Awake and Sing by Clifford Odet versus A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine

Clifford Odet's play, "Awake and Sing", and Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun", both revolve around the struggle of attaining the American dream during the hardships of a struggling economy and most important the value of a family. By analyzing the main characters, Ralph and Walter, it can be seen that even though they wish to use the insurance money to fulfill their dream they eventually realize that with family they can survive through poverty. Both characters are being weighed down by poverty. This brings them to dream of the life they could live if one was giving a chance "to get to first base" and the other a chance to open up a liquor store. Ralph doesn't really seem to be interested in his family at first and is only interested in his own advancement from all his hard work. He wishes he could afford a pair of shoelaces and "a pair of black and white shoes." Ralph is only thinking of himself and how he and his girl can live together. That is where "life begins" for him. Walter also wants to see advancement, but for both him and his family even if it ...

Last Sacrifice Chapter Sixteen

CONSIDERING SYDNEY DESTROYED dead bodies on a regular basis, it was kind of surprising that she was so shocked by our post-fight appearances. Maybe dead Strigoi were just objects to her. Dimitri and I were real live people, and we were a mess. â€Å"I hope you guys don't stain the car,' she said, once the bodies were disposed of and we were on our way. I think it was her best attempt at a joke, in an effort to cover up her discomfort over our torn and bloody clothes. â€Å"Are we going to Paris?' I asked, turning to look back at Dimitri. â€Å"Paris?' asked Sydney, startled. â€Å"Not yet,' said Dimitri, leaning his head back against the seat. He was back to looking like a controlled guardian. All signs of his earlier breakdown were gone, and I had no intention of giving away what had happened before we'd fetched Sydney. So small †¦ yet so monumental. And very private. For now, he mostly looked tired. â€Å"We should wait until daytime. We had to go for Donovan now, but if Sonya's got a house, she's probably there all the time. Safer for us in daylight.' â€Å"How do you know he wasn't lying?' asked Sydney. She was driving with no real destination, merely getting us out of the neighborhood as fast as possible and before people reported screams and the sounds of fighting. I thought back to the terror on Donovan's face and shivered. â€Å"I don't think he was lying.' Sydney didn't ask any more questions, except about which direction she should drive. Dimitri suggested we find another hotel so that we could clean up and get some rest before tomorrow's task. Fortunately, Lexington had a much broader selection of hotels than our last town. We didn't go for luxury, but the large, modern-looking place we chose was part of a chain, clean and stylish. Sydney checked us in and then led us inside through a side door, so as not to startle any guests who might be up in the middle of the night. We got one room with two double beds. No one commented on it, but I think we all shared a need to stay together after our earlier Strigoi encounter. Dimitri was much more of a mess than me, thanks to his mutilation of Donovan, so I sent him to shower first. â€Å"You did great,' I told Sydney as we waited. I sat on the floor (which was much cleaner than the last room's) so that I wouldn't wreck the beds. â€Å"That was really brave of you.' She crooked me a smile. â€Å"Typical. You get beat up and nearly killed, but I'm the one you're praising?' â€Å"Hey, I do this all the time. Going in there alone like you did †¦ well, it was pretty hardcore. And I'm not that beat up.' I was brushing off my injuries, just as Dimitri would. Sydney, eyeing me, knew it too. My legs were scraped more than I'd realized, the skin torn and bleeding from where I'd fallen on the cement. One of my ankles was complaining over the roof-jump, and I had a number of cuts and bruises scattered over the rest of me. I had no clue where most had come from. Sydney shook her head. â€Å"How you guys don't catch gangrene more often is beyond me.' We both knew why, though. It was part of the natural resistance I'd been born with as a dhampir, getting the best of both races' traits. Moroi were actually pretty healthy too, though they sometimes caught diseases unique to their race. Victor was an example. He had a chronic disease and had once forced Lissa to heal him. Her magic had restored him to full health at the time, but the illness was slowly creeping back. I showered after Dimitri finished, and then Sydney forced her first aid kit on both of us. When we were bandaged and disinfected to her satisfaction, she got out her laptop and pulled up a map of Paris, Kentucky. The three of us huddled around the screen. â€Å"Lots of creeks and rivers,' she mused, scrolling around. â€Å"Not much in the way of lakes.' I pointed. â€Å"Do you think that's it?' It was a tiny body of water, marked APPLEWOOD POND. â€Å"Maybe. Ah, there's another pond. That could be a suspect too or–oh! Right here?' She tapped the screen on another body of water, a bit bigger than the ponds: MARTIN LAKE. Dimitri sat back and ran a hand over his eyes as he yawned. â€Å"That looks like the most likely option. If not, I don't think it'll take long to drive around the other ones.' â€Å"That's your plan?' asked Sydney. â€Å"Just drive around and look for a blue house?' I exchanged glances with Dimitri and shrugged. Sydney might be showing her bravery on this trip, but I knew her idea of â€Å"a plan' was a little different from ours. Hers were structured, well-thought out, and had a clear purpose. Also, details. â€Å"It's more solid than most of our plans,' I said at last. The sun was going to be up in another hour or so. I was restless to go after Sonya, but Dimitri insisted sleep until midday. He took one bed, and Sydney and I shared the other. I didn't really think I needed the rest he claimed, but my body disagreed. I fell asleep almost instantly. And like always lately, I eventually was pulled into a spirit dream. I hoped it was Adrian, coming to finish our last conversation. Instead, the conservatory materialized around me, complete with harp and cushioned furniture. I sighed and faced the Brothers Dashkov. â€Å"Great,' I said. â€Å"Another conference call. I have really got to start blocking your number.' Victor gave me a small bow. â€Å"Always a pleasure, Rose.' Robert merely stared off into space again. Nice to know some things never changed. â€Å"What do you want?' I demanded. â€Å"You know what we want. We're here to help you help Vasilisa.' I didn't believe that for an instant. Victor had some scheme in mind, but my hope was to capture him before he could do any further damage. He studied me expectantly. â€Å"Have you found the other Dragomir yet?' I stared incredulously. â€Å"It's only been a day!' I almost had to redo my math on that one. It felt more like ten years. Nope. Only a day since I'd last spoken to Victor. â€Å"And?' Victor asked. â€Å"And, how good do you think we are?' He considered. â€Å"Pretty good.' â€Å"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but it's not as easy as it seems. And actually †¦ considering what a cover-up this has all been, it really doesn't seem easy at all.' â€Å"But you have found something?' Victor pressed. I didn't answer. An eager gleam lit his eyes, and he took a step forward. I promptly took one back. â€Å"You have found something.' â€Å"Maybe.' Again, I had the same indecision as before. Did Victor, with all his scheming and manipulating, know something that could help us? Last time, he'd given me nothing, but now we had more information. What had he said? If we found a thread, he could unravel it? â€Å"Rose.' Victor was speaking to me like I was a child, as he often did to Robert. It made me scowl. â€Å"I told you before: It doesn't matter if you trust me or my intentions. For now, we're both interested in the same short-term goal. Don't let future worries ruin your chance here.' It was funny, but that was similar to the principle I'd operated on for most of my life. Live in the now. Jump right in and worry about the consequences later. Now, I hesitated and tried to think things over before making a decision. At last, I chose to take the risk, again hoping Victor might be able to help. â€Å"We think the mother †¦ the mother of Lissa's brother or sister †¦ is related to Sonya Karp.' Victor's eyebrows rose. â€Å"You know who that is?' â€Å"Of course. She turned Strigoi–allegedly because she went insane. But we both know it was a little more complicated than that.' I nodded reluctantly. â€Å"She was a spirit user. No one knew.' Robert's head whipped around so fast that I nearly jumped. â€Å"Whos a spirit user?' â€Å"Former spirit user,' said Victor, instantly switching to soothing mode. â€Å"She became a Strigoi to get away from it.' The sharp focus Robert had directed toward the two of us melted into soft dreaminess once more. â€Å"Yes †¦ always a lure to that †¦ kill to live, live to kill. Immortality and freedom from these chains, but oh, what a loss †¦' They were crazy ramblings, but they had an eerie similarity to some of the things Adrian said sometimes. I didn't like that at all. Trying to pretend Robert wasn't in the room, I turned back to Victor. â€Å"Do you know anything about her? Who she's related to?' He shook his head. â€Å"She has a large family.' I threw up my hands in exasperation. â€Å"Could you be any more useless? You keep acting like you know so much, but you're just telling us what we've already found out! You aren't helping!' â€Å"Help comes in many forms, Rose. Have you found Sonya?' â€Å"Yes.' I reconsidered. â€Å"Well, not quite. We know where she is. We're going to see her tomorrow and question her.' The look on Victor's face spoke legions about how ridiculous he thought that was. â€Å"And I'm sure she'll be eager to help.' I shrugged. â€Å"Dimitri's pretty persuasive.' â€Å"So I've heard,' said Victor. â€Å"But Sonya Karp isn't an impressionable teenager.' I sized up a punch but worried Robert might have his force field up again. Victor appeared oblivious to my anger. â€Å"Tell me where you are. We'll come to you.' Once more, a dilemma. I didn't think there was much the brothers could do. But this might present an opportunity to recapture him. Besides, if we had him in person, maybe he'd stop interrupting my dreams. â€Å"We're in Kentucky,' I said at last. â€Å"Paris, Kentucky.' I gave him what other info we had about the blue house. â€Å"We'll be there tomorrow,' Victor said. â€Å"Then where are you now–‘ And just like last time, Robert ended the dream abruptly, leaving me hanging. What had I gotten myself into with them? Before I could consider it, I was immediately taken to another spirit dream. Good Lord. It really was deja vu. Everyone wanted to talk to me in my sleep. Fortunately, like last time, my second visit was from Adrian. This one was in the ballroom where the Council had met. There were no chairs or people, and my steps echoed on the hard wood floor. The room that seemed so grand and powerful when in use now had a lonely, ominous feel. Adrian stood near one of the tall, arched windows, giving me one of his roguish smiles when I hugged him. Compared to how dirty and bloody everything was in the real world, he seemed pristine and perfect. â€Å"You did it.' I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. â€Å"You got them to nominate Lissa.' After our last dream visit, when I'd realized there might be some merit to Victor's suggestion, I'd had to work hard to convince Adrian that the nomination idea was a good one– particularly since I hadn't been sure myself. â€Å"Yeah, getting that group on board was easy.' He seemed to like my admiration, but his face grew grimmer as he pondered my words. â€Å"She's not happy about it, though. Boy, she let us have it afterward.' â€Å"I saw it. You're right that she doesn't like it–but it was more than that. It was spirit- darkness. I took some of it away, but yeah †¦ it was bad.' I remembered how taking her anger had caused it to flare up briefly in me. Spirit didn't hit me as hard as it did her– but that was only temporary. Eventually, if I pulled enough over the years, it would take over. I caught hold of Adrian's hand and gave him as pleading a look as I could manage. â€Å"You've got to look after her. I'll do what I can, but you know as well as I do how stress and worry can agitate spirit. I'm afraid it'll come back like it used to. I wish I could be there to take care of her. Please–help her.' He tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear, concern in his deep green eyes. At first, I thought his worry was just for Lissa. â€Å"I will,' he said. â€Å"I'll do what I can. But Rose †¦ will it happen to me? Is that what I'll become? Like her and the others?' Adrian had never shown the extreme side effects Lissa had, largely because he didn't use as much spirit and because he did so much self-medicating with alcohol. I didn't know how long that would last, though. From what I'd seen, there were only a few things to delay the insanity: self-discipline, antidepressants, and bonding to someone shadow-kissed. Adrian didn't seem interested in any of those options. It was weird, but in this moment of vulnerability, I was reminded of what had just happened with Dimitri. Both of these men, so strong and confident in their ways, yet each needing me for support. You're the strong one, Rose, a voice whispered inside my head. Adrian gazed off. â€Å"Sometimes †¦ sometimes I can believe the insanity is all imagined, you know? I've never felt it like the others †¦ like Lissa or old Vlad. But once in a while †¦' he paused. â€Å"I don't know. I feel so close, Rose. So close to the edge. Like if I allow myself one small misstep, I'll plunge away and never come back. It's like I'll lose myself.' I'd heard him say stuff like this before, when he'd go off on some weird tangent that only half made sense. It was the closest he ever came to showing that spirit might be messing with his mind too. I'd never realized he was aware of these moments or what they could mean. He looked back down at me. â€Å"When I drink †¦ I don't worry about it. I don't worry about going crazy. But then I think †¦ maybe I already I am. Maybe I am, but no one can tell the difference when I'm drunk.' â€Å"You're not crazy,' I said fiercely, pulling him to me. I loved his warmth and the way he felt against my skin. â€Å"You'll be okay. You're strong.' He pressed his cheek to my forehead. â€Å"I don't know,' he said. â€Å"I think you're my strength.' It was a sweet and romantic statement, but something about it bothered me. â€Å"That's not quite right,' I said, wondering how I could put my feelings into words. I knew you could help someone else in a relationship. You could strengthen them and support them. But you couldn't actually do everything for them. You couldn't solve all their problems. â€Å"You have to find it within your–‘ The hotel room's alarm clock blared and broke me from the dream, leaving me frustrated both because I missed Adrian and hadn't been able to say all I wanted to. Well, there was nothing I could do for him now. I could only hope he'd manage on his own. Sydney and I were both sluggish and squinty-eyed. It made sense that she'd be exhausted, since her whole sleeping schedule–when she actually got sleep–had been thrown off. Me? My fatigue was mental. So many people, I thought. So many people needed me †¦ but it was so hard to help all of them. Naturally, Dimitri was up and ready to go. He'd woken before us. Last night's breakdown might as well have never happened. It turned out he'd been dying for coffee and had patiently waited for us, not wanting to leave us sleeping and undefended. I shooed him off, and twenty minutes later, he returned with coffee and a box of donuts. He also had purchased an industrial-strength chain at a hardware store across the street â€Å"for when we find Sonya,' which made me uneasy. By then Sydney and I were ready to go, and I decided to hold off on my questions. I wasn't crazy about wearing shorts again, not with my legs in this condition, but I was too eager to get to Sonya to insist we stop at a mall. I did, however, decide it was time to get my companions up to speed. â€Å"So,' I began casually, â€Å"Victor Dashkov might be joining us soon.' It was to Sydney's credit that she didn't drive off the road. â€Å"What? That guy who escaped?' I could see in Dimitri's eyes that he was just as shocked, but he kept cool and under control, like always. â€Å"Why,' he began slowly, â€Å"is Victor Dashkov joining us?' â€Å"Well, it's kind of a funny story †¦' And with that intro, I gave them as brief yet thorough a recap as I could, starting with the background on Robert Doru and ending with the brothers' recent dream visits. I glossed over Victor's â€Å"mysterious' escape a few weeks ago, but something told me that Dimitri, in that uncanny way we had of guessing each other's thoughts, was probably putting the pieces together. Both Lissa and I had told Dimitri we'd gone through a lot to learn how to restore him, but we'd never explained the full story–especially the part about breaking out Victor so that he could help us find his brother. â€Å"Look, whether he can help or not, this is our chance to catch him,' I added hastily. â€Å"That's a good thing, right?' â€Å"Its an issue we'll deal with †¦ later.' I recognized the tone in Dimitri's voice. He'd used it a lot at St. Vladimir's. It usually meant there was a private talk in my future, where I'd be grilled for more details. Kentucky turned out to be pretty beautiful as we drove out to Paris. The land was rolling and green as we got out of the city, and it was easy to imagine wanting to live in a little house out here. I wondered idly if that had been Sonya's motivation and then caught myself. I'd just told Dimitri that Strigoi saw no beauty. Was I wrong? Would gorgeous scenery matter to her? I found my answer when our GPS led us to Martin Lake. There were only a few houses scattered around it, and among those, only one was blue. Stopping a fair distance away from the house, Sydney parked the car off to the side of the road as much as she could. It was narrow, the shoulders covered in trees and high grass. We all got out of the car and walked a little ways, still keeping our distance. â€Å"Well. It's a blue house,' declared Sydney pragmatically. â€Å"But is it hers? I don't see a mailbox or anything.' I looked closer at the yard. Rose bushes, full of pink and red blossoms, grew in front of the porch. Baskets thick with white flowers I didn't know the names of hung from the roof, and blue morning glories climbed up a trellis. Around the house, I could just barely make out a wood fence. A vine with orange, trumpet-shaped flowers crawled over it. Then, an image flickered into my mind, gone as quickly as it had come. Ms. Karp watering pots of flowers in her classroom, flowers that seemed to grow impossibly fast and tall. As a teenager more interested in dodging homework, I hadn't thought much about them. It was only later, after watching Lissa make plants grow and bloom during spirit experiments, that I understood what had been happening in Ms. Karp's classroom. And now, even deprived of spirit and possessed by evil, Sonya Karp was still tending her flowers. â€Å"Yeah,' I said. â€Å"This is her house.' Dimitri approached the front porch, studying every detail. I started to follow but held back. â€Å"What are you doing?' I kept my voice low. â€Å"She might see you.' He returned to my side. â€Å"Those are black-out curtains. They aren't letting in any light, so she isn't going to see anything. It also means she likely spends her time on the house's main floor, rather than a basement.' I could easily follow his line of thinking. â€Å"That's good news for us.' When I'd been captured by Strigoi last year, my friends and I had been held in a basement. Not only was it convenient for Strigoi wanting to avoid the sun, it also meant fewer escape and entry options. It was easy for Strigoi to trap prey in a basement. The more doors and windows we had, the better. â€Å"I'll scout the other side,' he said, starting for the backyard. I hurried up to him and caught him by the arm. â€Å"Let me. I'll sense any Strigoi–not that she's going outside, but, well, just in case.' He hesitated, and I grew irate, thinking he didn't believe me capable. Then, he said, â€Å"Okay. Be careful.' I realized he was just worried about me. I moved as smoothly and quietly as I could around the house, soon discovering the wooden fence was going to create difficulty in seeing the backyard. I feared climbing over might alert Sonya to my presence and pondered what to do. My solution came in the form of a large rock lying near the fence's edge. I dragged the stone over and stood on top. It wasn't enough to let me look completely over, but I was able to easily put my hands on top of the fence and hoist myself up for a peek with minimal noise. It was like looking into the Garden of Eden. The flowers in the front had merely been the warm-up act. More roses, magnolia and apple trees, irises, and a billion other flowers I didn't recognize. Sonya's backyard was a paradise of lush color. I scoped out what I needed to and hurried back to Dimitri. Sydney still stood by the car. â€Å"A patio door and two windows,' I reported. â€Å"All curtained. There's also a wooden deck chair, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow.' â€Å"Any pitchforks?' â€Å"Unfortunately, no, but there's a big-ass rock sitting outside the fence. It'd be hard to get it into the yard, though. We're better off using it to help us climb over. No gate in the fence. She's made a fortress.' He nodded in understanding, and without any conversation, I knew what to do. We got the chain from the car and entrusted it to Sydney. We told her to wait for us outside–with the strict instructions to leave if we weren't back in thirty minutes. I hated to say that kind of thing–and Sydney's face indicated she didn't like hearing it–but it was inevitable. If we hadn't subdued Sonya in that amount of time, we weren't going to subdue her at all–or leave alive. If we did manage to overtake her, we'd give some signal for Sydney to come in with the chain. Sydney's amber-brown eyes were filled with anxiety as she watched us head back around the house. I nearly teased her for caring about evil creatures of the night but stopped myself just in time. She might loathe every other dhampir and Moroi in the world, but somewhere along the way, she'd come to like Dimitri and me. That wasn't something to mock. Dimitri stood on the rock and surveyed the yard. He murmured a few last-minute instructions to me before taking my hands and boosting me up over the fence. His height went a long way to make the maneuver as easy and quiet–though not silent–as possible. He followed me shortly thereafter, landing beside me with a small thud. After that, we sprang forward with no delay. If Sonya had heard us, then there was no point in wasting time. We needed every advantage we could get. Dimitri grabbed the shovel and swung it hard into the glass–once, twice. The first strike was about the height of my head, the second lower. The glass fractured more with each impact. Right on the heels of the second hit, I pushed forward and shoved the wheelbarrow into the door. Lifting it and throwing it against the glass would have been a lot cooler, but it was too unwieldy to raise very high. When the wheelbarrow struck the already weakened glass, the cracked areas broke and crumbled altogether, creating a hole big enough for both of us to get through. We both had to duck–especially Dimitri. A simultaneous attack through both sides of the house would have been ideal, but it wasn't like Sonya could run out the front door. Nausea had started to creep over me as soon as we were near the patio, and the sensation hit full force as we entered a living room. I ignored my stomach in the way I'd perfected and braced myself for what was to come. We'd broken in pretty quickly but not quickly enough to truly get the jump on Strigoi reflexes. Sonya Karp was right there, ready for us, doing all she could to avoid the sunlight spilling into the living room. When I'd first seen Dimitri as a Strigoi, I'd been so shocked that I'd frozen up. It had allowed him to capture me, so I'd mentally braced myself this time, knowing I'd feel the same shock when I saw my former teacher as a Strigoi. And it was shocking. Just like with him, so many of Sonya's features were the same as before: the auburn hair and high cheek bones †¦ but her beauty was twisted by all the other terrible conditions: chalky skin, red eyes, and the expression of cruelty that all Strigoi seemed to wear. If she recognized us, she gave no sign and lunged toward Dimitri with a snarl. It was a common Strigoi tactic to take out the bigger threat first, and it annoyed me that they always believed that was Dimitri. He'd shoved his stake in his belt in order to carry the shovel inside with him. The shovel wouldn't kill a Strigoi, but with enough strength and momentum, it would definitely keep Sonya at arm's length. He struck her with it in the shoulder after her first attempt, and while she didn't fall over, she definitely waited before trying another attack. They circled each other, like wolves readying for a battle, as she sized up her odds. One charge, and her greater strength would push him down, shovel or not. All of this took place in a matter of seconds, and Sonya's calculations had left me out of the equation. I made my own charge, slamming into her other side, but she saw me coming out of the corner of her eye and responded instantly, throwing me down while never taking her eyes off Dimitri. I wished I had the shovel and could hit her in the back from a safe distance. All I carried was my stake, and I had to be careful with it since it could kill her. I did a quick scan of her eerily normal living room and couldn't see any other potential weapons. She feinted, and Dimitri went for it. He just barely corrected himself as she leapt forward to take advantage of the situation. She thrust him against the wall, pinning him there and knocking the shovel from his grasp. He struggled against her, trying to break free as her hands found his throat. If I tried to pull her off, my strength combined with Dimitri's would probably free him. I wanted this over as quickly as possible, however, and decided to make a power play. I ran toward her, stake in hand, and plunged it through her right shoulder blade, hoping I was nowhere near her heart. The charmed silver, so agonizing to Strigoi skin, made her scream. Frantic, she shoved me away with force that was astonishing even for a Strigoi. I fell backward, stumbling, and whacked my head against a coffee table. My vision dimmed slightly, but instinct and adrenaline drove me back to my feet. My attack gave Dimitri the split second he needed. He knocked Sonya to the ground and grabbed my stake, pushing it against her throat. She screamed and flailed, and I moved forward to help him, knowing how hard it was to pin a Strigoi. â€Å"Get Sydney †¦' he grunted. â€Å"The chain †¦' I moved as quickly as I could, stars and shadows dancing in front of me. I unlocked the front door and kicked it open as a signal, then ran back to Dimitri. Sonya was making good progress in fighting him off. I dropped to my knees, working with Dimitri to keep her restrained. He had that battle lust in his eyes again, a look that said he wanted to destroy her right here and now. But there was something else, too. Something that made me think he had more control, that my words in the alley had actually had an impact. Still, I uttered a warning. â€Å"We need her †¦ remember we need her.' He gave me a slight nod, just as Sydney showed up lugging the chain. She stared at the scene wide-eyed, pausing only a moment before hurrying over to us. We'll make a warrior of her yet, I thought. Dimitri and I moved to our next task. We'd already spotted the best place to bind Sonya: a heavy, reclining armchair in the corner. Lifting her–which was dangerous since she was still thrashing wildly–we thrust her into the chair. Then, keeping the stake at her neck, Dimitri attempted to hold her down while I grabbed hold of the chain. There was no time to think of a precise system. I just started wrapping it, first around her legs and then as best as I could around her torso, trying to lock her arms against her. Dimitri had bought a lot of chain, thankfully, and I hurriedly wrapped it around the chair in a crazy manner, doing everything I could to keep her down. When I finally ran out of chain, Sonya was pretty well locked into place. Was it something she could break out of? Absolutely. But with a silver stake against her? Not so easy. With both in place †¦ well, we had her trapped for now. It was the best we could do. Dimitri and I exchanged brief, weary looks. I felt dizzy but fought through it, knowing our task was far from over. â€Å"Time for questioning,' I said grimly.

The American Industial Revolution Period

The growth in large-scale industry and labor unions in the second half of the nineteenth century can be explained in many ways. Unlike earlier in the century, now there were broad markets, fast expansion in good economic times, thus causing a rise in demand for more goods. Additionally, new inventions with development in big business caused large scale industrialization to become possible. Lastly, companies† ability to employ mass numbers of people to work in their factories for cheap further encouraged industries† growth. With companies hiring people to do hard work for cheap, labor unions form. Generally, as industries grew and grew the working conditions for the workers got worse and worse, encouraging an increase and growth of labor unions. America was a growing country. The expansion west needed industrial recourses. The railroad itself encouraged the industries of steel, coal, wood, glass and rubber. The expansion west was not the only thing that encouraged the growth of industry, good economic times and a rise in population fueled the growth of industry. People would want more â€Å"stuff† and houses would need to be built as well as highrise buildings in urban centers to accommodate the density of people in the cities. All these factors caused a rise in demand for industrial goods in a large market. There is more reason, though, that large-scale industries were growing. New inventions helped a great deal in making the large-scale manufacturing of industrial goods possible. The Bessemer process, for example, helped the manufacturing of steel in the steel industry, made it possible to produce large quantities of steel in a relatively short period of time. The invention of electric power by Thomas Edison allowed factory machinery to be run by electricity, cutting the cost of employing people to run the machinery while increasing the productivity of the machines. Always increasing productivity, these inventions and others like it were essential to progression of big industry. these were harnessed and effectively put into use by big businesses. Big businesses were the economic powers behind the growth of their industries. With corporations, unlike earlier, businesses could outlive their founders so that they could be allowed to thrive without having to worry and the death of the founder because with shares in the stock market, people could own parts of the company, there was never one person who was the sole owner. Additionally, in the late nineteenth century, there weren†t regulations which allowed the businesses to grow in ways which it wouldn†t be allowed to grow today. Often times, vertical integration allowed several types of industries to be grouped under one big company thus securing their operation. All these things helped the businesses prosper. Since the big businesses were behind the large-scale industries, the industries prospered too. Essential to the growth of large scale industry are the workers. Between 1870 and 1890, 8 million immigrants came to America for a better life, they ended up working in factories. Unlike the native workers, the immigrants were willing to work for cheap. This let the industry cut the cost of employing workers, in fact, many industries went to European sources to find workers for more cheap labor. The native Americans who, generally, were driven from the countryside got the higher paying supervisory jobs in the industries. So this â€Å"pool† of labor further allowed the large scale industries to grow more. The working conditions in these industries were horrible. Cutting costs in an industry was a big deal. Unfortunately, most of the time, cutting costs meant long hours for the workers, lower wages and requirements on the amount of work you do in a day which was usually too much. Because of these bad conditions labor unions were formed to protest against them, but mostly to force the companies to higher wages, lower hours or better working conditions. Since workers were essential to the operation of the industries, the labor unions often organized strikes to demand change in wage, hours etc†¦ In 1877 when wages for the workers in the Baltimore and Ohio railroad were cut by 20% there was the first nationwide strike that set the path for an era of confrontation between labor unions and management. Often, federal troops and state militia intervened because the strikes got violent and the movement collapsed but sometimes strikes were successful. The industrial revolution between 1865 and 1900 set a period of economic growth. The success of this industrial growth was due to a combination of contributing factors. A rise in demand for industrial goods along with growth in big business were the essential things in causing the growth of large-scale industry. Additionally new inventions that helped the manufacturing of these goods and cheap labor encouraged further this growth. In the big picture, this industrialization of the country fueled the growth of it in area, in population and finally, in economy.

Art History Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture

Art History Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture The ancient Greeks were one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It thrived more than 4,000 years ago. The years between 2000 B.C. and 146 B.C. were the years of the Ancient Greece Empire’s prosperity. Greek culture, ideas, religion, and art were spreading all over the world day by day. Ancient Greek sculpture deserves attention because of its uniqueness and richness. Greeks had a wonderful opportunity to use different kinds of marble, bronze, stones, and wood. There were several periods in ancient Greek sculpture, and each of them had its own characteristics. The most known periods were Archaic (650 – 480 BCE), Classical (480 – 431 BCE), Late Classical (404 – 323 BCE), and Hellenistic (323 BCE – 1st century AD). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art History: Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The development of female figures in ancient G reek sculpture was noticeable during those times; each period added something new; the influence of other countries and their cultures was reflected in almost each piece of work, and female sculptures were one of the brightest examples. Ancient Greek sculpture was characterized by numerous works of nude women. However, it does not mean that Greek men had a kind of disrespect to their women. Ancient Greek women were portrayed rather respectfully. If nudity is considered to be a sign of sex or predilection for sex, it is necessary to admit that ancient Greek sculptors used males as sex objects oftener than they used females. Most of the sculptors in Ancient Greece were men, and the role of women was to inspire their men. Men used women as models for their sculptures to present the images of real women, real life, with its advantages and disadvantages. The Archaic period started in 650 BCE and lasted until 480 BCE, and it was one of the earliest periods in ancient Greek art. The ancien t Greek sculptures of the Archaic period had lots in common to those of Egypt sculptures. Egypt influence reflected on both male and female sculptures. â€Å"During this period of intense creativity, the great traditions of monumental stone sculpture and temple architecture appeared.† (Davies 159) Female figures of the Archaic period were usually called ‘kore’ (maiden). The peculiar features of the figures of that time were draped clothes and read hair. One of the brightest examples of archaic sculptures was Draped Female (created in about 530 B.C. Special attention was paid to female haircuts – new hairstyles were elaborated for each sculpture. After 550 BCE, stone was changed into bronze; such changes allowed sculptors to play with light and impress the viewer. Women nudity was one of the most brilliant devices, which were used to underline the realism. The Classical period in ancient Greek sculpture presented the most exciting pieces of art. In spite of the fact that the Persians Wars blew up the economical and other spheres of the Empire, Greek found out new technologies and methods to improve the situation. The classical Greek style was characterized unbelievable freedom of movements and feelings. Greek sculptures represented people’s life with its speed, changes, and emotions. Even if female Greek sculptures could not move, the artists, as magicians, made people believe that at the beginning, that sculpture moved, and now it was frozen, for those, who observed it. Women’s nudity was not forgotten as well. In order to help own husbands, women spend days and nights posing. Such idea to present moving people raised ancient Greek sculpture once again and proved that talented people can save their country and its traditions even by means of art. â€Å"The sculptures of the classical period show an obsession with the human figure and with drapery.† (Hellander et al. 71) The Late Classical period in the ancient Gr eek sculpture was known as a period of artistic decline. The Peloponnesian War was the major reason of why Greece lost its supremacy. The influence of Christianity made lots sculptors create less naked sculptures (and it was the key of all Greece sculptures ever). During the Late Classical period, the large components of all sculptures were portrait statues. Sculptors paid more attention to people’s features. It was a novelty for those times. After people paid attention only to female’s bodies, naked bodies, such changes turned out to be rather significant. It became more popular to present males’ portraits. Lots of sculptures were devoted to men, who defended the Empire. The image of women was almost forgotten. In 336 BCE, it was Alexander, who saved the Empire and spread the influence of Greece all over the world again. The Hellenistic period started in 323 B.C. and lasted until the end of the first century of A.D. It was a kind of revival of Greek sculpture. This period is usually compared with the Classical one. Greeks again started portrayed young women and created nude figures using marble and bronze. They had a chance to appeal to the lower preferences of their masters. This is why, the Hellenistic period was also known by its ugly, comical, and sensual themes. The major purpose of art was to represent the world as it was during that concrete period of time. One of the brightest examples of the sculptures from the Hellenistic period is The Venus de Milo, a representation of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The role of women is crucial indeed. It does not matter whether we regard a woman as a wife, friend, mother, or muse. Without women, this world would be dull and boring. Even in sculpture, women play a very important role. Specially, it concerns Ancient Greece, to be more exact, the ancient Greek sculpture. Greek sculptors got used to create male figures to underline their power and significance for the country. However, the role of female figures still remain considerable. Each period of ancient Greek sculpture created certain limitations and added something new. The material for sculptures changed as well. First, it was wood and stone, with time, Greek sculptors started to use marble and bronze. Such changes provided people with the opportunities to enjoy colours and lights for lots of years. Davies, P. J. E., Denny, W. B., Hofrichter, F. F., Jacons, J. F., Roberts, A. M., and Simon, D. L. Jason’s History of Art: The Western Tradition. Prentice Hall, 2006. Hellander, P., Armstrong, K., Clark, M., Deliso, C., Hannigan, D., and Kiriakopoulos, V. Greece. Lonely Planet, 2008.

Margaret Jones - Executed for Witchcraft, 1648

Margaret Jones - Executed for Witchcraft, 1648 Known for: first person executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts Bay ColonyOccupation: midwife, herbalist, physicianDates: died June 15, 1648, executed as a witch in Charlestown (now part of Boston) Margaret Jones was hanged on an elm tree on June 15, 1648, after being convicted of witchcraft. The first known execution for witchcraft in New England was the year before: Alse (or Alice) Young in Connecticut. Her execution was reported in an Almanac published by Samuel Danforth, a Harvard College graduate who was then working as a tutor at Harvard. Samuels brother Thomas was a judge at the Salem witch trials in 1692. John Hale, who was later involved in the Salem witch trials as the minister in Beverley, Massachusetts, witnessed the execution of Margaret Jones when he was twelve years old. Rev. Hale was called to help Rev. Parris determine the cause of the strange happenings in his home in early 1692; he was later present at court hearings and executions, supportive of the courts actions. Later, he questioned the legality of the proceedings, and his postumously published book, A Modest Inquiry Into the Nature of Witchcraft, is one of the few sources for information about Margaret Jones. Source: Court Records We know about Margaret Jones from several sources. A court record notes that in April, 1648, a woman and her husband were confined and watched for signs of witchcraft, according to a course which hath ben taken in England for the discovery of witches. The officer was appointed to this task on April 18. Although the names of those watched were not mentioned, the subsequent events involving Margaret Jones and her husband Thomas lend credence to the conclusion that the husband and wife named were the Joneses. The court record shows: This court beinge desireows that the same course which hath ben taken in England for the discovery of witches, by watchinge, may also be taken here with the witch now in question, therefore doe order that a strict watch be set about her every night, that her husband be confined in a private roome, watched also. Winthrops Journal According to the journals of Governor Winthrop, who was a judge at the trial that convicted Margaret Jones, she was found to have caused pain and sickness and even deafness by her touch; she prescribed medicines (aniseed and liquors are mentioned) that had extraordinary violent effects; she warned that those who would not use her medicines would not heal, and that some so warned had had relapses that could not be treated; and she had foretold things that she had no way to know about. Further, two signs usually ascribed to witches were found: the witchs mark or witchs teat, and being seen with a child who, on further investigation, vanished the assumption was that such an apparition was a spirit. Winthrop also reported a very great tempest at Connecticut at the very time of her execution, which people interpreted as confirming that she was truly a witch. Winthrops journal entry is reproduced below. At this court one Margaret Jones of Charlestown was indict- ed and found guilty of witchcraft, and hanged for it. The evidence against her was,1. that she was found to have such a malignant touch, as many persons, (men, women, and children,) whom she stroked or touched with any affection or displeasure, or, etc., were taken with deafness, or vomiting, or other violent pains or sickness,2. she practising physic, and her medicines being such things as (by her own confession) were harmless, as aniseed, liquors, etc., yet had extraordinary violent effects,3. she would use to tell such as would not make use of her physic, that they would never be healed, and accordingly their diseases and hurts continued, with relapse against the ordinary course, and beyond the apprehension of all physicians and surgeons,4. some things which she foretold came to pass accordingly; other things she could tell of (as secret speeches, etc.) which she had no ordinary means to come to the knowledge of,5. she ha d (upon search) an apparent teat in her secret parts as fresh as if it had been newly sucked, and after it had been scanned, upon a forced search, that was withered, and another began on the opposite side,6. in the prison, in the clear day-light, there was seen in her arms, she sitting on the floor, and her clothes up, etc., a little child, which ran from her into another room, and the officer following it, it was vanished. The like child was seen in two other places, to which she had relation; and one maid that saw it, fell sick upon it, and was cured by the said Margaret, who used means to be employed to that end.Her behavior at her trial was very intemperate, lying notoriously, and railing upon the jury and witnesses, etc., and in the like distemper she died. The same day and hour she was executed, there was a very great tempest at Connecticut, which blew down many trees, etc.Source: Winthrops Journal, History of New England 1630-1649. Volume 2. John Winthrop. Edited by James Ken dall Hosmer. New York, 1908. A Nineteenth Century History In the mid-19th century, Samuel Gardner Drake wrote about the case of Margaret Jones, including more information about what may have happened to her husband: The first Execution for Witchcraft in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was at Boston on the 15th of June, 1648. Accusations were probably common long before this, but now came a tangible Case, and it was carried through with as much Satisfaction to the Authorities, apparently, as ever the Indians burnt a Prisoner at the Stake.The Victim was a Female named Margaret Jones, the Wife of Thomas Jones of Charlestown, who perished on the Gallows, as much for her good Offices, as for the evil Influences imputed to her. She had been, like many other Mothers among the early Settlers, a Physician; but being once suspected of Witchcraft, was found to have such a malignant Touch, as many Persons were taken with Deafness, or Vomiting, or other violent Pains or Sickness. Her Medicines, though harmless in themselves, yet had extraordinary violent Effects; that such as refused her Medicines, she would tell that they would never be healed, and accordingly their Diseases and Hurts continued, with Relap se against the ordinary Course, and beyond the Apprehension of all Physicians and Surgeons. And as she lay in Prison, a little Child was seen to run from her into another Room, and being followed by an Officer, it was vanished. There was other Testimony against her more ridiculous than this, but not necessary to be recited. To make her Case as bad as possible, the Record or it says her Behaviour at her Trials was intemperate, lying notoriously, and railing upon the Jury and Witnesses, and that in like Distemper she died. It is not unlikely that this poor forsake Woman was distracted with Indignation at the Utterances of the false Witnesses, when she saw her Life was sworn away by them. The deluded Court denounced her frantick Denial of the Charges as lying notoriously. And in the probably honest Belief in Witchcraft, the same Recorder says, in the most complacent Credulity, that the same Day and Hour she was executed, there was a very great Tempest at Connecticut, which blew down ma ny Trees, c. Another equally credulous Gentleman, writing a Letter to a Friend, dated at Boston on the 13th of the same Month, says: The Witche is condemned, and to be hanged Tomorrow, being Lecture Day.Whether there were any other suspected Persons at the time Margaret Jones was prosecuted, we have no Means of ascertaining, yet it is more than propable that a supposed Spirit of Darkness had been whispering in the Ears of the Men in Authority in Boston; for about a Month before the Execution of Margaret, they had passed this Order: The Courte desire the Course which hath been takin in England for Discovery of Witches, by watching them a certina Time. It is ordered, that the best and surest Way may forthwith be put in Practice; to being this Night, if it may be, being the 18th of the third Month, and that the Husband may be confined to a private Roome, and be also then watched.That the Court was stirred up to ferret out Witches, by the late Successes in that Business in England, sev eral Persons having been tried, condemned and executed in Feversham about two Years before is not improbable. By the Course which hath been taken in England for the Discovery of Witches, the Court had References to the Employment of Witch-Finders, one Matthew Hopkins having had great Success. By his infernal Pretensions some scores of innocent bewildered People met violent Deaths at the Hands of the Executioner, all along from 1634 to 1646. But to return to the Case of Margaret Jones. She having gone down to an ignominious Grave, leaving her Husband to suffer the Taunts and Jeers of the ignorant Multitude, escaped further Prosecution. These were so insufferable that his Means of Living were cut off, and he was compelled to try to seek another Asylum. A ship was lying in the Harbor bound for Barbadoes. In this he took Passage. But he was not thus to escape Persecution. On this Ship of 300 Tons were eighty Horses. These caused the Vessel to roll considerably perhaps heavily, wich to Persons of any Sea Experience would have been no Miracle. But Mr. Jones was a Witch, a Warrant was sued out for his Apprehension, and he was hurried thence to Prison, and there left by the Recorder of the Account, who has left his Readers in Ignorance of what became of him. Whether he were the Thomas Joanes of Elzing, who in 1637 took Passage at Yarmouth for New England, cannot be positively stated, although he is probably the same Person. If so, his Age at that Time was 25 Years, and he married subsequently.Samuel Gardner Drake. Annals of Witchcraft in New England, and Elsewhere in the United States, From Their First Settlement. 1869. Capitalization as in the original. Another Nineteenth Century Analysis Also in 1869, William Frederick Poole reacted to the account of the Salem witch trials by Charles Upham. Poole noted that Uphams thesis was largely that Cotton Mather was at fault for the Salem witch trials, to gain glory and out of gullibility, and used the case of Margaret Jones (among other cases) to show that witch executions did not begin with Cotton Mather. Here are excerpts from the section of that article addressing Margaret Jones: In New England, the earliest witch execution of which any details have been preserved was that of Margaret Jones, of Charlestown, in June, 1648. Governor Winthrop presided at the trial, signed the death-warrant, and wrote the report of the case in his journal. No indictment, process, or other evidence in the case can be found, unless it be an order of the General Court of May 10, 1648, a certain woman, not named, and her husband, be confined and watched.... [Poole inserts the transcript, shown above, of Winthrops journal] ...The facts in relation to Margaret Jones seem to be, that she was a strong-minded woman, with a will of her own, and undertook, with simple remedies, to practise as a female physician. Were she living in our day, she would brandish a diploma of M. D. from the New England Female Medical College, would annually refuse to pay her city taxes unless she had the right to vote, and would make speeches at the meetings of the Universal Suffrage Association. Her touch seeme d to be attended with mesmeric powers. Her character and abilities rather commend themselves to our respect. She made anise-seed and good liquors do the good work of huge doses of calomel and Epsom salts, or their equivalents. Her predictions as to the termination of cases treated in the heroic method proved to be true. Who knows but that she practiced homoeopathy? The regulars pounced upon her as a witch, as the monks did upon Faustus for printing the first edition of the Bible, put her and her husband into jail, set rude men to watch her day and night, subjected her person to indignities unmentionable, and, with the assistance of Winthrop and the magistrates, hanged her, and all this only fifteen years before Cotton Mather, the credulous, was born!William Frederick Poole. Cotton Mather and Salem Witchcraft North American Review, April, 1869. Complete article is on pages 337-397.

Battered Praise

Kneel on a worn leather cushion, ease into a creaky wooden pew, and stand on tired but restless legs. For what? Even with all of my praise, all God did was throw me onto the corner ropes of the ring and deliver a sharp jab with the left, then the right, right again, and finally a roundhouse kick that shouldve stopped all of the pain but never did. God didnt deliver the real blows, he let a swaggering drunk do his work for him, also known as my stepfather. From the time I was four, I carried around fresh pink, swollen welts and indigo-violet bruises blooming quickly beneath my delicate skin. While other little girls neat hair was pinned back to reveal a bright, shiny face and toothy grin, my jagged homemade haircut hung to hide the new fleshy welt on my cheek. I firmly believed God had let this happen. I never questioned the reality of God, but I questioned his righteousness. I existed to God as a punching bag. I blamed the ever-so-righteous God for all of my problems. I blamed him for the hot tears that streamed from my cerulean blue eyes, for the crippling nightmares that plagued my nights, and for the screams of my brothers that rang through the hollow halls of that broken house. God never seemed to hear my desperate prayers each night or my withered cries of pain as Warren repeatedly smacked my tiny body with a wooden spoon, or an aluminum baseball bat, or even the time he broke a glass plate over my head. The loud sound of breaking glass must have drowned my pleas. I was all alone in my suffering. It took eight long years to finally be rid of the brutal man who beat my body, crushed my hopes and dreams, and demolished my self esteem. Thats 2,920 days of endless tears, 70,080 hours of countless bruises, 4,204,800 minutes of praying for salvation, and 252,288,000 seconds of pur e hatred toward God and toward myself. Then one day it ended. Warren had thrown a swing at my mother and hit her square in the jaw. The police showed up for the hundredth time, but this time I left in my dads car with my three brothers, my mom left in an ambulance, and Warren left in handcuffs. Since that day six years ago I have lived with my wonderful father and stepmother. They strive to give me every opportunity to help me create the life I have chosen. Im growing to appreciate the person I am. My stare pierces the girl looking back at me from the mirror, and I still see a broken, terrified child cowering behind two miniscule hands. I see something else in that same reflection, I see a strong, independent woman who loves friends, family and life passionately throughout every moment of the day. A woman running toward a shining future. Now there are times where I see every flaw in myself, but who doesnt? Im human. Im allowed to have imperfections. Ive grown to trust God and to believe he is an ever-loving God. He wasnt torturing me, he was building me into the original, gorgeous, tenacious woman I am today.

Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System Assignment

Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System - Assignment Example When based on the organization, the resulting activity will be of high quality, allow for learning from others and the designed activity can be uses by the entire school. My chosen professional development is individual based because it can be accessed online at any place, and an individual can develop by him/herself based on his or her personal preference. The content of this professional development activity has helped me develop professionally in the area of standard-based systems for learning activities. I have learned that the â€Å"lifeless content† (Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001, p. 920) is the normal curriculum can be translated into meaningful learning objectives, as well as strong standards, for the authentic assessment and engagement of the learning activities. ... B The Professional Development Activity in Context. This professional development activity I chose relates to the culture of my school. Based on the school culture of the graduate programs in the College, students are supposed to cover the syllabus within the required time. Nevertheless, the traditional methods of teaching emphasize on covering the curriculum without engaging the students to develop activities by themselves based on standardised system. This helps students, teachers and parents. This area relates to the New York state educational policy where new teachers have to undergo training before they start teaching. Teachers undergo induction period for the first two to three years to develop their capabilities. Also, beginners in the teaching field are not left to work on their own. Teachers are prepared well prior to teaching, can develop the expertise on their own and teaching can be mastered in a relatively short time. Peer coaching and mentoring to enhance analysis of ap plication, companionship and technical feedback are all features of this teacher training. Also, competence of teachers has to be evaluated annually to enhance continued learning. According to Whitehouse et. al. (2006), "professional development of teachers is to help teachers improve their professional practice so that students learn better" (p.49). Professional Learning and Leadership Standards enhance lifelong learning among the reading professionals, and this equips them with skills such as reading, attending the professional meetings, and pursuing an advanced degree. Also, the professions are able to evaluate the importance of advocacy, professional learning experiences,