International accounting group Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International accounting group - Coursework Example One of the benefits also include the access to the wide market when Toyota manufactures and assembles in these countries and the access to the market is cheaper as compared to the situation where Toyota manufacture in Japan and export it. The cost effectiveness for Toyota by manufacturing and assembling outside Japan is one of the major reason as the manufacturing cost in Japan is much higher than other countries and especially from developing countries. Toyota is considering to setup the manufacturing and assembly operations in under developed countries where the costs are cheap and is much beneficial for the company. Competing against General Motors in North America and with high financial stability along with the target of covering most of the markets it is beneficial for Toyota to get advantage from every opportunity that seams feasible and cut down costs and cover most of the markets. Solution 2 Toyota has been known for its quality control that it has thrived to provide keeping low costs for its products and its target customers. Like every large company it has made efforts to expand its operations and shown the great presence in markets like US. The basic purpose of expansion is to capture the market and increase its share it has always been strategic decision for the corporates as they ample opportunities for growth. However along with the opportunities management also has to focus on the risks that they might face that would have the potential to undermine their current status. Toyota has focused on TQM (total quality management) and along with processes have been sharp that enable just in time inventory. At overseas the quality of production facility might not be as that Toyota requires along with that it is would be burden and challenge for management while in headquarters in Japan to ensure the standards of facility and production raw material that they receive. Toyota’s policy of learn local might not prevail in every region that they plan t o operate as initial access would be to local markets that might not provide quality material. It’s design and technology that really matters in the automobile industry and in overseas it becomes even harder for company to ensure secrecy of its designs. Every region has different culture, requirements and most important of all government regulations that create a huge risk. Being a multinational Toyota always faces a threat regarding the foreign exchange. Solution 3 The recommended plant citation within North America is in the United States because as per the clause when 62% of the cost is covered in United States then the company shall be allowed to the free movement of its products within United States, Canada and Mexico. Toyota should consider the market conditions as to what type of facility should be considered best whether manufacturing or assembly and the demand of its products that is within the United States, Canada and Mexico as this will give Toyota the access to t he markets of these three countries as they are the members of North American Free Trade Agreement. The environmental and legal laws should be considered as Toyota has to comply with the legislations of United States in order to be operative. The cost that Toyota will bear should be less than the other

Machiavelli’s The Prince :: Machiavelli The Prince Essays

Niccolo Machiavelli lived in Florence, Italy in the 1400’s. The country of Italy was divided into city-states that had their own leaders, but all pledged alliance to their king. In time in which great leaders were needed in order to help the development of a city-state and country, Machiavelli had a theory that man needed a leader to control them. In his book The Prince, he speaks of the perfect leader. I believe that man, by nature, is neither good nor evil. When a child comes out of its mother, one cannot tell whether or not that child will be a serial killer or win the Nobel Peace prize. A child’s environment is what forms it to be the adult that it will be one day. I believe that it also what one believes that makes him or her what that person will be one day. Machiavelli believed however that man was naturally an evil being, one that needed control (Prince). The idea of man being an evil being, by nature, is expressed in Machiavelli’s book The Prince. He has written that a Prince should break his promises to his subjects because man is evil and will break their promises to their prince (Prince). I do not agree with this theory because I think that man will make his own decision based on whether or not he is good in character. I believe that a leader should tell the truth and win the support of the public by being known as doing this. Machiavelli seems to have the idea of preparing for the worst and thinking in terms of the worst. This is a preventative measure that will benefit anybody who has evil intentions. Only a person who thinks that man is evil would think of such ways to run a government in the way that Machiavelli thought a government should be operated. Machiavelli felt that â€Å"crafty and deceitful princes have historically defeated the faithful princes†(Prince). What happened to the idea of a caring leader, one who could be trusted to make decisions that the majority of the people agreed with? I do not agree with Machiavelli that a leader should be deceitful in order to for his country to succeed or grow. I think that what a leader is depends on what type of man you are good or evil. The leader that Machiavelli describes as being the ideal one is evil.

Strategic Management and Production Differentiation Efforts

Government policies can have a significant impact on the average profitability of firm s in an Industry. Government, however, Is not Included as a potential threat In the five forces model. Should the model be expanded to include government (to make a â€Å"six forces† model)? Why or why not? 2. How would you add complementary to the five forces model? In particular, if an Indus try has large numbers of complementary, does that make It more attractive, less attractive, or does it have no impact on the industry attractiveness?Justify. 3. Which firm will have a higher level of economic performance: (a) a firm with valuable, rare, and costly-to- Imitate capabilities competing In a very attractive Industry or (b) a firm with valuable, rare, and costly-to-imitate capabilities competing In a very unattractive Industry? 4. Will a firm currently experiencing competitive parity be able to gain sustained advent age by studying another firm that is experiencing competitive advantage? Why or why not? 5.Firms engage In an actually called â€Å"forward pricing† when they establish, during the e rely stages of the learning curve, a price for their product that is lower than their actual costs, in an dedication of lower costs later on, after significant learning has occurred. Under what conditions, if any, does forward pricing make sense? What risks, If any, do firms engaging In forward pricing f ace? 6. When GOES exist, firms with large volumes of production will have lower costs than too SE with smaller volumes of production. The realization of these economies of scale, however, is far from

A Leadership Style And Interventions - 999 Words

Leadership style and interventions A coach’s leadership style can have a dramatic influence on the outcome of the coaching process. A democratic leader coach promotes autonomy and growth in individuals when cooperation and coordination is necessary (Marquis Huston, 2012). Mutual decision-making and effective communication are the hallmarks of this leadership style and will be beneficial to Molly as she learns her new roles. A leadership style that is too strict (authoritarian) or too relaxed (laissez-faire) would not suit Molly’s learning needs (Marquis Huston, 2012). Molly requires a supportive, yet structured environment in which to become comfortable and to learn as much as possible. Collaboration will ensure Molly’s learning needs are identified and together the coach and Molly will be able to determine what needs to be taught and the best teaching methods to ensure her learning goals are achieved (Manion, 2011). Identifying Molly’s strengths through self-assessment and reflection will help her with her confidence moving through the coaching process. Step Three – Clarify Expectations and Parameters Before any coaching can begin, an understanding of the role expectations of each party must be established. This ensures each individual knows who will do what throughout the coaching process (Manion, 2011). The role of the coach is to facilitate Molly’s learning in a teaching style, determined together that best suits Molly’s learning needs. Observing herShow MoreRelatedPersonal Leadership Strategies and Interventions1193 Words   |  5 PagesPersonal Leadership Strategies and Interventions Faridah BUS: 610 Organizational Behavior Instructor: Dr. Leo Smith February 5, 2012 Personal Leadership Strategies and Interventions Effective leadership is a collaboration of individual style and execution of strategies. Successful leaders understand and implement tactics which motivate and influence employees to accomplish stated objectives. Regardless of the circumstances, the role of leadership is inherently tied to personality traitsRead MoreStages Of Organisational Development Interventions1624 Words   |  7 PagesVarious stakeholders involved in the change, work together to plan and implement the change in this stage. This is completed through organisational development interventions. There are four types of organisational development interventions and they include, interpersonal, human resource management, strategic and technostructural (Waddell et al. 2015). The situation of innovation and improvement for St Mary’s is most consistent with an interpersonal issue. St Mary’s organisational change requiresRead MoreOpenness Is Key For Success Of Leadership828 Words   |  4 Pages The princi ple of openness is key in the success of leadership. Per Sokolow and Houston â€Å"Openness is a state of mind, an attitude toward people, ideas, and circumstances† (2008, p. 29). Being open to people, ideas, and issues are important aspects to the principle of openness. Most people hear the phrase â€Å"keep an open mind,† often. However, if one were to consider the real meaning behind this infamous quote, we might question ourselves. Do you listen to understand or to respond? Are you openRead MoreThe Effect Of Leadership On Performance Essay1167 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Various research efforts have aimed to examine the effects of leadership on performance. In recent times, however, the emerging focus on leadership has particularly been on leadership styles. Beginning from business organizations, the influence of leadership styles has been studied even in educational settings. Among the leadership styles that have received significant coverage is the transformational leadership style. It is of significance for one to have the ability to analyze the researchRead MoreLj Summers Essay1033 Words   |  5 Pageschallenging their competitive advantage. Furthermore, the inexperienced production manager (owner’s son, Blaine) is using his unearned power as an authoritarian leader to drive change. However, due to poor leader-follower relations, his management style is negatively influencing the synergies ultimately causing a decrease in group productivity and member satisfaction. In addition to causing turbulence between management and the employees, the cost reduction plan resulted in increasing waste and costsRead MoreClassroom Implementation For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1216 Words   |  5 Pagesopportunities for growth by utilizing various teaching style that support academic, behavior and social skills. There is a clear indication that general educators accommodate students with disabilities due to state mandated laws and the binding practices of IEPs. Consequently, minimal research exists regarding the academic success of students with autism and the educator’s style of teaching. This encourages the question whether a correlation between teaching-styles in general education and the academic successRead MoreFactors Impacting The Performance And Profitability Of Healthcare Organizations850 Words   |  4 Pagesimpacting the performance and profitability of healthcare organizations. These organizations require a stable highly trained and fully engaged nursing staff to provide effective levels of patient care. The above mentioned topic is meaningful in any leadership/management organization because of the financial cost of losing a single nurse which has been calculated to equal about twice the nurse’s annual salary .Losing these critical employees, negatively impacts healthcare organizations in a variety ofRead MoreRole of a Project Manager1009 Words   |  4 Pageswith the challenge that is before them (IT Managers Inbox, 2013.). Leadership style My leadership style will have to change after the development of this problem. This is because my leadership style might be the reason why the team members resigned and therefore I should strive to ensure that the situation does not repeat itself. The only solution that is viable is the change of leadership style that I am using and apply another style which is better as compared to the one that I am using. I will thereforeRead MoreLeadership and Personhood961 Words   |  4 PagesReflection: Leadership and personhood Introduction One of the most difficult decisions a nurse-midwife must make when assisting with a birth is when it is necessary for a patient who initially desired a natural childbirth to seek more intensive medical treatment. The nurse-midwife must be sensitive to the needs and desires of the patient and her family, while still placing the health of the mother and baby first. Ideally, the nurse should discuss various scenarios with the mother before laborRead MoreEssay on Case Study Analysis L1059 Words   |  5 Pageschallenging their competitive advantage. Furthermore, the inexperienced production manager (owner’s son, Blaine) is using his unearned power as an authoritarian leader to drive change. However, due to poor leader-follower relations, his management style is negatively influencing the synergies ultimately causing a decrease in group productivity and member satisfaction. In addition to causing turbulence between management and the employees, the cost reduction plan resulted in increasing waste and costs

Tim O Briens The Things They Carried - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1822 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/04/07 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Things They Carried Essay Did you like this example? 1945 was a difficult time for America. There were so many people still recovering from World War II, and now the Vietnam War was starting. The Things They Carried told a story of how the war changed a person, in this case, it was Tim OBrien. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Tim O Briens The Things They Carried" essay for you Create order It showed the struggle he, and many soldiers in any war went through to be able to overcome the grief and the struggle to deal with death. In this time young men were being drafted into the Vietnam War. For example, in The The Things Carried By Tim OBrien, the protagonist in his book was being drafted into the war but tried to run from it. After he tried to run from his fate he realized he was not able to. This was just the start of The Vietnam War. For example Tim OBrien and his friends and comrades in the war. He was able to paint pictures through his words being able to let the reader feel like they are there with him. Tim OBriens book The Things They Carried explained in detail how the war affected the soldiers and those around them. Tim OBrien allows the audience to feel this emotion better by writing this book as fiction. The government also had a hand in the Vietnam war as well. The American involvement in Vietnam was shaped based on the Cold War. Even though his book is ficti on, in some ways that can have an advantage in explaining the war. Tim OBrien the narrator is telling a story about the participation he had in the war. A lot of symbolism in Tim OBriens book helped us see what he went through, even though he himself did not go through it, this is the reason that a fiction story hooked the reader and gave the reader more information than a nonfiction story can. Tim OBrien brings up about both the physical objects they carry but also they have to carry their emotional burdens. The objects that each soldier carries serves as a symbol for what they are carrying in their minds. It just starts out with the title, The Things They Carried. Before reading the book one might think that it is just about what the soldiers carried in the war. Which in the beginning that what Tim OBrien is talking about. He lists every soldier, and what they carried on their backs throughout the war but this can mean something deeper if you look in between the lines. Each and every soldier carries physical baggage but the baggage they carry can represent their emotional baggage from the war. The items on their back were the psychological weight of the war. For example, Lieutenant Cross carried a picture of Martha to comfort him. He also carried a pebble that she sent ton lieutenant Cross that was a good luck charm. The quote Martha wrote that she has found the pebble on the Jersey shoreline, where the precisely where land touched water at high tide, where things came together but separated.(7). Just like now soldiers would carry pictures and mementos of their loved ones into war to comfort them for example now soldiers may carry pictures. The war had a big toll on soldiers especially when they come home. That emotional and psychological baggage may never go away. Another way the physical baggage they carried can symbolize that they lost their true identity and now they were looked just of what they carried on their backs. Another physical memento that a soldier in the book carries is when Henry Dobbins ties a pair of pantyhose from his girlfriend around his neck to help him remember the good memories he had before the war. Another way thee pantyhose can symbolize something is since while men are at war there is not much female intimacy that they got at home. Now soldiers are able to call their families and even see them. So, that was how they were able to get their female intimacy and a sense of confidence. for example, all the physical items that soldiers would carry becau se they have something to look forward to, and want to come home. Even though The Things They Carried is a fiction story it has many lessons that the reader can learn. Being a fiction story it is easier and tells everything how it is rather than a nonfiction story where the person writing it could be hiding facts back because they are scared of it. If a veteran would have written a story like this they may have blocked out a lot of important details that have happened because of PTSD and anxiety as well as depression. Fiction can also make it easier to explain horrible events in detail that no one that lived through it could. For example when Tim OBrien was explaining to his daughter about what he experienced when his daughter asked Daddy, tell the truth, Kathleen can say, did you ever kill anybody? And I can say, honestly, Of course not.(172) As Tim OBrien stated this quote In the chapter Good Form, OBrien used the quote that states, story -truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth. (171). After that he continued to explain how as he told these stories that are not true in reality, instead made the reader have the ability to sense that the feelings that it gave the reader a feeling that they are there even if the book is a work of fiction it would give the same sense if it was nonfiction, it gave the same message but not in the same context. Without using fiction some stories that are told would give the reader better knowledge than the real stories would. Fiction would not be completely sufficient for being able to bring the emotions that the soldiers were feeling during the war. Being able to catch someones attention was to main goal in Tim OBriens Book The Things They Carried of was able to create a story that was able to instantly grab the readers interest, it allowed the reader to become more involved and able to make an image and feel the emotions that were actually being felt at the time. Even though Tim OBriens work of fiction was not able to give a true and real story about Vietnam it was able to give Tim OBrien the ability to use that as an opportunity to use techniques like metaphors and symbolism to let the reader think for deeply about the situation. Fiction may seem like a story of lies, but in his work of fiction, it was positive because it was the only way to tell the real truth. When reading Tim OBriens story he made sure to have the reader ask little to no questions about the story, but instead, they became in touch with the emotion of the characters. Physical events that happened in the book had a major impact on how he explained the history of the Vietnam War. One of the first physical events that he pointed out was when he brought up the event of the puppy on the landmine on page thirty-five. He stated that one of his friends adopted an orphan puppy and took care of it by feeding it from a spoon. Then Ted Lavender came and took the puppy. Tim OBrien stated, Azar strapped the puppy to a Claymore anti-personnel mine and squeezed the firing device.(35). This event that he described had a deeper meaning when he was telling it. It symbolized the ability to make Azar have a sense of control in a time where it seemed that no one had control over anything, but he blamed it on his immaturity. Men today in the war still would have had a problem with how they felt during the war. This incident could have also meant that he was killing something innocence and purity just like the war did to him and his comrades in the war. Some other events that had more of a meaning than what was said at that moment in the book. The event that was mentioned was when before the war and he was trying to escape from being drafted in the war, and he went to a cabin in the Rainy River as he decided to stay there for a few months. Then he came to the realization that he could not escape the war. This was what many soldiers still felt in other, more modern wars. They tried to hide or flee the country, but in the end, they needed to serve their country. The event that made him realize that was on his last day at the cabin. The event was when the cabin owner, Elroy, took him up on the river towards Canada was whe4re Tim OBrien wanted to go. Tim OBrien said youre scared, and theres a hard squeezing pressure in your chest. What would you do? Would you jump? Would you feel pity for yourself?(54).One of the last and biggest events that happened was the Death of someone close to you can make you see everything in a different light. For Tim OBrien, this was the death of his first love Linda. The death of Linda represented the event that the past could be brought back through some sort of symbolism in his book. Linda was a classmate of OBriens, but she died of a brain tumor when they were in the fifth grade. This event symbolized OBriens faith that fiction storytelling was the best way to show those emotions. This event showed how he was able to deal with the pain, confusion, and most of all, the sadness that death was able to bring to him. Linda was OBriens first love and also his first experience with deaths random choice. He was able to retreat into his mind, more specifically his dreams. He was able to see Linda, alive. This showed that even though some things are just dreams which, later for Tim OBrien evolved into his story that the dead could be alive through those who remember them. The young Vietnam soldier hit Tim OBrien especially hard, like any first death on his own hands would do for a soldier. He was not completely clear if actually threw a grenade and killed My Khe, the way he described the mans death is descriptive his death. This symbolized the way humans guilt over how horrible events that happened in the war. In The Man I Killed, OBrien was able to distract himself from this event by speaking in the third person so he did not have to directly say what he did or not do. He did what many people did they would distract themselves from the memory. How Tim OBrien did this is by speaking in the third person and constructing fantasies as to what the man must have been like before he was killed.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing ( Emdr ) And...

This paper will examine, compare and contrast Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in the case of Joe, a fictional client with post-traumatic stress disorder from two tours of combat duty as a Marine Corps sniper in the Middle East, without the use of psychotropic medications. EMDR uses side-to-side eye movements in a one-on-one session with a clinician while the client focuses on a distressing memory until he or she reports reduced symptomology or no psychological distress; the clinician then has the client think of positive thoughts while continuing the exercises. EMDR has been the target of debate over its effectiveness, with some scholars suggesting that it is the â€Å"rewiring† of the brain that is most beneficial. CPT is often used when other processes of recovery fail. Therapy, administered individually or in a group, initially focuses on misconstrued beliefs of denial and self-blame for the traumatic incident and then addresses beliefs the client has about himself and the world in general. CPT uses talk therapy and worksheets with the goal of the client learning to make sense of what happened and fit it in with the beliefs about themselves and others. Findings suggest that each therapy has its advantages and which is best depends on how responsive the client is to each mode and the therapeutic alliance between the client and therapist. A Comparison of EMDR and CPT with Presenting Problem of Post-Traumatic StressShow MoreRelatedExamining Effectiveness Of Treatment Strategies Used With Survivors Of Rape1357 Words   |  6 PagesExamining Effectiveness of Treatment Strategies Used With Survivors of Rape Therapy for survivors of rape is often difficult to obtain. The lack of availability of counselors who specialize in specific trauma treatments, like prolonged exposure and cognitive-processing therapy, as well as lack of insurance and location, are hardships for treatment-seeking individuals. Therefore, it is important to pinpoint the most effective treatments for those who have suffered the trauma of rape. The purposeRead MoreThe Long Term Effectiveness Of Prolonged Exposure Therapy1017 Words   |  5 Pages2013; Ullman Peter-Hagene, 2014). This research proposal intends to explore the long term effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) at reducing distress and trauma explicitly for adult victims of sexual assault and rape. Prolonged exposure (PE) is a specific exposure therapy program that derives from Emotional Processing Theory (EPT). The idea of emotional processing is to interpret realistic information and accommodate that information into a fear structure which in turn diminishes the fearRead MoreThe Long Term Effectiveness Of Prolonged Exposure Therapy712 Words   |  3 Pages2013; Ullman Peter-Hagene, 2014). This research proposal intends to explore the long term effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) at reducing distress and trauma explicitly for adult victims of sexual assault and rape. Prolonged exposure (PE) is a specific exposure therapy program that derives from Emotional Processing Theory (EPT). The idea of emotional processing is to interpret realistic information and accommodate that information into a fear structure which in turn diminishes the fearRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1453 Words   |  6 Pagesemotions. 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PTSD will be summarised as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders edition 4 with revisions (DSM-IV-TR). The therapy models,

The Secret Circle The Hunt Chapter 21 Free Essays

A warm breeze rustled the graveyard’s foliage as the Circle and Suzan’s father gathered for her burial. It was an impossibly sunny day, which only made Cassie feel guilty that she could enjoy it when Suzan couldn’t. Suzan had been such a lighthearted person, always able to find the fun in any situation. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 21 or any similar topic only for you Order Now How was it possible that they could all be standing here now beneath the bright sun, while Suzan would be buried beneath heavy black dirt? It wasn’t fair, and nothing anyone said would make sense of it. The graveyard was mostly flat, comprised of a few small ponds and crooked streams. The jagged coastline was visible in the distance to the east. To the west were wooded, rolling hills. And prevailing over all of it were the granite cliffs in the far north. This was a beautiful place. Why were such wonders made so much more visible by death and loss? Was that why tragedies happened? To open our eyes to the miraculous, to force us to appreciate joy? Only Deborah had the courage to say a brief eulogy over Suzan’s casket, to reach for a few words that might capture what the whole Circle was feeling. She cleared her throat and looked affectionately at Suzan’s father. â€Å"Suzan was easy to underestimate,† she said, and a few people giggled. â€Å"In fact, Suzan wanted you to underestimate her, so she could later surprise you with her wit and intelligence, her goodness, her generosity, and let’s not forget, her sarcasm. Beneath all her fancy clothes and makeup, Suzan was a pure soul.† Deborah was choking back tears now. â€Å"She was pure through and through. And we’re all going to miss her very much.† They all began to cry, but Faye was the most distraught of all. She could barely keep herself upright, she was so overcome with grief. To keep her sobbing from disrupting the ceremony, she staggered off to the side to lean against a barren tree. Cassie went to her. She approached her the way she would have approached an injured street cat, with carefulness and caution, fully prepared to back off if necessary. She tried putting her arm around her, but Faye immediately pushed her away. â€Å"I don’t want your pity. Just leave me alone.† â€Å"Faye,† Cassie said. â€Å"None of this is your fault. You can’t be blaming yourself.† Faye stared viciously at the ground. â€Å"It should have been me. I wish it was me in that box right now.† â€Å"Faye.† â€Å"No, Cassie. It’s easy for you to say it’s nobody’s fault. You saved the day. You’re the hero. But I’m the reason Suzan was on that roof to begin with. And then she threw herself in front of the killing curse to save me. So don’t stand there and try to make me feel better. I don’t deserve it.† Cassie could understand the sentiment. She didn’t want to feel better either. And if Faye wished to punish herself, there was nothing Cassie could do to convince her otherwise. She took a step closer to Faye but didn’t attempt to touch her this time. She just stood near her quietly and respectfully, hoping at the very least to make Faye feel less alone in her remorse. They watched the remainder of the service together from afar. After the casket was lowered into the ground, there was nothing left for anyone to do but file back to their cars. Cassie took Faye’s hand and guided her across the grass to the rest of the group. With her other hand, she reached for Adam. Together, the eleven of them walked solemnly across the graveyard, but Cassie felt as if each step took them further away from one another. This devastation had broken their bond and weakened their allegiance. Then Cassie looked down at her and Adam’s intertwined fingers. She willed it to be there. The silver cord. But nothing appeared. The town of New Salem oddly came to life around funerals. People Cassie had never even seen before poured into Suzan’s house with flowers and food for Suzan’s dad. He was polite, but dazed. It might take weeks for the reality of Suzan’s death to actually hit him. Cassie wished she could go to him now and offer him some kind of explanation for what had happened to his little girl. He must have so many questions. But Cassie restrained herself. It was probably better to leave those things unsaid. None of it really added up to an explanation anyhow. Diana huddled close to Cassie and whispered in her ear. â€Å"See those?† she said, pointing to a bouquet of lilies. â€Å"They’re from Max.† Cassie could see Diana was hurting. Not having Max nearby when she needed him the most couldn’t have been easy. This day would have been impossible for Cassie to endure without Adam. But then again, Adam wasn’t the Circle’s sworn enemy. Diana touched one of the lilies longingly. â€Å"I broke it off with him, you know.† Cassie tried not to appear relieved. â€Å"After what happened with Suzan, I realized how dangerous it really was,† Diana continued. â€Å"I told him I needed to stand with my Circle.† â€Å"And he’s okay with that?† â€Å"He doesn’t have a choice,† Diana said, but she gazed around the room as if she were still hoping Max might step inside at any moment. Cassie could relate. She had given up Adam once for the good of the Circle and her friendship with Diana. She searched her mind for the right thing to say. Max hadn’t been on the roof the night of their battle, so maybe he wasn’t so bad after all – maybe he was having second thoughts about being a hunter. But Cassie still couldn’t ignore the facts: It was Max who’d marked Faye. It was Max’s father who’d killed Suzan – Suzan, who they’d just buried less than an hour before. Cassie couldn’t help but be glad Diana had broken up with him, at least for the time being. â€Å"Look, Diana,† Cassie said. â€Å"None of us knows what the future holds. What’s going to happen between you and Max down the road isn’t something we can predict. But today, you have your friends. And we’re here for you – we have to be, now more than ever.† â€Å"You’re right. And I’m grateful. Believe me, I am.† Diana paused. â€Å"It’s just that sometimes I wish everything could just be normal. Do you know what I mean?† â€Å"Well,† Cassie said, looking over at Adam. He was greeting strangers at the door, thanking them for their casseroles and flowers, directing them toward the sitting room. He was always the helper, always the gentle knight. How could Cassie judge Diana harshly for choosing a complicated person to love, when she knew it was hardly a choice at all? â€Å"You know what I think?† Cassie put her arm around Diana and brought her in for a hug. â€Å"I think sometimes, normal is overrated.† How to cite The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 21, Essay examples