Essay Absolute Monarchism - 700 Words

The prevailing government of Europe from 1900-century back was absolute monarchism, this form of government worked very well considering the belief of all people in god and the teaching. Monarchist use this belief to justify this rule in. if they could make the people believe that they were ordained position by god then they had no worries because the people belief in god was so prevailing that it was not mentionable in private to go against it. Napoleon and Louis XIV were the ideal rules to use this type of ruling. Napoleon and Louis XIV were the same type of rulers by using the divine right monarchy to control the people of their country, which was France. Napoleon and Louis way of ruling and other similarity were so alike that they†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I gave orders to the four Secretaries of state no longer to sign anything whatsoever without speaking to me: likewise to the controller, and that he should authorize nothing as regards finance without its being regis tered in a book which must remain with me(R 17). Louis wrote this to his heirs as advice on how to rule. He kept everyone under a close eye, he could not trust. . He even went as far as to invaded the postal system â€Å"The king was informed of what was passing for many years before anybody knew it was that of opening letters†(R 24). If the letter say anything against the king or France the writer of the letter were exiled without even trial. : â€Å"In fact Napoleon crowned himself emperor since he did no recognize the pope’s authority as superior to his own†(R 138). Napoleon would not even let the pope honor him as the king of France. It was like he was saying that I am more divine than you, I am more superior to god than you because I am the divine ruler. Appropriately, Napoleon found divine sanction for his power. The imperial Catechism made the people believe that Napoleon was the divine ruler. Peists use to ask the commoners â€Å"What are the duties of Christians towards those who govern them and what in Particular are our duties towards Napoleon I, our emperor†(R 142). . The Christians would answer, â€Å" Christians owe to the princes who govern them, and we in particular owe to Napoleon I, our emperor,Show MoreRelatedThe Theory of Absolutism Essay3273 Words   |  14 PagesThe Theory of Absolutism Absolute monarchy or absolutism meant that the sovereign power or ultimate authority in the state rested in the hands of a king who claimed to rule by divine right. But what did sovereignty mean? Late sixteenth century political theorists believed that sovereign power consisted of the authority to make laws, tax, administer justice, control the states administrative system, and determine foreign policy. These powers made a ruler sovereign. OneRead MoreThe Church Of The Martyrs1494 Words   |  6 Pagescentury but did not fully blossom until the fourth century. There are hundreds of monasteries and thousands of caves still used today that are scattered around Egypt. Monasticism has three forms; monarchism, the Coenobitic System, and the communal system. Monarchism consist of the hermits who live in absolute seclusion, they only visit a monastery when they need guidance on something specific. These hermits are also known as Anchorites; the very first Anchorite was Saint Paul who according to the teachingsRead MoreEssay on Ap Euro Review Packet1669 Words   |  7 PagesThe Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule. Both parties began as loose groupings or tendencies, but became quite formal by 178 4, with the ascension of Charles James Fox as the leader of a reconstituted Whig party ranged against the governing party of the new ToriesRead MoreThe Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in the 1930s as Totalitarian States1265 Words   |  6 Pagesone-party rule, elitism, strict party discipline, purges against enemies and political dissidents, planned economy, strong armaments, indoctrination, encouragement of nationalism, an official doctrine that everybody has to believe, and absolute obedience of individuals to the State, etc. In the 1930s, to a large extent, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin and Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler could be deemed totalitarian states. The rise of totalitarianism in Europe wasRead MoreThe Views And Components Of Classical Liberalism1227 Words   |  5 Pagesdecided to homogenize with the new technology or educate themselves, either path making them more relevant in the economic and legal sectors of countries. Moreover, classical liberalism allowed the United States to veer from the English thought of Monarchism and birthright, and instead stressed the views of pluralism and meritocracy. As working class citizens secured economic and legal influence, affluent families and families that carried power in the previous generations compromised with and accommodatedRead MoreThe Iranian Political Dynamic1468 Words   |  6 Pagessystem. The Iranian political system is based on an agglomeration of politics and religion. The head of this unique political system is the supreme religious leader: the Ayatollah. Notably, the Shite clergy rule over Iran and as such, it embodies the absolute supremacy of Islam. The political system is also a fusion of theocracy and democracy. On one end, it limits pluralism and on the other it allows election of leaders through a public general election. The constitution of Iran allows popular sovereigntyRead MoreCompare and Contrast between Angkor Wat and the Pyramid o f Giza1646 Words   |  7 Pages(1983, p.23), first dynasty that was established in Egypt were the Menes, who united the upper and lower Egypt and reestablished a new ruling system which period known as the old kingdom. During the old kingdom, the pharaoh, or the great house, has absolute control and organized Egypt into a strong centralized government (Beers, 1983, p.23). Next, the citizens in the both periods are strongly believed in their religions that assisted in the completion of the two structures. Suryavarman II, who wasRead More The Importance Of The Press Essays2570 Words   |  11 Pagesgreat revolutions. Monarchism is an ideology that believes in the absolute rule of a quot;royalquot; family. The king and/or queen have the power to make decisions without question from anyone. The series of revolutions which included the English Reformation, the American and French Revolutions, and to a lesser extent the revolts in Upper and Lower Canada, were all confrontations over who should hold political ascendancy. Moreover, they were clashes of ideology, between monarchism and liberalism.Read MoreNationalism And The Soviet Union2509 Words   |  11 Pagesto the class struggle of the proletarian. Marx eventually linked nationalism to class struggle is his recognition that â€Å"nationalism could be an important factor in freeing some countries from the yoke of ‘Asiatic barbarism,’ feudalism, and absolute monarchism†. Therefore under Marxist ideology, nationalism was a modern formation that could be utilized by the proletariat to free themselves from capitalism. However, it is important to note that both Marx and Engels were selective in who they thoughtRead MoreThe Fall of the United States/Rome II?3132 Words   |  13 PagesStructures’ of roman government The Roman Constitution was mainly handed down verbally and sustained changes over time. It was created as a three branch system of government out of modern governing systems at the time. Democracy, Aristocracy and Monarchism were used as the basis for the division of power into the three institutions; Legislative Assembly, The Senate, and The Consuls. The Senate – Aristocracy The Senate was legendarily founded in the first days of Rome, 753B.C. The Senate was the most

Needs of Diverse Students - 1384 Words

Educating Special Needs Students Identifying and providing for special needs children is essential to special education. Once a child has been diagnosis with a disability or multiple disabilities, a plan of care is initiated according to the severity of their condition and their needs. This plan is individualized; one child’s diagnosis is not a reflection of the wide range conditions that affect many children. Intellectual disabilities can be mild to profound, can be caused by different factors and can have a different impact on a student’s education and adult life. (Hardman, Drew, Egan, 2013). Professionals have found many causes for disabilities from genetic to medical. Whatever the cause of these disabilities educators must†¦show more content†¦Autism is labeled among the most complicated, complex disability. Autism is defined as â€Å"a pervasive developmental disorder with onset prior to age 3, characterized by qualitatively impaired social interactive and social communicative ski lls along with restricted and repetitive repertoire of behavior, interests, and activities.† (Hardman, Drew, Egan, 2013). No particular cause has been linked to autism, however it has been established that abnormalities in brain structure and function is a general explanation. (Autism Society, n.d). Autism is a developmental disability that effects how a person thinks, learns and understands the world. This will pose a large impact on the education of students. Characteristics of autism differ in all children and can impact students differently. Some can have difficulties in communication, social interaction, repetitive behavior, restricted interest, sensory processing, and learning styles. (Autism Society, n.d). Any encounter multiple children with autism you will soon realize that their needs and their difficulties can differ. Understanding how their individual characteristics impact their everyday life brings forth a successful path to their educational future. As many school districts are implementing inclusion, some students with autism may be included the general education environment, while using other services to meet theirShow MoreRelatedLearning Disabilities And Diverse Students With Special Needs819 Words   |  4 Pagesarticle, Strategies for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Special Needs, the author describes the assessment and instructional issues related to culturally and linguistically diverse students with special needs. The article goes into detail to discuss the current trends, prevalence rates, and general guidelines for appropriate assessments when working with English language learners who are also diagnosed with special needs. The author also includes in the article, research-basedRead MoreSpecial Students With Disabilities And Culturally Diverse Needs862 Words   |  4 Pageseducators morals and ethics: inclusion, serving students with disabilities and culturally diverse needs, and access to grade appropriate general education curriculum for students with severe intellectual disabilities. Before discussing the present, let us look at the past to understand the future. During the 1970s, it is estimated around 20% of students with disabilities were receiving an education from a public school (Yell, 2012). Children with special needs were first provided access to public educationRead MoreCreating An Optimal Learning Environment For Students With Diverse Needs986 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferences of each student, to create an optimal learning environment for students to reach high standards in education, while being cognitive of cultural influences. With a cultural understanding educators can enhance the educational process by utilizing unique approaches to help students create connections to topics so that, students will have a desire to learn. Through several medias I have shown my ability to perform this standard. Understanding individual differences that students may have as wellRead MoreHow Educators For Students With Children With Learning Disabilities And Their Diverse Learning Needs843 Words   |  4 Pageslittle planning and thought given to how to prepare educators for their new and difficult role† (p. 439) is being far from true. This speaks to the fact that preparing teachers to handle the responsibility of working with SWD and their diverse learning needs should be a component in all CTE certification programs (Harvey, 1999). Research by Lobosco Newman (1992) linked to working with SWD has shown that â€Å"lack of adequate professional preparation of teachers for dealing with the challengesRead MoreMeeting the Diverse Needs of all Students: Teaching and Learning Strategies that I Plan to Use as a New Teacher1247 Words   |  5 Pagesa teacher there will be two initial steps that I will need take in order for me to successfully offer students in my classroom an education that is accessible to all. First I will need to acknowledge that all students’ are unique individuals and that their emotional, educational, social and physical needs are diverse and will require differentiated approaches. Secondly, I need to have an attitude that values diversity and know that all students will have talents, abilities and the capability to learnRead MoreWe Need A Culturally Diverse Class867 Words   |  4 PagesDo we need a culturally diverse class? 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Diverse teaching and a diverse set of nursing students is what is needed in orderRead MoreCreating A School Of Diverse Learners. Texas Schools Are1646 Words   |  7 PagesSchool of Diverse Learners Texas schools are becoming more diverse every year. The Texas Tribune (2015) released an article stating well over half of the 5.2 million students in the Texas schools were Hispanic. This number has increased from 15 years ago, when the number was around 40 percent. Not only has the Hispanic numbers increased, but the number of Asian students have doubled as well. Even more surprising is the percentage of the white student population. The number of white students in TexasRead MoreAccommodating Differences in Education Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesTeachers must work in a diverse classroom which requires the educator to exceed or at least meet the needs of their students. Students will have different personalities, skills, interests and learning needs. 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The Vampire Diaries The Struggle Chapter Twelve Free Essays

string(65) " arrived and the meal began, Elena looked up and down the table\." A voice spoke as Elena reached for a can on the store shelf. â€Å"Cranberry sauce already?† Elena looked up. â€Å"Hi, Matt. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Twelve or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yes, Aunt Judith likes to do a preview the Sunday before Thanksgiving, remember? If she practices, there’s less chance she’ll do something terrible.† â€Å"Like forgetting to buy the cranberry sauce until fifteen minutes before dinner?† â€Å"Until five minutes before dinner,† said Elena, consulting her watch, and Matt laughed. It was a good sound, and one Elena hadn’t heard for too long. She moved on toward the check-out stand, but after she’d paid for her purchase she hesitated, looking back. Matt was standing by the magazine rack, apparently absorbed, but there was something about the slope of his shoulders that made her want to go to him. She poked a finger at his magazine. â€Å"What areyou doing for dinner?† she said. When he glanced uncertainly toward the front of the store, she added, â€Å"Bonnie’s waiting out in the car; she’ll be there. Other than that it’s just the family. And Robert, of course; he should be there by now.† She meant that Stefan wasn’t coming. She still wasn’t sure how things were between Matt and Stefan these days. At least they spoke to each other. â€Å"I’m fending for myself tonight; Mom’s not feeling so hot,† he said. But then, as if to change the subject, he went on, â€Å"Where’s Meredith?† â€Å"With her family, visiting some relatives or something.† Elena was vague because Meredith had been Aunt Judith’s cooking?† â€Å"For old times’ sake?† â€Å"For oldfriends’ sake,† said Elena after a moment’s hesitation, and smiled at him. He blinked and looked away. â€Å"How can I refuse an invitation like that?† he said in an oddly muted voice. But when he put the magazine back and followed her out he was smiling, too. Bonnie greeted him cheerfully, and when they got home Aunt Judith looked pleased to see him come into the kitchen. â€Å"Dinner’s almost ready,† she said, taking the grocery bag from Elena. â€Å"Robert got here a few minutes ago. Why don’t you go straight on back to the dining room? Oh, and get another chair, Elena. Matt makes seven.† â€Å"Six, Aunt Judith,† said Elena, amused. â€Å"You and Robert, me and Margaret, Matt and Bonnie.† â€Å"Yes, dear, but Robert’s brought a guest, too. They’re already sitting down.† Elena registered the words just as she stepped through the dining room door, but there was an instant’s delay before her mind reacted to them. Even so, sheknew; stepping through that door, she somehow knew what was waiting for her. Robert was standing there, fiddling with a bottle of white wine and looking jovial. And sitting at the table, on the far side of the autumn centerpiece and the tall lighted candles, was Damon. Elena realized she’d stopped moving when Bonnie ran into her from behind. Then she forced her legs into action. Her mind wasn’t as obedient; it remained frozen. â€Å"Ah, Elena,† Robert said, holding out a hand. â€Å"This is Elena, the girl I was telling you about,† he said to Damon. â€Å"Elena, this is Damon†¦ ah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Smith,† said Damon. â€Å"Oh, yes. He’s from my alma mater, William and Mary, and I just ran into him outside the drugstore. Since he was looking for some place to eat, I invited him along here for a home-cooked meal. Damon, these are some friends of Elena’s, Matt and Bonnie.† â€Å"Hi,† said Matt. Bonnie just stared; then, she swung enormous eyes on Elena. Elena was trying to get a grip on herself. She didn’t know whether to shriek, march out of the room, or throw the glass of wine Robert was pouring in Damon’s face. She was too angry, for the moment, to be frightened. Matt went to bring in a chair from the living room. Elena wondered at his casual acceptance of Damon, and then realized he hadn’t been at Alaric’s party. He wouldn’t know what had happened there between Stefan and the â€Å"visitor from college.† Bonnie, though, looked ready to panic. She was gazing at Elena imploringly. Damon had risen and was Before Elena could come up with a response, she heard Margaret’s high little voice in the doorway. â€Å"Matt, do you want to see my kitty? Aunt Judith says I can keep her. I’m going to call her Snowball.† Elena turned, fired with an idea. â€Å"She’s cute,† Matt was saying obligingly, bending over the little mound of white fur in Margaret’s arms. He looked startled as Elena unceremoniously grabbed the kitten from under his nose. â€Å"Here, Margaret, let’s show your kitty to Robert’s friend,† she said, and thrust the fluffy bundle into Damon’s face, all but throwing it at him. Pandemonium ensued. Snowball swelled to twice her normal size as her fur stood on end. She made a noise like water dropped on a red-hot griddle and then she was a snarling, spitting cyclone that clawed Elena, swiped at Damon, and ricocheted off the walls before tearing out of the room. For an instant, Elena had the satisfaction of seeing Damon’s night black eyes slightly wider than usual. Then the lids drooped down, hooding them again, and Elena turned to face the reaction of the other occupants of the room. Margaret was just opening her mouth for a steam engine wail. Robert was trying to forestall it, hustling her off to find the cat. Bonnie had her back pressed flat against the wall, looking desperate. Matt and Aunt Judith, who was peering in from the kitchen, just looked appalled. â€Å"I guess you don’t have a way with animals,† she said to Damon, and took her seat at the table. She nodded to Bonnie who reluctantly peeled herself off the wall and scuttled for her own seat before Damon could touch the chair. Bonnie’s brown eyes slid around to follow him as he sat down in turn. After a few minutes, Robert reappeared with a tear-stained Margaret and frowned sternly at Elena. Matt pushed his own chair in silently although his eyebrows were in his hair. As Aunt Judith arrived and the meal began, Elena looked up and down the table. You read "The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Twelve" in category "Essay examples" A bright haze seemed to lie over everything, and she had a feeling of unreality, but the scene itself looked almost unbelievably wholesome, like something out of a commercial. Just your average family sitting down to eat turkey, she thought. One slightly flustered maiden aunt, worried that the peas will be mushy and the rolls burnt, one comfortable uncle-to-be, one golden-haired teenage niece and her tow-headed baby sister. One blue-eyed boy-next-door type, one spritely girlfriend, one gorgeous vampire passing the candied yams. A typical American household. Bonnie spent the first half of the meal telegraphing â€Å"What do I do?† messages to Elena with her eyes. But when all Elena telegraphed back was â€Å"Nothing,† she apparently decided to abandon herself to her fate. She began to eat. Elena had no idea what to do. To be trapped tike this was an insult, a humiliation, and Damon knew it. He had Aunt Judith and Robert dazzled, though, with compliments about the meal and light chat about William and Mary. Even Margaret was smiling at him now, and soon enough Bonnie would go under. â€Å"Fell’s Church is having its Founders’ Day celebration next week,† Aunt Judith informed Damon, her thin cheeks faintly pink. â€Å"It would be so nice if you could come back for that.† Aunt Judith looked pleased. â€Å"And this year Elena has a big part in it. She’s been chosen to represent the Spirit of Fell’s Church.† â€Å"You must be proud of her,† said Damon. â€Å"Oh, we are,† Aunt Judith said. â€Å"So you’ll try to come then?† Elena broke in, buttering a roll furiously. â€Å"I’ve heard some news about Vickie,† she said. â€Å"You remember, the girl who was attacked.† She looked pointedly at Damon. There was a short silence. Then Damon said, â€Å"I’m afraid I don’t know her.† â€Å"Oh, I’m sure you do. About my height, brown eyes, light brown hair†¦ anyway, she’s getting worse.† â€Å"Oh, dear,† said Aunt Judith. â€Å"Yes, apparently the doctors can’t understand it. She just keeps getting worse and worse, as if the attack was still going on.† Elena kept her eyes on Damon’s face as she spoke, but he displayed only a courteous interest. â€Å"Have some more stuffing,† she finished, propelling a bowl at him. â€Å"No thank you. I’ll have some more of this, though.† He held a spoonful of jellied cranberry sauce up to one of the candles so that light shone through it. â€Å"It’s such a tantalizing color.† Bonnie, like the rest of the people at the table, looked up at the candle when he did this. But Elena noticed she didn’t look down again. She remained gazing into the dancing flame, and slowly all expression disappeared from her face. Oh,no , thought Elena, as a tingle of apprehension crept through her limbs. She’d seen that look before. She tried to get Bonnie’s attention, but the other girl seemed to see nothing but the candle. â€Å"†¦ and then the elementary children put on a pageant about the town’s history,† Aunt Judith was saying to Damon. â€Å"But the ending ceremony is done by older students. Elena, how many seniors will be doing the readings this year?† â€Å"Just three of us.† Elena had to turn to address her aunt, and it was while she was looking at Aunt Judith’s smiling face that she heard the voice. â€Å"Death.† Aunt Judith gasped. Robert paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. Elena wished, wildly and absolutely hopelessly, for Meredith. â€Å"Death,† said the voice again. â€Å"Death is in this house.† Elena looked around the table and saw that there was no one to help her. They were all staring at Bonnie, motionless as subjects in a photograph. Bonnie herself was staring into the candle flame. Her face was blank, her eyes wide, as they had been before when this voice spoke through her. Now, those sightless eyes turned toward Elena. â€Å"Your death,† shoulders, lifting her. Bonnie’s skin had gone bluish-white, her eyes were closed. Aunt Judith fluttered around her, dabbing at her face with a damp napkin. Damon watched with thoughtful, narrowed eyes. â€Å"She’s all right,† Robert said, looking up in obvious relief. â€Å"I think she just fainted. It must have been some kind of hysterical attack.† But Elena didn’t breathe again until Bonnie opened groggy eyes and asked what everyone was staring at. It put an effective end to the dinner. Robert insisted that Bonnie be taken home at once, and in the activity that followed Elena found time for a whispered word with Damon. â€Å"Get out!† He raised his eyebrows. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I said, get out! Now! Go. Or I’ll tell them you’re the killer.† He looked reproachful. â€Å"Don’t you think a guest deserves a little more consideration?† he said, but at her expression he shrugged and smiled. â€Å"Thank you for having me for dinner,† he said aloud to Aunt Judith, who was walking past carrying a blanket to the car. â€Å"I hope I can return the favor sometime.† To Elena he added, â€Å"Be seeing you.† Well,that was clear enough, Elena thought, as Robert drove away with a somber Matt and a sleepy Bonnie. Aunt Judith was on the phone with Mrs. McCullough. â€Å"I don’t know what it is with these girls, either,† she said. â€Å"First Vickie, now Bonnie†¦ and Elena has not been herself lately†¦Ã¢â‚¬  While Aunt Judith talked and Margaret searched for the missing Snowball, Elena paced. She would have to call Stefan. That was all there was to it. She wasn’t worried about Bonnie; the other times this had happened hadn’t seemed to do permanent damage. And Damon would have better things to do than harass Elena’s friends tonight. He was coming here, to collect for the â€Å"favor† he’d done her. She knew without a doubt that that was the meaning of his final words. And it meant she would have to tell Stefan everything, because she needed him tonight, needed his protection. Only, what could Stefan do? Despite all her pleas and arguments last week, he had refused to take her blood. He’d insisted that his Powers would return without it, but Elena knew he was still vulnerable right now. Even if Stefan were here, could he stop Damon? Could he do it without being killed himself? Bonnie’s house was no refuge. And Meredith was gone. There was no one to help her, no one she could trust. But the thought of waiting here alone tonight, knowing that Damon was coming, was unbearable. She heard Aunt Judith click down the receiver. Automatically, she moved toward the kitchen, Stefan’s She looked at the floor to ceiling windows and at the elaborate fireplace with its beautifully scrolled molding. This room was part of the original house, the one that had almost completely burned in the Civil War. Her own bedroom was just above. A great light was beginning to dawn. Elena looked at the molding around the ceiling, at where it joined the more modern dining room. Then she almost ran toward the stairs, her heart beating fast. â€Å"Aunt Judith?† Her aunt paused on the stairway. â€Å"Aunt Judith, tell me something. Did Damon go into the living room?† â€Å"What!† Aunt Judith blinked at her in distraction. â€Å"Did Robert take Damon into the living room? Please think, Aunt Judith! I need to know.† â€Å"Why, no, I don’t think so. No, he didn’t. They came in and went straight to the dining room. Elena, what on earth?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This last as Elena impulsively threw her arms around her and hugged her. â€Å"Sorry, Aunt Judith. I’m just happy,† said Elena. Smiling, she turned to go back down the stairs. â€Å"Well, I’m gladsomeone’s happy, after the way dinner turned out. Although that nice boy, Damon, seemed to enjoy himself. Do you know, Elena, he seemed quite taken with you, in spite of the way you were acting.† Elena turned back around. â€Å"So?† â€Å"Well, I just thought you might give him a chance, that’s all. I thought he was very pleasant. The kind of young man I like to see around here.† Elena goggled a moment, then swallowed to keep the hysterical laughter from escaping. Her aunt was suggesting that she take up Damon instead of Stefan†¦ because Damon was safer. The kind of nice young man any aunt would like. â€Å"Aunt Judith,† she began, gasping, but then she realized it was useless. She shook her head mutely, throwing her hands up in defeat, and watched her aunt go up the stairs. Usually Elena slept with her door closed. But tonight she left it open and lay on her bed gazing out into the darkened hallway. Every so often she glanced at the luminous numbers of the clock on the nightstand beside her. There was no danger that she would fall asleep. As the minutes crawled by, she almost began to wish she could. Time moved with agonizing slowness. Eleven o’clock†¦ eleven thirty†¦ midnight. Onea.m. One thirty. Two. At 2:10 she heard a sound. She listened, still lying on her bed, to the faint whisper of noise downstairs. She’d known he would find a way to get in if he wanted. If Damon was that determined, no lock would keep him out. The hallway was dark, but her eyes had had a long time to adjust. She could see the darker silhouette making its way up the stairs. When it reached the top she saw the swift, deadly glimmer of his smile. She waited, unsmiling, until he reached her and stood facing her, with only a yard of hardwood floor between them. The house was completely silent. Across the hall Margaret slept; at the end of the passage, Aunt Judith lay wrapped in dreams, unaware of what was going on outside her door. Damon said nothing, but he looked at her, his eyes taking in the long white nightgown with its high, lacy neck. Elena had chosen it because it was the most modest one she owned, but Damon obviously thought it attractive. She forced herself to stand quietly, but her mouth was dry and her heart was thudding dully. Now was the time. In another minute she would know. She backed up, without a word or gesture of invitation, leaving the doorway empty. She saw the quick flare in his bottomless eyes, and watched him come eagerly toward her. And watched him stop. He stood just outside her room, plainly disconcerted. He tried again to step forward but could not. Something seemed to be preventing him from moving any farther. On his face, surprise gave way to puzzlement and then anger. He looked up, his eyes raking over the lintel, scanning the ceiling on either side of the threshold. Then, as the full realization hit him, his lips pulled back from his teeth in an animal snarl. Safe on her side of the doorway, Elena laughed softly. It had worked. â€Å"My room and the living room below are all that’s left of the old house,† she said to him. â€Å"And, of course, that was a different dwelling place. One you werenot invited into, and never will be.† His chest was heaving with anger, his nostrils dilated, his eyes wild. Waves of black rage emanated from him. He looked as if he would like to tear the walls down with his hands, which were twitching and clenching with fury. Triumph and relief made Elena giddy. â€Å"You’d better go now,† she said. â€Å"There’s nothing for you here.† One minute more those menacing eyes blazed into hers, and then Damon turned around. But he didn’t head for the stairway. Instead, he took one step across the hall and laid his hand on the door to Margaret’s room. Elena started forward before she knew what she was doing. She stopped in the doorway, grasping the casing trim, her own breath coming hard. His head whipped around and he smiled at her, a slow, cruel smile. He twisted the doorknob slightly without looking at it. His eyes, like pools of liquid ebony, remained on Elena. â€Å"Your choice,† he said. Elena stood very still, feeling as if all of winter was inside her. Margaret was just a baby. He couldn’t mean it; no one could be such a monster as to hurt a four-year-old. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. She saw Damon’s hand on the doorknob; she saw those merciless eyes. She was walking through the doorway, leaving behind the only safe place she knew. Death was in the house, Bonnie had said. And now Elena had gone to meet Death of her own free will. She bowed her head to conceal the helpless tears that came to her eyes. It was over. Damon had won. She did not look up to see him advance on her. But she felt the air stir around her, making her shiver. And then she was enfolded in soft, endless blackness, which wrapped around her like a great bird’s wings. How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Twelve, Essay examples