The Psychology Of Fashion

The Psychology Of Fashion Over the second half of the last century, the body has emerged as an object central to our behavior and to our drive for meaning. Therefore, fashion, being in close contact to our bodies, has started to receive the attention of public, artists, and intellectuals. Psychology of fashion expression It is a common saying, that individuals play the roles associated with their individuality and rank in society. One always has the wish to have a job in a large company; such companies are usually image-controlled. Companies want their employees to have proper appearance to look successful. Conservative clothing is still the most accepted successful look for an individual. Not only that, but companies want individuals also to reflect the status and professional performance of the company first by the impression left by the way their employers dress. Those who are not playing roles associated with their positions in society appear as odd and not trusted this shows in being careful of what we do or say in their presence. Applying this to a customer employee interaction, the customer response should then be negative, and the impact of such negative response heightens and reaches higher administrative levels. Looking for a job is difficult especially if the aim is high, the way one manages his or her appearance may be an important key in giving a good first impression. The importance may mount to it may not matter what knowledge, approach or personality if one gets a wrong first impression. The answer to the question why employers encourage the image-control programs now becomes clearly comprehendible. The usual societys look for women is that they appear placid. Nevertheless, women began to take on stronger and more authoritative look probably since society approved for them to wear trousers. This reworked copy is still developing; and women now are taking on not to wear makeup, styling hair, and wearing what has always been a mens wear characteristic such as neckties. It is true that a necktie gives reflects accountability, reliability, astuteness, and status, thus, a scarf may not be enough neckwear for women. These body attachments are not only a form of fashionable clothing, but used also to show the uniqueness of an individual. When a job requirement is divergent communication with customers as in sales or public relations, important qualities for selection are good health and good- looking, as well as knowledge and familiarity with the product or firm. Nevertheless, not all managers appreciate these views; instead, they worry perhaps too much about the fashion outlooks, which can be a preference for selection. Psychological theories related to Fashion The bases of psychoanalysis theory as explained by Sigmund Freud are four principles: Organization of personality. Psychosexual phases of development. Instinctive psychological activity. Psychoanalytic method of psychotherapy. Many psychologists applied Freuds psychoanalytic theory to the study of fashion: Theory of shifting attractive zones Fashion historian, James Laver the art historian (1899-1975) theorized the attraction or seduction principle is what governs women fashions. For that, the main drive behind changes in women fashions was the wish to attract the opposite gender. On the other hand, what governs changes in mens fashions is the hierarchy (pecking order or ladder) principle meaning that fashionable mans style highlights the socioeconomic status more than anything else does. According to Laver, females dress, attracts males by discriminatively covering and hiding certain parts of the female anatomy. Thus, different fashions are based on shifting attractive zones. Fashion helps to keep interest in the body by building what can be called attractive capital that is covering up parts for longtime enough to build up a sense of delight when seeing them again. Sexual symbolism of clothing Alison Lurie the American novelist (born in 1926) applied the psychoanalytic theory in her description of what ones handbag communicates. Gender attraction is not all a handbag communicates. Its contents represent the contents of mind, or act as a portable identity clue. At the same time, however, the bag suggests magnet information in the eyes of the observer. A tightly closed, fastened, and folded purse points to a woman who protects her seclusion (physical and emotional). An open-topped heavily loaded bag, points to an open, trusting personality, which may call for approach. A handbag that has many compartments, points to a methodical organized mind or a woman who engages in many activities in life. A one-compartment handbag, on the other hand, points to the opposite especially if disorganized and mixed up. The executive woman who carries a handbag and a brief case together may have two opposing inconsistent characteristics. Lurie, in her book, also discusses the imagery associate d with mens wear (umbrellas, hats, ties, and walking sticks). Fashion is a way of self-expression. It allows people to transfer feelings and thoughts without saying a word, and if I may quote from Thomas Carlyle (the Scottish philosopher and writer 1759-1881); â€Å"Society is founded on fashion†¦ If the cut of the costume signals intellect and talent, then the color suggests temper and heart†.

Supply and Demand and Dell Laptops

1. 1 Origin of the report As a part of the ‘Principles of Microeconomics’ course, this report has been assigned to me by our respected Professor Dr. A. K. M. Saiful Majid as a term paper. The topic has been decided after consultation with our course instructor and have been asked to submit an elaborate report on the topic. 1. 2 Objectives and scopes * Analyzing the demand and supply of Dell laptops. * Analyzing the current market situation of Dell laptops. * Analyzing the factors affecting the demand and supply of Dell laptops in Dhaka city. Analyzing the price elasticity of demand and supply of Dell laptops. 1. 3 Methodology The data needed to prepare this report was basically learned from the course and the workshop held by the instructor. The methodology used are follows Primary Data Source Secondary Data Source: 1. 4 Limitations While doing the term paper, I faced some obstacles. These are given below:- * The main limitation was the unavailability of information and its confidential nature. * Time constraint was a big problem in preparing the report. Another limitation of this report is organization’s policy of not disclosing some data and information for obvious reason, which could be very much useful. * Lack of experience of this type project. * Minimum knowledge on Economics(half a semester). 2. 1 Product background A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also known as a trackpad, and/or a pointing stick) and speakers into a single unit. A laptop is powered by mains electricity via an AC adapter, and can be used away from an outlet using a rechargeable battery. Portable computers, originally monochrome CRT-based and developed into the modern laptops, and were originally considered to be a small niche market, mostly for specialized field applications such as the military, accountants and sales representatives. As portable computers became smaller, lighter, cheaper, more powerful and as screens became larger and of better quality, laptops became very widely used for all sorts of purposes. The basic components of laptops are similar in function to their desktop counterparts, but are miniaturized, adapted to mobile use, and designed for low power consumption. Because of the additional requirements, laptop components are usually of inferior performance compared to similarly priced desktop parts. Furthermore, the design bounds on power, size, and cooling of laptops limit the maximum performance of laptop parts compared to that of desktop components. Bangladesh started importing laptops as early as 2002. Imports figures were not found accurately. 2. 2 Company background Dell, Inc. s an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest technological corporations in the world, employing more than 103,300 people worldwide. Dell is listed at number 41 in the Fortune 500 list. [ Dell's headquarters is located in Austin, Texas. As of 2010 the company employs about 16,000 people in the facility, which has 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m2) of space. As of 1999 almost half of the general fund of the City of Round Rock originates from sales taxes generated from the Dell headquarters. A board of directors of nine people runs the company. Michael Dell, the founder of the company, serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Dell advertisements have appeared in several types of media including television, the Internet, magazines, catalogs and newspapers. Some of Dell Inc's marketing strategies include lowering prices at all times of the year, offering free bonus products (such as Dell printers), and offering free shipping in order to encourage more sales and o stave off competitors. In 2006, Dell cut its prices in an effort to maintain its 19. 2% market share. Dell first opened their retail stores in India. Dell started selling their laptops in Bangladesh back in late 2002. Since then they have been able to capture the greater market share(about 29. 91%). 2. 3 Market overview The laptop market can be described with tw o aspects- * The products that different sellers are offering are exactly the same. * The number of sellers and buyers are so numerous that each has a negligible impact o the market price. In economic theory, perfect competition describes markets such that no participants are large enough to have the market power to set the price of a homogeneous product. Because the conditions for perfect competition are strict, there are few if any perfectly competitive markets. Perfect competitive market seems a bit theoretical for Bangladeshi context. By considering these aspects of the laptop market, I concluded that the laptop market is a competitive market. Because each brands are selling laptops with same configuration, consumers have so many choices. Nobody can be a price maker because of the wide range of choices. Figure: Product life cycle 3. 1 Factors influencing demand 3. 2 Shift of demand curve The demand curve shifts in two ways. If any of the factors increases the quantity demanded, it is called an increase in demand and the demand curve shifts to the right. And if any of the factors decreases the quantity demanded, it is called a decrease in demand and the demand curve shifts to the left. Income If income of people in Dhaka city, people will buy more laptops. In that case it becomes a normal good. (i. a good for which, other things equal, an increase in income leads to an increase in demand. ) Price of substitute goods If the price of substitute goods (HP, Acer etc. ) rises, the demand for Dell laptops rises because people tend to shift away from their previous brands. Taste The brand Dell has captured the consumer loyalty of the techno fans of Bangladesh. A large number of this fan base is in Dhaka city. These consumers prefer Dell laptops to many other brands that are available in Bangladesh. Expectations Due to frequent IT and laptop fairs, people expect the price of Dell laptops to fall. So, they are willing to buy more Dell laptops. These fairs lead to a rightward shift of the demand curve. Number of buyers The number of laptop buyers in Dhaka city has increased in a very short span. This leads to a rightward shift of the demand curve. Besides these factors, there are some factors that causes the increase in demand for Dell laptops. IT fairs are frequently arranged in BICC, Agargaon. Dell provides various offers like discount, scratch cards in these fairs. This increases the demand for Dell laptops. IT fairs have increased the demand about 25%. The recent advancement of technology also has a major role in increasing the demand for Dell laptops. Due to recent introduction of Wimax technology in Bangladesh people has easy access to internet in different places. People are responding to this incentive and are buying more and more laptops. Figure: Shift of demand curve 3. 3 Current market demand The relation between the price of Dell laptop and the quantity demanded is negative to its price. Therefore, if the price of Dell laptop increases, the quantity demanded in Dhaka city will decrease and vice versa. Market demand is the sum of all the individual demand. To get the big picture about the market demand, I have surveyed two retail outlets of Dell laptops in Bangladesh- Computer Village and Flora systems. Previously the price of Dell Vostro 3450 was Tk. 55000 Computer Village sold 72 of these laptops and Flora sold 70 of these laptops. That means the market demand was 70 laptops. (Its only for one brand, one model and two showrooms, actually the market demand is the total demand of Bangladesh). The price has gone down to Tk. 49000 and the demand has increased to 80 laptops. A 12. 5% decrease in demand increased 15% quantity of laptop demanded. % Figure: Sale of Flora systems Figure: Sale of Computer Village Figure: Movement along the demand curve 3. 4 Forces influencing supply 3. 5 Shift of supply curve The supply curve shifts in two ways. If any of the factors increases the quantity supplied, the supply curve shifts to the right and vice versa. Number of sellers The more the number of sellers in the market, the larger the supply. The number of laptop buyers is increasing day by day. That is an incentive for the suppliers to come in the market as there is so much opportunity for them. Expectations As the demand is increasing rapidly, the suppliers are expecting that the price of the laptop will go up. That is why they are hoarding laptops to sell it later at a higher price. Technology It allows the producers yield more profit by making the production process more efficient and effective. Input price The production of laptops is more profitable when the components of laptops go up. As a result, supply of laptops increases. Government has introduced its development plan in relation to improvements in the economic conditions in Bangladesh. Digital Bangladesh within 2021 is the biggest example. In recent years, the government has reduced taxes, levied import duties on technology and provided grants for all the industries that have dedicated itself to nationwide technology spread and availability. Introduction of DOEL brand, which is a national company, is another big citation of how government has patronized the laptop market of Bangladesh. To meet the increasing demand, the supply of Dell laptops has increased. This leads to an increase in the supply of Dell laptops. Figure: Shift of supply curve 3. Movement along the supply curve The relation between the price of Dell laptop and the quantity demanded is negative to its price. Therefore, if the price of Dell laptop increases, the quantity demanded in Dhaka city will decrease and vice versa. The relation between the price of Dell laptops and the quantity supplied is positive. Therefore, if the price of Dell laptop increases, the quantity demanded in Dhaka city will incr ease and vice versa. The number of sellers has increased over the years. There are many outlets of Dell like Computer Village and Flora systems. As the number of individual suppliers is increasing, the market supply is also increasing. Due to increase in profits and laptop price, the supply of Dell laptops has increased. Figure: Movement along the supply curve 3. 7 Equilibrium Market price always tend to move towards the point where the demand curve and the supply curve intersects. This point is called the equilibrium point. It is the point where the quantity supplied equals quantity demanded. At this point, buyers are fairly satisfied with the price and sellers are also satisfied with the amount of profit they are making. The price at this point is called the equilibrium price and the quantity supplied or demanded is called the equilibrium quantity. I have calculated weighted average of the whole Dell range keeping certain parameters- * The lowest offering of Dell is Tk. 23,000. * Highest price Tk. 1,75,000. In laptop fair 2011 the lowest price sold 8 units and highest price sold 1 unit. Weighted average = {(8? 23000) + 175000}/ 9 = 40000 So the equilibrium price of Dell laptops is Tk. 40000 and the equilibrium quantity is 9 units for laptop fair 2011. FIGURE:EQUILIBRIUM 4. Price elasticity of Demand: As the buyers can switch to HP and other brands if the price increases, so the demand for Dell laptops are elastic. Laptops of various brands like HP, Acer, Asus, Samsung, Compaq are available in the market. HP provides the consumers with almost the same quality as Dell and brands like Acer and Asus provides the consumers laptops of same configuration at a cheaper price. Dell laptops are attractive, shin y and have sleek metallic body. Also people prefer it because of its comfortable weight and its easy to carry. We can classify Dell laptops as luxury good. The demand for Dell laptops is inelastic over a larger time period. Because if the price of Dell laptops rises, it will take time for buyers to switch to another brand. But, eventually in the long run the price of other similar brands being lower than Dell laptops would have buyers’ interest turning to them. Figure:Elastic demand of Dell 4. 2 Income elasticity of demand and cross price elasticity of demand Dell laptops are normal goods. Higher income raises the quantity demanded. Since Quantity demanded and income move in the same direction, Dell laptops have positive income elasticity. Again, since Dell laptops is a luxury good, it has a relatively larger income elasticity because consumers feel that they can easily switch to other low priced laptops consisting of similar configuration like Acer, Asus etc. Dell laptops has many substitutes like HP and other low priced Acer, Asus, Fujitsu etc. So, if the price of Dell laptops rises, the quantity demanded for these substitute goods will rise and eventually, the cross-price elasticity of demand of Dell laptops will rise (positive). Again, there are many complement goods to Dell laptops like laptop bags, headphones, pen drives, laptop cooler, portable hard disk etc. hat are used along with it. So, if the price of Dell laptops rises, the quantity demanded of these goods would fall and ultimately, the cross-price elasticity of demand of HP will fall (negative). 4. 3 Price elasticity of supply The supply of Dell laptops is almost inelastic i. e. as price changes the quantity demanded of Dell laptops doesn’t change significantly. Sellers have a tendency to keep the supply unchanged whatever is the price. Figure: Inelastic supply Being in a competitive market, Dell cannot set the price. The consumers of Dell are satisfied with the service that it provides. So, most of the consumers are brand loyal and they will stay loyal until the scenario changes drastically. So, it can be said that Dell has a little competitive advantage over its competitiors. The IT sector of Bangladesh is developing in a fair pace. Using computers in educational purposes is increasing rapidly. As laptops are easier to carry and use, it can serve this purpose very well. Government has reduced taxes, levied import duties on technology. Bangladesh has recently started manufacturing laptops to supply the laptops to the ones who cannot afford the costly foreign brands. Bangladesh needs to assemble laptops to increase market growth. Steps should be taken to make the laptops affordable to the general public. 1. www. wikipedia. org 2. www. banglapedia. org 3. www. webbangladesh. org 4. www. thedailystar. net 5. www. prothom-alo. com 6. www. newnation. com 7. Principles of Economics, 3rd Edition, N. Gregory Mankiw 8. The Economist, September 2011 9. Computer Jagat, August 2011 Survey questionnaire 1. Do you use laptop or desktop? – 70% use laptop, 30% use desktop 2. Why do you use laptop? -easy to carry 62. 9%, net use 24. 3%, office work 12. 8% 3. Which brand do you prefer? -29. 91% Dell, 24. 2% HP, 14. 3% acer, 9. 4% Compaq, 8. 6% Samsung, 4. 3% Toshiba, 4. 3%fujitsu, 2. 9% apple 4. Why do you prefer this brand? -38. 6% use for configuration, 24. 3% use for comfort, 21. 4% use for attractive looking, 15. 7% for long last assurance. 5. For which do you give importance? -56. 7% for price, 29. 4% for configuration, 12. 9% for brand 6. Do you think that supply of laptop is enough? -57. 1% think enough, 42. 3% think not enough 7. What can increase demand of laptops? -61. 4% cheaper rate, 15. 7% more wireless free zone, 22. 9% user developed Thank you!

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty-Five

ONCE MARCUS FINALLY ACCEPTED that I wasn't going, he wished me well, though he still wore that stunned expression. He'd planned on abandoning the car at the station but handed the keys over to me as a parting gift. I watched him walk away and wondered if I'd made a mistake. Then I thought of green, green eyes and all the work Adrian and I had to do together. This was the right choice . . . I just hoped I wasn't too late. He still wasn't answering my calls. Did he hate me? Or was he holed up somewhere, depressed and drinking away his sorrows? I fished his note out of my purse, wondering what I'd find. Knowing Adrian, I'd expected some long, flowery expression of love. Instead, all I found was a long series of numbers. The numbers meant nothing to me. I studied them for a while in the car, applying a few common codes I knew. No answer appeared, though I wasn't entirely surprised. Codes and complex mathematics weren't exactly Adrian's style. But then, why had he left the note? Obviously, he assumed I could decipher it. I held the note far away from me, hoping something visual would reveal itself. It did. As I looked at the numbers again, I saw a natural break in the middle of them, in a format that looked familiar. I entered the two sets of numbers into the latitude and longitude screen of my GPS. A moment later, it turned up an address in Malibu. Southern California. Was that a coincidence? Without even thinking twice, I pulled out of the train station's parking lot and headed toward the coast. It was entirely possible I was about to waste two and a half hours (five, if you counted the round trip), but I didn't think so. There are no coincidences. It felt like the longest drive of my life. My hands tightly clenched the wheel the entire time. I was eager yet terrified. When I was only a few miles from the address, I began to see signs for the Getty Villa. For a few seconds, I was confused. The Getty Center was a very famous museum, but it was closer to Los Angeles. I didn't understand the connection or why I had ended up in Malibu. Nonetheless, I dutifully followed the directions and ended up in the Villa's guest parking lot. When I reached the entrance, I received my answers. The Villa was a sister museum to the Getty Center, one that specialized in ancient Greek and Roman art. In fact, a good part of the Getty Villa was set up like some ancient temple, complete with pillars surrounding courtyards filled with gardens, fountains, and statues. Admission was free but required a reservation. Things were slow today, and I quickly rectified the problem by making an online reservation on my phone. When I stepped inside, I nearly forgot why I was there – but only for a heartbeat. The museum was a dream come true for a lover of classics like me. Room after room focusing on the ancient world. Jewelry statues, clothes . . . it was as if I'd entered a time machine. The scholar in me longed to study and read about each exhibit in detail. The rest of me, with a racing heart and barely contained excitement, only briefly stopped in each room, just long enough to search and move on. After looking in almost all the interior areas, I stepped into the outer peristyle. My breath caught. It was a huge outdoor garden built around a pool that had to be at least two hundred feet long. Statues and fountains dotted the pool's surface, and the whole space was surrounded in gorgeously manicured trees and other plants. The sun, warm despite the December day, shone down on everything, and the air hummed with birdsong, splashing water, and soft conversation. Tourists milled around, stopping to admire the sights or take pictures. None of them mattered, though – not when I finally found the person I was looking for. He sat at the opposite end of the garden from where I'd entered, on the pool's far edge. His back was to me, but I would have known him anywhere. I approached with trepidation, still churning with that odd mix of fear and eagerness. The closer I got, the more detailed his features became. The tall, lean body. The chestnut glints that the sun brought out in his dark hair. When I finally reached the pool's end, I came to a stop just behind him, not daring to go farther. â€Å"Sage,† he said, without looking up. â€Å"Figured you'd be south of the border by now.† â€Å"No, you didn't,† I said. â€Å"You never would've given me the note or come all the way out here. You knew I wouldn't leave.† He looked up at me at last, squinting in the bright sun. â€Å"I was pretty sure you wouldn't leave. I hoped you wouldn't leave. Jill and I debated it forever. What'd you think of my sweet use of latitude and longitude? Pretty brilliant, huh?† â€Å"Genius,† I said, trying to hold back my smile. Some of my fear faded. We were back in familiar, easy territory again. Just Adrian and me. â€Å"You took a risk I'd know what those numbers meant. You could've been sitting out here all day.† â€Å"Nah.† Adrian stood up and took a step toward me. â€Å"You're a smart girl. I knew you'd figure it out.† â€Å"Not that smart.† The closer he came, the more my heart began to race again. â€Å"It took me a long time to figure some things out.† I gestured around us. â€Å"And how is it possible that you knew this place existed, but I didn't?† His fingertips traced the edge of my cheek, and suddenly, the warmth of the sunshine felt like nothing compared to the heat of that touch. â€Å"It was easy,† he said, holding me in his gaze. â€Å"I had to start my search somewhere, so I typed ‘ancient Rome' and ‘California' into my phone. This was like the first hit.† â€Å"What search?† I asked. He smiled. â€Å"The search for some place more romantic than Pies and Stuff.† Adrian tipped my face up toward his and kissed me. Like always, the world around me stopped moving. No, the world became Adrian, only Adrian. Kissing him was as mind-blowing as ever, full of that same passion and need I had never believed I'd feel. But today, there was even more to it. I no longer had any doubt about whether this was wrong or right. It was a culmination of a long journey . . . or maybe the beginning of one. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I didn't care that we were out in public. I didn't care that he was Moroi. All that mattered was that he was Adrian, my Adrian. My match. My partner in crime, in the long battle I'd just signed on for to right the wrongs in the Alchemist and Moroi worlds. Maybe Marcus was right that I'd also signed myself up for disaster, but I didn't care. In that moment, it seemed that as long as Adrian and I were together, there was no challenge too great for us. I don't know how long we stood there kissing. Like I said, the world around me was gone. Time had stopped. I was awash in the feel of Adrian's body against mine, in his scent, and in the taste of his lips. That was all that mattered right now, and I found myself thinking of our unfinished business in the dream. When we finally broke the kiss – much too soon, as far as I was concerned – we still stayed locked in an embrace. The sound of giggling caused me to glance to the side, where two small children were laughing and pointing at us. Seeing me watching them, they scurried away. I turned back to Adrian, wanting to melt away with happiness as I looked up into his eyes. â€Å"This is a lot better than loving from afar,† I told him. He brushed some hair from my face and gazed into my eyes. â€Å"What changed your mind? I mean, I knew you'd never be able to stay away from me, but I won't lie . . . you had me scared there for a little while.† I leaned against his chest. â€Å"It was a combination of things, really. Some surprisingly good advice from Jill. One of Wolfe's charming anecdotes – I have to tell you about his kitchen, by the way. Plus, I kept thinking about when we were on the table.† Adrian shifted just enough so that we could look at each other again. It was one of those rare moments where he was completely floored. â€Å"Let me get this straight. The future of our relationship hinged on advice from a fifteen-year-old girl, a probably untrue story from a one-eyed Chihuahua trainer, and me unromantically – yet skillfully – kissing you on top of silverware and china?† â€Å"Yup,† I said after a few moments of thought. â€Å"That's all it took, huh? And here I thought winning you over was going to be hard.† He grew serious again and pressed a light kiss to my forehead. â€Å"What happens now?† â€Å"Now we check out this awesome museum you've lured me to. You're going to love Etruscan art.† That roguish smile I adored returned. â€Å"I'm sure I will. But what about the future? What are we going to do about us – about this?† I caught hold of his hands, still keeping him close. â€Å"Since when are you worried about consequences or the future?† â€Å"Me? Never.† He considered. â€Å"Well, that is, as long as you're with me, I'm not worried. But I know you like to worry about those kinds of things.† â€Å"I wouldn't say I like' to,† I corrected. A soft breeze ruffled his hair, and I resisted the urge to brush it back into place. If I did, I was pretty sure we'd start kissing again, and I supposed I should first be responsible and answer his questions. â€Å"Are we going to run off to the Keepers?† he suggested. â€Å"Of course not,† I scoffed. â€Å"That'd be cowardly and immature. And you'd never survive without hair gel – though you might like their moonshine.† â€Å"Then what are we going to do?† â€Å"We're going to keep all of this secret.† He chuckled. â€Å"That's not cowardly?† â€Å"It's exciting and daring,† I said. â€Å"Manly and brave, even. I figured you'd be into that.† â€Å"Sage.† He laughed. â€Å"I'm into anything, so long as you're with me. But is it going to be enough? I'm not completely oblivious to consequences, you know. I get how dangerous this is for you, especially if you keep questioning the Alchemists. And I also know you're still worried about Jill watching us.† Right. Jill. Jill, who was probably witnessing all of this right now, whether she wanted to or not. Was she happy for his happiness? Was she filled with the joy of our love? Or was this excruciatingly uncomfortable for her? â€Å"The three of us will find a way to cope,† I said at last. I couldn't think much more about it right now or I probably would start freaking out. â€Å"And as for the Alchemists . . . we'll just have to be careful. They don't follow me everywhere, and like you said, I'm with you half the time anyway.† I just hoped that was enough. It had to be. And then the kissing started again. There was no avoiding it, not when we were together like this, far away from the real world of our normal lives. The setting was too perfect. He was too perfect, despite being one of the most imperfect people I knew. And honestly, we'd wasted far too much time with doubts and games. The one thing you learn from constantly having your life in danger is that you'd better not waste it. Even Marcus had admitted that in the arcade. Adrian and I spent the rest of the day at the Villa, most of it kissing in the gardens, though I did convince him to check out some of the artifacts inside. Maybe I was in love, but I was still me, after all. When things finally closed down for the evening, we had dinner at a beachside fondue restaurant and lingered there for a long time afterward, keeping close to each other and watching the waxing moon shine on the ocean. I was caught up in watching the crashing waves when I felt Adrian's lips brush my cheek. â€Å"Whatever happened to the dragon?† I mustered my primmest tone. â€Å"He has a name, you know.† Adrian pulled back and gave me a curious look. â€Å"I didn't know, actually. What'd you decide on?† â€Å"Hopper.† When Adrian laughed, I added, â€Å"Best rabbit ever. He'd be proud to know his name is being passed on.† â€Å"Yes, I'm sure he would. Did you name the Mustang too?† â€Å"I think you mean the Ivashkinator.† He stared at me in wonder. â€Å"I told you I loved you, right?† â€Å"Yes,† I assured him. â€Å"Many times.† â€Å"Good.† Adrian pulled me closer. â€Å"Just making sure, Miss ‘I'm a Quick Study'† I groaned. â€Å"I'm never going to live that down, am I?† â€Å"Live it down? Hell, I'm going to hold you to it.† I suspected Marcus's car was stolen, so we left it in Malibu. Adrian drove me back to the dorm and kissed me goodbye, promising to call me first thing in the morning. It was hard to let him go, even though I knew I was being silly to think I couldn't go without him for twelve hours. I walked into my dorm like I was dancing on air, my lips still burning from his kisses. It was crazy, I knew, attempting to have a relationship with him. Scratch that. It was going to be perilous – enough so that some of my euphoria dimmed as that realization hit me. I'd talked a good game with him, trying to ease his fears, but I knew the truth. Trying to figure out secrets within the Alchemists was going to be difficult enough, and my tattoo still wasn't secure. What I had going on with Adrian had raised the stakes exponentially, but that was one of those risks I gladly accepted. â€Å"Miss Melrose.† Mrs. Weathers's cool voice snapped me back to reality with a jolt. I came to a halt in the middle of the dorm's lobby and looked over at her. She stood up from her desk and strolled over. â€Å"Yes, ma'am?† â€Å"It's midnight.† I looked at a clock, surprised to see she was right. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Even though winter break is here, you're still registered in the dorm until tomorrow, which means you're still subject to the rules. It's after curfew.† The only thing I could manage was stating the obvious. â€Å"Yes, it is, ma'am.† Mrs. Weathers waited, as though she were hoping I'd say more. â€Å"Were you . . . doing another assignment for Ms. Terwilliger?† There was an almost comically desperate look on her face. â€Å"I didn't receive notification, but surely she can retroactively fix things.† I realized then that Mrs. Weathers didn't want me to be in trouble. She was hoping I had some reason for breaking the rules, some reason that I could avoid punishment. I knew I could've lied and said I'd been helping Ms. Terwilliger. I knew Ms. Terwilliger would even back me up. But I couldn't do it. It seemed wrong to taint my day with Adrian with a lie. And really, I had broken the rules. â€Å"No,† I told Mrs. Weathers. â€Å"I wasn't with her. I was just . . . out.† Mrs. Weathers waited a few moments more and then bit her lip with resignation. â€Å"Very well then. You know the rules. You'll have to serve a detention – once classes start again.† I nodded solemnly. â€Å"Yes, ma'am. I understand.† She looked as though she was still hoping I'd correct the situation. I had nothing to offer her and turned to walk away. â€Å"Oh, I nearly forgot!† she called. â€Å"I was too astonished by this . . . transgression.† She turned back into the efficient dorm matron I knew. â€Å"Please let me know if your cousin will be staying with you in your room or if she needs her own.† I blinked in confusion. â€Å"Why would Angeline be staying with me?† â€Å"Not her. Your other cousin.† I started to say I didn't have another cousin, but some warning voice inside me told me to neither deny nor confirm her words. I had no idea what was going on, but all my alarms were saying that something was definitely about to happen. Whatever it was, I needed to keep my options open. â€Å"She had all the appropriate paperwork,† explained Mrs. Weathers. â€Å"So I just let her into your room since it's only for the night.† I swallowed. â€Å"I see. Can I, um, let you know after break?† â€Å"Certainly.† After a moment's hesitation, she added, â€Å"And we'll discuss your detention then too.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said. I went upstairs, a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Who was waiting in my room? Who in the world was part of my imaginary family now? As it turned out, it was someone from my real family. When I unlocked the door, I found Zoe sitting on my bed. Her face lit up when she saw me, and she sprang forward to grab me in a fierce embrace. â€Å"Sydney!† she exclaimed. â€Å"I was so worried you weren't coming back tonight.† â€Å"Of course I was,† I said stiffly. I was so shocked that I could barely return her hug. â€Å"What are you doing here?† She pulled back and looked up at me with a big grin. There was no anger in her, not even the wariness she'd had in St. Louis. She was full of joy, truly happy to see me. I didn't know why she was here, but hope began to blossom within me that we'd finally get our reconciliation. Until she spoke. â€Å"They gave me a field position! I'm assigned here.† She turned her face, showing me a golden lily tattoo on her cheek. My heart nearly stopped. â€Å"I'm officially an Alchemist now. Well, a junior one. I've got a lot to learn, so they thought it'd be best if I was with you.† â€Å"I see,† I said. The room was spinning. Zoe. Zoe was here – and she was an Alchemist, one who would be staying with me. Her exuberant expression became a little perplexed. â€Å"And I guess you were telling Stanton something about needing Alchemist backup? That it was really hard being around so many Moroi by yourself?† I tried to smile but couldn't. â€Å"Something like that.† I'd urged Stanton to take action, and she had. It just wasn't the kind I'd expected. Zoe's enthusiasm returned. â€Å"Well, you aren't alone now. I'm here for you, not that you probably even need me. You don't ever get into any trouble.† No, I just had a romance going on with a vampire, was on the verge of joining a coven, and was investigating secrets no one wanted me to know about. No trouble at all. How in the world was I going to hide all that from her? Zoe hugged me again. â€Å"Oh, Sydney! This is going to be great,† she exclaimed. â€Å"We're going to be together all the time!†

What Are the Main Sources Used in Shakespeares Plays

The stories told in Shakespeare’s plays are not original. Rather, Shakespeare sourced his plots and characters from historical accounts and classical texts. Shakespeare was well-read and drew from an extensive range of texts – not all of them written in his mother tongue! It is often difficult to prove a direct link between Shakespeare’s plays and the original sources, but there are some writers that Shakespeare came back to time and time again. Below are some of the most important sources for Shakespeare’s plays: Main Shakespeare Sources: Giovanni BoccaccioThis Italian prose and poetry writer published a collection of stories entitled the Decameron in the mid-fourteenth century. It is believed that, in parts, Shakespeare would have had to work from the original Italian.Source for: All’s Well That Ends Well, Cymbeline and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.Arthur BrookeAlthough the plot behind Romeo and Juliet was well-known in Shakespeare’s time, it is believed that Shakespeare primarily worked from Brooke’s 1562 poem entitled The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.Source for: Romeo and JulietSaxo GrammaticusIn around 1200 AD, Saxo Grammaticus wrote Gesta Danorum (or â€Å"Deeds of the Danes†) which chronicled Denmark’s Kings and told the story of Amleth – the real-life Hamlet! You will notice that Hamlet is an anagram of Amleth. It is believed that Shakespeare would have had to work from the original Latin.Source for: HamletRaphael HolinshedHolinshed’s Chronicles records t he history of England, Scotland, and Ireland and became Shakespeare’s primary source for his historical plays. However, it should be noted that Shakespeare did not set out to create historically accurate accounts – he reshaped history for dramatic purposes and to play into the prejudices of his audience.Source for: Henry IV (both parts), Henry V, Henry VI (all three parts), Henry VIII, Richard II, Richard III, King Lear, Macbeth, and Cymbeline.PlutarchThis ancient-Greek historian and philosopher became the main source for Shakespeare’s Roman plays. Plutarch produced a text called Parallel Lives in around 100 AD that contains over 40 biographies of Greek and Roman leaders.Source for: Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and Timon of Athens.