Prisoners Plight in Platos Cave Allegory

Prisoners Plight in Platos Cave Allegory Through the interactive oral, I learned about the prisoners plight in Platos cave allegory. In the allegory, there are prisoners, chained, and facing a wall with a fire behind them. Objects are held up, casting shadows on the walls. The prisoners are only able to see the projected shadows; therefore, the prisoners could mistake these shadows for reality. If a prisoner were to be released and leave the cave, they would be blinded by the light and realize their error. A recurring motif in Sophocles Oedipus the King is sight and blindness and this motif is revealed as the prisoners in the allegory are mirrored by the characters during their journey to enlightenment. Firstly, Tiresias, in relation to Platos cave allegory, is the individual outside of the cave who is all- knowing, understanding the falsity of what the prisoners perceive. His knowledge of the truth is clear as it is Tiresias who reveals Oedipus crimes to him, setting him off on a journey of self- discovery; however, Oedipus hubris enables him from realizing the entire truth. Another character seen as a prisoner in the cave allegory is Jocasta, who experiences life both inside and outside of the cave. When she is inside the cave, she lacks the vision and insight to see Oedipus true identity. However, once free, she is no longer blind; therefore, she realizes that she has not thwarted fate, but has fulfilled it by bedding her son, who is also her husband. Upon reflection, it can be seen that for Jocasta, ignorance is bliss; she would rather deceive herself and believe in an illusion, than live with the truth. The allegory can also apply to Oedipus who, like Jocasta, has spent most of his lifetime inside the cave. Though given a glimpse of reality by Tiresias, his tragic flaw, his pride, prevents him from understanding the entire truth. Ultimately, Oedipus realizes the truth, but his realization leads to his metaphorical demise as he blinds himself. In this way, Oedipus is forced to live in darkness though he knows the truth and is outside the cave. Considering the interactive oral, my understanding of the characters struggle of sight and blindness was further developed as the motif is illustrated through the prisoners in Platos cave allegory and depicted by different characters in Sophocles Oedipus the King. The Inevitability of Truth Sophocles was an Ancient Greek writer whose works are considered as classics to this day. His tragedies offer insight into the social and political condition of Ancient Greek and often have deep, underlying messages. In one of his best known tragedies, Oedipus the King, Sophocles uses the motif of sight and blindness as a metaphor for insight and knowledge. While the physically blind prophet Tiresias is the only character who has insight, the protagonist, Oedipus, is blind to the fact that he has already fallen into his fate. Likewise, Jocasta, the wife of Oedipus, is metaphorically blind to the truth and willing to live in ignorance rather than knowing the truth. Regardless of willingness to accept the truth, Tiresias, Jocasta, and Oedipus ultimately achieve sight which represents knowledge of the truth, paralleling the inevitability of fate. Though physically blind, Tiresias has far more insight and knowledge than the other characters, even knowing the truth about Oedipus identity. When Oedipus arrives in Corinth, Tiresias recognizes him and refuses to reveal the truth, knowing that truth is harsh. Only when Oedipus mocks him, Tiresias suggests that Oedipus himself is Laius murderer and the subject of the prophecy. TIRESIAS: That man, I say, is here: a stranger in our midst, they thought, but in a moment you shall see him openly displayed a Theban born, and shattered by the honor. Blind instead of seeing, beggar instead of rich, hell grope his way in foreign parts, tapping out his war with stick in hand. (Sophocles 26) Despite his blindness, Tiresias is not afraid of Oedipus because he knows the truth. Therefore, he holds an advantage over Oedipus and offers hints about the man he seeks, clearly stating that man is here. Though Oedipus has insulted Tiresias, he is unwilling to reveal the harsh reality. Instead, he leaves Oedipus with an ironic riddle in which he refers to Oedipus as a stranger in our midst since Oedipus is a stranger to himself; he does not know he is the man whom he so desperately seeks. Furthermore, Tiresias claims Oedipus will be able to see this stranger, which is also ironic since Oedipus, who can physically see at the moment, is unable to recognize the truth behind Tiresias message. Finally, he foreshadows Oedipus future as a poor, blind man; in this way, Tiresias directly refers to Oedipus peripeteia, the reversal of his situation. Therefore, Tiresias metaphorical sight allows him to recognize fate and its working, unlike Oedipus whose pride blinds him to his fate. Like Oedipus, Jocasta can see physically, but is a victim of metaphorical blindness and is willing to live a life of ignorance rather than live with the truth. Jocasta, too, receives hints of Oedipus reality throughout the play, but deliberately attempts to ignore them, choosing ignorance over truth. When Jocasta realizes the truth before Oedipus, she begs him to stop his pursuit in order to prevent future pain. JOCASTA: Yet be persuaded, please. Do not proceed. OEDIPUS: Persuaded from the truth? Pursuing it? I must. JOCASTA: God help you, Oedipus! Hide it from you who you are. (Sophocles 59) Learning the truth about Oedipus identity devastates Jocasta as she begs Oedipus in a frantic and desperate tone. Her despair is further established as she even pleads to God to help Oedipus; this is a bitter concession of her belief in the power of the gods over chance. Ironically, prior to Jocastas revelation of the truth, she was a strong believer in chance and mocked the gods, clearly rejecting the oracles sayings. Once she has achieved metaphorical sight, she has no choice but to acknowledge the power of the gods; however, the truth pains Jocasta and she wishes to revert to her old life of ignorance as seen in her attempt to dissuade Oedipus in his own journey to uncover the truth. She desperately begs Oedipus to hide from the reality of his identity. By hiding from his own self and the truth of his identity, Oedipus would be concealed from the knowledge of the bleak and bitter truth that he is the murderer of Laius who wed his own mother; his sight would be concealed and the tr uth would be prevented from being discovered. Therefore, knowing that the truth is harsh, Jocasta reveals her own wishes to live in ignorance rather than truth. Jocastas recognition of the truth points to the power of fate as she tries to prevent the truth from coming into the light, denying the veracity of oracle, which is ultimately all in vain and useless to the power of fate. Contrary to Tiresias, Oedipus has the ability to see physically; however, his fatal flaw shadows his ability to see the truth, which ultimately leads to his downfall. In his attempt to discover the truth about the murder of Laius, he seeks Tiresias. After being insulted and mocked, Tiresias reveals hints about the truth Oedipus is blind to: TIRESIAS: I say, the murderer of the man whose murder you pursue is you. TIRESIAS: I say that you and your most dearly loved are wrapped together in a hideous sin, blind to the horror of it. OEDIPUS: You think you can go babbling unscathed? TIRESIAS: Unscathed indeed, if truth is strength. OEDIPUS: It is. But not for you, you purblind man: in ears and mind and vision. (Sophocles 21) Despite the hints, Oedipus interprets Tiresias words as attacks of retaliation and cannot see past his own pride; he is unable to see the truth even though it is laid in front of him. Though Tiresias declares two truths, directly referring to Oedipus by using the words I say, you, Oedipus simply disregards the repetition of Tiresias declarations and essentially his pride blinds him from realizing the truth of Tiresias words that are so barely laid out in front of him. Furthermore, Oedipus goes on to mock Tiresias physical blindness, which is ironic given that it is in fact Oedipus who is blind to the truth despite his ability to see physically. Therefore, Tiresias is Oedipus only hope of knowing the truth; however, it is Oedipus own pride that prevents him from accepting the hints of truth. Since Oedipus had many opportunities to recognize the truth earlier and avoid his fate, his inability to detect these hints due to his fatal flaw makes his downfall even harsher. The skills and strengths that allow Oedipus to achieve status and glory also drive Oedipus to his destruction; therefore, his strengths also play as his weaknesses and lead to both his rise and ultimate downfall. Although many associated with Oedipus, including his parents, attempt to prevent fate, it is Oedipus true lack of knowledge caused by his pride, which leads to his downfall. When Oedipus discovers the truth, he gouges out his eyes, physically blinding himself from the reality. After learning about the harsh reality, he exclaims, How terrible- to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees! (Sophocles 154).ÂÂ   Through this act, Oedipus makes a transition from metaphorical blindness to insight by physically blinding himself. Now that Oedipus is fully aware he has fulfilled the prophecy he tried so desperately to avoid, he becomes overwhelmed by the physical light in which he was metaphorically blind and seeks refuge in the dark. Since he is unable to handle reality, he chooses to live in physical darkness which allows him to reflect on his actions in an attempt to absolve his guilt. This act can also be seen as a way for Oedipus to punish himself, perhaps reducing his guilt and pain. Now aware of the reality, Oedipus acknowledges that along his journey, there were many truths laid out in front of him, but he was unable to recognize them. In this way, he realizes that the truth is only painful to the one who can see it. Ironically, in the end, Oedipus becomes physically what he has always metaphorically been: blind. Therefore, it is Oedipus own fatal flaw that blinds him from the truth and ultimately causes his downfall. Thus, by the end of the play, Tiresias, Jocasta, and Oedipus are fully aware of the truth, though it is too late to reverse or manipulate any of fates doings. Tiresias, who possesses the ability to see the truth, is physically blind and taken lightly by the other characters who fail to heed his warnings and recognize the truth laid barely in front of them. Despite Jocastas rejection of the oracles message and Oedipus decision to ignore the oracles words due to metaphorical blindness, the predictions become truth by the end of the play. Therefore, the opportunities to avoid or change fate depend on the ability to understand and see the truth. It is only if these opportunities are taken that fate can be manipulated; otherwise, fate will continue in motion.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirty-four

I DIDN'T WAKE UP IN the world of the dead. I didn't even wake up in a hospital or some other type of medical center–which, believe me, I'd done plenty of times. No, I woke up in luxury, in a huge bedroom with gilded furniture. Heaven? Probably not with my behaviors. My canopied bed had a red- and-gold velvet comforter, thick enough to be a mattress itself. Candles flickered on a small table against the far wall and filled the room with the scent of jasmine. I had no clue where I was or how I'd gotten here, but as my last memories of pain and darkness played out in my mind, I decided the fact that I was actually breathing was good enough. â€Å"Sleeping Beauty awakens.' That voice †¦ that wonderful, honey-like voice with its soft accent. It enveloped me, and with it came the impossible truth and its full impact: I was alive. I was alive. And Dimitri was here. I couldn't see him but felt a smile come to my lips. â€Å"Are you my nurse?' I heard him get up from a chair and walk over. Seeing him stand over me like that reminded me of just how tall he truly was. He looked down at me with a smile of his own–one of those full and rare smiles. He had cleaned up since last I'd seen him, his brown hair tied neatly back behind his neck, though he hadn't shaved for a couple days. I tried to sit up, but he tsked me back. â€Å"No, no, you need to lie down.' Soreness in my chest told me he was right. My mind might be awake, but the rest of me was exhausted. I had no idea how much time had passed, but something told me my body had been fighting a battle–not with a Strigoi or anything like one, but with itself. A battle to stay alive. â€Å"Then come closer,' I told him. â€Å"I want to see you.' He considered this a moment and then kicked off his shoes. Turning on my side– which made me wince–I managed to wiggle over a little to make room near the bed's edge. He curled up beside me. Our faces rested on the same pillow, only a couple of inches apart as we gazed at each other. â€Å"Is this better?' he asked. â€Å"Much.' With his long, graceful fingers, he reached out and brushed hair from my face before tracing the edge of my cheekbone. â€Å"How are you?' â€Å"Hungry.' He laughed softly and cautiously slid his hand down to rest on my lower back, in a sort of half-embrace. â€Å"Of course you are. I think they've only managed to get broth into you so far. Well, that and IV fluids early on. You're probably in sugar withdrawal.' I cringed. I didn't like needles or tubes and was glad I hadn't been awake to see them. (Tattoo needles were a different matter.) â€Å"How long have I been out?' â€Å"A few days.' â€Å"A few days †¦' I shivered, and he tugged the covers higher on me, thinking I was cold. â€Å"I shouldn't be alive,' I whispered. Gunshots like that †¦ they were too fast, too close to my heart. Or in my heart? I put my hand to my chest. I didn't know precisely where I'd been hit. It all ached. â€Å"Oh Lord. Lissa healed me, didn't she?' It would have taken so much spirit. She shouldn't have done that. She couldn't afford to. Except †¦ why would I still feel pain? If she'd healed me, she would have gone all the way. â€Å"No, she didn't heal you.' â€Å"No?' I frowned, unable to process that. How else would I have survived? A surprising answer came to mind. â€Å"Then †¦ Adrian? He'd never †¦ after how I treated him †¦ no. He couldn't have †¦' â€Å"What, you think he'd let you die?' I didn't answer. The bullets might be long gone, but thinking of Adrian still made my heart–figuratively–ache. â€Å"No matter how he feels †¦' Dimitri hesitated. This was a delicate topic, after all. â€Å"Well, he wouldn't have let you die. He wanted to heal you. But he didn't either.' I felt bad for thinking so little of Adrian. Dimitri was right. Adrian never would have abandoned me out of spite, but I was rapidly running out of options here. â€Å"Then who? Sonya?' â€Å"No one,' he said simply. â€Å"Well, you, I suppose.' â€Å"I †¦ what?' â€Å"People can heal without magic now and then, Rose.' There was amusement in his voice, though his face stayed sober. â€Å"And your wounds †¦ they were bad. No one thought you'd survive. You went into surgery, and then we all just waited.' â€Å"But why †¦' I felt very arrogant, asking the next question. â€Å"Why didn't Adrian or Lissa heal me?' â€Å"Oh, they wanted to, believe me. But in the aftermath, in the chaos †¦ the Court went under lockdown. They were both taken away and put under heavy protection before they could act. No one would let them near you, not when they still thought you might be a murderer. They had to be certain about Tasha first, even though her own actions were pretty damning.' It took me a moment to get past the idea that modern medicine and my body's own stamina had healed me. I'd grown too used to spirit. This didn't seem possible. As I tried to wrap my mind around the concept, the rest of Dimitri's meaning hit me. â€Å"Is Tasha †¦ still alive?' His face fell even more. â€Å"Yes. They caught her right after she shot you–before anyone else got hurt. She's detained, and more evidence has been coming in.' â€Å"Calling her out was one of the hardest things I've ever done,' I said. â€Å"Fighting Strigoi was easier than that.' â€Å"I know. It was hard for me to see, hard for me to believe.' There was a far-off look in his eyes, reminding me that Dimitri had known her longer than he'd known me. â€Å"But she made her choices, and all the charges against you have been dropped. You're a free woman now. More than that. A hero. Abe's bragging that it's all his doing.' That brought my smile back. â€Å"Of course he is. I'll probably get a bill from him soon.' I felt dizzy with both joy and astonishment. A free woman. I'd been burdened with accusations and a death sentence for what felt like years, and now †¦ now it had all disappeared. Dimitri laughed, and I wanted to stay like this forever, just the two of us, sweet and unguarded. Well–maybe not exactly this. I could've done without the pain and thick bandages I felt on my chest. He and I had had so few times alone, moments when we could really relax and openly acknowledge being in love. Things had only begun to mend between us at the end there †¦ and it had almost been too late. It might still be. â€Å"So what now?' I asked. â€Å"I'm not sure.' He rested his cheek against my forehead. â€Å"I'm just so glad †¦ so glad you're alive. I've been so close to losing you so many times. When I saw you on the floor, and there was so much commotion and confusion †¦ I felt so helpless. I realized you were right. We waste our lives with guilt and self-loathing. When you looked at me there at the end †¦ I saw it. You did love me.' â€Å"You doubted?' I meant the words jokingly, but they came out sounding offended. Maybe I was, a little. I'd told him I loved him plenty of times. â€Å"No. I mean, I knew then that you didn't just love me. I realized you really had forgiven me.' â€Å"There was nothing to forgive, not really.' I'd told him that before too. â€Å"I've always believed there was.' He pulled back and looked at me again. â€Å"And that's what was holding me back. No matter what you said, I just couldn't believe it †¦ couldn't believe you would forgive all the things I did to you in Siberia and after Lissa healed me. I thought you were deluding yourself.' â€Å"Well. It wouldn't be the first time I've done that. But no, this time I wasn't.' â€Å"I know, and with that revelation †¦ in that split second that I knew you forgave me and that I really had your love, I was finally able to forgive myself too. All those burdens, those ties to the past †¦ they went away. It was like †¦' â€Å"Being free? Flying?' â€Å"Yes. Except †¦ it came too late. This sounds crazy, but while I was looking down at you, having all these thoughts coming together in my head, it was like †¦ like I could see death's hand reaching for you. And there was nothing I could do. I was powerless. I couldn't help.' â€Å"You did,' I told him. â€Å"The last things I saw before blacking out were you and Lissa.' Well, besides the skeletal faces, but mentioning that would have killed this romantic moment. â€Å"I don't know how I survived getting shot, how I beat the odds †¦ but I'm pretty sure your love–both of you–gave me the strength to fight through. I had to get back to you guys. God only knows what trouble you'd get into without me.' Dimitri had no words for that and answered instead by bringing his mouth to mine. We kissed, lightly at first, and the sweetness of the moment overpowered any pain I felt. The intensity had just barely picked up when he pulled away. â€Å"Hey, what gives?' I asked. â€Å"You're still recovering,' he chastised. â€Å"You might think you're back to normal, but you aren't.' â€Å"This is normal for me. And you know, I thought with all this freedom and self- discovery and expression of our love stuff that we could finally stop with the whole Zen master wisdom and practical advice crap.' This got me an outright grin. â€Å"Roza, that's not going to happen. Take it or leave it.' I pressed a kiss to his lips. â€Å"If it means getting you, I'll take it.' I wanted to kiss him again and prove who really did have greater self-control, but that damned thing called reality set in. â€Å"Dimitri †¦ for real, what happens to us?' â€Å"Life,' he said easily. â€Å"It goes on. We go on. We're guardians. We protect and maybe change our world.' â€Å"No pressure,' I remarked. â€Å"But what's the â€Å"we' and â€Å"guardians' part? I was pretty sure we were out of that career path.' â€Å"Mmm.' He cupped my face, and I thought he might try another kiss. I hoped he would. â€Å"Along with our pardons, we received our guardian status again.' â€Å"Even you? They believe you're not a Strigoi?' I exclaimed. He nodded. â€Å"Huh. Even if I got my name cleared, my ideal future was that we'd get filing jobs near each other.' Dimitri moved closer to me, his eyes sparkling with a secret. â€Å"It gets better: you're Lissa's guardian.' â€Å"What?' I almost pulled away. â€Å"That's impossible. They'd never †¦' â€Å"They did. She'll have others, so they probably figured it was okay to let you hang around if someone else could keep you in line,' he teased. â€Å"You're not †¦' A lump formed in my stomach, a reminder of a problem that had plagued us so long ago. â€Å"You're not one of her guardians too, are you?' It had constantly been a concern, that conflict of interest. I wanted him near me. Always. But how could we watch Lissa and put her safety first if we were worried about each other? The past was returning to torment us. â€Å"No, I have a different assignment.' â€Å"Oh.' For some reason, that made me a little sad too, even though I knew it was the smarter choice. â€Å"I'm Christian's guardian.' This time I did sit up, doctor's orders or no. Stitches tugged in my chest, but I ignored the sharp discomfort. â€Å"But that's †¦ that's practically the same thing!' Dimitri sat up too and seemed to be enjoying my shock, which was really kind of cruel, seeing as I'd almost died and everything. â€Å"A little. But they won't be together every moment, especially with her going to Lehigh. He's not going †¦ but they'll keep coming back to each other. And when they do, so will we. It's a good mix. Besides †¦' He grew serious again. â€Å"I think you've proved to everyone that you're willing to put her life first.' I shook my head. â€Å"Yeah, but no one was shooting at you. Only her.' I said it lightly, but it did make me wonder: what would I do if they were both in trouble?Trust him, a voice in my head said. Trust him to take care of himself. He'll do the same for you. I eyed Dimitri, recalling a shadow in my periphery back in the ballroom. â€Å"You followed when I jumped in front of Lissa, didn't you? Who were you going for? Me or her?' He studied me for several long seconds. He could have lied. He could have given the easy answer by saying he'd intended to push both of us out of the way–if that was even possible, which I didn't recall. But Dimitri didn't lie. â€Å"I don't know, Roza. I don't know.' I sighed. â€Å"This isn't going to be easy.' â€Å"It never is,' he said, pulling me into his arms. I leaned against his chest and closed my eyes. No, it wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it. As long as we were together, it would be worth it. We sat like that for a long time, until a discrete knock at the half-open door broke us apart. Lissa stood in the doorway. â€Å"Sorry,' she said, her face shining with joy when she saw me. â€Å"Should have put a sock on the door. Didn't realize things were getting hot and heavy.' â€Å"No avoiding it,' I said lightly, clasping Dimitri's hand. â€Å"Things are always hot with him around.' Dimitri looked scandalized. He'd never held back when we were in bed together, but his private nature wouldn't let him even hint about such matters to others. It was mean, but I laughed and kissed his cheek. â€Å"Oh, this is going to be fun,' I said. â€Å"Now that everything's out in the open.' â€Å"Yeah,' he said. â€Å"I got a pretty â€Å"fun' look from your father the other day.' He gave Lissa a quick, knowing glance and then stood up. Leaning down, he kissed the top of my head. â€Å"I should go and let you two talk.' â€Å"Will you be back?' I asked as he moved to the door. He paused and smiled at me, and those dark eyes answered my questions and so much more. â€Å"Of course.' Lissa took his spot, sitting on the bed's edge. She hugged me gingerly, no doubt worried about my injuries. She then scolded me for sitting up, but I didn't care. Happiness surged through me. I was so glad she was okay, so relieved, and– And I had no idea how she felt. The bond was gone. And not like during the jail escape, when she'd put the wall up. There was simply nothing there between us. I was with myself, completely and utterly alone, just as I had been years ago. My eyes widened, and she laughed. â€Å"I wondered when you'd notice,' she said. â€Å"How †¦ how is this possible?' I was frozen and numb. The bond. The bond was gone. I felt like my arm had been amputated. â€Å"And how do you know?' She frowned. â€Å"Part of it's instinct †¦ but Adrian saw it. That our auras aren't connected anymore.' â€Å"But how? How could that happen?' I sounded crazy and desperate. The bond couldn't be gone. It couldn't. â€Å"I'm not entirely sure,' she admitted, her frown deepening. â€Å"I talked about it a lot with Sonya and, uh, Adrian. We think when I brought you back the first time, it was spirit alone that held you back from the land of the dead and that kept you tied to me. This time †¦ you nearly died again. Or maybe you did for a moment. Only, you and your body fought your way back. It was you who got out, with no help from spirit. And once that happened †¦' She shrugged. â€Å"Like I said, we're only guessing. But Sonya thinks once your own strength broke you away, you didn't need any help being pulled back from death. You did it on your own. And when you freed yourself of spirit, you freed yourself from me. You didn't need a bond to keep you with the living.' It was crazy. Impossible. â€Å"But if †¦ if you're saying I escaped the land of the dead, I'm not, like, immortal or anything, am I?' Lissa laughed again. â€Å"No, we're certain of that. Sonya explained it, saying anything alive can die, and as long as you've got an aura, you're alive. Strigoi are immortal but not alive, so they don't have auras and–‘ The world spun. â€Å"I'll take your word for it. I think maybe I do need to lie down.' â€Å"That's probably a good idea.' I gently eased myself onto my back. Desperately needing distraction from what I'd just learned–because it was still too surreal, still impossible to process–I eyed my surroundings. The lush room was bigger than I'd previously realized. It kept going and going, branching into other rooms. It was a suite. Maybe an apartment. I could just make out a living room with leather furniture and a flat screen TV. â€Å"Where are we are?' â€Å"In palace housing,' she replied. â€Å"Palace housing? How'd we end up here?' â€Å"How do you think?' she asked dryly. â€Å"I †¦' I couldn't work my mouth for a moment. I needed no bond to realize what had happened. Another impossibility had occurred while I'd been out of it. â€Å"Crap. They had the election, didn't they? They elected you queen, once Jill was there to stand in for your family.' She shook her head and almost laughed. â€Å"My reaction was a little stronger than â€Å"crap,' Rose. Do you have any idea what you've done?' She looked anxious, stressed, and totally overwhelmed. I wanted to be serious and comforting for her sake †¦ but I could feel a goofy grin spreading over my face. She groaned. â€Å"You're happy.' â€Å"Liss, you were meant for this! You're better than any of the other candidates.' â€Å"Rose!' she cried. â€Å"Running for queen was supposed to be a diversion. I'm only eighteen.' â€Å"So was Alexandra.' Lissa shook her head in exasperation. â€Å"I'm so sick of hearing about her! She lived centuries ago, you know. I think people died when they were thirty back then. So she was practically middle-aged.' I caught hold of her hand. â€Å"You're going to be great. It doesn't matter how old you are. And it's not like you have to call meetings and analyze law books all on your own, you know. I mean, I'm sure not going to do any of that, but there are other smart people. Ariana Szelsky didn't make the last test, but you know she'll help if you ask her to. She's still on the Council, and there are others you can rely on. We just have to find them. I believe in you.' Lissa sighed and looked down, her hair hanging forward in a curtain. â€Å"I know. And part of me is excited, like this will restore my family's honor. I think that's what's saved me from a total breakdown. I didn't want to be queen, but if I have to †¦ then I'm going to do it right. I feel like †¦ like I have the world at my fingertips, like I can do so much good. But I'm so afraid of messing up too.' She looked up sharply. â€Å"And I'm not giving up on the rest of my life either. I guess I'm going to be the first queen in college.' â€Å"Cool,' I said. â€Å"You can IM with the Council from campus. Maybe you can command people to do your homework.' She apparently didn't think the joke was as funny as I did. â€Å"Going back to my family. Rose †¦ how long did you know about Jill?' Damn. I'd known this part of the conversation would eventually be coming. I averted my eyes. â€Å"Not really that long. We didn't want to stress you until we knew it was real,' I added hastily. â€Å"I can't believe †¦' She shook her head. â€Å"I just can't believe it.' I had to go on her tone, not the bond. It was so strange, like losing one of my key senses. Sight. Hearing. â€Å"Are you upset?' â€Å"Of course I am! How can you be surprised?' â€Å"I figured you'd be happy †¦' â€Å"Happy to find out my dad cheated on my mom? Happy to have a sister I hardly know? I've tried to talk to her, but †¦' Lissa sighed again. â€Å"It's so weird. Almost weirder than suddenly being queen. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think of my father. And I sure as hell don't know what to do with her.' â€Å"Love them both,' I said softly. â€Å"They're your family. Jill's great, you know. Get to know her. Be excited.' â€Å"I don't know if I can. I think you're more of a sister to me than she'll ever be.' Lissa stared off at nothing. â€Å"And of all people †¦ I was convinced for so long that there was something going on between her and Christian.' â€Å"Well, out of all the worries in your world, that's one you can let go because it's not true.' But within her comment was something dark and sad. â€Å"How isChristian?' She turned back to me, her eyes full of pain. â€Å"He's having a hard time. I am too. He visits her. Tasha. He hates what she did, but †¦ well, she's still his family. It hurts him, but he tries to hide it. You know how he is.' â€Å"Yeah.' Christian had spent a good portion of his life masking dark feelings with snark and sarcasm. He was a pro at fooling others about how he truly felt. â€Å"I know he'll be better in time †¦ I just hope I can be there for him enough. So much is happening. College, being queen †¦ and always, always, there's spirit there, pressing down on me. Smothering me.' Alarm shot through me. And panic. Panic over something far worse than not knowing what Lissa was feeling or where she was. Spirit. I was afraid of spirit–and the fact that I couldn't fight it for her. â€Å"The darkness †¦ I can't absorb it anymore. What will we do?' A twisted smile crossed her lips. â€Å"You mean, what will I do. It's my problem now, Rose. Like it always should have been.' â€Å"But, no †¦ you can't. St. Vladimir–‘ â€Å"Isn't me. And you can protect me from some things but not all.' I shook my head. â€Å"No, no. I can't let you face spirit alone.' â€Å"I'm not exactly alone. I talked to Sonya. She's really good at healing charms and thinks there's a way to keep myself in balance.' â€Å"Oksana said the same thing,' I recalled, feeling hardly reassured. â€Å"And †¦ there's always the antidepressants. I don't like them, but I'm queen now. I have responsibilities. I'll do what I have to. A queen gives up everything, right?' â€Å"I guess.' I couldn't help feeling frightened. Useless. â€Å"I'm just so worried about you, and I don't know how to help you anymore.' â€Å"I told you: you don't have to. I'll protect my mind. Your job's to protect my body, right? And Dimitri will be around too. It'll all be okay.' The conversation with Dimitri came back to me. Who were you going for? Me or her? I gave her the best smile I could. â€Å"Yeah. It'll all be okay.' Her hand squeezed mine. â€Å"I'm so glad you're back, Rose. You'll always be part of me, no matter what. And honestly †¦ I'm kind of glad you can't see my sex life anymore.' â€Å"That makes two of us.' I laughed. No bond. No magical attachment. It was going to be so strange, but really †¦ did I need it? In real life, people formed bonds of another nature. Bonds of love and loyalty. We would get through this. â€Å"I'll always be there for you, you know. Anything you need.' â€Å"I know,' she said. â€Å"And actually †¦ I need you for something now †¦' â€Å"Name it,' I said. She did.

The Biggest Myth About Essay Topics 2015 Exposed

The Biggest Myth About Essay Topics 2015 Exposed What You Should Do to Find Out About Essay Topics 2015 Before You're Left Behind Make sure that your subject and thesis fulfill the vital requirements and analyze the length of time your paper will turn out. The thesis statement controls your complete paper. If you're writing a background synthesis, in some instances it might be appropriate that you provide an interpretation of the material or have a position (thesis). As soon as you have discovered a topic, set a principle that you will utilize to classify and be sure you stick to that principle throughout all of your essay. 1 basic requirement you must follow though is that you have to concentrate on a single category for each paragraph. Adhere to the outline you've created and begin writing the draft edition of your term paper. If you're mature and diligent, your term paper is certain to be ideal. The very first step to writing the ideal term paper is analyzing the materials you currently have. The writing of a disclaimer can be a hard task for a person who has never written one before, therefore I will supply you with a concise guide which you might use and follow. Before you proceed with writing an internet dating profile, you first will need to understand just what it is you're looking for on an internet dating site. A personal statement should speak to the readers. Or if you're just writing a report and searching for tips. The Fundamentals of Essay Topics 2015 Revealed Quite simply, a sentence doesn't need to contain an adjective. You can do something similar with adjectives. 1 final tip in regards to essay format is to make certain that you write in the local dialect. Later, when you get the simple essay format down pat, your topic sentence won't necessarily will need to be the very first sentence. The Foolproof Essay Topics 2015 Strategy A lot of people need assistance to compose an essay. If still not fully happy and fear of plagiarism, there's option to paraphrase it and enhance your essay. Include the class name and number that's about the essay. As you're writing a formal essay, then you need to ensure that the tone of your formal essay is likewise very formal because your intended audience would become your teacher and classmates, you must demonstrate that you're professional in writing formal essays. It's even feasible to confirm the grammar of essay written so there is no scope of any mistake and is ideal for your undertaking. Essentially, college application essay format must handle a topic. If you want to compose an essay, you will be astounded at what you can do should you stick to the steps above. Unlike every other facet of the program, you control your essay. Ultimately, towards the conclusion of your conclusion, you might reflect on the way in which the essay compares to something else such as modern occasions or the future. Hire someone to do your essay from our crew of experts in which you are able to rely on anytime. The answer is comparable to your description of the issue. The ideal answer is one which shows you're self-motivated and don't need paid work to keep on developing yourself. The Benefits of Essay Topics 2015 Thus it provides an option were essay writing isn't any more a troublesome task even if somebody does not belong to writing background. Not only will a great teacher answer all your questions but will also see that you are genuinely interested in writing a superior term paper. You may discover that you have more ideas on the best way to begin and articulate your introduction. You might also want to suggest more research or comment on things that it wasn't possible that you discuss in the paper. Whenever your instructor does not provide you detailed instructions for writing your term paper, it is all up to you to become informed all on your own. Students may find writing a narrative paper a huge challenge because of aspects like they're not fluent in using English language especially in regards to the written kind of communication. Essay writing doesn't have to be hard. Academic writing is the foundation of your general writing abilities. The Definitive Approach for Essay Topics 2015 In case it suits their understanding, they will appear further. Secondly, needless to say, you require good English! Think of the choices you have made in your career, and the way your previous experiences have combined to supply you with your present skill collection. If you wish to find out more about improving writing skills, have a look at my completely free online writing courses. Thus, a lesson plan on the topic can be useful to middle and higher school students. Professors alloc ate only a particular number of points to every issue on an exam. The majority of the time it so happens that the students stray away from the major purpose and mention things that are not even remotely on the subject.

The Cask of Amontillado and Hills Like White Elephants

Analysis of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe amp; â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemmingway Analysis of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe Abstract â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe, is a short story about a man named Montessor who gets revenge on one of his â€Å"friends† named Fortunado by trapping him and burying him alive. Treatment Setting: Two kinds Plot: Man gets revenge on his â€Å"friend† Characters: Montresor, Fortunado, Montresor’s family, and Luchesi Setting: An underground catacomb, somewhere in Italy, during the carnival season Time: Over two days Conflict: For Montresor to revenge himself for Fortunato’s insult, he has to get away with it – if Fortunato can revenge him back,†¦show more content†¦This is the part that is shocking and morbid, even sadistic, to the average person. What strikes the reader the most is that Montressor, as he narrates his actions, still has the gall to call Fortunato his friend, even as he builds the walls within which he is to trap Fortunato alive. The last time Montressor calls Fortunato his friend is the moment when he leads Fortunato straight to the bait, which was the wine. What this shows is a disturbed, confused, and sick mind that finds pleasure in his task. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is a story nothing more than the behavior of a sociopath and psychologically deranged killer. Types of characters: Montresor is a flat character, he shows no remorse for his deed. Fortunado is a round character, fluctuating back and forth between sober and drunk. Conclusion: It’s impossible to know how old Montresor is when he kills Fortunato, but in the second to the last line of the story, we learn that the murder happened fifty years ago. So Montresor is probably pushing eighty when he’s telling the story. And he could be far more ancient. More importantly, this conclusion lets us know that Montresor has gotten away with his crime so far. His vengeance has been a success, and he wants us to know it. Abstract of Essay – The Cask of Amontialldo (based on topic of my choice, â€Å"Motives for murder†) Only something so satisfying could make a manShow MoreRelatedLiterary Aspects Of The Cask Of Amontillado And Hemingway s Hills Like White Elephants1520 Words   |  7 Pagesmany purposes, and have subsequently been analyzed for decades. Poe’s â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† are two prime examples of brilliant character development and usage. Poe and Hemingway develop and utilize their characters in varying ways. For example, while Poe’s characters in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† have symbolic first names, Hemingway’s characters in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† do not even have their first names mentioned. Poe and Hemingway prove inRead MoreOutrage : An Emotion That I Found Myself Feeling Essay933 Words   |  4 Pagesadventure to horror and tragedy. Then I got to high school, the land of long and complex readings, expository essays and research papers that were far too len gthy for my liking. At this point, I found it hard to connect with literature or writing; I felt like I had hit a brick wall and my creativity left out to dry. Mr. Peterson’s assignment’s did nothing but add fuel to my fire. Freshman year went by slowly, but towards the end I found that Mr. Peterson and his English class were growing on me; not toRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesexplicitly dramatized or presented in an early scene or chapter. Some conflicts, in fact, are never made explicit and must be inferred by the reader from what the characters do or say as the plot unfolds (as, for example, in Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†). Conflict, then, is the basic opposition, or tension, that sets the plot in motion; it engages the reader, builds the suspense or mystery of the work, and arouses expectation for the vents that are to follow. The plot of the traditional