First And Second New Deals Analysis

First And Second New Deals Analysis This investigation assesses the successes and failures the New Deals. It will reveal how the First New Deal was more successful than the Second New Deal in relieving the Great Depression. In order to evaluate the successes and failures, the investigation evaluates the goals of the First New Deal and the Second New Deal. Furthermore it will show how it either harmed or saved the economy from the Great Depression. The two sources used for this investigation are History of the New Deal 1933-1938 written by Basil Rauch and The New Deal, What Was It? written by Morton Keller. These sources will be analyzed for their origins, purposes, values, and limitations. In contrary, this investigation does not assess the causes and effects of the Great Depression. Furthermore, it does not examine the initial reactions of the American people or outsiders toward the New Deal and the anger of the Great Depression. B. Summary of Evidence The New Deal created by Franklin Roosevelt tackled political, social, and economic issues. The program aimed for the conservation of human and natural resources, guided by the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number  [1]  . Some believed the New Deal was a program designed to prolong the capitalism. Meanwhile, other believe it was as the ambiguous label of Roosevelts safe multifarious program designed to make the United States safe for the Democratic Party.1 The New Deals involved series of programs aimed at ending the Great Depression during the 1930s. Thus Franklin Roosevelt was considered to saved America from the peril of the depression. The New Deal was divided into two part, the First New Deal (1933-1934) and the Second New Deal (1935-1938). The overall goals of both of the New Deals were to relieve, reform, and recover the United States from the Great Depression. The primary goal of the First New Deal was to help the United States from the Great Depression, while the Second New Deal was to reform the economy. The objective during the first period of the Great Depression was to increase higher prices for industry and agriculture, whereas the objective of the second period was to increase the purchasing power and provide sense of security.  [2]  The First New Deal chiefly benefited the big business and large farmers. Whereas, the Second New Deal benefited the labors and smaller farmers. The First New Deal aimed in restoring the economy from the top down, while the Second New Deal from the bottom up. The First New Deals objectives were to tackle unemployment and farm relief. If the farmers are unable to prosper, the industries will also not prosper because industries rely on farmers to buy their products. The National Recovery Administration (NRA) supervise employing citizens and increasing production. The government sought to stimulate the economy by paying the farmers to produce less. The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) addressed farmers issue of overproduction because prices were too low. This program protected farmers from prices of surplus crops, inflation of currency and cheap credit. In January 1936, the Supreme Court ruled the AAA unconstitutional, stating the government had no constitutional authority to limit farmers production. It was soon replaced by the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, which permitted the government to pay farmers to reduce production to save the ecosystem from erosion and conserve soil. Secondly, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Roose velts favorite program, provided 250,000 unemployed young men with a job working in the national forest.  [3]  When the NRA campaign to increase employment and production failed, they presented the Civil Works Administration provided employment to four million unemployed people to work on immediately on federal projects such as building roads and schools.  [4]  Almost a billion dollars was able to go into consumers hands. The National Industrial Recovery Act assure profit and wages for laborers. These changes were temporary because CWA ended on April 1, 1934. In contrary, the goal of the Second New Deal was social justice. Reform was declared to be inseparable from recovery.  [5]  The central objective was to provide security to the citizens who were unhappy with the stricken economy and overwhelm by the affects of the Great Depression. The federal government provided security and housing for the poor, elders, sick, and disabled. Old-aged was address by the Social Security Act of 1935. It was the first national old-aged program that provided a pension for retirees. Additionally, the federal government gave purchasing power to small business to increase profit. The government funds attempted to turn non-consumers into consumers again. The Works Progress Administration offered jobs to the unemployed. By providing jobs, workers are able to strengthen their familys well-being and boost consumer demands.  Although these programs were able to provide the population with a sense of security, it did not last because it was too weak and the some of programs addressed temporary issues. C. Evaluation of Sources The History of the New Deal 1933-1938, written by Basil Rauch in 1963, is an in depth analysis of the First and Second New Deal that investigates the successes and failures of the policies. It was written with the purpose of examining the evolution of the policies during Roosevelts economic from 1933 to 1938. The books value lies in the fact it discusses the launching of the First New Deal and the Second New Deal, the success and failures, and promises of the New Deal. Rauchs work is credible due to the authors position as a leading historian of the Roosevelts administration. However, the book is limited because hes admiration of Franklin Roosevelt. The New Deal, What Was It?, written by Morton Keller in 1963, is a collection of written sources from the period that provides evidence different perspective of the New Deals. This compendium proves to be a valuable source because it analyzes the various reasons why Roosevelt passed the First New Deal and Second New Deal. This collection of personal accounts is limited because each author has their own perspective and knowledge of the issues. Their political and ethnical stances are different from one another. The authors write those passages in order to persuade the audience of a certain situation. D. Analysis The New Deals were series of programs aimed at getting the United States out of the disastrous Great Depression. Proposed by FDR with the purpose of relieving, reforming, and recover the economy from the widespread poverty in the land of plenty, frustration and despair in the land of opportunity  [6]  . The series of laws, government actions, and social development created continuous governmental responsibility for the welfare of the economy. The New Deals introduced broad social welfare programs and generated major shifts in national political allegiances. The presidential leadership of Franklin Roosevelt must be evaluated before analyzing the success and failure of the New Deals. Afterward the goals of the New Deal and the notions of the New Deal was evaluated. Some perceive him as a major figure in the twentieth century, a man who saved American from the peril of depression and threat of fascism  [7]  . Consequently, FDRs leadership was the determining factor establishing the New Deal as a democratic alternative to Fascist or Communism. Historians such as Richard Hofstadter curtailed FDRs role as a successful leader of American  [8]  . The legislation of the New Deals was passed in a shorter time period than other important new legislation. The First New Deal attempted to restore Americas economic vitality and reform the stricken economic institutions. Rauch, author of History of the New Deal and leading historian of the New Deal, interprets the First New Deal as a desirable, democratic program of recovery, relief, and reform, made necessary by the accumulated evils of a business-dominated economy  [9]  , suggesting the success of the New Deal should be measure by social relief and reform rather than economic recovery  [10]  . Others like Edgar Robinson believed development of the New Deal was not a response to national conditions and popular demand but it was to the work of administration officials influenced by alien and socialistic ideas who without popular mandate sought to recast American society  [11]  . The topic of the New Deal is debatable because it either prolonged the Great Depression or stabilized the economy. Many historians suggested Roosevelt introduced too many programs draining the US economy of the little money it had to create as many jobs as possible. Hence, the new programs contributed to the increase in the national taxes. Federal taxes as a percentage of gross national product jumped from 3.5 percent in 1933 to 6.9 in 1940, and taxes skyrocketed during World War II  [12]  . From 1934 to 1940, the average annual rate of unemployment was 17.2; at no point did unemployment go below 14 percent  [13]  . But others suggested the programs were the best decision at the time. The First New Deal assisted in alleviating financial problems, provided jobs and improved standard of living with the creation of new roads, schools and railroads. Historians struggled to decide rather the New Deal was a good or a bad. Some believed FDR was both a radical and despot, while others believed he was a liberal. Leuchtenburg believed that most of the limitations of the New Deals were caused by restrictions imposed on Roosevelt by the ideological and political realities of his time. Ellis Hawley challenged liberal assumptions that the First New Deal was an enemy of private business interests. He argued the First New Deal was designed to enhance the position of private businesses. Ronald Radosh believed it was an effective agent for the consolidation of modern capitalism. According to Basil Rauch, the Second New Deal central objective was to provide security for the citizens of the USA. It establish security for unemployment, old-age insurance, benefits for destitute children, mothers, sick, and physically handicapped persons; stranded population rescued by better use of natural resources and intelligent distribution of means of livelihood  [14]  . Additionally, the Second New Deal did not concentrate on the recovery and rehabilitation of the economic structure but rather on social relief and reform. Raymond Mosley, an important adviser to FDR during the New Deals, reveals FDR increasing fondness for power and his pride as the source for the development of the New Deals. He conclude the New Deals had no consistency and unifying purposes; thus, the prime force directing the evolution of the New Deal was the growing demagoguery and desire for power of FDR and his advisers  [15]  . On the contrary, the editors the New Republic suggest the New Deals were too friendly with big business and it stressed the administrations increasingly sensitive response to the social misfortunes of Americans. Lastly, no event in the last four century of America beside the Civil War had stirred much controversy among historians as the New Deal. Historians still question what it actually was and mean. Some agree that Roosevelts New Deal was the only possibility of alleviating the Great Depression, but many still ultimately blame him for prolonging the Great Depression. E. Conclusion The purpose of the First and Second New Deals were to help alleviate the depression. The economy was still in shambles due o failure of construction to revive and high production prices. By launching the New Deals, FDR was able to demonstrates the power he and his cabinet obtain over the United States. The First New Deal assisted in alleviating the financial crisis by providing jobs, improved Americas standard of living with the development of new roads, schools, and railroads. Unfortunately, Roosevelt drained the USs economy of the little money it had in order to create as many jobs as possible. Franklin Roosevelt was the only reform president who attempted to restore the stricken economy. Hence the success of the First New Deal was attributed to the coincidence of good politics and the determinations of social conscience. The First New Deal was able to accomplish more goals than the Second New Deal because it provided jobs to the unemployed. The First New Deal was an immediate solu tion; it called fro a quick fix. The Second New Deal only provided a sense of security among the disgruntle citizens. Although the Second New Deal was less immediate, it was far reaching because some of the programs such as the Social Security Act is still being used today.

Tupac Shakur Essay -- Music, Rap Industry

Tupac Shakur, otherwise known as 2Pac, was well known for his accomplishments in the rap industry, as well as his career in acting. When most people look back at the life of Tupac they will remember September 7th 1996, the night Shakur was shot four times on the streets of Las Vegas. Six days later on September 13th 1996, he was pronounced dead at the University Of Nevada Medical Center (THUG, 2011). Although most individuals believed that the tension between the East Coast and the West Coast would lighten with the death of Tupac, it did just the opposite. With angry fans mourning the death of Tupac, and gang members begin promoting more violence in the streets. The feud became stronger between the East and West Coast, causing a divide throughout America. Even though Tupac wasn't alive anymore his records were still sold, and his music videos and songs were still being produced. Other rappers also used the death of Tupac to their advantage, writing songs and raps about his dea th. Moreover, the death of Tupac brought curiosity to many Americans regarding the rap industry because he was a very well-known rapper/actor, who many people still mourn today. Sectionalism in the early eighteen hundreds was much like the East Coast and West Coast feud in the 1990’s. In the 1800’s the issue over slavery was dividing America into two, the North and the South. The North did not think slavery was right, the South did, and they wanted slavery to continue. The constant fighting over the issue of slavery increased as the decade went on. The result of this feud was the Civil War, that broke out in April 1861. The war lasted four long years, with many casualties, and relationships between states that would take a great amount of time to ... ...e still released after his death (Kallen, 94). Most of the released songs became hits, but Tupac Shakur was unable to accept the praise. Some have the idea that at the time Tupac was shot, he was going to leave Death Row Records. If this were true, it would have been a reason for someone from Death Row Records to shoot him, but as of 1999, there had been no investigation into Tupac Shakur’s murder. This brought a great deal of anger among many people who were furious that he was murdered in the first place (Tupac, 2002). Furthermore, the death of Tupac Shakur has become famous throughout America, whether you were a fan of Tupac Shakur, or the story was all a shocker to you, it has caused curiosity among individuals whether or not the East Coast versus West Coast rivalry was the cause of the murder, and whether or not the rivalry was necessary in the beginning.

Eating Disorders and Image Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Health Weight Los

Eating Disorders and Image As humans on this planet we often think about what others think about our appearance. We often, in this society, look at a person through their characteristics such as: looks, height, clarity of skin, and by how fat or thin one appears to be. In the article, The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place, by Natascha Pocek, she states the fact that, in this society, we put a lot of emphasis on diets and appearing thin. From when we are children we tend to change our views according to the ways of man, and find ways to stay fit or to lose weight. With this constant loss of weight we tend to get into a hole of wanting to be thinner, and in my opinion that want leads to the attempts of so many girls developing some sort of eating disorder. That fact has struck America hard, and Americans try harder to be what the image of the world is telling them to be. This image is to be thinner and prettier than you could possibly imagine. Dieting is a good thing to a point, but when one crosses the line of going to eating disorders, then dieting is not just a way to lose a few pounds. This way of dieting is a death trap. In Pocek’s discussion, she describes her story about the fad diets that she has tried and how they ended up not working for her. Pocek went through period where she would try a diet and either would not be able to follow through with it or the diet would not work for her. When her diets did not work out she would get really upset and try another diet. This method of dieting is common among most Americans today because commercialization is telling people that they will never be good enough unless they are slim. This is seen through the television and many ads that are placed in magazines. Sinc... ...as you keep it under control, dieting is not a bad thing. Pocek says in paragraph 7 of her essay that â€Å"losing weight lies in the power of our minds, not in the power of chemicals† (Pocek 167). Therefore, we have the power to keep our dieting under control. I am for dieting but when it comes to eating more when it says diet, or eating less to lose those numbers on that scale than the line of dieting has been crossed. Sometimes we are blind to seeing that line though, and cross over it daily because of the way America views people as always needing to be thinner. That image is causing thousands of people to feel they will never be good enough. Work Cited Pocek, Natascha. â€Å"The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place.† Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments. Ed. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. 164-167. Eating Disorders and Image Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Health Weight Los Eating Disorders and Image As humans on this planet we often think about what others think about our appearance. We often, in this society, look at a person through their characteristics such as: looks, height, clarity of skin, and by how fat or thin one appears to be. In the article, The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place, by Natascha Pocek, she states the fact that, in this society, we put a lot of emphasis on diets and appearing thin. From when we are children we tend to change our views according to the ways of man, and find ways to stay fit or to lose weight. With this constant loss of weight we tend to get into a hole of wanting to be thinner, and in my opinion that want leads to the attempts of so many girls developing some sort of eating disorder. That fact has struck America hard, and Americans try harder to be what the image of the world is telling them to be. This image is to be thinner and prettier than you could possibly imagine. Dieting is a good thing to a point, but when one crosses the line of going to eating disorders, then dieting is not just a way to lose a few pounds. This way of dieting is a death trap. In Pocek’s discussion, she describes her story about the fad diets that she has tried and how they ended up not working for her. Pocek went through period where she would try a diet and either would not be able to follow through with it or the diet would not work for her. When her diets did not work out she would get really upset and try another diet. This method of dieting is common among most Americans today because commercialization is telling people that they will never be good enough unless they are slim. This is seen through the television and many ads that are placed in magazines. Sinc... ...as you keep it under control, dieting is not a bad thing. Pocek says in paragraph 7 of her essay that â€Å"losing weight lies in the power of our minds, not in the power of chemicals† (Pocek 167). Therefore, we have the power to keep our dieting under control. I am for dieting but when it comes to eating more when it says diet, or eating less to lose those numbers on that scale than the line of dieting has been crossed. Sometimes we are blind to seeing that line though, and cross over it daily because of the way America views people as always needing to be thinner. That image is causing thousands of people to feel they will never be good enough. Work Cited Pocek, Natascha. â€Å"The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place.† Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments. Ed. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. 164-167.

1980s Essay -- essays research papers

This report is to inform you on the decade of the 1980s. People’s jobs, income, ideas, opinions changed so much from 1980 to 1989. Fewer Americans belonged to labor unions in the 1980s. In 1980 there were nearly 21 million union members; that number had declined to 17 million by 1985. The most important â€Å"aspect† of a job for the majority of Americans was a â€Å"feeling of accomplishment, beating out high pay by a better than 2 to 1 margin.† In the mid-Eighties, 88% of Americans said they were satisfied with their jobs. In spite of this, less than 40% expected to remain in their current job for more than five years. Most Americans didn't think it would be difficult to get another job. This â€Å"indicated general optimism† about the economy and the job market in the mid- and late-Eighties. In the late Forties, Americans went to the movies an average of at least twice a month, but by the 1980s, people only went to the movies an average of five times a year. About 67% of Americans attended a play or a live theater performance at least once a year, and 60% attended a concert or other musical performance. In the 1980s the majority of Americans believed sex education should be taught in public schools. 85% of people who voted were for this. That included 68% of all â€Å"born-again Christians†, 80% of Republicans, and 77% of â€Å"rural people†. One reason that people wanted sex education in schools was that Aids was causing a sense of panic among the general public. Also they felt that if sex education were not available there would be even more unwanted teenage pregnancies. A few years after the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade, 60% of Americans supported legalized abortions. But by the 1980s that had decreased to 50%. Some Americans compared abortion with murder, and felt that the fetus should have rights. On the other hand, some feared that if abortions weren't legal, more women would die from complications with illegal abortions. But most Americans said they could support a woman's decision to have an abortion if her life or mental health were in danger, or if she had been the victim of incest or rape. And while both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were opposed to abortion, and Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist's â€Å"goal† was to overturn Roe v Wade, three-fourths of all Americans were convinced that abortion would never be made illegal In 1981 there were 2,422,0... ...xually transmitted diseases, AIDS in particular. Of the 11 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported in America in 1987, only 15,000 were AIDS, while there were 500,000 cases of herpes and 1,800,000 cases of gonorrhea. However, since AIDS was 100% fatal, it was the main concern, and by that year, 50,000 Americans had contracted it, with 73% of these being homosexual or bisexual men, 17% intravenous drug users, and 4% heterosexuals. Only 6.6% of AIDS victims were female. In 1987 there were 63,542,000 children under the age of 18 in this country. Many lived with only one parent. A decade-long National Family Violence Survey revealed that severe violence against children was declining during the 1980s. This was due to tougher penalties against abusers, and the increased likelihood that child abuse would be reported   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1987 to 1989 statistics showed that there was a slight change in employment rates, personal income, birth and death rates. This year was full of energy with new and exciting invention such as the car phone and better TVs and computer. Although AIDS is still a growing academic, research for finding a cure is still under way.

Reduce,Reuse and Reclycle Essay

Practicing these three steps (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) helps us lessen the environmental impact that manufacturing and distributing products have on our environment. Reducing waste is the most effective 3 R practice, because it means not producing unnecessary waste in the first place – So there is zero impact on the environment. If we reduce what we buy and use in the first place and reuse wherever possible, fewer things need to be recycled and the amount of waste we produce will fall. The next best is Reuse, because it extends the life of a product. That item still had to be made but it is used over and over, reducing the need to make new stuff. Recycling in the end is the reprocessing of materials. It helps reduce pollution caused by waste and the need of raw material so that rainforests can be preserved. BENEFITS: We are going to give you some tips and practical examples how to save money, energy and the environment. 1. Do not waste food, make sure that you buy what you are going to consume, give leftovers to your pets or discard them in a responsible way. (Environmental friendly). 2. Grow your own vegetable, fruits, and flowers. 3.  When you leave a room always turn the lights off – Do not forget to switch off all the electrical equipment’s, turn down your emersion heater. 4. Instead of using dishwasher, wash dishes by hands from the sink 5. Always turn the tap off when you wash your teeth. You do not need the tap running when you are brushing your teeth. 6. Instead of buying a lot of books, you can borrow from the library or charity shops. 7. Do not automatically get rid of your old newspaper; use it in place of paper towels to clean glasses and mirrors. Shred it to make packaging materials, use it as a fire starter. 8.  Reuse junk mail envelops for your own mail. Just put a label over the see through window or if the envelop has a bar code at the bottom, run a black marker through it. 9. Do not dump water you use to cook vegetable; water your plants with it. 10. Use the public transport (trains, undergrounds) rather than cars to reduce pollution. ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLING: Recycling uses much less energy than producing new materials from scratch. This means less fossil fuel is burnt and less greenhouse gas is emitted. The vast majority of materials collected from your doorstep are recycled and used in the UK. This means less fuel is used to export waste and import new materials. Recycling helps to reduce pollution, Co2 emissions caused by waste and preserve natural resources for futures generations. Recycling is one of the best ways for you to have a positive impact on the planet in which we live. It is so important to both, the natural environment and us (Human beings). N. B: However, recycling still creates some pollution because it is an industrial process. That’s why â€Å"Reduce and Reuse† are the most important of the 3 R practice. Did you know? Recycling Aluminium uses only five per cent of the energy and emissions needed to make it from raw materials. Each year in the UK, we go through over 1. 2 million Tonnes of electrical waste. (That’s the equivalent of 150 Thousand double decker buses). Prevention is better than cure as the doctors say. Therefore, we must act fast as the amount of waste we create is increasing all the time. We are going to conclude our topic with this wise and pertinent citation of Margaret Mead: â€Å"Never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. †

First Keystone Bank Essay

1. Prepare a list of internal control procedures that banks and other financial institutions have implemented, or should implement, for their ATM operations. Financial institutions should implemented the following internal control procedures. The first one is Risk Assessment, which means financial institutions’ management should identifies, analyzes, and manages risks that can affect the company. The second one is Control Environment, this procedure require management of the institutions attitude toward, awareness of, and actions concerning the internal control structure to in order to reduce the fraud and error. The third one is Control Activities, which means that institutions’ management should enact specific policies and procedures to achieve the management objectives. What’s more, they should take necessary procedures to target the risks. The forth step is information and communications. Institutions should gather all necessary information to carry out internal controls. Providing, sharing and obtaining information is also very important, which is called communication. The last step is Monitoring. Which is an ongoing process to evaluate controls and determine whether all the operations are as intended. They changed when operating conditions change. 2. What general conditions or factors influence the audit approach or strategy applied to a bank client’s ATM operations by its independent auditors? The auditor should consider the nature, timing, and extent of further audit procedures to make decision. The nature of an audit procedure include its purpose and its type. So the purpose and the type of an audit procedure will influence the audit approach. The purpose of audit procedure determines whether it is a risk assessment procedure, a test of controls, or a substantive procedure. The types of audit procedures include inspection of  documentation, inspection of assets, observation , external confirmation, recalculation, reperformance, analytical procedure, scanning, and inquiry. Timing refers to when audit procedures are performed or the period or data to which the audit evidence applies. The higher the risk of material misstatement, the more likely it is that the auditor may decide it is more effective to perform substantive procedures nearer to the period end rather than at an earlier date. On the other hand performing audit procedures before the period end may assist the auditor in identifying significant matters at an early stage of the audit. Extent refers to the quantity of a specific audit procedure to be preformed. The extent of audit procedure is determined by the judgment of the auditor after considering the tolerable misstatement, the assessed risk of material misstatement, and the degree of assurance the auditor plans to obtain. 3. Identify specific audit procedures that may be applied to ATM operations. Which, if any, of these procedures might have resulted in the discovery of the embezzlement scheme at First Keystone’s Swarthmore branch? Explain. Inspection of documentation, observation, recalculation, analytical procedures, scanning, and inquiry may be applied to ATM operations. I think the following procedures can resulted in the discovery of the embezzlement scheme. The first one is inspection of documentation. Auditors can examine a client document and compare it with the exact money they save and take out from the ATM. The second one is observation. Looking the procedure of using the ATM to make sure whether it is used with authority. The third one is analytical procedures. Auditors can analyzing plausible relationships among both financial and nonfinancial data of the ATM. The forth one is scanning. Performing a type of analytical procedure which involves reviewing accounting data to identify unusual items. For example, the amount of money that put in the ATM is not match the money that actually take out by customers.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 27. Travel Plans

I took mythology a lot more seriously since I'd become a vampire. Often, when I looked back over my first three months as an immortal, I imagined how the thread of my life might look in the Fates' loom – who knew but that it actually existed? I was sure my thread must have changed color; I thought it had probably started out as a nice beige, something supportive and non-confrontational, something that would look good in the background. Now it felt like it must be bright crimson, or maybe glistening gold. The tapestry of family and friends that wove together around me was a beautiful, glowing thing, full of their bright, complementary colors. I was surprised by some of the threads I got to include in my life. The werewolves, with their deep, woodsy colors, were not something I'd expected; Jacob, of course, and Seth, too. But my old friends Quil and Embry became part of the fabric as they joined Jacob's pack, and even Sam and Emily were cordial. The tensions between our families eased, mostly due to Renesmee. She was easy to love. Sue and Leah Clearwater were interlaced into our life, too – two more I had not anticipated. Sue seemed to have taken it on herself to smooth Charlie's transition into the world of make-believe. She came with him to the Cullens' most days, though she never seemed truly comfortable here the way her son and most of Jake's pack did. She did not speak often; she just hovered protectively near Charlie. She was always the first person he looked to when Renesmee did something disturbingly advanced – which was often. In answer, Sue would eye Seth meaningfully as if to say, Yeah, tell me about it. Leah was even less comfortable than Sue and was the only part of our recently extended family who was openly hostile to the merger. However, she and Jacob had a new camaraderie that kept her close to us all. I asked him about it once – hesitantly; I didn't want to pry, but the relationship was so different from the way it used to be that it made me curious. He shrugged and told me it was a pack thing. She was his second-in-command now, his â€Å"beta,† as I'd called it once long ago. â€Å"I figured as long as I was going to do this Alpha thing for real,† Jacob explained, â€Å"I'd better nail down the formalities.† The new responsibility made Leah feel the need to check in with him often, and since he was always with Renesmee†¦ Leah was not happy to be near us, but she was the exception. Happiness was the main component in my life now, the dominant pattern in the tapestry. So much so that my relationship with Jasper was now much closer than I'd ever dreamed it would be. At first I was really annoyed, though. â€Å"Yeesh!† I complained to Edward one night after we'd put Renesmee in her wrought-iron crib. â€Å"If I haven't killed Charlie or Sue yet, it's probably not going to happen. I wish Jasper would stop hovering all the time!† â€Å"No one doubts you, Bella, not in the slightest,† he assured me. â€Å"You know how Jasper is – he can't resist a good emotional climate. You're so happy all the time, love, he gravitates toward you without thinking.† And then Edward hugged me tightly, because nothing pleased him more than my overwhelming ecstasy in this new life. And I was euphoric the vast majority of the time. The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of adoring my daughter; the nights did not have enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward. There was a flipside to the joy, though. If you turned the fabric of our lives over, I imagined the design on the backside would be woven in the bleak grays of doubt and fear. Renesmee spoke her first word when she was exactly one week old. The word was Momma, which would have made my day, except that I was so frightened by her progress I could barely force my frozen face to smile back at her. It didn't help that she continued from her first word to her first sentence in the same breath. â€Å"Momma, where is Grandpa?† she'd asked in a clear, high soprano, only bothering to speak aloud because I was across the room from her. She'd already asked Rosalie, using her normal (or seriously abnormal, from another point of view) means of communication. Rosalie hadn't known the answer, so Renesmee had turned to me. When she walked for the first time, fewer than three weeks later, it was similar. She'd simply stared at Alice for a long moment, watching intently as her aunt arranged bouquets in the vases scattered around the room, dancing back and forth across the floor with her arms full of flowers. Renesmee got to her feet, not in the least bit shaky, and crossed the floor almost as gracefully. Jacob had burst into applause, because that was clearly the response Renesmee wanted. The way he was tied to her made his own reactions secondary; his first reflex was always to give Renesmee whatever she needed. But our eyes met, and I saw all the panic in mine echoed in his. I made my hands clap together, too, trying to hide my fear from her. Edward applauded quietly at my side, and we didn't need to speak our thoughts to know they were the same. Edward and Carlisle threw themselves into research, looking for any answers, anything to expect. There was very little to be found, and none of it verifiable. Alice and Rosalie usually began our day with a fashion show. Renesmee never wore the same clothes twice, partly because she outgrew her clothes almost immediately and partly because Alice and Rosalie were trying to create a baby album that appeared to span years rather than weeks. They took thousands of pictures, documenting every phase of her accelerated childhood. At three months, Renesmee could have been a big one-year-old, or a small two-year-old. She wasn't shaped exactly like a toddler; she was leaner and more graceful, her proportions were more even, like an adult's. Her bronze ringlets hung to her waist; I couldn't bear to cut them, even if Alice would have allowed it. Renesmee could speak with flawless grammar and articulation, but she rarely bothered, preferring to simply show people what she wanted. She could not only walk but run and dance. She could even read. I'd been reading Tennyson to her one night, because the flow and rhythm of his poetry seemed restful. (I had to search constantly for new material; Renesmee didn't like repetition in her bedtime stories as other children supposedly did, and she had no patience for picture books.) She reached up to touch my cheek, the image in her mind one of us, only with her holding the book. I gave it to her, smiling. † There is sweet music here,'† she read without hesitation, â€Å"‘that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass, or night-dews on still waters between walls of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass – ‘† My hand was robotic as I took the book back. â€Å"If you read, how will you fall asleep?† I asked in a voice that had barely escaped shaking. By Carlisle's calculations, the growth of her body was gradually slowing; her mind continued to race on ahead. Even if the rate of decrease held steady, she'd still be an adult in no more than four years. Four years. And an old woman by fifteen. Just fifteen years of life. But she was so healthy. Vital, bright, glowing, and happy. Her conspicuous well-being made it easy for me to be happy with her in the moment and leave the future for tomorrow. Carlisle and Edward discussed our options for the future from every angle in low voices that I tried not to hear. They never had these discussions when Jacob was around, because there was one sure way to halt aging, and that wasn't something Jacob was likely to be excited about. I wasn't. Too dangerous! my instincts screamed at me. Jacob and Renesmee seemed alike in so many ways, both half-and-half beings, two things at the same time. And all the werewolf lore insisted that vampire venom was a death sentence rather than a course to immortality___ Carlisle and Edward had exhausted the research they could do from a distance, and now we were preparing to follow old legends at their source. We were going back to Brazil, starting there. The Ticunas had legends about children like Renesmee†¦. If other children like her had ever existed, perhaps some tale of the life span of half-mortal children still lingered___ The only real question left was exactly when we would go. I was the holdup. A small part of it was that I wanted to stay near Forks until after the holidays, for Charlie's sake. But more than that, there was a different journey that I knew had to come first – that was the clear priority. Also, it had to be a solo trip. This was the only argument that Edward and I had gotten in since I'd become a vampire. The main point of contention was the â€Å"solo† part. But the facts were what they were, and my plan was the only one that made rational sense. I had to go see the Volturi, and I had to do it absolutely alone. Even freed from old nightmares, from any dreams at all, it was impossible to forget the Volturi. Nor did they leave us without reminders. Until the day that Aro's present showed up, i didn't know that Alice had sent a wedding announcement to the Volturi leaders; we'd been far away on Esme's island when she'd seen a vision of Volturi soldiers – Jane and Alec, the devastatingly powerful twins, among them. Caius was planning to send a hunting party to see if I was still human, against their edict (because I knew about the secret vampire world, I either must join it or be silenced†¦ permanently). So Alice had mailed the announcement, seeing that this would delay them as they deciphered the meaning behind it. But they would come eventually. That was certain. The present itself was not overtly threatening. Extravagant, yes, almost frightening in that very extravagance. The threat was in the parting line of Aro's congratulatory note, written in black ink on a square of heavy, plain white paper in Aro's own hand: I so look forward to seeing the new Mrs. Cullen in person. The gift was presented in an ornately carved, ancient wooden box inlaid with gold and mother-of-pearl, ornamented with a rainbow of gemstones. Alice said the box itself was a priceless treasure, that it would have outshone just about any piece of jewelry besides the one inside it. â€Å"I always wondered where the crown jewels disappeared to after John of England pawned them in the thirteenth century,† Carlisle said. â€Å"I suppose it doesn't surprise me that the Volturi have their share.† The necklace was simple – gold woven into a thick rope of a chain, almost scaled, like a smooth snake that would curl close around the throat. One jewel hung suspended from the rope; a white diamond the size of a golf ball. The unsubtle reminder in Aro's note interested me more than the jewel. The Volturi needed to see that I was immortal, that the Cullens had been obedient to the Volturi's orders, and they needed to see this soon. They could not be allowed near Forks. There was only one way to keep our life here safe. â€Å"You're not going alone,† Edward had insisted through his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. â€Å"They won't hurt me,† I'd said as soothingly as I could manage, forcing my voice to sound sure. â€Å"They have no reason to. I'm a vampire. Case closed.† â€Å"No. Absolutely no.† â€Å"Edward, it's the only way to protect her.† And he hadn't been able to argue with that. My logic was watertight. Even in the short time I'd known Aro, I'd been able to see that he was a collector – and his most prized treasures were his living pieces. He coveted beauty, talent, and rarity in his immortal followers more than any jewel locked in his vaults. It was unfortunate enough that he'd begun to covet Alice's and Edward's abilities. I would give him no more reason to be jealous of Carlisle's family. Renesmee was beautiful and gifted and unique – she was one of a kind. He could not be allowed to see her, not even through someone's thoughts. And I was the only one whose thoughts he could not hear. Of course I would go alone. Alice did not see any trouble with my trip, but she was worried by the indistinct quality of her visions. She said they were sometimes similarly hazy when there were outside decisions that might conflict but that had not been solidly resolved. This uncertainty made Edward, already hesitant, extremely opposed to what I had to do. He wanted to come with me as far as my connection in London, but I wouldn't leave Renesmee without both her parents. Carlisle was coming instead. It made both Edward and me a little more relaxed, knowing that Carlisle would be only a few hours away from me. Alice kept searching for the future, but the things she found were unrelated to what she was looking for. A new trend in the stock market; a possible visit of reconciliation from Irina, though her decision was not firm; a snowstorm that wouldn't hit for another six weeks; a call from Renee (I was practicing my â€Å"rough† voice, and getting better at it every day – to Renee's knowledge, I was still sick, but mending). We bought the tickets for Italy the day after Renesmee turned three months. I planned for it to be a very short trip, so I hadn't told Charlie about it. Jacob knew, and he took Edward's view on things. However, today the argument was about Brazil. Jacob was determined to come with us. The three of us, Jacob, Renesmee, and I, were hunting together. The diet of animal blood wasn't Renesmee's favorite thing – and that was why Jacob was allowed to come along. Jacob had made it a contest between them, and that made her more willing than anything else. Renesmee was quite clear on the whole good vs. bad as it applied to hunting humans; she just thought that donated blood made a nice compromise. Human food filled her and it seemed compatible with her system, but she reacted to all varieties of solid food with the same martyred endurance I had once given cauliflower and lima beans. Animal blood was better than that, at least. She had a competitive nature, and the challenge of beating Jacob made her excited to hunt. â€Å"Jacob,† I said, trying to reason with him again while Renesmee danced ahead of us into the long clearing, searching for a scent she liked. â€Å"You've got obligations here. Seth, Leah – â€Å" He snorted. â€Å"I'm not my pack's nanny. They've all got responsibilities in La Push anyway.† â€Å"Sort of like you? Are you officially dropping out of high school, then? If you're going to keep up with Renesmee, you're going to have to study a lot harder.† â€Å"It's just a sabbatical. I'll get back to school when things†¦ slow down.† I lost my concentration on my side of the disagreement when he said that, and we both automatically looked at Renesmee. She was staring at the snowflakes fluttering high above her head, melting before they could stick to the yellowed grass in the long arrowhead-shaped meadow that we were standing in. Her ruffled ivory dress was just a shade darker than the snow, and her reddish-brown curls managed to shimmer, though the sun was buried deeply behind the clouds. As we watched, she crouched for an instant and then sprang fifteen feet up into the air. Her little hands closed around a flake, and she dropped lightly to her feet. She turned to us with her shocking smile – truly, it wasn't something you could get used to – and opened her hands to show us the perfectly formed eight-pointed ice star in her palm before it melted. â€Å"Pretty,† Jacob called to her appreciatively. â€Å"But I think you're stalling, Nessie.† She bounded back to Jacob; he held his arms out at exactly the moment she leaped into them. They had the move perfectly synchronized. She did this when she had something to say. She still preferred not to speak aloud. Renesmee touched his face, scowling adorably as we all listened to the sound of a small herd of elk moving farther into the wood. â€Å"Suuuureyou're not thirsty, Nessie,† Jacob answered a little sarcastically, but more indulgently than anything else. â€Å"You're just afraid HI catch the biggest one again!† She flipped backward out of Jacob's arms, landing lightly on her feet, and rolled her eyes – she looked so much like Edward when she did that. Then she darted off toward the trees. â€Å"Got it,† Jacob said when I leaned as if to follow. He yanked his t-shirt off as he charged after her into the forest, already trembling. â€Å"It doesn't count if you cheat,† he called to Renesmee. I smiled at the leaves they left fluttering behind them, shaking my head. Jacob was more a child than Renesmee sometimes. I paused, giving my hunters a few minutes' head start. It would be beyond simple to track them, and Renesmee would love to surprise me with the size of her prey. I smiled again. The narrow meadow was very still, very empty. The fluttering snow was thinning above me, almost gone. Alice had seen that it wouldn't stick for many weeks. Usually Edward and I came together on these hunting trips. But Edward was with Carlisle today, planning the trip to Rio, talking behind Jacob's back†¦. I frowned. When I returned, I would take Jacob's side. He should come with us. He had as big a stake in this as any of us – his entire life was at stake, just like mine. While my thoughts were lost in the near future, my eyes swept the mountainside routinely, searching for prey, searching for danger. I didn't think about it; the urge was an automatic thing. Or perhaps there was a reason for my scanning, some tiny trigger that my razor-sharp senses had caught before I realized it consciously. As my eyes flitted across the edge of a distant cliff, standing out starkly blue-gray against the green-black forest, a glint of silver – or was it gold? – gripped my attention. My gaze zeroed in on the color that shouldn't have been there, so far away in the haze that an eagle wouldn't have been able to make it out. I stared. She stared back. That she was a vampire was obvious. Her skin was marble white, the texture a million times smoother than human skin. Even under the clouds, she glistened ever so slightly. If her skin had not given her away, her stillness would have. Only vampires and statues could be so perfectly motionless. Her hair was pale, pale blond, almost silver. This was the gleam that had caught my eye. It hung straight as a ruler to a blunt edge at her chin, parted evenly down the center. She was a stranger to me. I was absolutely certain I'd never seen her before, even as a human. None of the faces in my muddy memory were the same as this one. But I knew her at once from her dark golden eyes. Irina had decided to come after all. For one moment I stared at her, and she stared back. I wondered if she would guess immediately who I was as well. I half-raised my hand, about to wave, but her lip twisted the tiniest bit, making her face suddenly hostile. I heard Renesmee's cry of victory from the forest, heard Jacob's echoing howl, and saw Irina's face jerk reflexively to the sound when it echoed to her a few seconds later. Her gaze cut slightly to the right, and I knew what she was seeing. An enormous russet werewolf, perhaps the very one who had killed her Laurent. How long had she been watching us? Long enough to see our affectionate exchange before, I was sure. Her face spasmed in pain. Instinctually, I opened my hands in front of me in an apologetic gesture. She turned back to me, and her lip curled back over her teeth. Her jaw unlocked as she growled. When the faint sound reached me, she had already turned and disappeared into the forest. â€Å"Crap!† I groaned. I sprinted into the forest after Renesmee and Jacob, unwilling to have them out of my sight. I didn't know which direction Irina had taken, or exactly how furious she was right now. Vengeance was a common obsession for vampires, one that was not easy to suppress. Running at full speed, it only took me two seconds to reach them. â€Å"Mine is bigger,† I heard Renesmee insist as I burst through the thick thornbushes to the small open space where they stood. Jacob's ears flattened as he took in my expression; he crouched forward, baring his teeth – hismuzzle was streaked with blood from his kill. His eyes raked the forest. I could hear the growl building in his throat. Renesmee was every bit as alert as Jacob. Abandoning the dead stag at her feet, she leaped into my waiting arms, pressing her curious hands against my cheeks. â€Å"I'm overreacting,† I assured them quickly. â€Å"It's okay, I think. Hold on.† I pulled out my cell phone and hit the speed dial. Edward answered on the first ring. Jacob and Renesmee listened intently to my side as I filled Edward in. â€Å"Come, bring Carlisle,† I trilled so fast I wondered if Jacob could keep up. â€Å"I saw Irina, and she saw me, but then she saw Jacob and she got mad and ran away, I think. She hasn't shown up here – yet, anyway – but she looked pretty upset so maybe she will. If she doesn't, you and Carlisle have to go after her and talk to her. I feel so bad.† Jacob rumbled. â€Å"We'll be there in half a minute,† Edward assured me, and I could hear the whoosh of the wind his running made. We darted back to the long meadow and then waited silently as Jacob and I listened carefully for the sound of an approach we did not recognize. When the sound came, though, it was very familiar. And then Edward was at my side, Carlisle a few seconds behind. I was surprised to hear the heavy pad of big paws following behind Carlisle. I supposed I shouldn't have been shocked. With Renesmee in even a hint of danger, of course Jacob would call in reinforcements. â€Å"She was up on that ridge,† I told them at once, pointing out the spot. If Irina was fleeing, she already had quite a head start. Would she stop and listen to Carlisle? Her expression before made me think not. â€Å"Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. She looked†¦ really upset. She growled at me.† â€Å"What?† Edward said angrily. Carlisle put a hand on his arm. â€Å"She's grieving. HI go after her.† Tm coming with you,† Edward insisted. They exchanged a long glance – perhaps Carlisle was measuring Edward's irritation with Irina against his helpfulness as a mind reader. Finally, Carlisle nodded, and they took off to find the trail without calling for Jasper or Emmett. Jacob huffed impatiently and poked my back with his nose. He must want Renesmee back at the safety of the house, just in case. I agreed with him on that, and we hurried home with Seth and Leah running at our flanks. Renesmee was complacent in my arms, one hand still resting on my face. Since the hunting trip had been aborted, she would just have to make do with donated blood. Her thoughts were a little smug.