Shadow Kiss Chapter 1

One HIS FINGERTIPS SLID ALONG my back, applying hardly any pressure, yet sending shock waves over my flesh. Slowly, slowly, his hands moved across my skin, down the sides of my stomach to finally rest in the curves of my hips. Just below my ear, I felt his lips press against my neck, followed by another kiss just below it, then another, then another. †¦ His lips moved from my neck toward my cheek and then finally found my mouth. We kissed, wrapping ourselves closer together. My blood burned within me, and I felt more alive in that moment than I ever had. I loved him, loved Christian so much that – Christian? Oh no. Some coherent part of me immediately realized what was happening – and boy, was it pissed off. The rest of me, however, was still actually living in this encounter, experiencing it as though I was the one being touched and kissed. That part of me couldn't break away. I'd merged too much with Lissa, and for all intents and purposes, this was happening to me. No, I told myself sternly. It's not real – not for you. Get out of there. But how could I listen to logic when every nerve of my body was being set on fire? You aren't her. This isn't your head. Get out. His lips. There was nothing in the world right now except his lips. It's not him. Get out. The kisses were the same, exactly as I remembered with him. †¦ No, it's not Dimitri. Get out! Dimitri's name was like cold water hitting me in the face. I got out. I sat upright in my bed, suddenly feeling smothered. I tried kicking off the covers but mostly ended up entangling my legs even more. My heart beat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality. Times sure had changed. A long time ago, Lissa's nightmares used to wake me from sleep. Now her sex life did. To say the two were a little different would be an understatement. I'd actually gotten the hang of blocking out her romantic interludes – at least when I was awake. This time, Lissa and Christian had (unintentionally) outsmarted me. In sleep, my defenses were down, allowing strong emotions to pass through the psychic link that connected me to my best friend. This wouldn't have been a problem if the two of them had been in bed like normal people – and by â€Å"being in bed,† I mean â€Å"asleep.† â€Å"God,† I muttered, sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My voice was muffled in a yawn. Couldn't Lissa and Christian have seriously kept their hands off each other until waking hours? Worse than being woken up, though, was the way I still felt. Sure, none of that making out had actually happened to me. It hadn't been my skin being touched or my lips being kissed. Yet my body seemed to feel the loss of it nonetheless. It had been a very long time since I'd been in that kind of situation. I ached and felt warm all over. It was idiotic, but suddenly, desperately, I wanted someone to touch me – even just to hold me. But definitely not Christian. The memory of those lips on mine flashed back through my mind, how they'd felt, and how my sleepy self had been so certain it was Dimitri kissing me. I stood up on shaky legs, feeling restless and †¦ well, sad. Sad and empty. Needing to walk off my weird mood, I put on a robe and slippers and left my room for the bathroom down the hall. I splashed cool water on my face and stared in the mirror. The reflection looking back at me had tangled hair and bloodshot eyes. I looked sleep-deprived, but I didn't want to go back to bed. I didn't want to risk falling asleep quite yet. I needed something to wake me up and shake away what I'd seen. I left the bathroom and turned toward the stairwell, my feet light on the steps as I went downstairs. The first floor of my dorm was still and quiet. It was almost noon – the middle of the night for vampires, since they ran on a nocturnal schedule. Lurking near the edge of a doorway, I scanned the lobby. It was empty, save for the yawning Moroi man sitting at the front desk. He leafed halfheartedly through a magazine, held to consciousness only by the finest of threads. He came to the magazine's end and yawned again. Turning in his revolving chair, he tossed the magazine on a table behind him and reached for what must have been something else to read. While his back was turned, I darted past him toward the set of double doors that opened outside. Praying the doors wouldn't squeak, I carefully opened one a crack, just enough to slip through. Once outside, I eased the door shut as gently as possible. No noise. At most, the guy would feel a draft. Feeling like a ninja, I stepped out into the light of day. Cold wind blasted me in the face, but it was exactly what I needed. Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails. The sun peeped at me from between lead-colored clouds, further reminding me that I should be in bed and asleep. Squinting at the light, I tugged my robe tighter and walked around the side of the building, toward a spot between it and the gym that wasn't quite so exposed to the elements. The slush on the sidewalk soaked into the cloth of my slippers, but I didn't care. Yeah, it was a typically miserable winter day in Montana, but that was the point. The crisp air did a lot to wake me up and chase off the remnants of the virtual love scene. Plus, it kept me firmly in my own head. Focusing on the cold in my body was better than remembering what it had felt like to have Christian's hands on me. Standing there, staring off at a cluster of trees without really seeing them, I was surprised to feel a spark of anger at Lissa and Christian. It must be nice, I thought bitterly, to do whatever the hell you wanted. Lissa had often commented that she wished she could feel my mind and experiences the way I could feel hers. The truth was, she had no idea how lucky she was. She had no idea what it was like to have someone else's thoughts intruding on yours, someone else's experiences muddling yours. She didn't know what it was like to live with someone else's perfect love life when your own was nonexistent. She didn't understand what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it made your chest ache – a love you could only feel and not express. Keeping love buried was a lot like keeping anger pent up, I'd learned. It just ate you up inside until you wanted to scream or kick something. No, Lissa didn't understand any of that. She didn't have to. She could carry on with her own romantic affairs, with no regard for what she was doing to me. I noticed then that I was breathing heavily again, this time with rage. The icky feeling I'd felt over Lissa and Christian's late-night hookup was gone. It had been replaced by anger and jealousy, feelings born of what I couldn't have and what came so easily to her. I tried my best to swallow those emotions back; I didn't want to feel that way toward my best friend. â€Å"Are you sleepwalking?† a voice asked behind me. I spun around, startled. Dimitri stood there watching me, looking both amused and curious. It would figure that while I was raging over the problems in my unfair love life, the source of those problems would be the one to find me. I hadn't heard him approach at all. So much for my ninja skills. And honestly, would it have killed me to pick up a brush before I went outside? Hastily, I ran a hand through my long hair, knowing it was a little too late. It probably looked like an animal had died on top of my head. â€Å"I was testing dorm security,† I said. â€Å"It sucks.† A hint of a smile played over his lips. The cold was really starting to seep into me now, and I couldn't help but notice how warm his long leather coat looked. I wouldn't have minded wrapping up in it. As though reading my mind, he said, â€Å"You must be freezing. Do you want my coat?† I shook my head, deciding not to mention that I couldn't feel my feet. â€Å"I'm fine. What are you doing out here? Are you testing security too?† â€Å"I am security. This is my watch.† Shifts of school guardians always patrolled the grounds while everyone else slept. Strigoi, the undead vampires who stalked living Moroi vampires like Lissa, didn't come out in sunlight, but students breaking rules – say, like, sneaking out of their dorms – were a problem night and day. â€Å"Well, good work,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad I was able to help test your awesome skills. I should be going now.† â€Å"Rose – † Dimitri's hand caught my arm, and despite all the wind and chill and slush, a flash of heat shot through me. He released me with a start, as though he too had been burned. â€Å"What are you really doing out here?† He was using the stop fooling around voice, so I gave him as truthful an answer as I could. â€Å"I had a bad dream. I wanted some air.† â€Å"And so you just rushed out. Breaking the rules didn't even cross your mind – and neither did putting on a coat.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"That pretty much sums it up.† â€Å"Rose, Rose.† This time it was his exasperated voice. â€Å"You never change. Always jumping in without thinking.† â€Å"That's not true,† I protested. â€Å"I've changed a lot.† The amusement on his face suddenly faded, his expression growing troubled. He studied me for several moments. Sometimes I felt as though those eyes could see right into my soul. â€Å"You're right. You have changed.† He didn't seem very happy about the admission. He was probably thinking about what had happened almost three weeks ago, when some friends and I had gotten ourselves captured by Strigoi. It was only through sheer luck that we'd managed to escape – and not all of us had gotten out. Mason, a good friend and a guy who'd been crazy about me, had been killed, and part of me would never forgive myself for it, even though I'd killed his murderers. It had given me a darker outlook on life. Well, it had given everyone here at St. Vladimir's Academy a darker outlook, but me especially. Others had begun to notice the difference in me. I didn't like to see Dimitri concerned, though, so I played off his observation with a joke. â€Å"Well, don't worry. My birthday's coming up. As soon as I'm eighteen, I'll be an adult, right? I'm sure I'll wake up that morning and be all mature and stuff.† As I'd hoped, his frown softened into a small smile. â€Å"Yes, I'm sure. What is it, about a month?† â€Å"Thirty-one days,† I announced primly. â€Å"Not that you're counting.† I shrugged, and he laughed. â€Å"I suppose you've made a birthday list too. Ten pages? Single-spaced? Ranked by order of priority?† The smile was still on his face. It was one of the relaxed, genuinely amused ones that were so rare to him. I started to make another joke, but the image of Lissa and Christian flared into my mind again. That sad and empty feeling in my stomach returned. Anything I might have wanted – new clothes, an iPod, whatever – suddenly seemed trivial. What did material things like that mean compared to the one thing I wanted most of all? God, I really had changed. â€Å"No,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"No list.† He tilted his head to better look at me, making some of his shoulder-length hair blow into his face. His hair was brown, like mine, but not nearly as dark. Mine looked black at times. He brushed the unruly strands aside, only to have them immediately blow back into his face. â€Å"I can't believe you don't want anything. It's going to be a boring birthday.† Freedom, I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said instead. â€Å"What do you – † He stopped. He understood. He always did. It was part of why we connected like we did, in spite of the seven-year gap in our ages. We'd fallen for each other last fall when he'd been my combat instructor. As things heated up between us, we'd found we had more things to worry about than just age. We were both going to be protecting Lissa when she graduated, and we couldn't let our feelings for each other distract us when she was our priority. Of course, that was easier said than done because I didn't think our feelings for each other were ever really going to go away. We'd both had moments of weakness, moments that led to stolen kisses or saying things we really shouldn't have. After I'd escaped the Strigoi, Dimitri had told me he loved me and had pretty much admitted he could never be with anyone else because of that. Yet, it had also become clear that we still couldn't be together either, and we had both slipped back into our old roles of keeping away from each other and pretending that our relationship was strictly professional. In a not-so-obvious attempt to change the subject, he said, â€Å"You can deny it all you want, but I know you're freezing. Let's go inside. I'll take you in through the back.† I couldn't help feeling a little surprised. Dimitri was rarely one to avoid uncomfortable subjects. In fact, he was notorious for pushing me into conversations about topics I didn't want to deal with. But talking about our dysfunctional, star-crossed relationship? That was a place he apparently didn't want to go today. Yeah. Things were definitely changing. â€Å"I think you're the one who's cold,† I teased, as we walked around the side of the dorm where novice guardians lived. â€Å"Shouldn't you be all tough and stuff, since you're from Siberia?† â€Å"I don't think Siberia's exactly what you imagine.† â€Å"I imagine it as an arctic wasteland,† I said truthfully. â€Å"Then it's definitely not what you imagine.† â€Å"Do you miss it?† I asked, glancing back to where he walked behind me. It was something I'd never considered before. In my mind, everyone would want to live in the U.S. Or, well, they at least wouldn't want to live in Siberia. â€Å"All the time,† he said, his voice a little wistful. â€Å"Sometimes I wish – â€Å" â€Å"Belikov!† A voice was carried on the wind from behind us. Dimitri muttered something, and then shoved me further around the corner I'd just rounded. â€Å"Stay out of sight.† I ducked down behind a bank of holly trees that flanked the building. They didn't have any berries, but the thick clusters of sharp, pointed leaves scratched where my skin was exposed. Considering the freezing temperature and possible discovery of my late-night walk, a few scratches were the least of my problems right now. â€Å"You're not on watch,† I heard Dimitri say several moments later. â€Å"No, but I needed to talk to you.† I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alberta, captain of the Academy's guardians. â€Å"It'll just take a minute. We need to shuffle some of the watches while you're at the trial.† â€Å"I figured,† he said. There was a funny, almost uncomfortable note in his voice. â€Å"It's going to put a strain on everyone else – bad timing.† â€Å"Yes, well, the queen runs on her own schedule.† Alberta sounded frustrated, and I tried to figure out what was going on. â€Å"Celeste will take your watches, and she and Emil will divide up your training times.† Training times? Dimitri wouldn't be conducting any trainings next week because – Ah. That was it, I realized. The field experience. Tomorrow kicked off six weeks of hands-on practice for us novices. We'd have no classes and would get to protect Moroi night and day while the adults tested us. The â€Å"training times† must be when Dimitri would be out participating in that. But what was this trial she'd mentioned? Did they mean like the final trials we had to undergo at the end of the school year? â€Å"They say they don't mind the extra work,† continued Alberta, â€Å"but I was wondering if you could even things out and take some of their shifts before you leave?† â€Å"Absolutely,† he said, words still short and stiff. â€Å"Thanks. I think that'll help.† She sighed. â€Å"I wish I knew how long this trial was going to be. I don't want to be away that long. You'd think it'd be a done deal with Dashkov, but now I hear the queen's getting cold feet about imprisoning a major royal.† I stiffened. The chill running through me now had nothing to do with the winter day. Dashkov? â€Å"I'm sure they'll do the right thing,† said Dimitri. I realized at that moment why he wasn't saying much. This wasn't something I was supposed to hear. â€Å"I hope so. And I hope it'll only take a few days, like they claim. Look, it's miserable out here. Would you mind coming into the office for a second to look at the schedule?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Let me check on something first.† â€Å"All right. See you soon.† Silence fell, and I had to assume Alberta was walking away. Sure enough, Dimitri rounded the corner and stood in front of the holly. I shot up from my hiding spot. The look on his face told me he already knew what was coming. â€Å"Rose – â€Å" â€Å"Dashkov?† I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low so Alberta wouldn't hear. â€Å"As in Victor Dashkov?† He didn't bother denying it. â€Å"Yes. Victor Dashkov.† â€Å"And you guys were talking about†¦Do you mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was so startled, so dumbstruck, that I could barely get my thoughts together. This was unbelievable. â€Å"I thought he was locked up! Are you saying he hasn't been on trial yet?† Yes. This was definitely unbelievable. Victor Dashkov. The guy who'd stalked Lissa and tortured her mind and body in order to control her powers. Every Moroi could use magic in one of the four elements: earth, air, water, or fire. Lissa, however, worked an almost unheard of fifth element called spirit. She could heal anything – including the dead. It was the reason I was now psychically linked to her – â€Å"shadow-kissed,† some called it. She'd brought me back from the car accident that had killed her parents and brother, binding us together in a way that allowed me to feel her thoughts and experiences. Victor had learned long before any of us that she could heal, and he'd wanted to lock her away and use her as his own personal Fountain of Youth. He also hadn't hesitated to kill anyone who got in his way – or, in the case of Dimitri and me, use more creative ways to stop his opponents. I'd made a lot of enemies in seventeen years, but I was pretty sure there was no one I hated as much as Victor Dashkov – at least among the living. Dimitri had a look on his face I knew well. It was the one he got when he thought I might punch someone. â€Å"He's been locked up – but no, no trial yet. Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time.† â€Å"But there's going to be a trial now? And you're going?† I spoke through clenched teeth, trying to be calm. I suspected I still had the I'm going to punch someone look on my face. â€Å"Next week. They need me and some of the other guardians to testify about what happened to you and Lissa that night.† His expression changed at the mention of what had occurred four months ago, and again, I recognized the look. It was the fierce, protective one he got when those he cared about were in danger. â€Å"Call me crazy for asking this, but, um, are Lissa and I going with you?† I had already guessed the answer, and I didn't like it. â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No.† I put my hands on my hips. â€Å"Look, doesn't it seem reasonable that if you're going to talk about what happened to us, then you should have us there?† Dimitri, fully in strict-instructor mode now, shook his head. â€Å"The queen and some of the other guardians thought it'd be best if you didn't go. There's enough evidence between the rest of us, and besides, criminal or not, he is – or was – one of the most powerful royals in the world. Those who know about this trial want to keep it quiet.† â€Å"So, what, you thought if you brought us, we'd tell everyone?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Come on, comrade. You really think we'd do that? The only thing we want is to see Victor locked up. Forever. Maybe longer. And if there's a chance he might walk free, you have to let us go.† After Victor had been caught, he'd been taken to prison, and I'd thought that was where the story had ended. I'd figured they'd locked him up to rot. It had never occurred to me – though it should have – that he'd need a trial first. At the time, his crimes had seemed so obvious. But, although the Moroi government was secret and separate from the human one, it operated in a lot of the same ways. Due process and all that. â€Å"It's not my decision to make,† Dimitri said. â€Å"But you have influence. You could speak up for us, especially if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some of my anger dimmed just a little, replaced by a sudden and startling fear. I almost couldn't say the next words. â€Å"Especially if there really is a chance he might get off. Is there? Is there really a chance the queen could let him go?† â€Å"I don't know. There's no telling what she or some of the other high-up royals will do sometimes.† He suddenly looked tired. He reached into his pocket and tossed over a set of keys. â€Å"Look, I know you're upset, but we can't talk about it now. I have to go meet Alberta, and you need to get inside. The square key will let you in the far side door. You know the one.† I did. â€Å"Yeah. Thanks.† I was sulking and hated to be that way – especially since he was saving me from getting in trouble – but I couldn't help it. Victor Dashkov was a criminal – a villain, even. He was power-hungry and greedy and didn't care who he stepped on to get his way. If he were loose again†¦well, there was no telling what might happen to Lissa or any other Moroi. It enraged me to think that I could do something to help put him away but that no one would let me do it. I'd taken a few steps forward when Dimitri called out from behind me. â€Å"Rose?† I glanced back. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. He paused, and his expression of regret turned wary. â€Å"And you'd better bring the keys back tomorrow.† I turned away and kept going. It was probably unfair, but some childish part of me believed Dimitri could do anything. If he'd really wanted to get Lissa and me to the trial, I was certain he could have. When I was almost to the side door, I caught movement in my peripheral vision. My mood plummeted. Great. Dimitri had given me keys to sneak back in, and now someone else had busted me. That was typical of my luck. Half-expecting a teacher to demand to know what I was doing, I turned and prepared an excuse. But it wasn't a teacher. â€Å"No,† I said softly. This had to be a trick. â€Å"No.† For half an instant, I wondered if I'd ever really woken up. Maybe I was actually still in bed, asleep and dreaming. Because surely, surely that was the only explanation for what I was now seeing in front of me on the Academy's lawn, lurking in the shadow of an ancient, gnarled oak. It was Mason.

What role did Nicholas II play in his own downfall? Essay

Nicholas II played, by far the biggest role in his downfall as the Tsar of Russia. Certain aspects of his behaviour definitely contributed to bringing down the Russian empire, however most of these qualities were not weaknesses in character but qualities associated with poor leadership. By weakness, I mean being easily influenced and controlled by others. Nicholas was a firm believer in autocracy and was virtually unmoveable in this belief. This unconscionable belief illustrated how he stuck to his ways, although in early years as Tsar, his uncles had a huge influence on him. The fall of the Russian empire was not all a result of Nicholas’ character and poor leadership but also the huge socio-economic changes as well as the outbreak of WW1, which hugely influenced the coming about of and the timing of the Russian revolution. In 1905 Russia had experienced a year of revolution and by the end of the year Tsar Nicholas had managed to keep power as he had promised a reform which h ad divided his opponents and because he had kept the support of the army. In March 1917 the Tsar abdicated because he lacked the support from both the Duma and the army. After a week of unsettlement in Petrograd, Russia had become a republic. Russia was a massive empire, stretching from Poland to the pacific and home to many different languages, religions and cultures. For the Tsar ruling such a massive nation was difficult and he soon found himself with too much pressure and weight on his shoulders. He wasn’t able to keep up with the needs of his people and so this contributed to the industrial revolution in 1917. There are many long term causes for this while the short term trigger was clearly World War 1. During the early 1900’s there were several events and issues which threatened the authority of the Tsar. Living and working conditions of workers and peasants were unwarranted. Life for peasants was brutal, often short, and quite unpromising. Until 1861, most peasants were illiterate and owned by their landlords. After emancipation their living conditions were still primitive. Many were in debt to their landlords. Unrest among peasants was extremely widespread. Workers on the other hand, could not afford decent housing as their wages were too low. Although workers were paid commission per piece on a low rate, they too had heavy taxation on food and goods. The government, aware of the growing discontent, became worried as ideas of revolution began to spread among the poor. Russia was an autocracy which  meant that there was no parliament. The Tsar made the laws and appointed and dismissed ministers as he pleased. His authority was upheld by Church leaders, the Orthodox and the Okhrana who were the Russian secret police. There was an extreme lack of rights as political parties and trade unions were illegal. This left the middle class, urban workers and peasants dissatisfied. Riots, strikes and protests were taking place across Russia. As a solution to these problems, the government decided to have a war against Japan. When the war began in 1904, the Tsar had hoped, that if Russia was successful, people would stop criticizing his government and he would be popular again. Instead, Russia suffered a terrible and humiliating defeat, weakening the Tsar’s authority and position. In cities and towns across Russia, many strikers set up councils called â€Å"Soviets†, which became an alternative government. As food and raw materials ran short, scores of workers found themselves out of work. On the 22nd of January 1905, an incident called â€Å"Bloody Sunday† sparked revolution. A mass of 200,000 workers and their families marched towards the Tsar’s Winter Palace to present him with a petition. The workers were asking for better conditions. However, outside the Winter Palace they were met by troops and police. Even though the protestors came in peace, shots were fired and over 500 marchers were killed. The extent of the unrest forced Tsar Nicholas II to make concessions. In October 1905 he issued a document called the October Manifesto. In this document, the Tsar promised that there would be a parliament elected called a ‘Dum a’ to make the laws, and basic rights for the Russian people. Just as the Tsar had planned, these concessions divided his opponents. The middle class were now satisfied but the workers and peasants were not. They did not trust the Tsar’s promises as these solutions didn’t solve their economic issues. The Tsar’s new Prime Minister, Count Sergei Witte, decided in December that it was time to end the revolution. Opposition in the towns and cities was suppressed, as many were killed or exiled. The revolution ended in March 1917. The Tsar had been â€Å"saved†, and had managed to keep power. This was because he had the support of the army, he gave concessions and basic rights, introduced a parliament and divided the opposition. Although there was now an opportunity to make Russia a constitutional monarchy, there was no guarantee that the Tsar would keep his promises. However, by early 1917, Tsar Nicholas II had lost complete  support. This was due to several factors. After issuing the October Manifesto in 1905, the Tsar decided he would take action to prevent further revolution. The Tsar a nd Prime Minister Peter Stolypin used repression against terrorists and revolutionary groups in an attempt to subdue the unrest. Stolypin then attempted to solve the problem of peasant unrest and poverty by cancelling the redemption payments and modernizing farming. Working conditions among the city factory workers were also improved, with factory inspections and insurance schemes introduced. These efforts were in vain, as unrest throughout Russia continued. The Tsar did not fulfill the promises he made in the October Manifesto, and Russia did not become a constitutional monarchy. The Tsar stated that he possessed supreme autocratic power and could dismiss the duma and call elections. Even though farming had been â€Å"modernized†, the peasant population was growing increasingly large, creating further poverty and unrest among peasants. Industrial unrest also continued as strikers on the goldfields were being shot by soldiers. Although Stolypin was competent and determined, he was assassinated by a revolutionary in 1911. The emerging influence of Rasputin in the government became clear after 1915. Raspu tin was a Siberian peasant whose full name was Gregory Rasputin. He was said to be a holy man and was sure of having received, from god, a gift for healing. The Tsar’s son, Alexei, suffered from haemophilia and Rasputin was brought in to try to heal him. Rasputin had won the devotion of both the Tsarina, Alexandra, and the Tsar, Nicholas II, after controlling the internal bleeding of Alexei. Both the Tsar and Tsarina saw Rasputin as their friend. While the Tsar was absent at the front with the Army, the Tsarina virtually controlled Russia, and Rasputin became her personal advisor. He influenced the Tsar on his appointing and dismissing of government ministers, which brought a great deal of discredit on the royal family. In people’s eyes Rasputin played against the Romanov reputation. He was found to have regularly joined in drinking parties, participated in orgies and was seen with prostitutes. He was nicknamed the ‘holy devil’ and despised by the church representatives. In an attempt to save the monarchy from future scandal, Rasputin was murdered in December 1916, by a group a nobles. Instead of solving Russia’s problems, this only increased dissatisfaction with the Tsar. By this stage, there was a notable lack of competent leaders, as once again the Tsar was  struggling to maintain power. Involvement in World War I left Russia in a state of hopelessness. After the Tsar decided to leave his country and takeover the post in 1915, the government turned into chaos. Massive troop movements across Russia caused regular bread shortages in the cities and towns. There was also unfair distribution of food, inadequacy of sources of supply and an immense and rapid increase in the cost of living. As a result of the unbearable conditions of everyday life, strong feelings of hostility and opposition to the government were widespread. In terms of the war itself, Russia’s army suffered terribly. Within the first six weeks, 250,000 Russian soldiers h ad been killed, and by the end of 1914 over 1 million Russian soldiers had been lost to the war. The month of March 1917 was one of utter discontent and mayhem. On Wednesday 7th March, a major steel works company locked out 20,000 workers as pay talks broke down. The 20,000 now angry works were out on the street, joined by other factory workers who went on strike in support. Within 3 days, a total of 250,000 workers were on strike. There was no public transport or newspapers and food shortages continued. After mutinies occurred in parts of the army, the Tsar was sent a telegram informing him that the situation in Russia was serious. The Tsar responded by telling the Duma to stop meeting. By Monday 12th March, various units sent to fight the strikers and mutinies were defecting. The Duma held a meeting and established a 12 man â€Å"Provisional Committee†. Revolutionaries set up a â€Å"Soviet† of workers and soldiers in Petrograd. Both wanted to take over the government. After one week of complete havoc, the Tsar sent a telegram to the Duma stating that he would sh are power. The Army Generals replied and told him that it was too late as none of the Army supported him. On Thursday 15th March, revolutionaries halted the Tsar’s train only 250km away from Petrograd. He had no choice but to agree to abdicate and give the throne to Alexei. After realizing that Alexei was too sick to become Tsar, the throne was given to his brother Grand Duke Michael. Fearing that he would be just as unpopular as Nicholas, he too abdicated. Russia was now a republic as there was no longer royalty or monarchy. Tsar Nicholas II had lost support because he failed in his duties to provide for and rule his country effectively. Nicholas allowed himself to be easily sued by the people and opinions around him. He did not have to force and fierce  determination to rule a country and didn’t believe in himself enough. In the source below he states that he never wanted to be Tsar of Russia and so in term he failed. He wasn’t experienced and trained in leadership and never had the support of his father leading from beside him. From the moment Nicholas became Ts ar, the welfare of Russia and its people became the last priority. Nicholas himself, was the main reason why he failed as his role as the Tsar of Russia. Although the Tsar was able to keep power in 1905, after losing the support of his army and not fulfilling the promises stated in the October Manifesto, growing unrest among the people was inevitable. It was no surprise that by 1917 he had lost support from his country. Nicholas was not brought up to be a leader and to be in control and so when the time came for him to lead, he was unable to do so properly. His firm beliefs and ways of life allowed little room for opinion, causing unrest and later losing vital support from governments and leaders and after losing the Japanese war he lost the respect of the army. BIBLIOGRAPHY: About.com – Russian History 2014 15.3.14 * http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/russiaandukraine/a/Causes-Of-The-Russian-Revolution.htm All class worksheets, booklets and slide shows Histor-C November 11 2010 15.3.14 * http://historc.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/12c-how-far-was-nicholas-ii-responsible-for-his-own-downfall/ History learning site – Rasputin 201317.3.14 * http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/rasputin.htm Maureen Anderson ‘Retrospective’ Year 11 Modern History Jacaranda Press 2007 * Chapter Titled – The Fall of the Tsarist Regime Parisia201224.3.14 * http://www.parisia.com/paris/romanov/paris.php?id=12 Philip Ingram ‘Russia and the USSR 1905-1991’ Cambridge University Press 2005 * The events of 1905, the first world war etc†¦.. Skwirk – interactive schooling 2014 19.3.14

Argument Paper on Abusive Families

There is a controversy that children decide whether they should be removed from multiple fighters' strikes at their mother's home and children witness these crimes, but their fathers will not abuse their children. In my opinion, families of domestic violence, whether participating or not, must be removed from their families at once. Parents need to support their children and ensure that the children are safe in a happy, safe and loving environment at home. Household domestic violence and abuse are permanent problems of society. Domestic violence tends to be hidden by emotion, not by being classified as abuse by the victim until it becomes a problem of recurrence. In fact, most of the unreported violence is due to the desire of the victim to protect the criminal. Media often creates news articles and articles on the most sensitive cases of domestic violence. Violence and abuse are one of the most troublesome tasks the family faces today. Abuses may occur between spouses, between paren ts and children, and among other families. Since many cases of spousal abuse and child abuse have not been reported, it is difficult to determine the frequency of domestic violence. In any case, research indicates that abuse (reporting or not) has a major impact on the family and society as a whole. Domestic violence is a major social problem in the United States. It is often said that violence is among families and families, especially spouses. Family sociologists have created the term intimate partner violence (IPV) in order to include unmarried, living together, same-sex couples. Women are the main victims of intimate partner violence. It is estimated that one quarter of women experienced some form of IPV in their lives (compared to one in seven females) (Catalano 2007) Definition of Domestic Violence * Domestic violence is the abuse of power, trust or dependence in the family and risks the survival, safety or happiness of others. This includes a variety of abuses such as spousal abuse, abuses and classes of the elderly, child abuse and school, child abuse, parent abuse, testimony to others in the family. Domestic violence includes some or all of physical abuse, psychological abuse, crime harassment / pursuit, abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse and spiritual abuse. There are many kinds of domestic violence. Partners, carers or families cause control, domination, or fear of violence, abuse or intimidation. It is not necessarily physical abuse. There are emotional, psychological, economic, sexual, or other kinds of abuse (including animal cruelty against pets, damage to individuals and common property). Children living in connection with abuse acts are considered to be at risk of being harmed by direct or indirect harm by witnessing the abuse of their parents or carers. Children living in families of domestic violence or domestic violence are at higher risk of sexual abuse. Continued abuse and even such abuses can lead to serious problems affecting children' s personal, healthy, educational, and social development Argument Paper on Abusive Families There is a controversy that children decide whether they should be removed from multiple fighters' strikes at their mother's home and children witness these crimes, but their fathers will not abuse their children. In my opinion, families of domestic violence, whether participating or not, must be removed from their families at once. Parents need to support their children and ensure that the children are safe in a happy, safe and loving environment at home. Household domestic violence and abuse are permanent problems of society. Domestic violence tends to be hidden by emotion, not by being classified as abuse by the victim until it becomes a problem of recurrence. In fact, most of the unreported violence is due to the desire of the victim to protect the criminal. Media often creates news articles and articles on the most sensitive cases of domestic violence. Violence and abuse are one of the most troublesome tasks the family faces today. Abuses may occur between spouses, between paren ts and children, and among other families. Since many cases of spousal abuse and child abuse have not been reported, it is difficult to determine the frequency of domestic violence. In any case, research indicates that abuse (reporting or not) has a major impact on the family and society as a whole. Domestic violence is a major social problem in the United States. It is often said that violence is among families and families, especially spouses. Family sociologists have created the term intimate partner violence (IPV) in order to include unmarried, living together, same-sex couples. Women are the main victims of intimate partner violence. It is estimated that one quarter of women experienced some form of IPV in their lives (compared to one in seven females) (Catalano 2007) Definition of Domestic Violence * Domestic violence is the abuse of power, trust or dependence in the family and risks the survival, safety or happiness of others. This includes a variety of abuses such as spousal abuse, abuses and classes of the elderly, child abuse and school, child abuse, parent abuse, testimony to others in the family. Domestic violence includes some or all of physical abuse, psychological abuse, crime harassment / pursuit, abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse and spiritual abuse. There are many kinds of domestic violence. Partners, carers or families cause control, domination, or fear of violence, abuse or intimidation. It is not necessarily physical abuse. There are emotional, psychological, economic, sexual, or other kinds of abuse (including animal cruelty against pets, damage to individuals and common property). Children living in connection with abuse acts are considered to be at risk of being harmed by direct or indirect harm by witnessing the abuse of their parents or carers. Children living in families of domestic violence or domestic violence are at higher risk of sexual abuse. Continued abuse and even such abuses can lead to serious problems affecting children' s personal, healthy, educational, and social development

Answering Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answering Questions - Assignment Example This lead to the triangular trade by the Portuguese that involved transporting slaves to Europe and bringing back produces of their labor to Africa. Atlantic slavery then continued in Africa and America until 1888 when Brazil abolished it. This trade however enabled Europeans build their capital base and saved the slaves from starvation in famine. It however undermined the dignity and welfare of Africans. The French revolution was brought about by the increased famine and malnutrition and privileges to the first class citizens while the North American was caused by their urge to have independence (Goucher and Walton). The Spanish American had conquered Portugal and Spain and had a great opportunity to carry out changes. However, the revolution in Haiti was as a result of enlightenment of slaves who then called for their rights. The Haiti and Americas cause of revolution was therefore significant in leading to a great economic development in the countries. The transition of revolution has therefore played an important role in taking the countries to great economies and societies with freedom of every citizen. The expansion of overseas trade, availability of capital and the social and political stability in Europe countries facilitated the industrial revolution in Europe. The need for raw materials and other resources for their industries from other countries however made these countries to use their powers to obtain resources. According to Goucher and Walton (2013), this is what linked the industrial revolution to the imperialism. The main factors that could have lead to new imperialism are the cultural beliefs that the whites westerner to make the blacks modernize and the social Darwinism that purports the destruction of weak races was natural to improve species of such races. These factors were not related but they were able to bring almost similar outcomes which were the colonization of the people

Untitled (Society Portrait) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Untitled (Society Portrait) - Essay Example On the first gaze at the portrait, it seems that the lady definitely belongs to the aristocratic segment of the society. Lying half–seated on a couch, the lady seems a bit pensive in mood. The color of her skin, hair and eyes indicate that she is European by race. Interestingly, only very few colors are used in the portrait. Yellow, white, grey and shades of brown both deep and light are schematically used in the picture. At the same time, one can argue as that these coolers are building a theme for the portrait of the anonymous lady as well. Very interestingly, the background colors are very much different and the painter uses light and dark shades of blue along with tinge and shades of brown over it which is quite well synchronized and chosen deliberately as the color scheme of the portrait is on the lighter and drab side. Use of light is done meticulously throughout the portrait and the lines are so fine that nobody will ever find in determining the mood and gesture of the lady. The couch on the other hand is casted with the hue of red color and here too the use of brown both light and dark shades have been well organized keeping in mind the actual color scheme of the portrait. Taking a gaze at the socio-cultural aspect of the society portrait apart from its technical side, it can be well asserted that the hair style and the kind of wardrobe, the lady is putting up indicates a time frame of early half of the twentieth century. During that time, butterfly sleeves and use of shrugs, stoles and veils were very common. The lady is also putting up a necklace made of some yellow beads; the choice of simple yet exquisite jewelry in terms of both the necklace and the ear-ring and wristlet on the left hand is showing a mark of classy style. The lady is probably holding her bag or a veil black in color and very interestingly the side of the couch is having dark brown and black hues which is posited parallel to the lady’s black

School Uniforms in US Public Schools in Michigan Research Proposal

School Uniforms in US Public Schools in Michigan - Research Proposal Example Moreover, a broad discussion relating to the correlation between student behavior and school uniform has also been discussed. Besides, valuable suggestions for improving the effectiveness of school uniform policies in MI school district and mitigating the problems have also been discussed. Discussion School uniforms are often used in every part of the world as a part which helps in maintaining a proper coordination amid the pupils or the learners by a greater level. The introduction as well as the execution of school uniforms can be duly considered to be a global method of upholding law and order within an educational setting. It can be apparently observed that the educational institutions implementing the policy of school uniforms are less involved in arising disputes amid their pupils (The Michigan Legislature, 1999). The topic of introducing school uniforms in the state of Michigan has been in discussion from many years. It has been stated that the state shares no concern in maint aining discipline in public schools resulting in poor academic performance and incident of violence within their respective campus. It can be affirmed from a broader outlook that school uniform associated policies are often designed to foster the performance of the students in an effectual manner. But in certain cases, it can also be viewed that the implementation of the policy did not proved to be quite effective. While certain critics consider adaptation of the school uniform policy to be a fundamental change in the educational environment, it is also criticized concerning its execution affecting right to freedom by a certain degree. Therefore, it is quite vital especially for the school officials to make effective decisions considering both the positive as well as the negative effects that may arise from employing such policies. It has been viewed that in the year 2000, around 21% of the schools encircling the region of the United States have adopted the policy of effectively usi ng school uniforms amid their pupils. In relation to recognize the problems concerning school uniforms, it can be stated that the main reason behind the increase in adoption of school uniforms in the institutions around the country

Restoration & Recovery Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Restoration & Recovery Plan - Essay Example These directives and orders are part of Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning is required for Federal Government Agencies. PDD 63 or the Critical Infrastructure Protection directive and FPC 65 summarize the requirements for COOP information system infrastructure and emergency measures. FPC 65 stipulates that federal agencies are required to get back into operations within 12 hours from any kind of service collapse. OMB CircularA-130 prescribes continuity of operations planning which includes emergency procedures and policies for immediate operations recovery and restoration as well as long-term mitigation of potential services interruption of critical operations (EMC Corporation, 2006). In any kind or emergency, police and emergency services are the most essential. Therefore, the integrity, restoration and recovery of information systems in these branches of government should be the utmost priority. Florida is one of the states that have had to be vigilant regarding these concerns since the 1990's (Mittler, 1995). The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office is no exception to these circumstances. Palm Beach's experience with Hurricane Katrina emphasized not only the need to be prepared for the disasters and the essential role that police and emergency services have to play in recovery (Kam & Gomez, 2005). Restoration and Recovery of Information Systems and Data Breakdowns of information systems and data loss are not limited to the event of disasters. Natural disasters may impact systems extremely and can impair critical functions when they are needed the most but system attacks, hacking and other related crimes that is becoming the most urgent. Restoration of Information System Operations According to the National Security Agency (NSA), through the Information Assurance Directorate (IAD), information assurance refers to procedures designed to safeguard and secure information and information systems against failure, collapse or attacks. Part of this program is the re-establishment of information systems by the development of security, response and resolution competencies into the system (2006). These standards govern feral information systems and have been adopted by industry as well. These measures include providing for restoration of information systems by incorporating protection, detection, and reaction capabilities. Public sector agencies and departments must comply within the prescribed recovery period and point service levels depending on the significance of their operations and information. They have to take into account considerable quantities of paper and electronic data, data storage distribution, necessity for nonstop operations and high data security and integrity measures (EMC Corporation, 2006) Recovery of Data Data backup and replication are the underlying concern in restoration and recovery. The primary factors considered are cost, management, reliability and security Effective back up strategies limit the need to reinstall programs and regenerate data in the events of data loss. However, data loss over a long period of time either by malicious acts or because of inadequate systems is more difficult to salvage and may go unnoticed (Ginty, 2005).

Should College Athletes Get Paid Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should College Athletes Get Paid - Term Paper Example Setting aside for the now that college athletes who participate in the more popular sports such as football and basketball earn millions of dollars for their respective college and that non-athletic students gain from these financial benefits as well, athletes, by virtue of their demanding schedule, are deprived of the ability to earn while they learn and because of this reason alone should be compensated somewhat. The amount of a stipend is debatable but a reasonable amount of, for example, $200 per month is hardly exorbitant. This discussion will examine the reasons why college athletes receive pay. Both the universities and the NCAA make millions of dollars each winter from the bowl games following the regular football season, a sum that doesn’t include the share individual conferences enjoy. Now add up concession and ticket proceeds, merchandise sales and money gained from corporate sponsorships that without the existence of sports would not be available to a university ev ery year. Those millions come from one month’s revenue from one sport. The college athletes understand that their efforts produce many millions of dollars for their schools but they are not allowed to make even pocket change while giving their all for their team. Athletes are subjected to the most meager of a life under current NCAA rules. Meanwhile, they observe other students with enough spending money at least for an occasional burger and their coach making a multi-million dollar income but know that it is them who are the ones that making the biggest sacrifice. When a college athlete or their family is experiencing financial difficulties as is the instance in many situations, the pressure to leave school to try a professional career is enormous. What would inspire a student-athlete in this predicament to remain in school if they were presented with a chance to earn what even a minor league salary or a backup role at the top league level may offer? Moreover, college athlet es face the perpetual threat of a career ending injury. This has ended the dreams of many for a professional career but, more tragically, also ends their academic career too. (Chaisson, 2001). There undoubtedly is a disparity between athletes and non-athlete students which is not in favor of the athlete. For example, college students who are engaged in extracurricular pursuits other than athletics, musicians for instance collect scholarships and can perform for their college’s symphony whether they or not they are academically eligible. They are also able to perform and make money in a professional band or orchestra while enrolled at school. By contrast, if athletes did this, they would lose their scholarship, be kicked out of school and most likely end any chance of playing professional sports. Furthermore, a music student is able to earn a music degree and even for a specific instrument. â€Å"A football or basketball major is unheard of, much less a major in playing quart erback or strong forward. Athletes are scrutinized for getting any type of job while on scholarship for their school. Getting paid to play or work in football would be sacrilege† (Chaisson, 2001). Student athletes represent of a unique sector of the school’s population. Much more is required of them. Athletes spend much more time and effort than general population students and are relentlessly challenged with balancing academics, athletics and social

Measurement of People Equity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Measurement of People Equity - Essay Example It has been viewed that the business organizations intend to invest substantial amount for managing human capital for the purpose of investing their valuable resources wisely. The different business organizations generally focus upon the aforesaid constituents of people equity in order to increase their operational standards as well as business performance by a significant level. In relation to assess people equity, a survey is often regarded to be a better tool for measuring people equity. This is due to the reasons that a survey is generally cost-effective to acquire information from the respondents relating to people equity and most importantly it facilitates to distinguish between high and low performances. Moreover, the tool of survey not only estimates the elements of people equity but also its drivers along with enablers. Additionally, one of the major advantages of using a survey tool in order to measure people equity is that it swiftly captures all the three valuable constit uents of people equity which ultimately assists the organizations to successfully measure their people equity. Conversely, there also lay certain significant drawbacks while using a survey tool to measure the constituents of people equity. The drawbacks include inflexibility, difficulty for the respondents to recall valuable information against any sort of controversial questions, probable chances of vagueness and misconceptions (Schiemann, n.d.). Determination of Employee Perception The aspect of employee perception is primarily considered to be an imperative feature which tends to make vast difference in maintaining the workplace quality. On the basis of the responses to the questionnaire relating to people equity, whether the â€Å"perception is reality† can be determined by taking into concern certain valuable conditions. In this similar context, whether the â€Å"perception is reality† can easily be determined if the personnel of a particular organization bear the appropriate behavior with the strategies of the organization and if the staff possess the talents as well as necessary information as well as resources to implement the organizational strategies. Moreover, whether the â€Å"perception is reality† can also be determined if the employees of the organization bear superior level of commitment along with involvement in completing their respective job tasks. There lie certain effective practices in order to handle employee perception when the concerns of the employees are not believed to be valid. In order to handle employee perception, the organizations should direct or administer their working personnel to possess the accurate behavior aligned with organizational strategies. Moreover, the organizations can handle the perception of the employees by providing effective training along with valuable information to the employees for the purpose of executing business strategies. In order to assure the concerns of the employees, the or ganizations might provide the disconfirming evidence that by not directing the employees to possess exact behavior aligned with organizational strategies, the organizations cannot invest their valuable resources wisely in relation to people equity (Mardiana, 2012). Priority of the Actions Relating to Public Equity In relation to people equity, the highest priority actions include the introduction as well as the development of human resource (HR) systems and formation of innovative technological advancements. Moreover, the other priority actions include organizing a sound organizational structure and effective leadership. These particular actions need to be executed by the business organization in order to diminish significant gaps in alignment and engagement of the employees. Moreover, apart from diminishing

Psychology Journal Article Review Essay Example for Free

Psychology Journal Article Review Essay Has the influence of others ever affected your decision making skills, or made you question yourself about the decision you made? In the aim to test whether or not pressure from a group of people affects a persons’ ability to conform. Psychologist Solomon E Asch decided to conduct an experiment to justify his theory. Asch gathered college students in groups of eight to ten where they were told that he was only studying visual perception. They were then given a simple line judgment task where the answer was made very obvious. The task was to decide which one of the lines on the right was identical to the line on the left. This was done over and over again for about eighteen times. However the trick in the experiment was that out of all the students in the group only one student was the one being tested. The rest of the students were instructed to provide incorrect answers to twelve out of the eighteen times they were asked about the lines. Purposely, Asch made sure that the person being experimented sat next-to-the-last person in each group to provide his answer so that he would hear most of the other incorrect answers before giving his own. They then would see if the individual would keep their choice or just conform to everybody else’s decision just because the majority of the group agreed to it. After the experiment Asch found out that thirty-seven out of fifty students that were being experimented on conformed to the majority’s decision at least once. However, fourteen of the fifty students conformed more than six times during the assessment. Asch being very bothered by these results stated The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black. This is a matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that guide our conduct. ( McLeod, S. A. (2007) Simply Psychology [On-line] UK: Available: http://www. simplypsychology. pwp. blueyonder. co. uk/ Accessed: January 17, 2010). After the experiment when the subjects were being asked why they conformed to the answer some of them said that because they did really think that the other answers were correct. Another reason was that they just went along with everybody else’s same opinion because they did were basically afraid of being different of being thought of as dumb or unusual by the rest of his peers. Due to this Asch came to conclude that people conform for two main reasons one because the individual wants to be liked by the group or maybe because you believe that since you are doing the something different than the rest that they are better informed than you. Asch found out that the aspect that influences conformity is the size of the opposite people having the different opinion than you. He concluded that it is hard to sustain what you see versus something that nobody else sees. Pressure given by the expressed thoughts and opinions of other people can lead to change and alterations successfully making you see almost nothing. Alteration meaning changing your perception about the way the lines were being viewed in order to match with everybody else. In this assessment the independent variable were all the different students that were being tested with the same people in the room, these same students being there provided the same answers to the question sixteen out of eighteen times. The dependant variable was the test being taken and how many wrong answers were being provided for the subject of the experiment to see. In my opinion these results would have been different if we had paid more attention to the kind of people that were being analyzed. For example a person having a high self esteem versus someone having no self esteem at all which then would rapidly make them change their decision. This experiment could have been conducted better if they would have taken these factors in mind or if they would have just tested a similar group of people. Here you might have had people that will most likely listen to other people and then you have the people that are not afraid to be different . I think this experiment showed the correct by just a few people not conforming to everybody else’s choices because there are a very few people like that out in the world today . I think that these results will not really apply to other participants in other places at other experimental times because as stated before maybe not all the subject being tested might have the same mentality to change their answers that quick to be accepted by everyone else. This experiment however has a well contribution to the field of psychology explaining conformity and the different ways that pressure from people has an impact on you. In my cased I believe that everyone should read this experiment and that future edition of ext book should reference this experiment because it would be a great discussion topic and would bring up a good subject to talk about within our peers. This experiment has an impact in what our society is going thru today I believe we have a lot of individuals that are scared to be different I think this takes part greatly on the media and what he have seen growing up. Many people believe that always conforming to what everybody else is used to is always the right thing but what justifies this? Who has the right to say what is right is right and just because the majority of people believe this way it shouldn’t be the same you think. We shouldn’t have to format our minds to somebody else’s. That is the whole idea everyone is different in their own individual way which is what makes each and every one of us if not this world would be such a boring place. As reading about this experiment it’s silly but what came to mind was the show how wasn’t to be a millionaire. In that show which I believe you a bit reference on there is choices you have when you don’t know the answer to a question one of the choices is to ask the audience then the audience votes and obviously the contestant picks the answer they got the most votes. Then it is up to the individual to choose the answer that he thinks it is right nine out ten times the answer that the audience picks is correct which in this case this experiment would not justify the situation. Then we can ask is the individual doubting himself is he afraid to be different? Or in this matter is it not important whether or not they want to be different because there in money involved on the line. Different situations can alter your decision and decision making skills depending on the situation you are in and whether or not you choose to be different in that particular situation. Whether or not you choose to be different should be your decision and not a group of people. Knowing who you are plays big role in this case and if it is hard for you to find the right path then I think that it is better that you find it on your own first before asking someone else for advice and that is how you will find your true self which will then tell you apart from everybody else.

Features of Representational Meaning

Features of Representational Meaning While some, more or less radical, distinction between language and linguistic behaviour (between language and speech, language and communication, sentence and utterance) is universally assumed, the nature of the relation between them is less often addressed or characterised in a manner satisfactory in itself or consistent with the distinctions we wish to make. The more radical the distinction, the more urgent the question of their relation becomes. The paper sketches some of the problems and outlines a proposal. This takes the form of a Representational Hypothesis about the relation, designed to be consistent with (and render defensible) a very radical distinction between language and such behaviour. The discussion focuses on ambiguity both for itself and for illustrative purposes. It is suggested that ambiguity is not a linguistically semantic phenomenon and indeed not linguistic. 1. Rationale In the process of learning English, I have profoundly realized that English semantics is rather abstract with a large scope including word meaning, sentence meaning, utterrance meaning. Each type of meaning includes many different parts. For examples, sentence meaning has grammaticalitity, acceptability and meaningfullness, the principle of compositionality, variables in the function of sentence meaning, the representational meaning, the interpersonal meaning. It is rather complex and not used regularly in the fact. However, It is an essential part in syllabus for English major students. It provides the major knowledge of English language for the learners and help them deeply understand its characteristics and know the way to use it better and better, so they need to study it well but in fact, it is not easy at all. The learners have difficulties when using it. They spend much time on learning it, but the understanding of its characteristics is limmited. For the reason, a study on re presentational meaning one of basic part of English semantics has been chosen as the title of my assignment paper. 2. Aims of the study on the representational meaning Generally speaking, the representational meaning is abstract part in English semantics. It is not close to the fact. Therefore, the majority of learners have difficulties when using it. They make mistakes when distinguishing between types of the representational meaning. Therefore, this assignment paper focuses on the representational meaning with its scopes and characteristics to help learners well distinguish its types and use it flexibly and exactly in studying. 3. Scope of the study Semantics is large category in English language with its scopes such as word meaning, sentence meaning uterrance meaning. However, due to my limited knowledge, the writer only concentrate on the study on the representational meaning. It is particularized at the 3 main kinds of the representational meaning including processes, participants and circumstances with their definitions and characteristics. 4. The method of the study With the desire of making English representational meaning clear and specific, my methods of the study are data collection from having discussion with supervisors, friends, reading materials ( text books, referenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and collecting typical examples. 5. Design of the study This study provides a clear organization consisting of three main parts that help an easy exploration and practical benefits gained for readers as well: Chapter one is the introduction including rationale, scope of the study, aims of the study, the method and design of the study; Chapter two is entiled development and divided into three parts: Part I is the theoretical background, Part II is the representational meaning including definitions and characteristics of its types and Part III is implication including the difficulties of the learners when using it and suggested sollution; Chapter three is conclusion, summarizing what have been discussed in the previous. 1. Theoritical Background 1.1. Semantics 1.1.1. Definition of semantics There are many authors who define semantics. Some of the most typical definitions listed as follows: Semantics is the systematic study of meaning in language. In other word, it is the study of how language organizes and expresses meaning. ( Nguyen Hoa, 2004) Semantics deals with the literal meaning of words and the meaning of the way they are combined, which taken together form the core of meaning or the starting point from which the whole meaning of a particular utterance is constructed. (Lyons (1995: Xii)) 1.1.2. The approaches of semantics There are 3 main approaches of semantics including lexical semantics, formal semantics and cognitive semantics. 1.1.2.1. Lexical semantics Lexical semantics is a field which deals mainly with word meaning and relations between them. It covers various theories of the word structure, the diffferences and similarities in lexical semantic structure between different languages and relationship of word meaning to sentence meaning and syntax. 1.1.2.2. Formal semantics Formal semantics is called formal since it attempt to adapt analytical techniques from formal logic to the study of meaning. It is concerned with relation between expressions especially sentences which express propositions. The basic tenet of formal semantics is that it considers proposition as the meaning of the sentence, which is identified with the set of possible words and it is concerned with its truth condition. The main focus of formal semantics is on truth conditions, entailment, reference, denotation, contracdition model, inference, quantification. 1.1.2.3. Cognitive semantics: Cognitive semantics is seen as mapping from linguistic expression to cognitive structures and laguage is seen as part of the cognitive structure. The main tenets of the cognitive semantics can be summarised as follows: a) Meaning is conceptualisation in the cognitive model. More precisely, it involves the mapping from the expression of the language to some mental entities and does not concern itself with such important concepts of formal semantics as reference and truth. Cognitive models are mainly perceptuallly determined as it happens cognitive structures are connected to our perceptual merchamisms either directly or indirectly. Thus, meaning are more or less perceptually grounded. Semantic elements are based on the spatial or to pological objects. Mental structures applied in cognitive semantics are the meaning of linguistic expression. Cognitive models are primarily image schematic. Semantics is primary to syntax and partly dermintes it . Concepts show prototype effect Cognitive semantics is concerned with important notions as perspective, imagery construal, figure ground organization, abstraction, conceptual metaphor. 1.1.3. Semantics properties Accepting the fact that the meaning of an expression can be viewed as combination of features, we can decompose the meaning of a word into what we call semantic features or properties. Consider the word mandate in the following example : E.g.:I think I have a mandate to make the government work again. Our adequate knowledge of the word mandate tell us that mandate is an authority given to somebody or organization by people who support. We will know that it is not like word responsibility which just means a duty, it is given to sombody or organization not an animal and especially by whose support it. Such features are called semantic features. They can used to define the meanings of a word. And the method involing the use of these properties is called componential method One and the same semantic feature may be part of the meaning of many different words. Female is a semantic property that helps to define: bich hen actress maiden doe more debutante widow ewe vixen girl woman We should also notice that the last word girl, woman are characterized by another property human. The following table shows how the componential method is employed to decompose the meaning of a number of word Property actress baby Girl bachelor mare human + + + + + female + . + + young + + (Fromkin et al, 1984: 167) There are many more properties which define the meaning of the word. Some scholar believe that it is possible to the limited number of these semantic properties that could be employed to defined the meaning of the lexicon of any language. However, there is much disagreement as to what constitues a semantic property. There are difficulties involved. For example, the word baby can not be defined either as male or female since a baby can be either sex. 1.1.4. Scopes of semantics 1.1.4.1. Word meaning 1.1.4.1.1. Form and Expression Word are also considered expression.Words and word form are distinguished from each other in terms of distinction between lexical meaning and grammatical meaning. E.g.:cook cooks, cooking, cooked . Different forms of the word will share the same lexical meaning but different grammatical meaning . E.g.:Lovely, lovelier, loveliest. Different words may share grammatical meaning but different lexical meaning . E.g.: love, hate, eat, drink. 1.1.4.1.2. Lexical and grammatical meaning revisted The lexical meaning of the word really means the individual and reflective meaning of a word. The grammatical meaning can be defined as relationships between words based on contrastive features of arragements in which they occur. 1.1.4.1. 3. Components of word meaning There are 4 major components of word -meaning: a) Denotation which includes: conceptual and referential meanings; Denotation exists by virtue of what it refers to. b) Conotation including stylistic, affective, evaluative and intensifying is the pragmatic communicative value the words acquires by virture of where, when, how and by whom, for what purpose and in what context it is or may be used. c) Structural meaning, which is the meaning a word acquires by virtue of its membership in a system or a set. It includes reflected meaning, collative meaning, associative meaning and themantic meaning. d) Categorial meaning is one part of grammatical meaning which words derive from being a number of one category rather than another ( nouns rather verbs and so on ). Word fall in to such categories as Noun, verbs, Adjectives, Prepositions, conjunction. 1.1.4.1.4. Semantic field ( lexical field ) 1.1.4.1.4.1. Definition of semantic field A lexical / semantic field is the organization of related words and expressions into a system which shows their relationships to one another. The value of a word is determined by defining it in relation to the value of neigbouring or contrasting words. Thus, the vocabulary of a language is viewed as an integrated system of lexems interrelated in sense. A semantic field is a set of interrelated senses based on a conceptual field or spectrum. E.g.:In terms of colour : 4 primary color terms: Blue, green, yellow, red. Environment : overfish, overexploit, pollute, contaminate, ozone depletion, rain forests. Beach : towel, umbrella, lotion, bikini, sand. Carpenter: lumber, nails, drills, saw, chisel. Dentist: filling, cavity, extract,pull. Degree of redness : red, Scarlet, orange, Crimson, rose. ( Arnold (1986) i.v) 1.1.4.1.4.2. Ways of grouping words Thematically Words of the same part of speech that cover the same conceptual field. E.g.: cooking: boil, bake, fry, broil, steam. Ideographically Words of different parts of speech but thematically related. E.g.: Holiday: to book ( a fight ), a package tour, hotel, luxurious, etc . 1.1.4.2. Sentence meaning 1.1.4.2.1 Definition of sentence meaning A sentence is a large unit of grammatical organization within which parts of speech (noun,verb, adjective ) and gramamatical classes ( word, phrase, clause) are said to function. In English, a sentence normally contains one independent clause. The meaning of a sentence is not the sum of the meaning of the word used in the sentence.It is what a sentence means regardless of context and situation in which it may be used . It is more correct to regard it as function of the meaning of the word used in the sentence, modality and structural meaning signaled by the way words are organized into sentence. 1.1.4.2.2. Proposition 1.1.4.2.2.1. Definition of proposition A proposition is that part of the meaning of the utterance of a declarative sentence which describes some states of affairs. A proposition is defined as the invariant meaning expressed by a sentence, devoid of any modality. E.g.: She is probably right. Proposition: she is right . Modality: Probable impossible In semantics, the letters p, q, r are often used as symbols of propositions. Proposition involves in the meanings of not only declarative, but also interrogative and imperative sentence. E.g.: Is she right ? Be careful. The state of the affairs typically involves person or things referred to the expression in the sentence. In uttering a declarative sentence, a speaker typically asserts a proposition. 1.1.4.2.2.2. Proposition content A proposition usually consists of: (a) something which is named or talked about known as argument or entity, (b) an assertion or prediction made about the argument. E.g.: The man bit the dog. The dog bit the man. Predicate : Bite Two argument : Man, Dog The meaning of a sentence consists of the predicate, argument (s) and role of each argument. Arguments refer to entities white predicates deal with events, properties, attributes and states.Those individuals that are independent and can stand alone are arguments. Things like qualities, relations, actions and processes that are dependent and can not stand alone are termed predicates . E.g.:My computer Break down, fast, new. 1.1.4.2.2.3. Common types of semantic roles Semantic role Examples Agent /does She opened the door Affected Marry kicked the dog Effected She took deep breath Locative We reached London by mid night Instrument /Means The key open the door Recipient She gave me two books Goal He kicked the dog Experiencer I like the play. Carrier She is happy. Identified Bill Gate is the president Identifier Bill Gate is the president 1.1.4.3. Utterance 1.1.4.3.1. Definition of uterrance Utterance meaning is what a speaker means when he makes an utterance in a cercain situation. Utterances consist of performative and constative ones. 1.1.4.3.2. Types of utterances 1.1.4.3.2.1. Performative utterance: A performative utterance is one that actually describes the act that it performs. It performs some acts and simultenously describes that act. E.g.: I promise to pay you tomorrow. A typical performative utterrance usually contains the first person pronoun E.g.: I promise; I congratulateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. These are all verbs describing speech acts. We classify them and performative verbs. 1.1.4.3.2.2. Constative utterances A constative utterance is one which makes an assertion. It is often the utterance of a declarative sentence, but is not performative. Eg: I am trying to get this box with screwdriver. It is a constative utterance because because it makes an assertion about a particular state of affair but not performative. The utterance does not simultenously describe and perform the same act. 2. The representational Meaning 2.1. The representational meaning The representational meaning is rather abtract in English semantics. Therefore the learners need to pay much attention to its genneral characteristics as follows to approach and study it easily. According to Halliday, the experiential subcomponent of the representational meaning provides an acount of the underlying content of a sentence or an utterance. It handles within its scopes: Processes: actions, events, states, relations. Participating entities ( participants): persons, objects, abstractions. Circumstances: time, places, reasons, conditions, resultsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which are associated with the process. We all know that the nominal group represents the various types of participants. The verbal groups denote the process. And other types of units like the prepositional phrases of adverbial clauses realize the circumstance component. E.g.: She kicked the dog out of the house. The participants realized by NPs: she and the dog The process realized by the verb: kicked The circumstance realized by the PP : out of the house. The relationships between processes, participants, and their circumstance are expressed through what Halliday terms transitivity network. Transitivity really means going through or extending to another entity. On the dimension of transitivity, clauses may be organized in to two types : The transitive and the ergative sentences to accommodate better the situation regarding the catual occurrence of sentence patterns. In transitive sentence, the most prominent roles are actor, goal, if the process is one of the action E.g.: I bought my wife a cake. Or they are attributor and attributantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. If the process is one of ascription ( attribution ) E.g.:Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. In the ergative type, the central roles are the causer of the process and the affected the participant affected by the process. E.g.: Everyone likes the play. It is possible to rephrase it into the play pleases everyone or the play causes him to like itself . Those sentences involving action process as defined above are called extensive, and those concerned with ascription ( attribution ) as termed intensive. Halliday also introduces another basic distinction between effective and descriptive extensive transitive sentences. (a) Effective sentences The action is goal directed or targed at another object called goal. This means that the sentence has to involve at least two participants. E.g.: I bought a car. Some sentences may have three participants. E.g.:I gave her a flower. (b) Descriptive sentences It involves non directed action since the sentence is associated with just one participant. E.g.: The recruits marched. Actor the recruits, Process marched . Halliday speaks of another type called nuclear. (c) Nuclear setences It is the one associated with the either one or two participants. E.g.: Mary open the door. The door opened. The door was opened (by Mary). However there exists a possibility of transforming The recruits marched into the sergeant marched the recruits. To account for this sentence, Halliday uses another role, which is that of initiator, discretely from the actor role. Thus, we have: Initiator the sergeant process marched Actor recruits And the logical subcomponent handles logical relations between various types of elements of sentence and such relation as subordination and apposition. 2.2. Functions of the representational meaning The representational meaning can be defined in terms of experiential and logical functions. 2.2.1. The experiential function is to communicate ideas It is the main fucntion by which a speaker expresses the content elements of his utterance, by refering to people, objects, states of affairs, events, qualities, places, actions and circumstances, all of which are parts of the world we live in. E.g.: Bill Gates gave me books to read after each session. 2.2.2. The logical function relates ideas to each other on an equal or subordinate basis: E.g.: I came, I saw and I conquered. ( equal) The rise in Microsoft stock in 1996 meant that he made on paper about $30 million a day. (subordinate) 2.3. Scopes of representational meaning 2.3.1. The process Process is a powerful concept which represents the possible world as consisting of going on: doing, happening, feeling and being. Halliday (1994: 106-107 ) states that the processes in a language like English are constructed by the transitivity system. He also makes a distinction between what humans experience as going on out there, in the world around us and what we experience as going inside ourself. Thus the main type of the process that expresses out outer experience is called material process as opposed against the mental one that expresses our inner experience. But there is a third important element to be added. We learn to genneralize to relate or connect our experience. This process is termed relational. According to Halliday, the bounderies of the three main types of process are further ones not clearly set apart, but nevertheness recognizable as intermedinate between the different pairs. Thus, between material and mental processes, we find behavioural process: those that represent outer manifestation of our inner working, the acting out of processes of conciousness and physiological states. The borderline of mental and relational processes are verbal processes that represent symbolic relationship constructed in human consciousness and enacted in the form of the language. The last one is the existential processes between the material and relational which are concerned with existtence [Halliday, 1994:107] 2.3.1.1. Types of processes: 2.3.1.1.1. Material processes: processes of doing2.3.1.1.1.1. Definition of material processes: Material processes are those that express our outer experiences. 2.3.1.1.1.2. Characteristics of material processes: The matreial processes usually involve one or two enties : An actor + a goal If there is one enties, it is the actor E.g.: The lion sprang. Jack fell down. If there are two enties, they are the actor and goal. In this case: The actor can do something to the goal. E.g.:She hit the ball. The lion caught the tourist. The actor can create or bring about the goal. E.g.:He has built a fortune along away. Material processes are processes of doing. They express the notion that some entity does something which may be done to some other entity. So we can ask about or probe material processes by using the verb do E.g.: what did the lion do?. What did the lion do to the tourist?. If there is goal of the process, as well as an Actor, the representation may come in either of two forms : either active, the lion caught the tourist, or passive, the tourist was caught by the lion. 1.The the 2.The by the lion lion Caught tourist tourist was caught Actor Process Goal Goal process Actor Figure 1: active and passive clauses. Material process are not necessarily concrete, physical events; they may be abstract doing and happening E.g.:The mayor resigned. ActorProcess The presidentdissolvedthe committee. Actor processgoal 3. Implication: The Difficulties of Learners When Using Representational and Suggested Sollution 3.1.The difficulties of learners when using representational meaning Due to the abstract, complex characteristics of the representational meaning, the learners particularly the students of English department have the difficulties in the processing of studying and using it in some following cases: 3.1.1. Distinguishing between attributive and identifying: Intensive type of relational processes is rather complex. It comes into two distinct modes: attributive and identifying with characteristic of each mode. Therefore, the learners have difficulties distinguishing between them. E.g.:He is a smart boy. In the above sentence, they misunderstand between two characteristics of attributive and identifying. They particulaly consider a smart boy as a characteristic of identifying but in fact, a mart boy is attributive. It has an indefinite article a, a typical feature of attributive. In addition, the line between the attributive and identifying modes is less clear in the circumstantial than in the intensive type of relational clause. It is less obvious whether an expression such as on the mat designates a class (that has members the class of things that are on the mat) or an identity (the thing that is identified by being on the mat.). 3.1.2. Distinguishing between types of relational processes in the following cases The relational processes have complex, large characteristics. The English system of relational processes operates with three main types: intensive, circumstantial, processive. Each of these come in to distinct modes: Attributive: a is atrribute of x Identifying : a is the identity of x In circumtantial processes atrributive , circumstance is expressed in the form of the attribute and the form of process. In circumstantial processes identify, the circumstance takes the form of a relationship between two entities. The relationship is expressed either as a feature of the participants or as a feature of the process. In possessive processes attributive, the possessive relationship may be expressed either as attribute or as process. In possessive processes identifying, possessive relationship is expressed either as a feature of participants or as a feature of process. With these complex, large charateristics, the learners make mistakes when distinguishing between the types of relational processes. E.g.: Peter has a piano. Peter owns the piano. The learners always make mistakes between 2 two verbs has, owns. They consider them as possessive attribute. But only the verb has is one of possessive attributive, the verb own is the case of possessive -identifying. Therefore, they incorrectly identify entities : carrier attributive, identified identifier. 3.1.3 Distinguishing between mental and behavioural processes: Participant of behavioural processes who is behaving, label

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According to Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president, the average Russian drinks 18 liters (equivalent to 38 pints) of strictly vodka each year. Vodka is Russia’s favored drink and has a strong Russian history. Although vodka has provided a large issue to the economy due to the abuse of the substance, there are many good outcomes from the production of it with respect to jobs and tax revenue. The Russian government has tired to enforce multiple different ways of curbing the vodka consumption from the citizens, but they do not last. Russia has a large distribution of vodka around the world and the income keeps many Russians employed. For Russia, vodka is an occupation, pleasure and a devil, and a way of life. Vodka was introduced to Russia in the late 14th century and was known as the water of life. In 1386, an ambassador introduced the first vodka to the Grand Duke Dmitri Donskoy. The vodka was obtained by the purification of grape must and was thought of as a concentrate and a â€Å"spirit† of wine. This was the origination of other countries’ understanding of vodka being a spirit. The first vodka recipe ever made was by a Russian monk named Isidore in Moscow. He associated the drink as a â€Å"bread wine† unless it was a strong batch; in this case it would be known as â€Å"burning wine†. The word vodka was already being used at the time for herbal tinctures (an alcoholic extract from a plant or animal). The word was being used, but was not officially in writing. The liquid was officially named vodka after Empress Elizabeth used it in writing to regulate vodka distilleries on June 8th, 1751 (Wikipedia). With the creation of vodka, the countrywide struggle with alcoholism was established. The alcohol has caused the destruction of families,... ...ve their vodka not only for the taste and affects, but also to provide many of them with a way to have an income and place food on the table for their families. The consumption of vodka in Russia is among the highest in the world. Along with the consumption, Russia can be credited among the highest in the world for vodka production and sales. Alcoholism in Russia has become a large problem that needs to be taken care of. Political Leaders in Russia are devising ways to put a restraint on the amount of alcohol consumed by citizens. The outstanding demand for vodka in Russia has greatly helped the economy to thrive in business for families, a strong market, and state tax revenue. The decrease in consumption of alcohol will lower the efficiency of the market for vodka. Is the Russian government more worried about its’ citizens well being, or an efficient market.

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Baptism There are nearly 21,000 different Christian denominations in the world today. With such an enormous number of diverse groups, understanding the beliefs and practices of each and the differences that distinguish one from another can be quiet confusing. While many denominations are similar, observing the same rites and sacraments, others have little in common other than the fact that they all accept Jesus as the Lord of God. In today's modern world, when we think about religion and Christianity, it is almost impossible not to think about Christian Baptism and its members. Christian Baptism is that point at which one acclaims and affirms the true gospel of Christ (Clearman 12). The ministry of John the Baptist is the founder of Christian Baptism. To achieve the erasing of sin, he administered a baptism of water by doing it in the water of Jordan River by itself. Between many people that John had baptized he also baptized Jesus Christ. Jesus' baptism inaugurated his public ministry, and he later gave his disciples the mission of baptizing in the name of Trinitarian faith. They continued to practice the baptism of water of the type administered by John. Jesus continued John's movement, but he also added new meaning to baptism. Now, baptism symbolized not only a change of heart but also the coming Holy Spirit which was to mark the messianic age (Hinnells 91). Baptism not long after this became very popular and people all over the world were practiced baptizing. Today ...

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Rocky If you were to see Rocky for the first time and you were anything like most people, you would be overcome by a feeling of repugnancy and disgust. This is because he is a homeless person. His real name is Jack but people call him â€Å"Rocky† because of his 6’2† body and his somewhat larger than normal muscles. He doesn’t have the body of any average man. The combination of his light green eyes, his long brown beard, and his long mocha hair falling down from his winter hat, which he wears in every season, reminds me of a depiction of Jesus. But that’s just pure physical appearance. Most of the time, the hair around the rim of his mouth is covered by whatever food he just ate. Sometimes it’s white rice, sometimes it’s powder like that from a donut, but most of the time it’s just a mess and I can’t tell what it is. He’s a homeless clown, for lack of a better word. He likes to make people laugh, and often jokes around. As he smiles he displays a naked mouth. His two front teeth are missing and most of the others sit rotting away. He mumbles words almost to the point where it’s incohe...

How Far Did Martin Luther King Further the Cause of Civil Rights Essay

Dr. Martin luther king is one of the most famous civil rights activists in America to date. However, the importance of his legacy has been debated over how important really was he to the civil rights movement. I personally his movement was a key catalyst for the acquiring of equal civil rights in America. Martin Luther King’s peculiar method of campaigning gained him a large amount of white sympathizers to the civil rights cause. This support, which included President Johnson as a supporter; proved a great asset to the success of the civil rights movement, which highlights King’s importance. His use of peaceful campaigning put the activists on a moral high ground against the police and authorities trying to physically stop them. King being a Christian Pastor, used his acquired rhetoric to communicate the moral issues of his campaigns to the largely Christian white Americans. His importance is clearly evident as had he not tried to communicate to the masses on a religious level, support for the civil rights movement would be very small outside African American community. Perhaps a more militant approach like that of the Black Panthers would have proven a possible hindrance to the success of the civil rights movement as sympathy from white people and moral justification would be eradicated. This is why the work of Martin Luther King could be considered very important to the civil rights movement. Another reason why Martin Luther King’s contributions could be considered very important is due to King’s character and personality. He was like a spokesman for the movement. His impressive oration skills granted him a large audience on which he could lay down his ideas. Civil Rights was mostly associated with him and his personality gave him connection to many people within the political spectrum. King had an inspirational factor to his speeches, as seen during the March On Washington where he delivered his famed ‘I have a dream’ speech in front of 250,000 spectators. His popularity on a national level meant the government had to change their actics in regards to civil rights as upheaval may follow. In this sense, King forced the government to speed up the laws of civil rights, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King’s flair for words and his personality made his a valuable element to the entire civil rights movement; his popularity gave him audience with President Kennedy, who eventually supported King. This is why he could be seen as have important contributions to the civil rights movement. As far as King’s work may have lead the civil rights movement, he can still be considered not that important in the grand scheme of things. Some of his ideas and methods were not supported by some members of the civil rights movement. His peaceful methods were rejected by some African Americans – some of who were involved in the Watts Summer Riots and wished to pursue liberty through violent means. Groups such as Nation Of Islam and Black Panthers labelled King as an ‘uncle tom’- a man who worked for the white people and not his own. This hate towards King made his work less important as opposition decreases his support and gave him enemies within members of the movement itself. Furthermore, King’s speeches were heavily Christianity-based. Although they fitted the majority of citizens, who were mostly Christian, some people were not so his ideas were not understood and accepted very well. In this aspect of things, opponents of King and those who he did not represent made his contributions less important. All in all, King’s contributions largely were very significant and important in the Civil Rights movement, his borrowed methods of peaceful protest , along with his oration skills and inspirational attitude ensured his work is probably the most single significant aspect of the entire movement. Despite not representing some members from the civil rights community, his legacy is very famous. The most important aspect of his work is his use of moral defences against authorities, his pacifism gave him support from the biggest politic figureheads and therefore his work undoubtedly was very important.