Marriage is a private affair ( by Chinua Achebe) Research Paper

Marriage is a private affair ( by Chinua Achebe) - Research Paper Example On the other hand, Igbo village is the symbol of ancient and rigid traditions. Encapsulating within the compass of a fascinating saga of love, â€Å"Marriage is a Private Affair† by Chinua Achebe, presents a conflict of old and new at different realms of life and include social, psychological and cultural perspectives. Thesis Statement The pieces of Achebe are stuffed into realism and his story; â€Å"Marriage is a Private Affair† is not an exception either. To evolve the realism in the story, Achebe employs myriad devices and techniques. This essay intends to give a detailed exposition to the thought process of Achebe and his devices used in the realm of physical, psychological and cultural elements in order to achieve realism in the story. Physical Reality Employed in the Story Achebe in his story, â€Å"Marriage is a Private Affair† tries to evoke the physical reality that appeals to all the five senses of a human being. On the plane of this appeal to the five senses, Achebe achieves the physical reality in the story. This technique of Achebe is much inspired from the romantic poetry, especially that of Keats. The only difference is the variation in consequence that the appeals at respective planes have manifested. In Romantic Poetry, there was a sheer feeling of ecstasy and here the technique is employed to generate realism in the story. All the senses of sight, smell, taste, sound and touch are evoked throughout the story to make it real and relate it to all the senses of mankind operating throughout. The sense of sight is evoked through the detailed description of the beauty and the good manners of the woman, whom Nnaemeka’s father selects to marry. Here the usage of words and its representations are so strong that the sense is perfectly evoked through mere words: â€Å"I have found a girl who will suit you admirably—Ugoye Nweke, the eldest daughter of our neighbor, Jacob Nweke. She has a proper Christian upbringing. Wh en she stopped schooling some years ago her father (a man of sound judgment) sent her to live in the house of a pastor where she has received all the training a wife could need. Her Sunday school teacher has told me that she reads her Bible very fluently.† Nnaemeka, further narrates his acquaintance with the girl, â€Å"He remembered Ugoye quite well, an Amazon of a girl who used to beat up all the boys, himself included, on the way to the stream, a complete dunce at school.† These words suggest the visual imagery to the plane of realism where the light on the character of Nnaemeka is further revealed strongly (Achebe, â€Å"Marriage Is a Private Affair†). The appeal of sight and smell is evoked through the description of the women of Ibo tribes in maintaining their household. Along with it, the good food that the Ibo women cook and its detailed description project the appeal of sight and smell. The sense of hearing is made pertinent through the literal audible s ilence that the readers go through after the confession of Nnaemeka (to marry Nene Atang) to his father Okeke, â€Å"I shall never see her,† was the reply. From that night the father scarcely spoke to his son. This feeling of gloomy silence which posses more sense of threat than Okeke’s thundering speeches evokes a true scene of hearing which can be perceived through the

How to make the world a better place to live in Essay Example for Free

How to make the world a better place to live in Essay There is nothing which can be done to totally improve the worlds condition presently. However, there is something which can de done for the betterment of the worlds condition. The main point which could affect the condition of the world is Education. Education provides people with knowledge, communication skills, discipline, and also with dignity. Educations purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one said Malcolm Forbes. The supporting idea which could improve the worlds current situation is Religion. Religion provides people with a belief system consisting of discipline, tradition, culture, and morality. Matthew Arnold had said that the true meaning of religion is thus not simply morality, but morality touched with emotion. Last thing that might help is looking at the world in a social aspect. Being social gives us a more understanding character, and it gives us more information about the current issues which at least makes us not ignorant, and it also makes us more open to people. If a person has knowledge, good communication skills, discipline, dignity, a belief system consisting of traditions, cultures, and moral values, understanding, not ignorant, and more open, than that person could cause no harm or trouble to anyone. If billions of people view the world as an educational, religious, and also a social place, then the condition of the world would be greatly improved and would be a heaven to some people. Today, people have no time to do anything. They are so busy working that they dont even know what is going on around them. All they want to do is to earn money. Money is everything for everyone these days. Money brings happiness to people nowadays, which is totally wrong. Money can never bring peace in anyones life. Money can actually ruin a persons life by bringing jealousy, and proud into that person. If a person has a lot of money, he tends to have more power on others, which usually leads to an evil act or a selfish act. Billions of people look at the world in an economic view which is the cause of all the politics tensions, wars, and all different kinds of riots and disasters. However, if people look at the world in different aspects, the world could be a better place to live in. Educations purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one said Malcolm Forbes. Education can improve the worlds condition greatly. Without  Education, people would just live like cavemen and cavewomen. They will have no idea about anything. If everyone in this world is educated, there would be fewer problems in the world for example, over population. Education provides people with knowledge, communication skills, discipline, and also with dignity. From knowledge, we learn, understand, and analyze. We need to learn in order to know how things work. We understand by the learning and by all this learning and understanding, we can analyze things. From good communication skills, we tend to communicate well with others with created a better understanding between others. From discipline, people get self-control. Having self-control is always good because you know how and when to act. Lastly, from dignity, people learn how to respect themselves which brings in them an optimistic view. Education can provide all these qualities in a person. Education can make the worlds condition better which would create fewer problems in the world. The true meaning of religion is thus not simply morality, but morality touched with emotion said Matthew Arnold. Religion could also improve the condition of the world with the support of education. Without religion, people would have no belief system or any traditions and cultures. People would not have any history of their own backgrounds and their ethnic values. A religion teaches us what is good and what is bad for us. Religion provides people with a belief system consisting of discipline, tradition, culture, and morality. We need a belief system in order to keep a systematic schedule between work and also personal life. We need discipline because we need self-control. Having self-control is always good because you know how and when to act. We need traditions and cultures because without traditions and cultures, we will just live out lives as a robot. We will not have any festivals and will not believe in anyone or God. Traditions and cultures affect the way we look at things and also affect our thinking. Our traditions and cultures make us act as we do. Lastly, religion provides us with moral values. We need moral values in order to know what is good and what is bad for us. Without religion, we are nothing but just a bunch of people looking at the world in a very practical view with results in selfishness. Supported with education, and religion, looking at the world in a social aspect also helps to improve the worlds condition. If a person is not socially involved, it is likely that that person would have fewer knowledge of what is going on around the world as that person would not discuss about current affairs with others. That person would also not know other people properly which could results in disaster especially during bad times when you need someones help. Being social gives us a more understanding character, and it gives us more information about the current issues which at least makes us not ignorant, and it also makes us more open to people. You need to be more understanding in order for you to make good relationship with other people which make it easier to be socially involved. If you are more understanding, people will tend to talk to you more, which could result in being open with other people. Being socially involved can be very enjoyable yet also could be very benefici al. If billions of people view the world as an educational, religious, and also a social place, then the condition of the world would be greatly improved and would be a heaven to some people. Education provides people with knowledge, communication skills, discipline, and also with dignity. Religion provides people with a belief system consisting of discipline, tradition, culture, and morality. Being social gives us a more understanding character, and it gives us more information about the current issues which at least makes us not ignorant, and it also makes us more open to people. If a person has knowledge, good communication skills, discipline, dignity, a belief system consisting of traditions, cultures, and moral values, understanding, not ignorant, and more open, than that person could cause no harm or trouble to anyone. Education is needed because it makes a person who he/she really is and what his/her capabilities are. Religion is needed because it is necessary for every individual in a society. Being social is needed in order for your own recognition in a society. Every person needs to be educated, religious, and also social. These are the three aspects of life. Billions of peoples life could be enhanced if everyone views this world in these three aspects.

Formation Processes of Silicon Carbide

Formation Processes of Silicon Carbide Effect of silicon carbide dispersion on the microwave absorbing properties of silicon carbide-epoxy composites in 2–40 GHz Yaw-Shun Hong, Tzu-Hao Ting, Chih-Chia Chiang, Ken-Fa Cheng Abstract Wide-band, strong absorption with low density and thin matching thickness are essential for electromagnetic wave absorbers. In this study, silicon carbide powders were successfully synthesized by the method of preheating combustion synthesis in nitrogen atmosphere and introduced into epoxy resin to be microwave absorber. The spectroscopic characterization of the formation processes of silicon carbide was studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microwave absorbing properties of the silicon carbide and thermal plastic resin were investigated by measuring reflection loss in the 2-18 and 18-40 GHz microwave frequency range using the free space method. It was found that the composite specimens of the silicon carbide and thermal plastic resin had the best microwave absorption due to the reflection losses between from -10 to -19.5 dB and from -3 to -9.1 dB at frequencies between 2-18 and 18-40 GHz. Keywords: Microwave absorption; Silicon carbide; X-ray diffraction; Scanning electron microscopy 1. Introduction During the past a few decades, the development of new microwave absorbing composites is being encouraged because these materials achieve better efficient ways for reducing the level of electromagnetic wave pollution generated by electronic and telecommunication systems. Recently many applications have been carried out on the microwave technology in the frequency range of 2–40 GHz [1-3]. To reduce the radar signature, many types of electromagnetic (EM) wave-absorbing materials have been designed to meet the requirements of both commercial and military affairs. The materials used as electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials can be classified as magnetic, dielectric or a hybrid, respectively. Actually, these classifications are based on the mechanism of the wave-material interaction, which varies based on the types of absorber centres used. Ideal microwave absorber should exhibit low-reflecting properties, strong reflection loss in broad bandwidth, low density and small thickness to facilitate their applications in many fields [4, 5]. As we know, the composite materials generally represent the natural interface between two worlds of chemistry each with very significant contributions to components interact at a molecular level. Dielectric polymer-matrix materials can include two different compounds with complementary properties in a single material and can be combine to reinforce or modify each other in specific applications. Extensive studies have been carried out to develop new and highly efficient absorbents, and various absorbers (such as conductive metal powder, ferrites, carbon products, chiral materials, synthetic organic fibres, etc.) have been isolated or synthesised [6-9]. However, in these materials, most absorbers like traditional ferrite powders and carbon series are unable to be employed at higher temperatures due to lower Curie temperatures and oxidation problem, respectively [10-14]. It is becoming very urgent to look for new microwave absorbers making electromagnetic wave disappearance by interfere nce, or satisfying the requirements of higher structural strength and temperature resistances in higher temperature environments. Due to their physical and electronic properties, Silicon carbide (SiC) is an important carbide, studied as a structural ceramic for a long time and has attractive properties, such as excellent strength and chemical resistance at high temperatures, semi-conductivity, high thermal stability and thermal conductivity, make it an attractive material in high-temperature structural, electric and functional applications [15-20]. On the other hand, Silicon carbide (SiC) is one of the preferred and best characterised filler materials and is used in combination with polymers in military or civilian products [20-23]. Meanwhile, to the best of our knowledge, there are very few reported experimental results on the electromagnetic wave adsorption of silicon carbide between 2–18 and 18–40 GHz. Here, we present the microwave absorbing properties of the silicon carbide reinforced epoxy resin composites tested at 2–18 and 18–40 GHz using arch method, which was chosen to validate the absorbing efficiency of microwave absorbing material [24, 25]. The NRL (Naval Research Laboratory) arch free-space measurement method is a well-established measurement system for validating the absorbing efficiency of flat materials over broad frequency ranges. The NRL arch was widely used initially by the U.S. Navy for research testing purposes, and is a microwave measurement system that can measure the free space radar reflection coefficient. The reflection loss diagram showed that the powder silicon carbide-epoxy resin with 30-50 by weight ratio of silicon carbide to polymer is a good candidate material for use as a broad frequency microwave absorber. The NRL Arch is the industry standard for measuring the free space radar reflection coefficient of flat radar absorbing materials (RAM). It was first developed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab, the NRL. The NRL Arch is a wellestablished, freeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ space measurement system for testing the absorbing efficiency of flat materials over broad frequency ranges. It was originally designed at the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in 1945 for measuring angularà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ dependent performance of broadband Radar Absorbing Materials (RAM). 2. Experimental 2.1 Preparation of silicon carbide The silicon carbide powders were synthesized by the method of preheating combustion synthesis in nitrogen atmosphere, using silicon powder (à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…“45 ÃŽ ¼m, 99.9% purity, mass fraction) and carbon black (20-40 nm, 99.9% purity) as the raw materials. The molar ratio of silicon powder and carbon black was blended in a molar ratio of Si-50% C. The mixed powders were poured into a graphite crucible and initiated by pre-heating at 1350 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C with the heating rate of 40 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C / min in a 0.1 MPa nitrogen atmosphere inside a resistance. After the synthesis process, the product was heated at temperature 850 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C for 4 h in atmosphere condition to burn the excess carbon. The final cleanup to remove Si was carried out by leaching in HF, rinsing in distilled water and drying. 2.2 Preparation of silicon carbide-epoxy composites The composite specimens were prepared by molding and curing the mixture of silicon carbide and a thermal-plastic epoxy resin to be silicon carbide-epoxy composites. The mixing ratio of specimen powders to epoxy resin was 30 %, 35 %, 40 %, 45 % and 50 % by weight and the corresponding samples are marked with S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4 and S-5, respectively. Molding was carried out in a hydraulic press at 5 Mpa pressure and 80 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C for 1.5 h, obtaining specimens of 180 mm Ãâ€" 180 mm with thickness of 2 mm for reflectivity measurements [26]. 2.3 Experimental techniques The characteristics of silicon carbide such as diameter and morphology were observed by scanning electron microscopy with EDX (SEM, HITACHI S-4800). The crystalline phases of the silicon carbide were analyzed by X-ray diffraction with Cu KÃŽ ± radiation. The performance test of radar absorbing was evaluated by reflectivity using Arch method. Reflectivity R is ratio of radar-absorbing material (RAM) reflective power to metallic plate reflective power, which can be expressed as: (1) Where Pa is the reflective power of the sample and Pm is the reflective power of metallic plate. In practice, we surveyed the ratio of the reflective power of the sample and the reflective power of metallic plate to the same reference signal that was in direct proportion to transmit, respectively. , (2) Where Pi is the reference signal. So (3) The Reflectivity was finally expressed with db as: (4) The schematic diagram of the experimental setup was shown in Fig. 1. The reflectivity of the samples were measured and compared with that from a plane metallic plate. Measurement was carried out using an HP8722ES network analyzer in the swept frequency range of 2–18 and 18–40 GHz. All samples were made 180 Ãâ€" 180 mm with thickness of 2 mm in order to cover the metallic plate for reflectivity measurements. 3. Results and discussion 3.1 Structure characterization Figure 2 shows the scanning electron micrograph of the fresh silicon carbide. From this figure it is evident that majority of the silicon carbide particles are angular in nature. The surface composition of silicon carbide particles was distinctly determined with SEM-EDX spectrum (Fig. 2c). EDX analysis reveals that the SiC composed of the Si and C elements. The XRD pattern for the silicon carbide samples is presented in Fig. 3. From the XRD patterns, it can be easily observed that ÃŽ ²-SiC was formed by present major peaks located at 35.6 (111), 41.2 (200), 60.1 (220), 71.8 (311) and 75.1 (222), all of which are attributed to ÃŽ ²-SiC (JCPDS no. 29-1129). So the prepared product is pure ÃŽ ²-SiC powder. This result agrees well with the results obtained for ÃŽ ²-SiC prepared by the literature methods [27-30]. 3.2 Microwave absorbing properties in 2–18 GHz The different content of produced silicon carbide powders may change the impedance matching condition of microwave-absorption. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4, the reflection loss (RL) varies with filler content of the silicon carbide-epoxy composite in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz. It can be seen that with increasing the addition of silicon carbide and a maximum reflection loss of -19.5 dB was obtained at 7 GHz with the thickness 2.0 mm. Meanwhile, the centers of the reflection loss peaks for silicon carbide-epoxy composites move gradually to the lower frequencies (from 7 GHz to 4 GHz for S-1, -2, -3, -4 and -5 composites, respectively), which may also be attributed to the enhanced silicon carbide content. These results are consistent considering that the mechanism of wave absorption is mainly due to heat dissipation effects (on the condition of same thickness) of silicon carbide satisfying the perfect absorption condition and, therefore, are strongly linked to the conductivity o f medium. Fig. 5(a) shows the three-dimensional of RL values for silicon carbide-epoxy composites in terms of volume fraction at frequencies between 2 GHz and 18 GHz. Silicon carbide-epoxy composites absorbers present the effective absorption (RL 3.3 Microwave absorbing properties in 18–40 GHz Fig. 6 shows the experimental absorption characteristics of silicon carbide-epoxy composites in terms of volume fraction at frequencies between 18.0 GHz and 40.0 GHz. The variation of matching frequency with silicon carbide volume fraction is shown in Fig. 6. As we can see, the silicon carbide-epoxy composites displayed poor microwave absorption performance. Among the silicon carbide-epoxy composites, the powder prepared using an silicon carbide content of 45 wt% (S-4) had a pronounced absorption band at 25.2 GHz with a reflection loss of -9.1 dB. The significant improvement was considered to be resulted from a better impedance matching due to the certain ratio of silicon carbide, which might be ascribed to the special structures in the silicon carbide-epoxy composites. Fig. 7 (a, b) displayed the visual three dimensional and color-filling patterns of microwave absorption values of the silicon carbide-epoxy composites with different weight ratio of the silicon carbide. Obviously, S-1, S-2, S-3 and S-5 silicon carbide-epoxy composites absorbers present weak absorption (RL 4. Conclusion In summary, we have successfully prepared the silicon carbide via combustion method in nitrogen atmosphere. XRD and SEM studies have established formation of the silicon carbide material. Experimental results indicate that the silicon carbide-epoxy composites in 2–18 GHz exhibit better absorption performances than in 18–40 GHz. The shifts of the attenuation peak in microwave absorbing properties of composites are due to increasing the content of silicon carbide in all frequency range of 2–40 GHz. It was found that the optimum reflection loss could be obtained over a broad frequency region on the silicon carbide-epoxy composites. Microwave absorbing properties can be modulated simply by controlling weight ratio of silicon carbide on the samples for the required frequency bands. Due to the reflectivity performance and easy and low cost preparation routes, the silicon carbide has a promising potential for microwave absorber. References V. M. Petrov, V. V. Gagulin, J. Inorg. Mater. 37 (2001) 93. X. L. Shi, M. S. Cao, J. Yuan, X. Y. Fang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95 (2009) 163108. R. MouÄ ka, A. V. Lopatin, N. E. Kazantseva, J. VilÄ Ãƒ ¡kovà ¡, P. Sà ¡ha, J. Mater. Sci. 42 (2007) 9480. T. H. Ting, K. H. Wu, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 322 (2010) 2160. L. D. C. Folgueras, M. C. Rezende, Mat. Res. 11 (2008) 245. J. Cao, W. Y. Fu, H. B. Yang, Q. J. Yu, Y. Y. Zhang, J. Phys. Chem. B 113 (2009) 4642. N. J. Tang, W. Zhong, C. Au, Y. Yang, M. G. Han, K. J. Lin, Y. W. Du, J. Phys. Chem. C 112 (2008) 19316. R. A. Stonier, SAMPE. J. 27 (1991) 9. M. A. Soto-Oviedo, O. A. Araà ºjo, R. Faez, M. C. Rezende, M. A. De Paoli, Synth. 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Rattle Bone :: essays research papers

Pieces of a Novel Puzzle “A novel or a collection of short stories?'; may be a question that a critic asks about Rattlebone. Maxine Clair portrays both arguments with her energetic writing style. A blend of random comments and many unique phrases intermix with the intense plot. Writing like this gives the reader a more relaxed state and the book seems more alive and real. In answer to the critique question, Maxine Clair is writing a novel because of an abundant supply of foreshadowing, a collection of narrators, a recurrence of characters, and a process commonly known to man as aging. Suggesting that Rattlebone is in fact a novel, foreshadowing occurred in several places during the book. Clair uses this writing method by mentioning the name October Brown, partly because Brown is involved at the beginning and towards the end of the book. Ms. Brown became an important part of Irene’s life, not only by being one of the main reasons for her parents’ divorce, but also by helping Irene accomplish one of her goals. The time that occurred between these two events in the book connects Rattlebone and is a very good use of foreshadowing. Another example of Clair’s use of this writing method is the experience of the divorce between Irene’s parents. This long-term process displayed Irene’s parents as being unforgiving. At first his wife forgives James Wilson for the affair that he enjoyed with October Brown, but after a period of time, Pearl also had her share of the fall in their relationship. At this time, neither one of Irene’s parents wo uld forgive the other nor make up with the other. This example again shows the use of foreshadowing by Clair by evolving the event over several chapters with different narrators. Irene, the narrator in several different stages of the divorce between her parents, speaks her feelings of disgust and always tries to keep her parents’ relationship together. Another side of the story comes from October Brown’s landlord, Mrs. Pemberton. Mrs. Pemberton wants nothing to do with the affair and therefor tries to separate the two lovers. Irene takes the stage again and reveals to the reader subconsciously, that her father is the man having the affair. The use of two narrators, each having a different look at the situation, may seem confusing to the reader at first, but once the chapters are all read and the whole story gets across, it becomes apparent why the change in narration was necessary.

100 Years of Indian Cinema Essay

Tracing the history, birth and evolution of Indian cinema is always an exhilarating experience. According to historians, Harischandra Sakharam Bhatvadekar (Save Dada, 1868- 1958) and Hiralal Sen were among the pioneers who produced moving images in India for the first time. Bhatvadekar was part of the audience which attended Lumiere’s actuals screened for the first time in India, at Watson Hotel in Bombay by Lumiere’s agent, Marius Sestier, in 1896. Bhatvadekar was so impressed by the images he saw that he decided to make them in India. He had some experience of capturing images as he owned a still photography studio. He had to mobilize all his resources to import a camera and shoot a wrestling match and then send it to England for processing. He finally screened it in 1901. This is how moving images – what we now call cinema – arrived in India. D. G. Phalke Cinema developed fast, and its popularity grew immensely when image-makers started telling stories through moving images. Even during the silent era (up to 1931) cinema made an immeasurable impact through its ability to reach the people in a big way. Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, (D. G. Phalke, 1870- 1944), was totally captivated by the effect of cinema when he saw the silent film, The Life of Christ, in 1910. Phalke, who had a short stint as a photographer and then as a printing press owner, decided to take up filmmaking as his career. He travelled to London to procure filmmaking equipment and learn its process. After his return, he made India’s first feature film, Raja Hrischandra, and released it in 1913. He went on to make a series of other films, fulfilling his ambition of showing Indian gods on the silver screen. Thus, Phalke became the father of Indian cinema. It is now 100 years and time to celebrate. Aesthetics of India Cinema Cinema by its very nature is deceptive. This was evident even during the early stages of its emergence (1900-1903), when French illusionist Georges Melies used the camera to produce trick visual effects. Later when German Expressionist cinema asserted itself during the silent era, films mainly dealt with horror, mental illness, basic emotions etc. They were presented on the screen in an artistic style and studio sets were created with peculiar geometric designs, lighting and shadows that looked totally different from the straightforward narration used thus far. Many films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), The Golem (1920), Last Laugh (1924), Metropolis (1927) were direct products of expressionism. It is interesting to note that while Hollywood filmmakers, particularly stalwarts such as Alfred Hitchcock and others who specialized in crime drama, were totally influenced by this style of filmmaking, Indian films made during the silent era or even after it, never came under the influence of expressionist cinema. This is probably because Indian cinema, during its early years (covering both the silent era and the first talkies) stuck mainly to the mythological and the historical. These films were total replicas of the popular stage productions of that time. As a result of this, Indian cinema maintained its own identity. The first Indian talkie, Alam Ara (1931), we are told, was a big success. It had so many songs that people who had seen it say it was composed more of songs than of dialogue. What made Indian cinema distinctly different from other cinemas was this practice of using songs in films, a tradition which has persisted till date and probably will continue forever. In the early decades – during 1940s, 50s and 60s, known as the golden days of Hindi songs – pioneering music composers posted some outstanding achievements and made a rich contribution to the Seventh Art through songs that remain immortal. In the 40s, the famous New Theatres Company from Calcutta promoted legendary composers such as R. C. Boral, Pankaj Mullick, Timir Baran, and many others, while celebrities such as Kundanlal Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Kurshid, Parul Ghosh, Umadevi, Kannan Devi, Juthika Roy enriched film music with their melodious voices. Bombay Talkies, the film company of Bombay, also took the cue from Calcutta, with Saraswathi Devi and Anil Biswas creating some outstanding tunes for films songs. It was in 1950s that Hindi cinema saw its finest period when the popularity of Hindi film songs reached its peak. The immortal voices of Lata Mangeshkar, Noor Jehan, Suraiya, Amir Bai Karnataki, Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle, Mukesh, Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mohammed, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar and Kishore Kumar captivated the hearts of music lovers. Equally eminent were the lyricists – Kavi Pradip, Prem Dhawan, D. N. Madhok, Kidar Sharma, Shailendra, Hasarat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakil Badayuni, Kamar Jalalabadi, Bharat Vyas, Gulzar and many others. A galaxy of music composers – Khemchand Prakash, Husnlal Bhagatram, Naushad, C. Ramchandra, S. D. Burman, Hemant Kumar, Roshan and Madan Mohan created some memorable tunes for these songs. All of this perhaps explains why Indian cinema has successfully resisted Hollywood’s domination, unlike in other parts of the world, including Europe, where Hollywood controls 70 to 80 % of occupancy in the theatres. Our Hindi cinema, or Bollywood, which laid its foundations in the 50s, adopted its own formula, different from the one Hollywood had established in early 1930s. Hollywood hired talented filmmakers to make films with a story embodying dramatic elements, hero, heroine, love and romance, a bit of religion, fight sequences, etc and a treatment with a universal appeal in order to attract a global audience. This strategy has been successful in large measure. Indian Bollywood, on the other hand, adopted a formula which included a hero with multi-dimensional talent who could accomplish absolutely anything, a heroine with a noble character, who was also a devoted life partner, and ready to undergo any suffering in life for the cause of her family’s welfare, their romance enhanced by songs, a villain or a vamp who torment the couple, sentimental melodrama, a fight, the end of the villain – and ultimately all ends well. Sometimes the film may be a tragedy too in which the hero or heroine becomes a martyr. This perceived formula percolated down to the regional cinema industry as well, successfully attracting mass audiences to cinema. Hollywood cinema, on the other hand, failed to bring in a large public, except in a few urban pockets. It was hindered as much by the language barrier as by the fierce competition from local films which provided better entertainment. Economically speaking, it is gratifying to know that we have our own very large, independent and rapidly growing film industry. There is, of course, degeneration in quality, but that is a matter for another discussion. D. G. Phalke probably never imagined that the Indian feature film industry, whose foundation he had laid, would become the largest film industry in the world, churning out, against innumerable odds, more than a thousand films annually. Hollywood is now thinking of capturing the Indian market by dubbing its films in the regional languages and pushing them through T. V. channels and local theatres. Arrival of the New Cinema India had its first International Film Festival in Bombay in 1952, and the Neo-realism films screened there made a big impact on our filmmakers. This marked the beginning of the New Cinema movement, engendered by the release of Do Bigha Zameen (1953) and Pather Panchali (1955). The well established formula of Bollywood films with music and dance was dispensed with here and low-budget films, particularly in the regional languages, started making their presence felt in a big way, both nationally and internationally. However, while many of the new cinema productions do win awards and laurels, they are yet to establish their economic viability by reaching people through regular commercial releases. The Advent of Technology Basically, cinema is a gift of science to art, an art which is composite in nature. Its growth, in terms of both technology and art, has been phenomenal, and its development particularly in its technology and format has been incredibly fast, making it exceedingly difficult for its practitioners to keep up the pace. It all began with the loading of celluloid films onto a camera and shooting the action as per the screenplay. In its technology, cinema, absorbed many innovations. Sound and dialogue entered in a big way in the early 30s, then it got its images painted in pleasing colours, and innovations in camera made it possible to work wonders in the field of special effects. However, despite these innovations, cinema remained basically in the celluloid format with 24 frames per second, with action being captured on film reel and stored in cans. Today, this concept is undergoing a sea change. The new digital technology has arrived, with a potential so immense that it has totally revolutionized both the production and the projection systems. To put it simply, digital cinema involves storing a film in a disc, like the hard disc of a computer, similar to DVDs, and projecting it on the screen by a digital projector. Astonishingly enough, it enjoys the great advantage of satellite projection from one centre to other centres. The quality of the image depends on the resolution, now commonly known as 2K file, which, in turn, depends on the kind of camera used. Research and development are continuous and relentless, with many innovations entering the market every day. Digital Cinema – Production Digital cinema production just needs a Digital video camera, recording tapes to record the images and computer and software to edit them. The biggest advantage of digital video is the cost-benefit. Shooting on the conventional film reel is cumbersome and hundreds of times more expensive. Equally important is the easier digital editing process. Digital editing is abundantly used by filmmakers now even for films shot on reel. They convert the film footage into digital format for post production and then back to film. This conversion process is costly, though, and the quality of the image suffers. However, digital cinema need not go through this process. It can opt directly for editing. In fact, the moment a digital film is shot, the result can be seen immediately as no processing required. It can go for post production right away, bypassing laboratory processing. If results are unsatisfactory, repeat shots can be taken on the spot at no extra cost. Digital Cinema – Distribution Film distribution through the digital system has many advantages. In the celluloid process, the cost of making a 35 mm print in the conventional way is around Rs. One lakh, while a film’s simultaneous distribution in 1000 centers for instance, with 1000 prints, will cost approximately Rs. 10 crores. In the digital system, a hard drive disc of a film will cost around Rs10, 000/- which is almost one tenth of a 35 mm print. Encrypted discs can also help avoid piracy. Yet another advantage is that the disc can be programmed for projection and, by providing codes for the servers, its unauthorized and illegal use can be avoided. Moreover, the cumbersome, bulky and costly process of shipping of film reels to and fro to the screening venues is easily overcome. Digital discs can be easily shipped through the courier system. Digital movies are simple computer files. They can be transmitted through broadband cables and played in hundreds of theatres simultaneously. It should also be noted, though, that copying these files is far simpler than copying reel films. Hence care should be taken to protect them properly from piracy. If a film is successful at the box-office and needs more shows, it can be quickly connected to other theatres with the digital signal. Digital Cinema –Projection Ultimately, what matters for the audience is the quality of the image and sound experienced when the visuals are projected onto the screen in cinema houses. According to experts, images – particularly those of landscapes – are of far better quality on film than on digital video. We do experience this while watching films in theatres. We notice a marked difference in the colour quality of the images. However, it is the considered opinion of users that while a film reel gets degraded after repeated screenings, the quality of the digital files remains unaffected. Taking Cinema to Rural Places In many villages in India, there are no regular theatres for film projection even today. People are deprived of watching films unless they go to the district or taluk headquarters. The lack of economic viability is the main reason. But recent developments show that the problem can be solved by using the satellite projection system and digital projectors. Small theaters with a seating capacity of around 100 to 300 can be constructed at a nominal cost and run by satellite projection; and the use of LED projectors can also help overcome the problem of outages. LED projectors need minimum power, and this can be managed with a maximum of 1 KW diesel power with UPS back up. An investment of around Rs 20 lakhs can earn handsome monthly returns. We can simultaneously run the show in several villages and small towns on the same day as the release of a film in major cities. It is a viable proposition for the film industry’s exhibition sector to take cinema to the country’s rural interiors. Growing apprehension There is a growing apprehension in the minds of many intellectuals that these fast paced developments may make a big difference to the quality of cinema, or what we call The Tenth Muse. A growing number of people will be able to capture visual images more easily; images may be created through software graphics on the computer without any actual shooting; even music is created and reproduced through software nowadays. However, while such a process has the advantage of easy access to cinema, it may not be able to portray the real human element that we experience even today when we see the great classics. This will be a big blow to cinema’s prestige. There may a huge spurt in the number of films produced, but at what cost? That is the question. And who knows whether the world will even call this process ‘film’, since ‘film’ in its present ‘reel’ form will not be there at all. It will be in the form of a disc or files. For all that, storytelling through the audio-visual medium is always enjoyable and loveable. Let us enjoy and celebrate its centenary.

Criminal Profiling Essay

Criminal profiling involves analyzing the scene of a crime and then use the information gathered from the analysis to determine correctly the identity of a perpetrator. This method of identifying perpetrators is very useful though it does not assist an investigator in getting the name of the perpetrator it helps narrow down and thus makes it easier to identify a criminal. (Dennis, 2006) Some of the pertinent issues that criminal profiling helps in bringing out include but not limited to the sex of the perpetrator, the background of a person in terms of ethnic community, age and personality. This profile is then used to single out a criminal among several people who appear to match with some of the features identified in the profile. One may wonder just how does criminal profiling work? Normally experts examine the manner in which a particular crime is committed. This is commonly referred to as the method of operations. Usually the experts will take the identity of the victims and then examine what the suspected criminals have in common especially in terms of the likely weapon that was used to commit the particular crime in question. The other issue that the experts look at is the brutality or hostility that was used during the commission of the crime in question by the perpetrator. Existence of torture or any form of hostility is yet another trait that experts look for when using the criminal profiling method. One student in an American University during a lecture asked her professor why he believed that the criminal profiling method actually works in identifying a perpetrator in a criminal act. The professor gave a precise answer and stated that thorough research has been carried out over the years and there have been conducted some interviews even with convicts who have helped prove the workability of this method. There are two main ways that are used to come up a criminal profile. One of the methods is one that is commonly used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation known as criminal scene analysis. This method involves a number of steps which include profiling inputs. This basically involves gathering evidence in terms of anything that was found in the scene of the crime. The second step usually is to put the evidence together and try to see if there is any common aspect in the crimes committed by the suspects. Crime assessment and investigation follows and it is after that some apprehensions can be made based on the investigations. The second method is the behavioral evidence analysis. This method was developed by Brent Turvey who argued that when a crime is being investigated there are a lot of discrepancies that rise from all the gatherings that are made by the investigative team. The first step is forensic analysis which involves analyzing physical evidenced gathered which may involve taking photographs and videos of the crime scene and having interviews with some of the victims of the crime who may be alive. Victimology is the nest step and involves creating a profile for a victim which in turn helps identify the criminal responsible. The third step is examining keenly the features and characteristics of the scene of crime as this is said to give a leading clue on who the suspect could be. The last step is combining the first three steps discussed and it is this combination that helps the investigators come up with a criminal profile. According to Turvey a crime ought to be analyzed in four main steps to ensure that the information gathered by the investigative team does not bear any discrepancies. Criminal profiling has in several instances been criticized as a source that lacks credibility on the basis that it is based on speculations. However experts state that according to research that has been conducted for several years now, criminal profiling has a considerably high level of credibility. Profiling involves a number of phases. The initial phase in every criminal profiling is known as antecedent which involves attempting to figure out the plan or the fantasy that the perpetrator of a crime had prior to the commitment of the crime. Basically this phase of criminal profiling involves an attempt to unearth the motive behind the commission of a crime by the perpetrator. The second phase is known as method and manner and involves examining the target group that the perpetrator was aiming at in the crime committed and more so the manner in which or better still the method used to commit the crime in question. Brent, 2002) The third phase in criminal profiling is known as body disposal and is common in murder cases. This is where experts attempt to examine where the scene of crime is the same with the place where the body was dumped or whether the crime was committed at a particular place and then the body dumped in yet another place thus introducing the concept of multiple. (Davis, 2007) Post offense behavior is the final or the last phase in criminal profiling and it is quite tricky. Post offense behavior involves investigating behavior of criminals especially after commission of crimes. Normally some criminals try to hide their identity by pretending to be part of the investigating team. Experts must therefore use their expert knowledge to single out criminals who pretend to be assisting in the investigation process yet they are the suspects. Having examined in great depths what criminal profiling is all about, it may be of paramount importance to address the issue of whether criminal profiling has managed to shape up chance. Basically by making this analysis we are able to know whether criminal; profiling does any play any vital role in helping to identify criminals in a given crime in question. In simpler terms using criminal profiling as a method of identifying criminals what are the chances of identifying the suspect responsible in the criminal act at hand. In the beginning of the twentieth century, criminal law took a new twist with criminal profiling slowly shaping chance. Majorly what changed during the twentieth century was the inference in terms of probability. During this century actuarial methods changed. One thing to note that it is not the risk analysis and actuarial thinking that actually changed but the inferences in terms of probability. The actuarial methods got more refined so that using the criminal profiling method one can be sure that the identity of a particular perpetrator is correct. In conclusion therefore it is correct to state that over the year and more so after the twentieth century, criminal profiling is slowly gaining acceptance as reliable method of correctly identifying perpetrators of crimes. This is because it has been studied and proved that it shapes chance so that the probability of a person to be the suspect of a crime in question having been pointed out by the criminal profiling method is very high.