Australian Wool Industry Essay -- essays research papers fc

INTRODUCTION Australia is the world’s largest wool producing country, and has been for decades. The fine quality of wool from the result of fine breeding has definitely help contribute to the high demand of the wool industry. Much of Australia’s wool has been exported to other countries such as China, Italy, Taiwan, Republic of Korea and France. However, Australia’s wool production has been decreasing for the last 10 years and the demand has been declining because of the other, easier to manage, synthetic fibers and materials that have been introduced to the market. This following report is regarding the changes and effects the wool industry had on Australia in the 19th century, the reasons for the successful development of the wool industry, and also Australia’s current position in wool production. HISTORY – JOHN MACARTHUR The first sheep to arrive in Australia, Botany Bay was in 1788 on the First Fleet, brought by Governor Phillip. The sheep that were brought over were only to be used for food and not for wool production for the new settlement in the newly found country. They had thick, hairy fleeces and small groups of them were brought frequently, however only a few survived the journey and the few that survived were not use to the climatic changes and died soon after. Governor Philip later realised Australia’s soil and climate were better suited for livestock grazing than any farming. So after setting up many farms in 1792 Governor Philip headed back to England and left a temporary governor, Major Francis Grose to replace him until 1794. This was when the significant changes occurred, free settlers were allowed in Australia and officers and officials were given grants of land. John Macarthur, an officer in the New South Wales Corps took advantage of the grants of land, he was the most productive of the officers. He and two of his friends brought several pure blood Spanish Merino sheep to Australia, he then started breeding them some of his mixed breeds. He continued with this practice until he was certain that the result was that the quality of the wool was alike to the wools from Spain and Germany. John Macarthur’s success in fine-wool production gave Australia great wealth. AUSTRALIAN MERINO WOOL Australia produces the world’s best woollen fibre, Australian Merino wool, which is also the main sheep breed in this country (75% are Merino’s ... ...l to profitable levels. The price of broad micron wool has increased and in some cases is equal in amount paid for fine wool. BIBLIOGRAPHY  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2005). The Wool Industry [on-line].Available:http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/cd302ee1b133891eca256f720083301d?OpenDocument  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bird. J, (2005). This Bloody Disgrace is Called Mulesing [on-line]. Available: http://www.animal-lib.org.au/lists/mulesing/mules.shtml  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Curriculum Council. (1977). Australian People 1977. Education Department of Western Australia, Australia  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elders, (2005).Daily Wool Prices. [on-line] Available: http://wool.elders.com.au/viewpdf.asp?PDF=media/reports/Reports_56.pdf  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fleet, M., (2000). Matilda – Australia’s First Cloned Merino [on-line] Available:http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/pages/showcase/media_releases/2000/matilda.htm:sectID=83&tempID=27  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mooney, J., (2003). Sheep Farming in Australia in the 19th Century [on-line].Available:http://athena.english.vt.edu/~jmooney/3044annotationsp-z/sheepfarming.html Australian Wool Industry Essay -- essays research papers fc INTRODUCTION Australia is the world’s largest wool producing country, and has been for decades. The fine quality of wool from the result of fine breeding has definitely help contribute to the high demand of the wool industry. Much of Australia’s wool has been exported to other countries such as China, Italy, Taiwan, Republic of Korea and France. However, Australia’s wool production has been decreasing for the last 10 years and the demand has been declining because of the other, easier to manage, synthetic fibers and materials that have been introduced to the market. This following report is regarding the changes and effects the wool industry had on Australia in the 19th century, the reasons for the successful development of the wool industry, and also Australia’s current position in wool production. HISTORY – JOHN MACARTHUR The first sheep to arrive in Australia, Botany Bay was in 1788 on the First Fleet, brought by Governor Phillip. The sheep that were brought over were only to be used for food and not for wool production for the new settlement in the newly found country. They had thick, hairy fleeces and small groups of them were brought frequently, however only a few survived the journey and the few that survived were not use to the climatic changes and died soon after. Governor Philip later realised Australia’s soil and climate were better suited for livestock grazing than any farming. So after setting up many farms in 1792 Governor Philip headed back to England and left a temporary governor, Major Francis Grose to replace him until 1794. This was when the significant changes occurred, free settlers were allowed in Australia and officers and officials were given grants of land. John Macarthur, an officer in the New South Wales Corps took advantage of the grants of land, he was the most productive of the officers. He and two of his friends brought several pure blood Spanish Merino sheep to Australia, he then started breeding them some of his mixed breeds. He continued with this practice until he was certain that the result was that the quality of the wool was alike to the wools from Spain and Germany. John Macarthur’s success in fine-wool production gave Australia great wealth. AUSTRALIAN MERINO WOOL Australia produces the world’s best woollen fibre, Australian Merino wool, which is also the main sheep breed in this country (75% are Merino’s ... ...l to profitable levels. The price of broad micron wool has increased and in some cases is equal in amount paid for fine wool. BIBLIOGRAPHY  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2005). The Wool Industry [on-line].Available:http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/cd302ee1b133891eca256f720083301d?OpenDocument  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bird. J, (2005). This Bloody Disgrace is Called Mulesing [on-line]. Available: http://www.animal-lib.org.au/lists/mulesing/mules.shtml  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Curriculum Council. (1977). Australian People 1977. Education Department of Western Australia, Australia  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elders, (2005).Daily Wool Prices. [on-line] Available: http://wool.elders.com.au/viewpdf.asp?PDF=media/reports/Reports_56.pdf  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fleet, M., (2000). Matilda – Australia’s First Cloned Merino [on-line] Available:http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/pages/showcase/media_releases/2000/matilda.htm:sectID=83&tempID=27  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mooney, J., (2003). Sheep Farming in Australia in the 19th Century [on-line].Available:http://athena.english.vt.edu/~jmooney/3044annotationsp-z/sheepfarming.html

Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - The Naturally Supernatural :: GCSE Coursework Macbeth Essays

The Supernatural in Macbeth Writers often use supernatural to add suspense and interest to their work. The Witches and ghosts create a sense of horror as well as foreshadow what will happen next. Ghosts and apparitions really took over MacBeth’s emotions and fears. For example in the opening scene witches are used   to create an atmosphere of horror and suspense. Later in the scene   the ghost of Banquo appears at the dinner table and drives Macbeth mad. His wife try's to calm him but she can't and Macbeth has the people at the table getting awfully suspicious. Again we see it when Macbeth saw the dagger, he is seeing things due to guilt. The witches foresaw what happened through the play by telling Macbeth his future as well as Banquo. Ghosts made the audience feel scared the sky black and the wind misty. Witches in the play did prophecise to Macbeth that he would be king. Macbeth knowing this information became curious, knowing that Duncan was king he wondered how he would acheive the position. So he did indeed kill Duncan under the guidance of the three witches. The witches in this play in terms of ghosts are concerned,   we see they are not human or half ways normal when baquo quotes to Macbeth that are not human like as well as   irregular in some sort and very unattractive. This leaves a feeling of darkness for example the sky is black and the grass is gray instead of green the branches on the tress are short and rotting. The witches were Macbeth’s fortune tellers but they lead him a bad life In the end. Ghosts and apparitions not only drove Macbeth to his grave but also gave him up. When he kills Duncan there is a sense of real guilt. We see him going crazy   and feeling extreme guilt when immediately after he kills him he sais to his wife what a sorry sight and she tells him to stop worrying about Duncan and to get on with his life. She also tells him to stop being a coward, and that killing was the only option. In actuality it is not because a murder will never stay secret. Ghosts were a big factor in this play but guilt plays a part as well, a much bigger part. Guilt led to the witnessing   of ghosts. For example when Macbeth hosts   the dinner he witnesses baquo’s ghost this has an   affect of pity for Macbeth as far as the audience is concerned, Macbeth himself from guilt is going crazy.

Cardio Workouts

By taking fitness again this term, I feel that I have accomplished my goals that I set for myself and have gotten into a great routine I could try everyday over the summer. Now experienced exercising on mostly all the cardio machines, I am able to effortlessly exercise through a workout for thirty minutes or more. For a specific goal this semester, I have wanted to succeed on levels 5-10, and I have actually reached level 10 on many occasions. Level 10 is still obviously a challenge for me, but this just pushes me to continue.In time, I might even reach higher levels than this and I will strive to do so. Another goal of mine was to lose a few pounds by the time I finished this class. I believe this is a check off my list because whenever I workout now, I hardly feel any soreness on even some of the highest levels. I knew if I worked at this for an extended period of time, it would pay off and the results would be the way I wanted them. Lastly, my next goal was to get my legs into sha pe for when I play tennis in the summer. I want to have every part of my body in good form to succeed and build up more even more muscle in my calves.Mid-way through my progression in the second semester I got tested on how well I was working to attain my fitness goals. Once indoors, working on the Arc Trainer and another time, jogging outside on the track. The heart monitor proved to see if I was working out to my maximum potential and the goal for everyone was to reach a target heart rate zone from 142-162. Outdoors, I felt like it was a little tough to achieve a decent heart rate, but my average was 152 bpm. Also, my maximum heart rate was 185 and I accomplished this by steadily running at a faster speed.Both times getting tested were surprisingly not too difficult, but was definitely a challenge at one point. By doing this, I correctly positioned a strap tightly around the upper part of my body and secured the heart rate watch around my wrist. While working out these two times, I needed to have the watch in close distance to my body at all times, so I could receive an accurate heart rate. Done trying mostly all of the cardio machines, I would say my favorite is the Arch Trainer because it really gets my legs and the rest of my body moving.The Arch Trainer enables me to experiment with different levels and adjusting until I acquire the proper one that I am comfortable with. On the same note, I sense my progression in overall fitness and wellness has enhanced a lot. First getting back into the swing of things in the beginning of the semester was a bit hard, but I managed to continue where I left off from the pervious term. Nevertheless, as time went on, I was still capable of increasing my level at a steady pace. Plus, at the same time my calories that I burned increased to higher numbers and I felt amazing afterwards.I believe I should continue working out. Exercising is immense when it comes to improving and extending good health and life span. Also, a hea lthy and proper diet is essential to this progression. Working out increases your heart rate and leads to making your heart stronger as a whole. As well, your muscles in every part of your body become strengthened while doing so. Eating right and constantly working out, means becoming a healthier you and doing things you might not have been capable of doing before. I now appreciate these cardio machines and have a feel for which are best for me.Each day I try and workout to my greatest ability, no matter what program or level. When I look back on my cardio progress chart, I see what I have accomplished according to my goals that I set for myself in the beginning. I see exactly which machines I liked best, how varied the levels were on each day, the distance I went, and from that the calories I burned. I have definitely learned quite a lot when it comes to getting your body into proper condition. This fitness class taught me what it is like to be in shape and acquire the workouts I n eed to continue daily.

East of Eden: An Interpretation Essay

I. Cathy Ames – Cathy’s main motivation was her desperate and incessant need for money. This held true throughout most of the book; it was only at the very end of her life that she realized that she had been missing something her entire life. This is the reason she left everything that she had amassed to her youngest son, Aron. This act may have been a desperate attempt at making up for the love she was never privileged enough to have. Cathy viewed herself as someone who could outwit most anyone she met — especially men. There were a few of those who she feared because she felt like their eyes could see into every one of her thoughts and emotions. Samuel Hamilton was one of these people, and so she despised him. Whatever happened in Cathy at the end was responsible for her change in disposition. Her sudden â€Å"goodness† (if it can be called that) impelled her to leave everything she owned to Aron, her â€Å"good† son, and nothing to Cal, whom she felt was most like her in his devious personality and sinful motivation (from what she gathered of the few times they met). Cathy saw nothing good or honest in any part of humanity. Even the men who she served disgusted her. She surrounded herself with the slime of civilization, and was blinded to everyone and everything else. I don’t know that Cathy ever truly liked anybody but herself, and in the end the fact that she didn’t even like herself frankly scared her. All of her past misdeeds finally came back to haunt her. After swallowing her â€Å"Drink Me,† she finally ceased to be, and in her mind, never was; and that was the way she wanted it. Samuel Hamilton – Samuel Hamilton was a family man. He valued spending time with his family and found that even more important than making money. Even though he always complained about his extremely unprofitable and barren ranch, he made a lifetime of happy memories there and found it very hard to leave when he and Lisa moved to Salinas. Samuel had a persistency about him. Nothing could ever wear him down, except of course, old age in the end. But no matter the number of failed inventions or patents that didn’t work out, he was always working on another one of his ideas. Samuel was loved throughout the entire county; everybody was his friend. He had one of those insightful and humorous personalities that everybody liked. Samuel loved life and ached for what each new day would bring. Although not as devout as Lisa in her views about religion and what is sinful, Samuel was a good, moral person who enjoyed life very much. Samuel saw himself as nothing more than any other man he had ever met. He was constantly giving and doing his part to improve society as a whole. He cared for nearly everyone and everything. For his children, Samuel wanted nothing but success and greatness, but at the same time he wondered if it were a selfish and sinful thing to want greatness for his children, knowing that it would be a hard and lonely path. Perhaps this is the reason Samuel himself was so content with his own financial status. He was never alone, and always had the pleasure of family near. Samuel Hamilton died a rich man – surrounded by friends and family. Caleb Trask – Cal wanted desperately to be liked and loved the way Aron was. He loved his brother, but at the same time envied him to no end. It was his jealousy that drove Cal to do the mean things he did to his brother, but these cruel tactics were no relief from his inner strife. Afterward, Cal always beat himself up emotionally for wanting to hurt his brother. Cal was very smart and clever (like his mother I suppose) and emotionally strong, but he longed to be loved, especially by his father, Adam. Cal was once desperate enough to try to â€Å"buy† his fathers love (as Will Hamilton had asked quite frankly) with $15,000. After Cal found out the truth about Cathy, what she had done to his father, and that she made a living as a whore, he felt like it was his responsibility to help protect Adam. His whole life, Cal never felt that Adam liked him very much, the way he loved Aron. It was when Cal saw his mother up close that he realized why his father loved Aron so much more than him; Aron looked like Cathy, whom Cal knew Adam still hopelessly loved. Cal always referred to himself as being â€Å"bad,† by thinking bad thoughts and doing bad things. He also always confided in Lee that he longed to be good, like Aron. That’s all he wanted. But, unfortunately, he despised himself. He hated himself so much that Lee suspected he enjoyed wallowing in his self-pity. It was his only protection from the outside world; a world that Cal was sure would reject him for his brother, Aron. Aron Trask – Aron was steadfast in his morality and was disgusted by the filth of society, very much like his mother. But unlike Cathy, Aron would not have surrounded himself with anyone or anything against his beliefs. Aron’s brother, Cal could be described as Aron’s opposite. He was so much stronger than Aron in every way except maybe physically. Cal accepted things as they were, and suffered through them, as awful as the circumstances may have been. On the other hand, Aron, as Abra suggested, tore up reality for his own picture of how the world should be, and if that picture should become impure, his whole world would come crashing down around him. In the beginning, Aron lived for the goodness in life, and so, naturally, he built his mother (whom he had never known) to be the most beautiful, kind, pure woman in the world. I don’t think his vision ever left him given his reaction when he discovered the truth. In the second half of his life, Aron was driven by his love for Abra. But it wasn’t really Abra that he loved. It was a completely pure and moral being wearing Abra’s skin and beauty. Nevertheless, it was this vision of Abra that got him through all of his hard times at school, and what he lived for at home. After Adam rejected Cal at Thanksgiving, Cal took his anger and frustration out on his brother in the cruelest way he could imagine. Cal showed Cathy to Aron and he learned the truth; his mother was a whore, the most undignified thing a woman was capable of being. Aron’s picture of life was altered dramatically, and he couldn’t handle it. He had viewed himself as good and clean and moral. His life was destroyed in his mind and he would always feel impure and dirty. Aron enlisted in the Army and ultimately got himself killed. Lee – Lee was a very wise intellectual. What motivated Lee through life was unclear. It had to have been his dreams that he often talked about and longed to accomplish. But what about after he had no dreams left? He had even said that after trying out life in his San Francisco bookstore that he had no more dreams left. From then on, Lee’s main motivation must have been his love for the Trask family. It’s obvious that he loved the boys very much and felt as though the Trasks were part of his own family. Lee was very smart and clever. He valued the goodness in man, and found ignorance annoying, but very plentiful in society. He always craved a good debate or intelligent conversation. He always liked talking with Samuel Hamilton because he could provide this. Their long talks about the story of Cain and Abel excited Lee, because they always left him pondering, and wanting more. It was obvious that Lee enjoyed learning, and examining complex situations very much. Throughout all of East of Eden, it was Lee that offered the best advice; perhaps because he dissected each situation thoroughly enough to see what needed to be done. Lee also accepted whatever life threw his way, but dealt with it intelligently and the best way he knew how. Lee was well liked, for a â€Å"chink.† He respected those that gave him respect. By the end of the book, he had grown very attached to Abra, who spent a lot of her time at the Trask place talking to Lee. In the very end, I think it was his need to see Cal and Aron (who eventually died) succeed in their own ways. This is why he stuck up for Cal to Adam on his deathbed; and, of course, Adam’s answer, â€Å"Timshel,† was the finest answer he could have given. Charles Trask – Charles felt as though he was second best to his brother, Adam his entire life. He always felt that it was Adam who Cyrus, their father, loved more. I suppose Charles is a lot like Caleb Trask in that way. Charles had an abusive and violent temper when he was a teen, and at one time even tried to kill Adam. Charles loved his father, and just wanted his respect, but Cyrus moved away after sending Adam into the Army. And so, Charles was left alone on his farm to make his own living. I don’t think Charles was ever happy with his life. He was always depressed because of his loneliness whenever Adam was away, and they didn’t get along for any length of time when they were together. He refused to sell the ranch whenever Adam suggested it, because it would be a waste in his mind. Charles was stubborn and insisted on spending no money on himself and was determined to stay where he was. Charles probably felt inferior to his brother, because of their father’s favoritism toward Adam, but Charles always knew he could win in a fistfight. Charles intimidated most of the people in town because of his size and strength. In that way, I suppose, he probably felt superior to everyone else, especially after Cyrus, his father died and left him and Adam a sum of more than $93,000 to split. After Adam left with his share, Charles was the wealthiest farmer in the area and the most respected. Charles knew how to do one thing well: farm. He lived for farming, and he did it until the day he died. He made a considerable amount of money in his lifetime too, but never got around to enjoying it. Charles was a loner. He didn’t have any close friends, and as far as we know was only married for a short time while Adam was in the Army. Other than that he was a homebody, and didn’t socialize much (except for his late night excursions to the local inn). He died never seeing any other part of the country, never living in any other house, never doing anything other than that which he had been doing his entire life. And while it never made him happy, it seemed to be enough for him. Adam Trask – Adam was mistreated throughout most of his childhood by his father and brother. All Adam wanted was to be happy, in his own way. He didn’t want to live under the pressure of his father, always competing with his brother. He didn’t want to go into the Army, and he didn’t want to go back to the farm in Connecticut. I think Adam lived for the happiness that the next day would bring, not knowing what it would be, or from where it would come. That’s how he got through the first half of his life, and that’s how he came upon Cathy and how the second half began. Adam lived for Cathy Ames and would have done anything for her. Like Steinbeck described, his first year with Cathy was the first time Adam really felt alive. She was his world. When she left, not even the twin boys she left behind were enough to keep Adam going. And so, he fell into a deep depression, melancholy for nearly eleven years. Secretly, during that time, I think he believed that Cathy would see the error of her ways and come back to him. I don’t think he ever really accepted her leaving him. Nevertheless, he was the father of two boys, and eventually came around to caring for their best interests. He moved them to Salinas and enrolled them in school. He was open to the idea of Aron even going to college, which he finally did. Adam always seemed a little scatterbrained; he was always prone to getting into situations a little over his head. He wasn’t very sensible in some of his endeavors (the nice farm he bought, but never capitalized on, the marriage that was doomed to begin with, the lettuce that never made it across the country), but he was as honest as a man could be. He was very friendly and was open to anyone and everyone being his friend if they so wished. He became popular in Salinas (except for the incident with the lettuce) very quickly. Adam didn’t read people very well though. He understood his own emotions, but when it came time to be responsible for his sons, he had a hard time; it was Lee that actually raised Cal and Aron for the first decade of their lives. Adam never pitied himself; he simply resigned himself to the fact that he was raised by a father he didn’t love, a woman he didn’t know, and a violent brother whom he feared. But Adam grew to be a fine man, and at the end, a good father; one his children could respect. Abra – Abra was an average teen girl who viewed life, in the beginning when we were first introduced to her, as a game. She wanted so much to be an adult, and to raise a family. She pretended to be Aron’s mother to him more than once in the story, as an example of her longing to raise a child. Abra fell in love with Aron at a very young age and stuck to her first love for most of her teen years. She wanted nothing but to raise a small family with the man with whom she was in love. But as the situation became more complicated between her and Aron, their relationship suffered, possibly without his complete understanding. When Aron finally left for Stanford, after deciding to become a priest, Abra ended up spending a lot of time at the Trask house, and finding herself getting very close to Lee and Adam, more so than her own parents. It was during this time, with Aron gone, that she discovered that she really didn’t love Aron any more. Aron had transformed her (or wanted to anyway) into something she wasn’t and never could be. While she realized this, her confusion about her conflicting feelings (for she still liked Aron, and wasn’t 100% certain what she wanted) wouldn’t allow her to break up with him. It wasn’t until after Aron enlisted in the Army that she was sure she didn’t want to be with him. Abra was a smart girl, who enjoyed many talks with her new friend Lee. She didn’t feel that she was somehow better than anyone, but at the same time, she didn’t feel any lower than anyone either. She fit in nicely with society, but was much brighter and wiser than most. Eventually she got together with Caleb, and I believe that those two together would have ended up very happy. Cal wouldn’t have expected Abra to be anything more than what she was, and could be happy with that. Abra saw Cal as a flawed individual, and found him to be very much like herself (she even compared their parents faults), especially after the close scrutiny she was under whenever Aron was around. II. Steinbeck’s central message in the book is the seemingly endless struggle between good and evil in all of us, and the fated consequences of the choices we make. Those who felt the evil inside themselves felt that their fates were predestined and unavoidable (especially Cal who knew of his mother and could feel her blood flowing through his veins). This reveals the importance of â€Å"Timshel† in the end of the book to Caleb as he gets a chance at redemption by being able to choose his own fate. Caleb had the gift (or enlightenment) of â€Å"Timshel† bestowed upon him by his father. â€Å"Timshel† or â€Å"thou mayest† was the key to freeing Caleb from his self-torture and releasing him from what he felt was a fated path to hell. Because of â€Å"Timshel,† Cal had a chance to make up for what he had done wrong because he knew that he wasn’t evil, and he knew he didn’t want to be evil, and with this inspiration he wouldn’t be evil. III. As a theme I see the basic story of Cain and Abel reinvent itself within the Trask family generation after generation. It was interesting because all the characters whose name began with the letter â€Å"A† represented the good and benevolent son to Adam and Eve that is Abel. Examples of these are Adam, Aron, and Abra. And likewise, the characters whose name began with the letter â€Å"C† represented Abel’s jealous and flawed brother, Cain. These examples include Charles, Cathy, and Caleb. Charles had become jealous at the fact that his father got more pleasure out of Adam’s gift than out of his own, and in a rage, tried to kill his brother. This was the first story line that followed that of Cain and Abel. The second would come later when Cal was rejected by Adam on thanksgiving and betrayed his brother in a way that ultimately got Aron killed. This was the second story line that followed that of Cain and Abel. As a sub-message in the book I saw that it was the dishonorably acquired money that indirectly brought about the downfall of all of characters, hinting at the evils of destruction for which money is responsible. The specific examples that came to mind were Cyrus, who stole from the GAR; Charles, who began his fortune of the stolen money that his father left him; Cathy, who had amassed her fortune whoring; and Aron who was left the money Cathy made. Caleb came near destruction, but he found that burning the money his father had refused helped relieve him from his self-pity and a likely demise. The only character who seemed untouched by the evils that came with the dollar was Adam. Adam squandered a lot of the money his father left him on an idea of his. This bad investment left him not rich any more. His money never had the chance to destroy him because he never found it valuable enough to cherish. In turning his son down on the money that was offered to him, Adam in a sense freed himself from the evils that came along with it. Likewise, Samuel and Lisa Hamilton lived very long and happy lives not having a dime to their name. IV. There are many ideas and images that I see repeated throughout the book. As a list see the presence of the evil that money represents; the story of Cain and Abel reinventing itself through each of the generations of the Trask family; the cruelties perpetrated by characters whose names begin with C (Charles, Cathy, and Caleb) to the characters whose names begin with A (Adam, Aron, and Abra); the honest confusion and moralistic uncertainty of all of the characters whose names begin with the letter A; war that always negatively affects the lives of everyone; the good ideas that always came to Sam Hamilton and Adam Trask (but mostly Sam) that never turned out to be lucrative endeavors; the similar scars that Charles and Cathy shared that seemed to mark them as the devious people they were and condemn them to fall to their sins and evil doings. V. â€Å"Timshel,† or â€Å"thou mayest† in hebrew changed the outcome of, and possibly ended, the repeating Cain and Abel retellings. In the versions of the Bible that everyone in East of Eden had ever known, the story of Cain and Abel included a decree by God ordering Cain to overcome sin, while in another version, God promised that Cain would overcome sin. Both of these versions seemed to condemn sinners to their misdeeds without hope of redemption. However, Lee discovered that in the original hebrew text, the significant word in the conflicting sentence was actually â€Å"timshel,† or â€Å"thou mayest.† This, of course, would allow each individual to be in charge of his own moral destiny. It was Cal who mainly feared that the sins of his mother would come back to condemn him because he reasoned that the same blood flowed through his veins, but â€Å"timshel† would relieve this. The significant character blessed with this enlightenment was Cal. After Cal learned that Aron was dead, and knowing that it was his fault, he goes to his father where Lee speaks for him. Lee asks Adam to forgive his son and to free him from his sins. Adam’s response, â€Å"timshel,† symbolically freed Caleb as he was now free and in charge of his own destiny without having his past sins, or the sins of his parents holding him back. VI. Beginning with my dislikes, I disliked the chapters that seemed to slant away from the rest of the story; the chapters of Olive Hamilton especially. These chapters seemed to have no effect on the Hamiltons or the Trasks. I found them pointless, but I also may have missed an underlying reason for their place in the book. Regardless, I liked the book very much. I thought it was well-written and very well thought out. The action parts were the best, but it moved at an understandably slow pace to reveal every significant thing that happened, but moved fast enough to keep me, the reader, entertained. It shocks me how much research Steinbeck must have had to do simply to develop the concept for East of Eden, but I think his time was well spent. And it was obviously worth it, for now, almost 50 years later, it is still widely read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirtynine

Ned had known their faces as well as he knew his own once, but the years leech at a man’s memories, even those he has vowed never to forget. In the dream they were only shadows, grey wraiths on horses made of mist. They were seven, facing three. In the dream as it had been in life. Yet these were no ordinary three. They waited before the round tower, the red mountains of Dorne at their backs, their white cloaks blowing in the wind. And these were no shadows; their faces burned clear, even now. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, had a sad smile on his lips. The hilt of the greatsword Dawn poked up over his right shoulder. Ser Oswell Whent was on one knee, sharpening his blade with a whetstone. Across his white-enameled helm, the black bat of his House spread its wings. Between them stood fierce old Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. â€Å"I looked for you on the Trident,† Ned said to them. â€Å"We were not there,† Ser Gerold answered. â€Å"Woe to the Usurper if we had been,† said Ser Oswell. â€Å"When King’s Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were.† â€Å"Far away,† Ser Gerold said, â€Å"or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells.† â€Å"I came down on Storm’s End to lift the siege,† Ned told them, â€Å"and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them.† â€Å"Our knees do not bend easily,† said Ser Arthur Dayne. â€Å"Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him.† â€Å"Ser Willem is a good man and true,† said Ser Oswell. â€Å"But not of the Kingsguard,† Ser Gerold pointed out. â€Å"The Kingsguard does not flee.† â€Å"Then or now,† said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm. â€Å"We swore a vow,† explained old Ser Gerold. Ned’s wraiths moved up beside him, with shadow swords in hand. They were seven against three. â€Å"And now it begins,† said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light. â€Å"No,† Ned said with sadness in his voice. â€Å"Now it ends.† As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. â€Å"Eddard!† she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† Lyanna called again. â€Å"I promise,† he whispered. â€Å"Lya, I promise . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard,† a man echoed from the dark. Groaning, Eddard Stark opened his eyes. Moonlight streamed through the tall windows of the Tower of the Hand. â€Å"Lord Eddard?† A shadow stood over the bed. â€Å"How . . . how long?† The sheets were tangled, his leg splinted and plastered. A dull throb of pain shot up his side. â€Å"Six days and seven nights.† The voice was Vayon Poole’s. The steward held a cup to Ned’s lips. â€Å"Drink, my lord.† â€Å"What . . . ?† â€Å"Only water. Maester Pycelle said you would be thirsty.† Ned drank. His lips were parched and cracked. The water tasted sweet as honey. â€Å"The king left orders,† Vayon Poole told him when the cup was empty. â€Å"He would speak with you, my lord.† â€Å"On the morrow,† Ned said. â€Å"When I am stronger.† He could not face Robert now. The dream had left him weak as a kitten. â€Å"My lord,† Poole said, â€Å"he commanded us to send you to him the moment you opened your eyes.† The steward busied himself lighting a bedside candle. Ned cursed softly. Robert was never known for his patience. â€Å"Tell him I’m too weak to come to him. If he wishes to speak with me, I should be pleased to receive him here. I hope you wake him from a sound sleep. And summon . . . † He was about to say Jory when he remembered. â€Å"Summon the captain of my guard.† Alyn stepped into the bedchamber a few moments after the steward had taken his leave. â€Å"My lord.† â€Å"Poole tells me it has been six days,† Ned said. â€Å"I must know how things stand.† â€Å"The Kingslayer is fled the city,† Alyn told him. â€Å"The talk is he’s ridden back to Casterly Rock to join his father. The story of how Lady Catelyn took the Imp is on every lip. I have put on extra guards, if it please you.† â€Å"It does,† Ned assured him. â€Å"My daughters?† â€Å"They have been with you every day, my lord. Sansa prays quietly, but Arya . . . † He hesitated. â€Å"She has not said a word since they brought you back. She is a fierce little thing, my lord. I have never seen such anger in a girl.† â€Å"Whatever happens,† Ned said, â€Å"I want my daughters kept safe. I fear this is only the beginning.† â€Å"No harm will come to them, Lord Eddard,† Alyn said. â€Å"I stake my life on that.† â€Å"Jory and the others . . . â€Å" â€Å"I gave them over to the silent sisters, to be sent north to Winterfell. Jory would want to lie beside his grandfather.† It would have to be his grandfather, for Jory’s father was buried far to the south. Martyn Cassel had perished with the rest. Ned had pulled the tower down afterward, and used its bloody stones to build eight cairns upon the ridge. It was said that Rhaegar had named that place the tower of joy, but for Ned it was a bitter memory. They had been seven against three, yet only two had lived to ride away; Eddard Stark himself and the little crannogman, Howland Reed. He did not think it omened well that he should dream that dream again after so many years. â€Å"You’ve done well, Alyn,† Ned was saying when Vayon Poole returned. The steward bowed low. â€Å"His Grace is without, my lord, and the queen with him.† Ned pushed himself up higher, wincing as his leg trembled with pain. He had not expected Cersei to come. It did not bode well that she had. â€Å"Send them in, and leave us. What we have to say should not go beyond these walls.† Poole withdrew quietly. Robert had taken time to dress. He wore a black velvet doublet with the crowned stag of Baratheon worked upon the breast in golden thread, and a golden mantle with a cloak of black and gold squares. A flagon of wine was in his hand, his face already flushed from drink. Cersei Lannister entered behind him, a jeweled tiara in her hair. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ned said. â€Å"Your pardons. I cannot rise.† â€Å"No matter,† the king said gruffly. â€Å"Some wine? From the Arbor. A good vintage.† â€Å"A small cup,† Ned said. â€Å"My head is still heavy from the milk of the poppy.† â€Å"A man in your place should count himself fortunate that his head is still on his shoulders,† the queen declared. â€Å"Quiet, woman,† Robert snapped. He brought Ned a cup of wine. â€Å"Does the leg still pain you?† â€Å"Some,† Ned said. His head was swimming, but it would not do to admit to weakness in front of the queen. â€Å"Pycelle swears it will heal clean.† Robert frowned. â€Å"I take it you know what Catelyn has done?† â€Å"I do.† Ned took a small swallow of wine. â€Å"My lady wife is blameless, Your Grace. All she did she did at my command.† â€Å"I am not pleased, Ned,† Robert grumbled. â€Å"By what right do you dare lay hands on my blood?† Cersei demanded. â€Å"Who do you think you are?† â€Å"The Hand of the King,† Ned told her with icy courtesy. â€Å"Charged by your own lord husband to keep the king’s peace and enforce the king’s justice.† â€Å"You were the Hand,† Cersei began, â€Å"but now—† â€Å"Silence!† the king roared. â€Å"You asked him a question and he answered it.† Cersei subsided, cold with anger, and Robert turned back to Ned. â€Å"Keep the king’s peace, you say. Is this how you keep my peace, Ned? Seven men are dead . . . â€Å" â€Å"Eight,† the queen corrected. â€Å"Tregar died this morning, of the blow Lord Stark gave him.† â€Å"Abductions on the kingsroad and drunken slaughter in my streets,† the king said. â€Å"I will not have it, Ned.† â€Å"Catelyn had good reason for taking the Imp—† â€Å"I said, I will not have it! To hell with her reasons. You will command her to release the dwarf at once, and you will make your peace with Jaime.† â€Å"Three of my men were butchered before my eyes, because Jaime Lannister wished to chasten me. Am I to forget that?† â€Å"My brother was not the cause of this quarrel,† Cersei told the king. â€Å"Lord Stark was returning drunk from a brothel. His men attacked Jaime and his guards, even as his wife attacked Tyrion on the kingsroad.† â€Å"You know me better than that, Robert,† Ned said. â€Å"Ask Lord Baelish if you doubt me. He was there.† â€Å"I’ve talked to Littlefinger,† Robert said. â€Å"He claims he rode off to bring the gold cloaks before the fighting began, but he admits you were returning from some whorehouse.† â€Å"Some whorehouse? Damn your eyes, Robert, I went there to have a look at your daughter! Her mother has named her Barra. She looks like that first girl you fathered, when we were boys together in the Vale.† He watched the queen as he spoke; her face was a mask, still and pale, betraying nothing. Robert flushed. â€Å"Barra,† he grumbled. â€Å"Is that supposed to please me? Damn the girl. I thought she had more sense.† â€Å"She cannot be more than fifteen, and a whore, and you thought she had sense?† Ned said, incredulous. His leg was beginning to pain him sorely. It was hard to keep his temper. â€Å"The fool child is in love with you, Robert.† The king glanced at Cersei. â€Å"This is no fit subject for the queen’s ears.† â€Å"Her Grace will have no liking for anything I have to say,† Ned replied. â€Å"I am told the Kingslayer has fled the city. Give me leave to bring him back to justice.† The king swirled the wine in his cup, brooding. He took a swallow. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"I want no more of this. Jaime slew three of your men, and you five of his. Now it ends.† â€Å"Is that your notion of justice?† Ned flared. â€Å"If so, I am pleased that I am no longer your Hand.† The queen looked to her husband. â€Å"If any man had dared speak to a Targaryen as he has spoken to you—† â€Å"Do you take me for Aerys?† Robert interrupted. â€Å"I took you for a king. Jaime and Tyrion are your own brothers, by all the laws of marriage and the bonds we share. The Starks have driven off the one and seized the other. This man dishonors you with every breath he takes, and yet you stand there meekly, asking if his leg pains him and would he like some wine.† Robert’s face was dark with anger. â€Å"How many times must I tell you to hold your tongue, woman?† Cersei’s face was a study in contempt. â€Å"What a jape the gods have made of us two,† she said. â€Å"By all rights, you ought to be in skirts and me in mail.† Purple with rage, the king lashed out, a vicious backhand blow to the side of the head. She stumbled against the table and fell hard, yet Cersei Lannister did not cry out. Her slender fingers brushed her cheek, where the pale smooth skin was already reddening. On the morrow the bruise would cover half her face. â€Å"I shall wear this as a badge of honor,† she announced. â€Å"Wear it in silence, or I’ll honor you again,† Robert vowed. He shouted for a guard. Ser Meryn Trant stepped into the room, tall and somber in his white armor. â€Å"The queen is tired. See her to her bedchamber.† The knight helped Cersei to her feet and led her out without a word. Robert reached for the flagon and refilled his cup. â€Å"You see what she does to me, Ned.† The king seated himself, cradling his wine cup. â€Å"My loving wife. The mother of my children.† The rage was gone from him now; in his eyes Ned saw something sad and scared. â€Å"I should not have hit her. That was not . . . that was not kingly.† He stared down at his hands, as if he did not quite know what they were. â€Å"I was always strong . . . no one could stand before me, no one. How do you fight someone if you can’t hit them?† Confused, the king shook his head. â€Å"Rhaegar . . . Rhaegar won, damn him. I killed him, Ned, I drove the spike right through that black armor into his black heart, and he died at my feet. They made up songs about it. Yet somehow he still won. He has Lyanna now, and I have her.† The king drained his cup. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ned Stark said, â€Å"we must talk . . . â€Å" Robert pressed his fingertips against his temples. â€Å"I am sick unto death of talk. On the morrow I’m going to the kingswood to hunt. Whatever you have to say can wait until I return.† â€Å"If the gods are good, I shall not be here on your return. You commanded me to return to Winterfell, remember?† Robert stood up, grasping one of the bedposts to steady himself. â€Å"The gods are seldom good, Ned. Here, this is yours.† He pulled the heavy silver hand clasp from a pocket in the lining of his cloak and tossed it on the bed. â€Å"Like it or not, you are my Hand, damn you. I forbid you to leave.† Ned picked up the silver clasp. He was being given no choice, it seemed. His leg throbbed, and he felt as helpless as a child. â€Å"The Targaryen girl—† The king groaned. â€Å"Seven hells, don’t start with her again. That’s done, I’ll hear no more of it.† â€Å"Why would you want me as your Hand, if you refuse to listen to my counsel?† â€Å"Why?† Robert laughed. â€Å"Why not? Someone has to rule this damnable kingdom. Put on the badge, Ned. It suits you. And if you ever throw it in my face again, I swear to you, I’ll pin the damned thing on Jaime Lannister.† A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirtynine Ned had known their faces as well as he knew his own once, but the years leech at a man’s memories, even those he has vowed never to forget. In the dream they were only shadows, grey wraiths on horses made of mist. They were seven, facing three. In the dream as it had been in life. Yet these were no ordinary three. They waited before the round tower, the red mountains of Dorne at their backs, their white cloaks blowing in the wind. And these were no shadows; their faces burned clear, even now. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, had a sad smile on his lips. The hilt of the greatsword Dawn poked up over his right shoulder. Ser Oswell Whent was on one knee, sharpening his blade with a whetstone. Across his white-enameled helm, the black bat of his House spread its wings. Between them stood fierce old Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. â€Å"I looked for you on the Trident,† Ned said to them. â€Å"We were not there,† Ser Gerold answered. â€Å"Woe to the Usurper if we had been,† said Ser Oswell. â€Å"When King’s Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were.† â€Å"Far away,† Ser Gerold said, â€Å"or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells.† â€Å"I came down on Storm’s End to lift the siege,† Ned told them, â€Å"and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them.† â€Å"Our knees do not bend easily,† said Ser Arthur Dayne. â€Å"Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him.† â€Å"Ser Willem is a good man and true,† said Ser Oswell. â€Å"But not of the Kingsguard,† Ser Gerold pointed out. â€Å"The Kingsguard does not flee.† â€Å"Then or now,† said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm. â€Å"We swore a vow,† explained old Ser Gerold. Ned’s wraiths moved up beside him, with shadow swords in hand. They were seven against three. â€Å"And now it begins,† said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light. â€Å"No,† Ned said with sadness in his voice. â€Å"Now it ends.† As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. â€Å"Eddard!† she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† Lyanna called again. â€Å"I promise,† he whispered. â€Å"Lya, I promise . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard,† a man echoed from the dark. Groaning, Eddard Stark opened his eyes. Moonlight streamed through the tall windows of the Tower of the Hand. â€Å"Lord Eddard?† A shadow stood over the bed. â€Å"How . . . how long?† The sheets were tangled, his leg splinted and plastered. A dull throb of pain shot up his side. â€Å"Six days and seven nights.† The voice was Vayon Poole’s. The steward held a cup to Ned’s lips. â€Å"Drink, my lord.† â€Å"What . . . ?† â€Å"Only water. Maester Pycelle said you would be thirsty.† Ned drank. His lips were parched and cracked. The water tasted sweet as honey. â€Å"The king left orders,† Vayon Poole told him when the cup was empty. â€Å"He would speak with you, my lord.† â€Å"On the morrow,† Ned said. â€Å"When I am stronger.† He could not face Robert now. The dream had left him weak as a kitten. â€Å"My lord,† Poole said, â€Å"he commanded us to send you to him the moment you opened your eyes.† The steward busied himself lighting a bedside candle. Ned cursed softly. Robert was never known for his patience. â€Å"Tell him I’m too weak to come to him. If he wishes to speak with me, I should be pleased to receive him here. I hope you wake him from a sound sleep. And summon . . . † He was about to say Jory when he remembered. â€Å"Summon the captain of my guard.† Alyn stepped into the bedchamber a few moments after the steward had taken his leave. â€Å"My lord.† â€Å"Poole tells me it has been six days,† Ned said. â€Å"I must know how things stand.† â€Å"The Kingslayer is fled the city,† Alyn told him. â€Å"The talk is he’s ridden back to Casterly Rock to join his father. The story of how Lady Catelyn took the Imp is on every lip. I have put on extra guards, if it please you.† â€Å"It does,† Ned assured him. â€Å"My daughters?† â€Å"They have been with you every day, my lord. Sansa prays quietly, but Arya . . . † He hesitated. â€Å"She has not said a word since they brought you back. She is a fierce little thing, my lord. I have never seen such anger in a girl.† â€Å"Whatever happens,† Ned said, â€Å"I want my daughters kept safe. I fear this is only the beginning.† â€Å"No harm will come to them, Lord Eddard,† Alyn said. â€Å"I stake my life on that.† â€Å"Jory and the others . . . â€Å" â€Å"I gave them over to the silent sisters, to be sent north to Winterfell. Jory would want to lie beside his grandfather.† It would have to be his grandfather, for Jory’s father was buried far to the south. Martyn Cassel had perished with the rest. Ned had pulled the tower down afterward, and used its bloody stones to build eight cairns upon the ridge. It was said that Rhaegar had named that place the tower of joy, but for Ned it was a bitter memory. They had been seven against three, yet only two had lived to ride away; Eddard Stark himself and the little crannogman, Howland Reed. He did not think it omened well that he should dream that dream again after so many years. â€Å"You’ve done well, Alyn,† Ned was saying when Vayon Poole returned. The steward bowed low. â€Å"His Grace is without, my lord, and the queen with him.† Ned pushed himself up higher, wincing as his leg trembled with pain. He had not expected Cersei to come. It did not bode well that she had. â€Å"Send them in, and leave us. What we have to say should not go beyond these walls.† Poole withdrew quietly. Robert had taken time to dress. He wore a black velvet doublet with the crowned stag of Baratheon worked upon the breast in golden thread, and a golden mantle with a cloak of black and gold squares. A flagon of wine was in his hand, his face already flushed from drink. Cersei Lannister entered behind him, a jeweled tiara in her hair. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ned said. â€Å"Your pardons. I cannot rise.† â€Å"No matter,† the king said gruffly. â€Å"Some wine? From the Arbor. A good vintage.† â€Å"A small cup,† Ned said. â€Å"My head is still heavy from the milk of the poppy.† â€Å"A man in your place should count himself fortunate that his head is still on his shoulders,† the queen declared. â€Å"Quiet, woman,† Robert snapped. He brought Ned a cup of wine. â€Å"Does the leg still pain you?† â€Å"Some,† Ned said. His head was swimming, but it would not do to admit to weakness in front of the queen. â€Å"Pycelle swears it will heal clean.† Robert frowned. â€Å"I take it you know what Catelyn has done?† â€Å"I do.† Ned took a small swallow of wine. â€Å"My lady wife is blameless, Your Grace. All she did she did at my command.† â€Å"I am not pleased, Ned,† Robert grumbled. â€Å"By what right do you dare lay hands on my blood?† Cersei demanded. â€Å"Who do you think you are?† â€Å"The Hand of the King,† Ned told her with icy courtesy. â€Å"Charged by your own lord husband to keep the king’s peace and enforce the king’s justice.† â€Å"You were the Hand,† Cersei began, â€Å"but now—† â€Å"Silence!† the king roared. â€Å"You asked him a question and he answered it.† Cersei subsided, cold with anger, and Robert turned back to Ned. â€Å"Keep the king’s peace, you say. Is this how you keep my peace, Ned? Seven men are dead . . . â€Å" â€Å"Eight,† the queen corrected. â€Å"Tregar died this morning, of the blow Lord Stark gave him.† â€Å"Abductions on the kingsroad and drunken slaughter in my streets,† the king said. â€Å"I will not have it, Ned.† â€Å"Catelyn had good reason for taking the Imp—† â€Å"I said, I will not have it! To hell with her reasons. You will command her to release the dwarf at once, and you will make your peace with Jaime.† â€Å"Three of my men were butchered before my eyes, because Jaime Lannister wished to chasten me. Am I to forget that?† â€Å"My brother was not the cause of this quarrel,† Cersei told the king. â€Å"Lord Stark was returning drunk from a brothel. His men attacked Jaime and his guards, even as his wife attacked Tyrion on the kingsroad.† â€Å"You know me better than that, Robert,† Ned said. â€Å"Ask Lord Baelish if you doubt me. He was there.† â€Å"I’ve talked to Littlefinger,† Robert said. â€Å"He claims he rode off to bring the gold cloaks before the fighting began, but he admits you were returning from some whorehouse.† â€Å"Some whorehouse? Damn your eyes, Robert, I went there to have a look at your daughter! Her mother has named her Barra. She looks like that first girl you fathered, when we were boys together in the Vale.† He watched the queen as he spoke; her face was a mask, still and pale, betraying nothing. Robert flushed. â€Å"Barra,† he grumbled. â€Å"Is that supposed to please me? Damn the girl. I thought she had more sense.† â€Å"She cannot be more than fifteen, and a whore, and you thought she had sense?† Ned said, incredulous. His leg was beginning to pain him sorely. It was hard to keep his temper. â€Å"The fool child is in love with you, Robert.† The king glanced at Cersei. â€Å"This is no fit subject for the queen’s ears.† â€Å"Her Grace will have no liking for anything I have to say,† Ned replied. â€Å"I am told the Kingslayer has fled the city. Give me leave to bring him back to justice.† The king swirled the wine in his cup, brooding. He took a swallow. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"I want no more of this. Jaime slew three of your men, and you five of his. Now it ends.† â€Å"Is that your notion of justice?† Ned flared. â€Å"If so, I am pleased that I am no longer your Hand.† The queen looked to her husband. â€Å"If any man had dared speak to a Targaryen as he has spoken to you—† â€Å"Do you take me for Aerys?† Robert interrupted. â€Å"I took you for a king. Jaime and Tyrion are your own brothers, by all the laws of marriage and the bonds we share. The Starks have driven off the one and seized the other. This man dishonors you with every breath he takes, and yet you stand there meekly, asking if his leg pains him and would he like some wine.† Robert’s face was dark with anger. â€Å"How many times must I tell you to hold your tongue, woman?† Cersei’s face was a study in contempt. â€Å"What a jape the gods have made of us two,† she said. â€Å"By all rights, you ought to be in skirts and me in mail.† Purple with rage, the king lashed out, a vicious backhand blow to the side of the head. She stumbled against the table and fell hard, yet Cersei Lannister did not cry out. Her slender fingers brushed her cheek, where the pale smooth skin was already reddening. On the morrow the bruise would cover half her face. â€Å"I shall wear this as a badge of honor,† she announced. â€Å"Wear it in silence, or I’ll honor you again,† Robert vowed. He shouted for a guard. Ser Meryn Trant stepped into the room, tall and somber in his white armor. â€Å"The queen is tired. See her to her bedchamber.† The knight helped Cersei to her feet and led her out without a word. Robert reached for the flagon and refilled his cup. â€Å"You see what she does to me, Ned.† The king seated himself, cradling his wine cup. â€Å"My loving wife. The mother of my children.† The rage was gone from him now; in his eyes Ned saw something sad and scared. â€Å"I should not have hit her. That was not . . . that was not kingly.† He stared down at his hands, as if he did not quite know what they were. â€Å"I was always strong . . . no one could stand before me, no one. How do you fight someone if you can’t hit them?† Confused, the king shook his head. â€Å"Rhaegar . . . Rhaegar won, damn him. I killed him, Ned, I drove the spike right through that black armor into his black heart, and he died at my feet. They made up songs about it. Yet somehow he still won. He has Lyanna now, and I have her.† The king drained his cup. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ned Stark said, â€Å"we must talk . . . â€Å" Robert pressed his fingertips against his temples. â€Å"I am sick unto death of talk. On the morrow I’m going to the kingswood to hunt. Whatever you have to say can wait until I return.† â€Å"If the gods are good, I shall not be here on your return. You commanded me to return to Winterfell, remember?† Robert stood up, grasping one of the bedposts to steady himself. â€Å"The gods are seldom good, Ned. Here, this is yours.† He pulled the heavy silver hand clasp from a pocket in the lining of his cloak and tossed it on the bed. â€Å"Like it or not, you are my Hand, damn you. I forbid you to leave.† Ned picked up the silver clasp. He was being given no choice, it seemed. His leg throbbed, and he felt as helpless as a child. â€Å"The Targaryen girl—† The king groaned. â€Å"Seven hells, don’t start with her again. That’s done, I’ll hear no more of it.† â€Å"Why would you want me as your Hand, if you refuse to listen to my counsel?† â€Å"Why?† Robert laughed. â€Å"Why not? Someone has to rule this damnable kingdom. Put on the badge, Ned. It suits you. And if you ever throw it in my face again, I swear to you, I’ll pin the damned thing on Jaime Lannister.†

Describe and explain the main functions of prices in a modern Essay

Describe and explain the main functions of prices in a modern competitive market economy PLUS MORE QUESTIONS - Essay Example This is a signal to the supplier to expand their production in order to meet higher demand. Further, in case of excess supply, price factor also plays an important role to eliminate the excess supply. The signalling function of price can be discussed more briefly by using the following diagram. It can be seen from the Figure-1, as demand for good-Q increases, supplier of the goods can earn higher revenue and profit by selling it at higher price per unit. Thus, increase in market demand leads to expansion of market supply. Further, Figure-2 shows an increase in market supply causes fall in the relative price of good-Q and expansion of the market output along with the market demand curve. By utilising the signalling function of price, consumers are able to transmit expression of the preference or important information about changing needs and wants, to its customers. When market demand is high, price acts as the motivational factor to increase production, as supplier can earn higher profit by increasing their production. Similarly, when demand is low, it signals suppliers to contract their production. In market mechanism, suppliers actually control their production on the basis of price fluctuation (Mas-Colell et al. 2004). Price also plays an important role to ration the scarce resources. It helps to allocate the scarce resources in an effective way, when demand in the market over strips the supply. When there is shortage of product in market, the price rises. Thus, only those people, whose willingness to pay is effectively high, purchases the product. It helps to eliminate consumers having low willingness to pay. In this context, it can be cited that, auction plays a crucial part to allocate resources in an appropriate manner and clears the market. In economics, the term demand increase reflects increase in the ability and willingness on the buyers to buy a good or services at pre-existing

There are questions and i need to answer .I will write it in Essay

There are questions and i need to answer .I will write it in assignment criteria - Essay Example Employees, like the employers, want to feel being part of the organization and the products produced. However, in many organizations, employees are isolated and only reduced to production machines, with no attachment to what they do. This leads to low employee morale and other major challenges in the working environment. According to several theories of motivations, such as the drive theory, employees need to be motivated. When this term is used, many employees tend to think that high salaries are the only means of motivating the employees. While this act may produce positive results, this will however, work in the short term. Other main areas that need to be addressed include creating an effective and convenient environment in which the employees can work. This is especially through ensuring safety of the employees. Constant communication between employees and employers is also vital. It enables the two addresses the current challenges affecting employees, and the company early befo re it can become a challenge. Operations management becomes imperative when dealing with some of these issues. It is the process through which the management seeks to increase quality, reduce the cost of operation, and use as minimal resources as possible. Employers are focusing on increasing productivity, while at the same time ensuring that all the factors are considered. In terms of performance, the employees focus on speed, flexibility, dependability, cost, and quality. These five performance objectives of operations management are imperative in ensuring that the company becomes more productive. Customers focus on efficiency and quality. The speed at which the company supplies foods and services to the customers is vital. The kind of technology that is employed in any given company also becomes imperative. It must be flexible and dependable. This means it must be ready to accommodate the changes and new demands in the market. However, reducing the cost of operation is one of the major issues that the operations management seeks to solve. As the cost of operations reduces, so do the profits increase. For this reason, the operations managers may decide to employ strategies such as outsourcing. It is the process through which employers seek higher employees who can provide quality services but at a low cost. This is mostly done through acquiring employees from abroad. This has assisted many companies to solve the problem of increased cost of operation. Other areas of focus include the means of transportation used to deliver goods and services to the employees. The means but is both cost effective and efficient. Goods must reach their intended destination within the intended time. It is upon the operations manager to organize, control, and coordinate all the operations within the organization. This is vital if the company is to realize its goals and objectives. However, it will be difficult to achieve some of this goals, speed, and quality of goods unless the right technology is employed. Integration of information technology is important. Apart from increasing productivity, it also leads to high quality work at a minimum time. Challenge facing our manufacturing company This manufacturing company has become ineffective due to the problems of high employee turnover and general reduction in productivity. As a result, the profits of the company have decreased, with the increased cost of operation. With this problem likely to escalate, there is need to address it objectively.