The Importance Of Hospitality - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 785 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/04/01 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Odyssey Essay Did you like this example? In the Epic The Odyssey by Homer, Homer emphasizes the sacrifices made by the brave heroic Odysseus as he faces many harsh obstacles fighting in the Trojan War for the past 10 years. This Epic portrays many emotional and mental values as it is depicted by many brave heroes who were willing to make very difficult decisions. The value of relationships and hospitality is revealed throughout the novel. The author acknowledges the value of culture of the characters as there is a constant repetition of hospitality. Throughout Odysseuss journey, multiple characters come along his path as they each hold their own moral. Many of these characters represent the constant repetition of hospitality shown as they are pleasing the Gods by sharing and providing items for people in need, knowing that some type of incentive will be given back to them in return for completing a good deed. In this novel, hospitality is an important part of honor and negotiation of relationships. Odysseus acknowledges the fact that Aeolus hosted [him] one entire monthhe gave [him] a sack, the skin of a full-grown ox, binding inside the winds that howl from every quarter (Homer 231). His acknowledgement reveals the hospitality between the characters since it is told that Aeolus was kind enough to host Odysseus and his men for an entire month and provide him with a sack of wind, which will come to be useful later on. Many other good deeds are done by the characters throughout the novel in order to show the constant repetition of hospitality. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Importance Of Hospitality" essay for you Create order When Odysseus is at King Alcinous palace, [he] hid his face while he wept. His weeping went unmarked by all the others; only Alcinous, sitting close behind him, noticed his guests tears, heard the groan in the mans labored breathing and said at once to the masters mariners around him our loyal friends at banquets. Now we go out again and test ourselves in contestsso our guests can tell his friendshow far we excel the world. (Homer 192). A good deed can be shown in this passage as it is shown that King Alcinous is taking good care of his guest, Odysseus, as he is trying his best to recover Odysseus from crying by attempting to hold a fun contest. King Alcinous refers to Odysseus as our loyal friend (Homer 192), showing how he treats him with respect and truly cares about his well-being. Imagery is crucial in the Odyssey as it reveals clarification for the relationships that the characters have with each other. Homer intelligently uses imagery to paint dramatic pictures of the relationships between the characters. It is revealed that Odysseuss men does not have any trust in him as the crews began to mutter among themselves, sure I was hauling troves of gold of silver home, the gifts of open AeolusNow this Aeolus loads him down with treasure. Favoritism, friend to friend! ?Hurry lets see what loot is in that sack(Homer 231). When his men opened his bag of wind it blew them so off course that they were so close that they could see Ithaca, but it was because the relationship between Odysseus and his men that threw him off course; the men does not have any trust in Odysseus. They would not have opened the bag of wind in the first place if they had trust in Odysseus, but they did not as they thought that Odysseus was going to keep all the gold and silver to himself. The use of imagery also represents the strong father-son bond that Odysseus and Telemachus have with each other. Unlike other father-son relationships, it is the great amount of distance between Odysseus and Telemachus that formed the strong bond between them. Telemachus must earn his fathers respect by fighting his own battles. Through the distance between them, they are able to establish their share of beliefs and values.. When the father and son finally meet, salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men/So helpless they cried pouring out tears,/ and might have gone weeping till sundown (Homer 268). Homers use of imagery strongly illustrates the emotional reaction when Odysseus and Telemachus is finally reunited. The son and father was able to share their beliefs and values through the distance that held them apart, making their bond even more close. In The Odyssey, Homer highlights the importance of hospitality between the characters in order to form a loyal relationship. This Epic is portrayed by fearless heroes who were able to sacrifice in order to receive. Having the ability to fight for your own battles truly shows your worth and loyalty to others as it shows how much you are willing to put yourself through.

Essay on Sun Also Rises - 2493 Words

The Lost of Self quot;One generation passeth away, the passage from Ecclesiates began, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseh†¦quot;(Baker 122). A Biblical reference forms the title of a novel by Ernest Hemingway during the 1920s, portraying the lives of the American expatriates living in Paris. His own experience in Paris has provided him the background for the novel as a depiction of the lost generation. Hemingways writing career began early; he edited the high school newspaper and, after graduation, got a job as reporter on a local newspaper. After that he was turned down by the Kansas City draft boards. He wanted to get to Europe and managed to there by volunteering as an ambulance†¦show more content†¦The high-minded ideas of their elders were not to be trusted; the only reality was truth and that was harsh. Life was futile and often meaningless. According to quot;President Hardings back to normalcy policy, subject seemed to its members(the lost generation) to be hopelessly provincial, materialistic, and emotionally barrenquot;(â€Å"Lost Generation† 487). This demonstrates why this generation was in search of its own values. quot;The moral hypocrisy of Prohibition that so irritated Hemingways generation produced exactly the reaction that Hemingway documents in his novelquot;(Reynolds 62). The term lost generation embraces Hemingway, F.Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, Archibald MacLeish, Hart Crane, and may other writers who made Paris the center of their literary activities in the 1920s. Although they never worked together as a group, their work was at times similar: Hemingways world is one in which things do not grow and bear fruit, but explode, break, decompose, or are eaten away. It is saved from total misery by visions of endurance, by what happiness the body can give when it does not hurt, by interludes of love which cannot outcast the furlough and by a pleasure in the landscapes of countries and cafà ©s one can visit. A man has dignity only as he can walk with a courage that has no purpose beyond itself among the fellow wounded, with an ear alert for the sound of the shell that really has his number on it. It is aShow MoreRelated The Sun Also Rises1869 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises† from the American Ernest Hemingway takes the reader in an after World War One Europe. More precisely this novel is based on men and women that experienced this war, with all its pains, changes and consequences. Hemingways narrator , Jack Barnes, is an American journalist who suffers a war-wound that leads him to an emotional woun d. Through the novel division in three books, the reader can see an evolution in Jakes behaviour. He goes from a desperate wounded man livingRead MoreThe Sun Also Rises Essay909 Words   |  4 PagesThe Sun Also Rises Mystery Essay Ernest Hemmingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises is not considered to be a mystery. However, through his creative storytelling, Hemingway nimbly evokes an aura of uncertainty and mystique surrounding the relationship of Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. Their attraction to each other is palpable, yet without the ability to consummate her sexual desires, and the tragic war wound that rendered him impotent, Brett obstinately pursues a variety of other meaninglessRead MoreAnalysis Of The Sun Also Rises 1471 Words   |  6 PagesAccepting the Reality: Crises in Truth in The Sun Also Rises World War I wasn’t just a historical war inflicting staggering casualty numbers and environmental obliterations on the European soil; this catastrophe stole the identities and purposes of the millions who were impacted on and off the battlefield, thus giving rise to the Lost Generation. In his book, The Sun Also Rises, renowned American novelist Ernest Hemingway pictures the drastic effects that the war posed on these helpless souls throughRead MoreEssay on The Sun Also Rises511 Words   |  3 Pages The Sun Also Rises nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Jake Barnes is a lost man who wastes his life on drinking. Towards the beginning of the book Robert Cohn asks Jake, â€Å"Don’t you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize that you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already?† Jake weakly answers, â€Å"Yes, every once in a while.† The book focuses on the dissolution of the post-war generationRead MoreReview Of The Sun Also Rises 1188 Words   |  5 PagesJacob Hernandez Mrs. Dell AP Literature 9 October 2017 Related Reading Essay (The Sun Also Rises)   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the post World War I era,   people were affected directly and indirectly from the war in many ways. In The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Jake faces an insecurity which has affected both his masculinity and love life which Hemingway symbolizes with the steer. He copes with these insecurities through alcohol abuse like the rest of the characters and lack of communication. These insecuritiesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Sun Also Rises 2494 Words   |  10 Pagese theme of male insecurity is a prominent theme in Ernest Hemingway s novel, The Sun Also Rises. While many soldiers suffered from disillusionment with the Great War and how it was supposed to make men of them, Jake bore the additional burden of insecurity because of his war wound. Insecurity operates on several levels and surfaces in many ways through the characters we encounter in this novel. We learn from observing Jake and his friends that manhood and insecurity are linked sometimes unfairlyRead More Sun Also Rises Essay2099 Words   |  9 Pages The Sun Also Rises nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The novel starts out when Jake Barnes, Frances Coyne, and Robert Cohn are dining together. Jake suggests that he and Cohn go to Strasbourg together, because he knows a girl there who can show them around. Frances kicks him under the table several times before Jake gets her hint. After dinner, Robert follows Cohn to ask why he mentioned the girl. He tells Robert that he can’t take any trip that involves seeing any girls. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;RobertRead MoreThe Sun Also Rises By Ernest Hemingway1649 Words   |  7 PagesThe Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway Introduction Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises is a classic work of American prose, and is essential to understanding the social climate of the 1920’s, and the â€Å"Lost Generation†. Hemingway’s motley cast of star-crossed lovers, rabble-rousers, expatriates, gamblers, and burgeoning alcoholics reflect the excitement, loneliness, and disillusionment experienced by Hemingway and his contemporaries. In addition, the post-war angst of young people of the time isRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel The Sun Also Rises 1272 Words   |  6 PagesPortrayal of Human Relationship in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises Hemingway carried the style and attitude of his short stories into his first great novel The Sun Also Rises (1926). He dedicated this novel to his first wife, Hedley Richardson. The novel divided into three books and which also divided into several chapters. The novel begins in Paris, France, moves to Pamplona, Spain and concludes in Madrid, Spain. The Sun Also Rises portrayed the lives of the members of the Lost GenerationRead MoreThemes in The Sun Also Rises Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesThemes in The Sun Also Rises One theme that I found recurring throughout the novel, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, was love. Lady Brett Ashley was a beautiful woman who seemed to be irresistible to the men she became acquainted with. For example Robert Cohn, Bill Gorton, Pedro Romero, Mike Campbell, and last but not least Jake Barnes. Brett was ex ¬ tremely vulnerable to the charm that various men in her life seemed to smother her with. Brett was not happy with her life

Digital Fortress Chapter 88-93 Free Essays

string(118) " Suddenly he could feel every piece of grit beneath the soles of his shoes, every bump in the stucco wall behind him\." Chapter 88 The headlight of Becker’s Vespa threw stark shadows on the walls of the narrow passageways. He struggled with the gear shift and roared between the whitewashed buildings, giving the inhabitants of Santa Cruz an early wake-up call this Sunday morning. It had been less than thirty minutes since Becker’s escape from the airport. We will write a custom essay sample on Digital Fortress Chapter 88-93 or any similar topic only for you Order Now He’d been on the run ever since, his mind grappling with endless questions: Who’s trying to kill me? What’s so special about this ring? Where is the NSA jet? He thought of Megan dead in the stall, and the nausea crept back. Becker had hoped to cut directly across the barrio and exit on the other side, but Santa Cruz was a bewildering labyrinth of alleyways. It was peppered with false starts and dead ends. Becker quickly became disoriented. He looked up for the tower of the Giralda to get his bearings, but the surrounding walls were so high he could see nothing except a thin slit of breaking dawn above him. Becker wondered where the man in wire-rim glasses was; he knew better than to think the assailant had given up. The killer probably was after him on foot. Becker struggled to maneuver his Vespa around tight corners. The sputtering of the engine echoed up and down the alleys. Becker knew he was an easy target in the silence of Santa Cruz. At this point, all he had in his favor was speed. Got to get to the other side! After a long series of turns and straightaways, Becker skidded into a three-way intersection marked Esquina de los Reyes. He knew he was in trouble-he had been there already. As he stood straddling the idling bike, trying to decide which way to turn, the engine sputtered to a stop. The gas gauge read vacio. As if on cue, a shadow appeared down an alley on his left. The human mind is the fastest computer in existence. In the next fraction of a second, Becker’s mind registered the shape of the man’s glasses, searched his memory for a match, found one, registered danger, and requested a decision. He got one. He dropped the useless bike and took off at a full sprint. Unfortunately for Becker, Hulohot was now on solid ground rather than in a lurching taxi. He calmly raised his weapon and fired. The bullet caught Becker in the side just as he stumbled around the corner out of range. He took five or six strides before the sensation began to register. At first it felt like a muscle pull, just above the hip. Then it turned to a warm tingling. When Becker saw the blood, he knew. There was no pain, no pain anywhere, just a headlong race through the winding maze of Santa Cruz. Hulohot dashed after his quarry. He had been tempted to hit Becker in the head, but he was a professional; he played the odds. Becker was a moving target, and aiming at his midsection provided the greatest margin of error both vertically and horizontally. The odds had paid off. Becker had shifted at the last instant, and rather than missing his head, Hulohot had caught a piece of his side. Although he knew the bullet had barely grazed Becker and would do no lasting damage, the shot had served its purpose. Contact had been made. The prey had been touched by death. It was a whole new game. Becker raced forward blindly. Turning. Winding. Staying out of the straightaways. The footsteps behind him seemed relentless. Becker’s mind was blank. Blank to everything-where he was, who was chasing him-all that was left was instinct, self preservation, no pain, only fear, and raw energy. A shot exploded against the azulejo tile behind him. Shards of glass sprayed across the back of his neck. He stumbled left, into another alley. He heard himself call for help, but except for the sound of footsteps and strained breathing, the morning air remained deathly still. Becker’s side was burning now. He feared he was leaving a crimson trail on the whitewashed walks. He searched everywhere for an open door, an open gate, any escape from the suffocating canyons. Nothing. The walkway narrowed. â€Å"Socorro!† Becker’s voice was barely audible. â€Å"Help!† The walls grew closer on each side. The walkway curved. Becker searched for an intersection, a tributary, any way out. The passageway narrowed. Locked doors. Narrowing. Locked gates. The footsteps were closing. He was in a straightaway, and suddenly the alley began to slope upward. Steeper. Becker felt his legs straining. He was slowing. And then he was there. Like a freeway that had run out of funding, the alley just stopped. There was a high wall, a wooden bench, and nothing else. No escape. Becker looked up three stories to the top of the building and then spun and started back down the long alley, but he had only taken a few steps before he stopped short. At the foot of the inclined straightaway, a figure appeared. The man moved toward Becker with a measured determination. In his hand, a gun glinted in the early morning sun. Becker felt a sudden lucidity as he backed up toward the wall. The pain in his side suddenly registered. He touched the spot and looked down. There was blood smeared across his fingers and across Ensei Tankado’s golden ring. He felt dizzy. He stared at the engraved band, puzzled. He’d forgotten he was wearing it. He’d forgotten why he had come to Seville. He looked up at the figure approaching. He looked down at the ring. Was this why Megan had died? Was this why he would die? The shadow advanced up the inclined passageway. Becker saw walls on all sides-a dead end behind him. A few gated entryways between them, but it was too late to call for help. Becker pressed his back against the dead end. Suddenly he could feel every piece of grit beneath the soles of his shoes, every bump in the stucco wall behind him. You read "Digital Fortress Chapter 88-93" in category "Essay examples" His mind was reeling backward, his childhood, his parents†¦ Susan. Oh, God†¦ Susan. For the first time since he was a kid, Becker prayed. He did not pray for deliverance from death; he did not believe in miracles. Instead he prayed that the woman he left behind would find strength, that she would know without a doubt that she had been loved. He closed his eyes. The memories came like a torrent. They were not memories of department meetings, university business, and the things that made up 90 percent of his life; they were memories of her. Simple memories: teaching her to use chopsticks, sailing on Cape Cod. I love you, he thought. Know that†¦ forever. It was as if every defense, every facade, every insecure exaggeration of his life had been stripped away. He was standing naked-flesh and bones before God. I am a man, he thought. And in a moment of irony he thought, A man without wax. He stood, eyes closed, as the man in wire-rim glasses drew nearer. Somewhere nearby, a bell began to toll. Becker waited in darkness, for the sound that would end his life. Chapter 89 The morning sun was just breaking over the Seville rooftops and shining down into the canyons below. The bells atop the Giralda cried out for sunrise mass. This was the moment inhabitants had all been waiting for. Everywhere in the ancient barrio, gates opened and families poured into the alleyways. Like lifeblood through the veins of old Santa Cruz, they coursed toward the heart of their pueblo, toward the core of their history, toward their God, their shrine, their cathedral. Somewhere in Becker’s mind, a bell was tolling. Am I dead? Almost reluctantly, he opened his eyes and squinted into the first rays of sunlight. He knew exactly where he was. He leveled his gaze and searched the alley for his assailant. But the man in wire-rims was not there. Instead, there were others. Spanish families, in their finest clothes, stepping from their gated portals into the alleyways, talking, laughing. At the bottom of the alley, hidden from Becker’s view, Hulohot cursed in frustration. At first there had been only a single couple separating him from his quarry. Hulohot had been certain they would leave. But the sound of the bells kept reverberating down the alley, drawing others from their homes. A second couple, with children. They greeted each another. Talking, laughing, kissing three times on the cheek. Another group appeared, and Hulohot could no longer see his prey. Now, in a boiling rage, he raced into the quickly growing crowd. He had to get to David Becker! The killer fought his way toward the end of the alley. He found himself momentarily lost in a sea of bodies-coats and ties, black dresses, lace mantles over hunched women. They all seemed oblivious to Hulohot’s presence; they strolled casually, all in black, shuffling, moving as one, blocking his way. Hulohot dug his way through the crowd and dashed up the alley into the dead end, his weapon raised. Then he let out a muted, inhuman scream. David Becker was gone. Becker stumbled and sidestepped his way through the crowd. Follow the crowd, he thought. They know the way out. He cut right at the intersection and the alley widened. Everywhere gates were opening and people were pouring out. The pealing of the bells grew louder. Becker’s side was still burning, but he sensed the bleeding had stopped. He raced on. Somewhere behind him, closing fast, was a man with a gun. Becker ducked in and out of the groups of churchgoers and tried to keep his head down. It was not much farther. He could sense it. The crowd had thickened. The alley had widened. They were no longer in a little tributary, this was the main river. As he rounded a bend, Becker suddenly saw it, rising before them-the cathedral and Giralda tower. The bells were deafening, the reverberations trapped in the high-walled plaza. The crowds converged, everyone in black, pushing across the square toward the gaping doors of the Seville Cathedral. Becker tried to break away toward Mateus Gago, but he was trapped. He was shoulder to shoulder, heel to toe with the shoving throngs. The Spaniards had always had a different idea of closeness than the rest of the world. Becker was wedged between two heavyset women, both with their eyes closed, letting the crowd carry them. They mumbled prayers to themselves and clutched rosary beads in their fingers. As the crowd closed on the enormous stone structure, Becker tried to cut left again, but the current was stronger now. The anticipation, the pushing and shoving, the blind, mumbled prayers. He turned into the crowd, trying to fight backward against the eager throngs. It was impossible, like swimming upstream in a mile-deep river. He turned. The cathedral doors loomed before him-like the opening to some dark carnival ride he wished he hadn’t taken. David Becker suddenly realized he was going to church. Chapter 90 The Crypto sirens were blaring. Strathmore had no idea how long Susan had been gone. He sat alone in the shadows, the drone of TRANSLTR calling to him. You’re a survivor†¦ you’re a survivor†¦. Yes, he thought. I’m a survivor-but survival is nothing without honor. I’d rather die than live in the shadow of disgrace. And disgrace was what was waiting for him. He had kept information from the director. He had sent a virus into the nation’s most secure computer. There was no doubt he would be hung out to dry. His intentions had been patriotic, but nothing had gone as he’d planned. There had been death and treachery. There would be trials, accusations, public outrage. He had served his country with honor and integrity for so many years, he couldn’t allow it to end this way. I’m a survivor, he thought. You’re a liar, his own thoughts replied. It was true. He was a liar. There were people he hadn’t been honest with. Susan Fletcher was one of them. There were so many things he hadn’t told her-things he was now desperately ashamed of. For years she’d been his illusion, his living fantasy. He dreamed of her at night; he cried out for her in his sleep. He couldn’t help it. She was as brilliant and as beautiful as any woman he could imagine. His wife had tried to be patient, but when she finally met Susan, she immediately lost hope. Bev Strathmore never blamed her husband for his feelings. She tried to endure the pain as long as possible, but recently it had become too much. She’d told him their marriage was ending; another woman’s shadow was no place to spend the rest of her life. Gradually the sirens lifted Strathmore from his daze. His analytical powers searched for any way out. His mind reluctantly confirmed what his heart had suspected. There was only one true escape, only one solution. Strathmore gazed down at the keyboard and began typing. He didn’t bother to turn the monitor so he could see it. His fingers pecked out the words slowly and decisively. Dearest friends, I am taking my life today†¦ This way, no one would ever wonder. There would be no questions. There would be no accusations. He would spell out for the world what had happened. Many had died†¦ but there was still one life to take. Chapter 91 In a cathedral, it is always night. The warmth of the day turns to damp coolness. The traffic is silenced behind thick granite walls. No number of candelabras can illuminate the vast darkness overhead. Shadows fall everywhere. There’s only the stained glass, high above, filtering the ugliness of the outside world into rays of muted reds and blues. The Seville Cathedral, like all great cathedrals of Europe, is laid out in the shape of a cross. The sanctuary and altar are located just above the midpoint and open downward onto the main sanctuary. Wooden pews fill the vertical axis, a staggering 113 yards from the altar to the base of the cross. To the left and right of the altar, the transept of the cross houses confessionals, sacred tombs, and additional seating. Becker found himself wedged in the middle of a long pew about halfway back. Overhead, in the dizzying empty space, a silver censer the size of a refrigerator swung enormous arcs on a frayed rope, leaving a trail of frankincense. The bells of the Giralda kept ringing, sending low rumbling shock waves through the stone. Becker lowered his gaze to the gilded wall behind the altar. He had a lot to be thankful for. He was breathing. He was alive. It was a miracle. As the priest prepared to give the opening prayer, Becker checked his side. There was a red stain on his shirt, but the bleeding had stopped. The wound was small, more of a laceration than a puncture. Becker tucked his shirt back in and craned his neck. Behind him, the doors were cranking shut. He knew if he’d been followed, he was now trapped. The Seville Cathedral had a single functional entrance, a design popularized in the days when churches were used as fortresses, a safe haven against Moorish invasion. With a single entrance, there was only one door to barricade. Now the single entrance had another function-it ensured all tourists entering the cathedral had purchased a ticket. The twenty-two-foot-high, gilded doors slammed with a decisive crash. Becker was sealed in the house of God. He closed his eyes and slid low in his pew. He was the only one in the building not dressed in black. Somewhere voices began to chant. Toward the back of the church, a figure moved slowly up the side aisle, keeping to the shadows. He had slipped in just before the doors closed. He smiled to himself. The hunt was getting interesting. Becker is here†¦ I can feel it. He moved methodically, one row at a time. Overhead the frankincense decanter swung its long, lazy arcs. A fine place to die, Hulohot thought. I hope I do as well. Becker knelt on the cold cathedral floor and ducked his head out of sight. The man seated next to him glared down-it was most irregular behavior in the house of God. â€Å"Enfermo,† Becker apologized. â€Å"Sick.† Becker knew he had to stay low. He had glimpsed a familiar silhouette moving up the side aisle. It’s him! He’s here! Despite being in the middle of an enormous congregation, Becker feared he was an easy target-his khaki blazer was like a roadside flare in the crowd of black. He considered removing it, but the white oxford shirt underneath was no better. Instead he huddled lower. The man beside him frowned. â€Å"Turista.† He grunted. Then he whispered, half sarcastically, â€Å"Llamo un medico? Shall I call a doctor?† Becker looked up at the old man’s mole-ridden face. â€Å"No, gracias. Estoy bien.† The man gave him an angry look. â€Å"Pues sientate! Then sit down!† There were scattered shushes around them, and the old man bit his tongue and faced front. Becker closed his eyes and huddled lower, wondering how long the service would last. Becker, raised Protestant, had always had the impression Catholics were long-winded. He prayed it was true-as soon as the service ended, he would be forced to stand and let the others out. In khaki he was dead. Becker knew he had no choice at the moment. He simply knelt there on the cold stone floor of the great cathedral. Eventually, the old man lost interest. The congregation was standing now, singing a hymn. Becker stayed down. His legs were starting to cramp. There was no room to stretch them. Patience, he thought. Patience. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It felt like only minutes later that Becker felt someone kicking him. He looked up. The mole-faced man was standing to his right, waiting impatiently to leave the pew. Becker panicked. He wants to leave already? I’ll have to stand up! Becker motioned for the man to step over him. The man could barely control his anger. He grabbed the tails of his black blazer, pulled them down in a huff, and leaned back to reveal the entire row of people waiting to leave. Becker looked left and saw that the woman who had been seated there was gone. The length of pew to his left was empty all the way to the center aisle. The service can’t be over! It’s impossible! We just got here! But when Becker saw the altar boy at the end of the row and the two single-file lines moving up the center aisle toward the altar, he knew what was happening. Communion. He groaned. The damn Spaniards do it first! Chapter 92 Susan climbed down the ladder into the sublevels. Thick steam was now boiling up around TRANSLTR’s hull. The catwalks were wet with condensation. She almost fell, her flats providing very little traction. She wondered how much longer TRANSLTR would survive. The sirens continued their intermittent warning. The emergency lights spun in two-second intervals. Three stories below, the aux generators shook in a taxed whine. Susan knew somewhere at the bottom in the foggy dimness there was a circuit breaker. She sensed time was running out. Upstairs, Strathmore held the Beretta in his hand. He reread his note and laid it on the floor of the room where he was standing. What he was about to do was a cowardly act, there was no doubt. I’m a survivor, he thought. He thought of the virus in the NSA databank, he thought of David Becker in Spain, he thought of his plans for a back door. He had told so many lies. He was guilty of so much. He knew this was the only way to avoid accountability†¦ the only way to avoid the shame. Carefully he aimed the gun. Then he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Susan had only descended six flights when she heard the muffled shot. It was far off, barely audible over the generators. She had never heard a gunshot except on television, but she had no doubt what it was. She stopped short, the sound resounding in her ears. In a wave of horror, she feared the worst. She pictured the commander’s dreams-the back door in Digital Fortress, the incredible coup it would have been. She pictured the virus in the databank, his failing marriage, that eerie nod he had given her. Her footing faltered. She spun on the landing, grappling for the banister. Commander! No! Susan was momentarily frozen, her mind blank. The echo of the gunshot seemed to drown out the chaos around her. Her mind told her to keep on going, but her legs refused. Commander! An instant later she found herself stumbling back up the stairs, entirely forgetting the danger around her. She ran blindly, slipping on the slick metal. Above her the humidity fell like rain. When she reached the ladder and began climbing, she felt herself lifted from below by a tremendous surge of steam that practically jettisoned her through the trapdoor. She rolled onto the Crypto floor and felt the cool air wash over her. Her white blouse clung to her body, soaked through. It was dark. Susan paused, trying to get her bearings. The sound of the gunshot was on endless loop in her head. Hot steam billowed up through the trapdoor like gases from a volcano about to explode. Susan cursed herself for leaving the Beretta with Strathmore. She had left it with him, hadn’t she? Or was it in Node 3? As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she glanced toward the gaping hole in the Node 3 wall. The glow from the monitors was faint, but in the distance she could see Hale lying motionless on the floor where she’d left him. There was no sign of Strathmore. Terrified of what she’d find, she turned toward the commander’s office. But as she began to move, something registered as strange. She backpedaled a few steps and peered into Node 3 again. In the soft light she could see Hale’s arm. It was not at his side. He was no longer tied like a mummy. His arm was up over his head. He was sprawled backward on the floor. Had he gotten free? There was no movement. Hale was deathly still. Susan gazed up at Strathmore’s workstation perched high on the wall. â€Å"Commander?† Silence. Tentatively she moved toward Node 3. There was an object in Hale’s hand. It glimmered in the light of the monitors. Susan moved closer†¦ closer. Suddenly she could see what Hale was holding. It was the Beretta. Susan gasped. Following the arch of Hale’s arm, her eyes moved to his face. What she saw was grotesque. Half of Greg Hale’s head was soaked in blood. The dark stain had spread out across the carpet. Oh my God! Susan staggered backward. It wasn’t the commander’s shot she’d heard, it was Hale’s! As if in a trance, Susan moved toward the body. Apparently, Hale had managed to free himself. The printer cables were piled on the floor beside him. I must have left the gun on the couch, she thought. The blood flowing through the hole in his skull looked black in the bluish light. On the floor beside Hale was a piece of paper. Susan went over unsteadily, and picked it up. It was a letter. Dearest friends, I am taking my life today in penance for the following sins†¦ In utter disbelief, Susan stared at the suicide note in her hand. She read slowly. It was surreal-so unlike Hale-a laundry list of crimes. He was admitting to everything-figuring out that NDAKOTA was a hoax, hiring a mercenary to kill Ensei Tankado and take the ring, pushing Phil Chartrukian, planning to sell Digital Fortress. Susan reached the final line. She was not prepared for what she read. The letter’s final words delivered a numbing blow. Above all, I’m truly sorry about David Becker. Forgive me, I was blinded by ambition. As Susan stood trembling over Hale’s body, the sound of running footsteps approached behind her. In slow motion, she turned. Strathmore appeared in the broken window, pale and out of breath. He stared down at Hale’s body in apparent shock. â€Å"Oh my God!† he said. â€Å"What happened?† Chapter 93 Communion. Hulohot spotted Becker immediately. The khaki blazer was impossible to miss, particularly with the small bloodstain on one side. The jacket was moving up the center aisle in a sea of black. He must not know I’m here. Hulohot smiled. He’s a dead man. He fanned the tiny metal contacts on his fingertips, eager to tell his American contact the good news. Soon, he thought, very soon. Like a predator moving downwind, Hulohot moved to the back of the church. Then he began his approach-straight up the center aisle. Hulohot was in no mood to track Becker through the crowds leaving the church. His quarry was trapped, a fortunate turn of events. Hulohot just needed a way to eliminate him quietly. His silencer, the best money could buy, emitted no more than a tiny spitting cough. That would be fine. As Hulohot closed on the khaki blazer, he was unaware of the quiet murmurs coming from those he was passing. The congregation could understand this man’s excitement to receive the blessing of God, but nevertheless, there were strict rules of protocol-two lines, single file. Hulohot kept moving. He was closing quickly. He thumbed the revolver in his jacket pocket. The moment had arrived. David Becker had been exceptionally fortunate so far; there was no need to tempt fortune any further. The khaki blazer was only ten people ahead, facing front, head down. Hulohot rehearsed the kill in his mind. The image was clear-cutting in behind Becker, keeping the gun low and out of sight, firing two shots into Becker’s back, Becker slumping, Hulohot catching him and helping him into a pew like a concerned friend. Then Hulohot would move quickly to the back of the church as if going for help. In the confusion, he would disappear before anyone knew what had happened. Five people. Four. Three. Hulohot fingered the gun in his pocket, keeping it low. He would fire from hip level upward into Becker’s spine. That way the bullet would hit either the spine or a lung before finding the heart. Even if the bullet missed the heart, Becker would die. A punctured lung was fatal, maybe not in more medically advanced parts of the world, but in Spain, it was fatal. Two people†¦ one. And then Hulohot was there. Like a dancer performing a well-rehearsed move, he turned to his right. He laid his hand on the shoulder of the khaki blazer, aimed the gun, and†¦ fired. Two muffled spats. Instantly the body was rigid. Then it was falling. Hulohot caught his victim under the armpits. In a single motion, he swung the body into a pew before any bloodstains spread across his back. Nearby, people turned. Hulohot paid no heed-he would be gone in an instant. He groped the man’s lifeless fingers for the ring. Nothing. He felt again. The fingers were bare. Hulohot spun the man around angrily. The horror was instantaneous. The face was not David Becker’s. Rafael de la Maza, a banker from the suburbs of Seville, had died almost instantly. He was still clutching the 50,000 pesetas the strange American had paid him for a cheap black blazer. How to cite Digital Fortress Chapter 88-93, Essay examples

Oppression Remedy In The Corporations Act â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Oppression Remedy In The Corporations Act? Answer: Introducation Section 232 of the Corporations Act, 2001 (Cth) covers the provisions regarding oppressive conduct or where the conduct is such which can be deemed as unfairly discriminatory of unfairly prejudicial. Where the conduct under section 232 of this act is established, the court can award remedies under section 233 of this act as a remedy to the undertaken oppressive conduct (Austlii, 2017). Under section 233 the court can order the company to be wound up, or ask the management to do a particular task or refrain from doing something, and in this regard, the company can be asked to purchase or transmit the shares of an individual (Victorian Law Reform Commission, 2016). Thomas v H W Thomas Ltd (1984) 1 NZLR 686 is a case which proves to be of help here. The court held in this case that the adoption of a conservative financial policy and not paying high dividends could not be deemed as oppressive where the majority have agreed to it and there is a lack of factors which could point towards unfairness. In this case, the court presented three basic conditions which were required for making a case of oppressive conduct and for the remedies to be awarded under the pertinent sections. These three conditions provide that The objective with which such conduct is undertaken has to result in such a condition which can be deemed as oppressive, unfairly discriminatory or unfairly prejudicial; There has to be rationale expectations of the parties being left unmet; and Lastly, in case the remedies are used, it would be deemed as just, fair and equitable (New Zealand Official Law Reports, 2017). Application The case study given here shows that the awarding the dividends was option for the management. Hence, there was no compulsion for the company to declare dividends; and on this basis, A Class shareholders cannot claim an unjustness or unfairness. Applying the case of Thomas v H W Thomas Ltd: The objective of this was not to harm any shareholder but to purchase a vineyard which would help the company in expanding their business; The expectations of Mario and his siblings are unjust and seeing someone as lazy and undeserving cannot be rationally cited as oppression. If remedies under section 233 are awarded in this case, they would be unfair for the parties.In short, owing to the lack of oppression, the claims of grandchildren of Galli would fail. Buyback of the shares can be best defined as the company repurchasing its shares (Gibson and Fraser, 2014). This can be done for various reasons, including increasing the ownership of the company; taking advantage of the undervalued shares of the company; bringing down the dilution; and increasing the key financial ratio of the company including the earnings per shares and return of equity (Kandarpa, 2016). The ASIC, i.e., the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Corporations Act, 2001 cover the legislative requirements for the shares to be brought back. Division 2 covered under Part 2J.1 of the Corporations Act provides the procedure and the requirements which have to be undertaken for buyback of the shares (Federal Register of Legislation, 2017). Further, based on section 257A of this act, the disclosure requirement details are covered and in this regard, ASICs Regulatory Guide 75 covers the valuation requirement based on the report of the independent expert (ASIC, 2007). The case study given here shows that the buyback of shares of the company is a possibility for the company, which would help it, particularly if the claim of a party gets successful, and it is shown that the companys conduct has been unfair, where the court would order the company to buy back the shares. Apart from this, there are other advantages for the company. So, by following the requirements stated above, the shares of the company can be bought back and the requirement of independent expert report can be met based on ASICs Regulatory Guide 75. Capital reduction is that procedure adopted by the company through which the shareholding of the company is reduced by cancelling out the issued shares based on the legislative requirements. There are two key benefits of undertaking capital reduction, the first is the increased shareholders value and the second is the possibility of making the capital structure of the company better than it had been before (Nanda, 2015). The capital reduction can be undertaken only when it does not affect the payments of debts of the creditors. Also, as per section 256C of the Corporations Act, the approval of shareholders has to be undertaken. There are certain other manners in which capital reduction can be undertaken and this includes the share buy-back or the redemption of the redeemable preference shares (ASIC, 2014). The case study given here shows that the company should go ahead and cancels the shares of class A but for this, they would be required to take an approval of the shareholders of the company. They would have to be showed that this proposed capital reduction is fair for every stakeholder and that the capacity of the company in repaying the debts of the company would not be hampered. References ASIC. (2007) Share buy-backs. [Online] ASIC. Available from: https://download.asic.gov.au/media/1240127/rg110.pdf [Accessed on: 01/10/17] ASIC. (2014) Reduction in share capital. [Online] ASIC. Available from: https://asic.gov.au/for-business/running-a-company/shares/reduction-in-share-capital/ [Accessed on: 01/10/17] Austlii. (2017) Corporations Act 2001. [Online] Austlii. Available from: https://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/ definitions [Accessed on: 01/10/17] Gibson, A., and Fraser, D. (2014) Business Law 2014. 8th ed. Melbourne, Pearson Education Australia. Federal Register of Legislation. (2017) Corporations Act 2001. [Online] Federal Register of Legislation. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2013C00605 [Accessed on: 01/10/17] Kandarpa, K. (2016) What is the Purpose of a Share Buyback and How can Shareholders Benefit from it?. [Online] Wise Owl. Available from: https://www.wise-owl.com/investment-education/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-share-buyback-and-how-can-shareholders-benefit-from-it [Accessed on: 01/10/17] Nanda, D.S. (2015) Reduction in share capital: Analysis. [Online] Corporate Law Reporter. Available from: https://corporatelawreporter.com/2015/02/23/reduction-share-capital-analysis/ [Accessed on: 01/10/17] New Zealand Official Law Reports. (2017) Thomas v H W Thomas Ltd - [1984] 1 NZLR 686. [Online] New Zealand Official Law Reports. Available from: https://www.lawreports.nz/thomas-v-h-w-thomas-ltd-1984-1-nzlr-686/ [Accessed on: 01/10/17] Victorian Law Reform Commission. (2016) The oppression remedy in the Corporations Act. [Online] Victorian Law Reform Commission. Available from: https://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/content/3-oppression-remedy-corporations-act#footnote-135972-53-backlink [Accessed on: 01/10/17]