Against Legalization Of Marijuana Essay -- marijuana should not be lega

There currently exists a great debate concerning Legalization of marijuana. Many people are against the idea, but there are a number of people who fight for the idea to legalize Marijuana. The people that try to Legalize Marijuana use two major arguments in their effort to have marijuana legalized. First, which is by far the biggest argument is that marijuana has a significant medical use. The second is that marijuana does not cause harm to those that smoke it. Both of these arguments can be easily discounted by the numerous studies that have been done on the effects of marijuana both medicinal and recreational. Many well-intentioned leaders and members of the public have been misled by the well financed and organized pro-drug legalization lobby into believing there is merit to their argument that smoking marijuana is a safe and effective medicine. A review of the scientific research, expert medical testimony, and government agency findings shows this to be erroneous. There is no ju stification for using marijuana as a medicine. The movement to legitimise smoking marijuana as a medicine is not encouraged by doctors and scientists. The studies cited by the marijuana advocates have been found to be unscientific, poorly researched, and involved pharmaceutical THC, not marijuana. An advocate that claimed he was an expert, was in fact a wellness counsellor at a health spa who admitted under oath to using every illegal mind-altering drug he ever studied. Another expert admitted h...

The Character of Scarlet in Gone With the Wind Essay -- Gone With the

The Character of Scarlet in Gone With the Wind  Ã‚     "My Dear, I don't give a damn," (718) Rhett Butler says this infamous quote to Scarlet O'Hara at the end of Gone With the Wind (1934), when the woman has finally poured her soul to him. The novel Gone with the Wind (1934) by Margaret Mitchell is a classic about the hard times suffered during and after the Civil War. Scarlet lives in the Confederacy and everyone there is for fighting for his or her noble Cause. The young southern belle Scarlet O'Hara is forced to do things she never thought a girl of her class and nature would have to do. All throughout the novel, she is faced with serious problems. Scarlet plainly states, I'll not think of that today, I'll think of it tomorrow, for tomorrow is another day, which of course she never does. It is this thought however, that makes her character stay strong, although sometimes living in a daydream. Without telling herself this, Scarlet would have broken down in the very beginning after the war had started. Scarlet lives for the future and not the past. It's this about her that makes her character admirable and noble At first the reader would think Scarlet's character is snobbish and helpless. Through her determination, she forces others to change their opinion of her. In the beginning, she is a young, beautiful sixteen -year old, with a seventeen-inch waist, the smallest in the county. At parties, she never has less than a dozen young men surrounding her, all of whom she never lets know whom she truly loves. The other girls find Scarlet heartless, the way she leads all those boys on, but Scarlet pays no mind to them. She knows they are just bitter with jealousy. She does truly love Ashley Wilkes, but he is to announce his enga... ...d a cause of her own. While many characters in the book fought and died for the great Cause, she cared more about her own. Scarlet had to care for Tara and her family. Although many see her as repulsive, by looking at her acts, she made herself strong with words. The once young and carefree girl was forced to marry for money, not for love, twice. When Scarlet finally let her only true love in life, Rhett Butler, know how she felt about him, she realizes all too late how horrid she's acted, he finally puts Scarlet in her place by stating "My dear, I don't give a damn." At these words, Scarlet still does not break down. After all she has been through she knows what to do. She tells her self that tomorrow is another day, and tomorrow she will get Rhett back.   Works Cited Mitchell, Margaret. Gone With the Wind. NewYork: The Macmillan Company,1994      

Analysis of Paragraph on Page 271-272 of Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider :: Porter’s Pale Horse Pale Rider

Analysis of Paragraph on Page 271-272 of Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider In the opening sentence of this paragraph, two workers at the newspaper office are described. They are not, however, described as people though, they are instead said to be solely â€Å"two pairs of legs† (Porter 271). By describing solely this part of the people, Porter is drawing attention to a part of the body seemingly unrelated to newspaper writing. This gives the reader the impression that these two writers are either unskilled in the area or writing, or unimportant to the speaker. Interestingly, the legs are also described as, â€Å"dangling,† which paints the picture of a lifeless body. This could be perhaps indicating that these people are dead to her; both unimportant and unwanted. Porter then goes on to describe the legs as being â€Å"stuffed thickly into funnels of dark expensive-looking material.† The way in which this is described seems to imply that the fabric itself is strangling these legs that have now become representative of the speakerâ€⠄¢s time at the newspaper. By describing the material as â€Å"dark† and â€Å"expensive looking,† Porter makes the writers at the newspaper appear to be both evil and fake. As Porter continues her description of the two writers, she notes how one of then was â€Å"oldish† and the other â€Å"youngish.† The vagueness in this description goes along with the feeling of universality in the writers that Porter has achieved by having them represented by a mere body part. Also, by having one writer be old, and the other young, the writers are closer to representing every man. As Porter describes the writers as having a â€Å"stale air of borrowed importance which apparently they had got from the same source† she is indicating that the newspaper itself, and thus the media is the source that writers in this wartime community derive their unreal importance. Porter makes the speaker seem almost intimidated by the writers as she euphemistically refers to them as being â€Å"well nourished† rather than fat. This is again referenced when Porter states that Miranda â€Å"pulled out her chair without removing her cap or gloves (†¦) as if she had not a moment to spare.† Miranda’s resentment of the newspaper community is embodied in these two people.

Health and Safety at Work Essay

Legislation that relates to general health and social care setting are the Health and Safety Act, The Management of Health and Safety Work Regulations, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Manual Handling Operations Regulations, The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), Personal Protective Equipment Regulations (PPE). The main points of the health and safety policies and procedures identify significant risks in relations to the work place and work tasks, control the measures for hazards, the arrangements for reporting accidents or health problems, arrangements for first aid, fire and emergencies, who the key person is for health and safety matters which is usually the manager or the owners, also how health and safety is communicated in the workplace and the arrangement to protect others. The main health and safety responsibilities for a social care worker is to be responsible care from themselves and other peoples health and safety, to report to the employer any potential and actual risks, also to take part in health and safety training and to understand and comply with the health and safety instructions and procedures. The main health and safety points for a manager/employer is to provide a safe place to work, assess any risks and take action to reduce them also provide information, instructions, training and supervision to employees and also provide adequate welfare and first aid facilities. The main health and safety responsibilities of the individual/resident is to understand and comply with health and safety instructions and procedures and take reasonable care for their own and other peoples health and safety. Tasks that should be carried out that requires specialist training include the use of equipment which is usually given within weeks of starting the job and then gone over as a recap, first aid, medication training, assisting and moving, emergency procedures and food handling and preparation. Accessing additional support and information may include appointed person that is responsible for health and safety, the line manager, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environmental Health Department. Hazard is the potential to cause harm or hurt yourself or others. Risk is the likelihood of harm occurring through and exposure to harm. A risk assessment is used to identify hazards, evaluating risks, taking precautions, reviewing risks and reporting and recording the outcomes. Reporting potential risks is done by recording findings on a risk assessment form and then communicating the findings immediately to the manager. You should report this immediately and when existing control measures are inadequate, when additional control measures are required and when there have been changes to the original risk assessment such as changes to working practices. Risk assessments can help by making the individual aware of the risks and the responsibilities employers and employees have and being used as the basis for safe working practices. Different types of accidents could include; * Falls * Burns and scalds * Slips and trips * Swallowing a hazardous substance Sudden illness may include; * Cardiac arrest * Difficulty breathing * Stroke * Hypoglycaemia/hyperglycaemia * Seizures * Loss of consciousness * Food poisoning Procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur is recording and reporting of accidents or illness with full details, usually filled in on an accident form that can be found in the main office, registered person submitting the notification to CQC and HSE. It is important for emergency first aid tasks to be carried out by qualified first aiders to comply with health and safety legislation, to preserve life, to minimise the consequences of injury and illness and to treat injuries and illnesses effectively. Routes that infection can get into the body is blood circulation via an open cut or graze, digestive via eating or drinking something, respiratory by inhaling something and body fluids by not taking the correct precautions such as washing your hands. Ways in which our own health and hygiene might pose a risk to an individual or to others at work by causing serious infection, causing illness and fatalities. Majority of these can be caused by not wearing correct equipment such as gloves and aprons but some cannot be helped.

California, a Place, a People, a Dream

California, A Place, a People, a Dream In â€Å"California, A Place, a People, a Dream,† James J. Rawls gives his version of the California dream, and describes the paradoxes that are associated with that dream. According to Rawls, the California dream is a love affair with an idea, a marriage to a myth, or fantasy. (Rawls 22, 23) Everyone has their own version of the California dream. It might be something, or nothing at all. As I began reading Rawl’s essay, I found it interesting how the world views the environment that you live in, and how different they think your life is from theirs. The California dream is often viewed in the imaginations of Americans and immigrants as the optimal land of opportunity, sunshine, jobs, and Hollywood glamour. â€Å"Founded on expectation and hope, the California Dream promises to fulfill our deepest longings for opportunity and success, warmth, sunshine and beauty, health and long life, freedom, and even a foretaste of the future,† says Rawls. (Rawls 23) For many people, they think of California as their own perfect world. According to Rawls, one paradox for California is a land of great expectations and disappointment. The gold rush experience was forged on this paradox of expectation. (Rawls 26) For many people their expectations of California came from what they heard: California is the land of great opportunity. Another paradox is growth. In 1962, California became the most populous state. Land was being quickly developed into track homes, and twisted freeways. By 1973, cities across the state 1. were passing ordinances to limit growth. The land of dreams and opportunities was quickly turning into a land of nightmares. The paradox of plenty and getting rich is what immigrants and people from other parts of America believed California was all about, and part of the California dream. Many argue that the dream that once was is no longer a reality with all of the social, political, and environmental issues. This morning I read a blurb on the internet that named the ten most expensive cities in the United States to live in were located in California: Palo Alto, San Francisco, Pasadena, and Newport Beach were a few of those named. I have often read about the American dream, but not the California dream. Being a native Californian, perhaps I have taken for granted all that California has to offer, as it just seems part of my every day life. I could never understand why my in-laws would always say how lucky I was to live in California, and so close to the beach. Why did they make such a big deal when they visited? There were beaches in New Jersey where they were from. They always insisted on going to Santa Cruz or Monterey each time they came to visit. They live three hours away from the beach, or shore as they called it. Until I visited the east coast, little did I realize at the time how living on the east coast was very different from living on the west coast. It is hot and humid during the summer, and cold and wet during the winter. At least in the bay area the seasons are not so drastic. I do not believe there is a California dream. I have always felt that people make their own dreams. For some it is the roll of the dice, and luck. For others it is the way things were meant to be. Promise and paradox are at the center of the California dream. † (Rawls 29) â€Å"In spite of the withering analysis of the past, the promises of California remain undiminished, bringing 2. new generations of newcomers from around the world. † (Rawls 29) There are new perceptions and new dreams. Everyone dreams. Whether it is a life in a different place – or where they currently live people have been dreaming since the beginning o f time – and will continue to dream. What one perceives as the California dream, another may perceive it as something entirely different. 3.

American Romanticism

The Literary movement and story I decided to choose was American Romanticism, and â€Å"The Birthmark† by Nathaniel Hawthorne. American Romanticism is a literary period in American Literature that lasted from sass to sass. The movement itself started off as an offshoot of the European Romanticism artistic movement, â€Å"It arose as a reaction to the formal orthodoxy and Neoclassicism of the preceding period. It is marked by a freedom from the authority, forms, and conventions typical in Neoclassical literature.It replaced the neoclassic emphasis on reason with its own emphasis on the imagination and emotions, and the neoclassic emphasis on authority with an emphasis on individuality, which places the individual at the center of all life†(Cooperate). The American Romanticism movement began after the Revolutionary war ended when America wanted to separate themselves from Britain and the European form of Romanticism. American authors wanted to separate themselves from Bri tain and Europe because they wanted to be their own country and not looked at like the â€Å"little brother† country.One quote that shows that America wanted independence from Britain and Europe is, â€Å"It emerged within the United States after the Revolutionary ar when it was connected with the aspiration to forge a distinctive cultural identity correlative with the revolutions unprecedented political and social achievements†(Pease). If it was not for the Romanticism movement in Europe, and Britain, and the Revolutionary war, America would not have had the important American Romanticism literary movement.Many of the early authors who started the American Romanticism movement had close ties to the European form of Romanticism. There was two generation of American Romanticism authors, the first generation of authors were William Bryant, Henry Headwords, Henry Longfellow, James Cooper, and Catherine Sedgwick. The movement itself is about expressing individuality, emoti ons, and creativity which caused Americans to write about the American wilderness, science, and other creative ideas that tapped into their heads.American Romanticism has many major themes, some are highly imaginative and subjective, Emotion intensity, Escapism, common man as the hero, and nature as a refuge or source of knowledge. The second generation of American Romanticism authors were had a few very well known authors that started the movement like Nathaniel Hawthorn, Edgar Allen Poe, Ralph Wald Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller and, and Herman Melville. The authors were to separate themselves from the European movement, â€Å"Their representation of the new nation as basically innocent and purged of old world vices†(Pease).The authors also wrote stories about the conflicts of exploring nature. The second generation of authors wrote short stories, and books about exploring nature, philosophy, and the conflicts of science which made them different than the fir st generation of authors. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 and died in 1864. The famous author as born in Salem Massachusetts into a family whose ancestors were among the earliest of settlers. Hawthorne was born into a Puritan family, which meaner he was raised in a very strict lifestyle.After Hawthorne father died in a boating accident, Hawthorne and his mother then moved to Maine to live and work on a farm, â€Å"Hawthorne was the son of a sea captain when Nathaniel was four years old†(The Columbia Encyclopedia). When Hawthorne was nine years old, he suffered a severe injury leaving him hurt and immobile for three years, and this is when it was made clear that Hawthorne loved to read and write. Since Hawthorne could not move because of his injury, he started to read and write major, and he decided to become an author.Hawthorne attended Bowdon College from 1821, to 1825, and after graduating from Bowdon College Hawthorne decided to follow his dreams to publish an d write short stories, and novels. His first story he published was â€Å"The Collection Twice-Todd Tales†, published in 1837, and was found to be liked by Hawthorne, and only Hawthorne. After failing miserably, and having no confidence, Hawthorne got a Job at the U. S. Custom center house in Boston. Hawthorne only spent two years working at the center house to save money to move to Broke Farm for six months.In 1842 Nathaniel Hawthorne married Sophie Peabody who was familiar with Emerson, Thoreau, and Margaret Fullers writings. The married couple then moved to Concord where Hawthorne wrote â€Å"Mosses From the Old Manse,† then to Salem where he wrote his best known book, â€Å"The Scarlet Letter. † In these books Hawthorne started using his own themes and styles of writing, â€Å"Set in the 17th Century Puritan New England, the novel delves deeply in the human heart, presenting the problems of moral evil and guilt through allegory and symbolism.It is often con sidered the first American psychological novel. â€Å"(The Columbia Encyclopedia) What made Hawthorn's stories beautiful was every character had a different drive to find their destinies than any other stories published in the American Romanticism movement. Many of Hawthorne' short stories showed themes of ironic consequences, and how the desire for perfection can turn out very badly. Hawthorne would start the story of by showing the readers the characters doing something good, but the characters would always end up in bad situations.A short story that shows irony, and how Hawthorn's characters end up in bad situations is called â€Å"The Birthmark. † â€Å"The Birthmark† is about a scientist named Laymen who decided to leave science for spiritual reasons. â€Å"It was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of a women†(Hawthorne 215). Laymen persuades a beautiful woman, who all the guys chase, to marry him. While he was married to Georgian, Layme n found the most slightest imperfection on her face, a birthmark annoying and ugly. Georgian was perfect except for the birthmark on her face that resembled a hand.The birthmark on Georgians face made Laymen think that she was not perfect, while the est. of the guys thought she was perfect besides the fact she had a birthmark that resembled a hand on her cheek. Laymen wanted to change Georgians imperfection through science because he wanted to â€Å"perfect† his wife. No matter the consequences Laymen wanted to challenge nature with science, and also change the culture. Laymen makes a potion that Georgian drink that makes the birthmark on her face start to disappear, but as the birthmark starts to disappear Georgian passes away.Georgian passes away because the birthmark on her face was the only thing that made her human, and peeping her in the human world because perfection cannot be obtained in a human, and without the birthmark on the cheek she was not human anymore. In Ala meda addiction for perfection, he lost his beautiful wife, and before he could think twice about what he did, Georgian was dead. This was very ironic because Laymen wanted to do something good by taking away the birthmark on her face, but ends up killing her on accident In American Romanticism some themes included culture of some form, nature, science, or the nature of perfecting something.Hawthorn's story â€Å"The Birthmark† wows how a man tries to perfect nature, but does not realize the consequences there was to trying to perfect something that cannot be perfected. Throughout the story Laymen was obsessing over Georgians birthmark, while other men of the story were saying how perfect she was with the birthmark, â€Å"If she were my wife, old never part with that birthmark† (Hawthorne 219). I believe that Hawthorne is trying to say that nothing is made to be perfect, so one should not try to perfect things that should not be perfected.I feel as though Hawthorne fath er dying is the reason behind some of the important deaths in his stories. Hawthorne writes about nature because it is something he has been interested in, and was a theme of American Romanticism. Hawthorne showed some other themes in â€Å"The Birthmark† like nature, science, the pursuit of perfection. Laymen was a scientist that wanted to perfect nature, even when more than half of his experiments have failed, he still tried to take the birthmark off of his beautiful wife's cheek.Laymen strives to get the birthmark off of Georgians cheek so much that he started to have dreams about ripping out her heart because he was obsessing over trying to perfect nature. Throughout the story it wows that Georgian Just wanted to please Laymen even though she thought that her birthmark resembled her, and all the guys loved it. Since Laymen started obsessing over the birthmark and hating it, this made Georgian start to hate the birthmark herself too, even though she knows that other men in the world find her birthmark beautiful.Since Laymen was being selfish and Just thinking about himself and perfecting nature he lost love, and his wife Georgian. In â€Å"The Birthmark† there is a spot in the story where Laymen obsesses over the birthmark on Georgians cheek so much, that he had a dream where he ripped out ere heart, â€Å"Laymen now remembered his dream. He had fancied himself with Indaba, attempting an operation for the removal of the birthmark.But deeper went the knife, the deeper sank the hand, until at length its tiny grasps appeared to have caught a hold of Georgians heart; whence however, her husband was inexorably resolved to cut it or wrench it away'(Hawthorne 217). I feel like this shows that no matter what Laymen did, he needed to take the birthmark off of Georgians face, even if that did mean he would have to take out her heart to do so. What Hawthorne is trying to say in his story is that not one man in the world could perfect tauter, and one sho uld not try because no one knows the consequences of doing so.Nathaniel Hawthorn's story â€Å"The Birthmark† showed themes of American Romanticism by showing how culture and nature are different. Hawthorne shows that Laymen wanted to perfect nature, even when nature did not want to be perfected. â€Å"The Birthmark shows how no one can control, and perfect nature without having dire consequences that could end up killing people. You can see how events in Hawthorn's life effected his writing, and how it influenced his publication in the American Romanticism movement. American Romanticism The American writers tried to figure out what ‘American’ could mean—they were out to find a unique personality, a separate identity to the American literature, and the way of life, that was distinctly American and not British. This struggle fired them and took them to the portals of creativity. Their vision was to outgrow the concepts of guilt, evil, salvation, providential aspects of Puritanism, and search about the fiery rhetoric of equality and freedom. In the glorious years of 1850-1855, emerged writers like Emerson. The materialistic approach unavoidable in the circumstances then prevailing cost America the mind and the spirit.To blend 150 communities into a Nation was not an ordinary job. Writers like Emerson, moved away from the influences of stern dogmas and looked out for new spiritual roots. Materialistic theories for education were resisted. Truth is a matter of intuition and individual experience, and it transcends the borders of reason. Human beings n eed to follow the dynamic spirit, without destructive approach. Good literature must not go by the rules and it should appeal to the heart. To such writers Christ in the heart was more important than the cross on the neck!The ideas of Cultural Revolution became popular, even though many did not understand its exact definition and implications. The ‘clash’ of writes of the time continued; they influenced each other, though each denied such influence to assert their right as romantic individualists. Poe (who died in 1849) wrote about Emerson in his works, Emerson bought his writings to a creative boil etc. The hero of American Romanticism was Emerson, the literary giant, who kindled the creative fires in his time. He touched all the sensitive parts of the American psyche. The sentiments of an individual on the same topic vary from time to time.An authentic quality about thinkers and genuine writers is that they are willing to think; give room to accommodate; willing to ac cept, when necessary and reject outright, when required to do so. Emerson’s ‘Moral Sentiment’ and Poe’s ‘Poetic Sentiment’ often clash. Emerson viewed Poe as a man of dissipation. This is just short of telling that he is an evil-incarnation. He also considered Poe as a man of stern reasons, without heart. Poe was the genius of imaginative literature, but he lacked humanity, so essential for the standard of living and standard of life of the society.The evil influences of Satan in the writings of Poe were seen by many contemporary writers, including Emerson. Soon other writers began to narrow down the margin of difference between the writings of Emerson and Poe. The gap between Poe’s â€Å"poetic sentiment† and Emerson’s â€Å"moral sentiment† was much narrower. Critics created such a controversy and erected artificial barriers without going into the merits of the case. The spirit of the age to which the poets and wr iters live counts a lot and it has profound influence on their writings. The ‘generation gap.’ in the wide sense does the trick. Also, their ideas on relationship between art and morality, were actually of little consequence, once the influence of time-element is deleted from their views and writings. Viewed impartially, Emerson’s â€Å"Moral Sentiment' and Poe's â€Å"Poetic Sentiment† are the alternative beats of the same heart. Both wish to transcend the borders of reason, as they are aware that the bliss of truth is available for experiencing only when the last hurdle of the mind is crossed. Experience divinity through moral sentiment or poetic sentiment—it is one and the same!It is reasonable to assume that once they reach the ‘beyond the mind’ state, the poetic sentiments and the moral sentiments merge, because in essence, they are one and the same. The mind level critics can not understand Emerson or Poe! Their position is like the Surgeon in the allegory! He once questioned a Realized Soul, â€Å"Revered Master, I am a surgeon of international reputation. In the course of my professional duties, I have cut each and every part of the human body. But I haven’t seen your God anywhere! † â€Å"Is it so? † asked the Realized Soul, â€Å"Then you must have at least come across human emotions like love, anger, greed, etc.when you performed those operations! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The perplexed Surgeon said, â€Å"These are mind-level emotions. How can one see them? † Now it was the turn of the Realized Soul to deliver the clincher. He said, â€Å"You are unable to see the emotions, which belong to the domain of mind. How can you see God, for experiencing whom, you need to transcend the borders of mind and enter the realm of divinity? † In fact, both Poe and Emerson wrote from the level of progression of their minds, and the time-element played an important role, as they tried to give the verbatim report of their intuitive experiences.Even the narrowest differences at the highest level become wide disagreements. It is not correct to conclude that Poe and Emerson always thought on identical lines. Apart from the above two sentiments, there are wide, irreconcilable differences between the two. Art takes the secondary position as far as Emerson is concerned. His main concern is Over-Soul. Art is just means to an end. For Poe, it is the end in itself. While asserting thus, he touches the portals of spiritual realm, but refuses to cross the last barrier of the mind.Perhaps it is this search for eternal truth that kindles the curiosity of Poe to create romantic hero like Auguste Dupin Poe is the undisputed ancestor of a detective genre of stories. The search in a fiction and real search in individual lives invite comparison. The reason for crime-perpetration (evil) is the age-old investigative querry of humanity. His detective story â€Å"The Murder in the Rue Morgueà ¢â‚¬  (1841) is the case in point. In this story Poe describes about the same pairs of opposites that govern and dominate human life, good and evil, which are important biblical subjects.Even today Dupin is the most admired and popular detective character. The most important asset of Dupin is his capacity for observation and ability to draw correct conclusions. His analytical mind was his natural gift which he used intelligently to arrive at decisions. Poe created this unique character when the detective genre of literature did not exist. One can observe similarities between the traits of seeker of truth and the detective Dupin who wishes to get at the truth of complicated issues. The time-element and the historical background have the dominant influence on the writings of an author.Viewed from this angle Emerson belonged to the volatile time of the American History, when the American society was going through convulsions. Such situations fire the mind of a creative author. Emerson has been hailed as the greatest prose writer of this century. There are solid grounds why Emerson’s essays are all-time greats. Such writing is possible for a brilliant mind, one who has the warm-heart and above all, one who has touched, and at times crossed the borders of reason-transcended the mind-barrier to enter the portals of divinity. He has definitely experienced the flashes of divinity within him!The sum and substance of his essays is– life is to be lived in its trials and tribulations its duty and beauty with total respect and surrender for the Over-Soul that looks after the smallest and biggest actions and aspirations of an individual. Don’t seek concession, but make relentless efforts for Self-Realization, argues Emerson. The important themes depicted in Emerson’s ‘Circles’, are too profound for the ordinary mind to comprehend. Theme number one is, there are no fixed points and the second one, that the key to every man is his tho ughts.The import of the first point can be understood not by intellectuals but by the spiritually-oriented. The concept is equivalent to that of Maya (a Sanskrit word, roughly translated-illusion) of the Advaita (Non-dualism) Philosophy of the East, more specifically India! By arguments and counter-arguments, this point can not be proved, and therefore the rationalistic mind would not accept this. For example, when Bertrand Russell said, â€Å"Mental fear creates God,† it actually doesn’t make any difference to God! Russell is speaking from his mental level.Emerson, talking about the essential and real nature of things can be explained through an example: Howsoever powerful and big may be the waves in an ocean, their essential nature is mere water! Mind is nothing but the bundle of thoughts. When the thought process is changed, the action process is also changed. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed, when the mind is changed; the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed. There are inconsistencies in our perception and in our capacities for articulating ideas—this is bound to happen.Everyone speaks from the level of his progression, as cited in the example of Bertrand Russell, above. Such capacity is inborn as well as acquired. When Poe posits the figure of Auguste Dupin, whose perspective appears to supersede all partial perceptions, one needs to understand that he is thinking from the level of his perceptions about life. That can’t be and need not be truth. Poe’s conception of final intelligence is comparable with Emerson’s assertion that such finality is unattainable through the process and methods of intelligence and reason.That is the transcendental experience to be experienced, and no words can describe it for understanding by the masses. It is the level of unspeakable truth. It is the sweetest sound —the silence within! Auguste Dupin is an analytical genius. How come he became the genius? What is the secret behind his extraordinary abilities? Dupin lives in isolation, he is a completely detached individual, and this detachment gives him the extra power of close observation and he comes to correct conclusions. Police are in the middle of everything and are habituated to work in noise pollution (of the mind?) But Dupin works in ‘silence. ’ By depicting this style for working, Poe castigates the various social institutions, which are incapable of providing proper facilities and full justice to the people. Dupin is not attached to anybody and he is working without the motivated desires. =============== References Cited: Emerson, Ralph Waldo: Essays & Poems Emerson (Everyman's Library) Publisher: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd. (March 15, 1995) Poe, Edgar Allan: Thompson G. R. (Editor): The Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe (Norton Critical Editions) Publisher: W. W. Norton; 1st edition (April 2004)

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 5

At the close of breakfast, maids whisked away the Dutch china and jam, and Winfield retreated to his study, leaving me with the Sutherland women in the sunlit parlor. Bridget, Lydia, and Mrs. Sutherland had installed themselves on the brocade couch, while I perched at the edge of a green velvet chaise, pretending to gaze at an oil portrait of the family when in truth I was calculating the best way to make my escape. My last, paltry feeding seemed a distant memory, and the sweet symphony of beating hearts in this grand mansion was becoming difficult to resist. During the meal, I'd tried several times to free myself from the Sutherlands' presence, with the aim of slipping out a window or escaping through the servants' quarters. But as though my intentions were written plainly across my forehead, I was unable to shake my company for even two minutes. When I'd excused myself to the facility, the butler had insisted upon escorting me. When I mentioned I'd enjoy lying down in my room, Mrs. Sutherland had pointed out that the couch in the parlor was the perfect place for a repose. I knew that they were grateful to me for returning Bridget to them, but I couldn't explain their acceptance of me into their home. Especially given the state I was in when I first entered it: dirty, torn clothes, disheveled, and bloody. â€Å"Mr. Stefan,† Margaret said, leaning against the column that separated the parlor from the foyer. â€Å"Are you entirely all right?† â€Å"Fine, fine,† I said. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"You're shaking your leg so hard you're rattling the chair.† I pressed my hand to my knee to steady my leg. â€Å"I usually start my morning with a walk,† I lied, pushing myself to standing. â€Å"In fact, if I may excuse myself, I think I'll take a stroll around the park.† Margaret raised a perfectly arched brow. â€Å"You certainly seem to spend a lot of time in the park.† â€Å"I consider it my second home,† I said with a wry smile, picturing my cave with its cadre of statues. â€Å"I've always found nature comforting.† â€Å"What a lovely idea!† Mrs. Sutherland said, clasping her hands together. â€Å"Would you mind if we joined you? It's a beautiful day, and we could all use some fresh air.† â€Å"Mama, I think it would be best if I rested instead,† Bridget said, putting a hand to her very healthy-looking brow. â€Å"You mean, stay in and receive visitors all day so you can tell them about your adventures,† Margaret said, shaking her head. â€Å"I'm afraid I shall have to beg off, too, Mother. I've things to attend to at home, now that it appears my sister is fine – and my husband misses me.† â€Å"I can't imagine why,† Bridget muttered uncharitably. Lydia shot her youngest sister a look and lightly slapped her arm. Mrs. Sutherland ignored the sisterly sniping, shaking out a light cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders. â€Å"Come with us, Mr. Salvatore. We shall make a fine party of three.† Resisting the urge to shout in frustration – what would it take to leave this family's clutches? – I forced a smile on my face and held out my arm to Mrs. Sutherland. The second we stepped outside the massive front door, the sun assaulted my eyes. It was a bright, lemony yellow and the sky a perfect blue. For early November up north, it was a remarkably mild day. If not for the sun's low angle in relation to the earth, it would have been easy to mistake it for a brisk spring morning. We headed south, then crossed at Sixty-sixth Street and walked through the wrought iron gates of the park. Despite the events of the night before, neither Lydia nor Mrs. Sutherland showed any hesitation or fear. I suppose they felt safe enough in my presence. I took a deep breath of the morning air, which seemed so clear and pure after the events of the previous night. It was as though, with the rising sun, the entire world had been washed clean. Seed heads bobbed at the ends of long grasses and flowers opened toward the sky, taking in the last bright sun of the year. The droplets of dew had already dispersed from the previous night. We were not the only ones out to enjoy the day. The park was packed with families and strolling couples. I was struck once again with how different the North was. Yankee women wore bright colors, such as we hadn't seen in the South for years – scarlets, brilliant yellows, bold, sky blues in silk and velvet and expensive cloths like European lace, delicate stockings, tiny leather boots. Even nature here was different. Northern trees were round, quaint, elliptical maples where our lush oaks spread out, soaking up the sun to the farthest tips of their branches. The pines were spiky and blue, not the tall, soft, grand ones the soft Southern breeze whispers around. Mrs. Sutherland and Lydia prattled on about the weather, but they had lost my attention, for at that moment a squirrel crossed our path. A sudden darkness overcame me, as if one of the few clouds in the sky had momentarily passed in front of the sun. My predator instincts awoke. There was nothing delectable about its beady eyes or bushy tail, but in a flash I could taste it – the blood of yesterday. It invaded my nostrils and tickled my throat with desire. â€Å"Please excuse me – I – I believe I see someone I know.† I made my trivial excuse as I dashed off, promising to return in a moment, though I had no intention of doing so. I could feel Lydia and Mrs. Sutherland's eyes follow me curiously as I disappeared behind a thicket of bushes. There sat my prey, as innocent as Bridget had likely looked to her attacker last night. It eyed me as I approached, but did not make a move. In a flash I was upon it, and it was over even more quickly. As I felt the blood seep into me – a paltry feeding, but a feeding nonetheless – I leaned against the tree trunk, awash in exhausted relief. It had not been apparent until just now how edgy I had been, every moment afraid of my own hunger. Afraid of the stirrings inside of me, and how they might control me at any instant. My relief was so great that I didn't even hear Lydia approach, ruining my chance of escape. â€Å"Stefan?† she said, looking around, no doubt curious to meet the person I had run off to greet. â€Å"It turns out that I was mistaken after all,† I mumbled, reluctantly rejoining Lydia and her mother on the path. They fell back into polite conversation, while I kicked along silently next to them, berating myself for my slowed reflexes. What was wrong with me? I was a vampire. Removing myself from the Sutherlands' presence should have been no hard task, even in my weakened state. An unpleasant thought rattled at the back of my mind, an alternate explanation, that I was still with this family because I wanted to be. â€Å"Mr. Salvatore, you're awfully quiet,† Mrs. Sutherland observed. I stole a glance at Lydia, who gave me a smile, clearly acknowledging that her mother did not deal in subtlety. â€Å"Forgive me. It's been a while since I've been in the midst of people,† I admitted as we turned on to the bridle path. Mrs. Sutherland squeezed my hand. If she noticed its icy pallor, she must have taken it for a chill. â€Å"Since you lost your father?† she asked gently. I nodded. That explanation was easier than the truth. â€Å"I lost a brother in the battle with Mexico,† Mrs. Sutherland confided, as we passed a little girl and her father walking a long-haired dachshund. â€Å"We were the closest of nine brothers and sisters. Despite our numbers, none of my siblings could ever replace him in my heart.† â€Å"Uncle Isaiah,† Lydia murmured. â€Å"I barely remember him. But he was always kind.† â€Å"I'm sorry to hear that. I did not mean to turn this outing into a sad affair,† I apologized. â€Å"Remembering and mourning needn't always be sad,† Mrs. Sutherland pointed out. â€Å"It is simply . . . what it is. Keeping their lives present in our own.† Her words cast a true light through all the confusing thoughts that had been clouding my mind of late: how to remain in touch with my human side even as I embraced becoming a vampire, how to not lose my soul. Keeping the past present was paramount. Just as my memory of Callie kept me from attacking Bridget, my connection to my family, to the life that had once been mine, would help me keep my humanity. Though she didn't resemble my own mother at all, for one instant, with the sunlight shining down through her cap and illuminating her graying hair, her sharp blue eyes softened with feeling, I suddenly felt she could be my mother. That, were the circumstances different, I could be happy in her home. Oh, how I missed my mother. While my deep grief for her had abated in the years since she had died, there was a dull ache that was never absent from my heart. How much of the tragedy that engulfed our lives could have been avoided if she were still alive? I missed my father, too. Up until the moment I killed him, I respected and loved him. I had wanted to follow in his footsteps, to take on the family estate, to please him as much as possible. My deepest wish had been that he could respect and love me back. I even missed my brother, or rather who he used to be. Though he vowed to get revenge on me for turning him into a vampire, in life he had been my truest companion in the world, my playful competitor and my closest confidant. I wondered where Damon was right now, and what harm he might be doing. I couldn't judge his bad behavior – I'd had my share of bloodlust after I had turned. I only hoped his humanity would return to him as mine had. â€Å"You are a wise woman, Mrs. Sutherland,† I said, returning the squeeze of her hand. She smiled at me. â€Å"You're a remarkable young man,† Mrs. Sutherland noted. â€Å"If I was your mother, I should be very proud of you. Of course, I have no sons, and only one son-in-law. . . .† She sniffed. â€Å"But, Mother, Margaret and I are each very accomplished, in our own way,† Lydia said, ignoring the pointed remark about son-in-laws. â€Å"She does the books for Wally. And I am helping to form that charity for mothers who lack a stable income.† Mrs. Sutherland cast a private smile at me, and in that moment I dared to hope. Perhaps it was possible to stay here, to become part of this family. It would be a dangerous game, but perhaps I could master it. I could keep my hunger under control and take daily walks with Lydia and Mrs. Sutherland, accompanying them home for a cup of tea or a lively debate about the war with Winfield. Lydia continued on, making her case for her own independence, her mother sighing despite her apparent pride. The sun grew warmer as we made our way west, choosing paths at random until we came upon a familiar foot trail in the middle of the park that led straight to Seneca Village. My home. Perhaps it was my sudden distraction that caused Mrs. Sutherland to look at me so closely. â€Å"Mr. Salvatore,† she said, half-concerned, half-afraid. â€Å"You have a . . . spot . . . upon your collar.† Despite the laws of decorum, Lydia reached for it then, brushing a finger gently near my neck. I shuddered in excitement and fear at her closeness. When she withdrew her pointer finger, it wore a speck of blood. I grew ashen. For this was the fact of my life. Despite the pains I took to control myself, the exhaustive efforts at constant secrecy, one speck of blood was all it took to upset the balance. They would see me for who I was: a liar, a murderer, a monster. The tinkling of Lydia's laughter broke the silence. â€Å"Just a bit of jam,† she said lightly, wiping her finger on the low-hanging branch of a passing tree. â€Å"Mr. Salvatore,† she teased, â€Å"I know we have made you feel very much at home, but while you are our guest, perhaps you should be more careful with your table manners.† Mrs. Sutherland began to chide her daughter, but seeing the happy relief upon my own face, she smiled as well. Soon we were all laughing gaily at Stefan Salvatore, the nighttime-hero-turned-careless-houseguest, as we made our way back into the sunlight.