Margaret Fuller, Writer, Editor, and Early Feminist

The American author, editor, and reformer Margaret Fuller holds a uniquely important place in 19th century history. Often remembered as a colleague and confidante of Ralph Waldo Emerson and others of the New England Transcendentalist movement, Fuller was also a feminist at a time when the role of women in society was severely limited. Fuller published several books, edited a magazine, and was a correspondent for the New York Tribune before dying tragically at the age of 40. Early Life of Margaret Fuller Margaret Fuller was born in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, on May 23, 1810. Her full name was Sarah Margaret Fuller, but in her professional life she dropped her first name. Fuller’s father, a lawyer who eventually served in Congress, educated young Margaret, following a classical curriculum. At that time, such an education was generally only received by boys. As an adult, Margaret Fuller worked as a teacher, and felt the need to give public lectures. As there were local laws against women giving public addresses, she billed her lectures as â€Å"Conversations,† and in 1839, at the age of 29, began offering them at a bookshop in Boston. Margaret Fuller and the Transcendentalists Fuller became friendly with Ralph Waldo Emerson, the leading advocate of transcendentalism, and moved to Concord, Massachusetts and lived with Emerson and his family. While in Concord, Fuller also became friendly with Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Scholars have noted that both Emerson and Hawthorne, though married men, had unrequited affections for Fuller, who was often described as being both brilliant and beautiful. For two years in the early 1840s Fuller was the editor of The Dial, the magazine of the transcendentalists. It was in the pages of The Dial that she published one of her significant early feminist works, â€Å"The Great Lawsuit: Man vs. Men, Woman vs. Women.† The title was a reference to individuals and society-imposed gender roles. She would later rework the essay and expand it into a book, Woman in the Nineteenth Century. Margaret Fuller and the New York Tribune In 1844 Fuller caught the attention of Horace Greeley, the editor of the New York Tribune, whose wife had attended some of Fuller’s â€Å"Conversations† in Boston years earlier. Greeley, impressed with Fuller’s writing talent and personality, offered her a job as a book reviewer and correspondent for his newspaper. Fuller was at first skeptical, as she held a low opinion of daily  journalism. But Greeley convinced her that he wanted his newspaper to be a mix of news for the common people as well as an outlet for intellectual writing. Fuller took the job in New York City, and lived with Greeley’s family in Manhattan. She worked for the Tribune from 1844 to 1846, often writing about reformist ideas such as improving conditions in prisons. In 1846 she was invited to join some friends on an extended trip to Europe. Fuller Reports from Europe She left New York, promising Greeley dispatches from London and elsewhere. While in Britain she conducted interviews with notable figures, including the writer Thomas Carlyle. In early 1847 Fuller and her friends traveled to Italy, and she settled in Rome. Ralph Waldo Emerson traveled to Britain in 1847, and sent a message to Fuller, asking her to return to America and live with him (and presumably his family) again at Concord. Fuller, enjoying the freedom she had found in Europe, declined the invitation. In the spring of 1847 Fuller had met a younger man, a 26-year-old Italian nobleman, the Marchese Giovanni Ossoli. They fell in love and Fuller became pregnant with their child. While still mailing dispatches off to Horace Greeley at the New York Tribune, she moved to the Italian countryside and delivered a baby boy in September 1848. Throughout 1848, Italy was in the throes of revolution, and Fuller’s news dispatches described the upheaval. She took pride in the fact that the revolutionaries in Italy drew inspiration from the American Revolution and what they regarded as the democratic ideals of the United States. Margaret Fullers Ill-Fated Return to America In 1849 the rebellion was suppressed, and Fuller, Ossoli, and their son left Rome for Florence. Fuller and Ossoli married and decided to relocate to the United States. In the late spring of 1850 the Ossoli family, not having the money to travel on a newer steamship, booked passage on a sailing ship bound for New York City. The ship, which was carrying a very heavy cargo of Italian marble in its hold, had hard luck from the outset of the voyage. The ships captain became ill, apparently with smallpox, died, and was buried at sea. The first mate took command of the ship, The Elizabeth, in mid-Atlantic, and managed to reach the east coast of America. However, the acting captain became disoriented in a heavy storm, and the ship ran aground on a sandbar off Long Island in the early morning hours of July 19, 1850. With its hold full of marble, the ship couldnt be freed. Though grounded within sight of the shoreline, enormous waves prevented those on board from reaching safety. Margaret Fuller’s baby son was given to a crew member, who tied him to his chest and tried to swim to shore. Both of them drowned. Fuller and her husband also drowned when the ship was eventually swamped by waves. Hearing the news in Concord, Ralph Waldo Emerson was devastated. He dispatched Henry David Thoreau to the shipwreck site on Long Island in hopes of retrieving Margaret Fuller’s body. Thoreau was deeply shaken by what he witnessed. Wreckage and bodies kept washing ashore, but the bodies of Fuller and her husband were never located. Legacy of Margaret Fuller In the years after her death, Greeley, Emerson, and others edited collections of Fullers writings. Literary scholars contend that Nathanial Hawthorne used her as a model for strong women in his writings. Had Fuller lived past the age of 40, there’s no telling what role she might have played during the critical decade of the 1850s. As it is, her writings and the conduct of her life served as an inspiration to later advocates for women’s rights.

The Amendment Of The United States Constitution - 833 Words

The right to express ones opinions without censorship or restraint can be considered as a basic provision enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. To elaborate, the first amendment to the constitution prohibit the legislative arm of government in making of any law abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press and prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. Post this amendment, there have been several cases where the Supreme Court has been required to interpret or make a decision to uphold its provisions. One of such landmark cases is the Hazelwood School District vs Kuhlmeier. The case involved two articles that were refused publication by a principal in a student newspaper. One of the articles dealt with the experience of students whose parents are divorce and the other with teenage pregnancy. In my view, the Supreme Court decision that restricting free speech is acceptable when the newspaper is not public is appropriate. First of all, the Students produced the school newspaper as part of their journalism class. Therefore it cannot be classified as a public newspaper that could leverage the provisions of the bill of rights. For this reason, the principal in my opinion has the rights to censor such school-sponsored student publications when they have purposes reasonably related to genuine educational concerns. The educational concerns may be related to the impact of the articles on teenageShow MoreRelatedThe Amendment Of The United States Constitution1323 Words   |  6 PagesThe 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution was added as part of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. It deals with protecting people from the searching of their homes and private property without properly executed search warrants. The 4th Amendment specifically states: â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported byRead MoreThe Amendment Of The United States Constitution877 Words   |  4 PagesThe right to vote for American citizens is the fifteen amendment of the United States constitution. In this amendment, no citizen may be deny to vote base on color or race. For this, many more citizens of the United States are able to vote, even if they are a minority. However, the United States does not have a high turnout rate on elections. As a result, voter participation has an effect on public policies; additionally, Americans do not have a strong ethical duty to vote. Therefore, politiciansRead MoreThe Amendment Of The United States Constitution1767 Words   |  8 Pagescaptain’s etc. With the recent rise in officer involved shootings, the demand for less lethal force measures has begun to rise. The eighth amendment of the United States Constitution was made for protection against cruel and unusual punishment; if an officer uses lethal force in an altercation they have deprived that person of their rights. Also the fourteenth amendment gives us the right to due process; lethal force deprives us of that right. There is a saying that has come to light recently that lawRead MoreThe Amendment Of The United States Constitution2174 Words   |  9 PagesThe 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution protects equal rights for everybody. This includes the right to equal opportunity for education for all. Jonathan Kozol, non-fictional writer, is best known for his books on public education in the United States. 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For almost two hundred twenty four years, this has been what our country has been following to thisRead MoreThe First Amendment Of The United States Constitution915 Words   |  4 PagesThese 45 words of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution embody some of our most important ideas about the meaning of liberty. A nationally recognized leader in the field of law related citizen education has truly broken down the importance of the First Amendment and he say, â€Å"Remove the First Amendment from the United States Constitution and you strike out the very means of testing the other rights and of protesting abuses of government.† The First Amendment includes six clauses thatRead MoreThe Fourth Amendment Of The United States Constitution1327 Words   |  6 Pagesfourth amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights, and was introduced to Congress by James Madison in 1789. The role of the Fourth Amendment is to prohibit unreasonable search and seizure and a warrant is to be required that is supported by probable cause. Even though the Amendment was introduced in 1789, it wasn’t adopted as an official amendment until 1792, because in December of 1791 three quarters of the states had ratified the amendment. The fourth amendment hadRead MoreThe Fourth Amendment Of The United States Constitution1747 Words   |  7 PagesThe Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution applies to a person and their home by providing protection against unreasonable seizures and searches. While it provides protection, not every search and seizure can be deemed unreasonable unless it is cl assified as per the law, by determining whether there was: a) the level of intrusion of the individuals Fourth Amendment, and b) whether or not it pertains to the government’s interest, such as safety of the public. The right to protectionRead MoreThe Second Amendment Of The United States Constitution1774 Words   |  8 PagesIt is not the duty of the federal government to dictate what a citizen chooses to legally defend themselves with. The second amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified on the 15 of December, 1791 and was drafted by future president James Madison. The text of the second amendment reads â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† There has been much debate in our country regarding theRead MoreFourth Amendment Of United States Constitution1139 Words   |  5 PagesSomalaraju Sateesh Kumar Raju 700628655 1. Fourth amendment of United States Constitution protects people from being undergone unwarranted searches and prevent their things from being taken away by authorities without proper authorization. If any government official or agent want to search an individual or their belongings, they should have proper reason to do that and get permission from the judge. Fourth amendment of United States constitution states that it is â€Å"the right of the people to be secure

Shadow Kiss Chapter 2 Free Essays

TWO Or, well, it looked like mason. He – or it or whatever – was hard to see. I had to keep squinting and blinking to get him in focus. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadow Kiss Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now His form was insubstantial – almost translucent – and kept fading in and out of my field of vision. But yes, from what I could see, he definitely looked like Mason. His features were washed out, making his fair skin look whiter than I recalled. His reddish hair now appeared as a faint, watery orange. I could barely even see his freckles. He was wearing exactly what I’d last seen him in: jeans and a yellow fleece jacket. The edge of a green sweater peeped out from underneath the coat’s hem. Those colors, too, were all softened. He looked like a photograph that someone had left out in the sun, causing it to fade. A very, very faint glow seemed to outline his features. The part that struck me the most – aside from the fact that he was supposed to be dead – was the look on his face. It was sad – so, so sad. Looking into his eyes, I felt my heart break. All the memories of what had taken place just a few weeks ago came rushing back to me. I saw it all again: his body falling, the cruel look on the Strigoi faces†¦. A lump formed in my throat. I stood there frozen, stunned and unable to move. He studied me too, his expression never changing. Sad. Grim. Serious. He opened his mouth, like he might speak, and then closed it. Several more heavy moments hung between us, and then he lifted his hand and extended it toward me. Something in that motion snapped me out of my daze. No, this could not be happening. I wasn’t seeing this. Mason was dead. I’d seen him die. I’d held his body. His fingers moved slightly, like he was beckoning, and I panicked. Backing up a few steps, I put distance between us and waited to see what would happen. He didn’t follow. He simply stood there, hand still in the air. My heart lurched, and I turned and ran. When I’d almost reached the door, I stopped and glanced back, letting my ragged breathing calm down. The clearing he’d stood in was completely empty. I made it up to my room and slammed the door behind me, hands shaking. I sank onto my bed and replayed what had just happened. What the hell? That had not been real. No way. Impossible. Mason was dead, and everyone knows the dead don’t come back. Well, yeah, I had come back†¦but that was a different situation. Clearly, I’d imagined this. That was it. It had to be. I was overtired and still reeling from Lissa and Christian, not to mention that Victor Dashkov news. Probably the cold had frozen part of my brain too. Yes, the more I thought about it, the more I decided there had to be a hundred explanations for what had just happened. Yet, no matter how often I told myself that, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I lay in my bed, covers pulled to my chin as I tried to banish that haunting image from my mind. I couldn’t. All I could see were those sad, sad eyes, those eyes that seemed to say, Rose, why did you let this happen to me? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to think about him. Since Mason’s funeral, I’d been working so hard to go on and act like I was strong. But the truth was, I was nowhere near being over his death. I tortured myself day after day with what if? questions. What if I’d been faster and stronger during the Strigoi fight? What if I hadn’t told him where the Strigoi were in the first place? And what if I’d simply been able to return his love? Any of those could have kept him alive, but none of them had happened. And it was all my fault. â€Å"I imagined it,† I whispered out loud into the darkness of my room. I had to have imagined it. Mason already haunted my dreams. I didn’t need to see him when I was awake too. â€Å"It wasn’t him.† It couldn’t have been him, because the only way it could have been was†¦Well, that was something I didn’t want to think about. Because while I believed in vampires and magic and psychic powers, I most certainly did not believe in ghosts. I apparently didn’t believe in sleep, either, because I didn’t get much of it that night. I tossed and turned, unable to quiet my racing mind. I eventually did drift off, but it seemed like my alarm went off so soon after that I could have hardly slept for more than a few minutes. Among humans, the light of day tends to chase off nightmares and fear. I had no such daylight; I awoke to increasing darkness. But just being out with real and living people had nearly the same effect, and as I went to breakfast and my morning practice, I found that what I’d seen last night – or what I thought I’d seen last night – was growing fainter and fainter in my memory. The weirdness of that encounter was also being replaced by something else: excitement. This was it. The big day. The start of our field experience. For the next six weeks, I wouldn’t have any classes. I’d get to spend my days hanging out with Lissa, and the most I’d have to do was write a daily field report that was only about a half-page long. Easy. And, yeah, of course I’d be on guard duty, but I wasn’t concerned. That was second nature to me. She and I had lived among humans for two years, and I’d protected her the whole time. Before that, when I’d been a freshman, I’d seen the kinds of tests the adult guardians planned for novices during this phase. The ordeals were tricky, absolutely. A novice had to be on watch and not slack – and be ready to defend and attack if necessary. None of that worried me, though. Lissa and I had been away from the school our sophomore and junior years, and I’d fallen behind then. Thanks to my extra practices with Dimitri, I’d quickly caught up and was now one of the best in my class. â€Å"Hey, Rose.† Eddie Castile caught up to me as I walked into the gym where our field experience orientation would kick off. For a brief moment, looking at Eddie, my heart sank. Suddenly, it was like I was out in the quad again with Mason, staring at his sorrowful face. Eddie – along with Lissa’s boyfriend, Christian, and a Moroi named Mia – had been with our group when we’d been captured by Strigoi. Eddie hadn’t died, obviously, but he’d come very close to it. The Strigoi who’d held us had used him as food, feeding from him throughout our capture in an effort to tease the Moroi and scare the dhampirs. It had worked; I’d been terrified. Poor Eddie had been unconscious for most of the ordeal, thanks to blood loss and the endorphins that came from a vampire’s bite. He’d been Mason’s best friend and nearly as funny and lighthearted. But since we’d escaped, Eddie had changed, just like I had. He was still quick to smile and laugh, but there was a grimness to him now, a dark and serious look in his eyes that was always on guard for the worst to happen. That was understandable, of course. He pretty much had seen the worst happen. Just like with Mason’s death, I held myself responsible for this transformation in Eddie and for what he’d suffered at the hands of the Strigoi. That may not have been fair to me, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I owed him now, like I needed to protect him or make things up to him somehow. And that was kind of funny, because I think Eddie was trying to protect me. He wasn’t stalking me or anything, but I’d noticed him keeping an eye on me. I think after what had happened, he felt he owed it to Mason to watch over his girlfriend. I never bothered to tell Eddie that I hadn’t been Mason’s girlfriend, not in the real sense of the word, just as I never rebuked Eddie for his big brother behavior. I could certainly take care of myself. But whenever I heard him warning other guys away from me, pointing out that I wasn’t ready to date anyone yet, I saw no point in interfering. It was all true. I wasn’t ready to date. Eddie gave me a lopsided smile that added a little boy type of cuteness to his long face. â€Å"Are you excited?† â€Å"Hell, yeah,† I said. Our classmates were filling in bleachers on one side of the gym, and we found a clear spot near the middle. â€Å"It’s going to be like a vacation. Me and Lissa, together for six weeks.† As frustrating as our bond was sometimes, it nonetheless made me her ideal guardian. I always knew where she was and what was happening to her. Once we graduated and were out in the world, I’d be assigned to her officially. He turned thoughtful. â€Å"Yeah, I guess you don’t have to worry as much. You know your assignment when you graduate. The rest of us aren’t so lucky.† â€Å"You got your sights set on someone royal?† I teased. â€Å"Well, it doesn’t matter. Most guardians are assigned to royals lately anyway.† That was true. Dhampirs – half-vampires like me – were in short supply, and royals usually got first pick of guardians. There was a time in the past when more Moroi, royal and non-royal alike, would have gotten guardians, and novices like us would have competed fiercely to get assigned to someone important. Now it was almost a given that every guardian would work for a royal family. There weren’t enough of us to go around, and less influential families were on their own. â€Å"Still,† I said, â€Å"I guess it’s a question of which royal you get, right? I mean, some are total snobs, but lots of them are cool. Get someone really rich and powerful, and you could be living at the Royal Court or traveling to exotic places.† That last part appealed to me a lot, and I often had fantasies of Lissa and me traveling the world. â€Å"Yup,† agreed Eddie. He nodded toward a few guys in the front row. â€Å"You wouldn’t believe the way those three have been sucking up to some of the Ivashkovs and Szelskys. It won’t affect their assignments here, of course, but you can tell they’re already trying to set things up after graduation.† â€Å"Well, the field experience can affect that. How we’re rated on this will go into our records.† Eddie nodded again and started to say something when a loud, clear feminine voice cut through the murmur of our conversation. We both looked up. While we’d been talking, our instructors had gathered in front of the bleachers and now stood facing us in an impressive line. Dimitri was among them, dark and imposing and irresistible. Alberta was trying to call us to attention. The crowd fell silent. â€Å"All right,† she began. Alberta was in her fifties, wiry and tough. Seeing her reminded me of the conversation she and Dimitri had had last night, but I filed that away for later. Victor Dashkov was not going to ruin this moment. â€Å"You all know why you’re here.† We’d become so quiet, so tense and excited, that her voice now rang through the gym. â€Å"This is the most important day of your education before you take your final trials. Today you will find out which Moroi you’ve been placed with. Last week, you were given a booklet with the full details of how the next six weeks will play out. I trust you’ve all read it by now.† I had, actually. I’d probably never read anything so thoroughly in my life. â€Å"Just to recap, Guardian Alto will highlight the main rules of this exercise.† She handed a clipboard to Guardian Stan Alto. He was one of my least favorite instructors, but after Mason’s death, some of the tension between us had lightened. We understood each other better now. â€Å"Here we go,† said Stan gruffly. â€Å"You’ll be on duty six days a week. This is actually a treat for you guys. In the real world, you’re usually working every day. You will accompany your Moroi everywhere – to class, to their dorms, to their feedings. Everything. It’s up to you to figure out how you fit into their lives. Some Moroi interact with their guardians just like friends; some Moroi prefer you to be more of an invisible ghost who doesn’t talk to them.† Did he have to use the word ghost? â€Å"Every situation is different, and you two will have to find a way to work it out to best ensure their safety. â€Å"Attacks may come at any time, anywhere, and we’ll be dressed in all black when it happens. You should always be on your guard. Remember, even though you’ll obviously know it’s us doing the attacking and not real Strigoi, you should respond as though your lives are in terrible, immediate danger. Don’t be afraid of hurting us. Some of you, I’m sure, won’t have any qualms about getting us back for past grievances.† Students in the crowd giggled at this. â€Å"But some of you may feel like you have to hold back, for fear of getting in trouble. Don’t. You’ll get in more trouble if you do hold back. Don’t worry. We can take it.† He flipped to the next page of his clipboard. â€Å"You will be on duty twenty-four hours a day for your six-day cycles, but you may sleep during daylight when your Moroi does. Just be aware that although Strigoi attacks are rare in daylight, they aren’t impossible indoors, and you will not necessarily be ‘safe’ during these times.† Stan read over a few more technicalities, and I found myself tuning them out. I knew this stuff. We all did. Glancing around, I could see I wasn’t alone in my impatience. Excitement and apprehension crackled in the crowd. Hands were clenched. Eyes were wide. We all wanted our assignments. We all wanted this to begin. When Stan finished, he handed the clipboard to Alberta. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"I’m going to call out your names one by one and announce who you’re paired with. At that time, come down here to the floor, and Guardian Chase will give you a packet containing information about your Moroi’s schedule, past, etcetera.† We all straightened up as she leafed through her papers. Students whispered. Beside me, Eddie exhaled heavily. â€Å"Oh man. I hope I get someone good,† he muttered. â€Å"I don’t want to be miserable for the next six weeks.† I squeezed his arm reassuringly. â€Å"You will,† I whispered back. â€Å"Er, get someone good, I mean. Not be miserable.† â€Å"Ryan Aylesworth,† Alberta announced clearly. Eddie flinched, and I instantly knew why. Before, Mason Ashford had always been the first one called on any class lists. That would never happen again. â€Å"You are assigned to Camille Conta.† â€Å"Damn,† muttered someone behind us, who’d apparently been hoping to get Camille. Ryan was one of the suck-ups in the front row, and he grinned broadly as he walked over to take his packet. The Contas were an up-and-coming royal family. It was rumored that one of their members was a candidate for when the Moroi queen eventually named her heir. Plus, Camille was pretty cute. Following her around wouldn’t be too hard for any guy. Ryan, walking with a swagger, seemed very pleased with himself. â€Å"Dean Barnes,† she said next. â€Å"You have Jesse Zeklos.† â€Å"Ugh,† Eddie and I both said together. If I’d been assigned to Jesse, he would have needed an extra person to protect him. From me. Alberta kept reading names, and I noticed Eddie was sweating. â€Å"Please, please let me get someone good,† he muttered. â€Å"You will,† I said. â€Å"You will.† â€Å"Edison Castile,† Alberta announced. He gulped. â€Å"Vasilisa Dragomir.† Eddie and I both froze for the space of a heartbeat, and then duty made him stand up and head toward the floor. As he stepped down the bleachers, he shot me a quick, panicked look over his shoulder. His expression seemed to say, I don’t know! I don’t know! That made two of us. The world around me slowed to a blur. Alberta kept calling names, but I didn’t hear any of them. What was going on? Clearly, someone had made a mistake. Lissa was my assignment. She had to be. I was going to be her guardian when we graduated. This made no sense. Heart racing, I watched Eddie walk over to Guardian Chase and get his packet and practice stake. He glanced down at the papers immediately, and I suspected he was double-checking the name, certain there was a mix-up. The expression on his face when he looked up told me that it was Lissa’s name he’d found. I took a deep breath. Okay. No need to panic just yet. Someone had made a clerical error here, one that could be fixed. In fact, they’d have to fix it soon. When they got to me and read Lissa’s name again, they were going to realize they’d double-booked one of the Moroi. They’d straighten it out and give Eddie someone else. After all, there were plenty of Moroi to go around. They outnumbered dhampirs at the school. â€Å"Rosemarie Hathaway.† I tensed. â€Å"Christian Ozera.† I simply stared at Alberta, unable to move or respond. No. She had not just said what I thought. A few people, noticing my lack of movement, glanced back at me. But I was dumbstruck. This wasn’t happening. My Mason delusion from last night seemed more real than this. A few moments later, Alberta also realized I wasn’t moving. She looked up from her clipboard with annoyance, scanning the crowd. â€Å"Rose Hathaway?† Someone elbowed me, like maybe I didn’t recognize my own name. Swallowing, I stood and walked down the bleachers, robot-like. There was a mistake. There had to be a mistake. I headed toward Guardian Chase, feeling like a puppet that someone else was controlling. He handed me my packet and a practice stake meant to â€Å"kill† the adult guardians with, and I stepped out of the way for the next person. Disbelieving, I read the words on the packet’s cover three times. Christian Ozera. Flipping it open, I saw his life spread out before me. A current picture. His class schedule. His family tree. His bio. It even went into detail about his parents’ tragic history, how they’d chosen to become Strigoi and had murdered several people before finally being hunted down and killed. Our directions at this point had been to read through our dossiers, pack a bag, and then meet up with our Moroi at lunch. As more names were called, many of my classmates lingered around the gym, talking to their friends and showing off their packets. I hovered near one group, discreetly waiting for a chance to talk to Alberta and Dimitri. It was a sign of my newly developing patience that I didn’t walk right up to them then and there and demand answers. Believe me, I wanted to. Instead, I let them go through their list, but it felt like forever. Honestly, how long did it take to read a bunch of names? When the last novice had been assigned his Moroi, Stan shouted above the din for us to move on to the next stage of the assignment and tried to herd out my classmates. I cut through the crowd and stalked up to Dimitri and Alberta, who blessedly were standing with each other. They were chatting about something administrative and didn’t notice me right away. When they did glance at me, I held up my packet and pointed. â€Å"What’s this?† Alberta’s face looked blank and confused. Something in Dimitri’s told me he’d been expecting this. â€Å"It’s your assignment, Miss Hathaway,† Alberta said. â€Å"No,† I said through gritted teeth. â€Å"It’s not. This is somebody else’s assignment.† â€Å"The assignments in your field experience aren’t optional,† she told me sternly. â€Å"Just as your assignments in the real world won’t be. You can’t pick who you protect based on whim and mood, not here and certainly not after graduation.† â€Å"But after graduation, I’m going to be Lissa’s guardian!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Everyone knows that. I’m supposed to have her for this thing.† â€Å"I know it’s an accepted idea that you’ll be together after graduation, but I do not recall any mandatory rulings that say you’re ‘supposed’ to have her or anyone here at school. You take who you’re assigned.† â€Å"Christian?† I threw my packet on the floor. â€Å"You’re out of your mind if you think I’m guarding him.† â€Å"Rose!† snapped Dimitri, joining the conversation at last. His voice was so hard and so sharp that I flinched and forgot what I was saying for half a second. â€Å"You’re out of line. You do not speak to your instructors like that.† I hated being chastised by anyone. I especially hated being chastised by him. And I especially hated being chastised by him when he was right. But I couldn’t help it. I was too angry, and the lack of sleep was taking its toll. My nerves felt raw and strained, and suddenly, little things seemed difficult to bear. And big things like this? Impossible to bear. â€Å"Sorry,† I said with great reluctance. â€Å"But this is stupid. Nearly as stupid as not bringing us to Victor Dashkov’s trial.† Alberta blinked in surprise. â€Å"How did you know – Never mind. We’ll deal with that later. For now, this is your assignment, and you need to do it.† Eddie suddenly spoke up beside me, his voice filled with apprehension. I’d lost track of him earlier. â€Å"Look †¦ I don’t mind†¦. We can switch†¦.† Alberta turned her stony gaze from me to him. â€Å"No, you certainly cannot. Vasilisa Dragomir is your assignment.† She looked back at me. â€Å"And Christian Ozera is yours. End of discussion.† â€Å"This is stupid!† I repeated. â€Å"Why should I waste my time with Christian? Lissa’s the one I’m going to be with when I graduate. Seems like if you want me to be able to do a good job, you should have me practice with her.† â€Å"You will do a good job with her,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Because you know her. And you have your bond. But somewhere, someday, you could end up with a different Moroi. You need to learn how to guard someone with whom you have absolutely no experience.† â€Å"I have experience with Christian,† I grumbled. â€Å"That’s the problem. I hate him.† Okay, that was a huge exaggeration. Christian annoyed me, true, but I didn’t really hate him. As I’d said, working together against the Strigoi had changed a lot of things. Again, I felt like my lack of sleep and general irritability were cranking up the magnitude of everything. â€Å"So much the better,† said Alberta. â€Å"Not everyone you protect will be your friend. Not everyone you protect will be someone you like. You need to learn this.† â€Å"I need to learn how to fight Strigoi,† I said. â€Å"I’ve learned that in class.† I fixed them with a sharp look, ready to play my trump card. â€Å"And I’ve done it in person.† â€Å"There’s more to this job than the technicalities, Miss Hathaway. There’s a whole personal aspect – a bedside manner, if you will – that we don’t touch on much in class. We teach you how to deal with the Strigoi. You need to learn how to deal with the Moroi yourselves. And you in particular need to deal with someone who has not been your best friend for years.† â€Å"You also need to learn what it’s like to work with someone when you can’t instantly sense that they’re in danger,† added Dimitri. â€Å"Right,† agreed Alberta. â€Å"That’s a handicap. If you want to be a good guardian – if you want to be an excellent guardian – then you need to do as we say.† I opened my mouth to fight this, to argue that having someone I was so close to would train me up faster and make me a better guardian for any other Moroi. Dimitri cut me off. â€Å"Working with another Moroi will also help keep Lissa alive,† he said. That shut me down. It was pretty much the only thing that could have, and damn him, he knew it. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Lissa’s got a handicap too – you. If she never has a chance to learn what it’s like to be guarded by someone without a psychic connection, she could be at greater risk if attacked. Guarding someone is really a two-person relationship. This assignment for your field experience is as much for her as for you.† I stayed silent as I processed his words. They almost made sense. â€Å"And,† added Alberta, â€Å"it’s the only assignment you’re going to get. If you don’t take it, then you opt out of the field experience.† Opt out? Was she crazy? It wasn’t like a class I could sit out from for one day. If I didn’t do my field experience, I didn’t graduate. I wanted to explode about unfairness, but Dimitri stopped me without saying a word. The constant, calm look in his dark eyes held me back, encouraging me to accept this gracefully – or as close as I could manage. Reluctantly I picked up the packet. â€Å"Fine,† I said icily. â€Å"I’ll do this. But I want it noted that I’m doing this against my will.† â€Å"I think we already figured that out, Miss Hathaway,† remarked Alberta dryly. â€Å"Whatever. I still think it’s a horrible idea, and you eventually will too.† I turned and stormed off across the gym before any of them could respond. In doing so, I fully realized what a bitchy little brat I sounded like. But if they’d just endured their best friend’s sex life, seen a ghost, and hardly gotten any sleep, they’d have been bitchy too. Plus, I was about to spend six weeks with Christian Ozera. He was sarcastic, difficult, and made jokes about everything. Actually, he was a lot like me. It was going to be a long six weeks. How to cite Shadow Kiss Chapter 2, Essay examples

Finance Earnings and Desire of Shareholders

Question: Discuss about theFinancefor Earnings and Desire of Shareholders. Answer: Stating the Factors that Might Influence Payment of Dividend: The main factors that might influence payment of dividend are magnitude of earnings, desire of shareholders, nature of industry, liquidity position, future requirements business risk and agency cost. These factors mainly affect the dividend payment policy of the company, which might help in generating demand among potential investors. Liu, Uchida Yang (2014) mentioned that companies with the consistent dividend payout are able to inflate their share price and generate high capital from IPO sale. On the contrary, Hernndez Junca (2015) argued that after the dividend payment, short-term traders mainly exit their position, which nominally reduces share price of the company. In addition, increasing profitability and general reserves mainly increase the expectations of the investor for higher dividends, which in turn inflates its share price. Moreover, investors for making an adequate investment decision mainly use the dividend payout ratio or yield. Commenting on Joe Smolinski's Suggestion for Not Paying the Dividend: Joe Smolinkskis main comment was that if it aint broke we should not fix it. This phrase mainly referred to the deteriorating divined policy of the company. The company should only take action if its dividend policy backlashes and hinders its growth prospects. Due to non-payment of dividends, the company share price has mainly fallen from $25 to $2 and is currently trading at $8. The past dividends are mainly used in the Gordon growth model by high-end investors, which depict the actual share price value of the company. The investors are not able to detect the actual value of companies share price that does not pay any dividend by using the dividend discount model. Li, He Tang (2014) argued that non-dividend payment companies have less debt accumulation as the dividend amount is reinvested in the company for improving its growth and generate higher return. Providing Relevant Explanation and Critically Evaluating the Jim Baker's Argument: From the case study, it could be evaluated that the company has been operating with shareholders money for 4 year and have not paid any dividend, which has drastically reduced its share price from $25 to $2. This drastic decline in share price value is due to the non-payment of dividends, which have decreased the interest of investors in the company. LUO WU (2016) mentioned that long-term investors mainly choose companies that provide consistent dividends, which might help in depicting financial stability and generate return from its investment. On the contrary, Coetzee de (2014) argued that short-term investors mainly evaluate the price movement and does not relate to the dividend policy of the company. The share price will suffer if the company does not pay the dividends this year as its shown promising returns and has been declining the demands of the investors. The non-payment of dividends could reduce the interest of the current investor and generate a massive sale of shares, which might negatively affect the current share price of the company. Pension funds, insurance companies and mutual funds investor hold 43% of the total shares of the company, which mainly relies on dividends. Thus, non-payment of dividends might instigate a major sell signal for the institutional investors and share price of the company might suffer in near future (De Mpinda 2013). Commenting on the Dividend Payment Debate Stated in New Wave Corporation: The company has been generating goods profits after the IPO issues but the directors of the company instead of providing dividends retained the profit for reinvestment in the business. However, the reinvestment decision of the directors was mainly fruitful during the troubles time that was faced by the company. This reinvestment policy mainly reduced the debt accumulation, which might have conducted during the economic downturn. Currently the share price of the company has declined from its previous high of $25, due to the unexpected downturn in the economy. However, the share price of the company increased from $2 to $8 but was not able to touch its previous high due to its no dividend policy. Viviers, Firer Muller (2013) mentioned that adaptation of no dividend policy mainly reduces its fiction in attracting long-term potential investors, which might provide the required capital to the company for achieving the targeted goals. On the contrary, Kao Chen (2013) argued that currentl y companies mainly use the debt accumulation strategy, which allows them to get extra exemption from tax and improve their profit retention capacity. Particular Amount Retained earnings 1,000,000 Cash 250,000 Total cash available 1,250,000 Investment needed 1,000,000 Cash balance 250,000 Cash retention 150,000 Dividend paid 100,000 Dividend per share 0.1 Table 1: Stating the dividend per share (Source: As mentioned in the case study) Bob McKay mainly commented on using the residual dividend policy method, which might help in supporting the companys capital structure requirements and improve its dividend yield. The table 1 could effectively depict the residual dividend policy, which might be used for improving the dividend yield of the company. Balachandran, Krishnamurti, Theobald Vidanapathirana (2012) argued that residual dividend policy portrays unstable dividend payment structure, which increase the risk of investment for investors. In this context, Giugale Nguyen (2014) further stated that investors mainly ignore companies with unstable dividend policy, which negatively affects its share price valuation. Particular Amount Retained earnings 1,000,000 Cash 250,000 Total cash available 1,250,000 Investment needed 1,000,000 Cash balance 250,000 Cash retention 150,000 Amount used for share buy back 100,000 Current share price 8 Number of share buy back 12,500 Table 2: Stating the number of shares bought back (Source: As mentioned in the case study) However, Edwin mainly stated that stock repurchase could be conducted after fulfilling the investment needs of the company. Companies to improve their overall EPS and project a healthy investment opportunity to the investors mainly use stock repurchase method (Liu, Uchida Yang 2014). The method could only help the company to repurchase 12500 shares in the current price, which might not help in creating the required demand for its stocks. On the contrary, Hernndez Junca (2015) criticises that stock repurchase does not help if the company invests in own stocks and cannot generate income from other source. After the evaluation of New Wave Corporation income and balance sheet statement, it could be found that the company has made adequate income this fiscal year. However, the investment of 1,000,000 is mainly needed and the retained income is 1,000,000. The company has not paid any kind of dividend to its shareholders after generating higher income from shareholders money. Thus, declaration of dividends could be helpful in generating interest of investors and boosts companies overall share price. Coetzee de (2014) mentioned that continuity in dividend declaration mainly allows companies to attract high-end investors, which might help in improving both share price and investment capital. The main reason behind the payment of dividends is the high-retained income and cash availability achieved by the company. Generally, there are five different type of dividend payment policy, which is adopted by the company. These dividend payment policies are effectively depicted as follows. Regular Stock Dividends: This type of dividend policy is mainly used by companies who needs the dividend amount to boosts its capital structure. The companies mainly provide stock dividends, which might reduce EPS of the company and hamper investors perception (Giugale Nguyen 2014). The stock dividends policy hampers the share value and investment capital, which might be generated from capital market. Regular Extra Dividends: The extra divined are only provided by companies that follow a stable dividend policy. The companies mainly pay extra dividends when there is an excess income attained during the fiscal year. These types of dividends are mainly used to companies to instigate demand among potential investors and increase their share price (Balachandran, Krishnamurti, Theobald Vidanapathirana 2012). No Immediate Dividends: This type dividend policy mainly adopted by the companies that are new and have huge capital needs. The dividend amount is mainly reinvested in the business for improving its capital structure. However, the company needs to pay bonuses in form of stocks, which might increase the dividend amount (Kao Chen 2013). Stable Dividends: The stable dividend policy is mainly adopted by the firms, which provide fixed income to its shareholders regardless of the fluctuation in its income. The primary focus of the company is to maintain the dividend rate, which might help in accumulating high end investors (Viviers, Firer Muller 2013). Irregular or Residual Dividend: Companies to support its capital structure needs mainly use irregular or residual dividend policy. This policy mainly uses the retained income for supporting its investment needs and the balance amount is paid to the shareholders. Li, He Tang (2014) mentioned that irregular dividend policy allows companies to reduce the investment expenditure, which might incur during the expansion process. New Wave Corporation could effectively use the residual or irregular dividend policy, which was depicted by Bob McKay. This policy could effectively help the company by supporting the capital expenditure needs during the expansion or capital restructuring process. Furthermore, high cash dividend could also be paid during the non-investment years, which could help investors maintain high level of interest in the company. Reference: Balachandran, B., Krishnamurti, C., Theobald, M., Vidanapathirana, B. (2012). Dividend reductions, the timing of dividend payments and information content.Journal of Corporate Finance,18(5), 1232-1247. Coetzee, M. S., de Wet, J. (2014). Dividend Tax, Dividend Payments and Share Values: A South African Perspective.Corporate Ownership Control,11(3), 242252. De Wet, J., Mpinda, M. (2013). The impact of dividend payments on shareholders' wealth: evidence from the Vector Error Correction Model.De Wet, JH vH. Mpinda, M, 1451-1465. Giugale, M., Nguyen, N. T. V. (2014). Money to the People: Estimates of the Potential Scale of Direct Dividend Payments in Africa.Center for Global Development, Policy Paper,43. Hernndez, C., Junca, M. (2015). Optimal dividend payments under a time of ruin constraint: Exponential claims.Insurance: Mathematics and Economics,65, 136-142. Kao, L., Chen, A. (2013). How product market competition affects dividend payments in a weak investor protection economy: Evidence from Taiwan.Pacific-Basin Finance Journal,25, 21-39. Li, W. X., He, T. T., Tang, G. Y. (2014). Ultimate control, expropriation and dividend payments: a reputation management perspective.Journal of General Management,40(2). Liu, C., Uchida, K., Yang, Y. (2014). Controlling shareholder, split-share structure reform and cash dividend payments in China.International Review of Economics Finance,29, 339-357. LUO, Q., WU, Z. (2016). Agency Problem between Controlling and Minority Shareholders and Corporate Cash Dividend.Journal of Management,3, 010. Viviers, S., Firer, C., Muller, C. (2013). A review of the dividend payments of South African listed companies during the period 1977-2011.Management Dynamics,22(4), 2.