Best letter writing paper
Behavior Essay Topics
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Friday, August 21, 2020
WWII - Prisoners Of War Essays - Aftermath Of War, Prisoner Of War
WWII - Prisoners of War Dear: The International Red Cross I am composing a letter to you today to make reference to how the detainees of war were treated during the time universal war. On the off chance that you have never been a Prisoner of War (POW), you are incredibly fortunate. The detainees of war during the World War II, (1939-1945) were dealt with ineffectively with no regard or thought and were given the everyday environments more awful than creatures. It was an amazingly terrible circumstance that no individual could endure. They were abused, mauled, beat and even shot protecting their nation. Nobody needed to do battle, however for those men who did, and for the individuals who made due as POWs will consistently think twice about it. The Prisoners of War were kept in inhumane imprisonments, where it was everyday steady kicking the bucket and enduring and partition of the family with unrestricted climate. 1 They had no genuine safe house, and kept occupied by working, and the odd time even got an o pportunity to play baseball, soccer or some athletic game to remain fit as a fiddle. 2 They were encircled by twenty-four hour watch observation in no place, so it would be very pointless to endeavor to get away, particularly at the danger of being gunned down at some random time. The POW were continually turning their back and watch out for each other. They were viewed as prisoners and were dealt with like the adversary. The death camps were not huge but rather were various. They contained around 500-600 warriors and were isolated into gatherings of under sixteen, more seasoned than sixteen, and obviously by sex (Male and Female). 3 This caused numerous issues with the POWs as they were part from their families, and in a great deal of cases, never observed each other again. The Prisoners of War were murdered by the hundreds as lack of healthy sustenance and cleanliness in the long run found them. They were given something to do for long timeframes, and we treated brutally for elect ing to do battle. Once got, they were taken and put in a camp, and it was the start of the end for the partner. It isn't care for a detainee in the present society. The detainees needed to live with extra pieces of food, filthy water, and no desire for leaving, in addition to the steady shooting. They were not detainee whom had carried out a wrongdoing, rather courageous warriors whom rose up to guard us. 4 It is a real existence nobody needs to experience, and we supplicate nobody does, and we recall how they were mishandled and how they endured to ensure us. This unique day is called Remembrance Day and is praised the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Book reference WORLD WAR II, Detainees Marshall Cavendish Ltd, New York, Vol VIII. 940.53 WORLD WAR II, Detainees of War Marshall Cavendish Ltd, New York, Vol III. 940.53 WORLD WAR II, Detainees of War Marshall Cavendish Ltd, New York, Vol X. 940.53 Gosselin, Luc. Detainment facilities IN CANADA, Montreal, Quebec: Black Rose Books, 1982
Monday, July 13, 2020
Detachment From a Family Member With Alcoholism
Detachment From a Family Member With Alcoholism Addiction Coping and Recovery Methods and Support Print Detachment Is Letting Go of Someone Elses Addiction Detaching can be difficult but is important for your own well-being By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on September 19, 2019 FatCamera / Getty Images More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Methods and Support Overcoming Addiction Personal Stories Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use For friends and family of a person dealing with alcohol or drug addiction, detachment can be a difficult concept to grasp. In the context of the Al-Anon program, detach with love is the idea that the family has to let go of their loved ones problem. It gives you permission to let them experience any consequences associated with their drinking or drug use and focus on your own health and well-being. The Importance of Detachment If youve dealt with someones progressive alcoholism or drug use, it might be hard to imagine finding happiness while the substance abuse continues. This is especially true when you have tried everything possible to keep the situation from growing worse. The stress and exhaustion associated with caring for someone with an addiction can be overwhelming. It may lead to anxiety, depression, and unhealthy behaviors or unsafe living conditions for your family. The reality of living with alcoholism or any other addiction usually means dealing with one crisis after another. While you may feel like youre constantly in rescue mode, learning to detach relieves you of the responsibility to protect them. Those who take part in Al-Anon long enough come to realize that detachment is important for the familys emotional well-being. It also helps you understand that there is no way for you to control the addiction. What is Al-Anon? Detachment is Neither Kind Nor Unkind As the Al-Anon literature says, Detachment is neither kind nor unkind. It does not imply judgment or condemnation of the person or situation from which we are detaching. It is simply a means that allows us to separate ourselves from the adverse effects that another persons alcoholism can have upon our lives. Detachment does not mean you stop loving the person and it does not mean physically leaving (unless you feel the need). Instead, it demonstrates that you dont like or approve of their behavior. It is stepping back from all the problems associated with addiction and stopping any attempts to solve them. You still care, but it is best for everyone involved if you take care of yourself first. Many times family members find that they have become too involved with the addictive behavior. The Al-Anon program teaches to put the focus on ourselves and not on the person with alcoholism or on anyone else. This is done through a number of key points that members pick up in meetings: Avoid the suffering caused by someone elses actions.Dont allow yourself to be abused or misused during recovery.Avoid doing things for them that they can do.Dont use manipulation to change their behaviors.Dont cover up their mistakes.Avoid creating or preventing a crisis, especially if its inevitable and may be the wake-up call they need. For example, if your family member shows up for work late or missing it entirely becomes a habit, detachment teaches you that its not your responsibility to cover for him. It also applies to making excuses and trying to fix situations, as well as avoiding arguments. By putting the focus back on yourself, you protect yourself from the abusive behavior and stop enabling it. Its a way of taking some of the power away from them so theyre not able to manipulate you. How to Stop Enabling an Addict Ideally, detaching from this person will help them see how their negative behavior affects everyone around them. Thats not always the outcome. Yet, as Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous teach, its important to have the wisdom to know the difference between the things you can and cant change. Does Detachment Really Help? When youre considering detachment, you might be concerned about what happens to your loved one after you detach yourself from them. Maybe you think all of the things you did over these years to help that will be wasted. Or, you might have fears about what crisisâ"jail, hospitalization, death, etc.â"may be next. Your concerns are valid and show your love and dedication to a person dealing with addiction. However, you have to put yourself and your familyâ"especially if that family includes childrenâ"first. As Al-Anon teaches, Detachment helps families look at their situations realistically and objectively, thereby making intelligent decisions possible. Al-Anon members also learn that no individual is responsible for another persons disease or recovery from it. This is very difficult and, on the clearheaded side of addiction, you probably know what should or should not happen, but this logic is lost to the person with the disease. They need to want to change themselves and find the help needed to do that. Your goal is to be there when they do need you and to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually strong when theyre ready for recovery. When you learn to detach, you can find relief from much of the pain, stress, and anxiety, and realize that you deserve to treat yourself right. This will not happen overnight. It requires time, a lot of patience and love, and support to help you along the way. As they say in the program, Its simple, but it aint easy. You dont have to do it alone. A Word From Verywell There is probably an Al-Anon Family Group meeting nearby where you will find people who understand what youre going through. Its by no means an easy process to detach from a loved one with an addiction, so dont try to go it alone. By sharing your experience with others who have been there, you can find strength and hope to help you better deal with the situation. Can Tough Love Help or Hurt Someone With Addiction?
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Ethics and Beneficence - 1020 Words
There are so many ethical ideal that I have learned from this subject, got honesty, forgiveness, justice, etc. However, I think that the greatest ethical ideal that I have learned is beneficence. In normal word, beneficence is meaning the action to do benefit and promote the good to other people. While in the language of a principle or rule of beneficence refers to a normative statement of a moral obligation to act for the benefit of other, helping them to further their important and legitimate interests, often by preventing or removing possible harms. I will choose beneficence is because there are many people in this world they need the help from other, although it is only a small thing but when we help them this is also can count asâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦The category of medical benefits cannot for him include items such as providing fertility controls, performing purely cosmetic surgery, or actively helping a patient to affect a merciful death by active hastening of death. This characterization of the ends of medicine allows Pellegrino to limit severely what counts as a medical benefit for patients: Benefit in medicine is limited to healing and related activities such as caring for and preventing injury or disease. There are several problems that can we seen in business ethics. ââ¬Å"Discussions of the role of the corporation in society and the very purpose of a corporation as a social institution are examples. It is not disputed that the purpose of a for-profit corporation is to make a profit for stockholder, but there has been an intense debate about whether maximizing stockholder profits is the sole legitimate purpose of corporationsâ⬠as Milton Friedman and other have argued and whether beneficent corporate conduct is justifiable. This question is normative, but there is also the question of moral psychology raised by Smith: ââ¬Å"Does beneficence have any place in the world of business?â⬠An example is found in public utilitiesââ¬â¢ program to help customers pay for electricity, gas, oil, phone service, and the like. This attitude not only wonââ¬â¢t increase the company profits but reduce. In fact, this is a corporate form of charity. The money is taken directlyShow MoreR elatedPrinciples Of Ethics : Respect For Autonomy, Beneficence, Non Maleficence And Justice1450 Words à |à 6 Pagesso will preserve her life which should be the uttermost purpose and outcome of any treatment. Ethical Aspects There are four principles of ethics: Respect for autonomy, Beneficence, Non maleficence and Justice. This four principles offers comprehensive thought of the ethical issues in clinical settings (Beauchamp and Childress 2001 cited in UK Clinical ethics Network 2011). Respect for Autonomy Cambridge (2016) defines autonomy as the ability to make a decision without any influence from any individualRead MoreEthics And Human Decision Making977 Words à |à 4 Pagesplans are the ethics of obtaining such research or plans. Though what is meant when people discuss the ethics of research. Ethics is a series of principles that help guide more human moral behavior. So in short when ethics is discussed about research it is talking about the moral and human decision making when doing research. Though how do we question if something is ethical or not? This question is answered by the six principles of ethics, Respect for Autonomy, Nonmaleficence, Beneficence, Justice,Read MorePrinciples of beneficence and non-maleficence750 Words à |à 4 Pagestreatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments_. _TORT_ : A civil wrong committed against a person or property, excluding breach of contract. BENEFICENCE AND NON-MALEFICENCE As the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence are closely related, they are discussed together in this section. Beneficence involves balancing the benefits of treatment against the risks and costs involved, whereas non-maleficence means avoiding the causation of harm. As many treatments involveRead MoreEthical Healthcare Issues Essay1193 Words à |à 5 PagesHealthcare Issues Paper Wanda Douglas Health Law and Ethics/HCS 545 October 17, 2011 Nancy Moody Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper In todayââ¬â¢s health care industry providing quality patient care and avoiding harm are the foundations of ethical practices. However, many health care professionals are not meeting the guidelines or expectations of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) or obeying the organizations code of ethics policies, especially with the use of electronic medicalRead MoreMany In The Healthcare Profession Today Are Challenged816 Words à |à 4 Pagescare. Most healthcare givers would, but what about those who are providing care in a government interrogation area? In this summarization; two valuable principles, beneficence and nonmaleficence will be discussed. Also, an in-depth analyzation of a case study of a military doctor whose ethics will may be tested. Keywords: Beneficence, Nonmaleficence Key Characteristics This case analysis is about Dr. McHale, a psychiatrist in the United States Army. Dr. McHale is also a commissioned officer whoRead MoreThe Ethics Of Group Counseling885 Words à |à 4 PagesEthics in Group Counseling According to the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014) Code of Ethics, ethical principles are based on a set of values that include autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity. These ethics apply to all types of counseling, including both group and individual therapy; however, different aspects of these ethical guidelines must be considered based on the therapeutic approach. This paper will identify several of these ethical issues asRead MoreEthical Healthcare Issues There are questions about transplant allocation in regards to the four900 Words à |à 4 Pagesregards to the four major ethical principles in medical ethics: beneficence, autonomy, nonmaleficence and justice. Beneficence is the ââ¬Å"obligation of healthcare providers to help peopleâ⬠that are in need, autonomy is the ââ¬Å"right of patients to make choicesâ⬠in regards to their healthcare, nonmaleficence, is the ââ¬Å"duty of the healthcare providers to do no harmâ⬠, and justice is the ââ¬Å"concept of treating everyone in a fair mannerâ⬠(Medical Ethics the Rationing of Health Care: Introduction, n.d., p.Read MoreEthics Of The American Counseling Association880 Words à |à 4 PagesAccording to the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014) Code of Ethics, ethical principles are based on a set of values that include autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity. These ethics apply to all types of counseling including both gro up and individual therapy; however, different aspects of these ethical guidelines must be considered based on the therapeutic approach. This paper will identify several of these ethical issues as they relate specifically to groupRead MoreCode Of Ethics For Nurses1614 Words à |à 7 PagesCode of Ethics for Nurses The American Nurses Association (ANA) established the code of ethics for nurses to serve as a foundation for practice and nursing standards. Nurses that enter the field are educated on the code of ethics and its provisions that make up the balanced foundation that is used to this day. The code of ethics is to be honored by every nurse, and every nurse should know their ethical obligation to their patients (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015). This approach encompassesRead More2. There Are Numerous Principles Of Medical Ethics That1503 Words à |à 7 Pages2 There are numerous principles of medical ethics that are important to consider in ethical arguments and situations. In the theory of principilism, health care professionals base their ethical practice on four principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. These are all thought to be important principles that should be considered when examining a case involving medical ethics. While it is of the greatest benefit for components of each of these principles to play a part in deciding
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Nursing Problems Theory And Nursing Essay - 1170 Words
Introduction While Countless nurses use Florence Nightingaleââ¬â¢s, Watsonââ¬â¢s or Bennerââ¬â¢s nursing philosophies to shape their nursing career, a more recently updated, patient centered theory can be used to get to know and care for all aspects of the patient. Faye Abdellahââ¬â¢s Twenty- One Nursing Problems Theory was very progressive for her time in that it refers to a nursing diagnosis during a time in which nurses were taught that diagnoses were not part of their role in health care (Petiprin, 2016). There are specific characteristic identifiable in the Twenty- One Nursing Problems. The Theory has interrelated the concepts of health, nursing problems, and problem-solving. Problem solving is an activity that is inherently logical in nature. The framework focuses on nursing practice and individual patients (Petiprin, 2016). This paper will guide the reader through the working of the Twenty-One Nursing Problems theory and how to apply it when working in direct patient care. Background Faye Abdellah became a nurse at the Ann May School of Nursing in New Jersey in 1942. Immediately upon graduation, she enrolled at Rutgers and double majored in liberal arts and Liberal arts. (McCormick, 1994). Abdellah also earned a Bachelorsââ¬â¢ of Arts in teaching and a Mastersââ¬â¢ of Arts in Psychology and Physiology from Teachers College, Columbia University (McCormick, 1994). In 1949, Abdellah entered the Commissioned Corps of the United States and became a consultant for the Division of NursingShow MoreRelatedThe Theory 21 Nursing Problems Theory913 Words à |à 4 PagesGlenn Abdellah is known for formulating the theory ââ¬Å"21 Nursing Problems Theory.â⬠This theory changed the nursing profession from focusing on disease centered care to patient centered care. This model is built on viewing the patient as a person as opposed to grouping patients through similar diagnosis or common medical and nursing needs. Originally this nursing model was intended to guide h ospital nursing care, but it is now used in community health nursing as well by incorporating family members andRead MoreApplying Nursing Theory to a Practice Problem2758 Words à |à 12 PagesApplying Theory to a Practice Problem October 3, 2012 Introduction Our first class in the masters in nursing program, has been focused on nursing theorists. We have learned about Grand Theories, which are theories that are very broad and difficult to test and Middle Range Theories, which are also broad theories but narrow enough to be testable. We have learned how to study the different theories, looking at how we can utilize theories to evaluate practice. I have been in a nursingRead MoreApplying Theory Of A Practice Problem Essay756 Words à |à 4 PagesApplying theory to a practice problem The nursing theories assist the nurses to identify the limitations of nursing and advance the development of nursing as a unique profession. The theories help to explain the role of nursing in todays health care sector. It also gives the information on the basics of nursing practice and help to create more information in various aspects of patient care. The benefits of having the theory in nursing compromise the improved patient care, therapeutic communicationRead MoreGrand Theory Critique1369 Words à |à 6 PagesCritique of a Grand Theory Wheeling Jesuit University Ida Jean Orlando is a well-known theorist in the realm of nursing. Orlando was born in 1926 and had a diverse nursing career which involved many titles and roles within the profession. Originally she received her diploma of nursing in 1947 at the New York Medical College. Over the years Orlando continued her education and in 1954 earned her Masterââ¬â¢s degree in mental health consultation from Columbia University. Orlando worked as a staffRead MorePatient Satisfaction With Nursing Care1480 Words à |à 6 Pages Patient satisfaction with nursing care and compliance with treatment is a topic that is heavily researched. The problem of decreased patient satisfaction is of great significance due impart to the fact that the level of patient satisfaction coincides with the level of compliance on medical advice, prescriptions, and directions given to patients (Johansson, Oleï °â¬ni, Fridlund, 2002). Patient satisfaction and compliance is a substantial problem in nursing be cause there is a large correlationRead MoreAnalyzing The Attributes Of Different Methods Equips The Researcher1119 Words à |à 5 Pagesattributes of different methods equips the researcher to select an appropriate approach to satisfy the aim of their inquiry. Rodgers (2005) and Risjord (2010) present two approaches to nursing knowledge development. This paper will compare and contrast Rodgers ââ¬Å"problem-solvingâ⬠(p. 177) method with Risjordââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"nursing standpointâ⬠(p. 36). Rodgers provides a method that uses knowledge deficits in practice as the foundation for research. Risjord, on the other hand, acknowledges nursesââ¬â¢ lives and the perspectiveRead MoreNursing Professionalism: The Vroom Expectancy Theory Essay872 Words à |à 4 PagesAs an experienced nurse returning to advanced nursing education, it is important to examine ones goals and values in regards to professionalism, motivation, and expected value of undertaking such an important step in ones nursing career. Behavioral and social theories such as the Vroom Expectancy Theory (VET) can help one to put these goals and motivations into perspective. Understanding why certain problem solving and decision making concepts are utilized can also provide a sense of what itRead MoreNursing Paper on Peplaus Theory of Interpersonal Relations1734 Words à |à 7 PagesPeplauââ¬â¢s Theory of Interpersonal Relations Jennifer Holzer Chamberlain College of Nursing Nursing 501 Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice Spring 2014 Nursing theory is important because it is the foundation and structure for the profession of nursing. There are many different types of theories and they all serve a specific purpose. Theories are important and valuable because they allow the nurse to understand and comprehendRead MoreApplication Of Theory For Clinical Nursing Practice1278 Words à |à 6 PagesApplication of Theory The role of theory in clinical nursing practice is to guide assessment, interventions, and evaluation of nursing care. Theory in nursing practice provides a rationale for collecting reliable and valid data about the health status of clients, which are essential for effective decision making and implementation. Nursing theory also serves as a guide assessment, interventions, and evaluation of nursing practice. Theories can address important questions for nursing units. Theories can beRead MoreApplication Of Self Care Theory For Patients With Diabetes1567 Words à |à 7 PagesApplication of Self-Care Theory for Patients with Diabetes Nursing theory can be used to solve many types of issues in patient care. Problems that the advanced practice nurse (APRN) encounter benefit significantly from nursing theories. Sometimes nursing theories are developed by observing these nursing problems and their solutions. Dorthea Orem (1914-2007) is a nursing theorist who developed the nursing theories about self-care. She describes self-care as the individualââ¬â¢s ability to complete activities
You Suck A Love Story Chapter 31 Free Essays
Chapter Thirty-one Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Not Unlike the Toaster, I Control the Darkness So I slept a little that day, and talked to my sweet love-ninja, Foo, a couple of times on the phone, then he came over and we left Jared with some blood for Lord Flood and the Countess when they awoke, and motored to the loft. It took like an hour to clean up all the broken glass and ash and stuff from the night before. We had just finished cleaning and counting the money and making out and whatnot when the alarm went off on the Countessââ¬â¢s watch. We will write a custom essay sample on You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 31 or any similar topic only for you Order Now And I was like, ââ¬Å"Dude, Iââ¬â¢m not ready.â⬠And he was all, ââ¬Å"Dude, you are more ready than anyone Iââ¬â¢ve ever known.â⬠And I was all, ââ¬Å"OMG, I am so going to sex you to death if we live through this.â⬠And then he was all bashful and pretended to be doing something technical so we were ready. Then, like an hour after sundown, I heard them coming. I was at the kitchen counter when the security door downstairs opened, and when I turned around they were just, like there. Lord Flood called them the Animals, but now they were kind of the roadkill. And I like touched the snap on my UV jacket, just to make sure it was there. So I was all, ââ¬Å"Hey, vampyre scum.â⬠And the formerly black and now gray one, who was like their leader, was all up in my grille, like, ââ¬Å"We need the money, where is the money?â⬠And I was like, ââ¬Å"Step off, undead-tard. Thereââ¬â¢s no money.â⬠And he was like, ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t fuck with us. Flood and the redhead took like six hundred grand from my apartment.â⬠And I was all, ââ¬Å"Actually, its like five hundred and eighty-three thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.â⬠And he was all, ââ¬Å"Give it!â⬠And all seven of them were like gathering around me ââ¬â even the born-again one the Countess had thrashed ââ¬â like they were going to do the massive gang-suck on me, so I had my finger on my light button all the time, in case I needed to flash-fry the motherfuckers. But I stayed chilly and I was like, ââ¬Å"Are you high?â⬠And he was all, ââ¬Å"No, Iââ¬â¢m not high. No one is high.â⬠And they all started whining and whatnot, all, ââ¬Å"We canââ¬â¢t even take a bong hit. We canââ¬â¢t drink a beer. Our systems wonââ¬â¢t take it. Being sober sucks. We are useless undead stoners.â⬠So I was all, ââ¬Å"Step back and behold, bi-atches.â⬠And Iââ¬â¢m all taking a bottle of Stoli out of the freezer, and mixing in a glass with some of the blood from the pouches, just like the ones we left for the Countess and Lord Flood, and theyââ¬â¢re all drooling when they see the blood, so I was thinking, Dontââ¬â¢ make me fry you. But then I give the glass to the gray vamp, and heââ¬â¢s all, ââ¬Å"Sweet.â⬠And the others are like, ââ¬Å"Me, me, me.â⬠So Iââ¬â¢m like mixing Bloody Marys all around, and the greasy hippyish one is like, ââ¬Å"Can we dunk pot cookies in this?â⬠And Iââ¬â¢m like, ââ¬Å"Of course, stoner vamp.â⬠And theyââ¬â¢re all, ââ¬Å"You are a goddess. And we are not worthy. And oh please, may we have some more?â⬠Until they started to drop. So like two minutes later thereââ¬â¢s like this big pile of passed-out vampyres in the kitchen, and Iââ¬â¢m all, ââ¬Å"Yo, Foo, I got your shit ready.â⬠And Foo comes out of the bedroom, all cute, holding his UV floodlight like heââ¬â¢s going to save me, then sees that they are all out cold and gives me a big kiss and is like, ââ¬Å"You rock.â⬠And Iââ¬â¢m like, ââ¬Å"You have no idea, my Manga-haired love toy.â⬠And he was like, ââ¬Å"The sedative in the blood, blah, blah, four hours, blah, blah, nerdspeak, geektalk ââ¬â ââ¬Å" And Iââ¬â¢m like, ââ¬Å"Whateva, studmumn. Handle it.â⬠So it took like two hours for Foo to do all his medical stuff with the Animals, taking some blood and doing various medical nerdism stuff to it, then putting it back in, but finally he was done and I called Jared to tell him that we were on our way to get Lord Flood and the Countess. So I like made the other call to make sure everything was all in order and whatnot, and Foo was all, ââ¬Å"Are you sure this is what you want to do?â⬠And I was all, ââ¬Å"Foo, theirs is the greatest love of all time. Itââ¬â¢s the only thing to do.â⬠And he was all, ââ¬Å"Okay, as long as youââ¬â¢re sure. Because we can do them the same as we did the others.â⬠And I was all, ââ¬Å"No, that wonââ¬â¢t work. They have to be together. And you donââ¬â¢t have to live at home anymore. Weââ¬â¢ll have a completely sweet love lair.â⬠So we did it. Blue watched from the alley across the street as the Animals came out the security door, empty-handed, and stumbled into the street. She knew she should have gone herself, but that whole getting-burned-up thing had taught her that perhaps it was better to delegate. That they didnââ¬â¢t have her money was bad enough, but that they didnââ¬â¢t have her money and heat was coming off of them was disastrous. ââ¬Å"Those dumbfucks canââ¬â¢t get anything right,â⬠she said to herself. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m going to have to kill them all over again.â⬠ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t think so,â⬠said a voice from behind her. She whipped around, leading with her long fingernails in a swipe that would have taken off half a manââ¬â¢s face. Elijah caught her hand. Heââ¬â¢d found another tracksuit, this one powder blue. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s time to let it go. The genie must go back in the bottle, Iââ¬â¢m afraid.â⬠ââ¬Å"Let me go, I need to go get my money.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, my dear, you donââ¬â¢t want to do that. The residents of that loft have recently developed a very unpleasant fashion sense.â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re fucking with my income, paleface.â⬠ââ¬Å"You donââ¬â¢t need to worry about that anymore.â⬠ââ¬Å"Meaning what?â⬠ââ¬Å"It ends here. Come with me, my dear.â⬠ââ¬Å"You want me to come with you? I donââ¬â¢t even know you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, but we share a special relationship.â⬠ââ¬Å"Special? You beat my face into the hood of a Mercedes.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, yes. Sorry. To the innocent my behavior can sometimes be distasteful.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah? Innocent, Iââ¬â¢ve fucked thousands of guys.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, well, Iââ¬â¢ve killed enough to fill a city.â⬠Blue shrugged. ââ¬Å"Okay, you win.â⬠ââ¬Å"Revenge is a dish best served cold anyway, donââ¬â¢t you think?â⬠ââ¬Å"Or not at all,â⬠said a male voice behind Elijah. Elijah and Blue turned. Three of them stood there in their long coats, looking like sculptures, looking eternal, like they could wait forever. ââ¬Å"Can just anyone sneak up on me now?â⬠said Blue. ââ¬Å"Time to go, Elijah,â⬠said the African woman. ââ¬Å"None of you would be here if it werenââ¬â¢t for me,â⬠Elijah said. ââ¬Å"Yes, and we would have been hunted down and killed a long time ago if we hadnââ¬â¢t adhered to your rules.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ah, my rules,â⬠Elijah said, looking down now. ââ¬Å"How many left to clean?â⬠Elijah looked across the street to the loft windows, then at Blue. She raised an eyebrow, smiled a little. ââ¬Å"Sheââ¬â¢s the only one left.â⬠He lied. ââ¬Å"Then finish it.â⬠ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢d rather not,â⬠Elijah said. The Emperor of San Francisco wept for his city. He had done what he could, called the police, alerted the newspapers, even tried to take to battle himself, but by the time heââ¬â¢d gathered the courage to return to the Marina Safeway, it had been finished, and he could do nothing more than speculate to the uniformed police officers how the window had been broken and why the store was empty. Theyââ¬â¢d tried to track down the night crew, but none of them seemed to be home. And his city was plagued by vampires. Now the Emperor wept and consoled the troops, rubbing Bummer behind the ears and gently patting Lazarus on the ribs as he lay sleeping on the dock. The fog was coming slow off the Bay tonight, not windblown like it was so often here. He heard footsteps before he saw them, then there were five of them. The fiend, the three in the long coats he had seen come in the night before, and a blond woman in a blue party dress. They walked past, and only the fiend turned and paused. The Emperor held Bummer tight, afraid that he would burst into one of his barking fits and all would be lost. ââ¬Å"Old man,â⬠said Elijah. ââ¬Å"The City is yours again.â⬠Then he joined the others at the end of the dock. The Emperor could see their motor yacht waiting outside the breakwater ââ¬â it had to be two hundred feet long, far too big to enter the marina. ââ¬Å"Very well, then, shall we go?â⬠said Elijah. ââ¬Å"Can I get a coat like that?â⬠asked Blue, nodding toward the tall blond man. The blond man said, ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢ll get one when you learn the secret handshake and get your decoder ring.â⬠Blue looked at Elijah. ââ¬Å"Is he fuckinââ¬â¢ with me?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠said Elijah. He offered her his arm. She took it, and stepped down into the longboat. The Emperor watched the vampires disappear into the fog. Rivera had six uniforms in SWAT gear with a battering ram ready to take down the door, so he and Cavuto were more than somewhat surprised when it opened almost as soon as they knocked. A shirtless, sleepy-looking Chinese guy with spiky hair stood in the doorway. ââ¬Å"Yes, can I help you?â⬠Rivera held up the warrant. ââ¬Å"I have a warrant to search this apartment.â⬠â⬠ââ¬ËKay,â⬠said the Chinese guy. ââ¬Å"Abby, cops are here.â⬠The skinny broken clown girl appeared at the top of the stairs in a kimono. ââ¬Å"Hey, cops,â⬠said Abby Normal. ââ¬Å"What are you doing here?â⬠Rivera said. ââ¬Å"I live here, cop.â⬠She popped the p. Rivera hated that. ââ¬Å"Actually, itââ¬â¢s my apartment,â⬠said the Chinese guy. ââ¬Å"Do you need to see ID?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, that would be nice, kid,â⬠said Cavuto. He whipped the kid around and marched him up the stairs as the kid read the warrant. ââ¬Å"Do not bruise the Foo, cop,â⬠said the broken clown girl. Rivera turned to the uniforms and shrugged apologetically. ââ¬Å"Sorry, guys, I guess we got this one.â⬠They shuffled away. ââ¬Å"What are you guys looking for?â⬠asked the Chinese kid. ââ¬Å"Maybe we could speed this up.â⬠ââ¬Å"Weââ¬â¢re looking for Thomas Flood and Jody Stroud. Heââ¬â¢s the one on the lease for this apartment and the one down the street.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, yeah. Iââ¬â¢m subletting,â⬠said the Chinese kid. ââ¬Å"Steven Wong,â⬠Cavuto read off the kidââ¬â¢s license. Rivera was feeling very, very bad about this. They had found one more body in the Mission with the blood-loss-and-broken-neck MO ââ¬â the guy had been naked, supposedly someone had stolen his powder-blue tracksuit, so they logged it as robbery, but then, a week ago, the killings stopped. That didnââ¬â¢t mean it was over. Heââ¬â¢d made the mistake of thinking it was over with these two before. Rivera had finally gotten the Christian kid at the Safeway to file charges on the redhead for assault. After a long talk with the other stoners, theyââ¬â¢d gotten the Flood kid on the arrest warrant for conspiracy. Theyââ¬â¢d also implied that somehow Flood and the redhead had gotten their share of the old vampireââ¬â¢s money. Maybe they had left town. If they had, well, good, but he still had a slew of unsolved murders. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re subletting from Thomas Flood?â⬠ââ¬Å"I never met him, actually,â⬠said Steve. ââ¬Å"We arranged it through the rental agent.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, so step off, cop,â⬠said the skinny girl. Rivera looked around the apartment. There was no need to tear the place apart. Obviously everything in here was new. Mostly decorated in Pier 1 Imports cheap wicker motif and some punky Urban Outfitter flair, which he guessed was the input of the creepy little girl. The bronze sculptures were out of character, though. A life-sized nude of a young woman, a large snapping turtle, and a life-sized bronze of a couple posed as if in Rodinââ¬â¢s The Kiss. ââ¬Å"These must have been expensive,â⬠Rivera said. ââ¬Å"Not really. I know the artists,â⬠the Chinese kid said. ââ¬Å"Some biker guys down the street.â⬠ââ¬Å"Fooââ¬â¢s in biotech,â⬠said the broken clown girl. ââ¬Å"He makes like stupid money, cop.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, thatââ¬â¢s swell,â⬠said Rivera. Heââ¬â¢d watched this neighborhood turn from a rust slum of repair shops and the odd ethnic restaurant to a gentrified hive of hipster professionals in remodeled lofts during the dot-com boom, and it had never turned back. The whole neighborhood was full of kids who spent the equivalent of Riveraââ¬â¢s annual salary on a car they wouldnââ¬â¢t drive a dozen times a year. This kid apparently was just another one. ââ¬Å"So you donââ¬â¢t know these people?â⬠Rivera said, pointing to the warrant. Steven Wong shook his head. ââ¬Å"Sorry, Iââ¬â¢ve never met them. I send my rent directly to the rental agency. You might check with them.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay then. Sorry to bother you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay then?â⬠Cavuto said. ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s it?â⬠ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢re not here, Nick. These two donââ¬â¢t know where they are.â⬠ââ¬Å"But, thatââ¬â¢s not enough.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah? You want to spend some time talking to Allison here, see what you can find out?â⬠Rivera nodded toward the broken clown girl. Cavuto had tried to keep someone between himself and the skinny girl since theyââ¬â¢d come upstairs, but now he looked at her full on and shuddered. ââ¬Å"No, I guess thatââ¬â¢s it.â⬠He turned and lumbered down the steps. ââ¬Å"You need to check your girlfriendââ¬â¢s ID,â⬠Rivera said to Steve. ââ¬Å"You may not be old enough for her.â⬠Then he turned and left as well. ââ¬Å"Chill, Foo,â⬠Abby said. ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢re gone. They wonââ¬â¢t be back. Letââ¬â¢s go shopping.â⬠ââ¬Å"Abby, are you sure about this? It seems cruel.â⬠He patted the life-sized sculpture of the couple embraced in a kiss. ââ¬Å"I heard the Countess say once that it was like being in a dream. They just sort of float, all peaceful and dreamy. The main thing is theyââ¬â¢re together.â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re sure?â⬠ââ¬Å"Theirs is the greatest love of all time. It would be wrong for them to be apart, Foo.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, I think we should just change them back. Now that we know the process works.â⬠ââ¬Å"Someday.â⬠ââ¬Å"Now.â⬠ââ¬Å"The Countess doesnââ¬â¢t want that.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s wrong.â⬠ââ¬Å"How can it be wrong? Itââ¬â¢s my idea, and I am their dedicated minion and whatnot. I control the dark.â⬠She ran and jumped into his arms. ââ¬Å"I guess you do,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Okay, letââ¬â¢s go shopping for stuff for our most fly apartment.â⬠William arrived back at the loft just after dark, feeling very much rested and well fed from his hospital stay, but craving a sip or two of the good stuff, and terribly worried about Chet. He let himself into the stairway with his key, but when he rang the bell, no one answered, so he sat down to wait for the redhead and that guy to bring his bottle. He hadnââ¬â¢t been there ten minutes before he heard the meowing at the door, and his heart leapt as he opened the outer door to find Chet, his red sweater still intact, purring outside. ââ¬Å"Come on, boy. I missed you, buddy.â⬠William scooped up his kitty and carried him into the stairwell. As soon as the door closed, Chet, the huge shaved vampire cat, was upon him. How to cite You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 31, Essay examples
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Robinson Cruso free essay sample
Though his father reasoned with him and his mother scolded him, he did not obey his parents. Without their knowledge, he left his home in the city of York, made his way to Hull on the Humber, and boarded a ship sailing to London. The year was 1651. He was nineteen years old at the time. His troubles started immediately. A storm arose, and he became seasick. He wished that he had listened to his father. He prayed to God and promised Him that if he did not perish in the storm, he would never go to sea again. The storm subsided, and Robinson recovered from his seasickness. The calm sea seemed to smile at him. A sailor (the son of the master of the ship) called the storm a mere squall. He encouraged Robinson to forget it by drinking from a bowl of punch. As Robinson became inebriated, he forgot not only the storm, but also the fine resolutions that he had made. We will write a custom essay sample on Robinson Cruso or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In five or six days, he won a complete victory over his conscience. Then a worse storm arose. This time even the sailors were scared. The ship was obviously going to founder. The master fired guns signaling that they needed help. A light ship sent out a boat to rescue them. The boat took Robinson and others to the nearby shore. They then made their way on foot to Yarmouth, where the people gave them lodging and enough money either to go on to London or to return to Hull. Robinson admitted that he should have returned home. Even the master of the ship advised him not to sail any more. The master himself was going to continue sailing because that was his calling in life. However, since Robinson had encountered disaster on his trial voyage, it obviously was not Gods will that Robinson become a sailor. The master became even more emphatic when he learned that Robinson had gone on the sea voyage against the will of his parents. He said: What have I done that such an unhappy wretch should come into my ship? I would not set my foot in the same ship with thee again for a thousand pounds. He warned Robinson that if he did not go back home, he would meet nothing but disasters and disappointments. In spite of the warning, Robinson went to London. He became friends with a captain and embarked with him on a voyage to Guinea. He got sick, but suffered no major calamities. He even made a tidy profit by engaging in trade. Because of his success, he decided to sail to Guinea once more. His friend the captain had died shortly after the ship returned to England. Before leaving on a second voyage to Guinea, he entrusted two thirds of his money to the care of the captains widow. This time his ship was captured by sea rovers from Sallee in Morocco. Robinson was taken to Morocco, where he became a slave of the captain of the pirate ship. After two years, Robinsons master spent more time at fishing than piracy. Since Robinson was a good fisherman, he always went along with his master. On one fishing expedition, their boat was pulled far out to sea and they had trouble rowing back. Robinsons master decided to make improvements in the boat and stock it with provisions, so that they would be well supplied in case another such emergency occurred. Because of this, Robinson looked out for an opportunity to escape. He finally had an opportunity when he went fishing with only a Moor and a boy named Xury. Robinson saw to it that the boat had everything that he needed for an extended voyage. Then, when the boat was sufficiently far from land, he pushed the Moor overboard. The Moor was a good swimmer, so he could have overtaken the boat and boarded it. However, Robinson pointed a musket at him and persuaded the Moor to swim to shore. Xury swore that he would be faithful to Robinson, so Robinson spared his life. The wind was blowing from the north, so Robinson decided to sail southward. However, while the Moor was in sight, he sailed northward against the wind. He did this to mislead anyone who attempted to pursue him. As soon as the Moor was out of sight, he turned southward and sailed many leagues without stopping. Finally, he anchored in the mouth of a little river. They did not go ashore till daybreak because of the wild animals that infested the area. Then they found fresh water, and Xury shot a small animal that resembled a hare. This was the first of several stops that they made in order to get water. On one occasion, they killed a lion and removed its hide. It was comfortable to lie on. Robinson continued to sail southward. He hoped to encounter one of the European trading vessels that were accustomed to come to the region around Cape Verde. Later, some friendly Negroes gave them food and water. A pair of leopards rushed into the water. One of them came too near the boat, so Robinson shot it. The Negroes ate the leopard and gave Robinson the skin. Finally, they saw a Portuguese ship sailing in the distance. Robinson tried to approach it and fired a shot as a distress signal. The Portuguese vessel was sailing to Brazil. When the captain heard Robinsons story, he refused to accept any reward and offered to take him to Brazil free of charge. The captain bought the boat in which Robinson was sailing. When they reached Brazil, the captain offered to buy Xury. After discussing it with the boy, Robinson let the captain have him. Robinson obtained a plantation in Brazil. By planting tobacco, he soon began to accumulate wealth. However, after a few years, some of the other plantation owners decided to fit out a ship and send it to Guinea to obtain some slaves for their plantation. They asked Robinson to make the voyage and buy the slaves for them. Robinson agreed, provided that the other planters take care of his plantation while he was gone. (Here Defoe is guilty of an inconsistency. Toward the end of the novel, Defoe writes that Robinson had a partner who got rich on his half of the profits. Obviously, the other planters would not have had to care for Robinsons plantation if Robinson had a partner. Evidently Robinson did not have any qualms about engaging in slave trade. However, he did recognize that by going to sea once more, he was not showing proper respect to his father, who had warned him against sea travel and commanded him not to make sea voyages. On the voyage, the ship was buffeted by a storm and driven off course. When the storm abated, they found that they had been blown westward. Since the sh ip was no longer seaworthy, they decided to sail to Barbados, which they could reach in about fifteen days. Then a second storm arose. It again carried them westward. As the ship was being driven to some unknown land, it struck sand and could no longer move. Since the violence of the storm was tearing the ship apart, they lowered a boat and tried to ride out the storm. However, a huge wave overturned the boat. Robinson started swimming. Then a huge wave carried him toward the shore. When it abated, he was able to run toward shore, until the next wave came. Eventually Robinson made it to shore, partly carried by successive waves and partly by running. To his relief, he found some fresh water. He spent the night sleeping in a bushy tree. The next day, Robinson noticed that the ship had survived the storm. It saddened him to think that his companions would not have lost their lives if they had stayed on the ship. Besides Robinson, the only other survivors were a dog and two cats, which became his pets. During high tide, the ship had drifted closer to shore. Now at low tide, only a quarter mile of water separated Robinson from the ship. He swam the distance and found that the provisions had remained dry, though some food had been spoiled by rats. He used the wood of the ship to build a makeshift raft. He loaded the raft with food, rum, tools, and firearms. Then, using broken oars, he returned to shore. The incoming tide carried him up a small creek, and eventually he found a suitable place to lodge the raft. Robinson wanted to know where he was, so he climbed a high hill. He learned that he was on an island. In the sea, he could see some distant rocks and two other small islands nearby. Otherwise, he saw nothing but water in every direction. He later called his island the Island of Despair. He swam to the ship again, made another raft, and brought back other useful items. This time his cargo included a sail. Using the sail and a few poles, he made a tent for himself. In the course of time, Robinson made a total of twelve trips to the ship. He removed practically everything that he could use. He even found some money on the ship. He did not think that he would have any use for it, but he decided to take it anyway. Robinson did not like the place where he had pitched his tent.. He had not encountered savages or ferocious beasts on the island, but he wanted a home that offered protection from hostile creatures. He looked for a spot close to a supply of fresh water. He also wished to live where he could observe the sea, so that he could see the approach of any ship that might return him to civilization. He found a little plain in front of a hollow on the side of a hill. Above the plain, the hill was so steep that it could not be approached from above. Robinson figured that this was an ideal place to build a fortress. He pitched his tent in such a way that it was partly sheltered by the hollow. With considerable effort, he brought everything that he had salvaged to his new habitation. With strong stakes and cables taken from the ship, he built a semicircular barricade in such a way that his new home was completely enclosed by the barricade and the steep slope of the hill. He eventually improved this fortification by adding earth, so that it became a pretty good wall. Several months elapsed before this construction was completed. He did not make any door in his barricade. Instead, he climbed in and out by a ladder which he could withdraw when he was inside. The hollow in the side of the hill looked like the entrance to a cave. However, it did not lead to any cave. So Robinson decided to excavate. He had found a hatchet on the ship, but no shovel, so he made a shovel from the durable wood of a tree that grew on the island. He also made a sort of hod to carry away the dirt. After considerable labor and after a setback occasioned by a cave-in, he managed to construct a respectable cave. He still lodged in his tent, but used the cave as a warehouse, kitchen, dining room, and cellar. He used the earth removed from the cave to make a terrace inside his barricade. After he was finished, the ground was a foot and a half higher than it was before. Robinson did not want to lose track of time. He figured that he had arrived at the island on September 30, 1659. He counted the days by cutting notches on a post. Robinson had salvaged some pens, ink, and paper from the ship. He built a table and chair, which enabled him to write properly. Then he kept a journal. However, eventually he ran out of ink, so his journal came to an end. He regularly went out with his gun. He did not encounter any savage beasts, but he did find some goats and edible fowl. By hunting them, he added to his food supply. He also ate young pigeons when he happened to find their nests. He also went fishing and later found turtles and turtle eggs that were good to eat. He accidentally stumbled upon another source of food. He wanted to make use of a sack containing grain that the rats had spoiled, so he threw out the husks and dust that the sack contained. There happened to be a little unspoiled barley and rice in the sack, so it germinated and grew. He harvested enough seed so that he could plant crops later on. After Robinson had completed the excavation of his cave and had put the finishing ouches on his wall, he had a terrifying experience. While he was just inside the cave, earth started falling down from the roof. At the same time, debris started sliding down the hill. He quickly climbed over his wall to safety. An earthquake had rocked his island. Immediately thereafter, a hurricane struck the island. Robinson climbed back into his fortification and took refuge in the cave. Since water began to ac cumulate inside his fortification, he had to cut a hole in the wall so that the water could escape. When the hurricane was over, Robinson wanted to change his residence. He was afraid that another earthquake might bury him alive. However, he decided to stay where he was until he could erect a circular fortification out in an open area. He was distracted from this project by the condition of the ship that had brought him to the island. Because of the earthquake and the hurricane, it had moved considerably closer to the island and was falling apart. Robinson salvaged its timbers and other materials. Robinson then became seriously sick. He became very weak and was often afflicted with the ague. After several days in which his health fluctuated, he had a frightening dream. A man descended from a black cloud in a flame of fire. He walked toward Robinson with a spear in his hand and told him that he would die since he had not repented in spite of all the things that he had seen. When he awoke, the ague was gone, but he was still very weak. The sickness and the dream made him think of God. He remembered the warning words of his father and began to pray. He was afraid that the ague would return. Thinking that tobacco might help him, he looked for tobacco leaves. As he searched, he ran across one of the Bibles that he had salvaged from the ship. As he read this Bible, he sincerely regretted the wickedness of his past life. When he grew stronger, he decided to examine his island more carefully. He found a wooded area where grapes and melons grew. A little further on, he entered a pleasant valley with cocoa trees and various citrus fruits. He almost decided to move his residence to this valley. However, the site was too far from the sea, so he decided to stay where he was. However, he did build a protected bower in the pleasant valley. He used another sail to pitch a tent and surrounded it with a fence. He liked to refer to this bower as his country home. By the time that Robinson put the finishing touches on this new habitation, his first year on the island was drawing to a close. He had spent considerable time in this pleasant valley, but seasonal rains began to fall, so he had to stick to his old fortress, where he enjoyed the protection of the overhanging rock and his cave. He had hung up many bunches of grapes. By the time the rains came, they had turned into raisins, so he had fruit to eat when it was not in season. One of his cats had left him, and he thought it might be dead. However, it returned with three kittens. Since his other cat was a female, it must have mated with some wild cat. Robinson eventually had more cats than he wanted. During the rainy season, he enlarged his cave. Excavating toward one side, he eventually reached the outside of the hill. He used the resultant hole as an entrance to his fortification. His home was no longer as secure as it was before, but since he had found no dangerous creatures on the island, he felt that stringent security measures were no longer necessary. He planted his first rice and barley after the rainy season had ended. It proved to be a mistake. Because of the drought, he experienced a crop failure. Fortunately, he had saved a portion of the seeds. He planted them at a more propitious time and harvested a peck of seeds, more or less. However, he had to save it for the next planting. Since the rains had stopped, he visited his country home. He had used stakes made from trees to make the encircling fence. He found that these stakes had sprouted leaves and branches. He decided to cut some more stakes and make a similar hedge outside the wall of his original habitation. The stakes eventually sprouted, and their leaves protected his home from the burning sun. At the same time, he made some wicker baskets out of twigs. He needed the baskets to haul earth and for other purposes. Robinson had not yet explored the entire island. He now went all the way across to the other side. He found that it was far more pleasant than the side on which he had built his home. He encountered many turtles, parrots, and other animals. He remained there for about a month. At night, he slept in a tree or protected himself by planting a circle of stakes. It was an exceptionally clear day when he first approached the sea on the other side of the island. In the distance, he descried a stretch of land extending from the west to the southwest. He figured that it must be fifteen or twenty leagues away. He could not tell whether it was a large island or a continent. He did not think it was inhabited by the Spanish because he never saw ships going that way. It was more probable that savages lived there, possibly even cannibals. He felt relieved when he got back home. He did not like sleeping out in the open, and he resolved not to journey so far from home any longer. During his explorations, Robinson had acquired a parrot and a live kid. He called the parrot Poll and diverted himself by trying to teach the parrot to talk. His second year on the island was drawing to a close. By now, he realized that the island had two rainy seasons. One began in the middle of August; the other started in the middle of February. Some time after he returned from his journey, he planted the rice and barley seeds that he saved from the previous harvest. Watered by the seasonal rains, his crops flourished. Since animals began to feed on his crops, Robinson enclosed his little field in a protective wall. Then birds started to decimate his harvest. Robinson shot three birds and hung them up as a sort of scarecrow. The predatory birds not only left his crops alone, but also avoided the general area as long as the scarecrow was visible. Robinson harvested about two bushels of rice and two and a half bushels of barley. However, he did not know how to make bread, nor did he have the necessary equipment. So he did not eat any of the grain, but saved it all for the next planting. In the ensuing months, Robinson prepared a larger field, sowed the seed that he had saved, and made all the equipment necessary for turning the grain into bread. He had to learn several skills, such as making earthenware pots. His next crop yielded so much grain that he could freely eat all the bread he wanted. He also had to make large containers in which he could store the grain. Robinson did not forget the distant land that he had seen on the other side of the island. In spite of possible dangers from wild animals and savages, he wanted to go to this land. The boat in which he and his companions had taken refuge was still intact. However, because of the action of wind and waves, it was lying upside down on the beach. Robinson unsuccessfully tried to turn it over. He had to give up. He then made a piragua, which is a sort of woody canoe. He felled a cedar tree and spent several months turning it into a piragua. However, though it was only one hundred feet from the creek, he could not get it to the water. He started making this canoe during the fourth year of his insular existence, and his fifth year was well under way when he finally gave up. Robinson had been wearing some of the clothes that he had salvaged from the ship. Eventually he made a complete set of clothes from the skins of animals that he had killed. He also made a smaller canoe. He could not use it to travel to the istant land that he had seen because it was too small. He decided to circumnavigate the island with it. Before he had completed the circuit, a strong current pushed him out toward sea, and for a while he thought he would perish. However, a helpful eddy brought him back to a reasonable distance from the island, and he managed to make it to shore. He was afraid to continu e his circumnavigation of the island. So he found a safe place to deposit his canoe and walked back to his country home. In the eleventh year of Robinsons insular existence, his supply of gunpowder was running low. By hunting goats, Robinson always had enough meat to eat. Now he was afraid that this bounty would soon cease. He decided to trap goats and tame them. His first traps proved to be useless, but finally he managed to trap a he-goat and three kids. He had to free the he-goat because it was too wild. Near his country home, he constructed an enclosure 150 yards long and 100 yards wide in which he could keep the three kids and other goats that he captured. He tamed them by feeding them barley or rice. Besides trapping goats, he also bred them. In two years time, there were forty-three animals in his flock. His goats provided him with both meat and milk. By trial and error, he learned to make cheese and butter. By this time, his dog was old, and his two cats were dead. However, by the time that they died, there were many cats on the island, and Robinson kept two of them as pets. Robinson wished to make use of the canoe that he had made. Since his country home was halfway between his original home and the canoe, he often visited his boat and occasionally did a little sailing. However, He was afraid to sail it back to the other side of the island. He eventually decided to build another canoe. Then he would have a boat on both sides of the island. On one occasion when he was visiting his boat, he spotted a single footprint in the sand. He was so frightened that he hurried home and remained in his fortification for three days. He was afflicted with all kinds of morbid thoughts. Hunger and concern for his goats roused him to action. He had not milked his goats for three days, and he feared that they might suffer. Besides, he began to think that he might have made the footprint himself. After a few days, he went back to the footprint. To his dismay, it did not match his foot. Robinson now regretted that it was possible to enter his cave through an entrance outside his wall. Since this entrance was inside the living hedge that he had planted outside his wall, he decided to convert this hedge into another fortification. The result was a formidable barrier. To get out, Robinson climbed to the top of the hill with the help of two ladders. In addition, he planted stakes outside the fortification. When they sprouted and grew, Robinsons home was hidden from view by a grove of trees. Robinson did not like it that all his goats were in one place. If an enemy found them, his entire herd would be lost. He decided to build two or three small enclosures and put a few goats in each one. After finding a suitable spot, he built an enclosure and put ten she-goats and two he-goats in it. Then he looked around for another spot. His search took him to the other end of the island. He thought he saw a ship sailing away in the distance. On the beach, he saw human bones lying about and noticed a place where a fire had been made. He concluded that cannibals had visited the island. He felt a deep-seated repugnance and hoped that he would never see them. After this, Robinson did not roam about the island for two years. He did not even visit his boat, though he still was thinking of making another one. He remained in the vicinity of his country home and his fortress, taking care of his goats and crops. In time, his fear became less pronounced, but he still exercised caution. Though he no longer hunted, he always carried firearms with him. For a while, Robinson was planning to ambush the cannibals. He daily climbed a high hill to see if their ship was coming to the island. However, he soon realized that God had not given him the right to kill them unless they were threatening him. Robinson was afraid to start a fire in his fortress. He was afraid that enemies might see the smoke. So he transferred many of the operations that required fire to the woods. While Robinson was in the woods cutting branches to make charcoal, he discovered a natural cave. It was an ideal retreat that he could use in case of emergency. He deposited some of his firearms and gunpowder in this cave. In December during the twenty-third year of his residence on the island, cannibals came to shore on his side of the island. After they left, Robinson viewed the results of their cannibalistic orgy. He again entertained murderous thoughts. The experience also enhanced his fears and his caution. However, he did not see any more cannibals for a year and three months. In May of his twenty-third year on the island, Robinson heard a shot. It was a distress signal from a ship. Robinson was not able to help the ship, but he thought that the ship might help him. He climbed to the top of his hill and lit a fire, hoping that the crew would see it and come to rescue him. The next day, Robinson crossed the island to investigate. He saw a wrecked ship on a rock. His canoe was nearby, but he was afraid to use it to approach the ship, since this area had tricky currents. In fact, this was the very place where a current had carried him far out to see when he was trying to circumnavigate the island. After figuring out a way to approach the ship safely, he went out with his canoe. He did not find any living people on board, and the food had been soaked. However, he found some badly needed shoes. He also took some gunpowder, a cask of liquor, a fire shovel and tongs, two brass kettles, a copper pot, a gridiron, and two chests. The chests had cordial waters, sweetmeats, clothes, and money. He decided to deposit them in the natural cave that he had discovered. One night he dreamed that some cannibals came to his side of the island. Their victim escaped and hid in the grove in front of his fortress. When Robinson approached him, the frightened man made signs asking for help. So Robinson took brought him into his fortress. It occurred to Robinson that with the help of this savage, he might be able to escape from the island. When Robinson awoke, he tried to turn his dream into reality.. He began to scout around regularly, hoping to find a party of cannibals with a victim that he could rescue. For a year and a half, he searched in vain. Then a large party came in five canoes to his side of the island. Robinson put two guns at the foot of the ladder and climbed to the top of the hill. The cannibals were going to eat four victims, but one of them escaped. He ran in the general direction of Robinsons fortress. When he came to a creek, he quickly swam across. Three men chased him, but one of them turned back when he came to the creek. He could not swim. Robinson climbed down to get his two guns. Then he went out to help the fugitive. He knocked out one of the pursuers with the butt end of his gun. Since the other pursuer was about to kill Robinson with an arrow, Robinson shot him. By easily understood signs, the fugitive told Robinson that he would serve him for ever. When the man whom Robinson had hit with the butt end of his gun began to recover, the fugitive decapitated him with Robinsons sword. Robinson called the fugitive Friday because he thought that Friday was the day when he came to the island. At first, Robinson did not trust him. He pitched a tent for him between the two walls of his fortress, while he himself slept in his tent within the inner wall. To make sure that he was not disturbed, he barricaded the opening to his cave with a door that opened only from the inside. However, Friday proved to be honest and faithful. He was also very intelligent. He readily learned the English language. He also became adept at the different tasks that were necessary for their daily life, such as milking goats. Robinson provided him with some clothes. At first, he did not seem comfortable wearing them, but he soon became accustomed to the novelty. Friday had buried his two pursuers shortly after they died. However, he later made signs that he would like to eat them. In reply, Robinson showed his abhorrence of cannibalism with unmistakable signs. To discourage his cannibalistic tendencies, Robinson fed him animal flesh. After tasting it, Friday promised never to eat human flesh again. Robinson had not heard the sound of a human voice for more than twenty-five years, so he enjoyed Fridays company. When Friday knew enough English, Robinson taught him the Christian religion He proved to be a receptive and intelligent student. From conversations with Friday, Robinson learned that the distant coastline that he had seen was the island of Trinidad and that the South American coastline and the mouth of the Orinoco River were not far away. He also learned that a canoe trip to the mainland was reasonably safe, provided that the people in the canoe knew how to use the currents caused by the draft and reflux of the Orinoco River. He also learned that although Fridays people were cannibals, they ate only enemies whom they had captured in battle. In fact, seventeen white men had landed on their shore in distress. Fridays people had treated them kindly. These white men had been living in peace with Fridays people for several years. Robinson remembered the shipwreck that he had examined. He figured that the seventeen sailors must have been part of its crew. Robinson thought that he could escape from the island with Fridays help. The two men built a canoe. However, when they were finished, Friday said that it was too small to make the trip. They inspected the larger canoe that Robinson had built long ago, but it had rotted. So they made a new canoe that was large enough to make the crossing. Robinson fitted it out with a sail and a rudder. Friday quickly learned how to use these conveniences. After Robinson had learned about the experiences of the seventeen white men, he was planning to go with Friday to his homeland. However, by the time that the canoe was finished, the rainy season had begun. So he decided to wait till the rains stopped in November and December. It was now the twenty-seventh year of his insular existence. Before Robinson could carry out their plan, cannibals came to Robinsons side of the island. They ate one victim and were planning to eat two others. One of the victims was a Spaniard. When the cannibals were about to kill him, Robinson and Friday began shooting. With the help of the Spaniard, whom Robinson freed, most of the cannibals were killed. A few escaped in one of their canoes. Friday experienced a pleasant surprise. The other victim whom they had rescued was his own father. Robinson discussed the possibility of escape with the Spaniard. Robinson wanted to fetch the men who were living with Fridays people. They would then build a ship, and sail away from the island. Since Robinson was afraid of the Spanish Inquisition, he exacted a promise from the Spaniard not to force him to go to New Spain. The Spaniard said that they would sail wherever Robinson wanted to go, and he would induce his comrades to make a similar promise. However, the Spaniard pointed out that there was not enough grain to feed all those men. He suggested that they first plant a large amount of grain and wait till the harvest before they brought the other men to the island. Robinson and his helpers prepared more fields and planted as much rice and barley as they did not need for themselves. They also caught more goats, and Robinson dried a huge amount of raisins. When all was prepared, the Spaniard and the father of Friday crossed in a canoe to fetch the other white men. While the two men were gone, a ship came to the island. It was filled with mutineers. Eight of them came to shore in a boat with three prisoners: the captain of the ship, his mate, and a passenger. They were planning to maroon them on the island. However, they first explored the island. When they finally planned to return to their ship, the tide had receded, and they could not push their boat into the water. They decided to sleep until high tide. Robinson approached the captain and his companions and learned what had happened. He exacted a promise that the captain would abide by his commands while they were on the island. The captain also promised to give him free passage to England if they succeeded in getting control of his ship. Robinson then gave firearms to the captain and his two companions. They shot the two worst mutineers and induced those who were less guilty to surrender. The six prisoners were bound. They chopped a hole in the boat in which the mutineers had come and took everything useful out of it. Later ten more mutineers came to shore in another boat. They wondered why their companions had not returned and decided to see what was wrong. The captain knew the characters of these men. He said that there were three or four honest men among the ten who were coming ashore. On the captains recommendation, two of the captive mutineers were released on the condition that they promise to fight for their captain and his allies. The mutineers were puzzled when they saw the condition of the boat in which their companions had come. After vainly trying to attract their companions by firing shots, they gave up hope and headed toward their boat, which they had anchored not far from shore. If they had returned to the ship and the ship had sailed away, the captain and Robinson could not have taken possession of the ship. So the mate and Friday went a half mile away and called to the mutineers. They were pretending to be their lost companions. The trick worked. The mutineers headed in the direction of the voices calling to them until their progress was stopped by the creek. So they signaled to three companions who had remained in the boat. The boat entered the creek and took the mutineers to the other side. Robinson anticipated that this would happen. Only two mutineers remained with the boat. The other eight followed the voices in the hope that they would meet their companions. By constantly moving farther away and then calling, the mate and Friday led the eight mutineers far from the place where they had left their boat. When they finally stopped calling them, they were so far away that the day would be drawing to a close by the time that they returned to their boat. In the meantime, the captain and his four companions overpowered the two men who had remained by the boat. One of them had not been as guilty as the rest. He agreed to fight with his captain. When the other eight mutineers returned, the captain and his companions killed two of them, including the boatswain, who was the principal ringleader of the mutiny. They tricked the other six into surrendering. They pretended that the governor of the island (Robinson) had fifty men who would shoot them immediately if they did not surrender. The worst prisoners were confined in the natural cave that Robinson had discovered. The rest were confined in Robinsons country home. With tactful persuasion, the mutineers in the country home were persuaded to help the captain regain his ship. To make sure that they did their duty, two of them were kept in confinement as hostages. While Robinson remained on the island to care for the prisoners, the captain and his men took over the ship. In the process, the mate killed the man who had usurped the command of the ship. The other mutineers were taken prisoner. It was still necessary to deal with the five worst mutineers who had been confined to the natural cave. Since they would be hanged if they were brought back to England in chains, they readily agreed to remain on the island. Robinson gave them his herd of goats, his firearms, and his other provisions. He also explained what they had to do to survive. He wrote a message for the Spaniards explaining what had happened. He made the five mutineers promise to make common cause with the Spaniards and to treat them fairly. Robinson boarded the ship the next day. Before they left, two of the five mutineers who had been left behind swam to the ship. They pleaded with the captain to allow them to come aboard, even if he hanged them. They complained that the other three were mistreating them. They were punished severely, but their lives were spared. After this, they became docile sailors. Robinson left the island in December, 1686. He took along the money he had salvaged from his own ship and from the Spanish ship. He also took one of his parrots and a few souvenirs, such as the goatskin cap that he had worn. Friday also went with him. (Unless there is some printing mistake in my copy of Robinson Crusoe, Defoe is guilty of another inconsistency. He writes that Robinson spent twenty-eight years on the island. However, he also writes that Robinson came in 1659 and left in 1686. ) When he reached England, he found that most of his family had died. Only two sisters and two children of one of his brothers remained alive. Since everyone thought that Robinson was dead, no provision had been made for him in his fathers will. Robinson went to Lisbon and found the Portuguese captain who had befriended him. He learned that his plantation was prospering under the care of his partner. When considerable time had passed and Robinson did not return, the king began to receive one third of Robinsons share of the profits, while the monastery of St. Augustine received two thirds. No one disputed Robinsons right to half the plantation. He did not even have to travel to Brazil. While a considerable portion of his past plantation profits were no longer available to him, a sufficient amount remained to make him rich. He received a considerable amount while he was still in Lisbon. He shared his bounty with the Portuguese captain, the widow who had cared for his money, and his two sisters. When he returned to England, he decided to travel by land. His party had to cross the Pyrenees while the mountains were encumbered by snow. During the crossing, Friday killed a bear, and wolves proved to be a serious threat, especially in the forests on the French side of the Pyrenees. Otherwise, the journey was uneventful. The only time that they sailed on the sea was during the passage from Calais to Dover. Instead of returning to his plantation in Brazil, he sold it. Since he was now a practicing Protestant, he would have had trouble with the Inquisition if he lived in Brazil. Robinson wanted to return to his island to see whether everything was alright. However, he did not make the trip till seven years later. In the meantime, he married and had two sons and a daughter. Then his wife died. Robinson had provided for his two nephews. He made one of them a captain of a ship. In 1694, his nephew persuaded him to accompany him on a voyage. During this voyage, he revisited his island. He learned that the three mutineers had caused some trouble at first. Finally, the Spaniards employed violence. The mutineers then lived with them in peace. The Spaniards did not take advantage of their ascendancy, but treated the three Englishmen fairly. Cannibals had given the colonists some trouble, but the colonists emerged victorious. Five of the colonists had raided the mainland and brought back eleven men and five women as prisoners. By the time Robinson arrived, there were about twenty children on the island. Robinson had brought a smith, a carpenter, and a lot of supplies to the island. He divided up the island, giving each colonist a portion. The three mutineers became contented with their lot and were not inclined to cause further trouble. After twenty days, Robinson left. He stopped at Brazil and sent seven women to the colony to marry those who wanted a wife. The Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau applauded Crusoeââ¬â¢s do-it-yourself independence, and in his book on education, Emile, he recommends that children be taught to imitate Crusoeââ¬â¢s hands-on approach to life. Crusoeââ¬â¢s business instincts are just as considerable as his survival instincts: he manages to make a fortune in Brazil despite a twenty-eight-year absence and even leaves his island with a nice collection of gold. Moreover, Crusoe is never interested in portraying himself as a hero in his own narration. He does not boast of his courage in quelling the mutiny, and he is always ready to admit unheroic feelings of fear or panic, as when he finds the footprint on the beach. Crusoe prefers to depict himself as an ordinary sensible man, never as an exceptional hero. But Crusoeââ¬â¢s admirable qualities must be weighed against the flaws in his character. Crusoe seems incapable of deep feelings, as shown by his cold account of leaving his familyââ¬âhe worries about the religious consequences of disobeying his father, but never displays any emotion about leaving. Though he is generous toward people, as when he gives gifts to his sisters and the captain, Crusoe reveals very little tender or sincere affection in his dealings with them. When Crusoe tells us that he has gotten married and that his wife has died all within the same sentence, his indifference to her seems almost cruel. Moreover, as an individual personality, Crusoe is rather dull. His precise and deadpan style of narration works well for recounting the process of canoe building, but it tends to drain the excitement from events that should be thrilling. Action-packed scenes like the conquest of the cannibals become quite humdrum when Crusoe narrates them, giving us a detailed inventory of the cannibals in list form, for example. His insistence on dating events makes sense to a point, but it ultimately ends up seeming obsessive and irrelevant when he tells us the date on which he grinds his tools but neglects to tell us the date of a very important event like meeting Friday. Perhaps his impulse to record facts carefully is not a survival skill, but an irritating sign of his neurosis. Finally, while not boasting of heroism, Crusoe is nonetheless very interested in possessions, power, and prestige. When he first calls himself king of the island it seems jocund, but when he describes the Spaniard as his subject we must take his royal delusion seriously, since it seems he really does consider himself king. His teaching Friday to call him ââ¬Å"Master,â⬠even before teaching him the words for ââ¬Å"yesâ⬠or ââ¬Å"no,â⬠seems obnoxious even under the racist standards of the day, as if Crusoe needs to hear the ego-boosting word spoken as soon as possible. Overall, Crusoeââ¬â¢s virtues tend to be private: his industry, resourcefulness, and solitary courage make him an exemplary individual. But his vices are social, and his urge to subjugate others is highly objectionable. In bringing both sides together into one complex character, Defoe gives us a fascinating glimpse into the successes, failures, and contradictions of modern man. Friday Probably the first nonwhite character to be given a realistic, individualized, and humane portrayal in the English novel, Friday has a huge literary and cultural importance. If Crusoe represents the first colonial mind in fiction, then Friday represents not just a Caribbean tribesman, but all the natives of America, Asia, and Africa who would later be oppressed in the age of European imperialism. At the moment when Crusoe teaches Friday to call him ââ¬Å"Masterâ⬠Friday becomes an enduring political symbol of racial injustice in a modern world critical of imperialist expansion. Recent rewritings of the Crusoe story, like J. M. Coetzeeââ¬â¢s Foe and Michel Tournierââ¬â¢s Friday, emphasize the sad consequences of Crusoeââ¬â¢s failure to understand Friday and suggest how the tale might be told very differently from the nativeââ¬â¢s perspective. Aside from his importance to our culture, Friday is a key figure within the context of the novel. In many ways he is the most vibrant character in Robinson Crusoe, much more charismatic and colorful than his master. Indeed, Defoe at times underscores the contrast between Crusoeââ¬â¢s and Fridayââ¬â¢s personalities, as when Friday, in his joyful reunion with his father, exhibits far more emotion toward his family than Crusoe. Whereas Crusoe never mentions missing his family or dreams about the happiness of seeing them again, Friday jumps and sings for joy when he meets his father, and this emotional display makes us see what is missing from Crusoeââ¬â¢s stodgy heart. Fridayââ¬â¢s expression of loyalty in asking Crusoe to kill him rather than leave him is more heartfelt than anything Crusoe ever says or does. Fridayââ¬â¢s sincere questions to Crusoe about the devil, which Crusoe answers only indirectly and hesitantly, leave us wondering whether Crusoeââ¬â¢s knowledge of Christianity is superficial and sketchy in contrast to Fridayââ¬â¢s full understanding of his own god Benamuckee. In short, Fridayââ¬â¢s exuberance and emotional directness often point out the wooden conventionality of Crusoeââ¬â¢s personality. Despite Fridayââ¬â¢s subjugation, however, Crusoe appreciates Friday much more than he would a mere servant. Crusoe does not seem to value intimacy with humans much, but he does say that he loves Friday, which is a remarkable disclosure. It is the only time Crusoe makes such an admission in the novel, since he never expresses love for his parents, brothers, sisters, or even his wife. The mere fact that an Englishman confesses more love for an illiterate Caribbean ex-cannibal than for his own family suggests the appeal of Fridayââ¬â¢s personality. Crusoe may bring Friday Christianity and clothing, but Friday brings Crusoe emotional warmth and a vitality of spirit that Crusoeââ¬â¢s own European heart lacks. The Portuguese Captain Ads by Browse to Save The Portuguese captain is presented more fully than any other European in the novel besides Crusoe, more vividly portrayed than Crusoeââ¬â¢s widow friend or his family members. He appears in the narrative at two very important junctures in Crusoeââ¬â¢s life. First, it is the Portuguese captain who picks up Crusoe after the escape from the Moors and takes him to Brazil, where Crusoe establishes himself as a plantation owner. Twenty-eight years later, it is again the Portuguese captain who informs Crusoe that his Brazilian investments are secure, and who arranges the sale of the plantation and the forwarding of the proceeds to Crusoe. In both cases, the Portuguese captain is the agent of Crusoeââ¬â¢s extreme good fortune. In this sense, he represents the benefits of social connections. If the captain had not been located in Lisbon, Crusoe never would have cashed in on his Brazilian holdings. This assistance from social contacts contradicts the theme of solitary enterprise that the novel seems to endorse. Despite Crusoeââ¬â¢s hard individual labor on the island, it is actually another human beingââ¬âand not his own resourcefulnessââ¬âthat makes Crusoe wealthy in the end. Yet it is doubtful whether this insight occurs to Crusoe, despite his obvious gratitude toward the captain. Moreover, the Portuguese captain is associated with a wide array of virtues. He is honest, informing Crusoe of the money he has borrowed against Crusoeââ¬â¢s investments, and repaying a part of it immediately even though it is financially difficult for him to do so. He is loyal, honoring his duties toward Crusoe even after twenty-eight years. Finally, he is extremely generous, paying Crusoe more than market value for the animal skins and slave boy after picking Crusoe up at sea, and giving Crusoe handsome gifts when leaving Brazil. All these virtues make the captain a paragon of human excellence, and they make us wonder why Defoe includes such a character in the novel. In some ways, the captainââ¬â¢s goodness makes him the moral counterpart of Friday, since the European seaman and the Caribbean cannibal mirror each other in benevolence and devotion to Crusoe. The captainââ¬â¢s goodness thus makes it impossible for us to make oversimplified oppositions between a morally bankrupt Europe on the one hand, and innocent noble savages on the other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)