How can we explain Americas involvement in the Vietnam War. To what Essay

How can we explain Americas involvement in the Vietnam War. To what extent did America get it wrong, terribly wrong - Essay Example In the North, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam first proclaimed in September 1945, which the French had fought to suppress; in the south, the Government of the Emperor Bao Dai, which the French had sponsored. Both governments were committed to achieve the unity of the country. In the south, the chief minister Ngo Dinh Diem, the strongest figure in the government faced lots of difficulties because the gangster called as Binth Xuyen controlled the country side which was a total failure in the field of agriculture, communication and defence.Ngo Dinh diem defeated both Binh Xuyen, Bao Dai and proclaimed himself as president of the Republic of Vietnam on 26th Oct 1955.President Diem was greatly helped by United States and it disapproved of the Geneva agreement as a partial victory for the communists and was determined that they should make no further advance. In the last critical months of the Indo- China war, it had developed the view that the situation in the whole South East Asia was in danger of slipping under the pressure of the Soviet Union and China, that if the South Vietnamese or any other friendly government was allowed to fall to the communists, the others might fall down one by one. In the months following the Geneva agreement, the Eisenhower Administration took the basic decision to assist the South Vietnamese Government economically and to help it to build up its forces for internal security. On 8 Sep 1954, it led Australia, Britain, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand in the signature of the South East Asia Collective Defense Treaty. The "free territory under the jurisdiction of the state of Vietnam" together with Cambodia and Laos were designed in a protocol as coming under the provisions of the Treaty The final Declaration of the Geneva Conference had affirmed the unity of Vietnam and had envisaged the holding of general elections in July 1956. However, the South Vietnam Government had protested against the proceedings at Geneva and then proved to have no intention of holding elections jointly with the North. The wartime destruction was greater in North than in the South. The authority of Dang Lao Dong and the president Ho Chi Minh like they made local Mines, factories and industries were nationalized; those measures resented the people which led to execution and "suicides" in November 1956. When the quarrel between the Soviet Union and China developed in the late 1950 the North Vietnam reduced its dependence on them it was seen in their share of foreign aid had fallen from 65.3 to 19 percent in 1962.From 1956 onwards discontent with the rule of President Diem grew in the South. His manner of ruling, arbitrary arrests, censorship, suppression of dissent, were resented.Some economic progress was made but that was confined to the towns. In the countryside, broken land reform was implemented but it was too little. The communists were able to make use of this discontent. By the end of 1960, the South Vietnamese Government was faced with full scale insurgency, with the Communists in control o f the Mekang delta, the coastal provinces north-east of Saigon, and the highlands in Central Vietnam. Over the next

History the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

History the world - Essay Example Other factors that lay behind the flourishing of commerce along Indian Ocean in the postclassical millennium included: the sudden rise of Islam, the spread of Arab communities across the coastal lines, technological advances such as larger ships and magnetic compass, the availability of goods that were desired by other cultures around the Indian Ocean, coherence and unity among the traders and Muslims, the efficiency of the long distance trade, the increasing high demand for trade goods across the coastal lines, and the dependence on each other through the linked agricultural and pastoral societies across the Indian Ocean. The flourishing of the Indian Ocean commerce can also be attributed to the relationship between the world of Indian Ocean and the rise of Srivijaya. The controlling of the Malacca strait was a factor, this is because Srivijaya was the shortest and the closest way that led to China and Indian Ocean. Boats were taxed at Srivijaya when they passed through the Malacca strait which led to the production of wealth. There were also rare and expensive objects such as spices and gold which attracted traders. Srivijaya was also a center of Buddhism teaching and practice, this also flourished commerce in the region. The operations of trading network in the Indian Ocean differs from the one in the Silk Roads from the fact that ships in the Indian Ocean could accommodate heavier and larger cargoes than camels along the Silk Roads. This means that the trade networks in the Indian Ocean had more goods and bulk products carried to the market, while the Silk Roads were largely limited to luxury goods for the few traders in the mass market. The trading network in the Indian Ocean involved large ships which were less expensive and carried more cargo. The trade also had multiple locations with many direct routes, more efficient times of travel, and centered in India. The agricultural and pastoral people that were linked by the trade network also

Ambition in Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Ambition in Macbeth Essay Julius Caesar once said â€Å"When the gods wish to take vengeance on a man for his crimes they usually grant him considerable success and a period of impunity, so that when his fortune is reversed he will feel it all the more bitterly†. This quote directly reflects the problem with over ambition in effective all cases. Being over ambitious can bring someone to great heights but usually also leads to their downfall. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the situation is no different. Macbeth, the protagonist in the play, is cursed with over ambition. This affliction brings him to great heights in his career however ultimately leads him to his downfall. Three main examples of Macbeths blind ambition go as follows. Near the beginning of the play Macbeth is awarded the title of the Thane of Cawdor by the late Kind Duncan after he managed to capture the previous thane on crimes of treason. Macbeth is temporarily content with his title but that was not to last. Upon his wife, named Lady Macbeth, receiving word of a prophesy regarding Macbeth becoming king she begins to hatch a plot to have Macbeth seize power from Duncan. Macbeth, hesitantly accepts the plot after much prodding from his wife by saying† I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: false face must hide what the false heart doth know. †(1.7. 89-93) This simply means that he must hide his true intentions from Duncan before he kills him. Shortly after his coronation, Macbeth begins to fell unsafe with his position. He feels the guilt bearing down on him at almost every moment in the day and he has trouble sleeping. He ponders the witches prophesy and realizes the next step that he must take. The witches stated that Banquo â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! †(1.3.70-71) Given this knowledge, Macbeth is worried that Banquo may overthrow Macbeth. He hires three murderers to go out and kill Banquo and his son Fleance. He says â€Å"Well then, now Have you considerd of my speeches? Know That it was he in the times past which held you So under fortune, which you thought had been Our innocent self: this I made good to you In our last conference, passd in probation with you, How you were borne in hand, how crossd, the instruments, Who wrought with them, and all things else that might To half a soul and to a notion crazed Say Thus did Banquo. † (3.1.80-90) By saying this, he basically pins all of their troubles on Banquo and thus giving them reason to kill him. The third and ultimately final example of Macbeths reckless ambition occurs when Macbeth has the family of MacDuff, one of his Thanes, killed to simply send a message to the people of Scotland that he was not to be trifled with. Coincidentally, the reason that spurred him on to do this and the reason MacDuff manages to convince Prince Malcolm are quite closely connected. MacDuff escapes to England to raise an army against Macbeth, upon arriving he is questioned by Malcolm who had escaped previously as to the reason for his arrival. The only thing that allowed MacDuff to convince Malcolm to do this for him was the furor he had mustered upon receiving word of his dead family. He exclaims: â€Å"O, I could play the woman with mine eyes And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens, Cut short all intermission; front to front Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; Within my swords length set him; if he scape, Heaven forgive him too! † (4.3.269-273) In conclusion, these three events had temporarily positive effects and long lasting extremely negative effects on Macbeth and ultimately leading to his death. He did not remain content with the title bestowed upon him by Duncan and instead strive after the title for king for himself. He sought to stop  the prophesy bestowed upon him by the witches by having Banquo killed but revealing his guilt afterward. Finally he had the family of a potentially opposing thane murdered to send a message to him. Unchecked ambition has been the bane of powerful men and women throughout history and nothing has changed in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Recruitment And Selection From The Exchange Perspective

Recruitment And Selection From The Exchange Perspective Subsequent to the recruitment of a pool of applicants, organisations need to decide on which applicants to employ. Many organisations are realising the important contribution, effective selection practice can make, and in light of this, are utilising an assortment of methods to improve the successfulness of the entire recruitment and selection process. Validity and reliability are two important aspects that are considered fundamental when assessing the robustness of selection tools, particularly when viewed from the traditional psychometric perspective (Searle, 2003). All selection methods and tools are developed to measure and assess candidates appropriateness for the specified job role. The performance results of the candidate, are frequently used to make the decision, therefore it is imperative that these results are reliable and accurate. Validity concerns the appropriateness of what is being measured, whilst reliability focuses on its accuracy (Searle, 2003). Validity is generally identified in four ways including face, content, construct and criterion related validity. The form of the selection test is what concerns face validity. For example, a test of verbal comprehension that contains only mathematical equations would measure what it sets out to (Searle, 2003). However, there is disagreement as to how far this can be considered a type of validity. Vernon and Parry (1949) found in their well-known research of US army cook selection, that even though the high face validity of the test used which included recipes and method information, what was actually being measured was reading abilities and not cooking skills (Searle, 2003). For test-takers, face validity is imperative as they have made an effort in applying and trying to get the job role, therefore want to believe they have been assessed for something appropriate for the job they have applied for. A potential dilemma with this method lies with the fact that some test-takers may, bas ed on the appearance of the test, perceive their own idea of what is actually being assessed, and may in response distort themselves consequently. Content validity relates to the adequacy of coverage of a conceptual domain (Searle, 2003). It is frequently found in ability tests whereby a test-taker is asked to demonstrate their ability in a specific subject. Other than face validity, it is the only form of validity based on logical rather than statistical information (Searle, 2003). The fundamental concern is the sufficient coverage of the domain. As a result, this form of assessment is often constructed by a panel of experts to ensure sufficient breadth of coverage (Searle, 2003), which can result in two potential problems including content under-representation and construct-irrelevant variance. Cronbach and Meehl (1955) first established the concept of construct validity, when they suggested that underlying each test is a construct that is being assessed (Searle, 2003). Construct validation assumes that anything can be defined and measured. We cannot read someones intelligence metre, therefore a hypothetical construct defining what intelligence is has first to be created in order to measure it (Searle, 2003). There has been criticism of this as a basis for measurement within the human sciences. Stevens (1946) argued that the null hypothesis is hardly ever taken into account; kilne (1998) also critiques this measurement issue. A key concern of test-developers is to show the relationships between their instrument and other established tests which are assessing a similar domain. Criterion-related validity is the final form and is associated with what is being measured to an external criterion (Searle, 2003). It focuses on external measures, such as job success, establishing the relationship between the predictors (results from the selection methods used) and the criterion (performance on the job). The significant issue concerned with this form of validity is the adequacy of the identification and assessment of the external standard (Searle, 2003). Frequently the external measure is chosen for its convenience instead of its relation to the dimension to be assessed (Murphy, 2000) resulting in a possible difficulty. Criterion validity can be assessed in two distinct ways: Predictively or concurrently. The pure method (Bach, 2005) of establishing this relationship is to measure applicants during selection and based of methods used, predict future performance; predictive validity. Applicants are NOT CHOSEN on this basis, but either all or a cross-section (both good and bad predicted applicants) of applicants are taken on. After period on the job, performance is measured and correlation established between the selection method prediction and the job performance criterion measure. The AIM here is to avoid false negatives and positives (Bach, 2005). Practical difficulties with this process of validating selection methods arise, such as need to get results from fairly large number of individuals. A more obvious problem however, is the reluctance of decision makers to agree to employ individuals who are predicted to be poor performers. The CONCURRENT METHOD of validation is sometimes used to avoid this difficulty. The assumption is that existing employees demonstrate variable job performance. If a new selection method can discriminate between good or poor performers, then should be able to in same way between applicants. PROBLEMS motivation of current employees different to candidates, this may affect scores. Candidates likely to try harder. Current employees a restricted sample as have previously been selected by some method, so may on average be better than average candidate. Does not prove that the differences in team skills, as measured by the group exercise, were evident prior to employment. (might be that they werent learnt by employees as by-product of their work). When establishing the value of a test, the development of validity is central as it provides an indication of the strength of the relationship connecting the tool and a criterion (Searle, 2003). New statistical processes such as meta-analysis, (validity generalisation) pioneered by Schmidt and Hunter (1996, 1998, 1999), have revolutionised selection testing. They argued that although validity does differ by way of context and role, it is nonetheless moderately stable. Centred around this claim, selection tools could be moved across a variety of circumstances and roles and still maintain their extrapolative validity. The possibility of these tools being used rather than developing expensive bespoke instruments brought about the potential for huge savings for organisations. However, validity generalisation theory is not without its critics, and there are many underlying problems of this approach (Searle, 2003). Meta analysis is based on the collection and re-analysis of comparable stud ies of tools, such as the situational interview. The current application of meta-analysis studies, remove the possibilities for us to understand why situational differences emerge. They prevent us from identifying what makes a situation unique. Organisations currently operate in turbulent global environments, and evidence suggests that there are important relationships amongst task type, technology and the external environment that meta-analysis studies do not assist us in exploring. As a result of the meta-analysis dominance, selection designs cannot be improved to help organisations in these contexts. A test might produce a measure that is valid for one person, but the results may not be reproducible for another. This brings into question the issue of reliability. Reliability concerns the accuracy and consistency of a method (Bach, 2005). Increasingly, reliability is an issue which is becoming a legal requirement for selection tests yet, according to Bach, (2005) very few organisations systematically assess the reliability and validity of the selection methods they use. When psychometric tests are used, for example, there is a tendency to rely on the evidence presented in the test manual on reliability and validity based on meta-analysis research (Bach, 2005). Establishing the reliability of a selection tool involves three main elements: stability, consistency and equivalence of the results (Searle, 2003). Hermelin and Robertson, (2001) divided different selection methods into three categories (high, medium, low validity). High methods included structured interviews and cognitive ability tests. Medium included biographical data and unstructured interviews and integrity tests. Low included personality scales measuring the big five. Unfortunately evidence suggests that those methods with highest validity are not always the most popular. Rather most orgs rely on classic trio of short-listing, interviewing and references (Cook, 2003; Millmore 2003). Selection Methods Research into these initial selection stages is unbalanced, with far more work looking at the organisation-led application process, (in particular the role of biographical data) rather than the impact of applicants CV. (ALL SEARLE, 2003). The selection process typically begins with the candidate formally demonstrating their interest in the open job role. This is normally made by putting forward their CV or by completing an application form (Searle, 2003). This is commonly the first initial contact between potential employer and candidate, and as most applicants are selected out of the process at this stage, this implies that the CV, or resume, is a primary tool for the applicant in the selection process. Resumes also play an imperative role in the two-way selection process. For candidates, they represent an imperative chance to market themselves positively, and make an impression on the reader with their skills, knowledge and abilities (Searle, 2003). For the employer, they are the foundation on which short-listing decisions are made. The use of competency statements however, can potentially make a false impression. Bright and Hutton (2000) highlight that such statements are problematic to verify in a similar way that qualifications can be. Given its apparent significance however, the research regarding the validity and reliability of resumes to the selection process is modest. To congregate information in a standardised way, organisations may prefer applicants to complete a specific application form. Shackleton and Newell (1991) in their study, found that 93 percent of organisations in the UK used application forms. Now that technology has significantly advanced, many organisations in the UK, in particular those dealing with high volumes of applicants will use online application forms. In addition to gathering personal information they also make available information about candidates experiences. Within this area of selection practice is ahead of research, so although claims are made about the increased access to jobs, the new internet medium may-be overrated (Searle, 2003). However it does enable a more cost-effective short-listing process, (Polyhart et al 2003) but how far this is free from discrimination remains to be seen. Interviews Interviews are one of the oldest, yet most popular tools used in selection. Virtually all employers use interviews for all categories of staff (Bach, 2005). Interviews enable several important assessments to be made, and evidence by Robertson and Smith (2001) indicates that they have high predictive validity regarding future job and training performance. They offer an opportunity for a direct experience of a candidates behaviour coupled with the potential to ask more probing questions regarding underlying cognitive, motivational and emotional issues. Employers are however more aware of their limitations and being more careful by using variety of complementary selection techniques for some groups including graduates. There are two central theoretical perspectives that are taken regarding an interview: the objectivist psychometric perspective and the subjectivist social-interactionist perspective. The objective psychometric perspective places the interview at one extreme. It considers the interview an objective and accurate means of assessing an applicants suitability for a job. From this perspective, the process places the interviewee as a passive participant who provides relevant information about their experiences and capabilities. Thus this perspective reduces the interview to a verbally administered psychometric test which concerns of structure, reliability and validity predominating. First the interviewer is regarded as a rational decision-maker, who is capable of collecting in an impartial manner information on a number of relevant selection criteria. Implicit in such a process is the interviewers ability to obtain relevant data accurately. Second, it is assumed that they have the skills to be able to accurately interpret the information, relate it impartially to the criteria and assess the candidates suitability based on the sample of behaviour provided. This perspective tends to dominate in the field. Much of the research has examined how the validity and reliability of the process can be maintained. Inevitably the focus rests on the interviewer as a potential corrupter of an otherwise objective tool. The interviewers role in producing and perpetuating bias has been the main area of interest, and there has been limited effort until recently into questioning the candidates motivation to present the correct information, or in contaminating the interview. The alternative perspective, places the interview at the other extreme. It considers the process to be a social interaction in which a subjective, socially balanced negotiation occurs. In this perspective, a far more evenly balanced dynamic emerges between each party, both having the same power in the situation. The parties are considered to become participant observers in the process. The interview thus emerges as a complex and unique event. In the selection context, those involved are engaged in creating a variable psychological contract regarding their mutual expectations of future working relationships. The importance of the psychological contract at the onset and its maintenance throughout the employment relationship cannot be overstated (Rousseau, 2001). Herriot (1987) argued that this interactive and social perspective is important because it places the applicant as a far more active player in the negotiation process. This concept is particularly valid in a job market in which the applicants skills and experience are in short supply, or important to the organisation. Under these conditions, the applicant plays a key role in dictating the terms and conditions under which they will be employed. From this perspective, each interview is potentially unique because of the players involved, with the parties creating a particular process that emerges from their current context. The key research issues of this perspective are concerned with the type of psychological contract reached, bias and fairness. Like the objectivist perspective, this approach is also concerned with the future, but not regarding job performance, instead a focus might explore what happens if the contract being negotiated is violated. Structure The single issue that has received most attention in research on the interview is the amount of structure in an interview, ranging from unstructured to structured. Traditionally interviews classed as unstructured, generally consisted of a discussion between the applicant and recruiter with no pre-set topics. An early study by Kelly and Fiske, (1951) highlighted negative evidence suggesting there is little consistency or reliability in unstructured interviews. According to Bach, (2005) UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS are bad predictors because the information which is extracted is different for each individual and differs between interviewers and so comparisons between candidates cannot be made reliably. With different questions being asked of each candidate is almost inevitable that subjective biases makes the interview both unreliable and invalid. However, this form of interviewing provides, at its best, a surrogate measurement of the candidates social skills (Searle, 2003). The term struct ured interview can cover a wide range of processes. According to the objectivist perspective, the structured interview process focuses on the interviewer asking a pre-set sequence of questions aimed at eliciting information relating to pre-determined criteria. The purpose of the structure is to close the process to any extraneous influences, so that even when different interviewers are involved, the same data are being gathered, thereby providing a means of comparing the candidates. As a result, the process of delivering the questions is standardised. Research has shown, that increasing the structure of the interview significantly increases predictive validity and that organisations are responding by using more structured interview approaches (Taylor et al 2002). The subjectivist perspective however, instead regards the interview as a two-way process in which the actions of each party inform and shape the actions of the other. From this perspective, attention shifts towards understa nding the very process of the interview, which emerges as an ongoing exchange, informed and transformed by those involved. Typically the interview is the first time the interviewer meets with the applicant. The recruiters are presenting an image of the organisation in terms of its standards, values, expectations, ambitions and goals. The interview is therefore a public information exercise providing candidates with valuable data that will assist them in deciding whether to accept the job or not if offered it. While structured interviews can certainly be beneficial their usefulness will depend on the specific context. Where jobs are highly prescribed and knowledge about how work needs to be carried out, clarity about what constitutes good performance then structured interviews are better because prediction is possible and they are better predictors. HOWEVER when an organisation is competing in a turbulent environment and there is uncertainty about what is required of individuals a less structured approach may be more appropriate. OVERSTRUCTURING can be a problem, for EXAMPLE in an unstructured interview, the interviewer can provide more realistic information about the job, with the candidate able to ask questions which relate to his or her personal needs, values, interests, goals and abilities. Through this process, applicant and interviewer can negotiate a mutually agreeable psychological contract (CIPD, 2009). ALSO the unstructured interview can operate as preliminary socialisation tacti c with the applicant learning about the culture and values of the organisation (Dipboye 1997). Psychometric testing At the heart of psychometrics lies the assumption that people differ from one another, for instance in terms of friendliness, determination and ability to use mathematical concepts, and that these differences can be measured. It is assumed when measuring these different aspects, they relate to actual behaviour that is, they relate to an external event (a behaviour) to an internal cause (a trait). Psychometrics tests aim to qualify three key aspects of individual differences; ability, personality and related work, and suggest a relationship between these two and motivation. Essentially two types can be distinguished: COGNITIVE/ABILITY TESTS or PERSONALITY TESTS. COGNITIVE: assessment of individuals intellectual abilities either in terms of general intelligence or specific abilities. PERSONALITY: assessment of an individuals general disposition to behave in a certain way in certain situations (Bach, 2005). Cognitive tests The seminal piece of work on the use of cognitive tests in selection was undertaken by Hunter and Schmidt (1990) using meta-analysis, the researchers were able to demonstrate that although the many studies on the predictive validity of test appeared to be inconsistent, when adjustments were made for various factors, results were in fact consistent and proved that cognitive tests were valid predictors in a wide range of job situations. Such tests are simple to administer and score, albeit the person using such test needs to be properly trained. For most jobs the range of intelligence of those applying for the job is likely to be very restricted (rare to have a person with IQ 140 applying for caretaker job). The consequence of this is that a measure of cognitive ability may not differentiate much between the various candidates. Secondly, cognitive tests can be biased against certain groups. Eg it is well documented that black Americans tend to score lower than whites on tests of cognit ive ability, and women tend to score higher than men on verbal ability. This raises SOCIAL AND ETHICAL issues which need to be considered when selecting particular tests. Personality measures In most UK selection situations personality measures are of self report type. There is considerably more controversy over use of personality measures than cognitive tests. Some argue they are totally useless (Blinkhorn and Johnson 1990). Research has shown that personality measurement can be useful but only when specific personality constructs are linked to specific job competencies (tett et al, 1991; Robertson and Kinder 1993). Much of this work based on BIG FIVE Extroversion Neuroticism Conscientiousness Agreeableness Openness One problem with research on personality measurement has been that very different systems of personality description have been used, making it difficult to compare results. Now there is growing consensus around five-factor model of broad traits (Goldberg, 1993) and use of Costa and McCraes 1992 personality inventory which measures these five factors. Researchers have also explored the reasons for the links between personality traits and job performance. eg openness to experience appears to be related to training success (Cooper and Robertson, 1995). However, it is unlikely personality tests alone will be good predictors of future job behaviour BECAUSE job situations often present strong situational pressures which mean that differences between individuals behaviour are minimized. ALSO because it is highly unlikely that the same job can be done in very different but equally successful, ways by individuals with different personalities. This doesnt mean that personality measures have no place in selection process, but raises question of how such measures are best used within this context. Defining a personality profile and dismissing candidates who do not fit this profile is not good practice. HOWEVER obtaining measures of personality and using these as the basis of discussion during an interview can be helpful. Occupational testing occupational tests are measurement tools in world of work. The involve looking at a standard sample of behaviour that can be expressed as either a numerical scale or a category system (Cronbach, 1984). Test items are chosen specifically for their relevance to the domain of interest; for example percentage computation or word recognition. There is also an effort to standardise the delivery of the tools, ensuring that candidates have the same test experience so the only variable is their mental process. Tests used in an occupational context can be divided into two distinct groups: typical and maximal. These are based on the type of behaviour they are designed to measure. Typical behaviour tests the purpose of typical behaviour tests is to identify the direction of a persons interests and suggest types of jobs associated with these areas. Personality and interest-assessment tests used in career guidance are examples of typical behaviour instruments. However, it should be noted that they do not measure the level of skill that might be associated with this vocational choice. Maximal performance these tests are designed to assess maximal behaviour. They aim to find out what is the best the test-taker can do (Kline, 1998). Nonetheless, it has been argued that it is naive to make such a simplistic distinction between maximal and typical performance, as it artificially separates the measurement of affect and intellect and their combined relationship to performance (Goff and Ackerman, 1992). Measures concerned with maximal performance can be subdivided into three distinct types: attainment, aptitude and general intelligence. Psychological tests play an important role in selection practice. They offer organisations a means of discriminating between large numbers of applicants in a rapid and often cost effective manner. Moreover, their power in predicting successful subsequent job performance is amongst the highest of any selection tool (Robertson and Smith, 2001). Through the growth of instruments such as organisational-fit questionnaires, different attitudinal and trait assessment measures and novel ability tools, the range of psychometric tools available to organisations in increasing. Although there is an increasing use of psychometric tools in HR selection and recruitment decision making, the method is contentious. Ethnic group differences in intelligence test results reflect the ethnic divide that exists in the distribution of rewards and sanctions in our wider society (Gordon, 1997). Some argue that high intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are not important; rather, what is significant is the identification and means of assessing specific cognitive skills that are linked to job performance (Hunt, 1999). This latter group of more focused cognitive assessment tools can have a significant impact in organisations, revealing how close an applicant is to the requisite skills level estimating how much training an applicant needs to reach an acceptable standard. Psychometric tests will always be open to abuse as they offer a potential means of legitimising discrimination by those in power and authority. Underlying issues of test production and assumptions that underpin psychometrics reveal how social values and prejudice can have an impact on the development, application, analysis and interpretation of results. Whilst some may feel comfortable to reduce the value of human beings to an empirical value, there are others who see humans in terms of their potential, regardless of the social context they find themselves in. A critical issue underlying any test is the definition of the domain. Often tests are devised on an atheoretical basis, or they use the same term to mean different things. It is important that test-users require adequate conceptual rationale for a test. Concept validity is key here; nevertheless, it is often weakly developed or ignored. Without attention to this core issue, psychometrics will fail to offer any meaningful assessment and instead intelligence will be what intelligence tests measure, not what intelligence actually is. Assessment centres (Bach, 2005). Not a single selection method nor a place. Refers to utilisation of a number of different selection methods over a specified period in order for multiple assessors to assess many candidates on a range of identified competencies or behavioural dimensions. Core element is the simulation of actual work tasks in order to observe job-related behaviours (Cooper and Robertson 1995). Managerial jobs: in-tray exercises group decision making exercises = common. Intray: provides candidate with a range of correspondence (memos, letter, reports) and he/she required to make decisions in order to prioritise/deal with various problems in the material under tight schedule. Used to assess individuals planning/problem solving abilities. Group decision making exercise: small groups discuss particular problem, come to consensus/solve problem. Problem solving abilities may be assessed, but also interpersonal and leadership skills. Increasing evidence of their limitations. Jones et al (1991) concluded despite the validity of different components of an AC, overall AC validity was surprisingly low. KEY PROBLEM appears to be that managers, acting as assessors, are not able to accurately assess cross-situational abilities from the different exercises. So while managers are required to rate candidates on diff. Competencies for each exercise, these ratings appear to be defined by overall task performance of the candidate on the particular exercise, rather than specific behaviours demonstrated in activity (Iles, 1992). No. Of studies have demonstrated low correlation between the overall assessment ratings and the variety of the criterion measures of on-the-job performance (Payne et al 1992). Despite negative evidence, two important points to be made: Designing and developing an AC has potential to improve the validty of selection, but simply putting together series of exercises and running them over two days using group of untrained assessors does not guarantee that decisions will be improved. EXAMPLE: gaugler et al 1987 validity of ACs improved when larger no. Of exercises used, and psychologists instead of managers acted as assessors. When peer evaluation included as part of assessment process and when group of assessors cantained larger proportion of women. Many probs identified with ACs need to be looked at from broader perspective than simply criterion-related validity. KEY BENEFIT of using AC is it gives potential to recruit an extended opportunity to find out more about the org. In particular many of the activities are simulations of the kind of work involved. MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL negotiation can take place if both parties know more about each other. THIS REQUIRES adoption of EXCHANGE rather than psychometric view of recruitment and selection process. Recruitment and selection: Limitations of the psychometric approach As noted earlier, adopting a more systematic approach to recruitment and selection to reduce bias and errors is useful. Yet ironically, it could be argued that globalisation and organisational requirements of flexibility, innovation and commitment make the best practices somewhat problematic and suggest a need for an entirely new perspective on RS. FIRST considering degree of change, orgs now require generalists rather than specialists to take on variety of different roles which require range of skills/competencies. Even when individual recruited for specific position, highly likely job role will change. Therefore, best practice prescription of doing a thorough job analysis to identify the task and the person requirements of the particular job may be difficult or inappropriate. There is not a fixed jigsaw hole to fill. SECONDLY alongside flexibility is need for innovation. Identifying opportunities for change and designing creative solutions is crucial for the survival of many orgs. It is about encouraging people to think differently. Following best practice guidelines leads to selection on basis of whether candidates can do particular jobs efficiently and whether they fit org culture. Rather than encourage innovation, traditional selection approaches may stifle creativity. THIRDLY, orgs operating on global rather than national level. Considering array of cross-national differences it is unlikely that orgs will be effective if they simply try to replicate their home-base operation abroad (Bartlett and Ghoshal 1989). To manage this diversity requires RS of people from different backgrounds with different experiences at all org levels. HOWEVER job analysis is backward looking. EXAMPLE if current job holders are all of same race/nationality, this may mean individuals from different backgrounds will be excluded because they do not fit the existing profile of a competent employee. ALSO during selection, different background candidates may respond differently so that they are at a disadvantage, again reducing their chances of being selected (SHack

Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Forester’s A Passage to India

Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Forester’s A Passage to India In British imperial fiction, physical setting or landscape commonly plays a prominent role in the central thematic subject. In these works, landscape goes beyond an objective description of nature and setting to represent â€Å"a way of seeing- a way in which some Europeans have represented to themselves and others the world about them and their relationships with it, and through which they have commented on social relations† (Cosgrove xiv). By investigating the ways in which writers of colonial ficition, such as H. Rider Haggard and E.M. Forester, have used landscape, we see that landscape represents a historically and culturally specific way of experiencing the world. In Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, the landscape is gendered to show the colonizer’s ability to dominate over native territory. However, while the scenario of the male colonizer conquering a feminized landscape reinforces a legitimizing myth of colonization, it is later overturned by Forester’s A Passage to India. In this novel, the landscape takes on a complex, multifaceted role, articulating the ambivalence of cross-cultural relationships and exposing the fragility of colonial rule. In contrast to King Solomon’s Mines, A Passage to India uses landscape as a tool to expose the problematic nature of colonial interaction that might have easily been left obscured and unacknowledged. We can read the landscape as a type of secondary narrator in A Passage to India that articulates the novel’s imperial ideology. The African landscape of King Solomon’s Mines is clearly feminized. The treasure map shows that the geography of the travelers’ route takes the shape of a female bod... ...d the sky said, ‘No, not there’† (Forester 362). We would expect that the structures of colonial rule, such as the jail and the Guest House, would symbolically pull Aziz and Fielding apart. The presence of nature, the earth, the horses, the birds, with the sky itself dictating that they cannot now be friends is a deeper form of rejection to the notion of cross-cultural relationships. The only hope we are left with is the sky’s qualification of the â€Å"no†: not yet†¦ not there. Works Cited Cosgrove, Denis. Social Formation and Symbolic Landscape. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1998. Forester, E.M. A Passage to India. London: Harcourt, 1924. Ridger Haggard, J. King Solomon’s Mines, ed. Gerald Monsman. Ontario: Broadview Press, 2002. Suleri, Sara. The Rhetoric of British India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.

George Orwell :: essays research papers

Eng. 12 Essay #3 Revision Save Face Or Do What’s Right? In the essay "Shooting an elephant" George Orwell describes an incident he had while working as an Imperial Police officer in Burma. An elephant had gone out of control and was loose in a town. He was forced to make a decision on whether to follow the will of the local people, or to save the elephant's life. Orwell knew it was wrong to kill the elephant. He had not wanted to from the beginning. He had brought a gun just in case he might need it. When he finally came to the elephant, who was peacefully eating outside of the town it no longer posed a threat. But, a large group of people had formed behind him, and they were now expecting him to kill the elephant, giving them a show and some food. The people who had abused him the entire time he had been in Burma now found him worth some interest. If he didn't kill the elephant, he would be disappointing all of the people. He considered it his job at that point to impress the people. So he killed the elephant for the people, hoping to gain respect from them. In my personal experience, I was once faced with a situation like Orwells. I was put in a situation where I had the choice of saving face or doing what was right, unlike Orwell I chose to do what was right. This passed week it happened, A couple of friends were going to Philadelphia to go to a overnight club. They were going to stay there for three days, which meant I would have missed three days of school and work. My friends were pressuring me to go, fortunately for me I don’t care what people say or think about me. They called me names. They said I was chicken, nothing serious, but it hurts when your own friends call you names. When they were leaving they called me one last time. They kept pressuring me to go. Like In "

Shadow Kiss Chapter 23

Twenty-three OTHERS IN THE HALL stopped and stared. I felt like I had just been hit in the face. Only it hadn't been my face. It had been Lissa's. I shifted into her mind and became instantly aware of her surroundings and everything happening to her – like the next time rocks flew up from the ground and slammed into her cheeks. They were guided by a freshman I didn't know anything about, save that he was a Drozdov. The rocks hurt both of us, but I withheld my screaming this time and gritted my teeth as I shifted back to the hallway with my friends. â€Å"Northwest side of campus, between that weird-shaped pond and the fence,† I told them. With that, I broke away from them and headed out the door, running as hard as I could toward the part of campus where they were holding Lissa. I couldn't see all of the people gathered there through her eyes, but I recognized a few. Jesse and Ralf were there. Brandon. Brett. The Drozdov guy. Some others. The rocks were still hitting her, still cutting into her face. She didn't scream or cry, though – she just kept telling them over and over to stop while two other guys held her between them. Jesse, meanwhile, kept telling her to make them stop. I only half-listened to him through her mind. The reasons didn't matter, and I'd already figured it out. They were going to torture her until she agreed to join their group. They must have forced Brandon and the others in the same way. A suffocating feeling suddenly overwhelmed me, and I stumbled, unable to breathe as water smothered my face. Fighting hard, I separated myself from Lissa. That was happening to her, not me. Someone was torturing her with water now, using it to cut off her air. Whoever it was took their time, alternately filling her face with water, then pulling it back, then repeating. She gasped and sputtered, still asking them to stop when she could. Jesse continued watching with calculating eyes. â€Å"Don't ask them. Make them.† I tried running harder, but I could only go so much faster. They were at one of the farthest points of campus's boundaries. It was a lot of distance to cover, and with every agonizing step, I felt more of Lissa's pain and grew angrier and angrier. What kind of a guardian could I ever be to her if I couldn't even keep her safe here on campus? An air user went next, and suddenly, it was like she was being tortured by Victor's henchman all over again. Air was alternately taken from her, leaving her gasping, and then slammed back into her, crushing her face. It was agony, and it brought back all the memories of her capture, all the terror and horror she'd been trying to forget. The air user stopped, but it was too late. Something snapped inside of her. When Ralf stepped up next to use fire, I was so close that I actually saw it flare up in his hand. But he didn't see me. None of them had been paying attention to their surroundings, and there'd been too much noise from their own spectacle to hear me. I slammed into Ralf before the fire could leave his hand, pulling him to the ground and punching his face in one skilled maneuver. A few of the others – including Jesse – ran to help him and tried to pry me away. At least, they tried until they realized who it was. Those who saw my face immediately backed off. Those who didn't quickly learned the hard way when I went after them. I'd taken out three fully trained guardians earlier today. A group of spoiled royal Moroi took hardly any effort. It was ironic, too – and a sign of how unwilling some Moroi were to lift a hand in their defense – that while this group had been so eager to use magic to torture Lissa, none of them had actually thought to use it against me. Most of them scattered before I could even lay a hand on them, and I didn't care enough to go after them. I just wanted them away from Lissa. Admittedly, I gave Ralf a few extra punches even after he'd gone down, since I held him responsible for this whole mess. I finally left him alone, lying on the ground and groaning, as I straightened up and looked for Jesse – the other culprit here. I quickly found him. He was the only one left. I ran over to him and then skidded to a halt, confused. He was just standing there, staring into space, mouth hanging open. I looked at him, looked at where he was staring, and then looked back at him. â€Å"Spiders,† Lissa said. Her voice made me jump. She stood off to the side with wet hair, bruised and cut, but otherwise okay. In the moonlight, her pale features made her look almost as ghostly as Mason. Her eyes never left Jesse as he spoke. â€Å"He thinks he's seeing spiders. And that they're crawling on him. What do you think? Should I have gone with snakes?† I looked back at Jesse. The expression on his face sent chills down my spine. It was like he was locked in his own private nightmare. Scarier still was what I felt through the bond. Usually when Lissa used magic, it felt golden and warm and wonderful. This time, it was different. It was black and slimy and thick. â€Å"I think you should stop,† I said. In the distance, I heard people running toward us. â€Å"It's all over.† â€Å"It was an initiation ritual,† she said. â€Å"Well, kind of. They asked me to join a couple of days ago, and I refused. But they bugged me again today and kept saying they knew something important about Christian and Adrian. It started to get to me, so †¦ I finally told them I'd come to one of their sessions but that I didn't know anything about compulsion. It was an act. I just wanted to know what they knew.† She tilted her head barely at all, but something must have happened to Jesse. His eyes widened further as he continued to silently scream. â€Å"Even though I hadn't technically agreed yet, they put me through their initiation ritual. They wanted to know how much I could really do. It's a way to test how strong people are in compulsion. Torture them until they can't stand it, and then, in the heat of it all, people lash out and try to compel the attackers to stop. If the victim manages any sort of compulsion at all, that person's in the group.† S he regarded Jesse carefully. He seemed to be in his own world, and it was a very, very bad one. â€Å"I guess this makes me their president, huh?† â€Å"Stop it,† I said. The feel of this twisted magic was making me nauseous. She and Adrian had mentioned something like this before, this idea of making people see things that weren't there. They'd jokingly called it super compulsion – and it was horrible. â€Å"This isn't how spirit is supposed to be used. This isn't you. It's wrong.† She was breathing heavily, sweat breaking out along her brow. â€Å"I can't let go of it,† she said. â€Å"You can,† I said. I touched her arm. â€Å"Give it to me.† She briefly turned from Jesse and looked at me, astonished, before fixing her gaze back on him. â€Å"What? You can't use magic.† I focused hard on the bond, on her mind. I couldn't take the magic exactly, but I could take the darkness it brought on. It was what I'd been doing for a while now, I realized. Every time I'd worried and wished she'd calm down and fight dark feelings, she had – because I was taking it all from her. I was absorbing it, just as Anna had done for St. Vladimir. It was what Adrian had seen when the darkness jumped from her aura to mine. And this – this abuse of spirit, using it to maliciously harm another and not for self-defense, was bringing the worst side effects of all in her. It was corrupting and wrong, and I couldn't let her have it. All thoughts of my own madness or rage were completely irrelevant at this moment. â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"I can't. But you can use me to let it go. Focus on me. Release it all. It's wrong. You don't want it.† She stared at me again, eyes wide and desperate. Even without direct eye contact, she was still able to torture Jesse. I both saw and felt the fight she waged. He'd hurt her so much – she wanted him to pay. He had to. And yet, at the same time, she knew I was right. But it was hard. So hard for her to let go †¦ Suddenly, the burn of that black magic vanished from the bond, along with that sickening sensation. Something hit me like a blast of wind in the face, and I staggered backward. I shuddered as a weird sensation twisted my stomach. It was like sparks, like a coil of electricity burning within me. Then it too was gone. Jesse fell to his knees, free of the nightmare. Lissa sank with visible relief. She was still scared and hurt over what had happened, but she was no longer consumed with that terrible, destructive rage that had driven her to punish Jesse. That urge within her had disappeared. The only problem was, it was in me now. I turned on Jesse, and it was like nothing else existed in the universe except him. He had tried to ruin me in the past. He'd tortured Lissa and hurt so many others. It was unacceptable. I lunged for him. His eyes had only a moment to widen with terror before my fist connected with his face. His head jerked back, and blood spurted from his nose. I heard Lissa scream for me to stop, but I couldn't. He had to pay for what he'd done to her. I grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him hard against the ground. He was yelling now too – begging – for me to stop. He shut up when I hit him again. I felt Lissa's hands clawing at me, trying to pull me off, but she wasn't strong enough. I kept hitting him. There was no sign of the strategic, precise fighting I'd used earlier with him and his friends, or even against Dimitri. This was unfocused and primal. This was me being controlled by the madness I'd taken from Lissa. Then another set of hands ripped me away. These hands were stronger, dhampir hands, backed by muscles earned through years of training. It was Eddie. I struggled against his hold. We were closely matched, but he outweighed me. â€Å"Let me go!† I yelled. To my complete and utter horror, Lissa was now kneeling at Jesse's side, studying him with concern. It made no sense. How could she do that? After what he'd done? I saw compassion on her face, and a moment later, the burn of her healing magic lit our bond as she took away some of the worst of his injuries. â€Å"No!† I screamed, straining against Eddie's hold. â€Å"You can't!† That was when the other guardians showed up, Dimitri and Celeste in the lead. Christian and Adrian were nowhere in sight; they probably couldn't have kept pace with the others. Organized chaos followed. Those from the society who remained were gathered up and herded off for questioning. Lissa likewise was taken away, led off to get her injuries treated. A part of me that was buried in all that bloodthirsty emotion wanted to go after her, but something else had caught my attention: They were also removing Jesse for medical help. Eddie was still holding onto me, his grip never faltering despite my struggles and pleas. Most of the adults were too busy with the others to notice me, but they noticed when I started shouting again. â€Å"You can't let him go! You can't let him go!† â€Å"Rose, calm down,† said Alberta, her voice mild. How could she not get what was going on? â€Å"It's over.† â€Å"It is not over! Not until I get my hands around his throat and choke the life out of him!† Alberta and some of the others seemed to realize that something serious was happening now – but they didn't appear to think it had anything to do with Jesse. They were all giving me the Rose-is-crazy look I'd come to know so well in recent days. â€Å"Get her out of here,† said Alberta. â€Å"Get her cleaned up and calmed down.† She didn't give any more instructions than that, but somehow, it was understood that Dimitri would be the one to deal with me. He came over and took me from Eddie. In the brief change of captors, I tried to break away, but Dimitri was too fast and too strong. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me away from the scene. â€Å"We can make this easy or difficult,† said Dimitri as we walked through the woods. â€Å"There's no way I'm letting you go to Jesse. Besides, he's at the med clinic, so you'd never get near him. If you can accept that, I'll release you. If you bolt, you know I'll just restrain you again.† I weighed my options. The need to make Jesse suffer was still pounding in my blood, but Dimitri was right. For now. â€Å"Okay,† I said. He hesitated a moment, perhaps wondering if I was telling the truth, and then let go of my arm. When I didn't run off, I felt him relax very, very slightly. â€Å"Alberta told you to clean me up,† I said evenly. â€Å"So we're going to the med clinic?† Dimitri scoffed. â€Å"Nice try. I'm not letting you near him. We'll get first aid somewhere else.† He led me off at an angle from the attack location, toward an area still at the edge of campus. I quickly realized where he was going. It was a cabin. Back when there had been more guardians on campus, some had actually stayed at these little outposts, providing regular protection for the school's boundaries. They'd long since been abandoned, but this one had been cleaned up when Christian's aunt had visited. She'd preferred hanging out here than in the school's guest housing where other Moroi regarded her as a potential Strigoi. He opened the door. It was dark inside, but I could see well enough to watch him find matches and light a kerosene lantern. It didn't provide a huge amount of light, but it was fine for our eyes. Glancing around, I saw that Tasha really had done a good job with the place. It was clean and almost cozy, the bed made up with a soft quilt and a couple of chairs pulled up to the fireplace. There was even some food – canned and packaged – in the kitchen off to the side of the room. â€Å"Sit down,† said Dimitri, gesturing to the bed. I did, and in about a minute, he had a fire going to warm the place up. Once it was in full blaze, he grabbed a first aid kit and a bottle of water from the counter and walked back over to the bed, dragging a chair so he could sit opposite me. â€Å"You have to let me go,† I begged. â€Å"Don't you see? Don't you see how Jesse has to pay? He tortured her! He did horrible things to her.† Dimitri wet some gauze and dabbed it to the side of my forehead. It stung, so I apparently had a cut there. â€Å"He'll be punished, believe me. And the others.† â€Å"With what?† I asked bitterly. â€Å"Detention? This is as bad as Victor Dashkov. Nobody does anything around here! People commit crimes and get away with it. He needs to hurt. They all need to.† Dimitri paused his cleaning, giving me a concerned look. â€Å"Rose, I know you're upset, but you know we don't punish people like that. It's †¦ savage.† â€Å"Yeah? What's wrong with that? I'd bet it'd stop them from doing it again.† I could barely sit there. Every part of my body trembled with fury. â€Å"They need to suffer for what they did! And I want to be the one to do it! I want to hurt them all. I want to kill them all.† I started to get up, suddenly feeling like I'd explode. His hands were on my shoulders in a flash, shoving me back down. The first aid was long forgotten. His expression was a mixture of both worry and fierceness as he held me down. I fought against him, and his fingers bit in tighter. â€Å"Rose! Snap out of this!† He was yelling now too. â€Å"You don't mean any of it. You've been stressed and under a lot of pressure – it's making a terrible event that much worse.† â€Å"Stop it!† I shouted back at him. â€Å"You're doing it – just like you always do. You're always so reasonable, no matter how awful things are. What happened to you wanting to kill Victor in prison, huh? Why was that okay, but not this?† â€Å"Because that was an exaggeration. You know it was. But this†¦this is something different. There's something wrong with you right now.† â€Å"No, there's something right with me.† I was sizing him up, hoping my words distracted him. If I was fast enough, maybe – just maybe – I could get past him. â€Å"I'm the only one who wants to do anything around here, and if that's wrong, I'm sorry. You keep wanting me to be some impossible, good person, but I'm not! I'm not a saint like you.† â€Å"Neither of us is a saint,† he said dryly. â€Å"Believe me, I don't – â€Å" I made my move, leaping out and shoving him away. It got him off me, but I didn't get far. I'd barely gotten two feet from the bed when he seized me again and pinned me down, this time using the full weight of his body to keep me immobilized. Somehow, I knew I should have realized it was an impossible escape plan, but I couldn't think straight. â€Å"Let me go!† I yelled for the hundredth time tonight, trying to free my hands. â€Å"No,† he said, voice hard and almost desperate. â€Å"Not until you break out of this. This isn't you!† There were hot tears in my eyes. â€Å"It is! Let me go!† â€Å"It's not. It isn't you! It isn't you.† There was agony in his voice. â€Å"You're wrong! It is – â€Å" My words suddenly dropped off. It isn't you. It was the same thing I'd said to Lissa when I watched, terrified, as she used her magic to torture Jesse. I'd stood there, unable to believe what she was doing. She hadn't realized she'd lost control and was on the verge of becoming a monster. And now, looking into Dimtiri's eyes, seeing his panic and love, I realized it was happening to me. I was the same as she'd been, so caught up, so blinded by irrational emotions that I didn't even recognize my own actions. It was like I was being controlled by something else. I tried to fight it off, to shake off the feelings burning through me. They were too strong. I couldn't do it. I couldn't let them go. They would take me over completely, just as they'd done to Anna and Ms. Karp. â€Å"Rose,† said Dimitri. It was only my name, but it was so powerful, filled with so much. Dimitri had such absolute faith me, faith in my own strength and goodness. And he had strength too, a strength I could see he wasn't afraid to lend me if I needed it. Deirdre might have been onto something about me resenting Lissa, but she was completely off about Dimitri. What we had was love. We were like two halves of a whole, always ready to support the other. Neither of us was perfect, but that didn't matter. With him, I could defeat this rage that filled me. He believed I was stronger than it. And I was. Slowly, slowly, I felt that darkness fade away. I stopped fighting him. My body trembled, but it was no longer with fury. It was fear. Dimitri immediately recognized the change and released his hold. â€Å"Oh my God,† I said, voice shaking. His hand touched the side of my face, fingers light on my cheek. â€Å"Rose,† he breathed. â€Å"Are you okay?† I swallowed back more tears. â€Å"I†¦ I think so. For now.† â€Å"It's over,† he said. He was still touching me, this time brushing the hair from my face. â€Å"It's over. Everything's all right.† I shook my head. â€Å"No. It's not. You†¦you don't understand. It's true – everything I was worried about. About Anna? About me taking away spirit's craziness? It's happening, Dimitri. Lissa lost it out there with Jesse. She was out of control, but I stopped her because I sucked away her anger and put it into myself. And it's – it's horrible. It's like I'm, I don't know, a puppet. I can't control myself.† â€Å"You're strong,† he said. â€Å"It won't happen again.† â€Å"No,† I said. I could hear my voice cracking as I struggled to sit up. â€Å"It will happen again. I'm going to be like Anna. I'm going to get worse and worse. This time it was bloodlust and hate. I wanted to destroy them. I needed to destroy them. Next time? I don't know. Maybe it'll just be craziness, like Ms. Karp. Maybe I'm already crazy, and that's why I'm seeing Mason. Maybe it'll be depression like Lissa used to get. I'll keep falling and falling into that pit, and then I'll be like Anna and kill – â€Å" â€Å"No,† Dimitri interrupted gently. He moved his face toward mine, our foreheads nearly touching. â€Å"It won't happen to you. You're too strong. You'll fight it, just like you did this time.† â€Å"I only did because you were here.† He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest. â€Å"I can't do it by myself,† I whispered. â€Å"You can,† he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. â€Å"You're strong – you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.† I squeezed my eyes shut. â€Å"You shouldn't. I'm going to become something terrible. I might already be something terrible.† I thought back to past behaviors, the way I'd been snapping at everyone. The way I'd tried to scare Ryan and Camille. Dimitri pulled away so that he could look me in the eyes. He cupped my face in his hands. â€Å"You aren't. You won't,† he said. â€Å"I won't let you. No matter what, I won't let you.† Emotion filled my body again, but now it wasn't hate or rage or anything like that. It was warm and wonderful and made my heart ache – in a good way. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and our lips met. The kiss was pure love, sweet and blissful, with no despair or darkness. Steadily, though, the intensity of our kissing increased. It was still filled with love but became much more – something hungry and powerful. The electricity that had crackled between us when I'd fought and held him down earlier returned, wrapping around us now. It reminded me of the night we'd been under Victor's lust spell, both of us driven by inner forces we couldn't control. It was like we were starving or drowning, and only the other person could save us. I clung to him, one arm around his neck while my other hand gripped his back so hard that my nails practically dug in. He laid me back down on the bed. His hands wrapped around my waist, and then one of them slid down the back of my thigh and pulled it up so that it nearly wrapped around him. At the same time, we both pulled back briefly, still oh so close. Everything in the world rested on that moment. â€Å"We can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he told me. â€Å"I know,† I agreed. Then his mouth was on mine again, and this time, I knew there would be no turning back. There were no walls this time. Our bodies wrapped together as he tried to get my coat off, then his shirt, then my shirt. †¦ It really was a lot like when we'd fought out on the quad earlier – that same passion and heat. I think at the end of the day, the instincts that power fighting and sex aren't so different. They all come from an animal side of us. Yet, as more and more clothes came off, it went beyond just animal passion. It was sweet and wonderful at the same time. When I looked into his eyes, I could see without a doubt that he loved me more than anyone else in the world, that I was his salvation, the same way that he was mine. I'd never expected my first time to be in a cabin in the woods, but I realized the place didn't matter. The person did. With someone you loved, you could be anywhere, and it would be incredible. Being in the most luxurious bed in the world wouldn't matter if you were with someone you didn't love. And oh, I loved him. I loved him so much that it hurt. All of our clothes finally ended up in a pile on the floor, but the feel of his skin on mine was more than enough to keep me warm. I couldn't tell where my body ended and his began, and I decided then that was how I always wanted it to be. I didn't want us to ever be apart. I wish I had the words to describe sex, but nothing I can say would really capture how amazing it was. I felt nervous, excited, and about a gazillion other things. Dimitri seemed so wise and skilled and infinitely patient – just like with our combat trainings. Following his lead seemed like a natural thing, but he was also more than willing to let me take control too. We were equals at last, and every touch held power, even the slightest brushing of his fingertips. When it was over, I lay back against him. My body hurt†¦yet at the same time, it felt amazing, blissful and content. I wished I'd been doing this a long time ago, but I also knew it wouldn't have been right until exactly this moment. I rested my head on Dimitri's chest, taking comfort in his warmth. He kissed my forehead and ran his fingers through my hair. â€Å"I love you, Roza.† He kissed me again. â€Å"I'll always be here for you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.† The words were wonderful and dangerous. He shouldn't have said anything like that to me. He shouldn't have been promising he'd protect me, not when he was supposed to dedicate his life to protecting Moroi like Lissa. I couldn't be first in his heart, just like he couldn't be first in mine. That was why I shouldn't have said what I said next – but I did anyway. â€Å"And I won't let anything happen to you,† I promised. â€Å"I love you.† He kissed me again, swallowing off any other words I might have added. We lay together for a while after that, wrapped in each other's arms, not saying much. I could have stayed that way forever, but finally, we knew we had to go. The others would eventually come looking for us to get my report, and if they found us like that, things would almost certainly get ugly. So we got dressed, which wasn't easy since we kept stopping to kiss. Finally, reluctantly, we left the cabin. We held hands, knowing we could only do so for a few brief moments. Once we were closer to the heart of campus, we'd have to go back to business as usual. But for now, everything in the world was golden and wonderful. Every step I took was filled with joy, and the air around us seemed to hum. Questions still spun in my mind, of course. What had just happened? Where had our so-called control gone? For now, I couldn't care. My body was still warm and wanting him and – I suddenly stopped. Another feeling – a very unwelcome one – was steadily creeping over me. It was strange, like faint and fleeting waves of nausea mingled with a prickling against my skin. Dimitri stopped immediately and gave me a puzzled look. A pale, slightly luminescent form materialized in front of us. Mason. He looked the same as ever – or did he? The usual sadness was there, but I could see something else, something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. Panic? Frustration? I could have almost sworn it was fear, but honestly, what would a ghost have to be afraid of? â€Å"What's wrong?† asked Dimitri. â€Å"Do you see him?† I whispered. Dimitri followed my gaze. â€Å"See who?† â€Å"Mason.† Mason's troubled expression grew darker. I might not have been able to adequately identify it, but I knew it wasn't anything good. The nauseous feeling within me intensified, but somehow, I knew it had nothing to do with him. â€Å"Rose†¦ we should go back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Dimitri carefully. He still wasn't on board with me seeing ghosts. But I didn't move. Mason's face was saying something else to me – or trying to. There was something here, something important that I needed to know. But he couldn't communicate it. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"What is it? A look of frustration crossed his face. He pointed off behind me, then dropped his hand. â€Å"Tell me,† I said, my frustration mirroring his. Dimitri was looking back and forth between me and Mason, though Mason was probably only an empty space to him. I was too fixated on Mason to worry what Dimitri might think. There was something here. Something big. Mason opened his mouth, wanting to speak as in previous times but still unable to get the words out. Except, this time, after several agonizing seconds, he managed it. The words were nearly inaudible. â€Å"They're †¦ coming†¦.†