To what extent can it be said that the Liberal Government of 1906-1911 laid the basis for the British welfare state?
Burn We were each other's lifelines. We used to sit on a London rooftop and watch the sky burn. And then I asked you to burn, to kiss me, to give you some of your fire. We always just sat there, together, and watched the night die and the day be re-born. And we died. Every night we died for each other, we both knew it. Then we used to toast for the new day and laugh together, nothing can hurt you if you are laughing. I loved the pink champagne we shared, I loved it because it tasted just like you did, and you were freedom. I loved the taste of freedom. Just at the break of dawn, before everybody woke up, we used to love each other. I loved how you always explored every part of my body and yet you always found something new, something I never knew about. You coloured me, the colour connected us, we were flaming together. Your lips were fire. I loved the explosions. I loved the fireworks we used to create together. Looking back, I realise that all we had was existence. We had our cigarettes, sure, our cigarettes and our champagne and our decadence. We had our sky, sometimes I can't help but think we touched the stars. And it was all that really mattered. All we had was existence, but what's wrong with that? When it all came crashing down, we just sat there on our rooftop, and I knew that if you were to say anything you would say 'let it burn, darling, let the whole damn
The red room
Explain what makes a good mystery story, based on your understanding of 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells, 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle and 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens. In this essay I will be looking at three stories. They are 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells, 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle and 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens. I will be explaining the aspects of plot, tension, setting, character and language that make a good mystery story. The plot of a mystery story is very important. In 'The Speckled Band,' Julia Stoner and Helen Stoner are sisters. Julie Stoner died horribly a couple of years ago just before she was about to get married. Before she died she heard a low whistle on a regular basis. The reason for her death was not found and now the same thing is happening to her sister Helen who is also about to get married. She secretly goes to Sherlock Holmes to find some answers about how her sister died and also because she thinks she is going to die. Helen decides to go to Sherlock Holmes because he could crack every case and always defeated evil. He was an amateur detective which means that he was not a member of the London Police Force. Victorians really liked Sherlock Homes. This was because he could solve every case and he could defeat evil. Prostitution, murder, drug abuse and public hangings were very common in London at the
The Red Room
The Red Room. The houses, their walls, secret passages can sometimes enclose tremendous secrets. It seems that the mansion I was invited to also hid a great secret. I will tell you about this. It all started when I was invited to my friend's party. The gates of the mansion were opened invitingly allowing all the guests in. The external façade of the mansion showed its ancient origin. On the wall by the side of ht door was a sign. It said 'The Alexanders'. This was written in bold, brass letters. I entered through the high, heavy dark oak doors. I gazed all around from the deep-toned designs to the conviences of the room. A soft, melodic music murmured in the background while the guests walked around, talking quietly with each other. The tranquil atmosphere soothed every person in the enormous room. The ornaments were of silver. The portraits on the vast walls had gold gilt decorated frames. They showed mysterious people from long age gazing at their audience. In the middle of the broad corridor there was a white marble staircase that ascended upwards to the second floor. On either side of the staircase there was iron banisters finely worked with a pattern of flowers. Curiosity filled me. I began to climb the marble staircase. I placed one hand on the iron balustrade and ascended slowly step by step. When I'd reached the top of the stairs, I looked along the hallway.
The Red room
The Red Room (First Draft) The setting is important in a ghost story because it sets the whole mood e.g. a ghost story would not feel eerie if it was set in a fairytale castle. Without a good setting the ghost story will be boring and pointless. In ghost stories people expect them to be set in a dark and dingy castle and it to be set at night time under moonlight with thick fog. At the beginning of the story the writer hints about a dark past when he says about the young duke of Lorraine Castle he uses the quote "The great red room of Lorraine Castle, in which a young duke had died". This sets the story as well because a young man who died in the red room of the castle and well you know someone is going to be haunted or something is going to happen. The name red room gives us a feeling of unease and makes us think about something of the supernatural is going to happen. Already the writer has set the scene because he mentioned that someone has died in the castle. He also describes how nobody has ever wanted to stay the night or visit the room at night. The setting and atmosphere also contributes to the tension because in the story you are always at a cliff hanger and you do not know what is going to happen round the corner next. The writer captures the atmosphere by adding quotes like this "I caught a glimpse of myself abbreviated and broadened to an impossible sturdiness in
Whose Life is it Anyway?
Whose Life is it Anyway? Nurse Sadler enters Ken's room with his breakfast. NURSE Morning Mr Harrison, and how are you today? KEN Oh I'm just fine, I've just got back from my morning session at the gym and my brisk walk though the park I thought I might go for a swim later. NURSE I can see the sarcasm levels are high this morning Mr Harrison. Well after all of that you must have worked yourself up quite an appetite. Do you feel like having some breakfast? KEN That all depends what it is. NURSE Well it looks lovely; toast, cereal and orange juice. KEN Oh go on then! Sister Anderson enters SISTER Morning Mr Harrison you have a visitor. KEN If it's that Mrs Boyle and her so-called handy tips and helpful ways, I think I'll pass. SISTER You are one for quick fire comments Mr Harrison. KEN No, I am one for being brutally honest. Something you doctors, nurses and so-called medical social workers have a problem with... honesty! Whenever I say something remotely awkward or candid, you just pretend that I haven't said anything at all. SISTER You are awfully angry today Mr Harrison. Ken rolls his eyes over at the Sister's comment. KEN (sarcastically) Oh! Well I must be clinically insane then. I mean I'm only paralysed from the neck down. How foolish of me to be angry. Ken is frustrated and appears to be slightly out of breath. SISTER Calm down Mr Harrison. I
What role does social class play in 'Great Expectations'?
What role does social class play in 'Great Expectations'? In 'Great Expectations' social class plays a very important role. 'Great Expectations' is all about the role social class played in Victorian times, because in that time there was a very strict social class system and usually people who were born in a particular class would have lived there whole lives in that class. The only way people from that era would have moved up the social system, was if someone from higher up the system, took a liking to them and invested in their future. This novel, which is in the style of a bildungsroman, shows Pip moving through the class system, this actually happening to a young boy from the country fascinated people. Most boys from that era would have wanted and aspired to become a gentleman, because if you were a gentleman you would have had better living conditions, better cloths and better jobs, because if they had stayed working class they would have had to live in little often infested houses, would have worn rags and have jobs such as miners and blacksmiths. Unless you were born in the upper class that would have been very difficult to achieve, Dickens realised how hard it was to go up the social class ladder and felt bad that some of the people born in the working or lower class, could be great kind gentlemen, but people who are born in the upper class haven't earned there right
What view of human nature does Stevenson present in the novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde?
Essay Draft 2 Assignment 2 - What view of human nature does Stevenson present in the novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde? The title chosen by the author, Robert Louis Stevenson is, 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. From the title the reader can also predict that the novel is a form of horror fantasy, which explores society's anxieties of the unknown. The word 'Case' in the title suggests either a possible police investigation, some type of medical study or law. Also the name, 'Dr. Jekyll', inflicts upon the reader that Jekyll is of importance and authority. In the novel both perceptions from the title are true. However, the title shows no indication that 'Jekyll and Hyde' are two characters within one person. The book is based on human nature and concentrates on the mixture of good and evil in people. In the Cambridge dictionary the definition for the word, 'human nature' is, 'The natural ways of behaving that most people share'. It also states that 'You can't change human nature'. 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' was one of Stevenson's most successful novels and was written in 1885, nine years before his death. For that reason, Stevenson is mainly remembered for using the duality of human nature in his novels because this is the leading theme in 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. The novel is a classic mystery and involves the dual nature of man and
The Signalman
The Signalman (Final) In my essay I am going to write about what I have learnt about the signalman and the narrator from the story. The signalman did not do well academically so that is how he ended up with his job. We know this from a quote "he had also worked at fractions and decimals, and tried a little algebra; but he were, and had been as a boy, a poor hand at figures". Even though he was not good at those things he could be very good manually and work hard. We have also found out that his job was very lonesome because in the story it mentions that the only time he saw people was when he changed shifts or when the train drivers drove their trains through the tunnel. He also spent a lot of time sitting in a box watching out for trains so he could change the signs to let all the train drivers know. In the story also there is a quote to back up the signalman's loneliness. "This was a lonesome post to occupy". In the signalman's job the conditions were not acceptable because the tunnel was dark and damp. He preferred to be out of the tunnel into the sunlight looking down onto the tracks. The signalman says "was it necessary for him when on duty always to remain in that channel of damp air, and could he never rise into the sunshine from between the high walls?". He is saying that if he had the choice were to work he would work in the sunshine and in the fresh air instead
travel writing
Robin Lewis 10F Travel Writing As my car crunched down the gravel drive, I realised that this must be the thousandth hotel I've inspected and so far it's just like any other; it's just in the middle of nowhere and with some fancy drive.... great. It had been a beautiful summers' day as well and I'd got to spend it driving through countless traffic clogged, pasty free hell holes with names like Dexbrook and Skegness- seriously now Skegness is a Scottish name why can't we just let them have it!? So, anyway, I was bored and just wanted to three star this place off before getting back to my comfy (not to mention germ free) bed. I truly did hate this job with a passion and when the hotel did finally come into view it did absolutely zilch to try and convince me I shouldn't hand in my notice the moment I got back. The first thing I noticed about it was the sheer force of ugly it threw at me. It was ridiculously 'in-your-face' and in the worst possible way. A place so hideous that it could only be described a scar (and not the cool type) on the stunning Cornish countryside - however boring it may be. The colour scheme was the thing that first managed to throw me as, instead of being the general milky white or at least metallic silver; it was simply some sort of murky brown. It was like no one could be bothered with cleaning it after taking it for a casual drive around the average
Travel Writing
Travel Writing Holidaying with Island Cruises has always been one of my firm favourites, and our second cruise with them only confirmed this. My 2005 holiday on the Island Escape was the highlight of my year, so I was extremely excited about going back to the company in 2006. The newly bought ship, the Island Star, was an extravagant example, and put the first ship to shame. My first glimpse of the immense liner brought a smile to my face as I felt the sun beam down, reflecting off the striking white hull. Countless windows and various balconies looked more and more appealing as seconds ticked by, furthering everyone's anticipation to just get onboard. Striding up the gangway, a sense of apprehension overcame me, worrying about being in the middle of the sea, alone, trapped. These irrational thoughts were crushed by the lovely stewardess who showed us to our surprisingly spacious cabin. On Deck 7, looking out of the sparkly-clean window, immediately you could see the beautiful sights of Palma, the giant trees softening the atmosphere. With a knock on the door, we were introduced to out Cabin Steward, Richard. His extensive knowledge of the ship assured us that we were going to have a first-rate holiday, whilst soaking up the Mediterranean sun. Exploring the ship astounded us with even more surprises, not least the size of each of the five on-board restaurants. The top deck
