The Churchs Teaching On Euthanasia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Churchs Teaching On Euthanasia - Assignment Example A person suffering from severe pain may not deserve to experience it from a humanitarian point of view. Thus, euthanasia or an act of mercy killing has become one of the most debatable issues in contemporary time because for some it might be the right answer but for others, it is the wrong way around.For instance, Catholic Church strongly opposes euthanasia. It is evident that the church strongly believes that it is a crime before God. Catholic Church believes that it is only God who has the right to take back our lives since He creates them. Thus, He alone has the right to destroy what He has created. Euthanasia, as defined to be mercy killing, is just a way to eliminate the pain from the point of view of those who supported it. However, the Catholic Church strongly opposes it due to its strong stand that it is not actually eliminating the pain but actually the patient. This stand can be clearly elaborated based on how the Catholic Church defined the value of life (Vatican, 1980). I n this point of view of the church, euthanasia is considered a way just like of a murder in which the patient is denied his or her right to live. This is due to the point of the church that with euthanasia it is life by itself which has to be eliminated from the person. The Catholic Church strongly opposes euthanasia because based on its stand, the very act of eliminating life of an individual even though it may help him from not experiencing too much adverse pain should not be initiated by human hands.

The Merchants Tale Essay Example for Free

The Merchants Tale Essay The use of the word ‘but’ in line 843 is the first signal to the audience that there is going to be a significant change within Januarie’s fortune. Up until this point he has been considerably lucky; he is described as a ‘worthy knight’ who has ‘lived in greet prosperitee’ and has been married to ‘fresshe may, his paradys, his make’. Through this excessive amount of fortune, Chaucer has led the audience to believe it is too good to be true, and so the change is almost inevitable. Januarie’s fortune is represented by the image of ‘the scorpion’, which smiles with its face while stinging with its ‘sweete venym queynte’, just as Januarie is deceived into believing he has found stable happiness when he suddenly goes blind. When Januarie becomes physically blind, this becomes a fulfilment of the metaphorical blindness of self-delusion which has afflicted him from the outset. On line 386, the audience are reminded of the proverb ‘love is blind’, and Januarie’s character has been built up to this point as a demonstration of the truth of this saying. At this point in the tale, we have only recently heard May’s voice for the first time, (like 770) but we are yet to know much about May’s personality from anyone other than Januarie’s perspective. However, the females already mentioned in the tale, such as Abigail, the wife of Nabal and Rebecca, the mother of Jacob all gained their own fortune and power through the use of deception and trickery, inclining the audience to believe that May is going to use similar techniques. It soon becomes apparent that this deception is at the hands of Januarie, ‘for as good is blind deceyved be / As to be deceyved whan a man may se’. The fact that he is being deceived because of both his physical and mental blindness makes Januarie appear vulnerable, and the audience almost begins to pity him, showing that the power balance has shifted abruptly from Januarie to May. The language Chaucer chooses to use contributes to demonstrating this power balance effectively. Fortune is personified in this passage, as is common in Chaucer’s writing. Like a number of abstract qualities which have the female grammatical gender in Latin, the personification is feminised, and she is presented as a woman, often blindfolded, to demonstrate the arbitrariness of her operation, an holding a wheel on which her victims rise and fall. When comparing this image to May, it is clear that she now has full power and control over Januarie. It is not only clear how May has gained power over this passage, but also how Januarie has lost his. He becomes so possessed by jealousy that He nolde suffre hire for to ride or go/ But if that he hadde hond on her alway’ , ‘nor anywhere/ Would he allow his wife to take the air/ Unless his hand were on her, day and night’. Towards the beginning of the tale, it is unlikely that Januarie would have been so possessive over his new wife, as he had enough confidence within himself to prevent any jealousy. When he loses his sight, it is apparent that his self-consciousness becomes particularly strong, once again making him seem vulnerable and helpless, and May’s dishonesty only increases Januarie’s lack of power.

Quality of Nursing and Diversity

Quality of Nursing and Diversity Critically discuss how an understanding and application of the concepts of diversity, cultural competence and equality can help to improve the quality of nursing care in today’s diverse healthcare settings for a diverse service-user population The Office of National Statistics (2014) displays how the population of Britain is becoming increasingly diverse due to migration, with 560,000 people migrating to Britain between March 2013 and March 2014; a significant increase from 492,000 people in the previous 12 months. Globalisation; which is the increasing integration of economies and societies has a profound effect on migration and health. For example the ease of accessibility of borders for services and trade removes the boundaries for migration and increases the production and marketing of products such as tobacco which have an adverse effect on health (Wamala and Kawachi 2007). The increasing movement of countries into the European Union (EU) also removes the boundaries to migration as the European commission state that individuals who hold European citizenship have rights to free movement and residency within the EU(EU 2014). The acceleration of globalisation and the growth in migration means the NHS have to care for an increasingly diverse service-user population who have a range of health needs which presents many issues and challenges for nursing care. Blakemore (2013) recognised how research by Macmillan cancer support found that patients from Black minority ethnic (BME) groups experience increased challenges and poor treatment compared to white British cancer patients; such as lack of compassion and poor and ineffective communication. This is an example of how diverse groups can receive poor quality care and highlights the need for nurses to understand and apply the concepts of diversity, cultural competence and equality to evade this diminished care. This essay will explore, discuss and critique these concepts when looking at how they can improve the quality of nursing care in today’s diverse healthcare settings for a diverse service-user population. Diversity is defined by Dayer-berenson (2014) as the ‘individual differences of the human race’ which should be ‘accepted, respected, embraced and celebrated by society’. The differences encompass many factors such age, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, all which shape an individual to be unique. This definition however fails to acknowledge that differences exist within each unique factor. For example in ethnic groups; where although common characteristics such as language and origin are shared, differences within the ethnic group still do exist such the extent to which the individual practices their religion, and the culture to which the individual identifies to (Henley and Schott 1999). The National Health Service (NHS)(2011) expand on this definition by recognising that diversity includes ‘visible and non-visible’ differences. Recognition of this is important in clinical practice as non –visible differences such as values and beliefs will not be established unless nurses effectively communicate and assess there patients values, needs and prefences. This will prevent the assumption that all members of one ethnicity act as another as mentioned previously, and therefore avoid stereotyping. Henley and Schott (1999) recognise how stereotyping will result in inadequate nursing care as people distance themselves from those they see as different, causing them to have a lack of consideration and respect for the individual, thus diminishing care. Furthermore, when assessing the values and beliefs of diverse patients, nurses must avoid holding an ethnocentric attitude. Ethnocentrism is when people identify their own cultural ways as superior to others, creating an attitude that any other beliefs and values are wrong. This leads to inadequate care as other diverse beliefs, values and therefore needs; will be rendered as insignificant and may be ignored (Royal college of Nursing (RCN) 2014). Ethnocentric behaviour however is not always recognised by the individual and is therefore difficult to challenge, as through socialisation into their own cultural values and beliefs a viewpoint of what is ‘normal’ and ‘appropriate’ is created. This viewpoint is then used to often negatively judge diverse cultures that the individual comes across (Henley and Schott 1999). On the other hand Sharif (2012) views ethnocentrism as having a positive influence on healthcare in the United Kingdom. When looking at BME groups, South Asians are a high risk group for public health diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Sharif recognises the need for ethnocentric interventions to educate South Asian communities and to distinguish them as a group to further investigate the differences in epidemiology, pathophysiology and health outcomes. This view is opposed by The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)(2010) who state in their standards for pre-registration nurses that nurses must strive for culturally diverse nursing care by practicing as holistic, non-judgemental and sensitive nurses, avoiding assumption, recognising individual choice and acknowledging diversity. Therefore nurses must adhere to this code by avoiding stereotypical and ethnocentric attitudes which can be done through assessing and recognising patients as individuals. This will result in high quality care which is essential for a diverse service user population. Respecting individual patient diversity results in respecting equality which is the elimination of discrimination and disadvantage through respecting the rights of individuals and promoting equal opportunity for all. Nurses working within an organisation must comply to the Equality Act 2010 which protects 12 diverse characteristics such as age, disability and religon from discrimation and disadvantage (Equality and Human Rights Commison 2014). In healthcare this is done through the implementation of policies and guideance, however Talbot and Verrinder (2010) highlight how equality policies can express the need for patients to receive equal care regardless of characteristics and background. This ignores personal choice and therefore disregardards individuality and diversity; producing poor quality care. When looking at equality further nurses can promote equality through ensuring everyone has equal and full access to health care. It is recognised that BME patients have a poor uptake of healthcare services compared to white British patients for several reasons such as; language barriers, negative experiences and inadequate information (Henley and Schott 1999,Washington and Bowles et al 2008). Dayer-berenson (2014) however identifies that barriers to healthcare are not just due to racial factors but also socio-economic factors. Nimakok and Gunapala et al (2013) expand on this further by recognising that individuals from BME communities are more likely to be of poor socio-economic status than their white counterparts ; due to factors such as low income and poor housing quality. Nurses must therefore be in the position to promote equality through endorsing equal access to healthcare and complying to equality policies. This must be done whilist respecting individual patients and their di versity which produces culturally competenet nurses and thus high quality care for the diverse service user population. Cultural competence is defined by Papadopolus and Tilki et al. (2003) as the act of respecting the cultural differences of patients in order to provide effective and appropriate care. This is a brief definition which fails to include all aspects of being a culturally competent practicioner, which arguably involves more than respecting cultural differences which will later be explored (McClimens and Brewster et al. 2014). Leininger (1997) states that cultural competence is the goal of providing culturaly congruent, compent and compassionate care through holisticly looking at culture, health and illness patterns and respecting the similarities and differences in cultural values and beliefs.This definition fails to recognise that cultural competence Is never a completed goal but an ongoing process (Dean 2010), however it recognises the importance of looking at the similarties within cultures. This increases the nurses ability to understand and meet the patients full range of needs thus producing culturally competent care (Henley and Schott 1999). Cultural competent nursing care is essential for enusuring high quality care in the increasingly diverse service user population, with The NHS stating that it provides a comprenhesive service for all regardless of background and characteristcs and In consideration of each individuals human rights. Respect for equality and diversity are two important aspects of The NHS`s vison and values as highlighted in this statement; and through culturally competent care these values can be achieved (McClimens and Brewster et al. 2014, NHS 2014). Educating health care professionals on culturally competent care is therefore important with Hovat and Horey et al. (2014) looking at the effects of educational cultural competence interventions for healthcare proffesionals on healthcare outcomes. The review found that health behaviour such as concordance to treatment was improved however they also acknowledged that there quality of evidence was poor and that cultural competence is still a developing stratergy, therefore further research is needed to establish its effectiveness on healthcare outcomes. Dayer-Berenson (2014) however, states how culturally competent care does produce positive healthcare outcomes and therefore high quality care as through culturally competent practice, cultural sensitivity can be developed. This will bridge the gap between the healthcare professional and the patient which allows the patient to feel understood, respected and supported. There are various models which offer an understanding of cultural competence and a process for developing cultural competence to allow for high quality care. Campinha-Bacote developed the `The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services model’ in 1998 which looks at how the healthcare professional must work within the cultural context of the patient and ‘become’ culturally competent rather than ‘be’ culturally competent. Campinha-Bacote sees becoming culturally competent as an ongoing process which involves the constructs of cultural awareness, knowledge, skill, encounters and desire Campinha-Bacote (2002). When looking at cultural awareness; which is the process of the nurse exploring there own cultural and professional background and any bias towards other cultures, Dayer-Berenson (2014) agrees nurses need to be aware of there own culture so that they can step outside of it when necessary and care for patients only in terms of their needs. This will reduce misunderstandings and misjudgements and therefore failures in care, allowing for high quality care for the diverse service user population. On the other hand this model has some weaknesses. When looking at the construct of cultural skill which Campinha-Bacote (2002) defines as the collection of relevant cultural data through cultural assessment in regards to the patients presenting problem, Leishman (2004) identifies some issues. Her study on perspectives of cultural competence in healthcare found that nurses do not agree that the personal beliefs and values of patients should be impinged upon as Camphinha-Bacote suggests in her model. Leishmans study found that this may impact the patients overall impression on the care they receive and that individual patient needs irrespective of culture should be the focus of care. This view argues that patient centered care is favourable over cultural competence when caring for a diverse patient population . Patient centered care describes care which is centred around the individual and their needs with inclusion of families and carers in decisions about treatment and care (Manley and Hills et al. 2011). It is a philiosphy which is embedded at the forefront of all patient care, with a recent inquiry comminsed by the Royal College of General Practicioners (2014) emphasising the importance of patient centred care in the 21st century to meet the challenging and changing needs of patients; such as the increase in the diverse patient population. Kleinmans explanatory model of illness offers an alternative approach for looking at cultural competence as it supports the delivery of person centred care. The model contains steps that the healthcare professional can use to communicate with their patients. The steps look at several issues such as; establishment of the patients ethnic identity and what It means to them, how an episode of illness can effect the patient and their family, what the illness means to the patient, and how a cultural competent approach may help or hinder the patients care (NHS Flying Start 2014 , Kleinman and Benson 2006). By eliciting the patients and their families views and explanations of their illness the model allows for patient centred care. Also the cross cultural communication and recognition of any conflicts in values and beliefs which need negotiating produces culturally competent care (Hark and DeLisser 2009, Misra-Herbert 2003). The model has further strengths which also allow for high quality care as recognised by Kleinman and Benson (2006) who state that the model allows practicioners to set there knowledge alongside the patients own views and explanations which avoids an ethnocentric attitude. On the other hand the model is focused on the interaction between doctors and patients so it is therefore questionable as to wether this model can be applied to the nursing care of a diverse service user population (Misra-Hebert 2003). The acceleration of globalisation and therefore increase in migration means that the NHS have to care for an increasingly diverse service user population. To give high quality nursing care to their patients nurses must understand apply the concepts of diversity, equality and cultural competence. This essay has shown how this can be done by ensuring their practice is underpinned by legal and ethical principles and through respecting the diversity of all through treating patients as individuals and avoiding stereotypical and ethnocentric attitudes. Respecting diversity can also endorse equality which nurses can also encourage through promoting equal access to healthcare for all. Finally nurses must be culturally competenet practicioners by respecting diversity and equality and through the implication of models although further research is needed as cultural competence is a developing concept with other principles such as patient centered care also being seen as essential in nursing pra ctice. 2,180 1

Life After Death :: essays research papers

What is going to happen to us when we will die? Some people never considered what it could happen to them after life. For many people, death is a redoubtable event because they do not know what to expect after their death. However, other persons, such as religious people are conscious of what to expect after their death because of their beliefs. Each religion has different ideas and different ways of looking life. Death, therefore, is viewed by different religions in many ways. Although, different religions have a distinct conception of death, they all have something in common: they all give hope to people. Among all different religions in the world, four of the most common ones - Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu- view death in different ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One way in which death can be viewed comes across the Catholic religion. The Catholic believers look life after death in a prospective of three different worlds, such as Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise according to the deeds committed during life. If a person during his or her lifetime committed any sins, this person’s next world will be the Hell. The traditional view in which people refer to hell can be found in the book written by Dante Alighieri, â€Å"La Divina Commedia†. The book states that the formation of Hell was given by the crash of Lucifer (the angel that wanted to be better than God) from the sky onto the earth. Crashing on the Earth in Jerusalem, his head formed an upside down cone inside the Earth. This is where is located the Hell. In the Hell, people pay for their sins with different penitences (12-13). For instance, a person that committed homicide will freeze in a lake frozen by the breath of Satan (XXXIV canto). If a person during h is or her life commits any sins but asks for forgiveness, then he or she will go to the Purgatory. The purgatory is represented by an island with a mountain (23). One source states that â€Å"Purgatory is very similar to Hell; the main difference is that one will eventually be released from torture. The souls that go in the Purgatory are tortured with fire. These souls remain in purgatory until they become sufficiently purified to enter heaven†(2). For example, if a soul in the purgatory asks for forgiveness and pays the punition with some tests, the soul will be released and moved immediately to Heaven (2).

Spoilage Rates

India Agriculture Spoilage Data Per 2010  FAO  world agriculture statistics, India is the world's largest producer of many fresh  fruits  and vegetables,  milk, major  spices, select fresh meats, select fibrous crops such as  jute, several staples such as  millets  and  castor oil  seed. India is the second largest producer of  wheat  and  rice, the world's major  food staples. India is also the world's second or third largest producer of several  dry fruits, agriculture-based  textile  raw materials,  roots  and  tuber  crops,  pulses, farmed  fish,  eggs,  coconut,  sugarcane  and numerous  vegetables.India ranked within the world's five largest producers of over 80% of agricultural produce items, including many  cash crops  such as  coffeeand  cotton, in 2010. India is also one of the world's five largest producers of livestock and poultry meat, with one of the fastest growth rates, as of 2011. India exported about 2 billion kilograms each of wheat and rice in 2011 to Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh and other regions of the world. Aquaculture and catch fishery  is amongst the fastest growing industries in India.Between 1990 and 2010, Indian fish capture harvest doubled, while aquaculture harvest tripled. In 2008, India was the world's sixth largest producer of marine and freshwater capture fisheries, and the second largest aquaculture farmed fish producer. India exported 600,000 metric tonnes of fish products to nearly half of all the world's countries. Lack of cold storage and harvest spoilage causing over 30% of farmer's produce going to waste, India lacks cold storage, food packaging as well as safe and efficient rural transport system.This causes one of the world's highest food spoilage rates, particularly during Indian monsoons and other adverse weather conditions. Food travels to the Indian consumer through a slow and inefficient chain of traders. Indian consumers buy agricultural produce in suburban markets known as ‘sabzi mandi' such as one shown or from roadside vendors. As per the report by Shri M. S. Swaminathan (Planning Commission 1981), up to 40% of certain fruits and vegetables go waste due to their perishable nature and non-availability of appropriate post harvest infrastructure. As per nother study (TIFAC – 1996), wastage in certain food is as high as over 30% and in vegetables the losses are up to 20% to 30% at the post harvest stages due to poor storage, transportation, lack of infrastructure and the inadequacy of the marketing set-up. As per this report, India wastes more fruits and vegetables than are consumed in a country like U. K. The total wastage in all food sectors is high and worth Rs. 500,000 million. It is also estimated that the wastage cost of fruits and vegetables is Rs. 350,000 millions per year which is four to five times than those of food grains.Even in food grains the loss is reckoned at 5-10% on account of insect infestatio n and inadequate storage. Types of Food Spoilage Food spoilage and contamination are defined as those adverse changes in quality caused by the action of specific conditions or agents that induce physical and chemical changes and also includes micro-organisms, insect, bird and rodent pests. Mechanical damage is also instrumental in spoilage. Bruises and wounds are such defects, which frequently cause chemical and microbial spoilage.The primary causes of food spoilage include the following: †¢ Biological – these include micro-organisms like bacteria, yeasts and molds, and other agents like insects, rodents and birds †¢ Chemical – these include enzymatic or non-enzymatic reactions †¢ Physical – these include breakage, bruises, crushing and cut or otherwise dismembered surfaces Figure 2 depicts the â€Å"Food Pipeline† and summarises the physical and biological ways of occurrence of food loss. Meat and Poultry Processing The production of meat is steadily increasing with an annual production of 4. million tonnes, which is contributed mainly by pigs followed by sheep, goat, buffalo and poultry meat. Meat producing industry in India is largely confined to the unorganised sector and there is very limited upgradation of technology. The constraints are absence of farms for rearing meat producing animals and absence of cold-chain facilities. The market for scientifically and hygienically produced meat products is expected to grow rapidly due to constantly developing urbanisation. As a result of changing lifestyles, the21 demand for ready–to–cook food is growing rapidly.Overall very little of meat production is scientifically produced, processed and packaged as branded products. Most meat consumed in India is in fresh form. Less than 1% of meat is processed into value-added products like sausages, ham, bacon, luncheon meat, kababs meat balls etc. Figure 6 gives the production of meat and meat products. Lack of cold chain demand makes the cold chain infra costly (more demand – more competition – lesser price), the additional cost (in comparison with non cool chain products) eventually gets loaded on the products serviced through high cost cold chain.Now, if supposedly some inferior product is available at a lesser price, very few in India shall buy a superior product serviced through cold chain, particularly when product in question is considered â€Å"fresh† only when it comes outside the controlled atmosphere (read cold store). Remember – fresh peas here sells @ Rs 150 a kg during off seasons against frozen at Rs 50 Kg. You need to have customers. Therefore, I am of the view that future demand for cold chain in India shall be driven not by fresh foods but by foods and pharmaceutical categories which compulsorily requires cold chain.Ready to eat frozen products, frozen vegetables, imported fruit etc comes to mind here. If these categories grow in India – inf ra to handle this shall automatically grow. Increased growth of cold chain shall drive down the cold chain price for more adopters to follow, reducing the cost. I can foresee a strong correlation between cold chain growth with growth of microwave ovens. At the end of the day it is all about markets. It is not only the demand of right products that hinders the growth of cold store industry in India, services too share equal blameFew years back we built a world class cold storage infra for potatoes and apples at the only clock auction market for fruit and vegetables in India. This cold stores had all the modern bells and whistles like pallets, forklift, screw compressors et al. Know what happened. Third party apple storage for trading at this store turned out to be a non-starter as apple trading in India is based on samples for small lots which could not be drawn out for inspection by traders as quickly as they are drawn out in an ambient environment or a traditional cold store.Moral of the story. Trade’s service demand dictate the cold storage needs. FTA agreements July 23, 2012 –  The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today met with representatives of the Canada-India Business Council in Montreal, where he highlighted the launch of a fifth round of negotiations toward a Canada-India trade agreement.A Canada-India joint study concluded that a trade agreement between the two countries could boost Canada’s economy by at least $6  billion. Reference: http://www. thestar. com/news/world/article/1176287–india-s-wheat-left-to-rot-due-to-lack-of-storage http://anilchopra. com/blog/personal/why-cold-storage-industry-is-not-growing-in-india/ http://smallb. in/sites/default/files/knowledge_base/best_practices/RoleofplasticsinconservationofFoodResources. pdf

Compromise and Concession

Compromise and Concession In most immigrant families, making more money, living better and raising kids as Americans are their goals. Parents know the importance of assimilation, but may not know the paradoxical predicaments their children may face. On one hand, parents expect children to become fully â€Å"American†; on the other hand, they desire children to inherit their ethnic culture as well. Concession and compromise are unavoidable in many occasions and this is more obvious in immigrant families.Concession or compromise means to give up something, especially in order to end an argument or conflict. In the essay, â€Å"The Good Daughter,† Caroline Hwang describes her as a second-generation immigrant; her life is paradoxical with compromises and concessions. Hwang becomes fully assimilated in America, but her â€Å"American culture† conflicts with her parents’ â€Å"Korean expectation†. As an immigrant, I fully understand Hwang’s plight because it reflects me well: being myself or obey parents. I am a second-generation immigrant from China.Before I moved to US with my mother at the age of 15, my father had already worked in a Chinese takeout restaurant in Connecticut for more than 10 years. He worked 6 days a week and more than 12 hours a day, but without good pay. Lacking skills in English not only shrank his career choices but also excluded him to study the American culture. Therefore, he expected me study English hard and engage in school. However, he also wanted me to help at the restaurant at the same time because of my family’s financial situation.So my high school life was like a line between the school and restaurant. I learned English hard in school, but I had to speak in Chinese after school when a group of Chinese staff in the restaurant surrounded me. I engaged in school and enrolled in clubs as much as I could, but I had to stay in the restaurant after school most of the time. I felt that I was distant from classmates and American society. My reading and writing skills improved gradually, but my speaking remained almost the same. I noticed this after a while but I chose to concede and remained silent.Then, this problem emerged unsurprisingly after I attended college: my social inability hurt me badly. I ate in the cafeteria alone; I studied without companions; I wandered in school aimlessly with no friends. I dropped out of college after one year because I was not able to fit into the community and got lost between two cultures. Studying new culture and engaging in community is essential and important. However, after we absorbed new culture, our own one will remain less and the divergence will become greater.Therefore the differences in viewpoint among cultures will become greater. Immigrant parents like to think or do the way they are familiar. The ingrained conventions or habits will influence their judgments and determinations. As Hwang writes, â€Å"Though they raised me as an American, my parents expect me to marry someone Korean and give them grandchildren who look like them† ( Para. 17). In my culture or community, most of the parents expect children to have lovers from China, and some parents even expect lovers from the same home – city.Allowance and acceptance from parents before marriage are critical because of filial duty. Lovers are not allowed to decide by themselves unless they wish to separate from the family. That is why many fully assimilated Chinese find it is difficult to find matches unless they are willing to concede or compromise. Different cultures can lead to paradoxical predicaments and bring problems back to family. Concession or compromise is often unavoidable when deciding. Because of vast of opportunities in America, most of the people can pick a career they like based on self-interests.Nonetheless, some people are not able to decide for themselves, and this problem is more obviously in immigrant families. A s Hwang writes, â€Å"A writing career is riskier than law† ( Para. 14). Surely, a lawyer is a better career than writer, and it has a bigger chance to be successful. For Hwang’s parents, career is not for self-interest but living better; despite her interest, Hwang concedes to her parents because of her cultural habits. â€Å"After 20-some years of following their wishes and meeting all of their expectations, I couldn’t bring myself to disobey or disappoint† (Caroline, Para. 4). Living freely and thinking independently are two the prominent values in America; however, obedience is important in China. We have to obey the rules in schools and government when we are young, and we cannot challenge because of punishments; we have to obey our parents because of filial duty. Parents like to plan the future for children, and they believe this job is their duty too. Therefore, we obey the â€Å"commands† and concede even if we have different opinions most of the time.By making a choice, either parents or we may be dissatisfied or disappointed. Immigrant parents sacrifice themselves by leaving the homeland to give us a better opportunity to become successful, we cannot just do whatever we like or want. We need to concern about our families, parents, and even siblings. As Hwang writes, â€Å"By making the biggest move of their lives for me, my parents indentured me to the largest debt imaginable—I owe then the fulfillment of their hopes for me† (Caroline, Para. 15).My parents do not require me to bring a bulk of wealth back to them, what they expect is one day I can fulfill their dreams that they do not have the chance to achieve, and live in happiness. I was unhappy with their decision sometimes, but I felt their love for me also. Therefore, I never minded or regretted making concessions or compromise. Straddling two cultures are complicated, even though different cultures may complement values in each other. Concession and compromise are necessary in a family or different cultures. Compromise and Concession Compromise and Concession In most immigrant families, making more money, living better and raising kids as Americans are their goals. Parents know the importance of assimilation, but may not know the paradoxical predicaments their children may face. On one hand, parents expect children to become fully â€Å"American†; on the other hand, they desire children to inherit their ethnic culture as well. Concession and compromise are unavoidable in many occasions and this is more obvious in immigrant families.Concession or compromise means to give up something, especially in order to end an argument or conflict. In the essay, â€Å"The Good Daughter,† Caroline Hwang describes her as a second-generation immigrant; her life is paradoxical with compromises and concessions. Hwang becomes fully assimilated in America, but her â€Å"American culture† conflicts with her parents’ â€Å"Korean expectation†. As an immigrant, I fully understand Hwang’s plight because it reflects me well: being myself or obey parents. I am a second-generation immigrant from China.Before I moved to US with my mother at the age of 15, my father had already worked in a Chinese takeout restaurant in Connecticut for more than 10 years. He worked 6 days a week and more than 12 hours a day, but without good pay. Lacking skills in English not only shrank his career choices but also excluded him to study the American culture. Therefore, he expected me study English hard and engage in school. However, he also wanted me to help at the restaurant at the same time because of my family’s financial situation.So my high school life was like a line between the school and restaurant. I learned English hard in school, but I had to speak in Chinese after school when a group of Chinese staff in the restaurant surrounded me. I engaged in school and enrolled in clubs as much as I could, but I had to stay in the restaurant after school most of the time. I felt that I was distant from classmates and American society. My reading and writing skills improved gradually, but my speaking remained almost the same. I noticed this after a while but I chose to concede and remained silent.Then, this problem emerged unsurprisingly after I attended college: my social inability hurt me badly. I ate in the cafeteria alone; I studied without companions; I wandered in school aimlessly with no friends. I dropped out of college after one year because I was not able to fit into the community and got lost between two cultures. Studying new culture and engaging in community is essential and important. However, after we absorbed new culture, our own one will remain less and the divergence will become greater.Therefore the differences in viewpoint among cultures will become greater. Immigrant parents like to think or do the way they are familiar. The ingrained conventions or habits will influence their judgments and determinations. As Hwang writes, â€Å"Though they raised me as an American, my parents expect me to marry someone Korean and give them grandchildren who look like them† ( Para. 17). In my culture or community, most of the parents expect children to have lovers from China, and some parents even expect lovers from the same home – city.Allowance and acceptance from parents before marriage are critical because of filial duty. Lovers are not allowed to decide by themselves unless they wish to separate from the family. That is why many fully assimilated Chinese find it is difficult to find matches unless they are willing to concede or compromise. Different cultures can lead to paradoxical predicaments and bring problems back to family. Concession or compromise is often unavoidable when deciding. Because of vast of opportunities in America, most of the people can pick a career they like based on self-interests.Nonetheless, some people are not able to decide for themselves, and this problem is more obviously in immigrant families. A s Hwang writes, â€Å"A writing career is riskier than law† ( Para. 14). Surely, a lawyer is a better career than writer, and it has a bigger chance to be successful. For Hwang’s parents, career is not for self-interest but living better; despite her interest, Hwang concedes to her parents because of her cultural habits. â€Å"After 20-some years of following their wishes and meeting all of their expectations, I couldn’t bring myself to disobey or disappoint† (Caroline, Para. 4). Living freely and thinking independently are two the prominent values in America; however, obedience is important in China. We have to obey the rules in schools and government when we are young, and we cannot challenge because of punishments; we have to obey our parents because of filial duty. Parents like to plan the future for children, and they believe this job is their duty too. Therefore, we obey the â€Å"commands† and concede even if we have different opinions most of the time.By making a choice, either parents or we may be dissatisfied or disappointed. Immigrant parents sacrifice themselves by leaving the homeland to give us a better opportunity to become successful, we cannot just do whatever we like or want. We need to concern about our families, parents, and even siblings. As Hwang writes, â€Å"By making the biggest move of their lives for me, my parents indentured me to the largest debt imaginable—I owe then the fulfillment of their hopes for me† (Caroline, Para. 15).My parents do not require me to bring a bulk of wealth back to them, what they expect is one day I can fulfill their dreams that they do not have the chance to achieve, and live in happiness. I was unhappy with their decision sometimes, but I felt their love for me also. Therefore, I never minded or regretted making concessions or compromise. Straddling two cultures are complicated, even though different cultures may complement values in each other. Concession and compromise are necessary in a family or different cultures.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 14

I was never entirely sure how much of that dream was true and how much was a lie. That it was a mix, I felt certain. I couldn't think of any reason the Oneroi would show me Kayla noticing my absence when no one else did. That had to be true. Yet, I also couldn't imagine Seth and Maddie slandering me so much. I especially couldn't imagine him breaking a confidence. Surely that was a lie†¦right? And as for the rest of the dream†¦well, it didn't matter. The Oneroi offered no answers. And as more and more dreams came to me, the fate they'd foretold began to come true: I could no longer tell what was real and what wasn't. Often, I tried to tell myself that it was all a lie. That was easier than living with the doubt. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn't shake the feel of truth that some had. So, I was always questioning everything, and it grew maddening after a while. It was made worse by the fact that the Oneroi were always feeding off of those dreams, which consequently sucked up my energy. A succubus needed that energy to function. It gave me the ability to move in the world, to think clearly, to shape-shift. Draining me of it wouldn't kill me – I was still immortal, after all – but it made me useless. Not that it mattered in my prison. I still had the sensation of being crammed inside a box in the dark, and what little awareness of my body I had left was simply showing me pain and weakness. Had I been relea sed, I would have had trouble walking. I would also likely be in my true shape. Since I was mostly suspended consciousness now, the physical aspects became irrelevant. My mind became the true liability, as both the lack of energy and torture from the dreams began to rip me apart. I was more coherent and analytical during the dreams themselves, but when they ended and the emotions hit me, my rational thought began fracturing. My banter with the Oneroi became primal insults and screams. Most of the time I couldn't think at all. I was just pain and despair. And rage. It seemed impossible, yet underneath the agony that smothered me, a small spark of anger just barely managed to stay alive, fueled every time I saw the Oneroi. I think holding on to that fury was the only thing that kept my shattered mind from completely giving in to insanity. I lost all sense of time, but that had more to do with the strange nature of dreams and not so much my brain. I actually think little time passed in the real world because every time the Oneroi showed me a glimpse of it, no progress seemed to have been made in finding me – something I believed the Oneroi hoped would break me further. â€Å"Why do you keep asking us?† The question came from Cody. I was now watching him, Peter, and Hugh being interrogated by Jerome. Carter sat in a far corner, smoking in spite of Peter's no-cigarettes-in-the-apartment rule. Roman was there too, invisible in body and aura. That meant I shouldn't have been able to see him, yet something – maybe because he was my target in this dream – allowed me to know he was there, despite what my senses told me. My friends knew about him. He had no need to hide his physical appearance, unless Jerome feared there might be demonic eyes watching Seattle – which wasn't that unreasonable. My disappearance had probably made him extra suspicious. Cody's question had been directed toward Jerome, and I had never in my life seen such fury on the young vampire's face. He was the mildest of us all, newest to Seattle's immortal circle. He still jumped when Jerome said jump and spent more time watching and learning than taking an active role. Seeing him like this was a shock. â€Å"We don't know anything!† Cody continued. â€Å"Our powers are limited. You're the one who's supposed to be almighty and powerful. Doesn't Hell control half the universe?† â€Å"‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,'† quoted Carter solemnly. â€Å"Shut up, both of you,† snapped Jerome. He glared at the angel. â€Å"I've already heard you use that one before.† Carter shrugged. â€Å"You've heard me use all of them before. Many, many times.† Jerome turned back to my three friends. â€Å"Nothing. You're absolutely certain you noticed nothing about her before this happened?† â€Å"She was down,† said Peter. â€Å"She's always down,† said Hugh. â€Å"She didn't tell any of us about this thing she kept feeling,† growled Cody. â€Å"She only told Roman. Why aren't you questioning him?† â€Å"I have,† said Jerome. He took a step near the young vampire and leaned his face in close. â€Å"And watch your tone. You're lucky I'm feeling kindly right now.† â€Å"What's Mei doing?† asked Peter. His tone was proper and polite as he cast an uneasy glance at Cody. Half of Peter's question was probably a ploy to save his prot? ¦g? ¦ from being smote then and there. Jerome sighed and stepped back. â€Å"Questioning others. Finding any trace – any at all – of another of our immortals who might have felt something.† Hugh, who was sitting on the couch and keeping his distance from our angry boss, cleared his throat nervously. â€Å"I don't want to bring this up†¦but, you're already kind of on probation after the, um, summoning.† Jerome's smoldering gaze fell on the imp, who flinched. â€Å"Don't you think I know that? Why is everyone here giving me useless information?† â€Å"All I'm saying,† said Hugh, â€Å"is that if someone wanted to take advantage of the situation, making you lose one of your immortals would be a good way. Someone who, say, maybe wanted a job promotion.† â€Å"Mei couldn't do this,† said Jerome, catching on. He'd already had one lieutenant demoness turn, so Hugh's hypothesis wasn't that bad. â€Å"She couldn't hide Georgina like this†¦even if she was working with someone who could, she'd find a better way to get to me.† There was almost a proud note in his voice. â€Å"What about Simone?† demanded Cody. â€Å"She's out there impersonating Georgina, you know.† Both Peter and Hugh stared in astonishment. â€Å"She's what?† exclaimed the imp. The attention from his friends seemed to fluster Cody more than Jerome's wrath. â€Å"Yeah, I was, um, visiting Gabrielle at the bookstore, and I saw Simone. She had Georgina's shape, but I could feel it was her.† â€Å"You saw Gabrielle?† asked Carter with interest, like my disappearance from the universe had now lessened in comparison to Cody's romance. Cody flushed. â€Å"We†¦had a date. But I canceled it when I heard about Georgina. It's no big deal.† No big deal? My kidnapping was now ruining Cody's chances with the woman of his dreams. â€Å"This is more useless information,† growled Jerome. â€Å"And, yes, I know about Simone.† â€Å"Maybe you should be talking to her,† said Cody. â€Å"She didn't do it,† said Jerome. The way he spoke implied that it was a closed case. Peter was still treading cautiously around Jerome. â€Å"If you say she didn't†¦then she didn't. But why is she impersonating Georgina if she's innocent in all this?† â€Å"She has her reasons,† said Jerome vaguely. Cody was outraged. â€Å"And you're just going to let her do it! How can you?† â€Å"Because I don't care!† roared Jerome. A wave of power flared out from him like a shock wave. Everyone except Carter was blown back by it. The china in Peter's cabinet rattled. â€Å"I don't care what that other succubus does. I don't care about Georgina's human friends or what they think. If anything, you should be grateful. Simone's act is keeping the others from noticing what happened.† None of my friends had anything to say to that. With an exasperated snarl, Jerome turned toward the door. â€Å"I've had enough of this. I need real answers.† He stormed out into the hall, leaving the door open. Presumably, he did it as an act of angry defiance, but I knew it was so Roman could follow him. Normally, the demon would have simply teleported out, but for whatever reason, father and son were investigating together today. Once alone on the stairwell, Jerome muttered, â€Å"Hold on.† Roman must have because Jerome disappeared. He reappeared – and me along with him – in a new setting: Erik's store. It was evening, and Erik had shut down for the night. The fountains were off. The music had stopped playing. Yet, near the back of the store, a few notes of humming could be heard. They cut off almost immediately, and footsteps sounded as someone approached. Jerome stayed where he was, not deigning to move. He knew his presence would have been promptly felt. He knew Erik would come to him. And sure enough, gait still unsteady from being sick recently, Erik made his way to the store's front. He radiated wariness as he moved. For me, he always had a kindly smile and cup of tea. Even Carter, the most powerful immortal in Seattle, would earn a respectful smile. But Erik was on his guard now – which really wasn't that weird, considering who stood in his store. Erik came to a stop a few feet from Jerome and straightened himself up as well as he could to his full height. He gave Jerome the smallest nod of greeting. â€Å"Mr. Hanan'el,† said Erik. â€Å"An unexpected visit.† Jerome had just taken a cigarette out of his coat, and it fell from his fingers. The look he gave Erik was a hundred times more terrifying than anything I'd ever seen. I expected another flare-up of power, one that would blow the entire building apart. â€Å"Do not,† said Jerome, â€Å"ever let that name cross your lips again, or I will rip them off.† His voice was low and even, simmering with the rage and power he was holding back. Had I been there, I would have gasped. Jerome's true name. Erik knew Jerome's true name. I used fake names to blend in and forget my identity. But for angels and demons, names were power. In the right hands, a name could be used to summon or control a greater immortal. In fact, for Dante to have summoned Jerome in the spring, Grace must have revealed that name. Erik didn't flinch at Jerome being in smite mode. â€Å"I assume,† said Erik, â€Å"you are seeking something.† â€Å"Yes,† said Jerome, slightly mimicking Erik's tone. â€Å"I am ‘seeking' my succubus.† Erik's eyebrows rose slightly. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† â€Å"Of course! Who else?† Jerome did technically have another succubus, Tawny. But maybe he wouldn't have gone hunting for her if she disappeared. He took out another cigarette and lit it without a lighter. â€Å"Do you know where she is? And don't lie to me. If you're keeping her from me, I will rip you apart, leaving your tongue for last.† â€Å"Ripping body parts appears to be a theme tonight,† replied Erik, clasping his hands behind his back. â€Å"But no, I don't know where Miss Kincaid is. I didn't know she was missing.† Jerome took a step forward, eyes narrowed. â€Å"I told you, do not lie to me.† â€Å"I have no reason to lie. I like Miss Kincaid. I would never wish her harm. If I can help her, I will.† Erik's wording was careful. It was me he was offering to help – not Jerome. â€Å"She spoke to you about some force – some ‘siren song' that kept coming to her,† said Jerome. He gave a curt report of what Roman had observed when I disappeared. â€Å"What do you know about this thing? What kind of creature was it? It was feeding off her depression.† From the moment this dream had started, Jerome had displayed nothing but rage and terror. Yet†¦as he shot off questions, it was almost like he was rambling. There was desperation under all that anger. Desperation and frustration because he was in a situation with no answers and felt powerless. Demons, as a general rule, do not like feeling powerless. Resorting to human help – a human who knew his name, no less – must have been excruciatingly painful for my boss. Erik, classy as always, remained calm and formal. â€Å"There are creatures who do that, yes, but I don't believe it was one of those. I believe it chose those times because she was weakest. It was simply a lure – probably not the creature or culprit itself.† â€Å"Then what creature is it?† Erik spread his hands wide. â€Å"It could be any number of things.† â€Å"God-fucking-damn-it,† said Jerome, dropping his cigarette onto Erik's floor and stomping on it hard. â€Å"You're no longer connected to her?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"You have no awareness of her – one of your kind isn't masking her?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"And you know she's not dead?† â€Å"Correct.† Erik's brown eyes were thoughtful. â€Å"Then the creature is likely one outside of your scope.† â€Å"Why,† asked Jerome wearily, â€Å"does everyone keep telling me things I already know?† The question could have been directed to Erik, Roman, or the air. The demon took out another cigarette. â€Å"You need to figure out who would take her and why. She has enemies. Nyx was not pleased with the resolution of her last visit.† â€Å"Nyx is locked up.† Jerome spoke as though he had stated that a hundred times. I was pretty sure he'd been asked all those questions about me a hundred times too. â€Å"Your summoner, Mr. Moriarty, was not overly pleased with her either.† Although Erik remained professional, his lips twisted ever so slightly, like he'd tasted something bitter. Regardless of his feelings for the demon, both Erik and Jerome shared a mutual hatred of Dante. This gave Jerome pause. â€Å"I doubt this was human magic, though I suppose he could have had help – he's sought allies before. I'll look into it.† He dropped this new cigarette and stepped on it too. â€Å"Regardless, I still can't believe I'd have no sense of her in the world.† â€Å"Maybe she's not in this world.† Erik's words hung between them for several seconds. â€Å"No,† said Jerome at last. â€Å"Many have interest in her – but none who would do that.† I saw in Erik's face that the words â€Å"Many have interest in her† had caught his notice. He stayed silent, however, and waited for Jerome's next profound statement. Which wasn't that profound. â€Å"Time to go,† said the demon, probably so Roman could grab hold again. Jerome teleported, off to wherever it was he had to go. And me? I returned to my prison.