The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Ten

Meredith sat down on the knee-high wall of the ruined church. â€Å"You said it was going to be dangerous, Stefan, but you didn't say you were going to let him strangle me.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I was hoping he'd give some more information, especially after he admitted to being there when Sue died. But I shouldn't have waited.† â€Å"I haven't admitted anything! You can't prove anything,† Tyler said. The animal whine was back in his voice, but on the walk up his face and body had returned to normal. Or rather, they'd returned to human, Meredith thought. The swelling and bruises and dried blood weren't normal. â€Å"This isn't a court of law, Tyler,† she said. â€Å"Your father can't help you now.† â€Å"But if it were, we'd have a pretty good case,† Stefan added. â€Å"Enough to put you away on conspiracy to commit murder, I think.† â€Å"That's if somebody doesn't melt down their grandma's teaspoons to make a silver bullet,† Matt put in. Tyler looked from one to another of them. â€Å"I won't tell you anything.† â€Å"Tyler, you know what you are? You're a bully,† Bonnie said. â€Å"And bullies always talk.† â€Å"You don't mind pinning a girl down and threatening her,† said Matt, â€Å"but when her friends turn up, you're scared spitless.† Tyler just glared at all of them. â€Å"Well, if you don't want to talk, I guess I'll have to,† Stefan said. He leaned down and picked up the thick book he'd gotten from the library. One foot on the lip of the tomb, he rested the book on his knee and opened it. In that moment, Meredith thought, he looked frighteningly like Damon. â€Å"This is a book by Gervase of Tilbury, Tyler,† he said. â€Å"It was written around the year 1210 a.d. One of the things it talks about is werewolves.† â€Å"You can't prove anything! You don't have any evidence-â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Tyler!† Stefan looked at him. â€Å"I don't need to prove it. I can see it, even now. Have you forgotten what I am?† There was a silence, and then Stefan went on. â€Å"When I got here a few days ago, there was a mystery. A girl was dead. But who killed her? And why? All the clues I could see seemed contradictory. â€Å"It wasn't an ordinary killing, not some human psycho off the street. I had the word of somebody I trusted on that-and independent evidence, too. An ordinary killer can't work a Ouija board by telekinesis. An ordinary killer can't cause fuses to blow in a power plant hundreds of miles away. â€Å"No, this was somebody with tremendous physical and psychic power. From everything Vickie told me, it sounded like a vampire. â€Å"And there was another thing. You were in that house, Tyler. You made the mistake of grabbing Bonnie that night, and then you made the mistake of shooting off your mouth the next day, saying things you couldn't have known unless you were there. â€Å"So what did we have? A seasoned vampire, a vicious killer with Power to spare? Or a high school bully who couldn't organize a trip to the toilet without falling over his own feet? Which? The evidence pointed both ways, and I couldn't make up my mind. â€Å"Then I went to see Sue's body myself. And there it was, the biggest mystery of all. A cut here.† Stefan's finger sketched a sharp line down from his collarbone. â€Å"Typical, traditional cut-made by vampires to share their own blood. But Sue wasn't a vampire, and she didn't make that cut herself. Someone made it for her as she lay there dying on the ground.† Meredith shut her eyes, and she heard Bonnie swallow hard beside her. She put out a hand and found Bonnie's and held tight, but she went on listening. Stefan had not gone into this kind of detail in his explanation to them before. â€Å"Vampires don't need to cut their victims like that; they use their teeth,† Stefan said. His upper lip lifted slightly to show his own teeth. â€Å"But if a vampire wanted to draw blood for somebody else to drink, he might cut instead of biting. If a vampire wanted to give someone else the first and only taste, he might do that. â€Å"And that started me thinking about blood. Blood is important, you see. For vampires, it gives life, Power. It's all we need for survival, and there are times when needing it drives us crazy. But it's good for other things, too. For instance†¦ initiation. â€Å"Initiation and Power. Now I was thinking about those two things, putting them together with what I'd seen of you, Tyler, when I was in Fell's Church before. Little things I hadn't really focused on. But I remembered something Elena had told me about your family history, and I decided to check it out in Honoria Fell's journal.† Stefan lifted a piece of paper from between the pages of the book he held. â€Å"And there it was, in Honoria's handwriting. I Xeroxed the page so I could read it to you. The Smallwoods' little family secret-if you can read between the lines.† Looking down at the paper, he read: â€Å"November 12. Candles made, flax spun. We are short on cornmeal and salt, but we will get through the winter. Last night an alarm; wolves attacked Jacob Smallwood as he returned from the forest. I treated the wound with whortleberry and sallow bark, but it is deep and I am afraid. After coming home I cast the runes. I have told no one but Thomas the results. â€Å"December 20. Wolf trouble at the Smallwoods' again. We heard the screams a few minutes ago, and Thomas said it was time. He made the bullets yesterday. He has loaded his rifle and we will walk over. If we are spared, I will write again. â€Å"December 21. Went over to Smallwoods' last night. Jacob sorely afflicted. Wolf killed. â€Å"We will bury Jacob in the little graveyard at the foot of the hill. May his soul find peace in death. â€Å"In the official history of Fell's Church,† Stefan said, â€Å"that's been interpreted to mean that Thomas Fell and his wife went over to the Smallwoods' to find Jacob Smallwood being attacked by a wolf again, and that the wolf killed him. But that's wrong. What it really says is not that the wolf killed Jacob Smallwood but that Jacob Smallwood, the wolf, was killed.† Stefan shut the book. â€Å"He was a werewolf, your great-great-great-whatever grandfather, Tyler. He got that way by being attacked by a werewolf himself. And he passed his werewolf virus on to the son who was born eight and a half months after he died. Just the way your father passed it on to you.† â€Å"I always knew there was something about you, Tyler,† Bonnie said, and Meredith opened her eyes. â€Å"I never could tell what it was, but at the back of my mind something was telling me you were creepy.† â€Å"We used to make jokes about it,† Meredith said, her voice still husky. â€Å"About your ‘animal magnetism and your big white teeth. We just never knew how close to the mark we were.† â€Å"Sometimes psychics can sense that kind of thing,† Stefan conceded. â€Å"Sometimes even ordinary people can. I should have seen it, but I was preoccupied. Still, that's no excuse. And obviously somebody else-the psychic killer-saw it right away. Didn't he, Tyler? A man wearing an old raincoat came to you. He was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, and he made some kind of a deal with you. In exchange for-something-he'd show you how to reclaim your heritage. How to become a real werewolf. â€Å"Because according to Gervase of Tilbury†-Stefan tapped the book on his knee -â€Å"a werewolf who hasn't been bitten himself needs to be initiated. That means you can have the werewolf virus all your life but never even know it because it's never activated. Generations of Smallwoods have lived and died, but the virus was dormant in them because they didn't know the secret of waking it up. But the man in the raincoat knew. He knew that you have to kill and taste fresh blood. After that, at the first full moon you can change.† Stefan glanced up, and Meredith followed his gaze to the white disk of the moon in the sky. It looked clean and two dimensional now, no longer a sullen red globe. â€Å"Very clever,† said Meredith, and Matt said, â€Å"No kidding.† Bonnie wet her finger and marked an imaginary 1 on an invisible Scoreboard. â€Å"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist following one of the girls here if you thought she'd be alone,† said Stefan. â€Å"You'd think that the graveyard was the perfect place to kill; you'd have complete privacy. And I knew you wouldn't be able to resist bragging about what you'd done. I was hoping you'd tell Meredith more about the other killer, the one who actually threw Sue out the window, the one who cut her so you could drink fresh blood. The vampire, Tyler. Who is he? Where is he hiding?† Tyler's look of venomous hatred changed to a sneer. â€Å"You think I'd tell you that? He's my friend.† â€Å"He is not your friend, Tyler. He's using you. And he's a murderer.† â€Å"Don't get in any deeper, Tyler,† Matt added. â€Å"You're already an accessory. Tonight you tried to kill Meredith. Pretty soon you're not going to be able to go back even if you want to. Be smart and stop this now. Tell us what you know.† Tyler bared his teeth. â€Å"I'm not telling you anything. How're you going to make me?† The others exchanged glances. The atmosphere changed, became charged with tension as they all turned back to Tyler. â€Å"You really don't understand, do you?† Meredith said quietly. â€Å"Tyler, you helped kill Sue. She died for an obscene ritual so that you could change into that thing I saw. You were planning to kill me, and Vickie and Bonnie too, I'm sure. Do you think we have any pity for you? Do you think we brought you up here to be nice to you?† There was a silence. The sneer was fading from Tyler's lips. He looked from one face to another. They were all implacable. Even Bonnie's small face was unforgiving. â€Å"Gervase of Tilbury mentions one interesting thing,† Stefan said, almost pleasantly. â€Å"There's a cure for werewolves besides the traditional silver bullet. Listen.† By moonlight, he read from the book on his knee. â€Å"It is commonly reported and held by grave and worthy doctors that if a werewolf be shorn of one of his members, he shall surely recover his original body. Gervase goes on to tell the story of Raimbaud of Auvergne, a werewolf who was cured when a carpenter cut off one of his hind paws. Of course, that was probably hideously painful, but the story goes that Raimbaud thanked the carpenter ‘for ridding him forever of the accursed and damnable form.' † Stefan raised his head. â€Å"Now, I'm thinking that if Tyler won't help us with information, the least we can do is make sure he doesn't go out and kill again. What do the rest of you say?† â€Å"All we have to do is relieve him of one of his members,† Bonnie agreed. â€Å"I can think of one right off,† Meredith said under her breath. Tyler's eyes were starting to bulge. Under the dirt and blood his normally ruddy face had gone pale. â€Å"You're bluffing!† â€Å"Get the ax, Matt,† said Stefan. â€Å"Meredith, you take off one of his shoes.† Tyler kicked when she did, aiming for her face. Matt came and got his head in a hammer-lock. â€Å"Don't make it any worse on yourself, Tyler.† The bare foot Meredith exposed was big, the sole as sweaty as Tyler's palms. Coarse hair sprouted from the toes. It made Meredith's skin crawl. â€Å"Let's get this over with,† she said. â€Å"You're joking!† Tyler howled, thrashing so that Bonnie had to come and grab his other leg and kneel on it. â€Å"You can't do this! You can't!† â€Å"Keep him still,† Stefan said. Working together, they stretched Tyler out, his head locked in Matt's arm, his legs spread and pinned by the girls. Making sure Tyler could see what he was doing, Stefan balanced a branch perhaps two inches thick on the lip of the tomb. He raised the ax and then brought it down hard, severing the stick with one blow. â€Å"It's sharp enough,† he said. â€Å"Meredith, roll his pants leg up. Then tie some of that cord just above his ankle as tight as you can for a tourniquet. Otherwise he'll bleed out.† â€Å"You can't do this!† Tyler was screaming. â€Å"You can't dooooooo this!† â€Å"Scream all you want, Tyler. Up here, nobody's going to hear you, right?† Stefan said. â€Å"You're no better than I am!† Tyler yelled in a spray of spittle. â€Å"You're a killer too!† â€Å"I know exactly what I am,† Stefan said. â€Å"Believe me, Tyler. I know. Is everybody ready? Good. Hold on to him; he's going to jump when I do it.† Tyler's screams weren't even words anymore. Matt was holding him so that he could see Stefan kneel and take aim, hefting the ax blade above Tyler's ankle to gauge force and distance. â€Å"Now,† said Stefan, raising the ax high. â€Å"No! No! I'll talk to you! I'll talk!† shrieked Tyler. Stefan glanced at him. â€Å"Too late,† he said, and brought the ax down. It rebounded off the stone floor with a clang and a spark, but the noise was drowned by Tyler's screaming. It seemed to take Tyler several minutes to realize that the blade hadn't touched his foot. He paused for breath only when he choked, and turned wild, bulging eyes on Stefan. Little whimpers were coming from Tyler's throat and there was foam on his lips. â€Å"I don't know his name,† he gasped out. â€Å"But he looks like you said. And you're right; he's a vampire, man! I saw him drain a ten-point buck while it was still kicking. He lied to me,† Tyler added, the whine creeping back into his voice. â€Å"He told me I'd be stronger than anybody, as strong as him. He said I could have any girl I wanted, any way I wanted. The creep lied.† â€Å"He told you that you could kill and get away with it,† Stefan said. â€Å"He said I could do Caroline that night. She had it coming after the way she ditched me. I wanted to make her beg-but she got out of the house somehow. I could have Caroline and Vickie, he said. All he wanted was Bonnie and Meredith.† â€Å"But you just tried to kill Meredith.† â€Å"That was now. Things are different now, stupid. He said it was all right.† â€Å"Why?† Meredith asked Stefan in an undertone. â€Å"Maybe because you'd served your purpose,† he said. â€Å"You'd brought me here.† Then he went on, â€Å"All right, Tyler, show us you're cooperating. Tell us how we can get this guy.† â€Å"Get him? You're nuts!† Tyler burst into ugly laughter, and Matt tightened the arm around his throat. â€Å"Hey, choke me all you want; it's still the truth. He told me he's one of the Old Ones, one of the Originals, whatever that means. He said he's been making vampires since before the pyramids. He said he's made a bargain with the devil. You could stick a stake in his heart and it wouldn't do anything. You can't kill him.† The laughter became uncontrolled. â€Å"Where's he hiding, Tyler?† Stefan rapped out. â€Å"Every vampire needs a place to sleep. Where is it?† â€Å"He'd kill me if I told you that. He'd eat me, man. God, if I told you what he did to that buck before it died†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tyler's laughter was turning into something like sobs. â€Å"Then you'd better help us destroy him before he can find you, hadn't you? What's his weak point? How's he vulnerable?† â€Å"God, that poor buck†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tyler was blubbering. â€Å"What about Sue? Did you cry over her?† Stefan said sharply. He picked up the ax. â€Å"I think,† he said, â€Å"that you're wasting our time.† The ax lifted. â€Å"No! No! I'll talk to you; I'll tell you something. Look, there's one kind of wood that can hurt him-not kill him, but hurt him. He admitted that but didn't tell me what it was! I swear to you that's the truth!† â€Å"Not good enough, Tyler,† said Stefan. â€Å"For God's sake-I'll tell you where he's going tonight. If you get over there fast enough, maybe you can stop him.† â€Å"What do you mean, where he's going tonight? Talk fast, Tyler!† â€Å"He's going to Vickie's, okay? He said tonight we get one each. That's helpful, isn't it? If you hurry, maybe you can get there!† Stefan had frozen, and Meredith felt her heart racing. Vickie. They hadn't even thought about an attack on Vickie. â€Å"Damon's guarding her,† Matt said. â€Å"Right, Stefan? Right?† â€Å"He's supposed to be,† Stefan said. â€Å"I left him there at dusk. If something happened, he should have called me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You guys,† Bonnie whispered. Her eyes were big and her lips were trembling. â€Å"I think we'd better get over there now.† They stared at her a moment and then everyone was moving. The ax clanged on the floor as Stefan dropped it. â€Å"Hey, you can't leave me like this! I can't drive! He's gonna come back for me! Come back and untie my hands!† Tyler shrieked. None of them answered. They ran all the way down the hill and piled into Meredith's car. Meredith took off speeding, rounding corners dangerously fast and gliding through stop signs, but there was a part of her that didn't want to get to Vickie's house. That wanted to turn around and drive the other way. I'm calm; I'm the one who's always calm, she thought. But that was on the outside. Meredith knew very well how calm you could look on the outside when inside everything was breaking up. They rounded the last corner onto Birch Street and Meredith hit the brakes. â€Å"Oh, God!† Bonnie cried from the backseat. â€Å"No! No!† â€Å"Quick,† Stefan said. â€Å"There may still be a chance.† He wrenched open the door and was out even before the car had stopped. But in back, Bonnie was sobbing.

Education is not for sale! Essay

Let’s pretend you own a school. Let’s pretend the school you own is still functional, but   pretty old: wobbly chairs, uneven tables, equipment prone to breaking down. Prices are rising, so what will you do? Instead of taking care of the facilities with the students’ tuition (you still have enrolled students, believe it or not), let’s pretend you spend more time and money looking for new students who are willing to study in your dilapidated school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We’re not pretending anymore: due to the financial crisis, California State University East Bay is spending more of the students’ money for recruitment of new students than the upgrading of our facilities. It has also decided to increase the tuition again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Something is wrong when we pay for something we won’t be able to use. And it is unfair to pay more for something we are not supposed to be paying for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not a few Californians are suffering from rising utility costs, such as housing and transportation. Increasing the cost of education is another burden being forced unto them. For the last seven years, tuition has increased six times. What is happening to the taxes our parents pay to the State? Isn’t that the whole point of taxes, that it provide the needs of its citizens, especially education?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Students of caliber are the school’s best advertisement. And recruiting more students will not result in higher quality students. In our current situation, the average CSUEB student takes six years to graduate, instead of the usual four. This is due to the increase in class sizes and reduction in courses students need to take. Countless studies have proven that more students in a classroom do not translate into better grades or understanding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Therefore, the school should not increase its tuition. First, because the State should be responsible for the school’s upkeep. Second, recruiting more students will only result in the deteriorating quality of students. Education is not a business, so it should not be thought of in terms of returns of investment or profit. Education is a democratic right, and therefore it should not be profited from, but asserted and protected. Education is not for sale!

Different Treatment Organizations in Prisons

There are various treatment programs in prisons that I have discovered by contacting several organizations. I will described a wide range of programs offered to inmates that help target special needs such as education, behavioral change, spiritual awareness, vocational training, parenting classes, HIV prevention, and drug education. I will describe each treatment programs that I have found and discuss the purposes of each program. A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Practical Exploration, Basic Understanding of Money Management, and Basic Eye Care. I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U. S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations. I contacted the Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries based in Kirkland, WA, and spoke with Greg Von Tobel, to learn more information about programs offered to inmates. Prisoners For Christ services include: Church Services and Bible Studies, Two Year Bible Study Correspondence Course, One to One Visitation Outreach, Pen Pal Outreach, Special Projects Outreach, Literature, Heart to Heart Christmas Giving Program, Wives Outreach, Parent Outreach, Van Transportation Outreach, and Northwest Transitional Housing. The purposes of these services are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the jails, prisons, and juvenile centers of the Northwest. In addition, Prisoners For Christ work with the men, women, and children who are incarcerated to become fully functioning, tax paying citizens and to assist their families. Statistics shows that last year alone, 16,326 inmates (men, women, and youth) attended these programs in 19 different institutions. About 6% of inmates made their first time commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to learn about several other types of treatment programs offered in prisons, so I contacted the California Department of Corrections. They have implemented several programs designed to benefit both the inmates and the public. I will briefly describe each of these programs and the purpose each one offers. The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults. The Mother Infant Program is designed to help mothers reestablish bonds with their children, teach them valuable skills, and prepare them to return to society as working adults. Parenting classes, pre-employment training, and drug education classes are offered to help build better parenting relationships and brighter futures for inmates while they serve their time. In parenting classes, they learn how to talk and relate to their children and how to discipline effectively. Both mothers and children may also receive counseling. In pre-employment training, they gain practical information about applying, landing and keeping a job. Since the majority of the mothers have had some sort of chemical dependency in the past, they also attend drug education classes. The classes are geared to keep them from returning to their old habits, make them aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and show them how drugs not only impair their lives, but especially their children†s. The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to society, camp inmates provide a real economic benefit to local communities. In a typical year, they will work 2 million hours on fire fighting and fire prevention. They also will spend almost 6 million hours on conservation projects and community service activities. Those who successfully complete training at prison conservation centers in Northern and Southern California learn how their effectiveness and their lives depend upon discipline and teamwork. When the time comes for parole, inmates have been exposed to good work habits and teamwork in the camp setting. This exposure provides them with a purpose, goals, and a sense of accomplishment in doing a job well done. Computer refurbishing program, launched in 1994, was developed to refurbish used computers for California's K-12 public schools. The California Department of Corrections trains inmates to refurbish donated computers then turns them over to the schools. Currently, the California Department of Corrections is responsible for 60 percent of all refurbished computers placed in California public schools. The donated computer equipment comes in various states of disrepair. Some computers are obsolete for business purposes, others need minor repair and still others can only be used for parts. In the first year, nearly 2,000 refurbished computers made their way to California classrooms. By the end of 1997, 13 prisons had refurbished more than 35,000 computers for California schools, saving them close to $33 million. Through this program, the inmates learn and practice skills that will help prepare them for a future outside prison. I contacted San Quentin State Prison, and spoke to Barry Zack, to find out about any treatment programs offered. One particular program called HIV Prevention Education is required for all men entering the prison. This program offered since 1986, is to help inmates see the personal side to HIV, increase perception of risk, increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis in prison and after release. Since 1991, inmates have received comprehensive peer education training to work as peer educators. The training covers several topics such as public speaking techniques, awareness of alcohol and drugs and their impact on high-risk behaviors, HIV-related multi-cultural awareness, and HIV/AIDS in our society and in the world. About 40 peer educators are trained each year. After training, the peer educators conducts various services such as teaching an HIV prevention orientation class, providing individual counseling, and providing prevention case management. Two different programs are offered to inmates prior to their release from prison. One program is specifically for HIV + inmates and is offered as a two-week, 8 session intervention that includes such topics as self-esteem, health maintenance, community resources, stress management, substance use, legal issues, and barriers to care after release. The other program, conducted two weeks prior to an inmate†s release, offers individual sessions to discuss preventing, acquiring, or transmitting HIV after release from prison. Topics covered include using condoms, avoiding drug and alcohol use, and avoiding needle sharing. I contacted The Federal Bureau of Prisons where they currently operate 42 residential treatment programs with an annual capacity of over 6,000 participants. For the 30 percent of Federal inmates who have a history of moderate to severe substance abuse this program is able to provide drug treatment to all inmates who need it and are willing to accept it. This program offers inmates up to 500 hours of treatment, which focuses on individual responsibility and to deter future criminal behavior. The goal of this program is to help identify, confront, and alter their attitudes, values, and thinking patterns that led them to their criminal behavior and drug or alcohol use. This program includes sessions on Screening and Assessment, Treatment Orientation, Criminal Lifestyle Confrontation, Cognitive Skill Building, Relapse Prevention, Interpersonal Skill Building, and Wellness. I have found these treatment programs to be suitable and adequate. Each organization, I spoke with has concluded that these programs not only offers benefits to the individual but also to society as a whole. There are economic and social benefits that can be gained from these programs that I have just described. I have listed a wide range of programs that help target special needs for inmates that may help deter future criminal behavior. We need these programs to help rehabilitate these inmates while they are serving their time in jail. It has been stressed that jail alone cannot deter a criminal from reoffending. By providing these various programs to inmates, we can help them become drug-free, educated, hard-working individuals prior to being released from prison. Hopefully, whatever program an inmate has participated in can help change their behavioral patterns, which may help reduce the rate of recidivism. Different Treatment Organizations in Prisons There are various treatment programs in prisons that I have discovered by contacting several organizations. I will described a wide range of programs offered to inmates that help target special needs such as education, behavioral change, spiritual awareness, vocational training, parenting classes, HIV prevention, and drug education. I will describe each treatment programs that I have found and discuss the purposes of each program. A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Practical Exploration, Basic Understanding of Money Management, and Basic Eye Care. I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U. S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations. I contacted the Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries based in Kirkland, WA, and spoke with Greg Von Tobel, to learn more information about programs offered to inmates. Prisoners For Christ services include: Church Services and Bible Studies, Two Year Bible Study Correspondence Course, One to One Visitation Outreach, Pen Pal Outreach, Special Projects Outreach, Literature, Heart to Heart Christmas Giving Program, Wives Outreach, Parent Outreach, Van Transportation Outreach, and Northwest Transitional Housing. The purposes of these services are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the jails, prisons, and juvenile centers of the Northwest. In addition, Prisoners For Christ work with the men, women, and children who are incarcerated to become fully functioning, tax paying citizens and to assist their families. Statistics shows that last year alone, 16,326 inmates (men, women, and youth) attended these programs in 19 different institutions. About 6% of inmates made their first time commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted to learn about several other types of treatment programs offered in prisons, so I contacted the California Department of Corrections. They have implemented several programs designed to benefit both the inmates and the public. I will briefly describe each of these programs and the purpose each one offers. The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults. The Mother Infant Program is designed to help mothers reestablish bonds with their children, teach them valuable skills, and prepare them to return to society as working adults. Parenting classes, pre-employment training, and drug education classes are offered to help build better parenting relationships and brighter futures for inmates while they serve their time. In parenting classes, they learn how to talk and relate to their children and how to discipline effectively. Both mothers and children may also receive counseling. In pre-employment training, they gain practical information about applying, landing and keeping a job. Since the majority of the mothers have had some sort of chemical dependency in the past, they also attend drug education classes. The classes are geared to keep them from returning to their old habits, make them aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and show them how drugs not only impair their lives, but especially their children†s. The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to society, camp inmates provide a real economic benefit to local communities. In a typical year, they will work 2 million hours on fire fighting and fire prevention. They also will spend almost 6 million hours on conservation projects and community service activities. Those who successfully complete training at prison conservation centers in Northern and Southern California learn how their effectiveness and their lives depend upon discipline and teamwork. When the time comes for parole, inmates have been exposed to good work habits and teamwork in the camp setting. This exposure provides them with a purpose, goals, and a sense of accomplishment in doing a job well done. Computer refurbishing program, launched in 1994, was developed to refurbish used computers for California's K-12 public schools. The California Department of Corrections trains inmates to refurbish donated computers then turns them over to the schools. Currently, the California Department of Corrections is responsible for 60 percent of all refurbished computers placed in California public schools. The donated computer equipment comes in various states of disrepair. Some computers are obsolete for business purposes, others need minor repair and still others can only be used for parts. In the first year, nearly 2,000 refurbished computers made their way to California classrooms. By the end of 1997, 13 prisons had refurbished more than 35,000 computers for California schools, saving them close to $33 million. Through this program, the inmates learn and practice skills that will help prepare them for a future outside prison. I contacted San Quentin State Prison, and spoke to Barry Zack, to find out about any treatment programs offered. One particular program called HIV Prevention Education is required for all men entering the prison. This program offered since 1986, is to help inmates see the personal side to HIV, increase perception of risk, increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis in prison and after release. Since 1991, inmates have received comprehensive peer education training to work as peer educators. The training covers several topics such as public speaking techniques, awareness of alcohol and drugs and their impact on high-risk behaviors, HIV-related multi-cultural awareness, and HIV/AIDS in our society and in the world. About 40 peer educators are trained each year. After training, the peer educators conducts various services such as teaching an HIV prevention orientation class, providing individual counseling, and providing prevention case management. Two different programs are offered to inmates prior to their release from prison. One program is specifically for HIV + inmates and is offered as a two-week, 8 session intervention that includes such topics as self-esteem, health maintenance, community resources, stress management, substance use, legal issues, and barriers to care after release. The other program, conducted two weeks prior to an inmate†s release, offers individual sessions to discuss preventing, acquiring, or transmitting HIV after release from prison. Topics covered include using condoms, avoiding drug and alcohol use, and avoiding needle sharing. I contacted The Federal Bureau of Prisons where they currently operate 42 residential treatment programs with an annual capacity of over 6,000 participants. For the 30 percent of Federal inmates who have a history of moderate to severe substance abuse this program is able to provide drug treatment to all inmates who need it and are willing to accept it. This program offers inmates up to 500 hours of treatment, which focuses on individual responsibility and to deter future criminal behavior. The goal of this program is to help identify, confront, and alter their attitudes, values, and thinking patterns that led them to their criminal behavior and drug or alcohol use. This program includes sessions on Screening and Assessment, Treatment Orientation, Criminal Lifestyle Confrontation, Cognitive Skill Building, Relapse Prevention, Interpersonal Skill Building, and Wellness. I have found these treatment programs to be suitable and adequate. Each organization, I spoke with has concluded that these programs not only offers benefits to the individual but also to society as a whole. There are economic and social benefits that can be gained from these programs that I have just described. I have listed a wide range of programs that help target special needs for inmates that may help deter future criminal behavior. We need these programs to help rehabilitate these inmates while they are serving their time in jail. It has been stressed that jail alone cannot deter a criminal from reoffending. By providing these various programs to inmates, we can help them become drug-free, educated, hard-working individuals prior to being released from prison. Hopefully, whatever program an inmate has participated in can help change their behavioral patterns, which may help reduce the rate of recidivism.

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Marketing Channel Essay

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Marketing Channel Strategy - Essay Example We need to be selective in choosing from a number of online and offline marketing mediums. Internet marketing, direct marketing, database marketing, and public relations – all mediums seem to be consistent to provide the competitive edge in the market. Internet marketing can help in attracting new customers from the social media sites like Facebook where prospective customers have better chances of viewing the advertisement. Google advertisement through Pay-per-click programs and promotion through email marketing can be beneficial where only customers from the database could be sent promotional mailers, designed by the hired PR agency. Through Internet-TV, relevant audiences’ attention can be captured while their favorite programs are run on television channels. At the same time, using SMS as means of advertisement to the target audience telling the features of customized mobile phones of JF’s Electronics can click the marketing campaign by contacting the right t ouch points to attract wider audiences. Using online media tools judiciously can make the marketing campaigns more effective and relevant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_marketing_communications). Print media like radio, television, newspapers, and billboards are components of offline media. JF’s Electronics should combine both Medias in advertising the new product, customized cell phone. Offline media can be a crucial and cheap tool in making the product popular through television and radio advertisement. For television advertisement, there is good scope of showing interesting visuals based on the storyline as per the features of customized cell phones not found available in any other company and popular brand’s cell phones. Banners of the product at the most visible locations at the marketplace will help in generating people’s interest. All promotional initiatives should be made at regular and continuous intervals to create brand

Critically examine the claim that THE key to being an innovative Essay

Critically examine the claim that THE key to being an innovative organisation is R & D more expenditure equals more innovation - Essay Example e constantly engaging in research and development in order to come up with new approaches of doing things, design new products for the market, acquire new market for the products and expand business capacity to meet the current and future market demand (United Nations, 2012, p. 11). Innovation is a role of all workers in an organization. In order for an organization to be competitive in the market, it has to promote and nurture a culture of creativity among the workers and provide the necessary resources to support innovation. The organizations should have the capacity to recognize the need for innovation and support the ideas that can lead to competence of the organizations. The ideas could be small or big and they follow a particular process. Innovation requires resources including time and finances (Mazzucato, 2013, p. 84). Organizations must be willing to devote the required resources in order to achieve the expected goals. They should engage in research and development in order to explore various approaches to improving products, processes or market and implement the new ideas as their core competences for future growth. Innovation may imply the organization developed their knowledge or acquired the knowledge from another organization. Irrespective of the method, the business, used to innovate, the organization has to incur some cost in order to gain that knowledge. Innovation is an entrepreneurial role of creating a new product or processes for the market. Entrepreneurs earn profit from their innovations by establishing a monopoly (Unit 1: Lecture 1). They acquire patent rights to limit other competitors from producing and selling similar products in the same market. However, the entrepreneurs cannot prohibit the entry of competitors in the market for a long. Competitors start offering similar products with those of the entrepreneur thus limiting the potential for expansion of the business. The entrepreneurs should develop a culture of innovation in order to

Leadership (Nelson Mandela) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership (Nelson Mandela) - Essay Example Nelson Mandela started his Bachelor studies at University College of Fort Hare but did not complete the degree. He was expelled from school for joining in a student protest. He completed his BA from the University of South Africa and went back to Fort Hare for his graduation in 1943. Meanwhile he started studying law in the University of Witwatersrand. He was weak in studies and left the University without graduating. He again started studying from London University after his imprisonment in the year 1962 and then also he could not complete his degree. In the year 1989 he was graduated by the absentia ceremony in Cape Town. A two year diploma allowed Nelson to practice law in Africa. Nelson Mandela was caught in a countrywide police Swoop. Men and women of all the races found themselves in the dock for marathon trial including Nelson Mandela (Harris 35-40). Nelson Mandela is one of the people to achieve almost universal respect around the world and across the political spectrums. Racial discrimination is one major global social issue where agitation was raised leaded by Nelson Mandela. His role in fighting with struggle of oppressed people around the world and the ability of crisis of its rebirth gave him an international reputation. Mandela was the first elected president in 1994. He tackled the challenges making unity between both countries’ racial grouping and fragmented public services. The African National Congress is one of major party in Government of South Africa. ANC was founded in the year 1912 with an aim to create the South African Union which started institutionalizing on racial discrimination against the blacks. As the leader of South Africa, Nelson Mandela faces many challenges for leading his countrymen into the twenty first century. People have been divided and affected by years of racism, who introduced many ra ces and cultures. He was served peace, unity, and changes for the

Economic and Politic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economic and Politic - Essay Example The then the situation began to reduce the number of home sales. Then, in 2007, this issue has developed into a credit crunch. Credit for almost any product can get anyone. Lack of control over the number of loans has led to the globalization challenges and the financial crisis. Experts call such causes of the global economic crisis: total cycle of economic development; the â€Å"overheating† of the credit market, and, consequently, the mortgage crisis; the high prices for raw materials; the implementation of shaky financial practices (such as credit-default swaps). In financial markets one of the hottest topics in the last few months was the situation connected with the economy of Greece, the macroeconomic imbalances which have become one of the factors which significantly weakened the euro. The base of imbalances is high fiscal deficit and public debt. According to preliminary estimates of the European Union the public debt of Greece has reached in 2009 113% of GDP, while fiscal deficit amounted to 12,7% of GDP. In terms of criteria for the stability of the EU budget deficit not exceed 3% of GDP, while public debt is limited to the level of 60% of GDP. So, it is clear that imbalances in the economy of Greece are above the EU limit. Ultimately, one of the causes worsening debt problem in Greece is not only itself the effect of the global financial crisis, but also undermining of the rules-based framework in the economic policy of the EU. First of all it should be admitted that limiting the amount of the budget deficit and public debt, which are the backbone of the so-called Maastricht criteria of the EU. The fact that compliance with these restrictions was not always consistent enough contributed to undermining macroeconomic discipline, especially in the public sector. The main consequence of concerns about the state of the economy of Greece is the strengthening of the position of the

Waste Disposal and Green Intelligence Dissertation

Waste Disposal and Green Intelligence - Dissertation Example The government should play a crucial role in ensuring that citizens are made aware of the best and most convenient ways of managing waste. Waste recycling is one of the interventions that most governments especially in first-world countries have taken to deal with waste management. For example, the U.S government has carried out campaigns to sensitize its citizens on the importance of recycling materials such as plastics, paper, and glass. In as far as land filling is concerned; the government advices that the dug up surfaces should have bottom liners to collect any water that may contain hazardous chemicals. This way no toxic water flows into the ecosystem. Concerning disposal of wastes into water bodies, the U.S government directs that industrial wastes be deactivated before being released into water bodies.The main goal of green intelligence is to provide the general public with information concerning the dangers they are exposed to as a result of poor waste management. This invol ves using market-oriented approaches to ensure environmental sustainability and conservation of natural resources .Green intelligence strategizes to achieve its goal by urging the private sector and the government to avail necessary information to the public. This is because the government and private sector seem to be colluding to hide trivial information from the public on hazardous substances and poor waste management. According to Wargo, chemical manufacturers are very crucial in ensuring a safe environment and a healthy general public.

Terra cycle Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terra cycle - Movie Review Example On the other hand, there is a challenge of hiring fresh graduates because they have to learn practically everything before they can be assigned any responsibilities, which may prove to be time consuming or expensive for the company. Further, the fresh graduates lack any experience on the job, implying that they lack the technical know how to handle situations or drive processes. Such experience, according to the vice-president, human resources, is vital in the running of any company, and is practically what the fresh graduates’ lack. Entrepreneurs ought to give freedom to their workers, which spur creativity among the employees. In addition, the environment should be created conveniently such that workers learn and develop their skills with time, which proves that the experience is worthwhile. Workers need to learn people skills and professional skills, which make them attached to their jobs and feel like they indeed own it. On the other hand, it is imperative that employers make the working environment friendly, satisfy their employees, and provide avenues through which disputes can be amicably resolved. This is the genesis of friendly working environments in the workplace. Small companies do not have any advantage over the big companies in providing an employee friendly environment. It would be plausible to state that the size of the organization does not matter, what is most important is the conditions under which the employees work under. Such an environment is only determined by the values and attitudes embraced by the managers, and not necessarily on the magnitude of the business that they work in. Employees who work in bigger companies possess an advantage over their counterparts, to the extent that they are not subjected to stern supervision, which hinders creativity and individual performance of the employee. The risks of

Pain of Others highlights Essay Example for Free

Pain of Others highlights Essay Susan Sontags Regarding the Pain of Others highlights the cruel pictures mankind faces when war is at place. Photography is an important medium to touch the intricate of human mentality particularly of atrocity and suffering, are a species of rhetoric. This is done in comparison when we the world is aware of legal rights and protection of those rights. It is only due to certain sections of powerful people who turn around decisions in their favor which leads to wars and sufferings. This work clearly highlights the rethinking of art, and understanding in the contemporary depiction of war and disaster. Emphasis has been laid on the arguments about how pictures can inspire dissent, foster violence, or create apathy with regard to the situational analysis. photographic documents of the American Civil War, lynching of blacks in the South, the First World War, the Spanish Civil War, the Nazi death camps, and contemporary images from Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Israel and Palestine, and New York City on September 11, 2001, all highlights the pain which causes in the life and brings about in an turn around of the situation. All are born free in this world and have equal dignity, freedom without any distinction of race or religion. Gradually with the overall economic development in all countries a distinct class of ‘have’ and have not’s emerged and the upper class started exploiting people who were poor and needy. Exploitation in any form is denying human rights to the affected individual. Slavery started, human beings were sent from one continent to other, they were tortured and killed. With the passing of time, the world scenario is also changing. In the present time many countries are ruled by Dictatorship form of government. In these nations military is the supreme authority. Individuals have no say and the government dictates its terms. People are subjected to cruelty and even for minor mistakes severe punishment is given. They are denied the basic right to survive; virtually no law was there to protect the individuals. This system prevailed in Iraq before the combined forces of world nations brought it under it’s control and democratic government was established. Similarly in many African countries such type of government is functioning. There are arbitrary arrests and people are detained. It may be noted that the assurance of gender equality by the government or any proper authorized agencies should not be taken for assured commitment and women should always be alert as to what is happening. These are the basic ignorance which ultimately becomes the negative factor to fight for equal rights. We know that racial laws do not stop racism; an approved sanction does not end caste discrimination, similarly policies which are in favour of women take a long time to become an integral part of the system. We must worry about accepting torture as a tool to elicit information from an accused. The human rights violation should worry us all. No court that operates within the frame of legal constitution system of that country can deal with illegal detention, confession obtained by torture and the like. A person has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty. Forceful acquisition of cultivable land from farmers by government in many countries has resulted in revolt and further atrocities were committed on them. Protestors were shot dead-this is a clear violation of human rights not protected by law. Human rights are openly violated with the support of the government. In the religious matter also there is lot of interference from clergy’s- people are afraid to disobey the religious head thereby right to religion is denied. Governments have been approached in this regard for facilities be allowed for pilgrims and devotees to have easy access to churches, mosques, temples etc . Freedom of speech is denied to freedom fighters. These days militants are very active all over the world and they play a major role in violating human rights. They recruit small children, train them and use them in the front line of the battle. Children in the early ages can be moulded in any manner and later on they become good fighters—they are used as human shield during front line operation. Terrorists have intention to get a quick result and to do maximum damage in the shortest possible time. Citizens are caught in the crossfire between terrorists and defence forces. The invisible enemy could be hiding anywhere and could vanish from the scene in any form. People are scared, economy is devastated and socially the system collapses. It takes a pretty long time to gain confidence and start reworking. Maximum human rights are violated and governments may not be able to do much as damage has been done without any prior notice. People have got inner revolution—how this can be minimized and completely get rid off. Terrorism has to be tackled with full force since terrorists do all types of human rights violation. Powerful governments due to security reasons are sacrificing human rights thereby committing more crimes. This failure of governance is a clear signal of giving concession to armed groups. Human rights violation in any country should be brought to the notice of Amnesty International. In the recent times there is tremendous resistance that human rights should not be violated by any agencies. Resolutions are passed by people and forced on the government to accept and protect it. Proper democratic government should prevail, where the candidates are elected by free and fair elections and eligible voter be allowed to cast their votes. The majority party is allowed to form the government. Opposition should be allowed to work properly so that they may be able to point out the mistakes of the government in office. The most urgent requirement is that we should fix responsibly on the state . It should be known to the state that it is responsible for the present state of situation by paying less attention and almost not doing anything and refused to take notice of human rights protection. Lot of efforts is required by taking into its positive attitude and ensure that it goes into the prevailing legal system, government’s projects and plans. Subsequently such a legal order requires a policy of â€Å"no-tolerance’ for acts of violation against human rights and subsequently giving the required protection and growth of the rights. The problem has to be sorted out at all steps—beginning from, men, women, and society as well as law enforcers. As a country we have to accept the sacredness of human beings, as citizens to stand boldly and be recognized and as a society to have the boldness to see inside and tell the truth. It is quite possible that in the beginning we have to accept the fact that we all need help, having been set footing in two sets i. e. of value system and standards. To take modern achievements and values but not at all ready to give way to traditional anticipations and protectors The modern powerful democratic countries manipulate multilateral organizations to the great advantage and suffering of the poorer developing nations. In the poor countries where such laws are allowed to function without state participation –it will violate all spheres of human rights . It is seen that the reform of government is a goal of making citizens, central to all government activities and functioning, and reorganising government to sincerely find a solution of the common people. Given the vastness of the challenge, not only the legal and judicial system be overhauled to get the result, at a more practical level, an all out effort need to be made to make responsible the law enforcers. They act as the first approachable agency for people seeking early relief. Therefore they need to be made aware of the helplessness of human society and their responsibility towards them as law enforcers. Photographs of torture gives a very deep shock and it is generalised that there none to take up their suffering to the appropriate authorities. We forget the sorrow the moment we turn to the next page, it remains where it is. These photographs have a permanent bearing if we got welfare feeling in our heart. People ignore these as they are not live. If there is a possibility that the images are able to speak, they would have brought a revolution protecting the human rights. References 1. Susan Sontag (2003), Regarding the Pain of Others, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishers, New York

Impact of Working Time Directive on Employment Relations

Impact of Working Time Directive on Employment Relations Working Title: Enough Hours in the Day? The Impact of the working time directive on the regulation of employment relationships within the UK and France. Research Question: What is the working time directive? How does it purport to effect employment relationships? Will it be implemented in the United Kingdom? How does France deal with it? What are the reasons the UK have such a conservative approach? Literature Review: The review is centred on the Working Time Directive and thus will build on a direct reading of this from primary sources such as the copy on europa.eu.int, this will be complemented by secondary sources such as those of Cooke Hey (1998), Ramsey (1994) and the House of Lord’s Select Committee on the European Union’s response to the Working Time Directive. In attempting to build up a more sophisticated and rounded understanding of the ideas and theories that inform working time in general and the working time directive in particular I will use sources such as Figart Golden (2000), Fagan (2001) and direct readings of the reports of the European Commission on Working Time including the outcome of the current review of the Working Time Directive Opt-Out. A detailed critique with wider European policy will be effected in particular using commentaries on EC Law and it’s emphasis on trade and industry concerns. In reviewing the current situation within the UK I will use reviews of the Working Time Regulations 1998 in particular drawing on Christie (1998), the Income Data Service’s Guide to Working Time (2002) and Rankin et al. (1999)’s excellent guide to the operation of the Regulations within the UK and the changes that they brought to the existing law. I will then review the current position within France, there are numerous sites through which to do research, I can certainly use Figart Golden (2000)’s section on French Working Time and although slightly dated Carley (1991)’s review will help get an understanding of French policy and how it has changed towards working time. There are also numerous academic articles on the web such as those on the Transport News Network website (www.tnn.co.uk), French Law Sites such as www.triplet.com and articles by Sarfati (1999). Further research will be required on this issue in particular looking at pressure groups and governmental responses. In doing this I’ll try and use French language sites such as www.35hh.travail.gouv.fr , www.medef.fr and trade union sites. Obviously these will be supplementary and will require translation. In reviewing the policy objections of the UK to the abolition of the opt-out we will draw on primary sources such as the DTI ‘s recent consultation paper on Working Time (http://www.dti.gov.uk / er / work_time_regs /) as well as the work of pressure groups such as the TUC, Transport General Workers Union, Employer’s Organisation for Local Government and other major employers that would be effected by a change such as Alfred McAlpine. These will give me statistics and sophisticated points of view which I can then critically assess in light of more academic work on working time such as Articles by Christie (1998), Grisenthwaite (1997) and Wynn (2000). We will contrast these to the positive experience of the French in its implementation of a fixed working time week. A detailed critique of the two positions will be required with more academic sources from the journals and books will be required. Further research is required to uncover academic work on the policy arguments in France, whilst Sarfati (1999)’s arguments do shed some light on the issue there is most definitely a need for more detailed research. I believe that research into journals such as the International Company Commercial Law Review and the European Law Review will reveal more information about the arguments. This will be on top of the substantive law information I extract from the sources mentioned above. In concluding I will attempt to draw together the policy stances and implementation methods of the two countries to develop a more holistic understanding of whether there is significant social differences to justify the diversion or whether there can be a unified theory of working time that can be agreed not just in the European context but in the worldwide sense. There will need to be more research done on this issue along the avenues of looking at pressure groups in America (such as the Canadian / American ‘Take Back Your Time’ initiative) and other countries building on the work in Figart Golden (2000) Methodology: There will be some reviewing of primary sources but the work will be academic and theoretical and therefore will largely draw on scholastic secondary sources as I have detailed above. Bibliography: Carley, Mark Working time in Europe : the duration and flexibility of working time in 17 European countries from European Industrial Relations Review Eclipse Group / 1991 Cooke, Peter Hey, Liz – Implementation of the Working Time Directive 1998 ICCLR 164 Christie, David A Brief History of Working Time 1999 SLT 315 Fagan, Collette Gender, employment and working time preferences in Europe Office for Official Publications of the European Communities / 2001 Figart, Deborah Golden, Lonnie Working Time: International Trends, Theory Policy Perspective Routledge / 2000 Grisenthwaite, Michael – Time Runs out on the UK Government for implementing the ’48-hour working time directive† ’ 1997 ICCLR 107 House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union The Working Time Directive : a response to the European Commissions review The Stationery Office 2004 / 9th Session 2003/2004 Income Data Service Working Time 2002 / London: Income Data Service Ramsey, L – The Working Time Directive 1994 EurLR 528 Rankin, Claire, Phillips, Annelise Warren, Martin Working Time Regulations 1998 : a practical guide London Stationery Office / 1999 Sarfati, Hedva – The 35-hour week legislation hotly debated in France www.newwork.com Wynn, Michael Derogations In The Working Time Regulations 2000 CL 166 http://www.dti.gov.uk / er / work_time_regs /) www.tnn.co.uk www.triplet.com www.35hh.travail.gouv.fr www.medef.fr europa.eu.int Signed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9th June 2005 Date Rec’d.Supervisor:

Patriarchy In Twilight Saga English Literature Essay

Patriarchy In Twilight Saga English Literature Essay Its easy to observe the expansive reach of the Twilight saga. For starters, it is a cash-cow. To date, the four book series has sold approximately 85 million copies (Grossman) and has claimed the top four spots on USA Todays year-end bestseller list for the years 2008 and 2009 (Minzesheimer and DeBarros, Sellers;Twilight Sweeps). Twilight saga merchandise though sold in multiple retail outlets single-handedly brought retailer Hot Topic back from the depths of economic gloom and doom in 2008 (Odell).  [1]  The film adaptation of Twilight grossed $380 million at the box office (more than 10 times what it cost to produce) before earning over $3 million in DVD sales on its first day of release (Armstrong) while New Moon performed even better earning more than $700 million worldwide before its DVD release in March 2010 (The Twilight Saga: New Moon). Beyond the economic impact, the series inspires Beatlemania-type fanaticism among its growing, primarily female, fan-base. Conduct a G oogle search for Twilight fansite, and youll get almost 1.2 million returns. Furthermore, a November 10, 2008 scheduled appearance in San Francisco by Robert Pattinson (the actor portraying Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Twilight) was cancelled after he was swarmed by fans. The melee also resulted in a broken nose for one fan, while another lost consciousness (News from WENN). Pattinson made the following remarks about the impassioned Twilight fandom: People know my name, ambush me in public, try to figure out what hotel Im staying at, ask me to bite them and want to touch my hair. It feels surreal (Bell). These are but a few examples that demonstrate the massive impact the Twilight saga has on audiences. The widespread audience response might cause some to wonder just what it is about Twilight that appeals so much to fans. There are others, like myself, who have chosen to question the impact the Twilight narrative may have on readers specifically female readers perceptions of culture. While there are many aspects of the Twilight narrative being debated by fans and critics alike, themes of patriarchy and misogyny are of particular interest (Mann; Myers; McClimans and Wisnewski; Housel). The Twilight Saga is Just Entertainment, Right? Why Should We Care? Before we can enter into a proper analysis about the impact of patriarchal and misogynistic themes in Twilight, its first important to understand why wed want to analyze an artifact of popular culture at all. An older academic view situates popular texts like the Twilight saga as low art, or mass produced schlock meant to dupe unsophisticated audiences, like us, into passivity (Horkheimer and Adorno; Benjamin). Postmodern cultural studies scholars, however, see popular culture as an aspect of mass culture (Storey, Cultural Theory), or the values and ideas that members of a society form from common exposure to the same cultural activities, communications media, music and art, etc.  Thus, examining popular culture texts exposes how they are used assert social values upon others (Barthes). Female-targeted popular culture artifacts like the Twilight saga are sites that are especially worthy of examination since they place the female/feminine experience at the forefront of media criti que (McRobbie and McCabe; Modleski; Radway; Ang; Mellencamp). The central concern of feminist media analyses is to examine patriarchal ideology as it relates to power and agency in society (Baumgardner and Richards; Durham; Storey, An Introduction; van Zoonen). Analyzing texts through a feminist lens can serve as a means of exposing and critiquing patriarchy in popular media and, in the process, help to liberate audiences from traditional, stereotypical representations (Durham). It is also a way to understand the concept of gender as a social construction, and posits media texts as critical sites for the negotiation of gender roles. If we read the Twilight saga closely, we might conclude that it promotes what Cynthia Enloe calls a Culture of Imminent Danger, which she defines as a culture sustained by the classical patriarchal caveat that women are in the sort of danger from which only rational men can protect them (234). One way in which the Twilight saga reinforces a Culture of Imminent Danger is seen in the roles of the adult male and female characters in the series. For example, male characters are written into roles or occupations that reflect the role of protector. Charlie, Bellas father, is the police chief in Forks; Carlisle Cullen, Edwards father, is the most prominent doctor in town; and Billy Black, Jacobs father, is a Quileute tribe elder. Meanwhile, the female characters in Twilight, are symbolically annihilated that is they are largely trivialized and either symbolized as child-like adornments who need to be protected or they are dismissed to the protective confines of the home (Tuchman 8). The ro le of Bellas mother, Renee, is muted throughout the story we know only that she has decided to follow her new husband to spring training camp in Florida and that she is childlike and harebrained (Meyer, Twilight 4). Before Renee remarried, Bella saw herself as her mothers caretaker. Esme, Edwards mother is also superficially presented. As the matriarch of the Cullen clan, she is characterized only by her ability to love passionately and her strong mothering instincts (Meyer, Twilight 307, 368). Bella, too, has been seen by some as falling victim to symbolic annihilation. In the discussion topic Bella, is she a bad influence for teens? on the TwilightMoms.com fan site, for example, fans express concern that Bella is a weak character because she sees herself less beautiful than Edward, less intelligent, and clumsier than everyone else. Bella, because she is the weak and vulnerable one, is in constant need of care and protection she is dependent upon Edward for survival. Indeed, we see what happens to Bella when she is abandoned by the protective influence of Edward she becomes a lost moon (Meyer, New Moon, 201). Later, when Bella and Edward visit Renee in Eclipse, Renee remarks to Bella that her role in her relationship to Edward is that of a satellite, or something (Meyer, Eclipse, 68). A satellite can be understood as any object that moves around a larger object. The comparisons of Bella to a moon or other satellite are significant since they symbolically place Edward at the center and Bella in the periphery. This scenario illustrates Edwards role as the actor and Bellas role as the reactor in the Twilight saga. When Edward moves, so does Bella. When Edward leaves, Bella, too, checks out. Likewise, it implies that the orbiter is the least valuable one in the relationship. Take, for example, the Earths relationship to the Sun. The Earth as a support system for human life is important in its own right, but the Sun has far more importance. Without the Sun, the Earth is annihilated. Without Edward, Bella is annihilated. Because the symbolic annihilation of women in media fails to address the full range of womens real-life goals and potential, it plays an important role in establishing and normalizing ideology that helps those in power (read: men) stay in power. But, Bella exists in a world much different than ours. How much potential can we expect Bella to posses in a situation where she is forced to battle super-human forces? Meyer acknowledges this when responding to critics. She says: There are those who think Bella is a wuss. There are those who think my stories are misogynistic-the damsel in distress must be rescued by strong heroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I am not anti-female, I am anti-human. I wrote this story from the perspective of a female human because that came most naturally, as you might imagine. But if the narrator had been a male human, it would not have changed the events. When a human being is totally surrounded by creatures with supernatural strength, speed, senses, and various other uncanny powers, he or she is not going to be able to hold his or her own. Sorry. Thats just the way it is. We cant all be slayers. Bella does pretty well I think, all things considered (Meyer, The Story). Im willing to buy Meyers explanation to an extent. But, just because the Twilight saga narrative is set against a backdrop of fantasy does not mean its capabilities for reinforcing the oppressive ideology that exists in our real-world go unrealized. For example, Bella only becomes strong by conforming to the masculine standard put forth by Edward (that is, by becoming a vampire). Of course, Edward cannot reverse himself to his human form, but when Bella changes for Edward, it legitimizes a longstanding cultural norm of women adjusting their desires to accommodate those of her male partner.  [2]  As with the satellite analogy, this aspect of the Twilight saga highlights Edwards superiority over Bella. Edward Is The Worlds Best Predator, Isnt He? Everything About Him Invites You In. When readers buy a romance novel, they are being sold more than just the book. The ideology of romance exemplified by lessons of gender subjectivities and sexual difference in a patriarchal structure embedded in the patriarchal and misogynistic themes present in romance genre is also being sold (Brown; Cooper). The romance narrative of the Twilight saga teaches us that if social order is to be successful and maintained, then the most notable compromises will have to be made by women. This lesson establishes, then, that if women wish for patriarchy to be neutralized in society they will have to be the ones to do it. We see this perspective manifested in the online comments of several readers comments that largely are critical of Bella for failing to overcome the patriarchal constraints present in the Twilight saga (see for example beka; Jost; North; Seltzer; or any of the myriad of fan posts on TwilightMoms, Twilight Lexicon, and other fansites). However, men and women exist togeth er in society and, as such, any fair reading of the Twilight saga would also be looking at Edwards responsibility in perpetuating oppressive ideas about gender roles in human society. Perhaps the most profound way that Edward Cullen reinscribes an oppressive patriarchal ideology is that he demonstrates the classic signs of a batterer. Many readers might disagree with my assessment by pointing out that Edward is motivated by his intense desire to protect Bella and he only has her best interests in mind. The framing of Edwards actions as being in Bellas best interests is precisely what makes them so dangerous. This viewpoint normalizes and legitimizes masculine power over females for the reader. As for how Edward demonstrates signs of a batterer, one need only refer to the criteria established by nationally known domestic violence trainer and consultant Lydia Walker. As part of her Getting a Firm Foundation training, Walker has developed a list of seventeen behaviors seen in people who abuse their partners. Walker warns that if the person has several (three or more) of these behaviors, a strong potential exists for physical violence the more signs a person has, the more likely the person is a batterer. Edward exhibits at least seven of these behaviors (in varying degrees) at different points in the Twilight saga.  [3]  These are: Jealousy Of course, the tension between Edward and Jacob is at the forefront of the story, but Edward expresses his displeasure in many of Bellas potential suitors, In Twilight, for example we are most acutely aware of his dislike for Mike Newton. Edward tells Bella that when Mike asked her to the school dance, he was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury that he felt (Meyer, Twilight 303). Edward is surprised by his feelings, remarking that jealousy is so much more powerful that I would have thought. And irrational! (304). Controlling behavior Walker defines controlling behavior as those actions that are attributed to a concern for a womans safety and well being. We see one example of Edwards controlling behavior in Twilight when he follows Bella and her friends to Port Angeles. Walker also warns that controlling behaviors are frequently manifested in the abusers lack of willingness to let a woman make personal decisions. We see Edwards controlling behavior reappear later in the same chapter when he tells Bella when she needs to eat (even when she insists that she isnt hungry), and again when Bella is recovering in the hospital in the last chapter Edward calls for the nurse to administer pain medication to Bella even though she is clear that she does not need them (Meyer, Twilight 477). In Eclipse, Edwards attempts to control Bella are particularly disturbing as he continuously attempts to prevent Bella from visiting Jacob. First, he disconnects the cables to her car battery. Later, he manipulates Al ice into participating in a kidnapping plot designed to keep Bella away from La Push. When he finally agrees to let her go, he does so only if he can take her there and pick her up himself. Perhaps the most appalling example, though, is in Breaking Dawn when Edward attempts to arrange for an abortion for Bella without any discussion from her or her permission. Quick involvement Most battered women dated or knew the abuser for less than six months (many for less than three months) before they were married, living together, or engaged. An abuser comes on like a whirlwind (Walker). Chapter one of Twilight tells the reader that Bella moves to Forks in January. It is not until March that Bella and Edward decide to become a couple (Twilight Chapter 10). By Prom in May, shes ready to give up her mortality for Edward (Twilight Epilogue). In fact, the entire story only spans two years. Unrealistic expectations Walker characterizes unrealistic expectations in terms of possessiveness and states that abusive people will expect their partner to meet all of their needs. At one point, Edward tells Bella that he is anxious à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to be away from [her], and that he gets distracted à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ worrying about [her] (Meyer Twilight 188-9). Edward is relentless in keeping Bella close to him, unrealistically worried that some great harm will come to her. Edward tells Bella: You are my life now (314). Blames others for feelings The abuser will tell the woman you make me mad, youre hurting me by not doing what I tell you, I cant help being angry' (Walker).  The abuser is, of course, responsible for what he thinks and feels, but will use his feelings to manipulate his partner. One example of Edward acting in this way can be found in the meadow scene in Twilight. Prior to this point, Edward has made his desire for Bella known, but it is not until they are in the meadow that he drops his mask to show Bella the true extent of the danger he poses to her. Hes frenzied as he explains all the ways in which he could easily destroy her, and then blames Bella when he feels he has lost control (Meyer, Twilight 263-5). Later, when Bella and Edward kiss before meeting the rest of the Cullens for a game of baseball, he forcefully pulls himself off of her when he loses control and proclaims: Damn it, Bella! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Youll be the death of me, I swear you will (363). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Walker warns women to look out for sudden mood changes in which one minute the abuser is really nice and the next minute hes exploding.   She explains that explosiveness and moodiness are typical of people who abuse their partners since these behaviors can intimidate and frighten the victim and are reflections of the abusers use of threats and manipulation to establish and maintain power and control. The entire first part of Twilight (certainly until Bella is rescued in Port Angeles by Edward in Chapters eight and nine) is focused on Edwards odd behavior towards Bella that vacillates between amusement and pure contempt. At one point, his behavior causes Bella to say to Edward, I cant keep up with you, and question him as to whether he has a multiple personality disorder (Meyer, Twilight 84, 82). Even after Edward makes his true feelings for Bella known and while he continues to keep his emotions in-check around Bella, hes prone to the occasional swing. Any force during a conflict This may involve a batterer holding a woman down, physically restraining her from leaving a room, or pushing/shoving her (Walker). In Chapter five of Twilight, Bella faints during a blood-typing exercise in her Biology class. Edward convinces the school secretary to excuse them from class so that he can escort her safely home. Bella relents, happy to get out of class, but is fully intent on seeing herself home. When Bella moves to the drivers seat of her truck, Edward physically restrains her by pulling the back of her jacket, telling her, Where do you think youre going? (Meyer, Twilight 103). Later, Bella is restrained again, this time by Edwards brother Emmett (under Edwards direction) as they rush to flee James after the baseball game. While trying to decide how to counter James inevitable attack, Edward decides to take Bella away from Forks. When she protests, Edward orders Emmett to secure her by her wrists and forcibly strap her into the harness of the Jeep they are using to escape (381). Of course, not everyone will see it this way. Some will see Edward as he is presented as the ideal, romantic, doting boyfriend and rationalize that his actions are justified because they were enacted with Bellas best interests in mind and because Edward, as a vampire, has physical and mental capabilities that Bella, as a mortal, does not possess. But, we cannot let Edward off the hook just because he is a vampire and not a living, breathing person. While personhood is certainly linked to humanity, Nicolas Michaud suggests that one does not necessarily need to be human to be a person: Personhood should be granted to those who demonstrate certain qualities such as consciousness and self motivated activity; those who demonstrate certain capabilities such a practical reason and affiliation should also not be denied the ability to flourish if they so choose (45). Edwards respect for the human soul, his choice to drink animal blood instead of human blood, and his attempt to assimilate in to Forks society demonstrate his desire to pass and be accepted as a person and not a vampire. Therefore, if Edward wants to enjoy the benefits of personhood in our society, we have to demand of him the same standards that we would expect from any other male in it regardless of any supernatural power he may possess. There are those that will argue that even though Edward exhibits these tendencies, he does not cross the line to become a full-fledged physical abuser. However, while physical violence is one method by which men control women and maintain their supremacy, patriarchy does not need to be enforced by using violence alone. In this case, Edwards actions create an environment where Bella cannot love Edward without loathing herself. He demonstrates that, despite the claim to the contrary, he is actually very far from perfect. Yet, Bella still sees herself as subordinate to him. She consistently reminds the reader and herself that she is not good enough for Edward. Because the Bella/Edward relationship is presented as fated and Edwards actions are justified as being for the benefit of Bellas safety, we permit Bella to respond in ways that would concern us if we saw it manifested in others close to us. We condone her continued disregard for her own personal safety. We allow her to isolate h erself from her family and friends. We accept her explanations for her repeated injuries. Bella literally gives up her life for love. Edwards controlling behavior coupled with Bellas justification of it creates a situation in which the females subordination becomes not only acceptable to readers, but rational as well. Can Romance Narratives be Anything But Oppressive? The abuse narrative present in the Twilight saga becomes especially problematic when viewed with an understanding of the romance genre. Romance as a genre is frequently characterized by the quest for an ideal heterosexual love relationship between a strong, dashingly handsome, young man and a beautiful, vulnerable, self-sacrificing young woman (Burnett and Beto). These qualities of romance stories are at the forefront of the Twilight saga. While these aspects of romance can be read as contributing to the perpetuation of patriarchal ideas about gender roles, romance can also be interpreted as the ultimate feminist genre. Catherine Asaro reminds us that the plots of most romance stories are centered on the desires of the heroine; her values are given priority and she always ends up getting what she wants. Bella spends four books telling us, the readers, that she wants to achieve immortality as a vampire and spend eternity with Edward while still being able to keep her best friend and Edwards rival suitor Jacob around. Breaking Dawn sees Bella fighting for her right to bear a child. She ultimately achieves all of this. Asaro also asserts that romance novels are unique in that they adhere to the female gaze. Laura Mulveys concept of the male gaze rests in the assumption that the audience is forced to view the action and characters of a filmic text through the perspective of a heterosexual man. Examples of its manifestation in filmic texts are seen in camera shots focusing on the curves of the female body, cleavage, or other sexualized positioning of women. In romance novels, however, the male form is the one under the heaviest scrutiny its features extolled upon in great detail. In fact, the female heroine is frequently described with just enough detail to humanize her, while leaving enough information out of the picture so that the reader might insert herself into it. In Twilight, Bella frequently compares Edward to the mythical Greek god Adonis. Her description of his facial features is specific. We see Edward, through her eyes as perfect and angular with high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a straight nose and full lips. His hair, which is always messy, is an unusual, eye-catching shade of bronze while his eyes are topaz. Bella, on the other hand, is described to the reader far more simply she has long brown hair and brown eyes. Texts presented through the female gaze are significant in two distinct ways. For one, that the heroine is presented as an everywoman can be seen as empowering to female readers who are often only presented with representations of female characters that fade into the background unless they have qualities deemed important' (Asaro). Readers are able to recognize aspects of themselves in the narrative. Also, it legitimizes female sexuality and debunks the myth that women dont notice men in that way. Physical attractiveness is just as important for females as it is for males. Female sexuality is further legitimized in romance in that the heroine is rarely punished for engaging in sexual acts and can frequently be seen as the initiator of such acts. In Twilight, it is Bella who is eager to consummate the relationship she has with Edward and Edward who is resistant to give in without being married. Still, there is plenty in the saga to support the charges that the Twilight narrative is potentially harmful. Even though Edward never crosses the line into domestic violence, his behavior is still troublesome since the heavy consumption of romance narratives can, over time, influence readers interpretations of appropriate behavior for men and women in romantic relationships. In The Killing Screens, George Gerbner discusses his cultivation theory, which was developed to help explain the cumulative and overarching impact repeated media exposure has on the way we see the world in which we live. It emphasizes the effects of media consumption on the attitudes rather than the behavior of audiences. In short, heavy exposure is seen as cultivating attitudes which are more consistent with the world of media than with the everyday world. Gerbner argues that media cultivates attitudes and values which are already present in a culture, normalizing and reinforcing more dominant values, while mak ing other, more underlying ideas more salient. In a society such as ours where masculine ideology is already privileged; where we already have historical struggles with creating safe, egalitarian spaces for women; and where we already struggle with violence and intimidation, Gerbners theory tells us that extended consumption of the over-representation of patriarchy in the Twilight saga can normalize and legitimize acts of oppression that we might witness or experience in our own lives. When abuse is made to be fun and entertaining, we run the risk rationalizing and justifying it and fail to see the tragedy in it when we come across it in our real lives. Viewing the Twilight saga through this lens moves the conversation from the question of, What are romance narratives like those in Twilight doing to women? to What are women doing with them? Romance has been, perhaps, one of the most denigrated popular culture genres (Asaro; Wethington; Holmes). Common complaints include the lack of diversity and scope of romance narratives (typically seen as a result of the demands of powerful commercial forces and publishers looking to quickly churn out formulaic narratives that have previously proven to be profitable); and the genres consistent reliance on conservatively rigid messages about race, gender and male-female relationships; and the objectification of human bodies in explicit, almost pornographic, sexual representations (Wethington). Not everyone buys into these criticisms. Feminist media scholar Janice Radway was one of the first to take seriously the pleasure that women readers consistently seem to find in romance. According to her inf luential text Reading the Romance, women use romance as a way to set up a quiet space for themselves. They not only vicariously enjoy status positions and spaces of nurturing through the books that they do not enjoy in the real world, but romance stories also provide a fictional space in which readers can rehearse and make sense of their individual identity and role in society (Radway; Burnett and Beto). The role romance plays in preparing individuals how to behave in their public lives is even greater for young readers than what it may be for adults. Girls will use romances as an alternative to a romantic relationship when one has not yet presented itself. Romance novels act as safe spaces to gain insight on how to meet boys, what kinds of things they might say to them, and what dating is like. For them, romance novels act as beginners manual for adolescence (Cherland and Edelsky; Christian-Smith; Willinsky and Hunniford) Audiences appear to carry the lessons and desires cultivated through repeated exposure to romance narratives in their youth with them throughout their lives. For example, a generation ago, at the height of the coming-of-age teen romance flick, there emerged two archetypes for the ideal boyfriend Jake Ryan and Lloyd Dobler. Jake Ryan, of course, was the cool, super-popular, super-rich, Porsche-driving, way-too-hot-to-be-in-high-school hunk who caught the Plain Jane Samantha Bakers eye in the film Sixteen Candles. Lloyd Dobler, on the other hand, was an unpretentious, earnest, boombox-hoisting everyman who was thoroughly devoted to the super-smart Diane Court in the film Say Anything. Its been more than 25 years since Sixteen Candles was in theaters and 20 years since Say Anything was released, yet women coming of age in the 1980s still find themselves longing for their Jake or their Lloyd but, not finding him. (Stuever, Real Men; Steuver, What I Did). There is evidence that the same desire audiences have for a relationship with Jake and Lloyd also exists for Edward Cullen, regardless of the age of the audience member. For example, on the discussion forum for the TwilightTeens.com fansite, for example, one can find a multitude of discussion threads in which young fans deliberate questions like On a scale of 1 to 10, how lucky is Bella Swan [to be with Edward Cullen]?; Could you see yourself dating a guy like Edward?; or What do you like about Edward? Additionally, Emily Reynolds interviews and surveys with female adult readers of the Twilight saga revealed that it was Bella with whom readers most frequently identified and whose behaviors they most saw in themselves, making it easy for the reader to slip into Bellas shoes. This identification most frequently manifests itself in a desire to be romantically linked with Edward. According to one of Reynolds participants: I would leave my husband for someone like that (30). The difference, of course, is that seeking out a Jake Ryan or a Lloyd Dobler though destined to end in disappointment is not likely to meet with a violent end, though seeking out an Edward Cullen might. Is it all bad? It is not my goal to vilify the Twilight saga. It is okay to enjoy things that are entertaining and fun, but we should not dupe ourselves into believing that our entertainment media does not also assist in formulating our ideas about our culture. Popular media help shape a worldview in audiences that re-inscribes dominant positions of power and authority (Althusser; Gitlin; Hall), which in Eurocentric cultures like ours is white, patriarchal capitalism (Fiske qtd. in Meyers 7). Patriarchy is the primary oppressor of females in a society (Firestone; Greer; Millett). Since patriarchy does not necessarily operate as an explicit, perceivable reality (meaning, we dont always recognize it when we see it), we must review the aspects of our culture pop culture included that perpetuate patriarchal ideology and cause it to be normalized. What are, in fact, dangerous ideas that devalue the female in society are too frequently seen as legitimate choices in the Twilight saga choices made in th e name of true love or in the face of supernatural forces. When presented through these lenses, Bella and Edwards relationship is seen as romantic and desirable when in any other world it would be destructive. We have to remember that patriarchy, while notable for marginalizing females, does not operate free from feminine influence (Enloe). Social systems are not made solely of men; women are also contributing members. As such, a patriarchal society relies on the participation of all members men and women to endure. Therefore, as destructive as Edward is in the Twilight narrative, the real danger exists when we fail to confront patriarchy and oppression when we encounter it. It is advantageous that Twilight appeals to readers across several generations because it can be used as a framework for encouraging discourse between adults and youth about how female oppression occurs in society. Only future analysis will tell if these conversations are happening. Lets hope that they are.