Escaping the void

Two months before I boarded the ship, I was sitting, trying to relax, on the veranda of a hotel, in Cairo accompanied by my friend William Sloper. A rather odd looking little man approached me; and with meaningful words he cautioned my subsequent journey's traveled by boat as he explained that in a dream he had seen me afloat on an open boat. He tried to assure me that I was to lose everything except my life. I was bemused and seemed to doubt the little mans words, I handed him a small amount of coins then sat, gazing at him as he proceeded and disappeared into the teeming crowd. Until the 10th April I thought nothing more of the peculiar man until I realized that today I was embarking on a journey across the water to New York, 4 days before the ship began its' decent to the depths below, we were all so unaware. Looking at the sheer beauty of the vast body we were boarding, the man's words passed through my head, I only thought to myself, † Don't be stupid, the Titanic is made so it is unsinkable† and ensue to join my parents on the ship. I had been given just one cabins, C – 23 which was occupied by myself, and my father. He had helped design the ship. When the Titanic struck the iceberg, he held himself responsible. Many beautiful decorations covered the room giving it it's glory; so perfect and precise with great space and luxury. As the ship set sail on her maiden voyage, at noon to New York, you could hear the cheers from the crowd below. We stood waving, leaning over the banisters lining the ship, calling to anyone we saw. Smiles lined our faces and our eyes gleamed, we were all ecstatic, pleased that we had our place on the pride of the ocean. Impressive gold banisters lined the marble stairs leading into the enormous ballroom; chandeliers hung covering the ceiling with their light and sparkle. We were jolly and pleased to be where we were. We loved the relaxation everyday and the fun we had all night, even on that terrible night, we were spinning around the dance floor until the ship suddenly shuddered greatly and slowed to a stop. Nobody was worried, the ship could not sink, but the aged mans' words continued to flow through my head, worried thoughts began in my mind and showed on my face, † I will lose everything but my life†. I stood still thinking just before my brother grabbed me and spun me round the dance floor, a fake smile showed on my face but it was only to please. My father had left to ask what had happened and overheard Captain Smith ordering the watertight doors to be shut to â€Å"prevent any more damage and determine the destruction already through†. Mr. Andrews had left with fear on his face as soon as it had happened and turned up by my fathers' side with what looked like plans to my father. They proceeded to disappear into a small room accompanied by the Captain. My father returned to reveal all, he told us to gather ourselves together. He was not a stern man by nature; but he was now. He was also a very sensible man. We were to stay where we were as he needed us to be ready quickly. I hurried below deck to retrieve his and my own warm coat. I was now becoming petrified, the others on board were still calm, and everyone else on the ship was continuing as if nothing had happened. Though of course, they weren't privileged with the knowledge that I had. My father returned again his face was rather pale, following him were many of the ships crewmembers who proceeded to hand out life jackets and tell everyone to put them on and also warm clothes, I took mine and correctly placed it over her head and tied the long straps around my waist. One of the crew spoke, â€Å"there is nothing to worry about just Captains precautions†. A massive bang went off, which I later found out was a distress signal he continued, â€Å"Make sure warm clothing is worn and that people begin to make their way outside†. Others made many complaints around me but we did as we were told, no arguments or conversation. It was cold outside, and ice was scattered over the deck. I rubbed my hands together, my father grabbed them and rubbed them for warmth, â€Å"stay calm, everything will be fine†, I smiled shyly as a tear left my eye, was this what the man meant, I was going to lose my family. I was now very scared for all the bellow and holler of voices, the bang of the distress signals, and the screeching of boats as they were prepared for lowering. The crew thought that this was pointless, they shared the feeling of false security that nothing was going to happen. However, soon children and female members of the passengers aboard were being asked to climb into the boats and were lowered out to sea. Crying began as families were split up, I held onto my father knowing that this would happen to us, my fathers would be made to stay. Though deep down, I knew that he intended to go down with the ship. We snuggled together for warmth as the noise continued around us, hardly uttering words to one another, just trying to keep warm. Time had past, I am not sure how long. Many lifeboats had now been lowered and were moving away from the ship, and now we were being ushered onto one, lifeboat 10. My father hugged me, and we whispered our goodbyes; he assured me that he would be there to see me when we found our way across the sea. I knew this was not to be true. My eyes were stinging trying to hold back the forceful tears; I could not stop thinking of the brave men and boys who were to be left behind. As the boat was lowered I called, â€Å"I love you† him as he disappeared from view, my last memory was of him shaking hands with Mr. Andrews, both standing in their white life jackets. My head was aching, the false smile flew from my face. Around me, families were huddled together, trying to keep warm. There were emotional mothers, wailing for their husbands and sons. The boat was rowed away from the ship, I gasped at the sight, the ship was already tilting. Many windows were disappearing from view. I thought for the first time of the other passengers. Hundreds of people lined the decks. The last lifeboat had left. As I glanced around, searching for the other boats, disgust filled my thoughts. Rich, prominent women were in lifeboats, which were purposely half-filled. As they had material wealth, they needn't care about the sacrifice of others. I felt compelled to stand up and say something, though the cowardice within me kept me silent. I turned away staring into the dark sky lit by many tiny white stars. More hours passed, I wouldn't turn around; more boats were surrounding us as we moved further away, my eyes were red and sore yet the tears still flowed, yet I was no-longer sad but now angry. Why should I live and everyone else die? I longed to be by my father's side, but I knew that he was gone. The sound grew, crashes and explosions. The cries grew louder but I never turned, I would not see it go down. I was too scared, too pathetic. I forced my self to turn just as the boat crashed down to the depths below. There were bodies everywhere, strewn around the wake of the ship. We never returned, another ship, the Carpathia arrived at the scene taking the surviving people on board. I remember little, around me, mothers franticly calling for their families, their children weeping heavily. They knew they were lost. I did not cry anymore. I shivered not only from the cold, but of the fright. That man new this was to happen. How? I was too tired to sleep, too confused to think. As we arrived finally in New York I realised that I was to meet my fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, the crowd all wept. Many were greeting relatives, asking helplessly if we had seen their loved ones. Keith stood in the crowd. I saw him, my face lit instantly but only for a second. I ran towards him and just let him hold me for a while; he knew not to speak yet. I never forget the event, I think about what I should have done, I should have made them go for survivors or stayed with my father. I regret many things but my family was always there to bring me hope through the hard times.

Hills like White Elephants Essay

In â€Å"Hills like White Elephants,† Jig describes the hills from a distance like white elephants. That description signifies that, for Jig, her pregnancy is something that is precious while a burden at the same time. In order to understand the situation of Jig, it is important to note that white elephants are considered to be sacred and symbolize justice in Southeast Asian monarchies. On the other hand, these elephants come with a costly price in terms of its upkeep or maintaining its health. White elephants are oftentimes given as precious gifts for royal members of the family since they are the ones who are capable of taking care of the costly needs of the elephant. But for the average individual, being given a white elephant means having to take care of a burden that is supposed to be treated as a precious gift. Apparently, the hills in the story symbolize the pregnancy of Jig and the description of the hills as white elephants suggest that her pregnancy is both a precious gift and a burden. On the part of Jig’s American male companion, the fact that he wants Jig to have an abortion suggests that he sees her pregnancy as a burden. Moreover, the railroad tracks in the story’s setting suggest a dividing line between two distinct landscapes—a barren and dry land on one side and a green landscape on the other. Jig’s attention is focused on the landscape while the American is having a conversation with her, suggesting that she is concerned between choosing which side to take—a happy life with her child or a barren life with her American companion but without her baby—while the American is busy convincing her to let go of the baby. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† the setting used by the author, William Faulkner, is the fictitious post-war town of Jefferson. In the town, women are not allowed to walk the streets without wearing an apron, thereby suggesting that there is a form of discrimination against women. However, Emily Grierson can opt not to follow the rule because she came from an influential family. In fact, there was even a time when she was given the privilege of not having to pay taxes. Thus, the society’s perception towards Emily by that time was that she was a woman of distinct position. She was someone who is not like the average woman in town as she is capable of doing things that the average women in town cannot afford to do. Moreover, the setting of the house of Emily in the story reveals something about her character. The house is considered to be once a majestic edifice in the town only that it has turned into â€Å"an eyesore among eyesores (287)† later in the story. The reason behind this is that the house was no longer well taken good care of even though Emily has employed a man—both the her gardener and her cook—to look after the house. The time when the townsfolk have noticed the searing stench emanating from Emily’s house all the more gave the house an ugly reputation. At the end of the story, it is revealed that the stench came from the decaying body of Homer, Emily’s lover, who was laid in one of the house’s beds as it rotted for years. Apparently, it is also revealed that Emily had been sleeping with the corpse of Homer all the time when the stench lingered around the house. It symbolizes the decay of the personality of Emily, perhaps dying with the death of Homer. The setting of the house clearly represents the decaying personality of Emily and the predicaments which caused her grief and despair. Victoria Battistelli, (A Rose for Emily) I agree that Emily is an old woman and that she should not have died in that decrepit house. However, I think it was Emily’s decision to stay inside that house until her dying days for one reason—her lover, Homer, is there in one of the bedrooms. Interestingly, it was Homer’s stench—for his dead body was decaying all the time that it was there—that roused the interest of the rest of the people in town although they were not aware it was Homer’s. More importantly, there are evidences in the story which suggest that Emily slept with the corpse of Homer: the lock of hair beside Homer’s body and the shape of the pillow that appear to suggest that somebody’s head was on top of it. These things, among others, indicate that Emily chose to stay inside the house and even sleep with Homer’s corpse. Sadly, though, she did not have to put herself in that position. Apparently, her strong emotions for Homer caused her to withstand the putrid scent of his corpse and stay inside the house. Do you know of other indicators that Emily was willing to stay inside the house even though it was reeking of bad smell? Debbie Wong, (Hills like White Elephants) I definitely agree that Jig was thinking of her pregnancy as she was concerned as to whether she should follow the suggestion of her American companion or to follow her desire to keep the baby for herself. It seems that Jig was weighing the odds for each side of the coin, so to speak, although she gave-in eventually to the demands of her American companion. Her pregnancy is truly a white elephant—a burden and a gift, a burden for her American companion and a gift for Jig. Are there any indicators in the story that says something about Jig’s pregnancy as a burden for herself, or that she was tempted to give-up her baby before finally deciding to do so?

Analysis And Usage Of Cams And Their Followers Engineering Essay

Analysis And Usage Of Cams And Their Followers Engineering Essay A cam follower, also known as a track follower,[1] is a specialized type of roller or needle bearing designed to follow cams. Cam followers come in a vast array of different configurations, however the most defining characteristic is how the cam follower mounts to its mating part; stud style cam followers use a stud while the yoke style has a hole through the middle.[2] The first cam follower was invented and patented in 1937 by Thomas L. Robinson of the McGill Manufacturing Company.[3] It replaced using just a standard bearing and bolt. The new cam followers were easier to use because the stud was already included and they could also handle higher loads.[ / CAM AND MECHANISMS A cam mechanism consists of three elements: the cam, the follower (or follower system), and the frame. The follower is in direct contact with the cam. The cam may be of various shapes. The follower system includes all of the elements to which motion is imparted by the cam. This may be connected directly to the follower, or connected through linkages and gearing. The frame of the machine supports the bearing surfaces for the cam and for the follower. A CAM changes the input motion, which is usually rotary motion (a rotating motion), to a reciprocating motion of the follower. They are found in many machines and toys WHAT IS THE CONCEPT BEHIND CAM? A CAM is a rotating machine element which gives reciprocating or oscillating motion to another element known as follower. The cam and follower has a point or line contact constitute a higher pair or you can say that it is the mechanicl component of a machine that is used to transmit the motion to the another component of the machine called the follower, through a prescribed program by direct contact.The contact between them is maintained by an external force which is generally provided by the spring or sometimes by the weight of the follower itself ,when it is sufficient. Cam is the driver member and the follower is the driven member. The followe r is in direct contact with the cam. CAM MECHANISM CONSIST OF THREE MECHANISMS CAM:It may be of many shapes FOLLOWER: It includes all the elements to which motion is imparted by the cam.This may be connected directly by the cam.This may be connected directly to the follower, or connected through linkages and gearing. FRAME: The frame of the machine supports the bearing surfaces for the cam and for the follower. APPLICATIONS OF CAM AND FOLLOWERS Cam and follower are widely used for operating inlet and exhaust valve of I C engine. These are used in wall clock. These are used in feed mechanism of automatic lathe Machine. These are used in paper cutting machine. Used in weaving textile machineries. The cam mechanism is a versatile one. It can be designed to produce almost unlimited types of motioning the follower. It is used to transform a rotary motion into a translating or oscillating motion. On certain occasions, it is also used to transform one translating or oscillating motion into a different translating or oscillating motion.

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 43

Reading response - Essay Example The picture helps in showing that both natural and human may have some relationship. His work is also seen as different from recent photographers. As a result, there is argument that his work is old fashioned and lacking taste. However, it is clear that his work maintains some originality and complexity. Hence, one may argue that Adams work provide a vivid description of the realities on the ground. The other controversy in the article is perception of the relationship between man and nature. Some artists such as Thoreau are shown to believe that man is not part of nature (4). However, as the article notes a good landscape may be achieved with people on it. I concur with this view as in many occasions; man has struggled to make improvement to the landscape through beautifications. For this reason, man should not be made to appear different from the aesthetic component. Man should be seen as playing part in the beautification of land. On the other hand, it is clear that man should not be seen as an enemy to preservation of nature. This is because man plays a significant role in the preservation of nature. For example, man erects a fence to preserve parks (4). Hence, excluding man will not help in preserving our natural landscape. The conservation can only be achieved through natural use of land by man. Therefore, as Adams notes, if a man uses natural environment badly, he is the one to blame. On the other hand, there is the focus on photography as provision of meaning. Real photography is seen as proving more meaning as compared to the aesthetic component (7). Moreover, photography is also shown as offering description of a place. In my opinion, photography can help in understanding of a place if properly taken by an objective person. For example, this can be seen in documentary photographs

When the Emperor was Divine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

When the Emperor was Divine - Essay Example The story is told from the perspective of the anonymous family, and it has special meaning. It does not matter what were the names of family members because they became simple outcasts in the eyes of Americans. The author calls her personages simply: a mother, a girl, a boy, and father which means that similar events happened to almost all Japanese families: they were simply turned to enemies. The story has four different narrators. First chapter is told from the Mother`s perspective who probably was affected the most by this unexpected exile as she was responsible for two little children at the absence of the husband. The journey on the train from their home in California to Topaz War Relocation Center is described by the daughter of the family while the family`s staying in inhumane conditions in the camp is described by the boy. The fourth chapter is told from the position of the father, however he uses the pronoun â€Å"we† which can be understood as â€Å"we† the fa mily or â€Å"we â€Å"-Japanese. It is possible to compare this novel to Bernard Schlink`s â€Å"The Reader† but this will be a comparison through opposition. In the story told by Schlink the main character, Hanna, does not feel any regret about her past service for the Nazi camp and tries to forget it with the help of books and strange love. The author raises a difficult question of conscious of the whole nation, and for Germans as well as for Japanese this question turns out to be very difficult as it touches each and every citizen. However, in â€Å"When the Emperor was Divine† the life of the characters, even the smallest one, is changed from the very beginning of the war. They become outcasts and they start feeling ashamed for their origin. These events influenced every character of the book in a different and serious way. The mother of the family faced

Russian Literature Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Russian Literature - Assignment Example This search symbolizes the dissatisfaction in his life and the craving for someone to complete this search. Furthermore, the fragrance and moisture of flowers signify the freshness of true love. The novelty of these feelings arouses Gurov to new heights of emotions and experiences. Finally, Chekhov further uses situational irony to show how Gurov changes. Gurov falls in love with who he calls an inferior race, which actually made him part of the better race, because love changed him to become a better person. Gurov sees women as an â€Å"inferior race† (362) and his first impression of Anna is that she is pathetic. By being in love with an inferior race, the situational irony is that Gurov has transformed into a â€Å"better race,† where he sheds the monotony of his life behind and experiences something so passionate and liberating. However, it remains ironic that Gurov keeps this life a secret, when it is only the life he ever wanted to live.

Mathematics learning Theories 02 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mathematics learning Theories 02 - Essay Example Behaviorism Theory in learning considers observation on behaviors of students. Learning takes place when there is an increase in behaviors considered positive and reduction in behaviors considered negative. The theory compares mind to muscle and that they both benefits from exercise (Schoenfeld, 2013). In this theory, learning results from direct interaction with the environment. The theory uses rewards as reinforcements for good behavior and punishment for those having undesired behaviors. Cognitive learning theory explains how a person perceives information from the environment to the cognitive part of the brain. Cognitive theory considers the ability of human to be conscious of their thoughts. The information modifies the cognitive part in the brain to meet the environmental demands (Hoyles & Lagrange, 2010). The theory looks at the thinking and cognitive development depending on ages. As a child grows, the cognitive development also occurs through equilibration and understanding of concepts. In equilibration process, an individual balance both the ability to assimilate and accommodate new information. In constructivism theory of learning, the students or personal understanding of a concept that is independent of the other. In this mode of learning, a teacher does not lecture or transfer mathematical knowledge but provide students with situations to make mental constructions on their own (Instructional design, 2015). The constructivism theory encourages dialog in learning between students and teachers. How individuals acquire knowledge becomes the focus in this theory. It purports that challenges and questions lead to acquiring knowledge in learning mathematics through engagement in problem solving and the environment. The aim of this theory is to improve teaching and learning in classes through engagement of both students and teachers. This theory model faces challenge in creating situations that support students’ explanation while at the