Problems on the KTM Trains and KRT Buses in Malaysia Essay Example for Free

Problems on the KTM Trains and KRT Buses in Malaysia Essay This is our recommendation report on the problems that frequently face by passengers on the KTM Trains and KRT Buses. Our company is experiencing declining number of passengers for the past six months since February. The unit of tickets sold drops dramatically from month to month since February. Investigations had been conducted and the problems are found out and recommended solution should be carried out to avoid the declining numbers of passengers in the coming days. The problems are identified based on our observations as well as the questionnaire’s results from our loyal customers of both of the transportation vehicles. Procedure In order to investigate the reason of this declining in numbers of users on both transportation, we have created a few questions that may be the reason of declining numbers of user on trains and buses. Next, our group is organized into 2 small group which one group consist of three members to distribute the questionnaires and questionnaires are collect back after the individuals have finished the questionnaires. After the questionnaires are collect back, the result are interpreted and analyzed. Then the findings will be present in term of charts and percentages. Moreover, our group members will also experience the services that provided by both of the transports. First and foremost, one of our group members will pretend as an ordinary passenger in order to observe the behaviors and attitudes of the staffs and workers on duty. We will also check on the punctuality of the transportation by matching the standard time and the actual time of the transports depart and arrive at most of the locations. Findings After all our questionnaires are collect back and we have conduct observation on the behaviors and attitudes of the staffs and workers, we would like to present the reason and factor that causes the decline in term of sales unit of both trains and buses First and foremost, the seats inside of the train are old, dirty and dusty. The seats are badly damaged by the vandalism of irresponsible passengers. Through our observation, we could noticed that some of the seat are drawn by some irresponsible passengers and some of the cushions of the seats have been torn off using sharp equipment. Some of the windows are also full with cracks that probably damage that cause by accident or passengers unmoral action. Secondly, the train-stewards and stewardess did not serve each and every passengers on the train. Only the first and second coaches which is classified as first class coaches of the train’s customers are being served. Although services are provided, we found that the services provided by them are bad. The passengers needs are not fulfilled and most of the first class passengers also claimed that they were ignored most of the time. We also witness that one of the workers is very rude towards an old man and vulgar words are scolded by the workers. Thirdly, most of the passengers at the bus terminal claimed that the buses are not punctual and the buses tends to delay most of the time. We also interview some of the passengers at the bus terminal, they said that the buses delay frequently, and the time period that buses delay are within half an hour to more than one hour. We also interview the worker on duty and found out that some of the reason that cause the buses to delay are technical problem on the buses and traffic jam that happened frequently. Some of the passengers also claimed that although they have sent complain letter to the headquarter of buses terminal, but no improvement or action taken by the upper management. Fourthly, as we also get some information from the regular passengers for the bus, they claimed that bus drivers tends to drive recklessly on the road especially during night time. One of the regular customers added that majority of the drivers’ always exceed the speed limit allowed especially on the hill near Malim Nawar. They increase their speed even though the road is narrow and full of dangerous turn. Besides, some of the driver tends to neglect the safety of the passengers on whether the passenger has safely get off the bus before continue driving the bus. Moreover, there are also some regular passengers of trains claiming that foods are sold only on gold class trains. However, most of the passengers of the gold class trains told us that although foods are sold on the trains, the taste of the food is bad and some of it said that the food is sometime too oily, salty and spicy. They also added that the taste of the food is not only bad, the price of the food are also costly and expensive, they also provide us with some true example, which is a packet of Nasi Lemak usually cost around RM1.50 per packets, however the Nasi Lemak on trains are sold around RM5.00 per packets. There are also some other religions passengers saying that it is inconvenient as the train management restrict that passengers are not allowed to bring any non Halal foods or beverages into the trains as some of them wanted to prepare their own meals in order to enjoyed during the trip. There are also platinum class passenger complaining that it is unfair to platinum cla ss passenger as they pay a high price and extra amount are to be paid if they need food on the trains. Next, there are also trains passengers complaining to us that the prices of the trains are costly and expensive. As it is cost around RM16-RM25 for silver class trains, RM30-RM40 for gold class trains and RM37-RM60 for platinum trains. As the prices of the trains are expensive, most of the citizen of Malaysia claim that they unable to afford to buy the trains ticket. We also aware that there is no extra accommodation are provided for the second class passengers, the accommodation only are provided for first class passenger and platinum class passengers. In addition, there are also some bus passengers complaining that the air-conditioner in the bus are often not working and some of them describe that the buses without a well-function air-conditioner are similar as the passengers are locked in an oven. The passengers said that complained has been made however the bus services still disappoint them all the time. Majority of the bus passengers claimed that they are poor and given no choice to take buses to work and to school. Besides, greater part of the passengers also complaining to us that the coaches provided by the trains are very limited. Most of the passengers need to pack into a coaches although it is full in order not to be late for work or school during the peak hours. Most of the old passengers also complained that the teenagers and adults nowadays do not offer seats to them as they are senior citizen. As part of our interview, most of the female individuals also complained that they are sexually harassed when packing in the trains during peak hours. There are also some of the passengers claiming that the passengers does not give ways to some passengers when they reached their destination and causes them to miss their stations and terminal. This caused them to waste a lot of time and also cause them to waste money to buy another train ticket and at the meantime they also need to pay a total of RM50.00 as it is remedy claim by the train management for some passengers who lost their ticket or did not went down from train when they reached their destination. Recommendations Based on the customers’ questionnaires result as well as the observation from our own staff, we strongly agree that the following steps should be implementing in order to improve the numbers of users on our transportations. We need to: a) Renew the seats of the train and try to motivate customers through posters that it is their responsibility as well to keep the seats’ cushion in good conditions. b) Give a better training to the stewards and stewardess so they have a better performance in servicing the customers on the whole train. c) The company should have more strict regulations on the bus drivers. The drivers who are always late to pick up the customers should be punished by reducing their pay. d) The company should offer talks about the road safety and force all the bus drivers to attend them. It is for the benefits of both passenger and driver himself. Conclusion The survey that had been done by our group as well as observations has proven that the problems stated above reduce the number of passenger to take our transportation. The reason is because of bad customer services and safety not assured.

Enterprise Resource Planning System In The Hotel Industry

Enterprise Resource Planning System In The Hotel Industry With the increasing sophistication of hotel guests and patrons, the continual improvement of hospitality services towards the attainment of unparalleled excellence in the business remains the only edge the hotel has to sustain its position if not attain the leadership in the industry. By adopting the ISO 9001:2008 framework, the acculturation of a learning organization into the consciousness of each employee of the hotel shall provide the impetus to strive and be better in providing service to hotel guests and patrons. A Quality Management System or QMS will govern the conduct of each of the hotels front liners. The QMS shall also provide the parameters for quality service while performance monitoring of each of the processes shall be through the process key performance indicators. Any flaw or parameter that fails to satisfy the accepted threshold of the performance indicator shall be subject to a root cause analysis to determine a corrective or preventive solution. The QMS requires regular review to ensure that the organization remains focus and faithful to its objective. The hotel employees performance shall be subject to evaluation by using the key performance indicators root cause analysis. For QMS, the hotel guests or patrons feedback, comment or opinion is accorded greater weight as it will not only change how the hotel will conduct its business but it will equally show how the hotel value their guests and patrons point of view with regard to the hotels operation. Contents Executive Summary 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 METHODOLOGY 5 THE HOTEL 5 Design 6 Supply 7 Planning 7 Shop-floor control 8 The environment 8 Technology 8 The Hotels CUSTOMER SERVICE 9 CUSTOMER SERVICE Challenges 11 Summary 12 Bibliography 13 Introduction Revenue in a Hotel business shall anchor on two factors, namely: (1.) level of occupancy or guest traffic that includes patrons to its facilities, and (2.) Efficiency and Quality of its services (Cornell University, 2010). Thus, among other industries in the world, the Hospitality industry remains dependent on the market pulse and good business sense. Good business sense refers to the operation strategy and business strategy that would result to operation efficiency and quality service. The marriage of technology and human ingenuity are very much apparent in the hotel industry by deploying an Enterprise Resource Planning system. As applied to the hotel industry, it would ensure excellent customer experience from their reservation up to their next visit. The deployment of a Customer Relationship Management System would ensure that all issues are addressed and monitored and shall similarly ensure that the business is properly guided on how to become customer centric. However, technology will not work on its own as its success will be dependent on the employees who use the system and those who will execute the work instructions recommended by the system. A framework that will capitalize on the strength of the employee enabled by technology shall be the onus of this paper. The sole purpose of which is to ensure the customer focused operation of the hotel while practicing processes that feed on continual improvements to manage the bottom line. Using these strategies, Leadership in the industry and profitability should not be far behind. METHODOLOGY The valuable discussions in Operation Management have been the inspiration by this writer to seek out more knowledge in pursuit of excellence. Thus, it led to the discovery that the concepts presented herein have been in existence for some time, and various authors not only wrote extensively on the subjects but they have exhaustively been part of its continual improvement so to speak. Capitalizing from the experiences of these management gurus and the erudite deliberation in Operations Management this author therefore recommend a more comprehensive examination of the Hotels Customer Service. Using the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System framework, this author shall discuss the merits and wisdom of its implementation in this paper in support of the Hotels operation and primordial goal. It is ideal to implement the quality management system in all the processes of the Hotel to ensure that there will be no gap that can dissuade if not prevent the Hotel from being the center for customer service excellence. The ISO 9000 Quality Management System have previously been regarded as applicable only to the manufacturing industry since it normally refers to the quality in the creation of a product. However, in ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System the word product can alternately refer to as service  [1]  . The hospitality industry has long been recognized a service-oriented industry (Ramaswamy). Its main product is unlike any other industry since its product is the service provided by the hotel employees. The quality metrics of hospitality service is equal to the amount of satisfaction of each customer multiplied by the number of customer over a period of time. THE HOTEL The hotel is a five star hotel that is highly profitable and popular privately owned located in the center of an international city with a high level of tourist traffic, particularly international tourists. It boasts of a two hundred fifty suites, two dining rooms, one of which offers a standard menu and seats three hundred people while the other seats only a hundred but it offers discriminating a la carte choices for an upscale market. The hotel also has two cocktail bars; one that is publicly accessible from the streets while the other is for hotel guests only however both are open to guests and non-guests alike. The hotel is home to three kitchens, with the two serving the two dining rooms while the third serves the three function rooms rented for parties, weddings, conferences and other similar events. The function rooms seat fifty, two hundred and one thousand, respectively while each function room can have their own bars if required. The hotel similarly provides other facilities that would include a swimming pool, gym, sauna and a car park with one hundred and fifty private bays. The hotel employs both permanent full-time and part-time contract workers. Each area has its own supervisor, with qualified and experienced managers overseeing the supervisors for the respective departments. As indicated, not only does the hotel enjoy a modest profit from its operation, it boasts of a decent amount of guest and patron traffic from its hotel and facilities operation. Design Designing a particular type of service impacts the hotels customers to enrich their stay or their hospitality experience is a practical application of this concept as described by Slacks and Johnston in 2004. To illustrate: the design process in the formulation of a process that will provide returning guests with discounted rates if they return during the off-peak or lean days will ensure occupancy during the lean months and expand marketing exposure. Supply Raw materials used as ingredients to hotel food are sensitive to spoilage and contamination thus it is important to manage its handling from delivery, storage and inventory. The release of the goods from storage should be strictly enforced and implemented through proper tagging and warehousing strategy. To illustrate; Meat products can last for a certain period through refrigeration but must also consider volatility and seasonality to its supply. The system predicting the usage of the hotel base on its routine consumption and the scheduled events shall either place an order or forego an order automatically and later implement First-in-first-out in the warehouse with the use of the inventory tag. Planning Planning within the context of the hospitality industry often relates to Business Planning. Case in point, the hospitality business is sensitive to the time of the year particularly its occupancy. From July to August is normally the time when air travel is at its busiest due to the summer vacation in the United States and some countries. Hotels outside the United States that are vacation destinations of Americans are at its busiest. However, during the lean months, when occupancy is at its lowest, hotel managers and administrators creativity are normally put to test. To illustrate a viable business strategy during the lean months is to pre-sell the room through discount cards. The concept is to sell discount cards at a price of one or two nights stay that will be availed only during the lean months. Modest discounts may be availed by cardholders including the facilities or services offered by the Hotel. The card shall expire within one year from its issuance to give the hotel the opportunity to sell continuously the unoccupied hotel rooms during the lean months. Shop-floor control Shop floor strategies include Job and shift Scheduling, housekeeping, Process improvement and increasing process efficiency in the context of providing quality service. ISO 9001:2008 has closed the gap between a tangible product and service that both demand quality. According to the system, the best way to ensure quality service is to identify focus areas, then to provide measurable targets that are congruent with the focus areas goals. The environment Some hotels realize their impact to the environment of the local community and as part of their strict adherence to their corporate conscience social responsibility often adopts a sound environmental management system. Not only would this comply with the international initiatives regarding environmental concerns but in practice, this will also respond well to its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Technology The use of technology to lower the cost of operation through the automation of processes and increase the security at the hotel is a strategy that does not normally provide a tangible and visible result overnight. To illustrate: Supply Chain Management as envisioned is a technology driven strategy that will ensure that raw materials used as ingredients for food do not spoil or do not get contaminated. The strategy requires inventory immediate tagging in each delivery. By providing secure keys to every guest, a hotel management system would be able to adjust the room temperature and the Air Handling Unit load depending on the rooms that have activated keys. Using the secure keys inserted in its slot will enable the system to determine the additional load needed for the air conditioning requirement instead of the Air Handling Unit continuously operating even without any guest inside is a waste of energy. The Hotels CUSTOMER SERVICE The hotels customer does not start becoming a customer when he finally pays the initial down payment for a room or service, he does not start becoming a customer at the instant he shows up at the hotels premises or orders his first drink from the bar. A guest or patron starts becoming a customer as soon as he says the first word to any of the hotels staff, telemarketer or even parking attendant or valet (Borsenik Stutts, 1997). Ergo, all aspects of the hotels operation almost concern itself with customer service. Customer service is not merely providing the hotels service to the guests or patron, it is making sure that the customer is satisfied and fulfilled in the usage of the facilities including their encounter with the hotels staff (Michelli, 2008). Therefore, all processes that will affect the customer directly or indirectly are customer service providing processes. To illustrate the reservation clerk represents the hotel as its first liner when the customer called in to reserve a room or book the one of the services of the hotel. A pleasant conversation would result to immediate booking and a not so pleasant conversation is the loss of a potential client. The interaction with the valets or the parking attendants may be the second encounter of the hotel with its customer. The next would be the door person, the front desk, the concierge, the room boy, the hotel cleaners and then floor security for hotel guests. While for those partaking and enjoying the services of the Hotel would be entertained from the door person by the receptionist and then the floor manager or the facilities attendant. The guests would then be interfacing next with the waiters if they were at the bar or restaurant, the lifeguard for the swimming pool and fitness instructor for the gym and sauna. To illustrate the indirect service providers in the Hotel that ensures not only the satisfaction of the guests or patron they themselves are responsible for the behind the scene hospitality experience. These would include the kitchen staff that would include the chef and those responsible for preparing the food. The engineer that ensures the temperature of the pool and the gym is optimal or the safety engineer monitoring the safety levels at the sauna, the hallway and lobby temperature. The indirect service providers also include the cashiers that provide the correct change and charges, the security guards that ensures the safety of the guests and the surrounding. This also includes the janitorial staff that ensures the health of the guests by making the immediate surrounding garbage or dirt free. The processes that govern the operation and performance of the customer interaction of the services provided as described shall be the focus of the Quality Management System framework of ISO 9001:2008 (International Organization for Standardization, 2008). Aligning with the Vision, Mission, Values and Strategy of the Hotel the Quality Management System framework will allow the Hotel to define its own Quality Mission Statement that states the personality of the hotel. Each of the processes followed or implemented by the process owners as described above that interacts with the Hotels guests, patrons or customers, in general, shall be covered by the Quality Mission Statement. Juxtapose with the Quality Missions Statement aligned processes, Key Result Areas will be developed will remain the targets of the processes. The Key Result Areas should be customer centric and should work towards the attainment of the best hospitality experience of the guests or patrons as provisioned by the Hotel. In order to measure the success of the process owners in achieving their key result areas, metrics in the form of key performance indicators for each process are to be developed. To illustrate: The valet service is often neglected by most Hotels but its importance and the opportunity it presents to save the Hotels image from the customers bad experience from the services of the hotel is precious being the last process the customer has to go through before leaving the hotel. The possible key result area for the valet services could be the immediate return of the guests vehicle to him. The key performance indicators could be the amount of time it will take the valet to retrieve the car and return it to the owner. The idea would be the shorter the amount of time it takes to retrieve the car the more satisfied the customer would be. CUSTOMER SERVICE Challenges Cultural Sensitivities The primary challenge in any customer service is the differences in the personality or origins of the guests. Cultural sensitivities often create friction between the service provider and the customer. To illustrate: in the west shaking the head from side to side often means no, however in some culture particularly the Indian culture it means yes. Gender and Other Sensitivities At times, being chivalrous is being sexist while being helpful to people with disabilities is being offensive. A balance and clear criteria are should be studied depending on the area where the Hotel is located so as not to compromise quality service with sensitivities. Summary The hospitality industry has evolved from an industry that only provided board and lodging to transient travelers in the previous century to an actual destination that offers a myriad of services to weary travelers and to vacation and relaxation seekers. The Quality Management System as enabled by technology should provide the edge to the hotel in terms of managing its bottom line from the business perspective while also providing the framework in determining the best way to service its guests and patrons. The Quality Management System therefore will equally define the customer centric culture of the hotel geared towards providing the best, if not one of the best hotel experience to its guests. The continual improvement concept of the Quality Management System will engender excellence in the very fiber of the hotels staff. The key performance indicators shall provide the metrics to gauge the efficacy of the process including the performance of its employees. The root cause analysis as well as the development of the corrective and preventive solution is essential to the concept. One of the virtues of ISO 9001-2008 Quality Management System is that it would let the hotel develop its own Quality Management framework as derived from the hotels unique culture. The hotel shall not only reflect its personality but it shall be the driving force towards excellence in customer service. The commitment to customer service as driven by the Quality Management System shall therefore be personal not only for the organization, but also for the individual employees.

Using Real World examples, illustrate both some of the potential :: Economics

Using Real World examples, illustrate both some of the potential benefits of monopolies and explain how monopoly firms may be able to engage in price discrimination practices. A monopolistic market or company is one where there is non existent competition. There is one leading market domineer that is producing and supplying the entire market. In a monopolistic market the company in question can determine prices or the amount of products sold to work in their advantage. The power of a monopoly company is that it can completely dominate a particular market subject to whether or not there are existing or up and coming substitutes. By this what is meant is that there could well be a substitute for the monopolist’s product. An example of this would be old public sector companies like British Rail. They controlled the entire rail travel market; however there were always alternative forms of travel like coach or air travel. This proves that there is no real possibility of a pure monopoly as there are always alternatives. There is another variant that decides to classification of a monopoly. This is the barriers of entry into that particular industry or sector of the market. If there are low barriers of entry, this will stimulate competition between firms competing for consumers of that market sector, however if the barriers are of high entry, then it is easy to say that the company dominating the market is that of a monopolistic nature. This echoes the fact that a monopolistic firm can indeed decide on price or quantity sold to influence demand. They can only influence demand to a certain extent because of other alternatives to their own product e.g. travel and different forms of transport. By doing this, a monopolist company can make non-standard profits in the long term future. A major advantage of a monopolistic firm is that it can use price discrimination as a tool in gaining more money. This is where a firm can make the consumer pay for a different price for the exact same service. A good example of this is through British telecom and how it is cheaper to ring during off peak tariffs rather that during the day when the cost of a phone call is substantially higher than that of a phone call during the evening. However, for price discrimination to happen there must be a number of factors occurring to make price discrimination work for the company. First, the company must know its customers and know that they have different demands to that of other people. This may be the travel of commuters into the city for work.

A Farewell to Arms Essay: Inevitability of Death Revealed

Inevitability of Death Revealed in A Farewell To Arms      Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway has been greatly criticized for a supposed hatred of women that some feel is evident in his writings. One of the primary books that critics believe shows this misogynistic attitude is A Farewell To Arms. It is counterproductive to interpret the book using such a narrow focus because the author is dealing with much more profound themes. Hemingway is not concerned with the theme of gender equality, but rather with the greater themes of the inherent struggle of life and the inevitability of death.    The first images of struggle and death are seen in chapter 9 when Frederic is wounded. Up to this point in the story Hemingway had portrayed a very serene, pastoral setting and existence for the characters. It is here, though, that this comes crashing down. Hemingway is showing the horrors of war. War is not a glorious and colorful event; it is a dirty and base thing. This is the first hint that the romantic notions Frederic clings to might prove false. There is suggestion here that human existence is fairly tragic.    Hemingway shows many deaths as a result of the war. Passini, Rinaldi (who it is inferred died of syphilis), nameless officers, a sergeant, Aymo, and many others are casualties of the insane war. Their deaths are shown as casual, random events in the life of Frederic. Throughout the entire book Frederic seems to be trying to escape this death that is all around him and retreat once more to the serene existence he enjoys at the beginning of the book. This sets up what I believe to be the theme of the book: struggle is inherent in life and death is inevitable.    Another representative of death is Count Greffi towards the e... ...ainst Hemingway that charges he is a woman hater. Hemingway does not idealize Catherine out of some deep hatred of women. He does not subordinate her to show male dominance. In fact, I believe that Catherine is a minor factor in this book and is more of a tool used for thematic purposes. Hemingway uses her to show Frederic's inability to escape death. To use the ant metaphor (327-328), we are all ants on a log unknowingly running into the fire. And just when the log is tipped so we are away from the flames, just when we think that we are safe, someone tips us back in the fire and we die. Hemingway is showing that man's frantic struggles and his scurrying about are futile, we all die in the end. Also, as much as we may try, we cannot keep death out of our lives.    Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest A Farewell To Arms. Scribner Paperback Fiction: NY, 1995.   

Essay on The Awakening -- Chopin Awakening Essays

Critical Views of The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, is full of ideas and understanding about human nature. In Chopin's time, writing a story with such great attention to sensual details in both men and women caused skepticism among readers and critics. However, many critics have different views with deeper thought given to The Awakening. Symbolism, the interpretation of Edna's suicide, and awakenings play important roles in the analysis of all critics.    Symbolism in The Awakening is interpreted in many ways. It is important to understand the meaning of each explanation of symbolism given by every critic to fully appreciate the novel. Art, for example, becomes a symbol of both freedom and failure(Wyatt). It is through the process of trying to become an artist that Edna reaches the highest point of her awakening(Wyatt). Clothes are also significant in discovering symbolism. When Edna is first introduced she is fully dressed. Gradually, she disrobes until finally she goes into the water to die, completely naked. Her undressing symbolizes the shedding of societal rules in her life, her growing awakening, and it stresses her physical and external self(Wyatt). Two modern critics, Neal Wyatt and Harold Bloom, agree that Edna is symbolized for her "quest for self-discovery or self-hood." Edna feels caged, which makes her quest very difficult. The use of birds in the story helps the reader understand Edna's feeling of entrapment and the inab ility to communicate(Wyatt). Much like the shedding of clothes, birds symbolize freedom and escape from being caged. The ability to spread your wings and fly is a symbolic theme that occurs often in the novel(Wyatt).    Many readers do not like the ending... ...r that many people of her time found unladylike or even perverted. However, as time has passed and readers as well as critics find it easier to talk about sensual emotions, Chopin is now known as one of the most respected and brilliant writers that ever lived. Women had the feelings she wrote about and life was as discriminating as she described it, but only Kate Chopin had the courage to tell about it. Critics have given deep thought to The Awakening and with each analysis one reads, comes a new and unique awakening.    Works Cited Gilbert, Sandra J.   "The Novel of the Awakening."   Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views: The Awakening, Kate Chopin Rosowski, Sandra M. "The Second Coming of Aphrodite."   Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views:   Kate Chopin; Chelsea House :   New York,   1987. Wyatt, Neal. "Suicide". http.//www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384

My Favourite Character – “To Kill a Mocking Bird”

This Essay is about my favourite character in â€Å"To Kill a Mocking Bird. † She is one of the biggest, most important characters; she is considered the main character. She is very important for she helps narrate this story. She helps with the story by describing her thoughts and feelings that is one of the main reasons why I like her. She also helps to develop the plot, themes, and helps to emphasize some of the symbolism. Her name is Jean-Louis, but we all know her as Scout. Scout is a daughter, a sister and a friend.She is a huge tomboy; and she likes to prove it to every one. She prefers to hang out boys rather than girls, and so she does, she spends most of her time with her brother Jem, and in the summers, her cousin; Dill. In the beginning of the book Scout is only a young age of 9, throughout the novel she gets older just like the rest of the characters, and also matures along with her older brother Jem. Although Scout isn’t going through the same stages as Jem she matures just as much.Jem’s turning into a teenager, while Scout is getting older, and is discovering how the world works. The era of this book is set back to around the years 1861 to 1865; this was when the civil war was happening, along with the discrimination of African Americans. Racism is a huge theme in â€Å"To Kill a Mocking Bird. † Scout doesn’t really under stand that racism isn’t good, but it’s not her fault, because she has lived with it and doesn’t know any different.In that time â€Å"blacks† were known as lesser human beings. The â€Å"whites† were known to be greater than any other race; Scout didn’t know that this was wrong, so she went with it. During the trail, one of the biggest parts of this novel, Scout discovers a little bit about racism. The trial is about how an African American is being accused for the rape of a Caucasian woman, during the trial a lot of discrimination happens to the defenda nt, this is when Scout discovers racism.

Storm Born Chapter Sixteen

I slept the rest of the day and most of the following one as well. Only the essentials got me out of bed – food, the bathroom, one phone call, and a meeting with Volusian after Kiyo had to leave for Phoenix. I was dozing around dinnertime that second day when Tim's angry voice in the living room woke me up. â€Å"No! I don't care. She needs to sleep, okay? I'll give her the message, but stop calling.† I'd heard Tim use that tone only on a few people, so I had a good idea whom he spoke to. For whatever reason, despite having never met, he and Lara hated each other. Throwing on my robe, I shuffled out to the living room and saw him talking on my cell phone. The only progress we'd made in cleanup thus far was to sort of clear a walking path through the debris. He pulled the receiver from his face. â€Å"It's that bitch secretary of yours. I wouldn't have answered except that she keeps calling and calling. I told her you can't take – â€Å" I reached for the phone. â€Å"It's fine. I need to talk to her.† Glaring, he handed it over. â€Å"Did your asshole roommate just call me a bitch?† demanded Lara. â€Å"He has no right – â€Å" â€Å"Let it go,† I ordered. â€Å"Tell me what's up.† â€Å"Well, I got your message. Did the shoes show up?† â€Å"Yeah, they're great. What about the witch?† â€Å"I set it up. He's going to come ward the place tonight. He'll need you to let him in.† â€Å"No prob. I won't be here, but Tim will.† â€Å"Okay, and about the other thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah?† A long pause. â€Å"Well, I don't think I heard that part of the message right. It sounded like you said you needed a dress too.† â€Å"I do need a dress.† Silence. â€Å"What's the matter? Didn't I leave you my size?† â€Å"Yeah, you did, it's just that†¦a dress? I mean, you've asked me to get you some pretty crazy stuff before – and I'm still kind of uneasy about that one time with the nitroglycerin – but this is really out there, even for you.† â€Å"Oh, stop it. Just take care of this.† I wasn't keen on the dress either, but Volusian had insisted during our earlier bedside strategy session. If things fell into place with Dorian, I'd be attending an Otherworldly party on Beltane rather than waiting for an attack back here. Volusian had insisted I start making arrangements. What an age we lived in when spirit minions advised on fashion. â€Å"Any special requirements?† I considered. â€Å"Nothing bridesmaid or prom-ish. Think cocktail party. Simple. But elegant.† â€Å"Sexy?† â€Å"Moderately.† â€Å"Color?† â€Å"As long as it looks good.† â€Å"All right. Got it. I'll have it by next week. Oh, yeah, Wil Delaney called again.† â€Å"You don't have to let me know anymore. I sort of take it as a given by now.† â€Å"So you don't want to return it?† â€Å"No.† We disconnected, and I hit the shower. Beltane eve, the big night, was fast approaching. Tonight was the warm-up. The night I made my deal with the devil. After digging out my dusty blow-dryer, I dried and brushed my hair until it gleamed. I didn't usually go for makeup – not having the patience – but a little foundation went a long way to hide the small bruises on my face from yesterday's blowout. I considered mascara superfluous with already dark eyelashes, but when combined with some smoky eye shadow, it did make my eyes look bigger. More lipstick, and I barely recognized myself. I didn't look slutty or anything, but it had certainly been a long time since I'd looked so polished. I considered a skirt but couldn't go that far. Instead, I opted for tight jeans and the new half-heeled sandals. The tank top I selected was olive green, the same color as my moleskin coat, with thin straps meant to rest slightly off the shoulder. Each strap had a tiny ruffle along its edge, as did the low, cleavage-showing scoop neckline. Examining my reflection, I couldn't help a wistful sigh. I looked better tonight than I had when I met Kiyo. If only he could see me now. I spritzed on some Violetta di Parma, grabbed my coat and weapons, and headed for the door. Tim nearly fell out of his chair when he saw me. â€Å"What are you doing? Are you going out? You can't do that! Not after what happened yesterday.† â€Å"I'm feeling better,† I lied. Actually, it was only partially a lie. Did I feel good? No. Did I feel better than yesterday? Yes. â€Å"You're crazy.† â€Å"Sorry. Got business that can't wait.† â€Å"Dressed like that?† he asked skeptically. Ignoring him, I drove out to the gateway in the desert. The transition to the Otherworld was a little rough in light of my weakened physical state, but I managed. Volusian and Nandi waited for me at the crossroads when I arrived. Finn hadn't felt like showing. It was one of the downsides of not having him bound to me. We set out along the road. Shortly into the walk, I realized wearing heels was the Worst Idea Ever. I took them off and carried them the rest of the way. If I was going to keep seeing Dorian, I would need to leave an anchor at his place to facilitate crossings. â€Å"Don't cross his threshold without asking hospitality first,† warned Volusian. â€Å"They'll disarm you before you can enter. You don't want to do that without protection.† I agreed, though I didn't like the idea of disarming in the first place. No one ambushed us this time, and I practically walked up to the gates without incident. The guards recognized me and locked into a defensive stance, weapons drawn. â€Å"Our mistress comes in peace,† said Nandi mournfully. â€Å"She would speak with the Oak King and ask his hospitality.† â€Å"Do you think we're stupid?† asked one of the guards, eyeing me watchfully. â€Å"Not exactly,† I said. â€Å"But I do think you were here last time and saw that I didn't cause any trouble. Maybe you also noticed I spent a lot of time in your king's bedroom. Trust me, he'll want to see me.† They conferred briefly and finally sent one of their number away. He returned minutes later, granting me admittance and hospitality – once they had indeed disarmed me. They walked me through the same hallway as before but not up to the throne room door. Instead, we wound deeper into the keep until we stood at a set of glass doors leading out to some sort of garden or atrium. â€Å"Our lord is outside,† explained one of the guards, about to open the doors. Volusian blocked his way. â€Å"Get a herald to announce her. She's not a prisoner anymore. And use her titles.† The man hesitated, glanced at me, and then called for a herald. Moments later, a stout man dressed head to foot in teal velvet hurried in. He looked at me and swallowed nervously before opening the doors. A handful of elegantly dressed gentry stood out in the gardens, glancing up at our entrance. â€Å"Your majesty, I present Eugenie Markham, called Odile Dark Swan, daughter of Tirigan the Storm King.† I winced. Yikes. I'd had no idea I'd had that much appended to my name now. The soft conversation dropped. Apparently I should get used to having this effect while attending social events in the Otherworld. From inside, I had expected a small courtyard type of garden, but this looked like it stretched out indefinitely. The grass was still green, but many of the trees had leaves in orange, yellow, and red. None were the dying brown of late autumn. These showed the perfect, beautiful hues one saw at autumn's finest. Heavy apple trees laden with fruit clustered in corners, and in the air, I could just faintly smell a bonfire and mulling spices. It was earlier in the day here than when I'd left Tucson. The end of the afternoon was giving way to twilight, the sky painted in shades of gold and pink that rivaled the leaves' splendor. Torches on long poles were set up to offer light. The group parted, and Dorian strode forward. His red hair streamed behind him, and over a simple shirt and pants, he wore a robe-type garment made of wine-colored satin and gold brocade. I approached him, and we met in the middle. My spirits waited near the doorway. â€Å"My, my. What a lovely surprise. I didn't think I'd see you again so soon.† Dorian reached for my hand, and this time I let him take it. A flicker of mischievous amusement glinted in his eyes at this small concession, and I knew I had already piqued his curiosity. â€Å"I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this.† He kissed my hand, just as Kiyo had yesterday. Only Dorian's kiss was less of a hope you get better kiss and more of an imagine my lips in other places kind of kiss. â€Å"Not at all.† He drew his lips back and laced his fingers with mine. â€Å"Come. Join us.† I recognized a couple of the gentry standing there from dinner. The other two people hanging around looked like servants, waiting anxiously with long mallet-type things in their hands. I peered at them, then at the wickets spread out in the grass. â€Å"Croquet? You're playing croquet?† Dorian's face broke into a grin. â€Å"Yes. Do you play?† â€Å"Not in years.† The gentry played croquet? Who knew? I supposed it was technologically simple as far as games went. It made more sense for them to play that than video games. â€Å"Would you like to now?† I shook my head. â€Å"You're already in the middle of something. I'll just watch.† â€Å"As you like.† He took a proffered stick from one of the servants. Watching him line up a shot, I could see he intended to hit his ball and knock out an opponent's near a wicket. A faint breeze ruffled his hair and the folds of his robe, and he had to take a moment to brush the fabric out of his way. When he finally hit his ball, it went wide, considerably away from his opponent's ball. â€Å"Ah, well. It was close. I nearly had it, don't you think so, Muran?† Muran, a lanky guy dressed in lavender, jumped at being addressed. â€Å"Er, uh, y-y-yes, your majesty. Very close. You were almost there.† Dorian rolled his eyes. â€Å"No, I wasn't. It was an abominable shot, you wretched man. Let Lady Markham have your turn. Give her your mallet.† Now I jumped. Lady Markham? But the aforementioned Muran practically shoved the thing at me. Hesitantly, I approached his ball. I was pretty sure I'd been ten the last time I'd played, off visiting one of my mom's aunts in Virginia. Remembering Dorian's hang-ups on his robe, I paused to slip off my coat. A servant immediately raced over to take it from me, folding it neatly over his arms. I turned back to the ball and mallet, sizing up the shot. I tossed my hair back over one shoulder and hit. The ball half-skittered, half-rolled through the grass and went through one of the wickets. â€Å"Exquisite,† I heard Dorian say. I glanced back at him but saw he wasn't watching the ball at all. His eyes were all over me. I tried to return the mallet to poor Muran, but Dorian wouldn't hear of it. He made me finish the game in Muran's stead. As we played, I immediately picked up on something peculiar. Dorian was a terrible player – too terrible to be real. He was obviously faking it, but his subjects could not bring themselves to do better than their king. So they too faked their own sort of appalling game play. Watching it was comical. I felt like I was in a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Having no such qualms about winning, I played normally, and even with aching muscles and no practice, I won pretty handily. Dorian couldn't have been happier. He clasped his hands together, laughing. â€Å"Oh, outstanding. This is the best game I've played in years. These sheep won't know what to do now.† He glanced at his fellow players and beckoned them toward the building. â€Å"Go, go, your shepherd is tired of you all.† I watched them go. â€Å"You don't really treat them†¦respectfully.† â€Å"Because they deserve none. Did you see the preposterous way they acted in that game? Now imagine that happening every second, every day of your life. That's what it's like to be royalty, to live at court among courtiers. Be happy you have no true throne yet. It's all simpering and groupthink.† I almost heard a touch of bitterness in his light voice. Almost. A servant handed my coat back, and Dorian addressed her and a couple of guards. â€Å"Lady Markham and I are going to take a walk now through the eastern orchard. Seeing as she's dressed for business, I imagine she wants to speak alone. Follow, but keep your distance.† Turning, he offered me his arm again and led me off into one of the garden's winding turns, into a dense apple orchard. Like the other trees I'd seen, these were filled with fruit. Still more apples lay on the ground, round and red and waiting to be eaten. When we were sufficiently alone, I said, â€Å"I'm not dressed for business, not in these shoes. I was dressed for business the last time I was here.† He gave me a sidelong look. â€Å"Women who show up looking as lovely as you do after barely stomaching my presence last time do not come on pleasure. They come for business.† â€Å"You're a cynic.† â€Å"A pragmatist. But, business or pleasure, it becomes you.† He sighed happily. â€Å"I do so wish more of our women would wear pants like those. The warriors often do but not nearly so tight.† â€Å"Thanks†¦I think.† We walked on at a leisurely pace while the sky turned orange and scarlet. â€Å"So I imagine you've changed in other ways since our last encounter. The very fact that you've come here so congenially indicates as much.† â€Å"Yes.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You know, I don't appreciate you telling me that Storm King bedtime story when all the time you knew I didn't know what was going on.† â€Å"Mean, perhaps. But also amusing – were you in my place. Besides, I did you a service of sorts. I provided necessary background information, Lady Markham.† â€Å"Don't say ‘Lady Markham.' It sounds weird.† â€Å"I've got to call you something. Our normal rules of etiquette don't exactly outline anything for your situation. You are the daughter of a king without a kingdom. You are royalty but not quite royal. So you are addressed like a noble.† â€Å"Well, then, only use it in public. Or stick to ‘Odile.'† â€Å"What about ‘Eugenie'?† â€Å"Fine.† Silence fell between us. The orchard seemed to go on forever. â€Å"Do you want to tell me why you're here yet? Or should I think up some other pleasantries to discuss?† I repressed a laugh. Dorian played flamboyant and scattered, but he wasn't a fool. â€Å"I need a favor.† â€Å"Ah, so it is business after all.† I stopped walking, and he stopped with me. Looking down at me, he waited patiently, his face pleasantly neutral. I shivered as another breeze stole through, and he took my coat from me, helping me slip it on. I wrapped my arms around myself, grateful for the coat's warmth. Sexy was cold. â€Å"I conjured a storm yesterday.† â€Å"Did you now?† His voice held less levity and more calculation. â€Å"What happened?† I told him the story, just as I had for Maiwenn and Kiyo. â€Å"What were you thinking when it happened?† At first, I thought he was chastising me. Sort of like when you do something stupid and your mom asks, Are you insane? What were you thinking? â€Å"Like how I felt? What was going through my head?† He nodded. â€Å"I don't know. I guess I went through a lot of moods. When it all started†¦I mean, I felt the same as for any other attack. Planned out what I would do, focused for a banishing. But once my mom got involved†¦I started to lose it.† â€Å"And when Corwyn had you trapped?† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"The elemental. He was one of Aeson's men. The spirits you banished came back telling tales, though admittedly, no one's heard this part, seeing as you didn't leave any witnesses.† â€Å"I felt†¦scared. Weak. Defenseless.† â€Å"You don't strike me as someone who's scared a lot.† â€Å"No, actually. I'm scared all the time. Stupid not to be. What's that saying? Only the dead are without fear? Or is that hope? Dunno. At that point, I sure as hell didn't have any hope either. I felt like I was out of options.† â€Å"And so you chose the only option left to you.† â€Å"I didn't choose it exactly. Not consciously.† â€Å"No. But sometimes our souls and the secret parts of our minds know what we need.† He walked over to a large, sheltering maple tree. Presumably it too had those wonderful colors, but the near-darkness made such things impossible to see. Taking off his robe, he spread it on the ground and sat down, leaving space beside him. A moment later, I sat down as well. â€Å"So what have you come to ask me, Eugenie Markham?† â€Å"You already know. I can hear it in your voice.† â€Å"Hmm. So much for crafty subterfuge.† â€Å"I need you to teach me how to use the magic. So it doesn't take over again. I don't want to kill someone the next time I freak out.† â€Å"Or,† he added, â€Å"you just might want to kill someone with it. On purpose, that is.† â€Å"Maybe.† I shivered. â€Å"I don't know.† He didn't speak right away. The darkness around us grew deeper. â€Å"What you did to Corwyn was akin to using a brick to swat a fly when much finer, much simpler methods would suffice. The storms you can conjure are great and powerful things, absolutely. The gods know your father made effective use of them. But I think you'll find your real power is in controlling the storm's finer elements. A child can throw paint on a canvas; a master works with fine brushstrokes. You learn the small things, and then the storms will be second nature.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"So can you teach me? Will you teach me?† Even in the dark, I knew he had that laconic smile on his face. â€Å"If someone had told me during our last meeting that we'd have this conversation, I would have flogged him for insolence.† â€Å"I don't have anyone else to go to. Maiwenn offered, but she doesn't have – â€Å" â€Å"Maiwenn?† he interrupted. His tone startled me. â€Å"When did you talk to her?† â€Å"After the attack.† I explained the circumstances of our meeting. When he didn't respond, I grew defensive. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with that. If anything, it's kind of nice to have someone on my side who doesn't want to see me get pregnant and take over the world.† â€Å"And for that very reason, you shouldn't trust her. I want to see Storm King's heir born. Therefore, I have good reason to make sure you stay alive. She does not.† I remembered thinking how Maiwenn would have had a lot less to worry about had I died in the attack. â€Å"She didn't seem so sinister,† I replied haltingly, suddenly struck by a thought. If Maiwenn's noble philosophy involved killing me, then would Kiyo follow her in that? â€Å"The sinister ones never do.† â€Å"You're just trying to sway me to your side.† â€Å"Well, of course. I'd be trying to do that regardless of her involvement.† I sighed. It was all plots and posturing after all. Above all else, Dorian was still one of the gentry. â€Å"Maybe coming here was a mistake.† â€Å"Coming here was the smartest thing you've done so far. So tell me, what will you give me for teaching you to control your power?† â€Å"You can't get something for nothing, huh?† â€Å"Oh, please. Don't sound so superior. I helped you last time without asking anything in return, and now here you are again asking more of me. You demand a lot of the gentry you consider so greedy.† â€Å"Fair enough.† I leaned against the tree a little. â€Å"If you'll help me†¦I'll let†¦I'll let people think we're, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a pause, and then his warm laughter filled the orchard. â€Å"Sleeping together? Oh, you really have made my night. That's not fair. Not fair at all.† I blushed furiously in the dark. â€Å"You'll one-up Aeson. He'll think I'm willingly giving you what he tried to take by force.† â€Å"And all the while, I'll actually be getting nothing except tantalizing glimpses of you in outfits like this.† â€Å"I'll cover up more if it makes a difference.† â€Å"What would make a difference is if you were sleeping with me for real.† â€Å"That's not fair either. Not for a few magic lessons.† â€Å"‘A few'?† He laughed again, his voice carrying the kind of incredulity that seemed to amuse rather than upset him. Jesus. Did nothing bother this guy? â€Å"My dear, it's going to take more than ‘a few' lessons to quell that storm in you, pun intended. Especially with your temper. It's going to make focus hard.† I felt indignant. â€Å"Hey, I've been focusing since I was a kid. I can clear my mind in the middle of a fight to banish spirits. I go to trance in seconds.† â€Å"Perhaps,† he conceded grudgingly. â€Å"But I'm still not sure this is fair. You'll be getting more than lessons. Assuming you are my ‘lover,' people will be hesitant to assault you. You'll find your status soaring.† â€Å"Christ. Nothing gets past you, does it? Apparently Volusian and I have a lot more to learn about subterfuge too.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"My servant.† â€Å"Ah. The sullen one with red eyes?† â€Å"Yes.† He made a disapproving click with his tongue. â€Å"He's both dangerous and powerful. You're brave to keep him.† â€Å"I know. I couldn't send him to the Underworld, so I bound him to me.† â€Å"If I helped you, we could probably send him on.† The thought astonished me. With Volusian securely in the world of death, I'd probably be a lot safer. As though reading my mind, Dorian added, â€Å"Things will get nasty if he ever breaks loose on you.† â€Å"I know. He tells me on a regular basis – in graphic detail. Still†¦he's been useful. I think I'll keep him around for a while.† We sat quietly in the darkness again. I realized it must be getting past the castle's dinner hour. Part of the reason for showing up at this time had been to get invited to dinner. With gentry pride in hospitality, Volusian had thought it would please Dorian to show off his resources, especially since being half-gentry meant I could safely eat in this world now. Finally, a legitimate perk to all this insanity. I half-smiled imagining a hall full of hungry gentry, pounding their silverware on the table. With the way everyone danced around Dorian's moods, however, I had no doubt they'd wait hours if need be. â€Å"If you're going to pretend to be my lover, it will involve more than just say-so. You've seen how free we are with our affections in public. If you keep ten feet away from me, no one's going to believe it.† I froze, suddenly remembering that other dinner. I hadn't entirely considered the implications. He chuckled softly, a low and dangerous sound beside me. â€Å"Oh, yes, you didn't think about that, did you?† He was right. I'd figured Dorian and me disappearing into his bedroom for lessons would be convincing enough. But now I had to picture sitting on his lap, letting him touch me and kiss me. I had trouble with the image. He was one of the gentry, the beings I'd hitherto kept a wary eye on and tracked down my whole life. Discovering Kiyo's true nature had been a shock to my system, one I was slowly starting to reconcile. How could I handle someone who was completely of the Otherworld? Yet†¦the more I hung around Dorian, the easier it became to think of him as just a person. Weird or not, there was something comfortable about being with him. So, yeah. I could handle this. Maybe. It was just a little making out, right? It wasn't sex. And wasn't it a small thing to ensure I didn't tear anyone else apart inadvertently? â€Å"I'm not going down on you or anything,† I warned, using flippancy to cover my discomfort. He laughed again. â€Å"As saddening as that is, it might actually be too much. You're human enough that they'll expect some modesty.† Small blessings. â€Å"All right. I'll hold up my half if you hold up your half.† â€Å"Well, in distribution, I think I'm actually doing three-quarters of the work here. But yes, I'll do the same. Shall we shake on it? Isn't that how you humans seal a deal?† I extended my hand in the darkness, and he took it. Suddenly, he pulled me to him and kissed me. I immediately pulled back, aghast. â€Å"Hey!† â€Å"What? You don't expect to have our first kiss in public, do you? We want to be convincing, remember?† â€Å"You're a sleazy bastard, you know that?† â€Å"If you truly believe that, then maybe you'll feel better finding another teacher.† I thought about that. Then I leaned forward and tried to find his lips in the darkness. I didn't realize I was shaking until his hands gripped my arms. â€Å"Relax, Eugenie. This won't hurt.† I took a deep breath and calmed myself. Our lips found each other. His reminded me of flower petals, soft and velvety. Whereas Kiyo was all about animal passion and aggression, Dorian seemed more about†¦precision. I suddenly remembered his metaphor about the difference between slapping paint on a canvas and fine brushstrokes. Don't get me wrong, Dorian wasn't exactly sweet and chaste. There was heat in those soft lips. He seemed to want to draw out the experience, almost in a taunting way, so much so that I found myself impatient and eager when his tongue finally darted in between my lips. He pushed it farther into my mouth, the rest of the kiss intensifying. He smelled like cinnamon and cider, like all the good things in an autumn night. Finally, he pulled away. â€Å"You're still afraid of me,† he noted, amused by that fact just like everything else. â€Å"Your body still won't relax.† â€Å"Yes.† I swallowed. It had felt good, the kind of good that sends heat down your body and makes your toes – and other parts – curl. But my fear had underscored it all, that fear of gentry and otherness that I still couldn't quite shake. It was a weird combination, physical pleasure mingling with fear. Very different from the way it was with Kiyo – physical pleasure mixed with a larger, all-encompassing sense of chemistry and mutual affection, despite my unease over his half-kitsune heritage. â€Å"I can't help it. This is all still strange for me. Part of me says it's wrong. It's hard to change what I've always believed overnight, you know.† â€Å"Do you want to go back on the deal?† I shook my head. â€Å"I don't go back on my deals.† I could feel him smiling in the darkness. He leaned over and kissed me again.