The Indigo Spell Chapter Fourteen

SUNDAY ROLLED AROUND, and the day started off quietly. We were nearing the point when Veronica might strike again, and my stomach was in knots over what her next step would be . . . and how stuck we were on how to stop her. Then I received help from an unexpected source when my phone rang with an unknown number on the display. Normally, I wouldn't answer something like that, but my life was hardly normal these days. Besides, it was a Los Angeles area code. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hi! Is this Taylor?† It took me a moment to remember my secret identity. I did not, however, recall giving my actual number to any of the girls we'd warned about Veronica. â€Å"Yes,† I said warily. â€Å"This is Alicia, from Old World Bed-and-Breakfast.† â€Å"Hi,† I said, still puzzled as to why and how she'd be calling me. Her voice was as cheery and bright as when we'd met her. â€Å"I wanted to know if you'd thought any more about getting a room for your anniversary.† â€Å"Oh, well . . . that. We're still deciding. But, uh, probably we're going to go with something closer to the coast. You know, romantic beach walks and all that.† â€Å"I can totally understand,† she said, though she sounded disappointed at the loss of a sale. â€Å"If you change your mind, just let me know. We're running a special this month, so you could get the Bunny Suite at a really good price. I remember you saying it reminded you of your pet rabbit. What was his name?† â€Å"Hopper,† I said flatly. â€Å"Hopper! That's right. Such a sweet name.† â€Å"Yeah, awesome.† I tried to think of a polite way to phrase my next question but simply chose directness. â€Å"Look, Alicia, how did you get this number?† â€Å"Oh, Jet gave it to me.† â€Å"He did?† â€Å"Yup.† She'd apparently gotten over her disappointment and now sounded bright and chirpy again. â€Å"He filled out an info card while you guys were here and put down your number.† I nearly groaned. Typical. â€Å"Good to know,† I said. I wondered how often Adrian gave my number out. â€Å"Thanks for following up.† â€Å"Happy to. Oh!† She giggled. â€Å"I nearly forgot. Your friend is back.† I froze. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Veronica. She checked back in yesterday.† My first reaction was excitement. My second one was panic. â€Å"Did you tell her we were asking about her?† â€Å"Oh, no. I remembered you saying you wanted to surprise her.† I nearly sank in relief. â€Å"Thank you. We, uh, wouldn't to ruin that. We'll have to stop by and visit – but don't tell her.† â€Å"You can count on me!† We disconnected, and I stared at the phone. Veronica was back. Just when we thought we'd lost all leads on her. I immediately called Ms. Terwilliger but was sent to voice mail. I left a message and then followed up with a text, saying I had urgent news. My phone rang again, just as I was about to call Adrian. I almost hoped Alicia had more to tell me, but then I saw that it was Stanton's number. After first taking a deep breath, I tried to answer in as calm a way as possible. â€Å"Miss Sage,† she said. â€Å"I received your message yesterday.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for calling me back.† I'd called her yesterday, just before meeting up with Adrian. Ms. Terwilliger's magical training had taken priority at the time, but I hadn't forgotten my deal with Marcus. â€Å"I have a, um, favor to ask,† I continued. Stanton, who was rarely surprised, was clearly surprised now. â€Å"You're certainly entitled to ask . . . but you're just not usually the type who does.† â€Å"I know, and I feel bad. So, if you have to say no, I understand.† In truth, if she said no, I would have a number of problems on my hands, but it was best not to sound too eager. â€Å"Well, I've been thinking about how I have to spend Christmas here – with the Moroi. And I definitely understand that, ma'am. It's part of the mission, but . . . well, I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me. So, I was wondering if there's any way at all I'd be allowed to go to one of the big holiday services. It would make me feel . . . oh, I don't know. More connected. Purified, even. I'm just always surrounded by them here, by that taint, you know? I feel like I can't even breathe half the time. That probably sounds ridiculous.† I cut my rambling off. When Marcus had first suggested taking advantage of knowing someone in St. Louis, I'd immediately thought of Ian. Then I realized that wasn't enough. Alchemists on assignment couldn't just ask for casual time off to visit friends. Time off for something more spiritual and group-oriented – say, the Alchemists' annual holiday services – was a different matter. Lots of Alchemists were given clearance to travel and attend those services. They were tied to our faith and group unity. In fact, Ian had even brought it up at the wedding in the hopes of luring me to visit him. Little had he known his trick would pay off. Kind of. â€Å"It doesn't sound that ridiculous,† Stanton said. That was promising, and I tried to unclench my fist and relax. â€Å"I was thinking maybe I could go before we're out for winter break,† I added. â€Å"Jill can stay within the confines of the school, so there shouldn't be too much risk. And Eddie and Angeline are always with her. I could just hop over to St. Louis for a quick weekend trip.† â€Å"St. Louis?† I could almost see her frown through the phone. â€Å"There are services in Phoenix as well. That would be much closer.† â€Å"I know, ma'am. It's just. . . .† I hoped being genuinely nervous would help me sound convincing. â€Å"I, uh, was hoping I could also see Ian again.† â€Å"Ah. I see.† There was a long pause. â€Å"I find that more surprising than you wanting to attend services. From what I saw at the wedding, you didn't seem to be that charmed by Mr. Jansen.† So. I'd been right that Stanton had noticed his crush on me. However, she'd also noticed I didn't return his affection. She was observant, even to little details, which brought Marcus's warnings back to me, about how the Alchemists paid attention to everything we did. I started to understand his fears and why he pulled his recruits out of the Alchemists so quickly Was I already attracting attention? Were all the little things I did – even asking for this – slowly building a case against me? Again, I hoped my anxiety simply made me sound like a flustered, love-struck girl, one Stanton would feel sorry for and shake her head over. St. Louis wasn't that much farther away by plane, and the end result was the same. â€Å"Well, that was business, ma'am. I didn't want to get distracted from our goal.† â€Å"Of course.† Her next pause was only a few seconds long, but it felt like an hour. â€Å"Well, I see no reason why you can't go. You've done an admirable job in your work, and – from a personal point of view – I can understand why you'd want to be with familiar faces again. You've spent more time with the Moroi than many Alchemists ever will in their lives, and you didn't hesitate when that Ivashkov pushed himself onto you at the wedding.† I didn't really hesitate when he pushed himself onto me at the sorority, either. Or did I push myself on him? â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† She authorized me to go next weekend and said I could use Alchemist funds to book my travel arrangements. When we got off the phone, I contemplated calling Ian but then decided on a more impersonal approach. I jotted out a quick email telling him that I'd be in town and that I hoped we could meet up. After a few moments of thought, I then texted Marcus: Arrangements made. Lunchtime came around, and Eddie texted to ask if I could meet Jill and him in my dorm's cafeteria. I headed downstairs at the appropriate time and found a glum Eddie sitting by himself at a table. I wondered where Angeline was and noted he hadn't mentioned her in his text. Rather than bring that up, I focused on who he had mentioned. â€Å"Where's Jill?† He nodded toward the opposite side of the cafeteria. I followed his gaze and saw Jill standing near a table, laughing and talking. She held a tray and looked as though she'd been stopped on her way back from the food line. Micah and some other guys were at the table, and I was happy to see he did indeed seem comfortable with being her friend again. â€Å"That's nice,† I said, turning back to my own food. â€Å"I'm glad she's getting along with everyone.† Eddie stared at me in amazement. â€Å"Don't you see what's going on?† I'd been about to bite into an apple and stopped. I hated these kinds of loaded questions. They meant I'd missed out on some social subtlety – something that wasn't my strong suit. Glancing back at Jill, I tried to make my best guess. â€Å"Is Micah trying to get back together with her?† â€Å"Of course not,† said Eddie, like I should've known. â€Å"He's going out with Claire Cipriano now.† â€Å"Sorry. I can't keep track of everyone's dating lives. I'll add it to my to-do list after, you know, busting Alchemist conspiracies and finding out whether the Warriors are after Jill.† Eddie's gaze was locked on Jill, and he nodded, making me think he hadn't actually heard a word I'd said. â€Å"Travis and Juan want to ask her out.† â€Å"So? She learned her lesson about human and vampire dating.† I wished I had. â€Å"She'll tell them no.† â€Å"They still shouldn't be bothering her,† he growled. Jill didn't seem to be particularly bothered by their attention. In fact, I liked seeing her bright and smiling for a change. Confidence suited her and emphasized her royal status, and she clearly was enjoying whatever banter was going on. One thing I'd learned in my social education was that flirting wasn't the same thing as going out with someone. My friend Julia was an expert at the difference. If it made Jill happy, I certainly had no problems with it. Honestly, it looked like the person who was most bothered by Jill's suitors was Eddie. He theoretically had the excuse of wanting to protect her, but this seemed pretty personal. I decided to bring him back to his own romantic life, the one he should actually be concerned about. â€Å"Where's Angeline?† Jill began walking toward us. Looking relieved, Eddie turned back to me. â€Å"Well, that's what we wanted to talk to you about.† Whenever anyone wanted to talk to me, it meant something weird was about to happen. Actual emergency issues were never given an introduction. They were just delivered immediately. This premeditated stuff was a wild card. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked once Jill sat down. â€Å"With Angeline?† She exchanged a knowing glance with Eddie. â€Å"We think Angeline's up to something,† she said. A moment later, she clarified, â€Å"Something bad.† Not this again. I turned to Eddie. â€Å"Is she still being distant?† â€Å"Yeah. She had lunch with us yesterday.† He frowned. â€Å"But she was acting weird. She wouldn't explain why she's been so busy.† Jill concurred. â€Å"She actually got really upset the more we kept questioning her. It was strange. I think she's in some kind of trouble.† I leaned back in my chair. â€Å"The kind of trouble Angeline gets into is usually spontaneous and unexpected. You're talking like she's masterminding something in secret. That's not her style. At worst, she's harboring an illicit wardrobe.† Eddie looked like he wanted to smile but couldn't quite manage it. â€Å"True.† Jill apparently wasn't convinced. â€Å"You have to talk to her. Find out what's going on.† â€Å"Can't you talk to her?† I asked, looking between their faces. â€Å"You live with her.† â€Å"We tried,† protested Jill. â€Å"I told you. She just got mad the more we talked.† â€Å"Well, I can understand that,† I snapped. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry something weird is going on with her. And I don't want her in trouble, believe me. But there's only so much hand-holding I can do with her. I fixed her math problem. My job is to make sure she stays in school and doesn't blow your cover. Everything else is extraneous, and I just don't have time for that. And if she wouldn't talk to you, why on earth do you think she'd talk to me?† I'd spoken a bit more harshly than I intended. I really did care about them all. I also didn't want trouble in the group. Nonetheless, it was always a little frustrating when they came to me with dramas like this, as though I were their mother. They were some of the smartest, most competent people I knew. They didn't need me, and Angeline was no criminal genius. Figuring out her motives couldn't be that difficult. Neither one of them had an immediate response for me. â€Å"You just always seem to get through to people,† Jill said at last. â€Å"You're good at communication.† That certainly wasn't a compliment I heard very often. â€Å"I don't do anything special. I'm just persistent. Keep trying, and maybe you'll get through.† Seeing Jill start to protest, I added, â€Å"Please. Don't ask me to do this right now. You both know I've got a lot going on.† I gave each of them a meaningful look. Both knew about Marcus, and Jill also knew about Ms. Terwilliger's sister. After a few moments, that knowledge set in, and they both looked a little embarrassed. Eddie gave Jill a gentle nudge. â€Å"She's right. We should keep working on Angeline ourselves.† â€Å"Okay,† said Jill. My relief was short-lived. â€Å"We'll try a little more. Then, if it still doesn't work, Sydney can step in.† I groaned. When I parted ways from them later, I couldn't help but think again about Marcus's comments in San Bernardino about how Alchemists got caught up in menial tasks. I tried to reassure myself that Jill and Eddie would take care of this on their own, meaning I wouldn't actually have to intervene. Presuming, of course, Angeline really wasn't planning something catastrophic. Unfortunately, those doubts were soon shaken when I got on the shuttle that would take me to main campus. On weekends, there was only one bus that looped between all buildings, and this one had just picked up at the boys' dorm. I found Trey sitting in it, staring out the window with a happy expression. When he saw me, his smile vanished. â€Å"Hey,† I said, taking a seat beside him. He actually looked nervous. â€Å"Off to study?† â€Å"Meeting with Angeline, actually.† There was no escaping her today, but at least if she was working on math, it seemed unlikely she'd be staging a coup or committing arson. His troubled expression concerned me, though. â€Å"She . . . she didn't hit you again?† I didn't see any noticeable marks, but with her, you could never tell. â€Å"Huh? No, no. Not recently.† He hesitated before speaking again. â€Å"Melbourne, how long are you going to need me to do this?† â€Å"I don't know.† Mostly I'd been focusing on getting her through the present, not the future. One thing at a time. â€Å"She'll have her final coming up before break. If she passes, then I guess you're home free. Unless you want to keep up with it after break – I mean, provided she doesn't wear you out.† This startled him a lot more than I would have expected. â€Å"Okay. Good to know.† He looked so forlorn when he left to go to the library that I wondered if those chemistry answers had really been worth it. I liked Trey. I'd never thought inflicting Angeline on him would so radically alter his life. I guessed that was just the kind of effect she had on the world. I watched him walk away for a few more seconds and then turned toward the science building. One of the teachers, Ms. Whittaker, was an amateur botanist who was always happy to supply Ms. Terwilliger with various plants and herbs. She thought Ms. Terwilliger used them for home craft projects, like potpourri and candles, and I frequently had to pick up the latest supplies. When I walked into her classroom today, Ms. Whittaker was grading exams at her desk. â€Å"Hi, Sydney,† she said, barely looking up. â€Å"I set it all over there, on the far counter.† â€Å"Thanks, ma'am.† I walked over and was surprised to practically find a spice cabinet. Ms. Terwilliger had requested all sorts of leaves, stems, and clippings. It was the most I'd ever had to pick up for her. â€Å"She sure had a big order this time,† Ms. Whittaker remarked, as though sensing my thoughts. â€Å"Is she really using garlic in potpourri?† â€Å"Oh, that's for some, um, cooking she's doing. You know, holidays and all.† She nodded and returned to her work. One thing that often helped in Alchemist affairs (and witch ones) was that people rarely expected supernatural reasons for weird behaviors and phenomena. I almost considered visiting Trey and Angeline at the library, just to assess her behavior myself, but decided it'd be better to not get involved. Eddie and Jill would handle it. With nothing else to do, I dared to hope I might actually just be able to stay inside and read today. But, when I returned to my dorm, I was greeted with the astonishing sight of Marcus sitting outside on a bench, playing an acoustic guitar. A group of four girls stood around, listening in awe. I walked up to the circle, my arms crossed over my chest. â€Å"Really?† I asked. Marcus glanced up and shot me a grin. One of the girls actually cooed. â€Å"Hey, Sydney.† Four sets of eyes turned to me, displaying a mix of both disbelief and jealousy. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"You're the last person I expected to see here.† â€Å"I never do what's predictable.† He tossed his hair back and started to put his guitar back in its case. â€Å"Sorry, girls. Sydney and I have to talk.† I got more of those stares, which kind of annoyed me. Was it really that unbelievable that a good-looking guy would want to talk to me? His followers dispersed reluctantly, and Marcus and I strolled around the grounds. â€Å"Aren't you supposed to be in hiding?† I asked. â€Å"Not panhandling with your guitar?† â€Å"I never asked them for money. Besides, I'm incognito today.† He tapped his cheek, and I noticed the tattoo was barely noticeable. â€Å"Are you wearing makeup?† I asked. â€Å"Don't judge,† he said. â€Å"It lets me move around more freely. Sabrina helped color match me.† We came to a halt in a relatively private copse of trees. â€Å"So why are you here? Why didn't you call or text?† â€Å"Because I have a delivery.† He reached into his shirt pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper that looked like it had traveled around the world before reaching me. When I opened it and managed to smooth it out, I saw several painstakingly drawn diagrams. I jerked my gaze back to him. â€Å"Wade's floor plans.† â€Å"As promised.† A little of that self-satisfaction faded, and he actually looked impressed. â€Å"You've really got a way to get to St. Louis?† â€Å"Sanctioned and everything,† I said. â€Å"I mean, aside from the part where I break into their servers. But I've got a few ideas on how to pull that off.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you do. I won't bother asking. Every girl's got her secrets. Maybe someday you'll share yours.† From the tone of his voice, he might have been talking about non-professional secrets. â€Å"Once this is all over.† â€Å"Is it ever over?† I asked. I meant it as a joke, but it came out sounding a bit more melancholy than I would've liked. He gave me a long, level look. â€Å"No, not really. But getting the tattoo sealed in Mexico is kind of fun. I hope you'll go with us. At the very least, we can take in some beaches and margaritas while undoing insidious magic. Do you own a bikini?† â€Å"No. And I don't drink.† â€Å"Well, maybe one of these days we could go out for coffee. I know you drink that.† â€Å"I'm pretty busy,† I said, thinking of everything weighing on me. â€Å"And you know, I also haven't decided if I'm going to do the first phase of tattoo breaking.† â€Å"You should, Sydney.† He was all business again and tapped my cheek. â€Å"If nothing else, do that. Don't let them have any more control over you than they have to. I know you think we're a little out there, but this is one thing we're absolutely serious about.† â€Å"Hi, Sydney.† I glanced over and saw my friend Julia Cavendish carrying a huge stack of books. A couple seconds later, Marcus looked up at her too. Her eyes went wide, and she stumbled and dropped everything she was carrying. She flushed. â€Å"Oh, God. I'm such an idiot.† I started to help her, but Marcus was by her side in a flash, his movie star grin firmly in place. â€Å"Happens to the best of us. I'm Dave.† â€Å"J-Julia,† she said. In all the time I'd known her, I'd never seen her flustered around a guy. She usually ate them for breakfast. â€Å"There we are.† He handed her the books, all neatly stacked. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you so much. You didn't have to do that. I mean, it was my own fault. I'm not usually that clumsy. And I'm sure you're busy. You must have lots to do. Obviously.† I'd also never heard Julia ramble. Marcus patted her on the back, and I thought she might pass out. â€Å"Always happy to help a beautiful damsel in distress.† He nodded in my direction. â€Å"I've got to go. Sydney, I'll be in touch.† I nodded back. As soon as he walked away, Julia dropped the books again and hurried over to me. â€Å"Sydney, you have to tell me who that is.† â€Å"He already did. Dave.† â€Å"Yes, but who is he?† She gripped my arm and seemed on the verge of shaking answers out of me. â€Å"Just a guy I know.† I thought about it more. â€Å"A friend, I guess.† Her breath caught. â€Å"You guys aren't – I mean – â€Å" â€Å"What? No! Why would you think that?† â€Å"Well, he's gorgeous,† she said, as though that were enough to make us soul mates. â€Å"Don't you want to just rip his clothes off?† â€Å"Whoa, no way.† â€Å"Really?† She scrutinized me, like I might be joking. â€Å"Not even a little?† â€Å"Nope.† She stepped back and started picking up her books. â€Å"Jeez, Syd. I don't know what to think of you sometimes. I mean, I'm glad he's available – he is available, right? – but I'd be all over that if I were you.† Jill's words came back to me, about how he was human and had â€Å"that rebel Alchemist† thing going for him. Maybe I should start considering him or another ex-Alchemist as a romantic option. Having someone who wasn't a forbidden vampire in my life would make things a lot easier. I tried to dredge up the same reaction other girls had around Marcus, but nothing happened. No matter how hard I tried, I just didn't have that same attraction. His hair was too blond, I decided. And his eyes needed a little more green. â€Å"Sorry,† I told Julia. â€Å"Just not feeling it.† â€Å"If you say so. I still think you're crazy. That's the kind of guy you'd follow to hell and back.† All romantic musings disappeared, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as we slowly headed back toward the dorm. Hell was a good analogy for what I would be walking into. â€Å"You actually might be closer to the truth on that than you realize.† She brightened. â€Å"See? I knew you couldn't resist.†

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 †A Book Analysis Essay

In his book, Fahrenheit 451, author Ray Bradbury highlights the power and importance of obtaining knowledge through books but decries the impact that technological innovations, particularly the television, pose in stifling intellectual and creative development. As a science fiction book that was first printed in 1953, many readers — particularly literary critics and students — correlate the book to state censorship and subsequent cultural decay presaging the eras following the book’s publication. Indeed, it can be easily gleaned from the main character’s occupation as a book-burning fireman that the book burning per se may be emblematic of   a common situation that most societies have found themselves grappling with – specific stages in nations’ histories whereby basic inalienable rights and freedoms were suppressed. Literary censorship, in particular, has been a recurring theme in many great works of literature. In real life, censorship is something that most governments have resorted to for varied reasons other than as a means of quelling what they categorize as rebellion or insurrection, and in almost every instance, books that echo the sentiments of many great nationalists or radical-thinking individuals have borne the brunt of censorship laws. Some analysts point out that in Ray Bradbury’s book, Fahrenheit 451, â€Å"The book burning is not a government mandated censorship†¦ Instead, it is a society-built degradation of the written word. Society has rejected the black and white messages bound in leather and paper† (Przybyszewski).   The author himself does not dispute this observation. Whether it is art imitating reality or the other way around, Fahrenheit 451 is a successful attempt in making readers — including those who got to read the book generations after its initial publication — ponder on key social and political issues like censorship, even if the author himself had clarified that his novel â€Å"is actually about how television destroys interest in reading literature† (Oleck, par. 1). A lover of the written word, Ray Bradbury hails from humble beginnings in Illinois, which set the stage for his profound yet realistic insights, searing views and cunning overall approach to his subject matter. He was born on August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois; studied in a Los Angeles High School in 1938, and furthered his education by working nights in the library and pounding away at   typewriter keys and selling newspapers in Los Angeles by day (â€Å"Ray Bradbury Biography†).   It can be noted that Fahrenheit 451, in many ways, pays homage to Bradbury’s Waukegan hometown.   It is in this locality that he developed an enormous and lasting appetite for books and a love for libraries, something which is continually described in his book. As Bradbury himself narrates: From the time I was 9 up through my teens I spent at least two nights a week in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   town library in Waukegan, Ill. In the summer months, there was hardly a day I could   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   not be found lurking about the stacks, smelling the books like imported spices, drunk   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   on them even before I read them (Moran). Based on the author’s personal narrative, one clearly sees how he obtained the characteristic ease in describing to readers a well-stacked library, and how he skillfully let some of his characters express forceful sentiments about books not just as a storehouse of knowledge and cultural heritage of nations, but as instruments to guide man in living and making decisions about the future. Ray Bradbury’s Waukegan roots likewise armed him with first-hand knowledge and distinct style of writing about a specific subject matter as firefighters. As another writer gathering from Ray Bradbury’s musings in writing Fahrenheit 451: Bradbury’s wary respect for fire can be traced back to his Waukegan youth, where he   Ã‚  Ã‚   would pass the firehouse on his way to and from the Carnegie Library and end up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   writing down his descriptions (Moran). Ray Bradbury’s remarkable style is indeed something which has not escaped discerning book readers and analysts. â€Å"While a lesser writer would have to content himself with beating the reader over the head with description and exposition, Bradbury is able to make his nightmare world real with economy and subtlety. The horror never grabs you by the throat as in a Stephen King novel; instead it creeps into your soul almost unnoticed† (Wright). Content-wise, what American writer Ray Bradbury sought to impress on his readers is the fact that humanity stands to be strangled by the very forces – or trappings of modern living —   that had originally been conceived to make life better. Bradbury makes a very good point in singling out television as the piece of equipment that most people have been overly relying on, and it comes at a very huge price: a stifled intellectual development. Indeed, of all the new modern conveniences or gadgetry the world has ever seen, one medium of communications which remains all-powerful or influential to minds and attitudes of people of all ages is the television. It is evident that Bradbury possessed remarkable foresight in ascertaining early on that people are bound to be enslaved. One of many insightful reviews about Ray Bradbury and his book states: Bradbury’s novel — or novella, really — is an inspired criticism of what we now call   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the â€Å"information society,† and the yawning chasm it is creating in our collective soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In it he managed to predict with frightening accuracy such current social pathologies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   as the dumbing down of popular entertainment and education, our growing addiction   Ã‚  Ã‚   to empty sensory stimulation, the rise of random violence among youth, the increasing anomie and alienation among everyone (Wright). Indeed, it takes a meticulous eye attuned to his surroundings for a writer to realistically depict current real-life situations as well as future scenarios. One important point that Ray Bradbury stressed in Fahrenheit 451 is that most of the time, people’s enslavement, whether by societal forces or modern technological advances, do occur from their own volition or free will. â€Å"It’s ordinary people who turn away from reading and the habits of thought and reflection it encourages. When the government starts actively censoring information, most people don’t even bat an eye† (Bradbury 183). It is true, of course, that in the present society, there are many cases of jaded individuals – especially ordinary citizens who wield little or no power to go against the powers-that-be – who initially protest but end up allowing circumstances like government   restraints on media/information to prevail or take place.   It is, however, an inescapable fact that many freedoms, like free speech and expression of ideas through books, are not absolute. This is something that advocates of censorship keep harping on. Introspection will show that in many ways, people, during these increasingly complex times and informational bombardment, do succumb or let government impose controls as the latter may deem morally and socially and politically fit. In doing so, it becomes a clear case of the antagonist turning into an ally. In societies which do a good job of balancing interests and rights, this may be permissible. There are, however, exceptions to the rule. There are people may rant and do nothing, but there are some individuals who even band together to form a coalition or cause-oriented group/association to bat for what they perceive as just. To their minds, the words of 18th century political theorist and philosopher Edmund Burke, of letting evil triumph if good men do nothing, may be ringing loud and clear. Reverting to the other main issue tackled by the book, which is the tendency of people to allow themselves to be enslaved by new technology and turn away from the many virtues of reading books, this is a universal problem pervading modern societies today. Ray Bradbury may have crafted decades ago a concise book about a dystopian society, but its message reverberates up to the present age, when gadget-toting new generations turn to books only when school requires them to, or when a bestselling book-turned-movie or escapist adult novels catch their fancy. In effect, the firemen’s task of burning books in the novel is actually a metaphor for the way a society’s citizens allow themselves, or their knowledge and future, to be stunted.   â€Å"The firemen are rarely necessary. The public itself stopped reading of its own accord† (Bradbury 87).

Private sector involvement in environmental management Essay

Private sector involvement in environmental management - Essay Example There are various advantages that are associated with the involvement of the private sector in the issues of environmental management, more so, as regards the management of water resources and biodiversity. One of these advantages is the provision of technical assistance in the environmental management issues. The private sector may be well equipped and versed with technical expertise that is relevant for the management of water and biodiversity (Brown, Aradau, and Budds, 15). Thus, the involvement of the private sector in this practice will serve to ensure that such expertise is availed in the management of water and biodiversity projects. This ensures that the whole process becomes successful and is implemented within the shortest duration possible, in that the presence of technical assistance helps the whole project to run smoothly and efficiently, saving on the time that would be involved in correcting mistakes arising from the lack of technical skills in the project implementati on (17). Provision of private finance is the other advantage associated with the involvement of the private sector in environmental management programs (23). Such finances provided by the private institutions may be in form of loans or grants towards such projects. This is an advantage in that the financial provision by the sector serves to supplement the public finances that could have been allocated for such a program. In so doing, a project that could have been implemented over many years due to financial challenges is implemented within a short duration. The provision of financial support from the private sector also serves to ensure that, suitable and most recent technology can be accessed and acquired for the implementation of the environmental management projects. This way, the projects are implemented more rapidly and efficiently, while ensuring that the necessary tools and equipment, which are most suitable for the project, are afforded and involved in the project execution (59). Additionally, the provision of private finance serves to ensure that the project can run continuously, since there is some aspect of public finance that requires many bureaucratic procedures to be undertaken before the finances are availed for used in the project. Most limiting factor associated with public finance, is the fact that, if any additional finance is deemed necessary, then such has to wait until another budget period, when such supplementary finances can be planned (161). In contrast, the private sector finance is easily accessible and requires less bureaucracy to obtain and use. The involvement of the private sector in environmental management is also advantageous in that it affords an opportunity for contracting a single contractor, who will deal with the whole project, from the design phase to completion (39). If such projects would be left wholesomely to the public sector, their implementation would be a great challenge, in that, the project would require vari ous departments of the public sector to be involved at different phases and stages of project implementation. Thus, the planning department would be required to plan for the project, the architecture department to design the project structures and the other departments to take respective phases of the project execu

World literature Eng 225 Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World literature Eng 225 Coursework - Essay Example Aeneas was the hero of an oral epic, whereas Roland was the hero of a chansons de geste. The use of medias res in â€Å"The Aeneid† and â€Å"The Iliad† is evident when each story starts in the middle, using flashbacks to fill the reader in on earlier events. For example, â€Å"The Aeneid† begins after the Trojan War, when the Trojan fleet was heading toward Italy. â€Å"The Iliad† is similar by beginning nine years into the Trojan War. The use of medias res in both text foreshadow the end results. In â€Å"The Aeneid† the defeated Trojan fleet heading to Italy shows that the Trojans lost the war. Homer begins the â€Å"The Iliad† with Agamemnon taking Briseis, Achilles’ slave girl, setting up the battle that rages through out the epic between Agamemnon and Achilles. â€Å"The Song of Roland† also uses medias res by starting in the middle. Even though it does not seem to start in the middle by starting with Seven Years in Spain, yet to a medieval audience it would be in the middle of the Saracens battle with

The amazing adventures of kavalier and clay Essay

The amazing adventures of kavalier and clay - Essay Example With these ideas, they come up with a symbol of the two- The Escapist. This paper will look into the unfolding in the book giving a clear understanding of the same. The Escapist is the alter ego of Joe and Sam in several ways. Joe is a trained escapist. As such, he is able to escape most of the challenging things he faces just like the Escapist. He manages to escape the reign of the Nazis in Prague. He even uses his artistic creativity put the experience on paper. There are instances were he also escapes. The happy relationship he had with Rosa, for instance. He also escapes the carbon monoxide poisoning, madness, his family, as well as, Sammy. Joe is a real-life escapist in the novel. Sammy escapes from reality through daydreaming. He manages to escape from having to travel with his father. Another instance where Sammy’s escapism is manifested is when he escapes from providing for his family; mother and grandmother. However, his escapist nature is brought out more clearly when he escapes from the reality of his being homophobic. When he is publicly said to be a homosexual, he is relieved. The alter ego is crucial for the Escapist. This other self revealed in the escapist gives a leeway for the escapist to avoid some situations that are challenging. Realism is heightened with the escapist roaming the world to rescue those chained by despotism. An insight of the lives of Joe and Sammy is brought out. Escapism and their alter egos play vital roles in bringing out the stories of their lives. The feelings of these characters are brought out in many instances. Feelings of guilt on exuberant living are felt by Sammy. His sexual orientation is also brought out revealing some of the intimate issues affecting the characters. Love and happiness is also explored within the escapism theme. Both Joe and Sammy find love in Rosa and Tracy. Joe leaves Rosa after he fails to protect his brother. He considers himself a failure thus the

The Ancient Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Ancient Middle East - Essay Example Additionally, believers and followers of both the religions also strongly believe that God is an eternal being, and He has the power to reward and punish to righteous and sinner persons respectively. Furthermore, believe in Messiah means Jesus Christ, who is believed as the son of God incarnate by both the religions, and they believe that Messiah (Jesus Christ) is yet to come from the house of David to build up a God's precious home on the earth (Lundquist). Trinity is another common belief between these two religions according to which both of them believe in the existence of Holy Father, Son and Spirit within the same Godhead, but they are separated from each other. It can be clearly understood as that God is considered as a three person, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are distinct, and yet all exist in a common person. If one of these were removed, there would be no God. Also, in Christianity and Judaism it is believe that the Trinity is involved in many othe r things. Such as, God had made this world via the Holy Son in Holy Spirit. The Holy Father sent forth His Son and Spirit to the Old Testament saints to let them know about the father (Lundquist). In both these religious, people follow guidelines of a Holy Book called as Bible, however, the only difference between their books is that Christian's Bible is consist of old and new testaments of Holy God while the Jewish Scripture is known as Hebrew Bible and it is arranged in three different sections (Lundquist). In addition, Covenant is another most important and common belief among Jews and Christians, which make them believe in actions during the last supper, and they religiously accept the fact that God will choose specific people, who will be reinforced by the Covenant at Mount Sinai. It should be noted here that this concept of the covenant is different from original covenant. It is basically an agreement between God and His followers (Jews and Christians) according to which they believe that through Moses, the followers will enter a covenant with God (Lundquist). "The Lord said to Moses, 'Write these words down because the covenant I make with you and with Israel is in these words.' So Moses...wrote down the words of the covenant, the Ten Words, on the tablets" (Think Quest 3). Last and an important common belief among these two religions and their followers is that they both strongly believe in the life here after. They have accepted the fact that after dying their souls will go up in heaven or hell based on the deeds they have done in the life here. Also, they believe that God will make the fairest judgment and that life will last forever. Christians and Jews have a very strong belief about life after death, which is based on the resurrection of Jesus (Lundquist). Although, these two religious were close to each other and they still are up to some extend in terms of their beliefs and rituals. However, the separation between these two religions undoubtedly has taken place, but that separation did not take place fast and easy. The whole separation took approximately more than hundred years and the crucial division did not happen all at once (Lundquist). Christianity started with Son of god (Jesus Christ) and his disciples

Visual Arts Experimental Drawing - Research Project Paper

Visual Arts Experimental Drawing - Project - Research Paper Example Hopper first attended New York School of Art and Design, where he was shocked at the prospect of drawing live nudes. His choice of subjects was mostly boats and women, still life and natural landscapes. He was influenced by Manet and Degas and particularly loved Rembrandt’s use of light and dark shadows in Nightwatch, and the work of French engraver Charles Meryon. He hated illustrations but was forced by economic circumstances to work at a copywriting agency during his early professional life. After his father died he moved to and lived in his Washington Square apartment in New York’s Greenwich Village for the rest of his life (Kuh, 53). Hopper got his subject matter from both seascapes and landscapes and scenes in contemporary American life. His Girl at a Sewing Machine (1921) shows a girl at work on this machine, deeply involved as the sunlight comes into her room and lights it up. His work often depicts the solitude he felt in life. Hopper’s most celebrated p ainting is Nighthawks (1942) which is famous for its attention to detail, cinematic perspective and use of electric light set against the contrast of the night outside. It shows a group of people at a diner. Hopper’s Girlie Show (1941) is one of his more audacious pieces, where a red headed striptease is seen moving confidently across a stage as musicians play in the background (Barbara, 158). Works Cited Haskell, Barbara. Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time. Hamburg: Bucerius Kunst Forum, 2009. Print. Kuh, Katharine. Interview with Edward Hopper in Katherine Kuh, The Artist's Voice: Talks with Seventeen Artists. New York: Di Capo Press, 2000. Print. Levin, Gail. Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography. New York: Knopf, 1995. Print. Lisa Milroy Born in Vancouver Canada in 1959, Lisa Milroy moved to London in 1979 and has been living and working there since then. She first studied at the Universite de Paris-Sorbonne in 1977–78 for a short while before moving on to Lond on’s St Martin's School of Art in 1978–79. She completed her art studies at the University of London, UK from 1979 to 1982. Lisa’s first solo art exhibition took place in 1984. She was also given the 1989 John Moore Painting Prize. Lisa currently teaches at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. As an artist, Lisa Milroy is famous for painting everyday items like vases, clothes and shoes in the form of collections. Milroy also paints objects in formations like in the shape of grids, lines, groups, rows and columns which she likes to create on plain backgrounds. Quite often Lisa’s arrangements of objects are influenced by their functional identity. For instance, stamps transform into islands for the eyes to travel between or wheels move forward at a dizzying visual pace. Handles (1989) won for Lisa the John Moores Award. This is a depiction of various handles of different types all spaced evenly through the work and can be viewed as a combination of lines dots and circles, assembled or spaced as in a catalog. The lack of color is intriguing and one cannot help wanting to pull on the handles to see if they work (Walker Art Gallery). Handles, 1989. Her painting Shoes (1985) shows a collection of shoes evenly spaced but in different configurations as to positions. Not one is repeated, they all