Mao Zedong And The Cultural Revolution - 1109 Words

Cultural Revolution Mao Zedong rose to power in 1949 founding the People’s Republic Of China. His plan the Great Leap Foward to make China on par with other powerful countries had failed miserably. After the failure of The Great Leap Forward, Mao Zedong’s positioning in the government had weakened. To regain total control over the government, Mao Zedong launched what was called the Cultural Revolution. There is no words for how The Cultural Revolution impacted China. This major event is viewed as China’s cruel history because of the terrorism of the Red Guards, the attacks on the old generation, and the well educated population, and the death of 20 millions people. To this day, Mao Zedong’s legacy still remains. Under the ruling of Mao†¦show more content†¦The Red Guards created posters that were hanging in places where it can be seen by the most people and stated â€Å"We pledge, in order to protect the Party Central Committee and our great leader Chairman Mao, to shed resolutely the last drop of our blood.† The posters served as a warning to any anti-socialist revisionists or enemies of Mao. Many more groups started to appear borrowing the name of the Red Guards and started to rebel in their own ways. On August 18, around 11 million Red Guards had came together to listen to Chairman Mao, he praised them and urged them to find and neutralize revisionists. The Red Guards were given orders to get rid of the old fours, old ideas, old cultures, old customs, and old habits (China’s Cultural Revolution Begins: May 1966). Mao believed in order to completely change the society the old fours must be rid of. The Red Guards targeted mostly the intellectual population, the elderl y, teachers, and school officials. The Red Guards terrorized the citizens by beating them to death or threatened to and most of the time the Red Guards resolved to violence. Fear was raised as the Red Army strolled around, no one could offend them or else they would be expected for the worse. This period of time was referred to the â€Å"red terror.† Chairman Mao considered the old generation as obstacle to his plan, Mao wanted the new generation to teach the oldShow MoreRelatedThe Cultural Revolution : Mao Zedong1734 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cultural Revolution, launched by Chairman Mao Zedong in the mid-1960s, dramatically transformed Chinese society. Paul Byrne (2012 p.80) suggests that as the Cultural Revolution continued to transform China, a cult of personality was built around Mao; anyone who questioned his wisdom was an enemy of the people. The Cultural Revolution was a period of time where anything capitalist or western was brutally destroyed. The Cultural Revolution aimed to destroy ‘The Four Olds’ these being, old ideasRead MoreMao Zedong and Cultural Revolution1484 Words   |  6 PagesZedong initiated a series of revolutions to change the way China ran, the final being the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution starting in 1966 and ending in 1976 (1). The goal of this investigation is to determine Mao Zedong’s motives as a leader to initiate such a movement that ended up with the loss of culture, struggle between social classes, force of government, and the loss of human life (2). This investigation will describe Mao as a person, China as a country, the Cultural Revolution asRead MoreEffects Of The Cultural Revolution By Mao Zedong817 Words   |  4 Pages The Cultural Revolution In the wise words of Mao Zedong himself, â€Å"It is only through the unity of the Communist Party that the unity of the whole class and the whole nation can be achieved, and it is only through the unity of the whole class and the whole nation that the enemy can be defeated and the national and democratic revolution accomplished.† This shows that he is solely interested in pushing communism. The other criteria will follow. Which means that he isn’t interested in bettering theRead MoreThe Cultural Revolution And Reign Of Mao Zedong969 Words   |  4 Pagescorrupt government. This was China under the Cultural Revolution and reign of Mao Zedong. During this era, a person with traditional political or religious views struggled incredibly. Mao Zedong attacked traditional Chinese culture and â€Å"launched what became known as the Cultural Revolution in order to reassert his authority over the Chinese government. Believing that current Communist leaders were taking the part y, and China itself, in the wrong direction, Mao called on the nation’s youth to purge theRead MoreMao Zedong : Chinese Cultural Revolution868 Words   |  4 Pages In 1966 Mao Zedong started the Chinese Cultural Revolution that would change the economic climate of China for generations to come. Mao’s goal for the Cultural Revolution was to create a clever organization of the masses that would in turn lead to increased productivity starting with the youth. Unfortunately this mobilization of the masses led to massive destruction as things spiraled out of control at a very fast rate due to Mao’s creation the Red Guard- an army of youths that would seek outRead MoreChina s Cultural Revolution : Mao Zedong Essay1500 Words   |  6 PagesChina s Cultural Revolution: Mao Zedong The Cultural Revolution of 1966 led by Chairman Mao Zedong, a strong believer in Socialist ideologies, thought China needed sociopolitical reform in order to erase aspects of the traditional Chinese culture. Although Mao implemented new political principles, the revolution was a time of mass destruction and overall led to negative effects, disrupting China’s economy and preservation of the Chinese culture. The Revolution brought about massive change thatRead MoreMao Zedong And The Mao Era Of China950 Words   |  4 PagesIn China after Chairman Mao, China had a period of post Maoism and was moving away from Chairman Mao to a more modernized China. Even though Mao Zedong had a hand in creating China and unifying, China in it is early years up to the Chinese Cultural revolution. His downturn or his bad Mao days were after the Cultural Revolution. In which many people in china suffered because of the Cultural Revolution and many parts of traditional Chinese culture was either e rased or wiped out from History. Many peopleRead MoreThe Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China1536 Words   |  7 Pages The â€Å"Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution† or the â€Å"Cultural Revolution† had been a failed attempt at making China a stronger country. This revolution had destroyed China’s rich history. The period from 1966 to 1969 had been terrifying years in which the Red Guards used violence to purge China of any anti- communist sources. Mao Zedong had led the violence and turmoil in China after his failed attempt at the Great Leap Forward. He relied on China’s youth to change the traditional customs and ideasRead MoreMao Zedong And The Great Leap Forward1640 Words   |  7 PagesDid you know that Mao Zedong is in fact the greatest mass murderer in world history? On the other hand, did you know that without Mao Zedong, China would not be the world power with a leading economy that it is today? These seemingly contradictory statements are only part of the persistent dispute about Mao’s complicated and controversial legacy. The leadership of Mao Zedong in China from 1921-1976, including the Great Leap Forward, his Five Year Plans, and the Cultural Revolution, significantly impactedRead MoreTo What Extent Did the Red Guards Control the Cultural Revolution1487 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Red Guards control the Cultural Revolution? â€Æ' Section A The Cultural Revolution in China started in 1966 and ended on Mao Zedong’s death in 1976, on September 9th. While headed by Mao Zedong (sometimes spelled Tse-Tung), otherwise known as Chairman Mao, the Cultural Revolution contained a powerful group who called themselves the Red Guard, student activists who killed, pillaged, and destroyed â€Å"Old Fours† for Zedong. One could argue they were the drive of the Revolution. However, the Red Guards

Essay about Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - 1317 Words

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Frankenstein was written in the 18th century by the romantic writer called Mary Shelley. The key events in this novel symbolize Mary Shelleys problems in real life, in one way or another. The novel starts with a man called Walton, who is venturing to the North Pole. On his way, he is shipwrecked and he comes across Victor Frankenstein, who is the protagonist in the book. Victor relives his story to Walton about what he did, which emphasizes the story within a story narrative. Frankenstein tells us about the tragic loss of his mother, which was the main issue that motivated him to give life. We also learn about the love of his life, whom is Elizabeth which he†¦show more content†¦Walton finishes the story with Frankenstein and the monster dying side by side. The key events in chapter five are the rejection and the sudden shock of the monster by Frankenstein, the breakdown and recovery of Frankenstein and the realisation of the letters that were sent by Elizabeth to Frankenstein and never replied to. Mary Shelley shows this very explicitly by the way she uses her choice of words. Her language in this particular chapter is showing the emotion and the suffering that Frankenstein is going through, which includes the pain that he felt when viewing the creature for what he really was. Along with her language, she also uses imagery. An example of imagery, is when stated on page 56 sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly that I felt the palpitation artery; at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness. This shows that his pulse was beating so fast that he was getting weak. Another quote would be The porter opened the gates of the court which at had night been my asylum and I issued into the streets pacing t hem with quick steps as if I sought to avoid the wretch whom I feared every turning of the street would present to my view. This shows us that he feared of what his creature had become, vile and ugly and also to his eyes very evil. Her imagery is also used to reveal Frankenstein opening sentence in the introduction of chapterShow MoreRelatedMary Shelleys Frankenstein1689 Words   |  7 PagesGreat Expectations Fathers and Son, Frankenstein. The novel I have chosen to discuss is Frankenstein. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is classified as a gothic novel, however, Shelly uses both realist and non-realist techniques. I will be looking at her reasons for writing the novel and what influenced her, as well as the realist and non-realist techniques used. I will be looking at some of the contemporary social issues that affected Shelley’s life at the time she wrote her novelRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein1179 Words   |  5 Pagesbecome determined to perfect at what they do. They eventually become tragically doomed through creating their own individual moral codes by struggling with their internal battles within their minds. Mary Shelley presents us the first persona of a romantic hero through Victor Frankenstein in her book Frankenstein. Shelley fabricates Victor as the main narrator throughout the book, along with Captain Walton and the creature, which Victor creates. Another hero during the Romant ic era is the Ancient MarinerRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Feminism1429 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Youshock Prof. Matthew Gerber HIST 1012 10/19/18 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Feminism before it was mainstream? Writing a paper on the topic of Frankenstein days before Halloween might give you the wrong idea- lets clear something up straight away Frankenstein is the doctor not the monster and the monster doesn’t have a name (which we later learn is mildly important to the story). You see, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is arguably a story of creation, murder, love, and learning amongst manyRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay929 Words   |  4 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein The characterization of Victor’s creature, the monster, in the movie although somewhat dramatically different from Mary Shelley’s portrayal in the novel Frankenstein also had its similarities. Shelley’s views of the monster were to make him seem like a human being, while the movie made the monster out to be a hideous creation. The creature’s appearance and personality are two aspects that differ between the novel and movie while his intellectual and tender sidesRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, â€Å"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to â€Å"conquer the unknown† - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans†. ThisRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein Nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley didn’t know when she began it that her â€Å"ghost story† would become an enduring part of classic literature. Frankenstein is an admirable work simply for its captivating plot. To the careful reader, however, Shelley’s tale offers complex insights into human experience. The reader identifies with all of the major characters and is left to heed or ignore the cautions that their situations provide. Shelley uses the second person narrativeRead MoreEssay on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1643 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein In 1818 a novel was written that tingled people’s minds and thrilled literary critics alike. Frankenstein was an instant success and sold more copies than any book had before. The immediate success of the book can be attributed to the spine-tingling horror of the plot, and the strong embedded ethical message. Although her name did not come originally attached to the text, Mary Shelley had written a masterpiece that would live on for centuries. Read MoreEvil in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1462 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein is very much a commentary on the Enlightenment and its failure to tame the human condition through reason. The human condition can be defined as the unique features which mold a human being. The creature is undoubtedly a victim of this predicament. He grapples with the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, and the awareness of the inescapability of death. These qualities and his ceaseless stalking of hisRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pages Mary Shelley wrote the book Frankenstein sometime in the 1810s. She was born in London in 1797 (Biography). Her mother was an author of prime literary stock who was trying to encourage women to pursue their ideas and strive to earn the status as equals. The Scientific and Industrial Revolutions that were taking place around Mary Shelley certainly influ enced her while she was writing the book. The creation of machines and experiments at the time made people wonder what the limit of human technologyRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay846 Words   |  4 Pages Shelley’s Frankenstein does an excellent job at demonstrating the ideas and accomplishments of the enlightenment period. Shelly expresses these ideas and thoughts through the character of Victor Frankenstein who is an aspiring scientist seeking an intellectual challenge. Victor Frankenstein live s his hometown of Geneva and leaves in quest of a valued education in Ingolstadt. When Victor arrives at college he is lonely and finds himself in a new world in which he lives by himself. He than meets

The Secret Circle The Power Chapter Eleven Free Essays

string(34) " in the last second of her dream\." From the start, this dream was clearer than the others. Or maybe it was Cassie that was clearer; more calm, more aware of what was happening. Saltwater slapped her face; she swallowed some. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Eleven or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was so cold she couldn’t feel her hands or feet. Going down. She was going to drown . . . but not die. With the last of her will she sent her spirit to the place prepared for it†¦ to the skull on the island. Some of her power had been left in the skull already; now she herself would go to join it. And someday, when the time was right, when enough of her body diffused through the sea and washed up on the island, she would live again. Good dreams, I wanted good dreams, Cassie thought frantically as the water closed over her head. A shifting †¦ Sunlight blinded her. â€Å"You and Kate may go play in the garden,† the kind voice said. Yes. She’d made it. She was here. The garden was in back. Cassie turned to the back door. â€Å"Jacinth! What have you forgotten?† Cassie paused, confused. She had no idea. The tall woman in Puritan dress was looking down at the floor. There, on the clean pine boards, lay the red leather Book of Shadows. Cassie remembered now; it had dropped off her lap when she stood up. â€Å"I’m sorry, Mother.† The word came so naturally to her lips. And her eyes had adjusted – but she couldn’t figure out where the book was supposed to go. Somewhere special . . . where? Then she saw the loose brick in the fireplace. â€Å"Much better,† the tall woman said, as Cassie slid the book into the hole and plugged it up with the brick. â€Å"Always remember, Jacinth: we must never grow careless. Not even here in New Salem, where all our neighbors are our own kind. Now run along to the garden.† Kate was already going out the door. In the sunshine outside, Cassie noticed that Kate’s hair was just the color of Diana’s: not really gold, but a paler color like pure light. Kate’s eyes were golden too, like sunshine. She was altogether a golden girl. â€Å"Sky and sea, keep harm from me,† she laughed, twirling, looking over the herb bushes to the blue expanse of the ocean beyond the cliff. There was no wall in this time – it hadn’t been built yet. Then she darted forward to pick something. â€Å"Just smell this lavender,† she said, holding out a bunch to Cassie. â€Å"Isn’t it sweet?† But Cassie was hovering by the open door. Two other people had come into the kitchen; Kate’s mother and father, she guessed. They were talking in low, urgent voices. â€Å"†¦ news just came. The ship went down,† the man was saying. There was an exclamation of joy and surprise from Jacinth’s mother. â€Å"Then he is dead!† The man shook his head, but Cassie didn’t hear the next few words. She was afraid to be caught listening and sent away. â€Å". . . the skull . . .† she heard, and â€Å"†¦ can never tell. . . come back †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And this jasmine,† Kate was singing. â€Å"Isn’t it wonderful?† Cassie wanted to tell her to shut up. Then she heard words that raised the hair on her arms, even in the hot sunshine. â€Å". . . hide them,† Kate’s mother was saying. â€Å"But where?† That was it. Where, where? If this dream had any meaning, it was to tell Cassie this. Kate was trying to put an arm around her waist, to get her to smell the jasmine, but Cassie grabbed her hand to hold her still and strained to listen. The adults were arguing softly: exclamations of worry and disagreement came to Cassie’s ears. â€Å"Could we not †¦ ?† â€Å"No, not there . . .† â€Å"But where, then?† â€Å"Oh, mercy, my bread is burning!† And then, soft laughter. â€Å"Of course! We should have thought of it earlier.† Where? Fending Kate off, Cassie twisted to try and look into the kitchen. â€Å"Jacinth, what’s wrong with you?† Kate cried. â€Å"You’re not listening to a word I’m saying. Jacinth, look at me!† Desperately, Cassie stared into the dark kitchen. It was too dark. The dream was fading. No. She had to hang on to it. She had to see the end. Grandmother, help me, she thought. Help me see †¦ â€Å"Jacinth!† Darker and darker – Long skirts rustling, moving out of the way. And just a glimpse †¦ â€Å"The old hiding place,† Jacinth’s mother said in a satisfied voice. â€Å"Until they are needed again.† Darkness took Cassie. She woke confused. At first, she couldn’t remember what she’d been looking for in the dream. She remembered the dream, though. Who was Jacinth? An ancestress? One of her great-great-great-great-great-grandmothers, she supposed. And Kate? Then she remembered her purpose. The Master Tools. The members of the first coven had hidden them from Black John, because they’d known he might come back. Cassie had gone into the dream to find out where, and she had succeeded. She’d wondered why Black John had come after her grandmother the night he was released. Not just for the Book of Shadows, she realized now; not just because he’d known her mother and grandmother before. He’d wanted something else from her grandmother. He’d wanted the Master Tools. But her grandmother hadn’t known where they were. Cassie felt sure that if she had, the old woman would have told Cassie. All her grandmother had known was that her own grandmother, Cassie’s great-great-grandmother, had told her the fireplace was a good place to hide things. And now, because of the dream, Cassie knew that the loose brick had already been a hiding place in Jacinth’s time. But there had only been one loose brick, and nothing but the Book of Shadows had been stored behind it. Cassie knew that, and she knew that the original coven had been looking for a long-term solution, a place to put the Master Tools â€Å"until they were needed† by some future generation. Not just a loose brick, then. Cassie thought about the glimpse of the hearth she’d gotten between the women’s skirts in the last second of her dream. You read "The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Eleven" in category "Essay examples" The fireplace had been a different shape than it was in modern days. Cassie lay for a few moments in the velvet darkness. Then she rolled over and gently shook Diana’s shoulder. â€Å"Diana, wake up. I know where the Master Tools are.† They woke Adam by throwing pebbles at his window. The three of them went to Number Twelve armed with a pickax, a sledgehammer, several regular hammers and screwdrivers, a crowbar, and Raj. The German shepherd trotted happily along beside Cassie, looking as if this kind of expedition in the wee hours was just what he liked. The waning moon was high overhead when they got to Cassie’s grandmother’s house. Inside, it seemed even colder than outside, and there was a stillness about the place that dampened Cassie’s enthusiasm. â€Å"There,† she whispered, pointing to the left side of the hearth, where bricks had been added since the time of her dream. â€Å"That’s where it’s different. That’s where they must have bricked them up.† â€Å"Too bad we don’t have a jackhammer,† Adam said cheerfully, picking up the crowbar. He seemed undisturbed by the chill and the silence, and in the sickly artificial light of the kitchen his hair gleamed just the color of the garnets in Diana’s pouch. Raj sat beside Cassie, his black and tan tail whisking across the kitchen floor. Looking at the two of them made Cassie feel better. It took a long time. Cassie grazed her knuckles helping to chip the ancient mortar away, using a screwdriver like a chisel. But at last the bricks began to drop onto the cold ashes of the hearth, as one after another was pried out. Each was a different color; some red, some orange, some almost purple-black. â€Å"There’s definitely something in here,† Adam said, reaching inside the hole they’d made. â€Å"But we’ll have to get rid of a few more bricks to get it out†¦. There!† He started to reach again, then looked at Cassie. â€Å"Why don’t you do the honors? It’s okay, there’s nothing alive inside.† Cassie, who didn’t want to encounter a three-hundred-year-old cockroach, nodded at him gratefully. She reached inside and her hand closed on something smooth and cool. It was so heavy she had to use both hands to lift it out. â€Å"A document box,† Diana whispered, when Cassie set the thing on the floor in front of the fireplace. It looked like a treasure chest to Cassie, a little treasure chest made of leather and brass. â€Å"People used them to store important documents in the 1600s,† Diana went on. â€Å"We got Black John’s papers and things out of one like it. Go on, Cassie, open it.† Cassie looked at her, then at Adam leaning on his pickax, his face decorated with soot. Her fingers trembled as she opened the little box. What if she’d been wrong? What if it wasn’t the Master Tools in here at all, but only some old documents? What if – Inside the box, looking fresh and untouched as if they’d been buried yesterday, were a diadem, a bracelet, and a garter. â€Å"Oh,† breathed Diana. Cassie knew the diadem that the Circle always used was silver. The one in the box was silver too, but it looked softer, somehow; more heavy and rich, with a deeper luster. Both it and the bracelet looked crafted; there was nothing machine-made about them. Every stroke of the bracelet’s inscriptions, every intricate twist of the diadem’s circlet, showed an artist’s hand. The leather of the garter was supple, and instead of one silver buckle, it had seven. It was heavy in Cassie’s hand. Wordlessly, Diana reached out one finger to trace the crescent moon of the diadem. â€Å"The Master Tools,† Adam said quietly. â€Å"After all that searching, they were right here under our noses.† â€Å"So much power,† Diana whispered. â€Å"I’m surprised they sat here so quietly. I’d have thought they’d be kicking up a psychic disturbance – † She broke off and looked at Cassie. â€Å"Didn’t you say something about it being hard to sleep here?† â€Å"Creaks and rattles all night long,† Cassie said, and then she met Diana’s eyes. â€Å"Oh. You mean – you think †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don’t think it was the house settling,† Diana said briefly. â€Å"Tools this powerful can make all sorts of strange things happen.† Cassie shut her eyes, disgusted with herself. â€Å"How could I have been so stupid? It was so simple. I should have guessed – â€Å" â€Å"Everything’s always simple in hindsight,† Adam said dryly. â€Å"Nobody guessed where the tools were, not even Black John. Which reminds me: I don’t think we’d better tell Faye anything about this.† The two girls looked at him, then Diana nodded slowly. â€Å"She told Black John about the amethyst. I’m afraid you’re right; she can’t be trusted.† â€Å"I don’t think we should tell anyone† Cassie said. â€Å"Not yet, anyway. Not until we decide what we’re going to do with them. The fewer people who know about this, the safer we are.† â€Å"Right,† said Adam. He began replacing the bricks in the fireplace. â€Å"If we leave everything looking fairly normal, and find a good place to hide that box before morning, no one should ever know we’ve found them.† â€Å"Here.† Cassie dropped the garter back in the chest and put the chest into Diana’s hands. â€Å"Faye’s got the other ones; these are yours.† â€Å"They belong to the coven leader – â€Å" â€Å"The coven leader is a jerk,† Cassie said. â€Å"These are yours, Diana. I found them and I say so.† Adam turned from his brick-replacing, and the three of them looked at each other in the light of the cold, quiet kitchen. They were all dirty; even Diana’s beautiful cheekbones bore gray smudges. Cassie was still sore and exhausted from what had been one of the longest and most horrible days in her life. But at that moment she felt a warmth and closeness that swept the pain and fatigue away. They were – connected, all three of them. They were part of each other. And tonight they had won. They had triumphed. If Diana hadn’t forgiven us, where would we be? Cassie wondered, as she looked down at the hearth again. I’m glad you’re the one who has him; I really am, she thought then. Glancing up, she saw that Diana had tears in her eyes, almost as if she knew what Cassie was thinking. â€Å"AH right. I’ll accept them for now – until it’s time to use them,† Diana said. â€Å"This is finished,† Adam said. They gathered up their tools and left the house. It was when they were driving back to Adam’s that they saw the silhouette beside the road. â€Å"Black John,† Cassie hissed, stiffening. â€Å"I don’t think so,† Adam said, pulling over. â€Å"Too little. In fact, I think it’s Sean.† It was Sean. He was dressed in jeans and a pajama top and he looked very sleepy. â€Å"What’s going on?† he said, his small black eyes darting under heavy lids. â€Å"I saw a light over at Cassie’s house, and then I saw a car coming out of the driveway †¦ I thought you guys were Black John.† â€Å"It was brave of you to come out alone,† Cassie said, remembering her vow to be kinder to Sean, and pushing away a flicker of uneasiness. Diana and Adam were consulting each other with their eyes, and Sean was looking from their dirty faces to the tools on the jeep’s floor, to the hump under Adam’s jacket. â€Å"I think we’d better tell him,† Diana said. Cassie hesitated – they’d agreed not to tell anyone – but there didn’t seem to be any choice. She nodded slowly, reluctantly. So Sean climbed in the back and was sworn to secrecy. He was excited about the Master Tools, but Adam wouldn’t let him touch them. â€Å"We’re going to find somewhere to hide them now,† Adam said. â€Å"You’d better go back to bed; we’ll see you tomorrow.† â€Å"Okay.† Sean climbed out again. He started to shut the door, then stopped, looking at Cassie. â€Å"Oh, hey – you know that stuff about Black John being your father? Well, uh, I just wanted to say – it’s okay by me. I mean, you should see my father. That’s all.† He slammed the door and scuttled off. Cassie felt her throat swell, tears stinging behind her eyes. She’d forgotten about Adam having told them all; she’d have to face the rest of the Circle in the morning. But for now, Sean had made her feel glad and humble. I’ve really got to be nicer to him in the future, she thought. They hid the tools in Adam’s cellar. â€Å"As long as we don’t use them nobody should be able to trace them,† Diana said. â€Å"That’s what Melanie and I decided, anyway. But they’re dangerous, Adam. It’s risky to have them.† She looked at him soberly. â€Å"Then let somebody besides you two take a little risk,† he said gently. â€Å"For once.† Cassie went to bed for the second time that night, tired but triumphant. She put the moonstone back on the dresser; she’d had enough dreams for now. She wondered if she’d ever see Kate again. â€Å"I don’t care if her father’s Adolph Hitler.† Deborah’s voice, never soft, rang out clearly from downstairs. Cassie stood just inside the door of Diana’s room, hanging on to the doorjamb. â€Å"What’s it got to do with Cassie?† â€Å"We know, Deborah, but hush, can’t you?† That was Melanie, a good deal more modulated, but still audible. â€Å"Why don’t we just go upstairs an’ get her?† Doug said reasonably, and Chris added, â€Å"I don’t think she’s ever comin’ down.† â€Å"She’s probably scared to death of all of you,† Laurel scolded, sounding like a cub-scout den mother with a recalcitrant pack on her hands. â€Å"Suzan, those muffins are for her.† â€Å"Are you sure they’re oat bran? They taste like dirt,† Suzan said calmly. â€Å"You’ve got to go down sometime,† Diana said from behind Cassie. Cassie nodded, leaning her forehead briefly against the cool wall by the door. The one voice she hadn’t heard belonged to the one she was most worried about – Nick. She squared her shoulders, picked up her backpack, and made her legs move. Now I know how it feels to walk out to face the firing squad, she thought. The entire Circle – except Faye – was gathered at the foot of the stairs, gazing up expectantly. Suddenly Cassie felt more like a bride descending the staircase than a prisoner. She was glad she was wearing clean jeans and a cashmere sweater Diana had loaned her, dyed in soft swaths of blue and violet. â€Å"Hi, Cassie,† Chris said. â€Å"So I hear – yeeouch!† He staggered sideways from Laurel’s kick. â€Å"Here, Cassie,† Laurel said sweetly. â€Å"Have a muffin.† â€Å"Don’t,† Suzan whispered in Cassie’s ear. â€Å"I picked these for you,† Doug said, thrusting a handful of damp greenery at her. He peered at it doubtfully. â€Å"I think they’re daisies. They looked better before they died.† â€Å"Want to ride to school on my bike?† Deborah said. â€Å"No, she doesn’t want to ride to school on your bike. She’s going with me.† Nick, who had been sitting on the wooden deacon’s bench in the hallway, stood up. Cassie had been afraid to look him in the face, but now she couldn’t help it. He looked cool, unruffled as always, but in the depths of his mahogany eyes there was a warmth that was for her alone. In taking her backpack, his strong, deft fingers squeezed her hand, once. That was when she knew it was going to be all right. Cassie looked around at the Club. â€Å"You all – I don’t know what to say. Thank you.† She looked at Adam, who had made them understand. â€Å"Thank you.† He shrugged, and only someone who knew him well would have noticed the pain at the edge of his smile. His eyes were dark as storm clouds with some repressed emotion. â€Å"Anytime,† he said, as Nick started to steer her to the door. On the way, Cassie glanced back at Doug. â€Å"What happened to your/ace?† â€Å"He’s always been that ugly,† Chris assured her. â€Å"It was the fight,† Doug said, touching his black eye with something like pride. â€Å"But you should see the other fifty guys,† he yelled after her. â€Å"Are we all in trouble for fighting?† Cassie asked Nick, outside. â€Å"Nah – they don’t know who started it. They’d have to punish the whole school.† Which, as it turned out, the principal did. The Thanksgiving football game was canceled, and there was a good deal of ill feeling among the students. Cassie just prayed nobody found out where the ill feeling ought to be directed. â€Å"Can we keep things quiet until Thanksgiving vacation next week?† Diana asked at lunch. Cassie and Adam were the only ones who knew exactly why she wanted things kept quiet – so they’d have time to decide how best to use the Master Tools – but the others agreed to try. No one except Doug and Deborah was really interested in more fighting at the moment. â€Å"I’m afraid, though. I’m afraid he’ll come after us anyway. He could have the hall monitors pick us up for no reason,† Cassie said to Diana afterward. It didn’t happen. A strange peace, a sort of bizarre tranquility, engulfed New Salem High. As if everyone were waiting, but no one knew what for. â€Å"Don’t go alone,† Diana said. â€Å"Wait a minute and I’ll go with you.† â€Å"I know exactly where the book is,† Cassie said. â€Å"I won’t be in the house more than a minute.† She’d been meaning to lend Le Morte D’Arthur to Diana for a long time. It was one of her favorite books, and her grandmother had a beautiful copy from 1906. â€Å"I can pick up some dried sage for the stuffing while I’m at it,† she said. â€Å"No I don’t. Don’t do anything extra; just come back as quick as you can,† Diana said, pushing a strand of damp hair off her forehead with the back of a greasy hand. They’d been having a strenuous but rather interesting time, trying to stuff a Thanksgiving turkey. â€Å"Okay.† Cassie drove to Number Twelve. They were late with the turkey; the sun was low in the sky. Just in and out, Cassie told herself as she hurried through the door. She found the book on a shelf in the library and tucked it under her arm. She wasn’t really uneasy – the last week had been so quiet. The Circle had celebrated Suzan’s birthday undisturbed two days ago, on the twenty-fourth. You see, I told you, she thought to Diana as she came out of the house. Nothing to worry abou – She saw the car, a gray BMW, sitting beside her grandmother’s white Rabbit. In that split second, she was already starring to act, to jump back through the doorway, but she never got the chance. A rough hand clapped over her mouth and she was dragged away. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Eleven, Essay examples

PHAEDRA Essay Example For Students

PHAEDRA Essay A monologue from the play by Jean Racine NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Dramatic Works of Jean Racine. Trans. Robert Bruce Boswell. London: George Bell and Sons, 1911. PHAEDRA: Ah! cruel Prince, too wellYou understood me. I have said enoughTo save you from mistake. I love. But think notThat at the moment when I love you mostI do not feel my guilt; no weak complianceHas fed the poison that infects my brain.The ill-starrd object of celestial vengeance,I am not so detestable to youAs to myself. The gods will bear me witness,Who have within my veins kindled this fire,The gods, who take a barbarous delightIn leading a poor mortals heart astray.Do you yourself recall to mind the past:Twas not enough for me to fly, I chased youOut of the country, wishing to appearInhuman, odious; to resist you better,I sought to make you hate me. All in vain!Hating me more I loved you none the less:New charms were lent to you by your misfortunes.I have been drownd in tears, and scorchd by fire;Your own eyes might convince you of the truth,If for one moment you could look at me.What is t I say? Think you this vile confessionThat I have made is what I meant to utter?Not dar ing to betray a son for whomI trembled, twas to beg you not to hate himI came. Weak purpose of a heart too fullOf love for you to speak of aught besides!Take your revenge, punish my odious passion;Prove yourself worthy of your valiant sire,And rid the world of an offensive monster!Does Theseus widow dare to love his son?The frightful monster! Let her not escape you!Here is my heart. This is the place to strike.Already prompt to expiate its guilt,I feel it leap impatiently to meetYour arm. Strike home. Or, if it would disgrace youTo steep your hand in such polluted blood,If that were punishment too mild to slakeYour hatred, lend me then your sword, if notYour arm.