A Game of Thrones Chapter Six

Catelyn Of all the rooms in Winterfell's Great Keep, Catelyn's bedchambers were the hottest. She seldom had to light a fire. The castle had been built over natural hot springs, and the scalding waters rushed through its walls and chambers like blood through a man's body, driving the chill from the stone halls, filling the glass gardens with a moist warmth, keeping the earth from freezing. Open pools smoked day and night in a dozen small courtyards. That was a little thing, in summer; in winter, it was the difference between life and death. Catelyn's bath was always hot and steaming, and her walls warm to the touch. The warmth reminded her of Riverrun, of days in the sun with Lysa and Edmure, but Ned could never abide the heat. The Starks were made for the cold, he would tell her, and she would laugh and tell him in that case they had certainly built their castle in the wrong place. So when they had finished, Ned rolled off and climbed from her bed, as he had a thousand times before. He crossed the room, pulled back the heavy tapestries, and threw open the high narrow windows one by one, letting the night air into the chamber. The wind swirled around him as he stood facing the dark, naked and empty-handed. Catelyn pulled the furs to her chin and watched him. He looked somehow smaller and more vulnerable, like the youth she had wed in the sept at Riverrun, fifteen long years gone. Her loins still ached from the urgency of his lovemaking. It was a good ache. She could feel his seed within her. She prayed that it might quicken there. It had been three years since Rickon. She was not too old. She could give him another son. â€Å"I will refuse him,† Ned said as he turned back to her. His eyes were haunted, his voice thick with doubt. Catelyn sat up in the bed. â€Å"You cannot. You must not.† â€Å"My duties are here in the north. I have no wish to be Robert's Hand.† â€Å"He will not understand that. He is a king now, and kings are not like other men. If you refuse to serve him, he will wonder why, and sooner or later he will begin to suspect that you oppose him. Can't you see the danger that would put us in?† Ned shook his head, refusing to believe. â€Å"Robert would never harm me or any of mine. We were closer than brothers. He loves me. If I refuse him, he will roar and curse and bluster, and in a week we will laugh about it together. I know the man!† â€Å"You knew the man,† she said. â€Å"The king is a stranger to you.† Catelyn remembered the direwolf dead in the snow, the broken antler lodged deep in her throat. She had to make him see. â€Å"Pride is everything to a king, my lord. Robert came all this way to see you, to bring you these great honors, you cannot throw them back in his face.† â€Å"Honors?† Ned laughed bitterly. â€Å"In his eyes, yes,† she said. â€Å"And in yours?† â€Å"And in mine,† she blazed, angry now. Why couldn't he see? â€Å"He offers his own son in marriage to our daughter, what else would you call that? Sansa might someday be queen. Her sons could rule from the Wall to the mountains of Dorne. What is so wrong with that?† â€Å"Gods, Catelyn, Sansa is only eleven,† Ned said. â€Å"And Joffrey . . . Joffrey is . . . â€Å" She finished for him. † . . . crown prince, and heir to the Iron Throne. And I was only twelve when my father promised me to your brother Brandon.† That brought a bitter twist to Ned's mouth. â€Å"Brandon. Yes. Brandon would know what to do. He always did. It was all meant for Brandon. You, Winterfell, everything. He was born to be a King's Hand and a father to queens. I never asked for this cup to pass to me.† â€Å"Perhaps not,† Catelyn said, â€Å"but Brandon is dead, and the cup has passed, and you must drink from it, like it or not.† Ned turned away from her, back to the night. He stood staring out in the darkness, watching the moon and the stars perhaps, or perhaps the sentries on the wall. Catelyn softened then, to see his pain. Eddard Stark had married her in Brandon's place, as custom decreed, but the shadow of his dead brother still lay between them, as did the other, the shadow of the woman he would not name, the woman who had borne him his bastard son. She was about to go to him when the knock came at the door, loud and unexpected. Ned turned, frowning. â€Å"What is it?† Desmond's voice came through the door. â€Å"My lord, Maester Luwin is without and begs urgent audience.† â€Å"You told him I had left orders not to be disturbed?† â€Å"Yes, my lord. He insists.† â€Å"Very well. Send him in.† Ned crossed to the wardrobe and slipped on a heavy robe. Catelyn realized suddenly how cold it had become. She sat up in bed and pulled the furs to her chin. â€Å"Perhaps we should close the windows,† she suggested. Ned nodded absently. Maester Luwin was shown in. The maester was a small grey man. His eyes were grey, and quick, and saw much. His hair was grey, what little the years had left him. His robe was grey wool, trimmed with white fur, the Stark colors. Its great floppy sleeves had pockets hidden inside. Luwin was always tucking things into those sleeves and producing other things from them: books, messages, strange artifacts, toys for the children. With all he kept hidden in his sleeves, Catelyn was surprised that Maester Luwin could lift his arms at all. The maester waited until the door had closed behind him before he spoke. â€Å"My lord,† he said to Ned, â€Å"pardon for disturbing your rest. I have been left a message.† Ned looked irritated. â€Å"Been left? By whom? Has there been a rider? I was not told.† â€Å"There was no rider, my lord. Only a carved wooden box, left on a table in my observatory while I napped. My servants saw no one, but it must have been brought by someone in the king's party. We have had no other visitors from the south.† â€Å"A wooden box, you say?† Catelyn said. â€Å"Inside was a fine new lens for the observatory, from Myr by the look of it. The lenscrafters of Myr are without equal.† Ned frowned. He had little patience for this sort of thing, Catelyn knew. â€Å"A lens,† he said. â€Å"What has that to do with me?† â€Å"I asked the same question,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"Clearly there was more to this than the seeming.† Under the heavy weight of her furs, Catelyn shivered. â€Å"A lens is an instrument to help us see.† â€Å"Indeed it is.† He fingered the collar of his order; a heavy chain worn tight around the neck beneath his robe, each link forged from a different metal. Catelyn could feel dread stirring inside her once again. â€Å"What is it that they would have us see more clearly?† â€Å"The very thing I asked myself.† Maester Luwin drew a tightly rolled paper out of his sleeve. â€Å"I found the true message concealed within a false bottom when I dismantled the box the lens had come in, but it is not for my eyes.† Ned held out his hand. â€Å"Let me have it, then.† Luwin did not stir. â€Å"Pardons, my lord. The message is not for you either. It is marked for the eyes of the Lady Catelyn, and her alone. May I approach?† Catelyn nodded, not trusting to speak. The maester placed the paper on the table beside the bed. It was sealed with a small blob of blue wax. Luwin bowed and began to retreat. â€Å"Stay,† Ned commanded him. His voice was grave. He looked at Catelyn. â€Å"What is it? My lady, you're shaking.† â€Å"I'm afraid,† she admitted. She reached out and took the letter in trembling hands. The furs dropped away from her nakedness, forgotten. In the blue wax was the moon-and-falcon seal of House Arryn. â€Å"It's from Lysa.† Catelyn looked at her husband. â€Å"It will not make us glad,† she told him. â€Å"There is grief in this message, Ned. I can feel it.† Ned frowned, his face darkening. â€Å"Open it.† Catelyn broke the seal. Her eyes moved over the words. At first they made no sense to her. Then she remembered. â€Å"Lysa took no chances. When we were girls together, we had a private language, she and I.† â€Å"Can you read it?† â€Å"Yes,† Catelyn admitted. â€Å"Then tell us.† â€Å"Perhaps I should withdraw,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"No,† Catelyn said. â€Å"We will need your counsel.† She threw back the furs and climbed from the bed. The night air was as cold as the grave on her bare skin as she padded across the room. Maester Luwin averted his eyes. Even Ned looked shocked. â€Å"What are you doing?† he asked. â€Å"Lighting a fire,† Catelyn told him. She found a dressing gown and shrugged into it, then knelt over the cold hearth. â€Å"Maester Luwin—† Ned began. â€Å"Maester Luwin has delivered all my children,† Catelyn said. â€Å"This is no time for false modesty.† She slid the paper in among the kindling and placed the heavier logs on top of it. Ned crossed the room, took her by the arm, and pulled her to her feet. He held her there, his face inches from her. â€Å"My lady, tell me! What was this message?† Catelyn stiffened in his grasp. â€Å"A warning,† she said softly. â€Å"If we have the wits to hear.† His eyes searched her face. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"Lysa says Jon Arryn was murdered.† His fingers tightened on her arm. â€Å"By whom?† â€Å"The Lannisters,† she told him. â€Å"The queen.† Ned released his hold on her arm. There were deep red marks on her skin. â€Å"Gods,† he whispered. His voice was hoarse. â€Å"Your sister is sick with grief. She cannot know what she is saying.† â€Å"She knows,† Catelyn said. â€Å"Lysa is impulsive, yes, but this message was carefully planned, cleverly hidden. She knew it meant death if her letter fell into the wrong hands. To risk so much, she must have had more than mere suspicion.† Catelyn looked to her husband. â€Å"Now we truly have no choice. You must be Robert's Hand. You must go south with him and learn the truth.† She saw at once that Ned had reached a very different conclusion. â€Å"The only truths I know are here. The south is a nest of adders I would do better to avoid.† Luwin plucked at his chain collar where it had chafed the soft skin of his throat. â€Å"The Hand of the King has great power, my lord. Power to find the truth of Lord Arryn's death, to bring his killers to the king's justice. Power to protect Lady Arryn and her son, if the worst be true.† Ned glanced helplessly around the bedchamber. Catelyn's heart went out to him, but she knew she could not take him in her arms just then. First the victory must be won, for her children's sake. â€Å"You say you love Robert like a brother. Would you leave your brother surrounded by Lannisters?† â€Å"The Others take both of you,† Ned muttered darkly. He turned away from them and went to the window. She did not speak, nor did the maester. They waited, quiet, while Eddard Stark said a silent farewell to the home he loved. When he turned away from the window at last, his voice was tired and full of melancholy, and moisture glittered faintly in the corners of his eyes. â€Å"My father went south once, to answer the summons of a king. He never came home again.† â€Å"A different time,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"A different king.† â€Å"Yes,† Ned said dully. He seated himself in a chair by the hearth. â€Å"Catelyn, you shall stay here in Winterfell.† His words were like an icy draft through her heart. â€Å"No,† she said, suddenly afraid. Was this to be her punishment? Never to see his face again, nor to feel his arms around her? â€Å"Yes,† Ned said, in words that would brook no argument. â€Å"You must govern the north in my stead, while I run Robert's errands. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. Robb is fourteen. Soon enough, he will be a man grown. He must learn to rule, and I will not be here for him. Make him part of your councils. He must be ready when his time comes.† â€Å"Gods will, not for many years,† Maester Luwin murmured. â€Å"Maester Luwin, I trust you as I would my own blood. Give my wife your voice in all things great and small. Teach my son the things he needs to know. Winter is coming.† Maester Luwin nodded gravely. Then silence fell, until Catelyn found her courage and asked the question whose answer she most dreaded. â€Å"What of the other children?† Ned stood, and took her in his arms, and held her face close to his. â€Å"Rickon is very young,† he said gently. â€Å"He should stay here with you and Robb. The others I would take with me.† â€Å"I could not bear it,† Catelyn said, trembling. â€Å"You must,† he said. â€Å"Sansa must wed Joffrey, that is clear now, we must give them no grounds to suspect our devotion. And it is past time that Arya learned the ways of a southron court. In a few years she will be of an age to marry too.† Sansa would shine in the south, Catelyn thought to herself, and the gods knew that Arya needed refinement. Reluctantly, she let go of them in her heart. But not Bran. Never Bran. â€Å"Yes,† she said, â€Å"but please, Ned, for the love you bear me, let Bran remain here at Winterfell. He is only seven.† â€Å"I was eight when my father sent me to foster at the Eyrie,† Ned said. â€Å"Ser Rodrik tells me there is bad feeling between Robb and Prince Joffrey. That is not healthy. Bran can bridge that distance. He is a sweet boy, quick to laugh, easy to love. Let him grow up with the young princes, let him become their friend as Robert became mine. Our House will be the safer for it.† He was right; Catelyn knew it. It did not make the pain any easier to bear. She would lose all four of them, then: Ned, and both girls, and her sweet, loving Bran. Only Robb and little Rickon would be left to her. She felt lonely already. Winterfell was such a vast place. â€Å"Keep him off the walls, then,† she said bravely. â€Å"You know how Bran loves to climb.† Ned kissed the tears from her eyes before they could fall. â€Å"Thank you, my lady,† he whispered. â€Å"This is hard, I know.† â€Å"What of Jon Snow, my lord?† Maester Luwin asked. Catelyn tensed at the mention of the name. Ned felt the anger in her, and pulled away. Many men fathered bastards. Catelyn had grown up with that knowledge. It came as no surprise to her, in the first year of her marriage, to learn that Ned had fathered a child on some girl chance met on campaign. He had a man's needs, after all, and they had spent that year apart, Ned off at war in the south while she remained safe in her father's castle at Riverrun. Her thoughts were more of Robb, the infant at her breast, than of the husband she scarcely knew. He was welcome to whatever solace he might find between battles. And if his seed quickened, she expected he would see to the child's needs. He did more than that. The Starks were not like other men. Ned brought his bastard home with him, and called him â€Å"son† for all the north to see. When the wars were over at last, and Catelyn rode to Winterfell, Jon and his wet nurse had already taken up residence. That cut deep. Ned would not speak of the mother, not so much as a word, but a castle has no secrets, and Catelyn heard her maids repeating tales they heard from the lips of her husband's soldiers. They whispered of Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, deadliest of the seven knights of Aerys's Kingsguard, and of how their young lord had slain him in single combat. And they told how afterward Ned had carried Ser Arthur's sword back to the beautiful young sister who awaited him in a castle called Starfall on the shores of the SummerSea. The Lady Ashara Dayne, tall and fair, with haunting violet eyes. It had taken her a fortnight to marshal her courage, but finally, in bed one night, Catelyn had asked her husband the truth of it, asked him to his face. That was the only time in all their years that Ned had ever frightened her. â€Å"Never ask me about Jon,† he said, cold as ice. â€Å"He is my blood, and that is all you need to know. And now I will learn where you heard that name, my lady.† She had pledged to obey; she told him; and from that day on, the whispering had stopped, and Ashara Dayne's name was never heard in Winterfell again. Whoever Jon's mother had been, Ned must have loved her fiercely, for nothing Catelyn said would persuade him to send the boy away. It was the one thing she could never forgive him. She had come to love her husband with all her heart, but she had never found it in her to love Jon. She might have overlooked a dozen bastards for Ned's sake, so long as they were out of sight. Jon was never out of sight, and as he grew, he looked more like Ned than any of the trueborn sons she bore him. Somehow that made it worse. â€Å"Jon must go,† she said now. â€Å"He and Robb are close,† Ned said. â€Å"I had hoped . . . â€Å" â€Å"He cannot stay here,† Catelyn said, cutting him off. â€Å"He is your son, not mine. I will not have him.† It was hard, she knew, but no less the truth. Ned would do the boy no kindness by leaving him here at Winterfell. The look Ned gave her was anguished. â€Å"You know I cannot take him south. There will be no place for him at court. A boy with a bastard's name . . . you know what they will say of him. He will be shunned.† Catelyn armored her heart against the mute appeal in her husband's eyes. â€Å"They say your friend Robert has fathered a dozen bastards himself.† â€Å"And none of them has ever been seen at court!† Ned blazed. â€Å"The Lannister woman has seen to that. How can you be so damnably cruel, Catelyn? He is only a boy. He—† His fury was on him. He might have said more, and worse, but Maester Luwin cut in. â€Å"Another solution presents itself,† he said, his voice quiet. â€Å"Your brother Benjen came to me about Jon a few days ago. It seems the boy aspires to take the black.† Ned looked shocked. â€Å"He asked to join the Night's Watch?† Catelyn said nothing. Let Ned work it out in his own mind; her voice would not be welcome now. Yet gladly would she have kissed the maester just then. His was the perfect solution. Benjen Stark was a Sworn Brother. Jon would be a son to him, the child he would never have. And in time the boy would take the oath as well. He would father no sons who might someday contest with Catelyn's own grandchildren for Winterfell. Maester Luwin said, â€Å"There is great honor in service on the Wall, my lord.† â€Å"And even a bastard may rise high in the Night's Watch,† Ned reflected. Still, his voice was troubled. â€Å"Jon is so young. If he asked this when he was a man grown, that would be one thing, but a boy of fourteen . . . â€Å" â€Å"A hard sacrifice,† Maester Luwin agreed. â€Å"Yet these are hard times, my lord. His road is no crueler than yours or your lady's.† Catelyn thought of the three children she must lose. It was not easy keeping silent then. Ned turned away from them to gaze out the window, his long face silent and thoughtful. Finally he sighed, and turned back. â€Å"Very well,† he said to Maester Luwin. â€Å"I suppose it is for the best. I will speak to Ben.† â€Å"When shall we tell Jon?† the maester asked. â€Å"When I must. Preparations must be made. It will be a fortnight before we are ready to depart. I would sooner let Jon enjoy these last few days. Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well. When the time comes, I will tell him myself.†

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 17

The reception was held in a different grand hall. My brother, Lydia, Bridget, and I formed a receiving line by the entrance to thank and greet our guests. Damon put it on a bit, bowing and pretending to know people he didn't. Compelling them into thinking he was an old friend, no doubt. While Bridget showed off her ring, Lydia gave everyone warm kisses or handshakes or smiles, whatever their relationship dictated. She even laughed when Bram tried to snatch a â€Å"farewell† kiss. Bridget stood by her side, beaming with what looked like genuine joy. â€Å"Thank you for coming today,† I said time and time again, the words tasting like chalk on my tongue. â€Å"We're so glad you could come celebrate with us. My thanks for being here today. Pleased to meet you, thank you so much for being here.† â€Å"Stefan Salvatore?† demanded a matron in an almost unmoving thick gray silk dress and pearls, holding on to my hand for longer than was strictly necessary. She pronounced the e at the end of my last name and fixed me with an eye as stony as her skirts. â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said, giving her as warm a smile as I could. â€Å"Of the Florentine Salvatores? Prince Alessandro?† â€Å"I'm not rightly sure, ma'am,† I answered, trying to keep my smile. â€Å"When my father came to this country he declared himself an American. He didn't keep up with our old relations.† Her eyes widened and her grip on my hand became loose. â€Å"An immigrant. How charming.† She didn't smile and pulled her hand out of my grasp, moving on. Several hundred people later we finally got to sit down. The bride and groom's table was festooned with palm fronds and garlands of huge flowers, and was covered with every expensive delicacy you could want to eat – or show off that you could afford. There was a seafood appetizer of oysters and other delicacies including Scottish smoked salmon and Russian caviar. Then came a main course that consisted of an absolutely staggering number of dead animals: roast beef, quail, venison, pheasant, woodcock, duck, lamb, roast pork, hot and cold, braised and grilled, minced and sauteed, sliced and in pies. It was all crowned off by a wedding cake, five tiers of the finest fruitcake covered in fondant and decorated with scrolls, swoops, columns, and sugar birds. The black-jacketed waiters poured glass after glass of champagne, and everyone chatted gaily. But my muscles were tied in knots. The â€Å"wedding† was officially over. Damon and I were legally married into the Sutherland family. It was only a matter of time before he began the next phase of his plan – whatever that ended up being. â€Å"Darling, get me a glass of water, would you?† Lydia was asking my brother, touching him tenderly on the cheek. â€Å"In some ceremonies, it's the lady's place to love, honor, and obey. Shouldn't you be getting one for me, little wife?† he smiled, but in a way I didn't like. â€Å"Of course! Anything for you, dear,† Lydia said. â€Å"Water, wine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Blood?† Damon prompted. Lydia laughed. â€Å"If you wish, it's my command.† Bridget didn't eat any of the expensive repast, leaping up from the table constantly to talk to her friends, holding out her hand and showing off her ring. I spent most of dinner nervously pushing very expensive food around a very expensive plate with a very expensive, very heavy silver fork, never taking my eyes off Damon. As dessert came out, Bram took pity on me and sat down in Bridget's place for a moment. â€Å"Congrats, old chap,† he said, shaking my hand. â€Å"You and Damon snagged two of the best New York has to offer.† I nodded miserably. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland are just terrific. And Margaret†¦ well, she's a spitfire, but I trust you'll be able to win her over eventually.† My head snapped up. â€Å"Have you noticed anything, er, odd about Margaret?† Bram had known the Sutherlands since he was born. Perhaps he had some insight into what made Margaret able to withstand Damon's charms. Bram scratched his floppy black curls. â€Å"Odd?† â€Å"Yes, she's different from the others. Stronger,† I said leadingly. Bram let out a rueful laugh. â€Å"That's for sure. One time when we were younger, I stole her favorite doll to use it as a nurse in a war game with my brother. I swear, the look she gave me! She didn't even have to touch me to send a painful shock through my entire body. Needless to say, I never played with her toys again.† â€Å"She was able to hurt you without touching you?† I pressed, trying to put the pieces together. But just then, Winfield tapped me on the shoulder and nodded toward a back room. Damon came with us, a mock-serious look on his face. As we quietly filed past the guests and down a side corridor, I strained to look out the windows. Through trees and towers I could see the mighty Hudson and the Palisades, a golden sun shining down on the sparkling river, the green forests, boats and barges parading slowly up and down the water. I almost did feel like a king surveying his countryside, since marrying into this family set me into the top of New York's highest society. We entered a dark-paneled smoking room, and Winfield immediately set about pouring some ruby-red sherry. Damon pulled out a silver flask and right there in front of Winfield spiked his drink with blood. Human blood. â€Å"To marriage eternal,† Damon said, raising his glass. Winfield agreed energetically. â€Å"To marriage.† I just nodded and tossed back the drink, hoping the cool liquid would sate my thirst. â€Å"There's a serious matter I need to talk to you lads about.† Winfield settled his frame into a large desk chair. Damon leaned forward expectantly. I tensed in my seat, ready for whatever would come next. â€Å"The matter of a dowry.† I squeezed my hands together. Damon grinned, exposing his gleaming canines. He threw himself on to a velvet couch. â€Å"Just what I was going to ask you about, Father. You don't mind me calling you that, do you?† â€Å"Not at all, my boy,† Winfield said, offering Damon a cigar. My brother took it, carefully trimming and lighting the end in a matter so professional I wondered where he picked up the habit. The two sat puffing for a moment, releasing large clouds of smoke into the tiny room. I coughed. Damon, enjoying my discomfort, took the effort to blow a smoke ring my way. â€Å"Now here's the thing. I want you two boys to be able to stand on your own two feet. My girls deserve real men, and if anything should happen to me, I want to make sure they're taken care of.† â€Å"Of course,† Damon said, out the corner of his mouth, around the cigar. â€Å"I have several mines in Virginia; one is gold. They could use some managing. And then there are the railway shares I've bought into†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My brother widened his eyes. I looked away, unable to bear watching him compel this poor man. â€Å"I would prefer cash,† he said. â€Å"All right, that seems reasonable,† Winfield said without pause or even blinking. â€Å"An annuity, then? A living salary?† â€Å"Up front. All of it,† Damon said pleasantly. â€Å"One twentieth of my estate, capital, and holdings, then?† Winfield asked politely. â€Å"More like a quarter.† An automaton, Winfield mindlessly agreed to everything Damon suggested. But I couldn't figure it out – would this keep Winfield safe? Would Damon just keep him around, ordering whatever he pleased out of him? â€Å"I'm glad you're so concerned about taking care of my girls in the manner to which they have been accustomed,† Winfield said, but his voice sounded hollow, as if somewhere some tiny part of his mind knew something was terribly wrong. The poor man drew out some checks and a pen. In a moment it was done, and Winfield presented me with a check with so many zeroes on it, it was barely readable. Damon bared his teeth in something that was less a grin than a rictus of victory. He stood up, holding his glass of blood-laced sherry next to me. The smell was intoxicating. It took every ounce of my strength not to leap up and drain the cup. And then Winfield said the most amazing, banal thing in the world. â€Å"Those checks will take a while to clear,† he apologized, unaware of how those eight words might have just saved his life. Damon glowered, thunderheads in his eyes. It was a look of angry frustration that was famous in Mystic Falls, and something no one wanted to be responsible for causing. It was a dangerous thing to disappoint my brother. He crumpled the check in his hands. â€Å"You didn't mention that before,† he growled, waving the sherry under my nose. I stiffened, my thirst making my fangs burn. â€Å"I'm going to have to sell a great deal of my estate, capital, and holdings to get the cash to back this,† Winfield answered so plaintively it made me sick. â€Å"So do it!† Damon ordered. But I was no longer paying attention. I had to get out of the room. My Power reacted to my hunger – to my anger – and I felt the beginnings of a change. â€Å"I have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't even bother making up an excuse. I pushed my way out of the room, past my evil brother and our sad father-in-law, out of the castle, and into the black night where I belonged.

Humanities Today Essay

For as long as humankind has existed so have art, music, architecture, literature, and philosophy. The University of Phoenix (2009) defines humanities as â€Å"an approach to study that emphasizes ideas and values through analysis of modes of cultural expression, philosophical and religious thought, and modes of human communication† (University of Phoenix, Week One Supplement). Gloria K. Fiero (2006) further defines humanities as literature, philosophy, history, architecture, visual arts, music, and dance (p. 4). Humanities impact daily life without many people being aware of their presence. What distinguishes humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression is that they focus on ideas and values, not simply the production or result of an action. This paper will provide current examples of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature and analyze how they reflect current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology. Visual art can be, but is not limited to, painting, sculpture, and photography. Classic paintings by renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso are still considered masterpieces in today’s society but are not enjoyed by the common population the way that graphic and digital art have in the past century. Graphic and digital technology have become the means by which visual art is to be viewed and cherished among the mass population in a way that has never been available in history. Today’s society has become focused on instant gratification. Changes are expected to be made in politics overnight, struggles in socioeconomics demand rectification within weeks (even though they took years to create), and advancements in technology feeds society’s dependence on better, faster, and stronger tools. Unfortunately, visual art has become victim to this need for instant gratification. No longer are single masterpieces created by the flow of an artist’s hands, shaping and molding art into a creation of his or her soul. Instead, art is generated digitally by the click of a mouse and a selection of color and size from a predefined chart. The art can then be mass-distributed and mass-produced around the world in the matter of minutes. The creativity is still there, but the love generated through the time and patience required to construct that art by hand is no longer there. With the flood of self-help books saturating the market, literature also reflects society’s need for instant gratification. Self-help books are a reflection of the current socioeconomic state in which everyone is looking for a way to better his or her life instantly. Politicians have indirectly supported this literary genre by focusing and promoting what is wrong in the country and in each other. For example, if a politician has shortcomings in his or her public speaking abilities, the opposing political party will ridicule that person publicly. Citizens who feel they also do not have strong speaking skills and fear being mocked may then be compelled to purchase a self-help book on public speaking. As technology has advanced, self-help books have become a wonderful tool for individuals struggling to learn how to use the newest electronic devices. One popular technology self-help series is the For Dummies books. The books began in 1991 with â€Å"DOS for Dummies† (Johnson, 2006, para. 3), but they have now sold over 150 million Dummies books in 39 languages. Many people have benefited from the simple, helpful language used in these books, but not all self-help books are created equal. Some self-help books offer a quick solution that often leaves individuals feeling worse than when they began. Striving for self-improvement is excellent; however, self-help books can sometimes do more harm than good. Music in today’s society can also do more harm than good when presented to an impressionable mind. Music has always been used as a means of creatively reflecting political and socioeconomic issues, but since the inception of the Rap and Heavy Metal music genres, discontent, anger, and frustration have become common and wide-spread in music over the past 50 years. Songs about drug use, suicide, murder, and rape and those that use explicit language are common in these two genres of music and have begun to permeate other forms of music. This reflects not only society’s discontent with the current political and socioeconomic state, but it also reflects society’s tolerance and acceptance of freedom of speech. The sound of music, the production of music, and the enjoyment of music have evolved as technology evolves. New sounds that have never been possible before are now available through technology. Music is now available anywhere through the use of an MP3 player or cell phone. No longer does a person have to stop and listen to a musician; music can be played at any time. This fills society’s need for instant gratification. Today’s architecture also caters to the on-the-go lifestyles of society. Bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster are all ideas and values visibly manifested in current architecture. The aesthetic appeal of a building has given way to designs which exploit opportunities to get the most for the money. A recent trend which reflects a change of political and socioeconomic initiatives is building environmentally-friendly structures. That means creating a building that produces little waste, uses alternative power solutions, and emits minimum greenhouse toxins. Advances in technology have made these structures possible; however, they cost additional money to construct, and businesses and individuals are charged more money to use them than a traditionally built structure. Instant gratification, the struggle for self-improvement, tolerance and acceptance, and the idea of making as much money as possible are all philosophies in today’s society. Each is reflected in art, literature, music, and architecture, but as a whole, they make up the philosophy of society through their ideas and values. Developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology have all played a part in creating these philosophies, but they are visibly manifested in the humanities. One can only wonder how the current humanities will be viewed and analyzed 50 or 100 years from now. The examples this paper has provided of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature demonstrate how current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology are reflected. As politics, socioeconomics, and technology change so too will art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. They are a reflection of one another and intertwined in their evolution. References Fiero, Gloria K. (2007). The humanistic tradition (5th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Johnson, Doug (2006, October). For dummies books are popular learning aids. Retrieved from http://www. voanews. com/specialenglish/archive/2006-10/2006-10-12-voa1. cfm University of Phoenix (2009). Week One supplement: Humanities Terminology. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Week One, HUM102 – Introduction to the Humanities website.

Film Analysis Trainspotting Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film Analysis Trainspotting - Term Paper Example Trainspotting takes us through the lives of a group of Scottish drug addicts, who differ on many aspects but are bound together by their addiction. The movie starts with a statement made by the main protagonist about choosing to own or do things that are socially constructed as normal or ordinary. Renton states: Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television†¦But why would I want to do a thing like that? The last line was a clear expression of disdain towards the social convention, a conscious choice to disconnect from things that are owned and utilized by the mainstream society. Mark’s suggestion to take a trip to the â€Å"outdoors† was a methaphor towards making an attempt to blend and be a part of the ‘normal’ society. However, Mark’s refusal to conform to social norms disqualifies him to lead the group in their quest to give conventions a try. He lacked the spirit and the willingness to blend in. Renton finally decides to quit drugs and is forced to face the beautiful outdoors. The withdrawal forces Renton to reexamine the different facets of the society he is trying to be a part. This reexamination, as in all the observations he males on different subjects, he makes an observation with a wide perspective. He stated: I hate being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the fucking low, the scum of the earth, the most wretched, servile, miserable, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English, but I don’t. They’re just wankers. ... Renton states: Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television†¦But why would I want to do a thing like that? The last line was a clear expression of disdain towards the social convention, a conscious choice to disconnect from things that are owned and utilized by the mainstream society. Mark’s suggestion to take a trip to the â€Å"outdoors† was a methaphor towards making an attempt to blend and be a part of the ‘normal’ society. However, Mark’s refusal to conform to social norms disqualifies him to lead the group in their quest to give conventions a try. He lacked the spirit and the willingness to blend in. Feeling like an Outcast Just as When He is Trying to Blend In Renton finally decides to quit drugs and is forced to face the beautiful outdoors. The withdrawal forces Renton to reexamine the different facets of the society he is trying to be a part. This reexamination, as in all the observations he males on different subjects, he makes an observation with a wide perspective. He stated: I hate being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the fucking low, the scum of the earth, the most wretched, servile, miserable, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English, but I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can’t even pick a decent culture to be colonized by. We are ruled by effete arseholes. It’s a shite state of affairs and all the fresh air in the world will not make any fucking difference. Renton feels that his race naturally makes him inferior. However, in order to understand this statement, it is important to delve into Scotland’s history past and its

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 17

Report - Essay Example The time in our possession was limited since we had to research on the various aspects of the course. It is from these discussions that my knowledge of the essentials of time management and the vital role team work plays in solving problems was enhanced. Together with my colleagues, we assigned ourselves various roles and laid down a specific time interval for completion of various individual tasks at hand. The first task was to identifying the various professional careers available for computer science graduates. My group came up with the following careers (Burns, 2002, p23), and it was my responsibility to identify them. My contribution regarding this issue was good, and this opened my eyes to know the level of confidence in my possession. My next presentation will be by use of power-point to emphasize strongly my points and it involved addressing issues and skills that employers look for in graduates of computer science. We identified the following skills, My contribution in this task was awesome since my main role was supervisory. Under my leadership, my group came up with various skills employers look for. This was a more significant contribution as compared to my previous contribution. From this task, skills under my possession were identified and thereafter, giving them a score from 1 to 5. I met the requirements of the session and acquired skills in time management and communication. There was an improvement on my team work skills since working with my colleagues was beneficial to me. The discussions with my group enabled me to identify indicators of poor communication skills and thereafter learn on ways of improving on them. Indicators of poor communication skills are numerous (Samova et al, 2010, p28), and the following were identified, Later on, we came up with ways on how to market ourselves to prospective employers and develop Curriculum Vitae that effectively sells our stronger points. We learned that most employers, while reviewing their

Anthropology Test Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Anthropology Test - Assignment Example Question 2 Social stratification refers to the way in which society categorizes and arranges people according to specific features and factors. The unfair distribution and division of labor in a society that practice farming, has a direct effect on Social Stratification. Women are more prejudiced as they tasked with performing the majority of the work (Podolefsky et al, 2011) Part B Question 1 Immediate returns foragers believed in sharing in that hoarding were prohibited. They divided meat equally, breastfeed each other’s babies and moreover depended on each other for survival they had little privacy amongst themselves. The farming society practices opposite as each is entitled to what each rip after planting and every farmer carries his own burden. (Podolefsky et al, 2011) The pre agricultural period provided for sharing and ensured a social structure of human beings . the introduction of faming meant that the indigenous social nature of humans was changed to rather an individual context in which it affected the way of life including human sexuality(Podolefsky et al, 2011) Question 2 The author describes how culture and human differ in terms of ideologies in that the way of thinking while considering the human aspect is different form culture. As was the case for the aborigines where there eating culture prompted the Englishman to think they where starving and on the other hand the indigenous people considered them lazy and fat. The differences occur to the background origin of each set of groups.

Critical review of classmates' reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical review of classmates' reports - Essay Example There are two types of compassion that Dalai Lama discusses. One type of compassion is concerned with a sense of concern for other which only involves the sense of sentiments or feeling of concern. The other type of compassion is concerned with not only the sense of sentiment but also the responsibility to do something. The two types of compassion can be explained through an example of a businessman who has lost all his fortune through fraud. In the first type of compassion, a person only sympathizes with the businessman but in the second type of compassion, a compassionate person would help that person get back on productive business by giving him advice or material help. The second type of compassion should be included in virtue, deontological or utilitarian ethics as it promotes productive compassion. There are two types of competition discussed by Dalai Lama. The first type of competition is the one where a person competes in order to progress and reach the top level. This type of competition is positive. Another type of competition is negative where a person competes in order to become top be creating obstacle to the other people involved. For example, an employee can work hard and learn the loopholes of the company so that he is able to strategically work to deliver high quality results which will result in his promotion. This is positive competition. On the other hand, another employee may use schemes such as bad-mouthing and corruption in order to be promoted. It is very true that one is able to be very busy on one level and at the same time, on deeper level, be in a state "of composure and calmness." This is because the cognitive level can be very engaged in deep state of mind while the emotional state of mind remains very calm and composed. For example, I have experienced this state of composure and calmness in a working environment with

Project Management Process at HLR Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Management Process at HLR Inc - Essay Example This paper discusses the main issues concerned with the implementation of Information Technology project at HLR Inc. The firm had never implemented such a big project that involves huge investment and association of many stakeholders. Stakeholder analysis is an important stage in the management of a project. A stakeholder may be defined as anybody or organization who is actively involved in the project process and they include people who are affected by the project (Sproull 1991). Actually, stakeholder identification is a continuous process. At any stage of the project, stakeholders can be identified. Hence, it is the best practice to workout the stakeholders' list and documents it in the initial stages of the project. During the course of the project, this stakeholder list can be updated. The project manager should be aware of the needs and wants of the stakeholders as different stakeholders will have different wants and needs. The key stakeholders of the present project include the following parties: The Customer/user (HLR Inc and its customers): HLR Inc is the immediate customer of the project. However, the customers who purchase goods and receive service from the organization also form part of the stakeholders of the project. The project sponsor has a specific role to play in the project process. ... Product Fulfillment (Denver, Ottawa CN): Processes, evaluates, and approves development and leasing contracts. Makes changes to customer information if notified. Customer Service (Denver): Resolves problems for customers and acts as the 24/7 call center for lease or customer related issues. Makes changes to customer information. Billing (Chicago HQ): Deals with rental payments, invoice issues, and follow-ups. Makes changes to customer information. Provides financial information to sales and executive management Marketing (Chicago HQ): Reviews sales and future development data and determines marketing opportunities. Sponsor (CIO of HLR Inc): The person who facilitates project process by timely arranging finance and other resources. Any other people who are influenced indirectly by the activities of the organization. The Project Sponsor The project sponsor has a specific role to play in the project process. He occupies the prominent position as the project is initiated and completed by him by arranging all resources necessary for the project. In the present case, CIO is the project sponsor, who is responsible to undertake the completion of the project to protect the organization interest along with the interest of other stakeholders. CIO at HLR Inc is primarily a high risk-taker as the project is being criticized by many in the organization. However, the project manager takes strong decisions as to the smooth flow of the operations and completion of the work. CIO, here acts as the mediator between the project manager and other stakeholders who are adversely affected by the new project. There is no doubt that the scope of the responsibility of CIO spans the whole of the project life cycle. The activities of CIO involve the

THE NOTION OF CHILD-INCLUSIVE MEDIATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

THE NOTION OF CHILD-INCLUSIVE MEDIATION - Essay Example This approach definitely has its merits. Attaching considerable importance to the voice of the child is highly important during mediation processes and leads to reduced conduct problems among children.1 This also facilitates both the parents and the jury to acknowledge in a better way the child’s experiences, concerns, and desires2 and how to design parental responsibilities in accordance with those experiences later. But even after myriad benefits offered by the child-inclusive notion, the opponents of this mediation approach deny its credibility and argue that openly dragging children into the middle of the hot mess created by the parental conflict could inflict a wide variety of deteriorating effects on the raw minds of the young children. This could also make them experience divided loyalties, suffer from anxiety and confusion as they may feel overburdened by offering their opinions.3 In addition to this, a child may feel disappointed when he/she expresses his/her views bu t realizes later that those views were not listened to.4 This essay aims at contemplating the arguments both in favor and against of child-inclusive strategy by exploring research literature in an attempt to evaluate the credibility of the argument that child-inclusive mediation is flawed and misguided. In order to validate discussion, the relevant research is also presented with special reference to the rights of the child. A growing body of research could be found presently related to the concepts of child-inclusive and child-focused mediation both of which are child welfare oriented strategies but stand in stark contrast to each other in terms of practical procedure. While child-focused intervention encourages parents to address the child’s needs without any direct involvement of the children,5 the child-inclusive intervention includes separate consultation by a specialist with the children.6 Mediation is important because otherwise post-separation court visits, legal affa irs, and acrimonious family disputes together inflict a profoundly devastating influence on the minds of innocent children related to aggression, impulsivity, delinquency, depression, peer difficulties, and academic achievement.7 It is further claimed that for about 10% of all divorcing couples, the unremitting animosity will shadow the entire growing up years of their children.8 General consensus is that long-standing, unresolved, and harsh conflicts prove to be highly risky for not only the parents but for the children also9 and it has been repeatedly suggested that family disputes which are tried to be resolved by involving courts take considerably more time than which are resolved through the aid of cost-effective10 mediation. Ineffective communication between parents following separation readily fosters flawed parenting which leaves the child stuck in the middle of chaos11 and it is advised that the quality of parenting provided by both parents following separation and divorce is as important as conflict in determining children’s outcomes.12 Mediation is effective in this regard because not only it seeks to resolve chronically bitter family disputes but also provides opportunities to exit the legal system at the earliest point possible.13 Though the basic aim of child inclusive practice is to enable parents to become bigger, stronger, wiser, and kinder,14 there is much conflict regarding which mediation approach should be used and the issue is hotly debated so as to find out which way would produce least ruthless effects on the children. It is widely believed that the voice of the child is important and should be heard during times of parental

Professional and research skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Professional and research skills - Essay Example Further, it has been stated that with reference to various past studies that vibration, visual and auditory can help improve gait in Parkinson disease patients. As references from some other relevant studies have also been provided to evidenced the fact that vibratory stimulation can bring positive changes in gait impairment among patients of all age group (Winfree, et al. 2012). This study particularly focuses on effectiveness of vibratory shoes specifically designed for Parkinson patients to have gait free movement. From the introduction of the study it has been noticed that researchers have not explicitly defined impairment Parkinson patients suffer and how they aim to improve that impairment with the use of PD shoes. This point is noticeable, as other studies such as a research entitled as "A Training Program to Improve Gait While Dual Tasking in Patients with Parkinson’s disease: A Pilot Study", by Yogev-Seligmann, et al. (2012), defined that impairment include an ability of a person to walk to improper movement and an inability to manage other tasks while walking, which creased risk of falling. This research study is unlike many other qualitative studies as next heading of the research paper is not followed by adopted method or methodology, but authors present design of the shoes they have introduced. However, in this study researchers have discussed that for designing desirable shoes prototype components were used and microprocessor platform is used for rapid development platform, but why researchers have preferred elastic nature of the shoes has not been reasoned (Winfree, et al. 2012). Although, researchers have not discussed method of data collection and those sources that could prove the construction of shoes of suitable for gait impairment. However, the way researchers have discussed each feature of PD shoes is commendable. Authors have discussed design and functioning of the shoes under separate headings. First heading

Assessment Activity Week 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assessment Activity Week 7 - Essay Example TQM will be introduced through continuous improvement which will eventually reduce costs, enhance customer service and reduce waste. The first step is to empower the employees by allowing them to design efficient procedures and control quality service. A feedback mechanism should be in place to determine whether this initial idea is effective and if it resulted in positive reactions from customers. After that, another pilot idea will be introduced to them such as regular meetings with quality circles to discuss how to improve performance. To test the success of the TQM through the introduction of pilot ideas, management should make a survey among its clients and ask them if indeed service has improved. The employees will also be asked their opinions on the changes introduced. Another method for dealing with change is to respond constructively to failure. Responding to failure is very critical for a leader. The leader must learn from the experience of failure. He should gain knowledge , wisdom and understanding from it. A leader must be able to share this experience with his subordinates because they too can learn from it. For example, I am the head of the franchising division of a fast food chain and I assigned employee A to look for a possible site for expansion. After a thorough research, employee A came up with a site and we built on the site.

The Role of Communication Essay Example for Free

The Role of Communication Essay Effective communication is playing nowadays one of the most important roles in organizations and companies, because it is the only source of mutual understanding among employees and customers, directors and suppliers, etc. Effective communication arouses great interest compared with that of several decades ago. It means that the future success of a person mainly depends on his ability to use language and to communicate effectively not only within organization/company, but also across cultural boundaries. Nevertheless learning how to communicate effective isn’t limited only to one organization, because, for example, learning cross-cultural communication suggests how cultural traditions and patterns are understood and how cultural values may affect the process of communication. Learning effective communication is nowadays necessity, not only an option. Lots of spheres are influenced by communication involving, for example, health care providers, businesses, educational institutions, social service agencies and non-governmental organizations. Modern world recognizes and appreciates the role of language that is played in developing communication beyond cultural boundaries. Studying of effective communication will help to achieve goals within and outside the native country. (Managing Communication) Understanding how to communicate effectively will help to promote creating smoothly working project teams; responding to customers, clients, and markets; living and working in a culturally diverse world. Effective communication skills are really important as well as learning of cultural customs and traditions of the country, because they will assist in better company’s performance either in domestic or international market. In a modern swiftly changing world people and cultures are circulating and interacting as at a really dizzying speed. Those people who know how to use language and how to communicate effectively have a crucial advantage over others. As it was mentioned, â€Å"communication is the greatest luxury given to people†. (Managing Communication) References Managing Communications. (1996, August). Peace Watch, 2, 5, 1-2.

Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia

Intercultural Communication: Culture in Malaysia Intercultural Communication Inter-, as you will probably know, comes from the Latin word for â€Å"between†, and the  dictionary defines â€Å"communication† as â€Å"exchanging information†. Martin and Nakayama  (2011) define intercultural communication as the â€Å"interaction between people from  different cultural backgrounds.† Importance of Studying Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication is getting more and more significant due to the advance of  globalization and increasingly multicultural work environments. It is indispensable  because of our increasing exposure to masses of other polishes. Because of this, the  cultural intelligence and cross-cultural communication skills that come with studying in a  foreign country are extremely sought after by employers who seek to earn a competitive  edge and break into foreign markets. Culture â€Å"Culture is brought up to a group or residential district, which shares common  experiences that shape the way its members understand the cosmos (Marya Axner, 2013). Academic researchers often start out with the observation that â€Å"culture† is a word with a  very vague meaning. Or rather, a word with lots of different meanings. A culture is a  unique combination of rituals (such as greeting and parting), religious beliefs, ways of  thinking (such as the earth was created), and ways of behaving (such as women can marry  at 14 years of age in Iran) that unify a group of people. Festivals Celebrated In Malaysia Malaysia is a multiracial country consisting of the three primary races in the nation. Looking for forgiveness from one another, especially from the elder members of the  household is an important custom in this portion of the universe, which leads to Hari  Raya Aidilfitri. This usage is thought as a way of abandoning past animosity, and  strengthening bonds between family members and acquaintances. â€Å"Eid Ul Fitr† is usually  celebrated to give thanks and to celebrate their success in completing the month-long time  fasting period of Ramadan. The festival commemorates the end of Haj, which is the  Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It also marks the  willingness of the Islamic prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail in an act of  obedience to Allah (God). Handing out red envelopes to children during the Chinese New Year is one of the  customs traditions in this festival. Aged people and married couples usually are the ones  that take in these handouts. The centuries – old legend includes a report of a terrible  mythical monster who preyed on villagers. On this day, families travel long distances to  meet and make merry. Though the holiday is only around a week long, traditionally it is a  15-day holiday during which firecrackers are lit, drums can be heard on the streets, red  lanterns glow at nighttime and red paper cutouts and calligraphy hangings are hung on  doorways. The famous festival among the Indians is Diwali or Deepavali that marks the victory of  good over evil. On every Diwali day, the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as a symbol of  prosperity. Annemarie (n.d) discovered that people wear new clothes, share sweets and  light up firecrackers on this very day. It is stated that the fireworks are used to frighten the  evil spirits away, while the light embraces prosperity in the form of Lakshmi. The  preparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, four or  five kumkum are put on, and then it is sated with water for the next days oil bath. Etiquettes Good eating etiquette is one of the common important rules of feeding. Malays admire  good etiquette and do not appreciate bluntness. It is polite and goes for the soft sell. Beverages will not be served before dinner and it is offered by using both hands. The  right hand is only used to eat, pass, touch or handle anything while the left hand is never  used to eat because it is filthy. As for the Chinese, generally hosts a welcoming banquet while the foreign guests should  reciprocate toward the end of their visits. It is a must to arrive exactly on time for a  banquet to show punctuality and courtesy. The guest of honor is always placed at the head  of the room, facing the door. It is said that chopsticks are usually used and it is considered  very rude to tap the chopsticks on the. The chopsticks are supposedly put neatly on the  table or on the chopstick rest. Not to mention, the Indians as well, have their own etiquette of eating. Food must not be  refused when one is being served but it is all right to be the first to finish eating. Hindu  hosts are never supposed to let their guests’ plates be empty. The guests should always  assure the host that it is fine by following the host’s style of eating. If utensils are not  used, the right hand is used to eat. Spoon is a must use to take food from communal dish;  it is a rude way to use fingers. Taboos In every culture, there are always the Do’s and Don’ts. It depends on a person, whether to  believe the superstitious act or not. In Malaysia, the three primary races share some  common similarities when it comes to taboos. It is said that taboos were believed by the  ancestors, a very long time ago and it is because to bring good moral values to the  younger generation. Wasting money on unnecessary things just to make the celebration  big and merrier is not encouraged by the Muslims. Besides that, those that are celebrating  Hari Raya Aidilfitri are supposedly to visit relatives no matter how bad the family tie is. As for the Chinese, during the celebration of Chinese New Year, it is said that sweeping  the house a day before new year is bad as it will be throw the â€Å" Ong â€Å" away. Families  would be gathered for dinner to build a stronger bond with each other. No matter how  busy one would be, it is a must to celebrate this festival without missing it. Swearing or  jinxing something during new year, is said to bring bad luck to the family throughout the  rest of the whole year. For the Indians, during Deepavali, candles would be lit up, and that is one reason why is it  called The Festival Of Light and to get rid of the evil. Coloured rice would be used to  decorate the porch floor and is called â€Å"Kolam†. It is encouraged to wear bright colours  during the festival, because it is said that white and black symbolize sadness. Conclusion Every culture brings out the traditions that were believed by the ancestors, once and it is  carried on by the following generation. This leads to good moral values and etiquettes in a  person’s self. It is important to learn that intercultural communication is important  because we are highly exposed of other cultures. This brings us to understand a person’s  culture more deliberately as we are curious and try to relate ourselves to others. By  learning a person’s culture, it makes us have a wider mind of range of how others behave,  their religious beliefs and their means of establishing trust in each other. References Ahmed, S. Naumann, E. (2014). Intercultural Communication. Retrieved from http://www.internations.org/magazine/intercultural-communication-15409 Annemarie. The significance of diwali. Retrieved from http://www.auroville.org/society/diwali.htm Axner, M. (2013). Section 1. Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culture-and-diversity/main Cultural Etiquette. Retrieved from http://www.read-write-now.org/UserDir/Documents/Cultural Etiquette.pdf Guhanatha, S. (2009). Thaipusam. Retrieved from http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/thaipusam Hari Raya Aidilfitri. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.centralsingaporecdc.org.sg/hari-raya-aidilfitri/ Jaime, K. Hari Raya Haji. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_694__2009-01-02.html Lisa, C. (n.d.). The history of Chinese New Year. Retrieved from http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/a/ChineseNewYear.htm ). Martin, J. N., Nakayama, T. K. (2011). Experiencing intercultural communication: An introduction. New York : McGraw-Hill. Pearson, J.C., Nelson, P.E., Titsworth, S., Harter, L. (2013). Human communication: Intercultural communication. Penn Plaza, NY: McGraw Hill Education. The Importance of Intercultural Communication. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ability.edu.au/latest-news/the-importance-of-intercultural-communication/

How Much Did Stalin Deviate From Marxism?

How Much Did Stalin Deviate From Marxism? Joseph Stalin can be, and has been, interpreted in many different ways; a sadistic terrorist who revelled in the misfortune and pain of his subjects, an egotistical dictator whose every action served to promote his own self-interests, the political servant of Vladimir Lenin, and the man who translated Communism into practical terms. Despite this being a political and ideological study, in the case of Stalin it becomes impossible to consider his interpretation of Marxist-Leninism and his consequent leadership style without judgement of his character. The influence of his personality upon his leadership can be said to a primary motivation for many of the decisions which have been made, including the impact of his tumultuous home life with regards to his wife and children, his desire to assert himself as a credible and important man which was perhaps inspired by his feelings of neglect from his father, and the increasing loneliness that came from his intense paranoia and fear of those a round him. In an ideological sense, Stalins policies are indeed deviations from those which Lenin himself might have implemented, however yet again this may be as a consequence of the differing personalities of the two leaders. This study will aim to assess Stalinism as an ideology up to 1938, the end of The Great Terror and question whether it indeed deviated from Marxist-Leninism, whether it was instead a practical implementation of Communism in which communism principles ran through the core, or whether it was a whole different ideology, brought to power on a false platform of Communism. In order to make such assessments there must be a standard set of what Marxist Leninism is. In the same way that Stalin could be said to have interpreted Marxist-Leninism, Lenin interpreted Marxism. Thus Marxist-Leninism forms a filtered version of Marxs original theories. The key principles of Communism in Marxist terms, as laid out in the Communist Manifesto, written in 1847 by Karl Marx, are as follows; abolition of private property, progressive or graduated income tax, abolition of all rights of inheritance, confiscation of the property of all emigrants, centralisation of credit, national bank and an exclusive monopoly, centralisation of communication and transport, extension of centralisation of factories and production by the state, cultivation of waste-lands and the improvement of the soil, equal liability of all to work, combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, free education and religion and nationalities will be superseded by the principle of community.   [1]  Following on from this, Lenin proposed that the proletariat can successfully achieve revolutionary consciousness only under the leadership of a party of professional revolutionaries  [2]  , thereby reversing Marxs order of economics over politics  [3]  , where aims are achieved with internal democratic centralism, wherein policy decisions are agreed via democracy and every member must support and promote the agreed party policy, essentially a dictatorship of the proletariat government  [4]  . Lenin agrees with Marxs ideas concerning nationalism and religion, citing them as part of the false consciousness instilled by the bourgeoisie in facilitating exploitation. It was under Lenin the notion of a dictatorial state and a class war came about, marked changes from Marxs own ideologies. As Lenin said, One cannot be a revolutionary Social-Democrat without participating, according to ones powers, in developing this theory [Marxism] and adapting it to changed conditions.   [5]  Thus whilst Marxism heavily influenced Leninism, the latter is a distinctly different adaptation, arguably one which made the October revolution in 1917 possible. Stalinism as a term came to be, in light of one of Stalins associates claim, Lets replace Long Live Leninism with Long Live Stalinism!  [6]  Whilst Stalinism has been said to refer to a style of governance, key principles wherein the supposed deviations from Marxist-Leninism can be found include, economic policy, collectivisation, use of violence, the rise of bureaucracy and the development of the personality cult. Deciphering what Lenin or Marx would have done is impossible, and indeed the term Marxist-Leninism was coined and used by opposing political groups within 1930s Russia as the ideology which they stood to defend. Regardless, this study aims to assess the extent to which Stalinism and the key principles of his rule up to the end of The Great Terror were informed by Marxist-Leninism theology. The new economic policy (henceforth NEP) brought forth by Lenin in 1921, was dramatically overhauled through Stalins wave of economic reforms in the early 1930s. Known as the Great Turn, this saw a total transformation of agricultural and industrial economic handling within Russia. However despite initially provoking criticism from Trotsky and other members of the Left Opposition, who felt a more internationalist approach to revamping the economy would be appropriate, Stalin and Bukharin had been supporters of the NEP, stating that they believed that it was patriotic and would further Soviet influence and impact in the international system  [7]  . The reasons for Stalins apparently hypocritical U-turn may on some levels simply be practical responses to crises and yet can simultaneously be interpreted as Stalins first foray into the development of Stalinism. The NEP had secured the rights of individual peasants to sell their products freely, whether to private traders or to state agencies. Whilst the state controlled all large enterprises, such as factories, mines and railways, small private enterprises (those employing fewer than 20 people) were allowed. The requisitioning of farm produce was in turn replaced by a tax system and the peasants were free to sell their surplus, albeit at a state-regulated price  [8]  . The NEP had been Lenins attempt to ensure the survival of the Communist state following War Communism which had been implemented from 1914 to 1921, to coincide with World War 1 and the Russian Civil War, and to try and rebuild Soviet production to its pre-1914 levels. It is undeniable to regard the NEP as a concession of key communist values, and indeed Lenin himself saw it as a strategic retreat  [9]  . This development of a relative mixed-economy was justified as a form of state capitalism, the last stage of capitalism before socialism evolved.  [10]  The Grain Crisis of 1928 was arguably the impetus for Stalin to revoke the NEP. As more peasants began consuming their own goods, as opposed to purchasing the overpriced ones which the small private enterprises were producing, (Peasants controlled 3,140,000km ², divided into 25 million holdings, producing 85% of the food, but consuming 80% of what the grew  [11]  ), a 2 million ton shortfall of grain occurred in 1928. Requisitioning was launched, leading to a higher expected rate of industrialisation and as a consequence higher agricultural production as more grain was required to feed a growing industrial work force and to pay for imports of machinery through exportation. Collectivisation was escalated beyond the levels of Sovkhozes encouraged during the NEP era. There can be little doubt that revoking the NEP was a deviation from Lenins aims, however questions must be asked about the purpose of such a change, whether Stalin ever supported the policy and to what extent was his ultimate rejection of the NEP was in keeping with Communist principles. The purpose of the change is in practical terms a reaction to the Grain Crisis, arguably caused by the greed of the kulaks. However the forced requisitioning opened the doors to other more revolutionary forms of governance. The persecution of the bourgeois and the kulaks intensified as Stalin encouraged the blaming of them for the short fall in grain and consequent economic situation. Enterprises across the board became subject to greater instruction and supervision as the state steadily expanded state capital accumulation thus developing a forced rate of industrialisation. The internal party regime was further tightened and show trials were resumed against surviving leaders of rival parties. An offensive began against every kind of nationalist tendency. The boundaries of cultural expression were drastically reduced and organised religion became the object of violent assault  [12]  . In his initial input in attempts to rectify the grain crisis, Stalin provided a route for an esca lated governmental involvement, thereby centralising the Russian state, marginalising and persecuting minority groups, and increasing industrialisation expectations. As Service says, Although agriculture had been the focal point of Stalins initiative in January 1928, he associated himself with a much larger agenda Industry, schooling, urban construction and socialist indoctrination were to be prioritised. The state was to become more penetrative and the traditional attachments to religion and nationhood were to disappear. Whether Stalin ever really supported Lenins NEP is essentially questioning whether Stalin intended manipulate the situation in the way that he did. Speaking out in support of the NEP he claimed Either we do it, or we shall be crushed, referring to the need to compete with western industrial levels. It is highly plausible, particularly given his industrial drive which remained for the entirety of his leadership, that Stalins belief that industrial supremacy superseded any economic compromises which may need to be made in order to achieve this. When the NEP wasnt proving to be as successful in producing an industrially prosperous nation, merely bringing it back from the poverty line, a change in strategy would seem to be an appropriate step. However, Stalin lived for Bolshevism  [13]  and the NEP was seen by many to be an interim measure  [14]  regardless. His support for the NEP was probably not due to the dubiously capitalist elements or the relinquishment of state control, b ut through a devotion to Lenin and belief in his ability to lead, the fact that supporting the NEP established him as part of the inner circle along with Bukharin, and therefore casting aside Trotsky and other detractors, was likely to have been an additional benefit of expressing his support for this policy. The NEP could not have been classified as a policy borne from strictly Communist principles, defying abolition of private property and centralisation of factories and production by the state elements of the Communist manifesto. This particular policy is a practical compromise of communist principles, deemed necessary in order to rescue the failing economy. In many ways, this may seem to suggest that communist economic management principles are conducive to a successful economy, with capitalist elements used as a rescue method. However, upon Stalins intervention in 1928, and the subsequent Five Year Plans, which projected capital goods were to increase by 161% and consumer goods by 83%, expectations which were surpassed, the opposite is thus suggested. The question whether a state directed economy or a free-market produce the most successful economy is one which is virtually impossible to answer, given the instability, and varying contributing factors to the economy in question. Howev er, the NEP, whilst not strictly adhering to Communist principles, and thus irritating the Left Opposition and other strict factions of the Communist party, undeniably rescued the economy in the wake of War Communism, whether it could have been saved in another way is a different question, yet the NEP remains a practical concession which arguably must have been made in order to go on to implement other aspects of Communism. As Lenin said, We are taking one step backward to later take two steps forward. The notion of collective farming had existed since the Russian Revolution, yet it was under Stalins rule, and in reaction to the Grain Crisis, that collectivisation as a policy really took hold and was implemented on serious levels. The unpopularity which requisitioning of the apparent missing grain had had led to a lower grain production, primarily due to hoarding and illegal transfers. By November 1929, the central committee had elected to implement accelerated collectivisation in the form of kolkhozes and Sovkhozes. A primary example of the escalation which Stalins ending of the NEP allowed, collectivisation was in principle in keeping with the Communist ideal. However, the manner in which it was done, and the consequences which unfolded after and the subsequent management must be evaluated in terms of whether the actions taken were deviations from Marxist-Leninism, or the implementation of a long held policy. The Communist manifesto states that cultivation of waste lands improvement of the soil equal liability for all to work [and] agricultural armies are a key part in communism, similarly the 1919 party programme specified that all the working masses without exception must be induced to take part in the work of state administration  [15]  . Whilst collectivisation was not specifically mentioned, the idea of complete state ownership of the land with all agricultural workers working together for a common goal remained prevalent. The Kolkhoz charter, produced in 1930, establishes the kolkhoz as a form of agricultural production cooperative of peasants that voluntarily unite for the purpose of join agricultural production based on collective labour and goes on to assert that the kolkhoz is managed according to the principles of socialist self-management, democracy and openness, with active participation of the members in decisions concerning aspects of internal life  [16]  . This pro jected utopia appears to be similar to the one which Lenin himself advocated, as Grant says Lenin always advocated the collectivisation of agriculture gradually and by voluntary means. But he never entertained the mad idea that millions of scattered peasant holdings could be forced to collectivise overnight at gun-point. Collectivisation was to take place through example. The peasant was to be convinced by patient argument and through the setting up of model collective farms and the introduction of the latest modern technology, tractors, fertilisers, electricity and schools  [17]  . However, by the end of 1928, the number of collective farms was only at 33,300, with only 2.3% of sown area in collective use. Following Stalins policy of forced collectivisation this figure rose to 85,900 collective farms, and 33.6% of sown area in collective use by 1930  [18]  , and by 1938 there were 242,400 collective farms and 99.8% of sown area in collective use  [19]  . However, a key element of the kolkhozes was the voluntary nature of them, and in order to achieve such figures, Stalin embarked on a policy of forced collectivisation, leading to estimated figures of 4 to 10 million deaths due to the poverty which ensued and the violence used to maintain this. The utopia spoke of in literary works couldnt have been more different to the manifestation of collectivisation under Stalin. Despite the high prediction levels, the first four years of forced collectivisation failed to produce, and there was indeed a fall in agricultural production which in turn led to famine. Bad production, combined with drought and arguably as a consequence of severe animosity towards the policy meant that Stalin and the authorities only persisted to increase the use of violence, implementing more grain seizures and further blaming of the class kulaks for every shortfall. In July 1929, it was official policy that terror should be avoided and that kulaks as well as the majority of peasantry ought to be enlisted in collective farms. By December 1929 Stalin announced that kulaks should be banned from becoming collective farm workers.  [20]  Stalin himself prior to this announcement had condemned the class as a whole in Pravda in November of that year saying Now we have the opportunity to carry out a resolute offensive against the kulaks, break their resistance, eliminate them as a clas s and replace their production with the production of kolkhozes and Sovkhozes Now dekulakisation is being undertaken by the masses of poor and middling peasant masses themselves who are realising total collectivisation. Now dekulakisation in the areas of total collectivisation is not just a simple administrative measure. Now dekulakisation is an integral part of the creation and development of collective farms. When the head is cut off, no-one wastes tears on the hair.  [21]  . Two months after this chillingly brutal article, the Politburo approved the liquidation of kulaks as a class. Estimates suggest that about a million kulak families (totally around five million people) were sent to the forced labour camps, or the Gulags as they were more commonly known  [22]  . Due to the kulaks only making up 1-2% of the Soviet population, and being increasingly hard to identify, the Soviet government began to cut off food rations to other social classes, particularly those where ther e was some degree of collectivisation, for example in the Ukraine. This policy can be linked to the Holodomor famine, which has repeatedly been linked to suspected genocide towards the Ukrainian people, or in a more pragmatical way, as a consequence of the economic policies implemented. The Ukraine was not alone, with the Soviet Union as a whole suffering from a famine in 1932-3. Widely negated as anti-communist propaganda, and denied even in western media at the time, the cycle of forced collectivisation and relinquishment and requisition of crops, poor pay (by 1946, 30 percent of Kolkhoz paid no cash for labour at all, 10.6 percent paid no grain, and 73.2 percent paid 500 grams of grain or less per day worked  [23]  ), hoarding which then led to a shortfall of grain production, which then instigated another requisition of grain. In an attempt to prevent the hoarding, the Law of the Spikelets was enacted on August 7, 1932, and confiscation of unlimited amounts of grain from pea sant households was allowed. Taking food was considered theft of socialist property and could result in punishment by death, or a ten-year prison sentence. Even children could be shot for picking up leftover grain in the fields. 125,000 sentences were passed for this particular offence in the bad harvest period from August 1932 to December 1933  [24]  . The corruption and brutality of the Soviet government extended beyond human lives, with the prices paid for produce hardly changing between 1929 and 1953, meaning that the State did not pay even one third of the cost of production, charging wholesalers 335 rubles for 100 kg of rye, but paid the kolkhoz roughly 8 rubles. The business of collectivisation proved to be a massive money-making experience for the Soviet government, and one which looked set to continue to prosper, for the State at least, for a great many years. As until 1969, all children born on a collective farm were forced by law to work there as adults unless they we re specifically given permission to leave, which as is to be expected, was very rarely. Despite the October revolution aiming to release the peasants from the hold of the bourgeoisie, a system of neo-serfdom existed, where the Communist bureaucracy replaced the former landowners. As Trotsky criticised, In these conditions an exaggeratedly swift collectivisation took the character of an economic adventure  [25]  . Whilst Trotsky should be expected to criticise Stalin, Service agrees predominantly with Trotskys assertion; social and ideological goals would also be served through mobilisation of the peasants in a cooperative economic enterprise which would produce higher returns for the State and could serve a secondary purpose of providing social services to the people. Thus, the policy of collectivisation and the devastation which it reaped struggles to be seen as merely a practical implementation of the collectivisation policy spoken of by Marx and Lenin. Indeed, the voluntary n ature of the initial policy hadnt produced much support, but the manner in which this support was forced upon the Soviet people, produced even less. The brutal nature of the policies and punishments and lack of acknowledgement of the effects forced a wedge between the peasants and the Soviet government. The utopia depicted within the Marxist-Leninism ideal of collectivisation, and whilst this may have not been achievable in practical terms, Stalins alternative, deviated so much from the basic principle of what collectivisation is that it became unidentifiable. It wasnt enough to simply apply an outcome to achieve the utopia, the philosophy and methods, i.e. the voluntary nature, had to be broadly shared amongst the Soviet people. As it was, the lack of this fundamental practice turned the whole policy into a variant of the serfdom which Communism strove to eliminate and thus undermined the notion of Stalinism being a practical implementation of Marxist-Leninism ideas. The key issue within collectivisation was the replacement of the old bourgeoisie with the bureaucrats of the Soviet government. The rise of bureaucracy was clearly an issue, as there was an increase in the difference between the living standards of the working class and the upper layers of the bureaucracy in particular  [26]  . Comprised primarily by the poor economic state of the working class in consequence of collectivisation, yet the bureaucrats acquisition of wealth furthered this gulf, the Soviet state began to represent the antithesis of what Marx and Lenin had proposed. Whilst it is generally acknowledged that those at the top of the party benefited financially and personally from their role, potentially leading to corruption and manipulation of their own purpose, it becomes interesting to see how such an issue developed. As early as 1920, Lenin said that ours is a workers state with bureaucratic deformations  [27]  , hauntingly similar parallels can be drawn with the policy of collectivisation. Issues which were around, and in some cases encouraged, during Lenins time, found themselves becoming colossal under the reign of Stalin. Whether the bureaucratisation of the party apparatus was simply an extension of Lenins own leadership, whether it would classify as a deviation or whether it was indeed a wholly new policy, must be examined. The Leninist programme for 1917 included the following points regarding state and bureaucracy: the discontinuance of the police and the standing army, abolition of the professional bureaucracy, elections for all public positions and offices, revocability of all officials, equality of bureaucratic wages with workers wages, the maximum of democracy, peaceful competition amongst parties within the soviets and abolition of the death penalty. As the Italian revolutionary Berneri says prior to his death in 1937, Not a single one of these points in this programme has been achieved.  [28]  Whilst Berneri was heavily critical of Stalin as a leader and so his judgement may be impacted by his own dislike for the man, several elements of the Leninist programme were undeniably ignored, or at least undermined, by the actualities of Stalinist bureaucracy. In a speech in 1931, Stalin spoke of the happy life of the people of the Soviet Union. At this time the workers living standards were sub-sta ndard, and the wages of the workers remained depressed throughout the 1930s, despite the colossal gains of the first two Five Year Plans. Yet the happy life was a reality for millions of officials in the state and Communist party; they lived very well. In addition to the other privileges of provisions and lodgings, a new network of closed distributors was established and restaurants were reserved for the use of high Communist or non-Party officials. Then special state shops were set up for their exclusive use. In these shops one could buy anything and everything but at prices no worker could afford  [29]  . This development created an upper class in a state where there was to be no class divisions, with Lenins maximum of democracy aimed to prevent such a sector developing. Lenin saw that the existence of wage differentials was a survival of capitalism that would tend to disappear as society moved towards socialism. The development of the productive forces would be accompanied by a general improvement of living standards and the inequalities would tend to decrease.  [30]  Despite the chasm of difference between Lenins envisaged state and Stalins realisation, Lenin himself admitted that the state he lead did include bureaucratic deformations. However the deformations were trivial compared to the tiered state which formed in consequence of Stalins encouragement. His dictatorship style of leadership, which allowed him to weed out the members of the Party which disagreed with him allowed him to create a circle of peers who were able to reap the benefits which collectivisation and industrialisation allowed. The crux of the argument rests within the debate of whether Marxist-Leninism was ever a foreseeable policy and whether there was an alternative Communist state than the one which Stalin oversaw. Several key historians claim that Stalins actions were the inevitable continuation of Leninism and there is some evidence to support this. Richard Pipes declares Stalinism the natural consequence of Leninism, as Stalin faithfully implemented Lenins domestic and foreign policy programmes  [31]  . Edvard Radzinsky similarly acknowledges that Stalin, as he claimed himself, was the real follower of Lenin  [32]  . Robert Service, whilst on the whole condemning the extent of Stalins rule concedes that personally he remained devoted to Lenin and his rule and conserved and reinforced the Leninist regime and this was reflected in Stalins whole-hearted attempts to elevate the memory of Lenin to somewhat of a deity and his development and insistence of Marxist-Leninism. It was under Stalins cont rol which the notion of a Marxist-Leninist ideology was popularised. Indeed the Civil War measures implemented by Lenin introduced the idea of the Red Terror and developed internment camps, Lenin was the instigator of Article 58 in 1927 which condoned the arrests of those suspected of counter-revolutionary activities. The autocratic system within the Communist party was too developed by Lenin  [33]  . Lenins ban on factions within the Russian Communist party and introduction of the one-party state in 1921 allowed Stalin to get rid of his rivals easily. In many ways, Stalin can be seen to have utilised Lenins tools; the exclusion of alternative ideologies from public life was strengthened, instruments of dictatorship, terror and a politicised judiciary were furthered with Stalins reliance upon the Gulags and trails of political competitors, such as Bukharin and Trotsky. The states economic control, whilst substansial since the Civil war, was tightened dramatically In particular, the notion of continuing the despotism evident in the earlier Soviet period, the brutal nature of the fighting within the Civil War and October Revolution providing prime examples, is clear in the use of terror as a method of control in the first two decades of Stalins rule. However there are significant criticisms saying that Stalins deviations disfigured Marxist-Leninism beyond recognition. As Roy Medvedev says one could list the various measures carried out by Stalin that were actually a continuation of anti-democratic trends and measures implemented under Lenin in so many ways, Stalin acted, not in line with Lenins clear instructions but in defiance of them. Likewise, Isaac Deutscher, in his biography on Trotsky claims that only the blind and deaf could be unaware of the contrast between Stalinism and Leninism  [34]  . A more modern criticism comes from Graeme Gill, Stalinism was not a natural flow-on of earlier developments; it formed a sharp break resulting from conscious decisions by leading political actors  [35]  . The totalitarian perspective that the negative facets of Stalinism were inherent in Communism from the start is perpetually undermined by attempts to distance Stalinism from Leninism; Trotsky

Garden for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays

Garden for the Blind â€Å"Some great gardens unfold like a narrative or a piece of music as we move through them and view their carefully choreographed wonders.† â€Å"To really know why San Francisco is not Paris you must sense it.† These words, quoted by Moore, Mitchell and Turnbull and Malnar and Vodvarka respectively (in Sensory Design), are what inspired me to create not only a garden for the blind, but a sense of place and feeling for those lacking sight. While reading the selected excerpts from both Sensory Design and The Rise of the Creative Class I realized that there is more to designing a garden for the blind than simply selecting plants with specific textures and scents; it is creating an entire place, a gestalt of the senses if you will, that creates a whole sense of being in the garden. Florida refers to creativity as â€Å"the process of destroying ones gestalt in favor of a better one.† My ideal garden for the blind creates a gestalt without a visual field. Using th e kinesthetic sense of the distinctive land behind Hume, along with carefully selected auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences, the garden for the blind will create a gestalt of its own, where even a seeing person feels they no longer need their sight. I want to appeal to the senses, but not overwhelm them. This is why I decided to divide the garden almost into sections. The only predominate sense not divided at all will be sound. Ideally, in the center of the garden will be beautiful statue, with many curves and crevices, that also has running water (a bird bath would be perfect). While this might not work on the slopping land behind Hume, hopefully at least a small structure will be feasible and provide something else for the hands to explore as well as the constant, pleasing sound of running water. When walking through the butterfly rainforest with my eyes closed, my favorite part was when I was near water. The sound of water truly made me feel like I was in a nature scene; it also gave me a sense of direction and was remarkably soothing in a somewhat stressful situation (I do not normally walk through unfamiliar areas with my eyes closed). The sound of water is a must for my garden. Also providing sound, I want to attract birds. I read that Bee Balm is an excellent attractor of hummingbirds and butterflies (which I learned from the butterfly rainforest can create quite a sensation when they land on you). Garden for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays Garden for the Blind â€Å"Some great gardens unfold like a narrative or a piece of music as we move through them and view their carefully choreographed wonders.† â€Å"To really know why San Francisco is not Paris you must sense it.† These words, quoted by Moore, Mitchell and Turnbull and Malnar and Vodvarka respectively (in Sensory Design), are what inspired me to create not only a garden for the blind, but a sense of place and feeling for those lacking sight. While reading the selected excerpts from both Sensory Design and The Rise of the Creative Class I realized that there is more to designing a garden for the blind than simply selecting plants with specific textures and scents; it is creating an entire place, a gestalt of the senses if you will, that creates a whole sense of being in the garden. Florida refers to creativity as â€Å"the process of destroying ones gestalt in favor of a better one.† My ideal garden for the blind creates a gestalt without a visual field. Using th e kinesthetic sense of the distinctive land behind Hume, along with carefully selected auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences, the garden for the blind will create a gestalt of its own, where even a seeing person feels they no longer need their sight. I want to appeal to the senses, but not overwhelm them. This is why I decided to divide the garden almost into sections. The only predominate sense not divided at all will be sound. Ideally, in the center of the garden will be beautiful statue, with many curves and crevices, that also has running water (a bird bath would be perfect). While this might not work on the slopping land behind Hume, hopefully at least a small structure will be feasible and provide something else for the hands to explore as well as the constant, pleasing sound of running water. When walking through the butterfly rainforest with my eyes closed, my favorite part was when I was near water. The sound of water truly made me feel like I was in a nature scene; it also gave me a sense of direction and was remarkably soothing in a somewhat stressful situation (I do not normally walk through unfamiliar areas with my eyes closed). The sound of water is a must for my garden. Also providing sound, I want to attract birds. I read that Bee Balm is an excellent attractor of hummingbirds and butterflies (which I learned from the butterfly rainforest can create quite a sensation when they land on you).