Bystander Behavior and Concepts Essay Example for Free

Bystander Behavior and Concepts Essay Research reveals that the feeling of guilt can spur on the behaviour of helping. For instance, a survivor of a terrorist attack may be guilty of going to assist others. Lack of Personal Relationship Ideally, bystanders are more likely to assist when the know the person. In the case of emergency, people in the problem people may make personalized response even if strangers are keeping a distance. The bystanders’ presence in the scene of emergency limits the likelihood of any person will display any response to assist in violence. Schouml;llnberger, Mitchel, Redpath, Crawford-Brown Hofmann, (2007) notes that contrary to common sense, there is no safety in bystander in the presence of the bystander because they see and assume someone else will take responsibility. Both social norm and diffusion explanations predict a reduction in helping behaviour when a bystander is present. Pro-Social BehaviourThe psychological foundations of the pro-social behaviour are beneficial for doing my further research in my field of study. Besides, it can also assist me achieve my educational, criminal justice and social work in line of profession. More importantly, the theoretical understanding with practical implications can assist me in improving my health and philanthropy. The concept teaches the principles of help, sharing and giving that are all important for social relationships and assisting and being of benefit for one another in the society and finally feel good. Social Norms The principle of the social norm argues that people use other people’s actions to decide on when to help. Learning and understanding the social norms in the society will help me develop moral behaviour and learn how to make curate decisions. Making wiser choices is important for life developments and benefits of decisions. Humanism Humanistic psychology refers to a psychological perspective that major on the study of a person referred to as holism. The approach argues that the behavior of an individual is connected to his inner self-image and feelings. According to the humanistic perspective, every individual is unique and individual and is at liberty to change his or her lives at any moment. Because of the center view of the person or her or his personal, subjective perception and experiences of the world, the humanists argue that the scientific methods are inappropriate to study the behaviour. The most influential theory of holism is the cognitive theory (Schouml;llnberger, Mitchel, Redpath, Crawford-Brown Hofmann, 2007). The theory is relevant to my current and future life. Besides, the theory revolves around the studying of the mental process of acquiring knowledge. Since it deals with the perception attention and memory, it will help me achieve and maintain general healthy lifestyle. The theory can be use d to analyze mental illness hence providing healthy lifestyle. Behaviorist Perspective Behaviorists view people as controlled by the environment. Besides, it mentions that we are the result of what we have learnt in our environment. The perspective is important for learning how stimuli affect observable behaviour. The perspective highlights operant conditioning in which people learn from consequences and classical conditioning in which people learn by association. The perspective is beneficial for getting better academic and life grades. Understanding the concepts of learning will assist me achieve better learning procedures for justifying better grades. Reference Schouml;llnberger, H., Mitchel, R. E. J., Redpath, J. L., Crawford-Brown, D. J., Hofmann, W. (November 01, 2007). Detrimental and Protective Bystander Effects: A Model Approach. Radiation Research, 168, 5, 614-626. Source document

Early Ages Essay Example for Free

Early Ages Essay The Middle Ages is a catchall phrase often used by historians alluding to the thousands of years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the period of discovery and reawakening. The term Middle Ages was coined during the period that followed it, which was the Renaissance (Roseinwein, 2008). Since people from the Renaissance period thought of themselves as â€Å"advanced and civilized,† they deemed the time between them and the earlier world as the â€Å"Middle Age† (2008). The term derived from the Latin medium, which means middle and aevium, referring to age (2008). The Early Middle Ages, which occurred from 5th – 8th centuries, was dominated by Christianity which eventually became the rationale for uniting Europe culturally and linguistically (Herrin, 2002, p. 609). It was also a period marked by distinctions of social classes- the noble, the peasants and the clergy, with peasants populating more (Kamien, 1998, p. 62). This was the reason by medieval society was often described as a period with lack of food supply, poor agriculture, and poor economic conditions (p. 612). As aforementioned, the Early Middle Ages brought forth the importance of religion, specifically that of the Roman Catholic Church. It was during this time when the Holy Roman Empire was established. . One outstanding work from this period and perhaps had the earliest record was medieval music, particularly the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant was the official music of the Roman Catholic Church (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Although the Gregorian chant was named in honor of Pope Gregory I, it was said that the pope was in fact not its creator (p. 65). Historians accounted the existence of Gregorian account or what they believed was its evolution to psalm singing in Jewish synagogues in the first centuries after Christ (p. 65). However the case may be, Pope Gregory could still be held responsible for the popularity of the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant is actually a body of unaccompanied vocal music. It was meant to set the mood for certain religious services (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Set in Latin, Gregorian chants swept the music of the Early Middle Ages. Gregorian chant is like no other music for has no meter nor regular rhythms (p. 65). However, it is this distinct characteristic that makes the Gregorian chant a somewhat free-flowing disposition. Listening to a Gregorian melody invokes serenity, as if disengaging the listener from any anxieties. It is considered monophonic since it is music for one line and is sung in unison. It is said that there are only few names of Gregorian chant composers. This is because composers did not think of themselves as composers but as conduits of the voice of God. One of the most known contributors of the Gregorian chant was Hildegard (p. 68). A nun, Hildegard composed O Successores (You Successors), a chant intended to give praise to the â€Å"holy confessors who are successors of Christ† (p. 68). In the period that followed the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the predominant sound continued to be unaccompanied vocal music. However, the dawn of the Baroque period saw the musical style embracing the use of musical instruments like the harpsichord, violin and viola (Kamien, 1998, p. 104). Likewise, the melody has become wider instead of the narrow range that accompanied the Gregorian chant. While the Renaissance period still had Mass music, the Baroque period ushered in opera, sonata and concertos (pp. 100-115). Church music, especially the Lutheran service, was called a church cantata (p. 129). Whereas the Middle Ages was limited to the culture of the Church, the succeeding periods created new attitudes- that of showing that people have the capacity to create and shape their world instead of merely serving as conduits. The Gregorian chants, which was passed on by oral traditions, ebbed away slowly until a 1994 release of ‘Chant† by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. This made Gregorian chant popular again due its similarity with New Age Music- smooth, uniform and non confrontational. The Early Middle Ages may have focused on sublime spirituality but the beauty of it has emanated throughout the centuries. Listen to a church hymn and feel how it has evolved from a simple, monophonic music to the finely crafted yet polyphonic texture of today. References Herrin, J. E. (2002). Early Middle Ages. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 16, pp. 609-612) USA: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Kamien, R. (1998). Music an appreciation 3rd ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Rosenwein, B. (2008). Middle Ages. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from Microsoft Encarta Web site: http://encarta. msn. com/text_761578474___0/Middle_Ages. html

Crosscultural business communication

Crosscultural business communication Intercultural, or crosscultural business communication is one of the most critical factors contributing to business growth and success in todays ever more complex global marketplace whether in Toronto, Canada or internationally. The ability of companies to acquire intercultural competence can either make or break their chances of success in an increasingly competitive, international business arena. As a result, many companies and organizations are wisely investing in cultural awareness training for their leaders and employees in order to tap into some huge potential international markets. [Clark 1999] Even within a single country such as the United States of America, Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom, the population is coming from an increasingly diverse cultural background and many languages are being spoken in addition to a common language such as English. In London alone, the number of cultural backgrounds and languages can run into hundreds while the Hispanics and the Asian communities in the United States of America have become increasingly important as a result of their growing population. [Hyland 1996] Prior to proceeding further, the question that needs to be asked is what is meant by business communications? Effective business communication occurs whenever someone conveys relevant information in any form. Effective communication involves information that is timely for decisionmaking as well as that which promotes your business through advertising and public relations. Idle conversation about the weather or last nights ball game is not necessarily unimportant in a business setting. Hence business communications is not just about writing memos in an office for a culturally diverse workforce or letters to other businesses and offices with which a firm may have dealings. Small talk is an important part of employee relations and is necessary to establish the channels of communication. If a business is related to the entertainment or sports industries, it would no longer be small talk, and could be considered keeping up with the competition or market comparisons. Key elements of busine ss communication are conveyance, effectiveness, structure and editing. Conveying meaning in business communication is of the utmost importance. One has to start with some idea of what the audience or market is required to understand, and this has to be narrowed down to one specific message. In todays hectic and fastpaced business world, no one has the time or patience to figure out a wellintended but obscure purpose. This is particularly true when one is trying to persuade someone towards a line of reasoning, as in an advertisement, sales pitch or job interview. [Clark 1999] When the sole intent is to market the business, make sure you know the difference between advertising and public relations. Advertising involves paying to promote your business through various media. Public relations dont cost anything and refers to anything that conveys a positive image for a business. [Winters 2004] Networking can aid a companys public relations effort in talking to potential customers/ clients, council members and others vital to getting the word out. While networking may cost a business executive a lunch here or there, its main expense is your time and energy. If you are a small business just starting out, it may be more economically feasible to rely heavily on public relations in the beginning or a novel form of advertising, i.e. if there is a small business that paints portraits, there could be a photoprocessor putting out the companys flyers in with their customers pictures. In any case, remember to be bold and stay focused with name recognition and wordofmouth promotion. [Winters 2004] Using a direct approach when structuring communications, whether it is a letter, memo, phone call, or proposal can be important. This does not mean the writer is being blunt or curt in your message. The communication should start with a clear understanding of what is required to be expressed, followed by supporting details, facts and examples. The supporting information should emphasize the main theme of the communication and avoid losing the readers with wordy or flowery prose. Remember that the intent is to convey a specific message and not to entertain or bore the readers. [Hinner 1998] The choice of words, whether written or spoken, is an important consideration and this consideration may be different in different cultures. When composing a letter, thinking about the next conference call or designing the next advertisement consider the intended audience and the complexity of the topic. Multicultural audiences require a different approach from that which may be required in a Japanese market. A lot of research about Arab values and their society will be required for entering the Arab markets and selling cars that have been manufactured by a Japanese parent company. In an effort to sell those cars, there will be an interaction between the Arab local area office and the Japanese Head office in the form of exchange of memos, letters and office documents as well as face to face meetings and interactions which will involve multifaceted communications between two cultures. In such cultural exchanges, care is required o ensure that there is an understanding of both cultures and values in both the societies. [Hinner 1998] Hence there is a requirement for the understanding of cultural norms and values when selling goods and services internationally or in culturally diverse societies and communities. [Hinner 1998] In this paper, we consider various aspects of multicultural business communications and why multicultural business communications is receiving increasing attention in business circles. Diversity in todays workplace and marketplace Todays expanding racial, ethnic and cultural diversity makes it obvious that it will be nearly impossible in the future to manage a workforce or market products as we have in the past. All forms of business communications are affected. [Walker Yabarra 2004] Earlier in this century, immigrants and secondgeneration Americans found jobs that entailed long, grueling hours in steel mills, shoe factories and textile mills. Workers spoke a tapestry of languages, but during the workday these employees learned to speak English. They learned to do whatever it took to conform to the expectations of their employers and society. In a business age defined by mass production and mass marketing, the individual got lost. Workers from diverse cultures and backgrounds learned to assimilate. Immigrants Americanized their names. They learned to talk alike, walk alike, and in so doing many discarded centuriesold traditions and customs. [Walker Yabarra 2004] As people from all over the world came to America, attitudes evolved. Meanwhile, a host of changes took place in society. After two world wars, the United States was transformed into a superpower. Women and minorities began making strides in the workplace. And a growing interdependence among nations has contributed to the growth of international trade and created the global village. [Winters 2004] As all of those societal changes took place, America learned to take pride in its identity as home to a rich mixture of a variety of ethnic groups and cultures. And by the 1990s, with the continual influx of new immigrants, second and thirdgeneration Americans, along with some minorities have come to take more outward pride in their very own cultural distinctions. One case in point is the 25millionstrong U.S. Hispanic market. It is estimated that this market will grow to 30 million by the year 2000. This represents $215 billion in purchasing power, which is expected to rise to $477 billion by the turn of the century. Yet, the numbers dont tell the whole story. U.S. Hispanics have different habits and tastes, depending on cultural values and customs deriving from their respective national origins. Mexican Americans, more prevalent in the west and southwest, respond differently to certain marketing techniques and messages than Cuban Americans in the southeast and Puerto Ricans in the northeast. [Walker Yabrra 2004] As a result of changes in the composition of the workplace, our poll found that most public relations executives believe that the industry will have to become more sophisticated in multicultural communications techniques. These techniques might include training or other measures. Organizations currently offer employees special training programs that cover ethnic diversity issues, gender issues, and issues centered on the disabled. [Simpson 2004] In a business where the supply of good jobs vastly outnumbers those seeking communications jobs, the public relations industry has to approach recruiting, training and communicating to a diverse range of audiences in a more sophisticated manner. And like the organizations we serve, we are only slightly ahead of the curve on marketing to a multicultural society that no longer demands that individuals assimilate to become accepted. [Walker Yabrra 2004] The path we must follow is well marked. It starts with our hiring practices. And it continues with the training programs we conduct, the communications programs we create and implement, and the audiences we include in all of our communications. Diversity is a process that begins with an open mind and never ends. [Walker Yabrra 2004] Cross cultural communication Businesses that hope to sell to or work with clients on an international level, or work with or manage staff members located here in the U.S. or in a company location abroadwho may also be from varying cultural backgroundswill require that their managers, HR directors, and sales forces possess the specialized knowledge and skills to make the most of internal, as well as external business relationships. [Winters 2004] As in any relationship, effective communication skills play a pivotal role. Even in the advertising industry, unless you understand your target market and possess adequate research and data on its demographics and psychographics, your odds for success are greatly diminished. The same is true when managing a diverse workforce, or selling products and services to peoples of other culturesthe more you know about them, the better! [Simpson 2004] In California for instance, a unique marketplace encompasses a melting pot of businesses that are not always Americanowned or based. And even if they are, these businesses often employ people from varying cultures and provide services to people and companies across the globe. This is why heightened understanding and methods of communication are so important in todays business world and the main reason why many universities and institutions have focused on providing cross cultural education courses.[Simpson 2004] The new dimensions of communications Todays global, networked computing environment creates the potential for adding new dimensions to the processes of communication. These include: [The Knowledge Management Connection 2004] Semantic precision and disambiguation. Words are the very imprecise means by which we painfully encode and try to transfer the multidimensional knowledge in one brain to another brain where they are painfully and imprecisely converted back into knowledge. Consuming content — in the form of oral conversations or email or many kinds of documents — entails continuous reinterpretation of words, introducing costs of both time and accuracy. Descriptions, examples, and continuous refinement of content alone are not enough — and certainly not efficient enough. Examples of new precise semantic information in communications include Yahoo and other web directories as well as corporate taxonomies. Integration of structural knowledge. Billions of dollars can be saved every month by detecting the similarities among online queries, email exchanges, and other forms of informationseeking and by providing shortcuts to disambiguation of meaning and accurate retrieval. For integration of structural knowledge, concepts in communications need to be explicit and precise. Continuous connection to application of knowledge. Authority on new business problems ultimately comes from application, not theory. Knowledge seekers must be able to move directly from experiences to authority — with or without interpretation, but always with comprehensive, reliable memory. â€Å"Doubleloop communication.† Valuable knowledge emerges from the sum of all questions, answers, the processes of exchange, and those who engage in that exchange — not just from the sum of all answers. Acts of communication are themselves sources of knowledge. Questions and answers are not dissociated. Questions constitute value themselves. The emergence of patterns as expertise. Newness and heterogeneity of tasks means there simply are no experts on many topics. But the construction of an explicit resource with precisely modeled semantic content ultimately enables us to detect patterns within that structural knowledge. In the knowledgedriven business environment, such patterns will often be the only resource for expertise on some problems. Conclusion In conclusion, it may be stated that there are new and emerging changes going on in the field of communications resulting from changing demographics of the communities in which the business must operate. Another force which is changing the way business communication, knowledge retrieval and storage as well as the way in which business is being conducted is the advent of computers and associated technologies in business. The business communication milieu must, therefore, be researched and has assumed a far increasing level of importance in the present age. References Dou, Weilin Clark, George William Jr. (June 22, 1999). Appreciating the Diversity in Multicultural Communication Styles.. Business Forum. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://static.highbeam.com/b/businessforum/june221999/appreciatingthediversityinmulticulturalcommunicati/ Paul Hyland et al. (Fall 1996). MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR A MULTICULTURAL LEARNING ORGANIZATION. University of Western Sydney. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:YJNcXoM7eGgJ:www.csupomona.edu/~jis/1996/Hyland.pdf+multicultural+business+communications+hl=en Elaine Winters. (2004). Cultural issues in communication. Elaine Winters. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.bena.com/ewinters/culiss.html Michael B. Hinner. (May 1998). The Importance of Intercultural Communication in a Globalized World. Technische Universitï ¿ ½t Bergakademie Freiber. Referenced: June 2, 2004. Web site: http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:pCpyTZqJjYJ:www.wiwi.tufreiberg.de/englisch/downloads/Global.PDF+importance+of+multicultural+business+communicationshl=en AME Info. (May 20, 2004). Nissan launches communications initiative with CNBC Arabiya. AME Info. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/39934.html Patrice Simpson. (2004). Intercultural Communication. Society and Culture Association. Referenced: June 3, 2004. Web site: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/pta/scansw/intcultsimpson.html Kimberley WalkerYbarra. (April 12, 2004). Bridging the business world communica. (Crosscultural communication). San Diego Business Journal, April 12, 2004 v25 i15 pA2(2) The Knowledge Management Connection. Why Communication is the Answer. The Knowledge Management Connection. Referenced: June 5, 2004. Web site: http://www.kmconnection.com/Why_communication_is_the_answer.htm

Free Essay on Plant Imagery in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter:   Plant Imagery    Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses plant imagery to symbolize both the negative and positive character traits and to set the mood of the novel. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place during the age of Puritanism in Boston where a young and attractive Puritan woman, Hester, commits adultery with the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, who had been captured by Indians, comes to town, but only Hester knows his true identity. Chillingworth vows to figure out who Hester’s lover is and he succeeds. Ultimately, this novel contains deception and guilt which is in the form of plant imagery. Hawthorne uses many different negative variations of plant imagery to illustrate his ideas. First of all, living plant life, portraying the torturing of Dimmesdale by Chillingworth, remains evident throughout the novel. For example, when Chillingworth went to the forest to gather herbs he â€Å"dug up roots and plucked off twigs from the forest trees† (111) which symbolizes how Chillingworth was â€Å"plucking† the life out of Dimmesdale limb by limb. Also, Hawthorne describes grass as pure and without weeds to kill the grass; however, â€Å"when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried† (131). In addition, weeds symbolize secrecy and the impurity of society. During Chillingworth and Dimmesdale’s covert discussion about â€Å"the powers of nature call[ing] so earnestly for the confession of sin,[and discussing] that these black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart, to make manifest an unspoken crime† (120) illustrates the idea of weeds filling the heart with sin and guilt. Moreover, â€Å"the black flower of civilized society† (45-46) refers to the Puritans’ harsh attitude towards sinners as they view Hester’s punishment. Most importantly, the imagery used with leaves allows for different interpretations. â€Å"Thou shalt forgive me! cried Hester, flinging herself on the fallen leaves beside him [Dimmesdale]† (178) illustrates that Hester begs nature’s forgiveness for her sin by falling on the leaves. Similarly, Hester â€Å"threw it [the scarlet letter] to a distance among the withered leaves,† (185) for that instant, her guilty conscience was dying along with the withering leaves. Although Hawthorne uses a great deal of negative plant imagery, the positive plant imagery balances the two. Initially, moss symbolizes the hardships that Hester and Dimmesdale have endured.

Plagiarism Essay -- Essays Papers

Plagiarism Plagiarism is taking someone’s ideas, or writings, and using them as your own. In colleges all around the United States many students are being bombarded with so much work that they sometimes turn to plagiarism as a way to solve their problems. When a student is given a writing assignment they might have good intentions of doing it and not plagiarizing, but sometimes they get so overwhelmed with the assignment they begin to plagiarize. One way a student can plagiarize is to copy something directly from another person’s work. A student might also paraphrase something and assume that it is not plagiarizing. It is plagiarism if only small changes were made to the source copy and the student’s work has the essential meaning as the original piece of work (Northey 1). Another way that students plagiarize is to put together different pieces of work and turn it in as their final piece of work. Despite the amount of pressure that college students have to deal with, there are ways in which students can prevent themselves from plagiarizing. Two ways that can really help a student from plagiarizing is by providing a citation for any work that has been paraphrased. Quotation marks and citation should be provided for any exact words taken from a piece of work and will be a part of the student’s paper (Standler 4). Not only have the pressures of school become a lot to bear for students but there are businesses that ...

Fantasy Story Essay -- essays papers

Fantasy Story Deep in the City of Chic, on the plant of Decorous, there was a school named Ennui High School. At this school there was a very interesting girl named Bliss. Bliss had long wavy golden brown hair. She had big blue eyes that were on flawless snowy skin. Her lips were full, and they were always the perfect shade of soft crimson even without lipstick. Bliss just turned 17. She was doing well at school, but she really felt she was ready to get out of her old routine and see what else was out there. One spring Friday morning, Bliss was sitting on the stoop of the apartment building were she lived with her parents. She was looking up at the pink and purple towering buildings around her. They are wonderful, but I’ve been gazing at these buildings for 17 years now, she thought. Just then a big silver cat walked by her. It stopped, turned around, and came up to her. It looked at her intensely for a moment then said, "You will do just fine." After Bliss nearly choked on her tongue, she said, "Do just fine for what?" She had never seen a talking cat before, and she was lost in astonishment. The cat said, "I need some help finding an illusive treasure." Bliss replied, "Oh, and where is this illusive treasure?" The cat answered, "I’m not sure but I know where something is that will tell us where the treasure is. And this thing is about 3 blocks away." Bliss thought about this, and decided three blocks isn’t far. Besides she didn’t really want this talking cat walking out of her life. She said, "OK, lets go. What’s your name?" The silver cat said, "Jest. Follow me." They walked and turned corners for about 15 minutes. Bliss had always thought she knew the part of Chic that she lived in really well. They were only walking for a little bit. How did we get to a place I don’t recognize at all, she thought. She was following Jest into a light pink building. They went up two flights of red stairs, and down a hall. The floors, walls, and ceiling of the hall were royal blue. They came to an emerald door. Jest told Bliss to open it. As Bliss opened it, she was shocked at how white the room was. There was nothing in the room except a magenta wand with a light pink glittery top in the middle of the floor. Jest said, "Pick the wand up and ask it where the treasure is." Bliss did so to humor th... ... was made up of shiny platinum just like the outside. The walls, floors, and high ceilings were made of the enchanting platinum. The furnishings and the decorations were made up of glistering platinum and gold. It was breath takenly beautiful. Bliss and Jest followed the wand up three flights of platinum stairs. They went into a hallway that was entirely gold. Bliss, Jest and the wand went to the end of it. The were in front of a plain, solid, gold wall. The wand told Bliss where to knock on it. When Bliss knocked on it, a flight of platinum stairs that were going down appeared in the wall. They went down the stairs and came to a solid pink ruby door with a platinum doorknob. Bliss opened it. Inside was a room completely filled with diamonds. Each diamond was the size of a fist. They were so shiny and sparklingly. After Bliss got over her astonishment, she got the wand to transfer the diamonds, Jest, and herself to her bedroom in Chic. One year later. Bliss has one of the most successful boutiques in Chic. She travels all over Decorous. She lives in an awesome penthouse with Jest. She is thinking of opening a Club. She is never bored anymore. Fantasy Story Essay -- essays papers Fantasy Story Deep in the City of Chic, on the plant of Decorous, there was a school named Ennui High School. At this school there was a very interesting girl named Bliss. Bliss had long wavy golden brown hair. She had big blue eyes that were on flawless snowy skin. Her lips were full, and they were always the perfect shade of soft crimson even without lipstick. Bliss just turned 17. She was doing well at school, but she really felt she was ready to get out of her old routine and see what else was out there. One spring Friday morning, Bliss was sitting on the stoop of the apartment building were she lived with her parents. She was looking up at the pink and purple towering buildings around her. They are wonderful, but I’ve been gazing at these buildings for 17 years now, she thought. Just then a big silver cat walked by her. It stopped, turned around, and came up to her. It looked at her intensely for a moment then said, "You will do just fine." After Bliss nearly choked on her tongue, she said, "Do just fine for what?" She had never seen a talking cat before, and she was lost in astonishment. The cat said, "I need some help finding an illusive treasure." Bliss replied, "Oh, and where is this illusive treasure?" The cat answered, "I’m not sure but I know where something is that will tell us where the treasure is. And this thing is about 3 blocks away." Bliss thought about this, and decided three blocks isn’t far. Besides she didn’t really want this talking cat walking out of her life. She said, "OK, lets go. What’s your name?" The silver cat said, "Jest. Follow me." They walked and turned corners for about 15 minutes. Bliss had always thought she knew the part of Chic that she lived in really well. They were only walking for a little bit. How did we get to a place I don’t recognize at all, she thought. She was following Jest into a light pink building. They went up two flights of red stairs, and down a hall. The floors, walls, and ceiling of the hall were royal blue. They came to an emerald door. Jest told Bliss to open it. As Bliss opened it, she was shocked at how white the room was. There was nothing in the room except a magenta wand with a light pink glittery top in the middle of the floor. Jest said, "Pick the wand up and ask it where the treasure is." Bliss did so to humor th... ... was made up of shiny platinum just like the outside. The walls, floors, and high ceilings were made of the enchanting platinum. The furnishings and the decorations were made up of glistering platinum and gold. It was breath takenly beautiful. Bliss and Jest followed the wand up three flights of platinum stairs. They went into a hallway that was entirely gold. Bliss, Jest and the wand went to the end of it. The were in front of a plain, solid, gold wall. The wand told Bliss where to knock on it. When Bliss knocked on it, a flight of platinum stairs that were going down appeared in the wall. They went down the stairs and came to a solid pink ruby door with a platinum doorknob. Bliss opened it. Inside was a room completely filled with diamonds. Each diamond was the size of a fist. They were so shiny and sparklingly. After Bliss got over her astonishment, she got the wand to transfer the diamonds, Jest, and herself to her bedroom in Chic. One year later. Bliss has one of the most successful boutiques in Chic. She travels all over Decorous. She lives in an awesome penthouse with Jest. She is thinking of opening a Club. She is never bored anymore.

Comparing

Tianesha Furlow Marriage is the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive commitment to each other. During the ceremony of the marriage the couple takes vows in which are promises each partner is supposed to keep. It’s a sacred matrimony which is taken very serious; in every vow it ends with â€Å"Til death do us part†. Unfortunately, in some marriages the vows aren’t taken that sacred. In the two short stories, ‘The Alchemist’s Secret†, and â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter†, their protagonists took their vows of â€Å"til death do us part† very personal; was willing to do anything to keep their vows.In short story, Lamb to the Slaughter, an old devoted wife, Mary Maloney, waited for her husband, Patrick Maloney, to return home from work as a police officer. He arrives home around the usual time he comes home every night. This night Mary notices that Patrick seems to be out of it and is acting weird, but she just as sumes he’s tired from work. Finally, Patrick exposes his reason for acting so strange. He never states exactly, but it is inferred that he is leaving her for another woman.Mary, still in shock goes to the freezer to get a leg of lamb to cook for dinner. She continues to go in as if her husband didn’t just reveal to her that he is leaving. Patrick screams to Mary not to make dinner and she snaps. She hit him in the back of his head with the frozen lamb. Mary intentionally kills her husband. She feels as though if she can’t have her husband then no one can. In addition, in the short story, The Alchemist’s Secret, a bitter married man comes into a gas lit herb shop where he thinks it’s going to be a solution to all of his problems.He hears of the famous Doctor Maximus who could make him no longer married to his cheating wife. In the herb shop Doctor puts some type of chemicals in whatever is desired of the customer to kill someone instantly with no di scovery of the death in the autopsy. He wants his wife dead before he sees her fall in love with another man. He states with his face looking tight and dangerous, â€Å"I am not a man to be made a fool of†. The visitor of the herb shop feels like his wife is making a fool of him and she deserves severe punishment.The two stories had many similarities and differences. One of the major similarities in the stories was how Mary Maloney and the anonymous visitor both took the same actions after finding out of the infidelity in their marriage. The differences in the story were the character’s outlook on the death of their spouse. For example, in The Alchemist, during the talk with the Doctor, the visitor says, â€Å"No thank you†, but says it nervously. The nervousness in his voice proved he had some fear and guilt of what he had planned on doing to his wife.In addition, in Lamb to the Slaughter, after Mary Maloney killed her husband, Patrick Maloney and creating a li e to the detectives, she sits, â€Å"{in the other room and began to giggle}†. Mary Maloney giggling after killing her own husband reveals she has no regrets. In conclusion, the two short stories have similar concepts, but have different style of writing. Both couples had infidelity in their marriage and wanted revenge for their vows being broken.