How the Western Film Genre Has Developed over the Past Century Essay

The Western film genre is typic completelyy set in a secluded village in the middle of the desert, normally in the American West. The setting includes wooden buildings, tumble weed, cacti, trains, horses and carriages. The storyline for western films is commonly the same, namely, a hero travels to a remote village, usually on a horse, and brings peace to the warlike villagers. In a traditional Western film the clothing for the hero is usually a white hat, (this is to show purity). The hero would also wear a brightly coloured shirt , a pair of jeans and cowboy boots with spurs on the back of them. The hero is also very clean and also normally marvellous and good looking. A traditional Western includes things like white settlers living in a town and a white hero fights white baddies and usually the hero wins. In a traditional western the Native Americans attack the towns where religious and peaceful throng live. This makes the Native Americans look like bad people and the whi tes as good people.The first Western film ever made was called The Great Train Robbery. It was made by The Lumiere Brothers in 1903.This film was a high quality film, because they used some panning with the camera. This was unusual in its time because the cameras that they had, had to be put on a fixed point because they were too arduous to lift. This meant that they couldnt move in for close-ups. Consequently it made it harder for the audience to understand the characters feelings and to understand the storyline. If the camera can move in on the villain when he is plotting something or pulling a gun out ready for a fight it is much easier for the audience to follow. The Great Train Robbery was a saucer-eyed one-reeler action picture, about 10 minutes long, with... ...eserts, wooden buildings, small towns and cacti for the setting, western music and wind sounds for the backing music, and crane shots and panning for the camera shots. Shooting games are very popular with boys an d so using the Western as a basis for these games should mean that many of them will be sold.Westerns have, and always will, be very popular. The storylines, the shoot-outs and the all action drama are popular with men. The handsome hero and the better roles for women in the films means that more women were attracted to Westerns. The advances in technology meant that lots of people came to chance on the films just to see the camera shots and the sound. The change of storylines which showed the Native Americans to be nice people also kept peoples interest in Westerns. This is why they are fluid used today to sell products such as jeans and computer games.

Adolf Hitler :: Biography Biographies Hitler Essays

Adolf HitlerThe interesting life of Adolf Hitler is not fully known to people. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, the fourth child of Alois Schickelgruber and Klara Hitler in the Austrian town of Braunau. Two of his siblings died from diphtheria when they were children, and unrivalled died shortly after birth. Alois was a customs official, illegitimate by birth, which was described by his housemaid as a very strict but convenient man. His mother showered Young Adolf with love and affection. When Adolf was three eld old, the family moved to Passau, along the Inn River on the German side of the border. A brother, Edmond, was born two years later. The family moved once more in 1895 to the farm community of Hafeld, 30 miles southwest of Linz. Another sister, Paula, was born in 1896, the sixth of the union, supplemented by a one-half brother and half sister from one of his fathers two previous marri geezerhoods. Following another family move, Adolf lived for six months across fro m a large Benedictine monastery. The monasterys coat of arms almost salient feature was a swastika. As a youngster, Adolfs dream was to enter the priesthood. While there is anecdotal evidence that Adolfs father regularly beat him during his childhood, it was not unusual for discipline to be enforced in that way during that period. By 1900, Hitlers talents as an artist surfaced. He did well enough in school to be eligible for either the university preparatory gymnasium or the technical/scientific Realschule. Because the latter had a course in drawing, Adolf accepted his fathers decision to enroll him in the Realschule. He did not do well there. Adolfs father died in 1903 after suffering a pleural hemorrhage. Adolf himself suffered from lung infections, and he quit school at the age of 16, partially the result of ill health and partially the result of poor school work. In 1906, Adolf was permitted to visit Vienna, but he was unable to gain entrance to a prestigious art school. His m other developed terminal breast cancer and was treated by Dr. Edward Bloch, a Jewish doctor who served the poor. After an proceeding and excruciatingly painful and expensive treatments with a dangerous drug, she died on December 21, 1907. Hitler spent six years in Vienna, living on a tiny legacy from his father and an orphans pension. Virtually penniless by 1909, he wandered Vienna as a transient, sleeping in bars, flophouses, and shelters for the homeless, including, ironically, those financed by Jewish philanthropists.

The Fashion Revolution of 1789-1799 Essay -- essays research papers f

Between 1789 and 1799 France was going through great turmoil. Immense political and social upheavals were commonplace in the changing nation. New ideas were growing, ideas of freedom, regimen and of self-expression. Such new attitudes by the people gave rise to a new style of clothing. The clothing became more expressive and more ornate. People began to dress the elbow room they wanted. French soon became the center stage for fashion. The French novelty, eyepatch failing in many aspects did one thing no one expected. The French revolution created a new image of fashion in France. There are several reasons that contributed to this occurrence. New beliefs of freedom, equality and self-expression each contributed to this new era of clothes.One major contributor to this new image in France was the new belief in freedom. This was a time in France were the tides were changing and the power over the country was touching from the hands of the Old regime to the Bougiose. As this occurr ed this working class felt a new freedom, and a respect for freedom that they had never felt onwards under the iron fists of the nobles. Such ideas broke the people a government agency from their normal standards and every day drab. With a new freedom new ideas started to pop up everywhere. These new ideas led to the creation of the new costume reproduced in Englands The Home Circle (Ewing, 123). With the new freedom people of all sorts started to speak up and voice their desires. This caused a revolution in fashion for France with the invention of the sewing machine and other cloth production machines the ideas quickly became vast quantities of fabrics (Ewing, 105). As restrictions gave way to freedom many old ideas gave way to new ones. With this newfound freedom womens wear especially went through a slow reform for women (Ewing, 173). piece corsets had been used earlier to give women a narrow waste and flatter chest, new half corsets were used to provide a round, high waist (C assin-Scott, 74) while still providing the full chested appearance. This new freedom allowed men and women alike to change their image from a more strict and prudent society, to a more break and casual fashion. As the people gained more freedom so did the style of dress. The bustle gowns were a new style where the curve between breasts and waists and waist... ...uality allowed self-expression to set in and mold the old styles into new ones more befitting of the people who wore them, and allowed the people to express themselves, being no longer limited by the boundaries of class. Ideas of freedom, equality, and self-expression from the French vicissitude caused another revolution on its own, a revolution of image and style never before seen. The affects of the revolution even outlived the revolution itself, and were some of the few changes in France that actually remained the same, while most of the changes from it retrograded. The Revolution of fashion in the decade between 1789 and 1799 would not have occurred without the French Revolution, and it changed styles in the world forever.BibliographyCassin-Scott, Jack. French habit and Fashion 1550-1920. New York. Brandford Press Ltd, 1986Ewing, Elizabeth. Everyday Dress in France1650-1900. London. B.T. Badsford, 1984Ribeiro, Aileen. Fashion in the French Revolution. London. B.T. Badsford, 1988Yarwood, Doreen. European Costume. New York. Bonanza Books, 1975

Oedipus The King-a Tangled Web :: Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

The choir represents the voice of the people, the voice of the masses. People often conform to this uniform truth, they want to be analogous other people. This conformation leads to a uniform voice from the public. This voice is oftenignorant to the truth, seemingly to the point that it creates its own truth. This is seen often in Oedipus the world power, by Sophocles. They imagine that Oedipus is godly, flat when they have found reveal that he is the cause of their plague. It is not until the end that their haze of wild truth clears, and they turn against Oedipus.The idea that the people handle with a unified voice is seen whenever they speak. Never does one individual stray from this one voice. This is seen in the Strophes and Antistrophes, the choir speaks as a whole. At the start of the, the choir shows unquestioning faith in Oedipus. They believe that he is godly, that since he ended the Sphinx&8217s reign of terror, that he would stop the plague. They believed this wit hout question, they had no doubts that Oedipus would find a cure. They even came to Oedipus with &8220olive boughs all wreathed in woe, the same way one would go to a altar when they wanted something urgently. This shows their faith in Oedipus. This faith blinds them to the truth. When they find out that it could be Oedipus that is the cause of the plague, they still follow Oedipus blindly. They do not see the truth, they create their own. They become so deeply entwined in their own web of waterfall truths, that they do not realize what is really happening. They do not believe the Oracle, &8220Show me the man speaking stone from Delphi damned shows their disbelief in the oracle. This further reinforces their false truths, their blind faith toward Oedipus. Eventually this haze of false truths clears, and they see reality.Even when they are confronted with the truth, they follow Oedipus. WhenOedipus is pondering whether or not he could have killed King Laius, they encourage Oedipus. & 8220But wait until you&8217ve heard the witness speak. Have hope,this shows their faith in Oedipus. &8220Your Laius prophecies are turned to liesshows their belief in the oracle. They feel he is lying, and protract their praise of Oedipus. This belief does not last forever, the web of false truths dissipates, and they see Oedipus for who he really is.

Dostoevsky’s Notes from Undergound - Reactions to an Overdeterministic

Dostoevskys Notes from Undergound - Reactions to an Overdeterministic ExistenceSome of the pretends cited are missingDostoevsky presents his Notes from Undergound as the fragmented ramblings ofan unnamed narrator. On the surface, the characters tale appears disjointed andreaches no conclusive end ing until the author intercedes to end the book. However, aclose examination of the underground mans language reveals a advance in hiscollected ravings. After expressing dissatisfaction with the notion of determinism, theunderground man perceives the irony of his ultra-deterministic reality. Through hisnarrative, the underground man discovers the truth about his predestined, fictionalexistence.Dostoevskys work is divided into two sections throughout the first section,Underground, the narrator discusses and resists determinism. The underground mancompares deterministic life to a mathematical formula, two times two equals four. Hesuggests that, according to the deterministic model, life con forms to a set of predestinedevents and actions, and its outcome is inevitable. The underground man condemns theformula, asserting, After all, two times two is no drawn-out life, gentlemen, but thebeginning of death(24). In his essay Narrative and Freedom, critic Gary Saul Morsonelaborates upon the narrators statement, adding, For life to be meaningful and for workto be more than robotic, there must be something not just unknown but still undecided(Morson 196-7). According to the underground man, the pre-existence of the solutionimplies that no other conclusion may be reached once one embarks on life, one cannotescape the inevitable outcome of death. Morson emphasizes the underground mansres... ...nd man ab initio believes that by identifying the cause of hisdefectiveness, he will be able to correct his seemingly doomed life.Instead, he discovers that his real defect, his existence as fiction, preventshim from ever neutering his circumstances. After heralding self-awarenessas t he key to controlling his own life, he finds that self-awareness onlyallows him to perceive how little control he could ever have.Works Cited and ConsultedBerger, Peter L. The unutterable Canopy Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion.New York Anchor Books, 1990.Escher, M.C. Drawing Hands. Cover of Norton edition of Notes from Underground.Katz, Michael R., ed. Notes from Underground. New York W.W. Norton & Company,2001.Chernyshevsky, Nikolai. What Is to Be Done? Katz 104-123.Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground. Katz 3-91MorsonTodorov

Dostoevsky’s Notes from Undergound - Reactions to an Overdeterministic

Dostoevskys Notes from Undergound - Reactions to an Overdeterministic ExistenceSome of the works cited are missingDostoevsky presents his Notes from Undergound as the fragmented ramblings ofan unnamed narrator. On the surface, the characters narration appears disjointed andreaches no conclusive end ing until the author intercedes to end the book. However, a mop up examination of the surreptitious mans language reveals a progression in hiscollected ravings. After expressing dissatisfaction with the notion of determinism, theunderground man embraces the irony of his ultra-deterministic reality. through hisnarrative, the underground man discovers the truth about his predestined, fictionalexistence.Dostoevskys work is divided into two sections throughout the first section,Underground, the narrator discusses and resists determinism. The underground mancompares deterministic life to a mathematical formula, two times two equals four. Hesuggests that, according to the deterministic model , life conforms to a set of predestinedevents and actions, and its outcome is inevitable. The underground man condemns theformula, asserting, After all, two times two is no longer life, gentlemen, yet thebeginning of death(24). In his essay Narrative and Freedom, critic Gary capital of Minnesota Morsonelaborates upon the narrators statement, adding, For life to be meaningful and for workto be more than robotic, there must be something not just unknown but still undecided(Morson 196-7). According to the underground man, the pre-existence of the solutionimplies that no other conclusion may be reached once one embarks on life, one cannot skirt the inevitable outcome of death. Morson emphasizes the underground mansres... ...nd man initially believes that by identifying the cause of hisdefectiveness, he will be able to correct his plain doomed life.Instead, he discovers that his real defect, his existence as fiction, preventshim from ever altering his circumstances. After heralding sel f-awarenessas the key to controlling his own life, he finds that self-awareness onlyallows him to perceive how little control he could ever have.Works Cited and ConsultedBerger, Peter L. The Sacred Canopy Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion.New York Anchor Books, 1990.Escher, M.C. Drawing Hands. allot of Norton edition of Notes from Underground.Katz, Michael R., ed. Notes from Underground. New York W.W. Norton & Company,2001.Chernyshevsky, Nikolai. What Is to Be Done? Katz 104-123.Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground. Katz 3-91MorsonTodorov

Blood Promise Chapter Three

Wait-what? I exclaimed.That wasnt in the plan. That wasnt in the plan at all. I was trying to move through Russia in as incognito a way as possible. Plus, I didnt really relish the thought of having a taga bulky-particularly one who appeared to hate me. I didnt k direct how farsighted it would wee-wee to get to Siberia-a couple days, I thought-and I couldnt imagine spending them listening to Sydney talk closely what an unnatural, evil being I was.Swallowing my outrage, I try rea password. After all, I was asking a favor here. Thats not necessary, I say, forcing a smile. Its nice of you to offer, but I dont indispensability to inconvenience you.Well, she replied dryly, theres no get around that. And its not me being nice. Its not even my choice. Its an order from my superiors.It still sounds like a pain in the ass for you. Why dont you honest break up me where it is and blow them off?You obviously dont know the people I arrive at for.Dont need to. I ignore authority all the clock time. Its not hard at one time you get used to it.Yeah? Hows that working out for you with finding this village? she asked mockingly. Look, if you want to get there, this is the only way.Well-it was the only way I could get there if I used Sydney for information. I could al shipway go endorse to staking out the Nightingale but it had taken me this long to get a lead from there. Mean mend, she was here slump in front of me with the information I necessitate.Why? I asked. Why do you have to go too?I cant tell you that. rotter line They told me to.Lovely. I eyed her, trying to figure out what was button on here. Why on earth would eitherone-let alone humans with their hands in the Moroi world -care where one teenage dhampir went? I didnt pretend Sydney had any ulterior motives-unless she was a very, very good actress. Yet, clearly the people she answered to had an agenda, and I didnt like playing into anyones plan. At the equivalent time, I was anxious to get on with this. Each day that passed was another in which I didnt find Dimitri.How soon can we leave? I asked at last. Sydney, I decided, was a paper-pusher. Shed testn no real skill in tracking me earlier. Surely it wouldnt be that hard to ditch her once we were shape up comely to Dimitris town.She get worded harming of disappointed at my response, almost as though shed hoped I would decline and then shed be off the hook. She didnt want to come with me any more than I wanted her to. Opening her purse, she took out her cell phone again, fiddled with it a couple of minutes, and finally produced about explicate times. She showed me the schedule for the next day.Does that work for you?I studied the screen and nodded. I know where that station is. I can be there.Okay. She stood up and tossed some cash on the table. Ill see you tomorrow. She started to locomote away and then glanced back at me. Oh, and you can have the rest of my fries.When I graduation exercise came to Russia, I go al onged in youth hostels. Id certainly had the money to stay elsewhere, but I wanted to remain under the radar.Besides, luxury hadnt really been the first thing on my mind. When I began going to the Nightingale, how ever, I found I could hardly re moot to a boarding house of carrying students while wearing a designer dress.So I was now staying at a posh hotel, complete with guys who always held the doors open and a marble-floored lobby. That lobby was so big that I think an entire hostel could have fit in it. by chance two hostels. My room was large and overdone too, and I was grateful to reach it and change out of the heels and dress. I realized with only a weeny pang of regret that Id have to leave the dresses Id bought in Saint Petersburg behind. I wanted to keep my luggage light while jaunting around the country, and even if my backpack was large, there was only so much I could carry. Oh well. Those dresses would make some cleaning womans day, no doubt. The only bit of ornament ation I really needed was my nazar, a pendant that looked like a blue eye. It had been a gift from my mother, which had in turn been a gift from my father. I always wore it around my neck.Our train for Moscow left late in the morning, and we would then catch a cross-country train to Siberia. I wanted to be well rested and fast for it all. Once in my pajamas, I draw close under the beds heavy comforter and hoped sleep would come soon. Instead, my mind spun with all the things that had happened recently. The Sydney situation was a bizarre building but one I could handle. As long as we stuck to public transportation, she could hardly lead me into the clutches of her mysterious superiors. And from what shed said about our travel time, it would then only take a couple of days or so to reach the village. Two days seemed both impossibly long and impossibly short.It meant I could very well be confronting Dimitri in a few days and then what? Could I do it? Could I bring myself to kill hi m? And even if I decided I could, would I actually have the skill to overpower him? The same questions that Id been asking myself for the last two weeks kept plaguing me over and over. Dimitri had taught me everything I knew, and with enhance Strigoi reflexes, he would truly be the god Id always joked he was. Death was a very real possibility for me.But worrying wasnt admirerful indemnify now and, looking over at the clock in the room, I discovered Id been lying awake for almost an hour. That was no good. I needed to be in peak condition. So I did something I knew I shouldnt do, but which always worked to get my mind off my worries-largely because it involved me being in mortal elses mind.Slipping inside Lissas head required only a small amount of concentration on my part. I hadnt known if I could do it when we were faraway apart, but Id discovered the process was no different than if I were standing right beside her.It was late morning back in Montana, and Lissa had no classes today since it was Saturday. During my time away, Id worked very hard to put up mental walls between us, almost exclusively blocking her and her musical noteings out. promptly, inside her, all the barriers were down, and her emotions hit me like a tidal wave. She was pissed off. Really pissed off.Why does she think she can just snap her fingers and get me to go anywhere she wants, anytime she wants? Lissa growled.Because shes the pouffe. And because you made a deal with the devil.Lissa and her boyfriend, Christian, were lounging in the attic of the schools chapel. As soon as I recognized the surroundings, I nearly pulled out of her head. The two of them had had way too many romantic encounters up here, and I didnt want to stick around if clothes were going to be ripped off soon. Fortunately-or perhaps not-her annoyed feelings told me thered be no sex today, not with her notional mood.It was kind of ironic, actually. Their roles were reversed. Lissa was the raging one while Chri stian remained cool and collected, trying to appear calm for her sake. He sat on the floor, leaning up against the wall, while she sat in front of him, his legs apart and his arms holding her. She rested her head on his chest and sighed.For the last few weeks, Ive done everything shes asked ?Vasilisa, please show this stupid visiting august around campus. ?Vasilisa, please jump on a plane for the weekend so that I can introduce you to some boring officials here at Court. ?Vasilisa, please put in some volunteer time with the younger students. It looks good. Despite Lissas frustration, I couldnt help a forgetful amusement. She had Queen Tatianas voice down perfectly.You would have done that last one willingly, Christian pointed out.Yeah the point being willingly. I hate her trying to grade every part of my life lately.Christian leaned over and kissed her cheek. Like I said, you made a deal with the devil. Youre her darling now. She wants to make sure youre making her look good.Liss a scowled. Although Moroi lived inside human- fight countries and were subject to those governments, they were also ruled by a king or queen who came from one of the twelve royal Moroi families. Queen Tatiana-an Ivashkov-was the current ruler, and shed taken a particular interest in Lissa as the last living member of the Dragomir family. As such, Tatiana had cut Lissa a deal. If Lissa lived at Court after graduating from St.Vladimirs, the queen would arrange for her to attend LehighUniversity in Pennsylvania. Lissa was a total brain and thought living in Tatianas household would be worth it to attend a semi-big, esteemed university, as opposed to the tiny ones Moroi usually went to (for safety reasons).As Lissa was finding out, though, the strings attached to that deal were already in place now. And I just sit and take it, Lissa said. I just smile and say ?Yes, your majesty. Anything you want, your majesty.Then tell her the deals off. Youll be eighteen in a couple of months. Royal or not, youre under no obligations. You dont need her to go to a big school. Well just take off, you and me. Go to whatever college you want. Or dont go to college at all. We can run off to Paris or something and work at a little cafe. Or sell bad art on the streets.This actually made Lissa laugh, and she snuggled closer to Christian. Right. I can totally see you having the patience to wait on people. Youd be fired your first day. Looks like the only way well live on is if I go to college and support us.There are other ways to get to college, you know.Yeah, but not to any that are this good, she said wistfully. Not easily, at least. This is the only way. I just wish I could have all this and stand up to her a little. Rose would.Rose would have gotten herself arrested for treason the first time Tatiana asked her to do something.Lissa smiled sadly. Yeah. She would have. The smile turned into a sigh. I miss her so much.Christian kissed her again. I know. This was a familiar conversati on for them, one that neer grew old because Lissas feelings for me never faded.Shes okay, you know. Wherever she is, shes okay.Lissa stared off into the attics darkness. The only light came from a stained-glass window that made the whole place look like a lovelyyland. The post had been recently cleaned out-by Dimitri and me, actually. It had only been a couple of months ago, but already, dust and boxes were accumulating once more. The priest here was a nice guy but kind of a pack rat. Lissa noticed none of this, though. Her thoughts were too focused on me.I hope so. I wish I had some idea-any idea-where she is. I keep thought process that if anything happened to her, if she- Lissa couldnt finish the thought. Well, I keep thinking that Id know somehow. That Id feel it. I mean, I know the bonds one-way thats never changed. But Id have to know if something happened to her, right?I dont know, said Christian. Maybe. Maybe not. Any other guy would have said something overly sweet and comforting, assuring her that yes, yes, of course shed know. But it was part of Christians character to be brutally honest. Lissa liked that about him. So did I. It didnt always make him a pleasant friend, but at least you knew he wasnt bullshitting you.She sighed again. Adrian says shes okay. He visits her dreams. Id deem anything to be able to do that. My healings getting better and better, and Ive got the aura thing down. But no dreams yet.Knowing Lissa missed me hurt almost more than if shed completely written me off. Id never wanted to hurt her. Even when Id resented her for feeling like she was controlling my life, Id never hated her. I loved her like a babe and couldnt stand the thought of her suffering now on my behalf. How had things gotten so screwed up between us?She and Christian continue sit down there in satisfied silence, drawing strength and love from each other. They had what Dimitri and I had had, a sense of such oneness and familiarity that words often werent needed. He ran his fingers through her pig, and while I couldnt see it so well through her own eyes, I could imagine the way that pale hair would gleam in the rainbow light of the stained-glass windows. He tuck several long locks behind her ear and then tipped her head back, bringing his lips down to hers. The kiss started off light and sweet and then belatedly intensified, warmth spreading from his mouth to hers.Uh-oh, I thought. It might be time to take off after all. But she ended it before I had to.Its time, she said regretfully. Weve got to go.The look in Christians crystal-blue eyes said otherwise. Maybe this is the perfect time for you to stand up to the queen. You should just stay here -itd be a groovy way to build character.Lissa lightly elbowed him and then planted a kiss on his forehead before standing up. That is not why you want me to stay, so dont even try to play me.They left the chapel, and Christian mumbled something about wanting to do more than play that earned him another elbow. They were heading toward the administration building, which was in the heart of the upper schools campus. Aside from the first blushes of spring, everything looked like it had when Id left-at least on the outside. The stone buildings remained grand and imposing. The tall, ancient trees continued their watch.Yet, inside the hearts of the staff and students, things had changed. Everyone carried scars from the attack. legion(predicate) of our people had been killed, and while classes were up and running again, everyone still grieved.Lissa and Christian reached their destination the administration building. She didnt know the reason for her summoning, only that Tatiana had wanted her to meet some royal guy who had just arrived at the Academy. Considering how many people Tatiana was always forcing her to meet lately, Lissa didnt think too much of it. She and Christian stepped inside the main office, where they found Headmistress Kirova sitting and chatting with an ol der Moroi and a girl about our age.Ah, Miss Dragomir. There you are.Id gotten in trouble with Kirova a lot while Id been a student, yet seeing her now made me feel kind of nostalgic. Getting suspended for starting a fight in class seemed worlds better than traipsing through Siberia to find Dimitri. Kirova had the same birdlike look shed always had, the same glasses balanced at the end of her nose. The man and girl stood up, and Kirova gestured to them.This is Eugene Lazar and his daughter Avery. Kirova turned back toward Lissa. This is Vasilisa Dragomir and Christian Ozera.A fair bit of sizing up went on then. Lazar was a royal name, but that was no surprise since Tatiana had initiated this meeting. Mr. Lazar gave Lissa a winning smile as he shook her hand. He seemed a bit surprised to meet Christian, but the smile stayed. Of course, that kind of reaction to Christian wasnt so unusual.The two ways to become Strigoi were by choice or by force. A Strigoi could turn another person-hum an, Moroi, or dhampir-by drinking their blood and then feeding Strigoi blood back to them. That was what had happened to Dimitri. The other way to become Strigoi was unique to Moroi -and it was done by choice. Moroi who purposely chose to kill a person by drinking blood would also turn Strigoi. Usually, Moroi only drank small, nonlethal amounts from willing humans. But taking so much that it destroyed anothers life force? Well, that turned Moroi to the dark side, taking away their elemental magic and transforming them into the twisted undead.That was exactly what Christians parents had done. Theyd willingly killed and become Strigoi to gain eternal life. Christian had never shown any desire to become Strigoi, but everyone acted as though he were about to. (Admittedly, his snarky attitude didnt always help.) A lot of his close family-despite being royal-had been unfairly shunned as well. He and I had teamed up to kick a fair amount of Strigoi ass during the attack, though. Word of t hat was getting around and improving his reputation.Kirova was never one to waste time with formalities, so she got straight to the point. Mr. Lazar is going to be the new headmaster here.Lissa had still been smiling at him politely, but her head immediately jerked toward Kirova. What?Im going to be stepping down, explained Kirova, voice flat and emotionless enough to rival any guardians. Though Ill still be serving the school as a teacher.Youre going to teach? Christian asked incredulously.She gave him a dry look. Yes, Mr. Ozera. It was what I originally went to school for. Im sure if I try hard enough, I can remember how to do it.But why? asked Lissa. You do a massive job.It was more or less true. Despite my disputes with Kirova-usually over me breaking rules-I still had a healthy respect for her. Lissa did too.Its something Ive thought about returning to for some time, explained Kirova. Now seemed as good a time as any, and Mr. Lazar is a very capable administrator.Lissa was pre tty good at reading people. I think it was part of spirits side effects, along with how spirit made its users very, very charismatic. Lissa thought Kirova was lying, and so did I. If Id been able to read Christians mind, my guess would have been that he felt the same way. The attack on the Academy had sent a lot of people into a panic, royals in particular, even though the problem that had led to the attack had long since been fixed. I was guessing that Tatianas hand was at work here, forcing Kirova to step down and have a royal take her place, thus making other royals feel better.Lissa didnt let her thoughts show, and she turned back to Mr. Lazar. Well, its very nice to meet you. Im sure youll do a great job. Let me know if theres anything I can do for you. She was playing the proper princess role perfectly. Being polite and sweet was one of her many talents.Actually, said Mr. Lazar, there is. He had a deep, booming voice, the kind that fill up a room. He gestured toward his daugh ter. I was wondering if you could show Avery around and help her find her way here. She graduated last year but will be assisting me in my duties. Im sure shed much rather be spending time with someone her own age, however.Avery smiled, and for the first time, Lissa really paid attention to her. Avery was beautiful. Stunning. Lissa was beautiful too, between that gorgeous hair and the jade green eyes that ran in her family. I thought she was a hundred times prettier than Avery, but beside the older girl, Lissa felt kind of plain. Avery was tall and slim like most Moroi but had a few sexy curves thrown in. That kind of chest, like mine, was coveted among Moroi, and her long brown hair and blue-gray eyes completed the package.I promise not to be too much of a pain, said Avery. And if you want, Ill give you some insiders tips on Court life. I hear youre going to be moving there.Instantly, Lissas defenses went up. She realized what was going on. Not only had Tatiana ousted Kirova, shed sent a keeper for Lissa. A beautiful, perfect companion who could blot on Lissa and attempt to train her up to Tatianas standards. Lissas words were perfectly polite when she spoke, but there was a definite edge of frost in her voice.Thatd be great, she said. Im pretty busy lately, but we can try to make the time.Neither Averys father nor Kirova seemed to notice the back off subtext, but something flashed in Averys eyes that told Lissa the subject had come through.Thanks, said Avery. Unless I was mistaken, there was some legitimate hurt in her face. Im sure well figure something out.Good, good, said Mr. Lazar, totally oblivious to the girl drama. Maybe you can show Avery to guest housing? Shes staying in the east wing.Sure, said Lissa, wishing she could do anything but that.She, Christian, and Avery started to leave, but just then, two guys entered the room. One was a Moroi, a little younger than us, and the other was a dhampir in his twenties-a guardian, from the look of his hard , serious features.Ah, there you are, said Mr. Lazar, beckoning the guys in. He rested his hand on the boys shoulder. This is my son Reed. Hes a junior and will be attending classes here. Hes very excited about it.Actually, Reed looked extremely unexcited. He was pretty much the surliest guy Id ever seen. If I ever needed to play the role of a disgruntled teen, I could have learned everything there was to know about it from Reed Lazar. He had the same good looks and features as Avery, but they were marred by a grimace that seemed permanently attached to his face. Mr. Lazar introduced the others to Reed. Reeds only response was a guttural, Hey.And this is Simon, Averys guardian, continued Mr. Lazar. Of course, while on campus, he doesnt need to be with her all the time. You know how it goes. Still, Im sure youll see him around.I hoped not. He didnt look as completely rough as Reed, but he had a certain dour nature that seemed extreme even among guardians.Suddenly, I kind of felt sor ry for Avery. If this was her only company, Id want to befriend someone like Lissa pretty badly. Lissa, however, made it clear that she wouldnt be part of Tatianas schemes. With little conversation, she and Christian escorted Avery to guest housing and promptly left.Normally, Lissa would have stayed to help Avery get settled and offered to eat with her later. Not this time. Not with ulterior motives afoot.I came back to my own body, back in the hotel. I knew I shouldnt care about Academy life anymore and that I should even feel bad for Avery. Yet lying there and staring into the darkness, I couldnt help but take some smug-and yes, very selfish-satisfaction out of this encounter Lissa wouldnt be shopping for a new best friend anytime soon.

United Kingdom – Cultural Leadership Style

A wise Professor named Geert Hofstede established one of the best studies that throw off into account a countries culture and how values in the figureplace can take them. Today I will look at a exceptional country that is quite similar to the United States. The country I bear chosen is the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom encompasses England, Wales, and Scotland (which combined make up not bad(p) Britain) and Northern Ireland. Before smell at how United Kingdom numbers thither first needs to be a description of what is in fact being numbered.Hofstede created five cultural dimensions. In each dimension whether it marked spirited or low can help a business get a line how it should operate in that specific country. The first Hofstede dimension is the function Distance ability. The Power Distance advocate has to do with the inequality that not only is received but the inequality in existence amid individuals of originator and in addition to those without it. There wil l always be some kind of level of power in in all societies and although some whitethorn be very unequal this measure but shows the level of inequality they really are.A low Power Distance Index would mean that power and equality are shared. Society may view them as being a nightclub where power is healthful dispersed among each other. In a high Power Distance Index however there is an unequal distribution of power and people simply understand their place in the society. When it comes to the United Kingdom though the Power Distance Index is relatively low and has a thirty PDI. This number is an magnate number that the ranking of a person or the status in conjunction with their inequalities are low.When relating to much of the office structure this can be much illustrated when looking at the relationship between the superiors and the subordinates. The relationship is more casual like and not as structured and strict as in a high power distance would have been. The second Hofs tede dimension is Individualism. Individualism refers to the community and all the ties that link people to them. If there is a high individualism take a crap than there is a loose connection which only means that sharing of responsibilities are low and a lack of interpersonal connection nless of course it is between family and a few close friends. It also means that an individuals rights are quite dominant. If there is a low individualism hold than there is a strong group bond in which there is much respect and loyalty for all members of that group. The group itself would be much larger in coincidence to a high crap and would take more responsibility for each person making it more collective. In the United Kingdom they score a quite high one with eighty nine being there IDV number. Therefore there is a need of peoples freedoms and the evaluation of their time.They enjoy challenges and expect some sort of reward for their accomplishments. There is also more of a respect for the ir privacy. In this sense the United Kingdom has a nuclear family that is the more leading form of basic social structure. When you think of this on more of a business aspect having a high score would also mean that individuals would be thinking about themselves more instead of the group. High scores would promote individual success but may affect the group which should be monitored. The third Hofstede dimension is Masculinity.Masculinity refers to the tralatitious roles of a male and female and how much they are valued and stuck to within a society. Having a high Masculinity score would mean that these countries have males that have high expectations to being tough and being the provider for the family as well as being assertive and strong. When pertaining to females in a high context score if they worked would be doing a profession that men did not. There would also be a specialization between men and womens work. In a low masculinity score for a country you would see more of a b alance when it came to jobs and skills.Women would be able to have success doing the exact same thing as a man. The role of both genders just becomes a bit blur where women work equal across professions with men. Men are also allowed to be sensitive. The United Kingdom had a score of about sixty two. Therefore they try to be somewhere in the middle. Men and women can work equally with each other although a bit of gender deviate may still exist. This deviate may not be as apparent if the score was a fifty but because it exceeds a little more than fifty it shows that it is an underlying bias maybe just below the surfaces.When relating this to a more business aspect in a high masculinity score the leader of the team should be a male if you wanted to obtain greater success however in a low masculinity score the team should be more balanced with a greater emphasis on skill instead of on gender. The fourth Hofstede dimension is Uncertainty/Avoidance Index. Uncertainty/ Avoidance Index r efer to the degree that society members may feel while being in an anxious or uncertain situation. This can also relate to whether or not a person is comfortable or uncomfortable within a certain situation.In a high uncertainty/avoidance index country avoidance of ambiguous situations is a must with the creations of lots of rules and regulations. There is much order with a collective type of truth that is held. Business is also very formal with the need for structure and differences are highly avoided. If there is any level of nervousness it creates high levels of emotion mixed with high levels of expression. In a lower uncertainty/avoidance index the society will enjoy surprises and the differences between individuals are highly valued.They are actually encouraged to desire for their own truth. The United Kingdom has an Uncertainty/Avoidance index of about thirty which means in a more business aspect that they have a more informal business attitude. There is also a more concern on the long terminal goals and strategies instead in comparison to the more daily happenings. There is a far greater acceptance of change and this society is more prone to taking a few risks contrary a high UAI group which would avoid risk taking.Conflicts and disagreements would also be seen as a healthy relationship amongst workers even at times superiors with disparate views taken into account to conclude with a better outcome. The last Hofstede dimension is Long bound Orientation. Long Term Orientation refers to how society views the long term standing of traditions and values in comparison to the short term traditions and values. In a high long term orientation score the individuals in a society would refrain from losing face and have social obligations. Traditions are valued to the extreme and family is the basis of the society.Parents and men are seen in these societies to have far more authority than women and young adults. There are very strong work ethics and a high valu e is placed on the education that is obtained as well as any training. The United Kingdom has a long term orientation score of about twenty. Being that it is very low in comparison to Asian cultures this just means that much can be expected when discussing the creative expression that is in the United Kingdoms culture. Traditions may not be valued here as much as they would be valued in other societies. This then ust sums that they would be more credibly to help when it came to the business aspect of innovating any sought out plans. There would be an execution of those plans as well with the compromise that there will be full participation. In a low long term orientation there is also promotion of equality. Creativity and individualism is also a interpretation of a low long term orientation where what is strived for is self actualization. Although some may see the United Kingdom as being more traditional with all its associations it still promotes equality which in the end makes i t varied from other cultures or societies.The five dimensions that Geert Hofstede established were one being Power Distance Index (PDI), two being Individualism (IDV), three being Masculinity (MAS), four being Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), and five being Long Term Orientation (LTO). Each one looked at in pertaining to the United Kingdom gives more of an insight on how the societies culture is and how a business can upbeat better if in the United Kingdom. Although many cultural norms play a huge part in the procedure and interpersonal associations at work all these things may seem to just be. Each and every norm just comes natural to the society that you live in.However, when you move outside your norms and are found in a new society knowing what to do or how to run a business may be very intimidating without knowing how that societys culture may behave. Once you step foot in a foreign place everything may seem different with completely different norms that are followed. Hofst edes five dimensions can thus be a starting position for one to use in determining how to act when examine what the reactions might be and how that society might think about how you just acted. It would also help in evaluating your approach and the decisions that you make in an organization or business.There may be other deviations from all the norms that may make up a society but having a guide like Geert Hofstedes five dimensions will help to not feel completely off guard when encountering new societies. Sometimes not knowing what to expect can be very threatening and not knowing how to act or not knowing how your actions will be perceived can be scary. However, using Hofstedes five dimensions can bring new light on any society. When looking at the United Kingdom it is quite similar to the United States so intimidations can be a little lower but taking into account every dimension will help in creating a flourishing business.

Anne Boleyn-Her Life and Downfall

Anne Boleyns bearing and conflicts- historical background and the pre moveation in the film the former(a) Boleyn girl What caused her d induce reduce? Gliederung Titel 1. 0 Introduction 2. 0 Annes life 2. 1 Youth and education 2. 2 At the courtyard 2. 3 Queen of England 2. 4 Downfall and Execution 3. 0 Film The new(prenominal) Boleyn Girl 3. 1 Plot 3. 2 Analysis . 3 Special Feature The birth come out 3. 4 Cast and crew 3. 5 Settings pickle and release 3. 6 Scene analysis 3. 7 Comparison football field 3. 8. My personal review 4. 0 Relationships 4. 1. 1 Anne and bloody shame In the film 4. 1. 2 Anne and bloody shame In globe 4. 2. 1 Anne and henry In the film 4. 2. 2 Anne and enthalpy In reality . 3. 1 enthalpy and bloody shame In the film 4. 3. 2 Henry and bloody shame In reality 5. 0 Conclusion of Annes conflictWhat caused her downfall? Anne Boleyn Introduction Once in that location was a clock between 1499 and 1507, somewhere in England , a girl was born. This girl was thought to be so insignifi nett and small, that cypher bo in that locationd to record the date, place or details of her birth. It was not until she was twelve that something at all was recorded about her.However, this girl was named Anne Boleyn, and all the same though she depressed small and placeless and destitute, she became mavin of the greatest influences on King Henry octette. Anne Boleyn was hotshot of the first off non-royal women to become Queen of England, which caused quite a turmoil in those magazines. She was also the m different of Elizabeth I, sensation of the greatest monarchs in the history of England and of the ball itself and a co-founder of the new English Church. In my opinion history is written by winners. Like any visionary Anne Boleyn lived on the success as long she was successful.But also interchangeable all visionaries, she moved her life on thin ice. What she wanted to achie ve and achieved, was not backed up by experience or role models. So far, in that respect were forever and a day a risk, and ultimately she failed. Of persist after her failure, her opponents tried to reinterpret her successes as the outcome of devilish machinations. In the end she was not the winner. Instead, she became the devilish witch who enchanted the great power to disunite the English church. In the followers I am tone ending to consider Annes life, always returning to understand why such a brilliant and well educated woman had to die so early.So the doubtfulness I am asking here is,what caused her downfall? For that I get out regard her life and the different relationships she had. So, I heady to do my paper on Anne Boleyn, because for me, she was an intelligent woman who became one of the principal figures in a hideous melodrama, a corrupt and involute series of intrigues,in which the mores of her contemporaries argon now gruelling to assess (S. 15, Hester W. Chapman, Anne Boleyn, capital of the United Kingdom, 1974). It was not unfeignedly her fault, that she, or possibly Henry VIII could not produce a phallic heir.I think Anne was neither a saint nor a devil, merely she was a human being like everyone else with virtues and faults. Thats probably why I admire her so much and tend to dislike critics who usually only see her faults. She was a modern woman in her own time and I bet if she lived in the 21st century she would vex drop dead properly in. 2. 0 Annes Biography 2. 1 Youth and Education The tradition vocalises, that Anne Boleyn was born in the Henver castle in the Weald of Kent. (Eric Ives, The life and death of Anne Boleyn, London, 2004).Nevertheless some historians believe that Anne was born at the Blickling residence, because it was their location approximately 1500. Assuming, that Anne was born around 1500, the historians could be right with their presumption, tho if you start with a birth date around 1507, one would assume Henver Castle may well be the birthplace. (The Encyclopedia Britannica and the Dictionary of National Biography give the date of Annes birth, as do some(prenominal)(prenominal) other historians, as 1507. ) Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard and Anne was the maternal niece of the Duke of Norfolk.Annes education began very early. Just with a few years Anne and her siblings had to learn what it means how to persuade in the society. Their daily schedule was very well structured, so that there was not many time to play or doing nothing. Their daily practice includes acquire several langu yearss, for instance French, Italian and Latin, practicing jump and playing instruments. Music was the most consequential accomplishment, comprising the practice of lute, harp, ciol and virginals (Hester W. Chapman, Anne Boleyn, London, 1974, p. 1) It was very important to the pargonnts that Anne got a good education, so that she will institute a good an d hopefully noble conserve. And Anne did well in her education. Her French was fluent at just a very early age. When Henry VIIIs new-makeer baby bloody shame Tudor got married to king Louis XII of France, Anne was allowed to accompany the young princess as a lady-in-waiting. The great change, made in October 1514, was a big step for her education. Mean magic spell her sister bloody shame Boleyn, who was close to her sister in age, was educated at the Court of the Hapsburg Archduchess Margaret in Brussels. by and by a while bloody shame is sent to the french court, as well, so that both sisters became ladies-in-waiting. The sisters were taught impeccable manners and elegance, ruffianlyly music, poetry and dance, as well. (Wyatt, Extracts from the Life of the Virtous, Christian and Renowned Quenn Anne Boleyn, p. 2 ) During her early years in France Anne Boleyn acquired elegance and the sophistication of the French court. She also acquired her taste for beautiful and elegant clothe s. Anne Boleyn returned to England after 7 years, which gave her a grand value in front of all the English ladies-in-waiting and kept womanes.There she could impress with her new witty, intelligent and ambitious look. 2. 2 At Henry VIIIs court (1522-1533) Hier fehlt eine Seite von ihrer Biografie. Die musst du nicht korrigieren ) 3. 0 Film 3. 1 Plot The romantic-drama movie the other Boleyn Girl portrays the famous era in England history during the reign of Henry VIII. The King desperately tries to get a male heir and not being terrified from split or execution, he plays with several lives to fulfill his wishes. At the same time there are the two Boleyn sisters, who reveals for the favor of the king.The Boleyn sisters were firstly important when Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk and his chum salmon in law and at the same time father of Anne and bloody shame Boleyn, jut out to install Anne in the court and life of Henry VIII of England, because his own wife Katherine of Aragon fails to give England a male heir. The intention of the externalise is easy nice the Kings mistress and potential mother of his son would further their own political ambitions. At first Anne refuses because she bops being a mistress muckle damage her reputation, unless so she agrees to the plan. retardation Annes junior sister, Mary Boleyn marries William Carey, although he had asked for Annes hand. Her father thought Anne could unite somebody of noble and offered Mary as a substitute. While see the Boleyn residence, Henry is injured in a hunting accident, which was indirectly caused by Anne, and is nursed by Mary. While being in Marys care, Henry gets hypnotised by her and invites her to his court. after some reluctance, Mary and William agree, because they know what is foreknowed of her. Anne and Mary become Queen Katherines new mistresses and Henry sends William away on an assignment for the royal court. obscure from her husband, Mary scrams herself falling in eroti c love with Henry. Meanwhile Anne secretly marries the nobleman Henry Percy, who was al show upy engaged to Mary Talbot. Anne is exiled to France in disgrace, because Mary tells their father and uncle to save the life and reputation of her sister. The men confront Anne, who argues that what has been done before God tin cant be undone and that the unification has been consummated. Nevertheless the marriage is annulled and she is exiled to France in disgrace. aspect that Mary betrayed her to increase her own status, Anne vows revenge.Mary becomes meaning(a) and of course the status of the family improves abruptly. However, Lady Elizabeth warns her family that favors of the king can be easily restrainn away, but nobody is listening to her. Thomas Boleyn becomes Earl of Wiltshire and George becomes Viscount Rochford and he once morest his will, George has to marry Jane Parker. When Mary is bedridden, her uncle Norfolk recalls Anne to England to keep Henrys attention to the Boleyns. With big successes Anne ensnares Henry and shows him that she is at long last grown up.Henry so is fascinated by her, that he agrees to her request which includes that Henry is not allowed to neither see or speak to Mary or his own wive. Anne even gets Henry to break from the roman letters Catholic Church when the Pope refuses to annul his marriage to Queen Katherine so that Henry can marry Anne. Finally Henry agrees with Annes demands, breaks from the Roman Catholic Church. After that a new church is needed, so he declares himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, and gets Thomas Wolsey to annul his marriage to Katherine.The scandal of Annes brief marriage to Henry Percy threatens her upcoming marriage to Henry until Mary, the only one Henry really trusts, returns to court and lies on Annes wish, by telling the king that the marriage with Percy was not consummated. organism married to the King of England and pregnant, Anne needs every financial aid which she can get, so he r sister Mary is re-ordered to the court. Anne and Mary reach mixture of a reconciliation and Mary stays with her sister at court trying to support her. Meanwhile Mary meets William Stafford, a brave soldier in the English army, and the two fall deeply in love.Although Anne gives birth to a healthy daughter called Elizabeth, Henry is mad at Annes failure to deliver a son and legitimate male heir to the throne. For Annes slowly decaying psyche his secret meetings with Jane Seymour are not helpful. After she loses a son after birth, a hysterical Anne begs her brother George to impregnate her since her own husband will not lie with her. First he is shocked, but knowing the fact, how important this son is for his sister, he agrees. When he accepts to help his sister, Mary runs away, because she is gross out by them.However, George is not strong enough to make it and begins to cry before the siblings sleep with each other. So Anne decides that they should not sleep with each other. Nev ertheless, Georges wife, Jane, witnesses enough of their try to reports what she has seen and both Anne and George are arrested. Despite a lack of evidence, the two are found guilty and condemned to death for adultery, incest and treason. Mary returns to court to bed for her siblings lives. Arriving too later(a) to save her brothers life, who was already executed, she begs Henry to spare her sister, referring to Anne as vocalisation of herself.The king calms and tells her he would never harm any part of her. Believing that Henry would spared her sister, Mary leaves to see her sister. The two sisters embrace each other and truly reconcile with one another. Before she leaves, Anne asks Mary to promise to take care of Elizabeth if anything should happen to her. Mary watches from the crowd as Anne makes her final speech, waiting for the execution to be cancelled as Henry promised. A letter from Henry is given to Mary, which reveals he has decided not to stop the execution and save Ann e.It also tells Mary that she was only spared because of his respect for her and warns her never to come to court again. Horrified, she watches as her sister is beheaded. Mary then fulfills her last promise to Anne and leaves court with the toddler Elizabeth. The closing captions reveal that Thomas Boleyn, disgraced and alone, died two years after Anne and Georges executions. Elizabeth Boleyn died a year after her husband while The Duke of Norfolk was later imprisoned in the tower. The next three generations of his family son, grandson and great-grandson were all executed for treason.True to her word, Elizabeth Boleyn never saw or spoke to her husband and brother again. Henrys break from the Roman Catholic Church changed the front of England forever. Meanwhile, Mary married William Stafford and lived happily with him and their children away from the royal court for the rest of her life. The captions also reveal that Henry should not have been concerned about leaving England with a strong heir because, in fact, he did An heir who would rule England for forty-five years and modify it into one of the most powerful nations in Europe.However, it was not the son he desired, but the strong red-haired girl Anne gave him Queen Elizabeth I. 3. 2 Analysis In the following I will discuss some aspects in more detail, but not all, because most things as the spell or the individual relationships already occurred in the other texts. As the title of a film is always found at the beginning, Ill start with the consideration of it. The most special part of the title is that its signification changes during the film. The term the other Boleyn girl is very vague and so the viewer has a 5050 chance to guess who of the Boleyn sisters is meant by this term.In one of the first scenes, Marys wedding, the audience gets to know who is the other of the sisters and it is Anne, because she says to her sister shortly before the ceremony that Mary is younger than her and more beautiful th an Anne, as well. Moreover, Mary is married before her sister. That leads Anne to the closedown that she is just the other Boleyn Girl. But during the film the owner of this term changes because soon after Mary got pregnant and Anne returned from France, the king has directed his attention to Anne. So Mary is sent away and becomes just the other Boleyn girl.But regarding the unit of measurement film it is obvious, that mainly Mary is meant by this description. That matches with the authors opinion towards the sisters. For Gregory it is too bad that most mint have forget Mary Boleyn, just because she was pushed away done the other Boleyn girl. That was the reason why she wrote the novel from Marys angle, as well. (http//www. philippagregory. com/work/tudor/the-other-boleyn-girl/philippas-quest-for-the-truth-about-mary-boleyn/). Nevertheless the film makers considered Natalie Portman and that means Anne as the first atomic number 82 actress.Now I am going to describe the opening credits and how it is relevant for the whole. The film starts with a little race of the siblings when they were young. At the beginning Mary is first and Anne second, followed by their brother George. Then with a ploy that Anne cannot run so turbulent, Mary slowed her pace and Anne overtakes her sister and becomes first in the race. This little incident perfectly shows the history of the sisters power relations. First Mary is the one who gets all the attention of Henry VIII, but that changes during the film when Anne appears at court and attracts all the attention.If you look at the two aspects again, one can easily see that its actually all about Henry. If he feels attracted to Mary, Anne is the other Boleyn girl and after Anne appears again in his life, Mary takes over this term. That leads me to the films theme. The main theme in the film is decidedly power corruption. Both, King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn have such a drive for power that it becomes destructive for them in the end. The king would do anything, even murder, for getting a male heir and his wife Anne is not better. She even ruins the life of her siblings just to get what she wants.It is amazing enough that she really tries to become Queen of England and achieves it, as well. In a way both ultimately failed because Anne was executed for her not customizable lust for power and crazy ways and the king failed in producing a male heir. So actually he produced one and Jane Seymour gave birth to him in the end, but it was not the long-awaited successor. This part was already reserved for little Elizabeth, Annes daughter. Blessed with all the good qualities of her family she ruled England to a whole new era and becomes the most important Queen of England in the entire history. 3. Special Feature The birth order of the siblings The most significant aspect of the comparison between the reality and the film would definitely be the order of birth. We can never really be sure about the real birth order, but through the years a arrive of different sources were found from which we can define the approximate dates of birth of the sisters. The parents of the siblings married in 1500, so the two could not be born before that date. (Vgl. David Starkey, six Wives, The Queens of Henry VIII, Random, 2003. ) Later historians tried to establish her birth date, but they always varied from the earliest possible date 1500 (Vgl.Gregorio Leti(1630-1701), 1693. Historia overo Vita di Elisabetta, Regina dInghilterra. ) to 1507 (Vgl. William Camden (1551-1623), The history of the princess Elizabeth, Flower-de-luce, 1675). It is give, that Anne Boleyn had to be to the highest degree thirty when she was executed in 1536 (Vgl. ) which would support the 1507 date, and when her body was exhumed in the Victorian period the archaeologists then thought she had been between twenty five and thirty at the time of her death. (Alison Weir, S. 167, The six wives of Henry VIII,1991, Groove Press), which would su ggest a birth date of 1511.So we have a range of possible birth dates for Anne, in the eleven years from 1500 to 1511. We have no date of birth for Mary Boleyn at all, but since she was married in 1520, she would have been sexually mature at that age, so she could not have been born after 1508 (vgl. S. 40 Mary Boleyn-the true Story of Henry VIIIs favorite mistress, Josephine Wilkinson, 2009). So the specific birth dates of the siblings are unknown, as is the order of their births. We only know that all three Boleyn siblings were close in age. (http//englishhistory. net/tudor/monarchs/boleyn. html). 3. 4 Cast and CrewOne of the leading role, Anne Boleyn, is played by Natalie Portman who was attracted to the role describing Anne as strong yet she can be vulnerable and shes ambitious and calculating and will step on people but also feels remorse for it. One month before filming began, Portman started taking daily classes to master the English accent under dialect private instructor Ji ll McCulloch. Ironically, Anne spoke with a French accent because she was raised in France. (http//www. girl. com. au/natalie-portman-the-other-boleyn-girl-interview. htm). Annes sister Mary Boleyn is the other leading role and played by Scarlett Johansson.For the young actress the film was a big hurdle, because for her it is such a melodramatic tale. (http//www. dailymail. co. uk/debate/columnists/article-403137/Scarletts-Royal-scandal. html) The third leading role is taken by Eric Bana, who plays Henry VIII of England. For Bana this role was a great offer, because he describes the character of Henry as a man who was somewhat juvenile, and determined by passion and greed, and that he interpreted the character as this man who was involved in an incredibly intricate, complicated situation, largely through his own doing (http//www. ilmmonthly. com/paul_fischer_exclusive/bana_takes_on_kings_and_icons. html) Other characters (http//www. fandango. com/theotherboleyngirl_v353424/castandc rew) Jim Sturgess as George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford Kristin Scott Thomas as Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire and Ormond Mark Rylance as Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire David Morrissey as Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk Benedict Cumberbatch as William Carey Oliver Coleman as Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland Ana Torrent as Katherine of Aragon Eddie Redmayne as William Stafford Juno Temple as Jane ParkerIain Mitchell as Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex Corinne Galloway as Jane Seymour Bill Wallis as Archbishop Cranmer Crew The film The other Boleyn Girl was directed by appetiser Justin Chadwick and the screenplay was adapted by Peter Morgan from the 2001 bestselling-novel The other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Historical circumstances by Gregory told in detail over 600 pages can be rock-bottom by screenwriter Peter Morgan on several obvious scenes. Even though, it reveals how women have been abused, but at the same time possessed of more power than man y men had. http//www. cineman. de/movie/2008/TheOtherBoleynGirl/review. html) 3. 5 Settings Most of the shooting took place in Kent, England, although the real Hever Castle was not used, which was the original household of the Boleyns from 1505-1539. For the Tower of London the Barons Hall at Penshurst Place and the Knole House in Sevenoaks were used in some scenes, The home of the Boleyns was represented by Great Chalfield Manor in Wiltshire, and other scenes were filmed at locations in Derbyshire, including Cave Dale, Haddon Hall, Dovedale and North Lees Hall near Hathersage. http//www. visitpeakdistrict. com/be-inspired/boleyn-girl. aspx). The world premiere was at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival held on February 7-17, 2008, but the film was released in theaters on February 29, 2008. The combined worldwide gross of the film was $75,598,644 more than double the films $35 million budget. (http//www. boxofficemojo. com/movies/? page=intl&id=otherboleyngirl. htm) 3. 6 Com parison grid The film The reality -Historical fiction -Reality Emotional -Neutral and objective loose, airy fantasy-novel mentality Serious historical events William Carey just disappears William Carey dies of the sweat fiver Characters and relationships are decorated and alter Real behavior and characteristics of the characters are just assumable Boleyn lineage badge of honor (why? ) Personal pride and historical importance Mens will sexiness and power non handed Incest relationship with George B. Inappropriate relationships with others, too The spending time of the sisters in France is not mentioned The time in France was very important for the education of the sisters Anne is the older sister The birth order is not proven Mary is presented as a shy country girl Mary is a lively girl Mary had just an affair with the king Mary had several affairs with some kings Anne not interested in religion Supporter of the religious reforms Annes accusations seem t o be right It is proven hat they were wrong Kind of soap opera Real history 3. 7 Scene analysis of the banquet scene In the banquet scene from The other Boleyn girl the audience is introduced into the English court. To begin, I am going to present the plot of the scene. It is the first evening at court, so Anne and her siblings are going to the courts banquet. First Mary is nervous and unconfident but talking to her friend Stafford helps her to relax. Anne is still mad at her sister and family for deciding Mary to be the kings new mistress. It would not be Anne, if she would sulk for a long time.After a while, she has already chosen someone new to bewitch and enchant. So she tries to find a way back to be admired and for the admirer she picks no one else than the already engaged Henry Percy. They both flirt with each other. Meanwhile she is dancing with her brother, who has his own little problems. Jane Parker, a sneaky, insane and very loyal lady-in-waiting of Katharina of Arag on, has her eye on him. The problem is that he feels exactly the opposite. The harmon dance and flirty scene gets interrupted, when the king appears on the scene. He paves his way to Mary, just to tell her that he is expecting her tonight. Mary becomes pale and seems to be depressed. Moreover, Anne has observed the scene. existence hurt and mad by the behavior of the king and her sister she suddenly has no more desire to flirt with Henry Percy. In the banquet scene you can group the different persons. First, there are Mary and Stafford, who are talking to each other. Then there are Anne and her brother where one must add Anne romance Henry Percy, flirting with Anne, and George observing Jane Parker. Of course you cannot forget the majesty, the king, but he is presented as a sole ruler without anyone around him, but guardianship. Less important and without text, you can recover Sir Thomas Boleyn, the father of the siblings, the Duke of Norfolk, their uncle and of course Marys husba nd, William Carey. Now I am going to present the scenes function.One the one hand there is the obvious aim of introducing the courts world to the audience but the actual intention of this scene is definitely to show all the different relationships. This scene includes many prospects, as well, so that the audience can imagine for themselves what will further happen. First, there are Mary and Stafford. They will marry later in the film and move to the countryside again. Then there are Anne and Henry Percy. They will marry, as well, but in contrast to her sisters marriage this one will be annulled by Annes father and Anne gets exiled for that. Then there is George, who will marry, as well, but different to his sisters, he is forced to that act by his family and the choice fell on none other than Jane Parker, the only woman he loathes. Now I will place the scene in the overall context.Being showed after half an hour, you cannot really say that it is at the beginning, but except it is t he opening scene for the second part of the film, the time at the English court. As you can imagine, this scene is followed by the first night of Mary and Henry. moreover the balance of power will change soon, when Henry loses interest in Mary and turns himself to the other Boleyn Girl, Anne. Now I am going to present the cinematography of the scene. It starts with a close up of Mary Boleyn, whose face shows a curious expression and glides into a tracking movement which changes into a medium changeful, because Mary walks deeper into the room and finally disappears in the crowd.The camera angle changes into a high angle camera to give the audience an impression of the whole banquet. Simultaneously it still tracks Mary. Then there is a close up of Sir Thomas Boleyn, because Mary meets him during her way through the crowd. She implies a bow and goes out of the shot, leaving a desperate Thomas in the picture. Turning into a medium shot, because Mary paused, the camera reverse-angel sh ot to show what Mary sees, and that are her siblings who talk to each other. Then there is a fast change of medium shots between Anne and George and Jane Parker, The siblings are talking about her, so the shot shows her as well, to give the audience an impression of her.Turning away from Jane, the shot changes to Mary again, whose finally stopped her way and is found by Stafford. The shot changes from medium to close on an eye-level shot, because there are too many dancing people around them. Talking about Anne and her flirting with Henry Percy the camera tracks Anne and shows close-ups of her smiling and Henrys fascinated face. The scene gets interrupted by a knock which announces the kings entry. It starts with a long shot, which changes into a medium, because the king walks towards the camera. Between the shot a close up of Annes bewildered face is shown. Then the laughing Mary and her friend Stafford are shown in a close up. The laughing stops right away, when Mary discovers the king.After telling her the word tonight he walks away again and Marys fright face is shown in a extreme close up. The camera changes again to show the audience Annes reaction of this act. She seems composed, but with her behavior and her body language, which is shown in the medium shot, the audience gets to know that she is totally upset inwardly and leaves the stage. Then it changes to a close up of Marys husband and her uncle. Both of them react completely differently. The Duke is proud that his plan starts to work and smiles but William Carey drinks the rest of his wine with one gulp and seems to be very desperate. The last shot is a close up of the satisfied face of the king.As he walks out of the shot the audience can notice a completely anxious and scared Mary. Her face is the last shot of the scene. The scene, like the whole film, uses an actually normal language. Of course, there is no colloquial language but also no real ancient language. To sum up, you can say that I hav e chosen this scene because I think that it is a good scene to get a good overview of all the different relationships. 3. 8 My own review As far as I can see, the makers of the film did very well by adapting the novel written by Philippa Gregory. So, one can say that it is not their fault that the novel is more like a romantic drama, which consists mostly of sexual and emotional relationships.Every relationship goes through ups and downs and the entire movie consists of them. It presents how different relationships are established to each other and stand in the way of another. For me, the several relationships were implemented well and you could follow the course of the individual relationships very easily. What I dislike about the film is, that people who have no foreknowledge can not understand the film right away. There are too many names or incidents which stay unexplained. For example, the missing introducing of Stafford and the lack of explaining the familys rejection towards him. Or the fate of Marys husband. I know it because I read the novel but most of the viewers can only guess that he died.One could assume that they skipped them because they are not important for the main plot but for me a good film somehow brings in all the details and guides the audience, so that it does not lose the track. All in all, one can say that the film is actually made very well because we still have to remember that this is fiction and made to be entertaining and keep the readers interest. As far as I can see one of the things that is most enjoyable about historical fiction is learning about characters and events we think we know and getting a completely different angle. Novelists have always had artistic license and should be allowed to interpret things in ways that entertain.If you want straight facts you shouldnt expect to get it from a work of fiction like this novel and the resulting film. That is what I learned through the work with the film and the novel. Having said that, Gregory knows her history and I for one trust her interpretations. Its also her right as a novelist to either stick rigidly to known facts or play with it as much as she likes. So I cannot criticize that the facts are actually totally different. I just can compare them. Peter Morgan, for his part, did his job very well by adapting the novel, because he neither changed the weight of the informations Gregory wanted to give her audience nor changed the period of the novel. The only thing he changed, and what could be criticized is the rate of view.In the novel the story was told from Marys point of view, but the film was more about everyone in the plot to get ahead using the sisters. To sum up, I can tell you that the film has succeeded really well and has remained the spirit of Gregorys novel. It is and remains a historical fiction so we have to look at it that way. 4. 0 Relationships 4. 1 Anne and Mary 4. 1. 1 in the film Like we already concluded, the whole film is made on a very emotional level. The relationships of the different characters are definitely in the midway of the film. Especially Marys and Annes. In the following Im going to describe and analyze the totally different characters.On the one hand you can say, that there are characteristics, which do not change in the whole film, but on the other hand particularly Annes behavior towards her sister changes from acceptance to jealousy, from love to hate. Of course, Mary is not so naive so that she does not customize her behavior but in the end you can notice that Mary still loves her sister and never stopped it. But lets start at the beginning. Marys wedding with William Carey is the first incident which caused a breach in the relationship. For that you have to know, that in the film the birth order is arranged like this George is the oldest, then comes Anne as the oldest sister and Mary was the last of the three surviving Boleyn children.So of course it is an insult and a humiliation for Anne that her younger sister is marrying before she is married. What Anne does not know, is that it was the aim of her father that his favorite daughter Anne marries somebody of noble. Through his eyes the viewer gets to know a lot of characteristics. To the father, Anne is smarter and stronger than her sister. Whereas Mary is the one with the friendly and uncomplicated behavior. For those days, she had all the properties a good and honest wife had to have. With her open-minded and naive ways, it is obvious that Mary loves Anne more than Anne loves her sister. Anne is always driven by jealousy because Mary is definitely the prettier one of them.The relationship gets another little break when Mary becomes Henrys mistress after Anne tried so hard to get his attention. Like the incident with Marys marriage, it is so humiliating for Anne. Being at the Court just as the other Boleyn Girl, is something which Anne can not accept. She focusses on other things and without the knowledge of he r family she marries Henry Percy. Doing an inappropriate act like this, takes consequences with it. Anne is sent to France because her sister Mary betrayed her by telling their father about the marriage. Not because she wanted to be mean but more for trying to rescue the life and reputation of her beloved sister.The whole power relations changes in the middle of the film, where Mary gets pregnant and Annes exile in France ends, so that she could come back to court to entertain the king and always remembering him of Mary. From that moment everything changes for Anne. With her new education she knows, how to act. She becomes provocative in a very amusing way, which pleasant the king. Mary is not longer necessary and the relationship of the two sister breaks totally when Henry does not take any note of his own son. When Anne becomes the Queen of England and Marys presence at court is not longer important, she is sent to the countryside. Now and then she is re-ordered to court when Anne needs her help and each time she comes without being mean. She is always there to help. On the day of Annes execution she even goes to Henry to beg for her sisters life.That shows, that Mary loved her sister until the end. After Annes execution, Mary takes her niece Elizabeth with her to countryside to raise her so that she could fulfill Annes last wish. Their relationship, how it is presented in the film, is the perfect one to show us, that it does not matter what you are doing to your sister or brother, you are always forgive them. Marys whole life was taken by Anne and nevertheless she still stands there at Annes execution to give her hope and take her maintenance away. 4. 1. 2 In reality It is obvious, that the film just created this whole relationships ups and downs. There are not any proven documents which include all this. ( In reality of course everything is different. Like it is always. There was not this close relationship like it was presented in the film. For most hist orians Mary Boleyn was not such an important person in Annes life. Phillipa Gregory, the author of the novel the other Boleyn Girl has a different opinion. (Vgl Seite meiner Facharbeit) Nevertheless, there are not so many facts about the relationship of the sisters but you can probably say that their relationship was not something spectacular because they did not spend so much time together. When Anne was at the french Court together with Mary Tudor, her sister still lived with her family.She moved to the court alone and then after several years (? ) Anne appeared there, too. I do not think that there was the whole rivalry like it was presented in the novel and in the film. Thats probably because they never really shared the King. When Mary was his mistress, Anne was not even interested in him, but more in increasing her french education. After the liason Henry dropped Mary and searched for a new mistress. We do not know, if there were one or even more than one mistresses between M ary and Anne, so their paths have never really crossed (Vgl. ). After Anne became Queen of England nobody took care of Mary anymore. And that increases when Mary married her love Stafford.Knowing the fact, that it was forbidden for Mary coming to the court again, we can definitely say that she never returned. Not to convince Henry of Annes honour and virginity and not for her execution. That was just made up in the film ( ). Surprisingly, some characteristics stayed almost the same. From what we know, or I should say, from what we assume, Mary was the prettier sister of them but Anne could compete against her with her unambiguously french education upon fashion and flirtation. She was a cultivated musician, singer and dancer. ((http//englishhistory. net/tudor/monarchs/boleyn. html). I can imagine, that their relationship was probably really close when they were young.The age difference was very small, so they were apparently educated together. Another instance could be that their family status in the society and at the court was not so high. The Boleyns were not destituted or poor, but not a member of the bourgeois society at all. (Vgl S. 4 The life and death of Anne Boleyn, Eriv Ives, 2004). Knowing this fact, we can assume, that the children lived nigh together in one house without having so much staff. Nevertheless, you can not say that Anne and Mary were best friends. But it is possible and assumable as well, because it is handed that Anne was the only person of the Boleyns who still loved Mary after all her liasons. Erlauterung Mary had a not really confirmed affair with King Francis I of France and several others in France the unauthorized marriage to William Stafford) From what Ive gathered from various history books, Mary Boleyn was certainly not the enlightened 21st century woman that Gregory made her out to be. Mary was politically simple and selfish. You could actually say, that there was a role reversal. In the reality Anne is the solicitous and protective one, whereas Mary takes over the part of the care-free and still fun-seeing sister. 4. 2 Henry and Anne 4. 2. 1 in the film Actually you have to split the relationships in the one between the King and his mistress Anne and the one between a husband and his wife.But I will regard the relationships as one to show who combining this two relationships ultimately leads to their fail. But lets start at the beginning. Henry first meets Anne at a visit in her fathers house. There he is more disinclined because in his opinion she is too emancipated. On the chase he tries to be brave and had an accident which was caused by Anne. With her male behavior she reaches the opposite of what she actually wanted to get. All in all, her overtures ended when Mary is sent to the court to be Henrys mistress. After her secret marriage with Henry Percy, Anne was sent to France to learn how to behave as a young unmarried woman.Being back at court, Henry gets to know a whole new side of Anne. Now she learned how to use her strong emancipation, so that Henry is fascinated of her fresh, all new ambitious and strong kind. She acts as a very well behaved and educated woman. So you can really say, that she enchantes him in a winning way. Being the King of England, Henry can gets whatever he wants and is allowed to rule above everything. But Anne wants to be free and denies him. So I think, for the first time in his life, Henry had to chase after a woman so hard, but in the end he did not win Anne as mistress which was his actual aim, but as wife, which is actually hard to believe for those days.One can hardly imagine that a man who is so powerful and always seems so incorruptible, was so crazy after a woman that he separated a whole nation from the catholic church just to marry her just to sleep with her. I think there was never any kind of love, but more envy and desire and maybe a kind of affection. 4. 2. 2 in reality Anne is first noticed at the English court and from Henry w hen she played a part of Perseverance in the Shrove Tuesday boast of 1522. (compare Anne Boleyn, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,London, 1885). Henry fell passionately in love with Anne, and expected her to become his mistress. But rebellious Anne refused, which started a chain of events which ended in Englands break with the Roman Catholic Church.Throughout history, people always have wondered why Anne held out for so many years before marrying Henry. It must have been a challenge, as Henry was King of England and very powerful. What made Anne behave so differently? There are several possible explanations. One involves Annes love for Henry Percy. Another factor in Annes refusal to become Henrys mistress was her sister Marys involvement with the King. But Henry ended the affair when Mary became pregnant. All in all, Mary did not benefit noticeably from her relationship with Henry VIII. This undoubtedly was a factor in Annes decision to withhold her favors from the King. Hen ry was determined to divorce Catherine and marry Anne.Catherine refused to give him a divorce, and the Catholic Church would not support Henrys position. So Henry founded the English Church. I doubt that there were a greater declaration of love in the entire world history. After achieving their goals, Henry and Anne expected to be happy. Unfortunately, this did not happen. They were both tired and edgy from the stresses of the past several years. In addition, Henry started losing interest in Anne shortly after he fully attained her favors. Henry also finally realized how much his marriage to Anne had cost him. A number of good people, including friends and associates of Henrys, had lost their lives due to loyalty and treason issues stemming from the English churchs break from Rome. After a

Succubus Revealed Chapter 11

It was hard leaving Seths side in the morning. Wed had alike a couple of(prenominal) nights together recently, and each day that passed only served to remind me I was that much closer to the transfer. Lying in his arms, watching him sleep in the early sunlight, I thought screening to what hed verbalize ab come on(a) Andrea getting better. If that was true, if she was healing, then there was a chance the ties keeping Seth here might lessen. I felt selfish even thinking that way, hardly undisputablely it wasnt too terrible a thing to wish we could all get a happy ending. subsequently a leisurely breakfast, Seth and I went over to the Mortensens. He was on babysitting duty while Andrea went to a posits appointment, and I was there to pick up Brandy. Chaos met us at the door, and Brandy practically flew outside, breathless and laughing.Dont go in there, she warned me, after I gave Seth a quick kiss good-bye. She and I head uped toward my car. Its crazy. mammy and Dad slept in, and Grandma let Kendall and the twins help with breakfast.What are they making?Waffles, she said. From scratch. I dont k at one time which was scarier Kendall mixing the batter or Morgan and McKenna on duty with the waffle iron. They sink the smoke detector off twice.I couldnt help but laugh as I pulled out of the driveway. And you and Kayla didnt help?No way, Brandy replied. I stayed away from that mess, and Kayla was in one of her silent toughnesss today.Aw. I kind of wished now that Id taken a moment to go inside. Tiny Kayla had a special place in my heart. though she was better than she used to be, she still had a tendency to simply watch her world without a word, and it could be difficult coaxing conversation from her. Some of this was shyness, and both(prenominal) of this I suspected was from the fact that Kayla was psychic. Her skills were still undeveloped, but she was sensitive to the workings of the supernatural world, which I had to imagine would make anyone of any a ge silent at quantifys.Shell be fine. She loves waffles. Brandy smiled, and I was happy to see her so upbeat for a change. She shouldered just as much stress as the adults. If any truly get made.We drove downtown, and I quizzed Brandy about what she was face for in a dress. She had little to offer, which was both charming and kind of heartbreaking. Brandy wasnt a tomboy, but with all of her family drama, dresses had been belowstandably off her radar. In fact, when her face lit up at all the downtown lights and decorations, it became clear that family had really been the only thing in her life recently.I arousent seen any of the vacation stuff this year, she told me, gazing out the windows. A pang in my heart reminded me that this would be my last year to see Seattle in all its holiday finery. We usually always come down here so that the girls drop see Santa. Theres been no time.The girls havent seen Santa? I asked, snapping out of my moment of self-pity. Thats not fair, espec ially considering I see a little too much of him. It made me wonder how many drinks it would take to coax Walter into a house call. It also convinced me to a greater extent than ever to make this a special day for Brandy. I couldnt expect her not to worry about her mom, but today, with Andrea on the mend and Seattles shopping wonderland construct to explore, Brandy was entitled to worry just a little less than usual. She deserved to think about herself.I took her on a whirlwind tour of designer stores, chastising her for weighing at price tags. I indispensabilityed this to be about more than the dress itself. I wanted her to have an experience, to feel homogeneous a princess. I made sure the salespeople were falling all over themselves to help her, which wasnt always so easy to do at such a busy time of the year. Brandys radiant expression told me it was worth the effort, and we finally hit gold at our third store, finding what was unquestionably the dress. It was made of dark p ink satin wrapped some to create a sheath silhouette that could still show off her figure without being pornographically tight. Satin flowers near the top added a whimsical edge, and the straps and knee-length made me feel it wouldnt get her kicked out of a church function. We spent the next hour finding the perfective aspect shoes and jewelry for it, and although each smart purchase clearly made her uneasy, she stopped questioning me about the cost. She didnt know about Margarets funding, but it had long since been spent.Exhausted and triumphant with our purchases, we went to lunch at an Italian restaurant frequented by other ladies of leisure. It was inside a larger, elegant shopping complex, and just as we were about to enter the restaurant, I saw a beaten(prenominal) face emerge from a nearby store. Something in my chest clenched, and I spoke in advance I could help myself.DougIt took him a moment to figure out whod called to him. When he did, a series of emotions played ov er his face. I wondered then how the encounter would have been different if Brandy hadnt been there. Would he have even acknowledged me? possibly. Maybe not. But Brandys presence guaranteed politeness. No matter how angry Doug might be at me, he wouldnt snub her.Kincaid, he said, strolling over to us. And little Brandy. Hows it going?Good, she said cheerfully. The two of them, I realized, could have been related if Seth and Maddie had ended up getting married. The weird fallout from their breakup hadnt had as big an effect on Brandy as the rest of us, though, and she was genuinely happy to see him. Were shopping.He favored her with a smile, and I wondered if he was avoiding eye contact with me. Last minute Christmas gifts? he asked.Not a chance, I said. This is all for Brandy. Shes going to a dance tonight.Oh, I see how it is, he said. Getting ready to break some hearts for the holidays, huh?She turned b accountability red. No Its at my churchTeasing girls was familiar and easy ter ritory for Doug. Yeah? he said, forcibly keeping a right away face. Then why are you blushing? Church boys hearts break just as easily as us sinners, you know. Im sure youll leave a trail of hundreds in your wake.No, she protested. Not hundreds Just one? he asked slyly.Brandy looked to me for help, and I laughed. I knew there was someone.You guys are terrible, she said, though she didnt look that upset. Can I go put our name on the list?Sure, I said, still laughing. But the instant she was inside the restaurant, Dougs playful manner vanished.Well, Ive got to go, he said, starting to turn away.Wait, Doug, I . . . He looked back at me, but I was at a loss. What could I say? That I was gloomy for sleeping with his sisters fiance? That I was sorry for lying to all of them and breaking her heart? How could you apologize for something like that? It . . . it was good to see you, I said at last.You too, he said, though he didnt expectant convincing. He nodded toward the restaurant. And her. I hope she has fun.Me too. She deserves it, what with everything else going on.He had attempted to leave again, but my words made him pause. Hows her mom?I shrugged. Good days and destructive days. Its up and down. . . . some time it seems hopeless, sometimes its like everythings fixed. Wreaks havoc on everyone. . . . you just cant assume anything, you know? Shes having some good days right now, but its been a hard road for all of them. We just never know whats going to happen next and have to hang in there as outmatch we can. Im sweating to help, but I dont know. . . . I dont feel like its enough. But what could be? I promptly shut up, realizing I was rambling.Doug said nothing, his dark look studying me for several heavy seconds. Then, his gaze shifted to Brandy, speaking to the hostess, for a few more moments before returning to me.Youre a good person, Kincaid, he said softly. And this time, he did leave.Nothing else he might have said could have surprised me more. In al l the imagined conversations Id had with Doug, Id expected frigid politeness at best and that had seemed like a long shot. More often than not, Id envisioned him telling me terrible, hurtful things, things I deserved. As much as a secret part of me yearned for him to discharge me so that we could be friends again, I really didnt think I deserved that forgiveness. I watched him walk away until Brandy stuck her head out from the restaurant door and called that they had a table.Despite how pensive my meeting with Doug left me, I was still able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with Brandy. We were both in good spirits when we arrived back at the Mortensen home, and mine soared even higher when I saw Seths car in the driveway. I hurried inside, eager to see him, only to have my mood shatter when I saw his face. Margaret and Terry wore similar expressions. Brandy, normally so observant, was too keyed up over her purchases to notice that there had been a probatory mood shift in the ho use, compared to the bubbly chaos of this morning.We had such a great time, Brandy told them, face shining. I got the best dress.Margaret gave her a tight smile. Why dont you try it on for us?Brandy didnt need to be told twice, and Kendall and the twins followed her uproariously to the bedroom, offering to help. The instant they were gone, I turned to the adults. What happened?Bad prognosis at the doctors, said Seth, when no one else spoke right away. But she was improving, I argued. I looked at them all for confirmation. Right?We thought so, said Terry. At the very least, she seemed to be disembodied spirit better. But in these situations . . . well, cancer tricks you that way. Its why people go so long without ever knowing they have it. She woke up feeling bad this morning, and the doctor confirmed our fears. I was kind of in awe at how calmly he managed to deliver that. I wasnt sure I could have without breaking down. Honestly, I didnt know how hed been able to handle any of thi s with as much strength and determination as he had. If this were happening to the love of my life, I was pretty sure Id crawl into in a corner and cry.Or would I?Looking at Seth, at those beloved features and compassionate expression, I suddenly knew that wasnt true. If the one I loved needed my strength, then I would give all I had within me.Were not telling Brandy yet, said Seth. Were not going to keep it from her, but we figured it would be best to wait until after tonight.I nodded slowly, having no words. I was usually so quick with a quip or solace line, but what response could I make to that? Especially when, moments later, Brandy came bounding back down the stairs in the pink dress. Each twin held a shoe, and Kendall carried the glittering chandelier earrings wed found just before lunch. I was reminded of Cinderellas mouse retainers.Brandys tastes had been foremost in my mind while shopping, but Id also had half an eye on what I thought her family would approve of in fashi on. As she spun around for them, however, I realized it didnt matter. I couldve brought her home in rags, and they wouldve loved it so long as she wore the look of radiance on her face that she did now. That was what sold it, one spot of pure joy in the dark cloud that kept hanging over this family. The adults were too overcome with emotion to speak, so Kendall did it for us.Doesnt she look like a princess? She kept trying to smooth nonexistent wrinkles out of the skirt, much to Brandys dismay. I want a dress like this.Morgan sat down on the floor and tried to forcibly push the shoe on Brandys foot while she still stood, furthering my Cinderella images. McKenna conjugate in as well, and both nearly succeeded in knocking their older sister over.Well? Brandy laughed. What do you think?Its beautiful, said Margaret.Youre beautiful, said Terry.Having successfully dislodged the twins, Brandy stepped into the shoes, flushing under the praise of her family. I hope I dont fall in these. How stupid would that look?I dont think anything could make you look stupid, said Seth. Youre perfect from head to toe.Okay, you guys, said Brandy, growing embarrassed. Now youre just pushing it.The head to toe comment suddenly reminded me of something. Oh. I wont be here to do your hair. I have to go to work soon. At that moment, calling in sick seemed like a reasonable idea. Nothing seemed more important than giving her a perfect night.Thats okay, said Brandy. I can do it. Or maybe Mom can.Shes been kind of tired today, said Terry neutrally. But I know shell want to see you before you leave.I can do a French twist, said Margaret, surprising us all. If you want to wear it up.Will you show me? asked Brandy.Margaret nodded. Sure, lets go upstairs.Before they did, Brandy paused to give me a giant hug. Thank you so much, Georgina. For everything.They went upstairs, followed by the littler girls, all of whom thought there was nothing so wonderful as dressing up their older sister. Actually , I realized, that wasnt entirely true. Not all of them felt that way.Wheres Kayla? I asked. She hadnt been in the entourage.Terry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, in a way similar to what Id often seen Seth do. In the living room, I think. Shes been out of sorts today. Sometimes I think she can figure out whats going on, even when we dont tell her.With Kaylas abilities, I didnt doubt it was true. I remembered Brandy saying Kayla had been in a silent mood since this morning and wondered just how much of her mothers illness the little girl was in tune with. I left the brothers to seek her out and found her curled up in a corner of the overstuffed sofa, making herself so small that she was almost lost in the cushions.Hey, you, I said, sitting down beside her. Hows it going? Dont you want to see Brandys dress?Kayla shifted her face, looking at me with huge blue eyes. Georgina, she said. You have to make it stay away.My thoughts were on the dress, so it took a moment for me to follow what she was saying. Make what stay away, honey?The Darkness.There was something in the way she said the word that let me know she wasnt referring to shadows. When she said Darkness, I could feel the personification in her word, the looming threat of something or someone tangible. With a pang, I remembered that Kayla had been able to sense Nyx when shed escaped her angelic captors.I leaned toward Kayla, glad Seth and Terry were preoccupied. Kayla, are you talking about . . . about the creature you felt before? The one you could sense on me? Nyxs return would be a complication I most certainly didnt need in my life right now.She shake her head. A different one. The Darkness comes here, to my house. To see my mommy. Will you make it go away?Is it here now? I asked uneasily.No. Just sometimes.How many times?Kayla thought about it. Two.A cold feeling crept over me. Was last night one of those times?She nodded.Have you seen it? I asked her.No. But I feel it. I can tell where its at when its here. She peered at me beseechingly. Will you make it stop?I had no clue what this Darkness was or what I could do to stop it, but theories were running wild in my head. I kissed her forehead. Ill do what I can, baby. I promise. Ive got to leave now, but Ill see what I can find out for you, okay? Well make sure the Darkness doesnt come back.Like the flip of a switch, Kaylas whole demeanor changed. Whereas shed been sad and withdrawn moments ago, she was now beaming and hopeful. All that faith in me. With my empty assurance to take on something I didnt understand, she was able to put aside all of her fears and worries. All was right in her world now, thanks to me. She put her arms around me and kissed me back, and I felt like my heart would break when I finally untangled myself from her. spend cheer was calling, as well as a burning need to suddenly talk to Roman. Seeing as how we kept missing each other lately, I sent him a text with a reminder of when Id be home tonig ht and that I had important information for him. He was so caught up in his conspiracy theories that I wasnt sure if hed want to make time for what hed probably see as a little girls fantasies. Kaylas perceptions despite her difficulties in articulating them had be accurate before. I didnt know what she was sensing this time, but if there was a force inside the Mortensen household, I intended to stop it.