Beta Decay Definition in Chemistry

Beta Decay Definition in Chemistry Beta rot alludes to the unconstrained radioactive rot where a beta molecule is delivered. There are two kinds of beta rot where the beta molecule is either an electron or a positron. How Beta Decay Works ÃŽ ²-rot happens when an electron is the beta molecule. An iota will ÃŽ ²-rot when a neutron in the core changes over to a proton by the reaction:ZXA â†' ZYA1 e-antineutrinoHere X is the parent molecule, Y is the little girl molecule, Z is the nuclear mass of X, An is the nuclear number of X.î ² rot happens when a positron is the beta molecule. An iota will ÃŽ ² rot when a proton in the core changes over into a neutron by the reaction:ZXA â†' ZYA-1 e neutrinoHere X is the parent particle, Y is the little girl molecule, Z is the nuclear mass of X, An is the nuclear number of X.In the two cases, the nuclear mass of the iota stays steady yet the components are transmuted by one nuclear number. Down to earth Examples Cesium-137 rots to Barium-137 by ÃŽ ²-decay.Sodium-22 rots to Neon-22 by ÃŽ ² rot.

Appraches in Business Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Appraches in Business Psychology - Essay Example It is affected by understanding. To see that a mind structure or a cerebrum procedure is corresponded with sexual orientation doesn't really suggest that cerebrum contrasts cause sex contrasts. Sex contrasts in mind structure may result from sexual orientation contrasts in learning, experience, and socialization. All the components of an association †the individuals, capacities, rules, overseeing authority, income and thoughts †must be pulled together around arrangement of fundamental policy centered issues. In this way, it gets important to distinguish the issues so legislative issues in an association might be inspected in unique terms. What issues are these? There are a few issues, however the worry of this paper is the issue on the sexual orientation. Individuals are related inside the association; they should remain in a connection to one another. Truth be told, the individuals are the most significant component of the association. On the off chance that the association is a pyramid, at that point they were the base; in this way, they are the very establishment of the gathering. Specialists may be at the top coordinating and driving the association however they ought to have an intensive comprehension of this component to ready to run the association easily. Are for the most pa rt individuals set on equivalent balance? Or on the other hand are some better than the rest? In all actuality, regardless of how awful it is by all accounts, individuals would consistently be ordered by class in a general public where they have a place. This reality would reveal to us that business heads, so as to decipher their strategic vision, should consistently direct class investigation. Rowe (1994) affirmed that â€Å"the measures we name as ecological (counting such focal ones as social class) may shroud hereditary variation† (p. 5). What's more, how do qualities make the earth? To Rowe, The appropriate response is that the qualities may develop a sensory system - and that hormones and synapses may then rouse practices bringing about the emotional update of a domain.

How to Write a Narrative Essay Introduction

How to Write a Narrative Essay Introduction There is hardly a more important part in a writing piece than its introduction. It has multiple functions and in many cases, the first impression that your writing makes on readers depends solely on the introduction chapter. When so much hinges on it, it’s easy to get frozen and hesitant. Is your introduction impressive enough? Does it tick all the boxes? Will your reader be intrigued? Is your style fluent enough to lure them into the main body? The bad news is, such hesitations will never leave you â€" it’s completely normal for a writer to hate his or her own work. The good news is, there are some proven techniques to follow, and if you don’t feel that your introduction improves with their use, at least you will have the benefit of following a defined set of rules, which adds confidence. Let’s focus on writing introduction for narrative essay. Debunking the myths For some reason, there is a certain amount of false beliefs that surround narrative writing in general and the contents of narrative paper chapters in particular. Myth No.1: A narrative paper can’t be personal. Quite the opposite â€" a narrative paper is almost always personal because the best kinds of stories are told by people about themselves. Narrative papers are often assigned as admission papers, where admission officers will look closely at the personal component. Myth No. 2: There is a separate set of rules for how to start a narrative paper. Not quite true. The introduction to a narrative paper will be somewhere in between the academic and fiction worlds. That’s why the narrative paper rules are more of a mix of the two sets of rules. You should still rely on academic writing norms but add a significant amount of fiction writing tricks â€" attention grabbing, etc. Myth No. 3: An introduction to a narrative paper doesn’t need a thesis. This is not true at all. Every paper needs a summary statement that will be further expanded in the body paragraphs. The thesis statement for a narrative essay will be different from other kinds of papers, of course, but it will still exist. Getting ready to writing a narrative essay introduction As with any other activity, you need a plan before you start working. Suppose you already have an outline for the entire paper, so you know how you want to proceed. Decide on the following: Will you write your introduction before or after all the other parts? It is generally recommended to put off writing of the introduction until you have written all the other chapters, as then you will have a better understanding of the general flow of your paper. However, many writers choose to start with the introduction part. They feel that the introduction will set the tone for the entire paper. Choose the approach that works for you, personally. How long will your introduction be? There are still word limits, even if you are working on a rather creative paper. How much of its word count will you allocate to the introduction chapter? What will you include in it? Different kinds of information can be included in the introduction chapter: while some prefer to go with only the thesis statement, others pack the introduction with background information, elaboration on the importance of the topic, and other things. In deciding how many aspects to include in your introduction, don’t forget about the word limit. Starting your introduction for narrative essay The first and the most important thing that your introduction should start with is the attention hook, i.e. something that will force your reader to pay attention. There are multiple ways to do it, here are just a few: providing unexpected statistics; stirring emotion; stirring curiosity; quoting a famous person, etc. The wording you choose plays a major role. Omit long, hard-to-read sentences. You reader should be drawn into your paper and forced to read more and more â€" which is hard to achieve if your writing is hardly comprehensible. You could go with the so-called incipit introduction, where you start with the end of the story. It can be especially appropriate for narrative papers, but you should be careful not to overdo it. The attention hook should be followed by describing the setting. There are two approaches here: you can either describe only the events that were precursors to the main conflict in your paper or you could include the “feelings” part. Your choice should depend on the kind of story you are telling â€" which one is more appropriate? The last paragraph is usually reserved for the thesis statement, and there are no reasons to change it in the narrative paper. Besides, summarizing your point in the last paragraph of the introduction makes a nice break and holds your reader in suspense until she reaches the main body (if you manage to build such suspense, of course). Concluding recommendations There are a few recommendations that apply to narrative writing in general. First of all, you can’t afford to just tell about things. You need to show them. The descriptive language should help you, as well as a well-considered approach to describing the sensory effects of events. Talk about smells and looks and sounds instead of giving a dry account. Second, you should consider including the psychological element. What did the main characters feel as the events unfolded? You are most likely to be the only main character, so you shouldn’t have problems describing the psychological effect. Finally, try to implement all the small copywriting tricks â€" simple sentences, building up tension, using transitions â€" to make your story more cohesive. If a reader can’t but read your entire paper at one go, you have created an amazing piece of work. These are the fundamentals of writing introductions to narrative papers, but they should suffice if you have no clear idea of the subject in general. With time and practice, you will be able to develop your own set of rules to follow. For now, stick to the general recommendations outlined above.

The Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids - 1065 Words

Although HIV/AIDS is on the rise together, we can put an end to the increasing numbers. Globally HIV/AIDS is growing rapidly by the end of 2015 the number of people infected and diagnosed could beat any of the previous year’s records. Shockingly enough, this statistic even stands true for our home state Kansas. These numbers may be rising because more people want to know their statuses and are becoming aware of the dangers hidden in this deadly virus. On the other hand, people may be living more risky life styles, foolishly thinking they are above catching HIV. Regardless of the reason, the numbers are too high when the quantity of new cases should be actively decreasing. HIV is an acronym and stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.†¦show more content†¦There are also some early symptoms of HIV; these symptoms often resemble the flu with many of the symptoms being the same. A few examples are fatigue, chills, fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. These can occur as early as 2 weeks to 2 months after exposure to the virus and can seem to go away rather quickly, another symptom that does not fit in with the flu like symptoms is a rash covering the body; this is caused by your immune system being attacked. Not saying every time you feel a bit under the weather you should run to the doctor to be tested but if your involved in any risky behavior its best to know and stay aware. After all, a painless test only takes a minute. Many people still think that HIV is a virus for gay men or drug users. While this is factual, HIV is in every economical type in the world. HIV does not halt with gay men and drug users; it is everywhere! HIV is transmitted several different ways. These include sharing needles for drug use, needle sticks, blood transfusions, breast-feeding, and sexual acts. If you are involved in any of these actions, YOU ARE AT RISK! It is hard to tell individuals how to live their lives but if your one of those people who feel like they must live life on the edge then you can still take all methods imaginable to stay safe and HIV free. Using a clean needle and never sharing your needles

Metaphors And Material, Tying And Training Texts ...

Metaphors are complex comparisons used in American writing. They can be used to compare and analyze numerous things like expressions, objects, activities, and how we think. In the book, Tuning, Tying and Training Texts: Metaphors for Revision, Barbara Tomlinson, the author, discusses her viewpoints on metaphors and how they relate to the process of revision. She talks about how we come to adopt our writing process which is through, â€Å"†¦metacognitive expressions and culturally shared information† (Tomlinson 59). Metacognitive expressions are thought to be moments in life when, â€Å"writers†¦become aware of themselves as thinkers† and† also pause, â€Å"to observe themselves in the act of writing or to reflect on what they are doing† (Tomlinson 59).†¦show more content†¦Through this use of language, we can better understand why the revision process is like sculpting. In addition to using language like Lakoff and Johnson, we can also us e their method of highlighting and hiding to better comprehend the meaning of the metaphor. What can be clearly seen in the metaphor is the idea that it is best to get all your thoughts and ides down on paper so you can then go back and have only minor things that need revising. What can be hidden in this type of revision process is that there are countless possibilities to making tiny changes, resulting in the writing never fully being satisfied. It could go on and on and on because there’s always ways to improve your writing and change the meaning, which is why displeasure can be hidden. The comparison of revising to sculpting relates to how I view my revision process to be. I like to make my rough draft as complete as I can and then go back to fix little things for my revision. This is like the sculpting metaphor because in sculpting you start with something as whole, like me making my rough draft as complete as it can be, then you go back and keep working on it until you have ended up with what you were looking for, in this case a sculpture or a complete paper. I find this way of revision to be beneficial because I think it is always best to get everything down the first time so you and your peers have more to work with later on andShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesmymanagementlab is an online assessment and preparation solution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSlowik Art Director: Kenny Beck Text and Cover Designer: Wanda Espana OB Poll Graphics: Electra Graphics Cover Art: honey comb and a bee working / Shutterstock / LilKar Sr. Media Project Manager, Editorial: Denise Vaughn Media Project Manager, Production: Lisa Rinaldi Full-Service Project Management: Christian Holdener, S4Carlisle Publishing Services Composition: S4Carlisle Publishing Services Printer/Binder: Courier/Kendallville Cover Printer: Courier/Kendalville Text Font: 10.5/12 ITC New BaskervilleRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesMichael, 1943– II. American Historical Association. D421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992 Printed in the United States of America 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 C ONTENTS Introduction Michael Adas 1 1 World Migration in the Long Twentieth Century †¢ Jose C. Moya and Adam McKeown 9 †¢ 2 Twentieth-Century

Argumentive Paper on Illegal Downloading of Music Free Essays

1. Speech Title: Our Modern Day Pirates 2. Speaker/Audience: An environmental activist/local group of environmental activists. We will write a custom essay sample on Argumentive Paper on Illegal Downloading of Music or any similar topic only for you Order Now 3. Purpose of Speech: EXAMPLE: To convince my audience to take action to preserve the tropical rainforests. 4. Thesis: EXAMPLE: I. Attention A) Alright so who here, and be honest knows that they have illegally downloaded one of their favorite movies, music exct.? (hands will be raised) Ah!!! So there are my thieves B) The usage of illegal downloading has been a huge problem in the creation of the arts. Millions of dollars are being invested into the hard work that’s produced for the enjoyment of the society and is lost. C) For those who don’t know stealing movies or music or anything is against the law. And trust me later on in my speech your going to know how unconstitutional it is to steal. Credibility) I have witnessed one of my fathers friends who was in a band. They were starting to grow into a successful band, opened for kiss at the red rocks. Soon to come, CDs stop selling and Xirens own money that he put in was lost due to illegal down loads. E Preview) From this speech you will learn 1) how illegal downloading started its affect on artists that supply the music. 2) You will learn Statistics on how it financially affects the music business and others, 3) the consequences of illegal downloading and 4) cheap alternatives to satisfy your needs in hopes to stop this madness. Transition) Lets go back to June the year was 1999. A creator Shwan Fanning Started one of the most unethical practices of file sharing called Napster. II. Body: A. Need: It all started with a simple project that was created called file sharing. File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digital stored information such has mp3 or music file. 1. According to an article ( R. I. P Napster) The excuse that Napster promoted for illegal downloading was â€Å"The recorded companies had let them down by only putting on a few hit singles and fills it up with songs just to get more money. † So Napster was programmed for individuals to select certain songs and not pay for it. When this happened, then millions of others begin to upload their own music and share it with others around the globe. This lead to major copy writes infringements, which eventually put Napster out of business. It was too late though. Now some arguments that I have heard when I ask why do you illegally download music? The response is, the record companies cheat the artists out of their money anyways. They see the record companies as big monsters who are evilly personified. Your basically playing robin hood when you go and download stuff without paying for it. Your ripping off the record companies. You think â€Å"yea were beating this big evil monster†. 2. Unfortunately if you only knew the business part of it, the money that is spent on the CDs or on I-tunes goes straight to the big evil monster record companies. Once this happens then the artists who produced that music gets a generous profit from the record company. 3) The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is extremely concerned with the illegal downloading. Since Napster, Music Sales have dropped 47% from loosing 14. 6 billion dollars. (TechDirt. net) From 2004- 2009 30 billion songs were illegally downloaded on file sharing networks. Illegal downloading loses the music industry 12. billion dollars a year, and said from 2004-2009 over 71,000 jobs were lost. This includes not only music artist but sound engineers, technicians, warehouse workers and even record store clerks. Illegal downloading under minds the future of music. by stealing the music you take away the music industries resources it needs to find new talent and holt the uprising of better music. *When w e steal and download illegally a copious amount of music then the record companies are not getting enough money and profit to pay the artists. This is when the only outcome is punishment for participating in this scheme. B. Satisfaction: Its now time that drastic measures must be taken. Just last year a federal jury found a thirty two year old women who was charged 1. 9 million dollars. Charged 80,000 a song and only illegally downloaded 24 songs roughly twenty four bucks with the . 99 cent charge fee on I-tunes. (Digital Media Magazine) Was it worth it? If you are caught the record companies get to decided based off infridment laws how much they can sue in individual. This is just one of the many cases who has been charged according to the copy write laws. S1. One way to stop this problem is to educate others on this subject. According to (Teens less likely to illegal download when they know ) 70% of people who were interviewed had no idea file sharing was illegal. These could be lies due to the fact of being afraid being sued, but 2. With the education on illegal downloading Between 2006-2009 16-20% of illegal downloading has declined, and 15-30% of people were engaged in legal downloading of music. Transition) *To keep you out of the dog house here are some safe alternatives so you can enjoy your music or in this case movies as well C. Visualization: If you think that there is no other way to satisfy your music/movie needs then think again. Example: I-tunes, Pandora radio, or even Netflix are safe legal ways to accesses music and movies. Netflix is one of the best alternatives to view movies and T. V shows. You only pay 7. 99 a month and receive unlimited movies. Example) Also big Television networks such as NBC,MTV and FOX will let you view episodes of your favorite shows. If we stop the illegal downloading just think of how much support artist will have and money to create even better music! *Now lets turn to some basic tips and a short story that helped me stop illegal downloading. D. Action: 1) Since illegal downloading is such an easy task to do, think to yourself how you can be the domino effect of the down fall of the music industry. 2) Now I cant be there sitting over each and everyone of your shoulders and advise your descion to legally download. When I crashed my old computer using a file sharing called KAZA my father was livid. He gave me advice on how to govern my own actions. He asked me if I knew what the definition of character was. With 8 different translations of the word character in Webster dictionary my father came up with the ninth. He said Alex â€Å"Character is based on your actions and morals when no one is watching. Conclusion. Summary: In conclusion you have learned the beginning stages of illegal downloading, and how to combat this situation with safer alternatives. Importance: You saw how important legal down loading can be for the music industry and others, and the importance of supporting musicians by buying their music. Clincher: So just because no one is around and its just you behind the screen of your computer, think to yourself before you download if you’re a thief or a honorable person. How to cite Argumentive Paper on Illegal Downloading of Music, Papers

Hotel Rwanda free essay sample

Hotel Rwanda is set in Kigali when there was a chaos in 1994 between the two ethnic groups in Rwanda, Hutu and Tutsi. The story itself centers on Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a manager of an extravagant Des Mille Collines hotel in Kigali. The problem between the two ethnic groups arises when the Hutu extremists set out a plan to eradicate all the Tutsis in Kigali. The Hutu extremists even propagate the message that all Tutsis are worth nothing and calling them â€Å"cockroaches† through a radio station. The atrocities escalate when some of the Tutsi rebels murdered the President of Rwanda. Since then, the Hutu extremists became more violent toward the Tutsis and began their genocide of the Tutsis. After that, Paul has to do everything that he can to protect his family. Paul himself is a Hutu, however, his wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) is a Tutsi. Although in the beginning Paul only wanted to protect his wife and his three children, his conscience made him protect his Tutsi friends and neighbors as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Hotel Rwanda or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He bribed the militia to spare his family and his neighbors lives and brought them all to Des Mille Collines hotel. During the atrocities, instead of helping, all of the United Nations officials are called back and the European guests and staffs are being evacuated from Rwanda. Rwanda was left to solve its problem without any help. This left Paul in charge of the hotel all by himself. Soon after that, more and more people are coming to the hotel and ask for protection. Thus, the hotel became a refugee camp for around 1000 people. With his intelligence and his overseas political contacts, Paul is trying to save his family and other people from the atrocities of the Hutu extremists. After being threatened by the militia for protecting the Tutsis, in the end Paul managed to save his family and more than 1,200 refugees. Despite only centered around one character, Paul Rusesabagina, Hotel Rwanda gives a clear picture of what happened during the 1994 Rwanda chaos. It highlighted the genocide that occurred because of the separation between the two ethnic groups, and each group thinks they belong in Rwanda more than the other. The film is also successful in showing up the atrocities caused by the ethnic conflict, and stirs the audience emotion and conscience. The division between Hutu and Tutsi has already existed long before the Belgian occupation, but the Belgian made the gap between the two groups larger by privileging the Tutsis more than Hutus (http://www. heinonline. org. ezproxy. lib. monash. edu. au/HOL/ Page? handle=hein. journals/jrefst9div=28collection=journalsset_as_cursor=9men_tab=srchresults). This ethnic division has sparked problems for years. Then, after the Belgian left Rwanda, the political power was given to Hutu group. This gave way to the Hutu extremists who believe that Rwanda is a Hutu land to perform anti-Tutsi propaganda and started the ethnic cleansing. The process of democratization after the Belgian left might be one of the cause that triggered the ethnic conflict in Rwanda. As stated in one of the reading in the Unit Book, many scholars agree that democratization can be problematic in multi-ethnic societies, and often exacerbates existing ethnic problems (Brown, 1997). In the case of Rwanda, when the Hutu gained political power, the ethnic problem between that group and the Tutsi intensified. Furthermore, Brown stated in his article, â€Å"Ethnicity and Violence†, that when the military of a country is loyal to a single ethnic group, then there are prospects of ethnic conflicts that will be hard to manage (Brown, 1997). This problem can be seen in the film, the militia favored the Hutu and contributed to the eradication of the Tutsis. As a result, the ethnic conflict that led to genocide was unavoidable since the military was supposed to help diminish the problem instead of contributing to the conflict. The plot in â€Å"Hotel Rwanda† flows smoothly from the beginning of the ethnic problem in Kigali to the height of the conflict that leads to genocide. The film shows the already existing ethnic problem in the beginning, to the way the military react to the ethnic group, and the genocide that happened soon after that. All of that highlight the causes of the ethnic conflict that are stated in the article â€Å"Ethnicity and Violence†. In conclusion, the film â€Å"Hotel Rwanda† did a good job in portraying the actual ethnic conflict that happened in Rwanda. Although the story itself centered around one character in the film, but the plot can emphasize the

The Glorious Death of Achilles free essay sample

While Achilles as an epic hero possesses all the characteristics that made him noble including other characteristics that lead to his downfall such as pride and wrath, still these contribute for him to attain a death that is noble and glorious for the sake of comradeship and loyalty, all for Patroclus. An epic is genre in literature that revolves its plot on heroism such as the lives of Achilles, Odysseus, and Beowulf. As a matter of fact, the history of the epic is traceable to the so called â€Å"Heroic Age† as a repository of the wars that has taken place in history. Since the epic is usually set in the heroic age, an epic is known to have given birth to the notion of an epic hero or otherwise known as the tragic hero in literature (Abercrombie 11). The term epic hero, in general, refers to a person with a superior social status, most often a king or a leader. We will write a custom essay sample on The Glorious Death of Achilles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His physical attributes are usually tall, handsome, and muscular. More than having the body that resembles that of the God statue in Greece, the epic hero is also expected to be preeminent, athletic and more so, imbued with fighting skills. The skills that are contemplated out of him are not only the physical fitness to fight but also the courage and the determination. Moreover, he is also outstanding intellectually and strategically. In order for the hero to display his true nature and abilities, he has to go to a crisis like a war or a quest in which his response to hi predicaments will all that matters in determining his fate (Toohey 10). There is pattern to the epic hero’s quest in determining his real strength. At first, he had to be at odds with the community. These are for various reasons such as disrespect to the gods and his fellow warriors. This will then be followed by a long wandering to that will allow him to ponder on things and gain an understanding of himself.   After contemplated on what he has done and surmounted numerous feats, he will return to his community and will be wholeheartedly accepted by the citizens. After conquering his weaknesses, the hero will now attain loyalty, patience, empathy, and a proper sense of shame and dignity (Toohey 11). In Homer, the heroic ideal is the â€Å"powerful image of the physically perfect young hero dying for fame and escaping maturation by achieving a good death that ends his physical history in combat (Miller 4).† Another heroic ideal that is evident in the epics of Homer is that the hero death is purposely to defend the state. This is often referred to as the glorious death (Miller 5). In Iliad, death is seen as inescapable and final. Those who incur death through fighting for their motherland achieve glory and outlive finite life (Silk 60). Moreover, the epic hero is not like any other man like us. He is distinct from us. He serves as a paradigm with their ability and courage to risk death. He may be â€Å"mortal and so not actually gods, but whether in-human, sub-human, or seemingly super-human, they are remote from ordinary humanity (Silk 62).† However, despite all these positive traits that an epic hero possesses, he does not remain untarnished. According to Aristotle, the so called â€Å"noble hero† in an epic possesses the hubristic tragic flaw. This tendency is drawn upon the belief of the tragic hero in his self not only by reason of his high status in the society but also his god-like ability and mortality. Because of these hubristic tendencies that he possesses, he is usually destroyed by divine intervention mostly because of his tendencies to anger the gods. These two usually bring the epic hero into his final downfall – death. However, as mentioned earlier, his death would not be a futile endeavor for his death would be celebrated as a noble deed among his country man. Moreover, the predicament of the epic hero brings about catharsis to readers that evoke pity and awe from readers instead of anger or blame (Miller 7). Achilles is among the great Greek warriors, if not the greatest, in Greece’s war against Troy as chronicled by the epic poem The Iliad by Homer. The characteristics of an epic hero as enumerated above sure fit Achilles. In the first place, he is of superior status. He is â€Å"an exceptional hero [with a] suitably special, even alien, background. His mother is a sea-nymph and he was brought up by a centaur Chiron. And during the action these alien connections are evoked by his god-made weapons, his talking horse, his flight with a river (Silk 78).† In terms of physical attribute and fighting skills, there is no doubt that Achilles is one of a kind. In Homer’s description of him while in wrath he said, â€Å"Godlike Achilles, swift of foot, sat by his ships,/ still angry over fair-complexioned Briseis, seized/ from Lyrnessus after heavy fighting./ Achilles had laid waste Lyrnessus and Thebes’s walls, / overthrown the spearman Mynes and Epistrophus, / sons of the Lord Eunus, son of king Selepius (Homer 49).† Moreover, he is known to be fierce in battle. He was endowed by his mother Thesis and invincibility power against attacks. As a matter of fact, he is portrayed by Homer as undefeatable in war. When Achilles decided to not join the war because Agamemnon had done him wrong, the Trojans were much confident in defeating the Greeks which means they consider Achilles as the bearer of the torch of victory. In the words of Homer: â€Å"When Lord Achilles used to go to battle, / the Trojans didn’t dare to venture out/ beyond the Dradanian gates. They feared/ his mighty spear. But now they’re fighting/ well outside the city, by out hollow ships (Homer 117).† However, just like any other epic hero, Achilles’ downfall is due to his hubristic tendencies. He believes too much in himself. He considers himself as immortal not only because the invincibility power that her mother endowed to him but also because of his strength, courage, and fighting ability. He considers himself an important puzzle piece in the army which he really is. When he was rubbed the wrong way by Agamemnon by taking Briseis away from him, he refused to go to war which was a drawback to the Greeks. Because of his pride and his refusal in joining the army into battle, Patroclus decided to wear his armor so as to suck the confidence among the Trojans now that Achilles is back in the field. However, this act of Patroclus leads to the first stage in the downfall of Achilles. The death of Patroclus is the very reason why he waged revenge against Hector which was the commencement of his own death. When Patroclus died, Achilles was so devastated that he â€Å"will slaughter Hector. From that moment on, / [He’ll] make the Trojans steadily fall back, leaving the ships, until Achaeans take/ steep Ilion, with Athena’s grace (Homer 316).† Despite the intervention of the gods including his mother’s foreboding of his destine death id he kills Hector, he remained determined to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus. He is consumed with both grief and wrath that he â€Å"scooped up soot and dust and poured it/ on his head, covering his handsome face with dirt, covering his sweet-smelling tunic with black ash (Homer 396).† Despite his knowledge that he is going to die after hector dies which means that the death of hector implies his own, he was not taken aback. This is not for the reason of pride for he has already fulfilled his first stage of his downfall. This is where anger consumes him. However, we would also see Achilles in the positive side of the spectrum which would render him different among other epic heroes. In Achilles, we see a man that will die not only for himself, or his motherland, but also for a friend. When he was warned by his mother that his death follows that of Hector, he did not hesitate. He did not fear his life for the reason that he is going to risk his life to give honor to Patroclus, his good comrade. Instead of a self-absorbed hero that we see at the beginning of the play, we now see Achilles as someone who will risk his life for someone that is important. Not the kind of sacrifice that he is to do to get Briseis back but the kind of sacrifice that a mother will do for her daughter and a father will do for his son. His death, therefore, is what was discussed above, that of a â€Å"glorious death.† I think this is the reason why Achilles has remained to be one of the most celebrated heroes in the history of epic poetry. He brings about catharsis to readers, a sense of pity and awe which is the final stage of an epic drama. His willingness to sacrifice his life all for the sake of comradeship is the noblest that he has done beyond all the battles that he has won and enemies that he has slain. Despite all his weaknesses his pride and his anger, his act of risking his life for Patroclus, says it all of his being a hero. Works Cited Homer, Johnston, Ian and Crowe, Ian. The Iliad: A New Translation. U.S.A: Richer ResourcesPublications, 2006. Miller, Dean A. The Epic Hero. Maryland: John Hopkins Press, 2000. Toohey, Peter. Reading Epic: An Introduction to the Ancient Narratives. London: Routledge, 1992. Silk, Michael. Homer: The Iliad. A Student Guide. London: Cambridge University Press,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2004.

Politics in Egypt

Politics in Egypt Failure of Secular Political Movements In most cases, secular political movements fail because of lack of organization and the spontaneous nature of these groups. These groups often arise spontaneously without proper organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Politics in Egypt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The movements are, therefore, often not identified with a particular leader. The lack of predefined leadership agendas dents the movement’s strength as rivalries arise from the different groups constituting the movement. The movement, thus, has to handle challenges of institutionalizing their diverse interests. With time, various governance issues such as qualification of the leaders, the people to spearhead constitution making, what the constitution should entail, and scheduling of elations arise. Leadership wrangles are also dominant in absence of well defined succession plans. Despite the popularity of the secular movements, internal rivalries are common. This was the cause of divisions in the Muslim brotherhood in the 1980s and 1990s where the group split along key personalities (Rutherford 89). Generational disparities also contribute to the failure of political movements. Internal divisions may arise due to reluctance to integrate the agendas of the different age groups, especially the young generation, into decision making organs. Conflict of interest across the generation and reluctance of leaders to give the young people the opportunity to utilize their skills can cause rivalry.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ideological differences may also come out across the generation, whereby the young generation may be willing to accommodate new concepts and ideas while the older generation of leaders is rigid. This was witnessed in the breakup of Muslim brotherho od in 1996 when the old generation of leaders refused to support the youth’s propositions of incorporating other groups into their organization (Rutherford 90). This caused the youths to split from the main organization and formed their political party, though not successful. Evolution of other organizations which are autonomous and financially well endowed threatens the political movements. This may be so when the emerging groups do not have commitment to the movement’s common goal, in spite of the groups being sympathizers of the movement. The movement, therefore, remains as an umbrella body for the different parties having divergent purposes and ideologies. The regime of the day may also impose repressive measures against the movement, often leading to disintegration of the movement. Threats, detention and imprisonment of the members of the movement often put the organizational structure of the movement into disarray, thus weakening it. The repressive measures can c reate leadership crises, impacting on the hold of the movement in the population. This is exemplified by the repression activities of the government in 1970s and 1980s that affected the organizational structure of the Muslim brotherhood. This reduced its influence among the different Islamic activists.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Politics in Egypt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government also elevated the generational differences across this group by cracking down on young members, whereas the older members who were the leaders did not respond to these sufferings (Rutherford 91). The movement may often appeal to the masses, spanning across social, religious, ideologies and all age differences. It can, therefore, be made up of people from all walks of life, including those in the economy, military, youth activists and politicians. Sectarian groups may take advantage of lack of proper leadership mechanisms and pursue their interests once they have attained power, contributing to failure of the movement. For instance, the military may exercise too much power and attempt to exert regulations on the pace and type of change to be implemented. The military may often rule with decrees and such rule is not overseen by anybody, for example parliament or opposition. Thus, the military rules without consulting the general public on major issues (International Crisis Group 2). Common values of Islamists and Secularists Islamists and secularists share various dimensions of constitutionalism, among them being the, â€Å"rule of law, constraints on state power, protection of civil and political rights and public participation in politics† (Rutherford 101). In the rule of law, the Islamists and secularists have agreements on shar’ia as the basis of governance. Shari’a must be derived from the Qur’an or the Sunnah obtained from reliable sources.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shari’a defines the ethical and spiritual ways that the believer must follow to live a moral life in accordance with God’s ways. Thus, every believer is obliged to follow shar’ia. Shar’ia also establishes the legal and moral principles for a spiritually enriched society. Through demonstration of the expected moral values to be adhered to, shar’ia promotes harmony and stability in the nation. The Shar’ia teachings also stipulate that to lead a spiritual life, one must meditate and interact with fellow believers and practice the teachings. It is, thus, the responsibility of the state to steer the people to have good morals by enforcing shar’ia. These topics have no contention and are not subject to discussion, thus the Islamism and secularists have an accord. Issues that are not available in the Qur’an and Sunnah require formulation of laws that are in agreement with Shari’a. These laws must be generated through governance in different political, social, cultural, and economic settings. The man-made laws are established based on fundamental pillars of Shar’ia in relation to governance. These principles include, †to establish justice, to rule through consultation (shura), to govern in a manner accountable to the citizenry, to derive laws from the Islamic Shar’ia, and to respect the people’s rights† (Rutherford 103). Governance is, therefore, aimed at employing the central pillars of Shari’a to formulate laws. The people designing these laws must consider the expectation of the community while upholding the Shar’ia principles. The laws do not contradict Shar’ia if they address the needs of the community and are geared towards addressing the interests of the citizens. In addition, the formulated laws must cater for the expectations of the community and the unique nature of the demands at that time. The laws are also formulated by building consensus c oncerning the issue at hand, in accordance to shar’ia principles and reflecting diverse knowledge and opinions. The Shar’ia, thus, allows for application of non-Muslim ideologies to handle situations in life as long as the ideologies do not contradict the shar’ia. The laws should mirror the values and sense of justice. The Islamists and secularists believe that Muslims have to reinterpret religion to correspond with issues in the contemporary world. Governance by Shar’ia is reaffirmed when the citizens and state demonstrate honest attempts to behave as pertains to Islam and not just oriented towards the particular legislative outcome. Shari’a is based on protecting, â€Å"religion, rationality, property and wealthy† (Rutherford 122). This means that it is enforced to promote justice, fairness, and compassion, and thus laws that stratify these ethical issues are compliant with shar’ia. The process of formulating laws is important in re inforcing Shar’ia. This requires careful consideration of challenges facing the Egyptians and evaluating the possible laws that can help while reflecting Shari’a principles. The role of religious leaders is secondary to drafting the law and interpreting shar’ia. In constraints of state power, exercising state power is confined under Shari’a, hence the people can ignore or even impeach a leader whose conduct and rule contradicts Shari’a. The people have the freedom of expressing allegiance to the state that is founded on Shar’ia, and which responds to the community’s will. The leader is, thus, elected by the citizens and is responsible to them. The leader as a human being can make mistakes as he is not divine, hence he should always engage his subjects on major issues. The state must also be subjected to checks and balances, hence the essence of decentralizing powers to other governance organs and empowering civil societies (Rutherford 112). In protection of civil and political rights, Islamists and secularists have common values in upholding individual rights and freedom. All the citizens have rights to, â€Å"better living standards, life, dignity, and property† (Rutherford 113). Ideal governance is based on, â€Å"consultation, justice, freedom, equality and the accountability of the ruler† (Rutherford 113). Freedom to express one’s self, to think and inquire is essential in practicing Islam faith. Islamists and secularists also believe in public participation in politics. The people are, therefore, supposed to be involved in electing their leaders. By consulting the people, the state gives the citizens a chance to participate in determining governance. Status of Shar’ia under Mubarak and Current Discussions Shari’a is the main source of legislation in Egypt, under article 2 of the constitution. This means that all the legislations must be derived from the principles of Shari ’a. In interpretation of the article, the court in 1985 ruled that the principles of shar’ia must be applied into positive state law. The Shari’a has two principles; those which are express and cannot be debated, and those which can be applied in relation to different contexts. These relative principles are subject to interpretations while adhering to Shari’a. In Mubarak’s regime, two constitutional amendments were carried out but all of them left article 2 intact. Regarding family and personal status laws, the laws were ramified in accordance to shari’a; though this ramification was not comprehensive. Family conflicts such as divorce and alimony were put together to form one case in 2004 so that they can be heard by one court. Personal status laws are enacted by the parliament. The legislation of laws was often followed by some explanations to demonstrate how the laws were adopted and backing literature to justify the legislation (ISLAMOPED IA para 1). Current discussions Having ascended to power, Muslim brotherhood is advocating for consultative governance according to Islam. Muslim brotherhood perceives public engagement in politics as essential in governance. This can be promoted by carrying out free and fair elections in order to choose leaders who demonstrate accountability. This approach is, however, not shared by some scholars who see perceive embedded problems in mass politics, such as enactment of legislation that is not established on ethical principles of Islam (ISLAMOPEDIA para 1). Instead, these scholars are of the view that the state should put organs that can maintain checks and balances, for example a constitutional court that makes sure the formulated legislative measures are in accordance to Shari’a. After the ouster of Mubarak and subsequent entry of the new regime, constitutional plans to amend the constitution were initiated. The main discussions in the amendment of the constitution gravitat ed around article 2 which invokes shar’ia as the major source of laws. People opposed to this article cite it as being biased and the article does not address those people having divergent religious views. Those against the proposals to change article 2 were concerned that changing it was likely to cause sectarian rivalry (ISLAMOPEDIA para 2). However, as the secular groups are minorities, most people are opposed to amending the article. International Crisis Group. â€Å"Popular protest in North Africa and the Middle East (1): Egypt Victorious?† Middle East/North Africa Report No. 101. 2012. Web. ISLAMOPEDIA. Islam and the state of post Mubarak era 2012. Web. Rutherford, Bruce K. Egypt after Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam, and democracy in the Arab world. Oxford: Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics, 2012. Print.

Interview project assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview project assignment - Essay Example This paper reports an interview with marketing manager in a five star hotel exploring his career path, job duties and personal feelings about a career in the hospitality industry. Career Path of the Interviewee According to the sales personnel, getting to the position of marketing manager was not an easy ride. He has been working at the hotel for the last twenty-five years. From the information that he divulged, he was one of the few lucky who was recruited through graduate trainee program of the hotel. After working in different departments for two years, he was absorbed into the hotel because of his astounding performance as a management trainee. His main aspiration was to land in the position of a marketing manager one day. Having pursued a bachelor degree in hotel and hospitality management, he felt that he really needed to pursue a marketing degree, which would make him a more suited candidate for the job. As such, he enrolled as a part-time student for a degree program in marke ting. After completing his marketing course in three years, it took another two years before he was promoted to the rank of assistant marketing manager of the hotel. ... Job Duties From the interview it emerged that the main responsibility of a marketing manager is to maximize revenues for the hotel through development of strategic programs that would ensure maximum use of the hotel’s facilities. He or she must be informed of current factors that influence the performance of the hotel industry and also know the need of the customers as well as their attitudes. He is responsible for marketing coordination and promotional drives aimed at meeting or exceeding the expectations of customers. He must work in conjunction with other staffs of the hotel in order to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction at all times. Basically, the interviewee mentioned his main duties at the hotel as research, promotion, creation of awareness, maintaining good customer relationships and develop training program for marketing staff. According to the information obtained, as a marketing manager, one must research on factors that appeal to the customers of the hotel . It is crucial to monitor comments by customers on the hotel’s website or on the hotel’s booking sites so as to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel. Research also involves direct interaction with clients and making follow-up calls so as to discover areas that need improvement. Developing promotion programs is an intrinsic responsibility of the marketing manager. There is usually the need to increase occupancy during low seasons. Promotion drive may include running special events and giving coupons. Ensuring easy accessibility of the hotel to customers is also another important duty of the marketing manager. The manager should ensure that current information about facilities; services and rates are available to customers on websites and brochures. The marketing

Astronomy Homework Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Astronomy Homework Assignment - Essay Example Galaxies are not close to each other. Hence, perhaps at one point, there were star clusters at one place and galaxies closer to each other. The brilliant, Greek mathematician and astronomer, Eratosthenes of Cyrene had an easier way of using geometry in determining the size of the earth (Woolfson 22). He assumed that the sun was miles away, perhaps compared to the distance between the ancient city Cyrene and Alexandria in Egypt where he was the chief librarian. Hence, concluding that the rays from the sun at these locations must have been parallel. There is an error in this assumption because the sun is in constant motion and Cyrene is also due south of Alexandria. Hence, such parallel angles in locations, as he suggested are likely to change. Though Ptolemaic system had several observable failings, it still remained as an accepted science for more than 1800 years (Woolfson 24). Perhaps it is because it was a geocentric model which had unanswerable questions which were mostly based on rational reasoning. In addition, the Catholic Church in the middle ages had supreme authority and had widely accepted Ptolemy’s philosophy. Therefore, any person opposed to the geocentric system got punished because the person was guilty of heresy, a crime at time. Galileo proved that the sun was at the centre, based on several observations he made about Venus (Woolfson 34). By using the telescope he saw that Venus had similar phases to the moon. The nature of these phases was only explainable if Venus was going around the sun. Through this he found out that Earth orbits around the Sun, proving that the Sun is at the centre. During Nicholas De Cusa’s time in 1401 to 1464, The Catholic Church was not the supreme authority because his views showed that he believed that each religion is of equal value. During Giordano Bruno’s time in 1584, The Catholic Church had a lot of powers sentenced people to death for a crime such as witchcraft (Woolfson 35). Hence, the

Tackling Problem Behaviour in Classrooms | Case Study

Tackling Problem Behaviour in Classrooms | Case Study Single Subject Design Abstract The following addresses the case study level C, case 2. It concludes on how to tackle problem behavior faced by teachers in class rooms through single subject research designs and offers a few solutions on how to counter act them. Dependent Variable The dependent variables (DV) in this case are two specific behaviors demonstrated by Rachel, which are: Not raising her hand before answering a question Unnecessarily communicating with her peers during class lecture Independent Variable The independent variable (IV) will be the response of the teachers to Rachel’s problematic behavior, that is how they reprimand her and the corrective measures they take to correct her behavior in class so that she learns to follow the class room norms and maintain discipline and abides by the rules similar to her peers. Behavior Which Needs To Be Changed Rachel demonstrates two sets of behavior related to disturbing classroom discipline which she needs to rectify in order to maintain the decorum of the class room. Firstly, Rachel needs to learn to raise her hand before answering questions asked by her teachers during comprehension and reading activities like everyone else instead of just blurting out answers without being called upon or waiting her turn. Secondly, she must learn not to pass notes to her friends or talk to her peers during class unnecessarily and pay attention to the lecture and focus on what is being taught. Single Subject Research Designs (SSRD) In SSRD, basically, the participant is passed through a non-treatment (baseline) and a treatment (experimental condition) phase and his performance is identified during each phase. Since Rachel is the only one in her class demonstrating problem behavior, she will be the only test subject and will act as her own control group. In this type of design a non-treatment stage is first initiated till the performance in question validates steadiness. When the behavior becomes steady, the treatment stage is started. Since Rachel’s obtrusive behavior is already very consistent we can move on to the next phase in our research design. Based on the data collected through direct observation of Rachel’s behavior, in Mr. Smith and Mrs. Patel’s biology class during reading and comprehension activities, and the personal insight of the observer a treatment plan for Rachel will be developed as a corrective measure for her behavior. The behavior in demand, the dependent variable in the experiment, that is, Rachel not raising her hand before answering a question and passing notes to her friends in class and talking to her peers will be measured through appropriate data collection methods. In this scenario event recording (frequency of the target behavior is noted with each one having a specific beginning and end) and interval recording (observation of an individual during specified observation periods divided into equal time intervals) will be most appropriate. The observer has to be discrete while collecting data so that the subject remains unaware that he/she is being observed as this might cause them to bec ome cautious and change their pattern of behavior causing distortion in the data collected leading to incorrect results. It is always wiser to assess a group of students than a single individual as to ward off suspicion. (Sachse-Lee) The event recording chart shows on which specific occasions Rachel has spoken out of turn in class and on which ones she waited to be called on. A written record provides an actual proof of her behavior and provides a justification for taking corrective measures against her actions. The interval recording chart shows how many times the problem behavior has occurred over a specific period of time. If the frequency of occurrence of problem behavior is greater than what otherwise might be considered normal, it calls for corrective measures to be taken to correct the situation, which is the case for Rachel. The results of a single subject experiment are classically understood by mentioning to the behavioral chart in which the data is shown graphically. For example, the ‘number of lectures’ can be plotted on the x-axis and the ‘number of times hand raised before answering a question’ can be plotted on the y-axis. The effectiveness of IV can be measured by the direction of the behavior before and after the experimental condition was implemented. Statistics are not usually used to understand the outcomes of single subject experiments but if the slope of curve moves upwards and becomes steeper it means that Rachel raised her hand before answering a question a greater number of times after the implementation of experimental conditions than she did under the baseline conditions. A distinct slope is stronger indication that the behavior is varying than if the slope is a gentle one. (Strain) ABA Change Format An ABA design is such type of single subject research design in which contributors are first presented to a baseline state (A). In the baseline state, no treatment or experimental variable is presented. After this the participants obtain the experimental state or treatment (B), after which they arrive to the baseline condition (A). The ABA design enables the experimenters to detect behavior before treatment, throughout treatment and after the treatment. To establish a course of action or experimental conditions to rectify Rachel’s behavior is important to first establish goals, that is, what is hopped to be accomplished after the experiment or what kind of short term and long term behavioral changes are expected to be demonstrated by Rachel. Short term Rachel raises her hand to answer and awaits her turn to speak in class. Rachel stops talking to her peers unnecessarily during lectures or pass notes to her friends. Rachel concentrates more on what is being taught and improves her grades. Long term Rachel discontinues all problem behavior and learns to follow the discipline and norms of any institute that she may attend after graduating and develops a sense of responsibility and maturity. Teachers are faced with challenges even before they begin to educate students. Not only are teachers responsible for teaching the core academic subjects such as reading, math, science, and social studies, but teachers are also presented with nonacademic challenges that influence their instruction (Lassen, Steele, Sailor, 2006). First of all, in the face of discretion Rachel cannot be made to feel the center of attention or that steps to rectify her behavior are being taken. As this can cause her to rebel and worsen the condition by making her behavior more extreme. Secondly, sending Rachel to the office every time she demonstrates any kind of problem behavior must be terminated. It only makes her feel like she is being bullied or unfairly targets. Under both these scenarios Rachel’s behavior cannot be improved or rectified. A more group focused approach is required for positive results. The entire class should be told what kind of behavior constitutes as acceptable or unacceptable in class with a set of rules mandatory for all to follow under the pretense that problem behavior will lead to negative marking which will affect their grades. Another approach can be to reinforce positive behavior instead of punishing negative behavior. Students who behave in a desirable or exemplary manner in class can be rewarded via a small token of appreciation, which be wither verbal appreciation, a piece of candy or deciding which chapter to be quizzed on. The teachers can be as creative as they like. Bibliography Sachse-Lee, C. (n.d.). A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject. Retrieved March Sunday, 2014, from http://ldx.sagepub.com/content/33/2/114.short Strain, S. L. (n.d.). Evidence-Based Practice in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education: Single-Subject Design Research. Retrieved March Sunday, 2014, from http://jei.sagepub.com/content/25/2/151.short How Can a Midwife Support the Family? How Can a Midwife Support the Family? Title: Describe the positive and negative aspects of being in the NUCLEAR FAMILY. How can the midwife support the NUCLEAR FAMILY. Undergraduate Degree Level Essay 2,500 words Essay The family unit is an entity which is defined by environment and culture as much as behaviour. Different civilisations and cultures will define â€Å"the family† in different ways. Economic considerations are often paramount in the transition from an extended family to the nuclear family and social commentators often refer to the difficulties in establishing a new household base (in areas of high rent or commercial property value) as being one of the major obstacles to the emergence of the nuclear family as the common features of society. To quote Margaret Mead: Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, weve put it in an impossible situation. It is not surprising perhaps that members of the nuclear family can find themselves in emotional and practical turmoil. (Mead M 1972) Cultural factors may also be significant such as the Hindu â€Å"joint family† where a marriage will being two family groups together as one family unit. (Bengtson V L 2001) The first task in this essay is to describe and define the nuclear family. It first appeared in the scientific literature just after the war and was used to describe the family structure of a mother, father and their children. A formal definition could be: The nuclear family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction. It contains adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults. (Murdock, G P 1949). In modern social literature it is also sometimes used in the context of stable single parent families or families where the parents are a non-conjugal couple. In this essay we shall consider the nuclear family to be in the original Murdock tradition. In the context of the implications for midwifery, we should also consider the implications of a being nuclear family. The literature often describes its positive features as including being a haven which encourages intimacy, love and trust where individuals may escape the competition of dehumanising forces in modern society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ a place for escape from the rough and tumble industrialised world, and as a place where warmth, tenderness and understanding can be expected from a loving mother and protection from the world can be expected from the father. (Popenoe D 1997) The family life was famously pilloried by Nancy Mitford in her autobiography: â€Å"The great advantage of living in a large family is that early lesson of lifes essential unfairness.† (Acton H 1999) Although this was clearly intended as a flippant comment, one can suggest that the concept of the family as a haven is still both admitted and encouraged by social scientists, but in modern UK society the mechanisms of social protection and support that are currently available to most somewhat reduces the role of the father as â€Å"protector† and some commentators now add the concept of facilitating the ideal of personal fulfilment (or family fulfilment) as being the major role of the family unit The media would have us believe that society is decaying (The Guardian 2004) and cite the suggestion that the move towards self sufficiency, personal gratification and the move away from the extended family unit is evidence of that degeneration. The transfer of responsibility for the elderly from the family to the state and, to a lesser extent, the responsibility for childcare being assumed by the state is often put forward as further evidence of that decline. Such considerations are of peripheral importance to this essay and therefore will not be discussed further. We can examine the factors which are relevant to the change in prevalence of the nuclear family however, and these are often cited as Increase in sole occupancy dwellings and smaller family sizes Average age of marriage being older Average number of children decreasing and first birth at later age The historical pattern of fertility. >From baby boom to baby bust (instability) The ageing population. The trend towards greater life expectancy. Rising divorce rates and people who will never marry. (after Kidd K E et al. 2000) Clearly many of these factors have a resonance in the field of midwifery and we shall discuss them further. We should note however, that despite comments being made about the move away from the nuclear family structure that in the UK it is still the most prevalent stable family structure accounting for in excess of 70% of all households. If we consider briefly how the nuclear family developed, we can look back to the days of the industrial revolution when social scientists point to the move from the extended family unit to a mobility dictated by the absence of a welfare state and family members moving to live with others who were in employment. Such changes were seen as an influence to extend and modify the family unit as a whole. As the welfare state evolved, the economic pressures referred to above became less of a compelling factor and the nuclear family emerged. Some commentators use the term â€Å"dispersed extended family† due to the fact that a nuclear family is now able to keep in functional contact with other family members through the medium of telephone, fast easy travel and now email (Shaw M et al. 2002) Other factors that have changed and that are relevant to our considerations here are the relationships between parents and their children. In the past it was comparatively common to find that parents had children for economic reasons and were typically very authoritarian. The advent of social prosperity and the social support mechanisms available to UK households now mean that the economic necessity for having children is no longer viable. Parent / child relationships are said to be more loving and warmer and children are typically allowed a longer period of childhood in modern day life. There is also a considerable body of evidence to show that children are dependent on their parents for much longer than they used to be.(Wilkinson R et al. 1998) We should not suggest that this comparatively rosy assessment of the nuclear family is the only consequence of social evolution. We can point to evidence that the traditional order of life events marriage, sex and children is becoming progressively reordered. Marriage is progressively less likely to come first and progressively more likely not to happen at all. In the last three decades the levels of cohabitation has trebled and the number of babies born outside marriage has increased fivefold. In the same period the number of single parent families has increased by a factor of three. Other significant statistics are that over the last 30 years the divorce rate has doubled which currently has the effect of finding that 50% of children under the age of 16 have had to live through their parent’s divorce. The midwife is often central to the portal of support systems to the newly pregnant mother and thereby to the family. The possibilities of interaction between the midwife and the family are virtually endless and the opportunities for support and guidance at a vulnerable time in life are legion. (Pennebaker J W et al. 2002). We shall therefore use a few examples by way of illustration. One of the prime reasons cited for relationship breakdown is depression in one or both partners. This is a well recognised sequel of childbirth and the midwife can clearly play a major role in spotting the early signs, enlisting prompt intervention and offering support to the whole family unit in such circumstances. (Davidson L 2000) One recent paper examined the role of the midwife in actually preventing (or minimising) the onset and severity of post natal depression with the simple expedient of holding â€Å"debriefing† sessions. (Small R et al. 2000). The aim was to allow the mother to verbalise her experiences and to gain support and empathy from the midwife. The paper was both long and involved but, in essence, it examined the practice of debriefing, which has been successfully employed in other fields of healthcare as a means of reducing the burden of psychological morbidity, in its application to the field of midwifery. The authors point to the fact that there has only been one other qualitative trial in this area in the field of reproductive medicine and that was after spontaneous abortion when it was found to have a marked beneficial effect. (Bland J M et al. 2000) This particular paper emphasises the role that the midwife can play in providing support. The significance is that the debriefing process, as such, does not measurably reduce the incidence of maternal depression but that the support that was provided was found to reduce the psychological distress felt by the mothers. The downside of such an intervention is that it can be seen as causing introspection and medicalising of the patient’s symptomatology. Empathetic handling and a sympathetic approach would clearly be part of the midwife’s clinical acumen (Lavender T et al. 1998) and nearly all of the women who underwent the debriefing sessions said that they found then helpful. In terms of bonding and fostering the loving relationships that were commented on earlier, one could postulate that the role of the midwife in the promotion of breastfeeding activities is fundamentally important. The literature does not show any good evidence base for this hypothesis, mainly because of the fact that it would be both hard to quantify and measure, but the trial from Graffy (J et al. 2004) does support the fact that positive help and advice from healthcare professionals in the immediate postnatal period helps to promote maternal bonding which, in turn is associated with and increase in bonding in later life (Hamlyn B et al. 2000). Curiously enough the trial did not find that the intervention significantly increased the rate of breast feeding, which may be a reflection of the fact that the modern mother in the UK is bombarded with promotional messages about breast feeding from many different sources and the intervention of the midwife is not fundamentally critical to achieving this goal. The mothers interviewed afterwards who were successful in their attempts at breast feeding commented on the fact that they felt emotionally satisfied with a greater frequency than those who were not able to do so. >From the point of view of our considerations here we should note that there were a significant number of women (26% in this trial) who positively refused any help or support from any of the healthcare professionals, and this group may well benefit from careful handling and empathetic intervention in the pregnancy when the midwife is the main healthcare professional in contact with the expectant mother. The midwife has a number of constraints upon her professional involvement and, generally by virtue of time constraints she has little time to act as a councillor to the family’s problems. We should therefore consider the effect of the modern concept of the seamless interface of care and multidisciplinary team working. (Kvamme O J et al. 2001). If the midwife is working in the hospital setting and becomes aware of family difficulties she should consider it part of her professional remit to pass on her concerns and knowledge to other appropriate professionals in the healthcare team whether that is at the level of the primary healthcare team or to a specific councillor or other related agency. Clearly this is easier if the midwife is already working in the community setting (Haggerty J L et al. 2003) as both continuity and coordination are more easily controlled The thrust of this essay is to suggest that a role of the midwife is to support the newborn child as it begins its presumptive relationship with its new family and this can sometimes best be achieved by supporting the family unit during and after the birth of the child. In this regard we could finish this examination of the nuclear family with a comment from Pearl S. Buck who criticized the current system on part of emotional security aspects. He said The lack of emotional security of our young people is due, I believe, to their isolation from the larger family unit. No two people no mere father and mother as I have often said, are enough to provide emotional security for a child. He needs to feel himself one in a world of kinfolk, persons of variety in age and temperament, and yet allied to himself by an indissoluble bond which he cannot break if he could, for nature has welded him into it before he was born. (ODQ 2004) References Acton H 1999 Nancy Mitford: A Biography (Paperback) Macmillan : London 1999 Bengtson V L 2001 Journal of Marriage and Family ; Feb 2001 ; 63 , 1; Bland J M , J. Lumley, and R. Small 2000 Midwife led debriefing to reduce maternal depression BMJ, December 9, 2000 ; 321 (7274) : 1470 1470. Davidson L 2000 Psycho-social interventions in maternity care; the need for evaluation BMJ, 22 Dec 2000 Pg 24-7 Graffy J, Jane Taylor, Anthony Williams, and Sandra Eldridge 2004 Randomised controlled trial of support from volunteer counsellors for mothers considering breast feeding BMJ, Jan 2004 ; 328 : 26 ; Greif, Avner (2005). Family structure, institutions and growth: The origins and implications of Western corporatism Health Bull 2005 ; 39 : 166-72. Haggerty J L, Robert J Reid, George K Freeman, Barbara H Starfield, Carol E Adair, and Rachael McKendry 2003 Continuity of care: a multidisciplinary review BMJ, Nov 2003 ; 327 : 1219 1221 ; Hamlyn B, Brooker S, Oleinikova K, Wands S. 2000 Infant feeding 2000. London: Stationery Office, 2002. Kidd K E, Altman D G. 2000 Adherence in social context. Control Clin Trials 2000 ; 21( suppl 1) : S184 7. Kvamme O J , F Olesen, and M Samuelsson 2001 Improving the interface between primary and secondary care: a statement from the European Working Party on Quality in Family Practice (EQuiP) Qual. Health Care, Mar 2001 ; 10 : 33 39. Lavender T, Walkinshaw S A. 1998 Can midwives reduce postpartum psychological morbidity? A randomized trial. Birth 1998 ; 25 : 215 221 Mead, Margaret. 1972 Blackberry Winter: My Earlier Years. New York : William Morrow Company, Inc., 1972. Murdock, George Peter (1949). Social Structure. New York: The MacMillan Company. 1949 ODQ 2004. Hamlyn : London 2004 Pennebaker J W, A. L Teixeira Jr, H. Alvarenga-Silva, and A F Schilte 2000 Somatisation in primary care BMJ, March 2, 2002 ; 324 (7336) : 544 544. Popenoe D 1999 Can The Nuclear Family Be Revived? Society Volume 36, Number 5 / July 01, 1999 Pages: 28 30 Shaw M, Dorling D, Mitchell R. 2002 Health, place and society. Harlow: Pearson Education, 2002. Small R, Judith Lumley, Lisa Donohue, Anne Potter, and Ulla Waldenstrà ¶m 2000 Randomised controlled trial of midwife led debriefing to reduce maternal depression after operative childbirth BMJ, Oct 2000 ; 321 : 1043 1047. The Guardian Saturday September 25, 2004 Wilkinson R, Marmot M, ed. 1998 Social determinants of health. The solid facts. Copenhagen: WHO, 1998 : 308. ################################################################ 8.12.06 Word count 2,576 PDG

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-two

Arya The one-eared black tom arched his back and hissed at her. Arya padded down the alley, balanced lightly on the balls of her bare feet, listening to the flutter of her heart, breathing slow deep breaths. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself, light as a feather. The tomcat watched her come, his eyes wary. Catching cats was hard. Her hands were covered with half-healed scratches, and both knees were scabbed over where she had scraped them raw in tumbles. At first even the cook's huge fat kitchen cat had been able to elude her, but Syrio had kept her at it day and night. When she'd run to him with her hands bleeding, he had said, â€Å"So slow? Be quicker, girl. Your enemies will give you more than scratches.† He had dabbed her wounds with Myrish fire, which burned so bad she had had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Then he sent her out after more cats. The Red Keep was full of cats: lazy old cats dozing in the sun, cold-eyed mousers twitching their tails, quick little kittens with claws like needles, ladies' cats all combed and trusting, ragged shadows prowling the midden heaps. One by one Arya had chased them down and snatched them up and brought them proudly to Syrio Forel . . . all but this one, this one-eared black devil of a tomcat. â€Å"That's the real king of this castle right there,† one of the gold cloaks had told her. â€Å"Older than sin and twice as mean. One time, the king was feasting the queen's father, and that black bastard hopped up on the table and snatched a roast quail right out of Lord Tywin's fingers. Robert laughed so hard he like to burst. You stay away from that one, child.† He had run her halfway across the castle; twice around the Tower of the Hand, across the inner bailey, through the stables, down the serpentine steps, past the small kitchen and the pig yard and the barracks of the gold cloaks, along the base of the river wall and up more steps and back and forth over Traitor's Walk, and then down again and through a gate and around a well and in and out of strange buildings until Arya didn't know where she was. Now at last she had him. High walls pressed close on either side, and ahead was a blank windowless mass of stone. Quiet as a shadow, she repeated, sliding forward, light as a feather. When she was three steps away from him, the tomcat bolted. Left, then right, he went; and right, then left, went Arya, cutting off his escape. He hissed again and tried to dart between her legs. Quick as a snake, she thought. Her hands closed around him. She hugged him to her chest, whirling and laughing aloud as his claws raked at the front of her leather jerkin. Ever so fast, she kissed him right between the eyes, and jerked her head back an instant before his claws would have found her face. The tomcat yowled and spit. â€Å"What's he doing to that cat?† Startled, Arya dropped the cat and whirled toward the voice. The tom bounded off in the blink of an eye. At the end of the alley stood a girl with a mass of golden curls, dressed as pretty as a doll in blue satin. Beside her was a plump little blond boy with a prancing stag sewn in pearls across the front of his doublet and a miniature sword at his belt. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen, Arya thought. A septa as large as a draft horse hovered over them, and behind her two big men in crimson cloaks, Lannister house guards. â€Å"What were you doing to that cat, boy?† Myrcella asked again, sternly. To her brother she said, â€Å"He's a ragged boy, isn't he? Look at him.† She giggled. â€Å"A ragged dirty smelly boy,† Tommen agreed. They don't know me, Arya realized. They don't even know I'm a girl. Small wonder; she was barefoot and dirty, her hair tangled from the long run through the castle, clad in a jerkin ripped by cat claws and brown roughspun pants hacked off above her scabby knees. You don't wear skirts and silks when you're catching cats. Quickly she lowered her head and dropped to one knee. Maybe they wouldn't recognize her. If they did, she would never hear the end of it. Septa Mordane would be mortified, and Sansa would never speak to her again from the shame. The old fat septa moved forward. â€Å"Boy, how did you come here? You have no business in this part of the castle.† â€Å"You can't keep this sort out,† one of the red cloaks said. â€Å"Like trying to keep out rats.† â€Å"Who do you belong to, boy?† the septa demanded. â€Å"Answer me. What's wrong with you, are you mute?† Arya's voice caught in her throat. If she answered, Tommen and Myrcella would know her for certain. â€Å"Godwyn, bring him here,† the septa said. The taller of the guardsmen started down the alley. Panic gripped her throat like a giant's hand. Arya could not have spoken if her life had hung on it. Calm as still water, she mouthed silently. As Godwyn reached for her, Arya moved. Quick as a snake. She leaned to her left, letting his fingers brush her arm, spinning around him. Smooth as summer silk. By the time he got himself turned, she was sprinting down the alley. Swift as a deer. The septa was screeching at her. Arya slid between legs as thick and white as marble columns, bounded to her feet, bowled into Prince Tommen and hopped over him when he sat down hard and said â€Å"Oof,† spun away from the second guard, and then she was past them all, running full out. She heard shouts, then pounding footsteps, closing behind her. She dropped and rolled. The red cloak went careening past her, stumbling. Arya sprang back to her feet. She saw a window above her, high and narrow, scarcely more than an arrow slit. Arya leapt, caught the sill, pulled herself up. She held her breath as she wriggled through. Slippery as an eel. Dropping to the floor in front of a startled scrubwoman, she hopped up, brushed the rushes off her clothes, and was off again, out the door and along a long hall, down a stair, across a hidden courtyard, around a corner and over a wall and through a low narrow window into a pitch-dark cellar. The sounds grew more and more distant behind her. Arya was out of breath and quite thoroughly lost. She was in for it now if they had recognized her, but she didn't think they had. She'd moved too fast. Swift as a deer. She hunkered down in the dark against a damp stone wall and listened for the pursuit, but the only sound was the beating of her own heart and a distant drip of water. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself. She wondered where she was. When they had first come to King's Landing, she used to have bad dreams about getting lost in the castle. Father said the Red Keep was smaller than Winterfell, but in her dreams it had been immense, an endless stone maze with walls that seemed to shift and change behind her. She would find herself wandering down gloomy halls past faded tapestries, descending endless circular stairs, darting through courtyards or over bridges, her shouts echoing unanswered. In some of the rooms the red stone walls would seem to drip blood, and nowhere could she find a window. Sometimes she would hear her father's voice, but always from a long way off, and no matter how hard she ran after it, it would grow fainter and fainter, until it faded to nothing and Arya was alone in the dark. It was very dark right now, she realized. She hugged her bare knees tight against her chest and shivered. She would wait quietly and count to ten thousand. By then it would be safe for her to come creeping back out and find her way home. By the time she had reached eighty-seven, the room had begun to lighten as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. Slowly the shapes around her took on form. Huge empty eyes stared at her hungrily through the gloom, and dimly she saw the jagged shadows of long teeth. She had lost the count. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and sent the fear away. When she looked again, the monsters would be gone. Would never have been. She pretended that Syrio was beside her in the dark, whispering in her ear. Calm as still water, she told herself. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. She opened her eyes again. The monsters were still there, but the fear was gone. Arya got to her feet, moving warily. The heads were all around her. She touched one, curious, wondering if it was real. Her fingertips brushed a massive jaw. It felt real enough. The bone was smooth beneath her hand, cold and hard to the touch. She ran her fingers down a tooth, black and sharp, a dagger made of darkness. It made her shiver. â€Å"It's dead,† she said aloud. â€Å"It's just a skull, it can't hurt me.† Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her. She edged away from the skull and backed into a second, larger than the first. For an instant she could feel its teeth digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh. Arya whirled, felt leather catch and tear as a huge fang nipped at her jerkin, and then she was running. Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya did not even slow. She leapt over a ridge of black teeth as tall as swords, dashed through hungry jaws, and threw herself against the door. Her hands found a heavy iron ring set in the wood, and she yanked at it. The door resisted a moment, before it slowly began to swing inward, with a creak so loud Arya was certain it could be heard all through the city. She opened the door just far enough to slip through, into the hallway beyond. If the room with the monsters had been dark, the hall was the blackest pit in the seven hells. Calm as still water, Arya told herself, but even when she gave her eyes a moment to adjust, there was nothing to see but the vague grey outline of the door she had come through. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face, felt the air move, saw nothing. She was blind. A water dancer sees with all her senses, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing one two three, drank in the quiet, reached out with her hands. Her fingers brushed against rough unfinished stone to her left. She followed the wall, her hand skimming along the surface, taking small gliding steps through the darkness. All halls lead somewhere. Where there is a way in, there is a way out. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Arya would not be afraid. It seemed as if she had been walking a long ways when the wall ended abruptly and a draft of cold air blew past her cheek. Loose hairs stirred faintly against her skin. From somewhere far below her, she heard noises. The scrape of boots, the distant sound of voices. A flickering light brushed the wall ever so faintly, and she saw that she stood at the top of a great black well, a shaft twenty feet across plunging deep into the earth. Huge stones had been set into the curving walls as steps, circling down and down, dark as the steps to hell that Old Nan used to tell them of. And something was coming up out of the darkness, out of the bowels of the earth . . . Arya peered over the edge and felt the cold black breath on her face. Far below, she saw the light of a single torch, small as the flame of a candle. Two men, she made out. Their shadows writhed against the sides of the well, tall as giants. She could hear their voices, echoing up the shaft. † . . . found one bastard,† one said. â€Å"The rest will come soon. A day, two days, a fortnight . . . â€Å" â€Å"And when he learns the truth, what will he do?† a second voice asked in the liquid accents of the Free Cities. â€Å"The gods alone know,† the first voice said. Arya could see a wisp of grey smoke drifting up off the torch, writhing like a snake as it rose. â€Å"The fools tried to kill his son, and what's worse, they made a mummer's farce of it. He's not a man to put that aside. I warn you, the wolf and lion will soon be at each other's throats, whether we will it or no.† â€Å"Too soon, too soon,† the voice with the accent complained. â€Å"What good is war now? We are not ready. Delay.† â€Å"As well bid me stop time. Do you take me for a wizard?† The other chuckled. â€Å"No less.† Flames licked at the cold air. The tall shadows were almost on top of her. An instant later the man holding the torch climbed into her sight, his companion beside him. Arya crept back away from the well, dropped to her stomach, and flattened herself against the wall. She held her breath as the men reached the top of the steps. â€Å"What would you have me do?† asked the torchbearer, a stout man in a leather half cape. Even in heavy boots, his feet seemed to glide soundlessly over the ground. A round scarred face and a stubble of dark beard showed under his steel cap, and he wore mail over boiled leather, and a dirk and shortsword at his belt. It seemed to Arya there was something oddly familiar about him. â€Å"If one Hand can die, why not a second?† replied the man with the accent and the forked yellow beard. â€Å"You have danced the dance before, my friend.† He was no one Arya had ever seen before, she was certain of it. Grossly fat, yet he seemed to walk lightly, carrying his weight on the balls of his feet as a water dancer might. His rings glimmered in the torchlight, red-gold and pale silver, crusted with rubies, sapphires, slitted yellow tiger eyes. Every finger wore a ring; some had two. â€Å"Before is not now, and this Hand is not the other,† the scarred man said as they stepped out into the hall. Still as stone, Arya told herself, quiet as a shadow. Blinded by the blaze of their own torch, they did not see her pressed flat against the stone, only a few feet away. â€Å"Perhaps so,† the forked beard replied, pausing to catch his breath after the long climb. â€Å"Nonetheless, we must have time. The princess is with child. The khal will not bestir himself until his son is born. You know how they are, these savages.† The man with the torch pushed at something. Arya heard a deep rumbling. A huge slab of rock, red in the torchlight, slid down out of the ceiling with a resounding crash that almost made her cry out. Where the entry to the well had been was nothing but stone, solid and unbroken. â€Å"If he does not bestir himself soon, it may be too late,† the stout man in the steel cap said. â€Å"This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger . . . the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark's the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he'll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger's meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever.† â€Å"You are more than a juggler, old friend. You are a true sorcerer. All I ask is that you work your magic awhile longer.† They started down the hall in the direction Arya had come, past the room with the monsters. â€Å"What I can do, I will,† the one with the torch said softly. â€Å"I must have gold, and another fifty birds.† She let them get a long way ahead, then went creeping after them. Quiet as a shadow. â€Å"So many?† The voices were fainter as the light dwindled ahead of her. â€Å"The ones you need are hard to find . . . so young, to know their letters . . . perhaps older . . . not die so easy . . . † â€Å"No. The younger are safer . . . treat them gently . . . â€Å" † . . . .if they kept their tongues . . . â€Å" † . . . the risk . . . â€Å" Long after their voices had faded away, Arya could still see the light of the torch, a smoking star that bid her follow. Twice it seemed to disappear, but she kept on straight, and both times she found herself at the top of steep, narrow stairs, the torch glimmering far below her. She hurried after it, down and down. Once she stumbled over a rock and fell against the wall, and her hand found raw earth supported by timbers, whereas before the tunnel had been dressed stone. She must have crept after them for miles. Finally they were gone, but there was no place to go but forward. She found the wall again and followed, blind and lost, pretending that Nymeria was padding along beside her in the darkness. At the end she was knee-deep in foul-smelling water, wishing she could dance upon it as Syrio might have, and wondering if she'd ever see light again. It was full dark when finally Arya emerged into the night air. She found herself standing at the mouth of a sewer where it emptied into the river. She stank so badly that she stripped right there, dropping her soiled clothing on the riverbank as she dove into the deep black waters. She swam until she felt clean, and crawled out shivering. Some riders went past along the river road as Arya was washing her clothes, but if they saw the scrawny naked girl scrubbing her rags in the moonlight, they took no notice. She was miles from the castle, but from anywhere in King's Landing you needed only to look up to see the Red Keep high on Aegon's Hill, so there was no danger of losing her way. Her clothes were almost dry by the time she reached the gatehouse. The portcullis was down and the gates barred, so she turned aside to a postern door. The gold cloaks who had the watch sneered when she told them to let her in. â€Å"Off with you,† one said. â€Å"The kitchen scraps are gone, and we'll have no begging after dark.† â€Å"I'm not a beggar,† she said. â€Å"I live here.† â€Å"I said, off with you. Do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† â€Å"I want to see my father.† The guards exchanged a glance. â€Å"I want to fuck the queen myself, for all the good it does me,† the younger one said. The older scowled. â€Å"Who's this father of yours, boy, the city ratcatcher?† â€Å"The Hand of the King,† Arya told him. Both men laughed, but then the older one swung his fist at her, casually, as a man would swat a dog. Arya saw the blow coming even before it began. She danced back out of the way, untouched. â€Å"I'm not a boy,† she spat at them. â€Å"I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell, and if you lay a hand on me my lord father will have both your heads on spikes. If you don't believe me, fetch Jory Cassel or Vayon Poole from the Tower of the Hand.† She put her hands on her hips. â€Å"Now are you going to open the gate, or do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† Her father was alone in the solar when Harwin and Fat Tom marched her in, an oil lamp glowing softly at his elbow. He was bent over the biggest book Arya had ever seen, a great thick tome with cracked yellow pages of crabbed script, bound between faded leather covers, but he closed it to listen to Harwin's report. His face was stern as he sent the men away with thanks. â€Å"You realize I had half my guard out searching for you?† Eddard Stark said when they were alone. â€Å"Septa Mordane is beside herself with fear. She's in the sept praying for your safe return. Arya, you know you are never to go beyond the castle gates without my leave.† â€Å"I didn't go out the gates,† she blurted. â€Å"Well, I didn't mean to. I was down in the dungeons, only they turned into this tunnel. It was all dark, and I didn't have a torch or a candle to see by, so I had to follow. I couldn't go back the way I came on account of the monsters. Father, they were talking about killing you! Not the monsters, the two men. They didn't see me, I was being still as stone and quiet as a shadow, but I heard them. They said you had a book and a bastard and if one Hand could die, why not a second? Is that the book? Jon's the bastard, I bet.† â€Å"Jon? Arya, what are you talking about? Who said this?† â€Å"They did,† she told him. â€Å"There was a fat one with rings and a forked yellow beard, and another in mail and a steel cap, and the fat one said they had to delay but the other one told him he couldn't keep juggling and the wolf and the lion were going to eat each other and it was a mummer's farce.† She tried to remember the rest. She hadn't quite understood everything she'd heard, and now it was all mixed up in her head. â€Å"The fat one said the princess was with child. The one in the steel cap, he had the torch, he said that they had to hurry. I think he was a wizard.† â€Å"A wizard,† said Ned, unsmiling. â€Å"Did he have a long white beard and tall pointed hat speckled with stars?† â€Å"No! It wasn't like Old Nan's stories. He didn't look like a wizard, but the fat one said he was.† â€Å"I warn you, Arya, if you're spinning this thread of air—† â€Å"No, I told you, it was in the dungeons, by the place with the secret wall. I was chasing cats, and well . . . † She screwed up her face. If she admitted knocking over Prince Tommen, he would be really angry with her. † . . . well, I went in this window. That's where I found the monsters.† â€Å"Monsters and wizards,† her father said. â€Å"It would seem you've had quite an adventure. These men you heard, you say they spoke of juggling and mummery?† â€Å"Yes,† Arya admitted, â€Å"only—† â€Å"Arya, they were mummers,† her father told her. â€Å"There must be a dozen troupes in King's Landing right now, come to make some coin off the tourney crowds. I'm not certain what these two were doing in the castle, but perhaps the king has asked for a show.† â€Å"No.† She shook her head stubbornly. â€Å"They weren't—† â€Å"You shouldn't be following people about and spying on them in any case. Nor do I cherish the notion of my daughter climbing in strange windows after stray cats. Look at you, sweetling. Your arms are covered with scratches. This has gone on long enough. Tell Syrio Forel that I want a word with hirn—† He was interrupted by a short, sudden knock. â€Å"Lord Eddard, pardons,† Desmond called out, opening the door a crack, â€Å"but there's a black brother here begging audience. He says the matter is urgent. I thought you would want to know.† â€Å"My door is always open to the Night's Watch,† Father said. Desmond ushered the man inside. He was stooped and ugly, with an unkempt beard and unwashed clothes, yet Father greeted him pleasantly and asked his name. â€Å"Yoren, as it please m'lord. My pardons for the hour.† He bowed to Arya. â€Å"And this must be your son. He has your look.† â€Å"I'm a girl,† Arya said, exasperated. If the old man was down from the Wall, he must have come by way of Winterfell. â€Å"Do you know my brothers?† she asked excitedly. â€Å"Robb and Bran are at Winterfell, and Jon's on the Wall. Jon Snow, he's in the Night's Watch too, you must know him, he has a direwolf, a white one with red eyes. Is Jon a ranger yet? I'm Arya Stark.† The old man in his smelly black clothes was looking at her oddly, but Arya could not seem to stop talking. â€Å"When you ride back to the Wall, would you bring Jon a letter if I wrote one?† She wished Jon were here right now. He'd believe her about the dungeons and the fat man with the forked beard and the wizard in the steel cap. â€Å"My daughter often forgets her courtesies,† Eddard Stark said with a faint smile that softened his words. â€Å"I beg your forgiveness, Yoren. Did my brother Benjen send you?† â€Å"No one sent me, m'lord, saving old Mormont. I'm here to find men for the Wall, and when Robert next holds court, I'll bend the knee and cry our need, see if the king and his Hand have some scum in the dungeons they'd be well rid of. You might say as Benjen Stark is why we're talking, though. His blood ran black. Made him my brother as much as yours. It's for his sake I'm come. Rode hard, I did, near killed my horse the way I drove her, but I left the others well behind.† â€Å"The others?† Yoren spat. â€Å"Sellswords and freeriders and like trash. That inn was full o' them, and I saw them take the scent. The scent of blood or the scent of gold, they smell the same in the end. Not all o' them made for King's Landing, either. Some went galloping for Casterly Rock, and the Rock lies closer. Lord Tywin will have gotten the word by now, you can count on it.† Father frowned. â€Å"What word is this?† Yoren eyed Arya. â€Å"One best spoken in private, m'lord, begging your pardons.† â€Å"As you say. Desmond, see my daughter to her chambers.† He kissed her on the brow. â€Å"We'll finish our talk on the morrow.† Arya stood rooted to the spot. â€Å"Nothing bad's happened to Jon, has it?† she asked Yoren. â€Å"Or Uncle Benjen?† â€Å"Well, as to Stark, I can't say. The Snow boy was well enough when I left the Wall. It's not them as concerns me.† Desmond took her hand. â€Å"Come along, milady. You heard your lord father.† Arya had no choice but to go with him, wishing it had been Fat Tom. With Tom, she might have been able to linger at the door on some excuse and hear what Yoren was saying, but Desmond was too single-minded to trick. â€Å"How many guards does my father have?† she asked him as they descended to her bedchamber. â€Å"Here at King's Landing? Fifty.† â€Å"You wouldn't let anyone kill him, would you?† she asked. Desmond laughed. â€Å"No fear on that count, little lady. Lord Eddard's guarded night and day. He'll come to no harm.† â€Å"The Lannisters have more than fifty men,† Arya pointed out. â€Å"So they do, but every northerner is worth ten of these southron swords, so you can sleep easy.† â€Å"What if a wizard was sent to kill him?† â€Å"Well, as to that,† Desmond replied, drawing his longsword, â€Å"wizards die the same as other men, once you cut their heads off.†