The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin Essay Example for Free

The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin Essay The Turkish Gambit is the third novel by Boris Akunin to be translated from Russian to English. It is also the second novel among the Erast Fandorin detective-fiction masterpieces written by Akunin. This novel is set during 1877-1878 when the Russian-Ottoman war was marking its place in World History. It revolves around the search of protagonist Erast Petrovich Fandorin for a Turkish spy among the ranks of Russian soldiers. In his plight, he was accompanied by a female sidekick named Varvara Andreevna Varya Suvorova who has gone in Bulgaria to find her fiancà ©. The novel involves the death of Russian hussar officer Count Zurov and Officer Ivan Kazanzaki. Apparently, these deaths are very much planned by the Turkish- secret agent Anwar Effendi disguised as the French journalist Charles Paladin. Paladin’s story that he was able to see that the Turks were smaller in number may have been his chance to talk to this army and tell them that he was about to convince the Russians to attack Plevna with smaller troops. Thus, the Russian army attacked Plevna with no exact knowledge of the Turks’ strength. The death of Zurov occurred when he was ordered by Russian General Sobolev to fetch reinforcements from their headquarters as they were being beaten by the Turks during their battle at Plevna. This attack was lead by incorrect information from Paladin who said that the Turks were already on the losing end when in fact, they were gathering more strength against the Russian army. Zurov may have been killed on his way to their headquarters by Paladin as he was still in Bucharest where he killed Colonel Lukan (Lukan may have also been able to find out that Paladin was the spy) so as not to be able to call the said reinforcement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Akunin’s novels that feature Fandorin, there is always a homosexual character that is usually blamed of a crime but ends up innocent. In The Turkish Gambit, this character is portrayed by a Russian Greek gay officer named Ivan Kazanzaki who was accused of treason. He was sent to jail and suffered because of this accusation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But as Fandorin relayed what he found out about Paladin, Kazanzaki was proven innocent. The detective said that all along, it was Paladin who was causing so much trouble on the Russian army because of severe treachery. He revealed that no one from Paladin’s paper has ever seen him and why Paladin’s stories were filled with information at cities where Anwar was said to be located. He was also the one who changed Plevna to Nikopol on the telegram by distracting Peter Yablokov telling him that Varvara was at their place. It was Paladin who was supposed to be accused of treason and not Yablokov or Kazanzaki.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And as the novel ended, with the problem on the espionage resolved, Akunin imparts another predicament to his readers as Fandorin was able to predict that although Russia was able to win over Turkey, they are still up to a new set of problems. And that is for sure is another installment of the Fandorin series that should be anticipated. SOURCES: Kiem, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin: Random House†. Flak Magazine 1999-2006. 10 December 2006.http://www.flakmag.com/books/turkishgambit.html Weidenfeld Nicolson. â€Å"The tsar’s Man†. The Guardian 29 Jan. 2005. 10 December 2006. http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/crime/0,6121,1400851,00.html

What Does It Mean To Keep A Day Holy? :: essays research papers

To understand what it means to keep a day holy, one must understand what holy is. Dictionary.com defines holy as spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God. According to this definition to keep a day holy would be to make the day acceptable to God. Making a day acceptable to God will unquestionably vary with religious beliefs. For the Christian, Sunday is above all an Easter celebration, illumined by the glory of the Risen Christ. It is the festival of the "new creation". Yet, when understood in depth, this aspect is inseparable from what the first pages of Scripture tell us of God’s plan in the creation of the world. If the first page of the Book of Genesis presents God's "work" as an example for man, which it does, then the same must be true of God's "rest." â€Å"On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done" (Genesis 2:2) It would be clichà ©d to interpret God's "rest" as a kind of "inactivity". By its nature, the creative act, which founds the world, is unending and God is always at work, as Jesus himself declares in speaking of the Sabbath principle: "My Father is working still, and I am working" (John 5:17). The divine rest of the seventh day does not allude to an inactive God, but emphasizes the fullness of what has been accomplished. It speaks, as it were, of God's lingering before the "very good" work. The book of Exodus tells us that we need not cease all work to keep the lords day holy but only remember: "Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). Before commanding that something be done, the passage urges that something be remembered. It is a call to awaken remembrance of the grand and fundamental work of God, which is creation, a remembrance that must inspire the entire religious life of man and then fill the day on which man is called to rest. Rest therefore gains a sacred value: the faithful are called to rest not only as God rested, but to rest in the Lord, bringing the entire creation to him.

How Does Dickens Present the Development of Pip’s Character?

The novel Great Expectations follows the story of a young boy, Pip, who realizes his identity as he strives to be above his social class, and shows the development and changes in his character. Pip's personality traits change through interaction with other people in the course of this story. Although Pip was brought up in a harsh and poor background, with a punishing sister, who had brought him up â€Å"by hand†, he was gentle and kind. However, after his encounter with Miss Havisham and Estella, his perception of the world is drastically altered, and along with this so does his character.The reader first sees how sympathetic Pip is when he meets the escaped convict, Magwitch, in the graveyard. Dickens creates a sense of pathos through Pip’s description of Magwitch â€Å"he hugged his shuddering body in both his arms†, which shows that he is in a terrible state and about to literally fall apart. Here Magwitch is portrayed as vulnerable, injured and not very menac ing. This novel is narrated by Pip; therefore it is Pip that is describing Magwitch in a pitiful state. Consequently, Pip does not see Magwitch as a threat; instead he feels sorry for him and is sympathetic.Pip is very brave, as he faced the convict, Magwitch, who was several times his size and many more times as strong, despite being so young. He was even able to talk to him politely, â€Å"If you would kindly please to let me keep upright, sir, perhaps I shouldn’t be sick, and perhaps I could attend more†. Also, instead of fleeing at once, Pip had wished Magwitch goodnight. This takes a certain amount of courage, and also shows that Pip is well-mannered. Furthermore, Pip is curious about Magwitch and cares about him, as he did not run away as soon as he was freed, â€Å"I stopped to look after him†.This shows that Pip was concerned about Magwitch’s wellbeing, as if he was truly scared of Magwitch and was just going to go home to carry out his errand, he would have run straight home. Staying and watching after Magwitch portrays that Pip has a good heart and has a gentle character. Dickens also demonstrates Pip’s capacity for compassion when he returns to Magwitch of his own free will with food, water and a file, when he could have reported him the police. Pip did not bring Magwitch food and water just because he was threatened to do so, but because he wanted to do this.The reader can see this as Pip brings good food and brandy to Magwitch, â€Å"some bread, some rind of cheese, about half a jar of mincemeat†¦ some brandy†¦ a beautiful round compact pork pie†, and not just simple bread and water. This shows that Pip is generous and considerate, willing to risk being discovered by Mrs Joe that he had stolen a pork pie, just for the convict. Pip and Magwitch share an interesting relationship here, where Pip is the loving, nurturing superior, despite the fact that he is younger than Magwitch.This event shows tha t Pip is tender, nurturing, and has a matured character. The turning point in Pip’s life comes after his first visit to Satis house, when he meets Miss Havisham and Estella. After this visit, he is greatly influenced by them and starts to treat himself and his family very differently. Estella, whom Pip falls in love with at once, has a profound effect on Pip, as he soon starts to despise himself and detest the way he acts and looks, â€Å"I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair.Her contempt for me was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it. † Estella, who is the ‘tool for revenge’ of Miss Havisham, is the character which causes Pip to start hating himself and wish he was more like Estella than the person he is now. Therefore, Pip has become more self-critical of himself, as he disapproves of his own appearance and behaviour. Pip’s desire for advancement largely over shadows his basic goodness. Not only is Pip changing his attitude towards himself, but also towards his family and friends.He echoes Estella’s words precisely when he is evaluating Joe one day, â€Å"how common Estella would consider Joe, a mere blacksmith: how thick his boots, and how coarse his hands. † This further enforces how Pip aspires to be like Estella, as he is trying to speak like her and share the same views. Also, Joe is a father-figure to Pip, as he tries to protect Pip from his wife's angry outbursts, â€Å"Joe and I being fellow-sufferers, and having confidences as such, Joe imparted a confidence to me†. However, now Pip is looking down on Joe, who was a friend, a brother and a father to him.As well as disapproving Joe, Pip even blames him to an extent for his behaviours, â€Å"I determined to ask Joe why he had ever taught me to call those picture-cards, Jacks, which ought to be called knaves. I wished Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and then I should have been so too. † This is quite rude and disrespectful, as Joe had always been kind to Pip. It is not Joe’s fault to have been born into a poor, lower class family and for Pip to blame Joe in such a way is very unfair. Therefore Pip is starting to become ungrateful and snobbish, even to his nearest and dearest. Pip is ashamed now f the life he leads and with whom he leads it with, as he mentions several times that he is â€Å"ashamed of home†. Initially, Pip had many wonderful images of home, â€Å"I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls†¦ I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence. † However, he follows this by saying how embarrassed and unhappy he is of his home when he says, â€Å"Now, it was all coarse and common, and I would not have had Miss Havisham and Estella see it on any account . This shows that Miss Havisham and Estella have changed his perception of his quality of life, from believing that he lived in a wonderful world, to believing that he led a worthless life. Pip has changed from being content with living a simple life, to being constantly desiring to improve his status and impressing Estella. As a character, Pip has developed from being a humble, kind boy with an innate goodness about him, into a young man who falls madly in love with Estella, to such an extent where he would do anything to win her over and that it blinds him from everything else.He disapproves of his family and hurts those around him, including himself. As a character, however, Pip’s hopes of a higher position in society often leads him to perceive the world rather narrowly, thinking that by thinking and acting like an upper class individual would automatically make him accepted in those ranks. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that Pip at heart is a very generous and sy mpathetic young man, with an inborn moral nature.

Influential Entrepreneurs That Helped Shape The World Of...

There are many influential entrepreneurs that helped shape the world of today. I say, one that stands out is Henry Ford. He was one of the few men to make mainstream automobiles a reality. The automobile industry has surely come a long way since it once started. Nowadays, seems like people cannot travel without transportation. Thanks to the innovation of automobiles and Henry Ford, we have advanced in the world. When we look outside, we see the many types of cars driven, and one car company that started it all, Ford. Of course being named after one of the most famous and significant inventors in the automobile industry. Ford was born on July 30, 1863, on his family’s farm in Wayne County, near Dearborn, Michigan. When Ford was 13 years old, his father gave him a pocket watch, which later he quickly took apart and reassembled. Neighbors and close friends were amazed and impressed and asked Ford fix their timepieces also. I would say this when he began liking to build things. This was his shot to begin new projects and broaden his horizons. Starting off with a watch and later building an industry prove that anything can happen with determination and the love for what you do. Back then, who would have known or thought a farm boy would help shape today’s world. Ford met the challenges of Dyslexia, but that didn’t stop him. His determination is what inspires me to try new things and this is why I believe he is an amazing entrepreneur. For those that know how it is toShow MoreRelatedShould College Become An Entrepreneur?1060 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction In today s world to be eminent or distinguished in any career providing evidence that you flourished and developed into the best of your abilities you need college to do so. However does everyone need college to prosper, making the world a better place? 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