Johnny Got His Gun By Dalton Trumbo - 2438 Words

Johnny Got His Gun was written by Dalton Trumbo in 1938 but was not published until late 1939. Johnny Got His Gun won The Most Original Book of 1939 which is a National book award. This book was set during World War I. The book itself is fiction but was based off a Canadian man who lost all of his limbs and senses to a bomb blast. Trumbo first heard about the Canadian man when he read an article over the Prince of Wales arranging a visit to meet the wounded soldier at a Canadian veterans hospital. Trumbo was not only an author of American history but American history himself. Trumbo was born in Montrose, Colorado on December 9, 1905. He was married to Cleo Beth Fincher. He also had three children, two daughters and one son which included, Christopher Trumbo, Mitzi Trumbo, and Nikola Trumbo. Trumbo’s work was greatly influenced by social issues going on in the world. He was a successful author and screenwriter resulting in him being one of the highest paid film writers in the b usiness. Some of his other books and movies include Spartacus, A Man to Remember, Lonely are the Brave, Kitty Foyle, and many others. Trumbo was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and became the most famous member of â€Å"The Hollywood Ten†. Unlike many celebrities blacklisted during the McCarthy era Dalton Trumbo was in fact a communist. Trumbo was brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 and refused to answer their questions which resulted in him being jailed. For thirteenShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Johnny Got His Gun By Dalton Trumbo1646 Words   |  7 Pagesdevastation, as author Dalton Trumbo attempts to explore in his novel, â€Å"Johnny Got His Gun.† The book’s title captures the reader, not only from the author’s perspective about war but also of compassion and to one’s own mortality. Trumbo’s story about his main character, Joe, mimics his own life’s story. Very much like Joe, Dalton Trumbo came fr om a working-class family, lost his father, and worked at a bakery. Their parallel lives diverge when Joe went off to war and Trumbo went off to the UniversityRead MoreCharacter Analysis : Johnny Got His Gun By Dalton Trumbo1862 Words   |  8 Pagesthey come to an end with similarity. Johnny Got His Gun written by Dalton Trumbo is about a man, Joe, who gets drafted into a deadly war without knowing what he is even fighting for. With such little purpose to be in the war, he loses so much. Without sight, speech, smell or limbs, his thoughts are the only thing left to comfort him. Similarly, in the movie Shenandoah, a man named Charlie has avoided contact with the Civil war going on in his backyard until his son, Boy, gets taken accidentally asRead More Johnny Got His Gun Essay1420 Words   |  6 Pages dignity because he could no longer interact with other humans. It was the author’s idea of the worst case scenario that could have occurred to a soldier who was injured. The description of his injuries gave the reader a picture of what it would be like to have lived with no legs, arms, or a face. It was a gruesome thought that helped personalize the story by making the reader feel bad for the main character. At this time many perceived fighting in a war to be noble but for most of the soldiersRead MoreMovie Analysis : Johnny Got His Gun And Wilfred Owen s Poem1522 Words   |  7 PagesPeriods of conflict often conjure a variety of texts with contradictory representations of war to either propagandise involvement or highlight its traumatic effects. Dalton Trumbo’s novel, Johnny Got His Gun and Wilfred Owen’s poem, â€Å"Mental Cases† serve to illustrate the harsh realities of war and its ramifications which are generally excluded from more modern thrillers such as Pearl Harbour (2001). Often impacted by personal experiences or the cultural and societal views of the time, creators’ individualRead MoreBook Review : Get Your Gun 2041 Words   |  9 PagesMichelle Sweeney 00895121 12/11/15 Gillespie Get Your Gun â€Å"We are men of peace we are men who work and we want no quarrel. But if you destroy our peace if you take away our work if you try to range us one against the other we will know what to do. If you tell us to make the world safe for democracy we will take you seriously and by god and by Christ we will make it so. We will use the guns you force upon us we will use them to defend our very lives and the menace to our lives does not lie on theRead MoreJohnny Got His Gun Analysis1668 Words   |  7 Pagesnext shall begin. Both Dalton Trumbos novel Johnny Got His Gun and Universals film Shenandoah tell the story of two seemingly different characters, Joe Bonham and Charlie Anderson, who in a like manner, undergo loss and destruction following war, whether it is World War One or the Civil War. Although Joe Bonham and Charlie Anderson live fifty years apart and face two different wars, they exhibit similar attitudes and emotions. War is the central point of Johnny Got His Gun. Were it not for war,Read MoreEssay On Mind Body Argument1409 Words   |  6 Pagesno longer existent. A piece of literature written by Dalton Trumbo describes this phenomenon in Johnny Got His Gun, by directly representing the thoughts of a man that has lost all his limbs, sight, and even ability to communicate leaving him with his thoughts and conscious. It is clear that consciousness exists and persists regardless of what happens to the vehicle it inhabits. But when his mind finally rests and goes dormant (dies) so does his conscious state of being. Due to extensive reasonableRead MoreCompare And Contrast Boy And Johnny Got His Gun1117 Words   |  5 Pagesmessage clearly. In the novel Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, Joe, a young soldier drafted into the war, suffered extreme injures both mentally and physically after battle due to not fully knowing what to expect going into war. Likewise, in Shenandoah, a 1965 Civil War movie, Boy, the youngest in the Anderson family, mistakenly gets forced into the line of battle and is faced with the truth behind the whole war at a very young age and faces several losses from his journey. Despite the fact thatRead MoreConsequences Of Johnny Got The Gun And Johnny Got His Gun1644 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout time we have gone through many wars, and with these wars come death and destruction. Most people aren’t actually the ones fighting in wars but we are able to explore the world of war through novels and films. One classic novel it Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo, thi s novel follows young Joe Bonham as he goes to fight in World War I, only to end up severely injured and stuck in a hospital bed. Likewise in the 1965 American Civil war movie, Shenandoah the Anderson family wants no part in theRead More Metallica Essay1767 Words   |  8 PagesUlrich, was a hug fan of this type of music. So obsessed with this music, Lars Ulrich wanted to start a heavy metal band... a band that he could play his favorite songs with. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;On the other side of the globe, James Hetfield, Metallica’s current rhythm guitarist and lead singer, was looking to start a band of his own. His current roommate had taught him how to play guitar and James was very motivated to get something started. In effect, James had put a listing in a worldwide

The Government And Reserve Bank Of India - 1431 Words

Financial inclusion Even after 68 years of independence, still large section of population remains unbanked which mainly include poor people who don’t have regular income or people who are laborers and also large number of farmers are excluded from financial services. This malaise has led generation of financial instability in our country and lower income group faces many problems in terms of financial services because access to financial products and services is very costly for them they can’t effort such charges that’s why they are unbanked today. However, in the recent years the government and Reserve Bank of India has been pushing the concept and idea of financial inclusion. What is Financial Inclusion? Financial inclusion is delivery of banking services at an affordable cost ( no frills accounts,) to the vast sections of disadvantaged and low income group. Unrestrained access to public goods and services has led big gap between poor and rich. As banking services are meant for public good, it is crucial that availability of banking and payment services to the entire population without discrimination is the key objective of the public policy. Following chart will explain how unbanked people can be brought under the banking system. First advice the people through financial literacy camps tell them benefits of banking system like credit facilities, savings account, over draft facilities, insurances. After this they will approach to banks to open accounts for them.Show MoreRelatedReserve Bank of India1669 Words   |  7 PagesFunctions of Reserve Bank of India The Reserve Bank of India Act of 1934 entrust all the important functions of a central bank the Reserve Bank of India. Bank of Issue Under Section 22 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, the Bank has the sole right to issue bank notes of all denominations. The distribution of one rupee notes and coins and small coins all over the country is undertaken by the Reserve Bank as agent of the Government. The Reserve Bank has a separate Issue Department which isRead MoreRole and Function of Rbi1438 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment No 1 Role and Function of RBI Introduction:- Reserve bank of India (RBI) is nation’s central bank. RBI began operation since 1935, and stood at the centre of India’s financial system, with a fundamental commitment to maintaining the nation’s monetary and financial stability. From ensuring stability of interest and exchange rates to providing liquidity and an adequate supply of currency and credit for the real sector; from ensuring bank penetration and safety of depositors’ funds to promotingRead MoreWhat Is Monetary Policy?1572 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough government intervention. On the other hand economist Milton Friedman believed in market forces more than government intervention. He thought that monetary policy couldn’t control real variables like unemployment and GDP in the long run. In the recent times central banks play a very important role in controlling the monetary policy. From what I understand there are two types of central banks: (1) Banks like European Central bank (ECB), which focus primarily on price stability and (2) Banks likeRead MoreUnderstanding The Financial Market And Globalization1529 Words   |  7 PagesUnderstanding the Financial Market and Globalization in India Prepared By Dionne Benard FIN4604005_2014f_81778 International Finance Fall 2014 Understanding the Financial Market and Globalization in India Abstract The research paper is a brief study that explains the different factors that play a key role in growth international financial market in India. We also took a brief look at what the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) and their role in the growth of India’s economy. The studyRead MoreDigital Payment Is A Way Of Payment1457 Words   |  6 Pagesimproving the same, largely riding on the fact that Indian consumers have shown tremendous preference for digital technologies, with growth rates for e-commerce as well as mobile phone adoption far outstripping rates in developed economies. As per Reserve Bank of India â€Å"Financial Stability Report of 2015-16† the share of electronic transactions as part of total transactions in volume terms moved up to 84.4 % from 74.6 %, accounting for more than 95.2% in value terms. While a large proportion of these areRead MoreConventional and Unconventional Tools Used by Central Banks, A Basic Study Guide1320 Words   |  5 Pagesused by central banks. (a) 1. Conventional Tools: †¢ Change of its official interest rate: The third conventional method that the Central Bank uses to maintain economic stability is change of its official interest rate on the loans taken by the commercial banks from the Central bank or the rate at which the Central bank takes loans from the Commercial banks. †¢ Open Market Operations: In this conventional tool the Central bank buys and sells financial assets from banks to maintain theRead MoreCore Banking1387 Words   |  6 Pages Meaning:- Core banking is a general term used to describe the services provided by a group of networked bank branches. Bank customers may access their funds and other simple transactions from any of the member branch offices. Core Banking system or CBS is one of the recent developments in the field of banking, and has proved to be very useful. It is a facility provided by banks in which a person, having an account in one branch, can operate his account, in another branch. This has becomeRead MoreA Descriptive Study Of Indian Scenario1483 Words   |  6 PagesDigital Banking: A Descriptive study in Indian Scenario *NishantDabhade Research Scholar (Management) Jiwaji University, Gwalior (M.P.) nishant.dabhade.mgmt@gmail.com ABSTRACT Today banks operate in an extremely globalized, liberalized, privatized and a competitive environment. Indian banking industry has witnessed an incredible growths due to extensive changes that are taking place in the information technology. The development and the increasing progress that is being experienced in the InformationRead MoreThe Securities And Exchange Board Of India Act884 Words   |  4 PagesSEBI was established under the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992. Its jurisdiction is specifically related to the securities market. Its objective is to protect the interests of investors in securities and to regulate and promote the development of the securities market. Further, under the Section 32 of the Act provides that the act shall be applicable in addition to any other law in force at a particular time which implies that the powers of SEBI co-exist with and cannot over-rideRead MoreBanks in India - Nationalisation of Banks1720 Words   |  7 PagesNationalisation of Banks Despite the provisions, control and regulations of Reserve Bank of India, banks in India except the State Bank of India or SBI, continued to be owned and operated by private persons. By the 1960s, the Indian banking industry had become an important tool to facilitate the development of the Indian economy. At the same time, it had emerged as a large employer, and a debate had ensued about the nationalization of the banking industry. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, expressed

Succubus Shadows Chapter 23 Free Essays

â€Å"Where’ve you been?† asked Roman. I hadn’t landed in Seattle until later the next day. Turns out getting flights from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest can take a little longer than immortal teleportation, particularly on short notice. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Shadows Chapter 23 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"To the edge of the known world and back,† I said, falling onto the couch. Both cats came to me, which I took with some smugness, seeing as they usually fawned all over Roman. â€Å"So, what, South Dakota?† I made a face and covered my eyes with one arm. My trip to locate Seth had only taken twenty-four hours, but really, that was a lot to endure in so short a time. â€Å"I found Seth.† â€Å"Oh.† Roman’s enthusiasm dimmed considerably. â€Å"I guess his disappearance wasn’t as milk carton?Cworthy as Maddie made it sound.† â€Å"Well, I had to – literally – call in a demonic favor to hunt him down.† â€Å"And? Are you guys running into the sunset together now that he’s free?† The mention of sunset made me flinch, recalling how Seth and I had held each other on the beach. â€Å"Not quite. I†¦left him.† â€Å"What’s that mean exactly?† I tried to explain all that had gone down with Seth, but it wasn’t easy. It was almost too much for my brain to wade through, let alone articulate to someone else. When I finished, I felt even more exhausted than before. â€Å"So that’s it? You’re never going to see each other again?† Roman’s voice was skeptical. â€Å"He said he’s not coming back, and I didn’t stick around. So, yeah.† â€Å"I have a hard time believing that. Is he just going to live at that hotel permanently? Even he can’t make that much money.† â€Å"No, he mentioned at dinner that he’d be settling down somewhere else. He just hasn’t decided where.† All was quiet between us for a minute or so. The only sounds were the traffic outside and Aubrey purring near my ear. At last, Roman asked, â€Å"Are you okay?† I glanced over at him in surprise. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Exactly what I said. This can’t be easy on you. I mean, you haven’t even had any downtime since the Oneroi.† I don’t know why his words caught me by surprise. I guess it was because amidst all the woes that were always going on in my life, few people ever asked if I was okay. Maybe they’d given up asking because depressing things were so commonplace for me. How weird, I thought, that Roman had swung from sociopathic to compassionate while Seth had fallen down a darker path. Of course, I had no hard evidence that Roman wasn’t actually a compassionate sociopath. Still, I gave him a smile of gratitude. â€Å"I am okay – or will be eventually. Thanks.† There must have been something in my smile that gave him hope or just made him feel inspired because his own smile grew radiant. I’d forgotten just how beautiful it was, the way it could light up his face. We left dangerous topics alone after that but spent the rest of the night hanging out together. I wasn’t totally okay by any means, but it was nice to simply be ordinary for a while and free of drama. I wondered if that’s what my life would be like now – and what role Roman would play. Still, adjusting to a world without Seth wasn’t easy over the next few days. Even when he’d been with Maddie, even when the sight of him had caused me pain, he’d still been there. And I’d known he was there. Now, the knowledge that he was gone and that he wasn’t coming back left a strange emptiness in my heart, even as the rest of my life began to stabilize. I returned to work, a good thing for the store because Maddie had taken some much-needed time off. I checked on her via Doug and offered to go to her if needed, despite knowing I wouldn’t enjoy listening to her mourn for Seth. Of course, since I was doing the same thing, maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to turn down commiseration. â€Å"She just wants to be alone right now,† Doug said, leaning in my doorway. He had no joke today, none of his usual wackiness. â€Å"Still upset – but she’s a trouper. I’ll let you know when she’s ready to see anyone.† â€Å"Okay.† My heart went out to her. â€Å"Keep me posted.† It was nearing closing time, and I went out to the store’s main part to help with some of the evening tasks. A few of the staff members were already going home. One of them was Gabrielle. And she was leaving with Cody. â€Å"What’s going on?† I whispered to him while she went to get her purse. He wasn’t even wearing black. â€Å"We’ve gone out a couple times since†¦well, while you’ve been distracted.† He sounded apologetic for his happiness. â€Å"That’s fantastic,† I said. Love was managing to survive somewhere in this world. â€Å"What changed her mind? The concert?† â€Å"A little. I think that opened the door. She’s really excited that I’ll only hang out at night. And that I can show her real vampires.† â€Å"What? You managed to convince her Peter was a vampire?† To the average human, that would be even less likely than Cody being a vampire. â€Å"No, of course not.† His lovesick expression hardened a little. â€Å"But Milton – you know that vampire from Eugene? – he’s been in town this week. Claims he’s visiting friends.† Vampires were very territorial about their hunting grounds, even ones like Peter and Cody who rarely took victims and didn’t kill when they did. â€Å"He hasn’t caused any trouble, but I don’t buy that vacation thing. It’s as ridiculous as Simone just visiting.† â€Å"She is gone, right?† That had been the rumor, and seeing as there’d been no wacky mishaps with two Georginas, I had to believe it was true. I’d never know what her motivation had been. â€Å"Yup, as far as I know. Anyway. Milton. He sure does look like a vampire. Have you seen him? He’s like a modern-day Nosferatu. I took Gabrielle when I went to spy on him at a dance club, and she got really excited. She thinks I have some special knack for finding vampires – at least wannabe ones.† â€Å"Huh,† I said. â€Å"That’s somehow bizarre, funny, and cute all at the same time. Maybe a little disturbing.† He grinned at that, showing his fangs. â€Å"What’s she think of the teeth? You can’t hide those if you’re up close and personal all the time.† â€Å"Told her I had them cosmetically done.† He looked very pleased. â€Å"She thinks it’s hot.† His new romance left me in a good mood when I finally took off. I stepped outside into the chilly night, surprised I didn’t mind it so much. Something about the clean, brisk air seemed refreshing to me, and for the first time in a while, I regretted moving out of Queen Anne. It would have been nice to walk home on this early winter evening, instead of climbing into the plastic and metal of my car. There was nothing to be done for it, though. I turned the ignition and checked my cell phone before heading out of the parking lot. I often left the ringer off while working, and three calls had come in for me. I had a voice mail for each. The first was from a few hours ago, from Erik. He spoke in his usual genteel tones, but I could hear some urgency underneath. He told me he’d come up with some theories about my contract and wanted to talk to me soon. The next message was from Roman, from about an hour ago. He knew my work schedule perfectly and was calling to see what kind of takeout I wanted. If I called as I was leaving, he said, he’d probably have food by the time I walked in. I felt my lips turn into a smile at that – one that promptly dropped when I heard the last message. It had come in five minutes ago and was from Erik again. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" That was it. Just my name, tense and strangled. After that came static, what sounded like the phone dropping, and then the voice mail ended. I stared at my phone as though it were a totally foreign object. I had never, ever heard Erik call me by my first name. My car was already headed toward his store when I dialed him back. It was too late for the store to be open, but that was the number my cell phone had logged. No answer came. I tried his home number, just to be safe, and received no answer there either. My fear increased, as did my speed. Easy traffic moved me along, but I still felt like his store might as well be hundreds of miles away. I made it there in fifteen minutes, which was actually pretty remarkable. The store’s lights were on, though everything else in the strip mall and its lot was dark. I parked right in front, in a handicapped spot, and tore out of my car, nearly coming to a halt at what I found. The glass of the door and window were smashed, with glittering shards covering the sidewalk. Even if the door had been locked, I could have reached right in to open it. I pushed through, stepping inside to find more destruction. Fountains still tinkled, music still played, but everything else was in shambles. Bookshelves knocked over. Statuary in pieces. Jewelry cases broken – and empty. â€Å"Erik?† I called, hurrying through the store. There was no answer. I passed the register, saw the drawer hanging open, and suspected I’d find it as empty as the cases. I was heading for the store’s back room when I heard a small noise. Turning, I peered around wildly and caught a glimpse of a hand, behind the checkout counter. There, I found Erik sprawled on the floor, pale despite his dusky skin. A hand lay over his stomach, which was a pool of dark blood. His eyes were glassy, and for a moment, I thought he was dead. Then the lids twitched, and his eyes focused on me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I dialed 911 while simultaneously trying to rip my coat off. I screamed at them to send an ambulance and pressed the light fabric of the trench coat into his stomach. The effort was futile. A red strain promptly began spreading through the cloth. â€Å"Don’t say anything,† I pleaded when I saw his lips move. They were blue-tinged. â€Å"Someone’s coming. You’ll be okay.† I wanted to ask a hundred questions: what had happened, who had done this. None mattered. Only saving him did – and besides, the scenario seemed painfully clear. A break-in, one in which he must have interfered. Two bullet holes on the wall revealed what had happened to his stomach. The third shot had hit. â€Å"Miss Kincaid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was so small, barely a croak. â€Å"Shh. We’ll talk later, after the paramedics come. Save your strength.† â€Å"There won’t be a later,† he gasped. I swear, he tried to smile. â€Å"Not†¦for†¦me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"They’ll be here in, like, five minutes,† I countered. â€Å"Doesn’t matter. Too weak. Too much blood.† â€Å"No,† I said desperately. â€Å"No.† Even as I begged, my hysteria growing, I knew he was right. He had lost too much blood. He was only alive now because this was a slow-killing wound. Even if paramedics walked in right now, they wouldn’t get him away in time to save him. With his age and recent illness, he wouldn’t come back from this. Still, I denied it. â€Å"You’ll be okay. Listen – â€Å" â€Å"You listen.† There was no real force behind the command, but I shut up. One of his hands clung to me. â€Å"It’s not†¦your contract.† I was confused, my mind still on his condition and the store. Then, I caught the context. â€Å"Let the contract go. We’ll worry about it later.† His grip tightened. â€Å"There must be another. Two contracts.† â€Å"There†¦what? No. That’s not how it works. I know that for sure. One contract per soul. I signed one. Now, please. Don’t say anything else.† â€Å"Find it,† he coughed. There was blood on his lips. â€Å"Find†¦it.† â€Å"I will, I will.† I would have agreed to anything, though what he was saying made no sense. My words must have comforted him because he relaxed ever so slightly. There was still no question that he must be in agonizing pain, though. I glanced up at the front of the store, willing myself to hear sirens. â€Å"They’ll be here,† I said. â€Å"Too†¦late. You†¦you can stop the pain.† He was so hard to hear now, I had to lean close. Even then, I didn’t fully parse his words until a few moments later. â€Å"I’m trying.† I shifted the coat a little, which was proving totally ineffectual. â€Å"A kiss†¦one kiss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My eyes went wide. â€Å"No. No. It’ll kill you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even as I said the words, I realized how stupid they were. This gunshot was already going to kill him. He was going to die. One kiss. He wanted a kiss to speed his dying, just as I’d given Luc. I’d never performed that deed again, nor had I wanted to. Maybe it had been mercy, but I’d felt like a killer. And yet, just like I had then, I knew it would ease the passing†¦. I shook my head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Nyx†¦showed me. Showed me my death: you.† He coughed again and could speak no more. Still, he clung to life, with pain on his face and pleading in his eyes. Nyx? Nyx had shown him his death†¦. In the far reaches of my mind, I remembered finding him one day, right after Nyx had visited him and shown him a vision. He’d recoiled from me at first and then later shrugged it off, laughing it away as the remnants of a nightmare. But I understood now. He’d seen his death – seen me causing it. He’d been afraid of me in those moments. My man in the dream had been a lie, but all the other visions she’d shown had been true. My role in Erik’s death had been destined†¦just not in any malicious way. That was how her dreams often worked. Never quite what you expected. And so, for the second time, I became an angel of mercy†¦an angel of death†¦whatever. I hunched down and kissed him, ignoring the blood on his mouth. Just like with Luc, there was only a breath of life left. Five more minutes, and Erik would have been gone without me. That tiny bit of life was as pure and good as I’d known it would be. Erik would be rewarded in the afterlife. As I lifted my head and watched peace settle over his features, faint feelings flitted through me, as sometimes happened when I took energy. There was affection for me. It wasn’t romantic love. More like fatherly love. Friendship. Fondness. And underneath it was a warning, a warning for me he never got to convey. I was so caught up in those last bursts of life, that I was only distantly aware when the lights and sirens came. Someone lifted me away, and I saw people huddling around him – too late. I stared at the commotion that followed – paramedics, police. I saw it without seeing it, answered questions without even knowing what I said. A policeman with kind eyes took it all down and spoke to me gently, often repeating himself. I don’t know how long it all took. Maybe an hour, maybe more. I only remember assuring them over and over that I was okay, that I was going home, and that I would answer any other questions that came up. But when I drove away, still in shock, still barely grasping what had happened, I didn’t go to West Seattle. I went to Pioneer Square, parking in a lucky street spot and then winding my way through the partying crowds. A few people gave me curious looks when I walked into the Cellar, looks I gave no heed to as I honed in on Jerome’s table. He drank alone tonight, his dark eyes watching me intently as I approached. â€Å"Georgie,† he said when I came to a stop in front of him, â€Å"what’s the point of shape-shifting if you’re going to walk around with blood on you?† I looked down, only then registering the stains on my shirt. I turned back to him, ignoring the shape-shifting suggestion. â€Å"Erik’s dead,† I told him, my voice flat. Jerome’s face displayed no reaction. â€Å"How?† â€Å"A break-in. Somebody shot him.† Jerome sipped his bourbon and remained silent. â€Å"Well? Don’t you have anything to say?† He scowled. â€Å"What do you expect me to say? Should I cry? Put on sackcloth and ashes? Humans die all the time, Georgie. You’re the one who mourns them – not me. I have no sentiment for any of them. You know that. And certainly not for him.† I did know that. When Duane – one of Jerome’s former employees – had been killed, the demon’s only reaction had been annoyance. â€Å"What’s weird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused, putting to words what had been coalescing in the back of my mind this whole time. â€Å"What’s weird is that someone would break into a New Age store at all. It’s not a good place for a robbery.† â€Å"If it has money, it’s a good place for a robbery. If it’s in a deserted strip mall, with only an old man there, it’s even a better place for a robbery. Were the valuables gone?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted. â€Å"Then why are you here wasting my time?† â€Å"The glass.† â€Å"The glass?† â€Å"The glass was broken from the inside,† I said. â€Å"The pieces were scattered on the sidewalk. Whoever did it didn’t break the glass to get in. It just looked that way.† Jerome sighed irritably. â€Å"After everything you’ve seen, can you honestly question the behaviors of humans?† â€Å"It just seems strange that someone like Erik – someone who deals in the supernatural and who had – † I hesitated, about to say that he’d been pondering my contract. Instead, I said, â€Å"Who had just been involved with a big immortal blowout would be the victim of this by coincidence.† â€Å"Coincidences happen.† â€Å"I don’t believe in coincidences anymore.† â€Å"Then replay your own words. Your ‘big immortal blowout’ is the answer. They might not live in our world, but do you think dream creatures don’t have connections here?† I frowned. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"That I thought it was too convenient for the Oneroi’s overlord to walk away. He knew he couldn’t touch me or any other immortal. But a human? One who had been actively involved with thwarting him?† Jerome shrugged. â€Å"It’s revenge. He could arrange for that. We can’t prove it – and we can’t do anything. Make sure you understand that. I’m not going to avenge your friend, if that’s what you’re asking for.† I hadn’t expected him to. In fact, I really wasn’t sure what I’d expected of him at all. Why had I come here? Because I was in shock. Because what had happened to Erik didn’t make sense. Because Jerome often had answers for me. This time, he did too†¦but I wasn’t sure that I believed them. The old adage came back: How do you know if a demon is lying? His lips are moving. â€Å"Okay,† I said with a small nod. His eyes narrowed a little. I think he was surprised I’d given in so quickly. Glancing down, I shape-shifted the blood away. â€Å"I’m going to go home and†¦I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do.† My confusion wasn’t faked, and I hoped it would be enough to clear any suspicion. And really, what did he have to be suspicious of? I didn’t even know. Two contracts. Jerome didn’t try to stop me. I drove home with almost no realization of what I was doing until I pulled into the parking lot under my building. As soon as I opened my condo’s door, I caught the faint smell of Chinese food. It smelled delicious, yet at the same time, it had that slight twinge of food that had been sitting around for a while. Roman sprawled on the couch, staring at nothing as far as I could tell. The TV was off. The cats remained unpetted. â€Å"I’m sorry I didn’t call,† I said. â€Å"You won’t believe what – â€Å" â€Å"I’ve got something for you,† he said. â€Å"Two somethings, actually.† The odd tone of his voice was about the only thing that could have stopped me from gushing about what had gone down at Erik’s tonight. Even now, the events in the store were so surreal that it hardly seemed like something that had happened to me. Surely it was something I’d seen in a movie. I sat down in the armchair near Roman, the queasy feeling in my stomach growing as I wondered what else could possibly happen tonight. â€Å"What is it?† He handed me a piece of paper. â€Å"This was under the door when I got back with the food. I didn’t mean to read it, but†¦well, it wasn’t in an envelope or anything.† I took it wordlessly, immediately recognizing the scrawled writing. Seth’s. To a lot of people it would be undecipherable, but I’d had a lot of practice in decoding his sloppy penmanship. Georgina, When I woke up without you in Mazatln, I was so angry. I felt betrayed and abandoned and wondered if you’d been playing me the entire time. Then, the more I thought about your words, the more my life began to come into focus. I still don’t want to deal with the mess here in Seattle. I don’t want to face Maddie. I don’t want to face myself. But, I realized, I do want you to be proud of me. Maybe â€Å"proud† isn’t the right word. Respect? Like? Love? I’m not sure, but the events at Erik’s have still left an impression. Really, lying in your arms has left an impression. I meant what I said: I’d rather be alone than not be with you. Even apart, though, I can’t stand the thought of you being disappointed in me. To regain your good opinion, I would risk almost anything. I’d even come back here to face my demons. And I have come back here, despite how much I wish I could run away. Disappearing won’t erase the bad things around me, however. Maybe you’re a messenger of some sort, some agent of destiny. If not for you, I almost certainly wouldn’t have returned, but it turns out I needed to. Terry and Andrea received their results yesterday. She only has months to live, something that I’d almost swear was the doctor’s joke. Only a few weeks ago, she seemed perfectly fine. I don’t want to face that, any more than I want to face everything else. But they need me more than ever now, and I love them. I love them so much that I realize my own life and wants don’t matter. As soon as I finish this book, I’m putting everything else – even the new series – on hold. None of it matters. Only they do. They’ll need me in the next few months. They’ll need me more in the months after that. I don’t know when we’ll see each other again – though you’ll notice I say â€Å"when† and not â€Å"if.† Like I mentioned in Mexico, I know better than to think the universe will keep us apart. Regardless, I want you to be happy wherever your life takes you – and I hope someday I can be worthy of your respect again. I also want you to know that in returning, I don’t expect anything from you. I just wanted to make sure you understood what I did†¦and how you’ve affected me. – Seth I looked up at Roman, who had been studying me while I read. I didn’t know what astonished me more: Seth returning – because of me – or the god-awful news about Andrea. Both were monumental in their own ways. One was a tragedy of epic proportions. I swallowed, afraid if I fully processed it all, I’d start crying. â€Å"I’m not sure how much more I can handle tonight,† I said in a small voice. Roman’s face was a mixture of sympathy and cynicism. â€Å"Well, you’ve got one more thing.† He handed me a magazine. It was a trashy celebrity gossip one that was a popular source of mockery over at the bookstore. I couldn’t imagine why he was giving something so trivial to me, in light of everything else that had gone on. One page was marked with a Post-it, and I flipped to it. It was a spread of assorted celebrity shots, the kind of candids that paparazzi delighted in: actors out with their children, pop stars spotted in Las Vegas nightclubs. I skimmed over the two pages, feeling a frown grow on my face as I tried to figure out why on earth I’d care about this right now. Then, I found it. It was a small picture, shoved off to the side between much more interesting and larger ones of badly dressed actors. The caption read: Best-selling author Seth Mortensen enjoys some natural beauty in Mazatln. And it showed Seth and me kissing on the beach. How to cite Succubus Shadows Chapter 23, Essay examples

Computer addiction free essay sample

In the mid-16th century, the Portuguese explorer Fernao de Magalhaes (Anglicized as Ferdinand Magellan) set out westward for his patron, King Carlos I of Spain, in search of the Spice Islands. He reached the archipelago that would later be named in honor of King Philip. Thus â€Å"our country’s† name became las Islas Filipinas, or simply Filipinas. In their time over 300 years later, the colonizing Americans Anglicized the name to The Philippines. We Filipinized Filipinas and the Philippines as Pilipinas and use this name interchangeably with the Philippines. It happened that our forebears at that time lived in scattered settlements or barangays, as tribes, datuships, and sultanates. It was 1521. from Limasawa, south of the island of Leyte, it was a short journey for Magellan to sail west and then north Mactan, the little island astride the mainland of Sugbo. On the way to Mactan the explorer skirted the little island of Panglao, just across the settlement of Tagbiliran at the southwestern tip of mainland Bohol. Dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and vision complications are some eye problems caused by over use of a computer. Migraine headaches are quite common in computer addiction and are linked to the straining of the eyes. Because of the long hours spent engrossed in a computer, addicts often have eating irregularities, such as skipping meals and binge eating. Computer addicts experience sleep disturbances, or changes in sleeping patterns, which are most likely due to late hours on the computer and low blood sugar from eating irregularities. One last effect is the failure to attend to personal hygiene, such as bathing, combing hair and brushing teeth. All of these physical effects can be linked to computer addiction. Social effects of computer addiction include reduced time spent socializing with others. People may begin to feel that their computer is the only relationship that they have the time to focus on. They lose the desire for human contact and communication and in a way they are breaking away from reality. Lacking the desire to make contact with others, means lacking the desire to create new relationships or to build on already existing ones. After a certain amount of time, they lose their conversation skills completely. Within the lives of computer addicts it is their friends and family that suffer the most from this form of alienation. They are often moved to the very bottom of the computer addicts list of priorities. Computer addiction has the power to cause serious social effects and cannot be left untreated. Along with the physical and social effects of computer addiction there are also psychological effects. Some psychological symptoms experienced by computer addicts when they are not at the computer are feelings of depression, emptiness, irritability, distraction and withdrawal. Feelings that are common when addicts are at the computer are a sense of euphoria or well-being. These senses of complete ecstasy and pleasure also causes and inability for people who are addicted to computers to stop the activity. They end up having a constant craving for more time at the computer, and this is where one can identify an addiction. Along with addiction comes a need to cover up their secret and computer addicts often lie to those around them. For example lying to employers, and family members about their hours spent at the computer and also denying they have a problem. This lying a sneaking around eventually results in problems either at school or at work. The psychological effects of computer addiction may not only lead to distraction and emptiness but may also lead to critical depression. When people think of addictions, no one ever thinks of computer addiction to actually be common. In this age of computers, computer addiction will only increase as time passes. More and more people will experience the physical, social, and psychological effects of computer addiction but, thankfully, like other addictions, this condition is treatable.