To truly understand and explain Stephen Crane's Poems, one must take a closer look at his background.  Stephen Crane was born in 1871 in Newark, New Jersey as the youngest son of a Methodist minister.  His family values and his view on religion especially on God influenced is writings in a new reveling light.  "In 1896, Crane went to Jacksonville, Florida as a correspondent to Cuban Insurrection.  Then in 1897, Crane volunteered to the US Nay for Spanish-American was but was rejected by the Navy and he still went as a war correspondent for Pulitzer.  Crane's actions involve daring combat situations at Guantonamo, Cuzco, Las Guasimas, San Juan Hill.  He is acclaimed as writing the war's best dispatches"  (David J. Nordioh. 1). His failed attempt to enlist in the U.S Navy and his work as a journalist covering war stories inspired his works concerning war.  These events shaped him and his famous literary works with profound impact.

Daniel Hoffman said, "Stephen Crane is fascinated with war (and with other perilous situations)"  (Daniel Hoffman. 3).  Stephen Crane's poems are affected by his love for his work as a journalist covering war stories and telling the crude events and tragedies of war.  Stephen Crane writes in War is Kind "What many have said or would like to have said to those who have lost loved ones in war"  (Daniel Hoffman. 3).  Concerning Crane's war poems and works, Joseph said, "The energy of that projectile hurt nothing and no one (such as its good fortune), and delighted a good many.  It delighted soldiers, men of letters, men in the street.  It was welcomed by all lovers of personal expression as a genuine revelation.  Satisfying the curiosity of a world in which was and lobe have been subject of song and story ever since the beginning of articulate speech"  (Joseph Conrad. 1). 

Hoffman praised Crane's use of "juxtaposition and repetition" claiming "The power of the poem is in its style.  Crane's style was a more flexible instrument than most critics of his poetry have allowed" (Daniel Hoffman. 2).  Irony plays a major role in War is Kind.  Mary Ruby and Mark Milne stated "Some critics see the irony in the contrast between women's tears and the fact that death will soon relieve the dying man of his suffering.  But the irony is the reason, which is not a reason.  War is not kind."  They go on to state, "Crane uses bitter irony to comment on the ways in which government lies about the nature and purpose of war" (Mary Ruby & Mark Milne. 2).  "Crane's style is prose pointillism, it is composed of disconnected images, which coalesce like the blobs of color in French impressionist paintings, every word-group having a cross-reference relationship, every seemly disconnected details having interrelationships to the configured whole" (R. W. Stallman. 1).  Daniel Hoffman again asserted that Crane's poems represent "experiences and states feeling more complex than the simple attitudes of the allegorical poems" (Daniel Hoffman. 1).  Hoffman claims that poem War is Kind expresses Crane's shift from allegory to symbolism.

According to Mary Ruby and Mark Milne, "The acid cynicism" in these poems "burn".  They are saying, "For using patriotic pride and the myth of heroism to sanction men's natural tendencies toward violence, the military and the government are condemned although not named" (Mary Ruby and Mark Milne. 1). These poems are retelling the harsh conditions of the war for a reason, to show the people caught up in the war that this is not a joke, but a real event that is taking lives and devastating families. Concerning commitment and freedom, when reading poems present day, McDonald said, "we need have no worry about their experiments in form. The struggle for freedom was won long time ago; with Cane's help...we don't need poetry to confirm our beliefs. I think we can always recognize his sincerity, his commitment to hard and lonely path to truth, his determination to be honest with himself" (Gerald McDonald. 2). 

In the nineties, "Crane's poems seemed startlingly new in form and disturbingly new in content, without rhyme and without rhyme, they employ irony and paradox. They introduced unfamiliar symbols and metaphors, which sometimes ranged toward ambiguity. They were packed with tension and presented with terseness. They had, indeed, many of the characteristics, which seem especially typical of modern verses" (Gerald McDonald. 3).  In Crimson Clash of War, "women wept and babes ran wondering" because the war was traumatizing and confusing. War caused misunderstanding and chaos. No one understands what is happening. People ("millions") strove to answer his question, Why?  Why war? Why Fight?  Bettinal Knapp declared that the poem is "replete with scenes of martyrdom and bone-hard metaphors." Knapp continues saying that "despair, a morbid presence, permeates the world as individuals are forced to endure the agony of war" (Bettina L. Knapp. 1).  "The was stories probes a state of mind under the incessant pinpricks and bombardments of life. The theme is that man's salvation lies in change, in spiritual growth. It is only by immersion in the flux of experience that man becomes disciplined and develops character, conscience or soul" (R. W. Stallman. 2). These stories represent the constant battles in life that shape a human being in a disciplined way. Stallman goes on to state that, "Potentialities for change are at their greatest in battle- a battle represents life at its most intense flux. Crane's work is not about the combat of armies, it is about the self-combat of the youth who fears and stubbornly resists change, and the actual battle is symbolic of this spirited warfare against change and growth" (R. W. Stallman. 3). 

According to Mary Ruby and Mark Milne, "Crane's poem also foreshadows some of the great anti-war poems of the first world war, chief among them Wilfred Owens's Dulce et Decorum Est, which after being literally translated, means "it is sweet and meet to die for one's country" (Mary Ruby & Mark Milne. 6).  In War is Kind, "the last stanza, an image of mother weeping over the body of her fallen son, is the most heart-wrenching of all, as it underscores the hopelessness of the victims, both living and dead" (Mary Ruby & Mark Milne. 8).  It relays the unspoken message of despair. Are all this despair, destruction and death necessary?  What ever the reason was for war, it was not good enough. No reason is good enough to shatter families, destroy fellow humans and turn "lands black and bare." Whenever someone tries to answer the question why, people strive to answer the question with intricate clamor of tongues but always fail short of answering the question.

Stephen Crane's background, his styles, his fascination with war and his messages in his poems made his books and poems an inspiration for many people. His works and how he related to war made him a "Speaker for the Dead", for people to truly understand what the cost of wear is and the wages of war. Stephen Crane's obsession with war caused him to write many poems that he though might expose to the public the harsh reality of war behind all patriotic versus and pride. He wanted to show to the world the beast, the "God of war" that was dominating their lives. He wanted them to understand that war has costs. He wanted them to see that every action of war has prices to pay and that every price can be very costly.

McPherson has a likeness for Uncle Tom’s Cabin because of both its message and its impact on American history. In first comparing it to the romantic novel Gone With the Wind, he showed how Gone With the Wind glamorized the Old South and romanticized the Confederacy, while Uncle Tom’s Cabin helped shape attitudes that would deeply devastate both. Not only does Uncle Tom’s Cabin have its moments of comedy, drama, and appeals to the reader, but it also displays morality, a competition between good and evil. Uncle Tom’s Cabin showed the cruelties of slavery and how they could impact the domestic life. Since the 19^th century witnessed the rise of the middle class, people were horrified at the thought of separating families, since the family was considered sacred. McPherson also admired the fact that Harriet Beecher Stowe based the characters in her novel on people in real life. Stowe apparently knew more about slavery than people assumed, from being brought into contact with many fugitives fleeing into Ohio. One of her brothers lived in Louisiana and gave Stowe the material that brought about the image of Simon Legree and his plantation. Basically, McPherson admired Uncle Tom’s Cabin, praising it as one of the most influential novels of the 19^th century.

The importance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was truly significant to James M. McPherson. He enjoyed reading the literary work in high school in the 1950s and argued with his professors in college over its true significance. McPherson is determined to make Uncle Tom’s Cabin be seen by all as a global masterpiece, demonstrating the significant flaws in American government during the existence of a divided nation.

It is a brilliant book that I can't resist to put down, and I just had to keep reading and reading. He's an amazing writer and is a genius with words. It's the kind of books that I would suggest twelve year olds and above get into. It's a thrilling book full of events and I strongly recommend it to any reader. He has a way of making you think you were there with him as he describes how he watched his colleagues being shot down by German Ju88's.

I'd most certainly without a doubt put it in the top five books I have ever read. He has also written another autobiographical book of when he was a child and how his life was growing up which is another excellent book. Going Solo is a very easy read although it leaves you at the end of the book wanting more with an ending that doesn't quite finish it as well as it should although don't let this put you off it. He has a very good memory of the events which occurred. Also every couple of pages he includes a letter that was written back to his mother while he was in the war.

Overall it is a great read - 5 Stars

The author tries to show that although Turks deny the Armenian genocide ever happened there is more than enough evidence to prove them guilty of annihilating a whole race. The book seems to be a write-up of primary research in which Akcam states facts in a chronological fashion. The author is a well established sociologist and historian who currently works at the University of Minnesota's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The Armenian genocide was undoubtedly caused by the Turks which resurfaces throughout the content of this book. Although I have never before discussed or even heard of the Armenian genocide before this book the Turks who were behind these series of massacres seem even more heinous because they tried to hide such a staggering crime.

The book's content is linear and clarifies on some subjects, but the information can be easy to get lost in because the paragraphs seem to introduce a new character or event if not several which sometimes didn't seem to have any ties to the paragraph before it. Akcam achieved his goal by accurately revealing facts that might have been oblivious to many people because of where they came from, such as Turkish/Ottoman documents found in archives. Akcam made several points to show how a nation could comply with such brutal actions. He also showed that the Turks managed to cover up a large amount of their operations by using the World War as something to keep Europe preoccupied with their own problems rather than those of the Armenians.

The author writes about how the social class kept a sort of traditional role from the medieval period to the modern era, where Turkish citizens were considered of higher class and served in the army while other races such as Armenians, Greeks and so on were just the working class or slaves. In the modernized world the merchant class (Armenians, etc.) began to gain more power and live longer, luxurious lives than their so called Turkish masters who were mostly just soldiers. The government which was still run by Turks began to rally the Empire into a nationalistic state and target the Armenians as the enemy. Akcam writes about how one of the leaders in the Armenian genocide operation would make promises to stop killing to European ambassadors one moment and then send a message to continue, just to get them off his back. Events that the book left out and how it would compare to others on the subject I have no basis of comparison to refer to since I haven't read any other books or heard anything about the Armenian genocide until this book. I found it intriguing how the Turks avoided being caught for a while and still deny that the genocide ever took place. I disliked how the book seemed to drag on and on which made it hard for me to get into because I have trouble reading just a list of facts.

I found several key events interesting such as moving the Armenians and other non-Turk races into the center of the empire in order to control them better. The idea of a Turkish historian writing about something that's considered taboo in his country also gave this book a slight twist from the beginning. I would not recommend this book to most people due to how the information is presented and that I doubt they could get much out of it unless they seriously outlined each chapter after reading it or spent some time thinking over the facts before moving on.

Danny, the Hasidic Jewish boy, is constantly struggling throughout the novel. His father, the leader of the synagogue, wants his son to assume his role. Danny on the other hand, wants to study psychology. He is trapped in this cycle where his father and the rest of society want him to become the new tzaddik, and he wants to turn away from all of them and go off on his own. He describes a trapped feeling. “I'm trapped now, too...It's the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it.”(Potok, 202) This explanation and description of Danny's problem can be closely viewed as the same problem that the European Jews were facing. They were kidnapped by the Germans and tortured in death camps. They, too, were trapped in the most “hellish, choking, constricting” environment. Danny's character and situation parallel that of the European Jews of World War 2.

Reuven, the Orthodox Jewish boy, helps Danny through his problems in the novel. He is the one who recommends Danny start reading books suggested by his father, and he often helps Danny deal with the challenges of living within the Hasidic society. On page 202, Danny states, “...One day I will...I'll need you around on that day...”(Potok, 202) The author italicizes the word “need", giving the impression that there is something more to that sentence than meets the eye. Reuven helps Danny just like the American and British soldiers helped the European Jews conquer the Germans. The soldiers liberated the Jews from an almost guaranteed death. Reuven helps to liberate Danny from the confusing cycle. He shows him a new independence and confidence that Danny can rely on to get through the social stubbornness. Reuven's character and circumstance parallel the American and British soldiers, and their state of affairs, in World War 2.

Reb Saunders, Danny Saunders' father, is "an extraordinarily limited character, who embodies the stereotypes of the intolerant religious fanatic and of the provincial immigrant father."(Kurshan) Mr. Saunders is endlessly trying to persuade Danny to follow his example and become a tzaddik. Saunders is also a very powerful man of high priority in terms of the Jewish Hasidic Community. As the reader finds out, Mr. Saunders has an odd, unnatural way of teaching Danny how to become independent and less reliant on his father. This process of "changing" Danny through isolation is somewhat like how Hitler and the other fascist leaders tried to "change" the face of the earth by isolating and exterminating the European Jews during World War 2. Reb Saunders exhibits other parallels to Adolf Hitler like the excellent, convincing speaking skills he shows when he communicates with the Jewish and German community. Hitler was known for his persuasive speeches and rallies that convinced the German people to vote the Nazi party into office. In addition, large rallies and speeches motivated the German men to join the army. Adolf Hitler actually coaxed the German citizens into thinking that they were the “master race” and that Germany would become the greatest world power. Reb Saunders' character and condition parallel to that of Adolf Hitler at the time of World War 2.

David Malter, Reuven's father, represents the ideal American Jewish father. "He combines religious rigor with scientific inquiry and a love of knowledge, all of which he tempers with his overwhelming love and respect for his son."(Kurshan) He is always willing to teach one about anything. Mr. Malter is an individual who understands the importance of relationships. He values and accepts the dual perspectives of tradition and secularism. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the US President at the time of World War 2, understands many of the same things that Malter understands. Roosevelt was a respected politician for many years as a Senator, a Navy Secretary, and the President. Mr. Malter is very much like a politician. By definition, a politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision-making. Mr. Malter not only teaches Danny the importance of opening up to new opportunities, but he also teaches him how to make decisions for himself, and not his father. Just like Malter believes that tradition and secularism should be balanced, Roosevelt understood the importance of bringing a new era into the White House but not completely stomping out the past eras and accomplishments. David Malter's character and status parallel to Franklin Roosevelt's character during the time of World War 2.

Many of the major elements from the era of World War 2 parallel major characters of the novel, The Chosen , by Chaim Potok. The author of this popular novel, whether purposefully or accidentally, alluded to the parallels present between the elements of the war and the characters of the story. These parallels are not random comparisons. They advance the plot of the novel and directly reveal the theme of the book. These clever equivalents also reveal how intelligent and passionate the author is towards this story.

The horrible conditions the soldiers must endure are an atrocity of World War I. Paul describes the conditions in his mind, “The front is a cage in which we must await fearfully whatever may happen” (Remarque 101). Paul expresses his distaste for the conditions that his company must endure in the trenches. This is an atrocity of war because the German government does not supply adequate conditions for the soldiers to live and fight in. Paul describes his comrade's death, “He lived for half an hour, quite conscious, and in terrible pain” (Remarque 279). This description shows that even death cannot be peaceful during war. Clearly, war is quite atrocious.

The war hospitals that the soldiers must go to do not provide the good care that is expected of hospitals, which is very atrocious. Paul describes the surgeons' procedures as he arrives at the hospital, “…for everyone knows that the surgeons in the dressing stations amputate on the slightest provocation. Under the great business that is much simpler than complicated patching” (Remarque 242). This observation shows that the surgeons do not have enough time or resources to be fixing every injury, so instead they just amputate anything if it would be too much trouble to fix it. This is an atrocity because the soldiers fighting for their country should be getting the best healthcare money can buy, but are actually getting the worst care. Paul then describes the working conditions the sisters must endure, “They [the sisters] certainly have a great deal to do and are all overworked day after day” (Remarque 255). After this observation, one can infer that the care in the hospital is so dreadful because they do not have enough people staffed and the staff they do have are all overworked. The hospital care is an atrocity of war because of the lack of care and experiments.

The Russian POWs are treated very poorly, which can be seen as an atrocity of war. Paul describes what he sees the Russians have to do for food, “[The Russians] slink about our camp and pick over the garbage tins” (Remarque 189). The Russian POWs are reduced to having to dig through the German's leftover garbage for food. This is an atrocity because even though they are prisoners, the Russians are still people and should be fed at the very least. Paul goes on to describe the POWS clothing, “Now [the Russians] wear only the most pitiful clothing, and try to exchange little carving and objects that they have made” (Remarque 191). This description shows how the POWs do not have anything and Paul pities them. This is an atrocity of war because the Russian POWs cannot even keep their clothes, let alone their dignity. The treatment of the Russian POWs is clearly an atrocity of war.

The atrocities of war are clearly portrayed by Remarque throughout this novel using imagery. This is shown through the horrid trench conditions, the bad care at the war hospitals, and the poor treatment of the Russian POWs. War can produce many atrocities if not planned for very carefully.

It falls to parent therefore to acquaint them with this transition period. In order to help their children through it; they need to be constantly ready to make a helpful remark, to give needed assurance, and to provide answers to delicate questions. Perhaps the most striking of a threshold period is the child rapid growth. Within a few months a youngster will shoot up several inches in height. The feminine characteristics of young womanhood become apparent.

The capacity to grow constitutes one of the greatest gifts God has bestowed upon His creatures. Growth is vital to human existence. The infant must grow in order to become a child. The child must grow in order to become a youth, and the youth continues to grow until becomes an adult.

Success in life depends not only on physical growth. In order to live abundantly a person must also grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Physical growth is usually completed before age of twenty. Intellectual, emotional, and spiritual should continue, however, throughout life.

Girls usually reach their growth spurt when they are between nine and thirteen. During this period a girl becomes a young woman. By the end of the growth spurt, she becomes just about as tall as she will ever be.
A girl in the threshold period has reason to be happy when she is no longer a child. However, if she is not informed on the changes that take place within her body, she may become worried and anxious over what these changes means. It is in this situation a kindly and sympathetic mother can be of great help to her daughter. As the mother explains the events that take place in a girl's body her daughter will feel reassured that she is normal and will develop a poise and self-confidence that will even improve her personality.

During childhood, a girl's body contains certain organs different from those of a boy. Those are the organ that will enable her later, to become a mother. During childhood they do not function simply presenting a miniature, they await the time when womanhood arrives.

Chief among the organs in a girl's body which brings about the changes of this threshold are the ovaries. There are two of these, one on the top right and one on the left, in the lower part of the abdomen. The ovaries perform two duties. First they produce a chemical substance, estrogen, which circulate throughout the body and influence the various tissues to follow the feminine pattern of development. Becoming active for the first time during the threshold period, the ovaries are responsible for stimulating rapid increase in height, for bringing about a broadening of the hips, for stimulating the development of the breasts, for prompting the growth of hair under the arms and in the pubic area, and for causing a maturing of the uterus (womb). The second function of the ovaries is to produce the female sex cells, called ova. The purpose of the cell is to help in producing a new life to furnish a tiny bit of material that assist in forming a baby. But a baby has two parents-a mother and a father.

The creator therefore planned the life of human beings in such a way that a baby comes into being only when a female sex cell, produced by one of the mother's ovaries is joined by a male sex cell, produced by the baby father. When the union of these two sex cells occurs within a woman body, a new life is started and the woman is said to be pregnant. The mother should be able to educate the girl child being wise enough not to tell the whole story at one sitting. She should tell her daughter little at a time.

Educating the girl child therefore, on the primary basis of her developmental process into entering adulthood is simply unavoidable; this certainly will go a long way in making the mind of the growing girl child be at peace.

Iago sowed intrigues between Desdemona and Othello and Othello and Cassio. Iago made Othello jealous by insinuating that Desdemona and Cassio was having an affair. It so inflamed Othello that he decided to kill Desdemona by strangling her, also upon the suggestion of Iago. Cassio got wounded by Roderigo and the death of Desdemona.

Othello later learned belatedly from Emilia, Iago's wife, that Iago manipulated all the stories. Othello wounded Iago then killed himself. Iago killed Emilia. Iago got imprisoned and Cassio was proclaimed the new governor of Cyrpus.

Orson Scott Card's Ender`s Game was more gruesome as miscommunication led to the annihilation of an entire race - the alien Formics or better known as the Buggers. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin was a young child-genius who was made to undergo training in preparation for the feared Third Invasion of the alien Buggers. During the first invasion, the alien almost wiped out the entire human population due to lack of technology. The Second Invasion, the human population again almost got eradicated but not as much as the First invasion.

To prevent total eradication of mankind, the International Military Forces enlisted the help of genius children aged five to thirteen to undergo simulated space training that were intended to equip them with skills when the aliens would come.

Ender showed incredible battle skills earning him the Commander post in so short a time. He was then made to undergo a series of simulated battles culminating in the exterminating of the buggers' planet which in turn killed them. It turned out that the final test was not simulated but the real one. And Ender just committed Xenocide by eliminating the entire Bugger race.

Ender feeling remorseful for his mistake, he together with his sister Valentine, left on a colonization ship bound for the bugger's destroyed planet where he intended to reside. There, Ender found out that the Buggers' left him the pupa of the last surviving Queen or the Hive-Queen. The pupa telepathically talked to Ender and explained to him that the reason why Buggers attacked humans was they believed that humans are not sentient or capable of consciousness. The Buggers realized their error and wanted to make amends by refraining from attacking humans anymore. Therefore, Ender's Xenocide to defend earth was no longer necessary. Due to lack communication, the bugger could not relay this message to humans which led to the tragic end of the buggers.

Ender related the Queen's tale by writing a book called “The Hive-Queen” and using the pen name “Speaker for the Dead”. He left the colony and brought the pupa with him to seek a place for the bugger to breed.

Orson Scott Card's Speaker For The Dead was another tale that delves on miscommunication. But unlike the previous examples, William Shakespeare's Othello and Ender`s Game, the story did not end tragically. It did not also led to death of humans or the wipe out of an entire alien race. The Speaker For The Dead offers Ender the redemption he so desperately sought after the Xenocide of the Buggers in the preceding book due to miscommunication.

In Speaker for the Dead, Ender was called by his real name Andrew Wiggin. Ender wanted to amend for his previous mistake by working as a speaker for the dead or a person who speaks in behalf of the dead to shed light on their actions or the way they lived their lives.

Another possible miscommunication problem arose in the story when a new specie of intelligent alien called the Pequeninos or popularly known as the “piggies” had been discovered. Conflict arose when the piggies killed two xenologists - Pipo and Libo. The killing started when Novinha discovered the presence of descolada in every life form in Lusitania. The significance of Pipo's and Libo's murders was revealed: the piggies do not consider the trees as their gods and do not worship them.

The trees came from dead piggies called the brothertrees. Another tree was the fathertree derived from dissected piggies. These fathertrees are capable of reproduction and are sentient. Descolada aids in the change of piggies to trees. Due to Ender's efforts, he was able to forge peace between humans and piggies through a signed treaty. In this instance, Ender effectively lessened the harmful effects of miscommunication.

The three tales vividly depict the possible harmful effects of miscommunication among races or peoples. Miscommunication has waged unnecessary wars and took a number of lives. Communication then is a necessary aspect in human relations as shown by the stories.

Iago in Shakespeare's Othello provided a face to the chilling act on the ease with which communication could be easily twisted in order to create conflicts. Miscommunication could easily be brought upon by people with malicious intentions, people with no conscience and lives for their ulterior selfish motives. People such as Iago are guilty of treachery and falsehood.

Through Iago's masterful and cunning manipulations, Othello committed the worst act of killing the one he loved most. Then in an act of repentance upon the discovery of truth on how Iago made up stories, he killed himself too. This tragic end goes to show the extent miscommunication could lead to in people's relationships and lives.

Iago shows a side that is inherent in some people. We can relate to Othello's plight as we, ourselves, experienced intrigues sown by other people. We hear criticisms, unfair judgment, backbiting and other acts of manipulations. In the process, we feel hurt. We lose friends. We got alienated even to the point of being ostracized. Such is the effect of miscommunication that every person could relate to.

Card's Ender's Game provides another facet to the dangers of miscommunication. It is worst than the fate suffered by the characters in Othello as the Buggers met total annihilation due to plain simple miscommunication. The massive xenocide leaves the readers feeling totally deflated. It is simply mind-boggling how a simple lack of communication could lead to such a tragic end. Yet, what makes it so chilling is the fact that that this is realistically possible.

How many times do we see wars explode due to plain miscommunication of motives? Civil wars, wars among countries, genocide were evident in our history. From this nonsense threat of human lives, we see the negative effects lack of communication among leaders, among the government and its peoples and among nations bring. How easily could problems have been avoided if people took the time to sit down and address issues in a more objective way?

Card's Speaker for the Dead offers us hope in the midst of such grimness. Humans, as we are, miscommunication would be something we need to cope with. With Speaker for the Dead we learned that the hope of eradicating the debilitating effects of miscommunication is found in the act of reaching out to another person or race.

It is indeed ironic that we come to hate what we don't understand. At the same time, we come to understand only if we stop hating. All three stories depict the kind of hatred that could stem from miscommunication. Hatred could be as total as Iago's or blinded as Ender's. But hatred and its dire consequences could be greatly reduced if we all take the time to understand the enemy. At least, if not to understand them, then to stop hating them so we could start the long process of understanding their motives.

People's motives for doing certain things vary. Some are for their own gain. Others for revenge. Still others, for good intentions. It is a special kind of person who takes the time to stop and listen. There is a thin line between what we perceived reality to be and actual reality. In our haste to view and judge things negatively, we fail to grasps its positive implications. That is why, in the process we end up judging other people's motives unfavorably.

The problem with miscommunication is it underplays man's more noble side such as the values of trust and honor. If we hear false accusations about us it is so easy to react negatively. To lose objectivity in the face of unfair accusations. Too often, we fall victim to these unfair lies.

The breakdown of communication such as in the case of Iago would have been greatly reduced if Othello took the time to talk and listen to his beloved Desdemona and his friend, Cassio's side. The negative consequences of miscommunication would have been avoided if Othello remained objective all along and not let his emotions took over.

Somehow, Othello's rush judgment offers us a lesson on what to do in the face of intrigues and manipulations.

At some point in our lives, we all come across people who would misunderstand us and our motives. We meet people who have no qualms hurting us and our loved ones by spreading vicious lies. Betrayal is not confined to Iago alone. In our lives, it is almost a certainty that we would stumble across a few Iago's and fall victim to their wiles. Therefore, it is imperative then that we ready ourselves for such eventuality. We do not want to end up as clueless as Othello.

Basically, to lessen the impact of manipulations I believe it is important to maintain objectivity all throughout. Then weigh options available well before deciding which one to follow. Had Othello took the time to observe with his own eyes and not through someone's prodding what was actually taking place then he would have avoided the tragic end that he and Desdemona met. He should have get to the heart of the matter first before making rush decisions.

From the stories, we can gather that another good way to prevent miscommunication would be to avoid preconceived notions about the person. For instance, if we look at someone wearing ordinary clothes we naturally assumed that he or she is of average financial status. On the other hand, if we see someone dressed to the nines, we assume that he or she is filthy rich. These misconceptions, of course, could greatly hamper our ability to communicate with the person as we already formed opinions about him or her even before the person speaks.

We could also try to do what Christians normally do in the face of lies and intrigues - we can forgive. By forgiving, we begin to see the person for what he or she truly is. With hatred out of the way, we can be more objective in dealing with the situation and getting to heart of the matter would not be as difficult as when we are under the influence of hatred.

It is sad that during our present times, despite the advances of communication, miscommunication is still a huge problem we faced even on a daily basis. Perhaps if we stop judging and start understanding then we become better communicators and effectively reduce miscommunication in the process.