Explain what happens in Act 3 from Danforth’s point of view- and show :: English Literature

Explain what happens in Act 3 from Danforth’s point of view- and show how Arthur Miller makes it clear to the audience that Danforth is not only misguided but deliberately ignores any evidence that casts doubt on the stories of Abigail Williams GCSE English Literature 20th Century Drama Coursework, â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller Essay Question: Explain what happens in Act 3 from Danforth’s point of view- and show how Arthur Miller makes it clear to the audience that Danforth is not only misguided but deliberately ignores any evidence that casts doubt on the stories of Abigail Williams and the other girls. Danforth, as â€Å"the Deputy Governor of the Province† of Massachusetts is an extremely powerful and influential man, a representative of the King of England. He represents the combined authority of church and state in this theocratic society of the day. We do not meet Danforth until the start of Act 3, although Arthur Miller mentions him briefly at the beginning of Act 2 not by name but by his office. Danforth is not one of the main characters in the play but he is certainly the most controversial. Arthur Miller makes us aware of how this man is a paradox, but I shall return to this shortly. In the first two Acts of this play, set in Salem 1692, Arthur Miller introduces us to the main characters and the events that lead to this witch- hunt. He describes the people of Salem as a â€Å"sect of fanatics whose creed forbade anything resembling a theatre or vain enjoyment† and a â€Å"holiday from work meant that they must concentrate even more upon prayer.† Their outlook and self enforced discipline did help them to survive a life, which I can only imagine as very harsh, as some of the first settlers in America. These people lived by very strict rules and regulations, and were not allowed to express their feelings physically or verbally. The events that lead to the witch- hunt were, in my view, the bubble bursting- such repression found an outlet! Arthur Miller states â€Å"the witch- hunt was not mere repression† but a â€Å"long overdue opportunity for everyone to express publicly his guilt and sins under the accusations against victims. It suddenly became possible to speak of matters which were forbidden in an ordinary way.† Also â€Å"hatred of neighbours would now be openly expressed, and vengeance taken.† â€Å"Old scores would be settled,† and all this under the umbrella of morality and self righteousness. Before the start of the play Reverend Parris has caught a group of girls, led by his niece Abigail Williams, dancing in the woods- a

Karl Marx’s Views on Family Ethics Essay -- Karl Marx Communist Manife

Karl Marx’s Views on Family Ethics Karl Marx and Frederick Engels Karl Marx devoted much of his time to the study of morality, better known as ethics. Karl Marx was a firm believer in Communism and he authored the Communist Manifesto, along with Frederick Engels. Family ethics is an issue dealt with by Karl Marx in his teachings and writings. According to Marx and his co-author, Engels, morality is the slave of interest. Moral codes and ethics are believed to be dependent on the person and relative to the social setting.[1] Ethics are discussed on a philosophical level and also in everyday controversial topic discussions or debates. Marx was a huge supporter of freedom and believed that freedom was a result of the Communist party and its beliefs. Karl Marx had little faith in the future of Capitalism and the system of Monarchy, and he believed that once these two ideas of politics were eliminated, Communism would move in and replace the wrong thoughts instilled with Capitalism and Monarchy, and provide the world with sense and reason. Stating his feelings clearly in the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx noted that the selling point in the economy should be the people themselves, not the working labor, money, or rent from the property.[2] To supplement these theories, Marx proposes an end to the problem of men and their activities, which is to direct men’s attention on the economy so that there could be prevailing freedom. There are some discrepancies in Marx’s theories, like the question of what else has an impact on freedom. There are other issues, but the issue remains that peo ple are unaware if freedom ethics applies to all people and how it affects the modern society. ... ...roposal for the world and Communism was too far-fetched and would not work. Every time there has been a push towards Communism, it has always failed. There have been several unsuccessful attempts, all ending in a problematic dictatorship. While he did realize freedom was a major issue, he lacked in knowledge that family life was also significant. Notes [1] Kamenka, Eugene. Marxism and Ethics. New York: W.D. Hudson, 1969 - Pg. 4. [2] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 13. [3] Heyer, Paul. Nature, Human Nature, and Society. Greenwood Press, 1982 – Pg.126. [4] Heyer, Paul. Pg. 125. [5] Heyer, Paul. Pg. 127 [6] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 26. [7] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 49. [8] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 51. [9] Koren, Henry. Marx and the Authentic Man. Pittsburgh, PA, 1967 – Pg. 33. [10] Koren, Henry. Pg. 67. [11] Koren, Henry. Pg. 68.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay -- Narrative Life Fr

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Complete Title: An Exploration of the Relationship between Southern Christianity and Slaveholding as seen in the â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself†    Dr. Pautreaux’s comments: What makes this paper memorable is the fact that this student is also a minister. Both his command of the language and his insight as a minister gave this paper a unique view of the narrative.    We can so easily deceive ourselves into believing that what is accepted by the general population as normal behavior is also justifiably correct. Rarely do we, as a society, question our customs as long as this behavior yields such commodities as convenience, profit or social benefit. If contested, our acts become well justified and defended. All components of our lifestyle are purposefully bent to fit around popular beliefs and anything, up to and including the Holy Bible, can be distorted to advance our position. A current example of this is today's Muslim terrorists who are using teachings in their Koran to justify their position saying that the Koran dictates that they must fight a holy war, killing as many Christians and Jews as possible, even going so far as to sacrifice their own lives in the process. This sort of religious distortion, used to justify man's self-serving will, is what writer and former slave, Frederick Douglass exposes in his story of his life which he wr ote in 1845. In his story, Douglass gives us a wealth of obvious incongruities of people professing Christianity while practicing slavery: "The man who robbed me of my earnings at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of ... ...lt of the Christian religion itself, perhaps the present religious conflict could be resolved. We, too, have the obligation to remember that the strain of Islam that has come to fore in these days of terrorist attacks, is but an extremist fanatical derivation or a religion that also has a pure and good basis. We should all make sure that religion is not a "mere covering for the most horrid crimes--a justifying of the most appalling barbarity...in which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds...find the strongest protection" (1059) as it was in the days of slavery in the southern U. S. and in the life of Frederick Douglass. Work Cited    Douglass, Frederick. '"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." The Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade, et.al. 3rd edition. New York: Longman, 1999. 1020-1081. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay -- Narrative Life Fr Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Complete Title: An Exploration of the Relationship between Southern Christianity and Slaveholding as seen in the â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself†    Dr. Pautreaux’s comments: What makes this paper memorable is the fact that this student is also a minister. Both his command of the language and his insight as a minister gave this paper a unique view of the narrative.    We can so easily deceive ourselves into believing that what is accepted by the general population as normal behavior is also justifiably correct. Rarely do we, as a society, question our customs as long as this behavior yields such commodities as convenience, profit or social benefit. If contested, our acts become well justified and defended. All components of our lifestyle are purposefully bent to fit around popular beliefs and anything, up to and including the Holy Bible, can be distorted to advance our position. A current example of this is today's Muslim terrorists who are using teachings in their Koran to justify their position saying that the Koran dictates that they must fight a holy war, killing as many Christians and Jews as possible, even going so far as to sacrifice their own lives in the process. This sort of religious distortion, used to justify man's self-serving will, is what writer and former slave, Frederick Douglass exposes in his story of his life which he wr ote in 1845. In his story, Douglass gives us a wealth of obvious incongruities of people professing Christianity while practicing slavery: "The man who robbed me of my earnings at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of ... ...lt of the Christian religion itself, perhaps the present religious conflict could be resolved. We, too, have the obligation to remember that the strain of Islam that has come to fore in these days of terrorist attacks, is but an extremist fanatical derivation or a religion that also has a pure and good basis. We should all make sure that religion is not a "mere covering for the most horrid crimes--a justifying of the most appalling barbarity...in which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds...find the strongest protection" (1059) as it was in the days of slavery in the southern U. S. and in the life of Frederick Douglass. Work Cited    Douglass, Frederick. '"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." The Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade, et.al. 3rd edition. New York: Longman, 1999. 1020-1081.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 27. Deadlock

Warm, sweeping, glorious, relief, the most powerful emotion that had hit me in days, more forceful than my anger, my agony†¦my pain, rushed over me. This emotion was so full of an alleviation and ease that all of the anguish and distress was leaving my body as I saw the emotions in Bella's eyes again. At the sight, I realized that I never truly appreciated her beauty. My eyes looked up as I silently prayed to whatever entity that kept her alive, letting them know how devoutly thankful I truly am. Looking back at her, the deep depths, the windows to her soul, continued to move in quick irregular motions as she reached up to pull the oxygen tube from her nose. â€Å"No, you don't.† I reached over to stop her hand. My chin was resting only inches from her face when her eyes finally met mine. She was disorientated. â€Å"Edward?† Her voice was hoarse, drained, like she was fatally wounded. A tiny pucker formed between her brows. She tried to focus on my face. â€Å"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!† She was sorry? What did she need to be sorry for? â€Å"Shhhh.† I attempted to stop her insanity. â€Å"Everything's all right now.† I tried to speak bracing words of comfort. She needn't be so anxious with her frail body being in such a broken state. â€Å"What happened?† Her words were slurred slightly, almost like she was drunk. Memories of the events that happened that fateful morning, which brought her to this place, rushed across my mind. My stomach bubbled with a sickening acid. â€Å"I was almost too late. I could have been too late,† I whispered, torment lacing each syllable. â€Å"I was so stupid, Edward. I thought he had my mom.† Of course, she would try to put the blame on herself. â€Å"He tricked us all,† I said, trying to ease her mind. She really should be resting. â€Å"I need to call Charlie and my mom,† worry was present in her eyes†¦always worried about someone else, anyone else, but herself. â€Å"Alice called them. Rene is here — well, here in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now.† â€Å"She's here?† She tried to sit up, her body swaying slightly. I couldn't let her hurt herself anymore so I lightly pushed her back down onto the pillows. â€Å"She'll be back soon,† I promised. â€Å"And you need to stay still.† â€Å"But what did you tell her?† Her voice was panicked. â€Å"Why did you tell her I'm here?† Even in her drugged stupor, she was still trying to protect our secret. Without effort, my love radiated out of me along with the agony that rippled through me at the thought of what actually happened just those two days ago. â€Å"You fell down two flights of stairs and through a window.† You were tortured by a vicious vampire and I was nearly too late. â€Å"You have to admit, it could happen.† I tried to lighten the mood with this small joke. She sighed at my bad humor and I could see her wince slightly at the pain it caused. Her eyes finally left mine to roam over her broken and mangled body. â€Å"How bad am I?† She asked, curious. This time I sighed. The damage was extensive. â€Å"You have a broken leg, four broken ribs, some cracks in your skull, bruises covering every inch of your skin, and you've lost a lot of blood. They gave you a few transfusions. I didn't like it — it made you smell all wrong for a while.† I took in a deep breath at the luxurious scent that now filled the small room, letting it sting my throat with the pleasurable burning sensation. â€Å"That must have been a nice change for you,† she half smiled. She had it all wrong though. To imagine her without the palatable scent was almost unbearable, like I had drank all the goodness from her body and it was being replaced by some cheap imitation. â€Å"No, I like how you smell.† â€Å"How did you do it?† Her voice was strained. I knew what she was asking. Many memories stirred from that horrible morning. Blood was coming out of her in torrents, flooding the floor. The blood†¦how did I stop? I remembered the pleasure and the pain that consumed my body at just the mere thought of her warm blood in my mouth, my burning throat with the accompanied obsessive longing finally being quenched. The thought tore at every nerve in my body. The disgust I felt didn't stop me though; I still brought her wrist to my mouth and drank from her. Even when she yanked around in my grasp, thrusting against my hold, screaming, I didn't let go. I didn't even know how I did it. â€Å"I'm not sure,† there was the tiniest quiver in my voice. Gently, I lifted her hand which was wrapped in white gauze, examining it carefully. Along with the ache that seared deep inside me, there was this new indication of what I was. A monster. A creature that should have no part in this angel's life. Lightly caressing her hand I shivered at this sick souvenir that would always be on her wrist which made my dead heart shatter. The wires that connected her to all the monitors were just another vivid reminder on top of everything else at how fragile and breakable she was. Each passing second felt like borrowed time. I sighed. â€Å"It was impossible†¦ to stop,† my voice was low, a whisper. But I did stop; I was able to keep her alive. â€Å"Impossible. But I did.† My eyes met hers, a smile creeping up my face; a great rush of affection washing over me. â€Å"I must love you.† â€Å"Don't I taste as good as I smell?† She returned my smile. The satisfaction†¦the gratifyingly warm blood in my mouth ?C it was beyond delicious. It coursed through my body, sweeter than life. â€Å"Even better — better than I'd imagined.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† she apologized. She was†¦sorry? Again, what was with the apologies? If it wasn't for my stupidity in the first place she wouldn't have even been in the situation to have her blood sucked by me, of all creatures. I looked up to the ceiling in exasperation before returning my gaze to her. â€Å"Of all the things to apologize for.† â€Å"What should I apologize for?† For a moment I was lost in desperate speculation, thoughts consuming my mind momentarily. Only one thing came to mind. â€Å"For very nearly taking yourself away from me forever.† If her life had ended that day†¦I shuddered†¦I too, would have died. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she apologized again. â€Å"I know why you did it. It was still irrational, of course. You should have waited for me, you should have told me.† At this, I realized maybe she didn't trust me as much as I thought. She shouldn't trust me. Because of me, she was here in this hospital bed, for several days, fighting to regain consciousness. â€Å"You wouldn't have let me go,† she explained, like I should have known this. â€Å"No,† I replied in a stern tone. â€Å"I wouldn't.† She shuddered and then slightly winced. My eyes roamed over her to find the culprit of her obvious pain, my nerves being pulled tighter at her discomfort. â€Å"Bella, what's wrong?† I pleaded She ignored me, wanting more answers. â€Å"What happened to James?† James, I growled internally; the enemy being brought to the forefront of my mind. â€Å"After I pulled him off you, Emmett and Jasper took care of him,† I said with clenched teeth. Bella needed me, I knew that, but regardless, jealousy still rippled through me at the thought that it wasn't me who got to pull him apart – it wasn't me who burned him. Her eyebrow furrowed. â€Å"I didn't see Emmett and Jasper there.† â€Å"They had to leave the room†¦ there was a lot of blood.† Everyone's actions that night caught me off guard; all of them behaving like there was not a single drop of blood spilled in the building. Luckily, we all have no need for oxygen. â€Å"But you stayed,† she stated with a deep fervor, her face smoothing. â€Å"Yes, I stayed.† Obviously, I stayed. She needed me†¦she would have died. Preventing that was most important. â€Å"And Alice, and Carlisle †¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said in conjecture. Of course they stayed, too. They consider her part of our family. â€Å"They love you, too, you know.† â€Å"Did Alice see the tape?† She asked anxiously. â€Å"Yes,† I gritted my teeth. I remembered watching the tape through Alice's mind, the things he did to Bella ?C the way he taunted me on the video. â€Å"She was always in the dark, that's why she didn't remember,† Bella explained, distracting me. I nodded. â€Å"I know. She understands now,† I said darkly. That was all James did; hurt people and their families, only leaving reminders of his presence. Bella's hand came up to reach for my face, but the IV stopped her from moving far. â€Å"Ugh.† She winced. My head came up from her pillow, concerned. â€Å"What is it?† I asked anxiously, the image of James still in my view ?C anger still coursing through me. â€Å"Needles,† she explained, looking up like she was going to be sick. She took several deep breaths. Instantly, the anger left my body as humor replaced it. The absurdity of it all ?C she was beaten by a vampire, yet this†¦needle, of all things, makes her sick. â€Å"Afraid of a needle,† I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. â€Å"Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off to meet him. An IV, on the other hand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Why are you here?† She asked. Instantly, I felt a chill in my stomach. I just stared at her, surveying her face, confusion sweeping over me. Then, it hit me. Maybe she didn't want me here, which is understandable, but it still made my heart ache, my body shriveled in pain. My eyebrows pulled together as a frown replaced my previous amusement. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† An obvious grimace appearing on my face. â€Å"No!† She protested as loudly as she could. â€Å"No, I meant, why does my mother think you're here? I need to have my story straight before she gets back.† â€Å"Oh,† I breathed, once again, relief burst through me; understanding replacing confusion. She still wants me here! Happiness swelled inside me like a balloon. â€Å"I came to Phoenix to talk some sense into you, to convince you to come back to Forks.† I fixed my face, like I was trying to convince her myself, proving this lie was convincing. â€Å"You agreed to see me, and you drove out to the hotel where I was staying with Carlisle and Alice — of course I was here with parental supervision,† I infused innocently, â€Å"but you tripped on the stairs on the way to my room and†¦ well, you know the rest. You don't need to remember any details, though; you have a good excuse to be a little muddled about the finer points.† Looking into her eyes I could see her mental processes whirling around before she spoke. â€Å"There are a few flaws with that story. Like no broken windows,† she said matter-of-factly. â€Å"Not really,† I chuckled lightly under my breath. â€Å"Alice had a little bit too much fun fabricating evidence. It's all been taken care of very convincingly — you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to. You have nothing to worry about,† I assured her, caressing her cheek with the lightest of touches, letting her warmth envelope me. â€Å"Your only job now is to heal,† I ordered. I continued to trace my fingers around her magnificent face. Her heart began to jump around wildly, the monitor echoing the erratic palpitations. â€Å"That's going to be embarrassing,† she muttered. This could be more amusing than I realized. Now her heart was beating loudly enough for both of us to hear with all of this equipment magnifying it. I chuckled. â€Å"Hmm, I wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I leaned in, deliberately trying to hear her reaction; the beeping noise hammered quickly along with her heart before my cold lips even reached her warm ones. Her heart continued to beat a little faster as I slowly moved in for the kiss. Gently, I reminded myself; placing my lips upon hers, sending a spine tingling sensation through me as she lightly moaned in pleasure. Her heart was racing before it gave a huge bound and then it stopped altogether. Panic hit. I pulled back instantly as the light beeping noise started again. Relief, a feeling that seemed to be recurring over and over today, swept over me. â€Å"It seems that I'm going to have to be even more careful with you than usual,† I grimaced. â€Å"I was not finished kissing you,† she grumbled. â€Å"Don't make me come over there.† Affection gushed up inside me and against my careful stature; a smile crept up my face at her obvious love for me. It was amazing that she still yearned to be with me like I craved to be with her. After everything I had done to her she still wished for a proximity that I was still reluctant to give her; I was filled with a trepidation that I would hurt her, break her, kill her somehow. Despite my thoughts, I still bent down to press my lips lightly to hers. The heat crept up my face and down my veins as it brought warmth to my cold heart. In the hallway, I could hear a discussion being whispered. â€Å"How long will it take before she wakes up?† Rene asked the nurse. Soon, please tell me soon! â€Å"It's up to her, Mrs. Dwyer.† â€Å"Well, thanks anyways,† she sounded defeated. Edward is still in there I bet ?C they have had enough time alone. Who knows what those crazy kids were up to before this accident happened. I pulled out of our kiss. â€Å"I think I hear your mother,† I smiled. â€Å"Don't leave me,† she cried irrationally. Terror was obvious in her deep brown eyes. â€Å"I won't,† I promised solemnly, and then I smiled serenely. â€Å"I'll take a nap.† I jumped from the stiff plastic chair by her side to the turquoise artificial-leather recliner at the foot of her bed, leaning it all the way back, and closing my eyes. I became a statue. â€Å"Don't forget to breathe,† she whispered mockingly. Going along with her humor I took a deep breath, my eyes remained closed. Rene's light echoing footsteps moved towards the door before she lightly pressed against it, causing the door to crack open. She's awake! Rene thought excitedly. Her eyes peeked through the space, hoping to sneak a peek at a possible conversation, eavesdropping before she opened the door all the way to rush towards Bella's open eyes. â€Å"Mom!† Bella croaked out, her voice relieved. Oh, my baby girl, Rene's mind was easing slightly. Through her eyes I could see my still form feigning sleep. Ah, he's asleep†¦but still here. Her annoyed thoughts became verbal. â€Å"He never leaves, does he?† she muttered. â€Å"Mom, I'm so glad to see you!† Bella ignored her mom's spoken thought. Rene's expression cleared, her eyes returning to her daughter. Forget Edward†¦my baby. My beautiful baby girl. She's awake. Tears flowed down Rene's cheeks as she bent down to hug Bella awkwardly. â€Å"Bella, I was so upset!† Rene spluttered through her tears and other inarticulate sounds. I should have never, ever let her go to Forks. What was I thinking? I'm such a fool. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mom. But everything's fine now, it's okay,† Bella tried to reassure her. She's sorry? I'm sorry! Everything's not okay. Look at her†¦all the bruises. At Rene's thoughts, my stomach tightened sickeningly with pain. I felt a pang of unease. The bruises†¦the broken bones†¦they were my fault, no one else's. Sick images swam in my head and continued to come at me relentlessly. Every part of me ached with my idiocy ?C my ignorance ?C at what my clandestine existence ultimately brought to Bella. Thoughts of leaving her echoed through my head, but my love continued to pulse in my heart, my inability to leave her growing stronger. The ongoing battle continued to ensue inside me. â€Å"I'm just glad to finally see your eyes open.† Rene sat down at the end of Bella's bed. Her eyes are so sparkly. To think that there was a possibility that they could never open again†¦she grew sick at the thought, letting it trail off to images of coffins and people dressed in black. Struggling, I tried to push her images from my mind fiercely. My lurking doubts started resurfacing in my mind. I should leave Bella to her life, stop destroying her future. â€Å"How long have they been closed?† Bella gasped, her mouth forming a little O of horror. â€Å"It's Friday, hon, you've been out for a while.† â€Å"Friday?† Her voice was full of stunned disbelief. The two worst days of my life. I had to agree with Rene's thoughts, except they were the worst two days of my entire existence. â€Å"They had to keep you sedated for a while, honey — you've got a lot of injuries.† â€Å"I know,† Bella winced. â€Å"You're lucky Dr. Cullen was there. He's such a nice man†¦ very young, though. And he looks more like a model than a doctor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  If I wasn't married†¦ â€Å"You met Carlisle?† Bella interrupted her fantasy. â€Å"And Edward's sister Alice. She's a lovely girl.† The whole family is breath taking. What kind of food are they feeing them? Only if she knew of the consequences of having our beauty and the blood we drink to continue our deplorable existence. â€Å"She is,† Bella agreed sincerely, unstinting devotion, love emitting from Bella's eyes in rays of emotion. Suddenly I was in Rene's vision. Wow, she really does feel strongly for this family. But, what about this boy? He seems to be around much more than the rest. â€Å"You didn't tell me you had such good friends in Forks,† Rene said suspiciously, turning back to Bella but continuing to steal glances of me over her shoulder. I wonder what their deal is†¦ Rene was busy stealing another glance over her shoulder when Bella moaned in pain. The lamentation of grief reached Rene's ears, her eyes quickly found Bella's. So did mine, flashing open as soon as her mom's attention was no longer on me, panic coursing through me. â€Å"What hurts?† she demanded anxiously, voicing my same concerns. Her thoughts were full of a deep motherly concern, one full of love. â€Å"It's fine,† she tried to relieve our tension. â€Å"I just have to remember not to move.† Her words eased some of my panic. Closing my eyes again, I focused on her through Rene's thoughts. Never again. She's not going back to Forks. Thank god for Phil's contract. She'll be so excited. â€Å"Where's Phil?† Bella blurted out, almost as if she were reading her mother's mind too. â€Å"Florida– oh, Bella! You'll never guess! Just when we were about to leave, the best news!† â€Å"Phil got signed?† Bella interjected. â€Å"Yes! How did you guess! The Suns, can you believe it?† She can finally move back home! Deep down I could feel the hollowing of my insides along with the burning of my heart at the thought of Bella moving away, but it was the best thing she could do. She should leave, graduate high school, college†¦get married and have kids. Not stay with a vampire who could offer her no future. â€Å"That's great, Mom,† she replied in a questioning enthusiasm. I knew what was going to come next. The borrowed time was lessening. Instantly, I became increasingly nervous. â€Å"And you'll like Jacksonville so much,† she jabbered while Bella stared at her vacantly. â€Å"I was a little bit worried when Phil started talking about Akron, what with the snow and everything, because you know how I hate the cold, but now Jacksonville! It's always sunny, and the humidity really isn't that bad. We found the cutest house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean, and you'll have your own bathroom –â€Å" â€Å"Wait, Mom!† Bella interrupted. â€Å"What are you talking about? I'm not going to Florida. I live in Forks.† My heart, my cold, dead, unbeating heart†¦I swear, it just started beating again. She wanted to stay in a place she hated, and I knew it was because of me. What? Maybe she doesn't understand. Rene smiled. â€Å"But you don't have to anymore, silly,† she laughed. â€Å"Phil will be able to be around so much more now†¦ we've talked about it a lot, and what I'm going to do is trade off on the away games, half the time with you, half the time with him.† â€Å"Mom.† Bella hesitated for a second. Automatically I tried to hear her mind, the space between us silent as ever before she spoke. â€Å"I want to live in Forks. I'm already settled in at school, and I have a couple of girlfriends† — suddenly I was in Rene's vision. It's because of him, I know it. — â€Å"and Charlie needs me. He's just all alone up there, and he can't cook at all.† I wasn't sure why, but it was clear that she didn't want to go to Florida with Rene, and I was all for that plan. Even though it wasn't a good plan. Forks†¦Rene's thoughts were babbling inarticulately. â€Å"You want to stay in Forks?† She spluttered. Again, I was in her vision, my face tense with the conversation. This boy†¦Does she love him, too? Still†¦Forks. Insane. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I told you — school, Charlie — † she shrugged â€Å"ouch!† Bella ?C how do I comfort her? Her hand fluttered uselessly over Bella's body. Her eyes narrowed in on an un-bandaged spot and patted lightly. Seriously, though ?C school? Charlie? I don't believe it. â€Å"Bella, honey, you hate Forks,† she stated firmly. â€Å"It's not so bad.† Well, that wasn't the response I was hoping for. Oh, come on. Rene scoffed. Again, I saw my face flash in front of her eyes before she turned back to Bella. â€Å"Is it this boy?† she whispered. Bella opened her mouth and then closed it. What was she thinking? â€Å"He's part of it,† Bella finally spoke nonchalantly. â€Å"So, have you had a chance to talk with Edward?† â€Å"Yes.† He's quite mysterious†¦ â€Å"And I want to talk to you about that.† How stupid to even consider someone approving of me for their daughter. â€Å"What about?† Her lips pressed together tightly. â€Å"I think that boy is in love with you,† Rene alleged, keeping her voice low. â€Å"I think so, too.† Despite the situation we were under, I grinned at the memory of our time in the meadow, the first time I confessed my love for her. â€Å"And how do you feel about him?† She was pushing for details, which means Bella will have to lie. I cringed internally at that thought. She was a horrible liar. A small gush of air swept in and out of Bella's lungs before she spoke. â€Å"I'm pretty crazy about him.† This made me happy. I nearly took her life, yet, she was still ‘crazy about' me. â€Å"Well, he seems very nice, and, my goodness, he's incredibly good-looking, but you're so young, Bella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was hoping that I wouldn't have to have ‘the talk' with her until she was older. She sighed. What was I expecting? She is seventeen after all. â€Å"I know that, Mom. Don't worry about it. It's just a crush.† Crush? Just a crush? Her words burned more than my thirst. Deep down I knew she was perpetrating a farce, but still, just like at her house before we left for Phoenix, the words caught me off guard. Crush†¦I can handle that. Then it's not too serious after all. â€Å"That's right,† she agreed. Then she sighed and glanced guiltily over her shoulder at the big, round clock on the wall above my head. I need to get home†¦Phil. He'll be worried if I don't answer the phone. Seeing the time for myself I was disheartened that my time with her was slowly passing by. Sooner than I'd like, I would have to leave her forever. Was I brave enough? Did I have enough will power†¦enough strength? â€Å"Do you need to go?† Bella interrupted my reverie. â€Å"Phil's supposed to call in a little while†¦ I didn't know you were going to wake up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No problem, Mom.† Bella said indifferently. â€Å"I won't be alone.† That's right. I'll be here. She was just so soft and vulnerable. It seemed foolhardy to let her out of my sight, where anything could happen to her. And yet, the worst things that could happen to her would result from being with me. Deep down, I wished that she wasn't better off being away from me. I bet you won't†¦not with Edward keeping an eye on you. â€Å"I'll be back soon. I've been sleeping here, you know.† â€Å"Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that! You can sleep at home — I'll never notice.† The words were slurred slightly, the drugged stupor still not completely worn off. â€Å"I was too nervous,† she admitted sheepishly. â€Å"There's been some crime in the neighborhood, and I don't like being there alone.† Her eyes darted to the newspaper next to the bed. â€Å"Crime?† Bella asked, thunderstruck. It was awful. The building was in ruins. Rene was picturing the remains of the ballet studio. â€Å"Someone broke into that dance studio around the corner from the house and burned it to the ground — there's nothing left at all! And they left a stolen car right out front. Do you remember when you used to dance there, honey?† â€Å"I remember,† her voice quivered slightly under – what I would expect to be ?C bad memories. She looks scared. Maybe I should stay here†¦ â€Å"I can stay, baby, if you need me.† â€Å"No, Mom, I'll be fine. Edward will be with me.† Edward, again. That could also be a good reason to stay. â€Å"I'll be back tonight.† I hope he heard that. She glanced at me again as she thought it. â€Å"I love you, Mom.† â€Å"I love you, too, Bella. Try to be more careful when you walk, honey, I don't want to lose you.† I never realized her clumsiness would come to this though. Seriously ?C a coma in the hospital. I remembered Carlisle looking over Bella's X-ray at the hospital after the van nearly crushed her to death. She had many healed fractures. Trying to suppress laughter, I could stop the grin that spread across my face. I wonder if that hot boy will be in the room. I heard the nurse's thoughts that checked on Bella yesterday. She came bustling in then to check all of the tubes and wires. Rene watched the nurse for a minute. I better get going. I don't want to miss Phil's phone call. He'll be elated to hear that she is awake finally. She kissed Bella's forehead, patted her gauze-wrapped hand, and left. The nurse was checking the paper readout on the heart monitor. Hum†¦I wonder if this is because of him. The nurse pictured my face. He makes my heart do funny things, too. Maybe she is just worried or nervous. I would be if I woke up from a coma, too. â€Å"Are you feeling anxious, honey? Your heart rate got a little high there.† After Rene left I opened my eyes, watching the nurse interact with Bella, pushing her thoughts from my mind. â€Å"I'm fine,† Bella assured the nurse. I'm sure you are. I'd be fine too if he was at my bed side. â€Å"I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute.† The nurse turned on her heals and strode quickly out of the room. It took me less than a second to move to her side, so quickly that she didn't see me move from point A to point B. Instead of her being surprised, her tiny eyebrows rose in humor. â€Å"You stole a car?† Duh, I wanted to say. Instead I just smiled. â€Å"It was a good car, very fast,† I refused to apologize; she didn't seem to mind. It had to be fast, my only purpose was to get to her as quickly as I could†¦to save her life before James had the opportunity to take her away from me forever. I was too late, but just in time to barely reverse the effects of the venom that had rushed down her veins. â€Å"How was your nap?† She smirked. â€Å"Interesting.† My mind was wondering, remembering her plea to stay in Forks and her word crush. My eyes narrowed slightly and she noticed the change in my facial features. â€Å"What?† Honestly, I was happy with her response to stay in Forks, but disappointed all the same because now I had to find the courage to tell her to go, that she would be better off without me in her life. Was I brave enough? Was I that self sacrificing? By the look on her face she had already read too much into my face so I looked down. â€Å"I'm surprised. I thought Florida †¦ and your mother†¦well; I thought that's what you would want.† The many nights I watched her sleep, as her worries and thoughts were spoken freely, let me know how much she truly cared for her mother. Also, when she talked about Rene it was if a parent were talking about a child. Was she just tired of the responsibility of her mother? That was uncharacteristic of her, so probably not the culprit to her reasoning to stay in Forks. The word crush rang through my mind again and so I couldn't be the reason, either. When I finally looked up she was staring at me uncomprehendingly. â€Å"But you'd be stuck inside all day in Florida. You'd only be able to come out at night, just like a real vampire.† A real vampire? What am I, chopped liver? The humor quickly passed. It was time to convince her to go back home†¦to Florida. â€Å"I would stay in Forks, Bella. Or somewhere like it,† I explained.† Someplace where I couldn't hurt you anymore.† She stared at me with a blank expression, like she was having trouble processing my words. Was it the drugs? Maybe this conversation should wait until she was more aware and alert. I was just making excuses. Her lips turned down into an unfathomable expression as the monitor magnified her heart beats which were quickly increasing. The beeping nose and the pounding in her chest were reaching a dangerous point, going so fast I was nervous. Her breathing picked up along with her heart. Soon, she was gasping, hyperventilating. Her eyes began to water as her face contorted into a horrible grimace of pain. The soft lines of her face were suddenly sharp and defined. I didn't know what to do, what to say. That beeping doesn't sound good. I better go check it out. A different nurse came marching into the room. Maybe she had a remedy that I didn't. She looked over the monitors to see that her regular heart beat, and the insane palpitations that were pulsing wildly through her, were not the same. Wow, she looks like she is in a lot of pain. Jeesh, what a tortured face. . â€Å"Time for more pain meds, sweetheart?† she asked sweetly, tapping the IV feed. â€Å"No, no,† Bella choked out, the pain still clearly in her tone. â€Å"I don't need anything.† Of course, she didn't want to seem weak. â€Å"No need to be brave, honey. It's better if you don't get too stressed out; you need to rest.† The nurse waited, but she just shook her head. â€Å"Okay,† she sighed. â€Å"Hit the call button when you're ready.† This better not be his fault or I'm going to kick him out of the room so she can get some rest. The nurse's stare bore into me, like she was trying to burn a hole through my skull before she glanced at the machinery like she was warning me she could hear it. She left the room. I'll be listening. Ignoring the overly observant nurse I placed my hands on Bella's face to bring her attention back to our conversation. Her eyes were full of moisture, the look in them wild with unease and anxiety. Her heart was still bounding wildly ahead. â€Å"Shhh, Bella, calm down.† I tried to soothe her. â€Å"Don't leave me,† she begged me, her voice cracking with the pain. Her pupils dilated in terror as her lips trembled uncontrollably. When she begged like this, how could I deny her anything? All my plans, all my thoughts†¦every second of deciding to leave her crumbled into little pieces. â€Å"I won't,† I promised. â€Å"Now relax before I call the nurse back to sedate you.† Still, her heart continued to thunder along, not relaxing one bit to my words. Great, I was going to give her a heart attack. All my efforts to keep her alive and just the mere thought of my absence would send her over the edge. A second was all it took to change everything: the atmosphere in the room, my mission here, the reason I leaned toward the glorious soul in front of me†¦ What had been for one purpose before was now for another. To stay. To keep her alive. To prevent her heart from exploding with the pain that I was feeling too. â€Å"Bella.† I lightly brushed her face apprehensively. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here as long as you need me,† I promised. â€Å"Do you swear you won't leave me?† She whispered a small splutter of terror. She was gasping for air as her heart continued to beat out of control, her pulse continuing to reach a danger point. Her reactions robbed me temporarily of breath. It was oddly disembodying trying to understand her fear, because it was me who couldn't live without her. It shouldn't be the other way around. Before the nurse decides to kick me out of the room I had to calm her down. I took her face between my hands. Her warmth crept up my body slowly as I brought my face only inches from hers before whispering to her, â€Å"I swear.† Her breath was filling the air between us. It was very appealing, but in this moment I was too worried about her heart and her breathing. Each second the rhythmic motion of her breath and her heart slowed. I refused to let go of her until she had calmed down. When the monitors had quieted I sighed in relief. â€Å"Better?† I asked, surveying her face. â€Å"Yes,† she answered, her voice sounded guarded. Under my breath I began muttering so low she wouldn't hear me. â€Å"Beautiful, insane, overly sensitive girl. What an overreaction.† I shook my head. â€Å"Why did you say that?† She whispered. At first, I didn't know if she actually heard what I had muttered. â€Å"Are you tired of having to save me all the time? Do you want me to go away?† Again, insane. With increasing desperation I tried to explain to her that I did want her, that it would literally kill me if she went away. â€Å"No, I don't want to be without you, Bella, of course not. Be rational,† I added sensibly. â€Å"And I have no problem with saving you, either — if it weren't for the fact that I was the one putting you in danger†¦ that I'm the reason that you're here.† â€Å"Yes, you are the reason,† she interjected with a frown. â€Å"The reason I'm here –alive.† I had less resolution than ever. â€Å"Barely.† I choked out. â€Å"Covered in gauze and plaster and hardly able to move.† I stared down at her like it would force her to mend. â€Å"I wasn't referring to my most recent near-death experience,† her voice was slightly irritated. Staring at her, I tried to read her eyes. Yes, I saved her in the past, but that had nothing to do with the present. She was still in this hospital bed because of me. The silence tautened and strained. She finally spoke. â€Å"I was thinking of the others — you can take your pick. If it weren't for you, I would be rotting away in the Forks cemetery.† Her voice was like an angry drunken titter from all the drugs in her system. The memories made me wince several times. The van, Port Angeles†¦my thoughts trailed off, not wanting to think of where she would be if I wasn't there to intercede on her behalf. Then I realized I had already made my decision. I wasn't going to let her leave. If she did I would follow her, even if she was unaware of it. No matter what, I would watch over her, keep her from harm, for as long as I could justify it. Luckily, I don't see how she would ever not need me to keep her safe. I suddenly found myself wishing that her clumsiness would never go away. I looked at her gauze covered wrist, my original thoughts surfacing. â€Å"That's not the worst part, though,† I continued, ignoring her previous words of comfort.†Not seeing you there on the floor†¦ crumpled and broken.† The words caught in my throat. â€Å"Not thinking I was too late. Not even hearing you scream in pain — all those unbearable memories that I'll carry with me for the rest of eternity. No, the very worst was feeling†¦ knowing that I couldn't stop. Believing that I was going to kill you myself,† my voice tailed away feebly as the memory of her blood in my mouth, swirling sweetly down my throat, surfaced. â€Å"But you didn't,† she pointed out. â€Å"I could have. So easily.† Her breath came a little quicker again. Panic was obvious in her eyes. Did she finally understand that she should fear me? â€Å"Promise me,† she whispered. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You know what.† She gave me an insolent stare. I was wrong; she didn't fear me, just the opposite. How can I promise to never leave when I know one day I will have to? Not now, though. I can't leave her now when she needs me. Still, I gazed uncertainly towards her, my eyes automatically tightening. A lurking doubt resurfaced in my mind. She's here because of me. This is my fault. If I stay ?C this might happen again. I couldn't have that. I could feel the warmth of her pulse in the air and on my skin. Trying to master myself I realized that my time with her was ticking away. Hearing her voice – an extraordinary tonic, I might add – after the two days of complete and utter silence, settled my thoughts. â€Å"I don't seem to be strong enough to stay away from you, so I suppose that you'll get your way†¦ whether it kills you or not,† my tone growing more forlorn with each word. â€Å"Good.† She stated firmly. â€Å"You told me how you stopped†¦ now I want to know why,† she demanded. â€Å"Why?† I repeated warily, I hadn't recovered from the shock of the question. â€Å"Why you did it. Why didn't you just let the venom spread? By now I would be just like you.† Her words fell oddly upon my ears and were an unpleasant surprise. Words I didn't expect to hear come out of her mouth. Where did she learn this? In that precise moment it hit me like a bolt of lightning. Alice. A scathing noise escaped my lips as I thought about this. She was a bit sneakier than I realized. But telling Bella about vampire transformations was crossing the line. I couldn't suppress a shiver of loathing. I could feel my nostrils flaring as my lips grew tighter together. I didn't respond, not knowing if Alice really told her, or if it was another one of those legends she read about and was merely guessing how the conversion worked. Bella broke the silence. â€Å"I'll be the first to admit that I have no experience with relationships, but it just seems logical†¦ a man and woman have to be somewhat equal†¦ as in, one of them can't always be swooping in and saving the other one. They have to save each other equally.† It seems her knowledge is not as extensive as I first thought. Of course, in movies and books vampires had to bite their victims to turn them. It was easy for her to deduct these things. Instead of getting angry, I folded my arms on the side of her bed and rested my chin on my arms. Still, I will have to have a†¦talk†¦with Alice. I thought about what Bella said though, about saving each other equally. She doesn't realize how much she has saved me, how she pulled me out of the deepest depression that even Jasper has ever seen. My whole family has fallen in love with Bella merely for what her presence has done for me. â€Å"You have saved me,† I said quietly, letting her in on my revelation. â€Å"I can't always be Lois Lane,† she insisted, ignoring me. â€Å"I want to be Superman, too.† Her statements still had me utterly bewildered. She wanted to be a vampire. Of all things in the world that she could ask for, she asks for the one thing I refuse to give. I was unsure of the best way to approach the subject. Bella, I might kill you in the process and you will burn for three days and beg for death before you finally turn into a vampire who never sleeps and is always aching to quench ones thirst. No, that is too much information. â€Å"You don't know what you're asking.† I stared at the edge of her pillowcase, afraid she might see my thoughts displayed across my face. â€Å"I think I do.† â€Å"Bella, you don't know. I've had almost ninety years to think about this, and I'm still not sure,† I tried not to succumb to the rage I felt bubbling under my skin. Why was she pushing this subject? â€Å"Do you wish that Carlisle hadn't saved you?† â€Å"No, I don't wish that.† I used to, but now I realize my fate included Bella, and I would have never met her without Carlisle's rash decision to turn me. â€Å"But my life was over. I wasn't giving anything up.† â€Å"You are my life. You're the only thing it would hurt me to lose,† she admitted, not the least bit embarrassed. No matter how much she pleaded with me, I would never take her soul. It wasn't up for debate. â€Å"I can't do it, Bella. I won't do that to you.† â€Å"Why not?† She croaked. â€Å"Don't tell me it's too hard! After today, or I guess it was a few days ago†¦ anyway, after that, it should be nothing.† I glared at her. A positively dangerous look crept across my face. â€Å"And the pain?† I asked, curious. She flinched, obviously remembering the fire that burned through her veins. â€Å"That's my problem,† she said coolly. â€Å"I can handle it.† Insane. â€Å"It's possible to take bravery to the point where it becomes insanity.† â€Å"It's not an issue. Three days. Big deal.† Shock so huge it rooted me to the spot and roughly burst through me. Three days. This was something that could have only been told by another vampire. It wasn't Jasper, he respects other's wishes. Alice, on the other hand†¦the very nosy, annoying, short vampire that receives visions, has been pressing the ‘turn Bella into a vampire' campaign for a while now. I wonder what vision she is seeing now. It must be flickering, I haven't decided how I am going to get even with her for telling Bella about this. Venom was thundering through my veins. Enough was enough. I didn't want to flat out tell her no. I wanted her to want to be human. Maybe she needed reminders of why she should stay human. â€Å"Charlie?† I asked curtly. â€Å"Rene?† A blank silence greeted my words. She was opening and closing her mouth like words wouldn't form. I waited for her response, but obviously, she didn't have one. Did she finally reach her senses? â€Å"Look, that's not an issue either,† she finally muttered an obvious lie. Apparently she hasn't reached her senses. â€Å"Rene has always made the choices that work for her — she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient; he's used to being on his own. I can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live.† Was she missing the key words here? If she were to stay human she would have a life to live. If she were a vampire, on the other hand, her life would just become this limitless existence that I refused to make her be a part of. â€Å"Exactly,† I snapped. â€Å"And I won't end it for you.† My careful composure was slipping. â€Å"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!† Lame justification. â€Å"You're going to recover,† I reminded her. She took a deep breath at my words, returning my stare. There was no compromise in her face, and I wasn't budging either. â€Å"No,† Bella said slowly. â€Å"I'm not.† Anger vanished, fear replaced it. Was something else wrong with her†¦like cancer? Was she not telling me something? No, her life couldn't be like one of those sad stories you read about. My forehead automatically creased with worry. â€Å"Of course you are. You may have a scar or two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're wrong,† she insisted. â€Å"I'm going to die.† No! She was not going to die, she was going to live. I would fight for her, keep her alive. A sense of hopelessness engulfed me. My mind was lost in a desperate speculation. Panic flared within me. â€Å"Really, Bella.† Anxiety broke through my voice. â€Å"You'll be out of here in a few days. Two weeks at most.† She glared at me like I was an idiot. â€Å"I may not die now†¦ but I'm going to die sometime. Every minute of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get old.† Relief, glorious relief. I frowned at her as her words finally released the tension that built so suddenly. My fingers found my temples as I began to rub them, trying to soothe my troubled mind, closing my eyes. â€Å"That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist — and I shouldn't exist.† She snorted. I opened my eyes in surprise. â€Å"That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, ‘Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it.† She might have made a point if she used something besides the lottery as an example. â€Å"I'm hardly a lottery prize,† I growled, anger returning. â€Å"That's right. You're much better,† she pointed out. I rolled my eyes and my lips grew tight. It doesn't matter what else she says, she's wasting her breath. To take her soul would be the last thing on earth I would do. She will stay human. Even if Alice tries to take a bite I will tackle and kill if I must. â€Å"Bella, we're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn you to an eternity of night and that's the end of it.† Now stop, I added internally. â€Å"If you think that's the end, then you don't know me very well,† she warned me. â€Å"You're not the only vampire I know.† I will stop her by any means. â€Å"Alice wouldn't dare,† I growled aloud. â€Å"Alice already saw it, didn't she?† She guessed. â€Å"That's why the things she says upset you. She knows I'm going to be like you†¦ someday.† Dammit! I slipped up. Bella is just too perceptive. I'm going to have to be doubly careful what I say around her, choosing my words more carefully. It's just so hard in a heated argument. â€Å"She's wrong,† I barked angrily. â€Å"She also saw you dead, but that didn't happen, either.† â€Å"You'll never catch me betting against Alice,† she retorted. We glared at each other for several long minutes. The regular intervals of the machines continued into our silence. Bella's heart was weirdly steady considering the heated discussion we just had. She was lying down but her chin till jutted out, her forehead was creased with thought and her lips pursed. My angry expression cleared at her beauty. It was heard to stay upset with such a glorious creature. â€Å"So where does that leave us?† She wondered. I chuckled darkly. â€Å"I believe it's called an impasse.† She sighed. â€Å"Ouch,† she muttered. â€Å"How are you feeling?† I asked. My eyes found the button for the nurse. I wanted to bring my original threat back into play if she didn't behave ?C sedation. â€Å"I'm fine,† she lied, her pain was breaking through the pretense. â€Å"I don't believe you,† I said gently. â€Å"I'm not going back to sleep,† she argued, refusing to let anyone think she was weak. â€Å"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you.† â€Å"So give in,† she suggested. â€Å"Nice try.† She wasn't behaving. Time for impulsive action. I reached for the button. â€Å"No!† Her eyes saw my hand reach out. I ignored her. â€Å"Yes?† the speaker on the wall squawked. â€Å"I think we're ready for more pain medication,† I said calmly, ignoring her furious expression. â€Å"I'll send in the nurse.† â€Å"I won't take it,† she said vehemently. Pills? Doubtful. I looked toward the sack of fluids hanging beside her bed. â€Å"I don't think they're going to ask you to swallow anything,† I smiled ruefully. The thundering of her heart jumped up into a faster face. Looking into her deep eyes I read the irrational fear. She needs rest, and medication will make the pain go away so she can do just that. It isn't like there are going to be sticking her with needles. I sighed in frustration. â€Å"Bella, you're in pain. You need to relax so you can heal. Why are you being so difficult? They're not going to put any more needles in you now.† â€Å"I'm not afraid of the needles,† she cried out. â€Å"I'm afraid to close my eyes.† It was hard to be frustrated at her when she said those words. Jubilation doused my previous anger. I smiled. She was just worried that I wouldn't be here. Hadn't I made it clear that I wasn't going anywhere? Her thoughts were completely irrational. I took her face in between my hands so she had to look at me. â€Å"I told you I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes you happy, I'll be here.† She smiled back. â€Å"You're talking about forever, you know.† Then, I remembered her words to Rene. â€Å"Oh, you'll get over it — it's just a crush.† She shook her head in disbelief. â€Å"I was shocked when Rene swallowed that one. I know you know better.† One day she will outgrow me, though. My worst fear, yet I prayed she was right, that she would want me forever. â€Å"That's the beautiful thing about being human,† I whispered. â€Å"Things change.† Her eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't hold your breath,† she retorted. I laughed. I could hold my breath forever if I had too, though I would never do it for something as stupid as wanting Bella to leave me. The nurse came into the room brandishing a syringe. Get out of my way. â€Å"Excuse me,† she said harshly to me. I got up and crossed to the end of the small room, leaning against the wall. I folded My arms and waited. Bella kept her eyes on me, still apprehensive. I met her gaze calmly. â€Å"Here you go, honey.† The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine into Bella's IV. â€Å"You'll feel better now.† â€Å"Thanks,† Bella mumbled, unenthusiastic. It didn't take long. Bella's head already began to lull from side to side. â€Å"That ought to do it,† the nurse muttered as Bella's eyelids drooped. The nurse promptly left the room, eyeing me suspiciously. Even though she was obviously losing consciousness I rushed over to Bella to place my hands on her face, to hold her head still. â€Å"Stay.† Bella slurred. â€Å"I will,† I promised. â€Å"Like I said, as long as it makes you happy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, not long enough for Bella to notice. â€Å"As long as it's what's best for you,† I added to my statement. â€Å"‘S not the same thing,† she mumbled more inarticulate words. Watching her trying to beat off the medication was kind of†¦hilarious. I laughed. â€Å"Don't worry about that now, Bella. You can argue with me when you wake up.† A cheesy grin spread across her face as her eyes became small slits. ‘†Kay.† I continued to try and suppress laughter. I was very glad Emmett wasn't here, the jokes would never end. Looking down at my now drunken beauty, I brought my lips to her ear. â€Å"I love you,† I whispered. â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"I know,† I laughed quietly at my joke, remembering her saying that when I finally sucked the venom out of her wrist and told her I loved her. Again, I tried to suppress laughter as her head lulled sideways, her lips puckering at a funny angle, facing the opposite direction of my face. I shook my head and brought my lips to hers. â€Å"Thanks,† she sighed. â€Å"Anytime,† I chuckled. She went limp in the bed, but was still struggling to reach reality. â€Å"Ed..war?† she tried to say my name, but it came out all wrong. â€Å"Yes?† I smiled down at her â€Å"I'm betting on Alice,† she mumbled, her words clearer this time. My humor vanished, a frown replaced my smile. This argument was far from over, but no matter what, our deadlock would remain. I kissed her forehead and sat down next to her to hold her hand until she wakes again.

Company Analysis Johnson And Johnson Essay

Internationalization Overview It was the joint efforts of three brothers, Robert Wood Johnson, Edward Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson that lead to the inception of Johnson & Johnson in 1886 at New Brunswick, New Jersey. Even today the company strongly follows the Credo, which was formulated by its founder Robert Wood Johnson as philosophy that guides their business. It is a multinational firm established in 60 countries with over 275 companies over the world and is mainly diversified in three different fields namely Consumer Healthcare, Medical Devices & Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. Johnson & Johnson has an asset of $131.19 billion. (jnj.com) With all the companies that it owns, it comprises as the largest and the most diverse medical devices and Diagnostics Company, the sixth largest consumer health company, sixth largest pharmaceuticals company, and the sixth largest biologics company. The company has been driven by innovation from their inception. One of their first products was a first aid kit for treating small injuries, which could be used by anyone. The use of child care products was introduced by them in 1894, which is highly successful till date. It was in the year 1924 that Johnson & Johnson started their internationalization, expanding their operations to the United Kingdom. This was extremely successful expansion and it added a great boost to the company’s growth. This carved a path for further expansion internationally into British colonies like South Africa in 1930 and Australia in 1931 and neighbouring country of Mexico in 1930.With the Robert Wood Johnson II taking the leadership of the company he changed the company’s Global strategy and made the company as a decentralized family of companies. Their operations were further expanded into Argentina and Brazil in 1937 flowed by the formation of Ortho Research Laboratories Inc. and Ethicon Inc. in New Jersey. In 1957 they established their operations in India, the first expansion into Asia. In the 1959 there were many acquisitions by the company, McNeil Laboratories in Fort Washington, United States, Cilag AG in Switzerland followed by acquisition of Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1961, it was considered one of the most innovative firm then. (jnj.com) In the late 70’s and 80’s Johnson & Johnson enters into new health care markets such as diabetes management, vision care and mechanical closure of wounds. This created the possibilities for more expansion, and they entered into China and Egypt. The late 90’s was followed by a series of acquisitions; some of them were Centocor, Cordis Corporation, Kodak’s Clinical Diagnostics and Neutrogena Corporation. The expansion into Eastern European market and Russia was a major move. In 2002 they acquired Tibotec-Virco, a firm which helps patients with non curable diseases such as Tuberculosis and AIDS. A major acquisition was Pfizer Consumer Healthcare in 2006. The main goal for them was to follow their Credo, which has been immensely successful. The internationalization strategy was to adapt to changing global markets and basically decentralize their operations. This was what mate them Strengthen their Global Presence. Most of their international expansion was through large acquisitions of established firms. Their steady growth shows how they have captured markets all over the world. They use mainly use adaptation strategy, hence they are focused on the particular target market and have different methods of operations in  different markets. Network Analysis With over 275 companies under one roof Johnson & Johnson group of companies is one of the largest in the world. The Data sets provided gives us a clear idea of how the network is connected from the parent to its subsidiaries. The main objective is to identify how the main subsidiaries are connected to the parent. (Fig. 1) Subsidiaries The above figure depicts the layout of how the main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson are connected. Generally nodes with higher centrality measures cannot be considered as main subsidiary, hence a series of analysis is done on the identified subsidiaries using network analysis techniques. The main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson are different in each scope of their diversified areas. The Consumer Health Segment is under Johnson & Johnson brand name and they are established in more than 60 countries and are having individual ties with each country and they have their own presence by themselves without any strategic tie ups. However, the administration and finance department seem to have many ties with subgroups within the organization as well as external sources. The Pharmaceutical segment is also one of the largest networks, with Janssen Pharmaceutica which is their main subsidiary. As a main subsidiary, they operate with a number of companies under this banner. Cilag which is also a big company is under the Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Crucell which is a firm developing vaccine is also under the Janssen group. Galapagos which is a joint venture between Crucell and Tibotec deals with the research and development in pharmaceutical industry and is a major contributor to the innovations achieved by Janssen Pharmaceutical. The Medical Devices & Diagnostics segment is the largest and the most diverse  segment in the world. Johnson & Johnson have one of the biggest companies in terms or Research and development under this segment. Some of their subsidiaries are Animas Corporation, Cordis Corporation, Depuy Synthes companies of Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, Ethicon Endo Surgery, Janssen Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, mentor and Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. Most of these are directly connected to the parent firm, but they also seem to have feeble ties within themselves. The comparison of different centrality measures such as Degree, Betweenness, Eigenvector, Closeness and other analysis such as Density, K-cores, Structural Holes, and subgroup division Algorithms like Girvan-Newman, Fractions will help us identify how the parent subsidiary network is formed. Density The complete network Density or the Average Matrix Value is 0.003 for the given data set. The Standard Deviation of the Density is 0.058 and the average weighted degree is 1.278 Centrality Measures Degree (Fig. 2) Degree Centrality The above figure shows the degree of each node with respect to its size, the highest degree is Johnson & Johnson with 119 ties, followed by Indaver with 30 ties Indaver BV with 18ties, Cilag Holdings AG with 17 ties, Johnson & Johnson management limited with 16 ties, Johnson & Johnson International Finance with 15, Synthes Holdings AG with 14 and Crucell N.V. with 12. Indaver has higher degrees than the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, though it is not its subsidiary. Janssen pharmaceutical is one of the share holder with Indaver, which provides them with waste management solutions, they have helped them to cut CO2 emission by 270 tonnes annually (Indaver Sustainability Report, 2013).The main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson have  also higher degree centrality. The labelled nodes were identified to have the higher degree. Eigen vector (Fig 3) Eigenvector Centrality Eigen vector centrality is measured with respect to the connectivity of nodes with higher degrees. This is effective in helping to identify firms with more social importance or higher level firms such as management and operations level. The key observations from this centrality are that all the nodes they represent the Main subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson, have higher eigenvector values, as they had connectivity to nodes with higher degrees, Cilag, Depuy Synthes, Crucell, Janssen Pahrmaceutica, Ethicon, Apsis, all of them have higher eigenvectors as they are the main subsidiaries and are connected with nodes with higher degree. Betweenness (Fig 4) Betweeness Betweeneess represents the nodes that are involved in linking major nodes to lesser connected nodes, thereby making a strong coordination within a network. This identifies the nodes of the network that are bridges between the stronger and the weaker connected nodes. The analysis from fig 4. implies that companies such as Adimmune Corporation, Taiwan Biotech, Indaver, Galapagos , Janssen Pahrmaceutica, Crucell , have very high betweenness and are majorly involved in coordination of work between firms. Closeness (Fig 5) Closeness The closeness determines how close the next node is to the main node, hence  the nodes at the periphery of the network are more closer to the next node inside the network. The nodes with lesser closeness are more harder to be reached for any communication. Fig. 5 shows the different closeness of each node. Nodes of higher degree were not really close to each subset of nodes. Nodes with higher betweenness had proportional farness, which mean they had very low closeness. The lower closeness nodes were mostly the major subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson. Network Cohesiveness K- Core Analysis The K-core analysis identifies nodes of a network that are more connected to other nodes in other parts of the network. The analysis provided us with three k values 1, 2 and 3. This is helpful to identify the core network which is more important than the other nodes. (Fig 6) K-Core Analysis In the above figure the nodes in re have a k value of 1. These nodes are mainly in the periphery of the network and are lesser connected to the main network, the sub nodes connected to them have degree 1. (Fig 7) K-Core Analysis with k value 2 These nodes in fig. 2 have a k value of 2, these are mainly the nodes which bridge the main core to the other network. The labelled nodes are the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson which are in the sub-core. (Fig 8) K-Core Analysis with k value 3 The above figure show the core network of the organization, these nodes are more connected the main node that the others with their connected nodes having higher degrees than others. Hence the labelled nodes are the major  nodes that are involved in the functioning of the organization. The observations of the k-core analysis are that the subsidiary such as Cilag, Ethicon, OMJ pharmaceuticals, Depuy, forms the major core of the organization. The main core also consists of investor management firm, which helps the organisation fund innovations that are much needed for the growth of the company. Turnbull Investment Company plays an important role in handling investments of Johnson & Johnson. Sub Group Analysis Girvan-Newman Algorithm This algorithm helps in sorting out different community of structures within a network that forms a cohesive sub group. The main objective is to identify different subgroups in a large network by removing important nodes and leaving only the sub group intact. Fig. 9 clearly shows the division of subgroups that having different colour. Indaver , Adimmune Corporation, Prime Oil Service Corporation, Taiwan Biotech Co. Ltd., these are external companies that have ties ups or technology sharing with Johnson & Johnson. Other Subgroups that are divided are subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson, some of them are Janssen Pharmaceutica, Synthes Inc., Crucell N.V., Johnson & Johnson Holding Gmbh, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services Company, Johnson And Johnson Management Limited. These firms form the major subgroup in the network. (Fig 9) Girvan Newman Algorithm Factions The Factions sub grouping is another method to find the subgroups within a network. Here again we are able to input the number of groups to be divided.  An estimate of 38 clusters could give an idea of how many major subgroups that existed in the network. Fig 10 shows the outcome of the factions sub grouping. (Fig 10) Factions From the analysis and the network datasets, the parent Network is Identifies as Johnson & Johnson, and some of the major subsidiaries are Janssen Pharmaceutica, Cilag, Depuy Synthes, Animas Corporation, Apsis, Mcneil Products, Crucell, Ethicon, Ethicon Endo surgery, Cordis Corporation, Mentor. Implications of the network structure on the innovation activity Johnson & Johnson has been a firm driven by innovation since its inception. As the outcomes of innovation influences the lives of many people Johnson & Johnson has managed to reach its products 175 countries. From the network structure it is evident that subsidiary firms are maintained with independent operations and the operations of the firms is decentralized. Pharmaceutical companies owned by them are independent by themselves for any innovations involved. They don’t seem to have influence on the other subsidiary firms. Firms such as Apsis, Ethicon, Ethicon Endo, Depuy, Synthes, have innovation activity of their own and are developing their own products, and do not reply upon other firms which are owned by Johnson & Johnson. These firms that deal with Medical Devices and Diagnostics are specific upon their product line and are bound to deliver their targets. Almost all the firms in this segment have Research and Development facilities of their own and do not rely on other investments from external sources. Many joint ventures within its network of subsidiaries have been beneficial for Johnson & Johnson, like Depuy Synthes, the collaboration between them has given birth to subsidiaries like Depuy Spine, Depuy Mitek, Depuy Orthopaedics, and Depuy Products. This shows the strength of Johnson & Johnson as the largest and the most diverse organization in the world. The Pharmaceutical segment which is under Janssen Pharmaceutica, has some firms like, Crucell, Cilga, and McNeill. These companies carry out innovations on their own as well. But they tend to have a collaborated structure within them and they are bound to share technologies with external firms outside their network, In order to share risks and benefits. Crucell have a technology sharing strategy with Adimmune Corporation. Whereas Janssen Pharmecutica are dependent on Indaver for waste management solutions. There are many benefits of collaborations and technology sharing. Johnson & Johnson is a firm with high collaborations within their firms, different companies within their firms have self sustainable resources to develop alliances with other firms, this allows them to grow to a higher potential than the parental firm. This has been the major reason for the vast expansion of Johnson & Johnson into many markets. Scope for further improvement in Innovation As there is no end for innovation the firms has been actively involved in various innovation programs that currently changing the trends in the world. One of the simplest innovations that changed the world was the Band-Aid. It just changed the way people have been treating wounds. The list of innovated products by Johnson & Johnson is vast. They are a firm which are totally depended upon innovation. Technology sharing within the companies within the firm must be initiated within all firms to enhance the ties within partnering firms. As on date they are the Sixth largest Consumer healthcare company, Their Target must be to become the number one company in the world. Only inventing more products will help them reach their target. Setting up more Research and Development programmes in underdeveloped countries will help in opening up new ventures for the firm, as well as then targeted area. Then development of vaccines for new virus that have been identified can be implemented. Viruses such as HIV, Ebola, Swine Flu, and Bird Flu are on the  rise, Johnson & Johnson must capitalize these opportunities and innovate new vaccines for cure. Hence the pharmaceutical companies must take combined efforts to make the firm strengthen its capacity. Diabetes is believed to be increasing in the younger population, hence controlling drugs and prevention methods or early diagnostics can be innovated. Setting up Innovation center in local market will help in bringing up more innovations into the firm, as only local people will understand the need of the local market. This could help them to leapfrog their position as to become the number one Consumer Healthcare Company. References Books: Borgatti, S., Everett, M. and Johnson, J. (2013). Analyzing social networks. Los Angeles [i.e. Thousand Oaks, Calif.]: SAGE Publications. Websites: Adimmune.com.tw, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.adimmune.com.tw/eng/goods.php?catId=5 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. antwerpes + partner, w. (2015). Fields of Activity – Cilag AG. [online] Cilag.ch. Available at: http://www.cilag.ch/en/about-us/fields-of-activity/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. antwerpes + partner, w. (2015). History – Cilag AG. [online] Cilag.ch. Available at: http://www.cilag.ch/en/about-us/history/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. antwerpes + partner, w. (2015). Portrait – Cilag AG. [online] Cilag.ch. Available at: http://www.cilag.ch/en/about-us/portrait/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Cordis.com, (2015). Global Home | Cordis | cordis. [online] Available at: http://www.cordis.com/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Credo. (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.jnj.com/sites/default/files/pdf/jnj_ourcredo_english_us_8.5x11_cmyk.pdf [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Crucell.com, (2015). Crucell’s history. [online] Available at: http://crucell.com/history [Accessed 5 Mar. 20 15].

Outline How Material Things Essay

City Road is a big road filled with lots of different cultures, gender, class, age and history. When walking down the road it can be seen that the belonging and not belonging in the society. It opens your eyes as to what exactly goes on in different societies and City Road is a big street with a lot of demands and structures in it. Over the years society changed and so did the street. It goes by what is in demand, how society changes and by the vast majority of different cultures coming into the area. You see a lot of people trying to conform to the society and many trying to hold onto their own identities. First of all I’m going to talk about the Ethnicity on the street. We are going to the Xquisite Africa shop. Janet, the lady that owns the shop originates from Africa and moved to the UK over ten years ago. When she came to the UK she thought that she had to change her identity and conform to the society. She sells a lot of things from Africa and by doing this she gets to hold onto her identity of the African culture and also appeals to customers from the same ethnic background. She felt after being in the UK for ten years that she had lost her identity and so she decided to take a trip back home to Africa to re-charge her batteries as she puts it. She wanted to re-gain her culture that she so desperately lost. This aspect could help her re-gain her culture and identity and allows her to share this with the right clientele from a multi-racial background. She can share a state of belonging to a social group that has in common a national or cultural background, whilst negotiating with people on the complex of different identities. She contributes to the African social life and society as well as on City Road. Therefore promoting her African background and understanding there is no need to conform to the society and changing her identity. We then move onto class in the Municipal Club. A social stratum, whose members share a certain economic, social or cultural characteristics. For this instance the working class. It is aimed at the local residents and has over 100 years of history. A group containing members regarded as having certain attributes of traits in common has slowly disappeared and they long for the society to change back to what they believed it was. Whilst in the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 5) Lloyd Robson talks to couple of residents in the club and gets their insight of what is going on. He asked them if they thought the club had a future. They said no. no-one wants to know it anymore and even the members have started to lose interest. But because the society has changed it meant that they described city road as being dangerous and rough. They long for the past. They want it to go back to what they say it used to be or imagined it. The inequalities and differences that has changed and also the traditions has been lost. They lack the sense of belonging they used to have when City Road used to be theirs. Then we come across the Sanna Silk shop. This is where the female is favoured over the male. It’s a family business orientated around females as they sell and make dresses of different materials. They get to choose their type of material and their patterns. It is mainly focused at Asian women. In the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 6 by Raghuran) she says â€Å"it is a very different way of portraying Asian women than I often seen in the media. † They also have a section for jewellery. Most of their jewellery is 22 carat gold and is mainly aimed at the women. They also have a selection for their wedding day. So it has an Asian culture that is even though yes men go in to buy but is very female orientated. Conclusion Therefore in City Road, my examples favour female gender activities over male, is a very multi-racial area and favours specific class over others. Therefore explaining that society changes all of the time and conforms to whatever is more in demand in that specific time of era.

Archetypes in High School Movies Essay

David Denby explains the typical high school movies in detail in his article called â€Å"High-School Confidential: Notes in Teen Movies†. According to Denby, there are three character archetypes in high school movies; the popular girl, the jock, and the outsider. For some reason these movies usually take place around the time of prom, where miss popular expects to be crowned for her? popularity. Denby described the first character type, the popular girl, as usually a tall slender blonde cheerleader that has two or three friends identical to her. Together these girls ruled the school, not necessarily because everyone liked them, but because everyone was afraid of them. Of course, this girl expects to be to be voted most popular by her class at prom. Of course, the popular girl has a boyfriend, who fits in the jock archetype. He is head of the football team, a big time prankster, quiet in class, but king of the halls and cafeteria. Sometimes, as one of his pranks or bets, he may ask an outsider to the prom for humiliation purposes. The outsider the jock asks to prom is the third character Denby explains in this sentence; â€Å"The kids who cannot be the beautiful ones, or make out with them, or avoid being insulted by them-these are the heroes of the teen movies, the third in the trio of character types†. She is the girl with intellectual or artistic ability, always dropping her books, wearing outdated clothes, silent or stuttering in front of good-looking boys, and cannot hide her desire to be accepted. Now if the outsider was a male, the jock obviously wouldn’t be asking him out to prom, so the storyline would have to be a bit different. Now, not every high-school movie has these two characters, but they are common and well-known in such movies. Also, not every jock in a movie is as arrogant as described; they can be played as sweet and innocent, but these characters are not nearly as familiar as the ones Denby describes. Now think about the writers and directors of these movies. Do you think they are interested in the â€Å"because it sells† factor, or do you think their high school status is involved? Denby talks about how Hollywood writers and producers more than likely fell in the outsider’s category. Maybe this is why often the stories twist in high-school movies. The outsiders become the heroes, join the system, and better it. The system appears to be more like the real world, where appearance doesn’t beat achievement. Movies like She’s all that, and Never Been Kissed fit Denby’s American high-school movie character archetypes perfectly. On the other hand, movies that contradict Denby’s archetypes include Clueless, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, and Election. In Clueless, the rich blonde is actually a good person with good qualities. Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion might even be criticizing the teen-movie genre altogether. In Election, a middle-class overachieving girl works all the time to be on top, but still feels excluded, which breaks every cliche in the book. Denby analyzed three specific archetype characters for high-school movies, but also found that there are some that break the mold. The commonly known archetypes writers and producers often use are the popular girl, the jock, and the outsider. They themselves probably find interest making high-school movies because they were also stuc.