Dell Incorporated :: essays research papers

The PC business has profited by the blast of home PC utilization and has gotten one of the most serious ventures on the planet. With innovation developing at astounding paces, a considerable lot of the PC organizations have fallen behind and even out of the business since the advancement of the PC. Just the most grounded organizations have had the option to be productive and effective. Dell Inc. is one of only a handful barely any companies to have the option to stay at the highest point of the market. Dell started as the vision of Michael Dell. The organization started in 1984 with a straightforward business idea to construct PCs to arrange and to sell legitimately to clients. Dell has a background marked by accomplishing twofold digit increments in yearly deals. To keep up this development, Dell is confronted with numerous difficulties in keeping up it’s unmistakable abilities and utilizing target investigation to find out it’s strength’s, shortcomings, openings, and dangers. â€Å"Dell's vision is to work intimately with our advancement accomplices to give 100% saw accessibility to the application environment.† "Dell's crucial to be the best PC organization on the planet at conveying the best client involvement with business sectors we serve.† In doing as such, Dell will meet client desires for: most excellent, driving innovation, serious evaluating, monetary solidness, and individual and friends responsibility. From the nine basic parts of a statement of purpose, Dell’s statement of purpose incorporates: items or administrations, markets, innovation, and worry for endurance, development, and gainfulness. The most significant incentive to Dell is to fulfill their clients and the second most significant worth is to be productive. Dell has three particular capacities which comprise of: 1) selling items straightforwardly to consumer’s which takes out the markups of affiliates 2) form items as they are organization, which kills overloaded items and 3) being able to react rapidly to clients who experience issues with their items.

The dynamic time was a time of... free essay sample

The dynamic time was a period of political and social change.The American people got together in solidarity to vanquish a piece of the debasement in the organization structure, most progressives being office class struggled for sexual direction correspondence and identical rights, A bit of the accomplishments fuse the control of child authorities in assembling plants and sweatshops, dealing with the proposal of alcohol and choosing if to allow transients to wind up nationals or stop relocation all things considered. Even more significantly, nonetheless, reformers attempted to stop the spoiled perspectives of the organization that were happening in the midst of the time, to improve working condition just as expelling power from the assembly and rather giving more control and state to everybody. Reformers winning concerning changing major things,like giving women the benefit to cast a ballot, superseding the city board, introducement of the political machine, and the demise of various adjustments that were basic in the nineteenth and twentieth century , some which consolidate the seventeenth amendment which was supported to counter the contamination in the Senate, and the eighteenth amendment that limited the contribution and amassing of a wide scope of alcohol. We will compose a custom article test on The dynamic time was a period of or on the other hand any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Various laws were also passed to make sure about nature and to expose issues to sullying levels. The Progressives were worn out and tired of the inefficiency and injustices of the past age, the plated age, where the rich and successful misused over the economy and the administration. They were set out to absolutely change and change the goals of the state and upgrade the relationship between what everyone required and what the lawmaking body did. A huge amount of the things requested, would change things extensively, including the compensation charge (sixteenth amendment) which would be an obligation constrained on people that moved with their specific compensation and advantage yearly, the most being associations and business.In summation, Congress would be able to set down and assemble charges depending upon profit, from various sorts of sources. Delegates and direct costs are assigned in the different states which depends upon their masses numbers, Congress also can pay commitments and suit the standard shield and government assistance of the gathered states as long as everything is uniform all through all states. Moreover, explicitly picking senators(17th modification), would set up the notable race of lawmakers by everybody in the gathered states. It moreove r changes the procedure of taking vocations in the Senate, known as circumstances, empowering the governors to impact brief adjustments until another race to can be held. Another change everyone were doing combating for was the push for prohibition, the restricting of blended refreshments and by making the age, transportation and the contribution of liquor illegal, There were various ways they used to approve this, one of them being the Volstead show. Unavoidably, the eighteenth amendment was disavowed in 1933 by the twenty-first modification, being authorized on December fifth, the twenty-first adjustment is the fundamental change to the constitution made distinctly to cancel a prior amendment.Womens testimonial was moreover used to stop deception and debasement through the nineteenth amendment. This change gave women the democratic right like each other individual, in 1920 this modification was embraced and had a domino effect on various countries that in like manner gave women more force before world war II. By doing this, the nineteenth amendment overruled minor v happersett which was a legal dispute in missouri that denied especially females the benefit to vote,even the superior court clashed with it and communicated that the fourteenth amendment didn't give females that opportunity, and requested keeping up and declining to enroll a woman as a real voter since it held that the naturally made sure about advantages of citizens hip excluded the benefit to cast a ballot inferring that solitary men were allowed to cast a ballot in all history of the brought together states until 1910 when the women improvements started. At the time the advancements for change had started, magazines were an amazingly noticeable wellspring of media, some even had participations of over a hundred thousand people . By virtue of the brisk advancement of publicizing, there was an immense measure of extension over the latest news about pollution in administrative issues, gigantic business and the best associations. The essayists who made for the standard magazines just to reveal the political shames were known as maligners, which inquired about exclusively and even gave insights about other social issues like destitution, and working conditions, for instance, kid work. By virtue of these sorts of editorialists, like shaft mixture puncher, George Creel, and Lincoln Steffens passed on to individuals when all is said in done a lot of fakes that were related with the contribution of therapeutic meds and arrangement. Upton Sinclair created a novel called The Wilderness which talked about the horrendous way meat was packaged and shipped. Wherever all through the country, in a general sense common laborers women, got together in light of a legitimate concern for changes in the midst of this time. Using the chance of metropolitan housekeeping women could push a couple of changes including Disallowance, women testimonial, kid saving and general prosperity. These women moreover made clubs and social occasions locally which provoked the 1890 general partnership of women clubs, which was an association of over a thousand clubs in the brought together states which exceptional metropolitan upgrades through organizations like chipping in, and yet most of the acti vities and adventures of the class were free in neighborhood bunches the alliance kept up in excess of 100,000 people. In the midst of the dynamic time frame, the amount of rich families climbed rapidly. From hardly around 100 investors during the 1860s to in excess of 5,000 out of 1890 and sixteen thousand of each 1916. Various took after the points of view of Andrew Carnegies which were that the rich owed a commitment to society, that called for liberal contribution money to colleges, helpful establishments like recuperating focuses and to encourage therapeutic research, yet notwithstanding libraries, presentation corridors and even to strict and social spots to better the earth general. In the dynamic time, by far most of the average workers voters, teachers, and reformers furthermore confined towards political machines. It started in detroit in the midst of the 1890s where a social affair of changes were introduced in the urban bit of america, regularly made to lessen pollution, cut down debasement and addition levels of efficiency.Mayor Hazen started the change and various adjoining urban zones quickly jumped on and arrangement as well. The reformers stood out in the most fundamental/colossal urban networks like los angeles, cleveland, new pullover, and various more in the western states. In the midst of this time there were a huge amount of changes to the people too. In 1920 over an enormous bit of the individuals lived in the field while the urban regions were not as much as half, yet even they were affected by the progressions trust it or not. The movements were for the most part proposed to improve the lives of everybody in nation districts, by 1910 over bit of agriculturists were purchased in or kept awake with the most recent with a developing related day by day paper or magazine, where editors from city regions gave the latest news and advances when it associated with developing profitability. In spite of the way that life in the country was improving, there was up 'til now a significant enthusiasm for better kinds of transportation, notwithstanding the way that the railroad system was by then totally all out ,everybody generally worked in horse or in wagon, in soil trails or roads. With the progression of the auto in 1910 there were a lot of sincere undertakings to refresh the earth lanes and modernize them to all the all the more fitting paths and roads made to fit the necessity for cars as opposed to boulevards for horses and wagons. In 1916 more than 2.4 million miles of earth boulevards in natural domains were upg raded with rock, while 3000 miles were given a full change into modernized interpretations Another colossal change in the rural zones in the midst of the dynamic time frame were schools. A huge segment of the schools were insufficiently financed and the instructors/chairmen werent genuine or at a specialist level, typically they were young close by women who were unmarried. The progressives had the response for modernize schools through affecting the children to go to introduce day schools where they could be instructed by genuine master teachers who were ensured by the states and colleges while being seen by the state. The family didnt agree with it from the start because of all the extra spending anyway later comprehended that it would be progressively favorable for their children to get a genuine guidance than to work underage. Likewise various undertakings were starting to be made away for the pre-adult, including 4-h, a program set up by the bound together states authority of agribusiness made to help the youthful by telling them the best way to wind up unique and productive locals while preparing them in significant central capacities like developing, animal psyche, and even carpentry. Various social occasions fuse youngsters and youngster scouts and even country fairs where prizes were given for the most gainful cultivating rehearses and were later opened up to accomplish more gatherings of spectators. In the south, dull gatherings composed their

CASE BAGBY COPY COMPANY essays

CASE BAGBY COPY COMPANY expositions 1. Examine the tradeoffs that Bagby faces in picking among specific and expansive errand task. Bagby Copy Company produces 10 distinct copiers. The principle some portion of these copiers is a wiring group. This gadget is connected to different segments during the get together procedure. They can allocate each significant undertaking in this procedure to various workers utilizing a wide errand task or one individual can be doled out the assignment of delivering the finished group utilizing a particular errand task. A portion of the points of interest that Bagby's chiefs will acquire on the off chance that they partition the absolute errand of the assembling procedure into explicit occupations or assignments are: Misusing relative favorable position: Specialized errand assignments will allow supervisors at Bagby to coordinate individuals with occupations dependent on abilities and preparing so this will allow workers focus on their specific claims to fame. For instance, Bagby can enlist architects to plan and build up an item and businessmen to do the showcasing. The standard of relative bit of leeway propose that this specialization will frequently create higher yield than utilizing people to play out a wide errands. Lower cost-preparing costs: With particular undertaking task, every worker is prepared to finish one premise work. With wide errand task, representatives are prepared to finish more than one capacity, this can be extravagant. For occurrences, assume at Bagby the planning capacity requires a designer, while in the line of creation work requires an individual with a lower instruction. Specific errand task permits Bagby's directors to recruit one specialist and one individual without a propelled degree. With wide errand task, the degree of training required is generally the most elevated level, so it will cost more for Bagby to enlist two people with higher education than one. Expansive errand task is more costly than specific undertaking task. A portion of the expenses of particular undertaking as... <!

Afghan Wedding Tradition - 1337 Words

Marriage in the traditional Afghan culture has a deep-rooted process through which it treads step by step. Rarely do young men and women have an opportunity to meet each other, and the to-be wife is usually chosen in a haste. When a young man wants to marry a young lady who is from an unknown family, first his parents do some kind of background check about her, trying to know more about her morals, beauty, and other family affairs. If they are contented with what they find, his parents will send a female family member or a relative to her house in order to understand, indirectly or directly, and would disclose the proposal, if the situation is favorable. This consultation process takes some time, and a date is usually fixed to announce†¦show more content†¦The grooms father provides all necessary arrangements and needs of the wedding day for the brides family. Relatives and friends of the bride come together in her fathers house and bring her out to sit among the women gathered in her fathers home and waiting for the groom and his friends to come and take her to her home. Partying at the Grooms Home The real party is held in the grooms house where a larger number of people are invited for lunch. A small group of tambourine men stand outside and escort the grooms relatives and friends with their gifts to the house, where another person stands to receive the gifts. The grooms family members serve the people with tea, water, and fresh juices, standing in line in the entrance to receive the guests and lead them to the rooms where theyll be seated. The brides family sends the white cloth prepared for the groom by at least two teenage boys of her family. The groom gets prepared as people would have taken their lunch and performed the `Asr (Afternoon) Prayer. Then, he rides the horse decorated with a new embroidery cloth at its back. Elders leave to brides home earlier, and the groom follows them with his friends, singer, and a group of tambourine-men. Men from both sides sit in a room to listen to khutba nikah (Dari for: marriage speech) at the brides home. The groom is then taken to inside the house, where the bride is waiting himShow MoreRelatedThe Afghani Cultural Marriage1969 Words   |  8 Pagesrituals which makes it completely different and though attractive to the outsiders. For example, in the West, a marriage ceremony includes engagement, wedding ceremony and reception including cutting the cake and the first dance of a man and a woman as husband and wife which is very different from the Afghan marriages. This paper, therefore, explains the Afghan traditional marriage that includes number of occasions such as engagement or Shereni Khori, Takht-e Henna, the Nikah, and Takht Jami. II. EngagementRead MoreAfgnan Food Culture1574 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction to Afghan Food Culture Talk about Afghanistan, and most people get the misconception that this is a country that does not have much to offer. In the event that you are of the same view, you need be informed that your perceptions are slightly misplaced. True, this is a country that has been ravaged by war and politics and so many other negative impacts of societal conflicts. However, even in the midst of all this madness, there is one thing that remains truly Afghan, it is their cultureRead Morekite runner1971 Words   |  8 Pagesthat decision had damned him. 7. How did the author say he â€Å"embraced America†? (pg. 136) 8. What did Baba and Amir do to supplement their income? 9. Reflect on Baba’s comment at the end of Chapter 11. 10. What dating customs and traditions does American culture have? Southern culture? The digital age of dating has ushered in dating websites, matchmaking tools, and personality assessments to help couples find each other in an era that often lends itself to feelings of disconnectRead MoreComparing A Thousand Splendid Sons and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini1945 Words   |  8 Pageschronicled with more detail than in The Kite Runner.† – Khaled Hosseini. Afghanistan; Taliban controlled, discrimination and love everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. It’s a nation where culture and tradition are of immense importance, especially to the older generation. Over 53% of Afghan population is below the poverty line, making the country one of the Earth’s poorest. Life would be lived on a day to day basis, not knowing if it’s safe to be outside, when the violence will return, or ifRead MoreIslamic Marriage Customs Vary, Depending On Country Of Origin And Government1669 Words   |  7 Pages Depending on cultural and family tradition, the groom or his family may give a gift e.g. jewellery or some small amount of money as a token gesture that they are committed. 2. Engagement. Although not an Islamic requirement, with the flow of cultures, it is common certainly here in the West for there to be an engagement. This can be a simple informal event just between the families or more formal, where it turns into a prelude for a simpler, smaller wedding. It can take place in the bride’s homeRead MoreThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini977 Words   |  4 PagesFacts about the author Khaled Hosseini was born in March 4th, 1965 in Kabul, Afghanistan and he is an Afghan-American novelist. He debuted in the year 2003 and released his book called â€Å"The Kite Runner†. The book opened to widespread critical acclaim and strong commercial success worldwide. And for this kind of novel he received Alex Award, Boeke Prize, ALA Notable Book and a lot of other prestigious awards. He has then authored several other books in his career. There was no turning back for KhaledRead MoreQueen Victoria Aimee Wilkinson Queen1600 Words   |  7 Pagesdress made from heavy silk satin, which, at the time was considered a very odd choice. Most brides chose a colored dress. Some say that Victoria was the one whom started the traditional white wedding with a white wedding gown. Although†¦ She was not the first royal to be wed in white. The evening after her wedding, she wrote in her diary: â€Å"I NEVER, NEVER spent such an evening!!! MY DEAREST DEAREST DEAR Albert ... his excessive love affection gave me feelings of heavenly love happiness I neverRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front3929 Words   |  16 Pagesin 1842. f. In 1865, Russia takes over several provinces. g. Between 1878 to 1880, the second Anglo-Afghan war happens. h. In 1885, Russia takes over Panjdeh, a town that Afghanistan never gets back (it is in modern Turkmenistan). i. In 1919, the 3rd Anglo-Afghan war begins, after the new king declares independence from Britain. j. In 1973, the government is overthrown in a military move by the Afghan Communist Party. k. 1978 the leader who came to power in 1973 is killed by pro-Soviets. There is fightingRead MoreA Broad Look at Afghanistan2701 Words   |  11 Pagescharacteristic of culture is that is learned. People receive information about a culture by several methods. This is mainly done by the use of a common language and other forms of educational information about the society. There is a need to understand the tradition, ideals, and values in order for the culture to be transferred from person to person over the expanse of time. The parents usually start this process and it is continued through school and social interactions. (Zinman. R) Next is theRead MoreDo Muslim Women Really Need Saving?7400 Words   |  30 Pageswithcultural can us on and made to understanding dealing difference, provide withcritical purchase thejustifications forAmerican inAfghanistan terms liberating, saving, in of or women.Ilookfirst the dangers reifying at of in intervention culture, Afghan apparent icons the woman messy over historical political and to neat thetendencies plaster cultural like Muslim attention Then, dynamics. calling with discourses equality, on and colonial missionary and of rhetoric Muslim on to the resonances contemporary

Is Abortion Morally Permissible - 966 Words

In Judith Jarvis Thomson’s philosophy paper, A Defense of Abortion, she argues that abortion is permissible because an individual’s right over their own body outweighs a fetus’s right to life. In this paper I will focus on whether or not abortion is always permissible. First, I will present Thomson’s argument which says that abortion is sometimes permissible. I will do so by describing her â€Å"famous violinist† thought experiment. Next, I will object to Thomson’s claim and expand the scope of her argument by arguing that abortion is in fact, always permissible. I will do so by presenting a new thought experiment. Finally, I will conclude in saying that Thomson is correct and abortion is in fact only sometimes permissible. To begin with, Thomson uses a thought experiment about a hypothetical famous violinist, to further her argument that abortion is morally permissible. In this thought experiment, you are kidnapped and unconsciously plugged to a famous violinist so that your kidney can remove toxins from the violinist’s kidney and ultimately save his life. Thomson argues that you are not required to stay plugged to the famous violinist even if unplugging yourself from the violinist would result in his death. Thomson argues that while everyone has the right to life, no one has the right to dictate what happens to another person s body. Similarly, in the same way that the violinist is not entitled to the use of your kidneys, a child in a woman’s womb does not have a right toShow MoreRelatedAbortion Is Morally Permissible?1817 Words   |  8 PagesAbortion is the willful and deliberate termination of pregnancy before the fetus comes to term; meaning the death of a fetus. Not having access to safe and legal abortions can cause more pain than positive it can lead women to be injured or infertile or even dead. Also, the denial of access to safe and legal abortion is said to be depriving women of the right to control their own body. However, the above point does not persuade people who are against abortion because they believe that fetuses areRead MoreAbortion Is Morally Permissible?1675 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion is defined as â€Å"The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.† (Oxford Dictionary). Nearly three out of ten women in the U. S. have an abortion by the time they are 45-years-old (Planned Parenthood). Abortion is morally permissible because an abortion prevents a woman and the potential child’s suffering. Abortion is moral because it is a fundamental right of competent adults to make their own decisions on the course of theirRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Permissible?1977 Words   |  8 PagesThe question of whether or not abortion is morally permissible is widely disputed amongst those who are pro-life or pro-choice. While in some societies abortion has been outlawed, others either entirely allow for it or consider abortion permissible on a case-by-case basis. Many pro-lifers classify abortion as immoral, some even considering it murder. Abortion is typically defined as terminating a pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside of the womb. A crucial factor in determining whetherRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Permissible?1879 Words   |  8 PagesAbortion is morally permissible in all cas es; regardless of how the pregnancy came about. The question of whether the fetus is granted personhood at conception or anytime during its development is entirely irrelevant. The right to control your own body often trumps someone’s right to life. Even if you declare personhood to the fetus, it does not determine the morality of abortion. Whether it is â€Å"killing an innocent child† or not does not take away the fact that this country has time and time againRead MoreThesis: Is Abortion Morally Permissible?851 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion Thesis: Abortion is morally permissible in which a fetus is not a person which deprives the fetus to its right to life, circular reasoning is an ineffective to oppose abortion, abortion only risks the fetus not society, and deprivation from a fetuss future and suffering of a loved one has no affect on the argument towards anti-abortion. Mary Anne Warren in On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion stated the characteristics which are central to the concept of personhood which are â€Å"sentienceRead MoreEssay about Is Abortion Morally Permissible or Not?1322 Words   |  6 Pagesthe morality of abortion with specific reference to the writings of Don Marquis, Judith Jarvis Thompson, Peter Singer and Mary Anne Warren. I will begin by assessing the strength of the argument provided by Marquis which claims that abortion is impermissible because it deprives a being of a potential â€Å"future like ours,† and then go on to consider the writings of Singer, Thomson and Warren to both refute Marquis claims and support my assertion that abortion is morally permissible primarily becauseRead MoreEssay about Abortion: Morally Permissible or Impermissible?2524 Words   |  11 PagesAbortion: Morally Permissible or Impermissible? Abortion can be defined as a means of terminating a pregnancy by removing or expelling a fetus from the uterus before viability. Abortion has been, and will always be, a controversial issue in today’s society and in the future. People have always struggled to determine whether it is ethical to abort a fetus; morally permissible (acceptable) or morally impermissible (unacceptable). The polarizing views that are associated with abortion makes thisRead MoreWhy Should Sex Selection Abortions Are Morally Permissible?923 Words   |  4 Pagessex-selection abortions are morally permissible?† No, I do not think they are morally permissible. Not so much because of the utilitarian’s belief, which I will get into later, but because I do think a fetus is a person. And like Kantians who believe fetuses are persons, the fetus has all the rights and due all the respect that any other person has. To abort that fetus because it’s a girl (or a boy) does not give any righ ts to the fetus. With that said however, that doesn’t mean I think abortions themselvesRead MoreMarquis vs. Warren in the Case Against Abortion1298 Words   |  6 Pagesdetermining if abortion is morally permissible, or wrong including; sentience of the fetus, the fetuses right to life, the difference between adult human beings and fetuses, the autonomy of the pregnant woman, and the legality of abortion. Don Marquis argues that abortion is always morally wrong, excluding cases in which the woman is threatened by pregnancy, or abortion after rape, because fetuses have a valuable future. Mary Anne Warren contends that late term abortions are morally permissible becauseRead MoreA Defense Of Abortion By Judith Thomson1678 Words   |  7 PagesWhat takes precedence; an unborn fetus’ life or its mother’s right to her body? Anti-abortionist argue that the life of an unborn fetus has priority, and thus abortion is morally impermissible as it violates the fetus’ right to life. I n her article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†, Judith Thomson argues that abortion is morally permissible under the certain conditions where the rights of the fetus fail to surpass a mother’s right of choice. For the sake of her argument, Thomson allows the assumption that

English 102 - Argumentative Essay - 1527 Words

Watler 1 Brian Watler Jr Patricia Ebanks ENG 102 February 3, 2011 Perversion: intellectually transmitted Sexual thoughts pop in and out of most people’s mind, but especially teenagers, and there’s nothing they can do about it. It is normal for teenage boys and girls to experience this, more than ever when they are hitting puberty. The hormones in the body begin to act up and teenagers want to experience other things on their own. Males begin to grow pubic and facial hairs, and their voice starts to deepen, while girls’ breasts begin to develop and their body begins to take shape. After hitting puberty, teenagers are now at the point where they want to experience things. ‚Don’t go out there and get pregnant‛ a mother†¦show more content†¦When I was only 11 years old, my male friends would ask me if I have ever masturbated. I had no idea what it was and quite frankly I was not really interested. It was the in thing to say that a guy was weird if he did not masturbate. Because of the continued conversations on this topic and finally felt th e urge to step in and ask what it was. One of the guys mentioned everything about it, and that he had gone on to a specific website to find that out. Of course, it was foreign to me because never did I hear that term in my life. My friend had not heard it either, so he went online to research for himself. Yes, I understand that things such as that are difficult to commute to a young child, but it is better to inform children at a younger age, because then their minds will believe what is heard. Children do what their parents do and say, so if parents informed their child at a young age, they would probably not want to rummage around for explicit material on their own. He even went on to say things about imagining things about girls, which he called: ‚dirteh tinking.‛ Lust of the mind is something ever teenager has experienced or will experience. They will have an attraction to the opposite sex some time in their life. However, if parents would only take the time to ment ion the crucial issues, and the effects, teens would probably hate it in their minds. Joseph Knable, Sex and the Single Guy author, states that If we tolerate lust, we give sin a foot in the door andShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis : English 102971 Words   |  4 PagesStarting this year, I thought English 102 was just going to be another general education requirement I needed to have in order to graduate. English has never been my favorite subject, so I guess it is safe to say that I was not super excited about this class. However, this class turned out to be different then I thought. It turned out to be more useful then I originally thought. English 102 was both helpful and fairly simple because of what what I learned, the effort I put in and how prepared I wasRead MoreWriting An Effective Well Organized Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout my entire life I struggled with English. I always had trouble writing an effective well-organized essay. Throughout my education I ha d always received bad grades on my essays. From constantly received bad grades I slowly began to give up, and I slowly began to lose hope in English. I asked myself, would I ever improve in writing? Or will I continue failing. I signed up for English 101A and I walked into the classroom with and open-mind but extremely nervous. Because in my head I am thinkingRead MoreThe Course Of English 102 With Professor Lyn Has Negatively My Growth As A Writer And Thinker1007 Words   |  5 Pages The overall course of English 102 with Professor Lyn has impacted my writing and me as an individual. Not only did the course help me improve my writing, but it helped me think of the ideas and norms that we ascribe to in the world as more complex. This portfolio shows how some of the learning objectives of English 102 reflects my growth as a writer and thinker. The papers that are included in this portfolio demonstrate my mastery of the learning objectives of this course. There are first draftsRead MoreFour Essays That Prove I Suck: The Arguments of a Pacifist1110 Words   |  5 Pageswas one of the best writers out there. I scored higher than most on the English portion of the ACT and even passed EH 101 with a ninety-nine, yet EH 102 was like a punch straight to my pride. Always the pacifist, I preferred my arguments to be snide comments under my breath instead of a series of well thought out opinions on paper. Even worse, I had always struggled with avoiding work instead of ac tually doing it. When EH 102 promised to teach me how to use rhetorical knowledge appropriately, thinkRead MoreA Study On A Business Management1470 Words   |  6 PagesSumter, my hometown, to attend USC Sumter after a semester at Francis Marion. I attribute my time at this university to helping me choose business as my ultimate profession. I took English 102 with Dr. Mary Ellen Bellanca during my first semester. Her class helped ground me with a basic knowledge of fundamental English skills and to have a better grasp on how to research sources and connect them to the thesis and main ideas of my papers. I chose to include a submission from her class to demonstrateRead MoreThe Hip Hop Generation And Its Impact On Society1371 Words   |  6 PagesDominiquie Gray English- 102 Argumentative Essay 6 December 2015 The Hip Hop Generation and its Impact on Society. Throughout history, Hip Hop has manifest into more than a simple form of life, but as a powerful cultural movement. Hip Hop plays a major part in African American culture, dialogue, fashion, and self expression. Today, Hip Hop has a joined people of many nationalities, races, and ethnicities as a society. The Hip Hop Generation has begun to redefine African American cultural normsRead MoreNouns And Substance Error Taxonomies Of Iraqi Efl Learners9910 Words   |  40 Pages(DIAB, 1997) studies the English writings of Lebanese EFL learners’. He concludes that the interference of the mother tongue (interlingual cause) Arabic language in the English writings leads to language transfer. (Somachi Siriluck,2013) studies Thai EFL students’ writing in different text types and analyzing writing errors caused by L1 interference of the Thai language. Types of writing, namely narration, description, and comparison in 120 English paragraphs major English language. The findings Read MoreArgumentative Essay - Foreign Language2587 Words   |  11 PagesKatie Rudnik Instructor McClary English 102:027 20 November 2014 Researched Argumentative Essay – Foreign Language in the United States With the development of technology, improvement of transportation, and expansion of social media, globalization is occurring faster than ever. Now more than ever, companies are looking to expand internationally and employers are looking to hire multilingual employees. Because of this, the study of foreign language plays a critical role in the ever-expanding globalRead MoreThe Effects Of Autonomous Cars On Society Essay1858 Words   |  8 PagesTyler Hagemeier Dr. Learst English 102 20 November 2016 Argumentative Essay While researching articles about autonomous cars, I found a few authors who wrote about the effects of autonomous cars on society and whether or not these should be introduced to our world’s roads. On one hand, some authors believe â€Å"self-driving† cars should not be allowed on roads. They believe this revolution in the change of cars will destroy large industries which includes the auto-insurance industry, parking industryRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesown conclusion, then its your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate. Lets examine that last remark. A conclusion backed up by one or more reasons in any order is called an argument, even when the reasoner is not being argumentative or disagreeable. The word â€Å"argument† is a technical term we will be using frequently in this course. Being logical means, among other things, that you should give an argument to support your conclusion if you expect other people to accept it

The Scarlet Ibis free essay sample

Third Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 2003. It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree. 1 The flower garden was strained with rotting brown magnolia petals and ironweeds grew rank2 amid the purple phlox. The five oclocks by the chimney still marked time, but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softy the names of our dead. Its strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that summer has long since fled and time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a silvery dust. The flower garden is prim, the house a gleaming white, and the pale fence across the yard stands straight and spruce. But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away-and I remember Doodle. Doodle was just about the craziest brother a boy every had. Of course, he wasnt crazy crazy like old Miss Leedie, who was in love with President Wilson and wrote him a letter every day, but was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams. He was born when I was six and was, from the outset, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old mans. Everybody thought he was going to die-everybody except Aunt Nicey, who had delivered him. She said he would live because he was born in a caul,3 and cauls were made from Jesus nightgown. Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little mahogany coffin for him. But he didnt die, and when he was three months old, Mama and Daddy decided they might as well name him. They named him William Armstrong, which is like tying a big tail on a small kite. Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone. I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp, and I wanted more han anything else someone to race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch with in the top fork of the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and swamps you could see the sea. I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would never do these things with me. He might not, she so bbed, even be all there. He might, as long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the bed in the front bedroom where the white marquisette4 curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds. It was bad enough having an invalid6 brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow. However, one afternoon as I watched him, my head poked between the iron posts of the foot of the bed, he looked straight at me and grinned. I skipped through the rooms, down the echoing halls, shouting, Mama, he smiled. Hes all there! Hes all there! and he was. hen he was two, if you laid him on his stomach, he began to move himself, straining terribly. The doctor said that with his weak heart this strain would probably kill him, but it didnt. Trembling, hed push himself up, turning first red, then a soft purple, and finally collapse back onto the bed like an old worn-out doll. I can still see Mama watching him, her hand pressed tight across her mouth, her eyes wide and unblinking. But he learned to crawl (it was his third winter), and we brought him out of the front bedroom, putting him on the rug before the fireplace. For the first time he became one of us. As long as he lay all the time in bed, we called him William Armstrong, even though it was formal and sounded as if we were referring to one of our ancestors, but with his creeping around on the deerskin rug and beginning to talk, something had to be done about his name. It was I who renamed him. When he crawled, he crawled backwards, as if he were in reverse and couldnt 1 bleeding tree: reference to a certain tree prevalent in the South; the name derives from the fact that the tree emits a milky substance whenever a branch is broken from it. 2 rank: thick and wild. Rank also means â€Å"smelly† or â€Å"overripe. † 3   caul: a membrane sometimes surrounding the head of a child at birth. 4 5 marquisette: thin, netlike fabric. paalmetto fronds: fanlike leaves of a palm tree. 6   invalid: ill, disabled, or weak and sickly. change gears. If you called him, hed turn around as if he were going in the other direction, then hed back right up to you to be picked up. Crawling backward made him look like a doodlebug,7 so I began to call him Doodle, and in time even Mama and Daddy thought it was a better name than William Armstrong. Only Aunt Nicey disagreed. She said caul babies should be treated with special respect since they might turn out to be saints. Renaming my brother was perhaps the kindest thing I ever did for him, because nobody expects much from someone called Doodle. Although Doodle learned to crawl, he showed no signs of walking, but he wasnt idle. He talked so much that we all quit listening to what he said. It was about this time that Daddy built him a go-cart and I had to pull him around. At first I just paraded him up and down the piazza,8 but then he started crying to be taken out into the yard, and it ended up by my having to lug him wherever I went. If I so much as picked up my cap, hed start crying to go with me and Mama would call from where she was, Take Doodle with you. He was a burden in many ways. The doctor had said that he mustnt get too excited, too hot, too cold, or too tired and that he must always be treated gently. A long list of donts went with him, all of which I ignored once we got out of the house. To discourage his coming with me, Id run with him across the ends of the cotton rows and careen him around corners on two wheels. Sometimes I accidentally turned him over, but he never told Mama. His skin was very sensitive, and he had to wear a big straw hat whenever he went out. When the going got rough and he had to cling to the sides of the go-cart, the hat slipped all the way down over his ears. He was a sight. Finally, I could see I was licked. Doodle was my brother and he was going to cling to me forever, no matter what I did, so I dragged him across the burning cotton field to share with him the only beauty I knew, Old Woman Swamp. I pulled the go-cart through the saw-tooth fern, down into the green dimness where the palmetto fronds whispered by the stream. I lifted him out and set him down in the soft rubber grass beside a tall pine. His eyes were round with wonder as he gazed about him, and his little hands began to stroke the rubber grass. Then he began to cry. â€Å"For heaven’s sake, what’s the matter? † I asked, annoyed. â€Å"It’s so pretty,† he said. â€Å"So pretty, pretty, pretty. † After that day Doodle and I often went down into Old Woman Swamp. I would gather wildflowers, wild violets, honeysuckle, yellow jasmine, snakeflowers, and waterlilies, and with wire grass we’d weave them into necklaces and crowns. We’d bedeck ourselves with our handiwork and loll about thus beautified, beyond the touch of the everyday world. Then when the slanted rays of the sun burned orange in the tops of the pines, we’d drop our jewels into the stream and watch them float away toward the sea. There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction, and at times I was mean to Doodle. One day I took him up to the barn loft and showed him his casket, telling him how we all had believed he would die. It was covered with a film of Paris green9 sprinkled to kill the rats, and screech owls had built a nest inside it. Doodle studied the mahogany box for a long time, then said, â€Å"It’s not mine. † â€Å"It is,† I said. â€Å"And before I’ll help you down from the loft, you’re going to have to touch it. † â€Å"I won’t touch it,† he said sullenly. â€Å"Then I’ll leave you here by yourself,† I threatened, and made as if I were going down. Doodle was frightened of being left. â€Å"Don’t leave me, Brother,† he cried, and leaned toward the coffin. His hand, trembling, reached out, and when he touched the casket, he screamed. A screech owl flapped out of the box into our faces, scaring us and covering us with Paris green. Doodle was paralyzed, so I put him on my shoulder and carried him down the ladder, and even when we were outside in the bright sunshine, he clung to me, crying, Dont leave me. Dont leave me. hen Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldnt walk, so I set out to teach him. We were down in Old Woman Swamp and it was spring and the sick- sweet smell of bay flowers hung everywhere like a mournful song. Im going to teach you to walk, Doodle, I said. He was sitting comfortably on the soft grass, leaning back against the pine. Why? he asked. I hadnt expected such an answer. So I wont have to haul you around all the time. I cant walk, Brother, he said. Who says so? I demanded. W 7 8 doodlebug: larva of a type of insect; also, a shuttle train that goes back and forth between stations. piazza: large covered porch. 9 Paris green: poisonous green powde r used to kill insects. Mama, the doctor-everybody. † Oh, you can walk, I said, and I took him by the arms and stood him up. He collapsed onto the grass like a half-empty flour sack. It was as if he had no bones in his little legs. Dont hurt me, Brother, he warned. Shut up. Im not going to hurt you. Im going to teach you to walk. I heaved him up again, and again he collapsed. This time he did not lift his face up out of the rubber grass. I just cant do it. Lets make honeysuckle wreaths. Oh yes you can, Doodle, I said. All you got to do is try. Now come on, and I hauled him up once more. It seemed so hopeless from the beginning that its a miracle I didnt give up. But all of us must have something or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine. I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death. Every day that summer we went to the pine beside the stream of Old Woman Swamp, and I put him on his feet at least a hundred times each afternoon. Occasionally I too became discouraged because it didnt seem as if he was trying, and I would say, Doodle, dont you want to learn to walk? Hed nod his head, and Id say, Well, if you dont keep trying, youll never learn. Then Id paint for him a picture of us as old men, white-haired, him with a long white beard and me still pulling him around in the go-cart. This never failed to make him try again. Finally one day, after many weeks of practicing, he stood alone for a few seconds. When he fell, I grabbed him in my arms and hugged him, our laughter pealing through the swamp like a ringing bell. Now we knew it could be done. Hope no longer hid in the dark palmetto thicket but perched like a cardinal in the lacy toothbrush tree, brilliantly visible. Yes, yes, I cried, and he cried it too, and the grass beneath us was soft and the smell of the swamp was sweet. With success so imminent,10 we decided not to tell anyone until he could actually walk. Each day, barring rain, we sneaked into Old Woman Swamp, and by cotton-picking time Doodle was ready to show what he could do. He still wasnt able to walk far, but we could wait no longer. Keeping a nice secret is very hard to do, like holding your breath. We chose to reveal all on October eighth, Doodles sixth birthday, and for weeks ahead we mooned around the house, promising everybody a most spectacular surprise. Aunt Nicey said that, after so much talk, if we produced anything less tremendous than the Resurrection,11 she was going to be disappointed. At breakfast on our chosen day, when Mama, Daddy, and Aunt Nicey were in the dining room, I brought Doodle to the door in the gocart just as usual and had them turn their backs, making them cross their hearts and hope to die if they peeked. I helped Doodle up, and when he was standing alone I let them look. There wasnt a sound as Doodle walked slowly across the room and sat down at his place at the table. Then Mama began to cry and ran over to him, hugging him and kissing him. Daddy hugged him too, so I went to Aunt Nicey, who was thanks praying in the doorway, and began to waltz her around. We danced together quite well until she came down on my big toe with her brogans,12 hurting me so badly I thought I was crippled for life. Doodle told them it was I who had taught him to walk, so everyone wanted to hug me, and I began to cry. What are you crying for? asked Daddy, but I couldnt answer. They did not know that I did it for myself, that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother. Within a few months Doodle had learned to walk well and his go-cart was put up in the barn loft (its still there) beside his little mahogany coffin. Now, when we roamed off together, resting often, we never turned back until our destination had been reached, and to help pass the time, we took up lying. From the beginning Doodle was a terrible liar and he got me in the habit. Had anyone stopped to listen to us, we would have been sent off to Dix Hill. My lies were scary, involved, and usually pointless, but Doodles were twice as crazy. People in his stories all had wings and flew wherever they wanted to go. His favorite lie was about a boy named Peter who had a pet peacock with a ten-foot tail. Peter wore a golden robe that glittered so brightly that when he walked through the sunflowers they turned away from the sun to face him. When Peter was ready to go to sleep, the peacock spread his magnificent tail, enfolding the boy gently like a closing go-to-sleep flower, burying him in the glorious iridescent,13 rustling vortex. 14 Yes, I must admit it. Doodle could beat me lying. Doodle and I spent lots of time thinking about our future. We decided that when we were grown wed live in Old Woman Swamp and pick dog-tongue 1 12 10 imminent: about to take place. Resurrection: allusion to the account of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ recorded in The Bible. brogans: heavy ankle-high shoes. 13 iridescent: rainbowlike; displaying a shifting range of colors. 14 vortex: something resembling a whirlpool. for a living. Beside the stream, he planned, wed build us a house of whispering leaves and the swa mp birds would be our chickens. All day long (when we werent gathering dog’s-tongue15 wed swing through the cypresses on the rope vines, and if it rained wed huddle beneath an umbrella tree and play stickfrog. Mama and Daddy could come and live with us if they wanted to. He even came up with the idea that he could marry Mama and I could marry Daddy. Of course, I was old enough to know this wouldnt work out, but the picture he painted was so beautiful and serene that all I could do was whisper Yes, yes. nce I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility,16 and I prepared a terrific development program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees, and to fight. He, too, now believed in my infallibility, so we set the deadline for these accomplishments less that a year away, when, it had been decided, Doodle could start to school. That winter we didnt make much progress, for I was in school and Doodle suffered from one bad cold after another. But when spring came, rich and warm, we raised our sights again. Success lay at the end of summer like a pot of gold, and our campaign got off to a good start. On hot days, Doodle and I went down to Horsehead Landing, and I gave him swimming lessons or showed him how to row a boat. Sometimes we descended into the cool greenness of Old Woman Swamp and climbed the rope vines or boxed scientifically beneath the pine where he had learned to walk. Promise hung about us like the leaves, and wherever we looked, ferns unfurled and birds broke into song. That summer, the summer of 1918, was blighted. 17 In May and June there was no rain and the crops withered, curled up, then died under the thirsty sun. One morning in July a hurricane came out of the east, tipping over the oaks in the yard and splitting the limbs of the elm trees. That afternoon it roared back out of the west, blew the fallen oaks around, snapping their roots and tearing them out of the earth like a hawk at the entrails18 of a chicken. Cotton bolls were wrenched from the stalks and lay like green walnuts in the valleys between the rows, while the cornfield leaned over uniformly so that the tassels touched the ground. Doodle and I followed Daddy out into the cotton field, where he stood, O 15 16 shoulders sagging, surveying the ruin. When his chin sank down onto his chest, we were frightened, and Doodle slipped his hand into mine. Suddenly Daddy straightened his shoulders, raised a giant knuckle fist, and with a voice that seemed to rumble out of the earth itself began cursing the weather and the Republican Party. 19 Doodle and I prodding each other and giggling, went back to the house, knowing that everything would be all right. And during that summer, strange names were heard through the house: Chateau-Thierry, Amiens, Soissons, and in her blessing at the supper table, Mama once said, And bless the Pearsons, whose boy Joe was lost at Belleau Wood. 20 So we came to that clove of seasons. School was only a few weeks away, and Doodle was far behind schedule. He could barely clear the ground when climbing up the rope vines, and his swimming was certainly not passable. We decided to double our efforts, to make that list drive and reach our pot of gold. I made him swim until he turned blue and row until he couldnt lift an oar. Wherever we went, I purposely walked fast, and although he kept up, his face turned red and his eyes became glazed. Once, he could go no further, so he collapsed on the ground and began to cry. Aw, come on, Doodle, I urged. You can do it. Do you want to be different from everybody else when you start school? Does it make any difference? It certainly does, I said. Now, come on, and I helped him up. As we slipped through dog days, Doodle began to look feverish, and Mama felt his forehead, asking him if he felt ill. At night he didnt sleep well, and sometimes he had nightmares, crying out until I touched him and said, Wake up, Doodle. Wake up. † It was Saturday noon, just a few days before school was to start. I should have already admitted defeat, but my pride wouldnt let me. The excitement of our program had now been gone for weeks, but still we kept on with a tired doggedness. 21 It was too late to turn back, for we had both wandered too far into a net of expectations and left no crumbs behind. Daddy, Mama, Doodle, and I were seated at the dining-room table having lunch. It was a hot day, with all the windows and doors open in case a breeze should come. In the kitchen Aunt Nicey was humming softly. After a long silence, Daddy spoke. Its so calm, I wouldnt be surprised if we had a dog’s-tongue: wild vanilla. nfallibility: the state or condition of being incapable of error. 17 blighted: suffering from conditions that destroy or prevent growth. 18 entrails: inner organs; guts. 19 20 Republican party: At this time most Southern farmers were loyal Democrats. Chateau-Thierry, Amiens, Soissons, †¦Belleau Wood: World War I battle sites in France. 21 doggedness: stubbornness; persistence. storm this afternoon. I havent heard a rain frog, said Mama, who believed in signs, as she served the bread around the table. I did, declared Doodle. Down in the swamp- He didnt, I said contrarily. You did, eh? said Daddy, ignoring my denial. I certainly did, Doodle reiterated,22 scowling at me over the top of his iced-tea glass, and we were quiet again. Suddenly, from out in the yard, came a strange croaking noise. Doodle stopped eating, with a piece of bread poised ready for his mouth, his eyes popped round like two blue buttons. Whats that? he whispered. I jumped up, knocking over my chair, and had reached the door when Mama called, Pick up the chair, sit down again, and say excuse me. By the time I had done this Doodle had excused himself and had slipped out into the yard. He was looking up into the bleeding tree. Its a great big red bird! he called. The bird croaked loudly again, and Mama and Daddy came out into the yard. We shaded our eyes with our hands against the hazy glare of the sun and peered up through the still leaves. On the topmost branch a bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet feathers and long legs, was perched precariously. 23 Its wings hung down loosely, and as we watched, a feather dropped away and floated slowly down through the green leaves. Its not even frightened of us, Mama said. It looks tired, Daddy added. Or maybe sick. Doodles hands were clasped at his throat, and I had never seen him stand still so long. What is it? he asked. Daddy shook his head. I dont know, maybe its-â€Å" At that moment the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and a spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the bleeding tree and landing at our feet with a thud. Its long, grac eful neck jerked twice into an S, then straightened out, and the bird was still. A white veil came over the eyes and the long white beak unhinged. Its legs were crossed and its clawlike feet were delicately curved at rest. Even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers, and we stood around it, awed by its exotic24 beauty. Its dead, Mama said. What is it? Doodle repeated. Go bring me the bird book, said Daddy. I ran into the house and brought back the bird book. As we watched, Daddy thumbed through its pages. Its a scarlet ibis, he said, pointing to the picture. It lives in the tropics-South America to Florida. A storm must have brought it here. Sadly, we all looked back at the bird. A scarlet ibis! How many miles it had traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree. Lets finish lunch, Mama said, nudging us back toward the dining room. Im not hungry, said Doodle, and he knelt down beside the ibis. Weve got peach cobbler for dessert, Mama tempted from the doorway. Doodle remained kneeling. Im going to bury him. Dont you dare touch him, Mama warned. Theres no telling what disease he might have had. All right, said Doodle. I wont. Daddy, Mama, and I went back to the dining-room table, but we watched Doodle through the open door. He took out a piece of string from his pocket and, without touching the ibis, looped one end around its neck. Slowly, while singing softly Shall We Gather at the River, he carried the bird around to the front yard and dug a hole in the flower garden, next to the petunia bed. Now we were watching him through the front window, but he didnt know it. His awkwardness at digging the hole with a shovel whose handle was twice as long as he was made us laugh, and we covered our mouths with our hands so he wouldnt hear. When Doodle came into the dining room, he found us seriously eating our cobbler. He was pale, and lingered just inside the screen door. Did you get the scarlet ibis buried? asked Daddy. Doodle didnt speak but nodded his head. Go wash your hands, and then you can have some peach cobbler, said Mama. Im not hungry, he said. Dead birds is bad luck, said Aunt Nicey, poking her head from the kitchen door. Specially red dead birds! As soon as I had finished eating, Doodle and I hurried off to Horsehead Landing. Time was short, and Doodle still had a long way to go if he was going 22 23 reiterated: repeated. precariously: unsteadily; insecurely. 4 exotic: foreign; strangely beautiful, enticing. to keep up with the other boys when he started school. The sun, gilded with the yellow cast of autumn, still burned fiercely, but the dark green woods through which we passed were shady and cool. When we reached the landing, Doodle said he was too tired to swim, so we got into a skiff and floated down the creek with the tide. Far off in the marsh a rail was scolding, and over on the beach locusts were singing in the myrtle trees. Doodle did not speak and kept his head turned away, letting one hand trail limply in the water. After we had drifted a long way, I put the oars in place and made Doodle row back against the tide. Black clouds began to gather in the southwest, and he kept watching them, trying to pull the oars a little faster. When we reached Horsehead Landing, lightning was playing across half the sky and thunder roared out, hiding even the sound of the sea. The sun disappeared and darkness descended, almost like night. Flocks of marsh crows flew by, heading inland to their roosting trees; and two egrets, squawking, arose from the oyster-rock shallows and careened away. Doodle was both tired and frightened, and when he stepped from the skiff he collapsed onto the mud, sending an armada25 of fiddler crabs rustling off into the marsh grass. I helped him up, and as he wiped the mud off his trousers, he smiled at me ashamedly. He had failed and we both knew it, so we started back home, racing the storm. We never spoke (What are the words that can solder26 cracked pride? ), but I knew he was watching me, watching for a sign of mercy. The lightning was near now, and from fear he walked so close behind me he kept stepping on my heels. The faster I walked, the faster he walked, so I began to run. The rain was coming, roaring through the pines, and then, like a bursting Roman candle, a gum tree ahead of us was shattered by a bolt of lightning. When the deafening peal of thunder had died, and in the moment before the rain arrived, I heard Doodle, who had fallen behind, cry out, Brother, Brother, dont leave me! Dont leave me! The knowledge that Doodles and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us. The drops stung my face like nettles, and the wind flared the wet glistening leaves of the bordering trees. Soon I could hear his voice no more. I hadn’t run too far before I became tired, and the flood of childish spite evanesced27 as well. I stopped and waited for Doodle. The sound of rain was everywhere, but the wind had died and it fell straight down in parallel paths like ropes hanging from the sky. As I waited, I peered through the downpour, but no one came. Finally I went back and found him huddled beneath a red nightshade bush beside the road. He was sitting on the ground, his face buried in his arms, which were resting on his drawn-up knees. Lets go, Doodle, I said. He didnt answer, so I placed my hand on his forehead and lifted his head. Limply, he fell backwards onto the earth. He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red. Doodle! Doodle! I cried, shaking him, but there was no answer but the ropy rain. He lay very awkwardly, with his head thrown far back, making his vermilion28 neck appear unusually long and slim. His little legs, bent sharply at the knees, had never before seemed so fragile, so thin. I began to weep, and the tear-blurred vision in red before me looked very familiar. Doodle! I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above his. For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy29 of rain. 25 28 29 armada: group. Armada is generally used to mean â€Å"fleet, or group, of warships. † 26 solder: patch or repair Solder is a mixture of metals melted and used to repair metal parts. 27 e vanesced: faded away; disappeared. vermilion: bright red. heresy: here, mockery. Heresy generally means â€Å"denial of what is commonly believed to be true† or â€Å"rejection of a church’s teaching. †