Violent Video Games And Violence Example For Students

Violent Video Games And Violence Recent mass shootings have made the public question the unclear motives of the people behind such destructive behaviour. Unfortunately, many individuals have jumped to rash conclusions regarding the causes of such events by linking violent video games with violence in the youth population. Even more discerning individuals have also criticized the role of violent video games in encouraging people to become mass murderers. With these opinions gaining popularity in the mass media, it has become the predominant belief of society to explain why there are more shootings recently. Such claims are usually driven by opinionated reasoning instead of scientific research, so it is much easier for the popular media to formulate such ostentatious theories. We will write a custom essay on Violent Video Games And Violence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This can be seen with professional bloggers, Lyndee Fletcher and Ralph Nader, who are adamant that there is an obvious link between violent video games and the recent mass shootings. As seen in their respective articles published in 2015 and 1999, the controversial opinion on the effects of violent video games have left lasting impressions on the public to believe that frequent exposure has created adolescent mass murderers. This only demonstrates that the predominant belief regarding violent video games and mass shootings over the past two decades is resilient despite the empirical research studies refuting their opinionated claims based. Researchers have tried to establish a scientific basis for understanding in society, but it still has not satisfied the search for the truth behind the mass shooters’ motives and actions. So in order to further understand the link between violent video games and mass shootings, I will further discuss the contrasting opinions of these profess ional bloggers and researchers below. Fletcher was a contributing writer to the movie review blog, Movie Guide, which adopts a Christian perspective to explain the effects of popular media on American youth. She accentuated the idea that video game companies should be held responsible for the actions of recent adolescent mass murderers because they have disregarded the violent consequences (2015). Fletcher reasons this belief by arguing that the adolescents responsible for these events shared three common traits. First, their life revolved around video games because they were addicted. Second, they enjoyed violent video games because it felt familiar and comforting. Third, they all had experience with first-person shooter and massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. So in other words, Fletcher is concluding that these individual’s actions are constructed from frequent violent video game exposure and an increased susceptibility to gaming addiction. In correspondence to Fletcher’s claims, a recent study of 1216 South Korean MMORPG players determined that aggressive and narcissistic personality traits are positively correlated with online gaming addiction, and self-control and interpersonal interaction are negatively correlated to online gaming addiction (Kim et. al, 2007). These variables were of interest because individuals with these characteristics are a part of high risk groups that are more susceptible to addiction of online gaming. In order to determine the relationships between online game addiction and these characteristics, data was collected through questionnaires regarding the participant’s demographic information and game use-related characteristics, in addition to 5-point Likert-type scale assessments regarding online game addiction, aggression, self-control, and narcissistic personality disorder. Through correlational design, Kim’s study suggests that certain characteristics, such as aggression, self-control, and narcissistic personality traits, serve as predictors of online game addiction. That is to say that individuals may be more likely to become addicted to online gaming because they already have these high risk characteristics to begin with, and not because frequent exposure to MMORPGs made these individuals more aggressive and narcissistic, and lack self-control. In addition to this, Kim’s study also suggests that individuals with fewer interpersonal relationships may have a relatively higher dependency on online games because it serves as an alternative to face-to-face interaction and communication for those that feel anxious or stressed socializing. For these reasons, Kim’s disproves Fletcher’s claims that an individual’s actions are constructed in more aggressive ways of thinking through violent video game exposure, because certain individuals have genetic predispositions that make them more susceptible to addiction to MMORPGs which result higher violent video game exposure. .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 , .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .postImageUrl , .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 , .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:hover , .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:visited , .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:active { border:0!important; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:active , .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091 .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ube5f11b9eeb8f60ff1fc214f78d07091:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay on Violent Video GamesIn a similar manner to Fletcher, Nader, who is a political activist, also suggests that frequent violent video game exposure increases the likelihood that children will become aggressive and destructive during adolescence because it decreases the children’s awareness to violence and the negative repercussions of violent video games to everyday functioning (1999). Nader references former president Bill Clinton’s meta-analysis of 30 years’ worth of studies, but does not formally introduce the study methods or findings, to demonstrate that this has been an ongoing issue in society. For this reason, he believes that gaming compa nies and parents are to blame because they enable children to become addicted to violent video games through their ignorance and a lack of control. Nader argues this by stating that gaming companies market video games directly to impressionable children by developing more interactive and enticing video games, which according to Nader are of the violent variety, that enable a sustainable addiction and fosters into aggressive and violent behaviour. Contrary to Nader’s beliefs, a recent study of 120 individuals determined that violent video game exposure has no effect on aggression at all (Engelhardt et. al, 2015). This experimental study randomly assigned participants with autism spectrum disorders and participants without autism spectrum disorders to play a video game of either the violent or non-violent variety in order to determine the effects of video games on behaviour. Participants then proceeded to perform post-game rating measures, word completion tasks and competitive reaction time tasks to assess their views regarding the violent content in the video game, aggressive-thought accessibility, aggressive behaviour, and aggressive affect to determine any probable correlation with autism spectrum disorder. The study concluded that violent video game exposure has no effect on individuals with autism spectrum disorder or individuals without autism spectrum disorder, and that video game genre has an effect on the percep tion of violence present in the video game. This suggests aggressive behaviour is not attributable to frequent video game exposure or on a person’s genotype. Therefore, this study disproves the Nader’s claim that violent video games develop aggressive and destructive attitudes during adolescence that influence behaviour because it isn’t attributable to individual differences in behaviour. As shown above, empirical research is an useful approach to understand human behaviour because it provides the opportunity to review information on from a scientific perspective. Paradigms are particularly useful when conducting research as it utilizes underlying theories and assumptions to understand everyday events from a myriad of perspectives. The biopsychosocial paradigm, which is one of many paradigms, suggests that the biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors interact together to explain certain human behaviours (Davison, 2013). In relation to violence and video games, there are several external factors that may elicit aggressive behaviour in people. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to become more susceptible to video game addiction, personality traits that are prone to exhibit increased aggressiveness, and a lack of familial support. This may result in a coinciding relationship between aggressive adolescents who happen to have frequent exposure to violent video games. Engelhardt’s research study is also based on the preconceived notion that genotypic and phenotypic individual differences may elicit differences in aggressive behaviour, but his study has proven this otherwise by demonstrating that instances of violence are not attributable to these factors. Instead, it is very likely that aggression is related to other confounding variables that may be associated with frequent violent video game exposure. In addition to this, Kim’s research study also expands on the psychological and social factors of the biopsychosocial paradigm suggesting that video game addiction is related to unconscious conflicts within the structure of the mind and interpersonal relationship difficulties. Kim suggests this because those with anxiety and social difficulties are more likely to satisfy needs for social interaction and communication through the means of MMORPGs. So in conjunction with Engelhardt’s biological influence and Kim’s psychological and social influence, these factors may be working in tandem to elicit aggressive behaviour in certain adolescents. In other words, adolescents may be more susceptible to exhibiting violence in the presence of certain biopsychosocial factors that affect behaviour. .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d , .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .postImageUrl , .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d , .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:hover , .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:visited , .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:active { border:0!important; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:active , .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub756973c82345b0a05a91b67bd3f7a6d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Violent Video GamesAs researchers have been able to test the validity and reliability of controversial claims, it is important to think critically when confronting opinionated statements about society. Since Fletcher and Nader have used their personal opinions to form rash conclusions, many researchers have acted upon their claims by formally testing it through empirical research. The research conducted by Kim and Engelhardt, for example, has suggested that aggressive behaviour and attitudes are not attributable to violent video game exposure, but rather only associated with it. A multitude of research studies have also reached this conclusion or some variation of it becau se it is very likely that there is no direct causal relationship between violent video games and aggressive behaviour as well. This only demonstrates that by equally valuing social opinion with scientific data, it inhibits our ability to think critically and creatively in the future. So it is important to question phenomena that we encounter on a daily basis to gain a better understanding of human behaviour.

Mothers, Children and Maternal Depression essays

Mothers, Children and Maternal Depression essays Is there a direct relationship between childrens developmental stages and maternal depression? Research suggests that childrens development can be adversely affected by maternal depression. A depressed person has more negative cognitions than that of non-depressed counterparts. Depressed adults have also been found to demonstrate negative self-perceptions in their cognition, including negative internal, stable, and global attributions of events, and greater memory of, negative stimuli. In addition, depressed adults show high levels of self-punishment and low levels of self-reinforcement and self-efficacy. Children of depressed mothers can be born with dysfunctional neural-regulatory mechanisms, brought on by abnormal fetal development caused internally by the mothers depression during pregnancy. Such abnormal developments are thought to be due the fetus exposure to neuroendocrine alterations, which are associated with depression, that may cause constricted blood flow to the fetus. So me abnormal fetal developments manifested at birth include tendencies to respond in a particular style or assume certain behavioral traits. Research suggests that we must examine certain aspects of the fetal environment that may correlate with depression in pregnant women. In particular, two factors may be possible mechanisms of this abnormal development: reduced blood flow to the fetus and poor health behaviors on the part of the mother. The first factor is reduced blood flow to the fetus. Studies show that in the third trimester of pregnancy, a maternal trait of anxiety is associated with impaired uterine blood flow. This decreased blood flow is associated with lower birth weights, and less fetal movement during pregnancy. Depression acts as a stressor, and maternal stress is related to increased fetal heart rate during pregnancy and low attention orientation and arousal for newborns. We are able to see that maternal depression d...

Responding to the letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Responding to the letter - Assignment Example Along with my background in health promotion, I have carried out extensive research into the matter, which I believe will aid you greatly. The recommendations that I have come up with are not merely based on superfluous assumptions; rather I have assimilated information regarding the various obstacles that are faced in health promotion and have argued the recommendations I proposed with reasons. This letter will cover the various aspects of empowering families living in Boston, USA, with little or no health awareness and equipping them with information regarding the health of their children. This letter will prove to be an instrumental tool in promoting the health of previously hospitalized diabetic children. The content of the letter has been organized such as to facilitate the achievement of your goals. To reiterate, your goals primarily focus on: 1. Provision of health information to families regarding diabetes as a constituent of their social education problem. 2. Involvement of groups and cooking clubs for encouraging families to make healthier meals for the children. Taking these objectives into account, the letter: Highlights the importance of social education and health awareness of families. Provides a comprehensive action plan for educating families living in Riyadh. Recommends the most appropriate location for the delivery of the plan. Explores ways that can be used for the involvement of cooking clubs and related groups. Looks into appropriate and effective marketing tools for promulgating the service. Sheds light into the costs associated with the project. Analyses the possible impediments that can be faced. Reviews the need to evaluate the project in terms of short and long term effects. The first section of the paper briefly considers the directives that have been adopted by the government for health promotion in the general public. Incidence of Diabetes in children and Government directives: In the USA, extensive research into diabetes is being carried out and the disease is not treated lightly. The incidence of diabetes is growing in the country, particularly among the younger population. It has become one of the most common chronic illnesses in children and teenagers in USA. Statistics report that more than 151,000 children and youth aged less than 20 years have been diagnosed with the condition. In 2007, 186,300 under the age of 20 were reported to have diabetes, representing about 0.2% of the youth in this age group (NDEP 2008). Usually children are diagnosed with the type of diabetes that is referred to as diabetes type I or juvenile diabetes. However over the recent years, it has been seen that some children are even developing diabetes type II, which was predominantly considered adult diabetes. In a study carried out between 2002 and 2003, the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth, it was found out that every year in US, an alarming 15,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with juvenile-onset diabetes. Moreover, the study showed that 3700 youth are diagnosed with adult diabetes each year. Although the occurrence of the disease in children aged less than 10 was low, it was seen that adult type II diabetes becomes increasingly common in children aged 10 years or more, especially in minority populations such as non-Hispanic whites and African Americans (NEDP 2008). Due to the rising incidence of the condition in the country, there are a number of directives that h

Theories of Power Transfer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theories of Power Transfer - Essay Example Survival is the driving force, thus, states must develop their offensive capabilities to increase their power. As a reflection of this selfishness, and to ensure their own survival, states seek to develop their offensive capabilities, or their military power, so that they can take over the territories of other states to increase their relative power. This means that their power is relative, that is, in relation to the other states (Fozouni, 2008). In the international system, the principal actors are the sovereign states, where the independent influence of international organizations, sub-states or trans-state actors is dismissed. Nationalism is important, while the importance of sub-national groupings or transnational ideological of cultural groupings are diminished. This theory has several key assumptions. Neorealism is based primarily on the assumption that mankind is selfish and competitive. It is not benevolent, rather it is self-centered. Its fundamental assumption is that the international system is chaotic and anarchic. Since the state is the primary actor, there is no higher governing authority to which they bow to. States must muddle through in their relations with each other, with no higher authority that can impose or dictate on any one of them. That is, there is no such thing as a world government. Furthermore, it assumes that sovereign states are the primary actors and not international institutions, non-government organizations, or multinational corporations. According to this theory, every state is a rational actor who will always watch out for its own interest and ensure its security. In the pursuit of its own security, every state will do everything to build up its resources, so that more resources will mean more power for the s tate. Their level of power will determine their relations with other states, and this level of power is in turn determined by its military and economic capabilities. Also, states are inherently aggressive, always seeking to expand its territories. This territorial aggression is only tempered by other states. However, this build-up will trigger an increase in the opposing state's security, which will result in relative gains only (Thies, 2004). In terms of the European Union, this means that the Community itself, is merely a gathering of sovereign states - an international rather than supranational organization. Thus, the decision-making in terms of economic, monetary, political, and security matters is still in the sovereign states. Ultimate authority and power will remain with the member states. Thus, the Community is merely a reflection of the desires of the member states to cede or delegate authority, which they can easily recall or revoke. The primary reason that the Community appears to be integrated is because the member states feel that this will serve their interests best. Neorealists view the Community of the future as a loose integration of the member states who have agreed to surrender or pool their sovereignty. Neoliberalism As a response to neorealism, the neoliberalism was born. Some label this as Thatcherism (United Kingdom), Reaganomics (United States of America), Economic Rationalism (Australia), Rogernomics (New Zealand) or Manmohanomics (India). Neoliberalism describes a movement away from the state control. In its pure form, this theory centers on

President Nixon & Jumpology Essay Example for Free

President Nixon Jumpology Essay One of the other novel contributions was the series of jump pictures where his clients, including the likes of President Nixon, Marilyn Monroe, Duke and Duchess of Winsor jumped for him. Halsman always believed that the jumps revealed more realistically the latent idiosyncrasies of the personality of his clients. (Merryman, 2002) The ideation of this particular pictorial genre had, of course, its offshoot in Halsman’s photography of the animated antics of many of the noted comedians like Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, Groucho Marx who were captured in his film. Halsman could readily realize that, contrasted with their more traditional portraits, the characters came out in full life and vigor when they jumped. To quote Halsman When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears. (Halsman, 1986) Incidentally his published book [1959] titled â€Å"Philippe Halsman Jump book† is replete with 178 photographs of numerous â€Å"celebrities jumpers†, interwoven with hilarious discussion on jumpology. (Halsman, 1986) [linnilabelled. wordpress. com/2007/10/06/philippe-halsman-the-father-of-jumpology/] [http://astadnik. file. wordpress. com/2008/04/bb2. jpg] Halsman’s jumpology created a genre in photography which moved and inspired a lot of people, professional and otherwise. Philippe Halsman Fritz Gruber (Writer) and the Crew Jumping on Set profile. myspace. com/index. cfm? fuseaction=user In 1958, to recognise his contribution Halsman was included in Popular Photographys Worlds Ten Greatest Photographers along with Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Ernst Haas, Yousuf Karsh, Gjon Mili, and Eugene Smith. American Society of Magazine Photographers gave him the Life Achievement in Photography Award in 1975. Halsman believed that his career matured and his art came to fruition in his adopted country, America. He thus made America, the subject of his works in myriad ways. One review noted Halsman’s unsanctimonious and immensely intense portrayal of American bounce. When we look back in time at the works and contribution of Philippe Halsman, we see the discovery or even invention of a nation as seen by an artist through the lens of his camera which took into account not only imagination but also the psychology of the country and its people. His images form a vivid portrayal of prosperous American of the mid 20th century. In that respect his adopted country became his creation.

Essay --

STAGE 1: Entrenchment The first stage of conflict escalation develops when a divergence over some issue or frustration in a relationship proves resilient to resolution efforts. The problem remains, and leads to irritation. The threshold to stage 2 is taken when one or both parties lose faith in the possibility of solving the problems through straight and fair verbal discussions. STAGE 2: Debate The parties look for more firm and stronger ways of pushing through their standpoints. The dispute is no longer restricted only to a well-defined issue, but the parties start to feel that their general position is at stake. Debates are no longer only focused on which standpoint has more merits, but also on who is most successful in promoting the standpoints, and how the outcomes of the debates affect one's reputation. When rational and issue-relevant arguments don't promisingly ensure success, the parties resort to "quasi-rational" argumentation, such as the underlying causes of the present problems avoiding blame; strong exaggeration of the implications and consequences of the counterpart's standpoints; suggestive comments about the relation of the central issue with other concerns, linking the issue to larger value ideologies, reference to recognized authorities or tradition in order to gain legitimacy for a standpoint; stating the alternatives as extremes, in order to get the opponent to accept a "reasonable compromise." Discussions now turn into debates, where inflexible standpoints collide. The growing mistrust creates a sense of insecurity and loss of control. Efforts to control the counterpart belong to later escalation stages. The threshold to stage 3 is related to the basic right of each party to be heard of mutual interest. S... ...the adversary. When a party is attacked in a way that threatens to shatter it, it is forced to make strong efforts to suppress internal conflicts. The only restraining factor is the concern for one's own survival. The threshold to stage 9 is reached when the self-preservation drive is given up. When this happens, there is no check at all on further destructiveness. STAGE 9: Total destruction In the last stage of conflict escalation, the drive to annihilate the enemy is so strong that even the self-preservation instinct is neglected. Not even one's own survival counts, the enemy shall be exterminated even at the price of destruction of one's own very existence as an organization, group, or individual. All bridges are burnt, there is no return. The only remaining concern in the race towards the other side is to make sure that the other side is equally destructed too.

“A Helping Hand” Story Essay

In the story, â€Å"A Helping Hand† I am creating a Gothic tale which takes place in the mid-eighteenth century in London, England where the madman of this story takes his hostage, a young dancer by the name of Mary, who is an eighteenth century prostitute, who has something on hand, in which this Gothic creature, longs for.   I intend to create a desperate and scary situation, that will leave my reading audience paralyzed with fear but unable to pull themselves away from this story. It will be a winning Gothic tale; hands down! The hallowing winds hurled Mary’s hair into air, as she crossed the rocky road that led her to her tiny stone villa, on Fourth Street.   She had danced easily for the gentlemen callers who had paid their dues, in order to watch her move across the floor with incredible grace and little clothing. She had performed this dance ritual for several months, now, and she had saved up enough money to pay her rent plus buy food, which was a rarity she had earlier missed. She searched her bag for the golden key that would allow her to enter, and she panicked when she discovered it wasn’t in its proper place. The wind had picked up even more strength and she could barely hold her feet on the ground as she continued to look for the key. There was a humming in the distance, and she convinced herself that it was just another voice that the storm was offering, and as it grew louder and clearer, she froze where she stood. She could feel him standing behind her, but she couldn’t allow herself to look. She could barely catch her breath and as she felt his hand rest on her shoulder, she closed her eyes and pretended she was back on the dance floor. He smelled of cedar and whiskey and as he brushed his hand across the back of her neck, she spoke words that she had no idea where they emerged from. â€Å"Can I help you?† I was all she could say and she wondered if he had been a male caller who had watched her dance, earlier. She could feel the sharp object protruding from his arm and when she was finally able to turn around; she saw that he was equipped with the prosthetic hand that he had used to touch her. Had he any feelings in his hands? He must have, since she could feel the warmth that radiated from the object. She looked him in his face as he dangled the golden key before her. He had somehow managed to steal his way into her existence and now she had no other choice but to follow him inside the home that had earlier provided her a safe haven. He didn’t speak but his eyes said all that she needed to know. He was there for one reason and she could feel his eyes piercing her soul as he placed the artificial hand to her chest. â€Å"Mary, be kind!† Were the first words he spoke as she wiped a single tear from her cheeks, and removed her sweater. â€Å"No!† His voice was strong and he had not wanted this from her, but something much more personal. There was no way she could give this to him, and as she thought about it, she would have rather that he had been a crude pervert who only wanted her body, but he was asking for more than that! Her body tightened and she stood immobilized as he seemed to say thank you with his eyes and she suddenly wished that she hadn’t moved away from her family. They had warned her about the dangers that existed in London, England and had advised her to reconsider her move so far away from those who cared about her. But, she had been strong-willed and their words of advice hadn’t been able to convince her. He was growing impatient and she wished that his breathing could have been gentler and as she realized there was no way of escaping, she at last reached offered her hand to him. He had stroked it with affection. It was something that he had desired for so long and when he saw how gracefully they moved while she danced, he couldn’t bare not to have one of them, as his own. He removed a long razor that was attached to a wooden handle and he placed his arm around her arms and chest to secure them, so they wouldn’t flop or flinch, as he removed the precious gift. The scream was shrilling and the terror he saw in her eyes didn’t faze him. He wanted it so badly that her pain, he felt, was a small price to pay for the happiness it would bring to him. It was a gift that would enable him to give back so much more than she could ever offer with the long fingered hand. It was after midnight when she finally awoke. The medicine he had given her had caused her to sleep as he ceased the blood flow and sutured the wound that he had given her. It would have proven more beneficial if it had caused her to sleep through the blunt trauma but that kind of pain could not be stopped by anything, including the strong tranquilizer he had shoved down her throat before the surgery. Her eyes fluttered and he seemed to move in a cloud over her, as she whispered that she needed water. He held the vial of fluid to her lips as she took the first sip and she searched his eyes once more, trying to remember the events of the night and as she saw her hand moving toward her face, she realized it was her own. â€Å"My unselfish love, you have given to me of yourself. You have freely offered the gracefulness of your touch that I will forever feel against my flesh. I will carry this part of your body with me forever, and I will always be thankful to you!† He had seemed appreciative as she tried to lift her limb that was wrapped in blood-stained wrapping that was lifted above her head. She thought about her family as she wondered if she would ever see them again as she felt a shot of blood pulsate through the bandage. She had never felt pain of this severity and as she tried to raise herself to a standing position, this stranger pulled her back to the bed and stroked her face with his feminine fingers. It was two days before she could gather the energy to walk to her small kitchen and when she did, she searched for him and in a whimpering voice she called out to him. There was no reply as she drank a full glass of the water that she had so thirsted for. She searched each dark room and he was nowhere to be found. She let out a tiny sigh of relief as she walked toward the front door. She would find someone who could help her; someone who could call a family member or take her to get some medical help. Her wrist felt like fire moving through the end and she held it tightly as she ran toward safety. The coldness of the day and the bitter rain exaggerated the pain she felt but she knew she couldn’t delay. She had to find someone who could cause this horrible pain to go away. As she picked up speed, heading in the direction of the ancient saloon, she heard him breathing but continued on her important journey. The saloon was full of familiar faces and as she walked across the floor she saw him gazing at her, once again. He held his graceful hand across the table as she watched him and suddenly moved in his direction. â€Å"Mary, you won’t tell anyone! A gift is something you don’t take back or fret over but something you offer in return for the comfort of knowing that you have helped another. Haven’t you ever heard that it is better to give than to receive?† She was lost for words as she witness the boldness of his speech that flowed from his lips, so easily. â€Å"Mary, I didn’t ask you for an arm or leg; just a gift for someone who was in need. All I asked for was a helping hand!†