Sunday, January 26, 2020

Vertigo, 1958 | Film Analysis

Vertigo, 1958 | Film Analysis Vertigo is a 1958 suspense thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor and based upon the 1954 novel Dentre Les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak and co-starring Barbara Bel Geddes. James Stewart plays the part of detective John Ferguson or Scottie as he is known throughout the film, who develops a fear of heights, acrophobia, after he watches a policeman fall to his death during a police chase over the San Francisco rooftops. Following the incident, Scottie retires from the police force, but old friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) hires him as a private detective to follow his wife, Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) as she has been behaving strangely. Elster believes that she is possessed by the ghost of a dead relative, Carlotta Valdez. It is not long before Scottie starts to find himself becoming obsessed with the beautiful but troubled Madeleine and falls in love with her. As the introductions roll onto the screen, we are confronted by a close up of a black and white womans face, first her lips, her nose, her eyes, then onto one eye, where we can see a tear Her gaze only briefly meets ours, when we first see her eyes, but then they are skirting from left to right. The music gets more intense and the scene turns red, as the eye we are focused on widens in what we can only assume as shock or horror. We then see coloured patterns, starting first in the pupil, then swirling round on the black screen, gradually becoming larger and enveloping the screen and the audience. This setting of emotion and involvement of the audience in what is to be classed as misà ©-en-scene; the creation of emotion through visuals and audio. Fig. 9 Introductory scenes The opening scene underpins the whole of Scotties acrophobia, and as an audience, we also get to experience what it is hes feeling. The music is tense, we can see the skyline, we see them jumping from roof to roof, then we see Scottie slip, hes clinging on to the gutter by his fingertips to stop himself from plunging to a certain death. The other policeman turns to help him, asks him for his hand, but he falls from the roof, to the ground hundreds of feet below. The distance and acrophobia is highlighted by the view on the ground below panning in and out toward us. People who suffer with vertigo feel as if they or their surroundings are moving. These false sensations are often accompanied by a feeling of spinning (Smith et al, 2000: 603). It has also to be noted that psychologists believe there is tension from the feeling of vertigo, whereby there is a desire to fall yet there is a dread of falling. The audience is made to feel the fear and terror that Scottie is experiencing, the fe eling that death is so close, could be so easy. To survive he has to desperately cling to the gutter, his arms and body stretched to their capacity, his mind full of terror, whereas to die, he only has to let go. Within this scene, the audience is given minimal information. We see three men in sequence climb over the top rung of a ladder, the second being a policeman, so we assume the first is a suspect? Thirdly, there is Scottie, but he is in plain clothes, so he could be anybody, but he must be connected to the policeman as he is pursuing him. This is shown as three close up shots, then we have panned out to reveal all three men running across the roof. In turn, they jump to another roof. This is when we see Scottie slip. This can be related to Freuds theory of the Id, Ego and Superego. The Id is the first man; he wants his urges satisfied regardless of society, his focus solely on his pleasure, relative to criminality. The second man, being the policeman, can be shown as the Supe rego, with strict and rigid morals, relatable to the father. It is also in this scene that we can take into account the Oedipus Complex, the son, Scottie, is responsible for the fathers, the policemans, death as he tries to save him from falling, whilst the Id has got free into the darkness. Scottie is left hanging from the gutter; we never see how it is he escapes this situation, leaving him metaphorically stuck there for the remainder of the film. Wood also mentions this theory in his book when he revisits Hitchcocks films. Fig. 10 Hanging and falling Another thing to take into account here is Freuds relation between events and birth trauma and the separation between mother and child. Although he said that a child couldnt recall these memories, they were still instilled within our subconscious. So the idea of falling is, in a way, a re-enactment of birth trauma and separation. This was thought to be at the forefront of anxiety. In the next scene, we are placed within Midges apartment. It is constructed on separate shots between Scottie and Midge and the male/female space in which they inhabit throughout the conversation. They are defined by definite objects, such as Scotties cane and the bra that Midge is sketching. Scottie is re-affirming that he will be free of the corset that is binding him tomorrow, taking back him masculinity and power within the situation. It is only at three points throughout the scene that Midge and Scottie are shown together. Firstly, when Scottie approaches Midge to talk about the bra she is drawing-she speaks of it in a very matter of fact way, telling Scottie that he is a big boy and knows of such things. Next, Scottie talks of curing his acrophobia a small step at a time, he stands on a stool, Midge takes over the situation by bringing him a set of steps to climb, which she encourages him to do so. He sees out of the window between the buildings, like the scene he saw when hang ing from the gutter at the start of the film, but we are still held in reality by the flowers on the windowsill, but his vertigo grips him again. Even the security of Midges home is not enough, that becomes the vision and the drop becomes real. Next, we see Scottie clutched to Midges breast, whilst she holds him and soothes oh Johnny, Johnny. The common theme throughout is the presentation of Midge as the mother figure. In the scenes where they are shown together depict the mother/child relationship that they have. This is a reason why Scottie wouldnt be attracted to her like he is to Madeleine. She is too independent, whereas Madeleine is helpless and mysterious as we find out as the film continues. Fig. 11 Motherly love It is this scene that particularly also states Scotties condition as feminine. When he approaches Midge to ask her what the bra on a wire frame is, she relates the design is based on that on a bridge, the latest in revolutionary uplift made by an aircraft engineer. Not only is the relation of a bridge, which is a high place with regard to Scotties acrophobia, linked with the femininity of a womans undergarment, but the design of it has also been constructed by a man, thus saying that femininity is exactly that. Scottie cannot fulfil his role in society as a police man because of the fear, like Jefferies couldnt in Rear Window because of his injuries. Next we are presented with the exterior of Gavin Elsters office, then straight to Scottie and Elster having a conversation inside. Elster is asking Scottie to follow his wife for him. Around the office, there are mentions of ships, suggesting escape, and also references of the old San Francisco, relating to the power and freedom you gained then, as a man, again, this is mentioned later on whilst Scottie and Midge are talking to Pop Leibel in his bookstore. This relates to the conversation they are having about Elster wife, she is the object in the conversation between the two men, an intensifier of the taboo desire that we often see within films; one woman and two men who both lust after her. The position of power is also shifting between Scottie and Elster. When we first enter the room, Elster is sitting behind his desk, whilst Scottie is wandering around the office, looking at things, he then gets up and explains what he wants Scottie to do, taking power by positioning himself high er than him. Fig. 12 Stances of power Next the viewer is positioned inside the restaurant and is introduced to Madeleine with Scottie. The camera pans across the restaurant and comes to rest upon Madeleines back, her bare shoulders showing. She is shown as an object of desire; a close-up allows us to see her features as a still portrait, like that of the painting of Carlotta Valdez as she gracefully glides through the restaurant in a dream like manner. From this instance she is a mysterious object of desire that we must know more about. She has no idea that our gaze is upon her, she is helpless to it; we are an accomplice to Scottie, if not already him, and what it is in turn we are going to discover about Madelines secret life. When Scottie follows Madeleine in his car, it is downhill, to an alleyway. He follows her inside, through the back door in which she enters, where she is buying flowers. We are seeing from Scotties point of view. When he spies in through a crack in the door, this is how we see her also. When she turns, we see her reflection on the mirrored door that Scottie gazing through the door, completely unbeknown to her. She is surrounded by flowers, bathed in a soft light, enhancing her subtle beauty and femininity accompanied by a haunting music. Is she somehow a mirrored image of Scottie/the viewer? Koftman (1985 cited in Modelski 1989) stated that mens fascination with [the] eternal feminine is nothing but fascination with their own double, and the feeling of uncanniness, Unheimlichkeit, that men experience is the same as what one feels in the face of any double, and ghost, in the face of the abrupt reappearance of what one thought had been overcome or lost forever. This links back to Freud s castration complex. The view of the camera is very much from Scotties point of view, subjective, only further reiterating the point that the feminine is seen as lacking and the masculine is to look. Fig. 13 The perfect and unobtainable Within this scene, another thing to note is the recurrent theme of the oil painting, with the surround of flowers, but also the mirror, not only relating to the Koftman quote above, but also briefly I would like to touch upon John Berger. Within his essays, Ways of Seeing, he talks of the relevance of mirrors, that they reflect the judgemental gaze of others, as well as her own. They are also a symbol of vanity. If a woman is seen surveying herself in the mirror, it is for the benefit of the male, showing her subservience and willingness to become pleasing to the eye, but also her vanity. This in turn can is relatable to Freuds theory of the Electra Complex and Penis Envy. Her affections are transferred from her father to other men to give her what she ultimately wants, due to her lack of a penis, which is a child. This is turn leads onto a point made by Jacques Lacan, whereby he states that the mirror stage of a childs development is crucial so it can place itself within the world and relate to others. Much like Freud stated within the Oedipus and Castration complex, whereby the son relates to his father, wanting to be like him and grow into a man so he can have a woman of his own, like his father has his mother. The screen within the cinema frames its actors much like the mirror frames the self. As Mulvey states; It is the birth of the long love affair/despair between image and self-image which has found such intensity of expression in film and such joyous recognition in the cinema audience. (Mulvey, 2009: 18) When Madeleine falls into San Francisco bay, Scottie rescues her and takes her back to his house, undresses her and puts her to bed. Once again, he is the hero and she is the helpless woman who, without Scottie, would be dead. His obsession is becoming more and more with her. Whilst in his apartment, her near first concern is of the pins from her hair and her handbag, so she can find a mirror and put her hair up, making herself presentable for Scottie. The relation of power is also clear in this scene; Madeleine is sitting on the floor, whilst Scottie takes the higher position of the sofa arm to question her, to watch her. She is the object of desire; of his desire, as well as the male viewers object of desire. From here we can see the relation to any stereotypical fairytale; the hero rescues the helpless princess from the evil man/woman, although there is more to fairytale, for the use of this essay, I am outlining it in this very simplified manner. Take, for example, Cinderella, she is a servant to her stepmother and step sisters, but she goes to the ball, meets the prince, who does everything in his power to find his princess and rescue her. Freud also made this point, highlighting the lengths a man will go to, to rescue the woman they love, even if, as Freud (1910 cited in Perron 2005) stated, another man can claim right of possession, Madeleine being Elsters wife. This in turn, can be linked closely with the Oedipus complex. Freud (1910 cited in Berman 1997) also stated A man rescuing a woman from water in a dream means that he makes her his own mother. In the bell tower scene where Scottie is chasing Madeleine, it is where his masculinity is compromised once more because of his acrophobia. He should have taken his role as a man and stopped her from falling, he should have rescued her, but he failed and she fell to his death. Elster had hired Scottie to follow his wife, but once again, he failed at his job, like he did as a policeman. Scottie is plagued by nightmares of the tragic event. He is falling, like Madeleine, haunted by Carlotta Valdez, colours flash red, signifying not only Scotties vertigo but also his fantasies. Fig. 14 Re-occurring fall When Scottie is back in San Francisco, every woman he sees bears a resemblance to Madeleine. Women on the street, in restaurantsHe seems like a broken man, not the strong counterpart that the audience want to relate to. He follows a woman, Judy, to her apartment and asks her out to dinner. Slowly, we can see Scottie becoming more and more obsessed with Judy, asserting his masculinity by offering to take care of her, but her flowers, clothes. Judy is becoming an ideal passive counterpart to Scotties active sadistic voyeurism. She knows her part is to perform, and only by playing it through and then replaying it can she keep Scotties erotic interest (Mulvey, 2009: 25). We, as an audience, have already made the discovery that Judy really is Madeleine, that she played a part for Elster. It is an uncomfortable discovery as Scottie doesnt know. We almost feel as though we are cheating him, hes falling into a trap and we cant warn him. We are only watchers to the scenes playing out before us, regardless of us; things will still happen and go forth. The essential fact is to get real suspense you must let the audience have information (Hitchcock cited in Bays, 2004). Scottie is trying his hardest to change Judy to Madeleine, and she is letting him. The roles of passive female and the active male are mirrored in the re-enactment of a scene that happened between Scottie and Madeleine. She is a visually objectified other, confirmed by her dress, make up and style. Also, this, again, can be linked back to the Oedipus/Castration complex, when the sole object of the boys desire was his mother. In his eyes, she was the perfect woman and satisfied all his needs. It is only when Scottie is happy that Judy looks enough like Madeleine that he begins to become sexually attracted and interested in her. He has successfully turned her into a fetish; he has eliminated the threat of castration. The tower in which Madeleine and Judy both fell off are very symbolically phallic, re-asserting the masculinity of the situation. The film makes the audience confront their own lives and past.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Carlos Fuentes’ Smile

Carlos Fuentes’ smile On top of El Angel, on top of the Monumento a la Revolucion, on top of the Catedral, Carlos Fuentes was always on top. When he was young, he was afraid of height; even in June 1959, at  the  time of  the Cuban  revolution, in the same plane as General Cardenas, he asked: â€Å"Do you think it is going to fall? † We are already flying high. Since he was child, he was destined to be on top. He had just published Where the Air Is Clear, which caused uproar in Mexico City.Back then, all the writers wrote sad stories. The sad Revolution with its useless massacre, the sad province in which the guava paste was cooked slowly in a perol, as Agustin Yanez wrote; the sad leader's shadow and of all who had made the Revolution and now, in a luxurious office, they ignored the slow but steady push of their tummy. At this point, Fuentes made burst, he changed our small world as the Paricutin would have made and he reminded us that we had guts. He always ha s it.With an ambitious, audacious, agile, and elegant step, he was on the stage in one jump. He always was in a hurry, he always plucked up courage. The word â€Å"always† seems  to  do pretty well  to Fuentes and so we can tell to Silvia and Cecilia, in order and with a loud and strong voice, that Fuentes will always live wherever his books are, he will be always with us and that that aren’t words of encouragement, they are a reality. I see him in the distance, standing; I see him here, beside me, he smiled.His smile was the smile of his father, don Rafael Fuentes, that following the publication  of Where the Air Is Clear he said: â€Å"Now I’m the father of Carlos Fuentes†. All surrender by the raindrops of Jalapa, that city where the grass grows up among the rocks; Fuentes was from Veracruz from head to toe, from Veracruz with its table-glass full of cafe con leche from the Cafe de la Parroquia that the waiters filled and refilled at the sound of the spoon, ding, ding, ding, like in a Cri-Cri’s song1, as if  we  were  all  child without the Original sin.Fuentes was kind of like that, he had an inner child  that was like  the apple of  his eyes, his eyes shone, within his eyes there was his vigor, his excitement, his desire of embrace everything, his love for Mexico. His eyes cast sparks because Fuentes was a seducer, but as Angeles Mastretta said, â€Å"a trustful seducer†. 1 Mexican composer and performer of children's songs, best known under the name of  Cri-Cri: El Grillito Cantor.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Frostbite Chapter 7

Seven I ANGRILY PUSHED THROUGH THE double doors that led into the Moroi dorm. Snow swirled in behind me, and a few people lingering on the main floor glanced up upon my entrance. Not surprisingly, several of them did double takes. Swallowing, I forced myself not to react. It would be okay. No need to freak out. Novices got injured all the time. It was actually rarer not to get injured. Admittedly, this was a more noticeable injury than most, but I could live with it until it healed, right? And it wasn't like anyone would know how I'd received it. â€Å"Hey Rose, is it true your own mother punched you?† I froze. I'd know that taunting soprano voice anywhere. Turning slowly, I looked into the deep blue eyes of Mia Rinaldi. Curly blond hair framed a face that might have been cute if not for the malicious smirk on it. A year younger than us, Mia'd taken on Lissa (and me by default) in a war to see who could tear apart the other's life most quicklya war, I should add, that she started. It had involved her stealing Lissa's ex-boyfrienddespite the fact Lissa had decided in the end she didn't want himand the spreading of all sorts of rumors. Admittedly, Mia's hatred hadn't been entirely unjustified. Lissa's older brother, Andrewho had been killed in the same car accident that technically â€Å"killed† mehad used Mia pretty badly when she was a freshman. If she weren't such a bitch now, I would have felt sorry for her. It had been wrong of him, and while I could understand her anger, I don't know that it was fair of her to take that out on Lissa in the way she did. Lissa and I had technically won the war in the end, but Mia had inexplicably bounced back. She didn't run with the same elite that she once had, but she had rebuilt a small contingent of friends. Malicious or not, strong leaders always attract followers. I'd found that about 90 percent of the time, the most effective response was to ignore her. But we had just crossed over to the other 10 percent, because it's impossible to ignore someone announcing to the world that your mother just punched youeven if it was true. I stopped walking and turned around. Mia stood near a vending machine, knowing she'd drawn me out. I didn't bother asking how she'd found out about my mother giving me the black eye. Things rarely stayed secret around here. When she caught full sight of my face, her eyes widened in unabashed delight. â€Å"Wow. Talk about a face only a mother could love.† Ha. Cute. From anyone else, I would have applauded the joke. â€Å"Well, you're the expert on face injury,† I said. â€Å"How's your nose?† Mia's icy smile twitched a little, but she didn't back down. I'd broken her nose about a month agoat a school dance of all placesand while the nose had since healed, it now sat just the tiniest bit askew. Plastic surgery could probably fix it up, but from my understanding of her family's finances, that wasn't possible just now. â€Å"It's better,† she replied primly. â€Å"Fortunately, it was only broken by a psychopathic whore and not anyone actually related to me.† I gave her my best psychopathic smile. â€Å"Too bad. Family members hit you by accident. Psychopathic whores tend to come back for more.† Threatening physical violence against her was usually a pretty sound tactic, but we had too many people around right now for that to be a legitimate concern for her. And Mia knew it. Not that I was above attacking someone in this kind of settinghell, I'd done it lots of timesbut I was trying to work on my impulse control lately. â€Å"Doesn't look like much of an accident to me,† she said. â€Å"Don't you guys have rules about face punches? I mean, that looks really far out of bounds.† I opened my mouth to tell her off, but nothing came out. She had a point. My injury was far out of bounds; in that sort of combat, you aren't supposed to hit above the neck. This was way above that forbidden line. Mia saw my hesitation, and it was like Christmas morning had come a week early for her. Until that moment, I don't think there'd ever been a time in our antagonistic relationship in which she'd rendered me speechless. â€Å"Ladies,† came a stern, female voice. The Moroi attending the front desk leaned over it and fixed us with a sharp look. â€Å"This is a lobby, not a lounge. Either go upstairs or go outside.† For a moment, breaking Mia's nose again sounded like the best idea in the worldto hell with detention or suspension. After a deep breath, I decided retreat was my most dignified action now. I stalked off toward the stairs leading up to the girls' dorm. Over my shoulder, I heard Mia call, â€Å"Don't worry, Rose. It'll go away. Besides, it's not your face guys are interested in.† Thirty seconds later, I beat on Lissa's door so hard, it was a wonder my fist didn't go through the wood. She opened it slowly and peered around. â€Å"Is it just you out here? I thought there was an army at theoh my God.† Her eyebrows shot up when she noticed the left side of my face. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"You haven't heard already? You're probably the only one in the school who hasn't,† I grumbled. â€Å"Just let me in.† Sprawling on her bed, I told her about the day's events. She was properly appalled. â€Å"I heard you'd been hurt, but I figured it was one of your normal things,† she said. I stared up at the spackled ceiling, feeling miserable. â€Å"The worst part is, Mia was right. It wasn't an accident.† â€Å"What, you're saying your mom did it on purpose?† When I didn't answer, Lissa's voice turned incredulous. â€Å"Come on, she wouldn't do that. No way.† â€Å"Why? Because she's perfect Janine Hathaway, master of controlling her temper? The thing is, she's also perfect Janine Hathaway, master of fighting and controlling her actions. One way or another, she slipped up.† â€Å"Yeah, well,† said Lissa, â€Å"I think her stumbling and missing her punch is more likely than her doing it on purpose. She'd have to really lose her temper.† â€Å"Well, she was talking to me. That's enough to make anyone lose their temper. And I accused her of sleeping with my dad because he was the soundest evolutionary choice.† â€Å"Rose,† groaned Lissa. â€Å"You kind of left out that part in your recap. Why'd you say that to her?† â€Å"Because it's probably true.† â€Å"But you had to know it'd upset her. Why do you keep provoking her? Why can't you just make peace with her?† I sat upright. â€Å"Make peace with her? She gave me a black eye. Probably on purpose! How do I make peace with someone like that?† Lissa just shook her head and walked over to the mirror to check her makeup. The feelings coming through our bond were ones of frustration and exasperation. Lingering in the back was a bit of anticipation, too. I had the patience to examine her carefully, now that I'd finished my venting. She had on a silky lavender shirt and a knee-length black skirt. Her long hair had the kind of smooth perfection only achieved by spending an hour of your life on it with a hair dryer and flat iron. â€Å"You look nice. What's up?† Her feelings shifted slightly, her irritation with me dimming a little. â€Å"I'm meeting Christian soon.† For a few minutes there, it had felt like the old days with Lissa and me. Just us, hanging out and talking. Her mention of Christian, as well as the realization that she'd have to leave me soon for him, stirred up dark feelings in my chest†¦feelings I had to reluctantly admit were jealousy. Naturally, I didn't let on to that. â€Å"Wow. What'd he do to deserve that? Rescue orphans from a burning building? If so, you might want to make sure he didn't set the building on fire in the first place.† Christian's element was fire. It was fitting since it was the most destructive one. Laughing, she turned from the mirror and noticed me gently touching my swollen face with my fingers. Her smile turned kind. â€Å"It doesn't look that bad.† â€Å"Whatever. I can tell when you're lying, you know. And Dr. Olendzki says it'll be even worse tomorrow.† I lay back down on the bed. â€Å"There probably isn't enough concealer in the world to cover this, is there? Tasha and I'll have to invest in some Phantom of the Opera-style masks.† She sighed and sat on the bed near me. â€Å"Too bad I can't just heal it.† I smiled. â€Å"That would be nice.† The compulsion and charisma brought on by spirit were great, but really, healing was her coolest ability. The range of things she could achieve was staggering. Lissa was also thinking about what spirit could do. â€Å"I wish there were some other way to control the spirit †¦ in a way that still let me use the magic†¦.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. I understood her burning desire to do great things and help people. It radiated off of her. Hell, I would also have liked to have this eye cleared up in an instant rather than days. â€Å"I wish there were too.† She sighed again. â€Å"And there's more to me than just wishing I could heal and do other stuff with spirit. I also, well, just miss the magic. It's still there; it's just blocked off by the pills. It's burning inside of me. It wants me, and I want it. But there's a wall between us. You just can't imagine it.† â€Å"I can, actually.† It was true. Along with having a general sense for her feelings, I could sometimes also â€Å"slip into her.† It was hard to explain and ever harder to endure. When that happened, I could literally see through her eyes and feel what she experienced. During those times, I was her. Many times, I'd been in her head while she longed for the magic, and I'd felt the burning need she spoke of. She often woke up at night, yearning for the power she could no longer reach. â€Å"Oh yeah,† she said ruefully. â€Å"I forget about that sometimes.† A sense of bitterness filled her. It wasn't directed at me so much as it was the no-win nature of her situation. Anger sparked inside of her. She didn't like feeling helpless any more than I did. The anger and frustration intensified into something darker and uglier, something I didn't like. â€Å"Hey,† I said, touching her arm. â€Å"You okay?† She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. â€Å"I just hate it.† The intensity of her feelings reminded me of our conversation, the one we'd had just before I went to the Badica house. â€Å"You still feel like the pills might be weakening?† â€Å"I don't know. A little.† â€Å"Is it getting worse?† She shook her head. â€Å"No. I still can't use the magic. I feel closer to it†¦ but it's still blocked off.† â€Å"But you still†¦ your moods †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah †¦ they're acting up. But don't worry,† she said, seeing my face. â€Å"I'm not seeing things or trying to hurt myself.† â€Å"Good.† I was glad to hear it but still worried. Even if she still couldn't touch the magic, I didn't like the idea of her mental state slipping again. Desperately, I hoped the situation would just stabilize on its own. â€Å"I'm here,† I told her softly, holding her gaze. â€Å"If anything happens that's weird†¦you tell me, okay?† Like that, the dark feelings disappeared within her. As they did, I felt a weird ripple in the bond. I can't explain what it was, but I shuddered from the force. Lissa didn't notice. Her mood perked up again, and she smiled at me. â€Å"Thanks,† she said. â€Å"I will.† I smiled, happy to see her back to normal. We lapsed into silence, and for the briefest of moments, I wanted to pour my heart out to her. I'd had so much on my mind lately: my mother, Dimitri, and the Badica house. I'd been keeping those feelings locked up, and they were tearing me apart. Now, feeling so comfortable with Lissa for the first time in a long time, I finally felt that I could let her into my feelings for a change. Before I could open my mouth, I felt her thoughts suddenly shift. They became eager and nervous. She had something she wanted to tell me, something she'd been thinking about intently. So much for pouring my heart out. If she wanted to talk, I wouldn't burden her with my problems, so I pushed them aside and waited for her to speak. â€Å"I found something in my research with Ms. Carmack. Something strange†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh?† I asked, instantly curious. Moroi usually developed their specialized element during adolescence. After that, they were put into magic classes specific to that element. But as the only spirit user on record at the moment, Lissa didn't really have a class she could join. Most people believed she just hadn't specialized, but she and Ms. Carmackthe magic teacher at St. Vladimir'shad been meeting independently to learn what they could about spirit. They researched both current and old records, checking for clues that might lead to other spirit users, now that they knew some of the telltale signs: an inability to specialize, mental instability, etc. â€Å"I didn't find any confirmed spirit users, but I did find†¦reports of, um, unexplained phenomena.† I blinked in surprise. â€Å"What kind of stuff?† I asked, pondering what would count as â€Å"unexplained phenomena† for vampires. When she and I had lived with humans, we would have been considered unexplained phenomena. â€Å"They're scattered reports†¦but, like, I read this one about a guy who could make others see things that weren't there. He could get them to believe they were seeing monsters or other people or whatever.† â€Å"That could be compulsion.† â€Å"Really powerful compulsion. I couldn't do that, and I'm strongeror used to bein it than anyone we know. And that power comes from using spirit†¦.† â€Å"So,† I finished, â€Å"you think this illusion guy must have been a spirit user too.† She nodded. â€Å"Why not contact him and find out?† â€Å"Because there's no information listed! It's secret. And there are others just as strange. Like someone who could physically drain others. People standing nearby would get weak and lose all their strength. They'd pass out. And there was someone else who could stop things in midair when they were thrown at him.† Excitement lit up her features. â€Å"He could have been an air user,† I pointed out. â€Å"Maybe,† she said. I could feel the curiosity and excitement swirling through her. She desperately wanted to believe there were others out there like her. I smiled. â€Å"Who knew? Moroi have Roswell- and Area 51-type stuff. It's a wonder I'm not being studied somewhere to see if they can figure out the bond.† Lissa's speculative mood turned teasing. â€Å"I wish I could see into your mind sometimes. I'd like to know how you feel about Mason.† â€Å"He's my friend,† I said stoutly, surprised at the abrupt change in subject. â€Å"That's it.† She tsked. â€Å"You used to flirtand do other stuffwith any guy you could get your hands on.† â€Å"Hey!† I said, offended. â€Å"I wasn't that bad.† â€Å"Okay†¦maybe not. But you don't seem interested in guys anymore.† I was interested in guyswell, one guy. â€Å"Mason's really nice,† she continued. â€Å"And crazy about you.† â€Å"He is,† I agreed. I thought about Mason, about that brief moment when I'd thought he was sexy outside Stan's class. Plus, Mason was really funny, and we got along beautifully. He wasn't a bad prospect as far as boyfriends went. â€Å"You guys are a lot alike. You're both doing things you shouldn't.† I laughed. That was also true. I recalled Mason's eagerness to take on every Strigoi in the world. I might not be ready for thatdespite my outburst in the carbut I shared some of his recklessness. It might be time to give him a shot, I thought. Bantering with him was fun, and it had been a long time since I'd kissed anyone. Dimitri made my heart ache †¦ but, well, it wasn't like anything else was going on there. Lissa watched me appraisingly, like she knew what I was thinkingwell, aside from the Dimitri stuff. â€Å"I heard Meredith say you were an idiot for not going out with him. She said it's because you think you're too good for him.† â€Å"What! That's not true.† â€Å"Hey, I didn't say it. Anyway, she said she's thinking of going after him.† â€Å"Mason and Meredith?† I scoffed. â€Å"That's a disaster in the making. They have nothing in common.† It was petty, but I'd gotten used to Mason always doting on me. Suddenly, the thought of someone else getting him irked me. â€Å"You're possessive,† Lissa said, again guessing my thoughts. No wonder she got so annoyed at me reading her mind. â€Å"Only a little.† She laughed. â€Å"Rose, even if it's not Mason, you really should start dating again. There are lots of guys who would kill to go out with youguys who are actually nice.† I hadn't always made the best choices when it came to men. Once again, the urge to spill all my worries to her seized me. I'd been hesitant to tell her about Dimitri for so long, even though the secret burned inside of me. Sitting with her here reminded me that she was my best friend. I could tell her anything, and she wouldn't judge me. But, just like earlier, I lost the chance to tell her what was on my mind. She glanced over at her alarm clock and suddenly sprang up from the bed. â€Å"I'm late! I've got to meet Christian!† Joy filled her, underscored with a bit of nervous anticipation. Love. What could you do? I swallowed back the jealousy that started to raise its ugly head. Once again, Christian had taken her away from me. I wasn't going to be able to unburden myself tonight. Lissa and I left the dorm, and she practically sprinted away, promising we'd talk tomorrow. I wandered back to my own dorm. When I got to my room, I passed by my mirror and groaned when I saw my face. Dark purple surrounded my eye. In talking to Lissa, I'd almost forgotten about the whole incident with my mother. Stopping to get a closer look, I stared at my face. Maybe it was egotistical, but I knew I looked good. I wore a C-cup and had a body much coveted in a school where most of the girls were supermodel slim. And as I'd noted earlier, my face was pretty too. On a typical day, I was a nine around hereten on a very good one. But today? Yeah. I was practically in negative numbers. I was going to look fabulous for the ski trip. â€Å"My mom beat me up,† I informed my reflection. It looked back sympathetically. With a sigh, I decided I might as well get ready for bed. There was nothing else I wanted to do tonight, and maybe extra sleep would speed the healing. I went down the hall to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my hair. When I got back to my room, I slipped on my favorite pajamas, and the feel of soft flannel cheered me up a little. I was packing my backpack for the next day when a burst of emotion abruptly shot through my bond with Lissa. It caught me unaware and gave me no chance to fight it. It was like being knocked over by a hurricane-force wind, and suddenly, I was no longer looking at my backpack. I was â€Å"inside† Lissa, experiencing her world firsthand. And that's when things got awkward. Because Lissa was with Christian. And things were getting †¦ hot.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Fta - Advantages and Disadvantages - 2259 Words

3. FTAs – advantages and disadvantages The principal point of Free Trade Agreements is to secure trade liberalisation. While the traditional debate about FTAs is the danger that they can divert rather than create trade, the record to date suggests there has been little diversion and that FTAs and regional agreements have been effective in encouraging wider trade liberalisation. A practical advantage of FTAs is that they are quicker and easier to negotiate than multilateral agreements because fewer parties are at the table. Parties can secure advantages that are harder to win in bigger forums. The disadvantages are twofold. If FTAs are not set up within the right framework of policies, they can diminish rather than enhance economic†¦show more content†¦Freeing up trade between countries with similar economic profiles often produces benefits without some of the disruption that sometimes accompanies agreements between countries with radically different economies. Where firms face increased competition from rivals pr oducing similar goods and services, they usually lift their performance to the benefit of consumers in all participating countries. This is most vividly seen in the European motor industry. In other cases, the increased intra-industry trade brings improvements through de facto increased scale economies. For example, in the European case, it has led firms to specialise in parts of a production process that they previously undertook in its entirety, or to concentrate on particular market segments. 20 An Australia–USA Free Trade Agreement: Issues and Implications Chapter 3 FTAs — advantages and disadvantages The problem of trade diversion A trade bloc created by a free trade agreement leads to expanding trade through trade creation and trade diversion. The latter stems from sales won at the expense of third country suppliers, which become less competitive purely because they face a tariff barrier that does not apply to suppliers within the new free trade area. Such increased trade actually reduces the economy’s overall efficiency. It is trade creation, whereby less productive activities in the partner contract and the more productive expand, that defines many of the benefits of theShow MoreRelatedCross National Cooperation And Agreements987 Words   |  4 Pagesdeficit for the United States. South Korea and China also have bilateral trade agreements with each other. In looking forward with respect to the United States continuing these bilateral agreements, the advantages and disadvantages must be measured. The advantage of a free trade agreement (FTA) such as the bilateral agreements between the United Sta tes, China and South Korea, is the elimination of costly quotas and export tariffs to stimulate economic growth within those country’s borders. FTA’sRead MoreAnalyse the effects of domestic and global free trade and protection policies on the Australian economy1144 Words   |  5 Pagespolicies on the Australian economy Free trade is the unrestricted purchase and sale of goods and services between countries without the imposition of protection such as tariffs and quotas. This enables economies to focus on their core competitive advantage(s), thereby maximizing economic output and fostering income growth for their citizens. Australian exports rose from $66.6 billion in 1990-91 to $300.4 billion in 2012-13, with an average growth in export volumes of 4.6 per cent per annum since 1990-91Read MoreTrade Between Australia and Japan1078 Words   |  5 Pagesextremely successful. Another talk is planned for APEC as well as November 2007. The main aim of these talks is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an FTA agreement. Japan’s reluctance is well acknowledged, after all, Australia will be the biggest winner through this. The transfer and price of goods (especially electronics and motor vehicles) would become cheaper. The FTA would also improve productivity and availability of resources. This would push Australia in to being close to the leadingRead MoreThe Role of Regional Integration in Promoting Global Business.1157 Words   |  5 PagesRegional integration is growing as a means for economic growth for many countries. Throughout this paper we will discuss the promoting of regional integration into the Northern South America region. In addition, the paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of regional integration as it relates to (NAFTA, EU, APEC, ASEAN, CAFTA). Regional Overview The Northern South America region contains two countries Columbia and Venezuela. Both of the countries in this region have a wide array of naturalRead MoreDiscuss the Advantages and Disadvantages, to the Participating Countries and the Rest of the World, of Forming a Free Trade Arrangement. China, Japan and Korea Are Now Undertaking Preliminary Research Into the Formation of a Free Trade Area. Withi...2344 Words   |  10 Pagesin regional economic integration, Free Trade Arrangement (FTA) is applied most frequently, accounting for almost 90% of regional integration. (Hill 2007) Theoretically, all trade barriers both tariffs and non-tariff ones are eliminated in an ideal FTA. However, each member countries are free to determine independent trade policies against nonmember countries. (Hill 2007) Currently, the number of free trade arrangements is proliferating. FTA spread almost all over the world with the European Free TradeRead MoreFree Trade And Trade Agreements1738 Words   |  7 Pagesplayed a vital role in economic growth for a nation, improved efficiency, boosted innovation, and the greater impartiality that accompanies a rules-based system. Although there are many rewards of free trade many countries still put constraints on FTA. Demand for the continuation of trade restrictions continues to be part of the public debate. More common arguments in favor of trade barriers are evaluated below with their likely economic effects. The purpose of this essay is therefore to shed lightRead MoreRegional Trade Agreements vs. Global Trade Liberalization1200 Words   |  5 Pagessmall island developing state, by Asafu-Adjave and Mahadevan, found that full trade liberalization created the best outcomes when it comes to real output. Additionally, their results showed that regional trade agreements have the potential to take advantage of smaller nations, but they can also greatly increase the market size for a small nation and therefore increase their buying power. Regional trade agreements has proven to be beneficial for intra-regional trade within the Association of SoutheastRead MoreThe Role Of Regional Integration Essay1476 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper will analyze the role of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in promoting global business. Besides NAFTA, regional integrations such as: EU, APEC, ASEAN, CAFTA, or others may be discussed for the purpose of comparing advantages and disadvantages of regional integration. Also discussed will be the economic development stages of countries within NAFTA (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and any ramifications of NAFTA development for global business. NAFTA NAFTA is an agreementRead More Globalisation and trade liberalization are worldwide phenomena that have1449 Words   |  6 PagesFree Trade. Australia gradually reduced its trade protections, which can be any actions by national governments that will give an artificial competitive advantage to domestic producers over foreign producers. The changes to the free trade and protection policies has caused a significant improvement in the number of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and a shift in Australias trading relationships, which in turn has affected firms, individuals and also the Australian government. Since the mid 1970sRead MoreEssay about How The Canadian Economy Is De2078 Words   |  9 Pages The Canadian economy is determined largely by the United States economy threw the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The North American Free Trade Agreement was an agreement that came into effect on January 1,1995 which involves Mexico, Canada and the United States of America. This agreement is said to produce 1 billion to 3 billion dollar gains in each country. NAFTA ensures that a certain amount of goods produced and traded between the three countries