Machiavelli and Marx Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Machiavelli and Marx - Essay Example The realistic approach to the knowledge of past and contemporary political life and the principle of unity of theory and practice were defended by the younger contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci, a prominent historian and reformer of Science of the State Niccolo Machiavelli. He offered his own philosophy of history, or rather political history, by rejecting a theological providentialism. At the time when Italy was politically impotent, fragmented and lost its independence, Machiavelli suggested a new type of strong personality, self-confident, ideal leader. According to Machiavelli, it is a purposeful, violent man, with unbending will, possessing talent, intelligence, cunning and even treachery. All of the states (Machiavelli was the first to introduce the concept of the state. By this term he understood both the form of government and a territory) were divided into republics (the best forms of government), and the licenses (the worst type.) Machiavelli clearly revealed his republican beliefs in his last major work "The History of Florence†, which brought him fame of outstanding historian. Machiavelli's views on the historical process were inherent in the idea of cyclic recurrence, regular change of government forms. In his opinion, not abstract theoretical calculations, but the real historical experience reveals certain rules and principles of alternation of these forms. The monarchy, as he shows by many examples, is replaced by an oligarchy, oligarchy - by a republic, which, in turn, gives way to a one-man rule; â€Å"this is the series of state evolution† (Baron, 1961). The society struggle of contradictions, interests, conflicts of small and large groups is at the heart of this cyclic recurrence. Karl Marx is one of the founders of the materialist conception of history. His philosophical conception of society has much in common with that of Machiavelli. But, nonetheless, the period, separating these two ideologies, is impressive. So, The Marxist doctrine of the state includes both philosophical and sociological views. He believed that any state should eventually die off. This process is considered as absolutely unavoidable. The state is the result of division of society into antagonistic classes. â€Å"Classes are large groups of people with different interests, which differ in their relation to the means of production. With the emergence of the state a constant class struggle in society appears. The state is a product and manifestation of the intransigence of class antagonisms. The state arises where and when class antagonisms objectively can not be reconciled. In turn, the class struggle necessarily leads to the dictatorship of the proletariat† (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, 2010). Machiavelli’s realism also had class character. But it expressed the sequence of requirements of the rising class, the revolutionary aspirations of the bourgeoisie. His ideal ruler is the most uncompromising and strong new alternative of the bourgeois system to the public and political feudalism. Machiavelli never assumed the existence of classless society (1998). Machiavelli was the first philosopher, who began talking about the economy of the state as a part of its prosperity. According to Marx, economic dominates the state. A confrontation within the state is led by two classes of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie is the ruling class,

The Theory Of Mcdonaldization Commerce Essay

The Theory Of Mcdonaldization Commerce Essay McDonaldization is the process by which the principles of the fast food industry have come to dominate an increasing number of organizations in modern society. This concept is the central thesis of The McDonaldization of Society 5, a book by George Ritzer. George Ritzer is a highly revered sociologist famous for his works exploring the effect of McDonalization on society. While the effects of McDonaldization can be seen all around us, people disagree on whether they are good or bad. Although McDonaldization has pros and cons, I believe that the positive effects that it has had on society outweigh the negative effects. The theory of Mcdonaldization identifies four primary principles which govern the actions of McDonaldized organizations; efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. Efficiency refers to an organizations ability to perform its various functions as quickly, and for the lowest cost, as possible. Some examples of organizations attempts to increase efficiency include ATMs, self-checkout stands at the grocery store, and fast food drive-thru windows. Although efficiency is often advertised as a benefit to the consumer, and sometimes is, it can lead to several drawbacks. ATMs and self-checkout stands can take longer than traditional systems and force customers to perform work that was originally performed for them. Calculability refers to the element of McDonaldization by which everything in an organization is quantifiable. This often leads to quantity as a replacement for quality. This can be seen in fast food commercials which focus on the large size and small cost of hamburgers instead of the taste. It also has ties to efficiency (it is easier to identify efficient or inefficient processes if they are quantifiable) and predictability. Predictability is the process by which organizations eliminate any unexpected or unwanted outcomes, as well as any surprise or variability at all, in products and services. An example of this is that any mall in a given geographical region generally has the same shops and a similar layout as compared with any other mall in the given region. The final principle of McDonaldized organizations is control. This largely refers to the control of humans through nonhuman technologies. Nonhuman technologies are technologies, such as barcode scanners, computers, or even rules and regulations, which remove human variability from processes and control people. Obviously this has a strong connection to predictability as well (Ritzer, 2008). What different perspectives can we use to analyze McDonaldization? In the book Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership, the authors, Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal, suggest using frames to analyze the effects of socological phenomenons, such as McDonaldization, on society. Frames are essentially different perspectives which individuals can use to interpret situations, make judgements, analyze organizations, ect. The author suggests four frames: the structutal frame, human resource frame, symbolic frame, and the political frame. I feel that the structural, human resource, and symbolic frame are useful in analyzing McDonaldization. The structural frame is highly goal-oriented and systematic. It focuses on tasks, facts, and logic.This is definitely the most pervasive frame used by leaders such as Ray Kroc and those at other McDonaldized institutions. The four cornerstones of McDonaldization, efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control, are a major result of this almost purely structural perspective of the organization. After all, the primary metaphor for organizations under the structural frame is that of a machine or factory. One could argue that the characteristics valued in machines or factories are the very same characteristics that culminate in the four cornerstones of McDonaldization. Furthermore, the structural perspective is heavily concerned with rules, policies and technology, another striking similarity to McDonaldization which uses stringent rules and procedures and relies on nonhuman technology to achieve its goals of predictability and efficiency (Bolman Deal, 2008). Another characteristic of McDonaldization and leaders in McDonaldized organizations which occurred to me while researching Ritzers theory is their equivalence to systemizers. Systemizers see organizations through a structural frame and rely on numbers and calculations to analyze organizations. They do not focus on the human aspect of organizations (Leavitt, 2007). I feel that McDonaldized organizations share the same perspective as systemizers and encourage the development of systemizers within themselves. Not only are employs treated in a theory X, systemizing manner but so are customers. Customers are herded in, processed, and shipped out like cattle in a slaughter house. At this point I would like to briefly discuss the selection of the term McDonaldization to explain this societal phenomenon. I understand that McDonaldization is just a term used to describe the spread of characteristics valued by many modern organizations, and I will admit it is a creative one, however McDonalds was far from the first organization to implement this very structural system focusing on factors such as efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. Earlier figures, such as Fredrick Taylor and Henry Ford, implemented these characteristics long before Ray Kroc and McDonalds. Perhaps the title of Ritzers central concept should have been Taylorization or Fordization. The human resource frame suggests that organizations exist to fulfill the human needs of consumers and employees alike. I feel that the human resource frame by far has the weakest representation within McDonaldized organizations and the limited implementation of it which we do see is very superficial. The human resource frame sees organizations as an extended family that is concerned with people, relationships, skills, and empowerment (Bolman Deal, 2008). These elements clash with the principles of efficiency, predictability, control, and calculability so they have been all but eliminated. This is part of the reason that McDonalds tends to higher teenagers or young, uneducated people. These people are easier to control and more willingly accept the mind-numbing, repetitive tasks associated with McDonaldized jobs. If McDonalds truly did care about people we would see them treat their employees differently. There is a strong theory X approach to management in McDonaldized organizations. The principles of McDonaldized organizations lend themselves to this type of approach. I do not think that the problem is with their ultimate goals, which I would argue are efficiency and predictability, I think the problem is with their means to achieving these goals, calculability and control. Because McDonalds treats their employees in a theory X manner they must rely on calculability and control to achieve their goals (Bolman Deal, 2008). I think it is important that McDonaldized organizations reframe in order to bring some humanity back to their workplace. One suggestion I would make to help reframe these organizations is to abandon the theory X approach and move to a theory Y approach of management (Bolman Deal, 2008). By empowering employees, cultivating their skills, and using positive motivational techniques they can reach their goals without relying so heavily on control and calculability. Reductions in the amount of control and calculability would allow for more autonomy within the workplace and increased humanization. The symbolic frame looks at the importance and significance of symbols, practices, rituals, and customs of a particular organization. McDonaldized organizations have begun exploiting the symbolic frame in an attempt to persuade society that they truly are compassionate organizations. Using McDonalds as an example we can see a multitude of cultural transmitters. The Ronald McDonald House charity, Happy Meal toys, the Happy Meals themselves, Playgrounds, the Im loving it slogan, Ronald McDonald (and other characters), the golden arches, etc. can all be seen as cultural transmitters. These transmitters are designed to portray the underlying meaning and values which McDonalds wants the public to believe it embraces (Bolman Deal, 2008). The playgrounds and Ronald McDonald House charity, for instance, are meant to portray McDonalds as a carrying organization which values the wellness of your family and the communities they operate in. I believe that McDonalds exploitation of the symbolic frame goes back to their very weak application of the human resource frame. Because the ideals of the human resource frame clash so greatly with the principle of McDonaldized organizations they must portray an atmosphere of caring and compassion through alternative means. This is why they dedicate so much time to developing cultural transmitters and exploiting the symbolic frame. This poses a very serious ethical dilemma. The practice of organizations portraying values and beliefs that they do not actually hold is deceptive and dishonest. In the end it may do more damage to the organization than it does good (Bolman Deal, 2008). Although I am not going to focus on Bolman and Deals political frame, I feel that it is important to briefly mention here. People have begun realizing that McDonaldized organizations are portraying false images and the organizations have received bad press. In response, they began using political techniques to build coalitions and gain support within society. Also, I feel that McDonaldized organizations view the market place as a jungle and are fighting for their share of the scarce resources or money (Bolman Deal, 2008). Advantages and Disadvantages of McDonaldization Much of the literature on McDonaldization exclusively focuses on the negative aspects of the phenomenon and does not make a strong distinction between employees and consumer in McDonaldized systems. Authors tell the terrors of a McDonaldized death, McDonaldized systems ravaging the environment, the mind-numbing tasks involved with McDonaldized jobs, and the frustrations of attending a McDonaldized educational institution.Admittedly, even I have focused primarily on the negative aspects of McDonaldization up to this point, but what are the advantages of McDonaldization and from whose perspective? In my opinion, Ritzer and others do a very lack luster job of clearly identifying the advantages associated with McDonaldization for consumers. I am not disputing that there are disadvantages associated with McDonaldization or even saying that advantages outweigh disadvantages or vice versa. I simply feel that in order to analyze any situation effectively we must consider the pros and cons fr om all perspectives and through all frames or perspectives. Two primary advantages of McDonaldization are convience and afforadability. Modern US society is an on-the-go, fast paced environment which values convenience. I am no exception to this phenomenon. When I go to Wal-Mart I just want to get my toothpaste, or whatever item I came for, and go. I am not looking to create personal relationships with the people that serve me my food or ring up my groceries. Between my coworkers, peers at school, bosses, professors, family, friends, and my boyfriend I already feel as though I am downing in personal relationships. The ability to conveniently and quickly complete daily tasks affords me more time to do the things I care about. For instance I can even manage my own bank account or check my email in the middle of the night. This would probably not be possible without some degree of McDonaldization. Affordability is another major advantage of McDonaldization. McDonaldization has allowed regular, middle class people to afford luxuries that even the richest men could not have dreamed of many years ago. While sitting in the Coffee Bean not long ago I saw a homeless man surfing the web and playing a DVD on his portable computer. McDonaldized systems have made this possible. Many products which were once very expensive are now accessible to almost everyone in developed nations. The wealth of information offered by the internet, as well as many products and services that were likely made possible by McDonaldization, cannot be over looked or downplayed when analyzing the effects of McDonaldization on society. How can we deal with McDonaldization? Some people have described McDonaldization as a cage. The image of an iron cage represents society as a whole surrounded by a rationalization system (Ritzer, 2003). Perhaps it is because I am a product of a McDonaldized society, but I certainly would not use the metaphor of a cage to describe McDonaldization. Although the cage-like image may fit to a certain degree, it is certainly not an iron cage because escape remains an easy option for most people (Ritzer, 2003). McDonaldization only dominates our lives to the extent which we allow it to dominate our lives. I exploit McDonaldization to obtain the advantages discussed in this paper and in no way does McDonaldization take advantage of me. For this reason, I think describing McDonaldization as a cage is a narrow-minded, deceptive portrayal. That being said, I feel there are several simple steps that those who do not prefer McDonaldized systems can take to deal with McDonaldization. Consumers, especially, have a great deal of freedom with the way they handle McDonaldization. After all, the ultimate choice is theirs. If they have a high level of distain for McDonaldized organizations they can simply desist from patronizing them. In my personal opinion, the most important step is to avoid the invasion of McDonaldization into ones personal life. My own family has done things such as avoiding McDonaldized meals and outings. I think this has helped us to cultivate strong, healthy relationships in our personal lives. Employees of McDonaldized systems, on the other hand, have a very limited amount of freedom when it comes to dealing with McDonaldization. Those in managerial position can subtly resist by doing things such as employing Maslows hierarchy of needs and a theory Y management approach (Bolman Deal, 2008). Of Course this only works to the extent that their bosses allowing it to go on. Im afraid that lower level employees are only afforded one option for dealing with McDonaldization (but it is probably the best option), Education. McDonaldized organizations, and their mind-numbing, mundane jobs, are here to stay. For many the last line of defense is education. I myself am going to school for this specific reason. Unfortunately, those employed in McDonaldized jobs are armed with little more than their creativity and critical thinking skills to survive in the meantime. Conclusion McDonaldization is the processes through which the principles of the fast food industry, efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control, have come to dominate an increasing number of organizations in modern society (Ritzer, 2008). McDonaldization can lead to several disadvantages, such as dehumanized jobs and services, and several advantages, such as convenience and affordability. These advantages and disadvantages are proliferated primarily through a stringent application of Bolman and Deals (2008) structural frame and use of the systemizer perspective (Leavitt, 2007). Although McDonaldized organizations use the symbolic frame to create the perception that they care about their employees, communities, and clientele, it is largely superficial. For example, McDonalds uses symbols such as the Ronald McDonald House charity, playgrounds, and friendly characters (such as Ronald McDonald) to give the illusion that they truly care about people. If they truly did care about people we would see a stronger implementation of the human resource frame within their organization. One possible approach to this problem would be for them to use a theory Y approach to achieve their goals of efficiency and predictability and reduce their dependence on calculability and control (Bolman Deal, 2008). Consumers who do not like McDonaldization can simply avoid patronizing McDonaldized organizations as much as possible. Employees of McDonaldized organizations, on the other hand, will likely have to rely on education to help them obtain better, less McDonalized jobs. Most likely McDonaldized organization will be around for many years to come. McDonaldization has invaded nearly every aspect of society. Even George Ritzers book, The McDonaldization of Society 5, which denounces the evils of McDonaldization is itself McDonaldized. It is highly structured, repetitive, and predictable at times. He even includes a instructors CD ROM with suggested essay questions for educators, thus aiding in McDonaldizing the educational process. People should stop fighting McDonaldization and learn to exploit it. In the end, McDonaldization can only dominate our lives to the extent that we allow it to. As a busy college student, I feel that Mcdonaldization is a great thing, if you use it cautiously. Coll ege students often run short on time especially because they have so many things going on. Online classes, Internet databases, and collaborative websites such as Google Docs, all of which were made possible at least partially due to McDonaldization, make the college experience more accessible and manageable. Instead of letting McDonaldization take advantage of us we must use McDonaldization to our own advantage.

The birds :: essays research papers

In the course of this film we see Melanie develop as a person through confronting the things she fears. Melanie confronts many fears through the course of the film and grows as a person as the film progresses. She goes through a lot in the film and the story implies that she has found herself by the end of the film. The story is of course a thriller but behind the thriller is Melanie’s journey. Melanie’s journey is very quick. She was extremely immature and lost at the beginning of the film and is some what grown up by the end. At the start of the film Melanie was very immature and lost. She is very rich and seems to want to do something with her life. She apparently spends time with charity and other activities of the sort. She is a prankster who apparently went skinny dipping in a fountain at Rome. She also wants to teach a miner bird lewd saying to give to her linguistic aunt. She must be very lost and has no direction in life. Through this film she gains a little more maturity. Melanie gains more maturity through the film. She acts like a lost little rich kid at the beginning and through the film she begins to show a little more maturity and self respect. She begins to see who she really is under all the confidence and pranks. She is needed in the film and she needs that responsibility to become a woman. She gains more responsibility and she becomes a woman, at last. The bird attacks give that catalyst that is needed to start her to become a responsible grown up. She needs the birds to let her become the friend of Cathy, the friend of Lydia and the girlfriend of Mitch. She needs the birds to let her become a protector and a great friend of Annie. She becomes a great person because of the love she shows for the family.

A Farewell to Arms Summary and Critical Analysis Essay

Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in suburban Oak Park, IL, to Dr. Clarence and Grace Hemingway. Ernest was the second of six children to be raised in the quiet suburban town. His father was a physician, and both parents were devout Christians. Hemingway had an aptitude for physical challenge that engaged him through high school, where he both played football and boxed. Because of permanent eye damage contracted from numerous boxing matches, Hemingway was repeatedly rejected from service in World War I. Hemingway also edited his high school newspaper and reported for the Kansas City Star, adding a year to his age after graduating from high school in 1917. After this short stint, Hemingway finally was able to participate in World War I as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross. He was wounded on July 8, 1918, on the Italian front near Fossalta di Piave. During his convalescence in Milan, he had an affair with a nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. Hemingway received two decorations from the Italian government, and he joined the Italian infantry. Clarence Hemingway had been suffering from hypertension and diabetes. This painful experience is reflected in the pondering of Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls. In addition to personal experiences with war and death, Hemingway’s extensive travel in pursuit of hunting and other sports provided a great deal of material for his novels. Bullfighting inspired Death in the Afternoon, published in 1932. In 1934, Hemingway went on safari in Africa, which gave him new themes and scenes on which to base The Snows of Kilamanjaro and The Green Hills of Africa, published in 1935. In 1950 he published Across the River and Into the Trees, though it was not received with the usual critical acclaim. In 1952, however, Hemingway proved the comment â€Å"Papa is finished† wrong, in that The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. On July 2, 1961, he died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. He was buried in Ketchum. â€Å"Papa† was both a legendary celebrity and a sensitive writer, and his influence, as well as some unseen writings, survived his passing. In 1964, A Moveable Feast was published; in 1969, The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War; in 1970, Islands in the Stream; in 1972, The Nick Adams Stories; in 1985, The Dangerous Summer; and in 1986, The Garden of Eden. Hemingway’s own life and character are as fascinating as in any of his stories. On one level, Papa was a legendary adventurer who enjoyed his flamboyant lifestyle and celebrity status. However, deep inside lived a disciplined author who worked tirelessly in pursuit of literary perfection. Being married before or after doesn’t effect the child physically or delays its birth. Marriage in this sense is the outward form of their love. Marriage in the physical sense before or after the fact means nothing as with Catherine’s early comment of â€Å"I couldn’t be any more married. † Henry and Catherine surely learned that they were in love no matter married or not. Having a ring on the finger doesn’t make the love any stronger it just a psychical representation of their love. Henry ignores the temptations of the outward forms of religion, love, and symbols as he achieves becoming authentic. The conclusion of â€Å"A Farewell To Arms† with all its death is marked by a rebirth. Henry looses his child and his lover. He finally achieves the status of being authentic in the final scene â€Å"It was like saying good-by to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain. † Henry prior to Catherine death was seeking hope. During Catherine’s final hour Henry prayed to God once more only to go unanswered:Please, please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. Dear God, don’t let her die. Please, please, please, don’t let her die. God please don’t make her die. I’ll do anything you say if you don’t let her die. You took the baby but don’t let her die. That was all right but don’t let her die. Please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. He now knows all the things around him are false. Henry now knows the true forms of religion,patriotism, and love are empty forms of hope. He know knows that any hope must only comefrom within. Henry is now an authentic in that â€Å"He walks quietly back to the hotel in the rain. † andknows that only he can shape his destiny.

Chapter 34 Priori Incantatem

Wormtail approached Harry, who scrambled to find his feet, to support his own weight before the ropes were untied. Wormtail raised his new silver hand, pulled out the wad of material gagging Harry, and then, with one swipe, cut through the bonds tying Harry to the gravestone. There was a split second, perhaps, when Harry might have considered running for it, but his injured leg shook under him as he stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around him and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled. Wormtail walked out of the circle to the place where Cedric's body lay and returned with Harry's wand, which he thrust roughly into Harry's hand without looking at him. Then Wormtail resumed his place in the circle of watching Death Eaters. â€Å"You have been taught how to duel. Harry Potter?† said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness. At these words Harry remembered, as though from a former life, the dueling club at Hogwarts he had attended briefly two years ago†¦.All he had learned there was the Disarming Spell, â€Å"Expelliarmus†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and what use would it be to deprive Voldemort of his wand, even if he could, when he was surrounded by Death Eaters, outnumbered by at least thirty to one? He had never learned anything that could possibly fit him for this. He knew he was facing the thing against which Moody had always warned†¦the unblockable Avada Kedavra curse – and Voldemort was right – his mother was not here to die for him this time†¦.He was quite unprotected†¦. â€Å"We bow to each other. Harry,† said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry. â€Å"Come, the niceties must be observed†¦.Dumbledore would like you to show manners†¦.Bow to death, Harry†¦.† The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemort's lipless mouth was smiling. Harry did not bow. He was not going to let Voldemort play with him before killing him†¦he was not going to give him that satisfaction†¦. â€Å"I said, bow,† Voldemort said, raising his wand – and Harry felt his spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand were bending him ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever. â€Å"Very good,† said Voldemort softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon Harry lifted too. â€Å"And now you face me, like a man†¦straight-backed and proud, the way your father died†¦. â€Å"And now – we duel.† Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was†¦.White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life – And then it stopped. Harry rolled over and scrambled to his feet; he was shaking as uncontrollably as Wormtail had done when his hand had been cut off; he staggered sideways into the wall of watching Death Eaters, and they pushed him away, back toward Voldemort. â€Å"A little break,† said Voldemort, the slit-like nostrils dilating with excitement, â€Å"a little pause†¦That hurt, didn't it. Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?† Harry didn't answer. He was going to die like Cedric, those pitiless red eyes were telling him so†¦he was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it†¦but he wasn't going to play along. He wasn't going to obey Voldemort†¦he wasn't going to beg†¦. â€Å"I asked you whether you want me to do that again,† said Voldemort softly. â€Å"Answer me! Imperio!† And Harry felt, for the third time in his life, the sensation that his mind had been wiped of all thought†¦.Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though he were floating, dreaming†¦just answer no†¦say no†¦just answer no†¦. I will not, said a stronger voice, in the back of his head, I won't answer†¦. Just answer no†¦. I won't do it, I won't say it†¦. Just answer no†¦. â€Å"I WON'T!† And these words burst from Harry's mouth; they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over him – back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse had left all over his body – back rushed the realization of where he was, and what he was facing†¦. â€Å"You won't?† said Voldemort quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. â€Å"You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die†¦.Perhaps another little dose of pain?† Voldemort raised his wand, but this time Harry was ready; with the reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways onto the ground; he rolled behind the marble headstone of Voldemort's father, and he heard it crack as the curse missed him. â€Å"We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry,† said Voldemort's soft, cold voice, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed. â€Å"You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean that you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Come out, Harry†¦come out and play, then†¦it will be quick†¦it might even be painless†¦I would not know†¦I have never died†¦.† Harry crouched behind the headstone and knew the end had come. There was no hope†¦no help to be had. And as he heard Voldemort draw nearer still, he knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort's feet†¦he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible†¦. Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone. Harry stood up†¦he gripped his wand tightly in his hand, thrust it out in front of him, and threw himself around the headstone, facing Voldemort. Voldemort was ready. As Harry shouted, â€Å"Expelliarmus!† Voldemort cried, â€Å"Avada Kedavra!† A jet of green light issued from Voldemort's wand just as a jet of red light blasted from Harry's – they met in midair – and suddenly Harry's wand was vibrating as though an electric charge were surging through it; his hand seized up around it; he couldn't have released it if he'd wanted to – and a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold. Harry, following the beam with his astonished gaze, saw that Voldemort's long white fingers too were gripping a wand that was shaking and vibrating. And then – nothing could have prepared Harry for this – he felt his feet lift from the ground. He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. They glided away from the tombstone of Voldemort's father and then came to rest on a patch of ground that was clear and free of graves†¦.The Death Eaters were shouting; they were asking Voldemort for instructions; they were closing in, reforming the circle around Harry and Voldemort, the snake slithering at their heels, some of them drawing their wands – The golden thread connecting Harry and Voldemort splintered; though the wands remained connected, a thousand more beams arced high over Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web, a cage of light, beyond which the Death Eaters circled like jackals, their cries strangely muffled now†¦. â€Å"Do nothing!† Voldemort shrieked to the Death Eaters, and Harry saw his red eyes wide with astonishment at what was happening, saw him fighting to break the thread of light still connecting his wand with Harry's; Harry held onto his wand more tightly, with both hands, and the golden thread remained unbroken. â€Å"Do nothing unless I command you!† Voldemort shouted to the Death Eaters. And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air†¦.It was coming from every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort. It was a sound Harry recognized, though he had heard it only once before in his life: phoenix song. It was the sound of hope to Harry†¦the most beautiful and welcome thing he had ever heard in his life†¦.He felt as though the song were inside him instead of just around him†¦.It was the sound he connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend were speaking in his ear†¦. Don't break the connection. I know. Harry told the music, I know I mustn't†¦but no sooner had he thought it, than the thing became much harder to do. His wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever†¦and now the beam between him and Voldemort changed too†¦it was as though large beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands – Harry felt his wand give a shudder under his hand as the light beads began to slide slowly and steadily his way†¦.The direction of the beams movement was now toward him, from Voldemort, and he felt his wand shudder angrily†¦. As the closest bead of light moved nearer to Harry's wand tip, the wood beneath his fingers grew so hot he feared it would burst into flame. The closer that bead moved, the harder Harry's wand vibrated; he was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers – He concentrated every last particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, his ears full of phoenix song, his eyes furious, fixed†¦and slowly, very slowly, the beads quivered to a halt, and then, just as slowly, they began to move the other way†¦and it was Voldemort's wand that was vibrating extra-hard now†¦Voldemort who looked astonished, and almost fearful†¦. One of the beads of light was quivering, inches from the tip of Voldemort's wand. Harry didn't understand why he was doing it, didn't know what it might achieve†¦but he now concentrated as he had never done in his life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort's wand†¦and slowly†¦very slowly†¦it moved along the golden thread†¦it trembled for a moment†¦and then it connected†¦. At once, Voldemort's wand began to emit echoing screams of pain†¦then – Voldemort's red eyes widened with shock – a dense, smoky hand flew out of the tip of it and vanished†¦the ghost of the hand he had made Wormtail†¦more shouts of pain†¦and then something much larger began to blossom from Voldemort's wand tip, a great, grayish something, that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke†¦.It was a head†¦now a chest and arms†¦the torso of Cedric Diggory. If ever Harry might have released his wand from shock, it would have been then, but instinct kept him clutching his wand tightly, so that the thread of golden light remained unbroken, even though the thick gray ghost of Cedric Diggory (was it a ghost? it looked so solid) emerged in its entirety from the end of Voldemort's wand, as though it were squeezing itself out of a very narrow tunnel†¦and this shade of Cedric stood up, and looked up and down the golden thread of light, and spoke. â€Å"Hold on. Harry,† it said. Its voice was distant and echoing. Harry looked at Voldemort†¦his wide red eyes were still shocked†¦he had no more expected this than Harry had†¦and, very dimly. Harry heard the frightened yells of the Death Eaters, prowling around the edges of the golden dome. More screams of pain from the wand†¦and then something else emerged from its tip†¦the dense shadow of a second head, quickly followed by arms and torso†¦an old man Harry had seen only in a dream was now pushing himself out of the end of the wand just as Cedric had done†¦and his ghost, or his shadow, or whatever it was, fell next to Cedric's, and surveyed Harry and Voldemort, and the golden web, and the connected wands, with mild surprise, leaning on his walking stick†¦. â€Å"He was a real wizard, then?† the old man said, his eyes on Voldemort. â€Å"Killed me, that one did†¦.You fight him, boy†¦.† But already, yet another head was emerging†¦and this head, gray as a smoky statue, was a woman's†¦.Harry, both arms shaking now as he fought to keep his wand still, saw her drop to the ground and straighten up like the others, staring†¦. The shadow of Bertha Jorkins surveyed the battle before her with wide eyes. â€Å"Don't let go, now!† she cried, and her voice echoed like Cedric's as though from very far away. â€Å"Don't let him get you, Harry – don't let go!† She and the other two shadowy figures began to pace around the inner walls of the golden web, while the Death Eaters flitted around the outside of it†¦and Voldemort's dead victims whispered as they circled the duelers, whispered words of encouragement to Harry, and hissed words Harry couldn't hear to Voldemort. And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemort's wand†¦and Harry knew when he saw it who it would be†¦he knew, as though he had expected it from the moment when Cedric had appeared from the wand†¦knew, because the man appearing was the one he'd thought of more than any other tonight†¦. The smoky shadow of a tall man with untidy hair fell to the ground as Bertha had done, straightened up, and looked at him†¦and Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of his father. â€Å"Your mother's coming†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said quietly. â€Å"She wants to see you†¦it will be all right†¦hold on†¦.† And she came†¦first her head, then her body†¦a young woman with long hair, the smoky, shadowy form of Lily Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort's wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like her husband. She walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and she spoke in the same distant, echoing voice as the others, but quietly, so that Voldemort, his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, could not hear†¦. â€Å"When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments†¦but we will give you time†¦you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts†¦do you understand, Harry?† â€Å"Yes,† Harry gasped, fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers. â€Å"Harry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  whispered the figure of Cedric, â€Å"take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I will,† said Harry, his face screwed up with the effort of holding the wand. â€Å"Do it now,† whispered his father's voice, â€Å"be ready to run†¦do it now†¦.† â€Å"NOW!† Harry yelled; he didn't think he could have held on for another moment anyway – he pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished, the phoenix song died – but the shadowy figures of Voldemort's victims did not disappear – they were closing in upon Voldemort, shielding Harry from his gaze – And Harry ran as he had never run in his life, knocking two stunned Death Eaters aside as he passed; he zigzagged behind headstones, feeling their curses following him, hearing them hit the headstones – he was dodging curses and graves, pelting toward Cedric's body, no longer aware of the pain in his leg, his whole being concentrated on what he had to do – â€Å"Stun him!† he heard Voldemort scream. Ten feet from Cedric, Harry dived behind a marble angel to avoid the jets of red light and saw the tip of its wing shatter as the spells hit it. Gripping his wand more tightly, he dashed out from behind the angel – â€Å"Impedimenta!† he bellowed, pointing his wand wildly over his shoulder at the Death Eaters running at him. From a muffled yell, he thought he had stopped at least one of them, but there was no time to stop and look; he jumped over the cup and dived as he heard more wand blasts behind him; more jets of light flew over his head as he fell, stretching out his hand to grab Cedric's arm†¦ â€Å"Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!† shrieked Voldemort. Harry's hand had closed on Cedric's wrist; one tombstone stood between him and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry, and the cup was out of reach – Voldemort's red eyes flamed in the darkness. Harry saw his mouth curl into a smile, saw him raise his wand. â€Å"Accio!† Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the Triwizard Cup. It flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle – He heard Voldemort's scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked – it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Cedric along with him†¦.They were going back.