or wrong. (Banks, 2006). The General Social Care Council (General Social Care Council, 2002) has developed a code of practice which social workers must adhere to, these include; promoting independence, to protect individuals from harm, respecting the rights of a service user to make their own choices and be accountable for their own actions. The aim of these codes of practice is to provide a unified value base which will allow social workers to act ethically within their role. The codes of practise as set out by the GSCC provide a tangible set of values for the social work profession and by following these values should result in ethical practice. Social Work is not only governed by its codes of practice and their values but also by government legislation. Dalrymple and Burke (2006) and Banks (2006) discuss how the vast amount of social care legislation can be seen to both help and hinder the role of a social worker. Targets and guidelines were introduced into the workplace with each new piece of legislation, turning the focus from how an individual is treated to the end result; how quickly they arrived at this point and what resource have been used to achieve it. The ethical question here is how the legislation is used; often as a means to justify an action rather than to assist it and the legislation should be used to confirm what powers a social worker holds not when they should enact them. When placing a child into local authority care, the decision of removing the child lies with the social worker, the legislation merely gives them the power to do so. To some extent, Banks (2006) argues that the process of ethical decision making has been removed from the role of social work in order for them to meet targets as can be seen in the role of assessments of service users needs. Assessments increasingly use the system of tick boxes forms to assess the need for services; those not meeting the threshold are denied the sought after service. Lack of resources and pressing targets may mean the course of action taken may not always be the most ethical. According to Parrott (2006), one reason for this shift towards a more business style approach to social work is down to the increasing media coverage when things go wrong, calling for the social work profession to be more accountable in the eyes of the general public. Banks (2006) supports this argument citing Franklins (1989, cited in Banks, 2006) view that social workers are often vilified for acting too hastily or not acting soon enough. High profile cases such as Baby P and Victoria Climbie (Parrott 2006) have called for the social work profession to be more accountable for their actions, introducing set policies and guidelines into the workplace, negating the need for individual social workers to make their own decisions. Dalrymple and Burke (2006) suggest another reason for the move towards a more managerialist style of social work in the decreasing financial resources available to the sector. Most of the financial resources are spent providing an adequate service across the board or on high risk areas such as child protection. Birmingham City Council faced High Court action in 2011 (BBC, 2011) when it attempted to cut its provision of social care for disabled adults. In the increasing difficult financial economy, there are 122 councils in the UK which now only provide care for those with substantial or critical care needs. (BBC, 2011). Wilson et al. (2008) describes this move towards a more managerial style of social work as not being all inherently bad, the intention being to standardise the decisions making process in the hopes of lessen risk for all across the board, however the decisions being made in some cases are not the best they could be; the best outcome in a few cases has been overlooked for a good outcome in the majority of cases. In 1997, the UK underwent a change in government; from the long reigning Conservative Party to New Labour (Labour Party, 2011) and with it the introduction of the term social exclusion. The circumstances of social exclusion have been recognisable since before the social work role existed, however this new phrase encompassed not only the issues people faced, but how it affected them. Betts and Gaynor (Department of International Development, 2005) describes social exclusion as a process which systematically disadvantages certain groups within society and by doing so does not permit them the same opportunities and rights given to their peers. This can be done on the basis of; age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, health, physical/mental and emotional ability or even the area in which they live. By not affording these groups of people the same opportunities as others, this impacts on education and employment prospects resulting in low education, poor employment opportunities and substandard housing. It is often found that people living in poorer housing estates, compared to those in better off areas, have basic levels of education resulting in high levels of unemployment, poorer employment prospects and more health issues due to poor housing. This often results in the resources available being of poorer quality. According to Oxaal (1997) school attendance is often lower in economically deprived areas as it is seen as having little or no value, believing that the individual will be faced with a life on benefits despite their academic achievements. Schools in these areas are more likely to be less well funded and able to provide the same opportunities as other schools, often focusing on the basics such as reading and writing and less on personal development. (Giddens, 2009). Giddens (2009) describes how social exclusion is not always imposed by society but sometimes by the individual themselves; turning down employment or not continuing in education are choices made by the individual and the consequences of which may lead to or maintain the state of social exclusion. One of the main impacts of social exclusion is poverty. Llewellyn, Agu and Mercer (2008) describes how social workers are more likely to work with people from an impoverished background than any other; citing that children living in poverty are 700 times more likely to be the subject of local authority care. Giddens (2009) agrees with this arguing that children of poorer families are far more likely to become poor adults, perpetuating the cycle and increasing the need for intervention at some point during their lives. Despite it being perceived as the biggest driving factor, Ward (2009) argues that social exclusion is about more than just a lack of income. Both Giddens (2009) and Ward (2009) agree that those facing poverty are often children, the elderly, women and ethnic minorities but Ward goes on to describe that it is the accumulation of factors such as these that keep people in social exclusion. A young unemployed white man is more likely to improve their circumstances than an e lderly Asian lady living on a pension. It is this multi-dimensional nature of social exclusion that makes it difficult to tackle. A social worker needs to understand whether the exclusion a person faces is imposed by society or the individual themselves as well as the nature of the exclusion and be able to identify the aspects which contribute to the exclusion faced by the individual. It is this understanding which will ultimately lead to an effective course of action to help empower people and enable them to improve their standard of life. One of the roles of social work is to fight social injustice. Social exclusion on the basis of such qualities as age, race and gender are often tackled on an organisational level by legislation, acts such as the Race Relations Act 2000 and the Disability and Equality Act 2010 (The National Archive, (2000) and Directgov (2010)) prohibit discrimination against certain groups of people. Other pieces of legislation, such as the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 encourage a change in behaviour to redistribute the power balance between a service provider and its user. This act made it a legislative duty for Local Authorities to consult service users when planning and delivering services (The National Archive, 2000). It is this change in delivery and implementation of service provision that has led to the introduction of anti-oppressive practice in social work. Parrott (2011) discusses two distinct aspects of anti-oppressive practice; firstly on the basis that it should work against oppression and secondly that social work practice should seek to empower service users, seek to work in partnership with them with a minimal level of intervention. Wilson et al. (2008) and Dalrymple and Burke (2006) agree with the view of Parrott (2011) on anti-oppressive practice seeing it as a view to achieve social justice for service users. Anti-oppressive practice as a behaviour should, as outlined above, seek to promote three things, empowerment, partnership and minimal intervention. Empowerment, as described by Parrott (2006), can only be done when the social worker understands the context of the viewpoint of the service user within their situation. Although the facts and information obtained during this process can be verified, they should be taken as a clarification of how the service user sees themselves and should not be changed or corrected. People from the travelling community do not place a high importance on children attending school once they have gained a basic education, understanding how and why they hold this viewpoint will enable a social work to gain a better understanding of the values and priorities of the traveling community on educational matters. Control should be given to the service user to allow them to define their own situation, allowing them to do so without judgement and correction can empower them to take ownership of their situation. This control can enable a service user to take power over their situation, providing them with the confidence and self-belief that they are able to learn new skills and develop existing ones to improve their circumstances. (Parrott (2006), Clifford and Burke (2009)) Working in partnership with service users is an important aspect of anti-oppressive practice. Any course of action taken by a social worker should be done with the consent of the service user. Parrott (2006) explains that this may not always be possible; some decisions such as removing children from the family home or admitting someone into hospital following a breakdown are choices outside the service user control; however some choices, like where the child is placed, may still be subject to discussion. The act of listening to and taking into consideration the wishes and thoughts of a service user in such situations can also be seen as working in partnership. The nature of the partnership should include qualities such as listening to others point of view, providing information to all parties and being honest. These qualities will enable the partnership to remain even in the event that a decision is made the service user does not agree with. An opportune time for partnership to be developed is during the assessment, planning, intervention and review (APIR) cycle. The assessment of the situation faced by the service user should always be done in collaboration with them, checking their requirements for assistance and understanding of the circumstances. During the assessment process, particular focus should be given to highlight the strengths of the service user, reinforcing the first stage of empowerment. Areas of development should also be identified and agreed upon. When deciding upon a plan, it is more likely to be effective if it is done with the consent of the service user and where possible, utilises their strengths. Planning can be a difficult step in the APIR process, balancing the needs of the service user with the resources available may not always be possible. It may also be that the wishes of the service user are in conflict with what they need, an elderly person may wish to remain in their own home but the level of care required may not make it financially feasible. The coalition government in power in the UK today has put forward the ideal of a Big Society (The Cabinet Office, 2010); the idea being that families and communities work together to meet their own needs, taking back the power and the responsibility for improving their own situations. It is hoped that if a community takes responsibility for improving the area for its local residence, its more likely that everyone will become involved and work for the benefit of all without reliance on central government. Any intervention should be reviewed on a regular basis and should take into account the feedback by all involved parties. The discussion should include what has been successful and what is still left to be achieved. If more action is required, the APIR cycle can start again to deal with the remaining issues. Not all remaining issues may be negative, it may be appropriate to continue with more positive aspects such as enrolling on course to aid self-improvement; this will give the service user more confidence and empower them further making it more likely that the positive outcome agreed upon is more likely to be successful. The third aspect of anti-oppressive practice is minimal intervention. Parrott (2006) has split this into three levels of intervention; firstly at a primary level. This level of intervention should provide minimal support and usually takes the form of education and support, preventing the need for further assistance. Schemes such as Sure Start run by the government supports pregnant mothers until the child reaches school age and is designed to provide help and support to those from poorer backgrounds with the aim of tackling issues before they arise, (Directgov, 2011). The second level of intervention is done thorough early intervention with the intention of involvement being brief. The third level of intervention is usually enacted when something has gone wrong. According to anti-oppressive practice, the purpose of the intervention should be to reduce the consequences of the event. Taking away the risk of the incident reoccurring without changing the situation would be the ultimate g oal, it is accepted that this may not always be possible. (Parrott 2006). Wilsons et al. (2008) view on anti-oppressive practice is largely the same as Parrott (2006) in that she sees the introduction of direct payments and individual budgets for service user a positive thing. Wilson et al. (2008) also describe the service user as having self-determination in that they are an entity able to make their own choices and decisions and should be encouraged to do so. Wilson et al. (2008) also discussed the over use of advocacy with social workers often assuming the service user requires someone to speak on their behalf. If a social worker is to truly empower the service user then they must acknowledge their right to make their own decisions. Under government legislation, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (The National Archives 2005) which came into force in 2007 gives every adult the capacity to make their own decisions unless it is proved they are unable to do so. The act also protects unwise decisions, where a professional may not make the same decision in a given situation; it does not mean the service user lacks capacity to make it, protecting their right to make their own choices. When a service user is deemed incapable of making their own choices, an advocate may be appointed to assist with the process. In instances where an unwise decision is made, a social worker should weight up the right of the service user to make the choice and the risk involved in doing so. If the risk involved in making the decision puts the individual or the community at risk, then further consultation should be taken to discuss the point further. Although a social worker should not force a service user to change their opinion on a matter, they should provide a balanced view of the situation and highlight the possible effects and consequences of the choices available in the hopes that a more positive decision will be made. Mental capacity to make a decision is not a blanket issue; someone may have the capacity to make some decisions and not others. Elderly people with illnesses such as dementia may lack the capacity to make decisions one day but able to do so the next. Advocacy is most often thought of as acting on behalf of someone who is unable to do so for themselves, however acting as an advocate can also mean empowering someone by giving them the information, ability and opportunity to make their own decisions, (Parrott 2006). The Big Society is an example of collective self-advocacy in which a group a people with similar interests are encouraged get together to form one unified voice. Encouraging the formation of such groups often lessens the feeling of isolation in people facing social exclusion. Collectively it also gives them a stronger voice and the ability to request change to services and resources which have historically been withheld or are inaccessible on an individual level. Decision making in social work comes with the element of risk management. As discussed previously, it is good practice to for service users to make their own informed decisions provided they understand the consequences of their choice as well as having the capacity to do so. Hothersall and Maas-Lowit (2010) describe how the term risk was historically used to describe the likelihood of something happening, with neither a positive or negative connotation. In modern society, risk is viewed as the likelihood of a negative outcome occurring, the term chance is used when something is deemed to have a more positive outcome, however both words mean the same thing; the likelihood of an event occurring. Much like Parrott (2006) and Banks (2006), Hothersall and Maas-Lowit (2010) have noticed a change in the way social workers perform in relation to risk, describing the profession as becoming risk adverse. The policies and procedures put in place for social worker to work within have minimised risk to such an extent that the option of choice has been greatly reduced. When carrying out assessments, Hothersall and Maas-Lowit (2010) highlight how reports and case notes focus on the risk of a situation rather than the needs of the service user, taking away the understanding of what has caused the situation to focusing instead on who is to blame and minimising the risk of it reoccurring. Cases with a higher level of risk to either the individual or the community are often afforded more resources than those with lower risk levels. Hothersall and Maas-Lowit (2010) also view risk positively in that the outcome could be beneficial to a service user. By understanding the risk, what other options are available and taking steps to minimise any negative effects, the outcome of the risk taking may be highly beneficial to the individual. This is often the case when people with mental illnesses return to live in the community from hospital care. Whilst taking medication, the service user may pose a very minimal risk to the community; however the perceived risk may be much larger. Provided steps have been taken to acknowledge and minimise the risk and plans have been agreed in the event of a crisis situation, then the right of the service user to reside in the community should outweigh the requirement to keep them in institutional care. Risk is a factor which can be minimised but not eradicated; the nature of social work is surrounded by risk on a daily basis. Even by following policies, codes of conducts and planning for all perceived eventualities, the outcome may still be an unwanted one. Hothersall and Maas-Lowith (2010) perceive this to be inevitable in the field of social work and it is learning from these cases that will improve professional judgement. My first placement as a social work student was with a homeless charity working with young adults. The impact of social exclusion was evident in every aspect of the job. Many of the young people who visited the centre had a poor level of education, often had a criminal record, had spent time in care, were unemployed and many had learning difficulties. Although I had academic understanding of social exclusion, the reality was far different from what I had expected. One of the service users I was asked to work with was a young woman who had spent a larger proportion of her childhood in care. She had recently suffered a mental breakdown and lost custody of her young child to its father. Living in poverty, being a single mother and suffering with mental illness are all forms of social exclusion. I was asked to assist the service user with organising medical appointments and attending meetings. Working together, we made good progress in a relatively short time. On reflection, the work carried out was not done in terms of anti-oppressive practice. More emphasis should have been placed on allowing and encouraging the service user to act for themselves rather than having things done for them. Although this can be effective in the short term, in the long run it could form a sense of dependency for the service user. The risk of the choices made by the service user should have been taken into consideration, and had it done so, it would have lessened the level of intervention. The child had been placed out of harm and the extent of the mental illness did not put the service user or the community at any immediate risk. Rather than daily support, it would have been more appropriate to invite the service user to discuss the situation they faced, the options available to them and the consequences of the choices available to them. Anti-oppressive practice is about empowering people, promoting their right to make choices and working in partnership to reach an agreed outcome with the aim of improving their situation. People who are subject to the constraints of social exclusion are often denied these rights. Social workers are required by their code of practice to help service users take control over their own lives, promote independence and recognise that service user have a right to take risks. The nature of social exclusion makes it more likely that these individuals will, at some point in their lives, require intervention in the form of social care. By working with anti-oppressive practices, the effects of social worker intervention should leave a positive effect upon the service user. In an ideal world their financial restraints would not affect the choices available to a service user, time and resources would be available to plan, consider and minimise risky situations making a wider range of services available. In the ever restricting financial climate, social worker are not afforded the luxury of such budgets and so must look at ways in which service user are still empowered and given as much choice as possible in how their situation is dealt with. As a profession, social workers should be moving more towards a risk-taking approach and away from risk aversion. Service users who live with social exclusion deserve to be given the tools and opportunity to improve their own situation; it is with tools such as anti-oppressive practice and a strong set of values and ethics that social workers can empower them to fight the social injustice they face.