Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allan Poe Essay The many different works of Edgar Allan Poe all aim to do one thing. Strike fear into the heart of the reader. Simple, yet effective, he expresses fear through these many different themes and motifs. At full length, Poe’s stories all acquire a distinct theme or motif that moves the story forward. Whether you know it or not, many of his stories rely on themes and motifs to make the story more appealing to the reader. Time, duality, and dreams all play key roles in Poe’s short stories. They descriptively provide all of the necessary information in order to produce the whole concept of fear. Without them, these stories wouldn’t push you to the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. Time plays a major role in providing the story with the crucial data it needs to make the story frightening and suspenseful. It presents the story with a visual that makes the mood of the story transition into a very adverse setting. Dusk is probably the most common time of day in many of Poe’s stories. He chooses dusk because, during that time of day, it is very difficult to see. For example, in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the narrator begins to describe how it is very difficult to see while he is making his way towards his child hood friend’s mansion. When choosing the time of day that produces little or no light, Poe tries to make the setting as dark as possible. Light represents happiness and positivity, so Poe tries to eliminate anything that represents prosperity. By assembling negative forces, the story will generate fear into the reader. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† the narrator stalks his pray for seven days, but on the eighth night the narrator commits the horrible deed. The number eight is used frequently with Poe and his stories; in this case, it represents what day the narrator will kill the old man. With â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, time represents life. It represents life because once a person is infected with the red death; the infected person has only 30 minutes to live. The ebony clock also represents life, because after every hour the clock will ring, reminding the people that time is running out. This theme is very necessary for producing fear, because if Poe doesn’t clarify what time of day it is, the story loses suspense. So it’s apparent that time is a key necessity in conveying fear into readers. The narrator often produces dreams themselves. Frequently, it presents a distortion of reality for the narrator and the reader. Dreams in Poe’s stories draw the line between reality and fantasy. Many unexplainable things would occur and the narrator would instantly assume it would be his imagination or that he would be dreaming. Providing dreams will make the reader build curiosity into whether or not these bizarre things are real or just images of the narrators eccentric imagination. In â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, a huge party is thrown, to isolate the people from the disease. In the party, the guests have a great time by dressing up and having a â€Å"perfect† time, until the ebony clock rings. Once the clock rings, the party guests snap back into reality for a short moment. For that short moment, the reader realizes the severity of the situation. That short moment of severity produces fear. During his trip to Rederick’s mansion in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, the narrator feels like the trip is a dream because the environment of the mansion is so surreal. Alcohol provides the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† with a distortion of reality, because after he hangs the black cat, he comes across a cat that is identical to the one he hangs after he leaves the bar. The narrator is completely shocked by the resemblance to his previous cat. This similarity conveys fear into the reader, because you can’t tell if it’s the same cat or a different one. The distortion of reality in dreams really help produce fear due to the doubtful events that keep occurring. These events help generate fear and build up the suspense in the reader for a few moments. Duality in the characters conveys the most fear towards the reader. By having a dual persona, the character is able to build up that suspense by having a â€Å"good† side and a â€Å"bad† side. As an animal lover, the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† would always love to take care of animals, until he becomes â€Å"consumed by the imp of the perverse† which exposes his negative side. This negativity leads him to killing his cat and his wife. The insanity of having a dual persona helps transmit true fear into the reader. As a young caretaker, the narrator in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† has nothing against the old man he is looking after; the old man has done nothing wrong to deserve any negative treatment. During the day the narrator would go about his business taking care of the old man, until night came upon. At night, the narrator would be consumed by the old man’s eye. His â€Å"evil eye† leads the narrator to kill his wife and their pet. The duality in both of the these characters are very similar due to them being consumed by some object that leads them into killing their loved ones and pets. All of these themes help produce the backbone of Poe’s stories. Without these themes and motifs, these stories wouldn’t be as suspenseful as they are today. These stories rely on the descriptiveness and the intensity of these themes to carry the suspense and to convey fear into the readers. Today, as people still learn about Poe’s stories, they will still be able to consume the fear that they read due to these themes and motifs.

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In today’s society, people are debating whether or not gardening is beneficial to one’s health or just a waste of taxpaying dollars. By growing our own food, we know exactly what we are eating and its nutritional value. Gardening is used as an escape from the real world and can be rather relaxing. I, for one, found gardening to be fun. What I enjoyed most was sorting the vegetables to distinguish the good from the bad. There are many pros to community gardening. Some of them include the health benefits, bringing the entire community together, and economic growth. I would first like to point out the health benefits of growing our own foods. How foods are grown or raised can impact both your health and the environment. By growing our own foods, we become aware of how natural the crops are when they are free of pesticides and other chemicals deemed dangerous for the human population’s health. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown in safe soil and farmers are not allowed to use pesticides or harmful chemicals. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is a leading force in the fight for better ...

Forward the Foundation Chapter 3

4 There was a short silence again, but only because thoughts are silent. Seldon's were tumultuous enough. Yes, it was true. His wife did seem to have an uncanny knowledge of robots. Hari had wondered about this so often over the years that he had finally given up, tucked it away in the back of his mind. If it hadn't been for Eto Demerzel-a robot-Hari would never have met Dors. For Dors worked for Demerzel; it was Demerzel who â€Å"assigned† Dors to Hari's case eight years ago to protect him during his flight throughout the various sectors of Trantor. Even though now she was his wife, his help-meet**, his â€Å"better half,† Hari still occasionally wondered about Dors's strange connection with the robot Demerzel. It was the only area of Dors's life where Hari truly felt he did not belong-nor welcome. And that brought to mind the most painful question of all: Was it out of obedience to Demerzel that Dors stayed with Hari or was it out of love for him? He wanted to believe the latter-and yet†¦ His life with Dors Venabili was a happy one, but it was so at a cost, at a condition. The condition was all the more stringent, in that it had been settled not through discussion or agreement but by a mutual unspoken understanding. Seldon understood that he found in Dors everything he would have wanted in a wife. True, he had no children, but he had neither expected any, nor, to tell the truth, had greatly wanted any. He had Raych, who was as much a son of his emotionally as if he had inherited the entire Seldonian genome-perhaps more so. The mere fact that Dors was causing him to think about the matter was breaking the agreement that had kept them in peace and comfort all these years and he felt a faint but growing resentment at that. But he pushed those thoughts, the questions, away again. He had learned to accept her role as his protector and would continue to do so. After all, it was he with whom she shared a home, a table, and a bed-not Eto Demerzel. Dors's voice brought him out of his reverie. â€Å"I said-Are you sulking, Hari?† He started slightly, for there was the sound of repetition in her voice, and he realized he had been shrinking steadily deeper into his mind and away from her. â€Å"I'm sorry, dear. I'm not sulking. Not deliberately sulking. I'm just wondering how I ought to respond to your statement.† â€Å"About robots?† She seemed quite calm as she said the word. â€Å"You said I don't know as much about them as you do. How do I respond to that?† He paused, then added quietly (knowing he was taking a chance), â€Å"That is, without offense.† â€Å"I didn't say you didn't know about robots. If you're going to quote me, do so with precision. I said you didn't understand about robots. I'm sure that you know a great deal, perhaps more than I do, but to know is not necessarily to understand.† â€Å"Now, Dors, you're deliberately speaking in paradoxes to be annoying. A paradox arises only out of an ambiguity that deceives either unwittingly or by design. I don't like that in science and I don't like it in casual conversation, either, unless it is meant humorously, which I think is not the case now.† Dors laughed in her particular way, softly, almost as though amusement were too precious to be shared in an overliberal manner. â€Å"Apparently the paradox has annoyed you into pomposity and you are always humorous when you are pompous. However, I'll explain. It's not my intention to annoy you.† She reached over to pat his hand and it was to Seldon's surprise (and slight embarrassment) that he found that he had clenched his hand into a fist. Dors said, â€Å"You talk about psychohistory a great deal. To me, at any rate. You know that?† Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"I throw myself on your mercy as far as that's concerned. The project is secret-by its very nature. Psychohistory won't work unless the people it affects know nothing about it, so I can talk about it only to Yugo and to you. To Yugo, it is all intuition. He's brilliant, but he is so apt to leap wildly into darkness that I must play the role of caution, of forever pulling him back. But I have my wild thoughts, too, and it helps me to be able to hear them aloud, even†-and he smiled-â€Å"when I have a pretty good notion that you don't understand a word I'm saying.† â€Å"I know I'm your sounding board and I don't mind. I really don't mind, Hari, so don't begin making inner resolutions to change your behavior. Naturally I don't understand your mathematics. I'm just a historian-and not even a historian of science. The influence of economic change on political development is what is taking up my time now-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, and I'm your sounding board on that or hadn't you noticed? I'll need it for psychohistory when the time comes, so I suspect you'll be an indispensable help to me.† â€Å"Good! Now that we've settled why you stay with me-I knew it couldn't be for my ethereal beauty-let me go on to explain that occasionally, when your discussion veers away from the strictly mathematical aspects, it seems to me that I get your drift. You have, on a number of occasions, explained what you call the necessity of minimalism. I think I understand that. By it, you mean-â€Å" â€Å"I know what I mean.† Dors looked hurt. â€Å"Less lofty, please, Hari. I'm not trying to explain to you. I want to explain it to myself. You say you're my sounding board, so act like one. Turnabout is fair play, isn't it?† â€Å"Turnabout is fine, but if you're going to accuse me of loftiness when I say one little-â€Å" â€Å"Enough! Shut up! You have told me that minimalism is of the highest importance in applied psychohistory; in the art of attempting to change an undesired development into a desired one or, at any rate, a toss undesired one. You have said that a change must be applied that is as minute, as minimal, as possible-â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon eagerly, â€Å"that is because-â€Å" â€Å"No, Hari. I'm trying to explain. We both know that you understand it. You must have minimalism because every change, any change, has a myriad of side effects that can't always be allowed for. If the change is side effects too many, then it becomes certain that the outcome will be far removed from anything you've planned and that it would be entirely unpredictable.† â€Å"Right,† said Seldon. â€Å"That's the essence of a chaotic-effect. The problem is whether any change is small enough to make the consequence reasonably predictable or whether human history is inevitably and unalterably chaotic in every respect. It was that which, at the start, made me think that psychohistory was not-â€Å" â€Å"I know, but you're not letting me make my point. Whether any change would be small enough is not the issue. The point is that any change greater than the minimal is chaotic. The required minimum may be zero, but if it is not zero, then it is still very small-and it would be a major problem to find some change that is small enough and yet is significantly greater than zero. Now, that, I gather, is what you mean by the necessity of minimalism.† â€Å"More or less,† said Seldon. â€Å"Of course, as always, the matter is expressed more compactly and more rigorously in the language of mathematics. See here-â€Å" â€Å"Save me,† said Dors. â€Å"Since you know this about psychohistory, Hari, you ought to know it about Demerzel, too. You have the knowledge but not the understanding, because it apparently doesn't occur to you to apply the rules of psychohistory to the Laws of Robotics.† To which Seldon replied faintly, â€Å"Now I don't see what you're getting at. â€Å"He requires minimality, too, doesn't he, Hari? By the First Law of Robotics, a robot can't harm a human being. That is the prime rule for the usual robot, but Demerzel is something quite unusual and for him, the Zeroth Law is a reality and it takes precedence even over the First Law. The Zeroth Law states that a robot can't harm humanity as a whole. But that puts Demerzel into the same bind in which you exist when you labor at psychohistory. Do you see?† â€Å"I'm beginning to.† â€Å"I hope so. If Demerzel has the ability to change minds, he has to do so without bringing about side effects he does not wish-and since he is the Emperor's First Minister, the side effects he must worry about are numerous, indeed.† â€Å"And the application to the present case?† â€Å"Think about it! You can't tell anyone-except me, of course-that Demerzel is a robot, because he has adjusted you so that you can't. But how much adjustment did that take? Do you want to tell people that he is a robot? Do you want to ruin his effectiveness when you depend on him for protection, for support of your grants, for influence quietly exerted on your behalf? Of course not. The change he had to make then was a very tiny one, just enough to keep you from blurting it out in a moment of excitement or carelessness. It is so small a change that there are no particular side effects. That is how Demerzel tries to run the Empire generally.† â€Å"And the case of Joranum?† â€Å"Is obviously completely different from yours. He is, for whatever motives, unalterably opposed to Demerzel. Undoubtedly, Demerzel could change that, but it would be at the price of introducing a considerable wrench in Joranum's makeup that would bring about results Demerzel could not predict. Rather than take the chance of harming Joranum, of producing side effects that would harm others and, possibly, all of humanity, he must leave Joranum alone until he can find some small change-some small change-that will save the situation without harm. That is why Yugo is right and why Demerzel is vulnerable.† Seldon had listened but did not respond. He seemed lost in thought. Minutes passed before he said, â€Å"If Demerzel can do nothing in this matter, then I must.† â€Å"If he can do nothing, what can you do?† â€Å"The case is different. I am not bound by the Laws of Robotics. I need not concern myself obsessively with minimalism. And to begin with, I must see Demerzel.† Dors looked faintly anxious. â€Å"Must you? Surely it wouldn't be wise to advertise a connection between the two of you.† â€Å"We have reached a time where we can't make a fetish of pretending there is no connection. Naturally I won't go to see him behind a flourish of trumpets and an announcement on holovision, but I must see him.† 5 Seldon found himself raging at the passage of time. Eight years ago, when he had first arrived on Trantor, he could take instant action. He had only a hotel room and its contents to forsake and he could range through the sectors of Trantor at will. Now he found himself with department meetings, with decisions to make, with work to do. It was not so easy to dash off at will to see Demerzel-and if he could, Demerzel also had a-full schedule of his own. To find a time when they both could meet would not be easy.** Nor was it easy to have Dors shake her head at him. â€Å"I don't know what you intend to do, Hari.† And he answered impatiently, â€Å"I don't know what I intend to do, either, Dors. I hope to find out when I see Demerzel.† â€Å"Your first duty is to psychohistory. He'll tell you so.† â€Å"Perhaps. I'll find out.† And then, just as he had arranged a time for the meeting with the First Minister, eight days hence, he received a message on his department office wall screen in slightly archaic lettering. And to match that was the more than slightly archaic message: I CRAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH PROFESSOR HARI SELDON. Seldon stared at it with astonishment. Even the Emperor was not addressed in quite that centuries-old turn of phrase. Nor was the signature printed as it usually was for clarity. It was scripted with a flourish that left it perfectly legible and yet gave it the aura of a careless work of art dashed off by a master. The signature was: LASKIN JORANUM. It was Jo-Jo himself, craving an audience. Seldon found himself chuckling. It was clear why the choice of words-and why the script. It made what was a simple request a device for stimulating curiosity. Seldon had no great desire to meet the man-or would have had none ordinarily. But what was worth the archaism and the artistry? He wanted to find out. He had his secretary set the time and the place of the appointment. It would be in his office, certainly not in his apartment. A business conversation, nothing social. And it would come before the projected meeting with Demerzel. Dors said, â€Å"It's no surprise to me, Hari. You hurt two of his people, one of them his chief aide; you spoiled a little rally he was holding; and you made him, in the person of his representatives, seem foolish. He wants to take a look at you and I think I had better be with you.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'll take Raych. He knows all the tricks I know and he's a strong and active twenty-year-old. Although I'm sure there'll be no need for protection.† â€Å"How can you be sure?† â€Å"Joranum is coming to see me on the University grounds. There will be any number of youngsters in the vicinity. I'm not exactly an unpopular figure with the student body and I suspect that Joranum is the kind of man who does his homework and knows that I'll be safe on home territory. I'm sure that he will be perfectly polite-completely friendly.† â€Å"Hmph,† said Dors with a light twist of one corner of her lip. â€Å"And quite deadly,† Seldon finished. 6 Hari Seldon kept his face expressionless and bent his head just sufficiently to allow a sense of reasonable courtesy. He had taken the trouble to look up a variety of holographs of Joranum, but, as is often the case, the real thing, unguarded, shifting constantly in response to changing conditions, is never quite the same as a holograph-however carefully prepared. Perhaps, thought Seldon, it is the response of the viewer to the â€Å"real thing† that makes it different. Joranum was a tall man-as tall as Seldon, at any rate-but larger in other directions. It was not due to a muscular physique, for he gave the impression of softness, without quite being fat. A rounded face, a thick head of hair that was sandy rather than yellow, light blue eyes. He wore a subdued coverall and his face bore a half-smile that gave the illusion of friendliness, while making it clear, somehow, that it was only an illusion. â€Å"Professor Seldon†-his voice was deep and under strict control, an orator's voice-â€Å"I am delighted to meet you. It is kind of you to permit this meeting. I trust you are not offended that I have brought a companion, my right-hand man, with me, although I have not cleared that with you in advance. He is Gambol Deen Namarti-three names, you notice. I believe you have met him.† â€Å"Yes, I have. I remember the incident well.† Seldon looked at Namarti with a touch of the sardonic. At the previous encounter, Namarti had been speaking at the University Field. Seldon viewed him carefully now-under relaxed conditions. Namarti was of moderate height, with a thin face, sallow complexion, dark hair, and a wide mouth. He did not have Joranum's half-smile or any noticeable expression-except for a sense of cautious wariness. â€Å"My friend Dr. Namarti-his degree is in ancient literature-has come at his own request,† said Joranum, his smile intensifying a bit, â€Å"to apologize.† Joranum glanced quickly at Namarti-and Namarti, his lips tightening just at first, said in a colorless voice, â€Å"I am sorry, Professor, for what happened at the Field. I was not quite aware of the strict rules governing University rallies and I was a little carried away by my own enthusiasm.† â€Å"Understandably so,† said Joranum. â€Å"Nor was he entirely aware of your identity. I think we may all now forget the matter.† â€Å"I assure you, gentlemen,† said Seldon, â€Å"that I have no great desire to remember it. This is my son, Raych Seldon, so you see I have a companion, too.† Raych had grown a mustache, black and abundant-the masculine mark of the Dahlite. He had had none when he first met Seldon eight years before, when he was a street boy, ragged and hungry. He was short but lithe and sinewy and his expression was the haughty one he had adopted in order to add a few spiritual inches to his physical height. â€Å"Good morning, young man,† said Joranum. â€Å"Good morning, sir,† said Raych. â€Å"Please sit down, gentlemen,† said Seldon. â€Å"May I offer you something to eat or drink?† Joranum held up his hands in polite refusal. â€Å"No, sir. This is not a social call.† He seated himself in the place indicated. â€Å"Though I hope there will be many such calls in the future.† â€Å"If this is to be about business, then let's begin.† â€Å"The news reached me, Professor Seldon, of the little incident that you have so kindly agreed to forget and I wondered why you took the chance of doing what you did. It was a risk, you must admit.† â€Å"I didn't think so, actually.† â€Å"But I did. So I took the liberty of finding out everything I could about you, Professor Seldon. You're an interesting man. From Helicon, I discovered.† â€Å"Yes, that's where I was born. The records are clear.† â€Å"And you've been here on Trantor for eight years.† â€Å"That is also a matter of public record.† â€Å"And you made yourself quite famous at the start by delivering a mathematical paper on-what do you call it?-psychohistory?† Seldon shook his head very slightly. How often he had regretted that indiscretion. Of course, he had had no idea at the time that it was an indiscretion. He said, â€Å"A youthful enthusiasm. It came to nothing.† â€Å"Is that so?† Joranum looked around him with an air of pleased surprise. â€Å"Yet here you are, the head of the Mathematics Department at one of Trantor's greatest Universities, and only forty years old, I believe. I'm forty-two, by the way, so I don't look upon you as very old at all. You must be a very competent mathematician to be in this position.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I wouldn't care to make a judgment in that matter.† â€Å"Or you must have powerful friends.† â€Å"We would all like to have powerful friends, Mr. Joranum, but I think you will find none here. University professors rarely have powerful friends or, I sometimes think, friends of any kind.† He smiled. And so did Joranum. â€Å"Wouldn't you consider the Emperor a powerful friend, Professor Seldon?† â€Å"I certainly would, but what has that to do with me?† â€Å"I am under the impression that the Emperor is a friend of yours.† â€Å"I'm sure the records will show, Mr. Joranum, that I had an audience with His Imperial Majesty eight years ago. It lasted perhaps an hour or less and I saw no signs of any great friendliness in him at the time. Nor have I spoken to him since-or even seen him-except on holovision, of course.† â€Å"But, Professor, it is not necessary to see or speak to the Emperor to have him as a powerful friend. It is sufficient to see or speak to Eto Demerzel, the Emperor's First Minister. Demerzel is your protector and, since he is, we may as well say the Emperor is.† â€Å"Do you find First Minister Demerzel's supposed protection of me anywhere in the records? Or anything at all in the records from which you can deduce that protection?† â€Å"Why search the records when it is well known that there is a connection between the two of you. You know it and I know it. Let us take it then as given and continue. And please†-he raised his hands-â€Å"do not take the trouble to give me any heartfelt denials. It's a waste of time.† â€Å"Actually,† said Seldon, â€Å"I was going to ask why you should think that he would want to protect me. To what end?† â€Å"Professor? Are you trying to hurt me by pretending to think I am a monster of naivete? I mentioned your psychohistory, which Demerzel wants.† â€Å"And I told you that it was a youthful indiscretion that came to nothing.† â€Å"You may tell me a great many things, Professor. I am not compelled to accept what you tell me. Come, let me speak frankly. I have read your original paper and have tried to understand it with the help of some mathematicians on my staff. They tell me it is a wild dream and quite impossible-â€Å" â€Å"I quite agree with them,† said Seldon. â€Å"But I have the feeling that Demerzel is waiting for it to be developed and put to use. And if he can wait, so can I. It would be more useful to you, Professor Seldon, to have me wait.† â€Å"Why so?† â€Å"Because Demerzel will not endure in his position for much longer. Public opinion is turning against him steadily. It may be that when the Emperor wearies of an unpopular First Minister who threatens to drag the throne down with him, he will find a replacement. It may even be my poor self whom the Emperor's fancy will seize upon. And you will still need a protector, someone who can see to it that you can work in peace and with ample funds for whatever you need in the way of equipment and assistants.† â€Å"And would you be that protector?† â€Å"Of course-and for the same reason that Demerzel is. I want a successful psychohistoric technique so that I can rule the Empire more efficiently.† Seldon nodded thoughtfully, waited a moment, then said, â€Å"But in that case, Mr. Joranum, why must I concern myself in this? I am a poor scholar, living a quiet life, engaged in out-of-the-way mathematical and pedagogical activities. You say that Demerzel is my present protector and that you will be my future protector. I can go quietly about my business, then. You and the First Minister may fight it out. Whoever prevails, I have a protector still-or, at least, so you tell me.† Joranum's fixed smile seemed to fade a bit. Namarti, at his side, turned his dour face toward Joranum and made as though to say something, but Joranum's hand moved slightly and Namarti coughed and did not speak. Joranum said, â€Å"Dr. Seldon. Are you a patriot?† â€Å"Why, of course. The Empire has given humanity millennia of peace-mostly peace, at any rate-and fostered steady advancement.† â€Å"So it has-but at a slower pace in the last century or two.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I have not studied such matters.† â€Å"You don't have to. You know that, politically, the last century or two has been a time of turmoil. Imperial reigns have been short and sometimes have been shortened further by assassination-â€Å" â€Å"Even mentioning that,† put in Seldon, â€Å"is close to treason. I'd rather you didn't-â€Å" â€Å"Well, there.† Joranum threw himself back in his seat. â€Å"See how insecure you are. The Empire is decaying. I'm willing to say so openly. Those who follow me do so because they know only too well it is. We need someone at the Emperor's right hand who can control the Empire, subdue the rebellious impulses that seem to be arising everywhere, give the armed forces the natural leadership they should have, lead the economy-â€Å" Seldon made an impatient stopping motion with his arm. â€Å"And you're the one to do it, are you?† â€Å"I intend to be the one. It won't be an easy job and I doubt there would be many volunteers-for good reason. Certainly Demerzel can't do it. Under him, the decline of the Empire is accelerating to a total breakdown.† â€Å"But you can stop it?† â€Å"Yes, Dr. Seldon. With your help. With psychohistory.† â€Å"Perhaps Demerzel could stop the breakdown with psychohistory-if psychohistory existed.† Joranum said calmly, â€Å"It exists. Let us not pretend it does not. But its existence does not help Demerzel. Psychohistory is only a tool. It needs a brain to understand it and an arm to wield it.† â€Å"And you have those, I take it?† â€Å"Yes. I know my own virtues. I want psychohistory.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"You may want it all you please. I don't have it. â€Å"You do have it. I will not argue the point.† Joranum leaned closer as though wishing to insinuate his voice into Seldon's ear, rather than allowing the sound waves to carry it there. â€Å"You say you are a patriot. I must replace Demerzel to avoid Imperial destruction. However, the manner of replacement might itself weaken the Empire desperately. I do not wish that. You can advise me how to achieve the end smoothly, subtly, without harm or damage-for the sake of the Empire.† Seldon said, â€Å"I cannot. You accuse me of knowledge I do not possess. I would like to be of assistance, but I cannot.† Joranum stood up suddenly. â€Å"Well, you know my mind and what it is I want of you. Think about it. And I ask you to think about the Empire. You may feel you owe Demerzel-this despoiler of all the millions of planets of humanity-your friendship. Be careful. What you do may shake the very foundation of the Empire. I ask you to help me in the name of the quadrillions of human beings who fill the Galaxy. Think of the Empire.† His voice had dropped to a thrilling and powerful half-whisper. Seldon felt himself almost trembling. â€Å"I will always think of the Empire,† he said. Joranum said, â€Å"Then that is all I ask right now. Thank you for consenting to see me.† Seldon watched Joranum and his companion leave as the office doors slid open noiselessly and the men strode out. He frowned. Something was bothering him-and he was not sure what it was. 7 Namarti's dark eyes remained fixed on Joranum as they sat in their carefully shielded office in the Streeling Sector. It was not an elaborate headquarters; they were as yet weak in Streeling, but they would grow stronger. It was amazing how the movement was growing. It had started from nothing three years back and now its tentacles stretched-in some places more thickly than others, of course-throughout Trantor. The Outer Worlds were as yet largely untouched. Demerzel had labored mightily to keep them content, but that was his mistake. It was here on Trantor that rebellions were dangerous. Elsewhere, they could be controlled. Here, Demerzel could be toppled. Odd that he should not realize that, but Joranum had always held to the theory that Demerzel's reputation was overblown, that he would prove an empty shell if anyone dared oppose him, and that the Emperor would destroy him quickly if his own security seemed at stake. So far, at least, all of Joranum's predictions had come to pass. He had never once lost his way except in minor matters, such as that recent rally at Streeling University in which this Seldon fellow had interfered. That might be why Joranum had insisted on the interview with him. Even a minor toe stub must be taken care of. Joranum enjoyed the feeling of infallibility and Namarti had to admit that the vision of a constant string of successes was the surest way of ensuring the continuation of success. People tended to avoid the humiliation of failure by joining the obviously winning side even against their own opinions. But had the interview with this Seldon been a success or was it a second stub of the toe to be added to the first? Namarti had not enjoyed having been brought along in order to be made to humbly apologize and he didn't see that it had done any good. Now Joranum sat there, silent, obviously lost in thought, gnawing at the edge of one thumb as though trying to draw some sort of mental nourishment from it. â€Å"Jo-Jo,† said Namarti softly. He was one of the very few people who could address Joranum by the diminutive that the crowds shouted out endlessly in public. Joranum solicited the love of the mob in this way, among others, but he demanded respect from individuals in private, except for those special friends who had been with him from the start. â€Å"Jo-Jo,† he said again. Joranum looked up. â€Å"Yes, G.D., what is it?† He sounded a little testy. â€Å"What are we going to do about this Seldon fellow, Jo-Jo?† â€Å"Do? Nothing right now. He may join us.† â€Å"Why wait? We can put pressure on him. We can pull a few strings at the University and make life miserable for him.† â€Å"No no. So far, Demerzel has been letting us go our way. The fool is overconfident. The last thing we want to do, though, is to push him into action before we are quite ready. And a heavy-handed move against Seldon may do it. I suspect Demerzel places enormous importance on Seldon.† â€Å"Because of this psychohistory you two talked about?† â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"What is it? I have never heard of it.† â€Å"Few people have. It's a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.† Namarti frowned and felt his body move slightly away from Joranum. Was this a joke of Joranum's? Was this intended to make him laugh? Namarti had never been able to work out when or why people expected him to laugh. He had never had an urge to. He said, â€Å"Predict the future? How?† â€Å"Ah? If I knew that, what need would I have of Seldon?† â€Å"Frankly I don't believe it, Jo-Jo. How can you foretell the future? It's fortune-telling.† â€Å"I know, but after this Seldon broke up your little rally, I had him looked into. All the way. Eight years ago, he came to Trantor and presented a paper on psychohistory at a convention of mathematicians and then the whole thing died. It was never referred to again by anyone. Not even by Seldon.† â€Å"It sounds as though there were nothing to it, then.† â€Å"Oh no, just the reverse. If it had faded slowly, if it had been subjected to ridicule, I would have said there was nothing to it. But to be cut off suddenly and completely means that the whole thing has been placed in the deepest of freezes. That is why Demerzel may have been doing nothing to stop us. Perhaps he is not being guided by a foolish overconfidence; perhaps he is being guided by psychohistory, which must be predicting something that Demerzel plans to take advantage of at the right time. If so, we might fail unless we can make use of psychohistory ourselves.† â€Å"Seldon claims it doesn't exist.† â€Å"Wouldn't you if you were he?† â€Å"I still say we ought to put pressure on him.† â€Å"It would be useless, G.D. Didn't you ever hear the story of the Ax of Venn?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You would if you were from Nishaya. It's a famous folktale back home. In brief, Venn was a woodcutter who had a magic ax that, with a single light blow, could chop down any tree. It was enormously valuable, but he never made any effort to hide it or preserve it-and yet it was never stolen, because no one could lift or swing the ax but Venn himself. â€Å"Well, at the present moment, no one can handle psychohistory but Seldon himself. If he were on our side only because we had forced him, we could never be certain of his loyalty. Might he not urge a course of action that would seem to work in our favor but would be so subtly drawn that, after a while, we found ourselves quite suddenly destroyed. No, he must come to our side voluntarily and labor for us because he wishes us to win.† â€Å"But how can we bring him around?† â€Å"There's Seldon's son. Raych, I think he's called. Did you observe him?† â€Å"Not particularly.† â€Å"G.D., G.D., you miss points if you don't observe everything. That young man listened to me with his heart in his eyes. He was impressed. I could tell. If there's one thing I can tell, it is just how I impress others. I know when I have shaken a mind, when I have edged someone toward conversion.† Joranum smiled. It was not the pseudowarm ingratiating smile of his public demeanor. It was a genuine smile this time-cold, somehow, and menacing. â€Å"We'll see what we can do with Raych,† he said, â€Å"and if, through him, we can reach Seldon.†

USS Boxer (Cv-21) During Korean War

Conceived in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys  Lexington- and  Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were built to fit within the restrictions set forth by the  Washington Naval Treaty. This placed limitations on the tonnage of different types of warships as well as capped each signatory’s overall tonnage. These types of restrictions were continued through the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As global tensions rose, Japan and Italy left the agreement in 1936. With the end of the treaty system, the US Navy began developing a design for a new, larger class of aircraft carrier and one which utilized the lessons learned from the  Yorktown-class. The resulting type was wider and longer as well as incorporated a deck-edge elevator system. This had been employed earlier on  USS  Wasp  (CV-7). In addition to carrying a larger air group, the new class mounted a greatly enlarged anti-aircraft armament. The lead ship,  USS  Essex  (CV-9), was laid down on April 28, 1941. With the US entry into  World War II  after the  attack on Pearl Harbor, the  Essex-class became the US Navys standard design for fleet carriers. The first four ships after  Essex  followed the types initial design. In early 1943, the US Navy made changes to enhance future vessels. The most noticeable of these was the lengthening the bow to a clipper design which allowed for the addition of two quadruple 40 mm mounts. Other changes included moving the combat information center below the armored deck, installation of improved aviation fuel and ventilation systems, a second catapult on the flight deck, and an additional fire control director. Though known as the long-hull  Essex-class or  Ticonderoga-class by some, the US Navy made no distinction between these and the earlier  Essex-class ships. USS Boxer (CV-21) Construction The first ship to move forward with the revised  Essex-class design was USS  Hancock  (CV-14) which was later renamed Ticonderoga.  It was followed by several others including USS Boxer  (CV-21).  Laid down on September 13, 1943,  construction of Boxer  began at Newport News Shipbuilding and rapidly moved forward.  Named for HMS Boxer  which had been captured by the US Navy during the War of 1812, the new carrier slid into the water on  December 14, 1944, with Ruth D. Overton, daughter of Senator John H. Overton, serving as sponsor.  Work continued and  Boxer  entered commission on April 16, 1945, with Captain D.F. Smith in command. Early Service Departing Norfolk,  Boxer  commenced shakedown and training operations in preparation for use in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  As these initiatives were concluding, the conflict ended with Japan asking for a cessation of hostilities.  Dispatched to the Pacific in August 1945, Boxer  arrived at San Diego before departing for Guam the following month.  Reaching that island, it became flagship of Task Force 77.  Supporting the occupation of Japan,  the carrier remained abroad until August 1946 and also made calls in Okinawa, China, and the Philippines.  Returning to San Francisco,  Boxer  embarked Carrier Air Group 19 which flew the new Grumman F8F Bearcat.  As one of the US Navys newest carriers, Boxer  remained in commission as the service downsized from its wartime levels. After conducting peacetime activities off California in 1947, the following year saw  Boxer  employed in jet aircraft testing.  In this role, it launched the first jet fighter, a North American FJ-1 Fury, to fly from an American carrier on March 10.  After spending two years employed in maneuvers and training jet pilots,  Boxer  departed for the Far East in January 1950.  Making goodwill visits around the region as part of the 7th Fleet, the carrier also entertained South Korean President Syngman Rhee.  Due for a maintenance overhaul,  Boxer  returned to San Diego on June 25 just as the Korean War was beginning. USS Boxer (CV-21) - Korean War:   Due to the urgency of the situation,  Boxers overhaul was postponed and the carrier was quickly employed to ferry aircraft to the war zone.  Embarking 145 North American P-51 Mustangs and other aircraft and supplies, the carrier departed Alameda, CA on July 14 and set a trans-Pacific speed record by reaching Japan in eight days, seven hours.  Another record was set in early August when  Boxer  made a second ferry trip.  Returning to California, the carrier received cursory maintenance before embarking the Chance-Vought F4U Corsairs of Carrier Air Group 2.  Sailing for Korea in a combat role,  Boxer  arrived and received orders to join the fleet gathering to support the landings at Inchon.   Operating off Inchon in September,  Boxers aircraft provided close support to the troops ashore as they drove inland and re-captured Seoul.  While performing this mission, the carrier was stricken when one of its reduction gears failed.  Caused due to postponed maintenance on the vessel, it limited the carriers speed to 26 knots.  On November 11,  Boxer  received orders to sail for the United States to make repairs.  These were conducted at San Diego and the carrier was able to resume combat operations after embarking Carrier Air Group 101.  Operating from Point Oboe, approximately 125 miles east of Wonsan,  Boxers aircraft struck targets along the 38th Parallel between March and October 1951.   Refitting in the fall of 1951, Boxer  again sailed for Korea the following February with the Grumman F9F Panthers of Carrier Air Group 2 aboard.  Serving in Task Force 77, the carriers planes conducted strategic strikes across North Korea.  During this deployment, tragedy struck the ship on August 5 when an aircrafts fuel tank caught fire.  Quickly spreading through the hanger deck, it took over four hours to contain and killed eight.  Repaired at Yokosuka,  Boxer  re-entered combat operations later that month.  Shortly after returning, the carrier tested a new weapons system which used radio-controlled Grumman F6F Hellcats as flying bombs.  Re-designated as an attack aircraft carrier (CVA-21) in October 1952,  Boxer  underwent an extensive overhaul that winter before making a final Korean deployment between March and November 1953. USS Boxer (CV-21) - A Transition: Following the end of the conflict,  Boxer  made a series of cruises in the Pacific between 1954 and 1956.  Re-designated an anti-submarine carrier (CVS-21) in early 1956, it made a final Pacific deployment late that year and into 1957.  Returning home,  Boxer  was selected to take part in a US Navy experiment which sought to have a carrier solely employ attack helicopters.  Moved to the Atlantic in 1958,  Boxer  operated with an experimental force intended to support the rapid deployment of US Marines.  This saw it again re-designated on January 30, 1959, this time as a landing platform helicopter (LPH-4).  Largely operating in the Caribbean, Boxer  supported American efforts during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 as well as used its new capabilities to aid efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic later in the decade. With the US entry into the Vietnam War  in 1965, Boxer  reprised its ferry role by carrying 200 helicopters belonging the US Armys 1st Cavalry Division to South Vietnam.  A second trip was made the following year.  Returning to the Atlantic, Boxer assisted NASA in early 1966 when it recovered an unmanned Apollo test capsule (AS-201) in February and served as the primary recovery ship for Gemini 8 in March.  Over the next three years, Boxer  continued in its amphibious support role until being decommissioned on December 1, 1969.  Removed from the Naval Vessel Register, it was sold for scrap on March 13, 1971.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   USS Boxer  (CV-21) At a Glance Nation:  United StatesType:  Aircraft CarrierShipyard:  Newport New ShipbuildingLaid Down:  September 13, 1943Launched:  December 4, 1944Commissioned:  April 16, 1945Fate:  Sold for scrap, February 1971 USS Boxer (CV-21) - Specifications Displacement:  27,100 tonsLength:  888 ft.Beam:  93 ft.Draft:  28 ft., 7 in.Propulsion:  8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed:  33 knotsComplement:  3,448 men USS Boxer (CV-21) - Armament 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns Aircraft 90-100 aircraft Selected Sources DANFS: USS  Boxer  (CV-21)NavSource: USS  Boxer  (CV-21)USS  Boxer  (CV-21) Veterans Association