The Role of Kurtz’s Intended in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of...

The Role of Kurtz’s Intended in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Very often in literature minor characters appear for only a short time in the story but carry a very heavy significance in the overall meaning of the book. Kurtz’s Intended, in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, is this kind of character. The unnamed woman only appears for a brief period at the end of the novel, but Conrad includes her for three very crucial reasons. He has Kurtz’s fiancà ©e appear to provide a justification for Marlow to lie, to be the catalyst that leads to Marlow’s revelation that darkness does indeed exist everywhere, and to symbolize all of civilization. When Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness, he intended the theme to be universal,†¦show more content†¦The threat of darkness does not just exist in Africa and other uncivilized places, but it comes from the heart within each individual. Conrad wants the reader to realize that there is no getting away from the darkness that dwells inside everyone; it is necessary always to practice self-restraint or the darkness will take over. The significance of the presence of the Intended is to provide Conrad a chance to have Marlow lie to make evident to the readers that darkness exists everywhere, that it is inside the heart of every person. Conrad uses the Intended in another way to convey to the reader that darkness is every- where. Conrad develops a very sexist attitude towards women early in the book. It’s queer how out of touch with the truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there has never been anything like it, and never can be. It is too beautiful altogether, and if they were to set it up it would go to pieces before the first sunset. (77) This apparently demeaning attitude towards women sets up Marlow’s meeting with and first impression of Kurtz’s Intended. Marlow describes the Intended as having â€Å"fair hair, [a] pale visage, [a] pure brow†(160) and â€Å"a soul as translucently pure as a cliff of crystal†(155), all features that are light and cause the Intended to appearShow MoreRelated moralhod Relative Morality in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1511 Words   |  7 PagesRelative Morality in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   It has been well documented by critics that modernist literature departs from the blind acceptance of beliefs, religious beliefs in particular, evident in literature of prior periods (Abrams 1).   As Jump notes [...] the modern western world is less sure of its values than most previous cultures with which we are familiar; relativism and subjectivity are facts of everyday experience (15).   Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness is no exception.   TheRead MoreGender Role In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay1430 Words   |  6 PagesGender Role In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness For the most part people who read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad may feel that the novella is strictly a story of exploration and racial discrimination. 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Since Heart of Darkness has often been regarded as one of the best and profoundest discussions of morality in English literature, thisRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad And The Portrayal Of Women1679 Words   |  7 PagesLucia Zhu Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the Portrayal of Women Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness is an adventure tale about the narrator’s journey through the mysterious Congo River. Marlow, the narrator, becomes a sea captain as he travels the world in a steamboat. His journey starts from the Thames River in England to deep in the Congo River of Africa. Marlow’s mission is to locate and retrieve Europe’s best agent–Mr. Kurtz. As the search for Kurtz proves to be both horrifyingRead More The Role of Marlow as Narrator in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1481 Words   |  6 PagesThe Role of Marlow as Narrator in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Whether Marlow is, or is not, Conrad has been discussed extensively. Clearly, Marlow is both, at the same time that he is neither. Heart of Darkness is not, then, Marlows story exclusively. And if we examine it for a moment as the creation of the nameless member of Marlows audience, it takes on a different coloration. The narrators inclusion of Marlows story within his point of view appears as a deliberate attempt on his partRead More The Portrayal of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay1201 Words   |  5 Pageswoman potential. Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness exemplifies the Western patriarchal gender roles in which women are given the inferior status.p Not only are women portrayed as being inferior to men, but Marlows (the protagonists) seldom mentioning of them in his Congo adventure narrative symbolizes his view of their insignificance. There is a total of five women presented in Marlows narrative but only three of them are significant minor characters: Marlows aunt, Kurtzs African mistressRead MoreThe Significant Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1986 Words   |  8 PagesIn the 1900s novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the protagonist often encounters women at landmarks of his life. Charlie Marlow is a sailor and imperialist who sets out along the Congo River to â€Å"civilize† the â€Å"savages.† The novella begins with a crew on the Thames waiting for the tides to change. During their wait, a character named Marlow tells of his exploits on the African continent. In his recounted travels, Marlow meets other imperialists such as Mr. Kurtz, a man who is obsessed withRead MoreEssay on Feminist Theory in Heart of Darkness1199 Words   |  5 PagesMonsters in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad’s varying depiction of women in his novel Heart of Darkness provides feminist literary theory with ample opportunity to explore the overlying societal dictation of women’s gender roles and expectations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The majority of feminist theorists claim that Conrad perpetuates patriarchal ideology, yet there are a few that argue the novel is gendered feminine. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar claim â€Å"Conrad’s Heart of Darkness†¦penetratesRead MoreSimilarity in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim3156 Words   |  13 PagesSimilarity in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim Many times, after a successful novel, an author will publish another story very similar to the praised one. 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Succubus Heat CHAPTER 14 Free Essays

string(36) " immortal could just break it open\." Instinct made me drive back to Queen Anne. I operated on autopilot, my mind blank. It was only when I’d parked and gotten out of the car that my senses slowly began to return to me. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Heat CHAPTER 14 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Still, I tried my best to stay numb, to not think about anything right away. My stomach was growling, so I decided to focus on basic needs. I walked over to a Thai restaurant between my apartment and the bookstore, seeking the comfort of a corner table and green curry. Once I was settled, there was no avoiding it. What had happened back there? Part of me could still feel Greg’s hands on me, still feel the sickening sensation of being utterly and completely helpless. But the rest of me was slowly starting to analyze the stove exploding. I’d noticed the gas stove upon my initial inspection, but I’d noticed no smell until right before it caught on fire. With gas leaks, didn’t a place usually fill up over time? This had been sudden. An out-of-the-blue surge of gas, and BAM! No warning, no anything. I supposed it could have been coincidence. Lucky timing. But in my world, coincidences didn’t happen. They were usually guided by a stronger power. The question was: who or what was responsible? I had too much to worry about now without some unseen arsonist on the scene. â€Å"Why so pensive, Daughter of Lilith?† I looked up from my half-eaten food. â€Å"Carter!† I was pretty sure I’d never been so happy to see the angel in my life, except for maybe when he’d rescued me from Helena the crazy nephilim last fall. He wore the same clothes he’d had on in Vancouver. They appeared to stay in a perpetually consistent state of dishevelment-never getting worse, never getting better. He slid into the chair opposite me. â€Å"You gonna finish that?† he asked, pointing at my plate. I shook my head and slid the curry over to him. He immediately dug in, practically inhaling it. â€Å"What’s going on?† he asked between mouthfuls of rice. â€Å"You know what’s going on. Seattle’s gone to hell. Literally.† â€Å"Yeah, I’ve noticed. How’s it feel to be footloose and fancy free?† â€Å"It sucks. For some reason, my hair’s always frizzy. I used to style it myself before this happened, and it never did that.† Carter grinned. â€Å"I doubt you were doing it all yourself. You may have still done all the labor, but some subconscious part of you was probably tweaking it just a little bit to keep it perfect.† I pulled a face. â€Å"Well, even if that’s true, I’ve got a few bigger problems.† I gave him a brief recap of my adventures this morning and what had happened with Greg. Even speaking about it still sent a chill down my spine. I expected Carter to laugh and make some quip at my expense, but his face stayed serious. â€Å"You need to be careful,† he said gravely. â€Å"Everything’s different now. It’ll only be for a short time, true, but even if you can’t die, you’re still locked in a dangerous game.† â€Å"We have to find Jerome. Do you know where he’s at?† Carter shook his head. â€Å"Nope. He disappeared off our radars too. I don’t know anything more than you do.† â€Å"You probably know more about demon summoning than I do,† I pointed out. â€Å"Depends,† he said. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Pretty much what I already told you. Dante didn’t have much more to offer than who he thought could do it. And those other losers didn’t give up anything at all-except attitude.† Carter flagged down a waitress and ordered a plate of panang curry and Thai iced coffee. Afterward, he tapped the table lightly with his finger, face drawn and thoughtful. â€Å"I can tell you how it’s done,† he said at last. â€Å"But I can’t do much more. This is your side’s business, not ours. We’re not supposed to interfere.† â€Å"Dispensing information isn’t the same as interfering,† I said. He smiled. â€Å"Depends on your definitions. And your people are great at finding loopholes and technicalities.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦Carter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sighed. â€Å"I don’t really have anyone else.† Even if I’d had full succubus charisma going, I don’t think it would have worked on him. But I still had some sort of Georgina charisma that he was susceptible to. He liked me and was concerned about my life, even if he had a funny way of showing it sometimes. The Thai iced coffee appeared, and he paused to take a drink. â€Å"Okay. Here’s how it works. Basically, a demon gets summoned into an object, and with enough magic, the demon becomes bound to that and is trapped. You’ve heard stories about genies, right? Well, they’re kind of variations on this principle. Humans who summon demons into objects can then occasionally release the demon and make them run errands.† â€Å"But this one’s keeping Jerome locked up.† â€Å"Right. Which makes it harder. What makes it harder still is that if this human has any sense at all, they’ve got the object hidden in a place of power.† He took another sip and waited for me to process this. I knew what he was talking about. The earth was covered in places of power-sacred sites, ley lines, magic-infused spots. Anyone sifting through mythology would come across countless references to them and the roles they’d played in human history. There was just one problem with it. â€Å"There are dozens of those in Seattle,† I said slowly. Carter nodded. â€Å"Yup. And even if you find the right one, the power in that place is going to help mask the power coming from the bound demon. For you? Gonna be nearly impossible without your usual senses. You need another immortal to help, the stronger the better. Or possibly a human psychic.† I groaned. â€Å"But you can’t help, and none of the demons will.† The panang curry arrived, and Carter devoured it with enthusiasm. â€Å"Putting that aside, let’s suppose I find this object, whatever it is. Then what?† â€Å"Mmm, that’s hard too,† he said. â€Å"A greater immortal could just break it open. You read "Succubus Heat CHAPTER 14" in category "Essay examples"† â€Å"But not me.† I was beginning to see how this worked, and it wasn’t encouraging. â€Å"No, not even if you were in your normal state. The summoner probably put a lock on it-a seal. That’ll keep a lesser immortal out. The seal’s used in the binding, then it’s broken into two pieces that are kept separated for safekeeping. The practitioner most certainly keeps one. If he or she had a demon’s help, I’m guessing the demon has the other. Or else the practitioner would hide it.† â€Å"Do you think another demon was involved?† He swallowed. â€Å"Most definitely. If you can recover the pieces of the seal, though, then you could unlock the object and set Jerome free.† When I’d first seen Carter standing over my table, I’d been filled with hope, convinced this miserable situation was going to resolve soon and we’d get Jerome back. Now? I was more pessimistic than before. â€Å"So, let me get this straight. All I have to do is find this mystical object that Jerome’s locked in, an object I have no way of even sensing. Once I have it, I then simply have to force the pieces of the lock away from the summoner and a demon .† â€Å"Yup,† said Carter, licking his fork. â€Å"That pretty much sums it up.† â€Å"Fuck.† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Well, the info’s good, but I can’t do anything. I have no leads on any part of this, nowhere to start.† His gray eyes twinkled. â€Å"The seal has to be made of quartz.† â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hand-carved by human hands.† I raised an eyebrow, curious as to where this was going. â€Å"By someone familiar with magic and runes.† He looked at me expectantly. â€Å"So?† â€Å"How many people do you think that describes in the Seattle area?† He didn’t wait for me to finish. â€Å"Not many.† Carter and his riddles. â€Å"You’re saying I should find who made the seal, in the hopes they can tell me who commissioned it.† â€Å"Right. And they can also tell you what the seal’s specifics are. It’s almost always a disc about this big.† He used the fingers of one hand to make a circle about the size of a quarter. â€Å"But the color and designs will be different and provide clues as to what kind of place it’s been hidden in.† â€Å"God, this is complicated.† â€Å"You’re trying to find a demon that’s been captured and bound as part of a larger political power play, Georgina,† Carter said. â€Å"What do you expect?† â€Å"Fair point,† I murmured. â€Å"I have one more question, though. It has nothing to do with the seal, though.† â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"Why’d the stove at Greg’s blow up?† â€Å"Because of a gas leak.† â€Å"One that came on out of nowhere?† He shrugged. â€Å"Compared to what we see every day? A lot stranger things happen.† I eyed him for a moment, wondering if I should press him with my real question. He’d said he couldn’t directly interfere in this, but Carter had saved my life once before. His showing up here now was awfully coincidental†¦Was it possible he’d been following me all day? Had he helped expedite the stove’s incineration to save me? One might argue that touching Greg would have been direct interference†¦but harming the stove wouldn’t be, if you wanted to use demon-worthy technicalities. And, in a typically angelic way, Carter hadn’t actually denied his involvement. I decided to let the matter go. If Carter was keeping his help a secret, there was a good reason. With a sigh, I glanced at the clock to my right. â€Å"Well, I’m still technically on leave, so I should probably take advantage of that and hunt down this seal maker.† â€Å"Good luck,† said Carter. â€Å"But joking aside, I meant what I said earlier. You’ve got to be careful. At the very least, don’t do this stuff alone.† â€Å"You sure you can’t break the rules and come with me, then?† I asked a bit wistfully. â€Å"Nope, but why do you need me when there are plenty of other candidates?† With a grin, he nodded at something beyond me. I glanced back and saw Seth standing at the take-out counter. I jerked my head back toward Carter. â€Å"Hey! How’d-â€Å" Carter was gone. Just then, the waitress set down the bill, which included Carter’s meal. â€Å"Fucking angels,† I muttered, fumbling for my credit card. Turning back around, I studied Seth, feeling my stomach twist in that usual way. As though sensing me, he suddenly turned and made eye contact. Surprise registered on his face, and then he held up his hand in a hang on a second kind of way. A few agonizing minutes later, he walked over to my table holding a take-out bag. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Hey.† â€Å"Is that lunch?† I was suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I had two plates in front of me. â€Å"Yeah, I’m actually heading home to work. The caf? ¦ at the store’s too crowded and noisy.† â€Å"I thought you could work through anything.† He shook his head. â€Å"These days I’m more†¦distractible than usual.† His eyes studied me for a moment, and then he looked away. But in that moment, I’d felt a tingle run through my skin. Seth cleared his throat. â€Å"So†¦what about you?† He forced himself to look back at me. â€Å"You look†¦I don’t know. Uneasy. Not as bad as yesterday but still troubled. More immortal intrigue?† A good portion of my present uneasiness was simply due to his proximity. â€Å"Yeah, afraid so.† â€Å"So, you haven’t found Jerome yet, and you’re still†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Now it was my turn to look away. â€Å"Yeah. I followed some leads on Jerome this morning, and it was kind of†¦um, well, it’s not important. Let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant experience, and I didn’t find out anything anyway.† I glanced back in his direction, making sure I kept my eyes on his Blondie T-shirt and not his face. â€Å"I’ve got one more thing to check into, then I guess I can call it a day.† â€Å"Well, that’s good, I guess.† He shifted uncomfortably, and that awkward tension that was so characteristic for us multiplied. I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came. â€Å"So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began at last. â€Å"I know what you said before†¦but I still have to ask. Is there anything†¦anything I can do?† The retort was on my lips, to tell him I didn’t need him, not anymore. But an image of Greg flashed into my mind, and I hated myself for the fear it invoked. I didn’t want to be a damsel in distress. I didn’t want to live in fear and need a man to watch over me. Greg’s weight and element of surprise had shown that self-defense wouldn’t always work. Sometimes it was hard to face danger alone. Carter’s words repeated in my head: Why do you need me when there are plenty of other candidates? I blurted out my question before I had time to reconsider. â€Å"Would you go with me?† It was hard to say which of us was more surprised by this. â€Å"On†¦your errand?† he asked. I nodded. â€Å"Yeah. But I mean, if you’ve got stuff to do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I’ll go,† he said quickly. He held up his take-out bag. â€Å"Can I eat in your car?† â€Å"You can eat right now,† I said. â€Å"Seeing as I don’t know where we’re going yet.† Leaving Seth to eat at the table, I stepped outside to make a couple of phone calls. The first was to Dante. He answered, fortunately, but had no clue about what I needed. â€Å"Someone who carves crystal?† he asked incredulously. â€Å"I don’t do fluffy New Age stuff.† â€Å"Yeah. I found out more about demon summoning. Apparently there’s some kind of seal involved that only a master artisan can make.† â€Å"I don’t know anyone like that,† he said. â€Å"As much as it pains me to admit a lack of knowledge about anything.† â€Å"Well, I guess even you have limits.† â€Å"You are so in trouble for that the next time I see you, succubus.† After we hung up, I tried Erik. He too answered, and in his usual way, he never bothered to ask why I needed the information. â€Å"There is someone,† he mused. â€Å"I’ve acquired crystal jewelry from her before, carved into assorted sacred symbols-ankhs and crosses. I don’t know if she works with the arcane or spellcraft, but she’s the only one I know in the area who comes close.† I took down her name and address and went back inside. Seth had nearly finished his meal, rivaling Carter for speed. â€Å"Do we have a mission objective yet?† I nodded. â€Å"Yup. Out to the hinterlands, even.† Okay, Carnation wasn’t exactly the hinterlands, but it was well outside the Seattle urban and even suburban sprawl. It was one of several small rural communities that clung to western Washington’s edge before giving way to the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains and the desert on the other side. I made a Starbucks stop along the way so that I could acquire some caffeine. It seemed requisite to get through this. When Seth asked me to order him a mocha Frappuccino, I nearly crashed into the drive-thru window. â€Å"That’s got caffeine in it,† I said. â€Å"I know. But they’re really good. Maddie got me hooked on them.† We drove in utter silence for ten minutes after that. If not for Jerome’s summoning, I would have said this was the most astonishing thing to happen to me in the last twenty-four hours. Seth was drinking caffeine. It was unheard of. He’d abstained from it for years, and despite my clear addiction and coaxing throughout our relationship, he’d never shown any interest of cracking. Yet, Maddie- Maddie! -had somehow gotten him to change? I don’t know why I took such offense at that. Honestly, it was an inconsequential thing in the greater scheme of the universe. Still†¦I couldn’t help feeling hurt. Well, maybe hurt wasn’t the right word. Inadequate, perhaps. She’d gotten him to do something I couldn’t. Why? Why her and not me? Was she more inspiring? Did he care about her more? â€Å"Is something wrong?† Seth finally asked. My silence and death grip on the steering wheel had probably tipped him off. â€Å"Nope,† I lied. â€Å"Just worried about all of this.† â€Å"You are not.† â€Å"I’m not worried about all this?† â€Å"Okay, you are. But that’s not why you’re upset right now. You’re upset about this.† Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wave the Frappuccino. After all this time, he still knew me. â€Å"That’s stupid. Why would I care about that?† He sighed. â€Å"Because I know you. You’re irritated that I did something I never said I’d do.† â€Å"Why should I care?† I replied stiffly. â€Å"I’m happy you’re expanding your horizons.† The look he shot me told me he knew better. We reached the address Erik had given me without further argument, largely because we didn’t talk. The house was an older rambler set on a huge yard that would have held an entire subdivision back in Seattle. Lawn ornaments-a deer and a gnome, to name a few-cluttered the grass, and wind chimes dangled on the porch. We knocked on the door, and several moments later, a woman in her late forties or early fifties answered. She had hair dyed an unnatural shade of red that put me in mind of Tawny’s current hue. Her tight-fitting top pressed a lot of cleavage into her scoop neckline and was also not that far off from something Tawny might wear, albeit a little less tacky. The look the woman gave us wasn’t unfriendly so much as curious. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Hi,† I said. â€Å"Are you Mary Wilt-â€Å" † Oh my God! † she squealed. She had just done a double-take on Seth. â€Å"You’re Seth Mortensen!† Seth stiffened and exchanged looks with me. â€Å"Well, yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her blue-shadowed eyes bugged as she practically drooled over him. â€Å"I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it! Seth Mortensen’s on my porch! I recognize you from your website. I look at it every day. Every day . Oh my God. Oh my God ! I’m your biggest fan. Come in!† Seth looked like he wanted to bolt then and there, but I nudged him forward. This turn of events was a bit unexpected-and creepy-but could possibly work to our advantage. We stepped through the doorway. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about the inside of her house. The d? ¦cor was more modern than the outside suggested, all done in neutral shades. There was a bit of normal lived-in clutter and far more figurines than I found tasteful, but overall, it was a nice place. Some of the figurines were carved out of crystal, which I took as a good sign. â€Å"Come in, come in,† Mary gushed, beckoning toward the living room. â€Å"Sit, sit! Can I get you anything? Iced tea? Coffee? Tequila?† â€Å"Er, no. I’m fine,† said Seth, who was clearly becoming more and more uncomfortable with all of this. â€Å"Thank you.† He and I sat down on the couch, and Mary sat in an armchair across from us, leaning forward in a way that afforded an ample view of her breasts. â€Å"What can I do for you?† she asked. â€Å"Are you here to buy something? I’d do anything for you. Anything .† She grinned at Seth, making her â€Å"anything† intentions obvious. â€Å"You’re so much cuter than I expected. Will you sign my books while you’re here? I own all of them.† She gestured toward a set of shelves on the wall, and sure enough, Seth’s books stood out prominently. I had been a longtime fan girl of Seth’s before we started going out, and I wondered uneasily if I’d sounded this crazed and desperate way back when. She probably would have passed out if she’d known about the advanced copy Seth gave me. â€Å"Sure,† said Seth. â€Å"I’d, um, be happy to.† He elbowed me, no doubt in an effort to get me to state our business and save him. Still a little irritated from our car argument, I almost enjoyed watching him in her clutches. â€Å"We’re actually not here to buy anything,† I told her. â€Å"We wanted to find out about a piece you might have recently made for someone.† Mary turned toward me, seeming to notice me for the first time. Her gleeful, ravenous expression dimmed and even turned a little suspicious. â€Å"Who are you again?† â€Å"Georgina. We’re wondering if you recently made a piece for a client. A carved disc about this big with some sort of arcane symbol on it.† I approximated the size Carter had shown me. Her face grew more wary and pinched. â€Å"I can’t say.† I frowned. â€Å"You don’t remember?† She shook her head. â€Å"I keep records of all my pieces. But that’s confidential. I can’t give that kind of information away.† â€Å"This is really important,† I said. â€Å"We think†¦there may be a crime involved.† â€Å"Sorry, Giselle. I can’t tell you about that. Not unless you’re with the police or something.† â€Å"Georgina,† I corrected. Her adherence to client confidentiality was perfectly understandable-but well, I wasn’t really concerned with what was morally correct right now. Giving Seth an elbow poke of my own, I hoped he’d jump in and use his author god power. It took him a few moments, but he did. â€Å"It would help us so much, Mary. We’d- I’d -really appreciate it.† He stumbled over the words a little, but from the way her face lit up, you’d think he’d just murmured the sexiest thing in her ear. â€Å"Oh, Seth,† she sighed. â€Å"I really would do anything for you†¦but, well, I do try to respect my clients’ privacy. Surely a man like you understands that.† â€Å"Well, yeah, of course I-† I elbowed him again. He shot me a quick glare and then returned his gaze to her. â€Å"That is, I do understand, but like I said, this is really important.† Indecision warred on her face, and I kind of admired her principles. She actually looked uncrackable, and I had a feeling Seth wasn’t going to be too much more assertive. Glancing beyond her, I noticed a hallway leading off to another part of the house. I keep records of all my pieces . â€Å"You’re right,† I said abruptly. â€Å"We can’t expect her to give out that kind of information. Right, Seth?† He turned to me again, giving me a curious glance. â€Å"Right?† It was more of a question than an agreement. Mary nearly melted in relief, her eyes all over Seth. â€Å"Oh, I knew you’d understand. I could tell right away that we think just alike. Kindred spirits and all that, you know? Just from the way you write I-â€Å" â€Å"Hey, Mary?† I interrupted. She looked over at me, again seeming astonished that I was still there. â€Å"Do you have a bathroom I could use?† â€Å"Bathroom?† she repeated, like it was a crazy concept. â€Å"It was a long drive,† I explained sweetly. â€Å"Besides, that’ll give you and Seth a chance to get to know each other while he signs your books.† Her face brightened again, and she turned to Seth without another glance for me. â€Å"Oh, sure! That’s a great idea, Georgia. It’s down the hall.† I stood up. â€Å"Thanks.† Seth and I made brief eye contact. There was a look of both panic and wariness. He didn’t want to be left alone. And he also knew I wouldn’t give up the fight so easily. He suspected that I was up to something. He was right. I was about to go break into Mary’s records. How to cite Succubus Heat CHAPTER 14, Essay examples

Gangs Essay Research Paper Gangs and ViolenceI free essay sample

Gangs Essay, Research Paper Gangs and Violence I don? t think I was even witting that packs existed and were a job until 1991. That was the twelvemonth that my friend Steph and I went to see the film? Boyz in the Hood, ? directed by John Singleton. When we chose to see that film, we truly had no thought what it was approximately. We chose is for two grounds, one because nil that was playing at the clip except for? Boyz? looked remotely interesting, and two, Cuba Gooding Jr. had a function in it, and we both thought he was sort of cute. It ended up being one of the best films I have of all time seen. ? Boyz in the Hood? is a narrative about three immature work forces turning up in South Central Los Angeles, a metropolis where pack activity is really outstanding. This film does a great occupation of picturing mundane life in? The Hood, ? which is unluckily viciously violent at times. Singleton? s film ended up non merely entertaining me, but besides made me cognizant of the pack job that was, and still is, traveling on in our state today. The film made me cognizant of the fact that packs were present in our state, but I was reasonably certain that pack force was a job merely in major metropoliss like Los Angeles and Chicago. I thought if there was even a hint of pack activity traveling on close to St. Cloud, Minnesota, the metropolis I was born and raised in, it was likely go oning in Minneapolis, possibly St. Paul, both far plenty off to non impact me. The truth was and is that pack force is a countrywide job that is go oning in most every metropolis. The figure of offenses committed by packs are on the rise every bit good. Even though the past few old ages the overall offense rate has either been stable or even dropping, there has been a steady addition of offenses committed by adolescents and immature grownups affiliated with packs. For the past five old ages, I have been working at the St. Cloud Children? s Home. The Children? s Home is a residential intervention installation where striplings between the ages of 10 and 18 are placed, normally by the tribunal system, to have guidance and other services they may necessitate. The length of stay for those who are placed there is anyplace between six months and two old ages. Most of the occupants at the Children? s Home are at that place because they are repeat juvenile wrongdoers. I learned most of what I know about packs from working at that place. We have guest talkers and seminars on pack force routinely, but I think the most valuable information I received was from the childs who live at that place. I was surprised at the high figure of teens that were affiliated one manner or another with packs that come through the Children? s Home. The occupants who are placed there are from all over the province of Minnesota, non merely the Twin Cities. Listening to their n arratives, some of which are really distressing, made me cognizant of merely how serious of a job pack force truly is. What is a pack? A pack is an organized group of young person which may be involved in condemnable activities, force, drug usage and gross revenues, or any combination of the three. Why would a adolescent choose to be involved with something so negative, non to advert unsafe? Many people like to fault the media. Although I agree that some films and music tend to laud gan gs and force, I believe the chief ground striplings become involved in packs is because their demands are non being met at place or in the community. Children who have absentee parents turn to gang members for support and to experience like they belong to a? Family. ? A missive ( Attached to my essay ) written by one of my pupils a few old ages ago negotiations about the demand to belong. She writes: ? They stick together as one, they love you like a brotha or a sista. The sort of love you might non acquire at place. Peoples join packs to be loved, to be person, to hold person there for them. ? I think parents paying more attending to their childs is likely the most effectual manner to diminish the figure of teens involved in packs. If parents make clip for their childs, communicate with them, and are cognizant of what is traveling on in their lives, they have better odds of forestalling their childs from fall ining packs. In add-on to the household? s attempt to deter pack activity, I believe our community should take part as good. Forming a vicinity ticker group is a good topographic point to get down. Neighborhood informational meetings can educate members of our community as to how to acknowledge pack members and their activities. If community members stick together, are cognizant of their milieus, and are consistent in describing offenses and pack activity to the governments, they can maintain their vicinities, and more significantly their kids, safe and force free. I think communities should besides supply plans and activities for their young person. If an stripling is involved in activities that keep them occupied, he or she will less probably hold the clip or the desire to acquire into problem. The Boys and Girls Club is a good illustration of an organisation that provides either free or low cost recreational activities, many of which are geared toward young person who are at hazard. Supplying employment and occupation plans are other options a community could see to maintain their young person busy. Communities who develop and fund plans to maintain childs occupied with positive activities will happen less of their young person turning to packs, merely because they won? T be bored. I think the authorities besides needs to be involved if gang force is to diminish in our state. Their duty is chiefly fiscal. Money should be spent to educate members of society about the pack jobs in our state. The authorities should besides supply some of the support to develop plans to maintain childs off the streets. Possibly tougher Torahs and punishments for those who are charged with pack related offenses would be a hindrance. If our authorities wants its citizens to populate in the best environment possible, it should take a good expression at this job and take it really earnestly. In decision, I believe the job of packs in our communities can non be diminished wholly, but it can be controlled. If households, communities, and the authorities all gather and utilize their resources, packs and force could sufficiently diminish in our state. With the coaction of these three groups, a kid will hold a greater opportunity of remaining off from packs and one twenty-four hours maturating into an grownup who will give back to their communities alternatively of take away from them.