The Time Machine :: essays research papers

As fabled as fairies and dryads, only slightly more scientific, the imaginary device referred to as the â€Å"time machine† has gained many prospective engineers over the years. Young boys ponder thoughts of returning to Jurassic times in a time machine of their own, while little girls dream of princesses in castles. Even as we grow older, we fancy that such an appliance might help us revoke that angry diatribe towards our boss, or take us back to yesterday when we bought that lotto ticket. Certainly, the contraption has procured a wonderful spot on our list of â€Å"Things I Wish Bill Gates Would Hurry Up And Design.† But who exactly was it that first conjured up such an idea? Most definitely not Bill Gates. In the late 1800s, H.G.Wells entertained many, as well as making a reputation for himself in the writing business, when he composed his â€Å"extraordinary voyage† The Time Machine. The Time Machine was perhaps the first book that allowed the world to accep t the thesis that seeing is not believing. Our â€Å"voyage† begins much like any other book of the 1800s, with many respectable people gathered together in a drawing room. Not only is it redundant, but it is the forecast of a positively boring book. However, we must remember that just as weather forecasts have a way of being uncannily incorrect, book forecasts are commonly wrong as well. There is a psychologist, a medical man, a very young man, Filby, a provincial mayor, our narrator, and the Time Traveller himself. The group listens rather skeptically as the Time Traveller attempts to convince them of the validity of such trekking, even when he presents them with a miniature replica of the time machine he claims to have built for himself in the laboratory. When the â€Å"mini-machine† seems to disappear in mid air, they pass it off as a clever party trick. However, the resolute scientist invites the group back for a second dinner party the following week where he hopes the true device will be completed. The following week, the assemblage returns only to find that their host is absent. Mid-way through the main course, the Time Traveller appears, looking rugged and distressed. After shoveling the entrà ©e into his mouth in a manner very much resembling a feasting lion, he sits to tell his story. The group listens intently as he divulges the details of his experience traveling to the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One A.

Critical Analysis of Emily Dickinsons My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums

English 1102 2/20/13 A Characterization of the Narrator in My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums The speaker in Emily Dickenson’s â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† is very torn between rejoicing in the victory in the battlefield, and the regret they feel for the battles losers. The narrator feels pride at first, as shown in line 1 and the title’s use of the word â€Å"Triumph† yet that pride quickly turns into regret and disdain.The narrator laments what they feel are senseless acts of war and their deep regret turns into wishing the roles were reversed and they had died. In â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† the narrator describes the triumphant feeling at the end of a victorious battle. â€Å"My Triumph† means that the speaker recognizes that there was a victory and that they are on the side of the victors whom should feel jubilant in victory. The use of the word Triumph shows that the speaker is aware that there is a great sense of p ride to be had in winning a battle.This feeling, however, is very short lived. The speakers â€Å"Triumph† lasted only â€Å"till the drums/and then I dropped my victory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as noted in lines 3 and 4. These lines show the speakers a compassionate and caring person who feels remorse immediately after the triumphant feeling subsides. The speaker in â€Å"My Triumph† is an average person who is thrust into battle, emerges victorious, and sees that there is more defeat in victory than they realized.The narrator sees the reality of a cruel battle and the loss of lives and realizes that though they are victorious, the defeated are all dead. This deeply troubles our speaker as evidenced in line 15 and 16 where the speaker says â€Å"A Bayonet’s contrition/Is nothing to the Dead. † In this line the speaker is saying that the regret held by the bayonet and the hands guiding it means nothing to the dead man at the other end of the blade. This regret show s a person who may have enlisted, but now know that the brutality of war is not for them. And then I hated Glory/And wished myself were They,† lines 7 and 8, show just the conviction with which our speaker hates war. They wish themselves dead and that the defeated had been the victors. The narrator in the poem is a remorseful soldier looking upon the dead bodies of their enemies in combat. There is a great feeling of pride, but it is followed by the feeling of sorrow for the dead combatants. The speaker’s feelings are that the â€Å"Tyrannies of Men† are unnecessary truths of war.

The Reasons Young People Use Drugs

The Reasons Young People Use Drugs Jenita Magdalena, 1106053256 FIK UI 2011 Drugs are not a familiar problem in the ears of the people of Indonesia today. Especially in the ears of young people. Why? Because many young people in Indonesia now felt into drugs. And tragically, this is no longer just a problem in big cities only, but now also been expanded to rural areas. This is because drug addicts today are not only the wearer, but also as a dealer. The easier access to get drugs must be one of the factor.With the above explanation, it is clear that the drugs problem undermines the future of Indonesia's young generation. There are many reasons that many people -especially young people- using drugs. There reasons are media, curiosity, lack of proper family guidence, and the factor of friends. The reasons were not the absolute reason. There are still many other factors, but the above factors are a common factor in today's society. It helps us to better identify the factors above as an initial step spread of drugs prevention. The first reason of someone falling into the circle of drugs is the media factor.Along with the development of today's technology, people become very dependent on technology such as mobile phones, television, radio, and internet. Thus the role of the media becomes very important in a person's psychological development. People who are too often witnessed the violence in movies or the internet, believed to be more aggressive. As same as the drugs problem. Someone who often witnessed how drug users or drugs used, were also likely to fall into drugs. Therefore, the sensors could be reducing the scenes of drug use as one of the major steps in drugs prevention.Besides the media, of course, is the major causative factor is high curiosity and want to try drugs. Because someone who has seen drug users in film, television, and internet, will appear curious and wanted to try drugs. They are not know, by trying the drugs it will be difficult for them to escape from the drugs. Because the drugs is one type of substance that would cause the addiction for the wearer. Lack of proper guidance of the family can also be an important factor in causing a child got into drugs. Parents should act as educators in the family, should be a good example for children.So that children can imitate the good behavior of their parents. Based on research, a child who was raised by parents who become drug addicts, most likely the child will also become addicted to drugs later. Thus, the role of parents can be an important one of the psychological development of children. And the final factor that is not less important is the factor of friends. Often, playmates who use drugs will invite other friends to come to feel or using drugs. And usually, someone who offered his friend to use drugs will be easy to take drugs.That's because a sense of solidarity and friendship is strong, so people are can’t reject his captives. Of course as we all know, once so meone has tried to feel the drugs, it will be difficult to him to get out of the bondage of drugs. Thus by knowing the factors that cause someone to fall into the drugs, we expected to take reasonable precautions against those around us. So that step by step spread of the drugs will be reduced in this country. And of course our hope is with the reduced network with drugs in this country is Indonesia's future will be bright, because the future of Indonesia is in the hands of youth.

Responsibility: are we really responsible for our actions? Essay

Have you ever wondered if the decision that you have just made was the best possible decision for you to make? An agent’s relationship between responsibility and his decisions in life are affected by the alternative choices that were not taken as well as the choices that were made. Thomas Nagel believes that an agent’s autonomy is always being threatened by the possibility of a viewpoint that is more objective than his own. His view on responsibility is such that in order to place responsibility on an agent, sufficient reflection about alternative choices must be considered. On the other hand, Carl Ginet claims that free will cannot be caused (free will is not determined), but rather that the will is free. He claims that responsibility is a result of the agent’s inherent free will to choose and is event specific. Ginet feels that since we are free beings, we are responsible for every decision that we make, but not for the causes of our choices. This is contrary to Nagel’s stance of responsibility. He asserts that in order for an agent to be held responsible for his decisions, the agent must have sufficient knowledge of both subjective and objective viewpoints. Nagel believes that this requires a highly developed view of the self and is very difficult to achieve. Responsibility  for our actions seems to only stem from the choices that we make, but the decisions that we do not make also affect our degree of responsibility. Ginet feels that the only two propositions regarding free will are either that the will is caused or that the will is free. He argues that if the will is caused no agent can be held responsible for his decisions. One of Ginet’s arguments is that if the will is to be caused and a choice is presented to an agent that â€Å"no one can be intelligibly described as knowing what his decision will be before he makes it because the claim to possess such knowledge is implicitly inconsistent,† (Ginet 50). He claims that since agents cannot know what decision they are going to make before they make them, that the agent’s decisions are not caused. There is no point in deciding to take a course of action that is already known to the agent. A decision, in this case, would be useless because an agent cannot ‘decide’ on  an action if the agent already knows what he will do. As Ginet points out, â€Å"if [the agent] does already know what he will decide to do, then he cannot by the process of making up his mind persuade himself to anything that he does not already know,† (Ginet 52). If this is the case than an agent cannot be held responsible for his decisions because he could not possibly persuade himself to take a new course of action. On the other hand, if the will is to be free, placing responsibility for the decisions of an agent is valid. Ginet believes that with free will, a decision should be self-determining, â€Å"?a decision is a specific event which, like a flash or bang, can be identified independently of inquiry into its causes,† (Ginet 54). A decision  is to be judged simply as an event and not by the events that caused it. If the will is free, responsibility can be placed on an agent, while if the will is caused, responsibility is discounted. Autonomy and the tradeoff between the subjective and objective points of view are at the heart of an agent’s decision making, according to Nagel. He contends that there are levels of autonomy but no one can reach the highest level (perfect autonomy). Higher levels of autonomy are reached through self-actualization and reflection on oneself. An agent’s autonomy stems from the objective reflection of his viewpoint. However, Nagel believes that an agent can loose his autonomy and ultimately his free will by being overly reflective as is shown in this quote, â€Å"?so the problem of free will lies in the erosion of interpersonal attitudes and of the sense of autonomy,† (Nagel 112). Nagel’s problem with free will, in making decisions, comes from the desire to possess both the objective (observer) perspective and the subjective (actor) perspective at the same instant. The problem here, is that an agent cannot be both causing the action and, at the same moment, be a passive observer. Why would we want to have both a subjective and an objective viewpoint at the same instant? To possess both would mean that the agent has the knowledge of the external perspectives affecting the decisions as well as the internal desires and the ability to act on them. Because an agent views his choice subjectively, there may be alternative choices that  are not made aware to the agent and that may eventually prove to be the best course of  action. An example of this particular case is as follows: a bank teller (who is relatively new to his position) is held up at gunpoint and ordered to give the robber the bank’s money. This bank teller mentally reviews his situation and finds that the best course of action is to hand over the money peacefully. While this is happening, the bank manager is also reviewing the situation and has decided that if he were in the teller’s situation that he would push the hidden button underneath the desk. This button would release a plate of bulletproof glass between the robber and the teller. Unfortunately, the teller is new to his position and does not have this objective knowledge. The question before us: is the teller responsible for the loss of the bank’s money? This question will be considered later. Subjective and objective viewpoints often coincide with autonomy and self-reflection. It is the choices from which we have to choose from, in any particular situation, that determine the degree of responsibility to which we attribute our actions. In order to answer the question stated in the preceding paragraph about the bank teller, one must choose to go along with Nagel’s or Ginet’s view on responsibility. If one holds to Ginet’s conviction that the will is free, then we are responsible for our decisions. However, judgment of the particular decision is limited to the decision being only a specific event and not of the preceding events. Judgment and responsibility in this case do not have anything to do with preceding causes in any way or the decisions that could have been made if the agent had a more objective viewpoint. In the case of the bank teller, his decision in giving the  robber the money and thereby choosing the safest and most peaceful solution was, indeed, the best decision he could have made. He is not held  accountable for the lost money. When Nagel’s outlook on responsibility is applied to assess this situation, we see that there was a better decision that could have been made. If the teller had the objective knowledge about the button under the desk that the manager had, he could have prevented the robber from stealing the bank’s money. However, if he only had this objectivity and not his subjectivity, he would not be in the position to produce the volition at all. The teller did not, in this case, choose the best decision, but at the same time is not fully responsible for the loss of the bank’s money. The teller is partly held accountable for the lost money because there was an alternative choice that would have made the overall outcome better off. Unfortunately for the teller, the knowledge of the hidden button was not made aware to him. This is why the teller is only partly responsible. Ginet asserts that responsibility is to be judged by the specific event while Nagel implies that there are different degrees of responsibility that vary with the amount of information that the agent has. Judgment on a decision can be assessed using Ginet’s ‘event specific’ outlook on responsibility or Nagel’s view that there are varying degrees of responsibility. Both of these methods rely on the agent’s knowledge of the particular situation to make the best decision, but only Nagel’s method of judging a decision incorporates objective knowledge that the agent may be partially (or not  at all) unaware of. Ginet’s stance on responsibility is that only the specific decision can be judged because the causes that led up to the decision are irrelevant when an agent finally comes to a conclusion when making a particular decision. Nagel states that in order to make the best decision possible, an agent must have both subjective and objective knowledge. In this case, responsibility is not only derived from the decision that is actually made, but is also derived from decisions that could have been made (even if the agent did not have enough knowledge to consider all his possibilities). Both methods of assessing responsibility are valid, but Nagel’s method may be considered ‘unfair’. The agent is being  held accountable for something that is out of his control (he does not have adequate knowledge). When we are faced with a decision, we must consider all that is before us in order to make the best possible choice. We will be held responsible for the decisions we make and for the decisions we did not make. Works Cited Ginet, Carl. â€Å"Can the Will be Caused?† Philosophical Review 71 (1962): 49-55. Reprinted in New Readings in Philosophical Analysis, ed. H. Feigl, W. Sellars and K. Lehrer (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1972). Nagel, Thomas. â€Å"The View from Nowhere.† Cambridge University Press. (1979). pp.110-137

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Twelve

Jack did (eventually) find his bedchamber, but even though he knew he'd likely still have been happily asleep if he hadn't been determined to join Grace at breakfast, when he lay down atop his covers, intending to take a restorative nap, he found himself unable to do so. This was profoundly irritating. He had long prided himself on his ability to fall asleep at will. It had come in handy during his years as a soldier. No one ever managed to acquire the correct sleep, either in quality or amount. He would steal his slumber where he could, and his friends had been eternally jealous that he could prop up against a tree, close his eyes, and be asleep within three minutes. But not, apparently, today, even though he'd traded a knobby tree for the finest mattress money could buy. He closed his eyes, took his customary long, slow breaths, and†¦nothing. Nothing but Grace. He'd like to have said she was haunting him, but that would have been a lie. It wasn't her fault that he was a fool. And in truth, it wasn't just that he was completely desperate for her (although he was, and most uncomfortably, too). He couldn't get her out of his mind because he didn't want to get her out of his mind. Because if he stopped thinking about Grace, he would have to start thinking about other things. The possibility of his being the Duke of Wyndham, for one. Possibility†¦Bah. He knew it was true. His parents had been married. All that was needed was to locate the parish register. He closed his eyes, trying to push back the overwhelming feeling of dread that was bearing down on him. He should have just lied and said that his parents had never wed. But blast it, he had not known the consequences when he said that they had. No one had told him he'd be crowned the bloody duke. All he'd known was that he was so damned furious with the dowager for kidnapping him and with Wyndham for staring at him like he was something to be swept under the rug. And then Wyndham had said, in that smarmy, superior voice of his: If indeed your parents were married†¦. Jack had snapped out his reply before he had a chance to consider the consequences of his actions. These people were not better than he was. They had no right to cast aspersions on his parents. It was too late now, though. Even if he tried to lie and recant his words, the dowager would not rest until she'd burned a trail through Ireland in search of the marriage documents. She wanted him to inherit, that much was clear. It was difficult to imagine her caring for anyone, but she had apparently adored her middle son. His father. And even though the dowager had not shown any particular fondness for him – not that he had made much of an effort to impress – she clearly preferred him over her other grandson. Jack had no idea what had transpired between the dowager and the current duke, if anything. But there was little affection between the pair. Jack stood and walked to the window, finally admitting defeat and giving up on the notion of sleep. The morning sun was already bright and high in the sky, and he was suddenly seized by a need to be out of doors, or rather, out of Belgrave. Strange, that one could feel so closed-in in such a massive dwelling. But he did, and he wanted out. Jack strode across the room and snatched up his coat. It was satisfyingly shabby atop the fine apparel of Wyndham's he'd donned that morning. He almost hoped he bumped into the dowager, just so she could see him all dusty and road-worn. Almost. But not quite. With quick, long strides he made his way down to the main hall, just about the only location he knew how to get to. His footsteps were annoyingly loud on the marble as he walked forth. Everything seemed to echo here. It was too big, too impersonal, too – â€Å"Thomas?† He stopped. It was a female voice. Not Grace. Young, though. Unsure of her surroundings. â€Å"Is that – I'm so sorry.† It was indeed a young woman, of medium height, blond, with rather fetching hazel eyes. She was standing near the doorway of the drawing room he had been dragged into the day before. Her cheeks were delightfully pink, with a smattering of freckles he was sure she detested. (All women did, he'd learned.) There was something exceptionally pleasant about her, he decided. If he weren't so obsessed with Grace, he would flirt with her. â€Å"Sorry to disappoint,† he murmured, offering her a roguish smile. This wasn't flirting. This was how he conversed with all ladies. The difference was in the intention. â€Å"No,† she said quickly, â€Å"of course not. It was my mistake. I was just sitting back there.† She motioned behind her to a seating area. â€Å"You looked rather like the duke as you walked by.† This must be the fiancee, Jack realized. How interesting. It was difficult to imagine why Wyndham was dragging his heels on the marriage. He swept into a gracious bow. â€Å"Captain Jack Audley, at your service, ma'am.† It had been some time since he'd introduced himself with his military rank, but somehow it seemed the thing to do. She bobbed a polite curtsy. â€Å"Lady Amelia Willoughby.† â€Å"Wyndham's fiancee.† â€Å"You know him, then? Oh, well, of course you do. You are a guest here. Oh, you must be his fencing partner.† â€Å"He told you about me?† The day grew more interesting by the second. â€Å"Not much,† she admitted. She blinked, staring at a spot that was not his eyes. He realized that she was looking at his cheek, which was still discolored from his altercation with her fiance the day before. â€Å"Ah, this,† he murmured, affecting mild embarrassment. â€Å"It looks much worse than it actually is.† She wanted to ask about it. He could see it in her eyes. He wondered if she'd seen Wyndham's blackened eye. That would certainly set her curiosity on fire. â€Å"Tell me, Lady Amelia,† he said conversationally, â€Å"what color is it today?† â€Å"Your cheek?† she asked with some surprise. â€Å"Indeed. Bruises tend to look worse as they age, have you noticed? Yesterday it was quite purple, almost regally so, with a hint of blue in it. I haven't checked in the mirror lately.† He turned his head to offer her a better view. â€Å"Is it still as attractive?† Her eyes widened, and for a moment she seemed not to know what to say. Jack wondered if she was unused to men flirting with her. Shame on Wyndham. He had done her a great disservice. â€Å"Er, no,† she replied. â€Å"I would not call it attractive.† He laughed. â€Å"No mincing words for you, eh?† â€Å"I'm afraid those blue undertones of which you were so proud have gone a bit green.† He leaned in with a warm smile. â€Å"To match my eyes?† â€Å"No,† she said, seemingly immune to his charms, â€Å"not with the purple overlaying it. It looks quite horrible.† â€Å"Purple mixed with green makes†¦?† â€Å"Quite a mess.† Jack laughed again. â€Å"You are charming, Lady Amelia. But I am sure your fiance tells you that on every possible occasion.† She did not reply. Not that she could; her only possible answers were yes, which would reveal her conceit, or no, which would reveal Wyndham's negligence. Neither was what a lady wished to show to the world. â€Å"Do you await him here?† he asked, thinking to himself that it was time to end the conversation. Lady Amelia was charming, and he could not deny a certain level of entertainment that came from making her acquaintance without Wyndham's knowledge, but he was still a bit wound up inside, and he was looking forward to time out of doors. â€Å"No, I just – † She cleared her throat. â€Å"I am here to see Miss Eversleigh.† Grace? And who was to say that a man could not acquire a bit of fresh air in a drawing room? One had only to crack open a window. â€Å"Have you met Miss Eversleigh?† Lady Amelia asked. â€Å"Indeed I have. She is most lovely.† â€Å"Yes.† There was a pause, just long enough for Jack to wonder at it. â€Å"She is universally admired,† Lady Amelia finished. Jack thought about making trouble for Wyndham. A simple, murmured, It must be difficult for you, with so beautiful a lady in residence here at Belgrave, would go a long way. But it would make equal trouble for Grace, which he was not prepared to do. And so instead he chose the bland and boring: â€Å"Are you and Miss Eversleigh acquaintances?† â€Å"Yes. I mean, no. More than that, I should say. I have known Grace since childhood. She is most friendly with my elder sister.† â€Å"And surely with you, as well.† â€Å"Of course.† Lady Amelia acceded. â€Å"But more so with my sister. They are of an age, you see.† â€Å"Ah, the plight of the younger sibling,† he murmured. â€Å"You share the experience?† â€Å"Not at all,† he said with a grin. â€Å"I was the one ignoring the hangers-on.† He thought back to his days with the Audleys. Edward had been but six months younger, and Arthur a mere eighteen months after that. Poor Arthur had been left out of any number of escapades, and yet wasn't it interesting – it was Arthur with whom he had ultimately formed the strongest bond. Arthur had been uncommonly perceptive. They shared that. Jack had always been good at reading people. He'd had to. Sometimes it was his only means of gathering information. But as a boy he'd viewed Arthur as an annoying little whelp; it wasn't until they were both students at Portora Royal that he realized that Arthur saw everything, too. And although he had never come out and said it, Jack knew that he'd seen everything in him as well. But he refused to grow maudlin. Not right now, not with a charming lady for company and the promise of another at any moment. And so he pushed more happy thoughts of Arthur to the forefront of his mind and said, â€Å"I was the eldest of the brood. A fortuitous position, I think. I should have been most unhappy not to have been in charge.† Lady Amelia smiled at that. â€Å"I am the second of five, so I can appreciate your sentiments as well.† â€Å"Five! All girls?† he guessed. â€Å"How did you know?† â€Å"I have no idea,† he said quite honestly, â€Å"except that it is such a charming image. It would have been a shame to have sullied it with a male.† â€Å"Is your tongue always this silver, Captain Audley?† He gave her one of his best half smiles. â€Å"Except when it's gold.† â€Å"Amelia!† They both turned. Grace had entered the room. â€Å"And Mr. Audley,† she said, looking surprised to see him there. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry,† Lady Amelia said, turning to him. â€Å"I thought it was Captain Audley.† â€Å"It is,† he said with a very slight shrug. â€Å"Depending upon my mood.† He turned to Grace and bowed. â€Å"It is indeed a privilege to see you again so soon, Miss Eversleigh.† She blushed. He wondered if Lady Amelia noticed. â€Å"I did not realize you were here,† Grace said after bobbing a curtsy. â€Å"There is no reason why you should have done. I was heading outside for a restorative walk when Lady Amelia intercepted me.† â€Å"I thought he was Wyndham,† Lady Amelia said. â€Å"Isn't that the oddest thing?† â€Å"Indeed,† Grace replied, looking acutely uncomfortable. â€Å"Of course I was not paying much attention,† Lady Amelia continued, â€Å"which I am sure explains it. I only caught sight of him out of the corner of my eye as he strode past the open doorway.† Jack turned to Grace. â€Å"It makes so much sense when put that way, does it not?† â€Å"So much sense,† Grace echoed. She glanced over her shoulder. â€Å"Are you waiting for someone, Miss Eversleigh?† Jack inquired. â€Å"No, I was just thinking that his grace might like to join us. Er, since his fiancee is here, of course.† â€Å"Is he returned, then?† Jack murmured. â€Å"I was not aware.† â€Å"That is what I have been told,† Grace said, and he was certain that she was lying, although he could not imagine why. â€Å"I have not seen him myself.† â€Å"Alas,† Jack said, â€Å"he has been absent for some time.† Grace swallowed. â€Å"I think I should get him.† â€Å"But you only just got here.† â€Å"Nonetheless – â€Å" â€Å"We shall ring for him,† Jack said, since he wasn't going to allow her such an easy escape. Not to mention that he was rather looking forward to the duke discovering him here with both Grace and Lady Amelia. He crossed the room and gave the bellpull a yank. â€Å"There,† he said. â€Å"It is done.† Grace smiled uncomfortably and moved to the sofa. â€Å"I believe I will sit down.† â€Å"I will join you,† Lady Amelia said with alacrity. She hurried after Grace and took a seat right beside her. Together they sat, stiff and awkward. â€Å"What a fetching tableau the two of you make,† he said, because really, how could he not tease them? â€Å"And me, without my oils.† â€Å"Do you paint, Mr. Audley?† Lady Amelia inquired. â€Å"Alas, no. But I have been thinking I might take some lessons. It is a noble pursuit for a gentleman, wouldn't you say?† â€Å"Oh, indeed.† Silence, then Lady Amelia nudged Grace. â€Å"Mr. Audley is a great appreciator of art,† Grace blurted out. â€Å"You must be enjoying your stay at Belgrave, then,† Lady Amelia said. Her face was the perfect picture of polite interest. He wondered how long it had taken her to hone the expression. As the daughter of an earl, she would have any number of social obligations. He imagined that the expression – placid and unmoving, yet not unfriendly – was quite useful. â€Å"I look forward to touring the collections,† Jack replied. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh has consented to show them to me.† Lady Amelia turned to Grace as best she could, considering that they were wedged up against one another. â€Å"That was very kind of you, Grace.† Grace grunted something that was probably meant to be a response. â€Å"We plan to avoid cupids,† Jack said. â€Å"Cupids?† Lady Amelia echoed. Grace looked the other way. â€Å"I have discovered that I am not fond of them.† Lady Amelia regarded him with a curious mixture of irritation and disbelief. Jack glanced at Grace to gauge her reaction, then returned his attention to Lady Amelia. â€Å"I can see that you disagree, Lady Amelia.† â€Å"What is there not to like about cupids?† He perched himself on the arm of the opposite sofa. â€Å"You don't find them rather dangerous?† â€Å"Chubby little babies?† â€Å"Carrying deadly weapons,† he reminded her. â€Å"They are not real arrows.† He made another attempt to draw Grace into the conversation. â€Å"What do you think, Miss Eversleigh?† â€Å"I don't often think about cupids,† she said tersely. â€Å"And yet we have already discussed them twice, you and I.† â€Å"Because you brought them up.† Jack turned to Lady Amelia. â€Å"My dressing room is positively awash in them.† Lady Amelia turned to Grace. â€Å"You were in his dressing room?† â€Å"Not with him,† Grace practically snapped. â€Å"But I have certainly seen it before.† Jack smiled to himself, wondering what it said about him that he so liked making trouble. â€Å"Pardon,† Grace muttered, clearly embarrassed by her outburst. â€Å"Mr. Audley,† Lady Amelia said, turning to him with determination. â€Å"Lady Amelia.† â€Å"Would it be rude if Miss Eversleigh and I took a turn about the room?† â€Å"Of course not,† he said, even though he could see in her face that in fact she did think it was rude. But he did not mind. If the ladies wished to share confidences, he was not going to stand in their way. Besides, he enjoyed watching Grace move. â€Å"Thank you for your understanding,† Lady Amelia said, linking her arm through Grace's and pulling them both to their feet. â€Å"I do feel the need to stretch my legs, and I fear that your stride would be far too brisk for a lady.† How she uttered that without choking on her tongue, he did not know. But he merely smiled and watched them as they moved as one to the window, leaving him behind and out of earshot.

Southeast Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Southeast Asia - Essay Example Therefore, Southeast Asia stands as typical case for examining the effectiveness of the theoretical models of democratic transition. In addition, the ethnically diverse countries of Southeast Asia are noted for their rapid economic development and corresponding political upheavals. In acknowledging the possibility of sustainable alternative regimes to democracy, this literature appears to significantly depart from modernization theory's linear conception of political development that was implicit in earlier transition theory. But how adept is this work in explaining, as opposed to characterizing, regimes that don't seem to conform to prevailing ideal types of authoritarianism or democracy What light can it shed on the particular paradox mentioned above And just how far has it shifted from the primary assumptions of modernization theory In part this is due to the persistent preoccupation with understanding how to achieve democratic transition. This tends to steer analysis away from a full understanding of the forces behind different regime directions in favor of prescriptions to correct democratic institutional deficiencies. A related problem is the narrow framework within which analysis is conducted, whereby institutions loom large but their relationships to wider power structures are either ignored or under-theorized. For this reason, much of the debate about preferred institutional design to promote or improve de mocracy within this literature may be informed by idealist, liberal optimism rather than a realistic assessment of the foundations and dynamics of regime power. This is not to deny attempts have been made to incorporate socio-economic and structural factors into analysis, but these have not been linked to any wider analysis of capitalist development and its implications for the exercise of power and related conflicts. Revisiting the Theories of Democratic Transition There are many contesting theoretical perspectives which attempt to explain the intricacies of political transition. It has been generally observed that theories of democratic transition are not really successful in explaining the process of political development in the postcolonial societies. However, the relationship between economic development and political transition against the experiences of third world countries could be explained using the existing theoretical frameworks of democratic transition with adequate alterations and modifications. Both Marxist and Weberian approaches are useful for this purpose as "the modern effort to relate changes in political regimes to changes in the underlying economic structures takes off largely from the grand theorizing of late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly that done by Karl Marx and Max Weber" (Crouch and Morley, 1993, p. 313). It does not mean that both Marxist and Weberian schools of thought are equally useful i n all the social contexts. Generally speaking, Marxist theories are more effective for analyzing the cases of developing countries which are locked in the mirage of war and imperialism. On the other hand, Weberian theories are commonly used for analyzing the political process of advanced industrial societies of the west as liberal democracy attained almost divine status in the West vis--vis the development of communism in the east. Lipset was a pioneering figure in bringing in the ideas of Weber for the analysis

First Contact with America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

First Contact with America - Essay Example It is not hard to imagine that European influence was evident on all settlers and continued on for a substantial period of time. The settlers were mostly British and they brought with them their British lifestyle, culture, trends, and traditions. Europe at this time was in its prime as the cultural center of the World with poets, musicians, writers, artists and theater whereas the settlers lacked this substantially. The main reason for this was not the lack of talent but a preoccupation with settling into a new land and making it home. Another region that the colonists could not avoid was America itself with its native population of â€Å"red Indians† as they came to be known. The fact that these natives were called â€Å"Red Indians† shows the British Influence on the settlers who had trade ties with the Indian Sub-continent. The early settlers learned a lot from these natives who were well aware of their local land including sources of food, cultivation, weather trends and much more. The colonist had much to learn from these natives even though the natives lived a life of which by most standards of that time could be referred to as a savage living. Native people were also familiar with Europeans as the French had traded fur with the natives throughout the 16th century. The settlers gave these natives the deadly gift of smallpox. Around 1615, smallpox or yellow fever (for which the Native population had no immunity) swept the coast. Many of the people who lived between Penobscot Bay to the east side of Narragansett Bay died.