Communication Models: Overview and Analysis

Communication Models: Overview and Analysis Digging deeper into communication models, the research done by theorist and communication experts alike has helped the future generation to at least have a brief idea of what a communication model is. In this era, whereby the world is getting smaller coined the Global Village (Marshall McLuhan) communication has risen to new heights due to its importance. The understanding of communication would further enhance a mans understanding of how to communicate with efficiency and efficacy. The rise of the Internet has also changed how communication works whereby the former and commonly used type was direct communication (face-to-face) and it changed into communication that was based more on writing as more and more people are hooked to the Internet. A communication model would help with discovery of the difference in relationships between the different types of communication and how manipulative variables change efficiency, reach etc. A communication model would also clarify complex understanding of communication into a more disciplined, order and simple form of communication. Though models of communication has its advantages yet because of its simple nature could lead to oversimplifications, such as quoted There is no denying that much of the work in designing communication models illustrates the oft-repeated charge that anything in human affairs which can be modeled is by definition too superficial to be given serious consideration. Duhem (1954) thus a model may attempt to mirror real life information but in reality it is impossible to truly model real life communication. Therefore, communication models are generally divided into two, linear model and non-linear model, the former neglecting feedback of receivers, external factors etc. The linear model adapted a mathematical approach to communication based on codes that are decoded and encoded. The model dictates communication is possible only if two people share the same code whereby in this case is the same language. Language is the bridge that connects human thoughts into strings of sound, syllables and words and like any other computer in order to translate it requires the same code system. This means, an example if a person wants to transfer his/her thoughts it would be encoded into language then the message is delivered through a channel that is later on decoded by the receiver/recipient. Thus the introduction to the encode-decode model of communication, the linear model though revolutionary in communication introduced by Lasswell and later on enhanced by Shannon-Weaver model (Shannon, 1948) including noise into the communication. The main defect of these models are that it is linear and robotic, dictating that communication has  a beginning and ending while in reality communication does not have such limited specifications under communication. Linear models do not generally take into account how humans interpret meaningsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the encode-decode model assumes that meaning is objective and can be captured in a fixed correspondence between aspects of the world and some system of representation (Lund and Waterworth) Thus, Schramm introduced the circular model that acknowledges communication is not linear and that emphasizes the circular nature of human communication, in which the roles of source/encoder and receiver/decoder interchange. In furtherance of a nalysis, the sample used is the Circular/Interactive Model of Osgood and Schramm. Wilbur Schramm and Osgood introduced the Circular Model, 1954 were one of the first to alter the mathematical model of Shannon and Weaver. The reason behind Schramm coming up with the circular model was to overcome the limitations of linear models. In fact, it is misleading to think of the communication process as starting somewhere and ending somewhere. It is really endless. We are little switchboard centers handling and rerouting the great endless current of information.(Schramm W. (1954) quoted in McQuail Windahl (1981). All communication process starts with a person that has a thought or information to pass on to other people. In the interactive model, that thought would first go through an element called the encoder, which will change our thought into codes. Encoding is actually an act of translating specific thoughts into codes (message) that is then transferred to another person, which will decode the codes (message), and interpret the meaning. The second part of the communication, is the feedback/response of the person to the particular code (message) that goes through the process of encoding, and then delivered back to the original sender. The difference here is that the circular model acknowledges the circular nature of human communication that is endless. An enhancement of previous linear models whereby the sender and receiver vice versa changes role depending on the communication. This helps improve the understanding of communication between two people rather then a one way linear model that does not represent the nature of communication in real life. The Circular Model is a dynamic model that shows how a situation can change and that communication is not generally one sided. The Circular Model also raises the importance of redundancy and that it is an essential part of communication, due to the fact that communication moves in a circular manner. Another advantage of the model is that it does not separate between sender and receiver, both sender and receiver is the same person. A more active communication models rather then the linear model that assumes passive receivers. The Circular Model emphasizes on the feedback feature to be central of the communication model, where models before failed to incorporate. The Circular model is not free from defects; one being the most highly criticized is that it does not incorporate the noise feature included in Shannon-Weaver model (Shannon, 1948). Noise is anything that influences effective communication and the interpretation of the code (message). Noise may have profound effects on interpretation of communication but is usually overlooked. Noise can be divided into three categories, which are Semantic Noise, Psychological Noise (internal noise) and Physical Noise (external noise). Understanding noise is essential in improving further the communication models. External Noise is anything outside the person that may distract the efficiency of communication, such as sight, sound, smell, and environment such as crowded environment. Whiles Internal Noise is anything that influences thoughts, feelings during communication such as hunger, headaches and fatigue. The final one is Semantic Noise which encoding errors by the sender which is not understood by the receiver such as writings in articles by the use of jargons or unnecessary technical language. Application of the circular model would most probably mirror communication limited to only 2 people. The Circular model is limited to that specific use since it fails to incorporate context and the surrounding nature and growth development of the individual. Room for improvement of the Circular Model (1954) has been made through the Helical Model (1967) attempting to show that the growth of communication is forever evolving and limitless. The extent of its growth depending on the development of the individual throughout his life and including individual factors such as environment, economic and relations change over time. As communication moves forward so does the form of such communication, therefore it is a need to take into account of the different for such as the epidemic growth of social media changing the communication as there is more reliance of the things said rather then the non-verbal messages sent in the past with direct communication. Based on extended reading, improvements of the Circular model taking into account present communication settings. Macintosh HD:Users:syafeeqz:Desktop:College:COmm:Templatechart.jpg Based on the Communication Model above, it clearly looks similar to the Circular model. The difference is the enhancement of noise in the middle section of the model. Message is changed into distortion; to infer that noise plays a part in the message sent thus naming it distortion. What this model represents is a more suitable approach to real life communication, as it incorporates the underlying factors of intention, perception, relationship and the context of communication while acknowledging all three types of noise. First of all, intention of the communication does have significance as if the intention was transactional it is specifically goal-oriented thus would affect interaction to achieve such goals. On the other hand, if the intention were of socializing purposes and demonstrating social intimacy with the receiver/counter-initiator thus the distortion (message) would be interpreted differently. As an example, the differences of response to sellers as compared to friends and family. The attention span/level is also based on such intentions. Intentions can also recognized as inference. Inference in this sense means humans communicate far more meaning than they ever encode linguistically. A perfect example is the use of the word Its gone, the ambiguity of linguistics fail to define the complete meaning of intention in language and the interpretation is inferred by the receiver/counter-initiator. Next, the relationship between initiator and receiver also governs the communication model such as symmetric power relationship between to friends, both with equal rights to speak as compare to a asymmetrical power relationship between and employee and employer would change the distortion (message) taking into measure the authority of the employer. Furthermore, the context is a combination of both the intention and relationship mixed with the location, time and noise during the communication thus turns into a major influence as how distortion (message) is received and the response given. An example to display such context, is the comparison of initiators/rebound distortion (message) during at work with a colleague compared too the distortion at home with a family member, while in both cases explaining the accident that took place while on the way to work. The context changes so much that the variables are limitless, while at the office the explanation of such event may be more dramat ized and exaggerated since it just happened, and also the fact that the receiver/counter-initiator is a colleague while at home the explanation of the same event would be shorter due to the redundancy, fear of the family members response and so fourth. The nuclear signed used was to signify the limitless boundaries of such context and the different combinations that may occur combined with the different types of noise that play a subtle role in influencing communication. The model incorporates all three types of noise that is semantic, external and internal. What differs from other models is it also features other major factors such as perception outwards toward the each other and perception inward of oneself. Example, if we perceive of what we are listening too in the radio is false thus the whether it is true we tend to ignore the distortion (message) this is called selective perception. Schramms model though outdated and has been improved with numerous other models; it remains to be the cornerstone of communication models, with the model centered on the theory of feedback. Schramms model is of use in todays social media lifestyle since social media relies mainly on the two-way circular nature of communication.

A Study of Cotton Trade and Trade in Africa Essay -- Essays Papers

A Study of Cotton Trade and Trade in Africa History of Cotton The word cotton is derived from the Arabic word ‘qutun’ or ‘kutun’ which is used to describe any textile that is very fine. Cotton is one of the oldest known fibers in the world, which has been found by archeologists during the course of excavating ancient civilizations. Traces of cotton fiber were found to exist over 5000 years ago, when archeologists were excavating a cite in Mohenjo Daro, which lies in the Indus Valley in West Pakistan. Alexander the great and his army brought cotton goods and material to Europe around 300BC. However, the price of these cotton goods was so expensive that only the rich could afford it. The southern states of America started growing cotton in the early 17th century and also making cotton goods and materials out of it. The acquisition of colonies around the world by Great Britain, led to tremendous development of the cotton industry because most of Britain’s colonies were suitable for cotton growth. In the early 19th century the southern American states became the biggest single supplier of cotton to the now thriving English textile mills. In the early 1900s, United States was the producing more then 50% of the total world cotton. Growing conditions for cotton Cotton plants have a growth cycle of about 6 months from the time they germinate to the time they are picked. Cotton seeds are usually planted in spring or as soon as the soil temperature is warm enough to ensure satisfactory seed germination and crop establishment cotton plants grow well in areas that hot summers/dry spells with low humidity and long hours of sunshine. The plant usually requires about 150 days free from frost. Cotton plants also require higher ... ...cts/english.html Mali Economy http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ml.html#Econ Organization of African Union (O.A.U) and African Union (A.U) http://www.oau-creation.com/Part%20One.htm Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) http://www.ecowas.int/ The Objectives of the African Union http://www.africa-union.org/home/Welcome.htm The vision of the African Union http://www.africa-union.org/home/Welcome.htm Cotton facts http://www.icac.org/icac/cotton_info/publications/cotton_facts/english.html World Trade Organization (W.T.O) http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/26/34353004.pdf Cotton Plants http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article?tocId=199250 Cotton Industry http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/LI_whatiscotton.html Brazil Triumphs Over U.S. in WTO Subsidies Dispute http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0304-01.htm

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty

The days after that were like a dream. In fact, I honestly can't say how many days even passed. Maybe it was one. Maybe it was a hundred. I lost track of day and night too. My time was divided into Dimitri or not-Dimitri. He was my world. When he wasn't there, the moments were agony. I'd pass them as best I could, but they seemed to drag on forever. The TV was my best friend during those times. I'd lie on the couch for hours, only half following what was going on. In keeping with the rest of the suite's luxury, I had access to satellite television, which meant we were actually pulling in some American programming. Half the time, though, I wasn't sure that it really made a difference to me if the language was Russian or English. Inna continued her periodic checks on me. She brought my meals and did my laundry-I was wearing the dresses now-and waited around in that silent way of hers to see if I needed anything else. I never did-at least not from her. I only needed Dimitri. Each time she left, some distant part of me remembered I was supposed to do something†¦ follow her, that was it. I'd had some plan to check out the exit and use her as a way to escape, right? Now, that plan no longer held the appeal. It seemed like a lot of work. And then, finally, Dimitri would visit, and the monotony would be broken. We'd lie together on my bed, wrapped in each other's arms. We never had sex, but we'd kiss and touch and lose ourselves in the wonder of each other's bodies-sometimes with very little clothing. After a while, I found it hard to believe I'd once been afraid of his new appearance. Sure, the eyes were a bit shocking, but he was still gorgeous†¦ still unbelievably sexy. And after we'd talked and made out for a while-for hours, sometimes-I'd let him bite me. Then I'd get that rush†¦ that wonderful, exquisite flood of chemicals that lifted me from all my problems. Whatever doubts I'd had about God's existence vanished in those moments because surely, surely I was touching God when I lost myself in that bite. This was heaven. â€Å"Let me see your neck,† he said one day. We were lying together as usual. I was on my side, and he was snuggled up against my back, one arm draped around my waist. I rolled over and brushed my hair away from where it had fallen over my neck and cleavage. The dress I wore today was a navy halter sundress, made of some light, clingy material. â€Å"Already?† I asked. He usually didn't bite me until the end of his visits. While part of me longed for that and waited in anticipation to feel that high again, I did kind of enjoy these moments beforehand. It was when the endorphins in my system were at their lowest, so I was able to manage some sort of conversation. We would talk about fights we'd been in or the life he imagined for us when I was Strigoi. Nothing too sentimental-but nice nonetheless. I braced myself for the bite now, arching up in anticipation. To my surprise, he didn't lean down and sink his teeth into me. He reached into his pocket and produced a necklace. It was either white gold or platinum-I didn't have the skill to tell which-and had three dark blue sapphires the size of quarters. He'd brought me a lot of jewelry this week, and I swore each piece was more beautiful than the last. I stared in amazement at its beauty, at the way the blue stones glittered in the light. He placed the necklace against my skin and fastened it behind my neck. Running his fingers along the necklace's edges, he nodded in approval. â€Å"Beautiful.† His fingers drifted to one of the dress's straps. He slid his hand underneath it, sending a thrill through my skin. â€Å"It matches.† I smiled. In the old days, Dimitri had almost never gotten me gifts. He hadn't had the means, and I hadn't wanted them anyway. Now, I was continually dazzled by the presents he seemed to have at each visit. â€Å"Where'd you get it?† I asked. The metal was cool against my flushed skin but nowhere near as cold as his fingers. He smiled slyly. â€Å"I have my sources.† That chastising voice in my head that sometimes managed to penetrate through the haze I lived in noted that I was involved with some sort of vampire gangster. Its warnings were immediately squashed and sank back down into my dreamy cloud of existence. Ho w could I be upset when the necklace was so beautiful? Something suddenly struck me as funny. â€Å"You're just like Abe.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"This guy I met. Abe Mazur. He's some kind of mob boss†¦ he kept following me.† Dimitri stiffened. â€Å"Abe Mazur was following you?† I didn't like the dark look that had suddenly fallen over his features. â€Å"Yeah. So?† â€Å"Why? What did he want with you?† â€Å"I don't know. He kept wanting to know why I was in Russia but finally gave up and just wanted me to leave. I think somebody from home hired him to find me.† â€Å"I don't want you near Abe Mazur. He's dangerous.† Dimitri was angry, and I hated that. A moment later, that fury faded, and he ran his fingers along my arm once more, pushing the strap down further. â€Å"Of course, people like that won't be an issue when you awaken.† Somewhere, in the back of my head, I wondered if Dimitri had the answers I wanted about Abe-about what Abe did. But talking about Abe had made Dimitri upset, and I cringed at that, hastily wanting to switch topics. â€Å"What have you been doing today?† I asked, impressed at my ability to make normal small talk. Between the endorphins and him touching me, coherence was difficult. â€Å"Errands for Galina. Dinner.† Dinner. A victim. I frowned. The feelings that inspired in me weren't of repulsion so much as†¦ jealousy. â€Å"Do you drink from them†¦ for fun?† He ran his lips along my neck, teeth taunting my skin but not biting. I gasped and pressed closer to him. â€Å"No, Roza. They're food; that's all. It's over quickly. You're the only one I take pleasure in.† I felt smug satisfaction in that, and that annoying mental voice pointed out that that was an incredibly sick and twisted view for me to have. I kind of hoped he would bite me soon. That usually shut the rational voice up. I reached up and touched his face, then ran my hand through that wonderful, silky hair that I'd always loved. â€Å"You keep wanting to awaken me†¦ but we won't be able to do this anymore. Strigoi don't drink from each other, do they?† â€Å"No,† he agreed. â€Å"But it'll be worth it. We can do so much more†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He left the â€Å"so much more† to my imagination, and a pleasant shiver ran through me. The kissing and blood taking were intoxicating, but there were some days that I did want, well†¦ more. The memories of the one time we'd made love haunted me when we were this close together, and I often longed to do it again. For whatever reason, he never pushed for sex, no matter how passionate things became. I wasn't sure if he was using that as a lure for me to turn or if there was some incompatibility between a Strigoi and a dhampir. Could the living and the dead do that? Once, I would have found the thought of sex with one of them absolutely repulsive. Now†¦ I just didn't think about the complications so much. But although he didn't attempt sex, he would often taunt me with his caresses, touching my thighs and sternum and other dangerous places. Plus, he would remind me of what it had been like that one time, how amazing it had been, how our bodies had felt†¦ His talk of such things was more taunting than affectionate, though. In my semi-clear moments, I honestly thought it was strange that I hadn't yet consented to becoming Strigoi. The endorphin fog made me agree to almost everything else he wanted. I'd fallen comfortably into dressing up for him, staying in my gilded prison, and accepting that he took a victim every couple days. Yet even in my most incoherent moments, even when I wanted him so badly, I couldn't agree to turning. There was some intrinsic part of me that refused to budge. Most of the time, he would shrug off my refusal, like it was a joke. But every once in a while when I declined, I'd see a spark of anger in his eyes. Those moments scared me. â€Å"Here it comes,† I teased. â€Å"The sales pitch. Eternal life. Invincible. Nothing to stand in our way.† â€Å"It's not a joke,† he said. Oops. My flippancy had brought that hardness back to him. The desire and fondness that I'd just seen now fractured into a million pieces and blew away. The hands that had just stroked me suddenly grabbed my wrists and held me in place as he leaned down. â€Å"We can't stay like this forever. You can't stay here forever.† Whoa, that voice said. Be careful. That doesn't sound good. His grip hurt, and I often wondered if that was his intent or if he just couldn't help his violence. When he finally released me, I wrapped my arm around his neck and tried to kiss him. â€Å"Can't we talk about that later?† Our lips met, fire blossoming between us and urgency coursing through my body. I could tell he had a matching desire, but a few seconds later, he broke away. The cold annoyance was still on his face. â€Å"Come on,† he said, pulling away from me. â€Å"Let's go.† He stood up, and I stared stupidly. â€Å"Where are we going?† â€Å"Outside.† I sat up on the bed, dumbfounded. â€Å"Out†¦ outside? But†¦ that's not allowed. We can't.† â€Å"We can do anything I want,† he snapped. He extended his hand and helped me up. I followed him to the door. He was as skilled as Inna at blocking me from the keypad, not that it mattered now. There was no way I could ever remember that long of a sequence anymore. The door clicked open, and he led me out. I stared in wonder, my dazed brain still trying to process this freedom. As I'd noticed that one day, the door led to a short corridor blocked by another door. It too was heavy and bore a keypad lock. Dimitri opened it, and I was willing to bet the two doors had different codes. Taking my arm, he guided me through that door and into another hallway. Despite his firm hold, I couldn't help but come to a standstill. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised at the opulence I suddenly faced. After all, I was living in this place's penthouse suite. But the corridor leading out of my room had been stark and industrial-looking, and somehow I'd imagined the rest of the house to be equally institutional or prisonlike. It wasn't. Instead, I felt like I was in some old movie, the kind where people took tea in the parlor. The plush carpet was covered by a gold patterned runner that stretched off in both directions of the hall. Antique-looking paintings dotted the walls, showing people from ages ago in elaborate clothing that made my dresses look cheap and ordinary. The whole place was illuminated by tiny chandeliers that were spaced along the ceiling every six feet or so. The teardrop-shaped crystals caught the light with their facets, scattering small flecks of rainbows on the walls. I stared, enchanted by the glitter and the color, which is probably why I failed to notice one other fixture in the hall. â€Å"What are you doing?† The harsh sound of Nathan's voice jerked me from my crystal gazing. He'd been leaning against the wall opposite my door and straightened immediately upon seeing us. He had that same cruel expression on his face that was so characteristic of Strigoi, the one I occasionally saw on Dimitri, no matter how charming and kind he seemed sometimes. Dimitri's posture turned rigid and defensive. â€Å"I'm taking her for a walk.† He kind of sounded like he was talking about a dog, but my fear of Nathan trumped any offense I might take. â€Å"That's against the rules,† said Nathan. â€Å"Bad enough you've still got her here. Galina gave orders for you to keep her confined. We don't need some rogue dhampir running around.† Dimitri nodded toward me. â€Å"Does she look like she's a threat?† Nathan's eyes flicked over at me. I wasn't entirely sure what he saw. I didn't think I looked that different, but a small smirk crossed his lips that promptly disappeared when he turned back to Dimitri. â€Å"No, but I was ordered to babysit this door, and I'm not going to get in trouble for you taking a field trip.† â€Å"I'll deal with Galina. I'll tell her I overpowered you.† Dimitri gave a fang-filled grin. â€Å"It shouldn't be that hard for her to believe.† The look Nathan gave Dimitri made me unconsciously step back until I hit the wall. â€Å"You're so full of yourself. I didn't awaken you so that you could act like you're in charge around here. I did it so that we could use your strength and inside knowledge. You should be answering to me.† Dimitri shrugged. Taking my hand, he started to turn away. â€Å"Not my fault if you're not strong enough to make me do it.† That was when Nathan lunged at Dimitri. Dimitri responded so quickly to the attack that I think he knew it would happen. He instantly released my hand, turned to catch hold of Nathan, and tossed the other Strigoi against the wall. Nathan immediately got up-it took more than that kind of hit to faze someone like him-but Dimitri was ready. He punched Nathan in the nose-once, twice, and then a third time, all in rapid succession. Nathan fell down, blood covering his face. Dimitri kicked him hard in the stomach and loomed over him. â€Å"Don't try it,† said Dimitri. â€Å"You'll lose.† He wiped Nathan's blood off of his hand and then laced his fingers through mine again. â€Å"I told you, I'll deal with Galina. But thanks for your concern.† Dimitri turned away again, apparently feeling there'd be no more attacks. There weren't. But as I started to follow him, I cast a quick glance over my shoulder to where Nathan sat on the floor. His eyes shot daggers at Dimitri, and I was pretty sure I'd never seen a look of such pure hatred-at least until he turned his gaze on me. I felt cold all over and stumbled to keep up with Dimitri. Nathan's voice rang out behind us. â€Å"You're not safe! Neither of you is. She's lunch, Belikov. Lunch.† Dimitri's hand tightened on mine, and he picked up the pace. I could feel the fury radiating off of him and suddenly wasn't sure whom I should be more afraid of: Nathan or Dimitri. Dimitri was a badass, alive or undead. In the past, I'd seen him attack foes without fear or hesitation. He'd always been magnificent, behaving just as bravely as I'd told his family. But in all those times, he'd always had a legitimate reason for fighting usually self defense. His confrontation with Nathan just then had been about more, though. It had been an assertion of dominance and a chance to draw blood. Dimitri had seemed to enjoy it. What if he decided to turn on me like that? What if my constant refusal pushed him into torture, and he hurt me until I finally agreed? â€Å"Nathan scares me,† I said, not wanting Dimitri to know that I feared him too. I felt weak and utterly defenseless, something that didn't happen to me very often. Usually, I was ready to take on any challenge, no matter how desperate. â€Å"He won't touch you,† Dimitri said harshly. â€Å"You have nothing to worry about.† We reached a set of stairs. After a few steps, it became clear that I wasn't going to be able to handle four flights. Aside from the drugged stupor his bites kept me in, the frequent blood loss was weakening me and taking its toll. Without saying a word, Dimitri swept me up in his arms and carried me downstairs effortlessly, gently setting me down when we reached the staircase's bottom. The main floor of the estate had the same grand feel as the upstairs hall. The entryway had a huge vaulted ceiling with an elaborate chandelier that dwarfed the little ones I'd seen. Ornate double doors faced us, set with stained-glass windows. What also faced us was another Strigoi, a man sitting in a chair and apparently on guard duty. Near him was a panel set into the wall with buttons and flashing lights. A modern security system set amongst all this old-world charm. His posture stiffened as we approached, and at first, I thought it was a natural bodyguard instinct-until I saw his face. It was the Strigoi I'd tortured that first night in Novosibirsk, the one I'd dispatched to tell Dimitri I was looking for him. His lips curled back slightly as he met my eyes. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† said the Strigoi. â€Å"I remember your name-just like you told me.† He said no more than that, but I tightened my grip on Dimitri's hand as we passed. The Strigoi's eyes never left me until we'd stepped outside and shut the door behind us. â€Å"He wants to kill me,† I told Dimitri. â€Å"All Strigoi want to kill you,† Dimitri returned. â€Å"He really does†¦ I tortured him.† â€Å"I know. He's been in disgrace ever since then and lost some of his status here.† â€Å"That doesn't make me feel any better.† Dimitri seemed unconcerned. â€Å"Marlen is no one you need to worry about. You fighting him only proved to Galina that you're a good addition around here. He's beneath you.† I didn't find that overly reassuring. I was making too many personal Strigoi enemies-but then, it wasn't like I could really expect to be making Strigoi friends. It was nighttime, of course. Dimitri wouldn't have taken me out otherwise. The foyer had made me think we were at the front of the house, but the extensive gardens that spread out around us made me wonder if we were in the back now. Or maybe the entire house was wrapped in this kind of greenery. We were surrounded in a hedge maze cut with beautiful detail. Within the maze were small courtyards, decorated with fountains or statues. And everywhere were flowers and more flowers. The air was heavy with their scent, and I realized that someone had gone to an awful lot of trouble to find night-blooming ones. The only type I immediately recognized was jasmine, its long, white-flowered vines climbing up trellises and statues in the maze. We walked in silence for a bit, and I found myself lost in the romance of it all. The whole time Dimitri and I had been together at school, I'd been consumed with the fears of how we would juggle our relationship and our duty. A moment like this, walking in a garden on a spring night lit with stars, had seemed like a fantasy too crazy to even start to consider. Even without the difficulty of stairs, too much walking grew exhausting in my state. I came to a halt and sighed. â€Å"I'm tired,† I said. Dimitri stopped too and helped me sit down. The grass was dry and tickly against my skin. I lay back against it, and a moment later, he joined me. I had an eerie moment of deja vu, recalling the afternoon we'd made snow angels. â€Å"This is amazing,† I said, staring up at the sky. It was clear, no clouds in sight. â€Å"What's it like for you?† â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"There's enough light that I can see pretty clearly, but it's still dim compared to day. Your eyes are better than mine. What do you see?† â€Å"For me, it's as bright as day.† When I didn't respond, he added, â€Å"It could be like that for you, too.† I tried to picture that. Would the shadows seem as mysterious? Would the moon and stars shine so brightly? â€Å"I don't know. I kind of like the darkness.† â€Å"Only because you don't know any better.† I sighed. â€Å"So you keep telling me.† He turned toward me and pushed the hair away from my face. â€Å"Rose, this is driving me crazy. I'm tired of this waiting. I want us to be together. Don't you like this? What we have? It could be even better.† His words sounded romantic, but not the tone. I did like this. I loved the haze I lived in, the haze in which all worries disappeared. I loved being close to him, loved the way he kissed me and told me he wanted me†¦ â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Why what?† He sounded puzzled, something I hadn't heard yet in a Strigoi. â€Å"Why do you want me?† I had no idea why I even asked that. He apparently didn't know either. â€Å"Why wouldn't I want you?† He spoke in such an obvious way, like it was the stupidest question in the world. It probably was, I realized, and yet†¦ I'd somehow been expecting another answer. Just then, my stomach twisted. With all the time I'd spent with Dimitri, I really had managed to push the Strigoi nausea off my radar. The presence of other Strigoi increased it, though. I'd felt it around Nathan, and I felt it now. I sat up, and Dimitri did too, almost at the same time. He'd likely been alerted by his superior hearing. A dark shape loomed over us, blotting out the stars. It was a woman, and Dimitri shot up. I stayed where I was, on the ground. She was strikingly beautiful, in a hard and terrible way. Her build was similar to mine, indicating she hadn't been a Moroi when turned. Isaiah, the Strigoi who'd captured me, had been very old, and power had radiated from him. This woman hadn't been around nearly so long, but I could sense that she was older than Dimitri and much stronger. She said something in Russian to him, and her voice was as cold as her beauty. Dimitri answered back, his tone confident yet polite. I heard Nathan's name mentioned a couple of times as they spoke. Dimitri reached down and helped me up, and I felt embarrassed at how often I needed his assistance, when I used to almost be a match for him. â€Å"Rose,† he said, â€Å"this is Galina. She's the one who has been kind enough to let you stay.† Galina's face didn't look so kind. It was devoid of all emotion, and I felt like my entire soul was exposed to her. While I was uncertain of a lot of things around here, I'd picked up enough to realize that my continual residence here was a rare and fragile thing. I swallowed. â€Å"Spasibo,† I said. I didn't know how to tell her it was nice to meet her-and honestly, I wasn't sure if it was-but I figured a simple thank-you was good enough. If she'd been his former instructor and trained at a normal Academy, she probably knew English and was faking it like Yeva. I had no clue why she'd do that, but if you could snap a teen dhampir's neck, you were entitled to do whatever you wanted. Galina's expression-or lack thereof-didn't change with my thanks, and she turned her attention back to Dimitri. They conversed over me, and Dimitri gestured to me a couple of times. I recognized the word for strong. Finally, Galina issued something that sounded final and left us without any sort of goodbye. Neither Dimitri nor I moved until I felt the nausea dissipate. â€Å"Come on,† he said. â€Å"We should get back.† We walked back through the maze, though I had no idea how he knew where to go. It was funny. When I'd first arrived, my dream had been to get outside and escape. Now that I was here†¦ well, it didn't seem that important. Galina's anger did. â€Å"What did she say?† I asked. â€Å"She doesn't like that you're still here. She wants me to awaken you or kill you.† â€Å"Oh. Um, what are you going to do?† He stayed silent for a few seconds. â€Å"I'll wait a little longer and then†¦ I will make the choice for you.† He didn't specify which choice he'd be making, and I almost began my earlier pleas to die before becoming Strigoi. But suddenly, instead, I said, â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Not long, Roza. You need to choose. And make the right choice.† â€Å"Which is?† He held up his hands. â€Å"All of this. A life together.† We'd emerged from the maze. I stared at the house-which was crazy enormous when viewed from the outside-and at the beautiful gardens around us. It was like something from a dream. Beyond that, endless countryside rolled away, eventually becoming lost in the darkness and blending into the black sky-except for one tiny part that had a soft purple glow on the horizon. I frowned, studying it, then turned my attention back to Dimitri. â€Å"And what then? Then I work for Galina too?† â€Å"For a while.† â€Å"How long is a while?† We came to a stop outside the house. Dimitri looked down into my eyes, his face alight with a look that made me take a step back. â€Å"Until we kill her, Rose. Until we kill her and take all of this for ourselves.†

Black Men, By Frederick Douglass And Harriet Jacobs

Racial prejudices plagued the minds of Americans during the 18th and 19th centuries. African Americans were viewed as intellectually and morally inferior to the white race. Black men were viewed as uneducable pack mules given value merely based on their strength and ability to work. Black women were viewed as lustful creatures that served the purpose of fulfilling a slave-owner’s sexual desires and for reproducing new â€Å"property†. A slave’s manhood or womanhood was diminished as neither gender had the ability to create a self-identity outside the gender roles assigned to them by the slavery institution. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs defy these stereotypes in their noteworthy slave narratives as they recount their struggles for self-discovery and freedom. Douglass proved that black men were capable of intellectual stimulation and self-identification beyond the field. Jacobs showed that black women could maintain moral respect and serve as a devoted mot her simultaneously. Thus, Douglass and Jacobs were able to undermine the dominant racial theories of the 18th and 19th centuries through their powerful slave narratives. Douglass equated the achievement of manhood, self-acquired freedom, and personal voice. Douglass lacked an identity for the first many years of his life, as was the case for most slaves. Henry Louis Gates Jr. points out how â€Å"deprivation of a birth date, a name, a family structure, and of legal rights makes of the deprived a brute, a subhuman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (6). BlackShow MoreRelatedA Comparison Of Writings By Harriet Jacobs And Frederick Douglass1718 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of Writings by Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass In this paper I will compare the writings of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass. I will touch on their genre, purpose, content, and style. Both authors were born into slavery. Both escaped to freedom and fought to bring an end to slavery, each in their own way. Both Jacobs and Douglass have a different purpose for their writings. Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass were both slaves that wrote about their strugglesRead MoreJacobs Douglass: An Insight Into The Experience of The American Slave1019 Words   |  5 Pagesappealed to the humanity they shared with their readers during these times, men being lynched and marked all over and women being the subject of grueling rapes. The slave narrative of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl themes come from the existence of the slaves morality that they are forced compromise to live. Both narrators show slave narratives in the point of view of both men and women slaves that had to deal with physical, mental, and moral abuse duringRead MoreEssay about Fredrick Douglas And Harriet Jacobs1717 Words   |  7 Pageswhite men stripped of almost every last bit of humanity in them. African-Americans were constricted to this state of mind by their owners vicious treatment, but also the practice of keeping them uneducated. Keep ing the slaves illiterate hindered them from understanding the world around them. Slave owners knew this. The slaves who were able to read and write always rebelled more against their masters. Frederick Douglass, author of A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and Harriet JacobsRead MoreAn Analysis Of Harriet Jacobs And Frederick Douglass Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesHarriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass both wrote narratives that detailed their lives as slaves in the antebellum era. Both of these former slaves managed to escape to the North and wanted to expose slavery for the evil thing it was. The accounts tell equally of depravity and ugliness though they are different views of the same rotten institution. Like most who managed to escape the shackles of slavery, these two authors share a common bond of tenacity and authenticity. Their voices are different—oneRead MoreEssay on Out of the Silence1445 Words   |  6 Pagesthe past we can better determine the path of the future. The personal stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are two excellent examples of the slave narrative genre in American literature. To be sure, bondage and oppression had a lasting and profound effect on both genders; however, men and women experienced slavery in different ways. By comparing and contrasting â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave† and â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,† we gain very differentRead MoreEssay on The Cruelty of Slavery and Opression in America1599 Words   |  7 Pagesmany abolitionists who fought for equality in the 19th century, Angelina Grimke, Frederick Douglass, and Harriett Jacobs stand out as some of the most influential writers and orators of that time. Angelina Grimke was a white southern woman, who abandoned the south with her sister to denounce slavery and began to primarily focus on persuading white women to use what rights they had to act against slavery. Fr ederick Douglass was one of the most famous abolitionists in United States history. He used hisRead MoreEthos, Pathos, and Logos: Black Abolitionist Arguments Against Slavery1420 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluential and outspoken abolitionists were actually former slaves. Three such speakers during that time were Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs. All born into slavery, and having witnessed its horrors first-hand, these three black reformers publicly took a stand against the atrocity of enslaving fellow human beings. They argued for their rights as men and women. However, they each went about their arguments using different modes of persuasion. While the main message of each abolitionistRead MoreLiterary Analysis: Slave Narratives Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pagesresilience and ingenuity. Frederick Douglass’s and Harriet Jacobs’s narratives both focused on self-made individuals who experienced upward mobility through their own efforts and hard work, therefore partaking in the positive redefining of African Americans. The writing methods of each differed in the style in which they presented their narratives where Douglass took on a sermonic style and Jacobs employed the â€Å"sentimental novel† (Alonzo 119) formula. While Douglass presented the sufferings ofRead MoreThe Life Of A Slave Girl, By Harriet Tubman And The Fight For Freedom1394 Words   |  6 Pagesenslaved men, or white women. To black women, the idea of freedom was conceived around the concept of family. For white women, freedom meant achieving equal footing with men, and getting their natural rights. And, for the enslaved black man, the idea that they could grasp their own freedom was first found through the issues of physical violence. In this paper, I will explore the notion of fre edom held by different groups using the following texts: â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, â€Å"Harriet TubmanRead MoreSlavery in America1124 Words   |  5 Pageswas for the African American female slaves? Harriet Jacobs goes into detail about her life as a slave and gives the female perspective under the alias Linda Brent in the novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. She states that everything she says in the book is completely true. There are stereotypes of black women during this time: being looked upon as sexual objects and being promiscuous. Jacobs’s attempts to resist the stereotypical images of black women are unsuccessful, even with the presence