The Success Of Ebay

The Success Of Ebay eBay.Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides online marketplaces for the sale of goods and services, online payment services, and online communication offerings to a diverse community of individuals and businesses in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: eBay Marketplace, Payments, and Communications.   The eBay Marketplaces segment provides infrastructure to enable online commerce in a variety of formats, including the traditional auction platform; and its other online platforms, such as Rent.com, Shopping.com and Marktplaats.nl. Its services include trust and safety programs; feedback forum; safe harbor program; eBay standard purchase protection program; customer support; tools and services; and My eBay, which permits users to receive a report of their eBay activity that includes bidding, selling, account balances, favourite categories, and recent feedback, as well as About Me, which provides users to create their own personal home page. The Payments segment delivers a product for small businesses, online merchants, and individuals that enables them to send and receive payments online. Its services include joining the network, verification of its PayPals account holders, withdrawing money, and trust and safety programs. The Communications segment enables voice over Internet protocol calls between Skype users, as well as provides connectivity to traditional fixed-line and mobile telephones. It offers its software in 23 languages. The company also offers online apartment rental services and comparison shopping resource service, as well as provides an Internet payment platform that allows merchants to authorize, process, and manage online payments. eBay, Inc. was founded by Pierre M. Omidyar in 1995 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.   What is eBays business strategy? How successful has it been? What are the problems that eBay is currently facing? The business strategy of eBay is to generate revenue from the fees and commissions associated with its charged to the site to exchange products. The revenue is generated by the people who use the eBay site. This view has been supported in the work of Laudon (2009, pp.308-309). eBay also collects revenue from direct advertising as well as from various service providers, such as PayPal that increase the ease and speed of eBay transactions ( The wikinvest, 2010). eBay also build on its existing strengths and increase its choice of customized shopping experiences and new monetization models. Properties such as eBay Express, ProStores, eBay Stores, and Shopping.com give eBay entry into the market for new, in-season products (The eBay Inc, Annual Report, 2009). eBays growth strategy focuses on expansion in geography and scope and on continuing innovation to enhance the variety and appeal of products on its sites. This view has been supported in the work of Laudon (2009, pp.308-309). eBay is now begun developing tools and services that promote e-commerce anywhere on the web. eBay is also having discussion with MySpace to allow eBay listing on MySpace pages. The eBay companys plan has been very successful by economies of scale of eBay due to its large supply of buyers and sellers (Kevin Dickson, 2009). Having a large number of active users as they do, they are able to protect themselves from new entrants to the industry. This retains their market share and provides them with a strong foundation for successful business. eBay is very successful, whereby the company has been profitable and had attracted more than 233 million users by 2006 It has operations in 32 countries. In 2005, eBay users listed 1.8 billion items in auctions. This caused about $50 billion dollars exchanging hands (Catherine Holahand 2007). One of the most successful parts of the company is that it is fully automated. This significantly reduces costs to eBay, keeping net income high. According to Danny Vogeley, 2005 states that, current problems that eBay facing now is based on analysts report that sales growth have dropped from 40 percent annually to 23 percent. New users are no longer joining the site at the same rate they used to join, and there are many of eBays top sellers arent concerned in adding voice calls to their sales models. eBay also has faced is a rising number of buyers who have been defrauded by sellers (Albert, Miriam R, 2002). Customer service is one more problem for eBay and it is mostly due to the size of the eBay company. eBay experiences basically two types of customers, sellers and buyers. Often the need of one customer is not the same as the need of the other (The eBay Inc, 2010). The next problems that eBay is currently facing are resistance by some of its top sellers to its operation of a VoIP service Skype, a aggressive threat to the online auction marketplace in Asia by Yahoo, and maintaining the honesty and integrity of its auction service in the face of tremendous growth and expansion (Jeffrey S, 2006). How is eBay trying to solve these problems? Are these good solutions? Are there any other solutions that eBay should consider? In order eBay to solve these problems, they are trying to improve its sites user experience to keep its loyal customer base happy. It is reducing the clutter of its web page design, especially the home page, which has been described as one of the most confusing and cluttered in the industry. This view has been supported in the work of Laudon (2009, pp.308-309). eBay is looking to improve product search result and give buyers more guidance in finding the product they are looking for without having to scour through hundreds or might be thousand of listing. eBay also increasingly focused on providing a traditional retail experience or small seller in order to have great income as a result (Nikole Cruise, 2009). The solutions is eBay try to include a great expansion. Growth rates have been hindered by the increase in seller fees, however, these loses have been covered by the expansion into other countries. This view has been supported in the work of Laudon (2009, pp.308-309). Joseph. T. Sinclair (2007, pp.62) states that eBay has added extra measures of protection. For example, eBay will give extra protection to those buyers that purchase a vehicle on their sites. eBay has also entered into a number of relationships with major competitors such as Yahoo! and Google. Other than that, eBay is banking on PayPal to become the standard payment technique for online transaction (Evan Schwartz, 2001). This has allowed its eBays customers to buy and sell goods and receive payments easily. This has increased the user base of eBays customers. To remain in touch with its customers, eBay has started a program called Voices which brings buyers and sellers together 10 times a year at corporate headquarters (Josh Catone, 2008). This program allows users to talk to management and discuss what the users like and dislike about eBay and make suggestions. eBay has tried to build a channel of communication between customers (Charles  M.  Mayo, 2010) . It enables customers to discuss tips on how to sell and purchase items. It is also creating a component of the website where people can discuss items that people collect and trade. Using these ideas can help to decrease the number of fraudulent transactions. This view has been supported in the work of Laudon (2009, pp.308-309). eBay is now also looking to improve product search result and give buyers more guidance in finding the products they are looking for without having to scour through hundreds of listing. The solutions that eBay has come up with to resolve various problems seem to be effective. eBay believes that the most vital task of the company is to keep customers happy (Annalee Newitz, 2007). eBay is trying to maintain the selling capabilities of the merchants on eBay as well as the confidence of its customers. An extra solution that eBay have to consider includes helping to avoid fraudulent purchases (Tri Bros Broda, 2006). eBay could act as a mediator between the two parties. It could set rules stating that the purchaser must pay the amount of the item to eBay. Once the item has been sent to the purchaser, the payment will then be forwarded to the seller. What people, organization, and technology factors play a role in eBays response to its problems? People factors that play a role in eBays problems include the company employs and manage diverse kinds of people. The company employs around 15,500 employees. Whereby, the employees of the company have different background and each had different job experiences in the past. Such is done by the company because they believe that these people can give them a unbiased in organization (The eBay Inc, 1998). This makes the company flexible to different kinds of situation to this problem. The next People factor that plays a role in eBays problems is the employees at eBay are extremely well taken care of, and this is an area of pride for the company (Kevin Dickson, 2009). With out a large force of human capital eBay would not be able to function. The focus on employee satisfaction and attitudes is important to achieve the success of the company. People factors include recognizing that there are problems in the company and coming up with the solutions to the problems. People in eBay has to figure out how allocate its 8000 full time workers as eBay purchases new technologies and programs that will be used on the website and that will need support (The eBay Inc, 2010). People will have to talk to buyers and sellers to determine if the companys new services are satisfying the demands of the users. Organizational responsibilities factor play a role in the planning process because an organization is responsible for providing stakeholders with profit or value first and foremost. (Sarah Ganly, 2010). The benefit to the stakeholder to play a role in the decisions of the planning process because the ultimate goal of most businesses is to provide value Organization factors in eBay include having enough employees to carry out the changes to the company. It must be made sure that the organizations business strategy is customized to satisfy new and emerging demands (The eBay Inc, 2009). The organization also needs to have enough finances to fund the purchase of the new programs and services that it may use to respond to the problems (Catherine Holahan, 2007). Within the organization factors eBay has made many advances to aid in their growth. Three operating segments have been designed within the company to handle the commonly used marketplaces, along with the additions of payments and communications (Kevin Dickson, 2009). Marketplaces are made up through the use of eBay auction listings, fixed price listings, as well as the additions of their other online platforms, Half.com, Rent.com, Shopping.com and StubHub. In Technology factors include offered new innovations in the technological sector and introduced new concepts with regards to eBay site (Ina Steiner, 2010). Seeing as, technology rapidly changes the company makes sure they are updated to what is happening and they can adjust to these changes. The company makes sure that the products they have are updated with regards to technology and if new technologies emerge they can compete with these products. eBay summarized its ongoing site operations and underscored its success in scaling to process ever-growing global demand and rolling out advanced features and functions while lowering costs (The eBay Inc, 2001). The company also described its next generation software architecture, which is designed to increase productivity and trading speed as well as allow for greater flexibility in adding new businesses Technology factors include the element and programs that will be run by eBay such as PayPal, Half.com, Shopping.com and Skype. EBay will most likely have to also increase storage space to accommodate the new programs (Kevin Dickson, 2009). EBay will have to develop the technologies and have the programs written that will power eBays new Ad Context program that will compete with Googles Ad Sense program that runs contextual online ads based on keywords that are searched in the website. Will eBay be successful in the long run? Why or why not? Yes, eBay will be successful in the long run. eBay is the worlds largest online auction website (The Buzzle Online, 2010). eBay will stay successful as long as another e-commerce site does not start up that offers better security and seller/buyer service. Their business strategy has already proven to be extremely effective, and they are currently the dominant player in the online marketplace business. As the effort that eBay facing may limit its future growth and expansion, they should always be able to keep at least their current levels of business and resulting profit margins (The Channel Advisor, 2010). In the ways to make eBay to successful in long run, eBay will have to design ways of attracting new buyers to the website so that transactions can continue to take place (Jack Goldstein, 2009). eBay has been investing greatly in VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), but at the moment VOIP is not of necessity considered a mainstream service. This view has been supported in the work of Laudon (2009, pp.308-309). eBay needs to find ways of making this service more obtainable not just to its current users but to people in general. eBay can work with computer manufacturers and supply financial investment to have VOIP technology installed into computers. Beside this, eBay has a large market space spanning dozens of countries. This maintains a large base for customers to sell their products easily and effectively. eBay is trying to apply more interactivity with the purchase of Skype, so that customers and sellers can communicate two-way (Catherine Holahan, 2007). eBay provides a high level of price transparency, the simplicity to which customers can find out prices in a market (Philipp Maier, 2005). eBay has recognised that it is more profitable to work with competitors such as Yahoo! and Google. The ensuing that eBay now shows has generated a source of revenue. Conclusion eBay has always done very well in focusing its companys goals and has been fast in grabbing into opportunities. eBays business model demanded that their viewers needed to be many thousands of consumers, and there should be a balance between buyers and sellers. They actively worked balance the number of buyers with the number of sellers. Envisioning success, they designed their Web site to make it easy for many simultaneous buyers to find items to buy, and for sellers to offer items for sale. They provided sellers with a safe, reliable means to collect what they were owed, while also providing the buyer with a similar safe, reliable means to ensure that what they bought was just as the seller had represented it.   The eBay company should try to branch out to other business opportunities. The company can try to have a personal buying and selling business wherein a company has a visible branch that buys and sells different products and services. Customers who have known the company for a long time will be the first customers of the company in this effort. eBay gives a whole new meaning to the word middle man business. It does this by providing extra ordinary tools to sellers which, lets the seller target their products to the buyers. It also provides buyers with wonderful search tools, to get to the products they are looking for. eBay has made a very powerful platform for both sellers and buyers by being seamless and invisible but at the same time facilitating Customer to Customer relationship.

How to Throw a Party Without Getting Caught By Parents?

Then, he wonders how e will ever keep it a secret from his parents. His life will be over if his parents find out and he will be grounded until he Is married. Luckily for him, he Just has to follow numerous steps In order to not receive a miserable punishment from his parents. He will conquer his high school dream of becoming a part of the popular crowd and earn respect from his peers all while acting Like the perfect child towards his mother and father. As he learned in high school English class, research must be done before writing a huge research paper.He must first see when his parents and siblings will be out of own for more than a couple of hours in order to throw the party. He should do this by tip-toeing down to the kitchen, looking at the family calendar, and finding a day where the house will be completely empty and useable. He absolutely cannot ask his parents directly when they will be gone or the entire plan Is ruined and suspicion will fill his parents' heads. If his pa rents planned for a family vacation for the weekend, he can simply play sick and contract a viral disease that will inhibit him from going on the family trip.With this terrible Illness, the family will have to leave him at home while they go on to their vacation. After all, he Is a high school boy and can take care of himself. If the whole family decides to stay home and â€Å"take care† of their beloved son, then he must magically hop out of bed, claim to be well again, and go on the trip. There will be another available time slot to have a house party. Once he finds a time where the family is gone for the day or night, he can begin to plan the party.If the parents decide to ask their neighbor or grandparents to check in on him, he should avoid this by telling the â€Å"watcher† that he does not want to get them sick and will send periodic pictures of what he is doing throughout the night. He will of course cake pictures alone in a room doing homework, reading, or lis tening to music while the rest of the party Is In another room. He must first find a close group of friends that will evaluate the student population and figure out who to invite. These friends must be trustworthy and not have parents who are friendly with the host's parents.If a parent of one of his friends calls the host's mom, the entire plan could be ruined If the friend's mom says her son was at a party at their house. Once a group is formed, speak of the party to anyone but his close group of friends until he is 100% certain of the time and day of the party. He should wait till the day of the party to invite people. This should be done through Backbone. He should create an invite on Backbone and make the invite private which means only people he invited can see it.If he tells his peers a week before the party, talk could go around school, get whispered to parents, and get told to his mom and dad. The planning behind the party is key. Once the day of the party comes, he must th ink about every possible situation that could occur and safe proof the house. He must remove any objects that are sentimental to his parents, things that are easily broken, and valuables of any kind in moms where the teenagers will be occupying. Before doing so, he should take a picture of each room so that he can put back all objects into the correct spot.If his parents noticed a picture or lamp was moved to the other side of the room, they may become suspicious and ask questions. He must lock doors to rooms he does not want anyone in such as the parents room or the father's office. If a teenager were to get into these rooms while unlocked, things could be moved around or stolen without the host even noticing. If the parents came home and saw a disruption in their bedroom r office, he would be punished immediately due to suspicion.The fewer the rooms that teenagers are allowed to go in to, the easier clean up will be. If there is illegal activity going on at the party such as under age drinking, the bathroom can be a common living area for party goers. There should be an excessive amount of toilet paper, paper towels, plungers, trash bags, and air fresheners in the bathrooms. With these available necessities, hopefully his guests will have chances to clean up after themselves. In order to minimize visibility to neighbors, he should drape or tape blankets and towels over the windows.This way, neighbors will not see any suspicious activity and call up his parents.. If his parents are coming home at one in the afternoon the following day, he should set three alarms in order to wake up four hours before his parents arrive. Once he does all these things, the party can begin and guests can arrive, but with caution. To lessen suspicion amongst neighbors, all guests should carpool with as many people as possible and park a block away from the house or scatter their cars throughout the neighborhood.This way, there will not be a line of cars in front of the house that i s supposedly vacant. Once the guests enter the house, he should pump up the music to an appropriate level and peruse the party making sure all guests are having a great time. After each guest enters the house, he must lock the door immediately after. This way no uninvited teenagers can come in the party. Also, if a guest leaves the door open without the host knowing, the neighbors might catch a glimpse of the activity going on in the house and call the parents.Once he does this, he can enjoy himself at the party. He should monitor the rooms people are allowed in and clean up food, cups, or any trash left behind. If he does this, the cleanup will be easier the next day and trash will not accumulate under sofas or tables. He should make sure guests are all feeling well and having a good time. While doing these steps, he will also be meeting numerous friends and becoming the most popular guy in Tree Hill High School. Once the host becomes tired, he should tell all guests to leave and t ravel home safely.Before he falls asleep, he should call his parents to and say goodnight. They will not be suspicious of their son's activities. After he says his goodbyes, he should clean up as much as he can. The clean-up process cannot be put aside and done five minutes before the parents come home. If he misses a single alarm and does not have time to clean up, the house will not be in perfect condition and his mom and dad will know he threw a raging house party. That is why he set three alarms to ensure this does not happen.After all three alarms wake him up; he must start with loading trash bags with bottles, cans, cups, boxes, or any large trash items. Because he woke up so early, he can have enough time to take these trash bags to a public dumping site so that his parents do not wonder why there are numerous trash bags for one person. He must look outside the window and make sure his guests did not dump their trash on his rent lawn. Once this is done, he should then move on to general clean-up such as mopping, sweeping, and putting back all the objects he originally took away.He must grab his camera, look at the pre-party pictures and make sure all heirlooms, pictures, and valuables are in their precise starting position. He should then unlock all the original rooms he blocked off. The host should do a scan of the house and make sure there are no holes in the walls or stains on the floors. If so, he should have enough time to figure out a solution. If there is a hole in the wall, he can cover it up with mouthing such as a chair and then casually admit that he caused the hole at a later time in the week when playing football in the house by himself.After the clean-up is done, he should change into casual clothes, plop on the couch, pop in a movie, and pretend that he Just woke up and is having a relaxing day. Once his parents came home, they will suspect no party occurred in the house and see that they have the best son in the world. As long as he foll ows every necessary step, he will throw the biggest, most raging house party to ever occur in his small town without his parents ever finding out.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 7

â€Å"Get out,† I said immediately. Yasmine and Vincent, finishing their breakfast at my table, looked up in surprise. Niphon gestured toward them. â€Å"I was invited in. I didn't think it'd be a problem.† Angel and human looked distinctly uncomfortable, and I could guess what had happened. Niphon had turned up, and they'd let him inside, not knowing about our animosity. They'd probably figured he was a partner in evil which, in the most technical of ways, he was. Vincent hastily stood up and took his empty plate to the sink. Yasmine followed. â€Å"Well,† said Vincent. â€Å"We should probably get going.† â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Yasmine, grabbing her coat. Fools rushed in where angels feared to tread, apparently. â€Å"Great seeing you guys.† They left so fast that they might as well have teleported out. I fixed my attention back on Niphon. â€Å"Get out,† I repeated. He leaned back against my couch, draping his arms over the back of it. â€Å"Letha, Letha – â€Å" â€Å"And stop calling me that.† â€Å"Whatever you like. And don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon. I just wanted to give you a Tawny update.† Oh God. Tawny. Please, please let her have scored last night, I silently begged. Her attitude at the bar hadn't really inspired confidence, but maybe me leaving with Jude had set a good example. â€Å"She hasn't taken a victim yet.† Damn. â€Å"Alright, thanks,† I said, pointing at the door. â€Å"You can leave now. And next time, it's really okay if you call to give me an update. Preferably when you're in the taxi that's taking you to the airport so I don't ever have to fucking see you again.† He rose from the couch, giving me a wounded look. â€Å"Fine, fine. But there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.† â€Å"There is nothing at all I want to talk to you about.† I was on the verge of growling. â€Å"Oh, I'm not so sure about that.† His hand rested on the doorknob, but he showed no intention of actually leaving. â€Å"I think you'll be very interested. It's about your love life.† â€Å"No! We are not talking about this.† â€Å"Le – Georgina, I just want to help you,† he whined. â€Å"I think it's terrible that you two can't fully express your love.† â€Å"We. Are. Fine. And don't lean against the door. I don't want your hair to leave an oil stain.† Niphon straightened up and ran a solicitous hand over the back of his head. â€Å"Look, I get why you don't want to sleep with him. It's admirable. You want to protect his lifespan, not wipe him out, etc., etc. But what if that wasn't an issue? What if I made it so that you could have sex without the dire side effects?† â€Å"Right. And you'd do that out of the kindness of your heart.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged and spread his hands wide. â€Å"There's always a price.† â€Å"It's not worth it. Not worth Seth selling his soul.† â€Å"I could sweeten the deal. Give him a longer lifespan†¦longer youth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No. I swear to God, if you don't leave now, I'm calling Jerome.† That was a bluff, seeing as Jerome was out of town. â€Å"Like I said, just trying to help,† Niphon said. â€Å"Yeah, like you helped me?† I asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. Suddenly, the mocking, teasing look vanished. Niphon's face grew hard. Angry. Scary. â€Å"I did help you, Little Letha. You were no one. No one at all. Some poor fisherman's daughter in a shit, backwoods town. Some whore in a shit, backwoods town. You fucked up your life, and I fixed it for you. I made you who you are. Erased your problems. Saved your husband. Gave you eternal life and beauty. If anything, you owe me.† â€Å"It wasn't worth it,† I said, in a voice that matched his dark expression. â€Å"It wasn't worth it.† â€Å"Wasn't it? Would you have rather watched your husband commit suicide? Would you rather have died an outcast and disgraced?† I didn't answer. I thought about the desperate look on my husband's face when he'd found out that I'd cheated on him. Even after all these centuries, that expression still haunted me. He'd been driven to such despair that he'd been on the verge of taking his own life. In selling my soul and becoming a succubus, I'd struck a bargain with Hell that made him and everyone else I knew forget me. My husband had lived and gone on with his life, forgetting I'd ever existed. Had it been worth it? Observing my silence, Niphon's face turned taunting once more. He opened the door. â€Å"Good-bye, Georgina. Let me know if you change your mind.† He left, and I stared at the door for a long time before finally forcing my feet to start moving. The Seth soul-selling offer held no temptation for me whatsoever. That didn't trouble me. But his other words†¦the reminders of my past†¦ I sighed. I didn't want to deal with that, not with everything else going on in my life right now. And speaking of which†¦with two hours left until work, I decided to bite the bullet and again try to get more information about my dreams. From Dante. His store looked as bleak as the last time I'd visited, but this time, he actually had a customer. She was a young woman, college-aged maybe, with layered brown hair and a gray sweatshirt. Seeing her, I started to step back outside, but he waved me in. â€Å"No, no, it's okay. You can wait here.† Dante glanced at the girl. Both of them sat at the shabby, velvet-covered table. â€Å"You don't mind, do you?† She barely spared me a glance. â€Å"No! No! Hurry, go on. I want to hear more about the man.† Dante produced a dazzling grin that seemed a bit fake to me but which I suspected was actually very effective on her. Taking a step closer, I realized he was reading her Tarot cards. Several already lay on the table. He flipped another over. â€Å"Ah, the Hierophant.† His voice held a mysterious, knowing note. â€Å"What's that mean?† she squealed. â€Å"You don't know? You don't know anything about these?† She shook her head. â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Well, the Hierophant is a great love card. It represents a romantic man, someone good-looking and charming who loves giving gifts and doing small gestures. You know the kind.† â€Å"I don't, actually,† she said wistfully. â€Å"All my boyfriends have been jerks.† â€Å"Well, that's going to change,† he promised. I knew quite a bit about Tarot cards, actually. The Hierophant represented tradition, wisdom, and organized religion. He wasn't exactly a romantic figure, particularly considering he was usually depicted as a priest. â€Å"Why is he dressed so weird?† asked the girl. â€Å"He looks like he's in robes.† â€Å"It's not weird,† Dante said. â€Å"It's opulent. Remember, the Tarot is an ancient system. A guy dressed like this represented the height of fashion back in the old days. You know, a real designer label kind of guy.† I caught Dante's gaze and rolled my eyes. He maintained his poker face and flipped the next card. â€Å"Things are looking good,† he declared. â€Å"The Tower.† The Tower was pretty much the worst card in the deck. â€Å"This shows you guys have a promising future.† â€Å"Why is it on fire?† she asked. â€Å"And why are people falling out of the windows?† â€Å"It's all symbolic,† he said hastily. â€Å"And although things look really good for when you meet this guy, it means you have to be cautious and read the signs around you.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† she said. â€Å"I hope I can.† Dante gathered up the cards and stacked them neatly. â€Å"Well, I can help if you want. I could give you a package set of readings at a discount. That way, you'll have a guide as you go along. You'll be prepared for when you meet him.† I sincerely doubted she was ever going to meet this mythical guy. â€Å"How much?† she asked hesitantly. â€Å"Hmm, let's see.† Dante turned speculative. â€Å"Well, they're normally fifty dollars. Usually, I give a five-dollar discount for packages†¦but, hell. I really want to see this work. I'm a romantic myself, you know? It's a stretch, but I'll do a set of six for forty dollars each. You can buy them now and then come in whenever you want to claim them.† The girl deliberated, and I wanted to yell at her that it was a scam. But I needed Dante's advice and didn't want to get on his bad side. Not that I was necessarily on his good side right now. â€Å"I don't want to pressure you,† he told her gently. â€Å"So, please. Don't feel obligated. Just do whatever your heart tells you to do. I mean, if the cards have told us anything, it's that you have to protect your heart now as you enter this important stage of your life.† That sold her. â€Å"Okay. I'll do it.† I watched in disbelief as the two of them walked to his register. She handed over two-hundred-forty dollars – plus tax – and he gave her a Tarot punch card, not unlike what you'd get at a coffee or sandwich shop. â€Å"You should be ashamed of yourself,† I told him when she was gone. â€Å"Succubus. Nice to see you too.† â€Å"That wasn't a romance reading.† â€Å"Nope,† he agreed, coming over to stand beside me. â€Å"It actually suggested she'd soon be having a sex change and joining a suicide cult.† â€Å"But you told her it was about love.† â€Å"She's twenty years old. Love's all they want to hear about at that age.† â€Å"You're going to Hell.† â€Å"I could have told you that. In fact, I did tell you that last time, didn't I? Now. What can I do for you? You change your mind about the sex?† â€Å"No. Of course not.† He looked offended. â€Å"Of course not? What's with the attitude? I'm not that unappealing.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. He looked like he still hadn't shaved in a couple days, and there was something very sexy about that and the way his indigo T-shirt fit him. I hadn't realized before what nice ab muscles he had. Probably the lack of business around here gave him lots of time to work out. â€Å"But that's not why I'm here. And honestly, if this behavior is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm thinking your soul isn't going to be worth my time anyway.† He threw his hands in the air. â€Å"She comes and insults me, then expects help. So what is it you want? Your dishwasher finally break?† â€Å"No, but I had the dream again. And there was more.† I recapped it, and he listened, face unreadable. â€Å"You sure you don't want a new dishwasher?† he asked dubiously. â€Å"No!† â€Å"What about kids?† â€Å"What about them?† â€Å"You want them?† I fell silent, and despite his lopsided smile, I could see Dante scrutinizing me. He might be a con artist, but he was smart. The best ones always are. People like him make their living reading people and exploiting little things – like that girl's longing for romance. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"You know that. I can't have them.† â€Å"I didn't ask that, succubus. I asked if you wanted them.† I averted my eyes, studying the crystal ball. With the way the sunlight hit it, I suspected it was actually plastic. â€Å"Sure. I did even when I was mortal. If I could have kids now, I would.† He nodded, and for the first time, I got the impression he might almost be taking me seriously. Almost. â€Å"And let me guess. You woke up without energy.† â€Å"Yes, and I'd gotten a victim the night before. Just like last time.† His face turned speculative. â€Å"Interesting. It only happens when you're charged up.† â€Å"What do you think it means?† â€Å"Dunno. Might not mean anything.† â€Å"It has to! I'm losing energy for no reason at all.† â€Å"You're stressed,† he argued. â€Å"And you're, like, one of the most uptight people I've ever met – immortal or otherwise. You've spent centuries wishing you could get knocked up. You have this celibate boyfriend thing going on. And you work for that demon, right? The one who looks like Matthew Broderick?† â€Å"John Cusack,† I corrected. â€Å"He looks like John Cusack.† â€Å"Whatever. That's enough to tax anybody. Your dreams are manifestations of the woes in your life, coming out of your subconscious in vivid, energy-sucking ways.† â€Å"You are so unhelpful. Your dream expertise is a scam – like everything else.† â€Å"Nah. Not everything I do is a scam. I know dreams. I know spells. And I know what could help you.† â€Å"What?† He pointed to the counter. â€Å"You and me. Up there. Naked. Horizontal.† I groaned. â€Å"Wow, you really weren't lying. You are a romantic.† â€Å"A pragmatist. And an opportunist.† â€Å"A sleazy guy, treating me like a cheap whore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fuck, I haven't been laid in months, and now this succubus shows up wanting my help. You'd try to bargain for sex too.† I eyed him warily. â€Å"Is that what this is about? I have to sleep with you to get help?† Dante shoved his hands in his pockets. â€Å"Nope. You'd be more fun if you were willing, I think. Besides, I have no other help to give.† Disappointed, I made motions to leave. â€Å"Okay. Thanks. Sort of.† â€Å"You know what else might help?† he called after me. â€Å"If it involves sex – â€Å" â€Å"A vacation. At the very least, a massage. Basic stress reliever things.† Those were actually reasonable things, and I was pleasantly surprised to see his mind wasn't always in the gutter. â€Å"They can help,† I told him. â€Å"But I doubt a massage will fix the problems in my life.† â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not. But if you want a free one†¦a naked free one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I left. I'd already felt like my romance with Seth was some infinite loop tape reel. The rest of my life apparently was too. Have the same dream, go to Dante, get no help, go to work, and ruminate. Because that's exactly how my day was unfolding, just like before. I went through the motions of paperwork and customer service at Emerald City, all the while consumed by images of the little girl in the dream and the sweet fantasy of having a daughter. My heart ached to see her again, to see that smile. Everything at my job seemed so shallow and meaningless compared with her. When work ended, I brought Maddie back to my apartment to make good on my promise to get her a date. â€Å"You're going to sell me?† she exclaimed when I told her the plan. â€Å"It's an auction,† I said. â€Å"For a children's charity. You don't hate kids, do you?† â€Å"Well, no, but – â€Å" â€Å"Then this'll be great. Here, try this on.† I tossed her a BCBG shopping bag. She eyed it warily. â€Å"Isn't that a place for teenagers?† â€Å"It's a place for anybody with style,† I assured her. She opened the bag and pulled out the knee-length dress I'd picked up for her the other day. It was silk chiffon with a dark pink geometric print. The empire waist had a slightly gathered top, and the V-neck had a bow that tied underneath it. Fluttery cap sleeves finished it off. â€Å"I can't wear this,† she said immediately. â€Å"Why? Because it'll look good?† She shot me a glare. â€Å"There's hardly anything there.† â€Å"What? There's plenty.† I owned lots of dresses that had â€Å"hardly anything there.† This was elegant and tasteful. Amish country compared to some of my clothing. â€Å"Try it on, and we'll see.† She did, reluctantly, and I could have crowed with delight when she stepped out of my bathroom. I'd totally nailed the size. It fit perfectly. â€Å"There isn't an extra inch here,† she fretted, pulling at the fabric around the waist. â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Doesn't it make me look fat?† â€Å"It makes you look great. If it were spandex or something, there might be a problem, but this is light and drapey.† â€Å"The neckline's awfully low – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† I snapped. â€Å"And let's finish the rest of you.† I did her makeup and arranged her hair down for a change. It shone like black silk when brushed out, and I thought it was a shame she wore it in a haphazard ponytail so often. Besides, everyone knows that in the movies, shy girls always become beautiful by letting down their hair and taking off their glasses. Maddie already wore contacts, but the principle was still sound. I finally finished her off with half-heeled shoes I'd bought to match the dress. Higher ones would have looked better, but even I knew when not to press my luck. Satisfied with the results, we headed out to the auction. â€Å"You're like my fairy godmother,† she muttered as we walked into the hotel the event was being held at. â€Å"But I'm still a pumpkin.† I elbowed her. â€Å"How did you get so negative? You should start some angstful emo rock band to compete with Doug's.† â€Å"Oh, yeah. That'd go over – hey, is that Seth?† We were cutting across the open room the auction would take place in, heading toward the volunteers' area. Lots of people had gathered, filling most of the round tables facing the stage. I followed her gesture to where Seth sat at one of the few tables that wasn't already full. Seeing us notice him, he held up his hand in greeting. â€Å"He wanted to come support you,† I told her. Actually, Seth had been appalled at me strong-arming Maddie into this and had attended mainly out of a perverse fascination at what he thought might end in disaster. But Maddie, not knowing his motives, was pleasantly surprised. She smiled, and I nearly swooned. â€Å"That,† I said. â€Å"That right there is what you need to do.† The smile dropped. â€Å"That what?† Hugh practically skipped over when he saw us. â€Å"I knew you didn't hate kids. I knew you'd cave and come help – â€Å" â€Å"Not me,† I said. â€Å"Maddie.† I rested a hand on her shoulder. Hugh's face turned perfectly blank. â€Å"Oh?† Just then, a tall brunette in a black satin evening dress strolled over. The â€Å"fucking fox,† presumably. She extended her hand. â€Å"Hello, I'm Deanna, the coordinator. You must be Hugh's friend?† â€Å"Georgina,† I said, shaking. â€Å"But Maddie here is your volunteer. She's a journalist for an important women's magazine.† Deanna's eyes lit up. â€Å"Ah! We love celebrities. Let me take down your information.† She led Maddie away. As soon as they were gone, Hugh turned on me. â€Å"What the hell? I wanted Georgina, and you give me Georgy Girl.† â€Å"You are such an asshole. That's a horrible thing to say.† He shrugged, eyes on Maddie. â€Å"I call 'em like I see 'em. She's huge.† My eyes were on Maddie too. She actually looked quite slim in the dress, but Hugh was one of those guys who liked bony types – so long as their chests were big enough. â€Å"You're the reason women have such horrible self-esteem issues. You tear them apart. Women, I mean. Not the issues.† â€Å"Look, I'm sure she's not all bad,† he said. â€Å"She probably gives good head.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Flatterer. Why do you say that?† â€Å"Fat girls always do. They have to. Only way they can get men.† I punched him in the arm. Hard. â€Å"Ow! Fuck, that hurt.† â€Å"You're a jerk,† I told him. â€Å"Maddie's beautiful.† â€Å"She's okay,† he said, rubbing his injured arm. â€Å"And I can't exactly have just okay tonight – not with that liability already on deck.† He pointed over to where some of the other volunteers waited. Immediately, I found what he referred to. It was easy because Tawny towered over the other women by about a foot. â€Å"Holy Christ,† I said. â€Å"How did that happen?† He threw up his hands, looking miserable. â€Å"She latched on to the idea when you mentioned it at the bar.† â€Å"I didn't even think she heard me,† I said apologetically. Hugh waved me toward the crowd. â€Å"Too late now. Go have a seat, Brutus, so this disaster can get under way. You've ruined the night. I don't know why you hate kids so much.† I gave him a parting glare and went off to find Seth. The vampires had joined him since I'd come in. â€Å"You guys here to get a date or a victim?† I asked. â€Å"Neither,† said Peter. â€Å"We're here to see the Tawny Show.† I sighed. â€Å"This is supposed to be a charity event, and people are treating it like a freak show. Hugh already accused me of ruining it by bringing Maddie.† Seth looked surprised. â€Å"Why? She looks great.† I pointed her out to Peter and Cody, who also concurred about her cuteness. â€Å"She'll be fine,† said Cody. â€Å"Tawny's going to be the one to watch. I haven't really been able to see what she's wearing. I hope it's up to her usual standards.† â€Å"Maybe her Secret Santa will get her some nicer clothes,† said Peter. He glanced at me. â€Å"You bought for yours yet?† â€Å"Huh?† Right. Carter. I'd completely forgotten. Buying something for that cynical angel hadn't exactly been at the top of my priority list. â€Å"I, um, have some ideas. Still thinking about it.† â€Å"What about a Christmas tree? You got one of those?† â€Å"Um, haven't done that either.† â€Å"I didn't know you wanted a Christmas tree,† said Seth. â€Å"Do you need help picking one out?† â€Å"Well, I don – â€Å" The auction started, cutting me off. The auctioneer, Nick, was a young guy in his early thirties who probably had a second job doing minor modeling contracts that would never actually get him out of Seattle. He smiled non-stop and did a good job flirting with the women and making guy-jokes to the men. Bids flew fast and furious, and it was easy to get caught up in the excitement. â€Å"Next up,† said the auctioneer, reading from a card, â€Å"is Tawny Johnson.† â€Å"Johnson?† asked Cody. â€Å"Kind of boring.† â€Å"She made up both her names,† I said. Succubi often did. â€Å"She probably didn't have any mental energy left after choosing the first one.† â€Å"Ouch,† said Seth. â€Å"Who's being mean now?† â€Å"You haven't met her,† I warned. Tawny pranced up, wearing seven-inch high-heeled shoes that appeared to be made out of stainless steel. They looked like medieval torture devices but matched her super-tight, silver lam? ¦ hot pants and jacket. â€Å"She didn't disappoint,† said Cody, studying the outfit. Unsurprisingly, she stumbled the last couple of steps, and Nick reached out to steady her. â€Å"Careful there,† he said, flashing his brilliant white teeth. â€Å"Men are supposed to fall all over you.† It took her a moment to get the joke, and then she burst into small, high-pitched giggles. The noise grated on my nerves, but Nick seemed quite pleased to have someone appreciate his jokes. â€Å"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Tawny,† he said. â€Å"It says here you're currently unemployed. Does that mean you're out looking for something right now?† â€Å"Well, Nick, I'm out looking for someone right now – if you know what I mean.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I said. â€Å"That was kind of funny,† Peter noted. â€Å"No, it wasn't.† Nick apparently agreed with Peter. He threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Careful there, guys†¦we got a dangerous one on our hands. Tell me, Tawny, what is it you're looking for in a man?† She pursed her red-lacquered lips in deep thought. â€Å"I'm looking for heart, Nick. Heart and soul. Those are the most important things.† There was a collective â€Å"aww† from the audience. Beside me, Peter said, â€Å"Okay, the soul thing really was funny. Only to us, of course, but still.† Tawny then winked at the crowd. â€Å"But stamina and a big checkbook can make up for that sometimes.† Nick waited for the audience's laughter to fade. â€Å"Okay, let's start the bidding at fifty – oh my God.† Tawny had taken off her jacket, revealing a zebra-print bandeau top underneath. ‘Top' was a dubious term at best, though. When wrapped around her enormous bust, it looked more like a rubber band and really only served to cover her nipples. Bids exploded from the audience, much to the astonishment of my friends and me. More surprising still was when Nick the auctioneer actually joined in. â€Å"Folks, I know this is a bit unusual†¦but, well, I just can't help myself. Three-hundred dollars.† â€Å"Three-fifty!† â€Å"Four-hundred!† In the end, Nick was the one who ended up winning her, paying a startling five-fifty. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned,† said Peter. I would have made a joke about his comment if I wasn't so shocked. When I finally found my voice, it was to say, â€Å"Well†¦this is a good thing, right? That guy looks like he'd sleep with her right now.† â€Å"And,† added Cody, â€Å"it was all for the kids.† Slowly, my astonishment faded into relief. This was an unexpected twist to the evening. The Tawny problem was fixed. Apparently, all we'd needed to do was essentially run an ad for her. She'd sleep with him, and Niphon would get off my back. One less thing for me to worry about – which was good, because I certainly had plenty of other things. Like Maddie. It was her turn next. She walked out, face grim and set for battle. She looked both terrified and terrifying. In spite of that hard countenance, I still saw a few interested faces in the audience. â€Å"Smile, smile,† I muttered to no one in particular. â€Å"Maddie Sato,† said Nick cheerily. â€Å"You write magazine articles. Anything I'd know?† â€Å"Probably not,† she said, still wearing that grimace. â€Å"Not unless you read feminist publications.† â€Å"Feminist,† he said, clearly amused. â€Å"Next you'll be telling us you hate men.† She gave him a blank look. â€Å"I only hate stupid men who don't actually understand what ‘feminist' means.† He laughed. â€Å"You run into a lot of men like that?† â€Å"All the time.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Even as we speak, Nick.† â€Å"Oh no she didn't,† said Peter. I groaned. It took Nick a full ten seconds to realize he had just been insulted. Then, for the first time that night, he stopped smiling. Turning to the crowd, he said flatly, â€Å"Okay, let's start the bidding at fifty.† Silence met him. The interested faces no longer looked so interested. I swallowed a scream. No, this couldn't be happening. I'd promised her a date. This would destroy her. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a voice in the back of the room. â€Å"Fifty.† Relieved, I craned my head and looked. The guy who had bid was about fifty years old and looked exactly like this pedophile I'd once seen on a news special. â€Å"Fifty,† said Nick. â€Å"Do I hear seventy-five?† Silence. I turned to Seth. â€Å"Do something!† I hissed. He flinched. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Going once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I elbowed him, and his hand shot up. â€Å"Seventy-five.† There was a collective â€Å"ooh' in the room. Apparently no one, including Maddie, had expected a bidding war for the belligerent man-hater. Her eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"One hundred,† said the pedophile look-alike. Then, either to end this quickly or because he felt sorry for Maddie, Seth said, â€Å"Three hundred.† More sounds of astonishment followed. The other bidder couldn't compete; he must have spent all his money on bail. â€Å"Sold to the gentleman in the Welcome Back, Kotter T-shirt.† â€Å"Nice,† said Cody, as Maddie exited the stage. I reached out and squeezed Seth's hand. â€Å"Thank you.† He gave me his half-smile. â€Å"Anything for the kids.† Nick flipped to his next card. â€Å"And now we have†¦Georgina Kincaid.† My head shot up. Across the room, I saw Hugh's smirking face. â€Å"Oh no he didn't,† I said through gritted teeth. Nick, puzzled, glanced toward where the other auctionees were. â€Å"Georgina Kincaid?† â€Å"No avoiding it,† Peter told me. â€Å"Might as well go up there. Otherwise people'll think you hate kids.† â€Å"That joke is getting old,† I hissed. Vowing to slap Hugh later, I reluctantly rose from my chair. Upon seeing me, Nick turned on the supernova smile. â€Å"Ah, there she is. Fashionably late.† On the subject of fashion, I wished I'd worn something as nice as Maddie's dress. I might have just gotten tricked into this thing, but now I wished I could do it right. I still looked good; my normal sense of aesthetics would allow for nothing less. I had on a black skirt and a purple cashmere sweater, my hair in a ponytail. In tiny increments – too slow and small for anyone to notice – I tightened the sweater around my figure and made the neckline bigger. I put a saunter into my hips and pulled out my ponytail tie, shaking out my hair. It had worked for Maddie and countless nerdy movie girls. It would work for me because I suddenly had a serious issue at stake here. There was no way on God's green earth that I was going for less than Tawny. â€Å"Georgina,† said Nick, helping me onto the stage. â€Å"My notes say you prefer Georgie.† Yeah, Hugh was definitely getting slapped. â€Å"And that you run a bookstore.† If I'd taken a victim recently and had succubus glamour on me, I wouldn't have to do a single thing except stand there. I wouldn't even have to smile. Now I'd have to work a little. Quickly, I assessed this crowd. The kinds of guys who came to events like this tended to be white-collar professionals with disposable income. Some would be here simply because philanthropy was trendy and good for the image, and this was a stylish way to do it. Others, while perhaps not desperate, were nonetheless intellects and introverts who found this a good opportunity to meet women. These men all wanted smart, competent women – women who were also pretty, of course. And wit†¦wit always went over well. I gave Nick, then the audience, a heart-stopping smile. â€Å"That's right. I organize events, bring in money, make sure everything looks good, and whip people into shape.† â€Å"Sounds like a lot of work,† he said. â€Å"Or,† I said, â€Å"an excellent first date.† There was no cymbal crash, but my punch line elicited the laughs I'd hoped for. â€Å"You have some high expectations,† said Nick. â€Å"Well, I think everyone should. Why settle? If a guy meets my expectations, I'll meet his. And in the end, it's all about sense of humor and a conversation that won't put me to sleep.† I realized I sounded vaguely like a Miss America contestant, but maybe there wasn't much difference. I could see from the intrigue in the audience that I'd made a good impression. â€Å"This one's a keeper,† said Nick. â€Å"Let's start at fifty for Georgie.† I got my fifty and then some. Bids flew around the room. At one point, I glanced at Seth. Our eyes met, and I could tell by his expression that he was on the verge of bidding. I shook my head. He was the only one I wanted to go out with in this room, but I didn't want to taint Maddie's win. I wanted her to feel special. Besides, I also didn't want Seth to blow that much money. I went for seventeen-hundred dollars. â€Å"I can't believe that,† Maddie whispered to me afterward. â€Å"I think you're the highest one so far. The guy looked cute too.† He had. Late thirties. Armani suit. Harmless. Nobody I planned on establishing anything meaningful with, but he'd do for a casual date. Maybe an energy fix if I decided to use this body. â€Å"You brought in some money yourself,† I teased. Her eyes found Seth, sitting across the room, and studied him speculatively. â€Å"Seth probably did it because he felt sorry for me.† â€Å"Of course not,† I said quickly. She still looked skeptical. â€Å"Well, it doesn't matter. I'd rather drink coffee and talk shop with him than go out with some sleazy guy. That other bidder reminded me of this sex offender I saw on TV once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When the auction wound down, I exchanged contact info with my buyer for a future date. Hugh attached himself to Deanna and stayed as far away from me as possible. No worries. I'd have plenty of time to deal with him later. Tawny, fortunately, also stayed away from me and clung to Nick's arm. I watched them like a proud parent. Tonight was going to be a great night.

Analysis Of The Poem Langston Hughes - 947 Words

Langston Hughes Research Please read the following three sources and answer all of the questions. Once you’re finished email the completed document to my email, lwiget@asa.edu. 1. http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/04/22/specials/hughes-humor.html In 5-7 Sentences summarize what this article is about. Your answers will go here: In this article is about the Life of Langston Hughes; how he was growing and couched the people with his humor and irony, regarding the impossibility and hard of being Hughes, The Black man also the American, how he showed it in his poetry the hard that was for a Black Man that started from the street complete his dreams like he always reflect in the most of his poetry’s that if you can read it you can see how he feels about the injustices that he had to pass during his life. 2. Listen to and read â€Å"I Too† PG 926 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiCWngPt-L4 (Listen on YouTube) http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/177020 (Read along) What is this poem about and how does it relate to the other poems of his we’ve read? In this poem showed us the frustration that he had and how he felt about when somebody look down on you and ashamed from you, but he really don’t care about it because he became strong and don’t get too offended because he knows one day he will demonstrated that they were wrong about how they act with their black brother and he will show them how beautiful he is and they will love him like how he is because he’s also American.Show MoreRelatedPoem Analysis : Langston Hughes Poem1258 Words   |  6 Pages Research Paper and Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Mother To Son† is a twenty line poem that seems to be from the perspective of a prudent mother that is giving her son, and possibly the readers, some helpful and supportive advice, telling them that, no matter how many adversities they may face, they can not give up. I believe that this is the main theme of the poem, perseverance. â€Å"So, boy, don’t you turn back./ Don’t you set down on the steps./ ‘Cause youRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Dream By Langston Hughes1909 Words   |  8 Pagesof each poem are very similar, but yet are different in their own unique way as well. The two pomes are about dreams, the first poem, Dream is about what could possibly happen if we let go of our dreams and don t purse them. The second poem, Harlem is about the possibilities of what could happen when we postpone our dreams. Both poems do not exactly end with a happy ending, for they show the regret that we will be left with, possibly even death. The poem Dream by Langston Hughes is aboutRead MoreLangston Hughes Poems Analysis1077 Words   |  5 PagesThe Never-Ending Fight for Freedom in America Langston Hughes was born during a time of blatant racism and discrimination. He was a voice for black America in the 1920s, and his poems have endured with a never-ending passion for justice and racial equality. His poems have a strong positive message, albeit his frustration for his country, which did not allow him to sit at the table of his white counterparts, as in â€Å"I, Too.† Hughes wanted to live equally among others, to feel an undeniable part ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Langston Hughes 1451 Words   |  6 PagesAccelerated English 10 16 May 2017 Langston Hughes The â€Å"Poet Laureate of Harlem† as they called him was a very influential writer during the Harlem Renaissance (DISCovering Multicultural America, par. 2). He showed what life was like from his eyes and hoped that racial prejudice would stop once people understood what life was like for him. This is the story of Langston Hughes, who stood up for what he believed in and always fought for African American rights. Langston Hughes was an author during the HarlemRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Langston Hughes 2630 Words   |  11 PagesDaragon Wendwesen Stanford Searl English 102, fall 2014 December 12, 2014 Paper Five What â€Å"Identity† Means In The Poems of Langston Hughes Before I explain my take on what identity means in Langston Hughes works, I would like explain a little about a man who happened to be one of the most recognizable names in African- American literature, and the struggle he faced – as a writer and mostly as an African American. A brief glimpse into our darkest days and description of his life and about him willRead More Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesHarlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem The short but inspirational poem Harlem by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes views on deferred dreams. Harlem is an open form poem. The poem consists of three stanzas that do not have a regularRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Cross By Langston Hughes963 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem Cross by Langston Hughes sensationalizes the battle of being biracial; especially in the mid 1900 s.This poem dramatizes the problems of his ethnic roots, and growing up biracial in a time period and country that primarily sees blacks and whites. In this poem, Hughes is expressing his disappointment of being of both high contrasts however considering the fact that he could never have an honorable place in neither of the two races nor be acknowledged by neither of the two racial classesRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem I, Too978 Words   |  4 Pages Langston Hughes America, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. This is what everyone was told, what the Declaration of Independence states. But, Langston Hughes a black American poet in the Harlem Renaissance period saw the truth. Being an African American in the United States during the early 1900’s was difficult. Many lived a life full of hardships; segregation, prejudice and economic hardships, viewed as second-class citizensRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem Essay707 Words   |  3 PagesMy choice is a Langston Hughes’s poem â€Å"Theme for English B† and â€Å"Mother to Son.† Both poems were written around the Harlem Renaissance Era. Both of the poem Hughes shares learning new things and using a creative language. His poems are empowering, it speaks from a creative mind. We should study my texts because of the cultural center for Africa-American: writers, artists, musicians, photographers, p oets, scholars. The poem reflects the Harlem Renaissance era. The Harlem Renaissance was a name givenRead MoreAn Analysis of Langston Hughes Poem Harlem1520 Words   |  6 PagesPoems Harlem by Langston Hughes Thesis statement: Hughes wrote this when Jim Crow laws were still imposing an bitter segregated society in the South. There were still lynchings of innocent African Americans, there was no Civil Rights Movement, there was no Civil Rights legislation yet, and Blacks couldnt eat at lunch counters in the South. Harlem, however, was not at all like the South in terms of blatant, legal segregation. However, racism was very much in place in many places in America. Blacks