Hispanic American Culture and its Impact in America

Hispanic Americans population in USA has been increasing over the last few decades. Today, Hispanic Americans make up about 16 percent of United State’s population and are minority group in the country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hispanic American Culture and its Impact in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their presence is felt in various sectors; from work places, business, entertainment, to politics (Cafferty Engstrom, 2002). As the number of Hispanic Americans increases, their culture is slowly becoming part of American culture. The term Hispanic is used to refer to a diverse ethnic group united by their use of Spanish language. However, Hispanic Americans originate from various Spanish speaking countries especially in Central and Latin America. The cultural group share common values by their shared Spanish culture but differ slightly by their country of origin. Hispanic Americans is a hig hly cultured ethnic group. Hispanic Americans’ family values, language, rituals and religions, etiquette, and eating habits are unique to other ethnic and cultural groups in the country. The culture of Hispanic Americans has attracted high attention in the recent years. Many of Hispanic Americans maintain their cultures because most are recent immigrants. Family values, etiquette and use of Spanish language are the most distinguishing elements of Hispanic American. Hispanic Americans have high value for their families. Hispanic American family extends beyond nuclear family and family members relate closely (Clutter Nieto, 2008). The family is considered as the most important social unit and each family member considers helping other family members as a social responsibility. Family ties are such tight that Hispanic Americans have a habit of visiting one another or even living with other family members. Spanish language and assent is what is most associated with Hispanic Amer icans. Most Hispanic American use both English and Spanish but the old and recent immigrants have difficulty in using English. Spanish, however, is the common language that used in Hispanic Americans homes or when speaking to other Hispanic Americans. Apart from language, Hispanic American’s etiquette is unique.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most Hispanic Americans tend to be formal. For instance, a firm handshake is the common practice for greeting though slight hug and a kill on the cheek can be used among close family members (Clutter Nieto, 2008). Another cultural feature of Hispanic Americans is religion and rituals. Most of Hispanic Americans are Roman Catholics and religion takes a central place in their lives (Clutter Nieto, 2008). Religious rituals such as prayers, attending daily and Sunday mass and celebrating patron saints make part of Hispanic Americans culture. In addition, Hispanic Americans’ eating habit reflects their origin and culture. Impact of Hispanic Americans culture in American is evident. The most obvious impact is increased usage of Spanish in United States. Today Spanish is used in most parts of the country where Hispanic Americans live or work. A part from spreading Spanish, Hispanic Americans have been successful in small scale business, entertainment, sports and politics and their significance is being respected. For example, Hispanic American musicians such as Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan and Julio Iglesias and baseball players such as Juan Marichal have been very successful. In addition, Hispanic Americans interact with other cultural and ethnic groups in the country; in work places, schools, churches and other places and share culture. Consequently, Hispanic Americans culture is slowly being accepted and integrated in American cultures. Hispanic foods, music, dance, clothing are becoming common with ot her cultural groups. Hispanic Americans are the most culturally influential minority cultural and ethnic group in United States today. The Hispanic cultural heritage month (15th September to 15th October) set aside by United States government, demonstrates the impact of Hispanic Americans in the country (Lamb Johnson, 2008). The action by the government shows that cultural diversity is something to celebrate and invites all Americans to embrace cultural diversity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hispanic American Culture and its Impact in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Clutter, A. Nieto, R. (2008). Understanding the Hispanic Culture. Web. Lamb, A. Johnson, L. (2008). Latino – Hispanic Heritage. Web. Cafferty, P. Engstrom, D. (2002). Hispanics in the United States: an agenda for the twenty-first century. New York: Transaction Publishers. This essay on Hispanic American Culture and its Impact in America was written and submitted by user Asher Sheppard to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Teachers as influential individuals essays

Teachers as influential individuals essays Teaching is a way to train the young, in a selected environment (such as Miriam College), to help them adjust to the world in which they live. The researchers accept as true that teaching is passed on by people around, particularly the teachers. As a teacher, one must acknowledge the value and skill of each individual. Given that teaching is considered to be a dynamic art, a successful teacher should be very artistic, innovative and resourceful in order to meet the changing needs of the students. In addition, teachers are viewed as greatly influential individuals. Therefore, it is understood that one should be skillful in using strategies as well as having a full grasp of the basic teaching strategies present. They can somehow make or break the academic performance of the students. Often times we hear students complaining about one or more subject/s. Possible failure of students has been a reality, because of so many reasons, and lack of interest may be one of these. Lively teachers who creatively think of different activities for lessons may successfully grasp the attention of the students. While teachers who are too strict may encourage students to strive harder or it can also happen that the students will be too tensed to completely understand the lesson. We usually hear teachers saying, You are the ones who make your grades. We only record it. There is truth in the statement, and it is in the hands of the students, indeed, on how they will attain good grades, but have teachers ever thought that they are partly a factor of how students perceive, and accept the subject? Also, do teachers consider the fact that they are responsible for encouraging students to improve on their academic performance? There is a tendency for students to be lazy in coming to class religiously, giving their best in school works, and even being attentive during class discussions. It is noticeable that it becomes harder to...

Personal reflective ( Critical perspectives in Global Management) Coursework

Personal reflective ( Critical perspectives in Global Management) - Coursework Example Volkswagen is a company that that had almost disappeared to obscurity in the early 1990s when Mr. Piech took over as the CEO, however through his leadership and management skills, the company has enjoyed sustained growth and development into the greatest European car manufacturer with expanded markets and a variety of products that respond to the needs of customers. The main issue here is that the former CEO Mr. Piech who has now retired upstairs to chair the supervisory board exhibited an authoritarian and autocratic form of leadership which is not characteristic of most modern organizations; as a result workers have little voice in the strategy and operations of the company. even though a new CEO in the shape of Mr. Bernd Pischetsieder has taken over, the main fear is that the former CEO has sufficient personal power to continue controlling most aspects of Volkwagen’s organization from outside, this raises fears of intransigence in terms of organizational operations. Obvious ly, most workers would like more space and ideological input in the operations of the company. ... Piech. It is clear that the former CEO appreciated discipline, authority, and unity of command with him being the major center of the last two. This indicates a distrust of other people’s leadership and a sense of authoritarianism. Max Weber’s bureaucracy also comes out clearly in the operations of Volkswagen with the former CEO appearing as a leader who ensured that every process and decision followed a clearly set path. This is clear in the fear that decision making will always be pushed upwards. Within the contingency theory, it is clear that Volkswagen under Peuch, was a company largely built around mechanistic structures characterized by centralization, strict division of labor, vertical communication, and low trust (Burns and Stalker, 1961). This is a system that current members of the organization fear will be continued under the new CEO, who has largely been groomed by the former CEO and that it will eventually be detrimental to the organization. There are a num ber of problems that can be identified in the Volkswagen case. The first and most clear of all is the problem around leadership and motivation. It is clear that although under the autocratic leadership of the former CEO the company flourished, many of the workers especially in the managerial level expected a new style of leadership synonymous with global trends that would afford them more input into the running of the company and its development to new heights. However, with the presence of the former CEO still looming large and the new CEO most likely to work under the guidance of Mr. Piech, distrust and lack of confidence has cropped up. This may affect morale and performance. On the face of it, the problem is intransigence, with organizational members having the feeling that things may

Personal Moral Compass & Vision Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Moral Compass & Vision Statement - Essay Example Back in the late 1990’s Nike, a corporation that was built on image and marketing to obtain tremendous brand value, lost a lot of customers due a sweetshop scandal. In this paper I will provide an assessment of my capabilities for ethical leadership and vision five years from now. Since a very young age I have always had very high moral standards. I believe it is important to do things the right way. In the marketing profession there are many challenges that a professional may face. There are ethical dilemmas such as choosing whether to target other competitors and aggressively discredit their practices in campaigns even when the claims may be half truths or irrelevant information. I believe do not believe that adverting people should use the competition as a point of basis of a campaign. Advertising should focus on highlighting the strengths of the firm or product. I think advertising campaigns such as the Dunking Donuts campaign that tells people that real friends donâ€℠¢t let their friends drink at Starbucks are unethical. I consider that my capabilities to make decisions using ethical leadership are outstanding. I have always considered the ethical implications my decisions in life and in business. I can improve my ethical understanding by taking structured seminars and continued education courses on the subject. In the past when I have been faced with tough ethical decisions I sometimes communicate the dilemma to friend or colleague in order to gain their opinion and input on the matter. Active listening skills are useful to evaluate the feedback from other people in order to make better informed decisions. Five years from now I plan to be working in a marketing department. At that time I will face ethical challenges on a recurrent basis. I potential challenge that I may face could involved deciding whether to expand the operations of the company into developing countries to raise profits with the consequence being lowering the jobs the firm cre ates in the United States. The options in this scenario are to expand into one or many foreign countries or to target growth exclusively in the domestic market. My ethical point of view on these types of business international matters is that it is the ethical responsibility of the company is to choose the alternative that maximizes shareholder’s wealth. Patriotism is a nice notion, but in business being close minded doesn’t lookout for the best interest of the firm. A good option to create balance would be to invest in the international option if is more profitable, to then in the future use those profits to diversify your operation and help the US economy by investing in new ventures in the United States. There are other important ethical decisions that I might face in 2016 as a professional in the workplace. A topic that is going to gain greater popularity in marketing circles in 2016 is corporate social responsibility. I have seen companies that are using innovativ e marketing programs to help out social causes. A few years ago Starbuck Cafe introduced a program that donated 5 cents out of every sale of certain beverages towards supporting AIDS programs in Africa. These types of programs at first glance might be seeing with hesitation by upper management because their perception might be that such a mandatory donation is an added cost that lowers the profitability of a product. Ethical leadership can have tremendous benefits. As a marketing professional it would be my duty to educate management over the value of such a

The Significance Of The Enlightenment Philosophy Essay

The Significance Of The Enlightenment Philosophy Essay The purpose of writing this essay is to understand and analyse the significance of the Enlightenment in the development of the scientific method.This paper has been divided into three parts. The first part explains the reason of the coming of Enlightenment. Next,assessing the differences between theological interpretation and scientific method,and the third part analyses the Enlightenments spirit how to promote the development of scientific method.In addition,I will refer to a number of representative,for example,Newton,Rene Descartes, John Locke, David Hume,Rousseau, Kant and they rejected that theory was the only way leading to truth, condemning peoples thoughts about Christianity,celebrating reason,equality,science and humans ability to perfect themselves and society(Herry,J.2004).Their theories and contributions play an active role in the development of the scientific method .The overall purpose is to enable people to learn about the Enlightenment, the coming of scientific method ,and understand the significance of the Enlightenment in the development of the scientific method of inquiry. At the beginning ,lets see the reason of the coming of the Enlightenment.Firstly,in the seventeen and eighteen century ,European societies underwent a transition from feudal society to a capitalist society.With the development of economic, the bourgeoisie hold a strong power. But the feudal autocratic system was a huge obstacle to their further development, in order to overthrow the feudal remnants and replace them, the bourgeoisie must create public opinion. This was the original prupose of English Enlightenment(Hamilton, P. 1992). Secondly, the occurrence of the Enlightenment had a close relationship between the development of the natural sciences.In the 17,18 century, the natural sciences has been rapid development. The development of the natural sciences provide the basis for the Enlightenment, as the Enlightenment thinkers in many ways from the emerging natural sciences to find the theoretical underpinnings and ways of thinking.In the 18th century ,natural philosophers believed that scientific revolution could change all human activity.On this period, there have been many enlightened thinkers,who forcefully dispelled the shackles of peoples mind of the medieval scholastic shackles,promote scientific experiments and celebrated reason,equality,science and humans ability to perfect themselves and society(Henry,J.2004).Enlightenment was generated in this request. And then formed the basic spirit of the Enlightenment,which was against the divine right of kings and advocated natural rights, which based on the development of modern science and led to generate a new world view. Enlightenment was an anti-feudal, anti-Christian ideology and culture of the revolutionary movement(Herry,J.2004).It was the furtherance of the Renaissance of the fifteenth century, took placed during the seventeenth and eighteenth century in Europe, was originally produced in the UK, and then developed into France, Germany and Russia, in addition, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries were also affected.The thinkers of the Enlightenment,based on reason and materialism,denounced the Christian idea of peoples inherent depravity,celebrating reason,equality,science and humans ability to perfect themselves and society (Outram,D). An important aspect of the Enlightenment flourished the development of science. The thinkers of the Scientific Revolution generated the concepts of inductive and deductive reasoning, stimulating the formation of the scientific method(Kuhn, T. 1962). The scientific method was the understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge or access to the procedure or process.Compared with theological interpretation,scientific method is practiced within using empirical evidence(empiricism), practicing logical reasonsing(rationalism),and had a skeptical about presumed knowledge (skepticism),that led to self-questioning, holding tentative conclusions, and was willing to change their religion(Steven, D 1994).The Empiricist Bacons New instrument (1620) and the rational commentators of Descartess Scientific method (1637) were represented the two wings of the scientific method the experience and assumptions inductive and deductive method. They laid the scientific method of pattern or schema.(Perry,M.1993) Enlightenments spirit promote the development of scientific method(Kuhn, T. 1962).In many ways, the basic spirit of the Enlightenment was against the divine right of kings and advocated natural rights, which based on the development of modern science and led to generate a new world view.In addition,the Enlightenment grew directly out of the scientific revolution(Kuhn, T. 1962).The Enlightenment thinkers admired the discoveries of the scientific method revolution and valued the method that made them possible.In a world , the Enlightenment promote the development of the scientific method of inquiry.Through the three generations of enlightenment and their contribution to be find. The Enlightenment was largely the work of three overlapping and closely linked generations of thinkers(Hamilton,1992:25). The first generation of Enlightenment thinkers were the English scientist Isaac Newton(1642-1727),political philosopher John Locke(1632-1704),the French thinkers Voltaire(1694-1778 ).In the 17th century, the great achievements of modern science has changed human life and world view. Newtons natural philosophy deciphered natures mysteries.In 1687,Newton published a famous book: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, in this book ,he provided a lot of mathematical evidence of the laws of gravity. He had uncovered universal laws that explained the physical phenomena,and provide clear and certain answers to the problem of the social world (Outram,D).Newton, considered one of the most influential scientists. He encouraged everyone to observe and realize the world. Equally important, Newton shows scientific ideas and methods can be applied to the development of science, not a moment to pave the way for many generations the enlightenment thinkers.(Henry,J.2004). One of the leaders of the Enlightenment Voltaire, who introduced Newtons system of thought to the center of movement France.A rational spirit of the Enlightenment was against the ignorance and mysticism, in fact,made a popularity of the spirit of science. During the same period,another philosophies John Locke developed Bacons idea that all ideas and derived all knowledge, opinions and behaviour had to based on sense expenses and attacked on metaphysics.According his thought,Locke established empiricism .And after that,Enlightenment thinkers held that people should not dwell on unanswered questions, especially should not spent time on the result of the theology, but should seek practical knowledge, inspired people and made them control their own environment(Outram,D).They thought that all of the theory must be analyzed to determine and the practical experience of mankind based on the confirmation.Lockes empiricism instead of chrity and verification and aspiried to useful knowledge.Thus, it helped to mold the utilitarian and reformist spirit of the Enlightenment. The second generation included the Scottish philosopher David Hume(1711-1776) and French philosopher Rousseau(1712-1778).It was more explicitly anticlericaland continued and developed the interest in the application of scientific method to moral(or social) issues developed by members of the first generation. The Scottish philosopher David Hume was influenced by John Locke,made a philosophical discovery that opened up to him a new senses of thought'(Hamilton, P. 1992).From then on,scientific method offered greater opportunities to question even basic assumption.In 1739 , David Hume published the Treatise of Human Nature argued that the problem of induction was unsolvable.Humes skepticism was based on experience,and based on the argument, these arguments were divided into two aspects: one was with Locke and Berkeley as the representative of the implementation of the principles of empiricism and the development of this argument will be advanced to British empiricism its logical conclusion, explaining that it implied skepticism; the other was through experience and psychological analysis demonstrates that the human while the existence of an object with the outside world, the same self and causality, etc., irresistible natural beliefs, However, we did not have these beliefs was based on objec tive reality, we can describe their psychological processes occur, but not for their objective validity of the defence.The most important of Humes approach was strong move against metaphysics as speculative and meaningless(Lindberg,1990).By 1750 the scientific method had already become inductive, historical, anthropological, comparative, and critical(Hamilton, P. 1992). In the same period,another Enlightenment thinkers Jean-Jacques Rousseau pointed out the accumulation of knowledge,which can help people to improve understanding but destruct the human morality(Stephen,E.B.2008). Rousseau questioned advanced in knowledge and advocated getting back to nature.Rousseaus argument for educational purposes in order to cultivate a natural person, and attacked the nobility and the feudal education, and he believed that nature did not manufacture the nobility and gentry, and everyone should, according to nature and life. In this respect, Rousseaus theory was a progressive of the educational purposes, but his theory of human nature was good when he born that was not science, because nature was just the potential physical and mental development, education can not be one-sided response to peoples instincts.In the new society,reason would be used to enhance mans innate goodness and to make him free.Rousseaus empnases on self-reliance and on learning by doing rathe r than by rote-the first book that Emile will read was Robinson Crusoe-make him a forerunner of the progressive education advocated. From then on ,scientific knowledge came to be seen as instrument for securing control over the human condition and make it better(Loflin,L). Enlightenment was characterized by doing away with superstition and mysticism, advocate science (natural philosophy, or simply said in philosophy) and reason this period was known as the Age of Reason(Kuhn, T) The ideal of the Enlightenment inspired many subsequent thinkers-The third generation included the German philosopher Kant (1724à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1804) who couraged people to use own intelligence to break with beliefs and institutions(Hamilton, P. 1992). Kant attempted to steer a middle course between two position of Rationalism and Empiricism.Reason and observation work together(Perry,M.1993).In 1784,Kant entitledwhat is Enlightenment?,in his essay,he expressed this central principle of the Enlightenment.He said Enlightenment was mans leaving his self-caused immaturity.Immaturity is the incapacity to use ones intelligence without the guidance of another. Have the courage to use your own intelligence,is therefore the motto of the enlightenment. Kant rejected the authority of tradition, the philosopher wanted people to have the courage to break with beliefs and institutions that did not meet the test of reason and common to seek new guideposts derived from reason.For Kant, the Enlightenment was a process of becoming enlightened(Perry,M.1993). This assignment has explained the central importance of the Enlightenment in the development of scientific method.In early modern time,from Bacon cannot link the relationship between truth and reason,and Descartes simply described the reason and truth,human reason and scientific method and progress.In the Pre-Modernment time,Enlightenment reached peak amongest the French philosopher.Using the scientific methods based on the nature of science ,which was the objective forms of knowledge. However, Enlightenment itself was in a moral restraint to improve society. In other words, the moral dimension of enlightenment was built on a specific value(Stephen,E.B 2008). From this point, Enlightenment can be seen as a standard program. Scientific method, on the other hand, regarded itself as one of the biggest pursuit of justice that was interested in discovery of facts in the form of objective à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“lawsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. We have seen Enlightenment enabled the study of social life to break away from religious interpretations and established human beings as the active agency in constructing scientific knowledge.In addition, the Enlightenment marks the final break between pre-modern and modern knowledge,for it transformed the way in which the system of knowledge related to the social structure and social agency.It operated principles of modern knowledge.At the same time,the development of the natural sciences provide the basis for the Enlightenment, as the Enlightenment thinkers in many ways from the emerging natural sciences to find the theoretical underpinnings and ways of thinking and lead to promote the scientific and economic, social and political transformation of development.

American vs. French Revolution

Compare and Contrast Essay American vs. French Revolution Throughout the years, our world has faced drastic and far-reaching changes in the way people think and behave. Countries have managed to constantly change their way of viewing things and started by placing action of what they thought. Two great examples about these conversions are the American and the French Revolution. This times in history, where vital for the formation of nations all over the world and was able to leave a legacy until today.Whereas some people consider these changes as minimal, the American and French Revolution changed the way governments were formed around the world. The French Revolution started in France 1789 which turn out to be a period of radical social and political up heal in France. France was left really poor after helping with the American Revolution a few years before. One of the main conflicts found between the government and the people was that they were charging the poor for taxes while the nobles weren’t paying at all. When the citizens realized it, the governed decided to overthrow the government which at this time was ruled by Louis XVI.More and more people joined the opposition to the existing governing constitution. The Girondin was one of the most important devices in the French revolution due to the fact that many executions of the national party took place there. It was considered a scary time in the country because of the many executions that were held to back up any revolutionary activities. A few years later, Napoleon Bonaparte established an end to the revolution by declaring himself the ‘First consul’ of France, however didn’t quite develop a stable government for later.In the other hand, the American Revolution years earlier back in 1775. The main reason for why this war took place was because the 13 American colonies wanted to break apart from their â€Å"mother land†, Great Britain. Unlike the French, the American battl e was fought as a war with guns and canons in where troops seize to obtain power for their country. After 3 years of war, the French and the United States created the Franco-American Alliance in 1778. This was one more step towards the Americans gaining power over their land.This finally concluded in 1783 when they signed the Treaty of Paris which ended the war. However, Independence Day in the United States is celebrated the 4th of July because that same date back in 1776 was when the famous piece written by Thomas Jefferson was signed by the one of the most important people in American history. The declaration stated their freedom as a legit nation and grants them the title of the United States of Americas. As you can see, both revolutions have their differences among with their similarities.One of the obvious ones is that the American Revolution was the one who created this revolutionary movement in world history and inspired other nations who were struggling for their rights (in this case France). France returned them the favor of inspiration by helping them fight against the British and contributing in what was needed. Another similarity was that they both had a written piece (Declaration of Independence and The rights of man) which introduced how the people wanted to be treated. In this fight for what the people believed was right, I’m sure you noticed various differences among the two.First of all, the American Revolution took place an ocean away from the country of origin and the French Revolution was held in France itself. Another difference mentioned before is that the American Revolution was developed through war and battle. France in the other hand was more of executions and conflicts between the people and the government. One of the most important contrarieties was that the United States incarnated America as a state of democracy and created a long lasting government that is still held today.The French tried to do something similar however they weren’t able to. As you can see, the Revolutions, with their differences and similarities, managed to reform their countries in their own way. Weather it was through war or through executions, the people managed to say how they wanted to be ruled and accomplished it. In my opinion I think that the revolutions were and will continue to be one of the most important events in world history and that we will forever have an effect on how our world can behave.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 10

September 4, 1864 Midnight. Too late to fall asleep, too early to be awake. A candle burns on my nightstand, the flickering shadows foreboding. I am haunted already. Will I ever forgive myself for not finding Rosalyn until it was too late? And why is she –the one I vowed to forget–still on my mind? My head is pounding. Cordelia is always at the door, offering drinks, lozenges, powdered herbs. I take them, like a recuperating child. Father and Damon glance at me when they think I'm asleep. Do they know of the nightmares? I thought marriage was a fate worse than death. I was wrong. I was wrong about so many things, too many things, and all I can do is pray for forgiveness and hope that somehow, somewhere, I can summon strength from the depths of my existence to step firmly onto the path of the right again. I will do it. I must. For Rosalyn. And for her. Now I will blow out the candle and hope for sleep–like that of the dead –to engulf me quickly†¦. â€Å"Stefan! Time to get up!† my father called, slamming my bedroom door. â€Å"What?† I struggled to sit, not sure what hour it was, or what day it was, or how much time had passed since Rosalyn's death. Day faded into night, and I could never really sleep, only doze into terrifying dreams. I wouldn't have eaten anything, except that Cordelia continued to come into my room with her concoctions, spoon-feeding them to me to ensure that they were eaten. She'd make fried chicken and okra and a thick mash of what she called sufferer stew which she said would , make me feel better. She'd left another one, a drink this time, on my nightstand. I drank it quickly. â€Å"Get ready. Alfred will help you prepare,† my father said. â€Å"Get ready for what?† I asked, swinging my legs onto the floor. I hobbled to the mirror. I had stubble over my chin, and my tawny hair stood up on all ends. My eyes were red, and my nightshirt was hanging off my shoulders. I looked awful. Father stood behind me, appraising my reflection. â€Å"Y ou'll pull yourself together. Today is Rosalyn's funeral, and it's important to me and the Cartwrights that we are there. We want to show everyone that we must band together against the evil that's scourging our town.† While Father prattled on about demons, I thought about facing the Cartwrights for the first time. I still felt horribly guilty. I couldn't help thinking that the attack wouldn't have happened if I'd been waiting for Rosalyn on the porch, instead of lingering in the study with Katherine. If I'd been outside, waiting for Rosalyn, I would have seen her walking from the fields in her pink dress. Maybe I could have faced death with her, too, and she wouldn't have had to confront that nightmarish animal alone. I may not have loved Rosalyn, but I couldn't forgive myself for not being there to save her. â€Å"Well, come on,† Father said impatiently as Alfred walked in, holding a white linen shirt and a double-breasted black suit. I blanched. It was the suit I'd have worn at my wedding–and the church where we were mourning Rosalyn was to have been the site of the ceremony establishing our union. Still, I managed to change into the suit, allowed Alfred to help me shave, since my hands allowed Alfred to help me shave, since my hands were so shaky, and emerged an hour later ready to do what I had to do. I kept my eyes down as I followed Father and Damon to the carriage. Father sat up front, next to Alfred, while Damon sat in the back with me. â€Å"How are you, brother?† Damon asked above the familiar clip-clop of Duke's and Jake's hooves down Willow Creek Road. â€Å"Not very well,† I said formally, a stiff lump in my throat. Damon put a hand on my shoulder. The magpies chattered, the bees buzzed, and the sun cast a golden glow on the trees. The entire coach smelled like ginger, and I felt my stomach heave. It was the smell of guilt over lusting after a woman who was never to be–could never be–my wife. â€Å"Your first death, the first one you witness, changes you,† Damon said finally, as the coach pulled up to the white clapboard church. The church bells were ringing, and every business in town was closed for the day. â€Å"But perhaps it can change you for the better.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said as I descended from the coach. But I didn't see how. We reached the door as Dr. Janes hobbled into the church, his cane in one hand and a flask of whiskey in another. Pearl and Anna were sitting together, and Jonathan Gilbert sat behind them, his elbows perched on the edge of Pearl's pew, just inches from her shoulder. Sheriff Forbes was in his usual place in the second pew, glaring at the cluster of rouged women from the tavern who had come to pay their respects. At the edge of their circle was Alice, the barmaid, cooling herself with a silk fan. Calvin Bailey, the organist, was playing an adaptation of Mozart's Requiem, but he seemed to hit a sour note every few chords. In the front pew, Mr. Cartwright stared straight ahead, while Mrs. Cartwright sobbed and occasionally blew her nose into a lace handkerchief. At the front of the church, a closed oak casket was covered with flowers. Wordlessly, I walked to the casket and knelt down in front of it. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I whispered, touching the casket, which felt cold and hard. Unbidden, images of my betrothed popped up in my mind: Rosalyn giggling over her new puppy, giddily discussing flower combinations for our wedding, risking the wrath of her maid by planting a covert kiss on my cheek at the end of one visit. I moved my hands off the casket and put them together, as if in prayer. â€Å"I hope that you and Penny have found each other in Heaven.† I leaned down, letting my lips graze the casket. I wanted her to know, wherever she was, that I would have learned to love her. â€Å"Good-bye.† I turned to take my seat and stopped short. Right behind me was Katherine. She was wearing a dark-blue cotton dress that stood out in the sea a dark-blue cotton dress that stood out in the sea of black crepe that filled the pews. â€Å"I'm so sorry for your loss,† Katherine said, touching my arm. I flinched and drew my arm back. How dare she touch me so familiarly in public? Didn't she realize that if we hadn't been carrying on at the barbecue in the first place, the tragedy might never have happened? Concern registered in her dark eyes. â€Å"I know how hard this must be for you,† she said. â€Å"Please let me know if you need anything.† I immediately felt a wave of guilt for assuming she was doing anything other than showing sympathy. After all, her parents had died. She was just a young girl, reaching out to offer her support. She looked so sad that for one wild second, I was tempted to cross the aisle and comfort her. â€Å"Thank you,† I said instead, sucking in my stale breath and walking back to the pew. I slid next to Damon, who had his hands crossed piously over a Bible. I noticed his eyes flick up as Katherine briefly knelt down by the coffin. I followed his gaze, noticing the way several curls had escaped from beneath her hat and were curling around the ornate clasp on her blue necklace. A few minutes later, the Requiem ended, and Pastor Collins strode up to the pulpit. â€Å"We're here to celebrate a life cut far too short. There is evil among us, and we will mourn this death, but we will also draw strength from this death †¦,† he intoned. I covertly glanced across the aisle at Katherine. Her servant, Emily, was sitting next to her on one side and Pearl on the other. Katherine's hands were folded as if in prayer. She turned slightly, as if to look at me. I forced myself to look away before our eyes could meet. I would not dishonor Rosalyn by thinking of Katherine. I gazed up at the unfinished, steepled beams of the church. I'm sorry, I thought, sending the message upward and hoping that Rosalyn, wherever she was, heard it.