Black And White Essay Research Paper Black free essay sample

Black And White Essay, Research Paper Black and White Following the Civil War, merely prior to the bend of the century, many American novelist were composing more freely of the old slave civilization. Two of these authors being Mark Twain and Charles Chesnutt. Mark Twain was a popular? white? writer by this clip. Charles Chesnutt, the boy of free inkinesss, decided to prosecute a dream of going an writer in order to take the spirit of racism. By analyzing these writers in peculiar, the positions of a white raised in the slave keeping Souths are juxtaposed with the positions of free black. Both Twain and Chesnutt satirise Whites in different ways through their literature. Twain besides displays some unfavourable prepossessions of inkinesss. This can be attributed to his ain upbringing in the slave keeping South. The chief character of the Chesnutt narratives is an old Negro adult male, antecedently a slave, who engages his new white employers in many narratives about life on the plantation. Uncle Julius relays these narratives with much item. Though, at the decision of each, the reader is left inquiring whether the narrative was true or if Uncle Julius had conceived of it simply to fulfill his ain desires. Chesnutt has added to the terminal of each narrative an subterranean motivation of Uncle Julius that seems to be met by the relation of his narratives. By making this, Chesnutt discretely satirizes Whites in general. In the first narrative, The Goophered Grapevine, Uncle Julius Tells of a conjure adult female seting a? goopher? on the pipelines, doing all inkinesss that eat the grapes to decease within one twelvemonth. This narrative is relayed upon the first meeting of the northern white twosome ( John and Annie ) and the native South Carolinian. After stating his narrative of Henry and the others that suffered from this enchantment, Uncle Julius concludes that these Northerners should non purchase this vinery, adding handily that he is non afraid to eat the grapes because he know the? ole vimes fum de noo 1s. ? John decides to purchase the farm in malice of Uncle Julius # 8217 ; s warnings, but he does offer him employment as a coachman. It seems as if Uncle Julius had been seeking to vouch his utility on the plantation even after its sale. Be white adult male tricked into believing Julius # 8217 ; cognition would be utile in the renewing of the vineries? Chesnutt lets the reader admiration, but irrespective of his narrative being the ground for his employment, Uncle Julius gets to remain on the land and receives a pay to counterbalance for any money he may hold lost in the sale of the vinery. As the household settles into their new place the married woman sees a demand for a new kitchen. There is an abandoned schoolhouse on the corner of the belongings that could function for some of the wood to construct with. Uncle Julius hears of the thought and is instantly reminded of another narrative. Chesnutt has titled this narrative Po # 8217 ; Sandy. In this narrative Uncle Julius Tells of a strong, hardworking slave, Sandy, that was tired of being sent away to wok for the Master # 8217 ; s adult kids. His married woman Tenie, conjure adult female, places a enchantment on Sandy turning him into a tree. Sandy continued to hold jobs in this province. Tenie decides to turn him back and run off with him one dark. Unfortunately, Tenie was sent to nurse her maestro # 8217 ; s daughter-in-law and by the clip she returned the tree had been sent to the factory. Sandy was used to construct the kitchen, that subsequently became the old schoolhouse at the corner of the plantation. Tenie died on the floor of that schoolhouse mourning her hubby. This narrative so disturbed Annie that she refused to utilize any old timber from the schoolhouse. At the decision Annie besides admits that she has given Uncle Julius permission to utilize the old schoolhouse for meetings of the new Colored Baptist Church. Yet once more Uncle Julius has received some kind of benefit from the relation of his narratives. This leads the reader to believe that he had this subterranean motivation in head the full clip. Chesnutt seems to be satirising the ignorant white adult female. In the concluding choice chosen from the plants of Chesnutt, Uncle Julius Tells the narrative of Dave # 8217 ; s Neckliss. Dave, a good Christian slave, is accused of stealing a jambon from the meat house and forced to have on a jambon chained around his cervix for penalty. Wiley, the existent stealer, had set Dave up because he loved the miss that Dave had been traveling around with. When this was discovered, the maestro tried to do rapprochement by stating all the slaves. Dave had already lost his senses a small and thought he was a jambon. Uncle Julius subsequently found him hanging the meat house. Uncle Julius explains how he can non eat more than two or three lbs of jambon without holding to halt and believe about Dave. John asks for jambon at breakfast the following forenoon. Annie first claims that jambon was excessively heavy for breakfast, but admits that she ha vitamin D given it all to Uncle Julius. Annie has been outsmarted one time more by a black adult male. These three illustration show Chesnutt is satirising the Whites. He shows, through Uncle Julius # 8217 ; narratives, that inkinesss have the ability to juggle Whites in order to hold their ain motivations met. Thus Chesnutt portrays inkinesss possessing greater intelligence than many at the clip accepted. He does this really discretely through the black common people narratives of supernatural, but the surrounding sarcasm is still evident. Twain besides satirizes Whites in his novel Pudd # 8217 ; nhead Wilson, more specifically the Whites of the slave keeping south. This is brought out originally in the scene where Wilson receives his name. The serious attitudes of belongings prevents the white towns people from understanding the gag Wilson makes about the Canis familiaris. For the reader it is evident that Twain is indicating out the stupidity of the towns people instead than that of Wilson. Couple besides shows Roxy as a black that is in a little manner superior to the townspeople. She is able to outwit the full town, including her ain maestro, by exchanging her ain kid with her maestro # 8217 ; s boy. Ironically, the lone white who figures out this strategy is Wilson, the individual the townsfolk labeled a? pudd # 8217 ; nhead. ? Here, Twain once more satirizes the Whites of the south by demoing their ignorance. These people are so bemused with the thought of race, yet they can non state the difference between a individual they would label? nigger? and a white. Twain besides raises some inquiries sing the nature of race. Are their unconditioned qualities of race or does it depend wholly on 1s upbringing? Twain inquiries nature versus raising. In the narrative Tom is a white male child that possesses black blood and Chambers is? white. ? Twain spends some clip comparing these male childs as they grow up. He says, Tom? was a bad babe from the really beginning. ? He was given anything he desired. Tom grew to be little and weak, while Chambers grew large and strong. Couple points to the difference in diet and activity. Tom ate Sweets and was waited on, while Chambers was? coarsely fed? and worked around the house. Although Twain provinces that Tom was bad from the start, the reader is left inquiring what would hold happened if he had received Chambers subject, diet, and work burden. At the decision of the book, the white townsfolk of Dawson # 8217 ; s Landing blame Tom # 8217 ; s atrocious behaviour on the bead of black blood that he possesses. Though, Twain seems to be stating that it was his white upbringing that made him into the adult male became. This besides satirizes the Whites of Dawson # 8217 ; s Landing, demoing them as simple minded. Twain besides inquiries the self-concept of inkinesss. Here we see some of Twain # 8217 ; s racialist attitudes displayed. He tries to demo the sarcasm of the inkinesss position of themselves in the instance of Roxy. Though Roxy has no physical features that distinguish her as black in her ain head that is what she is. From the really start of her life she has worn that label and her personality has been patterned after that. Her idiom is hapless and uneducated merely as she herself is. She has non been schooled as to the proper manners of a lady and therefore she is crass and vulgar at times. All of these outward aspects of Roxy # 8217 ; s personality expose her as black, though her characteristics do non. Even being raised in this mode, Twain portrays Roxy as feeling superior to the other slaves because of her white heritage. At one clip she says to Jasper, another slave, ? I got somep # 8217 ; n # 8217 ; better to make den # 8217 ; sociat # 8217 ; n # 8217 ; wid niggas every bit black as you is. ? This was all in joke, but throughout the book Couple shows Roxy as holding a low position of inkinesss, particularly her ain black heritage. When call on the carpeting her boy Tom for declining to dispute the twins, Roxy incriminations his cowardliness on? de nigger? in him. After observing all of the predominant white members of his lineage, she concludes that? de nigger? is his psyche. Couple seems to hold some premises of his ain that inkinesss have no pride in their ain heritage. Couple and Chesnutt both satirize Whites, but in different ways. Couple, being a white, satirizes the slave keeping south, instead than Whites in general. Chesnutt, on the other manus, uses a twosome from the North in a narrative set in the free South. Chesnutt besides is more descrete in his sarcasm, while Twain pigeon berries merriment straight. Twain besides displays some of his ain biass, being a white seeking to explicate the black civilization. On the contrary, Chesnutt candidly portrays inkinesss from an inside position. Roxy was ashamed of the black blood in her, while Uncle Julius seemed to be a proud old adult male, happy to state of his black friends and yesteryear. From the analysis these literary choices we can derive a greater apprehension of racial positions but, one may state that everything is non as simple as black and white

Free Essays on Children And Death

Introduction: Children and Grief Children can only conceive of death according to their stage of development. The children’s emotional understanding is not based entirely on their age. Therefore, children who have come into contact with the death of a loved one may have a greater understanding of the concept of death than other children their age. As Children Grieve Children’s interpretation of death will depend on the amount of knowledge they have acquired emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Children must learn that death is a final and last act, instead of one that can be reversed or avoided. Children’s ability to understand death happens through their experiences and their social interactions with others; therefore, children express grief differently. Thus, their actions and reactions are closely related to their developmental stage and understanding. Very young children often view death as temporary. This belief is reinforced through television, especially through cartoon characters that die then comes back to life. As children get older they begin to understand the concept of death, but they think it will never happen to them or the people they know. Death should be explained to a child with an example that can be understood. A good example would be a flower and how long it last, then continue in accordance with the child’s ability to comprehend, since children response to death is different than adults. Therefore, a child sometimes believes that the deceased family member is still alive; however, long-term denial of death and grief can surface as psychological problems at a later time. A child frightened to attend a funeral should not be forced to, but participation on some small scale is healthy. The act of saying a prayer or saying a soft good bye at the gravesite will help the child accept the death. After the child learns to accept the death,... Free Essays on Children And Death Free Essays on Children And Death Introduction: Children and Grief Children can only conceive of death according to their stage of development. The children’s emotional understanding is not based entirely on their age. Therefore, children who have come into contact with the death of a loved one may have a greater understanding of the concept of death than other children their age. As Children Grieve Children’s interpretation of death will depend on the amount of knowledge they have acquired emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Children must learn that death is a final and last act, instead of one that can be reversed or avoided. Children’s ability to understand death happens through their experiences and their social interactions with others; therefore, children express grief differently. Thus, their actions and reactions are closely related to their developmental stage and understanding. Very young children often view death as temporary. This belief is reinforced through television, especially through cartoon characters that die then comes back to life. As children get older they begin to understand the concept of death, but they think it will never happen to them or the people they know. Death should be explained to a child with an example that can be understood. A good example would be a flower and how long it last, then continue in accordance with the child’s ability to comprehend, since children response to death is different than adults. Therefore, a child sometimes believes that the deceased family member is still alive; however, long-term denial of death and grief can surface as psychological problems at a later time. A child frightened to attend a funeral should not be forced to, but participation on some small scale is healthy. The act of saying a prayer or saying a soft good bye at the gravesite will help the child accept the death. After the child learns to accept the death,...

Small Self-Sustaining Community Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Small Self-Sustaining Community - Term Paper Example Certain principles will be put into consideration when setting up a community which is sustainable and self sufficient. All the stakeholders including government, business people, locals and infrastructure should be put into consideration when coming up with the plan for the project. Engagement and collaboration between stakeholders will result into a holistic, long term and long lasting plan. The community must exist for future generations by not exhausting water, air, land and other ecological resources, which support the existence of that community. As a planner I will put into consideration the needs of all the professionals who will move in to work in the community, plus the needs of the locals. This will include daily activities such as going to school, work and accessing recreation facilities. The plan will nourish social integration. Transport and businesses will be put up in close proximity with one another. Transport systems will therefore be crucial to aid movement. There will be rapid rail system in place and scheduled bus services. All this transport systems will run on green energy. Since residents do not have to travel long distances, there will be no need for them to use personal cars, hence saving on fuel and in the end less harm to the environment in form of global warming. Residents will be able to walk and cycle, transport means which saves on energy. Greening of the community will be a priority, therefore green landscapes, balcony and roof top agriculture will be a common practice. Education of the community on environmental preservation will be a enhanced to enable this shift to sustainability. The buildings that will come up will be energy efficient for example correct insulation and solar power installation. Housing will shift from suburbs which lead to deforestation to high density buildings within the town centre to ease movement. Solid waste management will be a priority. The four Rs for example reducing and recycling will be put into consideration, this will minimize on the waste generated and that is released into the environment by the community. Composting of kitchen waste which is biodegradable will be a major way of managing waste; this is a natural process of organic waste decomposition. The end product is then used for growing of organic food instead of using chemical fertilizers which are harmful to the environment. The process of collection, transportation, recycling and disposal of waste will be handled in an ecologically friendly way to minimize pollution. Sewerage is another waste product that should be handled with care. This is because of the risk it poses to the health of the community and ecology if not handled with care. This waste presents an opportunity for treatment of the waste water which will then be used for other purposes for example irrigation in food growing. Employment opportunities will also be created in the process hence improvement in living standards. Care will however be taken to ensure that this water does not get into contact with clean drinking water because it would lead to contamination. Clean energy production and use will be a major component in the design of the city. Going green in terms of energy use is no longer an option., there should be a shift from use of non renewable energy sources to renewable sources of energy, for example hydroelectricity, geothermal energy and tidal energy. Energy to be used in the community wil

Macro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macro Economics - Essay Example INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THE ARTICLE: The article summarizes current situation of the economy of United States and comment on the different policies and initiatives taken by the government. Writer, with the help of this article, wants to explain the changing attitude of the consumers in the market of United States. The ongoing decreases in the income level have resulted in generation of feelings against the government of United States. There has been around 9.8 percent decline in the national income, for the period starting from recession till June 2011, which is highest in previous some decades (Pear). Although there have been slight improvement in the unemployment rate, the overall wage rate has been stagnant or decreasing. Different factors have been identified for this by the writer like increasing number of people looking for jobs, people are ready to work at low wages, and the wage rate per hour is not able to cover the increase in the overall cost because of inflation (Pear). Along with this the writer has presented the ideas of different economists and analysts, who are of the view that recession has not yet ended for the economy of United States of America. People are facing serious issues because of the lack of jobs and reduced wage rates. As a result the overall spending has also decreased. EVALULATION AND EXPLANATION OF THE ARTICLE: In the article, Pear has provided different statistics in order to prove the decline in the overall household income and take home wages. Article presents different reasons behind the decline of this wage rates and national income. One main reason is the growing unemployment rate, there are increasing number of people who are looking for jobs out there. Owing to the increase in the unemployment rate, people working in different organizations cannot demand for salary increase. Unemployed people are ready to work at low wage rates, which further put downward pressure on the average wage rates in United States. This change can be explained with the help of the concept of supply and demand in the labor market. It has been known through the concept of the Marginal Productivity, that there is an inverse relationship between the wage rate and the demand of the labor. On the other hand the supply of the labor is directly related with the wage rate. If the supply of the labor is more than the demand of the labor, a situation which results in unemployment, the overall wage rates in the economy decrease considerably (Mankiw, 376-388). The decreased wage rate and increasing unemployment level has direct impact on the consumption and spending of the consumers which in turn influence the total GDP and output of any economy. The total output or GDP consists of different components namely: private consumption, government spending, investments, and net exports i.e. exports minus the imports (Leamer, 44-45). GDP = C + I + X – M Private consumption is related to the level of earnings of the people. The disposa l income is the income earned by people after paying the taxes (Arnold, 209). The consumption is equal to disposal income plus savings. C = Yd + S Consumption function describes the direct relationship between private consumption and disposal income. Slope of the consumption function is known as the marginal propensity to consume, which explains the change in consumption because of the change in disposal income (Wessels, 139-141). C = a + bYd Where: a =

Readers response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Readers response - Essay Example The term â€Å"coy† informs the reader that the young woman is not an easy catch. In other words, she is not easily carried away. Besides suggesting that the word â€Å"coy† could mean a â€Å"sweetheart â€Å" or a â€Å"lover†, it could also be the equivalent for a lady, manager or a courtesan. The lady in â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† plays a kind of a cat and mouse game with her suitor in being shy and artfully demure and at the same time being playfully hesitant. She is well aware that the young man’s motivation is more of a carnal desire for her than true love. He urges her time and again to take advantage of the moment saying â€Å"sport us while we may† telling her that dallying was not a good idea because youth passes quickly. He presses his case on telling her that the luxury of time is not with them for â€Å"time’s winged chariot is ever racing along’ and before they realize it, youth would have passed them by and only their graves would remain. From the lady’s point of view, it is understood that her lover is not motivated by true love but by sheer carnal desire for her. She doesn’t seem to want to succumb to his charms and passion. Though her lover seems impatient and desperate, yet she does not relent. Though the lover suggests that time and their youth is passing them by and they should take advantage and enjoy the pleasure of each other presently, yet she stalls on this fact and does not want to give into his passions. The silent female in this poem tries to be quite tolerant to her suitor and does not encourage his advances. She seems to be somewhat unhappy and dejected by the fact that his key motivation behind his advances is not that of love but of lust or carnal desire and passion. She would rather prefer that his desire for her would be centered on pure love than on fleeting passions. This beautiful poem by Andrew Marvell – â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† has both crude and shocking imagery and gross

General Strain Theory

General Strain Theory Agnew (2001) produced three different categories of strain that have the potential to induce a negative reaction. These categories include: being in the presence of negative stimuli, not being able to get past goal blockages, and the loss of positive stimuli. In context of the category of strain related to being in the presence of a negative stimulus, a negative stimulus can be described as any stimulus that has undesirable consequences. Some examples of negative stimuli include but are not limited to: sexual abuse, physical abuse, harassment, teasing, bullying, or any form of violence. With regard to strain as it relates to goal blockages, this form of strain involves an individual failing to meet their desired goals for one or more various reasons. An example of goal blockage would be when someone is unable to attend a prestigious private college because they cannot afford to pay tuition. Finally, in regard to the last category of strain, the loss of positive stimuli, positive stim uli can be operationally defined as a loss of a stimulus that has a desirable consequence. An example of one such positive stimulus would be an end to a desired relationship, or loss of a loved one. In addition to these three categorical theories of strain, Agnew (2001) came up with the idea that there are two different ways by which to measure strain: subjectively and objectively. Agnew (2001) says that subjective strains refer to conditions and events that are not liked by the people who are actually experiencing the m. In other words, subjective strains are personal conditions that someone has an aversion towards based on their experiences. Conversely, objective strains refer to negative conditions/ events that are not liked by most of the members of a specific group (Frggio Agnew, 2007). A powerful and common example of objective strain would be when people are or feel they are being deprived of basic human necessities. Agnew (2001) stated that almost all of his research on General Strain Theory involved using dealings of objective strain, with barely any measures of subjective strain. After Agnew came out with the aforementioned statement about not using as much subjective strain research as objective strain research, he became worried that other researches would undermine the integrity of Strain Theory on the basis that objective strains occasionally for m minor subjective strains (Agnew, 2001). What Agnew was suggesting in supporting objective strain over subjective strain was that emphasis needs to be placed on objective strain research; he never discredited the role of subjective strain research at any point.. As stated in the introduction, not everyone who experiences strains goes on to commit crimes. Instead, the vast majority of individuals have coping mechanisms that aid in the diversion from taking part in criminal behaviors. Agnew (2001) stated that it is only when these coping mechanisms fail that criminal activity may ensue. Agnew (2001) discusses four different types of characteristics that can potentially lead to coping by means of criminal behavior. The four different characteristics that will most likely lead to crime in the instance that coping mechanisms fail to provide sufficient relief from the experience of strain include: unjust, high in magnitude, associated with little to no social control, and strains that create stress or incentive to engage in criminal activities (Agnew, 2001). First, strain is more prone to lead to criminal behavior when it is seen as unjust or unfair, as this perception has the potential to trigger negative emotions, such as anger. When anger comes in to the picture, the individual will potentially think irrationally, making it easier for them to engage in criminal actions (Agnew, 2001). These crimes are often called crimes of passion. An example of a crime of passion can be seen in a husband assaulting a man he discovers his wife cheating on him with. Second, individuals turn to crime if the strain is perceived to be high in magnitude. More specifically, if an individual perceives strain as being significant, they are more likely to commit criminal activity than they would be if the strain was not as significant. For example, someone with a small amount of debt is less likely to engage in delinquent behavior than someone who has a large amount of debt. Another characteristic of strain is observed when a strain is coupled with little to no social control, which increases the likelihood of an individual committing a crime. Agnew (2001) says that this category of low social control can be broken down in three smaller subcategories: commitment, attachment, and absence of direct control. The fourth and final characteristic of strain that can lead to criminal behavior occurs as a result of strains that create stress or incentive to engage in criminal activity. One way stress can cause an individual to engage in criminal behavior can be seen occurring in response to financial hardships. For example, if a family is struggling financially, the son from this family may resort to physically assaulting other kids and stealing their money or possessions. Another example that would work for the fourth characteristic would be if the individual observes his/her model committing a crime. On Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 at about 11:00 a.m., police responded to a report of a possible child abduction in Palmdale, California. The suspect was a seventeen year old father who had taken his five month old baby. The sheriffs department located Christopher Earl Glass and his son, Christopher Glass Jr., driving in Glass car, and began to pursue the vehicle. During the course of the pursuit, deputies noticed Glass making stabbing movements inside the vehicle. As the sheriffs closed in, Glass crashed his white SUV, then took off on foot. A couple of deputies chased after the suspect, while others looked inside the SUV to check on the child. Christopher Glass Jr. had been stabbed multiple times. Police rushed the injured five month old baby to the hospital in a squad car. Regrettably, Christopher Earl Glass Jr. was pronounced dead at the hospital. While being pursued by authorities, Christopher Earl Glass broke in to a random house and, when cornered, charged at the police with a kni fe in hand, resulting in him being shot to death. By looking at all of the facts of the case, Agnew would say that this crime falls within the classification of General Strain Theory. First, Agnew would say that the strain experienced by Christopher Glass in this case could be measured subjectively, due to the fact that Glass was under extreme emotional distress.. Christopher Earl Glass thought that having a child at age 17 was too much to handle, and cracked under the pressure of being a new father. Agnew would also say that Christopher Earl Glass was under a great deal of strain because he was in the presence of a negative stimulus, goal blockages, and because he was experiencing a loss of positive stimuli. The new negative stimulus Glass experienced was his babys mother constantly hounding him for support and payments. Christopher was a talented athlete who was looking for the chance to get a scholarship to play collegiate basketball, but since he had a child, all of his dreams of ever going professional came crashing down. He al so had a loss of positive stimulus because he was a new father who had all of these new responsibilities that kept him from going out and having fun. These negative feelings, coupled with a loss of positive feelings, caused Christopher to think that getting rid of his son was the only means he had by which to restore balance to his life. Agnew would also say that Christopher shows all of the four characteristics that would make him want to resort to criminal behavior. In Christophers eyes, having a child at age 17 was an unjust situation. He was probably thinking to himself, Thousands of teens have unprotected sex every day; why did I have to be the one to have a child? Also, his babys mother chose not to have an abortion, and this might also have been something Christopher perceived as unfair. Because Christopher was a gifted and talented athlete, having a child at such a young age must have been perceived as a problem high in magnitude, because the responsibilities of being a new father redefined his priorities. The next characteristic of low social control can be seen when the babysitter essentially gave the baby to her father without contacting the authorities right away. Finally the last characteristic of strains that create pressure or incentive to engage in criminal activities is present because, in the report , it was mentioned that Christophers coach was talking to him about getting a scholarship to go and play collegiate basketball. This last characteristic of criminal coping was the final catalyst for Christophers need to relieve strain by means of criminal activity.. Agnew would argue that because Christopher did not have the coping skills to deal with his problem, he resorted to delinquent behaviors in order to deal with his situation.

The Man In The Moon :: essays papers

The Man In The Moon I lie on the grass, staring above me, my arms stretch high into the starlit sky, they warp and twist and elongate and they reach up and my hands grasp the moon and its mine and no-one else's and my fingers become a part of it and then I'm the moon, look at me I'm the Man in the Moon and I Can See All, I Can See You, and my arm stretches down and my giant finger uncurls and points and my voice deep and booming says ITS YOU and the person I'm pointing at looks straight up at me and his arms are reaching towards me and he's smiling and then I realise with a start that its me. I get up and shake my head. Then I lie down again and shake my head. Then I sit up and shake my head and rub my eyes and scratch my head and yawn and this seems to work and so I get up. I lie down again: it didn't work. I think I'll stay here a while and think about things until I can get up and stand and maybe walk again. I may be some time. I'm looking up into the sky. Its night but its not that dark. The moon's out and so are the stars and there are no clouds in the sky. True, its not as bright as it is, say, during the day, but nevertheless it's relatively bright. It's a damn sight brighter then the inside of a really dark cave with your head covered in a thick, thick blanket with your eyes closed. But ours is not to quibble on the brightness, or lack thereof, of this night in question. So, the state of the night cleared up, I can continue. I'm looking into the sky and I'm lying on the grass, which is a little strange because grass is not, as it were, the most abundant of materials in this place. I'm lying on a small patch of such grass that is surrounded on all sides by sand. In the distance I can hear the sea and its crashing against the beach and I worry about all the poor little creatures caught in it.