Similes in Literature and Daily Life

Similes in Literature and Daily Life NGUYEN THI HONG Abstract The assignment aims at exemplifying, analyzing and describing the character and function of the art of simile in works. It focuses on the occurrence of figurative language in standard English as well as in Vietnamese. The paper is chiefly based on Kleisers framework. Data analysis is done qualitatively with descriptive method. An overview of the paper is to exemplify and explain models with the purpose of revealing the character and the effects of the simile on showing expressions. 1. Introduction Every public speaker, writer, poet or musician knows the value of the simile to give vividness and color to his style of expressions. The simile has long been recognized as a useful element of expression. This technique is broadly used in prose, poetry, folk-song or even in report and magazine. The research takes examples from various works of famous writers as well as from peasant sayings in daily conversations. The reason for choosing these sources lies in the fact that the means of simile is efficient not only in literary works but also in daily life. In fact, if you wish to increase freshness, originality, vividness and accuracy on your written and spoken language, then you should use the art of simile. 2. A review of notion and classification 2.1. What are similes? Simile and the related word similar derive from the Latin similis, meaning like. A simile is a figure of speech which is extensively used in verbal language and which has long been recognized as a useful element of expression. According to Cleary (2009), a simile is a comparison between two unlike things that use like or as. Cuddon (2013) defined simile in this way: A figure of speech in which one thing is likened to another, in such a way as to clarify and enhance an image. It is an explicit comparison ( as opposed to the metaphor, q.v., where the comparison is implicit) recognizable by the use of the words like or as. It is equally common in prose and verse and is a figurative device of great antiquity (Cuddon, 2013). A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things by using connecting words such as like, as or than as in He is like a lion or in Tià ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¿ng suà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Ëœi trong nhÆ ° tià ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¿ng hà ¡t xa/ Trăng là ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Å"ng cà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ thà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¥ bà ³ng là ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Å"ng hoa in Vietnamese. In fact, simile is always the product either of the fancy or of the imagination. Similes are similar to metaphors in that they are both forms of comparison, but similes compare the two ideas whilst they remain separate by using connecting words ( like, as, so, than or various verbs such as resemble), whereas a metaphor compare two things directly. Although a comparison between simile and metaphor will be made, here is just one example: Simile: Abook is like a garden carried in the pocket. Metaphor: A book is a garden carried in the pocket. Obviously, the presence or absence of only word separates a simile from a metaphor. The similarities and differences will be discussed later. Now we focus on forms and kind of similes as well as the effects of simile on showing expression. 2.2. Classification of similes. Similes have different types and classifications, too. Bredin remarked about a scale going from the most stereotyped to the most creative similes. At one extreme is situated the conventionalized and fixed similes, and at the other extreme is the creative similes. Between the two extremes, standard (ordinary) and original (fresh, but not totally unexpected) similes can be settled. Ortony (1993) offered a semantic distinction between literal and non-literal similes. In non-literal similes, topic and vehicle are not symmetrical and the similarity markers can be dropped, but in literal similes, the terms can be reversed and the similarity markers can not be dropped. Another classification by Fromilhague has offered a distinction between objective similes, originating from concrete physical experience, and subjective similes, stemming from individual association mechanisms. He also explains explicit and implicit similes which are the basis of this article. In explicit simile, sense or point of similarity is stated directly. Most of the sentences with asà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as structures are of this kind as in as light as feather or in as hot as fire. Implicit simile, however, is the one whose sense is not stated directly and leave the onus of interpretation to the reader. Most words with like are of this types as in eat like a bird or in live like a pig. These types of simile can also be adapted, extended or cut. Often a writer will slide the usual expressions into hot like an oven or oven-hot or with the heat of an oven or some other phrases. To avoid clichà © and extend the image though this has to be done with caution a writer might take a simile like she looked like an angel and change it to she looked like an angel, full of its sadness for humankind the idea being to give the object of reference more detail in order to make the image more complex. 2.3. Functions of simile. A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. We can find simile examples in our daily speech. We often hear comments like John is as slow as a snail. Snails are notorious for their slow pace and here the slowness of John is compared to that of a snail. The use of as in the example helps to draw the resemblance. Simile inputs vividness into what we say. Authors and poets utilize comparisons to convey their sentiments and thoughts through vivid word pictures like a simile. Some examples are given below: I would have given anything for the power to soothe her frail soul, tormenting itself in its invincible ignorance like a small bird beating about the cruel wires of a cage. The lines have been taken from Lord Jim written by Joseph Conrad. The helplessness of the soul is being compared with a bird in a cage beating itself against the merciless wires of the cage, to be free. In To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf compares the velocity of her thoughts about the two men with that of spoken words impressions poured in upon her of those two men, and to follow her thought was like following a voice which speaks too quickly to be taken down by ones pencil. She says both are difficult to follow and cannot be copied in words by a pencil. The first verse in A red, red rose by Robert Burns is a well-known simile: O my Luves like a red, red rose Thats newly sprung in june; O my Luves like the melodies Thats sweetly playd in tune. Robert Burns uses a simile to describe the beauty of his beloved. He says that his love is a fresh red rose that blossoms in the spring. Some similes are found in daily life such as as busy as a bee comparing someones level of energy to a fast-flying bee or as agile as a monkey implying someone can move as well as a monkey. According to Fromilhague, similes have various functions. Firstly, they serve to communicate concisely and efficiently. They are one of a set of linguistic devices which extend the linguistic resources available. Secondly, they can function as cognitive tools for thought in that they enable us to think of the world in alternative ways. Simile can be an excellent way for an author either to make an unusual thing seem more familiar like The planet Zenoth was as cold as ice or a familiar thing seem more unique as in Her smile was jagged like a broken zipper. In this way, similes can help the reader imagine the fictive world of a piece of literature. Good similes can also make readers think about things in a new way, and can sometimes create a lasting effect. Scottish poet Robert Burnss declaration that his luves like a red, red rose forever linked the concepts of love and red roses in our minds. Simile can help to make new connections for the reader. One of literatures purposes is to help better explain the world around us, and the technique of simile is one of those ways in which we are able to see things in a new way. All types of analogies are cognitive processes of transferring meaning from one thing to another, and thus the use of simile in literature has real synaptic effects. For this reason, and for aesthetic purposes, simile has been a popular literary technique for many hundreds of years. From the above discussion, we can infer the function of similes both in our everyday life as well as in literature. Similes can make our language more descriptive and enjoyable. Writers, poets, and songwriters make use of similes often to add depth and emphasize what they are trying to convey to the reader or listener. Similes can be funny, serious, mean, or creative. Using similes attracts the attention and appeals directly to the senses of listeners or readers encouraging their imagination to comprehend what is being communicated. In addition, it inspires life-like quality in our daily talks and in the characters of fiction or poetry. Simile allows readers to relate the feelings of a writer or a poet to their personal experiences. Therefore, the use of similes makes it easier for the readers to understand the subject matter of a literary text, which may have been otherwise too demanding to be comprehended. Like metaphors, similes also offer variety in our ways of thinking and offer s new perspectives of viewing the world. 2.4. Similes and metaphors. It would be a mistake to leave the subject of simile without a word about metaphor. The word metaphor derives from two Greek roots: meta, meaning over, beyond and pheiren, meaning to carry, transfer. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison. In literary texts, simile is used with metaphors to enhance the effect and beauty of the text. As metaphor is a covert comparison, simile is an overt one which explicitly and precisely explains the object and it is the first and simplest method for conveying the beauty of message which is used in poetry, prose and also usual conversations. Simile is much less investigated than metaphor, although it occurs as frequently in discourse. It can have an affirmative or a negative form: the affirmative form asserts likeness between the entities compared, as the sun is like an orange an d the negative one denies likeness, as the sun is not like an orange. Similes share with metaphors the goal of relating one thing to another, but they do it in a slightly different way. Look at the example: Simile: Simon is like a rocket. Metaphor: Simon is a rocket around the circuit. The presence or absence of only one word separates a simile from a metaphor. And because of the words like or as, it is classified as a simile. It is obvious that in a simile, there is an explicit comparison-one thing is said to be like something else. In a metaphor, there is no comparison because the two things are treated as identical ( an implicit comparison). In addition to like or as, several other words and expressions indicate the presence of a simile. A common one is than, as in faster than a speeding bullet or sharper than a serpents tooth. Here are some more expressions that signal the use of a simile: is similar tomay be compared tois akin to is comparable toputs one in mind ofis a kind of as thoughcan be likened tois the same as is not unlikeis not dissimilar tomay be seen as In the world of figurative language, similes have long taken a back seat to the more glamorous metaphor. Similes are similar to metaphors in that they are both forms of comparison, but similes compare the two ideas whilst they remain separate, whereas a metaphor compares two things directly. 3. Aims and objectives of the study The study aims at exemplifying and analizing models with the purpose of revealing the character and the effects of the simile on showing expressions. Accordingly, the paper tells you how to use the simile, the form and kind to use, and when to avoid it through risk of artificicality and the danger of becoming trite and obvious. 4. Research methodology 4.1. Sample of the study. The paper takes examples from the books of many well-known writers. These examples are chosen carefully which are suitable for each aspect. The models are either sentences in stories or verses in poems, thus they are short and each does not exceed 40 words. 4.2. Theorical framework. The theorical framework of the study is based on Kleiser (1925) and other authors like Grothe (2008) and Alm-Arvius (2003). However, Kleisers framework is chiefly used. 4.3. The uses of similes. The simile is generally regarded as a purely poetic accessory-as an artifice which, belonging to the realm of poetry, is sometimes divorced from its proper relationship and forced into the association of prose. Simile is always the product either of the fancy or of the imagination, and is therefore a poetic attribute. Still, simile is a poetic ornament mainly, and the similes that leap to ones mind when one hears the word mentioned are nearly always taken from famous poems. Simile is an imaginative, and therefore poetic, means of giving a vivid description. Kleiser (1925) claimed that there are four main uses of simile, including pure description, association, ornamentation and the effect of proverbial wisdom. We will take these uses in order. 4.3.1. Purely descriptive. The use for description is the chief use of simile. Generally speaking, descriptive passages are of three kinds-of persons, of interiors, and of natural scenery. Simile is the most effective in natural scenery. Conrad is a master in using similes in his works. His similes are extremely good. They are easily understood even by those who have never seen the sights he is describing and they are extraordinarily beautiful giving you the picture he is attempting to convey far more truly and far more vividly than any number of pure descriptions could do. Take an example from Lord Jim: The young moon, recurved and shining low in the west, was like a slender shaving thrown up from a bar of gold, and the Arabian Sea, smooth and cool to the eye like a sheet of glass, extended its perfect level to the perfect circle of a dark horizon (Conrad, 2005). He made a comparison between the young moon and a slender shaving thrown up from a bar of gold. By using the mean of simile, the author painted a perfect picture about the beauty of the moon. Similarly, that the Arabian Sea is compared with a sheet of glass shows an extremely smooth and lissom stream. The excellent simile draws a natural picture vividly and perfectly. Descriptions of people are often given both very vividly and very briefly by using the technique of simile. Take this from The gift of the Magi of O. Henry- an American writer of short stories Dellas beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. The comparation between Dellas beautiful hair with a cascade of brown waters describes very long, very soft and smooth hair. Each of these passages conveys a description by means of a simile which could not possibly be as effectively made in any other way. The technique of simile allows readers to make his own picture, and so conveys ti him his own individual interpretation of the scene you are trying to present. 4.3.2. Associative. The second use of simile is nearly as important as that of pure direct description. Kleiser (1925) claimed that it is this, to suggest by means of the simile employed the hidden character of the thing you are describing. Thus O. Henry, in The gift of the Magi, describing Jims surprise when seeing Dellas hair, says Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail (Henry, 1906). Della-Jims wife-has a very long and smooth hair. However, she sold her beautiful hair to buy a gift for Jim on Christmas- a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design. Absurdly, Jim sold his gold watch that had been his fathers and his grandfathers to buy a present for his wife-the set of combs. Jims attitude shows a sacrifice and true love to his wife. 4.3.3. Ornament. According to Kleiser, ornament simile is a quite legitimate but sometimes a simile put in merely to improve the rhythm of a sentence, or to enhance the effect of a description already given, is justified by its result; but the dangers are obvious. The ornament use of simile is particularly effective in a story written in a rather bare, straightforward style; the sudden introduction of a particularly apt simile arrests the attention, and forces the reader to take particular note of the passage in which it occurs. Similarly, it is very effective to recur to a simile already made in order to recall the circumstances under which it was first made. For instance, in Lord Jim, when the author wishes to remind the reader of the state of mind of his hero on an earlier occasion without putting it in so many words, he again refers to the thin gold shaving of the moon and the sea like a sheet of ice. 4.3.4. Proverbial. Simile is used very largely by country folk and peasants of all lands, but their similes are of a very particular kind, and to get your effect you must know exactly the kind of thing that peasants say. As slow as turtle, for instance, is a peasant saying in thousands of the century, and it has the true elemental ring; it might be found in fairy tales. The simile is a good way of achieving your effect if you are speaking of peasant life, for it is one of the poetic beauties of genuine peasant speech; but it must be such similes as would naturally occur to a cowherd or a fisherman or a washerwoman. Simile is an important technique in most works; therefore, to make a good use of simile, you should watch the similes that occur to you instinctively, try to compare the people and things you see every day to something that will at once give a good idea of the real object and at the same time be original; for you must at all costs avoid the obvious simile, which is mere waste of time. Morever, when you have both sifted your inspired similes and carefully created them out of your fancy and your observation, you should read those authors who are especially successful in the art of simile, noticing how they obtain their effects. 5. Results and discussion From the above analyses, we can see that almost writers and poets utilize the means of simile in their works. In addition, every one also uses similes in daily conversations and even many similes last in thousands of century and become typical similes in life as as nimble as a rabbit or as busy as a bee. It is indisputable that similes play an important role in enhancing the effects of expressions. They can make our language more descriptive and enjoyable. Besides, they can add depth and emphasize what the authors are trying to convey to the readers or the listeners. However, the uses of similes can be confusing to people who are not fluent in a given language because they will interpret the words literally. Also, similes can change from region to region, and even among groups of people. 6. Summary This study on similes and their use has exemplified and analyzed proses and verses as well as peasant sayings to discover four uses of similes. Pure description, association, arnamentation, and proverb are main uses of similes in which the first is the most important. So, too, the study suggest the ways to make a good simile and avoid bad similes. Types of simile are also showed and especially, metaphors are mentioned in order that people are not confused among the two notions. All types of analogies are cognitive processes of transferring meaning from one thing to another, and thus the use of simile in literature has real synaptic effects. For this reason, and for aesthetic purposes, simile has been a popular literary technique for many hundreds of years. 7. Implication Simile can be an excellent way for an author either to make an unusual thing seem more familiar or an fimiliar thing seem more unique. In this way, similes can help the reader imagine the fictive world of a piece of literature. Good similes should be therefore made to make readers think about things in a new way. REFERENCE Alm-Arvius, C. (2003). Figures of speech. Cleary, B. P. (2009). Skin like milk, hair of silk. Conrad, J. (2005). Lord Jim. Cuddon, J. A. (2013). A dictionary of literary terms and literary theory. Grothe, M. (2008). I never metaphor I didnt like: A comprehensive compilation of historys greatest analogies, metaphors, and similes. Henry, O. (1906). The gift of the Magi. Kleiser, G. (1925). Similes and their use. Ortony, A. (1993). Metaphor and Thought.

Death Changes Everything

Imogen is a thirteen year old girl. Her family consists of two older brothers, a dad called George, and a step-mother called Jenny. Her grandparents died, when she was a little, except a grandmother on her dads' side of the family called Mary. Her mother also died. Now all she has is a picture which she looks at every morning when she wakes up and just before she goes to bed. Jenny is an evil step-mother. Like one of those from a fairy tale. She seems to love George but hates children and wants nothing to do with them. In front of George she acts kindly towards them and makes an effort to communicate but when he's not around she just ignored them. Jenny is considered completely useless to the three kids. She sits at home watching television all day, she doesn't bother to clean the house or cook and instead she hires a maid and pays her to do the job. This isn't the type of mother role model that Imogen needs. She needs someone who could show her new things like teaching her how to cook complicated dishes for special occasions. Even though Imogen is well-behaved, she still needs a mother to go shopping with, to gossip with and have some mother, daughter time with. All these things could be done with friends but it's different when it's your mother. A mother gives advice that friends might not have experienced yet. George, Imogens' father, plays a big role in her life. He's a successful lawyer and Imogen takes him as her role model. George is a loving father who's always there for Imogen, helping her to make the right choices in life, encouraging her to study just that little bit harder for exams. He's not that big a role model for the boys as he is for Imogen but that's because they have other things on their mind instead of working hard to get a good education. Perfect. That's what Imogen is. She is a bright teenager with high ambitions of following her fathers' footsteps in becoming a lawyer. She has big, blue eyes, long, wavy hair and is short but extremely mature for her age. She loves school as much as cats loves mice and her friends are reliable, trustworthy and support her through thick and thin no matter what happens. Tom and Adam were two charming boys who had a way with the ladies. They were good students right up to the point of puberty. Usually girls are the ones with mood swings, but not in this case. They started misbehaving in class, then skipping lessons and finally stopped going to school altogether. Now they, unlike their sister, hate school. When in school they do everything to get themselves out and when out drinking alcohol, taking drugs were only a few of the things they do. They never seemed to understand how their own blood could love school so much. Imogens grandmother Mary was, in Imogens opinion, the nicest grandmother that ever lived. She lives abroad in Spain but visits regularly. She's loves all three children very much, she respects them and treats them like grown-ups. She is very healthy and lives life to the maximum, goes on holidays a lot, and is not scared of anything. Every time Mary visit's the country and they go shopping, Mary buys Imogen anything she asks for. Every morning, Imogens house, starts off the same way. She wakes up to the sound of her annoying brothers arguing with Jenny about how she doesn't have to act nicely in front of George and make them breakfast but this Monday morning she woke up to the sound of rain tapping at her window. She jumped out of bed, kissed her mothers photo, got washed and put her school uniform on. Walking down the stairs she noticed Jenny trying to make breakfast, with no complaints from the twins. That was because she was making pancakes and George was there watching his sons every move. She sat down next to Adam and as he turned around to ask Jenny for more food, he knocked over the glass of orange juice that was beside him, making it spill all over Imogens' school skirt. Walking back up the stairs to her bedroom, she slipped and bumped her knee onto the hard flood. She got up slowly and crawled to her bedroom. Rummaging through her closet she tried to find her other skirt. Realising it was in the laundry basket she walked over, got it out and put the malodorous skirt on. â€Å"That's disgusting!† said her twin brothers as they walked past her bedroom â€Å"It's not that dirty!† she lied The skirt wasn't literally dirty it just smelled. To take the smell away she went into the bathroom and smothered herself with perfume. Running back down the stairs she slipped and landed onto the side of her foot, hurting her ankle. Sitting on the floor thinking of how much pain was caused to her this morning she realised it was the start of a bad day. Looking up at the clock in the living room, it read quarter past eight. She was late. Today was the day of her first GCSE exam and Imogen wanted to get to school earlier than usual so that she could have enough time to go over the topics she wasn't very confident with. Now, if she took the bus, it would be impossible. George had still not left for work. He was standing in the kitchen reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. Imogen ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek. â€Å"Good morning dad.† â€Å"Good morning honey,† he replied, â€Å"did you sleep well?† â€Å"Yes I did,† said Imogen, â€Å"can you take me to school by any chance?† â€Å"Of course I could† â€Å"Boys, get downstairs, I'm taking your sister to school and I might as well take you too!† he yelled upstairs â€Å"We'll take the bus coz it's too early for us to be leaving for school.† They shouted back â€Å"Fine, but don't be late.† â€Å"We won't be,† they replied with huge grins on their faces Imogens dad loves old cars and he himself had a 1986 BMW 635CSi. The car was safe but had a few flaws. The airbags didn't work on the front passenger side and the seatbelts easily became unbuckled. George was never worried because he was a very safe driver and he could never give his car away. As soon as Imogen got in the car she put a book on her fathers lap and asked him to ask her some questions but he couldn't because he was about to drive, instead he told her that he would when they stopped at a red traffic light. When they did he took the old book into his hands and started asking questions. Imogen gave a perfect answer to each and every question. Meanwhile, on the road opposite to theirs were a couple of drunken teenagers, joy riding. They didn't notice that the red light was on and carried on driving. The driver lost control and the car started to skid on the wet ground and so ended up hitting Imogens' car. The out of control car hit the BMW head on causing George's seatbelt to unbuckle and he flew out the front window. Imogens airbag was broken but luckily her seatbelt didn't unbuckle. An ambulance arrived and took them to the busy hospital. Imogen and George were rushed straight into surgery for they had suffered serious head injuries. Unfortunately none of the drunk teens were wearing a seatbelt and received serious injuries. They died before the ambulance got to the scene. Three weeks later, slowly opening her eyes, Imogen found herself in a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends. â€Å"What happened to me? Why am I in a hospital? Asked Imogen â€Å"Imogen, this is really important, what's the last thing you remember? Asked the nurse â€Å"I remember my dad was taking me to school. Then we stopped at a traffic light and he was asking – where is my dad?† When the doctors operated on Imogen, they did the best they could, her injuries where bad and the doctors were not sure whether or not she would be able to remember everything when she awoke from the coma. â€Å"I don't know how to tell you this, but your father-† said the nurse â€Å"I'll tell her,† interrupted Mary, Imogens grandmother, â€Å"your father died the day you were rushed into hospital. The surgeons did everything they could but they just weren't able to stop the bleeding† By the time she finished the sentence both of them were in tears. Mary went up to her favourite grandchild and put her arms around her. â€Å"It's my entire fault, grandma, it's my entire fault!† Imogen repeated, â€Å"I know it is, I asked him to drive me to school, if he hadn't got in the car to take me to school, he would still be here! It's my entire fault! Now we have no one to look after us, and I've missed my GCSE exams. It's my entire fault!† â€Å"You still have Jenny to look after you and I called the school to explain the situation, they said you can retake them when you get back† Imogen stayed in the hospital for another week under monitoring. Her friends visited and so did her brothers. The week went past very slowly. Everyday, all she did was lay in bed, watch television, walk around a bit and then go back to bed. There were no children there her age and she didn't want to talk to elderly people. Imogen received beautiful bouquets of flowers and tasty chocolates from family but she didn't want any of it, she just wanted her caring dad by her side, helping her through this. When Imogen got out of the hospital her brothers took her home. Jenny was in the living room watching television. â€Å"Welcome home!† exclaimed Jenny Imogen just ignored her and went straight up to her bedroom. The next few days were a blur. Imogen stayed in bed most days mourning and crying over all the memories she had with her father. Every time she saw a picture of him she burst out into tears. The words: ‘It's my fault, why did it have to happen, what did he do to deserve this, it was my bad day!' kept running though her mind. Even when she slept, she had horrifying nightmares about the crash; she pictured her dad on the operating table, while she was behind glass unable to help him. She needed help, support, encouragement to get her back to normal, but with a step-mother like Jenny, that would be impossible. The first day she went to school her brothers left her at the gate. Looking at the school from a distance she realised that she wasn't ready to go in. Instead she followed her brothers to where they went. Tom led the way while Adam followed behind like a dog on a leash. During the journey, Tom and Adam went into, what looked like an abandoned house, when they came out Tom carried a small, plastic bag full of white pills. He put them in his pocket and walked on. They came to a lighthouse looking building which was surrounded by a high fence. On the fence was a warning sign which read ‘No unauthorised person'. The light house was covered with horizontal red and white stripes and a long, unstable, wooden ladder reached the ground from the top. The two brothers approached the lighthouse. Imogen stared at the building. It was very unusual for a lighthouse not to be near the ocean. While staring she carried on walking and stepped on a piece of loose metal lying on the floor. â€Å"What are you doing here? Asked Adam â€Å"I wanted to know were you were going. I could go back if you want.† â€Å"Yes, go back!† he shouted â€Å"No,† insisted Tom, â€Å"she doesn't know the way back and what if she gets lost. Just let her come up with us, what's the worst that could happen?† Tom went up the unstable ladder first, then went Imogen and last of all came Adam. Climbing up the ladder Imogen tried not to look down. As they neared the top of the lighthouse, strange voices could be heard. At first it sounded like there were only few people talking but as Imogen went higher up the ladder she started to hear more and more voices. â€Å"We're here† announced Tom as they reached the top. â€Å"Finally,† one boy said, â€Å"what took you so long?† â€Å"It's a long story;† answered Adam â€Å"but our little sister is here with us,† All the people sitting on the dirty lighthouse floor turned and looked at Imogen. â€Å"How old is she?† a girl asked Tom â€Å"I'm nearly 14† she answered her. â€Å"Isn't that a bit young?† she asked Tom again This time he answered her: â€Å"Well how old were we when all of this started?† â€Å"True, true. Good point.† Tom and Adam went around the lighthouse giving each person a couple of the white pills. Imogen went around to all the people, looking at what they were doing. To her it looked like they were drinking alcohol, swallowing the white pills and smoking weed. â€Å"What are the white pills and what do they do?† Imogen asked a little girl sitting in the corner sticking a white tablet in her mouth. â€Å"They're called ecstasy and they make me feel a whole lot better then I did this morning† answered the girl â€Å"I want some† requested Imogen â€Å"Sure,† said the girl, â€Å"but tell your brothers to get me an extra one, for next week.† The little girl was younger then Imogen but she looked worn-out and like she hadn't eaten in weeks. For a few short seconds after swallowing the tablet Imogen felt nothing, then minutes later the action kicked in. She felt ecstatic. Like nothing could ever go wrong. Then taking a sip of a transparent drink, she felt dizzy but relaxed. Finally, when she inhaled the weed she felt like all her problems and worries vanished and she was in a completely different world. School or education didn't matter. In this world she felt like she could do anything, even fly. Everyday, instead of taking Imogen to school, her brothers took her with them to the lighthouse. This carried on for weeks until Stephanie, the little girl that gave Imogen the weed, ecstasy and alcohol, had a heart attack. Lucky for everyone there, she had no family, so all they had to do was bury her in the cemetery at night. This was too much for Imogen. The death of the little girl made her remember the death of her dad. She realised that taking drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol wasn't the way to deal with death. She had to face death and just get over it. â€Å"I'm not going to come here with you any more,† Announced Imogen. â€Å"Why not?† asked her brothers â€Å"Because what your doing is bad for your health and what point are you trying to prove by drinking, drugs and smoking?† There is no point to prove, it makes us feel good and you should know, you've tried it for yourself and you know the pleasure it gives you.† â€Å"There's no pleasure in this if there is a risk of dying. I will give up.† â€Å"It's not as simple as it sounds. You go through a lot of pain when you try to give up. Are you sure you're ready?† asked her brothers â€Å"I will give up, I don't want to die like little Stephanie did. The only reason I started this was because I couldn't get over dads death and I didn't get any support from anyone, but me dying isn't going to make anything better either.† â€Å"Tomorrow you're going to end up coming back with us,† warned Adam â€Å"No,† Imogen said, â€Å"Tomorrow will be another day.† Stopping wasn't difficult. Imogen went through the normal process of withdrawal symptoms; aches and pains, sweating, shaking, headaches and cravings for the drug, but thinking about her father's and Stephanie's death helped her to pull through.

Licencia de manejar para indocumentados en Nuevo México

Si eres migrante indocumentado y radicas  en Nuevo Mà ©xico puedes sacar legalmente una licencia de manejar siguiendo una serie de pasos que se explican en este artà ­culo. En la actualidad mà ¡s de diez estados permiten sacar este tipo de licencia  a los indocumentados, pero no todas son iguales ni dan los mismos derechos. En cuanto a Nuevo Mà ©xico y  los requerimientos, hay que distinguir entre los necesarios para renovar la licencia, que se explican al final de este artà ­culo, y los que en este momento piden para sacarla por primera vez. Licencia de manejar para indocumentados en Nuevo Mà ©xico por primera vez Antes de aplicar por la licencia comprueba que tienes todos los documentos imprescindibles que te van a pedir cuando acudas a la cita a la oficina del Departamento de los Vehà ­culos a Motor (MVD, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Bà ¡sicamente vas a tener que probar tres cosas: residencia en el estado, tu identidad y un nà ºmero que te identifica. Para ello sà ³lo se admiten una serie de documentos muy especà ­ficos para cada categorà ­a. Para probar que efectivamente tienes tu domicilio en Nuevo Mà ©xico Debes presentar DOS documentos  de entre los listados a continuacià ³n:   Contrato de compra, hipoteca o lease (renta) de la viviendaExtracto del banco o del credit unionDocumento original de un municipio, condado, organizacià ³n comunitaria  o tribu indà ­gena de Nuevo Mà ©xico o del estado o gobierno federal en el que se diga que efectivamente resides en ese estadoFactura (utility bill) del agua, gas, electricidad,  là ­nea fija de telà ©fono, televisià ³n por cable o satà ©lite, recogida de basura. Sà ³lo puedes presentar una factura de esta categorà ­a. Por ejemplo,  si presentas la de la electricidad no admiten tambià ©n la del cablePrueba de que un hijo asiste a una escuela en el estado. Puede presentarse la forma de matriculacià ³n o una carta en papel oficial  firmada por un oficial de la escuela.Recibo de pago del impuesto por ser propietario de bienes raà ­cesRecibo de sueldo o nà ³minaRegistracià ³n de un auto, siempre y cuando sea actual y và ¡lidaTarjeta de asistencia pà ºblica o mà ©dica que sea de Nuevo Mà ©xico Ademà ¡s, si eres menor de 18 aà ±os puedes presentar como prueba de residencia en NM cualquier documento que pruebe que asistes a una escuela en ese estado o perteneces a un equipo deportivo u organizacià ³n religiosa. Los documentos tienen que ser originales (no se aceptan copias), tener menos de 3 meses de antigà ¼edad y tu direccià ³n debe de aparecer en ellos. Prueba de identidad cuando no tienes un Nà ºmero del Seguro Social Debes tener uno de los siguientes documentos: Origial o copia de tu acta de nacimiento que debes de pedir a tu paà ­s. Tiene que ser traducida al inglà ©s por una persona con buen conocimiento del inglà ©s y del espaà ±ol y debe firmar su traduccià ³n siguiendo este modelo. Ademà ¡s, debe notarizarse. No se admite que el traductor y el notario sean la misma persona.Certificado de matrimonio si te has casado en cualquiera de los 50 estados de EEUU o uno de sus territorios, como por ejemplo, Puerto Rico.Orden de una corte de los Estados Unidos con sello en la que se declara que has cambiado de nombre o que te has divorciado o que has cambiado de gà ©nero. En este caso, la orden debe contener tu nombre legal y tu fecha de nacimiento.Una licencia de manejar, learner ´s permit, tarjeta de ID emitida por un estado de EEUU o por el gobierno federal o por Canadà ¡. En este caso debe de tener una foto y ser và ¡lida o haber expirado no hace mà ¡s de un aà ±o.Matrà ­cula consular emitida despuà ©s del uno de febrero de 2005 por el consulado mexicano de El Paso o el de Albuquerque.Tu pasaporte. Tiene que ser và ¡lido y no estar vencido. Prueba de Nà ºmero de Identificacià ³n cuando no tienes un Nà ºmero del Seguro Social Debes presentar uno de los siguientes documentos: Matrà ­cula consular de los consulados mexicanos en El Paso o en Albuquerque con fecha posterior al 1 de febrero de 2005.Tu pasaporte và ¡lido.El ITIN, pero esto sà ³lo si se emplea como prueba de ID la matrà ­cula o el pasaporte. Cà ³mo entender estos requerimientos Debes presentar dos documentos del listado de prueba de residencia, uno de prueba de identidad o ID y otro como prueba de nà ºmero de identificacià ³n. Hay dos documentos—pasaporte y matrà ­cula—que se pueden utilizar como identidad o como prueba, pero si utilizas uno de ellos para una cosa, no puedes utilizarla para la otra. Cà ³mo aplicar por la licencia por primera vez Si eres menor de 25 aà ±os, debes cumplir con requisitos adicionales. Si ya has cumplido esa edad, a diferencia de lo que ocurre con los ciudadanos americanos, los extranjeros no pueden presentarse en una oficina del MVD. Es necesario realizar una cita previa aquà ­. Tambià ©n puedes cerrarla marcando al 505-827-2257. En Choose appointment type, escoge First Time Foreign National DL/ID. Ademà ¡s, necesitarà ¡s pasar un examen de visià ³n, un examen escrito, el de carretera y pagar un arancel. Renovacià ³n de la licencia Si ya tienes una licencia de manejar de Nuevo Mà ©xico para renovarla no puedes hacerlo por internet si no tienes un Nà ºmero del Seguro Social. Si ese es tu caso, la à ºnica manera es acudir en persona a una oficinal del MVD. Si ya tiene mà ¡s de un aà ±o de vencimiento, tendrà ¡s que tomar de nuevo el examen escrito. Y si tiene mà ¡s de cinco aà ±os de vencimiento, tambià ©n el de carretera. Tip de interà ©s Si no puedes obtener la licencia porque no cumples con los requisitos,  infà ³rmate y evita ser và ­ctima del fraude de  las licencias internacionales para manejar en Estados Unidos cuando vives aquà ­.

Cleopatra s Family Ruled Over Egypt - 863 Words

Cleopatra’s family ruled over Egypt for more than 100 years before she was born in 69 B.C. Myths and stories involving Cleopatra’s life inspired many movies, plays, and books, including â€Å"Antony and Cleopatra† by Shakespeare. She has become on of the most popular ancient Egyptian queens. (Biography.com, ) Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, the last queen of Egypt, was born in about 69 B.C. The large line of rulers that ruled over Egypt started in about 32 B.C. After the death of Alexander the Great the next era begun when Alexander’s general, Ptolemy, took over as king of Egypt. In the next three centuries, his family would follow in his footsteps. In its largest times, Ptolemaic, Egypt, was one of the world’s largest powers. (Biography.com, ) Cleopatra’s dad was King Ptolemy XII. Her mom was not well known, but some say she was her father’s sister. It was believed for a long time that Cleopatra was Greek, but a lot of people think she might have been part African. (History.com staff, 2009) Soon after, power complications started to happen between Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIII. While this was in play, Cleopatra fled to Syria, where she put together an army to defeat her rival in order to declare the throne to herself to â€Å"solve† the power issues. She returned to Egypt with an army and faced her brother at Pelusium (a coliseum-type place) located on the empire’s eastern edge. (Biography.com, ) Also around this time, the civil war between Julius Caesar and PompeyShow MoreRelatedCleopatra s Reign As The Last Queen Of Egypt1462 Words   |  6 PagesCleopatra VII was one of, if not the most powerful and famous women in ancient history. She was a queen, a goddess, a skilled diplomat and a negotiator, who played a serious role in reforming Egypt and how women were viewed in the ancient world. She was an incredibly clever woman from a young age, becoming queen at the youthful age at eighteen. 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Women in Egypt were very liberatedRead MoreSimilarities Between Cleopatra And Cleopatra1523 Words   |  7 PagesEckhardt 6 Caesar’s guests until his murder, Cleopatra tried to get recognition for her son as rightful heir, but to no avail.†(Cinnone) â€Å"Cleopatra s family ruled Egypt for more than 100 years before she was born around 69 B.C. The stories and myths surrounding Cleopatra s tragic life inspired a number of books, movies and plays, including Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Cleopatra has become one of the most well-known ancient Egyptians.†(Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator.) â€Å"In 59 Caesars, withRead More Cleopatra as a Historical Figure Essay2549 Words   |  11 PagesCleopatra as a Historical Figure In hieroglyphs, the name reads â€Å"Kleopadra†. It is a name which in Greek means â€Å"Glory of Her Race† (Weigall, 44). It is a name belonging to a woman who has transcended the boundaries of time so that we may know her story. 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It is said that Nefertiti was chosen by her Father and her Aunt, the Pharaoh’s mother, because of her strong personality that it was believ ed she could reign in the Pharaoh so her family would hold the real power behind theRead MoreThe Ancient Egyptian Pyramids : The Seven Wonders Of The World1206 Words   |  5 Pages(telegraph.co.uk) The Great Pyramids of Giza, built between 2584 and 2561 B.C, are located twelve miles from the capital of egypt, Cairo. (ancient.eu) They were the tallest man made structures in the world for 3800 years, until the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral in England. Measuring at 230 meters wide and 146 meters tall, the Great Pyramid at Giza took over 100,000 workers and over 20 years to complete. (Ancientegypt.co.uk) Why did the the Egyptians go through years of labor to build these enormousRead MoreA Summary On Julius Caesar Essay2120 Words   |  9 Pagesbecame the head of the family at only sixteen. 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