The Postbellum Southern Disillusionment In Wash Analysis

The Postbellum Southern Disillusionment in â€Å"Wash† According to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, exercising and expanding one’s personal power is â€Å"all that one wants† (Nietzsche 36). He argues that â€Å"we hurt those to whom we need to make our power perceptible, [and] we benefit and show benevolence toward those who already depend on us in some way† (36). Per this logic, individuals who exhibit generosity feel content with their current influence on the world while those who act injuriously yearn for more control over their peers. It is not surprising, then, that the Poor White sociocultural caste of the Antebellum and particularly the Postbellum South exhibited extreme malice towards blacks, in attempts to elevate themselves due to†¦show more content†¦Critic Franà §oise Buisson observes that â€Å"Wash’s idealized vision of his master present[s] the reader with the baroque drama of Southern illusion† (Buisson 2), and Wash’s outlook embodies the general Southern attitude perpetuating inequality. He believes wholly in his master, and remarks â€Å"‘Well Kernel †¦ they kilt us but they ain’t whupped us yit, air they?’† (Faulkner 132). Wash alters his own self-perception in a desperate attempt of self-elevation, convincing himself that the â€Å"world in which he sensed always about him mocking echoes of black laughter was but a dream and an illusion, and that the actual world was this one across which his own lonely apotheosis seemed to gallop on the black thoroughbred† (132). Wash’s Platonic conception of himself is merely a plebian emulation of the man he reveres most: Thomas Sutpen. He imagines himself in a position of power atop Sutpen’s black stallion, with all of the marks of representative power. When subjected to the verbal degradation that he experiences at the tongues of the slaves â€Å"calling him white trash† (Faul kner 130), Wash attempts to escape the reality of his dismal situation by fabricating a fictitious existence with limited verisimilitude. Wash’s puerile dismissal of his forlorn situation reflects many white Southerners’ general denial of the upshot of the Civil War—while in fact they are defeated, they refuse to accept this adverse reality. In addition to using examples of Wash’s

Descartes Proof That The Mind And The Body - 1568 Words

Descartes’ proof that the Mind and the Body are distinct substances is as follows, First Descartes asserts that everything that can be clearly and distinctly understood is within the ability to be created by God as to correspond identically with the way that Descartes understand things in the world. It follows from this assertion that because Descartes is able to clearly and distinctly understand one thing apart from one another is enough to make them noticeably different in substance. Descartes follows this with the notion of the mind, saying that because one is able to possess a clear and distinct understanding of their self as a distinct and separate substance, which is not extended into the environment and handles all of the logical thinking. He continues to say that he possesses a clear and distinct understanding of the body as an extended and unthinking. He finishes with the conclusion that this demonstrates that the body and the mind are actually distinct form one anoth er. By saying that they are distinct substances, in Descartes’ overall argument, means that the mind and the body are composed primarily of two separate and unique substances and that they are unable to share properties such as that the body is the corporeal substance that experiences the sensations of the world, or in other words the body’s substance is that of feeling. The mind is an ethereal substance that is responsible for reason and rationality. They are distinct in that their existence isShow MoreRelatedDescartes and the Existence of God751 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Descartes: The existence of God Over the course of his treatise Discourse on the Method, the philosopher Rene Descartes attempts to refute radical skepticism, or the idea that we can know nothing with the mind, because what we consider reality may simply be a delusion or a dream. Descartes begins, however, by taking a posture of doubting everything, and then attempting to discern what could be known for certain. 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Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails Free Essays

string(61) " him and his stern gaze boring into the impudent gatekeeper\." â€Å"Well, there she is, lad, the City of Sails,† Bruenor said to Wulfgar as the two looked down upon Luskan from a small knoll a few miles north of the city. Wulfgar took in the view with a profound sigh of admiration. Luskan housed more than fifteen thousand – small compared to the huge cities in the south and to its nearest neighbor, Waterdeep, a few hundred miles farther down the coast. We will write a custom essay sample on Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails or any similar topic only for you Order Now But to the young barbarian, who had spent all of his eighteen years among nomadic tribes and the small villages of Ten-Towns, the fortified seaport seemed grand indeed. A wall encompassed Luskan, with guard towers strategically spaced at varying intervals. Even from this distance, Wulfgar could make out the dark forms of many soldiers pacing the parapets, their spear tips shining in the new light of the day. â€Å"Not a promising invitation,† Wulfgar noted. â€Å"Luskan does not readily welcome visitors,† said Drizzt, who had come up behind his two friends. â€Å"They may open their gates for merchants, but ordinary travelers are usually turned away.† â€Å"Our first contact is there,† growled Bruenor. â€Å"And I mean to get in!† Drizzt nodded and did not press the argument. He had given Luskan a wide berth on his original journey to Ten-Towns. The city’s inhabitants, primarily human, looked upon other races with disdain. Even surface elves and dwarves were often refused entry. Drizzt suspected that the guards would do more to a drow elf than simply put him out. â€Å"Get the breakfast fire burning,† Bruenor continued, his angry tones reflecting his determination that nothing would turn him from his course. â€Å"We’re to break camp early, an’ make the gates ‘fore noon. Where’s that blasted Rumblebelly?† Drizzt looked back over his shoulder in the direction of the camp. â€Å"Asleep,† he answered, though Bruenor’s question was wholly rhetorical. Regis had been the first to bed and the last to awaken (and never without help) every day since the companions had set out from Ten-Towns. â€Å"Well, give him a kick!† Bruenor ordered. He turned back to the camp, but Drizzt put a hand on his arm to stay him. â€Å"Let the halfling sleep,† the drow suggested. â€Å"Perhaps it would be better if we came to Luskan’s gate in the less-revealing light of dusk.† Drizzt’s request confused Bruenor for just a moment – until he looked more closely at the drow’s sullen visage and recognized the trepidation in his eyes. The two had become so close in their years of friendship that Bruenor often forgot that Drizzt was an outcast. The farther they traveled from Ten-Towns, where Drizzt was known, the more he would be judged by the color of his skin and the reputation of his people. â€Å"Aye, let ‘im sleep,† Bruenor conceded. â€Å"Maybe I could use a bit more, meself!† They broke camp late that morning and set a leisurely pace, only to discover later that they had misjudged the distance to the city. It was well past sunset and into the early hours of darkness when they finally arrived at the city’s north gate. The structure was as unwelcoming as Luskan’s reputation: a single iron-bound door set into the stone wall between two short, squared towers was tightly shut before them. A dozen fur-capped heads poked out from the parapet above the gate and the companions sensed many more eyes, and probably bows, trained upon them from the darkness atop the towers. â€Å"Who are you who come to the gates of Luskan?† came a voice from the wall. â€Å"Travelers from the north,† answered Bruenor. â€Å"A weary band come all the way from Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale!† â€Å"The gate closed at sunset,† replied the voice. â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"Son of a hairless gnoll,† grumbled Bruenor under his breath. He slapped his axe across his hands as though he meant to chop the door down. Drizzt put a calming hand on the dwarf’s shoulder, his own sensitive ears recognizing the clear, distinctive click of a crossbow crank. Then Regis unexpectedly took control of the situation. He straightened his pants, which had dropped below the bulge of his belly, and hooked his thumbs in his belt, trying to appear somewhat important. Throwing his shoulders back, he walked out in front of his companions. â€Å"Your name, good sir?† he called to the soldier on the wall. â€Å"I am the Nightkeeper of the North Gate. That is all you need to know!† came the gruff reply. â€Å"And who – â€Å" â€Å"Regis, First Citizen of Bryn Shander. No doubt you have heard my name or seen my carvings.† The companions heard whispers up above, then a pause. â€Å"We have viewed the scrimshaw of a halfling from Ten-Towns. Are you he?† â€Å"Hero of the goblin war and master scrimshander,† Regis declared, bowing low. â€Å"The spokesmen of Ten-Towns will not be pleased to learn that I was turned into the night at the gate of our favored trading partner.† Again came the whispers, then a longer silence. Presently the four heard a grating sound behind the door, a portcullis being raised, knew Regis, and then the banging of the door’s bolts being thrown. The halfling looked back over his shoulder at his surprised friends and smiled wryly. â€Å"Diplomacy, my rough dwarven friend,† he laughed. The door opened just a crack and two men slipped out, unarmed but cautious. It was quite obvious that they were well protected from the wall. Grim-faced soldiers huddled along the parapets, monitoring every move the strangers made through the sights of crossbows. â€Å"I am Jierdan,† said the stockier of the two men, though it was difficult to judge his exact size because of the many layers of fur he wore. â€Å"And I am the Nightkeeper,† said the other. â€Å"Show me what you have brought to trade.† â€Å"Trade?† echoed Bruenor angrily. â€Å"Who said anything about trade?† He slapped his axe across his hands again, drawing nervous shufflings from above. â€Å"Does this look like the blade of a stinkin’ merchant?† Regis and Drizzt both moved to calm the dwarf, though Wulfgar, as tense as Bruenor, stayed off to the side, his huge arms crossed before him and his stern gaze boring into the impudent gatekeeper. You read "Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails" in category "Essay examples" The two soldiers backed away defensively and the Nightkeeper spoke again, this time on the edge of fury. â€Å"First Citizen,† he demanded of Regis, â€Å"why do you come to our door?† Regis stepped in front of Bruenor and steadied himself squarely before the soldier. â€Å"Er†¦a preliminary scouting of the marketplace,† he blurted out, trying to fabricate a story as he went along. â€Å"I have some especially fine carvings for market this season and I wanted to be certain that everything on this end, including the paying price for scrimshaw, shall be in place to handle the sale.† The two soldiers exchanged knowing smiles. â€Å"You have come a long way for such a purpose,† the Nightkeeper whispered harshly. â€Å"Would you not have been better suited to simply come down with the caravan bearing the goods?† Regis squirmed uncomfortably, realizing that these soldiers were far too experienced to fall for his ploy. Fighting his better judgement, he reached under his shirt for the ruby pendant, knowing that its hypnotic powers could convince the Nightkeeper to let them through, but dreading showing the stone at all and further opening the trail for the assassin that he knew wasn’t far behind. Jierdan started suddenly, however, as he noticed the figure standing beside Bruenor. Drizzt Do’Urden’s cloak had shifted slightly, revealing the black skin of his face. As if on cue, the Nightkeeper tensed as well and, following his companion’s lead, quickly discerned the cause of Jierdan’s sudden reaction. Reluctantly, the four adventurers dropped their hands to their weapons, ready for a fight they didn’t want. But Jierdan ended the tension as quickly as he had begun it, by bringing his arm across the chest of the Nightkeeper and addressing the drow openly. â€Å"Drizzt Do’Urden?† he asked calmly, seeing confirmation of the identity he had already guessed. The drow nodded, surprised at the recognition. â€Å"Your name, too, has come down to Luskan with the tales frown Icewind Dale,† Jierdan explained. â€Å"Pardon our, surprise.† He bowed low. â€Å"We do not see many of your race at our gates.† Drizzt nodded again, but did not answer, uncomfortable with this unusual attention. Never before had a gatekeeper bothered to ask him his name or his business. And the drow had quickly come to understand the advantage of avoiding gates altogether, silently slipping over a city’s wall in the darkness and seeking the seedier side, where he might at least have a chance of standing unnoticed in the dark corners with the other rogues. Had his name and heroics brought him a measure of respect even this far from Ten-Towns? Bruenor turned to Drizzt and winked, his own anger dissipated by the fact that his friend had finally been given his due from a stranger. But Drizzt wasn’t convinced. He didn’t dare hope for such a thing – it left him too vulnerable to feelings that he had fought hard to hide. He preferred to keep his suspicions and his guard as close to him as the dark cowl of his cloak. He cocked a curious ear as the two soldiers backed away to hold a private conversation. â€Å"I care not of his name,† he heard the Nightkeeper whisper at Jierdan. â€Å"No drow elf shall pass my gate!† â€Å"You err,† Jierdan retorted. â€Å"These are the heroes of Ten-Towns. The halfling is truly First Citizen of Bryn Shander, the drow a ranger with a deadly, but undeniably honorable, reputation, and the dwarf – note the foaming mug standard on his shield – is Bruenor Battlehammer, leader of his clan in the dale.† â€Å"And what of the giant barbarian?† asked the Nightkeeper, using a sarcastic tone in an attempt to sound unimpressed, though he was obviously a bit nervous. â€Å"What rogue might he be?† Jierdan shrugged. â€Å"His great size, his youth, and a measure of control beyond his years. It seems unlikely to me that he should be here, but he might be the young king of the tribes that the tale-tellers have spoken of. We should not turn these travelers away; the consequences may be grave.† â€Å"What could Luskan possibly fear from the puny settlements in Icewind Dale?† the Nightkeeper balked. â€Å"There are other trading ports,† Jierdan retorted. â€Å"Not every battle is fought with a sword. The loss of Ten-Towns’ scrimshaw would not be viewed favorably by our merchants, nor by the trading ships that put in each season.† The Nightkeeper scrutinized the four strangers again. He didn’t trust them at all, despite his companion’s grand claims, and he didn’t want them in his city. But he knew, too, that if his suspicions were wrong and he did something to jeopardize the scrimshaw trade, his own future would be bleak. The soldiers of Luskan answered to the merchants, who were not quick to forgive errors that thinned their purses. The Nightkeeper threw up his hands in defeat. â€Å"Go in, then,† he told the companions. â€Å"Keep to the wall and make your way down to the docks. The last lane holds the Cutlass, and you’ll be warm enough there!† Drizzt studied the proud strides of his friends as they marched through the door, and he guessed that they had also overheard pieces of the conversation. Bruenor confirmed his suspicions when they had moved away from the guard towers, down the road along the wall. â€Å"Here, elf,† the dwarf snorted, nudging Drizzt and being obviously pleased. â€Å"So the word’s gone beyond the dale and we’re heared of even this far south. What have ye to say o’ that?† Drizzt shrugged again and Bruenor chuckled, assuming that his friend was merely embarrassed by the fame. Regis and Wulfgar, too, shared in Bruenor’s mirth, the big man giving the drow a good-hearted slap on the back as he slipped to the lead of the troupe. But Drizzt’s discomfort stemmed from more than embarrassment. He had noted the grin on Jierdan’s face as they had passed, a smile that went beyond admiration. And while he had no doubts that some tales of the battle with Akar Kessell’s goblin army had reached the City of Sails, it struck Drizzt odd that a simple soldier knew so much about him and his friends, while the gatekeeper, solely responsible for determining who passed into the city, knew nothing. Luskan’s streets were tightly packed with two – and three-story buildings, a reflection of the desperation of the people there to huddle within the safety of the city’s high wall, away from the ever-present dangers of the savage northland. An occasional tower, a guard post, perhaps, or a prominent citizen’s or guild’s way to show superiority, sprouted from the roofline. A wary city, Luskan survived, even flourished, in the dangerous frontier by holding fast to an attitude of alertness that often slipped over the line into paranoia. It was a city of shadows, and the four visitors this night keenly felt the curious and dangerous stares peeking out from every darkened hole as they made their way. The docks harbored the roughest section of the city, where thieves, outlaws, and beggars abounded in their narrow alleys and shadowed crannies. A perpetual ground fog wafted in from the sea, blurring the already dim avenues into even more mysterious pathways. Such was the lane the four friends found themselves turning down, the last lane before the piers themselves, a particularly decrepit run called Half-Moon Street. Regis, Drizzt, and Bruenor knew immediately that they had entered a collecting ground for vagabonds and ruffians, and each put a hand to his weapon. Wulfgar walked openly and without fear, although he, too, sensed the threatening atmosphere. Not understanding that the area was atypically foul, he was determined to approach his first experience with civilization with an open mind. â€Å"There’s the place,† said Bruenor, indicating a small group, probably thieves, congregating before the doorway of a tavern. The weatherbeaten sign above the door named the place the Cutlass. Regis swallowed hard, a frightening mixture of emotions welling within him. In his early days as a thief in Calimport, he had frequented many places like this, but his familiarity with the environment only added to his apprehension. The forbidden allure of business done in the shadows of a dangerous tavern, he knew, could be as deadly as the hidden knives of the rogues at every table. â€Å"You truly want to go in there?† he asked his friends squeamishly. â€Å"No arguing from ye!† Bruenor snapped back. â€Å"Ye knew the road ahead when ye joined us in the dale. Don’t ye be whining now!† â€Å"You are well guarded,† Drizzt put in to comfort Regis. Overly proud in his inexperience, Wulfgar pressed the statement even further. â€Å"What cause would they have to do us harm? Surely we have done no wrong,† he demanded. Then he proclaimed loudly to challenge the shadows, â€Å"Fear not, little friend. My hammer shall sweep aside any who stand against us!† â€Å"The pride o’ youth,† Bruenor grumbled as he, Regis, and Drizzt exchanged incredulous looks. The atmosphere inside the Cutlass was in accord with the decay and rabble that marked the place outside. The tavern portion of the building was a single open room, with a long bar defensively positioned in the corner of the rear wall, directly across from the door. A staircase rose up from the side of the bar to the structure’s second level, a staircase more often used by painted, overperfumed women and their latest companions than by guests of the inn. Indeed, merchant sailors who put into Luskan usually came ashore only for brief periods of excitement and entertainment, returning to the safety of their vessels if they could manage it before the inevitable drunken sleep left them vulnerable. More than anything else, though, the tavern at the Cutlass was a room of the senses, with myriad sounds and sights and smells. The aroma of alcohol, from strong ale and cheap wine to rarer and more powerful beverages, permeated every corner. A haze of smoke from exotic pipe-weeds, like the mist outside, blurred the harsh reality of the images into softer, dreamlike sensations. Drizzt led the way to an empty table tucked beside the door, while Bruenor approached the bar to make arrangements for their stay. Wulfgar started after the dwarf, but Drizzt stopped him. â€Å"To the table,† he explained. â€Å"You are too excited for such business; Bruenor can take care of it.† Wulfgar started to protest, but was cut short. â€Å"Come on,† Regis offered. â€Å"Sit with Drizzt and me. No one will bother a tough old dwarf, but a tiny halfling and a skinny elf might look like good sport to the brutes in here. We need your size and strength to deter such unwanted attention.† Wulfgar’s chin firmed up at the compliment and he strode boldly toward the table. Regis shot Drizzt a knowing wink and turned to follow. â€Å"Many lessons you will learn on this journey, young friend,† Drizzt mumbled to Wulfgar, too softly for the barbarian to hear. â€Å"So far from your home.† Bruenor came back from the bar bearing four flagons of mead and grumbling under his breath. â€Å"We’re to get our business finished soon,† he said to Drizzt, â€Å"and get back on the road. The cost of a room in this orc-hole is open thievery!† â€Å"The rooms were not meant to be taken for a whole night,† Regis snickered. But Bruenor’s scowl remained. â€Å"Drink up,† he told the drow. â€Å"Rat Alley is but a short walk, by the tellin’s of the barmaid, and it might be that we can make contact yet this night.† Drizzt nodded and sipped the mead, not really wanting any of it, but hoping that a shared drink might relax the dwarf. The drow, too, was anxious to be gone from Luskan, fearful that his own identity – he kept his cowl pulled even tighter in the tavern’s flickering torchlight – might bring them more trouble. He worried further for Wulfgar, young and proud, and out of his element. The barbarians of Icewind Dale, though merciless in battle, were undeniably honorable, basing their society’s structure entirely on strict and unbending codes. Drizzt feared that Wulfgar would fall easy prey to the false images and treachery of the city. On the road in the wild lands Wulfgar’s hammer would keep him safe enough, but here he was likely to find himself in deceptive situations involving disguised blades, where his mighty weapon and battle-prowess offered little help. Wulfgar downed his flagon in a single gulp, wiped his lips with zeal, and stood. â€Å"Let us be going,† he said to Bruenor. â€Å"Who is it that we seek?† â€Å"Sit yerself back down and shut yer mouth, boy,† Bruenor scolded, glancing around to see if any unwanted attention had fallen upon them. â€Å"This night’s work is for me and the drow. No place for a too-big fighter like yerself! Ye stay here with Rumblebelly an’ keep yer mouth shut and yer back to the wall!† Wulfgar slumped back in humiliation, but Drizzt was glad that Bruenor seemed to have come to similar conclusions about the young warrior. Once again, Regis saved a measure of Wulfgar’s pride. â€Å"You are not leaving with them!† he snapped at the barbarian. â€Å"I have no desire to go, but I would not dare to remain here alone. Let Drizzt and Bruenor have their fun in some cold, smelly alley. We’ll stay here and enjoy a well-deserved evening of high entertainment!† Drizzt slapped Regis’s knee under the table in thanks and rose to leave. Bruenor quaffed his flagon and leaped from his chair. â€Å"Let’s be going, then,† he said to the drow. And then to Wulfgar, â€Å"Keep care of the halfling, and beware the women! They’re mean as starved rats, and the only thing they aim to bite at is your purse!† * * * Bruenor and Drizzt turned at the first empty alleyway beyond the Cutlass, the dwarf standing nervous guard at its entrance while Drizzt moved down a few steps into the darkness. Convinced that he was safely alone, Drizzt removed from his pouch a small onyx statuette, meticulously carved into the likeness of a hunting cat, and placed it on the ground before him. â€Å"Guenhwyvar,† he called softly. â€Å"Come, my shadow.† His beckon reached out across the planes, to the astral home of the entity of the panther. The great cat stirred from its sleep. Many months had passed since its master had called, and the cat was anxious to serve. Guenhwyvar leaped out across the fabric of the planes, following a flicker of light that could only be the calling of the drow. Then the cat was in the alley with Drizzt, alert at once in the unfamiliar surroundings. â€Å"We walk into a dangerous web, I fear,† Drizzt explained. â€Å"I need eyes where my own cannot go.† Without delay and without a sound, Guenhwyvar sprang to a pile of rubble, to a broken porch landing, and up to the rooftops. Satisfied, and feeling much more secure now, Drizzt slipped back to the street where Bruenor waited. â€Å"Well, where’s that blasted cat?† Bruenor asked, a hint of relief in his voice that Guenhwyvar was actually not with the drow. Most dwarves are suspicious of magic, other than the magical enchantments placed upon weapons, and Bruenor had no love for the panther. â€Å"Where we need him most,† was the drow’s answer. He started off down Half-Moon Street. â€Å"Fear not, mighty Bruenor, Guenhwyvar’s eyes are upon us, even if ours cannot return their protective gaze!† The dwarf glanced all around nervously, beads of sweat visible at the base of his horned helm. He had known Drizzt for several years, but had never gotten comfortable around the magical cat. Drizzt hid his smile under his cowl. Each lane, filled with piles of rubble and refuse, appeared the same, as they made their way along the docks. Bruenor eyed each shadowed niche with alert suspicion. His eyes were not as keen in the night as those of the drow, and if he had seen into the darkness as clearly as Drizzt, he might have clutched his axe handle even more tightly. But the dwarf and drow weren’t overly concerned. They were far from typical of the drunkards that usually stumbled into these parts at night, and not easy prey for thieves. The many notches on Bruenor’s axe and the sway of the two scimitars on the drow’s belt would serve as ample deterrent to most ruffians. In the maze of streets and alleyways, it took them a long while to find Rat Alley. Just off the piers, it ran parallel to the sea, seemingly impassable through the thick fog. Long, low warehouses lined both its sides, and broken crates and boxes cluttered the alley, reducing the already narrow passage in many places to single-file breadth. â€Å"Nice place to be walkin’ down on a gloomy night,† Bruenor stated flatly. â€Å"Are you certain that this is the lane?† Drizzt asked, equally unenthused about the area before them. â€Å"By the words o’ the merchant in Ten-Towns, if one’s alive that can get me the map, the one be Whisper. An’ the place to find Whisper is Rat Alley – always Rat Alley.† â€Å"Then on with it,† said Drizzt. â€Å"Foul business is best finished quickly.† Bruenor slowly led the way into the alley. The two had barely gone ten feet when the dwarf thought he heard the click of a crossbow. He stopped short and looked back at Drizzt. â€Å"They’re on us,† he whispered. â€Å"In the boarded window above and to the right of us,† Drizzt explained, his exceptional night vision and hearing having already discerned the sound’s source. â€Å"A precaution, I hope. Perhaps a good sign that your contact is close.† â€Å"Never called a crossbow aimed at me head a good sign!† argued the dwarf. â€Å"But on, then, and keep yerself at the ready. This place reeks of danger!† He started again through the rubble. A shuffle to their left told them that eyes were upon them from that way as well. But still they continued, understanding that they couldn’t have expected any different a scenario when they had started out from the Cutlass. Rounding a final mound of broken planks, they saw a slender figure leaning against one of the alleyway’s walls, cloak pulled tightly against the chill of the evening mist. Drizzt leaned over Bruenor’s shoulder. â€Å"May that be the one?† he whispered. The dwarf shrugged, and said, â€Å"Who else?† He took one more step forward, planted his feet firmly, wide apart, and addressed the figure. â€Å"I be looking for a man named Whisper,† he called. â€Å"Might that be yerself?† â€Å"Yes, and no,† came the reply. The figure turned toward them, though the low-pulled cloak revealed little. â€Å"What games do ye play?† Bruenor shot back. â€Å"Whisper I am,† replied the figure, letting the cloak slip back a little. â€Å"But for sure no man!† They could see clearly now that the figure addressing them was indeed a woman, a dark and mysterious figure with long black hair and deeply set, darting eyes that showed experience and a profound understanding of survival on the street. How to cite Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails, Essay examples

Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails Free Essays

string(61) " him and his stern gaze boring into the impudent gatekeeper\." â€Å"Well, there she is, lad, the City of Sails,† Bruenor said to Wulfgar as the two looked down upon Luskan from a small knoll a few miles north of the city. Wulfgar took in the view with a profound sigh of admiration. Luskan housed more than fifteen thousand – small compared to the huge cities in the south and to its nearest neighbor, Waterdeep, a few hundred miles farther down the coast. We will write a custom essay sample on Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails or any similar topic only for you Order Now But to the young barbarian, who had spent all of his eighteen years among nomadic tribes and the small villages of Ten-Towns, the fortified seaport seemed grand indeed. A wall encompassed Luskan, with guard towers strategically spaced at varying intervals. Even from this distance, Wulfgar could make out the dark forms of many soldiers pacing the parapets, their spear tips shining in the new light of the day. â€Å"Not a promising invitation,† Wulfgar noted. â€Å"Luskan does not readily welcome visitors,† said Drizzt, who had come up behind his two friends. â€Å"They may open their gates for merchants, but ordinary travelers are usually turned away.† â€Å"Our first contact is there,† growled Bruenor. â€Å"And I mean to get in!† Drizzt nodded and did not press the argument. He had given Luskan a wide berth on his original journey to Ten-Towns. The city’s inhabitants, primarily human, looked upon other races with disdain. Even surface elves and dwarves were often refused entry. Drizzt suspected that the guards would do more to a drow elf than simply put him out. â€Å"Get the breakfast fire burning,† Bruenor continued, his angry tones reflecting his determination that nothing would turn him from his course. â€Å"We’re to break camp early, an’ make the gates ‘fore noon. Where’s that blasted Rumblebelly?† Drizzt looked back over his shoulder in the direction of the camp. â€Å"Asleep,† he answered, though Bruenor’s question was wholly rhetorical. Regis had been the first to bed and the last to awaken (and never without help) every day since the companions had set out from Ten-Towns. â€Å"Well, give him a kick!† Bruenor ordered. He turned back to the camp, but Drizzt put a hand on his arm to stay him. â€Å"Let the halfling sleep,† the drow suggested. â€Å"Perhaps it would be better if we came to Luskan’s gate in the less-revealing light of dusk.† Drizzt’s request confused Bruenor for just a moment – until he looked more closely at the drow’s sullen visage and recognized the trepidation in his eyes. The two had become so close in their years of friendship that Bruenor often forgot that Drizzt was an outcast. The farther they traveled from Ten-Towns, where Drizzt was known, the more he would be judged by the color of his skin and the reputation of his people. â€Å"Aye, let ‘im sleep,† Bruenor conceded. â€Å"Maybe I could use a bit more, meself!† They broke camp late that morning and set a leisurely pace, only to discover later that they had misjudged the distance to the city. It was well past sunset and into the early hours of darkness when they finally arrived at the city’s north gate. The structure was as unwelcoming as Luskan’s reputation: a single iron-bound door set into the stone wall between two short, squared towers was tightly shut before them. A dozen fur-capped heads poked out from the parapet above the gate and the companions sensed many more eyes, and probably bows, trained upon them from the darkness atop the towers. â€Å"Who are you who come to the gates of Luskan?† came a voice from the wall. â€Å"Travelers from the north,† answered Bruenor. â€Å"A weary band come all the way from Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale!† â€Å"The gate closed at sunset,† replied the voice. â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"Son of a hairless gnoll,† grumbled Bruenor under his breath. He slapped his axe across his hands as though he meant to chop the door down. Drizzt put a calming hand on the dwarf’s shoulder, his own sensitive ears recognizing the clear, distinctive click of a crossbow crank. Then Regis unexpectedly took control of the situation. He straightened his pants, which had dropped below the bulge of his belly, and hooked his thumbs in his belt, trying to appear somewhat important. Throwing his shoulders back, he walked out in front of his companions. â€Å"Your name, good sir?† he called to the soldier on the wall. â€Å"I am the Nightkeeper of the North Gate. That is all you need to know!† came the gruff reply. â€Å"And who – â€Å" â€Å"Regis, First Citizen of Bryn Shander. No doubt you have heard my name or seen my carvings.† The companions heard whispers up above, then a pause. â€Å"We have viewed the scrimshaw of a halfling from Ten-Towns. Are you he?† â€Å"Hero of the goblin war and master scrimshander,† Regis declared, bowing low. â€Å"The spokesmen of Ten-Towns will not be pleased to learn that I was turned into the night at the gate of our favored trading partner.† Again came the whispers, then a longer silence. Presently the four heard a grating sound behind the door, a portcullis being raised, knew Regis, and then the banging of the door’s bolts being thrown. The halfling looked back over his shoulder at his surprised friends and smiled wryly. â€Å"Diplomacy, my rough dwarven friend,† he laughed. The door opened just a crack and two men slipped out, unarmed but cautious. It was quite obvious that they were well protected from the wall. Grim-faced soldiers huddled along the parapets, monitoring every move the strangers made through the sights of crossbows. â€Å"I am Jierdan,† said the stockier of the two men, though it was difficult to judge his exact size because of the many layers of fur he wore. â€Å"And I am the Nightkeeper,† said the other. â€Å"Show me what you have brought to trade.† â€Å"Trade?† echoed Bruenor angrily. â€Å"Who said anything about trade?† He slapped his axe across his hands again, drawing nervous shufflings from above. â€Å"Does this look like the blade of a stinkin’ merchant?† Regis and Drizzt both moved to calm the dwarf, though Wulfgar, as tense as Bruenor, stayed off to the side, his huge arms crossed before him and his stern gaze boring into the impudent gatekeeper. You read "Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails" in category "Essay examples" The two soldiers backed away defensively and the Nightkeeper spoke again, this time on the edge of fury. â€Å"First Citizen,† he demanded of Regis, â€Å"why do you come to our door?† Regis stepped in front of Bruenor and steadied himself squarely before the soldier. â€Å"Er†¦a preliminary scouting of the marketplace,† he blurted out, trying to fabricate a story as he went along. â€Å"I have some especially fine carvings for market this season and I wanted to be certain that everything on this end, including the paying price for scrimshaw, shall be in place to handle the sale.† The two soldiers exchanged knowing smiles. â€Å"You have come a long way for such a purpose,† the Nightkeeper whispered harshly. â€Å"Would you not have been better suited to simply come down with the caravan bearing the goods?† Regis squirmed uncomfortably, realizing that these soldiers were far too experienced to fall for his ploy. Fighting his better judgement, he reached under his shirt for the ruby pendant, knowing that its hypnotic powers could convince the Nightkeeper to let them through, but dreading showing the stone at all and further opening the trail for the assassin that he knew wasn’t far behind. Jierdan started suddenly, however, as he noticed the figure standing beside Bruenor. Drizzt Do’Urden’s cloak had shifted slightly, revealing the black skin of his face. As if on cue, the Nightkeeper tensed as well and, following his companion’s lead, quickly discerned the cause of Jierdan’s sudden reaction. Reluctantly, the four adventurers dropped their hands to their weapons, ready for a fight they didn’t want. But Jierdan ended the tension as quickly as he had begun it, by bringing his arm across the chest of the Nightkeeper and addressing the drow openly. â€Å"Drizzt Do’Urden?† he asked calmly, seeing confirmation of the identity he had already guessed. The drow nodded, surprised at the recognition. â€Å"Your name, too, has come down to Luskan with the tales frown Icewind Dale,† Jierdan explained. â€Å"Pardon our, surprise.† He bowed low. â€Å"We do not see many of your race at our gates.† Drizzt nodded again, but did not answer, uncomfortable with this unusual attention. Never before had a gatekeeper bothered to ask him his name or his business. And the drow had quickly come to understand the advantage of avoiding gates altogether, silently slipping over a city’s wall in the darkness and seeking the seedier side, where he might at least have a chance of standing unnoticed in the dark corners with the other rogues. Had his name and heroics brought him a measure of respect even this far from Ten-Towns? Bruenor turned to Drizzt and winked, his own anger dissipated by the fact that his friend had finally been given his due from a stranger. But Drizzt wasn’t convinced. He didn’t dare hope for such a thing – it left him too vulnerable to feelings that he had fought hard to hide. He preferred to keep his suspicions and his guard as close to him as the dark cowl of his cloak. He cocked a curious ear as the two soldiers backed away to hold a private conversation. â€Å"I care not of his name,† he heard the Nightkeeper whisper at Jierdan. â€Å"No drow elf shall pass my gate!† â€Å"You err,† Jierdan retorted. â€Å"These are the heroes of Ten-Towns. The halfling is truly First Citizen of Bryn Shander, the drow a ranger with a deadly, but undeniably honorable, reputation, and the dwarf – note the foaming mug standard on his shield – is Bruenor Battlehammer, leader of his clan in the dale.† â€Å"And what of the giant barbarian?† asked the Nightkeeper, using a sarcastic tone in an attempt to sound unimpressed, though he was obviously a bit nervous. â€Å"What rogue might he be?† Jierdan shrugged. â€Å"His great size, his youth, and a measure of control beyond his years. It seems unlikely to me that he should be here, but he might be the young king of the tribes that the tale-tellers have spoken of. We should not turn these travelers away; the consequences may be grave.† â€Å"What could Luskan possibly fear from the puny settlements in Icewind Dale?† the Nightkeeper balked. â€Å"There are other trading ports,† Jierdan retorted. â€Å"Not every battle is fought with a sword. The loss of Ten-Towns’ scrimshaw would not be viewed favorably by our merchants, nor by the trading ships that put in each season.† The Nightkeeper scrutinized the four strangers again. He didn’t trust them at all, despite his companion’s grand claims, and he didn’t want them in his city. But he knew, too, that if his suspicions were wrong and he did something to jeopardize the scrimshaw trade, his own future would be bleak. The soldiers of Luskan answered to the merchants, who were not quick to forgive errors that thinned their purses. The Nightkeeper threw up his hands in defeat. â€Å"Go in, then,† he told the companions. â€Å"Keep to the wall and make your way down to the docks. The last lane holds the Cutlass, and you’ll be warm enough there!† Drizzt studied the proud strides of his friends as they marched through the door, and he guessed that they had also overheard pieces of the conversation. Bruenor confirmed his suspicions when they had moved away from the guard towers, down the road along the wall. â€Å"Here, elf,† the dwarf snorted, nudging Drizzt and being obviously pleased. â€Å"So the word’s gone beyond the dale and we’re heared of even this far south. What have ye to say o’ that?† Drizzt shrugged again and Bruenor chuckled, assuming that his friend was merely embarrassed by the fame. Regis and Wulfgar, too, shared in Bruenor’s mirth, the big man giving the drow a good-hearted slap on the back as he slipped to the lead of the troupe. But Drizzt’s discomfort stemmed from more than embarrassment. He had noted the grin on Jierdan’s face as they had passed, a smile that went beyond admiration. And while he had no doubts that some tales of the battle with Akar Kessell’s goblin army had reached the City of Sails, it struck Drizzt odd that a simple soldier knew so much about him and his friends, while the gatekeeper, solely responsible for determining who passed into the city, knew nothing. Luskan’s streets were tightly packed with two – and three-story buildings, a reflection of the desperation of the people there to huddle within the safety of the city’s high wall, away from the ever-present dangers of the savage northland. An occasional tower, a guard post, perhaps, or a prominent citizen’s or guild’s way to show superiority, sprouted from the roofline. A wary city, Luskan survived, even flourished, in the dangerous frontier by holding fast to an attitude of alertness that often slipped over the line into paranoia. It was a city of shadows, and the four visitors this night keenly felt the curious and dangerous stares peeking out from every darkened hole as they made their way. The docks harbored the roughest section of the city, where thieves, outlaws, and beggars abounded in their narrow alleys and shadowed crannies. A perpetual ground fog wafted in from the sea, blurring the already dim avenues into even more mysterious pathways. Such was the lane the four friends found themselves turning down, the last lane before the piers themselves, a particularly decrepit run called Half-Moon Street. Regis, Drizzt, and Bruenor knew immediately that they had entered a collecting ground for vagabonds and ruffians, and each put a hand to his weapon. Wulfgar walked openly and without fear, although he, too, sensed the threatening atmosphere. Not understanding that the area was atypically foul, he was determined to approach his first experience with civilization with an open mind. â€Å"There’s the place,† said Bruenor, indicating a small group, probably thieves, congregating before the doorway of a tavern. The weatherbeaten sign above the door named the place the Cutlass. Regis swallowed hard, a frightening mixture of emotions welling within him. In his early days as a thief in Calimport, he had frequented many places like this, but his familiarity with the environment only added to his apprehension. The forbidden allure of business done in the shadows of a dangerous tavern, he knew, could be as deadly as the hidden knives of the rogues at every table. â€Å"You truly want to go in there?† he asked his friends squeamishly. â€Å"No arguing from ye!† Bruenor snapped back. â€Å"Ye knew the road ahead when ye joined us in the dale. Don’t ye be whining now!† â€Å"You are well guarded,† Drizzt put in to comfort Regis. Overly proud in his inexperience, Wulfgar pressed the statement even further. â€Å"What cause would they have to do us harm? Surely we have done no wrong,† he demanded. Then he proclaimed loudly to challenge the shadows, â€Å"Fear not, little friend. My hammer shall sweep aside any who stand against us!† â€Å"The pride o’ youth,† Bruenor grumbled as he, Regis, and Drizzt exchanged incredulous looks. The atmosphere inside the Cutlass was in accord with the decay and rabble that marked the place outside. The tavern portion of the building was a single open room, with a long bar defensively positioned in the corner of the rear wall, directly across from the door. A staircase rose up from the side of the bar to the structure’s second level, a staircase more often used by painted, overperfumed women and their latest companions than by guests of the inn. Indeed, merchant sailors who put into Luskan usually came ashore only for brief periods of excitement and entertainment, returning to the safety of their vessels if they could manage it before the inevitable drunken sleep left them vulnerable. More than anything else, though, the tavern at the Cutlass was a room of the senses, with myriad sounds and sights and smells. The aroma of alcohol, from strong ale and cheap wine to rarer and more powerful beverages, permeated every corner. A haze of smoke from exotic pipe-weeds, like the mist outside, blurred the harsh reality of the images into softer, dreamlike sensations. Drizzt led the way to an empty table tucked beside the door, while Bruenor approached the bar to make arrangements for their stay. Wulfgar started after the dwarf, but Drizzt stopped him. â€Å"To the table,† he explained. â€Å"You are too excited for such business; Bruenor can take care of it.† Wulfgar started to protest, but was cut short. â€Å"Come on,† Regis offered. â€Å"Sit with Drizzt and me. No one will bother a tough old dwarf, but a tiny halfling and a skinny elf might look like good sport to the brutes in here. We need your size and strength to deter such unwanted attention.† Wulfgar’s chin firmed up at the compliment and he strode boldly toward the table. Regis shot Drizzt a knowing wink and turned to follow. â€Å"Many lessons you will learn on this journey, young friend,† Drizzt mumbled to Wulfgar, too softly for the barbarian to hear. â€Å"So far from your home.† Bruenor came back from the bar bearing four flagons of mead and grumbling under his breath. â€Å"We’re to get our business finished soon,† he said to Drizzt, â€Å"and get back on the road. The cost of a room in this orc-hole is open thievery!† â€Å"The rooms were not meant to be taken for a whole night,† Regis snickered. But Bruenor’s scowl remained. â€Å"Drink up,† he told the drow. â€Å"Rat Alley is but a short walk, by the tellin’s of the barmaid, and it might be that we can make contact yet this night.† Drizzt nodded and sipped the mead, not really wanting any of it, but hoping that a shared drink might relax the dwarf. The drow, too, was anxious to be gone from Luskan, fearful that his own identity – he kept his cowl pulled even tighter in the tavern’s flickering torchlight – might bring them more trouble. He worried further for Wulfgar, young and proud, and out of his element. The barbarians of Icewind Dale, though merciless in battle, were undeniably honorable, basing their society’s structure entirely on strict and unbending codes. Drizzt feared that Wulfgar would fall easy prey to the false images and treachery of the city. On the road in the wild lands Wulfgar’s hammer would keep him safe enough, but here he was likely to find himself in deceptive situations involving disguised blades, where his mighty weapon and battle-prowess offered little help. Wulfgar downed his flagon in a single gulp, wiped his lips with zeal, and stood. â€Å"Let us be going,† he said to Bruenor. â€Å"Who is it that we seek?† â€Å"Sit yerself back down and shut yer mouth, boy,† Bruenor scolded, glancing around to see if any unwanted attention had fallen upon them. â€Å"This night’s work is for me and the drow. No place for a too-big fighter like yerself! Ye stay here with Rumblebelly an’ keep yer mouth shut and yer back to the wall!† Wulfgar slumped back in humiliation, but Drizzt was glad that Bruenor seemed to have come to similar conclusions about the young warrior. Once again, Regis saved a measure of Wulfgar’s pride. â€Å"You are not leaving with them!† he snapped at the barbarian. â€Å"I have no desire to go, but I would not dare to remain here alone. Let Drizzt and Bruenor have their fun in some cold, smelly alley. We’ll stay here and enjoy a well-deserved evening of high entertainment!† Drizzt slapped Regis’s knee under the table in thanks and rose to leave. Bruenor quaffed his flagon and leaped from his chair. â€Å"Let’s be going, then,† he said to the drow. And then to Wulfgar, â€Å"Keep care of the halfling, and beware the women! They’re mean as starved rats, and the only thing they aim to bite at is your purse!† * * * Bruenor and Drizzt turned at the first empty alleyway beyond the Cutlass, the dwarf standing nervous guard at its entrance while Drizzt moved down a few steps into the darkness. Convinced that he was safely alone, Drizzt removed from his pouch a small onyx statuette, meticulously carved into the likeness of a hunting cat, and placed it on the ground before him. â€Å"Guenhwyvar,† he called softly. â€Å"Come, my shadow.† His beckon reached out across the planes, to the astral home of the entity of the panther. The great cat stirred from its sleep. Many months had passed since its master had called, and the cat was anxious to serve. Guenhwyvar leaped out across the fabric of the planes, following a flicker of light that could only be the calling of the drow. Then the cat was in the alley with Drizzt, alert at once in the unfamiliar surroundings. â€Å"We walk into a dangerous web, I fear,† Drizzt explained. â€Å"I need eyes where my own cannot go.† Without delay and without a sound, Guenhwyvar sprang to a pile of rubble, to a broken porch landing, and up to the rooftops. Satisfied, and feeling much more secure now, Drizzt slipped back to the street where Bruenor waited. â€Å"Well, where’s that blasted cat?† Bruenor asked, a hint of relief in his voice that Guenhwyvar was actually not with the drow. Most dwarves are suspicious of magic, other than the magical enchantments placed upon weapons, and Bruenor had no love for the panther. â€Å"Where we need him most,† was the drow’s answer. He started off down Half-Moon Street. â€Å"Fear not, mighty Bruenor, Guenhwyvar’s eyes are upon us, even if ours cannot return their protective gaze!† The dwarf glanced all around nervously, beads of sweat visible at the base of his horned helm. He had known Drizzt for several years, but had never gotten comfortable around the magical cat. Drizzt hid his smile under his cowl. Each lane, filled with piles of rubble and refuse, appeared the same, as they made their way along the docks. Bruenor eyed each shadowed niche with alert suspicion. His eyes were not as keen in the night as those of the drow, and if he had seen into the darkness as clearly as Drizzt, he might have clutched his axe handle even more tightly. But the dwarf and drow weren’t overly concerned. They were far from typical of the drunkards that usually stumbled into these parts at night, and not easy prey for thieves. The many notches on Bruenor’s axe and the sway of the two scimitars on the drow’s belt would serve as ample deterrent to most ruffians. In the maze of streets and alleyways, it took them a long while to find Rat Alley. Just off the piers, it ran parallel to the sea, seemingly impassable through the thick fog. Long, low warehouses lined both its sides, and broken crates and boxes cluttered the alley, reducing the already narrow passage in many places to single-file breadth. â€Å"Nice place to be walkin’ down on a gloomy night,† Bruenor stated flatly. â€Å"Are you certain that this is the lane?† Drizzt asked, equally unenthused about the area before them. â€Å"By the words o’ the merchant in Ten-Towns, if one’s alive that can get me the map, the one be Whisper. An’ the place to find Whisper is Rat Alley – always Rat Alley.† â€Å"Then on with it,† said Drizzt. â€Å"Foul business is best finished quickly.† Bruenor slowly led the way into the alley. The two had barely gone ten feet when the dwarf thought he heard the click of a crossbow. He stopped short and looked back at Drizzt. â€Å"They’re on us,† he whispered. â€Å"In the boarded window above and to the right of us,† Drizzt explained, his exceptional night vision and hearing having already discerned the sound’s source. â€Å"A precaution, I hope. Perhaps a good sign that your contact is close.† â€Å"Never called a crossbow aimed at me head a good sign!† argued the dwarf. â€Å"But on, then, and keep yerself at the ready. This place reeks of danger!† He started again through the rubble. A shuffle to their left told them that eyes were upon them from that way as well. But still they continued, understanding that they couldn’t have expected any different a scenario when they had started out from the Cutlass. Rounding a final mound of broken planks, they saw a slender figure leaning against one of the alleyway’s walls, cloak pulled tightly against the chill of the evening mist. Drizzt leaned over Bruenor’s shoulder. â€Å"May that be the one?† he whispered. The dwarf shrugged, and said, â€Å"Who else?† He took one more step forward, planted his feet firmly, wide apart, and addressed the figure. â€Å"I be looking for a man named Whisper,† he called. â€Å"Might that be yerself?† â€Å"Yes, and no,† came the reply. The figure turned toward them, though the low-pulled cloak revealed little. â€Å"What games do ye play?† Bruenor shot back. â€Å"Whisper I am,† replied the figure, letting the cloak slip back a little. â€Å"But for sure no man!† They could see clearly now that the figure addressing them was indeed a woman, a dark and mysterious figure with long black hair and deeply set, darting eyes that showed experience and a profound understanding of survival on the street. How to cite Streams of Silver 2. City of Sails, Essay examples

Reflective cycle after watching video of Miss Colo Essay Example For Students

Reflective cycle after watching video of Miss Colo Essay rado speaking about the role of the Nurse. Introduction It is very important that wedevelop a reflective style in nursingto improve our nursing practice.For the reflective process I will be using the Gibbs reflective process which is a six stage processofdescription,feelings/thoughts, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action planCITATION GGi88 l 3081(Briggs, 2012).There are a large number of models to choose from,the Gibbs methodallows for a clear description of situation, an expression of how you felt about the situation and an analysis and plan to make sense of the situationCITATION Jay12 l 3081(Jayatilleke Mackie, 2012)CITATION Som04 l 3081(Sommerville Keeling, 2004).Reflection is a skill which helps us develop as nurses and make us improve our practices in nursing and utilize the knowledge that we have gained in class, and begin to perfect it in practice. Description: The YouTube videohas Miss Colorado describing her role as a nurse and discussingthat one patient that reminds them of why they became a nurse in the first place. Her story is of Joe who was an Alzheimers patient and is so touched by her care that he says to her she has changed his life and she is more than just a nurse.Miss Colorado reflects on this conversation and realizes she is more than just a nurse, she is a comforter and a life saver, not just a number. Ms. Colorado somewhat downplays her role when compared to other health professionals and makes it seem small in proportion to other health care professionals and to the role of doctors.WhenJoe says to her canyou change the medication for me,and can change thetreatment status for me she said I am just the Nurse, I am not your doctor. This is an odd description of the situation given that she walks on to the stage with a stethoscope, implying some role in themonitoring and reporting of the health status and treatment effectiveness of the current health intervention.Her discussion concerns the actions of a good nurse, and in particular that of patient centered care which has been identified by the Institute of Medicines, quality chasm report as one of the six key elements of the New Health Care SystemCITATION Eps11 l 3081(Epstein Street, 2011). The role of the nurse is a critical element in the process of patient centered careand their role is equal to all other members of a multidisci plinary healthteam despite the difficulties and skepticism that many nurses have for multidisciplinary team workCITATION Atw06 l 3081(Ke, et al., 2013). Feelings I felt that the speech was very emotive and true and also she managed to get a very positive response from the audience.Iwas drawn in byher story of Joe as it reminded me of the very human element of our jobs, andmany of the patients and families that I have come into contact with.She mentions her impact on Joe but of course does not go into much detail as to the role of modern nurses.She was trying to be empathetic to the patient in the video whichI feel is very important howevermuch of the descriptiondoes not match my personal experience of the nursing profession, and possibly does not give a real insight into modern nursing and the core role of nurses and their everyday experience.I felt the video gives a romantic view of what being a nurse is like and so lacks some realism. Good Feelings: At a patient care level, she demonstrates a lot of good qualities in terms of how she deals with Joe in that she is aware of the effect of his treatment on the people around him like his family and how this impacts on them which I feel is a very important trait for nurses and secondly, even thoughshe has not mentioned about the roleof every day nursing other than just holding Joes hand when he has night terrors,which is lacking in the video she tries to tell the patient identity in the respectful way which isa very good way of communicating with a patient with Alzheimers. The Video showed thateven though she will not be able to save the life of Joe, she plays an important role in the comforting and assistance of Joe. In some ways the video significantlydownplays the role of nursing as not being responsible for changing treatments, medication and having no opinions or voice as to the treatment that Joe should be receiving. Another important thing is that she was taking about the twitter and Facebook and she was trying to bring the Nursing professionals together in order todiscuss ideas and concerns online which I feel is a great idea and can improve nursingprofessionalismthrough sharing ideas online and comparing the experiences of everyone Bad Feelings When the patientasks her tochange the medication andasks if shecan change the treatmenthowever she does reinstate a negative to her argument when she says that I am just the Nurse thus downplaying the importance of her role in diagnosis and treatment which I felt was a negative comment and not in line with the rest of her monologue. Thus in some ways she has downplayed the role of nurses as being lower to that of doctors and other health professionals.The nursing profession is becoming increasingly specialized with training and education being at the heart of developing modern nursesCITATION Cro09 l 3081(Crookes, 2009).Shehas therefore lowered the standing of nursing in the eyes of the public with that comment. Despite her strong confidence in how she presents herself, I felt that in some ways the videoshows a negative impression to the nursing professionand also forwomen.Her role is subjugated to that of other more important professionals and as a women I found that hard to justify.The good thing about this video is that she has mentioned that every patient is not called by the disease name and by the bed number which is true.This has put a publicface to nursing and importantly shown that Registered Nurse plays a very important role to the health service and we play a vital role in providing comfort and dignified care to people like Joe who really need it. . The High Cost of Junk Foods EssayConclusionI have drawn two main conclusions from the above reflection. The first is that there are misunderstandings of the role of nurses in the monitoring and evaluation of health interventions, and the second is that we should never forget the importance of empathy in order to be good nurses that can make a difference to the lives of patients. The first is that in the publics eye, there is some confusion as to the role that nurses play in the administration and monitoring of the medical needs of patients. The second conclusion is that it is important that we never forget the importance of caring for patients in a manner that can genuinely have some positive impact on the lives of patients, their families and our own lives. To become great nurses we should never forget that we play a major role in the lives of people, often shortly before they pass away. It is clear from the comments on the view and the discussion of nursing and the role of nursin g as a result of the monologue from Ms. Colorado that more needs to be done to lift up the role of nurses in our society and to ensure that the profession achieves the respect that it deserves. Many people may feel that the role of nurses is lower than that of doctors and other health professionals, and that nurses simply have a role in listening to doctors in a passive manner and simply following instructions. Action PlanFrom the conclusions above I think it is important that we educate patients and families as to our roles in the health service. As discussed there is some confusion as to the role that nurses play in the administration and monitoring of the medical needs of patients. In the future I will ensure that I talk to patients and families about what I do and how I will care for them while they are in hospital and it is also important to continually communicate with their families and loved ones. Many people may feel that the role of nurses is lower than that of doctors and other health professionals and that nurses simply have a role in listening to doctors in a passive manner and simply following instructions. On a personal level, it is important to continually educate myself as to improve my job performance as it is clear that my responsibilities will continually evolve and become more complex and more diagnostic. Secondly I think it is important for us as nurses to continue to communicate with patients and try to make a difference in their lives. From the video we can see the importance that Joe places in Ms. Colorado as his nurse and that she has genuinely made a difference to his life. . References BIBLIOGRAPHYAiken, L. (2011, January 20). Nurses for the future.New England Journal of Medicine, 364, 196-198. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1011639 Auerbach, D. (2012). Will the NP Workforce Grow in the Future?: New Forecasts and Implications for Healthcare Delivery.Medical Care, 50(7), 606-610. doi:10.1097/MLR.0b013e318249d6e7 Ball, J., Murrells, T., Rafferty, A. M., Morrow, E., Griffiths, P. (2013). Care left undone during nursing shifts: associations with workload and perceived quality of care.British Medical Journal, online. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2012-001767 Briggs, J. (2012). Using reflective practice in frontline nursing.Nursing Times, 108(24), 22-24. Brown, T. (2015, September 18). Miss Colorado Started a Needed Conversation About Nurses.Time, p. online. Crookes, P. (2009). What is the role of the Registered Nurse?Collegian, 16(2), 47-48. doi:dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2009.04.002 Epstein, R., Street, R. (2011). The Values and Value of Patient-Centered Care.Annals of Family Medicine, 9(2), 100-103. doi:0.1370/afm.1239 Jayatilleke, N., Mackie, A. (2012, October 17). Reflection as part of continuous professional development for public health professionals: a literature review.Oxford Journal of Public Health, 1-5. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fds083 Ke, M., Blazeby, J., Strong, S., Carroll, F., Ness, A., Hollingworth, W. (2013). Are multidisciplinary teams in secondary care cost-effective? A systematic review of the literature.Cost Effective Resource Allocation, 11(7), online. doi:10.1186/1478-7547-11-7 Smolowitz, J., Speakman, E., Wojnar, D., Whelen, E.-M., Ulrich, S., Hayes, C., Wood, L. (2015). Role of the registered nurse in primary health care: Meeting health care needs in the 21st century.Nursing Outlook, 63, 130-136. Sommerville, D., Keeling, J. (2004). A practical approach to promote reflective practice within nursing.Nursing Times, 100(12), 42-45.

Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay Essay Example

Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay Paper McCarthy’s renowned fresh. â€Å"No State for Old Men† was wonderfully handled by the couple managers. Joel and Ethan Coen in their altered version for the screen. one of the most praised movies of 2007 of the same name. The film had the format of a offense thriller. Just like the novel. the movie trades with the exciting adventuresome secret plan of a drug trade which goes incorrect and the cat- and- mouse play among the three major characters of the novel. Llewelyn Moss- the supporter. Anton Chigurh- the adversary and the old adult male Sheriff Ed Tom Bell who supervises the probe. We will write a custom essay sample on Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Before acquiring into the chief treatment whether the movie version has done proper justness to the novel or non. it is of import to cognize some of the basic inside informations of the fresh itself. â€Å"No State for Old Men† gets counted among the finest plants by the American writer. Cormac McCarthy. The narrative revolves round the incident of an illicit drug trade in a distant location. United States and Mexico Border in around 1980. There are four major characters in the fresh apart from Carla Jean Moss. the immature married woman of Llewelyn. Llewelyn Moss. the supporter is a welder who is the victim of the trade and Anton Chigurh is the adversary. the psychopathologic character with eyes â€Å"Blue as lapis. At one time glittering and wholly opaque. Like wet stones†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( McCarthy. Cormac. No State for Old Men. 2005 ) dark brown hair and dark skin color. In short. Chigurh is non a pleasant character. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. the old adult male is a World War II veteran who is asked to transport out the probe of this drug trade. It is he who has to see the horrors of legion offenses and slayings. He tries his best to work out it and his reminiscences form the Page 2 core portion of the narrative. Carson Wells is the 4th adult male who gets into the action. He is the former lieutenant Colonel from Vietnam War and another gunman who has been specially hired to recover money from Chigurh. Most of the narrative is being narrated in 3rd individual which is interrupted by the first individual reminiscences from Ed Tom Bell. The novel comes up with the minimal duologue but McCarthy could make the mystical air which the readers enjoy most. Harmonizing to the critics. Anton Chigurh is â€Å"one of McCarthy’s most memorable creative activities. † Chigurh’s relentless trueness to retrieve the hard currency made him the most unusual character of the secret plan. He is ready to extinguish anyone who comes in between Moss and him. He knows his occupation and he is loyal to it. His usage of homemade arms like coffee- can silencer or aerate goaded cowss gun make him even more interesting to the readers. Sheriff Bell. the old adult male is therefore non suited for the mission he has been assigned. The modern epoch is in demand of another barbarous adult male to battle the sociopath like Chigurh. The fresh terminals with the disclosure of the rough truth that the old work forces will non happen an ideal state to populate in this modern epoch. The novel is an first-class offense thriller with the disclosure of the biggest truth of the â€Å"mercenary civilization† . † ( The Official Web Site of the Cormac McCarthy Society. No State for Old Men 2005 ) . The Coen brothers did a superb occupation every bit far as their handling of the subject of â€Å"No Country for Old Men† is concerned. The film is based on a well knit book which focuses on the episodes of the novel. The scene of the movie is precisely the same which the readers have Page 3 visualized while reading the novel by McCarthy. The first scene of the movie introduces us to the bare state side of West Texas. Josh Brolin is Llewelyn Moss in the movie who plays the perfect function of a tragic supporter who is chased by the sociopath Anton Chigurh. acted by Javier Bardem. The Coen Brothers did non bury the usage of the alone arms by Chigurh. A confined bolt handgun is shown to the viewing audiences in the scene where Chigurh strangles a deputy of Sheriff. The film involves tonss of hiting. concealing sequences. drive and running scenes to maintain the gait of the offense thriller in tact. The aim was that the viewing audiences must experience the pulsation of the bang. The existent adult male of the secret plan is certainly Sheriff Bell acted by Tommy Lee Jones. Lee Jones did a fantastic occupation in the movie playing the aging adult male who could non happen an ideal state to populate in. He realizes that he is non suited for today’s epoch. The chief characters serve as the loose terminals of the enigma that revolves round the drug trade. It was the undertaking of Coen Brothers to bind up these loose terminals in such a manner that the viewing audiences get the subject of the novel. The aim of McCarthy was non to demo the hiting accomplishments of these characters but the effects of exerting free will. game of opportunity and the predestination. The movie version succeeded in bring oning the nexus between destiny and circumstance into the heads of the viewing audiences. The motive of the novel like predestination. opportunity and free will or the dry relation between destiny and circumstance have been finely weaved in the scenes of the film. Chigurh decides his religion by tossing coin and this episode has been used by both the novelist and the managers to demo the huge importance of the subject of opportunity in life. Scott Foundas wondrous summaries the terminal of the movie in â€Å"The Village Voice† . â€Å"In the terminal. everyone in No Country for Old Men is both huntsman and hunted. members of some Page 4 endangered species seeking to prevent their extinction† . ( Scott Foundas. â€Å"Badlands† . Village Voice. Nov 6. 2007 ) A. O. Scott of New York Times remarks Bell. Chigurh and Moss â€Å"occupy the screen one at a clip. about neer looking in the frame together. even as their destinies become of all time more closely entwined† . ( Scott. A. O. 2007-11-09. â€Å"He Found a Bundle of Money. And Now There’s Hell to Pay† . New York Times: Performing Arts/Weekend Desk1 ) This was the aim of McCarthy and Cone Brothers and they succeeded in giving a proper form to this mission in their movie version of the same novel. Even Roger Ebert states that â€Å"the film demonstrates how pathetic ordinary human feelings are in the face of implacable injustice† in the Nov 8. 2007 edition of Chicago Sun- Times. In short. it can be said that the movie is the perfect version of the novel with really small changes. It captures everything from the enigma of the secret plan to the alone portraiture of the characters to the claustrophobic urban dark to the mid twenty-four hours unfastened sky of the bare land of Texas. Cinematographer Roger Deakins shot legion landscapes to mean that the movie is non about any celestial salvation but earthly wickedness which is devoid of any godly intercession. The novel has been brightly adapted in the movie and masterfully altered to function the intent. The critics have pointed out that each and every duologue and scene has been taken from the pages of the novel. Therefore. Coen Brothers did non let the critics to raise the issue which one is better. the novel or the movie version. Both can be considered to be a individual creative activity. The film highlights the subject of destiny which really picks up the adult male who is traveling to decease following. It is a game of fate and the characters are Page 5 mere marionettes in the custodies of the same although they think they are make up ones minding the undermentioned actions. Coen Brothers could present the message of the decease of society and immorality can non be defeated which McCarthy wanted to demo in his novel. It is non about the decease of any peculiar person but the decease of the human society. The great histrions should besides be credited for the success of the movie along with the managers. They delivered their best natural public presentations. Just like the book the movie is rather violent and bloody and therefore it accurately reflects the kernel of the original beginning. The Coen Brothers knew that casting is the most hard undertaking for the devising of â€Å"No Country for Old Men† . Sheriff Bell is the psyche of the film and the managers were reasonably serious about the choice of the histrion for the function. They picked up Tommy Lee Jones and succeeded in their mission. The managers knew that they were in demand of a genuinely great histrion and Lee Jones being a Texan was the most suited for the occupation. But the undertaking for choosing an histrion for the function of Moss was even more hard. Ultimately Coen Brothers found the histrion Josh Brolin. the discovery screen histrion who could understand the ground why Moss was introduced in the secret plan. Josh Brolin played his natural function in the movie. Now. the Coens were in hunt of Chigurh. the dark character missing the sense of wit as portrayed by McCarthy. Bardem was chosen after his immense success in Before Night Falls and The Sea Inside. Thus. casting was done brightly by the Coen Brothers to present the message of McCarthy. All the major histrions and actresses were nominated either for the Oscar or Emmy Award including the Scots actress. Kelly Page 6 Macdonald who was chosen for the function of Carla Jean. ( Interview with Joel and Ethan Coen in Emanuel Levy after the movie was premiered in the Cannes Film Fest 2007 ) The Cannes reappraisal states Cinematographer Roger Deakins captures everything from mid- twenty-four hours open- sky views to claustrophobic dark clip urban action ; in timing and tenseness. No State for Old Men is one of the most cliff-hanging movies the Coens have of all time made. which says a batch. Cormac McCarthy’s novel has besides been imposingly well- adapted- improved and altered. but however full of McCarthy’s clear. concise yet poetic voice. With all of the apparently standard- issue thriller secret plan devices in the piece-money. guns and trouble- there’s dim opportunity that some might non catch the smaller. subtler subjects of No Country for Old Men. which would be a shame ; this is a narrative about decease. non merely slaying ; this is a narrative about privation. non merely money ; this is a narrative of rule. non merely chase. †¦ . How we live. how we die. what we regret. what we fear. ( Rocchi James. May twentieth 2007. Cannes Review: No Country for Old Men. Cinematical. com ) No Country for Old Men was non the first venture of Coen Brothers every bit far as managing a offense thriller is concerned. In fact they are quite specializers in this genre. They handled the same genre in Blood Simple 1984. Joel wrote the narrative and it had the same sort of Texas puting as in McCarthy’s novel. It was all about A fly-by-night Texas investigator ( M. Emmet Walsh ) . on the trail of an extramarital twosome. is smarter than everybody else in the film but non luckier. as he realizes when his manus Page 7 gets stuck on a window shelf. ( Ranked among the 10 Best Coen Brothers Moments by TIME in an article by Richard Corliss ) Blood Simple was non that popular as No Country for Old Men. But it is rather apparent that Coen Brothers were non freshmans when they took up the narrative by McCarthy for a successful movie version of the same. In Fargo 1996. Coen Brothers filmed the narrative of a auto salesman who hired work forces to nobble his ain married woman for a amount of 80 thousand dollars. The offense finally led to a concatenation of slayings and an probe procedure. Coens managed to acquire seven Academy Nominations for this movie and won the Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress Award. The movie besides earned positive response at the Cannes Film Fest 1996. Therefore. Coen Brothers had already mastered the art of shooting a offense thriller secret plan by the clip they ventured into No Country for Old Men. No State for Old Men is decidedly a movie of better quality than Blood Simple and Fargo. This movie bagged three British Academy Film Awards. four Academy Awards for Best Director. Best Picture. Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay along with two Golden Globes. But the movie No Country for Old Men is non appreciated by all. Some critics are non happy with the movie version of the novel although the movie is the accurate version of the same. The reminiscences of Ed Tom Bell at the beginning of each chapter of the novel are losing in the movie. The viewing audiences admit that the film is interesting and they were impressed by Bradem’s public presentation but they complained that â€Å"the full movie is really Page 8 slow paced. and the stoping is improbably disconnected and thoroughly unsatisfying† . ( Film reappraisal posted by Melissa Niksic on 3rd Apr 2008 in virago. com ) The movie linguistic communication has to be different than the linguistic communication of the novel merely because these are two wholly different media of looks. There was about no music in the full movie. The aim was to present the message through the silence. It is true that this is non a film for everyone. Those who love to watch offense thrillers or are good acquainted with Coen Brothers’ manner. they will certainly love it. Otherwise. the film is excessively much about trailing. slaying. blood and chase. But we can non fault the managers for that because that is what is at that place even in the novel. Although Coen Brothers have altered few scenes and ignored few chapters from the novel. that truly did non impact the message that need to be delivered. Every manager chooses the scenes that will lend to the development of the secret plan and disregard the 1s that are non relevant. The aim is to give a proper form to the novel and Coen Brothers have decidedly done that with fantastic casting. superb filming. and their techniques to weave the machination secret plan of a offense thriller. minimal duologue and minimal usage of music. The movie raises of import theological inquiries sing Truth and Justice and Judgment. It would be incorrect to knock the movie as a misunderstanding of the novel instead it has given a new dimension to the construct of the decease of society highlighted by McCarthy. The film is so a all right version of the novel with little pardonable changes to accommodate the linguistic communication of movie. We can pull the head covering of this treatment as it was summarized by Ryan Parker. The Graduate Theological Union in the movie reappraisal for No Country for Old Men in JRF. Page 9 The Coen brothers’ ability to weave comedy and play of the extreme earnestness. along with spot- on casting and flawless public presentations have all resulted in one of their best movies to day of the month and surely one full of fresh fish for theological treatment. ( Vol 11. No. 2 October 2007 ) Page 10 Work Cited Interview with Joel and Ethan Coen. Emanuel Levy. Cannes Film Fest 2007 Melissa Niksic. movie reappraisal. virago. com. posted on 3rd Apr 2008 McCarthy. Cormac. No State for Old Men. 2005 Richard Corliss. Ranked among the 10 Best Coen Brothers Moments. TIME Rocchi James. Cannes Review: No Country for Old Men. Cinematical. com. May twentieth 2007 Roger Ebert. Chicago Sun- Times. Nov 8. 2007 edition Ryan Parker. The Graduate Theological Union in the movie reappraisal for No Country for Old Men in JRF. Vol 11. No. 2 October 2007 Scott. A. O. â€Å"He Found a Bundle of Money. And Now There’s Hell to Pay† . New York Times: Performing Arts/Weekend Desk1. 2007-11-09 Scott Foundas. â€Å"Badlands† . Village Voice. Nov 6. 2007 The Official Web Site of the Cormac McCarthy Society. No State for Old Men 2005

Scarlet Letter Critical Review Paper essays

Scarlet Letter Critical Review Paper essays Scarlet Letter Critical Review Paper The Scarlet letter is a very important and impacting story to the time back then on the East Coast, to now in 2002. It is a love story that is broken up in several different ways. Sometimes you may think its just a story about how leaders in that time handled things. This could be true. You may also think its a story of the Devil and revenge on one another. That could be true. Or, you may think its a story of a woman coping with the trademark of an adulterer. All of these things should be taken into consideration when dealing with the thought of the Scarlet Letter story. It is not only a love story, but also a story of leadership, revenge, and all ends with misfortune. First of all, the Scarlet Letter could be defined as a story of love. This story could truly be a love story. The main plot to the story is love. The reason that Hester wore the scarlet letter is because she was in love with a man. In most old love stories, it usually happens at the end that a big misfortune happens and the two lovers are separated either by death or the worlds rules. In Romeo and Juliet, the two had a big misunderstanding and died right next to each other. So many things can tell us that the Scarlet Letter is a love story. One thinks while going into this story that the main character is in love and is in trouble for it. The lover remains a mystery, but the story goes on as a love story. Second of all, the story could also be portrayed by a story that of leadership. The leadership in the times of these was very harsh. If you stayed on their good side, you will remain unharmed. If you were to get on their bad side, well, you could just forget your dignity because its history. Hester Prynne had to wear a red letter A upon her chest for all of her life to signify that she was an adulterer. She had to stand before the city because she committed a v...

Workplace Inequity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Workplace Inequity - Essay Example That may make them more satisfied with their "work" in the short run, but their performance certainly didn't improve. Each and every organization is faced with people challenges. How do you get public moving in the right direction Start where they are. The first step is to provide feedback to employees from their current point of view. That is where Inscape Publishing comes in. For nearly 30 years Inscape guides have been first choice for research-based self-assessments. They've helped over 30 million people worldwide progress performance, increase job satisfaction and value differences (Hines, 1990). Through out summary of our database is presented here on the basis of all responses. First of all we sort 250 responses by gender and therefore we conclude that in gender distribution males has less contribution than the females that is approximately 38%; similarly the female percentage observes approximately 62% regarding this database. According to table we can easily observe the percentages of participants in each department, and conclude that administration department having maximum percentages as well as human resource having least percentages of selected employees. According to this table, we can observe that the mean overall satisfaction by gender having greater percentages in female category, that is 4.3187 mean satisfactions and for males its 4.1874 mean satisfaction according to job satisfactory level with their jobs. So we can say that there is very slight difference in terms of mean overall satisfaction by gender. If we choose a person at random from this database: - What is the probability that this person will be between 22

Arizona v. Gant (2009) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Arizona v. Gant (2009) - Essay Example The court ruled in favor of the defending and held that in the case of Arizona V. Gant the search conducted by police officials was wrong and it let to Gant’s deprivation of 4th Amendment Rights (Caselaw.lp.findlaw.com, 2015). The rationale behind the court’s ruling was that once the police have secured the suspects at the scene, the police officers cannot indulge in a search without a warrant. Furthermore the rationale was that the crime for which Gant was arrested was less severe in nature and did not require a search at all. The dissenting opinions were provided by Alito, Roberts, Kennedy and Breyer who argued that in this case the court was overruling its own solution that they opted for in the case of New York V. Belton. They argued that in that case the court allowed all officers to conduct a search in a suspect’s vehicle that has been stopped for violating traffic rules and same was the issue in Arizona V.

The representation of women in magazines through the decades till Essay

The representation of women in magazines through the decades till today - Essay Example Many of the texts based on the portrayal of women have discussed that women in the media have been routinely subject to symbolic annihilation. The media stereotyped women roles. Social scientists like Tuchman et al were of the opinion that media like advertisement, films, news and all other media content focus on the traditional domestic roles of women and treat women as objects of sexual pleasure. Margaret Gallagher in a study funded by the UNESCO had explained the reason why women have remained concerned about the image of women in the media. In this context it may be said that, â€Å"The†¦..media are potentially powerful agents of socialization and social change- presenting models, conferring status, suggesting appropriate behaviors, encouraging stereotypes† (Byerly and Ross, 2006, p. 17). Thus one can understand why the media portrayal of women have become subjects of concern for the feminists and has continued till the present day of post modernism. Rather it can be said that these issues have contributed to both the academic and popular feminist struggles. In fact feminists believe that media has more power in the present age and as a result has more influence on the image of women (Byerly and Ross, 2006, pp. 17-18; Chambers, Steiner, & Fleming 2004). The first wave of feminism centered on traditional movements for civil rights. With the publication of The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan broke the traditional role of women and the cherished role of the timid housewife, which was the dream, and envy of the American young women (Kemp & Squires, 1998, p.3). The 50s brought about a discontent in this image of women amongst the women themselves. There was a rising dissatisfaction, which was inexplicable by the women. The stay-at-home role of women has been criticized under the influence of the second wave of feminism during the 70s and 80s (Bradley, 2007, p.1). At this time of publication the world of media comprised of essentially three categories – television, radio and morning newspapers, which launched women’s pages, engaged in homemaking and care giving. Other forms of media include Time, a weekly news magazine, Life, a weekly issued picture magazine and other magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal and Good Housekeeping, which essentially made the women their target audience (Poindexter and Meraz, 2008, p.3). The names themselves suggest the traditional concepts of gender roles. With time however, the concepts of ‘gender gap’ (related to differences in educational performance and pay between men and women) and ‘gender-bending’ have been explored by journalists to analyze the relationships between men and women (Bradley, 2007, p.2). The paper analyses the representation of women in magazines with respect to the way it affects their social identity When the First World War began in 1914, women witnessed a fall in the stereotyped traditional differences between the economic enviro nment and private sentiments. Men found an escape route from the social financial and sexual duties subjugated within the feminine household and found solace in more typically masculine areas of work like navy and army. The spaces assigned to women during this time were mainly domestic or home based. The war somehow curtailed the women’s movements for suffrage and other campaigns though these formed the backdrop for the activities of women during this wartime. The article â€Å"

Origins Of The Kadazan People

Origins Of The Kadazan People The Kadazans are an ethnic group indigenous to the state of Sabah in Malaysia. They are found mainly at Penampang on the west coast of Sabah the surrounding locales,and various locations in the interior. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Dusun ethnic group, and also because of other political initiatives a new unified term called Kadazan dusun was created. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group in Sabah. While Kadazan was an official designation for this ethnic group it is widely believed that the term itself was a political derivative that came into existence in the late 1950s to early 1960s. No proper historical record exists pertaining to the origins of the term or its originator. However, an article written by Richard Tunggolou on this matter may shed some light. According to Tunggolou, most of the explanations of the meanings and origins of the word Kadazan assumed that the word was of recent origin, specifically in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He says that some people have theorized that the term originates from the word kakadazan (towns) or kedai (shops), and from the claim that Kadazan politicians such as the late Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin coined the term. However, there is evidence that the term has been used long before the 1950s. Owen Rutter, in his book, The Pagans Of North Borneo, published in 1929, wrote: The Dusun usually describes himself generically as a tulun tindal (landsman) or on the West Coast particularly at Papar, as a Kadazan. (page 31). Rutter worked in Sabah for five years as District Officer in all five residencies and left Sabah with the onset of the First World War. This means that he started working in Sabah from 1910 and left Sabah in 1914. We can therefore safely say that the word Kadazan was already in existence before any towns or shops were built in the Penampang district and that Kadazan politicians did not invent the word in the late fifties and early sixties. The Bobolians or the Bobohizans of Borneo was interviewed to seek better picture of the true meaning of the term Kadazan, a Lotud Bobolian was asked what is the meaning of Kadazan or kadayan? Kadazan means the people of the land. The Bobohizan from P enampang was also interviewed seeking the real meaning of Kadazan .The Bobohizan Dousia Moujing confirmed that the Kadazan has always been used to describe the real people of the land Kadazan means the people of the land. That confirmed what Rutter had described about the existence of term Kadazan. Thus the word Kadazan actually not derived from the word kedai (meaning shops in Malay). Over a hundred years, the people of Kadazans were ruled by the Brunei Sultanate; the Kadazan or Kadayan in Lotud, Marangang, Liwan were being addressed by the Sultanate as being the Orang Dusun which means the People of the Orchard Because in Malay, Dusun means Orchard Farm. Thus administratively the Kadazans are called Orang Dusun by the Sultanate (Tax-Collector) but in reality the people that was called Orang Dusun are in fact Kadazan. An account of this fact was written by the first census made by the North Borneo Company in Sabah, 1881. Administratively all Kadazans are called Dusun as their ethni c identity. Only through the establishment of KCA (Kadazan Cultural Association) in 1960, this terminology was corrected and replaced into Kadazan. When Sabah formed Malaysia together with Sarawak, Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysia in 1963, under the newly form nation of Malaysia, administratively all Orang Dusun born after the Malaysia formation is called Kadazan as their ethnic origin. There were no conflict with regards to Kadazan as the identity of the Orang Dusun between 1963 to 1984. But in 1985 through the KDCA (formally called KCA) the Dusun was once again being introduced after much pressures received from the various parties with one reason to divide the Kadazan and the Orang Dusun once again. As the division has been established and successful, the fall of the ruling government (PBS) was accomplished. PBS through the KCA then, finally coined in the new term to represent the Orang Dusun and Kadazan as Kadazandusun. Press released (Sabah Times and Daily Express) by various parties argued that it should not be Kadazandusun but Dusunkadazan! Leaders in Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysia until today acknowledges the people as Kadazan and not Dusun. The ex- Prime Minister of Singapore addressed the ethnic group in Sabah as the Kadazans, and many leaders of Malaysia today. It was said that the Kadazan/Dusun people originated from a place called Nunuk Ragang wh ich is roughly located at Tampias, where three rivers, Liwagu, Takashaw, and Gelibang meet to the east of Ranau and Tambunan. Nunuk is a Dusun word for Bayan Tree, Ragang comes from the word Aragang which means red. Nunuk look like giant that provide good natural shelters. Its tree top was estimated to be able to shelter under seven Kadazan/Dusun huts (a hut measure 12 by 20 feet). C:UsersUserDesktopNunukRagang (1).jpg A replica of Nunuk Ragang in Ranau Culture Characteristic Kadazan culture is heavily influenced by the farming of rice, culminating in various delicacies and alcoholic drinks prepared through differing home-brewed fermentation processes. Toomis and linutau are the main rice wine variants served and consumed in Kadazan populated areas, and are a staple of Kadazan social gatherings and ceremonies. Religion The Kadazandusun were traditionally animists but have been influenced by both Christianity and Islam. Many of those that the government counts as Christians come from a church tradition where any child that is born into a family that calls itself Christian is also considered to be Christian. Those holding to traditional religion today believe in a spirit world that is especially important in the cycle of rice cultivation as well as major events in the cycle of life. Although believing in a supreme being who created everything, they also attribute spirits to many things in nature such as birds, animals, and plants. The rice spirit in particular figures prominently in their beliefs and practices. Some of the Kadazandusun people groups are noted for their use of priestesses (bobohizan) for controlling the spirits. The majority of the Kadazans are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics and some Protestants. Islam is also practiced by a growing minority.The influence of the Spanish missionaries from the Philippines resulted in Christianity in its Roman Catholic form rising to prominence amongst Kadazans. A minority of them are protestants due to later British influence during the 20th century. Before the missionaries came into scene animism was the predominant religion. The Kadazan belief system centers around the spirit or entity called Kinorohingan. It revolved around the belief that spirits ruled over the planting and harvesting of rice a profession that had been practiced for generations. Special rituals would be performed before and after each harvest by a tribal priestess known as a bobohizan. C:UsersUserDesktopbobohizan.jpg Bobohizan Festival The most important festival of the Kadazans is the Kaamatan or harvest festival, where the spirit of the paddy is honoured after a years harvest. The Kaamatan festival is an annual event in the cultural life of the Kadazandusuns of Sabah since time immemorial. In its deepest sense Kaamatan festival is a manifestation of Creator and Creation relationship, as well as Inter-Creations relationship. It embodies the principal acts of invocation of divinities, appeasing purification and restoration re-union of benevolent spirits, and thanksgiving to the Source of All. It is part of a complex wholesome Momolian religious system centered on the paddy rites of passage and the life cycle of Bambarayon the in dwelling spirit of paddy. C:UsersUserDesktoppesta.jpg Harvest festival Appeasing is done in respect of Bambarayon, Deities, Divinities and Spirits, who may have been hurt by human wrongful acts. Purification is performed in respect of human and spiritual needs for forgiveness followed by resolutions to make themselves worthy of the gifts of life from God. Restoration in necessary to ensure the health and well being of SUNIL, mankind and other spiritual beings. Reunion is realised in respect of human needs to be integrated in body mind and spirit within the concept of the seven-in-one divinity in humanity, as well as re-union of Bambarayon with human Sunduan. Finally Thanksgiving is observed as befitting for all creations to express their gratitude and appreciation for the gifts of life (through Huminodun) and all life supportive system on earth that their Creator lovingly and generously gave them. This takes place in May and the two last days of the month are public holidays throughout Sabah. During the celebration the most celebrated event is the crowning of the unduk ngadau or harvest queen, where native Kadazandusuns girls throughout the state compete for the coveted crown. The beauty pageant is held to commemorate the spirit of Huminodon, a mythological character of unparalleled beauty said to have given her life in exchange for a bountiful harvest for her community. In marriages, marriage customs amongst the Kadazans vary a little from one district to another but in general are the same. The most important thing about Kadazan marriage customs is the role of the parents of both sides for it is they who make the choice and all the arrangements for the joining together of their children. Usually the children abide by their parents decision. The business of making the engagement is done when the boy is only twelve years old and the girl eleven The Kadazans call this miatod. The process begins with the boy who is to be engaged paying a formal visit to the girls house accompanied by some relatives and close friends. The visit is made at a time which has been agreed upon beforehand. In the girls house everybody is ready waiting with members of the family and close friends as well. Whilst waiting for the arrival of the boys party, the girl is told to make seven rice-balls as a special dish for her future husband. When she has done this, she is hastily sent to the house of one of her relations, which is never, however far from her own. As soon as the boy arrives he is invited to enter and is seated on a mat specially woven for occasions such as this, and which is called lawangan by the Kadazans. In the meanwhile the question of the size of the dowry is discussed by the elders from both parties. Usually a Kadazan dowry consists of a large gong, a small gong a, (small) cannon, a buffalo, some bronze, land, and so forth. The agreement is made to become effective on the day of the actual wedding. Finally a meal consisting of rice and buffalo meat, pork, chicken and similar dishes, washed down with drinks like ricewine and the juice of the coconut blossom is consumed to the accompaniment of the beat of gongs. This is when the special rice which has been prepared for the boy by his bride-to-be is fed to him by an old lady from the girls side. This is done in front of all present. After this everything is over and the guests depart, except for the bridegroom-to-be and some of his close friends who stay behind in the girls house. Now the girl returns from her relations house in order to meet her future husband and in order to serve him with more food and drink. That night the boy and his friends sleep in a room by themselves in the girls house. They will return home the following morning. Three days later the girl returns the visit. The same procedures are followed as with the boys visit to the girls house except that the boy does not have to move out of his house while his fiancee and her friends are there. The next day the girl is sent back to her own house by her fiancee along with other members of her family. While they are waiting for their coming of age the engaged couple stay with their own parents. However, the boy is obliged to help in his future mother-in-laws house doing such chores as collecting the firewood ploughing the soil and putting up temporary sheds and the like. Similarly the girl must help her future mother-in-law to plant the rice, cook and so on. The boy may visit the girls house whenever he likes on his own. The girl may also do likewise on condition that she is accompanied by her mother, an aunt or an elder sister. If the boy has an elder sister, he may invite his fiancee to stay a night or two in his house. At the same time if either one of them breaks the rules a penalty will be exacted. When the parents think that the time has come for their children to be married usually around sixteen or seventeen years of age the date for the wedding is fixed by mutual agreement. At last the betrothal ceremony can take place. A man who is fairly advanced in years from the bridegrooms side is chosen to carry out the betrothal rites by reading a short couplet set to a Kadazan melody. Then a huge feast is held at which several buffaloes ,pigs and chickens as well as a number of jars of rice-wine and bamboo stems of coconut blossom juice are consumed. Language Of The Kadazan People Rationally Kadazan language has existed since their ancestors, at first use of the native languages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹is a branch of every human interaction, deliver and receive information. In particular, the spread of such dialects are starting from a small community groups. These groups communicate and develop an understanding of identity through their language. Eventually it will grow through the diffusion and increase the quantity of these groups. Originally the Kadazan community groups are in small amount, over time it evolved into large clusters. Kadazan tribe has its own language. Kadazan tribes and Dusun tribes are actually a different tribe, but were of the same family. Language of both these tribes nearly the same, distinguished only by minor differences in spelling and pronunciation. For example, home as walai in Dusun and hamin in Kadazan. Many other words that differ only in spelling such as two the duo in Dusun and duvo in Kadazan, and nine referred to siam in Dusun, and sizam in Kadazan. However, there is the same word as a the iso in both languages and six is onom. Music and Dance The Kadazans have also developed their own unique dance and music. Sumazau is the name of the dance between a male and female performed by couples as well as groups of couples which is usually accompanied by a symphony of handcrafted bronze gongs that are individually called tagung. Sumazau and Tagung usually played during festive occasions and feasts especially the wedding feast. The Sumazau Dance Tagung team The Kadazan have a musical heritage consisting of various types of tagung ensembles which is composed of large hanging suspended or held bossed or knobbed gongs which act as drone without any accompanying melodic instrument. They also use kulintangan ensembles with an horizontal type melodic instrument. Agungs also play a major role in agung orchestras ensembles composed of large hanging suspended or held knobbed gongs which act as drones without any accompanying melodic instrument like a kulintang. Such orchestras are prevalent among Mindanao Lumad groups (Bagobo, Bilaan, Bukidon, Hanunoo, Magsaka, Manabo, Mangyan, Palawan, Subanun, Tboli, Tagakaolu, Tagbanwa and the Tiruray), regions in Kalimantan and Indonesia (Iban, Modang, Murut) and Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia (Bidayuh, Iban, Kadazan-Dusan, Kajan, Kayan), places where agung orchestras take precedence over kulintang like orchestras. The composition and tuning of these orchestras vary widely from one group to another. For instance, the Hanunoo of Mindoro have a small agung ensemble consisting of only two light gongs played by two musicians on the floor in a simple duple rhythm while the Manobo have an ensemble (called an ahong) consisting of 10 small agungs hung vertically on a triangular frame. It includes three musicians: on e standing up, playing the melody, and the rest sitting. The agong is divided by purpose with the higher-pitched gongs (kaantuhan) carrying the melody three to four lower-pitched gongs (gandingan) playing melodic ostinato figures and the lowest pitched gong (bandil) setting the tempo. The Kadazan-Dusun, located on the western coast of Sabah refer to their agung ensemble as a tawag or bandil, which consists of six to seven large gongs in shoreline groups and 7 to 8 large gongs for those in interior valleys. In southwestern Sarawak, Bidayuh agung ensembles consist of nine large gongs divided into four groups (taway, puum, bandil, and sanang), while among the Iban of Sawarak, Brunei, Kalimantan, agung ensembles are smaller in comparison. Such ensembles can either perform alone or with one or two drums played with the hands or wooden sticks, as accompaniment. They play either homophonically or in an interlocking fashion with the gongs. These agung orchestras often perform at many types of social events, including agriculture rituals, weddings, victory celebrations, curing rites rituals for the dead, entertainment for visitors and other community rituals. The Agung. the left gong is the pangandungan, used for basic beats while the right gong is the panentekan, which complements the pangandungan. Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of the larger gong chime culture of Southeast Asia, kulintang music ensembles have been playing for many centuries in regions of the Eastern Malay Archipelago the Southern Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Eastern Malaysia, Brunei and Timur, although this article has a focus on the Philippine Kulintang traditions of the Maranao and Maguindanao peoples in particular. Kulintang evolved from a simple native signaling tradition and developed into its present form with the incorporation of knobbed gongs from Sunda.Its importance stems from its association with the indigenous cultures that inhabited these islands prior to the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity or the West making Kulintang the most developed tradition of Southeast Asian archaic gong-chime ensembles. Technically, kulintang is the Maguindanao Ternate and Timor term for the idiophone of metal gong kettles which are laid horizontally upon a rack to create an entire kulintang set. It is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. Due to its use across a wide variety groups and languages the kulintang is also called kolintang by the Maranao and those in Sulawesi and kulintangan or gulintangan by those in Sabah and the Sulu Archipelago and totobuang by those in central Maluku. By the twentieth century, the term kulintang had also come to denote an entire Maguindanao ensemble of five to six instruments. Traditionally the Maguindanao term for the entire ensemble is basalen or palabunibunyan, the latter term meaning an ensemble of loud instruments or music-making or in this case music-making using a kulintang. Kulintang The instrument called the kulintang (or its other derivative terms) consist of a row/set of 5 to 9 graduated pot gongs, horizontally laid upon a frame arranged in order of pitch with the lowest gong found on the players left. The gongs are laid in the instrument face side up atop two cords/strings running parallel to the entire length of the frame with bamboo/wooden sticks/bars resting perpendicular across the frame creating an entire kulintang set called a pasangan. The gongs could weigh roughly from two pounds to three and 1/8 pounds and have dimensions from 6-10 inches for their diameters and 3-5 inches for their height. Traditionally they are made from bronze but due to the shortage of bronze after World War II and the subsequent use of scrap metal brass gongs with shorter decaying tones have become commonplace. The kulintang frame known as an antangan by the Maguindanao (means to arrange) and langkonga by the Maranao could have designs that could be particularly crude made from only bamboo/wooden poles or highly decorated rich with artistic designs like the traditional okil/okir motifs or arabesque designs. It is considered taboo to step or cross over the antangan while the kulintang gongs are placed on it. The kulintang is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. When playing the kulintang, the Maguindanao and Maranao would always sit on chairs while for the Tausug/Suluk and other groups that who play the kulintangan, they would commonly sit on the floor. Modern techniques include twirling the beaters, juggling them in midair, changing the arrangement of the gongs either before or while playing, crossings hands during play or adding very rapid fire strokes all in an effort to show off a players grace and virtuosity. The Kulintang The sompoton is another musical instrument. A ceremonial ring of cloth sash is worn by both male and female. The Sumazau and gong accompaniment is typically performed during joyous ceremonies and occasions, the most common of which being wedding feasts. The sompoton is a mouth organ which is prevalent among the Kadazandusun and Murut community. This fascinating instrument that originates from the district of Tambunan is constructed from a dried gourd and eight bamboo pipes which are arranged in a double-layered raft. A small lamella of polod palm (like a tiny jaw harp) is inserted near the base inside each sounding pipe to create a sweet harmonious sound. The pipes are fitted into a hole on one side of the gourd, sealed with bees wax and bound with thin strands of rattan. To create the perfect melody, musicians will have to manipulate the instrument by covering and uncovering the openings of three of the shortest pipes with the right hand and three small holes near the front and back pipes with the left hand. The sompoton can be played as a solo instrument for personal entertainment or in an ensemble to accompany a group of dancers. The sompoton has a gourd wind chamber from which extend 8 pipes arranged in two rows. There are bamboo reeds in seven of these pipes only, and three of these pipes do not have sound holes and are played by closing and opening the tops of the pipes with fingers of the right hand. The sumpoton can be played with the pipes pointing up, as is done with smaller instruments or with the pipes pointing either sideways or down with larger instruments. The instruments range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet in length, with the average size of just over 1 foot. Music featured in the folk traditions of this very interesting and unique. The tools and traditional sounds are abundant in Kadazandusun and it has the potential to be inherited by the younger generation. Among other musical instruments popular tradition is gong, Sompoton, Kulintangan, togunggu or togunggak, bungkau, pumpuak, sundatang, distilled, turali, tongkungon and others. Birth and Naming Ceremonies When a woman gives birth to a child in a house, a leaf known as wongkong is immediately tied over the door. This serves to give notice that a birth has taken place and that only those who live nearby may call. During her period of pregnancy until several days after delivery, the mother is completely in the hands of the midwife. The midwife is usually an elderly woman who is held in high esteem amongst the villagers. Apart from looking after the delivery of the child, the midwife is also responsible for all the medicines, which consist of the roots of trees, herbs, and so on. The midwife advises the mother on the relevant taboos and massages her both before and after childbirth. The name of the newborn babe is chosen by its grandparents. If the child was born in the house of the mother-in-law, they will have this responsibility; if in the house of the mothers own parents, they will choose what they consider to be an appropriate name. The names chosen are taken from these ancestors and are based on the world around them such as the names of trees, animals, and so on. Kadazan boys take names like Gimbang, Kunul, Kerupang, Galumau,Gantuong, Empurut, Ampingan, Sangan and so forth: typical, girls names are Semitah, Rangkumas, Ansayu, Baimin, Salud, Amin, Nani and Mainah. When the newborn child is about a month old, the shaving ceremony takes place. Goats, pigs and chickens are always slaughtered for this occasion. There are also jars of rice-wine and dozens of bamboo-stems of coconut blossom juice for those with means, and whatever they can afford for the less well-off. Beliefs about Illness According to Kadazan belief, illness is caused by supernatural beings such as ghosts and devils which dwell in the virgin jungle, in fig-trees and in large boulders. Besides this, the Kadazans also believe that some people (called stridden) have the power to cause illness in others whom they do not like. When someone falls ill in the house, his family will call for a medicine-man who in the case of Sabah is not a man at all, but a woman. This woman not only casts spells and explains the necessary taboos to be followed but also provides medicines appropriate to the sickness from which the patient is suffering. These medicines include, inter alia, the tail and skin of a python, the tail and fat of an ant-eater, cockroaches, bees, rats, rattan roots, nibung-palm roots, betelnut roots, langsat (a fruit) skin and wild bananas. The medicine-woman brings a chicken, a pig and some yellow rice to a fig-tree or a large boulder which she believes to be the abode of a resident spirit. All these things are provided by the family of the sick person. At the boulder or beneath the fig-tree the woman softly chants her spells in the language of the spirits. This done, she will put the yellow rice in a bamboo stem, to which is added the chicken and pigs blood which she has just slaughtered, as well as their hearts and lungs. The bamboo stem is then placed on the boulder or below the tree in the ordained manner to the accompaniment of certain words. The medicine-woman then returns home without looking back once. The slaughtered pig and chicken are left where they are for the time being so that the resident spirits can cast their spells over them the spells will be absorbed into the carcasses of the dead animals. After about half an hour the carcasses will be brought back to the sick mans house. The slaughtered chicken is smeared all over the body of the patient, followed by the pig which is held by two men. Then the pig is suspended between two poles outside the house and roasted over a fire of bamboo. (No other wood may be used for this purpose:) Whilst the roasting is going on, no one is allowed to utter coarse speech, for to do so according to the general belief would prevent the sick man from ever recovering because the spells of the spirits would have been rendered inoperative. Should someone reveal an easy heart by laughter in the sick mans house, the person concerned has to pay a customary fine of one chicken. If untoward remarks are made about the fat running off the roasting pig it may not be eaten. The methods described above for the treatment of the sick applies to those who have been crossed by a ghost or a spirit. Funerals When a death occurs in a village everyone is informed. A taboo which must be observed is that no one must do any kind of work on the day of the funeral above all the work of planting rice. It is believed that any work done on such an occasion can only bring misfortune engendered by the fate of the deceased. However, this taboo does not apply should the deceased die far from his own village. First of all the body is washed and then dressed in fine clothes and sprinkled with rose-water. Sometimes, if the deceased was a cigarette or cheroot smoker, a cigarette or cheroot is placed in his mouth. The body is kept in the house from three to seven days before it is buried. While the body is in the house, all the occupants must keep awake. Whoever falls off to sleep will be doused with water and cannot take offence. The purpose of keeping awake is to watch out for the devil or genie which in the guise of a large bird will try to fly away with the body. Should the bird come, the day will become overcast and gloomy and there will be thunder and lightning, which will give the creature its chance to dash into the house and look for the body. This bird is known as the pendaatan bird. In order to avoid the birds onslaught, cloth is hung around the body. The bird is frightened off by the cloth which it mistakes for human beings. There should be an atmosphere of complete calm and silence in the house there should be no idle chatter or angry words. In this quietness solace is sought by the slow beating of gongs or drums, the sound of which the Kadazans refer to as Surabaya. These gongs or drums may only be beaten three times a day that is when the sun sets at midnight and as the sun rises the following morning. The greatest care is taken to prevent a cat from jumping over the outstretched corpse for the Kadazans believe that if this happens the dead man will be transformed into a dangerous and terrifying giant. No coffin or burial jar is used for those with neither rank nor wealth. They are carried to the burial ground wrapped up in cloth and tied to a pole which can be easily lifted. When the body is ready, it is carried in procession to the grave to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, firecrackers and gunfire. On arrival, a spell is cast over the body by an elderly man specially chosen to wait by the open grave. The grave itself is swept with green betelnut leaves so as to prevent the spirits of those who have come along being left behind there. The body is then lowered into the grave while a sprig from a banyan tree is taken and stuck over its navel. After this has been done, the grave is filled in. The purpose of the banyan sprig is to ascertain whether the deceased still thinks of his wife and children. If he does, the sprig will sprout a shoot; if no shoot appears, this means that he has forgotten all about those he has left behind. A small hut with an attap or zinc roof and with beautiful designs carved on its plank walls is erected over the grave. A shirt, a clean metal cigar/cigarette box, and some betelnut quids cigarettes and similar items are placed in the middle of the hut. The family of the deceased will send food to the hut every afternoon for seven days, because it is believed that during this period the soul of the dead man has not yet left the body and so still requires food from its living relatives. No one is allowed to disturb these things. Anyone found doing so will be fined a chicken or five dollars. The bodies of well to do Kadazans are placed in large burial jars which are firmly closed before they are buried with the body inside. Then another very expensive jar is placed above the grave. In some places the burial jar and its contents are not taken straight away to the burial place but are kept in the house itself or in a special hut erected nearby so that the family can mourn there whilst waiting for other relatives who live far off to arrive. Then only is the jar buried. After three days have passed since the burial, a feast is held at night. On this occasion members of the deceaseds family let fall three drops of candle wax through the cracks in the floor of the house onto the ground below.