Black Psychology Essay Essay Example

Black Psychology Essay Essay Example Black Psychology Essay Paper Black Psychology Essay Paper Abstraction: This is an autobiographical essay where I briefly analyzes and interpret important and impactful events that has transpired over my last 20 old ages in my life from school to my community in Portland. Oregon. The aim of this essay is to link constructs and the class aims related to Black Psychology which I enrolled in at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ( FAMU ) spring 2009 term. The lineation for this essay is in a chronological age order get downing from my birth in 1988 till my current experience at FAMU. The book that is chiefly referenced in this essay is the Kobi K. Kambon text edition African/ Black Psychology in American Context: An African Centered Approach along with Joseph Baldwin’s category lectures that I attended. Divided Among two Different Positions of the World: But this is my Story The thought that a black individual is from Portland. Oregon seems to be flooring information for certain African-Americans. Once I introduce myself to new friends and professors who neer traveled to Portland or were neer informed that â€Å"Black people† live in Oregon. Many are intrigued by this information and have a pursuit to cognize more. So to reply that inquiry. yes there are inkinesss who live in Oregon. I am a merchandise of Oregon I. Michelle Williams. was born and raised in the urban community in Portland amongst other African-Americans. One may presume that I had a hard clip turning up in Oregon. Experiencing favoritism. racism. or individuality crisis ; nevertheless. my six siblings and I neer did. Although. I did non see those types of issues. I understood that in Portland. the Black race was the minority and Europeans were the bulk in the race factor. In add-on. make non presume that my household line of descent merely lines in Oregon. on both sides of my household southern roots run deep. Therefore. southern traditions. values. ethical motives. beliefs. and imposts were inbreeded into my up brings. Without inquiries. I am an Afro-american adult female from Portland. Oregon ; nevertheless. my geographic part does non specify my inkiness. nor does it find if I am capable of sing adversities like my fellow equals who were raised in Southern provinces. In my early childhood. I resided with my maternal grandma due to my parent’s maltreatment to their environment and the usage of narcotics. However. my clip spent with my grandma was non in vena. yet filled with old ages of detecting and larning how to continue traditional southern values. which the modern universe of psychological science considers the â€Å"African/ Black Worldviews† . In the book. African/ Black Psychology in the American context: An African- Centered Approach Kobi K. Kambon explains the difference between the African/ Black and European Worldviews. The four constituents that compose the worldviews are: cosmology. ontology. axiology. and epistemology ( Kambon. 1998 ) In the African/ Afro-american worldviews one are taught to believe in oneness/ harmoniousness with nature. endurance of the group. sameness ; whereas the European Worldview have the impression of endurance of the fittest. competiveness. independency. and uniqueness ( being different ) . In my in-between childhood my parents redirected their life. and my female parent returned to college and obtained her unmarried mans and Masterss in Psychology with a child in Black Studies at Portland State University. While in school she begun to integrate her findings into her parenting. Although. my female parent and I were led by Eurocentric instructions. my household and our milieus reinforced the black/African-American Worldviews in the family. I recall myself accommodating to the political orientations and beliefs of those who were non within my ain autochthonal cultural group. Kambon defines this experience as a black kid who has been influenced by Eurocentric instructions ensuing in â€Å"Abnormal Unnatural Circumstances† . The kid has accepted and identified him or herself as a member of a â€Å"group that is non autochthonal cultural world ( Kambon. 1998 ) . I was able to resile back to the normal-nature fortunes. with the aid of my Black community friends. and household through our ethical motives and beliefs. I had to remain true to my ain cultural world and non be amongst those who are â€Å"cultural mis-identified† . An illustration of how I demonstrated unnatural unnatural fortunes was when I accepted the European doctrines and allowed the Whites to order and specify what was appropriate or rectify based off their criterions and positions on life. By this I allowed the impression that white Barbie dolls are better. instead than the Black China Doll my grandma purchased for Christmas one twelvemonth. While in in-between school. which is considered my late or pre-adolescence old ages. I was offered credence into the Talent and Gift besides known as the TAG plan. The TAG plans awards and congratulates pupils â€Å"who demonstrated outstanding abilities or potencies in countries of general rational ability or specific ability aptitude† ( Davenport Community School Website ) . After detecting the truth in the Black Psychology class. I have come to the apprehension that this peculiar plan has several defects that discriminates against the Black race. The black pupils who excel above the criterions set for Blacks are called â€Å"Talented or Gifted† . In chapter eight it stated that â€Å"there was some Blacks who scored every bit high as White persons on Standard trials of alleged intelligence ( i. vitamin E research on Black â€Å"gifted† kids ) † ( Kambon. 1998 ) . The foundation of the Tag plan continues and supports â€Å"White Supremacy† . The definition the European psychologist usage to specify intelligence which were examined on Caucasians merely was: â€Å" ( a ) the repertory of intellectual/cognitive accomplishments and cognition available to a individual at any one period of clip. or ( B ) the sum of planetary capacity of the person to move intentionally. to believe rationally. and to cover efficaciously with his/her environment† ( Kambon. 1998 ) . The names of a twosome of tests that exemplified that one was intelligent were: The Alfred Binet and the Binet Test. besides known as Intelligence Quotient/ IQ. Charles Spearman with the GS Factor trial. and a few others ( Kambon. 1998 ) . Robert L. Williams the 2nd National Chairman/ President of American of Black Psychologists ( ABPsi ) ( Kambon. 1998 ) . developed a â€Å"Black â€Å"cultural specific† intelligence trial which demonstrated that Blacks could execute high quality to White persons on such a Black cultural based trial. The trial was called Black Intelligence Test for Cultural Homogeneity† officially known as â€Å"BITCH’ . His intelligence trial showcased that Afro-american pupils were out executing Whites by 30 to 50 points ( Kambon. 1998 ) . In dealingss to my credence to the TAG plan I felt a sense of being privileged. superior. and connected to the white race in some sense. I belittled my equals who the Europeans and the trial scored them as being underperformers. Through my actions I had continued on the European worldviews. The people see the good that the TAG plan promotes ; nevertheless. there are down sides and negative features of being called a â€Å"Talented or Gifted† kid. In my early adolescence old ages. I was considered at times a pupil who could be insubordinate. disrespectful. and riotous in category. However. my actions were to dispute an inquiry my teacher’s doctrine about Western History. colonisation in Africa. bondage. and anything that focused on the Black race. Now looking back on what transpired in high school I was seeking to detect the truth sing my peoples. I tried to unknot the muss that the Europeans. Western historiographers. philosophers. and psychologist created. Removing the blind folds that had been placed over my eyes through the European instructions ; I was tired of having the edited. shorten. and beautified narrative the instructors and academic course of study spoon-feed me every twelvemonth during the one month Blacks are allowed to observe their history ( February ) . I have come to accept that cognition is cardinal and discovered like John Henrik Clarke that. â€Å"African History/ Negro History are the losing pages of World History† ( John Henrik Clarke. 1996 ) . In chapter three of Kambon books. he explains this thought of cultural world and worldviews concept. and how â€Å"ones ideas beliefs. values and actions are non unambiguously our ain. distinguishable and separate from those of others. peculiarly other individuals† ( Kambon. 119 ) . In today’s society we accept as true that European’s set the criterions or dictated/ guide one to believe that their ways of life and making things are how things ought to be done ; continues white domination. I am now in my 3rd twelvemonth at FAMU as a nursing major interested in psychological science. following sibling’s footfalls of go toing a Historical Black University. My journey in the Black Psychology has taught me new things about my personality and where I come from. In my sentiment Oregon is a diverse and complex province. I had adopted and balanced the different worldviews. From my secondary instruction I have come to a new found cognition about this Black Psychology and it’s endeavoring for flawlessness in the Black communities. I have come to understand that my people are from the Southern or African Cradle. which developed before the Northern or European Cradle a theoretical account Diop ( Kambon. 1998 ) . I am from the line of descent of ill-famed Pharaoh’s and Queens such as Narmar. Pharaoh and Queen who whore the ruddy and white Crown Hatshepsut ( Abarry. 1996 ) . For old ages information has been hidden and sheltered from my equals and I. Not merely from the African descendants in Oregon. but from all of the descendants of Africa has that populated the 50 provinces in America. I have learned that I am a descendent of great Queens and Kings and African’s who were educated. governed themselves. ran a successful economic system that was developed in many facets before the 1500’s when Europeans arrived. Ancient Kemit ( KMT ) and the Ma’at which is the foundation in which the KMT people lived by ( Abarry. 1996 ) . I have grown accustomed to both Western and this new psychological science called â€Å"Black Psychology† . I am able to detect and to the full understand and acknowledge the class objectives in Black Psychology because I have been in the ream of both universes. My parents were educated and merchandises of the early 60’s ; where there was a big motion on civil rights and black psychologist doing a alteration for the black community. Such as the Pan-African Cultural patriotism motion group who where â€Å"Black Psychologist who advocate that race and civilization are the foundation of African self-identity and psychological well being† ( Kambon. 1998 ) . Black psychological science has made enormous achievements ; they have challenged the ideals and political orientations of Western Psychology. Rather than being the blinded trial mice used in Western Psychology. Black psychologist has made a grade in Psychology. There has been a creative activity of Psychology geared to the Blacks. They have developed an impressive column diary that comes out quarterly called The Journal of Black Psychology which has been around for about 35 old ages ( Kambon. 1996 ) . The members of the Association of Black Psychologist have overcome many obstructions that have been presented in forepart of them. and will go on to make so for following old ages to come ( Kamon. 1998 ) . I find that my head was one time held prisoner in a sense. before I entered college under Europocentric instructions. I upheld the thoughts of Eurocentric instructions. yet the position quo has changed ; in favour for the Black Race. and my cognitive for that affair. In today’s society black kids are taught by a Eurocentric instruction. where there is a mis-education which manifests itself in the Eurocentric conceptual captivity ( Kambon. 1998 ) . The portrayal the European psychologists painted through their positions and surveies of the black race. personality. mental wellness. and behavioural jobs have non reflected the Black people in anyhow. On the contrary it has caused a separation between inkinesss. Those who believed in altering the psychological science universe for the black race have succeeded at establishing its topographic point and did non let the criterions set by Western Psychology to be the foundation for Black Psychology ( Kambon. 1996 ) . Today the black’s can see the ‘great deepness of the Eurocentric cultural captivity that encapsulates African rational consciousness and scholarship. † ( Kambon. 1998 ) . Which has caused a developmental job of the cognition of the African/ black race. From the motive of Francis Cecil Sumner. Herman G. Canady. Robert L. Williams. Marcus Gravey. Nat Turners. W. E. B Dubois. Frances Cress Welsing. and the 1000s of members of the Association of Black Psychology. there is a psychological science that focuses on the black community which is non defined by the Western Psychology criterions. It is up to pupils like me to use the indispensable tools from classs like Black Psychology. and turn a deaf ear to the myths and misdirecting information that the Western Psychology one time succeeded at imprisoning. This was my experience from turning up in Portland. Oregon and doing a much demand journey to Florida A A ; M University which landed me a place in Dr. Joseph Baldwin class Black Psychology. References Abarry. S. . Asante. M. . ( 1996 ) . African rational Heritiage. Philadelphia. PA: Temple Press A Great and Might Walk. Dir. St. Claire Bourne. Perf. Wesley Snipes John Henrik Clarke. 1996. Bourne. C. [ Westley Snipes ] ( 1996 ) : Los Angles Davenport Community School Website. ( 1998. Aug ) . Retrieved Mar. 09. 2009. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Davenport. k12. Iowa. us/curriculum/gifted. asp Kambon. K. ( 1998 ) . African/ black psychological science in the American context: an african- centered attack. Tallahassee. Sunshine state: Nubian Nation Publication.

A Strategic Plan for Personal Development Research Paper

A Strategic Plan for Personal Development - Research Paper Example Though the general notion is to think that leadership and power are synonymous, to me what Martin Luther King Jr. said makes more sense, â€Å"I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right, and that is good† (as cited in Ng, 2012, p.88). I look up to Gandhi as a model in this respect though I can in no way put a claim to achieve the level of his leadership legacy. It is important for my quest to find a leadership model that combines business or politics with personal integrity, that I learn what kind of a leader Gandhi was. As put by Nair (2010), â€Å"Gandhi wore no resplendent uniform, commanded no armies, and held no government position,† yet he had a whole nation behind him, ready to respond to his every uttered word (p.2). All this was achieved through non-violent means, which is nothing less than a miracle. Renowned leadership expert, Karl Moore has observed two key leadership qualities in Gandhi and added that they are also what many leaders of today lack- â€Å"leadership by example† and â€Å"persistence† (2011). It is the high standard of leadership practiced by Gandhi that I would like to set as my notion of perfect leadership, and aspire to at least work towards it with the self-reassurance that Gandhi was also an ordinary human being like I am. I believe, towards building and maintaining a peaceful world, which is day by day becoming a distant mirage, I owe this quest to myself, my future generations, and to my society. I envisage finding a high standard of leadership using the model of Gandhi as my idealized and ultimate paradigm. As a path for traveling in this direction, it is necessary that I seek the support of already evolved and well-defined paradigms for leadership. The leadership qualities that I look forward to cultivate include an ability to lead from the forefront yet walk with the group, exercise power where necessary yet make that power emerge from a common will, a vision of a world that is a more equal and just society, and the willingness to let others grow and become leaders themselves. Given the present situation where idealism looks good on paper but is mocked when it becomes real, I understand that it is a quite challenging task ahead of me. To make creative use of the scholarship on leadership that has been built by great academicians and visionaries, will be the best possible option for me to begin with. Hence I searched for theories, paradigms and models put forth by scholars in the field in an attempt to locate a paradigm that genuinely moves me and synchronizes with my vision of leadership. The paradigms that I found to be having the closest potential to achieving my end are, transformational, transactional and servant leadership paradigms. This is also in view of the fact that Gandhian model of leadership has been already described as transformational and transactional (Moore, 2011). Before I go deeper into the rele vance of these paradigms for me, I need to consider some definitions of leadership. Academic definitions go as follows: â€Å"

Research Project, Focus, Type Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Project, Focus, Type - Essay Example An entrepreneur could not commence a new venture or expand an existing business without accurate and updated information. Nonetheless, the pertinent information about the chosen country, economy, political conditions, laws and regulations, environment, technology, demographics, psychographics, behavioral, cultural and social factors, competitors and market potential is obtained through secondary and primary research. For instance, this marketing research and data collection should be considered as a useful project, because it becomes essential for survival, growth and sustainability of a business entity. The marketers than analyse this information and use for innovation, branding and differentiation. The information garnered will be analyzed and evaluated to develop certain alternatives and policies that could benefit the restaurant as a whole. For instance, the research project will help identifying new business opportunities followed by gaps in market. This would later benefit in expansion and betterment. In addition, the research will study societal changes, purchasing power and consumption trends after which we could improve our existing marketing and advertising campaigns, internal display and food products. The research will include primary (through surveys, focus groups and interviews) and secondary (available online published articles, journals, reviews, reports etc.) information. In addition, it would be comprehensive and descriptive in nature because the researcher will cover all major marketing related issues and points. The economic recession has resulted in massive unemployment and decline in consumer purchasing power (real incomes); therefore, customers demand high quality food products at reasonably lower prices. In other words, price factor will now play the most important role in success and prosperity of the restaurant in tough economic conditions. The literature would be gathered initially through secondary research because it is easily available and cheaper than primary (first hand) information. Websites, online databases, digital communities (Face Book, twitter, my space etc) and web logs may provide sufficient literature that could be used as a starting point. Any weaknesses and irrelevance will then be removed through collection of primary data.

It 210 Week 3 Checkpoint Tax Calculation Essay Example for Free

It 210 Week 3 Checkpoint Tax Calculation Essay NetSalary = GrossSalary – BaseTax – (GrossSalary – BaseSalary * AddlTax) If GrossSalary 0.00 1,500.00 Then BaseTax = 0.00 BaseSalary = 0.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0. 15 End if If GrossSalary 1,500.00 3,000.00 Then BaseTax = 225.00 BaseSalary = 1,500.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.16 End if If GrossSalary 3,000.00 5,000.00 Then BaseTax = 465.00 BaseSalary = 3,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.18 End if If GrossSalary 5,000.00 8,000.00 Then BaseTax = 825.00 BaseSalary = 5,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.20 End if If GrossSalary 8,000.00 15,000.00 Then BaseTax = 1,425.00 BaseSalary = 8,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0.25 End if If GrossSalary 15,000.00 Then BaseTax = 1,425.00 BaseSalary = 8,000.00 AddlTax = (Gross Salary – BaseSalary) * 0..25 End if GrossSalary – BaseTax – (GrossSalary – BaseSalary * AddlTax) End CaclulateNetSalary Module DisplayGrossSalaryBaseTaxAddlTaxNetSalary Module Print â€Å"Employee Gross Pay, Tax and Net Pay Breakdown† Print â€Å"Gross Salary† GrossSalary Print â€Å"Base Tax† BaseTax Print â€Å"Additional Tax† AddlTax Print â€Å"Net Salary† * NetSalary End DisplayGrossSalaryBaseTaxAddlTaxNetSalary Module Test Values Input Expected Output Comments Salary = 0.00 Tax = 0.00 Lowest salary in salary range 1 Salary = -1,000.00 Error Message Out of range condition Salary = 1,000.00 Tax = 150.00 Midrange salary in salary range 1 Salary= 1,499.99 Tax = 225.00 Highest salary in salary range 1 Salary = 1,500.00 Tax = 225.00 Lowest salary in salary range 2 Salary = 2,250.00 Tax = 345.00 Midrange salary in salary range 2 Salary = 2,999.99 Tax = 465.00 Highest salary in salary range 2 Salary = 3,000.00 Tax = 465.00 Lowest salary in salary range 3 Salary = 4,000.00 Tax = 645.00 Midrange salary in salary range 3 Salary = 4,999.99 Tax = 825.00 Highest salary in salary range 3 Salary = 5,000.00 Tax = 825.00 Lowest salary in salary range 4 Salary = 6,500.00 Tax = 1,095.00 Midrange salary in salary range 4 Salary = 7,999.99 Tax = 1,425.00 Highest salary in salary range 4 Salary = 8,000.00 Tax = 1,425.00 Lowest salary in salary range 5 Salary = 11,500.00 Tax = 2,300.00 Midrange salary in salary range 5 Salary = 14,999.99 Tax = 3,175.00 Highest salary in salary range 5 Salary = 15,000.00 Tax = 3,175.00 Salary that exceeds the highest salary in salary range 5 by 0.01 Salary = 100,000.00 Tax = 24,425.00 Salary that exceeds the highest salary in salary range 5

Mirror Images in Cat in the Rain Essay -- Cat in the Rain Essays

Mirror Images in Cat in the Rain      Ã‚   The opening paragraph of "Cat in the Rain" presented itself as a vivid painting, with Hemingway being the artist mentioned (Hemmingway, 167). This was the first in a series of mirrors that Hemingway placed in this short story. Reading this story was like being placed in a mirrored room, each mirrored wall being an element of the story reflecting upon another.    The reflection of Hemingway and the painter in the first paragraph was the first parallel that the reader is presented. However, unlike the inanimate paintings produced by the artists in the garden of the hotel, the nature of the images in Hemingway's painting changes throughout the short story. The description of the setting served more purpose than just setting the mood for the surface plot. The overall changes that occurred in the imagery was in accord with the condition of the American couple's relationship. The outside of the hotel was initially described as it would be in good weather, but gradually rain was set into the image. The dreary rain seems to lag through most...

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 4

Thierry knelt by the window, careful not to make a noise or disturb the dry earth beneath him. It was a skill so familiar to his body that he might have been born with it. Darkness was his native environment; he could melt into a shadow at an instant's notice or move more quietly than a stalking cat. But right now he was looking into the light. He could see her. Just the curve of her shoulder and the spill of her hair, but he knew it was her. Beside him, Lupe was crouched, her thin body human but quivering with animal alertness and tension. She whispered, softer than a breath, â€Å"All right?† Thierry tore his gaze from that shoulder to look at her. Lupe's face was bruised, one eye almost closed, lower lip torn. But she was smiling. She'd stuck around Medicine Rock until Thierry had arrived, tailing the girl called Hannah Snow, making sure no harm came to her. Thierry took Lupe's hand and kissed it. You're an angel, he told her, and made even less sound than she had in speaking because he didn't use his vocal chords at all. His voice was telepathic. And you deserve a long vacation. My limo's at the tourist resort in Clearwater; take it to the airport at Billings. â€Å"But-you're not planning to stay here alone, are you? You need backup, sir. If she comes-â€Å" I can take care of things. I brought something to protect Hannah. Besides she won't do anything until she talks to me. â€Å"But-â€Å" Lupe, go. His tone was gentle, but it was unmistakably not the urging of a friend anymore. It was the order of her liege lord, Thierry of the Night World, who was accustomed to being obeyed. Funny, Thierry thought, how you never realized how accustomed you were to being obeyed until somebody defied you. Now, he turned away from Lupe and looked through the cracks in the boarded-up window again. And promptly forgot that Lupe existed. The girl on the couch had turned. He could see her face. Shock coursed through him. He had known it was her-but he hadn't known that it would look so much like her. Like the way she had looked the first time, the first time she had been born, the first time he had seen her. This was what he thought of as her true face, and though he'd seen various approximations of it through the years, he'd never seen it again. Until now. This was the exact image of the girl he'd fallen in love with. The same long, straight fair hair, like silk in different shades of wheat color, spilling over her shoulders. The same wide gray eyes that seemed full of light. The same steady expression, the same tender mouth, upper lip indenting the lower to give her a look of t unintentional sensuality. The same fine bone structure, the high cheekbones and graceful line of jaw that made her a sculptor's dream. The only thing that was different was the birthmark. The psychic brand. It was the color of watered wine held up to the light, of watermelon ice, of a pink tourmaline, the palest of gemstones. Blushing rose. Like one large petal, slantwise beneath her cheekbone. As if she'd laid a rose against her cheek for a moment and it had left its imprint on her flesh. To Thierry, it was beautiful, because it was part of her. She'd worn it in every lifetime after the first. But at the same time the very sight of it made his throat clamp shut and his fists clench in helpless grief and fury-fury against himself. The mark was his shame, his punishment. And his penance was to watch her wear it in her innocence through the years. He would pour out his blood on the dry Montana dirt right now if it would take the mark away. But nothing in either the Night World or the human world could do that-at least nothing he'd found in uncounted years of searching. Oh, Goddess, he loved her. He hadn't allowed himself to feel it for so long- because the feeling could drive him insane while he was away from her. But now it came over him in a flood that he couldn't have resisted if he'd tried. It made his heart pound and his body tremble. The sight of her lying there, warm and alive, separated from him by only a few flimsy boards and an equally flimsy human male†¦ He wanted her. He wanted to yank off the boards, step through the window, brush aside the red-haired man, and take her in his arms. He wanted to carry her off into the night, holding her close to his heart, to some secret place where nobody could ever find her to hurt her. He didn't. He knew†¦ from experience†¦ that it didn't work. He'd done it once or twice, and he'd paid for it. She had hated him before she died. He would never risk that again. And so now, on this spring night near the turn of the millennium in the state of Montana in the United States of America, all Thierry could do was kneel outside a window and watch the newest incarnation of his only Jove. He didn't realize at first, though, what his only love was actually doing. Lupe had told him that Hannah Snow was seeing a psychologist. But it was only now, listening to what was going on in the room that Thierry slowly realized exactly what Hannah and the psychologist were up to. They were trying to recover her memories. Using hypnosis. Breaking into her subconscious as if it were some bank vault. It was dangerous. Not just because the guy performing the hypnosis didn't seem to know what he was doing. But because Hannah's memory was a time-bomb, full of trauma for her and deadly knowledge for any human. They shouldn't be doing this. Every muscle in Thierry's body was tense. But there was no way he could stop it. He could only listen-and wait. Paul repeated with slow resignation, â€Å"He's not human.† â€Å"No. He's a Lord of the Night World. He's powerful†¦ and evil,† Hannah whispered. â€Å"He's lived for thousands of years.† She added, almost absently, â€Å"I'm the one who's been reincarnated.† â€Å"Oh, terrific. Well, that's a twist.† â€Å"You don't believe me?† Paul seemed to suddenly remember that he was talking with a patient-and a hypnotized patient at that. â€Å"No, I-I mean, I don't know what to believe. If it's a fantasy, there's got to be something underneath it, some psychological reason for you to make it all up. And that's what we're looking for. What all this means to you.† He hesitated, then said with new determination, â€Å"Let's take you back to the first time you met this guy. Okay, I want you to relax in the light; you're feeling very good. And now I want you to go back through time, just like turning back the pages of a book. In your mind, go back. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hannah's ordinary mind was intruding, waking up, overriding the dreamy part of her that had been answering Paul's questions. â€Å"Wait, I-I don't know if that's a good idea.† â€Å"We can't figure this out until we find out what it all symbolizes; what it means to you.† Hannah still didn't feel convinced, but she had the feeling she wasn't supposed to argue under hypnosis. Maybe it doesn't matter, though, she thought. I'm waking up now; I probably won't be able to go back. â€Å"I want you to see yourself as fifteen years old, see yourself as fifteen. Go back to the time when you were fifteen. And now I want you to see yourself at twelve years old; go in your mind to the time when you are twelve. Now go farther back, see yourself at nine years old, at six years old, at three years old. Now go back and see yourself as a baby, as an infant. Feel very comfortable and see yourself as a tiny baby.† Hannah couldn't help but listen. She did feel comfortable, and her mind did show her pictures as the years seemed to turn back. It was like watching a film of her life running backward, herself getting smaller and smaller, and in the end tiny and bald. â€Å"And now,† the soothing, irresistible voice said, â€Å"I want you to go farther back. Back to the time before you were born. The time before you were born as Hannah Snow. You are floating in the red light, you feel very relaxed, and you are going back, back†¦ to the time when you first met this man you think of as Thierry. Whatever that time might be, go back. Go back to the first time.† Hannah was being drawn down a tunnel. She had no control and she was scared. It wasn't like the rumored near-death tunnel. It was red, with translucent, shining, pulsing walls-something like a womb. And she was being pulled or sucked through it at ever-increasing speed. No, she thought. But she couldn't say anything. It was all happening too fast and she couldn't make a sound. â€Å"Back to the first time,† Paul intoned, and his words set up a sort of echo in Hannah's head, a whispering of many voices. As if a hundred Hannahs had all gotten together and murmured sibilantly, â€Å"The First Time. The First Time.† â€Å"Go back†¦ and you will begin to see pictures. You will see yourself, maybe in a strange place. Go back and see this.† The First Time†¦ No, Hannah thought again. And something very deep inside her whimpered, â€Å"I don't want to see it.† But she was still being pulled through the soft red tunnel, faster and faster. She had a feeling of unimaginable distance being crossed. And then †¦ she had a feeling of some threshold being reached. The First Time. She exploded into darkness, squirted out of the tunnel like a watermelon seed between wet ringers. Silence. Dark. And then-a picture. It opened like a tiny leaf unfolding out of a seed, got bigger until it surrounded her. It was like a scene from a movie, except that it was all around her, she seemed to be floating in the middle of it. â€Å"What do you see?† came Paul's voice softly from very far away. â€Å"I see†¦ me,† Hannah said. â€Å"It's me-it looks just like me. Except that I don't have a birthmark.† She was full of wonder. â€Å"Where are you? What do you see yourself doing?† â€Å"I don't know where I am.† Hannah was too amazed to be frightened now. It was so strange . .. she could see this better than any memory of her real life. The scene was incredibly detailed. At the same time, it was completely unfamiliar to her. â€Å"What I'm doing†¦ I'm holding†¦ something. A rock. And I'm doing something with it to a little tiny†¦ something.† She sighed, defeated, then added, â€Å"I'm wearing animal skins! It's a sort of shirt and pants all made of skins. It's unbelievably†¦ primitive. Paul, there's a cave behind me.† â€Å"Sounds like you're really far back.† Paul's voice sounded in stark contrast to Hannah's wonder and excitement. He was clearly bored. Amused, resigned, but bored. â€Å"And-there's a girl beside me and she looks like Chess. Like my best friend, Chess. She's got the same face, the same eyes. She's wearing skins, too†¦ some kind of skin dress.† â€Å"Yeah, and it has about the detail of most of the past-life regressions in this book,† Paul said wryly. Hannah could tell he was flipping pages. â€Å"You're doing something to something with a rock. You're wearing some kind of skins. The book's full of descriptions like that. People who want to imagine themselves in the olden days, but who don't know the first thing about them,† he muttered to himself. Hannah didn't wait for him to remember that he was talking to a hypnotized patient. â€Å"But you didn't tell me to be the person back then. You just told me to see it.† â€Å"Huh? Oh. Okay, then, be that person.† He said it so casually. Panic spurted through Hannah. â€Å"Wait-I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But it was happening. She was falling, dissolving, merging into the scene around her. She was becoming the girl in front of the cave. The First Time†¦ Distantly, she heard her own voice whispering, â€Å"I'm holding a flint burin, a tool for drilling. I'm boring holes in the tooth of an arctic fox.† â€Å"Be that person,† Paul was repeating mechanically, still in the bored voice. Then he said, â€Å"What?† â€Å"Mother's going to be furious-I'm supposed to be sorting fruit we stored last winter for the Spring, Gathering. There's not much left and it's mostly rotten. But Ran killed a fox and gave the skull to Ket, and we've spent all morning knocking the teeth out and making them into a necklace for Ket. Ket just has to have something new to wear every festival.† She heard Paul say softly, â€Å"Oh, my God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he swallowed and said, â€Å"Wait-you want to be a paleontologist, right? You know about old things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I want to be a what? I'm going to be a shaman, like Old Mother. I should get married, but there's nobody I want. Ket keeps telling me I'll meet somebody at a gathering, but I don't think so.† She shivered. â€Å"Weird-I've got chills all of a sudden. Old Mother says she can't see my destiny. She pretends that's nothing to worry about, but I know she's worried. That's why she wants me to be a shaman, so I can fight back if the spirits have something rotten in mind for me.† Paul said, â€Å"Hannah-uh, let's just make sure we can get you out of this, all right? You know, in case that should become necessary. Now, when I clap my hands you're going to awaken completely refreshed. Okay? Okay?† â€Å"My name's Hana.† It was pronounced slightly differently: Hah-na. â€Å"And I'm already awake. Ket is laughing at me. She's threading the teeth on a sinew string. She says I'm daydreaming. She's right; I wrecked the hole for this tooth.† â€Å"When I clap my hands, you're going to wake up. When I clap my hands, you're going to wake up. You will be Hannah Snow in Montana.† A clap. â€Å"Hannah, how do you feel?† Another clap. â€Å"Hannah? Hannah?† â€Å"It's Hana. Hana of the River People. And I don't know what you're talking about; I can't be somebody else.† She stiffened. â€Å"Wait-something's happening. There's some kind of commotion from the river. Something's going on.† The voice was desperate. â€Å"When I clap my hands-â€Å" â€Å"Shh. Be quiet.† Something was happening and she had to see it, she had to know. She had to stand up. †¦ Hana of the Three Rivers stood up. â€Å"Everybody's all excited by the river' she told Ket. â€Å"Maybe Ran fell in,† Ket said. â€Å"No, that's too much to hope for. Hana, what am I going to do? He wants to mate me, but I just can't picture it. I want somebody interesting, somebody different. . . ,† She held up the half-finished necklace. â€Å"So what do you think?† Hana barely glanced at her. Ket looked wonderful, with her short dark hair, her glowing slanted green eyes, and her mysterious smile. The necklace was attractive; red beads alternated with delicate milky-white teeth. â€Å"Fine, beautiful. You'll break every heart at the gathering. I'm going down to the river.† Ket put down the necklace. â€Å"Well, if you insist- wait for me.† The river was broad and fast-flowing, covered with little white-capped waves because it had just been joined by two tributaries. Hana's people had rived in the limestone caves by the three rivers for longer than anyone could remember. Ket was behind her as Hana made her way through new green cattails to the bend in the river. And then , she saw what the fuss was about. There was a stranger crouching in the reeds. That was exciting enough-strangers didn't come very often. But this stranger was like no man Hana had ever seen. â€Å"It's a demon,† Ket whispered, awed. It was a young man-a boy a few years older than Hana herself. He might have been handsome in other circumstances. His hair was very light blond, lighter than the dry grass of the steppes. His face was well-made; his tall body was lithe. Hana could see almost all of that body because he was only wearing a brief leather loincloth. That didn't bother her; everybody went naked in the summer when it was hot enough. But this wasn't summer; it was spring and the days could still be chilly. No sane person would go traveling without clothes. But that wasn't what shocked Hana, what held her standing there rigid with her heart pounding so hard she couldn't breathe. It was the rest of the boy's appearance. Ket was right-he was clearly a demon. His eyes were wrong. More like the eyes of a lynx or a wolverine than the eyes of a person. They seemed to throw the pale sunlight back at you when you looked into them. But the eyes were nothing compared to the teeth. His canine teeth were long and delicately curved. They came to a sharp and very non-human point. Almost involuntarily, Hana looked down at the fox tooth she still held in her palm. Yes, they were like that, only bigger. The boy was filthy, caked with mud from the river, his blond hair ruffled crazily, his eyes staring wildly from side to side. There was blood on his mouth and chin. â€Å"He's a demon, all right,† one of the men said. Five men were standing around the crouching boy, several of them with spears, others with hastily grabbed rocks. â€Å"What else could have a human body with animal eyes and teeth?† â€Å"A spirit?† Hana said. She didn't realize that she was going to say it until the words were out. But then, with everybody looking at her, she drew herself up tall. â€Å"Whether he's a demon or a spirit, you'd better not hurt him. It's Old Mother who should decide what to do with him. This is a matter for shamans.† â€Å"You're not a shaman yet,† another of the men said. It was Arno, a very broad-shouldered man who was the leader of the hunters. Hana didn't like him. And she wasn't sure why she had spoken up in favor of the stranger. There was something in his eyes, the look of a suffering animal. He seemed so alone, and so frightened-and so much in pain, even though there were no visible wounds on his body. â€Å"She's right, we'd better take him to Old Mother,† one of the hunters said. â€Å"Should we hit him on the head and tie him up, or do you think we can just herd him?† But at that moment, a high thin sound came to Hana over the rushing of the river. It was a woman screaming. â€Å"Help me! Somebody come help me! Ryl's been attacked!†

Repartee Definition and Examples

A repartee means having a quick, witty reply or an exchange of witty remarks and comes from the Old French to set out again. Examples and Observations First one speaks, then presently tothers upon him slap, with a Repartee.(Bayes in The Rehearsal by George Villiers, 1672)†The concept of staircase wit, authored by the French writer Denis Diderot, refers to those devastatingly clever remarks that we’re unable to produce when they’re needed, but come to mind with perfect clarity moments later, as we’re walking down the staircase and heading out the door. There is no similar expression in English, but the Germans have long had their own word for it: Treppenwitz (also ‘staircase wit’). The writer Heywood Broun certainly had this phenomenon in mind when he wrote: ‘Repartee is what you wish you’d said.’... While the word retort suggests the notion of putting adversaries and opponents in their place, repartee is a broader term that refers to clever or witty remarks in almost any social situation. Repartee stories have been around for centuries.†(Mardy Grothe, Viva la Reparte e. Collins, 2005)†Even when members of the Algonquin Round Table pondered some of life’s most serious questions, one or another of the witty group would somehow find a way to lighten the conversation. During a discussion of suicide one day, George S. Kaufman was asked by another member of the group, ‘So, how would you kill yourself?’ Kaufman considered the question thoughtfully for several moments before replying: ‘With kindness.’†(Quoted by Mardy Grothe in Viva la Repartee)Repartee is something we think of twenty-four hours too late.(Mark Twain)[T]art-tongued Lady Astor, the first woman elected to the House of Commons, allegedly told [Winston] Churchill, If you were my husband, Id put poison in your coffee (in his tea, more likely). Madam, Churchill is said to have responded, If you were my wife, Id drink it. Many biographers of both Churchill and Astor report that some form of this exchange took place. However, the researcher for a biog raphy of Churchill... discounted the comment as uncharacteristic of the rather prim prime minister.(Ralph Keyes, The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When. Macmillan, 2006) Dorothy Parker â€Å"In the hospital Dorothy Parker was visited by her secretary, to whom she wished to dictate some letters. Pressing the button marked NURSE, Dorothy observed, ‘That should assure us at least 45 minutes of undisturbed privacy.’† â€Å"Dorothy Parker and a friend were talking about a forceful and garrulous celebrity. ‘She’s so outspoken,’ remarked the friend. ‘By whom?’ asked Dorothy.† â€Å"Looking at a worn-out toothbrush in their hostess’s bathroom, a fellow guest said to Dorothy Parker, ‘Whatever do you think she does with that?’ ’I think she rides it on Halloween’ was the reply.†(Quoted in The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, edited by Clifton Fadiman. Little,Brown and Co., 1985) Oscar Wilde â€Å"Ah, well, then, I suppose that I shall have to die beyond my means.†(at the mention of a huge fee for a surgical operation) â€Å"Work is the curse of the drinking classes.† â€Å"I have nothing to declare except my genius.†(at the New York Custom House) â€Å"Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.†(Quoted in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 6th ed., edited by Elizabeth Knowles. Oxford Univ. Press, 2004)