Determination in the Movie Apollo 13 Essay Example for Free

Determination in the Movie Apollo 13 Essay â€Å"Hello, Houston. This is Odyssey. Its good to see you again.† These were the words Jim Lovell said as he splashed down into the Pacific Ocean after spending 8 days in a freezing hell. Stuck in the confined quarters of the Apollo 13, those words were the embodiment of achieving your goals through determination. During the flight there were more displays of determination than I could possibly cover, so I am going to write about the three that stuck out to me the most. Jack Swigert was the one docking and flying the shuttle and didnt want to leave any room for error in his skills. Ken Mattingly, spent hours upon hours getting the boot sequence for the computer right so they could correct the shuttle path. Last but certainly not least the engineers building a CO2 filter out of spare parts without any proper tools. Jack Swigert was moved up from back up crew to main crew after Ken Mattingly got the measles. He was just as trained as the other guys but they werent a team. Everyone was a little sceptical about his skills because they had never flown with him and had had Mattingly as a pilot for a very long time. Swigert was doing a routine docking simulation when the people running it threw some engine failures at him without giving him a warning light, but he recuperated quickly and pulled off the manoeuvre flawlessly. Coming off of this success and being accepted by your new crew mates most people would be on top of the world and not feel the need to practice that move again, but not Swigert, he noticed that he used a bit to much fuel and although that’s not a horrible thing considering the situation, he insisted on practising again until he could do the manoeuvre with out any mistakes, no matter the problems. This kind of determination is only comparable to feats committed by his fellow astronauts like Ken Mattingly. Ken Mattingly was kicked off of the original Apollo 13 mission because he had contracted the measles virus. After this he went home, disconnected his phone, turned off his t.v. and went to bed. John Young Goes to Mattinglys house to wake him up because they need him to come to NASA to create a boot sequence that can be used in the emergency on the shuttle. So Ken Mattingly, after being kicked off of the job of a lifetime because of measles that he didnt actually get, being hungover, and not getting much sleep, goes to NASA and spends hours upon hours on his back in a cramped simulator kept cold and dark to emulate the situation in the actual shuttle looking for the right sequence. After many many failed attempts they finally find an ingenious solution, completely breaking the mold for all regular operations. Ken Mattingly got the boot sequence under 12 amperes, just the right amount to safely get the crew home. Mattingly wasnt on the space shuttle and yet he was one of the most important people in getting the crew home, this is because a shuttle launch only happens because of the determination of hundreds of people. Some people often overlooked in space exploration are the people who designed the ships in the first place. Not the people who built it, or the people who flew it but the ladies and gentlemen who came up with the schematics first, the engineers. At one point in the movie the CO2 levels in the craft became so dangerously high that the crew could begin experiencing blackouts and brain damage. They needed a second air filter and didnt have a spare that would fit. The engineers back on earth were told to â€Å"invent a way to put a square peg in a round hole. Rapidly.†. They were given only the parts that would have been available on the shuttle; tape, plastic bags, a space suit, hosing, things like that, no real tools, no actual spare parts, but they did it. They made that filter fit and saved the lives of three men and the reputations of many others. These engineers are one of the primary reasons everyone survived that mission. These men were given an impossible situation and told it had to be done, everyone of them not only stepped up to the plate but they hit the ball out of the park. Jack Swigert, Ken Mattingly, and the NASA engineers, they showed that sheer determination can lead to the achievement of any goals you have set for yourself. Without their determination the mission could easily have ended in three horrific and tragic deaths, but that was not the case and everyone involved will be forever grateful. Ron Howard, using the actions of these men, showed us the true meaning of determination, how anything can be done if you keep trying. Howard painted a beautiful picture of people simply doing what had to be done no matter how impossible the task. We should all look up to people like this.

Enhanced Frame-based Video Coding

Enhanced Frame-based Video Coding Abstract- This paper displays the improved edge based feature coding plan. The info source feature to the improved edge based feature encoder comprises of a rectangular-size feature and states of subjectively molded questions on feature outlines. The rectangular edge composition is encoded by the ordinary casing based coding method and the feature objects shape is encoded utilizing the form based vertex coding. It is conceivable to accomplish a few valuable substance based functionalities by using the shape data in the bit stream at the expense of a little overhead to the bitrate. Magic words Video coding, substance based, hyper feature, intuitiveness, shape coding, polygon. I. INTRODUCTION Through the years, the advanced feature engineering has been developing rapidly regarding the ways feature substance is delivered, conveyed, and devoured. Accordingly, clients are not content with just the pressure efficiency in a feature coding engineering; they are currently requesting more peculiarities. To meet the client requests, the new feature coding plans are obliged help substance based intuitiveness, permit content- based feature indexing and recovery, adapt up to data transfer capacity and bit slip rates of transmission systems, and accomplish retrogressive similarity with existing feature coding plans notwithstanding giving a decent squeezing efficiency. For this reason, the new feature encoders oblige the source info feature to be in such a structure, to the point that the feature substance can be effectively identified and described. The info feature source to the article based feature coding approach in MPEG-4 standard [1] is as discretionarily formed feature items and their shapes as demonstrated in Fig. 1(a). The MPEG-4 item based feature encourages client intuitiveness with individual items. Notwithstanding, the decoders focused around prior MPEG models are not equipped for interpreting the MPEG- 4 item based feature bit streams. Besides, the exact division of semantically compelling items from a rectangular feature still remains a testing issue. Then again, erroneous division of feature items might antagonistically influence the pressure efficiency [2]. In the sub-picture coding [3], a feature casing is apportioned into one or more client defined non-covering rectangular sub-pictures and a remaining foundation picture (see Fig. 1(b)). It is conceivable to appoint distinctive mistake insurance and quality levels to diverse sub-pictures focused around their imperativeness by utilizing sub-picture coding. In any case, the rectangular sub-pictures dont by and large speak to the genuine feature objects with which a client might want to cooperate. Some feature transmission plans propose typifying the MPEG-2 and the MPEG-4 feature streams inside the MPEG-2 vehicle stream to give the worth included administrations, for example, substance based intelligence [4]. Despite the fact that these plans furnish the retrograde similarity with the current (a) (b) Fig. 1. Cases of info source feature designs for (a) the MPEG-4 item based coding, and (b) the sub-picture coding. traditional MPEG-2 decoders, they have the disservice of considerably expanding the expense of the decoders so as to backing more than one MPEG standard. The goals of the proposed upgraded casing based feature encoder (EFBE) are the accompanying: 1) to serve as a basic augmentation of the customary edge based feature encoder architectures and to give retrogressive similarity, 2) to accomplish about the same execution as far as feature quality and packing proportion as contrasted with the ordinary edge based feature coding execution, and 3) to address the client requests for substance based functionalities. The construction modeling, the peculiarities and the execution of the upgraded edge based coding plan are portrayed in the accompanying. II. PROPOSED ENHANCED FRAME-BASED VIDEO CODING In the proposed improved casing based coding, the data source feature comprises of a rectangular-size feature and states of subjectively molded protests on feature outlines. We define the object of investment (OOI) in a rectangular edge feature as the subjectively formed semantically significant feature object which is of enthusiasm to a client. There are three steps included at the present time getting the coded representation of feature utilizing the improved edge based feature coding scheme:1) preprocessing, 2) encoding shape and composition, and 3) post- preparing. In the first step, an OOI is identified and its shape data is gotten as either a layout form representation or a division veil. The diagram shape representation of an OOI can be acquired by denoting the framework of OOI on the screen physically; along these lines the shape data can be effectively produced by a client. Programmed division [6] and self-loader division procedures [7]. For the proposed EFBE, the limits of portioned feature articles require just speak to a rough blueprint of the range having a place with a feature object and there is no necessity for division to be exact. In the second step, the rectangular casing surface and the feature objects shape are encoded. The square graph of the EFBE is indicated in Fig. 2. The post-preparing step includes partner the shape data with Fig.2 The enhanced frame-based video encoder. he composition of the item it speaks to. The state of an OOI identifies the range fitting in with the OOI on the rectangular casing feature so that the region carries on as a hotspot on the feature outline. This hotspot is connected with a connection to an alternate terminus like a hyperlink in the World Wide Web. This connection can be to either an alternate feature (which might possibly contain joins) or a HTTP protest, for example, a page, file, or CGI script. The following and in addition the connection data is multiplexed into the bit stream alongside surface and shape data. In this paper, we concentrate chiefly on the second venture to propose another feature encoding plan, Whatever the strategies utilized for preprocessing and post-transforming. Encoding shape and surface. As indicated in Fig. 2, the significant segments of the proposed EFBE are edge based composition coding and shape coding. The shape coding is performed in two steps: 1) polygonal rough guess of shape limit, and 2) vertex coding. The composition and shape bits are multiplexed into a solitary bit stream. The EFBE has two modes of operation: autonomous shape- surface (IST) mode and ward shape-composition (DST) mode. The IST/DST switch permits the exchanging between the two modes. In the IST mode, the rectangular edge surface and feature objects shape are encoded autonomously. Shape coding: Unlike the MPEG-4 which utilizes bitmap- based strategies for shape coding, the proposed EFBE utilizes form based method which fits the semantic shape characterization. The shape form as either the division veils limit or the framework shape representation of OOI is approximated by a polygon utilizing successive technique such that the separation between the polygon and the form is short of what or equivalent to a given average rough guess mistake ÃŽ ´ . In consecutive strategy, the form is checked from an introductory indicate on the bend focus the longest conceivable edge having the rough guess blunder short of what or equivalent to ÃŽ ´. The procedure is rehashed with the end purpose of the current edge as the following beginning stage. The vertices of the polygon are coded utilizing the article versatile vertex Fig 3. The horizontal and vertical distances of the vertex ai belonging to polygon A from polygon B. encoding system depicted in . The measure of shape mutilation is controlled by differing the estimation of ÃŽ ´Ãƒâ€ ; the bigger the estimation of ÃŽ ´ , the higher the shape twisting. Lossless shape coding is accomplished by setting ÃŽ ´0 . The separation between the polygonal rough guesses of OOI shape in the current and the reference casing is utilized to catch the measure of worldly variety fit as a fiddle. The separation between two polygons is processed as takes after. Let A and B be the polygonal estimates of the current and the reference OOI shape. Let hi and vi be the flat and vertical separation of the ith vertex of A from B (see Fig. 3). At that point the separation of A from B is defined as DAB =max (di) where di=min(hi , vi ). For the objects of investment, for example, talking-head, the variety OOI fit as a fiddle over an arrangement of adjacent casings is typically little. Accordingly when the lossy shape coding is craved, the shape data is not transmitted with each casing. Rather, the polygonal estimate of the current OOI shape is coded and transmitted just if the separation between the polygonal estimates of the current and reference OOI shapes is more prominent than or equivalent to an edge T . Overall no shape data is transmitted in the current edge. At the decoder, the most as of late decoded shape is utilized to distinguish the OOI if no shape data is available in the current edge. 2) Texture coding: The essential steps of composition coding in the EFBE are basically the same as those in a normal rectangular edge based encoder. These fundamental steps comprise of separating a feature outline into an exhibit of essential units called macro squares and preparing every macro square by applying discrete cosine change, quantization and variable length coding. Truth be told, the surface coding square in the EFBE can be any rectangular edge based feature encoder (e.g., MPEG- 1, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 (basic profile) feature encoder). In our execution of EFBE, we have utilized MPEG-4 (straightforward profile) encoder for casing based feature composition coding. In the DST mode, the shape data is utilized to alter the composition coding parameters. The fundamental thought is to encode the composition in the area having a place with the polygonal estimate of the OOI shape with a finer quantization as contrasted with whatever remains of the feature outline. The quantizer qualities utilized for the two locales are installed in the header data which is annexed to the shape bit stream. At the decoder, the decoded shape data is used to accurately distinguish the locale fitting in with feature question on the feature outline and the quantizer data in the bit stream header is used for disentangling the edge surface. 3) Multiplexing shape and composition bits: The proposed upgraded casing based feature coding plan includes the multiplexing surface bits with the extra bits comprising of the shape bits and the bits that are produced by the post- preparing stage for following and connecting the objects of investment. The proposed improved casing based feature decoders would use the extra bits to give the substance based functionalities. We utilize the client information parcel insertion plan for MPEG-4 is depicted for this reason. We join the shape bits, extra header bits and the connection data bits into client information and spot the client information into the bit stream created by the edge based composition coding piece of the EFBE. III. FEATURES OF THE EFBE The construction modeling of the proposed EFBE is planned such that it can be actualized as a basic augmentation of a current casing based encoder structural planning. The main extra multifaceted nature that EFBE adds to a casing based encoder is that needed for shape coding. At the point when an EFBE bit stream is gotten by a current traditional edge based feature decoder, the shape data exhibit in the bit stream would essentially be overlooked and just rectangular casing composition would be decoded and showed. Since the shape and surface are encoded autonomously in the IST mode operation of EFBE, the IST mode furnishes the retrograde similarity with the routine edge based feature decoders. Notwithstanding, the DST mode of EFBE Fig. 4 The source videos used in our experiments: a) the first frame in Akiyo and the corresponding shape contour of the OOI, and b) the third frame in Foreman and the corresponding shape contour of the OOI, does not help retrogressive similarity with the current customary edge based decoders on the grounds that the composition coding is reliant on the shape data in this mode of operation. The installed shape data in the bit stream of the EFBE can be used to help a few substance based functionalities. At the beneficiary, the shape data of a feature protest in the bit stream encourages the identification of the locale having a place with the item as a hotspot on the rectangular casing. A hyperlink can be accommodated the item on the rectangular casing when a client initiates the article by clicking on the hotspot. Subsequently the decoded feature works just about like a Web page, permitting individuals to connect with the picture on the screen. Such a feature bit stream in which a connection and substance data is connected with a district on a feature casing is for the most part alluded to as Hyper Video. Besides, lossy shape coding can be utilized to accomplish higher clamping. The annotation of feature hyperlinks as little symbols containing the polygonal estimate of article con- visit can be shown at the base of the rectangular feature for a client to distinguish the problem areas in an edge. Here, the annotations give a thought regarding the present, past and next scenes to a client through the showcase of polygonal close estimations that give semantic depiction of the items in the scenes. This will permit a client to effortlessly look for a scene in a feature. Besides, amid quick forward or quick invert operations, no one but shape can be decoded and showed as opposed to deciphering the whole rectangular casing surface. In the event that the limits of the shape cover consummately match the genuine limits of OOI (as on account of shape data acquired through the standard blue-screen system in studio situations), one may pick the lossless shape coding by setting the polygonal estimate lapse ÃŽ ´=0 . This permits the client to concentrate the OOI from the rectangular casing and overlay the OOI on a foundation picture of his own decision to show a feature scene which is unique in relation to the one present in the bit stream. The DST mode of the EFBE is fit for giving extra substance based functionalities, for example, allocating distinctive quality, clamping, and lapse insurance levels to the areas of investment and the remaining zones in a feature outline. IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS The ordinary edge based feature encoder (CFBE) in the MPEG-4 Verification Model (VM) programming [1] is utilized as the premise to actualize the proposed EFBE. We joined the accompanying modifications to VM programming: 1) expansion of our shape coding module, 2) conformity of quantization step focused around shape data in the DST mode, and 2) multiplexing the client information comprising of encoded shape data and the connection data of hotspots with the composition and header information. We utilize the first 100 edges of the 30hz CIF-size Akiyo and Foreman feature groupings and related OOI shape forms in our analyses. Fig. 4 demonstrates an example outline and related OOI shape form in the first features. The feature successions are encoded at 10 edges/sec; so there are 34 coded casings in the bit stream. Initially, we think about the execution of the IST mode of the EFBE with the execution of the CFBE. Since the surface coding in the IST mode of EFBE is the same as that in the CFBE, both the encoders yield the same feature quality. In this manner, we look at just the bit stream size. The accompanying encoder settings are utilized. A fixed quantization venture of Q=16 is utilized amid surface coding. For the EFBE, we have to define two extra parameters to be specific ÃŽ ´ and T connected with shape coding. In our investigations, we set ÃŽ ´=10 and we use T=0 for Akiyo and T=5 for the Foreman. The Fig. 5 demonstrates the polygonal rough guess of OOI in an edge for ÃŽ ´=10 . The bitrates are recorded in Table I. Since T=5 is utilized for coding the state of Akiyo, we saw in our tests that the OOI shape was encoded in just four out of the 100 casings and the aggregate number shape bits in the whole bit stream was 720; 720/34=21 along these lines the normal number of shape bits for every edge is , which is an irrelevantly little esteem as contrasted with the normal number of surface bits. If there should be an occurrence of the Foreman, the state of OOI in each one casing is encoded in light of the fact that T=0. We watch that the shape bits are 0.125% and 1.29% of the surface bits for Q=8 and Q=16 , separately. On the other hand, this little extra overhead of shape bits in the EFBE bit stream as contrasted with the CFBE bit stream is incredibly justified by the benefit attained as far as a few helpful substance based functionalities that the shape data empowers. We introduce the correlation of the execution of the DST mode of the EFBE with that of the CFBE utilizing the Foreman feature. A fixed quantization venture of Q =16 is utilized for all the macro pieces in CFBE. Though in the DST mode operation of EFBE, a lower quantizer (Q =8) is utilized for OOI district and higher quantizer ( Q=31) is utilized for the remaining piece of the casing to attain almost the same composition bits as that needed by CFBE. For the shape coding in the DST mode of the EFBE, we set(ÃŽ ´=10 T=0 ) . The quality and bitrate for the first Intra-edge encoded by the two encoders are exhibited in Table II. A higher PSNR for the OOI area is attained at the expense of lower PSNR for the foundation district as contrasted with the general PSNR acquired with the CFBE. The EFBE requires extra 128 bits for coding the state of the OOI V. CONCLUSIONS The building design and configuration of the proposed improved casing based feature encoder is introduced. The fundamental point of the proposed encoder is to give an upgrade to the traditional edge based coding. It is conceivable to attain a few helpful substance based functionalities by inserting the coded representation of a feature objects form alongside the coded surface in the bit stream,. The overhead of extra bits needed for shape coding is short of what 2% of the aggregate bits of the customary edge based coding in our exploratory results.

Bismark Essay -- essays research papers

II. Summary 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book I have reviewed, Bismarck, is a complex look at the life of the German legend, and is certainly intended for historians not unlike the author himself. Palmer does not exclude any part of the man’s life even dwelling into his childhood and adolescence. His attention to details is very apparent, even to his own admission, using public and private letters written by Bismarck himself. This book is not intended for a student looking for a little more information on the subject, nor the minimal information needed to satisfy the general public. The book was obviously written by someone who greatly admired Bismarck, and spared no expense in writing as much as he could about him. 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Otto Van Bismarck was born April 1st 1815, son of mother Wilhelmine von Bismarck, and father Ferdinand, a Prussian landowner. He studied at Gottingen and Berlin, and after holding minor administrative offices he was elected to the Prussian Landtag in 1847. While in the Landtag, he advocated the unification of Germany under the aegis of Prussia, and was opposed to the liberal movements. He gained the position of ambassador to St. Petersburg, in 1859, and soon after became the ambassador to Paris in 1862. There he would gain much insight and experience that would determine his future policies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bismarck was appointed premier by the King of Prussia, William I, in the king’s effort to secure his military program, which was strongly opposed by the parliament. With his new position Bismarck ultimately, instigated the Austro-Prussian War, as well as the Franco-Prussian War, in order to rid the German Confederation, and fully unify Germany. A struggle for power ensued between Bismarck and William II, which finished with Bismarck’s dismissal and finally his retirement. III. Analysis 1) The author of this book, Alan Palmer, is a reliable historian educated at Oxford University. He is an expert in European History and even headed the History Department in Highgate School. He left his post of sixteen years to concentrate on historical writing and research. He went on to publish eighteen books on numerous leaders and empires of Europe. His work includes, Napoleon in Russia, Alexander I: Tsar of War and Peace, The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire and many more. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n... ...eveled in it. His credentials were well established having graduated from Oxford and writing many other books based on the same period of time in Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book was written very straightforward, and did not zig zag from different periods of time, but instead stayed in a chronological order, which helped the book flow easily from one event to the other. The book also stayed on topic, never straying off the topic of Bismarck, and remaining a biography, rather than a history book. Bismarck’s nature and personality were shown through examples such as letters, articles and speeches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author also stayed true to his word, and did not force his own opinions or interests into the book. The author left it up to facts to prove his own feelings, and did not mettle with history in order to preserve his own feelings. He showed Bismarck as a great, but not perfect man. In closing, I would recommend this book to anyone with a strong interest in Germany, and someone who wanted to know more about the man who helped create it. Bismark Copyright 1976 by Alan Palmer Copyright under the Berne Convention Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York

Essay --

Jeff Leone The Colorado River â€Å"Don’t waste that water! Kids in Africa don’t even have water to drink!† Almost every American has heard this saying before. We have heard this because there are water shortages in third world countries like Africa, as seen in the movie â€Å"Blue Gold†. But why have we developed this notion that there are only water shortages in third world countries? When in reality, there is a shortage of water right here in our home country. The Colorado River’s water is high in demand as it serves millions of people, powers industries, and is home to all different kinds of wildlife. The Colorado River will not be able to keep up with the increasing demand of water and soon enough the river will go dry. Organizations like the Colorado River Water Users Association are trying to change the way that the water is used and adjust how it is managed. The Colorado River is drying up and the western states are running out of water, however, public policy is trying to regulate and preserve the Colorado River to make it more sustainable in the future. The Colorado River, which has so many uses and serves so many, is running out of water. The river delivers water and power to nearly 30 million people who live in the basin states. (River Uses) That includes people who live in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, California, Wyoming and Mexico. In addition, the river is crucial to the economy because â€Å"throughout the seven basin states, the Colorado River provides water for people and for business and industry - creating jobs for millions, jobs that contribute to local economies and billions of dollars to the nation.† (River Uses) The river is also important as it provides irrigation to about 1.4 million acres of land for fa... ...ld 17.5 million acre-feet (5.7 trillion gallons) of water. However†¦ The river now averages about 14.7 million acre-feet per year† (National geographic) In addition, the water level of the rivers two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have dropped over the past couple of years. (National Geographic) One of the biggest signs that the river is struggling is that it discharges little to no water to the sea for months at a time. (National Geographic) The Colorado River is on a path that will take it to its end. The river is running out of water and cannot keep up with the high demand. New technology and growing industries require more water and more power. Organizations are attempting to solve the problem through public policy but the task may prove too large. Humans have changed the coarse of nature and it is up to us to come together and fight for change.

The Lamb vs. The Tyger By William Blake Essay -- essays research paper

In this essay I am going to be looking at two poems from the Songs of innocence and experience works. These poems are The Lamb and The Tyger written by William Blake. Both these poems have many underlying meanings and are cryptic in ways and both poems are very different to each other. In this essay I will be analysing the two poems, showing my opinions of the underlying themes and backing them up with quotes from the poems. I will compare the poems looking at the similarities and differences between them and also look at each one individually focusing on the imagery, structure and the poetic devices William Blake has used. Firstly I will look at the Tyger a poem about experience. The first thing that strikes me about this poem is the structure. The poem is very ordered written with 4 lines a stanza and a total of 6 stanza’s. This looks like a professional poem created by an adult, showing experience right away. The syllables are normally 7 per line but there are exceptions to this rule as all of stanza 5 has 8 syllables a line. The first stanza and the last stanza are nearly the same apart from the last line of each differing by a word. This poem uses many poetic devices well to create a vivid picture in the readers mind. There are rhyming couplets, alliteration, repetition, rhetorical questions as well as many biblical and egotistical references to the artist and poet himself. Now we will look at the poems meanings. The poem at first glance looks to be about a Tyger but after reading through thoroughly a few times we learn that there are many underlying themes and tones to this poem. For example the many biblical references â€Å"immortal† meaning to not die, â€Å"fire† related to hell â€Å"heaven† related to God and â€Å"wings† also relate... ...ast each other well. Both poems use imagery, repetition, alliteration and rhyming and both have many biblical references and rhetorical questions. Although each poem is different in its structure, theme and the way it is written. In conclusion these two poems by William Blake are both deep and have hidden meanings, they both use imagery, repetition, alliteration and ryming couplets as well as biblical references to create a vivid pictures in the readers head. But these poems do differ in many ways such as the structure, theme and way it is written. The Tyger appeals to me most as it has more hidden meanings than the Lamb and the Lamb is boring and as if written by a child (for effect). In this essay I have analysed, contrasted and compared the two poems The Tyger and The Lamb to the best of my ability detailing the poetic devices used and the underlying meanings.

Analysis of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple Essay

â€Å"No one is exempt from the possibility of a conscious connection to All That Is.† Alice Walker explores this quote through the story of Celie. Just like the color purple, the truth, no one is exempt from. No one can run away from the truth. It is inevitably inescapable. Starting off in a rather harsh setting, Celie starts off her story at the time she is raped for the first time by her own father. Rather straight forward, Walker captures her reader’s interest right in the beginning of her novel. Blood is thicker than water. This saying is most exemplified throughout The Color Purple. Love, the tale of two sisters reconnecting, was one of the major themes of the story. In depth, love was not always romantic, but existent. There were different types of love depicted in the novel: love between family, friends, and couples. Love, in turn, helps with creating and development of relationship between characters. Many other themes are depicted in this great work of fiction: Race, racism, African American women and men, abused wives, sexuality, and relationships. These many themes are illustrated throughout the novel through different settings and people. Structuring her writing in short journal entries to God and the family of Celie, the round character, Walker employed them as one of the three symbols throughout the work of fiction. Traumatizing and explicit events occur during the entries which lead to the internal and external conflicts that will take place through the duration of the novel. In addition to these graphic events that were both inconceivable and horrific in every sense for Celie, the events described in the entries led to the novel being banned within some high schools. In The Color Purple, Alice Walker writes in a southern dialect and low level diction. The setting takes place in rural areas of the south where race played a huge part during the time when discrimination was more prevalent in America. Based on the level of diction, Walker writes in an uneducated, southern style. By writing in this type of style Walker is able to fully exemplify Celie’s thoughts creating a better understanding for the reader by revealing her level of education and social class. Sequentially, this adds verisimilitude to the novel. Born on February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia; Alice Walker was nurtured by two sharecroppers and was the youngest of eight children by Minnie Tallulah Grant and Willie Lee Walker. When she was young she suffered from a traumatizing experience of being shot by a BB Gun in the eye by her little brother. She was bullied at an early age because of the scaring of her eye which was finally removed by her doctor eight years after the incident occurred. Before having the scaring removed, Walker wrote in order to escape her reality, similar to Celie. She attends segregated schools throughout her adolescent years and achieves success by graduating from high school and then attends Spelman College, a college founded for African American women. While attending Spelman, Walker also gets involved in the Civil Rights Movement. By furthering her education, she attended Sarah Lewis College and continues to be apart of the Civil Rights movement. After college, Walker got a job and soon after ironically married a White Civil Rights lawyer named Melvyn Leventhal two years later. The irony of it all is that she marries a Jewish and Caucasian male when all her writing consists of racism, African American struggles, and abuse. Ultimately, the marriage ended in divorce after having conceived their first and only child, Rebecca. Not only recognized for writing novels, Alice Walker is also recognized for her collections of poetry. Her first collection is titled, Once. After publishing her first collection of poetry, she began teaching at Jackson State College where she taught in the Black Studies Program. She continued to teach and eventually started publishing novels while continuing to publish poetry too. The Color Purple was Alice Walker’s third novel. The struggles that Alice Walker had to endure herself as a child are what helped manifest her development of The Color Purple. This proclaimed book and later motion picture, earned two prestigious rewards: the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award. The novel achieved a tremendous amount of success and was made into a film that was produced by Steven Spielberg in 1985. Years after, in 2005, its first Broadway musical was produced. Alice Walker continues to be known for her novels about African American women and her work definitely describes the effect that abuse in the home has on individuals. Which goes to show when it comes to The Color Purple as Celie was emotionally and physically abused by her father. The constant telling that she was too ugly, making her quit school at a young age, and being raped were some of the ways that created the lack of trust within Celie’s family circle. Celie writes letters to God which illustrated a contrast between her spirituality and lack of faith. Evident, since she does not write to God in hopes of being saved, but out of her misery, despair, and lack of hope that life will never work out in her favor. Essentially, Walker chooses to record thoughts of the protagonist with a low level diction and southern dialect allowing Celie’s thoughts to be fully expressed. Based on Celie’s writing technique you know she is uneducated and she admits to it when she says how her father took her out of school and let her sister, Nettie, keep going. Reading The Color Purple can be described as confusing by those who are not used to such low level and amateurish writing style. Many might stumbled upon Celie’s choice of words and order of her thoughts. Alice Walker captures Celie’s true feeling and the way she actually thinks by spelling word wrong like ask. She spells ask like â€Å"ast† which further exemplifies that Celie is far from being smart. Further into the novel, diction becomes more advanced once the point of view is change from Celie alternating to Nettie. Then the letters are from Nettie writing back to Celie. The switch in diction earned some scrutiny by the New York Times, â€Å"If Alice Walker’s celebrated and prize-winning earlier novel, â€Å"The Color Purple,† had a glaring flaw, it was Nettie’s letters from Africa, which tended to a certain monotonous didacticism.† Although appraised for this, by writing with better grammar and a higher level diction, Walker reminds the readers that Nettie is educated unlike her sister. You are able to compare Celie’s writing to her sister and it creates more realism for Celie’s character as it defines her lack of education. In contrast, Nettie’s letters speaks to the audience revealing purpose not out of despair, yet quite different than Celie’s letters. She talks about the civilization of Africa, politics, issues on ra cism that Celie was not very familiar with.  Also, Nettie’s letters adds more credibility to Celie’s character. Clearly, the diction and dialect show Celie’s lack of intelligence, but it also help you understand where the setting takes place. The way Celie speaks and the word choice she uses gives you insight on the rural areas where the setting takes place. The setting often paints an image of a farm as Celie writes in her journal entries how she and Harpo would work in the fields. The setting, taking place in the rural areas of Georgia helps to create atmosphere and establishes credibility and verisimilitude. In turn, this creates realism. Walker uses cultural circumstances of African Americans to help shape her setting. The upsetting, stressful, and tragic tones create a rather sympathetic and emotional atmosphere. Race plays a huge role in The Color Purple. All African Americans were viewed as the weaker race, but African American woman were represented as the weaker gender between both sexes. The males take on an overpowering role and abuse their wives to keep them under their control. After the constant abuse Celie looses pride in her own race, self, and gender. It is not until she learns about some of the wealthy societies of Africa and essentially the color purple that she regains some of her pride that was taken away by the males in her life. Racism against Blacks inflicted by Whites, another theme depicted, was just as essential to race as it was to the dehumanization of African Americans. Setting the tone, such blatant, unfair and harsh treatment during early times serves for the foundation of how Blacks treated their own kind. â€Å"They have the nerve to try to make us think slavery fell through because of us, say Sofia. Like us didn’t have sense enough to handle it† (102). Unlike most in the novel, Sofia had pride in her race. She did not let racism change her outlook and reflection of herself and race. Seemingly, a sense of pride that one could only wish that most African Americans exhibited. Another theme expressed in The Color Purple is African American women and abused wives. Walker paints a picture that all Black males are controlling and disrespect their wives. To some Black males the way Walker portrayed  them was offensive. According to the New York Times, critics claimed that Alice Walker â€Å"portrayed black men harshly.† Many Black men felt that Walker expressed prejudice views toward them especially since she married a White man. With that being said, others commended her for her portrayal. In essence, many felt that The Color Purple encouraged lesbianism not only offended African American men. This is confirmed in an article on race and domesticity in The Color Purple. The article states that the novel was â€Å"degrading to Black men and promoting lesbianism among Black women.† The males in the novel were Celie’s antagonists. Some felt that Walker had something against African American males and that she thought they were all bad. Likewise, sensing any hostility toward Walker against African American males is understandable. Furthermore, the author was just trying to tell a story of the love of two sisters and the hardships of African American women and wives down south in the early 1900s. Due to the disturbing events that Celie had to endure through her childhood especially she does not even label men in her journal entries. Celie always referred to them as â€Å"Mr.___.† Perhaps in a way this was her way of taking away power from males. The only good feelings and sexual ones are given to her by females, one in particular Shug Avery. The constant and explicit talk about sexuality is one of the many reasons why there are high schools who banned the work of fiction from school curriculums. According to the School Library Journal, â€Å"The Color Purple ranks 18 on the American Library Association’s list of 100 most frequently challenged books.† With that being said, high schools forbid their school libraries from ordering the book. The incestual scenes between Celie and her father alarmed the parents of Little Axe High School and they force the school to ban the novel (Norman). Although there are some overtly explicit experiences Celie dealt with, it is nothing that should be banned. Some high schools, usually those with a predominantly Black population can relate to this story, but schools like Little Axe High School probably would find a harder time relating to the story since their school is predominantly White. However, that does not mean someone White would not enjoy reading the novel.  A Caucasian student, attending Warren Mott high school as a senior this year, actually enjoyed reading the novel in her English 11 class her junior year. To help enhance the understanding of African American culture and history, The Color Purple has been put in many high school curriculums. A case study written by Rob Baum states that, â€Å"Woods High School added The Color Purple to its curriculum to rectify its balance of gendered and raced texts.† Adding on, reading The Color Purple for opposite races and even African Americans themselves can give much insight on some of the oppressed, abused, cultural backgrounds of African Americans. Throughout the novel, Celie struggles with her sexuality. This is an example of the internal conflict within Celie. All her life she was beaten and raped by the men, including her father and husband. Dealing with much abuse causes Celie to have no confidence. Celie has no sense of her own actuality. She has no self worth, inner beauty, or formal intelligence. As Celie works through her internal conflict, the symbols employed throughout the novel are shown. The conflicts worked through the novel to add to the tragic and upsetting atmosphere. Along with internal conflict, there was also some external conflict. There was external conflict between Celie and the men in her life. Her father and husband are just some of the examples of external conflict. Not only did the protagonist have external conflicts between men, other supporting characters such as Sofia and Harpo did as well. The males in the story try to dominate their women, while some succeed in doing so and others do not. Celie is an example of the women who accepted the oppression and just tried to survive. Day by day, she never fought back until given the courage in the end. Sofia, on the other hand, was an example of how women fought back against the sexist ideas that men could do whatever they wanted to overpower their wives, including beat them. Relationships were significant in the development of the novel. The relationships between women and women, men and women, and people and God were illustrated. Just like there was love among the women, there was also jealously. The bond between Shug and Celie started  off with jealously as Shug was prettier and was able to get the attention of Celie’s husband and stand up to him. The women stayed within competition of one another until they were finally able to ban to together and rise against the men in their lives that were keeping them down. The relationship between Celie and Shug was one the most prominent relationship in the story. After their bond was formed Celie learns many life lessons that ultimately help to liberate her from the captivity of male dominance in the story. Next, the relationships between men and women often lacked love and passion in their marriages. The men were too busy following after their fathers that they never learned how to truly love their wives. Depicted in the novel, Black men felt they had to â€Å"wear the pants†; this idea transcends through The Color Purple as the men fail to break away from the tradition of trying to tame and train their wives. In doing so, some lost their wives respect and love in some circumstances. Instances such as when Harpo observed his father’s relationship between him and his wife. Harpo formed the conclusion that by beating his wife like his father did to Celie, he might create a more controlling and accepting relationship between him and his wife. Trying to earn her respect by watching his father’s relationship with Celie, he beats his wife, Sofia. In response, Sofia lashes out and fights back. She was the perfect example of women who were true to themselves in mind and physique. Additionally, the males in the novel let their violent fathers dictate how they handled their own relationships. Furthermore, the relationships that Celie encounters with men in her life cause her to feel no type of attraction or passion from men. â€Å"Naw, I say. Mr.______ can tell you, I don’t like it at all. What is it like? He git up on you, heist your nightgown round your waist, plunge in. Most times I pretend I ain’t there. He never know the difference. Never ast me how I feel, nothing. Just do his business, get off, go to sleep†(77). In this excerpt, Celie describes how she felt about having intercourse with her husband. Unfortunate enough, no love or passion is felt, just abuse. Last, but not least, the relationship among people and God was exemplified through Celie and how she views God. After being raped Celie loses her sense of love with God. To Celie, God was a male therefore, she lost faith in him like all the other males she had to encounter in her life. Writing to him out of loss of hope, she loses sight of the color purple and the liberation of life. By the end of the novel, Celie realizes the color purple is nature and the two combined is God as well. Viewing the two as one, she grasps the feeling of joy and being free. Symbolism takes place throughout the novel. Like God, the color purple, represented nature. It stands for all the beauty that nature beholds and one of the unrecognized truths Celie had yet to understand. Celie had no idea of what the color purple was in the beginning. She lived life only to get to the next day. It was not until Shug came into her life that she gets a sense of the color purple. Then she is able to liberate herself from the control of her husband and move forward in life. â€Å"Until you do right by me, I say, everything you even dream about will fail. I give it to him straight, just like it come to me. And it seem to come to me from the trees† (206). This quote is evident of Celie’s transformation. Once wounded, she is now a warrior. Unrecognized, the color purple was the main idea of the story carried forward, hence its name. Later on in the novel once Celie is living her life freely without the strong hand of men, she begins to make pants. Gaining a sense of actuality, beauty, and confidence in herself, Celie wears the pants as well as making them. The pants symbolized how Celie overcame the sexism she always was subjugated to. Since pants, culturally was a male article of clothing in the early 1990s, wearing and producing them gave Celie a sense of power she never felt before. The idea that men wore the pants was no longer a belief of Celie and it proves true in the novel. She no longer felt oppressed and afraid emotionally or economically. Her clothing business consisting of only pants was one of the starting blocks in her life that she was not afraid of men and she did not need them to support her emotionally or financially either. Therefore, pants being symbolic of manhood in many ways, making them was liberating for Celie. God was also a symbol, not just the color purple and pants. Writing to God is what kept Celie life moving. Her letters to God were an indication that she was still alive and sane. Furthermore, the letters added to the verisimilitude of the novel. The employed symbol was used to give insight to the setting through Celie’s eyes which helped to create realism. The Color Purple expresses the theme that everyone has a story to tell. Celie’s story was told in the novel. Going more in depth, the plot of the story helps enlighten readers on all the themes discussed in the previous paragraphs. The plot shaped the Walker’s story into a tragic love story that of two sisters trying to reunite once again. The violence, abuse, and sexuality of the plot are told from Celie’s perspective and through her writing of letters the other themes in the novel are revealed: symbols, marriage, and race. As stated in the Masterplots Revised Second Edition, â€Å"Alice Walker’s novel is unique in its preoccupation with spiritual survival and with exploring the oppressions, insanities, loyalties, and triumphs of Black women.† Speaking to many unrecognized truths and possibilities of life, The Color Purple employs symbols in order to let those truths become understood. Setting, structure, diction, and dialect serve the purpose of verisimilitude for Walker. She uses them to create realism and credibility for her readers. Although criticized for her portrayal of African American men, the novel is still to this day a classic. The critical analysis of sex and lesbianism caused much uproar in some high school including Little Axe High School resulting in the banning of the novel in the school’s curriculum. Yet, it remains a best seller.

Revolutionary War vs. 9/11 Essay

The Revolutionary War and 9/11 were both events that are still very talked about today.. They impacted America so much, and shook our history forever. Despite the differences in era, cause, and effects, they were also were alike in many ways. The Revolutionary War and 9/11 differ in many ways. First, the obvious fact that they took place in very different time periods. The Revolutionary War, which took place from 1775-1783 was an era before modern technology. Therefore, it took days, maybe even weeks before the media could inform the people of the events of the war. In the events on 9/11, which took place on September 11, 2001, people all across the globe knew what was going on by the second. News channels were buzzing, and the world was able to mourn along with the ones in the event. Technology also caused a major rift in between the two events due to the differences in weaponry. The Revolutionary War’s best weapons were early versions of muskets, rifles, cannons, pistols, and bayonets. In 9/11, they used box cutters, bombs, cellular communication, and airplanes. Finally, the Revolutionary War was a collection of multiple events and battles which took over a long period of time. Years, in fact. 9/11 simply took on e day. Despite their many differences, the two events are quite similar. Both the Revolutionary War and 9/11 caused fear and sadness in America. After 9/11, people were afraid of flying airplanes, leaving their homes, and some even grew paranoid of all Muslims. During the Revolutionary War, there was fear of both British and Native American terrorism. Another similarity is that both resulted in thousands of people dead or wounded. There were approximately 25,000 wounded, and another 25,000 people found dead during the Revolutionary War. In 9/11, 6,291 people were wounded, while 2,998 died. One similarity that is still very strong today is that both drastically divided the nation. During the Revolutionary War, the people were turned into either Loyalists or Patriots. Patriots were those who supported independence, whilst the Loyalists were those who remained loyal to the British king. After the devastation of 9/11, Americans who had probably referred to themselves as somewhat neutral, were all suddenly either Liberal or Conservative. The two categories had been dominant before, the the turn events caused people to be more outspoken about their beliefs. Conservatives believed in patriotism, and that we needed to punish those who had damaged our country, while liberals believed in more peaceful ways to solve the dilemma. However, regardless of any similarities, everyone can agree that both were events that shocked people, created a stronger government, and greatly impacted American history. Both events shook up our country drastically. People were left feeling unsafe and vulnerable, and thousands were left without lives. Although up until today people still debate on topics regarding both events, the truth is, no matter how much it damaged the survivors, it all resulted in a stronger America, and proved that we are a force to be reckoned with.