A Case Study Of Barclays Bank Ghana Marketing Essay

A Case Study Of Barclays Bank Ghana Marketing Essay Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a broadly used and accepted strategy for nurturing a firms relationship with clients and business prospects. It involves the use of globally accepted technological tools to technically organise and synchronize work procedures, especially in the area of sales and marketing and technical support. The principal aim of CRM is to search, attract, and keep customers, grow and retain already existing ones and try to win back lost customers as well as cut down on costs of business service. For any firm to start, grow and remain in business the customer is vital and as such CRM is of key importance. Business success means that firms must see CRM as an area to invest in it is an investment and not be counted as a cost. However, if CRM is not handled properly it can be costly and detrimental to any firm. On the other hand, if well applied it will go a long way to enable any firm retain its clients base and subsequently grow its business. CRM to a very large extent affects the movements rate of customers in any industry, for the purposes of this research; the banking industry will be examined. Attrition rate is hugely dependent on CRM; customers in the banking industry have grown in terms of choice and control. A company therefore needs to strategise critically in its bid to retain customers. Of key importance in CRM is not just smiling faces but value in service delivery or superior product, leading to customer satisfaction and therefore customer loyalty and retention, which is the pivot of financial performance (Reichheld et al 2000; Hesket et al 1997, Reichheld, 1994). 1.1 GHANAS BANKING INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The Banking industry is highly competitive industry with 26 Banks currently competing for Corporate and Retail Clients. The industry is vastly capitalized with a total share holders fund of over One billion, Eight hundred thousand (GH ¢1,854,648,000), culminating to an average of over seventy one million of share holders fund per bank (GH ¢71,332,620.00). This may seem adequate per bank, regarding the upward adjustment of the Stated Capital by Bank of Ghana by 2012. The average share holders fund is however misleading as a number for banks are still struggling to even meet the twenty five million minimum capital requirement by 2010. In reality, it is only just about eight Banks whose capital is meets the Sixty million required by 2010. The Regulation to increase the minimum capital requirement of the banks comes on the back of the discovery of Oil in Commercial Quantities. This is required to position the banks strongly to take be able to take up larger transactions. While only f our (SCB, BBG, GCB and EBG) banks control almost 50% of the total assets held by the banking industry, the other twenty two banks are competing to increase their asset base to enable them compete with the larger banks. Profitability in the industry is quiet competitive as only four banks (BBG, FAMB, UTB and BSIC) made losses. The rest of the Banks made profit. With the developing new oil economy and the resulting expansion in the Ghanaian Economy, Banks are faced with a better opportunity to increase their profitability and consequently, their asset base. They are however faced with loan recovery difficulties resulting in an average of 18% of loans disbursed going bad. The Continual reduction of Inflation to 9.44% and the Policy lending rate of Bank of Ghana, has forced the base lending rate of the Bank Interest rates downwards. This however has ignited a price competition in the industry culminating into a debate on whether interest rates should reduce any further than it has, espe cially when loans default rate remains high (www.ghanaweb.com,www.bft.com) 1.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON BARCLAYS GHANA Barclays Bank Ghana is one of the biggest and first foreign banks to enter the Ghanaian economy at a time in which the three major banks namely Barclays, Standard Chartered and Ghana Commercial Bank and enjoyed oligopolistic positions before other banks entered the industry. Barclays has operated in Ghana for ninety four years. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays Bank PLC. Its vision is to become the best bank for every customer, in every branch, for every product and every time. Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited has an expansive retail and commercial banking network in the country with 92 branches and over 130 ATMs in all regional capitals and major towns. Its products and services are targeted particularly at the business and corporate, as well as retail customers. Barclays offers a wide range of commercial, Retail and Treasury products and services. It also offers local business banking product and services for Small Medium Enterprises and indigenous businesses (http://www.ba rclays.com/africa/ghana/barclays_in.htm). The Bank of Ghana in February, 2010 named Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited the biggest foreign bank and also the largest bank in terms of capacity to handle transactions in Ghana. In June 2009, Barclays launched its Bancassurance proposition in partnership with Enterprise Life Assurance Company Limited (ELAC) to enhance our product range with insurance product such as Term, Family Funeral Plan and Education Plan for the convenience of its customers. The Banks Premier Banking offers tailor made solutions and one-on-one banking to its high net worth. The Premier proposition amongst others offers; dedicated banking suites, financial planning, lifestyle alliances, global access to Premier lounges (airport) etc. In addition Premier Life, a new service proposition to replace Prestige Banking has been introduced. It is targeted at customers who require convenient banking, quick and efficient service as well as a level of privacy and recognition. The Barclays Offshore Banking Unit, the first of its kind in Ghana and indeed Africa South of the Sahara, continues to offer world class banking service to non-resident private clients and corporate. Industries financed by Barclays include cocoa, the backbone of the countrys economy; timber; gold and other minerals as well as business in the manufacturing sector and commerce. The banks sustainability programme focuses on three pillars. Banking for brighter futures; Looking after local communiti es and Charity begins at work. Barclays uses these key pillars to support developmental projects across Ghana. More than 80% of staff are involved in voluntary community programmes annually. Dubbed Make a Difference Day, it is the biggest corporate voluntary activity in Ghana. Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited is part of the Barclays Africa Group comprising ten (10) African markets under Barclays PLC(http://www.barclays.com/africa/ghana/barclays_in.htm) 1.3 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift from transaction focused policies to customer relationship focused policies. This is because the fundamental task of business is to create and keep a customer in a sustainable way and at an acceptable return to a shareholder. Levitt, Marketing Myopia. Majority of industries all over the business world have made varying efforts to go along with this shift in order to be able to retain the largest customer base possible. Some have managed it successfully whiles others are still woefully behind, and as such unable to break even. This dissertation is therefore aimed at examining the impact of CRM on customer attrition and also uncovers most appropriate methods of application. As a matter of fact it has become necessary to pursue this field as research to boost efforts of industries in their bid to uphold CRM in their business operations in order to retain and grow their customer base. An in depth knowledge of CRM and its appropriate use re veals that it reduces attrition. Thus the aim of this research work is to critically investigate the strategies of CRM and how it can be used to boost customer retention. The outcome of this research will establish CRM as the lifeline to any industry and hopefully get firms to adopt to it and grow their business. 1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Based on previous study, it has been established that bad CRM practise can be very damaging for any business. A recently released Harris Interactive study confirms that a bad customer service experience with your company is enough to make a majority of consumers run for the hills. The study reported that 80% of 2,049 US adults surveyed decided never to go back to a business/organization after a bad customer service experience. The study clearly indicates that an organizations customer service level is a defining factor that will make or break a company (www.crm2day.com/library/50483.php). Thus it is no doubt CRM is one of the main factors contributing to the rise or fall of an industry. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The purpose of this research work is to; Understand clearly the concept of CRM Provide reasons why industries need to invest in CRM Explore the extent to which industries focus on CRM Establish the merits and de-merits of CRM Suggest the methods of application of CRM 2.1 RESEARCH QUESTION As a follow up to the aims and objectives of this research, certain questions will be examined using the findings and suggestions of some experts in this field as background. Jankowicz (2000) advocates strongly that knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, thus the present research only has value in relation to the work already done by other people. With the above as a basis, this research work will aim at finding answers to the questions below; A definite description of Customer Relationship Management( CRM) How does CRM boost business success? What are the various ways of CRM application? Is CRM a field to invest in at all? How important are customers to any industry? Why do banks need CRM? 2.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY With recent developments in the concept of CRM and its impact on business industries Huber et al.(2001) state that many marketing strategists and industrial-organization (IO) economists emphasize that creation of superior customer value is a key element for ensuring companies success ; it has become crucial to re-examine by research work the whole area of CRM establishing its importance and highlighting reasons why industries need to give more focus to this area. The results of the research will significantly achieve the following: Contribute to the knowledge providing good understanding of the key factors in CRM Establish CRM as a field to be invested in Assist industries that want to adapt CRM strategically Constitute a useful addition to work already done in the field Provide a basis for further research 2.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This research will be limited to the banking industry with specific focus on Barclays Bank. It would have been profitable to include other service industries but this will not be possible considering the broad nature of CRM and the costs and time constraints which relates to the time frame within which this results needs to be submitted. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 INTRODUCTION Customer relationship management (CRM) is bringing together of people, processes, and technology seeking to provide understanding of customer needs, to support a business strategy, and to build long-term relationships with customers. Successful usage of the integrated technology requires appropriate business processes and organizational culture to adequately address human behavioural elements. Because it is not simply a technology solution, success in CRM business is largely dependent on people. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a combination of people, processes, and technology (Chen and Popovich, 2003) that seeks to provide understanding of customer needs (Stringfellow et al., 2004), to support a business strategy (Ling and Yen, 2001; Bull,2003), and to build long-term relationships with customers (Wayland and Cole, 1997). Although enabled by information systems, CRM is not a technology solution (Rigby et al., 2002; Chen and Popovich, 2003). The core processes are handled b y people and requires clear understanding of the goals of key decisions and system-people interactions. To appreciate the concept of CRM an evolution of it needs to be highlighted. 3.2 EVOLUTION OF CRM From the 1980s to the 2000s the research of CRM have progressed tremendously (Ling and Yen, 2001; Goldenberg, 2006). The evolution of CRM started from target marketing (Prabhaker, 2001) and sales force automation (West, 2001) to relationship marketing (Gronroos, 1994) and has increased the demand for customer information management. However, as the scope of CRM grew, comprehensive emphasis on technology has become the focus. At the same time, the increased interest in CRM technology management has downplayed the importance of people issues, which are intimately responsible for successful CRM implementations (Goldenberg, 2006). New forms of competition and structural modifications of exchange processes have led to the emergence of the relationship paradigm for creating long-term relationships among customers and suppliers. This is partly due to the globalisation of business, internationalisation, deregulation, information technology advances, shorter product life cycles, and the evolv ing recognition of the relationship between customer retention and profitability (Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Zineldin and Jonsson, 2000; Chandra and Kumar, 2000; Sahay, 2003; Stefanou et al., 2003). Relationship paradigm refers to all activities directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining successful relational exchanges (Gro ¨nroos, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997; Gummesson, 1994; Morgan and Hunt, 1994, cited in Donaldson and OToole, 2002; Sahay, 2003). Through out the 1990s, in many organisations strategies, there was a shift from the need to manage transactions toward relationship management (Light, 2003). While enterprise resource planning (ERP) packages dominated the transaction management era, customer relationship management (CRM) packages lead with respect to relationships. The relationship between marketing strategies and performance has been studied from numerous theoretical perspectives, for example, transaction cost economics (Williamson, 1985, 1993; Park and Kim, 200 3), market orientation (Jaworski and Kohli, 1993; Harris and Piercy, 1999; Martin and Bush, 2003; Nielsen et al., 2003; Stefanou et al., 2003; Shapiro et al., 2003; Bigne ´ et al., 2004), and profit impact of marketing strategy (Kumar et al., 2000). The focus on the content of marketing strategies has been valuable in identifying performance-enhancing strategies (Goodhue et al., 2002; Plakoyiannaki and Tzokas, 2002; Chen and Popovich, 2003). While the concepts presented and discussed in the above perspectives are clearly valuable and have clear meaning, they also reflect a lack of accurate operating elements. Efforts made in this direction have failed to provide the concepts with sufficiently accurate and indicative operating elements (Grisi and Ribeiro, 2004). It is our view that past attempts of extant literature on implementation of customer relationship strategies have been insufficient and not gone far enough in the transition from the old to the new. According to Narayandas and Rangan (2004), empirical research in relationship management has tended to take a snapshot of a relationship at a given time and then attempted to project its trajectory (Croteau and Li, 2003). This gap has prompted researchers such as Anderson (1995), Jap and Ganesan (2000) and Lambe et al. (2001) to call for more field-based research based on case studies that draw on material from the multiple exchange episodes that constitute relationships and that offer insights into the processes of relationship initiation and maintenance (Narayandas and Rangan, 2004). Work on implementation of CRM strategy has focused on database management, direct marketing techniques, e-commerce and customer relationship mechanisms (Ling and Yen, 2001; Winer, 2001; Shoemaker, 2001; Gefen and Ridings, 2002; Fjermestad and Romano, 2003; Apostolou and Mentas, 2003; Croteau and Li, 2003; Bull, 2003; Park and Kim, 2003; Chen and Popovich, 2003; Kotorov, 2003; Scullin et al., 2004). This has been most noticea ble in business to consumer markets, and in services and financial services in particular. Donaldson and OToole (2002), indicated that though not all, many schemes are little more than sophisticated selling. According to Hertz and Vilgon (2002), many CRM implementation projects are fraught with difficulties in terms of technically not delivering the anticipated business benefits. Hertz and Vilgon (2002) indicate that up to 60 per cent of CRM implementation projects fail to live up to expectations. The study reported in this paper aims to contribute to the existing literature on the relationship marketing paradigm and the implementation of customer relationship strategy by examining both of these issues. This is accomplished by providing a better understanding of the components of CRM on the one hand, and the implementation of CRM strategy on the other. CRM systems have been used for a long time to automate processes (Ngai, 2005). However, the system process cannot manage customer re lations (Rigby et al., 2002; Chen and Popovich, 2003) because customer knowledge needs to be comprehended by business managers (Bueren et al., 2005), the face-to-face communication needs to be performed by front-line operators (Stringfellow et al., 2004), and a customer-centric culture needs to be formed by organization architects (Oldroyd, 2005). Although critical to the firm and dynamic in nature, the human side of CRM processes has gained little attention in CRM studies. Indeed, superior value of products/services delivered to customers leads to customer loyalty, the real driver of financial performance (see Reichheld et al., 2000; Heskett et al., 1997; Reichheld, 1994). Reichheld and Sasser (1990) show that, on average, a five percentage points increase in customer retention leads to between 40-50 percent increases in net present value profits. A few years later, Reichheld (1994) reports that a decrease in defection rate (or an increase in retention rate) of five percentage poin ts can increase profits by 25-100 percent and that this result is consistent across a wide array of industries. Satisfaction is a state of mind and it is only important as an indication of the intention of the most important behavior of repeat purchase, favorable word-of-mouth, and referrals. Reichheld (1994) states that customers who describe themselves as satisfied are not necessarily loyal. A cost benefit analysis reveals that huge resource allocation to CRM by businesses world-wide (estimated at $100 billion to date at the time of writing, see www.CRM-forum.com) has been primarily IT driven, not marketing driven. While CRM is meant to be about enabling a customer orientation, often it is not marketers pulling the strings: The serious question for the marketing profession is whether to respond to the challenges raised by new technology. The authors are not suggesting that one size fits all. The assertion by OMalley and Mitussis (2002), that where the ethos of relationship marketi ng does not exist in an organisation, it may be prudent for marketers to limit their CRM ambitions to advanced database marketing, is very sensible. But the disruption of new technology gives marketers, at the very least, opportunities to improve their internal influence. Many respondents in this research doubted whether CRM can control attrition rate in the business industry. My hypothesis suggests that CRM powered by technology and human involvement can control attrition rate in the business industry specifically banking where fierce competition is fuelling switching from bank to bank by customer. Are switching costs too low to dissuade clients from staying loyal to a particular bank? CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 METHODOLOGY The research seeks to explore the topic through the use of qualitative data. The choice of methodology will give the researcher an in-depth view, Easterby-Smith et al (2002), (Deshpande ´, 1983) on the extent to which CRM could go to control the attrition rate in the banking industry. This section extensively considers the research methods, tools and techniques available to achieve the aims and objectives and also to justify the use of the research method that will be employed in this study. Jankowicz (1995) describes methodology as the analysis of and justification for the part method(s) used in undertaking research. Furthermore, methodology seeks to explain the research procedure adopted by a researcher and should consist of the following: research design, data collection methods, sampling, field work, analysis and interpretation of data (Boyd, 1981). As asserted by Oppenhein (1992) for every social research there is the need to examine appropriate methodologies necessary for con ducting a particular study. As further stated by Oppenhein (1992) it is often seen that as research takes shape the aims of the research undergoes a number of subtle changes as a consequence of greater clarity in thinking, such changes may require a new or better design, which in turn will lead to a better specification for the instruments of measurement. Sources of data are the carriers of information and basically there are two sources of data- primary and secondary (Ghauri et al., 1995). Saunders et al, (2003) identified a third source as tertiary. However, it must be emphasised that while tertiary and secondary sources of data form the basis of the literature review, primary data sources are linked to the empirical research. As suggested by Kinnear and Taylor (1996), when research objectives include identifying problems or spotting potential opportunities, the use of exploratory research is the most suitable method. Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) argue that the knowledge of differ ent research traditions enables one to adapt a research design to cater for constraints. A qualitative research approach is used because it is a valuable means of finding out what happened; to seek new insights; to ask questions and assess phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002). It great advantage is that it is flexible and adaptable to change, as in conducting exploratory research the researcher must be willing to change direction as a result of new data that appears and new insights that occur to the researcher (Saunders et al., 2003). As further reinforced by Adam and Schvaneveldt (1991) flexibility is inherent in exploratory research which does not mean there is no sense of direction to the enquiry but rather that the focus is initially broad and becomes progressively narrower as the research progresses. However, qualitative biases can also occur and result in inaccurate measurement and findings. 4.1 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION/ SOURCE Both primary and secondary data will be used in this research. The primary data will be obtained from the semi-structured telephone interviews with some Barclays customers in Ghana. A semi-structured interview is suggested so as to obtain relevant information through the use of open-ended questions thus encouraging the interviewee to emphasize his/her point of interest (Easterby-Smith et al., 2002; Healey, 1991; Jankowicz, 2000). Individual in-depth interviews are deployed to provide the anonymity essential in allowing sensitive internal material to be revealed. It is also the most practical way of getting participation from busy Barclays customers. The interviews were semi-structured with a topic guide to provide some structure and consistency to the interviews, as advocated by a number of researchers (Miles and Huberman, 1989). The secondary data will be obtained from the companys website, published materials such as, academic journals, newspaper articles, search engines and books. Ghauri et al, (1995) says it all that the purpose of secondary data is to frame the problem under scrutiny, identify relevant concepts, methods and techniques and facts to position the research. 4.2 SAMPLE FRAME AND STRATEGY There will be sample size determination on the data collected. A total of 100 Barclays Bank customers will be interviewed. Also, due to time and budget constraints involved with the research, the sample would be a convenient size. Indeed. The interviews will be transcribed and analyzed with the use of a simple median. Thus the software Microsoft Excel will be used to calculate the percentage and numbers to clarify the data. It is worth emphasizing that due to the small size of the study, a deviance may appear in the result. CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 DATA ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING PROBLEMS As said above, there are limitations associated with the data collection through the means of semi-structured interviews. It is necessary to consider data quality issues such as reliability, bias, validity and generalizability which are seen as important to any qualitative research. According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) reliability in qualitative research is concerned with the probability of whether another researcher who has the same research will come up with similar information and findings. According to the authors (pp 53) reliable research tries to find answers to three questions. The first is will the measure yield the same results on other occasions? Secondly will similar observations be reached by other observers? Thirdly is there transparency in how the raw data will be analyzed? Thus for this study the researcher believes that reliability will be dealt with as previous research has been carried out on the small business sector which the researcher will be making use of including some materials through secondary data. Also, with the use of qualitative, non-standardised research, the result of the study implies that findings are not intended to be repeatable, as they reflect the reality at the time of collecting the data, which might be subject to change (Marshall and Rossman, 1999). In addition, bias on the side of the interviewee or interviewer can also affect the quality of the research; hence it should be noted that being aware of this, the researcher will ensure in the design of the interview questionnaire and also in terms of asking the right questions to get the required answers in line with the aims and objectives of the research. The researcher at all times Endeavour not to use any verbal or non-verbal behaviour that could affect the quality of the interview. Also a lot of readings will be undertaken in terms of text books, as well as obtaining guidelines from a professional interviewer and through practice. According to Saunders et al. (2003) validity is concerned with whether the results are what they appear to be. Oppenheim (1992) also notes that sample accuracy is more important than its size, in that there is a compromise between the theoretical sampling size and practical limitations such as time and costs. In terms of validity the researcher deems this to be high as the method used, that is, the in-depth interview will give the researcher a hands-on experience and the ability to see the reactions of the respondents through their interactions. The last issue will be the generalizability which according to Saunders et al., (2003) is the situation whereby findings of a research are applicable to other research settings. 5.1 ETHICAL ISSUES / CONSIDERATION Ethical issues occur when undertaking any kind of research and these have to be taken into consideration. Research ethics refer to the acceptability of a researchers behaviour towards the rights of subjects of research. To ensure this, researchers behaviour is guided by the code of ethics appropriate to academics and the profession or association of the researcher (Saunders et. at, 2003). The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities (Cooper and Schindler, 2003). According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) the ability to explore data or to seek explanation through qualitative methods will require a greater scope for ethical issues. This is particularly important when the data collected during interviews for example concerns sensible subjects or private stories, etc (Denzin and Lincoln, 1998). This issue is relevant in this research, as Barclays Bank customers will be asked about their finances and other privat e issues regarding possible attrition. The researcher however, is aware that when it comes to issues about finance, people are reluctant to give information. Hence the researcher will take the necessary action to avoid any such issues. Thus this research will consider the anonymity and privacy of respondents and accordingly would be based on the consent of respondents who will be provided with a cover letter, informing them of the purpose of the research and also providing assurance of the confidentiality of information given. Also, the name of the researcher as well as the University will be given in order to avoid any ambiguity. As a result, the researcher will be conversant with ethical considerations and both the researcher and respondents will be protected. 5.2 RESEARCH TIME TABLE 2010-2011 SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY Identification of research area 1ST    4th Formulation of research questions 6th Formulation of research strategy, 9th research design and selection 15th   methods Writing of the research proposal 20rd Negotiation of access 26th Literature review 29th 5th 27th Data collection 8th 24th Data analysis 28th 19th Writing the first draft 2nd 15th Writing the second draft 20th 2nd Writing the final draft 15th Dissertation due date 30th BIBLIOGRAPHY Rafaeli, A. and Sutton, R., (1987) Expression of Emotion as Part of the Work Role, Academy of Management Review, pp. 23-37

Aging & psychosocial

There are several challenges that are often associated with the process of aging. As enumerated by DeLaune and Ladner (2002), the most prominent of which is those which are classified under the broad categories of developmental, mental, physiological, and psychosocial challenges.First, developmental challenges include those which are related to several capabilities and skills that are developed through time (DeLaune & Ladner, 2002). Second, mental challenges include those which are related to their intellectual capacities where there are associations of mental disabilities for aged people (DeLaune & Ladner, 2002).Third, physiological changes include those which affect the physical and bodily functions of the aged where there are oftentimes aging people who have limited capabilities and due to their illnesses, can not do so much as they do before (DeLaune & Ladner, 2002).Within the realms of the challenges stated above, aging people also experience particular problems and this could l ikewise be classified under the categories mentioned above. Among the greatest difficulties of the elderly people include that of physical inability, psychological isolations, and discriminations.As for physical inability, this is sometimes caused by how their physical environments are built (Frank, Engelke, & Schmid, 2003). There are special needs that the elderly require to make their living easier and comfortable and the generic designs that are being placed nowadays including that of the public areas do not address all of these.Thus, they are further limited with regard to the physical activities that they could engage into. With regard to psychological isolations, there is a side of the picture that points towards the elderly people feeling a sense of isolation especially for those who are not living with their kin (Abbot & Payne, 1990).This is likewise true for those who are asked to live in homes for the aged where they are not able to interact with a lot of people. Lastly, t hat of discrimination stems from the perceptions of people that the elderly are â€Å"rigid, unhealthy, unhappy, and unemployable† (Newman & Grauerholz, 2002, p. 501).To a certain extent, it has been considered by Estes (1979) that the major difficulties that are faced by the elderly, for that of the geographical area of the United States are those which are brought about by the perceptions that are formed of them (as cited in Estes, 2001).It is considered by the author that what is known about the aged from the perceptions that are formed of them has affected them in such a way that problems have stemmed from these perceptions.The knowledge that is gathered about the elderly has created a box that has limited their potentials and has formed a particular web of conceptions that direct the image of the elderly people towards a particular direction (Estes, 2001). It is mentioned by the author that â€Å"in an important sense, then, the major problems faced by the elderly are t he ones we create for them† (as cited in Estes, 2001, p. 29).The clear emphasis of the author with regard to the relevance of the Likewise, it can be seen that the, indeed, the physical process of aging also affects the way elderly people interact for their everyday living.For example, it has been mentioned by Edelstein, Goodie, and Martin (2001) that the cardiovascular and respiratory system and the changes associated with it may have a considerable impact on the behavior of the adults together with their moral relationships.Likewise, there are also problems associated with the physical process that occurs especially so that their vision and hearing may be affected such that they have lower levels of capabilities as compared before when they are younger (Edelstein, Goodie, & Martin, 2001).It is not the process itself nor the outcomes for them but the experience that they associate with their external environment that leads them to consider these as their difficulties in life. Ageism, or age discrimination, is a concept which â€Å"is defined as a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish[es] this for skin color and gender† (E. Margolis, H. Margolis, Braun, 1995).As mentioned before, it also affects the way elderly go about their everyday living because there are certain perceptions and notions created of them that may be considered as stereotypes for them to live with. This means that the society has created an image which they have to live with.Likewise, the social institutions accept this as they are without prior consideration to the greater impact that it has over the elderly population. This particular set of stereotypes is evident in the age limit that is given for certain occupations.Where some are considered to be valid, some are purely stereotypes and should not be applied to all of the members of the elderly population.It can not be considered that the difficulties and challenges that are faced by the elderly population may be applied in a universal setting. The characteristic of universality is not applicable to a certain extent because there are still vulnerable groups that may be considered within the group of aging individuals.For example, it has been mentioned by Lustig (2000) that the â€Å"elderly poor women† are among those which experience vulnerability among the aged population (p. 119). This concern gives rise to the special needs that each of the vulnerable groups hold.Likewise, the differences in terms of culture also provide for the variations among the impact that they feel as a result of the challenges and problems drawn from those mentioned above, especially with that of access to social services such as health care (Breitung, 2002). There are differences with regard to the settings to which they have to live with and this produces a source of inequality where some cultures experience better access to socia l services than the rest.ReferencesAbbott, P. & Payne, G. (1990). New directions in the sociology of health. London: Routledge.Breitung, J. (2002). The eldercare sourcebook. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.DeLaune, S. & Ladner, P. (2002). Fundamentals of nursing: standards and practice. NY: Thomson Delmar.Edelstein, B., Goodie, J. & Martin, R. (2001). Aging: Physiological and behavioral concomitants. In W. E. Craighead & C. Nemeroff, The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Estes, C. (2001). Social policy and aging: A critical perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.Frank, L., Engelke, P., & Schmid, T. (2003). Health and community design: The impact of the built environment on physical activity. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.Lustig, N. (2000). Social protection for equity and growth. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

Angels Demons Chapter 118-120

118 Eleven-forty-two P.M. The frenzied convoy that plunged back into the basilica to retrieve the camerlegno was not one Langdon had ever imagined he would be part of†¦ much less leading. But he had been closest to the door and had acted on instinct. He'll die in here, Langdon thought, sprinting over the threshold into the darkened void. â€Å"Camerlegno! Stop!† The wall of blackness that hit Langdon was absolute. His pupils were contracted from the glare outside, and his field of vision now extended no farther than a few feet before his face. He skidded to a stop. Somewhere in the blackness ahead, he heard the camerlegno's cassock rustle as the priest ran blindly into the abyss. Vittoria and the guards arrived immediately. Flashlights came on, but the lights were almost dead now and did not even begin to probe the depths of the basilica before them. The beams swept back and forth, revealing only columns and bare floor. The camerlegno was nowhere to be seen. â€Å"Camerlegno!† Chartrand yelled, fear in his voice. â€Å"Wait! Signore!† A commotion in the doorway behind them caused everyone to turn. Chinita Macri's large frame lurched through the entry. Her camera was shouldered, and the glowing red light on top revealed that it was still transmitting. Glick was running behind her, microphone in hand, yelling for her to slow down. Langdon could not believe these two. This is not the time! â€Å"Out!† Chartrand snapped. â€Å"This is not for your eyes!† But Macri and Glick kept coming. â€Å"Chinita!† Glick sounded fearful now. â€Å"This is suicide! I'm not coming!† Macri ignored him. She threw a switch on her camera. The spotlight on top glared to life, blinding everyone. Langdon shielded his face and turned away in pain. Damn it! When he looked up, though, the church around them was illuminated for thirty yards. At that moment the camerlegno's voice echoed somewhere in the distance. â€Å"Upon this rock I will build my church!† Macri wheeled her camera toward the sound. Far off, in the grayness at the end of the spotlight's reach, black fabric billowed, revealing a familiar form running down the main aisle of the basilica. There was a fleeting instant of hesitation as everyone's eyes took in the bizarre image. Then the dam broke. Chartrand pushed past Langdon and sprinted after the camerlegno. Langdon took off next. Then the guards and Vittoria. Macri brought up the rear, lighting everyone's way and transmitting the sepulchral chase to the world. An unwilling Glick cursed aloud as he tagged along, fumbling through a terrified blow-by-blow commentary. The main aisle of St. Peter's Basilica, Lieutenant Chartrand had once figured out, was longer than an Olympic soccer field. Tonight, however, it felt like twice that. As the guard sprinted after the camerlegno, he wondered where the man was headed. The camerlegno was clearly in shock, delirious no doubt from his physical trauma and bearing witness to the horrific massacre in the Pope's office. Somewhere up ahead, beyond the reach of the BBC spotlight, the camerlegno's voice rang out joyously. â€Å"Upon this rock I will build my church!† Chartrand knew the man was shouting Scripture – Matthew 16:18, if Chartrand recalled correctly. Upon this rock I will build my church. It was an almost cruelly inapt inspiration – the church was about to be destroyed. Surely the camerlegno had gone mad. Or had he? For a fleeting instant, Chartrand's soul fluttered. Holy visions and divine messages had always seemed like wishful delusions to him – the product of overzealous minds hearing what they wanted to hear – God did not interact directly! A moment later, though, as if the Holy Spirit Himself had descended to persuade Chartrand of His power, Chartrand had a vision. Fifty yards ahead, in the center of the church, a ghost appeared†¦ a diaphanous, glowing outline. The pale shape was that of the half-naked camerlegno. The specter seemed transparent, radiating light. Chartrand staggered to a stop, feeling a knot tighten in his chest. The camerlegno is glowing! The body seemed to shine brighter now. Then, it began to sink†¦ deeper and deeper, until it disappeared as if by magic into the blackness of the floor. Langdon had seen the phantom also. For a moment, he too thought he had witnessed a magical vision. But as he passed the stunned Chartrand and ran toward the spot where the camerlegno had disappeared, he realized what had just happened. The camerlegno had arrived at the Niche of the Palliums – the sunken chamber lit by ninety-nine oil lamps. The lamps in the niche shone up from beneath, illuminating him like a ghost. Then, as the camerlegno descended the stairs into the light, he had seemed to disappear beneath the floor. Langdon arrived breathless at the rim overlooking the sunken room. He peered down the stairs. At the bottom, lit by the golden glow of oil lamps, the camerlegno dashed across the marble chamber toward the set of glass doors that led to the room holding the famous golden box. What is he doing? Langdon wondered. Certainly he can't think the golden box – The camerlegno yanked open the doors and ran inside. Oddly though, he totally ignored the golden box, rushing right past it. Five feet beyond the box, he dropped to his knees and began struggling to lift an iron grate embedded in the floor. Langdon watched in horror, now realizing where the camerlegno was headed. Good God, no! He dashed down the stairs after him. â€Å"Father! Don't!† As Langdon opened the glass doors and ran toward the camerlegno, he saw the camerlegno heave on the grate. The hinged, iron bulkhead fell open with a deafening crash, revealing a narrow shaft and a steep stairway that dropped into nothingness. As the camerlegno moved toward the hole, Langdon grabbed his bare shoulders and pulled him back. The man's skin was slippery with sweat, but Langdon held on. The camerlegno wheeled, obviously startled. â€Å"What are you doing!† Langdon was surprised when their eyes met. The camerlegno no longer had the glazed look of a man in a trance. His eyes were keen, glistening with a lucid determination. The brand on his chest looked excruciating. â€Å"Father,† Langdon urged, as calmly as possible, â€Å"you can't go down there. We need to evacuate.† â€Å"My son,† the camerlegno said, his voice eerily sane. â€Å"I have just had a message. I know – â€Å" â€Å"Camerlegno!† It was Chartrand and the others. They came dashing down the stairs into the room, lit by Macri's camera. When Chartrand saw the open grate in the floor, his eyes filled with dread. He crossed himself and shot Langdon a thankful look for having stopped the camerlegno. Langdon understood; had read enough about Vatican architecture to know what lay beneath that grate. It was the most sacred place in all of Christendom. Terra Santa. Holy Ground. Some called it the Necropolis. Some called it the Catacombs. According to accounts from the select few clergy who had descended over the years, the Necropolis was a dark maze of subterranean crypts that could swallow a visitor whole if he lost his way. It was not the kind of place through which they wanted to be chasing the camerlegno. â€Å"Signore,† Chartrand pleaded. â€Å"You're in shock. We need to leave this place. You cannot go down there. It's suicide.† The camerlegno seemed suddenly stoic. He reached out and put a quiet hand on Chartrand's shoulder. â€Å"Thank you for your concern and service. I cannot tell you how. I cannot tell you I understand. But I have had a revelation. I know where the antimatter is.† Everyone stared. The camerlegno turned to the group. â€Å"Upon this rock I will build my church. That was the message. The meaning is clear.† Langdon was still unable to comprehend the camerlegno's conviction that he had spoken to God, much less that he had deciphered the message. Upon this rock I will build my church? They were the words spoken by Jesus when he chose Peter as his first apostle. What did they have to do with anything? Macri moved in for a closer shot. Glick was mute, as if shell-shocked. The camerlegno spoke quickly now. â€Å"The Illuminati have placed their tool of destruction on the very cornerstone of this church. At the foundation.† He motioned down the stairs. â€Å"On the very rock upon which this church was built. And I know where that rock is.† Langdon was certain the time had come to overpower the camerlegno and carry him off. As lucid as he seemed, the priest was talking nonsense. A rock? The cornerstone in the foundation? The stairway before them didn't lead to the foundation, it led to the necropolis! â€Å"The quote is a metaphor, Father! There is no actual rock!† The camerlegno looked strangely sad. â€Å"There is a rock, my son.† He pointed into the hole. â€Å"Pietro e la pietra.† Langdon froze. In an instant it all came clear. The austere simplicity of it gave him chills. As Langdon stood there with the others, staring down the long staircase, he realized that there was indeed a rock buried in the darkness beneath this church. Pietro e la pietra. Peter is the rock. Peter's faith in God was so steadfast that Jesus called Peter â€Å"the rock† – the unwavering disciple on whose shoulders Jesus would build his church. On this very location, Langdon realized – Vatican Hill – Peter had been crucified and buried. The early Christians built a small shrine over his tomb. As Christianity spread, the shrine got bigger, layer upon layer, culminating in this colossal basilica. The entire Catholic faith had been built, quite literally, upon St. Peter. The rock. â€Å"The antimatter is on St. Peter's tomb,† the camerlegno said, his voice crystalline. Despite the seemingly supernatural origin of the information, Langdon sensed a stark logic in it. Placing the antimatter on St. Peter's tomb seemed painfully obvious now. The Illuminati, in an act of symbolic defiance, had located the antimatter at the core of Christendom, both literally and figuratively. The ultimate infiltration. â€Å"And if you all need worldly proof,† the camerlegno said, sounding impatient now, â€Å"I just found that grate unlocked.† He pointed to the open bulkhead in the floor. â€Å"It is never unlocked. Someone has been down there†¦ recently.† Everyone stared into the hole. An instant later, with deceptive agility, the camerlegno spun, grabbed an oil lamp, and headed for the opening. 119 The stone steps declined steeply into the earth. I'm going to die down here, Vittoria thought, gripping the heavy rope banister as she bounded down the cramped passageway behind the others. Although Langdon had made a move to stop the camerlegno from entering the shaft, Chartrand had intervened, grabbing Langdon and holding on. Apparently, the young guard was now convinced the camerlegno knew what he was doing. After a brief scuffle, Langdon had freed himself and pursued the camerlegno with Chartrand close on his heels. Instinctively, Vittoria had dashed after them. Now she was racing headlong down a precipitous grade where any misplaced step could mean a deadly fall. Far below, she could see the golden glow of the camerlegno's oil lamp. Behind her, Vittoria could hear the BBC reporters hurrying to keep up. The camera spotlight threw gnarled shadows beyond her down the shaft, illuminating Chartrand and Langdon. Vittoria could scarcely believe the world was bearing witness to this insanity. Turn off the damn camera! Then again, she knew the light was the only reason any of them could see where they were going. As the bizarre chase continued, Vittoria's thoughts whipped like a tempest. What could the camerlegno possibly do down here? Even if he found the antimatter? There was no time! Vittoria was surprised to find her intuition now telling her the camerlegno was probably right. Placing the antimatter three stories beneath the earth seemed an almost noble and merciful choice. Deep underground – much as in Z-lab – an antimatter annihilation would be partially contained. There would be no heat blast, no flying shrapnel to injure onlookers, just a biblical opening of the earth and a towering basilica crumbling into a crater. Was this Kohler's one act of decency? Sparing lives? Vittoria still could not fathom the director's involvement. She could accept his hatred of religion†¦ but this awesome conspiracy seemed beyond him. Was Kohler's loathing really this profound? Destruction of the Vatican? Hiring an assassin? The murders of her father, the Pope, and four cardinals? It seemed unthinkable. And how had Kohler managed all this treachery within the Vatican walls? Rocher was Kohler's inside man, Vittoria told herself. Rocher was an Illuminatus. No doubt Captain Rocher had keys to everything – the Pope's chambers, Il Passetto, the Necropolis, St. Peter's tomb, all of it. He could have placed the antimatter on St. Peter's tomb – a highly restricted locale – and then commanded his guards not to waste time searching the Vatican's restricted areas. Rocher knew nobody would ever find the canister. But Rocher never counted on the camerlegno's message from above. The message. This was the leap of faith Vittoria was still struggling to accept. Had God actually communicated with the camerlegno? Vittoria's gut said no, and yet hers was the science of entanglement physics – the study of interconnectedness. She witnessed miraculous communications every day – twin sea-turtle eggs separated and placed in labs thousands of miles apart hatching at the same instant†¦ acres of jellyfish pulsating in perfect rhythm as if of a single mind. There are invisible lines of communication everywhere, she thought. But between God and man? Vittoria wished her father were there to give her faith. He had once explained divine communication to her in scientific terms, and he had made her believe. She still remembered the day she had seen him praying and asked him, â€Å"Father, why do you bother to pray? God cannot answer you.† Leonardo Vetra had looked up from his meditations with a paternal smile. â€Å"My daughter the skeptic. So you don't believe God speaks to man? Let me put it in your language.† He took a model of the human brain down from a shelf and set it in front of her. â€Å"As you probably know, Vittoria, human beings normally use a very small percentage of their brain power. However, if you put them in emotionally charged situations – like physical trauma, extreme joy or fear, deep meditation – all of a sudden their neurons start firing like crazy, resulting in massively enhanced mental clarity.† â€Å"So what?† Vittoria said. â€Å"Just because you think clearly doesn't mean you talk to God.† â€Å"Aha!† Vetra exclaimed. â€Å"And yet remarkable solutions to seemingly impossible problems often occur in these moments of clarity. It's what gurus call higher consciousness. Biologists call it altered states. Psychologists call it super-sentience.† He paused. â€Å"And Christians call it answered prayer.† Smiling broadly, he added, â€Å"Sometimes, divine revelation simply means adjusting your brain to hear what your heart already knows.† Now, as she dashed down, headlong into the dark, Vittoria sensed perhaps her father was right. Was it so hard to believe that the camerlegno's trauma had put his mind in a state where he had simply â€Å"realized† the antimatter's location? Each of us is a God, Buddha had said. Each of us knows all. We need only open our minds to hear our own wisdom. It was in that moment of clarity, as Vittoria plunged deeper into the earth, that she felt her own mind open†¦ her own wisdom surface. She sensed now without a doubt what the camerlegno's intentions were. Her awareness brought with it a fear like nothing she had ever known. â€Å"Camerlegno, no!† she shouted down the passage. â€Å"You don't understand!† Vittoria pictured the multitudes of people surrounding Vatican City, and her blood ran cold. â€Å"If you bring the antimatter up†¦ everyone will die!† Langdon was leaping three steps at a time now, gaining ground. The passage was cramped, but he felt no claustrophobia. His once debilitating fear was overshadowed by a far deeper dread. â€Å"Camerlegno!† Langdon felt himself closing the gap on the lantern's glow. â€Å"You must leave the antimatter where it is! There's no other choice!† Even as Langdon spoke the words, he could not believe them. Not only had he accepted the camerlegno's divine revelation of the antimatter's location, but he was lobbying for the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica – one of the greatest architectural feats on earth†¦ as well as all of the art inside. But the people outside†¦ it's the only way. It seemed a cruel irony that the only way to save the people now was to destroy the church. Langdon figured the Illuminati were amused by the symbolism. The air coming up from the bottom of the tunnel was cool and dank. Somewhere down here was the sacred necropolis†¦ burial place of St. Peter and countless other early Christians. Langdon felt a chill, hoping this was not a suicide mission. Suddenly, the camerlegno's lantern seemed to halt. Langdon closed on him fast. The end of the stairs loomed abruptly from out of the shadows. A wrought-iron gate with three embossed skulls blocked the bottom of the stairs. The camerlegno was there, pulling the gate open. Langdon leapt, pushing the gate shut, blocking the camerlegno's way. The others came thundering down the stairs, everyone ghostly white in the BBC spotlight†¦ especially Glick, who was looking more pasty with every step. Chartrand grabbed Langdon. â€Å"Let the camerlegno pass!† â€Å"No!† Vittoria said from above, breathless. â€Å"We must evacuate right now! You cannot take the antimatter out of here! If you bring it up, everyone outside will die!† The camerlegno's voice was remarkably calm. â€Å"All of you†¦ we must trust. We have little time.† â€Å"You don't understand,† Vittoria said. â€Å"An explosion at ground level will be much worse than one down here!† The camerlegno looked at her, his green eyes resplendently sane. â€Å"Who said anything about an explosion at ground level?† Vittoria stared. â€Å"You're leaving it down here?† The camerlegno's certitude was hypnotic. â€Å"There will be no more death tonight.† â€Å"Father, but – â€Å" â€Å"Please†¦ some faith.† The camerlegno's voice plunged to a compelling hush. â€Å"I am not asking anyone to join me. You are all free to go. All I am asking is that you not interfere with His bidding. Let me do what I have been called to do.† The camerlegno's stare intensified. â€Å"I am to save this church. And I can. I swear on my life.† The silence that followed might as well have been thunder. 120 Eleven-fifty-one P.M. Necropolis literally means City of the Dead. Nothing Robert Langdon had ever read about this place prepared him for the sight of it. The colossal subterranean hollow was filled with crumbling mausoleums, like small houses on the floor of a cave. The air smelled lifeless. An awkward grid of narrow walkways wound between the decaying memorials, most of which were fractured brick with marble platings. Like columns of dust, countless pillars of unexcavated earth rose up, supporting a dirt sky, which hung low over the penumbral hamlet. City of the dead, Langdon thought, feeling trapped between academic wonder and raw fear. He and the others dashed deeper down the winding passages. Did I make the wrong choice? Chartrand had been the first to fall under the camerlegno's spell, yanking open the gate and declaring his faith in the camerlegno. Glick and Macri, at the camerlegno's suggestion, had nobly agreed to provide light to the quest, although considering what accolades awaited them if they got out of here alive, their motivations were certainly suspect. Vittoria had been the least eager of all, and Langdon had seen in her eyes a wariness that looked, unsettlingly, a lot like female intuition. It's too late now, he thought, he and Vittoria dashing after the others. We're committed. Vittoria was silent, but Langdon knew they were thinking the same thing. Nine minutes is not enough time to get the hell out of Vatican City if the camerlegno is wrong. As they ran on through the mausoleums, Langdon felt his legs tiring, noting to his surprise that the group was ascending a steady incline. The explanation, when it dawned on him, sent shivers to his core. The topography beneath his feet was that of Christ's time. He was running up the original Vatican Hill! Langdon had heard Vatican scholars claim that St. Peter's tomb was near the top of Vatican Hill, and he had always wondered how they knew. Now he understood. The damn hill is still here! Langdon felt like he was running through the pages of history. Somewhere ahead was St. Peter's tomb – the Christian relic. It was hard to imagine that the original grave had been marked only with a modest shrine. Not any more. As Peter's eminence spread, new shrines were built on top of the old, and now, the homage stretched 440 feet overhead to the top of Michelangelo's dome, the apex positioned directly over the original tomb within a fraction of an inch. They continued ascending the sinuous passages. Langdon checked his watch. Eight minutes. He was beginning to wonder if he and Vittoria would be joining the deceased here permanently. â€Å"Look out!† Glick yelled from behind them. â€Å"Snake holes!† Langdon saw it in time. A series of small holes riddled the path before them. He leapt, just clearing them. Vittoria jumped too, barely avoiding the narrow hollows. She looked uneasy as they ran on. â€Å"Snake holes?† â€Å"Snack holes, actually,† Langdon corrected. â€Å"Trust me, you don't want to know.† The holes, he had just realized, were libation tubes. The early Christians had believed in the resurrection of the flesh, and they'd used the holes to literally â€Å"feed the dead† by pouring milk and honey into crypts beneath the floor. The camerlegno felt weak. He dashed onward, his legs finding strength in his duty to God and man. Almost there. He was in incredible pain. The mind can bring so much more pain than the body. Still he felt tired. He knew he had precious little time. â€Å"I will save your church, Father. I swear it.† Despite the BBC lights behind him, for which he was grateful, the camerlegno carried his oil lamp high. I am a beacon in the darkness. I am the light. The lamp sloshed as he ran, and for an instant he feared the flammable oil might spill and burn him. He had experienced enough burned flesh for one evening. As he approached the top of the hill, he was drenched in sweat, barely able to breathe. But when he emerged over the crest, he felt reborn. He staggered onto the flat piece of earth where he had stood many times. Here the path ended. The necropolis came to an abrupt halt at a wall of earth. A tiny marker read: Mausoleum S. La tomba di San Pietro. Before him, at waist level, was an opening in the wall. There was no gilded plaque here. No fanfare. Just a simple hole in the wall, beyond which lay a small grotto and a meager, crumbling sarcophagus. The camerlegno gazed into the hole and smiled in exhaustion. He could hear the others coming up the hill behind him. He set down his oil lamp and knelt to pray. Thank you, God. It is almost over. Outside in the square, surrounded by astounded cardinals, Cardinal Mortati stared up at the media screen and watched the drama unfold in the crypt below. He no longer knew what to believe. Had the entire world just witnessed what he had seen? Had God truly spoken to the camerlegno? Was the antimatter really going to appear on St. Peter's – â€Å"Look!† A gasp went up from the throngs. â€Å"There!† Everyone was suddenly pointing at the screen. â€Å"It's a miracle!† Mortati looked up. The camera angle was unsteady, but it was clear enough. The image was unforgettable. Filmed from behind, the camerlegno was kneeling in prayer on the earthen floor. In front of him was a rough-hewn hole in the wall. Inside the hollow, among the rubble of ancient stone, was a terra cotta casket. Although Mortati had seen the coffin only once in his life, he knew beyond a doubt what it contained. San Pietro. Mortati was not naive enough to think that the shouts of joy and amazement now thundering through the crowd were exaltations from bearing witness to one of Christianity's most sacred relics. St. Peter's tomb was not what had people falling to their knees in spontaneous prayer and thanksgiving. It was the object on top of his tomb. The antimatter canister. It was there†¦ where it had been all day†¦ hiding in the darkness of the Necropolis. Sleek. Relentless. Deadly. The camerlegno's revelation was correct. Mortati stared in wonder at the transparent cylinder. The globule of liquid still hovered at its core. The grotto around the canister blinked red as the LED counted down into its final five minutes of life. Also sitting on the tomb, inches away from the canister, was the wireless Swiss Guard security camera that had been pointed at the canister and transmitting all along. Mortati crossed himself, certain this was the most frightful image he had seen in his entire life. He realized, a moment later, however, that it was about to get worse. The camerlegno stood suddenly. He grabbed the antimatter in his hands and wheeled toward the others. His face showing total focus. He pushed past the others and began descending the Necropolis the way he had come, running down the hill. The camera caught Vittoria Vetra, frozen in terror. â€Å"Where are you going! Camerlegno! I thought you said – â€Å" â€Å"Have faith!† he exclaimed as he ran off. Vittoria spun toward Langdon. â€Å"What do we do?† Robert Langdon tried to stop the camerlegno, but Chartrand was running interference now, apparently trusting the camerlegno's conviction. The picture coming from the BBC camera was like a roller coaster ride now, winding, twisting. Fleeting freeze-frames of confusion and terror as the chaotic cortege stumbled through the shadows back toward the Necropolis entrance. Out in the square, Mortati let out a fearful gasp. â€Å"Is he bringing that up here?† On televisions all over the world, larger than life, the camerlegno raced upward out of the Necropolis with the antimatter before him. â€Å"There will be no more death tonight!† But the camerlegno was wrong.

Satire The Princess Bride - 956 Words

Good comedies are very rare to come across, in today’s times. Due to the fact that many comedies are not as funny as they re thought out to be and they focus on issues that not related to anything funny at all. Satire, is mostly seen associated with comedies and comedians were they express their selves using irony or a lot of ridicule to show people stupidity. In my thesis essay, I want to show the reader that I have a full concept of what the essay is about while showing how satire is used in the topic I chose. In William Goldman’s novel, a comedy entitled â€Å"The Princess Bride†. There is a lot of satire that is paraphrased in the book. The book focuses on fairy tale land themes along with bits and pieces focused on the fantasy genre as well. The satire elements used within the book by Goldman, although the novel does contain a lot of comedy. The princess bride style is written in a dual narrative that shows the progression of two stories throughout the storyline of the two novels. In the first theme setting Goldman himself takes actions of using another author s work about what really transpired with the princess bride. This is a first sign of satire, because Goldman is ridiculing the previous author s work with subtlety. Goldman used illusion of The Princess Bride with a different perspective totally fictitious history, claiming it was his favorite book as any other child growing up. Goldman who basically recreates the classic fairy tale story of what true love was andShow MoreRelatedThe Satirical Theme of The Princess Bride, by William Goldman814 Words   |  4 Pages Satire with a funny twist. In the novel The Princess Bride, William Goldman satirizes both fairy tales and the standard literary process through his characters and their actions. Westley, a poor farmer, falls in love with the far from perfect maiden, Buttercup, but has to sail away in order to find his fortunes. Years later, Buttercup, thinking that Westley abandoned her, is forcibly engaged to Prince Humperdinck, a cruel and calculating man. Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo, three mysterious kidnappersRead MoreTaylor Lane Colyer. Dr. Cos sar. Final Paper. April 11,1756 Words   |  8 Pages11, 2017 Genre and Narrative in The Princess Bride Genre and narrative appear in all forms of film; they cannot exist without each other. Films have some form of narrative that makes it unique for a specific genre. This is due to the way the story is told. Depending on how the story is told the audience will generate a response to the film they are watching. Narrative and genre are used to explain the story and plot of a film. Let’s look at The Princess Bride for example; this is a genre film thatRead MoreShijing and Chuci Essay examples1885 Words   |  8 Pagesthe plan from the Charge of Heaven to rule. The Greater Brightness. The beginning of the second stanza reads: From Zhi the second daughter, Ren, went from the land of Yin and Shang. She came to marry into Zhou, in its great city, foreign bride. Together then with Ji the King they did that work of Power. Owen calls poems that celebrate the dynastys anointment by right of receiving Heavens Charge propaganda of Zhou. Some of this propaganda of Zhou is seen in the fourth stanza:Read MoreReview Of Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre 10879 Words   |  44 Pagesabuse’† (161). â€Å"Some time in the afternoon...I asked, What am I to do?...the answer my mind gave—Leave Thornfield at once—was so prompt, so dread, that I stopped my ears. I said I could not bear such words now. That I am not Edward Rochester’s bride is the least part of my woe...but that I must leave him decidedly, instantly, entirely, is intolerable. I cannot do it. But, then, a voice within me averred that I could do it and foretold that I should do it. I wrestled with my own resolution: I