Same Theme, Different Development in of Virginia Woolf and...

Two major literary works of Virginia Woolf and Alice Walker’s The Legacy and Everyday Use, both of them have the common that is the theme of the story carries â€Å"the heritage† issue but the focus of it is different. In The Legacy, the focus of the heritage was a relic diary of Angela for her husband. Implicitly, we can conclude that the heritage was meant to be recognition of Angela to her husband. While the focus in Everyday Use, the focus of the heritage was the quilts, and in the final story we could see the truth meaning of heritage it can be concluded by the shown of characters’ dialog and mindsets. Even though both have basically the same elements, but the development of the theme itself is very different. Both writers have their own way in building the theme into a work of literatures that can be enjoyed entirety by the reader. From this point, of course, it can be seen that the writers perspective on â€Å"the form of heritage† have some differe nces, particularly in the story of The Legacy and Everyday Use. Virgina Woolf, in her writings, tried to combine the heritage theme and love story—that ended tragically. The focus of the heritage—also the key of the story—is the 15 volume of diaries written by Angela—for her husband, Gilbert Clandon. Actually no gift or heritage left expressly for her husband but she may have intended him to have her diaries she kept during their marriage. The writer tried to open Gilbert’s mind and explore Angela’s feelings through the diary

Marks And Spencer Group Plc Share Valuation Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2687 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Marks and Spencer (MS) PLC is a UK based group which owns a chain of stores globally refer to (Appendix 1:..). It deals in retail goods which include clothing, food and home ware. It caters to all ages and demographic groups (Marks and Spencer 2010). 2. Findings 2.1. Models for share valuation (NAV, DVM and PER) Net Asset Values (REWORD NEED) Net asset value (NAV) is a representation of the per share value of an investment fund. NAV can be calculated as follow: Total value of all cash and securities in a given portfolio (minus liabilities) /by the number of shares outstanding. There are conditions in which asset values is particularly useful such as: Company in financial difficulty The shareholders of company in financial difficulty because liquidation value may or may not be close to NAV. Takeover bids This value is computed at the end of every trading day based on the closing prices of the securities in the portfolio. The buy and sell orders of all mutual funds are processed at the NAV on a given trading day. The investors however get the trade price only on the following day. When discounted income flow techniques are difficult to apply The NAV helps to calculate the price of shares and interests that the fund will issue and redeem. This ensures that the investors receive a fair proportion of the funds and on redemption receive their fair share of the funds value in cash. It is also useful in determining whether the shares in a public company are a cheap or expensive investment. This is done by comparing the companys current market capitalization with its NAV. The current market capitalization is the price at which the market values the company. NAV is also an index used to evaluate real estate investment trusts (REITs). REIT is a security that invests in real estate directly through properties or mortgages. It is similar to how the stock is sold to a major market. REITs, like other private companies will be listed. They can be classified as equity, mortgage or hybrid. Investing in REITs help reduce corporate income taxes. They are required to distribute a large portion of their taxable income into the hands of investors. They offer investors high yields and highly liquid real estate investments; Ezinearticles.com (2010) Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Marks And Spencer Group Plc Share Valuation Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Problems with the Dividend Valuation Models DVMs are built on the idea that: The market value of ordinary shares represents the sum of the expected future dividend flows, to infinity, discounted to present value. Glen, A (2008). The DMVs present the following problems: DVMs to infinity The individual period model can be lengthy to any number of periods. Table 1: Universal Dividend Valuation Model P0 = D1/(1+ke)1 + D2/(1+ke)2 +ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦+ Dn/(1+ke)n + Pn/(1+ke)n If Pn is far in the future, it will not affect P0. Therefore, the model can be rewritten as: P0   =   S Dt/(1 + ke)t This model states that the value of a stock is settled simply by the current value of the dividends. Calculating the current value of an unlimited stream of dividends can be  problematic. Basic models have been created to make the calculations easier such as: The Gordon Growth Model Table 2: The Gordon Growth Model P0 = D0(1+g)1   +   D0(1+g)2 +ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦..+   D0(1+g)ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¾ (1+ke)1 (1+ke)2  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   (1+ke)ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¾ where D0 = the most recent dividend paid, g = the expected growth rate in dividends   ke   = the required return on equity investments. The model can be simplified algebraically to read: P0 = D0(1 + g)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   D1      Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  (ke g)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  (ke g) Dividends continue to rise at a constant rate for a lengthy period of time. The growth rate is supposed to be less than ke. Gordon proved that if this were not so (g exceeds k) a nonsensical result occurs because of the use of the history growth rate (Glen, 2010) , in the long run the firm would grow dreadfully huge to endlessness which show that DMVs are extremely sensitive to the assumption. However, if a firm is not paying dividends like many airlines at this time or has an unpredictable growth rate, the method will not work and more general types of the discounted dividend model need be used to worth the stock. Therefore, other approaches are required. This relates toward the terminal case of the Discounted cash flow approaches. Gordons model is hence appropriate to the terminal case. When the growth g is zero, Which means Nevertheless for many growth stocks, the present growth rate can differ with the cost of capital considerably year by year. In this case this model should not be used as Gordons model is sensitive if k is close to g, the price is very high, going to infinity and share prices change, often dramatically, on a daily basis.   The DVMs will not forecast this, nonetheless will give an approximation of the underlying value of the shares; Globusz.com (n.d). Understand Pros and Cons of historic PER In Valuation Of Companies The P/E ratio of a company is a one of the most important indicators in fundamental analysis for better or worse, because it shows how cheap or expensive a companys stock is. Theoretically, a company with a low P/E ratio is a better deal than a company with a high price to earnings ratio. There are multiple ways to look at a stocks price to earnings ratio. One method, is called the crude historic P/E and it is calculated by using the earnings from the most recent year past. The advantage of the historic P/E is calculated with real results and not the predictions of analysts which can be wrong, sometimes by a lot. The disadvantage of the crude historic P/E is that it tells you what the stock should have been worth based on earnings from the past The advantage of a perspective P/E is that it is not based on a companys previous performance. Nevertheless, all lot of things can change in a year and a company might be doing much better, or much worse now that it was last year. The disadvantage of a perspective P/E ratio is that it depends basically on a guess as to what the companys earnings will be since there is no way to know for sure how much a company will earn in the future. Each of these approaches gives us an insight into the company but there are limitations. How the analysis be improved? Deciding which kind of P/E to use for figuring out good stock investments can be eliminated and analyse by finding stocks which have good value P/E ratios for both the perspective P/E and the historic P/E. That means the stock is a good value no matter which earnings one looks at. It is important to know that many other factors go into determining whether or not a stock is a good investment. A stocks P/E may be high because there are solid expectations of large future growth (a growth stock) or the stocks P/E may be low because their futures prospects are dim (a low price but not a good value) as a rule of thumb see appendix 2: 2.2. Value of a share of Marks and Spencer (MS) Beta (B) represents the market risk involved in transacting a financial instrument. Reuters shows the value of Beta (B) for the stocks of MS PLC at 0.90. This implies that the market risk involved in dealing with the stocks of MS PLC is lower than the industry and competitors involved so the stock is a safe investment (Bloomberg 2010). Dividends announced by the company over the last five years are provided in Appendix 3. The common stock prices of Marks and Spencer PLC are valued by the following approaches. Net Asset Value (NAV) A financial instrument is valued by NAV. The expected market value of common stocks of MS PLC as per NAV is  £2185.9m (or more properly 2168.6 when minority interest are removed) of MS compares with a market capitalisation value placed on all shared when totalled of  £6.46bn (taken from FT at 22.20pm on 07th November 2010). This great difference make it clear that the shareholders of MS are not rating the firm on the basis of balance sheet net asset figures. Table 1: MS Net Asset Value (NAV) Market value of MS shares Liabilities No. of Common stocks outstanding Common stocks price per share  £6.46bn  £4,967,300,000.00 1,583,508,000  £2185.9m Common stocks price per share = (Total Value of all stocks liabilities) / No. of Common Stocks outstanding (Fabozzi, 2001). Dividend Valuation Models (DMV) DVM is based on using historical financial information of MS PLCs common stocks to calculate the current price of the stock. With the P0 and D0 given g calculated by averaging the percentage changes in final dividend in FY 2009 and 10. The value of Required Rate of Return (Ke) will be 0.1152 or 11.52%. The price derived from this is 278.70p (Marks and Spencer 2010; Bloomberg 2010). The Required Rate of Return (Ke) is calculated using CAPM model as follows: Ke = Rf + ÃÆ'Ã… ½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ² (Rm-Rf) where Ke = 3.5% + 0.9 x (5.5%) = 8.45% Using Dividend Valuation Model for one period based on the following equation: P0 = Div1/(1+Ke)+P1/(1+Ke) The reason for using one period Dividend Valuation Model is due to the estimated required rate of return which is less than the dividend growth rate and therefore, Gordons Model may not hold. We have assumed a constant dividend growth rate in our calculation. From this equation, we have a price of 384.88p which implies that if the price is equal to 384.88p or less than investment in the company stock is feasible. Moreover, when Ke is compared to the growth rate of the stock 11.48% it could be suggested that long term investment in the companys stock is a viable option. Table 2: MS Dividend valuation model Current share price (P0) Current dividend (D0) Required Rate of return (Ke)  £417.30p  £0.10 8.45% P0= D0 /(1 + ke) + P1/(1+K e) P0= 0.10/(1+0.0845) + 417.30(1+0.0845) =  £384.88p Historic Price Earnings Ratio Graph1 provide comparison of Marks and Spencer PLCs historical PER of the same year with major competitors. The PE ratio of MS is at 11.46 which is lower than 11.66 (sector PE ratio) in the markets they operate in. MS PLCs is in a moderate condition than Next PLC but is more unstable in comparison to Tesco PLC. It crossed the minimal barrier for P/E ratio in the industry (11.1) so the stock is performing reasonably well in the industry. From this analysis it could be suggested shareholders can expect relatively higher returns from their investment in the companys stock. The companys NAV is 92.310p indicating return to stock holders even if the company liquidates. Table 3: MS PER and Beta comparison with major competitors Price Earnings Ratio and Beta comparison Industry Sector MKS (Marks and Spencer Plc) Next Plc (NXT) Tesco Plc P/E Ratio (TTM) 11.1 11.66 11.46 11.24 13.29 Beta 0.99 0.96 0.9 0.95 0.77 Source: (Reuters 2010) Prospective Price Earnings Ratio The P/E ratio (perspective) is shown in table 4, the P/E Ratio (perspective) falls to 287.79 showing a decline in the P/E Ratio to 287.79 (for the next year) from 1264.54 (FY 2010). Due to lower EPS the stock is not worth keeping in the portfolio as it will decrease the value of the portfolio and the company is expected to incur reduction in profits (Chisholm and Chisholm 2009). Table 4: EPS (Future) e1(Next Years EPS)=S0 x (Ke -g))/b Earning Per Share(perspective) P/E ratio (perspective) (417.3*(0.1152-0.1148))/0.1148 1.45 287.7931 (Chisholm Chisholm, 2009) From this analysis it could be suggested that shareholders can expect higher returns from their investment in the companys stock. The companys NAV is positive and the P/E ratio is presently at a higher value and shareholders can expect an increase in the price of the companys stock and therefore, higher capital gains on their holdings. The stocks of MS PLC show an expectation of growth in the current FY according to their financial statements of FY 2010, since the profit before taxation indicates an increase of  £94.6million in the adjusted profit before taxation. The EPS basic and diluted have shown an increase in FY 2010.The net assets show an increase in the company accounts and so does the profit. The stock prices exhibit a rising trend and capital gains can be earned on the stocks in the short term as well. It is also viable for long term investments; according to London stock exchange the dividend payment per share is exh ibiting a rise of approximately 5%, showing recovery in dividend payments. With the borrowing decreasing in April 2010 the over all equity of the company is increasing making it financially stable. The half yearly accounts also show increase in revenues in the market segments (LSE 2010; Marks and Spencer.com, 2010). 2.3. Ratios analysis of MS The ratio analysis of MS PLC is as follows: Liquidity analysis The liquidity position of MS is also weak as values of both current and quick ratio is less than 1 and MS may run into problems to pay its current liabilities effectively shown in graph 2. Table 5: Marks and Spencer PLC Liquidity Ratio Liquidity Ratio Current Ratio=Current Assets/ Current liability Quick  ratio=(Cash + A/c Receivable + Short term Investment)/ Current liability FY2009 0.60 0.37 FY2010 0.80 0.39 Gearing ratio analysis The gearing ratios suggest that the company has high proportion of debt -to- equity. Although, it is earnings sufficient to pay interest but its equity to assets ratio remains quite weak shown in graph3 and 4. Table 6: Marks and Spencer PLC GEARING RATIO GEARING RATIO debt-to-equity ratio= Total Debt /Total Equity times interest earned=EBIT/ Total Interest Equity Ratio=Equity/ Assets Debt ratio= Total Debt/ Total Assets FY2009 2.45 4.06 0.28 0.71 FY2010 2.29 5.25 0.30 0.69 Profitability analysis The ROA has shown an increase showing that the net profit generated per dollar of assets has increased by 0.3% showing better usage of assets. The ROE shows a decline of 0.2 %, showing that the returns given to the common stock holders have declined in FY 2010 shown in graph 5. Table 7: Marks and Spencer PLC Profitability Ratios Profitability Ratios FY2009 FY 2010 ROA = Net Profit/ Total Assets 7% 7.3% ROE = Net Profit / Total Equity 24.1% 23.9% Investment Ratio analysis The Dividend yield ratio shows a decline of 0.181 in FY 2010, due to decline in the dividend payout. The PE ratio however shows an increase due to increase in share price of the share FY 2010 refer to Graph 6. Therefore, the stocks of MS PLC are expected to perform well with fluctuating returns to stock holders in the short run to investors, who are looking for capital gains. Table 8: Marks and Spencer PLC Investment Ratios Investment Ratios 2009 2010 Dividend Yield: Dividend Per Share /EPS 0.636 0.455 Price/Earning Ratio: Share Price / EPS 1018.75 1264.545 3. Conclusions and Recommendations The stocks of Marks and Spencer PLC show an expectation of growth in the current FY according to their financial statements of FY 2010, since the profit before taxation indicates an increase of  £94.6million in the adjusted profit before taxation. The EPS basic and diluted have shown an increase in FY 2010.The net assets show an increase in the company accounts and so does the profit. The stock prices exhibit a rising trend and capital gains can be earned on the stocks in the short term as well. It is also viable for long term investments; according to London stock exchange the dividend payment per share is exhibiting a rise of approximately 5%, showing recovery in dividend payments. With the borrowing decreasing in April 2010 the over all equity of the company is increasing making it financially stable. The half yearly accounts also show increase in revenues in the market segments (LSE 2010; Marks and Spencer 2010). The recommendation to the board of directors will be to marg inally reduce the dividend keeping in mind the market condition and increase its retained earnings to finance its short term liabilities and further boost its Return on Equity (ROE) which has dropped by 0.2 percent and Return on Assets (ROA). To gain the trust of the stock holders the company will have to communicate to the share holders that the company will payout bigger dividends in the coming period once it stabilizes and captures a greater market share in the sector.

Night World The Chosen Chapter 14 Free Essays

string(66) " reached between her own legs to grab her attacker’s ankle\." The first person Rashel met in the mansion was Ivan. It was sheer dumb luck, the same luck that had helped keep her alive so far tonight. She slipped in the back door, the way she and the girls had gone out. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : The Chosen Chapter 14 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Standing in the huge silent kitchen, she listened for an instant to the music that was still blasting from the inner house. Then she swiveled to check the cellar-and met Ivan the Terrible running up the stairs. He had clearly just discovered that his twenty-four valuable slave girls were missing. His blond hair was flying, his eyes were wide with alarm, his mouth was twisted. He had the taser in one hand and a bunch of plastic handcuffs-the kind police use on rioters-in the other. When Rashel suddenly appeared on the stairway, his eyes flew open even wider. His mouth opened in astonishment-and then Rashel’s foot impacted with his forehead. The snap kick knocked him backward, and he tumbled down the stairs to hit the wooden door below. Rashel leaped after him, making it to the bottom only a second after he did. But he was already out. â€Å"What are these? Were you supposed to take some girls up?† She kicked at the plastic handcuffs. Ivan the Unconscious didn’t answer. She glanced at her watch. Only a quarter to nine. Maybe he’d been taking the girls to get washed or something. It seemed too early to start the feast. Running noiselessly back up the stairs, she quietly closed the door. Now she had to follow the music. She needed to see where the vampires were, how they were situated, how she could best get at them. She wondered where Lily was. The kitchen opened into a grand dining room with an enormous built-in sideboard. It had undoubtedly been made to accommodate whole suckling pigs or something, but Rashel had a dreadful vision of a girl lying on that coffinlike mahogany shelf, hands tied behind her, while vampire after vampire stopped by to have a snack. She pushed the idea out of her mind and moved silently across the floorboards. The dining room led to a hall, and it was from the end of the hallway that music was coming. Rashel slipped into the dimly lit hall like a shadow, moving closer and closer to the doors there. The last door was the only one that showed light. That one, she thought. Before she could get near it, a figure blocked the light. Instantly Rashel darted through the nearest doorway. She held her breath, standing in the darkened room, watching the hall. If only one or two vampires came out, she could pick them off. But nobody came out and she realized it must have just been someone passing in front of the light. At the same moment she realized that the music was very loud. This wasn’t another room-it was the same room. She was in one gigantic double parlor, with a huge wooden screen breaking it up into two separate spaces. The screen was solid, but carved into a lacy pattern that let flickering light through. Rashel thrust her knife in her waistband, then crept to the screen and applied her eye. A spacious room, very masculine, paneled like the dining room in mahogany and floored in cherry parquet. Glass brick windows-opaque. All Rashel’s worry about somebody looking out had been for nothing. A fire burned in a massive fireplace, the light bringing out the ruddy tones in the wood. The whole room looked red and secret. And there they were. The vampires for the bloodfeast. Seven of the most powerful made vampires in the world, Fayth had said. Rashel counted heads swiftly. Yes, seven. No Lily. â€Å"You boys don’t look that scary,† she murmured. That was one thing about made vampires. Unlike the lamia, who could stop aging-or start againwhenever they wanted, made vampires were stuck. And since the process of turning a human body into a vampire body was incredibly difficult, only a young human could survive it. Try to turn somebody over twenty into a vampire and they would burn out. Fry. Die. The result was that all made vampires were stuck as teenagers. What Rashel was looking at could have been the cast for some new TV soap about friends. Seven teenage guys, different sizes, different colors, but all Hollywood handsome, and all dressed to kill. They could have been talking and laughing about a fishing trip or a school dance†¦ except for their eyes. That was what gave them away, Rashel thought. The eyes showed a depth no high school guy could ever have. An experience, an intelligence†¦ and a coldness. Some of these teenagers were undoubtedly hundreds of years old, maybe thousands. All of them were absolutely deadly. Or else they wouldn’t be here. They each expected to kill three innocent girls starting at midnight. These thoughts flashed through Rashel’s mind in a matter of seconds. She had already decided on the best way to plunge into the room and start the attack. But one thing kept her from doing it. There were only seven vampires. And the eighth was the one she wanted. The client. The one who’d hired Quinn and set up the feast. Maybe it was one of these. Maybe that tall one with the dark skin and the look of authority. Or the silvery blond with the odd smile†¦. No. Nobody really looks like a host. I think it’s the one who’s still missing. But maybe she couldn’t afford to wait. They might hear the powerboats leaving over the steady pounding of the music. Maybe she should just†¦ Something grabbed her from behind. This time she had no warning. And she wasn’t surprised anymore. Her opinion of herself as a warrior had plummeted. She intended to fight, though. She went limp to loosen the grip, then reached between her own legs to grab her attacker’s ankle. A jerk up would throw him off balance†¦. Don’t do it. I don’t want to have to stun you, but I will. Quinn. She recognized the mental voice, and the hand clamped across her mouth. And both the telepathy and the skin contact were having an effect on her. It wasn’t like before; no lightning bolts, no explosions. But she was overwhelmed with a sense of Quinn. She seemed to feel his mind-and the feeling was one of drowning in dark chaos. A storm that seemed just as likely to kill Quinn as anyone else. He lifted her cleanly and backed out of the room with her, into the hall, then up a flight of stairs. Rashel didn’t fight. She tried to clear her head and wait for an opportunity. By the time he’d pulled her into an upstairs room and shut the door, she realized that there wasn’t going to be an opportunity. He was just too strong, and he could stun her telepathically the instant she moved to get away. The tables had turned. There was nothing to do now but hope that she could face death as calmly as he had. At least, she thought, it would put a stop to her confusion. He let go of her and she slowly turned to look at him. What she saw sent chills between her shoulder blades. His eyes were as dark and chaotic as the clouds she’d sensed in his mind. It was scarier than the cold hunger she’d seen in the eyes of the seven guys downstairs. Then he smiled. A smile that shed rainbows. Rashel pressed her back against the wall and tried to brace herself. â€Å"Give me the knife.† She simply looked at him. He pulled it out of her waistband and tossed it on the bed. â€Å"I don’t like being knocked out,† he said. â€Å"I don’t know why, but something about it really bothers me.† â€Å"Quinn, just get it over with.† â€Å"And it took me a while to get myself untied. Every time I meet you, I seem to end up hog-tied and unconscious. It’s getting monotonous.† â€Å"Quinn†¦ you’re a vampire. I’m a vampire hunter. Do what you have to.† â€Å"We’re also always threatening each other. Have you noticed that? Of course, everything we keep saying is true. It is kill or be killed. And you’ve killed a lot of my people, Rashel the Cat.† â€Å"And you’ve killed a lot of mine, John Quinn.† He glanced away, looking into a middle distance. His pupils were enormous. â€Å"Less than you might think, actually. I don’t usually kill to feed. But, yes, I’ve done enough. I said before, I know what you think of me.† Rashel said nothing. She was frightened and confused and had been under strain for quite a long time. She felt that at any moment she could snap. â€Å"We belong to two different races, races that hate each other. There’s no way to get around that.† He turned his dark eyes back on her and gave her a brilliant smile. â€Å"Unless, of course, we change it.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"I’m going to make you a vampire.† Something inside Rashel seemed to give way and fall. She felt as if her legs might collapse. He couldn’t mean it, he couldn’t be serious. But he was. She could tell. There was a kind of surface serenity pasted over the dark roiling clouds in his eyes. So this was how he’d solved an unsolvable problem. He had snapped. Rashel whispered, â€Å"You know you can’t do that.† â€Å"I know I can do that. It’s very simple, actually- all we have to do is exchange blood. And it’s the only way.† He took hold of her arms just above the elbow. â€Å"Don’t you understand? As long as you’re human, Night World law says you have to die if I love you.† Rashel stood stricken. Quinn had stopped short, as if he were startled himself by what he’d said. Then he gave an odd laugh and shook his head. â€Å"If I love you,† he repeated. â€Å"And that’s the problem, of course. I do love you.† Rashel leaned against the wall for support. She couldn’t think anymore. She couldn’t even breathe properly. And somewhere deep inside her there was a trembling that wouldn’t stop. â€Å"I’ve loved you from that first night, Rashel the Cat. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.† He was still gripping her tightly by the arms, leaning close to her, but his eyes were distant, lost in the past. â€Å"I’d never met a human like you,† he said softly, as if remembering. â€Å"You were strong, you weren’t weak and pathetic. You weren’t looking for your own destruction. But you were going to let me go. Strength and compassion. And†¦ honor. Of course I loved you.† His dark eyes focused again. He looked at her sharply. â€Å"I’d have been crazy not to.† Falling into darkness†¦ Rashel had a terrifying desire to simply collapse in his arms. Give in. He was so strangely beautiful, and the power of his personality was overwhelming. And of course she loved him, too. That was suddenly excruciatingly clear. Undeniable. From the beginning he had struck a chord in her that no one else had ever touched. He was so much like her-a hunter, a fighter. But he had honor, too. However he might try to deny it or get around it, deep inside him there was still honor. And like her, he knew the dark side of life, the pain, the violence. They had both seen-and done-things that normal people wouldn’t understand. She was supposed to hate him†¦ but from the beginning she’d seen herself in him. She had felt the bond, the connection between them†¦. Rashel shook her head. â€Å"No!† She had to stop thinking these things. She would not surrender to the darkness. â€Å"You can’t stop me, you know,† Quinn said softly. â€Å"That ought to make things easier for you. You don’t even have to make a decision. It’s all my fault. I’m very, very bad, and I’m going to make you a vampire.† Somehow that gave Rashel her voice back. â€Å"How can you do that-to someone you love?† she spat. â€Å"Because I don’t want you dead! Because as long as you’re human, you’re going to get yourself killed!† He put his face close to hers, their foreheads almost touching. â€Å"I will not let you kill yourself,† he said through his teeth. â€Å"If you make me a vampire, I will kill myself,† Rashel said. Her mind had cleared. However much she wanted to give in, however enticing the darkness might be, it all disappeared when she thought of how it would end. She would be a vampire. She’d be driven by bloodlust to do things that would horrify her right now. And she’d undoubtedly find excuses for doing them. She would become a monster. Quinn was looking shaken. She’d scared him, she could see it in his eyes. â€Å"You’ll feel differently once it’s done,† he said. â€Å"No. Listen to me, Quinn.† She kept her eyes on his, looking deep, trying to let him see the truth of what she was saying. â€Å"If you make me a vampire, the moment I wake up I’ll stab myself with my own knife. Do you think I’m not brave enough?† â€Å"You’re too brave; that’s your problem.† He was faltering. The surface serenity was breaking up. But that wasn’t really helpful, Rashel realized, because underneath it was an agony of desperate confusion. Quinn really couldn’t see any other solution. Rashel couldn’t see any herself-except that she didn’t really expect to survive tonight. Quinn’s face hardened, and she could see him pushing away doubts. â€Å"You’ll get used to it,† he said harshly, his voice grating. â€Å"You’ll see. Let’s start now,† he added. And then he bit her. He was so fast. Unbelievably fast. He caught her jaw and tilted her head back and to the side-not roughly but with an irresistible control and precision. Then before Rashel had time to scream, she felt a hot sting. She felt teeth, vampire teeth, extended to an impossible delicacy and sharpness, pierce her flesh. This is it. This is death. Panic flooded her. But it wasn’t death, of course-not yet. She wouldn’t even be changed into a vampire by a single exchange of blood. No, instead it would be slow torture†¦ days of agony†¦ pain†¦. She kept waiting for the pain. Instead she felt a strange warmth and languor. Was he actually drinking her blood? All she could sense was Quinn’s mouth nuzzling at her neck, his arms around her tightly. And†¦ His mind. It happened all at once. In a sudden silent explosion, white light engulfed her. It burst around her. She was floating in it. Quinn was floating in it. It was shining around them and through them, and she could feel a connection with Quinn that made their last connection seem like a faulty telephone line. She knew him. She could see him, his soul, whatever you wanted to call it, whatever it was that made him John Quinn. They seemed to be floating together in some other space, in a naked white light that revealed everything and mercilessly lit up all the most secret places. And if anyone had asked her, Rashel would have said that would be horrible, and she would have run for her life to get away from it. But it wasn’t horrible. She could see dreadful dark bits in Quinn’s mind, and dreadful dark bits in hers. Tangled, thorny, scary parts, full of anger and hate. But there were so many other parts-some of them almost unused-that were beautiful and strong and whole. There was so much potential. Rainbow places that were aching to grow. Other parts that seemed to quiver with light, desperate to be awakened. We ask so little of ourselves, Rashel thought in wonder. If everybody’s like this-we stunt ourselves so badly. We could be so much more†¦. I don’t want you to be more. You ‘re amazing enough the way you are. It was Quinn. Not even his voice, just-Quinn. His thoughts. And Rashel knew her thoughts flowed to him without her even making an effort. You know what I mean. Isn’t this strange? Does this always happen with vampires? Nothing like this has ever happened to me in my life, Quinn said. What he felt was even more, and Rashel could sense it directly, in a dizzying sweet wave. There was an understanding between them that ran deeper than any words could convey. Whatever was happening to them, however they had gotten to this place, one thing was obvious. Under the white light that revealed their inner selves, it was clear that small differences like being vampire or human didn’t matter. They were both just people. John Quinn and Rashel Jordan. People who were stumbling through life trying to deal with the hurt. Because there was hurt. There was pain in the landscape of Quinn’s mind. Rashel sensed it without words or even images; she could feel the feelings that had scarred Quinn. Your father did something-he killed Dove? Oh, John. Oh, John, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Rainbow lights shimmered when she called him John. It was the part of him that he had repressed the most ruthlessly. The part that she could almost feel growing in her presence. No wonder you hated humans. After everything you’d ken through, to have your own father want you dead†¦ And no wonder you hated vampires. They killed someone dose to you-your mother? And you were so young. I’m†¦ sorry. He wasn’t as easy with words as she was, but here they didn’t need words. She could sense his sorrow, his shame, and his fierce protectiveness. And she could sense the emotion behind his next question. Who did it? I don’t know. I’ll probably never know. Rashel didn’t want to pursue it. She didn’t want to feed the dark side of Quinn; she wanted to see more of the shimmering light. She wanted to make the light grow until the dark disappeared. Rashel, that may not be possible. Quinn’s thought wasn’t bitter; it was serious and gentle. Tinged with infinite regret. I may not be able to become anything better- Of course you can. We all can. Rashel cut him off with absolute determination. She could feel the bone-deep cold that had set into him years ago, that he’d allowed to set in. I won’t let you be cold, she told him, and she went for a romp in his mind, kissing things and blowing warmth into them, thinking sunlight and comfort everywhere. Please stop; I think you’re killing me. Quinn’s thought was shaky-half serious and half hysterical, like the helpless gasp of somebody being tickled to death. Rashel’s whole being was singing with elation. She was young-how strange that she had never really felt young until now-and she was in love and stronger than she had ever been before. She had John Quinn the vampire squirming and semi-hysterical. She was unstoppable. Anything was possible. I’ll make everything be right, she told Quinn, and she was happy to see that she’d driven his doubt and his sadness away, at least for the moment. Do you really want me to stop? No. Quinn sounded dazed now-and bemused. I’ve decided I’ll enjoy dying this way. But†¦ Rashel couldn’t follow the rest of his thought, but she felt a new coldness, something like a wind from outside. Outside. She’d forgotten there was an outside. In here, in the private cocoon of their minds, there was nothing but her and Quinn. It was almost as if nothing else existed. But†¦ There was a whole world out there. Other people. Things happening. Things Rashel had to stop†¦. â€Å"Oh, God, Quinn-the vampires.† How to cite Night World : The Chosen Chapter 14, Essay examples

Ebonics A Bridge to Help Black Essay Example For Students

Ebonics A Bridge to Help Black Essay I feel that the discussion on Ebonics has gone beyond the original objectives of the program. Ebonics is a bridge to make Afro-American children understand more the English language. Mexican Americans use the code-switching technique to learn the language. A phrase is said in English, and the translation is given in Spanish. This is also how the Chinese and the Japanese learn English. As a quote from an article writes,The real question is what happened to the good educational philosophy, which states that in order to teach a child you had to start from where the child is. The new Hispanic immigrants understand this and that is why we now have a move going on across this country for BI-lingual education. They demand, and get, teachers who understands Spanish and other Latin American dialects to teach their children English. They know that it does not matter if a child is African American, Chinese, Spanish, or Italian. For a child to learn they know you have to build on what that child knows. Therefore, if the child comes into the room saying dis and dat, the teacher instead of frowning needs to know that dis means this and dat means that and responds accordingly not with a frown but with the proper words.1Those who objects the introduction of English says that the introduction of Ebonics will assist those who do not fully understand standard English or who loses interest because they feel that the language of their community is being ignored. This is not about racism; this is a method of teaching. What you need to do is teach the child how to move from ebonics to standard English.2 said psychologist Robert Williams. Therefore, teaching ebonics origins could help children understand the differences from standard English. This is not too far fetched when you think about how millions of people travel to other countries these days with little computers in their hands that helps them translate another language to what they understand. When they want to say hello in F rench, Chinese, or Spanish they look up the word hello and the translation is given to them. Would they have been given the French words first without any hint of what it means? No way, they began with what they knew to find what they needed to know. Many people may ask how should we teach ebonics with standard English? During my research I found out there were tons of researches and studies that stresses ebonics as a bridge to teaching literacy to Afro-American students, As Aubry, Larry writes in his article, In a 1985 study at Cal State University Long Beach, 200 African American students in Black Studies composition courses were given a mini-course in ebonics during the first two weeks of class. The mini-course described the rule-governed nature of ebonics and its ten components: syntax, grammar and vocabulary, as well as world view, semantics, intonation, favored generes, learning styles, teaching styles, and speech acts (such as mocking). The students were then taught freshmen composition methods. Later, they tested higher than the white students on a written proficiency exam given to all freshmen composition students.3 This study and many other more can prove how ebonics could help solve the problem of illiteracy. The use of ebonics could solve many educational and economic problems. Students who are literate and proud will be able to survive through hardships in their daily lives, without the need of welfare. We need to understand, in order to teach, is to let one learn and not just forcing information into ones brain. Its true that this society requires everyone to speak and write correctly. We should not, however, throw the baby in cold water. Children can learn to distinguish between ebonics and standard English. The use of ebonics in the classroom offers teachers the wonderful opportunity to connect with their students, on a personal as well as educational level. In this open-minded environment, both teachers and students can learn from each other i n a communicative way. .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b , .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .postImageUrl , .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b , .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:hover , .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:visited , .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:active { border:0!important; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:active , .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u53713fd6c4410398e0c990873f28859b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ayn Rand Anthem Paper Essay I see therefore that this is another way of looking at the Ebonics issue. It is a tool for the students in Oakland to learn