Gender Stereotypes And Attitudes On Gender Essay - 2043 Words

Gender stereotypes is perceptions and attitudes in which society utilizes to evaluate bias and negative characteristics, positions, roles, and capabilities of males or females. Gender stereotypes create pressure for both men and women. Expectations from society create limitations and often form a gap between men and women by the difference in perceptions, evaluations, and behaviors. In today’s supposedly civilized society, we are induced not to discriminate people. However, society has high expectations on people to act a certain type of behavior. The behavior is based on gender. For example, men are supposed to convey leadership and portray an active figure. On the other hand, women are supposed to be passive and are often valued for their physical appearance. There are numerous articles that discuss how society is able to manipulate the behaviors of others. Above all, it is not that people are obliged or forced into stereotyping females or males, people are just too infatuat ed with generalizing and being judgmental about gender to make themselves feel superior. No matter where, when, what is the environment interact, we all encounter gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes are present in all cultures, such that the most common distinction are between men and women and in a lot of cases are strictly applied to one gender only, often referring to women. Women are expected to be inferior to men and fragile. This expectation has dominated women s reputation, which limits theShow MoreRelatedGender Stereotypes And Attitudes On Gender Essay2037 Words   |  9 PagesGender stereotypes are perceptions and attitudes in which society utilizes to evaluate bias and negative characteristics, positions, roles, and capabilities of males or females. Gender stereotypes create pressure for both men and women. Expectations from society create limitations and often form a gap between men and women by the difference in perceptions, evaluations, and behaviors. In today’s supposedly civilized society, we are induced not to discriminate people. However, soci ety has high expectationsRead MoreGender Roles And Gender Role Essay784 Words   |  4 Pagesthis session, I will discuss the gender roles in my family. The definition of gender role is the degree to which a person adopts the gender-specific behaviors ascribed by his or her culture (Matsumoto, D. R., Juang 2013, 156). For example, traditional gender roles recommend that males are aggressive, angry, and unemotional. It goes further and explains that the male should leave the home every day to make a living and be the main wage earner. The traditional gender role for the female purpose isRead MoreGender Stereotypes And The Socialization Process1257 Words   |  6 PagesGender Stereotypes and the Socialization Process The pursuit of gender equality is a central element of a vision of sustainability in which every Member of Society respects others and plays a role that allows you to take advantage of their potential to the fullest. The broad goal of gender equality is a social goal that education and other social institutions should contribute. Gender discrimination is embed in the fabric of societies. In many societies, women bear the main burden of food productionRead MoreVisual images Reinforce Traditional Gender and Sexuality Stereotypes948 Words   |  4 Pagesimages reinforce traditional gender and sexuality stereotypes through the manifestation of the masculine and feminine miens. An examination of print media advertisements highlights the social and cultural ideologies associated with traditional gender roles that are expected and imposed on by society. â€Å"Advertisements are deeply woven into the fabric of Western Culture, drawing on and reinforcing commonly held perceptions and beliefs† of gender and sexuality stereotypes. They have a strong role inRead MorePride Vs. Humanity : Jane And Mark840 Words   |  4 Pagesme portray some gender roles. We discussed some roles these past classes, we only cover chapter 1 through 6 but hoping to finish through chapter 17. Chapters 1 through 17 would be the only concern for this essay. There was a number of questions prepared for us to discuss in our essays. I’m going towards the genders roles, there are 4 questions that I will cover to help me interpret this novel. The questions are what is the attitude toward gender roles? , who represents which gender? , what symbolismRead MoreGirls And Girls Were Treated Differently896 Words   |  4 Pagesfamily. Boys and girls were treated differently. We were raised and learned the behaviors and gender role that were acceptable in o ur family and society. It was passing down from generation from generation; we learned what expectations from us as boys and girls are. We tend to get comfortable with the familiar and our routines. There were definitely things boys could do, but not girls. Most of all that gender equity was not for us. Not only inequality in social relationships, women and girls are beingRead MoreHow Women Are Portrayed On Advertising And The Second Looks At This Time1104 Words   |  5 Pagesrole of humor in gender stereotypes. The first one is the role of humor seen in television advertisements and the second looks at peoples attitudes toward humorous and non-humorous ads that have gender stereotypes in them and how that would affect a persons desire to buy. There has been a lot of research done on the gender stereotyping, especially on advertisement and the affect it has on society. The results of previous research find that gender stereotypes reinforce stereotypes in society leadingRead MoreA Research Study On Early Childhood Education1353 Words   |  6 PagesIn early childhood education, young children are starting to learn and understand the concept of gender. Preschool is the age when they start to develop and shape their views regarding gender roles. The population of children who are en rolled in early learning programs are being influenced by their parents, teachers, and classmates, as well as the learning environment they learn, play, and grow in. I analyzed two different research studies, one quantitative and one qualitative, to compare and contrastRead MoreGender Roles In Modern Society728 Words   |  3 PagesGender is an integral part of social practices of human interaction. It influences on all aspects of a persons life such as self-assertion and self-development, family, work, school, etc. Through the gender lens a person perceives any kind of information and passes it to the surrounding world by using a gender display. The process of gender socialization and the content of gender stereotypes has great importance not only for the life of an individual, but also for the progressive development ofRead MoreGender Stereotypes1012 Words   |  5 PagesDevelopment of gender stereotypes in children at home and school There are a lot of parents and teachers who communicate gender stereotypes to children while they interact. We also see how parents interact with boys and girls differently based on their gender. For example, some parents want their children to know that anything with pink is for girls, and blue is for boys. They observe what their parents can do at home, how and in what level their parents communicate to each other, what kind

Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail

Aristotle, a famous philosopher once said: â€Å" It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and reason, when the use of reason is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs† (Aristotle). He believed that rhetoric was more powerful than fists would ever be. Another man, a very influential social activist, shared the same ideals, preaching to his people to fight for their freedom with words and not their fists. Martin Luther King Jr. used the power of rhetoric during the civil rights movement to gain equality for the black community. MLK was a master of rhetoric and used his knowledge of proper arguments to sway the†¦show more content†¦The Roman Empire fell in 476 C.E. after being conquered by Odoacer, a Germanic leader. Part of the reason the Roman Empire fell was their mistreatment of Christians, who, towards the end of the empire, made up a large portion of the Roman population. King reveals his supposition that the Jim Crow laws and the current racist society will fall away. This also brings into question whether he is trying to evoke guilt among the clergymen. When he compares the persecution of Christians to that of blacks, he is reminding the clergymen that their people were also discriminated against at one point in history, which exposes a hypocrisy where the persecuted become the persecutors. He demonstrates that he has a superior understanding of the values of Christianity and their history by exposing incongruencies within the church as well as their hypocrisy. Describing the devotion of Christians when they truly lived for god instead of for society, MLK demonstrates a complex interpretation of not only the past but current society. He marvels at a time when â€Å"Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed† and â€Å"the church was not merely† a vessel that â €Å"recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinions† but a catalyst that â€Å"transformed the mores of society† (King). King expresses disappointment that the church has become nothing moreShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1690 Words   |  7 Pages1960’s were a time of civil disobedience and protest against the inequalities in America. Specifically, in Birmingham, Alabama, in the year 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the racial inequalities in one of the most famous letters in America’s history: â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† This letter was sent to a group of Alabama clergymen who chastised King’s disobedience. The letter was written with the purpose to encourage these eight men to side with King. Martin Luther King Jr.’s knowledgeRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1860 Words   |  8 Pagesdisobedience as identified by Martin Luther King is a form of di rect action, and an outright refusal to conform to laws as a form of protest. Martin Luther King addresses this method of resistance in his text, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. Martin Luther King Jr personally drafted the text as a response to criticisms made in a statement by clergymen whom apposed King’s nonviolent methods of resistance to continuous issues of racism occurring in Birmingham, Alabama. As expressed by King and described in hisRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail998 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr. seldom had time to answer his critics. But on April 16, 1963, he was confined to the Birmingham jail, imprisoned for participating in civil rights demonstrations. â€Å"Alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell,† King pondered a letter titled A Call for Unity that fellow clergymen had published pressing him to drop his crusade of nonviolent resistance and to leave the battle for racial equality to the courts. Within that document, King’s fellow clergymen caste himRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1562 Words   |  7 PagesDr. Martin Luther King, one of the most influential men in the world, had played a pivotal role during the Civil Rights movement. He led the entire nation in the fight to end segregation, but while trying, he faced many obstacles, one being getting arrested during a rally. While in jail, King had time to respond to the critics of his work in the movement, and he wrote a marvelous, captivating response. In King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he replied and prof essed his emotions to the white clergymenRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From The Birmingham Jail939 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King preached the realities of what justice truly is. Nearly 50 years later our world is still having trouble with these ideas. There is no doubt that Martin Luther King was an extremely virtuous man. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, had a Ph.D. in systematic theology, was a baptist minister, and was probably the most recognized person in the civil rights movement. He was assassinated in 1968. The incident as described by Thich Nhat Hanh; I couldn t believe it. I thought theRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1157 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† is directed towards the clergymen, although America is his audience, King had come to Birmingham to address the segregation problem in the United States. He refuses to stay silent, even though people told him to wait for the change to happen. King is a part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that has many organizations across the South. He felt that he has a right to be in Birmingham because his organizations have connections withRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail955 Words   |  4 PagesBy 1963, when Martin Luther King planned a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. During the demonstration he was arrested and lives in the jail for eight days. While he was in prison, he wrote his letter from Birmingham Jail to explain his actions and those who urged him to call off the demonstrations. Martin Luther King Jr. Birmingham Jail is important because, he explains the reasons for the non-violent demonstrations, he shows that black people are intelligent, and he criticizesRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail934 Words   |  4 PagesIn Martin Luther King Jr.’s , â€Å" Letter from Birmingham Jail †, King responds to the judgments of a group of clergymen , after King s arrest, by writing a letter explaining why the clergymen s judgments were wrong. In his letter, king brings very reasonable and valid points that challenge the judgments of the ministers. The main arguments that king makes would be the reason of his existence in Birmingham, white power structure and its racial injustice, and finally why negotiation has brought up impatienceRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1223 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr.’s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† emphasizes the need for civil disobedience when faced with unjust laws. This idea contradicts Socrates’ claim made in Crito, that one must follow the law under all circumstances. In this paper, I will argue that Socrates is not a proponent of civil disobedience based on King’s definition of civil disobedience and Socrates’ charges. Moreover, I will ar gue that both Socrates and King disagree with one another based on the concept of civilRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1037 Words   |  5 PagesEssay Four Topic: Read Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† (in your Nexus book) and Brent Staples’s â€Å"Black Men and Public Space.† What do these works say about racism, prejudice, and bias? Have we made any progress in these areas since their publication? What problems do you still see and what solutions can you offer? According to Opposing Viewpoints Online, Racism is â€Å"a prejudice or an animosity against a person or group of people who belong to a different race†. Many Americans wrongly Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail The 1960’s were a time of civil disobedience and protest against the inequalities in America. Specifically, in Birmingham, Alabama, in the year 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the racial inequalities in one of the most famous letters in America’s history: â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† This letter was sent to a group of Alabama clergymen who chastised King’s disobedience. The letter was written with the purpose to encourage these eight men to side with King. Martin Luther King Jr.’s knowledge of Christianity allowed him to successfully sway the clergy. King compared himself to Jesus, several famous people throughout history, and then condemns the clergy, using ethos based in religion. Emotions rooted in deep religion are the†¦show more content†¦Jesus died for the sake of freedom, and Kind allowed himself to be jailed for a similar cause. He chose prison, just as Jesus chose death, for the greater good; he is reminding t he clergy that he is simply following in Christ’s footsteps -- thereby not only guilting them, but also encouraging them to join his movement. While Jesus is the most influential person these clergy could hope to be, King does not fail to use other famous, and holy, people to his advantage. Amos, Paul the Disciple, Martin Luther, and John Bunyan all have two things in common; every man listed is a preacher of some sort, and they were all named by King. He states in his letter â€Å"Was not Amos an extremist for justice: Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Was not Martin Luther an extremist: Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God. And John Bunyan: I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.† (King Paragraph 24). While this statement may not initially look like much, upon closer inspection it becomes clear that King is listing people he knows that the clergy also will have religious ties to. Amos has his own book in the bible, Paul was close to Jesus, Martin Luther was a famous pastor, and John Bunyan was a priest, andShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King s Letter From Birm ingham Jail1860 Words   |  8 Pagesdisobedience as identified by Martin Luther King is a form of direct action, and an outright refusal to conform to laws as a form of protest. Martin Luther King addresses this method of resistance in his text, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. Martin Luther King Jr personally drafted the text as a response to criticisms made in a statement by clergymen whom apposed King’s nonviolent methods of resistance to continuous issues of racism occurring in Birmingham, Alabama. As expressed by King and described in hisRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail998 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr. seldom had time to answer his critics. But on April 16, 1963, he was confined to the Birmingham jail, imprisoned for participating in civil rights demonstrations. â€Å"Alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell,† King pondered a letter titled A Call for Unity that fellow clergymen had published pressing him to drop his crusade of nonviolent resistance and to leave the battle for racial equality to the courts. Within that document, King’s fellow clergymen caste himRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1562 Words   |  7 PagesDr. Martin Luther King, one of the most influential men in the world, had played a pivotal role during the Civil Rights movement. He led the entire nation in the fight to end segregation, but while trying, he faced many obstacles, one being getting arrested during a rally. While in jail, King had time to respond to the critics of his work in the movement, and he wrote a marvelous, captivating response. In King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he replied and prof essed his emotions to the white clergymenRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From The Birmingham Jail939 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King preached the realities of what justice truly is. Nearly 50 years later our world is still having trouble with these ideas. There is no doubt that Martin Luther King was an extremely virtuous man. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, had a Ph.D. in systematic theology, was a baptist minister, and was probably the most recognized person in the civil rights movement. He was assassinated in 1968. The incident as described by Thich Nhat Hanh; I couldn t believe it. I thought theRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1509 Words   |  7 Pagespeople to fight for their freedom with words and not their fists. Martin Luther King Jr. used the power of rhetoric during the civil rights movement to gain equality for the black community. MLK was a master of rhetoric and used his knowledge of proper arguments to sway the opinions of people in power to get what he wanted. Even though Martin Luther King includes an abundance of rhetorical devices in the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† he most effectively utilizes ethos and logos, elevating his perceivedRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1157 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† is directed towards the clergymen, although America is his audience, King had come to Birmingham to address the segregation problem in the United States. He refuses to stay silent, even though people told him to wait for the change to happen. King is a part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that has many organizations across the South. He felt that he has a right to be in Birmingham because his organizations have connections withRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail955 Words   |  4 PagesBy 1963, when Martin Luther King planned a campaign aga inst segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. During the demonstration he was arrested and lives in the jail for eight days. While he was in prison, he wrote his letter from Birmingham Jail to explain his actions and those who urged him to call off the demonstrations. Martin Luther King Jr. Birmingham Jail is important because, he explains the reasons for the non-violent demonstrations, he shows that black people are intelligent, and he criticizesRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail934 Words   |  4 PagesIn Martin Luther King Jr.’s , â€Å" Letter from Birmingham Jail†, King responds to the judgments of a group of clergymen , after King s arrest, by writing a letter explaining why the clergymen s judgments were wrong. In his letter, king brings very reasonable and valid points that challenge the judgments of the ministers. The main arguments that king makes would be the reason of his existence in Birmingham, white power structure and its racial i njustice, and finally why negotiation has brought up impatienceRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From Birmingham Jail1223 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr.’s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† emphasizes the need for civil disobedience when faced with unjust laws. This idea contradicts Socrates’ claim made in Crito, that one must follow the law under all circumstances. In this paper, I will argue that Socrates is not a proponent of civil disobedience based on King’s definition of civil disobedience and Socrates’ charges. Moreover, I will argue that both Socrates and King disagree with one another based on the concept of civilRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1037 Words   |  5 PagesEssay Four Topic: Read Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† (in your Nexus book) and Brent Staples’s â€Å"Black Men and Public Space.† What do these works say about racism, prejudice, and bias? Have we made any progress in these areas since their publication? What problems do you still see and what solutions can you offer? According to Opposing Viewpoints Online, Racism is â€Å"a prejudice or an animosity against a person or group of people who belong to a different race†. Many Americans wrongly

The Secret Circle The Divide Chapter 18 Free Essays

Cassie always dreamed of having a sister, of having someone to confide in and share secrets with, someone who would always stick by her no matter what. Cassie and Diana had promised to be sisters to each other, the sisters neither of them had. But that wasn’t going so well these days, or at least not like they thought it would. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Divide Chapter 18 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But now she had this, a real sister. Well, a half sister, but still, Scarlett was real. Cassie wasn’t an only child anymore. That night, Cassie invited Scarlett to sleep over at her house. She had this urge to learn everything she could about her as soon as possible. Not to gril Scarlett on what she knew of their father and the witch hunters, though of course that was important, too, but everything about her. There was plenty of time for Scarlett to share everything she knew about the hunters with the Circle. But tonight was just about them. They deserved that much. Cassie’s mother was away visiting friends in Cape Cod, so the girls had the whole house to themselves. Cassie was relieved, because she wasn’t sure yet how to broach the subject of Scarlett with her mother. How exactly does one even begin such a conversation? â€Å"Mom, the love of your life, who turned out to be evil? He also had another child.† Especially with a mother like Cassie’s, who would always rather hide from the past and pretend it doesn’t exist. Her mother would stick her head in the sand like an ostrich and live that way forever if she could. Finding out Cassie had a half sister, and worse, that her husband had another daughter with a different woman, might be more than she could handle. It would take a lot of groundwork on Cassie’s behalf to prepare her mother for such a shock. But for tonight, they could just be sisters. She felt herself slip into an immediate playfulness, as if she and Scarlett were trying to make up for the childhood they had been robbed of sharing. For the first few hours, they did all the traditional sleepover things. They ordered a pepperoni pizza and laughed too loud. They painted each other’s nails with sparkled purple nail polish and wolfed down chocolate ice-cream sundaes till they had stomachaches. Then they both changed into their pajamas, and Scarlett pinned Cassie’s hair back in two intertwined French braids. Cassie brushed through Scarlett’s long waves of wild red hair and couldn’t help but ask, â€Å"If you didn’t dye your hair, would it be the same color as mine?† â€Å"Yup,† Scarlett said. â€Å"Look at our eyebrows; they’re the same shade of brown.† â€Å"And our noses are shaped the same.† â€Å"That’s true,† Scarlett said. â€Å"We both have the same perfect button noses.† â€Å"Do you hate peas?† Cassie asked ridiculously. â€Å"I do, but I don’t think that’s genetic.† â€Å"You don’t understand.† Cassie was giggling uncontrollably. â€Å"I hate peas so much, I swear it’s in my DNA.† Scarlett cracked up. Having a sleepover with Scarlett was nothing at all like having one with Diana. Diana always behaved like a serious adult. She rarely loosened up enough to just be silly. But sill iness was no problem for Scarlett. Even though she was a witch, she didn’t always act like one. And even though she’d suffered through intolerable tragedy and loss, she wasn’t mired in somberness. First and foremost, Scarlett was a girl who wanted to have a little fun, and that was a much-needed breath of fresh air to Cassie. They stayed up late into the night talking. The outside world grew quiet and sleepy and finally silent while Cassie and Scarlett remained awake sharing stories. And as the hours passed, their conversation drifted into deeper waters. In hushed tones, Scarlett filled Cassie in on many of the gaps in their family history. â€Å"I always sensed I was different,† she said. â€Å"Even before I knew I was a witch.† â€Å"I know what you mean, believe me.† Cassie brought her knees in toward her chest. â€Å"I never felt at home anywhere. I always felt like a freak.† â€Å"And the dreams and nightmares,† Scarlett said. Cassie nodded. â€Å"Mostly the nightmares.† â€Å"And the strange things that would happen every time I got angry.† Scarlett’s voice rose a bit. â€Å"That was really the kicker.† Cassie nodded more rapidly. The similarities between them were uncanny. Cassie wanted to tell Scarlett about the darkness she sometimes felt inside. Not only the bad feelings triggered by certain people, like the new principal, for example, but that other darkness. The one deep down that she could hardly admit to herself existed. Did Scarlett feel that, too? Did she fear there was some sinister piece of Black John lodged in her soul, infecting and clouding it like a cancerous smoker’s lung? But before Cassie could muster up the courage to ask such a question, Scarlett’s round face turned deathly serious. â€Å"And when I first touched hematite,† she said. â€Å"The feeling in my chest was – â€Å" â€Å"I know!† Cassie screamed out. â€Å"Me, too!† â€Å"It’s my working stone,† Scarlett said. â€Å"Mine, too,† Cassie said. Scarlett grinned knowingly, as if she suspected as much. â€Å"It’s a truly rare occurrence, you know. To have hematite as your working stone.† Cassie turned away for a second, feeling ashamed. She had to remind herself that she didn’t have to be embarrassed of her connection to Black John, at least not with Scarlett. Scarlett watched her patiently. â€Å"It’s okay,† she said. â€Å"I know this is a lot to digest.† She does feel it, Cassie thought. Scarlett understood the mortification of Cassie’s deepest secret. Scarlett endured that same crushing darkness dormant inside herself. The air between them momentarily quieted, and Cassie knew this was her chance to ask about their father. â€Å"It’s because of him,† she said. â€Å"That hematite works for both of us. Right?† Scarlett nodded. â€Å"I’d say that’s most likely the reason.† â€Å"Did you know him?† Cassie asked, not having to utter their father’s name. Scarlett shook her head. â€Å"No. But my mom told me stories. Didn’t yours?† Cassie blushed, shamed by her own mother’s shortcomings. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"Our moms were best friends growing up,† Scarlett said. â€Å"Did you know that?† Cassie searched her memory for any recol ection of her mother talking about old friends, but she came up blank. â€Å"No,† she said, disappointed. â€Å"I don’t know much at all about my mother’s past.† â€Å"Well, our moms were best friends,† Scarlett said, matter-of-factly. â€Å"Until Black John came between them. Your mom stole him from my mom. That’s why my mom left town.† â€Å"I had no idea.† Cassie’s heart fell a little because of this new picture of her mother, but also because she suddenly thought of Diana and Nick, and how she and Adam came between them. Would things ever be the same between them, or were they bound for the same fate? Scarlett noticed a change in Cassie’s disposition. â€Å"Have I upset you?† she asked. â€Å"Maybe I’m saying too much too soon.† â€Å"No, don’t be silly.† Cassie forced herself to relax and to put Adam and the others out of her mind for now. â€Å"I want to know everything. Don’t hold anything back, please.† Scarlett puckered her lips and eyed Cassie skeptically. â€Å"We have our whole lives to catch up with each other, you know. We don’t have to do it all in one night.† It was an amazingly comforting thought. Our whole lives. They could go back to giggling and goofing around, and pick up this seriousness tomorrow. But Cassie had waited for this chance for far too long to let it go any longer. She needed to know the truth, about everything. â€Å"Please tell me more,† she said. â€Å"I can handle it.† â€Å"Okay then.† Scarlett took Cassie’s hand and squeezed it, and when she did, Cassie looked down at their intertwined fingers. It seemed like she could almost see a cord wrapping around their hands, connecting them. Just like the connection between Adam and me, Cassie thought. She and Scarlett were linked. They were fated. It explained everything she felt about Scarlett since the moment she’d set eyes on her, how she was willing to go against the whole Circle to defend her and protect her. If Scarlett saw it, she didn’t mention it. She went on talking as usual, while massaging Cassie’s hand in her own. â€Å"I’ll never forget the day my mother told me I had a sister,† Scarlett said. â€Å"It changed everything for me. I knew one day I’d find you. And see, I was right.† She waited a moment to read Cassie’s expression and then added, â€Å"I don’t understand why your mom never told you.† Cassie suddenly felt herself snap to a new level of awareness. She pulled her hand away. â€Å"Wait a minute. My mother knew about you?† â€Å"Of course she knew.† Scarlett’s voice contained the â€Å"Of course she knew.† Scarlett’s voice contained the slightest hint of outrage. â€Å"They were all still in New Salem when we were born.† Cassie thought back to the conversation she recently had with her mother. How she’d looked deep into her eyes and swore she’d told Cassie the whole truth about her father. I loved that I was all his, and he was all mine, she’d said, but it was a lie. Her mother knew he was with someone else. â€Å"How could my mother not have told me I had a sister?† Cassie said aloud. This was a new divide that had sprung up between her and her mother, and at the moment, it felt insurmountable. Her whole childhood and adolescence had been hindered by lies – that truth had come to light when they first moved to New Salem, and Cassie learned she was a witch. But she’d come to terms with all the covering up her mother had done in hopes of protecting her. Now it occurred to Cassie that even their more recent conversations had been poisoned by deceit. As of this very moment, her mother was still lying to her. Cassie never felt more estranged from her as she did now. â€Å"She should have told you,† Scarlett said. â€Å"I wonder what else she’s kept from you.† Cassie realized Scarlett was absolutely right. If her mom could lie about the existence of a sibling, she could lie about anything. And if she was keeping secrets, Cassie would, too. She decided right then not to tell her mom anything about meeting Scarlett. Her mother didn’t deserve her honesty. She hadn’t earned it. Fortunately, now Cassie had a sister, and everything would be different. Everything would be better. If it had to be just the two of them against the rest of the world, so be it. They would remain inseparable, that was the one and only thing Cassie could feel secure about now. â€Å"Scarlett,† she said, feeling her heart overflow with love and affection, â€Å"now that you’re here, I finally feel like I’m home.† â€Å"Me, too.† Scarlett’s dark eyes shimmered. â€Å"I’ve never been more sure of anything,† she said. â€Å"This is where I belong.† How to cite The Secret Circle: The Divide Chapter 18, Essay examples